Grey shut the door right after the demon left.

“What is it, Grey?” Anna asked, seeing her son's expressions alternate after he answered the door. “Who was it at the door?” she asked, seeing Grey was still silent. “Grey,” Anna called out as she moved closer to her son.  

She put her hand on his shoulder. That action seemed to pull Grey out of the dilemma he was in.

“Uncle Beelzebub wants to see me,” Grey replied.

Anna did not have the time to question her son before he walked past her and went straight to his bedroom. He slammed the door shut in anger.

“I knew this day would come,” Grey muttered angrily as he paced around his room.

He stopped pacing suddenly, and he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

“Stop being a coward,” Grey stated to himself. “Go face your Uncle,” he muttered, encouraging himself. 

He took a deep breath as he opened the door to his bedroom. He left and shut the door behind him.

Anna's head snapped in the direction of Grey's door as she heard it open.

“I'm going now,” Grey announced, making his way to the door. He turned back and shot his mother one lasting look. “Don't worry too much," he said before he left.

Anna watched her son leave. “Why won't I worry?” Anna asked herself.

She was looking very unhappy because she was aware of what was going to happen to her son. She sighed as she went to her room.

                          ***

Grey walked down the corridor as he made his way to his Uncle's house. He was happy no demon attempted to engage with him, or one of those pesky female demons came across him. He knew he would have taken his aggression out on them.

When he got to the door of his Uncle's house, he stood there for a minute before he finally knocked on the door.

“Come in.” His uncle's voice rang through the door.

Grey took a deep breath before he entered the house.

Beelzebub turned to look at Grey, his eyes looking tough. He glared at him as he crossed his arms tightly across his chest.

“I presume I have given you a great deal of freedom,” Beelzebub stated, looking very angry as his eyes flashed red. His voice was loud and stern

Grey did not say anything. He kept staring at the floor constantly.

“Kneel,” Beelzebub ordered

Grey did it without any hesitation.

“Take off your shirt.”

Grey did what he was told.

“I gave you three days to capture an Angel and you failed to bring any back,” Beelzebub shouted. “What did you think?” Beelzebub sneered at Grey. “That you can go out there and come back empty-handed, and did you think I would simply let you off the hook due to the fact you are great when it comes to capturing Angels?” Beelzebub barked.

“Answer me you idiot”, he shouted when Grey kept silent.

“No matter,” Grey said as he attempted not to exhibit the fear in his voice due to the fact he was aware of what was coming next.

Beelzebub left him there, kneeling. He came back a few seconds later with a long whip in his hands. Grey swallowed a gulp down his throat at the sight of the whip.

“You deserve to be punished for your fault,” Beelzebub said as he raised the whip.

The first whip landed on his back. Grey closed his eyes tight as he soaked up the pain. 

Beelzebub proceeded with his punishment. He continued to whip him without mercy, without a care in the world.

Grey's back was dripping with blood. The whip had cut deep into his flesh. But Grey remained still as he took in the pain.

“At least today is not as bad as the other days,” he said to himself.

But he was wrong. The final whip that landed on his back made him scream in pain as he fell and curled into a ball.

                             ***

Ariel was seated on her bed when a little scream escaped her lips. Raguel was about to knock on the door when heard his daughter scream. He wasted no time in pushing the door open.

When he entered, he noticed his daughter curled in a ball, whimpering. He could see she was in pain. He sighed and shook his head.

“My suspicion is right,” he said to himself

“Please…” Ariel whimpered. “What's happening to you?” she whispered. 

She was shaking profusely as tears streamed down her face.

“Please make it stop...” she continued sobbing.

Raguel got tired of hearing his daughter's pleas.

He made his way to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her.

Ariel noticed the presence of her father. She hugged him tightly as she continued to cry.

“It hurts,” she whispered. 

Raguel did not say anything as he continued to hold his daughter tightly, comforting her and whispering soothing things in her ears.

A few minutes later, Ariel was calm in her father's arms.

“Who is he?” Raguel questioned gently.

Ariel wiped her face quickly and looked at her father.

“W-what are y-you talking about?” Ariel stuttered.

“Don't do that,” Raguel said, shaking his head.

“You know exactly what I'm talking about, so do not play dumb with me,” Raguel said sternly.

Raguel was not angry with his daughter but he just desired her to speak the truth.

Ariel was quiet. She averted her eyes from her father's gaze as she fidgeted.

‘How can I tell him?’ Ariel said to herself. ‘I can not tell him,’ she decided as she shook her head

Raguel sighed softly, not liking his daughter's silence.

“You have found your soulmate, right?” Raguel asked.

Ariel knew there was no need to lie to her father.  She slowly nodded her head.

“Who is he?” Raguel asked once more. 

This was where the trouble started. ‘The character concerned,’ she said to herself.

She raised her head to meet her father's gaze. She was struggling to say the word.  She was not ready for her family to abandon her. 

She opened her mouth but she shut it real fast. She was so scared that she simply did not want to hear the rejection in her father's voice.

Raguel could see his daughter struggle. 

“Please Ariel, just tell me,” Raguel pleaded. 

Ariel took in a deep breath before she subsequently worded out what she was scared to point out.

“A d-demon,” she stuttered.

She looked at her father and waited for his response but he was not saying anything.

Raguel was not expecting to hear the word ‘Demon’.

Demons had caused a lot of trouble for him and his family. No wonder she was looking for a way to break the bond, Raguel thought to himself. 

‘Why is my daughter a soulmate to a demon?’ he questioned himself.

“Please, Dad, please say something," Ariel begged as tears streamed down her face “I'm sorry, Father. I did not mean for any of this to happen,” she said as she continued to cry.

Raguel quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter as he comforted her.

“It's not your fault. You don't get to choose who you are bonded to. There is a reason for all this,” Raguel said as he continued to comfort his daughter.