Dragon's Dawn: First Light (Book 1)

Prologue: Darkness Descends

Prologue: Darkness Descends

It has been several millennia since Demon Slayers left japan and ventured to the other corners of the earth. Some have settled in America, others in different parts of Europe, and others in Africa and some parts of central and south America. It is in the new country of Sylverant that our story begins however. The capital city of Durham, a lovely city and just about the most gorgeous city one could lay eyes on. Sylverant had plenty of crops, mineral resources, oil, technology, and even precious metals like gold if one so desired. The city had stone and marble buildings from its European heritage, while also having buildings resembling that of most Asian cities. 

 The year is 2224, exactly 200 years since the civil war in japan. We see the city is bustling with activity this particular morning and a young couple is helping guide visitors around the city. This young couple is of course Derek and Katsura Dragonblade, they have been married for a few years and are tourist guides. While they don’t have the most glamorous job in the world, they learned to enjoy it because they get to meet so many new people. Their job does pay well enough to provide for their 3 young children at home. They have a flame haired, 4 year old, a 3 and a half year old ginger, and a fuchsia pink haired newborn baby girl. Normally, two boys and a girl wouldn’t be easy to leave behind at the house while they worked. They did have a friend who was great with kids and was the wife of Reynar Tokyoheim, one of Derek’s friends from his days in the army as a teenager. This friend was Yang Lyn, Reynar’s wife. Although she was younger than Derek and Katsura, she knew how to handle kids well enough. Whenever Max and Colbert would get into trouble and break something, she would kindly scold them not unlike a mother would. She’d rough house with them because well.. They were boys, played guns with them, and just did anything to keep them entertained. When it would be time to check on baby mist however, she would just give them some books to read. 

While the children drifted off to sleep, Yang Lyn gazed out the window at Durham's distinctive skyline, where ancient stone spires intermingled with gleaming modern towers. The setting sun cast long shadows across the city's hybrid architecture, a testament to Sylverant's unique cultural fusion. As she cradled baby Mist, whose fuchsia hair seemed to glow in the fading daylight, she couldn't shake an unsettling feeling that had been growing stronger as darkness approached.

Across town, Derek and Katsura were finishing up their final tour of the day. The group they were leading consisted mostly of wide-eyed tourists from the Eastern Federation, eager to see how Demon Slayer traditions had evolved in this new land. As Katsura explained the significance of a particular marble building that housed ancient demon-slaying artifacts, Derek noticed something unusual in his peripheral vision – a shadow that moved against the wind.

"And if you look to your right," Katsura was saying, "you'll see the Memorial Garden, where we honor those who fell in the great migration from Japan..." Her voice trailed off as she too sensed something amiss. Years of inherited Demon Slayer instincts couldn't be completely buried, even after generations of peace.

The tourists, oblivious to the growing tension, continued snapping photos and chattering excitedly about the city's unique architecture. But Derek and Katsura exchanged a knowing look. Something was stirring in Sylverant – something that shouldn't exist in this modern age of peace and prosperity.

Back at home, Max stirred in his sleep, his young mind filled with dreams of becoming a hero like the ones in his books. But unlike his usual superhero dreams, this one felt different. In it, he saw shadows creeping through Durham's streets, and a strange mark glowing on his own hand – a mark that looked suspiciously like the ancient demon-slaying runes he'd seen in his history textbooks but had never quite understood.

Yang Lyn checked on the sleeping children one last time before sending a quick message to Derek and Katsura: "Kids are asleep. All quiet here." But as she typed those words, she couldn't help but wonder if the peace their generation had known was about to be tested in ways none of them had expected. After all, the old scrolls had warned that demons never truly die – they only wait for the right moment to return.