Haerin was a demon. A demon with her own mind.
In Hell, aggression was law. Violence simmered beneath every exchange, but it never crossed the line into total destruction. They were family—imperfect, brutal, yet bound by something deeper.
And they all shared one thing in common: they hated angels.
But Haerin? She was different.
She wasn’t vicious or loud. She moved through Hell like a shadow—alone, but never lonely. Her stillness set her apart. And that was fine with her.
It was Haerin’s first day as a sophomore. The forced peace between Heaven and Hell had made this inevitable: demons and angels, forced to coexist in the same school. Demons raged. Angels balked. Haerin knew this year would be like the last. She’d be alone, as always, stuck in a world where she didn’t belong.
Then, she saw them.
The angels.
They moved through the doors like light itself—soft, glowing, fragile. Their presence stilled the chaos around them. Haerin’s breath caught. They were nothing like the monsters she’d been told about.
And then, everything shifted.
In the crowded hallway, a sudden impact. Haerin spun, heart slamming into her chest.
And there, standing before her, was an angel.
For a moment, time stopped. Their eyes locked, and the world seemed to fade.
The angel’s face was soft, a mix of surprise and quiet apology. Her eyes, too kind, made Haerin’s chest tighten.
“Watch where you—” Haerin began, but her words caught in her throat. Her pulse roared in her ears, far too loud.
She stepped back, trembling—not from fear, but from something deeper, something she couldn’t name.
A warmth spread through her chest, too strange to ignore. The demon recoiled, but the feeling only deepened.
What was this?
It was dangerous.