ECLIPTIC REIGN

Chapter 1

A few weeks went by after the incident with the guards that night. The rumours and gossip have also started to die down since then, which allows me to move more safely within the kingdom.

"I can finally put that gold to good use," I tell myself.

I head out of the crumbling and abandoned building. A humble homemade farm is growing crops off to the side. I started this farm a while ago to survive and lessen my need to go out stealing or buying food.

Despite a singular person living there, the area has weeds and is overgrown with nature's foliage. It was deliberately done to avoid drawing people's attention within the kingdom.

Grabbing my cloak, I set off to a nearby market to restock some necessary items.

Unfortunately, getting a job to earn money would be impossible. As seen by the guard's reaction, people will discard me as a demon and try to end my miserable life. That leads me to depend on the only thing I can do. That is stealing. If I had the option to not resort to it, I would, but life is unfair, and I have too many unanswered questions to die just yet.

Where did I come from?

What exactly am I?

Why do I not have memories of my past?

And last, why do I not have magical abilities?

If I truly am a demon, that would probably make me the most harmless demon in the history of this world.

Leaving the kingdom is also not an option. The hidden kingdom of Arcana, infamous for its high-quality demon-hunting assassins, was commissioned and stationed outside the barriers of this kingdom because of the ongoing demon rumours.

There is no doubt that it is my fault. Years of mistakes and learning to keep myself hidden have made my escape near impossible and drawn the attention of a third party.

Luckily, Arcana deals with demon matters outside the kingdom. The guards are responsible for protecting everything within the limits of the kingdom. Coping with the guards is way less risky than dealing with Arcana assassins qualified for demon hunting.

"I will admit, it is getting harder and harder to keep myself hidden from these people. My time is running out." I tell myself.

As I journeyed forth, my path wound its way past quaint homesteads, verdant fields tended by diligent farmers, and stretches of open land bathed in the soft light of the afternoon sun. Eventually, I reached the first defensive walls of the kingdom, where the comfortable abodes of the middle class stood.

A merchant passes by me. A man in his middle age is being pulled on a cart by a creature with six horse-like legs.

Quietly, I jump on the back of the cart and hide behind one of the containers, a fabric tarp covering me from sight.

The merchant makes his way to the gate, where a guard asks him for his permit. After approval, the cart resumes its movement, entering the first inner layer of the kingdom.

Success.

I've memorized the days when outside merchants came to the kingdom which had a good reputation, so their goods were not regularly inspected. It has certainly benefited me in the long run.

Timing my escape perfectly, I jump out of the cart swiftly without being spotted and immediately stay within the shadowed parts of the houses.

I take a deep breath and study my surroundings.

Before me lies a grand and spacious marble roadway, which serves as the primary route within the kingdom. Towering trees with expansive canopies dot the sides of the road, casting intermittent shadows upon the polished marble bricks below.