Bound to the Demon Lord ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Being back at the demon shrine was strange. When Phoebe had first seen this place, she found it fearsome and foreboding. Yet, when Krios landed in front of it, she didn't feel fear. It brought a sense of nostalgia as Seraphine's memories flowed through her. It had originally been a temple of the Creator, but demons had constructed it. They had wanted their own place of worship, since many hadn't felt welcomed in the more populated cities of the empire.

It could still be mistaken for a fortress rather than a shrine though. Yet, when Krios had set her to the floor, it wasn't the building that threw her off. She had been more taken aback by the fact that one of the obsidian doors had been kicked off its hinges and laid on the stairs leading up to the entrance.

"Was that your doing?" she asked him.

"I was in a hurry."

Phoebe couldn't help but roll her eyes, but didn't argue as he led her inside. She wasn't very surprised to find more destruction within the shrine either. It looked like he had erupted from the ground. The floor had a large chasm in its center, chunks of debris and stone scattered everywhere. It reminded her of when she had first met him, and he had chased down her and her friends.

Of course, when he burst through the floor, he nearly frightened them all to death. It was strange to think that now, she felt no fear towards him at all. It wasn't even that long ago since she thought of him as only a monster. When she had been ignorant like everyone else, when she hadn't realized that Krios was a good man, no matter his appearance.

A small laugh escaped her lips. Krios turned to her curiously. "What is it?"

She shook her head as they approached the chasm. "I didn't think we'd be like this."

She didn't need to elaborate. He chuckled as well as he wrapped an arm around her. Gently, he lifted her up and leaned her against his chest. "I didn't either. Your stubbornness worried me."

"How was I supposed to know you weren't just crazy?" she pouted. She held him close as he descended down the hole he had created. She was surprised to see how far it went down. "Did you really just claw your way out of the basement?"

"As I said, I was in a hurry."

She rolled her eyes again, but didn't argue. It felt like she was descending down a well. Everything was dark, and the only thing she could make out was the stone floors and walls Krios had torn through. She could only imagine how quickly he had followed after her once he had heard she had disappeared.

Soon, after a small jump down from the ceiling, they had landed in the underground hall. A terrible smell assaulted her sense. She had to bring up a hand to cover her nose as she leaned back in repulsion. Krios didn't look nearly as bothered, though his face did scrunch up a bit as they entered the room.

"If this place is ever used for a realm channel, they will need to clean it up first," he grumbled as he set her down to her feet.

She turned her head to see what he meant. She stiffened at the sight, her own memories suddenly rushing through her. In hindsight, it seemed foolish to have forgotten. The first time she had met Krios face-to-face, he had brutally murdered the Seekers and attacked her colleagues that had attempted to kill him. No one was around to clean up their corpses, which had been left down here to rot.

"Did we have to come back here?" she asked. "The Veil's been torn down."

"I still have to cross realms," he said, placing his hand at her back. He kept her walking forward as he tried to keep her focus away from the decomposing bodies. "It's easier to do it where I've already crossed than create an entirely new channel."