The Damned Demon - Chapter 799

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?" @@novelbin@@

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.

"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! :#

Please vote using Golden Tickets and Power Stones if you guys are enjoying and want to support the novel :D

Join my discord channel -https://discord.gg/HjWkd4nB3z

Resurgent