The crimson sun hung low above the kingdom of Nethoria, casting a blood-red glow across the towering black spires of the Demon Capital.
From the highest balcony of the royal palace stood Lothan Xander Maeve.
His silver hair danced gently in the wind while his crimson eyes overlooked the city beneath him. Thousands of lights illuminated the streets as merchants sold their goods and children ran through crowded marketplaces.
To outsiders, it would have been difficult to believe this was the homeland of demons.
There were no rivers of blood.
No mountains of bones.
No monsters lurking in every corner.
Instead, there was laughter.
Life.
Peace.
A small smile appeared on Lothan's face.
"You're smiling again."
Lothan turned.
A young woman stood behind him, her long black hair flowing down her back.
"Lysandra," he said softly.
She walked toward him and rested her arms on the balcony railing.
"The people love you, you know."
"They love my father," Lothan replied.
"The Demon King earned that respect."
"And you haven't?"
Lothan remained silent.
Despite being the strongest warrior among demonkind, he never enjoyed praise. Strength was merely a responsibility to him.
His duty was to protect those he cherished.
Nothing more.
Lysandra chuckled.
"One day you'll be king."
"I hope that day comes far in the future."
"Why?"
"Because if I'm king, it means my father is gone."
The smile on Lysandra's face faded.
She understood immediately.
Lothan loved his family more than anything.
Many feared him because of his immense power, but those closest to him knew a different side of him.
A side that treasured peace.
A side that would do anything for those he loved.
Suddenly a loud voice echoed behind them.
"Brother!"
A young boy came sprinting across the balcony.
Lothan barely had time to react before the boy jumped onto him.
"Kael."
The young prince grinned.
"I finally beat General Varis in sword practice!"
Lothan raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Kael puffed out his chest proudly.
"Well... he only used one hand."
Lysandra burst into laughter.
Even Lothan couldn't help smiling.
The young prince groaned.
"Why is everyone laughing?"
"Because," Lothan replied, ruffling his brother's hair, "General Varis can defeat armies."
"One day I'll defeat him."
"I'm sure you will."
Kael's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Those moments were precious.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Normal.
None of them knew how soon everything would change.
Later that evening, the royal family gathered inside the grand dining hall.
The Demon King sat at the head of the table.
Unlike what legends described, he was neither cruel nor terrifying.
His silver beard and calm expression made him look more like a wise scholar than a ruler.
Beside him sat Queen Seraphina.
Lothan's mother.
The warmth in her eyes always reminded him of home.
The family shared stories and laughter while servants carried trays of food through the hall.
For a brief moment, everything felt perfect.
The king eventually turned toward Lothan.
"You visited the human territories recently."
"I did."
"And?"
"They're thriving."
The king nodded.
"Good."
For centuries humans and demons had lived together.
Most humans never realized demons existed among them.
The two races had quietly built a fragile peace.
A peace the king desperately wished to preserve.
"The future belongs to both races," the king said.
"We must continue protecting that peace."
Lothan agreed.
War benefited no one.
Too much blood had already been spilled throughout history.
The world had suffered enough.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Far beyond the borders of Nethoria, hidden within a human city, a meeting was taking place.
Dark figures gathered around a stone table.
A hooded man stood before them.
His eyes burned with greed.
"The demons have hidden among us for centuries."
Murmurs filled the room.
"They walk among our people."
"They influence our kingdoms."
"They threaten humanity itself."
One of the men hesitated.
"But they've never attacked us."
The hooded figure slammed his fist onto the table.
"Because they're waiting."
Fear spread across the room.
Exactly as he intended.
The man smiled beneath his hood.
The truth didn't matter.
Only results mattered.
And soon, he would have exactly what he wanted.
War.
Back in Nethoria, Lothan stood alone in the palace gardens.
Moonlight illuminated the flowers surrounding him.
For the first time that day, he felt uneasy.
Something wasn't right.
The wind carried an unfamiliar scent.
Blood.
Lothan's eyes narrowed.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the silence.
The ground trembled violently.
Screams erupted throughout the city.
Lothan's heart stopped.
No.
Another explosion followed.
Then another.
The peaceful night transformed into chaos.
Flames erupted across the horizon.
Lothan vanished in a burst of speed.
When he reached the city walls, his worst fears became reality.
Thousands of soldiers stood beyond the kingdom.
Human soldiers.
An endless army.
Siege weapons launched blazing projectiles into the city.
Buildings collapsed.
Citizens fled in terror.
Children cried.
The war had begun.
And no warning had been given.
"No..." Lothan whispered.
The attack had come too suddenly.
Too unexpectedly.
The demons were completely unprepared.
A soldier spotted him.
"There!"
"That's Lothan!"
"Kill him!"
Arrows darkened the sky.
Lothan raised his hand.
An invisible force shattered every arrow before it reached him.
The soldiers froze.
Fear filled their faces.
But more continued advancing.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Lothan stared at the battlefield.
His chest tightened.
This wasn't a battle.
It was slaughter.
A planned extermination.
For the first time in his life, genuine anger began to awaken within him.
Far away, hidden among the human army, the hooded man watched.
A smile spread across his face.
Everything was proceeding perfectly.
The peace between humans and demons had finally been destroyed.
And soon...
The entire world would burn.
To be continued...