Morning arrived quietly.
For the first time since awakening, Lothan had spent an entire night surrounded by others.
Not enemies.
Not strangers.
People.
His people.
The hidden city slowly came to life.
Merchants opened their shops.
Children filled the streets.
Conversations echoed through the underground cavern.
The sight reminded him of Nethoria.
And for once, the memory didn't hurt as much.
Meanwhile, Aria woke up on a couch inside one of the guest quarters.
She stretched lazily.
Then immediately fell off.
THUD.
Several passing demons stopped.
Aria remained on the floor.
"...I'm okay."
The demons quietly continued walking.
One whispered:
"Is she always like this?"
Another nodded.
"I think so."
Elsewhere, Lothan sat with Elder Selene and several leaders.
Maps covered the table before them.
"Our scouts have confirmed unusual activity," Selene said.
"Human activity?"
"No."
That answer immediately caught his attention.
The elder pointed toward several locations.
"Ancient ruins."
Lothan frowned.
Ancient ruins?
"Places connected to the Great War."
The room fell silent.
Every demon understood the significance.
Over the last few months, strange incidents had been reported throughout the world.
Forgotten temples opening.
Ancient magical artifacts awakening.
Mysterious figures appearing and disappearing.
At first, nobody connected the events.
Now they seemed impossible to ignore.
Kaelen looked uneasy.
"You think someone is searching for something?"
Selene nodded.
"I do."
Lothan stared at the map.
The timing wasn't a coincidence.
His awakening.
The strange energy.
The hidden enemies.
Everything felt connected.
Somebody was moving pieces on a board he couldn't yet see.
Several hours later, Aria found Lothan walking through the city.
"There you are."
Lothan sighed.
"You say that every time."
"Because you keep disappearing."
"I walk."
"You vanish."
"I walk."
"You vanish dramatically."
Lothan decided arguing was pointless.
Aria smiled victoriously.
Then she noticed several children hiding nearby.
The young demons peeked around a corner.
Watching Lothan.
Whispering.
Giggling.
One finally gathered enough courage to approach.
"Y-Your Majesty?"
Lothan looked down.
The child immediately froze.
The other children hid behind a wall.
"What is it?" Lothan asked.
The child nervously held out a piece of paper.
"Could you sign this?"
Silence.
Lothan blinked.
Aria burst into laughter.
The child immediately panicked.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Lothan stared at the paper.
Then at the hopeful faces watching from nearby.
After several seconds, he took the paper.
And signed it.
The children exploded with excitement.
"He did it!"
"He actually did it!"
"Show me!"
They rushed away cheering.
Aria laughed so hard she nearly fell over.
"You have fans."
"I have no idea what that means."
"You're famous."
"I was a king."
"Now you're famous."
Lothan felt those were somehow different things.
That evening, something unexpected happened.
Aria wandered through one of the older sections of the city.
Ancient murals decorated the walls.
Most depicted scenes from long ago.
Battles.
Kings.
Heroes.
History.
As she walked, one particular mural caught her attention.
A young woman stood surrounded by golden light.
Massive wings stretched behind her.
The image felt strangely familiar.
Aria frowned.
For some reason, her chest tightened.
Then—
A flash.
A golden sky.
A distant voice.
A silver-haired young man kneeling before an enormous throne.
Pain shot through her head.
Aria staggered backward.
The vision disappeared instantly.
Her breathing became uneven.
"What..."
Her hands trembled.
The images had felt real.
Too real.
Yet they vanished before she could understand them.
Footsteps approached.
Lothan appeared from around the corner.
Immediately noticing her expression.
"Aria."
She looked up.
For a moment, she seemed frightened.
Confused.
Lost.
Then she forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
Lothan knew she wasn't.
But he didn't press further.
Instead, he quietly stood beside her.
Neither spoke.
The mural watched silently from above.
A forgotten goddess.
A forgotten era.
A forgotten truth.
Waiting to be remembered.
Far away, beyond the hidden city, within the ruins of an ancient temple...
A cloaked figure knelt before a black crystal.
The crystal pulsed with dark energy.
The figure smiled.
"The goddess is beginning to remember."
A second figure stepped from the shadows.
"And the Demon King?"
The first figure's smile widened.
"He has already taken the first step."
The crystal glowed brighter.
Ancient runes illuminated the chamber.
For a thousand years, they had waited.
Prepared.
Plotted.
And now the pieces were finally moving again.
Soon the truth of the Great War would surface.
Soon the world would learn what really happened.
And when that day came—
History itself would be rewritten.
To be continued...