The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

The day was slowly coming to an end. The last of the sun's faint rays tucked behind the horizon, and out came the moon and the stars adorning the canvas of the night sky. Oscar walked up to the main entrance, his wet shoes squeaking on the ground. The guards frowned and held their noses from Oscar's rotten scent, staring at Oscar with eyes full of suspicion. They blocked Oscar and the others with their weapons and animas.

"Halt! We cannot let you enter without the proper procedures. But first, explain yourselves. The reports never mentioned a large group of twelve exiting the encampment. Did you convene on the outside?"

Oscar held up his hands, loosening the bulwark to rest on the floor, expressing submission. The guards' caution wasn't without reason. It was well within the realm of possibility that an enemy could try to make a pitiful display to enter. Oscar knelt and gestured to the people behind him.

"Truthfully speaking, I must ask if you can at least give these people food, clean water, and medicine. Some of them are people who were presumed missing or dead. Look at how some of them are barely clinging on. I won't insist on you bringing us in now, but at least help."

Some of the people Oscar rescued were limping and leaning on others' shoulders. Some had blacked out from exhaustion and were carried by the few remaining. Oscar glanced at the one he carried on his deer anima, his breathing was weak, and his body was skinny like the starving prisoners Oscar saw in the past.

"We can't let you in until they all wake up, but we can ask one of the healers to come out with rations." The guard made a signal to one of the others, who left and disappeared into the encampment. Then the guard's tone turned stern, and his eyes glared with hostility. "However, don't try to do anything and bring each person up one by one."

"Agreed. We'll wait on the side." Oscar brought his group a small distance away to ease the guards' tension. He plopped right down on the soft grass, wincing at the damp pants sticking to his skin. He turned around and saw Serena sitting a few paces away from him.

Strange to see her be distanced. Normally, she would have taken the chance to jump him and cling to his body. Thinking there was a problem, Oscar wanted to call out to her when he was interrupted. The guards came up to him, numbering twenty in total, a fearsome force.

"One at a time, take one person and place them by the healer. We will stay guard and watch over you." The guard spoke and pointed to someone waving his hand near the entrance, surrounded by five other guards. They truly regarded their duties as paramount and prepared thoroughly. Oscar admired their prudence, although it was a wasted effort for their group.

"I'll take each unconscious person one by one. You can process the ones who are awake and let them rest inside." Oscar smiled. At the nods of approval from the guard, Oscar got up and went to the healer with the person on his deer anima. At his arrival, the five guards immediately unleashed their Eins and brandished their weapons at him. Without showing any resistance, Oscar placed the unconscious person on the floor for the healer to take a look.

As the healer did his work, an interesting glowing light from his hands covered the patient. Color returned to his face, and his breathing recovered, though his ragged face remained unchanged. Rubbing his eyes and letting out a huge breath, Oscar knew the other was in good hands and turned to see the others undergoing the procession.

His eyes met with Serena's, her eyes enlarged slightly, and she quickly turned away. For some reason, his heart felt strange from her actions, and he patted his chest. He recalled she spoke in a hurry during their great escape, which would be normal for many but not her. Something was wrong. Oscar wondered if it was because of the way Demon treated her.

'That bastard….' His hate for Demon rose. He had to settle this now, or Demon might do something worse.

Time passed, and everyone checked out. The others started to wake up and passed the procession. Many thanked Oscar with tears and joyous laughter; the kind one would get from realizing they were still alive. The cheers and fanfare of their return to their companions should have made him happy and raised his spirit. However, Serena's behavior disturbed his thoughts.

He returned to the tents and washed up. Most of his friends were all out at the moment, leaving only him and Serena. Perfect. He didn't wish for any attention. Oscar stepped to Serena's tent, stopping at the entrance. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he constantly shook his head, struggling to find the correct words.

"Serena, are you alright?" Oscar finally spoke.

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"Oscar? Come on in." She sounded tired from behind the tarp they called an entrance.

Oscar breathed out and stepped inside. The inside of the tent resembled any other, with the simple mattress for resting except for the pretty red-haired woman sitting on it. Serena opened her green eyes and gazed at Oscar, still looking disturbed.

"What's wrong?" Oscar leaned on one of the tent poles. "I've noticed you've been behaving strangely ever since we ended up in the strange prison."

"Behaving strangely? In what way?" Serena asked. Her face tilted. Though to Oscar, it looked like an attempt to feign her confusion.

"Avoiding conversations or cutting them short. Maintaining a distance from me even though ten times out of ten, you would try to get closer. Even now, you seem restrained. When I see your face, I see you're afraid." Oscar sighed. Demon had truly made it worse for him.

Serena's expression broke. A hint of a smile nearly formed from the slightly raised corners of her lips. Then she leaned in closer, her freshly washed hair loosened and fell from her shoulders. She said, "At that time, you suddenly changed. You pushed me aside so harshly and spoke to me like I was an enemy, not even a stranger. I was really hurt at that time, and I couldn't look at you without thinking of it."

Oscar bowed his head. "I'm sorry for my behavior. That is no way to treat my friend. I hope you can forgive me."

"I forgive you." Serena combed her untidy hair. "Can you tell me why you were so strange? It wasn't the way you were, but it was still you. It felt like I was with another person wearing your skin. My body still shivers whenever I think about you in that way."

"That…." Oscar fell silent. He didn't tell Frederick about it earlier. Was it wise to tell anyone? He closed his eyes and tensed his brow from the struggle. Should he tell her or not? Demon was a secret he wanted to keep from others as much as possible, even Celestina. It would only create more worry.

Not wanting anyone else to have more worries, Oscar sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. This problem is for me to deal with. I don't want to lay more worries and stress on you about me. I'm sorry."

He apologized twice. Serena stared blankly at him. Silence fell between the two, and Oscar gulped, not knowing what to say. He could only wait for her response as he gripped his hands, feeling sweat gathering in his palms. After several minutes of silence, Serena sighed and smiled.

"It can't be helped. I'm sure you'll find an answer to your problem." Serena giggled.

"Thanks…." Oscar stopped himself from frowning. Serena's smile and laughter were as fake as one could make it. With her training as a merchant, she had amazing control of her facial expressions, but it failed here. Oscar felt that he had made a mistake, but he stood firm in his decision. With a single nod, he stood up and left the tent.

Oscar paused. His steps stopped a few paces away from her tent. The nagging continued to hound his mind. He felt he had wronged her. Smacking himself on the forehead, Oscar continued walking away, not looking back. Right after entering the tent, he dropped to his bed.

"Demon!" Oscar shouted in his inner world. Demon and his deer anima were idle near his blue core. Demon heard Oscar's enraged shout and slowly opened his cold and dark eyes.

"Had a safe trip back?" Demon said. "If not for me, you would have been dead."

"That doesn't matter!" Oscar held Demon by the throat and brought him close. Their opposing eyes stared into one another. Oscar gritted his teeth and said, "Why did you hurt Serena? There was no need to be so harsh to her."

"What a bothersome woman." Demon didn't shift his indifferent tone and was unbothered by Oscar's grip. "I am you. Deep down, we've always felt annoyed at her antics. I simply did what you never could."

"Hah?" Oscar tightened his grip, but Demon continued to remain stone-faced. "That's no excuse for what you did."

Then, suddenly, Demon gripped Oscar's neck. Oscar's eyes widened from Demon's actions, and he felt Demon's fingers dig into his astral neck, choking out the nonexistent air from his windpipes. Demon's actions were erratic, and Oscar didn't expect him to react so strongly.

"And you?" Demon moved his head closer; the abyssal eyes never wavered against Oscar's anger. "You had your chance to make it right with her. But you chose not to tell her the truth. I saw everything. Don't tell me you didn't notice how hurt she looked with the fake smile. Where's the excuse for that?"

"I–"

"Am me." Demon interjected. "I act when you can't, but it's all about what we are. Though, you didn't need me to hurt Serena another time."

"...."

Demon let go of Oscar, who released his hand and fell to the dark floor of his inner world. Demon stared coldly at him and went back to his seat by the core. "You call me Demon, but you've done far worse than me. If you don't want me to come out, then be stronger."

"I swear, I'll find a way to get rid of you." Oscar disappeared from his inner world and woke up. He bit his lip and punched himself in the face, unable to get Demon's words out of his head. "Damn it."

…….

Time passed in the middle region. Oscar fought tooth and nail against fierce odds to get stronger and to take his mind off of things. Though he went on some missions with Serena, it was never a pair of them but in a larger group. Her behavior seemed normal except for how she no longer clung to Oscar all the time.

Frederick had asked him about it once, and Oscar shook his head silently to end the conversation. Frederick never brought it up again. Slowly, the third week passed by.

Finally, the day came. Everyone gathered in the encampment, all Middle Elite Exalts from the middle region and the Lower Elite Exalts from the outer region. Their barrier had come undone earlier, and they safely joined their group thanks to help from the others.

Oscar stood next to Frederick and Erik. Serena was beside Erik and focused on the front, still awkward around him. The awkwardness between him and Serena never ended, even as the third week passed. He wanted to find a way to resolve this. But now, Oscar had no time to worry about anything else.

The time finally came. The central temple was about to open.

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