"My lord!" Eva sobbed in worship of the man who had seemingly appeared from the darkness.

Magnus had seen him before but this was Lucien's first time meeting Traxdart. He wouldn't have known who the man was if Eva hadn't lost her mind and cried out his title like an overwhelmed fan. They were all so focused on Traxdart's magnetic presence that they failed to notice a young boy waiting at the edge of the darkness.

So this was the demon emperor then? His prophesied husband. At least when it came to his looks, Lucien had nothing to complain about. Traxdart was a fairy tale prince that had stepped out of everyone's fantasies, and Lucien couldn't tear his gaze away from him.

"You are Lucien, aren't you?" The emperor asked in his deep silky voice.

"Who told you that?" The redhead replied after finding his voice. Magnus was quiet beside him, probably knowing that a single wrong move was going to get someone obliterated.

"Nobody," Traxdart said with an enigmatic smile. "I've been waiting so long to meet you."

Lucien gripped Magnus' fur when he heard a deep terrifying growl come from the panther. The fire mage knew he wasn't a match for Traxdart but he couldn't just stand by and let the man take Lucien away. Even at the cost of his death, Lucien had to be separated from the calamity that was threatening them.

"So have I!" The redhead blurted out when he saw Traxdart's gaze land on the panther. He discreetly pinched the skin on Magnus' side, hoping he would shut up and let Lucien talk them out of this mess.

"My lord," Eva fearfully called out to Traxdart. "This boy tried to kill me. He's a blood mage, my lord."

Lucien really regretted not killing her earlier.

"Did you provoke him?" Traxdart asked her. His words were said in a light tone but Eva began to shake in fear.

"My lord, he- he killed all the ghouls. Forgive me, emperor. He killed them all! I had to retaliate." Eva faced the ground as she stammered to explain what had happened. The redhead was favoured by the emperor, a fact she was finding out too late.

Traxdart sighed, a soft breath of regret. His attention was suddenly on something that none of them could see. A sudden and loud explosion ripped through the forest, far away from them, and Lucien began to fear the worst.

"Your friends are killing the trees," Traxdart told Lucien. "I'm afraid they'll soon be facing one of my generals bound to this plane. Eva, why was Juvan roused from sleep?"

"My lord, it is Theo who carries the scroll. I don't know why the general has been summoned." Eva was confused about many things including the reason that Traxdart had come to this location.

"Is Juvan very strong?" Lucien asked.

"Yes."

How could such a small word carry the weight of such heavy implications? His friends were in terrible danger and there was nothing he could do. Lucien was grasping at straws but he had to try something for the sake of the people he wanted to protect.

"My lord." Lucien's breath was composed. His voice was calm. "Please grant me a wish."

When the night breeze picked up, there was hardly a ruffle of Traxdart's silky midnight locks. He looked Lucien in the eye. For a quiet moment, they stood there, staring at each other till Traxdart broke the silence.

"You wish for me to let your friends live."

His stomach clenching, Lucien nodded.

"Granted." The emperor had his hands behind his back as he watched the redhead blink in disbelief.

"Really?" Lucien asked. Wasn't Traxdart a mad demon who lusted after violence and death?

"A day will come when you'll serve me, Lucien," Traxdart told him. "But for now, you have your wish, and your freedom. Go, find your companions and leave this place before I change my mind."

The redhead didn't have to be told twice. He released that he had been stuck in a surreal state of wishful thinking that maybe Traxdart wasn't the bad guy that everyone seemed to think he was. This was the demonic emperor who was responsible for the untold suffering and deaths that demons were spreading. As charming as he was, Traxdart was also poison.

"Goodbye," he told the silent emperor, hoping that this would be the last exchange they would ever have.

_________________

Magnus and Lucien followed the sounds of destruction that Sebastian was creating. Right above them, a whistling sound pierced the air and they saw a white flare that exploded in the sky.

Artemus had been found.

Heart pounding in his chest, Lucien turned behind him to see if they were being followed by anyone. The meeting with Traxdart had left Lucien shaken because he'd felt the emperor's power and cowered in its presence. Even Syryn feared Traxdart so who could stop the prophecy from unfolding? Lucien wasn't stupid enough to believe that he would ever get as powerful as Traxdart. He desperately wished for Red's presence in his mind, wished that Red would tell him what he was supposed to do.

_____

When Sebastian and Alka arrived at their designated gathering spot, they saw Artemus, exhausted but safe, and cradling a young girl who appeared asleep.

"A-mu!"

The anti mage smiled at his partner and the love of his life. He'd missed Sebastian. The mage's absence had been a deep ache that only stopped hurting when Sebastian was by his side.

"Big brother, who is she?" Alka asked Artemus as he pointed at the sleeping girl.

"Her name is Abigail, the only person I could save."Â

"She looks sick," Sebastian said after taking a look at her face.Â

"Fever. Alka, do you have anything for it?"Â

The plant mage nodded. "Give me a minute."

"Artemus, want me to hold the kid for a while?" Akida offered. From the way those two were looking at each other, the avian could tell that they needed some time together.

"Yeah, thank you," Artemus told the avian. It had been a real surprise when the anti mage had found Akida and not a Sanguine.

He handed Abigail over to the avian and was soon enveloped in a crushing embrace. Sebastian smelled like earth, leaves, and pine. His touch was a balm that soothed the anti-mage's frayed nerves.

"Let's not do this again," Sebastian murmured to him.

"Let's not," Artemus echoed back. He was going to hand over the intel he'd gathered, and then take a long overdue vacation from work. The anti mage then belatedly realised there was no work since he'd resigned from his duties. And that brought a smile to his face.