Days passed in the Demon Castle.
I—Seraphina Aurelion—had learned quickly.
At first, I had been terrified. Every shadow, every echo of footsteps made my heart jump. I had been a thief in a past life; I knew fear. I knew hiding. But this place… it was different. Every corner smelled of power and danger. And the Demon King—Azrath Noctyra—was everywhere, like a storm you couldn't escape.
But… he wasn't what I expected.
Azrath was short-tempered, yes. Terrifying, yes. But he didn't attack me. He didn't punish me. When he looked at me, it wasn't with hatred. There was… curiosity. And sometimes, a strange kind of amusement. I hated admitting it, but it made surviving easier.
So I survived. I worked as a servant, cleaning halls, delivering scrolls, serving meals. My hands were always busy, my mind always alert. I had to remember one rule: don't get noticed. Not until I was ready.
Then, one morning, everything changed.
A messenger from Aurelion—my human kingdom—arrived at the castle. The guards looked shocked, whispering, pointing. My heart skipped a beat.
I didn't need to hear the words. I recognized the uniform. The sigil. The kingdom I had been taken from in another life… the one I barely remembered.
The messenger's eyes widened as they saw me. His mouth opened, then closed. He looked at the Demon King, then back at me, trembling.
"Your Majesty… this… this is… Princess Seraphina Aurelion," he stammered.
The hall went silent. Even the air seemed to freeze.
I froze. My chest tightened. Princess…? My mind raced. No. That can't be. I'm just Seraphina… I'm just a girl trying to survive…
King Azrath stepped closer. His crimson eyes narrowed, and a faint smirk appeared on his face.
"So… the lost princess finally returns," he said, his voice calm but sharp.
I didn't know if I should laugh or scream. My knees went weak. Everything from my past lives—the deaths, the betrayals, the wars—flashed in front of me. And now, somehow, I was caught between two worlds: the human kingdom I barely remembered, and this demon realm I was forced to call home.
Azrath gestured for me to rise. Slowly, I stood, my legs trembling. He lifted his hand… and gently removed my mask.
Gold-flecked eyes. Soft features. Long hair that shone in the hall's firelight. The servant girl I had been hiding as… the princess I was meant to be.
I blinked. I couldn't breathe.
"You're more beautiful than I imagined," Azrath said softly, almost like he was confessing a secret.
The messenger's jaw dropped. The guards whispered. And I… I felt my heart twist.
Not fear this time.
Something else.
Something dangerous. Something I didn't understand yet.
Because this life… this fifth life…
was different.
I wasn't just surviving.
I was alive.
And maybe, just maybe, I could finally change my fate.