Lucifer finally exited, and Levi let out a long, shaky breath, as if he had been holding it for hours.
"What the hell! What the hell!" Levi screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the walls.
He buried his face in his hands, rage and frustration bubbling over. He regretted ever walking with that girl—Emily. I hate her guts! he thought bitterly.
If I had never encountered her… none of this would have happened. None of it.
Levi's chest heaved as he tried to calm down, but the lingering fear of the System, the portal, and Lucifer's looming presence made every heartbeat feel like a drum of warning.
The System shimmered into view again, its words flashing in front of Levi's eyes:
Warning: 20 hours left
Failure to comply will result in death
"How… how am I supposed to locate a dying person?!" Levi screamed, throwing his hands up.
System Assistance Enabled: Teleportation Assisted
"W-what?" Levi muttered to himself, his pulse racing.
Teleportation? The word echoed in his mind. His muscles stiffened as he tried, instinctively, to disappear from his room.
He opened his eyes and froze. He was staring at himself in the mirror, rigid and stiff, flailing like a fool, trying desperately to vanish.
This is… ridiculous, he thought, cheeks burning. I can't believe I'm standing here, trying to disappear like some idiot… and it's not even working!
Levi clicked his fingers, unsure if it would work.
The System shimmered in response, a faint pulse of energy surrounding him.
"Oh!" he whispered, and the next moment, everything around him shifted.
He opened his eyes and found himself in an abandoned, half-finished building. Dust hung in the air, and broken beams cast long shadows across the empty space.
"What… what is this? Where am I?" Levi muttered nervously, his heart hammering in his chest.
His gaze landed on a lone chair facing backward in the middle of the room, its silhouette dark and ominous against the flickering light.
Levi's eyes scanned the abandoned building, shadows stretching across the broken walls and debris-strewn floor.
Then he saw him. A man, clearly an adult, bound to a chair, his hands and legs tied tightly. His face was pale, eyes wide with fear, and bruises marked his arms and neck. Levi's chest tightened, guilt and pity flooding him immediately.
The System pulsed faintly in his vision. Target located. Soul at the verge of death.
Levi's hands shook. I… I can't just take him… he's innocent…
The man let out a weak groan, looking around desperately, helpless and unaware of what Levi was—or what he was about to do. Levi's heart ached at the sight.
Levi's stomach churned. Every instinct screamed against it, but he felt the pressure of the System's rules pressing on him. If he failed… he would die.
He swallowed hard, taking a cautious step closer, the air around him thick with tension. The man's eyes met his, terrified, and Levi's chest tightened even more. Survival had never felt so heavy.
"Who… who are you?" the man asked nervously, his eyes wide as they flicked to Levi.
Levi crouched beside him, keeping his hands visible, trying to seem calm. "What happened to you?" he asked softly.
"I… I was kidnapped by my rivals in business," the man stammered, his voice trembling. "They want to kill me… for good."
A flicker of pain shot through Levi's chest. The System throbbed faintly, urging him forward, but he froze. He didn't even know how to reap a soul yet—and, truthfully, he didn't want to.
Levi's eyes fell on the man's wrist. Blood had soaked through, the deep cut leaving him pale and weak.
"No… no…" Levi whispered to himself, shaking. I can't… I just can't do this.
He took a step back, then another, his legs trembling. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't take someone's life, not like this.
But before he could get far, a swirling portal ripped open in front of him.
"L-Lucifer!" Levi gasped, his breath hitching as fear gripped him.
"I knew you would amount to nothing," Lucifer said, stepping out of the portal, his red cloak flowing and eyes blazing with fury.
"You don't make decisions here!" Lucifer's voice thundered through the abandoned building.
Lucifer's eyes were fixed on the man bound to the chair, already pale and barely clinging to life. Lucifer strode forward with terrifying purpose, the weight of his authority pressing down on Levi like a physical force.
Without a word, Lucifer stepped forward and placed his hand on the man's chest.
A black smoke erupted from the wound, swirling in the air like living shadows. It coalesced into a dark, pulsing orb in Lucifer's palm, spinning as if alivve.
The man let out a strangled groan, his body jerking in pain as the soul was pulled from him. His eyes widened in terror, and he whimpered, clutching his chest futilely, but there was no stopping it.
Levi froze, his heart hammering violently.
The man's body slumped forward, lifeless, as the black smoke vanished into Lucifer's hand, leaving nothing but silence and the lingering sense of absolute power.
"Why… why did you have to do that?" Levi whispered, his voice trembling, barely audible. His chest ached—not from the physical pain, but from the guilt and sorrow that clawed at him. He felt like crying.
Lucifer stomped forward, each step heavy and deliberate. He grabbed Levi's cheeks, forcing his gaze up, his hand tightening on Levi's jaw until Levi flinched.
"Do you know this man?" Lucifer's voice was cold, unyielding, and powerful. "This man is a sinner. Bound for Hell. He has killed children. He has kidnapped and murdered just to climb to the top in business. He has committed countless crimes, and you… you are here feeling sorry for him?"
Lucifer's red eyes bore into Levi's, and the heat of his presence pressed down like a physical weight. "This man is bound to the deepest part of Hell. You have no part here. You have no say here. If you are meant to complete a task, you complete it—without hesitation, without thought."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "And…"
"It's either you do the tasks… or you die," Lucifer said coldly, his grip on Levi's jaw releasing as he stepped back, his eyes still burning with unrelenting authority.