An unsettling air hung heavy in the room. Michael and Gabriel had not yet returned, and I found my patience waning. However, thanks to luck, an urgent message from a sentinel halted me in my tracks. Perx had returned.

Guided by the sentinel, I made my way to where Perx was last seen, but he had vanished. A gut feeling urged me to hasten towards Raphael's quarters, a task I had initially intended to undertake earlier. Dismissing the sentinel, I dashed to the room, only to find Perx looming over the slumbering human, who, to my relief, was unscathed. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and suspicion. Rumors whispered that Perx had changed over the years, and I was probably about to witness this transformation firsthand.

Perx greeted me with an even gaze, his face a mask of calm indifference. It was a trait of his that had always remained constant. "Welcome back, Raphael. It’s been a long time," he said, his voice steady.

"Welcome back to you too," I responded, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Thank you. It's good to see you. May I ask you something?"

"By all means."

He paused before asking, "It seems you've encountered a glitch, haven't you?"

Surprised by his knowledge, I replied, "It appears I may have. How did you know I was back?"

"I noticed an unusual increase in the search activity of the others. I simply deduced that it might be due to your return, or something new worth to see."

His reasoning was flawed. Michael was currently searching for Gabriel and him. I told him, "You shouldn't be hiding from us, you know?"

"I'm aware," he replied, his voice void of any emotion.

His reluctance to share information prompted me to change the subject. "Why are you alone? Where are your Caelestis? Are they on a mission?" I had been left in the dark about their whereabouts, with the focus being solely on Perx.

"They've fallen. All of them," he declared, his tone unchanging.

His words sent a wave of worry crashing over me, rendering me speechless. Sensing my unease, he continued, "I believe you've been informed about my actions during your absence, haven't you?"

"Regrettably, I may have," I admitted, choosing honesty over a stupid lie.

There was a deep sigh from him. "Their fall was due to my actions. They tried to stop me. They were wiser than I was. They knew that my plan would cause more harm than good. I wish I hadn't resorted to such drastic measures."

He fell silent, and I prompted him to continue. "I'm listening. Share everything, if you're willing."

And so he began his tale.

"I was planning to banish the devil, causing all the most notorious face of those cursed lands to desert hell. I had been studying them for a long time, so I knew where to find them. I didn't intend to embark on this mission alone. I expected them to accompany me, but when I revealed my plan, they refused. I saw their refusal as betrayal and proceeded with my plan, severing their links, stripping them off their powers, and casting them into the depths of hell to fade into oblivion. If they survived or somehow allied themselves with the so powerful ones, I planned to eliminate them myself."

He paused once again, and I expressed my concern. "You dealt with them in a harsh manner for their disobedience, but why didn't you discuss this plan with the archangels, as you usually do?"

He resumed his narrative.

"I made a grave mistake. As you pointed out, I should have consulted them. I deeply regret my actions."

"I hope you've learned something from this. You're not expected to make such errors, but it seems they didn't cast you out as you did with the others. They showed you considerable mercy. So, what transpired next? After you caused your Caelestis to fall?"

He moved away from Raphael and began to stroll towards the exit.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I need to," I asserted, determination seeping into my voice.

He continued his tale.

"I embarked on a hunt for each most powerful hidden beast of hell, but only after I failed to locate the devil. He wasn’t in his usual abode, so I confronted the first beast and demanded he reveal the devil's location. My attempts at intimidation and torture yielded no results, and they wouldn't negotiate or strike a deal. So, I challenged them until they succumbed. I used the defeated ones as a warning to the others about the fate that awaited them if they remained silent. Despite this, they refused to cooperate. As punishment and to keep them under the constant threat of death, I continued to challenge them. Even in a desperate all-against-one duel, I emerged victorious. Yet, despite my triumphs, a gnawing dissatisfaction persisted. Their leader was still at large, and I couldn't locate him. It was as though he had never existed, or perhaps I had already eliminated him unknowingly. That's when I decided to go into hiding, from them and from him."