Earths sovereign is a DEMON

"What... happened?" he croaked, his voice scratchy, as he sat up slowly. His eyes darted around the room. Rough stone walls, cold and damp. A single, flickering light buzzed above him, casting eerie, shifting shadows. The whole place looked like it hadn't seen a renovation since forever. Cozy wasn't the word.

"Alright," Markus muttered, rubbing his temples. "Where the hell am I now?"

The floor beneath him was just as inviting as the rest of the room—hard and freezing. As he got to his feet, his boots scraped noisily against the stone. He wobbled a bit, catching himself against the wall. His whole body still felt like it had been dragged behind a ship.

Taking a hesitant step forward, Markus scanned the room. Not much to work with—a rusty metal door on the far side, an empty chair that looked like it might collapse if you so much as glanced at it, and… yeah, that was it. No windows, no sound, no sign of life.

"Guess this is my cue," he muttered, trudging toward the door. The handle was ice-cold under his hand, and it groaned like an old man's back when he turned it. The door creaked open, revealing a long, dimly lit hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. Markus hesitated.

He glanced back at the room, then at the corridor ahead. "No going back, huh?" he sighed and stepped through.

The second his foot hit the hallway, the door slammed shut behind him with a thunderous clang. Markus jumped, spinning around. "Whoa! Okay, what was—"

He grabbed the handle and yanked. Nothing. The thing wouldn't budge. Markus pulled harder, his frustration bubbling over. "Come on!" he growled.

And then, just to make things weirder, the sound of stone grinding on stone filled the air. Slowly, Markus turned to look at the door… or where the door had been. It was gone. Vanished. Nothing but a smooth wall where it used to be.

Markus took a shaky step back, running a hand through his hair. "Nope," he muttered. "Nope, nope, nope. This is not a good sign."

Taking a deep breath, he faced the hallway again. "Alright, Markus. You've dealt with worse... probably. This is training, right? Gotta get stronger, save humanity, all that jazz. Totally normal," he said to himself, though his laugh came out more nervous than reassuring.

The air in the hallway was heavy, damp, and carried a faint metallic tang. Markus walked slowly, his boots echoing with each step. "Please don't let my teacher be a nutcase," he mumbled. "I need someone sane, someone who—"

A sudden chill ran down his spine, cold and electric. Markus froze mid-step, his instincts screaming at him not to turn around. But curiosity—or maybe dread—got the better of him. Slowly, he turned his head.

Standing barely a foot away was a man. Or... something. Markus wasn't sure. The guy was grinning from ear to ear, his wild, gravity-defying hair looking like he'd stuck a fork in an outlet. His mismatched eyes gleamed with unsettling amusement, and his long coat billowed like he had his own personal wind machine.

"You rang?" the man whispered, his face way too close for comfort. His breath reeked of sour… something, and Markus recoiled instinctively.

"Nutcase," the man continued with a chuckle. "Someone say nutcase?"

Markus let out a scream—a shrill, high-pitched, undignified scream that echoed down the hall. He stumbled backward, clutching his chest. "What the hell?!"

The man—Malrik Crowne—exploded into laughter, doubling over and slapping his knee. "HA! You should've seen your face! Oh, man, that was priceless!" he howled. "I got you good!"

Markus glared, still catching his breath. "I—I wasn't scared of you!" he stammered, his voice cracking. "It's your smell! It's—" He waved a hand in front of his nose. "It's like a dumpster fire! How do you even smell like that? Have you heard of soap?"

Malrik wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing. "Oh, kid, you're killing me! A clean freak, huh? Don't worry—we'll break that little habit soon enough."

Markus took another step back, crossing his arms. "Yeah, not happening. This is already looking like a nightmare."

Malrik grinned wider, extending a grimy hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Markus Sentryon. You ready for training?"

Markus stared at the hand like it was a biohazard. "Not a chance," he muttered under his breath.

Malrik's mismatched eyes gleamed as his grin turned devilish. "Oh, don't you worry. By the time we're done, you'll either be the strongest soldier on the field... or begging for mercy! Either way, it'll be fun."

Markus gulped, the knot in his stomach tightening. "What have I gotten myself into.

"Now, now! Let's head out!" Malrik exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air with dramatic flair.

Before Markus could even blink, the world around him began to dissolve, melting away like a surreal dream. The rough walls, the dim flickering light, and the cold stone floor beneath his boots vanished in an instant. He now stood in an open field, the golden grass swaying gently under a cool breeze.

Markus's eyes widened, his jaw hanging slack as he turned in place, trying to process the sudden shift. The sky stretched endlessly above him in brilliant hues of burnt orange and deep purple, jagged cliffs looming in the distance like ancient guardians.

"Come, come, Markus!" Malrik called out, cheerfully waving him over like an overly excited guide.

Still dazed, Markus hesitated before following, curiosity and a twinge of unease propelling his steps forward. Malrik walked with a spring in his stride, stopping abruptly at the edge of a towering cliff. From where they stood, Markus could see a sprawling forest below, its trees shimmering faintly with an unearthly glow. Leaves sparkled in vibrant emerald and sapphire hues, as if each branch held a piece of the cosmos.

Markus froze at the sight, his breath catching in his chest. "Wow…" he murmured, barely audible.

"WOW is right, my boy!" Malrik declared, throwing his arms wide in a theatrical flourish. "WOW o wow! Feast your eyes on this marvel!"

Markus took a cautious step closer, peering over the cliff's edge. The forest stretched as far as the eye could see, glowing with a strange rhythm, almost as though it were alive and breathing.

"This," Malrik said, gesturing grandly, "is Mars Lunar Forest!"

The Mars Lunar Forest stretched endlessly, a kaleidoscope of ethereal beauty

Markus stared, still awestruck. "I've… I've never seen anything like it."

Malrik's grin grew wicked. "But you, my boy, shall call it The Forest of Eternal Horrors and Nightmares!"

Markus blinked, the awe on his face quickly replaced with confusion. "What? Why?"

"There's a reason this place isn't populated," Malrik said casually, his tone taking on a sinister edge. "It's home to magical beasts—nasty, horrible creatures born from the mana crystals buried deep in Mars's core."

Markus's stomach twisted. "Why would you bring me here?"

"To train you, of course!" Malrik clapped his hands, as if the answer were obvious. "Your task is to reach the end."

Markus frowned, glancing back at the endless expanse of shimmering trees. "The end? There is no end. It just goes on forever!"

Malrik chuckled, shaking his head. "Naaa, that's just an illusion. Trust me, there's an end!"

Markus clenched his fists, his face hardening with determination. "Fine. I'll do whatever it takes if it means I can fight those demons. I don't want anyone else to suffer the way they've made me suffer." His voice trembled slightly with anger, his expression dark with resolve.

Malrik's grin widened at Markus's declaration. "Good!" he said brightly, before casually shoving Markus off the cliff.

The shove was so quick, so unexpected, that Markus didn't even register what was happening until he felt the rush of air beneath him. He was falling. Fast.

"HE'S CRAZY!" Markus screamed, flailing as the ground below hurtled toward him. "WHEN I GET BACK UP THERE—"

"BONKERS! ABSOLUTELY BONKERS!" Malrik yelled down, doubling over in laughter at the edge of the cliff. "ALL YOU NEED TO SURVIVE IS DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE! PROBABLY! BYE-BYE!"

Markus's mind raced as the ground rushed closer, his screams fading as darkness engulfed his vision.

Everything went black.