6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Job 1:6-22

--

“I hope you have a plan!” Jongin said loudly, his eyes never breaking contact with Behemoth.

Kyungsoo waited long enough for the ox to divert its attention to Jongin, and as soon as he had an opening to strike, he did. He temporarily let the human vessel go so his black and white wings could spread, and he flew straight towards the ox’s neck. A spear formed over his right arm, and within a few seconds, he pierced through Behemoth’s thick skin and felt it wobble. Kyungsoo pulled his arm back and flew back down gracefully before retracting the human side of him and sighed softly.

Both Jongin and Kyungsoo watched as Behemoth roared weakly, and it fell to the side. A large blanket of dust and debris flew right past them, and Kyungsoo quickly ran over to Jongin.

“I ing hate these human forms!” Jongin cried as he reached for his leg. “Look at this! It snapped in two!”

“It happens,” Kyungsoo shrugged. “But right now we have a way bigger problem.”

They looked at the ox knocked out cold.

“How did you even do that?” Jongin looked up at his lover. “There was no way your arm could pierce through the hide or even hurt that thing. It was made for—”

“Sometimes I think you forget that I serve both sides on purpose.” Kyungsoo sighed. “I cannot kill Behemoth, but I can prevent it from causing mayhem and unnecessary death.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am the angel of death, my love.” Kyungsoo smiled as he brushed Jongin’s hair back. “I have powers you can’t even imagine.”

“But—”

“We need to get you someplace safe,” Kyungsoo interrupted. “And we need to get that somewhere where it won’t be a distraction.”

“Oh yeah, sure, let’s just put the damn thing in a petting zoo.” Jongin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Zoos attract people, my love.” Kyungsoo chuckled. “But I’ll be back, so stay put.”

“I just love babysitting.”

--

Minseok leaned against the wall with his hair disheveled, eyes sunken, and his face pale. He couldn’t believe 10 patients, his patients, just died. No cause of death, no signs of distress, nothing.

There was nothing.

He was advised to take the day off, but he couldn’t even believe what had happened, much less go home and think about it. He was still sweating from running back and forth, and he ran his hand through his hair to try and stay as calm as he possibly could. He just needed to breathe—

Nurse to room 112. Nurse to room 112.

Minseok released a small breath before walking down the hall. He knew that room all too well, and he opened the door.

“What is it, Mr. Xiu?” He asked softly.

Luhan couldn’t understand why the nurse looked so sullen and sad; all his work was gone. Luhan leaned back against the bed and crossed his arms while clearing his throat.

“I was hoping we could continue our little chat from earlier,” Luhan said. “You never told me whether you were religious or not.”

“Honestly, Mr. Xiu, what does it even matter?” Minseok shook his head. “We all just die in the end.”

Luhan was taken aback by this response, and he sat upright again (even though there was no need for it; he already had his back against the wall).

“I just want to know more about you, Minseok.” Luhan said. “I don’t know why you’re so snarky.”

Minseok sighed heavily and walked closer to his client without so much as a smart remark. He pulled up the chair he was sitting on before and plopped down on it.

“Mr. Xiu, what do you believe in?”

“Me?” Luhan hummed. “I literally know that there is heaven and hell.”

“Oh please,” Minseok scoffed. “You make it sound like you’ve seen those places with your own two eyes or something.”

I come from both those places.

I know they exist.

I know because I am the devil.

“Tell me why you don’t believe,” Luhan placed his chin in his palm. “I’m curious.”

“Because I just don’t,” Minseok stood up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Xiu, but I was dismissed for the day, so I’m going to take this opportunity. There should be someone else filling in for me today.”

“Are you upset because all those other people died?” Luhan asked.

Minseok looked at the devil, and it was small, but Minseok saw the smallest hint of a smile on his patient’s face.

A ing smile.

“They didn’t die, it was all a false code.” He was lying, and the devil could tell.

Nothing pleased Luhan more than a liar.

“A false code?” He hummed. “Why do you look so upset then?”

“I’ve had a long day,” Minseok clenched his fists. “It’s of no concern to you.”

“What a shame,” Luhan shrugged. “I thought nurses were supposed to be trustworthy and honest. Guess I was wrong.”

The nurse didn’t want to hear any more of this. He clicked his tongue and walked out in a small rage, but just before he left the room, he took one last glance back at Luhan. The devil waved with a wider smile, and it sent chills down Minseok’s spine.

“I hope you and your patients have a beautiful day, Minseok.”

With that the nurse slammed the door behind him and ran another hand through his hair. He was sweating a lot more now, and he walked down the hall as fast as he could. He wasn’t sure why his heart was starting to thump wildly against his chest, or why the chills ran continuously over his body, all he knew was that he needed to leave, to get outside and just breathe as much air as he could. His coworkers called out to him as he dashed by, but Minseok ignored them and kept running. He didn’t understand, and he couldn’t place his finger on it, but something was weird with that patient.

Xiu Luhan.

Why was he so strange? Why was he smiling about the deaths of innocent people? Why did it look like he was pleased with mocking Minseok about the nurses’ code? Just what the hell happened back there?

--

Yixing was finally inside a small, warm house. He was seated on a chair in the living room while the stranger he met earlier went to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. But despite the kindness, he kept his guard up. Although he would never admit it out loud, some humans have malicious intentions, and it didn’t matter how much God believed in them, there will always be that dark side to them.

Good cannot survive without evil, after all.

“Alright you stupid bastard, here you go.” The stranger appeared and handed the angel a large cup. Yixing could smell the delicious chocolate aroma infiltrate his nostrils and he couldn’t help but smile at the kind gesture.

“Thank you,” He bowed his head and took the cup. “I like your home. It’s comfy.”

“Thanks,” A soft sigh parted the other’s lips. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Yixing nodded.

“What the hell were you doing out there in that storm? Did you want to die?”

Yixing took another small sip of the hot beverage and hummed.

“It would seem that way, but no.” He blew on the chocolate. “I was thrown there.”

“Thrown?”

“Yeah, I got into a fight and ended up here.” Yixing drank some more.

“So you were knocked out and thrown here? That’s harsh.”

“Yeah, but it happens, I guess.” Yixing nodded. “Tell me about you. What are you doing out here?”

“I live here.”

“Right, but why do you choose to live all by yourself?” Yixing sipped softly. “You said this weather was dangerous, yet you live right in the middle of it. What is the reason for that?”

The other man grew quiet, and he crossed his arms over one another before sighing.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your situation is a little crazier than mine, mm?” Yixing crossed his legs. “I had no choice, but you do.”

“Jesus, what the are you?” The other hissed. “Dr. Phil or something?”

“Hey, you shouldn’t use His name in vain,” Yixing placed the cup on the side table and crossed his arms. “He died for your sins, you know.”

“Ugh, are you a religious freak too? Jesus ing Christ.”

“Hey, what did I just say?!”

“Look, it doesn’t m