See You Later

The stars above twinkled faintly as the night wore on, the city below quieting into the stillness that came with the early hours. Kikidori stood on the edge of the rooftop, his dark figure outlined against the faint glow of streetlights. His horns cast eerie shadows as he gazed down at the city, his expression unreadable.

Ere'ana stood a few feet behind him, her glowing halo softly illuminating the space around her. She watched him with a mixture of curiosity and something she couldn't quite define.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

Kikidori didn't turn to face her. "Yeah. I've got a meeting in hell to get back to. Can't keep Lucifer waiting."

Ere'ana frowned, stepping closer. "Do you always have to go back there?"

"Where else would I go?" Kikidori replied, his tone sharp but lacking its usual venom.

She hesitated, her hands clasped in front of her. "You don't have to go back to hell, you know. You could stay here on Earth… or—"

"Don't," Kikidori interrupted, turning to face her. His crimson eyes locked onto hers, his expression hard. "Don't say I could go to heaven. We both know that's not happening."

Ere'ana flinched but didn't look away. "I wasn't going to say that. I just… I don't know. I thought maybe you'd want to stay here for a while."

Kikidori sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Earth isn't much better than hell, halo girl. At least in hell, I know where I stand."

"That's a sad way to look at things," Ere'ana said softly.

He shrugged. "It's the truth."

They stood in silence for a moment, the distance between them feeling both vast and impossibly small.

"Well," Ere'ana said, her voice quiet, "I guess this is goodbye for now."

Kikidori smirked faintly, his sharp teeth flashing in the dim light. "Guess so."

She stepped closer, her glowing form standing in stark contrast to his shadowy one. "I hope we meet again, Kikidori."

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading slightly. "Why?"

"Because…" Ere'ana hesitated, searching for the right words. "Because I think there's more to you than you let on."

Kikidori stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, uncharacteristically, he said, "Meet me here. Three a.m."

Ere'ana blinked, her glowing blue eyes widening in surprise. "You want to meet again? At three?"

Kikidori shrugged, turning away. "You're annoying, but you're not the worst company I've had. Plus, someone has to keep you from getting too full of yourself."

A faint blush crept across Ere'ana's cheeks, her halo flickering slightly. She tried to hide her smile but failed miserably. "Alright, three a.m. But don't be late."

"Don't hold your breath, halo girl," Kikidori said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

With that, he spread his dark wings, the edges glowing faintly with purple embers, and launched himself into the air. Ere'ana watched as he disappeared into the night, his figure becoming a faint crimson speck before vanishing completely.

She stood there for a while, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity.

"Three a.m.," she murmured to herself, a small smile playing on her lips.

With a deep breath, she spread her own glowing wings and ascended toward heaven, her halo shining brightly against the night sky.

The end of Chapter 9