CHAPTER 24: THE DEMON HIVE

[The Human World—]

"This pool is hot," Ava murmured, swirling her toes lazily in the water. The sunlight shimmered across the blue surface, reflecting the laughter, the clinking glasses, and the gentle pulse of music.

Liz observed beside her, lowering her sunglasses. "yeah, I can feel it too. What in the fuck? Did the heat the pool or something?"

Ava smiled faintly, brushing a wet strand of hair from her face. "Something like that...I think they’re heating it up"

"Well, let’s just enjoy the view then" Liz teased. "You mean the guys, right? Or..." Ava hissed.

Her joke was cut short. The pool rippled—not from the breeze or splashes, but from something deeper and stranger. The water shimmered unnaturally, the ripples spreading outward in perfect circles, it kept getting hotter and hotter. Ava began to frown.

"Did you see that?"

Liz followed her gaze. The water seemed to quiver, as if trembling under invisible heat. A faint hiss filled the air. People began to murmur, noticing the change.

"Is the pool... steaming?" someone whispered.

Ava leaned closer. The temperature beneath her feet shifted sharply— from warm, to hot, to scalding. She jerked her legs out with a gasp. "Liz, it’s...!"

Before she could finish, the pool boiled.

The hiss exploded into a roar as clouds of white steam erupted from the water. Screams tore through the music, cutting off the beat in an instant.

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[Now— Back from Chapter 23]

"Aaaahhhhhhhh!"

The scream tore through the summer air, high and raw— the kind that made every heart skip a beat. For a moment, everything froze. People scrambled, slipping and falling as the water bubbled violently.

"Everyone, get outtt!" shouted someone from the far end, but it was already too late. The center of the pool glowed with a sickly crimson light, swirling like molten glass.

Then the water split apart.

A shockwave of heat and pressure blasted outward as something dark and massive surged upward. Its roar silenced every other sound. The creature was monstrous— its body rising from the pool like liquid shadow solidifying into form. Horns curved from its skull, dripping with steam. Its wings, long and charred, spread wide against its back, scattering burning droplets that hissed against the tiles.

Ava froze. Her body refused to move. The thing that emerged wasn’t natural— it wasn’t even from their world. It rang on her that Aunt Grace had told her not to attend this pool party but she didn’t listen. Now she wished she had.

The demon’s eyes opened— glowing, molten red— and its voice rumbled deep enough to make the ground vibrate.

"VAAaalKYrrrie..."

The name rolled out like thunder, heavy and hollow, carrying across the chaos.

People screamed, some already diving away from the boiling water. Others weren’t fast enough— shadows flickered across the steam as a few bodies vanished beneath the scalding surface. The smell of smoke and burning chlorine began to fill the air.

Liz grabbed Ava’s wrist. "Move! Ava, Come on!"

Ava stumbled after her, her sandals slipping on the wet stone. Around them, the once-beautiful pool area was unrecognizable— tables overturned, banners torn, drinks scattered. The demon’s wings unfurled fully now, blotting out part of the sun.

Each breath it took came with a rumble that made the earth shake. "VALKYRIE..." it growled again, the sound distorted, like a dozen voices speaking at once.

Ava’s heart raced. Why that name? Why did it sound as if it was calling her?

"Liz, over there!" she shouted, pointing toward the cabanas beyond the garden wall. They ducked behind one, panting hard, the noise of destruction echoing behind them.

Through a slit between the curtains, Ava could see it— the creature towering over the shattered pool, black veins of heat running through its body. Its claws tore through the concrete as it searched, scanning the crowd.

"Is it looking for someone? What the fuck is that. Jesus..." Liz whispered, trembling.

Ava didn’t answer. Her pulse thudded in her ears. Something deep inside her— a strange, cold ache responded to the creature’s voice. "O my god, I would’ve listened to my Aunty... Lord save me... What on planet earth is that?"

The air grew thicker, humming with an unholy resonance. The demon tilted its head, sniffing the air, It’s molten eyes flickered like dying stars. then it let out a screech that shook every window in sight.

The demon’s many voices merged into one rasping snarl that rippled through the air:

"The blood of two worlds flows within you, child of light and shadow... the Master calls, and you will kneel."

Liz covered her ears, wincing. "What is it saying?"

Ava stared blankly ahead, whispering under her breath, "it’s calling on Valkyrie. It’s saying Valkyrie... But who the fuck is Valkyrie?"

A moment of silence followed— long enough for the fear to truly sink in. Then, without warning, the creature’s tail slammed into the ground, cracking the tiles like brittle glass. Fire spilled across the lawn. The screams started again as people fled in all directions.

Ava and Liz crawled deeper behind the cabana, as their hearts were pounding. The smell of smoke and sulfur grew stronger. The once-lively music had long since died, replaced by chaos and the sound of wings slicing through the air.

The demon turned its gaze toward the villa, its eyes narrowing as if sensing something— or someone.

Ava’s breath hitched. "It’s still looking."

"Then we keep moving," Liz whispered back, gripping her hand tightly.

They slipped away from the cabana, moving along the edge of the fence line. The ground was warm beneath their feet, the world behind them burning. Ava looked back one last time. The creature loomed over the wreckage, its wings stretched wide, its voice echoing faintly across the smoke-filled air.

"You cannot hide forever, Valkyrie! Your scent burns through every realm!. The gate trembles for you, hybrid. The Master has marked your soul."

The sound sent a shiver down their spine, one that didn’t feel entirely human. The world was changing— she could feel it.

And then from nowhere two lights started approaching from afar, as if an airplane was falling rapidly from the sky. When it got closer to eye sight level, Two creatures, A boy and a girl, can be seen standing opposite to each other. This was just the beginning of the end.