Page 33 of Sinful Obsession

The sharp, searing pain in my chest from earlier strikes like a bolt of lightning, tearing a gasp from my lips. My hands fly to the source, scratching at my skin as though I can claw the fire out.Tears blur my vision as I stumble from the bed, desperate for relief. I race to the bathroom and turn to face the mirror.

That’s when I see it.

The pale skin of my chest is marked with a glowing symbol, lines of fire etched into my flesh, pulsing faintly like a second heartbeat. The design is intricate, otherworldly, almost demonic. It doesn’t belong to this world—or to me. Yet it feels… familiar.

“What is this?” My voice trembles, barely audible over my erratic heartbeat. I press my fingers to the symbol, the heat of it making me wince, and as I stare, the world tilts.

A wave crashes over me, pulling me under an ocean of memories I didn’t know existed. Faces and places flash before my eyes—too fast to make sense of, yet intense enough to leave an impression. I see myself, though not as Vienna. As someone else, someone older, someone stronger. A name whispers in the corners of my mind, echoing louder with every passing second.

“Lilith,” I whisper, my voice breaking as I meet my own reflection. The name feels right, powerful, as though it’s always been mine.

The memories come sharper now, their edges slicing through the haze of my mind. I see him—Asmodeus—in every life, waiting for me, calling me back. I see the portal, its fiery depths churning as I stand before it, my hands outstretched to let the darkness pour through. This is my role. My purpose. A cycle that repeats again and again, each time ending and beginning with him.

It’s almost beautiful, this twisted game we play. A dance between worlds, between chaos and creation. And I understand now why he’s so careful, why he only comes to me in the dark. The shadows are his refuge, a veil that keeps the balance intact. If he steps into the light, the angels—the very doctors who locked me in here—would know. They’ve spent lifetimes trying to stopus, trying to keep the portal sealed. But they can’t. They’ve failed before, and they’ll fail again.

My lips curl into a small, bitter smile as I turn away from the mirror. “They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”

The power surges through me suddenly, like a dam breaking. My knees buckle, and I grip the sink, my fingers trembling as the energy courses through my veins. It’s overwhelming and for a moment, I’m certain I’ll burn alive from the inside out. But then it settles, pooling in the middle of the symbol.

And then I feel it—another crack.

The portal is weakening, its fragile prison giving way to the power behind it. I can feel the connection, the tether that binds me to it. And with every breath, it grows stronger.

“You’re close,” I murmur to myself, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “We’re so close.”

The warmth behind me is instant. I don’t need to turn around to know he’s there.

“Hello, love,” Asmodeus murmurs against the back of my neck. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

I stand to meet his gaze in the mirror, his crimson eyes glowing with a mix of pride and hunger. He looks at me like I’m the center of the universe, and for the first time, I feel like I might actually be. We stay like that for several minutes before his presence disappears, leaving me with the realization of who I am.

Lilith.

27 – Asmodeus

Ireturn to hell, resting against the very throne set aside from my woman. She’s finally assumed who she is, an event that would always come to pass no matter how hard the angels try to postpone it.

Across from me, Satan, lounges on his throne. He’s laughing, the faint fire dancing around him

“You’ve done it again,” he booms, slapping a hand against the armrest of his throne. The sound rings out in the darkness, metal against the leather form he now holds. “You’ve found her, my clever son. Against all odds, you’ve found Lilith yet again.”

I lean back, a smirk playing at the corner of my lips. “Was there ever any doubt, Father?”

Satan shakes his head, his laughter tapering off into a low chuckle. “Oh, the angels tried. They always do, don’t they? Hiding her, scattering her essence across the mortal plane, wrapping her up in new names, new lives. But they always fail.”

“She has to exist,” I reply, very proud of my efforts. “They know that as well as we do. Balance requires her. Without Lilith, their precious light would collapse under the weight of itself. They need our destruction to rebuild.”

“And yet,” Satan says, his grin widening, “they never stop trying to keep her from you. I wonder why they bother. They must know by now that it’s futile.”

I shrug. “They don’t understand her like I do. Lilith is chaos and creation wrapped in mortal flesh. She belongs to the darkness, no matter how hard they try to mold her into something else. I’d recognize her in any form, in any life.”

Satan leans forward, his crimson gaze locking onto mine. “How is it that you always find her? Tell me, my son. What is it about her that calls to you?” It’s such a contrast between now and a few days ago when he was berating me for being distracted by a human. Then again, he’s always been like that where I am concerned. How he hasn’t come to trust that I know what I’m doing is beyond me.

I pause, considering his question. How do I explain something so instinctual, so intrinsic to my very being? “It’s everything,” I finally push out. “The way she moves, the way she looks at the world. Her defiance, her hunger for something more. Lilith is my goddess of darkness. She’s written into the marrow of my existence. I don’t need to look for her—I feel her. I always will.”

Satan laughs again, the sound rolling through the space like thunder. “You’re a sentimental fool,” he says, though his tone carries no malice. “But a clever one. This game you play with the angels, with the mortal world—it’s entertaining, I’ll give you that.”

I allow myself a small smile, basking in his praise. He played a game with the angels, with the supposed god himself and while everyone believes he lost, Satan now has a kingdom to himself. “It’s not just a game to me. It’s a reunion. Every time I find her,every time I wake her, it’s a reminder of what they can’t take from us. The angels can try to hide her, bury her under their rules and sanctity, but they’ll never erase what we are.”

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