Chapter 1: Aftermath of Battle

The first light of dawn struggled to penetrate the thick fog that clung to the forest surrounding the human encampment. The air was heavy with the scent of blood, ash, and something darker—something that whispered of nightmares and lingering shadows.

Kuro stood at the edge of the clearing, staring out at the forest as if he could see through the trees and into the abyss beyond. His hands rested on the hilts of his twin katanas, his body tense and alert despite the exhaustion that gnawed at his bones. The recent battle had been brutal, and the scars it left—both physical and emotional—would not heal easily.

Behind him, the camp was a scene of quiet devastation. Tents were torn, fires smoldered in the cold morning air, and the groans of the wounded filled the silence. The human forces had managed to repel the demon attack, but it had come at a high cost. Too many lives had been lost, and the survivors were left to pick up the pieces.

Zara approached Kuro from behind, her footsteps light on the damp ground. Her crimson skin was streaked with dirt and blood, but her eyes held the same fierce determination that had carried her through countless battles.

“Kuro,” she said softly, her voice pulling him out of his thoughts. “The others are gathering for a meeting. Captain Evelyn wants to discuss our next move.”

Kuro nodded, though his mind was still elsewhere. The demons’ attack had been unexpected, a reminder that their enemies were relentless and would stop at nothing to destroy them. But what troubled him most was the new enemy they had encountered—a group of demons who fought with a ferocity and coordination unlike anything Kuro had seen before. They had called themselves the Harbinger’s Fangs and had seemed to know exactly who Kuro was.

As they walked toward the command tent, Kuro couldn’t shake the feeling that something far worse was on the horizon. The prophecy of the Harbinger of Shadows weighed heavily on his mind, and the fear that he might be the one destined to bring about the end of both worlds gnawed at him like a cancer.

The tent was already crowded with soldiers and officers when they arrived. Captain Evelyn stood at the center, her expression grim as she addressed the room. Darius was there too, his face pale and drawn but filled with a steely resolve. Kuro could see the exhaustion in his young friend’s eyes, but also the determination to keep fighting.

“We can’t keep taking hits like this,” Evelyn was saying as Kuro and Zara entered. “The demons are getting bolder, and we need to strike back before they wipe us out completely.”

“What about those new demons—the ones who called themselves the Harbinger’s Fangs?” one of the officers asked. “They fought like they knew us, like they knew exactly how to exploit our weaknesses.”

“That’s because they did,” Kuro said, stepping forward. All eyes turned to him as he continued. “They’re not just any demons. They’re part of something bigger, something tied to the prophecy of the Harbinger of Shadows.”

A murmur of unease rippled through the room. The prophecy was a subject that few spoke of openly, and the fear it invoked was palpable.

“What are you saying, Kuro?” Evelyn asked, her gaze piercing.

“I’m saying that the demons are planning something—something that involves me,” Kuro replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. “They’re trying to push me into fulfilling the prophecy, into becoming the Harbinger.”

Darius’s eyes widened. “You don’t actually believe you’re the Harbinger, do you?”

Kuro hesitated, his mind flashing back to the visions he had seen, the darkness he had felt rising within him. “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” he admitted. “But I do know that the only way to stop them is to find out what they’re planning and put an end to it.”

Captain Evelyn nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. “Then we need information—intel on the demons’ movements, their leadership, and this prophecy. We can’t afford to be in the dark any longer.”

“That’s why I’ve come,” a new voice interjected, startling everyone in the tent.

A woman stepped out from the shadows near the entrance. She was tall and elegant, with dark, flowing robes that shimmered like starlight. Her eyes were a deep, mysterious blue, and there was an aura of power around her that made the air crackle with energy.

“My name is Lady Siora,” she announced, her voice calm and commanding. “And I know more about the prophecy and the Harbinger than anyone else alive.”

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