The first couple of weeks were… strange.
For Charlie, suddenly having an invisible wolf pup best friend was the greatest thing ever.
For Max, secretly living in the Morningstar household while acting as an imaginary companion was far more complicated than he expected.
Still, he learned a lot.
The biggest thing he noticed was how isolated Charlie's life truly was.
Most of her education was handled personally by Lilith. Reading, writing, history, etiquette, music, diplomacy, even morality lessons. Lilith took her role seriously and clearly loved teaching her daughter.
Lucifer handled much less of the academic side.
He mostly dropped in with random lessons, strange inventions, dramatic stories, and emotional support whenever he remembered he was supposed to be parenting.
Charlie adored both of them.
But Max quickly realized something troubling.
Charlie rarely left the estate.
Almost everything she knew about Hell came from books, lessons, and stories told by her parents.
She knew of sinners.
She knew about suffering.
She knew the concepts of cruelty, greed, violence, and despair.
But she had almost no firsthand experience with any of it.
Which explained a lot about the woman she would become.
Still, there were exceptions.
A few times each month, Lucifer allowed Charlie supervised trips outside with Lilith.
Today was one of those days.
Charlie bounced excitedly near the front hall while Lilith adjusted her gloves.
"Hey, Mom," Charlie said brightly, "can Maxy come?"
Lilith paused and gave the room a puzzled glance.
Max sat quietly on a shelf nearby, invisible to everyone except Charlie.
"Of course, honey," Lilith said gently, though her expression held the faintest concern.
She clearly still believed Max was an imaginary friend.
"Maybe I should ask Lucifer to create something for you someday," Lilith added softly. "You shouldn't have to be lonely."
Max stayed perfectly still.
Good. Keep thinking that.
Lilith took Charlie's hand and led her out.
They traveled through the safer parts of the Pride Ring until they arrived at an old building Max immediately recognized.
Even in this era, even worn down and forgotten, the location was unmistakable.
The future site of the Hazbin Hotel.
Though right now, it looked more like an abandoned grand hotel from another age.
The sign was faded.
The walls were aged.
The windows dusty.
But the bones of the place were still strong.
Charlie stared up at it in awe.
"What is this place, Mom?"
Lilith's expression softened with memory.
"This," she said quietly, "was the first safe place in Hell your father made for me."
Charlie blinked.
"Really?"
Lilith nodded and opened the old doors.
"A place where sinners could come to rest. To hide from pain. To breathe."
Her smile dimmed slightly.
"But it has not been used for a very long time."
The lobby creaked as they stepped inside.
Dust floated through shafts of red light.
Furniture sat covered in sheets.
The wallpaper was peeling in places, but not ruined.
Nothing had been looted or destroyed.
The building had simply… been left alone.
Out of respect for Lilith.
Charlie gasped.
"Wow!"
She ran into the center of the lobby, spinning in place.
"This place is amazing!"
Max leapt onto a balcony ledge above them, watching silently.
"So that's why," he murmured to himself.
He had always wondered why Charlie chose such an isolated, outdated building in the future.
Now he knew.
This place mattered to her.
It was inherited hope.
"Maxy! Look!"
Charlie held up an old newspaper she had found on a dusty side table.
Max jumped down beside her.
The paper showed Lilith helping groups of sinners—feeding some, defending others, organizing shelter.
Charlie's eyes sparkled.
"I want to help people like Mommy."
She hugged the paper to her chest.
"I'm gonna save all the sinners and get them into paradise!"
Lilith chuckled softly from across the room.
Max studied Charlie carefully.
There it was.
The pure version of the dream.
No politics.
No naivety dressed as policy.
Just compassion.
Still…
He crouched beside her.
"Charlie," he asked gently, "why do you want to save sinners?"
She answered immediately.
"Because it's what Mom does."
Then she pointed upward dramatically.
"And Dad doesn't like them."
She smiled proudly.
"So if I help them get into Heaven, everybody wins!"
Max nearly smiled.
The logic was childish.
And sincere.
But dangerous.
He hesitated.
He didn't want to break her innocence.
He wasn't here to harden her heart.
Only to keep it from being weaponized against her later.
He lowered his voice.
"You understand… not everyone can be saved, right?"
Charlie frowned.
"What do you mean?"
She looked genuinely confused.
"Of course everyone can be saved."
Max glanced toward Lilith, who was pretending not to listen while absolutely listening.
Then back to Charlie.
"Some people don't want to change," Max said carefully.
"Some hurt others and enjoy it."
"Some lie."
"Some will pretend to be good just to use kind people."
Charlie's smile faded a little.
Max gently nudged her hand with his nose.
"But listen to your heart anyway."
He met her eyes.
"Just never let others hurt the people you love."
Charlie went quiet.
Thinking hard in the way only children do.
Then she nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Max gave a satisfied wag of his tail.
Then vanished from sight for a while, giving her space to think.
Lilith watched the place where he disappeared. She felt something.
Her expression had changed.
Thoughtful.
As if, for the first time, she wasn't entirely sure Charlie's invisible friend was imaginary after all.