“We currently have no way to sever the ring… and your powers will continue to manifest in more and more destructive and predictable ways,” Solomon said. “Eventually, there will be no way to stop it at all. No way to stop the impact it has on the world, on all of us, and even on you yourself.”

I had just told Lucifer “Good night” after a day of hanging out only three minutes ago, how could everything devolve into this? This mess that already made the last week of amnesiac Lucifer worse. I’d been trying so, so, *so* hard to not beat myself up over it. 

After all, it wasn’t *MY* fault that I was born with angel’s blood and I didn’t know making a pact with all seven brothers was something so outlandish. This whole week felt like one revelation after the other, from finding out that humans weren’t supposed to command demons - especially several at once without regard that they were the most POWERFUL demons - with as much apparent ease as I could to the fact that all three worlds were liable to being torn apart from my existence and actions. But, Solomon, Diavolo, and Simeon had a plan. 

They were *supposed* to have a plan. Solomon was smart, he was thousands of years old like Diavolo and Simeon. As much as I didn’t like stepping back, there wasn’t much I could do aside from try to keep the brothers in high spirits while Solomon did his research. Which.. He did. The artifact just… wasn’t powerful enough.

“Well, but what if I break all of my pacts,” I asked after a few seconds, trying to think of alternatives. “Then I’ll sever off my magical connection to the Devildom at least, right?”

“That’s… not the same as severing the ring, I’m afraid. It doesn’t work that way, even if you did sever your pacts. It wouldn’t sever the ring. And -” Solomon firmed his voice ever so slightly to cut me off as I opened my mouth in confusion. “- while it’s true that severing the ring would void your pacts, it’s a side effect of severing the ring, not one of the causes. But, don’t worry, the story doesn’t end here, I have more to say.”

“Oh?” I perked up a bit, hoping that he’d say *something* positive, even though he’d started the conversation with ‘it’s all bad news’.

“Yes, it’s… clear that we weren’t going to be able to use the Night Dagger like we’d hoped. But, I couldn’t think of any other magic item that could potentially sever the ring, so I looked into whether or not it might be possible to restore the Night Dagger’s power. Which brings me to my second piece of bad news…”

Oh no… My stomach dropped, any relief or hope extinguishing with dread.

“What is it,” I urged cautiously, trying to temper my expectations.

Solomon sucked in a breath, obviously not happy to break any of this to me, before replying, “There is only one way to restore the Dagger’s power… It must be thrust into the body of a powerful demon, whose power it will absorb. I suppose that’s how it got it’s reputation as a dagger ‘with the power to kill even demons’...”

“Wait, what? You’re talking about *killing* a demon,” I asked, caught off guard. He had said *powerful* too, and as someone living in a house with the seven most powerful demons… I didn’t want to hear the rest of anything.

“Yes… and not just any demon,” Solomon seemed a little hesitant to continue, but did so without much waiting. “Lucifer, Acatar of Pride himself.”

“What,” my eyes widened in shock, my voice coming out in a borderline whisper.

“Lucifer, Avatar of Pride. Most powerful of the seven rulers of the underworld,” Solomon repeated, nailing the hammer home.

I almost recoiled physically, snapping, “I fucking heard you the first time, Solomon, I just…”

“For the Night Dagger to be restored, it must be used on a demon of Lucifer’s power,” Solomon was far calmer than I felt. Then again, he’d known this information and had more time to process it. “If we don’t take action, it’s likely that the ring will bring about the destruction of all three worlds, and there’s no guarantee the other brothers won’t be affected like Lucifer has as well… I’m not sure how long you’ll be able to hold out before you fall victim to it yourself. It comes down to the choice between Lucifer and all three worlds… One, or the other…”

Lucifer or the fate of all three realms… Mathematically and logically, I knew that it should be an easy choice. But I just… I…

“You have to act now, before it’s too late” Solomon’s voice caught me off guard, making me jolt. I blinked at him a bit, briefly wondering if my eyes were dry. “Listen carefully, Kat.”

Solomon practically seemed to produce the Night Dagger out of nothing, but I also wasn't paying too much attention to his hands until he took one of my hands and pressed the hilt of the Night Dagger into my palm while curling my fingers around it with his own.

"Solomon-?"

"You need to take this dagger, hold it as tight as you can, and thrust it straight into his chest," Solomon instructed, his hand tightening on my own over the Dagger before releasing, as though to make sure I wouldn't drop it once he drew away.

I could only stare at him for a second before turning my gaze down to the blade in my hand, the blade that was glowing faintly and had the power to kill *demons*. My hand didn't feel like my own, feeling like I was watching someone else's hand holding the Dagger. After a second or two of silence, or what felt like it, I began to whisper out, "S-Solomon, n-no, I-"

"Just kidding," his remark made my head snap up to look up at him in surprise. He smiled apologetically, though it was still sad. "I know you could never do that…"

"Wha- no shit, of course I couldn't," I snapped, thinking this was a very poor fucking joke for him to pull. "I feel like that goes without saying, Solomon!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry," Solomon shifted his stance, closing himself off a bit by crossing his arms and sighing a little. "Kat… just like Diavolo puts the interests of the Devildom above all else, I feel the same about the Human World. Nothing is more important to me than its peace and stability."

I blinked a bit, deflating from my anger. My eyes searched over him as he spoke and took in his posture. He'd never divulged much to me about his past….

"I've spent countless years watching over the people of our world. It's my duty, as the "witty sorcerer", to make sure the lives and livelihoods are secure, for now and for the future. Therefore… If I have to sacrifice the life of a demon to do so, I'll do it without a moment's hesitation…

"Or, that's what I told myself," Solomon's smile became more sad as he watched me process what he'd just said. "That's what I thought I'd be able to do when I came back… but, you'd be angry with me if I did that, wouldn't you?..."

He gave me a couple seconds, probably waiting to see me burst angrily, snap at him and tell him 'Of fucking course!'. But, this felt far too serious for my normal snarkiness and "feisty" behavior. I was in shock.

"I can't stand the thought of making you upset," Solomon continued. "... the thought of you hating me… so, now I'm not quite sure what to do. What are we going to do, Kat?"

Solomon sighed while my brain looped in denial. Why was he asking me?! I didn't have any answers!

"If we don't do anything, we'll both end up dead," the sorcerer remarked, but at this point I wasn't sure if he was twisting the metaphorical knife in me or if he was just talking out loud. Either way, I jolted a bit at the statement.

"No," I said angrily, making him flinch a little in surprise. Defiance and anger laced my voice, refusing to let the others suffer for me. "There *has* to be another way. And we'll find it."

"Kat, I've already researched every possible avenue, every possible source I could think of," Solomon retorted calmly. He opened his mouth, ready to probably continue telling me that we were out of options. But, something caught his attention behind me, something that made him recoil a bit and quiet immediately.

Instinctively, I turned to see what it was and felt my face pale.

Lucifer stood in my doorway, quietly staring at Solomon and I as we discussed his potential death. A suffocating silence blanketed the room, only breaking when Solomon spoke next.

"Lucifer…"

"... I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on that I wouldn't like," Lucifer slowly started, nudging the door enough that it was ajar compared to wide open. "So I came to see what was happening… is what you just said true?..."

"Yes…" Solomon frowned, somber. "... I'm sorry…"

Another uncomfortable silence fell, seconds ticking by. I wondered what Lucifer thought, how he felt at having just walked in on our conversation given the subject…

"I want to talk with Kat, alone," Lucifer said firmly, taking a few steps further into my room. A shudder of panic ran up my spine. "Solomon, go home."

Solomon jolted at the command, brow furrowing angrily as he replied, "Now hold on a second. I'm not going anywhere until we figure this out-."

"LEAVE," Lucifer's voice hardened, as did his demeanor a bit. He didn't look like he was going to budge on whatever he wanted to talk to me about. It wasn't anywhere near like when he was angry and about to turn into his demon form, but the steely anger was scary in its own right.

Solomon himself looked like he was ready to argue back, but closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself and relented, "Alright, fine.

"Kat, we'll continue this tomorrow," Solomon turned his attention to me intently and nodded in a small attempt to reassure me. "I'll stop by again and bring Diavolo and Barbatos as well."

He tried to give me another reassuring look as he walked to my door, glancing back at Lucifer. I followed his gaze and saw Lucifer staring at him to make sure he left the room. The door clicked behind Solomon as he left Lucifer and I alone.

Desperate, I couldn't stop myself from blurting out after a second or two of trying to contain my panic, "L-Lucifer, don't worry. We're..  We're *going* to find another way. When Solomon comes back tomorrow, we-!"

Lucifer raised a hand to stop me and I felt my eyes sting, felt a tear or two well up.

"I may have lost my memory," he said quietly, but his voice didn't waver. Not like mine did. "... but you and my brothers are still dear to me. That feeling has remained… Even now, I want to protect all of you. So, if my power is what it takes to ensure you're all safe, then take it."

"Wha-" No, no, we still had *time*, we had to have time. "Lucifer!"

"Without this blade," Lucifer stepped closer, gesturing to the Dagger in my hand that I’d forgotten I was holding. "Without this Night Dagger, it's possible that you'll end up getting hurt, right? So, it's okay, Kat. If it means saving all of your lives, then it’s worth it. Now, take the dagger, point it at my chest, and thrust forward as hard as you can."

“... L-Lucifer,” I choked out after a few seconds of silence, my throat threatening to close under the myriad of emotions flooding over me and my hand shaking around the Dagger as I resisted the urge to just throw it to the side.”I-I can’t just do that.”

“This… feels familiar, almost like we’ve been here before,” Lucifer mused, catching me off guard. “You holding a dagger, looking very upset.”

“What?”

“Have we acted this out before, like in a play or something,” he asked, tilting his head a little as he waited for confirmation.

“Th-That’s what you’re remembering,” I couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief that bubbled up in my chest, forcing the tears welled up in my eyes to fall slowly. “The fucking play?”

“Kat, look at it this way,” Lucifer had a small smile on his face. I wasn’t sure whether it was at seeing me laugh or at getting his confirmation. He took another step closer, within striking distance. “You just have to do what you did then, this isn’t any different.”

“Lucifer, this isn’t the same thing,” I hissed out, trying to retain the distance between us but he just walked closer and carefully grabbed my wrist before I could back away further. It was gentle, but firm enough that I couldn’t squirm away. Terrified that he’d take the dagger and stab himself, I tightened my grip as I said, “Lucifer, let go.”

He just chuckled a bit sadly, moving his fingers. But, instead of prying my fingers open to take the Night Dagger, he used both of his hands to make me hold the dagger in both hands and kept his own over them. “Just think of the play.”

I watched, mortified, as he began to guide my hands into position, pointing the dagger at his own chest. Immediately, I began to protest and try to fight against it, my hands and arms shaking in his collected hold that offered no resistance. “L-Lucifer, stop. This isn’t anything like that, we can.. We can do something else…”

“It’s either me or everything else,” Lucifer said, trying to convince me to stop fighting him.

I could feel his hands tense over my own, my mind racing over potential options or ways to convince *him*. But, he seemed dead set on his decision. But, a cold wash of clarity stilled everything for me, my eyes widening. 

The phenomena between the three realms was because of *me*. Lucifer lost his memory because of *me*, and everyone else was in danger because of *me*. A thought that had crossed my mind briefly throughout the week surfaced once more in full-force as Lucifer’s actions kicked in my fight or flight instinct.

I felt Lucifer’s hands brace to shove my own upwards to plunge to dagger into his chest and jolted. Spurred by adrenaline and taking advantage of the fact that he was ready to force me to keep going and probably wasn’t ready for me to change direction, I jerked my hands in his hold and pointed the Night Dagger towards my own chest. Closing my eyes, I braced for the sharp pain and ignored Lucifer’s cry of “Kat, NO!”.

It took a moment for me to realize that there was no pain, blinking my eyes open from holding them shut so tight that I saw colors. Simeon’s hand was placed over Lucifer’s and mine, holding the Dagger in place. I stared in surprise before looking up at the angel, seeing Lucifer was also caught off guard at his sudden appearance.

“Don’t worry, there’s no need for that,” Simeon said, giving a soft smile. “I can’t imagine how difficult this has been for you. But, I have something here you should have.”

The angel used both Lucifer’s and my shock to carefully take Lucifer’s hands off my own, prying one of mine off of the Night Dagger to slip a ring onto one of my fingers. The ring practically emitted warmth and suddenly I got a brief feeling of it traveling up my arm, only able to suck in a startled breath before my vision suddenly turned white. 

I expected to wake up, probably knocked unconscious for an indeterminate amount of time. But, I was aware of this white void, and I could feel myself within it. Where the fuck was I?

“Hello there, Kat,” a voice echoed around me. Or maybe it was in my head, it was difficult to tell. Either way, a sigh *rattled* through me before it continued. “Here I am, finally getting to talk to you, and it had to be a situation like this… Can you hear me, Kat?”

“Who the fuck are you and where am I,” I demanded nervously.

“Ah, that’s right. You haven’t actually met me, have you,” the voice asked. “Don’t worry, I’m a friend.”

I mean, that’s something an entity that wanted to fuck around with me would say, but I was too tired to be hyper-critical of the sudden voice and void around me. I had questions, but the voice spoke again before I could. Because why not?

“Do you remember what happened before you ended up here?”

I stiffened, very much remembering what happened, and asked, “Where’s Lucifer? What happened to him?”

“Don’t worry, he’s safe,” the voice reassured me, making me sigh in relief. As long as it was telling the truth. “You pointed the Night Blade at yourself. Could you tell me why you did that?”

“To sever the ring, of course,” I answered, frowning. What was this, a test?

The voice was quiet for a couple seconds before speaking again, sounding solemn and upset, “... So, you were willing to sacrifice your own life and save Lucifer, the three worlds, and everything in them?... Not so long ago, you were an ordinary human, and to think that you were forced to make such a heart-wrenching decision… I’m sorry…”

The genuine sadness in the voice’s… well, voice, caught me off guard. But, not as much as the voice continuing to say, “I must admit that I’m jealous of you, Kat.”

“Wha- jealous?!” I jolted in surprise, feeling a bit of irritation creep up. What the fuck was it jealous of?! Having to choose between killing itself or one of its best friends? Jealous of me almost being forced to stab my friend?

“Yes. I wish I could have been more like you. I loved Lucifer and his brothers, and I lost them. Maybe things could have been different…”

Oh…. Was this… was this Micheal? Or maybe someone else that had known the brothers before they’d fallen. I debated giving my condolences.

 All right, I’ve heard all I needed to hear,” the voice interrupted my thoughts. “I’d better go ahead and send you back now. It looks like Lucifer and the others are worried about you. I pray for your happiness and well-being. From now on, that ring will help protect you. Considering how much Lucifer and his brothers adore you, I assumed you’d turn into a well and truly wicked person, bit it seems I was worried over nothing. Until we meet again, Kat.

“May you be blessed with joy and good fortune.”

“Huh,” I exclaimed in surprise. “Wait- You still didn’t tell me who you are!”

The voice didn’t reply and everything suddenly went dark. But, with that darkness came an awareness of my limbs and some yelling that started muffled that quickly became louder.

"... Kat. Kat! Kat!"

I gasped awake, jolting up into a sitting position and almost headbutting the demon currently kneeled by my side. Panting a bit, I looked towards Lucifer, taking in his very not stabbed appearance. He was looking at me with a bit of surprise, but I didn't care, immediately placing my hands on his face.

"Oh thank fucking God you're okay," I exclaimed, looking for any potential damage.

"Funnily enough, I was going to say something similar," Lucifer said, his surprised expression turning into a soft smile. Carefully, he pulled my hands away from his face and looked mine over, asking, "*Are* you okay?"