"What was that?" Aleks asked her guide.
When it was quiet, Elenoa dived to the tunnel that led to the previous grotto and was horrified to find that it had closed. The walls had simply moved together. She quickly swam to the other exit, which led outside, and to her relief, she found that it was still open. She then swam back to Aleks and Belial.
"The tunnel through which we came has closed. But the other exit is still open. We can get through there," she said.
Aleks and Belial nodded and let themselves back into the water.
Elenoa dived down and led the way. Aleks and Belial dived side by side. They plunged downwards towards the light. They were close to the exit. With a strong pull, Belial swam upwards and broke through the surface of the water. But when he looked next to him, he didn't see Aleks next to him anymore. Frightened, he dived back.
As Aleks was about to follow Belial, he suddenly crashed into an invisible wall that held him back while Belial swam away. He knocked desperately, but it didn't give in. At that moment, he knew he had to stay calm. A bright light blinded him, and he saw Belial appear before him. He knocked on the invisible wall again.
Slowly, he ran out of air and dived back. Arriving at the surface, he gasped. Belial and Elenoa appeared next to him shortly after.
"Tsuka, what was that?" he asked angrily. Aleks looked at him depressedly.
"I don't know. I... suddenly there was this wall. I couldn't get through," he said in a trembling voice.
Belial and Elenoa looked at him silently. "Tsuka, does that mean you can't leave this cave?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Fear constricted Belial's chest. He tried to create a portal, but it didn't work. Something prevented it.
"Let's try again," Elenoa suggested.
The two nodded and they dived down again. They came up to the spot and Aleks felt the wall again. Belial tried to pull him through, but felt the resistance. It didn't work, Aleks was stuck in the cave.
They swam back to the newly opened cave and Aleks climbed back up onto the ledge. Exhausted, he let himself sink against the wall. Belial sat down next to him and gave him a hug. Elenoa sat down opposite them.
"Elenoa, why can't I leave the cave?" Aleks asked their guide with a trembling lower lip. She looked at them silently.
"What I'm more interested in, why did you stay so calm when you saw Aleks glow?" Belial asked with narrowed eyes. "Who are you really?" he asked.
Aleks looked at him wide-eyed, then looked at Elenoa, who looked down at the ground and bit her lip.
"I-," she began, but broke off.
"Talk," Belial said, growling so that she flinched. She raised her hands defensively.
"Ok, ok. I'm already talking. I... our encounter was no coincidence. I knew you guys were going to be there," she said.
"How?" Aleks asked.
"I belong to the line of visionaries in our tribe. My grandmother, the high priestess of our people, foretold your arrival. That's why I was there that day, looking for you. When I saw you, I immediately felt your divine blood, because I also have the seer's blood in me."
"So you knew I was a Deva. Do you know what Belial is?" Aleks asked.
She nodded. "I know he's an underworlder, but he seems like a good protector to you," she said, pressing her lips together. She knew she was being watched by a predator, and that scared her.
"Elenoa, I think it's not the time to be silent. Do you know why I'm stuck here?" Aleks asked kindly, putting her hand on hers reassuringly. She felt so much warmth and kindness in the touch.
"I don't know. The only thing that comes to mind is the legend that in this cave every woman, regardless of height, is stuck when she hides pregnancy. But that's nonsense, after all, you're not a woman, and you—" She broke off when she saw Aleks' horrified expression. His lower lip trembled and he clenched his fists. "-you're not pregnant," she finished. That's not possible, it flashed into her head.
"Aleksander?" she asked.
Aleks squinted his eyes. Am I stuck here hiding my pregnancy, Bel? He looked at his demon, but he was silent. Slowly, he pulled the wetsuit up, revealing a copper ring around his wrist. Tsuka, don't. But Aleks opened the ring and he fell to the ground.
The moment the ring fell to the ground, the illusion dissolved. Elenoa saw Aleks get a belly and knew it. He is pregnant. But he's a man, isn't he? "Aleks, are you a woman?" she asked him.
Aleks shook his head. "No, I come from a race where men can also get pregnant. Belial is my mate and father of my child," he said.
She had to digest that first. Then the two are more than just mates. She had sensed that they were a couple, but that they shared such a connection was extraordinary. "Now that I'm no longer hiding my pregnancy, legend has it that I should be able to leave the cave again?" Aleks said hopefully.
"We can try, Tsuka," he said, taking the ring. Again they swam to the exit and dived. Aleks was afraid, afraid of being trapped here. When he arrived at the spot, he prepared himself inwardly. But contrary to expectations, he slipped through the wall that had previously held him back. It felt like it was sliding through a membrane.
When he finally saw the light of day and breathed fresh air, infinite relief flowed through him. They swam to the beach and went back by boat. Aleks put the ring back on and the illusion shielded him again, hiding his treasure. On the way back, they were silent.
Elenoa broke the silence. "I will keep your secret to myself, I swear by the god Degei," she said, and Aleks knew she was speaking the truth.
"Thank you," he whispered, leaning against Belial, exhausted. When they arrived at Nete's house, they took a quick shower and laid down.
"Shall we go back?" Belial asked.
Aleks nodded. "Yes, because I know there's something important there. But Bel, we shouldn't go alone. I've seen strange signs on the walls that remind me of something I've seen before," his angel replied.
Belial looked at him questioningly. "They remind me of Lyric's runes. I think we should take him with us, at least that's what my feeling tells me," Aleks explained.
"If that's what you want, I'll get him," Belial said. He returned to hell that night and sent Lyric a message.
Now it was time to wait for the rune demon to answer.
Two days before Hope's rebirth...
Two days later, Lyric arrived at their place. He looked worriedly at Aleks, who was curled up on the bed.
"Is everything okay with him?" Lyric asked his friend.
Belial straightened up. "Can you examine him? Since we returned from the cave, something has changed. He hasn't gotten up since he lay down and hardly talks. It's like he's sleeping, but at the same time he's awake," Belial said worriedly.
Richelle was the best healer in hell, but what many forgot was that Lyric was also a damn good healer.
"Aleksander, please turn on your back," he said in a soft voice. Aleks grumbled and slowly turned on his back. He had his arms closed around his stomach.
Lyric bared Aleks' belly and began the investigation. He activated the rune he had used to examine him at their first meeting, when Belial had flown in with the bleeding man. He analyzed Aleks' condition and recorded the irregularities that could be responsible for his condition.
"Has he had a lot of stress lately and used magic?" Lyric asked thoughtfully.
Belial nodded and told him about the incident in the cave.
"I think the stressful situation triggered a protective reflex in him, which is why he drifted into this apathetic state. Give him time to regenerate. I'm going to cast some spells to make him regenerate faster," Lyric replied, then continued, "Your child is fine, so don't worry."
Belial looked at him thoughtfully. "Shall we go back to hell?" he asked his friend.
Lyric shook his head. "No, stay here. A change of environment would be bad and would stress him out," Lyric said, then began casting spells that gave Aleks relaxation and additional protective spells for their child.
All this time, Aleks hardly noticed anything about it. He was far away with his spirit, trapped in the cave. He was stuck in this cave, looking for an exit. He penetrated deep to end up in the scene he dreamed of over and over again. He stood in front of the pond with the two fish and the eel, which kept swimming in circles. But before they could speak to him, he saw bluish scales and was devoured.
It took almost two weeks for Aleks to be fit again.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Belial asked, not loosening the embrace he had wrapped his angel into.
"Bel, we've got to get in there. There's something I need to find there," Aleks said in a firm voice. He was fit again and they had to continue the search.
Belial was worried about his mate and their child. This trip wasn't only a physical strain for the two of them. He was glad that Lyric was with them to keep an eye on Aleks.
"I can't dissuade you, Tsuka, can I?" Belial sighed. He knew that Aleks had to go there. The entrance had opened just for him.
"No, Bel. We have to go there. This time we will be better prepared," Aleks replied resolutely.
They packed waterproof backpacks with some provisions and clothing. Then they went outside together, where Elenoa and Lyric were waiting. Elenoa had insisted on accompanying them, as she carried within her the knowledge of Fiji, the gods and the legends. Reluctantly, they had agreed.
Together they took a motorboat to the rear entrance, which led directly into the deep cave. Aleks left his arm ring in the boat, so his pregnancy was no longer hidden. Then they dived together up to the ledge into the new cave. They got out of the water and took off their swimming gear. From the backpacks, Belial and Lyric took out a pair of shorts and sturdy shoes, nothing more. Aleks also put on the metal armor to protect his belly.
Elenoa was mesmerized for a moment and stared at the two demons. Lyric was an exotic guy with sensual eyes and lips. Add to that those incredible tattoos and the huge tattoo that seemed to float above the others. Belial, on the other hand, was more muscular and had hard facial features that gave every woman weak knees. Overall, the two had the bodies of gods. Insane. In addition, the wet hair...
"Is this your bond mark?" Aleks asked curiously. He hadn't seen it yet, just heard about it.
Lyric smiled. "Yes, Aleksander. That's Nix' mark," he replied in a cheeky voice.
Aleks followed the tendrils that ran from Lyric's chest across his stomach and hips with his eyes, and one further disappeared in the direction of his crotch under the waistband of his pants. Will this continue there? Did Nix...
Lyric saw Aleks' gaze and grinned. "To answer your unspoken question, yes he did, but how far I leave it to your imagination."
Aleks' cheeks turned reddish.
So innocent.
Elenoa didn't understand exactly what it was all about, but the silver-haired man already seemed to have a steady partner. What a pity.
"Okay, Aleks. Why did you call me?" the rune demon asked, because he felt there was more to it.
Aleks shone the lamp on the wall so that some patterns could be seen on it. Lyric's expression became serious.
"These signs reminded me of your runes. Do you know what that is?" Aleks asked, giving him the answer to his question.
Carefully, Lyric walked over to the wall and put his fingers on the patterns. It had been a very long time since he had seen such for the last time.
"Yes. You're right in your guess, except that they're at least more than twice my age. They are indeed runes," Lyric replied.
"What is their function?" Belial asked.
Lyric turned to them. "This is a light switch," he said, activating it. All of a sudden, hundreds of glowing stones shone and the cave in front of them became bright. "And these two are kind of a doorknob. With these, the entrance can be closed and opened here. Do you want me to close the exit?" he asked.
Aleks and Belial shook their heads in unison. If they had to flee, it would be better if the corridor remained open. Elenoa was amazed. So that's magic.
Aleks strapped the backpack to his back. "All right, let's go," he said, and the others nodded. Together they walked down the narrow corridor.