CHAPTER 3 — THE DEVIL WHO CLAIMED ME
(Lira's POV)
The growl came again. Closer. Louder. Right behind us. My body went rigid in Kael's arms, every instinct screaming to turn—to see—to understand what was hunting us in the dark. But his grip tightened.
"Don't," he warned, low and dangerous. My breath trembled. "What are they?" Silence. Not empty. The kind that watches. The kind that waits. Then—a whisper. "…found… her…" My blood ran cold. My fingers clutched his shirt.
For the first time, I said his name without anger. He noticed. "They shouldn't be here yet," he muttered. Another growl cut the air, sharper, hungrier. "They can smell you," he said. "Smell… me?" "Yes." Something moved in the darkness—fast. Too fast. A shadow darted between the pillars, low to the ground, its movement unnatural. "…she's glowing…" it whispered. My body froze.
Kael didn't answer. That scared me more than anything. I pressed closer. The creature stepped forward. Glowing eyes, wild, hungry, inhuman. "…ours…" it hissed. Terror exploded through me. "I'm not yours!" I shouted. Big mistake. The air snapped. The creature lunged.
"Stay behind me." Kael moved, stepping in front, a sharp crack splitting the air. Shadows collided, a violent shockwave through the hall. The creature slammed into him—and froze. Kael lifted his hand and grabbed it. Just like that. The creature shrieked, twisting violently.
"Pathetic," he muttered. Before I could react—he crushed it. Dark smoke exploded, its scream cut off instantly. Silence fell. Heavy. Thick. My heart pounded for a different reason now. "Kael…" I whispered. He turned slightly. "You're shaking," he said. "That thing… you just killed it like it was nothing."
"It was nothing. And there are more," he added calmly. Another growl echoed. And another. My breath hitched. "How many?" "A lot." Panic surged. "We need to leave!" "We're not running." "Are you insane?!" I snapped. "You just said there are more!" "And?" "And we'll die!" He turned fully toward me. Slow. Deliberate. "No. They will."
His certainty made my heart skip. "You don't understand," I said. "There are too many!" "And you don't understand what I am," he replied, stepping closer. Darkness thickened, curling like smoke around him. The temperature dropped sharply. Shadows felt like extensions of him. I wasn't afraid of the dark. I was afraid of him.
His head tilted. "Now you're starting to see." Another creature lunged—fast, deadly—but froze mid-air. Kael lifted his fingers slightly. The creature tore apart silently, effortlessly. He stepped closer, too close. That pull—the same dangerous connection. "I told you," he said softly. "You're not answering me!" His hand hovered near my face.
"I'm the one thing they fear. And you…are the one thing they want." A chill ran through me. "Why?" His fingers brushed my cheek. Gentle. Possessive. "Because you don't belong to them." "Then… where do I belong?" His gaze locked onto mine. "Do you really need to ask?" My heart skipped.
A loud roar echoed—deeper, stronger, more powerful. Even Kael's expression shifted. "What was that?" I whispered. "They sent something bigger." Fear gripped me. "Can you kill it?" I asked. He didn't answer immediately. That terrified me. "Kael?" His gaze flickered toward the darkness ahead. "It won't be as easy."
My stomach dropped. "That doesn't sound good." "It isn't." The ground trembled. He grabbed my wrist. Firm. Unyielding. "Stay close." "I thought you said we weren't running." "We're not." "Then why—" "Because this time, I actually need you alive." My breath caught. "'This time'?"
Before he could respond—it appeared. Massive. Towering. Barely fitting between pillars. My body went cold. This one was different. Stronger. Smarter. Its eyes locked onto me. "…found you…" My legs nearly gave out. "Kael…" He didn't move. That shift again—the dangerous calm.
His voice dropped darker than before. "Stay behind me, Lira." I swallowed hard. "Okay…" For once—I didn't resist. I understood now. Whatever this was—this world, these creatures, him—there was no escaping. Not anymore. The creature stepped forward. The ground cracked beneath it. My heart pounded as I clutched Kael's shirt.
"Kael…" "Yes?" "If we survive this…you're going to explain everything." Silence. A faint, amused sound left him. "We'll see." The creature roared again—closer, louder. It charged. "Hold on." Kael's voice was the last thing I heard—before the world exploded into chaos.
And for the first time, I realized something terrifying. I wasn't just caught in his world. I was part of it. There was no going back.