- 1 day ago
Discovering That My Stepbrother Has A Crush On Me
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00:00:00The moment my best friend learned the truth about my immortality and my enormous fortune,
00:00:04she hired a practitioner of dark sorcery and set a trap to have me killed and sent straight to the
00:00:09underworld. All so she could take my life essence for herself. On the rooftop of a Manhattan
00:00:15skyscraper, I sobbed so hard I could barely breathe. Please don't kill me! I'll give you
00:00:20everything! The trust fund, all of it, every dollar! I was terrified of dying. Truly, utterly
00:00:31terrified. Because my ex-husband, the one who ruled the underworld, had sworn the day I left him that
00:00:37if he ever saw me again, he would throw me into the lake of fire, peel my skin, tear me
00:00:42apart piece
00:00:43by piece. Vanessa, we've known each other for 10 years. I've always been good to you. Please just
00:00:50let me go! I'll transfer everything to you! Please! I dropped to my knees on the rough
00:01:00concrete of the rooftop. My dignity shattered, nearly smashing my forehead against the ground
00:01:05as I begged. Vanessa let out a cold laugh. The pointed tip of her designer heel tilted my chin up.
00:01:12I don't just want your money. She said, I want your endless life. Aren't we best friends?
00:01:19What's yours is mine. If you really care about me, then give it all to me. She shot a look
00:01:27at the
00:01:27black-robed sorcerer beside her. He understood immediately. Grabbing a fistful of my hair,
00:01:35he dragged me toward the edge. 33 stories below, a demonic-packed circle had already been drawn in
00:01:42blood. If I fell and died, everything would go exactly as they planned. I would not even have
00:01:48the chance at reincarnation. Vanessa had made sure of that. No revenge. No lingering spirit.
00:01:56She intended to erase me completely. The freezing New York wind slammed into my face as I struggled,
00:02:03clawing backward. But her greed had already spiraled out of control the moment she learned my secret.
00:02:09She rushed forward and, together with the sorcerer, kicked me over the edge. As I fell,
00:02:16the rushing air drowned out everything. My senses blurred into nothing. Then came the impact.
00:02:23A deafening crash exploded in my ears as my body hit the ground, reduced to a mangled ruin of flesh
00:02:29and blood. When I regained awareness, I was no longer alive. I was in spirit form, standing in the
00:02:36underworld. Two infernal guards stood beside me, each gripping a thumb-thick soul shackle.
00:02:43The other end was locked tightly around my neck. A heavy fog surrounded us, but the distant wails
00:02:49and screams were painfully clear. I had been here before. This was the entrance to the gates of hell,
00:02:56and I had my damned ex-husband to thank for that. Back when I tried to leave him, he had
00:03:03dragged me here
00:03:04himself, eyes burning red, just to scare me. He never actually threw me in. But now,
00:03:11I was about to be erased for good. I was murdered! I cried, struggling not to be dragged forward.
00:03:18I didn't do anything wrong! One of the guards, a man with a thin mustache,
00:03:23pulled a barbed whip from his belt and lashed me without hesitation. The pain tore straight through
00:03:28my soul. I collapsed instantly, unable even to scream. He said coldly. I don't care where you're
00:03:36from. Once you're in our hands, you're done. If it was a choice between immediate damnation and
00:03:42taking a gamble, I would take the gamble. What if Lucien still remembered me? What if there was even
00:03:49the slightest chance? He'd show mercy? Anything was better than soul obliteration. My voice trembled as I
00:03:56forced the words out. I know you're lord of the undergaled. I know Lucien. I want to see him.
00:04:03The two guards exchanged a glance. Then the whip came down again. This time, I felt something inside
00:04:11me crack. A fracture ran through my very soul, and I couldn't speak another word. The mustached guard spat at
00:04:19me.
00:04:21You think you get to say his majesty the underlord's name just like that? I don't care how you learned
00:04:27it. Keep your head down unless you want more pain. Powerless, I was dragged forward like a dead animal.
00:04:35The other guard, who had been watching quietly, looked uneasy. What if she's telling the truth?
00:04:41What if something goes wrong? The mustached guard scoffed. What's there to be afraid of? That sorcerer
00:04:49said she's no saint. There's no record of her in the Ledger of Souls. Picked up a few tricks of
00:04:53dark
00:04:53sorcery, that's all. Of course she'd know his majesty's name. You're too soft. If the higher-ups can't find
00:04:59her, then it's not our problem. We're getting paid. Let's move. No point dragging this out.
00:05:05At that point, I understood everything. They had been bought off by Vanessa and that sorcerer.
00:05:12Guards of hell, taking bribes to do something like this. When I saw the towering gates of hell ahead,
00:05:19carved with grotesque demonic figures, a deep, uncontrollable terror shook my soul. The guards
00:05:25cast a spell, and the massive gates began to open slowly. My heart sank into despair. Then suddenly,
00:05:32a voice rang out from behind us, drawing closer. New arrival? Has she gone through the judgment
00:05:40process yet? My heart lurched. I recognized that voice. Cole, a high-ranking reaper. And he knew who
00:05:49I was. I stared at the tall figure emerging from the mist, my heart pounding as I forced out his
00:05:55name.
00:05:55Cole? The moment I spoke, a hand clamped over my mouth. One of the guards dragged me behind a
00:06:02massive rock, silencing me before I could say another word. Through the haze, I watched as Cole
00:06:09was stopped by the moustached guard. Panics surged through me. I struggled wildly, only to be struck
00:06:15hard in the lower back. The blow knocking the air out of me. The moustached guard quickly pulled out a
00:06:21pack of Marlboros, his face breaking into a psychophantic grin. Lord Cole, what brings you
00:06:27here today? Got something good from the human world, strong stuff. Wanna try one? Cole brushed dust off
00:06:33his black coat, clearly irritated. Cut it out. I asked you a question. Has that wandering spirit gone
00:06:41through the judgment process? The guard swallowed, his confidence faltering. Yeah, of course. We
00:06:48wouldn't dare skip procedure. You and Selena have been swapped lately, right? Go ahead, take a break.
00:06:54Cole accepted the cigarette and lit it, saying nothing more. The fog was too thick for him to see me
00:07:01clearly. Desperation took over. I bit down hard on the hand covering my mouth. The guard yelped and let
00:07:09go. I bolted toward Cole, but before I could take more than a step, a heavy kick sent me flashing
00:07:15to the
00:07:16ground. A boot slammed onto my face, grinding me into the volcanic ash. It filled my mouth and
00:07:22throat. I couldn't spit it out. I couldn't make a sound. Thankfully, the commotion caught Cole's
00:07:30attention. He stepped closer. What's going on over there? The guard I had bitten pressed his foot down
00:07:37harder in retaliation, as if trying to crush my skull. Nothing serious, just a restless spirit. Still
00:07:48struggling even after getting this far. You know the type. None of them are innocent. No need to dirty
00:07:56your hands. Cole paused, then stopped approaching. Be careful. Every one of them was a criminal in life.
00:08:05No mistakes. Send her in. With that, he turned and disappeared back into the mist. And just like
00:08:13that, whatever hope I had left died with him. The moustached guard bowed and scraped until Cole was
00:08:19gone. The moment he turned back, his expression twisted with anger. He rushed over and kicked me
00:08:25several times, then raised his whip and lashed out again and again, venting his fury. It didn't take
00:08:32long before my soul was covered in wounds, barely holding together, unrecognizable. Finally, he grabbed
00:08:39my chin and forced my face up. You little bitch. Almost ruined everything for us. Don't worry. Once
00:08:48you're inside, I'll take real good care of you myself. I was thrown into the first circle of hell like
00:08:54a
00:08:54piece of trash. This level was reserved for the thousand-spike torment. Everywhere I looked, there
00:09:01were iron maidens and racks of torment. Souls were. Bound to them, each body pierced by thousands of steel
00:09:07needles like grotesque. Human pin cushions. Here, souls were not allowed the mercy of destruction,
00:09:14which meant the screaming never stopped. A chill ran through me as I forced out the last of my strength,
00:09:20my voice shaking. I really do know. Lucian, if you treat me like this, and he finds out, he won't
00:09:30you get
00:09:30away with it? It was mostly a bluff. Lucian would not care whether I lived or died. If anything, he
00:09:37probably
00:09:37never wanted to see me again. Otherwise, he would not have given me ageless immortality, leaving me alone
00:09:44in the human world, unable to age, unable to die. He was making sure I would never come back here
00:09:54and
00:09:54bother him. Once I crossed this threshold, the guards no longer saw me as a threat. The mustached guard
00:10:00patted my face mockingly. His grin cruel. What's wrong with you? Watch too many Hollywood dramas?
00:10:07You think someone like you gets to even think about his majesty, the underlord? My head was knocked to
00:10:13the side. A wave of nausea hit me, and I coughed up a mouthful of black mist. My soul felt
00:10:20thinner,
00:10:21more transparent. They strapped me onto a rack of torment. The mustached guard grinned as he picked
00:10:27up a soul-piercing spike, each one as long as my forearm. Hang in there. There are 17 more levels
00:10:34waiting for you. We've got plenty of time. He raised one of the spikes and drove it straight
00:10:39toward my thigh. No matter how tough you think you are, everyone breaks down here. The tip pierced
00:10:45half an inch into me. The pain tore through my soul like it was being ripped apart. My entire body
00:10:52shook
00:10:52uncontrollably. A voice cut through the air. The spike was yanked back out. I gasped, forcing
00:11:04my eyes open to see who had arrived. It was Harris, the warden of the pit for this level.
00:11:10I remembered him. Back when Lucien had dragged me to the gates of hell to scare me,
00:11:16Harris had been there, trying to calm him down. Your majesty, the underlord, the concert queen
00:11:21is just being impulsive. There's no need to be so angry. You might hurt her. Hope flared inside me
00:11:27again. After all these years, maybe he's still remembered. Harris? Warden Harris? It's me? Please, help me?
00:11:43After everything I had endured, I was completely drained. My throat felt raw, like it had been
00:11:49scraped against sandpaper. But I knew Harris had heard me. He stared straight at me, studying my
00:11:55face as if trying to place it. Then I saw it. The sudden contraction of his pupils. The flicker of
00:12:02shock and fear. He recognized me. Relief barely had time to surface before he looked away, avoiding my
00:12:09gaze. As if nothing had happened, he turned to the guards. We just received word from above. They want to
00:12:16witness this woman's soul absturation in person. They're almost here. Hold off for now. I froze,
00:12:22disbelief flooding through me. Harris was in on it too. He had recognized me and still chose to do
00:12:28nothing. The last bit of hope I had left was extinguished. A bitter laugh slipped out of me.
00:12:35Lucien. So this is your underworld. Your domain, where your subordinates take. Bribes, bend the rules,
00:12:43and do whatever they want without consequence. And Vanessa. I had underestimated her. I could not
00:12:50decide if she was bold or cowardly. Bold enough to come all the way here. Cowardly enough that she
00:12:56needed to see me destroyed with her own eyes, just to feel safe enjoying my endless life and my money.
00:13:01Soon, the mist ahead began to clear. Vanessa and the sorcerer arrived. They had used astral projection
00:13:09through dark sorcery, their souls temporarily separated from their bodies.
00:13:16At first, Vanessa looked uneasy. The instruments of torture, the endless screams, all of it made her
00:13:23cling tightly to the sorcerer, afraid to stray even a step. But when she saw how familiar he was with
00:13:28the
00:13:28guards and even Harris, exchanging knowing glances, her confidence returned. After all, she was the one
00:13:35paying. She walked toward me with arrogant ease, took a red-hot spike from one of the guards,
00:13:40her face twisted with excitement.
00:13:43Serafana, I should thank you. Without you, I never would have experienced what it's like to live among
00:13:50the elite in the Upper East Side. Turns out money really can make anything happen. With enough of it,
00:13:56I can even walk through hell itself. And now I get to watch you, the untouchable heiress.
00:14:04Nailed down like a dog. You've lived long enough. I'll take it from here. Go quietly. That's the only
00:14:09way I can feel at ease. I looked at her, numb, forcing myself to endure the pain.
00:14:15Wasn't I good to you? Even as I said it, I knew how pointless the question was. If she had
00:14:20any
00:14:20conscience at all, none of this would be happening. Vanessa burst into laughter, almost hysterical.
00:14:27You think you were good to me? I worked as your assistant. Wore your outdated designer hand-me-downs.
00:14:35Stood next to you at parties like a prop. Even the way men looked at me. Like I was just
00:14:43an extension of you.
00:14:44And you call that being good to me? I said nothing. There was no arguing with someone like her.
00:14:55When I first met her, Chicago was in the middle of a brutal snowstorm. She had been standing there in
00:15:01a thin, worn-out jacket, shivering, on the verge of freezing. She had come from some remote town,
00:15:08couldn't afford rent, couldn't find a job, and was about to end up on the streets.
00:15:13I took her in. I never needed a personal assistant. I had long been used to being alone. I gave
00:15:20her the
00:15:20job out of sympathy. I treated her like a friend. Anything she wanted, as long as it wasn't unreasonable.
00:15:27I gave it to her. Her salary was higher than most senior professionals on Wall Street. Over time,
00:15:34she stopped seeing herself as an employee. She took more and more. She wore my limited edition gowns
00:15:41without asking. Used my black card. I had been too lenient. She started to believe we were equals.
00:15:49Worse. That she could replace me. My real mistake was trusting her. One night, drunk,
00:15:55I told her my secret. My ageless immortality. My silence now only fueled her madness.
00:16:04She leaned in close, her eyes filled with venom. Nothing to say now, right? You agree with me,
00:16:10don't you? You never saw me as a friend. You were just handing out charity. Go to hell!
00:16:16She raised the spike and drove it down toward my heart. A wet, sickening sound echoed. She did not hold
00:16:24back.
00:16:28Harris and the guards exchanged uneasy looks. Destroying a soul core outright would cause serious
00:16:34disturbance. But none of them stopped her. They simply watched. Black mist poured from my mouth.
00:16:41My soul essence was leaking away. My body turned increasingly transparent. My thoughts grew.
00:16:49Sluggish. My vision blurred. Vanessa kept screaming, completely unhinged, stabbing spike after spike
00:16:59into me. My face was shredded, every wound leaking dark smoke. And then, through the thick haze,
00:17:06I saw him. Lucien. Walking toward me. He looked exactly the same. More striking than any Hollywood
00:17:14star I had seen in centuries. Time had left no mark in him. His black velvet robe was embroidered,
00:17:21with dark gold patterns, a symbol of absolute power. His long dark hair flowed like a cascade.
00:17:28His features were sharp, flawless. His gaze carried a terrifying weight that made people want to fall to
00:17:34their knees. The kind of man you could not look away from. The kind of man you feared. Was this
00:17:41a
00:17:41hallucination? It had to be. A dying illusion. He would never want to see me again. And yet,
00:17:50why had everything suddenly gone silent? The guards, Harris, even the arrogant sorcerer.
00:17:56All of them were trembling. And kneeling.
00:18:02Your majesty, the underlord! What brings you here in person?
00:18:06Harris was shaking uncontrollably, kneeling ramrod straight as cold sweat dripped. From his
00:18:12forehead onto the black stone beneath him, taking bribes from the living was already a grave offense.
00:18:18Allowing living souls to enter hell, and even carrying out unauthorized punishment,
00:18:24made it far worse. And now he had been caught red-handed by the ruler of the underworld himself.
00:18:30There would be no good ending to this. The sorcerer's face drained of color. He quickly
00:18:36yanked Vanessa away from me. Stopping her frenzied stabbing, and forced her down to her knees beside
00:18:42him, pressing, her head low. Lucian's gaze swept across everyone present. Cold. Cutting. Absolute.
00:18:51The air itself seemed to freeze under the weight of it. Behind him, the high chamberlain, Sebastian,
00:18:58stepped forward and barked, his voice, thunderous. Outrageous.
00:19:04If his majesty had not come today, who knows how far your in arrogance would have gone.
00:19:15The two guards who had dragged me here lowered their heads as far as possible, as if. They wished they
00:19:22could disappear into the ground. I wanted to speak, but my mind was slipping. The wounds in my chest and
00:19:30face tore at me with. Unbearable pain. All I could manage were shallow, broken breaths.
00:19:37Would he recognize me? And if he did, what then? Would he pull me out of this nightmare? Or would
00:19:44he
00:19:45do exactly what he once promised? Throw me into the lake of fire. Tear me apart and watch me suffer.
00:19:53At this point, it hardly mattered. I was already close to soul obliteration. My vision of him was
00:20:00starting to blur, splitting into overlapping shadows. After a long silence, Lucian finally spoke. His
00:20:08voice was calm, slow, and colder than ancient ice. Harris, I entrusted the first circle of hell to you.
00:20:18This is how you carry out your duty? Allowing a living soul to enter my domain and administering
00:20:25private punishment on my ground? Harris slammed his forehead against the floor over and over,
00:20:30even harder than I had, when begging Vanessa earlier.
00:20:40I was wrong. I know I was wrong. It was those two guards. Greed got the better of them. They
00:20:47brought
00:20:47the living in. I had no idea. Before your majesty arrived, I was just about to drive them out.
00:20:53The two guards immediately snapped. Even in front of Lucian, they could not hold back.
00:20:58This is your territory. If a living person got in, that's your failure. Hmph.
00:21:04The mustached guard shot back. You took the bigger share of the money. How dare you turn on us now?
00:21:10Harris's face twisted with fury.
00:21:14You were the ones who came up with this scheme. You dragged me into it.
00:21:19Your majesty, please see the truth. I finally understood. Lucian was not here to save me.
00:21:25He had sensed something wrong with the barrier, realized his subordinates were,
00:21:30breaking the rules, and came to deal with it. I just happened to be here. An extra piece in someone
00:21:37else's disaster. At this point, I felt almost invisible. The sorcerer and Vanessa were at the
00:21:44center of the storm. As the three of them turned on each other, blaming and accusing Lucian let out a
00:21:50quiet scoff. The sound struck like a hammer against every soul present.
00:21:57Enough. His voice carried finality. Since they are here, those two living souls will not be returning.
00:22:06Strip them of bodily perception. Detain them for judgment. He paused, then cast a cold glance at Harris
00:22:13and the two guards. As for you, you knew the law and broke it. You will be cast into the
00:22:20abyss of demons.
00:22:22You will become hellhounds for all eternity, burned by hellfire, never to rise again.
00:22:28Harris went completely still. Still kneeling, he collapsed backward, his face drained of all color,
00:22:35too stunned even, to beg. The two guards looked no different. Pure despair. Vanessa,
00:22:43slower to process, finally understood what not returning meant. She stared at her semi-transparent
00:22:50hands and panicked, scrambling to her feet. You can't do this! I'm not supposed to die yet!
00:22:56Don't you have rules in hell? I paid for this! She could not let go.
00:23:03Not of the life she had just stolen from me. Not of the endless wealth waiting for her in
00:23:08Manhattan. The sorcerer, terrified she would drag him down with her, grabbed at her leg and hissed
00:23:15under his breath. Are you insane? Get down on your knees. She shook him off violently and pointed
00:23:22straight at Lucian. I'm leaving now. Send me back. If you don't, you'll regret it. The sorcerer shut his
00:23:30eyes. He did not dare move. Vanessa grabbed him by the collar and shook him, her face twisted with
00:23:36rage. What are you doing? I paid you a million dollars! Do your job! I said I'm going back now!
00:23:43She had no idea. Lucian despised noise. And he had no tolerance for mortals who overstepped in his
00:23:51presence. The next second, he simply lifted a finger. Vanessa's soul was struck as if by an
00:23:58invisible hammer. Her body flew backward like a severed kite. As if fate itself were mocking her,
00:24:04she landed hard on a metal table covered with. Instruments of torture. More than a dozen red-hot
00:24:11soul-piercing spikes drove straight to her back. Her scream tore through the entire first circle of hell.
00:24:17Now she understood. The pain. The horror. Her face twisted beyond recognition as she shrieked.
00:24:25Silence her. Sebastian raised a hand, his voice cold. Several high-ranking guards stepped forward
00:24:33immediately, forcing her down, covering her mouth as the spikes burned through her. When it was over,
00:24:39silence returned. Heavy. Absolute. Only then did Lucian slowly turn his head.
00:24:46And look at me. I could feel it. His gaze. Cold. Distant. Like he was looking at something worthless.
00:24:56Like I was nothing more than trash. Sebastian read the shift in Lucian's expression
00:25:02immediately and stepped forward, his tone sharp and authoritative. Who are you? State your name.
00:25:08Why were you brought here without going through the judgment process?
00:25:12Even after being sentenced, Harris clearly was not ready to give up. He was still trying to salvage
00:25:20something, anything. If it came out that I had been smuggled and through bribery, bypassing the proper
00:25:25process, his fate would only get worse. And if Lucian actually recognized me, he spoke first, rushing to cover
00:25:34it up. Your majesty. She's just a newly dead, wandering spirit. No idea how she slipped in.
00:25:39Anyone who ends up here isn't innocent. She even tried to attack the guards just now. There's no need
00:25:43for you to concern yourself. I'll dispose of her immediately. Lucian's brow furrowed slightly,
00:25:48displeasure flashing across his face. His gaze cut toward Harris like a blade. Before he could say
00:25:54anything, Sebastian stepped in and kicked Harris to the ground. You were not addressed. Keep your mouth
00:26:00shut. One more word, and you go to the abyss now. I tried to speak. Tried to call out. But
00:26:08my throat
00:26:09only produced a hollow, rasping hiss. Black wisps of soul energy kept spilling from my mouth. When no clear
00:26:17answer came, Sebastian approached me himself. He examined my condition with visible disgust,
00:26:23then turned back to Lucian and shook his head. Your majesty. Her soul is severely damaged. It's on
00:26:32the verge of collapse. I'm afraid we won't get much out of her. Lucian had always been a ruler of
00:26:37order
00:26:37and strict law. He did not tolerate any disruption to the rules of the underworld. Verify her identity.
00:26:43If she does not belong here, stabilize her soul if possible. Then determine whether she should be
00:26:48returned to the living world or sent into the cycle of rebirth. Sebastian bowed. He immediately ordered
00:26:56someone to bring the ledger of souls. While they waited, Vanessa was still struggling on the ground,
00:27:03twisting and thrashing, trying to pull the spikes out of her body. She still did not understand what
00:27:08kind of existence she had just provoked. All she could think about was getting back to the living
00:27:13world. Back to my luxury penthouse. Back to spending my money, living the life she had always envied.
00:27:21Soon, a clerk hurried over, carrying a massive, faintly glowing ledger of souls. Sebastian took it
00:27:28and stepped closer to me again, looking down from above. Your name. I gathered what little strength I had
00:27:35left. From deep in my throat, I forced out a single word, barely more than a whisper.
00:27:44Sebastian did not recognize me. He must have taken this position sometime in the last few centuries.
00:27:50He began flipping through the ledger, his fingers moving quickly as he searched the records of the
00:27:56corresponding years. Seconds passed. Then minutes. His movements slowed. Something was wrong. A thin
00:28:05sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. That's not possible. How could this be?
00:28:13Lucien's patient snapped. He was not known for tolerance, and even less for restraint. The temperature
00:28:20around him seemed to drop instantly. A dark, violent aura surfaced beneath his composed exterior.
00:28:26What is the delay? How long does it take to check a name?
00:28:33Sebastian dropped to his knees with a thud, raising the ledger above his head with trembling hands.
00:28:38Your Majesty. Please forgive me. I have checked every record. This woman. Her name does not exist in the
00:28:45ledger of souls. A bitter smile flickered inside me. Of course it didn't. That had been Lucien's doing.
00:28:53His punishment. To erase my name. To leave me wandering the human world. Unable to die. Unable to enter
00:29:01reincarnation. He in hell. Me in the mortal world. Forever separated. Never crossing paths again.
00:29:10Lucien. Lucien, however, did not make the connection. Too much time had passed. His first instinct was
00:29:19that someone had tampered with the ledger, daring to challenge his authority. Fury surged. Black energy
00:29:26roiled around him as he snatched the ledger from Sebastian, flipping through it himself.
00:29:33What is her name? Sebastian's voice trembled. She calls herself Serafina.
00:29:42The moment the name left his lips, Lucien's hand froze. His pupils contracted sharply. For the first time,
00:29:50something cracked through that cold, untouchable composure. Shock. Disbelief. Something deeper.
00:29:59His gaze snapped up from the ledger and locked onto me. Pinned to the rack of torment. Broken. Barely holding
00:30:07together. In the blink of an eye, black mist surged. He appeared in front of me like a phantom,
00:30:17bringing with him a suffocating chill. His long, cold fingers shot out and gripped my chin,
00:30:24forcing my head up. His brows were drawn tight. His gaze sharp as a hawk's, as if he were trying
00:30:30to see
00:30:31through the ruin of my face and uncover who I really was. But there was nothing left to recognize.
00:30:37Vanessa had carved my face into a mess of crisscrossing wounds with those.
00:30:43Soul-piercing spikes. Black mist seeped from every cut. Whatever beauty I once have was gone without a
00:30:50trace. He stared at me for a long time. Something unreadable flickered in his expression, as if he
00:30:57was struggling to confirm what he was seeing. Is it really you? His voice was low, restrained.
00:31:03The pain made it impossible to breathe. I could only give the faintest nod. The moment he got his answer,
00:31:10his grip tightened. I felt my jaw creak under the pressure. His eyes darkened instantly.
00:31:17Did you forget what I told you when I let you go? A storm gathering beneath them. Of course I
00:31:23had not
00:31:23forgotten. Those words were carved into my soul. The day he released me, he had stood before the
00:31:30gates of hell, looking down at me with cold indifference, warning that if he ever saw me again,
00:31:35he would throw me into the lake of fire and personally tear me apart, leaving me to suffer
00:31:40for eternity. I had no strength left to argue. I could only curl my lips into a faint, broken smile,
00:31:49one that looked more like a grimace than anything else. It did not matter anymore.
00:31:59This shattered soul of mine would not last long enough for him to carry out that threat anyway.
00:32:03At any moment, I would disappear. Suddenly, he let go of me. With a look of disgust,
00:32:10he took out a black silk handkerchief and wiped his fingers, his voice cold and cutting.
00:32:15Pathetic. You insisted on leaving me. I thought you would make quite a life for yourself in the
00:32:19human world, and this is what you've become. What a disgrace. He sounded almost satisfied.
00:32:26Seeing me like this must have fed his pride. When I left, I had walked away without looking back,
00:32:32proud and unyielding. Now, nothing had changed for him. He was still the lord of the underworld,
00:32:39standing above everything. And me? I was nothing more than a broken soul,
00:32:45betrayed by my own assistant, nailed to a torture rack, on the verge of being erased. He did not let
00:32:52me
00:32:54disappear. Instead, he turned sharply to Sebastian. Take her away. Find the best physician in the
00:32:59nether realm. Do whatever it takes to stabilize her soul. Without my permission, she is not to die.
00:33:04So he wanted to keep me alive. Of course, Lucien had always been vindictive. Petty, even. Being abandoned
00:33:12by a woman was not something he would ever let go. If he was going to settle this, he would
00:33:18do it
00:33:18personally. The treatment was worse than torture. Every drop of medicine poured onto my wounds felt
00:33:24like my soul was being torn apart and stitched back together again. I did not know if I had lost
00:33:30consciousness or if I was simply drifting in and out under the weight of the pain. That was when I
00:33:35realized something. Even a soul could dream. And the dreams felt terrifyingly real.
00:33:43I saw everything. From the moment I met Lucien, to the time we fell in love, to the day we
00:33:49tore each
00:33:50other apart. Back then, he had found the underworld unbearably dull and decided to wander the human
00:33:56world. On a freezing winter night, during the Great Depression in New York, he found me. I had been
00:34:03young, starving, on the verge of death. In those days, the economy had collapsed. People died on the
00:34:11streets every day. Lives meant nothing. And yet, somehow, I caught his attention. Lucky. Or perhaps
00:34:20terribly unlucky. He hid his identity, becoming a wealthy gentleman. He stayed by my side as I grew up,
00:34:28giving me everything. My first love was him. My first time was him. He became my entire world.
00:34:36He kept his secret flawlessly hidden. It was not until I fell ill and died that I learned the truth.
00:34:43When my soul was brought to the underworld, I saw him sitting on his throne. That was when I realized
00:34:49who he really was. At the time, he believed he had given me a great gift. A short but happy
00:34:55life in the
00:34:56human world, spent under his protection. We had been husband and wife. So naturally, in his mind,
00:35:03I should remain in the underworld, by his side forever. His obedient consort queen.
00:35:11At first, I thought the same. Love blinded me. But I was not made for that world. I was a
00:35:19modern woman.
00:35:21I wanted freedom. The rigid, ancient, suffocating rules of the underworld became unbearable.
00:35:27I could not accept that as the lord of the underworld. He had countless dark consorts,
00:35:32each more alluring than the last. I could not accept the way he stood at the top of power,
00:35:38issuing commands as if it were second nature, treating me not as an equal, but as something
00:35:43beautiful he owned. So I chose to leave. I wanted a new life. I wanted to drink the waters of
00:35:50oblivion
00:35:51and return to the human world, free. When he found out, he lost control. His eyes turned red with rage.
00:35:58He dragged me to the gates of hell, pointing at the boiling depths below, trying to force me to stay.
00:36:04I had been terrified. Crying uncontrollably, shaking, afraid he might actually throw me in.
00:36:12We stood there for a long time. In the end, he let go. Reluctantly, coldly, he allowed me to leave,
00:36:21but not without a warning. If he ever saw me again, he would not show mercy. At the time,
00:36:27I did not understand what he really meant. All I wanted was freedom. Rebirth.
00:36:36Only after I returned to the human world did I realize the truth. His punishment. He let me keep
00:36:43all my memories. He made it so I would never age. Never die. A living anomaly. He even arranged for
00:36:54me to
00:36:55be born into a powerful family, leaving behind a trust fund and immense wealth that could sustain me
00:37:00for centuries. That was when I understood. He never intended to see me again. Not just in anger. He had
00:37:10cut off my path entirely. No death. No return. No chance of ever entering the cycle. Of rebirth.
00:37:19I took it seriously. I lived carefully. Quietly. Watching everyone around me grow old and die,
00:37:27while I stayed the same. I was afraid of death. Afraid of accidents. Afraid of being dragged back here.
00:37:37Afraid he would make good on his promise. And yet, despite all that caution, I still fell.
00:37:44To the person I trusted most. The memories faded like a passing storm.
00:37:54A sharp pain pierced my head as I slowly came back to consciousness. The surroundings were familiar.
00:38:00Luxurious. Dark. This was the Obsidian Palace. Lucian's private domain.
00:38:11The bed beneath me was wide, soft, black. It carried his scent. Deep. Cold. Lingering.
00:38:22Like cedarwood burning in a winter fireplace, mixed with the faint trace of ash. It was a scent I had
00:38:29never
00:38:29found on anyone else. Once, it had been comforting. Even now, wrapped in it, my tense soul relaxed for just
00:38:41a moment. But it did not last. As if he had been tracking me, the doors opened the instant I
00:38:49woke.
00:38:49Lucian walked in. I immediately shut my eyes, pretending to still be unconscious. Trying to avoid facing him.
00:38:58It did not work. Stop pretending. Your soul's fluctuations are obvious. I know you're awake.
00:39:06I almost laughed. Back then, he could spend an entire night gazing at my face without getting tired.
00:39:13Now, he called me ugly without hesitation. Ugly. Wait. I lifted a hand and touched my face. Uneven. Rough.
00:39:24Completely ruined. Vanessa had not held back. Every strike had been meant to destroy. Maybe I really had
00:39:33become something hideous. I opened my eyes, dropping the act. I met his cold gaze and let out a faint,
00:39:48bitter laugh. So what now? You saved me just to throw me into the lake of fire yourself?
00:39:54Planning to tear me apart with your own hands? Not yet.
00:40:01Lucian stepped forward and yanked me off the bed without the slightest care.
00:40:07His grip was rough, almost punishing.
00:40:11What I granted you, and those worthless humans dared to covet it. They even used dark sorcery. You
00:40:19should witness for yourself what happens to those who anger the underworld.
00:40:24The darkness in his eyes made my spine go cold. So that was it. He was going to make an
00:40:30example of
00:40:31them in front of me first. And then deal with me. In the outer hall of the obsidian palace,
00:40:37the atmosphere was suffocating. Vanessa and the sorcerer were bound by heavy soul shackles locked
00:40:42around their bodies. Forced to kneel on the hard obsidian floor. Nearby were Harris,
00:40:48pale as death, and the two guards who had dragged me in, trembling where they knelt. Everyone involved
00:40:54was here. No exceptions. The moment Vanessa saw me being led out by Lucian,
00:41:05jealousy flashed across her face. She tried to lunge at me, only to be kicked back down by a high
00:41:11-ranking
00:41:12guard behind her. I was still too weak to respond. Even walking here had taken everything out of me.
00:41:25I could barely breathe, let alone waste energy on her hysteria. Lucian, on the other hand,
00:41:32seemed almost pleased. There was something dark in him. Something that thrived on this kind of moment.
00:41:40The faint curve of his lips carried a chilling edge.
00:41:46Serafina, these rumen hurt you. What would you like done with them? I'll leave the decision to you.
00:41:52Me? I looked at him, stunned. He ruled this place. Life and death were his to command. Why ask me?
00:42:01For a
00:42:01fleeting second, it felt like the past. Back when we had lived in the human world, he had always been
00:42:08like
00:42:08this. Gentle, respectful, asking for my opinion on everything. No matter how small, a sharp,
00:42:17unnameable ache spread through my chest. I shook my head. Do whatever you want. Just follow the rules of hell.
00:42:27He frowned, clearly displeased with my answer. Without warning, he pulled me into his arms,
00:42:33locking me against him with one arm around my shoulders. What's wrong? Feeling soft now? Have you forgotten
00:42:40what happened to you just hours ago? How they killed you? How they nailed you to that rack?
00:42:49They've already confessed. Even your trust fund has been transferred. This is your chance to get even.
00:42:56Don't act like a coward. Seeing the closeness between us, something twisted in Vanessa's
00:43:02expression. Jealousy spilled over into pure madness. I knew it. I always knew you were that kind of woman,
00:43:10clinging to men with money and power, using that face of yours to get whatever you want. And now look
00:43:14at you. Dead and still doing the same thing. Even seducing someone here. You're disgusting.
00:43:22The temperature in the room dropped instantly. Lucien's expression darkened to something
00:43:28terrifying. His face was flawless, almost unreal, but the sheer violence in his gaze made it impossible
00:43:34to look at him directly. I knew exactly why. It was not just the insult. Vanessa had crossed a line.
00:43:45Lucien. She implied I belonged to someone else. Lucien had always been possessive. Obsessively so.
00:43:53In his mind, once I had been his, that was permanent. Time did not matter. Life or death did not
00:44:01matter.
00:44:02I was his. No one else was allowed to touch me. Not even look at me. Fortunately, during the long
00:44:10century I spent back in the human world, I had lived cautiously. I stayed single, avoided relationships,
00:44:18avoided attention. If I had not, I did not even want to imagine what would happen right now. The sorcerer,
00:44:25realizing Vanessa was pushing them both toward destruction, panicked completely. He slammed his
00:44:31head against the floor again and again. Your majesty, please, show mercy. I was blinded by greed.
00:44:37She offered a fortune. I lost my judgment. I should never have interfered with fate or taken a life.
00:44:42I was wrong. She manipulated me. This was all her idea. Vanessa snapped. Like a feral cat,
00:44:50she lunged and slapped him hard across the face. Shut up! You took the money willingly,
00:44:55drew the circle, and now you want to pin everything on me? Not happening!
00:45:02Sebastian strode forward, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. The room fell still.
00:45:08You dare raise your voices here? His gaze swept over them coldly. Every one of you is guilty.
00:45:14None of you will escape. He paused. Then his tone turned even sharper. Do you even understand who it
00:45:20is you tried to harm? Vanessa's bloodshot eyes snapped toward me. Even now, she refused to back down,
00:45:29letting out a cold, stubborn laugh. She's just some freak who doesn't age or die. She's lived long enough,
00:45:38had more than enough. I took her life and her trust fund. So what? That's what I deserve!
00:45:47I spent 10 years serving her like a slave. I had been too exhausted to argue before. People like her,
00:45:55cold and self-centered, never see kindness. They only see what they think the world owes them. But
00:46:03hearing her twist everything so shamelessly still made something in me snap. Vanessa, I said,
00:46:09my voice low but shaking with anger. Ask yourself this. If you hadn't met me in that snowstorm,
00:46:19would you have had those 10 years at all? You would have frozen to death on the street.
00:46:24And if I remember correctly, you were the one begging me to take you in. You said if you didn't
00:46:29make money, your father would force you back home to marry that drunk who beat his wife.
00:46:33A life trapped in poverty. In violence. Raising a crying child in some run-down trailer park until
00:46:42it broke you, that was your future. Her face flushed as I exposed everything in front of everyone.
00:46:49For a moment, she faltered. Then, just as quickly, she doubled down.
00:46:56So what? You gave me a job. Paid me. I worked for it. I gave you my youth. I let
00:47:03out a short,
00:47:04disbelieving laugh. My voice trembling. Worked for it? You mean sending your cheap clothes to high-end
00:47:13dry cleaners on my account? Ordering from five-star restaurants every day and charging it to me?
00:47:21Or taking my Porsche out to clubs under my name, trying to hook rich men? You were never grateful.
00:47:29People like you don't know how to be. You belong at the bottom, rotting there. The moment someone
00:47:35shows you kindness, you think you're entitled to everything. You think you can replace them?
00:47:40Vanessa opened her mouth to scream back, but Sebastian had had enough.
00:47:44His voice cracked through the hall like thunder. He stepped forward, his expression cold and severe.
00:47:57You blind, arrogant fool. Do you even know who she is? His voice rose, sharp and unforgiving.
00:48:05She is the ninth consort queen personally taken by Ajesty the Underlord, and you dared to scheme against
00:48:11her. You think someone like you can touch her? Vanessa froze. Her expression locked in place,
00:48:19as if her mind had simply stopped working. All this time, she had only seen the surface.
00:48:27My immortality. My wealth. To her, I was just a lucky anomaly. She had never imagined what stood behind it.
00:48:37Harris looked even worse. His face was drained of all life, his eyes unfocused. Back then,
00:48:44he had recognized me. He must have assumed that after centuries, Lucian and I had nothing to do with
00:48:51each other anymore. That I was no longer under his protection. So he took the risk. For money.
00:48:59Now, with my identity revealed, there was no escaping the consequences.
00:49:03I turned slightly and noticed Cole standing quietly in the shadows. He had not said a word. His expression
00:49:11was grim, weighed down with frustration. Out of everyone here, he was the only one who had done
00:49:17nothing wrong. He had carried out his duties faithfully, only to be dragged into this mess by
00:49:23corrupt subordinates. He had almost discovered me that day. Almost. The two guards and the sorcerer,
00:49:30upon hearing the words Consort Queen, collapsed. Completely. They did not even have the strength
00:49:37to beg. As for me, I felt nothing. No pride. No satisfaction. Just emptiness. I was nothing more
00:49:46than one of many in Lucian's long life. Just another woman who had passed through it. There was nothing to
00:49:53be
00:49:54proud of. And I knew better than to underestimate him. This was not just about avenging me. This was
00:50:02about maintaining the authority of the underworld. The ones who had harmed me were dragged away. Into
00:50:09the deepest parts of hell. They would suffer everything I had suffered. A hundred times over. Cole was
00:50:16punished as well. For negligence. For failing to notice what was happening under his watch. Lucian ordered
00:50:24him to the river Styx for a year of the harshest labor. As for me, the victim, Lucian took me
00:50:31back to
00:50:31the first circle of hell. And made me watch. The winds howled through the first circle. Vanessa was bound to
00:50:38the execution platform. Her limbs stretched out. Chained in. Place. Under the control of demonic
00:50:45executioners. Thousands of red hot soul piercing. Spikes drove slowly into her body. One by one. From
00:50:53every angle. She was turned into a screaming, writhing pincushion. The executioners were precise. Cruel. But
00:51:02controlled. They avoided her soul core. They wanted her alive. Alive enough to feel everything. So she
00:51:10would not die. Only suffer. Endlessly. At last, fear broke through her madness.
00:51:19Her face was soaked with tears and mucus. Her voice worsed as she cried out to me.
00:51:23Serafina. I was wrong. I know I was wrong. I lost my mind. I shouldn't have done that to you.
00:51:33Please,
00:51:34make him stop. I'm the worst. I'm not even human. I was jealous of you. Your looks. Your youth.
00:51:43Your life in Manhattan. All that money you could never spend. And me, always depending on you.
00:51:51I didn't want to become a murderer. It was you. You told me your secret when you were drunk.
00:51:59Do you know how tempting immortality and welfare. No one could resist that. Not just me.
00:52:06Anyone would have done the same. You can't blame me for everything. Even now, she was still shifting
00:52:13the blame. I told you because I trusted you. Because I believed you were my friend. In all these
00:52:21centuries, I've seen how cruel people can be. I never told anyone else. You made your choice.
00:52:30My voice was calm, but heavy with disappointment. Her words caught in her throat. For the first time,
00:52:38she fell silent. Maybe, in the middle of all that pain, she finally understood what she had thrown away.
00:52:50What she had destroyed. She had betrayed kindness. Betrayed trust. For a greed that had no bottom.
00:52:58And now, this was the price. She deserved it. She took a life. Betrayed someone who saved her.
00:53:07She deserved help. And worse, she had conspired with dark sorcery to steal my lifespan. Defying the
00:53:14natural order itself. That made her crimes even greater. I watched as her body convulsed on the
00:53:21platform. And I knew. She would never leave this place. Not in this life. Not ever. What surprised me,
00:53:30was how fragile a wicked soul could be. Vanessa did not even make it through a full round of punishment.
00:53:36Her soul was far too fragile. It collapsed completely before the first cycle was finished.
00:53:43In the end, she was. Dragged into the second circle of hell. Where the hellfire that burns away all sin.
00:53:50Reduced her to nothing but ash. Not even reincarnation remained for her. Among all of them,
00:53:57the one who lasted the longest was the sorcerer. He truly had some skill. His soul was unusually solid.
00:54:05Otherwise, he never could have. Activated that forbidden demonic pact circle and nearly transferred
00:54:11my life to Vanessa. He endured layer after layer of torment. In the end, he met his fate in the
00:54:19sixth
00:54:19circle of hell. The abyss of demons. There was no light there. Only endless darkness and hunger.
00:54:27Ancient demons that had been trapped for countless centuries lurked in that abyss.
00:54:32In the end, they were vicious and insatiable. At the moment, a soul with even a trace of energy
00:54:39entered its bed. They'd swarm it instantly, tearing it apart and devouring it piece by piece.
00:54:44As for Harris and the corrupt guards, they were stripped of their ranks and cast into the boiling
00:54:50tar pit of the fourth circle. They struggled and sank, over and over, their bodies exploding under the
00:54:57scorching. The tar burned inside and out. None of them would ever return. When it was all over,
00:55:04Lucian turned to look at me. Under the dim, flickering glow of hellfire, his gaze burned with something
00:55:11complicated. You really are fearless. After seeing all this, you're not afraid at all.
00:55:20No wonder you walked away back then without hesitating. Even after everything I said.
00:55:25Hearing him bring up the past made my chest tighten. I lowered my head, my hair falling forward to hide
00:55:32my
00:55:32face. I did not want him to see what I had become. He knew better than anyone how much I
00:55:38cared about my
00:55:39appearance. Back in the human world, I had always been meticulous. Elegant. The center of. Attention
00:55:47wherever I went. That was why so many men had been drawn to me. Just like Vanessa said, that I
00:55:55attracted
00:55:55them all. But I never did it for them. I did it for myself. To make the long, endless years
00:56:03a little more bearable.
00:56:07What's the point of bringing that up now? Forcing my tone steady.
00:56:17The people who betrayed me are gone. So now what? Is it my turn?
00:56:23Something in my words struck him. Hard. His expression darkened instantly. With a cold snort,
00:56:30he turned and left without. Another word. His back rigid with anger. I stood there, confused.
00:56:39Wasn't he the one who had sworn to throw me into the lake of fire?
00:56:44Now I asked? And he got angry? After he left, Sebastian did not follow immediately.
00:56:51He paused, turned back to me, and let out a long, helpless sigh.
00:56:58My queen. Do you truly not understand his majesty's feelings, or are you pretending not to just to
00:57:05provoke him? I looked up, puzzled. Understand what? Doesn't he want me dead? Sebastian sighed again,
00:57:16as if the answer were painfully obvious. His majesty has never let you go. Not once.
00:57:23He may seem cold, but he has always kept you in his heart. He could not bear the thought of
00:57:29you
00:57:29suffering through another mortal life. He could not bear to see you struggle in poverty again.
00:57:36That is why he gave you everything. These past years in the human world,
00:57:41you lived well, didn't you? I froze. And do you know, Sebastian continued,
00:57:47how he spent those same years without you? My heart skipped.
00:57:54He dismissed every consort in the palace after you left. Not one remained. And whenever he had time,
00:58:02he would go to the human world in secret, just to watch you. He is too proud to admit his
00:58:09feelings.
00:58:10And you? You never looked back. Not once in all these centuries.
00:58:17He paused, then his voice grew heavier.
00:58:21Do you understand what it means to erase a name from the ledger of souls?
00:58:25It violates the very laws of existence. The backlash alone is enough to bring divine punishment.
00:58:42Each word hit me like a blow. I stood frozen, unable to move, my thoughts spiraling. All this time,
00:58:51what I thought was punishment. Was protection? Sacrifice? Before I could process it, Lucien's voice cut through the distance.
00:59:02Sebastian. Sharp. Irritated. Who do you serve? Get over here. Sebastian gave me a quick bow,
00:59:10said nothing more, and hurried after him. I was left alone. I wandered slowly along the shadow path.
00:59:18The air cold and filled with drifting spirits. But my mind was anything but calm.
00:59:29For the first time, I truly thought about what came next. Lucien was not going to kill me.
00:59:36That much was clear. But my body in the human world had already been destroyed from that fall.
00:59:42There was no going back. That left only two possibilities. Remain here as a soul. Or reincarnation.
00:59:53But could I even be reborn? I was someone whose name had been erased from the ledger of souls.
00:59:59A being, outside the system itself. And then there was something else. Something I had not allowed myself
01:00:07to think about. After centuries apart. Could what we had ever be restored? Back then, in that lifetime,
01:00:15we had been happy. Truly. But memories fade. Time changes everything. For hundreds of years,
01:00:25I had lived alone. Yes, the curse, or blessing, of immortality had made me think of him often.
01:00:31But was that love still there? That same intensity? I did not know. My thoughts were a mess. I had
01:00:40no
01:00:40answers. I walked without direction until exhaustion caught up with me. Eventually, I found a quiet corner
01:00:47and sat down against a cold stone, staring into nothing. Then suddenly, a piece of black fabric edged
01:00:55with dark gold patterns appeared in front of me. I looked up. Lucien had come back.
01:01:04I looked up at him. He still stood there, tall and commanding as ever. But the cold arrogance I was
01:01:12used
01:01:12to was gone, replaced by something awkward. Almost like a wronged golden retriever, stubbornly refusing to
01:01:21admit it was hurt. What are you doing out here alone? He asked first. There was a hint of tension
01:01:28in his
01:01:29voice. Thinking about how to leave me again? I froze. I had never seen him like this. Like I was
01:01:37the heartless
01:01:38one who had abandoned. Something that loved me completely. I took a slow breath, forcing myself to
01:01:45look away from his eyes. If I wanted to leave, I asked calmly, could I be reborn? My name was
01:01:52no longer
01:01:52in the ledger of souls. I was an exception. No. His answer came without hesitation. Anyone not in the
01:02:00ledger does not enter the cycle. You cannot be reborn. I had expected that. If I could not return to
01:02:08the
01:02:08human world and I could not reincarnate, then there was. Only one path left. Stay here. In the underworld.
01:02:17Seeing me fall silent, Lucien seemed to misunderstand. His eyes reddened slightly, his voice rising despite
01:02:25himself. You don't have any other choice. Even knowing that you still won't choose me? You'd rather
01:02:31wander as a lost spirit than stay by my side? Something in me softened at the sight of him like
01:02:38this.
01:02:38I opened my mouth, wanting to explain. But no words came.
01:02:46My hesitation only made things worse. He turned sharply, clearly furious, striding away in long steps.
01:02:55But even then, he stopped just long enough to throw one last warning over his shoulder.
01:03:00You do have another option. Stay here as a stray soul. Just hope no guard mistakes you for an escaped
01:03:07demon and throws you into the abyss. And don't expect me to save you.
01:03:14His threat was so childish that I could not help it. I laughed. Quickly getting to my feet,
01:03:21I hurried after him and grabbed his sleeve. He stiffened, but he did not pull away.
01:03:27I'm scared. I said softly, tugging at him just a little. That part was not entirely true.
01:03:35That night, in the Obsidian Palace, he did not let me go. Centuries of longing and restraint finally
01:03:42broke loose. Lucien was like a starving wolf. Once he had me in his grasp, he refused to let go.
01:03:49My soul had not fully recovered. I could barely endure the intensity of him. More than. Once,
01:03:57in the overwhelming rush of sensation, I felt like I might shatter completely. Every time I tried to
01:04:04push him away, he had an answer ready. You are the consort queen. I have only you now.
01:04:13If you don't give me an heir soon, who is going to take over the underworld?
01:04:18I huffed in protest, half breathless. I don't like it here. It's dark all the time. Cold, empty. The
01:04:28human world is better. He pressed a kiss to my ear, his voice low and coaxing.
01:04:33Fine. Once we have an heir, I'll hand over the power. I'll go with you. Wherever you want.
01:04:42His promise stirred something in me. Memories of the life we once had. I wrapped my arms around his
01:04:49neck. Can we go back? I asked quietly. Live like we did before? Just normal people? Only then could I
01:04:59feel something real. Not the distance between ruler and subject. Just him. Just me. In the heat of the
01:05:07moment, he bit lightly at my neck, leaving his mark, his voice firm. Anything you want. I cupped his face,
01:05:16looking into those dark, intoxicating eyes, teasing him just a little. Didn't you say my name was erased?
01:05:22That I could never be reborn? He paused. Just for a second. Then his gaze flickered away. Caught. The next
01:05:32moment, he pulled me closer, more forceful this time, silencing me in his own way. After that,
01:05:41I stopped thinking, letting everything fade into the dark.
01:05:48Time passed. We spent years in the underworld. Long, quiet, unexpectedly warm. We even had children.
01:05:57Mischievous little ones who inherited his divine core of death. And in the end, he kept his promise.
01:06:04We returned. Back to the human world. Lucian used his power to create a new identity. He became the boy,
01:06:13next door. The one who had grown up with me under the California sun. We fell in love again. Got
01:06:20married. Bought a house by the ocean, with a garden full of flowers. We sat together on the porch swing,
01:06:28watching the sunset paint the sky in endless colors. One evening, as the light faded, he held my hand and
01:06:35told me quietly that during those centuries apart, he had watched countless sunsets like this. With me,
01:06:43even when I did not know he was there. A breeze passed through. I leaned against his shoulder.
01:06:49We looked at each other and smiled. This time, we would never be apart again.
01:06:55coeur, didn't understand you.
01:06:56So that's what's going on?
01:06:56As youさん as a boy, you think what's coming?
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