Twenty-Four Years Later
The royal court of Aethrune stood cold and tense, its towering pillars etched with ancient runes that had long lost their glow. The once-golden banners now hung dull and faded, as though the kingdom itself was slowly bleeding dry.
"My lord, this isn't right," Elder Kai said, stepping forward. His voice carried restraint, but the pain beneath it was impossible to miss. "The boy has shown no sign of evil. None. Despite the cruelty he has endured… he is good to the core."
A murmur rippled through the court.
"A devil is a devil," Elder Kwan snapped. "Good behavior does not erase his origin. He is still the echo of the Devil Lord."
"I agree with Elder Kwan," Elder Sol added calmly, adjusting her ceremonial robes. "You taught him heavenly chants. You taught him discipline. That does not change destiny."
"The Scroll of Eternity does not rewrite itself out of pity," Elder Kwan continued. "That child is a cursed flame waiting for wind. If left unchecked, he will burn us all."
The elders nodded, murmuring their agreement.
"Enough."
King Aethryn's voice cut through the hall like a blade.
Silence fell instantly.
The king rose slowly from his throne. The man who once ruled with warmth now carried only exhaustion and grief. His eyes—once alive with hope—were empty, drowned in loss.
"Aethrune is dying," he said. "People fall ill. Crops rot overnight. Beasts are born twisted. We need Aurelith, or this kingdom will not survive."
The name alone sent a chill through the court.
Aurelith—the celestial crystal that sustained lands, purified corruption, and stabilized realms.
"My lord," Elder Kai said softly, "the prophecy states the devil will rise on the Night of the Blood Eclipse. Six months remain. We should watch Vaelis closely. Sending him to Velthryn may hasten the prophecy instead of preventing it."
"Velthryn is the strongest kingdom when it comes to subduing beasts and devils," Elder Kwan countered smoothly. "They have broken creatures no other realm could control."
"They defeated Mandrogol, the Orc of Ruin," Elder Sol added. "No kingdom had ever accomplished that."
"The Orc of Ruin is not the Devil Lord," the Shaman Elder hissed. "Do not compare them."
"But—" Elder Kia began.
"So tell me," the king interrupted coldly. "Where do we find Aurelith?"
Elder Kiai froze.
"Answer me," King Aethryn pressed.
Velthryn has it.
"And if they demand Vaelis in exchange," the king continued, voice hollow, "then we will give him."
"My lord," Elder Kai pleaded, stepping forward, "give me time. Let me sever the bond between the child and the devil. There is still hope—"
"That is enough!" the king thundered.
He turned sharply. "Elder Kwan."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go to the Exile Realm. Retrieve Vaelis. Inform Velthryn that Aethrune accepts their terms."
A slow smile tugged at Elder Kwan's lips—but only in his mind.
"Yes, my lord," he said aloud, bowing deeply. At last, he thought.
THE EXILE REALM
The Exile Realm was not a place—it was a wound in the world.
A vast land of broken stone and endless darkness, where the sky never changed and the ground drank blood greedily. Beasts roamed freely—creatures rejected by creation itself. Devils whispered from the shadows. Screams echoed without source.
And at its center was
Vaelis.
Chains thicker than tree trunks wrapped around his neck, wrists, and ankles, forged from heavenly steel meant to erase sinners from existence. He had worn them for as long as he could remember.
He sat against a jagged stone wall, his body marked with scars both old and new.
He did not know what crime he had committed.
He did not know why he was here.
Food came rarely—scraps thrown through the barrier, or the remains of beasts that tore each other apart. He had never tasted bread. Never seen a city. Never felt sunlight.
The world beyond the Exile Realm was a myth.
A sudden tremor shook the ground.
Light tore through the darkness.
The barrier opened.
Vaelis shielded his eyes as the brightness flooded in, burning like fire.
Master.
His heart stirred.
Elder Kia stepped forward.
Vaelis' expression did not change, but something fragile flickered in his eyes—hope.
"My child," Elder Kia whispered.
The sight before him stabbed deep. Bruises lined Vaelis' body, fresh marks from the Heavenly Strikes—punishments meant to execute criminals.
But they never killed him.
They only left pain.
Elder Kia had begged the king countless times to free him. The king had refused. Teaching was the only mercy granted.
"You are being sent away," Elder Kia said carefully. "To another kingdom."
Vaelis said nothing.
"Remember everything I taught you," Elder Kia continued, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder. "You are not what they say you are. Prove them wrong."
Vaelis lowered his gaze.
"Enough," Elder Kwan barked. "This is not a farewell."
Elder Kia straightened. "I hope you don't regret this, Kwan."
Elder Kwan ignored him.
He raised his staff and chanted sharply.
The chains shattered.
Vaelis collapsed to the ground, gasping.
The weight he had carried his entire life vanished in an instant—leaving him weak, unsteady, exposed.
Elder Kwan seized the remaining chain and yanked it violently, nearly choking him.
"Move," he sneered. "Devil."
Something stirred.
A whisper slithered through Vaelis' mind.
Kill him.
His eyes flashed red.