Inferno Of Desire

Chapter 29: The Price of Redemption

The clash between Azrael and Torvin's vanguard echoed like thunder through the fractured realm. Seraphine's blade danced with silver light as she moved with the grace of a celestial warrior, cutting down demons with precision.

But her mind was far from the battle. Torvin’s words lingered, a shadow creeping into her thoughts.

Azrael had never mentioned a pact. He had never hinted at the dark ties still binding him to the Abyss. She had fought beside him, trusted him — was it all a lie?

Azrael was a force of destruction beside her, every movement filled with an ancient power he could barely contain. His wings blazed with shadow and flame, scattering his enemies with sheer force.

But he was fighting more than the demons before him. He was battling the truth he’d hidden from Seraphine, the past that now threatened to unravel everything.

As Seraphine spun around, deflecting a blow from one of the vanguards, she caught a glimpse of Azrael’s face — his fiery eyes flickering with guilt and anguish.

For a moment, the battlefield seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them standing amidst the wreckage of trust.

“Seraphine!” Azrael’s voice cut through the chaos as he tore through another demon, his gaze locking with hers. “I swear to you, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

She didn’t respond, her blade slicing through the last of the vanguards. As the bodies of their enemies fell, a tense silence settled over them.

Torvin stood at the edge of the battlefield, grinning through his bloody face, a sickening reminder that the battle wasn’t truly over.

Azrael’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his eyes pleading. “You have to believe me.”

Seraphine’s lips pressed into a thin line, her wings shimmering behind her as she sheathed her blade. “What haven’t you told me, Azrael?” Her voice was cold, sharp — a contrast to the warmth they had shared.

Azrael flinched as though struck. He stepped toward her, his wings folding back. “I didn’t know… I didn’t realize the pact would… they never told me the cost.” He paused, his hands trembling as the weight of his confession bore down on him. “When I fell, I made a pact with the Abyss to keep my power, to survive. But I never agreed to this. I never agreed to betray you.”

Seraphine’s silver eyes narrowed. “But you did betray me.”

The accusation hung in the air, and for a moment, Azrael had no response. The pain in her voice cut him deeper than any blade. She had trusted him, and now that trust was shattered.

“I’m trying to make this right,” he said, his voice raw. “I’ll tear the Abyss apart if I have to.”

Seraphine’s wings unfurled behind her, their radiance casting a faint glow against the surrounding darkness. “You’re bound by the Abyss, Azrael. You can’t just walk away from that. You’ve kept this secret, and now everything we’ve fought for is at risk.”

Azrael’s molten eyes darkened with frustration. “I never wanted this life. I never wanted to fall.” His voice trembled, revealing a glimpse of the vulnerability he so rarely showed. “But you… you changed everything. You’ve given me something worth fighting for.”

Seraphine looked at him, her expression unreadable. Her heart was torn between the love she had begun to feel for him and the betrayal that now threatened to destroy it.

“We can’t win this if we’re divided,” Azrael continued, his tone desperate. “The Veil is crumbling, and the Abyss will consume everything if we don’t stop it.”

Seraphine took a deep breath, her gaze softening just a fraction. “Then tell me how to stop it. How do we break the pact?”

Azrael’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know.”

Torvin’s laughter broke the tense moment, his voice dripping with mockery. “Oh, Azrael, you poor fool. The Abyss doesn’t let go so easily. There’s only one way to break the pact — by surrendering everything.”

Azrael’s eyes snapped to Torvin, anger flaring. “What do you mean?”

Torvin’s grin widened. “Your soul, Azrael. You have to give up your soul, your power… everything that binds you to the Abyss. Only then will you be free.”

The words hit Azrael like a physical blow. To break the pact, he would have to sacrifice everything he had left. His power, his very existence — it would all be forfeit. And for what? A chance at redemption? A chance to be with Seraphine, knowing he could never truly be hers?

Seraphine’s eyes widened as she realized the full extent of what Torvin was suggesting. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “There has to be another way.”

Azrael’s expression hardened, a storm of emotions raging behind his fiery eyes. He took a step toward Seraphine, his voice soft but resolute. “If it means saving you… if it means stopping the Abyss… I’ll do it.”

“No,” Seraphine said more firmly, her wings glowing brighter with her resolve. “We’ll find another way, Azrael. You’re not sacrificing yourself. Not for this.”

Azrael’s heart twisted at the determination in her voice. She wasn’t willing to let him go, and that gave him a sliver of hope, despite the overwhelming darkness that loomed ahead.

Torvin, sensing the shift, sneered. “Your sentimentality will be your downfall. The Abyss doesn’t care about your feelings, Azrael. It only cares about power. And soon, it will claim you both.”

With a flick of his hand, Torvin vanished into the shadows, leaving Azrael and Seraphine alone in the aftermath of his cruel revelations.

Azrael turned back to Seraphine, his expression somber. “I’ll find a way to break the pact without losing everything. I promise.”

Seraphine hesitated, her heart warring with her instincts. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust that they could face this together. But deep down, a small part of her feared that the Abyss had already taken too much.

“We’ll face this together,” she said finally, her voice soft but firm. “But no more secrets.”

Azrael nodded, his gaze unwavering. “No more secrets.”

As they stood there, side by side in the darkened realm, the battle before them felt more impossible than ever. But for the first time, they were truly united, facing the storm that would either destroy them or make them stronger than ever before.

And together, they would defy the Abyss.