By this time, Ol Man Baro had regained himself. His tone shifted, warm and disarming. "Ah, my dear Maeril, don't be offended by my boy's words," he said, placing a steady palm on her heated arm. The tremor in the room eased, her fury simmering down under his touch.

"We will eat your food. Forget about the key... someone else can take it," Baro continued, his voice low and coaxing.

Renny's lips parted, ready to protest. They can't. But before a word escaped, Baro's cane jabbed his foot under the table, halting him cold.

"Just give us a bowl of rice," Baro chuckled, rubbing his belly, "with nice chicken and sauces so delicious they'll fill us to the brim." His laughter was rich, unbothered.

Maeril's anger melted into a smile. "Alright, my dear. You may take a seat at the table, and you'll be served."

Baro gave her a courtly bow, then hooked his arm around Renny and pulled him toward the table.

Renny hissed under his breath as they sat. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up," Baro muttered, grinning as he settled into his chair.

Rocco had taken his food and started toward their table, but Baro waved him off with a firm hand. "Eh, ragazzo, not this time. Demon business."

Rocco hesitated, looking between them. "Alright, boss…" he muttered reluctantly, before drifting toward another table, shoulders hunched.

Renny leaned in as soon as Rocco was out of earshot. His tone was sharp. "What was that about?"

Baro leaned back, utterly calm. "Eh, you didn't see? The woman was boiling. Another word and it would've been a fight on the table."

"That's the point," Renny shot back. "We're demons. We're meant to subdue them. The beasts won't willingly take a soul key, or hand one over unless they're forced to."

Baro wagged a finger. "Ah, but maybe there's another way."

Renny's eyes narrowed. "Another way? What are you thinking, old head?"

"Give me time," Baro said, lips curling into that sly grin. "Let me try my method. She will accept the key willingly, you'll see."

Renny snorted, unimpressed. "Your method? What in hell are you plotting?"

Baro only tapped his cane on the floor lightly, eyes locked across the room. "Just watch."

The food arrived soon after. Steaming bowls set neatly before them, rich aromas of spiced rice and tender chicken filling the air. Baro rubbed his belly and licked his lips with boyish delight, his gaze flicking shamelessly toward Maeril. She caught it and, to Renny's disbelief, blushed.

***

After the meal, they lingered inside the house while other limbomites came and went. Guards shuffled people out once they finished eating, but when they tried the same with Renny and Ol' Man Baro, the moment they realized the pair were demons, their hands fell away and they let them be.

Soon, the crowd thinned. The last bellies were fed, and Maeril's maids moved about, clearing bowls and wiping down tables. Baro tapped his stick against the floor, leaning closer to Renny.

"This is my chance," he murmured.

Renny eyed him, suspicious. "What are you going to do?"

Baro wagged a finger. "Eh, don't worry yourself, Renny boy. Once I'm finished here, the contract... pah!... it will be done. Then we move on, alright?"

Renny frowned, but nodded. "Alright, old man. Do what you must."

With slow, deliberate steps, Baro rose. His cane clicked softly against the wood as he made his way toward the kitchen. From the table, Renny could see everything. He didn't need to strain his ears to understand. Baro was already leaning in close to Maeril, speaking in low, silken tones.

Renny's jaw tightened. No way. His mind reeled as he watched the exchange unfold. The old head wasn't just bargaining... he was flirting. Smooth, practiced, like a man half his age.

Renny's eyes widened. He's not serious… is he? He's planning to seduce a beast? Does he actually think that'll make her accept the key? Maybe... just maybe, that old fool's method might work. Curiosity pricked at him, though the idea was revolting. To sleep with a beast? His mind stumbled on the thought. Did such a creature even have a private part to begin with? If demons did, then perhaps beasts did as well. The possibility alone made his stomach churn. He shook his head sharply, refusing to watch Baro's antics any further.

Instead, his eyes drifted toward the window. The outside world was shifting. The air thickened, the horizon blurring as the fog crept back in. Panic swept the street. Limbomites scattered in all directions, clutching one another, diving into corners, some hammering at the door of Maeril's house, begging for entry. The guards blocked them firmly, shoving them back into the swelling haze.

Renny stood, muttered an excuse, and slipped out. At the entrance, a few of the pale figures turned their hollow eyes toward him, watching silently as he passed.

He scanned the street until he spotted Rocco, perched high in a tree, climbing fast as if desperate to escape the ground.

"Rocco!" Renny called out. "Get down here."

From above came the reply, sharp and anxious: "No! The fog's coming back. You don't understand."

Renny frowned. "So what? It's just fog."

Rocco's voice trembled. "No, once the fog swallows everything, they come. They drag us out, tear at us, torment us until it clears. Sometimes hours, sometimes days. There is no telling when it ends."

Renny narrowed his eyes, weighing the words. Before he could respond, Rocco dropped from the branches, landing beside him in a crouch. He looked up at Renny with raw desperation.

"Well… you are a demon, sì? That means you can protect me."

Renny blinked. "Wait. Hold on…"

But Rocco was already pressed close, clutching at his side like a man hiding behind a shield.

Renny exhaled, glancing back toward Maeril's house. "I should head inside."

Rocco shook his head furiously. "No, no… the guards, they will not let me pass. Only you. They will leave me outside to suffer. Please, signore… stay. Do not abandon me to the fog."

Renny folded his arms. "I'm on a mission. I can't sit around."

"With the Don, eh?" Rocco said quickly, eyes darting toward the thickening fog. "But he is not here. No, no… he is inside, wooing Maeril."

Renny raised a brow. "And how exactly would you know that?"

Rocco shrugged, flashing a nervous grin. "Eh… he was my Don. I know the look. The way he watches a woman, sì? That is how he looked at her. And once he does…" He leaned in, lowering his voice almost conspiratorially. "No donna could resist him. Not one. Ah, we used to laugh, we all wanted to learn his ways."

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