The Heir of the Fallen

Chapter 33

Horseman of Death, Letum

After a grueling hour, Letum could not handle the souls any longer and decided to see if Adelaide and Beelzebub had made any more progress in looking for Ares. He left the theater and headed towards Beelzebub's home. Once he arrived, he heard laughter coming from inside the camera room. He arched his eyebrows as he opened the door.

He found Adelaide in the same spot she had been in, but she was wearing a black dress instead of the shirt and leggings she had been wearing. Beelzebub was wearing the same outfit he had had on before. They looked guilty as Letum walked in.

"Why do you two look guilty? And why are you wearing different clothes, Adelaide?" Letum asked, looking between the two of them. When neither of them responded but swapped glances instead, Letum continued. "Have you had any luck finding Ares?" he probed, trying again.

"Yes! Well, somewhat," Beelzebub said, straightening up at his desk chair. He returned to the screen, where someone who looked like Ares was before them. "Found him wandering around a city."

Ares was dressed in sporty attire, his hair back in a bun and gathering many looks as people walked by him. Letum could tell by his stance and how he was moving that his friend was both confused and miserable. "It's weird to see him without his usual attire."

"Luckily, I had convinced him to change before we went off on our hiking escapades," Beelzebub said, his eyes lightening a little. Letum noticed the air in the room felt less... stressed and less tense.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Have you tried communicating with him yet?"

"Not yet. We were waiting for your return," Beelzebub said, although Letum expected that to be inaccurate.

Letum looked at him, then back at Ares on the screen. By this point, Adelaide had joined Beelzebub on the other side of his chair. Where Letum's hand rested on the back of the chair, Adelaide's rested on Beelzebub's back. Letum was now squinting from narrowing his eyes, and when he realized it, he forced himself to relax. "Well, get on with it."

Beelzebub nodded, and his communication with the mortal world was always fascinating. Letum had seen him do this with Joan when she was human, and he enjoyed every moment. However, he hadn't seen it with the updated technology yet. Before, he had to watch Beelzebub himself.

Now, he watched as Beelzebub closed his eyes, his hands resting on the control board. Red swirls started appearing at Beelzebub's fingertips, and the mist started forming around his hands, seeping into the control board. The screens slowly began to glow red. Letum wanted to speak but kept his mouth shut for fear of interrupting the process. Instead, he dragged his attention from Beelzebub to the screens. Ares stopped where he was and looked like he was hearing shit. The truth was, he was hearing shit, particularly Beelzebub's voice.

"Ares, it's me, Beelzebub," Letum heard Beelzebub say; simultaneously, he saw Ares listen to the voice. Ares spun around, looking for Beelzebub, before he realized it was in his head. "Don't worry about responding; I can see you. I am watching you on the cameras." Letum could see Ares visibly react and keep walking like he usually did. "We have been talking and think the only way for you to get back is, unfortunately, to perish." Ares' eyes widened, and Letum could only see him shake his head. "I know, but we need you back here, not there, in the mortal world." Ares sucked in a breath and ended up nodding, but Letum could see fear in Ares' eyes, one of the few times he'd ever seen Ares truly afraid. He understood no one wanted to die. He remembered his death. It was violent and nothing he ever wanted to relive.

Beelzebub's eyes were still closed, his magic ebbing as his focus strained. Letum heard him say, "I am about to lose my connection," before the magic dissipated. Communicating with the mortal world was not easy; Letum knew that. It was why Beelzebub did not do it, not often. He remembered the few times he had heard Beelzebub while he was alive. In the days leading up to his death, he often thought of Beelzebub's words, and at the very end, he was ready to atone for all his sins.