Infernal Ascendancy

The first light of dawn spilled through the curtains in soft, golden streams, warming the floorboards of the underground home. Azreal's eyes flickered open to the muted hum of morning outside. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, then moved quietly to the sink, brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face. The shock of it grounded him — but as he dried his hands, a faint noise drifted through the walls. Voices. Many of them.

It wasn't just chatter. It was a crowd.

Azreal's brow furrowed. He slipped into his coat, stepped out of his room, and found Eric and Fredrick already standing in the hallway, tense and alert.

Both men dipped their heads respectfully.

"Good morning, my lord," they said in unison.

Azreal's voice was low but sharp. "What's that noise I'm hearing? It's coming from outside."

Eric shook his head. "I have no idea. I was just about to take a look."

Fredrick straightened, his tone clipped. "Then let's go."

The three of them crossed the living room, their footsteps muted against the polished floor. Eric pressed the hidden panel; the false wall slid open with a soft hiss.

The noise swelled immediately.

Outside, sunlight poured across the quiet street, and there, right in front of their disguised shop, Laisa, Aria, and Hulk stood surrounded by a knot of townspeople. Curious faces. Whispering mouths. Judging eyes.

Fredrick's voice was low and tense. "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Azreal moved forward, his hand pushing the glass door open. The crowd turned in a single, collective motion, eyes landing on him like a wave. Conversations cut into muffled murmurs.

Laisa, Aria, and Hulk turned too — relief flickering in their eyes.

Azreal's tone was steady but carried weight. "What's the matter? Did something bad happen?"

A young man pushed through the crowd, his posture defiant but uncertain.

"Nothing happened," he said, his eyes scanning Azreal and the others. "But who are you people? Since when did you start living in this shop?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.

Fredrick exhaled sharply behind Azreal, muttering, "So that's what all this is about."

Azreal's answer came calmly but firmly. "We just moved in yesterday. We arrived late at night, so I suppose that's why you didn't see us pass by."

The young man narrowed his eyes. "I see… but where are you all from? Are you from around here?"

For the first time, Azreal and his companions exchanged a flicker of unease.

And then, a different voice cut through the noise.

"Is this any way to welcome new people?"

The crowd parted. An old woman emerged slowly, leaning on a weathered walking stick. Her voice carried the kind of authority only age and reputation could grant. She came to stand between Azreal and the young man, glaring at the crowd.

"They arrived yesterday," she continued. "And you're already questioning them? Are you the police force? We should be happy we even have new neighbors."

The townspeople's eyes dropped to the ground.

"Old woman," the young man muttered, his jaw tight. "We know what we're doing. Don't interfere."

She turned her head sharply, her eyes flashing. "You know what you're doing?" she scoffed. "Says the jobless fool."

A few snickers rippled through the crowd. The man's face darkened.

"You old woman…" he growled, stepping forward.

But before he could reach her, another man tapped his shoulder. He scoffed, spun on his heel, and stalked off instead.

The old woman didn't miss a beat. "That's right. Walk away, jobless man." She turned to the rest. "What are you all still doing here? Go home. There's nothing to see. Give these people some space at least."

One by one, the crowd broke apart, scattering down the street until only the old woman remained.

Aria and Laisa both exhaled a shaky sigh of relief.

"Thank you, ma'am, for what you did," Aria said quietly.

The old woman gave a small smile. "It's no problem. Don't mind these jobless folks — they've got nothing better to do than gossip and disturb new people."

Azreal inclined his head. "Thank you for your support."

The old woman's eyes flicked over him, sharp but kind. "It's fine. I could see how uncomfortable you all were with those questions."

Her tone softened."The people here are… cautious about who lives among them now."

Azreal's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cautious? What do you mean?"

The old woman shook her head. "You don't have to bother yourself with it. They're just rumors."

Azreal and his companions exchanged a quiet look — disbelief flickering between them.

The woman shifted her stick and offered one last piece of advice. "Don't let the people get their way with you. If you feel uncomfortable, say it. Don't keep it bottled up — or you'll be stepped on."

She turned slowly, her back to them. "Take care. And welcome to the neighborhood."

Opposite the shop, behind a half-closed curtain, two boys peered out from a window.

Caden's voice was low. "We've got new people living across the street."

Carl tapped his chin, eyes narrowing. "And they arrived at night, when no one saw them." He leaned closer to the glass. "Feels suspicious to me."

Caden's voice dropped further. "Do you think they're those aliens we saw last night?"

Carl's eyes lit up. "Yes. You're right. Those aliens disappeared on us last night, and now this group suddenly shows up…"

They both pressed closer to the window. "Aliens are living opposite our house," they whispered in unison.

"Caden! Carl!"

A woman's voice cut through the room.

"Coming, Mom!" they shouted back, scrambling from the window and darting out of their room.

Back outside, Azreal exhaled quietly. "Now that that's taken care of, let's get back inside."

The group turned, slipping back through the glass door. As they walked toward the hidden passage, Azreal's gaze sharpened.

"What were you three doing outside?"

Laisa, Aria, and Hulk froze.

Hulk was the first to speak. "I came out when I heard the noises myself, my lord."

Azreal's eyes shifted to the other two. "Then that leaves Aria and Laisa."

The two women glanced at each other but said nothing.

Inside the living room, everyone was already seated.

Cain leaned back lazily, eyes half-lidded. "What was all that noise about?"

Eric smirked faintly. "You could call it some nosy neighbors."

Shot chuckled from the corner. "Right? But since you're all here, I'm guessing it's handled then."

Hulk nodded. "Yes."

They sank into the sofas, the tension settling with them.

Azreal's tone was low but thoughtful. "Based on what that old woman said, it seems they're aware of what's going on here."

Fredrick nodded. "Yes. She probably didn't want to say it since we're new. She didn't want to scare us."

Azreal's eyes darkened slightly. "Most likely."

Laisa looked around, frowning. "Where's Jack? It's unusual for him to still be asleep."

Cain chuckled. "Jack isn't asleep. He's in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for everyone."

Aria blinked. "Really? He should have called me — I would've helped him." She rose from her seat. "I'll go now."

As she walked off, Azreal leaned forward, his voice cold but steady. "Either way, now that we're here… we'll find out what's causing the artificial infernalization — and who's behind it."

"Where do we even begin?" Shot muttered, his brows furrowed as he leaned forward on the table. "It's a big city — too big — and we have no leads whatsoever."

Eric exhaled and rubbed his temples. "He's right. Without a single lead, this investigation's going nowhere."

Cain looked around the room, impatience dripping from his voice. "Where's Lexi? She should be the one racking her brain right now."

Lyra, seated by the window, didn't even lift her gaze. Her tone was calm and quiet. "She's still in her room — probably buried in her research again."

Azreal leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. "Either way, we have to start somewhere. The people around here might know something… about the deaths. We can gather information — one way or another."

Laisa crossed her arms. "I don't think the people here trust us enough to tell us anything important."

Fredrick nodded. "Not just that. That old woman's reaction earlier told us everything we need to know. The townsfolk won't talk."

Just then, the door opened softly. Aria stepped in, carrying a tray filled with steaming tea cups and slices of bread. The aroma instantly filled the air.

Laisa's brows shot up. "Where did that bread come from?"

Before Aria could answer, Jack spoke up from the corner, untying an apron around his waist. Everyone turned toward him.

"I went to the bakery early this morning," Jack said casually. "It was hard to find one, but I managed."

Shot smirked. "And how come our ever-nosy neighbors didn't see you, huh?"

Jack cleaned his hands with a napkin, removing the apron neatly. "That's because, unlike Laisa and Aria," he said smoothly, "I don't make a sound when I do things."

Laisa and Aria froze.

Aria blinked. "What are you talking about? Nothing of that sort happened!"

"Yeah," Laisa added quickly, "nothing happened."

Jack just smirked faintly and sat down as Aria began serving everyone their tea. When she reached Laisa, Aria lightly smacked her hand.

"Everyone's done something, Lulu," Aria said with a teasing smile. "Now you hold the tray. When we're finished, you clear the dishes, alright?"

Laisa gritted her teeth and held the tray tightly. Her lips curved into a grin as she whispered under her breath, "You're crossing your line, little ant."

Aria tapped her head gently and said with a cheerful grin, "Good, good." Then she sat down and began eating.

When everyone finished, Laisa grudgingly cleaned up the dishes. The others drifted off — some returning to their rooms, others lounging lazily on the sofa.

Azreal rose to his feet. "I'll be heading out," he said simply, slipping on his coat.

Outside, the cool air brushed against his face as he walked down the quiet street. Across from their house stood a small coffee shop, bustling with early customers. People went in and out, laughing, chatting, clutching steaming cups of coffee and tea.

Azreal watched them for a moment. Ordinary lives. Simple and fragile. Then a faint chime sounded beside him as a holographic blue panel flickered to life — Sarah's communication panel.

"Anything to report, Lord Azreal?" Sarah's voice echoed softly.

Azreal's eyes didn't leave the coffee shop. "Sarah… I think I've got an idea. Tell Eric and Jack to go shopping. We'll need supplies — food, phones, electronics, anything useful for our stay here."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly on the panel. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes," Azreal replied. "I'm heading back. There's something I need to take care of."

"Back? Why? Did something happen?"

Azreal shook his head. "Nothing bad. Just follow my orders. Tell the others I'll return by tomorrow."

He snapped his fingers. A crimson glow lit the air, spiraling into a crimson gate that pulsed with power. The ground hummed faintly as the air tore open before him. Without hesitation, Azreal stepped inside — and the gate sealed shut, fading into nothingness.

Sarah's panel hung in the air for a moment. "I wonder what Lord Azreal is up to…"

---

Across the Street — The Coffee Shop

Caden's eyes widened as he stared through the window. "Did you see that, Carl? That red light — outside the shop! Did you see it too?"

Carl leaned closer, squinting. "Yeah, I saw it… but I couldn't make out who was there. Just that eerie red glow."

Caden's tone hardened. "Then our suspicions were right."

Carl nodded firmly. "That's gotta be what they're using — a gateway to bring their comrades here. Caden, if we don't act fast, Earth's doomed."

Caden clenched his fists. "Then we don't wait any longer. Earth needs heroes — and we'll be the ones to stand up."

Just then, a sharp voice cut through their little moment.

"Heroes, my foot!" A middle-aged woman grabbed both of their ears and tugged hard. "Instead of standing here playing superheroes, come help me ! The dishes won't wash themselves!"

"Ah! Ow, ow, ow!" the boys cried out in pain.

"Mom!" Caden yelped. "When we become heroes, we won't need to sell coffee anymore!"

Their mother glared. "First learn how to make coffee before you start saving the world, you little idiots!" She let go and marched back inside.

The two boys rubbed their ears, glaring at her retreating back.

Caden's gaze drifted once more to the house across the street — Azreal's house. A strange chill ran down his spine.

Something about that place felt wrong.

Something dangerous was brewing.

And the so-called "heroes" of Earth… were about to find themselves in a war far beyond anything they'd imagined.