I am Raelzar von Valladolid, the young demon king. In the eyes of the demons, I am the new hope after the destruction of the previous generation. Inside me, the power of dark magic flows no less powerful than the holy power I once possessed as a hero. But this world is much more complicated than the one I left behind. Back when I was human, we called demons heartless monsters. But now that I live among them I see the love of a mother and former demon queen who raised me, the laughter of demon children in a small village full of dust, and the suffering they endured from being hunted, forced into hiding, and ostracized by the human world.
What was even more painful: the human kingdom now ruled with an iron fist. The corrupt nobles abused the peace that we heroes fought for in the past. The name "Hero" was used as a propaganda tool to oppress the weak. I heard stories about myself "The Great Hero of Elion, Arven de Elion. Slayer of evil, guardian of light" and I could only laugh bitterly. They glorified my name while creating hell for people they did not understand. But I could not act carelessly. I was still young. I had not yet mastered the full power of the Demon King. And I knew... if humans knew that a new Demon King had risen, a great war would break out again. That night, as the red moon hung in the sky, I made a big decision and I had made up my mind.
Dawn had barely broken when I returned from the tower. In the distance, a red mist began to rise from the Valley of Astaroth, a sign that the world was beginning to stir, preparing to respond to the presence of a new "threat." Vulc joined me in the long, deserted hallway, his purple robes gleaming faintly in the dark crystal light. "Your Highness… You really won't order a preemptive strike?" he asked cautiously. "It would be seen as weakness." I didn't answer immediately. My eyes stared far down the hallway, toward the old mural on the wall depicting an ancient battle between gods and demons. It was there that I realized something: All history is written by the victors. And the truth… is buried with the vanquished.
"I do not fear being seen as weak, Vulc," I finally said. "For only those without true power rely on fear." He lowered his head, but I could tell his mind was racing. I knew that most of my generals wanted war. And perhaps some of them even hoped I would fail… so they could take over. But that did not matter. What mattered was that they listened to me. And as long as they listened, there was still hope that this world would not have to fall back into a cycle of blood and revenge. I gave orders for Vulc to prepare a public speech. Not just for the troops, but for all the races that now lived under my banner: demons, beastkin, dragons, even the outcast humans. The world must know that Raelzar von Valladolid was not just a young Demon King. But a new hope.
Three days later, in the middle of the vast plain that used to be called the Valley of Sacrifice, thousands of creatures gathered. Some flew, some crawled, some stood in forms no human could ever imagine. They all waited. And I stood on a platform of black stone, looking down at the thousands of faces. "Once, I stood on the other side," my voice echoed, amplified by magic. "I was called a hero. I was hailed. I was trusted…" I paused for a moment. Memories of the past flashed, the faces of my comrades, the smiles of the villagers I saved, and the screams of the demons I once killed without question. "But when I died… the world chose to forget. The truth was covered up, and all that was left was a twisted story."
My eyes swept over the crowd. There were children of the demon race. There were beastkin mothers. There were old men from the dragon clan. And all… were wounded by one thing: blind hatred. "And today… I swear. No more children will be burned because of their body shape. No more villages will be destroyed because of their different beliefs. No more beings will be labeled evil just because they were born in the wrong place." Cheers began to rise. But I raised my hand, and they fell silent. "We will not start a war. But we will not submit either." I drew my sword, now sanctified with dark and light magic, a fusion of two worlds that never wanted to unite. "If the world wants to call us demons, then let us show them: even demons can have hearts." And as the echo of my voice drifted through the air, I knew: the seeds of change had been planted.
Whether the world will grow it… or try to burn it down. But I won't back down. Because this isn't about revenge. This is about truth. And sometimes… truth must be born in the fire.