Slashing a lamb’s neck open created a sinister sound. Jack heard that sound but a lot slower and deeper. His sight flashed into a cave with walls wrapped in intestines and beating hearts hanging off the wall. There were blood puddles on the ground.

A little furry creature twisted around on the floor, clearly in pain. Its light green hands clutched its stomach. Its eyes flashed at Jack. The sheer rage in those eyes almost made him piss himself.

The man pulled Jack, and his vision stopped. “Come with me,” he moaned, clearly dissatisfied. Jack felt completely stuck in his grip. “My name’s Krakas, if your unlucky you’ll need to know that.“

“Mine’s Jack, umm, mind telling me just how powerful this ring is?” His finger was still dislocated.

Krakas thought about it for a few seconds before responding.

“Remember the demon that came out of my hand? The demon residing in that ring makes my demon shit bricks.”

“Demons exist?” Jack befuddled, “does this mean that angels do as well?”

“Nope,” Krakas said.

Jack had avoided people as he’d ran away from Dagger, but Krakas didn’t give two shits. He walked past groups of gangsters, the type of people Jack wouldn’t dare look at. He walked without batting an eye, as if it was his average day.

One of the gangsters reached for them. Jack turned into ice. Suddenly, Jack heard Krakas’s heart thumping, he felt like a pebble in front of a mountain. The gangster's hand froze and quickly withdrew as if almost reaching into the mouth of a shark. Everyone lowered their heads.

Krakas continued pulling Jack forward, as Jack walked past the group of people with their heads turned down he felt amazing. It was a completely new feeling for Jack, an incredibly intoxicating feeling.

Jack looked at the ring in a new light. He couldn't imagine a demon existing inside there being so much stronger than Krakas’s demon. His head hurt as he tried wrapping his mind around the notion.

“Where are you taking me?” Jack asked

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“To get examined.”

“By who?”

“Smartest thingie in the city.”

Krakas had led him through the crowds to the tallest building in the city. As Jack looked up he saw the gigantic building stretch far through the clouds and into the dim.

Around the door stood two giant men, Krakas walked past them without batting an eye. There were three elevator entrances and an attendant standing over the counter, secretly looking at them.

Krakas pushed the button for the elevator, the number above the entrance rocketed down from the hundreds to the single digits, and the door opened. Krakas pulled and threw Jack in, before walking in himself.

The wall on the elevator was covered in buttons. Jack looked for the highest number, it was 1004. Krakas swiped his card against the scanner and it turned green, he clicked the button “666”.

Jack’s heart tingled as they rose up, it was only a few seconds before he heard a ding and the doors opened up. They walked into a complete wreck.

Books were scattered everywhere. There was not one but two tables flipped upside down. Papers with red pentagons sketched onto them were everywhere. A couch that looked rotten stood in front of a slanted Tv, one of the screws clearly loose.

There’s somebody ruffling through the papers on the ground, clearly searching for something. He’s got a white cloak stained in blood, shit, piss, something black, and something purple. On his face there’s two pairs of glasses, one on his eyes and one resting on his forehead.

“Ayy Doctor!” Krakas shouted, making Jack jump, the doctor barely reacted.

“What?” He said annoyed as if Krakas stood in front of the television and he was watching his favourite show.

“Can you get this damn ring off the kid?”

“What I don’...”

“It’s a gods item.”

“No way.”

The doctor quickly got up and rushed towards Jack, he didn’t bother looking him in the eyes, his focus solely rested on the ring, he stared at them with all the interest a human could muster.

“Has it bonded?” He said quickly, almost rapping the words.

“Yes.”

“Fuck.”

“Do you have any way to take it off?”

“Nope, well there’s one way, but that would be disastrous.”

“What way?” Jack asked.

“We could kill you,” the doctor said without a hint of empathy in his voice.

“It just can’t get any worse can it?” Krakas sighed. ”In that case, welcome to the Bastards.”