Lyra's POV
I didn't sleep.
How could I?
The images from earlier refused to leave me. They replayed again and again—the Demon Lord sitting in front of me, untouched by shame or hesitation, Seravine on her knees before him, mouth working him like she'd done it a thousand times. And those eyes—his cruel, beautiful eyes—never once leaving mine.
Even now, long after he had vanished from the room, I could feel his stare on my skin like heat. Like pressure.
The chains were gone.
But the invisible grip he had on me? That wasn't fading.
I curled up under the silk sheets on the bed—his bed. I hated that it smelled like him, like shadows and smoke and heat. My legs kept pressing together, restless. My breath refused to settle.
What had he done to me?
What spell had he woven into my veins?
I turned on my side, trying to shake it off. But my body was alive, too alive. Tingling. His touch hadn't even been intimate—just my throat, my hair, the damn mark on my back—and still I burned. Shame and something darker battled in my chest.
And deep down, where I didn't want to admit it… I wanted more.
I wanted to know what it would feel like to be the one on my knees.
What was wrong with me?
I shut my eyes tightly and tried to sleep.
I didn't know how long I drifted in and out, but I woke to the sound of boots echoing on the marble floor.
I sat up quickly.
He was back.
The Demon Lord entered the room like he owned the air. He always did. That black robe was back on his body—loose, flowing, teasing what was beneath. His hair was damp, like he'd just stepped out of a shower made of sin. And those eyes were worse in daylight. They didn't just glow—they devoured.
"You're still awake," he said, a small smile curling at his lips. "Good."
"You're coming with me."
I blinked up at him. "What?"
"You need to see what happens to those who defy me in public."
His hand wrapped around my waist like iron—cold and strong. I barely had time to react before the world changed.
It happened in a blink.
One second, I was in my room.
The next, I wasn't.
I gasped loudly. The air was thick with heat. The ground under my feet felt rough—black stone, cracked and smoking. Fire burned along the walls. It wasn't just a small fire—it roared, glowing red, orange, and blue. The light flickered across my skin. The smell hit me next: smoke, blood, ash, and something sharp I couldn't name. Something that smelled like fear.
Screams echoed in the air—distant but clear. Screams of pain. Screams of people begging.
I turned quickly to the Demon God beside me, my body tense.
"What... is this place?" I asked.
He didn't answer. His face stayed calm, blank. He only walked forward, still holding me by the waist like I was something precious—or dangerous.
I wanted to stop looking, but I couldn't help it.
Chains hung from the walls. Sharp hooks dangled from ceilings. I saw black pools of liquid bubbling like acid. And cages. So many cages. Some empty. Some filled with people—or creatures—that looked almost human, but weren't.
I flinched when I saw a man inside one of the cages scream. Flames poured up from under his feet, slow and steady. His skin turned red, then blistered. I looked away fast, pressing against the Demon God's side, not even thinking about it.
He smirked. "Scared?"
"I... no," I lied.
He stopped.
"Look," he ordered.
He turned my chin with his fingers, making me look at the burning cage again. I didn't want to, but I didn't fight him.
"That man betrayed me," he said softly. "He lied to my face. Do you know what happens to liars in my world?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
"They burn. Slowly. Until they forget how to scream."
I stared at the man. He was still alive. Still screaming.
My stomach twisted.
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked, voice shaky.
He looked down at me with eyes like deep wells of black fire. "Because you need to understand where you are. Who I am. And what I do to people who think they can trick me."
He stepped forward, pulling me with him.
We passed more cages. More pain.
Then we turned into a larger hall—so wide I couldn't see the other side. The ceiling was high, and pillars lined both sides. In the center of the room, something was chained to the floor.
It looked like a demon—but broken. Its wings had been cut off. Its face was bruised. Blood dripped down its chin.
"This one failed me," the Demon God said calmly.
Then he raised his hand.
Flames shot from the ground. The demon screamed.
I looked away again, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to face it.
"No. Watch."
"I—I don't want to—"
"You don't get to decide," he snapped. "You're mine now. That means you don't look away when I teach you something."
So I watched.
The fire danced over the demon's skin. It didn't kill him. It didn't stop. He screamed louder, begging in a language I didn't know.
The Demon God lowered his hand. The fire faded.
The demon collapsed, shaking.
"Pain teaches," he said. "Pain reminds. If you ever forget who I am, I'll show you again."
I nodded fast. My heart was racing. I didn't want to see more—but I didn't say that.
He kept walking.
The next hallway was full of mirrors.
But when I looked into them, I didn't see myself.
Each mirror showed something different.
In one, a woman cried as shadows pulled her apart.
In another, a man was trapped inside a burning forest.
In another, someone was falling forever into black nothing.
"What... what are these?" I asked, voice small.
"Souls," he said. "People I punished. Their pain plays forever in these mirrors. It keeps them alive. Just enough to suffer."
I felt sick.
He suddenly stopped again. A large door stood ahead—dark gold, carved with strange glowing runes.
"This," he said with a smile, "is my favorite room."
The door opened on its own.
Inside, it was quiet.
No screams. No fire.
Just silence.
In the middle stood a woman—frozen. Not stone. Not dead. Her eyes were open wide. Her mouth was stuck in a silent scream. Her skin was pale like glass, glowing faintly.
"She tried to kill me," he said softly. "She used ancient magic. Almost worked."
He stepped forward and brushed her cheek.
"Now she can't move. Can't talk. Can't die. She just feels. Every second. Every breath. Forever."
I felt my chest tighten.
He stepped back to me and smiled darkly.
"You see now?" he whispered in my ear. "This is what I do to people who hurt me. I don't forget. I don't forgive."
He wrapped both arms around me, holding me close.
"I brought you here to feed you. Dress you. Touch you. I've been kind."
I swallowed hard.
He pulled me tighter.
"You need to understand. There's no running from me. No escape. Ever."
He looked into my eyes.
"You belong to me."
I nodded quickly.
"Say it."
"I belong to you," I whispered.
"Good," he said.
Then everything twisted.
We were back in my room.
My knees gave out. I sank onto the bed, breath heavy, heart pounding. The images burned in my mind—the fire, the mirrors, the frozen woman.
The Demon God stood by the window, calm and quiet.
"You'll sleep now," he said.
I didn't move.
He looked at me one last time.
"Dream of what you saw."
Then he vanished.
I lay there, eyes wide, body frozen.
Sleep came anyway.
And with it...
Fire.