The Devils place

Chapter thirteen

Malik had ruled hellfire without hesitation.

But nothing had ever terrified him like standing still.

The ancestors did not summon him the way they had Sarai. They did not flood him with visions or tear truth into his bones. Instead, they waited—silent, unmoving—until he felt the absence of his power like a missing limb.

That was when he understood.

This wasn’t about what he could do.

It was about what he was willing to lose.

“You want to know your place,” the elder ancestor said, voice low and ancient. “So listen carefully.”

The lost realm shifted, folding inward, isolating Malik from Sarai and Aunt Dee. Not a prison—an examination.

Malik clenched his fists. “If this is about whether I’ll abandon them—”

“It is not,” the ancestor interrupted. “You already chose.”

The ground beneath Malik’s feet turned reflective, like dark glass. Images rose from it—not memories, but futures.

He saw Sarai standing tall, her power controlled, her eyes steady.

He saw the child grown—not