After the Party
Rumors spread through the underworld like wildfire.
The tale was the same in every chamber—from the high towers of the Upper Kingdom to the dark alleys of the lower realms. The Crown Prince of Hell had broken tradition. He had ended the Ritual Dance not with his fiancée, Princess Lyra, but with the dormant princess of the Middle Chamber—Nikki Sawyer.
Whispers turned into speculation, and speculation into obsession. Every demon noble wanted to know who the mysterious "dormant" was who could move the Crown Prince to defy the royal custom.
At the same time, the search for theforbidden power began. Demons from all chambers were ordered to hunt down its source—the being who had unleashed a force so great it rippled through every realm. None knew the truth: that the one they hunted sat quietly on the surface world, sipping strawberry ice cream.
At Val's Dessert Café
The scent of cocoa and vanilla filled the warm air as Nikki pushed through the café's glass doors. Her heels clicked softly on the tiled floor as she made her way to the quiet table tucked away in the far corner, the one beside the wall.
Seated there already, with a calm smile, was Ryder—her personal physician, mentor, and the closest thing she had to a second father.
Ryder had been her doctor since she was a child. When she was younger, she had a terrible illness that almost took her life but Ryder was the one who saved her. Ever since then she has seen him as her second father and he too also loved her as his daughter.
"Have you ordered already?" Nikki asked, smiling faintly as she slid into the chair opposite him.
"Of course," Ryder replied with mock seriousness. "Knowing you, I'd be a dead man if I didn't."
Nikki pouted playfully. "I wouldn't do that."
"Sure you wouldn't," he teased, eyes twinkling. "So, tell me—what brings the Princess of the Middle Chamber to her favorite dessert shop with an old doctor like me? It can't just be to share ice cream."
"You're teasing me again," she murmured, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
He chuckled softly. "I know you too well, Nikki. Tricks don't work on me. Just say what you came to say."
Her playful demeanor faded. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her fist, her voice low and serious.
"Mother told me you were the one who discovered the seal on my powers."
Ryder exhaled quietly. "Ah. So that's what this is about. Yes, I was the one. But I don't think you came here just to confirm that."
"How do I remove the seal on my powers?"
Her voice shifted abruptly—hostile, cold. It sounded less like a question and more like a command.
"Didn't your mother tell you about it?"
"I'm not in the mood to play question and answer with you, Ryder," Nikki snapped quietly. "You know my mother is hiding something, and you're in on it too. The only reason I'm willing to look away is because I trust you wouldn't do something that would hurt me."
She leaned closer, her gaze piercing.
"So I'm only going to ask one more time. How do I get rid of the seal?"
Ryder stared at her, searching her eyes for any trace of the girl he knew—but all he found was darkness. Cold, unfathomable darkness.
She had changed.
When did she become like this?
She was no longer the sweet, affectionate girl who clung to him as a child. Something had shifted—something deep and dangerous.
Was it because she had discovered her powers? No. Nikki wasn't that immature.
So what had caused this sudden transformation?
Ryder couldn't wrap his head around it.
"There are two ways," he finally said, giving in.
"I'm listening," she replied indifferently.
"You can find the person who made the seal and have them remove it. But it won't be easy. The seal wasn't made by one person—it was made by three. Because of that, it's extremely complicated, and it will take time to find them."
"And the second way?" she asked calmly.
"You can't use the second way, Nikki."
There was no way he would allow her to walk that path again. He would not let what happened years ago repeat itself. They had survived once by sheer luck—but this time, he wasn't sure they would.
"I'm not asking for your permission, Ryder," she said coldly. "So hurry up and tell me."
"Nikki, I can't do that. I can do anything else—but not that."
No. He wouldn't give in. He wouldn't allow her to become a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the café.
Ryder felt it immediately.
He looked up.
Nikki was frowning now, her expression dark. Her eyes had turned a deep, glowing red, and a chilling aura radiated from her body, spreading outward like an invisible frost. It sent a sharp chill down his spine.
This aura…
He would never forget it.
And it's stronger than before.
"I'll give you one more chance to change your words—for old times' sake," she said softly, smiling innocently. "If you say the wrong words again, I'll really have to torture you."
Ryder swallowed hard.
She wasn't bluffing.
"You have to lose the person you love the most," he said quickly, fear thick in his voice. "In other words, you have to go through the most excruciating emotional pain that exists."
"How sure are you that it's going to work?" she asked, drawing the knife back into her hand.
Ryder exhaled shakily in relief. "Remember how you temporarily broke the seal because you were afraid the upper royals were going to kill that human?" he asked.
"So," Nikki said thoughtfully, "what you're trying to say is that if I fall in love with that human and watch him die, I can break the seal?"
"Yes," Ryder said urgently. "But it's too dangerous, Nikki. You could lose control and destroy everything—and everyone—around you."
"I know you care about me," she replied dismissively, "but there's no need to exaggerate. I can't possibly cause that much destruction."
Ryder shook his head.
She truly had no idea.
"You are capable of destroying Hell, Nikki, if you regain your powers."
"Yeah, sure," she scoffed, still playing lazily with the floating cutlery. "While I'm at it, I'm sure I can also defeat the devil."
"Nikki, that's enough," Ryder said sharply. "Stop using your powers now. You haven't completely broken the seal."
"Stop being such a buzzkill," she glared at him.
Ryder's eyes shifted—turning a deep, mesmerizing green, hypnotic and commanding.
"Nikki," he said firmly, "look into my eyes."
She looked up.
Their gazes met.
"Ryder?" she whispered.
"Sleep."
Her eyes closed instantly, and her body went slack. Her head dropped forward—but Ryder caught her just in time before it hit the table.
"Thank goodness you haven't fully regained your powers," he murmured, smiling weakly. "You would've killed me the moment you saw me use that on you."
He gently laid her head on the table.
I don't know why you're trying so desperately to break your seal, he thought. But I promise I'll help you. I won't let you lose another person you love.
Ryder changed their order into a take-home package.
After receiving it, he carefully took Nikki back home.