Inside the Grand Church, the hall was filled with priests and high bishops, while the smoke of incense rose slowly toward the high ceiling.
The flames of the golden candles burned quietly, but the souls inside the hall were never calm.
One of the priests suddenly stood up and said angrily:
“We cannot hold the Summit Council so easily!
Demons cannot be trusted, and the fairies have disappeared for decades!”
Another priest replied sharply:
“Then what is the solution?!
Do we wait until that dragon appears and burns the entire world?!”
The voices began to clash violently, and the hall split between supporters and opponents, until the voice of the High Priest rose like a whip:
“Enough!”
Silence fell immediately.
He looked at them with cold eyes, then said slowly:
“The Summit Council is not a peace treaty…
nor an invitation to love.
It is a declaration of a danger approaching everyone.”
Those present exchanged glances in silence.
Then one of the elderly bishops whispered:
“But…
what will we tell them?
The dragons disappeared thousands of years ago.
How did one of them suddenly return?”
In a dark corner of the hall, the old man in the gray cloak stood in his usual silence, then said in a low voice:
“The questions we are afraid to ask…
are the same ones that lead us to the answers we are afraid to hear.”
A heavy silence fell.
The High Priest raised his head and said:
“The invitations will be sent within days.
The Summit Council will be held after two months…
in the neutral lands.”
Everyone began to leave amid whispers of worry and fear.
As for the gray old man, he remained standing for moments before a mysterious smile appeared on his face.
“The world…
is about to change.”
In the demon palace…
Inside the throne hall, tension filled the place like smoke.
The Emperor of Darkness stood before his massive window, watching the black sky in silence, while the four emperors stood behind him.
The Fire Emperor said angrily:
“The Summit Council?!
The Church wants us to sit with them as equals?!”
The Water Emperor replied calmly:
“This time is different.
They are not inviting us for peace…
but to face something that frightens them.”
Silence fell for moments.
Then the Earth Emperor said in his deep voice:
“The message spoke of an ancient black dragon.”
Only then did the king move.
He turned slowly and said:
“I heard.”
The Earth Emperor stepped forward:
“If that is true…
then the old prophecies may be real.”
The king’s eyes narrowed.
“The prophecies that speak of our destruction?”
The Earth Emperor answered:
“Yes.”
Silence fell inside the hall.
Then the Wind Emperor suddenly spoke:
“And what about the exiled heir?”
The atmosphere froze.
The temperature of the hall dropped terrifyingly.
The king turned to him slowly, his eyes carrying a deadly warning.
“Do not speak his name.”
But the Wind Emperor continued without fear:
“Years have passed.
If he is still alive, he may…”
The king interrupted him violently:
“It does not matter!”
The hall shook with his voice.
We have no child.
All we have…
is a shame that history has erased.”
Silence fell again.
But the Earth Emperor noticed something small…
A slight tremor in the king’s hand.
And a fleeting gleam in his eyes when Kentro’s name was mentioned.
He lowered his gaze and whispered to himself:
“So…
you still remember him.”
Then he raised his head and said:
“What is your decision, my lord?”
The king closed his eyes for a moment, then said in a cold and tired voice:
“We will attend the Summit Council.”
He opened his eyes and added:
“Our absence…
would appear as an admission of weakness.”
Then he returned to looking through the window toward the distant darkness.
And in a faint voice that no one heard…
“…Where are you, Kentro?”
The Dark Forest…
The years passed like a flash.
And now…
Kentro had reached the age of sixteen.
He stood on a high rock, staring at the sea of black trees stretching before him.
He was no longer that frightened child.
Even the weak beasts began to flee as soon as they sensed his presence.
His body had become harder, his taut muscles carrying the marks of years of fighting and survival.
Small scars covered his arms and neck, while his long black hair moved with the cold wind.
As for his crimson eyes…
They had become calmer.
And more dangerous.
He looked at his palms for a moment, then said quietly:
“How many have I killed so far…?”
He paused for a moment, then laughed a short laugh.
“I no longer remember.”
He raised his head toward the sky.
“But I…
am still alive.”
He jumped off the rock and headed toward his old cabin.
The cabin was different now.
The crumbling walls had been repaired, and some tools and primitive weapons hung on the walls.
And in the far corner…
Was the Black Book.
Kentro approached it and picked it up quietly.
“I still don’t understand you…
but I know you are important.”
He put it aside, then looked at his old worn-out dagger.
He sighed lightly.
“This thing won’t help me against the stronger beasts anymore.”
He raised his gaze toward the distant forest.
Then he suddenly said:
“I will go to the human village.”
Kentro arrived at the outskirts of the human village at night.
He was masked with old pieces of cloth hiding most of his face, moving through the alleys with the lightness of a shadow.
His eyes watched the shops and houses in silence.
He needed new clothes.
And a better weapon.
He suddenly stopped in front of a small, semi-dark shop.
Something inside it caught his attention immediately.
A sword.
But…
Not an ordinary sword.
Its blade was pitch black, as if made of night itself, while strange engravings covered its metallic hilt.
That looked exactly like the symbols of the Black Book.
Kentro’s eyes widened slightly.
He reached his hand through the window and grabbed the sword.
And the moment he touched it…
“Thump!”
He felt the same sensation he had felt when touching the Book.
His body stiffened for a moment.
“This…”
Suddenly, the shop door burst open violently.
A large man came out shouting:
“Thief!
Catch him!”
Kentro moved immediately.
He darted through the alleys with terrifying speed, jumping over crates and walls with deadly lightness, while shouts rose behind him.
“Catch him!” “There’s a thief!” “Close the exit!”
But his experience in the forest made his movement resemble a ghost disappearing between the shadows.
He was about to leave the village…
But suddenly…
He stopped.
A man wearing a Church robe stood before him.
His face was partially hidden, but his eyes widened the moment he saw Kentro.
Then his gaze moved to the black sword…
Then to Kentro’s crimson eyes.
The man froze in place.
And whispered in shock:
“Red eyes…”
His eyes widened more.
“A demon?!”
Kentro’s features stiffened for a moment.
Then he darted away at lightning speed, piercing through the Dark Forest like an arrow.
He disappeared completely among the trees.
As for the Church man…
He remained standing, panting, before he shouted at the top of his voice:
“A demon…!”
His voice trembled.
“There is a demon living within human borders!”
And the news spread like fire.
After long hours…
Kentro finally returned to his cabin.
He was panting softly, but his eyes were fixed on the black sword in his hands.
He sat slowly before the blazing fire.
And placed the sword before him.
He stared at it for a long time.
“This sword…”
He reached his hand toward the black engravings.
“Resembles the Book.”
He closed his eyes for a moment.
He began to think.
Now the humans knew of his existence.
The Church would begin searching.
And perhaps…
Even the demons would know soon.
The dragon.
The fairy.
The Black Book.
The sword.
The Summit Council.
Everything…
Began to move at the same time.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Then he gripped the sword tightly.
“I will test my true strength.”
The firelight reflected off the black blade.
“And if anyone tries to hunt me…”
A cold smile appeared on his face.
“I will make them regret it.”
To be continued…