Palan stood on top of a dirt mountain. It was nearly the same height as the statue of Akurel behind him, and off in the distance, the tiny outlines of two more statues could be seen peeking over the horizon. The second sun was just beginning to set, causing Palan’s shadow to extend towards the wall separating the first and second sector. Wings rustled as Raea landed beside him, carrying a bag filled with cooked meat and mushrooms.

“Anything?” Raea asked as she untied the bag and pulled out a roasted haunch, handing it to Palan, before taking out a mushroom that was the same size as her head.

“Nothing,” Palan said and frowned. The two had been with the centaurs when the light coming from the hole that Mathias had created disappeared. They had gone outside and saw a layer of darkness covering the sky, blocking out the suns. But the layer had disappeared before Palan could jump up and touch it. Then the avatar of black lightning appeared and showed off its might, causing their ears to ring when it spoke.

“I don’t think anything else is going to happen,” Raea said and pursed her lips. She rolled the mushroom around in her hands before tearing off a piece and eating it. After the lightning avatar had disappeared, Palan ordered Mathias to create the mountain he was currently standing on so he could watch over the first sector and capital. He already waited for several hours with nothing to show for it.

“That wasn’t the power of an archangel, right?” Palan asked as he chewed on the meat.

“I asked Pyre while picking up the food,” Raea said, gesturing towards the bag by her feet, “and he said that the darkness was gluttony, but it was way beyond what a normal archdemon could do. If the wall wasn’t there, we’d have been affected by it as well.” She added after a thought. “And the black lightning was temperance, but you know how the colors work, right? Blue for a normal angel, purple for greater, and red for arch? Black should be higher.”

“Then they’re like us,” Palan said and licked his lips, discarding the bone in his hand. “I knew they existed.” Raea grunted as she chewed her food, a wrinkle on her forehead. Palan turned his gaze away from the capital and met Raea’s eyes. “What?”

“I was just thinking,” Raea said after swallowing. “Not a lot of time has passed—less than half a year—but you evolved from a slightly above average normal demon to a being that’s stronger than an archangel. I’ve only met one other archdemon, so I can’t compare you to others, but I imagine you’re stronger than most of them as well.”

“Well, that’s to be expected,” Palan said as he leaned back against his tails. “I’m me.”

“Don’t I get some credit?” Raea asked and nudged him with her foot. “It was my mana you used after all.”

“Nope,” Palan said. “My evolutions came from my own efforts.”

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Raea rolled her eyes. “Then why weren’t you an archdemon when I first met you?” she asked. “Who saved you when you were about to die to a giant honey badger?”

Palan snorted. “That never happened,” he said and turned his head away. Thunder rumbled in the air, and he snapped his head towards the capital before he realized it was just his punishment for lying to Raea. He sighed as he forced his purple tail to deflect the incoming lightning bolt.

Raea raised an eyebrow. “You’d think the lightning would get stronger over time,’ she said. “It really doesn’t do anything to you anymore; you know, other than proving that I’m right and you’re wrong.”

“Sometimes the lightning strikes are more intense,” Palan said and shrugged. “Sometimes they’re not even worth raising my head for. Maybe the Creator exhausted his power. Or he’s just moody.”

Raea scratched her head. “I don’t think the Creator personally strikes people down with lightning,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Palan asked and raised an eyebrow.

“Well, no,” Raea said and stared at her barely eaten mushroom. “How am I supposed to know something like that?”

“Ask him the next time you pray,” Palan said and snorted.

Raea’s expression darkened. “I haven’t prayed in a long time,” she said. “Not since Sely died. The Creator wouldn’t want to listen to someone who abandoned his path. I don’t have the right to pray—not when I can do this.” Black flames engulfed the mushroom in her hands, incinerating it and turning it directly into smoke. She sighed and sat down before rummaging through the bag for another mushroom. “I miss Cleo. Carrying things sucks.”

“She would’ve loved the harpies’ treasure cave,” Palan said and nodded as he sat beside Raea.

Raea pressed her wings against her body and leaned on Palan while taking bites out of the mushroom. The sun disappeared underneath the horizon, and Raea created a pit of fire in front of herself. The two sat next to each other without speaking, Palan staring at the capital, and Raea staring at the fire. Only the sounds of crackling flames and chewing could be heard.

“Palan?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you think of me?”

Palan turned his head and met Raea’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“If I died, would you be sad?”

“No,” Palan said. “Cause I’d be dead.”

Raea snorted and rolled her eyes. “Then if our contract ended, and I died. What would you feel?”

“Didn’t I once say I don’t answer hypothetical questions?” Palan asked and furrowed his brow.

“But aren’t you also prepared for everything?” Raea asked. “Don’t you have to prepare by asking yourself what could happen?”

“Do you think you’re going to die?” Palan asked.

“I mean, eventually I’ll have to,” Raea said. “No one lives forever.”

“Then I’ll answer your question after you die,” Palan said and turned his head back to face the capital. “I won’t know until it happens.”

Raea smacked his elbow. “That’s cheating,” she said. “I won’t be around to hear the answer then.”

“That’s the point.”

Raea sighed and wrapped herself around Palan’s arm, resting her head on his shoulder. “You know, sometimes I’m jealous of your sister,” she said and closed her eyes. “I envy her.”

Palan frowned and furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“Because you love her. You’re willing to charge into the capital where that person with the giant lightning avatar resides because of her. But I don’t know if you’d do the same for me.”

Palan fell silent. After a while, he asked, “Am I supposed to respond to that?”

“That’s generally how conversations work, yes,” Raea said. “But I’ll give you a bye this time since you’re so socially inept because of your childhood. Just think about what I’ve said, okay?”