The ice cream shop on Maple Street—aptly named "Scoops"—was a quaint establishment with a retro 1950s aesthetic. Chrome-rimmed tables, checkerboard floors, and a vintage jukebox playing oldies created an atmosphere of nostalgic Americana that made Lilixia gasp with delight.

  "It's like stepping into one of those human time capsules!" she exclaimed, eyes wide as she took in the surroundings. "So this is what the 1950s actually looked like?"

  "I think it's more of an idealized version," KJ explained, leading her to the counter where a bored teenager in a striped uniform and paper hat waited to take their order. "The real 1950s had a lot more racism and polio."

  "Ah yes, I remember that decade. The souls from that era had a distinct flavor of repression with hints of nuclear anxiety." She caught KJ's alarmed expression and quickly added, "Or so I've heard. From... history books."

  The teenage server—whose nametag read "TYLER"—raised an eyebrow but remained professionally disinterested. "What can I get you?"

  KJ ordered a simple chocolate cone, but Lilixia approached the selection process with the gravity of someone choosing a new religion.

  "There are so many options!" she whispered, pressing her hands against the glass display case. "What's the difference between 'chocolate chip' and 'chocolate chunk'? And why is rocky road called that when it contains no actual road materials?"

  "Do you need another minute?" Tyler asked, his monotone suggesting he'd rather they didn't.

  "I'll try..." Lilixia's eyes suddenly gleamed with a hint of their true golden color. "I'll have one scoop of every flavor you offer."

  Tyler blinked. "That's twenty-eight scoops."

  "Yes. Stack them vertically, please."

  KJ quickly intervened. "She'll have a banana split. That has three flavors plus toppings. It's a good sampler."

  Lilixia pouted but acquiesced. "Fine. But I want all the toppings."

  "All of them?" Tyler verified.

  "Every. Single. One."

  Tyler shrugged. "Your funeral."

  As they waited for their order, KJ and Lilixia sat at a booth by the window. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the street outside, and a comfortable quiet settled between them. After the chaos of the school day, it felt almost surreal to be sitting in a normal ice cream shop doing such a normal activity.

  "So," KJ started, turning his paper napkin into an origami bird to keep his hands busy, "I've been thinking..."

  "A dangerous pastime for humans," Lilixia teased.

  "Ha ha." KJ rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself. "I've been thinking about... all of this. You, Hell, demons being real."

  "Yes, we've firmly established my existence," Lilixia nodded, watching with fascination as he folded the napkin wings. "You're quite talented with your hands."

  KJ felt his cheeks warm at the innocent compliment. "Thanks. But what I'm trying to ask is... if Hell and demons are real, does that mean... you know... the other side is real too?"

  "The other side of what? The napkin? The street? The dimensional veil?"

  "Heaven," KJ clarified. "Angels. God."

  Lilixia's playful demeanor shifted subtly. For perhaps the first time since he'd met her, she seemed to consider her words carefully.

  "That's... a complex theological question."

  "So they are real?" KJ pressed.

  Before she could answer, Tyler arrived with their order. KJ's modest chocolate cone and Lilixia's monstrosity of a banana split that contained not just the traditional three scoops but five, along with every topping the shop offered: hot fudge, caramel, strawberry syrup, pineapple sauce, marshmallow fluff, crushed Oreos, sprinkles, gummy bears, whipped cream, nuts, maraschino cherries, and what appeared to be crushed candy canes left over from last Christmas.

  "Enjoy," Tyler said flatly, setting down the enormous sundae with a thud.

  Lilixia's eyes widened to almost comical proportions. "It's beautiful," she whispered reverently. "A true testament to human creativity and excess."

  She dug in with unbridled enthusiasm, making small sounds of pleasure that caused KJ to focus very intently on his own ice cream. After savoring several bites of her creation, Lilixia returned to their conversation.

  "To answer your question," she said, waving her spoon thoughtfully, "yes and no."

  "That's not really an answer," KJ pointed out.

  "The universe is vast and complex, KJ. There are many planes of existence, many realms, many... let's call them 'factions.' Hell is one such realm. What humans call 'Heaven' is another."

  KJ leaned forward, his ice cream momentarily forgotten. "So there is a Heaven?"

  "There is a realm that aligns with many human theological concepts of Heaven, yes." Lilixia took another bite of ice cream, closing her eyes briefly in appreciation. "And yes, there are beings there that would fit your definition of 'angels.'"

  "And God?"

  At this, Lilixia became unusually serious. "There is a... presence. A force. Something beyond even the understanding of beings like me. Whether that's what humans mean when they say 'God'—I couldn't say for certain."

  KJ absorbed this information, feeling a strange mix of vindication and awe. He'd always believed there was something more to existence, some greater purpose or design, even when his more scientific-minded friends had teased him for it.

  "So all those stories in religious texts—they're true?"

  Lilixia laughed, her usual bubbly self returning. "Hardly! Human religious texts are like historical telephone games. The original message might have some truth, but after thousands of years of translations, political manipulations, and editorial decisions? You're lucky if even ten percent is accurate."

  She pointed her spoon at him. "Take me, for example. In your human texts, I'm barely mentioned, and when I am, I'm usually reduced to some minor temptress demon or confused with other entities entirely. No mention of my dominion over the Nightmare Legion or my role as Grand Archduke. It's very insulting."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "So which parts are accurate?" KJ asked.

  "The basic structure—there's conflict between realms, there are hierarchies of beings, there are rules that govern cosmic interactions. But the details?" She made a dismissive gesture. "Humans get creative with the details."

  KJ took a thoughtful lick of his ice cream. "What about the afterlife? Do humans go to Heaven or Hell when they die?"

  "Some do," Lilixia nodded. "But it's not as simple as 'good people go up, bad people go down.' The soul's journey is complex. There are many potential destinations, many factors involved. Some souls reincarnate, some transcend to higher planes, some serve in various capacities in different realms, and yes, some end up in what you'd call Heaven or Hell."

  "Based on what? How they lived?"

  "Partially," she conceded. "But it's more about the soul's resonance, its vibration, its... essence. A soul that resonates with chaos might find itself drawn to Hell not as punishment but because it's where they belong, where they'll thrive. A soul that resonates with harmony might be drawn to Heaven for similar reasons."

  "That's... actually kind of beautiful," KJ said after a moment. "Less about punishment and reward, more about finding your place in the cosmic order."

  "Exactly!" Lilixia beamed, clearly pleased that he understood. "Though don't get me wrong, there's definitely punishment for certain souls. Some humans are just awful. But it's a much more nuanced system than most religions suggest."

  KJ watched as Lilixia demolished more of her sundae, contemplating the implications of what she was telling him. "You know, for someone who acts so... um..."

  "Airheaded? Chaotic? Adorably scatterbrained?" she supplied helpfully.

  "I was going to say… 'spontaneous,'" KJ smiled, "you have a pretty deep understanding of the universe."

  Lilixia shrugged. "I'm over fifty thousand years old, KJ. You pick things up. Plus, when you're the third most powerful being in Hell, cosmic knowledge comes with the territory. I just don't usually bother accessing it unless I have to. It's more fun to live in the moment."

  The casual revelation of her age made KJ pause mid-bite. "Fifty thousand years? But human civilization is only about six thousand years old."

  "Oh, I pre-date humans by a lot," she nodded. "Well, modern humans anyway. I was quite fond of the Neanderthals. They made the most beautiful cave art and had excellent singing voices. Very sad what happened to them."

  "What did happen to them?"

  "Classified information," she said with an exaggerated wink. "Let's just say it involved a poker game, a cosmic bet, and a significant climate event that was totally not my fault no matter what Baal says."

  KJ shook his head, trying to process the casual way she discussed witnessing the rise and fall of early human species. It was humbling and terrifying simultaneously.

  "So where do I fit in all this?" he asked quietly. "Just some random human who accidentally summoned you?"

  Lilixia's expression softened. She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. The first deliberate contact she'd made since their moment in the park. Her touch was warm, almost hot, but not unpleasantly so.

  "There's no such thing as accidents in the cosmic sense, KJ. Every soul has a path, connections, patterns. The fact that your ritual worked when millions of others have failed over the centuries? That means something."

  "What does it mean?"

  Before she could answer, the bell above the shop door jingled, and a group of teenagers entered, including Dylan and Jordan from school. KJ quickly pulled his hand away from Lilixia's, earning a knowing smile from her.

  "KJ! Lily!" Dylan called, spotting them. "Thought you guys went straight home after school."

  "Ice cream detour," KJ explained as his friends approached their table. "Lily's never had American ice cream before."

  Jordan's eyes widened at the sight of Lilixia's sundae, now half-demolished. "That is the most epic banana split I've ever seen."

  "Would you like to try some?" Lilixia offered, pushing the enormous dish toward him. "I can't possibly finish it all, even with my human-sized stomach that definitely can't accommodate the souls of the damned."

  KJ kicked her under the table.

  "Ow!" She glared at him. "I mean, my totally normal human stomach capacity."

  Dylan and Jordan exchanged confused looks but didn't hesitate to grab spoons from a nearby dispenser and dig into the remaining ice cream.

  "So, Lily," Jordan asked between bites, "what's France like? I've always wanted to visit Paris."

  "Oh, France is..." Lilixia's eyes darted to KJ, who gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. "It's beautiful. Very... French. Lots of baguettes and existential dread. And the Eiffel Tower is much pointier in person. Perfect for sacrif—sightseeing! Perfect for sightseeing."

  "Cool," Jordan nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "And what part are you from again?"

  "Evian," KJ quickly answered for her. "The water bottle place."

  "My father runs the factory," Lilixia added solemnly. "He's very important in the water bottle community."

  Dylan swallowed a mouthful of ice cream. "So, KJ... about that ritual thing. Did anything weird happen after you did it?"

  KJ nearly choked on his cone. "What? No. Nothing happened. Just some candles and Latin."

  "Told you it was bogus," Jordan laughed, nudging Dylan. "No demons appeared to grant wishes or whatever."

  "Such a shame," Lilixia sighed dramatically. "If a demon had appeared, I imagine she would have been magnificent. Powerful. Definitely the most interesting being you'd ever met."

  KJ shot her a warning look, which she answered with an innocent smile.

  "Anyway," Dylan said, scraping the last bits of fudge from the dish, "we're heading to the mall. Wanna come?"

  KJ was about to decline when Lilixia clapped her hands excitedly. "A mall! With multiple stores in a single structure? Like a commercial cathedral to capitalism? Yes! We must go!"

  "I don't think that's a good idea," KJ started, but Lilixia was already standing up, pulling him by the arm.

  "Come on, KJ! I want to experience all the human teenage rituals! Mall loitering! Food court dining! Judging people on their fashion choices!"

  KJ looked at her enthusiastic face and felt his resolve crumbling. How was he supposed to say no to literal demonic puppy eyes? Besides, maybe a crowded mall would prevent any more deep cosmic conversations that left him questioning everything he thought he knew about existence.

  "Fine," he sighed, standing up. "But we can only stay for an hour. My mom will worry if we're not home for dinner."

  "Yay!" Lilixia cheered, hugging KJ impulsively. The sudden contact made his brain short-circuit, and he awkwardly patted her back while trying to ignore the knowing grins from Dylan and Jordan.

  As they left the ice cream shop and headed toward the mall, KJ found himself walking beside Lilixia while his friends led the way, arguing about which new video game was better.

  "You never finished answering my question," KJ said quietly. "About what it means that I was able to summon you."

  Lilixia glanced at him, her expression uncharacteristically thoughtful. "It means our souls are connected somehow. Across planes, across time. For your ritual to reach me specifically—not just any demon, but me—there had to be... a resonance between us."

  "What kind of resonance?"

  She smiled mysteriously. "That's what we're here to find out, isn't it? Maybe it's just a delightful cosmic coincidence. Maybe it's part of a grand design. Maybe your soul and mine have danced together before, in other times, other forms."

  "You mean... past lives?"

  "Or future ones," she winked. "Time isn't linear in the higher planes."

  KJ tried to wrap his mind around the implications. "So you're saying we knew each other before? In another life?"

  "I'm saying it's possible," Lilixia replied. "The universe is strange and wonderful and far more interconnected than humans realize. Coincidences are rarely just coincidences."

  Before KJ could pursue this line of thought further, Dylan called back to them. "Hurry up, lovebirds! Mall closes at nine!"

  "We're not—" KJ began automatically, but Lilixia just laughed and linked her arm through his, pulling him forward.

  "Come on, KJ! We have human teen socializing to do! We can discuss the metaphysical implications of our soul resonance later!"

  As they jogged to catch up with his friends, KJ couldn't help smiling despite his confusion. He'd gone from being a deist with vague spiritual beliefs to having a literal demon confirm the existence of Heaven, angels, and some form of God—all over ice cream on a Tuesday afternoon.

  Whatever cosmic connection had brought Lilixia into his life, he was beginning to suspect it was going to change him forever. The question was: was he ready for where that change might lead?

  Looking at Lilixia's joyful face as she practically dragged him toward the mall, he found himself thinking that maybe—just maybe—it was worth finding out.

  To be Continued

  Created by Figures

  ? 2026 Veilbound Press

  A Veilbound Productions Division