The night was thick with tension, heavier than the usual weight of cursed air that hung over the demons' training grounds. Lightning crackled somewhere far off, low and rumbling, like Hell itself was restless.
Jarvis didn't forget Zyren's prayer—not for a second. She was smiling during training, yes, but it wasn't her usual thrill-seeking, soul-starving grin. This one was quiet, coiled. Watching. Calculating.
After they finished, she didn't go home with them. Instead, she waited until Jaceon was alone, leaning against the back alley wall of their apartment complex. The flicker of the neon sign above them cast a red glow across his face—fitting, for someone who belonged more in shadows than light.
She approached casually, her arms folded, and leaned beside him.
"We've got a problem," she said.
Jaceon barely looked at her. "We always do."
"No," she whispered, "This one's rotting from the inside. It's Zyren."
That caught Jaceon's attention. He turned to her, one brow raised. Pretending he doesn't already know that.
Jarvis leaned closer, eyes narrowed. "He's praying."
Jaceon blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. The Lord's Prayer. Before training. Like he's prepping for church, not war."
Jaceon exhaled slowly, jaw tightening.
"You sure?"
"Jaceon, he said it word for word. I asked him if he knows any demons in heaven. You know what he did? He flinched. The boy's got hope. You know what that means?"
"That he's an idiot," Jaceon muttered.
"No," she said, her voice sharper now. "That he's dangerous. That kind of thinking spreads like a virus. What if he starts talking to humans? What if he breaks? What if he's planning something holy? We're supposed to be corrupting souls, not converting ourselves."
Jaceon didn't respond right away. He stared out at the night, lips pressed together. Then finally, "I'll handle it."
"You better," Jarvis said darkly. "Because if you don't, I will. And unlike you, I won't be so merciful."
She disappeared into the shadows like smoke.
But what neither of them realized… was that they weren't alone.
Just around the corner, a figure stood pressed against the wall, heart pounding so loud he thought it would give him away.
Levi.
He had only come to see Jaceon. He missed him. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. He didn't even understand at first. But when he heard Jarvis say "The Lord's Prayer" and "Zyren" in the same breath… his curiosity sharpened into suspicion.
He stepped back slowly, quietly, before running back to his car, mind racing with questions he never thought he'd have to ask.
Why would they have problem with it ?
And what were Jaceon and Jarvis going to do to him?