"No problem," Old Neil said, his voice stiff, unable to muster more than a curt response.
Klein hadn't expected the man to be so agreeable, prompting him to ask, "Sir, could you tell us who you are?"
"Me?" Evah turned to Klein, smiling. "A name's just a label, but if you need one, you can call me… Luciferiel." By the end, he seemed to find something amusing, chuckling softly.
Luciferiel?
Klein froze. He'd heard that name before—back in his old world, some versions of mythological tales said Lucifer, before his fall, was called Luciferiel.
Wait a second—calling life a script, speaking in riddles, a twisted sense of humor… Klein's mind instantly latched onto a name, and he couldn't help but study the man more closely, momentarily at a loss for words.
He strongly suspected this "Luciferiel" was Jack's teacher, Lucifer Zoroast.
"But that doesn't add up. How could someone with this personality raise a student like Jack…" Klein's thoughts tangled, but with Old Neil standing nearby, he obviously couldn't just ask if the man was Lucifer Zoroast.
Evah, as if sensing something, tilted his head toward a certain direction. He suddenly smiled, letting out a wistful sigh. "Ah, finally…"
Then, he turned to Klein and Old Neil. "Well, my fellow actors, that's all for today. I have other matters to attend to. Until next time." As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Klein, his expression carrying a cryptic weight.
Klein blinked, suddenly recalling the man's earlier comment—"Interesting"—when they first met. The shock of Old Neil's near-loss of control had overshadowed it, but now it resurfaced.
"You…" Klein started to ask, but before he could finish, the man's figure vanished completely. Klein stared, stunned, his mind flashing to space-related abilities he'd seen in fictional works.
"He might be from a pathway tied to the spirit world. Some pathways allow quick travel through it," Old Neil said quietly. Though low in Sequence, his decades with the Nighthawks gave him plenty of insight.
Klein's thoughts drifted to the messenger who delivered letters for Mr. Azik.
Both fell silent. After a while, Klein spoke up. "Mr. Neil, about what just happened… we should report it to the Captain." He cautiously watched Old Neil's expression.
He knew Old Neil might not want to report this, but with the risk of losing control at stake, Klein hoped informing the Captain could lead to a solution.
"…Alright," Old Neil said after a long pause, sighing and nodding.
...
Meanwhile, Evah, who'd played the cryptic card purely to make his exit seem plausible, had already used his Traveler ability to return home.
"That should give Klein a solid first impression of Lucifer. When I step back into the role, everything will fall into place," Evah said, stretching lazily. Thinking back on the encounter, he chuckled. "Hope he doesn't hate Lucifer too much…"
Evah wasn't too worried, though. In his design, Lucifer wasn't meant to be likable. He'd positioned the persona as morally ambiguous—akin to a friendly Amon, reliable in a pinch but best kept at arm's length otherwise.
This setup gave Evah more freedom to act through the Lucifer alias.
"As for Old Neil… I hope the Church of Evernight can sort out his issue," Evah mused.
His warning to Old Neil served two purposes: to flesh out Lucifer's persona and to casually save a decent man. Old Neil was one of the good ones, after all.
But Evah had no real way to counter the Hidden Sage, so his warning was as far as he'd go. Whether Old Neil would still meet the tragic fate from the original story was beyond his control.
"Next, Klein will probably come looking for me. Time to pull out the props I prepped," Evah said, grinning as a plan took shape. He'd already designed how Lucifer would interact with Klein.
Some very entertaining designs.
...
While Evah schemed, Klein and Old Neil had returned to Blackthorn Security Company, reporting the incident to Captain Dunn.
"I'll inform headquarters. They might know who this Luciferiel is," Dunn said, his expression grave. His gaze then settled on Old Neil, gentle but sharp. "So, Old Neil, is what he said true?"
Old Neil's face twisted with bitterness, but he didn't hide the truth.
His story was simple: Old Neil had a beloved who died years ago. Desperate to bring her back, he'd been listening to the Hidden Sage's whispers, gaining knowledge and secretly preparing a ritual to resurrect her.
"…I never meant to hurt anyone. I just… I just wanted her back. It's my fault. If my Sequence had been higher back then, maybe I could've saved her," Old Neil said, his voice heavy with pain.
Dunn sighed, but his tone remained firm. "I'll include this in the report to headquarters. They might have a solution. For now, you'll need to be monitored to prevent any risk of losing control."
As a friend, Dunn sympathized with Old Neil and understood his actions. But as the Nighthawk Captain, he had a duty to protect the team.
"I understand," Old Neil said, nodding with a bitter smile.
Watching this, Klein felt a pang of discomfort, struck by the harsh realities of the Beyonder world.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if Old Neil actually lost control.
"In that sense, we owe Luciferiel thanks," Klein thought. "He may not be a saint, but without his warning, Old Neil might've lost control soon." With that, the last bit of resentment Klein held toward Luciferiel faded. His thoughts turned to Jack.
"After work today, I'll go see Jack. Maybe it really is his teacher."
...
"You met my teacher? Today?" That night, in Evah's home, after Klein recounted the day's events, Evah's eyes widened in perfectly acted shock. "But he didn't come to me!"
(End of Chapter)