"It's fine." Old Neil said stiffly, unable to muster more than a curt response.
Klein hadn't expected the man to be so reasonable, prompting him to ask, "Sir, may we know who you are?"
"Me?" Alaric turned to Klein, smiling. "A name is just a label, but if you need one, you can call me… Helel." At the last word, he chuckled, as if struck by something amusing.
Helel?
Klein froze. He'd heard the name before, of course... in myths from his previous life, Lucifer, before his fall, was known as Helel.
Wait a minute. Talking about life as a script, cryptic behavior, a twisted sense of humor… Klein's mind instantly latched onto a name, and he studied the man again, momentarily at a loss for words.
He strongly suspected this Helel was Jack's teacher, Lucifer.
But that doesn't add up. How could someone with this personality raise someone like Jack? Klein's thoughts tangled, but with Old Neil present, he couldn't just ask if the man was Alaric Zoroast.
As if sensing something, Alaric tilted his head toward a certain direction, smiling faintly. "Ah, finally…" He sighed, almost wistfully.
Then, turning to Klein and Old Neil, he said, "Well, actors, that's all for today. I have pressing matters to attend to. Until next time." His gaze lingered on Klein, his expression carrying a deeper meaning.
Klein blinked, suddenly recalling the man's earlier "Interesting" comment upon seeing him. The shock of Old Neil's near-loss of control had overshadowed it, but now it resurfaced.
"You…" Klein started to speak, but before he could finish, the man vanished completely. Klein stared, his mind flashing to spatial abilities he'd encountered in fictional works.
"He might be from a pathway tied to the spirit world. Some pathways allow rapid travel through it." Old Neil mused. Though low in sequence, his long tenure as a Nighthawk gave him ample experience.
Klein's thoughts drifted to the messenger who delivered letters for Mr. Azik.
Both fell silent. After a while, Klein spoke up cautiously, watching Old Neil's expression. "Mr. Neil, about what just happened… we should report it to the Captain."
He knew Old Neil might not want to report it, but with the risk of losing control, Klein hoped informing the Captain could lead to a solution.
"…Alright." Old Neil said after a long pause, sighing and nodding.
Meanwhile, Alaric, who'd played the cryptic card purely to make his exit seem plausible, had used his travel ability to return home.
"Now Klein should have a first impression of Lucifer. When I make my next appearance, it'll all fall into place." Alaric said, stretching. Thinking back to the encounter, he chuckled. "Hope he doesn't hate Lucifer too much…"
He wasn't too concerned. In his design, Lucifer wasn't meant to be likable... a morally ambiguous figure, akin to a friendly Amon: reliable in critical moments but best kept at arm's length otherwise.
This persona made it easier for Alaric to act through the Lucifer guise.
"As for Old Neil… I hope the Church of the Evernight has a way to help him."
Alaric had warned Old Neil partly to reinforce Lucifer's persona and partly out of a simple desire to help. Old Neil was a good man, after all.
But Alaric had no effective way to counter the Hidden Sage, so his warning was all he could offer. Whether Old Neil would still meet his canonical fate was beyond Alaric's control.
"Next, Klein will probably come looking for me. Time to pull out the props I prepared." Alaric said, smiling. He'd planned Lucifer's interactions with Klein meticulously.
Some very entertaining plans.
While Alaric schemed, Klein and Old Neil had returned to Blackthorn Security Company to report the incident to Captain Dunn.
"I'll inform headquarters. They might know who this Lucifer is." Dunn said, his expression grave. His gaze then settled on Old Neil, gentle yet sharp. "Old Neil, is what he said true?"
Old Neil's face twisted with bitterness, but he didn't hide the truth.
His story was simple: Old Neil had a lover who died years ago. He'd been trying to resurrect her, often listening to the Hidden Sage's ravings and gaining knowledge from it, secretly preparing a ritual to bring her back.
"…I never meant to hurt anyone. I just wanted her to live. It's my fault... if I'd been a higher sequence back then, maybe I could've saved her." Old Neil said, his expression pained.
Dunn sighed, sympathetic but resolute. "I'll report this to headquarters. They might have a solution. For now, you'll need to be monitored to prevent any loss of control."
As a friend, Dunn empathized with Old Neil and understood his actions. But as the Nighthawk Captain, he had a duty to protect others.
"I understand." Old Neil said, nodding with a bitter smile.
Watching this, Klein felt a pang of unease, struck by the harsh reality of the Beyonder world.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if Old Neil truly lost control.
"In that sense, we owe Lucifer a thank you. He may not be a good person, but without his warning, Old Neil might've lost control soon." Klein thought, his last reservations about Lucifer fading. His mind then turned to Jack.
"After work today, I'll visit Jack. He might really be his teacher."
"You met my teacher? Today?" That night, at Alaric's residence, after hearing Klein recount the day's events, Alaric widened his eyes in perfectly acted disbelief. "But he didn't come to see me!"
***
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