𝐔𝐏 𝐍𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 ✔️

chapter iv

where f/n was relocated was unlike the dark environment kirari had trapped her in before. this new place was bright, yet very blank, like a canvas that was yet to support a masterpiece.
she felt wide awake, but more concerned than afraid. wondering if kirari had sent her to the wrong place, she headed in another direction, hoping to get somewhere warmer and less intimidating. this plan proceeded fine, until she saw a flash of silvery hair somewhere along the borders of her peripheral vision and a small voice call her name.

"f/n? i've been waiting for you! i never thought you'd actually make it here, it wouldn't have been a surprise if kirari kept you all to herself... she's not the type to keep promises too. how odd."

a thin female, whose face appeared slightly flushed and expression beyond anxious, approached then stood awkwardly next to f/n. despite f/n's curious stare, the unfamiliar yet familiar figure seemed to be doing everything in her power to avoid looking back at f/n straight in the eyes, only growing redder as f/n tried to do so.

"why did i not bring my mask... i know i can't catch diseases since i'm not exactly alive, but the thought of people seeing my bare face scares me. oh wait– oh no– i'm so sorry for rambling! why do i keep doing that, i guess i'm just nervous again– oh no, please not again. sorry i guess i really am nervous, since it's been so long, that's all..."

"do we..." f/n started.

ririka slowly looked up from the floor, only gaining enough courage to look at the other h/c female's nose until...

"do we know each other? you look a lot like kirari."

ririka stiffened, her shoulders slightly slumping in disappointment. of course she didn't remember her, and of course kirari had made her way into their conversation without her actual presence. was that all she was? her twin sister's shadow?
in defiance of the fact that she had met her first, she felt like she had lost a second time. the first when she failed to think of sending away f/n so she could grow up and seal immortality safely, the second time when it wasn't her who she safely commuted f/n back with herself upon her release.

"hello? are you okay?" asked f/n, slightly concerned.

"yes, i'm fine. don't worry." ririka quickly replied, stopping herself from speaking fast enough to prevent a voice crack.

"hold on, sorry for my bad memory... you must be ririka momobami. i've heard about you from kirari, and i remember you from my dreams. you were always smiling in them, but now that i see you for real, your smiles seem to be upside down."

ririka could have shed tears of joy, but she held them back. she didn't want f/n thinking she was an emotional wreck.

however, she didn't resist the urge to give the e/c female, who was now standing in front of her, a very tight hug.

"so you need someone? i suppose i can stay with you for as long as possible." f/n said lowly, slightly flustered as she carefully returned the hug.

"now that i have you with me, we should always stay together!" ririka smiled, at that moment peering into f/n's eyes for the first time in years, "please don't leave me."

"do i have a choice–"

it was then when ririka's expression darkened ever so slightly before she responded,

"not at all."

~

kirari stood alone in the empty darkness of her vast residence, wondering if sending away f/n was the right choice. she wasn't quite sure if she had sent the particular immortal to the clouds or back to earth, although she was aware that both places were bad. the clouds were bad because her twin sister would find her in moments and keep her away (which she knew wouldn't happen), and the earth was bad because mortals could find and harm her. either way, she hoped f/n would learn her lesson either way.

if there even was one to learn in the first place.

it had been a while. kirari decided to visit her father, setting the groundwork she needed in order to take over. immortal people were hard to murder, yet nothing was impossible either. and this was where f/n came in.

the pale figure made her way through the swarms of menacing demons and devils alike, all struggling to make ends meet. they were all disappointed and afraid, undead souls undeserving of a proper afterlife. unlike much of the pop culture that portrayed all underworldly creatures as those who possessed, tortured, and cursed mortal beings to evil, this was not often true.

unfortunately, this was not the case for kirari. behind her refined visuals lay a deeply calculative and manipulative sadist, with a few dashes of psychopathic tendencies and narcissism as well as a passion for cheating.

the most intriguing mystery continued with ririka. how was the pair so different? ririka was an angel, a model one at that. growing up as a victim of kirari's cruel antics and only being known as her sister's antisocial twin, she was somehow able to stay perfectly pure from beginning to end, the pain only increasing her strengths after death.

kirari had always looked down on her sister. her identical shadow, the one she saw as a lower-being extension of herself that she despised the existence of.

finally climbing down the last few steps and organizing the last of her thoughts, the plan began.

"father? it's been a while. have you forgotten me yet?" started kirari.

"of course not darling. how could i forget the one person who dares to be my next successor?" the devil sniggered, as if the very thought did nothing but amuse him.

"so you know what i'm here for."

"it would be cute to watch you try! the ancient texts won't do much, most are scam texts created by your hundreds of other brothers, such pranksters. i'm not so sure if they're doing so fine anymore, last i heard from them, they seemed to be having a blast possessing mortals to insanity. perhaps you should just give up and follow in their steps! i promise it's much fun."

"no father. i was meant to lead hell. you do nothing but sit back and watch everyone suffer."

"i mean- isn't that my job...?" the never-aging devil giggled, glancing curiously at his daughter. she was all grown, wanting to overthrow him if he wouldn't give in. yet he knew this was not going to happen so easily, and this entertained him.

"you know what i mean, there's an abundance of useless, miserable fools left and right. everyone has the potential to be moulded into something truly evil, equivalent to you and me, while the leader, who would be me, stays the most powerful of them all." kirari theorized.

"you really have plans, don't you? but what makes you think you can pull such a scheme off when you can't even get the girl you want to make that happen? we all know most of the 'ancient' texts are beautiful lies, but the truths lay in her. so i see you've been planning this for decades. but your main ingredient isn't even in your grasp. now what? going to overthrow me with a gun? maybe a knife?"

lucifer shook the room with laughter as kirari frowned and rested her back against one of the black velvet walls.

"father, please. you must know that i'm the only one truly fit to be your successor. i have plans, and the main ingredient, as you may say. i'll have her wrapped around my finger in moments, just you wait!"

"i won't believe it until you see it. no love potion or form of curse placed on her will get my poison to work. good luck! looking forward to my death that will never arrive."

kirari glared at her father and left, determined to begin the process of creating the potion that she hoped would change her future forever.

the ingredients kirari needed were: sloth brains, 100 year old wine from the depths of the earth, seven red dragons' scales, two ounces of pure devil's blood, and tears of genuine joy from a pure immortal... pure immortals were rare, and the existence of f/n was what had brought the otherwise impossible plan to light, in kirari's eyes.

"just you wait f/n! i will not fall for you, but by pretending i do, i'll make sure that you fall for me no matter what. this is a strange mission, but the most important. tears of genuine joy are so rare, yet love is so stupid, but i can't underestimate what its power can bring to the table."