PREVIOUSLY...
Mr. Choi reveals his true identity as he was...
"Lucifer is back," Cristine said.
The Continuation...
Inside the White Dove hideout, the various races gathered to discuss the looming return of darkness. The air was thick with tension.
"We were all deceived," Meriam declared. She hailed from the Aswang clan—a group that had long since abandoned their old ways to join the White Dove. "It isn't the fault of Cristine or Calista's son. We must admit that none of us realized the wealthy businessman I met was actually the Lucifer we've been hunting."
"My sister is right; we have to find a solution to this," Guada added. Her mentor, Meryl, stood silently by her side, representing the witches of the south-central regions.
"Enough of this pointless bickering," a sharp voice interrupted. The group turned to see Catherine and her grandmother, Nana Esther, stepping into the center of the discussion.
"Guada is right. Conflict among ourselves won't help; we need a plan," Esther said firmly.
Before anyone could respond, a mysterious figure shimmered into existence. The council fell silent as the creature, draped in a hooded white robe, looked around the room. "What is the council's plan?" it hissed.
"We are preparing the three foxes and the Sigbinan," Catherine replied, her voice steady despite the pressure.
"You are the leader of the witches now," the hooded figure said, its voice echoing. "Ensure your plan succeeds, or this world will fall to ruin." As quickly as it had appeared, the creature vanished into thin air.
Meriam broke the silence with a faint, challenging smile. "It looks like the young witch leader has something to prove to the council. Good luck, Catherine."
"If you need help, Ate Cath, you know where to find me," Guada offered kindly.
"S-sure. Thank you," Catherine replied, offering the younger witch a grateful smile.
Nana Esther placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know you can do it, apo."
THE RITUAL OF TIME
Flashback: The Beginning...
"If Mom was right, we need to uncover exactly what happened in the past," Ethan said, his voice grim.
Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're sure you can actually pull this off?"
Ethan offered a confident smirk. "It seems you underestimate me, Mr. Baekhyun Choi. Allow me to demonstrate."
Without another word, Ethan knelt. With precise, fluid movements, he began tracing lines into the dirt, his fingers moving with unnatural speed until a complex, glowing sigil took shape on the ground.
"The Sigil of Time Travel," Kaito whispered, leaning in. "How did you master this? It takes most witches years of study just to draw the geometry correctly."
"No wonder," Zac remarked, watching Ethan with newfound respect. "He is the Sigbinan, after all."
"Everyone, take a step back, please..." Ethan commanded. Standing at the center of his creation, he began to channel his energy. The sigil began to pulse with a low, rhythmic light.
"He learned that spell in a single hour after Catherine explained it to him," Akihiko noted, impressed.
Kaito nudged Baekhyun playfully. "Your boyfriend is pretty talented, bro."
"Don't touch me," Baekhyun snapped, though his eyes remained fixed on Ethan.
"Guys, quiet please," Ethan murmured, closing his eyes. He began the incantation, his voice deepening as he spoke the ancient tongue:
"Anoíxte mou tin pýli kai afíste me na epistrépso sto parelthón... Anoíxte mou tin pýli kai afíste me na epistrépso sto parelthón... Anoíxte mou tin pýli kai afíste me na epistrépso sto parelthón!"
The air suddenly turned frigid. A violent gust of wind whipped through the clearing, and behind them, the fabric of reality seemed to tear open, revealing a swirling, golden portal.
"The gate is ready. Let's go," Ethan said, sweat beading on his forehead from the effort.
"Are you sure about this, E?" Akihiko asked, glancing at the shimmering rift.
"I'm sure. Trust me." Ethan flashed a reassuring smile at his colleague.
Kaito and Zac were the first to leap through the threshold, disappearing into the light. Jasmine moved to follow but hesitated at the edge. Her thoughts drifted to her friend.
"I'll wait for Catherine," Jasmine decided, stepping back. "She needs to know what we're doing. You guys go ahead."
"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Ethan asked, pausing at the mouth of the portal.
"I'm sure. Now go, before the gate closes!" Jasmine urged.
With a final nod, Ethan and the others stepped into the swirling light, vanishing into the depths of time.
The Archives of the White Dove
Deep within the White Dove archives, Calista sifted through weathered scrolls. A soft footfall echoed behind her. She turned, her eyes widening as she recognized the woman approaching.
"How are you, my niece?" Cristine asked warmly. Calista didn't hesitate; she threw her arms around the older woman.
"Auntie," Calista whispered into the embrace. Pulling back, she looked at Cristine with awe. "Mama Rizah has been gone a long time... and the stories are true. You really are immortal. You haven't aged a day. You look exactly like the photograph I saw twenty years ago!"
A shadow of guilt crossed Cristine's face. "I am deeply sorry I couldn't attend your mother's funeral. Once the Bellators discovered my origin, we feared they would use me to trigger the final chaos. I had to stay hidden."
"Don't worry, Mom understood," Calista reassured her. "But I've always wondered... did Kuya Zanjo ever accept the immortality you offered him?"
Cristine gave a bittersweet smile. "No. But I know in time, I will see them all again. Regardless, I know why you are here. I can help you with your research on our true enemy."
"Lucifer," Calista said, the name tasting like lead.
The Ripples of Time
Meanwhile, Ethan, Aki, Baekhyun, Kaito, and Zac tumbled through the temporal rift. Before they could find their bearings, the air shimmered, and a towering figure blocked their path.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, hand moving toward his sigils.
"I am Bangun Bangun," the deity declared, his voice resonating like a ticking clock. "The regulator of cosmic movement and universal time. Listen well: do not interfere with the threads of the past. To change what was is to destroy what will be." With that stern warning, the deity dissolved into the ether.
Moments later, the group arrived at the edge of a battlefield. They watched in horror as a young man—a younger version of Mr. Choi—fell under the blades of Japanese soldiers.
"Where are we?" Kaito asked, shivering.
"Korea," Ethan whispered.
"The Imjin War," Baekhyun added, his eyes scanning the architecture. "The clothes we're wearing... they're from the late 16th century. We are in the Joseon Dynasty, in the capital of Hanyang—what we now call Seoul."
"Wait," Akihiko stammered. "If his grandfather was killed here in the 1590s, how was he alive in 2020? That would make him over four hundred years old."
"Maybe he was an immortal?" Kaito suggested.
"Look!" Zac pointed. A thick, oily black smoke began to slither across the snow, coiling around the lifeless body of the young man. It seeped into his wounds, and the 'corpse' suddenly gasped, its eyes snapping open with a hellish light.
"That's Lucifer," Akihiko breathed. "He didn't just survive; he was possessed."
"It's all connected," Ethan realized, his mind racing. "The history of our nations—Korea, Japan, the Philippines—Lucifer has been weaving himself into our conflicts for centuries. This wasn't an accident. It was a plan."
The Encounter
The scene shifted abruptly, the cold intensifying as snow began to fall. They found themselves standing in a quiet alleyway where a man—the newly revived Mr. Choi—was walking toward them.
"I am so sorry," the man said, startled by their presence. "What are you doing out here in the storm?"
Ethan and his friends froze, the cold biting through their thin layers.
"Seonsaengnim," Baekhyun stepped forward, his Korean perfect and respectful. "Jeohuineun i nala-eseo gwangwang-gaeg-euloseo gil-eul ilh-eun deushabnida. Hotel-eul chajgo issseubnida..." (Sir, we are travelers who have lost our way. We are seeking shelter.)
The man's expression softened. "You look exhausted. Come, follow me to my small restaurant. My wife and I will prepare some warm food for you. It is far too cold to be outside."
"Wait, Mister," Ethan asked as they began to walk. "What is your name?"
The man opened his mouth to answer, but Baekhyun spoke first, his voice heavy with hidden meaning. "Joseon."
The man laughed, impressed. "You're a good guesser! That is indeed my name."
Kaito and Aki shared a nervous smile. Beside them, Ethan reached out and gently took Baekhyun's hand, offering a squeeze of support.
"I love ramen!" Zac added quickly, grabbing Joseon's arm with forced cheer to hide their tension. "I've been dying to try some!"
"Then follow me," Joseon smiled. "I'm sure my wife will be happy to meet you all."
Back in the present, the dim light of the White Dove archive flickered as Calista and Cristine poured over an ancient, leather-bound tome. Calista's finger stopped on a particular illustration—a grotesque drawing of a human body being unmade from the within.
"The Vessel," Calista whispered, her voice trembling. The image showed a man possessed by a shadow, his eyes turned into voids. It was the same darkness they had seen in their visions.
The CEO's Office
In the gleaming penthouse office of the Choi Corporation, Jin Ae sat behind her new desk. As the CEO, she was used to being the most powerful person in the room—until the door clicked open.
A man stepped inside. His appearance had changed—he looked younger, more vibrant, his skin glowing with an eerie health—but his eyes were unmistakable.
"Grandpa?" Jin Ae gasped, rising from her chair. "How... how did you get in here?" Her heart hammered against her ribs. "I placed protection seals on every entrance to this building. No spirit should be able to pass them."
Joseon smiled, and the expression didn't reach his cold, dark eyes.
"How did I bypass your little charms?" he mused, walking toward her with predatory grace. "You have no idea how long I have walked this earth, my granddaughter. Every 'anti-demon' trick you can conceive of, I have already seen fail. I have outlived the civilizations that invented them."
Jin Ae backed away, her hands gripping the edge of her desk. "Why are you here?"
"I am not here to frighten you, Jin Ae. In fact, I have come with an offer—one only a grandfather could make," Joseon said, his voice dropping to a smooth, persuasive purr.
"What kind of offer?"
Joseon leaned over the desk, his presence overwhelming the room. "You've always craved power, haven't you? Real power. Not just stocks and boardrooms, but the kind of strength that bends the world to your will. Help me with my plan, and it's yours."
Jin Ae swallowed hard, her ambition warring with her fear. "What plan?"
Joseon's smile widened, revealing a glimpse of the abyss within. "The Apocalypse."
TO BE CONTINUED...