CHAPTER ONE — THE RISE OF DEVIL

Darkness had swallowed the entire kingdom.

Heavy clouds covered the sky so completely that even the moon could no longer be seen. The cold wind carried fear through every street, every house, every human heart. People believed death itself was approaching.

But among all those terrified people…

There was one boy smiling.

A thin boy with long black hair, pale skin, and beautiful silver eyes that almost made him look like royalty. Yet despite his appearance, the world treated him worse than dirt.

No one knew who his parents were.

No one knew where he came from.

The villagers simply called him “Monu.”

Not a single person in the village knew his real name.

And honestly…

No one cared enough to ask.

The village hated him for reasons even he himself didn’t understand. Sometimes, while lying awake at night, he wondered if he had committed some terrible sin before he was born.

Why else would the world hate him so much?

Why else would every human look at him with disgust?

Still…

The boy never stopped smiling.

Because if the world refused to give him a name…

Then he would create one himself.

“Dev.”

That was the name he gave himself.

Whenever he stole food successfully or won a fight, he would proudly whisper to himself:

“Dev… you truly are strong.”

That evening, Dev sat quietly behind a house, eating a piece of stolen bread. His stomach hurt badly from hunger, but for once, he felt peaceful.

Then suddenly—

A painful kick slammed into his back.

“Oye trash! How dare you sit behind my house?!”

Dev fell face-first into the dirt.

A group of boys surrounded him.

And standing in front of them was Raman.

The son of one of the richest noble families in the kingdom.

Raman looked down at Dev with pure disgust.

Without warning, the boys began beating him mercilessly.

Punches smashed against his face.

Feet crashed into his ribs.

Blood slowly covered the dirt beneath him.

The bread slipped from Dev’s hand and fell into the mud.

But the boys continued beating him even after he stopped fighting back.

Finally, after getting bored, Raman spat on Dev’s face.

“Filthy animal.”

The boys laughed loudly before walking away.

For several minutes, Dev remained motionless.

Then slowly…

His eyes opened.

A stray dog was eating the fallen bread beside him.

At first Dev stared silently.

But then he noticed something strange.

The dog had only eaten half.

The remaining piece had been left untouched.

For him.

A weak smile appeared on Dev’s bruised face.

The dog was just like him.

Abandoned.

Hungry.

Alone.

Dev gently rubbed the dog’s head before trying to stand. Pain instantly shot through his body. His jaw had been dislocated during the beating.

But instead of panicking, Dev calmly grabbed his own jaw and snapped it back into place.

CRACK.

He winced slightly.

He had learned how to relocate broken bones long ago after secretly watching a street magician perform tricks.

Pain had become normal for him.

As night slowly arrived, Dev returned to his tiny hut deep inside the forest.

The hut barely looked livable.

The roof was broken.

The walls were rotting.

It looked as if the entire thing could collapse at any moment.

But it was home.

Dev stepped inside—

And froze.

Someone was sitting there.

A strange man quietly sat near the corner of the hut.

The moment he saw Dev, the stranger stood up nervously.

“Who are you?” the man asked cautiously.

Dev frowned angrily.

“You enter my house and ask me who I am?”

The stranger quickly raised his hands.

“I mean no harm. I came from another kingdom looking for work.”

Before Dev could reply—

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The moment Dev heard the sound, his face instantly brightened.

He rushed toward the door.

“Didi!”

Standing outside was a woman in her late twenties.

Her skin was pale like moonlight, and her eyes were beautiful enough to charm almost anyone who looked at them.

Her name was Rani.

The moment Dev saw her, he hugged her tightly.

Rani smiled softly and placed her hand on his head.

“How was your day, Dev?”

But the moment she noticed the injuries on his face, her smile disappeared.

“You went to the market again, didn’t you?”

Dev immediately looked guilty.

“Sorry…”

“I told you not to go there.”

“I won’t do it again.”

Rani sighed before entering the hut.

When she noticed the stranger inside, her expression became cautious.

“And who are you?”

Before the man could answer, Dev spoke proudly.

“He came from another kingdom looking for work!”

Rani stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding slightly.

That night, after Dev finally fell asleep beside his dog, the stranger quietly looked toward Rani.

“Who are you to him?”

Rani remained silent for a long moment.

Then finally—

“I’m nobody.”

The fire crackled softly inside the hut.

“One day I found him crying alone in an alley. Since then… he started calling me sister.”

The stranger listened quietly.

Then Rani spoke again.

“I survive by selling my body.”

The stranger’s eyes widened slightly.

But he said nothing.

Silence filled the hut once more.

Outside, thunder roared across the heavens.

And somewhere far beyond the darkness…

Something had already begun watching Dev.

The next morning, Dev woke up smiling.

For the first time in years, life actually felt peaceful.

The stranger had found work in the city.

Rani looked happier.

Even Dev had stopped stealing.

Slowly, the three of them began living like a family.

And that happiness…

Started irritating Raman.

One afternoon, Raman watched Dev laughing from afar.

His expression darkened.

“How can trash like him smile?”

Then suddenly—

An evil idea entered his mind.

That evening, Raman secretly called Rani into a dark alley.

“I’ll give you one gold coin,” he said coldly, “if you let me kill Dev tonight.”

Rani’s face immediately turned pale.

“What…?”

Raman casually threw a gold coin onto the ground.

“You heard me.”

Then he walked away.

Rani stood there trembling in fear.

She immediately ran back toward the hut.

When she arrived, she saw Dev happily playing with the stranger and the dog.

For a moment, relief filled her chest.

Maybe Raman was only joking.

Maybe nothing bad would happen.

But deep inside…

Fear still remained.

Night eventually arrived.

Dev stepped outside the hut with his dog beside him.

The cold wind brushed against his face.

Then suddenly—

He stopped walking.

Raman stood in front of the hut alone.

A sword rested upon his shoulder.

Raman smirked coldly.

“Your sister sold you.”

Dev’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“She’s just a filthy prostitute… and you’re nothing but an unwanted bastard.”

Rage exploded inside Dev’s chest.

“Watch your mouth.”

Raman laughed loudly.

“Or what?”

Then suddenly—

He drew his sword and attacked.

The blade rushed toward Dev’s neck.

But before it could reach him—

The dog jumped forward and bit Raman’s arm.

“AAAAAH!”

Raman screamed in pain.

And in that single moment…

Something inside Dev snapped.

He grabbed Raman’s sword.

And before Raman could react—

SLASH.

Blood sprayed across the night sky.

Raman’s body froze.

Slowly…

His head fell onto the ground.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Dev stood there trembling violently.

His breathing became uneven.

He stared at the corpse before him in horror.

For the first time in his life…

He had killed someone.

Then suddenly—

Torches began appearing throughout the forest.

Voices echoed everywhere.

“HE’S OVER THERE!”

“MONU KILLED RAMAN!”

The entire village had come for him.