When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a hard, uneven surface. The room was dimly lit, with a single flickering candle casting long shadows on the rough wooden walls.

A small window with tattered curtains allowed a sliver of moonlight to filter in, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The air was damp and smelled of mildew, making me shiver involuntarily.

Where am I?

My heart raced as I tried to push myself up. A rush of memories and knowledge flooded my mind. Pain seared through my head, forcing me to clutch it in agony.

Yep, not the best way to wake up.

Gradually, the pain subsided, leaving behind fragments of a new language and information about a strange, new world. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings.

The room was sparse, with only a wooden bed, a rickety table, and a single chair. It was far from the grand castle I had expected.

What happened to me?

I looked down at my hands, now pale and marked with intricate runes. My eyes caught the faint glow of the runes on my arms. Touching my head, I felt small horns barely protruding through my hair.

I'm not just Noah anymore... I'm Azazel? Seriously?

The realization hit me hard. I don't remember any character named Azazel. Who is Azazel? I questioned myself, my mind racing to piece together the information.

I stood up and walked over to a small mirror on the wall. My reflection stared back at me: midnight black hair, striking crimson eyes with slit pupils, pale alabaster skin, and slightly pointed ears. I looked every bit the part of a demon prince, but I felt anything but powerful.

My eyes widened in shock. "Why am I a demon?!" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Panic set in as I touched my small horns again, feeling their rough texture. My breath quickened, and I felt a tightness in my chest.

This can't be happening. This can't be real. Someone wake me up, please.

I remembered the hostile eyes of my classmates, the fear and suspicion directed at me. My heart pounded as I recalled Jason's furious voice echoing through the void. The memory of those hostile eyes and the fear of what lay ahead caused my anxiety to spike.

Why is this happening to me? My thoughts raced, the overwhelming reality crashing down on me.

I don't want this... I never asked for this...

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out the chaos around me. The room seemed to tilt, and my vision began to blur at the edges. I took deep, shaky breaths, trying to calm myself.

Okay, Noah... or Azazel, or whatever... just breathe. Focus. You need to figure this out.

I forced myself to steady my breathing, gradually feeling a sense of control returning.

I looked back at the mirror, my reflection looking back with a mix of fear and determination.

"I need to stay calm." I whispered to myself, my voice shaky but resolute.

As I sat on the chair, memories of the earlier events flashed through my mind.

The blinding light, the robotic voice, the hostile stares of my classmates... Why does this all feel like a nightmare? I clutched my head, trying to make sense of it all.

These runes... I examined the intricate patterns on my arms. Why do they seem familiar...

I squinted at my reflection, piecing together fragments of knowledge.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Wait a sec... I've seen these runes on the Demon King and his descendants. My heart skipped a beat.

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, my breath catching in my throat.

"What the hell? I'm... a demon prince?" I whispered, astonishment and disbelief mingling in my voice.

This can't be right... How did this happen? What the hell is going on? I stared at the runes, my mind racing.

This has to be some kind of mistake. There's no way...

My thoughts spiraled, but I knew I needed answers. I need to figure this out. If I'm really a demon prince, what does that mean for me?

I took a deep breath and decided to examine myself more thoroughly. I unbuttoned my shirt and let it fall to the ground, revealing more intricate runes etched into my pale skin. They spiraled around my chest and down my back, glowing faintly in the dim light.

I turned to the mirror, my breath catching as I saw the full extent of the markings.

"These runes... they're everywhere." I murmured, tracing the patterns with my fingertips.

What do they mean?

As I turned to examine my back, the reflection showed runes that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

"This is... incredible." I whispered, awe and fear mingling in my voice.

Why do these runes cover my body?

The realization that these markings were not just on my arms but all over my torso struck me hard.

This isn't just a small change... my entire body is marked by these runes. I felt a mix of fear and fascination.

My heart raced as I touched the runes on my chest, feeling a slight warmth emanating from them.

I need to understand what these runes mean. They must be important.

I quickly put my shirt back on, feeling a renewed sense of determination.

If these runes are part of my identity as a demon prince, I need to learn how to use them.

I decided to open the mystery box I had received. As I focused on the thought, a blood-red box materialized before me, pulsating with a dark, ominous energy.

"Alright, here goes nothing." I said, my hand trembling slightly as I reached for the box. I opened it, bracing myself for whatever lay inside.

The contents of the box glowed briefly before revealing my profile. I stared at the information of my profile:

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Name: Azazel (Noah)

Race: Royal Demon

Class: Demon Prince (F) (can be evolved)

Skills: Night Vision (F), Enhanced Agility (F), Basic Fireball (F), Stealth (F), Demonic Regeneration (F)

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

I stared at the screen.

Then blinked.

Then stared some more.

"...That's it?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. My hands clenched into fists as I reread the list of skills.

Night Vision. Agility. Fireball. Stealth. Regeneration. All F-rank.

A slow, painful realization settled in.

I was weak.

No, scratch that—pathetically weak.

A freaking Demon Prince, but at F-rank? And what the hell was this skills list? Basic Fireball? Oh wow, I bet that’ll really strike fear into my enemies. Maybe if they’re made of paper.

I exhaled sharply, my eyes drifting back to my class description.

"Can be evolved."

So I wasn't completely doomed.

JUST MOSTLY DOOMED!!!

I rubbed my temples, suppressing the urge to groan.

"This sucks." I muttered under my breath.

Then again… it’s not like I had a choice.

My fingers twitched. No matter how pathetic it looked now, if my class could evolve, there was hope.

I just had to survive long enough to make it happen.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I needed to figure out where I was. What was happening.

A dull ache throbbed in my skull, and then—like an old film reel clicking into place—memories surfaced.

Azazel. The third Demon Prince. The youngest.

A disgrace.

Sixteen years old. Born weak with fragile body.

Unfit to stand among my siblings.

Unworthy of my title.

That was the world’s judgment of me.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to take in my surroundings. A small, dimly lit room. Dust clung to the air, the wooden furniture warped with time.

A rickety chair.

A cracked mirror.

A space as forgotten as the person who lived in it.

This was where they sent me. Far away from the palace. Far away from them.

My fingers twitched at my sides.

No one here knew who I was. No one cared.

Even if they found out… would they even believe it? The other Demon Princes and Princesses were monsters. S-rank from birth.

And me?

A F-rank failure.

A familiar bitterness crept in. Why did it have to be me?

I’ve always been the weak one. The one left behind.

My eyes drifted to the cracked mirror across the room, my reflection barely visible in the dim light.

My siblings… they were different.

They started strong. And only became stronger.

"The Demon Princes and Princesses were S-rank from the beginning.

"And by the end of the novel… they had reached SSS-rank. Some of the strongest beings in existence."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

And here I was. At the bottom. Weak. Exiled. Forgotten.

A dull frustration burned in my chest. But if my class could evolve… then maybe I wasn’t completely doomed.

Maybe I could change this.

My fingers ran through my midnight-black hair as I exhaled, steadying my thoughts.

No one knew me here. No one expected anything of me.

That meant I had one thing they didn’t.

A fresh start.

My crimson eyes flickered faintly in the darkness, glowing with something more than just frustration.

I need to find a way to unlock my potential. To prove myself.

No matter what it takes.