The Draven Manor was in turmoil. A procession of priests, dressed in white and gold robes, passed through the grand gate, their expressions grave and their postures stiff, as if they were about to confront a divine calamity. Lady Seraphina Draven, Kael's mother, welcomed them with open arms, her face marked by worry.
"Thank you for coming so quickly!" she pleaded, her trembling hands clutching the fabric of her dress. "My son… he has been cursed!"
The head priest, an old man with a beard as white as his robes, stepped forward with a solemnity that could make a statue shudder.
"Lady Draven, high-level demonic curses are the hardest to break. But we will do everything in our power."
Seraphina nodded frantically, casting a worried glance at her son, who lounged nonchalantly in a velvet armchair. Kael, for his part, seemed perfectly relaxed, sipping a glass of red wine with a mocking indifference.
"Go on, please," he said with a mischievous smile. "Purify me, say your little prayers. Maybe I'll end up becoming a saint after all."
The priests did not react to his provocation and immediately began their rituals. One of them took out a vial of holy water and let a single drop fall onto his forehead.
A heavy silence fell.
Nothing happened.
Then…
The vial exploded into a thousand pieces.
The priest, his hands shaking, stepped back hastily, murmuring a prayer. The others exchanged anxious looks.
"Oh no… I think I'm allergic to holy water," Kael joked, shrugging.
But no one laughed.
The priests intensified their prayers, some tracing sacred symbols in the air. The luminous energy meant to purify Kael crackled around him, but instead of seeping into him, it dissolved instantly, as if absorbed by a force far greater.
Head Priest Gregor furrowed his brows. Clutching his rosary with a trembling hand, he stepped toward Seraphina, his face pale.
"Lady Draven… it's worse than we thought."
"What do you mean?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"This boy… he is not simply cursed."
Seraphina felt her breath hitch.
"What?"
The priest continued, his voice now tinged with a fear he could no longer hide:
"He carries within him an unimaginable amount of demonic energy. It grows by the day… and it is already far too deeply rooted to be purified."
A suffocating silence fell over the room.
Then, Seraphina burst into tears.
"NOOOO!" she screamed, collapsing to her knees. "My son… MY SON!"
The priests remained motionless, murmuring prayers of protection as if they were standing before the devil himself.
"It's the Pope!" Seraphina suddenly roared, her tears streaming down her cheeks. "THAT DOG OF A POPE DID THIS TO HIM! I CURSE HIM AND HIS DESCENDANTS UNTIL THE END OF TIME!"
Kael, still seated, rubbed his temple, looking tired.
Now she was insulting the Pope…
Well, he could understand that she was panicking, but she was far from the truth.
Because the real reason for his demonic energy… was himself.
Kael was not the victim of a curse.
He was not just a noble, nor even an ordinary human.
He was the Demon Monarch.
The Supreme Being who ruled over the Underworld.
The one whose very name made angels and demons tremble.
But of course, he had no intention of revealing that just yet. It was far too amusing to watch everyone panic for nothing.
Seeing his mother still in distress, Kael finally stood up, stretched nonchalantly, and approached her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and, in a soft voice, murmured:
"Come now, Mother. It's not that bad. You're going to give yourself a heart attack before this 'curse' even affects me."
Seraphina lifted her tear-filled eyes.
"But Kael… my baby…"
"Your baby is just fine. He's just…" He paused, a playful smile on his lips. "… a little more special than the others."
The priests immediately stepped back, terrified by his smile.
Father Gregor, trembling, made the sign of the cross before declaring:
"Lady Draven… we have done all we can."
In other words: We're getting out of here before he eats us alive.
Still shaken, Seraphina thanked them with a nod as they hastily gathered their belongings and fled the manor as quickly as possible.
Once the door closed behind them, Kael sighed.
"Finally alone."
He turned to his mother, who was sniffing, trying to compose herself.
"You're not afraid, are you?" she asked weakly.
Kael smiled, placed a hand on his heart, and declared dramatically:
"Mother, whether I am cursed or not, whether I have demonic energy or even extraterrestrial energy within me, one thing is certain…"
Seraphina looked at him with hope.
"I am still incredibly handsome."
She threw a pillow at his head.
The rumor spread faster than wildfire. In just a few days, the entire Solstice Empire had heard the news.
"Kael Draven, heir to the powerful Draven clan, had been cursed in exchange for the destruction of the Demonic Pope."
The details of the story varied depending on the storyteller, but the core remained the same.
"The Demonic Pope, a threat looming over the empire, was annihilated by Kael at the cost of a terrible curse."
"Young Master Draven, a man of unparalleled courage, sacrificed his own future to save us all."
"He now carries demonic energy, but that is the burden of a true hero!"
In the streets, bards composed songs about "Kael, the Cursed Hero," children played at "defeating the Demonic Pope," and even the nobles who once despised the Draven family were beginning to look at Kael with admiration.
The people adored him.
He couldn't take three steps in town without an elderly woman offering him warm bread or a merchant handing him free fruit.
"Here, Lord Kael! It is an honor to offer you my finest apples."
"Sir Draven, please accept this silk fabric, for you who have suffered so much!"
Kael, for his part, found the situation absolutely hilarious.
He hadn't done anything at all.
The Demonic Pope? He didn't even exist!
But well… if everyone wanted to see him as a hero instead of a dangerous demonic being, he certainly wasn't going to correct them.
Why shatter their illusions when they worked so well in his favor?
As he passed near a marketplace square, he overheard a merchant talking to a customer.
"You know, I heard that Kael's curse worsens every day. He fights against it with iron will, but one day, he might lose control…"
"That's why we must support him! He's not just a noble; he's a saint!"
Kael had to hold back a laugh. A saint?!
If he weren't the Demon Monarch, he might have actually been touched.
But as long as people worshipped him and showered him with gifts, he saw no reason to correct anyone.
"Oh, Lord Kael!"
He turned his head and saw a group of blushing young women running toward him. One of them held out a woolen scarf.
"We knitted this for you, to protect you from the cold… and perhaps… to keep the curse from consuming you too quickly!"
Kael gave them his most dazzling smile.
"Ladies, I am deeply moved." He took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck with a dramatic air. "From now on, this gift shall be my shield against the darkness threatening my soul."
The girls let out delighted squeals, utterly charmed.
Being a "cursed hero" was definitely more fun than he had imagined.
Kael walked leisurely, enjoying his new life as the "cursed hero," when he spotted a peaceful hill just outside the Draven Manor.
At the very top, a magnificent tree stood tall, its golden leaves dancing in the breeze. A truly idyllic scene… until Kael noticed something absolutely unacceptable.
Under the tree, his precious sister Elyna was sitting on a bench, deep in conversation with Calvin.
And worse still, Elyna seemed to enjoy his presence.
A cold sweat ran down Kael's neck. His sister. Liked. Calvin.
His protective instincts kicked in immediately.
Kael crouched behind a bush, like a predator watching its prey.
Calvin laughed. Elyna laughed.
Elyna. LAUGHED.
Since when did she laugh like that in the presence of any man other than him or their father?
Calvin had to be stopped.
Kael activated his new invisibility skill and silently crept closer.
"Elyna, you are like a rose in full bloom, radiant and full of grace."
Kael almost choked.
"Oh, Calvin, you're too kind…" Elyna replied, blushing slightly.
Kael felt his soul leave his body. Since when did his sister blush for anything other than anger?!
Too late, he had to act.
Like a malevolent spirit, he crouched behind Calvin and discreetly grabbed an apple that had fallen to the ground.
Then, with demonic precision, he tossed it into the air… and let it drop onto Calvin's head.
PLOP.
"Ouch!" Calvin cried out, startled.
"Oh, are you okay?!" Elyna asked, leaning toward him.
"Uh… yeah, it was probably just… an apple falling from the tree."
Kael raised an eyebrow. He was just going to brush it off as a coincidence? Fine. Round two.
Kael picked up another apple, this time a bigger one.
He adjusted his posture. He aimed carefully…
And BAM.
The apple hit the very top of Calvin's head.
"ARGH!"
He stood up abruptly, eyes wide.
"That's… a lot of apples," he muttered, eyeing the tree suspiciously.
Elyna burst into laughter.
Kael clenched his teeth. Wrong reaction! She was supposed to be horrified and chase him away, not LAUGH.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, amused.
"Yeah… but this tree seems a little too aggressive."
Kael stifled a sadistic chuckle. Oh, Calvin, you haven't seen anything yet.
Kael grabbed three apples at once.
He took a deep breath, and… PERFECT THROW!
PLOP. PLOP. PLOP.
The first apple hit Calvin's shoulder.
The second landed in his hair.
And the third? Right in his face.
"Okay, NO! Something weird is happening!" Calvin yelled, jumping to his feet in complete panic.
He stared at the tree with wary eyes, as if it were possessed.
"Elyna, we have to go! This tree is cursed!"
Elyna, unable to stop laughing, clutched her stomach.
"Are you seriously telling me… that the tree is attacking you?!"
"I… I think so?!"
Kael had to cover his mouth to muffle his laughter.
Calvin looked at the apples scattered around him, doubt filling his eyes.
Then, taking a deep breath, he did what any sensible man would do in this situation.
He ran.
"SEE YOU LATER, ELYNA! I'M GONNA… UH… CHECK SOMETHING AT HOME!"
He bolted like a rabbit.
Elyna, still laughing, shook her head and looked at the tree with intrigue.
"It really is strange…"
Kael, still invisible, slowly withdrew, a satisfied smile on his face.
Mission accomplished.
His sister was saved from the terrible Calvin.
For now.