Yumi sprawled across the living room couch, a bowl of black-dyed popcorn balanced precariously on her lap. Cerberus lay curled up beside her, lazily wagging one tail. The boredom was getting to her. Scrolling through her phone hadn't helped, her playlist wasn't hitting right, and even her favorite sketchbook didn't hold her attention.
She glanced toward the dining room, where her parents, Kikidori and Ere'ana, sat with their morning coffee—Kikidori's black and strong, Ere'ana's infused with heavenly honey. Yumi sat up, a thought brewing in her mind.
"Hey," she called out. "How did you two even meet? I mean, it's not like angels and demons hang out for brunch or whatever."
Kikidori froze mid-sip, his mismatched eyes narrowing as he glanced at Ere'ana, who immediately smiled, her ethereal glow softening the tension in the room.
"Now that's a story," Ere'ana said, leaning back in her chair.
"I don't know if we should—" Kikidori started, but Ere'ana cut him off with a gentle nudge.
"Oh, come on, Kiki. She's our daughter; she has a right to know."
Kikidori groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you, Yumi. It's not exactly a bedtime story."
Yumi rolled her eyes. "Please. I live in Hell. I think I can handle it."
Ere'ana took a deep breath, her golden eyes shimmering as if she were reliving the moment. "It was during the war," she began. "The angels and the demons were at each other's throats—literally. There wasn't a single corner of the afterlife untouched by the chaos."
"I wasn't even supposed to be there," Kikidori muttered, crossing his arms. "Lucifer sent me to lead a skirmish near the borderlands. Simple enough, or so I thought."
Yumi tilted her head. "So, what happened?"
Ere'ana leaned forward, her voice soft but steady. "I was there. I was fighting. Back then, I was just another soldier in Heaven's army, wielding a sword of light, doing what I thought was right. I had no idea who Kikidori was—or that he was leading the enemy forces."
Kikidori scoffed. "She didn't just not know me—she almost got herself killed."
Ere'ana shot him a look but didn't deny it. "The battlefield was chaos. Fire and light clashing, screams echoing everywhere. I was fighting when suddenly, I saw him."
"Let me guess," Yumi said, smirking. "Love at first sight?"
"Hardly," Kikidori grunted.
Ere'ana smiled faintly. "I was more terrified than anything. He stood there, surrounded by flames, his wings casting this enormous shadow. Everyone around me either ran or fell trying to fight him. But I... I stayed."
"Bad decision," Kikidori muttered.
"I thought I could hold my ground," Ere'ana admitted. "So, I charged at him, sword drawn, thinking I could end the fight."
Kikidori snorted. "You were fearless. Or stupid. Probably both."
"Thanks," Ere'ana said dryly before continuing. "I struck at him with everything I had, but he was too strong. He disarmed me in seconds and had me pinned to the ground."
Kikidori's face darkened. "I was supposed to kill her. That was the mission: no survivors."
Yumi leaned forward, completely absorbed. "But you didn't."
"No," Kikidori said, his voice quieter now. "I couldn't. She was looking up at me, and instead of begging for her life, she just said—"
"'Do it. Kill me,'" Ere'ana finished. Her gaze drifted to the window, as if she could still see that battlefield. "I thought it was the end. I was ready to die for my cause."
"But then I told her to run," Kikidori said, his tone sharper now. "I told her, 'Run before I change my mind.'"
Yumi blinked. "Wait, so you just let her go? Like, just like that?"
Kikidori shrugged. "Pretty much."
"Why?"
He didn't answer immediately, his gaze locked on the floor. Ere'ana reached over, resting her hand on his. "Because he has a heart, even if he doesn't show it," she said softly.
Kikidori grumbled something under his breath but didn't pull his hand away.
Ere'ana continued, "I ran, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. Why would a demon, especially one so powerful, spare an angel? It didn't make sense."
"And I couldn't stop thinking about her," Kikidori admitted reluctantly. "Which was annoying as Hell—literally. I had no idea why I spared her, and it drove me insane."
"So, what happened next?" Yumi asked, practically on the edge of her seat.
Ere'ana chuckled. "Well, we met again. Multiple times. Sometimes during battles, sometimes by chance. Each time, we ended up talking instead of fighting. We learned about each other, our lives, our beliefs. And somewhere along the way..."
"We fell for each other," Kikidori finished, his voice gruff.
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "During a war? Seriously?"
"Love doesn't exactly wait for the perfect moment," Ere'ana said with a smile.
Kikidori sighed. "It wasn't easy, though. Angels and demons don't exactly throw weddings for couples like us. We had to fight for what we wanted, and even then, it took years before things settled."
"But it was worth it," Ere'ana added, her gaze softening as she looked at Kikidori. "Because we got to build this life together. And we got you, Yumi."
Yumi stared at them, her expression unreadable. Finally, she smirked. "You two are such dorks."
Ere'ana laughed, while Kikidori rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Storytime's over. Now go do something productive."
"Sure thing, Dad," Yumi said, drawing the word out teasingly as she got up and headed toward her room, Cerberus trotting after her.
As she walked away, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Her parents' story might have been dramatic and cheesy, but it was theirs—and it was kind of beautiful in its own weird way.
The End of Chapter 11