Renny leaned forward. "What about your girl? Amorette is in grade 3. She's definitely strong enough to back you up."
Kev's face twisted. "Man, you wildin'. What kinda demon would I be lettin' my girl fight my battles? Nah, fuck that. I'll deal with Avradren myself... just not yet. Those higher grades are powerful as fuck. For a whole night, I was tortured, homie. Felt like I was in real hell, the kind they used to preach about back on earth. Scary shit." He shook his head. "Best you stay clear of them for now, Renny. They ain't to be fucked with."
Renny nodded slowly. "Damn. I just step away for a while, and now you're the one laid up in a hospital bed."
Kev smirked, wincing at the movement. "Yeah, like I took your spot. Thank God you're back though, so you can be the one hospitalized next time, not me."
Renny chuckled. "Never happening."
Kev's grin widened. "We'll see. Oh... and the former vice president, Krovanis, he was lookin' for you too."
Renny blinked. "For real? What the hell did he want?"
Kev shrugged. "How the fuck would I know? Whatever business you got with that dude, that's on you."
Kev shifted on the bed, lowering his voice. "But real talk, why the hell they lookin' for you? Even some strange dude came askin'. Never seen him before."
Renny's brow furrowed. "Strange dude? A demon?"
Kev shrugged. "Couldn't tell. Probably. But still... what the fuck you do to have people huntin' you down?"
Renny leaned back with a dry laugh. "No idea, man. But I'll find out soon enough, now that I'm back."
Kev chuckled. "Yeah, true that."
Renny's tone shifted. "So when they lettin' you outta here?"
"Tonight," Kev said, smirking. "Doc says I'm good to roll."
"Good," Renny nodded. "Then I'd like you to come with me to the inauguration ceremony."
Kev gave him a flat look. "The hell for? I'm not repeatin', so why I gotta sit through that again?"
"They assigned me as an usher," Renny muttered.
Kev blinked, then broke into a disbelieving laugh. "An usher? Damn, that's fucked up. You serious?" He shook his head. "Nah, homie, can't do that. I need to rest up and prep for my contract. Who knows what kinda shit they'll throw at me as a grade 2 demon."
Renny lifted a hand in surrender. "Fair. Rest comes first. I'll handle it solo."
"Bet. We'll link up after," Kev said, reaching out.
They clasped hands tight before Renny turned and walked out, Kev leaning back with a weary grin.
***
Renny made it back to his apartment, relief washing over him when he saw no one had come looking. That eased the knot in his chest, but the wait for confrontation still gnawed at him. He couldn't live a normal life on Earth as a human, and he sure as hell couldn't live a normal demon's life in Hell. His fate was one for the books. He shook his head, muttering to himself.
Midnight had already crept in. He had stayed up late, vigilant, keeping the room silent so nothing distracted him from hearing if anyone came. Finally, he let himself sink into bed, phone in hand, scrolling through his Ezraphor store.
Fracture spells. His eyes lingered. Getting one of those would pair nicely with his dagger. He was already good at seeing the fracture causes in destruction energy... doubling down might just sharpen his edge. He thought about demon seeds. He scoffed. Not yet. Seeds were slow-burn strategies, not quick hitters. He needed speed, precision, tools for sudden fights.
But what weighed on him most was the contract. Once he signed to redo it, how the hell was he going to complete it?
Druvash was a big obstacle. Even with an overall of 300, Renny wasn't sure he could subdue him and walk out alive. The memory of their last clash was still raw, like it had happened yesterday.
But it had been months... half a year, maybe. Since then, he'd unlocked his Ezraphor powers, awakened the Royal Eye. It exposed all of hell, revealed what demon eyes could never reach, boosted his regeneration, and pushed his movements past his actual numbers. Dominion was another weapon in his arsenal. And yet…
He clenched his fists, breath sharp. The image of Druvash's strength pressing him into the ground still haunted him. Fear gripped like chains around his chest.
"No," he whispered, shaking his head hard. "I'm stronger now."
If he could just get the key. Escape faster. Stick to the plan. Everything would fall into place.
Finishing his contract before the deadline could secure him an early promotion to Grade 2. That hope kept him going... the thought that he could climb back to where he once stood. All he had to do was finish this contract early and move on to a Grade 2. But even that was daunting. If a Grade 1 contract was this brutal, how much worse would Grade 2 be?
He exhaled, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept since the night he'd escaped to the garden. A little rest wouldn't hurt. Slowly, his eyes grew heavy, and he drifted into sleep.