Inside the plane, where everything was pinned in silence and everyone was asleep, Morvathos turned toward the woman.
"All right, since that's done… what's your name? Not good to not know the benefactor's name."
He said evenly,
The white-haired woman was already back in her seat. She clipped her seatbelt with practiced calm, not even looking up as she answered,
"Selene Ardyn Valecrest."
Morvathos narrowed his eyes. That was a frickin' long name. But he couldn't complain because his own was worse.
Selene finally looked at him, her expression hovering somewhere between expectation and ambiguity.
"My name is Morvathos Renavyr Oathgrave.And as for your earlier question about who am I? Well, I'm the King of Hell and the God of Death in charge of Earth. But enough of that. There is something more interesting thing I want to know."
He said.
He flickered from where he was, reappearing crouched on top of the seat in front of her, leaning in close. He extended his hand with a faint smile.
"Nice to meet you, Selene. Since you helped me out, I'll answer your question. Just one. After that… we'll trade. You ask, I answer. Then I ask, you answer. But you have already used that question to know my identity, so now we trade questions and answers. How about it?"
Selene hesitated, then shook his hand.
But before she could speak, both of them heard the faint groaning of passengers nearby. The people were beginning to stir. Selene immediately suggested they wait until after landing.
"I think its better to talk in a restaurant. I don't need anyone thinking I'm talking to myself. I believe that no one else can see you unless you want to Right?"
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"Well, I didn't see you when we boarded the plan. Nor did anyone else. So your consolment ability must be top notch if you can use it at will.
Morvathos nodded, clearly impressed by her observation.
"Fair enough. Just one thing… you see, I'm broke. So I can't pay. You get that, right?"
Morvathos said with a difficult expression.
Selene rolled her eyes and gave him a sharp look.
"You're the God of Death. How are you broke?"
The words landed like a jab straight to his ribs. He'd said it himself, sure,but hearing it from her was a soul-deep wound.
"Listen here, lady,"
He said, jabbing his finger repeatedly against her forehead.
"You don't judge people by appearances. I've got my circumstances. And don't forget,no matter how much money you've got, you'll come to me once you die. So show some respect. Got it?"
Before she could retort, he vanished. Not through umbral dissolution,he simply stopped showing himself, slipping back into his natural state: unseen to mortal eyes, even to Selene, an exorcist.
He left her there, blending once more into the background of the cabin. When he reappeared,he was back in his previous outfit: hoodie, pants, the same shoes as before. Just another shadow in the crowd.
===
Selene Ardyn Valecrest
A respected figure of the exorcists' world, hailed as a once-in-a-millenia genius. At just twelve years old, she stepped into the exorcist society as a member of the Valecrest family.
She was the sole heiress of that family. Many had high hopes for her. And she didn't disappoint,rather, she exceeded every expectation when she became a Master Exorcist at seventeen. Many families were amazed.
Many were envious, but they couldn't do anything. The Valecrests were one of the top exorcist families, with transcendent-grade exorcists behind them.
All others could do was swallow their bitterness and smile. People thought that after her rapid rise to Master-grade, she would slow down before reaching the next realm.
But shattering all expectations and norms once again, Selene stepped into the Grandmaster stage.
The world was thrown into chaos when the news got out. At the age of twenty-two, reaching Grandmaster was no small feat. It was unprecedented in history and she was the first to achieve it.
Selene was the epitome of talent in every way. She had extreme affinity with all present known elements, and excelled at everything she touched.
Not only that, she trained both her spiritual essence and her body at the same time, and still managed to step into the Grandmaster stage as an exorcist at the age of twenty-two.
She wasn't only known for her talent, but also for her achievements. From a young age, she had accomplished feats that left people in awe and shock. Her whole life was filled with achievements and glory.
Her signature move was tied to the light element, so people gave her the title Sword of Light, Vanquisher of Evil.
The title never sat well with Selene, but she didn't complain. What could she do? Everyone called her that. Even though she disliked it, she had no choice but to accept it.
In LA, Selene had been enjoying rare downtime. A vacation. But only three days in, her phone buzzed. When she picked up, the urgent voice of a family elder came through.
He told her to instantly go to Japan and investigate the sudden rise of demons. Selene said nothing, just sighed. She knew from the urgency in his voice that this matter was serious.
It needed her immediate attention. So she booked a flight that same day and boarded the plane at night.
Selene disguised herself with minimal care. Too much deliberation stood out. She was a well-known figure even in the mortal world.
Every top family had some connection to mortal society, and the Valecrests were no exception. She had appeared in public a few times, and whenever she did, men were instantly smitten by her beauty.
Selene was considered one of the most beautiful women alive, and because of that she had countless suitors,whether from other top families or even commoners.
But none caught her eye. Every man that approached her had some ulterior motive. They either wanted her body or her family status.
So she boarded the plane like anyone else. At first, it was just a normal flight. She closed her eyes, trying to get what might be her last bit of rest before things became complicated in Japan. But halfway to the destination, the plane was hijacked.
She didn't know who was behind it, but she knew someone powerful was pulling the strings. No random group could bypass airport security with assault rifles.
She considered her options carefully, not because she was weak, but because she was too strong.
For exorcists at her current stage, a bullet could barely scratch them. It was even more exaggerated for Selene because it barely did anything, maybe redden her skin at most.
But the passengers weren't like her. If she hesitated for even a second, they could die. If she released too much power in the cramped confines of the plane, the whole aircraft could be torn apart. That risk weighed heavier than the hijackers' guns.
As she wrestled with the problem, an extremely handsome man suddenly strolled in from the flight attendant's corridor. He wore a pilot uniform and carried a crazed smile on his face.
He looked like a lunatic, screws loose, but anyone who looked at his face was stunned into silence.
The mortals gaped at him, spellbound. Only Selene and the hijackers resisted somewhat, but even Selene's heart skipped a beat when she first saw him.
She couldn't sense any spiritual aura from the man. That meant he was suppressing it, either through an artifact or some technique.
Selene sat back, letting him handle it, because she knew exactly what kind of being stood before her. She had heard of them, her father called them old monsters.
Bored immortals who wandered the world, stirring trouble for the sake of entertainment.
And Selene was certain this man was one of them. When he acted, her suspicion solidified into certainty. He was a wandering, transcendent exorcist.
Relief washed over her, until he suddenly crouched right in front of her after finishing with the hijackers.
Up close, he was even more unnervingly handsome. Selene's heart skipped again. She tried to act cold, but she was still young, still human, and still a teenager who longed for romance. She never held another man's hand.
She didn't have time for that. Bur she wanted to experience the tenderness of love even once in her life.
And a divine face leaning close,it rattled her. Her heart betrayed her, beating faster. But the repeated taps of his scythe against her forehead jolted her back to her senses.
He asked her to clean up the mess. He could have done it himself,she knew that,but she didn't dare protest aloud.
All wandering transcendent exorcists were lunatics, and her father had drilled into her: never, ever provoke them.
So she obeyed. She rose from her seat, pulled out a high-grade talisman of trace-erasing, and tore it in half.
The bodies dissolved into nothing. The traces of battle vanished. Then she pulled another talisman, this one for memory erasure. Every active exorcist carried such talismans. When mortals witnessed the supernatural, the memories had to be erased or altered.
When she finished, she looked at the man again, her voice unsteady but unable to hold back the question: who was he?
The answer shocked her, though at the same time it didn't. An answer befitting a lunatic. He called himself the God of Death, the King of Hell.
Later, when she suggested they talk over dinner, he stunned her again,not by disappearing, but by admitting he was broke. Here he was, calling himself the King of Hell, yet he couldn't even afford a meal.
She didn't complain. She couldn't. Before she could even process it, he had vanished again, leaving only a faint warning not to taunt him.
Selene sat back, fixing her disguise. She didn't know if he was still there, watching, or truly gone. She didn't care. She was exhausted.
More exhausted from talking to that man than from fighting catastrophic demons. She slumped back against her seat, closed her eyes, and tried to catch what little rest she could before chaos erupted again.