Vessina, the Devil of Pride, muttered, her lips curled in amusement as she regarded Alex, who couldn’t help but feel like that singular word was not as simple as it appeared to be.
Of course, well aware of the situation at hand, he didn’t have the time to ponder on that as he focused on what was most important.
Vessina casually said, cutting Alex off before adding.
A sudden tremor left him unable to finish his question as Vessina remarked.
It’s quite easy to guess. In any case, you only ever seek me out when you need help. Speaking of, I believe you owe me.
Alex furrowed his brows. "I do?"
But, of course. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our last meeting so soon.
"Ah... about that..." Alex rubbed his upper lip, unsure of how to explain himself.
The Devil of Pride didn’t pick offense, however, instead appearing to be even more amused.
No need to explain. In the end, we never made a formal deal.
"Exactly," Alex said, happy to get that off his plate.
Well then, I will help you.
"Thank you," Alex remarked. "So the terms of the agreement..."
No need. Take it as a favor.
Despite Alex’s protest, Vessina returned to the Infernal Palace with a grin plastered on her lips.
To Alex, that smile was more a death sentence than anything else.
Owing a Devil, especially one that he had cheated out of a near deal some time ago was definitely not the best position he could be in.
What if she requested something he couldn’t give?... What was he to do then?
Just as his worries threatened to cloud his thoughts, he felt something wash over him, relieving him of the pain he was experiencing.
As for the damage to his Pneuma, it appeared to have been fixed but Alex knew this was only temporary.
Vessina did not change reality, she merely deceived it.
Soon, her deceit would be seen through and at that time, the damage and the pain would return.
Alex hoped it wouldn’t be worse than before the deal was made.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to move quickly since there was no telling how long Vessina’s deceit would hold.
With that in mind, he got to his feet, only then recalling that he wasn’t alone.
He shifted his attention to Theoren and Melita only to find that the two were unconscious.
Perhaps, it was better this way.
He snapped his fingers, causing his shadow to move as though alive, after which three shadowed figures made an appearance.
The first was Humphrey, the second Charlotte and the third, Azazel.
Alex glanced at Azazel. "Did you manage to hand over the artifact before I passed out?"
I did. Unfortunately, I could not share more words with my brethren.
"That’s good." Alex nodded.
Then, he closed his eyes and snapped, seeking to locate the marker he had placed on Arwen.
Alas, he reckoned his worst fears had come to pass, going by how he was unable to find her.
He let out a deep sigh as his expression reflected his thoughts.
Yet another tremor and an explosion at which point cracks appeared on the walls of the basement.
Alex glanced at the cracks, noting that with a few more hits, the building would collapse.
"Come," Alex said. "There’s work to be done."
Then, he snapped and a moment later, they were gone.
"Lady Thera, you have returned!" One of the council members remarked in excitement as he rose to his feet, with several others following in his footsteps.
Thera acknowledged their greetings with a nod while making her place towards the seat of power that would usually be occupied by the Bookkeeper.
Upon taking her seat and assuming a most regal posture, she intoned. "I regret to inform you all that the Bookkeeper is no more. He died because he was stubborn, unwilling to accept our independence. Unfortunate, but necessary."
"Does this not mean that it won’t be long before we will have to face Scholastica?" One of the council members worriedly asked.
A few others appeared shaken as well, though the vast majority remained calm, patiently waiting for Thera to speak.
"Do not fret for once the ritual is completed and eternal life is achieved, my Patron shall ensure that no entity will threaten us. So, rest easy for we are safe."
"I see. Apologies, Councilwoman, I was worried for no reason."
"That’s fine. Your worries are not completely unfounded." Thera said with a warm smile. "Now then, all we have to do is wait for nighttime and the ritual can..."
The doors to the council hall swung open as an officer of the task force rushed in with a face filled with terror and a pair of lungs bereft of oxygen.
As he gasped for air, he dropped to his knees and choked on whatever it was he wished to say.
Naturally, his sudden appearance drew the ire of the majority as they lashed at him.
"What do you think you are doing barging in here ?"
As they insulted and berated the young man, Thera maintained her composure only for her expression to shift ever so slightly as she sensed something in the aether.
At the same time, the young officer managed to catch his breath long enough to say. "The city... the city..."
"Damn your ancestors, what happened to the city?"
"... The city is being enveloped by fog!" The officer belted out before dropping to the ground and fainting.
The silence that followed was deafening and it lingered for a few seconds before Thera broke it as she remarked.
"Fellow councilors, it would seem we might have to begin the ritual earlier than planned. Please, let us begin."
"But, it’s still daytime." One of the council members remarked.
"That, dear friend, can be easily fixed," Thera said as she pulled out a card and tossed it towards the roof.
Outside, there was an explosion of purple light after which an illusory clock appeared above the council hall.
The three hands, corresponding to second, minute, and hour, began to move fast, and at the same time, the light of the Lightbringer began to dim until finally, day was no more.