Kael woke up the next day.
As soon as he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. For a few seconds, he couldn't even tell where he was. His body felt heavy, and his mind felt strange—like he had just crawled out of a deep nightmare.
But then…
He remembered everything that happened yesterday.
Kael suddenly sat up on his bed, his heart racing slightly.
"What's wrong with me?" he asked himself as he placed a hand on his chest, feeling a strange heaviness pressing against it.
While he was still sitting there, his eyes darted toward the floating table in his room.
The book.
It was still there, lying quietly, still opened… still on the same page.
The page that showed the mysterious figure.
That black, daunting silhouette with the mask.
Kael stared at it for a few seconds, and the uncomfortable feeling in his chest grew stronger.
He couldn't ignore it anymore.
He had to read that section.
He stood up and went to the bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth. It was his early morning routine, something he had been doing every day for as long as he could remember.
After about five minutes, he came out and changed into his favorite shirt—a white one—and a pair of grey sweatpants.
Then he returned to the book.
Instead of sitting on the chair, he climbed onto his bed, holding the book in his hands. He didn't feel like sitting anywhere else.
But the moment he was about to open the page properly…
A sharp pain suddenly struck his head.
"Ah—!"
It was so painful that Kael dropped the book and fell off the bed.
His vision spun, his body went limp, and in the next moment…
Everything went dark.
When Kael opened his eyes again, something was wrong.
He wasn't in his room anymore.
No… he wasn't even in his body.
He was in another body.
A taller body.
A stronger body.
He could feel power coursing through his veins like a burning current.
"Where am I?" Kael asked himself.
But when he tried to lift his hand…
Nothing happened.
When he tried to move his legs…
Nothing happened.
In fact, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move at all.
He could only see.
And hear.
But his vision was terrible—everything was blurry, as if he was looking through thick fog.
Then he heard a soft voice.
"Are you okay?" a woman asked.
Her voice was gentle… familiar in a strange way.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
Even though his vision was unclear, he could make out the outline of long, flowing white hair.
Before he could say anything—
He suddenly woke up.
Kael found himself back in his room.
The mana lamp on the ceiling floated silently, glowing softly like it always did.
He was on the floor, covered in sweat, his breathing heavy.
"What was that?" he whispered as he slowly stood up.
His hands trembled slightly as he sat on the edge of his bed.
He touched his forehead, still feeling the lingering pain.
"Why don't I remember what happened?" he asked himself.
"I mean… I remember the battle with the armies of Heaven, but apart from that…"
Kael's voice trailed off.
His expression turned grim.
"I don't remember anything else."
A chilling realization struck him.
Kael's eyes widened.
"Did the gods interfere with my memories?" he muttered.
His fists clenched.
"Urgh… too many questions."
He stared into the air for a few seconds, frustrated and confused, before letting out a deep breath.
Then he spoke again, forcing calm into his voice.
"I'll figure things out slowly. I just have to wait."
Kael reached down and picked up the book again.
This time, he opened the page carefully and began to read.
***
The Demons were not creatures born from the abyss, nor were they beasts.
They were once human—men and women who walked the nations, breathed the same air, and carried the same blood as everyone else.
Yet their existence became an error in the eyes of the gods.
When the seven nations were still young and had not fully taken root, there appeared individuals who could not be bound by the order of mana. Their mana did not flow in harmony like that of ordinary humans. Instead, it surged violently—against the patterns established by divine authority.
These people came to be known as ***
Not because of their appearance, but because they could not be controlled by the blessings of the gods, nor by the sacred restrictions placed upon mankind.
Their spirits resisted the will of the Heavens.
The gods could not guide them, restrain them, nor correct them.
Because of this, the gods named them Demons—an existence born from defiance.
Many Demons waged war against the divine houses and the gods themselves.
Most Demons carried one common trait.
They refused to kneel.
Thus, the Divine Purge began.
Entire clans were erased.
Most Demons were slaughtered by the gods.
The gods declared their existence a blasphemy and ordered their extermination, fearing what humanity might become if Demons continued to live.
After the purge, they became little more than myth.
Those who survived vanished into forgotten lands, while the remaining few hid in silence.
***
The section ended.
Kael remained silent for a moment, staring at the page as if the words had carved themselves into his mind.
He felt shocked… but also strangely familiar with what he had read.
Kael looked at the figure drawn on the page once again.
Its horns didn't seem to grow from its head.
They looked like an extension of its mask.
"Interesting…" Kael muttered as he slowly closed the book.
"So they were basically humans who went against the gods' rule," he said quietly.
Then his expression turned darker.
"Could I be connected to them?"
Kael opened the book again and stared at the figure.
A strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
"Did all this happen after I went against them in my previous life?" he wondered.
He had too many unanswered questions.
But he knew one thing.
Those answers would only come with time.
"Kael!" his mother called from downstairs.
"Are you up?" she added.
"Yes, mom!" Kael answered.
"Okay, come and take breakfast then!" she said.
Kael quickly placed the book back on the floating table and headed downstairs.
He sat down in the dining room.
A cup of juice and a piece of cake were already waiting for him.
His mother was sitting at the table as well, sipping from her glass while looking at something on the holographic screen that popped out from her wrist device.
"Good morning, mom," Kael said as he took a sip of juice.
"Good morning, son," she replied, looking up at him with a warm smile.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Yes mom, I did," Kael answered, forcing a smile.
"Where's dad?" he asked.
"He left early again, dear," his mother said. "You really want to see him, don't you? But he's usually busy at work."
Kael nodded.
"No problem mom, I understand that he's busy," he said calmly.
His mother's eyes lingered on him for a second.
She sensed something was slightly off… but she brushed it away.
Kael was still young. She just needed to take care of him properly so he could grow into a good person.
"What are you going to do today?" she asked.
"Nothing mom," Kael said. "I'll just stay in my room."
"I'm tired from exploring the forest," he added.
"Okay son," she replied. "But if I need your help with something, I'll call you down, alright?"
"Okay mom," Kael said.
He finished his juice and went upstairs.
When he reached his room, Kael felt tired—not physically, but mentally.
It was still morning, yet he felt like he had already lived through too much.
"I'll just wash my face and see if it helps," he muttered.
He went into the bathroom and splashed water on his face.
Then he looked up into the mirror.
And froze.
For a split second…
His right eye turned crimson red.
Then it immediately returned to its normal golden color.
Kael's breath caught.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered as he slowly stepped back from the mirror.