Chapter 68. Chains of Fate

Resting my head back against the crumbling walls, I sucked down a sharp breath of the warm, polluted air, hoping that something would ease my frayed nerves. I couldn't believe I was back here—in hell—with Astaroth. Or rather, waiting for him to return like some obedient housewife. The irony wasn't lost on me. Being at the beck and call of a demon lord was both humiliating and infuriating.

How did it come to this? I thought bitterly. Is this my fate now?

"Why does this always happen to me?" I sighed, feeling the oppressive heat caress my body like an unwelcome embrace. Through the shattered stained-glass windows of the decaying cathedral, I could see the infernal fires burning relentlessly. Flames danced across the desolate landscape, casting grotesque shadows that flickered against the ashen sky. Rivers of molten lava flowed in the distance, their glow illuminating the ruins with a hellish light.

A part of me wondered if this was where I truly be