The Damned Demon - Chapter 926

Chapter 926: Not The People You Remember

The Tower of Hell loomed in the distance like a wound carved into the world. It rose impossibly high, a spire of black stone scarred with intricate glyphs and serpentine patterns that seemed to shift and writhe if stared at too long. The tower’s shadow spilled far beyond its base, stretching across the scorched earth as if the structure itself refused to let light trespass near.

Around it churned a wide moat of molten lava, its heat spilling up in choking waves, casting red illumination across the dark surface of the tower. The smell of lava and scorched stone clung to the air, thick and biting.

Asher descended from the sky, the beat of his landing stirring up cinders at the edge of the moat. He landed behind Duncan, the old man’s dark silver cloak whispering faintly in the heat. His eyes narrowed at the sight, a thousand suspicions boiling in his chest.

His voice came out sharp.

“Why did you bring me here? I thought you said you would bring back my people. Or was that really a lie?”

Duncan stopped walking. His shoulders lifted with a sigh before he turned, the crimson reflection of lava dancing faintly in his dull red eyes.

“I never said I would bring them back,” he answered, his tone slow, deliberate. “I said I would bring you to them. And that is why we are here.”

Asher’s brows furrowed deeper.

Duncan spread his arms lightly, not in mockery but in presentation, gesturing toward the monstrous tower. “I know you have every reason to doubt me—every reason to spit on my words…but I don’t go back on them. You will see them again. You will reunite. Except…”

The hesitation twisted Asher’s stomach into knots. His chest tightened painfully, and he stepped forward. “Except what?”

Duncan’s lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze swept briefly toward the Tower, then back to Asher.

“They won’t exactly be the same people you remember. To be clear, I can only bring you to a point before they ever truly knew you. The earlier threads, before the bonds you forged deepened.”

Asher blinked, caught between relief and dread. His voice cracked when he spoke. “So… they’ll be alive. But not the same.”

“Alive,” Duncan confirmed. “Your wives, your children as well as the many who fell before the war even began. Ceti. Isola’s parents. Even the fallen Bloodburners who gave their lives against the Draconians. They will exist again.” His eyes fixed firmly on Asher. “But they won’t remember you as the man you became to them. You will have to begin anew. Perhaps,” he let the word hang, “this time you can even prevent the wars, cut down Drakar before he breathes fire on the kingdom. A chance to undo mistakes, to mend wrong choices before they begin. That is what this tower exists for. And I—” he pointed deliberately at Asher “—I built it for you.”

Asher’s thoughts crashed together in chaotic waves.

Versions of them who don’t know me… The years of love, of pain, of laughter, of betrayal, of tears—all of it would dissolve like smoke. Ravina, his daughter, the tiny heartbeat he had once held close—he would never see her again until Rowena loved him anew. Every shared memory would be dust.

But… Ceti would be alive. So would Isola’s family. The brave Bloodburners who had fallen screaming into crimson flames would stand proud again. The war against the Draconians might never take root. Emiko can be saved and Lysandra wouldn’t have to suffer the heartbreak of her son’s death and so on…

The price was unbearable. And yet… the promise glittered.

His jaw tightened. His voice, low and trembling, betrayed his tangled heart.

“For me? Then why… why couldn’t you do this earlier? You were here with me all this time, watching me… suffering. And yet…” His words trailed off, clenched in his teeth like blades too heavy to carry.

Duncan’s shoulders sagged with another sigh. He stepped closer and placed a heavy hand on Asher’s shoulder.

“Son,” he said quietly, “I know how much it cut you down. I know because I was there, every heartbeat. I could have stepped in, yes… but not without making things far worse. You had to endure the punishment yourself. It was the only way to keep you alive. Had I reached too soon, there are beings—divine, merciless—who would have crushed your weakened soul before you could take a second breath. Even if it was excruciating for us, I had to let you stagger through it, or you wouldn’t be standing before me now.”

Asher’s jaw flexed, fury and sorrow wrestling in his chest. He took a deep breath, his voice quieter.

“But you still won’t tell me why I was punished? Or who damned me to this fate?”

Duncan shook his head, slow and deliberate. “Now is not the time for that. Your mortal shell, your current self would break under the truth. But I promise you this: when you are done with this realm, when you are ready to leave behind everything, I will be waiting. And then I will tell you everything.”

The words only sharpened the ache gnawing at Asher. His brows furrowed deeper.

“What do you mean, when I am done? I thought you said I could go back to my people.”

Duncan nodded, lips curving faintly, but his eyes remained grave.

“Yes. You can return to them. But remember, they won’t live forever. Even if you remain young and strong, they will age, they will wither, they will one day slip into death. When that time comes, you cannot remain. You will come with me. By then, you will have built a legacy that cannot die, and perhaps—” his gaze sharpened “—perhaps you will have tasted every pleasure mortals cling to.”

Asher lowered his head, his expression dark. He realized then—he had never truly thought ahead. He had fought, lived, loved—but never considered how the wheel would turn after centuries. How Rowena’s hair would one day gray. How Isola’s body would grow frail. How Silvia’s laughter would fade into memory. He would remain, eternal, while they crumbled into dust.

Duncan’s voice pulled him back. “You were not born to live among mortals. That is why this hurts you. Nobody can keep pace with you, not in life, not in death. Your mother’s people anchored you here, bound you in this cursed cycle of time, to weaken you, to keep you trapped. But I cannot allow that. You are my son. And one day, we will make them regret what they did.” His eyes gleamed with a cold fire.

Asher pressed his lips together. “But what if I still want to stay? To look after my descendants? To watch over the ones who come after?”

Duncan’s reply came firm and final, his tone hard as stone. “You cannot. Not unless you wish to bring annihilation upon them all. If you remain too long, the ones above will discover you walk free. They will come. And nothing will survive—not your blood, not your realm. Even your mother may expose you to drag you back. For them, these mortals are even less worthy than dust. That is why, when the time comes, you must come with me. To prepare. To face the true danger waiting beyond this realm.”

Asher swallowed hard. He couldn’t tell if Duncan spoke the truth, but the conviction in his words felt like iron shackles. Still, the offer stood. He could return—return and live with his people again, for centuries at least. If he had been just another demon, he would have died long ago, his life a brief ember compared to theirs. This was more than he could have asked.

He raised his head, his eyes set with determination. “Okay. I’ll do it. So please…take me back to them.”

Duncan’s lips curved faintly, his hand squeezing Asher’s shoulder. “There is nothing else left for me to do. Enter the Seventh Floor. Walk through the gate. You will find yourself back where you need to be.”

Asher blinked, surprised. He had heard a lot of terrifying rumors about that floor. Yet to hear that the infamous Seventh Floor—feared, whispered of, shrouded in legend—was the gateway to his loved ones made his chest tighten with new resolve.

He hesitated, a thought striking him. “What happened to Raziel? I heard he went through the same gate.”

Duncan’s lips quirked in a subtle smile. “Well, he stands before me now.”

Asher’s eyes widened. “You mean…”

“Yes.” Duncan’s voice carried no hesitation. “Raziel was another mortal vessel of you, just as Cedric, just as the Asher standing before me. As Raziel, you first grasped the weight of your curse. You chose to walk through that gate, and you became Cedric. But you were not free yet. That is why I could not carve another path for you then.”

Asher clenched his fists. “I can’t believe it…” The thought of all those versions of himself—each life, each burden—pounded through his mind. But then his eyes sharpened, dark green fire glinting inside them. “The ones who damned me with this punishment… I will gladly take your help if it means I can make them regret it.”

Duncan’s lips curved in satisfaction. “That’s a promise, son. One I have been waiting for you to make yourself.”

Asher turned back to the tower, its towering black surface reflecting firelight, inviting him.. He took a slow step toward it, then another.

But he paused. He glanced back at Duncan, his face tight with conflicted emotion. His voice was low, steady.

“I know you might be my father. But even if I can’t see you as one yet… I want to thank you. For this. For giving me a chance to reunite with them.” Asher still could feel that deep sting in his heart, especially realizing that his real mother wasn’t really a mother to him but someone who caused him to be damned. But at least, this man who appears to be his father did something good for him in the end.

Duncan’s eyes softened, warmth flickering within them. “Anything for you, son. I carry only regret and guilt that I couldn’t help you sooner, or better. But go on…lead a happy and peaceful life until it’s time.”

Asher nodded, lips pressed thin. He turned again, inhaling deeply, steadying the fire that burned inside him. His gaze locked on the tower’s gate, carved in shadow and flame.

And with a final step, he entered the Tower of Hell.

Damn…is this a good deal?

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