’’Mercy, Your Divine!’’

Falak called out, taking Lucifer by surprise as his head in the ice prison moved just enough to stare down at the demon.

His eyes remained close as the all-seeing gaze above moved just enough to give the demon an insidious glare.

Falak silently accepted whatever punishment awaited him if only that desperate interruption could grant the suffering prince a moment’s breathing room.

The moment the oppressive force lifted, Grim collapsed as though he had finally been dragged out of a flooded cave after struggling for his last breath.

Falak’ silver gaze softened on the poor demon in relief as he struggled slowly against the still water, trying his best to rise again.

’’And what do you mean by that? Who am I torturing that you beg for my mercy?’’

Falak closed their eyes, head bowing lower than before as the demon moved its fingers nervously against the still water and took in one deep, calming breath.

The ever burning stare of the all-seeing gaze on him, desperate to condemn him to the deepest fires of Hell to burn without an end.

’’Have...mercy...Your Greatness,’’ Falak repeated, feeling half daring and afraid as he pleaded. ’’Hear him out for the last time and grant his wish and I promise he will never appear before you again.’’

The walls around them grew silent as the all-seeing gaze moved from Falak to the prince yet to get himself together.

’’How weak and miserable,’’ the walls condemned as the smile fell from the face of the fallen angel.

’’You can’t even fight properly for your life.’’

Grim pulled himself up, eyes fluttering about weekly as he held himself up with a trembling hand.

His face was bruised and swollen.

His golden eyes weakened, pale and lifeless.

Blood pooled endlessly from his mouth as he stared at his father.

Why, after all these years, is it still so difficult to hate them enough to devour them?

Another tear fell from his eyes as he thought about it.

Why?

Why exactly hasn’t he transformed yet and swallowed everything that lived and breathed?

He will then take His Anais to a different world, his own eden.

It will be safer there with just him and her. There will be no evil parents lurking to cause them any pain.

Maybe Berry, Lin and Stylie could come as well.

There could be a place for Azazel too.

He thought about it, but then again could he really be as mad enough to sacrifice everything if it meant him having a moment of peace and just enjoying life with the people he loves and cares about?

No...

Not yet.

Kind.

Free.

Generous.

Loving.

Me.

’’Before I am being called a monster again, tell me, why have you rushed down to Hell to grace me with your presence?’’

The walls asked as the suspended within the frozen water seemed to be staring directly into his soul. He also noticed the dark networks of a growing curse gradually taking over the devil’s body.

Probably a backlash the body was enduring as it pushed on to live up to its name as the greatest evil in all three worlds that existed.

Grim was so determined to get this cure for her that he rose to his feet, biting through the pain it caused him and said, trying not to choke on his own blood.

’’I need your first tears...’’

’’Please,’’ he added as he held on.

The eye above moved and the walls seemed to cave in briefly as well but the body remained, simply just staring down at his son without even seeing him.

’’For?’’ Lucifer asked him unexpectedly as a different calmness existed between both enigmas as they stared at each other.

’’To mock me or have you decided to become an angel now that you feel so ashamed of what you are?’’

There was no point lying about what he wanted to use the tears for. He probably knows already why he even came here and just making things impossibly hard for him.

When Grim took forever to open his mouth and speak through the pain again, Lucifer pushed more of his buttons and taunted with.

’’If that has always been your hidden agenda, let me tell you this. Being an angel is far much terrible than living as an ancient forbidden beast of the three worlds.’’

’’Michael wouldn’t accept you and I doubt the great one up there would even look at you and allow you corrupt his other good and obedient minions.’’

’’I will suggest you give up on that silly dream. Not that I can’t give you my tears to waste away on becoming a divine being—The tears are useless to me now. I am already satisfied with what I have become without them.’’

Falak raised his head slowly but quickly looked down when that scary eyeball turned to him again.

’’At least giving you the tears is better than letting it burn in the bottomless pit forever. But I will haunt you for the rest of your life if you waste those tears in becoming a divine being.’’

Exactly something a father like him would say.

Grim took a slow step towards the ice prison and said, ’’I want to use it to save someone.’’

The eye moved again as the walls around became quiet.

Too quiet.

It almost felt as if the devil was finished speaking to him.

Until...

’’To save someone? Who?’’ His dark lips moved for the first time since forever.

It felt surreal to hear the devil’s voice from his lips than from the walls around them.

Even Falak froze at that miracle and Grim never thought he would ever leave long enough to know how his father’s voice sounded like directly from his mouth rather than the diabolical echoes from the ice walls.

It felt so calm and...beautiful and...no one could really find the perfect word to describe it.

You know who. Grim wanted to say but he was getting really exhausted and he can’t afford to drag this on any longer.

Or his Anais might perish before he even has the chance to save her.

’’I never thought my forbidden fruit would grow up enough to care for the insignificant life of a mortal. I wasn’t even expecting you to take this punishment so seriously.’’

’’Please,’’ Grim asked again, his golden gaze promising never to bother him again. Hell, he would even try not to exist in their lives anymore as long as he gave him hope.

Lucifer’s lips moved sideways and said something else to discourage him, ’’You know that she is just a mortal, don’t you? And I don’t think you are planning on doing something as ridiculous as transforming her to a divine being with my tears, are you?’’

Grim shook his head.

He only just wants to save her life and extend it a bit.

’’Because when the tough ones above come for your head for doing something forbidden, I won’t even look at you if you come to me for help.’’

Grim nodded, smiling a bit before shaking his head, assuring the devil that he will do none of that.

’’Not that I care about you or what you do. I will just be embarrassed if Michael tears you apart with his sword thinking he has won over me.’’

Grim said nothing as he waited hopeful for his father to give him the tears.

After a long, agonizing wait and silence, Lucifer sighed, his eyes moving underneath his closed eyelids as a tiny golden bottle filled with a tiny amount of tears that glowed richly with the essence of a divine being floating preciously before Grim’s eyes.

It brought a pleasing feeling to his once aching chest as he slowly reached for the bottle and claimed it as his.

Mine.

He smiled.

The eye above moved and Lucifer sighed again.

’’Boring.’’

’’Let this be the last time you appear before me again. No demon is to ever visit me again until Hell has consumed all suffering souls.’’

’’You are both...dismissed.’’