Page 39 of Sinful Obsession

The patients relax, their despair giving way to hope. The angels, however, stand stiffly, their monotone speech continuing as though on autopilot.

“It’s working,” I murmur, more to myself than anyone else.

Vienna tilts her head, watching me with a curious smile. “You’re good at this.”

“I know,” I joke.

The session drags on, the angels’ words losing all meaning as the room falls into a strange sense of peace. By the time it ends, Vienna looks more alive than I’ve ever seen her, her laughter ringing through the hallway as we leave.

She’s losing herself, and part of me wonders if that’s the point.

32 – Ewan

Ilead Vienna back from the meeting, her presence beside me radiating a strange mix of confidence and anxiety. The weight of what’s to come presses down on me, a steady reminder that my role in this is inevitable. It’s not something I want to do, but it’s something Ihaveto do. Death always is.

The hallway stretches ahead, empty and quiet now that the orderlies have been neutralized by Nevan and Vito. Their absence makes the building feel eerily hollow. Vienna glances at me, her lips pressed together in thought, but she doesn’t speak until we reach the door to our room.

“Do you regret it?” she asks softly, her voice cutting through the stillness.

I pause, my hand on the doorknob. “Regret what?”

“Being who you are. Death.”

I open the door without answering, motioning for her to step inside. The others aren’t here yet; they’re giving us space, whether out of respect or necessity, I don’t know.

“Regret doesn’t matter,” I say finally, crossing the room to lean against the wall. “It doesn’t change what I am.”

“But you didn’t choose it,” she presses, her arms folding across her chest. “None of you did.”

“No,” I admit, my voice quieter now. “But that doesn’t make it any less real.”

She steps closer. “And now you have to use it.”

I nod, the weight of her words sinking into my chest. “In order to open the portal, I have to take a soul. Not just kill someone—takethem. Hold them in my hands, strip them from their body, and claim them as mine.”

Vienna’s breath hitches, but she doesn’t look away. “What happens to you when you do?”

I let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through my hair. “It changes you. Death always does. The first time is… permanent. Once I do this, there’s no going back. Whatever scraps of humanity I still have will be gone.”

“Do you want that?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” I say, my tone sharper than I intend. “It’s what has to happen. I don’t have a choice.”

She bites her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. “What about my soul?”

I stiffen, my body going cold. “What are you talking about?”

“Take mine.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” she demands, stepping closer so that there’s mere inches between us. “I’m not just Vienna anymore. I’m Lilith. And when this is over, Vienna will be gone. She’s already fading. Why shouldn’t you take her soul? It’s not like I’ll need it.”

“You don’t understand,” I snap, my fists clenching at my sides. “If I take your soul, you’ll—”

“I’ll what?” she interrupts, her voice rising. “Die? Be destroyed? I’m already being destroyed, Ewan. Every minutethat passes, I lose more of myself to her. And maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be. But if giving you my soul helps us open the portal, then it’s worth it.”

I stare at her, my chest tightening. She’s serious. Deadly serious. And the worst part is, she’s right. Vienna is already fading, her humanity eroding under the weight of Lilith’s presence. But taking her soul? It feels like crossing a line I can’t uncross.

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