72 Pillar

I climbed down the seemingly endless ladder, my arms aching with each rung. The narrow, dark passage was oppressive, and I was thankful I wasn't claustrophobic.

Finally, I saw a light below. "Thank God," I muttered, quickening my descent in eager anticipation of reaching solid ground.

As I neared the bottom, the passage widened, and the light grew brighter. I paused, taking in the unexpected sight.

Above me was a painted blue sky on a vast ceiling. Below, a barren landscape stretched out, dotted with massive boulders and smaller rocks.

"What is this?" I said, shocked.

I climbed down the last few rungs and stepped onto the ground, looking around in awe at the wide expanse. Massive stones and boulders obscured my view, creating a sense of endless space.

"This place is huge," I said, still marveling at my surroundings.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet began to rumble, the vibrations growing stronger and threatening my balance.

As the ground rumbled beneath my feet, I spotted dust clouds rising in the distance. Despite knowing it was probably a bad idea, curiosity got the best of me, and I jogged toward the source. "I hope I'm not going to get my butt beat again," I thought.

The vibrations intensified with each step, nearly knocking me off balance. It was probably a sign to turn back and climb back up the ladder.

When I arrived at my destination, the sight made my heart skip a beat in more ways than one. There was Madelyn, wearing a sleeveless white tank top and tight leggings that showed off her beautiful curves. "Thank you, God," I thought, my breath catching. Her body was enveloped in the same dark aura I had seen before as she fiercely fought against three black metal mannequins.

The mannequins moved with an eerie, lifelike fluidity, blocking and countering her every attack. Madelyn's punches blurred with speed, and each impact sent tremors through the ground, making it difficult to stay upright as racing wind pushed against me.

Her face, filled with determination and anger, was intense and focused. The dark aura around her seemed almost alive, swirling with her movements as if drawn to her rage.

Her attacks were fierce, her punches slamming against the metal with metallic clangs. It was truly an amazing sight, but even more amazing was that the mannequins seemed unfazed by her attacks.

It didn't look like this was going to be an easy fight for Madelyn, but I was soon proven wrong when, with a single swift motion, Madelyn's fist went right through the mannequin's chest.

My mouth fell open in shock as Madelyn continued to move with great speed. With a single kick, she knocked the torso off another mannequin, sending it to the ground, unmoving. Then, she straightened her hand, her fingers pressed together like a knife, and her hand blurred as she tore apart the last mannequin, slicing it down the middle.

All three mannequins lay on the ground, and Madelyn stood in the middle, her back facing me. She seemed deep in thought, contemplating something I probably wouldn't understand.

I walked forward, wondering what to say. "What's up?" No, that wasn't right. "Nice punch." Yeah, that probably wasn't right either. "Hello beautiful." Okay, that would get me killed either by Madelyn or her grandfather, probably the latter.

It turned out I didn't have to say anything. Madelyn slowly turned around to face me. She didn't seem surprised to see me. "You're finally here," she said, her voice distant and unfamiliar, as if she were a stranger.

"Uh, yeah, um, sorry to keep you waiting," I said with an awkward smile.

Madelyn walked over to a small rock a bit further off. Sitting atop it was a neatly folded towel, which she grabbed to wipe the sweat from her brow. She seemed to gather her thoughts before turning to face me.

"This is where we'll be training from now on," she announced with an air of finality. "You'll need to be here at 6:30 every morning. No exceptions."

A barrage of thoughts stormed through my head. "6:30? In the morning? Doesn't this girl know that my bed and I have a very committed relationship at that time? Does she not know that people need sleep? This isn't a boot camp; I'm not trying to become Rambo! 6:30? Who even sees daylight at that hour?"

I nodded with a strained smile, ignoring the turmoil in my mind. "Uh, 6:30. Got it."

Madelyn's eyes sparkled with amusement, clearly noticing my internal struggle. "Good. Don't be late."

"Well, at least I have a reason to go to bed at... what? 8 PM?" I thought, not really looking forward to the future.

"Um, that was one cool fight," I said with a smile, trying to change the subject.

Madelyn smirked. "Glad you liked it, because you will be doing the same thing."

"Wait, what?" I asked, not liking where this was going.

Madelyn walked towards me and then past me, picking up a small piece of the destroyed mannequins from the ground. She held the piece of metal up to my face.

"These mannequins are made with a special type of metal designed to interfere with a Pillar's power," she explained. "Truth be told, this is usually level two of a Pillar's training, but your abilities have advanced so quickly that we are able to skip level one."

I should've been happy to hear that, but I wasn't really sure if that was a good thing just yet.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is level one?" I asked.

Madelyn crossed her arms in front of her chest. "We Pillars call it different names, but in the end, it's the same thing." She went silent for a few seconds. "Demonic Manifestation," she said grimly.

"Demonic Manifestation?" I asked.

Madelyn nodded. "Demonic Manifestation is the first step for a Pillar realizing their full potential."

"What is that exactly?" I asked, still not understanding what Madelyn was explaining.

"Demonic Manifestation occurs when the Pillar in question is able to make contact with the demonic entity inside their body," Madelyn explained. "This strengthens the bond between host and demon, allowing a Pillar to use their demon's power and letting that power create changes in the host's body. Your strength will continue to enhance, your healing will become faster, and your speed will increase tenfold without having to use your demonic energy, all because of the demon inside."

It sounded cool, but Madelyn's tone made it sound like anything but.

Madelyn looked down at the ground. "Those are just some of the things that will change." She looked back up at me. "Ethan... you are able to use demonic energy, which means only one thing."

I knew where this was going easily.

"You have already made contact with your demon. You've already achieved Demonic Manifestation."

***

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