It was almost eight in the morning when I opened my eyes.
The sunlight pierced straight through the window and hit my face, forcing me awake.
I sat on the bed, resting my elbows on my knees, thinking.
What am I supposed to do next?
My mind replayed the events of the morning—the man in black… the so-called "demon sword," who claimed I was either the Demon Lord or the Hero.
I didn't know what I was.
I didn't know why I was here, who brought me, or what fate was chasing me.
But one thing was clear:
Everything was slowly climbing toward me.
And I had no way to refuse.
A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts.
Not the window this time.
When I opened it, the princess from yesterday stood there, waiting.
She greeted me gently, and I greeted her back.
It felt strangely normal—even though we had just met yesterday.
Maybe it was because she trusted me… and I trusted her back.
"May I come in?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied. "It's your castle. I'm the one borrowing the room."
She stepped inside, then hesitated.
"May I… sit on the bed? I want to talk about yesterday."
"Why sit here?" I asked. "Let's walk around instead. Show me the castle… or the market. I need a change of scenery. My head is still heavy from everything."
She agreed, and we headed toward the city.
As we walked, we talked about yesterday, and I thought about telling her what happened this morning…
But I couldn't.
Even a fool like me understood—one wrong word, and I could be labeled an enemy with terrifying power.
I tried to stay calm.
But she could see through me.
Her eyes always saw the truth.
"What are you hiding?" she asked softly. "We trusted each oth—"
WHOOSH!
Before she could finish, a spear sliced through the air and stabbed the ground between us.
She gasped.
They missed her by inches.
Dozens of soldiers—maybe seventy—charged toward us.
Our side had fifteen people at most.
I watched the guards fall one after another.
One down.
Two down.
Three down.
Four… ten… twelve…
These weren't enemy casualties.
They were our people dying.
Panic surged through me.
I grabbed the princess and screamed with everything inside me:
"COME FORTH!"
A dark aura erupted from my body—
then everything went black as fear swallowed me whole.
I fainted.
—
When I opened my eyes, I saw a white ceiling.
A hospital ceiling.
I blinked.
A hospital?
Here?
There wasn't supposed to be anything this modern in that kingdom…
I checked the date—
one day after the sleep-paralysis incident.
Had everything…
everything until now…
been a dream?
The nurse entered.
"Oh, you're awake! You slept for 14 hours. There was a robbery at your house yesterday. Your neighbors saved you. Your parents are waiting outside—"
My ears went numb.
"…my parents?"
I don't have parents.
Not anymore.
They abandoned me years ago.
"What kind of joke is that?" I snapped.
"This isn't funny."
"Sir," she said, confused, "your parents brought you here. You live with—"
The door opened.
My mother rushed in, hugging me tightly.
My father followed behind her.
"Finally," my mother cried.
My father smiled. "Get a grip, son. You're fine."
Tears fell from my eyes before I even realized it.
But deep down, I knew—
This was fake.
All of it.
I shoved them away.
"Don't pretend," I said.
"That's what you've always been good at."
Their shocked faces blurred.
The world turned black again.
A voice echoed in the darkness—
deep, loyal, familiar.
"My lord… you have finally awakened 10% of your power."
"My… what?"
"You completed the first trial: My Desires.
You chose what you truly want, and what is false.
You called all of us at once—your entire army.
Your magic was drained completely.
But in return, your power has increased a hundredfold."
The darkness dissolved.
Light poured in.
The first thing I saw—
the princess
holding my head on her lap,
surrounded by dozens of my troops guarding her while the corpses of the enemy lay crushed around them.
I exhaled slowly.
Nothing felt strange anymore.
I just whispered:
"Let me… out of the darkness."
And the world welcomed me back.
To be continued…