Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 10: Portal

Episode 10: P o r t a l

It's been almost a week living with the emotionless shell of someone called V.

Well, technically, I wasn't really living with him--since he clearly didn't appreciate me being in his sight. Either way, it was helpful when I had to take the pills. At least I knew he wasn't concentrating on me as much anymore.

But what I couldn't stand--what truly made me sick to the stomach--were the sounds every night. The groans, moans, crashing, and then the total silence that came after. It was horrid.

I wanted it to stop. I wanted him to stop. I hated him. If I could only just crash into his room and strangle the life out of him and have him go back to normal again. But I couldn't do that.

If anything, I was embarrassed to face him. Suppose I did act out, call him out on what he was doing. What right would I have?

I practically told him that his emotions meant nothing to me. That I didn't love him. This was all my fault and so I had no right to judge his character. Because honestly, as of now, what the hell were we supposed to be to each other?

Lovers? I couldn't even admit it.

But he could. Every time he did. He unapologetically would scream out his passion and feelings, rip his heart out and serve it to me on a platter. And yet what did I do?

Push it aside.

I was so hesitant and I didn't even understand my own hesitation. Was it what Leyla told me? Was it the visions I clearly saw about him going mad? Did I really love him at one point, or was I going through some kind of phase? What was the freaking truth already?

But that's beside the point.

What was going to drive me completely insane was the fact that I wasn't allowed to set one foot out of my room. There wasn't anywhere I could go. Even if I wanted to visit the de-stress places I used to frequent in the past, I couldn't without having a hound of demon maids tracking me and questioning me per their "lord's" request. It was seriously making me sick.

"What can I do for some alone time?" I frustratedly looked up at the ceiling. If I called that angel, Sera, then that would just risk blowing our whole secrecy deal. He'd definitely catch whim of her presence. What do I do then? God must really hate me by now. There wasn't any point of seeking help from the sky.

My chin lowered down to my chest until the idea sparked inside of my head. That was my last chance, and if it worked, I might be able to escape this hell hole for a while.

_____

Jin approached the bowls left on the table down at the dungeon, observing the red liquid settling inside of it. It was still fresh as it was a few days ago, vibrant as if it could come alive.

Of course, the magic of Hanul's blood was sealed in the special sage material it was made out of, but if one drop manages to leave the bowl, then her blood magic would definitely be activated. With this amount of blood in the two bowls, Jin wasn't sure how big the portal would be, but it would be big enough to stir something open.

Having the portal stay open until they crossed Limbo was essential. If at any point the gate closes, they'd lose their path and get lost there--the world between the living and the dead. Hell's path was unsurprisingly twisted in its difficult forests that surrounded its portal.

Besides, if they happen to open the portal and it serves them just enough time for V to travel back to Hell, then they wouldn't be able to follow him there either. The more the power traveling through it, the less time the portal has to stay open. Either way, none of them knew what state hell was in, or if it was safe for any of them to go back alone.