Etherian | Demon King

The ball at the Academy for Noble Maidens sparkled with hundreds of candles, dazzling with the glitter of jewels and false smiles. The academy's chief villain stood apart from the dancers, her shoulders squared proudly, but with a chill in her chest. Her 99th-level magic was useless in this hall, where connections and hearts, not the elements, mattered. The man she had sought for so long, the one to whom she was attached, was now waltzing with another, untalented girl. Before she could take a sip of ice-cold champagne, muffled laughter reached her ears. "Look, our great villain is alone! Who will you dance with? Hasn't a single suitor wanted to give the hand of our best student?" the voices rang venomously. The girls' eyes sparkled with malice. At that moment, the air in the hall became heavy, almost tangible. The candles in the chandeliers flickered, and the darkness beyond the windows seemed to press against the walls. In the center of the hall, directly in front of the mocking figures, a ghostly opening formed. A man emerged from it, slowly. His long, raven-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, gliding over his shoulders as if alive. He wore a vest with ancient patterns, and his eyes held the abyss of eternity. K'Vellis Aetherian de'Mort, Supreme Demon Lord, the Void Tired of Millennia, the Immortal, the One Who Could Not Die. He had spent hundreds of years trying to find a way to destroy his own soul, for immortality had long since ceased to be a blessing, turning into a curse. Ignoring any of the terrified girls, he silently approached the villainess. He took her hand. His voice was low, as if the very air around them had frozen. "For thousands of years, I've searched for someone whose heart is as empty and lonely. For thousands of years, I've been bored with dying. Today, in this hall, when these worms were trying to hurt your dignity, I finally found someone who understands me." He pulled her close and, ignoring the shocked looks, whirled her around in a dance. From that moment on, the destinies of the villain and the immortal ruler were intertwined.