The moment she saw the mark on Kol's back, everything inside her screamed run—run before she got caught up in something she couldn't escape.
But she didn't move.
She couldn't.
Because deep down, she already knew this moment was inevitable.
Kol was the prophecy.
And that meant… everything she had ever feared about her visions—about him—was real.
But Lisa wasn't the only one shaken.
Kol's usual confidence was gone. He didn't turn back, didn't say another word. He just walked away, leaving Lisa alone on the steps, the manuscript clutched tightly in her hands.
Lisa watched him disappear into the distance, her heart hammering.
She needed answers.
And there was only one place left to look.
---
Later That Night
The Everhart estate was quiet, the halls dimly lit by golden candlelight. Lisa moved swiftly, her bare feet silent against the wooden floor.
Her destination?
Her family's archives.
The Everharts had always been historians—keepers of ancient knowledge long forgotten by the world. Her father had spent decades collecting rare texts, storing them in the vast underground library beneath their home.
If there were any records of Kol Vaelros… this was where she would find them.
Reaching the door to the archives, Lisa pulled out the key hidden beneath her necklace and unlocked it. The heavy door creaked open, revealing rows upon rows of ancient tomes, scrolls, and manuscripts. The air smelled of parchment and dust, but Lisa didn't stop to take it in.
She had work to do.
Grabbing an oil lamp from the nearest table, she made her way down the aisles, scanning the shelves.
"Come on… there has to be something…"
She ran her fingers over the spines of old books, looking for anything—any mention of the Eternal Crown, the Vaelros bloodline, or the true Demon King.
Nothing.
Minutes turned into an hour. Lisa's frustration grew.
And then…
A name.
A faded, ancient book sat at the very back of the shelf, its leather cover barely holding together. But the title…
"The Forgotten King."
Lisa's breath caught.
She carefully pulled it from the shelf, dust swirling in the air. Heart pounding, she set the book on a nearby table and flipped it open. The ink was faded, the pages brittle, but she could still make out the words.
"Before the rise of the First Demon King, there was another—his name erased, his legacy buried. But his bloodline did not die. It was hidden among mortals, waiting… waiting for the day the Eternal Crown would return."
Lisa's pulse roared in her ears.
This wasn't just about Kol.
This was about who he came from.
The Demon King history had forgotten.
And Kol… Kol was his descendant.
Lisa gripped the edge of the table.
Kol wasn't just dangerous.
He was the heir to a throne that was never meant to rise again.
---
Meanwhile, across town…
Kol stood at the edge of a rooftop, staring at the moonlit streets below. His cloak billowed in the night air, but he barely felt the wind.
His mind was elsewhere.
Lisa had seen the mark.
She knew.
Kol exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He had spent years staying in the shadows, keeping his past buried. But now?
Now, it was only a matter of time before everything unraveled.
And the worst part?
For the first time in a long time… he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop it.
Because deep inside, buried beneath the cold mask he wore—
A part of him wanted to remember.
To remember the truth.
To remember who he really was.
And that thought terrified him more than anything.