Azrael's POV
The storm won't stop.
Thunder growls across the sky like a beast in pain. Rain lashes the windows, soaking the world in shadow, and yet, none of it compares to the storm inside me.
I sit by the fire, the warmth meaningless against the cold settling in my chest. My fingers rest against my lips-still faintly aching from the bite she left behind. That wild little thing. Her eyes burned with defiance, her voice trembled but still dared to challenge me.
And gods, I crave it.
I didn't plan it-kissing her. I only meant to look at her, to confront her. To punish her, maybe. But the moment I touched her... everything shifted.
The pain I've carried for centuries-my curse-it eased. Just for a moment. The constant ache that tightens around my heart like a noose loosened. The fire that usually gnaws at my soul calmed. I felt... light.
Her light.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "She's the reason," I whisper to the flames. "She's the cure."
And I can't let her go.
She doesn't know what she is. She doesn't know what her presence does to me. I thought she would scream and beg. Instead, she stood there like fire wrapped in silk. Unbroken. Unafraid.
Even her slap felt like a gift.
I chuckle under my breath, low and bitter. "Engaged?" I echo her words. "To a ghost who didn't come for you?"
No. She doesn't understand yet.
But she will.
"I won't let you leave me, Lunastia," I whisper, leaning forward, elbows on my knees, staring into the flames. "You belong to no one. And yet..."
I close my eyes, her scent still lingering in my mind. Sweet, delicate. Divine.
"...I want you to belong to me."
Not by force. Not by chains. But something more dangerous. More permanent.
And if every kiss dulls my curse...
I exhale. A part of me already knows: I'm losing control. Not to power, not to war-but to her.
The storm outside howls louder, but I don't move. I just sit there in the dark, waiting. Wanting.
She was sent to ruin me.
And I think I'll let her.
Luna's POV
I sat motionless on the bed as Meli stood near the tray of untouched food, her voice trembling.
"Miss, please… if you don't eat, His Majesty will have my head."
His Majesty? Does she really think he cares? If he did, I wouldn't be locked away in this golden cage like some broken thing.
I slowly rose and walked toward the balcony. The storm outside was violent—thunder roared, and rain poured like the heavens were weeping. The last time I witnessed such a storm, I was just a child. That day, my maid had whispered the cruel truth: "You're not the real princess."
Little me had believed her… and now, it's confirmed. I'm not just a princess—I'm something far more. Someone sealed my power, and now these monsters want me here for a reason. Why? What do they want from me?
But answers can wait. Right now, I have to save Sole—and the others. I need to get out of this hell.
My powers are faint in this place, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless.
I turned around, only to find Meli gone. She must have gone to tell that devil what I refused to do. That arrogant man. How dare he kiss me today? Once I return home, I'll make him pay.
I crept toward the door and cracked it open. Two guards stood right outside. Think, Luna. Think.
Then I saw it—a flowerpot nearby. I gave it a hard push. It shattered loudly against the floor.
As expected, the guards panicked.
"Your Highness! Are you okay?" one of them called, rushing in.
Perfect.
I hid behind the door. The moment he entered, I grabbed my blanket and wrapped it tightly around his head, muffling his cries. Then I used the Dipponipo method Kaelith taught me—self-defense magic masked as harmless gestures. To my surprise, it worked. He dropped, unconscious.
I barely had time to breathe before the second guard stormed in. Quickly, I ducked behind the door again and muttered a small spell. A spark of blue light flew from my fingertips. The second guard fell too.
I let out a shaky breath, heart pounding.
"Thanks, Kaelith," I whispered. "I didn't think I'd be using your teachings so soon."
Now… I have to move. Before they wake up.
I slipped into the hallway, my bare feet silent against the cold, polished floor. The corridor stretched endlessly, its walls carved from a strange dark stone that shimmered faintly under the flickering torchlight. Every step echoed softly, yet the silence felt heavy—as if the palace itself was listening.
This place... it's alive.
The energy pulsed faintly beneath my skin. A whisper in the air. Like it remembered.
As I moved deeper, something caught my eye.
"What is that?" I whispered.
Embedded in the wall, glowing faintly in the shadows, was a massive black crystal. It radiated an eerie beauty—deep, endless, like it held secrets from centuries past. I'd never seen a crystal so dark, yet so hypnotic.
I lifted my hand, slowly, drawn to it like a moth to flame.
No. Wait.
I stopped myself inches away. "What if it's a trap?" I muttered under my breath. "It could be an alarm, or cursed—or worse."
I pulled my hand back quickly and shook off the urge.
Focus, Luna. You're not here to admire cursed rocks.
I picked up my pace, trying to ignore the weight of the silence pressing in from all sides. The walls around me were covered in paintings—some ancient, some newer. Most were faded, but then—one made me stop.
A portrait.
It was of a woman.
She stood tall in the painting, draped in silver robes that shimmered like moonlight. Her hair was long and violet, cascading like silk, and her eyes—white. Not empty, but glowing. Ethereal. There was a strange power in her gaze, even through canvas.
"She's... beautiful," I breathed. "Who are you?"
I couldn't look away. Her aura seemed to hum through the walls. Something about her felt... familiar. Not her face. Not her features. But her presence.
I forced myself to look away, heart racing faster.
"This isn't the time, Luna. Move."
I started running now. The corridor twisted and turned, and the torches became fewer. My chest tightened.
Left. Right. Another hallway. Another staircase.
Everything looked the same.
I stopped, hands on my knees, panting.
"No... No, no, no—I think I'm lost."
The silence answered me. Heavy. Watching.
And somewhere far behind me—I thought I heard a door creak.
"Princess Lunastia."
That voice—familiar, sharp, and cold—froze me mid-step. I turned slowly.
Zeph.
The man who shot my soul—my fairy.
He stood a few feet away, eyes narrowed in confusion, as if he hadn't expected to see me wandering these halls.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone calm, but laced with suspicion.
My heart thudded. What should I say? Lie? Run? Beg?
"I… I…" I stammered, then quickly changed course. "Can you bring me to Sole?"
His brows pulled together. "What's that?"
"My fairy," I said, voice tightening. "The one you shot."
Recognition flickered in his eyes. His expression changed—just slightly—but enough for me to see guilt. Or was it surprise?
Before he could answer, a deep, commanding voice echoed from within the room behind him.
"Bring her in."
I stiffened. That voice... it held weight. Cold, steady, and powerful.
The Devil King.
He was here. He might know something. He might know everything.
Zeph looked back at the door, then at me, his jaw clenched. "Come," he said, not offering a hand, just turning and walking ahead.
My legs felt like stone, but I forced them forward.
If he knows where Sole is… if he knows why I'm here, who I truly am, what's happening to me… then I need answers.
Even if it means facing the devil himself.