Chapter 14 — A Calm Night of Conversation
Loona came out of the bathroom, steam rolling past her as she dried her hair with a towel. Drops of water shimmered on her fur under the dim, reddish lights of the apartment. She walked into the living room and found Razan placing steaming plates of food on the small, slightly cracked wooden table. The smell filled the room—simple food, but warm, comforting, and a rare luxury in the chaos of Hell.
Loona gave him a small, teasing smile as she leaned her shoulder against the doorframe.
"So, how's your revolution against the rich demons going?"
Razan puffed out his chest dramatically, crossing his arms as though he were leading an entire rebellion with fiery speeches and banners behind him.
"Well," he began, voice deep and authoritative, "I decided I still need to plan things better before overthrowing the wealthy and giving power to the poor."
Loona rolled her eyes, amused, and walked past him with her tail lightly flicking against his leg.
"Let's eat before you start another war speech."
They sat together, eating in a comfortable silence. Outside, distant explosions, sirens, and arguments echoed through the streets—Hell's usual lullaby. Yet inside their apartment, the air felt strangely peaceful.
After dinner, Razan lounged on the couch, hands behind his head, while Loona rested her head on his legs. Her tail tapped lightly against the cushions, and he absentmindedly scratched her ears, making them twitch under his fingers.
He looked down at her phone and chuckled softly.
"Hey, Loona… it's crazy to think we became this close since the day we met. If I had tried to touch your ears back then, you probably would've ripped my hand off with a bite."
Loona gave a low grumble that almost sounded like a purr, though she'd never admit it.
"Well… you're never completely safe. I might be thinking of doing that right now."
"Give me a break," Razan said, barely containing his laughter. "I really like my right hand. I'm attached to it."
"We'll see how you behave then," she said, flicking her tail lazily.
The room was quiet for a moment, aside from the faint hum of the broken air conditioner struggling to work. Then Loona froze—her eyes widened slightly while reading something on her phone. Her ears perked, and Razan felt her shift on his legs.
"What is it?" he asked. "What are you looking at?"
"It's nothing… just a news article saying our little princess of Hell wants to build a hotel to help sinners." Loona frowned in disbelief. "But that sounds impossible, right? Why would she do that?"
Razan let out a long, tired sigh—the kind only someone who has seen too much stupidity could produce.
"From what I've heard, our princess is a girl who thinks the world is a fairy tale. She believes everyone can change and become a better person."
Loona blinked, confused.
"Seriously? She really thinks like that?"
"Yeah," Razan said, shrugging. "Unlike the two of us—orphans who got beaten down by life since we were kids—she grew up with a monster like Lucifer, the lord of Hell, as a father, and Lilith, the strongest sinner, as a mother. She never lived the world the way we did."
Loona crossed her arms, thinking. Growing up in Hell was never easy—yet somehow that princess had lived in a bubble untouched by all of it. It was strange to imagine.
"Growing up that protected…" Loona murmured. "It makes sense she turned out like that."
"Exactly."
Razan adjusted himself on the couch, making Loona bounce slightly on his legs. He didn't stop scratching her ears, earning him a quick side-eye that she pretended wasn't pleased.
"We can check out that hotel when we're older," he said casually.
Loona let out a snort, smirking as she lifted her head slightly to look at him.
"What? You planning to feel guilty and go to Heaven?"
"No," Razan replied, rolling his eyes so hard it almost made Loona laugh. "It's just that, even if she's a little innocent and clueless, and probably full of flaws… she might be a good choice as a friend. Better than the psychopaths, cannibals, thugs, and thieves out there."
Loona sighed, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"Well, I can't disagree with that."
Outside, more gunshots echoed through the night. Someone yelled something unintelligible. Then a crash. A normal Tuesday night in Hell.
Razan reached for the TV remote with a grin that was way too happy for someone living in a burning wasteland.
"Now forget about that. We're watching my favorite movie. It's called Marley & Me. You're gonna love it."
He flashed a grin filled with suspiciously joyful intentions.
Loona squinted at him.
"…Why are you smiling like that?"
"No reason at all," he said, clearly lying.
Loona let out a dramatic sigh, sinking deeper into the couch cushions.
"Stop being annoying and put the movie on already."
Razan hit play, the screen lighting up their dim apartment. The opening scene started, peaceful and warm—completely out of place in Hell.
Loona slowly relaxed as the movie played, her tail tapping lightly against Razan's leg. Despite the chaos outside—the distant screaming, the explosions, the echo of violence—they had carved out a small island of calm inside that room.
A night without bloodshed.
A night without demons to fight.
Just a dragon and a hellhound watching a movie together.
A rare, fragile, peaceful slice of life in a world that tried every day to tear them apart.