Chapter Twenty-Four

Your words are like a gun shot

I'm bleeding love

They hit me like a gun shot

I'm bleeding love,

Baby this love

I'm bleeding, for you

Oh no, No love

Stay away, for me

No more oh oh oh

Chapter Twenty-Four - Disintegrate

Nephele's POV

The days had progressed boringly, burning together as though they passed as grains of sand through a timer that was running out very quickly. The analogy was a scary thought, however very real.

Lucifer was overprotective, increasingly so. Clingy was different to what he was at the moment. He was beyond paranoid that I was going to get taken or something along the lines.

It may have been romantic and loving in intention, but it sometimes grew tiresome. For the Devil's sake, I still had not kissed the overbearing male more than once. Not on purpose of course, but it just never became a thing.

I didn't know what we were, or if we were a thing.

I don't know what was happening half the time anyway.

In these days following my graceful return, I had received numerous freedoms. These freedoms – albeit taking an excessive negotiations and discussions – were granted.

My persuasion skills had finally come in super handy in a life or death situation.

I had finally received some books and supplies from my old apartment. I wasn't surprised when I wasn't allowed to go in person due to what occurred last time I had travelled into the 'mortal realm', but I had a list which I had given to Lucifer.

Clothes had not been deemed an essential in this, since new clothes seemed to appear every time, I opened the walk-in wardrobe (which I had questioned internally but did not bother asking in the end).

Nonetheless, the small win over both medical, educational and leisurely books, which in the moment I had forgotten that Angelina wasn't Angelina and was instead Freyja, (and that she most likely won't care that I was no longer alive in the human world) because I thought she would've thrown those books out. All of them, she was a book sinner. I don't know anymore since everything seemed or appeared to be fake.

Everything I knew back then, in that darkened world just became darker. Like a blackened cloud had covered everything I knew, and now I didn't know anything about my previous life.

It was like I didn't exist there anymore.

All I knew was in this moment; all I knew was in this Castle and everything that applied to me then was nothing. I meant nothing back then.

It was a foreign and strange feeling – one that I could never describe to anyone who hadn't gone through such events.

"Ele." I shake my head slightly and hum gently, tingles rushing down my arms at the name. I was glad I didn't get the butterflies in my stomach sign, because I knew what that sign really meant. First year medical school we learnt about the Nervous System, and that the sign of butterflies in your stomach when you meet someone being an actual sign of anxiety rather than pleasure.

Butterflies didn't mean that the person was 'your one and only', and instead was a primitive warning of sorts.

Returning to the real world, I noted that Lucifer was seated on his office chair with work piled around his fore arms. I bit my lip as I looked at him, the light shining in from the window behind him making him look angelic as a piece of hair fell onto his forehead after being thoroughly run through by his fingers. His sleeves of the cotton white formal shirt he wore were rolled up to his elbows and it was evident by the look on his face and the constant shuffling that he didn't like the shirt very much. It was a very mundane thing to do; not like a shirt and it surprised me that he cared about something so small when he was a literal God.

"Yes?" Simple reply.

"You were zoned out again." He says with content as he stands from the chair and moves in a moment to my side. Surprised by his sudden movement, I gasp. "Tell me what's on your mind amare." I purse my lips and lean back into the soft cushions I was now surrounded by. Lucifer was squatting down next to me, but just as I rested back down arms surrounded my body and I was encased into warmth.

He was now underneath me completely, his legs sprawled out on the length of the couch as I rested my head against his chest. One hand on his shoulder and the other over his left collar bone, I don't move for multiple reasons. One was that he was a literal heat pack and I was sore – not sore from anything in particular, but instead sore from that time of month – and I liked his company. I liked being close to him in some ways.

It was comforting and nice.

Anyway, I was very surprised that the cabinets underneath the sink had sanitary pads and tampons. I wanted to ask Lucifer about it, but I didn't because I knew he probably put them there being the sweet thing that he was sometimes. It had been nearly two months since I had the last one, which did give me a scare even though I am not sexually active, but I narrowed it down to the stress. Since I had been literally 'chilling' and relaxing around the Castle for a while, it had decided to 'pop' in for a visit.

"Nothing is on my mind." I reply remembering I actually have to talk to people in order to make conversation when they start one.

"Something is on your mind; you just don't wish to tell me. You do know I was given certain powers for a reason." I smile lightly and turn my head up to look at him in the eyes, noting that he has a particular smirk on his lips.

"But you wont will you, because you promised you wouldn't do that to someone special." I smile sweetly to him again.

"No of course not amare." I laugh briefly but continue to look up at him, focusing on some of the fallen hair on his forehead.

"Anything you want to tell me?" I insist back to him, not expecting to receive anything in reply. Except I noticed the glint in his eyes, and by the quick flicker of his storm driven eyes to something on his desk, I knew he was hiding something.

I instantly push myself from his chest, my hair spilling over my neck like a curtain. The only thing preventing me from standing up and away from him was his hands which now circled my waist with a different type of tightness.

"Don't lie to me Lucifer." I stated rather passively, although it was probably more aggressively.

"I have nothing to hide from you Nephele." I squint my eyes at him, remaining in my position over him and waiting for a decent reply.

"I doubt that. At least tell me why you can't tell me." I offer an alternative. Like sure, keep things from me all you want, but if its something important, which it seemed like it was, at least admit you cannot tell me.

I hated liars.

"There isn't anything Nephele, leave it alone." His voice was rougher than usual and I knew that he was getting, not mad, but annoyed.

"Fine then, don't tell me." I roll my eyes with a small, tiny, smile on my face. I got to pull away from him completely, but his hands which now rested securely on my hips told me I couldn't move.

"Don't be like that amare. Besides, you are sexy when you are angry." I roll my eyes and hit him in the chest lightly before falling against him once more.

"That is gross." I mumble almost incoherently, although knowing to well that Lucifer can hear what I say regardless of how low I say it. Before he can say anything in retaliation, I bud in. "Can we get Ice-Cream now?" I ask quickly.

I did ask for ice cream a few hours ago, to soothe my dying uterus, but Lucifer said no. I did try to go out of the Office without the Devil but alas, I was prevented by the doors shutting. What made the situation peculiar was that he didn't even look at me when he shut the doors, and didn't even look at me when the doors disappeared completely. I had turned around and glared at him, but he remained still and continued to sign some documents.

Stupid Angel Demon Man.

That should be his new nickname, honestly.

"Yes amare, we can go get ice-cream now." I smile happily to myself and shoot up from the position I was in laying on his chest, before charging over to the doors which just appeared. I was almost to the door, somewhat regretting the run to the door, before I was pulled back by two arms to my shoulders.

"Not so fast." I groan as the words come from his lips with ease.

Lucifer held me back for a while whilst we walked, but ended up releasing his hold on my arms as I begun to skip to the kitchen in a cheery mood for some reason. Within minutes I was in front of the fridge, one hand with a bowl of mint ice-cream and the other with a spoon as I put the ice-cream back where it belonged.

Lucifer said he had needed to step out for a second to talk to Thanatos about something, which had me concerned and wondering what he was keeping from me. I didn't bother trying to eves-drop on him since I knew he would be able to tell if I was listening in on his conversation but that didn't stop me from imagining the things, they were telling each other.

I was going to wait patiently for the Devil's return but I decided against it as he was taking forever. Honestly, I was exhausted.

Although it appeared as I had been doing nothing for the past week or so, when I was better Lucifer required that I completed training with him at eight am till later in the afternoon. It was fun at first, but often led to me being exhausted by nine pm. I was also aware that Lucifer could change time within the Castle and was able to manipulate the amount of time I was able to sleep. For example, he would stretch the time between the time I went to bed and when I woke up so I could get more hours of sleep and then train, rather than me running on a few hours of sleep in an exhausted state. I found that interesting when he had explained it to me, because normally I don't feel so well rested despite the eight or so of sleep.

Sleep and Ice-cream regardless sounded very good right now.

With the bowl in hand I walked down the corridor that turned into the large hallway that seemed to connect to my Bedroom area. Everything had changed since I first come here. Almost everything anyway; only the layout of the Kitchen and the Starry Nights in the Hallway hadn't changed. Of course, some aspects such as the colours and the bedroom layout hadn't changed as well, but now everything was an open design. The kitchen area was connected to a grander living area than it was previous, making me think that this section of the Castle, which was considered the Private Quarters of The King (which I found very funny for some absurd reason when Lilith had informed me of the particular name), had become open spaced rather than a maze. I liked it better this way because it fitted better with my preferred style of interior design.

Despite earlier being able to walk in a straight line, as soon as I reached the large hallway that lead to the archway where my bedroom was located currently, I felt dizzy and out of breath.

I felt confused as though I could not remember anything about what I was doing, yet I could at the same time.

My head swam as the bowl of once precious ice-cream grew slippery beneath my finger-tips. Within seconds, painful and long seconds which lead to my eyesight flashing black as my eyes rolled into the back of my head, the bowl fell from my fingers and landed on the ground with a loud shatter of ceramic against the uncarpeted part of the hallway. I watched as though I wasn't in my body as I lifted my hand which once held the bowl to my side so I could see it completely, only to see it covered in a sticky red blood that dripped from an open wound on my hand and to the floor. My head fell to the side slowly as I crossed my brows, confused about the blood and even more confused as my body begun to descend to the ground and my feet fell through the floor.

The next thing I knew I was falling into the darkness, my hair flying around my as I left the real world as I knew and landed in a memory.

(A/N THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY, DON'T DO A ME AS A READER AND SKIP)

The walls were thick with partially dried blood and other bodily fluids I did not want to think of. The former liquid made me wonder where I was this time, but I knew it was better not to question it as the answer one would receive wouldn't be pleasant.

The smoothed stone floors were fatally cold against the balls of my feet as I sat in the corner of the cage, huddled like an animal scared from previous owners.

I wanted to not move, stay still, as though it wasn't me to want me to do this. It was the body I was in that didn't want to move, a body that was not my own. I pushed myself from their aura, which somehow disconnected me from their emotions and instead I looked around slowly, noting I was alone in this cell.

I knew that in some dreams I had been having, a few too many undocumented but always regarding the same topic of death, I would awaken overlapping a body that was not my own with the realisation, I could also feel their thoughts and emotions. It was as though I was connected to them.

Further my senses overlapped and overloaded with the touch and smell of this place, the iron rich blood that seemed to coat the walls like wallpaper had me wanting to gag, despite this place not being real. I swallow the fear in my throat and raise my hand from my bone carven body to above my head. With a sway of my fingers I float upwards, making me want to gasp with both surprise and sorrow as I realise that the body I was in, the body which wasn't mine, was badly beaten.

The blood on the walls was mine; or the body's which I was occupying.

In that instant sorrow and guilt filled me. I hated this feeling; the feeling that I couldn't help no matter how much I tried. I felt so helpless.

I look up to the bars that caged the body inside these three concreted walls. Everything in this room was cold, dark and grey. The bars were rusting yet still grey silver, the floor and walls grey, the darkness in the shadowed corners of this room the only thing that was not grey.

I furrowed my eyebrows, so confused as to where I was.

Voices, although faint whispered as they moved with rushed steps, approaching my cell. Or the bodies cell. I cannot bring myself to look at the individual in the corner of the room who was badly bleeding, death seeping through the cracks on the floor, as if it were trying to grab a hold of the individual huddled in the corner.

I tense my muscles lightly as I try and waft forward through the air, however I don't end up moving anywhere. Instead, I appear in front of the cell. The bars, which were now closer than they were a few seconds ago, are in front of my face. I wrap my fingers around the silver and sleek bars, feeling nothing as I do so. I figure that I cannot move myself greatly, and can only do certain bodily movements, such as lifting my arm, compared to flying through the air. I don't turn around, knowing that there is a body in the corner of the room already. That is the body that I am latching onto apparently, the one I am using to witness what I am about to witness.

I know I should inform Lucifer about this; about the latching onto bodies whilst I slept. But something in me thought he already knew, as though he knew what was happening. I didn't trust that feeling, because I didn't want to be betrayed by Lucifer.

I liked him a lot, I really did.

The thought of being betrayed by him this early into meeting him would be disastrous. I would have no trust in him anyway.

I only ever gave my trust once, and after that, if it was broken, I never could give it again. If you broke my trust, I can never supply the trust I once had in you.

To think that Lucifer might know something, might be hiding something drastic from me about me, would just break my trust completely. I understand that he has to hide certain things as he is a King, but I cannot have him hiding things regarding me. I cannot allow myself to lower my standards of trust for someone.

It is important that people realise that.

I listen as the voices grow distinguishable, their footsteps fast approaching my direction. I was here for a reason I figure, and they must be it.

"Mother, why do I have to stay here?" I barely see the girl move her mouth as she was far away, but I knew that the question came from her. She was still young, although the power that radiated from her body was far greater than what a child should have.

She was a God, however young she seemed.

"Nyx, you know you cannot understand why we are doing this." The voice that was so familiar said in a condescending voice to the little girl. The little girl; although definitely not her daughter due to the tension between them and the looks, sneered at her. They grew closer and I grew more worried as their features became obvious.

"I am extremely smart mother, do not act as I cannot understand." She seemed to have totally ignore voice who spoke to her, demanding an answer. I watch as the first figure, who I had completely dismissed stops metres from my face.

I really did like the energy this girl gave.

Pushing away the voice of my mind, a focus on the corridor that they were walking. It was completely in the dark, barely any light illuminating the path and making it visible to the three women. If it were not for the lamp, which seemed outdated by centuries in the first woman's hand, I would be surprised that they could navigate the way.

"Nyx, you have to hide. He will take you from me, and I am not allowing my child to fall to the King of Darkness." I watch as the young girls face fills briefly with rage, before it is diminished, as if knowing she cannot fight her mother.

I feel the familiar feeling of fear enter my throat, as I understand somehow what that girl was feeling, despite not understanding anything about her.

She did not appear child like young, maybe in human terms sixteen or seventeen years of age, but her nature and aura were young despite the power she radiated alone.

I figured that she was god-young, not body-young.

Her eyes were like mine, a lightened dark blue. Her hair was also similar to mine, still visible despite the black velvet covering she wore, except her hair was an ashen blonde, similar to the hair I had when I was in my teen years before it turned dark. Her nose was the same shape as mine as well, the body structure however was difficult to tell under the conservative black gown she wore. The gown was laced with intricate detailing, the black cloak that covered her hair from view was velvet like and flowed behind her like a veil. She looked like the Bride of Death, if Death would take such a beautiful Bride. Looking at it now, I did wonder how I compared her to a child when she was rather close in age with me.

I furrow my brows, forehead creasing in disbelief at the features we shared. She could have easily been my sister.

I purse my lips as the mother then turns in my direction, her eyes connecting to mine as though she could see me directly. I did not gasp as I made a connecting with the piercing blue eyes, the eyes that my mother had before her death. After her death, they were a dark grey, only becoming closed when forced by the morgue-officer as he asked my brother and I to identify her body. I was young, but it is one of my earliest memories.

Even as my mind wreaked havoc on early memories from my childhood, I knew that this woman in front of me was a doppelganger of my own mother. She had the same exact piercing eyes, same high risen cheek bones with sunken cheeks and poised lips. There was not a detail about her that did not remind me of the face of my parent who died in a car-crash in my childhood.

"Mother." I whisper lightly, the only word that seems to fall out from my lips int hat moment.

Why did my mother look like this woman?

"Nyx, you cannot be with him. He is the King of Darkness; he will break you into a thousand pieces and leave a thousand scars. Men are not to be trusted, My Little Cloud." Her voice was nurturing, the name she called her daughter delicate.

My little Cloud.

"He wouldn't hurt me. You know that, I know that. He can protect me, why do I have to hide away?" Nyx was smart, replying instantly. She would've made a great Lawyer. I knew that with the way she spoke, despite her limited interaction. She just seemed like she would be a great debater, especially if she could articulate the way she is now but in a dispute.

"Nyx, despite what you think, The King is not to be trusted in this War. They are after you, including him, and we are protecting you. You have no control in this situation." Her words suddenly became sharp and hurtful.

They were intended to anger, intended to cause harm. I watched as the woman with my mother's eyes smiled in my direction, her eyes soft as we maintained the eye contact. Pulling away from the contact, I moved my sight to the young god.

She looked distraught, her eyes watering as she took a step away from her mother. I saw and felt that fear. I felt what the girl was feeling, as though I was latching onto her body like I can do when I dream sometimes, except this time I was not.

"I didn't make this War; I did not start this War." She pauses and raises her head with a slight jerk. "You did. You caused Father to come after me, which caused others to come after me, and now I cannot live the life I wanted to live. I should have a say in what I do. I am over five-hundred years old; I am no child anymore." I felt for the girl, the pain in my own chest only growing at the thought of her situation.

"You are still a child Μικρό σύννεφο. You are my child and I will protect you."

"You cannot call me that anymore. I am not a 'little Cloud Nymph', I am my own person and I want to fight this battle a different way. I am the Goddess of the Night, not some weak girl anymore. I have a say in my own battles." I bite my lip as I stare at the girl with so many emotions flowing in my veins.

I hated this feeling of helplessness as I stood from the sidelines of the verbal and emotional battle.

I watch as she turns her back on the Mother and the other woman, who I had not identified. I watch as Nyx takes two steps away from the pair of Gods, towards the way they came. I watch in despair when she freezes mid step, looking back to the Mother and noting how her hand is outstretched and tensed.

"I am sorry my love." Her voice held no remorse or pain. No admiration or love either, making her words pure lies. It was cold and harsh, so cruel and icy. Her face was set in stone, the cloak around her glowing a black aura as she used powers of some type. I watched in utter dismay as a Mother broke her love for her Daughter in an act of cruelty. "I am doing this for you. For your benefit."

The girl remained frozen in the air, and darkened swirls of power twirling around her and holding her in a cage. One that I knew she knew too well.

"No." I feel the tears fill my eyes as I turn my head back to the young God. I watch as the girl is lifted into the air slightly, her arms nor legs not moving as she is placed in a frozen hold. "No." I feel the pain in her voice, the ache, the heartbreak at her Mother's actions. "You can't do this." She says as she is turned in the air lightly, an ice-blue aura starting to form around her as she tries her hardest to not let the tears of heartbreak fall.

"I have." It was robotic, totally different to the pronunciation and care she had used earlier.

"Maybe we shouldn- "The woman who I had paid no attention to speaks, the voice so familiar yet not at the same time. Before she can finish her sentence though, a darkened figure forms from thin air behind the Young God.

"Erebrus." The girl's voice was low and soft and I realised she sensed the man who literally spawned in behind her. She knew he was here despite not facing him and rather facing her mother. "Help me." Her voice was fading quieter and quieter with each letter she spoke, despite her mouth moving at the same speed. She was being silenced.

"Let her go Khaos." The darkened figure stepped further towards the frozen girl in mid-air. "Let my Beloved go, or you shall suffer the consequences for taking something that belonged to the Fallen Angel."

I looked back to the mother, furrowing my eyebrows at Erebus's voice because it was very similar but not taking in his figure.

"You have no chance Erebus. I know where to hide her." The mother only smirked at the figure, but I knew she was thinking over her decision. The look in her eyes portrayed some sense of fear. I knew who Khaos was in the Myths. She, or he depending on the stories, was one of the Original Gods to emerge at the beginning. She was the keeper of the space between the Heavens and the World.

What the legend said did not mean she was like this in real life; as Lucifer had been telling me.

"You do not wish to do that Khaos. Nyx is mine, and I am the only one who can protect her. We both know that." I bite the right flesh of my lip as I turn back to the male who was only feet away from Nyx.

"Erebus." It was a faint whisper now, her arm still frozen by her side. I watch as her mouth moves, she still somehow having the ability to talk despite being frozen. His eyes fixate on his Beloved for a brief second, thousands of emotions flashing into existence before disappearing once more, before fixating back on Khaos.

"I do not believe such things Erebus." It was a millisecond before a tendril of pure black comes lashing out from Khaos' other hand, aimed straight at Erebus. He reacts in time, a bright wall of flames rising in front of him to protect himself, however this wall separates him from Nyx.

I watch Erebus, the wall of pure red flames positioning itself so I can still see him as he realises what Khaos just did. I watch as his eyes turn bright red, like the flames that came from his hands. Erebus, typically was the God of Darkness, however he appeared to have powers similar to Hades. Concluding this, I believed that Erebus and Hades were the same, as they did have very similar roles within the Greek Myths.

I should've known what this meant, except I had yet to make the connection. That connection took a few seconds.

I looked over at Nyx, who's face contorted into pure fear and heartbreak, her eyes screaming and mouth falling open as the cool blast of ice-blue fire encased her body.

A scream fell from her lips as she fell from her position in the air, her ice-blue fire penetrating through the black ice that had encased her previously. The explosion of ice-blue fire cracked the wall to her side as the power surged, cackling and cracking like frozen electricity.

Except she never got to hit the ground.

Her scream continued, a scream filled with pure rage and brokenness as she faded into nothing within a second that seemed to last minutes. I watched with tears pouring down my face as she twisted her body to try and escape the remain black ice of her Mother that encased her body, her hand reaching out to Erebus as the firewall he had built ceased to exist.

I watched as his face contorted with helplessness as he leaped forward towards her disappearing body. I watched as their fingers came within centimetres of one another, her hand outstretched as her body disappeared into nothingness and he came down to the ground with a heart wrenching thud.

I knew that Khoas, the other woman, and Nyx had gone. I knew that Erebus was left alone in the dark hallway.

I looked at the male God with tears in my eyes, only now noticing something important. I only understood things now, and I only understood them now because everything was making sense.

Lucifer found me because he had been looking for me.

Lucifer had been persistent about being around me because he knew they would come looking for me.

Lucifer had been Erebus.

The voice was familiar because I knew it.

I knew that hair. I knew the lips. I knew the pair of eyes. I knew that body structure. I knew that face shape.

I raised my hands to cover my mouth in sheer panic and pain. I let a cool tear drop onto my cheek as I screamed with a cold and brutal pain in my voice as my world shattered underneath me as I connected the dots. I screamed with such pain because my world came crumbling down as I realised that I was lied to from the very beginning, from everyone and everything I know. My heart broke, shattering into thousands and shards as I realised that not only had Freyja been a trick, my own mother had been a trick. Lucifer had been a trick.

I continued to scream as I felt my body disintegrate into nothing, similar to the way Nyx did moments before, and I realised I was been taken away from what I now knew as solid ground.

And so, I screamed as I fell backwards into the nothingness of the blackened void. My stomach dropped as I continued to fall into the unknown, my hair freely flowing behind me as the world inverted and my screaming body shot up from the bed as the worlds shifted underneath me and I was brought back to the Devil's room with the least idea of what was the truth and what was not.

Word Count is 5561

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