As they exited the vast, dimly lit room, Damian was met with an even more
expansive hall, a riot of color and light that stood in stark contrast to the dark, twisted mind of its owner. Candles floated freely, casting eerie, dancing shadows, and a massive golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, seemingly defying gravity.
Beside him, doors and stars shifted in every direction, their movements so erratic and constant it was as if the very walls were
alive.
Persephone, with an unsettling fluidity, twisted her head around like an owl, locking eyes with him.
Her black-and-white hair rippled as she spoke in a voice that was somehow both sweet and sarcastic: "Don't get lost, okay?"
Damian's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded quickly, trying not to yelp. "Okay!"
As they walked toward one of the constantly shifting doors, Damian couldn't help but ask, "So, why exactly do you need me to get your... uh... hearts back? I mean, aren't you already, like, super strong?"
Persephone turned to him with a blank expression, as though his question was beneath her. "Good question. Well, it's pretty simple. You're expendable, and I'm not."
Damian blinked in surprise. "Expendable?!
I'm not expendable!"
She gave him a half-lidded stare, her lips curling into a smirk. "Mmm, technically, you're special. But compared to me? You're dragon shit."
Damian's face twisted in confusion. "Wait, dragon shit? This world has dragons?"
Persephone raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was obvious. "Of course, how did
you not know that?"
Damian stumbled over his thoughts. "But... didn't you summon me from Earth with your magic or something?"
She laughed, her voice dark with amusement. "You're even crazier than I am."
Damian's brow furrowed. "Wait, you didn't summon me from a different planet?"
"Nope," she replied nonchalantly. "I just picked the freshest soul from the millions of dead bodies in my backyard."
Damian's face went pale. 'Holy shit, this bitch is actually insane.'
"Anyway, can't you just rush in there and overpower everyone to get your hearts back?" he pressed, his voice wavering.
"And, like, what are you even going to do once you have them?"
Persephone paused, her hand resting on one of the moving doors, causing it to stop in mid-air. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to him, her multicolored hair swaying. "First off," she said, her tone serious, "I'm extremely weak right now."
Damian blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"I only have one heart left," she continued, her voice low, "so if they destroy that one, I'm completely screwed." She stuck out her tongue playfully before adding, "And, I used most of my blood to make you, so technically, you're the strongest one here."
"Wait, me?!" Damian stammered.
"Yep. But don't get cocky," she warned, her eyes narrowing with cold malice. A toothy grin appeared on her face, her teeth becoming sharper. "I could still crush any mortals skull in an instant."
Damian let out a small squeal. "O-okay..."
Persephone seemed to relish his discomfort but continued. "It's the strong ones I need
to watch out for, especially my fellow witches. They're a nasty bunch. Lucky for you, you get to kill them all to get my hearts back!"
Damian swallowed nervously. "Y-yeah..."
She opened another door, leading them into a long hallway adorned with paintings of Persephone holding a strange child, the odd little maid Coraline, for reasons Damian couldn't fathom.
As they walked, she continued, "And as for your second question... I don't really know.
It depends on my mood. I might destroy humanity, or i might just relax on an island.
It's really up to me... and you."
Damian gulped at the thought of helping her, but the reality was, he didn't have much of a choice.
They passed through more doors, each leading to stranger and stranger places.
One was a large, opulent throne room with emerald floors and a sky dome above them, the stars twinkling down. The throne, however, was a curious sight: fluffy, hairy, and pink—more fitting for a child's playroom than a tyrant's lair.
Damian raised an eyebrow. 'For a tyrannical killing machine, she sure has an interesting sense of style.'
Persephone walked past him toward a wall, waiting for another moving door to fall into place. "Let's keep going."
They entered a sleek, pristine kitchen with a massive, smooth wood table draped in a white cloth. Persephone looked at it longingly, her eyes dreamy. "I wonder what Coraline's making for dinner tonight?"
Before Damian could ask more questions, she snapped back into her usual demeanor.
"Anyway, let's keep moving."
They passed through more rooms: one was a training ground, complete with a giant, dark cage where a growl echoed.
Persephone casually mentioned, "That's Mr. Coco. He'll be your training partner." Damian's eyes widened in terror.
"W-what?"
But Persephone was already dragging him out, ignoring his protests. "We'll save that for later."
Another door led them into a chilling room filled with the stench of death, blood-soaked devices, and macabre decorations.
Persephone paused, glanced around, and said, "Let's go to the next one."
Damian was starting to feel dizzy from the bizarre sequence of rooms. But it didn't end there. The next space was a junk-filled giant cavern, crammed with old clothes, weapons, magical trinkets, and enough bizarre furniture to make a hoarder feel at
home. Persephone spun around, laughing uneasily. "Oookay, forget this one," she said, practically shoving him through another door.
They found themselves in a much smaller room. It was neat and tidy, except for a mutilated teddy bear sitting quietly in the corner. Damian raised an eyebrow.
"That's... weird."
Persephone sighed. "That's Coraline's room."
Damian glanced at the bear. "What's up with the teddy bear?"
Persephone looked uncomfortable for a moment. "She has... anger management issues."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "She looked pretty calm to me."
"Yeah," Persephone muttered, "because I sewed her eyes shut."
"Huh? That calms anger?"
"Don't ask questions, Slave! You ask way too many questions!" Persephone snapped,
clearly growing impatient.
"But this whole place is weird!" he countered.
Her expression shifted from annoyance to a sudden grin. "Well, let's go to the next room then!"
The door led them into a massive bedroom, with a bed so enormous it could fit a titan.
The floor was pure white, while the bed itself was made from dark purple stone, as
large as the surrounding pillars. Damian stared in awe, his mind racing. "What is this place?"
Persephone turned to him, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She touched her lips with one hand, her feathery wings fluttering slightly. She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "We're doing your second mission today. You're going to teach me about..." She leaned in, her breath hot against his skin. "L.O.V.E."
Damian's heart stopped, but she was already pulling away, her smile mischievous.
"Come on, let's go."