The next morning, I found myself falling into the usual rhythm of work. Mortals truly had a tedious existence, tied to their desks and endless piles of paperwork. For me, as La Muerte, the goddess of death, it was a task completed in mere hours, leaving me bored and restless. Across the hall, in his office , Lucifer was buried in his laptop, radiating focus. But even amidst my observations, my mind gnawed at the real issue-I still hadn't found a way to thaw the ice around his heart.
A goddess of death trying to warm someone's heart-it was ironic, to say the least.
I decided to interrupt his work, more for my amusement than anything else. Knocking lightly on his office door, I stepped in. He looked up, his dark eyes piercing through me as if trying to predict my next move.
"Do you need any help?" he asked, his voice smooth yet commanding.
"No," I replied with a sigh. "It's boring in here."
He raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly in his chair. "You don't like the atmosphere?"
"Not really. And Enzo's not around."
At the mention of Enzo, his entire demeanor shifted. Though subtle, I noticed the pause in his hands and the slight tension in his jaw. Trying to sound casual, he asked, "Why isn't he here?"
"He had some business to attend to in his hometown," I replied nonchalantly.
He hummed in response, but I couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "I kind of miss him, you know."
His hand froze mid-typing, and I suppressed a smirk. Oh, how adorable he looked when that flare of jealousy clouded his composure.
Before he could respond, a sudden feeling gripped me. Something was wrong-out there in the mortal world. I needed to act fast.
"I have to step out for a while," I said abruptly, breaking the silence.
"Why?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
"I need coffee," I lied, masking my urgency.
"There's a coffee machine in the office," he pointed out.
"It doesn't taste good," I quipped, already halfway out the door.
Without giving him a chance to press further, I vanished, teleporting to where the disturbance was strongest.
---
I appeared at a busy intersection. Mortals bustled about, oblivious to the tragedy that was about to unfold. My gaze locked onto a bus-its brakes screeched, the driver lost control, and in moments, it collided with a lamppost.
The grim reapers, my soldiers, materialized around the wreckage, ready to claim the souls of the victims. But a single glare from me stopped them in their tracks. I watched as the fragile souls departed, guided gently to the heavens. Once the scene was cleared, I turned my attention to the reapers.
"Why are you here?" I demanded. My voice carried an edge that made them tremble. "I don't recall giving orders for this."
One of them stepped forward hesitantly, holding out a fiery scroll. "The orders came from you, my Lady-or so we thought."
I examined the scroll, my eyes narrowing as I realized it was forged. A sense of foreboding washed over me. Something-or someone-was interfering in my domain.
"Dismissed," I ordered sharply. The reapers disappeared, leaving me to ponder the unsettling events.
As I turned to leave, I felt a small tug on my clothes. Glancing down, I saw a little girl staring up at me with wide, innocent eyes. Her presence startled me-no mortal should have been able to see me now .
"Miss, I'm lost," she said softly, her tiny voice tugging at something deep within me.
I crouched to her level, tracing my fingers lightly across her forehead. A vision flashed before me-her parents' tragic accident and her lonely arrival at an orphanage.
"Come," I said gently, taking her hand.
The walk to the orphanage was quiet, her small fingers clutching mine tightly. She didn't cry or panic, displaying a calmness that belied her age. I delivered her safely to the orphanage, exchanging a few pleasantries with the staff before disappearing again.
---
When I returned to the office, Lucifer was still at his desk, though he looked up briefly as I entered. He quickly pretended to refocus on his work, but the tension in his shoulders told me he'd been waiting for me.
I walked to the coffee machine, deciding to test the waters. With a flick of my wrist, I prepared him a cup and carried it over, Though he didn't see me using my powers
"Here," I said, setting it on his desk.
He glanced at the coffee, his expression unreadable. "Thanks," he muttered curtly.
I arched an eyebrow. His tone was colder than usual, and it didn't take long for me to connect the dots. He was still stewing over my earlier comment about Enzo.
I shook my head with a small smile. How could someone so powerful act like such an angry child?
As he sipped the coffee, I watched him out of the corner of my eye, pondering the strange pull I felt toward the mortal realm. Despite the distractions, a thought gnawed at me-how much longer could I walk this line between my divine nature and these fleeting human emotions?
The entire day had passed, and my patience was running thin. Lucifer's cold shoulder was starting to get under my skin. His usual sharp wit and biting remarks were one thing, but this silent dismissal? It was maddening.
I sat in my office, staring blankly at the papers in front of me. Normally, work distracted me, but not today. Today, I was stewing in irritation, and the fact that I couldn't simply rip his heart out in retaliation made it worse. I needed the Blaze Heart from him, but killing him wasn't an option-not without a valid reason, and certainly not while I was trying to "warm up" his metaphorical icebox of a heart.
With a deep breath, I decided to take the high road. Again.
The day passed like this ...
# after lunch,
I marched to the coffee machine, prepared his coffee, and carried it to his office. Knocking softly, I entered without waiting for a response. He didn't even glance up from his laptop.
"I thought you might need this," I said, placing the cup on his desk.
"Thanks," he replied flatly, barely sparing me a look.
I stood there, hoping for some sort of acknowledgment-anything that indicated he appreciated the gesture. But no, he simply continued typing, the sound of keys clacking filling the silence.
"Do you need help with anything?" I asked, my tone bordering on exasperation.
"No," he said curtly, his focus unwavering.
My hand itched to swipe that laptop off the desk, but instead, I turned on my heel and left, gritting my teeth.
#
This time , I decided to try a different approach. I walked into his office once more, this time carrying a stack of old books I'd retrieved from the archives.
"I thought these might interest you," I said, setting them down on his desk.
He glanced at the books, his expression unreadable. "What are these?"
"Rare texts on celestial artifacts. I figured they might help with your research."
"I see," he said, his tone clipped.
I waited for more-perhaps a thank you or even a hint of curiosity-but he simply returned to his work.
"Lucifer," I said, crossing my arms. "Are you going to keep ignoring me all day?"
"I'm not ignoring you," he replied, still not looking at me.
"Really? Because it feels like you are."
He finally glanced up, his gaze cool and detached. "Shouldn't you be busy in your files or whatever it is you do?"
My patience snapped. I said nothing, storming out of the room.
---
I sat by the glass window, watching the city lights flicker below. Maybe I was going about this all wrong. Lucifer wasn't someone you could win over with gestures or kind words. If I wanted to reach him, I needed to figure out what made him tick.
But as I stared into the night, one thought lingered in my mind: Was he really as cold as he seemed, or was this just his way of guarding himself?
One way or another, I was going to find out. For now, though, I needed to cool my own temper before I did something reckless.
The day had finally ended, but my anger still simmered, threatening to boil over. The entire building had felt the rise in temperature, no doubt a reflection of my mood. I sat in my office, trying to cool myself down, but the fire inside refused to be extinguished.
When I finally stepped out of my office, determined to leave, I noticed him emerging from his room at the same time. He opened his mouth, likely intending to say something, but I was in no mood to entertain his words. Without sparing him a glance, I walked to the elevator, my heels clicking sharply against the floor.
As I stepped into the elevator, I flicked my wrist, using my powers to close the doors before he could join me. His muffled voice calling out was cut off as the doors shut.
Inside, I leaned against the cool metal wall and took several deep breaths, trying to calm the storm raging within me. But no amount of deep breathing seemed to work. The fire of my frustration only grew.
By the time I reached his private garage, my anger had reached its peak. I marched to my car, got in, and slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles whitening from the force.
I was about to pull out when, to my surprise, Lucifer appeared, standing directly in front of my car. His chest rose and fell ever so slightly, a sign that he had likely run from the elevator to catch me here. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with something I couldn't quite place.
I honked the horn once, sharp and loud, expecting him to step aside. But he didn't move an inch, his stance resolute as if daring me to drive forward.
"Move," I hissed under my breath, knowing full well he couldn't hear me.
When he still didn't budge, my temper snapped. I pressed down on the accelerator, the engine growling as the car surged forward. I stopped mere inches from him, the front bumper almost grazing his legs.
He didn't flinch.
His unwavering defiance only fueled my frustration further. Fine, I thought. If he wants to play this game, I'll play it too. Turning the wheel sharply, I swerved around him and sped out of the garage.
Driving aimlessly, I eventually found myself at the site of a familiar soul's demise. Michael, the CEO of that crumbling company, whose time had come. His name had been etched onto the scroll of death , and tonight, his fate would be sealed.
When I arrived at his office building, the scene was chaos. Flames licked hungrily at the structure, casting an eerie glow against the night sky. The debt collectors who had set the fire stood outside, their faces smug as they watched the destruction unfold.
Inside, I saw Michael scrambling, his once-pristine suit now disheveled and covered in soot. He coughed violently, stumbling through the smoke-filled hallways, desperately searching for an escape.
I stood in the shadows, unseen by the mortals, watching his final moments unfold. The grim reapers hovered nearby, their skeletal hands gripping scythes as they waited to collect his soul.
"Not yet," I murmured, holding up a hand to halt them.
Michael's life played out before me in flashes. His greed, his deceit, the countless lives he had ruined in his pursuit of wealth and power-it was all laid bare. Yet, in his final moments, there was no repentance, only a desperate will to survive.
The ceiling above him groaned under the weight of the fire, and I knew the end was near. Just as he reached a window, the beams collapsed, trapping him beneath the rubble. His screams were short-lived, swallowed by the roar of the flames.
The grim reapers moved forward, their scythes glinting as they severed his soul from his broken body.
"Take him," I commanded, my voice cold and devoid of emotion.
As they disappeared into the ether, carrying Michael's soul to its final judgment, I turned away from the scene. I checked my phone to see any updates from Enzo. Just great! I forgot my phone in the office.
When I returned to the office, the air felt heavy, as if the remnants of my anger still lingered. Lucifer was there, leaning against the wall near my office door. His arms were crossed, and his gaze was piercing, but I wasn't in the mood to decipher whatever message lay behind it.
I brushed past him without a word, entering my office and shutting the door firmly behind me. I searched my phone and found it lying on my desk.
Sitting at my desk, I stared out the window, The rage within me had cooled, replaced by a deep, simmering frustration. I had done everything I could to make things right, to bridge the gap between us, but his cold shoulder and defiance were making it nearly impossible.
The soft knock at my door startled me, but I didn't respond. If he wanted to talk, he would have to try harder than that. For now, I needed time to think, to plan my next move. Because no matter how infuriating he was, I wasn't ready to give up just yet.