Chapter 8

** Unexpected Knockers**

**Athena's Point of View**

As the celebratory chaos fades into a pleasant buzz in my ears, I retreat to my room, exhausted but oddly content. The lavish surroundings and celestial festivities have begun to feel a little less foreign, though I still can't shake the sensation of being in an elaborate dream. 

I slip into my bed, the silky sheets cocooning me in comfort. Just as I'm drifting off, ready to embrace whatever strange dreams this place has in store, I hear a knock at my door. It's soft but persistent, like someone's trying to get my attention without being too intrusive.

"Ugh, what now?" I mutter groggily, rolling over in bed. I expect to see someone mundane—a friendly angel or perhaps Lirael, coming to check on me. Instead, I swing open the door to find… 

"Lucifer?" I exclaim, blinking in disbelief. 

He stands there, looking remarkably unfazed by the surprise. "Evening, Athena. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all," I reply, though my brain is screaming at me. "Just settling in for the night."

Lucifer steps inside, his presence immediately filling the room with an undeniable intensity. My heart starts racing again, and I feel that strange, magnetic pull toward him, like a cosmic forcefield of awkward chemistry. 

"So, what brings you to my humble abode?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant while inwardly panicking. 

"I wanted to check on you," he says, his gaze lingering a little too long. "I noticed you seemed quite at ease during the event, and I thought I might get to know you a bit better."

"Really? You're here to get to know me?" I raise an eyebrow, feeling the pull getting stronger. "What's that about?"

Lucifer smiles, a smirk that could melt a glacier. "Well, you're a bit of an enigma, aren't you? It's not often someone makes such an impression."

"Is that what you're calling it?" I say, half-laughing nervously. "I thought it was just the universe playing a cruel joke on me."

"I assure you," Lucifer says, stepping closer, "it's not a joke."

I try to ignore the way his proximity sends shivers down my spine. "So, what exactly do you want to know?"

Lucifer's gaze softens, and he seems genuinely curious. "For starters, what's it like being you? You come from a place so different from ours, yet you fit right in."

"Well, that's a loaded question," I say, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Let's see… I'm an ordinary girl with an extraordinary amount of bad luck. I thought I was just here to get a second chance, but apparently, I'm here to stir up trouble or something."

Lucifer chuckles, and the sound is rich and warm, like a perfectly aged whiskey. "You certainly have a way of putting things."

I can't help but smile despite myself. "Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises."

Lucifer seems intrigued. "I'm curious about your life before you arrived here. What's it like to live in such a mundane world while being thrust into the extraordinary?"

I shrug. "It's kind of like having one foot in reality and one in a comic book. I mean, I've never had to deal with dragons or angelic councils before. My biggest problem used to be getting through a shift at the diner without a disaster."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused. "A diner, you say?"

"Yep," I say, feeling oddly comfortable with this bizarrely charming devil. "And trust me, that place had enough drama to rival any celestial court."

"Interesting," Lucifer muses. "And here you are, now surrounded by even more dramatic beings."

"Welcome to my life," I reply with a smirk. "Drama follows me like a stray dog."

Lucifer laughs, and the sound is so genuine, it almost makes me forget how surreal this entire situation is. "You have a remarkable ability to adapt, Athena. I'm intrigued to see what else you'll bring to Lanom."

"Yeah, well, I'm still figuring that out myself," I say, standing up. "So, any other reason for your late-night visit, or was this just to satisfy your curiosity?"

Lucifer's expression turns thoughtful. "There's something about you, Athena, that makes me want to understand you better. It's not just about curiosity; it's… well, let's say it's a bit more personal."

I raise an eyebrow. "Personal, huh? You mean, like, you're trying to figure out if I'm a threat or something?"

"Not exactly," Lucifer replies, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "More like… wondering if there's a deeper connection between us."

I blink, momentarily lost for words. "A deeper connection? As in…?"

"As in," Lucifer says, his voice dropping to a more serious tone, "I feel a pull toward you, something I can't quite explain. It's rare, and I'd like to explore it."

"Well," I say, trying to process this new revelation, "I guess I'm up for a little cosmic exploration."

Lucifer smiles, and it's a smile that seems to light up the entire room. "Good. I think we're in for an interesting journey."

As he turns to leave, I can't help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. There's definitely something electric about the way he looks at me. And as I close the door behind him, I can't shake the feeling that this strange connection might just be the beginning of something even more extraordinary. 

The bed calls to me, and as I climb in, I try to make sense of everything. One thing's for sure: my afterlife is turning out to be even more unpredictable than I imagined.