Lucifer laid there at the floor of the cage, his body appearing to be shriveling up. The skin was cracking, revealing black scales underneath it. It was a sight I didn't think I would forget easily. He was resembling a carcass even more now, there was only a faint spark of life within him.

"Do you think the Devil will feel anything when Lucifer's gone from Astral?" I suddenly asked, turning my head towards Abaddon.

"Honestly..." he began, taking a deep breath and approached the cage. "All I can say is good luck once he does." I was certain my head spun upon hearing the answer. "Their energies are still connected even though their bodies aren't." Abaddon added, taking out a large metal key from a pocket of his cloak.

It was needless to say I wasn't ready for whatever was going to come after this. But at the same time if the Devil were to lose his mind, it'd be easier to sneak Loki in. The Devil would be too busy wondering where the rest of him was. As much as there was a possibility of everybody else suffering his mental wreckage, it wasn't like any of them cared enough what happened to me because of the same Devil.

While I was going through mental preparations for what was about to come, Abaddon had already unlocked the cage and opened the gate. Almost instantly, the train of thoughts stopped as if it felt like the first time in a millennia that I was seeing Lucifer without bars between us. I immediately rushed over to the cage and lightly pushed Abaddon to the side. Even though it wasn't the best state I had seen Lucifer in, it was still better than nothing at all.

"I'll go in there and get him," I mumbled and before Abaddon could add anything, I squeezed through the entrance. Up close, the fallen angel had looked so aged. He was an extremely powerful being so his aging was a much slower process. This only proved further how much he needed our help. Regardless of it, Lucifer's beauty never faded.

I grabbed the chain that was tightened around his neck and with one stiff clutch of my hand, it broke in two. It seemed like the Devil didn't expect anyone to attempt getting Lucifer out. Then, slowly I put one arm under his legs and the other supporting his back, then cautiously stepped outside the cage.

"We need to be quick with this, I don't know how much longer he has." I looked over at Abaddon who was staring at us both with a slight frown.

"I'm aware." He quickly responded. "Follow me." He turned around and was about to head out before I stopped him.

"I thought Samael's area was in Hell." I inquired, narrowing my gaze.

"He's got several territories, so to speak. He can be in multiple places at the same time." Abaddon explained. While I knew Samael was a very powerful being, I didn't know his power extended so much.

Once we left the tower, we headed towards the north part of the realm. The one direction that was gloomier than the others. The further north we went, the darker surroundings became. The nature around us was fading, the ground underneath us slowly becoming concrete. The energy of the area grew denser but at the same time hollow. As if we were walking into death.

There wasn't much of talking between Abaddon and me as we strolled through the valley. I was still clutching onto Lucifer in my arms as if to shield him from whatever this area might bring upon him. It was then when I realized that we were indeed on the way to the Underworld and that while Lucifer might not die, he'd be gone for a long time. There wouldn't even be a carcass of him anymore. I wouldn't be able to see him for years to come. Only pieces of memories. I truly wondered how humans experienced the death of a loved one. The mundane life of theirs would force them to go on - as if everything was the same, as if they'd never lost anyone. For me, losing him was not in the list of things I was able to take. The more I was holding onto him, the harder it was allowing myself to let him go.

"Abaddon..." I spoke suddenly, stopping myself in tracks, as the wind was picking up, blowing what seemed to be dust in our faces. He stopped walking too and turned towards me.

"What is it?"

"I don't think I can... let him go." I inhaled sharply, instantly noticing the darkening of Abaddon's expression. "So... please, can you take him? I'll still be with you, I just can't be... the one." I swallowed a lump in my throat that was forming.

A small grunt erupted from Abaddon which indicated that he understood my position. He approached me and reached out his arms as I carefully put Lucifer down in his grasp. His eyes fixated on Lucifer's face for a few seconds before quickly turning away as we continued with the walk.

"How do you even feel about all this, anyway?" I figured I should ask despite not being sure if Abaddon was ready to open up.

"Feel?" Abaddon asked, almost sounding surprised. "I feel like we're doing the right thing."

I raised my eyebrows at the response as I realized he didn't understand my question. "No, I mean... Lucifer is going to be gone. Doesn't that make you feel in any way?"

Abaddon glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. "You mean if I feel any sentimentality?"

"Something like that... Yeah."

He suddenly let out a chuckle before clearing his throat. "No. It'd be odd not seeing him around that is true. But he will come back, that's what's important."

I envied his demeanor. I wished I could go by just knowing he'd be back. Abaddon stood apart, the least human deity I'd ever met. He was so untouched by the tremors of emotions - he was pure void.

"Must be easy being you." I commented, gazing around the surroundings. It was then that the stark barrenness of this land struck me. Skies heavy with despair, not a sliver of light to pierce the gloom; the earth a monochrome canvas of concrete stretching into infinity.

Abaddon remained silent, yet the air grew denser, laden with unspoken words. A fleeting glance revealed his jaw set hard, muscles tensed as if he were grappling with Lucifer himself. I averted my eyes, feigning ignorance to his struggle against unshed tears. It wasn't my place to peel back layers of his armor he wasn't prepared to shed. We both had our own way to deal with this and I decided to respect that.

At once, Abaddon stopped in his tracks and so did I, noticing a long red line stretching out horizontally across the ground. I was about to ask him what was going on before the ground before us started crumbling down and disappearing into nothingness, creating a long staircase along the way. So, quite literally the Underworld. Before even stepping down, we could feel cold air emitting from down under.

"Are you ready?" Abaddon asked, staring hard down at the blackness.

"Yeah, let's go." I breathed in sharply and we both headed downstairs. As we descended a few steps, the roof above us closed and we were left with nothing but darkness. Not one flicker of light was present but it didn't pose a problem to us as we were able to see in the dark. There weren't any noises either, the silence was deafening. However, as soon as we reached the bottom, the torches on the wall lit up and we were met with a long but narrow hallway. The floor and the walls were made of stone, the hallway stretching out into yet another apparent endlessness.

Abaddon pushed past me and made his way through the hallway and I quickly followed after him.

It was quite a haunting feeling as we were walking through the caverns. A lot of spirits and demons tended to get trapped in the Underworld, without ever reaching the exit. Despite that frequent occurrence, a lot of demons would still rush to get incarnated. There were no sounds except for occasional screams and whimpering coming from thin air.

After turning a corner and walking about a hundred more feet, we came across yet another staircase. This one was leading into a big round hall, stone pillars arranged all around the hall on a short platform.

"Now this is where it gets tricky." Abaddon suddenly spoke as we were a few steps away from getting to the bottom.

"What do you mean?" But the question was redundant. As we descended, the corridor unfolded into an expanse, grander than first glance betrayed. Encircling us, a procession of doors stood shoulder to shoulder, mere inches apart - a monotonous parade of iron sentinels. Each bore the same infernal etchings, a chaotic script dancing with shadows, crowning them all was the emblem of Samael. At their heart, a lion's visage snarled, forked tongues of serpents flickering from its jaws.

"Oh..." escaped my mouth as I realized what we were dealing with. "So this is how they get trapped." I hummed as I walked around the area, scanning and analyzing it. "What is even the point of this? Not all spirits that come here are supposed to reincarnate?" I frowned lightly and looked at Abaddon who was walking near the walls.

"Those who take this road are not. If you're meant to die and reincarnate, you don't need to go through this part." Abaddon explained. "Come here for a second." He mumbled as he stood in front of the southeastern door of the hall.

With curiosity at its peak, I quickly walked over to where Abaddon was standing and took a quick glance at Lucifer in his arms. I could still sense the remainder of life in him but I could also feel it waning.

"Place your palm against the door." Abaddon instructed. Cautiously, I raised my hand and pressed it against the cold iron door. "Focus on it and let the sensation flow through you."

I nodded, closing my eyes as my mind fully fixated on drawing the energy from the warding of the door. Nothing happened for a few seconds, until all of a sudden a strong striking sensation shot through me, as if I had been stabbed. I grunted and quickly pulled away, gasping for air.

"What the hell..." I breathed out as I rested my hands on my knees as if I had just finished some hard labor.

"Hmm... Well it seems like it's not this door." Abaddon mused as he stared down at me and then glanced back at the door.

"I thought you were sure!" I snapped, irritation within me growing.

"Well, the sole intensity this door was giving off gave me that impression." He, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered. Although he could've just been good in stressful situations. We needed to have our wits about us this time.

"Intensity? I don't sense anything." I breathed out once more as the striking pain finally left me. I straightened my back as I walked over to the door next to the previous one.

"That is because you're not meant to. Only the highest of highest ranks can sense the difference. Others just have to be lucky or clever enough."

The moment I heard him, I turned my head to him with a sheepish grin. He cocked his eyebrow in amusement. "Lucky, you say?" I smirked. Abaddon didn't respond but he looked curious enough to give me a shot.

Due to being chief holder of Hell's casino, it was only natural I had a keen sense for the game of chance. Where magic itself failed, intuition would be used. As this was built by another fallen angel and not by some other Astral deity, it wouldn't have been that hard. Unlike the time where I played a poker game with the trickster god where the odds were stacked against me. This time around, I was on fair ground. However, it also meant if I were to be wrong, we could seriously be screwed.

I quickly went over to the center of the hall, took another deep breath and closed my eyes. The logic and reason were soon muffled until only the feeling of intuition consumed my body. It was a rather calming and nirvana-like vibration streaming through me. I opened my eyes when I was sure that doubt and insecurity wouldn't cloud my judgment. I scanned all the doors of the hall, inspecting every corner of each door and every slight odd vibration that I could feel coming off it.

I strolled past the staircase into the southernmost part of the hall which was when the gut feeling grew in intensity and it felt like my organs were being twisted. I smiled to myself in triumph. I walked over to the door that seemed to be almost calling out to me and that gave off the most harmless vibration. I placed my palm against it and repeated the same maneuver from earlier which Abaddon instructed. This time the sensation that flowed through me wasn't striking, it was peaceful and mild. Then, at once, the door simply pushed open by itself. I opened my eyes once more and looked behind me.

"Well? What do you say?" I said, a smirk still lingering on my face. I couldn't help but feel extremely proud of myself.

"Well, I've got to say, that was... something." Abaddon commented, appearing to fight off a small smile and a sense of relief that we weren't going to be trapped here forever.

"You're not great at compliments, are you?" I laughed lightly.

"I always thought they were unnecessary. But for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here and not someone else." Abaddon said as he walked over to the door and pushed through the exit. I was surprised to hear it coming from him. However, it made me feel better knowing it was him who said it. I knew he'd meant it. I didn't say anything though, I simply smiled to myself knowing I managed to grow on him just like I did with Mammon.

I followed after him and hoped that there would be less walking. I was right to be hopeful as we were only a few feet away from the main office of the entire underground. It was a simple wooden door however it was quite tall and painted crimson red. It was subtly telling us that we should probably turn back. And I almost did. I could feel a chill run down my spine as I sensed the dread emanating from behind the door. The stories of Abaddon had been ominous and foreboding, yet the power coming from Samael's energy was even more overwhelming. Abaddon seemed to be struggling to keep Lucifer in his grasp, and his gaze upon me was filled with concern.

"This may not go well, just a warning." He spoke although it sounded like he was telling it to himself more so than me.

"Well, you've got nothing to lose, right?" I laughed, trying to break the tension which was becoming palpable.

"I don't. But you might." His jaw clenched, almost giving off a sense of worry. I frowned at his odd behavior but before I could comment on it, he turned around once more and pushed the door open. I felt my breath shortening the moment the door swung open and we were standing at the entrance of a large room.

The room was of rustic charm, with a hand-woven carpet that stretched across the entire space. Most intriguing of all were the small square windows that lined the walls and ceiling, beyond which was a void-like blackness and an endless expanse of twinkling stars. It was the space that humans had given so much metaphysical meaning to, and in that moment, I finally understood why.

The center of the room had an impressive desk, with papers and documents piled high. The walls were littered with countless file cabinets, some even stacked atop one another. A large globe, a representation of the Earth, sat in the corner. But the most important element in the room was missing - the person we had come to meet.

Abaddon took a step inside carefully, taking note of everything around him. I walked in right after him but decided to explore the room further. If I were to suffer the consequences, I may as well get to know this place. I could sense Abaddon glaring at me but I didn't care. I got closer to the table in the center and took one paper that was sitting on top of it. The paper seemed to represent a deal one makes before reincarnating. Accepting the terms of memories being erased and starting completely anew once becoming human. Why would anybody want this? Would this even be a good solution to Lucifer?

However, before I could question it, there was a noise of the door opening but not from behind us. This door was hidden between the many file cabinets, making me immediately drop the paper. He was the most intimidating deity I had ever seen. First of all, Samael was very tall which added to his already blood-curdling stare. He had a sharp-featured face, his white hair neatly combed back, and he was dressed in a long red coat with toggle-style fastenings. Underneath, he wore simple black pants and fancy shoes.

"Excuse me?" Samael kept on staring at us, visibly getting more irritated with each second passing. I breathed in sharply and looked towards Abaddon who was trying his best not to waver in confidence. He walked towards the other with Lucifer in his arms which was when Samael's eyes widened in shock.

"Samael, this is urgent." Abaddon spoke, locking his eyes with Samael's, trying to instill some sort of fear in him.

"I don't even know where to begin..." The fallen angel furrowed his eyebrows as he was looking intently at Lucifer. "How did you two even get here? Well... three." He said and looked over at me which made my heart skip a beat.

"I will explain everything but first... Lucifer needs help." Abaddon quickly responded. Samael seemed almost speechless with the whole event that had just transpired. Slowly, he walked up to Lucifer in Abaddon's arms and placed his hand over his forehead before closing his eyes. A few seconds passed before suddenly he pulled away and glanced at both of us with so much fear in his eyes.

"He's dying?!"

"I'm afraid so." Abaddon said as calmly as he could but there was a bit of wavering in his voice.

Samael took a deep breath and walked over to his desk, leaning against it with his hands, "so, what? You want him to reincarnate?"

"Yes." Abaddon replied. I let him do all the talking due to him being a much higher rank than me. I figured his words would matter more to Samael than mine.

"That could disturb a lot of things. Have you thought this through at all?" Samael clenched his jaw and then looked at me as if trying to figure out if I was insane to allow this.

"We are aware of the consequences." Abaddon quickly responded, making Samael look at him again, this time with a frown. "We can't let him die, Samael. Now, you'll either allow him to reincarnate or..."

"Woah, dial it down." Samael said sharply, straightening his back. "I've never said I'm not considering it. I also know Lucifer's death could be worse than him reincarnating. But him reincarnating on Earth could..." He inhaled sharply before continuing, "it could bring upon destruction on the human race which will also reflect over here. In other words, we may experience a lot of faults and glitches in Astral laws. The boundaries between different worlds will be almost non-existent." He explained. However, the only thing that rang in my head was the non-existent boundaries he mentioned.

"What do you mean by the last thing?" I asked suddenly, Samael instantly looking at me, his red eyes piercing.

"I mean, it will be much easier to go between worlds than before. Lucifer is an important element in Astral. If he's gone, Astral may become just a bit more unstable."

I tried my best to fight the smile as I realized I could actually make it work for me. "But Lucifer dying will also make a change." I added, Abaddon glancing at me, raising an eyebrow as he noticed the sudden change in my demeanor.

"Yes... which is why I don't know who could've done this."

"His other half, of course."

"Asmodeus!" Abaddon snarled at me and I jumped in my place. That was when I realized I probably shouldn't have said that.

"The Devil did this?" Samael asked instantly, fixating his gaze on me. I slowly nodded, not wanting to anger Abaddon again. Although, I could already sense he was fuming. "Unbelievable." He scowled before taking a seat at the desk and leaning on his elbows. The silence set in as he seemed to be lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do. Neither I or Abaddon dared speak up, both waiting patiently for the fallen angel of death to declare his judgment.

Without words, Samael raised his hand as a drawer of a file cabinet from the far end of the room opened and a document flew into his hand. Abaddon and I looked at each other meaningfully, slightly smiling. We succeeded.

"Considering we can't get him to sign the document, I need his blood." Samael demanded and Abaddon instantly came up to the desk. The fallen angel summoned a dagger in his hand before taking Lucifer's one in his, slicing it open. He placed the document under it as the red liquid was spilling out. It lasted for a second before Samael simply traced over the wound with his finger and it closed.

As I was watching it happen, it was dawning on me that we were soon to let him go. A great sorrow wallowed in the pit of my stomach once again as Samael stood up from the seat and took Lucifer from Abaddon's grasp.

"Can we at least say goodbye?" I suddenly asked, my eyes not leaving Lucifer's face.

"Of course." Samael replied and I immediately walked up to him. I took Lucifer's hand in mine, hoping he'd open his eyes along the way and say that he was all better. It never happened.

"I hope you can hear me and if you do, I just..." As a lump formed in my throat, I found myself suddenly at a loss for words. My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to convey the immense significance of his role in my life, and how to make my words count in such a limited time. "I hope your time on Earth is every bit as wonderful as it has been here. I will always remember you and hope for your return." Releasing his hand, my entire being trembled with a mix of fear and uncertainty. I turned my gaze towards Abaddon, hoping for some reassurance, but he simply shook his head lightly, indicating his reluctance to speak. Despite his attempt to hide it, I could see the pain lingering in his eyes, and so I decided not to press the matter any further. It was almost every bit as hard for him as it was for me. Lucifer was the creator of all of this, without him we would've all still been mindless slaves to Yahweh. And for that only, I felt endless gratitude.

Samael glanced at both of us for a few seconds and after neither of us said a word, he started heading towards the door among the cabinets.

"You can't be present for this." He suddenly spoke and I frowned a little.

"I'm not really sure I can't." Abaddon responded in a harsh voice before I could say anything. Samael stopped at the door before looking our way. He looked like he was weighing options for a bit before his lips stretched out in a polite smile.

"You're right. You can come."

"Hold on a second!" I interrupted suddenly and they both looked at me. "So why can't I?"

"Do you want a chance of getting swallowed by a giant black hole and visiting the Earth by accident?" Samael raised his eyebrows but still kept his polite smile. My mouth slightly parted upon his inquiry.

"No. I wouldn't want that." I stuttered. As much as I loved the humans as a demon, I wouldn't want to be sharing a body with one.

"That's what I thought." Samael said and Abaddon walked over to him before he opened the door and they both disappeared behind them. I stood there for a few seconds and then I realized that this would be the last time I'd seen Lucifer for the next who knows how many eons. I swallowed another lump in my throat and rubbed my eyes as I felt tears forming. I leaned against the desk as I felt my head spinning with the amount of rage and anguish I was feeling. Suddenly being swallowed by a giant black hole didn't sound like a bad idea. But I knew that there was no way of knowing if I'd even be able to see Lucifer on the other side. Would we even recognize each other? Once again, I brushed the tears off my eyes, realizing that it was all futile. I needed to acknowledge that he was gone and somehow move onto my main goal. The only thing that was making me feel better was the fact that he was going to be better on Earth. After all, it was the right decision and I was ready to suffer the consequences of whatever was about to come.

I smiled lightly as I was looking at the door, starting to feel lighter and the heavy feelings subduing. At once, the door opened, Abaddon and Samael stepping through.

"He's gone." Abaddon said in a low voice. Even Samael's expression darkened a bit. It must've been quite an event to attend.

"But he's safe, right?" I asked.

Samael nodded as he started approaching me, "thankfully. Nothing went wrong. We just have to hope the consequences of such a move wouldn't be too grand."

"So, the only thing we have to worry about is ourselves?"

"Not me." Abaddon joined in the conversation as he walked over.

"Yeah, yeah, don't gloat." I laughed and both of them looked at me in confusion, Abaddon raising an eyebrow.

"You can still joke?" He asked. "You were so distraught earlier."

"If I let myself think about it too much, I believe I will lose my mind." I said, continuing to smile, this one feeling a bit more forced.

"You must've really loved him?" Samael suddenly spoke with a small head tilt. My heart sped up upon the question as I wondered why he was suddenly grilling me for answers.

"Well, yeah. I mean, all demons love Lucifer."

"Do they now?" Samael smirked faintly and I furrowed my eyebrows as I was trying to figure out what he was hinting at.

"I think he's trying to say you're more attached to him than most." Abaddon spoke as his body suddenly perked up, impatient for the answer.

Indignant, I suddenly raised my voice, feeling as though my most private thoughts had been invaded. "What are you two implying?!" I exclaimed, my frustration and anger bubbling up to the surface. "I only ever saw him as a brother. We've been through so much together, and now it feels like I'm losing a part of myself. For you two to suggest that I have some sort of strange feelings for him is not only untrue, but it's insulting!" My outburst surprised even myself, but it felt as though all the pent-up emotions I had been holding in needed to be released. As I looked at both Samael and Abaddon, their questioning expressions only made me feel more uneasy.

"If you say so." Samael simply shrugged and I grimaced. What a peculiar being.

"Okay, Abaddon, let's go. I'm already on the verge of punching someone." I grumbled and started heading towards the door on the other side of the room.

"We'll need to teleport, you can't go back." Abaddon said and I immediately stopped in my tracks, huffing in annoyance.

"Alright." I turned and began walking back, but my movement was abruptly halted when Abaddon swiftly opened another one of his infamous black hole portals. Its immense gravitational pull was immediately felt, leaving me struggling to keep my balance. My stomach twisted in itself.

"Samael, thank you for your help. We owe you." Abaddon said and that was the first time I'd ever seen him smile. Even just for a little bit.

"Well, I did what I had to do. The Devil shouldn't have done this in the first place." Samael responded as he was arranging the papers on the desk.

"What do you mean by that?" I suddenly asked, completely confused. Didn't Abaddon say this was meant to happen?

"The split between Lucifer and the Devil wasn't supposed to happen for a very long time. And I mean for a very, very long time. If it were to happen, the process would take a while and Lucifer wouldn't need to die. This split was caused by an external force." As Samael suddenly spilled the beans, my mouth parted open as my mouth felt like it was going dry. My eyes immediately darted over at Abaddon whose expression was one of horror. What in the world was going on?!