Chapter 34- the flame we carry

  Under the twilight, the Northern Kingdom witnessed the end of an era—an era of cruelty, hunger, and death. A new hope for a better tomorrow had begun. The sealed granaries were finally opened after years, with enough supply to last not only the North but the whole realm for up to a century. The corrupt mages were identified and, without mercy, killed by the old Tower Master and the remaining demons who had not yet lost their souls.

  The people who had almost lost their lives returned to normal life—better than before. They were finally going to be hunger-free. They would live as free demons.

  But not one demon of the kingdom smiled that day. In the middle of the kingdom, under the Magic Tower, the whole kingdom gathered. The old Tower Master stood among the people. He spoke:

  **"My demons, today we are finally grasping our freedom. From this day no life shall be lost to hunger,no more meaningless deaths .From this moment, engrave on your hearts: we are proud free demons of the realm.

  But never forget—this freedom was bought with a steep price: we have lost the flames that burnt for generations ,the lives of the Grand Mages of our kingdom, the Defense Corps of the Mage Tower, the innocent people who died so far, and the great souls who gave their very life for the peace and freedom we enjoy the ones whose names we will never know.

  Even if the world shall forget their tales, —as long as we are alive—our lifes shall be the proof that they existed. As long as life clings to us, they will live through us. In our memories, they will live forever, their flame burning, carried on through generations.

  The words we speak may change. The names that carry them may change. But the flame they carried shall remain untill the last demon here falls. They shall live forever in our memories,their stories guiding the next generation— transending death."**

  The demons stared silently at the Tower Master, who spoke without a breath, his eyes red and moist as tears streaked down. He continued:

  "Here and now I swear to remember the spirit they carried and to protect their flames . What about you, proud carriers of the flame?"

  As he said these words, the demons in the stadium after the long silence finally erupted. After all the pain they had endured and the loss they had seen, they broke out in one thunderous cry:

  "We swear by our lives!"

  Young and old, meek and strong alike shouted their souls out, their roars shaking the very skies, reaching even the outskirts of the kingdom.

  Here, in the outskirts, at the exit of the underpass under the centuries-old demonic oak tree, stood our young demons—Leo, Ryan, and Melody.

  Leo’s eyes were red, his throat dry, but no tear fell. Melody, unlike him, wept her heart out. Ryan’s eyes were red too, signs of crying not long ago. He wrapped his arms around Melody and spoke:

  "We are alive here today because Mr. Drake gave his life for us. Cry all you want today, Melody. Let all your sorrow out, for tomorrow we have to fulfill the duty Sir Drake trusted us with."

  Hearing this, Melody stopped her tears, wiped them with her sleeve, and finally looked forward to see the grave where Drake was buried. There was a stone slab there.

  Leo moved towards it and, with the Crimson Sword entrusted to him, engraved the words:

  "HERE LIES THE GUARDIAN OF THE DEMON REALM."

  As he finished, a drop of water wet the stone slab. Leo looked up. The orange skies were covered by black clouds. Tears began falling from the skies. That day, the Demon Realm itself wept for the loss of its son, its guardian—the Crimson Knight. As a helpless witness to a loved one’s departure, nature wept out a storm of sorrow.

  Leo, Ryan, and Melody stood there, the sky’s tears hiding their own. Leo whispered:

  "No more."

  Ryan asked, "What…?"

  Leo spoke: **"No more life shall be lost for the meaningless pursuit of power and gold. I am going to stop it. I will free the demons, break the shackles. No matter what, no matter how soiled my hands are, I will make sure children in the future will no more starve, will find peaceful sleep—for I shall be there to protect them.

  Brother, I don’t know if I can measure up to you, but I swear I shall do my duty. I will protect my people."**

  Ryan placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder and spoke:

  "You shall not bear it alone, my friend. I am always here to have your back."

  Leo nodded slightly. Melody joined in:

  "Don’t forget me, boys."

  The trio stood tall, armed with their duties. The rain stopped. The final rays of twilight shone upon them, perhaps as witness to their oath and to the fire lit by the crazy demon—one that would consume the very Demon Realm.

  Further away from where the trio stood, two robed figures watched the whole scene. The shorter female spoke:

  "The seed has sprouted into a strong young tree."

  The taller figure replied: "Quite a stubborn one at that."

  With a smile, the shorter one said: "Like mother, like son. You can’t change the blood."

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  The taller one spoke: "Indeed. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Princess."

  The female said: "But the storm has just started. Will this young wood survive the flames waiting for it? Now that the wall that guarded it for so long has fallen… Now that the veil is lifted… the prey will be surrounded."

  The larger one replied: "But those fools will not know that what was waiting for them is not a sprout, but the Soul Devourer—grown by the blood of the greatest monsters this realm has seen. Shackled all these years, the Child of Mana has finally been freed."

  The smaller one replied: "He won’t endure it alone. Not while his sister is here."

  The winds blew the cover of her robe, revealing silver hair and eyes as calm as the sea in winter.

  The taller one laughed out: "Hahahaha! Indeed, Princess Lera."

  In the inn where Leo stayed, in his room, the trio gathered with Melody’s father. Leo spoke:

  "Old Master, tell me what you know about my past. What happened that day? Who was the Crimson Knight? Why did he give his life to protect me?"

  The old demon spoke:

  **"I will tell you what I know, Leo. The Crimson Knight—no one knew who he was or where he came from. Only one thing we knew: your father trusted him, and he followed your father all day like a shadow, protecting him.

  As for what happened that day—I was doing my duties at the tower as usual. A week before that fateful day, I received a summons from His Majesty in secret. I left without anyone knowing, taking Melody with me, for her mother died when giving birth to her, and I could not leave her there.

  I arrived in four days. The king met me and instructed me to prepare a spell to save a young child. At that time, no one knew of your birth. When I asked, the king stayed silent. As for the origin of the spell, I learned he obtained it from a forbidden place at the end of the world—a place where no one survived. I asked no further.

  I prepared for the ritual. What I knew was this: the spell transcended even the Demon King’s power. It should not exist. Every law of magic I studied my whole life said it should not exist. Yet it was there, right before me. A spell that unraveled time, space, and the very fabric of existence itself—the soul."**

  Ryan interrupted: "Didn’t Scorn also use souls to attack us? You say this was beyond a Demon King?"

  The old master continued:

  "No, dear boy. What Scorn did was merely manipulate what existed—shackling, holding a complete soul. But that spell—it unraveled the very essence of the soul. I, with my limited prowess, couldn’t unravel its mystery. I only supported the Grand Archmage in charge."

  Leo asked, surprised: "Archmage in charge?"

  The old man smiled: "Indeed, Leo. The Archmage in charge—one who spoke to mana, one who commanded it, one who ruled over it in ways modern magic cannot comprehend… your mother. She performed the ritual."

  Leo teared up. "My mother…"

  The old man nodded: **"Yes, Leo. Your mother, a mysterious woman your father brought after being missing for two years. With her, he returned with a child—you.

  We began the ritual under your mother’s guidance. Me, your mother, your father, and the Crimson Knight—all used our mana completely. Finally, we completed the ritual. At that moment, a mana wave knocked me out. When I woke, all I saw was a tattered Crimson Knight, my daughter Melody near me, and you in his hands.

  He said to me: ‘You were never here. Go back. Never speak of today to anyone. If and when you meet the prince again, give him this.’ He handed me this box."**

  The old master handed a box from his robe to Leo.

  Leo received it with trembling hands: "Is this what my brother left me?"

  The old man replied: "Indeed. After that, he vanished from my sight and from the kingdom. The next day, the adopted son your father brought ascended the throne. The fox took the forest in the king’s absence. I too was demoted and restricted. To protect my daughter, I stayed silent, witnessing horrors, hoping one day the King’s son would free us. And here you are, my hope—my boon for years of penance."

  Tears rolled down his eyes.

  Leo hugged the frail old soul: "I will free the realm, Old Master."

  His words reflected unyielding resolve.

  Ryan and Melody stood beside him and spoke: "We will do it together."

  The old demon smiled: "Indeed. The young shall surpass the old. Do not keep the old man waiting. Anytime you need me, call me, my prince."

  He handed Leo a crystal ball, then left, bidding farewell to the trio.

  Leo examined the box. In it was a round hole. As he studied it, a shine came from his tunic—the medallion he had received from his teacher. It glowed.

  He placed it in the box. It fit perfectly. The box opened. Light poured out. Black smoke followed, then shining particles.

  The trio closed their eyes at the blinding glow. Slowly, from the particles, a figure formed—it was a younger Drake.

  He spoke:

  **"Is this good? Yes. My dear prince, if you are seeing this, that means I am not there with you. But there is nothing to worry. If it is you, I know you will grow up to be a great Demon King one day.

  I know you have many unanswered questions. I cannot say them here. All the answers you seek are beyond the world’s end. Find them, and you shall have your answers.

  Most importantly—eat three meals a day, sleep at least six hours, and always be happy. Also, forgive this dumb brother for leaving you so soon. And always remember—I am proud of you, Leo."**

  The smoke vanished. The box turned to ashes. The mana dissipated.

  Leo’s eyes filled with tears. "I was the dumb one, brother. Don’t apologize. Don’t worry—I will remember your every word and live according to it."

  He broke down. After all the struggle and pain, seeing the image and hearing his brother’s voice broke him. He fell to his knees and cried his heart out.

  Ryan and Melody sat with him, embracing him silently. This young demon had been strong for too long. He deserved to cry—for no matter his power, he was still just a boy.

  They stayed there for a long while until Leo fell asleep from exhaustion. Ryan and Melody stayed by his side—Melody leaning on Ryan’s shoulder, Ryan’s hand over her blond hair. Children comforting each other, they too fell asleep.

  In the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Hell Star, in his palace, an owl flew to the room of the prince. A servant untied a message and read:

  "The target escaped. I barely survived with my life. A Crimson Knight interfered."

  A figure in the shadow spoke: "So he escaped, huh? Seems I was a fool to trust that dumb knight. Get the scouts ready. I myself will kill that master who eyes my Riley."

  The guards replied: "It shall be done, my prince."

  Far away, in a quiet room:

  "A seal of the guardian, formed by golden lines. So… you have finally shown yourself, O Crimson Knight."

  A man sat before a lamp with a cup of beer. Footsteps echoed. A sleek figure appeared. She spoke:

  "After all these years, the guardian has appeared again. But why?"

  Another voice answered: "Finally, after all these years of waiting, we shall have our vengeance."

  The girl spoke: "The wheels of fate have begun to spin again. But this time, only one shall survive."

  The other figure laughed: "Hahahahahaaaaa!"

  Inside Leo's dream scape :-

  The fairy king spoke out , "after all this centuries the shackles that hold the realm has began to crack , will it finally be broken this time ."

  The End of Season 2

  How is Lera still alive? Who is this prince? What do the two figures want? Who are they? What fate awaits our young demon, who has finally gained his mana?

  Stay tuned to find out.

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