What? Who's about to lose control?
Mr. Old Neil?
Klein's heart shot into his throat. He glanced at the mysterious man, then at Old Neil, unable to stop himself from blurting, "Mr. Old Neil, are you…"
Old Neil's face remained relatively composed, though the faint trembling of his fingers hinted that his calm was a thin veneer over a storm of emotions.
Taking a deep breath, Old Neil turned to the mysterious man. "Are you the gentleman who just saved that Mandated Punisher from losing control?"
"Just a small gesture," said the mysterious man—Evah in his Lucifer guise—with a smile. He gazed at Old Neil as if he could see through every chapter of the man's life, his smile laced with a careless indifference.
Evah had deliberately crafted this moment, stepping into the scene as Lucifer. The Punisher from earlier had indeed been saved by him, and honestly, it wasn't much trouble. The near-loss of control stemmed from corruption tied to a True Creator's spawn—a minor issue for Evah, far simpler than purging an Outer God's influence.
By neutralizing the corruption's source before the Punisher fully lost control and soothing their emotions, Evah had averted the crisis.
His motives were twofold: to test the impact of his performance and to build the mystique of a powerful figure, setting the stage for this encounter with Klein and Old Neil.
The results confirmed his instincts. Playing the Actor demanded deliberate theatrics. After Evah, as Lucifer, made his public display, his Actor potion digested a bit further though not a huge leap, but enough to prove he was on the right path.
Now, it was time to give Klein a taste of "Lucifer's" shock value.
Evah chuckled inwardly, turning to Old Neil. "The Hidden Sage isn't exactly the easiest entity to negotiate with. You're too old—keep pushing that ritual, and you'll only lose control."
The blunt unveiling of his deepest secret made Old Neil's body tense, his breath faltering. After a long pause, he managed to speak. "Is there no other way?"
Evah's smile carried a trace of pity, but it was shallow, like an audience member watching a tragedy unfold. "Sadly, your life doesn't really offer a second path. Perhaps…"
"'If you can't save her, go join her.'" Evah recited Old Neil's epitaph slowly, smiling at him. "Is that what you want etched on your tombstone?"
Old Neil opened his mouth, as if to respond, but no sound came.
Evah, as if reading his thoughts, raised a hand and snapped his fingers with a sharp crack.
Old Neil, moments ago drowning in despair, calmed instantly. He looked at the man before him, struggling to speak. "Thank you."
Just seconds earlier, his spiraling emotions had nearly triggered a loss of control right there. It wasn't surprising—Old Neil was so old that any intense emotional swing could spark disaster.
Thankfully, Evah had stabilized him just in time, averting the worst.
"No need to thank me. I just didn't want a talented actor to vanish from this world," Evah said, shaking his head with a smile.
"Actor?" Old Neil asked, visibly confused.
"You and your wife have performed a truly gripping romantic tragedy," Evah said leisurely. "And its finale—whether you cling to your obsession, continuing the ritual to revive her and losing control, or abandon it, living on with your love for her so she doesn't face a third death—either way, it's a satisfying conclusion."
Evah spoke deliberately. If he were being himself, he wouldn't have framed it so cruelly. As a Trickster, he had some conscience when dealing with the lawful side.
But as Lucifer, he was embodying a chaotic Trickster, so he had to lean into the malice.
Sorry, Mr. Old Neil, gotta twist the knife a bit… But trading a stab to the heart for a shot at avoiding loss of control? Not a bad deal, right?
How vicious!
Klein instinctively glanced at Old Neil, unsurprised to see a flicker of anger on his face. No one would take kindly to their life's tragedy being dissected like that.
At the same time, Klein realized this mysterious young man might not be a good person—more like a Trickster who roamed the world, acting on whims.
"If you just wanted to watch a tragedy, you didn't need to warn me," Old Neil said, reining in his anger, his voice cooler.
"I'm just curious about your choice," Evah said, unfazed by Old Neil's tone, smiling leisurely. "Giving an actor enough options makes the story's ending more perfect."
Old Neil was left speechless.
Klein's initial goodwill toward the man had evaporated, and he couldn't hold back. "Sir, we're grateful you warned us about Mr. Old Neil's risk of losing control, but treating someone else's tragedy as a story isn't exactly a great habit."
Evah turned his gaze to Klein, his golden eyes catching the sunset's glow, strikingly beautiful but seemingly devoid of warmth.
Yet Klein could sense the man's stare carried scrutiny, tinged with emotions he couldn't quite read.
"Why not? Life itself is a drama, and we're all the lead actors. Why can't I enjoy someone else's performance?" Evah said, his expression carrying a seemingly genuine puzzlement.
"Then, sir, if someone wanted to enjoy your tragedy, would you accept it calmly?" Klein shot back.
"Of course," Evah said, nodding as if it were obvious. "I enjoy others' life dramas, so naturally, they can enjoy mine."
This was laying the groundwork for Lucifer to later chronicle his own experiences in a diary.
Klein was momentarily stumped, a mix of exasperation and amusement bubbling up, his anger fading.
The man seemed to genuinely believe this, so he hadn't meant to offend Old Neil—it was just a matter of… wildly different values.
"But Mr. Old Neil doesn't want you enjoying his life," Klein said after a moment's thought, deciding to argue within the man's logic. "If you think he's a fine actor, shouldn't you respect his wishes?"
Mr. Fool's brain works fast, Evah thought, impressed. On the surface, he adopted a thoughtful look, then nodded. "An interesting argument. I must admit, you've convinced me. Indeed, I should respect a fine actor's wishes."
He turned to Old Neil, a touch apologetic. "My apologies, Mr. Old Neil. Please forgive my rudeness."
(End of Chapter)