Power?

 "Money? Women? Revenge? Life... Death... Is any of this even worth chasing?" Neo muttered, his voice low as he stood atop the pile of demon corpses. "Bastard," he cursed under his breath, "What the hell am I even doing in this hellhole?"

Let's rewind to 21 years ago, shall we?

Here lies a boy named Neo, an orphan surviving on the streets. Every day, those filthy bastards kicked his head, not to mention the constant bullying he endured just to scrape together a single bronze coin from the adults. But there was something different about him.

Neo was not normal.

Born with two hearts, he carried double the mana within him. But not everything about his gift was a blessing. That dual mana came with a price. Every time he drew power from one heart, the opposing heart would unleash a different mana—light and dark, battling within him. The result? Unbearable pain.

Note to the reader:

Light mana flows from the surrounding environment, drawn from everything around it. In contrast, dark mana is a corrupted form of light—a byproduct of stress during mana production or derived from a demon's heart, conjured without the need for negative emotions.

 The problem was that the pain from the dual mana intensified, leading to an even faster rate of growth in his mana reserves."Every bit of light mana produced not only brings forth a surge of pain but also gives rise to an equal amount of dark mana."

 "Year after year, I've endured this sharp pain piercing through my chest," Neo said, his voice laced with anger. "I must endure. I won't die—not today, not tomorrow. I survived yesterday, and that means I can survive again."

But just when Neo thought enduring the pain would lead to peace, he realized it was the wrong choice. Mana overflow was a phenomenon that typically afflicted mages around the age of twenty, but for a young boy of nine, it was a hellish experience. Alone and with no healer by his side, the mana surged within him, growing more intense by the second, blooming like a raging river. The terror spread through the town he called home.

Even the Dark Lord of the Northern Palace took notice. "So, it is time for hell to be born on Earth again!" he proclaimed, his voice booming with excitement. "This aura is unlike anything I've ever felt!"

"My lord, we need to capture that source of power before others get to it!" urged one of the Dark Lord's soldiers.

The Dark Lord paused, a wicked smile creeping across his face. "That would be unwise. This is fate, you see. This aura originates from the realm of the Light Queen. It would be better not to intervene in this matter, but…" He chuckled softly. "I will send him a little gift and hope it assists the young demon lord."

With a wave of his hand, he gathered his soldiers, channeling their dark mana toward the young boy, unaware that this act would bring even greater troubles upon them all.