The soldiers' chuckles lingered in the stale hall after Rose's sharp retort. Belial ignored them, his focus fixed on her. Her gaze held steady, unyielding, as if measuring the depth of his desperation.
A tall soldier in dull steel armor broke from the group. He stepped forward, helmet tucked under his arm, a smug grin stretching across his scarred face. His eyes roamed over Rose's figure with brazen intent.
"Come now," he said, voice thick with arrogance. "No need to waste time on this freak. Want a real man? Someone who bleeds, not some half-dead piss boy. I'll give you more than empty words, girl."
The others laughed louder, the sound grating against Belial's ears.
Rose stood still. Her eyes didn't waver from Belial's. She didn't flinch or glance at the soldier. Her silence was a test, and Belial felt it like a blade pressed to his chest.
The chains of the contract burned in his soul, heavy with the weight of obedience. Bound as he was, he didn't have to tolerate insults.
He took a slow step forward. Then another.
The soldier smirked, mistaking silence for retreat. He reached out toward Rose's hair.
Rose's voice cut through the tension, calm but firm. "I'm flattered, but I choose my company carefully. You're not quite what I'm looking for."
The soldier's hand paused, his grin faltering. The laughter from the others dimmed, replaced by awkward coughs.
Belial's voice followed, sharp as a blade. "Touch her, and I'll carve your arm off at the elbow."
The hall fell silent. The laughter died.
The soldier froze, hand still outstretched. His smirk twitched, then hardened into a scowl. "What did you say?"
Belial's golden eyes gleamed. His tone remained even, but his teeth bared in a feral grin. "You heard me. Try it. See what happens."
The soldier's jaw clenched. He dropped his helmet to the floor with a metallic clang, stepping closer until he stood nose-to-nose with Belial. His breath reeked of stale ale.
"You think you scare me, boy? You're nothing but a chained beast. One order from Xin, and your head rolls."
Belial's body tensed. Fury surged within him, clawing up his throat. He could feel his demonic form straining beneath his skin, yearning to break free. The soldier's words, his presence, everything about him was bait.
And Belial wanted to bite.
He leaned closer, voice low and venomous. "Say another word. One more. And I'll show you what a chained beast can do to a worm like you before they cut me down."
The soldier's face reddened. His fist clenched, knuckles whitening. For a heartbeat, it seemed violence would shatter the fragile stillness of the hall.
A sharp voice rang out.
"Enough!"
Joren stepped forward, his presence quelling the tension like a blade to the throat. The commander's eyes were cold, sharp as flint. His hand rested on his sword's hilt, a casual but unmistakable threat.
His voice carried, steady and uncompromising. "You were tasked to keep watch. Not to fight. Not to talk. Not to amuse yourselves."
The soldier stiffened, his rage cooling under Joren's glare. He glanced at Belial, then at Rose, before stepping back reluctantly. He retrieved his helmet with a muttered curse.
The other soldiers averted their eyes, uneasy.
Joren lingered, his gaze sweeping the hall. Then he turned and resumed his post, his silence heavier than any command.
Belial exhaled, the fury within him still smoldering. His fingers trembled with the effort to restrain it. His golden eyes flicked back to Rose.
She hadn't moved during the exchange. Not once.
Now, her lips curved into a faint smile. A subtle tilt of her head. A wink.
It was unspoken, but Belial understood. The deal was sealed...at least that's what he want to think.
She would play along.
The invisible chains binding him loosened slightly. For the first time since the contract, he felt a flicker of hope in his chest.
The moment was brief.
Footsteps echoed through the chamber, slow and deliberate.
The soldiers straightened. Even Joren's eyes shifted toward the archway at the far end of the ruined hall.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
Tall, cloaked in tattered black robes that dragged across the crystalline floor. Their face was hidden beneath a hood, but the space around them seemed to ripple, as if reality itself bent to their presence.
Belial's heart stilled.
The hall, already dim, grew colder. The soldiers' hands drifted to their weapons, though none dared draw them. Joren's posture stiffened, his fingers tightening on his sword's hilt. Rose's faint smile vanished, her eyes narrowing as she studied the newcomer.
The figure moved with purpose, each step measured. The robes whispered against the floor, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense silence. Belial's senses sharpened. His demonic instincts screamed danger, but the chains of the contract held him in place, forcing him to wait.
The soldiers exchanged glances, their earlier bravado gone. The scarred soldier clutched his helmet tighter, his knuckles pale. Another shifted his weight, armor clinking softly.
Joren broke the silence. "Identify yourself."
The figure halted. The hood tilted slightly, as if acknowledging the command, but no voice answered. The silence stretched, heavy and oppressive.
Belial's eyes narrowed. He could sense power radiating from the figure, a force that felt ancient, raw, and unbound. It wasn't like the contract that chained him. This was something else. Something older.
Rose stepped forward, her movement smooth and deliberate. Her voice was steady, cutting through the tension. "You're not one of Xin's. Who sent you?"
The figure's hood shifted toward her. For a moment, Belial thought he saw a glint of eyes beneath the shadow, but it was gone before he could be sure. The figure raised a hand, pale and thin, and pointed toward the far wall.
The soldiers turned, following the gesture. The crystalline wall shimmered, reflecting torchlight in fractured patterns. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Then, a low hum filled the hall, growing louder until it vibrated in Belial's bones.
Cracks spread across the wall, glowing faintly with an unnatural light. The soldiers stepped back, weapons half-drawn. Joren's hand tightened on his sword, but he didn't move.
Belial's gaze flicked to Rose. Her expression was unreadable, but her hand rested near the dagger at her hip. She was ready.
The figure lowered its hand. The hum faded, leaving only silence. The cracks in the wall pulsed once, then stilled.
The soldiers murmured among themselves, their voices low and uneasy. Joren's eyes never left the figure. "Speak, or I'll cut you down where you stand."
The figure remained silent. Instead, it took another step forward, robes trailing like liquid shadow. The air grew heavier, pressing against Belial's chest. His demonic instincts roared, urging him to act, but the contract's chains burned hotter, rooting him in place.
Rose's voice broke the tension again. "You're here for something. What is it?"
The figure's hood tilted toward her once more. This time, a voice emerged, low and resonant, echoing as if from a great distance. "The key."
Belial's blood ran cold. The key. He didn't know what it was, but the word carried weight, like a stone dropped into still water. The soldiers froze, their murmurs dying. Joren's expression hardened.
Rose's brow furrowed, but her voice remained steady. "What key?"
The figure didn't answer. Instead, it raised both hands, and the hall trembled. The crystalline floor cracked beneath its feet, thin fractures spreading outward like spiderwebs. The soldiers shouted, stumbling back. Joren drew his sword, the blade gleaming in the torchlight.
Belial's fury surged again, mixing with unease. He wanted to move, to fight, to do anything, but the contract held him fast. His eyes locked on Rose, searching for a signal, a plan.
She met his gaze. Her faint smile returned, but it was sharper now, edged with defiance. She gave a slight nod, barely perceptible.
The figure's hands lowered, and the trembling stopped. The hall was still again, but the cracks in the floor remained, glowing faintly.
Joren stepped forward, sword raised. "Last chance. Speak, or die."
The soldiers gripped their weapons tighter. Belial's fingers twitched, his claws itching to extend. Rose's hand hovered over her dagger, her body tense but controlled.
The figure took another step, and the hall seemed to darken further. The torchlight flickered, casting long shadows that danced across the walls.
Belial's heart stilled.
Then a subtle grin stretched on his face.