Serena stepped out of the room, the soft click of her heels fading into the empty hall.
She paused, her mind drifting back… far back, ten years ago.
---
Flashback – Ten Years Ago
Thirteen-year-old Serna had always been cautious but curious. A lot of rumors surrounded Arkan: he was a prodigy, showing signs of greatness since birth and destined to be the Demon Lord one day.
Her father had been clear with her,
"If you marry him, Serna, our family will rise in status."
Naïve but sensible, Serna accepted the meeting, though she had no illusions about marrying for politics. Her mind was clear: she would not fall in love with a person she barely knew.
She was led to the training hall after the formalities of introductions between the families, where Arkan was waiting.
Who leaves the girl standing there, watching while he trains? she thought.
She sat down and began to watch.
There he was, a thirteen-year-old boy bruised and battered, training under the watchful eye of a former general; the fight seemed punishing, almost reckless.
What a stubborn fool, she thought. Why not rest instead of risking more injury?
But Arkan refused to give up.
He got up, continuing his strikes despite the pain, refusing to kneel even as the match ended in his defeat.
Serena was about to leave, shaking her head in disbelief, when a voice rang out.
"Let's try it again! I can't lose! I have to protect my family… and the people I care about… from everything terrible in this world!"
A soft giggle escaped her lips.
This boy doesn't even know me… what if I became the kind of person who destroys everything he loves? she thought.
Arkan's sharp eyes then found her and approached her with blazing determination, asking:
> "Are you… the one who was sent here to meet me?"
Serena blinked, her cheeks heating.
"That is me," she said quietly.
"Ah… good," he said, straightening with pride. "I promise… I will make you happy. I'll get you anything you want."
Serena's mind races: why is he saying this on the first meeting?
And yet, deep inside, she felt a strange warmth she couldn't deny. In that instant, something about his intensity and conviction made her heart quiver in a way she had not expected. Slowly, she realized: she was beginning to care for him.
---
Since then, they saw each other often. Arkan saved every coin he could to bring her small gifts; Serna received them with delight, and her admiration deepened into something more. Each day built upon another in the connection that came between them, small yet strong, a bond neither fully understood yet.
But shadows started to creep into their happiness. The world outside their small bubble was tough, and Arkan's path was not settled as yet; he would soon be called into the battlefield, a test not only of skill but of his claim to the Demon Lord position. It made no difference that he was the son of a former Demon Lord because favoritism did not play a role in the ranks-every demon had to prove themselves. She could feel the weight of what was to come, though she didn't know the details. She knew only one thing: the life they were starting to build together would be tested in ways she couldn't yet imagine.