Eternally Yours: The Love Chain

Hannah moved around through the field, staring at the trees, the flowers, and all of the beauty that surrounded her. She had never been on Earth before, that is until now and she was so happy to be here as it was everything she thought it would be. The sun was just rising and she was alone in the beautiful field.

She noticed a pond right in the middle of the field and walked towards it. She bent over and looked into the water to see a school of koi fish circling inside. She was astounded by the beauty of the fishes and reached into the water to touch them.

Suddenly, she felt a chill in the air. It was a dark presence and it made her very uncomfortable. She looked over her shoulder and saw him about to take something out of his bag to put into the pond of fishes. Immediately she saw him she knew exactly what he was and she suspected that he intended to hurt the fish so she attacked him.

She grabbed his neck and swiftly ran him into a nearby tree, almost breaking it apart.

"What are you doing here, demon?" She asked him with an unfriendly tone.

"Relax, I'm not here to cause any trouble." He claimed.

"Your kind always causes trouble wherever they go." She remarked.

"Well, that's not why I'm here so, can you let go of me?" He asked with a raised brow.

Hannah was reluctant to let him go and her grip on his neck became tighter. He got tired of waiting for her to make up her mind so he grabbed her wrist, spun around her, and pinned her face to the tree, trapping her hands behind her back.

"That's the problem with you angels. You always think demons are no match for you and you end up underestimating them." He said, his lips just above her ear.

Hannah swung her head backwards and butted him right in his face. A powerful hit that sent him flying. His wings sprouted out of his back and he caught himself mid-air and hovered over her.

"Would you relax? I'm just here to feed the fishes." He said to her and landed on the ground.

He took off his bag and brought some breadcrumbs out of it to show her.

"See? Nothing demonic, just breadcrumbs." He said.

He walked away from her and over to the pond. He threw some crumbs for the fishes and smiled when they swarmed around it, trying to get some.

Hannah watched him suspiciously, fascinated by his desire to feed the fish. She looked behind her at the tree she had almost destroyed and walked over to it. She placed her hand on the tree and healed it completely, fixing its broken branches and cracked trunk.

"You're very lucky, you know that?" He said to her, drawing her attention once more.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"You put your hands on things and they grow. Your touch brings life while mine brings only death." He said.

"That's because you're a demon, a servant of the devil, a..." She began to say and he cut her off.

"I know, I know. Child of evil, spawn of Satan, and so on! I've heard it all. We are not exactly given a choice, you know? Just as you are a child of God, I am a child of Lucifer." He said, still feeding the fishes.

"Why are you on the Earth?" Hannah asked him, curious as to why he was here.

"Same reason as you are. I was sent here to fulfill a task that I already have but for some reason, I don't want to go back to hell. Since my birth, I have only known darkness and fire and then, I came here and I want to know something else."

Hannah sat down beside him and listened. She could tell that he was being sincere and it intrigued her. She had never met a demon that didn't want to be evil anymore so she wasn't sure how to respond.

"What's your name?" She decided to ask.

"I'm Garin! And you are?" He asked.

"Hannah!" She replied.

"Here, try feeding them!" Garin said as he handed her some breadcrumbs.

He poured a handful of crumbs into her hand and their fingers brushed. A little spark of energy cracked in their hands as they touched and they both felt it but didn't understand what it meant.

Hannah poured the breadcrumbs into the pond and watched the fishes swim around happily, eating as much as they could.

She chuckled happily with a smile as bright as the sun itself and Garin couldn't help but stare at her. She looked at him and their eyes locked, sending all sorts of clashing feelings to the both of them.

Hannah didn't understand what she was feeling. It had to be her flesh, she thought to herself. When angels or demons came to Earth, they usually arrive wearing human flesh so they could move around in plain sight like normal people. The human flesh could feel everything a normal human would feel; pain, hunger, cold, heat, desire, and lust. Hannah didn't know why but her flesh was feeling a bit of desire for this demon so she decided to leave.

"I have to go!" She said abruptly and stood up.

"Back to heaven?" Garin asked, a bit disappointed.

"No, not yet. I still haven't fulfilled my task here." She replied and started to walk away.

"Will I see you again before you go back home?" He asked.

"Maybe!" She said with a smile, removed her wings, flew into the sky before she vanished.

Garin smiled to himself after Hannah left. He didn't know how or when, but he knew he would see her again and maybe explore these new emotions he was feeling in his human flesh.

"Forgive me father, but I have to explore this world and the possibility of a different life," Garin said, knowing that Lucifer could hear him and hoping he would not force him back into hell.

********

GARIN'S POV

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A few days later, I was back in the park, sitting by the pond with the Koi fish. This time, the park was packed with a handful of people, sitting and laughing at each other. There were little children running around and smiles on every face and I could feel something I had never felt before; Happiness.

I stayed in the park watching people until the sun began to set. One after the other, the humans went home until I was alone in the park with only the fish to keep me company.

I noticed a flower in the ground and picked it up. I sniffed it and its scent filled my nostrils, sending waves of pleasure through my senses. The feeling was incredible and it only got better when I felt the warmth in the air that made me very comfortable. I felt her heavenly presence and smiled happily, realizing that Hannah was here once again and was standing behind me.

"So, you decided to make an appearance before you leave?" I asked with a grin and turned around to face her.

"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye!" She replied with an angelic smile, she was an angel after all.

Her eyes were as blue as the deepest oceans and her soft, snow-white hair blew in the wind, spreading the tantalizing scent of her aura of purity and divinity. Her smile did things to me, things I couldn't explain and as she moved closer, I could feel my heart beating a lot faster.

"You know, if you want to know something else, other than fire and darkness, you can come with me to heaven. God is merciful and I'm certain he'll be willing to make you an angel, cleansed in his grace." She said to me,

"I don't want to be an angel, Hannah! This is what I want." I said and gestured around me.

I wanted to be human, to live on the Earth surrounded by nature in all its glory. I wanted to explore all the positive emotions I had felt since I set foot on the Earth, I wanted a life here.

"Earth is meant for humans, Garin. Not us. And besides, nothing is better than a life in heaven." She said to me and I made it my mission to prove her wrong.

"Come with me and I'll show you the world in all its shining and shimmering splendor. Not even heaven can compare to what this world has to offer and living on it, in this flesh, with these feelings...makes it all the better." I told her with my hand out for her to take.

She was hesitant about taking my hand. She was done with her task on Earth and had to return to heaven but just like me, she also felt a lot of new emotions that had been induced in her during her time on Earth. She also wanted this, I could feel it and I wanted her to give it a chance.

She finally took my hand, much to my gladness.

"Alright then! Show me." She said to me.

HANNAH'S POV

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I couldn't stop myself from taking his hand. I didn't know what had come over me and it worried me. I needed to return to heaven but I felt a strong urge in my skin, wanting me to stay.

I could feel that the Earth was already changing me and it was making me feel things whenever I stared at Garin. My flesh felt weaker around him and although he was a demon, I felt connected to him in an unexplainable way. I had been around him just twice since we met but I could already feel myself drowning in his dark eyes. His demonic prowess was engaging and emasculating, confusing my sense of reason. God didn't warn me that the flesh could be this vulnerable and I wished that he had.

I had to think with my head but ultimately, I decided to follow my heart instead.

"Alright then! Show me." I said to him after taking his hand.

His huge, dark, and powerful wings emerged from his back and he smiled at me, a smile that spoke a thousand words.

I took my wings out as well and his eyes fell on them in admiration.

"Your feathers are beautiful," he said to me as he caressed my wings with his hand.

He touched the sparkling ends of my wings and his hand trailed to where they connected to my skin. I felt weird as touched me, I felt embarrassed and I blushed at his touch. I knew about these feelings but had never felt them myself but now that I did, I liked it because I felt real, like I was free with a sense of will and desire.

"Are you ready?" Garin asked me.

"Yes!" I answered.

"Follow me."

And he took to the sky at the speed of light and I followed behind him. We flew all over the world in just a few hours, seeing wonderful sights, reveling in the beauty all around us, and in the feelings that our proximity invoked. It was just a few hours but for us, it felt like an eternity.

We finally stopped moving when we reached the top of a waterfall. We landed on the terrain and stared at the land beyond the water. It was a beautiful meadow, brightened by fireflies and the shine of the moon.

"It's truly remarkable!" I said to him.

"It truly is." He said back and reached for my hand again.

As soon as he grabbed it, we both felt the same spark we felt the first time we touched. It was clearer now what the spark meant. We were bonded and our flesh craved each other.

I made the first move and leaned into him. He caressed my face with his hands and the sparks intensified until it felt like a bolt of lightning when our lips met. We kissed! And that kiss, brief as it was, signified our eternal bond.

Suddenly, I felt something pulling me upwards.

"Hannah, what's happening?" Garin asked, but before I could answer, he also felt a pull.

God was forcing me to return to heaven and the devil was pulling Garin back to hell.

We held on to each other, not wanting to let go of the emotions we felt, not wanting to return to the worlds we had been born in but our fathers demanded our return.

"I don't want to leave you!" I said to him with a tear in my eye.

"I'll find you again! I swear that I will." He said to me as the ground opened up and began to swallow him.

I was pulled upwards, back into heaven and as I ascended, I could see him descend into the ground and it made me feel another new emotion; Sadness.

HANNAH'S POV

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"How could you do this, Hannah?" God's voice spoke to me with anger in his tone.

I was on my knees, with my hands over my face, sorrowfully weeping for sinning against my creator.

"Forgive me, Father, I didn't mean to defy you. I don't know what happened to me while I was on Earth. I felt so many things that I had never felt before and I couldn't stop myself." I told Him, trying to get Him to understand.

"If you had fallen for a human, I would have understood that. You wouldn't be the first of your brothers and sisters to fornicate with Man but, a demon? That is unforgivable." He said to me in anger.

I ran to His feet and begged Him to forgive me but He couldn't even look at me. I tried to convince Him that Garin had a good heart but that wasn't why He was angry with me. I disobeyed and would have to face the consequences. Father could be very lenient on Man whenever they sinned against Him but, He was a lot stricter with Angels.

"I'm sorry, my child but there must be punishment for what you have done!" Father said and walked closer to me.

He bent down to look at me and stroked my head. I could tell that He wasn't happy about what He was planning to do to me, but He had to do it anyway.

GARIN'S POV

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"How dare you fraternize with your direct opposite? An angel! A freaking angel!" Father yelled at me while the Tormentor beat me with a whip made of nails.

I was chained up to four pillars, suspended from a pit of fire by my hands and feet while Sagarus, The Tormentor hovered over me with his whip that he occasionally beat me with under father's instructions.

"What was going through your head at the time? Did you think I would approve? Did you think I would give you my blessings and watch the two of you get married and live happily ever after? You're a demon, Garin! The only future you have involves carrying out my wishes and sending souls to hell until the day the Earth runs out of souls." Father yelled at me while Sagarus continued whipping.

"I don't want that future anymore, Father! I want to live on the earth as a man, I want my freedom." I demanded from the devil, which angered him greatly.

He got up from his throne, flew up to me, and grabbed my chin. His nails dug in my face as he looked at me with abhorrence.

"I knew I shouldn't have sent you to the Earth. You're just two thousand years old and you weren't ready for such a task. You weren't mature enough to walk in human flesh and resist the temptations that come with it." Father said.

He turned around and contemplated my punishment. He thought really hard about how to punish me severely for my insolence.

"Normally, I would chain you up and let you burn for all eternity but that would be mercy. You will face something far worse. Do you think being human is a good thing? You're so wrong. You were there for just a few days and didn't spend enough time there to witness the horrors and suffering that take place on earth. As your punishment for having feelings for an angel, I will cast you to the Earth to live the rest of your life there, as a Man." Father said to me.

"Thank you, father!" I replied, happy that he was granting me my wish.

"You should be begging for mercy instead of thanking me," Father said and I didn't understand what he meant.

AUTHOR'S POV

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Lucifer broke the chains off of Garin and he crashed into the hot ground. He telepathically lifted him and stood in front of him.

"You are no longer my child. Today, I strip you of your immortality." The Devil said and phased his hand through Garin's chest, ripped out his immortal fire and threw it in a pit.

"I strip you of your powers!" He said again and removed Garin's powers out of him.

"I strip you of your fertility so your days on earth will be darkened, without the joy of bearing a child." He said and pulled out Garin's fertility from between his crotch.

"I strip you of your horns and your wings, as you are no longer a demon." He said again and ripped off Garin's horns out of his head and his wings, right off his back.

It was extremely painful but Garin stayed strong and refused to scream. Lucifer grabbed Garin by the neck and threw him into a gateway that would take him to earth.

Meanwhile, God was doing the same thing to Hannah, although not as violent as Lucifer was to Garin.

The other angels could only watch as their sister was disowned by their father.

"The worst thing that can happen to an angel is being cast out of heaven. Hannah, I take away your powers, your immortality, and your wings." God said and Hannah's brightness dimmed as her power drained out of her.

Her wings withered away and her white hair became ebony. Hannah shed her final tear as an angel and then God threw her out of heaven.

She plummeted to the earth in a ball of fire and crashed into the ground. She picked herself up and immediately realized that all her clothes had been burned off so she quickly looked for something to cover herself with. That was when a pair of hands wrapped a blanket around her. She looked up and saw Garin beside her.

"Garin?" She asked, surprised to see him.

"Come on! Let's go." He said to her and held her hand and they walked off together to begin their new lives on earth.

Hannah looked up at the heavens and whispered to God.

"Thank you!"

Because she knew that he sent her exactly where Garin was so they could be together in the little time they had on Earth

**********

Hannah and Garin spent the remainder of their lives together on Earth. They got married, traveled the world, experienced the ups and downs of life, but their joy never faltered and their happiness was abundant. The lack of children in their lives made them a bit dissatisfied but they were happy nonetheless.

God watched them from heaven for all those years with indifference. He was still angry that Hannah chose a demon over her family in heaven but He still loved her and was happy that she was happy at least. The Devil, on the other hand, was enraged that Garin's life on Earth was peaceful and free of suffering. He had expected that Garin would go through all the traumatic experiences that Man faces during their lifetime and was upset to see that it wasn't as bad as he had hoped.

Garin and Hannah were married for eighty years of their lives and they were a good eighty years. They occasionally reminisced about their former lives as an angel and a demon, they remembered their brothers and sisters, and how it felt to be immortal but, if they were given the choice, they would not have traded their new lives for their old ones.

On their deathbeds, the lovers lay side by side, hand-in-hand, face to face, with their hearts and souls connected. That was when they made the promise to always be together, even after they die.

"Hannah, my love?" Garin said to her.

"Yes, Garin?" She answered.

"Let's never go back. Let's never leave each other or this world." He said.

"But how? We're mortals now. We are going to die and you'll go back to hell and I'll go back to heaven." Hannah said sadly.

"I don't want to leave you, ever!" Garin proclaimed.

"I don't want to leave you either," Hannah replied as a tear streamed down her eye.

Their grip on their hands tightened and Garin leaned in to give her one final kiss and they waited for Death to claim them. They fell asleep but never woke again. It was the perfect end to their love story except it wasn't the end, it was only the beginning.

The devil had been waiting anxiously for Garin's soul to return to hell for eternal torment as he was enraged that his attempt to punish Garin by casting him to earth was unsuccessful. He stood by the gates of hell and waited with The Tormentor beside him but Garin never came.

God stood by heaven's entrance, waiting for Hannah's spirit but she never came as well. He immediately realized that she wasn't going to come because her spirit had remained tethered to Earth by a metaphorical chain made by the love and bond between her and Garin. They would remain on the earth forever, reincarnated with the sole purpose of finding each other in their new lives.

The lovers' bond was so true and powerful that their souls held on to each other and even the finality of death couldn't quell their forbidden love, couldn't end it, couldn't separate it. As soon as they died, their souls left their bodies but instead of crossing over to heaven or hell, they remained on earth and were reborn.

For centuries, Hannah and Garin were reborn as different people with parents, siblings, friends but they had no recollection of their lives before their first reincarnation. Each time, their lives were always different but one thing remained constant; they always met each other and fell in love. Whenever they met, it wasn't always in the best of circumstances as they were always hostile with each other, just like their first meeting but, it usually always took a week or two before they warmed up to each other and slowly but surely fell in love with each other once again.

When love is real, it always finds a way and they had found a way to be together forever and although they couldn't remember their former lives, it didn't dwindle the strength of their love. They were connected forever, their destinies intertwined, their souls joined in eternal matrimony beyond the physical; A love eternal.

This didn't make the Devil happy at all. He couldn't stand seeing them always reunited. He tried to come between them several times but he never succeeded. He even went as far as to kill Garin a couple of times but it didn't matter as he was always reborn and their love cycle continued.

After multiple centuries, The Devil decided to try to prevent their reunion once again. He deduced that if he successfully prevented Hannah and Garin from meeting and falling in love in their new life, that would be enough to break the cycle of their love chain which would in turn untether Garin's soul off the earth and return him to hell. Before the Devil could put his plan in motion, he decided to kill two birds with one stone so he paid God a visit.

He wasn't received with open arms but God permitted him entry into heaven. He approached his Father and spoke to him.

"Hello, Father! You look good. Have you done something new with your hair?" Satan asked with mischief in his eyes.

"Save your compliments, Lucifer. Why are you here?" God asked.

"Can't a son pay a visit to his father?" Lucifer asked.

"You are not my son anymore, Lucifer. Say why you're here or leave." God demanded.

"I'm here with a proposition for you, a deal of some sort, a chance for you to finally get rid of me and save all of humanity," Lucifer said.

"What do you mean?" God asked.

"I'm sure that you're aware that my son and your daughter remain tethered to the Earth. For some reason, they are defying the natural laws of life and death and we cannot let this continue any longer. When a person dies, they either go to you or they come to me, not remain on Earth for eternity." Lucifer said.

"Get to the point!"

"The point is that it should not be so. Their union can't be allowed to continue and I know you agree with me. I propose that we make a bet. You versus me to see who can end their love chain."

"And what are the stakes?" God asked.

"Our kingdoms; Heaven and Hell, and the Earth as well. Whoever wins will dominate all three."

God laughed at Lucifer's proposition because he knew it was just a scheme he had cooked up but He decided to play the devil's game. He didn't hate Hannah or Garin but he couldn't deny that Lucifer was right. After death comes judgment and they have avoided it for multiple lifetimes. It had to end.

"I accept your bet, but on one condition," God said.

"And what condition is that?"

"You must accept my rules!"

November 21, 2021

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Josh woke up late the next morning with a hangover because of all the drinks he had last night during his best friend's bachelor party. Andrew and Josh had been best friends since they were little boys and it was truly remarkable that Andrew was finally getting married to his girlfriend of five years and he asked Josh to be his best man. Their two other friends, Frank and Chris were still asleep in the corner of the room and so was Andrew, all of them knocked out due to severe intoxication from last night's partying.

Josh got up from the floor and clumsily walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He took a long sip and looked around the apartment in confusion, the hangover disorienting him. He took a look at his watch and noticed that the time was nine-thirty in the morning and the wedding was supposed to take place in an hour. He dropped his water bottle on the floor and ran over to wake up Andrew and the guys.

"Guys, guys, wake up. We overslept!" He announced in a panic.

"What?" Andrew asked drowsily, slowly waking up.

"We're gonna be late, guys," Josh said loudly but the guys didn't pay him any mind.

"Late for what?" Andrew asked, his eyes still closed.

"Your wedding, remember? You're getting married today."

Andrew's eyes immediately shot open in the realization that today was indeed his wedding day. He looked at his own watch and with a panicked scream got up hurriedly.

"We gotta move guys! Gwen's going to kill me." Andrew said and kicked Frank and Chris in an attempt to wake them up.

They woke up and sleepily, asked what the problem was and were shocked themselves when Andrew informed them that they had overslept. They both jolted up and composed themselves.

"We need to get ready, ASAP. The wedding's less than an hour to start. Andrew, quickly get in the shower." Frank ordered him.

The four friends had their baths, got dressed, and were ready in next to no time. Andrew stood in front of the full-length mirror and stared at himself with a smile. His friends stood behind him and looked at him with admiration.

"You're going to be an amazing husband, Andrew," Chris said to him.

"You really think so?" Andrew asked, feeling slightly nervous.

"Of course. You're going to be the best husband. Now come on, let's go get you married." Josh told his buddy and the four friends left the apartment, got into a car and headed to the church.

They arrived a few minutes late but thankfully, the bride hadn't shown up yet. They hurried inside and took their places by the altar until a car stopped outside with Gwen in it.

The guests all got on their feet and the organ played "Here Comes The Bride" as she walked in, accompanied by her father.

The ceremony began and the couple said their vows and exchanged rings before kissing as newlyweds.

It was a very beautiful wedding, followed by an even more beautiful reception, and seeing his best friend married and happy made Josh get caught up in a little wedding fever himself. He thought about where his life was headed and when he might find that special someone. He was twenty-six years old and had never been in a serious relationship. Every woman he had ever gone out with just wasn't the one he was looking for and he was beginning to think that he may never find that special someone.

That was when he saw her sitting by herself on one of the tables. She was absolutely breathtaking and he stared at her with a weird feeling building up within him. Her hair was like a river of ebony and her eyes were like the ocean. Never had he seen a woman as divine and angelic as her. He was sure he had never met before but for some reason, she looked very familiar.

She didn't look excited though, and he wondered why that was. He needed to speak to her so he mustered up the courage to walk over and introduce himself.

"Hello there, do you mind if I sit here?" He asked pleasantly.

"Not at all, please!" She said to him.

"Beautiful wedding, isn't it?" He said casually, so he could converse with her.

"Yeah, it really is." She replied.

"Are you related to Andrew or Gwen?"

"I'm Gwen's cousin actually." She mentioned.

"Really? That's nice. I'm Josh, the best man," Josh said with his hand outstretched.

"Yeah, I saw you at the church. Nice to meet you, Josh, I'm Isabelle." She replied and shook his hand.

They felt a bit of electricity as soon as their hands met. It was a small spark but they felt it.

"What was that?" Isabelle asked after quickly pulling her hand away.

"I don't know! Static electricity or something." Josh said and they carried on talking.

They were silent for a while as they watched the newlyweds feed each other cake with smiles on their faces. Josh looked up and noticed her staring at him.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked and felt his face for what she was staring at.

"No, it's just...I feel like I've met you before but I just can't remember." Isabelle said, with a confused look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm getting the exact same feeling," Josh said and stared at her as well.

Then he heard Andrew call out his name so he could give his best man speech and do a toast.

"I'll be right back!" Josh said to Isabelle and went over to Andrew.

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Meanwhile, God and Lucifer watched from the heavens as a new chapter of the lovers' story was about to begin.

"Let us begin, shall we?" Lucifer said with an evil smirk.

"You remember the rules, don't you Lucifer?" God asked him.

"Of course, Father! No killing them, no going down to the earth ourselves, no telling them the truth about their origin, and no harming them physically. I remember," The Devil said.

**********

"Hi, everyone! For those of you who don't know who I am, let me introduce myself. I'm Josh, the best man and I'm also the reason Andrew isn't in jail right now, so you're welcome Gwen." Josh began, causing everyone present to laugh.

"Alright, that's enough joking. Let me get back to what's really important. Love! Love is rare, love is special, love is hard to come by and only a few people are lucky enough to find it at such a young age or at any age. Andrew, Gwen, you guys are lucky to have each other and I have no doubt at all that your union will be forever cause I have never met two people more in love than the both of you. Congratulations, my friends," he said and raised his glass, "To your marriage!"

The guests applauded and Andrew gave Josh a hug. The reception resumed and Josh went back to Isabelle's table.

"Wow! That was beautiful." Isabelle said to him.

"Thanks! They are quite lucky to have found each other," Josh said.

"Yeah, they are. Do you see yourself doing that someday?" Isabelle asked.

"What, you mean, settling down and getting married? Yeah, of course! Some day with the right someone." He replied.

The party went on and Josh and Isabelle spent the entirety of it talking to each other and getting to know themselves a lot more. They could instantly tell that there was something about the other person that was just magnetic and familiar. If only they knew their history and the eternal love that flows between them. But, the past didn't matter, their past lives didn't matter. All that mattered was the now, the here, and the future.

The band started playing a slow song and the MC of the reception invited the couple on the stage for their first dance. Andrew and Gwen got on the dance floor and swayed to the music in each other's arms and after a minute, other couples joined them.

"Would you like to dance?" Josh asked Isabelle, offering her his hand.

"Sure," she said and took his hand.

They got on the dance floor and danced to the slow music and it was just the most perfect reunion that could ever be seen. The chemistry between the both of them was so intense that some eyes were focused on them rather than the married couple.

Josh didn't know what it was about this woman that made him feel so good but he wanted to find out. He wanted to get to know her better and spend more time with her and so, he made his move.

"So, Isabelle. Do you live around here or did you just travel in to attend the wedding?" Josh asked.

"I actually just moved here recently. I got a job offer with a company and it came with an apartment so, I guess this is my new town now." She replied.

Josh was happy to hear this and it was a bit difficult for him to contain his excitement. The fact that she just moved to Los Angeles had to be God's plan, he thought to himself.

"Wow! That's nice. If you need someone to show you around, you know, give you a tour of the city, I can fill in for the position," He said cutely.

"Oh yeah?" Isabelle asked with a smile, knowing his intentions.

"Yeah. I could show you the best spots here and we can like, get a drink together sometime."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Isabelle asked.

"Yeah, yeah I am. What do you say?"

"Ok, then! Let's do it." She accepted.

The party went on for about another hour until it was time for the bride and groom to leave and begin their honeymoon. Andrew and Gwen got into the car and drove off into the night, being waved off by their friends and families.

"Well, it's been really wonderful meeting you but I have to go now," Isabelle told Josh.

"Why is that?" Josh asked disappointedly.

"I start my new job tomorrow so I have to get there early to leave a good impression." She said.

"Oh yeah, that is a good plan. Let me call you a taxi." Josh said.

He got a taxi and opened the door for her to enter.

"Wait! I didn't get your number so I can call you to fix a day for our date." Josh mentioned.

Isabelle took out a pen from her purse and wrote her number on Josh's palm and winked at him before getting into the cab.

"I'll call you,"

"You'd better!" She replied, just before the car drove away.

Josh was happy. He was beyond happy, he was excited. It had been a while since he'd been on a date and he was really looking forward to seeing Isabelle again.

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"And so it begins anew. Another chapter of this never-ending story. Would you like to have the first go at it, Father?" The Devil asked.

"Do whatever you want, Lucifer. I see that smug look on your face. You think it will be easy to break them apart but you're wrong. It will be the hardest thing you have ever ventured into," God told him.

"We shall see, Father! We shall see. I already have so many ideas that will guarantee my victory. The world will soon be mine." Lucifer said with a maniacal laugh and left God's presence.