The Demon’s Bride

"This is the place," said Malphas at the second Elise arrived in the place which was called abyss. Hell was not too far from the abyss as it was the destination for the dead to come the last. "Most souls that have passed away would arrive to the abyss. In simple term, abyss is a sea, milady. A pitch Black Sea in which the soul had to walk across. The living cannot cross there without a cost."

"The cost is the soul of the people dearest to you," answered Elise to Malphas who downcastedly nodded his head. As a servant, Malphas was quick to sympathize with his master or mistress. It comes without a saying that he would always choose to be by their side such as now. Although Malphas wasn't directly Elise's servant demon, he had worked for Lucifer who was her uncle in law. 

The abyss was a place more dangerous than hell itself and perhaps this was the reason why his master had told him to follow Elise. While Elise was undeniably strong at her current situation, she was still new to the abyss unlike him who had came here for a few times. 

Elise looked around the abyss. As Malphas described after the dry land she was walking on with him, a wide Black Sea spread in front of her. While the sky above looked starless, the Black Sea was filled with white sparkles. As her eyes stared there, she wondered if the time had finally came for her to meet Ian again. Thinking so, happiness fill her heart, causing her to be overwhelmed by the delight but she was far from done. Elise pulled herself together so she wouldn't lose her guard even for a second. 

Although she was far from the shore, Elise could see the tall figure of her father. Quickly, Elise sped up, running toward her father who turned his face when he also noticed her presence close. Leviathan smiled when seeing her as with her presence here it would mean the old grumpy king had finally bend in and their plan had been to a success. 

Elise's blue eyes fell on the heavy large wings that her father held on both hands, "This is his wings."

"The one and only," confirmed Leviathan, "And I believe this should not be in my hands but yours," said her father as he slowly passed them to her hands. Holding the wings, Elise felt the heaviness of it making her realize this wasn't only her beautiful illusion. She thanked herself that nothing had went wrong to their first phase of their plan. 

"What did you do to the green fire?" Elise questioned. As she saw during the time the wings was kept closed in the glass case, she saw the green fire still burning the wings endlessly.

"I had used my trick. There shouldn't be anything that could extinguished the green fire. Lucifer himself wasn't able to do anything against the fire but even if they cannot be extinguished, they can be engulfed," Leviathan raised his hand for a small wisp of his shadow to appear. "I used them to engulf the fire." 

Seeing the shadow, Elise's eyes curved into a smile, "What are those shadows? They feel as if they are alive. They could think and act on their own. Last time when I fought the dark sorcerer, Jett left to protect the humans. It just seem that he noticed the evil presence."

"That's correct. This power doesn't come from your grandfather but your grandmother. It was a long story but in short your grandmother had been the one to befriend the shadows. Originally they weren't shadows but miasma, coming from the hatred of the demons. They are one of the few miasma who had regained their own control and mind to think. And unlike all miasma, they only chose their master on their own."

Elise didn't know about this and was fascinated with it, "I see... so Jett has a soul?"

"Once, perhaps he was also a demon like us who had died," answered Leviathan before looking at the sea. "To pass this side and bring Ian, we would need a soul. You told me that you don't need that. What do you plan to do?"

Elise smiled as she look at her father, "I will wait," she answered as her gaze went to the edge of the sea. "I am certain Ian will come back. He promised and he had never broken his promise... perhaps, he did but only once. However, I believe in this: he won't break his promise again."

Leviathan stared at his daughter, watching her eyes sinking in a smile that had him to smile as well, "I am certain he would," and if he not he would drag the man himself by his own means.

As Elise stared at the wings, she wondered of something and asked, "Does the wings hold Ian's memories?" It had been served from his body and she wondered if it was possible to read his mind again. 

"I suppose it must and regardless of the fact the wings appears to him after he had turned into a demon, it should store far more memories even before his turnings," Leviathan answered, "Lucifer told me he had taught you on how to read the memories of an object. Would you like to try reading the memories?"

Elise do have some questions in her mind and she asked herself if reading Ian's memories helped her to find the answer. She nodded her head. Leviathan then replied, "I suggest you to think of what you wish to know, the shadows will help you in leading you through his memories."

Elise kept what her father said and placed her hand softly on his wings. Closing her eyes, she wished inside her mind, "Show me the memories of that night."

In on instance, her view dipped black but quickly switched to the burning red color. Opening her eyes, Elise saw Lucy tied on the stake as people in front of her hold torches. 

"Demon worshipper! Tonight you should be he example to everyone on what would happen to those who had forsaken god!"

Lucy quickly shook her head, her eyes stared at her son and whispered, "Please don't hurt my son, he hadn't done anything!" And as Elise watched her from near point of view, she noticed that Lucy's words weren't quite directed toward the villagers but someone else behind the woman, it was a person who stood behind the tree, standing straight as he was cloaked in black.

"Please," Lucy begged to the man who stared at her with a continuous stale stance.