For the first time, Astaroth wondered if what he’d done as a bargainer was wrong on some level. The demon plane required souls to survive, but was that enough of a reason to manipulate mortals into giving up their very essence? What if there was another way to bring life to the plane, but demon society was so steeped in tradition they hadn’t considered making a change? Stagnant, Calladia had called it. Closed borders, closed minds.
