I Left a Hero, Returned with Power: Rhea and the Demon King's System

As the moon rose high into the night sky, bathing the city in its pale glow, Leo remained confined within his chambers, his decision firm. Tonight, he would not wander the city streets or engage in trivial matters. Instead, his focus was set on proving his mastery over Qi magic—a power that had become both his strength and his burden.

She was just like before, laying on the bed, her expression vacant and unchanging. Leo glanced at her, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "She doesn't need to go to the washroom or something?" he muttered, the absurdity of the thought momentarily breaking his concentration.

Shaking his head, he refocused his resolve. "I should concentrate my Qi into her mind. Maybe, one day, she can return to normal."

Closing his eyes, Leo began to concentrate, summoning the flow of Qi from deep within him. The room grew still, the faint hum of energy filling the air as he directed his will toward her, his hope flickering like a fragile flame against the weight of the unknown.

Leo began the healing process with quiet determination, his hands glowing faintly with the energy of his Qi magic. The room was silent except for the subtle hum of power as he worked, channeling his focus entirely on the intricate flow of Qi. Once the healing was complete, he shifted his efforts, practicing and refining his control over the elusive force.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and the dark veil of night deepened. At last, satisfied with his progress, Leo stood, brushing off the fatigue that tugged at him. His next task awaited—a meeting with Edward. There was a mission he had carefully planned, one only Edward could carry out.

Leo and Edward always met in the alleyway behind an old shop, their long-standing meeting spot. Before Leo ascended to the throne, it had been their place of quiet strategy and trust. For reasons Leo never questioned, Edward visited the old shop every day. Whatever business he had inside remained a mystery, but Leo knew one thing for certain: come nightfall, Edward would be there, just as he always was.

When Leo arrived, the faint smell of damp wood and stale air hung in the narrow alley. Edward was there, just as expected, lingering near the shop's back door. Leo caught a glimpse of something—a faint smirk or perhaps a sign of contentment—before Edward turned toward him. Whatever Edward found so intriguing about this decrepit place, Leo didn't care to know.

For a moment, disgust flickered in Leo's expression. The old shop, the secrecy, Edward's quiet rituals—it all felt unnecessary and beneath the gravity of the mission at hand. Without a word, Leo turned and left the alley, his steps sharp and resolute. He would wait for Edward to meet him on more neutral ground.

"Oh, Your Highness, you're here!" Edward exclaimed, his face lighting up as he turned toward Leo.

"Yeah, Edward, I'm here because of the mission I wanted to give you," Leo replied, his tone calm but laced with a hint of amusement. "Are you sure you're ready for it, mate?"

"Your Majesty, please don't hesitate to ask anything of me," Edward said with unwavering conviction.

Leo smirked slightly. "You don't even know the mission, yet you're eager to do it. Classic Edward," he said, chuckling softly.

"Oh no, Your Highness, please don't tease me like that," Edward replied, clearly flustered, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Leo's smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "Before I tell you about the mission, there's something I need to discuss with you, Edward. It's about Vaeloria."

The moment the name left Leo's lips, Edward's eyes widened, his composure shaken. The mere mention of her name sent a visible jolt through him, as if he'd been struck by lightning. Whatever Leo was about to reveal, Edward could feel its weight looming, his mind already bracing for the shock that would undoubtedly follow.

"Edward, have you heard about the North Church incident?" Leo asked, his tone calm but weighted with significance.

"Yes, Your Highness," Edward replied with a nod. "I've heard all the details. You were seen coming out of a portal in the mysterious garden, Inside the church a room filled with evidence of dark experiments—right in front of the gods' statues. But the portal itself disappeared, and no one has been able to reactivate it since."

Leo's gaze sharpened. "No, Edward. I didn't just come out of that portal. I went through it. And I'm certain I was teleported to the Beast Continent."

"What?" Edward's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible! You can't teleport there. Normal teleportation devices don't work on that region. The barriers—"

Leo interrupted, his voice firm. "It wasn't normal, Edward. And that's not all. While I was there, I discovered something... an ancient civilization. It was desolate—no signs of life that I could detect. But I found evidence of horrifying experiments conducted by the church on humans, elves, vampires, and demons. They were using a strange, windowless white structure with an ominous door."

Leo's voice dropped, his expression grim. "Inside that building, I found Vaeloria... She's alive."

Edward staggered back, his composure breaking completely. "Leo," he blurted, forgetting formalities in his shock. "You're telling me Vaeloria is alive?"

Realizing his mistake, Edward immediately straightened, bowing his head. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I—"

"It's fine," Leo said, waving his hand dismissively. "You can call me by my name if you must." His expression darkened, and he continued in a low voice. "But she's not the same, Edward. She's broken—mentally shattered. She doesn't react to anything. She doesn't move, doesn't speak, doesn't even shift her eyes. I left her in bed like that, all day long. She's alive... but she's like a corpse."

Edward hesitated for a moment before speaking, his tone laced with cautious hope. "I think someone can help Vaeloria. There's someone I know, Your Highness, who might be able to bring her back."

Leo's eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "How? Really?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of hope and doubt.

Edward straightened, his resolve returning. "They possess knowledge and abilities unlike anyone I've ever seen. If anyone can help Vaeloria, it's them. But... it won't be easy."

Leo's gaze locked onto Edward, the faintest glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. "Tell me everything," he commanded.

Edward hesitated before speaking, his voice steady but tinged with a note of urgency. "Actually, Your Highness, the person I'm talking about is much closer than you think. She's here... the shop owner."

Leo's eyebrows raised in surprise. "This shop's owner?" he asked, his tone skeptical yet intrigued. "Then why aren't we meeting her now? What's stopping us?"

Edward bowed slightly, his expression apologetic. "My deepest apologies, Your Highness, but I need her permission first. We can't simply storm in unannounced. She's... particular about who she sees, and I don't want to risk offending her. Let me go in and speak with her first."

Leo regarded Edward for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smirk. He knew Edward to be fiercely loyal and unyielding—a man who wouldn't hesitate to draw his blade against anyone who disrespected Leo. Yet here he was, cautious, even deferential.

For Edward to act this way, Leo thought, this shop owner must truly be someone extraordinary—a figure of immense power, perhaps even legend.

"Very well," Leo said, stepping back slightly. "Go ahead, Edward. Please take your time. If this woman can truly help Vaeloria, I need answers now."

Edward nodded sharply and turned toward the shop, disappearing into its shadowy doorway with purpose. Leo remained outside, his mind racing with questions. Who was this mysterious woman, and how had she gone unnoticed in a place so familiar to him?

It took a while, but eventually, Edward emerged from the shop, his expression composed as he gave Leo a single, firm nod.

Leo stepped forward, the creaking wooden door groaning under his touch as he entered the old, weathered shop.

The atmosphere inside was thick with a peculiar blend of incense and must, the dimly lit interior casting long shadows across shelves cluttered with trinkets, scrolls, and vials of unknown substances.

At the center of the room stood a woman, her presence commanding yet oddly out of place. She wore a long black coat trimmed with intricate purple piping, its design elegant yet archaic. Perched atop her head was an enormous hat, the kind of towering, wide-brimmed fashion relic that hadn't been in style for over 200 years.

Leo's eyes narrowed slightly, taking in the details of her appearance. She was far more peculiar than he had imagined, exuding an air of mystery that was both unnerving and intriguing.

The woman turned slowly to face him, her gaze sharp and piercing beneath the shadow of her hat. "So," she said, her voice calm yet laced with subtle power, "you must be the Emperor who's desperate enough to seek me out. You, child of Olivia and Brock Gemini. Child of prophecy."

Leo stiffened, his unease rising at her words. His parents? Their names were nothing more than a void in his memory—he knew nothing of them. And now, here was this strange woman, speaking of a prophecy he had never heard of, something he didn't even believe in.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked, his tone guarded. "I don't know anything about this... prophecy, or my parents for that matter."

The woman's lips curled into a cryptic smile, her eyes gleaming with a knowledge that made Leo's skin crawl. "Oh, you will," she said enigmatically. "The stars have a way of revealing their secrets when the time is right."

Her words hung in the air like a lingering storm cloud, leaving Leo unsettled in a way he hadn't felt in years. For the first time in a long while, he felt truly out of his depth.

"But now is the time of you," the strange woman continued, her voice heavy with a sense of inevitability. "It's also the time of the elf girl who lies trapped in the deep ocean."

Leo furrowed his brow, confusion flickering in his emerald eyes, but he remained silent.

The woman's gaze seemed to pierce through him as she spoke again, her words enigmatic and laden with symbolism. "She once shone brighter than the sun, a bringer of light, a bearer of gifts as radiant as the stars. But now... she is lost in the darkness, consumed by a deep hole that plunges to the very center of the world itself."

Leo's mind raced, trying to make sense of her cryptic speech. An elf girl? The deep ocean? A hole to the world's center? It was as though she were describing a fable, a dream—or perhaps a riddle meant to test him.

And yet, he stayed quiet, his instinct urging him to listen rather than question. Whatever this woman meant, Leo knew her words held a significance that would reveal itself in time. For now, he let the silence stretch, his unreadable expression masking the storm of thoughts within.

"We can bring the star back, the one that once rose," the strange woman said again, her voice calm yet laced with an unsettling weight. "But it will be a black star, not the light you remember. You must support the black star when the time comes."

Leo's gaze narrowed, his unease growing as her cryptic words sank in.

"You, child of Olivia," she continued, her piercing eyes locking onto his, "your downfall will be your uprising. You will forget yourself, blinded by your desire for peace. But hear me—they have already succeeded. There is nothing you can do to change that. My advice to you is simple: wait. Vaeloria will awaken. When she does, send her to the house of the two daughters."

Leo's brow furrowed. "The two daughters? Who are they?"

The woman paused for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. "The daughters... their bloodline will one day bring hope to the people. As for who they are, they are Kaylor's daughters. They must leave this city—no matter the cost. Their fate is entwined with the black star. Their journey will spark its rise."

Leo's mind churned with questions, but he sensed that the woman would offer no clearer answers. Her words carried the weight of prophecy, a truth shrouded in riddles and veiled intentions. For now, all he could do was listen and try to make sense of the puzzle she had laid before him.

"Olivia's child," the woman said, her voice softening slightly. "My name is Lola. What happens next will be up to you—what you decide when the time comes. But mark my words, that moment will define everything."

She then shifted her gaze to Edward, who had remained unnervingly quiet throughout the entire exchange, his expression unreadable. "Now, hurry up and send him," she said sharply, her tone commanding.

Leo glanced at Edward, then back at Lola, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Send him? What do you mean?"

Lola ignored the question, her piercing gaze never leaving Edward. "You," she said firmly, "you will leave soon. And remember this—you will not be able to see him again. But when it happens, it will happen. There's no stopping it."

Edward finally spoke, his voice low and filled with resolve. "I understand."

Leo's unease deepened, but he held his tongue. The weight of Lola's words, cryptic as they were, left an unsettling tension in the air. Whatever she meant, it was clear that a parting was inevitable—and irreversible.

After leaving the enigmatic shop, Leo and Edward found themselves back in their usual meeting spot, the quiet alleyway shrouded in the dim glow of moonlight. The air was heavy with unspoken words, the gravity of what lay ahead pressing down on both men.

"Edward," Leo began, his voice steady but tinged with concern, "I want to send you to the Red Moon Empire."

Edward met his gaze, unwavering. "I'm ready. Shall I leave now?"

Leo hesitated briefly before pulling a sealed letter from his coat. "Yes," he said, handing it to Edward. "This is for the Demon King. You remember what I told you, right? This mission is top secret. No one can know."

Edward nodded, his face set with determination. "Understood."

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, without a word, Leo stepped forward, embracing Edward tightly. It was a rare gesture of vulnerability, one that spoke volumes about the bond they shared.

"Take care, Edward," Leo said quietly, his voice heavy with unspoken emotion.

"You too, Your Highness," Edward replied, though his tone carried the warmth of friendship rather than formality.

As they pulled away, neither man knew this would be their final embrace, their last conversation as friends. Fate, as always, had plans neither of them could foresee.

The first step toward the fall began in silence—a moment seemingly ordinary, yet heavy with the weight of inevitability. As Edward took the sealed letter from Leo, the faint shimmer of trust and duty intertwined between them. But with that single exchange, the wheels of destiny turned, dragging them both into the depths of an unseen abyss.

Leo's heart was burdened with a sense of unease he couldn't shake, a whisper at the back of his mind telling him that this mission, this decision, was the first crack in the foundation of everything he held dear. Edward, loyal to the end, walked away without looking back, unaware that his steps carried him toward an unseen precipice.

That night, under the watchful gaze of the moon, the first step toward their shared downfall was taken—a step shrouded in loyalty, purpose, and the cruel irony of hope.