The village was a hellscape. Flames devoured homes, the once-clear sky now choked with smoke and ash. Among the chaos, a young boy stumbled forward, his bare feet scraping against the scorched earth. His yellow hair, once vibrant, was now matted with blood, dyed a deep crimson. Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision as he cried out, “Mother! Father!”  

A faint voice called out to him, barely audible over the roaring inferno. “Arius…”  

He turned his head sharply to see his mother, pinned beneath the charred remains of their house. Her once-strong frame was frail, her breathing shallow. With trembling hands, she pushed a basket toward him. Inside, a baby girl whimpered softly, her tiny face streaked with soot.  

“Take her,” his mother rasped, her voice weak yet urgent. “Protect her… no matter what.”  

Arius shook his head violently, clutching her arm. “What about you, Mother? You have to come with me!”  

She tried to smile, but the pain made it brittle. “I’ll be right behind you. Go… now."

A monstrous roar erupted in the distance, freezing Arius in place. The sound of death. His mother gripped his arm tightly, her nails digging into his skin. “Run, Arius. Run and don’t look back.” 

Tears blurred his vision as he clutched the basket, the infant’s cries muffled beneath the cloth. “I’m sorry, Mother…” he whispered, his voice breaking. Turning on his heels, he ran, his legs trembling with every step. Last thing he heard was his mother saying, sorry for what I've done, 

---

At the edge of the town, Arius stopped, panting heavily. His mind raced. **I can’t leave her.** The thought clawed at him, guilt and fear intertwining. He turned back, heart pounding. **It’s not right. I have to go back.**  

Against his better judgment, Arius sprinted back toward the burning remains of his home. “Mother!” he screamed, falling to his knees beside her. He reached out, shaking her gently. “I’ve come to take you with me. Let’s go!”  

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There was no response.  

“Mother?” he called again, panic rising in his chest. He brushed aside the debris, only to recoil in horror. Her lower half was gone, severed cleanly. Blood pooled beneath her lifeless body, soaking into the dirt.  

“No… no, no, no!” Arius wailed, shaking her limp shoulders.  

A faint cry from the basket pulled him back to reality. He turned, his breathing ragged, and saw the infant staring up at him. His mother’s final words echoed in his mind. **Protect her. No matter what.**  

A shadow loomed over him.  

Arius froze, his body trembling as he slowly looked up. Towering above him was a beast—a monstrous figure with two horns curling upward, its glowing red eyes locking onto him. The creature grinned, baring sharp, jagged teeth.  

**A demon.**  

His father’s words surged into his memory. “If you ever see a creature with more than two horns, son, it’s a demon. You run. Only the Masked can kill them.”  

“But I want to be a Masked too!” Arius had once said, his childlike enthusiasm met with a gentle smile. “When you grow up, we’ll fight them together,” his father had promised.  

That promise now felt like a cruel joke.  

---

The demon’s claw hovered over the basket, its sharp talons gleaming in the firelight. Arius snapped back to the present, his fear giving way to a surge of desperation. Clutching the baby close, he bolted toward the forest.  

The demon roared, its massive body moving with unnatural speed. Arius pushed his legs harder, his lungs burning with every breath. He broke into the tree line, weaving through the dense forest. Behind him, the ground shook with every step of the pursuing monster.  

For a moment, the pounding stopped. Silence fell.  

Arius glanced over his shoulder, his heart racing. The demon was gone. Relief flooded him, but it was short-lived. A dark shadow loomed overhead.  

Looking up, Arius’s eyes widened as he saw the demon, now airborne, its massive wings cutting through the smoky sky. It descended like a predator upon its prey, landing beside him with a thunderous crash. The impact hurled him against a tree, pain shooting through his body.  

Blood trickled from his mouth as he struggled to stand. His vision blurred, and the baby’s cries seemed distant. The demon stepped closer, its glowing eyes fixed on him.  

Arius’s mind raced. **I can’t… I can’t keep running. But I can’t fight it.**  

Memories of his mother’s final plea echoed again. **Keep her safe.**  

“I won’t let you have her!” he screamed, his voice hoarse.  

The demon snarled, as if mocking his defiance.  

Clutching the baby tightly, Arius staggered to his feet and broke into a run, every step feeling like his last. His wounds reopened, blood soaking his tattered clothes. His head spun, and his legs felt like lead.  

He collapsed beside a tree, his breaths shallow. His vision darkened as he stared at the infant in his arms. “I… have to keep you safe,” he whispered.  

The demon roared once more, the sound echoing through the forest. Its massive form emerged from the shadows, its claws gleaming with malice. Arius tried to stand, but his body refused to move.  

**Am I going to die here?**  

A faint glimmer of resolve sparked in his chest. **No… I can’t. I must live. For her.**  

As the demon lunged, Arius clenched his fists, a fire igniting in his heart. **Not yet. Not like this.**  

Yet slowly his vision blurred, 

Blood filled his vision,