Scene shift to lucian ..
Cristina vanished.
One moment she was standing in front of me, unsteady, her arms wrapped around me.
The next moment she dissolved into the air, like mist being pulled away.
I remained standing in the corridor outside the library, staring at the empty space where she had been.
For a few seconds, I didn't move.
Then the library door behind me burst open.
David stepped out laughing.
A loud, careless laugh echoed through the corridor.
I didn't laugh.
I turned and looked at him, my face completely serious.
"David said , "what just happened… that's normal for you, right?"
My voice cracked slightly when I said it.
"Yes… it was normal."
David's laughter stopped instantly.
Before I could react, his fist slammed straight into my face.
My head snapped to the side.
"You used your blood on a human!" he snapped. "Do you even realize what you just did?"
I straightened slowly.
"It's my duty," I said quietly. "To protect employees."
Another punch landed.
"You know no one is supposed to know about this," he said through clenched teeth.
"I know," I replied. "It just—"
"You are a demon, Lucian Ravenswood."
His voice dropped, sharp and cold.
"Don't forget that."
I wiped the blood from the corner of my lip.
"You only have that human body because of that cabin," he continued. "If she ever sees what you really look like… you know what will happen."
"I know."
He punched me again.
This time I grabbed his wrist before he could pull back.
"You're overreacting," I said.
"I'm not," he shot back, pulling his hand free. "You don't understand anything, Lucian."
His expression shifted, anger fading into something more serious.
"You're my only friend here. You're brother to me ."
He looked straight at me.
"I don't want to lose you."
"It's not what you think," I said.
"Lucian… take control. She's human."
"You're thinking too much," I said. "When the contract ends, she'll forget everything."
David looked at me for a long moment.
"She will forget," he said quietly.
"But you won't."
Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.
Then we started walking down the corridor together.
We stepped out of the cabin.
The moment the door closed behind us, the human disguise faded away. The form we used in the human world had no purpose here.
My true demonic form returned as dark wings slowly unfolded behind my back.
Beside me, David shifted as well, his aura growing heavier, darker.
Without another word, we walked into the main hall of Hell.
The place was alive with movement.
The main hall of Hell was enormous.
At the center stood a vast fountain of dark water, surrounded by twisted trees growing directly from the stone floor. Among them rose one living tree, larger than the rest, its petals deep red like drops of blood.
Coiled around its branches was a massive serpent, its body wrapped tightly through the limbs of the tree, watching everything that moved below.
Somewhere far away, something roared—a deep, monstrous sound that shook the air itself.
Demons and demoness moved everywhere across the hall. Some dragged chained souls behind them, the metal scraping against the stone floor. Others laughed loudly, their voices rough and careless.
A few stood in small groups, holding tall glasses filled with dark liquid, drinking as they talked and wandered through the hall.
David and I walked through the chaos.
After a moment he said, "We're demons. Punishing souls is our work. But Hell is still our world. We look after each other."
"Yes," I replied.
David glanced at me.
"Then date a demoness."
I looked at him. "No. You're overthinking."
"Date Lydia," he said.
I frowned slightly. "The one who works on Level Five?"
"Yes."
I stopped walking and looked straight at him.
"You're dating her… and now you're offering your girlfriend to me? Are you insane?"
David simply shrugged.
"So what? We're demons."
"You've lost your mind," I muttered.
He ignored the comment and continued walking beside me.
"You've worked with humans for years," David said. "You never cared about any of them. Not once."
Then he gestured back toward the corridor we had come from.
"I told you not to work with women."
Quietly, I replied, "I don't know… something felt different."
David immediately turned his head toward me.
"What do you mean different?"
I thought for a moment before answering.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead, wide and dimly lit. On both sides stood enormous iron gates, each towering high above us. Burning symbols were carved into the metal, marking the different levels beyond them.
David walked beside me while I tried to explain.
"I don't know how to describe it," I said slowly.
"When she held onto me… everything stopped."
David glanced at me but stayed silent.
"You know how the mind is never quiet," I continued. "There's always something there—rage, instinct, the constant pull of what we are."
I exhaled slowly.
"For a moment… it felt like the darkness inside me stepped back."." as if for a moment I wasn't just a creature of Hell... M different....
I shook my head slightly.
We walked a few more steps in silence.
David sighed.
"You're in trouble, Lucian."
I let the words settle as we walked.
"If this is how you are now," he continued, "I can't imagine what two years of this will do to you."
He looked at me.
I'll take your place for a few months," he replied. "You take a break."
"No," I said firmly. "It will be fine."
I kept walking until David suddenly stopped in front of one of the gates.
Its symbol glowed faintly, carved deep into blackened metal.
"What now?" I asked.
He nodded toward the gate.
"I'm going this way."
"You've lost your mind," I said sharply. "Your post is in Level Ten."
David smirked faintly.
"Yes."
He tapped the gate beside him.
"But my demoness is here."
"Level Five."
I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.
"First finish our conversation."
David laughed quietly as I dragged him along the corridor.
The heat of Hell brushed against our skin as we passed several massive iron gates, each one leading to a different level. Symbols burned across their surfaces, glowing faintly in the dim red light.
After a moment, David stretched his shoulders slowly, rolling the tension out of his wings.
"We should eat," he said.
I glanced at him. "Why?"
A shadow of a smirk crossed his face.
"Because I need energy," he replied calmly.
He looked straight at me.
We kept walking until we finally reached the largest gate . It towered above us, wider and heavier than the others, its dark metal pulsing faintly with heat.
It was the entrance to the food section.....
Beyond the gate stretched a vast hall where demons gathered to restore their strength.
The chamber was immense, built from ancient black marble. The walls were deep red, streaked with lines of fiery orange that glowed like molten veins running through the stone. The heavy marble pillars were carved with old demonic designs, giving the place the feeling of an ancient and powerful palace.
Across the enormous hall were many seating areas arranged in wide sections. Large tables made of rich, dark wood stood in the center of each space. Around them were broad, comfortable chairs carved from polished wood, their seats thick and soft, designed like luxurious thrones rather than simple chairs.
Demons and demonesses filled the hall.
Some sat eating heavy plates of roasted meat, while others leaned back in their large chairs, drinking from dark glasses. Groups talked loudly, some laughing, some arguing, while others simply relaxed and watched the activity around them.
The entire place looked rich and magnificent, like an ancient royal hall built in dark marble and firelight—where demons gathered to eat, drink, and restore their strength before returning to their duties in Hell.
David stepped forward first.
I followed.
The air was thick with the scent of fire-cooked meat and molten spices.
I placed the food on the table and sat across from David. He watched me carefully, his eyes as sharp as ever.
"Lucian," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "if we don't resolve this… you'll be in deep trouble. And I will never let that happen."
I didn't respond immediately.
David leaned forward slightly.
"Lucian, think about it," David said. "You've spent most of your existence working. It's always been your duties… and me."
I frowned slightly but said nothing.
"Yes, you dated a few demoness before," he continued. "Slept with some of them too. But that was a long time ago."
"I know ," I said quietly.
"After that," he went on, "you buried yourself in work. You're always busy with your duties. Years of it. No distractions."
He gestured lightly with his hand.
"No real contact with women at all… until Cristina."
I leaned back in my chair.
"She's human," I said.
"I know," David replied. "But she's still a woman."
I stayed silent.
"So of course it feels different to you," he continued calmly. "Anyone would start feeling something after suddenly spending that much time with a woman."
I exhaled slowly.
"Maybe," I admitted.
David watched me for a moment before speaking again.
"You've been alone too long, Lucian. Sometimes it's just the body reacting after a long time without that kind of contact."
I frowned slightly.
"I'm saying," he replied flatly, "date a demoness. Sleep with a demoness."
He shrugged.
"Whatever you felt… it's because you've gone too long without a woman."
His voice held no sympathy.
"It's nothing special, Lucian."
"Just the body reminding you what it wants."
"You know that."
We ate in silence after that. Each bite felt heavy, like we were chewing not food but the weight of what might come. Thoughts circled quietly in my mind, dark and relentless, while the massive hall around us hummed with demonic voices—some laughing, some arguing, others simply eating and drinking beneath the glow of firelight.
"I will date a demoness," I said. "Sleep with one too. I need distance from Cristina. Whatever this is… it's probably just because I haven't been with a woman in too long."
David watched me for a moment, then gave a slow, knowing smirk.
."David watched me, a faint smirk forming.
"That won't be difficult for you."
"I never said it would be," I replied flatly.
He leaned back slightly.
"Most demonesses here already want you. Give one of them a look and she'll gladly follow you to your bed."
"I'm aware," I said coldly. "That's exactly why it's simple."
"Yes."
He asked so whom you will date ?or sleep.
I said amelia ..
"You know Lydia and Amelia are friends. That will work in your favor."he said
"I know," I said. "When you were busy with Lydia, I ended up spending more time around Amelia anyway. I already know her… and that's when she started liking me. So it should be easy."
David's smirk returned."Good. That makes things simpler, then.
He tapped the table once.
"Fine. Then do one more thing." David said .
I waited as David's words hung in the air.
"From tomorrow, take Amelia with you in the cabin when you work with Cristina," he said, his tone sharp and measured. "The more time you spend around her, the easier this whole thing will be."
"Okay… fine," I said calmly.
David nodded, satisfied, his expression unreadable in the flickering firelight of the hall.
"Good."
A quiet thought passed through my mind. This might make things easier for Cristina too.
Before I could dwell on it further, a sharp voice echoed across the hall.
"David!"
We both turned. It was Lydia—and Amelia.
Lydia strode toward our table, every movement confident, her dark, elegant form catching the dim firelight. Her eyes gleamed with a sharp, almost dangerous curiosity. Amelia walked beside her, lithe and graceful, her presence carrying a subtle, intoxicating allure—a mix of poise and predatory charm. Shadows danced across their forms as the hall's flickering lights picked out the deep reds and blacks of their demonic features.
I gave a small nod, and David and I both greeted them.