Ashes of the fallen realm

Chapter One

Long ago, the world was not one, but five.

There was the Human Realm, the Demon Realm, the Angel Realm, the Monster Realm, and the realm of the Mad Gods. As time passed and legends faded into history, these realms were given names mortals could understand: Earth, Hell, Heaven, Purgatory, and the Celestial World.

It was during this age that the world nearly ended.

An Evil Demon God rose—one whose power threatened every realm. No single race could defeat him. So for the first and only time in history, five champions stood together:

one human, one demon, one angel, one monster, and one god.

But among them were three beings unlike any others.

They were known as the Tribrids.

Each Tribrid carried monster, demon, and angel blood within their veins—an impossible fusion. Only three ever existed, and never again would the world see their kind. Their power surpassed all expectations, and with it, the five heroes succeeded in sealing the Demon God away.

After the war, balance was restored—but peace came at a cost.

The new King of Hell divided existence itself, separating the world into the five realms once more, ensuring that such a war would never happen again.

Or so they believed.

A few years later… I was born.

My father was an original Tribrid—a towering figure with curved horns, human-like skin, dark brown hair, and eyes the color of a clear blue sky. He was stubborn, unyielding in battle, yet gentle with his family.

My mother was human.

She had blonde hair, soft blue eyes, and a kindness that did not belong in a world like ours. An enchanted ring rested on her finger—magic that kept her alive in a realm where she should not have survived.

Then there were my siblings.

Adam, the eldest, whose dark blue lightning could tear through armies.

Amy, my older sister, whose purple-pink flames were almost unheard of—even among demons.

John, a living impossibility: a white monster dragon, white demon dragon, white angel dragon, and white dragon all in one body.

Then there was me.

A black demon dragon, black angel dragon, black monster dragon, and black dragon.

A walking contradiction.

And finally, the youngest—Rachel.

A white angel dragon, demon dragon, monster dragon, and white dragon.

Four aspects in one being.

Something that should not exist.

Something the world would one day fear

Even though we should not have existed in this world… we did.

But unlike my other four siblings, I was never given a chance.

Before my time, the last Black Dragon committed unforgivable atrocities. Kingdoms burned. Innocents died. His name became a curse whispered in fear. And when I was born bearing the same black scales, the same power…

I inherited his sins.

Every day was the same.

I was pushed aside in the streets. Called monster. Demon spawn. Mistake. Sometimes fists followed the words. Other times, boots. No one ever stopped it. No one ever cared.

Nothing changed.

Today, I was seven years old.

I walked alone toward the academy, head down, hands clenched. There was a promise I had made to my father—a promise carved deeper into me than fear.

Never use your power inside the kingdom walls.

Not for pride. Not for anger.

For the sake of the innocent.

So instead, I trained in secret. Day and night. Not to attack—but to defend. I learned barriers. Shields. Ways to protect others without harming them.

I thought that would be enough.

I was wrong.

A scream cut through the street.

A young girl stood frozen, tears streaking her face. Before her loomed a massive demon—two curved horns, skin as red as fresh blood, muscles like stone. The crowd had gathered, but no one moved. Fear kept them silent.

Before I could think, my body moved.

I stepped between them.

The demon laughed.

I broke my promise.

Dark energy surged from my soul as I slammed my hands into the ground.

“Black Demon Dragon Art — Iron Barrier.”

A pitch-black shield wrapped around the girl, solid and unbreakable. She was safe.

That’s when the demon noticed me.

His gaze burned with amusement.

“Pathetic,” he snarled.

I couldn’t fight back. I wouldn’t. Offensive power inside the walls would endanger everyone.

So I became his target.

Fists slammed into my ribs. A knee crushed my stomach. I hit the ground, only to be dragged back up and thrown down again. Pain blurred time. Blood filled my mouth.

The citizens watched.

Some laughed.

Some cheered.

Some shouted at me to fight back—to unleash the monster they feared.

I endured it.

Ten minutes felt like a lifetime.

Then—

Lightning split the air.

Adam landed between us, eyes glowing dark blue, electricity crawling over his skin like a living storm. Beside him, Amy descended in a wave of purple and pink flames, her expression cold and furious.

The demon never stood a chance.

Rachel and John were at my side in seconds, lifting me gently, their voices distant but worried.

As consciousness slipped, one thought burned through the pain:

I had kept my promise.

And the world still hated me for it

As the demon fell, the crowd erupted.

Cheers echoed through the street as citizens swarmed my siblings, praising them as heroes. Their names were shouted with awe and pride. No one looked down.

No one noticed me.

I crawled away, fingers digging into stone, my body screaming with every movement. Blood blurred my vision as I dragged myself through the crowd, invisible as always.

I could hear them calling.

“Daryl”

Again and again.

Adam’s voice.

Amy’s voice.

Panic creeping into their words.

I forced myself to stand.

I didn’t answer.

I turned and walked away.

Down a narrow alley, away from the light, away from the cheers, away from the family that would eventually realize I was gone. My strength finally gave out, and darkness claimed me as I collapsed against cold stone.

When awareness returned, the pain came first.

I lay on a torn mattress inside an abandoned building. The air smelled of dust, rust, and old magic. My body was wrapped in rough bandages, tight but careful.

Someone had helped me.

I tried to move—and failed.

A figure stepped into view.

An old demon stood nearby, barely four feet tall. His frame was thin, his clothes worn, but his presence pressed down on the air itself. A single broken horn jutted from the center of his forehead, cracked and scarred by time.

Even lying there, I could feel it.

He was strong.

Stronger than most nobles I had ever met.

He looked at me with sharp, knowing eyes—and something else.

Pity.

“Ah,” he said softly. “You’re awake.”

His voice was calm, steady. Kind in a way I wasn’t used to.

“You took quite the beating, young lad.”

He studied me for a moment longer before speaking again.

“The prince no one respects.”

There was no mockery in his tone.

Only empathy.

Like he understood exactly what it meant to be forgotten

The old man continued speaking.

He told me the abandoned building we were in had once been his guild hall—or what little remained of it. Time had stripped it bare. His guildmates were long gone now, fallen to age, battle, or the slow cruelty of the world.

As he spoke, his eyes softened.

He told me stories of his youth. Of days when the hall was filled with laughter, shouting, clashing mugs, and louder dreams. When people cheered as his guild rode out on quests given directly by the king—tasks even the royal knights could not handle.

For a while, I forgot the pain.

Then his tone changed.

The warmth vanished.

He turned to face me, staring straight into my eyes, his presence suddenly heavy enough to crush the air.

“Tell me,” he said. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

I swallowed.

“Because I made a promise,” I answered quietly. “I swore I would never use my powers inside the kingdom walls.”

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then he turned away.

“That,” he said coldly, “was a stupid promise.”

The words hit harder than any fist.

He walked toward the shadows, his voice echoing as he spoke without looking back.

“You do not carry the sins of the past Black Demon Dragon. Those crimes were not yours.”

He paused at the edge of the darkness.

“You cannot change what came before you,” he continued. “But you can change what comes next.”

And with that, he disappeared into the ruins, leaving me alone—his words burning deeper than my wounds

I processed his words in silence.

My body still ached as I forced myself to my feet. I wasn’t fully healed—not even close—but I left the abandoned building anyway. The night had fallen by the time I reached the streets. The kingdom was quiet now, empty, as if nothing had happened at all.

Like I had never been there.

I made my way home alone.

The moment I stepped inside, my mother rushed to me. She wrapped her arms around me so tightly it almost hurt, her hands trembling as she held me.

“I heard what happened,” she whispered, voice breaking. “I was so worried.”

My siblings gathered around me soon after. Adam checked my injuries with clenched fists. Amy hovered, her flames flickering faintly with restrained anger. Rachel and John stayed close, making sure I was still standing.

My father said nothing at first.

He simply looked at me.

Then he spoke.

His voice was calm. Steady. Measured.

“You did well,” he said. “You used an Iron Barrier to protect an innocent.”

I nodded.

That was all.

I went to my chambers without another word, closed the door behind me, and collapsed onto my bed. The moment my head touched the pillow, exhaustion dragged me under.

That night…

Everything changed.

I dreamed.

I stood in an endless void, the air heavy and cold. No ground. No sky. Just darkness stretching forever.

Then—

A figure appeared.

Draped entirely in black.

I couldn’t see his face. No eyes. No features.

Only a smile.

A slow, knowing smirk.

And somehow… I knew.

This dream was not mine