The next day, Iris finally got the chance to be with her mom, even though it wasn't in the way she had expected.
Meanwhile, Lucifer walked into Licht's room and said,
"Wake up, dumbass."
Still half-asleep, Licht mumbled,
"Does the concept of knocking not apply to you?"
Lucifer replied,
"Would you have let me wake you up if I had knocked?"
"Of course not," Licht said.
"Then you know why I didn't knock. And what's the point of asking a question when you already know the answer—unless it's just to confirm it?" Lucifer smirked.
Licht groaned, "Great, thanks for the philosophical lecture. Now leave and let me sleep."
"You're forgetting we're on guard duty," Lucifer said.
"No. You and that idiot captain—or Arc Luatine—are on guard duty. I'm here because we both know why I'm here."
Lucifer said, "I'll do everything in my power to make it happen. But are you sure you want her heart—and not just her?"
Licht responded firmly, "Yeah."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Licht asked.
"It's me," Iris answered.
"Enter."
By the time Iris stepped in, Licht was no longer in his T-shirt and shorts. He had already taken a shower and was now dressed in his uniform.
"Iris, good morning. How are you? Aren't you ready for breakfast yet? Why aren't you in your uniform?" Licht asked.
Lucifer added, "We were planning to get ready after breakfast."
"Sorry I look so dead," Iris said, rubbing her eyes. "I went to bed at 5 a.m. I wanted to make sure everything was safe, so I patrolled until 4. Then I got excited thinking about being with Mom today and couldn't sleep. So I got about an hour of sleep, woke up at 8, and I've been trying to stay awake since."
"It's 9 a.m. now," Lucifer said.
By the time Iris blinked, Licht was back in his T-shirt and shorts.
"What was that?" she asked.
"What? Sorry," Licht said, feigning innocence. "Last night I was busy researching something, so I didn't sleep much at all. I just woke up."
"But… weren't you already in your uniform?" Iris asked, confused.
Lucifer quickly interjected, "Umm… Iris, you didn't sleep much last night. Maybe you were hallucinating. He's been sleeping in front of me this whole time."
Iris stared at Lucifer. "You didn't sleep much either. How are you this awake?"
Lucifer grinned. "I slept for a total of ten minutes last night."
"Just ten minutes?! And you're like this? How?"
Lucifer explained, "Using the unique traits of my dark magic, I can control my sleep cycle. I can function on about 0.5 seconds of sleep per night, per month. And as a treat, I take a long, one-hour nap. I convert the side effects of sleep deprivation into negative energy and absorb it. I could do the same for you—but unlike me, your bodies wouldn't handle it permanently. You'd feel worse once the effects wear off."
Iris asked, "Are you sure? Can you delay my sleep for the next five days?"
Lucifer warned, "I can. But I won't be removing your need for sleep—I'd just be delaying it. When it returns, the excess mental data will crash back into your brain like a wave. The pain would be unlike anything you've ever felt. And considering your birth defect, it could cause permanent brain damage. There's even a small chance of partial paralysis."
"Do it," Iris said firmly. "I finally got a chance to redeem myself, to make it up to my mom, to be a part of a family. If I fail now, I'll never forgive myself."
Without thinking twice, Licht punched her.
"What was that for?!" Iris exclaimed.
"What's the point of being accepted by your mother if you end up a paralyzed corpse just to be with her?" Licht said sharply. "Do you think your mom would be proud to see you like that? I won't allow it."
Lucifer nodded, "I suppose that's that. I won't be helping you there."
Licht added, "Get yourself patched up and let's go to breakfast."
"Yes, sir," Iris replied quietly, leaving the room.
As she walked out, Lucifer punched Licht.
"That was for the dumb speech and for hitting her."
Licht immediately punched him back.
"That was for the punch, for waking me up, and for making me get ready for no reason."
Lucifer laughed. "Well, that was surprising—you punching her."
Licht muttered, "I can't help it when someone says something that stupid."
Lucifer said, "Let's go to breakfast. And listen, sleep as much as you can now—because after 4 p.m. today, you won't be sleeping for the next 48 hours."
"Why's that?" Licht asked.
"Based on what I know about Drake, he won't wait until we leave. If it's really him, he'll attack us head-on. Then, the following night, everyone is on patrol."
Lucifer gave a subtle signal, and Licht immediately understood. 300 seconds.