Part eleven:The shadows of the keep
1354 Words
Evelyn's POV
I stared at the door.
My heart was beating so fast that I could hear it pounding in my ears.
"Evelyn."
The voice came again.
It was Lucian.
I was sure of it.
I slowly walked toward the door.
My fingers wrapped around the handle.
For a moment, I hesitated.
Then I turned it.
The door opened.
I froze.
There was no one there.
No Lucian.
No Scally.
No demon.
Nothing.
Instead, a staircase stretched before me.
I stared at it.
There were no walls around it.
No hallway.
No visible floor beneath it.
Just a long staircase leading down into complete darkness.
I couldn't see where it ended.
A cold breeze moved through the open doorway.
I took a small step backward.
Something about it felt wrong.
Very wrong.
I quickly reached for the door and slammed it shut.
I leaned against it, my breathing heavy.
Maybe I was imagining things.
Maybe it was another illusion.
I slowly opened my eyes.
And froze.
Lucian was standing directly in front of me.
I couldn't breathe.
I didn't know how he had gotten into the room.
He was simply there.
Staring at me.
His stare was so deep that I could almost feel it boring holes into my soul.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't even look away.
His eyes slowly moved past me, toward the door.
Then they returned to mine.
"What did you see?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I swallowed.
"You told me to open the door."
Lucian went still.
"I never told you to open the door."
My heart dropped.
I stared at him.
"But... I heard your voice."
His eyes narrowed.
"What did you see?"
I hesitated.
"A staircase."
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
"What else?"
I looked toward the painting.
"The painting."
His eyes followed mine.
"There was a woman inside it."
He said nothing.
"She spoke to me."
His gaze returned to me.
"What did she say?"
I swallowed.
"She said..."
My voice became smaller.
"You finally came back."
For a moment, Lucian didn't move.
Something flashed across his face.
Recognition.
Then it disappeared.
He simply shrugged.
"Probably nothing."
I stared at him.
He turned away.
I wanted to ask him what he knew.
I wanted to ask him who the woman was.
But I was scared.
He was the King of Hell.
And I was just a human standing in his room.
Still, I gathered enough courage to speak.
"Lucian..."
He stopped.
I swallowed.
"Who was she?"
He said nothing.
For a moment, he remained completely still.
Then he turned toward the door.
My heart began pounding.
"Lucian?"
He still said nothing.
He walked out.
And slammed the door shut behind him.
I stood there in silence.
Completely alone.
My eyes slowly moved toward the painting.
The woman was gone.
But her voice still echoed in my head.
You finally came back.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
I was scared.
I was confused.
And I had never felt more alone.
Then, from somewhere beyond the walls...
Something laughed.
Nessa's POV
I hated Hell.
I hated the darkness.
I hated the demons.
I hated the fact that I had been kidn*pped from Earth and dragged into a place where everything looked like it had been designed by someone with a serious obsession with death.
And most of all...
I hated the demon standing in front of me.
"You're staying here."
I stared at him.
"You're joking."
He didn't answer.
I looked around the room.
It was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
There was a huge bed, expensive-looking furniture, and enormous windows overlooking a dark landscape filled with fire and shadows.
I turned back to him.
"So let me get this straight."
He raised an eyebrow.
I pointed around the room.
"You take me out of a prison and bring me to another prison."
"It's not a prison."
I stared at him.
"Can I leave?"
"No."
I nodded slowly.
"Then it's a prison."
His expression darkened.
I should probably have been afraid.
I was afraid.
But I was also angry.
I had no idea where my friends were.
I didn't know if they were alive.
I didn't know if they were being tortured.
And this demon had brought me here without explaining anything.
"Where are my friends?"
He said nothing.
I stepped closer.
"Where are they?"
"They're alive."
That wasn't enough.
"Are they okay?"
He didn't answer immediately.
That made my stomach twist.
"Daemon."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"They're being taken care of."
I didn't believe him.
Not completely.
But I didn't know what else to do.
I turned away from him and looked out the window.
Hell stretched endlessly before me.
The sky was dark and red.
Smoke rose from somewhere in the distance.
I had never felt so far away from home.
I wondered where Evelyn was.
She was probably terrified.
Evelyn was kind.
Too kind.
She always worried about everyone else before herself.
I hoped she was okay.
I hoped Daniel was okay.
Scoba too.
Even Justina.
Despite everything.
They were my friends.
And I had no idea if I would ever see them again.
"Why did you bring me here?"
I turned around.
Daemon was still standing there.
He stared at me for a moment.
Then he looked away.
"I felt like it."
I stared at him.
"That's your answer?"
"Yes."
I rolled my eyes.
"You're just like your brother."
His expression immediately changed.
I noticed it.
The slight tightening of his jaw.
The way his eyes darkened.
"Don't compare me to him."
I blinked.
"Why?"
He looked at me.
For a moment, the playful expression disappeared from his face.
And I saw something else.
Something colder.
Something darker.
"Because I'm nothing like him."
I didn't know what to say.
Before I could respond, a strange sound came from somewhere beyond the keep.
A low, distant growl.
I froze.
Daemon turned toward the door.
His entire expression changed.
"What was that?"
He didn't answer.
The sound came again.
This time, closer.
I took a step backward.
Daemon moved in front of me.
I stared at his back.
For the first time since I had met him...
He didn't look amused.
He looked genuinely alert.
And somehow, that scared me more than anything.
"What is it?" I whispered.
He remained silent.
The shadows beneath the door began to move.
I stopped breathing.
Something was standing on the other side.
Daemon slowly raised his hand.
The room went completely silent.
Then...
The shadows disappeared.
Daemon lowered his hand.
I stared at him.
"What was that?"
He looked at me.
His expression was unreadable.
"Nothing."
I stared at him.
"That was definitely not nothing."
He walked toward the door.
"Stay here."
I scoffed.
"Wow. Great idea. I'll just stay in the creepy demon castle while you go investigate the mysterious thing outside."
He stopped.
Then slowly turned to look at me.
I immediately regretted speaking.
His eyes narrowed.
"Yes."
I folded my arms.
"You know, you could try being a little less irritating."
He stared at me.
Then, unexpectedly, the corner of his lips lifted.
"You're one to talk."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
I hated him.
I really did.
At least, I was trying to.
He turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
For some reason, he looked back at me.
His eyes lingered on my face.
I frowned.
"What?"
He quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
Then he walked out.
The door slammed shut behind him.
I stared at it.
For a moment, I remained completely still.
Then I sighed.
"Wonderful."
I looked around the room.
I was alone again.
In Hell.
In a demon's keep.
With no idea where my friends were.
I walked toward the window.
And then I heard something.
A whisper.
I froze.
It was coming from behind me.
I slowly turned around.
There was no one there.
I frowned.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
Then the whisper came again.
This time, much closer.
"He's coming."
My heart stopped.
I looked toward the door.
"Who?"
The room remained silent.
Then the lights went out.
And something began scratching at the other side of the door.
- Writer
