The Damned Demon

799  Not A Simple Mortal

Rachel's fists clenched as she stared at the frail woman inside the glass chamber, her mother's words echoing in her mind.

"She seems like she has gone through something worse than hell..."

A pit formed in her stomach as she realized the truth of it. The woman had been reduced to something barely resembling a human being.

The sheer weight of suffering she must have endured, the lifeless demeanor, the way she barely moved, as though existing itself was a burden—Rachel had never seen such hopelessness in a person before.

Then, the metallic click of the door unlocking echoed through the cold chamber.

Rachel and Cecilia's heads snapped toward the entrance, tension rising in their bodies, only for their expressions to darken as Derek entered, two trays of sealed food in his hands.

The door locked behind him automatically.

Calmly, he walked toward the glass cage, setting the trays into the feeding compartment, his voice deceptively gentle.

"You two are still refusing to eat or drink?" He tilted his head slightly, a faint frown touching his lips. "Do you think I'll just let you die here?"

Rachel rose from the floor, her eyes blazing.

"We would rather die than become your puppets," she spat. "Do you really think we want to stay alive in this hellhole?"

Derek sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, "Rachel, please don't say things like that. I know you and your mother are prepared to die out of some false sense of morality. But I would hate to have to forcibly keep you two fed. Would you rather save some dignity… or have my people knock you out and feed you through a tube?"

He gestured toward the old woman in the corner, "If you need some motivation, you can always look at your companion there."

Cecilia's chin quivered as she stood up, her fury barely contained.

"What have you done to her?" she demanded, voice shaking with rage. "How could you imprison and torture people like this? Even most demons would at least grant a quick death! How can you be so evil? How do you even dare to lead our people and preach righteousness when you do these things that go against the teachings of our ancestors and the will of the angels?"

Derek's face darkened for a moment before he let out a slow breath, his expression neutral once more.

"You think I wanted to do this?" His voice was eerily calm. "You think I enjoy it? No. You people just keep forcing my hand—just like this woman did." His cold gaze flickered toward the Oracle. "But of course, once I have time to focus on you two, you won't have to suffer anymore."

Rachel's heart pounded against her ribs, the implied meaning sending a shiver of dread through her.

"I promise," Derek continued, his voice almost affectionate, "that I will make you two happy again."

A sickening wave of fear coiled in Rachel's stomach. She knew exactly what he meant. The moment he wiped their memories, they wouldn't even know the monster he was. They would smile at him, trust him, love him, just as they once did.

Rachel gritted her teeth.

"Even if you wipe our memories," she hissed, "we will remember. Somehow, we will remember everything again. So you better kill us now before you regret it later."

Derek let out a dry chuckle.

"Rachel," he said with a shake of his head, "how could you still not understand how fragile we mortals are? Do you know what really makes us who we are? It's our memories. If I erase all memories of your mother from your mind, she won't feel like your mother anymore. She'll be just another stranger to you."

Rachel stiffened, her breath catching.

"That's how weak we are," Derek murmured, taking a step closer, "Just a wipe—and you become a completely different person. That's why I want us to become more than just mortals."

Cecilia swallowed hard, her hands trembling. She glanced at Rachel, knowing she was thinking the same thing.

Derek let his gaze drift back toward the frail figure curled up in the corner.

"But she… she is not a simple mortal."

Rachel frowned, confused.

Derek continued, "Memory wipes don't work on her. No matter what I did, she always remembered. Again and again. That's why I had to force her into this state."

He exhaled, tilting his head.

"That's how powerful she was," he mused, "After all… she was the Oracle."

Rachel's breath hitched.

Cecilia gasped. "Y-You kidnapped the Oracle?"

Rachel's gaze darted toward the old woman, shock crashing through her like a storm. The Oracle—the Oracle, the one who foresaw the fate of their world, who had spoken the prophecy of Cedric—was this woman?

Rachel shook her head in disbelief.

"How could you do this?" she whispered, horror thick in her voice, "She has a sacred status! The Oracle is—"

"She was going to ruin everything," Derek cut in sharply, his voice carrying the weight of finality, "Everything I have worked for. I couldn't let that happen."

"I won't lie," he admitted. "I thought it would be impossible to stop her. And yet… I did. She is still a mortal in many ways and has weaknesses like one."

Rachel clenched her fists.

"The prophecy…" she muttered. "Did she really pass it down, or did you twist it to fit your own agenda?"

The Oracle's frail hands twitched for a brief moment.

Derek let out a dry chuckle.

"The prophecy about Cedric?" he said, "I told you once. It was true… in some ways. It is true that the prophecy stated that someone with an immortal bloodline would destroy everything. And Cedric was the only one in our world who had an immortal bloodline."

Rachel slammed her fists against the glass.

"That's not the same as him being the cause! Someone with an immortal bloodline could have been born in the future or even exist without us knowing! I can't believe you manipulated people into killing Cedric because of your twisted interpretation of a prophecy!"

Derek gave a calm nod, his expression unreadable as he glanced back at the frail woman in the glass chamber.

"You are right," he admitted, his tone steady, almost casual, "There was no reason to act on it. But it was the most convenient tool for me to use to get rid of Cedric. If I had let him be, he and this woman would have gotten rid of me first and ruined the future of humanity."

His gaze darkened, lingering on the Oracle's broken form, his lips curling in faint satisfaction.

"And now…" He exhaled slowly. "Even if she no longer has her powers, I still keep her alive. So that she will at least see my vision come true and I can prove her wrong. She will regret not taking my side.."

Rachel felt the bile rise in her throat at his words. This monster, who she once saw as her father… wasn't just cruel—he was utterly deranged.

Derek finally turned his gaze back toward Rachel and Cecilia, his expression returning to its usual cold serenity.

"But I don't have the time to let you two realize that." He sighed, as if mildly inconvenienced. "So I'll come back when it's time. Don't forget to eat and sleep well. I still want you two to see the good I am trying to do."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the door. The metallic hiss of it unlocking filled the chamber before it slid shut behind him, leaving an unsettling silence in his wake.

Rachel stood frozen, her breath shaky, her hands trembling at her sides.

"I… I can't believe it…" she mumbled, the weight of everything suffocating her.

Then, as if something inside her finally snapped, she turned sharply toward the Oracle, her pain and fury spilling over.

"Why?" Her voice cracked. "Why would you pass down such a prophecy when you knew monsters like him existed? Why?! Just answer me instead of keeping your head down like you're actually guilty of something!"

The Oracle's frail body quivered for just a moment, a single tremor that made Rachel's chest tighten.

"Rachel, don't." Cecilia's voice was soft, yet firm as she reached out, gently pulling her daughter back, "It isn't her fault. She only did what she was meant to do."

Rachel swallowed hard, her anger still burning, but her mother's words struck deep.

She clenched her jaw before lowering her gaze.

"I… I'm sorry," she muttered, the weight of guilt settling in, "I didn't mean it."

Cecilia gave a small nod, her tired eyes softening as she turned back toward the Oracle, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We're just… scared. And angry," she admitted. "But we know you must have gone through so much… even worse than us. All these years, we thought you disappeared into thin air, but you were here all along…" She let out a shaky breath. "If only we knew…"

A few moments of silence passed before the Oracle finally spoke.

"Nothing…" her voice was weak, but the quiet authority in it was unmistakable, "Nothing would have changed… even if you knew."

Rachel felt a chill crawl up her spine at the unsettling finality in her words.

But then… something else unsettled her.

The Oracle slowly lifted her head, the dim, artificial glow casting shadows over her gaunt features.

And that was when Rachel saw it.

Her breath hitched.

Those hazel eyes which were soft and mature…

Rachel took an involuntary step forward, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"You… you look familiar…" she stammered, her heart pounding, "Are you… an Evangelion?"

Cecilia's breath hitched, her body trembling as her widened eyes fixated on the Oracle's face as if realizing something.

"Oh, angels…" Cecilia's voice quivered. "Aira… Is it really you?"

Rachel snapped her head toward her mother in shock.

"Aira?" she echoed, her voice shaking. "Mom, what are you saying? How could Aira be this old? I—I know she could be an Evangelion, but…"

Her words faltered as she turned back to the woman in the chamber, really looking at her now.

And the more she stared, the more she realized…

The Oracle's features, though worn and aged, were eerily familiar.

The shape of her face, the curve of her lips, the haunting resemblance of her gaze…

Rachel's pulse thundered in her ears.

"…It can't be possible…Are you really Aira?" Rachel whispered.

The Oracle—Aira—tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes dull, resigned.

"Not anymore," she murmured.

Rachel's entire world felt like it had just shattered.

She turned to her mother, her lips parted in disbelief, but Cecilia was already shaking, her hand covering her mouth as the truth set in.

All this time… Aira Evangelion, the one who vanished without a trace years ago after what happened to Cedric, the one who had been lost to history… had been locked away in the darkness, hidden from the world.

Rachel's legs felt weak.

She couldn't even begin to fathom what it all meant.

Damn! :#

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