Max teleported into Octavia's hallway in a ripple of shadow.
He didn't bother masking the arrival. The Goetia manor was saturated with magic already; one more ripple barely registered. Anyone who noticed would assume the same thing they always did.
An Overlord visiting.
From the fragmented memories that had settled into place, both Stolas and Octavia believed he was simply an unusually powerful sinner who'd climbed far too fast. Dangerous, yes — but acceptable. In Goetia politics, power was the only currency that mattered.
Dating a princess came with requirements.
Strength enough to protect her.
Status enough to not embarrass the bloodline.
Loyalty enough to survive the politics.
Max knocked once.
Soft.
The second knock never landed.
The door swung open and Octavia practically collapsed into him, arms locking around his waist like he was the only solid thing left in the universe.
"Finally," she breathed, feathers trembling. "We're going somewhere, right? Please say we're going somewhere. I can't stand it here. They're screaming again."
A shriek tore through the manor.
"STOOOLAAAS!"
Stella's voice rattled the chandeliers.
Max exhaled slowly.
"I'm honestly impressed how much you tolerate from that bitch," he muttered. "But she's your mother. So… I won't interfere. Not yet."
Octavia's grip loosened just enough for him to see the tear forming at the edge of her eye.
He wiped it away gently.
She leaned into his hand like she'd been waiting for permission to fall apart.
"Come on," he said softly. "It should still be night on Earth. Sunrise soon. Want to go watch it with me?"
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes," she whispered. "Please."
Max opened a portal.
They stepped onto a quiet hillside overlooking a sleeping forest.
The air was crisp. Clean. Real in a way Hell never was. Fireflies drifted lazily through the tall grass. The world held its breath between night and morning.
With a flick of his wrist, a blanket unfurled across the hill. A small picnic assembled itself — simple food, warm drinks, soft cushions.
Octavia sat beside him, hugging her knees.
Her feathers trembled.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His tail curled instinctively around her waist.
She melted into the contact.
"I'm just…" she whispered. "So tired. That's all they do. Yell. Every day. Every year."
Max nodded slowly.
"Parents argue. That's normal," he said. "But your situation? Yeah. It's… worse. Still, your father loves you. More than anything. That much I know."
He hesitated.
"Your mother," he added quietly, "I don't think she's trying anymore."
A sandwich floated gently into her hands. She took it with a tired smile.
"I hope… we can still see the Stars of Azathoth someday," she murmured. "Dad promised. A long time ago."
Max looked up at the sky.
Then back at her.
"I promise," he said softly, tightening his arm around her. "I'll get you there. You and your father. By any means."
He raised a hand.
The clouds above them peeled apart like curtains.
The sky opened.
Stars burned with impossible clarity, sharp and infinite. The heavens looked carved open just for her.
Octavia gasped.
"Amazing," she whispered. "I didn't know magic like that existed."
She shifted closer, resting her head on his shoulder.
Max's heart stumbled in his chest.
"I… found a Grimoire," he lied smoothly. "Sloth Ring. Weird weather spells. Thought I'd try one."
Complete nonsense.
But she didn't question it.
She relaxed for the first time since he'd arrived.
"Thank you," she murmured. "At least I have a boyfriend who can deal with me."
"Hey," Max said gently, lifting her chin. "You're never too much. I mean that. I'm a sinner. You're royalty. Charlie even more so. Technically I'm below all of you. And you still chose me."
Her feathers fluffed in shy embarrassment.
"Enough to sign the contract," he added. "Speaking of… what clause did you add? I never checked."
The Harem Contract allowed one personal clause per bond.
A promise unique to each of them.
Octavia chewed thoughtfully.
"I don't remember," she admitted. "It's been months. And we just got back from Extermination vacation. Dad's been… busy."
Max snorted quietly, remembering Stolas's phone call earlier.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I bet."
The horizon brightened.
Octavia stood slowly.
The first gold rays touched her feathers and she closed her eyes, smiling like the world had finally given her permission to breathe.
"Thank you," she whispered. "It's beautiful."
She knelt and hugged him tightly.
Max hugged her back, tail wagging uncontrollably.
"You're wagging," she teased.
"I have zero control over it."
"Still cute."
He coughed.
"Alright. Let's head back. Pretty sure your parents exhausted themselves by now."
The picnic dissolved. A small bundle of sandwiches remained in her hands.
"You're pretty good for a sinner," she said with a smirk.
Max opened a portal.
Stepped through—
—and slammed into a tall, feathery chest.
He looked up.
Stolas stood there, cloak ruffled, expression carved from ice.
Octavia groaned, slipped past him, and vanished into her room before the explosion could happen.
Stolas folded his arms.
His eyes glowed faintly.
And Max knew.
This conversation was going to hurt.