Just as he had expected, Lucifer's fingers stopped before touching the old man's calm face.
Lucifer turned back and started walking away in complete silence.
"No matter what. You saved my life. Even though I don't care for you, I won't kill you. Even though the family you gave me was nothing but a mirage, it is still a precious memory for me."
" I got to grow up with the life I wanted. A happy life, far away from all the pain. Even though it was a lie, it was a lie that I didn't mind. So I'll let you live. But this will be the last you see or hear from me. This is where our relationship ends!"
"From now, you don't know me! And I don't know you. We're strangers. And if I ever saw you again, I promise I'll kill you. So stay away from me and don't tell anyone you're related to me in any way," Lucifer said before he flew away towards the sea.
He had decided he was going back to Elisium, where he was from.
Grandpa Chi watched Lucifer leave. He didn't say anything and just stood there calmly.
"You're in pain. I wish I could have helped you. But I also know that you didn't mean the words you said," Grandpa Chi muttered, sighing.
"I wonder why you lied to me? Worried that my affiliation with you will get me killed? Or something else?" he further said.
He soon turned back as he sighed, "Xaen, isn't that enough of a hiding now? Come out!"
As Grandpa Chi said, a spatial portal opened in the distance from which a kid came out. But the kid only looked young. In reality, he was much older. He was the Dean of the Academy of Gifted Variants.
"You're still as sharp as you were before. As expected of Dark Wizard— the man who ruled over the Dark Variants," Xaen said, laughing.
"That name... It had been so long since I heard that. But you really should forget that name. I have long forgotten it. Now, I'm only an old man, an average Variant of the Sea," Grandpa Chi answered.
"An average Variant? Hahahahaha." Hearing the old man's words, Xaen burst into laughter as he held his stomach.
"You! An average Variant? You're getting good at jokes. God, the Strongest Variant of this country, calls himself average now? What will I be then? Below average?" Xaen asked, laughing.
"I told you, I'm a different man now," Grandpa Chi retorted.
"I know. You quit everything after you heard that your wife and son had died. Since then, you never used your true gifts. But that doesn't mean you became ordinary? Your gifts are still inside you. It's just that you don't use them," Xaen said.
"On the inside, you're still the frightening Warlock known as Dark Wizard!" He further said.
"Are you here to talk about that? Stop this nonsense and tell me what my Grandson did? How did he end up like that? And whose blood was that?" Grandpa Chi asked Xaen.
"Well, my dear friend. Your so-called Grandson killed eight of my students."
"Two of whom were from the Great Holler Family and the Great Franci family. He really made a mess for me this time," Xaen told the old man, sighing.
"Why would he kill them? They must have done something?" Grandpa Chi asked, frowning.
"Yeah. From the only witness we have, we heard that they were beating Alex, oh sorry. He's Lucifer now," Xaen replied. "They were beating Lucifer; he snapped and killed them."
"That's why I was after Lucifer to catch him. But by the time I got here, he had already met you. And attacking someone close to you right before your eyes, I don't have a death wish," he further said as he smiled wryly.
"Good decision. And not before my eyes, even if you hurt him when I'm not with him, I'll break your entire academy in half. Remember that," Grandpa Chi warned Xaen as his eyes shone in a mysterious light.
"I know, I know. That's why I changed my mind. I let him leave and didn't stop him," Xaen said, smiling wryly. "Anyway, where do you think he's going now?"
"I think he's going back. Back to his true home to hurt the ones that hurt him," Grandpa Chi answered.
"Aren't you worried for him? He's going alone. What if his enemies kill him?" Xaen asked, frowning. "Don't you want to go help him?"
"Worried for him? Why would I be? His enemies should be worried for their lives, though. My grandson is coming to kill them," Grandpa Chi said proudly.
"Hah, you're really confident in his abilities," Xaen said, laughing. "But I know you all too well. You'll still go after him, keeping him safe from the shadows, won't you?"
The old man didn't answer Xaen this time and simply looked at the beautiful sun.
Xaen also stood beside Grandpa Chi as he muttered, "God, I wonder how I'll explain to the Holler and Franci family about the deaths of their heirs in my academy. Your grandson didn't even leave their bodies behind."
"Since when did you start worrying about these small matters? You'll handle it easily. Don't worry," Grandpa Chi replied.
"You don't understand, old man. You don't understand!" Xaen let out as he sighed.
...
"Not long before he returns. It has been over seven years already. He would soon be returning as per prediction. I want everyone to be alert. Lucifer should be brought back safely."
"Our men are spread out everywhere. We won't miss him."
As the time of Lucifer's arrival drew closer, there was a commotion in Variant Uprising that wanted to bring Lucifer back. They had become more active as well.
On the other hand, the APF was also feeling something strange. They had realized that the Variant Uprising was more active. And they were wondering why it was.
As Varant was back at the helm of APF, he had decided on something too.
"Instead of fighting with them or making them alert, I want all our men to follow them. I want to know what they're after," Varant commanded his men.
He was in a meeting with other high-profile members of APF.
Knock! Knock!
"Come on in," Varant let out.
The door opened as a man stepped inside.
"What is it?" Varant asked.
"Sir, Warlock King Salazar Lucia is here to meet you," the man answered.
"That guy, why is he so after Lucifer? It had been over seven years, but he never stopped!" Varant asked, frowning.
He looked at his man before he said, "Send him in."
"As for the rest of you, I want you to go out and do as I said. I want to know what's so important for them," he further said.
All the men in the meeting stood up and left, except Varant.
Salazar Lucia was brought inside the office of Varant.
...
Lucifer's return hadn't even happened, but there was already a commotion because of him in the entire country of Elisium. It seemed like there was a silence before the storm that was to come.