– Riureas's POV –
I sat in my office, quill in hand, surrounded by stacks of parchment and half-finished drafts. My desk was cluttered, but my purpose was clear: to write invitations to every leader across the kingdoms.
I no longer wished for battles, nor the endless cycle of vengeance that stained this world. I wanted peace — a world where people could live without fear of chaos, without war looming over their every step.
The Festival of Freedom — known formally as the Heutoa Festival — was approaching. It marked the anniversary of the Federation's founding, but this time, I wanted it to be more than tradition. I envisioned a celebration unlike any before: one that blended joy with knowledge, entertainment with education. A gathering where scholars could share discoveries, where cultures could exchange wisdom, where even rivals might stand together beneath one banner.
Each invitation I finished, I sealed with care. Not just with wax, but with the mark of destiny itself. The letters were inscribed upon scrolls using my first Eternal Quill, its ink carrying weight beyond words. It wasn't just a summons; it was a promise — that this world could turn a page toward peace.
As I signed the last scroll, I leaned back and exhaled. The quill gleamed faintly, as if approving my resolve.
For the first time in years, I felt hope that perhaps this festival would be the spark… to rewrite history itself.
– Riureas's POV –
Just as the last invitation was sealed, word reached me that would shift everything.
A visitor — uninvited, unanticipated, and unlike any other.
The name carried through the Federation halls like a storm breaking the horizon: Anastasia Enamorado, the Demon Lord of Lust.
The couriers whispered in fear; some soldiers even refused to speak her name aloud. Yet the truth was undeniable. She had come to the Federation's gates herself, not with armies or fire, but alone — five weeks before the Festival of Freedom.
I tightened my grip on the Eternal Quill. Why now? Why here?
Peace was fragile. One wrong move, one wrong word, and the dream of harmony I had been building could shatter before it ever began.
When the audience chamber doors opened, silence fell. Anastasia walked in with unhurried grace, crimson silk trailing behind her, eyes sharp and knowing. A faint smile curved her lips — not cruel, not kind, but unreadable.
Her voice was smooth, dangerous, like a melody laced with venom.
Anastasia: "So, this is the Federation… and its so-called peacemaker. Tell me, Author… will your festival welcome demons as well?"
The chamber trembled with tension. My companions looked to me, waiting for my answer.
Five weeks. That was all the time I had left — to hold this world together, to prepare for the festival, and to face the Demon Lord who now stood before me.