Scorin and I reached the front entrance of my hospital.

To our left—

a crater the size of a Calamity Dragon’s foot had torn through the ground.

Humans had shown up to investigate whatever came falling from the sky.

Demons too.

But now—

they were killing each other over that damn rock sitting at the bottom of the crater.

Fists flew.

Kicks slammed into ribs.

Headbutts cracked against faces.

Vulgar insults echoed through the battlefield as greed slowly swallowed whatever common sense these idiots had left.

One guy was already missing teeth.

Another had blood pouring down his neck.

Nobody even cared anymore.

“Perfect. Just perfect!”

I started walking forward with my hands stuffed into the pockets of my doctor coat and a pissed-off look on my face.

Scorin followed behind me with a pensive expression, like he wanted this day to end already.

He groaned as we reached the crater filled with humans and demons senselessly beating each other half to death.

Scorin grabbed my shoulder and stood beside me.

Then he sighed.

Like his hands were tied.

And apparently, I was right.

“As Prince of the Neutral Lands, I can’t strike down these civilians,” Scorin said. “Even if the humans are trespassing on the demon continent.”

I gave him a dirty look.

Like he hadn’t just put his life on the line for me a little while ago.

Like, hello?

I turned around and sucked my teeth as I stared at him.

My eyes glowed with a purple haze.

[ FWOOSH ]

My horns started to grow longer over my head, forming a crown.

My head filled with rage.

My brother was about to keel over inside my hospital, and these idiots—

along with this useless dragon—

were pissing me off.

“GRRRRRRRR!”

Scorin took a step back as he saw the changes happening to me.

He hesitated to speak.

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me.

Then he reached one hand out carefully, like he didn’t want to piss me off even more.

“S-Sophia,” Scorin said. “Calm down. You’re being feral right now.”

My mouth opened.

My eyes widened.

I stared at him like I couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of his mouth.

I pushed both hands against his chest and gave him a mean glare.

Scorin stumbled backward, then looked back at me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Why are you so angry?”

[ THUMP ]

I walked up to him and jabbed my index finger into his chest.

He started walking backward.

To where?

I didn’t really know.

I just needed to speak my mind before I slapped the shit out of him.

“I don’t need you to tell me to calm down,” I snapped. “And feral? You really got too comfortable around me, dragon.”

Scorin’s back hit the large glass window of my hospital.

He raised both hands like I was about to read him his Miranda rights.

Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, he lowered his hands to his sides.

“You’re right,” he said. “I kind of got too comfortable, to be honest.”

He looked at me with a stern sense of responsibility.

Like a prince who had a status to uphold.

“But I still can’t harm civilians,” Scorin said. “I’m sorry, Sophia.”

I sighed and turned back toward the crater.

There were too many civilians to count.

Humans.

Demons.

All of them fighting like idiots.

Then something strange happened.

I felt shockingly confident.

A new spell slipped into my head like it had always been part of me.

Like this was normal.

Like this was my lifestyle now.

I walked to the edge of the crater and yelled at the top of my lungs.

“You all need to stop!”

They all stopped and looked at me like I was crazy..

[ TINK ]

A can flew through the air and hit my forehead.

Then they went right back to fighting.

Each person in the crater reached for the stone, only for someone else to intercept them before they could grab it.

A vein formed on my forehead.

A cut opened above my eye.

Blood ran down over my right eye.

Did I pay attention to it?

Nope.

“FINE! HAVE IT YOUR WAY!”

I raised my hand toward the sky.

Umbral Grace burst from my palm like a geyser.

It spread around the crater, building layer after layer.

The sunlight slowly vanished beneath the shadow forming above them.

Then umbral belts rose from the ground.

Dark sleeves unfolded around the crater, shaped like something that could wrap around an entire body.

A zipper formed down the middle.

Like I had just created a coat.

But it wasn’t a coat.

“You all need to be detained!”

Everyone froze.

They looked around as a giant umbral straitjacket formed around the crater.

My eyes flared with a deep purple haze.

My horns glowed dark purple and swelled with power.

“Now I need all of you to take it easy and follow me to the hospital!”

I reached my hand toward them with my palm open.

Then I clenched my fist.

The giant straitjacket snapped inward.

Wrapping around everyone in one brutal sweep.

[ STRAITJACKET SENTENCE ]

The Ledger popped up beside me.

But I was too busy moving all the civilians trapped inside my giant straitjacket toward the hospital doors.

[ WARNING ]

[ DEMONIZATION RESPONSE DETECTED ]

[ EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY HAS ACCELERATED GROWTH ]

[ CURRENT STATE: UNSTABLE ]

“Jessica!” I yelled. “We have more patients! Make sure each of them gets a room, food, and water!”

Jessica and my new staff rushed out from inside the hospital.

Then they all stopped.

Because, yeah—

there were a lot of humans and demons wrapped up in one giant straitjacket.

I dispelled it and let them drop to the ground so they could gather their bearings.

Jessica stepped forward and clapped her hands loudly.

[ CLAP ]

[ CLAP ]

[ CLAP ]

Everyone looked at her.

She became the center of attention immediately.

And did I mention her sex appeal was through the roof?

I wasn’t jealous.

I was concerned for her safety.

Because my father had a habit of acting like a bachelor sometimes.

And that was basically how Belzagus was born.

I whispered softly to myself.

“I gotta make sure she stays pure.”

I turned back toward the crater.

Scorin was already climbing out with the rock in his hand.

He examined it closely, taking his time.

I was starting to lose my patience.

I snatched the rock from Scorin’s hand and gave him a dirty look.

My purple eyes returned to normal.

My horns shrank back down too.

Then my legs started shaking.

Sweat ran down my face from the amount of Umbral Grace I had used.

I looked at Scorin with a tired expression.

“Carry me to my brother, please.”

My knees hit the street hard.

Scorin caught me before my face could hit the ground.

He was about to pick me up—

until Riku appeared and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Scorin turned his gaze toward him.

Riku looked over his shoulder with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

I tried to smile back.

But I was too exhausted from using too much Umbral Grace.

“My father told me to tell you that your older brother is looking for you,” Riku said. “Let me take care of my sister. You go handle family business.”

Scorin picked me up and handed me to Riku.

“I’ll be off then.”

He looked at me and spread his wings wide.

“I’ll be back, Sophia.”

He kicked off the ground.

The street caved in beneath him like Scorin had personally insulted it.

[ TAP ]

[ TAP ]

[ TAP ]

Noxx finally showed up from his nap with Nira sitting on his head.

She flew over and sat on my chest while Riku carried me in his arms.

Noxx followed us as we went inside the hospital together.

Riku spoke slowly so I could hear every word.

He carried me toward Belzagus’s room.

“Why are you going out of your way to save him?” Riku asked. “He’s just a monster.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his chin with my hand.

He looked at me with surprise in his eyes.

I took a deep breath and spoke my mind as we got closer to Bel’s room.

“He protected me like you and Draxx. He’s just misunderstood.”

Riku sighed like he already knew I was going to say that.

We reached Belzagus’s room, but we didn’t open the door yet.

The rock rested on my stomach.

Nira stared at Riku as he spoke his final piece.

“If it’s for you, my dearest sister, I’ll look the other way from now on,” Riku said. “Or until he goes berserk.”

Before I could say anything—

[ CRASH ]

[ CRACK ]

[ BANG ]

Loud noises came from Bel’s room.

But we didn’t hear Madina at all.

She didn’t scream.

She didn’t yell.

She didn’t call for help.

Like, what the hell was wrong with her?

Was beast kin really that built different?

“Let me down, Riku. I need to heal Bel.”

Riku helped me stand on my feet.

Nira floated above my head as I held the rock in both hands.

The stone felt like it was absorbing my Umbral Grace.

I looked down and saw my magic slowly being drained from me.

I guess that was why I fell to my knees.

Riku reached for the door handle slowly.

He swallowed hard and gripped the katana resting in his sheath.

I looked at him and tightened my grip around the rock.

Riku glanced at me as his hand wrapped around the door handle.

“You ready?” he asked. “I might need to fight him. Also, what the hell is the beast girl doing? Is she alive?”

Riku pushed the door open fast.

The lights flickered like someone had broken half the bulbs.

The room was a wreck.

My tools were scattered everywhere like someone hated my examination.

The sink faucet was snapped in half.

Large holes were punched into the walls.

They looked like Bel’s fists had made them.

Madina sat in a chair with tears in her eyes.

I handed the rock to Riku and went straight to her.

“Where is he? I had to handle a situation outside.”

Riku started looking around the large room with his katana raised.

He lifted sheets from the floor and placed them back on the bed.

Then he went to check the bathroom since the lights were still on.

Riku vanished inside.

And I was still trying to figure out where my brother went.

“Madina, come on. Talk to me.”

She looked at me slowly.

Tears filled her eyes.

Her shoulders shook with fear.

Her hair was a mess.

Then she looked up and pointed at the ceiling.

I didn’t look at first.

Because I wasn’t trying to play twenty-one questions.

Not right now.

Then I heard a cold voice from above.

A familiar one.

“Sophia.”

My body started to shake.

My hands trembled.

My heart felt like it was beating a thousand times per minute.

Madina smiled at the thing that called my name.

But she was still crying.

Then she called out the one person I had been looking for.

“Bel…”

I turned around slowly.

Then I lifted my head toward the ceiling.

Immediately, I saw Bel staring down at me.

His eyes were pitch black.

His teeth had turned into fangs.

His wings spread out behind him like a bat.

His face carried the expression of someone ready to fight.

But something told me he still recognized me.

Bel reached his hand out toward me.

I slowly reached mine toward his.

“Sophia.”

Riku shot out of the bathroom at full speed and stood between us.

His katana pointed at Belzagus with the intent to kill.

Riku pushed me behind him and kept his eyes locked on Bel.

“Now, now, little brother,” Riku said. “Don’t go hurting our precious little sister.”