11

Erika descended the stairs with her hair wrapped in a towel, wearing a bathrobe after cleansing herself. Under the warm glow of the chandelier, Adzriel was admiring several luxurious paintings that were neatly displayed on each wall.

"I'm curious, since when have you been drawn to art?" Adzriel's sapphire-blue eyes, the color Erika adored, now gazed at her—calm yet mesmerizing.

"Since two years ago. When I entered the forest, someone told me, 'Don't go in there. The Prince of Darkness is there.' I didn't care. I still pushed forward, passing through the vast graveyard." Erika sat on the sofa, glancing at the cup of warm coffee on the table. She pondered for a moment. Why would a demon like Adzriel bother making her a cup of coffee?

"Ah, the gravekeeper. Yes, he's been around for quite a while. I thought he knew everything, and he did warn you. But why did you still insist on going in?" Adzriel turned around, watching Erika take a sip of her coffee.

"I don't know! Maybe I needed you." Erika's words made Adzriel smirk instantly. A need—a mutual exchange—was enough to keep Erika bound to him even longer.

"As I told you, you have no idea how hard it is for me to resist sin." Erika's expression shifted, as if regret flickered in her eyes. But Adzriel knew—women only feared losing their souls, not truly regretting their choices.

"Your struggle against the temptation of sin, my love. I see the effort you put into restraining yourself, denying the pleasures you secretly crave." Adzriel approached Erika, towering over her as she sat on the sofa. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"But no matter how hard you try, you can never escape the desires of your own heart. You are weak, my love. Just a mere human, born with the seed of sin and corruption within you."

"You know, I regret making a deal with you." Erika met Adzriel's eyes—there was no fear in them. Only the fear of her soul being taken at any moment.

"Your regret for making a deal with me, my love. I see the weight of guilt burdening your heart. But I wonder, do you truly regret it?" Adzriel's smirk turned mocking again, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Because deep down, even in your regret, is there not a part of you that still craves the power and wealth I have given you?"

Erika knew she could never let go of all the wealth and luxury she now possessed.

"I admit it. But I think I've had enough. I'm just trying to figure out how I can escape from you."

"Ah, your admission of your desires, my love. Yes, I know that deep down, behind your regret, there is still a part of you that hungers for the power and riches I offer." Adzriel chuckled, amused by Erika's futile attempts to run from him.

"My love, you are bound to me forever. Your soul is mine—eternally. And I will make sure you never forget it." Adzriel's grip on her chin tightened, his touch growing possessive.

"I don't believe I am cursed like you." Erika snapped.

"Your belief that you will share my fate, my love. Yes, there is a certain symmetry in this situation, isn't there? I was once an angel, a being of light, corrupted by pride and jealousy. And now you, once an ordinary human, are bound to the Prince of Darkness. The irony is quite amusing, don't you think?"

Adzriel's smirk turned cruel as he continued to hold her chin, his touch now more of a taunt than a caress.

"At least I still have faith." Erika said, her voice unwavering.

Faith. That word again. It irritated Adzriel to no end—to hear a sinner speak of faith, so hypocritical.

"Your faith in something greater. You may still cling to your beliefs, but how much power do they truly hold in the end? You have made a deal with the devil. Your faith is now bound to me, just as your soul is."

His grip on her chin tightened further, his eyes nearly bulging with rage.

"And yet, you still defy me, still try to resist my grasp on you. Do you really think your faith can protect you from me?"

"I believe, even if my body will be destroyed in hell." Erika's voice remained sharp and stubborn—just as she had been since the day they met. And for some reason, Adzriel liked that.

"Your defiance and faith, despite the certainty of your damnation, my love. You are a stubborn one, aren't you? But you speak of your body being destroyed, as if you understand the torment that awaits you." Adzriel's voice turned dangerous, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Perhaps I, personally, will make sure your suffering in hell is as excruciating as possible."

"Sometimes, you speak as if you are from another century. Your tone, even your sentences." Erika suddenly realized something.

"Ahh, never forget—I have lived for thousands of years before the first human was ever created. And you are but a mere drop in the vast ocean—unseen when born, forgotten when dead."

"Go ahead, do it! My life has been nothing but regret since being bound to you." Erika seemed to challenge death itself, though she had no idea what it truly meant to burn in Hell—or to experience death firsthand.

"Ah, your challenge, my love. You dare me to make you suffer in the deepest pits of Hell?" Adzriel's grip on her chin tightened further, his touch now almost painful. His eyes burned with cold, wicked intent.

"You are a fool if you think your body can endure the torment I have planned for you. But I will gladly accept your challenge. You will regret this, my love."

"And your confession of regret for making a deal with me, my love. You now understand the true price of your choice, don't you? The weight of your decision has crushed your soul, filling you with sorrow and bitterness."

Adzriel's grip on Erika's chin became nearly unbearable, his eyes blazing with fury and satisfaction.

"You say your life is full of regret because of me—but I have yet to even begin showing you the extent of my power, my love. Your suffering has only just begun."

"Get away from me, Adzriel!" Erika tried to push his hand away.

"Your plea for me to leave you. You want to be free of me, don't you? Free from my grasp, free from the torment I have prepared for you?" Adzriel laughed mockingly, his grip on her chin unrelenting.

"But don't you see, my love? There is nowhere you can run from me. You are bound to me forever. Your body, your soul—they are mine, for eternity. You will never be free from my power."

"I hope I get to watch you burn in hell when the world is set ablaze."

For a split second, Adzriel almost struck her. But he stopped himself—remembering just how precious Erika was to him.

"Ah, your wish to see me burn in Hell, my love. You want to see me suffer as I have made you suffer, don't you? You want me to feel the same pain and regret you do. But I am the Prince of Darkness, the Ruler of Souls. I do not fear such a fate."

"Your threats and desires amuse me, but they will not break my power."

His grip on Erika's chin tightened once more, his eyes nearly glowing with hatred.