SoulBound

Chapter 27: Moments of Respite

Lucifer stands in the midst of the aftermath, surveying the scene with a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. Henry materializes from a portal nearby, his presence a welcome sight. "That's the last of them," Henry announces.

"Thanks, Henry," Lucifer responds with a nod of appreciation. "Happy to help," Henry replies, offering a small grin.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Henry inquires, curiosity lacing his voice. Lucifer shrugs slightly, his gaze drifting across the battlefield. "I don't know. Vortem only took about 20 souls. We hold his army pretty well," he muses, his form shifting back to its normal state.

"Heck, we make a pretty good team," Henry remarks with a grin, a sense of camaraderie evident in his voice. "We sure do," Lucifer agrees, a smile playing on his lips.

Ava and I materialize in a portal beside them, catching the tail end of their conversation. "Good to see you guys are okay," Henry greets us warmly. "What's next, Ethan?" Lucifer directs his question to me.

"Well, I think we all deserve a rest after all of this," I reply, my voice reflecting a mix of weariness and determination. "But after that, we're going to proceed with the main course."

"Are you guys doing good?" I inquire, concern etched in my voice.

"We're fine. We manage to hold off Vortem's forces," Lucifer explains.

"How many souls did he manage to obtain?" Ava asks, her curiosity piqued.

"20 in total," Lucifer replies. "Most of them are normal humans, but 4 of them have shadow powers."

"Seems odd. Perhaps his army isn't that strong after all," Ava muses thoughtfully.

"Very well then. I'll take these two to the Citadel," I announce, gesturing to Ava and Henry.

Lucifer shakes his head, "I'll drop off Henry later. I wanna have a little chat with him."

As we start to leave, Lucifer leans over to me with a mischievous grin. "You and your little angel can go rest up first. Don't want to disturb your time with her. Hehe."

I shoot him a playful glare. "Why say it like that, Lucy?" Ava chimes in, clearly catching onto the playful banter. "Say what?" Lucifer feigns innocence. "It's nothing."

Ava and I head back to the Citadel, leaving Henry and Lucifer behind. Once we're out of earshot, Ava turns to me. "He's such a tease, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," I chuckle, shaking my head.

Meanwhile, Lucifer and Henry are engaged in their own conversation. "Listen, would you like to crash here every once in a while?" Lucifer offers, his tone surprisingly earnest.

Henry looks confused by the sudden invitation. "Why so sudden?"

"It's just that I don't get much company here, man. Lilith is busy, and Aurelius just comes here to check on the new arrivals in Hell. It would be fun if I had some company," Lucifer explains, his voice tinged with a hint of loneliness.

"I'm fine with crashing here, but will heaven allow that?" Henry asks, a note of concern in his voice.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll handle that," Lucifer assures him.

"Alright then. I guess it's back to the old days, huh?" Henry laughs.

"Yeah, I guess it does. Come on, I'll get you to the Citadel," Lucifer says, leading the way as they head off together.

Lucifer and Henry arrive at the Citadel, where they are greeted by Aurelius, who seems unusually excited.

"What's wrong with you, old timer? Are you finally losing it?" Lucifer teases, noticing Aurelius's demeanour.

Aurelius laughs. "What are you talking about, Lucy? That's not it. Just come with me to the lounge."

Curious, Lucifer and Henry follow Aurelius as he leads them through the hallways. "What's this all about? By the way, where are Ethan and Ava?" Lucifer asks.

"You'll see," Aurelius replies cryptically, his amusement evident.

Finally, they reach the lounge, and Aurelius motions for them to take a peek inside. "Okay, now you look like a robber trying to break into a house. A very old robber," Lucifer jokes.

"Shh, be quiet and come take a look," Aurelius urges, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

As Lucifer and Henry peer into the lounge, they're taken aback by what they see. Ava and I are passed out on the couch, with Ava's head leaning over my shoulder and my head resting against hers.

"Oh my, this is the cutest thing the devil has seen in a long time," Lucifer whispers, a rare softness in his voice. Henry agrees, remarking on how tired we must be to simply collapse on the couch like that.

Aurelius chuckles softly. "I must take pictures of this legendary moment." He proceeds to snap a few photos of the scene.

"And Ethan said that they were just partners. I think they are more than that, Lucifer," Henry observes with a knowing smile.

"You bet it is. I would like to see how this all turns out," Lucifer adds, his curiosity piqued.

Leaving us undisturbed in the lounge, they quietly exit, allowing Ava and I to rest in peace. Unbeknownst to us, a spark of purple particles appears on my hand while I'm still unconscious.