Nero's …fist loosened.
The power humming around his body faded.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Just stood there — caught between instinct and something deeper. Something older than duty.
He looked down again at the girl on the bed. Her eyes had closed once more, and her breathing had grown faint but calm, as if even in her sleep, she knew the room had changed.
Nero exhaled slowly.
"…Damn it."
He turned away and walked to the far wall, resting one hand against the wooden beam, his back to the children. His shoulders were tense. Not from anger.
From the weight of decision.
"Solgarde taught us to kill anything with demon blood," he said quietly. "No exceptions. No chances."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"But they also taught us to think. To observe. To know the enemy."
His eyes scanned the children. Their faces — frightened, hopeful, pleading.
"She doesn't look like the enemy," he
Erin took a cautious step forward. "Then… you'll help her?"
Nero turned fully now.
Nero stood beside the girl who lay on the ground. Then he knelt Her body trembled slightly, and her breathing was uneven. Her skin was pale like she hadn't seen the sun in weeks, and sweat clung to her forehead. She looked around seventeen summers old.
He didn't know what kind of sickness this was. She didn't have any wounds. No signs of poison. No curses or markings.
Just a deep, strange illness.
The children were gathered in the corner of the small house, watching silently. Their clothes were patched and worn. Some held onto each other's hands tightly.
This wasn't just any home.
It was a place for the forgotten.
Then Nero knelt beside the girl who lay weak on the floor. Her body was trembling. Sweat soaked her forehead, and her breaths were shallow. Her skin was pale, and her lips slightly blue.
She looked no older than seventeen.
He scanned her body—no wounds, no visible injuries. But something inside her was breaking down. The more he looked, the more he felt something… wrong.
The children behind him huddled close, eyes wide and full of fear. They didn't speak. They trusted him, but they didn't understand what was happening.
He turned his head slightly and looked at Erin.
"I'm going to put my hand on your sister," he said calmly. "Is that alright?"
Erin nodded, biting her lip.
"It's okay. Please… help her if you can."
Nero nodded once, then extended his hand.
As soon as his fingers touched the girl's skin, a cold jolt traveled up his arm.
Nero knelt beside the girl again. He slowly reached out his hand.
Then as soon as his fingers touched her skin, a strange feeling shot through his arm. It was like ice and fire clashing inside him. The mark on his arms began to glow.
Vulcanus Core.
The ancient rune lines along his forearms and knuckles came to life. They looked like cracks in a metal blade — glowing, hot, and powerful.
The children gasped quietly when they saw the glowing marks.
These weren't just tattoos.
They were given to Nero through fire and pain.
Forged by Vulcanus — the legendary figure of the forge. Not a god, but something older. A spirit of flame, pressure, and the will to endure.
The glow warmed Nero's skin as he focused his energy into the girl's body.
He closed his eyes.
"(Come on… Let me feel what's happening inside her.)"
As The room filled with a soft orange glow.
The children gasped again.
To them, it was magic.
To Nero, it was survival.
"(That feeling… her body is pulling energy from me… like she's starving for it.)"
His brows furrowed. He closed his eyes and focused.
Inside her, he felt it clearly now—a strange power deep in her core. A demonic presence… but incomplete. Her human side was trying to suppress it, but the demon bloodline was strong. Too strong for a young girl without training.
"(She's not sick… She's draining herself. Her demonic bloodline is out of control… feeding on her own life force.)"
He gritted his teeth.
"(She's burning from the inside out. She doesn't even realize it.)"
He pressed his palm gently against her chest, just above her heart.
"(As a Demon Hunter, I have the energy she needs. That's why she's pulling from me without realizing it. If I share some, it might stabilize her.)"
The runes along his arms glowed brighter as he opened the flow.
Warm energy flowed from him into her.
The girl's body twitched, then relaxed.
Her chest rose more steadily now. Her breath slowed. Her face softened. Color began to
return to her cheeks.
Behind him, the children leaned forward in awe.
Erin's eyes widened.
"You… you're helping her…"
Nero looked at her, voice low.
"She's not sick, Erin. Her body is… fighting itself."
Erin blinked, confused.
"What do you mean…?"
Nero paused, then knelt beside her so their eyes met.
"I don't know if you'll understand me, but let me explain it easier for you…"
He glanced back at the older sister, still unconscious but now breathing steadily.
"Your sister… she was born with two kinds of blood inside her. One side is human. The other side… is not."
Erin's lips parted slightly, trembling.
"You mean… demon blood?"
Nero nodded slowly.
"Yes. Half-demon. That blood gives her power—but it's wild, like fire with no control. And because she doesn't know how to control it, it starts feeding on her life."
He tapped his chest.
"Like a fire burning the house it lives in."
Erin looked down at her sister, tears in her eyes.
"So… it's hurting her?"
Nero nodded.
"Every day. Her demon side is always hungry for energy, and when it doesn't have enough… it eats away at her from the inside."
He looked at his glowing arm.
"When I touched her, she started pulling energy from me. That's what kept her alive just now."
The children behind Erin whispered among themselves, fear mixing with hope.
One small boy spoke up, his voice shaky.
"Is she going to turn into a monster?"
A small girl, no older than eight, stepped forward and slapped the boy on the arm.
"Are you an idiot?" she said, her voice sharp with a mix of disbelief and anger. "She is our sister! She's the one who took care of us when no one else would. She is not a monster!"
The boy recoiled, surprised, his eyes wide with fear.
"So-sorry…He said …. she's got demon blood…"
The small girl glared at him, her fists clenched tightly.
"She's not one of them! She's ours. She's the reason we're still here!"
Nero watched the exchange quietly. The children's emotions were raw, but their bond with the older girl was clear. They saw her as a protector, as a mother figure. He could see the trust and love they had for her, despite the danger that her demonic blood posed.
Nero finally spoke, his voice steady but laced with experience.
"Look… I know you love her. I can tell that. But... she still has demonic blood in her. And demons are evil... in this world."
Erin's face tightened, her brows furrowing in confusion, and something darker—an almost painful realization—flashed in her eyes.
"Are you saying... there are no demons that are kind?"
Nero paused, his shoulders sagging for a moment as if the weight of her question hit him harder than expected. He shook his head slowly, his eyes clouded with a flicker of doubt.
"I… I don't know…"
The room fell silent. A heavy, uncomfortable stillness filled the air, as if the very atmosphere itself was holding its breath. Just when the silence seemed unbearable, a voice broke through—sharp, bold, and youthful.
A boy with black hair as dark as raven feathers stepped forward. His figure was slight, barely thirteen summers old, but his posture was strong. His eyes, a piercing shade of brown, glinted with defiance. He looked at Nero with a stare that challenged everything the older man had just said.
"What about humans then?" His voice rang out, full of conviction. "I mean, humans lie too. They kill. They betray. Are they no different from demons?"
The room went still, and for a moment, it felt as if time had paused altogether. The children turned their heads in shock, their wide eyes filled with surprise, disbelief, and a dash of fear.
"Rav!!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices rising with a mix of surprise and disapproval. They hadn't expected this from the boy. The young orphan who had always been quiet, who usually followed the others—this time, he was speaking out with a fire they hadn't seen before.
But Rav, the boy with the raven-black hair, didn't flinch. He stood his ground, his gaze locked firmly onto Nero's. His words hung in the air, sharp and unwavering.
"You said demons are evil... but look at us. Look at the world. Do humans really deserve to be called better? Aren't they just as capable of cruelty, even worse sometimes?"
Nero's expression hardened, his jaw clenching as Rav's challenge rang through him. The young boy's words struck deeper than Nero wanted to admit. His mind flashed to the countless betrayals he'd witnessed in his lifetime, the violence, the wars, the suffering caused by human hands. Humans were not innocent. Far from it. They were capable of cruelty—some even more so than demons.
The truth of Rav's statement hung heavy in the air. It was raw, unrefined, but undeniable. Nero's eyes narrowed, and for a fleeting moment, he saw himself in Rav—an angry, confused young boy questioning the world. The same kind of anger he'd felt when he first learned what demons were capable of.
But Rav wasn't finished. The fire in his eyes was unyielding, and the conviction in his voice grew stronger.
"I know what you're trying to say," Rav continued, his voice quieter now but still full of conviction, "but we're no different. We're all just trying to survive… to protect the ones we love. My sister—" He gestured toward the girl lying on the floor, still recovering from Nero's energy, "—she's our family. She's done everything for us. So don't tell me she's evil. Don't tell me she's like them."
There was no hiding the emotion in Rav's voice now. His words were raw, fueled by a love that ran deep, one that transcended bloodlines or powers. He wasn't just defending the girl on the floor—he was defending his family, his home, the people who had taken him in and shown him love when the world had cast him aside.
Nero looked into Rav's eyes, and for the first time, he saw something that made his own heart ache—a conviction, a resolve that was stronger than any weapon he had ever held. This was no longer just about demons or humans; it was about the bonds that tied people together. And Rav, despite his youth, understood that better than anyone else in the room.
Nero took a deep breath, the weight of Rav's challenge settling inside him like a heavy stone.
"You're right, Rav," Nero said, his voice softer now, almost reluctant. "I've seen enough cruelty in this world—human and demon alike—to know that there's no clear line between them. But... the world doesn't work on what's fair. It's about survival."
Rav didn't back down, his gaze unwavering.
"Then why don't you help us survive? Help my sister. She's not a monster. She's just… like us."
Nero stared at the boy, his thoughts racing. The truth Rav had spoken was undeniable. He could feel the weight of it in his chest, deep and uncomfortable. He had always believed in clear distinctions—demons were evil, humans were good. But Rav's words challenged that simplicity. It wasn't about bloodlines or past deeds. It was about the choices people made, about the family they fought for, the people they cared about.
Nero exhaled slowly, the fire within him slowly dimming, replaced by a quiet understanding.
To be continue