It was really late into the party and I was watching the two demons and one trickster god rapidly getting consumed by the drug. Beelzebub was leaning into the chair with eyes closed with a small smile playing on his lips. It was a rare time to see him completely relaxed and I was glad that he seemed to be enjoying himself. Belial, on the other hand, seemed like he was slowly descending into madness. He kept ordering shots and didn't seem like he was stopping any time soon but despite the obvious insanity enveloping him, he seemed happy. He was even singing along to the music a few times even though he was tone deaf. And then Loki... As expected, was handling this way better than either of them and was almost on the same level as me. His lips were curved into a smile as he was supporting his head with the palm of his hand against the table. His eyes were partly closed but his gaze was fixed on me as he was trying his hardest to analyze me in his half-dazed state.

But when it came to me, my euphoric mood wasn't even as intense as it usually would be. As if I was more focused on others which stopped from fully surrendering myself to the high. That was why I kept ordering shots alongside Belial and tried to get my brain wired. It was going well for a while, I was beginning to feel some sort of enjoyment and excitement. In fact, I was even enjoying the music which eventually switched to classic rock. The music began to enter through the pores on my body and I finally felt relaxation streaming through me which was soon interrupted.

I heard commotion near the entrance of the casino and all of a sudden the music died out and everyone got really quiet, freezing in place as all of their gazes were fixated at one spot. Even Belial stopped in his manic tracks and stood up from the table to look over at whatever everyone was staring at. Beelzebub opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at me at which I just shrugged but then Belial looked back at me with visible fear in his eyes. I glanced at Loki who also was trying to see what was going on.

"The Dark Lord is here." Belial spoke and the three of us immediately looked at him.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU IS IT?!" We heard the screaming almost instantly on the other side of the room and we all got up from our seats. All demons were visibly confused and started whispering between each other as I looked over at Loki in concern. He had his gaze fixated on the front, trying to see where the Devil was. "ONE OF YOU TOOK SOMETHING FROM ME, AND I WILL MAKE DAMN SURE I FIND OUT WHO IT IS." The Devil continued roaring, the whole casino being filled out with only his voice. Both Beelzebub and Belial looked at me as they instantly figured out what the boss was talking about.

"I mean... technically it wasn't me." I spoke in a hushed tone, and a faint frown creased Beelzebub's forehead. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the room, snatching our attention like a vise. Our gaze snapped towards the source, and a gruesome sight unfolded before us. Blood sprayed, painting the wall and ceiling in a macabre display. Gasps rippled through the crowd, and a lump formed in my throat as dread welled up within me. Panic rippled like a shock wave through the demons, prompting a chaotic stampede as the screams multiplied and echoed through the room.

"I will continue killing each one of you until one of you comes forward!" The Devil growled in such a horrific voice that I'd never heard before until now. He was seriously losing his mind. Another horrifying scream sounded off as yet another bloody display appeared before us. The four of us stood rooted in horror, and then my gaze shifted to Loki. I clutched his arm urgently, my voice barely audible as I whispered, "I'm going over there. Make sure to cover me."

Loki's head snapped toward me, his expression a mix of incredulity and concern. "Are you serious?" he asked, clearly taken aback.

"Just be there," I replied firmly before releasing his arm and maneuvering through the throng of panicked demons. The crowd surged around me, frantic and desperate, cries of terror blending with the grim symphony of death.

Soon enough I was standing a few steps away from the Devil. His expression was nothing like I'd ever seen. It was an expression of horror, dark circles under his eyes as his whole face looked completely sunken in. He stopped in his murder spree as his gaze fixated on me as he was breathing heavily and rapidly.

"Was it you?! I should've known it was you!" He roared, clear madness in his eyes.

"It wasn't me but going on a spree like this isn't going to help anything." I tried to force the gentlest tone so as not to provoke him further. It was like walking through a minefield.

"You don't come here and tell me what to do!" He walked a few steps towards me, the irises in his eyes beginning to show tiny flames indicating he was truly losing it. "I will rip you in half as well, just don't stand in my way!" He growled and before I could add anything, he lunged at another demon who was attempting to flee, seizing the unfortunate soul and violently piercing into their chest. He extracted the beating, obsidian heart, and blood gushed forth in a gruesome fountain.

In an instant, the sound of wings fluttering overhead reached my ears, causing me to glance upwards. There, circling above us, was a familiar raven. A smile tugged at my lips as the raven performed a few graceful loops before hurtling at incredible speed toward the Devil. His eyes registered bewilderment as the bird's claws dug into his eyes, and he grappled to remove the creature. The raven held tenaciously, despite the Devil's attempts to swat him away.

Amid this bizarre struggle, other demons seized the chance to flee the unfolding horror. One by one, they bolted from the scene, leaving only the Devil, Belial, Beelzebub, and myself. Oh, and the transformed trickster god, now incarnated as a bird.

"What in the hell is this foolish bird?!" the Devil roared in exasperation, his futile attempts to catch the raven met with unyielding resistance. Loki, now embodying the raven, retaliated by pecking at the Devil's head with astonishing velocity. The boss tried to keep pace, but the avian onslaught was too swift for him to contend with.

The three of us were watching this bizarre scene for a while, as neither of us could believe what was unfolding before us. It was even hilarious that I had to press my lips together, trying my hardest not to burst out in laughter. I glanced over at Belial and Beelzebub who were just completely taken aback. Belial was just standing there with his hand covering his mouth while Beelzebub was simply just standing and staring as if he had just now realized what a ridiculous creature our boss was.

The struggle between the Devil and the bird came to an end as the raven abruptly broke free, soaring towards the exit for its escape. With blood staining the Devil's eyes and head, he remained seated on the ground, watching helplessly as Loki slipped from his grasp once more. In an instant, the Devil sprang to his feet, driven by fury, and pursued Loki with reckless determination.

As we were left alone, Belial and Beelzebub slowly approached me.

"Is Loki going to be okay?" Beelzebub asked. "Should we go after them?"

"I think he's an expert in escaping situations like this." I replied as I watched the exit.

"That was quite a scene though." Belial chimed in.

"Indeed." I replied, breathing out. "Speaking of which... Where's Mammon?" I frowned as I looked at Beelzebub, hoping he knew what happened.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him at all." He responded with a shrug.

"Huh." It was a rather strange behavior to the point this odd feeling woke up in my stomach, almost indicating that the demon was up to no good. "Let's go check on Loki." I spoke up, actually beginning to worry now. The Devil could've been ridiculous but he was also powerful. I believed he was able to take Loki down if he tried. And he seemed quite determined earlier.

Without saying anything more, the three of us headed out of the casino at last. The hallways were completely empty, most demons probably hiding in their rooms or somewhere far into the human world. That left us the ability to search through the premises without any disruptions. However, we didn't have to search for too long. As soon as we took a few steps through the main hall, yet another scream reached our ears from upstairs. Instantly, the three of us bolted up the stairs and saw the Devil laying on the floor of the hallway of the second floor. However, there was no sight of the raven.

Our glances darted between each of us as we all took a deep breath.

"Go look for Loki, I'll take care of him." Belial said and I was actually surprised he was willing to help in any way. Although he seemed way friendlier lately which was really odd behavior coming from him. I didn't know how much I should trust him but at the same time I really didn't want to deal with the boss.

"Just please don't mention anything that I told you. Try to stay on his good side." I spoke quietly but firmly. My eyes were fixated on him, trying to pry him open to show his true intentions. His mind held fast against any attempt to read it. Oddly, no matter how much I tried to read him, I failed to find any true malice. It was...unsettling.

"Please, you're telling me. I've been on his side for the longest time. I know how he breathes." He snickered and shook his head.

"Alright then. Good luck." I said and he nodded before leaving Beelzebub and I by ourselves.

"I'll go search for Mammon then," Beelzebub declared, glancing in my direction. His tone took on a teasing edge as he continued, "You go handle your boyfriend." He erupted into laughter, and a frown creased my forehead as I swiftly shifted my attention to him.

"Don't ever say that word to me ever again." I said sternly but also half-jokingly.

"Sure." Beelzebub responded as he patted my shoulder and then turned on his heels as he also left.

Taking a deep breath, I began my search for Loki by going towards my room. There was no other place he could've been as it was the safest place to be right now and the only room he knew well. In a few moments, I was in front of the door and I pushed them open and just as expected. Loki was laying on the bed with arms behind his head as if he had just gone on a ferry ride not fought the Devil. However, one thing was different.

"Why are you a man?!" I exclaimed as I instantly got into the room and shut the door before anyone could see him. Even though the palace was mostly empty, you could never be too careful.

"Damn, Asmodeus, are you ever going to be okay with my gender?" He joked and then chuckled before sitting up with a huge grin.

"I'm serious, Loki!" I exclaimed as I took a few steps towards him.

"Look, shapeshifting after already being shapeshifted takes a lot of energy. I need to regain my strength." He explained and it did make sense so I couldn't continue to put the blame on him. "Besides, is that the thanks I get?" He huffed in slight annoyance.

I rolled my eyes before continuing, "you were so amazing, Loki! I was in such awe with you!" I started laughing before taking a seat next to him. He snorted before shaking his head and looking away. "No, seriously. Thanks, man. It was quite a scene, we all thoroughly enjoyed it." I snickered once again as I patted his shoulder. He shifted his gaze towards me and our eyes locked for a second before I quickly turned my head away. I stood up from the bed as I felt the uncomfortable feelings rising in me once again.

"Have you seen Mammon at all during the party?" I decided to create a diversion trying to make him not pay attention to me too much.

"No," was all he replied with, shrugging lightly. "Why?"

"He's acting really strange." I began explaining as I crossed my arms, "at the beginning of the event, he seemed really off and then afterwards he was nowhere to be found. I even gave him a drink that could've helped him loosen up and I hoped he'd join us but... no sign of him."

"Hm..." Loki rubbed his jaw in thought, "what do you think it is?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't smell good at all." Mammon's behavior was far from open, and while he was known for his brashness, this level of avoidance was unusual even for him. "Beelzebub went to search for him, I hope everything is fine. But with the way things are going lately..." I took a deep breath and once again took a seat next to Loki. "Things are just spinning out of control." I looked over at him, fixating my eyes on him before continuing, "I don't know if anything will be okay after this. After Lucifer died. Things are just going to continue being worse and... I don't know if you'd want to stick around to see the end result. So..." I paused for a second before saying firmly, "If you want to back out, back out now. I strongly believe that this is the apocalypse that Odin was talking about."

Loki had his attention fully on me and was listening to me patiently. There was a level of understanding in his eyes I'd never seen anyone have. It was so gentle, it was like his whole presence existed just for me. It brought back the memories of Lucifer, all the way after the fall, when he and I marched through the worst horrors together but neither of us faltered.

"I'm not leaving you, Asmodeus." Loki said firmly, his eyes brimming with intense determination as he maintained an unwavering gaze on me. "I told you before, I can't leave you right now."

"If the reason is just to escape the grim reality of the Norse world, it's not good enough. There has to be a greater reason than that otherwise you might die for nothing." I tried to explain as clearly as possible the gravity of the matter. I truly didn't want him to stick around to see how this all would turn out. If he had a chance to escape, he should take it. The Devil was just going to continue to keep getting worse and nobody knew what that would bring. It could be better but it might've as well been for worse. Sure, I wanted the Devil to die but not if it meant so many demons dying in the process and the whole empire collapsing.

"Asmodeus." He spoke firmly once again which made my mind stop rambling, "I told you once before. I'm not leaving you here, not now, not ever."

"Why not?! Can't you see it's pointless?! You and I both know we are going to bring apocalypse so why not just leave right now? Maybe there is a chance of one of us surviving." I was so taken aback by his determination, I couldn't see his reasoning behind all this at all. If it were me, I would've fled the unfolding chaos a long time ago. But not him. He stayed put. His determination seemed futile, risking his own safety for someone who, had the roles been reversed, would have abandoned him without hesitation.

"If it means dying then there's no one else I'd rather die next to." As soon as his words reached my ears, I was rendered speechless. I continued to look at him, completely baffled by his sudden confession. "You are the first being who made me want to consider that maybe the apocalypse is not the answer because I want to spend as much time with you as possible. If you die, I'd willingly share the same fate. There's no one else in this vast universe I'd rather spend eternity with."

I kept looking at him, not believing words reaching my ears. It was a sensation I hadn't experienced in eons, as if the chains that had confined a multitude of emotions within me were suddenly unshackled. An overwhelming surge of feelings engulfed me, each one potent and profound. In that moment, I struggled to grasp the whirlwind transpiring within me. It was as though my body had surrendered to this torrent of emotions, leaving me momentarily bewildered and submerged in their intensity.

"You... want to die with me?"

"If need be." He simply replied but to me it wasn't at all that simple.

"Why? There's nothing about me that's worth dying over."

He made a small pause as he kept his gaze locked on me. "To me there is, and you're just going to have to find a way to deal with it." He said bluntly which made me even more taken aback. I didn't turn my gaze away from him until it started dawning on me that he had truly meant what he said and he gave no signs of joking about it. Everything I expected, but not once did I anticipate Loki uttering such sincere words.

An unfamiliar tenderness welled within me, yet no matter how deeply I delved into myself, I couldn't put into words how I felt towards him. I liked him, sure. But to what extent? I frowned lightly and looked away, staring off into the distance.

"I... just think you're making a mistake by sticking around." I mumbled, trying one last time to convince him that he should go back.

"That's for me to decide." He instantly responded, his tone as firm as before, but also growing in irritability. But before we could continue the debate on what was worth dying over, the door of the room swung open and we were met by the panicked Beelzebub, his eyes wide and breathing unevenly. Both Loki and I immediately averted attention to him, nearly forgetting the discussion we had moments ago.

"You have to come and see this. Mammon is... let's just say far from okay." Beelzebub's voice carried a distinct edge of fear. I promptly rose from the bed, my instincts kicking in. Seeing Beelzebub in such a state of distress was unusual; typically stoic, his visible unease indicated that matters were rather serious.

Almost immediately, the three of us rushed out of the bedroom and followed after Beelzebub who led us further upstairs.

"What is going on?" I had to ask in order to know how worried I should be. I figured it was also pointless to ask due to Beelzebub's visible distress.

"I can't even explain it," Beelzebub replied quickly as we climbed the third floor and he led us towards the room in which its door was wide open, revealing a large room illuminated by a collection of ornate chandeliers that cast a warm and inviting glow, further enhancing the ambiance of luxury. In one corner of the room, an assortment of gilded chests and vaults was strategically placed, undoubtedly containing the fruits of Mammon's relentless pursuits. The bed was in the center of the room and was also decorated by plush pillows, the sheets being embroidered with golden threads. And on it was yet another grim scene. Mammon lay there motionless with sheets stained with the blood that appeared to be his. The trail of blood extended its journey, making its way to another corner of the room.

Just like him, the three of us continued to stand there - motionless. We all just kept staring at the grotesque scene that in my mind stayed forever vivid. I barely got Lucifer's passing... Why did it have to happen again? I couldn't even say anything nor knew the words to express what I'd just witnessed.

"He doesn't seem to be dead..." Beelzebub suddenly spoke up and I instantly looked at him. "I moved him from the floor to the bed... Felt like a decent thing to do but I can't even comprehend what happened." His words didn't evoke much solace despite him saying Mammon wasn't dead. It could've also meant it just hadn't happened yet. Questions swirled in my mind – what force could harm a powerful demon like him? Yet, I couldn't dismiss the fact that even the seemingly invulnerable Lucifer had fallen victim to the unexpected. We were all victims of whimsical fate it seemed.

I took a few steps back, daring to approach the bed, hoping that looking at him up close wouldn't shock me more than it actually had. And here I thought he was doing something behind my back. If only I was able to talk to him before this ensued.

"How long do you think he has been like this?" I heard Loki's voice suddenly which was when I remembered he still didn't shapeshift into the female. But at that point I couldn't even begin to care.

"A few hours maybe." Beelzebub soon responded but there was clear uncertainty in his voice. Not even he knew. Then who could know? I breathed out sharply as I felt anger rising in me. It appeared that these horrific events didn't end once they started and they were only going to get worse. As I had previously spoken with Loki, all of this was snowballing into a huge mess and there seemed to be no way to stop it.

"Can you... give him something?" I suddenly asked after a long while of not talking.

"I can't because I don't know what caused it. Plus there's a lot of blood loss which is odd for a demon, you know it." Beelzebub replied as calmly as he could but once again, it didn't console me one bit. It just made me angrier.

"So who can know what happened?" I asked, frustration clear in my tone as I continued to gaze at his face that wasn't moving a muscle.

"The Devil but... he's useless now too as you know." The more he spoke the more irritated I grew. Was there no way to do something? I gritted my teeth, exerting every effort to restrain my anger from spilling over onto him. I knew, rationally, that Beelzebub was far from at fault, yet in my turmoil, I desperately needed a target for my emotions. With a sharp exhale, I fought to rein in my emotions, and without uttering another word, I stormed out of the room.

A sound of footsteps reached my ears as soon as I was out but I didn't stop until Loki's hand firmly grasped my forearm. No matter how hard I tried there was no evading him.

"What?!" I snapped as I threw a glare at him. "Don't follow me, I need to deal with this alone."

"Are you really able to?" He asked, the worry audible in his voice.

"I dealt with things before you, I'll deal with them now." I spat as I tore my arm from his grip and rushed away from the spot before he could catch up and bother me some more. I didn't hear footsteps anymore after a while which was when I could breathe a sigh of relief. I couldn't deal with any kind of gentleness and comfort right now, I had to solve it immediately otherwise I wouldn't be able to rest.

I needed to get to Abaddon's realm somehow. I figured he would have known something in regards to transpiring events. I didn't know how to reach him, however. I tried to focus my intention on him as I was walking but I couldn't even form a connection with my mind and his. Seemed like telepathy couldn't reach the void. All of the demons were still away, scattered across dimensions and worlds in fear of the Devil's wrath and I couldn't even get to a known demon Buer that had somewhat healing powers.

Then at once I remembered that the human world was almost like a very unfiltered soundboard. In other words, there was a chance I could've reached Abaddon from there as there was the least amount of barriers between the human world and the rest of Astral. Amidst the chaos going on in my head, I forgot a very simple fact. A glimmer of hope awoke in me and almost instantly, I teleported over to the human world at the familiar field.

Once again I began focusing my attention on Abaddon's energy. As I couldn't sit still due to the whole chaos that had ensued, I kept walking in circles as I waited for him to get there. It was maybe an hour into the human world and yet there was no sign of him. I kept my hold on the intention as I continued to send messages to Abaddon and I could sense them reaching him but I couldn't figure out why he wasn't coming.

"ABADDON, PLEASE!" I yelled out into the air in pure frustration and anger as I threw my head back as I gazed into the sky, beginning to feel a sense of vulnerability. Very much alike humans' longing for help from above. As if it would ever come from there.

I was beginning to believe he was never going to show when after a few moments, a high pitched noise surrounded the area. It was the familiar noise only the portal from void would sound like. I covered my ears in order to shield myself somewhat from it but it was nearly useless. In a few seconds, the portal opened a few feet away from me, bearing the exact gravitational pull like last time, and soon the hooded figure stepped out of it. The moment he fully exited the void realm and dropped his hood, he looked me dead in the eye and grunted curtly,

"What?"

"Finally you answer." I responded instantly and walked a few steps closer. "I was starting to forget what I even called you about."

"I heard you from the start, I just didn't want to come." His honesty would've shocked me before but not anymore. I didn't even want to react to it, which prompted him to continue, "so, what happened that you need my help so desperately?"

"Mammon is not well. And I mean he's not well as he is lying on the bed completely still, but he's not dead. He's just unconscious. Nobody knows what's up, not even Beelzebub. We can't reach the Devil due to him having a meltdown of his own." I decided not to beat around the bush because nobody knew how much time we had. However, Abaddon kept staring at me with a blank stare for a few moments until finally speaking again.

"So... what do you want me to do about it?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I need you to tell me what happened to him." I said firmly, staring at him with intensity.

"You do realize I'm a void being and me entering Hell will disrupt the demons?"

"The palace is mostly empty now due to the Devil's little outburst. And the Devil is well... busy having a meltdown. Besides, what's disrupting a few demons after disrupting the whole universe after the Lucifer stunt?" I explained, nonchalantly shrugging. He pressed his lips together in response before remarking,

"Fair point. I can't believe I'm about to get dragged into your mess again." A sigh escaped him as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You know," I started, a smirk tugging at my lips, and observed his raised eyebrow, "deep down, you enjoy spending time with me."

A faint trace of amusement flickered across his features as he retorted, "I don't particularly wish for your death. Yet."

"That's reassuring," I quipped, having gotten used to his curt demeanor. "Not many beings share your sentiment." I was smiling at him mischievously but all he did was shake his head and roll his eyes.

"Alright let's go before I change my mind." He mumbled at which I laughed before opening the portal first after which he followed and did the same. Soon enough, we both got back into Hell, both having teleported into the hall. To our luck, nobody was back yet so it was all empty. I wished it was more often like this.

I began climbing the steps and Abaddon traced my footsteps until we reached the familiar corridor. Taking in a deep breath, I strolled forward, towards the door that was still wide open. As soon as I stepped in, I saw Beelzebub and Loki still there, Loki now back into his female form. They were sitting in the corner of the room in the armchairs, just observing Mammon, probably hoping he'd wake up any time soon.

"What are these two doing here?" Abaddon's voice dripped with intensity and slight anger. The two of them swiftly rose to their feet upon seeing who entered the room. Beelzebub was staring at Abaddon in shock while Loki just seemed startled by Abaddon's whole demeanor which was far from friendly.

"I figured they'd leave by now." I answered honestly. Especially Loki after the way I treated him earlier.

"I couldn't just leave Mammon like this. I had no idea where you went." Beelzebub spoke sharply. "Also, hello Abaddon."

"Hello." He replied as his gaze locked on Loki. "I can't believe you brought him here as well. You truly have a penchant for chaos, Asmodeus. Is Yahweh next on the guest list?" Abaddon retorted with obvious irony at which I had to snicker.

"I'll check his schedule," I replied.

"With you, nothing would shock me," Abaddon countered, his words laced with an unexpected touch of humor that took me by surprise. "Nice to officially meet you, Loki. I've heard a lot about you. Well, mostly from Asmodeus's head. He may not talk about you much, but his thoughts are a roaring testament," Abaddon quipped.

"ABADDON!" I exclaimed, feeling my face become crimson red as I glared at him as Abaddon stared at me with clear confusion. Loki's eyes instantly locked on me, prompting him to raise an eyebrow in clear amusement. Abaddon's newfound role as the court jester had caught me off guard. Perhaps I had inexplicably rubbed off on him.

"What?" He asked.

"Just go and check on Mammon please before you say anything else."

"Fine." Abaddon sighed and then went over to the bed. I looked over at Loki again who continued to stare at me, amusement in his eyes never wavering. I quickly averted my gaze and focused on what Abaddon was doing. However, the void being took one quick glance at the demon before declaring, "He's taken some dangerous substances." 

"What?!" All three of us spoke in unison and instantly rushed over to the bed to look at Mammon's motionless body.

"How is it possible?" I was the first one to speak and Abaddon glanced at me before replying.

"There are some drugs that not even a demon's body can handle. And these ones are definitely that kind. He's still alive though as I'm capable of accessing his memories." He explained, his serious tone returning and based on how serious it was, we all figured the gravity of the matter. Not that it wasn't obvious before but having Abaddon confirm it made it worse.

We were all silent for a little while, just continued to stare at Mammon's face wondering where it all went wrong. How? Why? So many questions piling up and so little answers. It truly seemed like the apocalypse would ensue sooner than we'd get the answers. Lucifer's leaving had made an impact greater than I could've ever imagined.

"Why would he take them? Why him?" I finally asked after I brought up enough courage to be ready to hear the answer. I could've sworn Mammon would have never gotten to that point. Although he once told me I didn't know him that well and maybe he was right. I hardly knew him at all.

"He..." Abaddon began but abruptly stopped before suddenly stepping back. I glanced at him at his sudden reaction. He kept staring at Mammon with a frown before locking his gaze with mine. "Well uhm... He seemed to be quite shaken up by Lucifer's passing." He spoke, sounding as if he barely believed his own words. To be truthful, the reasoning didn't make too much sense. I furrowed my brows as I tried to process what I had just heard.

"Asmo, did you know about his relationship with Lucifer?" Beelzebub suddenly asked and I looked up at him which was when a memory flashed through my mind.

"When I informed him of what happened, he did seem oddly shaken up. Very unlike him considering he's the most arrogant demon I know." I replied, completely bewildered by this new realization. As if everything gradually stopped making sense the moment Loki appeared in our lives. Truly a harbinger of chaos. That was when I glanced over at him and he was standing still and quiet which was also unusual of him. But he also must've figured it wasn't his place to speak on these matters.

"They must have shared a deeper bond than we realized," Beelzebub speculated, directing his attention to Abaddon. "Will he recover?"

Abaddon shrugged before offering, "I can't provide a definitive answer. He appears to be putting up a fight, so there's a good chance he'll pull through. Keep an eye on him."

"Well at least there's a chance." I responded with a sigh. I couldn't take another loss so having some hope was good enough.

"If that's all, I'll have to leave now. I can't stay to hang out with you guys." Abaddon said as he walked away from the bed.

"It's fine. That's all we needed. Thank you though." I said through a faint smile as I looked at him. He grimaced back which I assumed was his attempt to smile.

"Yeah, thank you, Abaddon." Beelzebub also spoke and Abaddon gave him one small wave before finally opening the portal and stepping through it, leaving the four of us alone.

"Well, that was weird." Loki remarked, breaking his silence in a rather unexpected manner. Both Beelzebub and I turned our attention to him, intrigued by his sudden shift from quiet observer to active participant. He stood there with arms folded, an air of intrigue surrounding him. "We've just uncovered the cause behind Mammon's collapse, and he simply scurried away?"

Arching an eyebrow in confusion, I struggled to grasp his implications. "That's just Abaddon's way," I responded with a casual shrug. "It's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Or is it?" Loki pressed, his voice carrying a subtle hint of suspicion. Beelzebub and I exchanged puzzled glances, failing to fully grasp the underlying meaning in Loki's words. "I don't know his ways as I've just met him but... Just his demeanor seemed weird when he found out the cause."

"Well, that's true but he was probably just as surprised as we were," I conceded, trying still to see some actual reasoning. However, his instincts had rarely steered us wrong, especially when it came to gauging the nuances of a situation. After all, as a trickster god, he had honed his ability to read people and their motives to an uncanny level.

"Exactly," Loki added with a thoughtful nod. "If Abaddon's usual demeanor is indifference, then why did he react?" His words hung in the air, implying that there might be more to Abaddon's behavior than what meets the eye. "If this situation is just like any other, why be surprised? You were also shaken up by Lucifer's passing, weren't you, Asmo?" Loki's gaze was piercing as he turned towards me. I quickly nodded, and he continued without skipping a beat, "And he wasn't surprised at all, was he?"

"Well, he did inquire about my relationship with Lucifer," I admitted, recalling the conversation.

"Did he scurry away shortly after? Did he walk a few steps back and could barely look at you?"

"No."

"There you go," Loki concluded, his logic piercing through the confusion.

"Okay, I see it now, but what are you truly trying to say?" Loki's deductions were slowly aligning the pieces of the puzzle, yet there was still a gap in my understanding. The notion of Abaddon acting out of character was slowly taking root, but I was struggling to fully grasp the implications. My familiarity with Abaddon could have easily obscured any unusual behavior, attributing it to his eccentric nature. It seemed quite possible that I, blinded by our friendship, hadn't considered the situation from an outsider's perspective or one unburdened by the hierarchical norms, like Beelzebub.

Loki's gaze was unyielding as he declared, "That bastard's hiding something." His words were clear, and the weight they carried was palpable.