“Something seems…off,” Satan whispered as the seven brothers got closer to the House of Lamentation.

Asmo glanced towards his older sibling and nodded in agreement, “I sense unfamiliar magic.”

“Maybe someone is playing a prank or somethin’,” Mammon mumbled, holding his hands up with palms towards the sky and shrugging.

“Not everyone is like you,” Levi replied while shaking his head, his purple bangs slightly rustling in the wind.

While the younger siblings conversed, Lucifer listened quietly, but his focus was on the road ahead of him as countless theories raced through his mind. Was this magic as harmless as it seemed, or was it a trap? Did someone want to hurt his family? Where were you, and were you alright?

As soon as the House of Lamentation was in sight, all of them froze in their tracks. Asmo placed one hand on his chest while the other covered his mouth. “Who could have pulled such a prank?”

“I don’t sense any danger, so it seems like a prank,” Satan spoke, studying the rainbow-colored vines.

Beel’s eyes sparkled as he scanned the plants encasing their house. “They remind me of a rainbow pizza. Can I eat them?”

“Beel…don’t,” Belphie yawned and tugged on his twin’s sleeve, “we can eat after this mess is sorted.”

Lucifer touched his index finger and thumb to his forehead, letting out an exasperated sigh. How he wished he could have one peaceful day. Gathering himself, the Avatar of Pride marched inside through the main entrance, ready to rebuke the one responsible.

“What am I going to do?” You mumbled under your breath as you paced by the grand staircases. “Maybe he’ll forgive me if I apologize? What if I start explaining as soon as they walk in?”

As soon as you saw the eldest brother, your body reacted automatically. Kneeling at his feet, you took a tight hold of his pants and lowered your head, much to Lucifer’s shock.

“I am so sorry! I don’t know what happened, so please forgive me! I swear I didn’t mean it.” You apologized continuously without pausing to take a breath. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw two gloved hands taking hold of your shoulders.

“Stand up,” Lucifer said in a commanding and almost irritated tone.

You released his pants and stood up, but your eyes remained glued to the ground. You considered apologizing again but decided to wait on one of the brothers to speak.

“I considered you to be a well-behaved individual, so explain how this situation came about.” The Avatar of Pride crossed his arms and glared down at you.

“I-I…,” you hesitated, taken aback by his sharp tone.

“Sweetie, it’s alright. Take a deep breath and explain what happened.” Asmo gently said, stepping beside you and resting his hand on your back.

You glanced at the Avatar of Lust and nodded before speaking. “Since I am going to be here for a while, I wanted to practice reading Devildomish. Then I came across a gardening book and purchased it…the salesdemon even complimented my book choice.”

“Then what happened?” Asmo flashed a sweet smile, encouraging you to continue your story.

“The book was a bit difficult to read at my current level. There was one section that seemed easier, so I read the pages out loud, and this happened.” You shifted your eyes to Lucifer but quickly averted them after seeing his vexed expression. “I don’t know what happened, but I am sorry! Please…don’t be upset.”

The eldest demon sighed and rested his hand on the top of your head. “My apologies for being harsh. I thought you came under the influence of one of my brothers and pulled a prank.”

“H-Hey, you’re makin’ me sound like a bad guy,” Mammon rubbed the back of his head. “Though this would make a great prank.”

“Mammon…” Lucifer’s voice sent a down everyone’s spine. The Avatar of Greed backed away from his older sibling, preparing to run.  

“Hold on a moment,” Satan said, furrowing his eyebrows, “something doesn’t seem right.”

“I agree.” The raven-haired demon nodded, “This situation is quite unusual. (Y/N), where is the book you purchased?”

You hurried down the foyer and grabbed the book with your damp hands. Rushing back you nearly tripped over the long runner but managed to recover.  Your cheeks were a bright red as you held the work in front of Lucifer. “H-Here.”

He raised an eyebrow and took the book from your hand. “Where…did you purchase this book?”

“The antique shop.”

Satan glanced at the book and chuckled, “Are you certain you went to an antique shop?”

“Y-Yes. Why?” You titled your head to one side and blinked in confusion.

“‘Cause that’s a spellbook,” Mammon answered, leaning in close to Lucifer to get a better look at the book.

The eldest sibling glared at the Avatar of Greed and hit him on the forehead with the bounded pages, earning a groan in return. “Yes, this is a spellbook. Regardless, due to your lack of magic abilities, you still should not have been able to cast the spell.”

“Interesting.” Satan tapped his right index finger on his chin while his left hand rested on his hips.

“Normie, can you use magic?” Levi asked while twirling his headphone wire in his fingers.

“Are you hiding something from us, (Y/N)?” Satan teased with one eyebrow raised and a smirk.

“H-Huh? N-No, I am not.”

“All of you stop teasing (Y/N). Can’t you see how nervous they already are?” Asmo hushed his brothers and rubbed soothing circles on your back. “Don’t listen to them, sweetie. We know you are not hiding anything from us.”

“How can you be certain, Asmo?” Belphie asked in a tired voice, his head leaning against Beel’s arm, “Humans are known for being deceiving.”

“Someone solve this already,” Beel mumbled as he rested his head on his stomach. A loud grumble echoed through the foyer, startling everyone. “I am hungry…”

You recalled your journey through the antique shop and remembered that the book was not the only item you bought. “Oh, I forgot to mention this watch. I thought it was unique and got it along with the book.”

“May I?” Satan asked, pointing towards the watch and holding his palm out to you.

You removed the item and placed it in Satan’s hand, watching his reactions. He carefully examined it and exchanged a glance with Lucifer. “So, how will we rid the House of Lamentation of these vines?”

“What about solvin’ the mystery first?” Mammon asked with his eyes fixed on the watch. He had to resist the urge to snatch the wristwatch and sell it for top dollar.

Satan shook his head, knowing Mammon’s intention, but proceeded to explain. “This watch gave (Y/N) the ability to cast the spell. Looks like they were completely innocent after all.”

Belphie chuckled, “You should be careful of entering unknown shops. You never know what you’ll end up with.”

“At least the vines are harmless.” Asmo chimed in, “Hm, you know these vines are quite beautiful. Can we keep the vines for today? The House of Lamentation will be a little less dreary for the day.”

“Um…everyone…” Levi called out and pointed towards Beel.

The Avatar of Gluttony could no longer hold his hunger pains, so while the rest of you deliberated, he began chomping down on the vines. All of you stared at him with various emotions – shock, awe, disgust, and amusement.  

“At least he’s eating his greens,” Asmo chuckled.

“Still better than him trying to eat a castle pillar,” Mammon shook his head. The rest of you couldn’t agree more.