Silence hung between Rain and his father, as if the entire world had frozen for a moment. The truth he had just discovered was too heavy to process easily.
The Black Butterfly… was a part of his father's soul.
Everything he had been through—his suffering, his pain, his victories—was not mere coincidence.
Rain took a step back, his eyes locked onto his father. "If you knew everything, if you were watching me all this time… why didn't you stop me from making mistakes? Why didn't you guide me?"
His father looked at him calmly, as if he had expected this question. "Because you didn't need guidance, Rain. You needed experience. The pain you endured is what made you who you are today."
Rain clenched his fists. He knew there was some truth in his father's words, but he couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. "Was I just a pawn in your plan?"
His father shook his head. "You are no pawn. You are the heir to my legacy… but how you wield that legacy is up to you."
There was something in his voice that made Rain realize there was more yet to be revealed.
"My legacy?" Rain narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
His father nodded. "Before the world waged war against me, I was the greatest demon to ever walk this continent—the absolute force that no one could stand against. And when they realized killing me was impossible, they united against me to bring me down. But even in my final moments, I refused to disappear."
He raised his hand and gestured toward the Black Butterfly hovering beside Rain. "That's why I used that forbidden ability… I bound a part of my soul to the spirit beast that would be born with you, ensuring that my bloodline would not end here."
A shiver ran down Rain's spine. He had always known his father wasn't an ordinary man, but realizing he had been the greatest demon in the continent's history? That changed everything.
"So… that means I'm not fully human, am I?"
His father was silent for a moment before replying in a calm voice, "No, Rain. You never were."
It felt as if the ground beneath him had vanished.
All his life, he had been treated as an outcast, different from everyone else, but he had never understood the true reason. Now, it was all beginning to make sense.
"If you knew I would walk the path of darkness… why did you let me learn it on my own?"
His father sighed, his gaze filled with wisdom. "Because I wanted to see if you could become stronger than I ever was. I didn't create a path for you to follow—I placed you in this world so you could carve your own."
At that moment, the Black Butterfly fluttered rapidly around Rain before stopping on his shoulder. Then, a soft voice echoed in his mind.
"Your fate was set from the beginning, but only you can change it."
Rain froze in place.
"Did… did you just speak?"
He had heard incomprehensible whispers in his mind before when using his abilities, but he had never been sure if they came from the spirit beast. Now, there was no doubt.
"I am a part of you, and a part of your father's legacy. My power is yours, but how you use it is up to you."
Something inside Rain shifted, as if a weight he had been carrying all his life had finally begun to lift.
"Then… what should I do now?"
His father answered firmly, "That depends on you. Will you accept this legacy… or reject it?"
Rain stood still for a moment, staring at his hands. He knew that his decision here would not just be another step in his journey—it would be the true beginning of a new path.
This was no longer about revenge. No longer about survival.
This was about what he would become.
He looked up at his father, then at the Black Butterfly, before lifting his head with newfound resolve.
"If I am the heir to the greatest demon in history… then I will prove that I can surpass that legacy."
A faint smile appeared on his father's face. "That's what I expected from you, my son."
At that moment, the black portal behind them began to fade, and the village around them turned into shadows, as if it had never existed.
Rain realized now that this was nothing more than a test—a test to see if he was ready to move forward.
And now, there was no turning back.
- To be continued in the next chapter…