Chapter 472: Revealing The Abyss

Amon’s eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he saw was Damian standing outside his cell, staring at him with blazing purple eyes. The dim light of the dungeon reflected across Damian’s black robes, but it did little to soften the oppressive feeling surrounding him. The chains binding Amon’s limbs glowed faintly as the fallen angel shifted against the wall, his owl-like eyes settling on Damian with unusual calm.

"I expected you to hold out a bit longer. I’m curious, what changed your mind?" Damian asked calmly.

"Curiosity," Amon answered just as calmly.

Damian’s brows narrowed slightly. He glanced toward his side, where William and the warden stood waiting for further instructions. He did not need to say anything. The moment they saw the expression in his eyes, both men understood that whatever was about to be discussed was not meant for them.

William bowed deeply. The warden followed immediately, fumbling slightly in his haste to show respect before the two of them turned and walked away without making a fuss. Their footsteps gradually disappeared into the depths of the dungeon, leaving Damian and Amon alone with nothing but the faint hum of divine chains filling the silence.

Only after they were gone did Damian speak again. "What the hell do you mean?"

Amon was unmoved by his irritation. As a fallen angel who had existed since the era of Lucifer Morningstar, intimidation was not something unfamiliar to him. He had watched powerful demons rise and fall. He had served under legends. He had survived long enough to understand that strength alone was not enough to make a man worth following.

"I mean I want to see what gives you the confidence that you can win against that man," Amon answered boldly.

The purple flames burning in Damian’s eyes slowly shifted. Crimson crept through them as the whites of his eyes darkened, and a dangerous pressure spread through the cell. The air itself seemed to grow heavier as Damian took a step closer.

"You seem to forget your place."

"No, you seem to forget your place, Your Majesty!" Amon suddenly cut him off.

Damian’s eyes widened slightly.

Amon slowly lifted his gaze and stared directly into Damian’s eyes. His body was still bound. His power was still suppressed. He had no weapon and no army behind him, yet the fallen angel did not lower his head.

"You would not have come here if you didn’t need me, and I’m giving you a chance to give me a reason why I should follow you to the very end," Amon snarled, his voice growing firmer as he continued. "Show me your trump card, and I will decide if it’s worth putting my life on the line. If not, execute me here and now and be done with it."

Damian was genuinely taken aback by those words.

The first reason was simple. This was the first time someone had dared to raise their voice at him since he arrived in Velmora. Everyone around him had either feared him, worshipped him, loved him or tried to manipulate him from the shadows. Even those who hated him usually chose their words carefully.

Amon did not and strangely, Damian found it refreshing.

The second reason was that Amon was right.

If Damian wanted someone to stand beside him against his brothers, against the politics of the underworld and eventually against Sol himself, then a few ambitious words were not enough. Amon was not some desperate soldier seeking protection. He was an ancient fallen angel who had lived long enough to understand exactly what Damian was asking of him.

He was asking him to gamble his life. And a man placing his life on the table had every right to demand proof that the person leading him was worth the risk.

Damian stared at Amon for several seconds before slowly nodding.

Amon’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.

He had called Damian here knowing that execution was a possible outcome. He had been prepared to die if Damian refused to reveal anything. What he had not expected was for Damian to agree so easily.

Clank!

The cell gate suddenly flung open under an invisible force. Damian stepped through it without hesitation and walked toward Amon, his footsteps echoing softly across the stone floor. When he stopped in front of him, he raised one finger into the air.

"I will show you my trump card, but only if you are willing to sign this Faustian Bargain. If you ever attempt to reveal what you have seen, your throat will burst open."

As Damian spoke, an ancient scroll formed from thin air. Purple flames danced around its edges while glowing letters began burning themselves into its surface. The writing continued until the terms were complete, including the condition that Amon would be punished the moment he deliberately attempted to expose Damian’s secret.

Damian held the scroll closer to him.

"Also, I’ll be leaving my shadow in yours. That way, I can execute you immediately should you even attempt to divulge the secret. Do you agree?"

Amon stared at the contract. He understood what signing it meant. If he agreed, there would be no retreat.

For a few moments, his expression remained unreadable. Then, without saying another word, he raised his hand and dragged his finger across the sharp edge of the scroll. Blood immediately appeared, running down his finger before he pressed his thumb against the space meant for his signature.

The contents of the scroll glowed violently. Damian’s expression remained calm, but a faint hint of respect appeared in his eyes.

How could he not admire such decisiveness?

Amon had just demanded proof from him, and the moment he was offered a chance to obtain it, he did not hesitate.

The contract suddenly ignited in purple flames, and the fire spread across the scroll until nothing remained.

"Now," Amon said, his gaze fixed firmly on Damian. "Show me."

A cruel smile spread across Damian’s face. Before Amon could react, Damian grabbed him by the head.

The world went dark.

Amon suddenly found himself standing in an endless black world beneath thick clouds. The sky rumbled constantly as crimson lightning flashed between the clouds, briefly illuminating the terrifying landscape before darkness swallowed everything again.

His breath caught.

He frantically looked around, but there was nothing. Then he felt a palm rest on his shoulder.

Amon spun around and found Damian standing behind him.

"Where is this?" Amon gasped.

His voice no longer carried the confidence it had moments ago. Something about this place made every instinct within him scream at him to run. The darkness surrounding them did not feel like ordinary darkness. It felt alive.

Damian’s expression remained calm.

"I’m not the one you should be asking."

He pointed downward and Amon’s eyes followed his finger.

Buzz!

His heart nearly stopped.

Far beneath the black storm was a massive crimson eye. The eye stared upward from the depths of an endless darkness so vast that Amon could not even comprehend the size of the entity they belonged to. The storm itself seemed to exist around it, and every flash of crimson lightning revealed fragments of something far too large for his mind to process.

"Abyss!" Amon screamed, his body jerking backward.

Now everything made sense. What other darkness possessed the power to consume Sol’s light?

What other existence could stand behind Damian and give him the confidence to threaten gods?

A deep voice suddenly echoed through the entire world.

"Little bird... come closer."

The world trembled beneath the Abyss’s voice.

Amon’s face turned pale. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his body refused to obey. He could feel something inside the darkness focusing on him, studying him with the same interest a predator might show a wounded animal.

Before anything else could happen, Damian stepped forward. His body blocked Amon from the Abyss’s gaze.

"This one is not yours to take," Damian hissed.

The darkness moved.

The crimson eyes widened slightly, and a deep, unnatural hiss spread across the black world.

"Can you stop me if I wish to have him?"

The voice carried a clear threat. Yet Damian did not move.

Instead, a cruel grin spread across his face as white flames burst to life around both of his hands. The fire burned fiercely, illuminating his figure against the darkness as his hair whipped violently in the storm.

"Don’t you dare mistake my silence for weakness," Damian hissed. "This is still my body. Or must I remind you?"

Amon held his breath.

His eyes moved between Damian and the massive entity within the darkness. For the first time, he understood that Damian’s confidence was not blind arrogance.

He had something terrifying and somehow, he has managed to remain in control of his body despite carrying such a powerful entity within him.

Swoosh!

Light suddenly flooded Amon’s vision. The next moment, he was back inside his cell.

His body was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was heavy as he stared around wildly. The familiar stone walls of the dungeon had never looked more comforting. The chains around his limbs were still there, glowing faintly against his skin.

Across from him, Damian sat casually on the wooden bench with his legs crossed. A calm smile rested on his face, but there was something about it that made Amon’s heart tighten.

Damian leaned back slightly and stared at the fallen angel with amusement.

"Satisfied?" he asked with a mischievous grin.