Lyra was sobbing her eyes out even before they got inside the room, but as soon as she saw Raine crying, it got even worse. She almost wanted to cover her entire face because of how self-conscious she felt as she loudly cried like a baby. By the way she acted, Raine was clearly still a bit shaken up. She was curled up near the headboard of Zin’s bed, hugging his pillows, and she looked really troubled. She’s struggling to move, but she reached out to Lyra, telling her to move closer. Just as Lyra held her hand, the opening of the door caught their attention. Their cries just sounded even louder as Dame carried Rhian inside to meet with them. She was sitting beside her cousin, and she almost threw her body on top of Raine to hug her very closely. "I didn’t think we’d meet again," Rhian said. "I was so ready to die and face the devil for being such a bad girl," she tried to joke now that she’s with her friends. Of course, she’s back to being the cool and powerful girl once again. She w
Derrick can't help but feel sorry and guilty that he wasn't able to obey Lyra's wishes. He stood still, watching Lyra sleep peacefully after he tucked her in. Even though he understood well enough why she wanted to keep those memories, he had to do it. It's his own little selfish way of protecting her from the pain and for bigger problems like Lucifer himself. He has to make sure that Lyra won't have anything in her destiny intertwined with Lucifer, and this is the only idea that he has. He wanted to make her forget his face, but deep inside, he knows that if Lucifer wants to do something to mess with him, he's willing to go above and beyond.Just as he was about to lie down in bed with her, Derrick was stunned to feel something fall from his nose. As he touched his nose to check, black liquid came out of it, as if it were his blood. His eyebrows were raised. He never thought that he'd have a nosebleed again. Well, he really hadn't had one since centuries ago. He tried to cover his no
The new morning came in and brought happiness to the air. The sun was bright, but the heat was just right. It should not be too hot or too cold. When Lyra woke up, she energetically showered and got ready because she knew that a new phase of her life had begun. Who doesn't love new beginnings? Monday, the opening day of a new restaurant that she manages with friends, finally arrived. She doesn't know what will happen to them or what adventures it might bring to their plates, but she is very excited and ready to do everything and face it together. Rhian and Raine also woke up very early. They promised her that she would be the first to go to the restaurant. They wanted to fix something at the last minute and just wait there for their friends to be together on the very first day of their opening. Lyra spent a lot of time thinking about what she should do in order to handle the nerves that kept coming. It sure is stressful, but she knows that no matter how troubled she is, at least she h
"This is not the opening day that I expected." Lyra sighed as she sat back down on a little stool inside the kitchen. "My cheeks freaking hurt, my brain is about to rot, and I am so ready to hit my comfy bed to snore for an entire week or two. I don’t think I could handle this for much longer. I will seriously lose my mind, I swear!"Zin and Rhian were both sweating their faces off as Raine struggled to chop as many cabbages as she could for the stir-fried noodles that have been really popular. Who would have guessed that after the entire country saw how Derrick and Lyra ate the noodles made by Rhian, they would rush to the restaurant to try them as well? Lyra was baffled to see so many people screaming just because they could see her and Derrick talking. They were being treated as a power couple, like they just finished airing an entire season of a very romantic drama with the two of them as the cute and sweet main leads. Nobody would understand how stressful it was for her to make s
"Now that she was able to overpower you, after she was able to turn this around and use it to her advantage, you are finally calling me, crawling, and begging me to help you out, huh?" Wendy rolled her eyes as she checked on her magenta-colored nails; they were sharp enough to help her crawl up the walls if she tried really hard. "I can’t forget the moment that you threw me away and forgot about me just because you were fooled by that woman. You are never this dumb! Are you that poor? You are desperate enough to risk it even when you know that there is a big chance of her bluffing? You trusted that bitch over me?"Elvis grabbed his glass, filled with brown liquid and a huge block of ice. He sipped on it and made a satisfied face as he enjoyed his favorite liquor. The sun is still up, and he’s still at work, but that means absolutely nothing to him, especially when he wants to relax and have a little bit of fun in the middle of the day."I think you developed poorly, with your words, I
Lyra had never thought that she would wake up someday, excited to go to work. All those times that she worked her head off just for a small profit that didn’t even go into her own pockets Now, she can confidently say that this is her first real job—something that she wants to do and something that she knows she could pursue not just for herself but for her friends as well. She got up early in the morning to pick out a really cute outfit. She knew that a flowy dress would be perfect; the thick blazer was a bad choice. It was cute, but it’s also really warm. It won't help when she’s running around trying to help her staff with the serving.Although she’s the owner of the restaurant, Lyra hates to sit still and wait for her bag to get full. She would rather feel her back aching and her knees cracking than sit pretty at the counter, at home, or in the office. Derrick hates it. He has to go to the office today to meet with the possible investors that they poached from Watson. He spent at l
It was chaotic. Everyone who walked near the restaurant couldn't stop checking out what the commotion was all about. Men, lots of them, were yelling and chanting at the girls; some kept on begging to get a glimpse of them. They were banging on the doors like their lives depended on it. Nobody would doubt it if a video of the scene was uploaded online with the random title of an apocalypse movie or whatever crazy topics there could be."I have never been this stressed in my entire career as a cook."Raine and Lyra both snapped their necks just to be able to throw a very judgmental glare at their friend, Rhian. She has her arms crossed as she slowly shakes her head. She then flipped her hair before puffing out a breath of air to release more stress."You’ve been a cook for an entire day, Rhian," said Raine. "We opened the restaurant yesterday. You are acting as if you’ve been doing this for half your life.""You even purse your lips like those aunties who have had their food carts runni
Rhian grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and as she turned around, she was surprised to see Jenna standing in the corner, looking sad. Rhian immediately went over to her and asked if everything was okay. She knew Jenna as a bubbly girl. Although she was always shy, she's not going to sit in the corner just to avoid other people.Jenna explained that the customers had been bothering her and harassing her with questions, making her feel uncomfortable. Rhian listened sympathetically and gave Jenna a comforting hug. She knew that they needed to address the issue immediately and suggested to Jenna that they go talk with her business partners, Raine and the main owner, Lyra. Rhian led Jenna to the kitchen, where the three women huddled together, discussing the situation and how they could best support Jenna and the rest of their staff members. They agreed to take action to ensure that their restaurant remained a safe and welcoming environment for everyone."This is getting even wors
"It’s already seven; where is she?""I swear, Zin, they told me that they would be home immediately; they were just in the restaurant; what would take them so long? They can walk from there to here and it will only take an hour.""I think we should have followed Miss Lyra around as well," Zin replied to Dame. "It is much more difficult for us to take good care of her when we are still focused on the office job. It’s going to risk her life even more. We made a really bad decision; I am already calling it." Zin bit his lips and sat back down on the couch, looking out of the window to see the exact moment that the security people and Lyra would arrive back home. "I think it’s better if we just tell her exactly whats happening. It could really be the best option, but we ignored it like a psycho and chose the risky approach.""I know that trusting other people for Miss Lyra’s safety is a little bad for us to do, but it’s a matter that should be stopped by humans, right?" Dame stated. "If s
"It’s been fine," Lyra happily smiled as she spoke with her friend, Rhian. "I know that you two might think that I am lying, but I swear, I am doing a lot better this week. I am trying my best to have my best life.""I know you are really worried because of your relationship with Derrick; Zin has already told me that," Raine joined in as she placed two huge bowls of shaved ice dessert on the table. "He had told me that the two of you had a really bad fight. He asked us to be extra nice to you because you are really sad about it.""Yeah," Lyra lied. "But we were able to talk it out.""Of course, nothing will be resolved when you put time and effort into communicating your real feelings and your true emotions. It’s really great to hear!"Lyra nodded once again. She was not able to tell her friends that everything they were talking about right now were thoughts and pieces of information that appeared out of nowhere. Dame and Zin had informed Lyra one week ago that there was a rumor roami
"Dame!" Zin rushed inside the mansion with sweat dripping from his forehead. He saw how Dame’s eyes grew big in surprise, and before he could even say anything to him, Zin had already snatched his cold beer and chugged it right in front of him. "What happened to you?" Dame looked around, checking whether there was someone chasing after Zin. However, aside from the beautiful and calm view of the pool behind him, there was nothing. "Why do you look like that?" Is there someone chasing after you? Are you in trouble?" "I don’t think I was being chased," Zin said. Dame rolled his eyes when he answered. "Then why do you have to come in here as if you were about to die or something? You stressed me out within the few seconds that you arrived." He grabbed the bottle of beer from Zin’s hand and took a sip from it as if claiming what was his. "What’s wrong with you then? Were you able to visit Master?" "I did," Zin answered, sitting beside Dame. "I actually did a lot more than that, and I r
As Zin soared higher in the darkened sky, he marveled at the view before him. The borders of hell and earth were marked by a jagged line of jagged rocks that extended as far as the eye could see. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur, and the sky was a deep shade of crimson that seemed to bleed into the horizon. In the distance, he could see the dark silhouettes of mountains rising up against the fiery sky and the occasional flicker of flames dancing in the abyss. It was a desolate and terrifying landscape, but one that Zin had grown accustomed to over the years. As a demon of hell, he had traveled to the borders many times, but this time felt different, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. Going closer to the edge, he felt tightness in his chest. It's always been this way whenever he flew closer to crossing the borders. He could already feel the breeze coming from the land of the living, but his gut feeling seemed to have won that tim
Elvis sat in his grand office, surrounded by opulence and extravagance. The room was adorned with expensive paintings and rare collectibles, but the air was thick with tension. Wendy, his best partner in crime, sat across from him, her face set in a deep frown. The only sound in the room was the soft ticking of a gold-plated clock on the mantle. Despite the grandeur of the room, there was a sense of foreboding that seemed to permeate every inch of the space. Both knew that they were treading dangerous waters with their plan to bring down Lyra, and the tension between them was palpable.Elvis sat across from Wendy in his office, his eyes locked on hers as he pitched his latest plan."Wendy, I need you on this one," he said, his voice low and urgent."What's the plan, Elvis?" Wendy asked, crossing her arms."We need to bring Lyra down," he said, leaning forward in his seat. "Something that we always do, but this time it's going to work out!"Wendy listened to Elvis with a sense of appre
Dame was surprised to find Lyra sitting alone in the dark living room with no lights on. He had brought lots of food back to the mansion, hoping to lift her spirits, but seeing her like this made him worried. It was really bad timing that Zin decided to try and go back down to hell that night. Dame could tell, just by the vibes that had hit him straight on, that he wouldn't know how to deal with Lyra like that."Miss Lyra, are you okay?" he asked, placing the bags of food on the coffee table in front of her. He wanted to kick himself in the face. The look in her eyes is the perfect tell that she is not doing alright, but he still chose to ask, just to make her feel bad that it shows. "You know what, let me just get the lights; don’t even bother," he whispered before walking directly to the switch.Lyra looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "You are already back?" she asked, confused as she watched the leaves outside the window dance. "It’s already dark outside," she sa
A black bird flew into Derrick's shoulder as he was calmly watching over the newly appointed demons in his realm. As soon as he was able to look into its eyes, his mouth fell wide open, and his jaw hit the floor beneath him. He won't be able to forget those eyes, and he would never forget how Zin looks when he's in his real form.Immediately, Derrick stood up to snap his fingers in the air, and without waiting for another second, they were inside a dark room. Derrick's own little space whenever he wanted to stay out of everyone's sight. His only hiding spot from all the demons that would often try to bombard him with a bunch of questions or sometimes the yells of those souls who were being punished."What are you doing here?" he immediately asked. Right before his eyes, he watched as Zin transformed into his human form to hug him. "Zin, is there something going on? Why are you back here? You crossed the borders again?""Master, it doesn't matter right now," he said, still clinging on
Derrick paced back and forth on his desolate throne in hell, tormented by the images and thoughts invading his mind. He kept seeing Lyra, his beloved wife, surrounded by sinister figures and cloaked in shadows. The more he tried to push the visions away, the more they persisted. Even if he knew that he'd only bring chaos into Lyra's life, he found out that he wouldn't be able to give it up that quickly. Especially after he spent an entire month's worth of time in hell reminiscing about the moments they had together."My dear, please be safe out there," he whispered, wishing that it was only the thoughts in his head that kept on messing him up and not real visions or premonitions of what was happening or what was supposed to come for Lyra in the land of the living. If that was the case and he's stuck down in the depths of nothingness, he will for sure not be able to move forward. He is afraid of what he might end up doing just to stop that."I do not need much," he stated. "I only need
Lyra sat at the breakfast table, pushing her food around with her fork as Zin and Dame bid her farewell. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Miss Lyra," Zin said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Take care of yourself," Dame added, placing a hand on Lyra's shoulder. "If you need anything, just call us." Lyra forced a small smile. "Thanks, guys. I'll be fine. I just need some rest, that's all." Zin and Dame exchanged a worried glance before Zin spoke up. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay? We can handle the hotel issues later." Lyra shook her head. "No, it's fine. You guys go ahead. I'll take care of myself." As they gathered their things and made their way out of the mansion, Lyra was left alone with her thoughts. She couldn't shake the conversation she had with Lucifer out of her head, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. "I can't believe he would do something like that," she muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why would he want to