Time For Exchange

“Mom… I’m sorry… maybe this is my punishment for being a worthless child,” my tears fell down as I could slowly feel the heat of magma underneath my back.

I thought I was going to die, but I felt someone else’s hand strangling my arm.

“Emerald! Don’t die!” As I slowly opened my eyes, I viewed my mom saving my life. It was blurry, but I know I could sense her presence. Her words keep on repeating inside my head that bring back my confusion.

“Hey, hold on! I don’t want you to die this way!” I widely open my eyes and saw Lucifer saving my life.

“It was you?!” I divulged as I cried for no reason in front of him.

Lucifer hugged me while we’re both floating in the air. He gently wiped away all my tears and I feel comfortable with him for the vey first time. For some reason, he has this warmth that I’ve been seeking for the rest of my life.

Afterwards, our feet both landed on the ground. Using his long fingers, he combed my hair then put his lips onto my scars and it healed.

“W-Why? H-How?” I wondered.

“Surprise? I have this power that when I kissed scars, it will eventually healed,” he explained.

“Those scars… does it hurt?” I looked at his forehead and saw the scars that I’ve caused him. I eventually felt the guilt so I gently touched it.

For some reason, Lucifer’s face turned red and didn’t got to look at me directly in the eyes. 

“Well, to be honest I could easily remove this scar but… it was the most beautiful scar I’d ever had since my bride caused this scar.” He held my hand and kissed it.

I blushed and didn’t know what to say right after I saw his cute expression. Since he saved me, I don’t feel scared anymore now that I realized that he’s not going to harm me but I still don’t wanna marry a demon like him. When he proposed to me again, I rejected him without hesitation and begged for my freedom to escape from hell but he resisted.

“As you can see, you’re here because heaven abandoned you and you cannot go up there to be with the angels and God that you used to praised. You are bound here and we’re bound for each other, Emerald,” Lucifer clarified.

“N-No… my God will never… threw me in this kind of place!” I strangled my hand and raised my voice towards Lucifer.

“Come with me!” He ignorantly grasped my arms and we went into a sacred place where I found a gleaming door towards the heaven.

“Why are you showing me this?” I asked him.

“Go ahead, try to step inside it and check if you can,” he answered.

My body trembled as I slowly walked towards it. The hope within me flared up that I’m finally able to reach the heaven. But, the truth was far from what I am expecting. It feels like I’m touching a strong glass and I’m unable to get in.

“Lucifer, what’s happening?! I can’t step inside it!” I shivered.

I keep on forcing the light to let me in but it was helpless. I cried and cried until my body gave up. 

“God! Can you hear me?! Let me in! I’m begging you! Please! Forgive me for wasting my life! I don’t want to be here! Let me in! I wanna go home! I miss my mom! Please forgive me!” I keep on punching the hard light and plead for it to break.

“Stop it Emerald! You’re hurting yourself! It’s no use!” Lucifer pulled me closer to his chest then stopped me.

“Just accept the fact that you’re bound to be with me here under the hell. If you’re worried about you’re life, I will always protect you, I promised that.  No one’s going to hurt or harm you.” He hugged me tighter and I could feel his warmth for the second time around that I don’t have any idea that I already fell asleep onto his arms.

I woke up laying down on a soft white mattress inside ta room filled with spider’s web and fragile floor. I stepped in and I could hear it’s crunchy sound below me.

“Where am I?” I looked around and noticed that the windows and doors around me are locked.

But after a while, the door had opened and I viewed Lucifer along with his followers walking towards me.

“Master, she’s already awake."

“Tell everyone to be prepared for our wedding,” Lucifer smiled at me then handed a piece of shining ring over my hand.

“What is this?”

“Take it and prepare for our wedding.”

My eyes widened right after I found out that Lucifer prepared our wedding ceremony while I’m still unconscious. I thought he’s already crazy, I can’t believe that he’s too willing to marry a human like me.

“W-Why?! I ob-,” he gradually covered my mouth and stopped me from rejecting him again.

“As you can see, I’m the demon king and I saved your life. So, you have to marry me for exchange,” he coldly clarified.

“What the hell?! Did you do it on purpose?!” I acted terribly mad and doubted his good will.

“Come here.” Lucifer pushed me down on the bed and strangled my arms so I wouldn’t be able to resist.

“Emerald Greenfield, you have a choice. Be my queen or be my slave. If you don’t marry me, the demons will burn you down and make you suffer. But, if you accept our marriage, you’ll receive their respect and in addition, my affection, you like it?” He claimed.

I came to think about what he said. Lucifer was right, it would be ideal if I just accept his marriage proposal to be able to live under the hell. He’s powerful and strong and in my position, I don’t have any power to fight against him so I just accepted his offer.

I wore a black long gown while holding a thorny red roses on my hand. The demons are watching over me. I could see Lucifer waiting for me in front. He’s smiling and looks so happy for some reason, I smiled back.

But that moment, I know that I was just  forcing myself. I put my head uphigh and see no stars but darkness.

“Emerald Greenfield, do you accept Lucifer Denville as your husband?”

“Y-Yes....”

“Lucifer Denville, do you accept Emerald Greenfield as your wife?”

“Yes, with all my life.”

“You may now kiss your bride.”

As our lips slowly touch each other, a group of goblins interrupted the wedding ceremony and tried to throw thousands of fire in the place.

“Lucifer Denville! We can’t accept you as our king! You must die!” The goblins run faster towards us and tried to put a thrust.

 Lucifer did his best to protect me. He made a huge barrier against the goblin and fight back.

I could sense his anger erupting within him. I distanced myself far away from him right after I observed that his eyes were already flaring up with anger.

“How dare you to interrupt with our moment, you’ll pay for this,” he murmured.

The rocks flew apart while the fire condensed in Lucifer palm. The loud struck of lighting destructed the whole area until he threw a gigantic meteoroid towards the goblins. Some of them died and some started to retreat.

Lucifer was so mad that he even tried to follow them but I strangled his arms and stopped him from doing it. He looked at me deeply until he completely fainted.

“H-Hey!” I trembled as he got to sleep on my chest.

I thought he already lost his consciousness that moment but he still got to talked to me. He hugged me then put his head up high towards my face.

“Emerald…” he gently whispered my name.

“Yes? What is it?”

“I’m tired…”

“Well, you must rest.”

“I will only rest if you only sleep with me in bed,” he claimed.

And that moment shocked my life.