forbidden visit

Part 24: The Forbidden Visit

The dimly lit café in Hell's outskirts was empty except for a single booth in the corner, where Alastor sat with his usual eerie composure. Across from him sat Audrey's mother—a striking woman she had dark red hair styled in a bun, red horns, and black sclera with red eyes. She wore a blouse with puffed sleeves and a collar, paired with a lace-up skirt. She also has a faint mark around her neck and under-eye marks resembling running mascara, She leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly on the table, her eyes narrowing at him.

"You can't keep dodging me, Alastor," she said, her voice low but firm. "I want to see her. I deserve to see her."

Alastor's grin faltered ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing in response. "Deserve?" he repeated, his tone light but laced with venom. "My dear, what you deserve and what is prudent are two entirely different things."

She clenched her jaw, clearly holding back anger. "She's my daughter too. I have a right to be part of her life."

Alastor leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs with exaggerated casualness. "Ah, but rights are such a human construct, don't you think? And as we are no longer bound by mortal conventions, I'd argue that your... claims carry very little weight here."

Her fingers dug into the table, leaving faint marks in the wood. "I'm not asking for much, Alastor. Just a glimpse. Just to hold her for a moment. You've kept her hidden from me for too long."

His grin returned, sharper this time, though his voice lowered to a near-whisper. "Hidden? Oh no, my dear. Protected. Sheltered. You see, Audrey is far too precious to be tangled up in... well, let's call them complicated associations."

She scoffed, her frustration boiling over. "You mean your complications. You don't want anyone to know the truth, do you? That the great and untouchable Alastor isn't so untouchable after all."

For a moment, his grin disappeared entirely, replaced by an expression so cold it made the air between them feel heavy. "Watch your tongue," he said, his voice devoid of its usual joviality. "I am not one to be provoked."

She didn't back down. "And I'm not one to be brushed aside. I'll keep asking until you let me see her."

Alastor leaned forward suddenly, his sharp grin returning but his tone still dangerously low. "And I'll keep refusing. Not because I don't trust you, of course—though I don't. But because Audrey's life is better without the... entanglements of your history. Or mine."

Her eyes softened for a moment, but her determination didn't waver. "She deserves to know where she came from."

Alastor stood abruptly, straightening his coat with a sharp tug. "She deserves happiness, security, and love—things I ensure she has in abundance. As for where she came from, that's a mystery she doesn't need solved. Now, if you'll excuse me, this conversation has run its course."

He turned to leave, but she called after him. "This isn't over, Alastor. You can't keep her from me forever."

Without turning back, he replied, his voice echoing with chilling finality. "Perhaps not. But for now, I can. And I will, Clara."

As the door shut behind him, she sat back in the booth, frustration etched across her face. Audrey's existence was a secret she couldn't keep buried forever—and she wasn't about to let him try.