Diabolist : The Beginning

They arrived at the private airstrip where the jet was stationed. A butler greeted them upon arrival, ushering them inside and helping them settle in.

By now, Eva and Jane had ceased their arguing. They had a long-standing agreement—no matter their conflicts, they would never bicker in front of a client or an enemy.

Jane sank into one of the plush seats, letting out a sigh of contentment as she and Peter took full advantage of this rare luxury. Peter stretched out, savoring the experience with a grin.

Eva, watching their indulgent behavior, rolled her eyes.

The jet took off smoothly, and before long, they arrived at their destination. As they stepped off, Jane immediately spotted the teenager who had hired them—Anthony Grey.

"I'm so glad you could come," Anthony said, his excitement evident.

Peter and Eva, however, were too distracted by his green-dyed hair, staring at it in silent curiosity.

Jane snapped her fingers in front of their faces. "Guys, you're being rude."

Peter blinked. "Sorry."

Eva tilted her head slightly before offering a simple, "I like it."

Anthony laughed sheepishly. "Thanks." He then gestured to the man standing beside him. "This is my older brother, Andrew."

Andrew, appearing far more serious than his younger sibling, got straight to the point. "My sister—can you really heal her?"

Jane met his gaze evenly. "If we can't, we won't take the payment. That's how we work. Payment is always after the job is done."

Andrew gave a curt nod. "You'll need to wait somewhere else for a while."

"Understood," Jane said without hesitation.

They were led to the mansion where they would be staying. As soon as they arrived, Eva wasted no time settling onto the sofa, pulling out her phone.

A notification popped up on her screen—JustAlex had posted a new video. Without hesitation, she tapped on it and connected her earphones.

The video played, showing Alex on a beach, effortlessly performing a viral dance with a group of people. The carefree energy of it was contagious.

A small smile tugged at Eva's lips as she watched. Then, without thinking, she hit replay. And again. And again.

***

"So, what's wrong with your sister?" Jane asked, glancing at Anthony.

Anthony sighed. "We don't know. We found her passed out in her apartment, and she hasn't woken up since."

"Were there any signs of a break-in?" Jane asked.

Anthony shook his head. "No. The doctors said there's nothing physically wrong with her, but for some reason, she's still unconscious. That's why my parents contacted Legion. They were hoping to ask the Angels to heal her."

At that, Eva stiffened. She turned away from her phone, her attention now fully on the conversation.

"The Angels are here?" she asked sharply.

Anthony shook his head. "No, they didn't take the mission. Luckily, you guys did."

Eva visibly relaxed and returned to watching her video.

Peter sighed. "It would've been nice to see the Angels, though."

Jane silently agreed, though for a different reason. She had no admiration for them like Peter did, but as the top-ranked diabolists in the world, the Angels intrigued her. Two beings with white hair, gray eyes, and powers so awe-inspiring they were considered divine.

More than anything, Jane wanted to ask them a question that had been nagging at her for a long time—why did Eva, somehow, share their abilities?

***

Andrew stood in another room, his grip tightening on his phone as he spoke.

"What did he say?" he asked.

His father's voice came through the line, heavy with frustration. "He can't heal her. Only the Angels can."

Andrew clenched his fists. "So what now?"

His father sighed. "We're going to formally request the Angels to come."

Andrew turned his gaze toward the room where the Hoods were waiting. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Father, the Hoods are already here. Maybe we could—"

"Don't even think about it," his father snapped, cutting him off. "Do you want to offend Legion?"

Andrew's jaw tightened. "This is Anne's life we're talking about. We shouldn't be worrying about what Legion thinks." Without waiting for a response, he ended the call.

Taking a deep breath, he walked back into the room. "Let's go to the hospital."

Jane studied his expression for a moment, then smiled, understanding that he had made his decision. "Let's go."

Peter and Eva stood up as well. "Okay," they said in unison.

They arrived by car, stepping out and making their way into the hospital. The ride had been silent, tension lingering in the air. Once inside, they took the elevator up to the ward where Anne, the unconscious girl, was being kept.

As they entered the room, they found Mr. and Mrs. Grey already there, accompanied by two other men. Jane immediately recognized them—Justin and Chester from Legion. Justin was the diabolist, while Chester, his root, ranked tenth in the world rankings.

Justin's frown deepened the moment he saw them. "You invited the Hoods? Why call us if you don't trust us to help?" he sneered.

"I didn't invite them." Mr. Grey's voice was sharp with irritation. He turned to Andrew. "Show them out."

Andrew's jaw clenched. "No. Dad, this is Anne's life we're talking about. I'm not taking any chances."

Anthony nodded rapidly in agreement. "Yeah, we just want to help," Peter added, his voice calm but firm.

Chester, leaning casually against the wall, didn't seem the least bit interested in their dispute. His eyes lazily swept over the group, but he remained silent.

Eva, who had been observing quietly, finally spoke. "I like your headphones."

Chester turned to look at her. The illusion concealing her true appearance prevented him from making out any details, so he simply nodded. "Thanks."

Eva turned to the girl lying on the hospital bed, her eyes widening slightly at the sight. "Huh, that's weird," she commented.

"Why? What's wrong with my sister?" Anthony asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Eva tilted her head. "Oh, that's simple. She made a contract with a rogue root, but she's not capable of being a diabolist, so the contract backfired."

Anthony and Andrew exchanged shocked glances.

Justin scoffed. "We just informed their father of that. Which is why only the angels can help now."

Peter and Eva rolled their eyes at Justin's arrogance.

Eva crossed her arms. "There are two options available: One, find the root and have the contract canceled, or..." She trailed off, hesitating on how to phrase her next words.

Chester, who had been silently watching, straightened slightly, sensing the weight of her pause.

"Or what?" Andrew pressed.

Eva exhaled. "Or we could reduce the backlash temporarily to wake her. Pick one."

Chester's stance eased a fraction, satisfied with her wording.

"In order to reduce the backlash, we need the angels," Justin insisted.

Eva shook her head. "Not necessarily."

She stepped forward, standing beside Anne's bed. With a light touch, she placed a finger on Anne's forehead. A thin stream of white energy flowed from her fingertip into the unconscious girl.

Chester's eyes widened slightly, his brows furrowing as he watched the display. How is that possible?

After a minute, Eva withdrew her hand and stepped back.

Jane raised a questioning brow, silently asking, Is she okay now?

Eva gave her a small nod.

"What now?" Mr. Grey asked, his voice edged with both hope and skepticism.

Jane smiled confidently. "Just wake her up."

At those words, Mrs. Grey rushed to the bedside, her hands trembling as she gently shook her daughter.

"Anne, wake up. You've slept for too long," she pleaded.

Anne let out a small groan, shifting slightly as if trying to get more comfortable.

Mrs. Grey gasped, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as joy flooded her expression.

Mr. Grey, Anthony, and Andrew stepped closer, their faces lighting up with relief.

"Mom, let me sleep," Anne mumbled, her voice thick with drowsiness. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, and she blinked in confusion at the sight of her entire family gathered around her, their expressions a mix of happiness and overwhelming relief. Her mother was outright sobbing.

Anne frowned. "What's going on?"

Chester stepped forward, eyes locked on Eva. "How did you do that?"

Eva simply pressed a finger to her lips. "Secret."

Chester frowned, and Justin looked just as surprised. The two exchanged glances—they would have to report this to the Angels.

Meanwhile, Mr. Grey turned back to his daughter, his relief quickly replaced with frustration. "Anne, you made a deal with a Root. What were you thinking?"

Anne's face turned pale as the memory hit her. "I'm sorry. I got greedy and… I didn't think it would turn out like this."

"Where's that damn Root now?" Andrew demanded, fists clenched.

Anne shook her head. "I don't know."

Jane crossed her arms. "This fix is only temporary. You need to find that Root and break the contract before things get worse."

Justin and Chester both nodded in agreement.

"I don't know where she is," Anne admitted. "I have no idea where she could be, all I know is that—"

"She looks exactly like you," Eva finished.

Anne's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

Jane and Peter also turned to Eva, curious.

With a sigh, Eva pulled out her phone, opened the streaming app, and tapped on JustAlex's latest video. She handed the phone to Anne.

"I'm guessing that's her in the background," Eva said.

Anne's breath hitched. On the screen, in the middle of a crowd, stood a girl who looked exactly like her—laughing with a few friends.

"She's there with Ellie and Phoebe!" Anne said, anger rising in her voice. "She's trying to steal my life!"

Andrew snatched the phone from her hands and stared at the video. "Where was this filmed?"

Eva shrugged. "I'm not God—I don't know everything," she said, a little offended that no one seemed impressed by Alex in the video. She took her phone back, scrolling through it with mild irritation.

"Can't I just call Phoebe and Ellie and ask where they are?" Anne suggested.

"No, that might tip off the Root," Andrew said firmly. "I'll find their location."

Peter crossed his arms. "So... are we done here? Looks like you've got things under control."

Jane glanced at the Greys, waiting for their answer.

Mr. Grey sighed, his tone much softer now. "Please, could you assist us until this is resolved?"

Jane nodded. "You're the boss."

With that settled, they were led to a hotel where they would spend the night while Andrew worked on tracking down the rogue Root.

***

In a distant location, a stunning woman with flowing black hair and striking blue eyes bit her blood-red lip in anticipation. She traced a finger over a country on the map, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Please, Castor, let me handle this one," she purred, her voice dripping with charm.

The man she addressed—Castor—chuckled, unfazed by her usual tricks. "Daeva, the boss hasn't given the order yet," he said, his warm smile never fading.

"Oh, come on," Daeva sighed dramatically. "I'm bored, and that one is taking forever. Let me do it—I'll be quick."

Another woman approached from behind, wrapping her arms around Daeva's waist and resting her head on her shoulder. She had glowing red eyes and pale, flawless skin.

"Castor, let her go," the woman—Lamia—murmured. "I'll be with her."

Castor hesitated, rubbing his chin. "I don't know… He won't be happy if we make a move without his approval."

"Please," Daeva pressed, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Castor studied her for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Fine. But keep the casualties to a minimum. The boss wants things clean."

Daeva beamed and grabbed Lamia's hand. "Let's go!" she said, practically dragging her out of the room.

As the door closed behind them, Castor chuckled to himself. "Oh, he's not going to like this."