PROLOGUE
The Hero Who Died
Every child on the continent knew the story.
The story of the greatest hero in history.
Ryan the Great.
A man said to possess strength rivaling dragons.
The only human who stood before the Demon Queen... and survived for fourteen days.
Well...
Almost.
The war between humans and demons had lasted for over a thousand years.
No one remembered how it had begun.
Only that it never ended.
Generation after generation, both races passed down the same lesson.
"Humans are evil."
"Demons are monsters."
Hatred became tradition.
War became ordinary.
Until...
Ryan appeared.
Leading humanity's strongest warriors, he carved a path through the Demon Realm itself.
The battle between the Hero and the Demon Queen became the greatest clash in history.
For fourteen days...
The skies burned.
The earth trembled.
Neither side gave an inch.
Then...
On the fifteenth day...
The impossible happened.
The Demon Queen...
Raised the white flag.
She publicly surrendered before the eyes of both armies.
Every demon soldier was ordered to retreat immediately.
The Hero...
Never returned home.
His companions reported that he had fallen in the final battle.
Humanity mourned.
The bells rang throughout every kingdom.
Statues were built.
Songs were written.
Ryan became more than a man.
He became a legend.
The Demon Queen returned to her kingdom.
No one knew why she surrendered.
No one dared ask.
And just like that...
The thousand-year war came to an end.
...
"...And that's why Ryan the Great became the greatest hero who ever lived."
The old storybook closed with a soft thump.
Silence.
A pair of bright blue eyes blinked.
Then blinked again.
A small blonde-haired boy looked up at the man holding the book.
"...Dad?"
The man smiled.
"Yes?"
The little boy tilted his head.
"...If Ryan died..."
"..."
"...How are you reading me his story?"
The smile froze.
"..."
"..."
"...Uh..."
Across the room...
A beautiful woman with long violet hair calmly sipped her tea.
Without looking up, she spoke.
"That's a wonderful question, Nicholas."
Ryan immediately looked toward her.
"...Honey."
"Yes?"
"...Help."
"No."
"I thought we were a team."
"We are."
Another sip.
"I'm simply enjoying watching you panic."
Ryan let out a dramatic sigh.
"I fought the strongest woman in the world for two weeks..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Yet somehow this conversation is scarier."
The woman finally looked up.
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
Ryan straightened immediately.
"I mean..."
"...The second scariest."
"...Better."
Little Nicholas looked between them in complete confusion.
"..."
"...Wait."
His tiny brain finally connected the dots.
He slowly pointed at his father.
"...You're Ryan?"
Ryan scratched his cheek.
"...Maybe."
Nicholas then pointed at his mother.
"...And Mama..."
"...Is the Demon Queen?"
The woman smiled warmly.
"I prefer 'Mother.'"
"..."
"..."
Nicholas gasped.
His mouth opened so wide Ryan briefly wondered if that was medically possible.
"...THAT'S SO COOL!!"
He launched himself at both of them without warning.
Ryan barely caught him.
The three collapsed onto the couch together in a tangled pile of laughter.
Aria sighed.
"...You're spoiling him."
Ryan grinned.
"I learned from the best."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Nicholas looked up at both of them.
"So..."
"...Does that make me..."
Ryan and Aria exchanged a glance.
"..."
"..."
"...Special?"
Nicholas asked.
Ryan gently ruffled his son's messy blonde hair.
"No."
He smiled.
"It makes you Nicholas."
Aria reached over and flicked Ryan's forehead.
"...You're going to make him cry with cheesy lines before he's even ten."
"It worked though."
Nicholas beamed.
Outside...
The peaceful Demon Kingdom stretched beneath the evening sun.
Children laughed in the streets.
Merchants filled the markets.
Castle guards chatted while changing shifts.
A world once feared by humanity...
Had become nothing more than home.
None of them knew...
That before long...
The little boy laughing with his parents would step into the Human Kingdom.
And unknowingly...
Turn both worlds upside down.
