Inferno Of Desire

Chapter 20: Embers of the Past

The tendrils of the Abyss twisted and writhed, snapping toward them with lethal intent. Azrael's molten amber eyes flashed as he cleaved through one of the dark whips with a powerful swing of his blade. His wings flared behind him, pulsing with flames that illuminated the surrounding shadows.

Seraphine, fighting at his side, moved with grace and precision.

Her silver eyes glinted with determination, though her mind still spun from Azrael's revelation. The memories stirred within her — disjointed images of their time together before his fall — but she couldn’t allow herself to falter. Not here. Not now.

Azrael grunted as another tendril coiled around his arm, its darkness biting into his skin. He slashed through it, but the Abyss was relentless, throwing more and more at them as if it knew their vulnerabilities.

The creatures born from its depths were drawn to their emotional turmoil like moths to a flame.

“Focus!” Seraphine shouted as she sliced through a mass of shadows descending on Azrael’s back.

“I am!” he growled, his jaw clenched. But she knew better. His mind was half here, half in the past.

The Abyss wanted him weak. It wanted both of them lost in its grasp, haunted by what they had forgotten. And perhaps what scared Seraphine most was that part of her wanted to succumb. The pain of remembering was more than she had anticipated.

A dark beast, hulking and grotesque, emerged from the ground with a deafening roar. Its twisted form was made of the very essence of the Abyss, eyes glowing with malevolence. It lumbered toward them, tentacles lashing out wildly.

Azrael's wings ignited with fire as he launched himself toward the creature. His sword clashed with its enormous limbs, sending sparks and embers flying. "Get behind me!" he yelled.

But Seraphine wasn’t one to be shielded. With a fierce battle cry, she darted around the beast, her blade glowing with holy light. She moved like a whisper, striking at its exposed sides while Azrael held its attention.

For a moment, it seemed like they were winning. Their movements were in sync, almost instinctual, as if no time had passed since they last fought together.

But the Abyss wasn’t done with them yet.

A pulse of dark energy erupted from the creature, sending them both flying backward. Seraphine hit the ground hard, her wings cushioning some of the impact, but pain flared through her body. Azrael slammed into the jagged rock behind him, gritting his teeth against the pain as he forced himself to stand.

The beast began to regenerate, its form growing larger and more grotesque, feeding off the power of the Abyss. Seraphine struggled to her feet, but the blow had left her dazed.

Her vision swam, and the edges of her consciousness flickered with memories - images of Azrael as he once was, radiant and untarnished by darkness. They had fought together once, side by side, just as they were now. But there had been something more between them, something deeper. She could almost feel it.

Azrael shook his head, trying to clear the fog of the Abyss from his mind. His eyes locked on Seraphine as she stumbled. “Stay with me!” he shouted, his voice strained but resolute.

She blinked, shaking off the disorienting visions. "I’m fine," she muttered, though her heart hammered in her chest. She wasn't fine. Not by a long shot.

The creature roared again, its body surging with dark energy as it prepared another attack.

Azrael’s fiery gaze narrowed. “We need to take it down before it can regenerate again.”

Seraphine nodded, her grip tightening on her sword. “We end this. Now.”

Without another word, they launched themselves at the creature. Seraphine struck with a series of rapid, precise blows, slicing through its defenses while Azrael’s fiery wings set the battlefield ablaze. His sword burned with demonic energy, carving through the Abyss-born beast’s limbs with a relentless fury.

Finally, with one last, powerful strike, Azrael drove his blade into the heart of the creature. It howled in agony as its form dissolved into nothingness, consumed by the fire and light.

Panting, Azrael and Seraphine stood amidst the ruins of the battle, the ground still trembling beneath their feet. But it was over. For now.

Azrael wiped blood from his brow and glanced over at Seraphine, his chest heaving with exertion. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, though her eyes were distant, still haunted by the fragments of memory swirling in her mind. "What you said earlier..." Her voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the weight of her words. "About us. Was it all true?"

Azrael’s gaze softened, but there was a hint of sadness in his molten eyes. “Yes.”

Seraphine looked away, her mind racing.

Part of her didn’t want to believe it, but deep down, she knew he wasn’t lying. There had been something between them, something she had lost when he fell. But now, with the Abyss closing in around them, was it even possible to get it back?

The silence between them stretched, filled with unanswered questions.

Azrael broke the quiet, his voice low. “We can talk about it later. Right now, we need to keep moving.”

Seraphine nodded, though her heart was heavy. The Abyss wasn’t done with them yet. And neither, it seemed, was their past.

[Author's Note:

Hey there! It's me again 😅
How's it going? ... Wanna know more about Azrael and Seraphine’s history together?

Just keep reading 😁

Give your feedback, and please continue to vote 🥹

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