The Forsaken Heir's Ascension
Chapter 113: The Devourer Awakens — Flames of Oblivion

Chapter 113: The Devourer Awakens — Flames of Oblivion

A man, grey-haired and half-naked in his undergarments, trembled violently.

His eyes widened as the colossal serpent-dragon—a being larger than the castle itself—looked directly at him.

He collapsed, grovelling, pressing his head to the earth.

"Please! Please spare me!" he screamed, voice cracking.

"It wasn’t me! It was the Monster Gods! They gave the orders!"

But the Devourer said nothing.

Its massive jaw opened—

And from within, a tiny flame emerged.

Flickering purple and dark as ink, it floated lazily toward the man.

The man blinked, then laughed.

"That’s it? I thought you were something else! You can only do this?"

He reached out to swat the flame like an insect—

The moment it touched his hand—

SCCCCCHHHHHHHH—!!

His scream split the sky.

Agonizing, soul-rending.

His arm vanished—erased.

The flame spread over his body, crawling like a sentient curse.

He convulsed, eyes rolling back, as he was devoured from existence.

Then—

The castle caught fire.

But it wasn’t fire.

It was reality unraveling.

The dark-purple flames consumed stone, memory, and matter alike.

They devoured the Seraph castle like a beast chewing through history.

One section, then another, until only dust remained.

Serene and Hati emerged from below—

And looked up.

Their eyes locked on the creature in the sky.

The fire spread like a virus through the air.

It consumed with no mercy—no heat, just oblivion.

Serene screamed, her voice breaking against the wind—

"ALEX! STOP IT! DON’T DESTROY WHAT SISTER PROTECTED!"

The creature turned its massive head.

Its dual-colored eyes—one red like blood, the other swirling purple—

Fell on Serene.

In that moment, Serene was flattened.

Like a gnat under cosmic pressure.

She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak.

But then...

Something changed.

The swirling flames—like divine wrath given form—

Recoiled.

Retreated into the Devourer’s body like mist into a bottle.

The monstrous form began to shrink

Until—

Only a boy remained.

Alex landed gently before them.

Naked.

His silver-white hair now shimmered with streaks of red and violet.

But otherwise—

He looked just like before.

Serene rushed toward Alex, Hati bounding close behind her.

Alex lay still, his eyes closed—as if asleep—but every so often, his face twisted in pain, his brows furrowing, his lips trembling.

Serene glanced at Hati, then back at Alex. Her breathing steadied as resolve settled in her chest.

She whispered, "Hati... can you take us back to the Academy?"

Hati nodded silently.

Serene crouched, placing one hand on Alex’s chest and the other on Hati. A soft purple glow emerged from Hati, surrounding all three of them—then in a blink, they vanished.

Moments later, five figures descended from the sky, their robes fluttering in the smoky wind.

They hovered above the ruins, eyes wide. One of them with violet eyes, muttered, horrified, "The Devourer... it was real. It appeared here."

No one answered. Even if they knew... they wouldn’t say a word.

In a small dorm room with a single bed neatly made with white sheets, a soft purple light flickered into existence. From it emerged a naked, unconscious boy, a silent wolf, and a tall girl with trembling eyes.

Serene glanced around, breath catching in her throat. "We’re back... this is Alex’s dorm room," she whispered.

But the shock faded fast—Alex lay unmoving, his body limp on the floor.

"Hati," she said quickly, kneeling beside him. "We need to take him to my room. He can’t be found like this... If they see him now, they’ll experiment on him like they did to..." her voice caught, "...my sister."

Hati looked at her with sorrowful, downcast eyes and let out a soft, mournful coo. Then he shook his head.

"You’ve exhausted your elemental energy, haven’t you?" she asked gently.

"Woof," Hati barked softly in confirmation.

Serene nodded, lips pressed into a firm line. She bent down and lifted Alex into her arms—princess-style. Despite his height, he felt light, weightless in her arms.

She slipped into the endless, dark corridors of the Academy. Her high heels echoed sharply against the stone floor, the sound bouncing off the arched ceilings like ghostly footsteps.

At last, she reached her dorm room. She laid Alex gently onto her own bed, his pale skin blending against the emerald velvet sheets.

She pulled a chair beside him and sank into it, exhausted. Hati curled up on the rug near her feet.

Silence filled the room.

That suffocating silence was finally broken by Serene’s soft exhale.

She glanced at the unconscious boy, then at Hati, his eyes closed in quiet vigil.

Her gaze drifted toward the moonlight slipping through the window glass.

"I’m sorry, Big Sister," she whispered, voice cracking. "I couldn’t save you."

A memory flashed in her mind—her sister’s gentle face, silver hair glowing like starlight as she waved goodbye to a little girl named Serene.

Her sobs echoed through the silent room.

Hati slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head and looked at Serene, then quietly stood up. With a small leap, he curled into her lap, resting his head against her.

Serene flinched slightly in surprise. Then—slowly—a soft smile broke through her tear-streaked face.

In Alex’s Mind Space:

Alex stood on a barren island of nothing but sand. No trees, surrounded by endless sea.

He dropped to his knees, then collapsed into the sand, crying like a child.

Then—

A shadow appeared behind him.

A creature, part dragon, part flying snake, descended in silence. Its body shimmered with red and purple scales, feathered wings folded against its back—majestic and terrifying all at once.

Alex raised his tear-stained face.

He stared at the beast.

Panicked, he scrambled backward, sliding through the sand.

But the creature spoke.

Its voice—

No. His voice.

"You have to be stronger."

Alex froze.

That voice was his own.

He blinked. A memory flickered in his mind—the mysterious force that had saved him before, in the tower, again and again.

The creature nodded slowly.

"Yes," it said. "We are one. We are us."

Alex’s lips trembled. His eyes wide, dazed. "What... what are you talking about?"

The creature turned its gaze to the motionless sky of the mindscape.

"This world is not as simple as you think. I’m you. You’re me. But you won’t awaken me again—not until you’re stronger."

Alex’s breath slowed. The tears still streaked his cheeks, but his voice hardened, resentment seeping in.

"If we’re the same... then you know my pain."

The being exhaled, like an ancient sigh that had waited eons to be spoken.

"Yes. Our pain. And this... isn’t the first time we’ve felt it."

He paused, eyes still locked on the empty sky. "Fate hates us. It enjoys watching us suffer."

Alex gave a bitter laugh. "Right. Blame fate. Something we can’t do anything."

His fists clenched, his voice trembling.

"No. Not fate. This world. The people in it. I’ll hate them instead."

The creature looked at him again.

"Just remember," it said softly, "You can’t fall. Not like this. Not while you’re still weak."

A pause.

"Because if you fall... we’ll all die."

And with that—

The creature vanished, leaving Alex alone in the silence, the sand shifting beneath his hands.

Alex looked around, but all he saw was an endless sea surrounding the barren island of sand.