Pierce opened his eyes. At first he expected to once again look into the burning face of Lucifer, but no, he was dead. Really dead. He stood up and looked at his surroundings. This wasn't what he was expecting. Where were the streets paved in gold or the gates decorated in fine pearls? There were no rivers or fountains of pure crystal water. The air should be filled with ethereal music and why wasn't he surrounded by angels or heavenly souls? Shouldn't he finally be looking into the face of the Presence? Instead there was nothing.
The place he found himself in was a dark void only slightly illuminated by a strange dim blue light that seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere. There was no distinct walls, no doors. Just shadows and blackness. Everything was silent and still. He didn't know where he was. This couldn't be Hell because souls who were sent down there were weighed down by their guilt and he felt nothing. Abel had felt remorse over hating his brother and look what it gotten him. Pierce took a step forward and suddenly realized that he was not so alone after-all. The silent air around him was breathing softly, although from which direction he wasn't sure.
"Who's there?" He demanded loudly. For the first time that he could recall in his long existence, he actually felt a slight twinge of fear which he swallowed quickly.
"Welcome Cain. We've waited a long time for you to join us." Hissed a voice.
"Mother said you would be coming." Cackled another.
"Where am I?" He commanded, looking around at the darkness hoping to see who was with him.
"Do you not know?" Croaked a new voice. "Can you not guess?"
"If you're trying to make me believe I'm in hell, then don't waste your time." He sneered. "I regret nothing I have done. This is some trick of Lucifer's."
"Lucifer?" Another raspy voice chimed in. "The Prince of Darkness has been absent for many long years now. Our commands come from another." Pierce had no idea how many eyes were upon him or what they wanted. While he put on a show of arrogance, he was not so confident on the inside.
"It doesn't matter who you're working for, I have no guilt." He punctuated this statement with a fold of his arms and self-assured cock of the chin.
"You think guilt is all that matters here?" rumbled a disembodied voice.
"Whether you feel remorse for your sins is of no consequence to us." Sniffed one of the shadows. "In fact it is easier if you don't."
"I don't understand. I thought Hell was all about using guilt to punish and torture souls." That twinge of fear was back. "Lucifer said . . ."
"Ahhhhh, but not every soul is contrite . . . "
". . . and those are turned over to us to be dealt with in any fashion we see fit, Sinnerman." This was followed by a deep terrifying laugh that turned Pierce's blood cold.
"Who are you?" He yelled at the darkness.
"We are thousands . . ."
". . . Wronged by Heaven . . ."
". . . and not truly a part of Hell."
"There is no escaping us." The last voice sniggered
The twinge of fear the Pierce had felt before was once again upon him. His heart was beginning to pound. Never had he experienced such a sense of helplessness. He imagined every form of monster lurking in the darkness just waiting to pounce, but he was by no means prepared for what actually appeared. Emerging from the shadows was dark form, the strange blue light separating it out from the other shades. This form was diminutive in size and wore a hooded cloak. The only features he could see was a grey child-like face with large white eyes that never blinked. Two black pupils the size of pin holes were all there was to break of the stark white stare.
"You're nothing but a child." He commented, his fear beginning to fade.
"I am Keres and I am older than you think." Her voice was soft, not like the others he had heard. "I and my brothers and sisters drew lots to see which of us would be the first to break you. I won."
"Break me?" Pierce scoffed. What could this small wisp of a child do to him? The words barely fell from his lips and Keres threw off her cloak and rose to her full height revealing her true self. Her body was covered in an exoskeleton and her legs were long and bug-like in form. On one hip she carried a whip which she uncoiled and then with a mighty snap caught him by the leg and brought him to his knees.
"My brother . . . my brother Abel was placed in a Hell loop . . . s-surely I . . ." He cried out, looking into the empty white eyes of Keres.
"You lied to our sister and betrayed her." Said one of the voices in the darkness.
"You hurt her." Added one of the shades
"You tried to destroy the Morningstar!" appended another.
"How many have you hurt . . . killed over the ages, Cain?" Hissed a voice.
"Do you recall their names?"
"Do you remember Charlotte?" Snickered unseen lips.
"That was an accident . . ." He started.
"She gave her life to stop your plan. Do you feel regret at having her blood on your hands or only for your failure?"
"Ahhhhh, but you have no regrets . . . no guilt . . ." Hissed yet another shadow voice.
"Where is your mercy?" He asked hoping against hope to save himself.
"We are numbered in the thousands."
"Each of us waiting in turn to torture you." The once silent space became alive with chants praising their power and their numbers. The combined sound of a thousand demonic voices was deafening and Pierce closed his eyes and tried to cover his ears, hoping to drown it all out. The clawed hand of Keres took hold of his once arrogant face and made him look up at her.
"The Lilim have no mercy."