Kaelthar did not know how many times he had fed since he first realized that crying was the key to comfort.

  Time inside a baby’s body did not feel like time. There were no calculations, no grand strategies—only a sequence of sensations that came and went.

  Yet something had begun to bother him.

  Each time warm milk flowed into his mouth, the comfort it brought did not spread through his entire body the way negative emotions once had when he was a demon. Hatred, fear, and anger had always merged with him completely—flowing through every fiber of his being, strengthening his muscles and sharpening his mind.

  This milk was different.

  The warm sweetness felt… confined. Focused in one place.

  His mouth.

  Kaelthar began to notice this when he stopped feeding earlier than usual. His stomach was full, his body warm, but something lingered—a faint sensation on his tongue, like an echo that had not finished fading.

  Why only here? he wondered in confusion.

  He moved his tiny tongue, tasting the remnants of sweetness still clinging to it. The sensation was soft, pleasant, and strangely… intriguing.

  He swallowed again, hoping the taste would spread the way hatred once spread through his entire being.

  But it didn’t.

  The sensation remained there.

  Local.

  Limited.

  This made him curious.

  As a demon, he had never tasted food.

  Demons did not eat—they absorbed.

  There was no process, no organs for tasting, no tongue wondering, what does this feel like?

  Negative energy simply became power.

  But this human body…

  Was different.

  Carefully—as carefully as a baby could manage—Kaelthar lifted his hand. The movement was clumsy and slow, his fingers still not entirely obedient. His hand hovered in front of his face, opening and closing as though he had just realized this object belonged to him.

  He stared at it for a long time.

  This… is mine, he thought.

  He moved one finger.

  It moved.

  He moved it again.

  There was a direct connection—intention and motion, without aura, without emotional energy.

  Curiosity growing quickly, Kaelthar placed one of his fingers into his mouth.

  And the world stopped.

  The touch—tiny finger meeting tongue—created a sensation entirely new.

  Not like milk.

  Not like warmth.

  Not like emotion.

  This was… awareness of touch.

  He could feel himself.

  The texture of his finger.

  The light pressure.

  The temperature of his skin.

  His tongue reacted, moving, touching back.

  A sensory dialogue he had never possessed before.

  Kaelthar was stunned.

  He pulled the finger out, then placed it back into his mouth—this time deeper.

  The sensation returned, clearer.

  His tongue explored the surface of the skin, the small folds, the faint salty taste lingering there.

  Oh… he murmured internally.

  This wasn’t food.

  It wasn’t energy.

  But it was… enjoyable.

  And most surprising of all—it was a choice.

  No demonic instinct forced him to do it.

  No hunger drove him.

  He did it because he was curious.

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  He removed his finger again, stared at it, then placed it back with a slightly different angle.

  The sensation changed.

  Stronger.

  More interesting.

  Kaelthar began to understand something important.

  The human tongue was not a survival tool like a demon’s claws or fangs.

  It was a tool of experience.

  Not to conquer the world—

  but to feel it.

  And if touching something with his tongue created such sensations…

  What would happen if he tried something else?

  The opportunity came soon enough.

  Seraphina placed him back in his small bed, covering him with a soft blanket. Around him were several small objects—baby toys made of smooth wood and cloth.

  Kaelthar stared at one of them.

  A small wooden ring with rounded edges.

  With some difficulty, he grabbed it.

  His fingers were clumsy, but he managed to hold it.

  He lifted it toward his face.

  And without hesitation—without shame—he placed it in his mouth.

  The sensation was different again.

  The wood was hard.

  Cool.

  Slightly bitter.

  Not pleasant like milk, but fascinating.

  His tongue explored its surface, discovering differences in texture, edges, faint tastes he could not yet name.

  Kaelthar was mesmerized.

  This… is like emotion, he thought slowly.

  But it does not attack. It does not force.

  If negative emotions were storms crashing against a demon’s existence, then taste was…

  a whisper.

  Subtle.

  Layered.

  Changing depending on what was touched.

  He tried the edge of the blanket next.

  Soft.

  Almost tasteless.

  But calming.

  He tried the edge of his clothing.

  Warm.

  Familiar.

  Each object offered a different sensation.

  And Kaelthar began collecting these sensations within himself.

  For humans, this was simply a natural phase of infancy.

  For Kaelthar…

  it was the discovery of a new dimension of existence.

  He was no longer merely absorbing the world.

  He was feeling it.

  And he liked it.

  In his mind, he began categorizing sensations the way he once categorized emotions:

  sweet

  bitter

  warm

  cold

  hard

  soft

  Not power.

  Not weakness.

  But experience.

  When Seraphina returned and saw her daughter placing a toy in her mouth, she simply smiled.

  “Oh, are you starting to explore the world?” she said gently.

  Kaelthar did not fully understand her words.

  But if this was what humans called discovering the world…

  then this world was far more interesting than he had ever imagined.

  And for the first time, Kaelthar realized something that changed his perspective forever:

  As a demon, he lived on the emotions of others.

  As a human, he could experience the world himself.

  And strangely…

  it felt far richer.

  Meanwhile, Aurelia—now living as Kaelthar—stood firmly before her demon parents.

  A heavy dark aura filled the room like thick fog, making the air itself difficult to breathe. Yet she forced herself to remain standing, even as her large, muscular body trembled beneath the overwhelming power of the Demon King.

  Behind her, Anna sat with empty eyes.

  Her gray gaze was lifeless, reflecting neither emotion nor awareness. The human who once showed fear, hope, and even courage was now nothing more than a hollow shell.

  Seeing her like this made Aurelia’s chest tighten.

  This is my fault, she thought bitterly. I destroyed what I was meant to protect.

  Before her stood the Demon King, tall and imposing, a cruel smile on his face.

  “At last,” he said, his voice echoing through the chamber. “My child has shown his potential. You may have failed before, but now you have proven yourself worthy of becoming my successor.”

  Beside him, the Demon Queen smiled faintly.

  “You did what was necessary, Kaelthar. That human was only a tool. Now she has given everything to make you stronger. That is their role. That is what you must do as Demon King.”

  Inside Kaelthar’s body, Aurelia clenched her fists tightly.

  She wanted to argue.

  She wanted to scream that this was never her choice.

  But she knew any wrong word might expose her true identity.

  And worse—

  it might endanger Anna.

  The Demon King stepped forward, his dark aura intensifying.

  The air felt crushed beneath its weight.

  Aurelia’s massive body trembled as the pressure bore down on her. Her knees nearly buckled, but she forced herself to remain standing.

  She stood between the Demon King and Anna, shielding the fragile human body behind her.

  “Why are you standing there, my child?” the Demon King asked coldly.

  “That human is no longer useful. She is nothing but trash now. There is no reason for you to protect her.”

  Aurelia steadied her breathing.

  “She… may still be useful,” she replied in Kaelthar’s deep voice. “If I need another source of energy, she can still serve a purpose.”

  The Demon King paused, then laughed softly.

  “You are beginning to think like a true leader.”

  His smile widened.

  “But do not let softness weaken you. Weakness is destruction. As the Demon King, you must never show mercy. Remember that.”

  Aurelia nodded silently, though disgust churned inside her.

  Without mercy… what separates us from monsters?

  Despite the tension, Aurelia’s thoughts kept returning to Anna.

  In her previous life as the Holy Queen, she possessed the power to heal wounded souls like Anna’s.

  Anna could still be saved.

  But not here.

  Not in the demon world.

  She needed holy power.

  She needed the other Aurelia.

  The real Aurelia.

  But bringing Anna to the human world would be nearly impossible.

  As Kaelthar—the Demon King—she would be humanity’s greatest enemy.

  If she entered the human realm in this body, they would hunt her relentlessly.

  And if she failed to protect Anna…

  Anna’s fate would be worse than death.

  Yet Aurelia could not leave her like this.

  I will save her.

  I will bring her to the human world somehow.

  I must find the other Aurelia.

  But first, she had to survive here.

  She had to play the role of Kaelthar—the ruthless heir of the Demon King.

  Only then could she gain enough power and freedom to escape.

  “Father,” Aurelia finally said calmly.

  “I will prove myself worthy of being your successor. But I need time to refine my power. I want to fully utilize this human to develop my abilities.”

  The Demon King stared at her, his glowing red eyes searching for hidden motives.

  After a long silence, he nodded.

  “Very well.”

  “Show me what you are capable of, Kaelthar.”

  “Prove that you are more than a failure.”

  The Demon Queen stepped forward with a cold smile.

  “Do not disappoint us again, my child.”

  Then they left.

  The moment the door closed, the crushing pressure vanished.

  Aurelia nearly collapsed.

  She steadied herself and looked at Anna again.

  I will save you.

  I will find a way out of this hell.

  To bring Anna to the human realm, Aurelia knew she needed both strength and strategy.

  She must gain her parents’ trust.

  She must build a reputation as a ruthless heir.

  Even if every step betrayed her heart.

  Most importantly, she had to find a way to reach the other Aurelia.

  If they could meet…

  perhaps together they could break the cycle of hatred and destruction between demons and humans.

  For now, she could only begin with small steps.

  She knelt before Anna.

  “I promise,” she whispered softly.

  “I will fix this. I will bring you back.”

  Anna did not respond.

  But Aurelia continued.

  “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I won’t give up.”

  She stood again, determination burning within her.

  The road ahead would be long and dangerous.

  But she would not retreat.

  If I must become the Demon King to save a single life…

  Then I will become a different kind of Demon King.

  Beyond her chamber doors, the demon world continued to spin—filled with intrigue, violence, and ambition.

  Threats would come from every direction:

  From her parents.

  From her siblings.

  From the people who wished to see her fall.

  But Aurelia was ready.

  This was no longer just about saving Anna.

  It was about proving that even in the deepest darkness…

  light could still shine.