Temptation's Price

Chapter 2: The Abyss Beckons

The flames of Hell licked at the edges of Eve's form as if curious, perhaps even cautious, to touch her. She stood at the precipice of the abyss, a figure cut from shadow and flame, and Lilith hated her for it. Hated the way Eve's presence commanded attention, the way she carried the weight of her mortal mistakes like armor instead of chains. It was infuriating.

Lilith's eyes burned with contempt as she watched Eve, waiting for the mortal—no, former mortal—to falter. To show that same fragility she had once known so well. But there was no crack in Eve's stance, no hint of the woman who had once crumbled under the weight of her own choices. This Eve was something else, something harder, colder.

And yet, Lilith could feel it. Beneath that hard exterior, beneath the power Eve now carried with her, there was still the echo of the garden. The echo of that moment of weakness, of temptation, of failure. Lilith's smile returned, sharp and dangerous. No matter how much Eve had changed, she would never escape that original sin.

"You talk of endings, Eve, as if you know what that word means," Lilith said, her voice cutting through the heat and noise of the underworld. "But this place... it doesn't allow for endings. Only eternal suffering. And you have chosen to walk right into it."

Eve's gaze flicked toward Lilith, her expression unreadable. "I'm not afraid of suffering," she said quietly, her voice steady, almost calm. "Not anymore."

Lilith laughed, the sound harsh and cruel. "Oh, I know. I've seen what you've become. But this place," she gestured broadly to the infernal expanse around them, "this is a different kind of pain. A different kind of endurance."

Lucifer, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his hands still in his pockets, but his expression more focused than usual. He studied Eve with a curious intensity, as though trying to peer into her soul, into the darkness that now swirled around her.

"You've changed," Lucifer said, his voice softer than Lilith's, less cutting but just as probing. "I can feel it. The Eve I knew—she would have never returned here."

Eve met his gaze, her eyes flickering with something Lilith couldn't quite place. "The Eve you knew died a long time ago."

Lucifer's smile faltered, just for a moment, and Lilith caught the faintest glimmer of something in his eyes. Regret, maybe? Disappointment? It was always hard to tell with Lucifer. He was a master of the mask, hiding behind his charm and flippant words. But Lilith had known him long enough to see the cracks when they appeared.

"Still," Lucifer said, his smile returning, though it didn't reach his eyes, "it's good to see you again. Hell's a bit more... exciting when old friends come to visit."

Eve didn't respond to his attempt at levity. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Lilith, her expression cold, determined. "I didn't come here to reminisce."

Lilith arched an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "No, I suppose not. So, tell me, Eve, what exactly do you think you're going to accomplish by being here? What grand plan have you concocted that you think will undo the past?"

Eve's jaw clenched, and Lilith saw it—the flicker of emotion she had been waiting for. It was brief, but it was there. A flash of pain, of anger, buried beneath the calm exterior.

"I didn't come here to undo anything," Eve said, her voice low but fierce. "I came here to take control of my own fate. I came here to reclaim what was taken from me."

Lilith's smile widened, her eyes glinting with malice. "Reclaim? Oh, sweet girl, you misunderstand. You were never in control. You were a pawn, a tool, a toy in a game far bigger than you could ever comprehend. And now, you think you can rewrite the rules?"