"I know."

"How?" She shook her head, absolutely dumbfounded. "It doesn’t make sense how this could be. How can something this glorious exist in a place this wretched?"

"It’s best not to question it," he said. "Just go with it, angel. Trust me—it’s better that way."

She shrugged, not pressing the issue, and dove back under the surface. Lucifer joined her, the two of them exploring the deep, lively water. He took her to a cave underneath the falls where tiny yellow fish swarmed, glowing in the darkness like fireflies in a night sky. They splashed and played around, Lucifer grabbing her feet and yanking her deeper into the water, the smile on his face wider than she’d ever seen it before. She kicked away from him, silent laughter erupting from her chest in the form of a jet of bubbles.

Hours passed, the two of them losing themselves in the underwater world, everything else forgotten and falling away as Serah, for the first time since she lost her brother, truly felt a sense of joy again.

She resurfaced, still laughing, as Lucifer popped up beside her. The moment he appeared, she splashed water in his face. He splashed her back as she tried to scamper away, not getting very far before he tackled her, dragging her back underwater briefly.

"This is incredible," she said, resurfacing again.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows. "Incredible?"

She nodded. "And I mean it in the good way this time. It's incredible. You . . . you're incredible."

Surprise flashed across his face.

"I haven’t laughed this much in a while," she continued, staring up at the sun peeking through the gaps in the trees. It seemed so real.

"Me, either," he mumbled, drifting in the river near her. "It’s been a long time for me. A very long time."

A cloud covering appeared as he spoke, thick and merciless, blocking out every bit of sunshine. Darkness overcame the river, the crystal blue water blurring, morphing to the shade of ink. A chill shot down Serah's spine, goose bumps coating every inch of her flesh. She shivered forcefully, her teeth chattering, the sound echoing through the murky air.

Lucifer gaped at her. "Are you cold?"

"I, uh. . ." She glanced at him, absolutely staggered when she looked him in the eyes, seeing the splatter of sky blue mingling with the darkness. "Maybe."

Something swam by then, a massive block of rushing water circling them. It struck Serah from behind, brutally shoving her into Lucifer. Her chest constricted as she yelped, a pressure building underneath her skin, tightening against her ribcage. The blue all at once faded from Lucifer’s eyes, replaced with the swirling red as his face hardened.

"Time to go," he said, grabbing her tightly and yanking her out of the water, setting her on her feet on the bank of the river. Thunder roared as lightning flashed in the sky, the wind picking up. The river shifted, turning into a swirling vortex, an underwater cyclone.

"What was that?" she asked, trying to stop from trembling.

"I told you—it’s best you don’t ask questions," he replied. "There are things in that water you’d rather not encounter."

"They can’t hurt me," she said. "Only an angel can."

"Yeah, well, we’re not taking any chances."

Lucifer snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, Serah was standing in the middle of the dim meeting room, candles flickering all around. Her dress was bone dry, her soft hair cascading over her shoulder. She ran her fingers through it, trying to detect dampness, but there was nothing. It was like the past few hours hadn’t even happened.

"That was. . ." She wasn’t sure what to say. "Wow."

"Take a seat," Lucifer said, his tone clipped as he pointed toward the end chair. He didn’t look at her as he put on his shirt again and sat in his throne, his expression as hard and unyielding as the marble. "Or don’t. Whatever."

Hesitantly, Serah slid into the chair, watching him peculiarly as he shuffled the deck of cards and split them in half. He flipped his top card over with the stiff flick of a finger, still not looking at her as he waited for her to play.

"Are you okay?" she asked, turning over an ace and taking both cards.

He scoffed. "I don’t need your pity, angel. I don’t want it."

"It’s not pity," she said quietly. "It was a genuine question. I was—"

"Concerned?" he asked. "Poor pathetic Satan, right?"

She shook her head. "I don’t think you’re pathetic."

"But I am Satan."

"You said it, not me."

She flipped a card over and he followed suit. They played a few hands in silence before he let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Let’s just play this game so you can be on your way. I’m certain you have better things to do than sit here with me all day, every day."

Dejection laced his soft voice as a hint of vulnerability showed. Serah slowly shook her head. "No, not really."

Everything changed that moment, although it was only vaguely detectable in the gloomy shell of a room. A gentle breeze stirred the flickering flames of the candles, rustling Serah’s hair, carrying her fragrance to Lucifer. He inhaled, closing his eyes momentarily as it washed through him, the scent striking something deep inside of his body, a tiny pickaxe piercing the wall he’d long ago built—the wall that kept everything and anything from weaseling its way under his toughened skin.