Danger

Danger
Hi everyone, the author here. I'm really sorry for not being consistent in updating this story. I appreciate those who left reviews, I'm really grateful. I haven't been really active because of some personal problems. Although not fully solved, I would update once in a while. I will also try to stockpile a few chapters and release it by next week. Thank you so much for giving this story a chance. I love y'all.

Dyvian’s POV

It was never going to be simple to locate the Angel of Kindness's reincarnation. That much was clear to me from the beginning.

It should have been much simpler, however, with Azrakel, Aunt Maya, and Yovina involved. With each passing day, the underlying forces became increasingly complex.

But Nana wasn’t exactly the kind of witch you could call helpless, so when she suggested we come to this place, a realm that existed between the human world and the Underworld, I couldn’t argue.

“Nana,” I muttered, my voice echoing slightly in the open space. “Are you sure this is the best place to search?”

She looked at me sharply, one eyebrow raised in contempt. “Don’t question me, boy. You think I wanted to come back here? This place reeks worse than a dead banshee’s breath.”

She wasn't wrong.

Velmoura, the intermediate realm, the frail line that connected the Underworld and the human world. It was disorderly, a patched-together world of strange lights and smoke that was constantly changing.

Like a dream that never came to pass. Similar to a lie that is attempting to pass for the truth.

There was a slight pulse to the ground beneath my boots, almost like it was breathing.

Velmoura was old. Not in the way that humans counted years, but rather in the way that bones groan when they contain too many secrets.

This was a place where lost creatures slipped between realms to disappear, where gossip flew faster than light, and no war ever reached.

“Why are they staring?” I nodded toward the two witches that had come with Nana. They hadn’t said a word since we arrived, but their eyes hadn’t left me. One clenched her fingers like she wanted to draw blood from the air itself.

“They don’t trust demons,” Nana said simply. “Especially not ones that look like you.”

Even though I did not feel like it, I grinned. “And what do I look like?”

“Like you’ve got secrets buried under your ribs.” She narrowed her gaze. “And like your chest is about to crack open.”

And she was correct. However, I kept that from her.

It had begun as a twist in my stomach. Now it was urgently clawing at my ribs. Something was wrong. I knew it. Felt it.

It didn’t feel like Azrakel. Azrakel's presence was loud, aggressive, and filled with smoke and ash. This… this was different.

“Something’s wrong,” I admitted. “Something feels… missing.”

“Explain it,” she uttered, her tone now softer. “Be precise.”

I took a breath and tried. “It’s like something’s being pulled out of me, Nana. Like a tether is fraying. But it’s not painful, it’s just… empty. Like something that used to be close is too far now.”

Her mouth thinned, and her eyes grew piercing. “Your mate?”

My heart skipped a beat.

“We haven’t mated yet,” I said quickly. “I’m trying to keep him off. After all of this, I’ll sever the bond. It’s for the best.”

Nana folded her arms. “And you think it’ll be that easy? You think the bond will let you walk away without consequence?”

“It’s not about me,” I snapped. “It’s about Avaris. He doesn’t deserve to be tied to someone like me for the rest of his life.”

She said nothing more, but her gaze remained fixed on me.

We kept walking. It grew louder as we descended farther. Velmoura blossomed around us like a fever dream, with voices bartering over items no sane person should own, floating orbs blinking like eyes, and tents of stitched leather.

Creatures milled everywhere. Most were stooped figures in ragged cloaks, tall creatures with an excessive number of arms, and some with mask-like faces.

Velmoura’s citizens were the watchers, the listeners. They never fought in wars, but they always knew who would win before the battle began.

“They don’t care we’re here,” I noted aloud.

Although we did not look like the people who belonged here, none of them showed any interest in us.

“They don’t need to,” Nana replied with a small laugh. “They already know why.”

She took us past a stall, through a stench-filled veil of smoke, and paused in front of a crooked building with violet veins pulsing along its sides.

“How are we going to find the Angel of Kindness here, Nana?” I inquired, attempting to dispel the nagging feeling of discomfort. “This place doesn’t exactly seem like a place of peace or kindness.”

She glanced over her shoulder at me, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “You think I don’t know that? I’ve got an old friend here, one who might know something.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You know someone here?”

“Of course I do. I’ve been around longer than you think.” She shot me a knowing look, and we continued through the market, past strange stalls selling items that I couldn’t even begin to name.

After what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at a tiny, poorly lit booth in the marketplace's far corner. A wrinkled, elderly creature sat stooped behind the counter, its many eyes narrowing when it saw Nana.

“Ah, Nana,” it croaked in a raspy voice. “I haven’t seen you in ages. What brings you back to this miserable place?”

“Old business,” Nana replied curtly. “I’m seeking information, and you’re the only one who might have it.”

The creature narrowed its many eyes and squinted at me. “Lucifer’s Grandson.” The words were laced with an odd combination of awe and contempt. “You’re far from home.”

“I’m not here to talk about my family,” I said, my voice hard. “We’re looking for someone. The Angel of Kindness.”

The creature blinked slowly, then sighed out loud and long. “The Angel of Kindness, eh? I’ve heard whispers, but who hasn’t? What makes you think I have something useful for you?”

Nana leaned in, her eyes piercing. “I know you hear everything, and I know you’ve seen things. Do we have to do this the hard way?”

The creature grunted, then motioned for us to come closer. “I think I might know something.” It beckoned us closer, its long claws brushing the table. “There’s a young boy, born into a noble family in the human world. They call it the Grand Dukedom, or something like that. He’s been growing up well, with no shortage of attention or protection. People say he’s as beautiful as the Angel of Kindness, but I can’t be sure. It’s just rumors, you know.”

Nana’s face shifted slightly, an expression I couldn’t quite place. “Do you know where we can find him?”

“I believe he is still in the human world,” the creature shrugged. “But that's the best I can do. You’ll have to figure the rest out yourselves.”

As we turned to leave, I felt a strange wave of dizziness hit me. It was brief but intense, like I was suddenly weaker than I had been moments before. My head spun, and I had to lean against the wall to steady myself.

Then a voice came to me. Distant, weak, but distinct. “Your Highness.”

A shiver went down my spine, and I gasped for air as I tried to gather myself. My eyes widened as the realization hit me like a thunderclap.

Avaris.

I knew in my heart that I had been mistaken the instant the name came to mind. Avaris was in danger.