Her peripheral vision first caught the shadow of black wings, and then her sense of touch and hearing revived in the rapid descent. The person caught and embraced her, with a chest temperature higher than usual. She even suspected she heard a rapid and panicked heartbeat. His chin pressed against her head, applying slight pressure, as if he didn’t want her to look up at him.
But she still wriggled out of his restraint, tilting her head back, yet looking up calmly from beneath her slightly lowered eyelashes. She looked into those familiar red eyes.
Kalsas did not linger in mid-air. He softly chanted a spell and instantly transported Nali to an unfamiliar room. There were no windows or doors in sight, and the room was sparsely furnished, so minimalist that it appeared cold and lifeless.
He placed Nali in an armchair and lowered his head, speaking softly: “This is my magic barrier. No one can take you out except me.” He paused, his eye corners lifting mockingly: “Of course, if I die, you’ll be free.”
Nali clenched her fists, feigning composure: “So, how long do you plan to keep me here?”
The Demon King straightened his back, took a step back, and casually removed his heavy cloak, answering: “Until I end everything.”
“But even if you destroy the device, you still can’t…” Nali began to stand involuntarily.
Kalsas moved closer, placing his hands on the chair’s armrests and leaning forward, forcing her back into her seat. Cold flames flickered in his deep red eyes, his tone now aggressive: “Do you believe their claims? What exactly did Pepin tell you? What happened in the Chancellor’s Tower?”
Nali was stunned by his sudden change in attitude, suppressing her instinct to retreat, and asked: “You can’t monitor what happened in the Chancellor’s Tower?”
The Demon King’s pupils contracted, and he said coldly: “That was Pepin’s final move, a barrier even the Grand Sage cannot break. Apart from you, probably no one knows what happened inside. Tell me, what did he say to you?”
Nali lowered her eyes, her forehead touching his, and whispered: “The truth in his eyes.”
A moment of dead silence.
“And you believe him,” Kalsas spoke each word as if it had been soaked in frost.
