Sinful Obsession

32. 32 – Ewan

32 – Ewan

I lead Vienna back from the meeting, her presence beside me radiating a strange mix of confidence and anxiety. The weight of what’s to come presses down on me, a steady reminder that my role in this is inevitable. It’s not something I want to do, but it’s something I have to do. Death always is.

The hallway stretches ahead, empty and quiet now that the orderlies have been neutralized by Nevan and Vito. Their absence makes the building feel eerily hollow. Vienna glances at me, her lips pressed together in thought, but she doesn’t speak until we reach the door to our room.

“Do you regret it?” she asks softly, her voice cutting through the stillness.

I pause, my hand on the doorknob. “Regret what?”

“Being who you are. Death.”

I open the door without answering, motioning for her to step inside. The others aren’t here yet; they’re giving us space, whether out of respect or necessity, I don’t know.

“Regret doesn’t matter,” I say finally, crossing the room to lean against the wall. “It doesn’t change what I am.”

“But you didn’t choose it,” she presses, her arms folding across her chest. “None of you did.”

“No,” I admit, my voice quieter now. “But that doesn’t make it any less real.”

She steps closer. “And now you have to use it.”

I nod, the weight of her words sinking into my chest. “In order to open the portal, I have to take a soul. Not just kill someone— take them. Hold them in my hands, strip them from their body, and claim them as mine.”

Vienna’s breath hitches, but she doesn’t look away. “What happens to you when you do?”

I let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through my hair. “It changes you. Death always does. The first time is… permanent. Once I do this, there’s no going back. Whatever scraps of humanity I still have will be gone.”

“Do you want that?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” I say, my tone sharper than I intend. “It’s what has to happen. I don’t have a choice.”

She bites her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. “What about my soul?”

I stiffen, my body going cold. “What are you talking about?”

“Take mine.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” she demands, stepping closer so that there’s mere inches between us. “I’m not just Vienna anymore. I’m Lilith. And when this is over, Vienna will be gone. She’s already fading. Why shouldn’t you take her soul? It’s not like I’ll need it.”

“You don’t understand,” I snap, my fists clenching at my sides. “If I take your soul, you’ll—”

“I’ll what?” she interrupts, her voice rising. “Die? Be destroyed? I’m already being destroyed, Ewan. Every minute that passes, I lose more of myself to her. And maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be. But if giving you my soul helps us open the portal, then it’s worth it.”

I stare at her, my chest tightening. She’s serious. Deadly serious. And the worst part is, she’s right. Vienna is already fading, her humanity eroding under the weight of Lilith’s presence. But taking her soul? It feels like crossing a line I can’t uncross.

“I don’t want you to think of me any differently,” I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “After I take a soul—your soul—I won’t be the same.”

Her expression softens, and she steps closer, her hands brushing against mine. “You’ll still be you, Ewan. No matter what happens.”

“You don’t know that,” I mumble, my gaze dropping to the floor. “Death changes you. It consumes you. And once I do this…”

“It’s okay,” she says. “If it’s me, it’s okay.”

I close my eyes, my mind racing with everything that’s brought us to this moment. The portal, the angels, the inevitability of what we are. And her—Vienna, Lilith, the woman who has somehow become the center of it all.

“How do you want me to do it?” I ask finally, my voice trembling despite myself.

She smiles faintly, her hands tightening around mine. “Through a kiss.”

I blink, startled at her request. “A kiss?”

“If I’m going to lose my soul, I want it to feel like love.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I can’t bring myself to argue. Instead, I close the distance between us, my hands trembling as I cup her face.

“Are you sure?” I whisper, my voice breaking.

“Yes,” she says, her eyes locking onto mine. “I trust you.”

I don’t know if I deserve that trust, but I lean in anyway, pressing my lips to hers. The kiss is soft at first, hesitant, but it deepens quickly, a current of desperation and longing pulling us together.

And then I feel it—the shift, the pull. Her soul brushes against mine, warm and vibrant, and I reach out, wrapping it in my grasp. It’s not like taking something by force; it’s like she’s giving it to me willingly, a piece of herself offered without hesitation.

The room shudders around us, the air crackling with energy. A sharp, splitting sound echoes through the walls, and I know without looking that the portal has cracked further.

When I pull back, Vienna sags against me, her breath shallow. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see her—truly her—before the flicker of Lilith takes over.

“It’s done,” I whisper, my voice hollow.

She nods, a faint smile on her lips. “You did good, Ewan.”

I hold her close, my chest aching with a mixture of pride and sorrow. The portal is closer to opening, but at what cost? And as I feel the darkness settle deeper into my bones, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever feel human again.

Or if I’ll ever want to.