We can all be heroes.
But, somehow, we can also become villains.
Sometimes the line between one and the other is not a sword, nor a battle, nor a grand decision.
Sometimes it's just a misstep. A choice made out of fear. Or out of pride.
And Kael, without wanting to, was about to discover it.
«Demon King... initiating... 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 10... 20... 50... 70... 80... 86... 99... 100... error. Error. System failed... correcting... restarting... Demon King awakening.»
The voice didn't come from anywhere, but it vibrated everywhere.
Kael opened his eyes slowly, as if his eyelids weighed tons.
The light that greeted him was neither warm nor kind; it was dim, reddish, filtered by flames dancing in the distance.
He blinked several times until his vision stopped being blurry.
The ceiling above him was not white nor had damp stains like the one in his classroom. It was high.
Too high. With black arches and details carved in dark stone that seemed to watch him.
He stayed still for a few seconds.
He breathed.
The air was different. Denser. Colder.
He tried to sit up and that's when the second strange sensation arrived: his body didn't respond like before.
He looked at his hands.
Black gloves covered his fingers. Tight. Elegant. As if they were a natural part of him.
He flexed them slowly. The fabric moved with perfect precision.
—What...?
His voice forced him to fall silent.
It was deeper.
Firmer.
He sat up suddenly and a cold current ran down his back.
His torso was longer.
His posture straighter.
When he brought his hand to his chest, he noticed more defined muscles under the clothes.
His legs felt stronger when he bent them.
His arms more stylized, but tense, ready to move quickly.
He stood up.
And the world seemed to adjust to his new height.
He was taller.
Not by much, but enough to notice it.
He swallowed.
—This... isn't me.
Or at least not the "him" he remembered.
He touched his face carefully. Sharper jaw. Marked cheekbones. Cold skin, almost as if the blood circulated differently.
His breathing began to quicken.
He looked around and then he saw it completely.
An immense hallway stretched out in front of him.
The red carpet under his feet seemed endless.
The walls were covered by black columns and gothic details that rose like solidified shadows.
Torches embedded in the walls burned with orange flames that moved with a life of their own.
It was a majestic place.
But not welcoming.
Every step he took echoed.
The sound returned to him as if the entire castle were listening to him.
And then it came back.
That buzz.
A metallic vibration, almost electric, hitting inside his head.
Kael brought his hands to his ears.
—Stop...!
But it was no use.
The voice didn't come from outside.
It came from inside.
Suddenly, in front of him appeared a floating screen. Blue. Translucent. Suspended in the air.
It emitted a faint buzz.
«Demonic system activated.»
The interface flickered as if loading data.
Then it changed.
«Hello... Lord Demon King Kael.»
Kael's heart jumped so hard it hurt his chest.
He took a step back.
—No... it can't be.
He extended his hand cautiously. His fingers touched the surface of the screen. It responded with a soft glow, and in it appeared a reflection.
A face he didn't recognize.
Thinner. Sharp features. Intense red eyes, deep, that seemed to glow even without the help of the flames.
Black hair, somewhat messy, falling with a rebellious air he had never had.
He stared at himself.
And for the first time he understood the weight of the words.
Demon King.
He wore a long black tunic with vertical lines in dark red.
The high collar gave him an imposing presence.
On his left arm, a circular emblem engraved in dark metal stood out like a seal of authority.
Underneath he wore a fitted shirt, with visible laces at the neck.
And hanging over his chest, a leather necklace with a small metallic crucifix.
He looked like someone powerful.
Someone dangerous.
Someone who gave orders... not who received them.
But inside he was still the same boy who slept in class.
A female voice broke the silence.
—Lord Demon King, it is time.
Kael's body tensed.
He turned slowly.
A woman walked toward him with confident steps. Her presence filled the hallway. She didn't need to raise her voice to command respect. Her eyes were cold, calculating. Her posture, impeccable.
—M-moment? —he asked, hating the tremor in his voice.
She barely inclined her head.
—It is time for you to present yourself before the generals and announce your ascension as the new Demon King.
Ascension.
New.
The words weighed more than any sword.
Inside, Kael was screaming.
(This is a disaster! If they notice I don't know anything, I'm dead!)
He tried to maintain composure.
—I need... one more moment to prepare.
The woman barely frowned.
—Prepare?
—Yes. Just... an instant.
She observed him for a few seconds that felt eternal. Her eyes scanned his posture, his breathing, his gaze.
Finally she nodded.
—You have two minutes. No more.
She turned around and her steps moved away down the hallway.
When the echo disappeared, Kael let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. His knees gave way and he fell to the floor, clutching his hair.
—What am I supposed to do...?
The blue screen reappeared.
«Demon King Kael, press the button to synchronize memories.»
In the center a black button glowed.
He stared at it.
—This is going to hurt... right?
Silence.
Trembling, he pressed it.
The pain arrived like an explosion.
Thousands of images pierced his mind. Battles under red skies. Creatures bowing before him. Strategies. Betrayals. Blood. Screams.
A dark throne.
A name repeated with fear.
Kael.
The previous owner of this body.
He felt that Kael's death. He felt his ambition. His rage. His determination.
He fell to the floor, clenching his teeth. His nails tore the red carpet.
—Agh...!
The pain seemed endless. It was as if his skull were expanding to contain two lives.
And then it stopped.
He breathed with difficulty. Warm blood began to slide down his nose.
The system voice resonated in his mind.
«New Demon King accepted.
Rank: Larva.
Skill classification: F.
Initial skill unlocked: Primal Instinct.
Warning: Insufficient rank. Immediate strengthening recommended.
Higher privileges blocked.»
Kael blinked.
Larva.
The lowest rank.
He burst out laughing. A short, incredulous laugh.
—Great... I'm not even a competent villain.
He tried to stand up, staggering. He felt his body heavy, but also a strange, latent energy.
In the distance, the steps returned.
Firmer.
More intense.
This time, the woman's presence was different. Sharper. More dangerous. He could feel her power even before seeing her.
Primal Instinct activated without him asking.
His heart raced. His senses sharpened. Every sound, every vibration in the air became clearer.
She was not someone he could defeat in his current state.
Not even close.
Kael swallowed.
Time was up.
He straightened up as best he could. He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his glove. He adjusted the tunic.
If he was going to die, at least he wouldn't do it trembling.
The woman appeared at the end of the hallway.
Her eyes fixed on him.
—It is time, my lord.
Kael held her gaze.
Inside it was chaos.
Outside... he had to be a Demon King.
And as he took the first step toward the destiny he had not chosen, an idea crossed his mind with brutal clarity:
Maybe he hadn't been summoned to be the villain of the story.
Maybe he had been summoned to decide what being one really meant.