My Angel Girl

Kikidori soared through the endless expanse of space, the void stretching around him like a dark sea as he made his way back to Flame Island. His wings, massive and streaked with faint purple light, carried him effortlessly. The trip between Heaven and Flame Island had become second nature to him by now, but today, something felt heavier. The weight wasn't physical—it was the lingering warmth of the golden hour he'd just shared with Ere'ana.

When he landed at the gates of his castle, the demons of Flame Island, or as they were known, the Outer-Demons, stepped aside and bowed their heads in respect. Kikidori ignored them as usual, his mood as unreadable as ever. He pushed open the massive obsidian doors to his throne room, where the air always smelled faintly of sulfur and embers, and made his way to his quarters.

Inside his room, Cerberus lay sprawled out on a plush rug near the fireplace. The little Chihuahua-turned-demonic companion barely lifted his head when Kikidori entered, offering only a lazy wag of his tail. Kikidori dropped his coat on a chair and flopped into a large armchair near the window, where he could see the red skies of Flame Island stretching endlessly.

"Another day in paradise," Kikidori muttered to himself, his voice laced with sarcasm. Cerberus perked up slightly at the sound of his voice, then promptly went back to snoozing.

Kikidori leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes. His mind drifted back to Ere'ana and the soft light of the golden hour. He hated how she had a way of making him feel... things. Things he'd spent centuries burying under layers of cynicism and sarcasm. She was annoying, sure, but she was also...

"Ugh," Kikidori groaned, cutting off his own train of thought. He reached for a nearby lute—an ancient instrument he'd acquired centuries ago—and began plucking at its strings absentmindedly. Music had always been a way for him to unwind, to focus his mind when it felt too cluttered.

Meanwhile, back in Heaven, Ere'ana sat near the golden lake, her feet dipped in the warm, shimmering water. Her thoughts, as they often did, wandered to Kikidori. He wasn't like the other demons—or the other angels, for that matter. He was complicated, stubborn, and insufferably sarcastic, but beneath all of that, she knew there was something more. Something worth holding onto.

Without even realizing it, Ere'ana began to hum softly, her voice blending with the gentle lapping of the lake's waves. The hum turned into words, and soon she was singing, her voice light and melodic, carrying through the air like a gentle breeze.

"You wear your scars like armor,

But I see the heart beneath,

Though you hide it in shadows,

You can't keep it from me.

In the void between us,

Our souls find their way,

Bound by something deeper,

That no one can sway."

As she sang, the angels passing by stopped to listen, their usual stoic expressions softening at the sound of her voice. Ere'ana didn't notice them—her focus was on the song, on the words that seemed to pour out of her heart unbidden.

Back in Flame Island, Kikidori had begun to hum as well. The tune was different at first, but slowly, almost inexplicably, it began to match Ere'ana's melody. He didn't realize it, but his voice carried the same longing, the same unspoken connection.

"I walk among the ashes,

But your light cuts through the night,

A flame that keeps me grounded,

Even in my endless fight.

I'm not the hero you deserve,

But I'll stand beside you still,

For though the darkness claims me,

Your love bends it to your will."

Kikidori's voice was rougher, deeper, and yet somehow it harmonized perfectly with Ere'ana's. It was as if the two of them were unknowingly performing a duet across realms, their voices intertwining in a way that defied explanation.

In Heaven, Ere'ana paused for a moment, her brow furrowing. She could swear she heard something—a faint echo of a voice that wasn't her own. Shaking her head, she continued singing, her voice growing stronger, more confident.

Back in Flame Island, Kikidori felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as if the words he was singing weren't entirely his own. Still, he didn't stop, letting the music guide him.

Cerberus, now fully awake, wagged his tail enthusiastically, barking in rhythm with Kikidori's song. The little dog's energy seemed to lighten the mood in the room, but Kikidori didn't notice—he was too caught up in the music.

As the final notes of their respective songs faded into silence, both Ere'ana and Kikidori sat quietly, each lost in their thoughts. Ere'ana dipped her hand into the golden water, watching as ripples spread outward, and smiled softly to herself.

Kikidori, on the other hand, set his lute aside and leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the fiery sky outside.

"Strange," he muttered under his breath. "It almost felt like she was here..."

Cerberus barked in agreement, earning a faint chuckle from Kikidori.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kikidori said, reaching down to scratch behind the dog's ears. "I'm losing my mind."

In Heaven, Ere'ana stood, brushing the sand off her robes. She looked out at the horizon, where the golden lake met the sky, and whispered softly to herself, "I hope you're okay, Kiki."

Far away in Flame Island, Kikidori leaned his head back against the chair, a rare, small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The End of Chapter 35