Demon Legacy

Kiki couldn't sleep. He woke up and went to the roof, where he saw the Demon Queen crying quietly under the stars.

"What's the matter?" Kiki asked softly.

The Queen tried to wipe her tears. "It's nothing."

Kiki sat beside her. "You can tell me."

She sighed. "Fine. I… I miss my daughter."

"Oh…" Kiki replied, unsure what to say.

The Queen's voice grew more strained. "I saw her for the first time in years, and she… she hates me. She sees me as an enemy."

"Please don't cry," Kiki said gently.

"Why shouldn't I?" the Queen replied. "She's my daughter, and she thinks I'm the villain. I… I have a heart too, Kiki."

Meanwhile, at the King's residence, the Demon Girl confronted her father. "Why did you hide the truth from me, Dad?"

The King took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "Children who learn about trauma—like being kidnapped—can develop fears… or even addictions."

"What kind of addiction?" she asked.

"There are many," he explained, "but the most common is the Red Drink."

"The Red Drink?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes. It's also called Demon Tears."

"Oh…" she said, her expression troubled.

Back on the roof, the Queen tried to lighten the mood. "What if I tried the Red Drink myself?" she joked, but her sadness was clear.

Kiki didn't know what the Red Drink was, but he sensed it was dangerous. "It's late. Why don't you rest? I can go look for your daughter."

The Queen grabbed his arm. "Please… don't go." But after a while, she fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.

Despite her plea, Kiki quietly slipped away to find the Demon Girl. As he walked, he noticed her waving him over from a nearby street corner.

"Kiki!" she whispered urgently. "Come here!"

"What is it?" Kiki asked, approaching her.

"Do you know anything about the Red Drink?" she asked.

"No," he admitted.

"Well, I think someone around here might know," she whispered, nodding toward a dark alley.

The two of them ventured down the alley, where a shadowy figure in dark clothing approached.

"Looking for the 'R' in the 'D'?" the figure asked with a sly smile.

The Demon Girl nodded, realizing he meant the Red Drink. "How much?"

"200 lights," he replied, holding out a small bottle filled with a dark, red liquid.

She handed over the money, and they each took a sip. Almost immediately, a powerful dizziness overtook them, and they collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The Next Morning

The Demon King and Queen found them slumped in the alley, the empty bottle of Red Drink beside them.

The King's face was a mix of anger and disappointment. "Demon Girl," he said sternly, trying to control his frustration.

The Queen knelt beside Kiki, her expression horrified. "Kiki, what were you thinking? She's only seven, and you let her drink that?"

But the Demon Girl barely registered their words, as her body trembled and a trickle of blood escaped her mouth—the first sign of "Demon Tears" poisoning.

The King, alarmed, quickly lifted her into his arms, shouting for a healer. The Queen helped Kiki onto a nearby horse, and together they raced to the healer's chambers.

When they arrived, the doctor gasped. "What happened?"

"She drank Demon Tears," the King said urgently. "And she's only seven."