Kyros' POV (The Main Character)

I woke up with a splitting headache. Groaning, I reached for a glass of water and got ready for the day. Today, I planned to test something for the upcoming entrance exam — the practical part, specifically. I figured it might impress the judges, and since I had eight weeks until the exams, with the journey there taking two weeks, I had time to perfect it.

As I brushed my teeth, I heard the front door creak open. Leaning out of the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of my brother, Talon, through the front window. He seemed upset, though I didn’t dwell on it. Talon was strong; he could fix whatever was bothering him. Probably.

I grabbed my journal, filled with the notes and research I’d been compiling for months. It was a jumble of information about magic — the four types and eight distinct styles, each with its strengths and limitations. Very few dared to combine the styles, and even then, most never succeeded. Today, I intended to break that boundary, to combine two styles and create something that could revolutionize demon society, or at least, the magic users within it.

But those were just my thoughts. The reality might be different.

Still, something within me told me that nearly anything could be achieved with magic, if I had the will.

I boarded a horse-drawn buggy, paying the driver to take me to a field just outside of town. I leaned back in the seat and looked out the window, memories of simpler times drifting into my mind. Talon and I had been so different even as kids. I remembered the time he tried to catch a rabbit. He couldn't, of course, so we made a competition of it. I won by setting a trap.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I smiled at the memory, but soon enough, we arrived at the field. The wind was gentle, and a few fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the sky. The place was perfect for what I needed. After paying the driver and watching him disappear over the horizon, I turned to the task at hand.

I took a deep breath, clasping my hands together near my chest, fingers interwoven, symbolizing the gathering of mana. Slowly, I spread my hands apart, palms facing outward in front of me, my hands making circular motions over my chest as though forming a sphere of energy. As I parted my hands, my index and middle fingers extended, forming the channels of mana flow, guiding it into a recycling pattern.

To seal the spell, I brought my palms together in a sudden motion, concentrating the energy at a single point between my hands. Then, I pointed towards myself, directing the flow of energy to my core.

"Vitae in circulum, fluxus ad infinitum," I intoned.

At first, I felt a slow trickle of mana, then an overwhelming surge. My entire body began to burn with energy, as if every muscle were aflame. I tried to hold on to consciousness, but before I knew it, everything went black.

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Demon King's POV

The world was nothing but an endless expanse of white.

I had no body, no sense of direction. Maybe the soul-infused sword had banished me, much like the prototype had done to others in the past. But this... this was different. In the banished world, I had at least retained my senses, though touch was lost to me. Here, I had nothing. Just the white void. Occasionally, I heard voices — faint, excited, sometimes angry. But that was rare, and when it happened, I could barely make sense of them.

I wondered if I had been reincarnated, perhaps into a body that was blind, deaf, and paralyzed. That seemed to make the most sense now. The thought was grim, but it was the only explanation that fit.

The choice to reincarnate had felt like the right one at the time, but now, with no sense of the world and no emotions to cling to, regret began to creep in. What had I done? Was this my eternity?

And if I ever felt again, would it even matter?