Within just a few hours came nightfall, and Alexander reached Purgatorio. The castle stood in between the red mountains Furcas had mentioned, and while the ranges that encased the valley all appeared monotonous and uniform, Alexander knew which was the one.

One mountain kept a leveled peak as if it had been sliced to be completely flat and tipped with white stone.

The valley was clear and visible even without any sunlight, even with darkness and clouds looming over him and Shadowfax. Perhaps that was the one advantage of the clouds lighting up with orange and red lights, glowing with the heat of flame.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem good.

And so, Shadowfax didn't halt her flight just outside the castle. Instead, she crashed through the gates and into the wooden doors, hurtling herself and Alexander inside.

In the next instant, Alexander jumped and rolled off the dragon and onto the ground, lunging toward the only threat he saw. Shadowfax had already begun reverting back to a smaller state.

All the while, Alexander shoved Mephisto to the wall, the stone behind him cracking under the weight of Alexander's force. "Where's Kieran?!"

"Where he wishes to be," Mephisto muttered through his now-grinning lips. "Your entire quest has been to find his mother, hasn't it been? Their reunion is one he is cherishing as we speak."

"You're joking."

Mephisto shook his head and pointed to the side. "I may be a devil, but I am not one who lies." As Alexander turned to where Mephisto's finger was aimed, as his eyes widened at the sight of Kieran's limp body lying over a stone block, Mephisto spoke again with his grin. "Don't worry. He's still alive and breathing. Still... His body is soulless right now."

Alexander spoke through his grit teeth, pulling Mephisto closer and slamming him back into the wall in the same instant. "What the hell did you do?"

"You see... He's alive," Mephisto proclaimed, wincing and sucking air through his teeth as the painful impact swelled in the muscles and lack thereof of his back. "The only reason he made it to the UnderWorld was that he found one of the very, very, very few pathways between here and Earth. Unfortunately, living beings can't enter Purgatorio. Only souls, like yourself, can. But the boy was rather impatient, so I offered him the cure to his ailments. I transported his soul into Purgatorio. I would've had to do the same thing to him if we waited until after you arrived, considering the purpose of your quest."

"Get him out."

"Uh-uh. You see..." he said with a devilish smile. "By now, I'm sure he's found his mother's soul. From now, all he has to do is hold on tight and pull with every fiber of willpower he has. That way, his soul will return to his body and his mother's soul will exit her condemnation. If I take him out now... It'll all be over for him. His mother's soul will be lost once again, and it'll all be your fault."

"How..." Alexander released the grip of his clenched fists. Now free, Mephisto slithered to the side and headed for the seating area. Waiting there were cups of steaming tea, complimented with goods and snacks. "How long until he makes it out, then?"

Mephisto sat down. "Who knows? Likely a couple of hours more, since he entered just a hundred minutes ago. Please, sit, so I can explain the rest."

He continued, "I'm sure you'll understand this metaphor. He- Well, his soul is in a prison, loose among all other prisoners. They are latching onto him in an attempt to escape, even while he keeps his focus on finding his mother. Odds are, Kieran won't succeed. After all, every soul carries weight."

A crash echoed in the ceiling. Another crash, the walls and ceiling slightly shaking with the impact. The next was strong, erupting with a thud that shook the dust off the painted ceilings and the dirt from the walls. "Ooh. It's starting."

"The firestorm?" Esila asked.

Mephisto only nodded. He stood up and motioned to Alexander. "Come with me. You're gonna love this sight."

Alexander motioned Esila to steady herself and watch Kieran. Still, he humored Mephisto and followed him making his way to a balcony, through complex corridors and overlapping staircases. It had taken Mephisto minutes to reach, even while this castle remained his home.

Now they had reached the balcony and stood dozens off meters off the ground, staring out at the plains and valley as hell rained down on them.

Alexander Lane did, in fact, not love that sight. It reminded him of a hailstorm. Maybe a meteor shower? He shook his head. Neither of them were as unpleasant as this sight.

Stones showered down from the sky, each of them wrapped in silent flames. They struck the ground and burst on impact, their fires spreading as they burned the surroundings. There was no smell of smoke in the air– just the sight of an indigo blaze that burned the very winds away and left nothing but radiant heat that scorched his skin.

Those blue flames were a harrowing sight. But to be fair, it was one to be expected in hell.

"Wait, what is that?" Mephisto mumbled out, almost without realizing he had spoken aloud.

Alexander matched his sight with the devils and shifted his gaze to the end of the valley. Men were marching down.

Not men, of course, Alexander brought himself to understand. Devils and demons, but soldiers nonetheless. They were armored in silver that lit up in the flashing lights of the sky and the earth, and even as hellfire rained down on them, they kept marching, kept moving forward.

Alexander's mind only spat out a single reason for the army's approach. He spat out," "Apollyon..."

Mephisto turned to Alexander and stared with wide eyes. "How do you know that name?"

"I met a friend of his. Lucifuge. He tried to get me to join him in a geas-type contract. I rejected it."

The devil rubbed his chin. "Lucifuge..." he mumbled.

"You know him?"

"Shh." Mephisto kept his thought to himself and processed the strategy. The northern border of the rather gargantuan state of Laginstax was yet to the south, the Ochre mountains extending to the East and West past the valley of his castle, yet the invaders marched from the North. "I can't see," he mumbled.

"Huh?" Alexander asked, turning to Mephisto. He paused and turned back. "Well, me neither. They're barely in the valley."

Mephisto silenced Alexander and clapped his hands together. The impact burst out with pink powder. He cupped the magic powder in his hands, only to thrust his arms into the sky. The dust exploded and fell into his eyes, leaving his eyes to glisten and grow reddened, the demonic veins pumping further blood into his already-wide sight. He gripped the balcony railing and stared in the distance again.

His eyes stared into the marching armies and were met with an all too familiar sight. Their spears and pikes and poleaxes and beasts, all were dressed in red flags and cloths, all proved of their allegiance.

Mephisto smiled. "I have good news. It's not the usurper, Abaddon. And so, when that army arrives, they won't care for your soul's keeping."

Stolen story; please report.

Alexander spat out a breath of relief.

"What's not as good is that the army is my master's."

"Wait, what?" Alexander asked. He turned to the side and stared into the gate to Purgatorio. Kieran was still stuck. "The hell does that mean?"

"Unfortunately, I have been in the service of the Prince of Wrath for nearly a millennium. We're not that close, but still. It seems his soldiers will be here within four hours."

"Lucifero's gonna be here in four hours?!"

Mephisto chuckled. "Oh, thankfully not. Firstly, Lucifero is the Prince of Pride. To simplify, his entire being split in two after his failure in the Heavens. And so, the Prince of Wrath is a different creature. Far less beautiful, and far more dangerous. Nevertheless, he isn't with his army. He's only sent his savages, it seems."

Alexander clenched his jaw. He turned and left the balcony, heading back down for Kieran and Esila. Mephisto followed him with a smile and spoke. "It's a shame the castle is evacuated for the month. If we were at normal capacity, I could order the people to fight."

Alexander found a plethora of issues with that statement, but questions came first. "What do you need a force for? Aren't they heading past us and for the region up north?"

"Not at all," he said, now leading the way down. "They're not here for the Usurper's comrades, no, no, no. They're here for me and this castle. Either they will enchain me and take me to Lord Wrath himself or they will keep me until he arrives to kill me himself."

They finally returned to the adorned room of crystal and art. Mephisto said no more and simply threw himself onto a stone chair. His bones cracked and crackled with the impact, sending him to jostle upright and sit properly, while Alexander once again set his sights on Kieran's still and motionless body.

Mephisto smiled and faced the Demon-Born, his eyes glistening with an orange glow as he prepared to speak. "Now, then, my friend. Brave young knight... Will you protect me?"

Alexander sent the palm of his hand into Mephisto's face and struck, sending the demon and the chair he sat on to flip and crash into the floor. "Like Hell, I will." He grabbed Mephisto by the hood of his habit and dragged him back up to his feet. "Even I know better than to make a deal with a devil."

He pointed at Kieran, still sitting in silence. "Get him out of there. Now."

"I made a deal with him. I cannot interrupt his process."

The two fell into silence. Before either of them moved again, before either blinked, and before another stone of hell crashed into the castle, Kieran's blue eyes burst open. His body threw itself up into the air, only to turn limp once again and crash into the crystal floor.

"My word!" Mephisto cried out with that same squirmish smirk of his.

Esila sat up from her seat as Alexander rushed to him. Kieran sat up, tears in his eyes, and muttered, "Mum..."

"Kieran!" Alexander shouted at him, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him to attention. Mephisto couldn't help but cackle as he watched what unfurled. "You okay?!" Alexander asked. "What happened in there?!"

Kieran slapped Alexander's arms off of him and forced himself to stand. "Get off of me. I failed," he uttered.

That was Kieran's purpose in this hell. His arduous journey was all for his mother. And he failed?

Alexander's eyes widened as Kieran took a step back, stumbling back and forth, almost swaying as he began to speak again. "My mother... couldn't do anything. Nothing to be done. She could only... only accept her curse!" His tears dripped to the ground. And in the next second, he, too, fell.

Alexander knelt down before Kieran and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm... I'm sorry, Kieran. Neither of you deserved to bear a curse. But..."

Kieran slammed his fists into the crystal floor. And Alexander only held him tighter. Alexander told him, "Don't burden yourself with that."

"But... But I could've saved her! I failed her!"

"You didn't," Alexander told him. " You can't say you failed her. That's too much to carry with you. You... You became her hope, her light in her curse."

"But she's gone!"

"Not when you still remember her. She'll keep living within you and your memories. As long as you hold her with you, as long as you love her, she won't die." He helped him up to his feet. His black eyes glistened as he clenched his jaw and spoke. "We have to get moving, Kieran."

Kieran took in a deep inhale. Once again, Alexander had become a grim reminder. They weren't done yet. The screams and tears had to wait, he told himself, wiping the water from his azure gaze. "Right."

Once again, the role of the elephant in the room shifted over to Esila. She stood in between Mephisto and Alexander. And now, with devils approaching, and with a hellstorm clamoring down onto them, there was no clear option for her safety.

Of course, she felt safer around a fellow demon than with two other humans. But Alexander knew that was far from the truth. A battle was coming, one that would split walls and worlds without regard for Esila's being.

"Esila. Come with us," Alexander said, extending his hand to her. No matter what, he told himself, he would protect her. And this time, he wouldn't fail her the way he failed Morgana.

She stepped forward and began to reach for his hand.

The devil interjected with his smooth voice. "They... The army wouldn't kill me if I told them you're working with the usurper. He offered you a geas, after all."

"Huh?" Alexander asked, standing and turning to see Mephisto's glowing eyes.

"I would have to kill you. All of you. But that's my best shot." Once again, his hand filled with pink powder. That seemed to be the root of his magic, Alexander thought. But that didn't point to what Mephisto began to do. He raised his dust-filled hand and slammed it into the ground, the pink dust turning to smoke as it impacted the floor.

Alexander's senses blared. The gas that was brought forth was poison, he understood. "Don't inhale!" Alexander shouted out, bringing up his arm to cover his nose with his sleeve.

And while Esila ran off into the opposite wall to get away from the mist, while Kieran was once again frozen in fear, Alexander ran into the pink smoke and towards the devil.

One hit was all he needed against Mephisto. One punch, one impact to connect his fist with the devil's nose.

As soon as he did, a torrent of blood spewed out of Mephisto's cracked nose. The bone itself was crushed and tilted, almost wholly bent out of shape. And so, his lifeblood seeped out, gushing through his nostrils and splattering on the floor.

"Fuck!" he groaned out as he pressed his hand against his nose in a futile attempt to slow the bleeding. His eyes widened as he stared at his hand, now painted red. "Y-you... You made me bleed?"

"Shadowfax, find us an exit!" Alexander cried.

The wyvern jumped up and spun in the air to instantly shift into its massive size. Without another moment's notice, she burst off with speed into a hallway. In the next moment, a crash was heard.

That was enough.

For good measure, Alexander drove his leg into Mephisto's face. "Follow her, Esila!"

The girl nodded and ran off while Alexander dashed back for Kieran. Once again, his body was limp. It may have been physical exhaustion, it may have been the poison, but nevertheless, he grabbed Kieran's arm and slung it over his shoulder. There was no time for complaints, or any words, for that matter. Such is an expected consequence of a living human making his way through hell.

Alexander kept running alongside Kieran, the boy's feet dragging behind. By his guess, the poison had affected Kieran somewhat, and now brought his body to weakness. But it wasn't the worst-case scenario, Alexander told himself. 'Not the worst-case,' he repeated in his head.

"My vision's a bit blurry, if I'm being honest."

The Demon-Born let out a light groan but kept his focus on escaping the castle. He followed the exit laid out by Shadowfax and Esila, and as soon as he sped out of the last corridor, he found himself staring at a crimson mountain.

Another obstacle to overcome. He swallowed his dry saliva. "Hey. Kieran. When we get back to the World... I want you to come with me to Midgard. You can come to the Magecraft Academy. The name says it all. It's a magic school. And the teachers, the students, everyone around it... They're crazy strong people. And you can trust them. We can... We can fight through life together."

A chuckle left Kieran's lips. That was all while his feet continued to drag behind as Alexander raced to the foot of the mountain and caught up to Esila.

The sun was beginning to rise, Alexander noticed, marking the morning of the third day of their journey.

Shadowfax landed onto the ground, flapping her wings to shield Esila and the humans from the firestorm. Alexander smiled at that simple act of kindness. Unfortunately, they couldn't weather the storm with the wyvern's aid.

He stared at Shadowfax. She couldn't carry three beings at this rate– she barely managed to fly with the supplies on her. And even while they didn't carry those supplies anymore, it would still be a near impossible task for the wyvern to reach the mountain's altitude with the travelers.

"Esila..." He paused and shook his head. Even if she knew how to fly a dragon, she couldn't support Kieran at the same time. Kieran couldn't fly on his own, and if Alexander went with Kieran and Shadowfax, there would be no way for Esila to make it.

He swallowed his dry saliva. "Goddammit..." he spat out.

Alexander turned to Esila and picked her up, helping her sit up on Shadowfax's back. He faced his dragon and kissed her snout. "Listen, Shadow. I need you to take Esila to the top of that mountain. From there, just rest up. You'll be done."

Her eyes glistened like blue marbles, glimmering with shining stars hidden inside them. She purred once again, as if she understood. Stone and flame continued to beat down on the hellscape.

"Hold on tight, okay, Esila?" he said to her.

She nodded as Alexander turned back to Kieran. And before another moment, Shadowfax took off.

There wasn't a second to waste. Alexander threw Kieran onto his back. "Still alive, buddy?"

"I think so," his friend responded. He barely had the strength to speak, yet he still clung upon Alexander's back, his arms barely clasped under the Demon-Born's neck, his legs loosely about.

Alexander staggered to his feet and began the hike. "That means yes," Alexander spat out with a grunt. "Let's get to climbing."