‘And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

And the Lord said, ‘my spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he is also flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.’

 

(Genesis 6:1-4)

 

 

 

 

 

EDEN 61

PROLOGUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

After centuries and centuries of basking in complete darkness, he had to cover his eyes the first time he saw it — a world so bright, it had hurt his eyes.

 

This time, he wakes up on a bed of flowers, soft against his back, tickling his nape. He cranes his neck slightly, turning to his side, inspecting the place, still. A single bee lands just on the palm of his hand, and he catches it. He watches carefully as the small insect rubs its head on the tip of his thumb, somehow soothed by his touch, not at all frightened.

 

He frowns.

 

The sunlight pierces through the leaves of the tree he’s lying under, the warmth settling nicely on his cheeks just as wisps of cold breeze brush against his skin. When he carries himself up, he sees a flock of birds hovering just above the branch nearby. Two rabbits hop by his feet, sniffing with curiosity as he stares down at them, confused.

 

He wipes the dirt off his lap as he walks with full caution. He doesn’t let his guard down, not even when the two rabbits follow his every step, hopping adorably behind him. He stops in his tracks, turning around to glare at the two globes of snowy fur. “Go,” he nods towards the opposite way. “Stop following me, stupid cotton balls.”

 

The rabbits ignore him once they hear the sound of footsteps turning left, long ears flickering up as they hop away, quick, bouncing on their feet. Curiosity catches the best of him as he trails along the pathway of peachy roses leading towards a glass dome full of red ones. He stops in his track once his gaze lands on the back of an angel whose wings are too huge to bear on such lithe shoulders.

 

There’s a familiar tune resonating within the dome, the notes of a piano that he has certainly heard before — yet could not determine when or where. The wind gusts through the branches of the trees nearby, brushing against soft jet-black hair, and before he could stop himself, he has his hand lifted, reaching out for the faraway angel.

 

“I thought I told you not to be so mean to these animals,” the angel mumbles, so quiet that it flows along with the gusting wind. The way the angel’s fingers move against the piano catches his eyes, but he can’t seem to see the look on the angel’s face—only the sight of his wings covering his whole body.

 

“I know,” he whispers, startling himself when the words crawl out of his throat on their own. He no longer has control. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” the angel chuckles softly, turning to his side, yet his snowy white wings are still hindering him from taking a closer look. Delicate fingers beckon him to come closer, patting the space on the small bench next to him. “Sit next to me, Chanyeol.”

 

 

 

 

 

HADES 04 — LOEY

i.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A sylphlike hand landed on his shoulder, startling him awake. Just a light touch against his skin and he was back in reality. The demon king’s right-hand man stepped away from his nightstand, chucking the bedsheets off his body with a single flick of his finger. Once welcomed by the glacial temperature of his chamber, Loey groaned, groggy voice deep with sleep deprivation. “,” he muttered. “Be nice to my special guest, at least.”

 

His butler glanced at the woman lying beside him, slender arm slithered around his waist with fabricated familiarity. Loey tried to refrain himself from chuckling too loud. Kyungsoo never really showed his true expressions, his signature frown almost permanent on his face, but Loey could sense whenever the younger demon felt irritated. Within a split second, his blank gaze returned to Loey once more. “The young boy… He’s here.”

 

The demon king’s eyebrow lifted with interest; mouth curved into a grin. “The one that you’ve been watching over?”

 

He could not deny that at first, it was a little strange to him—how adamant Kyungsoo was when it came to that particular boy. The younger demon had spent years watching over the child. If Loey didn’t know any better, he would had considered Kyungsoo as the boy’s guardian angel—ironically.

 

Kyungsoo nodded. “He’s in the lobby. Sehun is accompanying him.”

 

“How did it happen?”

 

“He’d gotten a little smarter since the last time we saw him,” the younger demon said. “Took the kitchen knife and killed his parents in their sleep.”

 

“And the bodies?”

 

“Left there to rot. He turned the knife on himself, now here he is.”

 

“My, my.” Loey let out a gentle laugh. “Clever boy. Let’s give him a proper welcome, then.”

 

The woman next to him stirred with a whine, seemingly irked by the voices of the two demons. “Christ, you guys are ing loud,” she grunted, thrashing on satin sheets. She morphed into her true form in no time, crimson red horns piercing out of her head as she rubbed the crusty bits of sleep off her eyes.

 

“Christ,” Loey chuckled ironically.

 

“My apologies, Soojung,” Kyungsoo said, nodding slightly towards the succubus. His expression was far from apologetic, and Loey noticed this. But he was not quite in the mood to witness his two close acquaintances bicker. He lifted himself off the bed, grabbing the silk robe from his butler’s awaiting hand.

 

“Get rid of her,” Loey whispered when he passed by the younger demon. “That stench of hers is suffocating.”

 

“I heard that, you jerk.”

 

Loey turned to the succubus and grinned sheepishly. “Then why are you still here?”

 

He could practically hear the way she was seething from where he stood, knuckles cracking in anger, disappointment, and possibly even heartbreak. A peal of pained laughter ripped out of as she dragged herself out of his chamber with her head hanging low. “Yet you still demand my presence at night,” she muttered.

 

“Beg to differ.” Loey yawned. “You’ve gotten quite clingy nowadays, Soojung. You are a succubus; it’s your very duty to do this without expecting any emotional attachments.”

 

She swallowed. He only began to see the tears welling up in her reddened eyes when she spun around.

 

“I didn’t ask to be—”

 

Kyungsoo took a step closer in front of her, blocking the other demon’s sight. “Enough, Soojung,” he snapped. “Please leave. It’s a busy day for us.”

 

Without sparing one last glance at them, she left, slamming the door harshly on her way out. An overly dramatic scene that they were far too familiar with. Deep down, they both knew that she was going to come crawling back to Loey if he’d demanded her presence once more. It was her own foolish decision to fall for another demon. Loey sighed with a shake of his head, clicking on his tongue. “So disrespectful.”

 

“That’s the third time this week,” Kyungsoo said, massaging his temples with tensed fingers. “You could’ve been a little nicer this time.”

 

“No,” he huffed. “I’ve been way too soft on all of you these days. She needs to learn that demons shouldn’t fall in love. It’s distasteful.”

 

“For someone who’s so fascinated with life on earth, I’d expected you to be more accepting of love. Or just... feelings, in general.”

 

The corner of Loey’s mouth curved into a smirk. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

 

“Truthfully, yes. It would be nice.”

 

“Did you even see the way Soojung behaved?” Loey snorted. “Falling in love—it’s a sign of weakness.”

 

“Perhaps once you start to experience it yourself, you would change your mind, my lord.”

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

Out of all the places that the demon king had created when he had built his empire on the grounds of Hades 04, Loey treasured his home the most. Abyss was a place where the demon king had spent almost the entirety of his lifetime, surrounded by his butlers and maids. And as he held a strong sense of fascination towards the human eye, Loey had reconstructed Abyss to appear as a place that one would’ve seen back on Earth.

 

However, despite the ornamental, luxurious facade of the entire lobby of Abyss that Loey himself had designed, the young boy seemed scared. Terrified as his wide eyes glanced around, dry streaks of tears evident on plump rosy cheeks. His jittery fingers picked at the hem of his shorts as he sniffled. Had it not been for his young age, Loey would have been offended to be witnessing Hades 04’s recruit staring at the lobby’s interior design with such inexplicable fear in his eyes.

 

“It’s been a while since we had a kid in here,” he murmured. “He looks scared.”

 

“He’ll fit right in, there’s no worry,” Kyungsoo replied simply, and Loey knew better than to doubt his words. There was a reason why Kyungsoo had lasted as Loey’s right-hand man for so long—the demon was always truthful. Loey might even consider him as someone who knows him better than he knows himself.

 

The young boy’s frightened eyes widened when the servants announced Loey’s arrival, seemingly mesmerized at the sight of the other devils bowing their heads to the tall demon approaching him. Merely acknowledging them with a nod, Loey put on a bright smile, waving cheerfully to the boy. “Hello there, young one.”

 

Before the boy could reply, the grim reaper sitting next to him let out a loud scoff, rolling his eyes. “What took you so long? I’m not a ing babysitter.”

 

“Mind your language, Sehun,” Kyungsoo reprimanded, pausing when Loey lifted his hand.

 

The tip of the reaper’s ears grew red as he looked at the other demon, muttering under his breath. “S-Sorry, Kyungsoo.”

 

“Hey, Sehun.” The demon king grinned. “Thanks for bringing him here. You did a great job.”

 

The grim reaper looked away with a huff, arms crossed tightly against his chest. “There’s no need to compliment me. I’m just doing my job,” he muttered. “I got two more kids down there to be taken care of, alright? You jerks are wasting my time.”

 

The tip of Loey’s ears perked up as he beamed with newfound excitement. “Will we be welcoming more children?”

 

“No,” Sehun deadpanned, swinging his scythe in a circular rhythmic motion, startling the young boy next to him. “They’re headed to Eden 61.”

 

“How disappointing.” The demon king’s wide grin faltered as he sighed, shoulders slumped with dissatisfaction. “Those human children are too nice these days, Hades barely gets younger recruits now.”

 

“You got this one,” the grim reaper shrugged. “He seems alright.”

 

With his attention focused back on the young recruit, Loey’s smile returned. He dismissed the grim reaper with a wave, earning a disgruntled scoff before the latter walked away, not before stealing one final glance at the demon king’s loyal servant.

 

The demon king kneeled before the boy, clasping the small hands. “Hey there.” He brought his hands to the boy’s wet cheek, pinching it gently. “Are you okay?”

 

“W-Where…” the boy hiccupped, lightly choking on a leftover sob. “Where am I?”

 

“This is Hades 04,” Loey replied. “The headquarters of the netherworld, if you may.”

 

An aloof voice came right next to him. “In other words, Hell.”

 

“Kyungsoo,” Loey grumbled with disappointment. “Don’t scare him off like that.”

 

The young boy’s mouth gaped open as he stared at the two demons, blinking blankly with his head adorably tilted. “This is Hell? But where’s the—where’s all the fire? A-And the evil spirits?”

 

“That would be us, young one.” Loey grinned, poking the dimple lodged on the boy’s cherry cheek. “Although I wouldn’t consider us evil. Are we evil, Kyungsoo?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Only with the people we aren’t so fond of,” the demon king tried to reason. “But there’s no need for you to worry. You are one of us now, so we’ll take good care of you.”

 

“You haven’t answered my question.” The boy frowned. “Who are you?”

 

“My name is—”

 

“—This is Loey. He is the ruler of the Hades 04,” Kyungsoo explained blankly. “In other words, he is the demon king.”

 

“I prefer being called the demon president.”

 

“He may appear playful, but please, address him formally.”

 

“Mr. President sounds nicer to my ears.”

 

“Your Majesty would suffice.”

 

“How do you do, Mr. President?” Loey tested, liking the way it sounded on the base of his throat, humming with delight. “Yeah, I like that better.”

 

Kyungsoo sighed, exasperated. “Please, my lord. Take yourself seriously for once.”

 

“How about Loey, CEO of Hades 04?”

 

“No.”

 

Their abrupt banter pulled a bright giggle from the young boy, cheeks no longer damp from the tears of timidity.

 

“You can just call me Loey,” he finally said with great solemnity, a hint of a small smile present on his face.

 

Still, he couldn’t quite comprehend why Kyungsoo was so taken with the boy ever since they saw him in his human form. Judging from the younger demon’s stiff exterior and cold demeanor, no one would have expected that Kyungsoo was the one who had urged the demon king to take the young boy under his care.

 

He would be a great successor to your throne, Kyungsoo had reasoned once, back on Earth, while they were observing the boy on the brink of dusk. Soon, you will grow to love him.

 

That was the only time that Loey had doubted him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABYSS, HADES 04 — LOEY

ii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time, it’s midnight.

 

He lets his feet lead him towards a nearby forest, dark and eerily quiet. He barely sees what lay ahead of him as he walks, kicking small pebbles on the pavement, and everywhere he goes, the familiar tune follows. It’s faint, he could barely hear it if it wasn’t for the serenity of the empty street. Yet it rings in his head like church bells, and the further he walks into the woods, the louder the tune gets.

 

It’s strangely soothing.

 

When he finally gets closer to the source of the soft hums, he sees the familiar angel from afar. It is almost like a routine now; to fall deep asleep and to be pulled into a whole new dimension filled with wonders that seem painfully familiar; it keeps changing as he dreams, and dreams, yet the only figment of his imagination that remains the same is him.

 

The dark-haired angel with broad wings, flapping in synchronization with his gentle humming—he’s sitting on a slippery rock by the riverbed now, dipping his foot with hesitance into the water. When he finally does, the angel bursts into a bright fit of laughter, pulling on his ankle when the coldness hits. The sound of it pulls a tight tug of the knot lodged in Loey’s throat, so harshly that he could feel the abrupt tears falling to his chin.

 

“It’s too cold,” the angel whines, bringing his knees to his chest.

 

“I told you that it was cold.”

 

There it is again. The foreign voice that rolls itself out of his own mouth without him allowing it, without him even processing the sentences in his mind beforehand, as if talking to this angel in front of him is second nature.

 

The angel laughs.

 

Bubbly, gentle. Painful.

 

“I know you did.”

 

With no trace of reluctance, Loey takes a seat on the ground just beside him, though he chooses to stare ahead, watching as the crusty autumn leaves drift away with the river’s smooth flow. His heart is thumping erratically under his chest now, and it almost makes him want to laugh out of shock. How long has it been since he last felt his heart beating?

 

“Go on, snowflake,” the angel says, pulling him out of his trance. “Try to put your feet in the water. It feels refreshing.”

 

Loey shakes his head with a smile. “No, it’s too cold,” he says as he stretches his palm out, circling the band of gold attached to his ring finger.

 

His breath hitches to his throat and stops when the angel scoots closer to him and his pathetically frozen state. His trembling fingers grip onto his knees tightly as he shuts his eyes, feeling powerless when the angel is so close to him, resting his head on Loey’s stiffened shoulders like it belongs there. The angel releases a sigh of contentment as he nuzzles his cheek, black hair tickling the demon’s neck.

 

“Tell me,” the angel begins, the tip of his fingers hovering just above Loey’s palm and that foreign ring on his finger.

 

The demon’s skin almost burns with anticipation, both fear and yearning entwined into one, bubbling up from the base of his heart. “What is it?”

 

The angelic mirage of his dreams clasps their hands together, and Loey is almost convinced that they have done this before. The familiarity sends a jolt of a shock to his spine as he flinches once their fingers intertwine, yet he hasn’t even seen the angel’s face. Has no clue how he looked.

 

“Have you been taking care of him?” The angel sounds so pained that he almost feels hesitant to answer him, afraid that anything he says might hurt him. “Is he okay?”

 

Loey stares at their linked hands, quiet, unsure of what to answer. There are too many unanswered questions running in his mind now, yet he can’t bring himself to speak.

 

“Chanyeol,” the angel starts to plead, his grip tensing. “Tell me, is he okay?”

 

“...Yes,” the demon croaks out, despite not knowing who the angel was referring to — not even knowing who Chanyeol is. “He’s okay. You don’t have to worry.”

 

“Okay.” The angel exhales in relief. “Take good care of him, yeah?”

 

Loey swallows, nodding. “I will.”

 

“Okay,” he repeats. “You may wake up now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

 

A soft gasp of wonder was the first thing he heard when he gained consciousness, waking up from his deep sleep. The demon king groaned at the sight of Hades 04’s new recruit standing next to his bed, staring at the most vulnerable part of his alternative form — his wings.

 

“Your wings are huge,” the young boy murmured, bright eyes wide with fascination as he tugged on one of the feathers that was closest to his height, plucking it out without second thoughts. He seemed to not notice that he was beginning to grow his wings out too, small curves of bones protruding out of his small back. “They’re like…” The boy extended his chubby arms as far as he could manage, his jaw hanging with exaggeration. “This big.”

 

“That’s not very big, then,” he muttered sarcastically, half asleep still. What on earth was the kid doing in his chamber so early in the morning, anyway? Loey took the time to glance around. Kyungsoo was nowhere to be found. “What are you doing here, tiny? How did you even get in here?”

 

The boy chose to ignore his questions by patting the surface of the black feathers lightly, squealing when the demon king flapped his wings to shoo the boy away. Though instead of getting the message and backing away, the young boy giggled with fascination. “Why do you hide your wings during the day, Mr. President?”

 

He sighed as the slightest desire for him to go back to sleep slowly dissipated. With a lazy swipe of his hand, he concealed the entirety of his black wings, irked by the boy’s captivation. “I’m not very fond of them.”

 

“No, please don’t hide them!” the boy squealed with a pout. “They’re pretty!”

 

“You haven’t answered my question, little lucifer,” he muttered as he allowed his wings to reappear—just to put an end to the young boy’s irritating whines. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Kyungsoo told me to wake you up,” the boy said with a small grin. “He said that you promised to bring me around today. Like an orientation for newcomers!”

 

“As far as I recall, you weren’t this excited when you were brought over here,” Loey chuckled lightly. “Warming up and familiarizing yourself with the environment already, I see.”

 

The boy fell silent upon hearing the demon king’s accusation, his eyes dazed, deep in thought. Once he came to a realization, he mumbled, “I like it better here than my old home.”

 

Loey’s gaze softened. The kid didn’t have a good life back on earth—that much he knew. The demon king had seen it once, how the boy had lived in poverty, always suppressing his hunger, isolated by his adoptive family. Every time Kyungsoo had gone down there just to watch over him, he’d return to Hades with sullen eyes, contrasting greatly with his constant blank expression.

 

Perhaps, back then, Kyungsoo had felt sorry for the boy for he was not accompanied by a guardian angel despite all the abuse he had gone through. If Loey had known better, he would say that Eden 61 was slacking in terms of protecting the boy throughout his childhood days.

 

“I know, tiny,” the demon king hummed, ruffling the doe-eyed boy’s hair, swiping the strands of hair away. “Contrary to what people say, we demons are nice creatures. We just tend to appear scary sometimes.”

 

“You don’t look scary to me,” the boy said, pointing to his back. “You even hide your wings!”

 

“This isn’t my true form. I think you would run sobbing if you ever see it.”

 

“Try me!”

 

Loey chortled at the boy’s surge of confidence, shaking his head. “Nah, I prefer looking like an actual human.”

 

It wasn’t exactly a hidden secret in the afterlife that the entirety of Hades 04 took an extreme turn once Loey became its ruler. There was something about life on earth that fascinated him, so much that he made the decision to replicate the things he’d seen on earth that he took a liking to. The demon king was almost certain that if the young boy saw his true demonic form the first time they had met, they wouldn’t be talking so comfortably.

 

“But not to worry—your body is slowly developing its demonic form.” Loey presented his palm, crimson flame igniting from the tip of his fingers. The boy’s curious eyes flickered red as the flame formed a vision of what lay ahead for the young demon once he was fully grown, embracing the true form of Apollyon, knighted as the next guardian of Hades 04.

 

A part of Loey was concerned that the boy might not be ready to see such vision just yet, but as he pulled away, the flame extinguished by a soft blow of wind, and the boy stared up at him with a starstruck glare.

 

“That… was awesome,” the boy breathed out. “Do it again!”

 

His enthusiasm caused the demon king to laugh loudly, strangely endeared by the energy of the corrupted youth. It was a rare occasion for Hades 04 to welcome a child, and there might have even been a point where Loey would have disagreed to accept an innocent child. He knew that they belonged in heaven. But if Eden 61 had rejected an innocent, and welcomed the abusive parents into their world instead, then it was his responsibility to embrace the child into his realm.

 

He’d gladly take good care of the kid.

 

“You’re unbelievable, tiny,” the demon king chuckled softly.

 

“...My name is Hyunjae,” the boy said quietly, shy as he clasped both his hands together, staring at the freshly polished marble floors of the demon king’s chamber.

 

“Okay, Hyunjae.” Loey smiled. “Wanna go and meet the dragons?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

TARTARUS CITY, HADES 04 — LOEY

iii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was unable to remember if there was a time where he had spent his evenings out of his chamber. It had been too long, certainly. The demon king wasn’t one to greet his servants or the other citizen of Hades, much less spending his time being surrounded by them. And even if he wasn’t cooped up in his chamber, at times like this, Loey would have been on Earth, wandering like a nomad with the perfect disguise, mimicking every inch of the human body.

 

But there he was—in Tartarus City, the heart of Hades 04, unguarded—watching as Hyunjae cautiously approached the gaggle of goblins selling candied human lungs on sticks, reaching out with no fear to taste a sample piece. One of the older goblins was about to lash out on the young boy’s lack of manners before his gaze fell on the demon king’s glare, causing him to splutter in panic.

 

“Are you sure you wanna try those, tiny?” Loey asked with a raised brow. “I don’t think you’ve developed the taste bud of a demon yet.”

 

Hyunjae turned to him with glistening eyes, bottom lip jutting out in a small pout. “I just want to have a little taste…”

 

“Alright.” He nodded towards the goblin’s way. “Just one bite.”

 

As the young demon picked at the piece of candy, tapping at its cracking glass surface, Loey tried his best not to laugh.He’s not going to like it, the demon king thought. Hell, even Loey himself hated the taste of human lung candies—absolutely despised the sugary, metallic taste and how chewy the texture was. Getting the boy to try such candy on his first week of getting used to turning into a demon wasn’t such a great idea.

 

To the demon king’s surprise, the little lucifer gobbled the candy in an instant, humming in delight with his closed eyes when the sugar rush started to hit. “That’s so good!” Hyunjae exclaimed, making himself comfortable to the extent of squatting in front of the startled goblins, reaching out for another piece. “It’s so sweet!”

 

“You like it?” Loey snickered in disbelief. He might have underestimated the boy, seeing the way he shamelessly tried the other candied organs sold by the sidewalk. “Okay, okay, settle down, let me at least pay for them first.” He shook his head, laughing. “You’re unbelievable.”

 

“T-There is no need for you to pay, sire,” the goblin stammered, head bowed low with respect.

 

“I have to, or else this child would grow up spoiled,” the demon king snorted.

 

It took almost six and a half sticks of the candied lungs before Hyunjae finally turned to him, burping, little mouth splattered red. He wiped the blood away carelessly with a sheepish grin, staining his sleeves. “Can I have more?”

 

“No way,” Loey huffed, yanking on the boy’s hand to drag him away before his eyes watered with forced tears again, begging for another candy. The demon king had never considered himself as someone so weak, but the child’s pout might just lead to him purchasing the whole store at this point. “We’re going back.”

 

“But I want to explore a little more,” Hyunjae whined, tugging on his wrist. “I like hanging out with you, president. Don’t send me back just yet—Kyungsoo scares me sometimes.”

 

“What are you talking about? Kyungsoo is way nicer than I am.”

 

“He said that I have to go to school soon,” the boy grumbled. “I already went to school when I was still human, why do I still have to go to school in the afterlife?”

 

“There are a lot of things that you need to learn about Hades,” the demon king replied. “Besides, don’t you wanna be a successful demon? Us demons can’t just possess people, you know. You need a degree in Human Possession for that.”

 

Hyunjae sighed with great exaggeration, slapping his hand on his face dramatically. “Life is so tiring…”

 

By the time they tried to leave the city, the streets were almost full of demons rushing to get home by sunset from their duties on earth, crowding around the main gates of Hades. With the gigantic-sized creatures walking about, the demon king could barely see the tiny head of the child tugging on his hand. He hoisted the boy up in his arms with one swift motion, growling when the streets became even more crowded.

 

“I should’ve brought my guards along with us,” Loey muttered. The demons surrounding them were too busy to even notice who they were bumping into. Perhaps Kyungsoo was right when he said that the citizens of Hades 04 weren’t as intimidated by him as he thought they would be, but that was on him for concealing his true form, frustrating Kyungsoo with his stubborn preference of appearing more human than a demon.

 

There was a commotion coming from the gates of Hades 04, a crash so loud it had made the boy settling in his arms flinch with shock. “What was that?” Hyunjae squeaked out, fear evident in the trembling of his voice.

 

Loey’s brows furrowed deeply as he turned to the source of the ruckus, watching as the guards of the Hades gate trampled on a foreign creature. He growled, charging up to them with rage bubbling in the pit of his gut. Despite being the home of where evil lived, the demon king had never allowed violence to take place in his realm. It was unacceptable to him to know that the demonic guards had been roughhousing with the other creatures of Hades.

 

His palms sparked with flame with no second thoughts, ardent inferno blasting towards one of the demon guards who was blocking his way. The young demon cradled in his arms whimpered, frightened as the demon king’s hand burned holes into his shirt unintentionally. Realizing this, his entire intention of almost burning the gates down backfired as he snapped himself out of his trance and glanced at the terrified boy.

 

“Sorry, Hyunjae,” he muttered in a hush as the impact of his blast alarmed the entire crowd, staggering as the ground shook. “I forgot you were here.”

 

The young boy trembled without a word, but the way he hid his face in the crook of the demon king’s neck assured him that it wasn’t him that the boy was scared of, and Hyunjae had turned to him to seek protection.

 

It had never crossed his mind how or why he felt such intense sense of protectiveness over the boy—why he held onto the little demon so tightly that it made his chest constrict, swayed by the unspoken bond between them—but the demon king ultimately resorted to standing down on his powers as the boy’s reaction to it had agitated him to no end.

 

The demon guard snarled as he spun around to face the cause of the explosion, only to back away when Loey stepped closer towards the ruckus that they had created. “Y-Your Majesty!”

 

“Who gave you such permission to inflict violence on a citizen of Hades?” the demon king demanded.

 

The guard’s knees fell to the ground in an instant as he bowed towards the king, his entire body shaking with fear upon catching the trace of anger in the demon king’s eyes. “My apologies, Your Majesty,” he managed to stammer out, albeit the quiver evident in his voice enshrouded the previous confidence he had when he had trampled on another creature. “B-But this isn’t a citizen of Hades 04! He is a trespasser, my lord!”

 

“It is true, Your Majesty,” the other guard defended, though his eyes were staring elsewhere. “The trespasser has been begging to enter Hades for the past few days, my lord.” The lowly demon swallowed. “Please, have mercy on us.”

 

Loey glanced at the human-sized cage set behind the demon guards, their bodies hindering him from taking a proper look at the creature rattling against the heated metal chains. A pained whimper erupted from inside the cage when the creature thrashed against the chains, burning its skin with a sharp hiss. The sight of white caught his eyes, and the demon king was hit with wonder.

 

“Step aside,” he muttered. “And I will have mercy on you.”

 

The two guards shared a look before they nodded. “As you wish, my lord.”

 

With the young demon held tight in his embrace, Loey cautiously made his way towards the creature trapped in the cage. He couldn’t let his guard down around trespassers; ever since the downfall of the previous demon king all those centuries ago, Hades 04 had never experienced war or bloodshed while he was the successor of the throne. He couldn’t take the risk just yet.

 

The first sight of massive wings knocked him into a sense of familiarity that he couldn’t quite pinpoint where he had seen it before—yet he clearly remembered the details carved on the surface of those feathers, every curve of those wings engraved in the back of his mind like a distant memory. His eyes trailed the shape of white wings on the broad back, to the creature’s trembling shoulders, up to stygian black hair covering its eyes as it stooped down in pain.

 

Loey had been alive long enough to know what the creature was.

 

“An angel.” Hyunjae was the first one to speak, face no longer pressed against the demon king’s nape as he stared at the flapping of encaged wings, mesmerized.

 

Yes, Loey wanted to say, but the words were stuck in his throat, unable to escape. An angel.

 

At the sound of the child’s voice, the angel’s head shot up within a split second, and the demon king had almost staggered back at the intensity of it all when their gazes met in a hush, ocean eyes staring back at him with a look that he couldn’t decode.

 

The angel’s watering eyes widened as drops of tears fell against dampened cheeks, and the sight of it brought Loey back to the first time he had set his eyes on Hyunjae—how frightened they both looked, but there was also the comforting gaze they held that had a sense of similarity.

 

The angel’s mouth hung in a silent scream, trembling hands gripping the metal that burned his palms in an instant. In the small gaps of the cage, the angel managed to force his arms out, reaching for the demon king as he wept.

 

Loey remained quiet, frozen in his spot, unable to look away from the trespasser of Hades—an angel, out of all creatures, trying to invade Hell when he had rightfully belonged in the sweetest place that God had created.

 

Forcing himself to snap out of it, Loey managed to get the words to crawl out of his mouth. “You’re a citizen of Eden 61,” he stated.

 

The crying angel looked like he was about to say something, but soon resorted to nodding his head frantically. His wings covered his body as a sense of protection, but the small cage gave him limited movements, burning the tips of the wings off as he flinched with pain.

 

“What is an angel from Eden doing here?” the demon king asked.

 

“He’s hurt,” Hyunjae said. Loey could almost feel the urgency in the way the boy kept patting his shoulder. “Help him!”

 

Loey had no choice but to deny the boy’s wish, for it didn’t matter if the angel seemed familiar—as the ruler of Hades 04, the safety of his realm was in his hands. He couldn’t risk it by granting a runaway angel’s pleas to step into Hades. “No. He needs to be sent back to Eden 61. Keeping him here might start an uproar in both realms.”

 

“But his wings…” the little boy mumbled, upset. “One of them is broken. Can’t we nurse him back to health, then take him back to Eden?”

 

The demon king saw the way the angel whimpered in pain, arching his back as his wings flailed beyond his control, jolting from the shock of hitting the lava-coated metal bars. Hyunjae grabbed the king’s face with small hands, almost squishing his cheeks together as his expression morphed into the most intimidating look that a 5-year-old could ever put on.

 

“Loey,” the boy started, firm, as if he would not take no for an answer. “Take him home with us.”

 

The demon king raised a brow at the tone of the child’s voice, noting to himself that he might have to reprimand the boy for the way he spoke once they returned home.

 

Home.

 

He glanced at the injured angel, sighing. The creature wasn’t supposed to be here. Who knows how the rulers of Eden would react if they ever realized that one of their angels went missing? Loey couldn’t afford to go against the archangel of Eden 61—couldn’t go through the risk of putting his realm in danger just because of a mishap with Eden’s lost angel entrapped in a cage made for a threat.

 

Loey turned back to the little boy who glared at him with fiery determination sparkling in his eyes, fresh new fangs peeking out of his red gums. The way Hyunjae’s silver-streaked hair spiked up to represent his bubbling anger almost made the demon king want to laugh. “You need to watch your sharp mouth,” Loey chided with a small smile. It faltered quickly, though, when he turned to the guards.

 

“Release him,” Loey demanded. “And bring him to Abyss.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

EARTH — KYUNGSOO

iv.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was something about Earth that left him feeling rather unsettled.

 

Perhaps it was the memories of the past that he had desperately wanted to forget, or if it was the gullibility of these humans roaming around in their world, unaware of the afterlife and how grueling life could get from then on. He watched as the grim reaper extracted the bittersweet memories out of the soulless body lying on the snowy ground. Crimson red icicles were now slowly forming across the street.

 

Nosy passers-by had been crowding the streets ever since the major crash took place, yet no one bothered to cry for help, and now the ambulance was about two and a quarter seconds too late. That was what Kyungsoo hated the most about humans—they’d only ever cared about themselves. Pretentious, each and every one of them.

 

“Ah, she’s lived a nice life, this one,” Sehun said once he was done observing the details of her memories projected before him. It oddly reminded the demon of a slideshow. “One more soul for Eden 61 to take under their care.”

 

“Good,” Kyungsoo replied, stoic. He glanced at the broken truck, crashed against a nearby pole, parts of it now scattered across the street. “I guess the drunk driver belongs to Hades 04, then.”

 

“Yep.” The grim reaper popped his lips like bubble gum, grinning widely. “He’s not dead yet, though. Has a chance of surviving, so I won’t be taking his soul today.”

 

“I see.”

 

“So, uh, I have a few hours to spare before I gotta go and deliver her soul to Eden.” Sehun whistled, scratching the back of his head, coy. “You wanna turn into human form and fool around at a bar or something, just for a while?”

 

“No,” the demon said simply, frowning. He despised his human form the most—only ever using it if it was necessary to a certain situation, and so far, such occasions had yet to happen. “Why would I do that?”

 

“Okay,” the grim reaper grumbled, muttering under his breath. “Didn’t have to be so mean about it.”

 

“I wasn’t being mean,” Kyungsoo denied, walking away from the crime scene. There was nothing to see now. “Hades has bars too. I don’t know why you would prefer spending your time here on earth just to fool around.”

 

“Why are you down here, then?” Sehun skipped cheerfully behind him, catching up with his pace as he dragged his scythe. Kyungsoo grimaced. He really needed to remind the reaper to thoroughly clean it sometime soon.

 

“Because I was bored,” he admitted. “Loey went to Tartarus City today. He brought the child along with him.”

 

Upon mentioning the demon king, Kyungsoo could see Sehun’s previously-cheery expression morphing into something along the lines of disinterest. The grim reaper acknowledged his reply with a simple hum, dark grim smile evident on his face.

 

“And I also wanted to see you,” the demon mumbled truthfully. With Eden 61 welcoming more souls into its realm, Kyungsoo barely saw the grim reaper anymore. He didn’t necessarily miss him—it was just that the demon felt less lonely when the reaper was around.

 

Sehun’s head snapped towards him with a crack so loud, the demon was almost concerned that there might have been a fracture. “Really?”

 

“Yes.” Kyungsoo nodded. “There isn’t much to do whenever I’m all alone in Hades. I don’t really talk to anyone besides Loey and well… you.”

 

The blinding smile stretched across the grim reaper’s face was beyond bright by now, pale cheeks tinted red. He radiated so much warmth that almost made Kyungsoo forget that it was winter.

 

“You can just call for me whenever you feel like spending time with me, you know?” Sehun gushed, not even bothering to conceal his excitement as he bounced on his feet. “Keep me company while I’m at work. We can even watch the human soul’s memories together. It’ll be like watching a movie.”

 

“Okay.” He sighed.

 

Dusk was almost approaching. Kyungsoo stared up at the darkened sky to pick at the frosted snowflakes falling against his cheek, cold against his skin. He needed to return to Hades 04 soon—knowing from that moment on, things would not be the same again.

 

Soon, the past would resurface, and he was not ready to see the man that he had been trying to protect would possibly get hurt once more. For centuries, he had tried his best, though he knew that the inevitable would happen soon.

 

After all, the punishment had been lifted.

 

“Maybe it’s time I let all of this go.”

 

Sehun’s gaze softened as he shaded the demon from the snowstorm. “The demon king will be okay,” the reaper assured knowingly. “He’s about to experience happiness for the second time. Don’t you think you deserve to be happy too, after all these centuries?”

 

“I suppose you’re right.” He nodded. “I think I’m a little too protective of a mere friend.”

 

“It’s admirable, honestly,” Sehun chuckled softly. He held onto the demon’s hand, pulling him into his arms as the whirlwind was created on his command, dispersing them back into their realm. “One of the reasons why I like you so much.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABYSS, HADES 04 — LOEY

v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You can put him over there.”

 

The demon king stifled a knowing smirk as he watched the way the guards stepped into Abyss’ personalized dungeon cautiously, well aware of the massive serpentine creature encaged behind the molten metal bars of the dungeon. The dragon’s eyes glinted with a note of familiarity as Loey approached it, reaching out to rub the surface of the creature’s nose as a distraction while the guards brought the encaged angel into the underground prison.

 

When the guards had left hurriedly, sparing no other glance towards the demon king and his dragons, Loey sauntered towards the smaller cage where the angel was forced to stay in. It seemed like the angel had long lost the last bits of energy he had, having thrashed about from within the cage ever since Loey had seen him in front of the gates of Tartarus.

 

He crouched down to scrutinize the angel’s state, watching as the angel’s lidded eyes blinked slowly, almost falling into a state of unconsciousness. The demon king reached over the molten bars to tap on the angel’s face, unfazed as the heat of the lava-coated metal touched his skin with a searing hiss.

 

“You,” he called out. “Who are you, and what do you want?”

 

The angel did nothing but let out a weak whimper, barely a sound as the demon king continuously tapped on the sunken cheek. Only then, Loey had truly noticed the wounds that scattered across the angel’s skin, along with a ring-shaped fresh bruise wrapped around the celestial being’s neck.

 

He frowned at the horrible sight—it had seemed like the angel had bad blood with a particular realm. It didn’t matter where. The demon king had to get rid of the angel as he could have the potential to lure danger into the land of Hades.

 

“Look, angel,” Loey said, grabbing onto the angel’s jaw harshly. “I’ll let you out if you tell me the truth. Why are you here?”

 

The angel had opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words were uttered as Loey felt the angel’s head drooping in his hold. The frail body slammed against the front of the cage once the angel had fully lost his consciousness, dazed eyes shut, and the demon king retracted his hand before he hurriedly unlocked the cage with panic as the scorching hiss of the angel’s skin burning on the metals had echoed across the dungeon.

 

“,” Loey muttered a curse under his breath, his hands fumbling with the lock. He knew that by trying to unlock the cage and risk the danger that could possibly await him once he had released the injured angel—but the demon king could not let the angel’s life end under his territory, either. If such events transpired, Loey would be burdened with an even heavier risk.

 

As the cage unlocked with a click, the demon king was knocked down by the impact of the angel’s weakened body that had fallen onto him with a thud. The angel in his arms had reeked of burned flesh, and it had made Loey grimace as his eyes trailed over the angel’s body, observing each and every blotch of reddened scars etched onto the ashen skin.

 

“Hey, angel,” the demon king spoke, his voice hitching with alarm as he lightly slapped the angel’s cheek. “Wake up.”

 

When the angel showed no signs of gaining consciousness, Loey grunted with frustration as he gripped onto the other’s shoulders, shaking him hastily. “You better not ing die here.” The demon king spat. “Be sure to head back to Eden 61 if you wanna do that.”

 

Contrary to the citizens of Hades 04’s popular belief, the demon king had never considered resorting to physical violence, especially if it wasn’t necessary—but as the seconds passed, Loey’s patience grew thinner. He kept trying to elicit any sort of response from the angel by tapping on the angel’s sunken cheek for almost the past half an hour. By the time he had reached the brink of his patience, the demon king watched as the angel finally stirred with a pained frown.

 

“Good, you’re finally awake.” Loey huffed, slightly relieved. “Do you know where you are right now, trespasser?”

 

The angel blinked slowly once he had awakened, whimpering in pain as he touched the fresh wound scored on his skin. When the angel turned to look at him, Loey watched as the angel’s sullen eyes widened in surprise, glistening with tears. “C-Chan—” the angel struggled to speak, rasping breathlessly before he wrapped his arms around the demon king’s neck. “C…Chanyeol…”

 

Loey felt the angel quiver as he cried against the demon king’s neck, frantically stammering incoherence. Due to his shock, the demon king shoved the weeping angel away before he staggered back with alarm. “Don’t touch me!” Loey shouted, shuddering when he felt the angel’s tears dampening his coat.

 

The angel began to cough from the harsh impact, clutching onto his bruised neck as blood dripped from his mouth, splattering all over the cold floor. Still, the angel had tried to reach out for the demon king, trembling with each sob. “C-Chanyeol…” the angel’s voice quivered as he cried out in pain.

 

The demon king could only watch the weeping angel as he kept crying out the same name over and over, until his mouth bled, until there was nothing but quiet gasps that crawled out of the angel’s throat.

 

Chanyeol.

 

The familiarity of the name had raised havoc in the demon king’s mind as he felt a shiver jolting down his spine. Loey looked away when he found the angel staring at him with reddened tearing eyes. It was the evident pain tinting the angel’s eyes that had the demon king completely turning away, stricken with guilt.

 

“I’m only going to ask you one last time,” the demon king finally spoke. “Who are you?”

 

He was unable to get an answer as he realized that the angel’s croaking voice had turned into absolute silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABYSS, HADES 04 — KYUNGSOO

vi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I ate human lung candies today!”

 

It hadn’t even been a minute since Kyungsoo had returned to Abyss, and the young demon was hopping by his legs already, tugging on the hem of his coat. Hyunjae’s fangs have grown now, his bright irises slowly turning vermillion. It would be a short matter of time before his powers start to manifest—he just hoped he would be able to train the boy how to control it in time.

 

“What a way to greet someone,” Kyungsoo remarked with sarcasm.

 

The boy simply grinned with no regrets. “We also caught an angel while we were in Tartar!”

 

“Tartarus,” Kyungsoo corrected. “And where would that angel be, now?”

 

“In the dungeon, with the dragons.” The young demon pouted, rubbing his hands together. “I wanted him to stay with me in my room…” He leaned in closely to whisper, glancing around as if he was about to spill a huge secret. “But Loey said that it was dangerous to talk to a stranger.”

 

“He was right, partially,” Kyungsoo replied through gritted teeth. “It isn’t safe to speak to strangers, but it’s also rude to keep an angel in a dungeon.”

 

Hyunjae’s eyes grew wide at the older demon’s retort, pointing towards him to prove his point. “That’s what I said!”

 

There was a harsh pull of his gut when he laid his eyes on the boy—despite the demonic features developing slowly on his face and body, he still had the bubbly grin that Kyungsoo had only seen on a few occasions in the past. “You’re extremely smart,” he noted. “I’ll be right back. Just stay here.”

 

“Are you going to check up on the angel?” Hyunjae asked. “Can I come with you?”

 

“Stay here, I said.”

 

“But—”

 

“You’ll see the angel soon,” he reassured the boy, hesitating for a moment before he resorted to patting the boy’s head for comfort. “I promise. I’ll come back and bring him along with me.”

 

“Okay,” Hyunjae finally relented, nodding with excitement. “Don’t take too long!”

 

 

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

 

The demon king was certainly insane, leaving an angel alone with man-eating dragons.Kyungsoo sighed deeply as he approached the angel cuffed to the chains in the corner of the dungeon, trembling even while he was unconscious. Bruises blossomed on the angel’s body, the skin of his ankle almost tearing from the weight of the metal chains. The demon kneeled on the floor right next to the angel, abrupt tears welling in his eyes.

 

It had been too long since he last wept. Come to think of it, the last time he had cried had been the day he held the angel in his arms, only to feel the angel slipping out of his hold in an instant.

 

“Baekhyun,” he murmured, voice cracking, bringing the angel into his arms as a sob threatened to break out of his chest, though he could not afford to be vulnerable now. This time, the angel needed him more than ever.

 

At the sound of Kyungsoo’s low voice and the touch of his warm hand against Baekhyun’s cheek, the angel jolted awake, alarmed, thrashing in Kyungsoo’s embrace.

 

“Shh, it’s okay, Baekhyun,” he hushed, rubbing the angel’s back to soothe him. “It’s just me. It’s Kyungsoo.”

 

Baekhyun halted almost instantly, pulling back to take a clearer look of the demon holding him in his arms. After centuries of not doing so, Kyungsoo gave him a small smile. It was the only way to greet an old friend.

 

The angel smiled back shakily. He seemed relieved.

 

“It’s been such a long time,” Kyungsoo said. The angel nodded with fervor, his wobbly smile never wavering despite the pain that Eden had most definitely put him through for centuries. Baekhyun grabbed Kyungsoo’s left hand to trace his finger on the demon’s palm.

 

‘Too long,’ he wrote.

 

The demon’s eyes shot up to look at the angel in shock once he realized that Baekhyun no longer had the strength to speak. Kyungsoo traced the tip of his fingers lightly on the dark bruises around the angel’s neck as he frowned with concern.

 

“Baekhyun…” the demon’s voice cracked with sorrow. “I’m so sorry.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HADES 04 — LOEY

vi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He shakes himself out of the stupor he was in and blinks as he registers his surroundings. It seems like he’s dreaming once again, definitely—Hades has never appeared so… calming before. This time, he's sitting on dampened grass, the tips of it tickling his bare feet, and there he is; that familiar angel sleeping next to him, head propped on his lap, facing the other way. He frowns. It doesn’t matter how many times he experiences the same dream, again and again, the sleeping angel has always appeared faceless.

 

Still, absentmindedly, he cards his fingers through the angel’s hair, chuckling gently when the latter sighs with comfort. “You’re going to fall asleep soon,” he says, yet his fingers never stop combing the strands of soft hair, falling into a rehearsed rhythm, as if it’s something he’s used to doing.

 

There’s a teasing tone in the angel’s voice as he replies, “You’re asleep too, no?”

 

He rolls his eyes at the playful retort as he lightly tugs onto the jet-black locks, earning a stifled shriek from the angel in his arms. “Hey,” the angel calls out for him, tapping his arm.

 

He’s unable to reply, though—struck with shock as the angel turns around in his hold, and he’s greeted with the sight of a joyful smile and rosy cheeks on a face that he has definitely seen before; tear-stricken eyes behind a metal cage, crying out as he pleaded to be free, arms stretched with all his might to reach out for him.

 

Though in his dreams, the angel looks far from sad. He leans closer to the demon, craving for his warmth, more, more, more as his hand reaches for him with little to no effort. The angel grazes the tip of his fingers across his face, and to his surprise, his body is moving on its own again—grasping on the angel’s silk robes, pressing their foreheads together as they fall into a fit of silent laughter.

 

A light kiss is pressed against his lips, and before the latter begins to pull away, he’s trailing after the angel to demand more, more, more. Never enough.

 

“Hey, Chanyeol,” the angel whispers against his mouth, and he’s holding him as if he would disappear anytime soon. “There’s no need for us to meet in our dreams now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Loey woke up that morning, he had almost expected to see the little demon standing by his bed. Hyunjae gave him a timid giggle when the demon king caught him trying to tickle the tip of his nose with a single feather. “A very good morning to you, my lord,” the boy sang-song playfully, waving the feather around in the air with swooshing sounds.

 

“Where did you get that, you brat?” Loey groaned. It was too early to be tolerating the child’s antics. And to think that Kyungsoo was the one who was supposedly in charge of taking care of the boy… The demon king’s head flopped back onto the silky pillow as he released an irritated grunt.

 

“Plucked it from that angel’s wings,” Hyunjae hummed, as if what he had done was nowhere near peculiar.

 

“You have to stop doing that,” the demon king chided, poking his finger on the boy’s forehead to push him away lightly. “And what did I tell you about approaching strangers? The angel might look harmless, but legend says that they eat little children, you know.”

 

The young demon dared to jut his tongue out teasingly, blowing raspberries towards him. “Angels are kind, Loey! They would never do that.”

 

Loey rolled his eyes, opting to ignore the boy’s snarky retort as he grabbed the feather out of the little demon’s grip. “How did you even pluck this? Did you sneak into the dungeon?”

 

Hyunjae shook his head, whining as he tried to retrieve the stolen feather. “Kyungsoo got him out last night. He’s having breakfast with the angel right now.”

 

With that, the demon king’s head had shot right back up from the comfort of his pillow, his eyes bulging with alarm. “He did what?”

 

The little demon nodded, seemingly oblivious of Loey’s growing anger. “The angel doesn’t eat human organs, so Kyungsoo gave him veggies to eat instead.”

 

The demon king no longer felt groggy as he bolted out of his chamber, holding onto the squealing child with one arm easily. Loey stomped towards the dark hallway leading towards the dining chamber, yelling out for his supposedly-loyal butler. “Kyungsoo!”

 

It had turned out that the little boy was right after all—Loey had barged into the dining chamber unannounced, startling the other butlers guarding the doorway as the demon king immediately headed towards the table. He saw the angel sitting next to Kyungsoo, the warm smile on the celestial being’s face contrasting greatly with the pained expression he wore when he was kept in Abyss’ dungeon.

 

“Good morning, my lord,” Kyungsoo greeted him—like he normally would. Only this time, the younger demon’s full attention was averted towards the runaway angel.

 

“I didn’t give you my permission to bring him up here.” The demon king scowled, evidently upset to find out that the younger demon did not even have the slightest courtesy to inform him that the restrained angel had been released from the cells of the dungeon.

 

From where he stood, Loey saw the way the angel stole a quick glance at him before cowering back, though the smile he wore was still present.

“He was starving, my lord,” Kyungsoo replied. “He could have died if he had stayed there any longer.”

 

“That doesn’t excuse the fact that you did this behind my back.” The demon king raised his voice as he retorted sharply. Loey didn’t miss the way the angel had flinched from the harsh tone of his reprimand as he pointed an accusing finger towards the latter. “This angel could bring great danger to Hades, Kyungsoo. I won’t bear the risk of putting my realm in danger just for the sake of an angel who ran away from Eden.”

 

“The angel is harmless,” Kyungsoo said. “And he’s not from Eden 61.”

 

The demon king glanced at the angel in surprise. “What?”

 

“He’s from Purgatory 11,” Kyungsoo answered almost immediately. “These bruises—they’re caused by the grim reapers of Purgatory. He’s badly injured, my lord. We can’t possibly send him back to Eden in this condition.”

 

“The angel’s wellbeing should be none of our concern,” Loey argued firmly, keeping his doubtful glare stagnant towards the angel. “We’re demons, Kyungsoo. An angel is the last immortal who’s allowed to be here.”

 

Hurt had flickered within the angel’s sullen eyes as he looked at the demon king. The sight of it had made Loey feel a twinge of discomfort in the pit of his guts—he hated it. Loey cleared his throat and turned away abruptly before he spoke once more. “I don’t care where he had come from—we’re sending him back to Eden 61 right away.”

 

Loey was slightly surprised when he noticed how exasperated Kyungsoo looked as he clenched his fists by his sides, facing the demon king with his head lowered. “He refuses to return to Eden 61, my lord.” The younger demon swallowed. “Please, at the very least, please let him stay here just until he is fully recovered. He could barely speak due to his injuries.”

 

The demon king heaved a conflicted sigh at the younger demon’s persistence. At first, it was the little kid—Hyunjae—whom Kyungsoo had pleaded to take care of, and now it was the runaway angel. For all the years that Loey had known him, Kyungsoo had never shown the slightest bit of interest in anyone—not even Sehun, and the unfortunate grim reaper had been chasing after the younger demon for as long as Loey could remember.

 

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Loey stated.

 

Before he could await the younger demon’s reply, Loey felt a gentle tug on his finger. He glanced downwards to raise his brow at the boy who stared up at him with a pout.

 

“What do you want, tiny?” the demon king asked in a grumble. “I’m in the middle of something.”

 

“Please let the angel stay,” Hyunjae beseeched with pleading eyes, swinging Loey’s finger that was wrapped in the little demon’s small fist. “I like him, Loey. He lets me play with his wings.”

 

“I’m not going to keep a stranger under my roof and risk everyone’s safety just because you want to have fun by pulling out the angel’s feathers,” Loey chided with a frown.

 

It turned out that scolding the little boy didn’t help at all—Hyunjae’s pout only grew even bigger as he went ahead and clung onto one of the demon king’s legs. “Please,” Hyunjae whined. “He’s an angel, so he must be kind!”

 

“The child has a point.” Kyungsoo pointed out of the blue.

 

“Be quiet,” Loey deadpanned, scowling towards his butler. “I’m still mad at you for disobeying me.”

 

“My apologies.”

 

With an irked roll of his eyes, Loey approached the startled angel, almost stumbling on his feet as the little boy clinging onto his leg had refused to let go. “You,” the demon king said as he leaned over the table. The way the angel’s black strands of hair fell against his forehead made the demon king’s fingers flinch with the urge to brush the locks away.

 

“His name is Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo provided.

 

“Right. You.” The demon king pointed his index finger towards the angel, almost poking the latter’s nose. “Baekhyun.”

 

The angel pointed to himself, hesitant. ‘Me?’he mouthed.

 

“You can stay,” Loey told him. He felt his breath rasping in his throat as he watched the angel smile again, rosy-tinted lips contrasting the paleness of his sickly face. “But just until you have fully recovered. Got it?”

 

The angel nodded with great enthusiasm, clasping both Loey’s hands in his as tears gathered in his eyes again.

 

“Don’t touch me,” the demon king huffed, yanking his hands away, to the angel’s evident disappointment. “And don’t get me wrong—you’re not some kind of charity case, alright? I just don’t want any blood in my hands. It’s best for you to return to Eden 61 without looking like you’re on the verge of dying. The archangels are going to think that I caused all of those injuries,” Loey said, clearing his throat. “The fact that I’m a demon would only make things worse.”

 

There was a strange stutter of the demon king’s heart as he watched the angel flashing him a grateful smile, giving him a bashful nod.

 

“Good.” Loey backed away with an aloof hum. “You better get well soon, then.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

 

Loey no longer dreamt.

 

He was consciously aware of this. There was no sight of little rabbits trailing after his steps, or a glass dome filled with peach roses anymore. It felt strange to be going to sleep, expecting to wake up to a life of brightness, basking in warm sunlight, to be living in a dream so vivid that the thought of gaining consciousness and being welcomed by the break of dawn in Hades 04 felt dreadful to him.

 

As midnight arrived, he decided not to sleep. He couldn’t. Sleeping, now, only felt like he’s falling into a deep pit of darkness, drowning in pitched black. Loey sighed as he turned in his bed, bringing his hands to his face. In the corner of his eyes, he managed to catch a glimpse of the runaway angel hovering in the night sky, wide wings flapping quietly as he stared at the fabricated moon of Hades 04.

 

A frown formed on his face as he watched the angel quietly. It had been almost a week since they had brought the angel into Abyss, and since then, he had done nothing suspicious, but Loey felt like he needed to be on his guard, nonetheless. As the ruler of Hades, the demon king could not afford to let his defenses down despite the fact that Kyungsoo himself had assured him that the runaway angel—Baekhyun—meant no harm.

 

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Loey felt the need to strengthen his defenses even more.

 

And Kyungsoo… He’d known the younger demon for as long as he could remember, though with the presence of the angel, Loey could see how different Kyungsoo became. He had seen the way Kyungsoo had looked at the angel, how defensive he had gotten when the demon king demanded the angel to be thrown back to Eden, or wherever he had come from. He refused to brood about the fact that Kyungsoo was evidently willing to go against him if only to protect the angel.

 

When Baekhyun came along, he had brought his secrets along with him. Loey had seen it from the beginning; the tears that shone in the angel’s eyes as he flailed in the cage when their gazes met, dripping down his sunken cheeks, tracing the long bruise that circled around his neck when he frantically tried to reach out for the demon king—as if Loey had meant something to him despite that very moment being the first time he’d ever seen him.

 

As if the angel had sensed the surge of familiarity that arose within the walls of their minds the moment their eyes locked, too.

 

Even now, as he stared at the angel, Loey could feel the gravitational pull between them, settling heavily in his guts, though it provided him with odd comfort. He briefly wondered if Baekhyun was feeling it, too. The lone angel was still floating about, staring at the moon. As he padded towards the balcony of his chamber, Loey watched the angel’s shoulders heaving gently while he stared at the moon, head tilted west.

 

There was a sullen falter of Baekhyun’s lively wings when a fog of dusk made its way towards the moon, hindering the angel’s view. With his hands, the angel tried to brush the heavy fogs away, stomping his feet in the air when the concocted sky remained the same.

 

The demon king could not help releasing an amused snort as he observed him, leaning against the marbled railing of the balcony. “Judging by the way you’re staring at it so intensely, I’m beginning to think the moon doesn’t actually exist in Eden 61.”

 

The angel visibly flinched, spinning around too quickly that his wings caused a gust of wind to brush past the nearby willow trees. Loey raised a brow as Baekhyun spluttered silently, red rushing up to his previously ashen cheeks. He left his mouth hanging as if to speak, though no words could be formed, struggling to make its way out of the angel’s bruised throat. When his efforts to form a verbal sentence had failed, Baekhyun looked away, clutching onto his neck as he swallowed uncomfortably.

 

The demon king beckoned him closer with a flicker of a finger. “You really can’t speak, huh?”

 

Baekhyun shook his head, then paused. He hovered on the other side of the balcony, getting closer just as he was told. The angel seemed so fearless that it had made Loey take a step back unconsciously. With no trace of reluctance in his glistening eyes, he stretched his hand out.

 

“What—hey!” Loey exclaimed as the angel clasped onto his arm, trailing his slender fingers on the surface of the demon king’s palm as words started to form on his skin.

 

‘I can talk. Like this.’

 

The demon grimaced. “That’s going to be a hassle.”

 

‘It is just temporary.’

 

Loey glanced up for a split second, only to see the angel staring at him with a small smile. Baekhyun took the demon’s other hand, presenting it in front of his face.

 

‘Just until I am fully recovered.’

 

Loey observed the words as they disappeared with a final sparkle. “Recovered from what?”

 

The angel released his hold on Loey’s hand, taking his sunshine warmth along with him as he pointed to the ring of bruise surrounding his neck. Loey could not help but frown at the sight of it; as a demon, an evidence of depicted violence was not such a rare sight to see, although he had to admit that it was a bit strange for an angel, out of all creatures, to have bruises and scars scattered across his wan skin.

 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that,” Loey mumbled truthfully. “But only because Kyungsoo was fretting over it. He never frets over anything.”

 

‘Perhaps he was just being protective,’Baekhyun stated. ‘He’s very protective of you as well, no?’

 

The demon king shrugged. He never considered Kyungsoo as someone who was protective of him—though the younger demon did know better, always making all of the demon king’s decisions for him whenever there came a conflict.

 

“Whatever,” he said. “So, what’s up with your neck, then? Did one of the demon guards do that to you back in Tartarus City?”

 

The runaway angel shook his head, flashing the demon a small smile as he traced a single word on the demon king’s palm simply.

 

‘No.’

 

Loey, despite feeling rather bored of the one-sided verbal conversation with the angel, waited patiently for the latter to continue. Yet all Baekhyun did was look away, holding onto his hand, still.

 

“Ah,” the demon huffed. “I get it. You don’t want to tell me about it.” He pulled his hand away from the angel’s hold, clearing his throat. “You’re living under my roof, you know. The least you could do is to tell me your true intentions of coming down here.”

 

There was something about the way Baekhyun looked at him then, staring at their parted hands with dejection before he tried to reach out for the demon again. For a moment, the demon felt like he was back in those usual dreams he had been having—basking in the angel of his dream’s warmth, their hands clasped together as they lay side by side on dampened grass after a heavy rain.

 

Ever since they had first met all those days ago, in the back of his mind, Loey knew that he felt the gravitational pull between them for a reason; Baekhyun held too many similarities with the angel that kept on haunting him in his dreams, appearing in his head as soon as he went to sleep, welcoming him into a world of strange familiarity.

 

He memorized every detail vividly, from the angel’s jet-black hair brushed away by the soft whisper of the wind, to his white wings, to his slender fingers pressing gently against the keys of heaven’s piano—the exact same fingers grasping his hands firmly in the present.

 

This time, the angel of his dreams was no longer faceless.

 

This time, in the present, the angel was here, with clouded eyes and trembling lips, hovering in the sky before him, tracing words onto his palms due to his inability to speak. Yet Loey clearly remembered his voice, every track of his soft laughter, all those times the demon had heard the angel whisper in his ears while he was asleep, and how it never stopped echoing in his mind even when he had awoken.

 

Loey swallowed roughly. “Do angels happen to dream a lot?”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened as he looked at him, as if he would have never expected such questions from the demon king. His mouth curved into a small smile when he gave the demon a quick nod, a spark of excitement glinting in those hazel eyes. As he took Loey’s hand in his, he carefully traced the tip of his finger on the demon’s palm, tongue peeking out of his mouth in concentration.

 

‘Though we never sleep, angels dream all the time.’

 

Loey raised his brow as he scoffed, “How is that possible? And why don’t angels sleep?” The demon frowned. “Sleep is important. No wonder you looked so exhausted when I first saw you.”

 

There was the slightest squeak of laughter that managed to escape from the angel’s mouth, and Loey had lifted his gaze just in time to catch a glimpse of Baekhyun’s bright grin.

 

His heart began to thump steadily in his chest as he stared at the angel who seemed more fascinated with his palm rather than his own face, beyond focused on writing his reply, erasing a spelling mistake with an embarrassed shake of his head. When the angel was finally done, he lifted the demon’s hand before him, pointing towards the sentence he had written.

 

‘We tend to daydream,’he stated. ‘When angels daydream, it represents a depiction of their respective past.’

 

“The past, huh?” Loey hummed. “So what do you usually dream of?”

 

For the slightest second, Baekhyun seemed like he was hesitating. He ran his hand through his dark locks as he bit his lower lip, the sight of it stealing the demon’s attention from his hands temporarily. Though when Loey’s gaze finally returned to his own palm, he saw the word engraved on the skin of his palm.

 

‘You.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HADES 04 — HYUNJAE

viii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He briefly wondered how long he had been there, standing in front of the huge mirror propped on the wall, next to eerie portraits of creatures that he had never seen before. But it wasn’t those creatures that Hyunjae was fascinated with. He could still hear Kyungsoo calling out for him, his deep voice reverberating across the dark path from his little chamber to the dining chamber nearby.

 

Hyunjae’s stomach growled with hunger, though his feet wouldn’t let him move, stuck to the marbled floors as he stared at his own reflection, lifting his hand towards his face. Had his eyes always been red? He blinked quickly, marvelling at the sight of his crimson irises glinting under the hallway lights. Hyunjae’s lips broadened into a grin at the new revelation of his facial features, only to stagger back when he noticed the two fangs protruding out of his mouth.

 

“I’m a vampire!” the boy exclaimed, feeling somewhere in between fear and excitement. Kyungsoo had told him something about the recruits of Hades 04 eventually manifesting into a demon, but truthfully, he didn’t expect it would happen so quickly.

 

He could no longer remember how long it had been since the grouchy grim reaper brought him to the netherworld and introduced him to the demon king. He was almost convinced that the concept of time had disappeared the moment he had left Earth.

 

Out of plain curiosity, Hyunjae brought his thumb to touch one of his fangs, jolting with a loud cry when the sharp tip pricked his skin. Blood formed into a small red orb on the surface of his thumb, making him whimper at the sight of it. This was certainly something he had to get used to, for fear that his recently developed fangs might pierce into his mouth if he was not careful enough.

 

The small injury caused by the consequences of his own mishap was more than enough for him to snap out of his stupor of bewilderment towards his demonic manifestation. He ran off towards the dining chamber, yelling out for Kyungsoo to complain about his fresh scar and if he had the time, he’d most probably brag about his new set of fangs, too.

 

“Kyungsoo! Look, I have red eyes!” Hyunjae shouted with all of his small might, the intensity of his voice booming across the entire dining chamber. It was humorous how someone small like him could startle the two demon butlers standing guard by the entrance of the enormous room. “And sharp teeth too! I’m a vampire!”

 

He stood in front of the dining table with his hands gripping onto his sides, head held high as he wore a boastful grin. Only then, he had realized that the pretty angel was there with them too, looking at him as the angel chewed on a small piece of carrot. A choked noise left Hyunjae’s mouth before he could restrain himself as his ears grew hot with embarrassment once he saw the way the angel laughed at him silently.

 

“Those are called fangs,” Kyungsoo deadpanned. “And you’re not a vampire. You’re a demon.”

 

At the older demon’s unamused tone, Hyunjae grumbled under his breath. “I know that, but vampires just sound cooler…”

 

“No, they don’t.”

 

The boy felt a sudden urge to roll his eyes to display the prickle of annoyance developing in his mind. Kyungsoo was never excited for anything—his expression was constantly glum and blank, though Hyunjae did seean unusual smile etched on the older demon’s face when he was talking to the pretty angel.

 

Even now, as Kyungsoo’s attention returned to the angel, Hyunjae could almost sense how there was absolutely no trace of irritation hanging from the demon’s signature stiffened shoulders.

 

Hyunjae observed the pair of transcendent beings quietly, watching as the older demon scooped out a greenish substance from the small container that he was holding carefully in his hand, rubbing the balm-like liquid on the angel’s neck, pressing onto the bruises gently.

 

The angel looked up from where he was sitting, smiling up to Kyungsoo with a soft hum as he tried to offer the half-bitten piece of carrot towards the demon who chuckled in return.

 

The younger demon blinked. There was only one explanation as to why Kyungsoo behaved differently when he was in the presence of the pretty angel. Hyunjae was sure of it.

 

“Are you and Baekhyun in love?”

 

Frankly, in his honest opinion, it was a reasonable question. Though the two adults would definitely beg to differ, judging by the way the angel began to choke on his half-eaten carrot, thumping onto his chest with a curled fist as he coughed out of shock. Kyungsoo frowned in concern, only for half a second before he handed a glass of water towards the angel, glaring at the younger demon as he did so.

 

“No,” he answered indifferently. “What made you think of such thoughts?”

 

Hyunjae felt a pang of guilt jabbing his gut when Baekhyun’s coughs failed to dissipate. The angel seemed as if he was pained albeit the sweet smile he wore, touching his bruised throat to massage it gently. The little demon approached Baekhyun slowly, standing on the tip of his toes as he tried his best to reach the angel’s hand resting on the dining table. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to—”

 

Baekhyun shook his head as his shoulders trembled, almost confusing Hyunjae beyond belief when the angel started laughing instead. He leaned in to poke the swell of Hyunjae’s plump cheek before he used his finger to write mid-air, ending his sentence with a theatrical exclamation point and a massive smile.

 

‘It’s okay!’

 

“The injury on Baekhyun’s neck is still in the midst of recovering,” Kyungsoo interjected as he placed his hand on the angel’s shoulder to pull him back to the demon’s side. “Be careful when you’re talking to him, Hyunjae. Don’t joke around like that.”

 

Hyunjae huffed, preparing a cheeky retort towards the older demon before he stopped himself and resorted to pouting with exaggeration, instead. “Well, I said I was sorry… I didn’t do it on purpose!”

 

There came a grunt of irritation along with loud thuds of synchronized footsteps closing the distance between the hallway and the dining chamber before Hyunjae spotted the demon king treading in. “Why are you making the brat whine, first thing in the morning?”

 

“I didn’t whine!” Hyunjae groused, craning his neck up to point an accusing finger towards the tallest demon in the room.

 

“I didn’t whine,” Loey imitated teasingly, poking his tongue out as he snatched a small plum from the basket placed on the table. He took a large bite of the fruit with a crunch before squishing the bitten part onto Hyunjae’s cheek, its red juices trailing down to his shirt, earning a startled yell from the boy.

 

“Stop that!” Hyunjae truly whined this time, trying to slap the demon king’s prying hands away. “What kind of demon bullies a little kid!”

 

“You’re not a little kid,” the demon king argued as he stuck the plum into one of Hyunjae’s fangs, chuckling as he watched the fruit clinging onto the sharp tooth. “Look how strong your fangs are. That’s a demon’s strength right there.”

 

At that point, Hyunjae was completely certain that if Loey kept on ridiculing him, he would have truly smacked the sarcastic demon’s head. It didn’t matter how tall the king was. Hyunjae would have found a way to do it. Perhaps, he could have climbed onto one of the dining table’s chairs to reach the top of the demon’s head.

 

Before he could take one step closer towards a nearby chair, Hyunjae spun around once he heard a gentle rumble of the angel’s laughter resonating in the entire room, surprising all four of them at once. There was no other way to describe the sound of it; Baekhyun’s laughter was ethereal. Albeit soft, close to being silent, Hyunjae had heard it—how soothing it was.

 

He gasped once his state of awe had passed, red plum dropping out of his mouth. “You laughed! Out loud, this time!”

 

“Glad to know your voice is slowly returning,” Loey said, clearing his throat as he looked away. “Won’t have to communicate with you by reading your handwriting on my hand like some kind of essay anymore.”

 

Hyunjae watched as Baekhyun nodded with a smile, his gaze never leaving the demon king’s direction.

 

“You two talked?” Kyungsoo asked, his head snapping towards the demon king. He sounded like he was slightly surprised before he regained his collected demeanor. “Starting to get along, I see.”

 

Loey shrugged. “Not really. I’m still keeping my eyes on him.”

 

Kyungsoo began to scowl. “He’s—”

 

“Harmless, I know,” the demon king said, leaning over to pinch the younger demon’s nose, who stepped back with a low grunt. “I think it’s cute how protective you are of him,” he chuckled. “Although I don’t really understand it.”

 

Hyunjae was rather puzzled as he kept his eyes on the angel, who fell silent as he continued staring at the two demon’s close interaction. Baekhyun’s lingering gaze finally faltered when Loey stepped closer towards the other demon, ruffling his pushed-back locks with a teasing grin.

 

“What’s this?” Loey asked as he yanked the small container out of Kyungsoo’s hand, inspecting the olive-green substance with furrowed brows.

 

“Eden 61’s herbal salve,” the other demon replied. “It’s for Baekhyun’s injuries. Since angels could only heal properly with medication made by archangels, I told Sehun to get some if he had the chance.”

 

The demon king whistled as he glanced at the flustered angel who flashed him a hesitant simper. “You’re really going all-out with this save-the-unknown-angel operation, huh?”

 

“He needs to heal,” Kyungsoo deadpanned blankly.

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Loey waved the other demon off plainly before he tossed the container on the startled angel’s lap, the corner of his lips curling into a playful smirk. “Get well soon, trespasser,” he said. “So that we can send you back to Purgatory 11 even quicker.”

 

The angel’s signature smile fell with visible disappointment as his shoulders sank, lowering his head to direct his gaze elsewhere. Just as Hyunjae was about to yell at Loey for causing the loss of Baekhyun’s smile, the demon king spoke once more.

 

“That was a joke. I’m joking.” The demon king snorted. “Don’t you people joke around back in Eden?”

 

Baekhyun shook his head stiffly, but his smile had returned. He seemed relieved.

 

“Must’ve been a boring life.” Loey yawned before Hyunjae watched him walk away. “I’m heading to Tartarus City. Get four guards to accompany me, Kyungsoo.”

 

“Very well, my lord.”

 

At the mention of Tartarus City, Hyunjae began to think of the sweet delicacy that he had gobbled up while he was exploring the city with the demon king. The mere thought of the human lung candies slathered with raspberry glaze was enough for him to intrude on the adults’ conversation, jumping on his feet with excitement as his mouth watered with greed.

 

“Can I come?” he asked with a pout. “I want to eat those candies again. And I haven’t even had breakfast yet!”

 

“Fine,” Loey groaned, throwing his head back. “Go and get ready. I’ll leave if you take any longer than five minutes.”

 

“Take Baekhyun with you,” Kyungsoo added.

 

The demon king frowned. “What?”

 

“He has been cooped up here for a week now. It’ll be good for him to walk around the city for a change,” the demon king’s butler said. “You can even brag about Hades 04 looking better than Eden 61 despite it being a literal Hell.”

 

“Yeah, yeah!” Hyunjae piped up with a grin as he pulled onto the angel’s hand. “Come with us, Baekhyun! It’ll be fun, I promise!”

 

Baekhyun glanced between Hyunjae and the demon king, contemplating with confliction written all over his features. He scratched the back of his head as he stood timidly, directing his coy gaze to the floor as both the angel and the youngest demon waited for Loey’s decision.

 

With a firm hum, the demon king nodded without turning to face them. “Five minutes,” he repeated. “You can walk by yourself if you’re any later than that. You too, angel.”

 

 

 

 

 

TARTARUS CITY, HADES 04 — LOEY

ix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the back of his hand, the demon king stifled his amused snicker as he watched the tiny demon waddling in front of him. Hyunjae was occasionally stumbling on sidewalk stones as he stared up at one of the demon king’s guards who was escorting them, and despite the constant tugging of his pant leg, the guard remained impassive, patiently answering the kid’s questions every time they came across Hades’ immortals that seemed foreign to him.

 

But the celestial being trailing behind him was far from feeling captivated at the sight of the citizens of Hades 04, sauntering with his head hanging low as his majestic wings drooped from his back. Loey had noticed a few peculiar stares directed towards them as they walked, half of which was most probably just because it’s him they were marveling at, albeit there were still sharp glares lingering on his back as the demon king passed by.

 

He knew it would not take more than a second for the Tartarean beings to recognize the angelic immortal walking closely behind him, white flowy robes and broad wings standing out from the masses of scarlet. Loey sighed as the angel’s evident discomfort became even more unbearable as the minutes went by.

 

Baekhyun stumbled forward with a yelp when the demon king held onto his wrist, pulling him closer to his side. He glanced at the flustered angel, feigning irritation.

 

“Walk beside me if you don’t want to get kidnapped by some random goblin,” he said calmly. “Kyungsoo would get mad if you’re injured again. I don’t want to take the blame if you disappear.”

 

Baekhyun visibly gulped, nodding with newfound panic. Loey noticed how the angel’s mouth hung open as if to speak, though he kept hesitating. The demon slowed his pace down and splayed his palm out, waiting patiently as the angel scribbled on his hand in a rush.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

The two words evanesced in the air once Loey turned to look at the angel standing beside him, catching the warm smile he had flashed as he bore a set of dimples on each cheek, the skin of his hazel eyes crinkling with each stretch of his mouth that Loey somehow couldn’t stop himself from staring at. The demon king looked away quickly, gruntin