CHAPTER 185: PORTRAIT

In his chambers, Azazel’s heavy footsteps echoed against the ground as he came to a halt before the wall where the portrait of his beloved now hung. He had moved it there purposefully, placing it directly opposite his chair so he could see her beautiful face at any moment, whenever he desired.

Letting out a weary sigh, he slowly lifted his gloved hand, his fingers tracing the curves of her painted face, the softness of her lips, the gentle slope of her jaw, the spark that once danced in her golden eyes. His heart tightened painfully as he recalled how those very eyes used to look at him, with warmth, with trust, with a love that once seemed eternal.

But it hadn’t been eternal. Nothing in his world ever was.

His touch lingered on the canvas, his throat tightening with the ache he had long carried. "I miss you every day," he whispered, his voice low. "My life has become utterly useless without you here. I feel suffocated, drowning in your memory. I still hear your laughter, ringing in my head, and I cannot take it anymore. I need to do this."

His breath trembled as he closed his eyes briefly. "I hope you can forgive me, my dear Celeste."

The silence was suddenly shattered by the frantic scurrying of feet. Ragged breathing filled the air as his moggly rushed into the room, its bulbous eyes wide and brimming with panic.

"Master Azazel!" the moggly gasped, nearly tripping over its own feet as it skidded to a halt before him. "Master, terrible news! Disastrous news!"

Azazel turned slowly, his bored gaze settling on the creature with mild curiosity, though his hand remained on the painting. "Calm yourself. What is it?"

The moggly puffed and wheezed, its tiny claws clutching its chest as it struggled to steady its breath. "Your Majesty... it’s... it’s Asmodeus... he... he has escaped from the Cell of Doom."

Azazel’s hand froze.

The silence that followed was suffocating. The moggly lowered its gaze to the ground, not daring to move, not daring to speak without permission. Slowly, Azazel’s fingers dropped from the canvas, his lips pressed into a thin line. His red eyes darkened, the glow within them dimming as he absorbed the news.

"Asmodeus..." he murmured, the name tasting bitter on his tongue. "He escaped... from the Cell of Doom?"

"Y-yes, Master," the moggly stammered, its voice trembling. "They said his chains... they were severed. No one knows how. He vanished from the confines of the cell. When the guards went to check, they found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing like this has ever happened since the creation of the Underworld."

Azazel sighed again as he walked over to the window, his gaze settling on the heavy downpour falling from the sky. "This is indeed terrible news." He brushed off a nonexistent speck of dust from his coat. "I must say, I’m rather impressed by his escape. He has done what no soul has ever done."

"You are right, Master." The moggly swallowed nervously. "But should we... shouldn’t we try to locate him, Your Highness?" the creature asked, its raspy voice laced with uncertainty. "We need to know where he is headed."

Azazel let out a dry and humorless chuckle. "There will be no need for that. Asmodeus is coming for me. He is coming for his revenge."

But even as he said it, a coil of caution tightened within him. Asmodeus was not a threat to be taken lightly. He was cruel, restless and utterly brutal.

"I must regain my full powers before he arrives," Azazel began, turning to face the moggly. "For Lucifer to return my powers, I must first fulfill my side of the deal, which, unfortunately, I have failed at."

The moggly blinked, tilting its small head. "But, Master... the demon within the prince is still restrained by Hades’ will."

"And that is the problem." Azazel’s voice hardened. "I underestimated him. I thought his affection for the witch would hasten the demon’s awakening, but surprisingly, Hades still clings to control. His will remains strong. At this rate, it will take far too long for the demon’s nature to surface on its own. We cannot afford to wait any longer."

"What... what should we do, Master?"

"We must force it out." Azazel’s red eyes flared dangerously. "We need to hasten the process. If we can fracture Hades’ control, even momentarily, the demon will seize the opportunity to take over."

The moggly’s brow furrowed anxiously. "But how can we break Hades’ will? He is strong... and stubborn. If his love for the witch isn’t enough to break him, then what will be?"

Azazel stepped away from the window and returned to the portrait of Celeste. "There are ways, moggly. Fear, pain, love." His voice dropped into something cold. "We only need the right leverage, the perfect strike to unbalance him. If we force him into enough emotional turmoil, his restraint will falter. Any crack, any opening will be enough for the demon to seize control of his body, mind, and soul."

The moggly’s lips twitched nervously. "And how shall we ensure we cause him enough turmoil to break him?"

"We shall use the people he loves the most." Azazel’s lips curved into a satisfied smirk. "As much as he appears hardened, those fools he surrounds himself with have gotten into his heart. We shall destroy them all."

"Give the word, and I will kill them all," the moggly offered eagerly, excitement flickering in its eyes at the thought of spilling blood.

Azazel cast a cool glance down at the creature. "Who said anything about killing them? There is no fun in that. I need to be entertained." His smirk deepened. "I will tell you what to do when the time is right."

He buried his hands into his pockets. "For now, continue to feed me useful information from the underworld. I want to know how Lucifer reacts to Asmodeus’ escape."

The moggly bowed deeply. "As you command, Master Azazel. I will return to the underworld immediately."

Without another word, the moggly scurried out of the chamber, its claws clicking rapidly against the stone floor as it vanished down the hall.

Left alone once again, Azazel turned his attention back to the portrait of Celeste.

"Everything is falling into place," he murmured. "I shall soon return home, my dearest."