Temporary bride for the demon overlord-Chapter 38: Old secrets unfolding

Ages before

Old walls weaken, old barriers on the verge of crumbling

Before the world broke, the three races dominated earth and all their realms. But all were ruled by the heavenly ones.

With power stretching from heaven to earth, they deemed it important to elect a few representative to govern all other races.

There were seven overlords elected. Two demon overlords, three dragon overlords, a fae overlord, and a human overlord.

They bestowed upon each leader power to control and keep peace, and the true source of this power lies in the Seven original Jewels.

Only when this Jewels is complete, will they be able to touch the true power and wield it to fit their desires. Each overlord with their single Jewel, have different powers that rivaled the others.

Even the Jewels in their individuality, contains an inordinate amount of power. And this was until the seed of corruption was planted.

Betrayal begins between the seven elected, each one wanting all the Jewels for themselves. This led to a war, and the true source was corrupted.

The wind current changed, rivers flowed backwards, and monsters locked away was once again unleashed on the world.

It was chaos. It was massacre and it was the turning point.

*~*~

Alphonse arrived at the dragon realm. The heat was oppressive and overpowering, with the sun pulsing overhead like a big red eye.

Finally, he was here. He stared round and wasn’t surprised to see that there was no one here.

First of all, he needs to investigate what the relationship between Benjamin and Ryan was.

Of course, he was aware of their dealings.

What he wasn’t aware of, was the reason why.

The orb of twisted pulsed dully inside his suit and he was almost tempted to hurl it away.

Yet he was was intrigued and wanted to keep it with him always. He had noticed the light touches on his mind, the subtle manipulation of evil forces.

And he was almost sure that it was emanating from the orb.

His acquaintance was already waiting for him. A sleek black car was parked a few feet away and he took his time, staring around him.

This was a suburban area with the flowers planted on each doorsteps, the detached roofs and stone stairs.

The cobbled stone made crunching sound under his feet when he finally arrived at where the car was parked.

Even though it was daylight here,

Even though it was daylight here, a strange shadow lingered in the air. As if something ancient and unseen watched him from the rooftops. Alphonse’s instincts prickled, not with fear—he’d long since abandoned such a mortal reflex—but with unease. The kind that only came when power was stirring in unwanted places.

The car door opened before he could knock.

"Lord Alphonse," said the man inside, his voice cold and clipped. "You’re late."

"Traffic," Alphonse replied dryly, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. "And stop calling me lord. I haven’t ruled anything in centuries."

The man raised an eyebrow behind his dark glasses. "And yet you walk like one."

Alphonse ignored him, glancing briefly at the driver. He didn’t recognize him. Likely a civilian glamour-cloaked with the fae’s influence. It was easier to keep attention away that way.

"I assume you have something for me, Derek," Alphonse said, turning to his contact.

Derek tapped his finger once on a screen embedded into the car door. A blue projection flickered to life in the air, showing two faces.

Benjamin . Ryan. Both names had been whispered among the underground. But what bothered Alphonse most wasn’t their ambition—it was their access.

"This is old news. I wouldn’t risk coming to this realm just because of this," Alphonse murmured.

"That’s the thing," Derek said, lowering his voice. "They didn’t get involved, they infiltrated."

The word hung heavy in the air. Infiltration among the seven realms was nearly impossible unless aided by someone powerful—someone inside.

Alphonse leaned back in the seat, eyes flickering to the orb pulsing at his hip. Still dull. Still ominous.

"Ryan’s mother was a concubine to the late Dragon Overlord Mirthaal," Derek continued. "She died giving birth, and the child was sent to the Earth realm—forgotten, until now."

"And Benjamin?"

"No trace.Except for the copious amount of money laundering he’s been doing." he paused.

"And he’s been meeting with old partner."

Alphonse’s gaze darkened. Now that was news.

Old partners? Illegal and forbidden since last world breaking.

"He’s hunting the Jewels," Derek said. "Word is—they already have one. We’re not sure which."

Alphonse didn’t respond for a moment. His fingers curled around the orb again.

He needed to act fast.

"Where are they now?"

"A safehouse. Dragon realm perimeter. Old ruins of Tel-Sahar."

Of course. The place where the third Jewel was once rumored to be buried—before it was claimed by Rhaegon, the third Dragon Overlord. But Rhaegon had died in the War of Sundering. His Jewel lost to the sands of time.

Or so everyone thought.

Alphonse narrowed his eyes. "And you’re certain it’s them?"

Derek hesitated. "We have a third source. Not...human."

That drew Alphonse’s attention. "Show me."

The projection flickered again. A faint shape—almost childlike—appeared. A fae with skin like moonstone and eyes the color of stormclouds

"She calls herself Lyra. Claims to be a shard of the Fae Oracle, shattered during the war."

"Impossible," Alphonse said instantly. "The Oracle was bound to the Tree of Origin. She couldn’t be splintered."

Derek shrugged. "And yet she lives."

Alphonse leaned forward. "What does she want?"

"She says the Jewels are waking. And that you—specifically you—must decide whether to bind them or destroy them."

A cold silence followed.

He hated prophecy.

He despised being the center of one.

"We’re going to Tel-Sahar," Alphonse said finally, eyes blazing. "If Benjamin and Ryan are there, they’re not leaving with that Jewel."

Derek gave a nod to the driver, who silently turned the car down a winding street lined with whispering trees. Despite the warmth of the dragon realm, a chill crept down Alphonse’s spine. Ryan’s influence spreading here of all places was a quiet insult to centuries of unspoken pacts.

"Your first meeting is with Maren," Derek said, pulling up a translucent map from the screen again. "She used to be a flamekeeper under Mirthaal’s reign. Retired officially, but she has more reach than she lets on."

"I’m guessing she’s not fond of Ryan."

"She’s not fond of anyone. But she lost kin in the War of Sundering. Ryan’s rise dredges up old wounds. She’ll talk."

The car slowed before a manor woven into a cliffside, smoke rising from dark stone chimneys. A large brass serpent coiled around the entry gate—a symbol of the old dragon lineages. Alphonse exited before the driver even finished stopping.

He approached the door and it opened with a hiss, as if sensing his presence.

Maren stood in the entryway, her hair coiled like smoking braids, eyes molten amber. She was neither old nor young—dragons aged differently, and their magic preserved them longer than most.

"I don’t host demons often," she said without preamble.

"I don’t visit old dragons lightly," Alphonse returned.

She smirked. "Then let’s not pretend this is friendly. Come in."

Inside, the manor was dimly lit with candles and runes that pulsed with heat. Ancient banners hung above thick stone walls, depicting battles and treaties long faded from common memory.

"You came to ask about the boy," Maren said as they settled into a sunken den filled with soft cushions and lava-filled lanterns. "Ryan."

Alphonse nodded. "And the Jewel, if he has it."

Maren poured them each a drink that steamed, even in the heat. Alphonse didn’t touch his.

"I knew his mother," she said after a pause. "Beautiful. Fierce. And stupid enough to think Mirthaal would ever name her child anything but a shadow."

"So why was he sent away?"

"Because he was dangerous," Maren said simply. "Even as an infant, he stirred things. Winds shifted. Stones cracked under his cries. It wasn’t just dragon blood in him. Something older. Something we didn’t understand."

"Do you think he’s using that now?"

She sipped from her drink, gaze narrowing. "I think he’s been waiting. And if he’s in Tel-Sahar, then he thinks it’s time."

Alphonse leaned forward. "And the Jewel?"

"I wouldn’t have believed it, until the dreams started again."

"What dreams?"

Maren hesitated. "The earth bleeding gold. The sky cracking open. The Seven—hovering over a dying tree."

Alphonse stiffened. The Tree of Origin again. It always returned to that damned tree.

"You believe the Jewels are calling out."

"I believe something is waking. Whether it’s the Jewels, or something worse, I can’t say."

They spoke for several more minutes, until Alphonse finally stood. "Thank you."

Maren walked him to the door. "Be careful, Alphonse. You may not be the only one hunting."

Outside, Derek was already waiting beside the car, arms folded. "She talk?"

"She sang.

"

Derek signed. Alphonse had a twisted sense of humor. And he would know, since he’d been working for him since he can walk.

"I’m going to assume that was your shot at being sarcastic?"

Alphonse laughed, it was a mirthful one.