By the time the thick fog around me dispersed and I regained my footing, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.
On the left was a bed, on the right a writing desk, and a tall window above. Looking out the window, I could only see a colossal pillar, like a sword thrusting into the heavens. Far off in the night sky, in its deepest reaches, the Milky Way scattered its light, and slave ships with wings outstretched sailed slowly through it.
But when I turned around, I realized I was sealed inside this room. It was a prison, though it had no iron bars. The magic Lucifer cast before me formed a barrier, cutting me off from the rest of the space.
He stood outside the magical wall, his voice echoing through the empty basement:
“This spell won’t harm you, but you can’t leave either. And if you touch it, you’ll feel drowsy. So it’s best to stay away.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
Refusing to accept it, I charged forward—only to be repelled by the barrier and overwhelmed by sudden fatigue.
“Let me go back! You can’t just lock me up for no reason!”
Lucifer glanced coldly around, then cast additional spells on the ceiling, floor, and the other three walls of the cell. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
“Lucifer, come back!”
But he acted as if he hadn’t heard me.
“Lucifer!”
I shook my head, trying to fight off the drowsiness.
“I’m really curious—why didn’t you act during the day? Why did you wait until I was hugging Metatron before making a move?”
Lucifer half-turned his face, not even looking at me.
“Because fighting you in broad daylight would have caused too much collateral damage.”
“Liar!”
I followed after the direction he’d gone, shouting,
“You only meant to observe the situation in Heaven but then you saw me and Metatron—you got jealous!”
Lucifer stood with his back to me, unmoving for a long while.
“You keep telling me to cherish those who care about me. But when I finally begin to accept them, you can’t take it. You’re utterly contradictory, Your Majesty.”
“If thinking that makes you feel better, then I don’t mind.”
“You don’t even know what you want. That’s the saddest part of all.”
“…I’ve always known exactly what I’m doing.”
With that, he began to walk away again.
“Even if you conquer Heaven, wipe out the divine race, do you really think that will bring you happiness or peace?”
He didn’t pause.
“You tell me to cherish those who love me—but what about you?!”
“Lucifer! Come back! You can’t just leave me here!”
“Lucifer—Lucifer!!”
After he left, I sat down on the bed in exhaustion. For a long time I just stayed there, until suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck. I looked up at the window.
Lucifer, with his low IQ, had forgotten about the window up top. Just watch. I’ll fly up, smash the window, and escape.
I wound up my arm, spun a few times, and punched the window.
Instantly, an immense force hurled me backward. I slammed hard against the opposite wall, bouncing off it again, then I just rebounded back and forth, several times before finally drifting gently down, landing on the bed, where I fell asleep.
Then, I had a dream. In it, Metatron smiled at me and said:
“Little Michael, isn’t the window still part of the wall? Aha.”
When I woke up, I looked out the window and roughly determined that this prison is in Pandemonium. This place had always been reserved for high-profile criminals or hostages, so aside from the guards, it was completely deserted. That Lucifer would actually lock me up in such a place…there was nothing to do in this tiny room. Someone came to deliver food, but left immediately afterward. When boredom became unbearable, the only option was to crash into the magical barrier and fall asleep again.
After a few days, even the person bringing my meals probably got bored of me. They asked if I needed anything, and I requested a few newspapers. They brought them to me. The front-page headline of the Rhodheoga Times read:
“Sidis and Lucifer: Relationship on the Rocks?”
When I saw that second name, I froze for several seconds. Skimming through the article, I saw the incident had occurred just that very morning. The photo showed a very familiar face. One look at the name confirmed it—yes, it really was Sidis. He was wielding a sword, dressed provocatively, but didn’t look much like he was about to fight. His face was streaked with tears, looking like a heartbroken, abandoned lover.
Right at that moment, Mammon entered the cell. He stood at the door, hands casually tucked in his pockets, and gave me an easy smile.
“So, how’ve you been holding up these days?”
I put down the newspaper—already nearly crumpled from how hard I’d been gripping it—and looked up at him.
“What do you think?”
Mammon glanced at the paper, pressed his lips together, but still kept his smile.
“You saw that news, huh?”
“Mm.”
“Well, what can I say. Sidis suddenly became obsessed with your existence and insisted that my dad send you away. When my dad refused, Sidis threw a massive fit. He’d already offended goodness knows how many people in the past, and now more are criticizing him, calling him shameless and greedy and all that. Honestly, I don’t even know why my dad bothers with him. Sure, he’s got a perky ass, but still.”
I cast him a teasing glance. “If he wanted to sleep with you, would you say yes?”
“Yeah.” Mammon answered without missing a beat. Then he seemed to realize something was off and ruffled his glossy black curls.
“But my dad’s different, okay? He’s the Sovereign of the Demon Realm.”
Sidis really was still too young. His craving for attention, so typical of children, would only make older folks sigh. But everyone could see right through him. He was jealous and wanted to throw a tantrum to get Lucifer’s notice. But Lucifer saw me as his mortal enemy—there was no way he’d let the leader of Heaven’s angels go just because of some personal drama.
Knowing Lucifer as I did, he was probably already having a headache. Not because of Sidis’s tantrum, of course, but because of the divine race he now had to face.
Ah, Lucifer… You’ve finally come to this.
Then Mammon suddenly asked, “What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing. Just something silly,” I stood and faced him. “If even you would say yes, then you should be a little more understanding toward your father.”
“But if someone I loved ever said they liked me, I would never mess around with anyone else again.”
Mammon had already looked a little uneasy earlier, but now he seemed even more awkward. “Why am I telling you all this?!”
I smiled. “Kid, we’re family. Relax.”
“I am relaxed!”
“It’s been a long time since we just sat and talked like this. It does feel a little unfamiliar.”
“Maybe. I’ve almost forgotten what you look like.” Mammon lowered his head slightly, then raised it again after a long pause, flashing a smile and revealing two small pointed fangs.
“But I came here today because I wanted to tell you something.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve read a lot of books about you since I was little. Everyone around me, even my old man whom I’ve always admired, kept repeating your name. They said you were the one who stood equal to my dad, leading Heaven toward the light—the Prince of God. So I always thought that if I could defeat the mighty Michael, I’d become stronger too. But now I know, with my current strength, that’s impossible.”
“So what now?”
“I acknowledge your status.”
“…Though I don’t mean to discourage you, my status exists whether or not others acknowledge it.”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I meant… our relationship.”
I froze for a second, then suddenly laughed. “Then call me properly.”
“Michael.”
“How’s that any different from before?”
“I’m not saying I want two dads. I just wanted to tell you… all the things I’ve done before that troubled you, you can forget them.”
I smiled. “I don’t remember you ever doing anything that troubled me.”
“Oh, really? So I didn’t?” Mammon stared at me for a long while, his deep red eyes gleaming faintly. Then he quickly looked away.
“Ugh. Jenny was right—I really am heartless. I only ever like someone for a few days. Who knows when I’ll finally meet someone I can like for longer?”
“You brat. You’re even proud of that?”
“People just like me. What can I do? Anyway, I’ve got other stuff to take care of. I’m out.”
Before leaving, Mammon glanced around my cell up and down.
“Tsk. This place is pathetic. You should get a better room.”
A few days later, I saw in the paper that the Demon Realm was conducting military exercises in First Hell. At the time, I couldn’t quite figure out Lucifer’s intentions. Usually, such a grand display meant he was trying to threaten the other side and reclaim some power, not to actually start a war.
Then, the person who came to see me was Belial.
That night, the air was cold and the entire cell felt eerie. When he came in, he was dressed in his usual black cloak, the fabric brushing across the floor with a chilling rustle. Moonlight filtered through the window and lit up his slowly rising face.
He looked at me for a moment and then said in a low voice, “Lord Michael.”
I immediately stood, dusted myself off, and stepped closer.
“Belial? What are you doing here? Are you doing okay?”
He studied me from head to toe, his face pale. Amidst the cool pallor, his long hair resembled his father’s, dark as the night and mysterious. His pupils shimmered with a deep red gleam, even brighter than the six diamonds at the corners of his eyes.
Finally, his gaze rested on my face.
“Why… are you the one who gave birth to me?”
I was still thinking about how to answer.
“You’re trying to figure out how to respond, aren’t you?” Belial’s lips curved. “You’re all such hypocrites.”
“That’s not hypocrisy. You’re my son. I truly want you to acknowledge me. That’s why I’m trying to find the right words to explain.”
“I’m your son? Look at yourself, then look at me. Be honest—do you think we look alike? Do you even want us to look alike?”
“This isn’t about wanting or not wanting. You and I already look alike. But back when I was in school, I was always pulling tricks on the teachers, never paying attention in class, and constantly getting pranked by friends. You’re not like that. You’re better at magic than I ever was, better-looking too, with excellent grades and tons of friends. You’re bound to be way stronger than me in the future.”
Belial looked skeptical. “Are you being serious?”
“Of course. Most importantly, you earned the title of six-star sorcerer right in front of all the demons—truly incredible. I really wasn’t a good student. Actually, let me tell you a secret…” I motioned him to come closer. He hesitated, but leaned in slightly.
“When I was in school, your dad was super jealous of me. He used to go around badmouthing me behind my back. Later, after I transformed into bitesize and ended up secretly living with him, I found out about all the nasty, disgraceful things he did. Unbelievable, really.”
Belial’s suspicion deepened. “When you say ‘my dad,’ who do you mean?”
“Lucifer, of course.”
“He’d really do that kind of thing?”
“He would.”
“Hard to believe His Majesty has such… tastes.”
“‘His Majesty’? That’s your dad you’re talking about.”
“But… things still feel weird between me and him.” Belial frowned. “I didn’t grow up with a father, but I always imagined a father-son relationship would be more like what I have with Captain Jones. His Majesty abandoned me, then he started treating me well… I get moved so easily. My friends all say I’m spineless.”
“Anyone destined for greatness is a little emotionally unstable. What matters is that I treat you well.”
“When did I say I acknowledged you?”
“Aw, come on. You have to.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
Belial, now visibly annoyed: “I don’t!”
I let out a long sigh and said with heartfelt gravity, “You do.”
He was so exasperated by then that he choked on his words. At last, he snorted definitively:
“I came here today to tell you that I don’t know what the person I’m supposed to call my father is doing. I also don’t like Sidis. He’s the most pathetic, idiotic simp I’ve ever met. You should go and kick him out already.”
“Your father’s a flirt. Just forgive him.”
“You… you really don’t have feelings for him anymore?”
“I do. But we’re not together anymore. What he does is his own business.”
Belial didn’t reply. Instead, he raised his Soul of Satan and chanted a long incantation.
Two whole minutes later, Lucifer’s seal was dispelled.
“He’s at the banquet right now, making out with that bitch Sidis. It’s your choice whether you want to go there or not.”
He walked a few steps away, then turned back and added,
“But don’t try escaping Pandemonium. If you leave, he’ll know instantly.”
Belial left for a long time. I sat there in the empty cell, spacing out.
If Lucifer was busy getting intimate with Sidis, what was the point of me crashing the party? If I escaped, he might throw me into an even smaller, more twisted cell, with no sleep-inducing magic. I’d be doomed.
Half an hour later, I still found myself at the entrance to the banquet hall.
It had been a long time since I attended a Demon Realm banquet. Inside, folks were carousing wildly, flirting or tangled up with others. That unique atmosphere of carnal indulgence that marked the Demon Realm still took some getting used to.
A dark red carpet trimmed with gold stretched all the way to the end of the grand hall. Immediately, I spotted Lucifer.
He was surrounded by several demon beauties. Among them, Sidis stood the closest to him. His expression was stiff, clearly being edged out by the others. Honestly, Lucifer was being kind of heartless—once passionately in love, and now he couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge Sidis. How was Sidis supposed to keep his footing in the Demon Realm?
Mammon had gone straight, now clinking glasses with a pack of archdevils. Meanwhile, Lucifer had shed the image of a perfect husband and once again stepped onto the road of licentious abandon.
After brooding for a bit, I decided I ought to say a few words to him.
The guards were stunned. I’d been inside for quite a while before one of them finally shouted after me:
“Michael’s gone in!!”
Lucifer raised his head abruptly. The beauties surrounding him all paled, shrinking behind his back. Sidis looked furious, but there was unmistakable fear in his eyes. The whole scene was utterly absurd: no matter how you looked at it, it resembled an angry wife catching her husband in the act.
I felt a bit embarrassed, and under the searing gaze of hundreds of eyes, walked up to Lucifer. His black hair gleamed more softly under the night. It had been a long time since he wore cologne, and longer still since he donned this kind of extravagant outfit meant to seduce.
This was living proof of Azazel’s so-called “Lucifer’s Law of Male Magnetism”: the moment he decided to release even a hint of pheromones, all the beauties would come flying in like thumbtacks to a magnet.
He turned slightly to look at me, swirling the wine in his crystal glass.
“Lord Michael,” he said.
I had originally come to ask about the war, but looking at the men and women draped around him, my head throbbed with anger. I ended up simply spitting out, “Talk to me when you’re sober.”
The moment I turned around, I heard the clink of Lucifer setting down his glass. Then I lost my balance because he shoved me onto the long table. The tablecloth slid beneath me, pulling down exquisite red wines and champagnes, shattering them on the floor.
Lucifer leaned over me, gripped both my hands, and pressed a drunken kiss to my lips.
Perhaps it was the dizzying banquet lights—everything in my vision seemed to flicker between dream and reality, as though I couldn’t quite return to the real world. It had been too long since I kissed Lucifer like this, and so I cherished this rare moment with my entire being.
In youth, I used to believe that carnal betrayal destroyed love, that lovers who flirted with others were unforgivable. But when it came to Lucifer, none of it seemed to matter anymore.
I gently raised my hands, encircling his waist, cautiously holding him, cautiously responding, matching his breath. What seemed like a spontaneous kiss turned fervent with just a few subtle motions. His grip loosened, his hands slipping into my hair, cradling my head, embracing me tight.
The surrounding noise faded. Everyone was probably watching this absurd, laughable scene—but only in that moment did a terrifying thought sprout in my mind:
Let go of Heaven. Everything you’ve ever wanted is right here.
All you need to do is forsake your people, your homeland, and he will be yours, forever.
It had clearly lasted quite a while, and yet it felt unbearably short.
Lucifer sobered. And so did I.
The land where I was born and raised, the home I’d fought so long and hard to protect, the paradise where my people—who trust me—still live… I had almost thrown it all away for selfish desire.
I shoved him off and flew back a distance, putting space between us.
Lucifer held his forehead, silent for a long time before looking up and asking quietly, “Why are you here?”
“I knew running away wouldn’t work, so I came here directly.”
I caught a rare glimpse of embarrassment on Lucifer’s face. He turned to Azazel and ordered, “Take him away.”
“Back to the original location?” Azazel asked.
Lucifer thought for a moment, then whispered something in his ear. Azazel glanced at me, half amused, and gestured toward the door as if welcoming a guest.
“Lord Michael, this way, please.”
I could only follow him out in silence. Mammon leaned against a massive pillar by the doorway and smiled at me lightly. Wherever I walked, his eyes followed. And through the oppressive awkwardness, I noticed Belial appear behind him, then vanish again.
Azazel led me in the opposite direction, and I only realized where we were once we stopped at the entrance to Kade Palace.
He said a few words to the guards and brought me inside.
That’s when I noticed: our destination was Lucifer’s bedchamber.
Long black velvet curtains trailed along the floor. A massive fireplace sat cold and embedded into the wall like a lifeless monument. On the nightstand beside Lucifer’s bed, there were still some of my old clothes. Clean, but clearly untouched for a long time. Only a faint trace of soap remained.
I sat in the corner of the room, leaning against the bookshelf.
Lucifer didn’t return until nearly three in the morning. By then, I had already fallen asleep. I’d woken up many times before, each time dreaming that he had come back—only to open my eyes and find nothing, then sink back into sleep once more.
When I opened my eyes, he seemed to have already been standing before me for some time.
“Awake?”
Lucifer shrugged off his finely tailored black coat, removed the necklace from his neck, and tossed both aside.
“Go sleep on the bed. It’s cold here.”
I went to sit on the bed without protest. “What about you?”
“I’ll sleep somewhere else.”
“What’s going on between you and Sidis?”
“Exactly what you saw.”
“You’re going to betray someone who sincerely loves you again? That’s disgraceful.”
“Your disapproval changes nothing.” Lucifer glanced back, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile. “He doesn’t even think it’s wrong. If I asked him to do something now, he’d still obey without hesitation.”
“You’re just abusing your power and charm to make him submit, Your Majesty, Sovereign of Demons.”
“So what if I am?”
Lucifer raised his brows, a look of open defiance in his eyes, as if I were the one with the twisted values. “Weren’t you the same once?”
I froze. For a moment, I didn’t even have the strength to be angry. I just felt… deeply hurt. I dodged the topic.
“You’re the Sovereign of the Demon Realm, yet you go around spreading your seed like an animal. Do you think that’s appropriate?”
“The Demon Realm follows the law of the jungle, Lord Michael.”
“If this continues, you’re just going to leave behind more and more illegitimate children!”
“Like Belial?”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I rushed forward and grabbed him by the collar, fists clenched with fury.
“Lucifer! You—!”
Lucifer glanced down at my hands. “Going to solve it with violence again?”
I shoved him hard and went back to sitting back on the bed. Lucifer bent down to look at me.
“Tell me honestly. Back there, did I leave you so dizzy you lost yourself a little?”
I kept my head down, silent.
He brushed aside my red hair and gathered it behind my shoulders.
“You still like me, don’t you?”
I kept staring at the floor and said nothing.
“How pitiful.”
Lucifer chuckled and turned to leave.
He hadn’t even reached the door before I called out,
“Lucifer, don’t go.”
He stopped, but didn’t even turn around. I hurried forward and hugged him from behind, arms wrapped around his waist.
“Whatever it is, can’t you just tell me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you’re hiding something from me. Just tell me, having another brain to think with is better than fighting alone.”
I buried my face in his hair.
“Don’t keep it all to yourself, please…”
The last sentence nearly crumbled in my mouth. I was so close to giving up.
After a long pause, Lucifer finally spoke, his tone light and distant:
“We’re not… anything anymore, are we?”
My whole body went still. Words caught in my throat. I didn’t know how to respond.
“You told me yourself to cherish those who offer steady, ordinary love.” He loosened my arms and turned to pat my shoulder. “The past is past. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
He walked toward the door.
“You might’ve forgotten,” I said, my voice hoarse, watching his back recede, a scene that had repeated far too many times, in both dream and waking life. “But I haven’t.”
I choked back tears and forced the words out:
“…I’m still in love with you.”
Lucifer stood there for a long time.
Then he opened the door, said nothing, and walked out.
The central clock tower of Rhodheoga struck three with a dull clang. From the streets below came the faint shouts of celebrating demons. Under the moonlight, countless bats were startled into flight, scattering in all directions. Pandemonium still glowed brightly, its night of revelry seemed only just beginning.
Inside the room, it was desolate. So quiet it felt like a world entirely separate from what lay beyond.
The clock in the corner had long since been drowned out by the central bell. Now, it simply swung left and right in its regular rhythm.
I sat on the bed, holding back tears, trying desperately to distract myself with other thoughts.
After a long while, the door suddenly creaked open.
At the sound, I didn’t even dare to lift my head.
Measured, deliberate footsteps approached, stopping right in front of me.
Then, all at once, I was pushed down, violent kisses falling on me like a storm.
The one who once stood at God’s side, the brightest of angels, author of the Divine Codex…
When exactly did he become this silent, inarticulate Sovereign of Demons?
He didn’t say a single word to me throughout that entire night.
Not one.
It was as if talking at all had become the most difficult thing in the world for him.
After so many years apart, reuniting in such raw intimacy somehow only made me feel further away from him than ever.
The next day, heavy clouds hung over Rhodheoga. It had rained before dawn, and the gloomy sky pressed down so hard it was hard to breathe.
I felt utterly drained, but still woke early. My head throbbed. My limbs ached. Even shutting my ears brought a sharp ringing I couldn’t shake.
Lucifer was still asleep. I quietly draped on my clothes and stepped out of the bedroom. Pale dawn light filtered into the palace hall.
A tall, well-built demon stood at the door with his head lowered. As I descended the staircase, he seemed to sense my presence, his head lifted sharply to meet my gaze.
Fair-skinned, with irises like deep crimson gemstones, Mammon’s lips still curled with that ever-playful smile.
“I need to talk to you,” he said.
“Go ahead.” I stopped before him.
“Fall.”
To hear such a word… it’s not as though I wasn’t shocked. But even I was surprised by how calmly I held myself. I offered him a faint smile. “Convince me.”
“Michael. Have you ever truly considered it?”
Mammon’s red irises suddenly flared, glowing with a brilliant and almost sinister intensity. There was something evil in his beauty, something almost too vivid to describe. He stroked his chin, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“If you fall, you can leave that dull and tedious Heaven behind. Here in the Demon Realm, you’ll have endless freedom, and rights earned not by birth, but by merit.”
“You think that’s enough to persuade me?”
“Of course not. Those things don’t tempt the Archangel.”
Mammon suddenly grew serious.
“But if you became one of us, even if my dad refuses to acknowledge you, you could openly tell your friends that you love the Sovereign of Demons. It wouldn’t be taboo, and no one would laugh at you.”
I didn’t respond. I simply watched him in silence.
“Besides, you already know better than anyone whether he loves you or not.”
In the past, had he dared say such things to me, I would’ve cut him off on the spot, then desperately try to unhear, to unthink.
But now, I knew I was listening to a forbidden temptation, naked and lethal. And I did not stop him.
Mammon tilted his head back and grinned, arrogant.
“Your God is a fool,” he said. “He created a world filled with temptation, yet forbade the divine race from enjoying a single moment of it. It’s sad, really. You angels look down from on high at a world bursting with color—but tell me, have you never once felt envy? Even the faintest twinge of it?”
A wave of deep discomfort surged through me. Every time I seriously considered becoming a demon, this feeling arose: as if the world turned black, and the light and faith I once cherished were consumed by darkness in a single blink. It was like falling into a vast whirlpool, powerless to stop the descent.
“Looks like you’re still hesitating.”
Mammon reached to his waist and pulled out a small black vial. He uncorked it and poured the content onto the ground.
From within, soft golden sand spilled out, scattering across the floor. But then it began to swirl, condensing rapidly into a rotating spiral.
“Go and look,” Mammon said. “You’ll find the answer you’re looking for.”
The sand spun faster and faster, radiating a brilliant light. I stepped into the center of the swirl.
Instantly, the flying grains enveloped me. my vision blurred—and I was transported elsewhere.
To a world of stark contrast.
Behind me was a forest of withered black vines, its tangled branches heavy with upside-down bats. Above the far end of the woods hung deep violet clouds, and through the distant mist rose the looming silhouette of the Palace of Ten Thousand Demons, its shadow crowned by a rotating sphere of flaming metal.
Before me lay a long river, its water a dark, bloodlike red, yet unnervingly clear, rippling with light. A school of strange fish swam lazily by, their tails glowing with soft violet luminescence.
“Another angel come to glimpse what they’ll look like if they fall, is it?”
A hoarse, ancient voice rose from behind me. I paused for a beat, then turned back, scanning for the source, until I finally noticed the elder seated beneath the nearest dead tree. He wore a black cloak, his figure so thin and still he nearly blended into the tree itself. Had he not spoken, no one would have noticed him.
Beneath the brim of his black hood, a long, hooked nose protruded, with a dark brown mole perched conspicuously near its tip. Before him was a small pedestal, and in his withered hands he held a deep violet mineral. Using a long iron needle, he was carving it into the shape of a goat’s head.
I hesitated. “May I ask who you are?”
“Just a demon soothsayer,” he replied.
Judging from the terrain, this had to be the Fire River. And the one who guarded the Fire River, the one who once guided even angels, must be…
I ventured cautiously: “Nibaish?”
“I’d thought there were no more outsiders left who remembered my name. Who are you?”
He lifted his head slowly. And in the instant our eyes met, when his hollow, dried-out gaze locked on mine, surprise broke across his face.
“Michael… It’s Michael?”
“Yes.”
“You, Your Highness, are fated never to fall. So why persist?”
“Is that what your prophecy says?”
“You know full well: when Nibaish sees something, it’s either not at all or perfectly true.”
He added a few final etchings to the goat’s head, then blew the dust from its surface. “I saw that you’d never truly become one of us. But I also saw that no matter what, you would try.”
“Mammon told me I’d find the answer I sought here.”
“The prince is still a child.”
“Then what you’re saying is, I don’t need to stay?”
“Tell me, does Your Highness wish to be a man, or a woman?” Nibaish asked, smiling with squinted eyes.
“…A woman.”
“Your feelings for His Majesty are deeper than I imagined.”
I didn’t answer. From beneath his cloak, he raised an arm as gnarled and dark as a dead tree branch. He plucked a single black leaf from the canopy overhead, laid it flat in his palm, and blew on it lightly.
The leaf drifted past my cheek, paused in the air for a beat, then floated out above the river.
There it hovered, wrapped in a watermelon-pink glow.
Nibaish murmured a spell. The leaf trembled, then burst into silver light, fragmenting into glittering dust, which trickled down into the slow-moving river.
“Go. See.”
Even with the sound of the flowing river, I could hear my heartbeat loud and clear.
I stepped closer to the shore. The water shimmered like glass. No one else was there; only my reflection stared back.
Only now, in the river’s crimson glow, my hair appeared even more vibrantly red.
I hesitated, then turned to speak to Nibaish—but caught something in the reflection.
My hair was darkening.
I shook my head. The face in the water had become smaller, rounder. A purple demon-mark was beginning to spread from the corner of my right eye.
My skin stayed pale, but its tone had shifted to a colder shade.
Then, without warning, a figure surged upward from the water.
An apparition—dazzling, demonic, and impossible to ignore—rose, draped in six black wings, gliding above the river like a vision.
Though she was translucent, she was vivid beyond belief: purple-red eyes, full and curvaceous breasts, six shadowy wings spreading beneath the twisted vines, each feather trembling in the wind.
Her dark crimson curls cascaded like a waterfall down to her hips.
She wore a tight, low-cut black gown that split high to reveal one long leg. Temptation itself.
I froze, utterly speechless.
It wasn’t Lilith. Nor was it the female demon disguise I once wore to infiltrate the underworld.
I didn’t even know who this was.
Her frame was smaller than mine; her height, at least a head shorter. The tilt of her head, one leg bent, the other poised; the deep violet lips like black roses on white snow; the strange glow in her eyes…they had nothing to do with “Michael” at all.
Nibaish was clearly entranced.
After a long pause, he chuckled, piously reverent.
“No matter the future, Your Highness… your fallen self is radiant. We eagerly await your coronation as the true Flower of the Demon Realm, our next Queen.”
He flicked his finger, and the demoness twirled out a feathered black fan, covering her face as she laughed. Not the gentle smile of the angels, nor the open laughter of the innocent. Hers was a sultry, teasing laugh, with a hint of softness, velvet laced with poison. Every move she made, no matter how small, exuded the essence of femininity and seduction.
And as if that weren’t enough of a lure, Nibaish conjured another phantom.
Lucifer’s.
With a twinkle of his finger, the demoness turned toward him, flashed him a coy smile, then lifted her chin and turned away in regal defiance.
Behind her, Lucifer stared hard. His pupils burned, and his lips curled into a smile that reeked of bloodlust and conquest.
Then he followed her, cutting her off. She looked up at him. They stared at each other, desire and danger hanging thick in the air between them.
Then Nibaish clapped his hands.
The woman vanished, leaving only Lucifer, his face struck with stunned disappointment.
I stared, dazed.
This type of demon-man-pursuing-woman scene? I’d seen it a hundred times. In the streets of Pandemonium, at the Feast of Eros, beside the Solor River at night… But never like this.
Never with me as the woman. It felt like watching someone else’s story… and not knowing how to come back.
Then Nibaish conjured a final vision—or more precisely, a mirror-like reflection.
I saw myself:
Ocean-blue eyes shrouded in shadow, pomegranate-red hair, snow-white robes completely at odds with the Demon Realm, and golden wings— this body, belonging only to sacred halls showered with petals of holy water, to weightless white towers, to sons and daughters of Heaven soaring in prayer.
This angel, standing beside the Sovereign of Demons, was utterly out of place.
“You’ll only end up hurting him,” Nibaish said quietly.
He conjured two more images: Mammon, and Belial.
“Look—your son, your children.”
He pointed to the tall, handsome Mammon, and the shy yet beautiful Belial.
“A family of four. Isn’t it harmonious?
Abandon the blood of Heaven.
Fall.”
Author: Tav Tav
Translating
The Right Wing of God, the one seated at the right hand of the Most High.
