Coker woke up with the sun in his eyes. His body hurt everywhere. He felt like he was on fire. But pain was not new for him. It was like a friend now, like the curse inside him. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was alone near a small river in demon land. Everything looked strange and quiet. The air smelled weird. The trees looked twisted and the ground was dry and cracked. It felt like the land was watching him.
He tried to remember what the demon said last night. "You carry the Demon King's curse." Those words kept running in his head. It felt heavy like a big chain pulling him down. But Coker didn't want to be pulled down. He wanted to break free. Maybe the power inside was not just a curse. Maybe it could be his strength too.
Coker sat up slow and looked at his hands. His fingers shook a little. The cursed power was still there, waiting to come out. He knew he had to be careful. If he lost control, he could hurt others. Or worse, hurt himself. That scared him more than any demon.
He stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The village, the people, even his own brother—they all hated him. They thought he was a monster. But inside, Coker felt that hate was also his fuel. He would not let their words break him. He wanted to prove them wrong. He wanted to show them he was more than their curses and screams.
"I will be stronger," he said quiet. His voice was rough from thirst and pain. "I will prove them all wrong."
Demon land was not kind to travelers. Coker learned that quick. Strange creatures moved in shadows, watching him with hungry eyes. Some were small and fast. Others were huge like mountains with sharp claws. Sometimes he thought the land wanted to eat him. But he kept walking. He had no choice.
Every day was a fight. Every day was a test. His cursed power grew, but so did the voices in his head. Sometimes they whispered lies. Sometimes truths too hard to hear. The Demon King inside him was not just a story. It was real. And it was waiting.
One evening, as the sun went down, Coker heard footsteps behind him. He turned fast, sword ready. His heart beat loud. Fear and anger mixed inside him.
A young girl came out from the trees. Her hair was wild and dark. Her eyes were sharp and curious. She wore old torn clothes and had scars on her arms. She looked like she belonged in this hard place.
"Who are you?" Coker asked, his voice low but careful.
The girl smiled, but it was not warm. "I'm Lira. I've been watching you."
Coker frowned. "Why?"
"Because you're different," she said. "You have the cursed power. That makes you special."
Coker relaxed a bit. "I don't want trouble."
Lira laughed soft. "Trouble finds those with darkness inside. You can't run from it."
Coker looked away. "Maybe I don't want to run. Maybe I want to fight."
Lira came closer, her eyes looking deep at him. "Then you need help."
"Help?" Coker asked careful.
"Yes," she said. "I know how to control that power. But it is not easy. Never is."
Coker thought for a moment. Trust was hard. People always hurt him. But something in Lira's voice felt true. Maybe she was the first who did not see him as just a curse.
"Okay," Coker said soft. "Teach me."
Lira smiled more. "Good. We start tomorrow."
That night, Coker sat by the fire thinking about his life. The hero was gone. The village hated him. His brother was the new hero in the kingdom. Loved and praised by all. And here he was, alone with a cursed power that could destroy him. The night was cold but the fire warmed him. He looked at stars and wished for one thing: a chance to be more than what they all thought.
Maybe... maybe this was his chance. To be new. To be strong.
Next day Lira taught Coker how to focus the cursed power. It was not about burning everything. It was about control. Using the fire inside without burning what he loves. The training was hard. Coker fell many times. His body hurt a lot. But Lira pushed him. She never gave up.
"Stop thinking you are a curse," she said. "You are more than that. You are the future."
Coker wanted to believe. He wanted hope. But the voices were loud. "You will fail," they said. "You are nothing."
Coker bit his lips. "No. I am not nothing."
Days passed. Weeks passed. Coker got stronger. But the cursed power was still a storm inside him. Sometimes when he pushed too hard, his eyes glowed red and smoke came out. He hated that. It scared him. But Lira told him all have darkness inside. Even heroes. The difference is what they choose to be.
One day, near a dark cave, a loud roar came. The ground shook. Lira's eyes got big with fear. "That's a strong demon," she said. "We must be careful."
Before Coker could move, a big creature came out of the cave. It was bigger than trees. Black scales covered its body. Eyes burned red like fire. Its claws were huge and sharp like swords. It breathed smoke and fire.
Coker's heart beat fast. This was no normal demon. This was danger.
The demon roared and ran at them.
Coker and Lira stood together. They had to fight.
The fight was hard. Coker used the cursed fire around his fists like wild flames. Lira shot sharp arrows that hit the demon. They fought like one.
The demon was strong but not unbreakable.
Coker felt his power grow. The voices stopped for a while. He felt control. He used all his power to hit the demon's heart. The demon screamed loud and fell down.
Coker gasped. He looked at Lira. She smiled proud.
"You are getting stronger," she said.
But Coker knew this was just the start.
The Demon King's curse was not easy to break.
The real fight was waiting.
As they rested, a shadow moved in the trees. Eyes glowed red.
"The vessel wakes," a voice whispered. "Time to take what is mine."
Coker did not know yet, but his path would meet fate, danger, and dark secrets.
Days after the fight were hard. Coker's body hurt from wounds and fight, but his mind hurt more. Every night, the voices were louder. They showed him fire and blood. The Demon King's power wanted to take over, to rule him.
One night, awake under stars, he heard the voice again.
"You cannot run from me."
Coker said back, "I don't run. I fight."
Suddenly, sky darkened and cold wind came. Coker stood, cursed power rising in his chest like a wild beast.
He had to choose.
Give in to curse and lose himself or fight for freedom.
The fight would be long. The road would be full of pain. But Coker's heart had hope.
"I will not fail," he said.
"I will be the hero my village needs even if they don't see me now."
As dawn broke, Coker took a deep breath.
The journey to break the curse and fight the Demon King had only begun.