Two Days Later – Academy Sky Courtyard
The sky shimmered with an unnatural color.
A ripple of black and crimson tore through the clouds, and a floating warship emerged — carved with ancient demon sigils and trailing infernal energy.
Students and teachers alike looked up in alarm. Even the Headmaster stood still.
Zara, by Kael's side, whispered:
"That's… demon-class mana. But it feels familiar."
Kael didn't answer. His eyes had already narrowed. He could feel it.
A presence he hadn't felt in millennia.
From the ship descended a figure — tall, slender, clad in regal black armor etched in blood-red runes. His eyes glowed amethyst. His smile was dangerous.
"Greetings, mortals," he said, his voice like silk and poison.
"I am Luceris Veyrion, Crown Prince of the Demon Realm."
A Royal Challenge
Luceris looked directly at Kael.
"You have something I want."
Murmurs spread across the courtyard. Everyone stared at Kael.
Kael stepped forward calmly, Aetherion strapped across his back.
"You'll have to be more specific. A lot of people want a piece of me lately."
Luceris chuckled. "Oh, not a piece, Kael. I want the whole story."
His next words froze the courtyard:
"Because I remember your real name."
Zara: "Kael, what's he—"
Luceris raised a glowing black crystal.
"Does the name Elarion the Broken Flame sound familiar?"
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
That name hadn't been spoken in over ten thousand years.
"That… was my name before rebirth."
"Before I became Kael."
Private Meeting – Demon Prince and the Fallen God
Later that night, Kael met Luceris alone in the War Chamber — a sealed room beneath the academy.
Luceris leaned against a stone pillar, sipping black wine from a crystal goblet.
"I know you're hunting the divine shards," he said without preamble.
"And I want to help."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Since when do demons help anyone but themselves?"
Luceris smirked. "Since the gods betrayed us both."
He tossed Kael a parchment.
"There's a fragment hidden in the Labyrinth of Echoes. It's sealed by a celestial lock. Only your soul can open it."
Kael studied him.
"What's your price?"
Luceris's smile faded slightly.
"When you reclaim your godhood… don't forget the ones who stood by you before the sky fell."
"Don't forget… me."
Back in the Dorm – Harem Mayhem, Again
Mira: "A demon prince? Handsome. Dangerous. Definitely suspicious. I love it."
Rayna: "We're not trusting demons!"
Lyria: "He threw Kael his old name. That's not something just anyone could know…"
Selene: "His aura… was truthful. That's what bothers me."
Zara stood quietly at the window, arms crossed.
"Kael… do you trust him?"
Kael didn't answer at first.
Then he looked up.
"No. But I trust the path he's shown."
"Because the next shard is real. And I'm going to claim it."
End Scene – In the Depths of the Demon Realm
Far away, in the demon capital of Veyr'thal, a cloaked figure knelt before a massive throne carved from obsidian.
A voice, ancient and hollow, spoke from the shadows.
"The Flame God stirs."
"Send the Shadowborn."
"The world must not remember what he truly is."