I stop in place, and my eyes begin to glow with happiness when I notice Abaddon standing at the end of the dark corridor. He looks at me, silently. He looks like a depressed ghost who can't get a word out.
I run up to him and embrace him around the waist, snuggling my face into his chest. I want to be close to him one last time.
- Mania - he finally speaks up when he tries to push me away, but I don't let him. - You shouldn't hug me. I don't deserve it," he adds in a whisper.
- You are everything to me, Abaddon, you have always been, so at least now do not put me off," I say, closing my eyelids. My body begins to tremble with fear as the powerful bang of the front door opening sounds in the lock.
Lucifer just walked in the door.
Why am I shaking? Why is my reincarnation such a coward?
- Ever since I arrived in the Underworld, Abaddon began to deceive you. He knew perfectly well that it was not I who was to annihilate you, but Lucifer himself. Everyone around you lied to you, Mania. - I move away from the man and look at the face of the hated woman, who stands to the side, her back leaning against the wall. - Everyone wants to get rid of you. Everyone will be relieved when you disappear from the underworld and never return to it again. Abaddon will also be relieved, since all the trouble is always caused by you.
With wounded eyes, I look at the face of my beloved. This is the biggest stiletto he just drove into my heart. It hurts me more than the moment I found out he loved another woman.
- It's true, Mania. I am not the person you should still love. I can no longer take care of you and take all the responsibility. I've had enough," Abaddon says in a whisper. - You are not fit to be Queen.
I am considered a cruel person, nothing moves me, so I can't cry in front of them. I have to take myself in hand!
Damn, why is my reincarnation so weak!
I can no longer control my emotions, as I close my eyelids from under which tears are flowing. I turn my back to them and wipe them with the top of my hand.
- I'm not fit to be Queen, because you dream that she will take my place? Then you will be fully happy, Abaddon?
- I'm sorry," he replies.
I feel hysterical when I start laughing despite the tears running down my cheeks.
- It's probably better than pretending to care about me.
- You will feel better when you hate me. I don't deserve your love," adds Abaddon.
You never deserved it, but I had a foolish hope that I could get you back, I think.
A strange feeling of heat arises with the presence of Lucifer. The Angel of Darkness, dressed in black robes that look like a hooded habit, stops two meters in front of me. His cold, stern expression causes an unimaginable feeling of panic in me.
- When you were in my care, you and Abaddon, I already knew then that there would be trouble with you. You never listened and did everything your own way. - Lucifer cackles, not taking his eyes off me. At this point, I don't dare lift my face and look him in the eye. - I liked your cruel side, but acting against me and not showing me respect is unacceptable, Mania.
- In the past, I got a little carried away with jealousy, which is why I murdered whoever I could. It's not my fault that the infernal monster took the form of a servant who got under my skin," I reply when I finally regain my tongue in my mouth. I feel like telling him to keep a better eye on his gifts, but in doing so, I anger him even more. I'm dealing with the real King of Hell. - I didn't feel guilty, so I used the potion, gave the others a treat and disappeared to avoid ending up in a coal prison.
I lift my gaze as a young-looking man with blond hair bursts into laughter.
- Sarahama has always been a great witch. Did she also treat you to a potion this time? - I furrow my eyebrows, not understanding why she is talking to me instead of trying to annihilate me. - Amazing woman.
I turn to face Abaddon. Both he and Irene look surprised.
- How do you know? - I ask in a whisper, wondering if Lucifer can read our minds. No one knows what abilities the King of Hell really has.
He doesn't answer my question. He just stares at my face, looking annoyed.
- Even if I annihilate you now, you will turn into a soul and be reborn as a human being in the future. However, don't think to yourself that you will escape punishment. Up to three times a piece. I'm patient, but next time you won't escape again. After death, you will go directly to hell. I will see to it," he announces, then sighs deeply and shifts his gaze to Irene and Abaddon. - Please let me know if you manage to find Sarahame. I'll be happy to take the disobedient ninny in.
- I am also looking for her. I promise that she will be punished," Abaddon speaks up.
Sarahama saved my life again, but I will not escape punishment a third time. This is my last chance.
My gaze finds Seth, and his twin sister staring at me.
Shaking his head, Lucifer retreats backward, and walks away, and the envoys of hell follow him.
- I can't believe she's baked again. - Irene is unhappy. She was hoping to be annihilated by now. - Why does Sarahama always protect her? You suspected it would come to this, didn't you? - she turns to Abaddon.
- Mania was given one last chance, but she will never come back here again. After death, she will go to hell. The punishment will not pass her by," she replies.
- Well, that's right, Irene. You can rest assured, because you will take my place anyway. - I pierce her with my eyes, and then I feel someone grab my hand. I look at Seth, who lifts the corners of his mouth in a smile.
- Don't be sad about them, Mania. I promise that we will find each other in the human world, and then I will make your last life happy.
Next to Sachmet stands Ariel, who grasps her hand. The girl wipes tears from her cheeks, probably terrified by the vision of being separated from her brother. Irene looks on with superiority, being sure that she has won, and Abaddon continues to be sad.
Eventually, he smiles at me.
Squeezing Seth's hand, I feel both of us begin to melt into the air. It's just a moment when I'm a soul without a body and I don't see the boy who decided to leave the underground world just to be with me.
- It's okay if you hated me, Mania. At least your heart will no longer remember me," whispers Abaddon as I become an invisible glow to him. - At least spend your last life happily.
That's precisely how it's going to be. I never intend to suffer again. First, not because of a man who loves another.
*
Several decades later.
My life is the bottom. Since I came of age and left the orphanage, I've been working in a store for a measly pittance, and when I've paid my room and all my bills, I have very little left over to survive. I barely make ends meet, worrying about what I'll put in the pot the next day. I try to eat sparingly, so I clog my stomach with junk food.
It's not a life, but a torment. If only I were lucky in love.... if someone is born unlucky, nothing works out for him. In high school, I fell in love with a jerk who found out and called me a dirty girl from an orphanage who doesn't even have the right to look at him.
Funny, because every day I was clean, but in his eyes I looked like a dirty person, because I had no family and no normal home.
For the moment, I prefer not to imagine the future, because it is unlikely to be colorful. I don't know if I will be able to experience any happiness in my life. For now, I am not successful at all.
Is this a punishment for a previous life? I think so, because I get my ass kicked nonstop.
I'm sitting on a bench in the center of town and snorting under my breath when girls of a similar age to me, who are laden with bags of designer items, walk past me. They walk happily, chatting cheerfully.
Only envy. I, for several months, have not bought anything for myself even at the bazaar.
This is the first time in a very long time that I've started laughing at the sight of a man whose paper bag has been ripped open just at the pedestrian crossing. He panicked, tries to pick up the apples while all the cars honk at him.
- Another victim of fate," I mutter under my breath.
The only person who takes pity on him is a young policeman. He helps the man, and my attention is caught by four exceptionally handsome people who are standing not far from me on the sidewalk. One of the man stares at me, while a girl with the appearance of a barbie doll looks toward the roadway, where a policeman is helping a middle-aged guy pick up fruit.
- What are you looking at? Are you in love with me or what? - I say this more to myself, as this strange type does not look away from me.
I get up from the bench and, throwing them a glance, enter the grocery store, which is around the corner.
I stock up on instant soups, which have been my only food lately. They are the cheapest and at least I can eat them.
Holding them in my hands, I'm about to leave the store, but the person who is just coming inside bangs me with the door. The soups fall to the floor, and I pierce with my eyes the young policeman, who just moments ago was helping a man pick apples on the street.
However, he's a nice guy, because he apologizes and immediately bends down to help me pick up the products.
- You shouldn't eat this poison in such quantities," he announces, and I furrow my brow as I hold all the packages in my hands again.
- This is my stomach, not yours," I reply roughly. He opens the door for me, through which I exit hastily. He, however, does not let go and follows me. Surprised, I turn to face him. - What is the matter? Have I committed any wrongdoing?
- Yes. - I'm just now looking at him and I have to admit that he is damn handsome. - You should be punished for having such beauty.
What a boor! Did he just suggest that I am so ugly that I should be in jail?
- I'm listening!
- You are so beautiful, I should immediately handcuff you and take you with me to the police station. - What kind of psycho is this? Is this some kind of fetish? - I'm joking, of course. Please don't look at me like that," he adds in an amused voice. - I would simply like to offer you coffee.
- Throwing such texts? Well, probably not! - I reply hastily. I must admit that the man is starting to bother me. - Rather, you don't stand a chance.
I turn my back to him, and my attention is caught by four people, who are still standing in one place, looking at us with amusement in their eyes.
Is this some kind of crazy day?
- Sorry, I'm bad at flirting! - shouts the policeman behind me, so I give him another chance and turn to face him. - Please forgive me if I offended you. However, can I get a chance to get to know you better?
Okay, looking at his contrite face, at this point I feel like bursting into laughter. Actually, he is lame, if this is how he wanted to hit on me.
- It's okay, but I don't drink coffee.
- Tea, juice? - he asks uncertainly, and I shake my head.
- Drink. At twenty o'clock at the "Golden Bar". You are betting and this is your only chance," I announce, then turn my back to him, smiling slightly. I pass four people who are still acting like freaks, so I stop mid-step.
The man, who has longer black hair pulled back, opens his eyes wider in surprise. The brunette woman standing next to him, who is holding him under her arm, looks at me with raised eyebrows. The barbie doll-looking girl tilts her head to the side, squeezing the muscular brunette's hand harder.
- Can you see us? - The man with longer hair puts his hand to his chest.
- I don't know what kind of psychiatric you escaped from, but I advise you to go back there. - I roll my eyes, then evade them and walk away.
- Did she take us for crazy! - I hear one of the girls shouting. - This dumpster is still insolent!
No doubt they have headaches.
With a smile on my face, I head for the apartment where I rent a room, so that I can slowly prepare for an evening with a handsome policeman.
I hope he shows up and, of course, he's a valuable person I'll want to get to know better.
Who knows? Maybe this is my soulmate?