"I know where that is," Lucifer said, already taking a step forward.
"Don't need it," Remu cut in flatly, lifting her hand.
With a flick of her fingers, she drew a glowing circle in the air. A soft hum followed, and a portal opened right in front of them—swirling, unstable, glowing faintly like ripples in a dark lake.
"I've got this. Learned it just yesterday," she added, a smug little grin tugging at her lips.
Everyone blinked.
That was advanced magic. The kind of spell that took months to even understand.
"Wait—you just learned this?" Mob asked, eyes wide.
"Yup," Remu popped the 'p' and smirked like it was no big deal.
Ken didn't care.
Without saying a word, he stepped into the portal like it was just another hallway. Gone in a blink.
Ella followed right behind him, barely sparing anyone a glance.
Remu looked over her shoulder, her expression shifting from smug to irritated. "Well? You guys coming or what? I can't hold this thing open forever."
Mob turned to Francisca. She hadn't moved. She was just staring at Lucifer.
"I'll be back, okay?" she said gently. "I promise I'll explain everything. But right now… she needs us."
Lucifer didn't reply. He just stared at her, quiet.
Francisca gave him a small smile, then disappeared into the portal with Mob.
"See you soon, puppy," Remu sneered with that familiar sadistic grin, winking before stepping through—and with a low crack, the portal collapsed in on itself.
Silence returned to the rooftop lounge.
Lucifer stood alone, jaw tight, fists clenched. His breath was shaky, chest rising and falling fast. His mind spun with too many questions and not enough answers.
"…Puppy, huh?" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
He turned and stormed off, pushing through the rooftop doors, heading for the car.
They wanted to keep secrets?
Fine.
But tonight, he was getting the truth.
No matter what it took.
Abandoned Industrial Zone
The air was cold. Silent.
Then—
A low, haunting howl echoed through the shadows, drifting across the cracked concrete and rusted steel.
Ken stepped out of the portal first, eyes narrowing. The others followed close behind.
"That's her," he said quietly, scanning the area. "But we need to be careful. I can smell others… a lot of them. Inside that building." He pointed toward a half-collapsed warehouse, its windows shattered, faint lights flickering inside.
Francisca stepped forward. Her hair lifted gently as heat pulsed around her.
"I'll handle them," she said.
Her eyes blazed fiery orange. Flames erupted around her body—blue, ghostly fire that didn't burn the ground. Her outfit shimmered and shifted, becoming sleek and battle-ready. Two glowing tails of pure foxfire flicked behind her, moving with grace. Her aura expanded like a wave of heat—intense, beautiful, dangerous.
Mob whistled low under his breath. "Still can't get used to that…"
Ella smirked, flashing sharp fangs. "Already a two-tail, huh? Guess our generation really is something else… well, except Angel, of course. Still can't control her transformation."
And then she vanished—just blurred out, gone in a heartbeat.
Ken gritted his teeth, staring in the direction Ella had gone. His jaw clenched, fists trembling—but he forced himself to calm down. He turned away, catching a stronger trace of his sister's scent in the opposite direction.
"I'm going this way," he muttered, and moved out like a shadow.
Mob glanced at Remu. "You good?"
Remu rolled her eyes. "I'm not helpless."
"Yeah, but your mana drops fast when you open two portals in a row," Mob said, already walking beside her. "You pass out, I'm not carrying you."
"Liar," she said with a small grin.
And with that, the two of them followed behind, disappearing into the darkness after their friends.
The night had only just begun.
Meanwhile...
Lucifer pulled up just outside the abandoned industrial zone, his eyes scanning the place like muscle memory. He didn't need a map. He knew this place better than anyone.
This was his escape.
The quiet place he always came to when everything got too loud.
He never really knew why… but this broken-down zone felt like home.
He slipped through the side entrance, boots crunching on gravel, and headed for the old stairwell. The metal creaked under his steps as he climbed, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded.
"I swear… if I don't get answers tonight…" he muttered, breath fogging in the night air.
He reached the top, pushing open the rusted door to his favorite spot.
And then—
He froze.
Standing just a few feet away, bathed in moonlight, was a towering wolf.
Six feet tall.
Bipedal.
Muscles rippled under thick silver-gray fur. Its claws gleamed like knives. Its eyes—glowing an eerie, electric blue—locked onto him the second he stepped in.
A low, guttural growl echoed through the room, shaking the metal walls. The beast didn't move. Didn't blink.
Lucifer's breath caught in his throat.
"…Angel?"
The wolf's ears twitched. But the growling only got deeper.
Somewhere else in the zone…
BAM!
Ken kicked a rusted door clean off its hinges, the metal slamming against the wall with a loud clang. Dust floated in the stale air, thick and heavy.
His eyes scanned the dim room—and his heart sank.
"Angel!"
There she was.
Lying in the middle of the cracked concrete floor—naked, bruised, bleeding.
Her skin, usually glowing with a soft bronze tone, was now pale, scratched, and smeared with dirt and blood. Silver strands of hair clung to her face, damp with sweat. Her body trembled slightly, covered in old scars and fresh claw marks.
She looked fragile. Nothing like the strong, wild sister he knew.
Ken rushed to her, his boots skidding slightly. But he stopped mid-run when he noticed the wall to the right—completely shattered, like someone had been launched through it with terrifying force. Chunks of concrete lay everywhere.
He turned back to Angel, kneeling beside her.
"Hey, I got you," he said softly, gently lifting her into his arms.
Her eyes fluttered weakly.
"…There's… another one…" she whispered, voice barely audible. "Still… here…"
And then, she passed out.
Ken's blood ran cold. His jaw clenched.
Another werewolf?
Strong enough to do this to Angel?
"…Shit."
He stood up, cradling her carefully, his eyes flashing blue.
"I need to warn the others—now."
And with that, he vanished—blasting out of the building in a blur of supernatural speed, nothing but a streak of motion in the moonlit night.