The sun hung lazily over the small city as Lucien wandered down the street, a popsicle in his mouth, his black shirt half unbuttoned, and his red tie fluttering behind him like a cape.
He was enjoying himself — mostly staring at everything like a tourist who'd just discovered Earth.
"Man… humans really outdid themselves," he muttered, watching cars zoom by. "Little metal beasts that run on dead dinosaurs? Genius."
As he walked, a boy passed by holding a colorful notebook. The boy was bragging to his friend:
"When I finish my bucket list, I'll be the happiest kid in the world!"
Lucien froze mid-lick. "Bucket… list?" He turned slowly, eyes glowing faintly red with curiosity. "What in the nine circles of hell is a bucket list?"
He crouched beside the boy suddenly, startling him.
"Kid. Tell me. What's a bucket list? Is it some kind of… magical death spell?"
The boy blinked. "Uh… it's just a list of stuff you wanna do before you die?"
Lucien gasped like he'd just discovered divine truth.
"Humans make lists of their desires before dying? Ohhh, that's so dramatic! I love it!"
He snatched a napkin from a passing vendor, grabbed a pen from thin air, and began scribbling furiously.
Lucien's Bucket List
1. Become President.
2. Ride a dragon (or a plane — whichever comes first).
3. Eat every human food that exists.
4. Fall from a hill dramatically.
5. Make friends (but not like, emotional ones — just cool ones).
6. Touch the moon.
7. Summon rain using dark powers (for fun, not doom).
8. Understand taxes.
9. Punch a cloud.
10. Try… what do they call it? Karaoke?
He stepped back, admiring his list with a proud smirk.
"Alright… let's get these done before lunch."
Scene 1: Lucien standing at a presidential rally podium he clearly broke into.
"Citizens! I, Lucien Vale, shall rule this nation with mild sarcasm and excellent fashion sense!"
Secret service swarms in — Lucien just sighs, "Guess democracy's not for me," before disappearing in flames.
Scene 2:
He's standing on top of a hill.
"Humans do this for fun? Falling?"
He shrugs, dives dramatically, rolls all the way down, stands up, and says, "I give that a solid seven out of ten. Needs more fire."
Scene 3:
Lucien inside a convenience store, eating one snack after another.
The cashier: "Sir, you have to pay—"
Lucien: "Ah yes, I remember this part. Valerie warned me." Summons a gold coin from Hell. "Keep the change."
The coin melts through the counter. "Oops."
Scene 4:
Lucien under a gray sky, arms raised.
"By the flames of inferno, I command thee—RAIN!"
...Nothing.
A second later, it starts raining.
Lucien looks shocked. "Wait—did that actually—?!"
Thunder rumbles. "I WAS KIDDING!!" he yells as he runs off.
Scene 5:
Lucien in a karaoke bar, mic in hand, singing off-key to "I'm Still Standing" while random drunk people cheer him on.
"This is the most chaotic ritual humans have ever invented — I LOVE IT!"
By sunset, Lucien sat on a park bench, soaked, tired, and smiling. His bucket list, now wet and half-burned, was clutched in his hand.
"Hah… being human is exhausting," he muttered. "But it's fun."
He looked up at the sky — faint traces of red reflected in his eyes.
"Guess I'm not ready to go back just yet."
Valerie had spotted Lucien earlier that day — drenched in rain, laughing at thunder, and nearly rolling down a hill for fun. Most people crossed the street to avoid him.
She, on the other hand, found herself weirdly curious.
So when he wandered by her café again, she blurted out,
"Hey, um… you look like you could use a warm meal. My place isn't far."
Lucien blinked. "You're inviting me to your lair?"
Valerie chuckled nervously. "It's… called an apartment, actually."
— Valerie's Apartment----
Lucien walked in like he was entering a temple.
"Whoa… so this is how humans live? You have… a food shrine!" he said, staring at her fridge.
"That's… not—never mind," Valerie sighed.
She made tea while Lucien examined everything with the enthusiasm of a toddler and the focus of a cat.
He poked the TV remote. "A magic box that controls another magic box! Incredible."
Valerie smiled, sitting across from him. "You're really not from around here, huh?"
Lucien leaned back. "Nope. From a place hotter, louder, and much more annoying."
A small silence filled the room. Valerie's cheeks warmed. "You're… different, you know?"
Lucien tilted his head. "Is that a compliment or a diagnosis?"
She laughed, trying not to stare at his red eyes that shimmered faintly even in the lamp light.
"Maybe both," she said softly.
The night had settled peacefully over Valerie's small apartment — until it didn't.
Lucien was in the middle of trying to figure out her toaster.
"So… you feed it bread, and it spits out crispier bread? Humans are geniuses."
Valerie giggled as she poured tea. "It's called toast, you alien."
He pointed dramatically. "Close enough."
Then—
CRASH!
The front window exploded into a shower of glass.
Three men in dark masks jumped in, guns raised.
"Nobody move!" the leader yelled.
Lucien blinked at the sudden noise, holding up a piece of toast like a weapon.
"Whoa! Humans really do aggressive doorbells."
Valerie gasped, "Lucien—stay behind me!"
He tilted his head, genuinely confused. "Behind you? But I'm taller—"
"Shut up!" the leader barked, pointing the gun at her. "Hand over the cash, sweetheart!"
Lucien narrowed his eyes.
"Sweetheart? Bold choice of words for a man wearing clothes on his face, dude that's just weird"
The robber scowled. "What'd you say?"
Lucien stood up slowly, adjusting his red tie with a grin. "I said you should try a mirror before threatening people — might scare yourself into better decisions."
The man fired.
Lucien snapped his fingers. The bullet stopped in midair, sizzling against invisible heat.
The robbers froze.
"What the—"
Lucien's smile turned devilish.
"Oh, you thought that was fast? I was restraining myself."
The lights flickered. The walls shook. A faint red aura glowed behind him as shadows warped.
"Hey, uh, I was just kidding, man!" one robber stammered.
Lucien smirked. "And I'm terrible at taking jokes."
He vanished.
A blur of motion — WHAM! one robber went flying into the wall, crashing into Valerie's bookshelf.
The second aimed his gun, but Lucien appeared right beside him, tapping the man's cheek.
"You should've stayed home."
CRACK! the guy flew across the room, landing in a pile of cereal boxes.
The last robber trembled. "Y-you're a freak!"
Lucien shrugged. "That's accurate. But I prefer 'devilishly handsome.'"
The man panicked and fired wildly — one bullet grazed Valerie's shoulder as she ducked.
Lucien's smile vanished. The temperature dropped.
"You hurt her."
The air rippled like a mirage. Flames rose around him, swirling upward like a vortex of living fire.
In a calm, almost polite voice, he said,
"Bad idea."
The scene flashed red. When the light dimmed, the robbers were unconscious, their weapons melted into black puddles of metal.
"You'll tell me your sadistic life story in hell ok?" He said to the dead robbers like a mother trying to convince her child.
Valerie collapsed, bleeding from the wound.
Lucien turned instantly, kneeling beside her.
"Hey! Hey, stay with me—oh, great, she's leaking!"
He pressed his glowing hand against her wound — the energy flared bright red, then faded.
Valerie's eyes fluttered open… glowing faintly red.
Lucien sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Hell it worked. You're alive!"
She sat up slowly, emotionless. "...What did you do to me?"
Lucien grinned proudly. "Brought you back! I fixed the hole! I might've used… some demonic magic. You're welcome!"
She blinked at him, unimpressed. "You what?"
He scratched the back of his head. "Okay, okay — don't panic. There's like, a tiny chance you're technically half-immortal now."
Valerie's voice dropped cold. "Half… what?"
Lucien pointed awkwardly. "You know… you die less easily now! Perks!"
She stood up, eyes glowing darker red. "You turned me into a monster."
Lucien gasped. "No! More like… a very cool roommate."
She glared. "I hate you."
Lucien smiled, crossing his arms. "You say that, but your heartbeat's perfectly fine now."
She deadpanned, "Because I don't have one, genius."
Lucien blinked. "Oh. Right. Technicalities."
From that moment on, Valerie stayed with him — not because she wanted to, but because she didn't have a choice.
And Lucien?
He just thought she made Hell's best company on Earth.
Even if she reminded him every five minutes that she wished he hadn't saved her.
It had been three days since the "incident."
Our sweet, shy waitress — Valerie — was gone.
In her place stood a demoness with raven-black wings, ember-red eyes, and a glare sharp enough to slice Lucien's confidence in half.
Lucien sighed as he watched her burn through another training dummy.
"Yup… totally not bitter about the whole dying thing," he muttered.
"You turned me into this!" she yelled, launching a fireball the size of a car at him.
He sidestepped lazily, letting the explosion turn a nearby tree into dust.
"I mean, I brought you back to life! Minor detail."
Valerie folded her arms, wings unfurling behind her. "I was fine being human."
Lucien smirked. "You were dead, sweetheart."
"Exactly. I preferred that over being stuck with you."
He clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me."
"Want me to finish the job?" she hissed.
Lucien grinned wider. "You're cute when you threaten me."
She froze — a faint pink tint flashing across her cheeks — then immediately snarled, "Shut up before I incinerate you."
Lucien shrugged and leaned against a rock, pretending to be unaffected. "You keep saying that, but you never do."
Her eyes glowed. "Maybe today's the day."
"Worth the risk."
For all her hatred, Valerie adapted quickly. Her wings could tear through steel, and her flames burned hotter than Lucien's own. She could channel spells that bent the air itself — though she preferred to "accidentally" aim them near Lucien's head.
Lucien often teased, "You're like my little sister from Hell."
Valerie replied, "No, I'm your worst mistake on Earth."
Still… she never left his side.
Maybe it was the demonic bond tying her to him.
Or maybe… she didn't truly hate the company.
Ten Years Later...
The years passed — not that it mattered to them. They hadn't aged a day.
Humans changed. Cities rose. The world modernized. But Lucien and Valerie stayed the same — a pair of ageless misfits blending in among mortals.
Their latest hideout was a cozy apartment overlooking the city. Lucien loved the view. Valerie loved that it had fireproof walls.
On a warm evening, Lucien stood on the balcony, hands in his pockets, gazing down at the bustling street.
"Ten years, huh? Time really flies when you're immortal."
Valerie leaned on the railing beside him, wings hidden, her crimson eyes reflecting the sunset.
"You've said that every century."
"Century? Don't jinx it. I plan to retire before then."
She rolled her eyes. "You never retire. You get bored."
He grinned. "True."
Then something caught his eye — a girl in a white hoodie crossing the street below. Familiar posture. Familiar aura.
Lucien stiffened. "...No way."
Valerie followed his gaze, frowning. "What? You know her?"
He whispered, "That's… Hana."
Valerie blinked. "That human? The one you risked everything for?"
Lucien didn't answer — just watched as Hana smiled at a group of friends, alive and normal, like she'd never seen Hell.
Valerie scoffed. "Unbelievable. We've been shadowing her for ten years, and she's still just a regular girl."
Lucien smirked faintly. "Regular? I don't think so. There's something about her… I can feel it."
Valerie crossed her arms. "You 'felt' something ten years ago, too. It got me killed and undead."
Lucien laughed softly. "You're still bringing that up?"
She glared. "I'm still on fire half the time, yes."
Lucien watched Hana disappear into the crowd, the faintest smile on his lips.
"Guess we keep watching then."
Valerie sighed, muttering under her breath, "Great. Eternal stalkers. Living the dream."
Lucien chuckled. "Hey, at least you're doing it with me."
She turned to him, cheeks flaring pink again.
"Don't make it sound romantic, idiot."
He smiled. "Who said it wasn't?"
A fireball narrowly missed his face.
" Grow up a bit, it's been ten years for crying out loud" Lucien cried
" You first idiot! " Valerie said....
(TO BE CONTINUED)