Rest. That's what she ordered.
But every time he closed his eyes, he didn't feel rest. He felt small.
The talentless prince sent to die. The expendable son. The offering.
Lysandra's questions still burned through his head like hot iron.
Did it hurt?
Did you feel angry?
Did you feel betrayed?
…or relieved?
He pushed himself upright with a soft groan, the bed creaking underneath him. Pain flared along his ribs and spine. The past day had not been kind to his body.
If you want to keep on living, you must stop pretending their choices didn't hurt you.
Then what?
What did it mean to live as himself?
Still, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Standing, his body protested with dull aches, but nothing broke. Bandages tugged against his skin. He flexed his fingers, testing his strength.
"You did say the grounds were allowed, Princess. Technically." Joshua muttered.
Just as he reached for the edge of the bedframe, lines of light bloomed in the corner of his vision.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Main Quest Updated]
[Survive the Binding Ceremony – 0/1]
[Side Quest Unlocked]
[Explore the Nightmare Kingdom]
[Objective:] Leave your quarters and witness the Demon Capital with your own eyes.
[Reward:] 421 XP
[Warning:] Proceed at your own risk.
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Of course.
Joshua stared at the translucent text until it faded, leaving only the faint outline burned into his vision.
"Why is it always more work with you?" He sighed at the air.
He shuffled toward the door, every muscle voicing its objection. The handle was a dark metal, cool beneath his fingers. The door swung open on silent hinges. Two demons stood posted outside armored, helmed, spears grounded at their sides.
Their eyes—one pair a muted gold, the other a washed-out crimson—flicked toward him. Joshua's spine straightened instinctively. Both had the same black horns as Lysandra and looked surprisingly human.
"Prince Joshua," the taller one said. His voice had the roughness of gravel dragged over stone.
"Her Highness declared your life under royal protection. You are… free to walk."
"Am I allowed to explore outside of the palace?"
The guards tensed, but the larger one's voice remained steady. "We were instructed not to obstruct you... Or help you."
"Right. Thanks."
***
The night air brushed against his skin softly, carrying with it the smell of baked goods.
The corridors of the Demon Palace were carved from stone so black it swallowed light. Mana lamp posts embedded in the walls glowed with a pale blue radiance, turning every footstep into a soft echo in an endless dusk.
The lights seemed to draw in the moon's light and reflect it back onto the streets.
Lunar lamps. We had our own in Arial. It's almost making me homesick.
Demon knights were posted along the walls and they all stiffened when they saw him exit the castle's medical quarters.
Their hands went to their weapons.
Scarlet, gold, and violet eyes tracked his every move.
Joshua felt those gazes prick along his skin like needles. Protection or not, he was still the human prince and the outsider sent here as a sacrifice.
He forced himself down the stairs leading to the courtyard.
Stone archways twisted overhead, wrapped in dark metals shaped like branches. Steps dipped into shadowed paths lit by cold-blue lanterns. The capital stretched in every direction. Small demons ran through the cobblestone pathways laughing.
Smoke exited chimneys, as night shops displayed their goods.
Water ran through stone architecture elegantly.
And then—
"Please! Wait—don't hurt him!"
A young voice cried out, her plea echoing off of the buildings.
Joshua's head snapped toward the sound—a narrow alley wedged between two buildings. Moonlight barely reached inside.
Three beastmen with furred arms and gleaming claws had cornered two figures:
A girl hardly older than eighteen, trembling yet blocking the younger boy behind her.
And... a boy clutching the girl's leg, holding back tears.
One beastman cracked his knuckles. "Your pops owed us. Orphans don't get to erase debts."
The girl stepped forward, breath shaking. "We—we'll pay it back! Please, just don't hurt him—!"
Joshua moved without thinking.
As he stepped deeper into the alley, something tightened around his vision—a thin line of text flickering at the edge.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Hostile Threat Detected]
[Survival Probability: 3%]
[Recommended: Immediate Withdrawal]
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Not exactly encouraging.
He'd trained his whole life as a fighter, but he was nothing compared to a demon. Still, before a fighter, he was a prince. And anyone with a shred of honor would not leave this situation as is.
"Stop this now."
The beastmen turned, irritation flashing across their faces.
"You lost?" one snarled. "Wait a minute. A human? It must be the prince? Who gave you permission to wander outside of your cage? Get lost before this becomes your problem."
Joshua planted his foot, ignoring the burning in his ribs. "It already is."
"So, it's like that. That's how it should be. Humans and demons tearing each other apart by the throat."
The nearest beastman lunged.
Joshua dodged—barely—but his body wasn't ready for another hit. The alley tilted, his vision swam. A second beastman came in from the flank, claws rising—
Time seemed to slow in an instant.
An energy pressed through the air like a deep note no one played, a vibration that crawled across the skin. A figure stepped between them. A tall demon with pale skin, curved horns, and deep ocean blue eye that seemed like they saw more than just what was in front of him.
He didn't hurry. Didn't posture. Just arrived, like gravity accepted him.
At his hip:
a sheathed dagger.
He didn't draw it.
He didn't even touch the hilt.
Two fingers tapped lightly on the sheath.
Tap.
The beastmen hit the ground instantly.
There was no flash or sound. Just a sudden, absolute cutoff of consciousness like their minds had been switched off mid-breath. Even the girl stumbled back from the shock.
Joshua stared, trying to understand what he'd just witnessed.
The man finally looked at him with a calm smile.
"You picked a strange moment to be brave," he said. His voice wasn't harsh, but it held weight.
Joshua steadied himself. "They needed help."
"That much was clear. " He hummed curiously. "Less clear is why you decided to provide it."
He bent down, lifting all three beastmen, one over his shoulder, and the other by their collar as if they were bags of grain. Up close, the dagger at his hip radiated.
The demon noticed Joshua's glance and smiled faintly. "Most weapons demand to be drawn. This one prefers the opposite."
Joshua's throat dried. "Who exactly are you?"
"Tonic. "He dipped his chin. "Protector of the King. The Warden. The blade you pray never sees daylight."
Joshua exhaled slowly. "And why show up here?"
Tonic's eyes sharpened.
"Because these kids needed help. Same as you I suppose. But then I found a human prince far away from the palace, ready to die for two demons he doesn't know." He smirked. "Tell me—did you think that through?"
Joshua's jaw tightened. "I didn't have time to think."
Tonic lifted a brow. "So you acted."
"It was the right thing."
"That," Tonic replied, "is not the same as the wise thing."
The girl finally found her voice. "Th–thank you," she whispered, stepping forward despite trembling knees. "We—my brother and I—we're sorry, we didn't mean—"
Joshua shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. I just did what anyone should."
Her eyes widened, stunned. As if no one had ever said something like that to her. As if hearing it from a human meant something different—something bigger.
The little brother peeked out from behind her leg, staring up at Joshua with tear-glossed eyes. "Are you really the human prince?" he whispered.
Joshua hesitated. "…Yeah."
The boy stumbled closer, before grabbing the girl's sleeve with his hand. "Sis... I th—thought humans were evil"
The girl looked at him again, and a genuine smile formed on her face. "Maybe not all of them are."
The boy bit his lip, then bowed—awkward, too quick, almost tripping over his own feet." T-thank you for saving us."
Tonic watched the exchange in silence.
Then—
A low, almost amused hum. "You're trouble," he said. "I can see why Her Highness is interested in you."
Joshua blinked. "Interested?"
Tonic's smile widened just a hair.
"No one in this realm does what you just did. Not for strangers. Not for demons. Certainly not while half-dead." He shifted the unconscious beastmen on his shoulders. "You do realize most demons would have let them fend for themselves?"
"Why?" Joshua asked quietly.
"Because this kingdom is built on fear, strength, and consequence. Help is a luxury."Tonic's expression softened. "And yet, here you are. Unarmed, fragile, humiliated, betrayed… but still capable of choosing to protect someone else."
Joshua didn't know what to say to that.
Tonic stepped past him, boots crunching lightly against gravel as he turned toward the street.
"Tomorrow," he said, "the Binding Ceremony begins, as you are probably aware."
Joshua's heart stumbled in his chest. "…I am."
"Good. Then hear this and hear it well, Prince of Arial."
Tonic stopped and half-turned, cerulean eyes glowing under the moonlight.
"Whatever you felt when your people cast you away—anger, grief, hatred, relief…"His gaze seemed to cut right through the prince."You will need all of it."
Joshua stared.
"Pain is fuel," Tonic finished. "But only if you're willing to burn."
He vanished down the path with the unconscious beastmen, moving too quietly for someone carrying three bodies.
The girl bowed again.The boy whispered another shaky "thank you."
And then they, too, were gone.
Leaving Joshua alone in the narrow alley, the moonlight pooling at his feet. His chest rose and fell, pain flaring with every breath… but he felt different. Here, in the heart of the demon realm two children had bowed to him.
Slowly, Joshua straightened. His ribs screamed in protest, but he stood tall anyway.
The Binding Ceremony waited for him, and he would meet it headfirst.
...
...
...
[+400xXP]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]