The snow fell lightly as we rode back toward the Crimson Abyss Palace. The northern campaign was over. The humans had withdrawn, their outposts abandoned and burned, and the demons of the frontier now hailed me as their rightful leader. Yet the taste of victory was bitter. Every step of the horse beneath me reminded me of the faces I had seen on the battlefield, faces that once might have fought by my side.
The journey home was long and silent. Lord Kael rode beside me, speaking little. Behind us, soldiers carried banners that fluttered faintly in the cold wind. I felt no triumph, only the weight of what I had become.
By the time the palace gates came into view, night had fallen. The great towers glowed faintly in the distance, red lanterns burning against the darkness like eyes that never slept. As we entered, the guards bowed low, their armor glinting with frost.
I dismounted, and before I could even remove my gloves, a messenger hurried toward me. His face was pale, his movements quick and nervous. "Prince Aren," he said, breathless, "the King summons you. Immediately. The council has convened."
My pulse quickened. A summons at this hour was no small thing. I exchanged a brief look with Kael, who gave a curt nod.
Inside, the council chamber was dimly lit. My father sat at the head of the table, flanked by advisors and nobles. The atmosphere was tense. Scrolls lay open before them, sealed letters beside them.
"Aren," my father said, his voice calm but cold. "There are whispers from the capital. Strange reports. Some claim that your power on the battlefield was not of demon origin."
The room fell silent. I met his gaze steadily, though my chest tightened.
"Rumors," I said. "Nothing more. I have fought with the strength granted to me as your son."
The king studied me for a long time. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Perhaps. But the whispers grow louder. They say you fight like a human knight. That you move like one, command like one. That your fire burns not with demon rage, but with human will."
A murmur rippled through the chamber. My fists tightened beneath the table.
"With your permission, Father," I said carefully, "I will prove them wrong. Let them test me. Let them see that I am loyal to the Demon Realm."
He regarded me with an expression I could not read. "Very well. You will be tested. But until then, stay alert. Not all within these walls are your allies."
As the meeting ended, I turned to leave, but a shadow moved beside me. Master Veyl, my old mentor, stepped from the corner, his eyes gleaming faintly under the torchlight.
"You've made enemies, Prince Aren," he murmured. "Powerful ones. And someone is digging into your past. The moment they find something, anything, they will use it against you."
"Then I'll make sure they find nothing," I replied.
He smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Be careful. Secrets have a way of revealing themselves when you least expect it."
That night, sleep refused to come. I stood by the window, watching the snow drift across the courtyard. The attendant entered quietly, her presence soft but grounding. She carried a cup of warm tea, the faint scent of mint filling the room.
"You're troubled," she said, setting the cup beside me.
"Word spreads fast," I said. "Even here."
"I heard," she admitted. "They say you fight like someone who has seen too many wars. Like someone who's lived twice."
I turned toward her. "And what do you think?"
Her gaze met mine, unwavering. "I think you're not like the others. But I don't care what you were. I care what you choose to be now."
Her words lingered long after she left. For the first time in days, I felt something warm beneath the cold weight of fear. Yet even that warmth carried danger. The more I cared, the more I risked losing everything.
The next morning, a sealed letter awaited me on my desk. The wax bore no royal mark, only a single sigil : the emblem of a sword entwined with flame. My old insignia.
My hands trembled as I broke the seal. Inside was a short message, written in a language only humans used.
We know who you are. The world remembers its hero. Come to the ruins of Elgrath if you still wish to save what's left of humanity.
I read the words again and again, the ink burning into my mind like fire. The past I had buried was clawing its way back to life.
I folded the letter, hiding it beneath my cloak. Whatever awaited me in Elgrath, I would face it alone. Because if anyone in the demon realm learned the truth, the fragile peace I had built would shatter in an instant.