Yumi was sprawled out on her bed, staring blankly at the dark ceiling of her room. Her eyeliner was smudged, her nails were painted black, and Cerberus was curled up at her feet, snoring lightly. Boredom hung over her like a suffocating cloud. She sighed heavily, flipping through her phone and finding nothing of interest.
"Ugh," she groaned, throwing the phone onto her bed. "This place is so boring. Hell sucks sometimes. I mean, how much fire and blood can someone take before it just becomes... meh?"
Cerberus yawned, stretching his tiny legs before rolling onto his back. His sleepy demeanor only fueled her restlessness. Yumi sat up, brushing her hair back and glancing out the massive window of the castle. She could see the endless fiery landscape of Hell, dotted with towering peaks of jagged obsidian and rivers of molten lava. Above the castle, clouds swirled ominously, obscuring the highest towers.
Then, an idea struck her. A stupid, reckless idea. But it was Hell, and who cared about consequences? Her boredom was killing her, so maybe she'd test her limits for a little excitement.
Yumi smirked, a spark of mischief lighting up her dark eyes. "You know what? Screw it. Let's see if I can actually die."
She marched to the window, pushing it open. A gust of hot wind blew into the room, making her hair whip wildly around her face. Cerberus perked up, tilting his tiny head as he watched her climb onto the windowsill.
"Don't look at me like that, Cerb," she said, glancing back at him. "I'm not gonna die... probably."
Cerberus barked once, as if to protest, but Yumi ignored him. She stood there for a moment, gazing down at the endless drop beneath her. The castle was so high up that the bottom wasn't even visible, shrouded by thick, dark clouds.
"Alright, here we go," she muttered to herself. "If I survive, great. If I don't... well, at least I won't be bored anymore."
And with that, she jumped.
The wind roared in her ears as she plummeted, her black clothes and hair whipping violently around her. The world blurred into a chaotic swirl of fire and shadows as she hurtled toward the ground. For a brief moment, panic surged through her.
"Shit, shit, shit—what if I actually die?!"
But then she shook it off. She was a demon—she could take it. She *hoped* she could take it.
The ground rushed toward her, and just as she was about to hit, she instinctively activated her demonic energy. A shockwave of dark power erupted around her as she landed, cracking the ground beneath her and sending a plume of ash into the air.
When the dust settled, Yumi was crouched in a small crater, completely unharmed. Her makeup was still intact, though her clothes were slightly singed. She stood up, brushing herself off and smirking.
"Hell yeah," she said, tossing her hair back. "Still alive. Take that, gravity."
But her victory was short-lived. The ground trembled slightly, and a familiar, angelic figure appeared in the distance, flying rapidly toward her. Ere'ana.
"Oh, great," Yumi muttered. "Here comes Mom."
Ere'ana landed gracefully in front of her, her white wings glowing faintly even in the dim light of Hell. But there was nothing graceful about her expression—she was furious. Her usual soft, motherly demeanor was gone, replaced by pure anger.
"Yumi!" Ere'ana's voice rang out, sharp and stern. "What the heck were you thinking?!"
Yumi crossed her arms, trying to look unfazed. "I was bored."
"Bored?!" Ere'ana's eyes blazed with fury. "So you decided to throw yourself off the castle? Are you out of your mind?!"
"Relax, Mom. I'm fine," Yumi said with a shrug. "See? Not a scratch."
"That's not the point!" Ere'ana snapped, stepping closer. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if you didn't survive? What if—" She stopped, her voice breaking slightly. "What if I lost you?"
Yumi's smirk faltered for a moment. She hadn't thought about that. She hadn't thought about how her actions might affect her parents, especially her mom.
"Look, I knew I'd be fine," Yumi said, trying to sound confident. "I'm not stupid."
Ere'ana stared at her, her anger slowly shifting into worry. "Yumi... suicide is not something to joke about. It's not okay. Ever. Do you understand me?"
Yumi looked away, guilt creeping into her chest. "I wasn't trying to... it wasn't like that," she muttered. "I was just... bored."
Ere'ana sighed, her expression softening slightly. "I know you're bored sometimes, Yumi. But there are better ways to deal with it. Safer ways."
Before Yumi could respond, another figure appeared behind Ere'ana. Kikidori, strolling toward them with his usual laid-back attitude. His black wings were tucked behind him, and his hands were in his pockets.
He glanced at the crater, then at Yumi, and finally at Ere'ana, who was still visibly upset.
"Nice," Kikidori said casually, nodding at Yumi. "That's my kid."
"Kikidori!" Ere'ana whirled around, glaring at him. "Don't encourage her!"
"What?" Kikidori shrugged. "She survived, didn't she? Good landing, by the way." He gave Yumi a thumbs-up.
Yumi couldn't help but grin at her dad's approval. "Thanks, Dad."
"Kikidori, this isn't funny!" Ere'ana exclaimed, her wings flaring slightly. "She could have died!"
"But she didn't," Kikidori said calmly, walking over to Yumi and ruffling her hair. "She's a tough kid. Takes after her old man."
Ere'ana threw her hands up in exasperation. "You're impossible," she muttered, turning back to Yumi. "This conversation isn't over, young lady. We'll talk more when we get back to the castle."
Yumi groaned but didn't argue. She knew she'd messed up, even if she didn't want to admit it out loud.
As they walked back to the castle, Cerberus came bounding out of nowhere, barking excitedly and jumping into Yumi's arms. She hugged the tiny Chihuahua tightly, glad to have his comforting presence.
"Next time," Ere'ana said sternly, glancing back at Yumi, "find a safer way to entertain yourself. And for Lucifer's sake, stop scaring me like that."
Yumi nodded silently, petting Cerberus as they continued walking. Despite her mom's scolding, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride at her dad's casual approval.
"Nice kid," Kikidori said again, smirking as he walked beside her.
Yumi smiled faintly. Maybe she was a little reckless, but at least she had parents who cared—one who scolded her out of love and one who, in his own weird way, always had her back.
The End of Chapter 19