Am I dead?

Am I alive?

Where am I?

I found myself floating in a vast, empty space. The darkness around me seemed to stretch out infinitely, with no end in sight. The silence was so complete that I couldn’t even hear the sound of my breathing. As I stood there, I felt a strange warmth wash over me, like a comforting embrace that seemed to ease the pain and anxiety that I carried within me.

My mind drifted to my recent past, the memories of my life as a hunter. I thought of the countless battles I had fought, the blood that had been shed and the victories I had won.

I felt a sting of pain surge from my chest as my thoughts turned to Cassius. The pain of his betrayal was still fresh in my mind, like a wound that refused to heal. He had shattered my faith in friendship and loyalty, leaving me feeling alone and abandoned.

The pain was overwhelming, and I felt deep despair at the thought of my wasted life. Everything I had done, all the battles I had fought, all the victories I had won, seemed meaningless now. What was the point of it all?

I couldn’t bear the emotions, so I focused on figuring out where I was.

Think carefully...

I knew I had died, yet I didn’t feel dead. It was a strange feeling like a part of me had been detached from my physical body. I couldn’t see anything, but I could sense that I had arms and legs. I had a faint awareness of my heartbeat, which was slow and steady, filling the silence around me.

My mind was clouded with confusion, wondering where I was and what had happened.

Without warning, I felt something touch the back of my head, pulling from the darkness.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING!?! W-Where am I???

As my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, I realized I was in a room. I was lying in a crib. I tried to move my limbs, but they were weak and uncoordinated. That’s when I noticed that I was no longer an adult. I was a baby...

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was starting a new life while retaining the memories of my past life. I didn’t know who I was or where I was. Everything was new and unfamiliar, and it was overwhelming.

How is any of this possible?!?

As I lay in the crib, I couldn’t help but wonder how I got here. Was this some kind of afterlife, or was it a new beginning? The questions raced through my mind, but I had no answers. I was alone, helpless, and completely dependent on the people around me.

The soft hands that had pulled me from the darkness belonged to a woman, a nurse, who was now checking my vitals. She smiled warmly at me and cooed, “Welcome to the world, my dear prince.” Her gentle touch and soothing voice calmed my fears and filled me with comfort.

Wait?! Did she say, prince?!

I took a deep breath and started crying uncontrollably. My head felt dizzy, and my body was cold. I couldn’t understand how I had been reborn, and I realized that, as a baby, I had no control over my emotions. Hell, I had no control over anything!!!

Calm yourself, Victor. Calm down, you’re a grizzled veteran... Just take a deep-

I yelped as a pair of hands lifted me into the air, wrapping me in a warm blanket. I could see that I was in a large room, covered with ornaments from a different era.

Too stunned to move or speak, I watched with curiosity as I was handed to the woman lying on the bed, who I deduced to be my mother.

The moment my small body was placed in her arms, she began to pecker me with kisses, tears forming around her eyes. “My sweet little ray of sunshine, Lucian.”

Ah, so my new name is Lucian.

At first, I felt kind of annoyed by the sudden show of affection. In my old life, my mother died when she gave birth to me, and my miserable excuse of a sperm donor died from a drug overdose a couple of years later. Parental affection was something that not only was I unfamiliar with but something I'd never experienced. To say this felt strange to me, was an understatement.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of detachment from the scene unfolding before me. It was as though I was watching someone else’s life, someone who was not me, and it made me wonder if this was how I was going to feel from now on.

As my mother continued to shower me with love, I began to feel a sense of warmth spread throughout my body. It was a strange feeling, something I couldn’t quite explain, but it felt good, reassuring even. It was a feeling I had never felt before, yet it felt familiar as though it had been waiting for me all this time.

While she cradled me in her arms, I couldn’t help but notice how tired she looked. Her eyes were puffy and red, and there were dark circles under them. It was clear that giving birth to me had taken a toll on her, and I wondered if I would ever be able to repay her for everything she had done for me.

Repay her? What am I even thinking?!

I was lost in thought when I noticed two horns coming out of my mother's head. My horror grew as I realized she was a demon. Better yet, it meant I was a demon too.

Oh shit...

As I stared at my mother’s demonic features, fear and confusion overtook me. Was this some kind of sick joke played on me by the gods?

As I looked around the room, I noticed the maids and the other people present were all demons, and they seemed to be looking at me with curious eyes. My mind was a whirlwind of questions and confusion, but I tried my best to keep my cool.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, and I let out a loud cry. The sting was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and it was then that I realized I was hungry. As I continued to cry, one of the maids came over and helped my mother move to a sitting position. She took out her breast, and I instinctively latched onto it, feeling a sense of relief as warm milk flowed into my mouth.

As I fed, my thoughts continued to race. How would I survive in this new world as a demon? What was my purpose, and how would I fit into their society? I had so many questions, but for now, all I could do was feed and try to come to terms with my new reality.

My mother held me close to her chest, and I could feel the warmth of her body. Despite her demonic features, her embrace was comforting, and I found myself relaxing in her arms. For a moment I forgot about my fears, and just enjoyed the feeling of being loved.

Snap out of it! I thought to myself. Demons are evil creatures that bring destruction to the universe. Demons think themselves superior and because of that, they tried to enslave humanity. Demons are everything that is wrong with this world. I’ll never become one of them. I’m a human at heart.

After I was done feeding, one of the maids approached my mother and whispered something in her ear. I watched as she nodded and kissed me before handing me to the maid.

As I was placed in the crib, I watched the maids attend to my mother.

When the maids were done with her, they turned their attention back to me, their smiles leaving me with a strange sense of unease. Just like that, they began to fuss over me, changing my diaper and clothing me in soft, cotton overalls.

Slowly, but surely I began to feel a sense of comfort. It was clear that I was going to be taken care of, that I was going to be loved and nurtured, and it made me wonder what my future held.

No matter what, no matter how nice these people were, I couldn’t let them dissuade my morals. My mind was set in stone, and no amount of love was going to convince me otherwise. The demon race was nothing but pure evil.

As my thoughts spiraled out of control, the door to the chamber burst open, and a strong presence filled the room. The sudden entrance caused an immediate shift in the atmosphere. Even with the crappy, dull senses of a newborn baby, I recognized that this person was powerful and dangerous.

I could feel my heart race as I tried to compose myself. I scanned the room, searching for any signs of danger, and noticed that the maids had instinctively moved back. The maids began to tremble, and my mother’s gaze became fixed on the doorway.

My eyes then locked on to the figure that had caused the sudden change in the room. I recognized him immediately as Demon King Valtair, the sworn enemy of my old life. The mere sight of him made my blood boil, and I felt a mix of rage and fear coursing through my body.

Stay away from me, or I’ll KILL YOU!!!

Suddenly, I was picked up by his firm pair of hands and came face to face with my arch nemesis. My breath caught in my throat as I looked into his piercing dark eyes. Memories of my past life flooded my mind, and I couldn’t help but cry. I felt an overwhelming flood of emotions.

Just when things couldn’t get any weirder, the unexpected happened. To my dismay, the Demon King cuddled me and told me it was okay. I stopped crying, shocked by his soft voice and tenderness as he rubbed my back.

“There are no words to express how happy I feel. I’ve waited for this moment for centuries. I finally have a son. An heir to my throne. Someone to carry on my legacy.”

My heart was pounding as I stared up at the Demon King, feeling both fear and confusion. How could he, the leader of the demon race, the destroyer of worlds, the sovereign of darkness, show such affection towards me? My mind raced as I tried to make sense of this situation, but I couldn’t ignore the gentle touch of his hand and the warmth of his embrace.

I couldn’t deny the conflicting emotions that were swirling within me. On one hand, I had been raised to believe that demons were nothing but pure evil and that the Demon King was my sworn enemy. On the other hand, I couldn’t ignore the feelings of safety and comfort that I was experiencing in his embrace. It was a strange mix of fear and comfort like a child clinging to a parent even though they know they shouldn’t.

As the Demon King held me in his arms, I couldn’t help but notice how he was looking at me. It was a look I had never received before, not even from my parents in my old life. It was both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this was all a trick, a ploy to gain my trust. But as I gazed up at the Demon King, I couldn’t help but feel a small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this situation than met the eye.

I closed my eyes and used every bit of my will to calm myself down.

As I opened my eyes and surveyed my surroundings, I realized that this could be a blessing in disguise. Being reborn was the perfect opportunity to grow strong, strong enough to get my revenge and eliminate my enemies. I was reborn as a demon, which meant I had much more potential to reach heights that I couldn’t have as an ordinary human in my old life.

I couldn’t help but feel a newfound sense of purpose. I was no longer an ordinary man. I was a demon prince with a destiny to fulfill.

In many ways, my situation was like a double-edged sword. On one hand, I had been reborn as a demon. Despite my dislike for demons, they were natural-born predators. But on the other hand, I'd been given a unique opportunity to become something greater than I ever thought possible. With the right mindset, I knew I could achieve anything.

As I reflected on my circumstances, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude toward the universe. One of the biggest enemies from my previous life was now in front of me, and I was his son. The universe had served me his life on a platter, and I wasn’t letting it go to waste. I had a lot of work to do. I was going to train until I was strong enough to kill Valtair. I was going to do everything I could to destroy demon society so that they’d never be a threat to anyone else.

Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Cassius...

Once I was done with the demons, I was going to find Cassius. I was going to track him down and make him pay for his sins. I was going to make him pay for what he did to me. I was going to make him pay for throwing away the lives of our brothers. I wanted to make him suffer for turning his back and betraying humanity. Just thinking about all the things I was going to do to him, filled me with immense anticipation.