Split of the Worlds (18+)

Veidja left her chamber. She pushed lightly against the door and it immediately swung open. One of the gains since N'Arahn had been forced to show her more of his world. In the corridor, she was flanked immediately by one of the captains. The demonlord always placed a guard at her side.

He didn't trust her, that was clear. But she still enjoyed this little bit of freedom. No longer only being able to leave the room when she was called to an arena fight. The fact that at least one shadow followed her... It was just like it was. Although 'shadow' was a clear understatement for a mountain of flesh like the captain. But she could live with that.

From time to time she simply wanted to explore the corridors and had already stumbled across one or two interesting parts of the fortress. Although, of course, she never found an exit.

Somehow she needed to move today. The events of the last few days had shaken her up: visits from other demonlords, flattery, pressure. And an increasingly reserved N'Arahn, who now, after reminding her so harshly of her dependence and fragility in the Red Depths, no longer spoke to her at all. He had become steadily more monosyllabic before, with the exception of the conversation that had ended so abruptly. But since his outburst of anger... Well, Veidja didn't quite know whether to be relieved or even pleased that he more or less let her be. Didn't try to influence her. Although he still insisted on taking her mana with her. But now the warmonger just looked around in silence and seemed to long for the end of these meetings almost as much as she did.

Of course it had shaken her. She had felt his rage with every fibre of her body when he had pressed her against the wall and fed her these images. These cruelties. It had taken her quite a while to be able to push those visions even partially away. And yet...

She hadn't quite understood what had happened. She still had the strangely pungent odour in her nose. And the fact that he ignored her, that he didn't answer her question, wasn't necessarily unusual, but after the intensity with which he had come on to her, she would have expected at least some kind of reaction from him. Instead, he had simply left.

Perhaps it was also a form of punishment. Because it had actually worsened for her because she couldn't find any clarity. No answers. She had wanted to sort it out and he wouldn't let her. Even if clarity was probably the wrong word for it. She just wanted to hear his voice again because there was something she couldn't understand.

However, that was the way it was.

Maybe she should really be glad that he was leaving her alone most of the time. Well, she was, actually. It gave her more time to ponder and look for a way out. Because if there was one thing she didn't want, it was to fall into the hands of some demonlord. Well, even more than she already did.

Just brooding alone was no solution in any case, so she had decided to take a trip and walked down the corridors with the captain in tow. But again, everything was just the same. The angel had once found the gate that had denied her access to the garden. She would have liked to go in, but she hadn't been able to. She had recognised the gate from her visit with N'Arahn some time ago, but she had been unable to open it. He seemed to be particularly protective of this area of his fortress.

Apart from that, she had only discovered quarters that she might have preferred not to see. She had found the arena and the throne room. But it seemed that some areas of the fortress were simply inaccessible to her. Which in turn would explain why the demonlord didn't bother to prevent her from walking the corridors.

Today, Veidja was quite lost in thought and didn't even really see where she was going. She just wanted to move.

When she came to a passageway, she didn't intend to pay any attention to it at first. But then a hot breeze blew over her skin and she involuntarily turned towards it. Shadows flickered in the corridor, unlike the already constantly changing light conditions caused by lava rivulets or torches. The light source seemed larger. More powerful.