Blood. So much blood. It spread across the ancient stone floor of the library, a dark pool reflecting torchlight as it expanded. Jin-ho stared down at the fallen human, the spy's face frozen in shock and pain. But as he looked closer, the face began to change, features shifting until Jin-ho found himself staring at his own human face- pale, terrified, dying.
"Why?" his human self gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. "Why did you kill me?"
Jin-ho tried to back away, but his feet were rooted to the spot. The shadows around him writhed like living things, curling around his arms, his legs, his throat.
"I didn't mean to," he tried to say, but the words wouldn't come.
His human self reached out with a trembling hand. "You've become a monster," he whispered.
The shadows surged forward, plunging into his human self's chest. Jin-ho wanted to scream, to stop it, but he had no control. He could only watch as the light faded from his own eyes, the final expression one of betrayal and despair.
Jin-ho jolted awake with a gasp, his heart hammering against his ribs. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was, couldn't reconcile the crimson skin and massive body with his memories of being human. Then it all came rushing back- the library, the spy, the shadows that had killed so effortlessly.
"No," he gasped, his voice cracking. "No, no, no..."
The shadows responded to his distress, swirling around him like a tempest. His tail thrashed wildly, smashing furniture and tearing tapestries from the walls. Jin-ho clutched his head, trying to regain control, but the power surged through him, feeding on his guilt and horror.
"Stop," he pleaded, but the shadows only grew more violent, lashing out in all directions. His heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was in his head. He felt as if he couldn't breathe even though his breaths were coming more and more violently.
The windows of his royal chambers shattered outward in a spray of glass. The massive doors blew off their hinges with a thunderous crack. The very stone of the walls began to crack as the shadow magic intensified, responding to Jin-ho's emotional turmoil. His throat felt like it was closing in on him.
"MY KING!"
Through the chaos, Jin-ho heard Kraxis's voice. The general stood in the doorway, his expression a mixture of concern and awe at the display of power. Without hesitation, Kraxis pushed through the swirling shadows, fighting his way to Jin-ho's side.
"Jin-ho," Kraxis said more softly, using his real name now that they were alone. "You need to breathe. Focus. Find your center."
"I killed him," Jin-ho said, his voice barely audible over the howling shadows. "I took a life, Kraxis. I can still see his face."
Kraxis gripped Jin-ho's shoulders firmly. "Look at me. Look at my eyes."
Jin-ho forced himself to meet the general's amber gaze. Jin-ho noticed a few small red marks on Kraxis' face, cuts.
"Breathe with me," Kraxis instructed. "In... and out. In... and out."
Slowly, Jin-ho matched his breathing to Kraxis's rhythm. The shadows began to recede, the violent energy dissipating. His tail gradually stilled, hanging limply behind him.
"I keep seeing him," Jin-ho admitted, his voice raw. "In my dreams. Except it's not him anymore- it's me. I'm killing myself."
Kraxis nodded grimly. "The first kill always haunts you. For some, it passes quickly. For others..."
"How do you live with it?"
"You carry it," Kraxis said simply. "You acknowledge what you've done, and you ensure it wasn't for nothing."
Jin-ho looked around at the destruction he'd caused. The royal chambers were in ruins- furniture splintered, windows gone, doors destroyed. "I can't control it. The power, the shadows..."
"You will learn," Kraxis assured him. "Just as you're learning swordplay and court politics. This is another skill to master." Jin-ho looked back at Kraxis for a second and noticed the cuts on Kraxis' face, already starting to heal.
Beyond the ruined doorway, Jin-ho could hear the commotion of guards and servants responding to the disturbance. Soon he would have to face them, explain away this episode as something other than what it was- a broken man losing control of powers he never asked for.
"The war council convenes in about an hour," Kraxis said gently. "After news of the spy, they expect your presence."
Jin-ho closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to sit through another council meeting, to hear demons debate strategies for killing more humans. But he had responsibilities now, whether he wanted them or not.
"I'll be there," he said finally.
Kraxis squeezed his shoulder. "I'll have Morden bring fresh attire and arrange temporary quarters while these are repaired."
After the general left, Jin-ho remained sitting on his ruined bed, staring at his hands. The hands that had unleashed deadly shadows, that had beaten Vassek bloody, that belonged to a body not his own but were now his responsibility. With each passing day, it became harder to remember who Park Jin-ho had been before all this.
You're adapting, the Demon God commented, his voice unusually subdued. The guilt will fade with time.
"Will it?" Jin-ho wondered aloud. "Or will I just become numb to it?"
The Demon God had no answer for that, but excitedly added, How about Kraxis, huh? Good guy.
Jin-ho couldn't help but roll his eyes, but the Demon God was right about that.
-----
The war council chamber seemed more oppressive than ever as Jin-ho entered. The circular room was filled with the highest-ranking demons in the kingdom—military leaders, noble houses, and provincial governors. All eyes turned to him, expressions ranging from respect to calculation to fear.
At the center stood a massive circular table carved with a map of the continent. Tiny figurines represented known military forces, both demon and human. Jin-ho couldn't help noticing how the human figures outnumbered the demon ones by a significant margin.
"All hail the Demon King!" the herald announced.
As one, the assembled demons dropped to their knees. Only then did Jin-ho notice Vassek among them, his face still bearing the marks of their confrontation. The ram-horned general's eyes gleamed with something between hatred and triumph.
"Rise," Jin-ho commanded, taking his place at the head of the table.
Kraxis stood at his right hand, a silent source of support. To his left was Lord Morthal of House Shadow, who had been one of the more moderate voices at the feast.
"My King," Lord Morthal began, "we have gathered to discuss our response to the human espionage attempt and to finalize plans for the coming campaign."
Jin-ho nodded, already feeling the pressure building inside him. The room was too crowded, too loud, too full of expectations he couldn't possibly meet.
Steady, the Demon God cautioned. You can handle this. You've faced worse.
General Thorne, a veteran commander with a scar running from forehead to chin, stepped forward. "The border scouts report increased human patrols along the southern passes. They're expecting retaliation for their spy's incursion."
"Which is exactly what we should provide," Vassek interjected, his voice carrying across the chamber. "A swift, decisive strike to remind them of the cost of trespassing in our territories."
Jin-ho's tail twitched in irritation. Even after the beating Jin-ho had delivered, Vassek was still pushing for immediate action.
"The spy's presence raises concerns about the security of our research," Lord Morthal added. "Lady Lyria reports that sensitive materials regarding ancient artifacts may have been compromised."
The pressure in Jin-ho's chest intensified. Everything was happening too fast, too much at once. The nightmare, the power surge, and now this council pushing for war. His tail began to lash behind him, causing nearby demons to edge away warily.
"Before we plan an assault," Jin-ho managed to say, forcing his voice to remain steady, "we need to assess what information was compromised."
"With respect, my King," Vassek said, not sounding respectful at all, "hesitation now only gives the humans time to prepare. We should strike while they're uncertain of how much we know."
Several council members nodded in agreement. Others looked to Jin-ho, waiting for his response. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him like a physical force.
"I understand the urgency," Jin-ho said, "but rushing blindly into conflict has never been a wise strategy."
"You would disagree before your sleep," Vassek remarked with a thin smile. "Malverous the Conqueror earned his title through decisive action, not...contemplation."
The barb struck home. Jin-ho felt his control slipping, shadows beginning to gather at his feet. Kraxis stepped slightly closer, a silent reminder to maintain composure.
"We need reports from our spies," Jin-ho insisted. "Information about the human champion's movements, their military preparations, their vulnerable points."
Lady Draven of the Blood Devils rose from her seat. "My agents are already gathering such intelligence, my King. But we need direction on where to focus our efforts."
"The capital," Jin-ho said. "The champion. Their supply lines."
The council erupted into discussion, different factions arguing for different approaches. Some supported targeting the human champion directly, others advocated attacking border settlements to draw him out. The cacophony of voices pressed in on Jin-ho from all sides, making it difficult to think.
Focus, the Demon God urged. You need to show strength here.
Jin-ho tried to concentrate, but the pressure kept building. Too many voices, too many opinions, too many lives at stake. His tail thrashed violently, knocking over a chair. Shadows flickered around his hands.
"And what of the human spy?" a voice cut through the light conversations around the table. Lord Vex, an elderly Umbrite with ghostly white skin, leaned forward. "Perhaps we should discuss what he discovered before the King dispatched him."
The chamber fell silent. All eyes turned to Jin-ho, many with newfound wariness. The shadow energy around his hands intensified.
"Yes," Vassek added with dangerous calm. "What exactly was this human investigating in our library? What was so important that it required the King's personal attention?"
Jin-ho felt something break inside him. The memory of the spy's face- his own face in the nightmare- flashed before his eyes. The accusing stare, the blood, the final gasping breath. And now they wanted him to relive it, to justify it, to explain it.
In that moment, it was all too much. Every pressure, every expectation, every trauma of the past month crashed down on him at once.
Without a word, Jin-ho turned and strode from the chamber. He ignored the shocked murmurs that followed him, ignored Kraxis calling his name, ignored everything except the desperate need to escape.
"My King!" someone called after him, but Jin-ho didn't stop.
He moved through the fortress corridors, past startled guards and servants who flattened themselves against walls to avoid him. The shadows trailed in his wake, responding to his emotional turmoil. His feet carried him to the ancient pathway that led to the Void Chamber, the one place he might find solitude.
Jin-ho, the Demon God's voice was cautious. The council will see this as a weakness.
"I don't care," Jin-ho replied, his voice breaking. "I can't do this anymore. All of it- the politics, the war planning, the killing. I never asked for any of this."
Few kings ask for their crowns, the Demon God replied. But they bear them nonetheless.
No, I mean... never mind, Jin-ho responds. He continued down the ancient passage until he reached the underground river and the bridge that led to Shadowthorn Valley. The guards posted there knelt as he approached, but made no move to stop him.
"No one is to follow me," he commanded. "No one."
The cool night air hit him as he emerged from the mountain passage into the valley. The Void Chamber stood as it had before, ancient and imposing, its spires reaching toward the star-filled sky. Jin-ho approached it with a sense of both dread and relief. Here, at least, he could be alone with his thoughts.
The massive doors swinging open at his approach. The Great Hall welcomed him with silence, the runes along the walls pulsing gently in response to his presence. Jin-ho made his way to the altar at the center, where scrolls and artifacts still lay from Lyria's research before the attack here.
With trembling hands, he unrolled one of the ancient scrolls. At first, the symbols meant nothing to him- strange runes in patterns he couldn't decipher.
"I can't even read these," he said in frustration.
Yes, you can, the Demon God replied. Just as you can speak to the demons.
Jin-ho frowned. "What do you mean?"
Did you think demons naturally speak Korean? The Demon God sounded almost amused. I've been translating for you since you arrived. Both what you hear and what you say. The same applies to written language- focus.
Jin-ho stared at the scroll again, concentrating. Gradually, the symbols began to shift before his eyes, rearranging themselves into Korean characters he could understand.
"You...you've been translating everything?" he asked, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
You never asked, the Demon God replied simply. And you had more pressing concerns than linguistics.
Jin-ho shook his head in disbelief but returned his attention to the scroll. It described the creation of the first Marriage Circle, a ceremony joining the original Demon King and Human Queen. Their union had created a magical bond that allowed humans and demons to coexist peacefully, suppressing the artificial hatred the Goddess had implanted in humans.
More scrolls revealed more history- centuries of peace, trade, and cooperation between the species. Children grow up without fear in cities where humans and demons live side by side. It seemed almost like a fairy tale compared to the current reality.
Then he found records of what came after- the betrayal, the war, the systematic destruction of the Marriage Circles. These accounts were grimmer, filled with atrocities committed by humans against demons who had once been their neighbors and friends.
Jin-ho's hands shook as he read accounts of demons being hunted for sport, of settlements burned with residents still inside, of demon children torn limb from limb by human soldiers who claimed they were purging evil. Page after page of horrors, spanning centuries.
But the worst came from the most recent scrolls- detailed reports from the past fifty years. Demon refugees, fleeing to the northern territories, brought stories of torture, experimentation, and genocide. Humans who had developed specialized weapons designed to cause maximum suffering before death.
Jin-ho felt sick as he read, his tail curling tightly around his leg. "Why?" he whispered. "How could they do this?"
The hatred is not natural, the Demon God reminded him. It is a curse, placed by a Goddess who abandoned this world. These humans are victims of divine manipulation, but that doesn't make their actions any less real or devastating.
Jin-ho set the scrolls aside, his mind reeling. The spy he had killed wasn't just any human- he was part of a system, a society that had committed unimaginable cruelties against demonkind for centuries. The demons' desire for war wasn't simple bloodlust; it was the desperate self-preservation of a people pushed to the brink of extinction.
It didn't make the killing right. It didn't erase the guilt he felt. But it gave context to the world he now inhabited, to the responsibilities he had accepted.
"What do I do now?" Jin-ho asked quietly.
That depends, the Demon God replied. Do you still seek peace after what you've read?
Jin-ho was silent for a long time, staring at the ancient Marriage Circle symbol etched into the altar. "Peace shouldn't be impossible just because it's difficult," he said finally. "But I understand better now why the demons don't believe in it."
He stood, gathering his resolve. He couldn't hide in the Void Chamber forever. The council was waiting. Decisions needed to be made. And whether he liked it or not, those decisions now fell to him.
"I need to go back," he said.
And say what? the Demon God asked. That you, the Demon King, had a momentary weakness? That you fled because you couldn't handle the pressure?
"No," Jin-ho replied. "I'll tell them I came here to commune with the ancient powers. To seek wisdom from the void."
A convenient excuse.
"But not entirely untrue," Jin-ho pointed out. "I did gain perspective here."
He moved to leave, then paused, looking back at the scrolls scattered across the altar. The weight of this world's history- its pain, its conflicts, its lost potential for peace- settled on his shoulders. He was still a killer now. That wouldn't change. But perhaps he could use what he'd learned to ensure he wouldn't have to kill again.
"I'm ready," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince the Demon God or himself.
As he left the Void Chamber and headed back to the fortress, Jin-ho carried with him both the burden of his actions and a newfound understanding of the world he now called home. The guilt remained, but alongside it grew something else- determination to find a better path forward, even if he had to forge it himself.
In the distance, the fortress lights glowed against the night sky. The council would be waiting. Vassek would be plotting. The humans would be preparing. And somewhere out there, the golden champion moved against him, unaware that his opponent was as reluctant a warrior as history had ever known.
Jin-ho straightened his shoulders and quickened his pace. He was the Demon King now, whether he'd asked for it or not. And for better or worse, that meant this world's future was partly his to shape.