How I Married KING Of HELL

The price of the Crown

Chapter 4

Emily's hand remained in Lucien's as he led her down a narrow, spiraling staircase carved into the stone. The further they descended, the darker and colder it became, the flames of the torches barely lighting the path. The heat of the inferno above was replaced by a chill that sank into her bones.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice betraying the anxiety she could no longer hide.

Lucien's grip tightened slightly, though his expression remained calm. "You wanted to know why I chose you. It's time you saw the full extent of your choice."

His words were cryptic, and that only made Emily's heart beat faster. What did he mean by that? She had already given him her soul, her freedom, her life. What more was there to see?

As they descended deeper, the air grew thick with an unsettling energy. Emily could feel the weight of it pressing down on her, as if the very walls around them were alive, watching her every step. Finally, they reached a large iron door, massive and foreboding. Lucien released her hand and placed his palm against the door. Slowly, it groaned open, revealing a chamber bathed in a dim red light.

Inside, the room was lined with chains, hanging from the ceiling and draped across the stone walls. Strange, twisted symbols were etched into the floor, glowing faintly. In the center of the room, a massive circular mirror stood, its surface rippling like water.

"This is where your journey truly begins," Lucien said, stepping into the room.

Emily hesitated at the threshold, her gaze flicking to the chains and the strange symbols. "What is this place?"

Lucien turned to face her, his crimson eyes dark and intense. "This is where the souls of the damned come to pay their price. Every soul I've claimed has passed through here, bound by the choices they've made."

Emily's breath caught in her throat. She had heard of Hell's tortures in stories, but seeing it—feeling the raw, oppressive energy in the room—it was more terrifying than she had imagined. She wanted to run, but her feet remained frozen in place, held by the invisible chains of her deal.

"What does this have to do with me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucien walked to the mirror and beckoned her closer. Reluctantly, Emily followed, her heart pounding in her chest. As she stood beside him, the surface of the mirror began to shift, revealing an image that made her gasp.

It was her sister, lying in a hospital bed, just as she had been when Emily made the deal. But now, her sister's eyes were open, her chest rising and falling steadily. Alive.

"She's healed," Emily breathed, her hand instinctively reaching out toward the image. Tears pricked her eyes, but as her fingers touched the glass, the image rippled and changed.

Suddenly, Emily found herself staring at her own reflection, but it wasn't quite her. This version of herself wore a dark crown, her eyes glowing faintly red. The woman in the mirror was powerful, regal—almost unrecognizable.

"What is this?" Emily demanded, taking a step back. "What are you showing me?"

Lucien's voice was low, almost sympathetic. "This is your future. The crown you wear now is not just a symbol of your title. It's a reflection of what you will become."

Emily's stomach twisted. "I don't want to become that. I never wanted to be Queen of Hell."

Lucien's gaze softened, though his expression remained unreadable. "You made a choice, Emily. You sacrificed yourself to save your sister. But sacrifices come with consequences. You cannot remain untouched by the realm you now rule."

"I don't understand," she whispered, shaking her head. "You never told me this."

Lucien's eyes darkened. "I told you there was no turning back. The power you have now will change you. The longer you wear the crown, the more you will become like me."

Emily's breath caught in her throat. The more she thought about it, the more the truth began to settle like a stone in her chest. She wasn't just here as Lucien's queen. She was bound to this place, to him, in ways she hadn't fully realized.

"Is there any way out?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Is there any way to undo this?"

Lucien's jaw clenched, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes—regret, perhaps? Or something deeper. "There is no undoing a deal with the King of Hell. But I will not force you to become something you're not."

Emily stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. He was giving her a choice, but how much of a choice was it really? She could either accept her fate and rule by his side, or... what? She didn't even know what the other option was.

Lucien stepped closer, his gaze intense. "You are not powerless here, Emily. You are queen. If you wish to defy this fate, then you must learn to control the power you've been given."

Emily's heart raced as his words sank in. Control the power? How could she possibly do that? But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn't just sit idly by and let this place consume her. If she was to survive, if she was to have any chance of reclaiming her life, she had to find a way to fight.

"I'll learn," she said, her voice firmer than she expected. "I won't let this place change me."

Lucien's eyes gleamed with something unreadable—was it admiration? Pride? "Very well," he said. "Then I will teach you."

He turned to leave, and Emily followed, her mind still reeling from the revelation. As they walked back up the stairs, the weight of her new reality pressed down on her. She wasn't just bound to Lucien. She was bound to Hell itself. And if she was going to survive, she needed to understand the rules of this world—and her place in it.