"What took you so long?"
The demon's voice was casual. Bored, even.
But just those words alone carried a level of authority he couldn't quite comprehend.
Cipher's knees buckled. His body slammed into the ground against his will, pressed down by an invisible force. Around him, the other demons were similarly forced to the earth, prostrating before their superior.
The crimson-haired demon descended slowly, his feet touching the ground without a sound. He walked toward Cipher with unhurried steps, inspecting him the way one might inspect an insect.
"I had expected one of those old fossils to have come for there to be such trouble," the demon said, tilting his head. "But to think it was just a pretty boy."
He crouched down, bringing his face closer to Cipher's.
"Now... how should I deal with you?"
Cipher forced his head up. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he managed to meet the demon's gaze.
And then he saw it.
Everything around him seemed to freeze.
