Vaela's high heels echo across the marble floor as she bolts across the lobby of the grand hotel, weaving between stunned guests and staff. Her chest burns, heart twists and her mind drowns in a chaos of confusion.
Lilith's words still ring in her head. "Run!"
But as she does, her eyes catch a glimpse of the demoness, standing in the middle of the lobby, stiff, wide-eyed and unmoving.
"Lilith." she gasps.
Lilith hadn't shifted an inch since that man in the purple suit, beautiful, yet terrifying, smiled at her. Time had restarted but Lilith hadn't. Vaela's heart lumps into her throat as she watches her friend stare off into nothing, like her soul had been ripped from her body.
Vaela pivots instantly and runs back to Lilith, trembling as she moves. She doesn't care about orders or danger, only her friend. She couldn't leave her, not like this. Tears blur her vision as she reaches Lilith and grabs her arm.
"Lilith! What happened? Talk to me!"
As soon as Vaela touches her skin, Lilith snaps back to reality. She blinks, scans the lobby and turns to Vaela, her eyes wide and filled with fear. With a single, sharp breath, she wraps her clawed-hands around Vaela's body.
Before Vaela could react, Lilith's wings erupt from her back, bigger and blacker than ever. They curl around the pair, wrapping them in a cocoon of flesh before they vanish in a flash of sulphur and smoke.
A moment later, they reappear on The Spireline Hotel's rooftop, hundreds of meters above the ground. An ice-cold wind sweeps through the air around them, carrying with it the scents of the sea, and the smog of a city choked by greed.
Vaela stumbles backwards on her heels as she realises where they stand.
"What the hell, Lilith?" she yells as she tries to get her flailing hair under control.
But Lilith doesn't respond.
She stands at the edge of the rooftop, her arms crossed tightly against her chest, hair fluttering wildly in the wind. Her face is expressionless and her body taught and tense.
For the first time since they met, Vaela notices that Lilith was serious, solemn. The glint in her eye, the charm, the flirting and sarcasm. All gone. Only an eerie silence remains.
Vaela swallows her fears and panic, stepping behind Lilith and tenderly brushing her arm.
"What happened back there, Lil? Who was that man?"
Lilith takes a deep breath and turns to Vaela, her crimson eyes now soft and humbled.
"Everything's changed, kitten." she says softly, her voice low and flat, missing her usual dramatic flair. It now feels raw, real and filled with anguish.
"I was supposed to be the only one." she whimpers. "One archdemon per mortal realm. That was the unspoken law, respected for eons, even by the worst of the nether realms."
Vaela gulps. "And him? Who was that guy?"
"Bilial." Lilith sneers, his name alone souring her mouth. "Archdemon of greed. And he's not just here, Vaela, he's been in the mortal realm for centuries."
"How? How could nobody know?"
"He's smart, quiet and very patient. Unlike me." Lilith smiles bitterly. "He's been building power and influence, collecting souls, shaping the world. Virgil DuCroix... he's not just a man anymore. He's Bilial's latest puppet. Untouchable."
A somber silence hung between them like a hangman's noose. Vaela's mind spins as she tries to find the words to respond.
"And… there's nothing we can do? Can't we stop him?"
Lilith chuckles, though her facial expression holds no humour. "I can't even touch him. Even if I was willing to break the pact, he's already too powerful. He's already shaping the world to his will… we can only stand back and watch."
Vaela gazes over the city below them. People moving around like ants, gleaming buildings cutting through the sky like teeth. A world already in the process of being eaten.
"So what… we just give up now?"
"Yes!" Lilith snaps. "We lay low, we survive. We figure out a way to keep your curse under control. That's all we can do now."
Vaela shakes her head. "No!"
"What do you mean 'no'?" Lilith asks, her eyes narrowing onto Vaela.
"I refuse to give up!" Vaela snarls. "I don't care if he's a demon or a god. I'm going to seduce the men that shape this world and I'll take every ounce of power and influence he's built and use it against him."
Lilith's eyes sparkle and her mouth slightly opens. "Vaela—"
"I mean it!" Vaela yells, her voice trembling but dripping with conviction as her mind rewrites itself with every word she utters. "I don't care if I have to charm ceo's, kings, demons or gods. Every heart, every hand. I'll seduce them all if that's what it takes! I'll make them all mine! You said this curse was a weapon? Then I'm going to use it!"
Lilith stares at her, eyes gleaming. Then, slowly, her mouth curls into her signature, fanged grin as her heart is overcome by pride.
"Well…" she chuckles, her breath slightly caught. "Would you listen to that."
Vaela steps past her and straddles the edge of the rooftop, crossing her arms.
"I've been soft." she admits. "I've been caring more about their feelings than their power. I used seduction to heal. To fix. To help. But this isn't about healing anymore. We have to fight… this is a war."
Lilith grabs her hand. "Are you serious?!"
"I've been playing games. Flirting for fun. But I see now… we might be the only ones who can stop him. Not with swords or guns. But seduction, power and influence. Even love, if I have to fake it. I don't care. But we have to stop him."
Lilith's eyes light up with demonic delight.
"You're a damn tiger, now!" Lilith proclaims with a cackle.
"Then help me, Lil." Vaela smiles, though her eyes are focused and fierce. "Help me tear down this world and make it mine. Let's rip apart everything Bilial has built and remake it. Our way! With silk and lipstick and love."
Vaela takes a deep breath, then releases a sigh filled with purpose and conviction as she reaches out her hand. "Deal?"
Lilith grabs it with a confident smirk. "Deal!"
And for a moment, the two stood silently, gazing over the city.
Sisters in sin, warriors in stilettos, bound by secrets and rebellion.
Ready to shatter the world.