My Angel Girl

Hell. A place of fire, brimstone, and suffering. A place where souls were damned, demons reigned, and anything—anything—could happen. Yet, despite its chaotic and horrific nature, Hell had its oddities. Not every corner was scorched and blackened. There were strange pockets of land, and, surprisingly, even pockets of water.

Kael had never been to the waters of Hell. He didn't know what lay beneath its surface, and as the small stream bubbled lazily at his feet, his curiosity grew. The black, murky waters, swirling ominously in the dim light, seemed foreign to him. He glanced around at his surroundings. The craggy rocks, the dried-up, charred remnants of trees, and the ever-present flames licking at the edges of Hell's atmosphere...

And yet, here, right in the middle of all of it, was this serene little pool. A strange, unnatural phenomenon in a place where the flames never ceased. The water rippled and shifted, its depths seemingly endless. It was almost inviting, as if it were begging him to come closer.

But Kael wasn't sure. He had never been one to trust the strange things in Hell. Not since he was a child, not since he learned that nothing here was ever as it seemed. But as he walked along the bank, his gaze lingered on the water.

"dad…" Kael called softly, glancing back at his father.

Kikidori, ever the laid-back demon, didn't seem to notice. He was casually leaning against a rock, his attention fixed elsewhere. For all his bluster and cynicism, Kikidori had an aura of indifference that left Kael feeling somewhat insecure. They didn't have deep conversations, not like Kael and Ere'ana did. Kikidori was a bit of a mystery to him—a demon who could be simultaneously terrifying and totally apathetic.

Kael shifted on his feet, watching the water again. He had so many questions. So many things he didn't understand.

"Dad?" he tried again, his voice slightly firmer.

Kikidori turned to look at him, his expression unreadable.

"What is it, kid?"

Kael hesitated, eyeing the water cautiously. "How do you know if the water's safe?"

Kikidori chuckled softly. "Safe? This is Hell. Nothing here's 'safe,' kid." His grin was a little too sharp, a little too knowing. But Kael wasn't deterred.

"I want to see what's down there."

For a moment, Kikidori just stared at him, as if weighing the idea. Then he shook his head, pushing off from the rock.

"You're crazy, you know that? You're not going in there, Kael."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

Kikidori sighed heavily, muttering something under his breath. He was quiet for a long moment, but Kael could sense the tension. The way Kikidori's posture stiffened, the way his eyes narrowed. It wasn't fear—not exactly—but something darker. Something Kael didn't understand yet.

It was as if the air itself had thickened around them, and Kael could see the brief flash of pain in Kikidori's eyes. Pain that Kael hadn't seen before. Kikidori was trying to hide it, but there was no mistaking it.

"Because I…" Kikidori stopped himself before he could say more. His voice had grown quiet, the carefree, confident demeanor he usually had completely absent now. "Just stay away from the water, Kael."

Kael was confused. He had seen his father act fearless in the face of countless dangers. He had seen him fight, seen him deal with his past, seen him dismiss things that would have terrified anyone else. But here, in front of this odd pool of water, Kikidori seemed... different. It didn't make sense.

"Why?" Kael pressed. "You're not scared of it, right?"

The question seemed to linger in the air, but Kikidori didn't answer immediately. He looked out at the water, his expression unreadable, his eyes narrowed with something darker—something that Kael couldn't quite grasp. It was fear. Fear that Kael had never seen from his father. Fear of the one thing Kikidori couldn't control. Fear of the thing that had taken something from him that he could never get back.

"I'm not scared of it, Kael," Kikidori said quietly, almost as if trying to convince himself. "But there are things down there... things that you don't need to deal with. Trust me, kid, you don't want to know what's in the water."

Kael opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything else, the ground beneath him shifted. He lost his balance, his feet sliding out from under him.

In the split second that followed, Kael didn't even have time to scream. His body tumbled forward, falling into the cold, dark abyss of the water. He couldn't breathe.

It was like falling into a void. The water closed around him, thick and suffocating. He struggled, his hands flailing against the cold waves, but it was no use. His body felt heavy, his limbs sluggish. He tried to scream, but the water filled his mouth, his lungs. Everything felt too fast, too overwhelming. His heart pounded as panic set in.

The water churned around him, swallowing him whole. His mind went hazy. The weight of it all pulled him down further, faster. He didn't know what was happening, only that he couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't fight it.

Then, through the chaos of bubbles and darkness, he heard a voice. A deep, rumbling voice.

"Kael!"

It was Kikidori. Kael could barely make out his father's voice above the roar of the water.

But it was too late. The world around him went black as the darkness swallowed him whole. ### Chapter 9: *Into the Abyss*

Kael's heart raced as he was pulled deeper into the dark, suffocating waters. He could feel the pressure building, the coldness wrapping around his chest, making each breath harder than the last. His limbs flailed helplessly, and panic began to surge through him, drowning out every rational thought. He was so small, so fragile in this dark abyss—there was no escape, no chance of making it out on his own.

The water closed in on him, tugging him down further into the depths, and his vision began to blur. The silence was overwhelming, broken only by the sounds of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Kael tried to scream, but the water filled his mouth, choking him. His thoughts became erratic—fear overtaking every rational part of his brain.

Above, Kikidori stood frozen at the edge of the water. His expression was one of sheer terror, but beneath it was something else—something much darker. His fists clenched at his sides, his eyes locked onto the spot where Kael had fallen.

*I can't... I can't...* Kikidori thought, his mind spiraling into chaos.

His body tensed, his instinct screaming at him to jump in, to save his son. But fear gripped him like a vice. Kikidori's past, his history with drowning—the death of his previous self, the suffocating weight of the water—it all flashed in front of him like a terrifying memory. The water had taken so much from him before, and the thought of losing Kael to it sent shivers through his very core.

But no matter how much his fear screamed at him to stay away, he knew he had no choice.

"KAEEL!" Kikidori yelled, his voice cracking with desperation.

With a sudden burst of resolve, Kikidori's fear turned into action. He took a breath and plunged into the water.

The moment he hit the surface, a searing pain lanced through his body. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before—like fire and ice combining into one vicious burn. The cold water, so alien to him, shocked his skin, and the sudden rush of it put out the heat that his body naturally emitted. His demonic energy—his fiery essence—was extinguished by the water, and it burned him with a painful, unbearable intensity.

The pain screamed through Kikidori's body as he swam down, every movement a battle against the searing sensation. But the sight of Kael's small, limp form in the water kept him focused, kept him fighting. Kael's tiny body was floating, his arms flailing weakly. His eyes were barely open, and the darkness around him seemed to be swallowing him whole.

Kikidori gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward. The burn in his muscles, the unbearable heat in his chest, was nothing compared to the sight of his son drifting into unconsciousness.

With everything he had left, Kikidori grabbed Kael, his hands trembling with the effort, and began to swim toward the surface. The water seemed to fight against him, pulling them back with every movement, but Kikidori refused to stop.

His body was on fire. The water had scalded him, burning his skin, but he couldn't—wouldn't—let Kael go.

As they broke the surface, Kikidori's lungs burned for air, and he gasped in a desperate breath. He could barely see through the water now, his vision blurry from both the pain and the panic. But he didn't need to see. He knew Kael was still alive. He could feel the weight of his son's tiny body in his arms.

With one final push, Kikidori dragged Kael to the shore, throwing him onto the hard, dry ground. He fell beside him, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. The burns on his skin were already beginning to throb, but they didn't matter.

Kael lay there, limp and pale, his small chest rising and falling weakly. The silence hung heavy in the air as Kikidori sat up, his hands trembling as he checked his son's pulse.

His heart was still beating. Kael was still alive.

But the fear—the terror—hadn't subsided. It was still there, lingering in the air like a suffocating fog. Kikidori swallowed hard, trying to steady his breath.

*I almost lost him...*

He glanced over at Kael, his mind still racing. The thought of what could have happened, of the abyss swallowing his son whole, sent a sharp, painful twist through his gut. His heart—what was left of it—felt like it was on the verge of cracking under the weight of it.

Kael was alive, but Kikidori was changed. And deep down, he knew this wouldn't be the last time he had to fight the water.

*But next time… I won't hesitate.*

With a sharp breath, Kikidori turned back to Kael. His hands were still shaking, but there was determination now. He wasn't going to lose his son—not now, not ever.

End of Chapter 9