The stars shone bright overhead, casting their light upon the world below while the leaves rustled in the slow breeze, creating a natural symphony. Combined, they formed a most exquisite exhibit of the world's wonders. Felix stood at the front row of this natural spectacle, perched upon a roof at the peak of a majestic tree.

He reclined back on the rugged surface, hands behind his head with his gaze locked upwards. To his side was a small jug of liquor. The alcohol was more potent than what he was used to, but this was precisely what he needed at this moment.

He brought the jug to his lips, moistening his mouth with the sweet substance. The liquid burned as it flowed down his throat, yet not even its sweetness could overpower the bitterness in his heart. He sighed as he lost himself in the vastness of the world above.

“There you are,” a voice resonated on the ground level before a small head of emerald peaked over the roof’s edge. Felix only glanced from the corner of his eye, yet his gaze didn’t linger for more than a few moments. Felix remained silent, not deigning to respond. He only took another gulp of this medicine for the soul.

"Drowning your sorrows, aren't we? I wouldn't have pegged you for the sentimental type," Sofia said as she sat beside him, snatching the jug from his hand. She then took a large mouthful but regretted it soon after. Once she stopped coughing, Sofia noticed the slight smile on the corner of Felix's lips and could only scoff.

“What are you thinking about so intently?” she finally asked, yet she still couldn’t bring herself to mention the real reason she was up here.

“Have you ever felt something was missing when looking at the night sky?" Felix asked after a moment of silence.

“You're never going to give me a straight answer, are you?" she muttered before adding in a slightly louder tone, "Never... I never had the luxury to daydream about such pointless things.”

“A shame... There are so many things worth daydreaming about.”

Sofia humphed at the limit of her patience, yet she couldn't help but ask, "What about you? What do you think is missing?"

"A moon," he said softly. "Three, to be precise."

"Again, with that word. What is that supposed to be?"

“A celestial object.”

Sofia was stunned.

“You mean... like the sun?”

“Somewhat, but also different. Dimmer for one.”

“Aren’t those stars? What’s the big deal?”

"Except they don't produce their own light and are quite bigger than stars.”

“How can you see them, then?” Sofia asked, perplexed. She wondered where Felix was going with all this.

“Who knows?” Felix said with a slight smile. “Isn’t that what makes it so wonderful? The unknown makes life more interesting, and seeking answers gives us purpose.”

To her side, Felix explained all this with an almost childlike glee. She had never seen him marvel at anything. He always seemed so calm and composed, as if he already knew everything.

“How would you even know what moons are, to begin with?" she asked, noticing the loophole in his words. There was no such thing in the sky, yet that word seemed to be everywhere these days, like that Witch of the Crimson Moon.

“There may not be anything in the sky now, but there used to be. Although I'm sure almost no records of it still remain since that time predates even the Age of Myths.”

"What could have happened to make such things disappear?" she asked to keep the conversation going. She didn't believe in what he was talking about, but Felix wasn't talkative. Just getting something out of him was already a great victory.

“There was a war... a most terrible war. A war between Gods and Devils,” he said after a moment of silence, yet Sofia interrupted him.

“Quite the cliche introduction. It’s always a war, isn’t it?”

“Life breeds conflict,” Felix said with a slight smile. “The same remains true for even the highest of existences.”

“What were they fighting about?”

“Who knows? Probably over some petty grievances. Isn’t that always the case? Still, the war was so destructive that the earth shattered from their might.”

“Wait. The earth shattered? Really? I find that hard to believe.”

“Ever heard of the Depths of Arham?”

Sofia shrugged.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“A massive trench in the Chura Desert to the south. Nobody has ever seen the bottom of it; at least nobody alive ever made it back. They say Shades are born from its depths and that even if they were to perish, they would be reborn within its abyss. Wait! You don’t mean...”

“Indeed,” Felix said with a knowing smile. “A result of a Devil’s strike.”

“They possess such power? But... the one you faced...” Sofia said, clearly stunned.

“Just a newborn cub. Barely fit to even be called a Devil. Besides, Devils are connate beings while that one was only a human harbouring a fraction of a Devil’s power.”

“How was the land even able to resist such force?”

“They fought in the void while the moons bore the brunt of their powers."

“The Gods won, right? No, wait, there are still Devils around, which means they were the ones who won," Sofia mused.

“They both lost,” Felix said as he took another gulp of strong liquor. “Both sides faced total annihilation, so they agreed on a truce, swearing to not involve themselves directly in this world.”

“What about that devil?”

“Just a proxy.”

“Isn’t that cheating?” Sofia exclaimed, absorbed into Felix’s story.

“Just skirting the rules. Nations do it all the time," Felix said with a slight smile. "Besides, two can play the same game. The Gods aren't clean, either. Their influence can still be felt to this day."

Sofia turned to look at Felix, eyes wide open, yet Felix only gave her a non-committal smile. She started to doubt whether Felix's tale was a work of fiction. What if it was all real? What if he was telling the truth?

Such thoughts swirled in her mind. She was dazed and confused. Although she wished to dismiss all this as the ravings of a lunatic, knowing Felix told her all this, she found it hard to label him as such.

“What happened to the moons?” Sofia asked sheepishly.

“They crumbled in the aftermath,” Felix said as he shrugged. “Pieces burned as they fell down from the sky. What remained was only objects sporting unknown powers.”

“Relics...” Sofia muttered. “So this is their origins. Is that why you seek them out?”

“Among other things. It is too soon to tell.”

With that said Felix only remained silent afterwards, occasionally taking a mouthful of his liquor while gazing at the sky. Sofia knew she couldn't get more out of Felix concerning this subject. For today, at least. There will come a day when she will know the whole story. For now, she was content that Felix had opened up to her a little. Still, something else was on her mind, and she couldn't help but voice it out.

“How’s... eh, you know... after what Xue did to you, how did you... you know, your urges....”

Sofia couldn’t find the right words. She could feel embarrassment slowly overpower her as a red tint slowly crawled up her face.

“Oh?” Felix answered, clearly amused. “Are you offering to help me with those?”

Sofia’s mouth hung slightly open, stunned by the bluntness of this statement. Although she did have similar thoughts, now that he put it into words, she wasn’t sure anymore. Was such a thought born from what happened inside The Haze, or was it something she truly wished for? Once again, she felt as if her thoughts were not her own. Like something was pushing her in that direction. Still, Felix didn't give her the time to reach a verdict.

“As flattered as I am with your advances, I will have to decline,” he said with chilling calmness. “By principles, I do not sleep with women unless money is involved.”

This was like a bomb exploding in her skull. She couldn't believe that Felix had the galls to even utter such a thing with a straight face. She felt anger, resentment, and embarrassment mix into a vortex before it threatened to rise to the surface. She felt a mass stuck in her throat, wishing to come out and drown Felix in profanities. Thankfully, she managed to reign her instincts and only scoffed at Felix's infantile play. Without another word, Sofia turned and left, leaving Felix alone to rot on this roof. Yet, when she was a short distance away, she couldn’t resist the fury in her heart.

“Go to hell! You bastard!” she screamed as if intending for all creation to bear witness to her shame.

Felix chuckled when he saw her slender shoulders tremble as she finally controlled herself. He took another sip of alcohol, relishing the feeling, yet it was fleeting. Soon, melancholy was all that remained. He sighed.

“Why not be honest for once?” a soft woman’s voice echoed from below.

“I’m always honest, but people simply do not believe,” Felix replied, not surprised to hear the voice.

“Then why simply not indulge her for once? It is a shame to not let her courage be rewarded,” the woman sighed softly.

“What would that even achieve? I cannot give her what she wishes for. Besides, does that thought really belong to her?”

“What would you even know? Did she ever tell you?” The woman's voice was laced with a slight trace of anger.

"No..." Felix paused for a moment, ruminating over the implications. "You are right. I shouldn't push my one-sided views on her."

“It is good that you know,” the woman’s voice replied. “Still, that was quite a harsh thing to say.”

“It’s the truth, after all,” Felix said as he sighed. “Mixing the pleasure of the flesh with the bliss of the heart would only leave a sour taste... for me, at least.”

"You are a selfish man..." the voice said as if the reproach laced within was intended to cut deeply.

“Aren’t we all...” Felix chuckled. “So... Is it time for the real discussion?”

"Walk with me," the voice said as a woman emerged from under the small structure. Her small hips swayed lightly with each step, making her white tails flutter. Unlike her earlier, more provocative dress, the one she wore under the starlight only accented her ethereal beauty even more.

Felix followed soon after, walking side by side upon the winding branches until they reached a remote pavilion where they could have privacy. Felix sat on a wooden bench, admiring the view while occasionally sipping his drink.

Xue sat next to him, just close enough for the scent of her skin to mix into Felix's alcohol, giving it an even more refined taste. Felix smiled lightly yet remained silent. It wasn't his place to speak. If she wanted something from him, then she would be the one to make the effort to ask. Yet, she, too, didn't say a word and simply basked in the starlight, feeling as if something was missing.

“A shame I probably won't be able to see these sights again in my lifetime..." Xue mused. Her voice was soft and quiet, almost a whisper, intended only for herself. It was laced with many emotions but mainly nostalgia.

“How does it feel to have been alive since the Age of Creation?” Felix asked. Although it was just a guess, her words all but confirmed his hunch.

“Worse than people imagine,” she said with a slight sadness.

“Yet, people would kill to be in your place.”

“Would you?” she asked while turning her lovely face toward his, looking him in the eyes.

After a moment of silence, Felix replied, "No, I wouldn't. It would be much too boring. Besides, I probably wouldn't survive that long the way I live."

“Sometimes, I envy short-lived species,” she whispered. “So dazzling, yet so foolish.”

Felix remained silent, looking at the star with a slight smile.

“I want you to find my son for me,” she said, finally getting to the crux of the matter.

“Why me?”

“You owe me.”

“That’s not nearly enough of a reason.”

“You owe me,” she repeated, still as gentle as ever.

“I’m a mercenary. I don’t work for free.”

“You owe me," her voice didn't waver the slightest bit."

Felix felt conflicted. He knew he couldn’t get out of this. Finally, he sighed and relented.

“Fine, but what makes you think I’ll be able to find him?”

“You will,” she said as if her words were a prophecy.

“Anything you want me to tell him?”

She remained silent, looking at the stars before whispering, "Come home."

Felix took another mouthful of liquor, letting its heat permeate his body, warding against the cool breeze, then rose to his feet.

“How caring,” he said as he walked away. “Sofia is truly loved.”