"Let's just hope it's neither the Celestial Supreme nor Prince Zain," Master Zuga said, setting his cup of tea down.
Seraphiel remained silent, his hands clenched into fists.
"Is that the only reason you came back?"
"I also need to train and prepare myself. This is the best place I could think of."
"I see," Master Zuga replied. "I heard Solara fell."
Seraphiel sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately, a man named Ryojin Kurohane attacked it."
"One man?" Master Zuga asked.
"Yeah. He's a member of the Abyssal Clan."
"I thought you dealt with those people," Zuga raised an eyebrow. "Are they back again?"
"No, it's just him. The Elite Five are still in hiding," he said, grinding his teeth. "If only I had finished him off when I had the chance, none of this would've happened."
"Then why didn't you finish him off?"
"The Celestial Supreme told me to cast him into the Nexus Abyss," Seraphiel said, lowering his head.
"So, you threw him into the Nexus Abyss," Master Zuga muttered. "Then how did he get out? Did he have a pact with a high-ranking spirit?"
"No, he didn't. I'm not sure how he escaped. He's not the first person we've thrown in there. Even demons don't return—they're consumed by the abyss."
"My question is, why do you throw criminals into the Nexus Abyss in the first place?" Master Zuga asked, his voice tinged with suspicion. "You already have the most secure prison here. And if you don't want to imprison them, why not execute them instead of tossing them into a wellspring of energy—the Nexus Abyss?"
Seraphiel fell silent, replaying Master Zuga's words in his mind.
"Why does the Celestial Supreme always insist on sending criminals to the Nexus Abyss?" he wondered, tapping his finger on the mat. "More importantly, when I offered to kill Ryojin, why did he refuse and tell me to throw him in instead?" He paused. "Then he told me to say it was my decision."
These questions echoed in Seraphiel's mind. He had no answer for the Celestial Supreme's strange behavior.
"Seraphiel!" Master Zuga's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Don't overthink it. Focus on the matter at hand."
Seraphiel nodded. Master Zuga was right. The most important thing now was finding the god in question.
"You're right, Master," Seraphiel admitted.
—
Elsewhere in the mortal realm, in the kingdom of Nefaria, the rain had finally stopped.
"That took forever," Kina said as she stepped out of the store. "Hey Rio, I think we should get going. It's getting dark."
Ryojin lifted the boxes and followed her. "Let's go."
They walked in silence. Kina led the way while Ryojin followed behind, lost in thought.
"A whole day wasted," he muttered, grinding his teeth. "And tomorrow might be the same. How can I figure out how this power works?"
Time was slipping away. Ryojin had to master his abilities soon. If the Celestial Order attacked before then, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"What if they strike after two weeks?" His face paled. "If that happens, I'll have no abyssal energy and they'll kill me easily." His breathing quickened. "No… they wouldn't do that. I hope not. If they do, it's over for me. Damn, why didn't I think of this sooner?" He glanced at Kina. "But if it came to that, should I… sacrifice someone to draw power from the Abyss again?"
He shook his head. "No, what am I thinking? I'm not a monster. I'm not part of the Abyssal Clan anymore. Even if I wanted to, it's pointless. I don't have a pact with a spirit. I can't even summon one. I just hope it doesn't come to that."
"You're quiet again," Kina said, breaking the silence. "Why are you always so quiet?"
"Just… thinking about what might happen tomorrow," he said, clearing his throat. "With that royal girl."
"You mean Francine?" she asked.
"I even forgot her name," he replied.
Kina stopped, a small smile forming on her lips. "Oh, did you? That's a surprise."
"Yeah, I did."
They arrived at the orphanage. It was now late evening, and night was approaching.
"We've finally arrived," Kina said cheerfully. "What a long day."
The outside of the orphanage was quiet. The children were likely inside.
"Where should I put these boxes?" Ryojin asked.
"Ah, put them in that storeroom," she said, pointing to a small hut to the left of the main house. "I'll be in the main house."
"Okay," Ryojin replied, walking toward the hut.
He set the boxes down and opened the door.
"This place is dark," he muttered as he lifted the boxes and stepped inside. Then he froze.
A small glowing stone floated in the dark, wrapped in a reddish aura, marked with strange patterns. He dropped the boxes and grabbed an axe hanging by the door. Steadying himself, he kept his eyes on the stone—it was moving toward him.
Just as he raised the axe, a voice boomed—not from behind him, but from where the stone floated.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Ryojin froze. The voice was that of a young boy. He blinked. The stone vanished—but the voice remained.
"Put down the axe. Are you trying to kill me?"
"Reveal yourself," Ryojin demanded.
A boy with curly brown hair stepped forward.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Ryojin's face filled with confusion. He reached out and touched the boy's shoulder—it was solid. Not an illusion.
He sighed and knelt. "Sorry. I thought it was a thief."
The boy didn't respond. He simply turned and walked out of the hut, his steps slow but steady.
Ryojin remained still for a moment, staring at the now-empty space where the glowing stone had floated. His heartbeat was still uneven. The air in the hut felt thick, like it remembered the presence of something not entirely of this world.
He finally stood up, brushing dust from his pants. His hand trembled slightly as he moved the boxes deeper into the room. "What the hell was that?" he muttered. "An illusion …? But that aura… something's off."
He walked out of the hut, his eyes drifting to the main house where the boy had gone.
"I think I saw that boy earlier this morning," Ryojin muttered to himself. " When I sensed that strange energy."
The orphanage lights were on now, casting a soft yellow glow through the windows. He could hear laughter from inside—Kina's voice mixed with the chatter of children. Everything seemed normal.
Ryojin let out a long breath and forced himself forward. "No more delays," he whispered. "I need to be ready."
With that, he stepped into the main house.