Chapter 732  Ensnared in Shadows    

        Inside the bar, the air was thick with an intoxicating mix of vice and despair. The dimly lit space revealed patrons lost in their own worlds of indulgence, oblivious to the outside turmoil. "Are you sure that a child should be here?" asked Evie, uncomfortable inside. "He might be a child, but I bet that he's over forty years old like Nori," Lorelai commented. Liam briefly stared at them and said, "How did you know my age?"

"Let's just say that we have enough of the Netherworld's age system here," Elena said wryly. Azazel thought for a moment before he said out loud, "Though in the surface age, that would be like around ten to fourteen years old."

Ren and the others head whipped in his direction. "HUH?"

Azazel stared at the others, baffled by their reaction. "Didn't I tell you? Time and date here are different than on the surface, so there would be a discrepancy between the two realms."

"Say that sooner!" Lorelai said and quickly nudged Azazel on the head before shouting at Liam, "Hoi, kid! You're not of legal age to enter this kind of establishment. Get out!"

"Egh? But my father is already right there! I can't go back now!"

Lorelai pinched Liam's cheeks and growled, "I don't care! Get out now or I'll will kick you out!"

"I think it's too late already," Elena sighed. They have already found Liam's father.

Ren and the others spotted the demon at the bar, his vacant eyes fixed on an ethereal drink served by a demon bartender.

"Liam, stay back," Ren cautioned as they approached the entranced father. "Can you heal him?" Ren asked Elena. "I'll try," Elena said. With a firm yet gentle grip, Elena tried to break the spell, shaking the man's shoulder. "Hey, snap out of it."

The father's response was a vacant gaze, his attention fixed on the mysterious concoction in his hand. Vivi, sensing the supernatural nature of the enchantment, began to chant a counter-spell, her hands moving gracefully through the air. However, the magic that gripped the father resisted, a testament to the dark forces at play in Sin City.

"Get out of the way," Lorelai said and stepped forward. "Let the pro handle this."

Elena rolled her eyes but she didn't comment. When Lorelai gave it a try, she found that her magic wasn't effective as well. "That can't be . . ." Lorelai whispered in desbielief. Elena snickered at the side. "Ohohoho. Is there a problem? Looks like you couldn't cure him as well."

"Shut up. I'm just warming up," Lorelai spat but no matter how hard she tried and tapped into her abilities, she couldn't seem to heal the demon. Desperation grew in Liam's eyes as he watched, helpless, while Ren and the others struggled to free his father. The atmosphere within the bar intensified, shadows dancing with malevolence as if the very walls were complicit in the ensnarement of lost souls.

"It's useless," said Azazel. "Only Desira could free them. It isn't just simple enchantment. It has something to do with something deeper, like a contract."

Lorelai drilled her fists against Azazel's head. "Say that sooner!"

"Desira specialized in curses, hexes, and even healing magic. She's often known as a witch in the Netherworld," Vivi chimed in.

"Now I doubt if she's really kind," Elena commented.

"Who are you?" Liam's father asked with vacant eyes when he finally noticed Ren and the others. "Get lost, I'm busy right now."

"Dad! It's me, Liam! Your son! Dad, let's go home!" Liam tugged at his father's clothes, but the demon harshly slapped Liam off with his hand, and the kid fell onto the floor with a bruised face.

"D-dad . . ." Liam choked, holding back the tears while nursing his injured cheek.

Elena was upon him and healed his bruise while Liam's father stood to his feet and shouted angrily.

"I told you to get lost! I don't need you anymore! You're getting on my nerves! Why don't you just die already, together with your mother, so I can finally be free from all of you?!"

Liam burst into tears and stormed out of the bar.

"Liam!" Elena rushed forward and went after him together while Evie followed her.

Lorelai was shaking with anger, and she was about to smack the demon when Azazel beat her to it.

With a hard and loud punch on his face, the demon fell to the ground.

Azazel stepped forward, veins popping on his face. "Hoi, I don't care if you're under a spell or whatever, but don't ever tell your kid to die. I'll beat you up until you regain your senses."

"He seems already unconscious, though," Vivi said, poking the demon on the ground.

The demon had stars over his head, having lost consciousness from the punch.

Azazel's face turned into a guilty smile. "Oops . . . did I punch too hard?"

Ren sighed. "Let's just get him over to their house and make sure that Liam is alright."

"What's going on here?!" The air in the dimly lit bar seemed to shift as the commotion drew the attention of the establishment's personnel. Two guards, clad in dark uniforms with insignias etched on their shoulders, moved swiftly through the crowd. Their faces masked with stern expressions, they created an imposing presence as they approached Ren and the others.

Simultaneously, a Hostess, Dominique, arrived on the scene. She emanated an aura of alluring charm that could captivate any onlooker. Her black wavy long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall of shadows, framing her seductress body with an elegance that left an indelible impression. The contours of her figure were accentuated by the subtle play of light and shadow, adding to the allure that seemed to surround her.

Dominique's eyes, akin to the mesmerizing hues of a phoenix, held a captivating and otherworldly quality. They flickered with concern as she swiftly kneeled beside Liam's father, who remained unconscious on the ground. Her red-blood lips, a stark contrast against her purple glass like skin, formed a delicate curve that hinted at both care and sophistication.

"Lucius!" Dominque's voice resonated with a mixture of worry and urgency. "What happened? Are you alright?"

When Liam's father remained unconscious, Dominque mercilessly slap his cheek left and right until his face was full of lumps. "Talk to me!"

Her voice, a melodic symphony, held concern as she surveyed the scene with an air of authority, attempting to grasp the situation that had unfolded in her establishment.

But then, her focus steadied on Vivi and her eyes turned to slit. "Vo . . . Voraxa?"