Fire And Fear

The family sat awkwardly in the pews of the grand, glowing church. Kael leaned back with his arms crossed, his expression a mix of boredom and defiance. Kikidori, meanwhile, looked like he'd rather be anywhere else—preferably somewhere on fire.

As Ere'ana knelt to pray, Kael, feeling rebellious, turned to Kikidori with a sly smirk and flipped him off under the cover of the pews.

Kikidori's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" he muttered. With a snap of his fingers, a small flame appeared in his hand. "Let's see how funny you are with flaming hair."

He flicked the flame toward Kael's head, but his aim was... less than perfect. The fireball sailed past Kael, dangerously close to where God Himself stood at the altar.

Kikidori froze, his eyes widening in sheer panic. Without a word, he bolted from the church faster than anyone had ever seen him move.

Kael, Yumi, and Akuma burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the holy space. Even Aralyn giggled, though she wasn't entirely sure what was so funny.

But before Kikidori could make it far, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. It was God, his presence calm and serene.

"Kikidori," God said kindly, his voice warm like a sunrise. "Are you okay?"

Kikidori blinked, his panic slowly fading as confusion took its place. "Uh… yeah?" he said cautiously, glancing around as if expecting a trap.

God smiled, giving him a reassuring pat before stepping back. "Good. You seem tense. Take a breath."

The Prince of Hell stared at Him for a moment before muttering, "Yeah… sure… thanks." He shuffled back toward the family, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Kael, still laughing, leaned back in his seat. "I can't believe you ran like that."

Kikidori shot him a glare. "Don't push it, kid."

Kael smirked, undeterred. "What're you gonna do? Run away again?"

Kikidori's eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a wicked grin. "Don't make me tell your mom your search history."

Kael froze, his smirk vanishing in an instant. His face went pale, and he quickly turned forward, suddenly very interested in the sermon.

Ere'ana, kneeling nearby, glanced back curiously. "What search history?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with intrigue.

Kael stared straight ahead, his lips pressed tightly together. Kikidori chuckled, clearly enjoying his son's discomfort.

"Nothing," Kael muttered, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

Ere'ana's gaze lingered on Kael for a moment before she returned to her prayers, though the slight quirk of her eyebrow hinted that she wasn't entirely convinced.

As the service continued, Kael sat in silence, plotting his revenge, while Kikidori leaned back, looking more relaxed than he had all day.

End of Chapter 45