The Department of Purgatory's headquarters underwent a process of repairs and rebuilding but the legacy of the attack still scarred its occupants. Azrael returned to his office to find that it was one of the few places in the floor that had yet to be ransacked. It's safety from destruction was not a priority but rather that it was a sign the attackers were unable to obtain any valuable intelligence located within this room.

He walked to his desk and turned on the computer, actively searching through the systems to determine how deep the damage had been done. A major issue was that the Isra system was no longer functional, and that had to be rectified if he was going to continue his operations Hellside, and focus on the matter of dealing with the zealots. Bony fingers tapped against the keyboard, hoping he would reestablish the connection, but the damage to both hardware and software was apparent. In the midst of the fighting, it seemed that the opposition had managed to set charges to the coolants keeping the teleporter system from frying after each use, but also installed a virus that severed the geo-locations of the department's safehouses.

The Grim Reaper pushed the keyboard away and slammed his clenched hand onto his desk. It was the first time he let himself release an angry yell. Someone had gotten the better of him and put some foresight into sabotaging his efforts. In due time, it would change, but he wanted to release his frustrations after all that had happened. His brothers at the Council of Archangels would expect results; however, he was sure that they would perceive the current destruction as a sign of incapability.

His desk phone rang, and Azrael eagerly reached out to answer. After accepting the call, he hid his anger and regained the calm persona that everyone knew him for. "Department of Purgatory, office head, who is calling?"

Michael's voice was on the line. "Brother, we've received some visitors at my airfield. Some of your investigators are among them… along with my son."

"He's with you?" It was great news to him as any communication from Tony and his nephew would help with the gaps during their stay in Hell since the attack. Yet, he wondered how they got here. "They shouldn't have been able to."

"They came in by airship and are accompanied by sinners and Hellborn. Tony claims it was a desperate trip and that there was no other alternative."

He grew attentive and wanted to know every last detail. What drove his lieutenant to risk coming home like this? "Did you ever ask why there wasn't an alternative?"

"No. He only said that he needed to report directly to you." Azrael finally understood what this meant. He was needed there and not even the High Marshal of the Holy Army would be able to persuade him. Yet, Michael continued to inform him about the situation. "What is also concerning is that we have received a guest. Charlie is here."

"I'll be there in just a moment."

The Grim Reaper pressed pound and ended the call before returning the phone to its place. Those words alone were all that was needed for the Archangel of Death to summon his powers in quick succession and move through reality in the blink of an eye to teleport himself out of his office. When the cold air blew against his robes and he found himself standing on the airfield tarmac, he looked around the scenery to see a red airship parked in the middle of the air base. Before him was a crowd of Hellborn and sinners surrounded by dozens of Holy Army infantrymen in navy blue fatigues, armed with assault rifles.

He appeared behind Michael in his well-dressed uniform. His brother always had a love for military apparel when he wasn't in his angelic war form. Four tired but familiar faces were accompanying the archangel - Artyom, Tony, Uhlman, and Pavel. All turned to face him with hopeful and relieved looks. "I would like to have an explanation."

Tony kept the helmet underneath his worn brown jacket while his blue jeans and black ballistic chest armor were dirtied with splotches of blood. "To make things simple, sir, I broke every rule we had in maintaining the department's secrecy in Hell."

"Quite an obvious statement," He said while nodding towards the denizens of Hell sticking together in the face of the local base's security forces. Azrael caught a glimpse of Lucifer's daughter, providing an uneasy but encouraging smile towards the armed soldiers with their lowered barrels, "Why did you bring the princess here?"

"Gabriel attacked us."

Michael's reaction was understandable given the archangel's position under his command. He folded his arms across his chest, expecting an immediate answer. "You make a grave accusation against our brother."

"Sir, we just lost almost everyone stationed in Pentagram City just to protect Charlie and the hotel." He turned to the High Marshal with a hard stare. "He was personally leading the attack and had it not been for V1's intervention, we wouldn't have survived."

"The machine? Then the Council needs to hear this, and we all must act."

"That makes two of us," Azrael answered before glancing at the sinners and Hellborn. If Gabriel was only after the princess, why did his subordinate go to the lengths for these people? "Tell me, Tony, why did they have to come along?"

"Witnesses, sir. As the High Marshal said, it would be a grave accusation, but I figured we need enough evidence and witness testimony to support our case. Two imps and two sinners also got caught up in our mess when Gabe's men tried to convince Artyom to join him."

The Grim Reaper saw the Russian uncomfortably shift underneath his uniform and gas mask the moment he was named. "Tried?"

Then the group separated from the others and turned to the young man hiding himself beneath the visor of his Altyn helmet. "They had recruited a friend of mine, and I had to kill him."

He knew what he meant as he went to Hell to rescue that friend's girlfriend. Time would tell how much she knew about her connection with Gabriel's forces. Speed was key if they were to tell the Council everything his men and the denizens of Hell saw.

"Sir, I do have a request since we've had a bit of a rough day." Artyom continued to draw all eyes to him. "If I understand that we're going to talk with the rest of the archangels, shouldn't we find a place to stay and rest before the witnesses talk? It wouldn't hurt our case if our people didn't look like we left a firefight."

"What do you think, brother?" Azrael turned his head to Michael, who began to hold his chin.

The archangel looked to be in deep thought before speaking. "I would lean to agree but I'm concerned about the people who tried to attack you. They wouldn't let up a chance to follow up with another attack."

"I understand, sir, but… one of the sinners was hurt on board the airship." The Russian replied.

"She's just one sinner. Is her testimony important enough to hold us back from a Council session?"

"Yes, sir."

The rest of the party looked tense with being surrounded by armed guards, but Azrael noticed Charlie stepping away from the others. She hadn't taken her eyes off the archangels and the Saved souls huddling around a different conversation. Then she shouted for their attention. "Hey! What happens now? We're just standing around here and waiting for you to do something."

"You're Highness, we're discussing if we should head out to the Council Chambers or wait for Mayberry to heal up." Artyom turned to her with a reassuring tone before taking a glance at Michael. "We will be having that meeting after she recovers, right?"

The High Marshal paused, but it was clear that the spotlight was now on him as the choice finally came to him on how to proceed with the current mission. He took one deep breath and made his final judgment. "You all just got here. I'll order my men to make room for all of you in one of my hangars. Rest for the night, and the meeting will be set up first thing in the morning."

Verosika was at home, alone, making her way to the kitchen. While her friends were sticking around with Asmodeus, she took the time to think to herself without anyone interfering with her vulnerable side. Especially, with the latest news she had received on her phone.

Hell's social media took notice of an airship belonging to a sinner overlord by the name of Sir Pentious. What she did know about him was that he had a brief gang war with Angel Dust and attempted an attack on the Hazbin Hotel in the closing hours of Extermination Day. Beyond that, his notoriety paled in comparison to the other actually terrible overlords that ruled over the only city of sinners.

That very same fallen soul had now carried Railtracer and Mayberry off from the princess's home in a red airship. She hoped they would be safe but Hell's attention on the sudden departure of a single aircraft heading to Heaven was too much of an opportunity to raise questions. The popstar wanted answers but she doubted she would get them now. Time would tell if her heart could take being alone from her two lovers.

The succubus opened her fridge and found leftovers from her past parties; however, there was also the one vice that helped her cope after Blitzo left her. Several steel bottles of Beelzebub juice were placed far in the back. It was tempting to reach out and fetch a taste to forget all of her troubles and release all of her inhibitions, especially after her encounter with the armed soldiers who broke into her dad's cafe. The need to relieve herself of the stress was a promising thought, the longer she stared at the flask.

She shook her head before closing the door and sealing it shut. Verosika reminded herself of the promise made with Railtracer at the hospital. The drinking had to stop, but the only way she could ever possibly resist her urge to sate that thirst was going to rehab. It was a depressing place where the Hellborn would face her soul in the mirror and confront the truth of what she was. The only time she felt ever so vulnerable was when she was a child and long before V1 took her in. Distant as that memory was, its pain still remained as she sat on a stool and hunched over the kitchen counter in the center of the room, scrolling through her phone.

A text message appeared, and it was none other than the ancient war machine that was her father. "Verosika, are you okay? My sensors picked up intruders at the cafe and want to know what happened there."

Both hands clutched her phone while her fingers tapped away at the digital keyboard. "I'm alright. Kiki and I managed to use your special potion cabinet in the security room and hid in plain sight."

"Where are you now?"

"At home. Kiki is with my friends."

"You should have joined her, it would have been safer with Beelzebub."

"Dad, I'm alright. I really am."

Several minutes passed as three dots in a speech bubble as indicated her adoptive father was preparing another response. Then his message arrived in an instant. "I know my creators. They are dangerous as they are clever. Please stay with Beelzebub. At least, Lucifer will extend his protection toward you."

"I'm a succubus popstar. They probably don't think I'm important enough."

"They will probably see you as leverage. If they try to get to you just to get to me, or worse, go after your boyfriend when he gets back."

Did he also know about Railtracer's background? She remembered the news about V1 showing up at the Hazbin Hotel to thwart an archangel's attack, but did she learn about the Russian's background? "You know about him, what he is, don't you?"

"I do, but he's complicated. I'm not sure if you want to know his whole story."

"He's not a sinner. That's what Blitzo told me before he left with Railtracer."

"Do you want to know why he's down here in the first place? I want you to be sure if you're ready for the truth."

A minute passed for Verosika to ponder her decision but the enigmatic background her boyfriend wielded needed to be undone. "Who is he?"

"Here is a packet."

A document appeared in her chat and it was labeled as a classified personnel file. The name alone was all she needed to know about how deep of a rabbit hole she found herself in. Upon opening the file, it listed all of his good deeds but also his sins and everything he had done when he was alive. What truly caught her by surprise was a photo of an exhausted human in his twenties, staring at the camera with little emotion. Artyom was his name and he had been an undercover operative all of this time ever since she met the Russian at Blitzo's office.

"It has everything you need to know about him. This explains a lot of why he cannot be here to tell you the truth."

"Where did you get this?" The fact that her father could casually provide this had raised a question she wouldn't have asked in the past.

"My creators put a little thought into developing my systems. What they wouldn't expect is for me to still maintain my connection to their vast library of the known and forbidden. He wanted me to have this when it was time to enact the apocalypse."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Someone important. The best way I can describe him is that he's Lucifer's father."

V1's italicization of the person in the text he was referring to raised more questions but she wouldn't bring them up. If anything, it was enough to know that someone far above the usual pecking order of Hell was responsible for her father's creation. What she wanted to focus on in this moment was her boyfriend and his intentions. "Do you think Railtracer would have wanted to hurt me? I'm a succubus from Hell and he's a soldier of Heaven."

"No. I don't think so. If his file is anything to go by, he doesn't see Heavenborn and Hellborn, just good and bad people."

It was a comforting response. Her dad always had her best interests in mind and reading his words of confidence had shaped her opinions on him. She scrolled through the man's file and saw the pictures of the Russian's special moments with his closest friends, family, and lover. Verosika caught the image of the former mortal talking with a beautiful woman with a long sniper rifle over a cup of tea. Then she continued to scroll through his information and discovered his time of death, which stated he successfully saved his wife and died soon after. The pop star finally spoke and broke the silence in the room ever since she started texting her father. "Stay safe, Artyom. I'll be waiting for you and Helen."

The princess of Hell strolled around the air base perimeter on her lonesome, intending to see the rest of Heaven. Yet, she found that the whole area was walled off from the rest of the realm. Charlie always remembered the brief moments when her father rarely spoke of this place and the sense of wonder she had since her childhood. Although she had a goal to impress the council about her hotel and keep in mind the current danger, the heir of the Dark Realm was eager to see where she hoped redeemed sinners could enjoy their salvation.

A platoon of men in olive uniforms drove past her in trucks and parked outside Sir Pentious' airship. She watched as they dismounted and approached the snake overlord with repair tools from the trunks, asking to be directed toward the main damage his vessel suffered amid the attack. Did those souls receive orders to fix that ship or did they come over to showcase their goodwill to the sinner? It was a thought that made her wonder what the people living here were like.

She had dreams about the honest goodness that existed here but whether it was a reality was a question on its own. Sure, she encountered the saved from the Department of Purgatory but part of her wondered if their view of the world between the saved and sinner was because of their constant interactions with Hell. Tony was hard on the sinners; however, he was just one soul out of countless others. Maybe there was another who didn't entirely share that perspective.

Her spine felt a strange, cold chill as a gust of wind briefly blew past her. It was an odd sensation as if an unnatural power existed in this part of the afterlife. Safe to say, it was different when she heard the calm voice of death approach from behind. "Where are you off to? It seems strange for Lucifer's daughter to run around by her lonesome, especially away from her company."

Charlie turned around and explained her behavior. "I know it's odd, but I was trying to see what the rest of Heaven looked like. It's just that it's all walls here."

"I see. You want to get a look at what goes on beyond it." The robed skeleton turned his skull gaze upon the perimeter's security architecture. "You won't get a view, not from here."

"Would you give me a look at it, just one look? I wouldn't mind if you'd just give me ten minutes past the checkpoint."

Then the Grim Reaper laughed. "All it would do is arouse suspicion. People know your face, my niece, the moment you step out that door, there will be someone who will immediately recognize you."

"Well, if I want to get my idea of a redeeming hotel, I can't get stuck in this place." She began her argument and expressed her desire for freedom. "I want people to be aware that sinners can be saved too."

"You are your father's daughter."

"What are you trying to say?" Charlie couldn't tell if he was trying to insult her or not.

"Long before my brothers fought to cast your father out, he was always the one your grandfather sent on expeditions into Hell." He began, hinting at her holy heritage that her father didn't even have the will to explain. "While many of us dismissed his careful insight into the origins of its creation, Lucifer always showed a deep interest in the Dark Realm. One might say that he and your mother were the epiphany of that interest turning into love. Even now, I see that same spark and drive in you, which was long lost ever since the War in Heaven ended."

Her eyebrows were raised as she became skeptical of her uncle's admiration, but he sounded sympathetic to her cause. "Do you like my idea?"

"I have always approved." He extended his hand out, gesturing for her to reach it.

"Really? Any reason why you'd be okay with sinners coming to Heaven, the right way, of course?"

Azrael continued speaking underneath his robes and hood. "Humans are incredibly complicated creatures, much to the dismay of the Heavenborn and the Holy Father. If anything, they are but a paradox that continues to stupefy us when we judge their souls by their character. You will have the noblest person become the most wicked, but in that very same turn, a bastard of a man can hold a heart of gold. The true test is the willingness to look in the mirror and still try to be a better soul despite the sins a soul can commit. This lesson, unfortunately, is lost on most of your uncles. "

"When you put it like that, you make it sound like they will never accept what I'm trying to do." She replied, but in spite of that, she maintained her conviction. "Any chance that they can be convinced?"

"What is holding them back is the animosity towards your father. Had your father suggested the idea, I highly doubt they would risk their reputation to simply agree. But you, on the other hand, risked embarrassment in front of Hell itself and faced mockery. Even then, you still insisted. The moment they meet you, perhaps that would change their opinion."

She thought about the other angelic being that was present, who was almost as tall as Azrael. "Who was that other guy talking to you and the others? Is he also one of my uncles?"

"That is Michael, the High Marshal of the Holy Army and the one who defeated Lucifer." He then extended his hand out to her.

"What's this?"

"You wanted to see the rest of Heaven, is that right?" The Archangel of Death reminded her as he took a few steps towards the Princess of Hell, "I will let you see the kingdom for a brief moment, and you will see beyond the pearly gates. Just hold on when I take you somewhere."

Charlie reluctantly reached for the bony fingers protruding out of her uncle's black robes and held on. She felt a cold sensation rippling from his hand, but it was soothing. The princess did not know how to describe it, but she was reminded of those mortal tales of how death takes its victims.

"It will be but a moment."

In the blink of an eye, she found herself taken aback by the sheer change of scenery. The clear sky and the warm sunlight were replaced by the backdrop of an office room. Her stomach didn't react well to being teleported, but she was fortunate not to find a way to throw up. "Where are we?"

"The headquarters of the Department of Purgatory, more specifically, my office. I trust many who work under its roof so if they see me with you, they know discretion is better than gossip." He walked over to a series of windows to her left as he opened the blinds, and a brief white flash shined through the glass. "It's quite a sight from here."

She walked over to the window to see a city living on top of clouds. It was an impressive sight seeing the clean and lit streets compared to Pentagram's roads, cluttered with trash, bullets, and other bodily fluids. Hundreds of people walked around in public, greeting each other or apologizing for a simple mistake. It was a brief taste of what a sinner could find the moment their soul was redeemed.

"What do you think?"

"It looks great, I think sinners would love being here after they go through my hotel."

Azrael let out a small chuckle underneath his hood. "I would gladly give a tour of my home after we meet with the council. There are places here that might become useful to you if your Hazbin Hotel is looked upon with approval."

She turned to see his reaction but the archangel reached into his robes and pulled out a white bag before her. "Are you giving me a gift?"

"No, I'm just offering donuts. Would you like some?"

"I would."

A hanger had been turned into a makeshift bedroom thanks to the Holy Army requisitioning beds with metal frames, mattresses, blankets, and pillows. Prince Stolas had to admit that Heaven's soldiers enjoyed better comforts than his position as an Ars Goetia. He would have been jealous and surmised that perhaps this was their way of showcasing their power, even in the littlest of honest gestures. Then he paused and reconsidered that maybe there wasn't some insidious intention to impress the sinners and Hellborn alike. Rather, they didn't appear to showcase the need to prove anything other than that was the way things were.

Conversations broke out among the guests of the air base, but his mind dwelt on his daughter as he approached her, sitting in the only bed farthest from the others. "Octavia, how do you feel?"

"I don't know. We seem to be getting dragged into problems, mostly with you."

"You don't want to get to know the others, even Charlie's companions?" Asked, wondering why she was so isolated.

"Dad, I want to be excited, but what am I doing here?" The teenager asked as the nobleman sat beside her, "You didn't really ask my opinion about my well-being."

"Then I must be a stupid father if I didn't ask what their daughter wanted. I'm… I'm sorry that I got you caught up in this mess. It's mostly my fault that I wasn't paying attention."

"That's a first."

"When you're a Goetian prince, you sometimes take too much pride making the world about you," He admitted as he looked back at the others and watched Blitzo hold a conversation with Charlie's sinners.

"What are you going to do when we get back?" She asked as the thought of returning home grew ominous. Stella and her brother will be waiting for them. "Mom will be waiting for you the moment we return to Hell."

He let out a defeated sigh. "I know."

"Fortunately, we exist." A Russian man chimed into their conversation from behind as the Goetians turned around and saw Uhlman walk up with his hands in his pockets.

"Pardon?"

"Azrael is well aware of your… family dynamic. If I bring this up with him and put in a good word, he'll likely provide security detail for you two."

Stolas raised an eyebrow as he found the idea very useful, but wondered what would motivate these souls from Heaven to grant him bodyguards. "Why? I am just a Goetian prince in service to Lucifer, and if anything, you've more reason to arrest us."

"That might be how things are handled down there," He answered as he stood across from the bed. "You're the first Goetian noble who actually got to see what Heaven is like. Then there's the fact that you spared us the trouble of revealing ourselves in front of those demon hunters. In any case, we owe you a favor for that."

"I threw your man in jail."

He laughed at his reply before reaching into his Kevlar pocket and brandishing a pack of cigarettes for himself. "It's not the first time that Artyom got himself into that kind of trouble. Besides, you have a book that lets you teleport anywhere you want to be and use all sorts of Hell powers that we don't have."

"I understand. I would have found myself becoming a useful asset to this Department of Purgatory. All in exchange for your protection." The reach of this organization became a self-reinforcing realization that, for all of Hell's efforts preparing for an eventual war against Heaven, the odds were never in the Dark Realm's favor.

"You are not the only one, and you won't be the last."

"Well, if it keeps Octavia safe, I would be glad of it."

"Dad, are you sure this is a good idea? What would the king say about this?" The prince's daughter asked with worry as he lowered his head to ponder the situation. While I.M.P was indispensable at rescuing him from Stella and Andrealphus's machinations, he couldn't always rely on them.

"What choice do we have but to accept?" There was no true option where he would be safe without protection. "It will be an… interesting arrangement."

Octavia's stomach growled as the saved and the Goetian turned to the daughter. Uhlman laughed as he continued. "I know we had breakfast earlier with the king but I bet all of you are hungry after that heavy fight. I'll scrounge around to see what's open tonight and pass around the menu."

"Do you have any suggestions for two Goetians? We have a peculiar diet."

"Dad, you're the one with the expensive tastes." She stated while standing up and turning around to look at him. "I don't mind if we try something new for once. What are you suggesting?"

"Pavel and I are going to make a pass at a few restaurants - Japanese, German, and Australian." He eagerly replied before Stolas glanced at his daughter to see a small smile.

"Never tried out Japanese, will give it a try."

The Purgatory investigator nodded his head and began to light his cigarette. "Ladna, I'll get around to that meal."

Artyom stood outside the room, looking through the window glass to see Mayberry rest quietly in her bed. The local base doctors told him she suffered some trauma injuries, but some good rest would help her recover. Nonetheless, he watched his love rest soundly under his watch. It wasn't as severe as the other time Helen had been wounded by her ex-husband, but what kind of man would he be if he merely left her alone? She didn't deserve to suffer that kind of indifference.

A door opened to his left while his eyes were focused on the sinner. Heavy footsteps approached him as boots clicked against the marble white floor. Someone was approaching him, and there was no point in resisting the arrival of a stranger who seemed keen on finding him by himself.

When he turned to see the arrival, he only found Archangel Michael wearing a British uniform in archer green. His peaked cap and riding crop rested underneath his left arm. The High Marshal of the Holy Army was standing before him with combed black hair. This supposed wrath of God wears a tired but human face despite all of the prestige of his position.

"Investigator." He began, acknowledging the saved soul with a respectful tone. "Why are you by yourself?"

Artyom snapped his boots together and briefly saluted him. "Sir, you've caught me by surprise."

"At ease, my apologies for finding you like this. Still, are you able to answer my question?"

"It's personal." He answered before glancing at the tired Mayberry in bed. "Just looking out for someone I care about."

The feeling of Michael's gaze shifted away from the Russian before his next words came. "A sinner. Are you two together?"

The former Polish Ranger wouldn't lie to himself, not with this. He loved her and Verosika, even if the archangel could judge him for that relationship, he wouldn't relent in the true depths of his heart. "Yes. There is a third person we share, but she is not here."

"I have heard stories from Azrael's personnel falling for those who suffer Hell's plight. It's not the same when you see that first-hand."

"It's not my place to ask, but is there a reason why you've paid me a visit?" Artyom hinted at the moment of this encounter. He wouldn't believe that it was a coincidence that the commander of Heaven's armed forces would be here for a simple chat.

The Archangel turned to him, and their gazes met. A silent pause between the two men. "You are important to someone I know… someone I care about. She spoke for countless hours to me on how she would like to meet her son, but we were unsure of how you would react."

"You know my mother? Why are you so interested in me and her all of a sudden?"

"Your mother and I fell in love, enough to the point that some would call us husband and wife. She was pregnant with you, and I became your father."

He didn't know how to react to that information. It had all been so sudden after his return to Heaven. Artyom was in disbelief that somehow his blood contained a special parentage from one of the council's most prominent figures. "I somehow find that hard to believe."

"That is why we were so hesitant in letting you know immediately, and wanted you to come to us. We were afraid you would push us away and not want to associate with us as family." He paused for a brief moment and looked down as if he were ashamed. "Especially, after what your mother put you through when she was eaten alive by rats."

The memories of the Moscow Metro returned to the Russian's mind as he recalled the incident where his original home station was overrun by an ocean of rodents. Thousands of the little bastards swarmed his mother as she sacrificed her body and soul so he could live another day. The redeemed saved clenched his hand into a fist, but what was done in life was over.

Michael continued with his reasoning for revealing the truth to him. "Ever since I was told that Gabriel attempted to recruit you and that you were one of the few survivors who almost died trying to protect Lucifer's daughter, you deserve the right to be told about this."

"I need time to think about this. It's a lot to take in." He replied, unsure of how to proceed with his personal vendetta against another archangel.

"If you desire to speak more about this with me or your mother, don't hesitate to call for me. I will answer, son."

The High Marshal of the Holy Army turned his back on him as he began to walk back to the door from whence he came. He invoked a disciplined stride with his back straightened and head held high with pride. This conversation that they had would change his perspective on Heaven and on the man who claimed to be his father. Artyom would have turned away from watching him leave until the archangel stopped and turned around to steal a glance at him. "Your lovers, what are their names?"

"The one resting in bed is Helen Mayberry. She was a teacher who committed suicide after she found out her husband had cheated on her and killed him." Then he took a moment to realize that the next person he would speak to was a Hellborn. How would such a high-ranking father react to a creature of Lust? "My other girlfriend is a succubus by the name of Verosika Mayday."

"The popstar?" His eyes widened with skepticism.

Artyom answered with just a simple nod while he watched his angelic father express his disbelief.

"Your mother will want to hear this."

Author's Note: I apologize for procrastinating on getting this chapter out. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 took up a hefty amount of my time while I have a job that keeps me occupied from working on stories. That being said, I have decided not to keep the subplot about Artyom's parents from getting too long since the story has escalated from being a masquerade in Hell. It's about time I try not to let certain subplots interfere with the main plot.