A Dream or a Memory?

The air was thick with the scent of magic, a sharp tang that lingered in your nostrils as you stared at the swirling portal before you. The energy within it pulsed, a mesmerizing dance of light and shadow, a stark contrast to the barren wasteland surrounding it. You studied its hypnotic movements, despite knowing you lacked the expertise to truly comprehend its nature. Your skills lay in charm and illusion, not the deeper mysteries of arcane travel. Among your subordinates, there were those who might decipher its secrets in time, but you refused to risk their lives. This was your burden to bear.

When the portal first appeared, a fragile ceasefire had been declared among the warring princes, each of you setting aside your conflicts long enough to determine a course of action. The council had decreed that every prince would send three subordinates through the gateway as an experiment, a sacrifice to the unknown. But unlike your rivals, you did not view your followers as disposable. They were not mere tools, nor were they bound to you against their will. To you, they were family. How could you possibly choose three to risk the abyss beyond this portal?

So, you had come alone, slipping away unnoticed. The responsibility was yours. If anyone was to step through first, it would be you.

Still, you hesitated, running an obsidian claw along the portal’s shifting surface. Energy crackled beneath your touch, sending a tingling sensation up your arm. It was powerful. Dangerous. And utterly unknown.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

The voice, rich and sultry, sent a shiver down your spine. You turned sharply, eyes narrowing as you faced the unexpected guest.

Mammon.

She was an avatar of opulence and hunger, a vision of golden seduction wrapped in an aura of overwhelming greed. Her very skin gleamed like polished treasure, a molten blend of honey and bronze that seemed to shift and ripple with every movement. Delicate veins of gold traced patterns across her flawless form, reminiscent of cracks in ancient, priceless artifacts. Her horns, curling elegantly like a ram’s, burned with a golden fire that flared in sync with her emotions. The bat-like wings at her back shimmered with veins of precious metal. Her sinuous tail, forked at the tip, moved with a predator’s grace, its touch light but always possessive.

And her eyes—those endless pools of molten gold—swirled with amusement, desire, and something darker beneath the surface.

You frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Mammon placed a hand over her heart in mock offense, her lips curling into a smirk. “Oh my, so cold, Azzy baby.”

Her voice dripped with honeyed temptation, a weapon finely honed to break the wills of mortals and devils alike. But you had long since built an immunity to her charms. No one knew better than you what lurked beneath that dazzling exterior.

“Not in the mood for your games, Mammon,” you said icily, shifting your focus back to the portal. Still, you kept her in your peripheral vision. She was as dangerous as she was beautiful.

She sauntered closer, the sway of her hips deliberate. “You know how I get when I want something.” Her clawed fingers trailed down your lower back, her tail slithering to brush against yours. Despite yourself, a shiver ran through you, a betrayal of muscle memory. Shame followed swiftly. You clenched your fists, focusing on the image of Morgana—your Empress of Desire. The radiant goddess of pink and purple slime, the only being who had ever truly seen you.

Using Morgana’s image as a shield, you pushed Mammon’s hand away and flicked her tail back with your own. “Enough. We’re done, Mammon. It’s been centuries. Move on.” The amethyst flames around your horns burned brighter, a silent warning.

For a fleeting moment, irritation flickered across her face before her mask of amusement slipped back into place. “Such a long time, yet I still can’t stop thinking about you,” she mused, her tone deceptively sweet. “The only treasure I ever lost.”

Your expression remained stony. “I was never your treasure.”

Her golden eyes darkened. “And yet, you belonged to me.”

You exhaled sharply, unwilling to be drawn into the same old dance. “If you’re only here to reminisce, you’re wasting your time.”

Mammon rolled her eyes, turning her gaze to the portal. “Fine, fine. Have you decided who you’re sending through?”

You hesitated. “…No. I won’t ask any of them to take this risk.”

A knowing smirk. “I figured. You love your toys more than I do, and I’m quite the greedy bitch.” She folded her arms. “So, what’s your plan?”

You looked back at the portal. “I think I’ll go myself.”

Mammon’s confident demeanor faltered. “And if you can’t return?”

“That would be unfortunate,” you admitted. “But my people trust me. I won’t ask them to do something I’m not willing to do myself.”

Her jaw tightened. “You’re more important than them.”

Anger flickered within you, but you swallowed it down. Mammon had always viewed others as possessions—valued only by their worth to her. There was no point in arguing.

“I don’t have another option,” you said, reaching out to the portal once more.

Mammon stepped forward, her voice softer now. “Then let’s go together.”

You blinked. “What?”

She smiled, but there was a vulnerability beneath it. “Let’s leave this world behind. Just you and me. We can start over—wherever this leads.”

You studied her carefully, searching for deception. “You know I won’t abandon Morgana.”

Her golden eyes flared with something raw and ugly. “She’s just a fucking slime.”

Your patience snapped. “She’s my queen. My empress. My goddess.” Your voice was unyielding. “She is everything to me.”

Mammon’s lips curled into a sneer. “Then I hope she enjoys ruling alone.”

You barely registered the words before she shoved you with all her strength. The world tilted. The portal’s energy surged around you, pulling you in with a **** beyond resistance.

The last thing you saw was Mammon’s wicked, victorious grin.