2570 years ago

The night bled crimson.

Fire devoured the once-great stronghold of the Heavenly Demon, turning sacred halls into ruins. The scent of burning wood mixed with the iron tang of blood, and the air rang with the echoes of dying men.

At the center of the carnage, surrounded by the bodies of his disciples, he stood.

His dark robes, embroidered with symbols of his dominion, were tattered. His long black hair, once flowing like a king’s, was matted with blood. His crimson eyes, the eyes that had once commanded an empire, now glared at the five figures standing before him.

His most trusted subordinates. The ones he had raised from nothing. The ones he had called brothers.

Now, they stood over him, swords dripping with betrayal.

“Kang Muyeon… Jang Taeshik… Yoo Seonghwa… Han Woljin… and you, Lee Hyun.” His voice was hoarse, yet it carried the weight of an emperor’s fury. “You dare stand against me?”

The leader of the five, Lee Hyun, stepped forward. His face, once filled with reverence, now held only cold resolve. “It is over, my lord.”

A twisted smile curled on the Heavenly Demon’s lips. “Is it?”

Lee Hyun hesitated—but only for a moment. “We have no choice. Your reign has lasted too long. The world must change.”

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“The world?” The Heavenly Demon chuckled, dark and empty. “This is not about the world. This is about your greed.”

None of them denied it.

The Heavenly Demon sighed. He had seen this day coming. Perhaps, in his arrogance, he had ignored the signs. Perhaps he had underestimated the sickness called ambition.

But that did not mean he would fall easily.

He lunged.

His remaining strength erupted, shaking the ground beneath them. A dark storm of demonic energy lashed out, splitting the earth. The skies above trembled at his fury.

But even the heavens had turned against him.

The five traitors moved as one, their swords piercing his flesh. A perfect strike—something only possible after years of training under him.

Blood dripped from his lips. His vision blurred. And for the first time, he stumbled.

But even as darkness took him, he laughed.

A curse, ancient and powerful, whispered from his lips.

“I will return.”

And then, silence.

The great Heavenly Demon fell.

His body was sealed in a coffin, deep within an unmarked cave. Forgotten by time. Erased from history.

But fate is a cruel thing.

And it never forgets unfinished vengeance.

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Present Day – Seoul, South Korea

Rain poured heavily as Min Jae swerved his car recklessly through the winding mountain road. His breath reeked of alcohol. His hands trembled on the wheel.

He should have been happy. It was his one-year anniversary with Yoo Mira. They were supposed to celebrate. Instead, he found her in bed with another man.

His best friend.

His vision blurred—not from the alcohol, but from the betrayal stabbing deeper than any knife.

He slammed the gas pedal. The car sped forward, tires screeching. He didn’t care anymore.

Lightning flashed.

And then—a cave appeared out of nowhere.

His car crashed through stone, skidding violently into the darkness. The impact threw him forward. Pain. Blood. Silence.

Min Jae died.

And in that cave, something stirred.

A coffin, untouched for millennia, shattered open.

Two glowing red eyes snapped open.

The Heavenly Demon had returned.