The tension in the cell was palpable as Asher's boots echoed ominously against the cold stone floor. His eyes, cold and unyielding, locked onto Rachel's, whose unfocused gaze suddenly regained light upon sensing his presence.
"Stop right there…" Rachel hissed, her voice dripping with venom as her posture tensed, ready for an attack or defense, "Get out of my sight..." She wanted to threaten him to let her leave by saying her people won't leave him alone once they come to learn upon this.
After spending the past week throwing threats at him, she realized he doesn't even care. All she could do was grudgingly accept the food to keep herself healthy and ready to think of a plan to escape.
Asher clicked his tongue, a smirk playing on his lips, "Such ferocity and the audacity to make demands from a prisoner. You forget your place, and must have lived such a pampered life all this time," he taunted, closing the distance between them, "It's time you understood. No one's coming for you and that you are nothing in this place, with no power or influence. If I hadn't been around, those hungry demons outside would have had a good time tearing you apart in ways you can't even imagine," He let his words hang in the air, allowing the chilling truth of his statement to sink in.
Her face paled at the notion, but she stood her ground, defiance unwavering, "A-All I want to know is about Amelia. Is she okay? Or have you already..." The words trailed off, the implication of her question hanging heavily in the air.
His soft, mocking laughter reverberated throughout the cell, his amusement evident, "So after your little murder attempt on your best friend, you're still concerned about her? How sweet. But don't worry, she is alive but emotionally…"
She glared at him, frustration and anger evident in her eyes, "It's not like that! You played me. You know it best! You tricked me…again…"
He shrugged nonchalantly, "Does it change the fact that your own hands tried to end her? Your intentions, your actions. All your own. Blaming others for your own sins only makes you even worse."
A choked sob escaped her as she backed up, her back pressed against the cold stone.
She lowered her gaze, trying to hold back the flood of tears threatening to spill. Her voice cracked, the weight of her actions and the reality of her predicament weighing heavily on her, "I...It wasn't me…I couldn't have done it…" Rachel kept shaking her head, as if hoping she could shake away that memory.
"Surprised at what you are capable of?" Asher asked with a scoff as he approached her.
Rachel's breath hitched as Asher's cold eyes bore into her own, his proximity unsettling and suffocating.
"You know, it's fascinating to watch," Asher began, his voice low and dripping with mockery, "Nobody really cares about you, not anymore. Amelia was the only one who seemed to actually care, but now, thanks to you, you are alone."
In a burst of anger and desperation, Rachel gripped his shirt and said, "You're wrong…I still have my family…and once they learn what you—!"
Before Rachel could even complete her sentence, Asher's eyes became cold as he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head while pushing her back against the wall.
He then leaned his face closer to hers as he said with a voice of cold, mirthless chuckle, "You really think they care about you? Maybe...but only as long as you continue to uphold their pride and status. The moment your reputation gets tarnished because of, say...our little photoshoot getting exposed, then they will disown you without much hesitation. Just like cutting off a poisoned limb to save the rest. You will be surprised at how quick they would be to protect their precious last name."
Rachel's lips trembled as she shook her head in a jittery way. Tears glistened, threatening to spill, "You can't do that... They wouldn't...Don't you dare tell me otherwise."
Asher's smile didn't reach his eyes, "Oh, Rachel. It's heartbreaking how naive you still are. Do you truly believe they'd jeopardize everything they've built for you?"
Rachel's rage bubbled over, her eyes glaring daggers at Asher, "I swear, if I had the chance, I'd end this right here," she hissed, trying to break free from his hand, though his grip was ironclad.
If only he would suddenly drop dead, then she wouldn't have to feel like she was standing on the edge of the cliff every day.
His laughter filled the cell, "Kill me? And what after that? Do you think it would end there? Think, Rachel. Even if you could get past my defenses, even if you could magically take my life, do you truly believe I wouldn't have made arrangements as insurance? With an army of demons ready to do my bidding, it isn't really hard. Heck, even one of you humans would be willing to do it for a price."
Rachel's face paled as the realization struck her.
She was trapped in every sense, and Hellbringer seemed to hold all the cards. And deep down, the most terrifying thought of all was that he might be right.
She shut her eyes and wondered why the Angels weren't saving her from this villain despite doing so much to help humanity.
Did they abandon her as well?
Asher slowly let go of her hands, making her teary eyes open in confusion as he said, "Don't worry. I don't want to destroy you. If I wanted to, I already would have...you should have realized that by now. I won't release those photos on one condition."
Rachel held her breath as a glimmer of hope sprouted from within, even if those words were coming from a villain like him.
"I want you to be my slave, and as your Master, I would have a reason to protect you, right? I take good care of my belongings, whether you believe it or not," Asher asked with a slow curve of his lips.
"You..." Rachel couldn't believe the sheer audacity of this demon to propose something like that and kept glaring at him with bitterness, "Go to hell..." She spat out as she looked away with bitterness in her eyes.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. It comes with additional perks too. For example, I can help amend your relationship with Amelia. She can be your best friend again, and it would be like there was never any bad blood between you two," Asher whispered, making Rachel's gaze suddenly snap towards him, her heart thudding against her chest.
Rachel looked up, her beautiful blue eyes glazed with a myriad of emotions - anger, frustration, desperation, and a faint glimmer of hope.
"Don't you dare play with my feelings," she whispered, but her voice lacked its usual conviction.
Asher leaned against the cold stone wall, his yellow eyes never leaving Rachel, "You'd be surprised how easily people accept the narrative they want to believe. If Amelia wants to forgive you, she'll clutch onto any reason. But that's beside the point," he paused, his gaze piercing into her. "The real question is, how far are you willing to go to make things right? What are you ready to sacrifice?"
Her breaths became more rapid, her eyes darting between the exit and him. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to refuse him, to maintain her dignity. But the weight of her actions, the guilt of harming Amelia, it was breaking her from the inside.
"You're a monster," she whispered, her stare cutting.
Asher chuckled softly, "Maybe. But sometimes, one needs a monster to get things done. And here you need me to fix the mess you made. Now, what will it be, Rachel?"
Swallowing hard, Rachel found her voice, though it quivered, "And what if I refuse?"
Rachel pressed her lips together as, in her mind, she thought that it was probably true maybe he could convince Amelia, especially using his beguiling tongue. But the thought of becoming a demon's slave...She knew very well what it entailed.
She couldn't believe she ended up in a situation like this where she was forced to consider it.
The very thought of making things right with Amelia was alluring, but was she ready to sell her soul for it?
But then she remembered how she already lost some of it. However, if she makes this choice, then she will completely lose it and be disgracing herself.
Asher's gaze hardened as he turned around to walk towards the door, "Then forget it. I will let her go anyway. But who knows…if she returns home with all that resentment towards you, there is no telling what she might do."
Rachel's mind raced as she gulped down a breath, "Wait!" She called out right before Hellbringer was about to leave.
Asher subtly curved his lips and turned around with his hands behind his back.
Rachel finally whispered, a hint of defiance still left in her, "L-Let's say I agree...it's only for Amelia. Nothing else. A-And…you have to fix my situation with her within tomorrow itself. After that...I-I will be ready..."
Rachel felt her heart thudding against her chest as she made this decision. Never in her life had she imagined she would do this.
But she swallowed her humiliation and took relief in the fact that, as long as her family and the world doesn't know, everything would remain the same on the outside.
Asher's smile was victorious yet enigmatic, "Of course, only for Amelia. But you don't get to decide when you can be ready. Still, don't worry. Why wait for tomorrow when I can fix your Amelia situation today itself. I can make her believe that one of my people mind-controlled you into doing it. It wouldn't be that hard to convince her, but our deal will be on right away."
Rachel's lips parted with a skeptical look. Still, the confidence in his voice made her feel hopeful. Even though she knew it was a lie, she couldn't think of any other way to fix things with Amelia.
All that mattered would be that things would go back to how it was with her.
"But wait…Y-You can't let others know about this…" Rachel dreaded the thought of letting even the demons outside see that a Hunter like her was being a demon's slave. It wouldn't be too long before her people learned as well, and that would be the end of it.
Asher chuckled and said, "Isn't that a given? Until the quest ends, you will be staying inside my fortress, and nobody else will know. As for my women, they won't say or do anything without my say-so."
Rachel felt relieved that at least he wasn't planning to humiliate her in public and found it surprising, not that she wanted to complain about it.
But what gnawed at her was what he was planning to do. Why would he want her, a human, as his "slave" when he had so many powerful and beautiful demonesses beside him? She was even sure other crazy and twisted demonesses would be happy to become his slaves.
Even if he wanted to ruin her life, he could have simply exposed the photos he already had.
She couldn't figure out what he really wanted and wondered what kind of fate lay in store for her.
The only thing she was looking forward to now was fixing things with Amelia and the relief that she only had to endure this for less than 2 months, even though it seemed too long in her situation.
"And from now on, you will address me as Master Asher or Master. So…prove your sincerity as a slave by beginning to service your Master…now," Asher said firmly, with a stern light in his eyes, leaving no room for disobedience.
Rachel's eyes widened upon seeing this villain beginning to remove his clothes.
