The Damned Demon
chapter-709

"So, Remy…Are you ready to officially join the Coven of the Damned?" Asher asked as he looked down at him, making Remy feel his entire body freezing up as he looked up at him.

His gaze darted between Hellbringer and his grandmother as he weighed the choice before him. Hellbringer's words held a gravity that made his heart pound, the distant echoes of past beliefs clashing with the new reality he found himself in. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak up, "I... I've already decided to stay with my grandmother." He glanced quickly at his grandmother, who gave him a soft nod of encouragement. It reassured him just enough to continue, "But if I'm to officially join your cult... I need to hear from you. Do you sincerely want to protect our world?"

Asher's eyes flickered with an unreadable expression, but his smirk remained, "You've grown up since the first time I saw you, Remy," he mused, a glint of approval in his eyes, "To answer your question. Yes, I intend to protect both our worlds from destruction. That might sound strange coming from a demon, but that's something I truly mean. Your president, on the other hand... well, he has a vested interest in claiming it all, and he won't hesitate to crush anyone who threatens his grip on power, including the innocent humans in this world."

Remy's shoulders slumped slightly as his chin quivered, the weight of Hellbringer's words settling heavily within him. Deep down, he felt a strange certainty that Hellbringer wasn't lying.

"Then... okay. I'll be part of your cult. But... what can I do to help? I was just a student until yesterday," Remy said, a flicker of doubt clouding his face.

Asher's smirk softened into a half-smile, "Your time will come, Remy. Until then, stay close to your grandmother and help her keep our people safe. That alone will be more valuable than you realize."

Remy gave a slow nod, his gaze filling with a sense of newfound resolve.

—

Meanwhile, across the city, Cecilia stood by her office window, her face pale as she clutched a small earpiece, her eyes uncontrollably quivering.

She had used her contacts at the WHA to monitor the transfer of Remy, out of a sense of loyalty and perhaps fear for Ash's safety.

But instead of finding confirmation of a safe and successful operation, she had also learned something that shattered her. Someone had tried to intercept the transfer, and it wasn't just anyone—it was the Coven of the Damned!

It only took a second for her to put two and two together to realize who Ash was affiliated with.

"How could you…," she muttered, anger and pain twisting her voice as she clutched her chest.

Steeling herself, she activated her wrist device, feeling she couldn't let him off and confront him.

—

In one of the city's abandoned mining sites, the air was heavy with a low mist when Cecilia arrived, and the dark clouds overhead gave the world an eerie, muted light.

The abandoned mining site was desolate except for a few rundown buildings, the silent remnants of old machinery towering like ghosts of the past. She didn't have to wait long.

She came here after he told her to come here. She didn't want to go at first. But she wanted to confront him herself. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to rest.

"I wasn't sure you'd actually come," Asher's voice echoed from behind, cool and measured.

She turned to face him, her gaze trembling with raw hurt. "You… you're part of a demon cult, aren't you? The Coven of the Damned. You used me to help your cult kidnap that boy. All this time, every word you said to me… it was just a way to fool me." Her voice broke as she added, "I can't believe I fell for it. Maybe my mind really has become too weak..."

Asher watched her silently, his gaze calm yet edged with an unmistakable impatience, "Are you done drowning in self-pity?" he asked, his tone clipped as he crossed his arms.

Cecilia's face contorted with suppressed anger and pain, her voice low and determined as she said, "I'm going to expose you for who you truly are. That's the only way I can begin to atone for the wrongs I helped you commit."

A flicker of a smile ghosted across Asher's face as he took a slow step toward her, "Expose me? You should reconsider, Cecilia. This pain you're directing at me—you should be aiming it at your husband. Not me."

She took a step back, lifting her hand to keep him at a distance. "Don't come closer. I won't let you manipulate me again."

Asher paused, just a foot away from her, his voice lowering, "You're saying I manipulated you with lies. But tell me—did I ever lie to you about what truly matters? About the life you've lived, the isolation your husband forced upon you, or the way he's blinded you to his schemes? What my cult did was rescue that boy from a miserable fate. Tell me, would you rather we had left him for Derek to use and discard, like all the other innocents?"

Cecilia's gaze wavered as she held his stare, a painful, uncertain silence settling between them. Her chin trembled, but his words struck a deep chord within her. For years, she'd been the silent bystander, the supportive wife, unquestioningly trusting in her husband's vision. But when she thought of the boy's face, and the horrified expressions of those people in the videos, and of how Derek had spoken about those experiments as if they were nothing more than a means to an end, she couldn't help but feel the weight of Ash's question pressing against her conscience.

"I…" Her voice faltered as she clenched her fists, her gaze drifting away. "No… I wouldn't want him to be used. No one should suffer like that." Her words were barely a whisper, but the bitterness was evident.

Asher's voice softened slightly. "Then don't waste your anger on me, Cecilia. Channel it where it matters. You know Derek will keep using anyone he can to secure his control. And you've seen how he does it. I may be part of a demon cult, but I didn't use you like he did."

Her shoulders slumped, feeling her resistance erode under the harsh light of truth.

Asher slowly stepped closer, his soft radiant, golden eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch, "Besides," he murmured, voice low, "it's too late for you to turn back." His words were measured, each one seeming to press against her with an almost physical weight, "If you expose me, you'll only end up exposing yourself, and in doing so, risk dragging your daughter into this mess too. Can you really handle the consequences?"

Cecilia's resolve faltered for a moment, her eyes dropping as the realization settled in. Her lips pressed together tightly, and she shook her head, struggling to summon the conviction she'd felt just moments before.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Cecilia." His voice softened, yet it held a quiet authority, making her raise her gaze back to him. "Tell me you haven't already chosen the path forward by coming here. You could've exposed me without a word—but you didn't. You came here, to me, all the way to this isolated spot. Why?"

Her mouth opened, then closed, words failing her as the anger simmered down to something else—a painful, aching understanding. He was right; she hadn't come here just to accuse him. She had come for answers, for clarity, and for something more than just confrontation.

But, clinging to her last shred of resolve, she forced herself to shake her head, "You still lied to me and used me… You manipulated me, no matter what you're trying to achieve. I don't want to see you again, even if I won't tell anyone what I did for you or who you are. This is the last time we will see each other and the last time I will turn a blind eye to what you have done," She turned away from him, taking a shaky step forward, but before she could take another, Asher's hand closed around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

In one swift motion, he drew her back, her back colliding gently against his chest as he held her close, his arms circling around her. She gasped, instinctively reaching up to pull away, but his hold tightened ever so slightly, grounding her in place.

"I meant what I said," he whispered, his voice low, sending a shiver down her spine. "I want to see you happy, Cecilia. I wanted to save you from the dark path you were being pushed toward."

"Save me? How?" she managed with a aggrieved glare, her voice barely more than a murmur as her struggle eased, her pulse racing under his touch. She had wanted to walk away, to cling to her anger, but his words chipped away at her resistance, making her question her own resolve.

"If I'd told you the truth outright," he said, his breath warm against her ear, "would you really have trusted me? Would you have believed I was trying to do the right thing?" His voice softened, "I was desperate, Cecilia. I had nowhere else to turn. If you were in my shoes, could you honestly say you wouldn't have done the same?"

Cecilia felt the weight of his words settle deep within her, her hand resting lightly over his. She wanted to stay angry, to pull away, but his voice held an honesty that broke through her defenses. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she turned her head to meet his gaze, the intensity in his golden eyes igniting something fragile within her.

"Who… are you, really?" she asked, her voice wavering as she turned around and looked up at him, "If you truly meant that you wanted to tell me the truth…I am giving you that chance now.."