Siren’s Row was one of the districts in the city of Astoria that practically never slept.

By day, it bustled with a variety of restaurants and cafes.

By night, it transformed into a vibrant nightlife hub, with active bars spread throughout the streets that truly became alive after dark. Because this specific district was not exclusive to the elites, people of all social classes could be seen walking around in search of entertainment.

However, hidden within one of the dark, narrow lanes of this area was a dingy-looking door. Hanging above it was a worn-out signboard that read The Bone.... a place that would look questionable in every sense to a normal person. To an ordinary human, simply stepping inside screamed that they were ready to be mugged or worse, so people cleverly avoided it altogether.

What the public did not know, however, was that the door actually led into an exclusive, luxury chamber accessible only to those who were not human at all.

The Bone was an exclusive nightclub solely for demons, a sanctuary designed for anyone looking to indulge in sin. It offered everything imaginable: rows of premium alcohol, exotic strip shows, high-stakes gambling, and unbridled debauchery.

With various types of demons flooding the venue, it was quite literally their personal den.

Even under the raging storm outside, nothing stopped them from pouring in one after the other, filling the space as the chaotic chatter continued in full swing.

With the heavy bass music vibrating against the dark red walls of the premises, Diana sat at a table on the second floor, surrounded by a couple of succubuses.

One of the women leaned closer to her, a sharp glint in her eyes. "Diana, is it true then? Is he really planning to marry a human?"

The other succubus quickly chimed in, eager to stir the pot. "Yes, is it true he discarded you just to be with a mortal? I heard he hasn’t requested your presence or anyone else’s, for that matter, to serve him in years."

A toxic cocktail of jealousy and rage coiled tightly within Diana’s chest.

She knew exactly what these women were doing.

They were envious of her status, given that she was one of the few who had served Gavriel the longest, and now they were simply looking to delight in her public humiliation.

Though her expression remained perfectly frozen and devoid of emotion, the white-knuckle grip she held on her glass betrayed just how much effort it took to keep from lashing out.

Still maintaining her composure, Diana let out a cold scoff. "Please. A human could never compare to me." Her lips curled faintly with disdain. "Do you honestly think that little thing could survive even a week with our lord?"

Her eyes darkened dangerously. "He is merely indulging in a pet project. A man of his stature enjoys seeing how long fragile things can survive beneath his brute, insatiable desires."

Her grip tightened further around the glass. "And once she breaks... or once that pathetic little mortal lifespan of hers finally runs out..."

A cruel smile slowly spread across Diana’s lips. "He will throw her aside like yesterday’s garbage."

Hearing her words, the female demon sitting next to Diana patted her arm gently, her eyes full of flattery and false sympathy. "Honestly, Diana, everyone really admires you. You are incredibly patient to sit back and watch him with another woman. We all know who truly belongs by his side."

"Exactly," another demoness chimed in with a fierce nod. "He requires a queen, not some fragile glass doll. He’s merely wandering for the moment. Mark my words, once he grows bored of playing house with that human, he’ll eventually come right back to you."

Diana leaned back against the plush velvet sofa, a smug, triumphant smile slowly spreading across her lips as she basked in their praise. She loved hearing the validation of her own delusions and believed every single word they fed her.

At the neighbouring table sat three high-ranking demons lounging lazily across black velvet sofas while scantily dressed women, barely covered by strips of fabric, attended to them with glasses of wine in hand.

As they scanned the crowded dance floor below, the conversation from Diana’s table naturally drifted towards them.

One of the men suddenly spoke up, "Hey, did you hear? There’s been a rumour circulating that he has finally stepped into the public spotlight."

The second demon, a brute with faint scales trailing up his neck, scoffed. "Yeah, I saw the news. Seems like he got too bored hiding in the shadows and finally decided to step into the spotlight. Makes you wonder what changed."

"Who cares about his reasons?" the third demon sneered, a cocky grin spreading across his face as he lazily swirled the drink in his hand. "What’s far more interesting are the rumours about the girl. The human he’s supposedly planning to marry."

A harsh laugh rippled across the table.

"Marriage? To a fragile little mortal?" the brute scoffed, shaking his head. "Don’t be ridiculous. A beast like that doesn’t take a human wife. At best, she is nothing more than his current bedmate. A temporary amusement to pass the time."

"Still," the cocky demon murmured, his eyes flashing with a predatory gleam, "she must be something truly exotic to have caught his attention in the first place. For him to keep her so close..." His lips slowly curled into a smirk. "She must possess a taste capable of driving a man completely mad."

Leaning back against the sofa, his smile gradually turned more lascivious as he glanced towards his companions.

"But we all know how he is. Eventually, he’ll grow bored. A human body can only endure so much before it breaks... or before he simply grows tired of the toy. And once he discards her and lets her go..."

The demon licked his lips, his voice dropping into a foul, eager murmur, "...I’m going to be the first in line to find her. Just imagine getting a taste of whatever remains after he had his fill."

Right then, the temperature around them suddenly dropped to freezing levels while the dark aura of someone immensely powerful began spreading through the establishment with suffocating intensity.

Every demon present instantly stiffened. With their heightened senses, they immediately felt it. The fine hairs along the backs of their necks rose sharply as instinctive fear crept beneath their skin.

The shadows stretching across the walls seemed to twist and crawl forward like reaching claws, while an overwhelming wave of heavy bloodlust crashed through the air, so suffocating that it instantly stole the breath from their lungs.

The three demons froze, their cocky smiles vanishing in a heartbeat. Even Diana’s smug grin faltered as a cold shiver of absolute terror ran straight down her spine.

Before anyone could even utter a word, thick black shadows swirled across the second floor directly in front of the three demons until a tall figure cloaked entirely in black finally materialised from within the darkness itself.

The music came to an abrupt halt.

Every single eye in the room turned toward the platform, staring wide-eyed at the entity who had just appeared.

He was someone they never expected to see in this establishment. A place he had stopped stepping into a long time ago.

They watched in frozen awe as the insanely gorgeous man kept his eyes closed for a brief second, taking a single step forward as the remaining shadows dissipated behind him.

No one dared to move or even blink as they waited with their battered breath when the man finally lifted his face, revealing a pair of eyes that made their blood run cold.