Dedication
"For all my LGBTQ+ people who were never heard or seen. For those whom fate tried to break but couldn't. For those who survived and for those who fought. May this story be your guide."
So, make yourself comfortable, my dear friend, and welcome to the dark side of my life – my fantastic autobiography.
After all, I was an angel born in hell.
I couldn't understand how, after all these years spent in hell, I actually attached myself to a person so hard that my heart was literally screaming in pain because of betrayal. That's, I guess, what it's about – the world is weird, and you can never know in what position you'll find yourself, especially when you're patronized by Mother Destiny.
I was standing on the balcony of my small apartment in Paris, smoking, drinking my coffee, and watching a beautiful sunrise. The Eiffel Tower was majestic and looked especially stunning against the orange glow. It was my second cup of coffee and third cigarette. I shouldn't have worried about cancer or a heart attack – I was indeed under the protection of the highest powers. But my psycho second self was wondering if these bad habits would one day kill us or not. Not that we cared much, but it was, indeed, a very interesting question.
The city was sleeping,it was around 5:30 a.m.
Well, time was up. I went back into the apartment, closed the door, washed my coffee cup, took the package from the fridge in one hand, and called my cat, Vasilissa. Back on the balcony, I waited for my cat to sit on my shoulder, left a few surprises for unexpected visitors, opened a window, climbed onto the windowsill, and jumped.
Little did I know – the love of my life was watching me from the building across the street.
part 1
Recreate Yourself
I found myself in the transfer hall, where I let my cat jump down and walk by herself. I went straight to Lisa, who was waiting for me at the entrance.
"So, what's the news in our swamp?" I asked.
"Well, while you were in your vacation mode in another world, everything here was taken care of. Preparations for the coronation are almost finished, so in a few months, you'll officially become the Empress of Hell. The Test of Truth is scheduled for this evening, and they're waiting for you in Purgatory for the ritual at 8:00 PM."
"What about my outfits?"
"All ready, except for the coronation dress. It's still being hand-embroidered, so it'll take a bit longer.""
"Great, thanks, Lis."
My gaze shifted to the window, where I noticed a group of new arrivals.
"New students?" I asked.
"Yep, freshly arrived for entrance exams."
"So, what's the plan for today?"
-
-Let's go to my place now, check out the dresses, then maybe relax a little at the spa, and I'll head to my trials. What do you think?
— Sounds good. While you're there, I'll prepare for my tests, and in the evening, we can go have dinner with the others.
— Perfect, let's go.
Leaving the main transfer hall and stepping outside, we headed toward the student wing and the private student rooms. The university had numerous faculties, each with its own dormitory.
As someone who had honorably graduated from this institution, I was entitled to a house in the city, but since it was under renovation, I had to stay in my old rooms at the university. Don't get me wrong — I wasn't complaining. I got one of the three largest living spaces, which included two bedrooms (one of which I used as a wardrobe), a spacious living room with a kitchen, and an enormous bathroom.
All the rooms were decorated in a single theme — black and silver, with occasional touches of red. Despite living in Hell, there was quite a popular trend here for light, warm tones, so I stood out a bit against the backdrop of the other non-humans.
Upon reaching my dwelling, I placed my hand on the door, and it opened. We didn't have keys; the door to the room assigned to you would only open by placing your hand on a specific spot, where a unique force fingerprint from each student was scanned, granting access to the residence.
Letting the cat run in first, we followed and closed the door behind us. While Liza was getting ice for my cola, I went to the wardrobe and pulled out the outfit I was supposed to wear for today's trial.
"Well, it's not that bad," I said.
"Of course, it's not bad, you gave the instructions for how it should be," my friend replied, handing me a glass of cola.
"Yes, you're right, I won't let these old farts dictate my life and decide what I should wear. This robe fashion should have been changed a long time ago," I said, pulling out a cigarette.
Snapping my fingers, I lit it and created a dome above my head so the smoke wouldn't spread throughout the room. I took a drag, savoring the cold cola.
"Anyway, it seems like they expect some kind of wildness from you, so tonight we'll see how they react."
"Yes, you're right. Will you call the salon to book a spot? I'll pack this masterpiece so I can change there directly."
"Okay, should we eat on the way?"
"Yes."
While Liza was making the call, I leaned back on the couch, took a drag, and drifted into the past.
Six years ago,
I stared at myself in the mirror, my hands gripping someone else's human heart. Covered in blood, breathing heavily, I shifted my gaze to the floor and saw a bloodied corpse lying there (or maybe it wasn't even a human at all), still unable to comprehend how I had literally torn the heart from its chest. I was strong, but not that strong.
Frantic thoughts raced through my mind. I knew that claiming self-defense wouldn't justify tearing the heart out. What should I do? Where to put the body? It was hot outside. The house had air conditioning, but it wouldn't last long enough. I needed to clean up the crime scene.
If six years ago someone had told me I would kill someone by ripping out their heart, I wouldn't have believed it. It wasn't my first kill, but I'd never had so much strength. But this was reality, and something had to be done about it.
Placing the heart on the table, I walked to the sink, turned on the cold water, washed my hands, and stuck my head under the stream. Just then, I heard:
"The future ruler of Hell is strong, stronger than ever."
I spun around so quickly that water dripped down my neck. I saw a woman, staring with interest at the corpse.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice hoarse with tension.
"Fate," she said. "I've come to take you to where you are destined to be."
Nervously laughing, I walked over to the coffee machine, popped in a capsule, and asked,
"Coffee?"
"Yes, please. A caramel Americano, no sugar. Thank you."
While the coffee brewed, I studied the unexpected guest with curiosity. Fate? How did she get into my apartment? Was she planning to turn me into the police? And finally—who was that man?
The questions buzzed in my head like a hive, triggering my "favorite" migraine.
Placing the coffee on the table, I pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and, looking at the woman, said,
"I'm listening closely, Madame Fate. And you'd better not lie to me.".
Present day
I was snapped out of my memories by Liza, who shouted that the spa appointment was booked and we had to be there in about an hour. Deciding we should grab a bite first, I suggested we take a ride on the underground horses. Hearing an enthusiastic response, I went to change. I stuffed my nightwear into my backpack, walked through the wardrobe, pulled out my black suede pants, and a matching top. I quickly changed, glancing at myself in the mirror on the way. I grabbed my favorite snake-shaped hairpin (which also served as a hidden stiletto weapon), pinned my hair up, and left the room. After petting Vasya, I gave her some food and shouted to Liza that I was ready.
Five minutes later, we were standing in the school courtyard, and I pulled out the whistle for the horses and blew twice.
Angel and Demon appeared a second after the whistle. The ghostly horses were already a rarity in our world. Living across multiple realms, they could only belong to one creature until its death. I had found the whistle during one of the practices and never parted with it. It turned out I had two horses—Demon, the beautiful white mare, and Angel, a dark-haired stallion. In our world, travel was as free as the person's will, and I had consciously chosen horses. Demon had saved me more than once from tricky situations, for which I was immensely grateful.
"Every time I admire how they are with you," Liza said. "Like day and night, war and peace, such magnificent creatures."
"Yes, they are," I replied with a laugh. Demon was searching for a treat in my pocket, and when she didn't find any, she tossed her head in indignation, which made me burst out laughing.
"Now, my dear, we'll stop by the market on the way and buy you some apples," I said, climbing onto Demon's back.
"Ready?" I turned to Liza.
"Yes, let's go!"
Gradually shifting into a gallop, I enjoyed the wind rushing past my ears. I relaxed, letting the adrenaline flow through me. It was still hard to believe that just a few months away from me was the throne of Hell—the dream of my entire life. Although I missed my mother, the Earth, and certain people dearly, I knew without a doubt that once I had the crown, I would gain unlimited power and even some new abilities. (By the way, not many knew about this bonus.) That thought gave me an extraordinary surge of inspiration.
On the horizon, the city gates came into view, and we slowed down, savoring the beautiful weather.
"First the market, then the salon? I promised to buy apples for someone," I said. Liza nodded, agreeing.
Entering the city, we headed to the market. I hopped off the horse and walked over to the fruit stall, buying a few apples for Demon (yes, I know my name choices are rather unique. The cat is Vasilysa, the horse is Demon).
"You're so beautiful," I said, petting Demon's muzzle, which was already munching on an apple. "But you and Angel need to go back to your dimension," I added, pulling out the whistle. When the horses vanished into their realm, we slowly headed toward the salon, casually admiring the market stalls full of random trinkets.
Suddenly, I became fixated on a jewelry stall and felt something inside me calling to it. Waving to Liza, I stepped inside and immediately bumped into a woman of indeterminate age..
"What's this, my daughter? Did it finally call to you?"
I paused for a moment, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Don't lie. The shop called you, or rather, what's inside it. You'll find something and take it without paying," the strange woman said.
Shrugging, I moved deeper into the shop, feeling the pull grow stronger. I was irresistibly drawn to an object inside a black box adorned with runic symbols. Runes had never been my strong suit, so I couldn't decipher what was written on it. Ignoring my lack of knowledge, I began searching for a way to open the box and screamed out as a needle suddenly pierced the center of my palm.
And as if by magic, the box opened, revealing something that made me recoil.
"The Devil's Crown," I heard a voice from beside me. Turning my head, I saw a pleasant young woman. Confused, I froze, waiting for an explanation.
"Everyone sees what they want to see, my dear. These things belong to you. It's funny, this box has been here for over 6,000 years, and no one has been able to open it except you. I suppose it was waiting for its true owner."
"But Devil kings always existed," I asked, bewildered.
"There was only one true king. After him, and until you, there were only fakes. So I suppose this belongs to you. You need to wear the ring, and the crown and regalia will materialize once you pass the Trial of Truth."
"And if I fail?" I asked, slipping the ring onto my left thumb.
"You've already passed it. And don't you dare doubt yourself again. It's unbecoming of the Empress of Darkness."
"Get out of here. Actually, wait—take this amulet for your friend. It will save her life."
After taking the amulet for Liza, I stepped outside, pulled out a lighter, and snapped my fingers.
This day was getting more interesting.
As expected, we were late to the salon, and I still couldn't shake the strange feeling after visiting the shop. While they did my manicure, I meditated and tried to relax.
Liza glanced at me and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. By the way, I have something for you. The witch at the shop gave it to me."
"A witch? In what shop?"
"I went into the jewelry shop and…"
"Wait, after you waved at me, you went into an abandoned house? Was there something inside?" Liza asked.
"Abandoned? How interesting… Yes, there was a woman who gave me this ring," I said, showing my hand as proof, "and she also gave me this amulet for you. She said it would save your life," I said, pulling the amulet from my pocket and handing it to Liza.
When her hand touched the amulet, there was a brief flash, but it faded in a moment.
"Funny thing," Liza said, tying the amulet's cord around her neck. "Thanks.
"So, what does the ring do for you?"
"The witch said it's the True Regalia of Darkness, after passing the Trial."
"No way!" Liza exclaimed. "The real ones? The True Regalia?"
Shrugging, I spun the ring on my finger and said, "If these really are the True Regalia, then no one will ever doubt my power again. It will be absolute," I said, leaning back in my chair.
"And no one will ever contest it," Liza said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
"Thank you for being with me, despite everything."
"Hey, best friends forever. Want me to get you some coffee?"
"Yes, with ice, please."
And as I closed my eyes, I was transported back to 10 years ago, to our first meeting.
I was kind of stressed because I was starting my new job after coming back to Paris—basically my first normal job in years. It was a small shop where the owner created and printed cute little notebooks. They were expensive and, in my honest opinion, not worth the money, but who was I to judge? An unpublished writer. Funny enough.
So, basically, I was his right-hand person, and there were three others: Elizabeth, Mark, and Kathy. They'd been there before me, and I was the final piece to success, as Chef Pete had said. The job wasn't interesting. Pete was obsessed with his creations, but people weren't. Sales were bad, and he went bankrupt very quickly. But the only thing that came out of it was my beautiful best friend. It was one thing that was meant to be, even if it was extremely different in every way. But I was sure it was a friendship for life. And as life went on, I understood that Lisa was my gift from the Gods. She had saved my life multiple times and was always there when everyone else turned their backs on me. I was pure blessed to be her friend.
"Your coffee."
"Geez, you scared me. Thanks. You're a lifesaver," I said after a good sip of coffee.
"Madame, I have a package for you," someone said. "Please put your hands in front of you and close your eyes." After I did that, I felt a weight in my arms and opened my eyes.
"Well, well, an invitation from Lucifer, I suppose?" Lisa asked, and I made a face.
"Yep. I guess he still thinks he can somehow seduce me."
We looked at each other and said, "Man."
"Well, if he thinks he can seduce a lesbian, he's a very naive boy."
"Hey, still no news from Alice?"
"Nope. She disappeared and can't be found anywhere."
"You'll find her. I know you will."
"I hope so. She deserves a good punishment."