Chapter 40: The Rising Crescendo

My heart raced as I made it down the last few steps. Its all come down to this. I had my weapon ready in my hand, just in case I had to fight, but a feeling told me I wouldn’t need to. This was it; this is all there was. It was going to just be me and this demon.

I took one final breath to calm myself as I reached the bottom of the stairwell. I looked around the expanse that greeted me. It was a vast space of nothing, and the feeling of wrongness was so overpowering, yet it wasn’t bothersome. As if it was intentionally sparing me the feeling of pain.

“Right you are.” A booming voice speaks from above me and as I look above, I see what I can only describe as a godlike figure. A grayish white humanoid giant standing in contrast to the dark background of nothing.

“So, this is what you are.”

“In part. It is what you see me as. Let me make this a bit more comfortable for you.” The demon’s shape shifts from its godlike appearance to just a normal guy. I could say average normal guy and you could perfectly picture what this demon now looked like.

He gestured in front of him as two chairs appeared. I took the offer and sat in the unnaturally comfortable chair. It was a bit surreal; I was honestly expecting something a bit more terrifying, scary, depressing. A fight to the death, but instead I will now sit and talk it out.

“You wish to fight me?”

“Fuck no. Just a stray thought.”

“Well then, a congratulations are in order. You made it to the end, you’ve pushed hard, and you’ve suffered quite a lot.”

“Thanks. I think… I have a lot of questions for you.”

“I’ll tell you everything, save for the far-off future.”

“Why did you make me go through this hell?”

“As good a one to start with as any. Okay, so, you know how your world has military training?”

“What?” My mind was sent reeling. The first question and everything was already falling apart.

“Yeah, this was a bootcamp of sorts. Every floor specifically picked to train you, you in particular. Tailored specifically for you.”

“Why just me?”

“What do you think the lifespan of a True Demon is?”

“Infinite more than likely, but that doesn’t explain why me specifically.”

“Hm, you sure do just want to be spoon-fed everything. Alright, I can probably create one of these spaces every few months. All forty floors easily within two months if I go without tailoring anything. I pick random people with some form of mental trauma and toss ‘em in.”

“So, it was just random chance?”

“Not for you.”

“Why won’t you just tell me?” I hold my head in my hands.

“Figure it out yourself. I’ll wait, we have infinite time here after all.” The demon crosses his legs and just stares at me, blinking occasionally.

The only possible thing I can think of is the fact that I learned of two fates on this floor, death and something unknown to the librarians. As well as Ophelia saying that ‘no matter what choice I make’. Meaning for some reason, I’ll get an ultimatum here. That doesn’t answer why me, but it’s a step in the right direction.

“That it is.” The demon confirms my thoughts.

Maybe this isn’t the first time I have gone through this place, maybe time travel is involved and Ophelia, who mostly admitted to being a demon, is pushing things along. Did I make sure I ended up here myself… how? Isn’t that a…

“A paradox. Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. However, you did this to yourself. You knew you would try to tough out everything that was put in front of you. A limitless determination brought on by foolishness.”

“If there is hope of escape, of course I’m going to keep pushing, no matter how hard it gets.”

“Logan, there have been so many hints. You could have left at any point, no one was forcing you to travel through this place you called hell.”

“What?” What hints? There was an easier way to escape than getting to the bottom? Then it hits me, the books, the author, the intentional misinformation. They were trying to get me to die. ‘There is freedom in death.’

“There is freedom in death.” The demon repeats my thoughts with an eerie cadence, putting emphasis on every word.

“Death is death though, it’s the end. There isn’t more.”

“Why do you think that would apply here? At any point through any of these floors, if you died, you would have left this place, appearing exactly where you dropped into this place. The memories of this place being a mere dream.”

“Ha.” I let out a single laugh, only to sigh then start laughing even more. Its funny, I pushed so hard to survive when the only thing I had to do to leave was just die. Something so easy to do in this place.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Then… have I had any control over my own life?”

“No, not here at least. After this point though, you’ll be free. Up to here, you’ve not been the author of your own story, you yourself ensured that.”

“So, I’ve done this to myself then. Any particular reason I did that? Why would I ruin my own life?”

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“You’ll learn. Eventually it’ll become extremely clear. Let me give you a little hint though; if a person happens to survive absolute cataclysm, what happens?”

“They’ll either start a new generation or die trying.”

“True, but what happens if the cataclysm is unnatural, say, a demon.”

“A demon is going to attack earth. So that’s how it ends. I can’t say I’m surprised, knowing what I do about demons. So, then I survive the demon attack on earth and somehow manage to get in contact with you to put me in a bootcamp before this demon attacks, what’s the point? What am I going to do now that I have higher than normal mental fortitude but nothing to back it up?”

“You’re not looking at the bigger picture, Logan.”

“While I’m sure that’s true, how did I even manage to get in contact with you, and how did you travel through time. Shouldn’t that be impossible? Wait, you’re just probably going to explain it a ‘a demon thing’.”

“Alright, you got me, but the actual explanation won’t make sense if I just tell you how time travel works. You’ll forget it instantly because of the powers involved. You know how the demon stuff works for people who aren’t demons.”

“I can accept that for now I guess, but it feels more like a handwave than an explanation. In the end, I did this to myself, somehow. How did I get in contact with you, you’ve even said this is our first time meeting.”

“It is our first chronological meeting, so technically, it is our first meeting. As for how you got in contact with me, we shared a common goal from common ground. Eventually, you’ll end up finding like minded people if you keep going down a path.”

“Common ground and a common goal. So, I somehow became a demon or something close, and then met you, but what is the common goal? I’ve heard you be called the most powerful demon in all of existence, what kind of goals can you have?”

“It’s simple, I want to eradicate demons. Forever, I want them gone, and so do you.” The demon says this in such a matter-of-fact way.

“Then, why can’t you?”

“Do you understand what immortality truly is, Logan?”

“Something that never dies, but every immortal has some sort of felling tale, no matter where you look.”

“Well as that may be, Logan. They are tales, fiction. In reality, when something is immortal, it is not said lightly. A True Demon cannot die. At least, no known methods exist as of yet, however, your future self believes that sending you through this bootcamp is tempering you for things you might experience.”

“I did this all for a hope, a chance? Why not choose someone else?”

“If you want something done right, best to do it yourself.”

“I can see the reasoning behind it I guess, but it still doesn’t make me feel better about the losses I’ve accrued here. I lost my arm and now walk funny.”

“Much less than you lose in the alternative. Here, you still have hope. You can make a joke every now and then despite realizing your life has been planned for you since the moment you fell into this place.”

“I understand.” I nod solemnly.

“Anything else you want to know?”

“Is it true that I could have left if I starved to death on the first floor because I had less determination to keep going.”

“With that, we’ve arrived at the main topic. Your choice, the ultimatum. You could have left at any point if you just let go, you'd have woken up thinking this was only a bad dream, never knowing the truth. Instead, you foolishly chose to push forwards, against every instinct. You've conquered your fears, you've become strong. So, Logan, I offer you this ultimatum; Die, and return to a life you can no longer live, or become what you've come to hate while down here. Become what we both loathe with every fiber of our beings. A demon."

“I…” I shut my mouth. This was a big choice. Something I was going to have to think carefully about. “Wait, how would I even become a demon.”

“I can make you one, I have that power, as does almost every demon. However, it is rarely done. Do not think of it as a holding point. Choose wisely, as this decision will change history.”

“I will pick…

Before

“I will pick… I want to go back to reality; I don’t think I want to become a demon.”

“Then so be it, you know how to leave.” With that, the demon disappears. He disappears without even hesitating, it felt almost like he was disappointed, but not surprised. The demon probably wanted me to be a demon, but that wasn’t going to happen.

I didn’t want my life to be controlled any more than it already was. I wanted to go back home, see my parents, reconcile with my friends. Live my life as normally as possible from now on. Where it was going to put me, with what limbs I didn’t know.

I held my ax calmly after taking off my bag. I was thinking about the best way to do it, but if all that matters was the end result, basically anything involving my head will work. I swing the ax towards my own skull without an ounce of hesitation. It sunk in and I didn’t feel anything.

My vision was dark for a second before I opened my eyes to the brightest place I had seen in a long time. The noise of people whispering as my face is against the ground. I feel someone come over to me in a panic, its one of my old friends.

“Logan, are you alright?” They ask while trying to help me up off the ground. My nose was beginning to bleed from coming into contact with the ground. I stood up and looked around, it was the coffee shop. I had the simple shirt and jeans that I had on when I fell into those floors.

“Just a little dazed… lets sit down.” I tell him, not remembering his name off the top of my head. I checked the time. Nothing had changed, only seconds had passed since I entered the shop. The two and a half years I spent going through hell… gone.

I checked my arms. I had both hands again, my foot was fully healed as well, as if nothing had ever happened. The bell on the coffee shop rings out and I spin to face the door and reach for where my ax would have been had it stayed with me.

“You alright, Logan? Have some water.” One of my old friends slides a glass my way and I pick it up with my left hand, letting my other hand fall to my side.

“Since when are you left-handed? It has been a while since we last met, but when did you start using that hand?”

“Oh, ha, only recently. I injured my right hand and before I knew it, I was already using my left hand more.” I lied easily to my friend with a smile. No one would believe me. I couldn’t tell anyone without getting told I needed to seek professional help.

The situation finally hit me when the bell for the shop went off again and I grabbed for my weapon again. I was conditioned for fighting. It was going to be a while until I could even think about meshing back into normal society.

I tried. My meeting with my friends went alright. I treated them as nicely as I could while they probably thought I had gone insane. I didn’t remember current events, politics, or even some of the geography around here. I also nearly forgot where I lived.

While I was walking home, I was checking every window for the Shadelings. The cars that were driving by on the road were drawing my attention every time, forcing me to look around. Even when I got home to my room, I was paranoid that I was just back on floor twenty-five. It felt so fake to me despite knowing all too well... this is reality.

Day by day goes by and I slowly readjust to normal living.

I got caught stealing something from a shop when I was thirsty. I had forgotten to pay for it, not remembering that this is how the real world is. I struggled talking to people even more now than I ever had before. I was nice to my parents and did everything they said, but I never wanted to go outside, for fear of something attacking me when I wasn’t ready.

I wanted to have a weapon on me at all times.

Sometimes I woke up and checked around for my bag and my ax, and sometimes started panicking when I couldn’t find them. It was hell, it took two years to go back to a relatively normal life, and I still lived with my parents.

I was a crippled member of society. My right arm felt so real, but it also didn’t feel like it was my own. I would often get called out for not using it when I really should have been.

Years pass.

The demon arrives.

The same events happen.

The cycle repeats.

After

“I will pick… I want to become a demon. Do your worst, maybe this way I can do something with my life. Like you said, I won’t be able to go back to a normal life anymore. So, what do I need to do to become a demon, and will I get my arm and part of my foot back?”

“Hold up, are you sure you want this?” The demons asked, slight surprise in his voice.

“Yes. I’ll end up becoming one later, why not expedite the process to learn what I can now instead of later once its too late.”

“I like your reasoning. Then, come here. This will hurt, probably not as much as floor thirty-seven, but it won’t be fun.”

“I guess I really was trained then.” I laughed as I walked towards the demon without any hesitation. I took off my bag and dropped my weapon. I shouldn’t need them just to be turned into a demon, whatever that entails.

“Don’t resist this feeling, if you do, you’ll wake up back in that coffee shop regretting you were ever born.”

“Got it.” I nodded my head as the demon reach for my chest. Its hand sunk in as it wrapped its hand around my heart.

When he said it was going to hurt, I didn’t think he would directly grab my heart, but I trusted in the process. I had nothing to lose, and if he was right, worse case scenario, I try my best to live a normal life back in the outside world.

A feeling of wrongness radiates out from my heart as it slowly stops beating in the grasp of the demon. Slowly, ever so slowly, it begins to beat again as the feeling of wrongness turns into a feeling of calmness. A feeling that is natural, as if its how things had always meant to be.

At first it was slow, but I felt stronger. Almost like I had finished a good workout and was tempted to go for round two. I let the feeling of power flow through me, it was intoxicating, completely dwarfing the pain in moments.

The demon slowly removes his hand from my chest, and I begin to see the wound close. My arm doesn’t grow back, and neither does the missing part of my foot, but it looked like it had suddenly healed better.

“There. Congratulations on becoming probably the first free demon in all of history. The first person to ever become a demon willingly, with the purpose of killing all of the demons.”

“Other than feeling less sick and maybe having more energy, it doesn’t feel like much has changed to be honest.”

“Well, it’ll be like that for a while, until you grow in power. Now, I should send you to your next destination, we’ll start you low and you can work your way up.”

“Hey, didn’t you say I was free, where are you sending me and what do you mean ‘start low’?”

“Think of it as another test. I’m sending you to a world about to be ruined by a demon. Congratulations by the way, I’m going to send you through ten worlds where demons are attacking and progressively make it harder. After that, you’ll start to pick on your own worlds to travel to.”

“Oh boy, time to kill other demons!” I laughed for a second only to stare at him dead in the eyes. “You have no idea how to kill demons, what about the one on the puzzle floor I had to kill.”

“You disabled him, not kill. I think some field experience fighting against another demon will do you good, weaker demons can still be killed normally. Take your ax and figure it out. For now, you’ll still need to eat and drink, just a lot less than when you were still mortal. Congrats.”

“Well. Thanks, I guess. When do I start the new job?” I was about to reach for my ax when my vision started to blur, my ax being left behind.

“Now.”

My vision shifted as soon as he finished talking and I closed my eyes. No job prep, no debrief on the world, just tossing me into the pot. I guess there was nothing better than that for me nowadays. Just travelling down, learning as I went.

One journey ended, but it was time to start a new one.

The cycle has been broken, only time will tell what waits ahead now.

(The next adventure awaits! … in Book Two, ‘Rot and Redemption’!)