**Present**
River walked down the halls of the castle, having changed his mind at the last minute about exploring the garden. As he passed a familiar passageway, he stopped in front of a black door with his name embedded in gold ink. He ran his fingers over the inked letters and turned the knob. The door was magically locked, and only he could open it. He smiled at the thought. It had been a while since he'd used the door, so it would require a drop of his blood for access. Slowly, a small pin revealed itself from the center of the doorknob. River gently placed his pinky on the pin, which immediately vanished after the brief contact, granting him full access to his old room.
The door swung open silently, as if it hadn't been abandoned for years. River stepped inside and gasped. Everything was just as he'd left it. His bed remained unchanged, and the roses—once under the watch of dark magic—stood proud without any sign of withering.
He stood before the dresser, its huge mirror reflecting his surprise. Running his thumb across its surface, he found not a speck of dust. It was as if the room had been expecting him. Venturing into the en-suite bathroom, he discovered it had been renovated. The nostalgic feeling in his chest intensified as he explored further. Opening a door led him to a spacious walk-in closet, fully stocked with clothes, shoes, and accessories—all in his size. It seemed Lucifer had done a little shopping for his dear nephew. River couldn't help but giggle at the mental image of Lucifer browsing an actual mall.
After the tour, River decided to take a warm bath and try on one of his new outfits. There was much catching up to do with his brother.
Moreover,...
The Devil's return **beckons** everyone's attendance.
---
"Bruno, come here," Sam whined with grabby hands.
Bruno stood up from his seat, dragged his feet towards his mate, and then plopped on his mate's lap. The trio (Monica, Bruno, and Sam) were watching a movie in the castle's movie room. Bruno cuddled up with Sam, using his blanket to cover both of them well. Monica, who was too engrossed in the movie, could care less about what the couple was doing. She dipped her hand into her bowl of salty popcorn to throw it into her mouth absentmindedly. Monica was also cuddled up to herself, wrapping a thick blanket over her little frame, with a half-drunk soda on the coffee table beside her.
"Humans can be so stupid," Monica tsked.
"Omma, you know it's just a movie, right?" Sam asked, looking at his auntie like she had grown another head.
"What a stupid movie," Monica huffed as the movie's credits rolled.
"You are a super weird mom with super weird sons, no offense though," Bruno said, amused.
"None taken. I've been called crazy one too many times. I've found peace in your violence," Monica dramatically said, feigning hurt.
"Dramatic," Sam muttered under his breath.
"Where's River?" Bruno suddenly asked.
"Sleeping. I classify that boy as a cat," Monica hissed.
"You know he has Felidae genes in his blood, Omma," Sam dryly said.
"You need to see his room—soft pillows and blankets everywhere. He's so unbelievable," Monica huffed, cuddling deeper into her blanket.
"Well, I'll have to put my mate to bed," Sam stood up, a sleepy Bruno in his arms.
"Do what you have to," Monica waved them off, lying down on the couch while Sam left with his mate.
"Lucifer, flap faster. I'm getting sick of hell," Monica huffed as she covered her face with the thick blanket.
---
"I can see the castle's tower from here," Eosphorus informed Lucifer.
"Hm," Lucifer hummed. He was getting impatient; he needed his mates in his arms.
After flying in the sky for a few more minutes, they finally arrived at the castle's gate.
"Home," Lucifer whispered, a nostalgic feeling brewing in his chest.
The duo walked through the gates and headed toward the castle's intimidating doors. As they got closer to the door, they saw a figure standing right in front of it, folding their hands against their chest.
"I don't catch a scent," Eosphorus whispered, referring to the figure by the door.
"No one comes to my realm to fight me; it's called stupidity, Dami," Lucifer said. Even though his tone was nonchalant, his guard was never down—he couldn't risk the baby's life.
However, as they both got closer, Lucifer immediately recognized the woman standing there like a guard.
"Monica?" Lucifer asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Wow, the Devil decided to show up," Monica sarcastically said, rolling her eyes.
"What can I say? I was getting too comfortable on my vacation," Lucifer's smirk didn't leave his face.
"Samantha and Bruno would be so pleased to hear that," Monica sarcastically taunted, a wicked smirk playing on her lips.
"You wouldn't dare, Monica," Lucifer said without a hint of venom laced in his voice, which made Eosphorus raise a questioning eyebrow. On a normal day, Lucifer would have snapped the neck of anyone who dared to disrespect him, except for his mates, of course.
"Would you let me into my castle?" Lucifer asked, rolling his eyes.
"Whatever," Monica reluctantly turned her back toward the duo and stepped inside.
"How did it go?" Monica calmly asked as she took a seat on one of the plush chairs in the castle's drawing room.