When Asta opened his eyes, he found himself bound to a metal table. Arms on either side of his head. His head was spinning, a dizzy feeling making itself present. Maybe traveling like this wasn't the best thing for his senses.

Using Finral's spatial magic had been confusing at first too, but this was a whole new level. His stomach hurt and for a second he thought that he might throw up. But after a few deep breaths it seemed to settle down again.

His surrounding was dark and quiet. He heard a few drops of water falling onto the ground, probably from the ceiling. He didn't really know where he was, but if he had to guess he would say that it was a cave. Probably deep enough in some forest where no one would look.

Stupid as he was, the teen tried to break the chains binding him down, but to no avail. In this position he couldn't bring up enough strength to break them. A different one would be easier. But, of course, he had to be bound down in this stupid position. He guessed it made sense.

If Abaddon really wanted to get to the key, then a lying-position would be easier for him. Which brought Asta to the next question. Did he still have the key? And if he did, why did Abaddon wait? He didn't see a reason to wait until he himself was awake for this.

Well, he supposed that he was about to find out, hearing the footsteps coming. The sound was coming from above him, or behind? What did you call it was you were lying? No matter. Asta tried to turn his head the right way, but his neck just wouldn't stretch far enough so he could see the person. And even if, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Not like he could stand up and do something.

The teen layed his head down again when the figure stopped, looking down at him.

"Now then, it seems the cuffs are tight enough to hold even you down" the demon snickered.

Asta grumbled, hands struggling against the retrains once again. He wouldn't give up that easily.

"So you waited just to find out this? Do I look like some sort of experiment?" Yes, yes, he kind of did. Laying on a table, strapped down. Unable to get up on his own.

"Ah, not exactly. Had to prepare some stuff. Y'know, see if the well is still there" Abaddon joked.

The teen rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. Whatever he did, he wasn't looking for the well. Why would have changed its location? That made no sense at all.

"Actually, I'm more interested in what you are hiding."

Hiding? Him? He wasn't hiding anything. And if he was, then he didn't know what it was. But these past days have been confusing as hell. He wouldn't be surprised if there were more secrets about him. Something that went even deeper than anything else. A secret that was more important than everything he has ever heard of.

"I'm not hiding anything" he hissed.

"Oh, you are. I felt it right away. Something is different about you. You are a demon, and yet you are not. I wonder why" the demon mused.

Asta gritted his teeth. He had enough of this. People wanting to know who he was when he didn't know it himself. He wanted his normal life back. Where he would go on missions and help the kingdom. Where he and his friends would sit around in the main hall and laugh.

Why did it always have to be him? Why couldn't he have a normal life? Like the way it was when Yuno and him had been younger and careless about everything. This was all he wanted. The only thing he asked for.

And then, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something. Something, or rather someone he was very familiar with. This was good. But he needed more time.

"Why are you even interested in that? I thought you only wanted the key" he was stalling. He totally was. But there was nothing else he could do right now. If the demon let himself be coaxed into some sort of small talk, he would gain enough time.

"Of course! But I am curious too. Besides don't you want to know who you are?"

"I know who I am" he hissed back.

"Ah. Let me rephrase that. Do you want to know what you are?"

Even though Asta refused to look the other directly in the eyes, preferring to look at the ceiling instead, he could clearly hear the smirk in his voice. Even if he did look at him directly, it was dark enough so he could only make out his eyes.

Ruby color shining in the darkness. The teen wondered if his own red colored eye reflected the same way. Or if maybe even both of his eyes could be seen.

Not important. Because, no, he had no desire to know any of this. He preferred to get out and forget all of this. To go back to the witch queen so she could help him turn back or whatever. Even she was better than all of this nonsense.

"I don't"

"Bummer. Not like I'm giving you a choice anyway" the demon shrugged.

"Huh?"

Asta was surprised when he felt cold hands against his temples. Fingers pressing into his skull. Beside the fact that it was cold as hell, it felt better then when Captain Yami was having a bad day again and tried to crush his skull.

And then the pain followed. His eyes closed on instinct, teeth gritting together. The teen swore he felt tears gathering in his eyes, ready to fall down. He saw nothing but felt everything. It felt like his skull was being cracked open.

He tried shaking his head, struggling against the restrains. Trying everything to get away from the other.

The screams of pain got stuck in his throat. Nothing came out even though he desperately wanted them to. And as quickly as it started, if faded away into nothingness. Like it never had ben there in the first place. Like it was just an imagination.

But it wasn't, he knew it. He knew it when he heard the demon above him laughing. Asta was breathing hard, trying to calm his own breathing. Along with his heart that was beating far to fast to be normal anymore. It was pounding in his chest.

"Oh this is hilarious" Abaddon laughed above him, holding a hand to his cheek.

"You're a Cambion. Who would've thought that?"

"A what?" Asta asked, completely out of breath. His eyes were closing on their own accord. He was to tired, from the pain that ha just been there for a few seconds. But it had felt like hours.

"A Cambion, kid. A hybrid. The child of a demon and a human" the other explained.

Asta would've protested if he wasn't so tired. If he didn't regain his stamina quickly, the plan he had thought of wouldn't work.

Just a moment. He would close his eyes for just a moment until he didn't feel so tired anymore. Just a moment, and then he could protest about it. That he wasn't this Cambion thing. He would love to say that he was just a human. But that wasn't true.

A hybrid. Yes, maybe this was the reason he could do those things.

"Humans tend to use a different name for your kind though. 'Cambion' is more the demon name for it. Humans like to call your kind changelings."

Asta felt his eyes widening. Changeling. Of course. He could change into this form. But he has been forced to change. And he doesn't know how to turn back. He knew when it had been only part of him. But now it was his whole body, and that made things more complicated.

He was both, a human and a demon. Maybe that is why he had grown up at the church. They thought it was safer for him to be there. To be hidden from the world. People might've thought that he would be dangerous. That he would try to hurt others.

And maybe that was the reason he had the key. A person that lived in the human world but was also connected to the demons. He was like a link that held a chain together. The chain of the humans and the demons.

"Well, looking into your head sure was useful. Now I know why you felt familiar. Cambions have a calming aura to both kinds. Must've sensed you a long time ago. No matter. Let's get this over with"

And that was his signal. "NOW!" he yelled.

Asta felt how his legs were released from the shackles. With a deep breath, he mustered all his strength together. This was all he needed. Just a bit freedom and he could…

With a yell the teen flipped his body backwards, forcing the metal table with him. It slammed right onto the other demon, knocking him onto the ground.

Seconds later Asta's arms were released too. He was breathing hard, placing a foot onto the other demon to make sure he couldn't get up anymore. With the physical strength he had, Abaddon had no chance. There was no way he could get up.

"How did you?..."

Asta grinned. "Never underestimate your enemy. I said I would come with you, but I never said I would let you win this easily."

"But the chains…" the other was confused. Those chain were to strong to be broken.

A bird flew out of the corner. When a dark light formed around it, it changed into a young woman.

"Sealing magic" Nero said simply. "No matter how hard that material is, it will always succumb to my magic."

"Well done, young one. Didn't see this coming" the demon laughed.

"How did you even find me?" Asta raised an eyebrow.

"Later. Asta" Nero turned to the other, completely ignoring the demon on the ground now. She leaned closer though, to make sure he couldn't hear her.

"If he can get into your head, maybe you can get into his" she whispered.

"Maybe. But I don't know how to do that" he whispered back.

"I'll deal with that. Then you can at least try" she meant to which Asta only nodded.

So, Nero raised her hand towards the other demon. It glowed a faint purple color. Within seconds the demon was unconscious.

"What did you do?" Asta asked, nudging the demon with his foot. He didn't react.

"I sealed his consciousness. It won't hold long though, so hurry" she retorted.

"How long do I have?" the teen asked, sitting down behind the demon. Just like he was behind himself before.

"I would say thirty minutes" Nero said.

Asta nodded. So, how did this work again? He had placed his hands on his temples, so he did just that. But what did he do then? Was it a spell? If so, he could do nothing. He didn't really know what the demons magic was. But judging by his actions before, it had nothing to do with the mind.

Maybe it was just a demon thing. Being able to look into other's heads. That still didn't tell him how to do it though.

"Just concentrate. Do what you felt him do before. Concentrate on this one thing and ignore everything else. I know you are able to concentrate" Nero said, trying to be helpful. It was helping, sort off. It gave him an idea though.

Asta closed his eyes, concentrating on the others mind. He heard the drops of water falling onto the ground. The sound of the wind. Nero's heartbeat, along with his own. He blocked it all out.

A deep breath took him away from the world around him, throwing him into another. He saw various things, memories. But if he wanted to find something helpful, he had to know what he was looking for.

Maybe an old memory. Something that would tell him what really happened. Because he still had this feeling that none of this was real. That Abaddon's reasons weren't real.

And then he found it. The teen allowed the memory to play through his own mind, letting him see what happened.

"Abaddon!"

The angel turned around. He smiled. "Leliel."

The female angel was jumping towards him. She was always happy. The reason was her job. She decided who got to be reincarnated as a human when their time in the garden Eden was over. She loved to guide the souls into their new life's and watched over the woman that gave birth to them.

"How many today?" he asked with a patient smile.

"Oh, about thirty. I want to show you something. Come on!" she yelled happily, white wings twitching in excitement.

Her enthusiasm was what everyone needed once in a while. She led him through the halls of gods palace. Their home. Where every single angel lived. Happy and mostly without worry.

He stopped following her though when he saw something out of one of the windows. There by the river that led to the world of the humans was Temeluchus. He was rarely seen by anyone.

It did surprise Abaddon though. He had never been seen by the river. He wasn't even interested in the humans. So why was he there?

"Leliel" he called the female angel.

She quickly went back to the other. The worried tone in her friend's voice was concerning her.

"What is it?" she asked.

Abaddon pointed out of the window towards Temeluchus.

"What is he doing there? Angels like him aren't even allowed to enter the human world" she whispered. She gripped Abaddon's robe, slight fear trembling through her.

"I don't know" he whispered back. "Come" he took her hand. Walking through the palace, he tried to take the quickest way to the river and the portal.

"You don't think he…" Leliel stopped before finishing her sentence.

Abaddon shook his head. "No, even if he is the angel of torment. He wouldn't do such a foolish thing."

He was really trying to assure the other angel that everything was alright. But he wasn't so sure himself.

Rushing down the stairs that led outside, Abaddon called for the other.

"Temeluchus!"

The other didn't react. Both angels slowed down as they neared the other, stopping a few feet away from him.

"Temeluchus" Leliel tried softly.

This time, the angel turned around. But his appearance shocked them both. Normally Temeluchus had blue eyes. But now they were red. Leliel took a step back.

"Temeluchus what are you doing here? You know you can't go to the humans" Abaddon said seriously.

"Oh, I can't?" the other said in a mocking voice. "How sad" he held a hand to hic cheek.

"Temeluchus what is wrong with you? Have the humans done something to make you angry?" Leliel asked from behind Abaddon. She had her hands on his right shoulder, as if peeking out from behind the other.

"Make me angry? Now, you could put it that way" the angel answered.

Abaddon narrowed his brown eyes. "That doesn't mean you can go to them. I know that I myself am not the best angel either, but I don't go down there and release the demons from their prison."

That apparently awakened interest in the other angel. He eyed him carefully.

"So, you have the key?"

Abaddon raised an eyebrow. "Temeluchus you know that it is my job to watch over the key that keeps the demons at bay. What is wrong with you?"

The other didn't answer. Instead, his eyes glowed black for a moment. After that he heard a scream. Turning around, Abaddon found Leliel on the ground, her face scrunched up in pain. He rushed towards her.

A few seconds later, he found himself on the floor, pinned down by Temeluchus.

"What is wrong with you? You can't just do such a thing" Abaddon hissed.

A chuckle, pale skin turning black. "You think that you have locked all of us in. Well, I was going to use this one to get to the humans and free the rest of us. But fortunately for me, you came along. The one that keeps the key."

"Who are you?" Abaddon whispered confused. This wasn't Temeluchus. This was someone else.

The black from Temeluchus skin began to infuse into his own. Oh, this was bad.

"People call me Samhain."

He couldn't control his body anymore. There was only one last thing he heard before losing consciousness.

"Oh god, Leliel. Someone call Samandriel and Alimon!"

Asta gasped as he was thrown out of the memory. This was intense. He felt his body shaking.

"This makes sense" he whispered.

"What? What makes sense?" Nero asked.

"Samhain! Nero, who is Samhain?" he practically yelled.

"Samhain? As far as I know he is a demon. He has the ability to control other demons" she said.

The teen stood up on shaky legs. "He must've gained the ability to control angels too. But only one at a time" he hummed.

"What did you see?"

"Something that tells me everything. All of this is a fraud. Abaddon never turned on his people. This is Samhain" he looked down at the still unconscious demon.

"What now?" Nero asked.

"For now, we get out of here and gather information. We have to help him. He isn't the bad guy that people think he is. He was tricked, just like the rest of us" the teen said.

Nero looked unsure. "Do we just leave him here?"

"Don't you worry about that."

"Huh?"

Asta found himself thrown against the wall. Why did that always happen to him?

"Sealing magic, you had said? Seems like I don't need the kid anymore" the demon said, standing up.

Nero stood there unfazed. "I have to disappoint you. My magic is not made for heavenly spells."

"My, my. I have been in this body for such a long time now. And I still don't have the god damn key."

"And you wont get it" Asta growled. He just realized; he didn't have his Grimoire with him. Without his swords he couldn't to anything. They had to get out of there, now!

"And how will you stop me? I have you here, you have no where to go. I don't see how you will get out of this one" Samhain scoffed.

"I do see a way" Asta grinned.

"What?!"

The teen ran towards the entrance. "Nero!" he called.

"Right!" Nero turned herself into her bird-form again, following the teen outside. She was faster like this. She wasn't a runner. And by the time Asta was outside, she turned herself back into a human. Her hands in front of her, she shouted a spell.

And when Samhain reached the entrance, he slammed against an invisible wall. He stood up again, placing a hand against it only to retreat it quickly when he was shocked by it.

"What is this?" he growled.

"This spell will keep you in the cave long enough for us to get to safety" Nero explained.

"You think this will safe you?" the demon hissed.

"For now, it will" Asta grinned.

When Nero turned herself back into a bird once again, Asta began walking away. He didn't know where he was, but he would find his way home. He always did. And when he felt Yuno calling for him, the teen knew exactly where to go.

Now though, now he had a new goal ahead of him. He would help Abaddon and if it was the last thing he would do.

Well this one is really long. Didn't think it would be this long. Hope you enjoyed it. Now things are looking a bit different for everyone.

Leave a comment 😉

Leliel: Angel of the night. Picks souls from garden Eden to be reborn as humans. Keeps an eye on the pregnant woman and guides the souls until they die and after.

Temeluchus: Angel of torment. Also keeps and eye on children during their whole childhood.

Alimon: Angel of protection. Protects from getting wounded/ wounds

Samandriel: Angel of life. Protects the life of people

Samhain: Demon. Controls and summons other demons (I gave him the ability to control one angel at a time too, so it would make sense)