The still shadows of the leafless trees loomed like silent, sullen guardians over Uriel as she limped through the forest.

Slick blood was flowing down her left leg from the large gash in her thigh, her eyes full of ache and her voice trembling with fear. She did not know how long her nighttime flight was nor how far she walked once she descended. Worst of all, she had no idea where she was walking. The blackness of the forest stretched on endlessly and Uriel feared blood loss would kill her before she ever made it to the end.

Suddenly her right leg caught on a vine and Uriel fell with a deaf thud on the forest ground. It was cold and muddy with a few rotten leaves scattered about. Very few bushes were around, and there was almost no sign of life, not even bugs or the like. She clenched her fist, bit her lip, and punched the dirt, forcing herself back up. Her leg trembled in pain, and she fell back on her knees as blood gushed out and spattered the dull ground beneath her a shiny red. She crawled further through the muck and pulled herself up against a wide tree with soft gray bark. A slight whimper escaped her lips when she dragged her leg near her. She placed her hands on the wound to try and stop the pain in a fruitless effort.

So much blood. She thought as she opened her eyes and looked at her crimson hand. It’s just like back then… It all seems like forever ago. Her pale white eyes were full of fear and despair. I’m nothing more than a burden. I’m weak, why am I so weak, what can I do when I’m nothing more than a stupid weak girl? Uriel’s vision was blurring and her eyelids gently closed. I don’t want to fall back into that abyss of loneliness…

“Then don’t.” A whispery voice called out.

Uriel’s eyes slowly opened and she saw a man standing before her. He looked ancient and decrepit, his gray oversized robe sagging off his body. Strangely, his mummified face soothed her worries despite his unfamiliarity. Uriel opened her mouth but the man answered before she even asked the question.

“Wh-”

“Who I am is of no importance. I am nothing more than a mere observer.” He told her.

“W-what do you want?” She said, hugging her knees, noticing that her leg had stopped bleeding, and the wound was absent.

“Many things. Yet I lack the power to achieve my goals.” The old man confessed, taking a few steps while propping himself on an old cane. It was more like a long, crooked branch. Uriel looked at him, her eyes full of doubt, and the man replied with a tilt of the head. “If you are curious about your leg, beware, dreams are the only medium I can exist in.”

“Does that mean I’m sleeping?”

“In a way, yes.”The strange man continued talking as she lowered her sad gaze. “Do not fret. The time you’ll spend here will take no toll on your body.” His words made her smile, and Uriel gave a nod of relief.

“That is good at least…” She said.

“But you still are worried are you not?” Her fake smile died as soon as the man asked the question. He then sat down on the ground a short distance from her, his bones cracking like a person stepping on twigs, and continued. “Tell me Uriel. What memories do you have of the life before you woke up?”

“I-I...” She stuttered, her echo soft and quiet. “I do not remember much. But more flashes occur each day…”

“Your friends will never know from me, unless you yourself so desire and tell them.” He reassured her.

“I recall life over there not being all that much different from life here. Except… more dangerous. I remember my mother, how she wouldn’t talk very much, how vicious she was with all the other creatures of that place. I remember when… she couldn’t ... anymore.” Uriel answered reluctantly. Even though the man had no eyes, she could not bring herself to look at him.

“Do you remember the things she taught you?”

“No.” She answered bluntly.

“Do you remember the strength you were gifted with?”

“No.” She replied, getting angrier.

“Or do you not want to?” He pressed on.

“No, no, I do not… What do you want from me?” She lashed out, starting to cry.

“Your heritage will come for you, it already has. What you are physically is a gift from your parents, but what one truly is can only be found inside their soul.”

“I d-do not understand. Why… why force something like that on me?”

“Why are you afraid of the light, little angel?”

“I do not know, I just am. Please, enough with the questions. I don’t know. I don’t know! I don’t want it. Please just… let me be.” Uriel begged, tears streaming down her face.

“You are capable of a power beyond any of us. Without the power that you are afraid of, you will not be able to save your friends… Whoever they may be.” The old man got up and lifted his hand towards the sky for a moment, before turning back to Uriel. “And one of them has already fallen down the dark path your inaction has set them upon. How many others will you let fall before you pick up your flaming blade?”

“How… dare you…” Uriel cried out, a flash of anger and zeal within her eyes.

“I am not your enemy. I am here, bringing much-needed advice. I would impart more, but… speaking of friends, it appears yours have finally found you. This is where I say goodbye for now, little phoenix.”

The last thing Uriel saw before she fell unconscious was the old man dissipating into a bright light. As she blinked, the light became that of a flashlight in Evan’s hands, his silhouette running towards her.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

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Nikolai’s entire body was immobilized by Wrath’s smoke-like tendrils that floated her through the hallway of what she realized was a fancy hotel. Everytime she tried to move the smog would tighten around her, and Wrath would look back at her with her emotionless amber eyes. She had woken up about thirty minutes ago in the back of a car with her captor in the driver’s seat. Even though her body was stiff and in great pain, she was luckily not bleeding anymore.

“Stop struggling. You’re pissing me off.” Wrath said, her echo shrill and menacing. She then walked up the wide beige steps of the stairs found at the end of the vestibule.

“Where… are you… taking me?” Nikolai managed to squeak after a while. Wrath ignored her and kept walking, finally reaching the top of the stairs. They entered a large room, with dining tables about, a couch in the center and a long bar on the faraway wall. Nikolai found herself flung on the ground before two strange men. The closest one was standing up straight with sunglasses on, short messy blond hair, and an appearance as if his arms were logs resting on a wardrobe. The other sat casually on the couch, one foot on the ground the other pulled up beside him, with a cigarette in his mouth. The latter was staring curiously at her with his green eyes.

Nikolai took a deep breath and got up. She immediately wrapped her hands around her body, covering herself as she was wearing nothing aside from a white undershirt and a pair of short green pants. The man looked at her confused, tilting his head from left to right, raising his eyebrows and exhaling smoke. Wrath walked past her and sat on the couch to her left, pouring herself some red wine from the coffee table.

“Hey Baal, mind if I ask you something?” Azazel began.

His henchman nodded.

“You see any wings on this one or does this new eye I got not work properly?” He asked, pointing at her and grinning.

“She’s not… the angel.” Wrath responded instead, pausing to take another drink.

“Figured as much. From what I remember the angel didn’t look like someone mauled half her skin off and glued burnt rubber instead.”

This is… Azazel… the demon from that day… Nikolai thought, biting her lip and holding back her tears. She took quick, short breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn’t dare look at the men in front of her, one look in his green eyes was enough to make her shiver violently.

“I take it you have a good excuse for why I don’t have the angel standing in front of me instead?” He asked, throwing away his cigarette.

“My apologies, Azazel. It should've been simple. But one of them was awake. And the angel fought back.” She said, touching her cheek.

“I see.” He nodded in agreement. “Well, these things happen.”

“I wasn’t going to fight against her, especially in my, at the time, condition.” Wrath said.

“Her?” Azazel asked, suddenly talking with a more lively tone.

Wrath looked at him confused. “The huntress that is?” She responded, mildly perplexed.

“Ah yes… Laverna’s fucking brat…”

Laverna? I thought her name was… Alila. Nikolai thought to herself. Her eyes looked up and then turned to her right. The door isn’t that far. If I could just.. She made one small step back, but her eyes caught the shine of the sunglasses that were staring straight at her.

“The kid had the mark, Azazel. I saw it while we fought. She was way faster than a normal person, and her punches hurt. She’s definitely Alilianna’s daughter, the Huntress reborn.” Wrath said, choking on the compliments.

“To think that even after so many years that fucking family is a royal pain in my...” Azazel said, raising his arm and looking away to the left. He then tilted his head back and laughed quietly. “I hope at least you got some good punches in against that… hellspawn.” He said before he turned to Nikolai. “Speaking of spawns… What’s your name love?”

Nikolai stood still and silent, looking down at the marble floor frozen in fear. “N-Nikolai…” She finally managed to say after a few long silent moments.

“Girls just don’t like talking to me anymore apparently.” Azazel pouted. “What about you, do you like me Wrath?” He asked, turning to his demonic companion.

Wrath smirked and drank some more wine. “Heh.”

“What about you, Baal?”

“You’re my boss, boss. We may be friends, but I have to talk to you even if I don’t wish to.” The massive hulking man said with a smirk.

“Thanks, all three of you can go fuck yourselves.” Azazel said, shaking his head. “Man, I used to be charming… oh well, Nikolai… if you’re not willing to talk...” He tilted his head towards her and Baal immediately rushed towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders. Nikolai whelped out in agony, the brute’s hand on her burn scars sending pulses of pain through her arm.

“Where to?” Baal asked.

“Lock her up below, we’ll be needing her. You and the boys can have some fun with her, but no one can harm her. She may be worth something if we find the right buyer and she’s barely pretty enough as is. She has enough of those ugly scars, wouldn’t want any extra...” Azazel ordered dismissively.

Nikolai stared in shock for a second before the realization washed over her. Baal dragged her away but she pulled back crying and begging. But the bodyguard grabbed her right arm, yanked her back towards him and slapped her hard. Nikolai went dizzy with pain, and felt as if he’d almost knocked a few teeth out.

“What did I just fucking say? Are you fucking deaf?” Azazel said with an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry boss.” Baal said, pulling out a dirty handkerchief and wiping the blood from Nikolai’s busted lip. He then shoved her into an elevator and took her down what felt like a hundred stories. When they finally got off Nikolai was appalled by the drastic change between the beautiful and elegant upper hotel and this macabre dungeon floor. In front of her were rows upon rows of iron bars, cages, and glass walls without doors. Each filled by monstrosities she never imagined before, and some she recognized like the dreaded wendigos. Some others were filled with unfortunate ordinary people, and not so ordinary as well. The floor was wet, full of blood and other liquids she did not want to imagine herself walking on barefooted. The sounds were loud and grotesque, varying from beastly roars, screams, to shrieks of pain and terror, from abnormal whispering to cackled laughing. It was like a slaughterhouse for the damned, smelled like one too. And she was the newest produce on display.

“O-oh… God…” She yelped quietly to herself.

“God is far, far from this place, Little Crisp.” Baal mocked her as he kept dragging her to where her prison lay.

Nikolai just closed her eyes and tried to calm her rapidly pounding heart. A while later, she was led somewhere away from the previous room, to a more remote place, and then she was thrown into a different-looking cage. This one was more spacious than the ones she saw, and it was surrounded by walls on the back and left side. Aside from that, the cage was empty, and the floor was still wet, fortunately just with dirty water. Once her transporter left, she found herself alone, with nothing but a dim light bulb above her. Nikolai paced around for a moment checking to see if anyone, or anything was around. The silence and loneliness set in, along with the cold fingers of fear that wrapped around her. Nikolai curled up in the driest corner between the walls, and began to weep softly. She was all alone, surrounded by nothing but despair and the pressing darkness.