CHAPTER 0018

Freedom 

I lay on my bed, staring up at the crystal lamp hanging from the ceiling. 

The tiny crystals swayed gently with every shift in the air, catching the light and scattering it into a thousand shimmering fragments. 

Each little piece seemed to hold a world of its own, reflecting miniature rainbows across the room, making the dullness of the walls come alive. 

There was something hypnotic about it, the way the light danced, almost as if it were trying to tell me a story I couldn't quite grasp.

But no matter how long I stared, the story remained hidden, and the gentle lull of the reflections couldn't keep my mind occupied. 

A sigh escaped my lips as I finally pushed myself up. The room felt too small, too quiet, like it was suffocating me. 

I needed to get out, to breathe air that wasn't filled with the weight of unspoken thoughts.

I made my way outside, not bothering to grab a coat even though the morning air was cool against my skin. It was a kind of chill that woke you up, that reminded you you were alive. 

I wandered until I found myself standing beneath an old, sturdy tree. Its branches stretched wide above me, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze, offering a kind of protection from the world. 

Without thinking, I sat down at its base, leaning my back against the rough bark. The ground was cold, but I didn't mind. 

The discomfort was better than the stifling calm of my room.

My mind drifted as I stared up into the canopy, watching the leaves sway. 

What if none of this was real? The thought crept in quietly, but once it took root, it was hard to shake. 

What if my entire life was just a story, something conjured up in the mind of someone else? I could be a character in a book, my every move scripted, my every thought planned by someone else. 

Maybe I was just an extra, a background character in someone else's grand narrative. Or maybe, just maybe, I was the main character, and everyone was watching me, reading along as I tried to make sense of this tangled web of reality and fantasy. 

Was it possible that I wasn't real? That none of this was real? That my thoughts, my emotions, were nothing more than ink on a page?

The idea sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. 

The more I considered it, the more it made sense. Maybe that's why everything felt so strange lately, like I was living someone else's life, following a script I didn't remember agreeing to. 

Was I just a puppet, dancing to the tune of an unseen author?

I was so lost in these thoughts that I didn't notice the rustling in the bushes until it was too late. I snapped out of my reverie, my heart pounding as I looked up. 

A dog stood there, its eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat. 

It looked wild, dangerous, like it was moments away from attacking. 

My body froze, my mind racing for something, anything, to say. "You're a good boy," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You're a good boy, right?"

I repeated the words, trying to keep my voice calm, even though every part of me was screaming to run. 

Slowly, I watched as the dog's stance softened, its eyes losing that sharp, dangerous edge. It seemed to respond to my tone, as if it understood what I was saying. 

To my surprise, the dog inched closer, its tail wagging slightly. 

My heart was still racing, but I forced myself to stay still, to let the dog make the first move. 

It lowered its head, almost as if asking for permission, and then, after what felt like an eternity, it settled down between my legs, resting its head in my lap.

I let out a shaky breath, my hand slowly reaching out to stroke its fur. The softness under my fingers was comforting, grounding me back in reality, or at least the version of reality I could understand. 

I didn't move, didn't want to disturb the dog that had decided, for whatever reason, that I was safe.

But just as I began to relax, a low, menacing growl filled the air. 

My breath caught again as I looked up, and this time, I saw a wolf standing just a few feet away. Its eyes were locked on me, and there was no mistaking the danger in its gaze. 

My body tensed, every instinct screaming at me to run, but I was trapped by fear, unable to move.

Before I could react, the dog in my lap stood up, placing itself between me and the wolf. 

The air was thick with tension, so much so that it felt like time had stopped. But then, in the most unexpected twist, the wolf's growl faded. 

It sniffed the air, eyes shifting from me to the dog, and then slowly, its posture relaxed. 

The wolf approached cautiously, its gaze no longer threatening but curious. I watched, hardly daring to breathe, as it circled me once before sitting down beside me. 

The dog, sensing the danger had passed, lay back down, resting its head on my knee as if nothing had happened. 

The wolf did the same, pressing its side against my leg in a show of unexpected trust.

A laugh bubbled up from my throat, shaky and full of disbelief. Here I was, sitting under a tree, with a dog in my lap and a wolf pressed against my side. 

It felt surreal, like something out of one of those dreams that you couldn't quite believe was real. 

But the warmth of their bodies against mine was real, the weight of their trust undeniable.

I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the tree. 

Maybe I wasn't a character in a book. Maybe this was reality, strange as it was. 

Or maybe it didn't matter, as long as moments like this one were real, as long as I could feel this warmth, this connection.

Just as I was about to drift off, a sudden weight dropped onto my head. 

My eyes flew open, and I reached up to find a small, furry body clinging to my hair. A squirrel, of all things, had decided to make my head its landing spot. 

It stared at me with wide eyes, its little paws tangled in my hair. 

I blinked, almost too stunned to react, but the absurdity of the situation made me smile. 

I gently untangled the squirrel, letting it scurry down to perch on my shoulder. It seemed just as surprised as I was, but after a moment, it relaxed, content to sit there, watching the world from its new vantage point.

I couldn't help but laugh, a real, genuine laugh that felt like it was shaking loose the tension that had been building up inside me for so long. 

Surrounded by these animals, I felt a strange sense of peace, as if the world had decided, just for a moment, to stop being so harsh, so demanding.

But, of course, peace never lasts long.

"BOO!"

The shout tore through the quiet, jolting me awake. I jumped, and the animals scattered, the dog and the wolf disappearing into the trees, the squirrel leaping off my shoulder and vanishing into the branches. 

My heart was pounding as I turned to see Asmodeus standing a few feet away, a mischievous grin on his face.

"You scared me!" I snapped, my voice still shaky from the adrenaline.

He laughed, that rich, deep laugh that always seemed to carry an undercurrent of danger. "That was my intention, Venn."

"Venn?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to regain some of my composure.

"Short for Venneca," he said with a smirk, clearly pleased with himself.

"Whatever... don't do that again," I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I stood up, brushing off the dirt from my clothes.

He tilted his head, his grin fading into something more thoughtful. "Want to go to that club again? I don't want to go alone, and I'm bored."

I hesitated, glancing at the sky. The sun was still high, the day only just beginning. 

It seemed odd to go to a club so early, but the thought of sitting in my room, lost in my own spiraling thoughts, wasn't appealing either.

"Nothing could go wrong, right?" I muttered to myself before finally nodding. "Sure, let's go."

I followed him, my mind still half-lost in the surreal morning I'd just experienced. 

Maybe today would bring more strange moments, but for now, I was just trying to keep my feet on the ground

 hoping that nothing could go wrong...

. . . 

"What should I wear?!" I groaned, staring helplessly at the array of dresses laid out on my bed. Each one seemed more boring than the last. 

They were all old-fashioned, each worn more than five times, and none of them made me feel the least bit excited. 

My wardrobe was a sad excuse for a closet—small, understocked, and utterly uninspiring. Auntie never saw the point in buying me new clothes. 

"A waste of money," she'd say. And now, here I was, stuck with dresses that felt as lifeless as my mood.

I held up a plain black dress, inspecting it with a critical eye. No, too dull. Tossing it aside, I picked up a blue one next. 

Ugh, even worse. Nothing in my wardrobe made me feel like… me. How was I supposed to feel good about going out when I didn't even have anything decent to wear?

As if on cue, a knock sounded at my door. I sighed, knowing exactly who it was. "Come in," I called out, not bothering to hide my frustration.

The door creaked open, and Asmodeus stepped inside, his usual smirk in place. "Are you ready yet, Venn?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

I turned to him, exasperated. "No, I'm not. I have nothing to wear!" I gestured dramatically to the pile of dresses on my bed, hoping he'd understand just how dire the situation was.

He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And that's exactly why I visited you. We can go shopping on Earth to buy you a dress you want."

My heart skipped a beat at his words, and I gasped, unable to contain my excitement. "Really?!" I practically squealed, already imagining all the possibilities. 

Earth had so many options, so many styles. I could finally get something that made me feel… different.

He nodded, looking quite pleased with himself. "Of course. Can't you go out looking anything less than perfect, right?"

A smile spread across my face, and without a second thought, I grabbed his hand. "Let's go!" The words left my mouth almost too quickly, fueled by the thrill of the idea. Before I knew it, the world around us blurred, and we were no longer in my room.

Earth came into focus, and we found ourselves in a bustling shopping district. The air was crisp, the streets alive with people hurrying to and fro, and the windows of every boutique we passed glittered with promises of the perfect dress.

We spent hours flitting from store to store, but nothing seemed to catch my eye. "No," I'd say, shaking my head at the dress. "Not your color," Asmodeus would comment on another. 

"Not your type," he'd smirk, rejecting yet another option. I was starting to feel a little defeated when we walked into one final shop.

I stepped into the changing room, holding a dress I wasn't entirely sure about. But the moment I put it on, I knew it was different. 

The fabric clung to my curves, the rich red color a stark contrast against my skin. The dress had a side slit that revealed my thigh with every step, and the neckline was low enough to be daring without feeling cheap. 

It was revealing in a way that made me feel powerful, not just exposed.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the changing room, feeling more confident than I had all day. 

Asmodeus was waiting just outside, leaning casually against the wall, but when he saw me, his eyes widened slightly. For a moment, he seemed almost… red.

He quickly recovered, clearing his throat as he gave me an approving look. "Well," he said, his voice a little rougher than usual, "I think we've found the one."

I couldn't help but smirk, twirling slightly to see the dress in the mirror. "Yeah… I think so too." 

There was something almost electric in the air between us as I changed back into my regular clothes. 

The thrill of finding the perfect dress, the unspoken tension, it all made my heart race in a way I hadn't expected.

We paid for the dress, and soon we were back in the underworld, heading to the club. By the time we arrived, the place was already packed, the music pounding in my chest. 

Asmodeus led the way, and I could feel eyes on me as I walked in. The dress was definitely a showstopper, and I noticed more than a few heads turning to watch me as I passed. 

Half of the boys in the club seemed unable to look away, their gazes lingering on the curve of my thigh where the slit of the dress revealed more than it hid. 

I felt their eyes following me, but instead of feeling self-conscious, it made me feel powerful, like I was in control.

But as the night wore on, the excitement of the attention began to fade. I found myself getting bored, the novelty wearing off faster than I'd expected. 

I made my way to a couch in the corner, ordering a glass of wine to take the edge off. The first sip was smooth, the second even smoother. 

Before I knew it, I was on my second glass, the alcohol warming my veins and making the edges of the room blur just slightly.

Asmodeus appeared at my side, a playful smile on his lips. "Care to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

I was tipsy enough to agree without hesitation. "Sure, why not," I said, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor.

The music was loud, the bass vibrating through the floor as we moved. I could feel the alcohol loosening my limbs, making me more daring, more carefree.

But as we danced, spinning and swaying under the pulsing lights, my gaze drifted across the room. 

That's when I saw him—Lucifer, sitting on the other side of the club, his eyes locked on me. 

He was with another man, but the moment our eyes met, I saw something shift in his expression. His eyes darkened, the easy-going façade slipping just enough for me to see the intensity underneath.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, cutting through the warmth of the alcohol. This was bad. Really bad. 

My mind raced, but my body seemed to act on its own, swaying closer to Asmodeus as if trying to put distance between myself and Lucifer's gaze.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that no matter what I did, Lucifer's eyes would follow me. That's when he started to approach me

That's when I realized… I was Cooked..

. . .