The angel glared at the Demon Lord, her expression a volatile blend of contempt and terror. The oppressive weight of his power filled the room, an overwhelming aura of malevolence that made her very skin crawl. The mingling of his demonic essence with the evil that emanated from his presence was unlike anything she had encountered before. It was suffocating, vile, and utterly unyielding.

  “Quite an interesting one you are.” the Demon Lord’s voice cut through the tension, cold and commanding. “You did as I instructed, Ciel. Is the seal in place?”

  “Yes, Lord,” Ciel replied, his tone steady and precise. “Her powers are fully sealed.”

  “Good,” the Demon Lord said again. “Then this will be easy.”

  Without further preamble, he reached out and grasped the angel’s head, his clawed fingers curling around her golden hair and glowing skin. Her radiant orange eyes widened in alarm, her body trembling under the sheer force of his touch. She tried to muster resistance, but was unable. Her hatred burned brighter as she felt her helplessness.

  The Demon Lord’s mismatched eyes glowed with a fiery intensity as he stared directly into hers, piercing through to the depths of her very being. His vision delved into her divine soul, its pure and radiant essence an open book to him. Slowly and methodically, he planted the Mark of Subjugation deep within her core, corrupting her divine nature with his demonic power. The mark seared itself into her soul, its presence radiating a venomous and inescapable dominance.

  The angel screamed, her voice reverberating through the chamber as she felt the mark burn into her. The pain was excruciating, not merely physical but spiritual—a violation of her very identity. Her once-pure divine energy was now tainted, scarred by the demonic presence that had forced itself upon her. The glow of her skin dimmed slightly, her celestial aura now sullied by a faint darkness that clung to her like a shadow.

  “Now that the mark is in place,” the Demon Lord said, his tone devoid of pity, “Ciel, carry out the questioning and provide me with a report. Use one of the messenger crystals on the wall if you require assistance. It will connect you to the servants.”

  He released the angel’s head, letting her slump to the floor as he turned toward the exit. “I am retiring for the night,” he added. “Today’s ordeals have been more taxing than I anticipated.” Without another word, he ascended the spiral staircase and disappeared into the upper floors, leaving the angel and the Archdemon alone.

  Lumen, the angel, raised her head slowly, her orange eyes blazing with defiance as she locked gazes with Ciel. Though bound by the Demon Lord’s mark, she steeled herself for the interrogation she knew was coming. Her contempt for the demons around her only deepened, and she resolved that she would die before giving them any information.

  Ciel, however, seemed entirely uninterested in her hatred. He approached the messenger crystal embedded in the wall, his crimson robes trailing behind him as his wings folded neatly against back into his back and hiding their presence from view. With casual precision, he activated the crystal. “Hello?” he said, his tone calm and unhurried. “Yes, we require refreshments. Bring them at once.” He deactivated the crystal and then made his way to the large window overlooking the city of Verdince.

  The Archdemon stood there for several moments, his gaze fixed on the illuminated skyline. The emerald barrier encasing the city shimmered faintly, and the architecture below was a breathtaking blend of magic and mechanical innovation. Even for someone as ancient as Ciel, the ingenuity of humanity continued to surprise him. A faint smile played on his lips as he marveled at their creations, though his admiration was tinged with the detached curiosity of a predator studying its prey.

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  Lumen, still chained on the floor, scowled at his apparent indifference. “You might as well kill me now, demon,” she spat. “You’ll get nothing from me.”

  Ciel turned to her, an amused expression gracing his face. “Oh, I hardly expect you to be cooperative, my dear Archangel,” he said smoothly. “But I do find it amusing how you cling to the illusion of defiance. It suits you.”

  Before she could retort, the doors opened, and servants entered the room carrying trays of beverages. Without a clear instruction from Ciel, they had brought an array of options—coffee, tea, wine, various juices, and even water. Two of each drink were placed meticulously on the table, the variety sprawling out before the Archdemon. The servants departed as silently as they had arrived, their departure leaving whispers in the air as rumors about the angel and her demonic captor began to spread through the tower.

  Ciel seated himself at the table, his curiosity piqued by the selection of drinks. He sampled them one by one, his reactions ranging from mild intrigue to genuine delight. “Fascinating,” he murmured, savoring the bitter complexity of the coffee. “Human innovation never ceases to impress me.”

  Glancing at Lumen, he gestured toward the drinks. “Would you care to try some?” he asked nonchalantly.

  She glared at him, venom in her voice. “Take these chains off, and sure—I’d love to share a drink with a filthy creature like you.”

  Ciel’s expression didn’t waver. “Fine, but there’s no need to be crass.” With a snap of his fingers, the chains binding her vanished.

  Lumen gasped in disbelief, immediately springing to her feet. She launched herself at him, intending to strike—but her body betrayed her. She froze mid-motion, her limbs paralyzed as a searing pain shot through her head. She cried out, clutching her skull as the agony forced her back into submission.

  “Now, enough of that,” Ciel said coolly, gesturing to the chair beside him. “Take a seat. I will explain your situation as well as extract any useful information you might be hiding.”

  Her movements were not her own as she begrudgingly complied, sitting in the chair with anger etched across her beautiful features. She glared daggers at Ciel as he resumed sampling the beverages, utterly unfazed by her wrath.

  “What’s wrong with me?” she demanded, her voice trembling with frustration. “What did you do to me?”

  Ciel chuckled softly. “Me? I’ve done nothing, Angel. It is our Lord’s mark that binds you. You cannot act against his will or mine while you bear it.”

  She clenched her fists, her rage simmering. Ciel continued, ignoring her simmering anger. “Try a drink,” he suggested, gesturing toward the coffee. “That brown one is particularly intriguing—its aroma is unique, and its flavor is bittersweet.”

  She refused, her silence laced with fury. Ciel sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Very well. Then answer my questions. Who are you, what have you observed, and why are you here?”

  Her lips parted against her will, and she began to speak. “I am Lumen, Archangel for the God of Sun. I was sent here to scout Verdince in preparation for a siege planned one month from now. The God of Sun himself will lead the attack. My secondary mission was to gather information on the one calling himself the Demon Lord and confirm whether he truly killed the God of Dreams. I have learned much about the city’s defenses but nothing of the Demon Lord, as he and his companions have remained isolated. I am to report back to the God of Sun in three days.”

  As the words spilled forth, Lumen’s defiance burned hotter. She hated the mark, hated the demons, and hated herself for being unable to stop the flow of information.

  Ciel listened intently, his expression thoughtful. “A siege in one month, you say? I doubt our Lord will wait that long for a fight with a god, especially after hearing your account of the God of Dreams.”

  He smiled faintly, his tone almost conversational as he mused aloud. “So, the God of Sun plans to challenge this city and our Lord. Interesting. If we were to introduce a flaw in Verdince’s defenses, could we hasten this timeline?”

  Lumen’s eyes widened in shock. “If the God of Sun discovered a vulnerability, he would move immediately to exploit it.”

  Ciel’s smile deepened. “Good to know.” He leaned back, already devising a plan to present to the Demon Lord.

  Though Lumen held onto her faith in her God, a kernel of doubt began to creep in. She remained convinced of the God of Sun’s power, certain that he would defeat the Demon Lord and liberate her, but a shadow of unease lingered in her mind. She could feel the subtle, insidious weight of the mark within her—a reminder of just how perilous her situation had become.