Shadows of Helvete

Chapter 14

The celebration started off like any other night with the Black Circle. Burzum had finally finished its debut album under Deathlike Silence Productions, and Euronymous had helped Varg, the eccentric one-man band behind Burzum, push the project to completion. It was a momentous achievement, cementing Varg's place within the underground metal scene and officially initiating him into the Black Circle—the group of tight-knit, elitist metalheads who gathered at Helvete, plotting the domination of black metal.

They decided to celebrate that night, taking over a bar on the outskirts of Oslo, a grimy, dimly lit place that played music loud enough to drown out any coherent thought. The group sat around a long wooden table littered with beer bottles and cigarette butts, the haze of smoke hanging thick in the air. Metallion, the metal journalist who often orbited around the circle, had invited Ann-Marit, the girl Emilie remembered all too well from that party when they were still living at the house and when Pelle was still around. She was an amateur photographer, constantly snapping pictures of the scene, capturing the essence of the black metal lifestyle.

Ann-Marit wasn't just here for the atmosphere, though. She was taking photos of Varg, who stood by the bar ordering a glass of water, his disinterest in alcohol always standing out from the others. Varg was a purist when it came to his lifestyle, always focused, always in control. Ann-Marit, with her camera slung around her neck, was leaning in close to him, getting shots of him at various angles, her smile a little too wide as she looked up at him.

Emilie noticed the way Ann-Marit would glance over her shoulder, checking Euronymous out as he sat across the table, nursing his beer, lauging and talking to Hellhammer and Faust. Her eyes lingered on him, sliding over his long black hair, the sharpness of his features, the way he carried himself with an air of dark authority. Emilie didn't want to admit it, but it bothered her—no, it enraged her—the way Ann-Marit looked at Euronymous, like she was undressing him with her eyes.

Emilie's stomach twisted with a jealousy she refused to acknowledge. She tried to ignore it, tried to distract herself by joining in on the conversation, laughing at Hellhammer's stupid jokes or commenting on the new album. But it was hard when she kept catching those fleeting glances, and worse, Euronymous had noticed her discomfort.

A smirk played on his lips, hidden behind the rim of his beer bottle. Euronymous was enjoying this, that it amused him to see her so jealous. And when Ann-Marit came back from her little photoshoot with Varg, Euronymous made his move.

"Nice shots," he remarked casually as Ann-Marit returned, her cheeks flushed from the attention. She giggled, leaning over the table to show him the photos she'd just taken. Her fingers brushed against his arm, lingering a little too long. Euronymous didn't pull away.

"Thanks. I wanted to capture something raw, you know?" she said, her voice soft and sultry as she hovered close to him, her eyes darting between his face and his lips.

Emilie could feel the heat rising to her face, her jaw tightening as she watched them interact. Euronymous caught her eye, and that smirk deepened. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Looks great," he replied, his voice smooth. He leaned in closer to Ann-Marit, pointing at the camera display. "You've got a good eye for this. We should talk about taking some pictures of me in the near future."

Ann-Marit blushed, clearly flattered. "Sure, I could take a few of you, if you want. Capture the legend in his natural habitat," she teased, batting her eyelashes.

Euronymous chuckled, a dark, quiet laugh that sent a ripple through Emilie's chest. He was playing along with this, on purpose. Emilie gripped her beer bottle tightly, biting back the anger building inside her. She knew she couldn't say anything—it would look ridiculous. Euronymous and Ann-Marit weren't doing anything wrong. Not really. But the way they were flirting, the way Euronymous was enjoying it, was driving her insane.