Between hell and heaven...

 

Rada boom, rad boom, Shhh,

shhhh, shhhh,

shhhh, shhhh, shhhh, shhhh....

These are sounds audible even in the fog...

Aleks knew something was wrong with him, he felt pain, a terrible pain that originated somewhere near his legs and spread throughout his entire body. He didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. Aleks didn't remember what had happened to him or where he was; the only thing he remembered was that terrible pain. He didn't know how many days he'd been unconscious or how many more it would take to recover. Even though he couldn't open his eyes, he knew he wasn't alone, he felt someone's presence...

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Aleks began to scream. For the first time in days, he could open his eyes, but his vision was only hazy and blurry. Suddenly, he saw the outline of a figure above him. "Please help me, it hurts so much." The boy turned to the figure, which touched him and stroked his head.

"Shhh... everything will be alright..." Alex heard a woman's voice and suddenly felt a great sense of relief. The pain seemed to disappear, and he began to see more and more clearly. When his vision cleared enough, he saw a girl about his age standing over him. She had blue eyes and long blond hair.

"Everything will be alright..." the stranger kept repeating.

"Who are you!?" The boy suddenly jumped up, causing a sharp pain in his knee.

"Don't get up," the girl said calmly, and she placed the boy back on the bed. "I'm Aria."

"Where am I? How did I get here?" Alex felt confused. "

You had an accident, you shouldn't be driving after so much wine," Aria said, smiling shyly. "I found you at the foot of the mountain."

"Aaaaaah... I'm starting to remember." Alexander tried to catch snippets of that evening through the pain. He and his friends went to the inn, had fun, danced, and... drank a lot of wine. Later, he wanted to go back to his house, which was located on the mountain. He was riding in his carriage when suddenly the horses spooked a stranger and, furious, overturned the carriage. The last thing Alexander remembers is hitting the ground as he fell.

"And what's your name, stranger?" Aria suddenly asked, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"My name is Alexander..." The girl suddenly assumed a terrified expression; after all, Alex was the young king of her country.

"My lord, I apologize that I didn't recognize Your Majesty. I beg your forgiveness." Aria fell to her knees before Alexander. "

Girl, stand up. I should be kneeling before you for saving me," the king said, looking with his brown eyes straight into Aria's blue cheeks. The girl, however, quickly looked away.

"But I thought the young master was older because everyone in the village said so," the girl said, blushing.

"You see, rumors can be wrong. After all, I'm only 17."

"Then you're a wise and good ruler," the girl said, approaching the window. "

But no... And please, my savior can't call me sir. I'm Alexander."

"Okay, sir... Alexander. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the fields." The girl left the horse and left the room.

Alex spent the day after Aria left rather unpleasantly. He still felt pain in his knee, but whenever his savior appeared in the room, the pain seemed to disappear.

"Alexander, perhaps I should notify your advisors so they don't have to worry about you and provide you with medical care?" the girl asked a few days after the boy regained consciousness.

"No, please... unless I'm bothering you," Alex said, and there was a hint of regret in his voice.

"No, you're not bothering me, they're just starting to look for you." Aria sat down and began feeding the boy soup.

"Easy." If they search for me a bit, nothing will happen to them. - Aleks joked, to which the girl smiled. Aleks looked into her eyes again, but this time the girl didn't look away.

"Is something wrong?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, I've never met someone so good and beautiful."

- Aleksander, stop, you'd better lie down, the pain is making you ramble.

- Many boys from the village probably wanted to marry you.

- Yes, but unfortunately, none of them were mature enough to look at souls, not just bodies. Oh well, someday I'll definitely meet the one."

- Aria, can I ask you a favor?

- Yes?

- Would you help me go outside? I want to look at the night sky? - Aleks said and looked out the window.

- Yes... if you want..." It wasn't long before they were both sitting on the blanket. It was beautiful. The night sky was showing off all its strengths, a gentle breeze was blowing, crickets could be heard, and the air smelled of flowers.

"Aria, how could I thank you for taking care of me?" Alex asked.

"You're welcome. It's an honor, after all, not many villagers can boast that the king himself was among them." The girl said, looking at Alexander.

"Don't call yourself that..." the young man said suddenly, anger in his voice.

"But what do you mean?

" "You're not like other villagers. They behave like greedy beasts. They would never help a person selflessly. You are different, unique..." Alex's face began to approach Aria's. "...wonderful..." she was getting closer. "...beautiful..." The king was about to kiss the girl when she suddenly jumped away.

"I'm not allowed... and besides, you don't even know how wrong you are! Not all villagers are what you think, it's just you who don't want to get to know them! You're unfair..." Aria began to scream and, in tears, ran into the forest.

"Aria...!" Alex shouted, but as soon as he tried to get up, the pain in his knee flared up again. It was unbearable. Suddenly, the boy heard a voice behind him.

"Well, well, I see the king is busy here, flirting with our little angel." When Alex turned around, he saw a rather tall man with black eyes and hair and pale skin.

"Who are you?" Alexander asked through teeth clenched in pain.

"Your worst nightmare..." the stranger said, drawing his sword and walking toward the prince. The man was about to strike a blow at the defenseless Alex when suddenly...

"Leave him... You're here for me." On the other side of the clearing, Aria stood half-naked with a bow and spread white wings.

"Why should I listen to you when Michael, the archangel himself, can't handle me?" the dark-haired man said, clearly amused by the whole situation.

"Lucifer, I'm telling you, just move him and..." the girl interrupted impressively.

"So what...?" Lucifer asked, plunging his sword into the boy's stomach. Alex only let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground. Through the fog, he could only see Aria begin to fight the alien, then lose consciousness.

He didn't know how long he lay unconscious. At one point, he felt his heart stop beating, but he felt lips on his lips. Suddenly, he felt his strength returning, opened his eyes, and saw Aria's face above him. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible; he felt simply wonderful. Suddenly, Aria began to pull away from him.

"Thank you..." the girl said, and fell to the ground. Only then did Alex notice that his knee was fine and that there was no trace of the sword. The winged Aria lay beside him. Red spots of slightly dried blood were visible on her white wings. The girl's breathing was shallow and rapid. Aleks, not knowing what to do, carried the injured girl home. Aria didn't regain consciousness. Aleks didn't leave her side, hoping she would finally wake up. After about a week, Aria regained consciousness.

"Aleks, Aleks," the girl screamed in the darkness.

"Shhh... Calm down, I'm next to you," the boy soothed her.

"You're okay, you survived!" Aria, happy, threw her arms around Aleks's neck.

"Yes, but calm down. You're still very weak. You need to rest." The boy placed the angel on the bed and gently kissed her forehead.

"I'm so happy. I thought nothing would help you."

"See, I surprised you, now lie down because you really are weak. Why didn't you tell me earlier that you were..." Aleks suddenly paused. "

I am?

" "Yes, an angel."

"Because I couldn't, I couldn't kiss you either. Simply put. Angels can't tell who they truly are, nor can they love a human." Aria began to explain, and Alexander's face suddenly darkened. "Did something happen?

" "Nothing..." the young man said with a grievance in his voice and left the room. He felt anger mixed with regret. Why couldn't Aria love him? After all, love has no limits.

Aria lay alone in the dark room, not knowing what had happened, why Alex was so offended. She felt strange like never before. She supposedly had a reason, she had given up her immortality in exchange for Alexander's life. But why had she done it, why hadn't she let him die? Her train of thought was interrupted by the crowing of a rooster. The girl didn't even notice that morning had arrived. She got up and started looking for Alex. When she stepped outside the house, she saw the royal carriage and Alexander tied up inside. Before she could even turn around, someone grabbed her arms.

"We've got you, witch. You've possessed our king and now he won't come with us to the palace. As punishment, you'll go to the dungeons." One of the king's advisors was holding Aria's hands, preventing her from escaping. Aria had been tied to a carriage all the way to the palace. When they reached the castle, the girl was immediately thrown into the darkest dungeon. "

Tomorrow you'll end up at the stake," someone shouted from the crowd of guards. "

Or whipped," another person said.

For Aria, the night passed incredibly quickly. She was shocked when the door opened and the same man who had captured her entered.

"What do you want now? You want to kill me, then do it!" the girl began to scream.

"No, I have a proposition for you. Give me what I want and we'll let you go," the man began calmly. "

So?" the angel asked. The advisor approached her, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered...

"You."

"Never in your life, you filthy swine!" Aria spat in the man's face. "

Then I have no choice. Give me the whip." The advisor began to whip the girl, who meekly accepted each blow. The pain was excruciating, and she didn't flinch. Only a few tears fell from her eyes. For the first time, she felt pain inflicted by a mortal, felt it because she, too, was now a mortal. The executioner had barely managed five strokes of the whip when the king entered the dungeon.

"Leave her," Alexander ordered angrily. "Leave her, or you will take her place."

The servant faithfully put down the whip, and Alex approached Aria. She was already almost unconscious from the pain.

"Come, my angel, you are out of danger," the prince whispered tenderly, and took the exhausted girl in his arms.

Aria woke up in Alex's room, in a large bed. Her savior was sitting by the fireplace, staring into the flames. His face looked extraordinary in the firelight. Small sparks playfully reflected in his hazel-brown eyes. Suddenly, the boy looked away.

"Oh, you're awake," he began cheerfully, seeing Arie sitting on the bed.

"Yes... I am. I wanted to thank you.

" "What are you thanking me for again?"

"For..." Aria interrupted as a shaft of fire suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, and Lucifer emerged from it.

"And what are you looking for here again?!" Alex began to shout. "

Yikes. The fool gave up her immortality for your life, so now I can kill her," Satan said with a malicious smile.

"You really did it...?" Alexander asked uncertainly, and Aria only nodded.

"Oh, how romantic... you can talk later, and I haven't forgotten, you can't because I'll beat her," Lucifer stated, still smiling. "

Try to touch her." Alex attacked the devil but unfortunately landed against the wall.

"He's ridiculous, thinking he can defeat me. Oh well." Lucifer started walking towards Aria, taking a dagger from his belt. "Now you, my dear."

Just as Satan was about to deliver the final blow to the girl, Alexander shielded the angel with his own body. He struck the beast with his sword, pushing it away, and falling to the floor. Aria knelt next to him and began stroking his hair.

"Aleksander, everything will be alright. Shh... everything will be alright." Tears began to flow down the angel's cheeks.

"Nothing will be alright because you can't love me." Alex was losing more and more blood.

"Everything won't be alright." Aria was already in hysterics.

"I love you, my angel," the prince whispered softly, and fell into an eternal sleep. Aria couldn't calm down. Tears flowed spontaneously from her eyes. She finally understood something. She had given up her immortality for Alex because she loved him but was afraid to admit it. Now that she understood, it was too late.

"I love you too. I've wanted to tell you for a long time, thank you for being here." The angel cried like never before. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound. It was Lucifer, still unrecovered, reaching for Alex's sword. Aria, without thinking, pulled the dagger from her beloved's body and ran to the beast. She fought him, and thanks to her thirst for revenge, she was stronger than ever. Anger boiled within her. Satan and the angel dealt each other fatal blows simultaneously, and both bodies fell to the ground.

"I love you too, Alexander... my prince." Aria said almost silently and, cuddling the boy's body, fell asleep with him forever...

This is the end of this story. It ended quite sadly, but we must believe that two hearts in love will always find each other and that true love cannot be defeated by distance, time, or even death.