The staring contest between Lucifer and the crowd settles, thus allowing the street and it’s surroundings to return to their usual stasis. After a stretch, he readied himself for a new page in his life. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I wish to get out there and check how I fit myself into a world that I—you, Kai—took part in creating!"


    "Fine, Luke, fine.” Kai sighed, adding a new nickname to Lucifer’s collection. “A vacation is well-deserved at this point.”


    "I know! You finally get it!", he exclaimed, unbothered by the way he’s been referred as.


    But it''s Lucifer we''re talking about. War, reality destruction, golems and meteor-wannabe birds, nekojin and old-friends he’s never met before, of course the peace won’t last more than a moment.


    A gust of wind formed above the 2 clowns, an event orchestrated by the most majestic of creatures—a lion beast with the head, talons and wings of an eagle—the Griffin! A shadowy figure was preparing themselves on the creature’s saddle.


    "Oh yeah, we haven''t talked about the world itself, yet" Kai whispered.


    "Really? I couldn''t tell!" Lucifer shot back, drowned in annoyance.


    "Well," Kai continued, unfazed, "some creatures like eagles and lions had to be... deleted to free up memory space. They were replaced by griffins! By the way, they''re the ultimate vehicle—pretty cool, huh?"


    "Awesome…!" Lucifer replied, his voice thick with sarcasm. He added, his grin maddening, "I wonder what else!?". That forced smile of his was so tense that sparks flew from its creaks.


    Kai, oblivious to the sarcasm, perked up with enthusiasm. "Yes! Also: manticores, terrordactyls, raptors, dinosaurs, yetis, myths—and a lot more good stuff!"


    Lucifer slowly turned to face Kai, his initial annoyance giving way to sheer disbelief. "Did you just say, TERRORDACTYLS!?"


    Their entertaining conversation did not survive long, as the griffin finally landed, its claws scraping the cobblestone with a deep thud. The figure, an officer dressed casually with the grandeur of an aristocrat, clenched his necklace while gesturing as if parking the beast, an act that only fed into Lucifer''s baffled expression.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    “Why’s there a commotion when I’m off-duty?” the officer barked, his voice commanding and unmistakably annoyed, though his gaze lingered on the crowd’s stunned expressions. His beast seemed almost to share his irritation, letting out a low growl as it folded its wings.


    Kai, unable to let the opportunity slip, leaned towards his ally, “Well?”, his voice, a whisper of amusement and sarcasm. “You wanted trouble to come towards you, didn’t you?”.


    Lucifer, still processing the absurdities he’s just been hit with, shot him a dry look. The officer’s stern eyes flicked between the two of them, narrowing slightly. The griffin shifted its wings restlessly, as if eager to take flight again, yet the rider remained steadfast, unwilling to show any weakness. "Noise disturbances are prohibited. Explain yourselves."


    Before allowing Lucifer to interact, and risk his emotions explode, Kai took a step forward, trying to ease the tension. "We didn’t mean to cause any disturbances, officer," he said with a calm tone, though his eyes betrayed the hidden amusement. "Just... testing some limits, that’s all."


    The man seemed to reconsider, his stance loosening slightly as he studied the pair. With a less imposing tone the officer engaged again, “I''ve never seen you two before, and I am not on duty right now nor do I have the time—actually, any time at all. Let’s wrap this up as fast as possible!”


    Lucifer''s eyes narrowed as his gaze locked onto the officer''s necklace, the gem inside it clear as glass, reminded him of the one he picked up for Ryna. The similarity was too blatant to ignore, thus invading their dialogue, “You know, that stone you''re wearing looks similar to one I found in the dungeon!”


    The officer stiffened, his hand instinctively brushing against the amulet hanging from his neck. "This?" he replied with a sharp voice, guarded. "You found one of these?"


    "Picked it up not long ago, after waking up in the ruins.”


    “A nap in the ruins...? So you’re an Explorer? That would explain the crazy outburst from earlier. Freaks trading sanity for money...", the officer groaned, then continued, now with a casual tone. "Anyway, as I said earlier, I’m busy! I suggest you to go and sell the thing to a pawn shop unless you have your own griffin! I also suggest you two, to stop clowning on my streets!”


    “A pawn shop? Also, what are explorers?”


    “You don''t know that?" The rider sighs, now trying to fit as much information as possible in the little time he''s got. "They are freelancers! Adventurers of the modern world! You’re free to check out a library in order to learn about them if you want to! I’d personally go for the money!” The officer said as he took off with the beast. “A warning is what you get, let’s not meet again!”


    While staring at the beast’s take-off, a sensation rose up at Lucifer’s back, “Was that a catbird, Lucy?” Ryna asked, scratching her eye after a good sleep on the bench where Luke’s initial conversation with Kai started.