A powerful beam of light shot down from the night sky, forcefully striking the ground below.
The light continued to illuminate the earth until Kyle and Kaela emerged from its brightness, at which point the radiant glow gradually faded as they strolled down a narrow passageway.
"Ah, Salt Lake City," Kaela exclaimed, taking a deep breath and soaking in the nighttime ambiance.
"Wait, you're familiar with this place?" Kyle questioned Kaela, astonished by her knowledge of the city.
"Absolutely! Familiarity with every location and landmark in this realm is part of our studies at Heaven's Keep. Plus, I really enjoy the food here," Kaela cheerfully responded to Kyle as they moved further out of the alley.
"Ka…Kaela, can I ask you something?" Kyle spoke hesitantly, his shyness apparent.
"Sure, go ahead," Kaela replied.
"What exactly is Heaven's Keep? Sphen mentioned it earlier," Kyle inquired.
"Wait, Nova didn't mention it to me," Kaela paused, surprised.
"No, she didn't," Kyle answered as he followed closely behind her.
Kaela felt a pang of sadness at how little Kyle knew about Veilwatch and how Nova hadn't shared much with him despite his month-long stay there. She approached him gently.
"Alright, I'll explain as we walk," Kaela said with a smile, taking his hand and leading him out of the alley.
"It all started with the first war in existence—the war in Heaven against the rebellious millennia before Earth and Veilwatch came to be," Kaela began her story.
"The rebels who stood against Heaven ultimately lost and were cast out, losing both their status and power, which transformed them into the demons we know today," she continued.
"Hence, Hell was formed as their eternal confinement. Although they lost their former glory, they did retain their souls, albeit weakened and powerless," Kaela elaborated.
"Then came a dreadful massacre in Hell," she added.
"A massacre?" Kyle queried, both intrigued and puzzled.
"Yes! Given that every demon in Hell still possessed their souls, they began to consume one another in an effort to regain their power and status. This brutal slaughter significantly diminished the demon population, but there are still tens of thousands, if not millions, of them," Kaela explained as they finally emerged from the alley to confront the lively nightlife of the city, where pedestrians and vehicles thrived.
"Over there is the poly night club," Kyle indicated while gesturing toward their destination, and they began walking directly toward it.
"The nightlife in this city is more stunning than I expected," Kaela remarked as she admired the ambiance around her.
"Um, you were telling me something," Kyle reminded her of their previous conversation.
"Oh right, my apologies for getting sidetracked," Kaela said cheerfully.
"Essentially, a demon grows stronger by consuming more souls. Following this phenomenon, only demons of varying strengths remained, yet they were never content with what they possessed; they craved greater power to rise up against heaven once again," Kaela resumed her explanation.
"Consequently, they resolved to seek additional souls, with Earth being the richest source available. They eventually devised a means to escape hell and almost launched an invasion on Earth, but the heavens intervened just in time; had they been a minute late, the entire human race could have been eradicated. This occurrence is referred to as The First Breach," Kaela elaborated.
"After thwarting the demons' scheme, the heavens established a barrier around hell to restrain the demons and prevent any further escapes. However, there was a complication: the veil was designed in a peculiar manner; the mightier the demon attempting to flee, the stronger the veil's resistance," Kaela added again.
"That's reassuring; it implies that even the most powerful demons wouldn't be able to break free," Kyle responded to Kaela.
"You're right, but there's a weakness in the veil; it detects the strength of a demon's soul attempting to escape and adjusts accordingly, though sometimes a demon's soul may be too weak to register," Kaela replied to Kyle.
"So if the demon's soul goes undetected, the veil won't realize that an escape is happening," Kaela said, astonished.
"That means the demon can successfully flee to Earth and start taking innocent lives, which is why demons are still present, and also why higher-ranking demons are seldom encountered," Kaela further clarified.
"To address this issue, the heavens decided they required a mechanism to monitor the veil and eliminate any demon that managed to cross over since their own presence on Earth would lead to unforeseen and chaotic consequences due to their vast powers," Kaela concluded.
"It was in this way that veilwatch came into existence," Kyle responded, reflecting on his own journey.
"Exactly, that's how everything started. They established a realm solely to safeguard humanity. Unlike humans, who have no dominion over their souls, the inhabitants of veilwatch were granted access to theirs. This access resembles that of both celestial beings and demons, although we don't possess full control," Kaela elaborated.
"Why is that?" Kyle inquired, intrigued.
"They aimed to prevent events similar to those that sparked the heavenly war. It's common for powerful beings to crave greater power, and humans, being fundamentally flawed, yearn for it too. Even without control over their souls, they still seek out more influence. Just imagine if they could master their souls," Kaela explained to him.
"Ah, I see now," Kyle remarked, his newfound understanding evident in his tone.
Kaela's gaze fell upon Kyle, who appeared deep in thought and slightly confused. She observed him in silence for a moment, appreciating his naïveté.
While lost in her admiration, she tripped and began to fall.
Reacting quickly, Kyle placed both hands around her waist, preventing her from hitting the ground, their eyes locking in a moment of astonished silence.
In that instant, a flushed hue spread across Kyle's face as he held her.
"Are you going to help me up?" Kaela asked softly.
Lost in his thoughts, it took Kyle a moment to snap back to reality, at which point he pulled her upright, a deep blush coloring his cheeks.
"I—I'm sorry, I got distracted," he stuttered as he assisted her.
"It's...," Kaela began, but her voice was cut short by an unsettling, dark energy surrounding her.
"We've arrived," she said in a serious, stern tone that Kyle had never witnessed before.
Loud music and heavy beats thumped from within a large building, the vibrations resonating through the outer walls.
They had finally reached the Poly Night Club.