The tension in the room simmered as their conflicting perspectives collided. Medea, ever the manipulator, sought to control the narrative, while the man, seemingly unfazed, presented an unexpected challenge.Medea let out a sigh of distress, her mind swirling with questions. Who is this man, and what role does he play in this narrative? Is he a character from this world, or something more significant? Despite her efforts, no memory of him surfaced in her recollection, leaving her to ponder his mysterious presence. I can't recall the real Medea ever encountering him. There's no trace of his existence in her memory.The man, oblivious to the storm of thoughts within her, took a deliberate step towards her. Narrowing her eyes, she scrutinized him intently, seeking clues to unravel the puzzle he presented. As moments passed, the man dared to take a step closer, his boldness met with Medea's instinctual evasion as she retreated, maintaining a wary distance.What audacity. she muttered inwardly, her thoughts rumbling with a mixture of irritation and intrigue. Before the unforgiving stone wall could meet her back, the man's voice cut through the charged atmosphere once more, laden with a curious sense of intrigue."So, devils do exist. But ever since devils don't exist here, then..." He paused, as if contemplating a revelation. His gaze bore into hers, and he continued, "There's another world beyond this one."The declaration reverberated through Medea's consciousness, stirring within her a strange mixture of emotions she could not quite decipher. It was a sensation unfamiliar to her, one that left her unsettled yet oddly intrigued.Taking a deep breath, Medea's resolve hardened as she recognized the significance of the moment. Her gaze sharpened with determination, a testament to her acknowledgment of the man's astuteness. With a silent acknowledgment, she conceded. I should not underestimate this man. He possesses a depth of insight that belies his outward demeanor. How interesting.As the gears of manipulation turned within Medea's mind, she decided to indulge in a little game of her creation. With a smile that danced with mischief, she closed the gap between herself and the enigmatic man, her movements deliberate and imbued with a subtle allure. With delicate precision, she lifted her finger, tracing the line of his jaw with a seductive grace. Her ruby-red eyes sparkled like polished rubies under the faint illumination of the place, casting a spell of enchantment upon the space between them."You're sharpwitted and quite good-looking," she purred, her voice laced with honeyed tones that dripped with allure. "Probably more attractive than that man. Say, do you have a lover?" The question hung in the air, a tantalizing invitation into the depths of their shared intrigue.The man met her gaze with an unwavering resolve, his countenance stoic and unmoved by her attempts at manipulation. His eyes flickered briefly to where her finger lingered, a silent acknowledgment of her subtle advances. With a calm demeanor, he lowered his gaze before meeting her eyes once more, his voice carrying a weight of centuries past."I am the head magician of this tower," he began, his words resonating with a quiet authority. "I fell asleep for almost 500 years after freezing my heart, secluding myself away from the tumult of emotions that plague mortal beings. It is utterly obvious I don't have one, nor do I plan to entertain such frivolities."Medea withdrew her hand, a flicker of disappointment fleeting across her features as she crossed her arms, a subtle barrier against the vulnerability that threatened to breach her facade. With a dismissive gesture, she averted her gaze, a veil of disinterest cloaking her true intentions."How boring," she remarked with a hint of disdain, her words tinged with a mixture of amusement and disappointment. "You are the first person I've encountered to be so nonchalant about matters of the heart."The man's voice resonated in the chamber once more, shedding light on the mystique that shrouded his existence. "All magicians do," he explained with an air of solemnity. "We naturally tend to freeze our own hearts to prevent the intrusion of emotions. Emotions, left unchecked, could lead us to think irrationally, ultimately resulting in ruin. It's a protective measure, not only for ourselves but for the sanctity of this tower."Medea's gaze fixated on him, a subtle twinge of fascination coloring her expression as she absorbed the implications of his words. Unconsciously, her interest in the man grew, and she found herself drawn to the enigma he presented. A chuckle escaped her lips, and she delicately covered her mouth, a coy gesture that belied the complexity of her thoughts."Is that truly what you desire?" she inquired, her eyes searching his face for any trace of vulnerability. The man hesitated before responding, leaving an unspoken weight in the air. Medea, astute in her observations, interpreted his silence as reluctance."It's a pity," she sighed, turning her back to him as if dismissing the notion. "But I can free you from such responsibility. You won't need to concern yourself with the burdens that accompany the life of a magician." As she continued, a sly smirk played on her lips, revealing the underlying layers of her intent.The man furrowed his brows, a silent questioning of her true motives. Medea glanced back at him, her smirk deepening. "You know, I can provide everything. Anything your heart desires, anything you wish for," she teased, her words carrying a tempting allure that echoed the age-old seductions of the devil enticing humans into sin. With a sense of satisfaction, she closed her eyes, anticipating his inevitable response.However, to her surprise, his reply held an unexpected resolve. "There's no need. With my powers, I can get what I want. Thus, I'm already aware of the price associated with such offers, so keep that temptation to yourself." His words hung in the air, a stark refusal that left Medea momentarily taken aback. The unexpected twist in the narrative challenged her assumptions, introducing a layer of complexity to the game they played.He really isn't what I thought.Medea's eyes sparkled with a blend of curiosity and mischief as she regarded the magician before her. "You've piqued my interest. Tell me, what name do you go by, magician?" she inquired, her voice laced with genuine intrigue. The question seemed to catch him off guard, as he briefly averted his gaze, a hint of unease crossing his features. After a moment of hesitation, he responded, his voice steady yet imbued with a touch of reticence. "I am Caelus. Caelus Valentine."The name resonated in the air, and Medea mulled over it, rolling the syllables around in her mind as if tasting the essence of his identity. "I see. Cael," she declared, truncating his name with an ease that suggested familiarity.Caelus's reaction was immediate and marked by a visible furrowing of his brows. "It's Caelus," he corrected, emphasizing the full breadth of his name as if to reclaim a part of himself she had casually set aside.Medea's laughter filled the space between them, rich and warm, not borne out of mockery but from a genuine sense of amusement that he had stirred within her. It was a laughter that spoke of an unexpected delight, marking a moment of lightness in their otherwise tense encounter. "Don't you understand the concept of a nickname? I've decided, you're Cael to me from this point forward," she proclaimed with a playful firmness, laying claim to the right to rename him in a manner that suggested a burgeoning connection, however unconventional it might be.Her declaration carried a weight, a subtle shift in their dynamic, marking the beginning of an intriguing rapport between the devil and the magician, between Medea and Caelus—or as she had fondly rechristened him, Cael.Caelus, the head magician with an air of enigmatic wisdom, closed his eyes momentarily, a fleeting gesture that betrayed the weight of his thoughts. A sigh escaped his lips as he ran a slender finger through the strands of his silver locks, pushing them away from his face with a sense of quiet resignation. As his eyes flickered open once more, they met Medea's gaze, his expression a blend of weariness and curiosity."Seriously, why do you persist in staying here?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a note of exasperation. "You can leave. I'm rather preoccupied at the moment."Medea, undeterred by his dismissive tone, merely shrugged, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. "You're amusing, that's why," she retorted with a playful smirk. "I'll indulge in your company for a while longer. Besides, I still have a few questions for you."Caelus regarded her with a mixture of bemusement and intrigue. "A question from the devil? That's a rarity indeed," he mused, his curiosity piqued by the enigmatic figure before him.Medea's smile widened as she leaned in, resting her chin delicately upon her hand. "How did you discern that I am not from this world, while others remain oblivious?" Her question hung in the air, a subtle challenge wrapped in layers of intrigue.Caelus paused, his brow furrowing in contemplation as he considered her inquiry. There was a weight to her words, a depth of inquiry that spoke to the complexity of the moment. After a moment of thoughtful consideration, he spoke, his voice measured and assured."It was your mana," he began, his words carrying a gravitas that resonated in the silence of the place. "A mana imbued with darkness, a darkness that did not belong to this world. Such a presence could only be foreign to our realm."In the wake of Medea's probing inquiry, a pregnant silence enveloped the chamber, thick with the weight of unspoken truths and veiled mysteries. It was Caelus who broke the stillness, his voice a measured cadence that cut through the quiet like a blade through silk."I thought devils only existed in the past and mythologies," he ventured, his words tinged with a hint of incredulity as he grappled with the reality of their conversation. "But I was wrong."Medea, ever the provocateur, scoffed playfully at his assertion, her retort dripping with a mischievous charm. "Is it truly that unbelievable?" she interjected, her tone laced with a playful challenge. "Do devils not exist in this time? That seems impossible."To Medea, the notion of the absence of devils in this world bordered on the absurd. If gods could exist within the realm of mortal comprehension, why should devils be relegated to the confines of myth and legend? It was a question that gnawed at the edges of her curiosity, demanding answers that eluded even the most astute minds.Caelus, ever the bearer of hidden knowledge, offered his insight with a calm assurance that belied the gravity of his words. "From what my master told me, the devils of which you speak were vanquished by the gods millennia ago," he explained, his voice carrying the weight of ancient history. "They posed a threat to humanity, and in their hubris, they were eradicated from existence. They no longer exist within this timeline."The revelation hung in the air, a testament to the cyclical nature of power and the enduring struggle between light and darkness. Medea arched a brow at his words, her curiosity piqued by the implications of his revelation. "Oh?" she mused, her voice tinged with a hint of disdain. "Did they dare to challenge the supreme beings and suffer defeat? How pathetic." Her words dripped with scorn, a reflection of her disdain for those who dared to challenge the divine order of the cosmos but ended up being a shame to their kind.The embers of defiance burned fiercely within Medea's crimson eyes, their glow casting an ominous aura in the dimly lit chamber. Her words, laden with a quiet determination, cut through the air like a promise of impending reckoning."But still, the divines are my enemy, no matter the world," she declared, her voice a chilling murmur that echoed with the weight of eons. The air in the room seemed to thicken as the gravity of her intent settled, a palpable tension hanging between the realms of mortal and divine."I will challenge them someday. For now, I shall uncover the mystery of how I arrived in this place." Her words, a solemn oath, reverberated through the shadows, a harbinger of storms yet to come.Caelus met her declaration with a deadpan expression, his features betraying none of the tumultuous currents beneath the surface. "Could it be that our worlds are connected?" he ventured, the question laced with an undertone of speculative curiosity.Medea drew a deep breath, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air like a shroud of uncertainty. "That's impossible," she asserted, her tone tinged with a hint of resignation. "This world is but a fragment of narrative, a mere shadow of my own. People like you do not exist there, nor do they possess the power that courses through your veins."