A small town on the border of the Alderbaran domain and the Crimson house.
A calm atmosphere prevailed despite the distant turmoil of wars. Above a modest inn, the pale light of the moon illuminated a silent room. The wind blew gently through the slightly open window, gently stirring the curtains.
Lilith woke up with a start. Her entire body was wrapped in bandages, the burns hidden beneath layers of fabric. She blinked, the dull pain bringing her back to reality. Her throat was dry, so hoarse that she felt speaking would be impossible. Each breath seemed to tear her apart from the inside.
With difficulty, she sat up slightly, her muscles protesting with every movement. As she scanned the room, she noticed the silhouette of the man who had saved her. He was seated on a chair near the window, his legs crossed, gazing pensively at the moon. The silver light caressed his long hair, giving it an almost spectral glow.
Lilith tried to speak, but only a rasp came out of her throat. Her lips trembled with the effort, but before she could do anything, the man slowly turned his head, sensing her gaze on him.
"Awake?" he said in a soft, almost detached voice, as if he had known she would eventually open her eyes.
His face was serene, unperturbed, and his eyes shone with an inscrutable light. He continued to stare at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the moon, a slight smile touching his lips.
Lilith instantly became defensive; he didn't know her identity, but her survival could only mean one thing - either he also mastered the flame or this man was powerful enough to extinguish it.
Linfer rose slowly and poured water into a cup. "I know you have many questions, but you should rest first."
He approached the bed and offered the cup to Lilith. She, still wary, leaned back slightly, her eyes fixed on him.
Linfer smiled, amused by her reaction. "Ah, I forgot you can't move... should I feed you personally?" he said with a calm smile.
Lilith remained silent, merely blinking her eyes, her face expressionless.
"Don't make that face," Linfer added with a tranquil assurance. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already. I don't need such petty tricks."
Finally, Lilith relented, slightly opening her mouth to accept the water. Linfer placed the cup to her lips, and she drank willingly. After a few sips, she coughed lightly, her voice, though still hoarse, had improved.
"Who are you?" she asked in a broken but determined voice.
Linfer turned towards the window in a dramatic pose, the moonlight illuminating his face. "You can call me the Devil of the East."
"Who?" Lilith furrowed her brows, confused.
'Damn, am I that unknown...' Linfer thought, slightly frustrated. But he maintained his calm. Clearing his throat, he replied, "I am the youngest Vamp prince and conqueror of the other continent."
"Ah, I see, so you're Leviathan and Alderbaran's brother." Lilith nodded, realizing who he was.
Linfer clenched his teeth.
'Why must I always be defined by my family? Am I so unimpressive?'
"Indeed," he answered, a bit annoyed, "but it would be better if you called me by my name, just Linfer."
Lilith furrowed her brows further, her body instinctively on the defensive. "What does an Inferno want with me?" she asked warily.
The Elysians and Infernos had an ancient hatred, passed down through generations. Lilith herself found it more logical that a southern Elysian would save her rather than an Inferno.
"You're mistaken, Lilith," Linfer said in a soothing tone. "Being Inferno or Elysian doesn't interest me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have expelled Leviathan and Alderbaran from my continent."
Lilith's eyes widened; she had heard the rumor about Leviathan's power, who could stand against Luciel and Raphael simultaneously, and especially Alderbaran, who was on par with Prince Belzebuth Deuce.
"So, you're telling me you're more powerful than Alderbaran?" she asked, intrigued.
Linfer sighed, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear. "As the future leader of the Infernos, I have the right to correct my subjects... without causing them harm. In short, these are family matters."
Lilith remained skeptical. Linfer didn't have the same renown as other powerful figures from the different planes, like Belzebuth Deuce, Astaroth Vapula, Uriel, and Luciel Morningstar, or even Leviathan and Alderbaran Vamp. She wasn't convinced by this unknown man claiming to be an heir.
Suddenly, a frigid aura filled the inn. Lilith trembled unconsciously, recognizing the signature of this energy. "Bel-Belzebuth..." she stuttered, her body panicked.
"Please, kill me," she whispered in a desperate voice.
Linfer looked at her calmly. "It's not Belzebuth, just unimportant lackeys."
With a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze enveloped Lilith. He rose and walked towards the window. At the same moment, the inn's door exploded under the force of a brutal blow.
Outside, Linfer floated in the night sky, holding Lilith in the air with his affinity for the wind. Below, the village was swarming with undead and liches. Lilith, trembling, quickly realized that the immortal army was here to exterminate everything that moved.
Linfer placed a comforting hand on her head. "Calm down. If I want you to live, even you won't be able to end your life."
Down below, the liches noticed the two silhouettes in the sky and launched a series of necrotic attacks. Linfer observed them with indifference, his hands behind his back. As the attacks approached, a barrier of water rose, blocking their advance.
"Like your master, you're nothing but annoying parasites."
The ground began to shake, the village turning into a field of debris under Linfer's power. The undead staggered but remained standing. With a simple gesture of his index finger, a small crimson flame appeared, falling gently like a drop of blood. As soon as it touched the ground, a sea of flames engulfed everything.
"You...!"
"Let's go," Linfer said, cutting her off. He used his wind affinity to carry Lilith with him, rising into the sky, away from the chaos.
***