Chapter Twenty
Nina
The hall had more than a dozen doors, and I’d completely overlooked the one that mattered most – the doorway into the Heart of Hell.
Now, peering up at the plain door built into the stone wall, I understood why.
It was quite ordinary by Temptation’s standards: dark wood, heavy, with an iron handle on the left side.
The only adornment was a half-moon of ironwork above it that twisted into little spirals.
I leaned my weight into the door until it gave way.
A thin barrier shimmered on the other side, the only thing standing between me and what was waiting beyond.
My stomach twisted. I pulled in a breath and stepped through.
The world disintegrated. The first sensation was weightlessness, followed by a horrible lurch in my gut as the ground tore away beneath me.
I was plummeting. For a split second, there was nothing: no up, no down, nothing to hold onto.
Only the hollow pull of gravity and the rush of blood in my ears.
The wind whipped around me, ripping the scream out of my throat.
Then, suddenly, my boots touched solid ground. A burning rush of air filled my lungs. When I lifted my head, I was standing in the Heart of Hell.
Today, I was to face Corruption. I already felt that undeniable, peculiar tug that pulled me towards the right archway.
A new domain and a demon to match.
That called for new attire because I couldn’t afford to be disadvantaged.
I walked easily in my black leather trousers that moulded to my body, light yet reinforced, and the armoured top was sleek, flexible, with enough stretch to allow me to lunge and bend. The material didn’t cling or restrict. My clothing conformed to my shape perfectly.
Jules had built the leg brace into the design itself.
Fine threads of his alloy were woven through the leather, running from my hip to my knee.
When I shifted my weight, the fibres tightened and released in sync with the joint, taking some of the pressure off the hip.
It steadied me, guided the movement so I didn’t overextend or twist wrong.
I hadn’t realised how much pain I’d been carrying until it wasn’t there anymore.
Jules had come through for me, and I couldn’t deny the joy, the gratefulness, swelling in my chest.
Dominik stood at the edge of the Heart of Hell, where the abyss stretched out below. His arms were crossed, his eyes fixed on the void. He looked as steady as ever, a grounding presence against the madness of this place.
My shoulders loosened slightly as I approached my friend. “Were you waiting for somebody?”
He spun with a grin on his face. “Yeah, you. I thought some friendly conversation could go a long way. How about it?”
“Your conversation is always the best in the house.”
Dominik’s gaze swept over me with the quick assessment of someone trained to notice things most people wouldn’t.
“You look like you’ve had a nightmarish few days,” he said, his tone dry.
A laugh caught in my throat. “You have no idea.”
He arched his brow. “Want to catch me up?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
Dominik didn’t push. He just waited, arms still crossed, his expression soft and patient.
But I didn’t want to tell him about the Market of Desires.
I didn’t know if I wanted to reveal my vision to him, because part of me wasn’t sure I should trust him with it, and part of me didn’t want him burdened with what I saw.
Could I tell him the Creator of Hell had revealed it was possible for me to win The Cycle?
“You look good, though,” he said.
“Oh?” I felt heat rising up my neck.
“Yeah,” he said. “I like the leather.”
“Thanks,” I said, hiding my blush. My fingers brushed against the locket at my throat instinctively.
I didn’t feel guilty for keeping my past to myself. But I could give him some truth. “Did you know that no one has ever won The Cycle?”
That got his attention. His brows drew together slightly, the only visible reaction he gave. “What do you mean?”
“The demons manipulate the game. They set up Champions to fail, pushing them into choices that only serve their interests. Each of them is in it for themselves. Every soul bound to their domains gives them more power . . . so they keep each other from the throne, and meanwhile they bind souls, and enjoy the power that comes with them.” I swallowed.
“The Cycle was supposed to serve a purpose. But they’ve twisted it into something else. ”
Dominik’s jaw tightened as he considered my words. “Oh . . . so you think we’re all doomed?”
I hesitated. The Creator. The faceless figure flashed through my mind. But I still didn’t say it. I wasn’t sure why, because I didn’t fully understand it myself. Maybe because saying it out loud felt like an invitation, like summoning something I wasn’t ready to face.
“Honestly . . . I don’t know,” I said.
Dominik exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “So, you’re doing what you do best, which is sneaking around, finding out what everyone has to hide.”
I grinned. “Something like that.”
He studied me for a beat longer, then gave a slight nod. “Then let’s not waste time.”
We looked up at the archway made of solid gold with spikes protruding from it. Dominik turned to me with his usual questioning look. I nodded, offering a small smile that said we were in this together, no matter what awaited us.
Without another word, we stepped into the Domain of Corruption.