Chapter Text
A thick night blanketed Kaizenic Castle. Darkness reigned over every corner, swathing the territory in a haunting void. Only the torches along the roadside atempted to pierce the gloom with their dim glow, like small candle flames in the middle of a vast nocturnal ocean. Beneath the shadow of the night, heavy and hurried footsteps echoed.
The ruler of Kaizenic, Kim Dokja, strode past with a threatening aura, his face adorned with an uncontrollable wrath. Something, or someone, had dared to disturb his slumber.
In front of the great hall, a woman knelt. Jung Heewon, commander of the third corps, was a formidable demon known for her sterness on the batlefield. Yet now, her body trembled under the fiery red gaze of her sovereign. "Forgive me for disturbing your rest, Your Majesty," her voice was firm, yet sounded awkward. "A human... has infiltrated our territory!" Sweat beaded on her temples, dripping onto the cold floor beneath her.
"What did you say?!" Dokja’s voice thundered, like a lightning bolt spliting the night sky. His eyes burned like two embers glowing in the dark. His clenched fists caused veins of fury to bulge, while a dark aura radiated from his body, making the surrounding air feel heavy. Mighty black wings unfurled, bringing a wind so cold it pierced through to the bone.
Jung Heewon’s body jolted under that power. She bowed deeper, trying to withstand the crushing pressure. "Our forces... have been deployed... to the location where the human was detected, Your Majesty!" she stamered, her voice thick with tension. "Please, have patience!"
The burning anger slowly subsided. Dokja’s wings folded gradually, and the sharp claws that had extended returned to their original form. His steps were full of dignity as he moved toward his throne, yet the threat had not entirely vanished.
"Bring that human before me. Alive." His voice was loud and cold, like a whip cuting through the air. The command made the hair on Heewon’s neck stand up. Quickly, she replied, "It shall be done, Your Majesty!" her voice full of conviction despite her racing heart.
The door closed with a loud thud, echoing through the dark corridors of the fortress.
The commander walked quickly, her cloak flutering under the dim light of the hanging torches. Soon, she leaped onto the back of her black horse, a fierce creature nicknamed "Night Demon" by her subordinates. The horse neighed sharply, as if responding to its master's anxiety. With a pull of the reins, they surged forward, breaking through the light drizle hanging in the bleak air.
On her belt, a legendary sword gifted by the Great One hung magnificently. The sword was not merely a weapon, but a symbol of strength and prestige. Its blade shimered red, as if thirsty for the blood to be harvested tonight. Every detail of its carvings radiated an intimidating aura.
The commander gripped the hilt for a moment, remembering the promise she made to herself when the sword was first placed in her hands: she would never fail in her duty.
A thick mist enveloped the Kaizenic region, a cursed land that often served as a hiding place for rebels. Accompanied by the sound of rain that began to fall heavily, the horse's hooves struck the ground steadily, breaking the haunting silence.
Under the moonlight obscured by gray clouds, the commander’s eyes shone sharply, a reflection of the demon blood flowing within her. Her perfect night vision was both a blessing and a curse, allowing her to read every detail, even in the deepest darkness.
From a distance, the shadows of her subordinates began to appear, surrounding something in the middle of the mist. They seemed restless, speaking to one another in confused tones. There was no sound of fighting, but there was a disturbing murmur of uncertainty.
The commander spurred her horse faster, halting the creature with a sharp tug when she arrived in the middle of the crowd.
"The commander has arrived!" one of the men exclaimed, his voice a mix of relief and panic. The others imediately made way, opening a space for the leader to see more clearly.
The commander jumped down from her horse in one graceful motion. Her boots hit the wet ground as she approached the crowd. Her steps were firm, her eyes sweeping over the faces of her subordinates who seemed hesitant to speak.
"What is happening here?" her voice echoed with an unquestionable authority.
However, not one of them answered imediately. Their faces were full of confusion and fear, as if hiding something dificult to explain. The commander frowned, gripping the hilt of her sword more tightly. The tension felt like a rope tightening around all their necks.
"I do not like waiting," she added coldly, her voice as sharp as the blade she carried.One of them finally spoke, a trembling voice piercing the silence. "Commander... we found something, but... it is not what we expected..."
Jung Heewon pushed through the crowd of her men with hurried steps, wanting to see imediately what had caused them to gather. In the center of the circle, hidden by the large bodies of the soldiers, she found the source of the commotion: a human baby.
The infant lay on the wet grass, fast asleep, oblivious to the haunting atmosphere around her. Heewon frowned, her eyes narrowing as she studied the small creature. Still alive, yet fragile, like a thin thread ready to snap at any moment.
Her men murmured softly, exchanging confused glances. No one expected that the infiltrator they were hunting would turn out to be just a helpless baby.
Gong Pildu, the vice-commander, arrived from the west with hurried steps. He let out a heavy sigh before speaking, "We found her almost eaten by a wild demon. We saved her just in time." He paused, his eyes looking at Heewon with doubt. "Should we kill her?" he asked coldly.
"No," Heewon cut in with a firm voice. Her face was serious, leaving no room for argument. "Bring this baby before His Majesty."
"What?!" Gong Pildu jolted, the expensive cigar he was holding falling to the ground.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious, Commander?!" Restless whispers from the other soldiers began to fill the air, like a small storm threatening to explode.
Heewon took a heavy breath, clicking her tongue in anoyance. "I received direct orders to bring this human safely."
Pildu stared blankly, his face pale. "You know what His Majesty is like, right...?"
Before Pildu could finish speaking, a cold wind suddenly blew sharply, piercing to the bone. The air around them grew heavy, carrying with it an aura that oppressed the soul.
They all knew, without needing to look, who the owner of this aura was.
"Like what, Vice-Commander?" A deep, echoing voice filled the air, causing several soldiers to faint instantly.
Above them, a pair of giant black wings flapped, bringing a man gliding down with a deadly elegance. His red eyes glowed like embers, piercing through the darkness. Kim Dokja, the Demon King of the Underworld, had arrived.
Dokja hovered low, his threatening eyes glancing down. His expression shifted slightly, in disbelief, as he saw a small human baby lying in the middle of the crowd. "A human..." he murmured, almost inaudible.He descended slowly, treading upon the wet ground with steps full of dignity.
The air felt increasingly heavy as he approached the infant. All eyes were on him, but no one dared to move. He leaned down, reaching for the baby with one hand, holding her like a worthless sack.
"This baby will not last long," he said flatly, without emotion. His red eyes stared at the small face, noting the clear traces of sufering depicted there.
"Will the baby be abandoned, Your Majesty?" Heewon finally asked, her voice catching. She knew this was dangerous, but her heart was filled with a pity she could not ignore.
"Yes," Dokja answered curtly, as if unwilling to waste any more time.
Heewon’s heart raced. She sumoned the courage to step forward. "E-even though the infiltrator is only a baby?" Dokja’s red eyes glowed brighter, staring at Heewon coldly.
"Repeat your words, Commander of the Third Corps, Jung Heewon."
The uncomfortable atmosphere began to feel sufocating. Gong Pildu imediately stepped forward, trying to difuse the tension. "Forgive my commander, Your Majesty!"
He bowed his head deeply, asking for mercy on Heewon’s behalf. Heewon finally bowed as well, her voice faint but firm. "Forgive my naivety, Your Majesty. We entrust this baby to you. We request permission to withdraw."
Dokja did not answer, only casting a sharp gaze. Heewon’s men imediately retreated, leaving the king and the baby alone.
Dokja stood there in silence, leting time hang. His eyes stared at the baby lying cold on the wet ground, her tiny body shivering under the drizle. The rain fell slowly, as if the sky itself were grieving.
A sense of reluctance crossed his face; without a second thought, he turned his body, his steps moving away as if leaving behind a destiny he never asked for.
However, the world rarely allowed a soul like Dokja to live in peace. From a corner of the darkness, a wild demon leaped toward the baby, a hunger reaching its peak.
But before the creature could touch the baby's fragile skin, its body stopped in mid-air, split in two with unimaginable speed.
Black flames enveloped the demon's body, burning it into ashes that vanished with the wind.
When the last of the ash disappeared from sight, Dokja was already standing with the baby in his arms. Claws as sharp as dagers slowly merged back into human form. The Demon King sighed, a heavy sigh full of an exhaustion invisible to ordinary eyes.
He stared at the baby with a sharp gaze, a look that should have made anyone cower in fear.
"Weak," he murmured coldly, his voice like the whisper of a cold wind on a silent night.
He looked up at the weeping sky, rain weting his face, creating clear lines as if wanting to wash away sins.
With a long, heavy sigh, Dokja held the baby tighter, shielding her from the cold that no longer bothered him. His steps changed direction, toward the great castle that stood magnificently in the silence, a place feared even by the darkness itself.
"This is only a temporary decision," he whispered softly, yet his steps never faltered.
The baby squirmed weakly in his arms, and unconsciously, a piercing feeling of pain stabbed deep into his heart.
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Kaizenic Castle, which had stood magnificent and silent like an old tombstone, now buzed with whispers and hurried footsteps. Servants and guards rushed from one corridor to another, carrying news that sounded too impossible to believe.
The fact was, their king, who so hated humans, was now bringing a human baby.
"The King... brought a human... into the castle?" a servant whispered with wide eyes.
"Not a human," another replied, their face still pale. "A baby. A human baby!"
An old servant with black horns winced, "Still so red. Her crying... it sounds like a curse."
The news spread rapidly throughout the palace, from the servants to the soldiers. From the kitchens to the highest towers, from the dungeons to the long-abandoned banquet halls, every inhabitant of the castle discussed it.
The corridor leading to the main hall grew tense as a figure approached—someone who usually preferred to watch chaos from a distance. Han Sooyoung, the secret advisor of the kingdom, was a woman with a tongue as sharp as a dager and an intellect that could strip a lie bare with a single glance.
She was a derelict demon whom Dokja had brought from nowhere hundreds of years ago.
She descended the tower stairs slowly, her long cloak flutering. Her metal heels echoed sharply, creating a rhythm that made anyone in the corridor hold their breath. She was not the strongest demon, but no one was foolish enough to underestimate her, especially since she was the most trusted woman of the King. No one dared to defy her orders.
Upon arriving at the main hall, her sharp cat-like eyes imediately found the most nonsensical sight in a thousand years of Kaizenic history.
Kim Dokja, the Demon King of the Underworld, sat upon his throne... with a human baby wrapped in a coat, fast asleep in his arms.
Sooyoung raised an eyebrow and leaned against a pillar, not speaking imediately. But when Dokja’s eyes met hers, she offered a lopsided smile. "I only leave for a few days to the Tower of Darkness, and when I return, you’ve become a babysiter?" her voice was calm but biting.
"You must be joking, right, Kim Dokja?" Using his name was common between them. Who else in this demon world would dare call the King by his name? Only Sooyoung could. And only she was permited to do so.
Dokja simply looked at her, unprovoked. "I never joke about maters I have already decided."
Sooyoung stepped closer, staring at the baby for a long moment. Her face grew serious.
"You know everyone is going mad right now, don't you? The Northern Demon nobles are threatening to break the alliance, and the castle staf think the King has lost his mind. And do not forget this: you have brought human blood into the heart of the underworld's power."
"I know," Dokja answered shortly.
"And you don't care?" Sooyoung moved in closer, her gaze piercing this time. "Or do you care too much?"
Silence hung between them for a moment.
"This baby will not survive without protection," Dokja finally stated.
He reached his hand out to the side, a slow but powerful movement. From behind a curtain adorned with magical embroidery, a demon woman with flaming red hair appeared—Asuka Ren. Her steps were calm, nearly silent, but her aura was sharp enough to pierce the air.
Kim Dokja rose from his throne. In his arms, the small baby squirmed slightly, not yet understanding the world moving around her.
With an unreadable, flat expression, Dokja handed the baby into the arms of Asuka Ren.
"Asuka Ren."
His voice was heavy and deep, echoing in the hall like thunder. The name was not just a call; it was a command. Asuka Ren bowed deeply. Even a demon as strong as she could not resist the weight of the King's voice.
"I understand, Your Majesty. Leave her to me."
Dokja stared at her for a moment—a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through layers of her soul, stripping away every intention and every hidden tremor behind her calm face.
Then he sat back down. The black throne welcomed his back. With a single flick of his hand, he gave a signal.
Asuka Ren turned, appearing to understand her King’s intent. She bowed once more and walked away with the baby in her arms.
Dokja let out a soft breath and looked at Han Sooyoung. "I have made my decision, Han Sooyoung."
Sooyoung snorted, then turned, walking a few steps away before finally leting out a soft laugh. "You really are crazy." She spun around, looking at Dokja over her shoulder.
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The East Tower of Kaizenic Castle had been unused for a long time, a former place of torture before it was baned by Kim Dokja himself. The stones of the walls were damp and mossy, and the ceilings still held the remains of old chains that had not yet been removed.
Now, that tower became the residence of the only human baby in the demon territory.
Days passed mercilessly at Kaizenic Castle. Rain fell at times, then stopped. However, the cold atmosphere never truly left. In one of the rear towers of the castle, hidden fromthe bustle of the batlefield and the debates of the demon nobles, a human baby grew in silence.
She had not been given a name yet. She was known only as the Nameless Child, or more often called the "Litle Creature" by the servants.
Daily, the baby was cared for by demon servants assigned in shifts. Some felt disgust, others felt fear, but many secretly felt pity. Among them, only one always arrived on time and with full atention: Asuka Ren, the young servant who used to only clean the armory.
The servants assigned there came and went, each with their own opinions.
"Smells like a human," grumbled one servant named Jiwon, a beautiful demon with snake-like eyes who always carried incense to mask the baby's scent. "I can't believe the King ordered us to look after this."
"Quiet. You know the orders," interrupted Asuka, who now spent more time in that room than in her own quarters. She had even begun to memorize the baby's crying paterns and sleeping hours.
"Her eyes are big... and strange. But cute," said Servant Iris, a demon with small horns, when she saw the baby laugh for the first time.
"I think she's choking," Selena Kim answered curtly, but even she set aside food scraps to be finely mashed for the child, pretending to complain while tasting it first. "This is too bland. But she's human, right? It should suit her."
They never said they cared. But one by one, they began leaving handmade toys in the corner of the bed—dolls made of coarse cloth, balls of animal fur, and shards of dark crystal that could reflect the moonlight.
And every night, though there was no official anouncement, they all knew the night of the visit had arrived.
Sella would clean the room early, arranging the baby's linens as best as possible.
Everyone would leave the room quickly, not wanting to face the King of the Underworld directly.
They did not know what happened during those visits. Only that the human baby was always calmer the next morning. Time moved slowly, and the baby began to crawl.
She began to laugh. She began to cry for no reason, only to be met by a panicked Asuka and other servants who pretended not to care, despite always appearing within five seconds.
It was Asuka who changed her linens, put her to sleep, and fed her a special potion because a human body was not strong enough to drink demon milk.
She was also the one who sang ancient underworld songs in a soft voice that could only be heard in that small room at the end of the tower corridor.
Outside that room, life continued with violence. The war between demons and humans raged. Kim Dokja, as the supreme leader, was busy holding the fortress, leading tactics, and facing internal rebellions. He only visited once a week, on the seventh day near midnight.
Silently, without anouncement. Usually when all the servants were asleep.
He would stand in the doorway, his tall frame a silhouete visible only by the moonlight.
Asuka Ren, if she was not yet asleep, would imediately stand and bow in silence. She knew not to speak unless asked. Dokja would step closer. His face was flat, devoid of a smile.
He would stare at the sleeping baby, sometimes observing the rhythm of her breath, sometimes just standing like a stone statue.
He never touched her. He never spoke. He simply stood there for a few minutes. Then he would leave.
This continued for weeks.
Asuka never understood the King's intentions. But she knew one thing: even though he never touched or embraced her, the King always came.
And on a certain night, when the rain was so heavy it felt like the world was collapsing, the baby cried loudly—a long shriek that echoed through the corridors.
Asuka tried to soothe her. Her rocking didn't work. Neither demon nor human songs provided comfort. The baby continued to cry until the entire castle seemed shaken by that small voice; some demons whispered it was the sound of a curse.
For the first time, the sound of footsteps arrived early. Not at midnight. It was still nine o'clock, but Kim Dokja stood at the door. His face was dark, his cloak wet from the rain. But he entered. This time, he didn't just stand.
He approached. And when the crying did not stop, he leaned down and picked up the baby for the first time since that night. The baby suddenly went silent, merely curling up in his arms. Asuka held her breath.
Kim Dokja stared at the small creature coldly.
Blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness."Noisy," he murmured softly, but he did not put the baby back in the bed.
That night, Dokja sat in an old chair in the corner of the room, holding the human baby who had fallen back to sleep. And Asuka, fully awake that night, stood in the corner of the room.
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