“Welcome, Desmond,” Kael said, his smile gentle and deadly. “I knew you would come. And you brought a pleasant surprise.”Kael looked at Olivia. “Amel’s daughter? An interesting choice. Now, where is the artifact?”“I didn't bring any artifact,” Desmond replied, stepping forward. “I only brought myself. And I came to take Amel back.”Kael laughed softly. “You think you can fight me with zero DP, Demon?”“My DP isn't empty,” Desmond smirked, radiating a bit of Sella’s chaotic DP. “I have DP from forbidden jealousy. Want to try?”Kael flinched. “Nephilim energy? Damn it! You use your sister for DP?”“Nothing is too taboo for me, Kael,” Desmond retorted. “Now, release Amel. Or I'll destroy you.”Kael shook his head. He approached Amel, his silver knife touching Amel's neck. “I won't release

Desmond woke with a start. His eyes opened. He was in a ruined room. He immediately activated his Demon form. The DP within him felt cold and stable at ninety percent, an unexpected boon from Mentor’s intervention. Desmond was no longer dizzy, no longer weak.Desmond rose, his body feeling heavy yet solid. His eyes, now glowing deep purple again, surveyed the surroundings. The ceiling-high windows were cracked in a giant spiderweb pattern, revealing a distorted view of the city. Dust motes drifted in the air, glittering in the light of a broken lamp.Amel was holding Olivia on the floor, leaning the girl’s body against the chaotic luxury bed. Amel looked shaken, but her physical body was not seriously injured. Olivia, on the other hand, was coughing, her face deathly pale and dirty from the nano-bomb explosion she had triggered herself, which had destroyed part of the wall rather than harming her mother. The small bomb was apparently just a startling, light

“Kael merged with the Siren? DP from all of us?”Desmond turned to look at the two Anomalies.“TAKE IT, DESMOND!” Mia screamed. “THIS IS OUR IMPERATIVE!”Mia didn’t wait for a verbal answer. As a Lamia, her instincts were driven by the desire and need to protect her power source. She lunged toward Desmond, hugging him tightly. Her dark, scaled Lamia tail wrapped around Desmond’s calves at high speed, locking the Incubus down.In the cramped elevator space, Rina did the same. She pressed against Desmond’s back, her cold hands gripping the sides of his waist, channeling energy through physical contact. Unlike the brutal Mia, Rina moved with precision, her fingers tracing the veins in Desmond’s waist, forcing him to absorb the energy in a focused manner. The three of them were trapped in one small space, creating a suffocating energy triangle.Lyra and Kael were ahead, Sella in the Charm Demo