The room was a mess, with papers scattered across the floor, half-eaten snacks balanced on the edge of my desk, and a ceiling that looked like it had seen one too many explosions. Typical day for me, really.
"Sion-dono! Sion-dono! Wake up!!"
The shout pierced the fog of sleep in my head like a blade, each word pounding against my brain with irritating persistence. I cracked one eye open just enough to see my so-called "follower" Brianna standing at my bedside, panicking like usual.
"Stop yelling. I'm awake," I grumbled, though I really wasn't. Even half-asleep, I could sense that something had gone terribly wrong. Again.
Brianna's wild eyes flicked to the door, which was smoking slightly from whatever disaster she had caused. I didn't need to ask what happened—I'd seen this same scene play out too many times to count. The house had been blown to pieces—again.
"Did you set off another one of your experiments?" I sighed, already preparing to fix things.
"It wasn't on purpose this time! The Demon King's forces showed up earlier than we expected! I was just testing a new magic shield when—"
I held up a hand to cut her off. The details didn't matter. "Existential Revert," I muttered, and reality rewound itself. The crumbling walls snapped back together, and the charred furniture reverted to its unburnt state. Brianna's singed clothes were once again pristine, and the panic in her eyes gave way to relief.
"There. All fixed." I turned over in bed, burying my face in the pillow.
"Wait! Sion, you can't just go back to sleep! The Demon King—"
I groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Let me guess. He's resurrected again and is out to destroy the world. How original."
Brianna's lips tightened into a thin line. "You've been sealing him away for centuries, but this time, he's gotten stronger! He says he's adapted to your power!"
I laughed softly, the sound devoid of joy. "Adapted? They all say that. But in the end, nothing ever changes."
Brianna's frustration was obvious, but I couldn't bring myself to care. What's the point when every battle is the same, every opponent is nothing more than a footnote in a history only I seem to remember? I've lost count of how many times I've dealt with this so-called "Demon King." Every hundred years, he comes back, and every time, I put him right back where he belongs.
The truth is, it's not even fun anymore. There's no thrill, no challenge—just an endless loop of predictability.
"I'm serious, Sion! He's planning something different this time, and if we don't act, he might actually—"
"Actually what? Succeed? That's what I'm hoping for," I muttered under my breath.
Brianna stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You can't be serious. You're supposed to be the world's protector, not its executioner!"
"What's the point in protecting a world that never changes?" I snapped, the emptiness I'd been holding back spilling into my voice. "Day in, day out, it's the same thing over and over again. I seal him, he returns, and everything resets. It's exhausting."
The silence that followed was heavy, and I almost regretted saying it out loud. But it was the truth, even if Brianna refused to see it. The power I have—it's a curse. It's not something anyone should want. It's isolation, boredom, and the endless weight of existence.
But before either of us could say more, the temperature in the room dropped sharply, the shadows deepening. A gust of wind tore through the house, and I felt that familiar malevolent energy.
"SI-O-BHAN!!"
The voice boomed, shaking the very foundations of reality. I looked up, spotting a dark rift tearing open above us. The Demon King emerged, his hulking form dripping with darkness, his eyes glowing with unrestrained malice.
"Finally awake, huh?" I yawned, standing up and cracking my knuckles. "You could've just sent a letter, you know."
"NO MORE GAMES, SION! THIS TIME, I'VE GROWN FAR BEYOND YOUR MEASLY SEALING MAGIC. I WILL ERASE THIS WORLD AND END YOUR REIGN!"
I watched him rant, the bravado in his voice making me smirk. It was almost endearing—like a dog barking at a thunderstorm.
"Let's get this over with," I said, raising my hand.
Black tendrils of energy shot from the rift, aiming to crush me, but they disintegrated on contact. The Demon King's confidence wavered, and I almost felt sorry for him.
"Sorry, buddy," I said with a hint of pity. "But I'm going to put you back where you belong."
With a thought, I unleashed my "Infinite Seal." A wave of black energy surged forward, capturing the Demon King and binding him in a vortex of endless confinement. The world darkened for a brief moment as the spell took hold, dragging him into a realm where time doesn't exist.
His screams faded, replaced by the usual silence. It was done.
Brianna clapped her hands together, trying to hide her nervous energy. "You did it again! You really saved the world, Sion!"
I ignored her, staring at the spot where the rift had closed. How long until the cycle repeats? Another hundred years? Two hundred? I almost wished he could have surprised me for once.
"What's wrong, Sion?" Brianna asked, her voice softer now. "You don't seem happy."
"I'm just tired," I replied. "Tired of all of it."
She didn't say anything for a while, letting the silence stretch between us. Finally, she broke it with a hesitant, "You know, maybe one day someone will come along who can give you the fight you're looking for."
I forced a smile. "Maybe."
But deep down, I knew the truth. This world was a prison, and I was its warden—cursed to live a life of power without purpose, strength without challenge.Â
As I turned back to my bed, the familiar thought returned, echoing like a mantra in my head:
When will someone finally defeat me?