I Bear The Devil's Eye

Chapter Seven, titled: The Bearer's Purpose.

Henry and Lady Velvet had taken their seats in the grand dining hall of the Heavenly Bureau, a polished wooden table stretching between them. The silence that filled the room was thick and awkward. Velvet sat with a soft smile that graced her lips, her piercing gaze fixed on Henry who had his head bowed, clearly embarrassed under her scrutiny.

The dining hall was eerily quiet, save for the faint sound of a gentle breeze slipping through the slightly open windows. The cool air caused Henry to shiver slightly, a movement that didn't go unnoticed by Velvet. She tilted her head, ready to ask if he was alright, but before she could utter a word, rhe loud rumbling of Henry's stomach broke the silence in the room, echoing throughout the vast, empty space.

Henry glanced up at Velvet, catching the startled look on her face. His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"Hungry, much?" Velvet teased, her soft smile curling into a mischievous one that sent shivers down Henry's spine.

The young man hesitated for a moment before giving a small, sheepish nod. Velvet chuckled lightly, finding his response to be cute, her laughter breaking the tension that hung over the room.

"Oh, you poor thing," she muttered softly, her face etched with empathy. To Henry, her words felt condescending which rubbed him the wrong way, but he decided to let it slide. The hunger gnawed at him relentlessly, leaving no room for unnecessary confrontation. Even the Source chimed in with a stark reminder of the situation he was in.

[This bearer is faint from hunger and needs proper sustenance to regain energy. Lack of a proper meal could cause this bearer to lose energy.]

Henry read the message carefully, his eyes scanning each word. The more he read, the more his hunger seemed to magnify, as if the Source had triggered something deeper within him. He shifted his gaze from the floating text to Lady Velvet, who now clasped her hands together with an almost childlike delight. This sudden behavior left Henry flabbergasted.

"Alright," she began, her soft and alluring voice cutting through his thoughts, "Let's address the elephant in the room, at least while we wait for your meal." Her words were light, yet carried a hint of seriousness. As soon as Henry heard this, his eyes sparkled with a little hint of joy,

"Alright," she began, her voice cutting through his thoughts, "let's address the elephant in the room, at least while we wait for your meal." Her words were light, yet they carried a hint of seriousness that demanded attention.

Henry straightened up, forcing himself to focus despite his ever growing hunger. This wasn't a conversation he felt ready to dive into, but he had been the one to push for answers. Now he had no choice but to face it head-on. Still, the thought of finally getting food gave him a sliver of hope that the day might not be entirely miserable like the life he had when before he breathed his last.

Lady Velvet began her speech, "Let's start from the top. As Dr. Matthew had mentioned, this place is thr Heavenly Bureau," she began, dropping her hand on the table. "If you're curious of what its purpose is, it is a place where we oversee….special individuals like yourself. Those who have touched by forces beyond their control."

Henry raised an eyebrow at her phrasing. He was hungry, but his hunger didn't stop his curiosity. "Touched by forces? You mean cursed, don't you?"

Velvet smirked, tilting her head as if to say, he was not wrong. "The Devil's Eye is not a curse, Henry. Atleast, not entirely at the moment. It's a tool. A weapon. A… responsibility. You've been chosen to wield it in order to stop Pandemonarch."

As Henry heard this, his curiosity had been piqued even more. The Pandemonarch was something he had never heard before, and why was he chosen to stop it. "What is the Pandemonarch?" he asked.

Lady Velvet, who had a delighted expressing completely changed her demeanor once she heard this. "Interesting question there" she said, stairing directly in his eyes, "If you must know, the Pandemonarch is the summit of supreme demonic leaders, claiming the planet known as Earth as their own dominion."

Henry frowned as he listened to Velvet's answer, he immediately stood up from his chair. "What do you mean by claiming the planet?" he demanded an answer from Velvet who was taken aback by his behavior.

"Calm your nerves" Lady Velvet sighed, her palm held up in order to stop the young man from advancing further with his anger, "If you must know Henry, power like this doesn't come free. There's always a price for every gift bestowed upon you. But you wouldn't be here if you weren't capable of paying it."

Henry scoffed, shaking his head. "You're telling me I've been given something I never asked for, something that's going to make life harder for me, and I'm supposed to just take it as a gift?"

Velvet's gaze softened, and she crossed her arms. "I'm telling you that whether you accept it or not, it's yours. And running from it won't change anything. The sooner you embrace it, the better your chances of surviving what's ahead. Do this so that the day you die, you can die knowing how happy you've become."

Henry wanted to argue further, but Velvet's words seemed to cut deeper than a double edged sword. This moment reminded him of the first time, he sat at the dinning table with his mother, every word that flew from her mouth felt like a heavenly gift. In that instant, the elephant in the room had finally been addressed, but it wasn't quite the way it seemed.

Henry sat down immediately as the double doors of the dining area swung open abd from it, a beautiful ,middle-aged woman walked in, neatly dressed in a maid's outfit. Velvet's face lit up as if she'd been expecting it. "Ah, perfect timing. Breakfast's here."

The maid pushed a cart laden with food—a feast of roasted meats, fresh bread, vibrant vegetables, and golden desserts. The aroma hit Henry like a wave, making his mouth water instantly. Something that was quite shocking as he had never craved food to this extent.

Velvet gestured toward the cart with a flourish. "Eat, Henry. You'll need your strength."

Henry hesitated for a moment before giving in, reaching for a plate. As he began to eat, Velvet resumed her seat across from him, watching him with a faint smile. "Enjoy this while you can," she said softly. "It's a rare moment of peace in a world about to get much more complicated."

As the two settled down to enjoy their bountiful meal, Micheal and Mary were left outside at Cold Harbor to keep watch. The heavenly sorcerers stood in front of an ice cream shop, each holding s waffle cone filled with the creamy, sweet snack. They took small bites from their treats, Micheal grew increasingly annoyed about being stuck scouting the area, especially after everything they had just been through.

"What a miserable day to be a heavenly sorcerer," Micheal grumbled, tossing the unfinished remnants of the snack into a nearby trash can.

Mary, who wad shocked by his wastefulness, glared at him. "Stop right there!" she snapped. "Do you have sny idea how much those cost me?"

Micheal shrugged in response, showing no remorse for his actions. After all, he hadn't been the one taking responsibility and paying for the tasty snack in the first place. "Why does it matter? It's not like we're getting any real food around here," he retorted, frustration clear in his voice. Besides, he was always a wasteful individual, even as a child, often throwing away the thing he deemed as useless.

Mary crossed he arms, her tone sharp she addressed the matter. "Well, if you're so tired of being a heavenly sorcerer, you're welcome to resign and go back to the land of dead souls."

Her response caught Micheal completely off guard, a subtle reminder that heavenly sorcerers might just be spirits of the dead, who are allowed to live the life of humans. He frowned but chose not to argue further. Instead, he sighed, letting the moment pass like it never happened in the first place.

Just as the tension between them eased, the hum of a car engine broke the silence. Both turned their heads to see a black vehicle, probably a sedan pulling up just right beside them. From the car steeped Isabella, the little girl who had earlier clashed with Henry.

Mary's face lit up with joy the instant she saw Isabella. The feeling was mutual; Isabella ran toward Mary, and the two embraced tightly.

"Isabella, you're back!" Mary exclaimed, her voice bursting with happiness.

The reunion was warm and heartfelt, a small moment of joy amid the chaos of their lives as heavenly sorcerers.

Michele crossed his arms, leaning casually against a nearby lamppost behind him as he watched the reunion unfold. While he wasn't exactly brimming with any emotion, the sight of the little girl did bring him some relief. He had a strong sense that her arrival signaled they'd soon leave rhe city and head back home. "Well that's a perfect timing," he muttered under his breath. "Now we can finally go home." His tone was calm, devoid of any frustration or grudges.

Without waiting for any further interactions, Micheal moved toward the black sedan and slid into the back seat, settling into his spot with little fanfare.

Mary and Isabella paid him no attention, their focus entirely on each other. They began conversing in sign language, their hands moving gracefully in silent communication as Isabella could not speak or hear.

Mary's first question, formed through a series of gestures, asked Isabella what seemed to be the cause of her presence on sort short notice.

In response, Isabella signed back quickly, explaining that Dr. Matthew had sent her to fetch them. He apparently understood that Michael and Mary couldn't stay in the same room peacefully, even if their lives depended on it.

Mary couldn't help but chuckle at the message. Her reply, conveyed through more gestures, agreed with Isabella. "He's absolutely right," her hands seemed to say.

The two shared a quiet laugh before Isabella's expression turned more serious. She gestured again, this time urging Mary to join Michael in the vehicle. Isabella had something important to share with them both.

Though puzzled by the sudden shift in tone, Mary nodded, signaling her understanding with a thumbs-up. Without delay, she climbed into the car, ready to hear whatever news Isabella had for them.