Sinful Obsession

21. 21 – Asmodeus

21 – Asmodeus

V ienna fell asleep a few moments ago, a mixture of the lingering medication effects and the beginning of the end weighing down on her human soul. I carry her through the hallways of Briarwood, one of the only moments I’ve been able to spend with her so freely. She stirs faintly, her breathing shallow. My arms tighten around her protectively, though the irony isn’t lost on me. Me, a demon, protecting a human girl from forces supposedly meant to safeguard her kind.

Behind me, Nevan and Kaua walk in silence, their footsteps barely audible against the cold stone floor. I can feel their eyes on me, the tension radiating from them palpable. They’re wary of me, as they should be. But there’s also a flicker of something else—respect, curiosity, maybe even awe. It’s been a long time since anyone looked at me like that. It’s also been a long time since I have shared someone and watching her fall apart at the Horsemen’s hands is everything.

When we reach the room, I push the door open with my shoulder, stepping inside to find Ewan and Vito waiting. The two of them rise from where they’re seated, their gazes sharp as they take me in. For a moment, the room is silent, charged with the weight of unspoken words.

I deposit Vienna onto the bed, my movements careful as I cradle her head until it rests against the pillow. She stirs slightly, her eyelids fluttering, but she doesn’t wake. Straightening, I turn to face the four of them, my horsemen of the apocalypse.

“Be careful with her,” I say, my voice low but firm. “She’s precious. More precious than you know. It’s only a matter of time until things start happening. When they do, you’ll understand.”

They exchange glances, each of them skeptical yet still curious about their purpose

“You’re the four horsemen,” I continue, my tone softening slightly. “Death, Conquest, War, and Famine. In another life, we were friends. Maybe one day that will come to pass again.”

Nevan’s brow furrows, his fingers twitching at his sides. “Friends?” he echoes, his voice tinged with disbelief. “I don’t remember that.”

“You wouldn’t,” I say simply. “Not yet.”

Vito steps forward, the muscles in his neck and shoulders pulled tight. “I understand our purpose but why is the portal so important? Why does it have to be opened?”

I turn to him, my gaze locking onto his. “It’s the balance of life,” I explain. “It has to happen. It always happens.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Ewan asks, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

“If it doesn’t,” I say carefully, “it could be worse than the apocalypse.”

The room falls silent again, the weight of my words settling over them. I can feel their unease, their uncertainty, but I don’t offer them anything more. Some truths aren’t meant to be spoken—not yet. The delicate balance of their existence—of everything rests on just that— balance. The apocalypse is only part of that, part of the circle of life.

Stepping back, I nod to them once more. “Take care of her,” I repeat, my voice soft but commanding. “She’s the key to all of this.”

Without waiting for a response, I turn and head for the door. Once I’m in the hallway, my form begins to shift, the edges of my body dissolving into shadow. I let the darkness consume me, my shape slipping away until I’m nothing more than an entity, a swirling mass of black smoke and energy.

I glide through the corridors, unseen, until I reach the heart of Briarwood. The portal is beneath the stone floor, its presence pulsing like a heartbeat. I hover above it, my essence coiling and shifting as I stare down at the spot where it lies hidden.

A grin spreads through me, though it has no form. The first crack appears, a thin, jagged line splitting the stone and revealing a faint, fiery glow beneath. The pits of hell are stirring, and soon, the balance will tip.

Soon, everything will change.