Kael had disguised himself well. He wore simple clothes, kept his head low, and acted like any other human. He blended into the background so perfectly that no one even looked at him twice. That was exactly what he wanted. His goal was to find her weakness—anything that could be used against her.
He followed leads, watched from the shadows, and listened to conversations, but no useful information surfaced. Days went by, then weeks. Nothing. She wasn't careless. She left no openings. It made things harder than expected.
One evening, while resting near an old fountain, Kael sat quietly, trying to gather his thoughts. Out of nowhere, a girl walked up to him and held out a sandwich.
"You look tired," she said. "Here, eat this."
He looked at her, surprised. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to this kind of attention or kindness. Still, he took the sandwich without speaking. She gave a small nod and walked away.
They met again after that. In a small shop. On the library steps. Near the river.
At first, Kael thought it was a coincidence. But it kept happening. Their conversations stayed short and casual. Still, he noticed something was changing. He, who hadn't felt anything in years, started looking forward to seeing her. She didn't ask questions. She didn't try to get close. She was just… kind.
That disturbed him more than any weapon.
At the demon war camp, meetings were getting intense. War was coming. Demons discussed strategy, destruction, and sacrifices. Kael sat among them, listening with a blank face, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl.
He hated that. She was becoming a distraction. A weakness. And in war, weakness led to death.
Kael made up his mind. He would cut things off.
He went to meet her. Planned what he would say. But when she looked at him with those calm, genuine eyes, the words never came. He just stood there in silence. She didn't press him.
He walked away without saying what he meant to. Deep down, he already knew: it was too late. He had started to feel human again.
But things were about to change.
Without warning, war broke out.
The sky turned dark. Armies clashed. On one side, the warriors of light. On the other, the creatures and demons of shadow. There was no mercy. Steel met steel. Magic shook the ground. People died.
The battles lasted for fifteen days. Fires spread across the fields. The air was thick with smoke and ash. Screams echoed through the hills. There was no winner. Both sides kept fighting, refusing to back down.
On the fifteenth day, something changed.
A new presence arrived on the battlefield.
It was the Leader of Shadows.
He didn't look like anything human. No body, no face. Just a dark figure with glowing red eyes. The kind of red that looked almost black. He didn't speak, but everyone could feel him.
Kael had seen powerful beings before. He had fought creatures stronger than entire armies. But when the Leader appeared, Kael felt something he hadn't felt in a long time—fear.
This presence was beyond him. Stronger than him. Older. Unpredictable.
After the meeting that night, Kael left the camp quietly. He needed to see her one last time—just to know she was okay.
But she was gone.
He searched the whole town. No one had seen her. A few said she might have died in a demon raid. He refused to believe it, but there was nothing else to go on.
Just as he returned to camp, a messenger found him.
"She's alive," the messenger said. "But she's with the warriors of light now. Tomorrow, she will be on the battlefield."
The next morning, Kael stood at the front line, leading the shadow troops. Across the field, among the light warriors, was someone with her height and movements—but her face was covered by a mask. He couldn't be sure.
The battle began.
Kael and the masked girl ended up facing each other. Their swords clashed. The sound echoed through the battlefield. They were fast—faster than anyone else. Every strike was powerful. Every move was dangerous. Dust rose around them, kicked up by their feet. Neither of them held back.
The soldiers around them stopped to watch. Their fight was something else—controlled, brutal, and intense.
Then it happened.
An arrow came flying toward Kael. He saw it just in time. He dodged, but it sliced his arm. Blood ran down.
The soldiers of light cheered.
Kael's eyes narrowed. His anger rose.
He attacked harder. Faster. He pushed her back with every swing. She tried to keep up, but he had the upper hand now.
He used a fake-out move to trick her. It worked. He got in close and slashed her mask.
She fought like she'd never met him.
He fought like he was trying to forget her.
The mask cracked, split apart, and fell to the ground.
She stumbled back. Her face was exposed.
Kael froze.
It was her.
The same girl who gave him a sandwich. Who smiled without reason. Who made him feel human again.
He raised his sword to finish the fight—but couldn't move.
She looked at him, confused and breathless.
"…You," she said.
Then she lowered her blade—just a hair. Not in surrender. In recognition.
He had killed hundreds. Forgotten thousands.
But not her. Never her.
His hand trembled. His blade lowered.
He dropped his sword.
And turned away.
He walked off the battlefield in silence, never looking back.
The darkness had won.
But Kael didn't feel like a victor.
He had let her live.
He didn't turn back.
Because if he did… he wouldn't be able to leave her again.
He remembered the first time she spoke to him.
"You look tired," she'd said.
He felt it now—like the tiredness was finally catching up.
And everything was going to change because of it.
Because destiny doesn't pause when the cursed hesitate.
It just sharpens its blade.