Dan stood in front of the tall mirror inside his private room, completely naked, examining himself with the easy satisfaction of someone who knew exactly what he was looking at.
The soft golden lighting of the room reflected across his skin,
highlighting the smooth lines of his body. His muscles were lean and perfectly defined—not the bulky strength of warriors, but the kind of beauty that seemed designed purely for temptation. His skin was flawless, his posture relaxed, his expression confident.
He slowly turned his body slightly, admiring the reflection from another angle.
An incubus body.
A body capable of starting wars.
Dan smirked faintly at the thought.
Throughout history, kings had fallen, armies had turned against each other, and powerful men had ruined their lives over less temptation than what he naturally possessed.
He lifted a hand and ran it casually through his hair before glancing at the mirror again.
But this time, his eyes were not focused on himself.
Instead, he looked past his own reflection.
Behind him, visible in the mirror, was the large bed in the center of the room.
And on that bed—
A man slept.
Gabriel.
The bodyguard of Ellios lay sprawled across the sheets, completely naked, his breathing slow and deep in the heavy sleep of someone whose body had been thoroughly exhausted through sex.
The blanket had twisted loosely around his waist, leaving most of his strong frame uncovered.
Dan leaned slightly closer to the mirror, studying him with quiet amusement.
"Well," he murmured under his breath, "that didn't take as long as I expected."
He crossed his arms casually, still watching the sleeping man through the reflection.
His mind wandered back to the moment this whole situation had begun.
A Week Earlier
The night outside King's Night Club had been lively, filled with music and flashing lights spilling out into the streets.
Cars came and went.
People laughed as they entered the building.
Neon signs illuminated the sidewalk in vibrant colors.
To ordinary humans, the club was simply another luxurious nightlife destination for the wealthy and reckless.
But the truth hidden beneath that surface was far more complicated.
Many of the guards working security were not human. But demons.
Some of the bartenders were not human either, even a few of the regular customers belonged to species that humanity would never believe existed.
Demons.
Supernatural creatures.
Things that had learned how to live quietly among humans.
Which made Gabriel's behavior stand out immediately.
He had been standing outside the entrance for several minutes, staring at the card in his hand.
The same card Ellios had once received.
To human eyes, he might have simply looked like someone deciding whether or not to enter the club.
But to supernatural beings trained to notice danger, his posture was wrong.
He was too alert.
Too observant.
Especially considering recent events where demon hunters had appear more frequently in the city lately. And even attacked the King's night club.
Several groups had already been eliminated quietly, but the tension still lingered among the creatures living in the area.
And Gabriel unintentionally radiated the exact kind of presence that made demons suspicious.
It didn't help that he stood outside studying the entrance like a soldier surveying enemy territory.
And the card he carried is a special card given by only the creature known as the king in yellow.
Inside the club, several guards had already noticed him.
But Gabriel remained unaware of that fact.
Eventually, he stepped inside.
Inside the Club.
The moment he entered, the music struck him like a physical force.
The bass vibrated through the floor, pulsing through the crowded dance hall. Lights flashed across the room while dancers entertained guests on raised platforms. Waiters moved quickly between tables carrying drinks while laughter and conversation filled the air.
Gabriel walked through the chaos calmly.
He had a mission.
Ellios had disappeared.
And every instinct he possessed told him that the answer was somewhere inside this building.
He moved carefully through the club, observing everything.
The staff.
The customers.
The layout of the building.
Every hallway.
Every door.
At first, he attempted to blend in as a customer.
Unfortunately, that plan didn't last long.
Within ten minutes, Gabriel found himself dragged into a back hallway by two staff members who insisted there had been a scheduling mistake.
Before he could properly protest, someone had shoved a uniform into his hands.
Another worker had pointed him toward a changing room.
Moments later, Gabriel found himself wearing the outfit of one of the entertainers.
He stared at himself in confusion.
"…What just happened?"
But despite the ridiculous situation, he quickly realized something important.
This actually worked in his favor.
As a staff member, he could move through areas that normal customers couldn't access.
So instead of arguing, he used the opportunity.
Gabriel began searching the building more thoroughly.
First the kitchen.
Large, busy, filled with chefs and servers moving constantly.
Nothing unusual.
Then the storage rooms.
Boxes, supplies, alcohol crates.
Still nothing suspicious.
After that he checked several staff corridors.
But Ellios was nowhere to be found.
Still, Gabriel refused to leave.
Something about the place bothered him.
His instincts kept warning him that he was close to something important.
Eventually, he moved toward the VIP section.
And that was when things began to shift.
The Surveillance Room
High above the main club floor, inside a quiet control room filled with monitors, Dan stood watching everything.
One large screen displayed the dance floor.
Another showed the kitchen.
Several others monitored hallways, storage rooms, and private areas.
And one particular screen showed Gabriel.
Dan leaned casually against the control console, a cigarette between his fingers as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke.
Behind him, several guards watched the monitors nervously.
"What should we do with him?" one of them asked.
Dan didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he watched Gabriel move through the hallway on the screen.
The human body guard looked determined.
Focused.
Completely unaware that dozens of supernatural eyes were already tracking his every movement.
Dan finally flicked ash from his cigarette.
"Bring him to me," he said casually.
The guards hesitated.
One of them cleared his throat.
"Sir… do you remember Lord Hastur's orders?"
Dan slowly turned his head.
The guard swallowed nervously but continued.
"Any strange intruders are to be killed on sight… or driven insane."
For a moment the room was silent.
Then Dan's expression darkened.
"And Hastur isn't here," he said coldly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly.
"And since he's gone," Dan continued slowly, "I'm in charge."
The guards quickly lowered their heads.
No one argued.
After all, even if Dan lacked the terrifying presence of Hastur, he was still a high-level incubus.
Creatures like him could destroy lesser demons effortlessly.
The guards quickly left to capture Gabriel.
Dan remained behind, watching the screen thoughtfully.
It had been exactly one week since he had last seen Hastur.
And that week had been… strange.
Hastur—the ancient being who normally showed no interest in mortal attachments—had become completely obsessed with his new mate.
Ellios.
For seven entire days, Hastur had barely left his private quarters.
He slept with Ellios.
Talked with Ellios.
Held Ellios.
And disappeared into the bedroom with Ellios repeatedly.
Dan had never seen anything like it.
At one point he had even worried the human might die from exhaustion.
Luckily, Dan had found a creative solution.
He had barged into the room and shown Hastur a pornographic video on his phone.
The reaction had been immediate.
Hastur had stared at the screen thoughtfully.
Then he had grabbed Ellios and disappeared again.
Moments later, Dan had been thrown out of the room. And banished to the night club.
He chuckled quietly at the memory.
Since then, the club had been unusually calm.
Which meant Dan had been extremely bored.Maybe he should go to Hastur and spice things a little. After all his plans would move faster.
And now he's a little fired up.
Because tonight, a body guard had walked directly into their territory.
And Dan had decided to keep him.
After all, boredom could make even demons creative.
And Gabriel had just become his newest source of entertainment.