Two beings stood in front of a massive golden door, one of them looking composed and relaxed while the other one looked at it with uncertainty.

“Well, this is it,” the smaller of the two said to the other. His black hair stood out against the whole white outfit he’s clad in, his face showing composure but his eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Um… you sure about this? I mean, I’m a new guy. You guys are putting your trust in me, the new recruit – not to mention having zero experience – to do this really really really important task?” The taller one dressed in white as well looked down at his companion with complete worry etched on his face.

“I wouldn’t bring you here if I wasn’t sure about it you know. Besides, the big boss was the one that chose you, not just me.”

“But still! What if I screwed up?”

“Hey, aren’t you the kid packed with positivity? Relax, you just have to find him, that’s all.”

The taller one stopped fidgeting but he still couldn't help but worry. “Okay, so all I have to do is find this person who may possibly bring chaos to everything.” He nodded repeatedly. “Then what?”

The smaller one looked up at him, blinking blankly, and then shrugged. “Up to you.”

“What do you mean it’s up to me?!” He groaned out loud. “Don’t you have anything in that letter sent to you about what I should do?”

“Nope.  Just said you need to find him.”

“That’s not very helpful, hyung.”

“But that’s all you were asked to do. The rest is up to you.” He smiled up at the new addition to their team. “Besides, you’re special. You think differently from most of us that’s why I think you got chosen apart from being the new kid.”

“What do you mean apart from being the new kid?”

“Your target was one of the best ones we have. He’s been one of the oldest ones here so he knows mostly everyone. One of the reasons why we have to send out a new guy is so that you won’t be recognized. And none of your abilities are showing yet so you won’t be traced. As I said, I completely trust you.” He smiled at him again.

The taller one looked down at his superior and couldn't help but feel at ease. It must be the reason why Minseok was tasked with helping the new recruits discover their powers. “Okay.” As soon as he spoke those words, the golden door opened and bright light flooded the room. He had to cover his eyes and squint just to see.

With one final sigh, he squared his shoulders and moved forward. As he was about to step inside the door he looked back and asked one final question. “Hyung, if something bad happens, will –”

“Help will always be there for you.” Minseok said. “Good luck Chanyeol!” He beamed and before the latter could reply, he was engulfed in the bright blinding light.

After a moment of feeling suspended on air, sounds of horns blaring and countless footsteps permeated his hearing. He opened his eyes and found himself in alleyway leading to the main streets. It’s been awhile since he’d been here, he didn't really remember what it’s like to be his old self from the past, but he can still feel nostalgic about walking down the streets as he went to school.

Chanyeol sighed deeply. “How to start searching for a person you don’t have a clue about except their name?” he asked aloud as he scanned the area.

The street was busy with people going to and fro, cars moving quickly and shops bustling with customers. It seemed normal, but how he missed seeing this. As he took it all in, closing his eyes and breathing all the scents from this world, he couldn’t help but say a small prayer to bless the people working hard at their jobs and bid them to be safe. Even before he became who he was now, he’s always been very caring to others, wishing them a good day.

He slowly opened his eyes and froze as a musky sweet scent filled his senses. He turned about and bumped into someone hard. He couldn’t help but bow and apologize.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t look at where I was going.”

A deep silky voice replied with, “It’s alright. Are you okay?”

Chanyeol looked up with warning bells ringing in his head that made him completely dizzy. A tall man, albeit taller than him by a few inches, with a chiseled face sculpted and blessed by God, looked at him with concern. His scent was completely overpowering and assaulting Chanyeol, making his mind numb. He stared at the other person dumbly opening and closing his mouth, unable to form any words or make a sound come out.

The stranger’s concern increased, if his face scrounging up was any indication. “Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Alas, Chanyeol found his voice after the man tried to grab hold of him. He stepped back holding his hands up. “I’m fine!!! Really! I am! Just thinking about something!” He was almost screaming each word out. Ugh.

“You sure?” The man adjusted the strap on his shoulder, and that’s when Chanyeol realized he was holding a camera. A photographer?

“Yes yes yes!” He nodded dumbly. “I just, um, ahh,” he looked around and noticed the shop beside him and pointed frantically. “This! I meant! This store! I’m going inside! Yep, that’s what I’m doing!” He nodded repeatedly while trying to punch his brain for sounding like a retard.

The stranger looked at him blankly and shrugged. “Okay.” He then walked away giving Chanyeol the chance to get inside the shop, breathing in a huge sigh of relief.

The stranger, though, stopped a few paces away and looked back at the shop where the frazzled boy went in and smirked. “Cute.” He opened his camera and scrolled at the pictures he took and stopped at the one shot that made him smile.

The shot was of the peculiar boy looking quite ethereal as he closed his eyes, his hands clasped in a form of prayer. The light cascading beautifully was highlighting his curly honey blonde hair like a halo. “A very cute angel.”

A melody of chimes resonated through the shop as Chanyeol entered. He realized he stepped foot into a cozy café with only a few customers inside. He dazedly walked up to the cashier, having no idea what he was doing.

The man behind the counter was smiling at him politely. "What can I get you sir?"

There was something about the guy that made Chanyeol feel like he could trust the other man and so he honestly spoke out, "I don't know. To be honest, I think I need help."

The employee nodded with understanding in his eyes and pointed at the door at the far end of the café with a 'Staff Only' sign. "You can go there, there's a staircase going up to a living room. You can wait there while I inform my boss."

What?  He stared dumbly at the door where the employee disappeared into, probably fetching his boss.

He had no idea what to do and contemplated bolting out through the door when he noticed a single white feather encased inside a bottle placed on top of one of the cabinets. Something about it made him feel like he was safe, like he was home. And so, with that he found himself going up the staircase that lead to a simple white door. With a deep breath, he pushed it open and stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the horrible drawing on the wall. It looked like some kind of children's drawing of some sort of deformed animal. He then noticed the smell of the room, just like downstairs – it smelled cozy and warm but there was some sort of nostalgic feel to it, like the scent reminded him of something he couldn't put his finger on. He scanned the pristine white room and came to understand that the owner had really really awful taste in designs. At least, that's what he thought every time he saw a huge painting of a guinea pig placed above a yellow armoire with a bottle of gummy worms and a vase of aloe vera and red carnations squished together on top. He didn't want to talk about the pink hippo wind chime on the window with its white tutu fluttering in the wind, no thank you.

The door creaked open, which made Chanyeol anxious. He turned around slowly and was met face-to-face with a man who looked like an angel from the heavens. Actually, this guy could be the perfect description of every human's idea of an angel. He stared at the dazzling honey brown eyes filled with curiosity and mirth. He couldn’t help but fidget under the other man’s stare despite him being way taller than the other one was.

"Hello, you seem to be lost. I'm Luhan, the owner of Haven."

"Haven?" Chanyeol asked, puzzled.

"Ahhh, it's the name of the café downstairs. Please have a seat... um?"

"Chanyeol. My name. It's Chanyeol." He nodded dumbly. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

They both sat down opposite of each other and while Chanyeol looked like an awkward giant squished in a floral pink and blue armchair, Luhan was sitting comfortably in the large black leather recliner. The more he looked at the latter, Chanyeol couldn't shake off the feeling of having this weird connection with him. He was absolutely sure they had never met but it felt like they had. One thing was for sure: Luhan seemed to be no ordinary human. "So what can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for someone," he said honestly. Before he could continue the door opened again and another man stepped in, patches of flour on his face and on his apron which he took off as he took a seat besides Luhan on another ridiculous piece of furniture in the room, the horrifyingly purple loveseat with rubber ducks on it.

"Ah, this is Yixing, our head cook. I asked him to come up as he might be helpful. Xing, this is Chanyeol and he seems to be looking for someone."

The newcomer smiled revealing a cute dimple on his cheek. "A pleasure to meet you Chanyeol. So this person you're looking for, is it important to find him?"

"Yes." He sighed. "But I don't know where to start."

"Why do you need to find him in the first place?" The café owner asked.

Chanyeol paused and tried not to elaborate too much. How could he explain that he's trying to find someone who may possibly hold the key to the destruction of the world without sounding an idiot? "Um, well. Uh... I work for this place." He paused, trying to put words together. "And this guy, he used to be a great senior employee but he left suddenly without telling anyone where he is. The problem is that he knows a lot of things about the company and before he left he found something really important that could possibly ruin everything our company has built. We had information that he might join... uh, the rival company," he nodded repeatedly, "yep that's it and I need to find him before he does that."

"Oh. That is a bit bad. I'd probably do the same if someone stole my peanut butter cookie dough green tea cookies," Yixing said with a deep frown.

"Well, what does this guy look like? Do you have any pictures of him?"

"Uh, unfortunately, I have no idea what he looks like. They sent me as the new guy so he won't recognize that I'm from the company."

"Wow. Your company must trust you a lot, sending in a newbie. In fact, you don't seem to have used your powers yet." Yixing said, making Chanyeol's eyes bug out.

"POWERS?!" He abruptly stood up, waving his hands around and laughed nervously. "Haha! What powers? Me? No no no. I don't have powers." Who are these people?!</i>

The two looked at him blankly and then burst out laughing. It was the chef that calmed down first and explained to the flustered man, "You. Don't deny it. You're totally the same as Luhan!" He pointed to the café owner who was wiping his tears away.

"Same like Luhan?"

"Yep."

"You mean? Luhan is…?" Now that he thought about it, Luhan did fit the job perfectly. He already looked it so he could very well be a—

"A guardian." The said man stated.

A what? His confusion must've been showing on his face as the chef explained. "A guardian. You have the same vibe. Only you seem totally out of it. Like you know you have powers but you don't know how to use them. And gosh, I kinda get why it's important for you to find that person if he really is a powerful one. It would be troublesome if he's a seal breaker."

"Wait! Hold up! What?!" Who are these guys?! "First off, how'd you know I'm a guardian? And what is a guardian exactly?" he said, finally taking a seat before his feet buckled from the information about to come.

"A guardian is someone that protects the human world from demons. We are people who are born with special powers. The main job of a guardian is to seal off any portals that demons pass through to get to the human world. We can't eliminate demons but we can stop them from coming through to our world. Some powerful guardians can banish them back to hell or seal them off. This city holds three portals of which I guard. I maintain the seals every now and then, strengthening them," Luhan says proudly. "And to answer how we know you're a guardian too: it's kinda hard to explain, but Yixing is an oracle, and if he thinks you are one, then you definitely are a guardian."

"Yep! But I and I only do a little reading of what a person is and you, dear one, are no doubt a guardian... Though I feel like you're not just a guardian." Yixing frowns. "Maybe it's the very reason why your company sent you. You have this weird aura, same as Luhan, only that the more I look at you the more I feel like you're glowing."

"Oh. Um, I don't really know about my powers and all because I'm still trying to discover them," the taller one said.

"Ahhh! I think I can help you with that. I have a guardian spell book that could help you. You can start practicing and be prepared when something happens." Luhan stood up and went to the other room.

The moment he left Yixing's eyes glazed over and then he started whispering something.

"Yixing?" The chef stopped and looked at him with his pupils dilated.

"The one you seek is on the path full of darkness. He walks with chains binding his wings and soul bound to that of evil."

"Yixing? Are you making a prophecy or something?" Chanyeol asked worriedly.

"Fear not the entity you seek, darkness surrounds him yet light will illuminate his works."

"Yep. You are making one aren’t you?”

“In his hands, rest the fate of the world. Make haste and secure him.”

“Okay. Is he gonna destroy the world?"

"If he fails in his quest he will be lost in depths of the underworld.”

“Okay. Now I’m confused. Do I have to help him succeed?”

“You must not fail."

“Ugh. As if I didn’t know that bit.”

“Your meeting is fated.”

"How do I find him?"

"Darkness will find you."

"Darkness... Is that him? Man why are you so vague?" He looked at Yixing, who was pretty much in a trance and frowned, displeased with the vague information.

"Your destinies are intertwined. Your meeting has already begun."

"What? What do you mean?" Before Yixing could answer, the said man suddenly closed his eyes and then opened them back up, looking at Chanyeol dazedly.

".........." The chef looked at him blankly and all he could do was look back at the guy awkwardly.

“Hello. Welcome back?”

“.........”

“Uh Yixing?”

“.........”

“You okay?”

“.......... I feel. I feel lightheaded.” The oracle said and smiled like a person who got stoned. “Like man, whoa. Seriously whoa.”

“.....Should I call Luhan?”

“Nah. I’m good.” He smiled at Chanyeol, looking quite drunk or whatever it is he was.

“You sure.”

“Unicorns.” Yixing was now smiling goofily.

“.......Uh?”

“Preeetttty.” He was now smiling from ear to ear.

“....I’m scared.” The taller of the two said while he scooted back on his seat.

“Goodnight Guardian Angel,” the chef said, and without any warning, slumped back in his seat and started snoring, pretty much knocked out like a hibernating bear.

Chanyeol stared widely at the oracle, trying to process what the hell happened when Luhan re-entered the room. “Sorry it took so long! I haven’t used this book since-” He immediately froze upon seeing his friend passed out and his guest looking like he had just witnessed a murder of a Rilakkuma doll. “Uh… What happened?”

“I think he made a prophecy. Or a warning. Or whatever it is an oracle does,” Chanyeol said with his eyes almost bulging out of his head.

“Was it good?” the guardian asked.

“I don’t know. It’s pretty vague.”

“Yep. Sometimes really heavy weight stuff he spouts is so draining it knocks him out... After he gets high on his trance.” The café owner grimaced. “What did he say?”

“Uh. Darkness. Destruction. World. Destiny. Underworld. Fated Meeting." He paused and looked up at Luhan looking so out of place and huge in that pink and blue armchair. "Along those lines."

“Oh how cheery.” Luhan blinked. “No worries, you’ll be fine… I think.”

“Uhh… Thanks.” He stared at the black bound book curiously and the café owner noticed. Luhan smiled fondly at the book and handed it over to Chanyeol.

“I used this when I was still a beginner. It has all sorts of sealing spells and how to control your powers, how to detect portals and demons, and some descriptions of higher class demons that you shouldn’t mess with.” Luhan then took out something from his wallet and handed it to the rookie guardian. “Here’s my calling card. If you see any portal that’s opened call me and I’ll help out. Don’t handle a portal by yourself since you’re still new at this.”

"How do I know that it's a portal?"

"You'll know since you’re a guardian."

“...”

“Trust me, Chanyeol.”

“Okay, thanks again.”

Chanyeol took some time to read a few pages out of the guardian book Luhan lent him while sipping a really good raspberry peppermint frappe and assorted cookies that Yixing presented him. He was still not sure if he was a guardian as Luhan and Yixing claimed him to be because last time he checked he was an angel sent down to Earth for a mission. Maybe you could be both?

After thanking the hospitable café owner, he took his leave and stopped outside the street. Flashbacks with his earlier encounter with that photographer made him blush and he decided to go in the opposite direction where the man went. He walked aimlessly until he ended up in front of Haven café once again.

“....What?” That’s weird. How did I end up back here?

A gentle breeze passed by carrying a scent of something burnt. Is there a fire? He looksed around but there didn't seem to be any in sight. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he needed to go and follow the scent. Okay, you can do this. Follow your gut, Chanyeol.

He moved forward, sniffing the air a few times and looking like a hound dog, earning glances from passerby’s thinking he might be some loco patient from a mental institution on the loose. The more he kept walking forward, the stronger the smell got. He stopped at an entrance to an alleyway where the burning smell was the strongest and stepped in. A few paces away, four motorbikes parked in a row could be found, and further in was where four guys were towering over a girl, looking like they were forcing her to do something. Uh-oh, this is not good. Alarm bells were sounding off in Chanyeol’s head and the angel in him stepped in even if he had zero experience when it came to fighting.

“Hey!” he shouted as he stepped forward. The group stared at him, making him nervous. Nervous enough to bring out the clumsy side of him as he tripped on thin air, his hands waving, frantically trying to hold on to something and instead of holding onto that something, a.k.a. sparkling kickass motorbike, he somehow pretty much stupidly pushed the bike down and knocked the other three over like a domino effect.

Some heavy evil aura was hanging in the air as Chanyeol gulped and looked up to face the four men who were shocked by the sudden chaos caused by him. They all stared at each other in dead silence.

“Uh... Oops? Sorry?” Chanyeol said apologetically with his best innocent angel face. Too bad it didn't work.

“Let’s kill him.”

And so, all hell broke loose as Chanyeol ran for his life while being chased by four men resembling a grizzly bear, a shark, a rhinoceros and a tiger. Yes, all of them looked like that in Chanyeol’s eyes.

He ran past Haven café, almost stopping to hide inside the cozy place, but he didn't want to give his new friends trouble after thirty minutes since meeting them. He made a sharp turn to the right and realized that he was going to collide with someone.

Oh great.

All he could do was close his eyes and anticipate the embarrassment of smashing into someone. However, the person was somehow quick enough to sidestep and grab him to keep him from falling. A strong arm wrapped around his waist and one hand secured on grabbing the back of his neck as Chanyeol’s head landed onto a warm chest that smelled like heaven.

“You okay?”

 His eyes fluttered open as he looked up at his savior and froze when he realized who it was. The same man whom he bumped into earlier was looking down at him even though they seemed to be almost the same height. His breath fanning into Chanyeol’s face made the angel’s body shiver. From what, he didn't know.

“Are you cold?” Frown lines appeared on his savior’s forehead and before Chanyeol could reply   the other man let go of him, at which he almost whimpered at the loss of heat, and shrugged off his jacket. He draped it over Chanyeol and immediately the angel was flooded with warmth and that intoxicating smell of glorious something that was all him. The man carefully bundled him up like he was made of some kind of delicate glass and tucked a stray strand of hair that was getting into his eyes. “Is this okay now?”

Yes. “No.”

“No?” An eyebrow shot up revealing the forehead lines again and all Chanyeol wanted to do was run his hands over them and smooth them down.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“I know a hospital nearby. Maybe we should get you checked out.”

“No! I mean! Uh... I’m okay!” He nodded as he flailed his hands around.

“You sure?”

“Yes! But only temporarily. I had an accident because I’m a clumsy idiot and these guys are running after me and will probably skin me alive and now that I think about it I better run now. Thank you!” He was about to run off when the man grabbed on to his arm.

“I’ll help you.”

Chanyeol almost zoned out again as he stared at the man but he snapped out of it when he could hear shouts from the four beastly men chasing him coming closer. Panic must’ve been reflected in his eyes as the other man somehow figured it out.

“Hey, sorry but you’ll have to trust me okay?” said the man. Chanyeol nodded at the sincerity in the other man’s eyes as he gently put the hood of the jacket up, covering the angel’s face.

Before he knew it, the man gently pushed him against the wall and kissed him. The man didn't only smell like heaven: he tasted like it too. He closed his eyes as he felt like he was drifting off into the clouds, the warmth spreading throughout his body making his toes curl and his fingers sink into the man’s hair.

They broke the kiss after the four men passed by them shouting profanities and pledging to roast that ‘skinny giraffe’. Chanyeol didn't know if he should laugh or be scared. But the firm fingers curled around his wrist made him feel protected. The man dragged him in the opposite direction, saying it wasn't safe in case they came back.

He looked at the confident back leading the way, a camera strapped onto his left shoulder as his right hand securely held onto his. He looked like a bodyguard protecting an important person as he looked around, alert for any danger. Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile.

Dear Lord, I know Minseok hyung said when I’ll be in trouble, help will come. I’m not sure if this is the help you planned but thanks!

The man looked back at him and said, “By the way, I’m Kris.”

Yep. Thank you Lord.

Something is definitely wrong.

Kris brought him to his apartment for ‘safekeeping’ and they introduced each other. He learned that Kris was a photographer for a style magazine and he was willing to help him find the person he was looking for. He offered Chanyeol a place to stay since he had a spare room and he was very much into adventure and mysteries. It was all good and dandy except... something was definitely wrong. Chanyeol couldn't put his finger on it but something seemed off. He wasn't sure if it was the apartment or maybe something else, but there was this really bad vibe he was feeling right then.

“You alright Chanyeol?”

He looked at the worried face of the other man and all Chanyeol could think of was how great boyfriend material Kris was. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

“You should rest now.”

The angel nodded and stood up. He couldn't figure it out yet, but something was definitely wrong. But one thing was for certain: Kris was someone he could trust.

“HOW CAN YOU TRUST THE GUY IF YOUR GUARDIAN SENSES ARE TELLING YOU SOMETHING’S WRONG?!” Chanyeol covered his ears as Luhan shrieked his lungs out.

“LUHAN PLEASE DON’T SCREAM YOUR LUNGS OUT!” the chef shouted from the kitchen.

 “OKAY!”

“SERIOUSLY!!!” Yixing poked his head out of the kitchen with a glare.

It was seven in the morning and the café wouldn't be open for two more hours but immediately after Kris left for an early photoshoot, Chanyeol went off to see his mentor and told him what happened. Which was somewhat of a bad idea, since he wasn’t prepared to have Luhan freaking out all over the place. He made a mental note to bring earbuds next time.

“Listen you!” Luhan points at him. “Don’t get your hormones up in the mix! Did you even read the part of the book about Types of Demons? It’s on page 116, chapter 12, section 27! Incubus!”

“I’ve read that part and he’s not an Incubus. If he were he would have probably me the moment we met.”

“Aha! But you never know! He could be one that likes to play around!” Luhan smacked his hand down on the table making Chanyeol almost flinch. So much for looking like angel, he thought: Luhan is better suited to be a drill sergeant for his fiery attitude.

“Listen Lu, my guardian senses would’ve told me the first time we met that Kris is bad news but he isn’t. In fact, he makes me feel protected.”

“That my friend, is your hormones talking.”

“Geez, its not! Listen, whatever is wrong in his apartment is must be something else but what I know for sure is it's not him.”

“And please do elaborate on this theory of yours.”

“Okay. I admit that he gives me this weird warm feeling when he’s around but it’s more than that. When I stepped inside his apartment I didn’t notice it at first because he was holding on to me. It was only after he went to get me a glass of water when I realized it. Like, there’s something not right in there and it’s not him. I was wondering if maybe there’s a portal there.”

Luhan stopped pacing and stared at Chanyeol. “A portal? There are none in that part of the city.”

“How can you be sure?”

“One hundred percent sure. I make rounds every night driving in every part of the city for any signs of portals. As I said, there are only three portals that were once open and I keep tabs on them.”

“Then how can you detect one?”

“An open portal?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you’ll feel it. I’m pretty sure you’ll know. But seriously Chanyeol, don’t get too close to this Kris person. Remember, you mission is to find that missing guy. What’s his name again?”

Before he could reply he smelled something foul and burnt. “Is someone burning something?” he asked out loud.

The two looked around and found nothing. “I don’t smell anything,” Luhan said.

“But... I can smell it.” Chanyeol stood up and followed the smell. He let his feet lead him out of the café and walked to where the stench was. Warning bells rang off in his head as the smell of smoke grew thicker in the air. Luhan was beside him now with a dangerous glint in his eyes. They both ran as the smell got heavy. Chanyeol knew that only they could sense it. He could hear a crack breaking off in the air.

“You gotta be kidding me,” the angel blurted out as he stared at the same alleyway as the day before where he tried to save the girl from those bullies.

There on the brick wall, a thin line of black smoke oozed out of a small crack.

“Chanyeol, stand back. The burnt smell is strong enough to indicate that demons are already waiting to come out on the other side. I have to seal this one quick, watch and learn,” Luhan said confidently.

The guardian stepped in front of the wall, raised his hands and drew a symbol in the air while chanting a sealing spell. To a normal human, Luhan was just randomly making hand gestures in the air, but to those who could see, sparks of beautiful light appeared in every symbol. It glowed and glowed as Luhan chanted his spell. After creating four wards representing the compass, he then drew a circle in between the four symbols, stepped back and clasped his hands forcefully.

A bright light erupted from the symbols and Chanyeol had to cover his eyes. He looked up to see that the smoke was gone and the crack nowhere in sight. A faint glowing of the seal could be seen. It was small but strong enough to make Chanyeol’s skin tingle.

“Great job Chanyeol!” Luhan beams at him. “See I told you! You really are a guardian, and to think that you’re a rookie yet you already detected one, I bet you’re gonna be some hotshot guardian when you're all trained up.”

“Nah, beginner’s luck? So, is the portal sealed off?”

“Yep.”

“No demons can pass through now?”

“Yep, this is bad. A crack doesn’t happen unless it was done deliberately. Someone must’ve done it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, only high demons can create a portal. When they create one it’s a real portal from their side to ours. When a crack happens, then the one who did it probably did it from our side.” Luhan said gravely.

“Which means?”

“We have a demon in town.”

Okay, I can detect portals. Maybe 'cause I’m an angel? Chanyeol wished he could go to Minseok for advice. He was still not making any progress in his mission and having a demon in town made everything else worse.

He sighed as he went back to Kris’ apartment. The moment he stepped inside a wave of something foul assaulted his senses. He dropped down to the floor as he gagged for air. He gasped as a thick wave of pain engulfed his whole body. His eyes strung from the discomfort and he desperately struggled on the floor to stand up. He fell down as something strangled him; there was no one around except him, but some sort of evil was making him weak.

No!

A blanket of darkness was surrounding him.

Stop!

Tears spilled down on his cheeks as he tried to fight it.

Help!

Everything then went black and all he could see was Kris’ face smiling at him warmly.

It was pitch black. It wasn’t painful but there was this hollow feeling that felt like all the light and warmth was taken away from him. It was cold. He felt weak.

Did I die?

Silence. Everything was cold. His body shivered from it. He was about to fall when strong arms just like before wrapped him in an embrace. The cold disappeared, replaced by warmth. Suddenly, he could smell it again. Something that was just…

“Kris.”

He opened his eyes to see Kris lying beside him with worry etched on his face. He smiled up at the man goofily and that was when he noticed it.

“Why are you ?” Chanyeol asked incredulously. He looked down and realized he was too. “Why am I ?”

“You still have your boxers on.”

“OH MY GOD! WHY DID YOU STRIP ME?!” Chanyeol panicked a bit and thought, what if Luhan was right, and Kris was an incubus.

“Hey, calm down,” Kris sat up and Chanyeol momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be worried about why they were both but his brain cells stopped functioning the moment he stared at Kris’ toned chest. “It's not what it seems, okay.”

The angel stared at him judgingly. “Okay. Explain.”

Kris ran his hands through his hair and Chanyeol wanted to do the same. Focus Chanyeol! Focus! “My shoot ended early and when I came back, I saw you collapsed on the floor pale as snow. I got really worried and you had a fever. You were shivering so bad and I was panicking a bit so I called my friend Jongdae and he said that you need body warmth. So I had done it without even thinking that there was a hospital option. Sorry Yeol.” He looked so apologetic that Chanyeol wanted to coo at him, except he was still half- and Chanyeol also wanted to just roll around in bed with the guy.

“Thanks Kris. I feel better now, just a little tired.”

“We should get you to the hospital just to be sure.”

“No no! I’m fine, I think I was just too tired and pushed myself.”

“Alright.” The man then opened one of the side drawers beside the bed and took out a ring. “You should have this.” He slipped it on Chanyeol’s pinky finger. The silver ring was warm and somehow it made Chanyeol feel a lot better. “You were mumbling in your sleep, you sounded scared so I think this will do you good. It was a gift from my father.”

“This must be important to you.” If Chanyeol didn't know any better, the ring seemed to hold some sort of power.

“Father said it's some sort of a charm ring.”

Yep. I’m so good at this. “It's a charm for?”

“Actually, when I left home to do my job better, I was scared to leave my family. Father gave me this to remember that I have a home to return to. He said it's a lucky charm. For me though, it was some sort of something else. It makes me feel safe knowing I have people backing me up no matter what happens. I don’t need it right so you can have it.”

For a split second Chanyeol thought he saw the ring glow. He felt his eyes getting heavy as Kris urged him to rest. Somehow that dreadful cold aura was replaced by something light and warm. He always felt this way whenever Kris was beside him. It was like the sun was shining down on him on a cold winter day. He let himself fall asleep as he stared at the other man’s warm gaze but for a fleeting moment he thought he saw Kris with wings…

Wings chained and bloodied.

"I'll be quick and then we'll be off, just need to sort out some of my work." Kris said as he led Chanyeol through an expensive-looking building where the other man worked.

For a huge company, there weren’t really a lot of people in it, as the place was devoid of any human presence except the two of them. The place had this minimalist design where everything was sleek and luxurious-looking. An information desk was located in the center of the expansive lobby with one person manning it. The man looked up as soon as he heard them approaching and smiled.

"Hola almighty Kris! They're waiting for you in the conference room up on the second floor," the man said and turned his attention to the angel, "hello, you must be Chanyeol! The name's Jongdae."

"Ah, hello Jongdae, nice to meet you," he greeted back. The receptionist smiled up at the angel with glee but there was something in his eyes that told him that this person wasn’t really what he seemed to be.

"Is the boss in?" Kris asked.

"Yep. But you know him, he's either up to no good or up to nothing at all. It's probably best if you leave Chanyeol here with me rather than run into him."

"Good idea," he turned to Chanyeol and said, "I won't take long, okay."

The angel nodded like an obedient puppy and watched as his master walked away. He turned to Jongdae who looked like he knew all the gossip in the world and was dying for him to ask anything.

"I'll take a seat over there." He pointed at the empty bench on the far side of the lobby.

"I'M A SINGER!"

"...Uh?" That was totally random.

"Thought you should know." Jongdae said smugly.

"Uh… Okay?"

"Call me anytime you need me."

"I will?" That was weird.

Chanyeol sat down on the bench and started to ponder about what happened to him yesterday. From what he recalled, it was as if there was something in the room that was strong enough to make an angel like him go totally defenseless and weak.

Am I being followed?

It could be a possibility but he wasn’t too sure about it. He wasn’t able to contact Luhan since Kris was always hovering beside him.

Better find a phone and tell Luhan what happened.

He was about to stand up when he realized that someone was sitting beside him lazily texting someone. The man seemed to be shorter than him by a few inches and had platinum blond hair that was falling right over his eyes. The angel looked to where Jongdae was earlier and couldn’t find the receptionist.

"He went on a bathroom break," the stranger piped up.

Chanyeol looked at the guy and wondered how he could see through all that hair blocking his eyes. “I’m Bel,” he smiled widely, which resembled a Cheshire cat.

“Hello.” Something about the guy made Chanyeol feel doubtful. Just like Jongdae, Bel seemed to be hiding something. Is everyone in this building going to give me weird feelings?

“You’re pretty. Would you like to model for the company?”

“Thanks but I don’t think I have time for it.”

“Awh. Too bad.” He didn’t show his disappointment, though, as he kept on smiling. “I’d love to add another angel in my collection.” The way he said it was a compliment but something in his smile felt alarming.

“No!”

He immediately looked up upon hearing Kris and spotted him exiting the elevator with an agitated face, behind him tall redhead girl who looked upset seemed to be arguing with him.

The moment he spotted Chanyeol he walked over and grabbed him, “Let’s go.” He turned to Bel and gave him a slight nod and said, “I’ll be leaving now Boss.” To which Bel waved his hand as a goodbye.

They walked out of the building without being followed, Chanyeol waited for Kris to calm down before asking, “What’s wrong?”

The photographer stopped, sighed, and looked at him. “It’s about work, don’t worry I can sort it out soon.” He gave Chanyeol a reassuring smile, “Let’s go find this person you're looking for?”

Chanyeol stared intensely at the box they just bought. He and Kris were looking for his target, but it was more like him walking around aimlessly and Kris randomly taking pictures, and ended up inside this antique store. He didn’t know why but his gut just told him something was in there. His feet led him in front of a collection of jewelry boxes and he found this beautiful medium-sized box made out of wood from a holly tree. It was pretty simple and there was nothing really stunning about it but somehow the box was giving him chills. He couldn’t quite place it but there must be something about it that was important.

“That box is gonna burn from your intense staring Chanyeol,” Kris said as he sat down beside him.

“I don’t know. I feel like it’s important.”

“Sorry about not finding your guy.”

“It’s okay, I’ll find him soon.” His body is sore from all the walking they did and now he was getting sleepy. “Thanks for helping me Kris.”

The taller of the two smiled as Chanyeol’s head dropped down on his shoulder. He gently repositioned the latter, letting his head rest on his lap as he rakes his fingers through those blond curls. “Rest well.”

“Hmmm. Goodnight Kris.” He mumbled, “I’ll find Yifan tomorrow.”

Kris froze and stared at the angel. A cloud of black smoke crept up from behind them, making him frown. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Darling, you can’t order me around.” A cloaked figure appeared behind him, black smoke swirling around his body like a blanket. The figure walked to the display case where Kris put all his trinkets and took out an antique golden goblet. “Don’t get too attached. You won’t be sticking around to play with him once you’re done with your task.”

Kris grit his teeth as the black smoke crept closer to them and darkness filled up the room. The smoke, however, stopped as if it was blocked by a barrier. Chanyeol’s body glowed beautifully, keeping the smoke from coming near them. The cloaked figure smiled as he watched them.

“Oh, I love seeing someone heartbroken after this.”

“Please leave.” Kris glared at him icily.

“You know, you’d make one fine demon Lord with just your stare.”

“I don’t intend to be one.”

“Oh, but you could be one. Just tell me, and I can make it all possible. You can’t fly back home anyways with your wings all chained up… Fallen angel.” The cloaked figure stood directly in front of Kris. “Get the job done.”

Kris balled his hands into fists. “I will.”

And with one final smile from the figure, it disappeared, leaving Kris with a hollow feeling inside.

Chanyeol woke up to find Kris nowhere in sight. He must’ve had another early shoot today. He didn’t waste time getting ready to meet with Luhan and Yixing. He took the box with him so he could ask Yixing to give him some sort of clue about it.

He was walking along the park when he was blocked by the same redhead girl from Kris’ company. She looked agitated and very angry.

“Leave Kris.”

“Huh?”

“You’re slowing him down.”

“I’m sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“He’s been given the task for a long time now and he’s almost done until you showed up and distracted him.”

“What?”

The girl stared at him which made Chanyeol have chills. “Leave him.” And with that she turned her back on him and walked away.

“I KNEW IT!” Chanyeol covered his ears again as Luhan started screaming like a banshee. “I TOLD YOU! THAT KRIS PERSON IS DANGEROUS!”

“Luhan, if you don’t stop screaming I will pour salt into all the coffee we serve here in the café,” Yixing said sweetly.

“...Okay.” The guardian sat down and calmly took a breath. “Let’s get this straight.” He ticks his fingers off, “One. You fainted because of something in Kris’ apartment. Two. You found a box that may or may not be important. Three. There’s this creepy girl that’s telling you to buzz off. Is that it?”

“Yep.” The tallest of the three nodded.

“This box is giving me bad vibes,” the oracle said. “It’s like, it has something in it but when you open it there’s nothing there.”

“Maybe it’s enchanted? You know like, some sort of spell was put on it.” Luhan said.

“Do you wanna contact Kyungsoo?”

“Who’s Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol asked.

“He’s a warlock,” Yixing answered.

“He might also be a demon spawn.”

“Luhan is scared of him ‘cause he pissed Kyungsoo off one time by giving him a latte with a design art foam. Kyungsoo then-” Luhan slapped his hand over Yixing’s mouth.

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!” the café owner glared at his cook and said, “I’ll give you a raise if you never speak of this again.”

Yixing removed the hand and nodded, “Deal, only if you throw in a pony.”

“...Okay.”

“Uh, guys, I think we should like, you know, get on with the investigation.”

“Right! I think we should visit Kris’ apartment and see what’s going on.” Luhan stood up and raised his fist in the air. He then ran out of the café leaving both Chanyeol and Yixing staring at the door.

“He’ll be back. He doesn’t know where the apartment is anyways,” the oracle said while calmly sipping his coffee.

“Right.”

Dear God, thanks for the help… even though they seem to be out of their minds most of time.

The three of them arrived at Kris’ apartment to see two men standing in front of it. Chanyeol recognized the two and greeted them.

“Jongdae, Bel, what are you guys doing here?”

“Yo Chanyeol!” the receptionist replied.

“Kris didn’t turn up for work today. He’s supposed to send in the pictures for the pet style section.” Bel said as he pops his bubblegum. “Friends?” he asks as he looks over behind the tallest of the group.

“Yixing and Luhan, this is Jongdae and Bel. Vice versa. Let me open the door, maybe he’s inside.”

“Wow, you’re a singer!” Yixing said as he shook Jongdae’s hand.

“You can tell?” the latter said excitedly.

“Yeah, and Bel is… uhh...” Yixing frowned as he stared at the blond, who seemed to be enjoying the dilemma the other was in.

“Hey, you seem familiar.” Luhan was staring at Bel too the moment they saw them.

Bel smiled cheekily but was unable to reply as Chanyeol gasped out loud, gaining the attention of the group.

“What the?!”

They went inside the apartment and found it in chaos. The furniture was turned over, glasses were broken on the floor, walls decorated with scratches and everything was all over the place.

“Well, it looked like it was ransacked by imps.” Luhan said.

“Imps can’t do those deep markings. Must be a demon.” Everyone turned their heads at Bel’s direction. “Hey, all of us here ain’t normal humans. And before you start with the questions I think we should direct our attention that this place smelled like a demon came in and was looking for something.”

Bel was right. The place reeked of something foul and burnt which was one of the tell tale signs of a demon. They looked around trying to find some clues until Jongdae called them to come near the display case on the far end of the living room.

“I found something.” He waved a note in the air excitedly and read it aloud. “I have two pieces of the key. I know that you have the last piece with your Angel. Come forth and meet me if you do wish to see the one you seek all in one piece. Only you know where to find me.”

“Angel?” Luhan asked.

“Well, that’s probably me. Sorry if I didn’t tell you guys sooner,” Chanyeol said.

“So that’s why you glow sometimes,” Yixing said.

“Okay, since we solved the angel part, what about the key?” Jongdae asked.

“All I have is the box,” Chanyeol said.

“Hmmm. Three pieces of a key. Three pieces.” Luhan mumbled. “What kind of key has three pieces?”

“More like what do you need a key for?” Bel asked.

“Oh my God!” Luhan snapped and yanked the guardian book from Chanyeol’s bag. He hastily turned the pages like a hurricane and stopped at one page. “OH MY GOD!” He turned back to the group with wide eyes and said, “We’re in deep .”

“Huh?” Jongdae piped up.

“The three pieces of the key! Those are the three tools used to summon the six hundred sixty six legions of the demon Lord Bael, Prince of all demon Lords! I’ve read it before but I didn’t know if it was true. Three keys are needed to summon the 666 legions of the Demon Prince.” Luhan read the text of the book, “these keys are the main tools, the mantle of dread, the goblet of anguish, and the dagger of eternal pain. In order to summon the 666 legions, one must offer a sacrifice of a pure soul.”

“666 legions. How much is one legion exactly?” the singer asked.

“Well, one legion is composed of six thousand demons.” Bel said like he was commenting on the weather.

“Okay. We’re in total deep ,” Jongdae exclaimed. “Count me in!”

“Guys, we need to find the last key first,” Luhan said.

“But we don’t know what’s the last key.”

“It’s either a mantle or a dagger.” They turned to Chanyeol who was staring at the display case. “Kris had a goblet here and now it’s gone.”

“Then its the dagger.” Jongdae said, “Kris bought a dusty old mantle off Ebay last week.”

“Wait, do you guys think that Kris is a demon?” Luhan asked.

“Nope.” The four of them chimed.

“Kris is a tracker.” Bel said, “I employed him mainly ‘cause he’s good at finding things with powers. He’s probably being used by the demon.”

The angel slapped his head as he figured something out. “I know who the demon is.”

“You guys sure this is the right place?”

“Definitely.”

“Yep totally sure.”

The five of them stood in front of the church doors right after midnight. Luhan said that one of the oldest and strongest portals he was guarding was below the church. A previous guardian had a church erected over it to strengthen the seal but if a demon summoned a legion with the tools of Bael the portal could be opened in a jiffy. “It’s the only portal that can withstand the caliber of that huge of a summon.”

“We still don’t have the dagger though.”

“I think we have it,” the angel said. “Let’s go.”

The group walked inside the huge church with Luhan leading the way. They entered a secret passageway where the portal was sealed off. The walls were filled with seals as it glowed a faint blue and green. They stopped at the end of the small tunnel that had a steel door broken off its hinges.

“Well, that’s pretty much saying we’re in the right place,” the oracle said as he patted on Luhan’s back, who was pretty upset over the broken door.

They walked in and froze on the spot. There in the middle of the room stood the same redhead girl that talked to Chanyeol, and on the floor was Kris lying down chained up and his wings bloodied.

“Kris!” The angel almost ran up to the fallen but stopped as a group of demons appeared behind the two. “Let him go!”

“Tsk. I can’t do that darling. He’s the star of the show and you have one of the items that I need. Hand it over now and I’ll have you killed quickly without feeling any pain,” the girl said.

“Hello Lilith, I was right about you.” Bel stepped in beside Chanyeol.

“Sorry but I don’t need you here.” She snapped her fingers and suddenly Bel flew across the floor, knocking him unconscious. “Now, give it to me.”

“Uh, guys, I don’t know how to fight,” Yixing said.

“I can do protection spells but that’s all that I’ve got,” Luhan declared.

“I’m a new guy remember, so I have no idea how to knock demons out,” Chanyeol added.

They turned to Jongdae who seemed to be excitedly vibrating to say something. “I CAN SING!”

The three of them ignored him and focused on the problem at hand. Just then one of the demons jumped on Chanyeol and yanked his bag off. It tore through it and took out the box, immediately handing it over to Lilith. The female demon smiled wide as she took the box. One of the demons behind laid the mantle on the floor and put the goblet on top. Lilith then put the box beside the goblet and opened it.

“Damnit, it was enchanted.” Luhan exclaimed as the demon took out the dagger inside and the blue seal on the box broke apart.

She knelt down beside Kris and to everyone’s horror, hacked off his left wing, making the fallen angel scream in anguish. Chanyeol’s heart felt like breaking into pieces as tears ran down Kris’s face. For an angel, losing its wings was as devastating as losing a part of your soul. He can’t stand seeing Kris writhe as he’s being tortured, the blood from his broken wing splattering onto that ground.

“STOP IT!” Chanyeol pleaded, “Let him go! You can take me instead! Please let him go!”

The demon smiled as she ignored the angel’s pleas, laughing as she drew a circle using the bloodied broken wing. She completed the circle and threw the wing aside. “Sorry, dear. I like this one better. You would be a good candidate as a sacrifice but this angel,” she grabbed on to the writhing angel on the floor and pulled him up by the hair, “he belongs to us in the underworld because he stole the goblet. By the laws of the court of the divine blood, any being of light who steals will belong to the depths of the underworld. Although he did it for the good of mankind, he still committed a sin.” She patted Kris’ tear-stained face, “There, there. It’s alright, you don’t need those pretty wings in hell, they’ll just burn anyways.” She looked up at Chanyeol, “I can’t have you without the whole heavens hunting us down, so what better to use one of our prisoners as a hefty sacrifice.”

Chanyeol stood there feeling useless; he couldn’t do anything for Kris. Lilith took the blood-stained dagger and slit through Kris’ wrist. The four of them looked away as Kris sobbed in pain. Lilith caught the drops of blood in the goblet, smiling with glee.

“Chanyeol, she’s going to open the portal. We better do something or a million demons are gonna pass through into our world,” Luhan said worriedly.

“I don’t know what to do!”

The demon was now chanting the spell, layers of the seal starting to disappear and the portal now starting to crack.

“We should let Jongdae sing,” the oracle said.

“Yes! Finally!” the latter exclaimed.

“As a distraction?” the guardian asked.

“No, as a weapon,” Yixing said.

“Wait! What do you mean weapon?” Jongdae started to sing in the background and Luhan’s jaw dropped. “OH ! YIXING YOU DIDN’T TELL ME HE’S SINGER!”

Chanyeol looked at the two, confused, and then at their singing friend, the demons in the room snarling as Jongdae continued in singing. “Guys?”

“He said he was a singer the day we met! I asked him about it!”

“But you didn’t say he was a DIRGE SINGER!”

“A what?” Chanyeol asked as Luhan dragged both him and Yixing out of the room.

That was when the angel felt it, the air in the room changed like there was some sort of static energy.  They could hear Jongdae singing something in the background and when he hit the high note, the room exploded, knocking everyone off their feet.

Chanyeol came to a few minutes later. The demons were all gone except for Lilith, who was struggling to stand up. His friends were all unconscious as well, but all unscathed. He then realized that the ring Kris gave him was glowing.

“Really, Kris is so smart isn’t he?” Lilith said as she glared at Chanyeol. “Too bad, even with that protection ring he gave you, you’ll all perish once the legions arrive.”

The portal was now fully open with just one layer of seal as a barrier. The demons on the other side were snarling and growling, ready to pounce. The angel looked at Kris unmoving on the floor and stood up with determination on his face.

“I’ll stop you.”

“Oh? Can you?” the demon laughed haughtily as the barrier cracked, making the smoke from the other side seep out. “Nothing can stop me! After this I will be given the title of Demon Lord Princess once I take over the human world!”

The demon rejoiced as the seal broke in half, a few demons coming through the portal. The seal fell apart leaving one ward hanging. The ward was about to break when it glowed a bright blue and another ward then appeared on the top side of the portal. Lilith turned around and saw Chanyeol creating wards in the air.

“Get him,” she ordered the new demons that passed through. They started to attack but instead they started disappearing one by one, turning into a puff of smoke. “What?!”

“Tsk tsk, Lilith. Trying to overthrow one of us Lords now, seems like a good plan but it’s flawed.” The demon looked behind the angel and saw Bel rising up with his eye exposed.

“You… you’re?!”

“Hehehe, bingo.” He snapped his fingers and the demons passing through continued disappearing. He then pointed in Lilith’s direction and smiled a Cheshire grin. “Goodbye little minion. I’ll deal with you when I get back.” With a flick of his wrist Lilith was thrown into the portal back to the demon world.  

Amidst all the chaos surrounding him, Chanyeol finally restored the four main wards onto the seal. However, the portal was still open.

You can do this!

He couldn’t remember any sealing spell so he decided to create one for himself.

“By light of the heavens, I call on the powers of sky. By heart of the earth I call unto the powers of nature, by thy flesh, by thy blood, by thy divine light bestowed upon to thee by thy holy Grace. I angel of God hereby close this portal created by evil and greed.” He closed his eyes and clasped his hands in prayer. “And so, let thy will be done. Amen.”

A loud bang resounded in the air as bright light covered the room. Chanyeol opened his eyes to see the portal gone. “Yes!” he jumped up and quickly knelt down beside the fallen. “Kris!”

The fallen angel came to and smiled up at Chanyeol. “Good job.”

“We’ll get you back safe home. Don’t worry,” the angel said as tears well up in eyes.

Kris smiled sadly at Chanyeol, he weakly wiped a few tears cascading down the other one’s face. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“Not yet. I’m sorry.” He gently caressed Chanyeol’s face. “I’m really sorry.” Before Chanyeol could ask the chains on Kris’s wings moved snaking through the angel and coiling on to him. And in a flash, Kris turned into a puff of black smoke, leaving his broken feathers and blood behind on the floor.

“What?”

Chanyeol looked around and couldn’t find Kris anywhere.

“Where is he?” he turned to look at Bel. “Where’d he go!?” he screamed. Now that he could see Bel’s eyes, he started having goosebumps. “Who are you really?”

“My name is Belphegor. The fourth Demon Lord of the underworld. And to answer your first question, Kris is currently in hell. As Lilith has said, he has committed a sin and thus, he belongs to the underworld.”

Before the angel could retort, Bel smiled his signature Cheshire smile. “However, I know how to get him back. You see, he found out about Lilith and her plans to take over the demon world and told me about it. I agreed to help him stop her and so as payback I’ll help you get him back.”

“LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT!-”

“FOR GOD’S SAKE LUHAN CAN YOU PLEASE STOP SCREAMING!” Chanyeol burst out.

“But it’s just so uggggh!”

“Don’t make me wish that I left you behind with Jongdae and Yixing.”

“Sorry! I just can’t get over the series of events that unfolded. Kris is the guy you were looking for the whole time, Jongdae is a dirge singer, Bel is actually a demon lord! Holy crap! And you freaking closed a portal!”

“What’s the deal with the closing a portal?” Chanyeol rang the elevator up to the highest floor of the luxurious building. Both of them were going to meet someone that could free Kris, despite them looking like they went through a Black Friday sale madness.

“You don’t get it! You closed a portal.”

“...So?”

“NO ONE HAS EVER DONE IT!”

Chanyeol looked at the guardian like a gaping fish. “What?”

“We guardians can only seal portals. You, however, closed one. Closed one!”

“...”

“Did you read that damn book? Sealing means that we get to seal the portal in the human world but that portal can be opened through the demon world. You,” he pointed at the angel, “yes you, you closed the portal on both sides, erasing the portal completely!”

“...Oh.”

“That is genius. I think it helped because you used your angel powers.”

“Yeah.” Chanyeol didn’t say anything more since they were being ushered into an expensive office of the CEO for a video game company.

The secretary introduced them and left them both in the presence of the CEO. The man was clad in an expensive suit and as soon as the secretary left, everything turned cold.

“Oh boy, here we go.” Luhan muttered, his legs shaking a bit.

“Belphegor told me that you have done a great deal for us, I don’t like it when lesser demons use my beloved tools,” the man said.

“Bael, Prince of Demon Lords.” Chanyeol addressed. “We wish for you to release Yifan, a fallen angel under your jurisdiction, for the crime of stealing one of your tools, who helped in uncovering high treason committed by demon Lilith.”

“What makes you think I’ll let him go?” the Demon Lord said.

“Because, uh,” he looked at his palm where he wrote down what Bel had told him, “The Court of Divine Blood states that any sinner who has given aid in protecting both the human world and demon world is given pardon in the expense that the Demon Prince, that’s you, is offered six souls for his freedom.”

“You are correct. And do tell me, do you have six souls ready to be offered to me?”

“Yes we do.” Luhan said smugly as he and Chanyeol stepped forward and took out the items in the plastic bag they brought along.

“...what is this?” Bael said.

“Six souls,” the guardian smirked.

“Six souls… Well, four deep fried, one roasted and one drenched in sweet and spicy sauce.” Chanyeol said as he arranged the chickens on the table.

“We have six black soda drinks on the side too if you get thirsty.”

“Oh and here’s a digestion medicine just in case it doesn’t go down well.”

Both of them stepped back and looked at the speechless Demon Prince. “We can order chicken soup too if you like?” Luhan asked.

The demon snapped and glared at them. “YOU! GET OUT!”

Chanyeol bid farewell to his friends as Minseok fetched him from the human world.

“It was nice meeting you guys,” the angel said.

“Too bad the chicken style didn’t work,” Yixing said.

“Yeah, Bel did say to ‘baffle them with bull’ ‘cause it’s legit,” Jongdae said.

“Come and visit us,” Luhan said.

“I will.” He smiled at his very unique friends.

Minseok smiled as he took his arm and in a flash Chanyeol was back in heaven. His superior walked him up to one of the meeting rooms. “Good job Chanyeol! I knew you could do it.”

“But hyung, I wasn’t able to save Yifan,” he said sadly.

Minseok laughed and pointed to the room, “It’s okay, go inside. Someone wants to talk to you.”

Chanyeol did as he was told and the moment he opened the doors, he froze, and then he rushed inside and hugged the person waiting for him.

“You’re here!” He looked up at the other angel who was beaming at him. “And your wings!”

“Yeah, they’re back.” Kris spread his huge wings out that almost hit the ceiling. “Thanks for coming in to help me.”

“But how?”

“Haha! You didn’t know Bel.” He laughed. “He just tricked you into thinking that I’m a prisoner forever. We made a deal that once I uncover Lilith, then I can be set free. But Lilith was getting on to me so I asked for a divine intervention.”

“Divine intervention?” Chanyeol smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment then.”

“Oh and I’m looking for a partner. Would like to take the offer?”

“Partner? Like a job partner?”

“Yeah that, and if it’s alright,” Kris took his hands and held them tight, “I’d like it to be a permanent partner in everything.”

“Deal.” Chanyeol smiled and leaned in for a kiss to seal the deal.

Fin.