"What are we to do, then?"
"Sam, there is no such thing as 'we', we are leaving here once I am done with what I am here for." Lucifer sternly stated, his tone leaving no room for arguments.
"A powerful mage or sorcerer, you said?" Zhang Wei's voice rang out.
"Yes, who do you think is capable?" Lucifer asked with a mischievous smirk playing at the edges of his lips.
"What level of 'powerful' are we talking about?" Zhang Wei inquires.
"Almost as powerful as I am in terms of prowess, or equal." Lucifer simply said, a lazy smirk on his lips.
"Then I can do it." Zhang Wei reasons.
Hearing his words, Lucifer burst out into humorless dry laughter, his eyes squinting in faux amusement.
"Andreas, if that was possible, I would have volunteered myself so as to ease my distressed mates, but it does not work in that manner." Lucifer points out.
"Why can't he?" Bruno's small voice inquiries.
"You are the sons of a very powerful, if not the most powerful dark lord that ever exists, though debatable since Ramses still exists." Lucifer rambles.
"That is not the point." Bruno hissed, getting frustrated by his mate's nonchalance.
"It is, love." Samantha countered, seeming deep in thought.
"Yes, it is, you twelve brothers have only dark energies flowing in your veins excluding my precious Bruno and his younger brother. Using an opposing force on him will only further weaken his mortal body, he is frail enough as it is." Lucifer explains, maintaining eye contact with Bruno.
"Yes, the first dark lord sons are known for the darkness that surrounds them except the last two, which are you and your younger brother," Samantha explains, pausing to give his mate time to digest his words.
"Exposing him to dark energy will do more harm than good, Brune." Samantha continues, carefully watching his mate's change in expression.
"Yes, do not forget that your father was a fallen angel along with myself and other archangels, your mother was a human with a fairly pure soul, their fragments of light were only passed down to you and your younger brother, your younger brother's light is quite on the untainted part, even brighter than yours." Lucifer further explains.
"You can say that his light is similar to that of-" Samantha spoke, but was interrupted by Bruno.
"River." Bruno completes in a small, shaky voice.
"Yes, that was what took me by surprise when I saw him, he appears like another version of Ruby," Lucifer stated, affirming Samantha's words.
"B-But, you said something about his sealed energy being over a century old, he was re-born barely two decades ago." Bruno looked up at his mates with a confused expression, wanting answers.
"He and his magic were out of the surface of any of the realms, but his soul had been floating around before he was reborn, probably between the indefinite realms of life." Lucifer clarifies.
"Indefinite realms of life?" Bruno asked, getting more confused.
"A story for another day." Zhang Wei interrupts after sharing a knowing look with Lucifer.
"His magic and energy were sealed within him since after the war died down, it remained the same even after being reincarnated, it just continued its cycle without breaking it." Zhang Wei concludes, an expression of realization made its way to his face.
"This is why his appearance did not change, he did not change a bit, he is the same person he was centuries before, same brunet, birthmarks on the same places, same striking blue eyes," Bruno stated in realization, his eyes wide as saucers.
"Yes, but," Samantha hesitantly trailed, looking up to stare at Lucifer with worried eyes.
"He clung unto some traits from his earthly parents, something out of the ordinary, but thankfully it possesses light magic; nothing threatening or dangerous." Lucifer vaguely uttered, giving as minimal information as possible.
"He is still the same person, but he came with extra benefits from his earthly parents' bloodline." Samantha came to the rescue when he saw the bewildered expression on Bruno's face.
"So, can your nephew help?" A long-forgotten Zhang Wei asked, the frustration of the evening's incident slowly seeping into his voice.
"Can he? Yes, of course; will he? No." Lucifer dryly answers a bored expression gracing his flawless features.
"You will have to go through Damien before you can even glance at River's shadow; that is by no means a small feat." Samantha quips with an amused smile on his face.
"Damien." Zhang Wei let out an exasperated sigh at the demon's name.
"I know, right." Samantha quips and giggles, the situation suddenly appearing amusing to him.
"A sorcerer on par with the Devil himself in terms of prowess?" Zhang Wei questions in thought.
"Not common, but there surely is," Lucifer stated, a bored expression still etched on his face.
"Roman." Lucifer and Zhang Wei said at the same time, their bored expressions turned to sour ones.
"Roman." Bruno softly mutters, his shoulder turning slump.
"Why did we not think of him in the first place?" Bruno whispers, particularly to no one.
"Roman who, now?" Samantha asked, his expression mirroring that of someone lost.
"King Michael George's only son, though nonbiological," Bruno answers in a guilty downcast voice.
"The third Dark Lord's only son who possesses light energy?" Samantha's eyes grew wide in question as he peered at his mates curiously.
"He partook in the war that killed Yuri more than a century ago." Zhang Wei dryly says, making Bruno flinch.
"Friend or foe?" Samantha asks.
"Fortunately, friend." Zhang Wei answers.
"So, what is the problem?" Samantha asked, still not understanding why his mates' expressions were sour.
"He disappeared after the war, along with his mate," Bruno answers instead, with a downcast expression.
"Then, we find him. Who is he closest to except his mate?" Samantha asks, having a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"It is almost impossible to find him, not even I could find him. And again, there is no 'we', we are to leave soon." Lucifer squinted at his mate, a displeased frown forming on his face.
"He is closest to the mate of the king of Aetolia Kingdom who has been the mother figure for Roman ever since he lost his earthly family." Zhang Wei informs, ignoring Lucifer's glare that was aimed at him.
"King Apollo," Bruno mutters.
"King Apollo is the mate to the king of Aetolia Kingdom, he should have an inkling as to where his son is hiding." Zhang Wei briefs, earning a grateful nod from Samantha.
"Thank you for your assistance, Prince Samantha of the Realm of Hybrids, it was very helpful." Zhang Wei recites his thanks to Samantha with a grateful smile.
"Anytime, we are a family." Samantha happily replies, beaming at Zhang Wei with a broad smile on his face.
"We will take our leave, now," Lucifer announced, then wrapped his arms around his mates and apparated from the room along with his mates without further exchange of words.
After the mate trio left, Zhang Wei turned around to look at his peaceful and pale-looking brother with worried eyes. He sat on the bed next to Yuri and placed his warm hand on top of Yuri's in an attempt to share his warmth.
He released an exasperated sigh for the umpteenth time that evening and opted to place Yuri's cold hands in his.
"So much trouble, I am not letting you out of my sight after this."