Outside the gorgeous, opulent mansion – now in ruins – a crowd stood with red and blue lights shining on that damp, cold night. Along with the lights, shrill sirens broke the previously peaceful air of that mysterious mansion that, until then, no one knew where it had appeared from. Prostitutes, guests, waiters, and other people who were part of the party huddled in the ambulances, some more confused than others. The curious thing was that no one was hurt.

In fact, according to Rito, the people were only spared any injuries because the host demon – Agarath – considered them expensive goods. Thus, no one could be physically harmed.

Rito further explained that Agarath was taken by the Consort and the angel named Zophiel. Mephistopheles remained behind with his subordinate, waiting for his wounds to be stitched up. Lydia ended up fainting as soon as she left the mansion, and Abannak was keeping an eye on her, even with tired eyes and an exhausted expression. Rito clarified they did not need to worry about the details and complicated procedures since he would handle it properly. Thus, he gently guided the pair of young teachers – Mine and Addai – to a nearby ambulance to be checked out.

Mine, wearing a blanket borrowed from the rescuers, peered at the shadow of the wound caused by Agarath's sword on Addai's chest. That intriguing friend of hers had just been examined, and that trace on his skin made Mine unable to forget that it had not been a dream.

Mine looked at his own hands, now in their usual color and without the writing on them. He clenched his fists, and a diamond pattern appeared, glowing until it faded. A sigh escaped his lips. Whatever had happened earlier, he had no memory of it. It was as if someone had cut up the film and joined one part to the other end, leaving a large void of information in the middle.

However, despite feeling confused, Mine felt a little lighter in his head. In any case, it was as if he felt like himself again despite still being troubled by debts from past ghosts. Well, he would find a way. With Agarath gone, he had some time to think of an escape from Aiden and achieve his long-awaited freedom. Star would have to close the curtains on her ecstatic stage, but Mine was not sad. On the contrary, he felt relieved.

Mine stared at the sky for a few minutes, rambling about how much he wanted to lie in bed. As he rambled, Mephistopheles sat down next to him.

"Hey," Mephistopheles called, as blunt as always.

Mine looked at him with smiley eyes. "Hm?"

"Zophiel asked to give you this," Mephistopheles took a crumpled piece of paper from his pockets.

Mine picked up the crumpled paper and opened it. Zophiel's—or rather, Younri's—impeccable handwriting was always captivating. Mine was never tired of appreciating such lightness in the form of handwritten letters. His eyes slid over the lines, and they passed more and more quickly until, at the end of the short letter, he let out a gasp of surprise.

Mephistopheles faintly smiled and patted Mine's head. "Your debt is over, kiddo. Enjoy your freedom," he chuckled.

Mine looked at Mephistopheles, dumbfounded, excited, happy, teary. He didn't know what to feel. A single sniffle came from his nose, and then a sob erupted from his throat. Mephistopheles chuckled and patted the boy's shoulders, teasing him about his future whereabouts as a customer and not a worker. Mine's relief tears were disturbed by the teasing as he blushed his cheeks and grumbled at the demon.

"Ah, before I forget," Mephistopheles rummaged through his pockets again. From one of his pockets, he took something dark and small, like a guitar pick. It was shiny and hard, dark with red spots and reflexes. "If you need my assistance, you should call me. That's my scale. Feel free to summon me."

"B-But y-you seem to be a very busy person," Mine stammered.

"Nah, I'll take vacations and stay with my beloved for a while," Mephistopheles waved his hand. "My King will have to deal with it. It's been centuries since I didn't go on vacations," he stretched, yawning as he did so.

Mine chuckled, "Zophiel will be delighted, right?"

Mephistopheles coughed, his ears reddened, "Ahem. I hope so." His eyes glanced at Addai, who grumbled at the nurse as she examined his body, puzzled at the healed wounds. "Take care of Your Grace. He has never been this cheerful."

Mine couldn't help but glance at Addai as well. Their eyes met, and Addai gave him a toothy smile before the nurse nudged his ribs, causing him to curl at the ticklish sensation. 

Mine faintly chuckled before looking thoroughly at that friend of his, perceiving new hues in him. From his rare smiles to the lack of self-awareness about his bruises, Mine kept looking at Addai as a familiar nostalgia colored his vision. "He's been through some things, right?"

"A lot of that, all he told you is the tip of the iceberg," Mephistopheles sighed. "Just stay by his side, okay?" He ruffled Mine's hair. "And cut this hair. The blade made a mess on the ends."

Mine grumbled, his cheeks slightly blushed, "I know." He looked at Addai, his gaze calmly. After some minutes of silence, he muttered. "I will. I will stay by his side. I'm his tutor, after all, aren't I?" Mine grinned, and Mephistopheles chuckled.

"Hm," Mephistopheles nodded. "Thank you, kiddo," he smiled.

It didn't take long, and a grumbling Addai with reddish cheeks approached the duo, sitting beside Mine. His hair and clothes were a mess after all the examinations. Mephistopheles nodded at the duo and dismissed himself. Well, he wanted to stay a little longer. However, his subordinate wasn't cooperating in letting the nurses stitch the gruesome wounds on his side. Rito told them Azazel was hit by a blade when they were running. He used his body to shield Lydia, who needed to be carried in his arms because her legs froze at the spot. So, Mephistopheles had to act as his subordinate's emotional support so he wouldn't burn the nurses accidentally.

Mine and Addai shared a wistful, comfortable silence.

The wind blew gently to the duo as the time slipped through their fingers. The moon in the sky was as beautiful as ever despite the ambulance and police cars' lights. Mine glanced at Addai, whose eyes were closed as he felt the wind dance on his skin. A gentle and relieved smile effortlessly showed on his lips.

It was very cozy, but Mine's body couldn't hide his tiresomeness anymore.

Mine stretched and yawned, "I think it's time to go home," he scratched his neck.

Addai was taken aback, all the tranquility fading as if a mist covered his spirits. He slightly clenched his hands and looked down. Mine observed his actions, his ears waiting for Addai to say something or his lips would move first.

"I have nowhere to go anymore," Addai muttered. "Lilith now knows I'm here and… my identity and location were exposed. She's now hunting me," he chuckled darkly.

Mine placed a hand on Addai's clenched fists. "Come stay with me then," he said. Addai looked at Mine with his brain not connecting the dots. So, Mine had to elaborate, "If she's looking for you, stay with me. I can help and you won't be alone!" He smiled a determined smile.

Addai couldn't process what his mind and body were trying to feel first. Although unsure which line to choose, he felt a comfortable warmth he never expected to experience in this lifetime. He stared at Mine for a while, his pupils round and innocent. Mine, with a sunny smile, looked back and chuckled at the sight. For an instant, he saw that same sunny friend he met at that park many years ago. So, Addai couldn't help but smile as well, even his dimples showing in his warm smile.

"Can I?" Addai asked, his tone soft.

"Hm!" Mine nodded. "We'll take your things and Umbra's. Then, we'll go to my place! I have a guest's room and two bathrooms and…"

Mine started speaking nonstop, telling Addai the pros and cons of living with him - at least for a while. The more Mine spoke, the more Addai didn't want to go away and wanted to stay with him, listening to his endless chattering.

From afar, those two were like a small hamster yapping at a dark-furred cat, who gently brought the hamster closer and licked its fur.

That dark cat found his home at last.

｡𖦹°‧

A gargoyle in a suit, carrying a pile of documents in their hands, walked in a hurry along the corridors of a mansion. Much different from Agarath's illusions, that mansion carried elegance and eeriness, matching the official owner waiting for that hurried gargoyle in an office. Along the corridors, butlers and maids were doing their role and keeping that mansion impeccable.

The gargoyle slowed their steps until they stopped before a tall, ornamented door. They licked their lips and cleared their throats. The other gargoyle guarding the room's entrance looked at the gargoyle in a suit and nodded, opening the doors.

Inside the room, a tall, charming lady stood. She was picking some books from the lustrous shelf, humming a soft tune as she did so. The stunning lady wore a long, tight black dress, matching her long, straight black-pitched hair. When she heard the gargoyle speak, she slowly turned, showing her delicate but fierce facial features. However, her eyes and nose were covered by a huge hat. The hat was very detailed and beautiful but hid her eyes and nose, letting only her red-as-ruby lips show on her pale face.

The room, rather an office, had two shelves full of books and two others packed with documents and notebooks. In front of the wide window, a long desk with piles of papers shared space with a leathered black bag and fur coat. As it seemed, that lady had just arrived at the office, waiting for the gargoyle.

"Madam, we brought the document you asked for," the gargoyle in a suit came and handed a good number of papers to the charming lady.

The lady's ruby lips, once showing an indifferent expression, soon turned into a small smile. "My, my… thanks for your efficiency," she smiled and took the papers gracefully. Her thin fingers with big and sharp nails gently touched the paper as she read its contents. "Addai… then that's the name he got… He's sure slippery, isn't he?" she faintly smiled, putting the hat on her desk.

"And wary," the gargoyle added.

Her heterochromatic eyes glowed, gazing at a specific point in a paper that caught her attention. All her facial features, such as her thin nose and chin, dazzling eyes, and beauty marks under her bottom lip and on her nose bridge, were worthy of a marble sculpture made by Michelangelo.

"Hm~ Then his mother taught him well~" the lady grinned, showing her fangs as she gently felt the papers' essence. However, her smile slowly dropped, and a melancholy filled her lips and face as her eyes wandered far from there, gathering old memories. "Oh… dear Aria… my sweet Aria…" she muttered, her voice low and mellow.

"Mrs. Aria did her best, Madam," the gargoyle bowed.

"She sure did…" The lady faintly smiled, putting the papers aside on her perfectly tidied desk. "Anything else, sweetie?"

"The King will arrive soon. He demanded a meeting earlier, and I scheduled it as Madam asked me to," the gargoyle bowed again.

The lady grinned, half joy, half grief, but it didn't last long because she groaned, annoyed. "Why does he need to come here? I told him I'd go there! He's owing me a tray of desserts! I didn't dirty my nails with those peasants for nothing," she huffed.

"The King sure didn't forget that he owes Madam, but he told this humble servant that Lord Tieran was a bit… fussy after the Consort return from his patrol," the gargoyle explained, his ear recalling the little Tieran's endless cries. "The King also told this humble one that he didn't want Tieran to be overwhelmed any further, so he chose to pay a visit instead of inviting you, Madam Lilith."

Lilith released her shoulders before gathering her composure again. "Well… if it's because of that cutie… then that's nothing I can do," she grimly grinned. "Prepare the meeting room and my Laco's teeth so he can bite the King's ankle. He's owing me that tray for a long while, and if he doesn't bring it, let Laco bite him."

The gargoyle cold-sweated and stiffly bowed, "Yes, Madam. This humble servant will do what he was told."

Lilith sat on her desk and reanalyzed the papers about Addai's essence descriptions and locations. She sighed and smiled. Human world… the time there was merciless… Among Addai's papers, she found another pile with more information. This pile was about the Chronos she researched endlessly.

Before she could read them, noises from outside the office echoed in her ears. Hurriedly, a gargoyle opened the office's door, panting.

"The King… had arrived…" the gargoyle gasped.

Lilith almost dropped the papers at the announcement. She hurriedly placed them on the desk and took her fur coat and bag. "That moron! He's too early!!"

The gargoyle helped Lilith with her belongings and tidied her long dress. "The meeting has three subjects: the demon Agarath and Aiden, the Consort's report about Asmodeus, and…"

"My pass to go to the human world," Lilith grinned.