My Angel Girl

The quiet of Flame Island stretched around Kikidori, an uncharacteristic calm settling over him as he sat on the edge of his obsidian throne. The sky had deepened into twilight, the stars starting to blink into view, but his mind wasn't on the beauty of the island or the endless horizon stretching before him. He thought only of Ere'ana.

She had left, returning to Heaven after their time together. Though he understood why—she was an Archangel, after all, and had duties that called her away—Kikidori couldn't help but feel the absence of her presence. Flame Island was his domain, his place of power, but without her there, it felt oddly hollow.

Sighing, Kikidori reached down and scratched Cerberus behind the ears, the small dog happily wagging his tail in response. It was strange, how the little creature had become a sort of comfort to him, even though he never expected to bond with something so… innocent. But Cerberus had a way of lightening the mood, his goofy antics making Kikidori smile when he least expected it.

After a few moments of quietly feeding the chihuahua and absentmindedly petting him, Kikidori's fingers grazed his phone. The device felt strangely foreign in his hands, like something out of place in a world where beings like him—gods and demons—were above such trivialities. But it had become an odd bridge for him, a way to reach out to Ere'ana even when they were worlds apart.

Kikidori unlocked the screen, staring at the blinking cursor on the messaging app. He had never been the type to share his feelings or even care about anyone enough to keep in contact like this. But Ere'ana had changed something in him. She made him want to reach out, to show that, even in the silence, he thought of her.

He hesitated for a moment, his thumb hovering over the keyboard as he tried to figure out what to say. He wasn't good at this, he never had been, but there was something about Ere'ana that made him want to try.

"Hey," he typed, the simplicity of the word making him feel a little foolish. But it was a start.

After sending the message, Kikidori stared at the screen, waiting for a response. His mind wandered, drifting back to their time together on the throne, the way her presence had calmed him. It was almost like he didn't have to be the demon king or a fallen angel when she was around. He could just be himself.

He shook his head, trying to push the thought aside. He was a demon, for crying out loud. He didn't have time for these feelings. But Ere'ana was no ordinary angel. And maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so sure about his own indifference anymore.

A soft buzz from his phone broke him from his thoughts. Kikidori quickly grabbed it, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the message from Ere'ana.

"Hey Kiki! I'm back in Heaven. It's peaceful here, but I miss you already. I hope Flame Island is still standing without me. 😅"

Kikidori chuckled softly, the sound oddly foreign to him as he read her message. She always had a way of making him smile, even through simple words. He typed a quick response.

"Still standing, just a little quieter without you here. Flame Island isn't the same without an angel's light. How's Heaven?"

He paused after sending the message, glancing at Cerberus, who was now contentedly curled up at his feet. The dog's soft breathing seemed to match the rhythm of Kikidori's own. It was strange to think that just a short while ago, he was lost in a world of chaos and destruction, but now, his world felt… a little quieter, a little more peaceful.

As he waited for Ere'ana's response, Kikidori found himself running his fingers along the armrest of his throne, the cold obsidian surface reminding him of his connection to this place. Flame Island, while his domain, had never felt quite so lonely until now.

The phone buzzed again, bringing Kikidori's attention back to the screen.

"Heaven's… well, Heaven. Quiet as usual, but I can't wait to see you again, Kiki. Until then, I'll be thinking of you."

Kikidori smiled to himself, an unfamiliar warmth spreading through him as he read her words. "Thinking of you." He hadn't realized how much that meant to him until now. There was something about knowing she was thinking of him, too.

He quickly typed back, his fingers a little more confident than before.

"Same here. Flame Island is always here when you need it. I'll be waiting."

As he pressed send, Kikidori leaned back in his throne, staring at the screen with a slight smirk. He wasn't sure what this was between them—he wasn't used to relationships like this, with someone who cared for him in a way that went beyond the usual power dynamics. Ere'ana had seen past the demon he was, and that meant more to him than he had ever expected.

Cerberus let out a small whine, as if sensing Kikidori's unease. The chihuahua padded over to him, hopping onto the throne with surprising agility for such a small dog, and settled in Kikidori's lap once again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kikidori muttered, scratching the dog behind the ears. "I'm still not sure what I'm doing either."

The quiet of Flame Island enveloped them once more. The breeze ruffled the leaves of the few trees that dotted the landscape, and the stars above continued their slow dance across the sky. But for Kikidori, it felt as though time had stopped.

He had never been one for this kind of thing—waiting for someone to reply, wondering if they felt the same—but with Ere'ana, it was different. It was a rare, unspoken connection that he couldn't ignore, and for once, he found himself hoping that something good would come out of it.

The phone buzzed once more, and Kikidori's heart skipped a beat as he grabbed it. The message was simple, yet it made his chest tighten in a way he didn't understand.

"Take care of yourself, Kiki. I'll see you soon."

He stared at the screen for a few moments, his thumb hovering over the reply button. But no words came. Instead, Kikidori sat back, his gaze drifting toward the horizon, the soft light of the stars flickering like distant promises.

Maybe this was more than he'd bargained for. But at this moment, Kikidori couldn't bring himself to care.

The End of Chapter 29