Malachi narrows his eyes sharply.

His knuckles crack as he keeps his hands concealed within his pockets.

Opal could clearly see the outline of his veins pushing up against his skin.

"Opal... What the hell am I looking at right now?"

Opal grimaces as she rubs her jaw.

"It’s a... basement. Supposed to be used for storage, and there’s some panels back there that control the power in certain-"

"I know what the room is. I’m asking you why I can smell blood in here..?"

"...Some guards were taking small detours with prisoners during rec hours... In exchange for some outside food, cigarettes, and extra TV time, they were-"

"Fighting until they were bloody...?"

"...Among other games."

Malachi felt his stomach twist itself into knots. His head was pounding.

"Did you know about this...?"

Opal frowns. "Of course I didn-"

"Not talking to you, O."

Malachi turns to a seemingly empty corner of the room.

He stares directly at Hemera with eyes an even deeper maroon.

"...Obviously not. Arias’ time outside his cell was very limited. I went wherever he went."

"And he never had any trouble with the guards?"

"Some dirty looks... but nothing else."

Malachi stops for a minute and rubs his face with a heavy hand.

When he took a moment to think, it made sense that the guards wouldn’t hassle Arias. He was too high profile. Half of the security cameras in the building were trained on his cell, and the others followed him around from the moment he left it.

There was also the fact that he and Morgan were known to come to the prison to see him.

’Though this might’ve been another reason why they cracked down on visitors...’

"I’m sorry.... who are you talking to?" Opal looks around. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Malachi looks back and forth between Opal and the hidden goddesses.

He pauses and looks past Opal, toward the four men behind her.

"All of you. Out."

The largest man’s face hardened. "We don’t work for y-"

A wall of shadow rises and swallows all four men in an instant.

Opal purses her lips. "You didn’t have to do that."

"I wasn’t in the mood to repeat myself to people I don’t know."

Opal starts to say something in defense of her people, when suddenly Malachi approaches her.

Within a moment, he is closer than he has ever been to her. The sweet smell of cocoa butter rushes straight to her head and makes her dizzy.

Slowly, Malachi raises a hand to her face.

Opal quickly throws her body against the door.

"W-Wait! I-I’ll admit I flirted a bit, and I had my share of fantasies, but... This ain’t right, Mal. Those girls love you, you can’t treat them like-"

Malachi touches the side of Opal’s face and pulls his hand away a second later.

"Women do find you irresistible, don’t they, my boy?"

"Try not to find this so amusing, Ma."

"She can’t help it. She relishes in the idea of her children being physically attractive."

"Well, of course I do. If people think my children are beautiful, then that means they are acknowledging my ability in molding all of you. Which, by association, means that they admire my artistry as well."

"I don’t think that’s how that works at all..."

"Neither do I..."

"Both of you hush."

Opal blinks as she looks past Malachi.

There, two women are floating in the air, wearing polite smiles.

One is an older woman with dark skin and long hair. She favors Malachi immensely.

The other is paler, with golden hair, and Opal can’t help but think of Arias when she looks at her.

"This..."

"Mom." Malachi points at Nyx. "Sister." He points to Hemera.

"H-Hello..." Opal waves.

Suddenly, her face becomes warm, and she pulls her gun on Malachi.

"F-Forget everything I just said! Empty your stupid brain, right now!"

Malachi smirks subtly. "The girls will be touched that they were your first thought."

Opal undoes the safety on her gun. "Forget."

Smiling, Malachi ignores her as he begins pacing around the room.

In the meantime, Nyx wraps her arms around Opal and smiles.

"Well, aren’t you cute... It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Ms. Opal."

Opal swallows as she raises her hand. "C-Charmed..."

Nyx immediately takes her hand and kisses it, making Opal’s eyes go wide.

"Son, I’d like another daughter-in-law." Nyx says without turning her gaze from Opal’s green eyes.

"I’m ignoring you right now, ma."

"Boo..."

Opal ignored Nyx’s very friendly gaze and glanced at Malachi’s back. "I don’t mean to be rude, but... What the hell is going on here?"

"Hemera is Arias’ mother. She’s been keeping him company while he serves his sentence."

Opal blinked slowly. "I thought... the gods were barred from our world now?"

"They are... in their current state, they’re pretty much ghosts." Malachi kneels on the floor to inspect a rather large bloodstain.

’Although there are some gods staying at my house who got some special permission after locking up their powers...’ Malachi wanted to say.

"Afraid of me, little Opal?" Nyx grins.

"Mother. Stop it." Hemera rolls her eyes.

"Oh, I’m just trying to make friends here. And there’s nothing wrong with that, is there, Little Opal?"

Opal was pretty sure that if her face got any warmer, she’d be able to fry an egg on it.

Suddenly, Malachi’s ear twitched.

He turns to the doors just as they come flying open.

The men he has sent outside have returned, and brought with them someone wearing quite a suit and a self important air.

"What is this..? You can’t be here!" The man speaks in one of the thickest Italian accents Malachi has ever heard.

"I brought him in, he’s my advisor." Opal defended sharply.

"You can’t just bring in civilians at a time like this, I don’t care who you are! We are in a full lockdown procedure!"

Malachi starts to step in, his temper already at it’s peak.

He takes one step forward and drops to one knee abruptly.

His head pounds like a raging drum.

He lets out a low groan of pain as his vision becomes filled with white spots.

In the distance, he can hear Opal and his mother yelling at him in concern.

However, their voices are gradually being drowned out by another that he does not know.

"Dantalion. We need to have a word..."