Ch 7.

It was a dark corner right next to the door. That was where he was huddle up against in a ball.

He dared not venture far, for Harvey could feel the very same horrid feeling that he felt years ago when he saw the monster in the mines.

Fear gripped him, the same paralyzing, crippling fear that he felt all those years, that had haunted him all his life.

This fear made him curl up into a ball and shiver in the corner.

Harvey coughed violently as the putrid air seem to suck all of the force out of his lungs, his skin felt cold, yet at the same time the great heat burned him each time he drew breath, the pain only dwarfed by the sore he felt in his body as his skin felt the intense heat.

"Look at you."

A voice from the darkness said as a being manifested itself before Harvey.

"You, a kryptonian choosing to jump down here. You're a being that draws it's strength from the light, you soar trough the heavens. You're place is amongst the clouds." The manifestation walked forward and Harvey got a clear look at what it was.

It was dressed in a black armored skin tight suit, over it was a long sleeveless red vest that reached down to the ground. Two great golden circles united by a piece of pal thick golden threat stood on it's chest as a golden circle was on it's head.

And it's face was Harvey's face. For this was hell, and in hell your worst nightmare becomes true.

" So why have you condemn us to this darkness?" The blue glowing spirit which represented what Harvey could become if he chose a different path.

A path that Harvey could still walk down upon.

"I…I'll last long enough till.."

"Till what? You saw how they are! You played by the rules, by their rules! And when you won, what did they do? They changed them! You can't play fair with them! You can't be reasonable with them! You saw it, hell it's the only law that they obey! 'Do as though wish'. And they wish for you to die!" The blueish spirit said to him.

"S-Sabrina will…."

"Sabrina's the one that you pledged to be with for the good and the bad. Well, she's in bad place now and you're here curling up in a dark corner instead of standing by her!"

"I…I…there's nothing I can do…my powers are being drained by this place. No sunlight and outside it's nighttime. I'm…I'm weak."

"Weak for a kryptonian. But not for a human." Spirit Harvey said to him.

"What?"

"Even like this you have the strength of 100 regular humans. You could still smash this door. Why it's barely three inches thick, it's not even Kevlar, it's just cheap steel." Spirit Harvey said to him as he palmed the door.

"I-it would mean a fight."

"And you still remember the incredible power that you had when Sabrina combined her spells with you. Remember how you blew them all away when she gave you a boost. And remember her eyes as she watched you descend to this inferno. The fear, the anger, the hate. She'd join you in a heartbeat in slaughtering them."

"N-no….no living creature deserves to be murdered."

"Those are not living creatures, but hate given flesh. You saw the hatred they had for you, even though you did nothing to them. The joy and the bloodlust in their voices as they yearned for you to be tortured. Can you really say the world would not be better off without them? Can you really say that it would not be best to have such evil creatures perish."

"N-not all witches are bad." Harvey said as he used his super hearing to try block out the apparitions words by focusing on what was happening up top.

"But now you know the ones that are bad." Ghost Harvey said as he kneeled next to Harvey and whispered in his ear.

"They are villains and you are a hero. Isn't it a heroes' job to stop the villains?"

Xxxx

"Sabrina this is madness, challenging the High Priest to a fight!" Zelda said to her as Sabrina stretched her arms and neck in order to limber them up.

"I'm gonna beat the devil aunt Z. Can't get to him without going trough his minions first." Sabrina said as all Zelda could do was cradle her head in abject horror at what was happening.

"Love, I know you want Harvey safe. But getting yourself beaten half to death by him won't help Harvey. If you choose magic he'll beat you love, he has more practice, and if you chose fighting he'll win two, he's bigger and stronger and warlocks are more violent then mortal men. They grow up beating each other half to death as a hobby. You can't win him on your own love." Hilda said to Sabrina trying to sooth her anger and to try and council her out of a serious mistake.

"You have a plan don't you cousin?" Ambrose asked her.

"Not really, but I do have a secret weapon." Sabrina said as the trio saw her remove glass jar filled with water and place it on her hip before walking forward to the circle where the coven had gathered where the fight would take place.

"Before we begin. Let me remind you that if you want to go trough with this, that striking the High Priest is a serious crime. So why don't we stop or I will add another 300 years to the 359 years that you are supposed to burn in hell after your death for your defiance." Blackwood said to her.

Sabrina said nothing, this was a peculiar action on her part. For Blackwood knew her to be very talkative and sharp tongued.

It unnerved him.

"Why don't I show you the consequences of your actions, before you bring even more misery on your loved ones." Blackwood said and the door to hell opened and Harvey was dragged out and threw on the ground between Sabrina and the High Priest.

Her eyes were wide in shock at that. Harvey was not deadly pail, his lips cracked from no water, pitch black circles under his eyes, he even seamed thinner then he was before.

"H…How ma-many...hours…days?" Harvey asked weakly as he opened his eyes and tried to get his bearings in order. Sabrina quickly rushed forward and cradled Harvey's head in her lap.

"You've been in hell for 13 minutes." Blackwood answered him.

"13 minutes…"

"Yes. And you will return there, unless you chose to help us and make her sign her name. Come now, the Dark Lord is generous, by aiding him in obtaining her service he will reward you. He always rewards loyal service. He gave permission to her father and mother to marry, even thought it was forbidden by witch law. And that was because her father served him faithfully. Make the right choice, don't be a fool!" Blackwood said to Harvey and gave him a pleading look, one that bordered on warmth and even concern.

But Harvey did not spare him a glance. Instead his eyes was focused on Sabrina, who looked at him with pain in them and love.

"13 minutes…359 years….plus 300 more…." Harvey said and this unnerved Blackwood, for the boy had somehow managed to hear what they just said, despite him being trapped in hell.

First his feat with the torture devices, now this?

There was something very, very different about this mere mortal.

Sabrina lowered her head ear until it was close enough that Harvey could whisper and only she could hear it.

"Gerald Butler….Attila episode…Attila pain…..Galen…..strength." Harvey said weakly.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yeah….I still have….strength of 100 in me. He's just one…..Do it. Then we'll go to school…..and milkshakes with Ross and….Suzie."

"Allright….." Sabrina said and did a silent incantation.

Harvey then turned his gaze towards Blackwood and asked him:

"Make…..a…..choice?"

"Yes. Make the right I choice. The only choice!" Blackwood said, honey in his words.

Harvey then slowly got from her lap, stood on shakily legs, he turn to her and gave her a smile.

He then half wobbled, half dragged himself on his legs back to the door to hell, and went back in it, and closed the door with his own hands.

"Begin the trial by combat!" The 3 judges said as the battle between Blackwood and Sabrina began.

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''Keeps the reader turning the pages''- Pennie Mae Cartawick, author of 'Sherlock Holmes: The Gaslight Collection'

"Think of Lovecraft and Poe, and then put on 3D glasses." -Howard Lipman- Author of the 'Delphic Oracle' and Tesla's Tower'

What if in the struggle between magic and science, magic was the victor?

What if technology disappeared and magic became what was used to colonize the galaxy?

What if now magic is used to wage war across the stars?

The imperial fleet's only hope for victory is the 'Hero of the Empire' Metternich. Too bad that the man many consider to be their greatest hero, is in fact their greatest coward.

Metty once more finds himself in a desperate situation on the Planet of Volun 4. Newly promoted to the rank of Commodore, he must take command of the defeated 378th fleet cops and lead it to victory against a superior foe, and he must do that before the arrival of an even greater enemy force, while also keeping his secret cowardice hidden from his own troops, lest they turn on him.

Meanwhile rebellion stirs in the Occupied Territories, as a mysterious figure called 'Nobody' emerges to rally the rebels and lead them to victory against the Empire. But is he truly their salvation?

Enemies to his front, vengeful rebels to his rear and surrounding him are allies that may betray him at any moment.

Just another weekday for poor ol' Metty.

-Riddle of Ruin-by RMSolea.

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