This chapter is kind of short, I think, compared to the others...but I needed to get something posted because it's been a really long time. If you find any mistakes, please let me know so that I can fix them. Also, thank you for the kind reviews! I'm happy to hear from each of you!


The room was silent for a long while as Alfred shifted around on the large bed. He took his time to glance around the room and over Ivan before he even began to think about questions focused on this outrageous situation. When he did, however, he found himself questioning the reason for him to even be in this situation in the first place. Things like this didn't happen to ordinary people and, the more that he thought about it, things like this only happened to fictional people. No matter what the ghost shows told you, things like this simply weren't real, but he was seriously having trouble trying to find another explanation.

There was no way that this all could be a prank with how the 'demons' were able to produce wings out of nowhere. Even if it weren't for that fact, there wasn't really anyone who'd be able to pull a prank like this without some serious money in their pocket. Alfred knew no such person. A dream was also ruled out simply by the fact that Alfred could feel everything around him. Even the sun coming through the window was felt by the young man as he sat on the bed contemplating everything.

In the end, he came out broke for ideas and he turned to Ivan with a look of confusion and fear. Alfred wasn't a very religious person, only going to church on the holidays, but he was fairly certain that seeing a demon was a bad thing. "You're really a demon…and that means…am I dead?" He asked, voice shaking as he stared at Ivan who was focusing on the bottle of alcohol in his hands.

"No, you are very much alive, Alfred," Ivan said, glancing up at Alfred. It was obvious that the man was holding back some sort of chuckle or laugh at the young man's face. It was fairly amusing to see him so upset.

"Then why are you here? What's so important about me?" Alfred said, swallowing before he spoke as if to steady his voice. It still managed to quake, though he seemed to have it fairly under control.

Ivan's eyes seemed to grow a bit dark at that question before he rose from the bed to go and set down the bottle on the small cabinet. He came back and produced a key from his jacket. He motioned to the door, asking Alfred if he preferred a more comfortable place for them to talk. The teen slowly nodded and he approached the door cautiously as Ivan unlocked it, afraid that the two women might still be around. It seemed that they weren't and Ivan led him out into the hall with confidence.

As they made their way down the hall, Alfred took his time and stayed just a few steps behind the taller man. It was interesting how the house had such dark floors and walls, though the décor seemed to be so bright with large paintings of sunflower filled fields. One painting in particular stopped Alfred and he set his eyes on it, carefully examining each stroke on the large canvas. Ivan seemed to notice the other was not following him anymore and he turned to glance back at the youngster with a raised brow.

"This painting isn't like the others," Alfred said, reaching out to rub his fingers over the surface of the painting. It was rough from the various layers of paint that were on it.

"It isn't?" Ivan said, as if questioning the other's judgment whilst he came forward to stand next to Al.

"No," Alfred said, pausing to look over the rather sad scene. It was a painting unlike the others in the fact that it was not a field full of flowers, but instead, snow. There was a large mansion in the picture with a fountain out front of it, though the entire place seemed to be falling apart. He frowned at the sight before glancing over at a now solemn Ivan. "Is this the house that we're in?"

Ivan shook his head and waved a hand, turning on his heel to head down the hallway once more. He stopped at the stairs just to turn back to watch Alfred who reluctantly left the painting to follow the other. That sweet smile had come back to Ivan's face as Alfred approached and healmost wished that it hadn't.

Quickly, the two men made their way down the stairs and Ivan, taking ahold of Alfred's arm, pulled him into a large room that looked like a den. He sat him down on the couch and unfurled the demonic parts that he had been sporting earlier

"It is uncomfortable for demons to hold in their parts for long," Ivan said, the younger near immediately getting the point as he slumped down in his seat. He still felt very confused and hoped that Ivan would come to his explanation soon.

As if reading his mind, Ivan quickly sat down on the couch adjacent to Alfred with his hands neatly folded in his lap. "You are one piece to a large game, Alfred, and there are many beings that have been looking for you over the last few centuries. You are very lucky to have made it this long."

Alfred blinked and shifted as Ivan's smile grew on his face. Just that explanation had made his head spin with more questions and it became painfully clear that this was going to be very confusing. He started to wish he'd taken the drink Ivan had offered him.

"You must be so confused," Ivan nearly crooned, Alfred nodding slowly before the other continued. "Well, it is a long story, and I do not have the energy to tell it to you in great detail; however, I will share with you the basics for today."

"Hurry up. I just want to know what's going on," Alfred words burst out in one long string, already he was near desperate for answers.

"Patients," Ivan chuckled, though he continued a moment later. "As all things, God created you and the world that you live in. He is the father to almost all life and he is what most humans would call good, but in honesty, he is a tricky man."

At this point, Ivan paused and he leaned back on the couch, though mindful of his wings which he kept carefully folded so that they would not be harmed. He brought his tail, thin and pointed in a spade at the tip, to his lap where he carefully wrapped his hands around the end of it. His violet eyes lowered as if in thought, before he glanced back up at Alfred once more. "Do you think that they are interesting?" he inquired, taking Alfred by surprise.

The teen stared at him for a long few moments before he nodded slowly and responded, "You can like, feel them and everything…?"

"Of course," Ivan said, standing up from his seat to wander closer to the other. He sat on the edge of the couch beside Alfred and wrapped one leathery wing around him. His smile never seemed to fade which had the teen on edge. It was like he was staring into the face of a wolf, given the other had rather large fangs in addition to his other demonic features. "If you want, you may touch them. I do not mind."

Alfred, though cautious, glanced back at the black wing behind him before he reached out a hand to trace a finger across one of the curled horns protruding from the side of Ivan's head. The horn was very shiny, he noted, and cold to the touch. He ran his fingers along one of the ridges of the horn, barely noticing as a low rumbling sound left the demon he was currently observing.

"They are very interesting, yes?" Ivan said, Alfred now recognizing that noise as another chuckle.

"Yeah, but…I mean…You were telling me about what's going on, remember?" Alfred asked, sounding just slightly annoyed as he promptly pulled his hand away. His eyes fell down to it and he forgot about his moment of wonder at the other's features, wondering just what type of an influence the demon had on him. He wondered if that was the thing that had got him into the mess in the first place.

Ivan sighed then which sounded, in his own way, a tad annoyed as well. He stood up and returned to his prior spot whilst removing his demonic features from the sight of the other. With them out of the way, he plopped himself down on the couch to continue his story. "As I said before, God is a tricky man. He enjoys his games and he created you to be a prize in one of his many schemes."

Alfred shifted at those words and worried at his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyes flicked up to Ivan for a second, then down to the floor once again. He was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with his situation and he felt that odd sense of calm from before now being ripped away from him.

"Seven cherubs," Ivan said, Alfred eyes snapping up to Ivan at the mention of the young angels. He could see the demon's eyes on him and watched them carefully as they seemed to dance over his form which, again, caused Alfred to shift. "Seven cherubs were made by God to play as the hidden in a large game of hide and go seek…Six have been found between Heaven and Hell," He stopped for another pause. "Now, the last one has been found and it is you, Alfred."

The small gasp could obviously be heard and Alfred was left shaking as something inside of him seemed to snap. He sat there for a long while in silence before there was a large cracking noise from outside which caused Alfred to jump. His eyes met Ivan's briefly before the demon had ahold of his arm once more to drag him up from his seat and towards the entryway. It was a blur of motion, though Alfred soon found himself in a closet with the door locked before him so that he was powerless to do anything but pound on it with his fist in vain.

It was a few moments of pure silence from the other side before a burst was heard and howling came soon after. Alfred backed away from the door as a blinding light shown from the cracks all around it. He stepped back until he met the wall and then, slowly, he slid to the floor where he sighed and rested his head against his knees. Nothing could surprise him now. Not even the horrible sounds now echoing from the other side of the door. Everything was going out of control and it was all too much.

Before he could even move from his spot, the door suddenly flew off of its hinges and Alfred found his eyes drawn up to the figure standing there in the doorway. It was familiar, even bathed in light and the calm flooded over him again. He was safe, though the feelings of anger and confusion still burned inside of him.

Alfred got to his feet and he approached the figure slowly. One hand stretched out to meet the hand of the being shrouded in light and then warmth fell over him, bringing him into paradise.