Time in Hell was not measured by hours or days. It was measured by suffering.
By regret.
And in that eternal abyss, Jaceon had lost all sense of both.
Suspended in the heart of a cursed volcano—chained with infernal metal that sizzled against his skin—Jaceon endured the unbearable torment meant only for the worst traitors of Hell. His body was stripped of its strength, his once-glorious demonic powers sealed. The roaring lava below him hissed and spat like it mocked him, daring him to survive just one more minute.
But physical pain was nothing compared to what twisted inside his chest.
Levi.
The name itself echoed like a whisper in the flame.
He didn't know how long it had been since he last saw him. Maybe hours. Maybe weeks. Maybe centuries. Here in this pit, even memory grew weary.
But Levi's face—that precious face—remained burned into his mind like the marks on his body. The smile that softened the edges of his anger. The nervous glances they used to exchange. The warmth of his hand. The way his lips had tasted the night before Jaceon left…
And suddenly, the memories hit him all at once. Like a cruel, burning tide:
The day they met. The night Levi fell asleep beside him on the couch. The way he smiled when he said Jaceon's name. The hesitation in Levi's eyes before their first kiss. The comfort of his touch. The sound of his laugh that made the world feel less wicked.
Jaceon's lips quivered.
"I miss you…" he whispered.
No one could hear him.
There was no sky here. No wind. No stars. No hope.
Only endless flame and the sound of his own breath, ragged and broken.
"I miss you!" he roared, suddenly and violently.
The walls of the volcano shook. Molten rocks cracked and tumbled into the lava below.
Jaceon thrashed against the chains until they cut deeper into his skin, blackened blood oozing from the wounds. His scream turned into a sob, raw and aching.
He felt powerless.
Not because his strength was gone.
But because he had no idea if Levi was still alive.
"Did they get to you…?" he choked out, his voice hoarse from silence. "Did I fight for nothing…?"
He hung his head, shaking.
"I should've told you… I should've told you I loved you sooner… I should've stayed…"
Tears streamed down his cheeks, falling onto the hot stone beneath him and instantly evaporating. But still, they kept coming—an endless river from a heart that had never known how to break until now.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Levi…"
And in that moment, the strongest demon of Hell… felt more human than ever.
Not because of the chains.
But because of love.
Because somewhere out there, beyond the flames and the darkness, was the only soul that ever made him feel alive—and he had no way to reach him.
But even as he wept, the faintest flicker stirred inside him.
A flicker that whispered: this is not the end.
---
Meanwhile in the mortal realm,
Levi didn't sleep much anymore.
Not since the day Jaceon disappeared.
The world above was colder without him. Emptier. Every echo in the quiet halls of his apartment sounded like a memory, every shadow held the shape of Jaceon's frame—tall, sharp-edged, beautiful in a way that made breathing feel like a gift.
He often found himself reaching out in the night, half-asleep, hoping to feel Jaceon's warmth beside him.
But there was only air.
Only absence.
He sat now at the edge of his bed, fingers trembling as he clutched the necklace Jaceon once gave him—a small onyx stone, enchanted, humming faintly with warmth. It had dulled since the day Jaceon vanished, but tonight… it pulsed.
Just once.
A single, flickering heartbeat.
Levi froze.
"Jaceon…?"
He hadn't said his name aloud in weeks.
Couldn't bear to.
But something stirred in the air—soft and strange. A pressure in his chest. A heaviness. Like someone calling out to him through fire and ash and blood.
He clutched the necklace tighter.
Was he still alive?
Was he suffering?
The thought made Levi sick.
"I wish you were safe... I wish I could do something to save you."he whispered. "I know fate is testing us and I'm fed up already I pray you will find your way out soon ...."
Levi wanted to cry, wanted to give up on himself and Jaceon...but the words of Monica kept ringing in his ear .
"You're his light , he will surely find his way back to you".
Hopefully that will happen sooner, that's all he wish for ...
All that he could use to console himself is the memories of him .
Afterall,
No matter how strong the storm is whilst the rain falls , after all that roaring and heavy thunderstorm .....
There's always a rainbow as a sign of hope.