Okay, where do I need to go? Stepping out the door, Ed pulled the note out from his pocket and gave it a look. On one side of the note was a map of the town, while the other side was a list of directions to get to his destination. This shouldn’t be too bad.

Studying the map, he started walking down the footpath, towards the centre of town. Still in the outskirts, he found his surroundings to be mostly devoid of people. Occasionally, he would come across a drunkard stumbling back home after a long night, a few of which he remembered seeing in the bar earlier.

For a moment, the town looked peaceful. This is not what I thought Hell would be like. It feels like a normal town to me.

As he walked towards the city centre, he slowly began to see more people. The town started to come to life. The deeper in he went, the more crowded and active the town became.

Surrounded by the vibrant nightlife, Ed had to carefully make his way through the crowd. He held the box tightly to his chest, making sure nothing happened to it. How close am I? Checking the note, he found that he was only a couple streets away. I’m almost there.

Carefully stowing away the note, he trudged through the crowd, finding it easier to do so the closer he got to his destination. That’s weird. Approaching the final street, he found himself entirely alone. Looking back, he found that the crowd was actively avoiding this area. It didn’t take long for him to figure out why.

Turning the corner, he found that what looked like a street on the map was instead a driveway, leading up to a mansion. There was a massive gate blocking his path, with armed guards posted to cover the entire driveway, ready to fire at a moment's notice. What have I gotten myself into?

“Stop right there!” One of the guards shouted, pointing his gun directly at him.

I better do as he says. Ed stopped in his tracks. He raised his hands to show he meant no harm.

“State your business!”

“Arthur asked me to deliver a package to the owner of this place. He said that Victor normally delivers it.” Ed said, holding up the box to show to the guard.

“How do I know Arthur sent you?” The guard asked.

Ed rummaged through his pocket for the note, holding it up so that the guard could see it. “I’ve got a note from Arthur right here.”

“Alright, step closer. I need to verify it’s real.” The guard stayed vigilant, keeping the gun pointed at Ed as he got closer. When Ed got within reach, he lowered his gun so that he could grab the note, but he remained vigilant, prepared for an attack at any time. Checking through the note, he verified that it was from Arthur. “Everything checks out. You can head on through.” He gave a nod to one of the other guards, who opened the gate.

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As Ed stepped through, he noticed that the guards were still keeping an eye on him. Stopping at the door, he was greeted by a maid who led him through the house. Walking through the large and lavish hallway, Ed truly felt the scale and immensity of the building. This place is massive.

“Mr Milani is waiting on the other side of this door. You can head through when you’re ready.” The maid said, standing at the door.

Ed entered the living room. The room was massive, with four large stone pillars spread out as support. Towering bookshelves framed around a large fireplace. Pieces of art tastefully decorated the other walls. Sitting on an old armchair was a man who had looked like a mix between a snake and a human. As Ed entered, the man turned to face him, staring warily at him.

“You’re not Victor.” Mr Milani said suspiciously.

“Victor’s not feeling well, so Arthur asked me to bring this to you.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Arthur gave me a note, I handed it over to the guard at the front gate. If you call them in, they’ll be able to tell you that I’m telling the truth.” Arthur was right. This guy is being very cautious.

Mr Milani squinted his eyes, staring at Ed for a while before nodding his head. A moment later, a group of armed guards entered the room and immediately surrounded Ed. Ed gulped as he watched them point their guns at him.

This isn’t good. His eyes darted around, eventually landing on the guard he talked to before. “That’s the guard I talked to; he should have the note.” Ed indicated to the guard, making sure to not make any sudden movements.

Mr Milani turned to the guard in question, staring him down harshly. “Did he have a note?”

“No Sir. He didn’t.” The guard said.

SLAM. Mr Milani slammed his fist on the table, turning it to dust. “Then how did he get in?” Ed watched as the man grew in size, turning into a giant snake that coiled around the room. A noxious purple gas filled the room. Ed began to suffocate, as the guards dropped to their knees.

“I’m sorry Sir. It won’t happen again.” The guard croaked out as he struggled to breathe.

“Good.” The room went back to normal when he shrunk back down to his normal size. Mr Milani looked weaker after his transformation. He began coughing heavily, and it looked like he could barely move. It took several minutes for everyone to stand back up, but it was evident that they were still not feeling well. “Get rid of him!” He commanded as he sat down.

The guards raised their guns again and fired.

Shit!

Hot lead pierced through Ed’s body from all directions. Uuughh. Ed felt immense pain as the bullets turned his body into a sieve. His blood stained the carpet as his body was torn apart. His body crumpled to the ground, but they kept unloading rounds into his body. Some of the bullets passed through his body, while others exploded inside, causing even more damage and leaving shrapnel in their wake.

Click, click.

Eventually, the room was silent. Still vigilant, the guards reloaded and kept their guns pointed at Ed. A tense few moments passed as the guards stood there at the ready.

Thanks to Buddie, Ed remained painfully aware of everything that was happening. He felt every piece of shrapnel in his body and felt as the air passed through the bullet holes. Large chunks of his body had exploded, left splattered across the room.

“Clean him up.” Mr Milani commanded.