The Wrong Eyes

The air in Lilith's sanctum was heavier than usual. It pulsed with unseen energy, shifting and twisting like something alive. The deep obsidian walls, woven from the roots of Kur'thaal itself, seemed to breathe, stretching in slow, deliberate movements as though aware of what had just entered.

Vael, Lioren, Tix, and Vehla stepped through the arched entrance.

They had barely taken three steps inside when they felt it.

Three demons.

Not just any demons.

High-ranked. Dangerous. Ancient.

And all of them were staring directly at Lioren.

The Gathering of Demons

The meeting had taken place only moments before.

Drexoth —or just Drex, as he was called— stood closest to the sanctum's main altar, holding a shimmering crystal of raw stardust. The remnants of a fallen celestial body, untouched for centuries. He had gone to the western mountains for it, risking the unknown, and now the weight of its presence hung between his fingers.

Across from him, Rahz'Keth leaned against the stone, her emerald gaze flickering over a tightly sealed obsidian chest. Whatever it contained, whatever creature Asmodan had pulled from the molten core of Kur'thaal, it was still alive. Still burning. The heat radiating from within was enough to distort the air.

Asmodan stood near her, arms crossed over his broad chest, his deep-red skin glowing faintly beneath the eerie golden light. His massive presence alone filled the room with quiet dominance, his curved horns casting jagged shadows against the walls.

They had just finished reporting to Lilith, leaving their offerings behind in her sanctuary.

Then the group walked in.

Silence stretched between them like a blade.

Lioren felt the weight of their gazes before he met them.

Drex was the first to react.

The massive demon tilted his head, his golden eyes gleaming with something close to amusement. His sharp fangs flashed slightly as his lips curled.

"Well, well," he drawled, arms resting easily at his sides. "What have we here?"

Rahz'Keth's response was slower, measured. Her green eyes flickered with suspicion as they trailed from Lioren's face to Vael's.

"This is new." Her voice was silk wrapped around steel. "Care to explain, Vael?"

Lioren didn't move.

Didn't blink.

Didn't flinch.

He knew better than to look uncertain in front of predators.

Before Vael could speak, Tix cut in, smirking.

"Oh, come on, Razy. You look like you just saw a ghost."

Rahz'Keth's gaze snapped to him.

Tix just grinned wider. "Well, I guess technically you did—a wingless little ghostie who should be rotting in some wasteland right about now."

Lioren's aura hummed—a quiet, invisible warning.

Razy ignored it. She stared at Vael instead. "How did he get here?"

Vael's smirk didn't waver. "He's with me."

Razy scoffed. "That's not an answer."

Vael's expression darkened slightly, his aura pressing outward, his body coiled with warning.

"It's the only answer you're getting."

Then, Asmodan finally spoke.

His voice was deep. Slow. Unshaken.

"An angel."

It wasn't a question.

Lioren met his gaze.

And Asmodan… smiled.

"Oh, this is tasty."

His wings flexed slightly as he stepped closer, his massive form blocking the light.

"Tell me," he murmured, his crimson eyes sharp. "Are you here to die, little angel?"

Lioren's gaze did not waver. "No."

Asmodan chuckled.

Drex laughed outright. "Bold."

Razy, however, was not amused.

Her sharp eyes narrowed. "You still have your wings, don't you?"

Drex raised a brow, intrigued. "He does?"

Vael stepped in front of Lioren, his stance shifting subtly—protective, unyielding.

"That's none of your concern."

But that only made them more interested.

Drex grinned, flashing fangs. "Oh, but it is."

Razy's emerald eyes gleamed, thoughtful. "Angels lose everything when they fall. Their power, their purpose. And yet…"

She turned back to Lioren, tilting her head.

"You're still standing."

Lioren's voice was calm. Steady.

"I am not like the others."

Tix snorted. "Well, no shit."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then, Razy smirked.

"I get it now," she murmured. "You're not just another fallen. You're something else."

Her eyes flickered to Vael.

"And you're hiding him."

Vael's jaw clenched.

And that's when Vehla finally spoke.

"If we wanted to hide him," her voice was smooth, unshaken, "you wouldn't have noticed him."

Razy raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. "Please."

But then Vael smiled. A slow, dangerous smile.

"You're underestimating him, Razy."

Razy crossed her arms. "Am I?"

Vael stepped forward.

Lioren watched as his presence shifted—dominant, effortless, utterly in control.

And then—his words hit like a blade.

"If he wanted to, Lioren could cast an entire angelic legion away with a flick of his hand."

Silence.

Razy's smirk faltered.

Drex's brows lifted slightly.

Even Asmodan stopped smiling.

Lioren said nothing. He didn't have to.

His presence was answer enough.

Drex exhaled, rubbing a hand through his thick mane of dark hair. "Well. This was fun."

Razy still didn't look convinced. But she didn't press further—not yet.

Asmodan, ever the enigma, chuckled.

"You know," he murmured, voice like embers smoldering in the dark, "it's been a long time since something truly interesting happened down here."

His gaze flickered to Lioren.

And for the first time, it was not condescension.

It was… curiosity.

Vael's body tensed.

He didn't like this.

At all.

"Come on," he muttered to Lioren, turning toward the exit. "We're done here."

Lioren didn't hesitate. He followed without another word, feeling the weight of those demonic stares on his back as he stepped away from the room.

This was only the beginning.

And Kur'thaal?

Kur'thaal had just started paying attention.