The Devil’s Temptation

Kai woke to the sound of fire breathing. The floor beneath him pulsed with warmth, black marble veins glowing faintly red. He sat up, dazed, his chest tight. The air smelled of smoke and something sweet, like burnt honey.

He wasn’t in the alley anymore. He was inside Luca’s world—hell itself, or something close.

“Awake at last,” came that familiar voice, smooth as poison.

Kai turned. Luca stood by a throne carved from obsidian, draped in red silk that looked too alive to be fabric. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched Kai struggle to stand.

“Where am I?” Kai demanded, though his voice quivered.

“In my domain,” Luca said. “Where no mortal breathes unless I allow it.”

Kai’s gaze darted around. Endless arches of black stone twisted into the dark sky, and rivers of glowing crimson light streamed through cracks in the floor. It was beautiful, terrible—otherworldly.

“Send me back,” Kai said firmly, taking a step back. “Now.”

Luca chuckled softly. “You command me, little human?” His tone was a velvet threat. “Do you forget what you are in the presence of your king?”

Kai glared, even as his heart pounded. “I’m not your anything.”

Luca tilted his head, almost fondly. “Then why do your eyes tremble when you look at me?”

Kai froze. He wanted to deny it, but Luca moved closer—too close. Every step echoed like thunder, and with each one, the air grew heavier.

When Luca reached him, his fingers traced the side of Kai’s neck, cold and burning all at once. “You pretend well,” he whispered, “but your soul doesn’t lie. It yearns for its master.”

“I don’t—” Kai started, but Luca’s gaze pinned him, molten and merciless.

“You do,” Luca murmured, voice dipping lower. “That pulse, that trembling—your body remembers me even if your mind refuses to.”

Kai’s knees threatened to give out. “Stop… messing with me.”

“I’m not,” Luca said simply. “You’re the one fighting something you can’t win against.”

The devil’s hand moved lower, stopping over Kai’s heart. “This beats because I allow it. Every breath you take, every shiver that runs through you—mine.”

Kai’s breath caught. “You talk like you own the world.”

“I don’t need the world,” Luca said, leaning closer until their lips almost brushed. “I only want you.”

The words sank into Kai like fire. His mind screamed run, but his body leaned forward, drawn into that impossible heat. Then Luca stopped, eyes dark with amusement.

“See?” he said softly. “You crave what you claim to hate.”

Kai pushed him away, chest heaving. “I’ll never be one of your toys.”

Luca’s smile deepened, dangerous and slow. “No. You’ll be my obsession.”

The ground trembled, as though the realm itself responded to his desire. Shadows danced along the walls, whispering promises Kai couldn’t understand.

Luca turned away, cloak sweeping behind him. “Rest, Kai. You’ll need strength for what comes next.”

As Luca disappeared into the crimson mist, Kai collapsed back against the cold marble. His heart refused to calm, and the echo of Luca’s words haunted him.

He was trapped. And the worst part—some part of him didn’t want to leave.

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