The Damned Demon - Chapter 806

806 Hope Through Sacrifice And Pain

The crimson waters broke open as Rowena resurfaced, her body feeling heavier than it had ever been. Every motion felt sluggish, as though the weight of the abyss still clung to her like a curse. Her breaths were slow, labored, not from exhaustion, but from the sheer grief threatening to suffocate her.

With silent, mechanical movements, she pulled herself onto the colossal carapace of Callisa, the Kraken's massive body shifting beneath her weight. "Kooooo...." The beast let out a deep, mournful hum, sensing the unspoken loss.

Waiting atop the vast shell, the Umbralfiends stood in eager anticipation. The flickering luminescence of their scaled skin shone softly under the dark sky, illuminating their anxious faces.

One of them—a young man with deep eyes brimming with hope—stepped forward, voice quivering with expectation.

"Your Majesty, were you able to retrieve it?"

Rowena nodded.

A wave of gasps and relieved murmurs spread through the gathered Umbralfiends. Faces brightened, hope rekindled. They turned to each other, whispering words of gratitude to the devils and their fallen ancestors.

But then— @@novelbin@@

A tremor of unease slithered into their joy.

The youngest of them—a woman with soft blue scales rippling across her arms—frowned as her eyes darted around.

"...B-But I can't sense our queen," she said, her voice laced with uncertainty and worry.

Silence.

The others stilled, their smiles faltering as realization crept in like a slow, icy tide.

Rowena couldn't bring herself to look at them.

She gritted her teeth, forcing down the lump in her throat before finally speaking, her voice low and heavy.

"...I am sorry."

The moment the words left her lips, the entire world seemed to slow.

"...Your queen... she... she sacrificed herself so that I could return."

The air turned frigid.

Gasps of horror, sharp and jagged, tore through the night. Some staggered back, their limbs going weak. Others dropped to their knees, eyes wide with devastation.

A young warrior clutched his chest, struggling to breathe, while an elder woman's legs buckled beneath her. Tears welled up in their eyes, the weight of the loss too immense to bear.

One of them—a boy who couldn't have been more than sixteen—clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his flesh, drawing blood.

"...No..." His whisper trembled. "...No, this can't be..."

Rowena lowered her head. The pain in their eyes was like daggers plunging into her chest.

The Umbralfiends, despite their grief, did not lash out. They did not blame her, though they blamed themselves for not being strong enough to protect their queen.

They knew if not for the Bloodburn Queen, none of them would have returned alive with the herb.

One of the elders, an older woman with streaks of silver running through her long, dark hair, took a slow, shaky step forward.

She swallowed hard, her voice hoarse but steady.

"...Please don't apologize, Your Majesty."

Rowena's gaze snapped up, eyes meeting the elder's.

"I am sure you did your best," the woman said, her throat thick with grief. She pressed a trembling hand against her heart before bowing deeply,

"You still returned to save our princess. And for that, we are eternally grateful."

Rowena's jaw clenched, her fingers curling into fists. The gratitude in their eyes only made the pain worse.

But she pushed it down. Now was not the time to grieve.

"Where is Isola?" she asked, her voice cold, but urgent, "I will do this myself."

The elder nodded quickly, "She is within Callisa's belly, kept safe."

As if on cue, the Kraken let out a soft, echoing cry, her massive, armored body trembling beneath them.

"Kooooo..."

It was a sorrowful sound, one of mourning, of loss.

But it was also a call of trust.

Callisa's enormous maw slowly unfurled, revealing the entrance.

Rowena didn't hesitate. She nodded at the elder before stepping down, disappearing into the darkness of Callisa's waiting mouth.

The moment Rowena entered, the Callisa's mouth sealed shut.

Darkness.

Then—

A wave of water surged forward, enveloping her. She did not fight it.

The young beast was guiding her.

Faint, hollow voices swirling in the depths of her consciousness.

Screams lost to time.

Rowena forced herself to focus, gritting her teeth against the unbearable pressure.

She wouldn't let the elixir consume her.

Not when she was so close.

Not when Isola was so close.

Usually, absorbing something divine and powerful like this was to be done over days, weeks, or months. But since Isola was running out of time and wasn't conscious to do it herself, she had to hasten the process at the cost of risking three lives.

She had to help Isola's body absorb it.

If it was anyone even a tad weaker than Rowena, their body could have imploded before they could realize it.

Hours passed and just when Rowena felt as if her body might shatter—

A miracle.

Isola's body jerked slightly, a faint pulse igniting beneath Rowena's lips.

The color began to return to Isola's skin, the sickly paleness melting away, replaced by a soft, healthy glow.

Her hair shimmered, the strands becoming even more alive.

Then—the glow intensified.

A twilight blue radiance exploded from her skin, bathing the entire chamber in its dark celestial light.

Rowena was forced to break away, gasping, her lips stained with glowing traces of the elixir.

She stumbled backward, her body still trembling from the strain, from the lingering whispers clawing at the edges of her sanity.

With the grace of the devils, she managed to do it safely.

Isola's chest rose.

Once.

Twice.

Then—

A slow, soft breath escaped her lips.

Her lashes fluttered open, revealing those striking, luminous sapphire blue eyes.

She blinked, disoriented, as if waking from a deep, endless slumber.

Her gaze drifted, unfocused, until it landed on Rowena.

For a moment, she simply stared.

Then—a small, fragile smile curved her lips.

"...Rowena..."

Rowena froze.

Her entire body slackened, the pain, the exhaustion, the fear—all of it vanishing in an instant.

She had prepared herself for the worst.

But now, seeing Isola awake, hearing her voice—

Rowena finally allowed herself to breathe.

Her shoulders dropped, her eyes softening.

And then—

For the first time in what felt like eternity—she smiled.

A small, warm, relieved smile as her vision began to dim.

She had saved her.

And in this moment, nothing else mattered.

Nothing else at all.

Finally she's back...

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

Creator's Thought