"Oh my, you've reached Apprentice mastery in Darkness already?"
The woman smiled in delight.
"I wasn't expecting that," she said.
She snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, Neo felt as if a hand holding his head disappeared.
His thoughts were his own again.
The woman descended down the staircase and stood in front of him.
"I'm Paimon le Noir, former Grand Duke, pleased to make your acquaintance."
She curtsied.
Neo felt compelled to answer.
"Neo Hargraves."
"Just Hargraves?"
She gasped only to realize her gesture was rude.
"Pardon my surprise. It is my first time meeting a kin of his who has yet to go through ennoblement.
"This must be why Barbatos came to find me."
Neo didn't understand the current situation.
His mind told him to run away.
But his senses were calm.
They told him there was no danger.
Either the woman had no intention of harming him.
Or.
