Adzriel grinned after witnessing all the arrogance Erika had displayed toward him. And those words of repentance she had spoken—it turned out she was only trying to buy time, just as Adzriel had suspected. All humans were the same; none were sincere. No one truly repented—they were only afraid of what was coming.
"Did I hear that right? Give you time?" His deep voice made Erika even more confused. She still wanted to enjoy all the luxuries she had worked so hard for. Death had never crossed her mind, not even when she made a pact with Adzriel.
Ding...
Erika's front door opened, seemingly unlocked by an unseen force. Perhaps the entity had done it, knowing that her body was beginning to grow cold from standing outside for too long.
Or perhaps she was cold because of Adzriel's presence so close to her...
She quickly ran inside, but as soon as she did, her steps faltered, and her work bag slipped from her grasp, landing on the floor. She was barefoot, suddenly remembering the heels she had left outside.
"Still feeling proud of yourself?" The voice came from behind her. Erika turned around, only to find Adzriel holding out the pair of heels she had worn earlier, the broken heel tip still evident.
"I already told you, God's decisions are none of your concern. I may not be a good person, but at least I know the truth—that demons like you bring corruption to this world."
Adzriel smirked. The little rat before him was still clinging to her arrogance, even when backed into a corner.
"Corruption, you say? Do you really think your human world was pure and just before my kind arrived?" Adzriel laughed, his voice rough and mocking.
"We did not create greed, ambition, or selfishness. Those are your own creations, not mine. You are just as corrupt as we are, only too cowardly to admit it."
"But you once said, 'We sow the seeds of temptation, we whisper in the ears of the ambitious, we watch the world burn behind us. And we watch fools like you dance to our tune, thinking you have control, when in reality, we have already wrapped our strings around your soul.' That means you do influence humans. Not all of their sins are solely their fault."
Adzriel chuckled, grasping Erika's chin as he drew closer to her, the arrogant little human who, strangely enough, showed no fear. Unlike the others whose souls he had claimed.
"Influence? Perhaps. But humans make their own choices, sweetheart. I simply provide alternatives." Adzriel shrugged, a faint, cynical smile on his lips.
"We whisper in your ears, but you listen. You don't have to take our offers. You don't have to give in to temptation. You don't have to surrender your soul, your humanity, your moral compass. You do it all on your own."
He caressed Erika's jawline, his touch slow, as if savoring the feel of her mortal form.
"I remember how beautiful I once was before being cast out of Heaven. Look at how God has created humans—so exquisite!" Adzriel studied Erika's face, a twenty-nine-year-old woman standing only one hundred sixty centimeters tall. Sometimes, he wondered what exactly made humans so special.
"Yes, I understand now," Erika replied, uneasy under his touch, staying on guard in case he decided to claim her soul at that moment.
"Finally, someone who gets it." Adzriel's grip on her chin loosened slightly, though he did not release her.
"You are a puppet, my dear. A puppet who believes she is in control. But your strings are in my hands. And they always will be."
"You're a puppet too! A puppet of the Devil, just as I said earlier," Erika retorted with a chuckle, refusing to be labeled as his plaything.
"You just won't shut up, will you?" Adzriel's patience was wearing thin. His expression hardened, his eyes burning with irritation and rage.
"You are a fool—a naïve little human who thinks she understands the intricate games of Heaven and Hell. You know nothing. You understand nothing. You are nothing more than a puppet I control, dancing to my rhythm."
Adzriel spun Erika around, pinning her against the wall. A small gasp escaped her lips as the pressure against her body made it difficult to breathe.
"As I said, humans can still repent. But demons..." Erika let out a breathless laugh, struggling under Adzriel's growing pressure.
"Repentance. Always clinging to repentance. You humans hold onto it like a lifeline, a desperate hope for redemption." Adzriel rolled his eyes, clearly disgusted by the concept.
"But let me tell you a secret, sweetheart. There is no redemption for you. No amount of repentance will save your soul from its damnation. You belong to me now. Forever."
"Oh? And who decides that? You or God? God is far more powerful than you. He created you and your kind. Have you forgotten that?" Erika shot back.
"Ah, faith in the Almighty. How... charming." Adzriel's voice dripped with mockery and scorn.
"You think God will save you? Protect you from me? That He can undo our deal and cleanse your soul of its stain? Go ahead, believe that. God may have created us, darling, but do you really think He cares about your fate?"
Suddenly, Erika gasped as something both cold and burning brushed against her skin. Adzriel's wicked smile deepened as he sensed the conflict within her, despite all her talk of faith and repentance.
"I already told you—I am a sinner. But I still have faith in Him." Even in this moment, Erika clung to her belief that she was above temptation.
"Faith. A useless concept. It won't save you. It won't change your fate."
Adzriel scoffed, his grip tightening around her wrist—a silent warning.
"You are still my puppet, my plaything. Your faith means nothing. Even God cannot protect you from me. Your soul is mine, and it always will be."
His hot breath ghosted over Erika's neck, enticing her, breaking down the walls she had so carefully built. No matter how much she resisted, she could never fully escape Adzriel's temptations.
"Do you still remember how you gained your worldly pleasures? In the forest? That night? How you danced for me? So beautiful." Adzriel smirked.
Erika only shook her head weakly, unwilling to acknowledge it, even though the memory of Adzriel above her still lingered in her mind. That was how she had secured her power in this fleeting world.
"Alright, I don't care. So, what do you want?" Erika's resistance was starting to crumble. Adzriel had been right—humans were weak against whispers.
"What do I want? Isn't it obvious?"
Adzriel's eyes roamed over Erika's form, noting every flaw, every imperfection, every sign of vulnerability.
"I want you. All of you. Your body, your soul, your life. I want to own you, claim you, make you mine in every possible way."