CHAPTER FOURTEEN: WAR OF BLASPHEMY

Lilith walked towards the Elders, Teivel looking pleased as she walked past him. She glared at their faces in boldness and said, "The box you shall have within your palms." As she walked away, Teivel grabbed her wrist, whispering into her ears. "You have until the blood moon rises, my lady!" Lilith stepped toward the center of the chambers, facing Abaddon. "I have but one request, father! When I bring the box of Pandora, it proves I am capable and deserving to rule on my own.. "

She turned towards Teivel. "Without any help!". Abaddon replied. "As you wis.," to the horror of the Elders, who raised their voices in disapproval. Disregarding their words, Lilith left the council.

The streets of Los Angeles seemed as they had been, with no intruders, as the spiritual realm couldn't be seen. She walked across the streets in search of Damien. Wanting to believe he was unharmed and that it was only a source of trickery played by the council. She walked into the club, scanning around for signs of him. It was the second place they met—the bar she worked at. Lilith stood, staring at the bar-stand; a blurred image of their brief conversation appeared before her.

Her cold expressions toward him and his unrelenting countenance caught her attention. It was like a bittersweet memory playing before her. She walked into her apartment hoping to meet him sitting on her sofa, staring as he once did. She had barely stepped inside when she noticed the letter she left was gone.

Smiling lightly, she knew he must have wanted to see her again. She walked hurriedly into the living room to her horror, finding blood traces on the floor and her letters crushed to the floor. Lilith yelled in anger, knowing Teivel's threat was real. He had Damien in his claws, and she needed to act fast if she wanted to save the man her heart yearned for. She needed to cross the brazened river to get through the Temple of Pandora. She needed to act fast, as time was not on her side.

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Hours before the council, Damien walked towards Lilith's apartment, hoping to speak with her once more. He was taking a leap of faith even though her days were numbered. He let himself into the gates, walking towards her front door. His hands gripped the door handle as he noticed a piece of paper underneath the door. Reaching for it, he opened it; it was a letter from Lilith. A poem she wrote for her departure to the underworld.

Damien read through them as his heart raced at the thought of her.

"If there's a cleansing water..take me there…

If there's a sorcerer, let him come.

The pain in my heart is like the death of sad, withered lilies. Even narcotics are unable to contend

If there's saving, let me hold unto you

For i walk in the dark.

A lost cause I do not know…

Now I walk across the face of this earth.

In lonely days, it has become

Rapid movement of time… my flesh-consuming desire

I am past saving… Those words contend in my heart.

Is it over yet? Just when had it begun?

Giving my last goodbyes to this lonely world.

In it, I had found a painful desire…

"Love is pain." A seed that rips my heart apart…

An empty feeling, a play pretend I held unto..

"For there is no saving left… for me in this lifeless world."

Damien wished he had come sooner. His eyes felt heavy as he walked into the house, glancing through the wall paintings as memories flooded through his mind. An unspoken bond, her short temper, and the never-ending warmth her presence brought him.

He walked through the living room, touching the wine glass she took to using frequently. Holding the cup in his hands, an image of a male figure standing far behind him reflected through the glass. He flinched, losing his grip as he turned to see a valiant man standing before him in fury. "So here's the mortal who holds the key to Lilith's compassion." Teviel groaned; his eyes were fixated on Damien.

Damien's eyes flickered, as he had never seen another demon besides Lilith. He walked closer, standing up to Teivel while struggling to regain composure. "What can I say?" Strange things happen. They both had breathtakingly masculine features, standing firmly as their egos filled the room.

Teivel stared at Damien's eyes, disgusted by his audacity causing him to fall to the ground in the grip of his power. Unleashing his wrath, he landed his fist on his face until Damien's blood spilled to the ground. Leaving him lying helplessly on the floor. Teivel grabbed him by the neck. "I deserve Lilith! I am her equal... not you mortal. You will watch us seal our alliance! In chains shall you be till your soul escapes your worthless flesh!" he threatened. Transitioning them both into the underworld.

He bound Damien in chains, inflicting pain while he watched him bleed out. The heat was getting unbearable for Damien as his mortal flesh began to lose strength. Teivel wanted him alive as a bait, which made it difficult to continue his torture. He placed Damien in a chamber barely tolerable for his breathing, just to keep him alive until he desired.