When Ciel finished his breakfast, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"See you later, love," he whispered, his voice warm but unreadable as always.
As soon as he stepped out and the door clicked shut behind him, I dropped the act. I finished the rest of my food in quick, quiet bites, barely tasting it. The moment the plate was empty, I stood up, heart already picking up speed.
This was my chance.
I crept upstairs, careful not to make a sound, every step echoing with a mix of guilt and determination. I had to find something—anything—about Ciel, this house, or whatever secrets he was hiding.
Whatever this place really was.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Market of the Demon Realm
Lucien's POV
Damn it.
Why can't I find anything on those creatures that attacked Clara?
If I don't stop them soon, they'll destroy centuries of planning—centuries of blood, sacrifice, and control. All of it… wasted. The thought burned through me as I stormed out of the Informal Guild, my fists clenched and jaw tight.
I stalked through the streets of the Dark Market, its twisted alleys humming with danger and whispers. Smoke curled from shadowed stalls. Eyes watched from behind veils and hoods. But none of them had answers—not even the ones who claimed to know everything.
Nothing on the creatures. Not even a rumor.
I paused at the edge of the market, scanning the paths ahead. This was getting worse than I thought.
Lila said the attack happened at the Blue Moon Festival—Clara and Ciel were both targeted. I'd already checked the festival grounds… nothing. No lingering energy. No trail. Not even a scent.
Fine. Then I'll search the outskirts. Maybe they left something behind. Some sign.
I have to find something—before it's too late.
I flew through the clouds of the demon realm, the wind biting at my skin as I cut across the night sky. Below, the earth shifted from blackened fields to silver-lit stone.
When I finally landed, I was back at the site of the Blue Moon Festival.
It looked... normal. Too normal.
The air was still. Laughter echoed faintly from the village in the distance. Stalls and lanterns lay scattered as if untouched by anything dark or dangerous. But I knew better.
I searched every corner—behind the tents, under the platforms—nothing. No trace. No sign. Just silence.
Frustrated, I expanded my range, heading toward the surrounding hills and ridges, then further up into the mountains. Still nothing.
Until I reached it.
A waterfall.
Its roar masked the silence around it, but I could sense something else—faint demonic residue in the air, clinging to the rocks like a dying echo. It wasn't fresh, but it was powerful. Not like the creatures I was hunting, but… ancient. Cursed. Dangerous.
I stepped closer.
Then I felt it. A second trace—even fainter than the first. Barely there.
I almost missed it.
But the moment I touched it with my energy, my heart skipped.
It feels like… mine.
That's impossible.
Why would there be a residue so similar to mine here?
A chill slid down my spine, but I didn't hesitate. I followed the trail, step by step, deeper into the cliffside shadows, not knowing what I'd find—only knowing I had to.
I followed the trace for what felt like hours, soaring across dead valleys and cursed winds, yet something strange was happening.
The closer I got, the stronger I became.
My power—which had been sluggish since the attack—was awakening again, pulsing in rhythm with the residue I was chasing. Whatever I was following… it was calling to me.
The trail led me to a massive, jagged mountain that loomed like a dead god over the land. And the moment I neared it, the feeling slammed into me.
They're here.
The residue was no longer faint—it was everywhere, thick in the air, sinking into the stone. My fingers tingled from the pressure of it.
But there was nothing. No gate, no mark, no sign of an entrance.
Just cold, black rock.
Could there be a hidden passage? A sealed gate?
I hovered in the air, eyes scanning every ledge, every crack. Then I drifted toward the highest peak, drawn by the pull in my veins. The magic was strongest there—almost unbearable.
This was the place.
Without hesitation, I raised my hand and released a surge of my own energy—pure, dark, and heavy with divine residue. The mountain groaned beneath it, like something ancient stirring in its sleep.
A rift tore open in the stone with a scream of shifting rock.
I didn't wait. I flew inside.
The darkness swallowed me whole.
I couldn't see. Couldn't feel the wind anymore. Just endless black… and the lingering weight of something old.
Something that felt like me.
I moved quickly through the cave, following the twisted energy like a hound on the scent.
Then I heard it—voices.
I froze, pressing myself against the damp stone as the sound grew clearer. Around the sharp corner ahead, a faint light flickered, casting shifting shadows on the wall.
"Don't fail me this time," a deep voice snapped.
"You were supposed to get her at the festival. Thanks to your failure, the palace security has doubled. We can't even get near her now."
Her?
"But boss," another voice said, more hesitant, "won't the security be even tighter tonight? During the banquet?"
"Yeah," a third added. "That event is crawling with guards—"
The first voice cut them off with a laugh—low, bitter, cruel.
"Don't worry. I've made… arrangements. Tonight, we take her. No matter what."
My chest tightened.
Clara.
Were they talking about Clara?
The banquet—tonight?
Panic rose in my throat.
I edged forward and risked a glance around the corner—then I froze.
My blood turned cold.
They stood in a circle, cloaked figures with black, leathery wings—fallen angels. And at the center, a tall man cloaked in shadow, his presence like a void in the air.
He tilted his head suddenly… and his eyes locked with mine.
A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.
"Lucien," he said.
My heart dropped.
"He's here! Get him!"
I didn't wait.
I turned and ran—wings bursting from my back as I surged upward and shot out of the cave into the night sky.
No. No. No.
Fallen angels… after Clara?
Do they know? Do they know what she is?
Do they know who I am?
No. It doesn't matter. Not now.
I shook the thoughts from my head as I flew faster, the wind burning against my skin.
They couldn't take her. Not now. Not after everything.
I had sacrificed too much. Waited too long. Fallen too far.
I couldn't let them steal my redemption.
I wouldn't let them take Clara.