This chapter features a little headcanon of mine. So, on the anniversary of a sinner's death, at the exact time, they have to relive their death down to the second and feel every last bit of pain(if there was any)that came with it. How long the process takes depends on the manner of death. A particularly quick death(shot in the head, broken neck, etc.)could last a few seconds, whereas a more drawn out one(asphyxiation, buried alive, overdose, etc.)could take minutes, hours, or even days. The only thing worse than the actual dying process is the aftermath, which could come in the form of physical pain, or actually coughing up the substance that led to a certain death(water, smoke, blood, etc.). Anyway, I've had this headcanon for a while, so I hope you guys enjoy it! Now, on to the chapter!

~Alastor POV~

I can't stop thinking about that day at the lake. I'm very proud of Sai-Rin for trusting me to keep her safe while she learned how to swim, and those little kisses she gave me afterward were lovely. My face burns just thinking about her. I've never felt this way about anyone. How can a demon make a heartless creature like me feel like this? Is this...love?

Today, I'm in a rather unhappy mood, which is very unlike me, because today marks the anniversary of the day I came to Hell. My death was a rather nasty state of affairs, but being in Hell as long as I have, I've gotten used to the process of reliving it. Still, it doesn't make my demise any less painful. I look out the window, watching the hands of the clock inching closer and closer to the last moments of my life. Five seconds to go. I draw the curtains, lie down on the red velvet couch in front of the fireplace, fold my hands over my chest, close my eyes, and wait.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

~Normal POV~

Even though she already felt more confident in water, Sai-Rin still preferred her little bucket. Today, she'd been relaxing and taking a nap for the past hour. She snapped awake when she heard a gut wrenching scream. Sai-Rin's heart dropped as she recognized the voice. Forgetting the fact that she didn't have legs, Sai-Rin tipped over her bucket, spilling water all over the carpet. "Sorry, Charlie!" she called, dragging herself up the stairs as fast as she could.

"Don't worry, Alastor! I'm coming!!!" Sai-Rin yelled. All she got in response was more screaming, like a deer in agony, followed by a loud thud. By the time she'd gotten to Alastor's room, his screams had faded away. Expecting the worst, Sai-Rin slowly opened the door. "A-Alastor...? You ok?" Sai-Rin whispered before screaming in horror. Alastor was laying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

His clothes were ripped up, and his ruby eyes were dull and lifeless. Sai-Rin crawled over to him and brushed some of his strawberry red bangs out of his face. She put a hand over her mouth as she saw a bullet hole right in the center of his forehead, spilling blood down his face. "CHARLIE, HELP!" Sai-Rin yelled, tears pouring down her cheeks as she cradled Alastor in her lap. Sai-Rin was temporarily relieved as she heard footsteps coming toward the room. Charlie soon walked in.

"What's the matter, Sai-Rin? What's going on?" she asked, concern in her usually upbeat voice. Tearfully, Sai-Rin hugged Alastor's broken body. "Oh. I completely forgot about that." Sai-Rin was shocked. Alastor was probably fatally wounded, and Charlie was acting as if it was normal. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, CHARLIE! CALL AN AMBULANCE!" she yelled, burying her face in Alastor's hair and sobbing.

Sai-Rin felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Sai-Rin. Alastor will wake up soon." Charlie said soothingly. Sai-Rin wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What do you mean?" she sniffled. Charlie explained that every year, on the day a sinner died, they would relive their death in real time, feeling every last bit of pain that came with it. After the process was complete, they would wake up again with certain side effects.

This bit of information reassured Sai-Rin that Alastor was going to be ok. Almost immediately, Sai-Rin felt Alastor moving around in her arms. "Sai-Rin...?" he asked, his voice husky as if he were only waking up from a nap rather than his final moments. "Is that you, Dear...?" Sai-Rin smiled through her tears. "Y-Yes, it's me." she replied, gently hugging Alastor.

"Ow..." Sai-Rin froze up for a second, hoping she hadn't done anything to hurt him. "What's wrong, Hon?" she asked. Alastor pressed a hand against his head. "Just a headache. Happens every time..." He sat up, looking around for a bit.

"Oh dear, it seems Niffty will have a big mess to clean up." he said, half to himself. "Already on it, Al!" Niffty said, running into the room and mopping up any bloodstains she could find. "I'll fix your suit too!" she added. Alastor smiled. "I can always count on you, Niffty dear!" he chuckled, patting Niffty on her head. Then, turning to Sai-Rin, Alastor gently kissed Sai-Rin on her forehead, causing her to lightly blush.

"So, you were concerned for me, Dear." he said. Sai-Rin nodded. "I love you, Alastor. How could I not be concerned for your wellbeing?" Alastor let out a small laugh, hugging Sai-Rin. "I love you too, my Darling." he whispered before clutching his head in pain. "You sure you'll be ok?" Sai-Rin asked.

Alastor nodded. "Don't worry about me, Sai-Rin. I've been going through this yearly cycle since the 1930s." Sai-Rin chuckled. "Of course you have." After some headache medicine and Niffty getting his clothes patched up, Alastor was back to his everyday, dapper, charismatic self.