We reached the outskirts of Son City, one of the three great cities of Nexus.
"It's your first time here, right? Do you want to do a little sightseeing?" Claire asked as we stepped off the train, her tone light.
I only nodded, my eyes already fixed forward. Rising in the distance was the tallest structure I'd ever laid eyes on—a tower that seemed to scrape the heavens themselves. Heavenspire. The heart of Nexus. The castle that stood dead center of the world, a monument of broken empires, and the fragile peace that held the continents together.
Claire followed my gaze and smiled knowingly. "Of course you do. Lucky for you, our destination is there anyway."
"Why are we going there exactly?" I asked as we entered Son City proper. The streets were cramped and buzzing with life. The buildings rose no higher than three stories, their architecture carrying a strong medieval touch. Weathered stone roads twisted between houses and taverns that looked centuries old. Merchants barked, sailors shouted, tourists wandered. The density of the crowd pressed in on me—I'd never been swallowed by so many voices at once.
"Our main headquarters is there," Claire said. "It's the only place you can become an official Demon Hunter."
"I thought Fort Aetherhold was the headquarters?"
"It is. But that's more like a continental hub. Heavenspire… Heavenspire is the world headquarters."
We moved through the bustling street until the colossal outer wall came into view, separating Son City from Maiden City. Even from this distance, its scale made my chest tighten.
"So what happens after I'm made official?" I asked. "Do I get missions immediately?"
Claire didn't answer at first. She suddenly veered into a narrow alley, weaving through twists and turns with the ease of someone who'd memorized them.
"First, you'll be assigned to a continent," she finally said. "The best are kept here in Nexus as an emergency force, ready to deploy to any continent if disaster hits. But before all that, you'll need to pass the test."
I frowned, following her through another sharp turn. "Test? Damon didn't say anything about a test."
That stopped her. She turned on her heel, staring at me with an expression I couldn't pin down—caught somewhere between pity and helplessness.
"Really? He didn't tell you anything?"
"Nothing," I admitted.
She shook her head, muttering something under her breath, then started forward again. "Don't worry too much. It's practical. You'll be assigned to a team investigating a demon sighting. To pass, you'll need to hunt a demon equal to your level. It's not difficult—just finish it quickly."
Her steps halted again, this time before a shop sign that read Edward's Parcel Service. Claire pushed the door open, and we stepped inside. The front was plain and empty. Without a word, she walked toward a door in the back. I followed her into a small, windowless room.
She searched briefly, then pulled out a small remote from behind a shelf and pressed a sequence of buttons. The floor rumbled beneath us.
"…You've got to be kidding me," I muttered as the room began to descend. "Of course it's an elevator."
The doors slid open moments later, revealing a platform deep underground. A train station. Claire slipped her hunter's license into a card slot, and a mechanical voice chimed:
{Hunter Claire Chandresh, welcome to Nexus. Next train arriving in thirty seconds.}
"So… we're taking an underground train to reach Heavenspire?" I asked.
Claire smirked. "Not quite. Our destination isn't the castle above—it's what lies underneath."
"Underneath?" I frowned, but before she could answer, the train slid silently into the station. We boarded, and the doors sealed shut.
"You'll see," she said simply.
"Fine," I muttered, sinking into a seat. "But I'm telling you now—I don't like all this mysterious crap."
I regretted the words the moment we stepped off the train.
The sight that stretched before me stole my breath.
I thought Fort Aetherhold was grand. I thought wrong.
Claire leaned closer, her voice dropping to a hush as though the walls themselves might overhear. "What you see above—the spires, the banners, the marble halls—that's just decoration. The real power of the Demon Hunter Organization lies beneath Heavenspire."
She gestured forward. "Ten levels deep, carved into the very bones of the mountain. Picture a hollow cylinder plunging into the earth, its center wide open, with each level circling the walls like rings in a vast, endless well."
I stepped forward, my eyes widening. Bridges spanned the open void, crisscrossing from one ring to another, strung with crystal lanterns that illuminated the depths with a soft, eerie glow. From the edge, I could see all the way down—ten levels spiraling into the abyss.
Every tier was alive with movement. Hunters training. Messengers rushing with reports. Scholars bent over glowing tomes. War rooms, research labs, armories—all stacked upon one another in organized chaos. It was a city carved into stone, a fortress that breathed like a living thing.
"To the people above," Claire whispered, "Heavenspire is just a diplomatic marvel. To us… it's the heart of the DHO. The place where wars no one else even knows about are prepared for."
I couldn't look away. For the first time since stepping into this world, I realized just how small I truly was.
Now, Claire led me across one of the stone bridges that arched over the hollow center, our footsteps echoing faintly. The further we walked, the more imposing the atmosphere became. Hunters passing by gave me cursory glances, some sharp, some indifferent, as though weighing me without a word.
We reached the innermost ring of the first level, where a pair of massive iron doors stood tall against the wall. They were engraved with runes I didn't recognize, each line glowing faintly with a restrained power. Above the frame, the emblem of the Demon Hunter Organization gleamed—Sigil of the Burning Oath,
Claire stopped just short of the threshold. "This is as far as I go."
I turned to her, confused. "You're not coming in?"
She shook her head. "No one does. Beyond these doors, you'll be judged. The council will decide your assignment. It's the final step before you're officially one of us." Her tone softened slightly, almost like a warning. "Be honest. Be sharp. They'll see through any weakness you try to hide."
I glanced back at the doors, a faint tremor running through my chest. For the first time since stepping underground, the awe gave way to something else—anticipation laced with unease.
Claire gave me a short nod. "Good luck, Kade. I'll see you when it's over."
With that, she turned and walked back across the bridge, leaving me standing before the sealed entrance.
The doors loomed in silence, waiting.
I took a slow breath and stepped forward.
As I stepped into the chamber, the air felt unnaturally heavy, like the walls themselves pressed down with judgment. The room was circular, every inch of it clad in smooth, dark-gray panels that swallowed light. Only the faint glow of runic lanterns at each corner kept the shadows at bay, their pale blue light flickering like watchful eyes.
Then, without warning, five holograms shimmered into existence at the far end of the chamber. Each figure was cloaked in the same faceless mask—blank, unyielding, impossible to read. They varied in shape and build, but one immediately caught my attention: the figure on the far left towered over the others, his shoulders wide as a fortress wall. Seven feet? No… closer to eight. Whoever he was, he dwarfed the rest.
"Cadet Kade," a voice rang out—not from a single figure, but from everywhere at once. Deep, resonant, it reverberated through my chest like a drumbeat. "We have reviewed your record. Your capabilities are… remarkable."
I tensed, waiting for the inevitable but.
Sure enough, it followed.
"But strength alone is not enough. We do not yet know your resolve—your reason for forsaking a normal life to fight in this endless war. Tell us, why do you choose to stand with us? Why not take the easier path?"
Their words hung in the stillness, sharp as a blade.
I raised an eyebrow. "Because the pay is good?"
My joke fell into silence so absolute I could hear my own heartbeat. Not even a cough. Nothing.
"Right… tough crowd," I muttered under my breath.
Exhaling slowly, I dropped the sarcasm. "Because it's the right thing to do. And all my life I've been told—if it's the right thing, you don't back down. Not when it matters. Not ever."
My voice softened, though it still carried in the hollow chamber. "Even if I wanted a normal life… I don't have one left. My only relative died months ago. There's nothing tying me back to that world anymore. No family. No home. Just this."
The words echoed, raw and heavier than I expected.
For a moment, silence again. Then the holograms stirred, faint glimmers of light rippling across their masks as if they were… considering.
Finally, the voice returned, colder this time.
"Very well. Then prove it. Your trial begins now."
The runic lanterns flared, flooding the chamber with blinding light—before everything went dark.