Flame Island's usual fiery glow bathed the obsidian castle in its red and orange hues, casting long shadows that danced across the cavernous throne room. Kikidori sat sprawled on his throne, his phone in one hand and his other arm draped lazily over the armrest. His sharp, glowing eyes occasionally flicked up from the screen to glance at the bustling courtyard below, where the demons of Flame Island were going about their chaotic lives.
It was his birthday—a fact Kikidori had barely acknowledged. As far as he was concerned, it was just another day. Birthdays weren't something he'd celebrated in a long time, especially not after everything he'd been through. The concept of "celebration" felt foreign, almost laughable, to someone like him.
He scrolled idly through his phone, trying to ignore the occasional pang of irritation that came with knowing someone, somewhere, might think today was a big deal. The only sound in the room was the faint crackling of the infernal torches lining the walls and the soft snores of Cerberus, who was curled up on a rug at the foot of the throne.
Out of nowhere, the heavy doors of the throne room burst open with a loud whoosh, a gust of golden wind rushing in to announce the arrival of Ere'ana. Her radiant figure stood framed by the glowing light of Heaven spilling in behind her, making her look as angelic as ever. Her white, shimmering wings stretched behind her, and her expression was one of determination—though it softened when she saw Kikidori slouched on his throne like he hadn't moved in days.
"Happy birthday, Kiki!" Ere'ana called out, stepping into the room with a smile that could have lit up all of Flame Island.
Kikidori didn't even bother sitting up. He simply looked at her with a raised brow, his glowing purple horns flickering dimly. "Oh, it's you." His tone was casual, almost bored, though there was a flicker of something warmer in his gaze—something he wouldn't have admitted to.
Ere'ana ignored his lackluster reaction and approached the throne, her wings folding neatly behind her. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "I came all the way from Heaven to wish you a happy birthday. Aren't you even a little bit happy to see me?"
Kikidori sighed, setting his phone down on the armrest. "Sure. Thanks for the 'happy birthday' or whatever." His tone was so nonchalant that it might as well have been robotic.
Ere'ana's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "Really? That's all I get? Not even a proper thank you?"
Kikidori shrugged. "What do you want me to say? Birthdays aren't exactly my thing. Never have been, never will be."
Cerberus, who had woken up at the sound of Ere'ana's voice, wagged his tail and barked softly before curling back up into a ball.
Ere'ana's gaze softened as she looked at him. "Kiki, I know you don't care about birthdays, but I thought maybe… I don't know, it could be different this time. You've been through so much, and I just wanted to remind you that there are people who care about you."
Kikidori looked away, the glow of his eyes dimming slightly. He was quiet for a moment before finally muttering, "Yeah, thanks."
Ere'ana, ever the optimist, decided to press on. "You know," she said, her tone brightening, "I was thinking I could sing something for you. A birthday song, maybe?"
Kikidori snapped his head back toward her, his eyes narrowing. "If you start singing," he said, his voice low and serious, "then I'm going to drop-kick Cerberus."
At the mention of his name, Cerberus let out a pitiful whimper, his large eyes looking up at Kikidori with betrayal.
Ere'ana gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me," Kikidori deadpanned, crossing his arms.
Ere'ana huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, I won't sing, you big party pooper."
A faint smirk tugged at Kikidori's lips. "That's more like it."
For a moment, the room fell into a comfortable silence. Ere'ana perched herself on the armrest of Kikidori's throne, her presence bringing a rare sense of warmth to the otherwise infernal atmosphere. She glanced around the room, taking in the stark contrast between Flame Island and the golden radiance of Heaven.
"So," she said after a while, "are you seriously just going to sit here on your phone all day? It's your birthday, Kiki. Don't you want to do something… fun?"
Kikidori tilted his head, giving her a skeptical look. "Define 'fun.'"
"I don't know," Ere'ana said, throwing her hands up. "Anything! Go outside, do something crazy, maybe even—"
"No."
"You didn't even let me finish!"
"Doesn't matter," Kikidori said, leaning back in his throne. "If it involves leaving this castle or interacting with people, the answer is no."
Ere'ana sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"And yet you keep coming back," Kikidori said with a smirk.
Ere'ana rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Well, for what it's worth," she said softly, "I'm glad you're still here, Kiki. Even if you are a grump."
Kikidori's smirk faded slightly, and he looked away. He didn't respond, but the faint flicker of light in his eyes betrayed a hint of gratitude he would never put into words.
As the day went on, Ere'ana stayed by Kikidori's side, refusing to let his apathy dampen her spirits. They didn't do much—just sat together in the throne room, talking about everything and nothing.
By the time Ere'ana had to leave, the atmosphere had shifted. Kikidori was still as gruff and reluctant as ever, but there was a subtle warmth in his demeanor that hadn't been there before.
As she prepared to fly back to Heaven, Ere'ana paused at the massive doors of the castle and looked back at him. "Happy birthday, Kiki," she said one last time, her voice soft and sincere.
Kikidori glanced up from his phone and gave her a faint nod. "Yeah… thanks."
It wasn't much, but for someone like Kikidori, it was enough.
The End of Chapter 39