The battlefield burned red. Screams of demons and mortals alike echoed under a blood-soaked sky. At the center stood the Demon King, dark robes tattered, eyes blazing with fury that could split mountains.
And just behind him, trembling yet smiling lazily, was the one person he could not lose.
"Stay behind me," the Demon King ordered, voice rough with desperation.
But the young man only yawned, as if the war around them was nothing more than a bothersome noise. "You're too noisy, baobei… I just want to sleep in peace." His lips curled in that same carefree smile that had once melted the coldest king.
The Four Dukes appeared, kneeling in desperation.
"Your Majesty!" they cried. "We must hide him! The enemy will use him against you—please, let us protect the throne!"
The Demon King roared, "He is mine. Touch him and you'll answer to me."
Yet those words only deepened the human's sorrow. He had overheard their whispers before—their fear that he was the king's weakness. And now, surrounded by enemies who sought to break the unbreakable king, he knew what must come.
When the Demon King turned to shield him, he suddenly felt arms slip gently around his waist. A whisper brushed his ear:
"Don't look at me like that… You'll be fine without me, right?"
The Demon King froze.
"What are you—"
But it was too late. With a soft, lazy smile, the human drove the blade into his own heart. Blood spilled, soaking his lover's hands.
"NO!" The king's roar shook heaven and earth. He caught the falling body, cradling it as if sheer will could keep the soul from slipping away.
The young man's eyes fluttered shut, his voice barely audible.
"Next time… let me be by your side longer… baobei…"
And then he was gone.
The Demon King's grief shattered the skies. His power spiraled out of control, threatening to destroy the realm itself. Tears streaming, the loyal Four Dukes combined their strength, sealing their king into a cursed trinket, weeping as their bonds chained him in darkness.
His last memory—
That lazy, careless smile.