Hawk's tone remained very calm.
He was now a hundred percent sure that the captured Dr. Merick was a clone with a soul.
Hawk was simply curious about which dimension this soul came from.
That's all...
So if Catherine agreed, it was just a bonus for him, but if she refused, it didn't matter; he had already gotten what he wanted.
Catherine hardly hesitated.
"Then I refuse."
"Okay!"
Listening to Catherine's answer, Hawk was straightforward and turned to leave.
At this moment.
Catherine watched as Hawk, who seemed really intent on leaving, just took a step to exit the seal, and quickly spoke up.
"Wait a moment."
"..."
Hawk returned to the seal, looking at the calling Catherine.
Catherine spoke in a deep voice, "You said you wanted to see my soul, just see, and wouldn't do anything to my soul, right?"
Hawk answered simply.
"I won't."
"After looking, will you help me leave here and won't require me to follow you?"
"..."
Listening to this, Hawk looked at Catherine and said, "I have a fiancée, Lady Pierce, and I love her deeply."
Catherine's lips twitched, taking a deep breath.
"Then how do you intend to see it?"
"Simple."
Hearing this, Hawk smiled slightly, stretched out his right hand, and the Little Cosmos appeared in his palm like a projection, soon unveiling the Netherworld in his hand.
Palm of the Netherworld.
In an instant.
Hawk's Life and Death Law operated, and Catherine in front of him fell into a daze as Hawk entered her soul world.
What does a Vampire's soul look like?
Ugly?
Bloody?
Full of filth.
Indeed, it is, like Damon's soul.
But Catherine's soul...
Holy!
Light and warmth, regardless of the angle, just looking at Catherine's soul, one would think Catherine was a Vampire, but more akin to a—
Angel?
Hawk felt a movement in his heart, staring at Catherine before him, whose soul's true nature shone brightly in the core, first recalling the Angel Skeleton shackled in the basement of Fox Manor's annex.
Of course.
He wasn't saying Catherine's soul was the soul of the skeleton, but recalling a sentence William Fox once said.
Jesus died, resurrected after three days, and ascended!
The next second.
Hawk's mind flashed with Elena, who could not be said to be identical to Catherine but carved from the same mold.
Then—
Doppelgänger!
This is the most mystical setup in 'The Vampire Diaries'.
According to the original storyline, a Doppelgänger was not simply about two people looking alike; its true meaning referred to those chosen by fate, possessing identical DNA, appearance, voice, and in every aspect including the soul.
This was why when Hawk first saw Catherine, he determined that Dr. Merick he captured was a clone with a soul.
He didn't compare Catherine with Merick.
He first saw Elena and then Catherine, making this judgment.
Because Elena's soul was identical to Catherine's.
The difference was that Elena's soul did not have the holy light he saw deep within Catherine's soul.
More...
The captured Dr. Merick apparently did not believe himself to be a clone.
Hawk hadn't figured that out yet.
However, about why Catherine's soul's depths displayed this holy light, Hawk already had some speculation.
It was due to the battle between the Heaven Dimension and Hell Dimension for Earth's dominion.
In that battle, Mephisto emerged victorious while the Heaven Dimension retreated.
In that war, untold numbers of angels fell.
The number surely wasn't small, evident by the Angel Skeleton in the basement of Fox Manor's annex.
Those fallen angels, theoretically, should belong to the new victor, Mephisto, thereafter.
So...
"Mephisto!"
After seeing the essence of Catherine's soul, Hawk mused internally and, without hesitation, appeared in the dimensional rift, using the Life and Death Law to locate the Hell Dimension's gate and punched it hard.
As everyone knows.
He never delays his revenge!
"Roar!"
"Hawk!!!"
The Hell Dimension gate thundered, and Mephisto instantly understood, roaring angrily, revealing his demon form, glaring at Hawk who repeatedly challenged him, shouting indignantly, "Do you really think I dare not start a god-war with you?"
Hawk was expressionless.
"You want to start a god-war with me?"
"What?"
The massively bewildered demon-faced Mephisto listened to Hawk's words, stopped in his tracks, then angrily roared, "Do you think you can break the oath you gave to the Goddess of Death by doing this? Even if you don't keep your promise now, you still slander me."
Mephisto—
He felt wronged.
If the Goddess of Death gave him another chance, he'd ensure he wouldn't want to become enemies with Hawk.
No other reason.
Because once again, he seems to find Hawk's power has annoyingly grown.