Heart drumming at a rapid pace, Selene stood before Sullivan in a guarded stance, her muscles tense and ready for action. She braced herself, expecting him to charge at any moment, but instead, he gave her a questioning look before letting out a chuckle that sent a flush creeping up her cheeks.
"Do you really think I brought you here to spar when you don't even know the basics of combat?" He asked.
Selene's cheeks warmed even further at the realization of her assumption, but she maintained her stance, her gaze unwavering as she locked eyes with Sullivan. "I was a black belt in my taekwondo class." She retorted, her voice carrying a hint of defiance.
Sullivan couldn't help but burst into laughter, though he quickly composed himself, not wanting to undermine Selene's determination. "And I'm an ancient demon." He replied with a smirk, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he disintegrated into dark smoke, reappearing in a corner of the room.
Watching him teleport effortlessly, Selene felt a mix of awe and determination wash over her. She had grown accustomed to his teleportation, but the desire to learn the skill herself burned within her like an unquenchable flame.
"Yet I pinned you to a wall without lifting a finger." She reminded him, a competitive spirit rose from within her. Although Sullivan was tight, she wouldn't give him an easy win.
As Sullivan's eyes hardened in response to her challenge, Selene steeled herself, her resolve unyielding despite the growing tension in the room. With an abrupt but subtle shift in her weight, she prepared to strike, her right hand forming into a firm fist as she whirled around with practiced agility, aiming to deliver a decisive blow to Sullivan's throat.
But Sullivan was no stranger to combat, and his reflexes were as sharp as his wit. With lightning speed, he intercepted Selene's fist, his palm closing around her hand with a vice-like grip. Selene gasped at the sudden turn of events, her body halting in disbelief as she found herself immobilized by Sullivan's strength and speed.
"Not bad." Sullivan remarked, his voice dripping with approval as he held Selene's gaze with unwavering intensity. With a subtle exertion of his demonic strength, he effortlessly flung Selene across the room, sending her crashing into the unforgiving surface of a nearby wall. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs, leaving her momentarily stunned as she struggled to regain her composure.
Selene rose from the ground, her muscles slightly protesting with each movement, yet her gaze remained fixed on Sullivan with unwavering conviction. The room seemed to pulse with anticipation as she squared her shoulders, ready to face whatever challenge the demon had in store. "Can't get rid of me that easily." She joked darkly as the pain seized.
Sullivan observed her with keen interest, his crimson eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and calculation. He noted the slight tremor in her limbs, the beads of sweat glistening on her brow, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for her resilience. But he had a task at hand—to push her to her physical and mental limits, to test the boundaries of her strength and determination.
Sullivan chuckled at her persistence, a glint of admiration shining in his crimson eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it." He replied with a smirk, his stance relaxed yet poised for action.
With a playful grin, Sullivan dodged her initial punch with ease, his movements fluid and graceful. He pranced around her with the agility of a seasoned warrior, his eyes never leaving her as he assessed her every move. But beneath his playful demeanor, his mind was racing, crossing off mental lists of creatures Selene couldn't be—a witch, but she was a fighter, a survivor.
Meanwhile, Selene pressed forward with dogged determination, her focus unwavering despite the ache in her muscles. Each blow she delivered was fueled by a fierce determination to prove herself, to show Sullivan that she was more than capable of holding her own. But with each strike he deflected, each attack he countered, she could feel her frustration mounting.
Yet, Sullivan remained unfazed, his confidence unshakable as he continued to push her to her limits. He delivered a powerful blow to her abdomen, causing her to stagger back with a sharp gasp of shock. It was a calculated move, designed to test her resilience and determination, and Selene rose to the challenge with unwavering resolve.
"Rate the pain from one to ten." Sullivan commanded like he just gave a gentle tap on her knee.
With a mischievous smirk, Selene launched herself forward once more, her movements fueled by sheer drive to win. This time, her attack found its mark, catching Sullivan off guard as she delivered a well-aimed kick to his ankle. The crack of bone echoed through the room, a testament to her strength and skill.
"One." She declared triumphantly, her voice ringing as the demon's ankle healed quickly. But before she could revel in her victory, Sullivan was upon her once more, his movements swift and calculated. He pressed her relentlessly, driving her to the edge of her physical and mental limits with each passing moment.
"You're a petty little one." He rasped, his voice never lacking amusement.
"I need you to get angry." Sullivan requested, his voice firm yet tinged with a hint of urgency. And with a swift sweep at the girl's leg, he sent Selene crashing to the ground, the impact jolting her out of her momentary confusion. And as Selene picked herself up from the ground, a flicker of frustration igniting within her.
As Selene's frustration mounted, her attacks became more ferocious, fueled by a primal instinct to survive. She no longer held back, unleashing her full strength with each strike, her movements fluid and relentless.
Selene's body quivered with the weight of the darkness consuming her, her muscles tensing as she battled to regain control. It was like wrestling with an old force, an ancient instinct clawing at the edges of her consciousness, urging her to succumb to the abyss within. But Selene fought back with every ounce of her willpower, clinging to the rationality that anchored her to reality.
Her hand trembled at her side, fingers curling into a tight fist as she struggled to contain the surge of power coursing through her veins. The darkness threatened to overwhelm her, to drown out the voice of reason that whispered caution in her ear. But Selene refused to surrender, gritting her teeth against the tide of fury threatening to consume her.
"Selene, I need you to fight drowning in that darkness and harness it to make you stronger." He urged, his voice cautious as he teleported to evade Selene's erratic attack. The young girl's body quivered with the effort of balancing her emotions, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she fought for control.
With her eyes blazing forming pools of pitch black, Selene hissed rebelliously, her gaze locked on Sullivan as she grappled with the chaotic energy coursing through her. The voice in her head clamored for bloodshed, for vengeance against her perceived enemies, but Selene knew better than to give in to its seductive whispers.
"Are you scared?" She taunted, a dark smirk playing on her lips as she teased the demon before her. Sullivan sighed inwardly, a flicker of trepidation flashing across his features before he masked it with a composed facade.
"Are you in control?" He pressed, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty as he watched Selene warily. But Selene's laughter rang out like a discordant melody, her confidence unshaken despite the strife raging within her.
"Why don't you find out?" She retorted, her words laced with a dangerous edge as she prepared to unleash her newfound power upon him.
With a surge of adrenaline, Selene launched herself at Sullivan, her movements fluid and unpredictable as she danced around his defenses. It was like tapping into a wellspring of hidden strength, a reservoir of power waiting to be unleashed.
Sullivan's eyes widened in surprise as Selene's attacks grew fiercer, her blows striking with precision and force. For the first time, they stood as equals on the battlefield, their movements mirroring each other in a deadly dance of combat. She wondered where this power and body memory was coming from as if she had done this before, but just as Selene seemed to gain the upper hand, a voice echoed in her mind, jolting her back to reality.
"It's yours." It whispered, a haunting reminder of the darkness lurking within her soul.
Caught off guard, Selene froze for a split second, giving Sullivan the opening he needed to regain control. With lightning speed, he countered her attack, landing a blow that sent her reeling backwards from the shock and not from the nonexistent pain she felt.
As Selene regained her footing, Sullivan moved in for another strike, but she anticipated his move, twisting his arm with a deft maneuver. With a swift motion, she flipped him onto the ground, her thighs locking around his neck in a chokehold.
Sullivan was quick to react, his demonic way to win without playing fair. With a twist of his wrist, he stretched his hand around Selene's neck, applying pressure in an attempt to cut off her air supply as well. "I don't need air, Selene." He reminded her, his voice tinged with a note of warning. "I'm a demon." The air around them crackled with tension as his grip tightened.
But Selene, her eyes still veiled in darkness, didn't flinch. She didn't need air either, not in this moment when the darkness enveloped her, feeding her strength and resolve. Instead, she focused on the sensation of Sullivan's hand around her neck, the pressure building but not suffocating her as it would a mortal.
A flicker of realization passed through Sullivan's eyes, his grip loosening slightly as he adjusted his strategy. Despite his surprise, he maintained his hold, his fingers digging into the skin of Selene's neck. "What are you?" He murmured, more to himself than to her.
As Selene effortlessly broke free from his grip, Sullivan's mind raced with a torrent of thoughts. Never in his existence had he encountered someone like her, someone who defied the very laws he had come to understand.
For centuries, Sullivan had traversed the realms, encountering creatures of all shapes and sizes, each bound by their own limitations and vulnerabilities. Demigods, witches, warlocks—all had their strengths and weaknesses, their unique traits and abilities. But Selene was different, she was beyond classification, beyond comprehension.
As he watched her, a sense of awe washed over him, mingling with the lingering traces of disbelief. How could a mere mortal—or whatever she was—possess such power, such control? It defied logic, it defied everything he thought he knew about the world.
With a furrowed brow, Sullivan cast his mind back to the countless creatures he had encountered, the list of possibilities he had considered. Demigods, vampires, shape-shifters—all had crossed his mind at one point or another, but none seemed to fit Selene's enigmatic nature.
Even demigods, with their divine heritage and otherworldly abilities, needed air to survive. But here she was, standing before him, unfazed by the absence of oxygen, her eyes gleaming with a darkness that seemed to consume everything in its path.
In that moment, Sullivan realized that he had been wrong, that all his assumptions and preconceptions had been nothing more than futile attempts to understand the incomprehensible. Selene was not bound by the rules of the mortal realm, she was something else entirely, something beyond his understanding. Selene was a force to be reckoned with, a mystery that would take more than a lifetime to unravel. And he, for one, was eager to delve deeper into the depths of her darkness, to discover what secrets lay hidden within her soul. A soul he couldn't find every time he stared into her eyes.
Sullivan resisted the urge to divulge more as he teleported away from Selene, leaving her sitting on the ground alone in stunned silence. The realization that she shared a trait with the demon sparked a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind.
"Am I a demon?" She whispered, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes as they returned to their normal hue.
The demon offered her a sad smile, grappling with the weight of his words. He didn't want to crush her hope, but he couldn't deceive her either.
"You're something far worse." He admitted gently, extending a hand to help her up. Selene's complexion paled at his revelation, the weight of uncertainty settling heavily upon her shoulders.
Though Sullivan couldn't pinpoint what she was, his curiosity outweighed any fear of the unknown. Unlike humans who often feared what they couldn't comprehend, he saw in Selene a rare opportunity for discovery—a chance to unravel the mysteries of her origin.
"I don't know what you are, but I'll help you find out." Sullivan's voice echoed in Selene's ears, his words offering a glimmer of reassurance amidst the uncertainty. Yet, she remained in a state of shock, grappling with the gravity of the situation. To be deemed "worse" than a demon by an ancient being left her feeling adrift in a sea of unanswered questions.
As Selene's gaze fell upon Sullivan, she couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation wash over her. His shoulder-length dark hair framed his solemn expression, a silent testament to the weight of their shared dilemma. With a heavy sigh, she resigned herself to the daunting task ahead.
In that moment, Selene felt the weight of her fate bearing down upon her. Uncertainty loomed on the horizon, and she couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom of the unknown.
(15)
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Fun fact, the original name for The Umbra was 'The Unknown' But I said "meh let's make it more mysterious and emo" XD
Anyways don't forget to vote and ask questions if you feel confused. (My answers might be vague as to keep the suspense.) 𓆩♡𓆪