Arianna stood at the balcony overlooking the Underworld's vast, eerie expanse. The sky was a swirling mix of crimson and black, with streaks of molten gold cutting through the darkness like veins of fire. Shadows slithered along the walls of Damien's castle, moving as if they had minds of their own.
She had made her choice.
She had chosen to stay.
To fight.
To stand beside Damien as his queen, rather than be just another soul lost to the Underworld's grasp.
But now, she would have to face the consequences.
A sudden shift in the air sent shivers down her spine.
The flames of the torches flickered, bending unnaturally. The shadows deepened, thickening into something alive.
Then she heard it.
The slow, deliberate clap of hands echoing through the chamber.
Arianna stiffened.
She knew who it was before she even turned.
"How amusing."
The voice was smooth, dripping with amusement and something far more dangerous.
She turned slowly, her heart pounding against her ribs.
And there he stood.
Lucifer.
The King of Hell. The Devil himself.
And Damien's father.
He was nothing like the monstrous depictions she had seen in human tales. No horns, no grotesque wings.
Instead, he was flawless—inhumanly beautiful, with sharp, angular features and golden eyes that burned like embers. His long black coat swayed as he moved, his every step a whisper of danger.
Arianna clenched her fists.
She had expected him to come eventually.
But not this soon.
Not now.
Lucifer's golden gaze flickered over her before landing on Damien, who stood a few feet away, silent and unreadable.
"Tell me, my son," Lucifer drawled, his voice deceptively light, "how does it feel to be defied by a mere mortal?"
Arianna's jaw clenched.
She wasn't mere anything.
Damien didn't flinch. His silver eyes remained cold, impassive.
"This is no longer your concern," he said flatly.
Lucifer chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, you misunderstand."
Then, faster than Arianna could react, he was right in front of her.
Arianna's breath caught in her throat as Lucifer reached out, his fingers barely grazing her chin.
"Such fire in your eyes," he murmured, tilting her head up slightly. "You're nothing like the others."
Arianna's skin burned where he touched her, but she refused to show weakness.
She would not kneel.
"I am not afraid of you," she whispered.
Lucifer stilled.
Then, in a blur, he was laughing.
A deep, rich sound that sent chills through the entire chamber. The shadows shuddered.
"Oh," he breathed, stepping back, his golden eyes gleaming with wicked delight. "You are precious."
Arianna refused to let him see the unease curling in her stomach.
She forced herself to meet his gaze. "If you think I'll bow to you, you're mistaken."
Lucifer's smirk widened. "Oh, my dear, I don't need you to bow. I only need you to break."
Arianna's pulse spiked.
Lucifer turned to Damien, his expression suddenly sharper, colder.
"Do you truly think," he said softly, "that you can keep her?"
A crack of thunder split the air.
The entire castle trembled.
And then the shadows attacked.
They surged forward like a living force, lunging straight for Arianna.
She had seconds to react.
She twisted, reaching for anything—a weapon, a spell, anything—
But then she felt it.
The familiar, electric pulse of Damien's power.
And suddenly, she wasn't alone.
Damien moved faster than light, his shadows colliding with Lucifer's, slamming into them like a storm.
The air crackled with raw, uncontained magic.
Lucifer didn't move. He simply watched.
The shadows fought, twisting and writhing, the room darkening until only flickers of fire remained.
Then—it stopped.
Everything went still.
Arianna's breath came fast, her chest heaving.
Damien stood in front of her now, his shoulders tense, his entire presence brimming with fury.
Lucifer let out a soft hum.
"Interesting," he mused. "You actually care for this one."
Damien's voice was deadly quiet.
"Leave."
Lucifer sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Oh, my dear son, why must you always ruin my fun?"
His golden gaze flicked back to Arianna.
"You made a mistake, little queen," he murmured.
Arianna refused to look away. "The only mistake I made was underestimating you."
Lucifer grinned.
"Oh," he said, voice like silk, "but you haven't even seen the worst of me yet."
Then, with a final glance at Damien, he vanished.
The air settled. The castle stopped trembling.
Arianna exhaled shakily.
It was over.
For now.
She turned to Damien. His silver eyes were locked onto the spot where Lucifer had disappeared. His jaw was clenched, his fingers still glowing with the remnants of his power.
She had never seen him like this.
"Damien," she whispered.
His gaze snapped to hers, and something in his expression broke.
Before she could react, he closed the distance between them.
His hands found her face, fingers curling into her hair, his breath warm against her skin.
"You should have let me send you away," he murmured.
Arianna swallowed hard. "And let him win?"
Damien exhaled sharply. "Lucifer does not play fair."
Arianna placed her hands against his chest, feeling the thunderous beat of his heart.
"Neither do I," she whispered.
A beat of silence.
Then Damien did something unexpected.
He smiled.
Not a smirk. Not a cold, knowing grin.
But a real, genuine smile.
It lasted only a second before he crushed his lips to hers.
Arianna gasped.
The kiss was fierce, desperate, consuming—as if he was trying to claim her, mark her, remind her exactly who she belonged to.
She kissed him back just as fiercely.
Because she already knew.
She had chosen him.
And she would fight for him.
No matter the cost.
"Blood Oaths and Burning Skies"
The kiss deepened, fierce and consuming, and for one trembling, heart-racing moment, the world around them disappeared.
The Underworld, the castle, the threats from Lucifer—all of it faded into the background.
All that existed was Damien's mouth on hers, the desperate grip of his hands tangling in her hair, the way his body curved around hers as if trying to shield her from everything.
Arianna clutched his jacket, pulling him closer, not caring that the ground still seemed to shake faintly beneath them.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless, foreheads pressed together, their hearts hammering in perfect, painful rhythm.
Damien's voice was low and ragged.
"You shouldn't have stayed," he said again, almost brokenly.
Arianna shook her head. "You don't get to decide for me."
A flicker of emotion crossed his silver eyes—something raw, something Arianna had never seen before. Fear.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for her.
"You don't understand what he'll do," Damien said, his voice shaking with the weight of his words. "You've only seen a glimpse of his power. Lucifer doesn't just kill his enemies—he erases them. He will tear you apart piece by piece to punish me."
Arianna's heart twisted.
She understood the risk.
She wasn't naive.
But she was done running.
"You're not facing him alone," she said fiercely. "I made my choice, Damien. I'm your wife. Your queen."
The word hung between them, heavier than any chain.
Queen.
Damien stared at her, and for the first time since she had met him, his mask cracked completely.
He looked… vulnerable.
And utterly, devastatingly beautiful.
Arianna reached up, touching his cheek gently. His skin was burning hot, the tension in him vibrating like a string pulled too tight.
"We fight together," she whispered. "Or we fall together."
Damien's eyes closed briefly, as if in pain.
When he opened them again, they were burning silver.
"Then," he said hoarsely, "we need to bind our fates properly."
Arianna frowned. "I thought we already—"
He shook his head.
"No. The ceremony we had—it was human. Political." His hand found hers, threading their fingers together. "What we need now is a Blood Oath. A binding so deep, not even my father can break it."
Arianna swallowed. She didn't know what that meant exactly, but she didn't care.
"I'm ready," she said.
Damien searched her face, as if trying to find even a sliver of doubt.
There was none.
Finally, he nodded.
He led her out of the broken chamber, past the shattered balcony, down into the heart of the castle, where the stone floors gave way to ancient, glowing runes carved deep into the ground.
The walls pulsed with an eerie crimson light. The very air was thick with magic.
Arianna's heart pounded as Damien turned to her, drawing a ceremonial dagger from his belt.
It was a beautiful, terrible thing—silver and black, with veins of gold twisting along the blade.
He pressed the tip to his own palm without hesitation and dragged it across his skin.
Thick, dark blood welled up instantly.
Damien extended the dagger to her, his hand bleeding freely, his blood dripping onto the runes below.
"Your turn," he said quietly.
Arianna took the dagger.
Her hands didn't shake.
She pressed the blade to her palm and cut.
The pain was sharp but brief.
Blood bloomed against her skin, hot and bright.
Damien reached out and clasped her hand tightly.
The moment their blood mingled, the runes flared to life.
A blast of power tore through the chamber, so strong Arianna staggered—but Damien caught her, anchoring her against him.
Their blood sizzled and fused together on the stone.
Words, ancient and unspoken, filled the air.
The ground shook violently as their fates twisted together—two souls binding, tethered beyond death itself.
Damien's voice rumbled in her ear, ancient and powerful.
"By blood and by shadow, by fire and bone, I claim you, Arianna. Forever."
Arianna repeated after him, her voice steady despite the whirlwind around them.
"By blood and by shadow, by fire and bone, I claim you, Damien. Forever."
The magic sealed.
The runes burned a brilliant gold, then faded, sinking into the ground.
Arianna gasped, feeling the bond settle into place—a living, breathing thing between them.
She could feel him now.
Not just his presence, but his emotions—his rage, his fear, his desperate, wild love for her.
And she knew he could feel hers too.
It was terrifying.
And exhilarating.
Damien pressed his forehead to hers, their blood still dripping, their hands still clasped.
"We are one now," he whispered. "In life. In death. In everything."
Arianna's heart thundered.
No matter what Lucifer threw at them.
No matter what hell waited beyond tomorrow.
They would face it together.
Suddenly, the castle around them groaned—a deep, ancient sound like the bones of the world shifting.
The skies beyond the windows blazed brighter, the fires of the Underworld burning higher, as if sensing what had been done.
In the distance, a horn sounded—low and mournful.
Arianna shivered.
"What's that?" she whispered.
Damien's expression darkened.
"It begins," he said grimly.
"The War for the Underworld has begun."
—