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Chapter 1 – The Devil Walks the Earth
For a thousand years, the gates of hell had remained sealed.
Beyond the endless fire and darkness, deep within a prison made of black stone and cursed chains, a man sat upon a throne of bones.
He was not an ordinary prisoner.
He was Thanus.
The devil.
Tall. Dark. Beautiful in a terrifying way.
His long black hair fell down his shoulders like shadows spilling over midnight, and his eyes—deep, endless, and ink-black—glowed faintly in the darkness. Many demons feared those eyes.
They had seen what happened to anyone who looked into them too long.
Thanus leaned back lazily, resting his head on his hand as if boredom was his greatest punishment.
“A thousand years…” he murmured.
His voice was deep and smooth like silk, yet cold enough to freeze the blood of any creature that heard it.
Suddenly—
The ground trembled.
Massive iron chains rattled across the walls.
The ancient gates of the abyss slowly opened.
Flames burst upward as shadows twisted in the air.
Thanus slowly stood.
“Well… this is new.”
A tall figure emerged from the fire—a creature wearing armor forged from black steel.
A Gatekeeper of Hell.
“The sentence has ended,” the creature announced with a thunderous voice. “Thanus, the Devil of Temptation, you are released.”
Thanus raised an eyebrow.
“Released?” he repeated with amusement.
The chains around his wrists shattered instantly.
“You will return to the human world,” the gatekeeper continued. “Your task is simple. The earth has grown full of sin. Drag the wicked souls back to hell.”
Thanus smiled.
And that smile was dangerous.
“How kind of you to give me entertainment.”
A swirling vortex opened behind him.
The portal to Earth.
Before stepping through, Thanus stretched his arms lazily as if waking from a long nap.
“A thousand years… I wonder what humans are like now.”
Just as he was about to walk through the portal, a small figure appeared behind him.
A young man with silver eyes and a playful grin.
“Wait for me, boss.”
Thanus glanced back.
“Temptation.”
The young man bowed dramatically.
“Your loyal assistant has returned.”
Temptation wore a long dark coat and carried a small notebook filled with names—humans who had fallen into sin.
He flipped through the pages happily.
“You wouldn’t believe how many people are cheating, stealing, lying, and betraying each other nowadays.”
Thanus smirked.
“Humanity never disappoints.”
The two stepped through the portal.
The flames of hell disappeared.
And the cold night air of Earth replaced them.
They now stood on the roof of a tall building overlooking a glowing city.
Cars moved like streams of light.
People walked the streets below, unaware that the devil himself was watching them.
Thanus inhaled slowly.
“The smell of human souls…”
Temptation chuckled.
“Delicious, right?”
But suddenly—
Thanus froze.
Across the street, near the university gates, a young woman was walking alone.
Her long hair moved gently in the night breeze.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful.
But something about her made Thanus narrow his eyes.
A faint glow surrounded her.
A soft golden light.
Temptation noticed it too.
“Oh…”
His smile faded.
“That’s not normal.”
Thanus’s dark eyes sharpened.
“An angel?”
But the girl didn’t look like one.
She wore ordinary clothes and carried a bag like any other student.
Yet the power around her was unmistakable.
Suddenly—
SCREEECH!
A truck lost control on the road.
It sped directly toward the girl.
Everything happened too fast.
The impact was brutal.
The world fell silent.
Thanus and Temptation watched from the rooftop.
The girl’s body lay motionless on the road.
People screamed and rushed toward the accident.
But something else happened.
From the girl’s body, a glowing soul slowly rose into the air.
Thanus stared at it intensely.
“That soul…”
Temptation flipped through his notebook quickly.
After a few seconds he froze.
“Oh… boss.”
“What?”
Temptation showed him the page.
“This girl… according to the records… her soul is supposed to go to hell.”
Thanus frowned.
“That’s impossible.”
Angelic energy radiated from the soul.
A being with heaven’s power should never belong in hell.
Yet the record was clear.
The name written on the page glowed.
Seraphina Vale.
Thanus stepped off the rooftop.
His body dissolved into shadows as he descended to the street below.
The glowing soul floated helplessly in the air.
Seraphina slowly opened her eyes, confused.
“Where… am I…?”
Then she saw him.
The tall man with long dark hair and black eyes.
He looked like a prince carved from darkness.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Terrifying.
Thanus gazed at her silently.
For the first time in centuries…
The devil felt something strange.
Something unfamiliar.
Interest.
“You belong to me,” he said softly.
Seraphina’s glowing eyes widened.
“Who… are you?”
Thanus smiled faintly.
And the night itself seemed to darken around him.
“I,” he said calmly,
“am the devil.”
But far away, hidden in the shadows between worlds, another pair of eyes watched him.
A woman.
Beautiful beyond imagination.
Her body radiated dangerous seduction.
Her lips curved into a slow smile.
After a thousand years…
He had finally returned.
“Welcome back, Thanus…”
The spirit whispered.
“I’ve waited so long.”
She stepped out of the darkness.
Her name was Lust.
And she was ready to claim the devil.
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