It was Luc's day off, and for the first time in a while, he could truly relax.
He was alone in his small apartment, curled up on the couch, wearing his favorite comfortable pajamas, and indulging in a bowl of his favorite snacks. The crunching sound of chips was oddly comforting as he flipped through the TV channels, looking for something to take his mind off the strange events that had happened recently.
For a brief moment, everything felt... normal.
His life was simple. He worked at a restaurant, hung out with Takeshi, ate good food, and got to sleep in a soft bed. It was nothing like the chaos of his past.
Yet, despite his effort to enjoy this calm, his mind couldn't help but drift back to the Flyer he had seen earlier.
He shook his head. No.
He had made a decision—he wanted a normal life. He didn't need to get tangled up in the demonic world again. It was a trap. He had seen enough of it in the Demon Realm.
Luc flipped the channel and sighed, zoning out in front of the screen.
The soft hum of the TV filled the silence of the room. The snacks in his hand were warm, familiar, and comforting. His body relaxed as he let the world outside his apartment fade away.
Just as he was beginning to lose himself in a cooking show, a news segment caught his attention.
The same shrine the girl had mentioned earlier was being featured on the broadcast. It was making waves recently, its popularity growing. The segment showed the shrine's owner, a middle-aged man, smiling proudly as he gave a tour of the place.
Luc's eyes narrowed for a second.
The man looked ordinary enough. But something about him…
Demonic aura.
Luc could feel it even from the TV screen. It was faint, but unmistakable. This man was not normal. He carried an energy that Luc knew all too well.
The aura wasn't powerful—not a high-ranking demon, but certainly strong enough to stand out. This man was like a lower-ranked soldier in the Demon Realm, barely scraping by in the hierarchy. Yet here he was, standing in a human world shrine, mixing with the masses.
Luc snorted. What a joke.
He didn't care.
Not anymore.
Luc grabbed another handful of snacks and leaned back into his couch, trying to push the thought away.
Luc didn't care about demons or demonic shrines. What he cared about now was the food. It was so much better than what he had in the Demon Realm.
The flavors, the textures, the variety—it was bliss.
He took a bite of another chip and let out a satisfied sigh.
This is living.
The Demon Realm was filled with constant scheming, fights, and power struggles. Here, though? Here, he could just eat, sleep, and watch TV without worrying about power dynamics or monsters lurking in the shadows.
In the Demon Realm, he had been Luciel, the son of the Demon King—an heir with expectations, responsibilities, and a legacy to uphold. But here… he was just Luc.
A normal guy.
A cashier.
Someone who could relax without constantly looking over his shoulder.
Luc smiled, sinking deeper into the couch.
This was the life he wanted.
No more demons. No more monsters. Just the simplicity of human life.
But deep down, there was that gnawing thought, the tiny seed of doubt. The events from earlier… the Flyer, the bracelet, the shrine owner. They pulled at him, even if he tried to ignore them.
He gripped the side of the couch and sighed, his gaze drifting back to the TV.
It didn't matter.
Not anymore.
Luc reached for another snack.