Chapter 44

Long curly horns, long and sharp black claws, large red wings, a long black tail divided into three and pointed at each end, black eyes, pointed ears, lion-like feet, and long white hair moving spontaneously. That's what Cynrad sees now.

I turned around and took a deep breath, even with my back turned I could smell the fear running through his soul. I closed my eyes to stop myself from yearning for his soul. I can't hurt Cynrad, he's Pavel's friend and part of my past.

I have to be patient.

"This is the reason Cynrad." My voice seemed to be the melody of death, far from my voice every time I merged with my human body.

"I understand if you are afraid of me, you can leave again." I said looking at him, he was surprised by my sudden stare.

"But I beg you, don't let Pavel know my true identity. Let it remain a secret between the two of us." I said, he didn't say a word because it looks like what happened hasn't entered his brain yet. Any person would be scared if they encountered a demon.

"K-Ksara.." He called my name, I bowed and then turned back to somehow make his fear disappear.

"I don't intend to hurt, I want to help Pavel." I said. There was silence between the two of us.

I remembered his answer to me again when I asked him what he was afraid of, he said he was afraid of going to hell. Something that will happen if he goes with me to Arae's place.

"H-How can I... be sure... you won't be hurt if you're a--" He couldn't stop what he was going to say as I knelt in front of him while looking at the ground. He seemed surprised by what I did. But this is the only guarantee I can give that I won't hurt him.

People, they can easily trust their fellow human beings, but they can't trust us because they think of us as enemies, which is the real thing.

"Devils, at the time of kneeling before a person, lower their gaze on themselves, something that happens to me." I said while kneeling. "I have no intention to hurt, I only intend to help."

"But it's not the job of someone like you to help, did Pavel make a deal with you?" I immediately shook my head at his question.

"Even if he does that, I will reject him." I said, he was silent again.

"Why are you… helping Pavel?" He asked, I suddenly smiled while I was still on my knees in front of him.

"As compensation for what he did to me, two hundred years have passed." I answered, I could feel the shock in his body so I looked at him.

"W-What?" He asked awkwardly.

"Karma and I are one." I said so his eyes widened, I slowly stood up and then turned away from him because I could smell the fear in his soul again.

"Impossible, Karma is only one person and you--"

"It's possible Cynrad, I talked to my sisteer and she told me what she knows, it's possible that the parents I recognize have done something to my soul to make me like this and to forget those who were part of my former life." I said. Little by little the fear I smelled disappeared.

"Now, if you're afraid of me. I understand. You can return to your body and return to Pavel." I said, I was surprised when I felt him hold my hand, I looked at him and saw that he was smiling at me.

"Yes I was scared of you, but when I found out you were Karma, I knew you wouldn't do me any harm." He said so I stared at his face. "Because of our past lives, I can't see that you hurt me." He whispered so I stopped.

"Cynrad!" I quickly ran to where he was standing and supported him. "Are you okay? What happened to your head? Why is there blood?" I asked him worriedly while supporting him. He just laughed at me and then pulled me closer to him which surprised me.

"No one will fight you anymore, Karma." He whispered so I stiffened, I looked at his face and I could see his black aura.

"W-what did you do?" I asked, he just smiled at me and then hugged me again and closed his eyes.

"D-don't repeat whatever you did Cynrad. I don't want to see you hurt aagain."

It's like lightning when some pictures appear in my eyes. I closed my eyes and calmed myself, I sighed and looked at Cynrad who was looking at me.

"A-are you okay?" He asked, I just stared at him and then looked at his hand holding mine, I slowly withdrew my hand and started walking.

"You said, what you fear most is going to hell." I said and stopped walking, I looked at him for a moment. "That's where I'm headed to talk to a being that can help Pavel." I said, he no doubt approached me with a smile.

"Well, let's go. So we get back to Pavel right away." He said so I smiled, I extended my hand to him and he looked at it.

"Hold on to me, we're flying down to hell." I said so he smiled and held my hand without fear, I smiled and then prepared my wing.

"It will be a quick trip." I said and started flying towards a portal, he was surprised by my fast flight so I smiled, I held his hand tightly and supported his body hugging me while I flew, when we entered the portal it became the atmosphere is hot.

"Ride behind me so you can see the scene in hell." I said and helped him climb on my back, when he was on board I slowly flapped my wings.

"You will see nothing here but fire." I said and turned my way towards the lowest part.

"Why can't I see any souls?" he asked.

"It's on the other side, when we go there, Alada will probably take you from me and punish you." I said, grinning as I felt his fur rise.

"Eh, where are the other demons? I still thought that when we enter hell, I will be greeted by scary looking devils." He said that made me laugh.

"There are no demons roaming around outside the palace, they are all inside and they serve their father and mother, they will only come out when death comes with the souls to be punished." I said.

"Do you also punish souls Ksara?" He asked, I turned the way again.

"Yes. I am the holder of the fourth circle, where the greedy souls are taken." I said, I felt his amazement.

"Really? Is it easy to punish?" he asked. I laughed.

"Yes for Alada but for me, punishment is boring. It's just repeated over and over again until the human soul becomes weak and gradually disappears like smoke." My answer.

"Does that mean our soul is also dying?" He asked, I nodded.

"Hold on, we're going down." I said, he immediately followed what I said so I folded my wings and absorbed the energy that came from the portal down to the lowest part of the world.

"Ksara!" Cynrad screamed as he almost fell, I immediately grabbed hiss hand and pulled him close to my body and then hugged him and protected him with my wing. A few minutes passed before we got down to the lowest part of the world.

Unlike above, this part is dark so I started to add light to my tail and wings. I slowly put Cynrad on the floor.

"We're here." I said so he looked around but all he could see was darkness.

"It's too dark." after he said that, the surroundings suddenly became bright, causing me to be alerted, I immediately locked him inside my wing and prepared my knife.

"K-Ksara.." He said in a panic when he heard the horrible noises from the monsters surrounding us.

"Calm down Cynrad, your fear is what makes people like us stronger." I whispered. I frowned as the monsters didn't even attack us.

"Looks like we have a visitor." I looked at the upper part of where we were standing and from here I saw a woman covered in fire with a body made of the body of a snake, her hair was red and the tip was on fire, she was holding a weapon made of in the fire and his eyes like the eyes of an eagle.

He smiled at me but that smile I knew meant badly.

"Welcome to my place."

We are not welcome in this place.