an illusion of mind

Adam walked around campus looking at the several repairs being made to the school grounds, the demon attack had sent ripples through the world. From having demons appear so deep in the empire to prism academy being the one targeted in the demon attack, it had lead to several conspiracy theories sprouting in the masses.

The situation had caused a mess in the end a big mess, several prism students died during the attack it had caused an outrage along with the rumours of a demon general appearing, several people had spotted the principal of prince fighting with an unknown figure which looked like a demon. It escaped swiftly after that.

This had cemented the fact that the demonic army is growing in power and the fact they sent a demon general all the way over here just to attack prism caused people to speculate that the demon army was targeting their next generation.

The mid-terms had been postponed obviously since none of the students were in any condition to be tested, they also got a weeks vacation, so it was pushed back a few weeks. There were no serious injuries among the royal class except for 5 deaths of royal class students...

Some students were taking advantage of this going out around the city and having fun, others were too... grieving the deaths of their classmates and friends.

Adam wasn't one of the latter he was more with the former since none of his friends had died, he decided to go out and look around at the damage caused by the demon attack, the damage was quite severe but nothing prism couldn't handle.

"Oh hey Adam!" A familiar feminine voice called out to him, he turned around only to see a short brown haired girl that looked all too familiar, it was Rica, one of his classmates and new friends,

"Oh hey, Rica, you survived!" Adam was honest to heart, glad that she survived, he couldn't fathom to think how he would react if one of his friends died, would he cry? would he not? would he feal sorrow? he did not know.

"I did.... I hid in the janitor's closet along with a few others..." Rica looked to the side smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, well I'm glad you survived, looks like we got some more time to prepare for the mid-terms." Adam said turning away from her looking towards one of the buildings being repaired.

Rica looked up a little stunned, "O-oh, yeah, of course!" she smiled, I really thought he would make fun of me for hiding in the closet... I guess not? Rica was relieved on the inside.

"What do you think of... This?" Adam said turning to her while they sat at a bench in the garden of the academy.

"This?" Rica turned to him tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, what do you think of all this." Adam gestured at the ruined buildings that were being repaired swiftly with the help of earth mages.

"..." Rica stayed quiet for a while in a contemplative state, "I... think it was completely unnecessary..." Rica said finally turning to him.

Adam raised an eyebrow prompting her to elaborate. She gestured at the destruction, "The demons attacked us, and killed several students and several of our friends..." She said with a saddened look, "I think it was completely unnecessary, this could have been avoided... Why target students that have nothing to do with their gripe against the human lands? Why target us?" Rica said putting a hand on her chest as she held Adam's gaze.

"I agree on some aspects," Adam said looking away and leaning back on the bench, Rica raised an eyebrow, "I believe this may have completely been avoided, if the demons just decided to not attack prism for no reason, I get that they want to stop our growth but why send so many demons?" Adam said his gaze turning serious.

"What?" Rica asked a little confused, Adam shook his head, "Think about it Rica, why would they send so many demons along with a damn demon general just to kill some kids?" Adam finished and when Rica thought about it she realized it didn't make any sense.

"We all know the demon king isn't stupid, history proves so." He said as he put a hand on his chin, "I believe they have other reasons, I believe they're doing this for something else... They want to kill someone in prism..." Adam spoke up Rica raised an eyebrow.

"Who do you think it is?"

"Well, it's either... The principal one of the most powerful humans in the human lands, or it's... Someone else, and I have a feeling the latter is correct..." Adam said as he remembered the face of one of his friends, an aloof yet determined young man with admirable morals.

"I think they want to kill Arron." Adam said causing Rica to turn to him staring strangely.

"Why would they want to kill him?" She asked confused.

"Well obviously because he's the prophesized hero." Adam said casually.

"..." Rica just stared at him her jaw slacked falling all the way to the floor, "You can't be serious..." Rica couldn't understand his casual response.

"I mean come on, don't tell me you didn't notice. the signs are all over the place! First he's got an attack that does not use mana, but a different source of energy, second that attack has so much destructive power, third off his personality checks out." Adam ticked off fingers with each point he made.

"... I see..." Was all Rica had to say as she just sat back against the bench her small body not allowing her feat to touch the ground, the gears in her head spun grinding together as she processed the information.

"So we got the prophesized hero? is that what you're saying? And you're saying the demons know about this?" Rica spoke her body trembling waiting for confirmation.

"Most likely," he answered casually causing Rica to lash out at him, "How are you so casual about this?!" Rica yelled at him which caused him to cover his ears wincing from her loud tone.

"Ow! You'll blow up someone's ear with that squeeky voice of yours someday I'm sure!" Adam glared at her before leaning back against the bench and speaking again, "As for why I'm so casual about it, is because the prophecy states that the hero would survive along with his companions no matter what until they stop the demon king, and no prophecy had ever been wrong before." Adam responds.

His answer actually calms Rica down a little, she lets out a stressed out sigh, "You're right... Has anyone figured this out yet?" Rica asked glancing at him and he shook his head.

"Not that I'm aware of, no."

"That's good, it's best not many people figure this out."

"..." Rica's stomach grumbles loudly, she felt her cheeks heat up as they reddened from embarrassment.

"hungry?" Adam asked and Rica nodded, he smirked and stood up, "Let's go, I'm also getting hungry." Rica followed after him her face still red from lingering embarrassment.

"How did it go?" A deep overbearing voice erupted through the throne room as Zella kneeled as low as she could in both respect and fear from the presence that stood over her beyond the steps and in front of the throne.

"I-it went well your highness... I fought off the principal while the wild demons killed students..." Zella spoke up hesitantly having returned to her more normal looking human form, the presence before her had always made it a point for her to always be in that form whenever possible even though it was weaker than her monstrous one.

"Good, what of the prophesized?" The demon king turned around his purple eyes gazing over her and the other demon generals in the room.

"H-he still lives... I'm sorry your highness, Th-The demon killer interrupted me before I could find and kill him..." Zella hesitated to deliver that response, the demon king raised an eyebrow and sighed, "That was expected, get up Zella, you know I don't like when you bow to me too much."

Zella raised her head gazing over towards the demon king, he looked like a complete normal human however his eyes burned with a purple flame that hungered for destruction and death, he had a single horn sprouting from the right side of his head and curling around in the shape of a half crown.

For some reason the demon king had always disliked looking like a monster despite having the ability to use every and all demonic races properties and racial abilities, he disliked looking anything different from a human, the only thing he tolerated was the horn on his head and even that he didn't want.

"Your highness, you know a king should be treated with respect!" A woman with pitch black hair and shadowy eyes spoke up as if scolding the demon king, Zella recognized her as the first demon general, Seskel the dark lord, she was a the most powerful demon right after the progenitor himself the demon king Venkalth Zorander.

"Seskel, give me a break, I never liked ruling over anything." Venkalth responded rolling his eyes, the other demon generals bickered with each other or admired the demon king.

"Anyways, as I was saying that was expected, I expected that, the prophecy never lies, he needs to live for when he faces me." Venkalth said playing with his nails like it was nothing.

"... So I'm not going to get punished?" Zella asked tilting her head.

Venkalth looked at her strangely, "No? Who the hell do you take me for, why would I punish one of my strongest generals?" The demon king scoffed and a flying demon came carrying a tray with a drink on it, the demon king took it a sipped on it.

"Anyways, next big mission, I'm going to need all of you demon generals for it." The demon king said taking another sip from his drink.

Zella's eyes shot wide open as did other demon generals as well, "I'm sorry for my insolence your highness but may I ask why?" Zella looked up at him in confusion, usually it would need only one or two generals for basically any type of mission the demon king sent them on, so all of them?

"This one is bigger than any of you think. Seskel is going as well." Venkalth spoke up, and Seskel seemed to be surprised as well by the demon king's declaration. This surprised Zella even more, Seskel is the second strongest demon why would he send her as well, she usually remained to in the nether planes to run errands for the demon king.

She was one of the first he created, she used to be just a simple demonic purple slime, but she grew into such a monstrous demon to become his first general so why was he sending her as well? Was this mission that difficult?

"I will inform you of the mission when the time comes, for now, Zella go recover from your injuries." Venkalth ordered as Zella bowed and left the throne room.

On the way to the infirmary she could not help but wonder what this mission might be on...

Rica sat down opposite Adam waiting for her order awkwardly, she had ended up coming with him to eat because she was too hungry. She had to force her way through the embarrassment before.

"Oh hey guys! How's it going?" Someone pushed against Rica sitting down next to her shoulder to shoulder, Rica turned her head towards the familiar person annoyedly her brown eyes looking at the person's smug face and blood red eyes.

"Regina, it's nice to meet you... Glad you survived." Rica forced a smile on her face as she shifted away letting Regina take up a spot on the bench.

Regina called over a waiter and ordered something of her own, "You guys are eating lunch without me~ just the two of you~" Regina complained her eyes meeting Adam's.

"That's why no one invites you whenever we go out for lunch, it's because of your personality." Adam replied bluntly.

"Aww~ you're being too mean and inconsiderate." Regina plopped her head on the table whining like a child about how mean he was she was bringing unnecessary attention to them.

Rica had just about enough of her, "Would you please quiet down!" Rica yelled at her barely holding in the urge to strangle the smirking girl in front of her.

"Hehe~ Are you angry~" Regina smirked putting a hand on her lips doing a bad job at hiding her satisfied smirk, Rica knew that's what she wanted she wanted to make them angry, and Rica played right into it. She could not help it, Regina's face could make the calmest person break a table.

"Bitch..." Rica cursed under her breath.

Regina ignored her insult acting like she didn't hear it and smiled off happily.

"Oh! by the way guys, you want to come to a party that's like, at night?" Regina asked on a whim remembering something suddenly.

"A party?" Adam asked confused, Rica felt there was more to it than just that.

"Yeah~ there will be, hot cute girls~ like me of course~" Regina coughed into her hand as she spoke up again, "Anyways, there will be food, drinks... Alcohol..." Regina whispered the last word which caused Rica's and Adam's eyes to widen.

"... I'm not sure that's allowed..." Adam said putting a hand on his chin.

"Not sure?! That's definitely not allowed and could land you in trouble!" Rica turned between the two and Regina just yawned.

"You guys are boring, if you don't want to drink there are other options~"

"Underage drinking? Really? I expected a lot from you and now that I think about it, this one isn't out of the list." Rica crossed her arms.

"Come on~ you guys~ the princess will be there~ and we even got a V.I.P room!" Regina exclaimed.

"... I don't know..." Adam hummed in deep thought and Rica turned to him surprised, "Are you seriously considering this?!"

"Jeeze Rica, don't be such a buzzkill, if you don't want to come just don't~" Regina waved a hand at her.

"Oh yeah! Well I won't be coming!" That was a lie, Rica was interested in the idea of alcohol she had seen her older brothers drink before and they seemed to enjoy it so she was curious about it, but she had to show a tough face against Regina. She hated the idea of relenting to her.

"Oh! the food is here!" Regina picked up her fork and knife as the waiter set down a plate with steaming hot stake on it, Regina immediately dug in.

Rica ate slowly as her food arrived, Adam also started eating as well, they all seemed to forget about the conversation soon after.