The first rays of sunlight crept over the city skyline.
Lothan stood silently atop the abandoned warehouse.
The strange pain from the curse had vanished.
Yet its memory remained.
For a thousand years he had endured imprisonment.
Now, even after escaping, the curse still followed him.
Questions filled his mind.
But there were no answers.
Only mysteries.
The young demon standing before him adjusted his glasses nervously.
"My name is Kaelen."
Lothan nodded.
"Lead the way."
Kaelen blinked.
"You're... coming?"
Lothan frowned.
"You said there are surviving demons."
"Yes."
"Then I intend to meet them."
Kaelen swallowed.
For some reason, that answer made him nervous.
The legends described Lothan as a terrifying figure.
The destroyer of kingdoms.
The Demon of the Abyss.
Yet the man standing before him looked nothing like those stories.
He simply looked tired.
Very tired.
"Follow me."
Kaelen turned and began walking.
An hour later, they arrived at an old subway station hidden beneath the city.
The entrance appeared abandoned.
Rust covered the gates.
Broken signs hung from cracked walls.
No ordinary human would give the place a second glance.
Kaelen approached a wall covered in graffiti.
He pressed his hand against a particular symbol.
A hidden door slid open.
Lothan's eyes narrowed.
Magic.
Weak compared to the old days.
But still present.
Beyond the door lay a tunnel illuminated by blue lanterns.
The deeper they traveled, the more familiar the atmosphere became.
Ancient runes decorated the walls.
Demon symbols appeared everywhere.
The scent of magic lingered in the air.
For the first time since awakening, Lothan felt a small connection to the past.
Eventually, the tunnel opened into a vast underground city.
Lothan stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
Thousands of people moved through the enormous cavern.
Market stalls lined the streets.
Children ran through the crowds.
Families laughed and talked.
It reminded him of Nethoria.
Not in size.
Not in grandeur.
But in spirit.
His people had survived.
Somehow.
Against all odds.
They had survived.
Word spread quickly.
Heads turned.
Conversations stopped.
One by one, demons began staring at him.
The silver hair.
The crimson eyes.
The ancient aura.
Recognition slowly spread through the crowd.
Whispers followed.
"It's him."
"No..."
"It can't be."
"The king..."
Shock.
Fear.
Wonder.
Every emotion imaginable appeared among the crowd.
Then someone dropped to one knee.
Another followed.
Then another.
Soon dozens of demons bowed their heads.
"My king."
The words echoed throughout the underground city.
Lothan felt something tighten in his chest.
For a thousand years, he had been remembered as a monster.
Yet here, among his own people, he was remembered differently.
Not as a destroyer.
Not as a villain.
But as their king.
Suddenly, another voice rang out.
"Enough."
The crowd immediately fell silent.
An elderly woman stepped forward.
Her silver eyes fixed upon Lothan.
Unlike everyone else, she did not bow.
She did not smile.
She did not look happy.
Instead, she looked angry.
Very angry.
Kaelen immediately lowered his head.
"Elder Selene."
The woman ignored him.
Her gaze never left Lothan.
"So."
Her voice was cold.
"The king returns."
Lothan remained calm.
"You seem disappointed."
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"Should I celebrate?"
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Several demons exchanged nervous glances.
Others looked away.
Lothan studied her carefully.
"You blame me."
"Yes."
The answer came immediately.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just honesty.
For several seconds, silence filled the cavern.
Then Elder Selene continued.
"We lost our homes."
"We lost our kingdoms."
"We spent centuries hiding like criminals."
Pain filled her voice.
"The war destroyed everything."
Lothan said nothing.
Because part of him agreed.
Part of him blamed himself as well.
"You disappeared."
Her eyes hardened.
"And we were left to survive alone."
The crowd lowered their heads.
Many shared the same feelings.
Others looked conflicted.
The wounds of history had never healed.
Finally, Lothan spoke.
"I never asked to be worshipped."
The elder remained silent.
"I never asked to become a legend."
Still silence.
"And I certainly never asked for this war."
For the first time, her expression softened slightly.
Only slightly.
Because despite her anger, she knew one thing.
The war had taken everything from him as well.
His family.
His kingdom.
His future.
Everyone present had suffered.
Some wounds were simply older than others.
Suddenly, a loud alarm echoed through the cavern.
Every demon froze.
The peaceful atmosphere vanished instantly.
Kaelen's face turned pale.
"No."
Elder Selene immediately turned.
"What happened?"
A guard came running through the crowd.
His breathing was uneven.
"Intruders!"
The cavern erupted into chaos.
"What?"
"How?"
"That's impossible!"
The guard pointed toward the northern tunnel.
"They found us!"
Fear spread rapidly.
For centuries, the hidden city had remained secret.
No human had ever discovered it.
Until now.
Lothan's eyes narrowed.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Then he sensed it.
A familiar energy.
Not human.
Not demon.
Something else.
Something ancient.
Something connected to a past he had not yet remembered.
The same feeling he had sensed shortly after awakening.
The same feeling hidden behind countless mysteries.
A chill ran through him.
The Great War.
The curse.
The forgotten truths.
All of it suddenly felt much closer.
And somewhere beyond the tunnel, an unknown enemy was approaching.
To be continued...