The Last Step Chapter 112: Demonic Feud

Celia’s Perspective:

1/1/2018 - 8:12 PM

I slowly stirred awake, my arms instinctively tightening around him, not wanting to let go. My fingers trailed over soft fabric — his warmth wasn’t there. My grip widened, legs curling around what I thought was Kai...

But it felt too small.

Blinking, I opened my eyes, only to find the pillow trapped in my embrace.

"...huh?"

I pushed myself up, the soft morning light slipping through the curtains. My gaze darted around the room — the sheets were cold, his side empty.

"Kai...?"

My voice was small, uncertain.

It was already 8 a.m.

Uhhh, was I too possessive in my sleep? Did I squeeze him so hard that he ran away the mont I dozed off?!

My heart sank. I jumped out of bed, scanning every corner of the room, rubbing at my arms like it would help think clearer. Maybe I was just sleepy, maybe he was here— but no. The silence answered for .

He was gone.

Before the loneliness could settle too deep, a dark ripple crawled up from the ground, shadows twisting into a grotesque yet regal figure.

The Ascend Crownless rose before , kneeling low, its voice echoing through the room.

"What is it you need, my queen?"

"When did Kai leave the room?" I demanded, my foot tapping the floor.

"My queen," it began softly, "I can feel your impatience but—"

"Why didn’t you wake up?!"

My voice cracked slightly. The echo of it lingered in the air.

Crownless lowered its head. "Apologies, my queen. But you were in deep sleep. You haven’t rested well in days... and last night, you were finally at peace. I wished not to disturb you."

I pouted, collapsing back onto the bed with a frustrated sigh. My breathing quickened, chest tight with the faint sting of worry.

"Why, Kai..." I whispered. "You’re giving a headache. Did I do sothing wrong? For you to leave like this?"

My fingers gripped the sheets, nails pressing into the fabric.

"Gosh, I wish I was where you are right now..."

Crownless, still half-kneeling, let out a strange chuckle — subtle, but noticeable. I shot him a side-eye.

"What’s so funny?"

He tilted his demonic head slightly, the faintest smirk on his otherwise terrifying face. "Well, my queen, I rely observed how happy you seed with him. You two looked rather... cute asleep."

My eyes widened slightly, cheeks flushing before I sighed and looked away. "You’ve been watching Lucas and Kaiser a bit too much, haven’t you?"

"Uhh..." Crownless stamred, his deep voice suddenly awkward. "My queen... it—it was purely for observation purposes. Nothing... else..."

I narrowed my eyes. "You’re even picking up their sarcasm now, aren’t you?"

His head tilted down in mock obedience.

"It’s fine," I said, crossing my arms. "As long as you don’t test ."

He hesitated. Then, with all the solemn grace of a demon lord... he said,

"Test walla exam."

I froze.

Then he burst into booming laughter.

"Oh my god..." I muttered, dragging my hand down my face. "Lucas’s la jokes, but worse..."

Crownless kept laughing, shaking slightly, until his dark mist-like form trembled with amusent.

"...You’re lucky I find that cute," I murmured.

The demon stopped instantly. "Cute?" he repeated, almost flustered.

I smiled faintly, brushing my hair back. "Yes. But rember, Crownless... you’re not him. You’re just my demon. Now help !!!"

He bowed deeply. "Understood, my queen. I will do anything to help."

I sighed softly, letting Crownless relax too.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, my legs swung lazily back and forth. My smile returned as I began to hum — a quiet, gentle tune — while the morning breeze flowed in from the open window, teasing the curtains into a subtle dance.

Stretching like a cat, I lifted my arms high and arched my back, letting the sleep drain out of .

Then... his mory hit .

Kaiser.

The way he kissed last night.

A breathless feeling rose in my chest — my fingers tingled, my whole body felt weightless. At that mont... he really did that.

He wouldn’t just leave suddenly. I knew that now — with certainty.

He’s just sooooo mine!

My hands clasped over my chest, trembling with excitent, and then I leapt up, shouting—

"YES! I’m so happy!"

Crownless tilted his head. "My queen, it seems your anxiety from earlier has dwindled down."

"I know!" I nodded rapidly, nearly bouncing in place. "Kai reached out and kissed !"

I spun in a wild circle, giggling to myself before grabbing the pillow beside . With a playful twirl, I tossed it toward Crownless.

He caught it easily — but his sharp claws shredded it instantly, feathers bursting like snow into the air.

"My queen..." he rumbled flatly. "I am... infused with feathers."

I laughed, clutching my stomach. "You look like an adorable newborn chick!"

"I do not!" he protested.

"Yes you do! Yes you do!" I teased, skipping in a small circle.

"Oh, then I’ll show you what this ’chick’ can do," Crownless said, flapping his massive wings once.

The feathers scattered into the air — lavender-scented, soft as clouds. Fairies must’ve crafted them from their enchanted gardens.

I bounced from foot to foot, my eyes shimring. "Kai... I love you soooo much..." I whispered, lost in the mont.

Feathers fluttered and fell upon us both, catching in my hair, his horns, the faint light turning them silver.

After a while, I was panting lightly, sweat glistening on my skin.

Crownless sat cross-legged on the floor, still covered in feathers. "My queen, is your happiness because of... what he did last night?"

I nodded, chin lifted, a little breathless. "I actually never thought... he’d reach out and hold like that. It just... fills with happiness."

Crownless clapped his clawed hands once. "It seems my queen is quite excited about being Miss Everhart."

"Yeeesssss!" I blurted out instantly — then froze mid-celebration.

"Eh?" I blinked, staring at him. "What did you just call ?"

"Yes, you heard ." His tone carried a hint of mischief. "Miss Everhart."

Being his... sounds like a dream.

I leaned forward, eyes shimring faintly, words tumbling out faster than I could think.

"You knew, Crownless—Kai actually called his wife once!"

Crownless tilted his head. "Just once?"

"No, no! Several tis!" I waved my arms in big circles, like I was trying to asure how massive that mont was. "It was a while back, but he told an entire village I was his wife!"

My eyes were wide, round, barely blinking. A small smile curved my lips as I licked them nervously, taking a deep breath before leaning back against the wall.

"My liege, you’re smiling again," Crownless noted.

"I guess... I’m just obsessing over the details again," I muttered softly.

"What was the most special part?" he asked, voice unusually gentle.

"It was when..." I hesitated, then smiled shyly. "When he and I kissed for the first ti..."

Crownless’s eyes glowed faintly. "Were you the one who did it?"

"Yes." My cheeks turned crimson. "It was . He was trying to leave my lap, and I just—leaned down and did it."

My face grew so warm I had to hide it behind my hands. "Ugh, I was... a bit too possessive."

Crownless blinked, then asked in the most serious tone imaginable,

"My queen. Did you use your tongue?"

"Why does that matter to you?" I pouted, shaking my head slightly.

"In all honesty..." he said with mock pride, "I just love drama."

With light sarcasm, I shot back, "Well, Lucas 2.0, your job isn’t to know such details. Now I’m wondering why you’re even talking like this." I swatted the air dismissively.

"I adapted," Crownless said simply.

"Yeah, to his la jokes."

"Myyy liege... they are cool," he defended, sounding oddly proud.

"Again," I said, tilting my head, "you never used words like that before."

He straightened, spreading his wings dramatically. "You see, I alone am the pinnacle of the grotesque spec—"

"Yeah, I don’t care," I cut him off, tone flat.

Crownless froze, visibly wounded. "My queen..." he said, voice trembling. "I will tell you the story another ti."

"Yeah, I didn’t say I was going to hear it another ti," I replied, narrowing my eyes.

He stumbled backward, mouth hanging open in disbelief, blinking rapidly. "A-are you sure, my queen?"

His expression was so theatrically devastated that I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh — half amusent, half affection.

He’s soooooo dramatic.

"Ughhh, fine... you can tell another ti," I sighed, flicking my wrist dismissively.

Crownless lowered his head with a solemn nod, his gaze sharp and strangely respectful. "Then it shall be so, my queen. I will tell you my origin... when the ti is right."

"Good," I said, stretching my fingers with a soft pop. "Now—enough jokes. We need to get serious."

Without hesitation, Crownless knelt before , one clawed hand pressed to his chest. "Should I go find him?"

Eh... I don’t like the way he said that.

My brow twitched slightly. "It’s ’may.’"

"No, my queen—it’s January," he replied in the most confident tone imaginable.

I froze mid-sentence, slipped on air, and glared at him. "...Crownless."

"Sorry..." he muttered, head drooping like a scolded pet.

"Now," I exhaled, brushing my hair behind my ear, "search the Labyrinth with your stealth and locate Kaiser. Tell as soon as you can. And don’t alert anyone, as always."

He straightened, spreading his wings slightly. "Understood, my queen. You want to find him... and return him to this very bed so you can rest while holding—"

"That’s nothing like what I said!" I cut him off, cheeks heating up instantly.

Raising my palm, I glared. "Stop joking and get to work."

Crownless gave a crisp nod, his voice low. "As you command."

In the blink of an eye, his form blurred and vanished into shadows.

Silence filled the room once more.

My shoulders slowly relaxed, but my chest felt heavy. My fingers brushed against the sheets where Kaiser had slept—still faintly warm.

"...You better not be doing anything reckless, Kai," I whispered, clutching the blanket close. "I’ll always find you."

A tremor rippled through my voice as I laid back down, staring at the ceiling.

I tried smiling again, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

"I’ll forgive you for leaving alone..." I murmured softly.

The wind outside swayed the curtains gently, as if mocking my impatience. My eyes lingered on the empty side of the bed—cold, lonely.

I then slowly got up.

"Hmm... maybe you’re in your room?" I muttered to myself, half hoping, half anxious.

Stepping out, I followed the long corridor leading to where we—the guests—were staying. My steps echoed faintly, soft yet impatient.

"I need to know if you’re there," I whispered under my breath. "Though, knowing ... I’ll probably forget half my words again. You stress out with just a glance, you know that? Even your words make my heart race..."

I turned the corner and arrived. Lucas’s room was empty—he probably went for breakfast.

Then my eyes landed on Kaiser’s door.

It was locked. From the outside.

"Veil, ascend forth from my palm."

A cold mist swirled as Veil erged from my demonic realm, her presence shimring faintly. I placed my palm against the lock; ice crept through the tal, freezing it solid until it shattered with a crisp crack.

"Ronan," I said softly. "Burn the ice into the air and make it disappear."

From my palm, Ronan released a faint tinge of heat, lting the shards and evaporating even the traces of water.

Once the door was clear, I entered.

Kaiser’s room was simple—neat, organized, yet sohow... empty. The desk was littered with sheets of paper, and his satchel lay open. His daggers and other weapons were gone.

I walked closer, scanning the docunts. His handwriting was ssy, filled with strange symbols and scientific terms I didn’t quite understand. But then, sothing caught my eye—a small glass vial resting between the pages.

"Mirage, step forward," I whispered. "Tell what it’s for."

From within my mind, Mirage’s voice echoed, calm and analytical.

"It seems like a mana potion, Mistress. A small one. It would restore enough energy for perhaps five to eight spells—limited casting, and only for elental magic."

I exhaled softly. "Hmm... Kai, you’re up to sothing again."

My fingers traced the edge of the desk as I sighed, the faintest pout forming on my lips.

"Ugh... I wanna stalk you so badlyyyy."

With a tired laugh, I sat down on his chair, laying my arms flat on the desk, resting my head against them. The scent of parchnt and faint steel lingered around .

"I misssss youuu..." I murmured into the quiet room.

"I can’t stalk you myself without you noticing . And Crownless—he... mm, never mind. I don’t want him learning any more la jokes. He’ll probably pick all of them up from Lucas at this rate."

I lifted my head slightly, glancing toward the faint sunlight spilling through the curtains.

"So, I guess Ronan can fit the bill for now."

Ronan, are you there?

Ronan: Yes, my liege. How may I assist you?

I want you to follow Kaiser from the shadows and tell every small thing he does... that’ll keep my mind at rest.

Ronan: As you wish.

???:Objection!

"What the hell—"

It was Crownless. Of course.

Crownless: My queen! What are you doing?! Nobody can stalk better than ! I am your strongest soldier—

Crownless, you don’t have to do everything. Ronan is capable of learning. This is a way for him to teach himself to be useful.

Crownless: First, he should teach himself how to shower.

"...What."

Ronan:Excuse ?

Crownless: Too much bad sll coming from you in the demon realm. Almost made Mirage cry.

Ronan: I can’t shower because my core is made out of flas! My body is literally heat incarnate! Coming from a bug who doesn’t shower himself—

Crownless: I shower twice a—

He paused dramatically.

Crownless: ...year.

Ronan:Twice a year?! HAHAHAHA—

Crownless: At least I’m not from the gutter like you!

Even I couldn’t help but feel their laughter echo in my mind.

Ronan: I’m not from the gutter! I’m from the Eternal Forge of—

Crownless: Eternally Forged of expired gasoline.

Ronan: You’re a mix of both rat poison and worms.

Crownless: You—

Crownless, stop this.

Crownless: My queen, google it if you don’t believe .

"GOOGLE?? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Crownless: I heard Lucas talking to himself again. It sounded all fancy and schizophrenic, so I said it too.

"QUIET."

Silence. Finally,

My thoughts drifted in the sudden calm.

Why... are my demons adapting like this? They were supposed to evolve in strength, not... vocabulary. They’ve started learning habits from the outside world—words, jokes, attitude.

I sighed quietly to myself.

If they’re adapting, it’s good for combat and communication. But now, the ones that can talk are fighting like children inside my head.

Still... a small smile tugged at my lips.

It’s kind of amusing.

...But gods, it’s so annoying.

Then the voice returned to my mind.

Crownless: My queen.

What now?

Crownless: I actually ca to report... I found Kaiser. By the labyrinth’s third park.

Wait—really?!

I shot up from the chair, straightening my posture, my breath catching for a second as words left faster than I could think.

"What is he doing?!"

Crownless: It’s difficult to tell. But I believe... he is exercising.

Exercising? Of course he is... always pushing himself, always sowhere else when I want him near.

I started pacing, unable to stay still, my hand brushing my hair behind my ear as my heartbeat picked up.

"Stay where you are. I’m coming."

Crownless: As you wish.

And then, silence—his presence vanishing from my mind, leaving alone again.

But the stillness didn’t help. My heart thumped restlessly, like it wanted to tear out of my chest just to reach him faster.

Even if it’s only been a short while apart... I already miss him. His scent, his quiet glances, the way he says my na.

It’s not fair that he can leave my sight.

Not fair that the world gets to look at him while I’m not there.

A tiny laugh slipped out. Soft. Shaky.

Ah... I’m ridiculous, aren’t I?

But that’s fine. That’s .

Because the mont I see him again, I’ll know—everything’s right again. The air, the light, even the silence feels alive when he’s near.

My steps echoed faintly down the corridor as I whispered,

I’ll always be where you are.