Chapter 744 – You Sll Like Infernal Discharge
-Ding!
The elevator doors slid open.
Lux stepped out into his mortal bedroom like nothing cosmic had happened in the last hour.
Morning light spilled through the tall windows, soft and warm against the polished floor. The air slled faintly of linen and citrus from the cleaning staff. Calm. Dostic. Normal.
He bent down imdiately and picked up the small crystal shard on the floor beside the bed.
His Saved Point Crystal.
Still faintly glowing.
He rolled it between his fingers once, feeling the hum of security in his palm, then slipped it back into his dinsional storage.
Just in case.
He straightened and adjusted his jacket.
That was when he noticed it.
The fabric was neat. Pressed. Perfectly aligned.
But not untouched.
There was a faint scorch along the cuff of his sleeve. The burn wasn’t dramatic, just a thin crescent where divine energy had brushed too close. A darker patch near his hem where infernal dust had clung and baked in. Tiny flecks of black along his collar.
Subtle.
But not invisible.
He brushed at it once.
Didn’t help much.
"Good enough," he muttered.
He left the bedroom and strolled down the hallway toward the dining hall like a man going to a eting.
Like he hadn’t been pinned by reality itself less than sixty minutes ago.
The dining hall was alive with morning light. The long table glead under sun filtering through tall arched windows. Plates of fruit, bread still steaming faintly, butter lting slowly into warm toast. Coffee thick and dark.
His girls were already there.
Six presences.
Six different kinds of sharp.
Rava leaned back slightly in her chair, ocean eyes already assessing before he even spoke.
Naomi was mid-sip of coffee, watching over the rim of the cup.
Sira sat upright like a Pride statue carved in arrogance and silk.
Mira’s dragon aura humd quietly beneath mortal composure.
Ely’s fingers were delicate around porcelain. Lullaby looked half asleep but never truly unaware.
Lux stepped in.
He smiled.
Bright.
Cheerful.
"Good morning, everyone."
The room went quiet.
Not loud silence.
The kind where six predators just noticed sothing off.
He crossed the room casually and sat down at his usual seat. Reached for toast. Buttered it slowly.
He could feel it.
The looks.
They weren’t fooled.
Sira’s gaze dropped first.
To his sleeve.
To the faint burn.
To the ash near his collar.
Then back to his face.
His smile was easy.
Too easy.
She said nothing.
Naomi leaned forward slightly. Her nose twitched.
Sulfur.
Ozone.
Smoke.
Not kitchen smoke.
Rava’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Mira’s fingers tightened just slightly around her teacup.
Lullaby blinked slowly.
The toast crackled faintly as Lux took a bite.
Comforting.
Normal.
Sira finally spoke.
"Tell you just got into a fight."
He chewed. Swallowed.
"Got summoned by the King for a little... talk."
He smiled again.
It didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Naomi set her cup down gently.
"You sll like infernal discharge."
"I..."
"You do," she cut him.
He shrugged lightly. "Maybe a bit." He technically didn’t lie. He just didn’t give them a full explanation.
That earned him a flat look.
Lullaby tilted her head.
"What did the King say?"
Lux leaned back slightly in his chair, folding one leg over the other like this was a quarterly report.
"An ancient Abyss Lord died this morning."
The table shifted.
Subtle tension.
"He said the attack was that guy’s responsibility."
Sira’s expression sharpened instantly.
"What attack?"
Lux paused.
There it was.
The miscalculation.
"...Oops."
The air cooled.
Mira’s dragon aura stirred.
"Lux..." she threatened him.
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
"Okay. Fine. I got attacked yesterday."
Silence.
"Where?"
"Celestial realm."
Sira’s hand flattened on the table.
"You what?!"
He lifted his free hand in a calming gesture.
"But the mastermind was infernal. According to the King. That’s the Abyss Lord’s fault."
Rava’s voice ca lower now.
"You were attacked."
"Yes."
"And you didn’t tell us?"
Lux looked down at his sleeve for a second.
He looked back up.
"I handled it."
Sira’s jaw tightened.
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"How close?"
There it was.
Not pride.
Not anger.
How close.
Lux swallowed once.
His throat felt strangely dry.
"Close enough to need better tailoring."
Nobody laughed.
He sighed softly.
"Briefly."
That word hit the table like a stone.
Briefly.
Naomi leaned back, staring at him. Yeah, at least she wasn’t the one who spilled it.
Ely’s fingers tightened on porcelain.
Lullaby was fully awake now.
Rava’s gaze burned.
He was still smiling.
But the scorch marks on his sleeve were real.
The dirt at his collar was real.
He picked up his coffee.
Warm.
Solid.
His favourite.
"I’m here," he said finally, softer.
He wasn’t dismissing them now.
He was grounding himself.
"I am not that easy to erase."
The room stared at him like he had just said sothing mildly inspirational but deeply stupid.
Lullaby raised her hand slightly, as if she was in class.
"Did the celestial realm explain sothing to you?"
Lux blinked.
"...Define explain."
Her eyes narrowed sleepily.
"They couldn’t just leave this. Soone attacked you in their territory."
Ely nodded gently, voice calm but firm. "I agree. That is politically abnormal."
Politically abnormal.
That was elf for what the hell.
Lux leaned back in his chair and stretched slightly, trying very hard not to look like soone who had been stabbed by divine intent recently.
"It’s still under investigation," he said smoothly.
Six faces waited.
"Celestaria and Archon Vizreel are investigating the celestial side."
Naomi narrowed her eyes.
"And the infernal?"
"The King is investigating that."
Sira leaned forward slowly.
"The King? And you trust him?"
Lux tilted his head.
"I trust his self-interest."
Mira stared.
"That’s worse."
He shrugged.
"Look. I have no choice, okay?"
Naomi crossed her arms.
"So, your summary is."
Lux spread his hands like he was presenting quarterly growth.
"Investigation ongoing. Celestial side handling celestial ss. Infernal side handling infernal ss. Political narrative being stabilized."
Sira stared at him.
"That is not calming."
He pointed at her.
"I am not finished."
They waited.
"So," Lux continued brightly, "please calm down."
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