Life After Death

Chapter 47

"And that's going to be a problem," a voice said out of nowhere.

Sylvia was still catching her breath, Topher, Danny and I were standing around Sylvia and Roman was at her side, making sure she really was "okay."

I knew the voice though. It made a million horrible images materialised in my brain, and a shiver ripped through my body.

Lucifer.

I remembered when he had touched me and I had officially activated my soul power - where I had seen everything he had done to the men, women, and even children in Hell. Thinking about it made my throat constrict in fear and my palms sweat, I rubbed my hands on my sweats and tried to avert my eyes from him but I couldn't. Lucifer was a beautiful specimen. His eyes held you captive and soon you were drowning in those ice-cold eyes. He gave me a smile.

"I wonder... how did you escape..." Lucifer narrowed his eyes at me but I guarded my thoughts, just like Sylvia and Roman had taught me. I imagined high, concrete walls blocking out any energy from my thoughts. Soon, Lucifer frowned, a smile tugging at the corners of his pink lips. "You can guard your thoughts now. Impressive."

He began to walk toward us, agonizingly slow strides. Shoulders square and hands dug deep in his crisp slack's pockets.

"Meredith. Daniel. Roman. And," he paused and smiled, "Sylvia. Oh, how lovely it is to have all of you here." Roman took a step in front of us, acting as a barrier it seemed. "I sure am surprised." He ignored Roman's harsh glares and eyed Sylvia. "I should be thanking you really. I never expected you to come all the way here and for what? To retrieve your thoughts? To understand it all? Intelligence is a curse my lovelies, a curse. Meredith knows this." His eyes fell on me for a moment and my breath hitched in my throat.

I heard Topher curse behind me. And he had every right to curse, considering the situation we had gotten ourselves into.

"So now you all know about the End," Lucifer sighed. "Now you know that Kassima had been working with me in assuring that the End arrives soon. Now you know she's been collecting souls to devour so my army can thrive. But as aforementioned: intelligence is a curse. And, now that you have this information, you will all die. Except Meredith of course. She has the third eye and I want it. So the rest of you will die..." A sick smile formed on Lucifer's handsome face and he neared us.

Roman stood taller in front of us, Danny and Topher - surprisingly, joining him - acting as our protectors.

"I'd rather you not do that," Roman said. I honestly expected his voice to waver, to replicate the fear evident in his dark eyes, but it didn't. His voice was still as husky and surprisingly thunderous as it always was.

"Oh, and you three wimps are going to stop me," Lucifer asked, mockingly - laughing genuinely laughing.

If I were Satan I would've laughed as well. I mean, he was probably the most powerful being ever. Compared to him all three of them were wimps.

I didn't want anyone of them to harmed. If he wanted me - he could have me, as well as the "third eye" - I just didn't want him to hurt my friends.

I pushed pass the three of them, and stood in front of Lucifer. The smile hadn't left his face, it grew actually.

"I love and adore how brave you are, Meredith," he said. His voice was so compelling...

I felt Roman's hand on my shoulder, stopping me from moving any closer toward him.

"Oh," Lucifer said, grabbing Roman's attention, "you claimed her?"

"Why is everyone saying that?" I snapped.

"You don't know that he claimed you?" Lucifer said, keeping eye-contact with Roman, who went tense behind me.

"I don't even know what that means," I whined. I remember Angus - the mechanic in Grim Reaper Headquarters - mentioning it.

"You belong to him."

"Wait, that can happen?"

"Well, you know how grim reapers are like angels of death? Well... it seemed as though he took it upon himself to be your Angel also." Lucifer eyed Roman and then glanced back at me. "Which is kind of sad because Sylvia is in love with Roman... huh, what a love triangle... too bad all of you will die. So it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Please," I gasped, "don't - don't kill them. If I give you the third eye, just please spare them..."

"I'm sorry but I can't do that, Meredith. They'll try to stop me," he said.

"It's not like we can!" Danny spoke up. Everyone snapped their gazes over to him. He cowered back. Mumbling a "sorry."

"He has a point," Sylvia said, standing up slowly. "There's nothing we can do."

I broke inside. I literally felt everything inside me shatter like glass.

Lucifer smiled and shrugged.

With a snap of his fingers Danny went down and disappeared in a cloud of stardust. I screamed. Topher stumbled back, but he shared Danny's fate. Sylvia flipped Satan the bird and gave Roman a sad smile before she disappeared into thin air. Next, it was just Roman and I.

I was heaving. I didn't expect everyone I loved to die. It happened too quickly. Too easy for him. This couldn't be the end.

Roman placed a hand on my cheek and before I knew it he pressed his lips to mine. He tasted like mint chocolate. It was intoxicating. But the kiss was short-lived because soon he was gone too.

I was alone.

In a room filled with odd contraptions and the devil himself.

"Oh, dont cry, Meredith," Lucifer said, walking toward me. "You didn't think you'd actually be able to stop me, did you?"

"Fuck you," I spat. "I lost everyone. And - I - I..."

"You thought you could save the world because that's what happens right? The virgin or what the fuck ever saves the world and everything turns out handy-dandy, all sunshine and rainbows and unicorn shit?" Lucifer laughed again. "No, babygirl. That's just not how it works in real life. This is real fucking shit. And in the real world, the good suffer and the bad," he extended his hands exposing his pristine, crisp suit and muscular body and handsome face, "thrive."

Lucifer launched himself at me but I screamed. I screamed so loud and so ear-piercing that something happened.

There was a tear in the atmosphere. And a black hole formed sucking everything inside of it.

Who knew that I would be the cause of the End? Who knew that the End began with me?

The last thing I saw was never-ending, inky darkness.

And funny enough, I felt like I was drowning all over again.