In Far away place....
A woman was sleeping peacefully on a luxurious bed with intricate golden carvings, wrapped in silken plum and violet sheets. Her breathing was shallow.
The room surrounding her was more dream than reality.
Vast windows were allowing streams of soft, golden light to filter through sheer violet curtains. The sun beyond glowed with a gentle warmth that kissed the floors with ethereal grace. Outside, clouds rolled like waves of pale peach and lavender, drifting in a sky where no birds flew. the moon was shining brightly at opposite end.
The chamber itself was enormous, but nothing about it felt empty. Walls of amethyst and ivory shimmered with embedded jewels, while flowering vines grew unnaturally along corners and pillars yet their blossoms never wilted. The room was filled with floral calming scent.
A man stepped silently into the room.
In that very instant, the temperature plummeted, an unnatural cold swept across the space like an invisible tide. The warm, gentle glow that once lingered in the air was replaced by an eerie stillness. Frost kissed the edges of the tall windows, and the candle flames wavered violently before bowing to the heavy silence.
He walked toward the bed where the young woman was sleeping peacefully. She stirred faintly in her sleep, shivering unconsciously. He looked down at the sleeping figure, and for a brief moment, a flicker of emotion passed through his obsidian eyes. Carefully, he picked up the velvet blanket resting on the armchair and draped it over her delicate form.
But as the fabric fell upon her, his brows furrowed.
The garment she wore was thin; nearly transparent and far too revealing for someone so... innocent. A strange expression crossed his face as his gaze lingered on her. Her features were soft, pure, untouched by malice or sin. Like snow that had yet to be stepped upon.
His eye glowed bright crimson as he looked into her spirit sea to probe into the echoes of her soul. But to his surprise, he saw... nothing.
A void.
Unusual.
Very unusual.
Then, a new presence graced the room. The oppressive cold was swiftly swept away, like shadows chased off by morning light. A soft glow entered with the second man, gentle yet blinding, warm and divine. Golden strands of messy hair framed his youthful face, and a faint shimmer of light followed every step he took, as if the stars themselves bent toward him in reverence.
"Woah," blonde man blinked, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief. "Another sacrifice? Let me have a look."
Before he could walk closer, the dark man rose from his seat and positioned himself between the woman and the approaching person.
"No, Nathan," he said, his voice low and steady. "She is dressed inappropriately."
Nathan pouted, clearly amused. "Okay, okay, Luxion," he said with a playful shrug, stepping back. "I wasn't planning on taking the blanket off."
He peered over Luxion's shoulder, a curious light flickering in his gaze.
"She has the same hair color as mine," he murmured thoughtfully. "So naive, so vulnerable... It's such a pity she's already dead. But her soul... it glows. It's warm, gentle and unusually pure. That's rare for a human." He turned to Luxion. "So... what do you plan to do with her?"
Luxion's gaze drifted to the window, where darkness clung stubbornly to the edge of the frame. His expression returned to its default, a blank canvas of ice and shadow.
"Nothing. When she wakes up, she's going to be terrified. Of me. The Devil."
Nathan tilted his head, his tone softening. "What if she doesn't get scared? What if she's different? Don't you remember what Supreme Mother said...?"
"I remember her words but you have witnessed it countless times. I am meant to be alone. All the woman who were sacrificed as a bride to me, always got scared of me as soon as they saw my dark aura. They trembled at the thought of being in Hell. And those who were brave and crazy enough to accept this.....they burned to ashes the moment they touched me."
Nathan's golden brows knitted together, but Luxion continued.
"This is a meaningless ritual, a cruel joke. I should ask Supreme Mother to forbid the humans from sending sacrifices. I don't need them. I don't want them. I hate this stupid ritual."
He glanced at the fragile girl sleeping behind him. "And she's no different. Look at her, She looks fragile and vulnerable enough to break at the sound of my name."
Nathan's soft light dimmed slightly. "...Then I'll take her to the heavens. The Karma Court can judge what should become of her."
But before he could say more, a soft chime echoed through the air. A divine scroll of light unfurled in front of him. He read the contents and turned towards luxion.
"Luxion, I need to go to human world urgently. I can't accompany her soul to karma court. So, please take her there somehow."
With that, Nathan, the angel dissolved into golden light, vanishing from the room like a sunbeam swallowed by dusk.
Luxion sat in silence, his tall figure resting on the armchair. His gaze never once strayed from the figure on the bed.
That woman.
The newest sacrifice.
But unlike the others, this one stirred something... unsettling.
His fingers tapped gently against the cold armrest. He had ruled hell for millennials, from the very beginning of everything came into existence. At first, he was clueless about everything. But supreme mother raised, guided and taught him with other celestial beings. He was never fond of anyone as he saw countless times how the souls who were sent to him had betrayed their own people.
But it was supreme mother who visited him once and told him,
"Luxion, my dear kid, you are suffering a lot because of those souls. I know its not easy to manage hell on your own. You are making yourself stronger but you are getting cold and emotionless. That's not good. So, I want to tell you something. A woman will come at hell who will be your companion. Though, a human but she will be the one who will love you for you. Cherish her and wait for her."
Luxion sighed. He shouldn't have had hopes. Supreme mother's word gave him hope. That was unusual.