After the blood-drinking scene with Luminaria; Atlas, Luminaria, and Elizabeth prepared themselves for departure to the Celestial Board Realm.
It was finally time to leave, but just as Luminaria was about to cast her Dimensional Portal, she sensed an intruding presence in her sub-realm.
Both she and Elizabeth felt the presence and wondered who it might be. In a split second, the being revealed herself, appearing in the center of the chamber and catching them all off guard.
The being—a woman whose beauty rivaled that of Luminaria and Elizabeth—was taller than both of them, standing at around six feet. Atlas thought to himself, She must be about half a foot taller than they are.
While Luminaria and Elizabeth seemed to notice the intruder, Atlas was captivated by her beauty.
She's stunning—gorgeous, sexy—any word synonymous with beauty applies, Atlas thought.
She's a straight-up six-foot goddess, he inwardly proclaimed, admiring her allure.
The woman looked at Atlas. "Thanks for the compliment. You're not too bad yourself—maybe average. You should consider that a compliment coming from me," she said.
Her words startled Atlas, not because of what she said, but because of what she seemed to be responding to—Atlas knew that he hadn't said anything aloud, yet this woman appeared to know what he was thinking.
She's dangerous, he thought.
"What brings you here, Lilith?" Luminaria asked, her demeanor hostile. Both Luminaria and Elizabeth exuded animosity, but deep down, they knew that if they were to fight this woman before them, they would surely lose.
Turning to the two women, Lilith responded, "Would you calm yourselves?" Then she turned back to Atlas. "I'm not here for either of you; I'm only here for you," she said, pointing directly at Atlas.
Atlas rose slowly from his chair, every movement deliberate, his gaze fixed on the intruder who had so casually pierced his mind.
"You can hear my thoughts," he said, his tone even but edged with caution.
Lilith smirked, a small, knowing curve of her lips. "To 'hear' would be an understatement. Your thoughts aren't whispers to me—they're invitations." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "And you think so loudly, Atlas."
Luminaria stepped forward immediately, her divine aura flaring like a warning flame. "You will not address my Master so casually."
Lilith barely glanced in Luminaria's direction. "Your Master?" she repeated, amusement lacing her voice. "Oh, Luminaria, you turned down my Master, yet you've allowed yourself to be tamed by such an unworthy man. I can't believe someone like you is related to Lady Lilim."
That insult was deliberate—Luminaria felt her anger rise from her words. "Luminaria, calm yourself," Atlas said.
His words worked like magic, instantly calming Luminaria.
Elizabeth stepped protectively beside her mother. "What do you want from him?" she demanded, though her voice trembled faintly beneath Lilith's overwhelming presence.
Lilith's gaze slid from Atlas to Elizabeth, studying her with unnerving patience before answering. "What I want from him… is none of your concern." She took a slow, graceful step forward, and the air itself seemed to thicken around her.
"What I need from him, however…" Her eyes locked onto Atlas again, glowing faintly crimson. "...is for him to obediently come with me; otherwise, I would hate to use violence."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
Luminaria immediately moved, light surging around her in radiant arcs, while Elizabeth's divinity burst to life beside her. But before either could attack, the very ground beneath them fractured under Lilith's aura.
"Don't," Lilith said simply. Her tone wasn't threatening—it was absolute.
"Why would you come for me?" Atlas asked, unflinching. "On whose orders?"
Lilith smiled faintly, stepping forward one slow, elegant pace at a time. "My Master's," she said simply. "The God of Destruction himself."
Luminaria's pupils shrank. "You dare—"
Lilith waved a hand dismissively, cutting her off. "Oh, drop the act. You know I'll eventually get what I came for, so let's skip all the hostility and jump straight to the end—where I leave with Atlas."
Elizabeth's power crackled with fear and defiance, but Atlas raised a hand, halting her and Luminaria both.
"So," Atlas said, his voice calm and dangerous, "the God of Destruction sent his pet goddess to fetch me."
Lilith's eyes flashed. "Pet?" she repeated, amused. "And no, Atlas. I don't fetch. I collect."
With a flick of her wrist, violet energy unfurled from her body, spiraling outward like serpents of condensed power. The tendrils hissed and coiled in the air, shimmering with runic sigils of pure destruction. "Now come quietly," she said sweetly, "and I promise you—you'll remain intact."
Atlas smiled faintly. "You really think you can take me?"
Lilith's grin widened, "I don't think, darling." Her aura surged, shaking the entire sub-realm. "I know."
Light and darkness collided in the chamber—Luminaria's divine power against Lilith's necrotic force. The air cracked like thunder, the sub-realm trembling under their clash.
But before the battle could fully erupt, Atlas's hand rose again. "Enough."
The command froze both goddesses mid-motion. Even Lilith paused, intrigued by how naturally he asserted control between them.
His posture was calm, confident, utterly unbothered by the cataclysmic power he'd just silenced. His eyes were cold, assessing, yet there was a dangerous glint behind them.
"You've made your intentions clear, Lilith," he said quietly, but every word carried weight. "But I don't want to lose the girls I've worked hard to tame…"
He glanced briefly toward Luminaria and Elizabeth—both still poised, ready to defend him at all costs.
"…so I'll agree to go with you," he continued, "only if you promise to leave them unharmed."
Lilith's expression softened into something close to amusement. She tilted her head slightly, her violet hair falling elegantly over one shoulder. "You'd surrender yourself… for them?"
Atlas smirked faintly. "Let's call it strategy."
For a moment, silence stretched between them—a standoff of intent.
Then Lilith's lips parted into a slow, dangerous smile. "Fine," she said at last, her voice velvet-smooth. "I accept your terms. They'll live… as long as you keep your word."
The shadows behind her pulsed, forming a sigil of dark energy—a swirling vortex of black and violet light.
She extended her hand toward him. "Come then, Atlas. My Master is waiting."
Luminaria took an involuntary step forward, her eyes wide. "Master—no!"
Atlas raised a hand again, silencing her with a single look. His gaze locked with Lilith's, and for a brief instant, both shared the same cold understanding—two apex predators acknowledging each other's strength.
Then Atlas stepped forward. "Let's not keep your god waiting."
Lilith's smile deepened, and the shadows wrapped around them both like silk.
Before the light of the sub-realm could fade completely, Atlas turned his head slightly toward Luminaria and Elizabeth. His expression remained calm, but his tone carried command and certainty.
"Luminaria," he said, his voice echoing through the trembling chamber, "remember our discussion about the Revitalization Arts—prepare it. While I'm gone, you will know when to use it."