The train continued onward.
"Loki just wanna ask. How can I send back the angel?" Rémi texted his fingers ran across the phone.
Loki simply answered with, "Well that... to be honest with ya I don't know either, you gotta find the way by yourself. I haven't use that artifact in a while so yeah." He typed after adding an skeleton emoji at the end.
"Is he serious?" Rémi reeled.
The divine being walked closer at Rémi, he was like 7ft tall almost hitting the ceiling of the carriage.
"Bearer..." the angel began, its melodic voice now trembling with sincerity.
"Forgive me!" He shouted, bowing his head low at Rémi, spear laid flat on the ground beside it.
"In my zeal to eradicate the darkness, I nearly brought harm to you and the innocent souls under my protection!"
"It was inexcusable—a failure of judgment... I, the guardian of light, sincerely apologize for my mistakes!"
Rémi blinked, taken aback. "Uh... it's okay? I mean, you saved us. Mostly that is."
He rubbed the back of his neck, a few remnants appeared of unlucky passengers hadn't made it out in time earlier
"Just... maybe be careful next time?" The angel's wings drooped slightly, its halo flickering like a candle in wind.
"How can I atone? My divine purpose is to protect, yet I endangered the very one who summoned me."
"If I could prostrate myself further, I would. Command me—shall I rebuild this vessel? Heal the wounded?
"Smite the remnants of evil across the land? Please, bearer, allow me to make amends!"
Its voice rose in earnest plea, hands clasped in supplication, the once-majestic figure now resembling a scolded child.
Rémi waved his hands awkwardly. "Whoa, easy there. No smiting needed."
"Chill big guy. Actually, how do I unsummon you? I mean, thanks for the save, but people are staring, and the cops are probably waiting at the next station."
The angel nodded vigorously, relief washing over its features. "Of course, bearer. To send me back, simply will it so—clasp the artifact and command 'Return to the light.' I shall depart, but call upon me again if darkness threatens."
"And once more... I am truly, profoundly sorry." He stood up, wings quivering.
Rémi sighed, clutching the necklace. "Return to the light." The angel dissolved in a swirl of golden particles, leaving a faint warmth in the air.
Passengers murmured in awe, one whispering, "Was that real?" Rémi pocketed his phone, shaking his head.
2 hours had passed...
The necklace hung around Rémi's neck.
He glanced at the survivors—a young woman rocking back and forth, whispering prayers; an elderly man with a gash on his arm, tying it with a torn shirt.
No one spoke much.
The train slowed with a hiss of brakes, stopping at Gare de Lyon.
The station was eerily deserted at this hour, but not empty—blue and red flashes from police vehicles lit the wall.
Uniformed officers lined the platform, police cordons already setted up, and medics with stretchers waiting.
The remaining passengers erupted in motion, fleeing the carriage.
"Get me out of here!" one man shouted, stumbling down the steps into the arms of waiting officers.
The young woman helped the elderly man, both weeping as medics rushed to them
"It was a monster—half tree, half man! His body is like corrupted or something!" she cried to a paramedic. "And then... an angel saved us!"
Rémi grabbed his backpack, exiting the train.
"Everyone stay calm—medical checks first!" an officer bellowed through a megaphone.
One police officer, a middle-aged woman with a stern but kind face, approached Rémi as he stepped off.
Her badge read, "Officer Eugènie." She scanned him quickly, noting the dirt and blood on his clothes.
"Sir, you look roughed up. We recommend heading to the hospital for a full check—possible shock, injuries. Ambulances are right here."
Rémi shook his head, glancing at his watch—11:30 a.m. on the dot. "No thanks, Officer. I'm fine, really—just scratches.
"It's almost midnight, and my wife... she'll kill me if I'm not home soon. She's probably worried sick already."
Eugènie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Sir, protocol—"
"Look, I saw the whole thing. Monster, angel, all of it. But I'm walking, talking. Let me sign whatever waiver and go. Please." He mustered a tired smile, the adrenaline fade hitting him like a wave.
She sighed, pulling out a clipboard. "Fine, but if you feel dizzy or anything, get checked. Sign here—statement tomorrow?"
Rémi nodded, scribbling his name before slipping, "Sophie... how I'm gonna explain what happened? Ugh, this night's just getting worse."
Rémi was able to get back to his crib, he then proceeded to knock the door.
He saw a familiar face—his beautiful wife, Sophie Laurent standing next door and it looks like she's mad mad.
"H-hey I'm back—" He mumbled in a low tone.
"You... you absolute moron." Sophie's voice was sharp enough to cut glass.
She was whispering, but the fury was nuclear. In the background he could hear their two kids arguing over cereal.
"Wait, I can explain—" His voice was interrupted as he then got pinched in the ear tightly by Sophie dragging him inside the house.
The door was shut letting out a loud noise.
One of his daughter turned her head towards his dad "Look! Papa is here!" She shouted excitedly.
— USA, California, Los Angeles —
The sun dipped low over the skyline of Los Angeles.
The empty hallway—few paint on the walls, flickering lights ahead, and faint of traffic sounds can be heard in the distance.
Two figures appeared from the opposite ends of the alleyway. Both were wearing a dark cloaks, hoods were pulled doen to cover their faces, their footsteps made a sound in the concrete floor.
Guy 1 stopped around a meter away from Guy 2, his posture was straight and commanding, his deep voice ran breaking the silence, "How's the plan going? I trust there haven't been any... problems since our last meeting?"
Guy 2 cloak rustling as he adjusted a hidden amulet around his neck—a talisman etched with demonic runes that glowed faintly. "It is doing well. My team has been keeping track of that artifact."
The talisman glowed generating a red barrier surrounding them, it makes so that no one can hear their conversation.
He added.
"We've confirmed the intelligence from our spies in the Adventurer Association—it's hidden in France, Paris, directly below the Eiffel Tower."
"There's a secret chamber there, powered by an ancient generator that maintains the city's protective barrier."
Guy 1 tilted his head slightly, the hood concealing his expression, "Elaborate." his voice had a flicker of intrigue.
Guy 2 nodded, pulling a small crumpled map from beneath his cloak—a hand-drawn of the Eiffel Tower's underground layout.
"The generator is heavily fortified, as expected. It's guarded by two elite beast-race warriors."
"One wields a spear enchanted with lightning runes."
"The other one is a professional martial arts user, a relentless beast with enhanced strength and self-regeneration abilities."
"They've been stationed there round-the-clock, rotating shifts with minimal time. My scouts barely escaped last week."
Guy 1 let out a low, rumbling chuckle that echoed off the walls, devoid of humor but filled with dark confidence.
"Good. You don't have to worry about those beast... I have a couple of individuals in mind that will handle the fighting. the ones who've dealt with beast-races before."
Guy 2 hesitated for a moment, glancing at the map before folding it away. "And the artifact itself? Once we breach the chamber, we'll need to extract it without triggering the barrier's failsafe."
"The sigil of Beelzebub is embedded in it—disrupting that could alert every adventurer councils in Europe."
Guy 1 stepped forward, walking past Guy 2 with deliberate slowness, his cloak brushing against the other's as he passed.
"Leave the extraction to me. The ritual preparations are nearly complete on this end—the altars in the catacombs are aligned, the sacrifices gathered."
"With the artifact in our possession, the revival will be unstoppable."
He smirked, the expression hidden but evident in his voice, a satisfaction that sent chill to Guy 2.
"The Prince of Demons will rise, and the world will kneel down before him."
Guy 2 bowed his head slightly, his voice steady.
"Understood, I'll mobilize the team for Paris immediately. We'll secure the artifact within next week."
"Everything to revive Beelzebub." Guy 1 laughed evily.