Inferno Of Desire

Chapter Three: The Shadow Beneath

Seraphine had barely slept since her encounter with Azrael. His words had haunted her, lingering in the quiet spaces of her mind.

There was something terrifying about the way he looked at her, not with malice, but with an intensity that threatened to burn through all her carefully constructed defenses.

And now, she was following him. Again.

The abandoned cathedral loomed before her, its once-majestic spires now crumbling into decay.

Moonlight filtered through the shattered stained - glass windows, casting broken colors across the floor. She stepped inside, the silence pressing in on her as though the air itself held its breath.

“Welcome to the darkness, angel,” Azrael’s voice echoed through the vast chamber.

Seraphine’s breath caught as he emerged from the shadows, his presence as magnetic as it was unnerving.

He leaned casually against a pillar, his raven-black hair falling in tousled waves over his shoulders, the dim light catching the golden tan of his skin.

Every part of him seemed designed to draw her in, but it was his eyes that held her captive—those molten amber orbs flickering with an inner fire that spoke of secrets she wasn’t sure she wanted to uncover.

“You enjoy the theatrics, don’t you?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Azrael chuckled, pushing off the pillar and walking toward her with a slow, deliberate grace. “What can I say? Old habits die hard.”

He stopped a few feet from her, his towering frame casting a long shadow over the cracked stone floor. “But this is no performance, Seraphine. The storm is coming, and I need you to be ready.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the way he said her name, like it was a secret he’d been keeping for years. “You keep talking about this ‘storm.’ Why don’t you tell me what it really is?”

Azrael’s expression darkened, his smirk fading as his eyes grew serious. “It’s not something you can simply explain, angel. It’s ancient — older than the heavens, older than hell. It’s something born from the fabric of existence itself, and it’s been waiting… festering.”

“Waiting for what?”

“For the veil between realms to thin.” His voice was low, haunted. “And that time is coming.”

Seraphine’s mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. “And you think I can stop it?”

“I know you can,” he replied, stepping closer. His hand reached out, brushing a stray lock of her silvery-blonde hair behind her ear, his touch feather-light. “But not alone.”

She flinched, her body reacting to his proximity in a way that made her pulse quicken.

She wasn’t used to feeling this way — on edge, uncertain, vulnerable. Seraphine had always been the one in control, the protector, the warrior.

But here, standing before Azrael, she wasn’t sure if she was the shield or the sword.

“I don’t trust you,” she said, her voice softer than she intended.

Azrael’s lips curved into a sad smile, his eyes softening. “I don’t blame you.” He took a step back, giving her space, though his presence still loomed. “But I didn’t come here for your trust. I came here because you’re the only one who can stop what’s coming.”

“Why me?” she asked, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “Why not one of your own? Why not—”

“Because it’s not my world anymore,” Azrael cut in, his voice edged with something raw. “I’ve lost my place in both realms, Seraphine. I’m neither angel nor demon anymore. I’m... something else. Something caught in between.” His gaze was piercing, as if he were laying his soul bare before her. “And that’s why I need you.”

Seraphine stared at him, her mind swirling. There was truth in his words, even if she didn’t want to believe it.

She had seen glimpses of what he was talking about—the dark omens, the shifting energies. But to accept his help, to trust him… that was another matter entirely.

“What if you’re wrong?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Azrael held her gaze, unflinching. “Then we’ll both fall. And this world, everything you love, will fall with us.”

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, pressing down on Seraphine’s chest.

She could feel the truth of it settling into her bones, a cold, undeniable certainty. Whatever this storm was, it wasn’t something she could ignore.

She looked away, her eyes falling on the shattered stained glass around them. “How do we stop it?”

Azrael’s expression softened, relief flickering in his eyes. “We work together. But first, we need to find the source of the disturbance. The veil is weakening, but there’s a place where it’s being torn apart faster than anywhere else.”

“And where is that?” she asked, her voice steady now, though her heart still raced.

“The place where I fell,” Azrael said quietly, the pain in his voice unmistakable. “The place where it all began.”

Seraphine felt a chill run through her. “The Abyss.”

Azrael nodded. “It’s the only way. But we won’t be alone. Others will be watching—both angels and demons. Not everyone wants us to succeed.”

Seraphine straightened, her resolve hardening. She had come too far to turn back now. Whatever awaited them in the Abyss, she would face it head-on. “Then we’ll just have to be faster, won’t we?”

A slow smile spread across Azrael’s face, one filled with something more genuine than she’d ever seen. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Seraphine rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t get used to it.”

Azrael chuckled, the sound warm and rich. “Too late.”

As they stood there, side by side, the weight of what lay ahead loomed over them like a dark cloud. But for the first time, Seraphine didn’t feel quite so alone.

And maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to be.