Chapter 2 : DEMON PRINCE NOW WHAT ?
When I woke up again, I wasn't in a tomb.
I was in a... cave? No. A crash site. Because I had clearly crash-landed on the floor face-first like a dropped pancake.
Ow.
Also—I was stuck. My horn was jammed into a skull.
"Okay, cool," I muttered. "Decapitated skull pillow. Totally normal morning."
I wiggled. I kicked. I might've headbutted a rock. Nothing. My horn was stuck like it owed the skull rent money.
"H-Hello?" I called out. "Anyone? Little help for your friendly neighborhood demon spawn?"
Silence.
Then a soft voice answered.
"You're yelling at bones."
I turned. It was her—Silver Hair, Ruby Eyes, Scary-Aura Lady.
She was eating what looked like glowing blue soup out of a skull-bowl. Yes. A bowl made of skull. Apparently, bones were a theme around here.
"Can you get me out?" I asked, flailing dramatically.
"Can you not be so loud?"
Rude.
She sighed, walked over, and yanked me free with one hand like I was a sock stuck in a drawer. My dignity made a sad little poof noise as it left the room.
"You slept for two days," she said. "Snored like a dragon with allergies."
"Wow," I coughed. "Thanks for the medical update, Doctor Sass."
Turns out we were in the ruins of a long-forgotten temple. Aka, "Weird Vibe Central."
Creepy statues. Echoes that laughed when you tripped. And a bat named Kevin who kept dive-bombing me like I owed him money.
"Why is Kevin staring at me like that?"
"He thinks you're ugly."
"Well Kevin smells like rotten garlic and bad decisions."
Kevin screeched. I ran behind Scary-Aura Lady. She didn't flinch.
"His insults are valid," she said.
Honestly, betrayal stings worse when it's silent and accurate.
-
While I was busy almost being eaten by a sentient plant (don't ask), she decided to finally explain what was going on.
"You're Rael," she said. "Prince of the Third Hell. Son of King Var'kai. Sealed in a human child to hide you from the Divine Order."
I blinked.
"So basically... I'm a demon baby who got shoved into a sad orphan meat suit and now I'm back?"
She nodded.
"Cool cool cool," I said. "So where's the royal palace? The crown? The enchanted bidet?"
"Burned down."
"Oh. So... family reunion canceled?"
She looked at me like I was a rubber chicken that just started talking.
Then came the worst part.
Training.
"Your power's unstable," she said. "You need to learn control."
By "training," I thought she meant, like, sparring. Meditation. Floating rocks with my mind.
Nope.
She threw me into a pit.
An actual pit.
With a slime monster named Goopy who had a personal vendetta against my shoes.
"Control your flames!" she shouted.
"I'm TRYING!" I screamed as Goopy launched itself at my face like evil jelly.
I accidentally sneezed black fire and exploded half the wall.
"Better," she said.
Goopy was still sizzling. I apologized to him and gave him one of Kevin's snacks. Kevin did not approve.
By the third day, I had learned three things:
1. Fire sneezes are a real thing.
2. Hell royalty gets zero perks.
3. I am apparently terrifying when I'm upset.
Also, Kevin now sleeps on my head. Like a hat. I don't know if we're friends or if he's claiming dominance.
Later that night, she finally told me her name:
"Lyra."
Just "Lyra." No title. No threats. Just a quiet name in the middle of chaos.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away. Then she whispered:
"Because the world's already burned once because of you. I'd rather not let it happen again."
Great. No pressure.
So here I am.
Rael, demon prince.
Currently banned from touching magical objects, riding giant cats, or trying to make enchanted toast (long story).
I don't know what comes next.
But one thing's clear:
I'm not Zayn anymore.
And my life?
Is about to get way way weirder.
-
"KEVIN! STOP EATING MY HAIR!"
Screee! 🦇(Kevin )