Chapter 7
The morning alarm blared, echoing through the bedroom like a relentless siren. But it was pointless. The person it was meant to wake hadn't closed her eyes for even a second.
Selena lay on her bed, stiff as a board, her mind looping the horrific events of last night like a cursed record she couldn't shut off. The memory of Raziel's brutal slaughter of the assassins replayed with chilling clarity—the way their screams filled the air, their flesh igniting in unnatural flames as if hell itself had come to claim them. The smell of burning flesh still lingered in her nostrils. And those eyes.
Those inhuman, blood-red eyes that gleamed like molten lava as he uttered those spine-chilling words.
"A demon."
Selena hugged her pillow tighter, swallowing hard. He couldn't be… could he?
She had never believed in demons. To her, they were nothing more than myths, twisted bedtime tales meant to frighten children into behaving. But what she saw last night was something beyond human. No ordinary man could incinerate a person alive with nothing but sheer will. No ordinary man could move with such terrifying speed, striking like a phantom before his enemies even realized they were dead.
Heart pounding, she grabbed her phone, fingers trembling slightly as she typed into the search bar:
"What do demons look like?"
Images filled the screen—grotesque monsters with razor-sharp fangs, enormous black horns curling from their skulls, glowing eyes filled with malevolence, and monstrous tails that screamed destruction.
Selena swallowed again and peeked through the curtains, her breath hitching as she caught sight of him.
There he was. Sitting leisurely in her living room, draped across the couch as if he owned the place.
But… he wasn't anything like the monsters in her search results.
No horns. No scales. No monstrous tail.
Instead, he was devastatingly handsome—too perfect, too otherworldly, as if sculpted by a divine hand. His sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and effortless grace made him look more like a fallen angel than a hellspawn. If this was a demon, then the underworld must be recruiting from the modeling industry.
Selena squeezed her temples.
Am I losing my mind?
She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and marched downstairs. If she wanted answers, there was only one way to get them.
The moment she reached the bottom step, she found herself staring at him again. But this time, not with fear.
With curiosity.
Her gaze traced his every movement—the way he casually sipped his coffee, his every gesture exuding a careless elegance that made her want to grab him by the collar and demand to know what he was.
Raziel finally looked up, arching a brow.
"Human, what is it?"
Selena hesitated before blurting, "Are you really a demon?"
His expression didn't change. But something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable, something ancient.
And then, with an exasperated sigh, he muttered, "Why are you such a headache?"
Before she could react, the world around her blurred.
In the blink of an eye, her feet were no longer on solid ground.
Cold wind howled past her ears as she found herself standing on the edge of a mountain peak, the ground beneath her nothing but jagged rock.
Her stomach dropped.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Selena shrieked, arms flailing as she realized just how high they were. Clouds drifted beneath them, the city below looking like a tiny speck of dust.
Raziel stood beside her, hands in his pockets, completely unaffected by the dizzying altitude.
"You wanted proof," he said nonchalantly. "Here it is."
Selena's breath hitched. She turned her head slowly, the truth dawning on her like a sledgehammer to the chest.
This wasn't possible. No human could do this. No human could teleport to the peak of a mountain in the span of a second.
He really wasn't human.
Her legs wobbled, panic surging through her veins.
Then—her foot slipped.
Gravity seized her, yanking her down with terrifying speed.
Her scream tore through the air as she plummeted, wind slamming against her body.
Her mind raced. I'm going to die.
She clenched her fists, rage and despair mixing into a toxic storm inside her. So he saved me just to kill me?
To think I actually thought—
But before the thought could finish, the sensation of falling vanished.
Softness engulfed her.
She blinked, breath ragged, heart hammering inside her chest.
She wasn't splattered on the rocks below. She wasn't even outside.
She was back in her living room.
Sitting safely on her couch.
Her entire body shook as she touched herself, making sure she was still intact. Everything felt real. Her arms. Her legs. Her heart still pounding in terror.
Raziel, now seated once again, calmly sipped his coffee, not even sparing her a glance.
Selena's eye twitched. This bastard…
"DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME?!" she shrieked.
He finally looked at her, his expression completely indifferent.
"You look alive."
Selena was about to launch into another tirade when her phone suddenly rang.
She checked the caller ID. It was Lilly.
Her stomach twisted.
Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the call. "Lilly? What's wrong?"
Lilly's voice came through, worried. "You need to come to the hospital. There's a problem."
Selena's blood ran cold. "Are you okay?"
"I am," Lilly answered quickly. "But... you're not."
Confusion shot through her. "What do you mean?"
Lilly hesitated before whispering, "Just come. You need to see this for yourself."
Selena wasted no time. She threw on a coat and rushed to the hospital, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
The moment she arrived, she saw it.
A crowd of doctors, nurses, and even patients huddled together, watching something on a phone screen.
The instant they noticed her, they burst into laughter.
Selena's stomach dropped.
Lilly rushed to her, an apologetic expression on her face. Without a word, she held up her phone and played a video.
The moment the video started, Selena knew she was doomed.
It was last night. The dance.
The part where all the couples kissed.
The part where she and Raziel didn't.
The entire ballroom had been watching, waiting for their moment. Then Raziel's voice played through the speakers:
"Do you expect me to kiss you?"
"That's disgusting."
The crowd's laughter exploded, filling the ballroom—and now, the hospital.
The video ended with a humiliating headline plastered across the screen:
"Rejection Level: LEGENDARY. Poor Selena, this one HURTS."
Selena froze.
Her face burned.
She looked around and saw everyone watching her, grinning, whispering, and smirking.
A familiar voice spoke up.
"Dr. Vale, how did this happen?"
Selena turned, gritting her teeth as she saw Liana, one of her most envious rivals. The woman's smirk was too smug.
"I mean, to think someone as great as you was begging for a kiss. Sounds like a fantasy story, doesn't it?"
Laughter erupted.
Selena clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.
She wanted to disappear.
She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself inside it.
And above all else—
She wanted to KILL RAZIEL.
But before she could reply to Liana's taunt...
A collective hush washed over the hallway like a silent wave crashing into the hospital's chaos. Every head turned toward the glass doors as they slid open with a soft hiss, and the air itself seemed to pause.
A man entered.
Tall.
His obsidian-black hair shimmered like liquid night under the hospital's fluorescent lighting. His eyes, deep pools of allure, held a calm that defied understanding—like ancient stars watching over a world that had long since forgotten them. His face was sculpted with an elegance that didn't belong in a place like this. Every feature was chiseled, yet soft. Beautiful, yet terrifying.
He wasn't walking—he was gliding. As if gravity dared not touch him.
A nurse dropped her clipboard. Another one fumbled her pen. And every woman within sight—nurses, patients, and even the once-confident Liana—blushed as if they were under a spell.
"Wait… isn't that the guy in the video?" one nurse whispered in awe.
"Now that you mention it… it is him!"
"Do you think… he came here to humiliate Dr. Vale even more?" another muttered, eyes wide with dread and anticipation.
Selena, head still bowed in shame, wanted to disappear. Her breath hitched. Her ears rang. Her body stiffened as her humiliation returned tenfold.
But before she could even look up—
"Hello," Liana's voice purred as she materialized in front of the stranger like a moth to divine flame. "My name is Liana. I would love to—"
She blinked.
He was gone.
The man she had tried to seduce vanished in a blur—and was now standing beside the one woman who least wanted the spotlight.
Selena.
She slowly raised her eyes, trembling. She couldn't believe it.
Raziel.
The man—the demon—the reason she almost died this morning. The same reason she was the laughingstock of the entire hospital. And yet here he was… standing beside her like a protective shadow.
He knelt slightly, taking her hand like a gentleman from another era.
"Are you okay, love?" he asked softly, his voice wrapped in concern.
Selena's brain short-circuited. Love?
She stared at him, wide-eyed. Her mouth opened but no words came out. Every bone in her body wanted to scream at him, kick him, curse him. But…
Instead, she nodded.
"Yes," she whispered. "I'm okay…"
He smiled faintly. "Good. Let's go."
And just like that, he slid his arm around her shoulders with effortless confidence and began leading her away like she was royalty. The crowd parted. A thousand eyes stared. Murmurs flooded the hall.
"Are you really her boyfriend?" a young man asked incredulously.
"No, he has to be an actor…"
"Wait, is he a prince? Or a CEO? Or—what is he?!"
Raziel turned his head ever so slightly.
"Yes," he answered with a smile, "you could say that."
"Dr. Vale, is that true?" someone called out.
Selena opened her mouth… but again, found herself nodding. "Y-Yes… he is."
I can't exactly tell them he's a demon who teleports and burn people, she thought desperately. I'll be locked up before lunch.
They finally broke free from the attention and entered her office. The door clicked shut behind them.
Selena rounded on him, fury barely contained. "What the hell was that out there?!"
Raziel was already lounging in her chair like a spoiled prince, legs crossed, sipping the same coffee she never figured out where he usually get it from.
"I saved you," he said lazily. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
"You saved me?! YOU caused all of this! If anything, you owe me a lifetime of therapy!"
"Yet here we are," he said with an infuriating smirk. "You're alive. Your reputation still good. And you? Breathing."
Selena exhaled sharply, fingers rubbing her temple.
"Okay, okay… just… what do you want, Raziel?"
His eyes sharpened. The playful arrogance faded. "The Angro Crystal."
She blinked. "That crystal, So… if I give it to you, you'll leave me alone?"
He nodded. "You have my word. You'll never see me again."
"Perfect." She stormed toward the hallway. "Follow me."
They arrived at the hospital's storage wing—dim, quiet, sterile. Selena walked to a secured drawer and input a simple code. Raziel watched, visibly unimpressed by human security.
She pulled it open.
It was empty.
"No…" she whispered. "It was right here! I swear, I placed it here that night!"
Raziel's eyes narrowed. His gaze sharpened like blades.
"You reckless human," he growled.
His aura erupted like an inferno due to his anger, slamming into Selena's chest like a battering ram. Her knees buckled.
His eyes blazed red—no longer beautiful, but demonic. His hand transformed into a dark claw.
"I should end you for this."
He raised it.
Selena froze, breath caught in her throat. "W-Wait—Raziel, please—!"
His claw fell.
She shut her eyes tightly—
And felt…
Nothing.
When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.
Her body collapsed to the floor, weak from shock. Cold sweat drenched her clothes. Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
"I… I would've died," she whispered. "I should have died…"
She held her chest, gasping. "He's a demon… He really is…"
---
Elsewhere…
Raziel sat alone on a park bench, watching children play under the morning sun. His black overcoat fluttered in the wind. Birds chirped. The scent of flowers filled the air. But his mind was filled with chaos.
His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.
"She's reckless. Foolish. She deserved punishment…" he muttered, remembering her terrified face, that quiver in her voice. "So why… why couldn't I do it?"
He didn't understand. Something within him cracked in that moment. The rage vanished. Pity…? No. Weakness?
He was still thinking when a voice cut through his thoughts.
"What's a grown-up man doing sitting alone here?"
He looked down.
A little boy stood beside him, cheeks puffed with chocolate, staring curiously.
"You dare speak to me like that, human child?"
"Of course," the boy said with a grin. "You look like someone who lost everything."
Raziel stared.
Lost everything…
His thoughts echoed in silence.
"No," he said slowly, his eyes glowing faintly.
"Not yet. I haven't lost everything…"
"There is still some time before the throne can be ascended."
"You look like you've got a stick up your butt," the kid said bluntly.
Raziel's fingers flexed.
"I'm a powerful Demon Prince capable of reducing humans like you to ashes in an instant," he said coolly, not even opening his eyes.
The child blinked.
"Then why don't you do something cool? Like... help her."
He pointed lazily across the field.
Raziel followed his gaze and saw a tall, stunning woman dressed in elegant gray silk walking with five suited bodyguards. Her steps were purposeful, heels clicking with determination, her eyes locked on the horizon like she had no time for nonsense.
Raziel scoffed. "Why should I?"
The kid didn't back down. "Because she's about to be in trouble. This is Songong Gang territory. This gangs don't like grown-ups walking through their turf like they own it."
Raziel frowned. "Songong… what kind of name is that?"
"A stupid one. But they're strong. Really strong."
As if summoned by a divine narrator, six figures emerged from behind a broken fountain. They wore colorful, mismatched clown costumes—green pants, red jackets, painted faces—but their muscular bodies and confident strides made it clear: they weren't here for jokes.
The woman and her guards slowed as the clowns blocked their path.
"Do you think you can walk through here like it's your garden?" the leader snarled, his face painted with a permanent, cruel grin.
The woman didn't even look at him. She lifted her hand and flicked a finger.
One of her guards—a hulking, muscular man—stepped forward. Confident. Calm.
He didn't make it past two steps.
CRACK!
A blur of motion.
A kick landed squarely in the bodyguard's chest, launching him like a missile. He flew back ten meters and landed with a sickening thud. Unconscious.
The other guards froze, panic tightening in their throats.
"W-What was that!?" one gasped. "He's the strongest among us!"
"What are you doing?! Attack them!" the woman barked.
But it was too late.
The rest of her guards charged in desperation—only to be dismantled in seconds. The clowns moved like trained assassins, their movements precise, cruel, and full of flair.
Moments later, five broken men lay in the dirt.
The woman clenched her fists.
"What a bunch of useless bodyguards! And my brother called you 'reliable'?!"
One of the clowns chuckled darkly. "Pretty little thing… Now it's your turn."
He stepped forward and raised his leg to strike her—
"LOOK HEEEEEREEEEEEEEEEEE!!"
A tiny voice pierced the air like a sword of comedy and courage. Everyone paused, even the clown's foot froze in mid-air.
All heads turned.
On top of a bench stood the same small boy, arms spread wide like a magician about to announce a grand finale. Beside him, still seated, eyes closed, was Raziel.
"Since when do kids do stand-up comedy?" muttered one of the clowns.
The leader growled, "We don't mess with brats. Go play in the dirt, kid."
The boy grinned wickedly. "You guys think you're strong? You've got nothing. NOTHING! This guy right here—he's the Great Demon Prince of the Underworld! He's going to DESTROY you with his mighty powers!"
Raziel didn't react.
The clowns stared.
"…Is the kid mentally okay?"
The boy turned to Raziel, his smile still on his face.
"You said you're a prince. That you haven't lost everything. Then prove it."
He paused.
"If you sit there and let them hurt someone innocent… you've already lost your honour. And your glory."
That struck deep.
Raziel's fingers twitched.
He opened one eye.
Then snorted softly and stood, dusting off his coat.
His presence changed instantly.
The wind grew heavier.
He walked forward slowly.
Step by step.
"Okay…"
Another step. The ground cracked beneath his foot.
"I…"
Another step.
"Will…"
A sudden silence swept the field.
"Show…"
Another step.
"You…"
Another step.
"How…"
Another step.
"A REAL…"
He stopped just meters away from the gang.
"WARRIOR FIGHTS."
---
To be continued.