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When cats prepare to die, they hide where no one can find them. This is a safety mechanism, protecting them from being harmed in their most vulnerable state. The death of the physical body is a significant milestone in the soul’s journey; in the case of cats, it's just a quiet event, almost invisible to an external observer.
Sinners are being redeemed the same way. Quietly, without a beam of light or angelic trumpets. They just disappear. Sometimes, Charlie finds out that her resident is redeemed only when Emily calls. She often wonders how it feels, but there's no one to answer this question—no redeemed sinner remembers anything from their life in hell.
Charlie rationalizes it as something like the law of equivalent exchange. Those who stay are left with memories but not the person. Those who are redeemed keep themselves but leave their memories behind.
In the end, both sides are left with their pieces of nothing.
***
Hell doesn’t have season changes like the living world does. There is no winter and no summer. For a long time, exterminations were the main event, setting a line between years. Now, they were canceled, of course—so the idea of counting years finally became more of a habit for sinners than something that needed to be done.
Having the same season all year long also meant that day and night were always the same length on any given day. Charlie heard her people complaining but secretly thought it was useful for measuring one's sleeping schedule. Not that she could compare it to anything, of course.
Today, for example, the princess woke up in the dark, which was a bit earlier than yesterday. She knew she kept waking up progressively earlier but couldn’t help herself: there was so much to be done!
The princess washed her teeth and changed into comfortable clothes for meditation. A couple of months ago, she read an article explaining the benefits of the practice for mental health. She decided to test it on herself before offering it to the residents as part of their redemption exercises. (Secretly, Charlie didn’t enjoy meditations but kept telling herself she needed to practice them for at least a week a month for one more month to finally feel the effect. To be honest, the feeling of slowing her ever-turning gears down horrified the princess.)
After her routine, Charlie changed to a loose pink dress and came downstairs for breakfast. Lately, she preferred dresses; she noticed that casual clothing helped shorten the emotional distance between herself and residents.
When Charlie left her room, she noticed something moving in the corridor. She stayed for a moment, looking in the dark, but nothing happened. It must be her imagination, fueled by a lack of sleep.
Downstairs, Charlie noticed that Karen—their new cleaning lady—had already woken up, dusting off shelves in the lobby. Karen was a tarantula sinner with six hands, which made cleaning quite efficient; she had long black hair and a lot of black eyeliner—though Charlie was unsure if the latter was a natural feature or a fashion choice. As usual, Karen wore big headphones with something resembling death metal coming out, barely audible. Charlie wished her good morning, not really hoping for a response.
When the hotel residents were having communal meals, they used the dining room, but when she was alone, the princess was partial to having her meals in the kitchen. It reminded her of simpler times when there were only seven of them. Not that Charlie wasn’t happy with how things had turned out. Three years ago, she couldn’t dream of achieving all she had achieved. However, it didn’t mean she must refuse herself of a bit of nostalgia, right?
In the kitchen, she placed her notes and folders on the table and started preparing breakfast. The princess enjoyed working during her meals; it helped optimize her schedule and served as a nice distraction from the morning silence.
When Cherri entered the kitchen, Charlie enjoyed her third cup of coffee and almost finished an activity plan for the next week. She couldn’t decide on the meditation, though. Was she ready to add it as a redemption practice or not? Perhaps starting with yoga could be a compromise.
The princess pushed this thought aside to look upon Cherri. The demoness was wearing wide white pants and a pink tank top, as she usually did these days. Charlie noticed that many of the residents who were staying long enough at the hotel were changing their style for a more relaxed and comfortable one, as if a soul itself was calming down, preparing for redemption. Cherri was smiling with this quiet look in her eye she often had lately.
“Got a room for me?” She asked.
Charlie looked at the table, almost entirely covered with her lesson plans and notes. She was happy to see Cherri, even if it meant her morning routine was over. Having her around was also nostalgic, and the princess was always glad to converse with her old friend.
“Oh, sorry! Here you go,” she stacked everything to give the demon a place to put her breakfast. “Didn’t expect someone to show up this early!”
Cherri looked at the stack of papers. “Not as early as you, so I can guess. How long have you been here?”
The princess tried to count, but human time was never her strong suit. She knew she had to learn to use the clock by now, but measuring time in hours always felt… too detailed for her. It was one of those rare moments when Charlie felt her actual age.
“I don’t know… an hour, maybe? It was dark when I came here.”
“Sounds like at least three for me,” Cherri nodded disapprovingly but didn’t push the subject further.
“I like waking up early,” said Charlie, for some reason feeling like she needed to explain herself. “It’s so quiet here in the morning. Sometimes, I wonder if it’s like this in heaven.”
Cherri looked away. Charlie suddenly realized she saw a twinge of sadness in her eye. The princess almost prepared to say something comforting when another resident interrupted her.
“Talking heaven this early? Adventurous, my dear, aren’t you?” The princess turned her head, following the voice, and discovered it was Alastor. He was wearing his usual suit—talking about those who was not ready for redemption.
The Radio Demon barely ever joined them for breakfast, so Charlie couldn’t help wondering if something had happened. She watched closely, but he looked as he usually did: no signs of recently performed genocide, no blood stuck in his hair.
“Morning, Alastor. We’re discussing if it is quiet in heaven.” Said Charlie, unsure why she was even inviting him into the conversation. Usually, Alastor didn’t have pleasant things to say.
He kept silent, though, busying himself preparing the coffee.
"Will it even matter?” Cherri suddenly asked, holding her cup in both hands and looking down.
“What—it?” The princess looked at her, surprised by the question.
“If it’s quiet in heaven. Since we’ve learned they forget everything, I often wonder…”
Charlie expected her friend to continue, but she was looking in her cup.
“You wonder if you want to be redeemed?” The princess cautiously asked.
“What? No, of course I want to. Even knowing he won’t remember me, and I won’t remember him… It’s just,” The demon raised her gaze on Charlie, “It’s just, isn’t if heaven makes you become nothing in a way, it is itself—nothing?”
Charlie froze. ‘Nothing’ sounded—wrong. Even worse—it sounded terrifying. She knew it from a first-hand experience, losing those redeemed. In the darkest corner of her mind, the princess felt the glimpse of envy of those who’d been forgetting everything.
Alastor suddenly intervened.
“Personally, I believe that nothing is a great thing! While ‘everything’ means eternal limitations, ‘nothing’ is what truly sets one free.” He was standing casually leaning on the counter, cup in the hand.
Charlie frowned.
“Why don’t you want to be redeemed then?” She asked. “If nothing is what is supposedly setting you free?”
Alastor stiffened but quickly collected himself. “Nonsense, dear! Nevermind the heaven, as terrible as it should be, who in their right mind would want to lose… ha! Their mind. I’m talking about those who leave nothing here, of course! It’s almost as good as killing—totally erasing a person!” He pointed to Charlie. “And you’re the one doing it. Don’t you see the beautiful irony here, darling?”
Charlie knew inviting Alastor to this conversation was a mistake. And here it is—a big, big mistake. She decided to ignore his words and instead turn to the demoness.
“I believe that heaven is everything, Cherri. And you will become everything when you’re redeemed.”
For a moment, they sat in silence.
“What about you? Does it mean you can’t become everything since you can’t be redeemed?” Cherri asked.
Charlie thought for a moment. Can’t she?
“I already have everything, Cherri. Hazbin Hotel is my everything.” She looked in the window. The sun has already risen up high in the sky. “Shit, sorry, I need to go!”
The princess swiftly got up. She needed to place an order in the cafe before noon to pick it up the next day, and the place was in the other part of the city. Sometimes, Charlie wished Cannibal Town had learned how to use the internet so she wouldn’t need to go there by foot. But, for the best doughnuts in the Pentagram City, she was ready to make this sacrifice.
Hurrying out from the hotel, she asked herself why she was eager to leave this conversation.
In the end, Charlie was late for five minutes and was only miraculously saved by Alastor, who appeared out of nowhere and helped her convince the barista to accept the offer.
“52 doughnuts by Friday! As if I don’t need to sleep,” They were leaving the cafe when she heard the barista grumbling. She stopped, almost against her will, processing his words.
The princess pushed her guilt to the furthest corner of her mind and turned to the Radio Demon. He stood still, looking at her and smiling with an unreadable expression.
“I was almost expecting my ‘doughnut-feel-sad’ surprise to be spoiled! Oh shit,” she stopped, realizing that she just did exactly that. To be honest, she still felt a bit lost after their morning conversation. She hated being lost. For the last three years, Charlie has been living with a sense of purpose. The purpose was the main reason she was waking up in the morning. Being lost made her purpose feel like nothing, and she couldn’t stand feeling like nothing.
Charlie shook these thoughts and looked at Alastor.
“And could you please don’t tell residents about it? It was really meant to be a surprise…”
“Never you mind that!” Upbeat as usual, Alastor put a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. “Your wish is my command, darling!”
“Thank you, Al!” Charlie answered. Then something struck her. “What were you doing in the cafe? I just saw you in the hotel.” Alastor’s hand on his chest slightly spasmed. What was it about?
Feeling a surge of confidence, Charlie pushed further. “Were you following me? I know it’s Cannibal Town and everything, but...”
The demon looked aside, his gaze fixed.
“It’s nothing, my dear!” He slightly bowed again and took another step back. “See you in the hotel!”
With that, the Radio Demon disappeared in the cloud of smoke.
In years they spent working together, Charlie accepted to secretive nature of her business partner. So, she shrugged, and headed back. She had three private sessions planned for the day, and evening group activity still needed to be polished. She had absolutely no time to think about Alastor.
***
Charlie considered herself far from being paranoid, but at some moment, even she couldn’t deny anymore that she was being followed. You know that feeling when you keep hearing footsteps behind you, always at the same distance, no matter how far you go? Then you turn around—and there’s nothing. During your walks to pick up a delivery or when you are coming for groceries, you notice everyone is stepping out to let you go. Or when you turn back and see a freshly chopped hand with a knife. Did the poor guy want to stab her? If you've encountered something like this, you may relate to how Charlie felt these days. She couldn't decide whether it was creepy or sweet, but, ever optimistic, she chose to stick with the latter.
As a princess of hell and a person who now had more than 50 redemptions under her belt, she has always been watched—more or less—but recently, the constant sensation of a gaze on her back has become impossible to ignore.
She decided—well, one may call it reckless—not to call an immediate action upon this. She's been running the hotel for three years now, one coming hand in hand with challenges, and she was confident she could overcome this 'being watched' thing. Also, some new residents may act suspiciously, so showing her trust in them has been a good tactic.
Besides, there was something comforting in being watched. Almost like she wasn’t being alone.
***
With a bag of 52 doughnuts in her hand, Charlie opened the main door and entered the hotel's dark lobby. It was Friday's midnight, so residents were either asleep or out—the princess planned to take the delivery this late to keep a surprise. She put doughnuts in the kitchen and returned to the lobby, where only the bar was a dim source of light.
Not for the first time, she caught herself wishing Husk was still here—he always had a piece of advice or an observation that could put one's heart at peace.
Husk was actually the second one to be redeemed—a year after Sir Pentious did. That was probably the most frustrating year in Charlie's life—who may have guessed—they had many sinners coming and staying and… not a single redemption.
In hindsight, it was clear that the process would take time, but back then, Charlie had been almost—almost!—ready to give up. Losing Husk was one of her happiest and saddest moments, perhaps because she didn’t have much time to befriend Sir Pentious as she did Husk (secretly, she felt ashamed admitting it, but also admitting feelings was necessary, which was a constant source of struggle for her). Charlie cried for a whole day, not knowing whether it was that happy or sad tears.
She smiled at this memory. Ex-barmen, as all redeemed sinners, would not remember her, but she was pleased. She saw him happy in heaven, and that was all that mattered.
After Sir Pentious’s redemption, they placed his portrait in the lobby. This soon became a tradition, turning the hotel into something of an art gallery. Charlie fondly touched Husk’s portrait hanging above the bar.
The princess stood like this for a few minutes in silence.
Suddenly, she heard something (someone?) in the darkness. If this one was her stalker, it would be the best time to catch their attention while they were alone!
Charlie knew she was safe in the hotel, but she felt her heart beating faster. She took a deep breath. Some residents tended to be shy, but helping them come out of their shelves was the main thing she was there for, right?
"You can come out, you know. It's okay." The princess said into the darkness. She was trying to sound calm, though her voice was more muffled than she’d preferred.
Something moved, but otherwise, they didn't show any sign of letting themselves be shown.
"Or take your time if you feel you need it," Charlie added, staring at nothing in the dark.
Truthfully, Charlie didn’t enjoy staring into the dark. Charlie wasn’t even a night person; she needed colors, sounds, and everything. Nothing didn’t suit her well. The lobby gave a feeling of sensory deprivation, silent and dark. The princess recalled the conversation they had with Cherri a day prior. Does losing all your memories when coming to heaven feel something like this?
For some reason, she stayed in this spot for several minutes, unable to move or to look away.
***
After the previous night's encounter, Charlie could not concentrate on her morning routine. She was drinking her usual coffee alone in the kitchen, looking with an unseeing gaze at the papers, unable to put a single word down. Finally, the princess sighed in frustration and closed the folder, massaging her temples.
At this moment, a sudden weight crushed her shoulders, nearly making her dip into the cup. Struggling under the weight, the princess managed to set her coffee aside just in time before being pinned to the tabletop by what felt like the crushing embrace of—
“Alastor?” Her voice was shaky, not sure whether to push him away or let him continue.
“Do not be afraid,” He murmured, pinning her even further until she was lying flat on the table surface. As if it wasn’t enough, the Radio Demon placed his chin on her head.
“What are you… Why are you—”
Alastor hugged her even tighter and hummed. Charlie tried to free herself, but he was holding her tight.
Charlie let out an audible breath.
“Al, are you drunk?”
She felt him shaking his head.
“As your business partner, I feel obliged to remind you that your dear god prohibited working on Saturdays!” Alastor said, and strangely enough, Charlie felt it sounded like a plea.
“He didn’t! He— well— not everyone! Not me, for sure! Let me go now!” She made another attempt to free herself, but he was holding her tight.
“It seems to me, dear, that you’re planning to ruin your own ‘doughnut-feel-sad’ day.”
“I—”
“Smile, and I’ll let you go.”
Where did this come from?
“I’m smiling every day!” She exclaimed, with an unpleasant feeling as she was explaining herself.
“Surely you must’ve learned by now, darling,” Alastor whispered to her ear. “I’m quite an expert in fake smiles.”
Self-consciously, Charlie tried to recollect the last time she had been smiling with joy. It couldn’t be that long time ago, right? She shook this thought. Her possibly-drunk business partner was talking nonsense.
“How will you even see if I—” his chin was still on her head.
“I will. Smile, and I’ll let you go.” The demon repeated.
Charlie stilled. Now, when the initial panic stepped back, she let herself a moment to feel the sensations surrounding her. First, Alastor indeed didn’t smell of alcohol. Second, he actually smelled nice. There were subtle notes of smoke and pines, just as he just returned from the camping. Third, there was some sort of perverted pleasure in finding—for once!—herself in a situation with an easy and straightforward solution.
Charlie felt his arms freeing her even before she realized she was smiling.
A soft puff signaled that Alastor was gone. For a couple more minutes, the princess kept lying on the tabletop, a smile still on her face.
The vibration of the upcoming message woke Charlie from her trance. Reluctantly, she sat straight and got her phone from her pocket. Instantly she felt warmth hugging her again—it was a message from Vaggie, who texted her with pictures of their rehabilitated sinners.
It was the usual thing her ex did when performing her check on her patrons. After redemptions became regular, heaven called Vaggie back as a supervisor for ex-sinners. Well, it was more like a demand than a simple ask, and they had no choice but to agree. Charlie knew that Vaggie was happy returning back home, and no matter how hard it was to break up, she felt at peace with the decision.
Seeing the angel’s text made the princess feel at home. Although she was continuously trying to push away this part of herself, she missed her ex. When Charlie started the redemption project, she could never have imagined how hard it would be to say goodbye to those who go to heaven. Before she gave this a second thought, the princess found herself sending Vaggie a message.
“I noticed someone stalking me lately. I think it’s a resident. Any thoughts?”
Instantly, the angel called her.
“Charlie, are you sure it’s a resident? Could Vees…” She sounded worried.
“Vox has been laying low since the fight. No way he would go for confrontation since Al showed him his place. No, I’m sure it’s someone staying here.”
Two years ago, Vees launched a campaign to discredit the hotel. It was before Husk’s redemption, and Charlie was at her low point, so she only vaguely recollected Alastor somehow saving the day.
“You think I need to approach the stalker?” Charlie added.
“I would if I were you, hon. But, please, be careful. Even if it’s a resident, we don’t know what they’re up to.” The princess heard someone speaking in the background. “Be right back!” Vaggie said to them. “Sorry, need to go. Text me when you find out who it is?”
“Of course. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
After hanging up, Charlie leaned back in her chair, staring at her phone for a moment longer. She knew Vaggie almost as well as she knew herself. Before the angel called her, she knew exactly what she would say. The only reason she even texted her… what it was exactly? Perhaps Alastor was right. She needed more meaningless conversations before she forgot how to smile.
Charlie signed and stood up. She didn’t have time to waste on feeling miserable. A ‘doughnut-feel-sad’ breakfast won't organize itself, and there was a report for heaven with the hotel’s progress to fill.
When Charlie finished the report, it was already night. She yawned, looking at the old clock on the wall. 2 AM. It should be awfully late.
However, instead of walking out straight away, she caught herself staring out the window. Sometimes, she imagined herself redeeming every sinner in hell. How would it feel to be left entirely alone? Her father should be happy, though. No matter how she tried, he would still despise his people. The princess grimly chuckled at this thought.
Finally, she put her folders in the drawer and switched off the lights in her office. The princess was ready to lock the door when she saw something moving in the further corner of the room.
Could it be the stalker? Despite her earlier exhaustion, Charlie felt a sudden surge of energy.
“Hello?”
Silence.
“Had it been you following me for the last week?”
Nothing. For a moment, they were staring at each other—at least, Charlie was imagining that was what they were doing because she couldn’t see a thing.
The window in her office was the only source of light. The stalker moved forward as if to approach her. Despite her nervousness, the princess gave her best encouraging smile, but the stalker froze. For a moment, Charlie thought she had seen shadowy ears at the top of the darkness.
Familiar deer ears.
"Al?"
He was gone.
Charlie stayed on her spot, looking in the darkness. Alastor had been acting strangely lately. The morning incident was probably the peak, but when she began to think about it, it’d been a while. When did it start? After Niffty?
Let's say, all that time, the mysterious stalker was indeed Al. That would explain a chopped hand, right?
Uncapably of standing in darkness anymore, she left the room.
***
The following day, hotel residents were having their traditional Sunday communal breakfast. Surprisingly enough, the initial idea of having those belonged to Angel Dust. He had suggested making a shared meal so everyone could see each other.
They started doing this just a week before his redemption.
It's been almost a year, but Charlie still felt bittersweet each Sunday. She knew it was selfish, but she really missed her friend.
The princess realized she’d been standing at the dining room doors for a few minutes now. After the battle with Adam and since the sinners started flowing, she hadn’t really befriended anyone. Back then, she had all her friends, so others were… souls she had to help? When Husk had been redeemed, Charlie realized she couldn’t stand this much pain, so she closed herself even more. She didn’t need to be friends with those she was redeeming because she couldn’t stand being left with nothing in the end.
Charlie read that human psychotherapists are even prohibited from doing this. This was the only right way to go.
She made herself smile and entered the dining room.
To her surprise, Alastor was already there. This was unusual—typically, he was not the one to show himself at the communal meals. Charlie felt her melancholy had taken a step back. His presence meant she'd have more time to observe him and decide whether or not he was the stalker. It was a good distraction.
"Morning, Alastor," She waved to him. Demon's gaze slid somewhere over her shoulder. He bowed in a barely noticeable motion, not looking at her.
The princess frowned. Was it the night's incident that caused this unusual behavior? She was sure he disappeared early enough not to hear her addressing him. Could she be probably wrong?
Charlie took her usual eggs and coffee and placed herself opposite Alastor.
“How do you feel this morning?” She asked, trying to sound natural.
The demon had a plate with an untouched steak and a half-empty cup of black coffee. Lately, Charlie found herself preferring her coffee black as well. She kept telling herself it was healthier. Sweets are bad for teeth, after all. She still liked sweets, of course. She just stopped eating them.
Suddenly, Charlie heard the sound of broken glass, followed by screams. It looked like someone had crushed the plate and was trying to escape Karen’s rage. The princess fondly smiled. The picture seemed strangely homely to her.
“Thinking about Niffty?” Charlie looked into the source of the voice and found Cherri. In the corner of her eye, the princess noticed Alastor’s fingers stiffening on the cup’s handle.
“A bit. ‘Mostly harmless’ cleaners are our thing, it seems.”
Though, 'our' was becoming more and more like 'her.'
Only Cherri and Alastor were left among their initial group, though Charlie was sure Cherri would soon be redeemed as well.
Niffty was the last. The princess entertained herself with the idea of how everyone reacted to seeing her in heaven. From a three-year-ago perspective, it was hard to imagine her coming all the way (not for Charlie, of course). She wished everyone could see how their little cleaner changed after Baxter's appearance in the hotel.
Niffty got herself redeemed a week after he had.
Charlie suspected she would do it even sooner if she hadn't felt obliged to handle everything for Karen.
Following her thoughts, Charlie returned to Alastor, who still hadn’t spoken during breakfast. She found him watching her with an unblinking gaze. She watched back and smiled, wanting to ease up the tension. His expression didn't change.
Charlie cleared her throat, partially to fill the silence.
"How is your morning going, Al?"
She told herself that the purpose of Sunday communal breakfasts was to build connections. She asked herself why she needed to justify her actions regarding the Radio Demon.
He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something but closed it right after not making a sound. Instead, he turned to face the residents and said, to nowhere: "Well, it seems communal food consumption is not my cup of tea, after all! Ah-ha! Neither is my cup of coffee!"
With that, he vanished, leaving Charlie to gaze at his untouched food. She couldn't decide why the demon was ignoring her, but this was what happened here. Right?
Despite being filled with sinners, the princess felt the dining room became emptier without him.
During the day, Charlie caught herself replaying their encounters with Alastor over and over. She couldn’t shake the thought that he had been watching her more closely than usual. It was almost as if the Radio Demon himself was feeling opposed to the idea of staying alone as much as she was lately.
As the day went on, that feeling of being watched lingered at the back of her mind. Not wishing to fall into this rabbit hole, Charlie threw herself into preparations for the evening’s game night, hoping to distract herself from the growing void inside.
After the Husk Incident two years ago, Charlie vetoed any gambling activities, but cooperative games were harmless enough and worked perfectly as a bonding exercise. With this many residents these days, the place was a bit crowded, containing at least twenty people at the moment.
Charlie stood up and addressed the sinners in the room.
"Okay, everyone! Ted proposed to play "Keep Talking, and Everybody Explodes," which is supposedly a game about diffusing bombs!"
Cherri, sitting beside the princess, was looking excited.
"Keep talking, and nobody explodes..." Ted corrected her.
“Oh, that sounds much less fun,” the demoness mumbled.
Ted was the latest hotel arrival: a nerdy guy with huge glasses. Broken heart, suicide, tried to work for VoxTech, then ran away to the Hazbin Hotel. Charlie thought he was a bit creepy, but not the one who had to be put in hell in the first place. Heaven's suicide policy was ridiculous, in her opinion. She filed that thought to discuss it with Emily when she got a chance to meet her.
While Ted explained the rules, Alastor appeared— talking about the devil. He landed on the couch near Charlie—where Cherri supposedly had been, as there was space only for two people. The girl hissed, being pushed away, but then raised her brows. Whenever the Radio Demon decided to show up to group activities—which was not often—he preferred to observe them from afar and not elbow his place to—
Oh.
Cherri gave Charlie a knowing look and winked. The princess signed and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. Was he there to act strangely again?
"Evening, Alastor!" She finally said.
The demon murmured something she couldn't make sense of, not looking at the princess. Instead, he moved an inch closer to her. Thanks to his broad shoulders, they were now leaning toward each other.
Meanwhile, Ted gave everyone folders titled "Bomb defusing manual." Charlie opened hers. Inside were some strange instructions she couldn’t make sense of, which made her regret not listening to Ted's explanation.
It was nothing she could do now, anyway. It was enough people to play, anyway. She may get the idea after the first round and join later.
Anyway.
Charlie turned to Alastor.
"Was it you I saw last night?"
Again, he hummed something and moved even closer to her. His shoulder was warm, and despite her annoyance, Charle felt a wave of gratitude. It was nice to feel someone’s touch, not provoked by her, for a change.
Still, she needed to talk with him.
"Al, what's going on with you? Do you wanna talk about it?"
For a minute, there was silence. Alastor was looking at the residents, and Charlie followed his gaze to do the same. Everyone was studying folders, and Ted was sitting in the VR helmet. Charlie frowned. Wasn't it supposed to be a board game? Trying to make sense of the circumstances, she almost missed Alastor saying:
“There’s a lot of people, don’t you think?”
Charlie frowned.
“Yes, it is the idea of the hotel, you know…” She kept reminding herself of it as well. Right. “Also, don’t change the subject!”
"About what would I want to talk, dear?" He was uncharacteristically muted. It was almost fascinating how the Radio Demon managed to sound this clear and articulated, even when nearly whispering.
Charlie turned to him in surprise and whispered, "You know... You, following me?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," He said, barely audible.
Strangely enough, that ensured Charlie that it was, indeed, him.
Alastor was a gaslighter as she'd ever seen one. Actually, it didn't require seeing one or knowing the term for it to be painfully obvious. As wrong redeeming material as it was, Charlie was grateful for learning this thing about him. Pushing him further would be useless—that meant she'd need to catch him red-handed (which, ironically, he was always, though it wouldn’t help her, no matter how entertaining this thought was).
So, instead, Charlie focused on studying her folder. After a moment, she felt someone shifting beside her. The princess raised her head and discovered that Cherri had returned to her place on the couch, with no signs of Alastor nearby.
“What was it about?” The demon asked.
Charlie wished she knew the answer herself.
“Nothing… I guess,” she murmured.
Somehow, this type of nothing seemed different. She already missed his shoulder touching hers.
By night's end, Charlie still hadn’t made sense of the game. At least Cherri seemed to have fun.
A few hours later, the princess finally returned to her room. She turned on the lights… and jumped, seeing Alastor sitting in her chair, still wearing this strange expression she had noticed earlier. As if he had been lost?
For a moment, they stared at each other in silence. The princess thought she might have the same expression as him.
She didn’t like this thought, so she spoke first.
“Are you finally ready to talk?”
Without a word, the Radio Demon rose and approached Charlie. She instinctively stepped back, her pulse quickening. He placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her toward the mirror. Charlie glanced at him with an unspoken question, but before she could voice it, Alastor tilted her chin, forcing her to meet her own reflection.
He leaned in close, until she felt his breath against her ear.
“How does it feel,” he whispered, “when everyone you cared about is gone?”
Charlie stiffened.
“What are you talking about?” Her throat suddenly felt dry, each word coming out with a struggle. “I care… about all my residents.”
Alastor’s gaze lingered on her reflection as though he saw something she couldn’t.
“And yet,” he murmured, “you reek of despair.”
“I— I don’t!” This is what she kept telling herself—for how long exactly? She couldn’t remember. “I have Cherri, and Ted, and Karen…”
Her mind became numb. Cold with horror, she realized she couldn’t recall any other name.
“And..?”
Charlie squeezed her eyes shut.
“And everyone else!” For some reason, she suddenly felt like a liar.
Charlie opened her eyes, looking at their reflections. She thought she saw a shadow in the demon’s eyes, but it was instantly gone.
“I’m not sad,” she said quietly. Alastor didn’t respond. The silence stretched so heavy it was almost impossible to breathe.
“I’m not lonely,” she whispered. Her words left a bitter taste in her mouth. Again, they felt like a lie.
Alastor’s gaze lingered. “Who said anything about loneliness?”
His hands squeezed her shoulders tighter. Charlie asked herself if he was trying to comfort her or himself. Both options were awfully off-character. She reminded herself of his sadistic nature. Surely, Charlie told herself, it was another cruel game he was playing.
They both were still looking at their reflections.
“Go away, Alastor.” She said. “I need to sleep.”
He took a step back and slightly bowed.
“As you wish, your Highness.”
She will not cry. She will not.
Charlie couldn't stop thinking about his words even when she finally got in bed. She remembered a girl singing about demons and rainbows on TV a lifetime ago—when had that girl disappeared?
When she was younger, Charlie read about the Theseus ship. If you keep replacing the parts of the object until no initial one is left, could it be called the same? The hotel was not even the same building as when they started. Among all the original people, only three of them left. Where did it leave her ?
Alastor's words haunted the princess even as she went through her usual routine the next day. By evening, Charlie felt completely drained of this neverending reflection, so she decided to go to bed earlier than she usually did. On her seventh floor, she heard something strange. Music—coming from her room.
The princess opened the door, feeling she knew who she’d see there.
“Alastor! I know you have no idea what personal space is, but this too m—”
Without a word, Radio Demon grabbed her to dance. Charlie instinctively stiffened but found herself too tired to fight back. At first, he was basically dragging her, while the princess felt herself a doll in the hands of a little girl twirling her.
It would be easy—to become a doll, Charlie thought suddenly. Dolls don’t have to make impossible choices.
She recall her conversation with Vaggie on the other day. Dancing with Alastor a bit felt like home, too.
When Charlie finally started to relax, the song ended. In the sudden silence, reality crushed her. She realized she was standing in her room, alone in the embrace of the Radio Demon. The princess twitched, trying to free herself.
"Alastor, I'm not your toy," she said quietly, but the words didn’t feel like hers.
He paused. His hands lingered on her shoulders longer than they should have.
"Of course, darling." His voice was barely more than a whisper—and he was gone in a puff of smoke.
Charlie kept standing, still feeling his warmness.
***
On Tuesday, Cherri was gone. Charlie texted her (no reply), checked her room (everything was left untouched), waited until evening (she didn’t appear), and had to accept that she had been redeemed.
The princess returned to the lobby and approached the wall with the portraits. Right. She needed to order Cherri’s painting now. Mechanically, Charlie reached for her phone but froze, staring blankly at the wall, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there when she felt a sudden touch on her shoulder, snapping her back to the present.
“Ordering a new portrait, darling?”
Charlie sniffled.
“I— yes— it’s… Cherri. She’s gone.”
“Let me help you.” Alastor snapped fingers, and Cherri’s portrait appeared near Sir Pentious’. “I took the liberty and ordered this one in advance.”
In the portrait, Cherri was in her old clothes, holding the bomb. She looked just like she did when Charlie first met her an impossibly long time ago. It seemed fitting. This was the demon Cherri that has been left behind. The angel Cherri would inevitably become a different person.
Charlie slowly turned, gazing at Alastor in disbelief. The Radio Demon took her chin. “Take it as my gift as your business partner. Now, smile, my dear. Isn’t this supposed to be your happy moment?”
Oh, Satan, he was the biggest jerk she ever knew.
“Do you not feel sad and lonely, as you mentioned recently?”
A wave of anger instantly cleared Charlie’s mind.
“Yes, I am! I mean, I’m not. Thank you, Alastor, for doing your work.” She stepped back to walk away. “Now, I’m gonna do mine and plan…”
The demon caught her shoulder.
“Don’t you think you saved enough souls today?”
Charlie stilled.
“Yes, but—”
“Splendid! If you don’t have other plans, let me show you something!”
He grabbed her another shoulder, and the room disappeared.
For an impossibly long moment, there was nothing. Charlie had never experienced teleportation, and she found the feeling strangely resembling the one she had during her morning meditations. No sounds, no smells—it was like nothingness finally embraced her. Charlie felt like flying and falling at the same time. Then, she realized Alastor was holding her, suddenly there become the two of them in the void.
For the first time, Charlie found herself almost content with the feeling. Despite everything she had, she realized there was nothing left to lose. All her friends were gone.
When they finally materialized again, it struck her. The princess raised her head and looked at Alastor in horror, as she was seeing him for the first time.
“You… you’re the last one left.” Her mind was going wild. Charlie took a step back. He let her go, eyes fixed on her, a sad smile on his lips. Her reality, once as big as hell was, suddenly shrank to the size of the room.
“You’re the last one,” Charlie repeated. Her heart was beating fast, the wave of panic was making her knees shake. She was feeling they were the only ones left—and this would also once come to an end, as all of the things in her life.
“And you will…” Another step from him. Each sinner, entering the hotel, was inevitably to be redeemed. One day, he'll be gone as all people had.
He will be gone.
The thought was beating in her mind in the rhythm of her heart.
He will be gone and there's nothing you could do.
“When you will be gone, I… I…” She felt her back meeting the wall. Alastor took two steps in her direction.
“I can’t. Don’t make me feel things for you.” She felt an urge to escape, but he was too close now. “When you…”
“Hush.”
For a few moments they just gazed at each other. Despite everything, Alastor looked the same, Charlie suddenly thought. She could tell he was distressed, of course, but in many ways this was the same demon she met three years ago. This felt like home, too
The demon took another step forward and pulled the princess back into his arms.
“I won’t.” Alastor said simply. "Have absolutely to interest in this place," he added, disgusted. Then, chuckled. "If you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty irredeemable!” Charlie opened her mouth to object, but he continued. “In fact, today, I’ve broken into Ted’s room and switched all his dice to human teeth!”
It took her almost a minute to understand what he was saying. Against her will, the princess smiled.
“Ted won’t be happy.”
Alastor put his chin on her head.
“Darling, you may have forgotten, but making those loathsome sinners happy is your job. And mine is making them miserable! After all, doesn’t your Christian moral say that suffering leads to salvation?”
Charlie raised her gaze at him and laughed weakly despite tears in her eyes. “If it’s the case, you’re doing your work marvelously.”
She sobbed again. Alastor pushed her to his chest, slightly caressing her hair. For a minute, they stood in silence.
“Do you miss them?” The princess whispered.
“Who?”
“Niffty, Husk, Angel— everyone.”
Silence.
“Why would I?”
Of course, he would answer that. Charlie knew he was lying, but that was okay.
Alastor led her to the couch—she finally realized they were in his room—and sat down, placing her head on his shoulder.
They sat in silence. Charlie would never ever thought she could be happy that someone will never be redeemed, but, somehow, she was. Then, completely drained, once again, she fell into nothingness.
Charlie woke up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar smells, with an unfamiliar hand lying unceremoniously on her. It took her a minute to recollect everything. Cherri. Alastor.
Alastor!
Alastor shuffled and pushed his nose into Charlie's neck. She suddenly realized he may be clinging to her as much as she did to him. His room was dark and silent, as they were the only ones in the hotel.
In all of hell.
"Mmmm," Alastor moaned approvingly,
"What does it all mean, Al? I mean..." Charlie made a gesture on them, as much as her (quite limited) position allowed. The Radio Demon threw his hand on her body, making her effectively trapped under his limbs.
"Hush."
Not again. This time, Charlie was determined to get an answer from him. Not just for the sake of her sanity but for his as well.
"Don't hush me!” Still, she whispered as if following his request. “I really, really want to know. Please?"
Alastor pushed his nose even deeper into her shoulder. Charlie was sure he would ignore the question, like he often did, but suddenly felt his lips moving against her skin.
"It's... a-ha... nothing," He murmured, barely audible.
It finally clicked. Alastor wasn’t afraid of losing others, as Charlie did. Instead, he was terrified of losing his identity and becoming nothing himself. In a way, they were two sides of the same redemption coin. They shared two different kinds of nothing.
In math, minus plus minus equals plus.
The princess clumsily moved under the demon's limbs and hugged him back. Maybe, in the end, she may accept her nothing.