Aɳɠҽʅιƈ Hυɳƚɾҽʂʂ σϝ Bʅσσԃ αɳԃ Sƚҽҽʅ

Chapter 12: Bridges Burnt in Holy Fire...

What a total shit show...

Lute was to ensure their meeting went peacefully,  advising Adam as his supporting lieutenant. 

She failed...

Adam tricked Hell's Princess, Charlie Morningstar into handing him complete control over the Annual Extermination. Now the First Man sped up the timetable...

By a whopping six months.

Fuck...

Lute thought he knew her father. That after this past week, she thought he was finally changing his ways for good. But apparently, Adam is not as reformed as she once thought...

Adam betrayed Lute, her own damn father.

This is quite literally the worst outcome that could happen to her...

And Lute doesn't see a way out of it.

...

[Heaven]

[Halo City | Lute's Home]

The arrival back to the Silver City was not a fun one.

Immediately as the portal closed and those summons released her, Lute absolutely grilled into Adam. Yelling more than she ever had before about his decision and the repercussions it could have on Heaven.

But Adam ignored her completely, brushing Lute off with the reason of him 'preparing for the upcoming Extermination'. Having to report to Sera about what transpired in the meeting, no doubt wording the events in his favor.

So in the end, Lute simply went home...

Trudging up the small steps of her front porch, Lute digs into her pocket, finding her keys, and opening the front door.

With a sigh, Lute rests her back against the door, shutting it with a heavy slam. Totally exhausted from today, the Exorcist slides down pathetically on her ass. She rids herself of the LED mask, staring into the frozen expression with anger.

It reminds her too much of Adam and his lies...

Lute throws the helmet across the room with a shout, hearing the object smash against glass and furniture as the Exorcist begins to seeth in silence.

Quiet sobs begin to follow shorter...

"Why..." Lute whispers, gritting her teeth. Hugging her knees as the small start of tears flow down her face. "Why did things have to end this way... Every damn time..."

Lute can't help the feeling of helplessness washing over her. The absolute loneliness of her crying away her worries all by herself in an empty house.

Her father continues to destroy everything...

All that Lute has watched him try to build. The goodness Lute saw in him, even just a sliver, but something, snuffed out before it could even begin to flourish.

"Maria..." Lute says in between tears. "Why..."

Remembering the Huntress and her fading silhouette earlier that day. When she unexpectedly had to leave, abandoning Lute in favor of doing God only knows what...

The Archangel left Lute, diminishing the trust they had only started to form. The young Exorcist concludes their trust, even their friendship is meaningless.

Because when Lute really thinks about it, everything that she had with Maria...

Their passionate conversations over combat...

The humorous and witty banter to fill the silence...

That familiar feeling of warmness appears once more in her chest, returning in intensity the longer Lute thinks about her. It starts to devolve from just about their relationship, to about Maria herself.