Lana
My tongue felt heavy. I didn't know what to say. My mind refused to process what I had just heard.
"I'm human, not a demon," I finally whispered.
"True," he replied quietly. "But perhaps… that's exactly why."
Silence.
"Abyssal Hollow needs a bridge, not a wall. And only you can stand between all races… without stepping on any of them."
I took a deep breath.
Successor?
Queen…?
I'm not ready.
That was the first thought that surfaced in my mind. Even as my body remained upright, my heart refused to accept the enormous words the Demon King had just spoken so casually.
"Your Majesty…" I said softly, my voice nearly trembling. "I think… you've chosen the wrong person."
The Demon King merely offered a faint smile—not mocking, but more like someone who had been pondering this for far too long.
"Lady Lana," he said with a calm yet weighted tone, "Do you know how many leaders are born… not because they were ready, but because the world forced them to be?"
I fell silent.
