Four

five

I don't remember how many they were but who cares.

"I have a Bos…" I gulp down another sip of beer, a little too quickly. "My boss, Raian… He's such a pain in the ass! A jerk, a devil! Exploiting me like some fool… But you know what? , he's gonna pay."

Elene just nods, her eyes soft with sympathy. "Oh… yeah…"

"Elene, this food is so delicious. Thank you, really," I say, taking another bite, my voice cracking slightly as I get emotional. "You’re such a good friend…" I wipe my eyes, laughing through the tears.

"Friends… yeah, we are friends," Elene reassures me, her voice calm and steady.

"Of course, we are! Cheers!" I raise my glass with a big, goofy smile, trying to steady myself.

"And what about love? do you have someone in mind?" she asks, her voice a little quieter now, as though probing.

I slump back in my chair, feeling a weight settle in my chest. "Love? Ugh, not much. Just a stupid guy who thinks he loves me and some millionaire with butler issues. Men are all the same—so pushy, I’m so tired of this."

Elene grins and leans in slightly. "Keep drinking, girl. Let it all out, we’re friends here."

"YES!!! YOU UNDERSTAND ME, ELENE!" I exclaim, feeling the room spin around me.

Another sip of my beer will make me feel better.

…

…

No, I feel worse.

"I’m not feeling too good," I admit, swaying slightly in my seat.

Elene’s voice is gentle, offering support. "Oh, then I can take you home. Just give me your address, and I’ll order a taxi for us."

I nod, struggling to sit up straight. I can’t even stand without swaying, but I manage to give her my address.

While we wait, I can’t help but feeling energy of nowhere and start dancing I feel the music in the air, and it’s too good not to dance to.

"What are you doing?" Elene asks, sounding amused.

"Dancing… the music is so good!!!" I giggle, spinning in place.

Elene laughs softly, shaking her head. "There’s no music, Elysia."

"I know! Haha!"

She smiles, but there’s concern in her eyes as she reaches out. "Elysia, come on. The taxi's here."

I glance at the driver as we get in, feeling a strange sense of comfort. "Hey, the driver’s kinda handsome. What’s up, handsome? You single?"

Elene’s laughter is just a little too loud. "Elysia, the driver is a woman."

"Huh? Oh! Of course I knew that!" I wave it off, my thoughts swirling like a whirlpool.

The drive feels like it takes forever, but eventually, we’re at my apartment. Elene helps me inside, guiding me up the stairs as I lean on her for support. "Let me help you get inside" she says with a soft smile.

“Thanks Elene, you are my friend!” I shout out feeling no shame of my attitude, I have forgotten how real life was.

I hand her my key, still unsteady on my feet.

Once inside, I try to shake off the dizziness, heading toward the kitchen in a zigzag pattern. "Sit on the sofa and if you take your jacket put in the knob on the door, while I make some tea"

I hear the unmistakable sound of the door locking.

Maybe my imagination but whatever.

“Elene the tea is ready, how many spoons of sugar do you want?”

I call over, but there’s no response.

“Elene? Some tea and cookies? maybe you want to stay the night, you’re pretty drunk too…” I trail off, but she’s still not responding.

I can feel her presence, though—there’s something in the air that sends a chill down my spine.

“Elene? Can you hear me?” I call out again, my voice trembling slightly.

Turning back into the living room, I find her standing there. Her smile is wide, too wide, her eyes gleaming in a way that makes my heart skip a beat.

And then, she laughs. A low, maniacal laugh that echoes in the empty room.

"Hahahaha…"

I freeze, my stomach dropping. Something isn’t right. Something isn’t right at all.

"I finally found you, and now it's my chance," Elene says, her voice dripping with confidence. Before I can even react, she moves like lightning, grabbing me by the neck and effortlessly lifting me off the ground.

"I—I—I can't breathe, Elene!" I gasp, my legs kicking in the air as I try to pry her hands away.

"I can't believe it," she smirks, sounding almost amused. "You were way too easy to catch. I don’t know what Lord Azazel saw in you."

Her tone is so different now, playful and almost teasing, and I can barely catch my breath long enough to form a coherent thought.

"Get off me!" I manage, frantically reaching for any escape.

Desperate, I grab a fistful of her hair, pulling with all my might.

"AUCH!" She yelps, letting me go just as we both tumble to the ground in a tangled mess, throwing many of my adorns on the wall to the floor.

I land hard on the floor, gasping for air, and she’s grumbling. "Ey, you don’t know how much I take care of my hair to make it shine like this!" she protests, glaring at me as she fixes her now-messy locks.

"Huh?" I blink, confused. Is she really mad about her hair right now?

"Tell me who you really are and why you mentioned Azazel," I demand with a serious tone.

The rush of adrenaline seems to have sober me, and suddenly, I’m a little more alert.

Her eyes narrow as she takes a step back. "I’m Elene, and you don’t need to know much, because in a second, you’ll be nothing but a bag of bones!" Her words are cold, but her actions? Completely different. She moves like a blur, but—oh no—she trips from an object on the floor and tumbles forward, falling flat on her face.

"Huh? Elene?" I blink in surprise as she struggles to get up, her movements uncoordinated and almost... feel pity for her?

She tries again, this time managing to stagger to her feet, but her legs seem to betray her once more. I can’t believe my house adorns are helping me this time.

"You must be some kind of idiot,"

"No one calls me an idiot, stupid human!" she snaps, trying to regain her composure, but she just looks... ridiculous.

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She shoots me a glare that would normally send anyone running for the hills, but with the way she’s fumbling around like a newborn giraffe, I can’t help but chuckle.

She takes a deep breath, and stand correctly this time holding onto the wall, then smoothing her clothes with exaggerated care, clearly embarrassed by her own clumsiness. "I'm fine," .

"Now, are you going to tell me what’s really going on, or should I let you perish in pain with your stupidity?" I say, crossing my arms with a smirk, enjoying the way Elene’s expression shifts to something far less confident.

"Don’t act tough, human! I am Elene, and I won’t let a mere human treat me that way!" she snaps back, voice full of defiance.

I walk back to the kitchen and grab a jar of black pepper. Returning, I hold it up, my smile a little too wide for comfort. "I wonder what would happen now if I put some black pepper in your nose. Would you jump like a salmon?"

"Wait... don’t!" she protests, eyes wide as she trembles slightly.

"Who’s the stupid human now?" I tease, moving a little closer.

"Wait… I don’t want to fall anymore, wait…" she says, stepping back nervously, and I can practically see her imagination running wild.

"Okay, fine," she relents, practically pleading now. "I’ll tell you, but stop! Please… STOP!"

I laugh, the power shift making me feel oddly victorious, and start cleaning up the mess on the floor. Once everything’s back to normal, I wave her to sit down.

"Now, sit. Let’s start over. Who are you, why are you here for me, and why did you mention Azazel?" I ask, sitting across from her, arms folded.

She gulps, clearly regretting ever coming to my apartment. "Ah… I’m Elene, and I’m a succubus. I’m here for a simple reason: to make you my pet."

"Wait, wait—pet?" I blink at her in disbelief, feeling both confused and a little amused.

"Yeah," she shrugs nonchalantly. "Technically, I can’t kill without a valid reason, so what else is there to do but humiliate you as my pet?"

"Why would you do that? What’s wrong with you? Do you have a gram of rice instead of a brain in that hollow head of yours?" I shoot back, making a face.

"Ey! I’m not a kind of idiot!" she protests, with a pouty expression out. "I’m just a little slow in thoughts and movements, that’s all."

"Right... keep going, if you keep behaving, you can get some cookies," I say, holding up a bowl of cookies like I’m bribing a child.

She sighs, rolling her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Where was I? Ah, yes, Lord Azazel. I heard he went to Earth to research... love? I couldn't believe it, so I had to see it with my own eyes." She pauses, her gaze narrowing at me as she grabs a cookie, her indifference practically radiating off her. "When I arrived here, this world was a mess. I figured Lord Azazel wouldn’t find anyone interesting on this primitive planet... but, oh, surprise. I hear someone named Elysia caught the Lord of Hell’s attention."

I blink, trying to process what she just said. First a demon lord, now a succubus? This whole situation is getting out of hand. Then I realized something.

“Wait, wait. How did you even find me?” I snap, annoyed, giving her cheek a good pull.

She winces, obviously irritated, but she doesn’t flinch too much. “Ouch, stop pulling my cheek… stop! It was my brother, okay? He gave me information about your whereabouts and what you look like. So it was only a matter of time before we met,” she says, brushing off the discomfort as if it’s nothing.

I pause, still pulling at her cheek. “Your brother?” This is getting more confusing by the second. How do these demons even know where I am? Why is everyone so comfortable poking around in my life without asking?

Then she pulls out a small talisman from her pocket. It looks totally unremarkable, but she waves it around like it's some grand magical artifact.

“See this talisman? You can’t see it, but it sends energy vibes to me when I am close to my target. It confirms you're the real deal. Just in case I mistake you for someone else,” she explains with an innocent, almost clumsy grin.

I snatch the talisman from her hand before she can finish, feeling a bit irritated. “We’re not using this anymore. Now you’re just raising more questions. Why does your brother know about me?”

Her expression shifts, and she looks away, not meeting my eyes. “Yes. My brother’s an incubus. He helped me figure out how to get close to you. Being a succubus doesn’t make me great at making female friends, you know. So, he entered your dreams. Gave me all the topics I could use to talk to you. With that, I earned your trust, and... well, you fell for it! Haha.”

I stare at her, my brain processing her words in real time. “MY DREAMS?!” I can’t help the frustration building up in my chest. Demons don’t care about personal space, apparently. They invade dreams, meddle with emotions—this whole thing is beyond creepy.

“Does your brother have some kind of grudge against me or something?” I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief.

She scoffs. “No, it's all on me. I had to ask him for help. Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass it is to handle all the documentation and traffic to get out of Hell with my real body? all by myself, It’s bureaucratic hell... literally.”

“Real body? "

“Well, yeah. Why?” She arches an eyebrow, a bit amused by my curiosity.

I clear my throat, feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. “Well, you look... gorgeous, but I imagined succubus would be more, uh—”

“Lewd?” she finishes, a playful smirk forming.

“Oh, yeah. This jacket’s covering my best features.” With a quick slice, she slashes her jacket open.

Her chest springs forward, straining against her blouse and barely contained by her bra, emphasizing her... assets.

“You know what—never mind,” I stammer, my face flushing even more. “That’s definitely more believable.”

She stands up, and for the first time, she actually looks at me—her eyes narrowing with sudden menace. “Well the questionnaire is over. No matter how I see it, you’re just a bug. There’s no way you’re worth Lord Azazel’s time. Maybe I can’t kill you, but no one said anything about breaking a couple of your bones.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait—”

“Waiting time is over, you will be new slug” she interrupts, and before I can react, she’s lunging at me. “Azazel!” I scream desperately.

“Stop saying his name so casually, you!” she growls, pulling my arm back, she puts me in a position to break it.

Just before she can deliver her promise of pain, a familiar, exasperated voice cuts through the tension. “You girls are so loud. You’re making it impossible for a guy to get any sleep.”

Elene whips her head toward him, her grip tightening on my arm. “We’ve got a clown here, huh? After I’m done with her, you’re next, punk boy.” She yanks my arm, and I brace myself for the worst.

“Elene, I suggest you stop or there will be consequences,” Azazel says, sounding unbothered.

Her eyes flash with rage. “Who do you think you are, giving me orders? Some kind of exorcist wannabe?”

“It’s me, Azazel.” His voice is calm, but she only looks more furious. She releases me and strides over to him, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up effortlessly.

She glares at him, a wild, dangerous glint in her eyes. “I thought you were funny. But pretending to be Lord Azazel? That's a joke in terrible taste.”

Elene releases me and focus to Azazel, sliding through the floor in a speed to catch him without problems.

She grabs Azazel by the neck, lifting him like he weighs nothing, though her expression holds more frustration than true menace.

“I don’t care if Hell punishes me,” she says, her voice dramatic, but a mischievous grin threatens to break through. “Snapping your neck would be worth it. I mean, you committing a sin of that caliber? Totally taboo.”

Azazel struggles, his neck being slowly crushed. “Elene... how do you think I got in... if the door was locked?” he manages to say, his words broken.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” she spits, her grip tightening. “Maybe you’re some special ghost or low-level demon. If you are Azazel send me to the torture chamber”

Elene says it with a challenge voice.

“(K%90^0, stop,” Azazel says firmly, uttering what sounds like an ID code in another language.

Elene’s eyes widen in shock, and she immediately lets him go. “How do you know that...? Only—”

“Only demons with high-level access can check the identification of each pawn unit,” Azazel finishes, straightening up. “Because I am Azazel.”

Her entire demeanor shifts as she crumbles to her knees, trembling and throws her forehead down forward and hits the floor. “LORD AZAZEL, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!” she cries, her body quivering like a terrified jelly.

Azazel adjusts his neck, rubbing it with an exaggerated sigh. “Forgive you? I’m not so sure you deserve that. But as a demon of my word, I’ll grant you only a light punishment with the council.” He pulls out a bizarre-looking phone adorned with tiny demonic horns and starts to dial.

Panic floods her eyes, and she begins wailing. “LORD AZAZEL! I BEG YOU! PLEASE HAVE MERCY!” Tears stream down her face, but Azazel’s expression remains unyielding as he holds the phone to his ear, undeterred.

Suddenly, I can’t stand the sight anymore. I snatch the demonic phone from his grasp and hang up. “Wait—Azazel, I don’t know what exactly you mean by punishment or ‘council’ but it sounds way too harsh!” I protest.

He sighs, his eyes narrowing with incredulity. “She nearly broke your arm, and here you are playing defense attorney for her? Are humans really this foolish?”

“Yeah she did,” I argue, my voice softening. “She’s just... jealous.”

Azazel raises an eyebrow, waving his hand as if expecting a better explanation. “Feelings do have a way of creating chaos among living beings. But I asked why you’re defending her specifically saying because she is jealous is not exactly a good reason”

I look at him, gathering my thoughts. “Because... I wouldn’t feel right just standing by and letting a murder happen.” I demand with force.

“She wasn't going to be killed only burn by 1 million years”

“Same thing “ annoyed by his way of thinking.

He studies me with an unreadable expression, then finally sighs, his glare softening. “If you’re willing to forgive her, I suppose I can as well. But let me tell you, what you are doing now is a stupid decision”

I ignore the last part he said and continue sighing.

I exhale, feeling the tension leave my body. “And for the record,” I add with a small smile, “I’m willing to accept that you really are a demon lord.” It’s not because I’m thrilled about the idea of having a literal Lord of Hell as a neighbor, but at least I can finally put my doubts to rest.

Before I can react, Elene throws herself at me, sobbing with relief. “ELYSIA!” she cries, clinging to me and knocking me to the floor. “Thank you! Thank you!”

“W-Wait—HEY!” I struggle beneath her, but she clings on tighter, her tears soaking my shirt.

Elene nuzzles her cheek against mine, a warm, affectionate gesture that leaves me flustered. “We’re so friends! Best friends!” she declares confidently.

“W-Wait—don’t decide that for yourself,” I whisper, my face heating up as her cheek stays pressed against mine.

Things may not have gone as planned, but I guess... what can I say? Somehow, I’ve ended up with a succubus as a friend.