The people did not cheer Leo's name anymore.
They watched him with fear.
And in the night the whole city is quite.
The moon was big and round in the sky. Stars blinked, but the streets were dark. The wind blew gently. The guards were sleepy. Inside a small room in the castle, one hero sat alone.
His name was Leo.
He was one of the ten heroes summoned to this world. But now, people hated him. They believed he worked with the demon Varnak.
He did not.
He was innocent.
But no one believed him.
He sat on a small bed, looking at the floor. His face was pale. He had not eaten for two days.
"Why... why did this happen to me?" he whispered to himself. His hands were shaking.
He looked at his sword lying beside him. The sword of light. It used to shine bright. Now, it was dull. Like it lost its will.
Leo was not alone.
Someone stood outside his window. A boy with black hair and red eyes. A fake smile on his face.
Jin Haru.
The new owner of the demon heart.
He climbed inside the window like a shadow.
Leo heard a small sound and turned fast.
His eyes went wide.
"You! What are you doing here? This room is locked!"
Jin smiled. "Hello, Leo."
"You're the prince... Jin Haru. The kind one. The angel. Everyone loves you."
Jin stepped closer. His face was calm.
"Yes. They love me. But you don't, right?"
Leo stood up slowly. He grabbed his sword. "You framed me. Didn't you? You told lies about me."
Jin touched his chest. "Lies? Maybe. But people believed me. That means the lie became truth."
Leo shouted. "Why are you doing this? I never hurt anyone!"
Jin's eyes were cold. "Because I need your ability. And because you are my prey."
Leo ran at him with the sword.
But Jin was fast.
Too fast.
He moved like wind. One step and he was behind Leo. A small knife slid into Leo's back.
Leo gasped. His sword fell.
Blood dropped on the floor.
Jin whispered in his ear, "Sleep now, Leo. It's over."
Leo fell to the ground.
His eyes were open, but his breath stopped.
Jin wiped the knife.
He pulled open his system.
[You have killed Hero Leo] [Choose 1 Ability to Steal]
Available:
1. Sword of Light (Active)
2. Flash Step (Passive)
3. Iron Body (Passive)
Jin picked Flash Step.
[Skill Acquired: Flash Step – Your speed is now like lightning. Your steps can't be followed with the eye.]
He smiled.
He took Leo's hand and placed the knife into it.
Then, he wrote a small note:
I was weak. I could not handle the pain. I am sorry.
He left the window open.
He jumped out and disappeared into the night.
---
Morning came.
A servant opened the door to Leo's room. She screamed.
Guards came.
People gathered.
"Hero Leo is dead!"
"He... killed himself?"
The news spread fast.
Nobles shook their heads.
"So sad..."
"He was too young."
But they didn't really care.
The church made a small prayer.
The king looked serious but didn't say much.
Then, the other nine heroes arrived.
They looked at Leo's body.
One of them laughed.
"Good. One demon dog is dead."
"He was weak. He didn't deserve to be a hero."
"Let's move on. We have more important things to do."
None of them cried.
None of them asked if it was true.
They were happy.
---
Jin walked in the garden.
He had a soft smile on his face.
He wore a white robe.
Flowers bloomed around him.
"Prince Jin is so kind," said one maid.
"He visited the orphanage again yesterday," said another.
"He helped a sick man in the market," said an old woman.
Jin bowed kindly to the people.
His heart was calm.
But deep inside, he was laughing.
"One hero is gone. Nine more."
He whispered it to himself.
He opened his system again at night.
[Stats Updated]
Flash Step: Active
Speed increased by 60%. Step noise erased.
Jin tested it in his room.
He moved so fast, even his reflection was late.
He smiled wider.
---
Far away, deep underground, the demon Varnak sat in a black room.
He heard the news from a bat.
"Leo is dead."
Varnak laughed.
"I didn't even touch him. The boy did it."
He licked his lips.
"This prince... he's better than I thought."
He looked into the fire.
"Maybe... maybe he's the one I was waiting for."
But he didn't know.
Jin was not his toy.
Jin had his own plan.
Jin was not a puppet.
He was the player.
And more pieces were on the board.