The change was subtle.
No celebrations.
No declarations carved into the sky.
Life simply… continued.
Farmers returned to fields they had abandoned. Merchants reopened roads once haunted by fear. Children were born without prophecies whispering over their cradles.
For the first time, existence felt unwatched.
---
Inside the tower, systems ran quietly.
No alarms.
No forced adaptations.
Just steady balance.
Elowen walked through the upper gardens, touching petals that no longer glowed with strain. The flowers bloomed naturally now, responding to sunlight rather than necessity.
"It's peaceful," she said softly.
"Yes," the assistant replied. "Which is unsettling."
The Demon King stood nearby, gaze distant.
"Peace is unstable," he said. "People forget why it exists."
---
Reports arrived from across the world.
Former holy lands dismantled their altars voluntarily.
Kingdoms rewrote laws without divine clauses.
Magic academies taught theory without prayer.
Not rebellion.
Transition.
---
Elowen stopped beside the Demon King.
"So… what do we do now?" she asked.
He considered the question longer than usual.
"We wait," he replied.
"For what?"
"For the world to make mistakes," he said calmly. "Without blaming gods."
She smiled faintly. "That sounds difficult."
"It should be."
---
Far beyond reality, the observer remained distant.
Passive.
But not gone.
Observation continued—reduced, minimal, cautious.
Because something had been learned.
This world could no longer be corrected safely.
---
The assistant approached, bowing.
"My King… there are those who wish to leave the tower's protection."
Elowen blinked. "Leave? Why?"
"To see if they can stand alone," the assistant replied.
The Demon King nodded.
"Let them."
No punishment followed.
No fear.
Choice existed—and so did consequence.
---
As night fell, the tower's lights dimmed naturally.
Stars returned to the sky—real ones this time.
Elowen leaned against the balcony railing.
"…Do you ever regret it?" she asked quietly.
"No," the Demon King replied.
"Even if the world breaks again?"
"Then it will break honestly."
She smiled.
Below them, cities glowed gently in the dark.
Not protected by gods.
Not watched by existence.
Just alive.