Today should have been the happiest day of Raven's life.
His son, Silva, had just been born. Holding the tiny child in his arms, Raven believed that fate had finally rewarded him with the peaceful life he had always desired.
But happiness, no matter how precious, is often fleeting.
Years ago, Raven had abandoned his position as heir to the Zi Family, one of the Four Great Noble Demon Families.
The Four Noble Families stood at the pinnacle of demon society:
The Zi Family, descendants of the Demon Crow.
The Sei Family, descendants of the Demon Snake.
The Surufu Family, descendants of the Demon Wolf.
The Torikku Family, descendants of the Demon Fox —the strongest of them all.
As the eldest son, Raven had always been destined to inherit the Zi Family. From the moment he was born, the weight of that responsibility had been placed upon his shoulders.
The clan elders refused to let him leave the family grounds. To them, an heir had duties that came before everything else—including his own desires.
But Raven wanted none of it.
He didn't want a life dictated by tradition, expectations, and endless responsibilities. He wanted freedom. He wanted peace of mind. More than anything, he wanted to see the world beyond the walls of his clan and, for once in his life, simply live for himself.
So Raven made a choice that would change the fate of the Zi Family forever.
He walked away.
Rather than spend his life trapped within ancient traditions, he relinquished his birthright and entrusted the position of heir to his younger brother. His brother accepted without hesitation.
The Zi and Sei Families had maintained a close alliance for generations. To strengthen that bond, the elders of both clans arranged a marriage between Raven and Lady Zara, the heiress of the Sei Family.
But Raven refused.
He had already rejected the life the elders had planned for him, and he wasn't about to surrender the right to choose the person he would spend his life with. He wanted to make his own decisions, follow his own heart, and live by his own choices.
Raven never loved Zara.
She was undeniably beautiful, and to outsiders, she appeared to be the perfect match for the heir of the Zi Family. But Raven saw beyond that carefully maintained image.
Zara's interest in him had long since gone beyond affection. She was intensely obsessed with him, fixated on the idea that he belonged with her. Raven rejected her advances time and time again, making his feelings perfectly clear.
Yet Zara refused to accept his answer.
No matter how many times Raven turned her down, she continued to pursue him, convinced that eventually he would change his mind.
Raven's younger brother had admired Zara for years, and when Raven finally chose to leave the clan, his brother saw it as a blessing.
At last, he believed, the path was clear for him.
But he couldn't have been more wrong.
Unbeknownst to him, Zara had never returned his feelings. Her attention had always been fixed on one person alone.
Raven.
She was deeply obsessed with him, refusing to accept that he had rejected her or that he wanted a life without her.
When news of Raven's departure reached Zara, whatever restraint she had left began to crumble.
Her pride was shattered.
The man she had been certain would eventually become hers had chosen to walk away from everything—including her.
And Zara could not accept it.
Humiliated by Raven's rejection, Zara's anger found its way toward the one person she could reach— Raven's younger brother.
Though he was stronger than Zara, he refused to fight her seriously. He had no desire to harm the woman he had admired for so long. Instead, he did nothing more than defend himself, parrying her attacks and trying to endure her fury without striking back.
But his restraint only enraged her further.
Zara's emotions finally overwhelmed her, and the confrontation descended into tragedy.
With the cunning of her snake lineage, she waited for an opening and struck when he least expected it. The attack left him permanently blind.
Zara looked down at him with a cold, cruel smile.
"You were never worthy of me."
Then she walked away, leaving Raven's brother behind—broken, wounded, and unable to see the world he once knew.
They say love is blind.
In his case, it was almost painfully literal.
His admiration for Zara had blinded him to the truth of who she really was. He had refused to believe that the woman he cared for could truly hurt him, even when every warning sign stood before him.
And in the end, his devotion left him unable to see —both figuratively and literally.
Meanwhile, far from the politics of the noble families, Raven wandered the world.
It was during his travels that Raven met Lucia.
She was unlike the noblewomen he had known within the demon clans. There was no pride in her voice, no obsession with status or bloodline. Instead, Lucia carried a warmth that seemed almost foreign to him , a genuine kindness that made him feel at ease in a way he had never experienced before.
At first, it was her beauty that caught his attention.
But the longer he stayed by her side, the more he found himself drawn to something far deeper.
Her kindness captured his heart.
For the first time in his life, Raven wasn't thinking about the expectations of his family, the weight of his bloodline, or the responsibilities waiting for him.
He was simply thinking about her.
And somewhere along the way, admiration became affection, and affection became love.
Raven had truly fallen in love.
For a while, Raven finally had the life he had always dreamed of.
Freedom .Peace. And a woman he truly loved beside him.
Then, one day, their happiness grew into something even greater.
Their son was born.
A new life had entered the world.
And for Raven, it felt as though everything he had ever wanted had finally come true.
Everything Raven had ever wanted was finally within his grasp.
Or so he thought.
A knock echoed through the small wooden house.
Two figures entered before kneeling respectfully.
"My Lord."
Raven immediately recognized them.
Shadow Zi.
Cain Zi.
Two of the most loyal retainers of the Zi Family.
His smile slowly disappeared.
"If you're here..." Raven said quietly, "...then something has happened."
Cain lowered his head.
"Young Lord... Lady Zara has discovered your whereabouts."
Silence filled the room.
"If she learns about Lady Lucia and your son..." Cain continued, "...I fear what she may do."
Shadow remained silent.
The concern in his eyes spoke louder than words.
Cain bowed even lower.
"We beg you to return to the family."
Raven's expression hardened.
"So you're asking me to abandon my wife and newborn son?"
Cain immediately shook his head.
"No, my lord! Never! That is not what I meant."
Raven sighed.
"It's alright."
His voice softened.
"Tell me..."
"...how is my brother?"
Cain hesitated.
"...He disappeared."
"What?"
"After losing his sight... the Young Master left the Zi Family. Despite our efforts, no one has been able to locate him."
Raven slowly closed his eyes.
"That blind fool..."
His voice carried anger... but beneath it lay guilt.
"He spent his life chasing Zara's affection."
"I warned him countless times."
"No matter how beautiful a woman appears..."
"...never ignore what's inside her heart."
His thoughts drifted toward Lucia.
She possessed a beauty that rivaled Zara's.
Yet unlike the arrogant heiress of the Sei Family, Lucia was gentle, compassionate, and selfless.
Everything Zara was not.
After a long silence, Raven made his decision.
"...Very well."
"We return."
Both retainers straightened immediately.
"Shadow."
"Yes, my Lord."
"You will remain here."
"Protect Lucia and Silva."
"Even if it costs your life."
Shadow placed a fist over his chest.
"I swear it."
Raven turned toward Cain.
"Cain."
"You'll accompany me."
"At once, my Lord."
Before leaving, Raven quietly entered the bedroom.
Lucia slept peacefully while holding their newborn son.
He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"I'm sorry..."
One tear escaped his eye.
"I promise..."
"I'll return."
He kissed Lucia's forehead one last time before walking away.
Raven never imagined that promise would take seventeen long years to fulfill.
Not long after his departure...
The entire village vanished without a trace.
Every house.
Every resident.
His wife.
His son.
Gone.
For seventeen years, Raven searched endlessly, carrying nothing but regret and the hope that somewhere...
They were still alive.
Elsewhere...
Inside a small cottage, an elderly man glared at his daughter while gently rocking a young child in his arms.
"I warned you."
"That man was no good."
"He abandoned you and this child."
"If it weren't for me..."
"What would have become of the two of you, my daughter?"