Zelyn, who once lived as Thomas, despite dying in his world in a way that would be called anything but honorable, at some point during his life thought that if he died one day, he would find peace in the other world.
But that thought of hope quickly unraveled when he met a deity so arrogant and unpleasant that he only mocked him and treated him as less than trash.
Zelyn couldn't help but remember it upon hearing a person as haughty as Leonor, who had recently interrupted them and now forced them to go before the Demon King.
'Fuck, remembering that gives me a headache. And it would be weird to ask who that bitch was now. I guess I'll remember at some point,' thought Zelyn while leaving the room behind Circe, on the way to the Demon King's throne.
"If that person realizes I'm not the real Zelyn, he'll kill me immediately…" she murmured.
Although the memories Zelyn had were blurry images that didn't allow for much information to be perceived, she could notice something strange: she had no memory of the Demon King's face.
When trying to think of him, the only thing she managed to evoke was a distant silhouette and the sensation of a deep fear that the previous host of that body seemed to have felt.
It was a fear so deep-seated that not even memories could show his face clearly.
"Did you say something, Miss?" Circe asked.
"It's nothing… let's just continue."
She followed Circe through the hallways toward the throne room. She noticed her unease; it was normal, they were going to see the Demon King.
Zelyn walked behind Circe. She brought her hands to her cheeks; they were cold. They entered the hall where the Demon King was located, a wide space, illuminated by fire lamps with rounded shapes suspended from the ceiling.
Two demons, clearly of a higher caste, tall and handsome, stood a few meters from the center of the hall. Circe and Zelyn moved forward until they stood in front of the throne.
Zelyn fixed her gaze on the throne. The demon sitting there had his hand resting on his chin, with his forearm leaning on the arm of the throne.
Circe immediately knelt before the Demon King.
"Father…" Zelyn said. The words came out on their own.
"Idiot. When you are before the Demon King, you will call him Your Majesty," one of the demons present immediately reprimanded her.
"Agh…"
Zelyn groaned in pain. She felt how her knees began to burn, a slow but intense pain.
Circe grabbed her by the shorts, pulling her to force her to kneel. But Zelyn, due to the pain, fell into a sitting position with a stifled groan; her knees were red, deteriorating and smoking.
"Aedan, enough," the other demon spoke.
"Ha. Igniel… you are very considerate of her."
Suddenly, the rising pain diminished.
'Was it that Aedan guy? Did that bastard do this...?', thought Zelyn, still with the burning sensation in her knees, although she didn't know exactly how he had managed to cause that pain.
Then she looked at Circe. She was still holding her shorts; her hands were trembling and her gaze was fixed on the floor with an expression loaded with fear. In that instant, foreign memories hit her mind.
'These two… are my brothers.'
"Zelyn…" The hoarse and intimidating voice came from the throne.
She immediately felt a shiver run through her from head to toe.
"Y-yes…" she responded, nervously.
"Since I brought you here, I hoped that, however minimal, you would have some result. But you only cause problems, I receive nothing but complaints about you and on top of everything, you steal from me."
'Eh? Steal? Me?'
"I want you to immediately return the relic you stole." The Demon King ordered.
Zelyn was going to respond, but a loud sound resonated, echoing throughout the hall. It came from her stomach.
"Idiot. Do you dare to mock His Majesty?" Aedan spoke, irritated.
"Hng…"
In the instant Aedan finished his sentence, Zelyn thought she heard a stifled groan, loaded with fear.
'Circe?' She turned her head to look at her, but suddenly a cloud of steam and smoke appeared in front of them, stirring the wind around them; a gust that ruffled her hair forcefully.
She didn't know what had happened, but there was a huge fire bird with its back to her and, in front, remains of flames dispersing in the air.
"Why are you defending her, Igniel? That idiot must be taught a lesson!" Aedan reproached.
"Haha, calm down, calm down, Aedan. Father, Zelyn has just awakened and must be hungry. Let her go and allow me to handle this situation, yes?"
"Stupid…" Aedan grumbled, irritated.
"...Very well. I will leave her in your hands," the Demon King pronounced.
"Haha, Zelyn, you really are funny. Go eat something and heal those wounds."
"Y-yes…" Zelyn responded, by inertia.
While she walked, the words resonated in her head.
'Daughter of the Demon King…'
Zelyn had too many questions.
'There is no doubt that shitty deity just wanted to fuck with me.'
Even though her new life had just begun.
It was already full of problems.