𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 || 𝘏𝘢𝘻𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭

| 20 |

She released an exhale while dangling her legs over the ledge of the hotel's roof, having escaped the confinements of the rather stuffy hotel lobby. It was a rather peaceful day for a place like Hell. The city was still buzzing with life, but the usual agonized screaming filling the air was absent, and so were the shouts of slurs, more occasionally than often.

She let her eyes flutter close, relishing in the odd but calm sensation it brought her, letting her thoughts wander.

It was finally the day she was going to go back to where everything had started and end her mission once and for all. Azrael had caught onto her intentions, but his warnings had been in vain, whilst Lucifer was oblivious to everything she had schemed, he wasn't that naive to know where she belonged and where she did not.

She sighed, as for the past few days, her thoughts constantly returned to that day Azrael shown a new light on her, followed by Lucifer's almost disappointed look wash over his features. The memory haunted her—much to her annoyance. It wasn't the same kind of haunting like how Alastor's words impacted on her, but nonetheless, tiring to recollect.

On the topic of Alastor, the past few days, he's been trying to find moments with her alone. She wasn't sure as to why, but she knew it meant no good. He had a plan, she thought. And she didn't have an ounce of doubt that he was going to back down until he got what he wanted.

Suddenly, the peacefulness was disrupted.

"Estella, my dear!"

Speak of the devil.

She didn't lift her head up to acknowledge him, nor did she reopen her eyes to meet his form, merely letting out a quiet hum in return.

Alastor's eyes narrowed at the lack of response he was getting from the fallen angel, choosing to silently admire her from behind instead. He watched as the gentle breeze blew through the tussles of her platinum hair, but for some reason, it made her already angelic features look even more ethereal. Although he couldn't see her face as she had her back on him, just by the way her shoulders were at ease and body leaned slightly backwards, he knew she was at peace.

He quickly shook his head, snapping himself out of his trance before taking a step forward, moving closer to the creature sent from above, stopping shortly by her side to admire the scenery. From his point of view, Hell had always looked ugly and been ugly, through and through. It was a place to punish for their sins, after all. But as he stood there in silence, with only the company of Estella, he felt as if the city had grown brighter, and looked more pleasing to the eye.

"It's oddly quiet, isn't it?" The woman beside him suddenly said, referring to the usual chaotic sounds that would fill the air, breaking their shared silence, her eyes now opened but her gaze continued to linger on Pentagram City.

"I suppose it is," he smoothly replied. Subconsciously, he found himself moving to sit on the ledge beside the fallen angel, surprising himself and the other.

For some reason, while Alastor sat in silence with only the presence of Estella to keep him company, he found that he had forgotten as to why he had sought her out in the first place. As if her mere presence washed away all his memories and everything away, making all that mattered was the moment shared between the two.

He risked a glance in her direction, finding that they were awfully close to one another, close if enough for if he just leaned in a bit forward—

Estella felt the gaze belonging to the Radio Demon piercing into her skull, deciding to finally let her gaze meet with his own, causing her breath to hitch in her throat by the realization as to how close the two were. She felt his breath fan onto her face, the smell of his clothes filling her nose, and it was all so entrancing.

Alastor felt the same, if possible, felt even more entranced and attracted to the figure before him.

He rapidly blinked then gaining consciousness of what he was doing, he leaned back and inched further away from the fallen angel, but not too far to make it noticeable. He opened his mouth to speak as to defuse the tension but found his mouth to be dry—but nonetheless, he chose to voice his thoughts.

"I could push you off," he said, referring to how easily he could murder her right on the spot. With just a simple push, she'd be falling right off the edge and he'd be free from their deal.

"You could," she agreed, her voice emotionless, and the windows to her soul holding no sense of fear. "But you wouldn't."

He furrowed his brows at her words, but smile still remaining intact.

"Why wouldn't I?" He questioned, lifting a hand before placing it on her lower back. And as if to prove his point further, she felt sharp claws poking into the fabric of her clothing, but not piercing further enough to cause a wound or an injury.

She let a smirk form onto her lips, placing a delicate finger under the Radio Demon's chin before uttering the next words, "I've fallen from higher places and survived. What makes you think I won't survive this one?" Before he could respond, she stood up from where she sat earlier and instead, made her way to the stairwell leading back down to the hotel.

Alastor quickly followed after her, and with his rather long legs, with just a couple of strides, their paces aligned.

"You do realize if the chance to kill you was presented, I would take it without hesitation, right?" He asked her, receiving nothing but silence in return. But after a moment or so, she began to respond.

"If the chance to end the deal was presented, you would take it without hesitation," she corrected him, her violet irises glancing sideways to watch his reaction before letting her gaze fall back forward ahead. "And considering I am neither dead nor alive, I don't know if a threat could evoke fear within me."

Alastor stopped in his tracks whilst Estella continued onward, ignoring how he wasn't following her any longer.

However, what Estella didn't know, was the way Alastor watched her go. The look of eagerness and amusement lingered in his eyes for now, he had found a new sort of entertainment.

Estella.

She didn't seem to fear what came after the afterlife. Nor did she think he was capable of finishing her off—which he personally found to be offending, but took it as a challenge.

He was going to watch her crumble, and the satisfaction was going to be worth it.

On the other hand, Estella thought otherwise. When the two were sitting side by side, gazes locked, she saw that foreign, yet awfully familiar emotion flicker within the Radio Demon's dial-like eyes. It was the same as to how Lucifer, Vox, and once in the past—Azrael, had looked at her.

They were infatuated with her, it was no secret.

And so she used it to her advantage—take Lucifer for example, and look what it did to them.

She wasn't sure if the idea of repeating her mistake was a wise choice, but it wasn't like as if she could stop.

The feeling of being in control—it took a toll on her. The feeling of being the one with the power—it made her feel a sense of ease.

For too long had Father controlled over every aspect of her life.

For too long had she compressed her rage directed towards him.

For too long had she tasted what revenge felt like.

As she stepped into the lobby, the portal to Heaven having just opened with Vaggie pushed through first, she couldn't help but let a small smirk form onto her lips.

Soon, she was going to step foot in Heaven, before chaos would ensue.