Xella's Return

"Alright Zari, it's time up!" Kate, Zari's colleague called out to her as she walked into the kitchen where they stayed.

"Already?" Zari retorted,

"Yes dear," Mr Biggs chipped in, "I think you should go home and get some rest."

Mr Biggs was the owner and manager of Love Bites Eatery, he was a short and fat man whose apron's belt never seemed to go around his waist, but he was such a humble and easygoing man that all his workers couldn't help but love him. Anyone who applied at Love Bites ended up working there for years because of the friendly working environment.

"But..." Zari tried to speak,

"No buts! Your time is up!" Mr Biggs said, "and don't forget the little package that I prepared for you on the fridge over there."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that sir." Zari said with a smile as she pulled off her apron.

"Don't mention it Zari, that's the best I can do for you, you know." Mr Biggs said,

"No... I can't take this..."

"No complaints!" Mr Biggs grabbed the packaged plate of treats and shoved it into Zari's hands and gently pushed her out the back door, "Now off you go!"

"Thank you Mr Biggs!" Zari called over her shoulder as Mr Biggs slammed the door behind her.

"Bye!" She thought she heard a muffled farewell as she smiled broadly to herself and walked home.

The staff of Love Bites Eatery had been like a family to her that most of the times, she never even felt the vacuum of her real family. They were the reason she kept on living each day. She loved each and every one of them and they loved her too.

She was now in a dark alley, a shortcut that led to her apartment when she noticed something wrong. There were four figures in suits standing in the middle of the alley, obstructing the path. It seemed like they were waiting for someone– and that someone was obviously her.

She scoffed and puffed her shoulders up, the last time some men in suits had tried to mess with her, she made them regret the day they were born so she had ultimate confidence in herself that these ones wouldn't be any different.

As she came closer to them, she noticed something different, there weren't four men who stood there rather there were three men and one woman. The most disturbing part of them was that the tallest man amongst them had a very villainous smirk on his face and there was something about his presence that was so intimidating that made her confidence diminish with every step she took.

At some point, the fear she felt was so much that her legs had begun to shake so she had to stop walking so as to hide her fear.

"What do you guys want? Why are you standing in the way?" Zari asked with the most confident voice she could muster.

"Xella... Xella, we meet at last." Lucian said and clapped his hands once,

"Xella? Who?" Zari asked and turned around to see whether they were talking to someone behind her but when she didn't see anyone, she turned back to face them and was a bit terrified when she saw the smiles on their faces. It was evil and unnerving.

Zari had met a lot of people who wanted to hurt her in her life, thugs, rapists, men in suits and she had found herself standing confidently before them even when they held weapons but here she was standing before four unarmed people and she was almost shaking with fear. From the quality of their suits, she could tell that they looked rich but that was all, she couldn't understand why her body was acting so terrified.

"Oh! My bad," Lucian said and facepalmed, "your human consciousness is still active."

In one instant, Lucian was in front of Zari and her eyes dilated in fear and surprise, she had never seen anyone move like that in her life, it was very unnatural. What was more unnatural was the fact that her muscles refused to run away from this unnatural being who was towering over her, a part of her was even aching to go to him.

"It's funny how this human has been able to keep your consciousness suppressed for so long."

There was no response from Zari, she just continued staring at him with eyes filled with fear and defiance.

"Come on Xella... Come out, it's time to go home."

"Who's Xella? There's no Xella here, my name is Zari. What do you want?" Zari said stubbornly to Ray,

"Xella... Zari, I don't care about your puny human name so just shut up and allow Xella to come out." Lucian said sternly,

"Who the fuck is this Xella? Are you bonkers?" Zari shot at Lucian, "maybe your brain will return back to normal if I hit you."

Everything inside Zari's body was screaming at her to not hit Lucian but she needed to satisfy her urge so she managed to raise her arm and slap him, she was surprised at the pain she felt in her palm when it hit his cheek, it felt like a reinforced concrete wall!

Lucian sighed.

"Foolish human... You must be thinking that you're strong seeing as you were able to defeat some pawns who had come to you before in the past. Well... I just want you to know that the only reason you're so strong is because of the demon inside you, Xella, my first battalion commander. Apart from that, you're just a useless orphan human."

"Don't you dare address me like that you motherfucker!" Zari yelled and lunged at him again but Lucian just held her on her neck and lifted her into the air.

"Come out Xella..." As he spoke these words, his hand tightened around Zari's neck and twisted the life out of her.

Zari's eyes dilated in fear and despair as her life flashed before her eyes, it was only then that she realized that her life hadn't really had any purpose, she had just been a vessel for the demon that lived inside her. That was the reason why she was abnormally strong for a normal human, that was why she had never felt comfortable around religious places or religious material, that was why her life hadn't seemed to have any goals. She had just been a vessel– nothing more, nothing less.

Zari's lifeless body fell to the ground and black smoke came out of her orifices. The black smoke hovered in the air till it formed a beautiful naked female humanoid demon with huge wings that were around 10 feet wide and who had two small horns on her head.

A big smile appeared on Lucian's face as he saw his first battalion commander in her original form– though unstable, "Finally! She's back!"

Xella knelt down on the floor in front of Lucian, "This lowly servant greets her master."

"Welcome home Xella."

"Thank you sir."

"Lilian, prepare a suitable vessel for Xella, she's back in the force."

"Yes sir." Lilian replied and disappeared immediately with Xella.

Suddenly, Lucian heard a gasp and he looked up to see Elora standing at the entrance of the alley with a terrified expression on her face.

With the lifeless body of Zari in front of him, Lucian didn't need a lawyer to tell him what that scene implied. He was about to be accused for murder.