Hello all! Welcome to the first chapter of No Way Back. This is a small project that I have decided to undertake due to requests from some people, and I was bored of writing my most recent work (just didn't feel good). I hope that you enjoy this story as I take you on a short or long journey. There will be action, adventure, violence, gore, romance, and everything that some of you have come to know me from.

While this is a new story, the things I use aren't exactly new. I guess my creativity is gone because I have decided to reuse an OC that I feel best fits this situation. I understand my creative choices don't really jive with some of you, but I don't really care anymore! ;) I am here to tell a story in my own way and with what I have grown comfortable with.

Other than that, I hope you really enjoy with what I come up with. Beware, this is a bit of a long intro...

I WILL NOTE THIS ONCE HERE AS IT APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE STORY: All characters used here unless specified as the direct property of Vivziepop. I do not claim any ownership of that their content or characters.

Chapter 1: A World Turned Upside-down

No one ever expects the day when their lives are forever changed. There are some of those who try to reject and fight it, and then there are those who welcome and embrace it. It usually depends on whether the change is good or bad, but neither assures what the reaction will be. They either reject or welcome it by what they endured through in the past or what they might be preparing for in the future.

As I sit in a dreary bar in the middle of nowhere enjoying my drink, I can't help but wonder which category I fall under. Even throughout my short adult life, I had been through a lot. Unforeseen tragedy had led to military service. When I ended up killing my fair share of people, I am called a fucking hero and given what is the equivalent of a pat on the back. Now, it had led me to a job in the middle of nowhere with temperatures that could freeze my nuts off.

Despite all of that, I learned to keep my head up and deal with all of that in stride. Still, I couldn't really answer my question: Did I enjoy the change or not? I didn't enjoy any of it, but I also didn't run from it. It all just kind of happened.

I guess I could say that I usually stuck with the same since I had retained a shorter haircut and I only brushed to the side and a very short and well-groomed facial hair. It seemed even shorter with my darkened blond hair. Additionally, I kept to a pretty good workout schedule despite the lesser need to be quite a fit. I guess that the habit stuck well with me, so I just kept it around.

My fingers had rubbed against me in contemplation with my deep blue eyes focusing forward. I didn't really take in any of the scenes before me despite my concentration. I hadn't even realized that my drink had gone dry. There wasn't even a buzz from it despite it being a dark beer. I wasn't any sort of stranger when it came to alcohol by any means, but I also had complete control to not drown in it.

Without any words of warning, another tall mug filled to the brim with a local porter beer was placed in front of me. The sound of the glass hitting the scarred bar in front of me was accompanied by a bit of the drink slipping out and hitting the counter. It was what I needed to take me out of my thoughts.

My gaze fixed on the bartender across the counter. In front of me was a larger individual, both in height since he stood at 6-foot-2-inches compared to my 6-foot flat and in terms of his gut. He didn't wear anything particularly interesting in terms of clothing, just a bunch of darker clothing that seemed to fit in with the aesthetic of the room. He was bald but had a nice beard that was taken care of somewhat well. While he was someone I knew, I could tell that he held some pride in it even if I didn't know him. His name was Liam.

His voice was deep and direct, "You seem to be deep in your thoughts today, Kyle."

I took a moment to study the drink before me before replying with an even voice, "Yeah, I guess I am. I guess it is just a long day." I didn't follow up on my comment for a few seconds before I pointed to the drink before me, "I didn't ask for another drink, did I?"

The bartender leaned his weight into the counter a little as he was getting ready to stand for a second. He responded casually, "No. This one is on the house of the veteran who is 'having a long day'. I would assume you would be out in the wilderness somewhere at this time in the afternoon."

I tried my best to overlook the 'veteran' comment as I replied, "I did. I just had the early morning wake-up this morning. It makes me tired, but I guess the bonus is being done early." I pulled the drink in close and took a drink. It was surprisingly smooth for how dark and thick it felt. I cleared my throat and mouth before continuing, "Besides, it is getting far too cold for anyone to try poaching, and there is limited tracking that is needed to be done."

Liam nodded with a chuckle, "Yeah, winter can be a bitch, but it does have some perks with it."

I rolled my eyes a little, "Yeah, perks… I guess if you call the shit internet, shit roads, and constant cold a perk. The only thing that resembles entertainment around here is coming to the bars and drinking."

The current traffic to the bar seemed to emphasize my point as I motioned to my back. There was decent traffic within the establishment despite it being relatively early in the afternoon. It was getting dark outside, and that did give the effect of it being later than it really was.

A loud laugh echoed around the room as Liam pounded on the bar counter. He responded after a few seconds, "What better pastime is there? It beats the cold, and it brings the town together."

I was about to come up with a quip, but I never got a sound passed my lips before my phone began buzzing me. I pulled it out to see the name of another ranger, Parker. I let out a small sigh as this usually meant more work. I commented lightly, "Middle of nowhere, but I still manage to get phone calls without any problem."

No verbal response was given from Liam as he only nodded before going to tend to his other customers. He pressed the screen to answer before putting up to my ear, "Hey, Parker. What can I do for you?"

Parker left no room for silence before he began to speak, "Kyle, what are you doing at the moment?"

"I am at the bar right now. What did-"

Parker cut me off swiftly, "Good. I received a call earlier from Wyatt Ruesso since he wanted to meet at his cabin earlier today."

I mumbled, "I would hardly call what that rich prick has a 'cabin'. It is more like an entire fucking castle."

My words seemed to get through to the other end since Parker responded sharply, "Now is not the time, Kyle." I could hear him let out a small sigh before he continued, "He is missing."

I sat up in my seat a little more as I spoke with a little more seriousness, "Missing? I can't go anywhere without him trying to flaunt his wealth in front of anyone in town who would listen. What gives you any indication that he is missing?"

Parker let out a sigh, "I received a message from him, and he was freaking out about something. I think he was driving back to his cabin from the eastern road. The Sherrif seems to think that something might have happened somewhere around there, but he hasn't found any indication of where he might be. It is starting to storm, so the chances of finding him are starting to drop. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation."

I let out a small sigh before replying, "Alright, I will head out to that road."

Parker replied with gratitude, "Thank you."

There weren't even 'goodbyes' exchanged between us when I canceled the call. I moved to grab my fleece-lines coat, gloves, and hat for the cold. By the time I had all the articles of clothing on, Liam was heading over in my direction. He caught my attention with his voice, "It seems like you have no more time to stay here."

I brought out my wallet before placing a few wrinkled bills on the counter. I replied, "Apparently not. Duty calls, and I don't know when I will be back. Hopefully, I will be able to have a few more drinks today… or tonight."

Liam pulled my mostly full mug of beer to himself. He eyed it for a second before shooting me a small smile, "I guess I will just have to give you your beer on the house whenever you return. Your job might not be easy at points, but at least your pal was able to get it for you."

I joked, "I am still trying to find out if that was a positive thing or not. I am leaning towards 'not' in moments like these."

I began to head toward the door as Liam called out, "Take care of yourself!"

I only mustered a wave before heading out into the cold and dark air. The snow was starting to cascade down from the sky leaving it even darker than it would be without the clouds above. The roads were pure white with divots left over from tires driving over them. They had yet to get the dirt sprinkled over to change the color to brown. It wasn't going to be an easy drive if it got any worse than this.

With another sigh, I fished my keys out of my pocket and moved toward the SUV that I drove around the place in. It was a reliable vehicle for these parts, nothing more or less.

I opened the door and sat in the driver's seat before quickly closing the door. There was no relief from the cold as the vapor from my breath was still very easy to see. It stuck in the air for a moment before disappearing before the next breath.

I looked around the vehicle to see if I still had everything that I needed. I still had my flashlight, backpack with small gear, and my rifle present in the backseat area. Everything was not neat or anything, but it all had a place that I knew.

The vehicle came to life once I twisted the key, and the headlights followed soon after. I didn't waste too much time shifting into 'drive' before driving down the snow-covered road. It was slow and steady for the moment as I quickly familiarized myself with the conditions of the road.

Finding Ruesso was probably going to be a challenge, and I had a lot of ground to cover. Something in the back of my mind warned me of what was to come, and I tried to put it at ease. When the road was straight, I would catch myself glimpsing through the rearview mirror at my rifle. For whatever reason, I knew I was going to need it in a moment's time.

A little later…

The road conditions did continue to get worse until a minor speed would lead to nothing less than white-out conditions. The brighter the light, the worse it got. The search felt hopeless, but I still had a duty to complete. I might even get back to the bar and see if they have any hot chocolate with schnapps. Maybe even a hot meal as well, even if it wasn't that tasty. That sounded pretty good now.

I let out a small sigh as I carefully switched on the vehicle's radio to fill the rather quiet atmosphere. While all my focus should be on the road, I felt that I needed something to at least calm my nerves a little. I was a little disappointed to only hear the voice of the weather broadcaster's voice.

"We are expecting quite the storm here. Accumulating snowfall is expected to cross 48 inches overnight with temperatures plummeting to the negatives. I would suggest that you all stay at home…"

Despite my somewhat tense demeanor, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. There was nothing I wanted more than to head back home and let the storm pass through. It wasn't just the dangers of driving through it that got to me. Being out here brought up bad memories. They were something that I couldn't ever repent completely for no matter how much I wished to, not even through the military. They were the type of memories that didn't disappear no matter how many drinks I allowed to cloud my vision and judgment.

I found myself too drawn into my thoughts despite the drive needing my attention. I let out a small breath and tried to look down the hill the on the right side of the road. Snowflakes and darkness obscured anything beyond a few trees here and there. I couldn't even distinguish movement through the thick brush and storm.

Without any warning, a small bang and loss of controlled steering put me in a panic. I knew at that moment that one of my tires had gone out. I couldn't even worry about why as the sudden motion caused me to lose control of the vehicle. Despite my efforts to correct the motions by coasting and turning, I ended up over the edge of the road and tumbling down the hill into the forest.

There was little I could do beyond holding onto the wheel of the vehicle. The back end hit a tree, and glass from the back windows broke into the backseat of my SUV. I started to spin uncontrollably as I couldn't tell how fast I was moving and what dangers might be next.

After a few bushes and rocks, I came to a complete stop. The rattling of the broken components of my ride was drowned out by the slight ringing in my ears. I had hit my head during that whole ordeal. I rubbed my hand over my face before turning off the vehicle. The rattling slowly disappeared leaving me with only the howling of the wind.

I sat there for a moment before letting my anger out a little. My fist pounded on the roof with loud bangs as I yelled out, "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!"

I was shit-out-of-luck now. Not only was my vehicle beyond repair here, and I was also a decent way down the hill. There was no way I would be located from the road. I am probably just as lost as that damn millionaire.

I looked around to try and find my radio to no avail. That was followed by me digging through my pockets for my phone. The screen lit up for me to see that I didn't even have any service. My anger from the initial shock of this incident cooled off enough for me to resort to just an irritated sigh, "Great. Looks like I am on my own."

I pulled off my seatbelt and opened my door to the frigid, blowing air. I wasted no time slipping my arms into my coat before placing my cap over my head. I opened the door a little more causing it to emit a loud creaking because of the denting around the seam of the door. I grabbed my available flashlight and planted my feet on the ground. I would have to walk through more than a foot of snow.

The cold air wisped across my face letting me know what was to come. It wouldn't be easy to get out of here by any means. I looked back up the hill. Despite not being able to see much, I was unsure as to whether I had the footwear to even make the climb. This snow was slicker than it looks. Unless I had good equipment to walk over it or dig into it, I wasn't going to be able to go back up the way I came.

I walked around the vehicle before settling in front of the blown-out wheel. I flashed the light to get a good look and was surprised to find the culprit of my misfortune. I bent over and pulled it out with a bit of effort. I knew that it was a long knife the instant it came free. I also subconsciously logged in my mind how it was weighted. It was perfect for throwing.

It seemed to be in good condition from what I could tell. The edge was still very sharp, and there weren't many scratches on the side. What eluded me was how it ended up on the road in the first place. There wasn't that much traffic down this way, and no one would simply lose a knife this good.

My pondering ended once a small bang could be heard through the darkness. It wasn't super close, but it also wasn't that far. Maybe a five to ten-minute walk from me. The bang, in my mind, was unmistakable.

It was a gunshot.

No one in their right mind would be out here hunting at this time. The best possible reason I could see was that someone got lost and felt a need to use a weapon. While I couldn't be sure, I was willing to gamble that I am on the right track. Wyatt Ruesso might be stuck in these woods as much as I am. The difference is that I know the way out.

I pocketed the blade before opening the back door to retrieve some items like a map and compass. On top of that, I grabbed my rifle and a few rounds. I closed the door and loaded the weapon in my hands. I then slung it over my shoulder by its strap before moving in the direction of the sound. I barely got a few steps away from the SUV before another shot rang out. Regardless of whether the shooting might be Wyatt, I was sure that finding someone else might help me get out of these woods.

My steps were slow as the snow only continued to build upon itself. My boots sealed out the cool and wet while my jacket protected me from the wind. I couldn't really find much to complain about other than how cold my face continued to get. I would use a bit of cloth to cover it, but it could only work so well when the vapor from my breath hardened it.

The snow made it impossible to distinguish the lay of the land. Even though there was a creek that would run through here, the snow did its best to cover it completely beyond a few darkened patches where the ice was bare. I used this to gauge where I was heading with a few glances at my compass.

All of the sudden, something that didn't fully blend in with the landscape came into view with the assistance of my flashlight. A bit of snow had piled over it, but I could make out the silver siding of a very nice vehicle. My footsteps quickened a little as I tried to get a better look at it.

The damage that the vehicle undertook to get this far from the road was apparent on the various surfaces of the vehicle. There wasn't an obvious indicator of what route it took to get here, but it wasn't in working order from what I could tell. However, I recognized this vehicle as Wyatt's. Apparently ending up here seemed somewhat productive since I guess I have a clue to follow. Those gunshots were undoubtedly his.

I opened the door to get a look inside to see if there was anything helpful that I could use. My eyes widened as I flashed the light through the dark interior. There were a few gashes and holes in the seats with a few of them leading to holes in the windshield. My eyes soon traced down to an intricately designed pistol laying on the floor of the passenger seat.

I mumbled, "What the fuck…"

I picked it up to get a better look. It looked somewhat old-fashioned, but I could see that work definitely went into the crafting of the various details. I was put more on edge by the mystery of what could have happened here. I swung the rifle from my shoulder into my hands as I got ready to check the surrounding area.

I heard the crunching of snow, but it wasn't from me. I flicked my flashlight to look over the other side of the vehicle to see a barrel of a pump-action shotgun pointed right at me. From what I could tell, the one looking at me was in his forties, but his facial features seemed to reflect a pampered lifestyle, but he was very well-toned and much bigger than me in his physique. It was Wyatt without a doubt, but he seemed a bit on edge. He must have approached while I was rummaging through his vehicle.

I spoke clearly through the wind, "Wyatt?"

He remained unresponsive for a moment from what I said. I could see that his eyes were hyper-focused on me. His weapon remained up and ready. The smallest movement from his side showed that he was shifting his finger over the trigger.

I wasted no time in dropping to the ground and into the snow. A flash and bang followed by the pellets from Wyatt's shotgun hitting the top of his vehicle. The wind seemed to become still in reaction, and I found myself in a situation that I wished to have never returned to. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I tried to calm my heart and breathing. The cold on my face didn't even bother me anymore.

I shouted out, "What the fuck are you doing, Wyatt?! It is me, Kyle. I came out here to find you."

There was a moment separating from when I spoke to when Wyatt replied. His voice was shaky and on edge, "N-No! Y-You are out h-h-here to get me! Y-You are h-helping t-t-them!"

My face scrunched in confusion as I got to my feet but kept low. I didn't want to take any chances on surprising someone who was paranoid and armed. Whatever happened earlier to him seemed to put him in this state. I was unsure if I should try opening a dialogue to calm him down or keep my distance. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see that there was still no service. Regardless of my decision, I was alone.

My grip on my rifle tightened a little as I came to grips with my situation. I knew that there was a good possibility that I would have to use my gun on Wyatt. Regardless, if I used by shooting-to-kill or incapacitate, he would probably die out here. Could I really bring myself to kill him while he was obviously out of his mind? My brain was telling me 'yes', but my heart revolted in response.

I heard a few steps crunching the snow. Instinctually, I slid myself around to the front of the vehicle to get out of range. Not even a second passed before Wyatt peered around the vehicle to where I was and pulverized the snow and dirt where I was a moment ago.

His reaction was quick. I presumed that he had to be on some sort of cocktail of narcotics at this point. I could hear him rambling under his breath about little creatures out here to get him. He was crippled with delusions, but he also seemed trigger-happy. My rifle and I didn't stand much of a chance from my current position. I was limited from what I could tell, and I was running out of time based on how impatient Wyatt was through his quick steps.

He called out, "Don't be a coward! I know that you are being controlled by that little, red shit. Once I kill you, I am going to find him and put a big fucking hole through his chest." His voice was very close, and I could almost picture his posturing and where he was facing.

Wait. I could actually see him.

In front of me was the most convenient object in this situation: one of Wyatt's wing mirrors to his ride was angled perfectly for me to see him standing there. It was truly fortunate as I was able to see him standing near the back of his vehicle. His gun wasn't in a ready position while he spoke to me. He also hugged the vehicle too tightly. I could quickly move to disarm him if he wasn't careful. I just needed an opening.

Readying my feet, I prepared for my move as I looked at him. I spoke calmly but with force, "I don't know what you are talking about, Wyatt. There isn't anyone controlling me. If you just put the gun down, I can help you."

Wyatt's eyes seemed to be everywhere as checked his surrounding rapidly. They would return every so often toward me. He yelled back, "Not a fucking chance! What kind of moron would I be to listen to you. The moment I put my gun down, you are going to take me out!"

I contemplated what he said before mumbling, "Fair, I guess…"

He continued, "I will find the little bastard." He then turned and looked around in various directions while he screamed, "You hear that! You are as good as dead!"

I took this as my chance to charge him as I swung around the front of his vehicle and charged him. He managed to catch me in his peripheral vision and quickly swung his gun around. I managed to duck right under the barrel and strike him in the chest. He managed to fire off a round which left my ears ringing.

I pushed him back a good five or ten feet before I started to lose traction against the slick snow. At this point, I used my rifle to bat his shotgun out of his hands before he could load one in the chamber. I then pointed my rifle at him ready to take him down.

However, I didn't anticipate how quickly he would recover from my sudden initiative since he tugged me quickly toward him and struck me in the face with his fist. I accidentally shot off the round and couldn't hold onto the gun as it was thrown far away in the distance. Wyatt was even stronger than I predicted. I mean, he seemed like the kind of guy who would chisel his body to impress girls at the beach.

I stuck him in the face before clapping my hands right over his ears. He let out a scream from pain and anger while I managed to get in a few more jabs before he grabbed me by the arm and flung me into his car with a loud bang. This action was followed by him grabbing me again and flinging me toward the front hood of the vehicle.

I finally determined that this was a fight that I needed to take care of swiftly if I was going to make my way out of these woods. I remembered how I ended up here and quickly felt for the blade that I found embedded in my tire from earlier. I gripped the hilt with determination right as Wyatt stomped over to me.

I pulled it out quickly and flicked my hand out quickly. The blade cut through Wyatt's coat with ease and earned me a swift inhale from the larger man. He looked down at his arm to see that blood leaking from the wound. He then turned back to me as I repeated the motion, but this time cutting him across the face.

He let out a yelp from the shock before turning back to me with fury. He attempted to grab me with both of his hands. I flipped the position of the blade so that it was facing backward. I hooked around his arm and forced it away. I then stabbed him in the tricep before pulling it out and embedding it into his side.

"You fucking bastard!"

Wyatt grabbed me around the neck right as I pulled the blade back into my grip barely. I wasn't able to utilize it before Wyatt flipped me by my arm over the hood of his vehicle with a loud bang. He then grabbed me by the throat and started to squeeze. Instinctually, I swung the blade toward his throat. My eyes widened in surprise as he was able to intercept the strike before it got too close.

I could feel the slight panic building up inside me as I was left completely defenseless. He began to squeeze hard with his hand around my neck. He struck him a few times with my free hand, and while I could see that it had some effect, it wasn't enough.

He spoke through gritted teeth, "I will see you in hell."

My vision began to darken beyond what it already was. I knew that I would be dead if my vision went out, so I thrashed my legs to try and somehow twist out of his grip. It didn't seem to be enough as the grip only tightened.

Then something miraculous happened. I swore that I saw something fly through the air and strike Wyatt between the eyes. It was white, a sphere, and a bit of a blur. Was that a snowball?

Wyatt's grip released causing me to slide down the hood of the vehicle. I tried to use the knife to catch me, but my grip was weaker due to my near suffocation not moments ago. I hit the ground with a softened impact from the cold fluff below me, but I was still having to recover.

While I dealt with that, Wyatt cleared his face of the snow before glaring across the vehicle at the trees. His glare was caught on one figure that I couldn't make out easily from my point of view. However, I managed to catch the black and white horns, white spiky hair, rather elegant clothing, and a bag containing something within it. What was instantly apparent was his red skin, tail, and yellow eyes with slit pupils.

I knew that this… thing wasn't human. What was it? An alien? Something from a different dimension? While I wasn't exactly religious, even thoughts of a demon came into mind. The complete shock was apparent on my face, as I couldn't even properly process what I was looking at. However, I was taken out of my stupor which saved me from completely freezing up.

Wyatt yelled out, "There you are! I knew I would find you sooner or later!"

The large man grabbed the knife implanted in the hood of the car and slid over the vehicle to advance to the small being. I slowly got to my feet with the assistance of the car to my side.

While I was slow to recover, I noticed that the little red guy tried to move back into the shadows and foliage but ended up tripping on some rock or branch that was obscured underneath the snow. His bag opened and released a book of some kind. It looked unique, as it held an aura that was hard to describe.

A panicked look overtook the thing's features as he tried to get back to his feet with multiple failed attempts. It seemed to reach for something on his hip that seemed to be missing out of instinct. Greater panic overcame him as he backpedaled on the ground to the base of one of the many trees. His back pressed hard against the bark.

I heard it let out a whimper, "Oh, crumbs…"

Wyatt pointed the dagger right at the little red being with wrath, "I am going to gut you like the little vermin you are, demon. You think you will be the first thing I have killed?" He let out a dark chuckle before continuing, "You aren't even on the same level as the ultimate predator: Man."

I wasn't sure what I should do at this moment. I wasn't sure whether I should take Wyatt's use of the word 'demon' literally, or not. If this thing was a demon, should I just let the guy kill it? From my perspective, the little red guy seemed completely disarmed and helpless. Not only that, but he also seemed to save me momentarily from the guy high on bloodlust and narcotics. A guy, whom I might add, would take the opportunity to go after me at a moment's notice once he dealt with the 'demon'.

My eyes instinctually flicked around for my rifle which I found partially inserted into the snow. Without any more thinking, I moved quickly to my weapon and swept it up from the ground. I pulled open the breach to release the shell of the last round I shot before clicking it back forward for the next round. I instinctually looked down the sight at my target's back before moving my finger over the trigger. The severity of my decision weighed on me, but I didn't have the time to think for too long. Wyatt was only a step or two from his future victim.

I acted.

BANG!

I connected right into his back with a bullet that would make a grizzly bear stagger. Blood sprayed the little being and tree that he rested against. Fear was present on his face and unchanging even as Wyatt slumped to the ground. He seemed unsure how to respond to me saving his life.

I release the empty case before loading another into the chamber. I slowly stepped forward with my gaze locked on Wyatt's limp form on the ground. While I approached, I could see the snow turn crimson underneath the large man. His pupils were completely dilated and void of any life. It had been so long, but I was looking at the dead form of a man. Additionally, he was dead at my hands.

I felt a little woozy from the realization of my killing this guy. While my hands weren't exactly clean, I had been removed from the kind of work through my wishes. While still facing death, I couldn't help but allow the guilt to crash down upon me.

I killed him. He was dead because of me.

My grip had relaxed on the gun to the point it felt like it would slip away to the ground. My knees felt weak as I threatened to fall. I couldn't even feel the cold against my face anymore.

The little red guy shifted the smallest amount causing my eyes to dart right at him. My fingers tightened against my gun. I wasn't even processing the details on his face, like the white freckles, or the bovine legs. The shock of murder completely cast a shadow over the unrecognizable being.

The guy seemed to try and appear as unthreatening as possible. His eyes seemed to convey concern. Whether it was for me, this situation, or himself? I don't know.

He seemed to try and speak with a dried mouth. The words were hard to come out. Finally, he spoke, "Why?"

I took a moment to process what he had said through the cascade of other thoughts. I didn't even take the time to realize he spoke English. In fact, I thought I imagined his words from earlier. I finally blinked a little before 'replying, "'Why' what?"

"Why did you save me?" His voice conveyed some level of innocence and lightness despite his appearance.

I swallowed hard as I thought of an answer. My brain refused to calm down, but I managed a thought, "I guess since you saved me, I should return the favor. I don't know what you did to set him off, …" I thought for a moment before I put the clues together. The gun and gunshots in Wyatt's vehicle, the rampaging millionaire, and what he said. I went with what I could gather, "but I have a hunch that you were trying to kill him."

The creature seemed to flinch a little. I seemed to be on the money to some degree, but I doubted I had the full story. He took a moment to respond to me, and his voice was weaker than before, "Yes…"

My hands tightened on my rifle with a little more conviction. I hadn't pointed the weapon toward the creature, but he visibly tensed at my motion. He thought I was going to kill him. I could see it in his eyes…

The thought momentarily crossed my mind for a moment. It would be easy. The rifle took down a man easily three times his size, and it would most likely instantly kill him. It would be merciful. I could feel my muscles tug a little to point my weapon and be done with it, but my gaze shifted to the dead guy right between us.

No. I couldn't do it. One person or thing was one too many. I would have enough trouble falling asleep as it was, and no amount of alcohol could erase what I had done. Even if this thing wasn't human, I couldn't bring myself to kill him. There was even a look he gave me that put me somewhat at ease. He wasn't going to kill me, so why should I kill him?

My gun dropped from my grasp into the snow, and the tension between us seemed to disappear. The creature's eyes widened to disks from his surprise while I just stood there. I felt empty. The creature asked with a small stutter, "W-Why didn't you kill me?"

That was the question of the century. I let out the tension in my body in a single breath. I took a second after that before saying, "I guess that I just don't want any more blood on my hands. You have only helped me, so whom would I be if I just ended your life after that."

The creature seemed only more confused by that, "S-Sure, I get that, but why would a human spare an Imp? That just goes against everything natural. Your world was taught to hate Hellborn like me."

I let a small huff before speaking under my breath, "So, I guess 'demon' wasn't that far off."

There was awkwardness between us while the wind continued to blow. I barely felt it, and I guess the one across from me was unbothered as well. I thought he would be somewhat affected due to the minimal clothing he had. I guess it wasn't exactly on his mind.

Another awkward pause between us was interrupted by the Imp, "I'm Moxxie."

I guess this was a way to relax the slight tension. I took a moment before replying as friendly as possible, "Kyle." Well, I guess it wasn't that friendly.

My eyes slowly traced from Moxxie's form to the corpse laying right between us. Moxxie proceeded to get to his feet slowly while I stared down. I then asked while Moxxie cleaned his red hands of snow, "Did I do the right thing?"

Moxxie looked at me with confusion before he looked down at the body. He seemed to realize what I was referring to before he got a little tense. It was a hardly simple question, and he knew it. I didn't mean for him to answer, but he seemed inclined to.

He asked shakily, "I-Is this your f-first…"

"Kill?" Moxxie nodded apprehensively. I shook my head, "No, it isn't. I was in the military on active duty. That hardly applies here, though."

Moxxie kept his distance but moved his feet awkwardly. He didn't know what to say at first but then began to speak with a little more confidence, "I can't really answer that for you. I know that it doesn't feel good or easy. I recently dealt with a similar feeling not that long ago with a family trying to kill me..."

I looked over at him with a raised brow. I was unsure whether this creature could empathize or feel empathy at all. Still, I listened to what he had to say.

Moxxie continued after clearing his throat, "All I know is that I am still here because of you. I get to go home tonight, and I get to see my… my… MILLIE!"

I jumped at the sudden volume before looking at him with confusion, "Who is 'Millie'?"

He seemed to be looking around frantically. He responded with urgency, "She is my wife." I was shocked by that realization. Just how similar is Hell to here? I didn't get to ponder as Moxxie continued to panic verbally, "I can't believe I didn't think about her sooner. She has to be worried sick about me. I just, I, where is that book!"

I looked at him with confusion before I remembered the thing that slipped out of his backpack not that long ago. Before doing anything, I grabbed the blade from Wyatt's dead grasp and stuck it in my pocket before I began my search. I looked over to see the book covered in snow making it a bit hard to find. I walked over to it while replying, "Calm down. The book is right here."

I picked it up and analyzed it for a second. I grew curious for a second as I traced my fingers over the cover with a crescent moon and other markings. I opened it up and was greeted with an aura surrounding the book. This seemed to cause some panic in Moxxie.

"Uhh, I wouldn't mess around with that if I were you." I turned back to look at him with a response but was stopped when I looked to see the aura extend to me and surround me. Moxxie asked in a panic, "What are you doing?!"

This was when I started to panic a little, and that feeling doesn't come easily to me. I didn't even realize the Imp grabbed me by my sleeve. I replied, "I-I don't know! I just opened the book, and-"

My next words didn't even come out when I felt like I was shot backward with the Imp still grabbing onto me. My surrounding was a blur, but the white of the snow and darkness of the night disappeared and was replaced by a checkered-patterned ceiling. It felt like the wrist of my hand that held the book had been cut with a million different razors at the same time.

I impacted a carpeted floor forcefully, and Moxxie released me from the shock. After tumbling for a short bit, I collided with a wall. I was left in a complete daze unable to distinguish what had happened initially. My vision started to clear enough for me to see a couch and open space. I seemed to have entered some sort of office space, a rather empty room if I was honest.

Then came the pain. I release the book from my grasp and pulled up my sleeve to look at what had happened. As if carved into my skin, the symbols of the book were imprinted into my skin like a wound. It bled a decent bit, as I felt it drip down my wrist and into my palm. The blood leaking from it moved against the pull of gravity and got soaked up by the book. The pain wasn't enough for me to not draw parallels between this tome and other demonic books in movies.

The bleeding suddenly stopped, and the book stopped glowing. I shifted over so that I could get to my feet. I was a little wobbly at first, and my focus was on the new markings on my skin. What the fuck happened?

My attention then drew to my side due to a harsh, feminine voice, "It is about time you guys-"

The voice paused the moment I glanced over. To my side was a grey and white hound with red eyes and a white iris standing behind a large desk. She wore quite revealing clothing by the looks of it, but my mind hardly registered that. I noted mostly how she was easily equal to me in height without the ears and rather a large amount of hair. Her eyes peered at me with surprise.

Out of sheer impulse, I swiftly pulled the blade out of my pocket as I got ready for her to attack. Her hair seemed to stand on end, and her pupils narrowed. She seemed to snarl and bare her teeth at me with claws seemingly ready to attack me. Neither of us made a move.

She spat out, "I fucking dare you to move."

I heard Moxxie shuffle quickly to his feet. He did his best to mediate, "Wait! Loona, please wait and let me explain!"

Loona kept her guard up as she looked over at Moxxie. She was still on edge while she looked over at the Imp. She continued with an aggressive voice, "Moxxie? What the fuck?! You were supposed to kill him, not bring him back here!"

Moxxie waved his hands quickly to keep us from killing each other. He responded, "This isn't the target. He is dead. Kyle here saved my life and helped me." Loona looked over at me with a surprised look, but with still-angry eyes. She relaxed a little, but not enough to stop her from appearing like she wanted to rip out my throat. Moxxie continued, "Can you please open a portal for Millie and Blitz to come through? I kinda got separated from them…"

Loona deadpanned, "Yeah, I can tell. Neither one of them would have brought a human back here."

Moxxie mumbled, "I didn't bring him here. Kyle opened the book, and then we were here…"

"Yeah, sure. Just save your half-assed excuses for Blitz." Loona didn't make any moves, and neither did I. She seemed less hostile, but her voice still carried some irritation, "Hey, Moxxie. Care to tell your human friend to drop his weapon. I can't get your little wife if he is holding a blade behind my back."

Moxxie turned to me, "Kyle…"

I took a second to think it over. It wasn't that hard to see the position that I was in. Since I had no choice here, I flick the blade behind me and onto the carpet. I replied, "Alright, I am unarmed." I looked at Moxxie, "I am trusting you here."

Moxxie nodded before looking back to Loona. He spoke, "Please, don't try and hurt him. He should be out of here soon. First, I need to get Millie."

Loona walked over and picked up the book that was laying on the ground. She spoke with an inflection of humor, "I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to watch this guy get ripped apart by your wife while Blitz tells you how stupid you were to bring a human to Hell. He would kill you, but I think Millie would get in the way of that."

My heart sank at the full confirmation that I was in Hell. I had my hunch, but I held out some hope that I had ended up somewhere else. To be honest, this room didn't send the vibes of being condemned despite the hound and Imp in the room. It seemed rather normal in some regard. Well, other than some of the stylistic choices.

Loona opened the book and looked at some of the pages with wide eyes. She seemed to mentally make note of them before turning the pages and settling on one somewhere in the middle. Within moments, a portal appeared, and two figures walked through it from the familiar winter storm from earlier. One was a female Imp and the other was a male one. If I were to assume, these two were 'Millie' and 'Blitz', respectively.

Millie's eyes found Moxxie, and she ran up to greet him with a hug. She brought him into a kiss before speaking with relief and some cheer, "Moxxie. I am so glad that you are alright."

The taller male rubbed his hands over his arms which were still covered in snow. His voice carried irritation instead of thankfulness., "What the fuck took you so long, Moxxie. You know that I don't do well in the cold-" His eyes easily distinguished me, and he reacted swiftly. He pulled out a pistol like the one I found in Wyatt's vehicle and pointed it at me, "Moxxie?! Why the fuck is there a human here!" His eyes narrowed before he realized, "Wait, you aren't the same one as before."

I was left at the mercy of this bunch, but it seemed to be somewhat well-placed. Moxxie managed to step in front of Blitzo before any shots could be fired. He then swallowed before speaking, "S-Sir, there are some things I need to talk to you about."

Blitzo's voice conveyed annoyance, "No shit, Moxxie. The faster you explain, the faster I get to shoot him."

Moxxie looked over momentarily to Millie to see that she was clutching an axe in her hands. Her attention was fully on Moxxie, and her eyes eagerly looked at him. She seemed more inclined to listen to him.

Moxxie let out a sigh before he began to explain his story from when he split from them. Apparently, Wyatt was being assaulted by the bunch but managed to flee in his vehicle. Moxxie was the only one who was able to get aboard and break a window to enter the vehicle. He lost his knife on the road. The car ride was bumpy, and he couldn't get a good shot.

Then the details became familiar with how he ended up there, and then when I showed up. Millie's guard dropped instantly when she heard about me saving her husband, and what transpired for me to get here. Blitzo didn't seem too invested in the story, and Loona seemed too busy scrolling through her phone to actively listen. I wasn't sure about my odds here, but I was powerless to really do anything. Any attempt for a weapon would surely mean my demise.

Moxxie finished his story, and Blitzo was the first to respond, "You can't expect me to buy that, Moxxie." He then pointed at me while looking over incredulously. He added, "I mean, a human saving one of us." He let out a few laughs before continuing, "That would be the fucking day. Now please scooch yourself out of the way, Mox. I have another human to exterminate."

The response was far from ideal compared to what I wanted, and I could tell that Moxxie wasn't exactly thrilled that his boss seemed to dismiss what he said. Moxxie proceeded to rub his knuckles awkwardly, "Sir, that is what happened. Even I can't explain why Kyle would save me, but he did. I don't think I can keep a clear conscience if I let you kill a human that has done nothing wrong."

The taller Imp massaged his temple with his free hand. He responded aggravatedly, "This again, Mox? I thought you would have learned your lesson about hesitating around humans from last time. It will just come to bite you in the ass. Now, move!"

It seemed like Blitzo was very thick-skulled, or just hard to trust. Well, I didn't exactly have anything to base on what was considered 'hard to trust' in this place. It was notorious for being the place of sinners. Come to think of it, I hadn't quite let it sink in that I was actually standing in Hell. I also didn't let it sink in that I was in the company of Imps and what I guess was a 'Hellhound'. The former was a little less feral than I expected…

My thoughts were broken by a more significant conversation. Moxxie had turned to look at the female Imp, Millie. His eyes plead as much as his voice, "Millie? Y-You haven't said anything… You believe me, right?"

Both Moxxie and Blitzo looked over at her with expectations of her agreeing with them. She had been thinking for a while Blitzo was arguing with his subordinate. I was nervous and anticipating the moment when she disagreed with Moxxie. I am unsure that I could survive an assault from two of the Imps, and that isn't even including Loona. She could be superhuman in terms of strength, and then I would truly be done for.

Millie answered with an understanding tone, "Of course I believe you, Moxxie. This isn't something that you would make up." She analyzed me before she dropped her weapon low to be less threatening. She continued, "If you say he saved you, then the very least we could do is spare him."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Blitzo wasn't happy with the result as he looked at me with some fury. He seemed to let out a few breaths of rage before calming down a little. He decided that it wasn't worth getting pissed over.

He bent, "Fine. I guess we should send…"

The small pause seemed to show that I either Blitzo forgot my name or didn't bother to even remember it. I responded evenly, "Kyle."

"Whatever." I guess we should send 'Kyle' back to that cold shithole he came from. Who knows what would happen to us if anyone else found out that we allowed a human to come back with us." He looked over at Loona, who still seemed to be holding the book in her arms. He said, "Loona. Would you care to open a portal for… him." He motioned at me.

Loona didn't even bother to look away from the screen of her phone. She responded in a bored manner, "I could, but you should probably know something. This guy must have done something to the book because there are a few more pages in it."

Blitzo looked over with wide eyes, "What?!" Loona even held up the book to show the additional writing and human forms on the pages written in red.

Wait. Was that my blood? Just what kind of magic did these guys possess?!

Blitzo seemed to be reaching for his gun once again, "Now I say we kill him! Stolas is going to be pissed if he knows his fancy book was altered."

My heart jumped, and both Millie and Moxxie seemed to jump at their boss's sudden action. Before any further escalation could be reached, Loona continued with the same tone as before while dropping her phone down, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your fuckbuddy might need him because he has some markings on him as well."

Blitzo looked at Loona before looking at me. Seeing as this could mean not getting shot, I didn't even hesitate to show what was on my wrist. The taller Imp squinted his eyes to look at it from the distance before putting his pistol away. He seemed very displeased to have me stay here. I would have to say that the feeling is mutual since I had a lot of drinking to do if I was to forget about this night.

Blitzo grabbed the book from Loona's grip before he defeatedly walked over to another door. He spoke out, "Fine, I guess I will tell Stolas what happened. Watch him and make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I don't want to piss off Stolas more than he will be when I wake him up from his sleep." He mumbled under his breath not so quietly, "I have a feeling that I will be making this up to him for a few nights."

The Imp opened the door beside him before he walked through it and slammed the door. The loud bang echoed for less than a second and was followed by deafening silence. No words were spoken from me, the couple, or the Hellhound. Loona seemed to glare over me with neither hatred nor excitement. She then turned around and proceeded to sit behind the desk she was sitting behind before I ended up here.

Then, the situation sunk in fully, and I fell to my butt. Moxxie took a few steps toward me with concern, but I waved him off without saying a word. He seemed conflicted by my response, but Millie grabbed him by the shoulder and seemed to convey 'leave him be' with a single look. He decided to follow her right after.

My head began to spin. Demons, Hell, magic books, murder… It seemed as if Pandora's box had opened in my life and there was no stopping what was coming out. Hours ago, my life was stable and manageable. Now, everything had twisted on its head. I was unsure how deep the rabbit hole was, but I knew one thing from everything that had happened in a short, few hours. There was no way back.

That is it for now. Counting up to 9.5K, I would say that it is a pretty good start.

Yep, I know that I have decided to just reuse my OC Kyle with some changes that will fit the context of the story better. I stuck mostly with first names starting with 'K' in the past, and I guess I couldn't stay away from using another one (one that is the same XD).

If you enjoy what I have going on here and wish to keep track of its growth, please 'follow' and/or 'favorite' it. If you wish to reach out to me, please feel free to leave a review or PM. I would be excited to see what you have to say and give a response.

I do have a small creative team helping me along in a discord since I do need help with contextualizing this universe. I hope that this expresses my gratitude in some degree as they help me along the way with helping me understand Vivziepop's creations. I look forward to working with them as I refine my ideas for this story.

Other than that, thank you for reading. I hope to have Chapter 2 out soon.

Until Next Time,

Forsvaret-Komandir