Twilight: blood & brimstone

The Whisper of the Abyss

Bella stood at the edge of the cliff, staring into the shifting shadows below. The world around her had changed—Forks, her home, everything she had once known—felt distant. Unreal.

And yet, he was real.

The presence at her back was more solid than anything else in her world.

The demon.

She had felt him before, creeping at the edges of her mind, his whispers curling like smoke through her thoughts.

But now…

Now, there was no space between them.

The air around her crackled with unseen energy, humming with something ancient. Something binding.

Her fingers twitched.

She should be afraid.

She should run.

But she didn't.

Because the bond between them—

The force that pulled her closer, breath by breath—

Would never let her go.

Bella turned, her heart hammering.

And there he stood.

Tall. Unmoving.

Watching her with those golden eyes that burned like molten gold.

The air thickened.

Then—

He smiled.

Not cruelly.

Not like before.

This smile was something else. Something undeniable.

"I suppose it's time," he murmured, his voice low, smooth as silk. "You should know who I really am."

Bella swallowed hard. "I already know," she whispered.

His smile widened. "Do you?"

She didn't answer.

Because, in truth—

She wasn't sure.

She knew what he was.

Knew the power that radiated off of him in waves.

But his name—

That was something he had never given her.

Not fully.

Not until now.

He stepped closer, his presence washing over her like a slow-moving tide.

And then—

He spoke.

"My name," he said, his voice brushing against her skin like a caress, "is Asmodai."

The world shuddered.

The name wrapped around her like a brand, sinking into her very soul.

Her breath hitched.

Asmodai.

It was more than a name.

It was a claim.

Something deep inside her recognized it.

As if she had always known.

As if she had been waiting to hear it.

Bella's pulse thundered in her ears.

Asmodai watched her, his golden eyes unblinking.

"You feel it now, don't you?" he murmured.

Bella didn't answer.

She couldn't.

Because she did feel it.

The bond between them was no longer a whisper, no longer a shadow lurking at the edges of her thoughts.

It was a living thing, pulsing between them, demanding recognition.

A mate bond.

And it was growing stronger.

The Weight of a Name

Bella took a slow breath, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "What are you doing to me?"

Asmodai's expression remained unreadable. "Nothing you don't want, little one."

Her skin prickled. "That's not true."

His golden eyes flickered. "No," he admitted. "It's not."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths.

Then—

He took another step closer.

Bella didn't move.

Didn't step away.

Because she couldn't.

Because some part of her—

A part she was no longer sure she wanted to fight—

Knew she never would.

"You are mine," Asmodai murmured, his voice a dark promise.

Bella's breath caught.

His words should have sent her running.

Should have filled her with fear.

But instead—

Heat curled in her chest.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I don't belong to anyone."

Asmodai chuckled. "No," he mused, "you don't."

His eyes darkened.

"But we belong to each other."

Bella's pulse pounded against her ribs.

Because she couldn't deny it.

Not anymore.

The bond was too strong now.

It was woven into her, threading through her very being, linking them in ways she could no longer ignore.

Asmodai lifted a hand, moving slowly—deliberately—

And brushed his fingers along her jaw.

Bella shivered.

Not in fear.

But in recognition.

His touch sent fire racing through her veins, as if it had always been meant to be there.

As if she had been waiting for it.

Her breath trembled.

His golden eyes searched hers, deep and endless. "Say my name."

Bella's lips parted.

She didn't want to obey.

Didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

But—

'Asmodai.'

The name echoed through her mind, unbidden.

And he felt it.

His grip on her jaw tightened, just slightly.

Enough to make her heart stutter.

Enough to make her realize—

She was falling.

Falling deeper into something she could no longer fight.

Something she wasn't even sure she wanted to fight.

A Bond That Cannot Break

Asmodai's thumb brushed against her skin, his gaze darkening.

"The bond is complete now," he murmured.

Bella's breath hitched.

Her stomach twisted.

"No," she whispered.

His smile was slow. "Yes."

She shook her head, stepping back—but his grip didn't falter.

Didn't let her go.

"You felt it," Asmodai said, his voice like a lullaby. "When you spoke my name, when you accepted it—"

His fingers pressed against her skin.

"That was the final thread."

Bella's pulse roared in her ears.

She wanted to deny it.

Wanted to scream at him, tell him he was wrong.

But—

She couldn't.

Because she felt it.

Deep inside her.

An unbreakable thread, binding them together.

A bond that was no longer just forming.

It was sealed.

Asmodai's eyes gleamed. "You are mine now, Bella."

Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

Panic.

Desire.

Fear.

She didn't know what to feel.

Didn't know what to do.

Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it—

She knew he was right.

She wasn't just his.

He was hers.

They were bound.

Forever.

And there was no turning back.