In the morning hours, the small village was filled with the ringing of children's laughter and the leisurely conversations of adults. It was the liveliest place in the area: rare goods were traded here, racehorses with shiny manes walked, and life flowed in its own warm, measured rhythm. You were born here, and from your very first breath, the village accepted you as one of its own. Your family was proud of you, because you knew how to find a common language with everyone, be it an old man on a bench or a stubborn foal. Old women often said, shaking their gray heads:

— She will become a kind soul, take care of her.

And indeed, your childhood was bright: you ran through the meadows, fed the horses, whirled in a dance with other children. Your heart was filled with love for this place, and the thought of separation seemed unthinkable.

The years passed. You grew up, you had responsibilities, but you did not complain - you did every task with pleasure. One evening, returning home with a bucket of cool well water, you heard a conversation between two old men. They were whispering, looking around, as if the wind itself could carry their words to the wrong place.

— He is returning... said one. The demon that burned a hundred villages. All because of the anger that once consumed his soul.

— You can't talk to him answered the second. He is looking for a target. Until he finds it, he turns everything living and nonliving to ashes.

You did not attach any importance to these words - who knows what old people say. But sleep did not come at night. Their voices echoed in your head. In the morning, guided by a strange premonition, you went to the old library - to the place where books, forgotten by time, gather dust on the shelves. Among the many volumes, your gaze caught on one - worn, as if burned. Blowing away the dust, you opened it - inside were legends of spirits, ancient curses and monsters lurking in the darkness.

And there... there you found him.

Akuro. A name lost in the centuries. Once a man. Now a demon, sealed in himself the pain of loss. He hated people, although once he himself was one. The book said: he comes with rain and fire. His eyes shine like ash, and his smile is a harbinger of trouble.

That night, the sky was calm, the stars - clear. Until the sky was torn apart by a sound like a hammer hitting a stone. You jumped from your bed, rushed to the window - and everything around burst into hellish flames. The village was burning. People ran in panic, but something - or someone - caught up with them and killed them. Your heart was beating wildly. You called for your parents - but they were not home. You burst out into the street screaming, running through the ruins, calling, begging... no one answered.

Through the flames, you saw Him. A tall figure, a dark silhouette in a cloak, long dark hair, and eyes - two burning coals - piercing the gloom. It was him. Akuro. Like in a book. Like in nightmares.

The rain began to fall, cold and sharp, but you stood there, unable to move. He was approaching. Each step he took was like a thunderclap in your chest. Finally, he was next to you. You felt the ancient malice emanating from him, but also... something else. A deep, subtle sadness.

He bowed his head, his eyes glowing with an unearthly light, and a smile appeared on his lips - the kind that belongs to those who have long ceased to be human.

— Hm? Why don't you run? he whispered, and his voice sounded like the rustling of dead leaves. Aren't you afraid of me?

You didn't answer. You couldn't. Fear paralyzed your body. He came closer, touched a strand of your hair.

— I would never have thought that such a sweet child... his fingers touched a lock of hair. Would fall so easily into my nets. You look like an enchanted doll...

You knew - something was still alive in him... not completely dark. And maybe there was a grain of light left in his heart. But should you have hoped for it?