"Adam, Heir of Water and Eternal Vengeance"

That morning, the aftermath of the battle at Sanctum Resonance was still visible. Though the demons had been defeated, Adam, Valendra, Kael, and Eltharion knew the real war had only just begun. They packed their belongings, ready to leave the Sanctum for their next destination, where new clues about the Dark King awaited.

"Our next stop is Lyvaris City," Eltharion announced firmly. "There, an informant named Dredar holds a map that will lead us to the Dark King's fortress. But be cautious—Lyvaris is crawling with demon spies."

"The sooner we get there, the better," Kael added.

But their journey was interrupted before it even began. As they crossed the forest heading toward the main road, Valendra abruptly stopped. Her sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps, mismatched with their own.

"We're not alone," she whispered.

Adam raised his hands, summoning streams of water that hovered midair. Kael drew his sword, flames igniting along its edge. From behind the trees, a group of armored human soldiers emerged. Yet something was off—their eyes glowed crimson, and their movements were unnaturally stiff, like puppets on strings.

"They're demon-possessed," Eltharion said grimly.

One of the soldiers, a man clad in black armor with a horned helmet, stepped forward. "You've disrupted the Dark King's plans. You won't leave this forest alive."

---

The Battle Begins

Adam took the first move. He thrust his hands forward, sending a wave of water to push back the front-line soldiers. However, they quickly stood back up, their bodies unphased by pain.

Valendra leapt onto a tree branch, taking a strategic position. With her golden bow, she fired glowing arrows that exploded amidst the crowd, knocking some soldiers to the ground.

"Their heads!" Valendra shouted. "Destroy the demon control embedded in their heads!"

Kael swung his sword, flames from the blade engulfing soldiers that charged toward him. But for every soldier that fell, two more seemed to take their place.

"This is endless!" Kael shouted in frustration.

Adam focused his energy, raising his hands to summon water from the ground beneath. A large vortex formed, encircling their group. With a single motion, he released a massive surge of water that swept the soldiers away, slamming them into nearby trees.

Yet the leader in black armor remained unaffected. In a blur, he charged at Adam, swinging his massive sword toward his head. Adam barely rolled out of the way, but the blade left a shallow cut on his shoulder.

"I've got him!" Kael yelled, engaging the leader with a flurry of attacks.

The battle raged on. Valendra continued her precision strikes from a distance, ensuring no soldiers reached Adam. Eltharion stood at the rear, staff in hand, preparing a powerful spell that required time.

"We need more time!" Eltharion shouted.

---

A Twist in the Battle

Just as the situation grew more dire, a sharp whistle cut through the air. From above the trees, a mysterious figure leapt down, twin blades gleaming as they slashed through two soldiers at once.

It was a young elf woman, younger than Valendra, her silver hair tied neatly in a ponytail. Her movements were swift and precise, like a wind that could not be caught. Within seconds, she had neutralized several more soldiers.

"What are you waiting for? Take out their leader!" she shouted.

Adam, Kael, and Valendra exchanged brief glances before refocusing on the fight. With the elf's help, they pushed back the remaining possessed soldiers.

Kael finally managed to impale the black-armored leader with his sword, severing the demon's control over the soldiers. The remaining possessed fell lifelessly to the ground, no longer moving.

---

After the Battle

The forest returned to silence, broken only by their heavy breaths. The young elf cleaned her blades and turned to the group.

"Who are you?" Valendra asked, her tone wary.

"My name is Seris," the elf replied. "I'm part of the rebel faction fighting against the Dark King. I heard about you from Eltharion."

Eltharion nodded slightly. "Seris is one of our spies within demon territory. She knows much about our enemy, including their weaknesses."

Seris approached Adam, her sharp eyes filled with curiosity. "You're the human boy with water magic, aren't you? I've heard about you. You might be the key to defeating the Dark King."

Adam nodded, though uncertainty flickered in his gaze. "I just want to protect the world from destruction."

Seris smirked faintly. "Then we share the same goal."

Before they could speak further, a rumbling sound came from the north. Seris' expression turned serious.

"There's no time to rest. A greater demon is approaching. If we don't leave now, we'll be surrounded again."

Eltharion nodded. "We move toward Lyvaris. Gather your strength. The fight is far from over."

With Seris joining their group, the journey to Lyvaris City became even more tense. But Adam couldn't shake the feeling that a larger threat awaited them at every turn.