༒ I was here before your name was ever spoken, before the air filled your lungs. I watched you grow, fall, cry, and scream in the darkness of your room. You thought you were alone… but you never were. I was listening."
"I am the whisper behind your ear when silence deepens, the shadow that moves when everything else is still. I am the voice in your dreams, the pain in your heart as you drown in fear. Do not try to run, for I am closer to you than your blood, your breath, your very thoughts."
"You called for me without knowing it. Every fear, every curse you uttered, every desperate plea for power or vengeance—I heard them all. And now I am here… I have come to answer.༒
When the first ray of light crept onto his face, it wasn't as warm as the body close to him. Ren wrapped his arms tighter around his wife, burying his face into her neck, unwilling to wake up. But the light continued to sneak in slowly until it reached Shizuko's face, making her stir slightly. All she felt in that moment was the tickle of her husband's warm breath against her skin.
She smiled softly and closed her eyes for an extra moment, enjoying the warmth that surrounded her. Then, she gently raised her hand and placed it over his arm that lovingly held her.
She whispered in a sleepy voice, "Ren… it's morning."
He replied in a hoarse voice, burying his face deeper into her neck, "Just five more minutes..."
She chuckled quietly, running her fingers through his hair, but didn't try to wake him forcefully. She knew how hard he worked every day, and these small moments of peace were rare for him.
After a few moments, she squirmed in place, trying to get up, but he tightened his hold on her and prevented her from moving.
"You're mine today, no work, no distractions, just us."
Shizuko smiled lovingly but said gently, "Ren, we have a lot to do today. Don't you remember?"
He sighed finally, slowly opening his eyes, and found himself staring into her amber-colored eyes, glowing with the light of the morning sun. The sight was enough to make him forget everything for a moment.
He reached out, idly playing with a strand of her dark hair and spoke in a calm voice, "How could I remember anything else when I see you the moment I open my eyes?"
Shizuko's face flushed slightly, but she laughed, finally managing to free herself from his arms.
She got up from the bed and walked toward the window, where the view outside was as peaceful as usual. The city of Tokyo was the perfect place to live—clean streets, blooming gardens, and a clear blue sky. Everything was perfect.
Ren finally got out of bed, sluggishly rubbing his eyes. After shaking off his drowsiness, he headed to the bathroom, where he let the warm water wash away the last remnants of sleep. He stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the silence, before emerging and drying his hair with a towel.
When he descended to the kitchen, he found Shizuko busy preparing breakfast. She was standing at the stove, wearing a light-colored apron over her casual clothes, her hair loosely tied up in a messy bun.
He approached her silently, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, making her flinch slightly before she laughed.
"Ren! You're going to make me burn the food."
He rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at the frying pan where she was cooking eggs and some toast, and spoke in a calm voice, "I think I'm hungry, but not for food."
Shizuko raised an eyebrow, turning to him with a mischievous smile, "Hungry for what, then?"
He grinned, then stole a quick kiss on her cheek before finally pulling away and heading toward the table.
"Well, since breakfast is ready, I'll settle for it for now."
She shook her head, laughing, then placed the plate in front of him and sat across from him, watching him as he began to eat. The scene was simple... ordinary... but it was his whole world.
After Ren finished his meal, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and then reached for the remote control on the table. Despite how much the world had evolved, simple habits like watching the news during breakfast remained unchanged.
He pressed a button in the middle of the device, and a transparent 3D screen appeared before him, floating in the air. In this era, televisions were not just flat screens, but integrated systems using holographic technology, displaying content directly into the air as if it were a window to another world.
A digital news anchor appeared, his voice calm but carrying an underlying tension:
"Breaking News: A horrifying incident shook the New Kyoto area this morning. According to initial reports, an S-Class demon lord was attacked by its own creature, which rebelled against him and devoured him alive before disappearing from the site."
Ren froze, his hand still holding the coffee cup, while Shizuko turned toward him with concern.
The news anchor continued, his voice more serious now:
"Authorities are warning citizens not to engage with untrustworthy demons and are urging contract holders to ensure that their control seals are still effective. So far, the escaped demon has not been located, and everyone is advised to stay clear of the area until further notice."
A picture of the site appeared: a burned street, scattered bloodstains, and a detective standing in front of a drone camera, cautiously surveying the scene.
Shizuko swallowed nervously and said in a low voice, "This... is troubling."
Ren slowly set his cup aside, his eyes fixed on the screen as the news began to reveal more details about the victim's identity.
Ren looked at Shizuko's face as he changed the channel, trying to ease the tension. The holographic screen switched to another channel displaying a space travel program, but he barely paid attention to it.
He sighed, placing the remote aside, then turned to her and said gently, "Don't overwork yourself thinking about these things. I told you, worrying isn't good for you... or for the baby."
Shizuko smiled faintly, placing her hand on her stomach, which hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy yet. "I'm fine, I was just... thinking."
"What about?"
She hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "I was wondering... is there a demon that suits me?"
Ren raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... as you know, not every human has a demon that resembles them. There are some people who can only make contracts with demons of a certain type... like they're natural companions who can only bond with their kind. I was just thinking about it, nothing more."
Ren stared at her for a moment, then smiled and took her hand in his. "No need to worry about such things. We're fine just the way we are, right?"
Shizuko nodded, but she remained silent, her mind still deep in thought.
World Legend: The Beginning of the Demons
Over a hundred years ago, there was a secret sect called the "Demons of the Night," a group of humans who performed ancient rituals in an attempt to communicate with the otherworld. Their goal was to gain ultimate power by making pacts with supernatural beings, and they connected with powerful demons from other dimensions. However, the basic condition of these pacts was to offer humans as sacrifices.
At first, the sect followed what they called "the dark path," believing that through these pacts, they could control the fate and souls of humans. But what they didn't anticipate was that these demons were not satisfied with mere agreements; they desired to control the physical world itself.
Years passed before the true intentions of the demons were revealed. Instead of being content with the magical powers they were receiving from these pacts, the demons began to show their furious wrath. In an instant, everything turned upside down.
The demons began targeting humans directly, burning entire countries in the Middle East and Europe, and destroying massive cities in Africa and South America. There was no safe place.
As the situation escalated, the demons launched an unprecedented attack on Earth, seizing human bodies in vast numbers, turning these humans into one with the demons themselves. The minds of humans blended with the thoughts of the demons, and their bodies became tools for war. This was the beginning of the end.
Despite the chaos that ensued, humans found ways to adapt to the situation. New governments arose, and political systems around the world changed. Among these systems, Japan emerged as one of the few nations that managed to maintain stability thanks to advanced technology.
But this stability came at a steep price. Black markets began to thrive, with the trade of humans infected with the demon virus becoming common.
Japan, now in 2076, is a nation where different types of humans coexist. Demons are present in every corner, and they can't easily be distinguished from regular humans. Most ordinary humans live in a constant struggle with fear, while those infected with the demon virus are forced to live under harsh conditions.
Demons have become commodities traded in the black market. Some are enslaved in dangerous labor, some are used as test subjects for biological weapons, and others are exploited in secret wars between factions and major corporations. In Tokyo, humans are no longer just living beings; they have become resources.
As the divide between humans and demons widens, many struggle with the question of what kind of beings they have become. Are those sold in the black market still human? Or have they become mere tools under the control of demons?
Japan in 2076 has become a place where technology intertwines with dark magic, and the world has lost control over itself.
After planting a final kiss on Shizuko's forehead, Ren grabbed his jacket from the couch and headed toward the door, ready for another workday.
He opened the door to find himself standing in front of a city teeming with life and advanced technology. Tokyo in 2076 was completely different from the one his ancestors had known—glass skyscrapers blending with futuristic buildings, airways crowded with flying vehicles, while magnetic trains sped above transparent tracks in the sky.
Walking on foot wasn't as common as it once was; most citizens used instant transport points scattered throughout the city, where anyone could enter one of the designated rooms and be instantly transported anywhere else in Tokyo within seconds. For those who preferred to move manually, they relied on self-driving vehicles floating above smart roads, or used personal flying bikes, which had become the most common mode of transport among the youth.
On both sides of the road, holographic billboards displayed advanced products, from cutting-edge mechanical limbs to AI-powered companion robots, even ads for demon auctions on the black market, where some were sold as personal bodyguards or war tools.
Who is Ren?
Ren Takayama, 32 years old, with black hair and brown eyes, was one of those who stood between two worlds—the human world and the demon world. He was a special investigator in the Demon Crime Detection Unit (DCDU), a secret government organization dedicated to monitoring illegal dealings with demons and preventing disasters caused by forbidden contracts.
Although he didn't possess any demonic powers himself, Ren was one of the most competent officers in his field, thanks to his sharp intelligence, quick analysis, and long experience in dealing with demons and the criminals who manipulated them.
Ren grew up in Tokyo after the Great War, when Japan was rebuilding itself amidst chaos. His father was a renowned biotechnologist, while his mother was a human rights activist fighting the enslavement of humans infected with the demon virus. His parents were killed in a mysterious accident when he was fourteen, an incident that was never solved, but it served as the main catalyst for his entry into this field.
And today, it was just another day in his life as an officer in a world that was no longer as simple as it once was.
Ren arrived at his workplace, where the towering buildings housing the Demon Crime Detection Unit (DCDU) loomed in the distance, nestled within the bustling network of airborne roads. The city lived in constant mystery, and at the heart of this enigma, Ren worked on investigations related to demons, most of which were sensitive and complex matters.
He headed to the upper floors of the building, where the investigation offices were equipped with the latest technology for examining demon-related crimes. As he entered the main entrance of the building, he noticed something strange. In the dark corner of the hallway, a group of people in full silver suits stood silently, their bodies tightly encased, their faces hidden behind shining metallic masks. They were waiting for something, standing there in complete silence.
Ren knew these weren't just ordinary individuals. He felt an unusual presence around them, something akin to a disturbance in the air. These kinds of people rarely appeared in public, and usually, no ordinary person could see or recognize them. They were part of a secret organization known to everyone but feared to be spoken of.
The "Silver Shadows."
This secretive organization had been formed decades ago, dealing with dark forces that exceeded human comprehension. The whole world feared them, as they were responsible for covert operations involving demons, trading them, and even making illicit deals with them. They operated in the shadows, controlling a large part of the secret wars between the world's major factions. While many believed they were nothing more than a myth or legend, they were far more dangerous than anything else.
Ren recognized the special markings that distinguished them. The metallic symbols on their chests meant they were from the Silver Shadows, the group everyone avoided, and about which very little was known.
While "Ren" was working in his office, he suddenly felt an unusual tension in the building. Before he could react, his screen lit up with a message from his manager:
"Ren, come to my office immediately."
Ren quickly stood up and rushed to the office. Upon arrival, he found his manager standing behind his desk, visibly anxious, and three figures in silver suits, their faces hidden behind metallic masks, standing nearby.
Ren asked, "What's going on?"
The manager sighed. "They're from an organization you should have never encountered. They requested a meeting with you. There's no choice."
One of the masked figures gestured for Ren to sit. "We're here for your assignment. This is an order."
Ren sat down, his mind racing. The Silver Shadows—an organization feared by many. He realized that his life was about to change in ways he couldn't yet understand.
One of the members of the Silver Shadows smiled faintly, but it was a cold and unsettling smile. "Yes, we know who you are, Ren." He said in a soft voice, then slowly raised his hand, as if everything were within their control. "We are here to inform you of something very important, something you might not even know about yourself yet."
A sharp silence fell between them, then another member spoke in a very quiet voice: "You are not just an ordinary officer, Ren. You are not just a human."
Ren hesitated for a moment, feeling a creeping unease in his heart. He knew these people were far from ordinary, but for them to hint at something about his identity was completely unexpected.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked hesitantly, a growing sense of worry taking hold of him.
"You are the demon's alter ego—the Ash Demon." The third member said, his voice devoid of emotion, then moved closer. "The demon who lives in a remote snow-covered forest, where nothing else lives. He has wiped out hundreds, even thousands, of those who tried to approach him. No one can stand against him. And you were born to be a part of that power."
Ren froze, his breath catching in his throat. The Ash Demon—this was the creature that had terrified the world for years. He had heard whispers, but he never imagined he would have a connection to it.
The Silver Shadows member continued, his voice unwavering: "That's why we've come to you. We have a plan. We need you to come with us to a remote place in the far north, where there is a unique and rare land. We can't call it a prison, it's more like the demon's own domain—his territory. It's a fortified area, cut off from the rest of the world, where the rules of the material world weaken."
Another member explained in a calm tone: "We want you to be part of this mission. We'll need someone like you—someone with a unique connection to the Ash Demon—to help contain its power and prevent any potential threat. You will stay in this place for a period of three to five years, under our full care. We will provide you with everything you need, but you will be committed to this task."
Ren stared at them, his heart pounding. What he was hearing was more than just a mission—it was an offer that could change the course of his life. A land controlled by the Ash Demon? Being there could be more dangerous than he could ever imagine.
The Silver Shadows members waited for his response, their cold eyes fixed on him.
"Will you join us, Ren?"