CHAPTER XVI
I slipped out of Aurora's house without uttering a single word, my footsteps soft against the ground, though my heart thundered in my chest. I knew… I knew that the Devil must have already sensed my actions. He always did. Nothing in this cursed world escaped his watchful gaze, and tonight would be no different.
Every step I took away from Aurora's door felt heavier, burdened by the weight of the choice I had made — a choice I could no longer take back. It wasn't just about Aurora; it was about him, about the punishment that awaited me for daring to linger too close to something forbidden… or rather, someone forbidden.
Aurora.
Even her name echoed in my mind like a whispered temptation. There was something about her that pulled me in, something dangerous yet irresistible. She was a mystery wrapped in warmth, a light hidden in shadows — and I was drawn to her like a moth to flame. That… was precisely the problem.
I couldn't afford this attraction. I couldn't allow my gaze to linger too long on her beauty, nor let my heart betray even the faintest flicker of desire. Because if the Devil — my Devil, my captor, my master — ever saw it, if he ever felt this dangerous pull I had toward her, he wouldn't hesitate to destroy me. He would never let me return to my world. He would lock me here, in this land of enchantments and nightmares, until there was nothing left of me but ashes and regret.
The night air was cool, but I felt suffocated, as though invisible chains coiled tighter around my neck with every passing moment. I wrapped my arms around myself, walking faster, my eyes darting over my shoulder as though his presence could materialize at any second. And deep down, I knew that it could. The Devil's power was endless, his reach stretching into every corner of this realm.
I clenched my fists.
I would have to face him. There was no escaping this. Before he came to punish me, before his wrath consumed me entirely, I would have to go to him first — to bow my head, to beg for forgiveness for this small act of defiance, for this forbidden closeness to a woman whose mere existence threatened my carefully constructed chains of survival.
Because Aurora was a risk. A temptation. A spark that could ignite a fire too dangerous to control. And I… I had no right to burn.
The path back to the Devil's domain stretched before me like a dark, endless road, but I walked it anyway, fear tightening in my chest. My heart whispered Aurora's name with every step, but my mind screamed a single reminder —
Stay away from her. Stay alive.
I stepped back into the Devil's realm, and at once the oppressive weight of this place sank into my bones. The air here was thick and heavy, as if it carried whispers of every soul trapped in this eternal darkness. Shadows swirled and shifted around me, alive and breathing, yet there was no source of light, no shape, no body to command them. He was everywhere and nowhere at once — a presence that made my skin crawl and my heart race.
The vast hall stretched endlessly before me, but at its center was an ancient throne, carved from obsidian stone, towering like a sentinel of doom. The throne was empty — yet I could feel him. The Devil. He didn't need a form to assert his power. His energy clung to every shadow, every breath of wind, every inch of this cursed realm. The darkness seemed to move with a will of its own, pulsing like a living creature.
Then his voice came, soft yet thundering, like a whisper that reverberated through my very soul.
"Nexa…"
I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. His voice was neither near nor far — it came from everywhere, seeping into my mind like cold venom.
"I have seen everything," the Devil murmured, his tone laced with quiet amusement. "Every moment you spent in her presence… every glance, every heartbeat you tried to hide. But I am not angry."
The shadows coiled tighter around me, as if teasing my fear. His laugh — low and chilling — echoed in the chamber.
"How could I be angry, when Aurora's beauty is enough to undo even the strongest of wills? She is… irresistible, is she not?"
The way he spoke her name sent shivers through me. Even in this formless darkness, Aurora's name felt like a fragile thread of light, something pure that did not belong here.
I forced my legs to move, falling to my knees, pressing my forehead to the cold marble floor of the throne room.
"My lord," I whispered, my voice trembling as I tried to steady my breathing. "I swear to you, this will not happen again. I will not let myself be weak."
The shadows stirred, swirling like smoke around me. The Devil's voice sharpened, filling the silence with a dark amusement that made my stomach twist.
"Do not waste my time with apologies, Nexa. I have no use for your regret. What I want is action."
His presence loomed closer — though I saw nothing, I felt him. The air grew heavier, colder, as if invisible chains coiled around my body.
"You should not be on your knees begging for forgiveness," he hissed softly, his voice like silk laced with poison. "You should be thinking of how to bring her here. Aurora belongs to me."
I dared to raise my head slightly, though fear clawed at my throat.
"Do not worry, my lord," I whispered, my voice quivering but determined. "I will bring her. I promise I won't fail you."
The shadows rippled, and the sound of his laughter filled the void again — a chilling, hollow sound that seemed to come from all directions.
"Good. Because I want her in this realm… within seven days. No more hesitation, Nexa. No more excuses."
The weight of his words crashed over me like a wave.
"Yes, my lord," I breathed, my voice barely more than a whisper. "It will be done."
The shadows stirred once more, then retreated, melting back into the corners of the room. The crushing weight of his presence remained, even though I could no longer sense him clearly. I stood slowly, my knees weak, my breath shaky.
This wasn't just a command — it was a death sentence if I failed. Seven days. That was all the time I had to deliver Aurora to a being who had no face, no body, no limits — only endless, hungry darkness.
And yet, as I stepped away from the throne room, one thought consumed me:
I couldn't let Aurora fall into his hands… even if it meant betraying him.
To be continue....