It was now May, two months since Krovanis had stolen the soul key. In that time, Renny had tried to devise other ways to complete his contract, but nothing came close. Every possible route seemed doomed by the same truth: Krovanis could appear at any moment and undo all his work. The thought of it had stalled him more than once. And with the six-month deadline drawing closer, failure no longer meant simply staying behind; it meant falling back, repeating a grade. Something he could not, would not, let happen again.

After a long stretch of contemplation, Renny finally decided it was time to do what he had been dreading. Standing at the edge of his garden, he called up Krovanis and told him he was ready.

Krovanis arrived with Asmeryn Damaruk at his side.

"Took you long enough," Krovanis said with that familiar grin of mock impatience.

Renny folded his arms. "Are both of you going in?"

Krovanis raised a brow. "You think we're that slow? Nah. Asmeryn goes in with you, I'll wait outside. If anything happens, if you try to be clever… by the time you crawl back out, you'll have me to deal with." He smirked, stepping closer. "Don't mistake me for Seraphie. I'm not the one you can trick."

Renny's expression hardened. "The deal was just to revive Leila. Nothing more."

"Yeah, yeah," Krovanis waved off. "Extras come later. First, we get Leila back."

Renny didn't like the sound of later. The way Krovanis said it felt like a promise of something worse. Still, he nodded.

Krovanis clapped his hands once. "Good. Then let's move. You two go on ahead."

Renny exchanged a glance with Asmeryn, then turned toward the garden of Ezra, and together, they stepped inside.

***

As they made their way toward the Tree of Ezra, Renny glanced at Asmeryn beside him. "Tell me something, why are you doing Krovanis's bidding? From what I've gathered, the royals are after the Ezra fruits, to gain control of the tree… as for reviving Leila?" He paused, his tone edged with suspicion. "That feels personal."

Asmeryn gave a small, humorless chuckle. "Good observation. You're right, it is personal. Especially for Krovanis. Leila means more to him than you can imagine."

He brushed dust from his sleeve, his voice level and sharp. "Back then, not even our superiors could touch her. And those who tried..." He smiled faintly. "No one knows where Krovanis sent them. Ravuto was just one name among many."

Renny frowned. "That still doesn't explain why you're in on this. Are you afraid of him?"

Asmeryn turned to him, unbothered. "Of course. Only a fool wouldn't be." Then, with a knowing look, he added, "It's your lack of fear that's put you in this mess, Ezraphor. Once Leila is back, your journey in Hell will be as good as finished."

Tela Osupa stood beside the Tree, his frame hunched yet still imposing. He waited as the two demons approached, his eyes following them closely.

Asmeryn's lips twisted. "What's the Rotman doing here?"

Renny smirked faintly. "You didn't think I'd just accept your terms without security, did you? Tela's here to make sure I stick to the deal, and that you do too."

Asmeryn chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, so that's why you were stalling. You weren't afraid of reviving Leila. You were waiting to make sure Tela was here to babysit."

"Precisely," Renny replied, unbothered.

Asmeryn's eyes narrowed. "Clever one. I expected as much. But when the time comes for us to reclaim what belongs to the royals, not even the Rotman will be able to save you."

Tela's rasping voice cut through the air. "Oy, oy, oy... enough useless chatter. Get on with it."

With a reluctant huff, Asmeryn produced a parchment and handed it to Renny. "This is the incantation. You'll need to recite it before the tree."

It was the longest spell Renny had ever seen, lines upon lines of old infernal text written in black and crimson ink. Suspicious, he handed the paper to Tela. "You mind checking this? Make sure there's no trick in it."

Tela's fingers traced the markings, his eyes flickering as he read. After a moment, he nodded. "Oy, very clean. The right spell."

Renny exhaled slowly, took the parchment back, and stepped toward the great tree. He began reciting.

The air thickened immediately, the ground shuddering beneath his feet. The Tree of Ezra rumbled, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to echo through the entire garden, its roots twisting and its leaves burning with a faint blue flame as the final words left Renny's tongue.

The tree stilled. The tremor died out like a breath held and released. That was the confirmation; whatever they'd called back had taken root.

Renny looked up. "What now?"

Asmeryn's voice was brisk. "Her soul should have been returned to the Velzira garden. I'll go check."

They stepped out of the Ezra garden together and found Krovanis waiting impatiently, already striding toward the gates. The news hit him like a match. He didn't wait for the ceremony; he moved to see for himself.

Renny held back a beat and said, "Before you go, Charles's soul key. I fulfilled my end."

Krovanis paused, a slow amusement pulling at his mouth. For a moment, he hesitated, as if savoring the weight of the moment, then produced the key and handed it over. "Fine. Take it."

His tone shifted, colder. "But don't think this is finished. Whether Leila's truly returned or not, I'll finish you myself. Enjoy whatever time you have left as a demon." He smiled, thin and sharp. "Next time we meet, it'll be over."

With that, he turned and left, leaving Renny at the garden gate. Relief hit him first, a hot, private thing behind his ribs, when the cool metal of Charles's soul key settled into his palm. He could finally resume the work he'd been stalled on. As for Krovanis's threat? That was another problem to be solved. He'd deal with it on his terms.

He stood a beat longer at the garden gate, letting the quiet find him, then slipped the key into his pocket and walked away, the night swallowing his silhouette.

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