As the creatures continued to chant and shout, one of the elders slowly broke away from the crowd. He was taller than the others, his fur silvered with age, his eyes filled with the wisdom of countless years. With every step he took toward me, the others grew silent, their reverence for this elder obvious.
When he stood before me, he examined me closely, his gaze lingering on the tattoo that now marked my back. His eyes softened, and he gave a nod of acknowledgment before speaking in the ancient tongue that I had now come to understand.
"You have awakened, Demon Slayer," the elder said, his voice deep and resonant, echoing through the silent crowd. "The mark on your back is the sign we have waited for. The monster you killed in the forest, the one that has haunted us for centuries... it was no mere beast. It was a guardian — a creature of immense power that we feared for generations."
He paused for a moment, looking at me with something close to awe. "For hundreds of years, we sacrificed to it, offering animals, fearing its wrath. But now, that fear has been lifted. You have slain it, and with it, you have lifted the curse that bound this land to the darkness of the Demon Realm."
I struggled to process his words. A curse? A guardian? This was all too much, but the elder's calm presence grounded me, forcing me to focus on what he was saying.
"You, Jashoo," the elder continued, "are the one foretold by our prophecy. The Demon Slayer. The god born with the power to rid this world of the demons that plague it. The tattoo you bear is the mark of that prophecy — the sign that you are destined to face the ancient evil that has long threatened our world."
I glanced down at the ground, the weight of his words sinking in. How could I be a god? I was just a boy… a boy who had lost everything. The idea of being some prophesized hero felt absurd. But the power I had felt in the forest — the surge of energy, the way it had consumed and protected me — made me question everything I thought I knew.
Taking a deep breath, I asked the question that had been burning in my mind since I woke up. "Where am I? What is this place?"
The elder's eyes twinkled, and he gestured for me to follow him away from the crowd. As we walked toward the edge of the village, he spoke.
"You have awoken in the world of Arvandor, the land where gods and demons have long clashed. This village, our home, lies at the edge of the Great Forest of Eldian, a place feared by many. It is said that this forest is the boundary between our world and the Demon Realm. Many believe the monsters that roam this land come from that cursed place."
I looked out at the forest, the massive trees looming in the distance, their thick trunks disappearing into the sky. The forest seemed to hum with an ancient energy, something both primal and dangerous.
The elder continued. "This land you stand upon is called Isala, a continent filled with great mysteries, from the vast deserts of Shan'hor to the frozen peaks of the Icari Mountains. But we are not alone in Arvandor. There are other lands — the Isle of Galdor, home to the Sea Tribes, the Windswept Plains of Varron, where nomadic warriors roam, and the Everflame Peninsula, a land where fire and magic intertwine."
I tried to picture these places in my mind — lands I had never heard of, places I could hardly imagine. This world was vast, far beyond the simple life I had known before the accident that took my parents.
The elder turned to face me. "But here, at the edge of Eldian, you stand at a crossroads. This forest is a place where few dare tread. The creatures within are remnants of the old war between gods and demons, and they grow stronger the deeper one ventures. Some say that the heart of Eldian connects directly to the Demon Realm itself."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "You are the Demon Slayer, Jashoo. It is your destiny to rid this world of the darkness that seeps from the Demon Realm. But the road ahead will be fraught with danger. The demon you slew was merely the beginning. There are greater evils yet to come."
My heart raced, my thoughts a jumble of fear and disbelief. How could I, of all people, be expected to face such overwhelming odds? Yet, deep down, something inside me stirred. The energy I had felt — the power I barely understood — it was real. And somehow, it had chosen me.
"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head. "Why me? Why now?"
The elder smiled gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "The gods work in ways we cannot always understand. But they have chosen you, Jashoo. The power inside you is ancient, and it has awakened because the time has come to challenge the darkness once more."
I stared out into the vast forest, feeling the weight of my fate pressing down on me. I was no hero. I was just a boy who had lost everything. But now, in this strange world, I was being asked to become something far greater.
"Rest now," the elder said, sensing my turmoil. "You have much to learn, and your journey has only just begun. But know this — you are not alone. We, the people of Isala, stand with you. We have waited centuries for the return of the Demon Slayer."
As I stood there, overlooking the vast ocean that stretched beyond the forest, I felt the weight of destiny settling upon my shoulders. I didn't know if I was ready, but one thing was clear — my old life was gone. This new world, with its gods, demons, and ancient prophecies, was now my reality.
The journey of the Demon Slayer had begun.