Bang!

Alessia's back hits a tree, and she coughs as she tries to breathe. She bends over as the pain almost makes her pass out. Not now! She whispers to herself, and she can't afford to pass out right now. Alessia shakes her head and straightens herself. She looks around the area, but the b*stard disappeared.

D*mn it. She grumbles as she staggers away from the tree while clenching her side. That b*stard did a number on her, and she could feel the blood seeping through her black tank top. Alessia stumbles slightly, but she catches herself. She can't believe she let her guard down. The sneaky little devil was faster than the others she saw tonight.

It's been a few days since a portal opened, and demons of all ranks have been racking havoc in this area. Alessia came to seal and exorcise as many as she could. She works alone, or more so, no one else can do what she can do. Humans typically can't see demons in their proper form. Demons can be short, tall, fat, or downright ugly. They attach themselves to humans. Low-level demons make people sick, and a higher-rank demon can cause endless tragedies. To the human eye, it's either they just caught a mild cold, or if someone is crudely murdered, it was due to mental illness. But that isn't the case; demons are to blame.

Alessia hears a twig snap, waking her from her thoughts. She can't think about anything else right now. She has to focus on getting back at that scumbag for hurting her. Alessia slowly approaches the area where she heard the sound. She pulls out her knife and takes tiny, careful steps. She sees a thin grey tail moving from around a tree. Her hand was in her pocket, ready to attack. Alessia throws the knife at the tail, and the creature lets out a howl of pain as the blade pins the tail into the ground.

The knife she threw has a small binding spell on it. It doesn't work on mid or high-rank demons. But it does work on containing a body part or even hurting them a bit. Alessia goes around the tree to face the ugly-looking demon and forces it back to hell, where it came from. It stands about 3 feet tall, with long yellow nails and yellow teeth to match. It reminds Alessia of an overgrown rat. Its skin was gray and a bit scaly. This is what she considers a low-rank demon. The demon growls at her, clearly wasn't happy to see Alessia again. She lets out a laugh and approaches the smelly beast.

"You thought I would let you get away from me?" She steps closer, close enough to smell sulfur and rotten eggs. The lower tire ones smell awful, and it took a while for Alessia to get used to their stench. The high-rank ones are the ones that can conceal their scent, and they are dangerous altogether.

"Just go back to hell. I was going to make your trip back fairly easy. But you pissed me off!" Alessia says to the demon and reaches into her pocket. She pulls out a small vial, opens it, and sits it before the demon. She doesn't necessarily need the vial, as she can get rid of the bastard without it, but she is in a bad mood now and wants to make sure the little devil feels every pain she can give him. Alessia closes her eyes, and she inhales sharply. She ignores the grunts and growls. He is weak and won't be able to move from where she threw the knife. She snaps, opens her eyes, and touches the demon's head. It moves and thrashes at her touch. It squeals as the pressure from her fingertip grows, and the power flowing through her continues to build. Alessia smirks as she sees the dread in the demon's eyes.

"Time for you to go, you f*cking b*stard!" Within a split second, the demon is transferred to the vial before it. The bottle is a seal that can trap any beast. It's worse than hell. It's a void of space. It's filled with darkness, nothing but silence. It hurts the demons, draining their souls and cleaning them slowly. Alessia doesn't use this vial more often because it slowly drains her. It's a double-age sword.

She picks up the vial and tosses it in her jacket pocket. She winces in pain as she forgets that she is bleeding. Damn, she thought as she limps to the clearing. Alessia isn't sure how bad the bleeding is or how nasty the wound is.

"What a show that was." A voice from behind Alessia comes out of nowhere. She springs around and winces in pain. She scans the area and sees a shadowy figure standing beside a tree. She won't stand a chance if that is a high-rank demon. They move like humans, look like humans, and most of all, they are the deadliest to face.

"Who are you?" Alessia asks while trying to stand up straight, so he doesn't know she is hurt.

"I had no idea humans could see such ugly beings. This is truly an extraordinary find." Alessia is caught off guard. A man steps away from the tree. A huge scar runs from his left eyebrow to just below his eye. He is around six feet tall. Dressed in all black, with a sword on his hip. He doesn't scream demon. His long black hair and striking blue eyes make him look beautiful, while the scar makes him look dangerous. This man is a threat.

"I won't repeat myself. Who are you?" Alessia was digging for another knife or something she could use to defend herself.

"My, you sure are impolite. My name is no matter to a mere human. I am though interested in knowing more about you. If you can see demons, I wonder what other things you can see." The unknown man suddenly appears in front of Alessia, face to face with her. She stumbles back, he is too fast, and she can't comprehend what happened. He isn't human.

He catches her arm and wraps his hand around her neck. He smiles to himself.

"Your blood smells different as well. Who are you, human?" Alessia tries to wiggle free from his grip, she goes to kick him, but he is just too fast for her. His hand was around her throat, lifting her off the ground. She couldn't speak or utter a sound, and her heart was pounding out of her chest.

"I don't know what to do about you, human. You see, those who are different are a threat." He squeezes Alessia's throat harder. She can fill her lungs burning as she tries to wiggle and breathe. If he is a demon, he is far more potent than anyone she has faced. Alessia claws at his hands. Her eyes are watering, and her lungs are begging for air.

It's only been 3 years since she has 'woken.' A term she uses to describe her new skills, and she has learned everything on her own. Finding herself in tight situations or near-death experiences isn't unique to her. This time, she might have met her match.

He rubs her face with his free hand and tilts his head at her. "Why are you sacrificing yourself to save these humans? You will die when no one knows what you have done? Is this how you want to die? You should have kept your nose to yourself and lived a normal human life. Now, look at your pathetic face." With a smug look on his face, he squeezes harder.

She can't respond. She can't fight him and tell him that even though humans are just as evil as demons, those who have done no wrong shouldn't have to live a life of chaos caused by a demon. She will fight for the innocent and protect those who need protection. Alessia can no longer feel the feeling in her legs or hands, and the pain in her lungs is overwhelming. She doesn't want to die yet. No, she can't die again!

Alessia keeps her eyes open and glares at the man choking her. She isn't weak as she once was. She let her guard down and let her emotions get to her. Everything that she has learned about demons where found in the library, things that most would believe is myths and fairytales. But she tried what she saw and realized that some things worked! There is something she read not long ago about demons or beings in general that are covered in an evil veil. She can't recall word for word but laughed at the book because she found it in the youth section of a bookstore.

Right now, though, she wants to try whatever she can. She weakly squeezes his wrist, and he watches her curiously. She prays that this will work. Alessia focuses on her remaining energy in her hands, and she continues to stare down at him. The look in her eyes is something she wants to burn into his head.

A flash of light erupts from her hands, and she can feel herself falling. She lands on the ground with a loud 'thud.' Alessia coughs and sucks in the air her lungs have been begging for. Her mind is foggy, and her body feels so weak that she can't comprehend what happened.

A roar of laughter comes from feet away, and Alessia looks up. The man was leaning against a tree, holding his stomach. The look in his eyes brought goosebumps up her arms. It was dark with pure evil. If she doesn't get up right now, she will die an excruciating death. The aura in the air right now is darker and more murderous than before. This man is pissed off.

Alessia weakly crawls away from the man. She knows she doesn't have much time and maybe a few more minutes before he gains strength. She coughs more, her lungs still hurt, and her vision is blurry.

She feels her body being picked up off the ground and faces the man again.

"Now, that was an interesting trick you pulled there." He says, his smirk is gone, but his face is filled with anger and hate.

"Marcus! Put her down!!" A voice from behind them roars, and once again, Alessia finds herself on the ground.