THE WEB OF LIES

The air inside the Forbidden Archives was cold.

Not the natural kind of cold, but something older, unnatural.

Something that felt like a warning.

Azrail ignored it.

She had spent too long in the dark, waiting for answers that never came.

She wasn't going to wait anymore.

If Asmodeus thought she would just accept his rules, he was wrong.

If the Demon King was playing a game—

Then she was ready to break the rules.

She pulled the heavy hood over her head, shrouding her presence in shadows. The thick scent of parchment and ink filled her lungs, but beneath it was something else. Something rotting. Forgotten.

Her boots barely made a sound as she stepped deeper into the archives, her fingers brushing against the spines of ancient books. Each one pulsed with old magic, whispering in languages she didn't understand.

She had no time for whispers.

She was looking for the truth.

And then—

A flicker of energy.

Her gaze snapped to the far end of the chamber, where a book sat untouched on a lone pedestal. Unlike the others, its cover was bound in thick black leather, worn from centuries of existence.

A sigil was carved into the front.

A sigil she knew.

She hesitated.

Then, before she could stop herself, she reached for it.

The moment her fingers brushed the surface—

A shock of energy jolted through her, spreading through her veins like fire.

She staggered back, breath caught in her throat.

Not an attack.

A recognition.

As if the book knew her.

The torches in the chamber flickered. The shadows shifted.

She swallowed hard, steadying herself before opening the book.

And then—

Her heart stopped.

Because there, written in bold, ancient script—

WAS HER NAME.

And beneath it—

HER BROTHER'S.

DEMON WORLD – AZRAIL'S QUARTERS...

Azrail sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers twitching as she fought against the restlessness inside her.

She had been feeling it for days.

That eerie sensation, like something was just beyond her reach, waiting to be found.

A whisper, echoing in the back of her mind—

"Wake up."

The voice was familiar.

Not her own.

Not Asmodeus'.

Someone else.

And now, it was getting louder.

Her gaze flickered toward the heavy doors of her room.

She could sense the guards on the other side, their presence like a cage wrapped around her.

Asmodeus had put them there.

Not for her safety.

For control.

She clenched her jaw.

Coward.

He was hiding something.

And she was going to find out what.

DEMON WORLD – THE FORBIDDEN ARCHIVES...

The halls of the Demon King's archives stretched endlessly into the darkness.

Azrail moved swiftly, her footsteps barely making a sound against the polished black stone.

She wasn't supposed to be here.

But when had that ever stopped her?

She skimmed her fingers along the ancient tomes, feeling the magic humming beneath their bindings

Scrolls written in languages long forgotten.

Books filled with knowledge never meant for mortal eyes.

Secrets.

But not the ones she was looking for.

She pushed forward, deeper into the archives—until she saw it.

A book.

Thick, bound in black leather, its edges worn from centuries of existence.

A sigil was carved into its cover—old, forbidden.

Her pulse quickened.

She reached for it.

The moment her fingers touched the surface—a sharp jolt of energy rushed through her.

Not an attack.

A recognition.

As if the book knew her.

She swallowed hard, flipping it open.

And froze.

Because there—on the very first page—

WAS HER NAME.

And beneath it—

HER BROTHER'S.

THE TRUTH IN INK...

The breath rushed out of her lungs.

The ink was faded, but the words felt fresh, as if they had been waiting for her to find them.

Her fingers shook as she turned the next page.

And what she found made her stomach twist into knots.

A list.

A long, unforgiving list.

Names.

Each one marked with a symbol beside it.

Some had a cross—failure.

Some had a black line—termination.

Some were simply erased, as if their existence had been completely wiped away.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she scanned further.

And then, she found it.

Her brother's name.

But the mark beside his wasn't failure.

It wasn't termination.

It was something far worse.

"ALTERED."

Azrail's body went still.

Her stomach turned to ice.

What did that mean?

What had they done to him?

She gripped the book tighter, her nails pressing into the leather.

A part of her didn't want to know.

A part of her already did.

A sharp breeze flickered through the room.

The candle beside her flickered violently.

Her instincts screamed RUN.

The shadows moved.

And then—

A hand slammed the book shut.

The sound echoed like a death sentence.

Azrail's heart stopped.

A deep, smooth voice cut through the silence.

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE."

She turned—

And found herself face-to-face with ASMODEUS.

His crimson eyes burned into hers, unreadable.

Unforgiving.

And for the first time—

TRULY DANGEROUS.

THE STORM BETWEEN THEM...

Azrail's breath came sharp and unsteady.

Asmodeus stood before her, the book trapped beneath his palm, his fingers pressing down against the ancient leather.

She could see it in his eyes.

He knew.

He had always known.

And he had kept it from her.

The torches flared wildly, casting violent shadows across his face.

"You have no right to keep this from me," she hissed, her voice low but laced with fury.

His expression didn't change. "And yet, here you are. Breaking into my archives. Breaking my rules."

Azrail's fists clenched. "They're not your rules. They're chains. And I refuse to be bound by them."

His lips curved, but there was no amusement in his smile. Only something dark. Dangerous.

"You think knowledge makes you free?" His voice was softer now, but it slithered through the air like a warning. "It does not. It makes you a prisoner of your own mind. And you, Azrail—"

His fingers tapped against the book.

"You are not ready for what you seek."

She took a step closer, eyes blazing.

"Then let me decide that for myself."

For a moment, they stood there—two forces colliding in silence.

The air crackled with unspoken words.

Unspoken truths.

Then, finally—

Asmodeus sighed, pulling his hand away from the book.

But the way he looked at her then—

It wasn't just a warning.

It was a promise.

"You want the truth?" he murmured, turning away. "Then prepare yourself, Azrail."

His gaze met hers one last time, and for the first time, she saw it—

Something human beneath all that power.

Something broken.

Something like fear.

Then he was gone.

And the book lay before her.

Waiting.