The grandeur of the underworld unfolded before Vaelion and Celestria as they walked arm in arm down a magnificent corridor. Vaelion, adorned in black dress clothes, cut an imposing figure with his fiery red skin and short, crimson horns protruding from the sides of his medium-length silver hair that cascaded gracefully to his ears, a testament to his heritage.
Vaelion's fiery white eyes held a mix of authority and allure, a striking combination that garnered respect and admiration in the realm of demons. As they strolled, the dimly lit corridor came alive with a subtle, flickering illumination from the torches adorning the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced across the obsidian stones.
Beside him, Celestria wore a tight-fitting black dress that accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her curved purple horns protruded from each side of her head and out of her silver hair, cascading down her back like a river of moonlight, lending her an otherworldly charm that captivated all who laid eyes upon her. Her violet eyes sparkled with a mixture of determination and affection as they surveyed the surroundings. She was a vision of alluring elegance amidst the darkness of the underworld.
Caelia, their ever-watchful companion and personal maid, followed a few steps behind, her short red horns adorning her forehead, a constant reminder of her devilish allure, which was only heightened by her swaying crimson hair with every step.
The trio's destination was the grand portal chamber, an imposing structure that would soon usher Vaelion into another realm. It was a place of great significance, where the boundaries between worlds blurred, and the power of realms intermingled. As they approached the chamber, Vaelion couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with apprehension.
As much as Vaelion sought power, he couldn't shake the feeling that everything would change the moment he left his home. 'It's just my imagination, right?' he thought, trying his best to brush the feeling away.
He grappled with his thoughts for a few moments more as he and Celestria continued walking down the large ornate hallway. Celestria, too, was oddly quiet as she was lost in her own thoughts about the departure of her lover.
Though their thoughts were halted as they took notice of the opening. The corridor widened into a grand chamber, and before them lay the portal room. Two large, dark wooden doors framed the entrance to the chamber, standing ajar like the gates to another realm.
The chamber itself was adorned with intricate obsidian statues of demonic entities, their forms twisted and imposing. The statues seemed to leer down at anyone who dared enter, their eyes filled with an eerie, lifelike glint. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows upon the statues, making them appear to shift and dance, as if the demons they represented were alive.
In the center of the chamber stood the focal point of it all: a colossal red circular structure, reminiscent of an ancient formation. This imposing edifice housed the portal that would be Vaelion's gateway to another realm.
Though the statues were not the only things that seemed alive in the large portal chamber; six other figures stood idly in the room as well, some murmuring amongst themselves while others watched the trio fully enter the room.
"Seems they already heard the news," Celestria spoke, her voice slightly laced with trepidation as her gaze turned towards Vaelion.
Vaelion gave a subtle nod to her words. "Well... Mother and Father do not seem that displeased," he commented, looking at the forms of their parents before him as they stood before the platform that held up the large portal.
"Right..." Celestria replied with a wry smile, turning her head back to the people before them. She had expected as much; her parents always had a soft spot for Vaelion. So how could they be mad about anything he does, even if that meant breaking two noble traditions of Hell in the span of a week?
"And what about Grandfather and Grandmother?" Celestria said, a mix of amusement and apprehension in her tone as she looked at the seething figure of their grandfather who stood slightly away from their parents, with their grandmother trying to calm him down as she soothingly held him back.
Vaelion gulped at the angered demon general before him, though his outward expression remained the same. "Grandfather will get over it; he's probably still just mad about my early realmwalk..." Vaelion said assuredly, knowing that his grandfather was probably angry that he would be the one who would have to deal with this if the other noble houses got mad.
Celestria nodded at Vaelion's words, but before she could reply, they heard their elder brother's voice chiming in from where he stood near their parents, with Evelyn standing by his side.
"So, little brother, off having a dalliance with our beloved sister before your realmwalk, huh~?" Noctarion teased, his voice playful as his face displayed a slight amused smile.
Evelyn playfully slapped Noctarion's shoulder at his words. "Oh dear, don't tease the children. It was their first time," she reprimanded, amused, as she turned her gaze towards Vaelion before she murmured, "Well, at least one of theirs."
Noctarion chuckled at her words, saying, "Fine, fine, dear. So how was it—" He was about to ask but was interrupted as Evelyn lightly smacked the back of his head. "Argh, sorry, sorry," he apologized, with a wry smile on his face, raising both of his hands in defeat.
Vaelion and Celestria ignored the playful banter between the two as their father approached and spoke, "So, you've decided to go against another tradition, huh?" His voice sounded more tired than anything as he scratched his head irritably, continuing, "Well, it's not like I can do anything about it now anyway. Just don't get into any more trouble while you're gone." He let out a deep exhale with his words.
Vaelion nodded in response to his father's exasperated words. "I will try my best, father," he said, his tone a mixture of seriousness and amusement.
Ignarius sighed lightly at his son's words, his gaze meeting Vaelion's with slightly furrowed brows, though he said nothing.
"Oh, what's this, kiddo? Is the boy getting on your last nerve as well?" Nephrek, Vaelion's grandfather, spoke with amusement, his hand tightly gripping Ignarius's shoulder from behind.
Ignarius let out a silent huff at his father's words and craned his neck slightly to look at him. "No, I am worried for him, is all," Ignarius said plainly. He brushed Nephrek's hand off him and turned back to face his son.
"Worried, huh? This generation, I swear... You are too soft. If you were alive back during the great war, you wouldn't have lasted a century," Nephrek scoffed, his tone one of disappointment. Then, he continued, "Though at least your son has some demon spirit, even if he is breaking tradition to show it." A small, almost imperceptible grin grew on his face as he spoke.
Ignarius's face turned slightly unsightly at his father's comment, though he merely clenched his fist in response, refraining from speaking further.
Almost as if she sensed her husband's distress, Serapha spoke up from behind Ignarius, with Nephrek's wife, Zephyria, standing beside her. "Honey, don't you think we should be saying goodbye to our dearest son instead of chatting with your father?" She said sweetly, wrapping her arm around his. However, her cold glare at Nephrek was not missed by Vaelion before she did so.
Zephyria joined her husband's side, her hand taking his and interlocking their fingers. "Yes, dear, this is Vaelion's last moment in hell for who knows how long. He deserves a proper send-off." She affirmed, her grip tightening on his hand as she cast Nephrek a side glance.
Ignarius nodded at his wife's words as he spoke. "Yes, you are right."
"Here, boy, take this," Nephrek said nonchalantly, extending his large red hand toward Vaelion. One of the many rings on his fingers glowed a bright crimson, and a large golden chalice appeared in his hand. Nephrek's wife, Zephyria, wore a gentle smile as her husband extended his hand to Vaelion with the chalice.
Vaelion accepted the chalice without question, sensing the abundant amount of demonic energy radiating from it. It was also the first gift he had received from his grandfather, so it must be special.
"What does it do?" Vaelion asked, his eyes scrutinizing the shiny cup as if trying to uncover its secrets.
Nephrek gave a subtle nod in response to Vaelion's enthusiasm. "It can create minor demons at the price of the blood of the innocent," he said, his voice sounding slightly proud as he continued, "though I would advise caution in how many you create. It would be a shame if you were to get yourself killed by an angel for becoming overly enthusiastic and attempting to start an apocalypse." His tone carried a mixture of amusement and warning.
Celestria tightened her embrace around Vaelion's arm at Nephrek's words. Vaelion, though, ignored it and nodded in understanding to his grandfather's words, knowing that he was nowhere near strong enough to fight the types of angels sent to respond to apocalyptic threats.
Now understanding the chalice in his palm, he activated his storage ring. The ring glowed a crimson red as the cup swirled and shifted before being sucked inside. But before Vaelion could even utter a word of thanks for the gift, Nephrek spoke.
"Good," Nephrek's deep voice sounded out before he turned his gaze away from Vaelion to Celestria beside him. "Your father tells me you finished the portal yourself, girl?" His tone carried a sense of inquiry.
Celestria gave a subtle nod in response to her grandfather's words. "Yes, I finished preparing the portal yesterday, Grandfather," she said calmly, her tone a mixture of politeness and anxiousness.
"Well, let's not keep the boy any longer," Nephrek said as he began to walk past the gathered individuals, with his wife following beside him as he made his way toward the podium on which the portal's large oval crimson structure stood.
"Right," Serapha said, her gaze briefly wandering toward Vaelion and Celestria before she pulled Ignarius along as they, too, ascended the podium, with Noctarion and Evelyn following behind them at a distance.
"We should also probably get going," Celestria said as she noticed Vaelion just looking at their receding forms, her voice a mixture of hesitation and acceptance.
Vaelion gave a subtle nod to her words. "Right," he said, his tone determined as he began to lead the way up the large obsidian stairway to the portal formation.
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