The Demon’s Bride

"Curses aren't very important. There is something I haven't told you yet," Ian said, gaining Elise's gaze to look at him. She waited for him to speak, wondering what it was and he said, "Beel asked me to stab myself yesterday."

"What?" Elise gasped, she slept immediately after and wasn't aware of this. "How did that happen? Did you do it?"

"I did," Ian responded, he didn't think much of it, but Elise's heart sunk in surprise when she thought he had gotten hurt. "Don't worry, I didn't plan to stab myself but it was Lucifer's order and nothing happened to me after. Based on the expression Lucifer had, it appeared that he was checking or searching for something."

Lucifer again, thought Elise. What does the Demon want? Considering her memories of the past, he didn't harm her or was it because he didn't have a tangible body? Was she wrong to think that the Demon might be on their side? But he had ordered Beelzebub to stab Ian and Elise through it was better to put him on the enemy side.

"Are you alright? Nothing happened, right?" Elise then questioned, her eyes fell on his body, searching for the wound even though she knew it won't be there due to his healing ability.

"Nothing happened, he left as soon as he had seen me. It's strange," Ian hummed, his red eyes rolling to the the corner of his eyes in a thought, "Being a the Duke of Hell, he must know that a single stab won't be enough to kill me. Regardless he ordered me to stab myself."

Indeed it was strange, agreed Elise. Lucifer appeared so far to be a sly and clever person, why would he ordered Beelzebub to do such a thing when there was nothing to gain? What was Lucifer trying to see?

"Which reminds me, our talk yesterday didn't end well," Ian said, and Elise was brought away from her thought, her eyes focusing to his red ones, "We spoke about Heaven didn't we? It's the right time. Do you want to go and see Heaven for yourself?"

Startled by Ian's offer, Elise looked at him still and her eyes blinked after, "N-Now?"

"Yes, we are free until nighttime right? The faster you see it for yourself it's better," answered Ian, and without waiting his wings fluttered from behind him, appearing from two slits on his back as it grew larger. The feather fell as it moved on its own to shake away the dead feathers. "Your hand, milady?" Ian reached out his hand for Elise to take and she stared at it.

They were going to Heaven? "Now?" She repeated her question, still in shock and disbelief.

"You don't need to dress up and I can tell you it won't take a long time. Do you not want to go there?"

"N-No, I mean yes," Elise repeated her words, wringing her hand with her head slightly tilted with anxiousness that they were going to Heaven. Ian smiled cheekily while watching her and taking Elise by his hand, he brought her to the windowsill and soared to the sky, going to where Heaven is.

From behind them, Beelzebub who had stayed hidden behind the wall, stepped out. He made his way toward the window that was left open after Ian and Elise had left and moved toward there before materializing his wings. "I shouldn't owe people any longer. Especially Demons," sighed Beelzebub before pushing his body forward and followed the two by their scent.

The sky had turned much darker by the time Elise arrived in the open ground. Her feet landed before her entire body followed and stepping on the grass, her eyes curiously looked around the place, noticing that this was the same forest where Ian had showed her his wings, at first wanting to test her. 

Everyone by now had fallen asleep, therefore Ian's wings didn't caught any attention and even if it was in the afternoon, people rarely visit forest. Cold wind passed by Elise and in time she shivered, a sudden warm coated her shoulders. Looking up, she found Ian's knowing smile after placing his coat for her.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Ian tipped his head to welcome her. "This is the same forest that has a cliff, isn't it?" Elise then questioned. She looked around, finding no trace of animal or hooting sound from an owl.

"You have good memory, as I expected from my lovely bride," Ian whispered, flattering her, his eyes then looked to the left and he pointed his finger there, Elise followed his gaze and heard his deep voice explained, "That is the way to the cliff but we are not going there. We will be going there," Ian pointed the opposite way where Elise could see that part of the forest covered in thick mist. 

Due to the darkness, Elise didn't noticed it at first, but after Ian had put the particular path to her attention, she noticed the mist that covered the trees on that path. It was strange thought Elise, the mist on the side of the forest was so heavy that it covered the branches, making to seem so cold that entering there would bring a person to a freezing death.

But that wasn't the only problem thought Elise, "That is Heaven?"

Ian smirked and this was when Elise started to notice something was wrong. 

"How are we going to go through that mist?" Elise questioned as it was too thick, there was danger of them being lost there.

"Those mist are created as a barrier, to keep certain people away. But as long as you are with me we won't lose our way," Ian assured, and Elise took it that it wasn't his first time coming there based on his words. "Hold my hand, don't get lost."

"I don't think I will get lost," Elise responded as they went closer to the place that was covered by the mist.

"If you are with me you will never get lost, that's what you mean right?" Elise found Ian looking cheeky and a smile came on her lips. His habit of teasing her seamed to had rubbed her off and she replied,

"Well, if you think so?" 

"Naughty girl," Ian remarked and they entered the mist. When their body pushed through the white smokes that covered the forest, the mist went apart, breaking as they went through before it collected into one again, erasing the traces of them entering as if no one had been there before.

Elise held tight to Ian's hand, and she felt secure as she knew no matter what to come he won't released her hand. Looking around, the places was as covered by mist more than Elise had first guessed. She looked up, wondering if the sky could be seen but it was no where to be seen. The air was damp and there was no snow in the ground as if this part of the forest belonged to something else.

As they gradually walk further from the entrance, Elise became more certain that the Heaven Ian mentioned was different than Heaven where angels lived at.

"Oh, here we are," Ian announced and Elise watched the way the mist started to disperse, not entirely gone but enough to give them more space to see than earlier.

Elise moved her eyes from wondering around to look at one spot where the mist had entirely disappear, watching something rectangular. When her eyes narrowed, she appraised the rectangular box was in fact a coffin. 

Ian stared at the coffin as Elise did and he smiled when he noticed the shadow that thickened next to the tree, "Been a century, isn't it, Heaven?"