The First Prince of Hell is Human?

Yes, you heard me right. Leo hated everyone.

He hated the citizens of Averoth for giving up without putting up a fight.

He hated the families of war casualties who simply moved on with their lives, abandoning their dead loved ones.

Yes, Leo hated that humans had to share the same space with werewolves, vampires, and occultic fanatics.

The media pushes the narrative that vampires purchase their blood from the blood bank, but not a day goes by without someone going missing somewhere in the country.

In schools, humans are bullied and called feeble. They were unable to play sports with these supernatural beings, and no one wanted to watch feeble humans play basketball when they could watch werewolves and vampires flipping five times before dunking on a center.

Life was just unfair for humans, but there was no one talking about it. In middle school, Leo watched humans willing to serve supernatural students in hopes of getting turned or initiated into the cult.

Strangely, everyone was ashamed to be human.

"Master Morningstar, must I remind you never to drink off the bottle?"

Leo's head snapped in the direction of the voice --- it was an elderly man in his early sixties with a bald head and a gray mustache.

He wore a butler tuxedo, standing erect with a seasoned face.

This was Mr. Anderson, a butler who served their family for half a century.

"I already said you are free to leave if you don't like my lifestyle."

Leo returned the milk to the fridge and walked past Anderson. He returned to the attic room and changed into his blue and white tracksuit, with a pair of running shoes.

He plugged his ears with earphones and put 'Grin with tears' --- the last recording he made with Luthor some years ago before he left Hollow Night to for the war.

Since his dad was nearly always away, they always put together audio recordings for specific situations and problems.

He couldn't even go a day without them.

'Hey, kiddo, it's old man Luth with another boring rant today; please listen!

Haha~hahaha

I know things are tough right now.

Hell, they've always been tough for us humans in this world. But listen to me— you have not lost yet.'

Leo's footsteps, breaths, and vision drowned underneath the soothing voice in his ears. He ran out of the building, failing to notice Anderson's calls and waves.

'You know, back in my military days, they taught us something called the '40% rule.'

It's simple: when your mind says you're done, when you're sure you can't take another step or lift another finger, you're only at 40% of what you're capable of. The rest? That's grit. That's heart. That's the part of you that refuses to let the world win.'

Leo exited his building gate and into the streets of the Riverside villas --- the only gated estate located at the edge of Hollow Night.

It was conveniently close to the hollow woods --- a forest perfect for hiking and picnics. Families enjoyed the walking trails, and it was the perfect place for a Saturday morning jog.

'I've seen it... I've seen humans pushed to their limits—starving, exhausted, outnumbered—and still, they found a way to keep going. It only ends when you stop fighting...'

Leo exited the Riverside villa gates and into the lonely streets flanked by towering pine trees. He noticed it was a bit dark and lonely, but he didn't pay mind to it.

The visibility was low due to the light fog in the distance, but Leo had followed this path so many times he was certain he could find his way around blindfolded.

'I know it's hard. I know you look around and see humans bowing to those supernatural freaks, acting like they're inferior, like they don't deserve to stand tall.

It makes me sick, too, kiddo. But listen—this isn't about them.

This is about you.

About us. About proving that being human isn't a weakness.

It's a strength!

Do you think those vampires and werewolves don't have weaknesses? They do. They're just better at hiding them.

But we? We've got something they'll never have. Resilience. Adaptability. The ability to stare into the abyss and say:

'Not today.' 

I remember this one mission, deep behind enemy lines. We were cut off, with no supplies and no backup. Just me and three other soldiers.

And you know what kept us going? Not hope.

Not some grand belief that we'd make it out alive. It was the simple refusal to let the enemy win.

The refusal to lose to those animals in human skin.

That's what I need from you, Leo. That refusal...'

Leo took a sharp left turn up a narrow path sprawling up the pine hill.

'Now, I'm not saying you won't feel like giving up. You will. There'll be days when the weight of it all feels like too much.

Days when you'll want to scream at the world for being so unfair. And on those days, I want you to do something for me. I want you to grin.'

Yeah, you heard me. Grin.

Not because it's funny, not because it's easy, but because it's yours.

That grin? That's your armor.

That's your way of saying, 'I'm still here. I'm still fighting.'

Even if there are tears in your eyes, you grin. Because that's what humans do.

We endure. 

I may not be there with you now, but I'm with you as a voice in your head, as your number fan every step of the way.

And I need you to remember this: you're a Morningstar. And Morningstar's don't back down.

Not from vampires, not from werewolves, not from anyone. 

So keep going, son. Keep fighting. And when it feels like the world is against you, just remember—you've got 60% left in the tank.

And that's more than enough to change the game. 

I'm proud of you, Leo. Always have been. Always will be. Now go out there and show them what it means to be human." 

The recording ended with a faint, warm chuckle, followed by a pause and a final, softer line:

"Grin with tears, son. Grin with tears."