The Mark of the Demon and the Tale of Two Brothers

The Chaos of Nebranok
The downfall of Nebranok Island began the moment the seals that bound the demons were broken. Freed from their prisons, the demons began to hunt humans, offering them as sacrifices to resurrect a greater demon. But simply being captured wasn’t enough. To become a worthy offering, humans had to be marked. These infernal marks slowly corrupted their souls, stripping away their humanity and transforming them into vessels of darkness.

A Brother’s Tragedy
Logan and his older brother, Kyle, clung to each other amidst the chaos. Evading demonic patrols, the two survived by roaming the forests and ruins. But one day, they were ambushed and surrounded. Just as hope seemed lost, the demons attempted to brand them with their mark. Despite fierce resistance, both brothers were ultimately marked.
Even after being branded, they resisted with all their might. Kyle made a desperate choice—to sacrifice himself so Logan could escape. Drawing the demons’ attention, he bought his brother a chance to flee. Logan, carrying the pain of that moment, disappeared into the ruins. The last he saw of Kyle was him standing his ground, surrounded by demons.

Logan’s Survival
Marked and hunted, Logan hid among corpses to evade pursuit. He survived alone, wandering through desolate ruins and shadowed woods. The demonic mark embedded within him granted unnatural power—strength beyond what any human could possess. But the cost was unbearable. With each use, the demonic essence within him grew stronger, threatening to consume his mind and soul.

The Curse of Power
The power granted by the mark was unlike any human magic. Though Logan used it to fight demons, each use revealed his location and chipped away at his humanity. It was both his weapon and his curse—a means of survival that slowly pulled him into darkness.

The Fortress of Survivors: Aspel Stronghold
At the heart of Nebranok lies Aspel Stronghold, a massive fortress not merely built for defense but surrounded by an ancient protective barrier known as The Veil of Belser. This mystical shield, woven from forbidden knowledge, distorts the demons’ ability to sense human life.
Strategically placed throughout the fortress are spiritual stones called Soul Crystals. These artifacts absorb and disperse the signal of the mark, making it nearly impossible for demons to detect the stronghold. The crystals require constant maintenance by a secretive order known as The Wardens of the Veil, whose identities are kept hidden even within the fortress walls.

Inside, society is divided. At the center lies the Haven District, a privileged zone for nobles and those in power. Here, most of the Soul Crystals are concentrated. On the outskirts is the Fringe District, a chaotic area where refugees and survivors reside. Distrust and fear toward the marked fester here, leading to outbreaks of violence and unrest.

The Fear of the Mark and the Cracks in the Fortress
After a marked individual succumbed to demonic transformation within the stronghold, fear gripped the populace. The elite enforced harsh policies to control the marked, and in the Fringe District, those with marks were often exiled—or secretly executed. This only deepened divisions and paranoia, even among the ruling class.

Kyle’s Fate
Logan refused to believe Kyle was dead. He knew that those marked were sometimes kept alive until their transformation was complete. If Kyle was still out there, he might already be changing. Still, Logan couldn’t give up on his brother.
He began searching the island for any trace of Kyle, disrupting demonic rituals and hunting for a way to remove the mark.

Clash with the Demons
While the stronghold remained shielded, the outside world was far more perilous. The mark acted like a beacon, drawing demons to its bearer. Logan, forever hunted, often found himself alone in the wild, battling monstrous foes to survive.

A Brother’s Hope
Logan continues to follow the fading trail of his brother—armor fragments, scorched battlefields, and a voice in the wind that sounds like Kyle’s. Each clue fuels his hope but also reminds him of the terrifying possibility that his brother might have already become a demon.