He killed your parents and then became your friend

Avaris' POV

I didn’t understand a single thing Lord Callum was saying. He rattled on and on, telling a story that felt both foreign and strangely familiar. His words had an unnerving quality that made my stomach turn, but I could not pinpoint why.

And right now, understanding him wasn’t my priority. Getting out of here was.

Before I could move, a man entered the room and leaned in to whisper something to Lord Callum. The elderly man's lips formed a slow, sardonic smile.

“Well, this is getting interesting,” he mused. “Allow him in.”

Shortly after the messenger departed, a second figure entered the room. In a flash, the figure drew his sword and pressed it against Lord Callum’s throat.

“You filthy old man.”

My breath caught as i took in the man's features, recognizing him.

"Xaren."

I didn’t even realize I had spoken his name until he turned to face me, his eyes widening in surprise.

“You?” he said, his hand briefly slipping from the sword. “What are you—”

Lord Callum’s laughter cut him off, deep and full of amusement. “I just had to do the best thing.”

The look on Xaren's face darkened. “What do you mean, the best thing? This was never part of the deal.”

The deal?

Something inside me went still. A cold fear settled into my bones as realization dawned. Xaren knew Lord Callum.

Or worse... he had been involved in all of this.

Was Dyvian involved too?

“What deal?” My voice sounded raspy and shaky.

Xaren’s gaze flickered to me, something like fear flashing through his eyes. It was as if he had just realized he had made a terrible mistake.

“Avaris, I…”

Callum interrupted with a gleeful hum before he could say anything more. “Let me do the honors of telling you the deal I have with this demon here. A close friend of the Third Prince.”

With anger blazing in the air, Xaren turned back to face him. “You dare not.”

“Oh, trust me, I dare.” Callum chuckled. “You should be feeling it by now. Your body going numb.”

A loud clang echoed through the room as Xaren’s sword slipped from his grasp, crashing to the floor. His body seized, and he crumpled, his limbs stiff as though bound by invisible chains.

“You wicked old man!” Xaren spat as he fought the invisible force holding him down.

Lord Callum merely grinned. “Did you think I came unprepared? No, Xaren. I have waited for this moment for far too long. Carefully. Patiently. Now, everything is falling into place.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Xaren gritted out, his body straining uselessly.

I stood frozen, watching, listening, trying to piece it all together. However, it got more complicated and unfeasible the more Callum talked.

“Let me tell you how it happened, Avaris,” Callum continued. “This gentle-demon here made a deal with me years ago. You see, we shared the same vision—to erase any trace that could awaken Lucifer.”

Callum continued, his tone heavy with conceit. “For me, it was simple. I wanted to protect humans. Even if, in truth, none of you are worth protecting. As for Xaren? Maybe he wanted to protect something—or someone—dear to him.”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing in my ears.

“For years, we searched for clues to destroy the key that could awaken Lucifer—the reincarnation of the Angel of Kindness. Until we found the Starweaver family.”

My entire body seized.

“We found you, Avaris.”

I felt my breath catch in my throat. No. No, that wasn’t possible.

“You are the reincarnation of the Angel of Kindness.”

My hands clenched at my sides. My mind refused to process it, to let the words sink in.

But Callum wasn’t done.

“I met with your parents in secret, without Xaren’s knowledge. I tried to convince them to hand you over. I showed them proof of what you were. That you were the key to the world’s destruction. But they refused to listen. They loved you too much.”

My ears began to ring sharply.

“I was still trying to persuade them when Xaren took matters into his own hands. Before he told me, before we had all the answers—”

Callum’s smile widened, his next words coming in a whisper meant just for me.

“Slash.”

The floor beneath me may as well have crumbled.

“He took your parents’ and your brother’s lives.”

My whole body fell back.

“No,” I whispered. My breath came out unevenly and shallowly. I couldn’t—

Xaren’s voice cracked. “You never told me who it was. You just gave me the order. You said we couldn’t take any risks—that we had to remove any possible candidates.”

“Ah, but does that change anything?” Callum turned to me, his voice as smooth as silk. “Xaren killed your family, Avaris. And then, he became your friend.”