The walls of Ragina’s cell were cold and bare, their sterility reflecting the harsh environment of the SAGA facility. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic, a sharp contrast to the fresh earth and greenery she had left behind in the Heidt village. The weight of her past hung over her like a shroud, each breath she took filled with the ghosts of memories that refused to die.

Ragina sat in the center of the room, her hands clasped in her lap, eyes fixed on the floor. The metal cuffs around her wrists were more symbolic than functional—she was no longer a threat, no longer the Vexing Matriarch who could reduce cities to nil with a single thought. She was just a woman now, powerless and trapped in the web of her own history.

The first flashback hit her with the force of a hammer. She was standing on the edge of a battlefield, the sky above her torn asunder by her own powers. Below, the world burned. Buildings crumbled into nothingness, swallowed by voids she had torn open with a wave of her hand. She could still hear the silence of those caught in the void, their voices lost in the roar of collapsing reality. She had been unstoppable, a force of nature driven by anger and despair. And in her wake, there had been nothing but annihilation.

The memories twisted, showing her the aftermath—fields of ash where cities once stood, the remnants of lives reduced to less than dust. She remembered the faces of those she had destroyed, their expressions of terror seared into her mind. She remembered the emptiness that had followed each act of destruction, a hollow feeling that no amount of power could fill. The regret had come later, long after the fires had died and the voids had closed. It had crept in slowly, a realization that no amount of destruction could ever erase the pain she carried inside.

Her powers had been her curse, a constant reminder of the monster she had become. And so, one day, she had wished for it to end. She had stood at the edge of the last city she had destroyed, and she had wished with all her being that the power would leave her, that the burden would be lifted. And somehow, it had. The powers that had defined her, that had driven her to the brink of madness, had vanished.

But the memory of the wish was hazy, the details lost to the background of creation. She couldn’t remember how it had happened, or why. She only knew that one day, she had woken up in a world where she was no longer a Devil. She was just Ragina, a woman with a past she could never escape.

Another flashback surged forward. She was on her knees in a ruined church, the walls crumbling around her as the voids she had created consumed the building. Blood soaked the ground beneath her, the blood of those who had tried to stop her. Their bodies lay in twisted heaps, the life drained from them by her powers. But it wasn’t their deaths that haunted her—it was the realization that she felt nothing. No remorse, no guilt, just an empty, gnawing void where her emotions should have been.

That void had been her only companion for so long, driving her deeper into the cycle of violence. But as she knelt there, surrounded by the consequences of her actions, something had shifted. A small, fragile spark of humanity had flared to life inside her, and she had clung to it, desperate for something to hold onto in the darkness.

It was that spark that had led her to wish for the end of her powers, that had driven her to seek a life away from the destruction she had caused. But even as she had fled, the memories had followed, haunting her every step. The faces of those she had killed, the cities she had razed—they were etched into her soul, a constant reminder of the monster she had been.

The door to her cell opened with a loud, metallic creak, pulling Ragina back to the present. A SAGA agent stepped inside, his expression cold and detached. He was followed by another agent, who carried a clipboard and a small, unremarkable device. They were here to interrogate her again, to dig through the remains of her mind for answers she didn’t have.

“Ragina,” the first agent said, his voice devoid of any warmth. “We’re going to ask you some questions. We expect full cooperation.”

Ragina lifted her head, meeting the agent’s gaze. There was no fear in her eyes, only a deep, abiding weariness. “You’re wasting your time,” she said quietly. “I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.”

The agent’s expression didn’t change. “We’ll see about that.”

As they began the interrogation, Ragina felt the familiar numbness settle over her. The questions came in rapid succession, each one probing deeper into her past, her memories. But no matter how hard they pressed, she remained steadfast in her refusal to relive those days. The SAGA agents were relentless, their voices a constant barrage of demands and accusations.

But Ragina was beyond their reach now. The regrets, the pain—they were hers alone, and she had already lived through the worst of it. She had nothing left to give them, nothing but the empty shell of the woman she had once been.

Meanwhile, across the city, Alex Victory sat alone in his apartment, staring out at the broken sky. The light from the Red Trident filtered through the cracked windows, casting the room in a blood-red glow. His thoughts were a tumult of conflicting emotions, each one pulling him in a different direction. The mission he had been given by SAGA was simple enough on the surface—extract information from Ragina, and if necessary, erase her afterward. But the simplicity of the mission belied the complexity of his feelings.

He had seen the way Ragina had looked at him when they first met in the Heidt village. There had been a recognition in her eyes, an understanding that went beyond words. She had seen in him the same torment that haunted her, the same struggle to reconcile the power within with the person they had once been. It was a look that had stayed with him, gnawing at the edges of his mind.

Alex had always been different from other Devils. While most had lost their emotions, becoming cold, detached beings driven by logic and survival, Alex had retained a part of his humanity. It was a small part, often buried beneath layers of cynicism and duty, but it was there. And it was that part of him that was now causing him to question his mission.

He had seen the devastation that Devils could cause, the way their powers could twist and corrupt. But he had also seen the toll it took on those who wielded that power. Ragina was living proof of that. She had been one of the most dangerous Devils, a being of pure annihilation. But now, she was just a woman, broken by the weight of her past.

The thought of erasing her, of snuffing out the last vestiges of her existence, filled Alex with a sense of dread. He knew it was what SAGA wanted—Ragina was a loose end, a potential threat. But he also knew that doing so would be a betrayal of everything he had left of his own humanity.

A knock on the door broke through his reverie, and Alex turned to see Dorian standing in the doorway, his expression as unreadable as ever.

“You’re thinking too much,” Dorian said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “It’s a simple mission, Alex. Get the information we need, and then end it.”

“It’s not that simple,” Alex replied, his voice low. “She’s not a threat anymore. She’s just… tired.”

Dorian shrugged, his gaze cold. “Tired or not, she’s still a Devil. And SAGA doesn’t take chances.”

Alex said nothing, his eyes returning to the window. Dorian watched him for a moment, then sighed and leaned against the wall.

“I know you have your doubts,” Dorian said, his tone softer now. “But this is the world we live in. We can’t afford to let our emotions get in the way of what needs to be done. You know that better than anyone.”

Alex clenched his fists, the tension in his body evident. “It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to do it.”

Dorian nodded, acknowledging the truth in Alex’s words. “Maybe. But you chose this life, just like I did. We all have our burdens to bear.”

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words, the weight of the decision hanging between them like a blade.

Later, Alex met with his team—Hallelujah, Inkosazana, and Khamerernebty. The usual light-hearted banter was absent, replaced by a somber mood that reflected the gravity of the situation.

Inkosazana, ever the affectionate partner, clung to Hallelujah with a playful smile, but even she couldn’t dispel the tension in the room. Hallelujah remained stoic, his gaze steady as he addressed Alex.

“Leave the past where it belongs,” Hallelujah said, his voice firm. “We have no ‘Time’ for regrets. The past is a chapter unwritten—focus on the present.”

Inkosazana nodded in agreement, though her eyes were filled with concern for Alex. “Hallelujah’s right. We can’t let emotions cloud our judgment, especially now.”

Khamerernebty, as usual, said nothing, but her presence was a comfort to Alex. She watched him with those emotionless eyes, yet there was a subtle shift in her demeanor, a quiet acknowledgment of his inner turmoil.

Alex knew they were right. He had chosen this path, and he couldn’t afford to waver now. But the weight of the mission pressed down on him, a constant reminder of the moral complexities he couldn’t ignore.

As night fell, Alex made his move. The SAGA facility was a fortress, designed to keep the most dangerous beings in the world contained. But Alex wasn’t just any Devil. With a subtle flex of his shoulder, he disabled the security systems, moving through the shadows with the precision of a predator.

The facility was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of machinery and the occasional crackle of electricity as Alex bent reality to his will. He reached Ragina’s cell without encountering any resistance, the final door sliding open with a soft hiss.

Ragina looked up as he entered, her expression unreadable. “You’ve come to finish it,” she said, her voice calm.

Alex hesitated, his eyes searching hers for any sign of fear or regret. But there was nothing—only resignation.

“I need to know how you lost your powers,” Alex said, his voice steady.

Ragina sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I told you before—I wished for it to end. I couldn’t take it anymore, the destruction, the emptiness. I just wanted it all to stop. And somehow, it did.”

Alex frowned, his mind racing. “That’s not possible. Powers like yours don’t just disappear.”

“I don’t know how it happened,” Ragina admitted. “Maybe it was divine intervention, or maybe it was something else. All I know is that one day, I woke up, and it was gone.”

She looked at him, her gaze piercing. “SAGA won’t stop, you know. They’ll use me, experiment on me, until there’s nothing left. I can’t go through that again.”

Alex’s heart clenched at the desperation in her voice. He knew she was right. SAGA was relentless, and they wouldn’t hesitate to exploit her if they thought it would give them an advantage.

“Erase me,” Ragina pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. “End this.”

Alex felt the weight of her words, the finality of the decision pressing down on him like a physical force. He could end her suffering, grant her the peace she so desperately sought. But doing so would mean crossing a line he wasn’t sure he could come back from.

Just as Alex was about to make his decision, the facility’s alarms blared to life, the sound echoing through the corridors. Commander Valis and her team had arrived, their raid throwing everything into chaos.

Alex cursed under his breath, moving quickly to shield Ragina from the incoming forces. He couldn’t afford to let her be captured—not by SAGA, and certainly not by the Military. He flexed his shoulder again, sending a ripple of force through the air that disabled the approaching SAGA security forces. But it wouldn’t be long before Valis’s team caught up to them.

As they made their way through the facility, Alex could feel the tension mounting. He knew Valis was close—her presence was a constant pressure on the edge of his awareness. He couldn’t let her find him, not now.

They were nearly at the exit when they were cornered by Valis and several agents. The confrontation was inevitable, and Alex knew there was no way out. But before he could react, Ragina stepped forward, her expression resolute.

“I won’t be taken again,” she said, her voice steady. She closed her eyes, concentrating with all her might, trying to summon the power that had once defined her. But nothing happened.

Her body, weakened by the years of torment and regret, couldn’t handle the strain. She collapsed, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fell into Alex’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice filled with relief. “It’s over.”

With those words, Ragina’s form began to fade, her body dissolving into nothingness as she was erased from existence. Alex held her as she disappeared, his heart heavy with the weight of what he had just witnessed.

Filled with a mixture of sadness and anger, Alex knew he had to escape. He flexed his shoulder one last time, creating a massive hurricane of force that tore through the facility, sending Valis and her team scrambling for cover. The distraction was enough to allow him to slip away, disappearing into the night as the chaos unfolded behind him.

Commander Valis watched him go, frustration and determination warring within her. She had come so close, but once again, the Devil of Glories had slipped through her fingers. As she surveyed the aftermath, she realized that this was only the beginning. The truth was out there, hidden beneath layers of secrecy and deception, and she was more determined than ever to uncover it.

Back at his apartment, Alex sat in silence, the weight of the day’s events pressing down on him. The city of Satceb stretched out before him, its broken sky a constant reminder of the world they lived in. The demise of Ragina weighed heavily on him, a stark reminder of the moral complexities of his existence.

He had chosen this life, but that didn’t make it any easier. The path he walked was filled with shadows, and the line between right and wrong was often blurred. But he couldn’t afford to waver, not now. The world was a dark and dangerous place, and he was one of the few who could navigate its treacherous waters.

As the night deepened, the city seemed to laugh at him, its fractured skyline a cruel joke in the sister tone of the Red Trident. But Alex didn’t laugh. He couldn’t. The burdens of his past and the weight of his choices were too heavy, and he knew that the road ahead would only grow darker.

But for now, he would rest. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new missions, and new decisions. And he would face them as he always had—with the cold efficiency of a Devil, and the lingering echoes of the humanity he could never fully abandon.