Cucking The Demon King
Chapter 107: Lela’s awake

Chapter 107: Lela’s awake

If she still had doubts before, she was sure now... these guys were heretics!

Whatever was happening here, it was dangerous.

She needed to leave. Now.

But just as she started to retreat, the hooded figure turned their head slightly—just enough for Emma to catch a glimpse of what lay beneath the hood.

A single eye gleamed through the darkness.

A gleaming purple eye.

She also caught a faint sight of what seemed like a nose mask, oozing with thin purple smoke.

Normally, her eyes would’ve be able to catch such a detail, but the golden dust sprinkled on her by Uti didn’t just mask her presence, but also boosted her senses.

Suddenly, Emma’s breath hitched, cold sweat dripping down her back.

The hooded figure suddenly stiffened.

Emma’s heart plummeted.

’Did they sense me?!’ She thought, her face pale with fear.

For a second, the world seemed to slow.

The hooded figure’s eye swept over the area, scanning the shadows.

Emma pressed herself against the cave wall, barely daring to breathe.

Uti remained motionless, its magic still cloaking her presence.

A long moment passed.

Then—

The hooded figure turned away.

Emma forced herself to remain still, even as relief threatened to buckle her knees.

The figure spoke again, their voice quieter this time.

"The Order is moving. We must be prepared."

The kneeling man, still gasping for breath, nodded weakly. "Yes... my lord."

The hooded figure didn’t respond. Instead, they turned and began walking toward the darkness beyond the clearing.

The kneeling man shakily pushed himself up, casting one last glance at the retreating figure before disappearing into the trees himself.

Silence fell over the clearing.

Emma exhaled, only now realizing how tightly she had been gripping the rock.

Her mind raced.

’The Order? A ritual?’ She mumbled inwardly, still reeling from the shock of what she just heard.

She needed to tell the others.

Taking one last cautious glance at the empty clearing, Emma slipped back into the cave.

Uti fluttered off her head, circling her once before landing on her shoulder.

Her hands trembled slightly as she clenched them into fists.

It could be that she was only paranoid, but the aura she felt oozing from the hooded figure, it didn’t feel human.

The other one who knelt beside him still had a rather human aura around him, no matter how twisted it may be.

There was also the strange emblem on his back.

She had seen that emblem before, in an image her father drew for her when she was young.

According to him, that was the symbol of the order of heretics, who would end up being the ones to stand in her path as the future knight king.

And from what those two said, that same order was involved in whatever ritual they were planning to do.

Whatever was coming...

It was worse than she had imagined.

And she was running out of time.

Emma tried sorting out her thoughts, but the fear still clung to her, rising within her like an unstoppable tide.

Her breath came out uneven, her chest tightening as she struggled to process what she had just witnessed.

She turned her gaze back to the spot where the two strange figures had stood only moments ago.

The clearing was empty now, the silence of the night settling once more, but the memory of what she had seen remained sharp in her mind.

Sweat trickled down her face, sliding down her cheek before dripping onto the rocky ground.

Her fists clenched tightly, her nails pressing against her palms.

She had to do something.

Slowly, she turned toward Uti, the small golden insect still resting on her shoulder. Its delicate wings fluttered slightly, sensing her unease.

How am I supposed to reach the others?

Her three teammates were somewhere out there in the forest, likely unaware of what was happening. If she didn’t get to them soon, they might walk straight into danger without even realizing it.

For a brief moment, another thought crossed her mind.

Should I follow them?

If she tracked the hooded figure and the kneeling man, she might be able to gather more information. Maybe even uncover the full extent of their plans.

But almost as soon as the thought appeared, she pushed it aside.

No.

Following them was too risky.

She didn’t know their true strength, and she wasn’t about to take any reckless chances.

She was strong—she had proven that time and time again. But the hooded figure... whoever they were, they exuded a presence that made her instincts scream in warning.

She doubted she was stronger than them.

And if she was discovered, there was no telling what they would do to her.

No, the best option was clear.

She needed to find her three teammates and warn them about what she had seen.

And beyond that—she had to contact Emerald.

The knight had come along with them on this mission, and if there was anyone who might understand the significance of the ritual she had overheard, it was her.

Taking a deep breath, Emma turned away from the clearing and slipped back into the cave.

Uti flitted beside her, its tiny golden body glowing faintly in the darkness.

She had to move quickly.

And she had to be careful.

Because whatever was happening out there...

It was far bigger than she had realized.

*

Meanwhile...

Lela’s eyes slowly fluttered open, her vision blurry at first.

Colors and shapes blended together in a distorted haze, but within moments, the world around her sharpened.

She found herself staring up at a ceiling covered in thick cobwebs, their delicate strands swaying slightly with the movement of the air.

The hut smelled of damp wood and dust, the scent clinging heavily with each breath she took. She pushed herself up, glancing around in confusion.

The room was small and cramped, its walls cracked and lined with dirt.

Old wooden furniture—a single chair and a rickety table—stood in the corner, both covered in layers of dust as if abandoned long ago.

It was clear no one had lived here for quite some time.

Yet, despite its emptiness, an eerie feeling lingered in the air, making her skin prickle.

A sudden realization struck her, and she gasped, her hands flying to her face. Her vision—it had returned!

Ever since she arrived in this strange place, she had been consumed by an endless abyss of darkness.

There was no light, sound, nor even the sense of time passing. It had been suffocating, an experience unlike anything she had ever known.

Yet now, the darkness had vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.

’I can see!’ she thought, a mix of relief and excitement surging through her.

For what felt like an eternity, she had been trapped in that terrifying void, unable to make sense of anything.

No one had attacked her, nor had she sensed any other presence around.

She had seen no point in struggling, so she had simply accepted her fate, waiting for whatever was to come.

And now, just like that, everything had changed.

Lela exhaled, steadying herself as she tried to make sense of her situation. Looking around again, she took in the unfamiliar surroundings, her mind racing.

The last thing she remembered was entering the cave with Liam, Emma, and Cynthia. They had gone in together, making sure to stand as close to one another as possible.

Yet now, she was here—alone.

She didn’t know what exactly happened, and how the darkness suddenly vanished, but she was more worried about the rest of her group members.

’Where are they? Why aren’t they here with me?’ she thought, her frown deepening.

Something wasn’t right.

The more she thought about it, the more unsettling it became. Had she been separated from the others? Had they been captured? If so, by whom? And why couldn’t she remember anything after stepping into that cave?

Her stomach twisted with unease.

’What really happened?’ she thought, a deep frown settling on her face.

She needed answers, and she needed them fast.

Lela’s gaze swept across the dusty room once more, her thoughts racing. Then, something caught her eye—a small object lying on the ground a few meters away.

She narrowed her eyes, focusing on it.

It was a picture frame, with a few strands of cobwebs spreading across its surface.

Frowning, she slowly walked toward it, her footsteps light against the creaky wooden floor.

As she reached down and picked it up, her fingers brushed against the cool glass, clearing away a thin layer of dust that had settled on its surface.

Inside the frame was a photograph, slightly faded with time.

It depicted a little boy, no older than five or six, sitting on the shoulders of a tall woman.

The boy’s face beamed with pure joy, his wide grin filled with youthful innocence. His short, messy hair framed his bright eyes, while his arms were outstretched as if he were pretending to fly.

The woman, who seemed to be his mother, wore a matching smile.

Her hands gently held onto the boy’s legs to keep him steady, and there was a warmth in her eyes, a tenderness that spoke of deep love and happiness.

Lela stared at the picture, her frown deepening.

’Who is this? Whose house is this?’ she thought, gripping the frame tighter.

Something about the image unsettled her. It wasn’t just the fact that she had no idea who these people were—it was the strange, lingering sense of familiarity she couldn’t quite place.

Why did this place feel so... eerie?