"…What?"
The word slipped from Jay's mouth before he even realized he had spoken.
He had expected Vali to say anything, literally anything but that.
He stared into Vali's blue eyes with a mix of confusion and an Is this guy serious? stare, bracing for laughter, for a punchline, for anything that might tell him this was just another strange joke from him.
Jay let out a short, awkward laugh.
"You're joking. Right?"
Vali's expression didn't change.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Moonlight reflected in Vali's blue eyes, and for the first time since Jay had met him, they trembled... not from fear, but from resolve.
"No," Vali said quietly.
"I'm not joking."
Jay swallowed.
"Okay… then is this some kind of… what did you call it? Method acting or something? Because if it is, you really have no talent for it."
Vali closed his eyes.
A faint pressure rippled through the air.
Jay felt it before he saw anything.
The night seemed to draw inward, as if the world itself had leaned closer to listen.
Then it happened.
With a sound like fabric tearing through space, something erupted from Vali's back.
Eight wings.
Bat-like. Massive. Pitch black, yet shimmering faintly under the moonlight, as if veins of darkness ran just beneath their surface.
They unfurled slowly.
The rooftop creaked under the sudden shift in weight.
Jay's breath caught in his throat.
His eyes widened.
His mind froze.
"…Holy," Jay widened his eyes as whispered. "Damn it, you are not joking. "
The wings stretched outward, casting long shadows across the chapel roof. Moonlight traced their edges, revealing sharp curves and a texture that was unmistakably real.
Now that Jay had seen them with his own dark hazel eyes, it was clear that those eight bat-like wings were not fake or a costume. They were real, as real as the wind blowing through his hair.
Vali opened his eyes again.
"Now... do you believe me?"
Jay didn't answer immediately.
He stared.
Blinked.
Rubbed his eyes.
Pinched his cheek.
Looked again.
They were still there.
"…I," Jay began, then stopped.
He laughed again, weak this time.
"I must be dreaming." He had never taken alcohol in his life, but this had to be what everyone felt and saw when they were high.
His words were full of denial.
Vali shook his head slowly.
"No, you're not."
Jay exhaled, running a hand through his messy black hair.
"Okay. Okay. So let's assume for a moment that I'm awake and not dreaming, and those eight bat-like wings behind your back are real..."
He then looked up at Vali.
"You're telling me you're a devil?"
"Half-devil, half-human. Yes."
"By a devil, you mean the one with two big horns on their forehead, blood-red skin, and red eyes, influencing humans to do evil... that kind of devil?" Jay asked again, just to be sure.
"Well, in the supernatural world, that imagery and persona are somewhat exaggerated by human interpretation... However, it's not entirely wrong, since some of them do look terrifying and commit evil deeds... But yes, that kind of devil," Vali replied.
Jay leaned back, resting his palms on the stone rooftop.
"Huh… devils, so they exist."
That lack of reaction surprised Vali more than anything else.
"That's it?" Vali asked.
"You're not screaming. Or running… or praying?"
Jay glanced down at the chapel below them.
"If Sister Andrea hears screaming this late at night, I'm going to meet another devil… hell no, I don't want that."
Vali almost smiled.
Almost.
Jay grew quiet again.
He contemplated what response he should give Vali, as this revelation was so outlandish, literally out of this world, and almost impossible to imagine.
He didn't even believe in God, not once had the thought of devils existing in this world ever crossed his mind.
He had never thought that evil could be influenced by other supernatural creatures. That was why he never believed in any religion.
To him, since the day Cain killed Abel, evil had been intrinsically human.
Vali just waited for Jay, letting him gather his thoughts.
"So… explain."
Vali hesitated, folding his wings inward slightly.
"Where should I start?"
"Start with the part where the world apparently isn't what I thought it was, because God knows how there is what you call a supernatural world, where I assume people like you... I mean, devils truly exist," Jay replied.
"Then move on to the wings."
Vali nodded and took a deep breath.
"Very well… The supernatural worlds are... Let's just say both the location and the residence of mythological beings such as Gods and Buddhas, devils, fallen angels, angels, dragons, souls, and various otherworldly entities," he began, only for Jay to cut him off.
Jay frowned.
"As in… capital G—God? The biblical God?"
"Yes. Though there are many gods, not just the biblical one that you and others know so well."
Vali winced a little bit, sat beside him again as his wings tucked close, shadows pooling around them.
"The world you and I live in...," Vali continued,
"…is shared. Humans just don't see most of it. The supernatural world consists of the landmasses of multiple Heavens, the various realms of the Underworld, and the Dimensional Gap… The reason humans remain oblivious to it is that most supernatural beings avoid human society unless necessary."
Jay listened closely.
"There is Heaven," Vali said,
"As you familiar with..., ruled by angels and archangels. There is the Underworld, ruled by the devils, especially the 72 pillars. And there are independent pantheons too such as, Norse gods... Greek gods... Hindu gods... Many others."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"That's… a lot."
The thought that beings worshipped by almost every religion in the world could actually exist and be thriving was baffling to Jay.
"That's not even everything," Vali replied.
"There are fallen angels," he continued.
"Creatures who defied Heaven and were cast out. Some became devils. Some became something else entirely."
Jay nodded slowly. "So where do humans fit into all of this?"
Vali looked at him.
"Most humans live normal lives, unaware. But some learn magic and become magicians."
Jay stiffened. "Magic?"
"Yes… I mean, it's nothing new. There have been magicians since the dawn of humanity. Some of the most famous throughout history, whom you've probably heard of, are Merlin Ambrosius, Johann Georg Faust, Medea of Colchis, and many more," Vali said.
"Humans can become magicians through study, contracts, bloodlines, or by awakening latent abilities."
Jay stared at his hands. "You're telling me there are people out there shooting fireballs and drawing summoning circles while the rest of us are worried about how to work normal jobs like herding cattle?"
Vali gave a small nod. "Yes."
Jay let out a breath. "That's… crazy, I should say."
Vali actually laughed at that.
"Well, magic isn't easy. Human magic, for example, is arguably ten times harder than your typical science or math, as it's basically solving an equation to produce a magical phenomenon… And magic differs between races, both in concept and practice," Vali added.
"It takes discipline, knowledge, and often a price to perform magic."
"So technically, I could learn magic too?" Jay asked.
"Of course… but before you get your hopes up, I don't have the ability to teach human magic. I grew up in the Underworld and was primarily trained to use devil's magic instead."
Hearing that, Jay disappointed a little, imagine what could he do with magic.
"But aside from magic, humans also have another way to gain power. It's an artifact called Sacred Gears," Vali said.
"Sacred Gears?"
"Sacred Gears are items with powerful abilities, bestowed upon humans and human-hybrids like me."
After he said that, a pair of white Dragon wings appeared on Vali's back, with eight blue energy almost translucent "feathers".
" And i happen to also have one of them. "
Jay glanced at Vali's wings with awe. Its beautiful and hypnotic. After that, Vali then withdrawn his wings.
" Then if you are a half devil, your parents... "
Vali went quiet.
"Yes," he said.
"My mother is human, but my father…"
He hesitated.
"…is a devil of a rather prestigious bloodline, you could say."
Jay turned fully toward him.
"Is he the reason you ran away from home?"
Vali closed his eyes and gave an ironic smile. "Yes… if that could even be called a home."
The moonlight dimmed as clouds passed overhead.
"My father believed strength was everything, and because of my potential... which exceeded his own, he abused me," Vali said.
"Power. Pride. Prestige. That's always been the way in Devil society, and that's who he is."
Jay clenched his jaw.
"Everything I did was classified as disobedience, a rebellious act," Vali continued, his voice steady but hollow. "He reminded me of my place."
Jay said nothing.
"He told me humans were weak," Vali said. "That my mother was a mistake. That my compassion was a flaw."
Jay's image of Vali shifted again.
He had thought a devil would be a powerful domineering presence, but looking at Vali, it almost felt like they were no different from humans. They could be vulnerable and fragile too.
"So I ran," Vali said.
"I escaped into the human world. I hid my presence. Suppressed my power."
Jay looked at him sharply. "Then that earthquake?"
Vali nodded.
"That's my teleportation magic."
Jay leaned back again, staring at the sky.
"So you're telling me devils exist. Angels exist. Magic exists. And one of them, which is your father... beat you just because you had the potential to surpass him?"
Vali looked at him. "…Yes."
Jay was silent for a long time.
Vali watched him carefully, bracing himself.
Fear.
Disgust.
Hatred.
Anything.
Jay finally spoke. "That sucks."
Vali blinked. "What?"
"That sucks," Jay repeated.
"No kid deserves that… devil or not."
Vali stared at him.
"You're not afraid of me?" Vali asked quietly.
Jay shrugged.
"I should be. Probably… But no kid deserves that kind of treatment, especially from their own family, no matter what race they are."
Vali felt something twist in his chest.
"What about devils?" Vali asked.
"You don't hate them?"
Jay's expression darkened.
"There's a difference," he said. "Between what someone is and what they do."
Vali swallowed hard.
Jay met his gaze.
"You didn't hurt anyone here. You helped with chores. You laughed with the kids. You even shared food you didn't need to," Jay said, pointing at him.
"That matters more to me than whether you're a devil or not."
Vali felt his throat tighten.
"…Thank you," he said.
Jay scratched the back of his head.
"So… I guess it's only fair that we properly introduce ourselves now."
Vali nodded. "Vali Lucifer."
Jay blinked. "Lucifer?"
"Yes."
Jay whistled softly. "That's... quite a name." He then smirked.
"You already know my name. It's Zayyn Illia Kovalenko."
"Zayyn Illia Kovalenko," Vali repeated.
Jay smiled.
"Just Jay, as usual, is fine."
They sat together beneath the moon... human and half-devil, their secrets laid bare.
They didn't speak much after that.
The night had already revealed more truth than either of them could properly digest. Jay stretched his arms, yawning as if they had just been talking about the weather instead of the hidden truth of this world.
"Guess we should get some sleep," Jay said. "Tomorrow's awkward enough without us looking like zombies."
Vali nodded. "Yeah."
They climbed down from the rooftop one by one, careful not to wake anyone. The orphanage was quiet, wrapped in the deep stillness of midnight.
Jay headed toward the kids' shared room, pausing only to glance back.
"Hey," he said. "Whatever you are… you're welcome here."
Vali held that look for a second. "Good night, Jay."
"Night, Vali."
The door closed softly.
Vali remained standing in the corridor for a moment, listening to the distant rhythm of breathing from the sleeping children.
The warmth of the place lingered around him like a fragile illusion.
A place to call home, huh, he thought.
His throat felt dry.
He decided to grab a glass of water before going to bed.
The kitchen lights were off, so he moved quietly, guided more by memory than by sight. After filling a cup, he drank slowly, grounding himself. Just as he set the glass down, something prickled at the edge of his senses.
A presence.
Cold. Heavy. Familiar.
Vali froze.
The sensation wasn't strong, but it was unmistakable. Suppressed, hidden poorly, like someone wearing a disguise they had never practiced in.
'No,' he thought. 'It can't be.'
Carefully and silently, he moved toward the back exit that connected the chapel to the orphanage grounds. The wooden door creaked faintly as he opened it just enough to peer outside. Moonlight spilled into the narrow alley between the stone chapel and the orphanage wall.
And someone was standing there.
A tall figure cloaked in dark fabric. Crimson eyes glinted in the shadows, sharp and predatory. The air around him seemed to warp, as if reality itself rejected his presence.
Vali's blood ran cold.
"…So you really are here," the devil said, his voice smooth and playful. "Young master."
Vali stepped back instinctively.
"You… how did you get here?"
The devil chuckled. "Your disappearance caused quite the disturbance. Lord Lucifer was… displeased."
Vali's hands clenched.
"Go back. I'm not returning."
"Oh, you misunderstand," the devil replied, taking a step forward. "I wasn't asking. "
Another step.
"It was an order."
Vali felt his power stir violently, his instincts screaming at him to fight.
'But i was inside the orphanage... One wrong move and…'
The devil vanished.
Vali barely had time to react before a hand grabbed his throat, slamming him against the stone wall. The impact rattled the alley.
"You've grown careless," the devil hissed. "Living among insects..."
Vali gasped, wings threatening to manifest.
Then-
CLANK
Metal rang sharply against stone.
The grip on Vali's throat loosened instantly as the devil leaped back, eyes wide.
A figure stood at the mouth of the alley. Barefoot. Wearing simple night gown.
Blond hair fell loosely around her shoulders. In her hand, a sword glowed faintly with holy radiance. Its blade hummed softly, pure, lethal, with runes etched along its length that burned with authority.
Sister Andrea
She yawned lightly, resting the sword on her shoulder.
"Honestly," she said calmly, "...don't you think attacking a little kid a little bit too much, devil?"
The devil stared.
"This is not your problem, exorcist."
Sister Andrea smiled.
The sword flared brighter.
"Oh no," she replied sweetly.
" I am an ex-Exorcist "