Hell's Redeemer

Chapter 54

Spawn lowered the shotgun, tucking it back under his cape with one smooth motion. The silence between them was thick, almost suffocating. His gaze never wavered from Verosika, piercing through her with an intensity that made the air feel heavier.

“What gives you the right to sing about me?” he asked flatly, his voice deep and gravelly.

The question hung in the air, and for a long moment, Verosika didn’t know how to respond. She stared at him in disbelief, her brow furrowed. She hadn’t expected this. Hell, she hadn’t expected him to even figure it out—let alone show up at her doorstep. A part of her thought she had gotten away with it, that the ambiguity of her lyrics would keep it anonymous.

“You…” Verosika trailed off, eyes flicking toward Vortex for a second, as if looking for some kind of escape. When her gaze returned to Spawn, she couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. “You’re quick, I’ll give you that. But how did you—?”

“I’m not stupid,” Spawn cut her off, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer, not leaving any room for her to sidestep the question. “The song. The references. It’s all about me, isn’t it?”

For a moment, Verosika hesitated, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as if she were trying to play it off. She crossed her arms, leaning back slightly, trying to regain some control of the situation.

“Oh, come on,” she said, voice taking on a playful, teasing tone. “Don’t be so serious. It’s just a song. Who even says it’s about you?” She raised an eyebrow, trying to mask the truth with coyness.

But Spawn’s unwavering gaze didn’t relent. His eyes burned with an intensity that made her stomach churn. It was as if he could see through her, like her defenses were paper-thin. It made her want to break the tension, but it also made her nervous.

Verosika stood there for a moment, her mind racing. There was no way to deny it now—not with him standing in front of her, not with that gaze that seemed to strip her of her composure.

Finally, she sighed, lowering her arms, her posture softening. She couldn't lie any longer. The truth hung heavily on her words as she met his eyes, her voice losing its usual playful edge.

“Alright, fine,” she admitted, her tone now genuine. “You were the biggest inspiration I’ve had in years. I… I wrote that song because of you.” She paused, watching him carefully as the weight of her confession settled between them. “Your story. Your… power. I couldn’t help but be drawn to it. It’s real. It’s raw. And yeah, maybe I twisted it, but… it hit me.”

She took a breath, her expression a mixture of vulnerability and defiance. “I wasn’t expecting you to show up. I didn’t know how you'd take it. But it’s the truth.”

Spawn’s eyes flickered for a moment, a subtle shift in his stance as the edge in his demeanor softened, just slightly. He studied her for a long, quiet moment, as if contemplating the weight of her words. The air between them had cooled, but the tension was still there, just beneath the surface.

He took a slow breath, the deep gravel of his voice cutting through the silence. “I’m a private man,” he said flatly, his words measured. “I don’t want the spotlight. I don’t need it. My life isn’t for the public eye.”

He took another step forward, his hands at his sides, not threatening, but still carrying that unsettling air. “I don’t need anyone looking at me like I’m some kind of show.”

Verosika raised an eyebrow at that, her lips curling into a half-smirk. She tilted her head slightly, the corner of her mouth twitching with a hint of amusement, but also a trace of curiosity. "Really?" she asked, her voice tinged with a touch of sarcasm. "Because with all the news buzzing around about you lately, that's a little hard to believe."