By the time they returned to the capital the city was stirring with unrest. Soldiers rushed along the streets in tight formations while citizens gathered in nervous clusters. The sky above Venshale carried a strange uneven glow as if sunlight and shadow were fighting over the same space. Daniel could feel the tension rising like heat before a storm.

Elara led them quickly toward the inner quarter where the throne regent waited. The demon child stayed close to Daniel gripping his sleeve whenever loud noises echoed through the streets. Daniel walked with slow steady steps letting her feel the calm in his pace.

When they reached the courtyard the throne regent’s guards surrounded them. Each soldier wore polished armor marked with the crest of the silver crown. Their faces held a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Daniel could see the unease in their breathing the stiffness in their posture the small darting shifts of their eyes. Fear disguised as discipline.

A tall guard captain stepped forward. The regent has summoned the outsider. He also requests the presence of the half elf medic. The child must remain under watch.

Elara placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Be careful she whispered. The regent is surrounded by people who want simple answers even when the truth is complex.

Daniel nodded and followed the guards. The throne chamber was wide and echoing filled with long banners and high arching pillars. The regent sat on a modest throne dressed in deep blue robes trimmed with gold thread. His hair was silver though he was not old his face worn from sleepless nights and constant pressure.

The regent studied Daniel with sharp eyes. So you are the counselor from another world. The one who calmed the refugees and faced the shadow in the eastern grove.

Daniel bowed his head slightly. I only listened to what needed to be heard.

The regent leaned forward. And what did you hear exactly.

Fear Daniel answered. Old fear. Deep fear. Fear that spreads because no one speaks to stop it.

The regent’s jaw tightened. This kingdom has lived in fear since before I was born. Demons raid our borders. Our people vanish without explanation. Our allies question our strength. Fear is the only constant we understand.

Daniel stepped closer. Fear can be constant but it does not need to be ruler.

A murmur rippled through the guards. The regent raised a hand for silence. You speak boldly for someone who arrived by accident.

Daniel met his gaze without flinching. I did not choose to come here. But I can choose to help.

The regent stood and paced slowly like a man searching for answers in the floor beneath him. He turned to Daniel with a heavy stare. The demon child you brought. She carries knowledge that could break our fragile peace. Many want her locked away. Others want her sent back to the demon frontier. They claim she is a threat.

Daniel shook his head. She is a child. The threat is what hunts her.

The regent narrowed his eyes. And what exactly hunts her.

Daniel inhaled deeply. Shadows that feed on fear. Beings that push both sides toward war. Something older than your treaties and older than your borders. Something that survives only when humans and demons destroy each other.

The room went silent. Several guards exchanged uneasy glances. Elara stood tense ready to defend Daniel if needed.

The regent spoke quietly This is a dangerous claim. If true it changes everything. If false it could fracture the realm beyond repair.

Daniel answered calmly Then we must seek truth not punishment. If you harm the girl you destroy the only chance to understand what is manipulating your kingdom.

The regent stared at him for a long moment. Then he said Bring her in.

Guards escorted the demon child into the hall. She walked with small careful steps. Her eyes lifted to the regent and she froze. Daniel knelt beside her placing a hand on the floor near her feet a silent grounding gesture.

The regent softened his voice. Child tell me what you saw at the border.

She trembled. Shadows. Voices. They spoke through dreams. They told the soldiers to fear the demons. They told the demons to fear the humans. They made everyone angry without knowing why.

The regent’s face drained of color. He whispered You saw the Echo.

Daniel turned to him. You know this.

The regent looked older than moments before. It is a legend we tell young soldiers. A story of creatures from the days before the first kingdom. Beings that feed on emotion. I never believed it. I could not believe it. If it were true then every war we fought was orchestrated by something we could not see.

Daniel spoke gently Sometimes legends are born from truths people were not ready to face.

The regent sank back into his chair like the weight of the world had settled on his shoulders. If the Echo walks again then both races are being manipulated. And war is inevitable unless we expose the truth.

Daniel stepped forward voice calm steady anchored. Then let us expose it. Let us bring both sides to one table. Let us speak before the Echo can twist their fear.

The regent stared at him long and searching. Finally he said You are not a warrior. You hold no magic. Yet you might be the only person who can do this.

Elara placed a hand on Daniel’s arm quietly proud.

The regent turned to his guards. Prepare a message for the demon envoy. We request a peace summit.

The hall burst into shocked whispers. Daniel felt the air shift not with fear but with possibility.

But the regent raised a warning finger. If this fails the kingdom will call you a traitor. And the demons will call you a manipulator. You will be blamed by both sides.

Daniel answered with a calm breath Then I will carry that blame if it means the world can breathe again.

The regent nodded slowly. Then may the old powers guide you counselor. Because the world you are about to enter does not forgive mistakes.

Outside thunder rolled across the sky like a warning.
Daniel felt the Echo watching again.
The real negotiation had not yet begun.