---
It was a quiet morning in the demon realm, though the sky was never truly bright. Chirag stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching the mist swirl around the black stone tiles. His heart was still. But his mind? It was racing.
Siya hadn't come to see him since last night.
After the talk about the rulers, something had changed. Her smile had faded. Her voice was softer, almost cautious. Chirag couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Just as he was about to leave, a figure stepped out of the shadows behind him. It was Arak, the old demon warrior who had once trained the Demon King himself.
"You're still alive," Arak said gruffly, eyeing Chirag from head to toe.
Chirag turned, surprised. "I guess I'm lucky."
"No," Arak said. "You're something else."
Without warning, Arak threw a fireball directly at Chirag.
Chirag raised his hand, blocking it just in time with a shield of blue energy. The flames danced around him but didn't touch him. He gritted his teeth. "What was that for?!"
"To see if you've learned anything," Arak growled. "If the rulers are coming for you, you need to be more than lucky."
Chirag got into a stance. "Then teach me."
That was all Arak needed to hear.
The next few hours were a storm of battle. Arak didn't hold back, and Chirag refused to give up. Spells flew like lightning, fists met flames, and the ground cracked under their power. Chirag's body ached, but he kept standing.
He remembered Siya's words. "Don't lose yourself."
But he also remembered the fear in her eyes when she mentioned the rulers.
He couldn't just be strong.
He had to be unbreakable.
Later, as he lay on the cold stone, breathing hard, Arak sat down beside him.
"You're not the same boy who came here weak and scared," Arak said. "You've changed."
Chirag turned his head. "Good."
"But be careful," Arak added. "The more power you get, the more you forget who you were. Power is a sharp thing. It cuts both ways."
Chirag didn't respond. He closed his eyes, the echoes of magic still buzzing in his veins.
---
Meanwhile, Siya stood in the throne room, facing her father. The Demon King looked older than usual, like the burden of years was finally showing on his stone-like face.
"He's getting too strong," the King said.
"He's still learning," Siya replied.
"He's human," the King snapped. "His heart will break eventually. They always do."
Siya looked him in the eye. "Not his."
The King was silent for a long time. Then he sighed. "You've always had a kind heart. That's your strength. But kindness doesn't win wars, Siya. We live in a world ruled by power."
She stepped forward. "Then I'll stand with him."
"You may not get that choice."
---
Far beyond the demon realm, high above the sky where the rulers watched from floating cities of light and silence, a meeting was held.
There were five rulers in total—each one older than the mountains, each one stronger than anything walking the earth.
They stood in a circle, their faces hidden behind shimmering veils of magic.
"The boy has demon power now," one said. "A piece of immortality, too."
"A threat," another whispered. "A mistake."
"He killed a shadow general last week," a third added. "With a spell that should've killed him."
"He is not natural," the fourth murmured.
But the fifth ruler, who stood taller than the rest, raised a hand.
"Not a threat… yet. But we must test him."
And with that, the decision was made.
The rulers would send a message.
---
Chirag sat alone that night, staring at the moon. Siya had left him a basket of food and a small note: "You're doing well. Rest. You'll need it."
He smiled faintly. Even her handwriting made him feel stronger.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled.
He stood up quickly, his magic pulsing in his fingers.
A golden light tore open the sky above, like a crack in the heavens. From it, a tall, glowing figure stepped down—wrapped in white cloth, their face hidden, but their presence terrifying.
Chirag stared. "A ruler…"
The figure didn't speak. Instead, they raised one hand, and a wave of golden energy shot toward him.
Chirag barely dodged, rolling to the side and throwing up a shield. The force of the attack shattered it in seconds.
He ran, trying to find space. But the ruler followed, floating without effort, eyes burning through their veil.
Chirag blasted back with his strongest spell. The blue flame shot toward the ruler but vanished before it touched them.
The ruler raised their hand again—but this time, the energy was different.
It wasn't an attack.
It was a vision.
Suddenly, Chirag's mind was filled with images: Siya crying in a ruined castle. Demons turning against him. The world burning. His own face, twisted with anger and madness, destroying everything.
Then it all vanished.
Chirag dropped to his knees, sweating, shaking.
The ruler spoke at last. "This is your future if you let power blind you."
Chirag looked up, his voice hoarse. "Why are you showing me this?"
"Because it's already begun."
And with that, the ruler disappeared into the light.
The sky closed.
Silence returned.
But inside Chirag, a storm had started.
---
Later that night, Siya found him sitting alone. She saw the fear in his eyes and knelt beside him.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
He told her everything—the ruler, the vision, the warning.
She held his hand. "They're trying to scare you."
"It worked," he whispered.
"But you're not alone," she reminded him. "You have me. You have your strength. You have your heart."
Chirag looked at her, truly looked at her. Her calm eyes, her quiet courage. Everything he had, everything he fought for—was right here.
"No matter what they show me," he said, gripping her hand tighter, "I'll make my own future."
Siya nodded. "Then I'll walk with you."
The night grew darker. But the fire in Chirag's heart burned brighter than ever before.
---