The Damned Demon
chapter-710

Asher's gaze sharpened, narrowing in on Cecilia. He could have dealt with her differently—blackmail would be easy, bending her to his will like a pawn.

But that would only confirm to her that he was no better than her power-hungry husband.

And unlike Rachel, who he could take his time manipulating, he didn't have the luxury of time or patience with Cecilia. She was also not really a pushover, and he might lose it all if he tried to push her too much.

So, with a slight edge to his voice, he asked, "Are you sure you want me to show you who I really am? What if you can't handle the truth?"

Cecilia's heartbeat quickened, but she pressed her lips together in defiance. "I am the only one who can decide that. I can handle it. You shouldn't underestimate me."

A chuckle escaped Asher, but his amusement quickly vanished as his eyes darkened. Without a word, he seized her wrist. "Follow me," he commanded.

"Wai–Where are you taking me?" Cecilia stammered, her confusion mounting.

Yet she didn't resist, allowing him to guide her down a winding path to a small, decrepit building hidden near the mines. The abandoned hostel loomed in shadow, the air thick with dust and silence.

"Did we really have to come inside this old building that could fall over us at any moment?" Cecilia asked, her skepticism apparent. Why was he being so secretive? She didn't have a good feeling about this.

"I can't risk prying eyes," Asher replied coolly, casting a glance around before turning back to her. His voice grew serious, "Besides, it's safer in here—for you."

She furrowed her brows, uneasy, "You better not—"

But her words were cut off as Asher cupped her face, his skin suddenly igniting with an eerie, dark green flame. She watched in horror as his flesh melted away, the muscles and sinew vanishing until only a charred skeleton remained, bathed in that otherworldly green fire.

Eerie, hollow eye sockets stared back at her from within the blazing skull.

Her breath hitched as her mind screamed for her to get away, but his grip held her still, cold and unyielding.

"You wanted to see who I truly am," Asher's voice reverberated, a deep, grave tone that seemed to echo from the very pits of darkness, "This is who I am. I am Hellbringer. I am Asher Drake, the king of the Bloodburn Kingdom—or the Demon King, as you humans call me."

Cecilia's eyes widened, her heart hammering in her chest as she whispered, "No...No...This can't be..."

She struggled, and her hands burst into a radiant blue light, forcing Asher back with a sudden, powerful pulse. He slid back, a few feet separating them now, as she glared at him, her entire body shaking.

"How dare you…Yo-You did all those things to me to corrupt me, didn't you?" she spat, her voice quivering with a mix of anger and disbelief, "If I hadn't stopped myself from falling for your evil tricks, I-I…"

Emotions roiled within her: anger, shock, shame, and a sickening fear over what she'd allowed herself to feel for him.

She didn't dare imagine what would happen if anyone, especially her husband, discovered her affair with the most infamous demon to exist now.

Asher let out a low, guttural scoff, his fiery skull cocking slightly to one side, "Tricks? If I wanted to trick you, why would I reveal myself?" He shook his head, the green flames flickering with his every word, "You said you could handle the truth. But maybe, Cecilia, I overestimated you."

She glared back at him, her fists clenched, "You're a demon. You… you are the lie."

"Think carefully about who has truly deceived you, Cecilia," Asher replied, his voice as steady and piercing as ever, "Your husband, your precious WHA—those are the people who twisted the truth. I didn't drag you here to scare you; I did it to give you a choice."

"A choice?" She laughed bitterly, her chest heaving, "You're trying to justify this?"

"Believe whatever you need to," Asher replied, his voice softening just slightly, "But if I wanted you as a pawn, you would have never known who I was. I chose to show you because I value you… and because, unlike those around you, I trust you to seek the truth instead of clinging to convenient lies. You very well know that some humans are no worse than most demons, and that includes your husband because of what he did to his own people and what he plans to do next."

Cecilia's eyes trembled, haunted by Hellbringer's words as his voice echoed in her mind, dredging up the grim plans Derek had confided to her. She felt her heart waver, and the conviction she'd clung to faltered. It was true.

If she knowingly supported Derek, siding with something like that, there would be no forgiveness in any world that awaited her after death.

Asher tilted his head, his voice low and cold, "Nothing to say, Cecilia? Because you know it's the truth? Imagine what it would mean—to knowingly stand by true evil. The angels won't be waiting to forgive your sins when the time comes," he said, his voice like a shadow creeping through her mind.

Her chin quivered, the radiant blue light flickering around her hands like a candle caught in a breeze, as if her strength itself was dimming.

But then, she looked up, her eyes still shaking yet determined, "Maybe you're not wrong, but that doesn't make you any better. You've killed innocents, Hunters, terrorizing my world. I should be calling every Hunter in the WHA to kill you now, even if it won't cleanse me of my sins."

Asher began to close the distance between them, his stride slow but deliberate, his voice softer yet laced with undeniable conviction. "No, you won't. And do you know why? Because deep down, you know I'm trying to do the right thing."

Cecilia shook her head in disbelief, stepping back as though it would keep him away. But he pressed on, "Yes, you're right. I have killed innocents and Hunters, but my hand was forced. You'll never understand what it means to live as a demon, cursed to fight for survival in a world while having to defend ourselves against Hunters who show no mercy."

His words took on a raw edge, exposing the burden he carried, "You think our lives mean nothing because we're demons? Do you believe we feel nothing, have no heart, no soul? Not all demons are the bloodthirsty fiends you imagine. We are capable of love, anger, sorrow... just as you are. The only difference is the world we are born in and the nature of mana that flows through our veins."

She stopped moving, his words striking her somewhere deep, twisting the beliefs that had been instilled in her since she was young.

She found herself staring, seeing for the first time a glimpse of pain and sadness in his hollow gaze. A demon… with sorrow, with remorse? Could they truly be so much like humans?

"All your life, you've been taught that demons are little more than evil beasts. That teaching made it easier for you Hunters to justify killing us without blinking twice. But we feel just as you do." His voice softened as he closed the last few inches between them, his gaze holding hers steadily, "If malice were all I had to offer, I wouldn't be standing here, exposing my true self to you, speaking to you."

The eerie flames enveloping his skeletal form began to dim, flickering out as flesh, muscle, and skin returned, piece by piece, until he looked human once more. With gentle hands, he reached out, cupping her cheek as he murmured, "I still only want to save you, Cecilia… from the schemes your husband has set in motion. And because, against all odds, I want you for myself."

Her hands trembled as he touched her face, her mind urging her to push him away. But her heart kept her frozen, her chest aching with uncertainty, confusion, and a truth she was almost afraid to admit. She looked up, her voice a bare whisper, "I… I don't know." She gently pulled his hand from her cheek, adding, "You may have shown me your true self, but that doesn't mean I understand what you're planning. I can never know."

Asher took a step back, nodding slowly, "I understand. I can't ask you to trust me. But perhaps," he said, his tone softening, "you can trust family."

She blinked, her confusion mounting—until the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.

She turned, and her eyes widened, catching her breath as a figure stepped into the light. A young woman with long, silky blue hair and radiant blue eyes, her expression tinged with concern.

"Rachel??" Cecilia gasped, her voice filled with shock, unable to believe her own eyes. Why was her daughter here?!

"Mom…" Rachel mumbled with a look of guilt and worry as she began to approach her shocked mother.