"Who?"

"You mother," he stated. "It was her last wish before she departed."

"But my mother-" I started.

He saw the utter confusion painted across my face. "-The people you knew, lived with, aren't you true parents."

"Liar!" I roared, feeling my head spin.

Daniel jumped in after Maximillian hesitated. "Your parents were pure-blooded Cerberuses. Making your evil, filthy father the highest-ranking Cerberus that has ever existed. Cain is the right hand of Belial, and his first creation," he bailed his fists as he spoke to me. “A pure seed of evil you are,” he spat on the ground to emphasize how much hatred he felt toward me.

Maximillian supported my weight as my ankles buckled, catching me by my elbows right before I hit the ground.

I looked at the man holding me upright, feeling adrenaline pumping through my body "If he is telling the truth, then I truly am an abomination."

Daniel bared his teeth, showing me a set of wickedly sharp canines. I cowered towards Maximillian, desperately trying to escape the blond man.

"He won't hurt you," he told to me calmly, not breaking eye contact with Daniel. He held an astonishing amount of dominance in his gaze, forcing the blonde man to step down. Daniel’s posture finally relaxed as he once more leaned against the wall.

"What are you?" I whispered faintly, feeling bile rising in my throat. This whole situation was a sheer madness.

"My kind is the only one made to fight Cerberuses, I am the highest-ranking angel, a Seraphim. I serve under a Creator and I am a divine creature," he spoke into my ear "Daniel here is a bit more complicated. His mother was a Seraphim, but his father was a Cerberus, making him a hybrid. Luckily his blood is more than seventy percent divine, so he possesses a soul," he explained.

I had truly and well enough, bending over I emptied the contents of my stomach directly onto the floor. The core of my existence felt hollow and foul, as I couldn’t believe my whole life was lie.

Daniel let out a disgusted noise, turning away from the sight, meanwhile Maximillian held my hair up, caressing my shoulders with his thumb, making small circular motions with the attempt to calm me down.

"You already feel the change in you, don't you?" He asked me "The sickness you feel, the emptiness and despair."

I felt like I am going to be sick again, so I closed my eyes, willing my head to stop spinning.

"How am I going to change?" I asked, while keeping my eyes closed.

"You will need a drop Cerberus's blood to speed up the process. Here is where Daniel comes in." He explained me. “There is just enough left in him for this to work.”

"No!" I said out loud "He is not touching me!"

"He won't. He will only provide a sample of blood that needs to be injected into your artery. It will be a quick, painless process. But what follows afterward, that would be excruciating," he warned me. "The sooner we get on with it, the faster we can start bending your character," he seriously added.

"I can't imagine you expect me to believe what you've just-" The whole room shook as the objects moved, levitating in the air.

I looked at Maximillian who was smiling at my horrified expression.

"What about now?" He said kindly.

"My power is telekinesis, Daniel's is fire. Every highest ranking divine or damned being possesses at least one power, at most two. We can control the elements‒fire, water, air, earth or spirit. Mine is spirit and is connected to the power of the mind," said Maximillian, staring at my disturbed expression.

I was still clinging to the foolish hope that this was somehow a horrible nightmare I would wake up from.

"Korina I need your agreement to proceed with a process of metamorphosis as soon as possible. I’d rather you come with me willingly. I assure you, I’ll be beside you at every step of the way," he swore to me, his eyes gentle.

"No! Don’t you get it? I need to leave! I have to find Mark and... And my family needs me, the store and paintings, I-" I blabbered, panicked as this was going way faster than I had anticipated.

"You friend is safe and sound and your family will be well situated. They will have everything they need," he clarified. “The anonymous investor put a substantial amount of money on their business bank account.”

"They will have everything except me," I turned away as more tears slipped down my cheeks.

"Believe me, if I could change anything, I would do it in a blink of an eye," he gazed at me with remorseful expression.

"So, I don't have a choice either way?" I was still not ready to give up and admit a defeat.

His hand brushed my shoulder as he spoke “I am so very sorry. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling with all this information suddenly dropped on you shoulders.”

"I can’t grasp it, it sounds so unbelievable," I confessed, looking at him with big, round eyes. “The last time I was on the island with my family and now...” Hell I didn’t even know where they took me. “I can’t do it.”

"I know you are frightened," he nodded sympathetically, holding my hand. "But you have to understand that metamorphosis would happen either way. And if we weren't to bring you here or use Daniel's blood, the time of your change would be unpredictable. It would most likely take place at your home, around your family or friends. And believe me without the controlled environment you would become nothing more but a ruthless killer. Would you want to endanger your friends and family like this?" He reasoned with me.

"Never," I quietly murmured.

"And you’re also leaving out a small detail, the whole Cerberus community would be on your tail. They would sent Lessers to assassinate everyone you love, without a second thought," Daniel said calmly as the death of my family would be just a nuisance to him.

"You are vile!" I spat at him as he shrugged. “This is my family you are talking about! I know you don’t care, but they matter to me!”

"And the building you’re in holds my family, beings with souls that risk lives to help humans. Tough luck demon, but the truth is inevitable."

Taking long breaths to calm myself down, I turned my attention back to Maximillian. "Those lesser demons you've mentioned before, they were talking about the master. Who is he?"

"His name is Laurel, and he is a Cerberus that used to work for your father, but after a conflict they had he is acting alone. He’s not as powerful as Cain, but his greed makes him very dangerous."

"Why does he want me?" I shivered.

Maximillian sighted "We don't know what the real reason is, vengeance to your father maybe or perhaps he wants you to become his mate, to procreate."

"His.... Mate?” I couldn't even imagine what horrible faith would await me if he was the one to abduct me. “This cannot be... This is downright bizarre.”

"That's why it’s important to proceed with metamorphosis Korina." Maximillian spoke harshly. “If damned are the ones who gets you into their possession before your rebirth, the consequences will be disastrous.”

"Rebirth...” I repeated after him. “To be born for a second time in the same body, yet totally different. To risk losing all I ever knew...” I mumbled under my breath, feeling the weight of my fear dragging me down like heavy bricks.

Putting all my trust in this strange man was the most reckless thing I could do, then again better him than the soulless creatures he was talking about. My eyes darted to the wall where Daniel stood, intently watching me.

"I swear on your mother’s live to look after you," Maximillian took his hand away from mine and placed it on his heart.

I spun to look into his bright eyes, lifting my chin in acceptance - or rather defeat. "If there is truly no other way... And if what you say is true and my families’ lives are at stake, then it seems I have no other option."