Page 32 of Demon's Dark Love

The chamber seals itself with a deafening thud, a shockwave of energy blasting Bethana back into the corridor. The door slams shut, cutting us off from the outside world. I hear her scream in fury, but it's muffled, distant.

I look around, the walls of the chamber glowing with a faint, otherworldly light through my haze of pain. "The artifact must have activated some kind of protective barrier. We're safe. For now."

"Safe," she repeats, a hint of sarcasm in her strained voice. "In a sealed room with an angry demon queen outside. Something happening to our bodies that may kill us with the worst pain of our lives. Sure, let's call it safe."

I can't help but chuckle. "Well, it's an improvement over imminent death, isn't it?"

She gives me a wry smile then gasps in pain. "I suppose."

13

LILY

Pain radiates through my body, intense and unyielding. I grit my teeth, clutching Enoch's hand as if my life depends on it. Maybe it does.

"Hold on, Lily," Enoch growls, his voice strained. His grip tightens, claws digging into my skin. The warmth of his hand contrasts with the cold sweat covering my own.

"Easy for you to say," I gasp, feeling a wave of nausea. "You're used to this magic stuff."

He lets out a rough laugh. "Trust me, this is new for me too."

The chamber pulses with an eerie glow, shadows dancing on the walls. Each pulse sends another jolt of pain through us, but I focus on Enoch's face. His crimson eyes are filled with determination.

"What do you think is happening?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Transformation," he says simply. "We're becoming something else."

I can't help but laugh, a sharp, almost hysterical sound. "Something else? Could you be more vague?"

He manages a smirk despite the pain. "It's a gift."

A searing pain lances through my spine, and I arch my back, biting down a scream.

Minutes stretch into an eternity, but slowly, the pain begins to ebb. We collapse into each other, breathing hard, our bodies trembling. The chamber falls silent, save for our ragged breaths.

"Something’s different," I say, looking up at him. His face is the same, but there's an intensity in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"Yeah," he says, his voice low. "But in a good way. I feel more connected to you."

I nod, understanding. There's a new bond between us, something deeper than before. It's as if our very souls have intertwined.

"Look," I say, holding up my arm. Strange markings, faint but unmistakable, iridescent patterns on my skin. "Do you have these too?"

Enoch examines his own arm, then looks back at me. "Yeah, I do. It's like a map."

"A map to what?" I ask, curiosity piqued.

"To us," he says, his voice softening. "To what we've become."

I lean into him, feeling a strange sense of peace. "And what is that, exactly?"

He wraps an arm around me, his touch gentle despite his strength. "Something new. Something powerful. Together."

For the first time in what feels like forever, I allow myself to hope. "So, what now?"

Enoch's eyes meet mine, and there's a fire there that makes my heart race. "Now, we embrace it. We use this power to make the world we want."

The chamber shakes, and I feel the ground beneath us begin to crumble. Dust and small stones rain down, and the walls pulse with an unsettling energy.

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