"I, King Dave, will bring peace to all humans. No demon will be spared from my wrath!"
His voice thundered across the mountains, carried by the wind like a declaration to the heavens themselves. Behind him, thousands of soldiers marched in unison, their armor clashing like distant storms. Each step they took was filled with hope… and fear.
They believed this war would end everything.
Their suffering.
Their oppression.
Their fear of the unknown.
But fate had something far crueler in store.
After days of marching, they finally arrived.
And there they stood.
Demons.
Not the stories whispered in fear… but living, breathing horrors. Their eyes glowed with hunger, their presence suffocating. The air itself felt heavier, darker—as though the world rejected their existence.
The soldiers hesitated.
Some tightened their grip on their weapons. Others trembled openly.
They had fought men before.
They had killed and survived.
But this…
This was not war.
This was death.
Still, none could retreat.
Their oath bound them like chains:
"To serve the kingdom till our last breath."
Even if that breath ended in agony.
"Attack!" King Dave commanded.
The army surged forward, shouting with forced courage. But the demons did not move.
They simply watched.
Waiting.
Smiling.
And then—
Chaos.
The demons struck with terrifying speed, tearing through the human ranks like shadows come alive. Screams filled the air as bodies fell one after another. Blood stained the ground, soaking into the earth like it had always belonged there.
King Dave stood frozen.
This was no battle.
It was slaughter.
His soldiers weren't fighting—
They were being erased.
"Retreat!" someone screamed, but it was too late.
The demons surrounded them completely.
"Where is your so-called Demon King?" King Dave shouted desperately, masking his rising fear. "Or is he too weak to face me?"
Silence fell.
Then suddenly—
The demons parted.
One by one, they bowed their heads.
A presence emerged.
Cold.
Dominant.
Unforgiving.
Even the demons lowered themselves in submission.
He stepped forward slowly, his eyes glowing a deep, haunting red. His aura alone was enough to crush the will of everyone present.
"King Dave…" his voice was low, yet it echoed like a curse. "Your warriors fled before death even embraced them. And you dare call me weak?"
King Dave swallowed hard, but forced his voice out.
"We… will never surrender."
A faint smile curved the Demon King's lips.
"You won't have the chance to."
In a blink—
He vanished.
A cold breath brushed against King Dave's neck.
He was behind him.
King Dave tried to move—but his body refused. An invisible force held him in place. Fear gripped his heart as he felt sharp claws press slowly against his back.
The Demon King leaned closer, his voice almost a whisper.
"Humans are fragile… so easy to break."
His claws began to sink in.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"Stop."
The world froze.
The sky split open, pouring down a blinding, divine light. Thunder roared as a voice descended—ancient, powerful, absolute.
"I will end this bloodshed."
Every being—human and demon—fell silent.
Even the Demon King was bound by an unseen force, unable to move.
"I name this place Dark Thorn Rivers."
The battlefield transformed instantly. Blood vanished. In its place grew endless red thorned roses, beautiful yet deadly. At the heart of it all, a vast cave appeared, glowing with a serene blue light from a hidden waterfall.
"And I sentence Zafil, Demon King, to twenty years of imprisonment within this domain."
Zafil's eyes darkened, but he could not resist.
Chains unseen dragged him into the depths of the cave.
King Dave collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
It was over.
Or so he thought.
"But peace does not come without balance," the voice continued.
A heavy silence followed.
"King Dave… your newborn daughter shall be given to Zafil."
His heart stopped.
"They are bound by fate—betrothed since birth."
King Dave's eyes widened in horror.
"No… that's impossible—"
"It is already decided."
The light began to fade.
"And when the time comes… she will be his."
Darkness fell once more.
But this time—
It was far more terrifying than before.