NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Echoes of the Demon
Adriana.
[Talent: Ironcall]
[Class: C]
[Usage: In combat, she can pull metal objects—chains, doors, rods, or even a sword—from the ground and send them flying to her. If someone attacks her with a metal weapon, it might get yanked back toward the attacker. She can use surrounding metal items as a temporary shield or armor.]
[Limitations: Only works on metal or heavy objects (not wood or cloth). Doesn't activate beyond 5 meters. Lasts just a few seconds before needing rest.]
A woman with burnt blonde hair, average height, and dark eyes—but she always claimed she wore colored contacts because her eyesight sucked.
She had come to pick up the kids.
"Does Dad know?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, he's the one who told me to come get you. But he said don't tell your mom," Adriana replied casually.
"You high again? Are you serious right now?" Alice asked, staring at her with suspicion.
"Let's just walk, I'm not getting in that car. It's not even that far," Ashen muttered.
They all started walking home, and Ashen picked up where he left off during class.
"I went to the Academy to ask someone a few questions," Ashen said.
"Who?" Raven asked, raising a brow.
"I actually don't know… didn't ask their name. Anyway, I asked a few things about the Tower. And then… they gave me this entry card! Said I reminded them of someone."
He pulled out the glowing access card from his pocket and showed it.
"No way! You're seriously lucky, do you know how rare those are?" Alice gasped.
"Man, why do people like you always get all the luck?" Raven rolled her eyes.
Ashen chuckled.
"So, when are you going in? What's your XP looking like?" Alice asked.
"Haven't checked, but I'm sure I'm at least Level 1. I was thinking of going today after school, but honestly, the principal kinda talked me out of it. I might just wait, kill some demon with wings or something, get a flight buff," Ashen said with a grin.
"Ashen… you know I can't stand you, but you should really go to at least two Academy sessions. Learn more about your talent before you run into danger. I don't want to lose you like we lost Uncle…" Raven said, her voice quiet and trembling.
Ashen nodded slightly.
Eventually, they reached home. The whole street was filled with the smell of food.
"Oh my god, I LOVE that smell!" Alice ran ahead and opened the door, sprinting straight into Riley's arms.
"Ughhh, Mom, today was soooo exhausting," Alice groaned while hugging her.
Riley hugged her tight and kissed her on the head.
"Okay okay okay, I've got a hot scoop, but it's gonna cost ya. 100 Auron," Raven smirked at her mom.
"Spill it. I'll add it to the list of stuff I already owe you," Riley said with a laugh.
"We saw Adriana again. Probably came back to stir up drama with Dad and then skip town, like always," Alice said bluntly.
"Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" Raven hissed.
Ashen laughed.
"So, Mr. High Schooler Ashen—how were your first two periods?" Riley asked.
"They were… great!" Ashen said quickly and darted upstairs to change, escaping the conversation.
He was confused. Unsure. Should he go to the Tower or not? The principal's words had really gotten to him.
"Lunch is ready!" Riley called out.
She'd set the table like always—colorful forks and spoons, her famous pasta, and fresh garden salad.
Everyone started eating.
Raven was just poking at his food, clearly not in the mood.
"What's wrong, Raven? Don't like it?" Riley asked with a half-full mouth.
"I dunno… it's nothing," Raven mumbled.
But it wasn't nothing.
Ever since that night—since Alice saved Ashen—Raven had been haunted by that demon. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he'd gone instead, he could've defeated it and gotten a ton of XP.
After lunch, everyone drifted off to do their own thing.
"I'm gonna go out, get some fresh air," Ashen announced.
He went to his room, pulled out the entry card from his jeans, and changed into something practical. Today, he was going to enter the Tower and conquer the First Floor. No one needed to know—he didn't want them to worry.
"I'm coming with you. I need to clear my head too," Raven said.
"Shit," Ashen whispered, but he had no choice. He had to go along with it.
"Oh, you're going out? I'm coming toooo!" Alice shouted from her bed.
Ashen sighed. Fine. No way out now.
"I'll just tell them midway. I'm going to the Tower no matter what today," he muttered to himself.
They all got ready.
Alice wore a light pink hoodie over a white tank top, matched with jeans. Raven had on a black tee, gray hoodie, and dark pants. Ashen wore a white t-shirt, light jeans, and tied his hoodie around his neck.
They stepped out and started walking.
After a few steps, Ashen finally said, "So… I'm going to the Tower. I'm gonna try to clear a floor."
"What the hell!? Are you crazy? Why didn't you tell Mom!?" Alice yelled.
"Didn't you say you'd go to a few Academy sessions first?" Raven scolded.
Right then, they saw people running. A bunch of cars were speeding away from somewhere.
"What's going on?" Alice asked.
"Dimensional breach, maybe. Run!" Ashen shouted.
"If that many people are fleeing, it's gotta be a strong one," Raven added.
They sprinted toward the source—back toward the high school.
"Shit! The whole building's destroyed. What kind of demon could level a school this size in one move!?" Alice cried.
"Mr. Sayan's over there—let's ask him!" Ashen pointed.
They ran to the man standing at the edge of the debris.
"Hey Mr. Sayan, what happened? Where were you!?" Alice asked.
"Hey kids! Ashen, heard you awakened your Talent—congrats, kid. As for what happened… a demon showed up. Some heroes stepped up, some cowards ran away, but in the end—we won," he said, totally ignoring her second question.
"When's school getting fixed? Are we seriously gonna study in this wreck?" Raven asked.
"Nah, it'll be up and running in two days. Christoph's got it covered—he's a miracle worker."
Suddenly, everything got dark. A shadow loomed overhead. Everyone looked up.
A demon.
"Damn, guess nobody's cleaned the Sky Tower in a while," Mr. Sayan muttered.