The next day early in the morning we set out to continue our journey. The wilderness stretched endlessly before us, each step silent yet heavy with unspoken tension. No words were needed to acknowledge the weight in the air.
I cast a glance at Kael—a prince, yet far from his kingdom, walking the same dirt roads with me and aria. He said he was heading to the kingdom of beast i wonder why this question never rang my mind before, but now it lingered.
"Kael," I said, breaking the silence. "You're a prince of the Monkeyfolk. Why are you wandering out here ?"
He smirked, unbothered. "Am not wondering am on training trip far from home. But I'm not ready to go back. When I go back home i will take the throne but before that, I need to be strong enough to protect my people. That's why I left—to train."
I nodded, finding no fault in his reasoning. "You're already strong. You'll make a fine king."
"I will be," he said, his golden eyes sharp with conviction. "But power comes first, the tournament in the Beast Kingdom has powerful opponents, am going there to fight to gain strength."
Hard to argue with that. He had already proven himself in our fight that he likes fighting. I still remembered the way his strength surged in an instant, as if he'd flipped a switch.
"When we fought," I said, "you powered up—something beyond raw strength. What was that? A special technique?"
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You don't know about Secret Arts?" He shook his head, amused. "I figured someone as strong as you would've learned them. That's why I used mine. Good thing Darius stepped in, or I might've killed you."
I scoffed. "Kill me? Please. I would've wiped the floor with you."
His grin widened. "That so? Then how about a rematch?"
"You said it."
Before we could continue, Darius cut in, his tone flat. "Now's not the time for your games. We're nearing the Beast Kingdom's borders."
Kael pointed at me. "Then next time, don't run away."
"Run away?" I smirked. "You wish."
Before he could fire back, the ground trembled beneath us. A bone-chilling roar split the air, followed by distant screams, the clash of steel, and guttural growls.
I froze, every instinct flaring. "What was that?"
Kael's golden eyes narrowed. "A battle."
"There is a village nearby under attack "Mira's voice echoed in my mind.
A village was under attack. If humans were there, they wouldn't stand a chance. That meant I had to move.
"Let's go."
We sprinted toward the chaos. As we neared, Mira's voice rang in my mind again.
"Ethan, be careful. I sense a demon presence."
When we burst into the clearing, my breath caught.
The village was in ruins—homes reduced to smoldering husks, streets littered with broken bodies. Monsters rampaged through the wreckage, their grotesque forms pulsing with dark energy. Among them were people—humanoid but with beast-like traits—fighting desperately to survive.
I took it all in, my stomach twisting. "What's going on here?"
Kael's voice was cold. "These are Beastfolk. We must be near the Beast Kingdom. But…" His gaze darkened. "Why are they under attack this close to their territory?"
I watched them fight—a fox-like woman darting through the fray, her claws slicing through flesh. A lion-headed warrior standing his ground, his roars shaking the battlefield. But they were losing. The monsters cut them down effortlessly.
And at the center of it all stood a demon.
Tall. His ashen-gray skin cracked like scorched earth, glowing with malevolent energy. Twisted horns crowned his head, and his burning eyes radiated pure malice. He gripped a long spear, its tip dripping with black ichor.
"That's a demon," Kael muttered.
I frowned, scanning the battlefield. Some of the Beastfolk looked more… human.
"Some of them—"
"Have human blood," Kael finished, his tone unreadable. "The Beastfolk are the only race that breeds outside their own. That's why some look half-human. But in the Beast Kingdom, human blood is a stain. If you're not pure, you're exiled."
He scoffed. "The Beast Kingdom calls humans weak, yet they cast out their own for sharing human blood. That's why these people live in the outskirts, thrown away by their own kind."
A slow, burning anger coiled in my chest.
They were abandoned—exiled for something they couldn't control. Their own kingdom had forsaken them. No allies and now, looks like demons came to finish them maybe, no one is here to protect them.
No one but us.
I tightened my grip around my blades.
Twin swords of ethereal light materialized in my hands, their edges humming with energy.
"Let's go," I muttered. "Time to show these demons what humans are made of."
Before I could move, Kael stepped forward. His expression was unreadable.
"Leave the demon to me."
I hesitated. "You sure?"
"He's not that strong," Kael said, rolling his shoulders. "You help the Beastfolk. If the demons realize a human with extraordinary abilities exist, they'll hunt you down. You're not ready for that yet."
I clenched my jaw but nodded. He wasn't wrong. I wasn't ready to have every demon in existence coming after me.
"Fine," I said. "Just don't die."
Kael grinned. "Please. This'll be quick."
He pulled his hood lower and tossed his staff to me. "Hold onto that."
Then he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Darius, let's go."
Darius didn't need encouragement.
He exploded into the battlefield. The monsters barely had time to react before he was upon them—fast, relentless.
He moved like a shadow, every strike precise and devastating. Bones shattered beneath his fists. Kicks sent demons flying. The creatures tried to overwhelm him, but they couldn't even touch him. Every attack was countered, every movement a calculated destruction.
In moments, the battlefield was littered with broken bodies.
I exhaled sharply. "Damn. He's strong."
Darius had made an impossible fight look effortless.
"We should check the village," I said to Aria. "See if we can help."
We pulled our hoods lower as we entered. The Beastfolk didn't look relieved. They looked… resigned. As if this attack was just another reminder that they didn't belong anywhere.
I clenched my fists.
A voice cut through the haze.
"Help!"
I turned.
A child—small, terrified—cornered by a monster. He had tiger-like features, his young face twisted in fear.
"Take this," I said, handing Kael's staff to Aria. "I can't fight with it."
Then I charged.
I summoned one of my blades, cutting the monster down in a single stroke.
The child flinched, wide-eyed. He thought I was a threat.
I sighed and pulled down my hood. "See? Just a normal human." I raised a hand in a calming gesture.
The child hesitated, reaching out—
Cold.
A suffocating presence crawled down my spine. The air thickened, pressing against my skin. A deep, guttural laugh rolled through the smoke-choked air.
Aria stiffened beside me, gripping Kael's staff tightly. She wasn't a fighter, but she didn't run.
Through the swirling haze, a figure emerged.
Tall. Wrapped in shifting darkness. Two crimson embers burned beneath its hood, locking onto mine.
Mira's voice rang sharp in my mind.
"Ethan… that's a demon."
My breath caught.
Kael was supposed to be handling the demon—so why was this one here?
No.This one looks different.
There were multiple.
And this one… felt stronger.
Its lips curled into a slow, wicked grin.
"Who dares to ruin my fun?"
END OF CHAPTER.