X X V I - [ D A E M O N ]

that the purpose of the Third Circle is to starve and thirst myself, but fortunately, the Circle can't exactly affect me since I've never really needed to eat or drink or even breathe. We demons feed off a source, yes, such as a single soul, but we can still go for days without it.

From what I've learned in the past couple of centuries, all you have to do in this level is to embrace death, so passing by this circle would easily be a walk in the park for me.

I stroll around this desert of a level, waiting to feel extreme fatigue or whatever the hell is supposed to make me feel like I'm in so much pain, I'd very much prefer death over staying alive in that state.

This level feels like a loop made for pure survival and torture—but let's be honest here, you'd have to scratch from the list of this circle's objectives.

When my throat starts to feel raw and my feet feel numb beyond compare, I drag my tired body to the nearest tree and lay beside it, ready to embrace death and get all this over with. I close my eyes and let go—it's as easy as that, really—and when I open my eyes again, I see a gate towering over me.

Smirking at how much of a breeze this circle's been, I enter the fourth gate with full confidence and eagerness; Hell's hell isn't that torturous after all.

anything, not really.

Either the level is made dark or there really isn't much to see here. I look around, prepared to face the "obstacle" of this level, but only to hear a familiar sound.

"Hello, Daemon. It's been quite a while."

My eyes widen at the recognition of the voice, and my jaws drop open as my eyes land at the demon who had spoken—my father.

For a moment I just stare at him in total incomprehension, because who on earth if they saw their ?

"Daemon?" He says again, this time with an eyebrow raised. "Son? You there?"

"What the fuck?" The three words unexpectedly spill out of my mouth, as if seeing my father once more really fucks me up—and it kind of does, to be honest.

"Language! Didn't I teach you better?" He chides, a not-so-mean scowl on his face. I stay silent, not really knowing whether to act guilty for being disrespectful to my father or act like I'm crazy and your who is is not talking to you.

A big grin breaks out from my father's faux-scowl and he opens his arms instead. "Oh who am I kidding? Come here, boy!"

Once again, I stay silent and still at the spot where I am standing. My face has been taut since the moment I saw my father, and a look of incredulity still lingers on my face.

Really, though. Isn't he supposed to be dead?

"Well come on, now. Don't leave your old man hanging." My father tries once more, but seeing that I'm not moving a single muscle whatsoever, he sighs and place his hands on his hips instead. "You know, your right hand took this better than how you are doing now."

I blink. "?"

"He speaks!" He shouts, throwing his arms into the air.

"Feia was here?" I ask, not knowing whether to trust him or not. Satan knows that he may be an imposter of sorts here to mess with me.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" He shrugs nonchalantly and shakes his head. "Why is it so hard for you to believe your own father?"

Now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow. He doesn't seem to get it at first, but then he makes an "o" with his mouth and raises both hands in the air, mock surrender. ", yes. My bad,I thought you that."

"Damn right, you did." I mutter and puff out a breath.

"I heard that!" He points at me then makes a cup of tea appear out of thin air. He takes a quick sip before asking, "Tea?"

I shake my head no. He shrugs again, as if saying, , and continues drinking from the porcelain cup.

I clear my throat. "Aren't you supposed to be ?"

My father spits out his drink, probably not expecting me to be so blunt. After coughing and pounding his chest to make it go away, he regains his composure and says, "Well yes, yes I am. But us demons weren't exactly alive to begin with, now, were we?"

"You know what I mean." I groan, wanting to get straight to the point and not waste anymore time than I already have—I need to get to Feia, and quick.

"Still an eager one, aren't you?"

I give him a bored look. "Are you going to explain anything to me , father? Otherwise, I'd rather be on my way; I left Bub in charge and I've got a feeling that I'll be regretting it." My eye twitches as I think of all the possibilities of what Bub might be doing right now.

"?" My father asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Confusion is evident on his face for a brief moment, but he quickly gets it and his face lights up immediately. "Oh, you mean Beelzebub, don't you? How is he, anyway?"

"Fine. Possibly deranged." I answer shortly. "Explanations?"

He sighs once more. "Maybe it would be better if your grandfather was here to help me explain, yes?"

I freeze. ?

"!" He calls out to no one in particular.

It's silent for a couple of seconds or so, but a figure appears beside him then and he takes a tiny step sidewards to give space for my grandfather.

"What now?" My grandfather grouchily asks as he scratches the back of his head. "I told you to sto—" He pauses as he realizes that someone else is in the room with them. Turning to me, his expression turns from irritated to a happy kind of surprise. "Daemon! What are doing here?" I open my mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupts me by continuing. "First your lover, now you! Does everyone have a death wish these days?"

"Feia is my—"

"Father, Daemon here wants to know why we're here."

"I see," My grandfather answers, nodding in understanding. "Well, Daemon, you know what happens to us Lucifers when we turn six hundred and sixty-six years old, right?"

"We turn to ash."

"Exactly. But what you don't know is that we get... somehow as guardians of this circle."

"So we're all damned to stay here ?" I ask, incredulous.

"Great power comes with a price, son." My father says, clasping my shoulder. "Ruling Hell is the perk that comes with being a Lucifer; staying here in your afterlife is the price."

I shake my head, feeling a tad bit angry for being born a Lucifer. "So what are you supposed to do here, really?"

"Well, upon rare occasions..." My grandfather starts, studying my face for any reaction. "We are here to ensure the decision of those who come in the Circle."

"Which is...?"

"Which is whether they are certain that they want to turn into a full demon." My fathers answers, staring down at the ground. "Don't you see, Daemon? The closer you get to the center of the Circle, the less human you become."

Realization hits me immediately. "So Feia—"

"She made her decision; she chose to continue further in the Circle." He nods, pursing his lips. "You've chosen quite a human, there."

I knew that Feia was determined to becoming my right hand, but I didn't think that she would go far in committing. I see that I've probably chosen the right person after all.

"When did she leave this Circle?"

"Oh, not too long ago." My grandfather says, waving me off. "If you leave now, you might even catch up with her. You a full demon already, so you shouldn't be facing that much of a test in the next Circle."

I nod, agreeing with him. "It's uh... Been nice seeing the two of you again, I guess, though I must say that I'm still a bit weirded out—"

My father shrugs, "Understandable—"

"—But I must be going now. I really do need to catch up with Feia."

"And why is that?" My grandfather asks, an eyebrow cocked in question.

"Mostly to make sure that she'll survive this place." I reassure them before adding, "Lilith challenged her to enter the Circle."

The two of them seem to completely understand the situation and simply mumbles under their breath, "Women." My father then makes a gesture with his hand, and a gate appears before us. "Go on, then."

I quickly nod at them before leaving for the Fifth Circle.

.