Chapter 87 The Heart of Excess
“If you’re not awake yet, you will be in approximately thirty seconds.”
Beelzebub’s voice boomed through their chambers before Lilith had fully opened her eyes. She sat up to find him standing in the doorway holding what looked like two steaming mugs, grinning like he’d been awake for hours.
“What time is it?”
Sera groaned from the other bed, Morpheus chirping indignantly at being disturbed.
“Dawn, best time to hit the markets before the real crowds show up.” He crossed the room and shoved the mugs at them. “Drink this t’s called fireblood.
You’ll thank me later.”
Lilith took a cautious sip and immediately understood why it was named that. The liquid burned going down, not painfully but intensely, and within seconds she felt completely awake, every sense sharpened.
“What is in this?” she asked, taking another drink despite herself.
“Seventeen different stimulants, three kinds of citrus that don’t grow in the mortal realm, and pure concentrated energy.” Beelzebub was already heading back to the door. “Get dressed, we’re leaving in ten minutes.”
They barely made it, throwing on clothes and following Beelzebub through the palace at a pace that suggested he had somewhere important to be. Morpheus clung to Sera’s shoulder, chittering complaints about the early hour that Beelzebub completely ignored.
The market district looked different in morning light. Stalls were still being set up, vendors arranging their goods with the kind of care that suggested each item was precious. But what they were selling made Lilith stop walking to stare.
“That’s a singing crystal,” Beelzebub said, pointing to a stall where a woman was carefully unpacking stones that hummed different notes when touched. “They’re mined from caves that have never seen sunlight. Each one has a unique voice.”
“How much?” Sera asked, fascinated.
“More than you want to know. But the woman three stalls down sells bottled emotions. You can buy joy, melancholy, rage, whatever you’re in the mood to feel. Those are cheaper.”
They moved deeper into the market, and Lilith felt like she was drowning in sensation. A man juggling what looked like actual flames that left trails of color in the air. A food vendor selling something called starfruit that literally glowed from within. A woman demonstrating a musical instrument that seemed to play itself, producing harmonies that made Lilith’s chest ache.
“Try this.” Beelzebub grabbed something from a vendor without asking, a small pastry that sparkled faintly. “It’s called memorycake. Takes on the flavor of your best memory.”
Lilith bit into it hesitantly and tasted her mother’s cooking from childhood, a dish she hadn’t thought about in years. The accuracy made her eyes water.
“Good, right?” Beelzebub was already moving to the next stall. “Everything here is designed to be an experience, not just a transaction.”
They watched a street performer doing something that could only be described as dance-fighting, her movements so fast they blurred while spectators threw coins and shouted encouragement. Another performer stood perfectly still on a platform, but anyone who looked at him too long started crying for no reason they could explain.
“He’s an emotion amplifier,” Beelzebub explained when Sera asked. “Whatever you’re feeling, he makes it stronger. Most people avoid him unless they’re already happy.”
“That seems dangerous,” Lilith said.
“It is, last month someone looked at him while grieving and had to be sedated for three days, but the risk is part of the appeal.” He stopped at a stall selling what looked like liquid in dozens of different bottles. “This is what I wanted to show you. Essence vendor.”
The vendor, an elderly demon with kind eyes, smiled at them. “Lord Beelzebub. Back for more essence of ambition?”
“Not today, Kara. I’m showing my guests what Gluttony really offers.” He gestured to the bottles. “Tell them what you sell.”
“Concentrated experiences,” Kara explained, her voice warm. “This one is the essence of first love. This is the feeling of coming home after a long journey. This is the moment right before victory. You drink them, and for a few minutes, you live that experience as if it’s real.”
“People buy feelings?” Sera looked skeptical.
“People buy everything here if it’s intense enough.” Beelzebub picked up a bottle filled with something that looked like liquid gold. “Essence of triumph. I drink this before important meetings. Makes me feel invincible for about an hour.”
“Isn’t that cheating?” Lilith asked.
“It’s enhancement. Why face difficult things while feeling weak when you could feel strong instead?” He set the bottle down. “That’s what people don’t understand about Gluttony. It’s not about greed or waste. It’s about refusing to settle for less when more exists.”
They continued through the market, and Lilith found herself getting swept up in the energy despite her reservations. Vendors called out about their wares, each one claiming to sell something more extraordinary than the last. Shadow paintings that moved on their own. Wind chimes that played different music depending on who listened. A cage full of creatures that looked like butterflies made of light.
“Beelzebub!” A shout came from across the market, and a demon pushed through the crowd waving frantically. “The competition starts in five minutes! You’re judging, remember?”
“Oh right, the eating contest.” Beelzebub grinned at Lilith and Sera. “Want to watch people destroy themselves for glory and a cash prize?”
They followed him to a cleared area where a crowd had already gathered around a long table. Six demons sat ready, each with a pile of something in front of them that Lilith couldn’t identify from a distance.
“What are they eating?” she asked.
“Ghost peppers soaked in dragon’s breath. Whoever eats the most without stopping wins.” Beelzebub hopped up onto a platform to address the crowd. “Welcome to the weekly suffering competition! Rules are simple: eat until you can’t anymore. Stopping means disqualification. Vomiting means disqualification. Crying is allowed but discouraged!”
The crowd roared approval, and Beelzebub gave the signal to start. Immediately the contestants began shoving peppers into their mouths, their faces turning various shades of red within seconds.
“This is horrible,” Sera said, unable to look away.
“This is amazing,” Beelzebub corrected. “Watch the one on the left. That’s Marcus. He’s won six weeks straight.”
Marcus was indeed impressive, maintaining a steady pace while the others started to slow down, sweat pouring down their faces. One contestant gave up after thirty seconds, stumbling away from the table while the crowd jeered good-naturedly.
“Why would anyone do this?” Lilith asked.
“Because winning means they consumed more pain than anyone else could handle. Because the story of victory is worth the temporary suffering. Because Gluttony isn’t just about pleasure, it’s about experiencing everything to its absolute limit.” Beelzebub was grinning as another contestant dropped out. “Including pain, if that’s what you’re hungry for.”
The competition ended with Marcus victorious, his face bright red but his expression triumphant as Beelzebub presented him with a bag of coins and announced his name to cheering crowds.
“Come on,” Beelzebub said, jumping down from the platform. “One more thing I want to show you before lunch.”
He led them to the edge of the market where the stalls gave way to what looked like a garden, except the plants were nothing Lilith recognized. Flowers that changed colors as they watched. Trees bearing fruit that sang softly. A pond where the water seemed to be different temperatures in different spots.
“Sensory garden,” Beelzebub explained. “Everything here is designed to overwhelm your senses in the best possible way. Try touching that flower.”
Lilith reached out hesitantly and brushed her fingers against petals that felt like velvet and silk and something electric all at once. The sensation traveled up her arm, pleasant and slightly addictive.
“That’s a pleasure blossom. People come here just to touch them for hours.” He moved to the pond and stuck his hand in. “The water remembers every temperature it’s ever been. You can find spots that feel like summer, winter, spring, whatever you want.”
Sera was examining a tree whose leaves hummed different notes when the wind hit them. Morpheus had perked up considerably, chittering with interest at everything around them.
“This is incredible,” Lilith admitted.
“But doesn’t it ever feel like too much?”
“Every single day.” Beelzebub’s smile was sharp. That’s the cost.
Gluttony means you’re never satisfied, never full, never done wanting more. But the alternative is settling for less than what exists, and I’d rather be hungry than content with scraps.
They stayed in the garden for a while, Lilith touching different plants and experiencing different sensations while Sera played in the pond with Morpheus. When they finally left, the market had filled with crowds, the energy tripling as the day wore on.
“Tonight we’re doing something different,” Beelzebub announced as they walked back toward the palace. “Not a feast. An experience hall. Trust me, you’ll love it.”
Lilith was beginning to think that Gluttony might be more complicated than she’d expected, that excess wasn’t just about having more but about experiencing everything intensely enough to remember it. About refusing to settle when extraordinary existed.
And watching Beelzebub move through his kingdom with such obvious joy, she wondered if maybe being hungry for life wasn’t the worst way to exist after all.