After entering the Second Level of the Abyss, the rest was a breeze.
The Abyss was infinitely deep, but it wasn't infinitely wide.
Each floor wasn't as big as an entire continent. At most, it only had the land mass of a small empire in Elysium or Solais.
Because of this, it didn't take long for them to reach the edge of each Level and take the portal to the next.
Unlike Prima, who was overly protective of her Domain and could sense anyone who entered it, the other Demigods didn't even sense Lux's and James' arrival, making them think that everything was the same as usual.
When they entered the Twelfth Floor of the Abyss, Lux felt anxious as he recalled what Prima had said to him.
If the Portal that led to the Thirteenth Floor was indeed blocked, he would have no way to proceed forward.
Even James admitted that, although there was a way for them to reach the 14th Floor using a detour, it would take them a year to arrive at their destination due to the complexity of the Abyss.
The old man was also very hesitant to take such a path because he didn't want to miss any of his grandchildren's birthdays, which happened every month.
He was only able to travel due to the difference of time zones in each world, allowing him to abuse this loophole.
"There is the Portal that leads to the Thirteenth Floor," James said as Sleipnir slowly descended from the sky. "Sleipnir had just confirmed that it is indeed blocked, so he cannot pass through it."
The eight-legged horse landed a few meters away from the portal, letting Lux take a closer look at it. The moment he tried to enter it, he felt an invisible force blocking his way. The most he could do was touch the portal, but aside from that, nothing else was happening.
It was as if the gateway had lost its ability to ferry people between the different levels of the Abyss completely.
But just as he was about to lose hope, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Little Lux… what are you doing here?"
The Half-Elf's eyes widened in shock when he heard Antero's voice inside his head. Immediately, he turned his senses toward the portal and replied using his mind.
"Antero, I need to pass through the other layers of the Abyss," Lux replied. "Aurora was killed by Nyarlathotep, and her soul was sent to the Abyss. I need to find her before it is too late."
"…Aurora died?" Antero asked.
"Yes," Lux confirmed.
A minute of silence passed before the White Portal in front of him changed its color to purple.
"Come inside," Antero replied. "Hurry."
Lux immediately mounted Sleipnir's back, so that they could pass through the portal together. He was afraid that if he entered alone, Antero would just close the portal, leaving James behind.
The eight-legged horse finally appeared on the Thirteenth Level of the Abyss, which made James arch an eyebrow.
Even from a great distance, he could already see the giant Golem of Destruction who had been born when the Abyss was first created.
"I see. So, he is Antero," James muttered. "The stories I've heard didn't give him justice."
Lux didn't know what the old man was talking about. But, he was not in the mood to ask him questions. Instead, he waited until Sleipnir arrived near the Golem of Destruction, who was seated on the ground and leaning against the mountain, where the Succubus Queen's Castle stood.
Before Lux could even say anything, the Golem of Destruction cut him off.
"See Little Rhiannon," Antero stated. "Tell her… everything."
Left with no choice, the Half-Elf nodded his head. James then urged Sleipnir to land near the entrance of the Castle, where hundreds of Succubi emerged, ready to fight.
"W-Wait! Isn't that Lux?" one of the Succubus asked as she pointed at the Half-Elf, who was riding behind the old man's back.
"That is indeed him," another Succubus replied. "How was he able to enter the Thirteenth Floor? Didn't Lord Antero seal the Portals?"
"It doesn't matter why he's here!" another Succubus stated. "Everyone calm down. He is not an enemy. Don't attack him!"
Since Lux had helped their Queen fight against the other Demigods who had tried to invade their Domain, all of them extinguished the spells that they had prepared beforehand and welcomed him and the old man, whom they were seeing for the first time.
Sleipnir landed in front of the Succubi and threw them all a curious glance.
Lux, on the other hand, dismounted from the horse's back and greeted everyone with a solemn expression on his face.
"I need to see Queen Rhiannon," Lux stated. "There is something very important that I need to discuss with her."
The Succubi glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. It was not because they didn't want Lux to see Queen Rhiannon. They just didn't know if their Queen was willing to see him.
It was at that moment that Queen Rhiannon's voice reverberated in the surroundings.
"Bring him to my room."
Hearing their Queen's command, a purple-haired Succubus took a step forward and motioned for Lux to follow her.contemporary romance
The rest of the Succubi, however, looked at the handsome Old Man with great curiosity.
"Why does this Old Guy look so yummy?" a Succubus with long blonde hair and red eyes asked. "Indeed," another Succubus replied. "Why is he brimming with vitality? At his age, he shouldn't be like this, right?"
"Can he still get it up?" another Succubus asked, filled with curiosity. "Don't underestimate old people," a Succubus with black hair stated. "Haven't you heard the saying that Old Gingers are still spicy?"
Lux pretended that he didn't hear the comments of the Succubi, who were eyeing James with mischievous looks on their faces.
The Old Man merely chuckled and even winked at the beautiful Demons, making all of them giggle.
"It seems that your companion is popular with the ladies," the purple-haired Succubus said with a smile. "We have been sealed here on the Thirteenth Level for a long time. I am afraid that they are currently in heat after seeing two handsome men enter the Thirteenth Layer. Ah, but don't worry. We are now allies. We will not force you unless you agree."
Lux nodded and simply followed behind the Succubus. He was currently not paying too much attention to what the Succubus was saying.
The reason?
His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, and he couldn't understand why this was happening.
The closer he got to Queen Rhiannon's room, the stronger this feeling became.
"We're here," the Succubus stated. "You can go inside on your own. I will remain here and wait for you to leave."
"Thank you for bringing me here," Lux replied before opening the door. Right now, he was about to see the woman who had striking similarities with Aurora.
The woman whom he believed to be his lover's real mother, who was currently lying on the bed and waiting for him to come and see her.
It had been a long time since the two of them had met, and Lux needed her help in order to find his lover, who was somewhere in the Abyss, waiting for him to find her.
done.co