"Did you two have fun?" Tuf asked with his brows dancing playfully as he faced his parents from across the sofa in Luna's bedchamber.
Zeus raised a brow in warning. "Cub," he said sternly. "Not much fun. Your mother asked for a time-out."
"Love?!" Ceres gasped dramatically, her face turning a bright shade of red. "Oh my God!"
Her reaction drew a low chuckle from all three, Zeus, Tuf, and Luna.
Zeus leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Ceres's temple before returning to his serious tone.
"Anyway, enough of that." He met the eyes of his two children, expression sobering. "Your mother and I wanted to speak with just the two of you, because we believe we've begun to understand what Lucifer truly wants. And it involves both of you… but specifically Luna."
The room shifted. Tension rippled through the air, the warmth from earlier laughter fading into silence.
"There's a strong possibility that Lucifer intentionally made it hard for me to fulfill our deal," Zeus said, voice low and resolute. "Because he needs our help. Not for the demi-humans… but for something else."
Zeus and Ceres exchanged a glance before continuing.
They began explaining everything Ceres had discovered from the ancient book Cosmo had gifted her.
The truth about Solmara's creation.
The woman Lucifer had loved, Lilith.
Her forced separation from him.
His endless centuries of waiting, longing, and plotting.
And finally, how Zeus, Ceres, and Luna were the three living threads tied to Lilith's prophesied return.
"So… your father believes that Lilith is meant to be reborn as our daughter," Ceres said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "But in order to prevent the Creator from stealing her away again, Lucifer wants Luna to carry her in her womb."
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
"We wanted to speak to you two first before telling your siblings about what we discovered," Zeus added. "I've considered every possible interpretation of the prophecy. This is the only one that makes sense."
He looked at both of them, Luna's face pale, Tuf unreadable.
"You're mates," Zeus continued, "and right now, because of the binding effects of my deal with Lucifer, you can't conceive on your own, even as fated partners. And we still don't know how this would even be possible… or safe. But your mother and I believe that if Lilith is reborn, only then will demi-humans be able to procreate normally again."
He paused and turned to Luna with soft eyes. "But Kitten, it's your body. The choice is entirely yours. And Cub needs to hear that from us, too. If either of you says no, we will respect it fully. We'll pursue other ways to fulfill my end of the deal without following the prophecy. We owe Lucifer nothing. Especially not the two of you."
Zeus inhaled, steadying himself before he added, "This is our burden, your mother's and mine. Not yours. You've both done so much for me over the years… and truthfully, I don't know if I could've endured the long wait for your mother without all of you by my side."
He reached over and squeezed Tuf's shoulder firmly.
"And don't you ever think you owe us anything. You don't."
Ceres nodded, then added, "Depending on your answer, we may or may not tell your siblings. If your answer is no, then this secret will be buried forever."
Tuf and Luna looked at one another, unspoken thoughts and emotions flickering between them.
"Can I think about it?" Luna asked, her voice barely above a murmur.
"Of course, Kitten," Ceres replied gently. "Take all the time you need. Like your father said, this isn't your obligation. Never feel guilty, no matter what choice you make, okay?"
She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Luna's forehead.
A moment later, Zeus and Ceres stood and quietly left the bedchamber, leaving the two of them alone.
Luna rose and walked toward the veranda, her eyes drifting out toward the distant horizon.
In the night sky, beyond the mountains, the silhouette of the Black Tower loomed.
Despite the hour, and despite its obsidian color, they could still see it clearly, standing against the heavens like a jagged wound across the stars.
"What do you think?" Luna asked softly as Tuf approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her.
He leaned down, pressing a slow kiss on the bare curve of her neck, his lips lingering against her skin.
"As Father and Mother said… it's your body, Kitten," Tuf murmured against her ear. "You have the final say. Whatever decision you make, I won't question it. But whatever it is, I'll protect you. No matter what."
His arms tightened around her, and Luna held on to him just as firmly.
"Mother only has seventy more years to live," Luna whispered, almost as if speaking only to herself. "And I know for a fact that the mask Father wears won't be effective for that long. Not forever. So I want to help them while I still can."
She turned in his arms, facing him now, and looped her arms around his waist.
"But how do you think it would work?" she asked, her eyes searching his. "I don't think it should be done with magic. If the goal is to keep her hidden from the Creator… then magic would be the worst option."
Tuf gave a short nod. "Science, of course."
"You mean…?" Luna prompted.
"IVF," he said with a slight smirk. "We don't have it here yet, but Peanut can replicate the process."
"You think it would be safe?"
Tuf's lips curled into a grin.
"We don't know. But we have plenty of genea pigs, Kitten."
"You mean... test subjects?" Luna asked, arching a brow. "And you think they will agree?"
"If the lab coat fits. And they'll agree. They have to," Tuf answered. "Demi-humans need to procreate to survive. Each house is down to its final bloodline. This might be the best time for Hydra to finally step out of the shadows."
He paused, his expression darkening. "The elves we sent… they're struggling to conceive. So far, only three have gotten pregnant. And out of the three… only one birthed a demi-human child. The other two? Their offspring didn't even trigger the bloodline."
"So Father was right," Luna whispered. "Lucifer is deliberately suppressing demi-human procreation."
Tuf nodded grimly.
"Then let's do it," Luna said, her voice brimming with quiet conviction. "I'll carry the child."
Tuf reached up and gently cupped her cheeks, gazing down at her as if she were the center of his world. Then he kissed her, softly at first, then deeper, more intense.
"And I'll be with you through every step," he whispered against her lips. "And maybe… once Lucifer gets what he wants, we can finally have our own."
Their mouths met again, this time in hunger.
Tuf lifted Luna into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down like something precious.
They made love all night long.
And as his hands caressed her, and her moans melted into the darkness, they both imagined what Luna might look like… carrying their child. Their own. Not for prophecy. Not for salvation. But for love.
Outside the bedchamber, Comet stood silently.
And though his heart ached at the muffled sounds drifting through the door, the soft gasps, the whispers, the breaking of the bed frame, he simply closed his eyes.
He had vowed to serve Luna more than seven hundred years ago.
Because he loved her. From the moment he laid eyes on her.
Even when he found his mate after that… he severed the bond immediately, before it could ever be consummated, so it wouldn't hurt her. So it wouldn't hurt him.
So it wouldn't distract him from Luna.
Suddenly, Seiryu shimmered into view before him.
Comet didn't flinch.
Seiryu stared at him in silence, eyes unblinking.
"Say what you need to say, Holy Beast," Comet murmured, still keeping his eyes closed. "That intense stare of yours is cringe."
"You share a drop of blood with my Lord Solmara," Seiryu said, his tone low and even, not quite a question. More of a statement.
"Yes," Comet replied.
"I remember when Lord Solmara created us, the Holy Beasts. There were two young Velkhaari demons who stood by his side. A girl named 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘦𝘯 𝘝𝘦𝘭'𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢… and a boy named 𝘈𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘩 𝘝𝘦𝘭'𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘦𝘯," Seiryu said, voice quiet with memory. "Are you of the same bloodline?"
Comet opened his eyes, the pupils flickering red for a second.
"We come from the Crimson Prince bloodline. Our roots trace back to 𝘈𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘩 𝘝𝘦𝘭'𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘦𝘯," he said evenly. "Why do you ask?"
Seiryu hummed lowly, the sound vibrating in the quiet hall.
"Although we were created to serve humans," he began, "the Lord imprinted on us a very special command, to answer the call of 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘦𝘯 𝘝𝘦𝘭'𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢 and her bloodline."
Comet frowned. "And why are you telling me this now?"
Seiryu tilted his head. "No reason. I'm curious. Before my thousand-year slumber, my siblings and I always hoped to hear her call. But it never came. What happened to her?"
"You're a Holy Beast," Comet said dryly, raising a brow. "Shouldn't you know what happens to everyone?"
"If that were true, we'd be gods," Seiryu answered with a wry smile. "We wouldn't serve, we'd be the ones being served."
Comet fell silent for a moment, studying him. Then, a small smirk tugged at his lips.
"I don't know," he finally said. "No bloodline can be traced to her. Even the fact that she existed only remains in the memories of the Crimson Bloodline. We knew she was the first Demon Queen. But she stepped down from the throne without leaving an heir… and passed the crown to the Veyraeth bloodline instead. After that, she vanished. All records of her were erased."
"Why didn't she pass the throne to the Crimson Bloodline?" Seiryu asked, genuinely curious now.
"We're not allowed to take the throne," Comet explained. "We can stand beside it, but never sit on it. If we do, we lose our powers. And aside from the Demon Lord and his children, we are the most powerful demi-humans. That's also why our family remains small. In every generation, the most children born is three. Even though we're allowed up to five mates."
Seiryu narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're powerful. And yet before the Great Human War, even before the Demon Lord and his children rose to power, why didn't the Crimson Bloodline intervene? You could have saved the demi-humans from humanity's greed."
Comet leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Because we're demons. Demons only act when something affects us directly. Even if another demon is being destroyed, even if it's my own twin, if it doesn't touch me, I won't move. We live for our own selfish desires. No one else's."
There was silence between them.
"…Did you just show up to gossip?" Comet added, raising a brow.
"No." Seiryu's tone turned more serious. "The Empress asked me to soundproof Luna's bedchamber. She can hear… everything from hers."
"I'll handle it," Comet said.
He turned to the chamber wall, placed his hand against the surface, and activated the soundproofing rune embedded in the stone. A soft hum reverberated as the enchantment settled over the room.
Seiryu gave a nod of approval.
"Do you really not know what happened to 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘦𝘯 𝘝𝘦𝘭'𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢?" he asked again.
Comet's expression remained unchanged. "No. She disappeared. Where, when, why, and how, no one knows. Not even us."
He gave the Holy Beast a sideways glance. "Are you bored?"
Seiryu grinned. "Yes. This is the first time I've had a Master who only gives me tasks I can count on one hand. Now, I truly understand what she meant the first time we met, useless."
He exhaled, then his grin widened mischievously. "Want to play a game?"
Comet raised a brow but didn't speak. Seiryu took the silence as agreement.
"Simple game," Seiryu said. "We stare at each other. First one to blink or look away loses. Winner gets the loser's job."
"You're so bored you want to steal my work now?" Comet deadpanned.
"Okay, not all your work," Seiryu said, smirking. "If I win, I get the right to serve Luna."
"You piece of–"
"Start!" Seiryu shouted, cutting off Comet's curse.
Their eyes locked.
Neither blinked.
Neither moved.
The war for Luna's side… had begun in silence. And neither of them intended to lose.