The scorched valley vanished behind them as Xander pulled the shadows tight around their bodies. Space bent under his will as reality folded inward.
A brief portal carried them beyond the reach of the hunters. Moments later, they emerged at the edge of a dense forest.
Tall trees rose overhead, their roots spreading across the ground and their branches forming a wide canopy that dimmed the light.
Leaves rustled in the breeze, and the air felt cool and damp, filled with the scent of earth and moss. It was a sharp change from the heat they had escaped.
Lilith stumbled as they arrived.
Her flames flickered across her skin, weak and uneven. She caught herself against the trunk of a nearby tree, breathing hard.
The ritual had drained her more than she wanted to admit, and the clash with Xander had pushed her further.
She looked at him, her golden eyes narrowing.
"That was too close," she said. "Your interference almost got us dragged into the abyss."
Xander watched her in silence. Shadows moved slowly at his feet, calm and alert.
"Without it," he said evenly, "you would already be gone. Gratitude is not required. Accuracy is."
Lilith scoffed and crossed her arms, lifting her chin. "Gratitude? From me? Do not flatter yourself. I would have handled them eventually."
The claim rang hollow.
She shifted her weight and winced, the truth slipping through her defiance. Along her side, a deep wound burned where one of the chains had torn into her flesh. Infernal fire tried to close it, flaring and fading without success.
Xander's attention moved to the injury.
He said nothing.
The shadows around his feet stirred.
"You are wounded," he said at last. "That will slow us down."
"It is nothing," Lilith snapped. She pushed away from the tree, then faltered as pain cut through her. A sharp breath escaped her lips.
The fire within her struggled to heal the wound, but traces of the ritual clung to it, draining her strength.
Xander stepped forward before she could object.
He moved with calm purpose. When he stopped in front of her, he raised one hand, palm open. Shadows gathered there, quiet and controlled, glowing faintly.
"Let me help," he said.
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "You think I am helpless now?" she asked. "I do not need your pity."
"Not pity," Xander replied. His voice remained steady. "Pragmatism. We are allies, for now. A wounded ally becomes a burden."
She bristled, then hesitated.
Warmth touched her cheeks, not from flame, but from the weakness she hated showing. In the Infernal Court, aid always came with a cost. Mercy was never free.
Slowly, she turned and exposed the wound.
"Fine," she muttered. "But try anything, and I burn you."
Xander inclined his head and reached out, shadows tightening around his hand.
He did not hesitate.
His palm rested over the wound, cool against her heated skin. Shadows flowed into it, spreading with care. They did not force their way in. They aligned. Darkness and fire met and settled into balance.
Lilith tensed.
Then the pain eased.
The shadows did more than close the flesh. Strength flowed with them, steady and measured, drawn from something deep within him. The wound sealed cleanly, leaving only a faint mark that faded moments later.
Xander withdrew his hand and gave a small nod.
"That should be enough," he said. "Does it hold?"
Lilith pressed her fingers to the spot, disbelief flickering across her face before she caught herself. Her flames flared brighter, more stable, answering the restored balance within her. She scoffed to cover the moment.
"Not bad," she said. "For a shadow-dweller." She shot him a sideways look. "Don't get any ideas. This doesn't make us allies forever."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Forever is irrelevant."
They began moving through the forest together, boots crunching softly over fallen leaves as the canopy filtered the crimson dawn into shifting patterns of light and shadow. For a time, neither spoke.
Then Xander broke the silence.
"Princess," he said, his voice calm. "Your fire was not shaped by court games alone. What truly led to your banishment?"
Lilith kept her eyes forward as she walked, her jaw tightening.
"My father rules through fear," she said after a moment. "Lord Asmodeus built the Infernal Court on obedience and borrowed power. Alliances with gods. Treaties that force demons to kneel for small gains."
Her flames flickered as anger rose beneath the surface.
"I called it weakness," she continued. "I said we were turning into servants instead of rulers."
She let out a short breath.
"And I said it where everyone could hear."
Xander listened without speaking.
"He could not allow defiance," she said. "Not from his own blood. So he chose to make an example of me. He named me a traitor and cast me toward oblivion, a place where rebellion is meant to fade away."
She finally looked at him, her eyes burning.
"But I did not vanish."
Xander's shadows stirred at her words.
"Good," he said. "The world already has enough rulers who fear being questioned."
They moved deeper into the forest together, fire and shadow walking side by side.
And with that step, the first true crack formed within the Infernal Court.
Xander inclined his head as shadows stirred around him. Old memories surfaced.
"Betrayal by those closest to you leaves a mark," he said. "I know it well. Long ago, those I called allies sealed me away. Gods. Demons. Mortals. All of them feared what I was."
Lilith slowed, her eyes widening slightly. "You speak of legends," she said carefully. "The one they called the Ultimate Dark Lord. The soul-devourer who nearly tore the heavens apart."
"The same," Xander replied. His voice stayed calm, though something heavy lay beneath it. "They spoke of balance and necessity. In truth, they feared my freedom. I refused to kneel."
Lilith studied him in silence, reconsidering what she thought she knew. "And now you are awake," she said.
"Yes," Xander answered. "And they will remember why my name carried fear."
They walked on without speaking. Their shared histories lingered between them, not as comfort, but as understanding. Fire and shadow, both cast aside by those who claimed authority.
The forest thinned as rolling hills and worn roads came into view. Smoke rose in the distance, and torchlight marked signs of a settlement. Hunger crept in, slow but steady. Xander's strength had returned, but Lilith's fire demanded fuel. They needed supplies.
Xander raised a hand and pointed toward a town protected by low stone walls. Banners marked with the Solarian Empire's crest flew above the gates.
"There," he said. "An outpost. Supplies, weapons, and information."
Lilith grinned, her fangs catching the light. "That sounds familiar." Embers danced along her fingers. "Lead the way, Dark Lord."
Together, they turned toward the town.
Somewhere within its walls, the world was about to learn that legends did not stay buried.
They moved beneath Xander's veil of shadow, passing through the town unseen. Patrols walked close and never noticed. Dawn had not slowed the streets. Merchants called out prices, guards changed shifts, and civilians followed their routines, unaware of what moved among them.
They slipped into a storage depot near the inner wall. Crates filled the space, stacked high with supplies meant for frontier forces. Xander forced them open with ease. Food, water, and rations lay inside. Lilith gathered enchanted trinkets, simple charms with useful magic.
They were nearly finished when alarms rang out.
A harsh bell sounded as shouts followed. Boots thundered closer. Guards burst through the doors with blades drawn.
"For the Empire," one shouted. "Drop your weapons."
Xander exhaled slowly. "Predictable."
Shadows surged from the walls and floor, wrapping around the guards before they could move. Discipline broke into panic as they were dragged down. Xander moved through them without pause, pulling souls free one by one. Dark energy gathered around him as his presence grew heavier.
Lilith did not hesitate.
Fire poured from her hands, controlled and deadly. Armor bent and collapsed under the heat. She moved through the depot with purpose, leaving scorched stone and fallen bodies behind.
One guard stood out.
A young woman with steady footing broke free long enough to face Lilith. Steel struck flame as her blade held for a moment. She fought with focus, refusing to give ground.
Xander noticed.
A shadow lashed out and twisted around her wrist, pulling the sword from her hand. He watched her struggle.
"Impressive," he said. "You fight with more resolve than the others."
Lilith glanced toward him, irritation flashing across her face. Before the guard could react, Lilith struck. A burst of fire knocked the woman unconscious and sent her sliding across the floor.
Lilith turned on Xander. "We do not have time for comments," she said. "Take what you can. We are leaving."
Xander gave the fallen guard one last look, then nodded.
Shadows closed in around them as the alarm echoed through the town.
They vanished just before reinforcements arrived, leaving behind burned stone, empty crates, and the certainty that something far worse than rebels had passed through the Empire.
Xander lifted an eyebrow at her sharp tone but did not respond. He understood the meaning beneath it. Moments later, they slipped back into the wilds, leaving the town behind as if it had never held them.
They made camp in a hidden clearing beneath tall trees whose branches formed a thick cover overhead. A small fire burned between them, its light kept low. Supplies were divided and food was shared. For a short while, the world felt far away.
Lilith sat across from him, poking at the fire with a stick. Her expression was tense and thoughtful.
"That guard," she said after a moment. "You noticed her."
Xander leaned against a stone and looked up at the stars visible through the leaves. "I notice many things," he said. "Resolve is rare."
Lilith snorted, sparks jumping as she stirred the embers harder than needed. "Just remember who pulled you into this mess."
A slight smile touched his lips. "I doubt either of us was pulled."
The quiet did not last.
High above the trees, a shimmer disturbed the night sky. A figure moved in a wide circle, wings of pale light reflecting the moon. Its gaze cut through shadow and illusion.
A horn sounded in the distance. The sound was clear and hollow.
Wrong.
Lilith was on her feet at once, flames rising along her arms. "A divine scout," she said. "They have already found us."
Xander stood beside her as shadows gathered around him. The forest seemed to grow darker, as if listening.
"Let them watch," he said calmly. "Fear spreads faster than belief."
Above them, the divine presence remained.
And far beyond the horizon, something much greater had begun to take notice.