Nocturnal Demon

The Metal Rose

Raziel suddenly looks up to Evelyn. His finger is pressed on the page where he left off. "What day, month, and year is it?"

Evelyn doesn't return the direct look. She keeps her gaze on the specific page that has been opened by the demon. She understands why he is asking the question. "Right now, it is the 4th of January, 200."

"The fourth..." Raziel repeats the date as he looks back down to the page, to the finger that is pressed onto the specific text. "30th of December, 199..." He makes the calculation that this book has only recently just been published; and, "...You found me on new years."

"We did," she nods with affirmation. "And you counted the number of days you've been kept here."

Raziel responds back, "I did. And as far as I can understand from this book, you still use a 24-hour cycle of time to measure the days and nights. Am I correct?"

"Correct." Evelyn nods again, a smile is starting to grow on her lips. He's attentive. "12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. A cycling equilibrium."

"And what time is it now?" He asks.

"03:45" Evelyn doesn't even look at the analogue watch mounted to her wrist. "You have 2 hours and 15 minutes before Valtiel's sun reawakens."

"I see..." Raziel fully opens the book, intent on continuing his reading. "So, the time between 06:00 and 18:00  is a death sentence for demons... And for me."

"But outside that time, you are free." Evelyn steps off from the bed and walks to Raziel, patting on his shoulder to gain his attention. "Come. Let us go while we have the chance tonight."

"Go?" Raziel looks up to the headmistress of the hunters, confused. "Is the lesson over?"

"No," she says. "We are just going to take the more practical route."

"How so?"

"What you will find in the next pages of my father's book will be interesting, I'm sure. But let's take the more visual presentation, shall we?"

"You're father?" Raziel's eyes widen in surprise. Her father wrote this?

Evelyn doesn't answer. She only walks out of the room, leaving the door open for Raziel to follow, which he does.

Valtiel Abel...

Valtiel Evelyn...

Who else is in this family?

...

Exiting the mansion from the east side reveals a large garden. A home to a variety of plant life, particularly that of flowers. Their placement are of much higher variety compared to the ones from the south side area. An abundance of higher measure.

Abundance... and of something else. Something different that Raziel can't fully understand yet.

Evelyn walks close behind him, allowing the demon to take the lead in his curiosity.

"These flowers..." Raziel walks and takes a step closer to one of the corners of the paved road. A glint from a bed of flowers has caught his eye. What is this?

Raziel glances around to the rest of the flower beds. They all hold strange textures on their petals.

What are you? The demon kneels down to a specific flower that has caught his attention. His hand carefully draws close to the petals on its head. Their sheen is an estrange to his sharp gaze.

He touches it. Metal.

Raziel courses his fingers to envelope the back of the flower's head, before trailing down to the rest of the flower's body, reaching for its thin stem.