Night slowly descended upon the Van Dammon Palace like a heavy curtain. The cold air slipped through the gaps of the grand open balcony. Elena stood there, her body leaning against the stone railing.
Behind her is private room resembled a miniature library: tall bookshelves stretching across every wall.
"Elena. May I come in?"
"Just come in, Papa."
The door opened slowly. Blard appeared, his body wrapped in a night robe, his steps calm yet dignified. He stood beside Elena, looking at the same sky, a sky colored in dim gray.
"You are still thinking about what that boy said?" Blard spoke gently, his hand stroking Elena's head.
Elena exhaled, her voice low yet filled with bitterness. "That is impossible, no matter what, I really hate him. We were connected for nine years, we shared each other's feelings."
Blard smiled faintly. "I am glad to hear that. It looks like you were very happy to meet him."
"Huh? Who was happy. I really regret meeting him." Elena puffed her cheeks, turning her face away, but the redness on her cheeks could not lie.
Blard chuckled softly, then gazed at the sky as if speaking to the night itself.
"If you want to live under a blue sky like in his world, Papa will arrange our relocation. Papa will also apply for a position as a professor in the science department or the medical department, so Papa can support your living expenses."
"Papa doesn't need to worry," Elena replied quickly, her eyes still fixed on the clouds.
"If that's what you want, Papa will not say more. Do your best."
Blard turned around and left the room, the door closing softly. Elena remained on the balcony, her eyes locked on the sky as if the sky itself was staring back.
A few seconds later, the sky began to ripple faintly, and between the clouds, Enatur's face appeared.
That face smiled widely, sticking out his tongue with an annoying expression. Elena stiffened. Her breath surged. A vein of anger pulsed at her temple.
"Stop making that annoying face, bloody hair!"
Her hand rose, gathering dark energy. Black aura swirled like smoke from her palm, forming a massive fist that crashed into the illusion of that face with a roar that split the air.
The sky trembled, the wind spun wildly, and Enatur's face shattered into pieces of light like broken glass.
---
Black mist drifted through the air in the Sheirra Mountains.
A sudden light flared between the trees, slicing through the darkness. Gabriel floated in midair, an overwhelming spiritual aura spreading from every inch of her skin.
Below her, Enatur and Shadow watched with a mix of awe and dread.
She stepped through the air as if the sky itself served as her foothold.
Cold sweat slid down the faces of the auction participants. None of them dared to move.
Gabriel slowly raised her hand. Instantly, the air around them hardened into a golden restraining dome. The ground trembled as the power locked into place. The group tensed, their bodies stiff like statues.
Gabriel's turquoise eyes glowed, piercing through the holes of her mask. "What a pity. Today, all of you will die." Her voice echoed.
Her gaze carried the hunger of a psychopath craving blood. A wave of spiritual energy burst from her body without warning, without mercy.
An invisible explosion slammed into them like a raging storm. Their bodies were thrown back, crashing against the walls of the restraining field. Stones cracked. Hoarse screams and muffled cries blended together.
"W-who are you? I have never seen this kind of power before!" the Ogre man screamed with ragged breath.
Gabriel's voice was calm. "Why did you follow us? Were you planning to rob us?"
"We-we were only curious about the Golden Skull and wanted to negotiate with you!" the Gidax man pleaded, his voice trembling.
Gabriel landed with a light step on the ground. Every step caused a faint spark of energy to ripple outward like thin lightning.
Her stare was cold, but the smile on her lips resembled a playful devil.
A few minutes later…
The four of them were already kneeling on the ground. Their faces were bruised.
"I knew you would come after us, so I baited you with the golden skull. I did not expect my plan to work this well." Gabriel said.
"I never thought you would do this. This woman…" Lucifer muttered.
Gabriel's eyes sharpened like blades. "The items you obtained from the auction, hand them over to us."
"G-gladly, I will hand them over!" the Vampire woman quickly bowed.
"I-I will hand over mine too!" the Gidax man spoke anxiously.
They handed over every auction item without a single trace of hesitation. Gabriel simply gave a thin smile and stored all of them into her storage space. Lucifer watched the scene with one eyebrow raised.
Shadow and Enatur could only mumble quietly behind her.
"Even a devil would repent after seeing an angel rob like this."
Lucifer finally stepped forward. "Gabriel, leave the rest to me."
"Do whatever you want."
Lucifer sat with one knee touching the ground, before them. Opening his cloak and removing his mask. The faint moonlight reflected on his charming face. The Vampire woman stared at him, her entire body trembling.
"A-are you one of the Seven Ancient Demon Kings who rule over Hell, famously known as the 7th Deadly Sins?" her voice nearly broke.
Lucifer looked slightly surprised, his lips curving. "Eh, you still remember us? It has been a very long time since our names disappeared."
The others exchanged confused glances, except the Vampire woman who lowered her head with pure fear.
"H-how could I forget the Leader of the Seven Ancient Demon Kings, the ruler of Hell, Lucifer, thePride!"
Silence swallowed the whole place. The air temperature dropped several degrees.
"Lu-Lucifer? Honorable Demon Lucifer?" They shouted unison.
The four of them immediately bowed to him in deep reverence.
Lucifer gave a gentle smile. "That was the past. Relax, do not be too formal. If you can give me some information, I will give you a reward."
"As long as we can answer, we will answer it, Honorable Demon Lucifer." the Gidax man said.
"I will do anything you want, Honorable Demon Lucifer!" the Vampire woman added. The others nodded fast.
"Have you seen the movements of the Fallen Angels and the Dark Angels recently?"
"I have seen their activities lately. Recently, their conflict with the Van Dammon family has escalated again," the Werewolf man answered.
"That is because the Heart Of Secrophia that was stored in the Van Dammon secret chamber was breached, and that heart was stolen by someone wearing a black hooded cloak," the Ogre man said.
"Goddess Karen is furious at them, so they do not dare leave the Astral Realm. But they are secretly gathering information about the thief of Heart Of Secrophia," the Werewolf man continued.
"Some of their envoys also came to our Queen's Palace to ask for assistance in tracking the thief," the Gidax man said.
"I also heard a rumor that God Marrec once entrusted his heart to Chloe Van Dammon. Zadkhiel and the others succeeded in hunting her down, but she never surrendered until the end." the Gidax man added.
Lucifer's breath caught as he heard the disappearance of Marrec's heart.
"No wonder there was a defect when the purification of Lord Marrec into a Soul Core was conducted. So the heart was already secured beforehand."
"If you know more information about this, make sure to tell me as well," he said.
"Yes!" they answered together, bowing again.
"Are you satisfied questioning them?" Gabriel asked coldly.
"Almost done, calm down. All four of you, I also want you to search for this information." Lucifer took a slip of paper from his pocket.
"The information written on that paper is what you will search for. I will give you a proper reward if you acquire it." Lucifer said.
"Since you have given me a bit of information, I will give each of you three scrolls containing ancient skills. These abilities are OP," he continued.
Their eyes sparkled brightly as they received the scrolls.
With a flick of her hand, Gabriel removed the restraining spell and let them go.
Lucifer's team continued their journey toward the hidden cave.
---
The journey continued toward the hidden cave. They moved across the massive tree branches, leaping without a sound, like shadows cutting through the night. The mountain wind carried the scent of wet soil and mist.
From afar, the mouth of the cave appeared, concealed between towering rock cliffs. It was about five meters wide and seven meters tall. The area in front of it was open, faintly illuminated by moonlight passing through scattered clouds.
Lucifer raised his hand, signaling them to stop. They descended slowly and hid behind the bushes. Their breaths synchronized with the rhythm of nature.
As they advanced, Lucifer activated his vision, his eyes glowing faintly purple as he pierced through the darkness. Gabriel, on the other hand, did not even need to do anything. Her eyes alone were already sharp enough to see through the night.
Their footsteps carried them into the cave. The air was damp, and the faint echo of their steps bounced off the stone walls.
In the distance, the sound of dripping water resonated rhythmically. The deeper they went, the quieter everything became, until the only sound remaining was their own breathing.
A large opening emerged ahead, three meters wide and five meters tall. Lucifer signaled for absolute silence.
They walked as quietly as possible; even their cloaks made no noise when brushing against each other.
"I can feel an incredibly terrifying aura," Gabriel whispered.
"I know, all of you be careful," Lucifer replied in a low tone.
They passed through the opening, and their vision widened into an enormous crater-shaped room about one hundred meters across. At the center, a translucent woman sat in meditation.
Her shoulder-length white hair glimmered under the gentle flow of spiritual light. Her lilac kimono swayed softly within the current of energy.
Lucifer froze. The color drained from his face. His body moved on its own, leaping down and sprinting toward the center of the crater with a choked breath.
"Miss Chloe… Miss Chloe!" his voice cracked, trembling and broken.
The woman opened her eyes. Her gaze was sharp, but instantly widened. Her body trembled, her pupils contracting. Standing before her was someone she recognized — Lucifer.
She was Chloe Van Dammon, the niece of God Marrec, and on that night, the world seemed to hold its breath as two silhouettes from the past faced each other once more.