Things after Cassie passed away were uneventful to say the least. Arum had found me and her on the floor together and Ren took her away after seeing she was truly gone. That was also the first time I had seen him cry too. Me and Arum left Heaven after that and since then I hadn't really anything to do. I moped around, as per the usual, and felt empty. I didn't even go to Hell to kill Lucifer as I planned, right now it was over a week since it had happened and me and Arum were lounging around.

"You thought about telling them?" Arum asked me.

"Of course I did. They deserve to know more than anyone." Referring to Cassie's parents, we had talked several times about going there personally, but I could never find it in me to actually go. Arum's attention went to his hands.

"I didn't want to ask before in case it was too soon but... did she say anything before she... you know." He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. She told me she loved me and that it wasn't my fault." I let out a dry chuckle. "She even said I should move on." Arum nodded. "...But you know, she may have been onto something. Thinking about it all the time isn't going to make her come back." Arum stared at me. "I miss her and I'll never find anyone like her. I can choose not to move on, but not because I'm stuck without her, but because she showed me there's more to strive for. It's hard to just go with second best after her."

"You're a lot stronger than you look." Arum said. I gave him a smirk.

"Of course I am." I stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go and see her family." Arum stood up as well.

"Seriously?" He nearly stuttered out.

"Yeah, seriously. So don't follow me." He obeyed like normal, but without all his military antics.

"Right, I'll be here if you need me for anything!" He said. I nodded before leaving his roof and heading for Heaven once more.

...

Cassie's family had contacted me several times, through Ren tracking me down, wanting to know how their daughter had died, but I told them I never wanted to speak about it... guess I can't live up to anything I promise. So I decided to tell them. Being in their house now, I felt like was getting a blessing from her father by the overwhelming pressure in the air. I sat tapping my foot trying to figure out a way to explain everything and sound plausible enough for them to believe me... I mean what Angel would believe a Demon?

"You've been sitting there for quite some time... I'm surprised I still dislike you." Cassie's father, Kuris, spoke as though he were ready to shoot me in cold blood. The sarcasm was strong in his tone.

"I know..." I began. "I'm in no position to say this, but I loved her too." Neither of her parents said anything, her mother, Kemari who resembled so far from her children, just stared at me while I spoke. Not saying a word, I felt like she wasn't even thinking of anything. I went on. "Well... Whether or not you believe me or not rests with you, but I didn't kill her... At least with my knowledge." I paused thinking how horrible I actually felt thinking back to it now. "Cassie had been trying to help me and was pretty much poisoned by Joshua. We had only been by one another for close to a day, but it was Joshua who let her have the Purified Soul." I paused. "If I could have seen anything going on I would have tried to help her way before it was too late to. Neither of us knew that if she had it with her that it would... kill her." I had my head down, but looked up speaking my last peace. "If I did, I would have let surely let my life pass instead of hers. No doubt in my mind and no second thoughts..." I finally stopped speaking, but clearly it wasn't enough for Kuris as he suddenly outbursted.

"Joshua? The one who taught Cassie everything she knew? The one who Ren told us wanted to marry her? The man we know as a close family friend!" He stopped his words and rubbed his chin, his scruff was loud in the silence. I said nothing and allowed him to rant.

"Mommy, Daddy... Y-you guys may not want to believe him, but he's not lying! Joshua asked me to arrest Cassie after he gave her the Purified Soul!" Kuris turned to his son, Ren had stormed into the room having been watching from the corridor.

"You ever think it was to save her?" Ren backed down a bit.

"I did think that... But it had been a whole week! He knew where she was going and didn't think to tell anyone or to stop her himself until then!" Kuris was about to yell again, when suddenly my name stopped him.

"Akuma?" We all looked to Kemari as finally she spoke. "... Cassie was my daughter." She took a deep breath. "I loved her, we all did, and I can see you must have as well. So, I can believe you when you say she couldn't have been killed by you." I felt some kind of relief in those words. "Though I can't live with the fact that she's gone now. and I don't know about the rest of my family, but I now know one thing. I don't trust us, these 'divine beings' we're supposed to be, Demons, or you. I used to trust anyone who only seemed trustworthy. Now... I only trust those who have proven something to me... I've lost that former ideal and might never recover from it." She stood up. "But as the one who loved my daughter and made her happy, introduced her to everything that made her wake up in the morning and ask me if she could go out to go and help anyone or anything she could get her hands on. Him. You Akuma, he is who I join in mourning with over my daughter." She paused. "That is who I trust."

...

Ever since then, I hadn't had Ren chasing me or anything from Heaven for that matter. I found out after that Kuris, Kemari and Ren had all decided to stay in Limbo instead of Heaven. Of course it was still a Demon's home, but it was kind of like the boondocks of the Human world, it was like they disappeared.

Sometimes Arum would find me asking if he could join me on whatever I was doing. He didn't care about what it was, just if he could join me. It was nice sometimes, other times I really wanted him to go where he was supposed to. When I wasn't doing anything, I would sit to myself thinking about the time I had spent with Cassie. It seemed like it happened in a flash. She had changed herself and me, for whatever it was worth, and I doubt if I can go back to how I was before.

"Akuma!" Arum had found me while I was trying to stay away from him, but there really wasn't any reason for me to not go and hang out with him. I found him above me barely keeping himself in the air. "I found out I can fly! Looks like you gave me more of those powers than you thought you did!" He went on bragging about things I could really care less for, but he was nice company here and there.

Tonight, Arum wanted my help in his first ritual. Which I was alright with, but he wouldn't tell me why. Like why did he need my help? We left and Arum led the way saying it was my ideal moment.

"There!" Arum pointed down as our travel came to an end. We sat on a house adjacent to the house he was looking towards. The house was small, like one for a blooming couple, and indeed it was. Three boys and another, a girl. The girl played around with her brothers crying when they wouldn't let her join, but she went back to giggling when her name was called out by her parent.

"Cassie!"