*FORBIDDEN MAGIC*

While they walked, Lisa's eyes lingered on their linked hands for a second before focusing back on the path ahead. The way they followed was quite different from the one that Theodore had taken her to, which consisted of those portraits.

'Oh the portraits!'

"On my way here last time, I saw some portraits, can we look at them?." She side glanced him and saw a frown register on his face. "Sometime?" She corrected, uncertain of what made him frown.

"Let's go there now" He suggested and pulled her to a different route entirely. It was a wonder on how he memorised this palace and still remembered it.

"But isn't Celestial waiting for us?" She asked him and saw him slow down for her to catch up with him.

'Well that was a first.'

"You need not fret, she is already informed."He reassured and she became confused.

"How?."

A corner of his lips pulled up and he replied"Telepathically."

"Cool.." She was getting more and more surprised by what Lucas could do.

Finally, they arrived at the portraits that hung on the wall and Lisa marveled at the beauty each one held.

A particular picture caught her attention and she noted that it was a drawing of a very handsome young man. Maybe around his late twenties, long brown hair that was tied in a low pony tail, clad in black, piercing black eyes and a tall stature. His beauty was a whole other level, he could even compete with Lucas. Though strangely, Lisa felt like the man in the picture was looking straight at her.

'How odd.'

"That is the devil." She heard Lucas say beside her and her brows shot up instantly.

She had heard about the devil in the human realm. He wasn't exactly liked there. They explained him as a liar, a deceiver, a tempter, an ugly monster. And here he was, in a picture looking like any other normal person.

"Don't be fooled by his appearance."Lucas warned her.

"Sure." She wasn't going to get tricked by his physical appearance. The devil was still the devil.

She and Lucas looked at other portraits and she noted that Lucas didn't put up any photos of when he was young. She would have loved to know how he looked like before.

Lisa moved on to the next portrait but noticed that Lucas wasn't with her anymore and was instead looking at a particular space on the wall.

"What's wrong?" Questioned Lisa.

"Something is missing." His eyes narrowed at the space considerately. Lucas knew that something was meant to be there but when he tried to think of it, his mind went completely blank. And he wasn't the type to forget things easily.

'This is fishy.'

"Let's go." He stated and without warning pulled her by her waist and teleported to the dungeon. Slowly but gently, he released her from his grip and in some way that action tugged a string in her heart.

"Have you checked him?" He strolled towards Celestial that just came out of the cell wearing a navy blue gown.

"Yes, it seems like he was manipulated." She cast a quick glance at him before continuing" They messed with his head."

Lucas hummed in approval, turning to Lisa and patted her head which didn't surprise her anymore.

"I need to go now little deer, but I promise I'll be back soon. I trust that Celestial will take good care of you." His last sentence wasn't a statement, but rather a warning that didn't go unnoticed by Celestial.

Lisa who didn't understand the depth of his last sentence pouted her face. Bringing her plump pink lips out and wetting it with her tongue. Lucas's expression darkened and he leaned in to steal a quick kiss from her.

Lisa's eyes widened but before she could open her mouth, Lucas vanished from the spot.

'Always so rude!'

Knowing that Celestial had just witnessed Lucas's shameless, her cheeks tainted pink but she immediately schooled her features and made her way to her brother, who was now in a different cage that looked cleaner than the last one.

"Lucas doesn't trust him yet." Celestial finally spoke, referring to her brother.

"Yes, looks like it." Lisa responded in a sad tone. He knew that her brother was innocent, so why was he still locked up in a cell like a prisoner?.

"Ah..I wanted to tell you." Celestial lightly smaked her head." Important parts of Alex's memories have been erased and another person's memories have been infused to replace them...all the answers lie in the past."

"W-what?" Lisa stuttered at the shocking revelation. Who would have done such a thing?. And how is her brother involved in all these mess. Wasn't it only her they wanted?. Or was there another reason?.

Also, the past

How on earth could the answers be in the past when she didn't even know what awaited for her in the future."Then is there a way to see the past?"

Celestial hesitated but decided to reveal the truth to her. Only half of it."There is a way we witches can do it. Unfortunately, I tried to, but there is something strong blocking the passage way. Whoever put that spell was a very powerful witch." She shuddered" A witch that tapped into the forbidden magic."

'Forbidden magic.' Lisa thought quizzically. For a place called the underworld, this place sure had a lot of rules. Wasn't forbidden magic meant to be like a norm around here?.

"Do you think it's my mother?." Reasoned Lisa even though she herself had trouble believing that theory.

Celestial didn't answer and was silently trying to fix the scrambled puzzle pieces in her head.

Lisa actually thought it was her mother because Alex had mentioned that she was kidnapped and if she was a witch then they needed her mother for something. Something that had to do with her. But the real question here was where the hell was her father!?.

All these years she hadn't received a single word from him and she had a lot of questions to ask him. Like, why did he leave his family?. Did he actually love them?. If her brother was a demon then did that make her father a demon too?.

She shook her head trying to rearrange her scrambled thoughts. This was too confusing. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

If she could wake up her brother, then he would tell them everything that happened.