"…What?"
The word slipped from Jay's mouth before he even realized he had spoken. He stared at Vali's blue eyes with both confusion and ' Is this guy serious? ' stare, waiting for laughter. Waiting for the punchline. Waiting for anything that would tell him this was just another strange joke layered on top of an already strange night.
Jay let out a short, awkward laugh before he silenced.
"You're joking. Right?"
Vali did not answer. The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Moonlight reflected in Vali's blue eyes, and for the first time since Jay had met him, they were trembling. Not with fear. With resolve.
"No," Vali said quietly. "I'm not joking."
Jay swallowed. "Okay. Then is this some kind of what you called it..., yeah method acting or something? Because if it is, you're really have no talent on it."
Vali closed his eyes.
A faint pressure rippled through the air.
Jay felt it before he saw anything. Not suffocating, but pressured atmosphere. The night seemed to pull inward, as if the world itself had leaned closer to listen.
Then it happened.
With a sound like fabric tearing through space, something erupted from Vali's lower back.
Eight wings.
Bat like. Massive. Pitch black, yet shimmering faintly under the moonlight, as though veins of darkness flowed beneath their surface. They unfurled slowly, deliberately, each movement heavy with weight and presence.
The rooftop creaked beneath the sudden shift in mass.
Jay's breath caught in his throat.
His eyes widened.
His mind froze.
"…Holy," Jay whispered. " God damn it, you are not joking. "
The wings stretched outward, casting long shadows across the chapel roof. The moonlight traced their edges, revealing sharp curves and a texture that was unmistakably real.
Not costume. Not illusion. Real as the wind blowing his hair.
Vali opened his eyes again. "Now do you believe me?"
Jay didn't answer immediately. He stared. Blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Pinched his cheek. Looked again. They were still there.
"…I," Jay began, then stopped. He laughed again, weak this time. "I'm definitely dreaming.". He never taking alcohol in his life, but this must be how everyone feel and see when they high. Denial.
Vali shook his head slowly. "You're not."
Jay exhaled, running a hand through his black messy hair. "Okay. Okay. So let's assume for a moment that I'm awake and not dreaming. And those 8 bat like wings behind your back are real."
He then looked up at Vali. "You're telling me you're a devil?"
"Half-devil half-human, yes."
" The devil you mean, the one with two big horn on their forehead, blood red skin and red eyes, influencing human to do evil, that kind of devil? " Jay asked again, just to make sure.
" Well in the real supranatural world, that imagery and persona is somewhat exaggerated by human interpretation, however its not wrong either because some of them do look ugly and do evil. But yeah, that kind of devil. "
Jay leaned back, resting his palms on the stone rooftop. "Huh."
That lack of reaction surprised Vali more than anything else.
"That's it?" Vali asked. "You're not screaming. Or running. Or praying."
Jay glanced at the chapel below them. "If Sister Andrea hears screaming in this late night, i'm going to meet the second devil."
Vali almost smiled.
Almost.
Jay grew quiet again. He contemplate what response should he give Vali, as this revelation is just so outlandish, out of this world literally, and unthinkable to even imagine. He don't even believe in god, there is not a single time the thought of devil existing in this world ever crossed his mind.
Vali just waiting for Jay, and let him gather his tought.
"So… explain."
Vali hesitated. He folded his wings inward slightly, as if trying to make himself smaller. "Where should I start?"
"Start with the part where the world apparently isn't what I thought it was, because god knows how is there are what you called a ' supranatural world ' which i assume people like you, i mean devils truly exist." Jay replied. "Then move on to the wings."
Vali nodded and take a deep breath.
"The supernatural worlds are both the location and the residence of where mythological beings such as Gods and Buddhas, Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels, Dragons, Souls, and various otherworldly entities dwell upon.," he began which Jay cut him off.
Jay frowned. "As in… capital G God? The biblical god?"
"Yes. Though there are many gods. Not just the biblical god that you and others knew very well."
Vali sat beside him again, wings tucked close, shadows pooling around them.
"The world you and i live in," Vali continued, "is shared. Humans just don't see most of it. It consisted of landmass of the multiple Heavens, the various realms of the Underworld, and the Dimensional Gap. Most supernatural beings avoid human society unless necessary."
Jay listened closely.
"There is Heaven," Vali said, " As you familiar with, ruled by angels and archangels. There is the Underworld, ruled by the devils, especially the 72 pillars. And there are independent pantheons too such as, Norse gods. Greek gods. Hindu gods. Many others."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "That's… a lot."
To think beings that worshipped by almost every religions in this world would actually be exist and thriving is baffling to Jay.
"That's not even everything," Vali replied.
"There are fallen angels," he continued. "Creatures who defied Heaven and were cast out. Some became devils. Some became something else entirely."
Jay nodded slowly. "So where do humans fit into all of this?"
Vali looked at him. "Most humans live normal lives. Unaware. But some awaken to magic."
Jay stiffened. "Magic?"
"Yes. I mean its nothing new, there are a lot of magicians since the dawn of humanity, some of the most famous throughout history that you probably would have known are Merlin Ambrosius, Mephistopheles, Johann Georg Faust, Medea of Colchis etc. " Vali said. " Humans can become magicians through study, contracts, bloodlines, or awakening latent abilities."
Jay stared at his hands. "You're telling me there are people out there shooting fireballs and summoning circles while the rest of us are worried about algebra exams."
Vali gave a small nod. "Yes."
Jay let out a breath. "That's… mildly unfair."
Vali actually laughed at that.
"Well magic isn't easy, human magic for example arguably 10 times harder than your typical science and math as it is just basically solving an equation to form a magical phenomenon. And different races magic also different in concept to each other." Vali added. "It takes discipline. Knowledge. And often a price to do magic."
" So technically i could learn magic too? " Jay asked.
" Of course, but before you asked. I did not have a capability to conduct a human magic, since i grew up in the underworld and mainly taught to use devil's magic instead. "
Hearing that, Jay disappointed a little, imagine what could he do with magic. That must have been really fun to able to create a fireball or harnessing the wind.
" But other than magic, human also have another meaning to gain power. Its called a sacred gear. " Vali then continued. " Sacred Gear, also known as God's artifact, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon Humans and Human hybrids like me by God of the Bible. "
After he said that, a pair of white Dragon wings appeared on Vali's back, with eight blue energy almost translucent "feathers".
" And i happen to also have one of them. "
Jay glanced at Vali's wings with awe. Its beautiful and hypnotic. After that, Vali then withdrawn his wings.
" Then if you are a half devil, your parents... "
Vali went quiet.
"Yes," he said. "My mother was human. My father…"
He hesitated.
"…is a devil of a pretty prestigious bloodline you could say."
Jay turned fully toward him. "Is that why you run away from your house?"
Vali closed his eyes. "…Yes."
The moonlight dimmed as clouds passed overhead.
"My father believed strength was everything, and because of my potential that exceed himself. He abused me. " Vali said. "Power. Pride. Prestige. That's the way it's always been in the Devil society, and that's who he is."
Jay clenched his jaw.
"Everything i do would be classified as a disobedience, rebellious action." Vali continued, voice steady but hollow, "he reminded me of my place."
Jay said nothing.
"He told me humans were weak," Vali said. "That my mother was a mistake. That my compassion was a flaw."
Jay image of Vali change again. He tought that a devil would be a powerful, domineering presence but looking at Vali, it's almost feel like they are no different than humans. Vulnerable and fragile.
"So I ran," Vali said. "I escaped into the human world. I hid my presence. Suppressed my power."
Jay looked at him sharply. "That earthquake."
Vali nodded. "I lost control. Just for a moment."
Jay leaned back again, staring at the sky.
"So you're telling me devils exist. Angels exist. Magic exists. And one of them which is your father beating you just because you have the potential to surpass him?"
Vali looked at him. "…Yes."
Jay was silent for a long time.
Vali watched him carefully, bracing himself.
Fear.
Disgust.
Hatred.
Anything.
Jay finally spoke. "That sucks."
Vali blinked. "What?"
"That sucks," Jay repeated. "No kid deserves that. Devil or not."
Vali stared at him.
"You're not afraid of me? " Vali said quietly.
Jay shrugged. "I should be. Probably. But no kid deserved that kind of treatment, especially from their own family. Devils or not."
Vali felt something twist in his chest.
"What about devils?" Vali asked. "You don't hate them?"
Jay's expression darkened.
"There's a difference," Jay said. "Between what something is and what it does."
Vali swallowed.
Jay met his gaze. "You didn't hurt anyone here. You helped with chores. You laughed with the kids. You shared food you didn't need to". Jay pointed at him. "That matters more to me than the fact that you have horns or wings."
Vali felt his throat tighten.
"…Thank you," he said.
Jay scratched the back of his head. "So. I guess it's fair that we properly introduce ourselves now."
Vali nodded. "Vali Lucifer."
Jay blinked. "Lucifer?"
"Yes."
Jay whistled softly. "That's... quite a name." He then smirked. "Zayyn Illia Kovalenko."
Vali repeated it slowly. "Zayyn Illia Kovalenko."
Jay smiled. "Jay's fine."
They sat together beneath the moon, human and half devil, secrets laid bare.
They didn't talk much after that.
The night had already given them more truth than either of them could properly digest. Jay stretched his arms, yawning as if he had just discussed the weather instead of the structure of the reality itself.
"Guess we should sleep," Jay said. "Tomorrow's gonna be awkward enough without us looking like zombies."
Vali nodded. "Yeah."
They climbed down from the rooftop one after the other, careful not to wake anyone. The orphanage was quiet, wrapped in the deep stillness of midnight. Jay headed toward the kids shared room, pausing only to glance back.
"Hey," he said. "Whatever you are… you're welcome here."
Vali held that look for a second. "Good night, Jay."
"Night, Vali."
The door closed softly.
Vali remained standing in the corridor for a moment, listening to the distant rhythm of breathing from sleeping children. The warmth of the place lingered around him like a fragile illusion.
'A place to be called home, huh' he thought.
His throat felt dry.
He decided to grab a glass of water before going to bed.
The kitchen lights were off, so he moved quietly, guided more by memory than sight. After filling a cup, he drank slowly, grounding himself. Just as he set the glass down, something prickled at the edge of his senses.
A presence.
Cold. Heavy. Familiar.
Vali froze.
The sensation wasn't strong, but it was unmistakable. Suppressed, hidden poorly, like someone wearing a disguise they had never practiced in.
'No,' he thought. 'It can't be.'
Carefully, silently, he moved toward the back exit that connected the chapel to the orphanage grounds. The wooden door creaked faintly as he opened it just enough to peer outside. Moonlight spilled through the window into the narrow alley between the stone chapel and the orphanage wall.
And someone was standing there.
A tall figure cloaked in dark fabric. Crimson eyes glinted in the shadows, sharp and predatory. The air around him warped faintly, as if reality itself rejected his presence.
Vali's blood ran cold.
"…So you really are here," the devil said, voice smooth and cruel. "Young master."
Vali stepped back instinctively. "You shouldn't be here."
The devil chuckled. "Your disappearance caused quite the disturbance. Lord Lucifer was… displeased."
Vali's hands clenched. "Go back. I'm not returning."
"Oh, you misunderstand," the devil replied, taking a step forward. "I wasn't asking. "
Another step.
"It was an order."
Vali felt his power stir violently in response, instinct screaming at him to fight, to flee, to destroy. But this was the orphanage. One wrong move and,
The devil vanished.
Vali barely had time to react before a hand grabbed his throat, slamming him against the stone wall. The impact rattled the alley.
"You've grown careless," the devil hissed. "Living among insects."
Vali gasped, wings threatening to manifest.
Then—
CLANK.
Metal rang sharply against stone.
The grip on Vali's throat loosened instantly as the devil leaped back, eyes wide.
A figure stood at the mouth of the alley. Barefoot. Wearing simple pajamas.
Blond hair loose around her shoulders. And in her hand, glowing faintly with holy radiance, was a sword. Its blade hummed softly, pure and lethal, symbols etched along its length burning with divine authority.
Sister Andrea.
She yawned lightly, resting the sword on her shoulder. "Honestly," she said calmly, "don't you think attacking a little kid a little bit too much, devil?"
The devil stared.
" This is not your problem, exorcist. "
Sister Andrea smiled.
The sword flared brighter.
"Oh no," she replied sweetly.
" I am an ex-Exorcist "