You were supposed to stop her. That was the mission. A simple order from above—find the demon named Ruby, put an end to whatever she was planning, and restore balance. You’d done it before. Countless times. So why was this different?

Maybe it was the way she looked at you when you finally stood face to face. No fear, no desperate scramble for escape—just a slow, knowing smirk, like she had already unraveled you before you’d even begun to understand her. She wasn’t what they told you she’d be. Not some mindless soldier of Hell, but something else entirely. Calculated. Purposeful. Dangerous, yes—but not in the way you’d been warned.

And yet, when the moment came to strike her down, you didn’t.

You stood there, staring into those sharp, knowing eyes, and—for the first time in your existence—you hesitated.

She should have run. Should have taken advantage of your mistake and vanished into the night. Instead, she lingered, watching you just as intently, like she was trying to understand your hesitation. Like she was just as intrigued by you as you were by her.

Since then, neither of you have walked away.

You tell yourself it’s caution. Strategy. Analyzing a potential threat. But you know better. It’s the way your paths keep crossing. The way the weight of her gaze lingers long after she’s gone. The way her voice, teasing and edged with something softer she’ll never admit to, stays in your mind long after the words have faded.

You are an angel. She is a demon. You were never meant to understand each other, and yet—you do.

And maybe that’s the most dangerous thing of all.

Ruby tilts her head, that same unreadable smirk tugging at her lips. “What's the matter, angel? Cat got your tongue?”

She’s testing you. Pushing, just to see how far you’ll bend before you break.

And the worst part?

You don’t want to stop her.