009: invitation to nowhere

Tuesday 28th January, 2025

Liam stood before his room’s full-length mirror in a vest and a pair of sweats, drying his wet hair with a towel after gaming late into the night. Now that he’d taken care of that, he could finally go to bed — maybe even sneak in a nap during class tomorrow.

“Looking as good as ever, Your Royal Highness.”

The familiar voice startled him.

Liam turned to see a cross-armed Axel leaning against the wall, his blood-red eyes as unreadable as ever.

“Dude, you nearly scared me half to death.”

Axel simply stared, silently taking in his surroundings.

“An archangel’s mansion? Real mature, kid.”

The raven-head rolled his eyes and went back to looking at himself in the mirror.

“What are you even doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be ruling Hell or something?”

No response.

Instead, the platinum-haired male snapped his fingers, and a small red vial appeared in front of Liam.

“Just thought I’d check in on you. That should help fully cover your scent from the General.”

Liam frowned, confused by the sudden gesture.

“What? It’s better than watching you repeatedly embarrass yourself trying to seduce an archangel,” Axel teased.

Liam’s fist clenched. So all his humiliating attempts had been seen by his older brother.

Great.

How his ego would recover from that, he had no idea.

Still… Axel’s intentions were crystal clear.

If he drank the vial’s contents, he’d be able to wander Earth freely without living in constant fear of being tracked.

But it also meant something he hadn’t truly considered in a while.

He could be free.

Free from the brooding angel he’d been bound to.

No more school.

No more collar.

And most importantly…

No more Adam.

Previously, if he had been given such an offer, he would have jumped at it — no questions asked. But why was he hesitating now? Wasn't freedom what he had long craved?

His mind drifted back over all the events since he’d first arrived on Earth. He hadn’t expected to grow so fond of this place. Kim, his classmates, a few hot teachers… yeah, Seoul was truly something else.

“Actually,” he began suddenly, “I’m gonna have to pass on that. For now, at least. I wanna do this on my own. And no, it’s not just because of some ego issues. So if you even think for a second that I’m gonna—”

“I trust you.”

“Exactly! So if I say… wait, what?” Liam froze, dumbfounded. Did someone actually trust him? He had initially just planned on helping his brother, but seeing the Raven Head’s determination, Axel hadn’t pushed further.

“Shoot! I totally forgot to plan out the book’s next seduction tactic.” Liam hurried out of his room, leaving Axel behind. “Bye, Al!” he shouted.

The older male couldn’t help but smile unconsciously, seeing his half-brother so dedicated to something — something he hadn’t seen in a long while.

“Letting such a kid make such an important decision… you really have gone soft,” a feminine voice whispered from the shadows.

“I trust him. Do to him as you will.”

Though they faced opposite directions, the tension was palpable. Axel had 100% faith in his little brother and wasn’t planning on intervening anytime soon. All he hoped was that Liam hadn’t rushed his decision.

Wednesday, 29th January, 2025

Liam sat on the bleachers of the indoor basketball court, headphones on, casually sketching away on a sketchpad. Kim had been playing on the court with his teammates for over an hour. After sinking a three-pointer, the team decided to take a break.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kim caught a glimpse of the focused male and excused himself. Approaching Liam, he peeked at what the other was drawing.

Intrigued, he asked what he was sketching. Without looking up, Liam explained it was simply a design for a new club sector he was planning for his “parents’” clubs. Unlike the usual erotic nature of most of his clubs, this one focused on a lavish, high-class setting — a place where high society could let loose while still maintaining appearances, avoiding any scandal. Sure, there were already VIP lounges, but this new sector screamed rich taste: plush lounges, classic paintings, grade-A beverages, and the finest entertainment money could buy. And if you looked closely, you’d even notice the cross logo above the entrance — upside down, yes, but a cross is still a cross.

Liam might have said it was a sudden design, but it was clear this theme had been carefully thought out for a while, with a specific target in mind. Someone like… Adam.

The bell for the end of PE finally rang. The Raven Head quickly slung his backpack over his shoulders and headed for the window to leave school early. Before slipping out, he turned back to Kim.

“Cover for me,” he said, and with that, he was gone.

Later that night, with the help of his ghoul staff, Liam put the finishing touches on the new sector. Now all it lacked was a name. He paused, examining the premises, and then it hit him.

“Eden.” An Eden in the Abyss. Somehow Bible-related, and somehow still sinful.

He had spent quite a large amount on most of the equipment—after all, he couldn’t just make everything appear out of thin air—but deemed it worth it. Sure, it landed him in a few thousand dollars of debt, but Liam was confident the club would pay for itself in no time. Now, all that remained was to invite the guest of honor himself.

Earlier that day, Adam had stopped by to inquire about something from the Raven Head. But when he arrived in class, the sight of an empty seat stopped him cold. He turned to the nervous schemer sitting nearby, prepared to press for an answer. The ginger-haired male had planned to come up with an excuse, but the look on Adam’s face screamed, don’t even think about messing around. Not ready to throw Liam under the bus, he did the only thing he could: he lied.

“He’s in the infirmary. Had a really bad migraine this morning. Definitely doesn’t want any visitors for a while.”

Adam didn’t buy it—not one bit. Coldness seeped deeper into his expression by the second. “I’m going to ask you this one more time. Where’s Liam? And don’t you dare lie to me if you still want a clean record with the student council.”

Faced with the threat, the male had no choice but to yield. And looking at Adam now, Liam could only imagine the storm brewing behind that icy gaze. Pissed was an understatement.

Back in the present, the clock had just struck 9:00 p.m. Liam had thought it over and decided it was the right time to contact the blonde—under an alias, of course. Assuming Adam would still be furious, Liam took the first move with a simple, direct text:

LIAM: I’ve got two tickets to the cinema downtown 😜. You in or out?

Meanwhile, Adam sat in his study, absent-mindedly staring at his unfinished school report—an assignment he’d been putting off for far too long. Yoon entered quietly, carrying dinner for his master, who had decided to pull an all-nighter.

Just then, the blonde’s phone pinged with an incoming notification.

He glanced at the name on the screen—

—and immediately ignored it.

Some might have called it petty.

But Adam had dealt with far too many of Liam’s antics to willingly fall back into that hole again.

Across the room, Yoon watched silently.

Something had clearly happened between the two.

Worse still…

he feared his master was throwing away his own happiness without even realizing it.

He tried to stay quiet.

He really did.

But when the phone buzzed again—and Adam still made no move to check it—

the butler finally spoke.

“Young master… don’t you think it would be wise to at least hear the boy out? It could be something important.”

Adam didn’t even look up.

“Last I checked, he’s the one who left on his own,” he said coldly, eyes returning to the report.

“So let him deal with his problems himself.”

Yoon lowered his gaze.

All he could do now… was hope his master would one day come to terms with his own emotions.

Once alone, Adam glanced at the phone again.

His fingers twitched.

Tempted.

Just one look.

Just one message.

But he forced himself to stop.

He refused to yield first.

Three hours later.

9:00 p.m.

Liam stood outside the cinema alone.

Gray T-shirt.

Black jeans.

His usual black-and-white jacket.

Simple.

Casual.

Like this wasn’t important.

Like he hadn’t been waiting for hours.

The streets of Seoul were slowly emptying.

Cars driving home.

Stores closing.

Night workers clocking in.

And in the middle of it all—

he stood there.

Still.

The cold breeze brushed through his jet-black hair.

Earlier, he’d passed time gaming on his phone.

Now the battery blinked red.

4%.

Dead soon.

He finally looked around.

The street was practically deserted.

“…Maybe coming out this late wasn’t my smartest idea.”

He tried calling Adam.

The second his thumb hovered over the call icon—

the screen went black.

Battery dead.

“…Seriously?”

He exhaled sharply.

But he was the second demon prince.

What was there to fear?

Right?

Slowly, he pulled out the fancy invitation he’d prepared.

Handwritten.

Carefully designed.

Just for Adam.

All that effort.

All that planning.

All that stupid hope.

And for what?

To get stood up.

By the one person he’d been trying so damn hard to impress.

The one person who turned him into a lovesick puppy instead of a royal.

His hand drifted to his chest.

Why did it hurt this much?

He’d never cared how people treated him before.

So why now?

Why him?

God… he hated it.

He hated this feeling.

Hated himself for getting attached.

For believing freedom was that easy.

For believing Adam—

Most of all…

he hated Adam.

First he forced me into a contract.

Then made me move in with him.

Took care of me when I was drunk.

Grounded me like some kid.

And now he just stands me up?

“…Fuck him.”

The invitation ripped in his hands.

Pieces scattered into the wind.

“You’re better without him, Liam.”

The paper disappeared into the darkness.

He didn’t look back.

Didn’t notice the shadow slowly emerging from the alley behind him.

Didn’t sense the presence trailing his steps.

His mind was too far gone to notice anything.

“Fucking archangel…”

And with that—

he walked deeper into the streets of Seoul.

Alone.