The city slept beneath a sea of lights.
Far below, cars moved through the streets like streams of glowing stars.
Most people were asleep.
Others enjoyed the nightlife.
None of them noticed the silver-haired man standing alone on a balcony.
Lothan's eyes remained fixed on the distant skyline.
The presence had disappeared.
But he knew what he had felt.
It was unmistakable.
Demonic energy.
Weak.
Ancient.
Yet real.
For the first time since awakening, a feeling other than loneliness stirred within him.
Hope.
If demons still existed, then perhaps his race had not vanished completely.
Perhaps survivors remained.
Perhaps Nethoria's legacy still lived on somewhere.
Without hesitation, Lothan stepped over the balcony railing.
Then he jumped.
The wind rushed past him.
Moments later, he landed silently on a nearby rooftop.
The city stretched endlessly before him.
He closed his eyes.
Searching.
Listening.
Feeling.
At first there was nothing.
Then—
A faint trace.
The energy appeared again.
Somewhere in the northern district.
Lothan immediately moved.
Hours later, Aria slowly opened her eyes.
The apartment was quiet.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
Something felt strange.
The couch.
The room.
Then she remembered.
Lothan.
Her gaze immediately swept across the apartment.
Empty.
The balcony door stood open.
A cool breeze drifted inside.
"He left?"
She frowned.
Part of her expected that.
After all, she barely knew him.
Yet she couldn't explain why she felt disappointed.
The strange silver-haired man had appeared from nowhere.
Acted as though he belonged to another century.
And somehow knew things about history that most people didn't.
Aria sighed.
"Who are you, Lothan?"
For some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about him.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Lothan stood atop an abandoned warehouse.
The demonic presence was stronger now.
Still faint.
But much closer.
His crimson eyes scanned the area.
The district looked old compared to the rest of the city.
Narrow streets.
Aging buildings.
Few people.
An odd feeling settled over him.
Then he saw it.
A symbol carved into a wall.
Time had worn it down.
Most humans would never recognize it.
But Lothan immediately did.
The crest of House Valcor.
One of the noble demon clans that had served Nethoria.
His heart skipped a beat.
Impossible.
The symbol should not exist.
Not after a thousand years.
Lothan stepped closer.
His fingers traced the ancient mark.
Someone had placed it here recently.
Very recently.
The energy he sensed suddenly intensified.
A voice spoke behind him.
"You shouldn't be here."
Lothan turned.
A young man stood at the entrance of the alley.
He looked human.
Dark hair.
Modern clothing.
Ordinary appearance.
Yet his golden eyes revealed the truth.
A demon.
For several seconds neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Then the young man's eyes widened.
His confident expression disappeared.
Shock replaced it.
Disbelief.
Fear.
"No..."
He took a step backward.
"That's impossible."
Lothan frowned.
The reaction confused him.
"Who are you?"
The young demon stared at him.
His breathing became uneven.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"I know that face."
The air grew tense.
Lothan remained silent.
The young demon slowly dropped to one knee.
His head lowered.
A gesture of respect.
A gesture practiced by ancient demon nobility.
One that had not been used for centuries.
"My king."
Lothan froze.
The words echoed in his mind.
My king.
Not monster.
Not destroyer.
Not Demon of the Abyss.
King.
For the first time in a thousand years, someone looked at him and saw the ruler he had once been.
Not the villain history remembered.
The young demon lowered his head further.
"T-the legends were true."
"Lothan Xander Maeve lives."
A strange feeling tightened within Lothan's chest.
He had expected survivors.
Perhaps hidden communities.
Perhaps descendants.
But hearing those words...
Hearing someone acknowledge his existence...
It awakened memories he thought had died long ago.
"Rise."
The young demon immediately obeyed.
His hands were shaking.
"You know who I am?"
"Every demon does."
Lothan's eyes narrowed.
"Then tell me."
The young demon hesitated.
"Tell me what happened after the war."
Silence followed.
The young demon's expression darkened.
Pain filled his eyes.
"The world changed."
His voice became quiet.
"Our people went into hiding."
"The survivors scattered."
"We abandoned our kingdoms."
"We abandoned our names."
Lothan listened carefully.
"We became ghosts."
The words struck harder than expected.
Ghosts.
That was what demonkind had become.
A forgotten race hiding among humanity.
The young demon looked away.
"Most humans believe we're extinct."
"And we prefer it that way."
Lothan understood.
After everything that happened, survival mattered more than pride.
Then another question entered his mind.
"How many remain?"
The young demon hesitated.
"More than you think."
Lothan's eyes widened slightly.
"There are thousands hidden across the world."
Thousands.
Not millions.
Not kingdoms.
But still alive.
Still surviving.
A small spark of hope appeared within him.
Then the young demon suddenly looked nervous.
"Your Majesty..."
"What is it?"
"You weren't the only one who returned."
The words instantly caught his attention.
"What do you mean?"
The young demon swallowed hard.
"The elders have been hearing rumors."
"Rumors of ancient beings awakening."
The night air became colder.
"Some say old powers from the Great War are returning."
Lothan's expression darkened.
The Great War.
The war whose full story remained hidden.
The war that ended with his curse.
The war that changed everything.
"What kind of powers?"
The young demon shook his head.
"No one knows."
"But everyone is afraid."
Before Lothan could ask another question, a sudden pain shot through his chest.
He immediately grabbed the railing.
His breathing stopped.
The curse.
For the first time since awakening, he felt it.
A strange burning sensation spread through his body.
Then it vanished.
As quickly as it came.
Lothan's eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
And somewhere far away, beyond the city lights, an unseen figure opened their eyes.
A smile slowly appeared.
"The pieces are moving once again."
The game that began a thousand years ago was finally continuing.
And this time, the world would learn the truth.
To be continued...