The throne room breathed power.
Tall obsidian pillars towered toward the vaulted ceiling like the ribs of a giant beast, glowing faintly with pulsing red veins. The air was thick with magic—rich, ancient, and oddly intoxicating. Somewhere above, a horn blew once, then fell silent.
Li Yun sat on the cold throne, doing his absolute best to look like he belonged there.
The effort was exhausting.
He had been here for what felt like hours. The long robe weighed on him like ceremonial armor, and his back ached from sitting straight for too long. But if he slouched even once, Xyris might notice. Or worse—Velmira might comment.
Speaking of Velmira...
She wasn't standing.
She was reclining—lazily—against a nearby column, one leg crossed over the other, her violet silk gown showing far more skin than armor. The high slit at her thigh did nothing for Li Yun's focus. Her arms were folded under her chest in a way that felt entirely intentional, and her lips wore a constant, knowing smirk.
"Eight hundred years," she said, running a long finger across the lip of her goblet, "and not a single wrinkle, my Lord. What's your secret? Sleep? Forbidden magic? A diet of virgins?"
Li Yun fought not to choke.
"Sealing magic," he answered flatly.
Xyris, standing to the side in gleaming armor, gave a curt nod. "Velmira, enough."
"Hmm," Velmira hummed. "Just trying to lighten the mood. The man just returned from magical imprisonment. Can't we offer him something other than war plans?"
"I prefer strategy to flattery," Xyris said.
"I enjoy both," Velmira purred.
Li Yun tried not to groan aloud. He had no idea how the original Veylar handled this woman. He couldn't even handle eye contact.
"Give me a report," he said quickly, redirecting.
Xyris stepped forward. "The Demon Realm fractured during your absence. Of the original generals, five remain loyal. Two are missing, presumed dead or in hiding. The rest... lost to time."
"And the humans?" he asked.
"They dismissed your existence long ago," Velmira answered. "Your name became a myth. A bedtime story for disobedient children."
"Then they won't be ready when they hear I've returned," he said.
Xyris nodded sharply. "Should we send scouts to test their borders?"
"No," Li Yun said. "Not yet."
He stood slowly. "Have the loyal generals summoned. Quietly. I want to know who still follows me—and who's pretending."
"And the ones who don't follow anymore?" Velmira asked sweetly.
"We'll deal with them… when we have to."
Velmira's smile deepened. "Ah. There's the old Veylar. Calm. Calculated. Dangerous."
She drifted toward him, her movements smooth and predatory. Each step echoed lightly against the stone. She didn't stop at a respectable distance. She stood close—too close.
Li Yun tried not to lean away.
"You feel different," she whispered. "Quieter. Gentler. More... curious."
He kept his face neutral. "And yet here I stand."
"Indeed," she said, circling behind him. "Perhaps being sealed softened you in some ways… but not where it matters."
He did not ask her to clarify.
She reached a hand up, brushing a few strands of his black hair off his shoulder.
"Power hums from you like a storm just waiting to break," she murmured near his ear. "It makes my skin shiver."
"Velmira," Xyris said tightly.
The horned enchantress pulled away slowly, deliberately, as if teasing the moment. "Fine, fine. I'll behave."
Li Yun exhaled quietly through his nose and returned to his seat.
"I'll meet with the generals once they arrive," he said, tone low. "Until then, let the world wonder. Silence will be our first weapon."
"Hmm," Velmira cooed, licking the rim of her goblet. "You're starting to sound like him again."
He didn't respond. Because he wasn't him. But he couldn't afford to let them see the cracks.
---
That Night
The Demon Lord's private chamber was built for decadence.
Dark velvet walls. A massive bed carved from blackheart wood. Candles that never melted. Floating shelves that carried tomes by whispering wind. It was beautiful, intimidating... and suffocating.
Li Yun sat alone at a desk in the corner, staring down at a blank parchment.
He dipped a quill into violet ink and began to write.
Journal Entry – Day 2
Still pretending to be the ruler of a world I don't understand.
Still pretending to be a man who could end armies with a snap.
Still pretending to be okay with people kneeling every time I breathe.
He paused.
Velmira suspects... something. Not the truth, not yet. But she's observant. Sharp. Dangerous in ways I didn't write down.
Xyris is loyal to a fault, but she watches me like a commander evaluating a newly repaired blade—useful, but not yet proven.
Neither of them can know. No one can know.
If they find out I was summoned here—into Veylar's body—it's over.
I'm not him. I'm just the guy who wrote him.
He stared at the last sentence for a while. Then scratched it out.
Instead, he added:
Note: Practice looking menacing while giving vague orders. Also, stop reacting every time Velmira flirts. That's clearly her normal setting.
---
Before Sleep
He lay in the enormous bed, still wide awake.
A demon lord, feared across generations. An unfinished story that had come alive. Two generals who followed him. And no way home.
Li Yun sighed and turned onto his side.
"I never thought I'd long for the sound of beeping monitors." he muttered.
At least in there, no one expected him to conquer the world.