Max reappeared beneath a bed.
For a moment, he stayed still, adjusting to the sudden shift in time and form. Then he carefully crawled out, his small paws making almost no sound against the floor.
He looked around.
The room was large—far larger than a normal child's bedroom. It was filled with toys, books, plush figures, and decorations that felt both elegant and playful at the same time. Soft lighting filled the space, casting warm shadows along the walls.
"…So this is her childhood room," Max muttered quietly.
He hopped up onto the bed with ease.
And there she was.
Charlie.
A child.
She looked about eight or nine years old, peacefully asleep under her blankets. Her hair was slightly messy, and her expression was soft and calm—completely different from the confident, energetic woman he knew.
Max tilted his head slightly.
"…She's adorable as a kid."
He sat down, his tail curling around his body.
"Wonder why she never showed any pictures from this time when we were together…"
He paused.
"…Actually, how far back am I?"
Max hopped down from the bed and began looking around the room. His eyes landed on a drawing taped to the wall—something Charlie had clearly made herself.
There was a date written on it.
April 6, 1905.
Max blinked.
"…Damn."
He leaned back slightly.
"Guess high-status Hellborn age a lot slower than I thought."
He looked back at Charlie.
"So her 'childhood' probably lasts… what? A century?"
He thought for a moment.
"…Which means she's only a couple hundred years old when we're engaged."
He shook his head.
"Still weird."
Max paced quietly across the room.
"I had a plan for this…"
He frowned.
"…What was it again?"
He paused.
"Ascension…?"
He sighed.
"Great. I don't even remember what that's about until I stabilize in this timeline."
He glanced around again.
"Oh well."
Charlie shifted slightly in her sleep.
Max watched her for a moment, then turned and slipped out of the room, moving silently through the halls.
He activated every stealth ability he had access to.
Invisible.
Undetectable.
Untraceable.
As he moved through the mansion, he caught glimpses of the others.
Lucifer was in another room, carefully working on a collection of rubber ducks with intense focus.
Lilith sat elsewhere, reading a book quietly, her posture calm and composed.
Max paused, watching them both from a distance.
"…Interesting."
He leaned against the wall.
"I know I could try to win her over too…"
He thought for a moment.
"…But I don't know if I should."
He shook his head.
"I'll leave that decision for later."
He looked around the environment more carefully.
This place…
It felt isolated.
Like a pocket dimension separate from the rest of Hell.
No sinners.
No chaos.
No noise.
Just three beings…
Living in a massive, quiet space.
Max's expression softened slightly.
"…That explains a lot."
He looked back toward Charlie's room.
"She grew up between two extremes."
"A mother who wants to help sinners…"
"And a father who despises them."
He exhaled slowly.
"No wonder she turned out the way she did."
After a moment, he returned to her room.
But this time—
Charlie was awake.
She sat up slightly, rubbing her eyes.
"…Huh?"
Her gaze landed on him immediately.
"…Who is that?"
Max froze for a split second—
Then jumped onto the bed, acting like a normal playful pup.
Charlie's eyes lit up instantly.
"Ooo!"
She reached out to grab him, and Max playfully dodged, bouncing around the bed just out of reach.
"Hello!" Max said, using the most innocent, childlike voice he could manage. "My name is Max. I'm your new friend."
Charlie gasped happily.
"Yay! I have a new friend!"
She clapped her hands excitedly.
"I can't wait to show you to Mommy and Daddy!"
Max quickly shook his head.
"You can't do that, Charlie," he said gently.
She blinked.
"Why not?"
"They can't see me," Max explained softly.
Right on cue—
The door opened.
Lucifer stepped inside.
"Sweetie?" he asked calmly. "What's all the noise about?"
Charlie pointed excitedly.
"I made a new friend! A wolf pup!"
Lucifer glanced around the room.
He saw nothing.
Max was using every stealth ability he had to remain completely hidden from him.
Lucifer smiled gently.
"Of course you did," he said kindly. "Now, you should get some sleep."
He walked over and activated a small device on the side table.
Soft classical music began to play.
He gently tucked Charlie in before leaving the room again.
The door closed quietly.
Charlie lay there for a moment.
Wide awake.
"…I'm not sleepy," she whispered.
Max stepped closer.
"Here," he said softly.
"This should help."
He sat beside her and began to hum—then softly howl in tune with the classical music.
The sound was gentle.
Warm.
Comforting.
At the same time, he subtly activated his Sloth Skill, wrapping the room in a calming aura designed to ease the mind and encourage restful sleep.
Charlie's eyes slowly began to close.
Her breathing softened.
Her body relaxed.
Within moments—
She was asleep.
Max sat there quietly beside her, watching over her as the music continued to play.
"…Goodnight, Charlie," he said softly.