Chapter 3
Exodus
Lilith jerked her head up as the klaxons blared. It was the signal for an attack of any kind; was it Eve? She quickly rose to her feet, running from the cafeteria as wraiths flooded into one of the many hallways. This had to be Eve's doing; it was the only possible explanation. After all, Lilith knew that her room was in the direction in which they were headed, hers being on the opposite side of the facility.
She headed in the opposite direction, flinching every time she heard a scream. She couldn't go to Eve while the girl in question was still swamped by wraiths, whatever it was that she was doing to deal with them. Had she shifted again? No, she couldn't have; Eve despised anything involving her changing form. She's stated several times how much she hated being a demon. But then again, she was dealing with the wraiths pretty well.
Lilith slid to a stop at the door to her room, looking around for the wraith who usually stood guard. He was missing from his post, though, since there was an attack happening near Eve's room. Damn it. Suddenly, she felt a familiar rough hand on her shoulder, squeezing tightly.
"Why aren't you in your room?" Dr. Russell asked her furiously. "I don't have time to deal with you."
"The wraith isn't here," Lilith pointed out. "They all went that way." She pointed, causing Dr. Russell to snarl as she took out her card to open Lilith's door, then ran in the direction she'd pointed. She smirked, walking into her room, leaving the door open behind her. "Alright Incubus, come out." At once the little demon appeared before her, chittering excitedly, eyes constantly flickering towards the door. "I know, I know. We might be able to finally get out of here. But to do that, we should probably help them out."
She walked over to her bed and pulled the covers down, to reveal a black box, outlined with brilliant gold. Beautiful patterns were engraved into it, angels on one side, and demons on the other. She rapped it once, before looking back at Incubus. The demon grinned as a copy of him appeared, bearing the same grin. The two chittered together happily, before zooming out of the room. Lilith grinned as she sat down on her bed, waiting for Eve to come.
"Don't take too long, Eve. You just had to do it at dinner, though."
xXx
Azazel's Maw of the Void shredded through the wraiths, limbs torn off right left and center as the dark mist burst forwards in unstoppable clouds. Eve wasn't really doing much to help, but she was using her Dull Razor as a makeshift weapon, shedding blood whenever she could. This wasn't often, considering that the wraiths were all heavily armored, but every now and then she'd find an opening, a chink in their defense, and she would make the most of it.
As she had continued to slash, duck and weave around her enemies, Azazel must have pulled another of his teleportation tricks, because suddenly there was a baby demon by her side, with enormous horns which looked far too large for its head. It gave her a mischievous grin, before firing a blood red laser at the horde of wraiths, similar to Azazel's. Just seeing that laser made her weak at the knees.
She'd made that Devil Deal, offered up Jimmy's soul on a metal platter, and yet she felt none of the strength which Satan had transmitted to her. Her punches felt just as useless as before, every kick she delivered hurting her more than the enemy. Eve could feel fear taking over her actions, nerves kicking in at the worst moments. She started pulling punches after knuckles split, acting purely defensively. The Dull Razor in her hand felt heavier each time she swung, as her body slowly succumbed to fatigue.
Meanwhile, Azazel and the baby demon fought with a vicious lust for blood, Satan's emissary cackling darkly every time he made a new hole in a wraith's armor. The other smaller demon wasn't doing nearly as much damage compared to Azazel's brutal bloodbath, but it fought with a determination which Eve admired. Every shot counted, every shot killed, and every shot drew fear from its enemies. Eve's own body count was probably around three or four. It was understandable considering her limited arsenal, but even then she felt embarrassed. And she could see Azazel's frustration every time he looked at her. His expression was livid.
"I thought you made a Devil Deal!" he yelled at her as he pushed outwards with his hands, sending a cloud of darkness towards the similarly colored wraiths. "Why aren't you using the power he gave to you?"
"I don't know what he gave me!" Eve screamed back in frustration while stumbling away from a wraith's burning rod. "I just took the deal! I asked for power, and he said that he'd give it to me!" Azazel growled in annoyance, grabbing a wraith's head and twisting, snapping his neck. All her time at this facility the wraiths had seemed like such imposing figures, almost invincible. But Azazel was here, tearing out their throats and dismembering them limb from limb as if they were mere insects.
"Then try and focus, goddammit!" the demon screeched back at her. "You must have felt his power coursing through your body when you shook his hand! Find that energy, and use it! Convert it into a form which will help us!" Eve's eyes widened as she remembered the rush she'd felt when she'd taken the demon king's hand. All that power, flowing through her veins like fire. It had hurt her, made her feel as if she'd been burning alive, and she hadn't cared. That feeling had simply been too amazing.
She cried out in pain as a wraith finally managed to get a hit in, his rod striking her hard on the face. She staggered backward, eyes tearing as another hit landed on her stomach. She gasped, falling backward as the wraith kicked her over onto her belly, his blows relentless. She felt so powerless. The Dull Razor had clattered uselessly to the floor, now being stampeded by the crowd of armored guards converging upon the three of them. Another kick hit her on the back, causing her to scream and arch her head backward, only for it to be slammed downwards by another blow from a heated rod. The pain came back. The world tumbled. Pinpricks of nothingness formed in her vision. Somewhere in the horde of black bodies, a baby demon cried. She was nothing here, just another useless person in the crowd. Screaming after every blow, her vision fading more and more with each passing second…
And then she felt it come back. Power. Rushing through her body, her veins, her blood, her heartbeat speeding up as it spread to every last section. And then there was a blood red. Crimson light, completely filling her vision as the screams around her grew louder and more focused. Men were crying, their legs completely cut off by some unseen force, Eve's own body hunched forward on all fours, her breathing stabilizing once more. Just like that, the power was gone. But she had felt it. And she had used it.
All around her, wraiths lay on their backs, either already dead or very close to it. Blood gushed from their bodies like fountains, as they spat out the same crimson liquid from their mouths. Some of them were simply suffering from broken bones, while others' armor was completely shredded, the energy which Eve had unleashed cutting right through their bodies. Even Azazel had halted his attacks to gape at her in surprise.
"I don't believe it," he muttered in shock. "Of all the thing he could have chosen to bestow upon you, a mortal…he chose Brimstone." Eve didn't take the time to ask what that meant; the attack had completely drained her, sucking out every last reserve of energy she'd possessed. A few seconds later she collapsed, prompting Azazel to curse and go back to beheading wraiths.
The other guards around her seemed to take this as a sign to attack, as they charged towards, eager to end her. Eve reached out, her hand grasping the Dull Razor, as she dragged it towards her. Then she squeezed. No blood was drawn, but instantly every wraith around her skidded to an abrupt stop, their heads facing towards the door to Eve's room. For a moment she just looked at them in puzzlement, not understanding why they were so confused. Then she heard the flapping.
A dark shape darted out of her room, charging to the scene. With his eyes sewn shut into crosses, he looked nothing like his former, jubilant self. Flying over to his master, he started to caw, landing in her hair and screeching incessantly at the wraiths surrounding them. Eve smiled, her eyes snapping open as she looked at the reanimated crow perched on her head.
"Good to see you too, Jimmy." Jimmy cried back happily, bouncing on her head before taking off and twisting mid-air, drilling right through reinforced armor with his powerful beak. He was a vicious killing machine, as he avoided swipes and punches while pecking through their flesh and sometimes consuming it.
"It's about time!" Azazel yelled at the bird in anger. "What took you so damn long?!" When he clawed back in response, the demon flew backward, firing another Brimstone laser into the crowd. "That isn't a valid excuse, idiot!" The bird wasn't fazed by his comment, as he continued to fly around Eve in a deadly circle, spearing anyone foolish enough to come close. He was truly devoted to protecting her.
"Jimmy!" Eve yelled, slowly rising to her feet. She winced in pain as she strained her legs. "We've…we've gotta get to Lilith's room…" The crow cawed in understanding, swooping towards the direction of the cafeteria, raking his claws on a wraith's black helmet, leaving large gashes in the visor. The man screamed and flailed his arms; Jimmy's assault had likely blinded him. His flaming rod struck another wraith in the stomach, causing him to keel over while his accidental attacker tripped backward.
"Come on!" Azazel raised his arms, causing his Maw of the Void to take shape, forming two thinly spread walls which made a passageway through the carnage. The injured wraiths cried out as they were pressed against the walls, albeit weakly. Spread out so thinly, the Maw of the Void could hardly be called a decent barrier. Azazel quickly sped down the makeshift passage, Eve stumbling after him weakly. One of the wraiths managed to break free of his prison, swinging his heated rod at Eve and connecting it against her neck. She cried out, her eyes suddenly lighting up and the Petrine Cross beginning to glow a bright red. Before she knew it she had torn the man's head off, holding it out in front of her as she stared in shock, blood dripping from her fingers and the Dull Razor clutched in her left hand. She didn't even notice the long, twisted horns which had erupted from the sides of her head until she saw her reflection in the darkened puddle of blood.
"Oh, God," Eve murmured as her awareness returned, gasping in shock. Her stamina had been replenished by her sudden transformation, the power coursing through her veins once more. Azazel and the baby demon were staring at her, surprised by her sudden shift in form. But the moment didn't last long; wraiths were already escaping the Maw of the Void. Eve grinned, raising her hand, feeling Satan's power flowing through her arm, then willed it to fire. A blood red laser shot out of her hand, blasting a charred hole through the torso of the nearest wraith.
"Good job!" Azazel yelled at her. "You're getting the hang of it!" She smirked back at him, clenching the Dull Razor tightly as she ran to the cafeteria, Jimmy cawing enthusiastically from above. When she and Azazel reached the large open room, it had been invaded by wraiths, a sea of black bodies beginning to charge towards them. Eve held her breath, eyes wandering towards Azazel, who faced the flood with a grim determination. He raised his hands, channeling the Maw of the Void into a thick, dark cloud hovering in front of him. The baby demon, drew backward, opening its mouth and charging another laser. Jimmy rose higher, flapping his wings faster and cawing at the enemies with chilling malice. Seeing the others preparing themselves, Eve crossed her arms, feeling the Petrine Cross burn brighter, and the energy surging through her tightened muscles.
Before they could even unleash their attacks, the first few wraiths approaching them were suddenly bombarded by a multitude of red bullets, the globs of acid melting their armor and searing through their flesh in mere seconds. Eve looked up, smiling when she saw the twin Incubuses flying over their heads, firing their deadly projectiles into the small army.
"Look!" she said to Azazel, pointing upwards. "Lilith must have used the Box of Friends!" The demon grinned at her, before pushing forward with the palms of his hands, sending the thick black cloud rushing forward, ruthlessly dismembering the wraiths with deadly precision. At that same moment, the baby demon fired his thin laser, Jimmy dive-bombed into the crowd, and Eve uncrossed her arms, unleashing the Brimstone laser onto the horde of armored bodies.
The charging army of wraiths was completely decimated by their combined attack, as the Maw of the Void took out the majority of the enemies, Eve and the baby demon sweeping the room with their lasers and Jimmy picking off anyone who had somehow survived. Eve perked up as she saw a familiar redheaded girl standing awkwardly in the hallway opposite to them, the golden box tucked under her arm.
"Lilith!" Eve yelled at her, Azazel's attention going to her as well. Without hesitation he flew towards her, extending his arms out for the box.
"May I have the Box of Friends?" he asked politely, causing Lilith to twitch in surprise. After seeing Eve's approving nod, she held it out to him, watching as he pulled a miniature car battery out of his Maw of the Void, before plugging it into the box. Suddenly the golden patterns began to flicker brightly, light radiating from the box as Azazel took out several smaller batteries and held them to the box, while the battle continued to rage on behind them.
If the fight hadn't already been one-sided enough before Azazel had pulled off his trick, there was no doubt about the victors now. Eve watched in fascination as the Incubuses began to multiply, first eight, then thirty-two, then a hundred and twenty-eight. The tiny demons cackled evilly at the wraiths, raining down upon them with boiling acid. The force began to melt underneath the attack, armour burning and flesh peeling. Eve quickly ran around the outside of the storm, her strength beginning to fade as she reached Lilith and Azazel, panting quickly.
Azazel looked at the cloud of Incubuses, then at Lilith. The redhead nodded in understanding, calling out to the massive cluster of dark bodies. A single demon, the original Incubus, zoomed out of the onslaught and darted towards them. Azazel nodded at the baby demon as it hovered by his shoulder, then looked at Jimmy as he soared above him.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's get the heck out of here." He pulled another object out of the dark smog, this time a thin rectangular card with an image of a man carrying a stick over his back. "Asinus!" Instantly, Eve felt herself being pulled towards the card, eyes widening as she and the rest of the group suddenly vanished from the facility, into a darkened room comprised of stone. Azazel took in her shocked expression, grinning in amusement. "Yeah. We're in Sheol, my friends."
"I have no idea where the Hell that is," Lilith deadpanned as she looked around. "Eve's told me little to nothing about the situation. You mind explaining?" Azazel frowned, eyes darting over to Eve.
"You may want to tone down your language, Lilith," he hissed at her. "There are no angels who play joyous fanfare up in fluffy white clouds, nor is there a land terraformed by fire and brimstone. There is only Sheol. This is where all the souls go when they depart from the world of the living."
"That's a shame," she muttered. "It would have been cool if angels existed."
"Oh, they do," he said with a grin on his face. "But as I said, they don't play any of their hideous music in that realm of theirs. And thank goodness they don't; I hear enough of it on the front lines."
"You've mentioned that a lot," Eve said. "Front lines? What exactly are you talking about?" Azazel frowned, moving towards the stone doorway leading to a similar but much larger room.
"It'll probably better if you hear it from the big guy," he told them. "And I really don't want to explain it all. I've done so about a million times." Eve and Lilith stared at him in irritation, but didn't press further as he led them through a series of darkened rooms, some of them lit by a flickering blue fire while others were near pitch black.
Surprisingly enough, most of the rooms were completely empty, spare the occasional blue flame or a creature's grotesquely splattered remains. Lilith was clearly disturbed by their surroundings, skirting around anything which seemed foreign, but Eve and Azazel both wore nonchalant expressions. Eve had already grown used to Sheol's horrible conditions, whereas Azazel…well, he'd probably lived here his entire life.
"Where is everyone?" Eve suddenly asked. "Surely it can't just be you and Satan around here; you said that there were spirits?" After passing through so many empty rooms, she was beginning to grow nervous, especially concerning the dried streaks of blood and mutilated carcasses.
"We're too far out," Azazel explained. "No one lives around here, because these rooms are too far out. They're the very boundaries of Sheol, and undefended. Very close to the front lines." Eve frowned, taking one last look at a humanoid's head, before following after Azazel and Lilith.
Several more rooms later, she began to see proof that Sheol was indeed inhabited by life; or, the opposite, in this case. Demons dwelled in the rooms, some with horns, some without, some humanoid, while others bore no resemblance to one another. None chose to interact with the group of three, a few even cowering away as Azazel strode through, head held high and his Maw of the Void swirling around him. It wasn't difficult to figure out that in Sheol, the demon was held in high regard.
It wasn't long after they saw the first demons that they came to a doorway different than all the others which they had passed through. The first thing which Eve noticed wasn't the fact that the doorposts were made of circling human ribs, or that there was a cracked human skull grinning down at them from on top. It was light. The sickly, uncomfortable red light which shone from the depths of the room, even though they couldn't see further. It was almost as if it was meant to blind anyone who wanted to walk in so that they wouldn't have a clue what was going on.
Azazel passed through the doorway without hesitation, his Maw of the Void quickly vanishing from their sight as soon as he did. It was worrying to them - the black mist had become almost comforting during their short time with Azazel. Eve and Lilith both stopped when they came to the door, looking up at the leering skull, expressions of doubt on their faces.
"This feels dodgy," Eve muttered. Lilith nodded, staring into the light as she narrowed her eyes.
"Are you getting a chill down your spine?" her friend asked as she took an uncertain step forward as if testing whether the light would hurt her.
"I have been from the moment we got here," the dark haired girl admitted. "The way he talks makes me feel like we just stumbled upon something bad."
"Like war?"
"Exactly." The two both frowned, hesitantly walking into the light. To their relief nothing seemed to happen to them as the light enveloped them, but their eyes both widened to the sight on the other side - Eve's significantly less than Lilith's.
Blue fire was crackling in the four corners of the darkened room, lightly illuminating the stone throne in the center. Satan himself sat on the throne, his red eyes shining at them with interest. In his right hand, he gripped the head of the goat which Eve had killed back at the facility. Eve stared at the head, fixated by the fresh blood which was dripping from its neck. Hadn't it stopped bleeding ages ago?
"Eve," the king spoke, his grin widening. "It's so good to see you before me, in the flesh." The girl nodded, eyeing him with curiosity.
"Yeah. Good to see you too." The goat-headed demon simply laughed at her, before focusing his attention on Lilith.
"And Lilith. The girl with a soul bond to a demon…it is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The redhead looked bewildered but tried her best to be polite in her response to the king.
"…likewise…" she muttered quietly, her eyes fixated on the ground. Eve frowned at Satan, her eyes flickering between him and Lilith.
"You didn't sound so formal when we were talking in my head," she pointed out. He chuckled at her, waving a hand and motioning towards the walls of the room.
"If they knew I was so casual, they wouldn't follow me." Satan grinned, folding his hands on his lap. "It's good to practice intimidation. Oh, and you can stop staring at the floor. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"Oh, don't worry. You're not making me uncomfortable," Lilith assured him. "I just have sensitive eyes. Anything brighter than a candle and I have to squint. Kind of hurts not to." Satan looked perplexed at her words, turning to Eve in order to receive confirmation that her claims were true.
"She isn't lying," the dark-haired girl admitted. "It's why she never looks me in the eyes."
"Interesting," the demon king muttered but didn't comment further on the topic. "So you are connected to Incubus. The little blighter's been missing for years, did you know?"
"I suppose I do now," Lilith replied drily, earning herself a snicker. "So he's supposed to be here with you guys? In Sheol?"
"According to nature," Satan answered cryptically. "But he's always been a troublemaker. We weren't surprised when he disappeared. But we were quite shocked when the idiot didn't come back. We figured he'd made a bond - we just weren't sure with who." Lilith frowned at that, apparently still mulling over the concept of Sheol itself. Eve chose to speak up at that moment, asking the question which both of them had been pondering since Azazel had mentioned the front lines.
"Is there a war going on? Azazel told us that - wait a minute. Where is he, anyway?" Satan sighed, finally getting off his throne as he walked towards them, drawing in his leathery wings.
"There's a war," he confirmed. "Against the heavens. Angels arrive every day and try to break into Sheol. Azazel is one of our best fighters - we've just been attacked on the other side of Sheol. He went to help."
"Right," Eve muttered. "But I'm confused - he made it sound like there are all these demons around here, but we've hardly seen any so far." Satan smirked at her, motioning for them to follow him as he walked around the back of his throne, leading to another door, also coated with red light.
"All will be explained," he assured them. "Just walk through the door." Eve hesitated for a moment, her mind going through the information he'd told her. She didn't feel like going through the door was a good idea. Maybe it was just the sinister red light emitting from it, but something about it sent shivers down her spine. Then again, at the same time, she needed answers. Answers about everything.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, walking through the door. And she saw the true Sheol for the first time.