Azreal stood still in the midst of the room, his body still heavy with the aftermath of the long sleep. His mind, still fogged with the remnants of his unconscious state, struggled to piece the puzzle together. Sarah's words echoed in his head, but one thing stood clear: everything had changed. The gods had sealed Y'tharion away, and yet, someone had managed to break that seal. Who?

Sarah's voice broke through his thoughts like a blade through fog.

"My lord, if Y'tharion was indeed sealed in Val'Karas, then who was it that was freed from the sealed room?" Her tone was a mix of disbelief and suspicion. Azreal frowned, clenching his fists at his sides.

"This is confusing," he muttered, almost to himself.

"Could it be his ability?" Sarah pressed, her brow furrowed in thought.

Azreal's gaze snapped to her. "Explain in more detail."

Sarah hesitated for a moment, before speaking slowly, carefully. "I mean, could he have the ability to split his fire soul?" Her eyes met his, uncertainty shadowing them.

Azreal froze. If Y'tharion could indeed split his soul, the implications were disastrous. "But... if he had that ability... does that mean he fooled the gods?" he asked, his voice tight with suspicion.

"It seems like so," Sarah said softly, but her words held the weight of truth. "Even the gods make mistakes."

Azreal's hands trembled slightly as the realization hit him. They had been tricked.

He turned sharply, his mind racing. "The seal at Val'Karas... it cracked like it was hatching," he muttered.

"Then it's true," Sarah said, her voice gaining clarity. "That means Y'tharion's second soul was freed through contact with your mark. And since Aria was there for a time... she could have helped the process along."

Azreal clenched his jaw, fury simmering beneath his calm exterior. "I can't believe we were fooled... by Sin."

"It's not your fault," Sarah said quickly, her voice softening. "Aria was in danger. You did what you had to do to protect her."

Azreal's eyes flickered with doubt. "I'm glad that's the only thing that happened while I was asleep," he said, his voice colder than before.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "Well..."

Azreal's gaze darkened. "What is it?"

Sarah hesitated. "I would like to say no, but... unfortunately, yes."

Azreal's body tensed. "How long was I asleep?"

"Roughly a week," Sarah replied, her eyes searching his face for any sign of distress.

"A week?" Azreal repeated, his mind struggling to process the passage of time. He sniffed his armpit, the sour scent of sleep lingering. "Doesn't seem so."

Sarah couldn't help but let out a small, knowing chuckle. "Shall I go ahead and deliver the reports? Or would you prefer some private space to yourself?"

Azreal met her gaze, his expression hardening. "Go on. I need to know everything."

Sarah nodded, pulling up a tablet-like device and bringing up the latest reports. "The infernals have evolved," she said, her voice grim.

Azreal's eyes flashed. "Those infernals don't know when to give up, do they?"

"They never do," Sarah said. "But this time... their powers exceeded my expectations."

Azreal's sharp gaze never left her face. "Explain."

Sarah leaned forward, her fingers tapping the device to bring up an image. "They look... humane. Almost impossible to tell apart from normal humans. And unlike the Cinderborn, who could only produce flames and had a high resistance to fire... the human infernals can manipulate flames into weapons. Their resistance to flames is also higher than before. And, they have names."

Azreal's brow furrowed. "They have names?"

"Yes," Sarah said. "When you and Aria were unconscious... a human infernal attacked the royal palace. The guards couldn't stop it. Lady Selmora was attending to your treatment, so Hulk volunteered to confront it. He came back in... very bad condition."

Azreal's mind raced as he took in the details. "How bad?"

"It was bad enough that all the oxygen in his body was depleted. His internal systems were burned out completely," Sarah explained. "By my results, it looks like he pushed himself too far... past his limit."

Azreal clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing in anger. "So all that happened... and now we face a new breed of infernal?"

Sarah nodded grimly. "Yes. They're to be feared. The infernal that attacked that day... it was like a newborn, barely experienced. A test subject. Its durability was being tested."

Azreal's rage was palpable, but it wasn't just directed at the infernals. "They were sent here as test monkeys?" His voice grew colder with each word.

Sarah nodded. "That's not the only disturbing part. I found traces of Aria's blood in the infernal's system. Most likely, her blood was used to evolve the Cinderborn into human infernals. She was their specimen."

Azreal's eyes burned with an infernal fire of their own. "My lord," Sarah said, barely above a whisper. "I think this is why they targeted her."

The heat in the room suddenly spiked, the temperature rising rapidly. Azreal's eyes glowed a fierce red, a dangerous presence radiating from him. "How dare they," he growled, his voice laced with venom.

"My lord, calm down," Sarah said urgently, sensing the sudden shift in his power. "We need to assess this calmly."

Azreal's power swirled around him like a storm, but he took a deep breath, calming his volatile energy. The temperature in the room returned to normal, but the tension remained thick.

Sarah took a step forward, her tone serious. "There's one more thing."

Azreal's eyes flickered. "What is it?"

"In the sealed room," Sarah began, her voice low, "we found traces of blood in a coffin. It was collected and tested. It... it was Aria's blood."

Azreal's heart clenched, a cold shiver running down his spine. "It was Aria's blood?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Sarah nodded solemnly. "Yes. Her blood was used not only to evolve the infernals... but also to break the seal."

Azreal's face twisted in disbelief. "If all they needed was blood... why did they use Aria's?"

Sarah thought for a moment, then spoke. "I believe it's because she carries the Gods' mark. The gods sealed Y'tharion away, so who better to break the seal than their chosen one, marked by the gods themselves?"

Azreal's thoughts reeled. The gods were tricked...

"How is Aria?" Azreal asked, his voice tight with concern.

"She's fine," Sarah replied. "She was in the same condition as you at first, but she woke up sooner. She's recovering."

Azreal sighed, a mix of relief and frustration filling him. "I see."

"That's all the report we've gathered so far," Sarah finished.

Azreal's gaze turned hard. "We still don't know who kidnapped Aria."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Seeing who she ended up with... I guess there's a traitor in the third gate, someone who worked with Sin."

Azreal's expression darkened. "Then we can't afford to be idle. We need to find him."

"No need, my lord," Sarah said softly. "I believe the traitor is probably dead."

Azreal's brow furrowed. "Why do you think that?"

"The people who came with Sin... they were found dead in the sealed room. Their fire souls were extracted. Most likely, they were used as supplements for Y'tharion, who's now awakened after so many years."

Azreal's eyes widened. "So, you think the traitor might have been among the dead followers?"

Sarah nodded. "It's probable. But I told Lord Xaltheon to keep watch."

"Good," Azreal said. "That was the right thing to do."

Azreal turned, heading toward the bathroom. Sarah watched him carefully. "What do you intend to do, my lord?"

"I want to hold a meeting with the pillars," Azreal said, his voice firm. "Send the message."

The panel appeared before Sarah, and she relayed the message to the others.

Azreal slipped into his black attire, the crimson cloak swirling around his form as he walked toward the door. As he opened it, the cool air hit his face, invigorating him.

In the hall, Azreal's footsteps echoed with authority, each step heavy with purpose. The maids saw him and immediately bowed, lowering their heads in respect. Frederick, too, bowed. "It's good to see you in good health, my lord."

Azreal met his eyes. "You too."

Hulk walked toward him, a determined expression on his face.

"You should get some rest," Azreal said, his voice gruff.

Hulk looked at him with unwavering loyalty. "Why do you say that, my lord?"

Azreal's eyes softened, though his voice remained steady. "I heard what happened. You almost died. You woke up before me, but you still need to rest and regain your strength."

Hulk shook his head. "It couldn't be helped, my lord. I needed to protect you."

Azreal's expression grew serious. "I'm sorry. So much happened while I was asleep."

"No," Hulk said firmly. "It wasn't your fault. It's my duty to protect you."

Azreal's voice softened with a mixture of gratitude and regret. "But if something had happened to you, I don't think I would have been able to forgive myself."

"My lord..." Hulk's voice was barely a whisper, but the loyalty was clear.

Azreal straightened, his posture commanding. "Well, I'm getting late for the meeting. You rest. I'll take it from here."

Hulk's expression shifted to one of fierce determination. "No, my lord. If you're working hard to solve this case, then who am I to rest? Will you give me the honor of serving you once again?"

Azreal met his gaze, his heart heavy but resolute. "What are you talking about? You will always be my right-hand man."

"Thank you, my lord," Hulk said, his voice full of gratitude. "Now, let's go to that meeting."

Azreal nodded, and together, they walked toward the meeting hall, where the fate of everything would be decided.

For the King of Hell had awakened.

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