"HAHA—"
"GUHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The twisted laughter echoed through the vast, empty realm — a hollow sound that crawled across the broken stones and dead skies of the demonic domain.
Then silence… long and heavy, almost choking.
How long had it been since Asmodeus felt something like this — this strange, raw distortion inside his chest?
Was it back when he was still clawing his way up the infernal ladder, fighting and devouring his kin to claim the title of Demon King?
Or maybe… the first time he tore apart a soul with his own hands?
Whatever it was, this feeling now — it was something else. Something amusing.
"Did Erebil abandon me?" he muttered, his voice breaking the still air.
He knew, of course, that there was never any loyalty between them.
Their deal was built on convenience, not trust.
Yet, even knowing that, he hadn't expected this — a betrayal so blatant, so direct, as if she didn't even bother to pretend otherwise.
A dry chuckle escaped his throat.
