The Damned Demon-Chapter 806 Hope Through Sacrifice And Pain

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—

A tremor of unease slithered into their joy.

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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.

Rowena let the currents pull her deeper, through the pulsating tunnels of living flesh. The walls of Callisa's insides were slick, undulating, breathing.

The dim, luminescent glow from the beast's inner chambers cast shifting shadows along the organic pathways.

Rowena barely registered it.

Her thoughts were on Isola.

Finally, the water shifted, depositing her gently onto a soft, fleshy surface.

Rowena stood, her boots sinking slightly into the pliant, living floor.

Before her lay a vast chamber, its center dominated by a massive, pulsating organ suspended in a shimmering fluid. A murky green light emanated from it, bathing the entire space in an eerie, ethereal glow.

Callisa's Life Pearl.

But Rowena's eyes did not linger on it.

Her gaze immediately found Isola.

She lay motionless on the soft, organic floor, her luminescent moon-white hair floating like strands of silk in the water surrounding her.

Her pale skin looked almost ghostly. Too still.

Rowena rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside her.

"…Isola…"

Her voice barely held together.

She reached out, her fingers hovering over Isola's cheek before finally making contact. The skin was too cold.

Her breath hitched.

She didn't waste another second.

With steady hands, she pulled out the vial containing the last remnants of the Elixir of the Ancients.

"Hold on, Isola…" Rowena whispered, her crimson eyes burning.

Rowena uncorked the vial, the luminescent liquid inside swirling like molten stardust. The dark, ethereal glow of the Elixir of the Ancients painted her hands in shades of twilight blue, the fluid almost humming with the echoes of an ancient, forgotten power.

She lifted Isola's fragile body, cradling her as if she were made of the most delicate glass. Her face was pale, her breathing barely there, her body unnervingly still.

Rowena's jaw tightened.

The elixir was thick, heavier than water, its consistency almost like liquid moonlight. But she knew she couldn't pour it into Isola's mouth as it might not go down her throat properly.

Rowena's heart pounded.

If her body didn't accept the elixir—

No.

She wouldn't allow that.

There was only one way.

Her eyes burned with resolve as she poured the elixir into her own mouth.

And then, pushing Isola's hair away from her neck, Rowena lowered her head, her fangs extending.

Her lips hovered over the soft skin of Isola's neck. She hesitated—not out of fear, not out of doubt—but because she knew what this would cost her.

This was dangerous. Life-threatening.

The Elixir of the Ancients was no ordinary remedy—it was potent, raw, untamed…more than an ordinary deviar. If improperly absorbed, it could destroy the body from within including her unborn child.

But Rowena had no choice.

She bit down.

Her fangs pierced through the delicate skin, sinking into the pulsing vein beneath.

A sharp, electric jolt tore through Rowena's body.

Her vision blurred, her mind burning as the power of the elixir rushed into her even though she was injecting it into Isola's bloodstream at the same time.

A searing pain erupted inside her chest, traveling down her limbs, digging into her very bones. Her breath hitched as she used every ounce of strength in her to make sure it didn't reach her belly.

She felt as if her veins were being set ablaze from within, as though the elixir was testing her, trying to break her will.

Her fingers trembled, gripping Isola's shoulders tighter.

She wouldn't stop.

She had endured pain beyond mortal comprehension before.

But this—this was worse.

It was like drowning in a sea of light, while something ancient, something monstrous, tried to shred her apart from the inside.

Her mind wavered.

She could hear whispers.

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...

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