The Damned Demon - Chapter 794

794 Nothing Is Ever Too Late

Asher's eyes fluttered open, expecting to see the huge interior of his Culthold, the hidden sanctum where his followers operated in secrecy.

Instead, he found himself inside a smaller, unfamiliar room. The air was still, the only movement being the soft hum of an old fan overhead. Shadows stretched long over the worn wooden floor, and the windows were covered with shutters, allowing only the faintest slivers of light to pierce through.

He blinked a few times, adjusting to the dimness, before his gaze landed on Remy, hunched over a laptop. The young man was typing furiously, his sharp eyes flickering between lines of code when, suddenly, he gasped.

With a startled jolt, Remy shot to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair as he laid eyes on Asher rising from the black coffin that served as his resting place in this realm.

"O-Oh, w-we weren't expecting you, M-Master!" Remy stammered before immediately bowing deeply, his voice shaking with urgency. "I-I will call the others right away!"

Asher, still disoriented, simply nodded, watching as Remy bolted out of the room with frantic steps. Left alone, he exhaled slowly, taking in his surroundings. It was far from the expansive, well-secured Culthold. Instead, the place felt temporary, like a safe house hastily set up in an emergency.

Within minutes, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and then the door swung open.

Grace, Yui, and Amelia entered.

The moment their eyes met his, their faces lit up with relief and joy.

Grace, standing in her stunning, youthful form, her long vermillion red hair cascading down her back, looked more radiant than ever. The red t-shirt and jeans she wore clung tightly to her curvaceous figure, her brown eyes glowing with vitality. Eternum. She had clearly taken another dose recently.

Yui, dressed in a modest, simple dress, was still as delicate as ever. Her black eyes brimmed with innocence, yet there was a melancholic weight behind them. Emiko's passing must still haunt her. He knew it was a sorrow that refused to fade.

Amelia stood tall, her chestnut-brown hair cascading in soft waves, framing her statuesque figure that exuded quiet power and elegance even in her casual attire. Yet, there was a weariness in her piercing brown eyes—the burden of responsibility she had been carrying in his absence. They all had the same look in their eyes.

And yet, despite all of that, they were here. They were safe. That alone brought a weight off Asher's heart.

"Thank the angels, you are okay."

Amelia's voice quivered with raw emotion, and before Asher could react, she dashed forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. @@novelbin@@

For a brief moment, the world stilled.

Grace and Yui smiled softly, watching as Amelia held him like she had been afraid he would disappear forever.

Remy, who had never seen the Demon King being embraced with such warmth, watched with silent awe.

This was not the Demon King he had imagined.

This was a man they deeply loved. Seeing such a relationship between a demon and his Soulservants still felt surreal.

Asher let out a slow breath, feeling the warmth of Amelia's embrace, and without hesitation, he returned it, firmly holding her close.

"It's good to see you all again," he murmured, his voice lower, heavier, yet softer than before. "Sorry, I'm late. I heard about what you guys did in my absence—buying us more time, slowing Derek down. That was much needed. But... why are we in a different place? What happened to our Culthold?"

Amelia finally pulled back, wiping the moisture from her eyes before speaking, "Our Culthold got compromised after we bombed the Nexus Tower. Derek sent his goons to track us down. Fortunately, Remy was able to hack into their security team's devices and give us a head start to escape."

Asher turned his gaze toward Remy, who nervously rubbed the back of his head.

His voice was steady, but there was something raw, something broken beneath it.

Yui slowly brought her hands to her lips, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Grace exhaled, shaking her head, "I always had a feeling you were hiding something like this, but I just never expected it would be this... painful to know."

Yui suddenly gasped, her body trembling, "M-Master..." Her eyes filled with recognition and sorrow. "You probably don't remember... but you once saved me and Emiko when we were trying to escape the place we were trapped in. Even if we ended up getting captured again, we could never forget you. T-That's why it broke us when we heard what happened to Golden Prince... how everyone was calling him a traitor to humanity. We just couldn't believe it, no matter what they said. I am sorry... for not recognizing you earlier, Master."

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees.

Asher's gaze softened. He stepped forward and gently helped her up, his hands warm and steady. "Don't feel bad about it, Yui," he said in a heavy voice, "It's not like anyone could have seen this coming. Even I couldn't believe it myself at that time. And I am no longer Golden Prince anyway."

Yui sniffled, wiping her tears away, her heart aching at how kind he was despite everything.

Remy, who had been standing quietly, clenched his jaw. His expression was heavy and complicated as he processed what he had just learned.

He could relate to the Demon King's pain.

He had trusted his best friend once, only to be stabbed in the back, thrown into a world where he was nothing but a disposable pawn.

But the demon king... his betrayal had been a thousand times worse.

Grace let out a bitter chuckle, her arms crossed over her chest, "I knew the WHA was rotten, but I never imagined they would be this greedy, foolish, and evil to destroy the very hero who protected them. I knew Golden Prince could never be corrupted even if I had never met you in person. Just your valiant and heroic acts alone spoke volumes about who you were. But more than that, my son used to talk about you with such respect that I knew what kind of man you are. Now it all makes sense..." Grace trailed off as she remembered every little strange thing she had noticed about Asher...things demons usually wouldn't do.

Amelia, who had remained quiet, suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a sharp edge, "It was all that bastard Derek's doing. He killed Cedric and fooled our people into destroying his legacy. I can't wait for us to do the same to him."

Everyone nodded, their expressions hardening with conviction.

Grace's gaze softened as she tilted her head slightly, "You could have told us your past sooner, Master. It's not like we could share it, nor would we have judged you. We would only have trusted you more because now, we finally understand why you fight so desperately. But..." she exhaled, shaking her head with a small, knowing smile, "Nothing is ever too late."

Asher looked at them, his heart feeling lighter, never expecting all of them to understand and accept his past so easily and without any judgement. But it feel good to finally let them know and not keep it to himself.

Before Asher could respond—

A sharp, exasperated voice cut through the room.

"Hmph, I knew you were up to no good from the moment you woke up!"

Everyone turned to the side to see a tall, striking woman standing at the entrance, hands on her hips, her sharp chilling dark red eyes brimming with a mixture of defiance and something else... something deeper.

Rebecca in her human avatar.

Asher's gaze narrowed. He hadn't expected to see her here. Not anymore. Not after he had released her from her servitude.

Why was she here?

Yes, why is she here?

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