Chapter 14
560words
Through this kiss, he felt not my fear of death or hatred of betrayal, but the purest, most unreserved love and trust.
The instinct to devour, the desire to plunder, and this newfound emotion called "love" waged war within his ancient soul.
In the end, his choice took but a moment.
He chose love.
He abandoned devouring me and wrapped me tightly in his embrace, as if trying to merge me into his very being.
His body slowly returned to normal as he desperately returned my kiss, opening his soul and power without reservation.
The sacrifice pact between us began emitting dazzling golden light as our souls and powers resonated together.
The ancient runes of sacrifice and consumption broke down in streams of golden light, restructuring into something entirely new.
From one-sided sacrifice to equal symbiosis.
From now on, we shared life, shared power, our souls eternally connected.
I was no longer his sacrifice.
I was his only companion.
"No! This is impossible!"
Lilith released a jealousy-driven, maddened scream.
She couldn't accept that her carefully orchestrated plan would end with an outcome she never imagined.
Not only had she failed to win Carlos, she'd become the catalyst for our love.
Carlos slowly released me, sheltering me behind him. He turned to the frantic Lilith with eyes that regarded her as nothing but refuse.
"Lilith, you have committed an unforgivable crime."
His voice carried no emotion—only the judgment of a sovereign.
"Deceiving your own kind, maliciously sowing discord, and nearly destroying a premium soul contract capable of advancing a demon."
He raised his hand, and a complex sigil burning with black flames ignited beneath Lilith's feet.
It was a forced teleportation sigil leading directly to Hell's Supreme Court.
"You will pay an eternal price in Hell for your lies and jealousy."
"No!"
I heard only Lilith's desperate scream before she vanished.
Later, Carlos told me the seven demon lords personally judged her crimes.
Because of her, the contract had mutated indirectly.
Lilith was sentenced to the Endless Abyss to suffer soul-rending agony eternally, with no chance of reincarnation.
Her selfishness and jealousy earned her the most fitting punishment.
The birth of our symbiotic contract was unprecedented in hell's history.
It completely violated demonic principles based on plunder.
Change is never easy. Even with Sariel's mediation, it was futile.
Most importantly, some feared we would grow too powerful and eventually threaten their positions.
Finally, amid countless condemnations, we became traitors and heretics to hell's order.
Endless hunting orders were issued from hell to the human world.
Every demon received instructions to hunt us down.
Carlos lost his vast business empire and all legal status he'd built over centuries.
And I was no longer the noble daughter of the Van Drian family living in luxury.
Overnight, we became fugitives.
Except for each other.
I asked him, "Having lost everything, do you regret it?"
He said no, he'd grown weary of millennia of solitude.
On a misty morning with light rain, he held my hand as we stood on the deck of an old ship preparing to sail.
The sea breeze whipped through my hair, carrying its salty tang.
"Are you afraid?" he asked softly.
I shook my head and rested it against his shoulder.
"I'm not afraid."
As long as you're with me, I'm not afraid to go anywhere.
