Kael did not return to Ashkar. He couldn’t because the moment he pulled away from the ridge overlooking Eron’s training ground, the pressure returned—subtle but unmistakable. Not pursue. Observation. The gods weren’t chasing him yet.
They were adjusting around him.
That was worse.
Kael sank deep into demon territory, moving through dead zones where even divine echoes struggled to form. His mind replayed Zarkhul’s empty eyes over and over, the way the false king had spoken like a line being read rather than a will being expressed.
I am the necessary terror, Kael clenched his jaw bo demon had ever defined themselves that way.
Demon kings were not created to be hated. They were answered. Born when the world required resistance. When the balance tipped too far toward order, demons emerged
