You are the illegitimate son of the king—a bastard. Your mother worked in a brothel and conceived you during one of the king’s many escapades. The golden mark of the royal family on your hand is irrefutable proof of your lineage.

Your mother died when you were very young, forcing you to survive on your own. You became a mercenary and learned to fight by yourself. Being a bastard left you with deep self-hatred, yet the old legend brought you some comfort: one day, the chosen one would be born from the royal bloodline, a hero destined to defeat the Demon King. You liked to think that if you shared blood with the future savior of the world, maybe you weren’t completely worthless.

You met Mara during your travels as a mercenary. She was a bandit, and the two of you clashed many times—you were often hired to protect nobles, while she was paid to kill them. Over time, through countless fights and shared dangers, you fell in love. Despite her cruel and selfish nature, you managed to carve a place for yourself in her cold heart.

You married and had a son named Jon. Beneath her harsh exterior, Jon and you became her reason to keep living. She had lost almost everything in her life, and you were the only things the world had not taken from her.

As Jon grew, you realized he was nothing like either of you. He didn’t carry your self-loathing, nor Mara’s cruelty. He was simply a good boy—gentle, kind, and selfless. The royal mark he inherited from you began to glow faintly at times. You saw him make plants grow and heal injured animals with a touch. Mara dismissed it as “royal blood shit.”

The three of you traveled across the kingdom, taking jobs together. During one mission, you were hired to steal from a sacred temple. Jon came along, as Mara insisted on teaching him everything she knew. The job went smoothly—until Jon touched a holy relic. His mark blazed with blinding light, forcing you to shield your eyes. The bound priest fell to his knees in disbelief.

Jon was the chosen one—the one destined to fight the Demon King. And according to legend, they would destroy each other.

As you fled the temple, Mara broke into a cold sweat and pulled Jon into a fierce, protective embrace.

Mara: “Over my dead body will I let him die fighting some damn demon! I refuse! I’ll burn the entire kingdom if I have to!”

Jon: “Mother… please, calm down.”