Eternal

After Annabelle’s death, nothing was the same.

Luna wasn’t down here anymore. Jack took her up and she never came back. The stones seemed empty and hollow without her familiar energy she had possessed. Three members of the original group are gone: Lynn, Annabelle, and now Luna was upstairs.

“She’ll be okay, right?” Grey-Girl asked. Misty shrugged. Blue still was looking down.

“She better be. Jack’s taking care of her.” Tony encouraged. I paced outside my old cell. I passed Jaime and he reached out to touch my leg. His dark eyes held a hopeful look in them. I wish I could contain that hope.

“But she’s gone! How can Luna function anymore!? Without Annabelle, she’s a goner!” GG mourned. I stopped pacing and faced the door to the corridor. The heaviness in the air settled on our shoulders. We were all silent. The only noise came from a collective sigh.

“Well, I’m getting out. I can’t stand to be down here anymore.” I groaned and fiddled with the bracelet on my wrist before reaching up to pound on the door. Within five seconds, or maybe less, the bolts were being unlocked and the door opened a crack.

Lily’s head poked into the opening. I smiled at her.

“Hello there, Jynx. Can I help you?” She asked politely and opened the door. I nodded and asked if I could go up into the castle. She let me through before closing it and bolting it, making sure that the night hounds hadn’t tried to push past her.

“Thank you.” I whispered to her. She gleamed with a brilliant smile. Her golden, cat-like eyes were radiant.

“Of course. I assume you are looking for Austin?” She asked kindly. I sighed, shoving my hands into the pockets of my pants. Shaking my head, I looked forwards yet again.

“I honestly don’t know. I just needed to get out of there. I wanted to check on Luna, but I don’t want to be reminded of being hurt. I want to see Austin, but I kind of just want to sleep.” I yawned. She took the lead as we left the corridor and turned into the small living area. From there, we went into the grand hall, where night hounds restlessly wandered without purpose.

Al’Wy’En bounded up to me, nearly toppling me. I stroked his wispy hair slowly. He seemed to purr. Lily quietly left us. It was just Al and I standing awkwardly in the main hall. He nudged my side and whimpered. His red eyes seemed to bore into my soul. The night hound bounded a few steps and looked back.

Al’Wy’En wanted me to follow him.

So I did. I quickly walked behind him, speeding to keep up. Soon enough we were running full tilt through the hallways. While the wolf creature silently glided across the floors, I stumbled and tried to limit my noise.

When he got to a door, he used his nose to nudge the handle until it popped open with a soft click. The two of us had come a long way through the castle. There had been many turns we went around that I never recognized. The hallways had grown dustier and the spider webs had become larger. Everything was silent back here.

Al’Wy’En whimpered so softly, I barely recognized it. He grabbed my sleeve and dragged me in. I closed the door behind myself. I don’t think we should be here….

There was murmuring and some choked sobs that I recognized. A creaky voice, like that of laughing door hinges answered the murmurs.

“You know as well as I do that I cannot bring spirits back to the mortal world.” The creaky voice sighed.

“Do I have to make a bargain with Shaakon, or Liin? Who do I have to pay!?” The murmur rose to a wail. A noise, like that of chains dragging on cold stone resonated. The creaky voiced man must be pacing.

“Liin had Descended for refusing orders of Balzrog.” The voice responded softly, almost…sadly.

“Descended? What ring lay she now?” The voice murmured in shock.

“She Descended from the seventh circle to the second. The disgust in her face….some of those people from Lust, the second ring, just…ewww…” The voice crooned unhappily.

I searched my mind about this. Rings, Dissension with a higher power named Balzrog, and being Descended….Where had I heard that?

And then it clicked.

They were talking about Hell. Literally. Hell had rings and demons of varying levels. Liin must be a demon, harpy, or other dark, demonic creature of that nature. Every ring, every circle, was a destination for those who had sinned of that nature. The first circle was Limbo, where those souls rested. They had done neither good, nor total evil. They just…were.

The second circle was for those filled with lust, the need for passion but never committing. Those heartbreakers suffered strong winds, just like their need for fleshy passion. They said that it was simply a land of hills of dead grass with brutal winds that uprooted souls and tossed them around. People thought that Vrocks, flying demons of legend, roamed the skies and tore souls to shreds. Thing is, souls regenerate in any ring of Hell. It’s an eternity of rip and reappear, rip and reappear, rip and reappear…

The third circle was for the gluttons, those who don’t think before eating. It was said that the ring was just a feast for them, but they could never eat. They simply were taunted with hordes of the richest food, but never to be eaten.

The fourth circle was home to the greedy, those who spent on lavish items, or those who hoarded their riches instead of sharing. They wandered on an empty forest of ashes. They had nothing, and longed for more. It was said the trees were made of gold, but every time they touched a leaf, it would burn their skin. The ring was overlooked by Barbazu, the monkey-like demons that scurried, unhindered, on the treetops.

Fifth ringed souls were damned because of their anger. It was a rugged land filled with demons and tortured souls. The souls fought every minute. The rivers ran thick with scarlet blood.

The sixth ring was reserved for the heretics. It was said to be just one big pit and eternity deep with souls constantly trying to crawl out, but never to escape. Terrible creatures, called Hellcats, walked the edges to tear apart any souls that reached the edge, not that any ever did…

The seventh ring was home to the harpies that feasted on the mangled flesh. It was the circle of violence. It was shrouded in darkness and copses of dead trees with pale fingers pointed wanderers in sporadic directions. Souls wandered here, and may occasionally stumble upon a war raging. They never lasted long, because the harpies would dive towards the bodies and tear them apart. The souls then regenerated, only to repeat the cycle. I suppose night hounds were created there…

The eighth ring was home to frauds. False necromancers and witches live in pits, each connected by a bridge. The ring was constantly dark, like the seventh ring. The last bridge led to the very last ring, the ninth ring.

The last circle was home to those who were treacherous, who had deceived others, and those who betrayed the ones they love. No one could speculate the horrors in the last circle, for it was the one reserved for those who had committed the greatest evil.

The rings went from least evil to greatest. This…Liin, whoever it was, had just moved from the seventh to the second ring? What was happening in this world!? No, what was happening in another!?

As I thought, I edged closer through the dark passage to where a single, glowing purple light illuminated a room. I was on a balcony overlooking a central chamber. Stairs connected either side of the balcony to the lower floor. Al’Wy’En hid behind my legs. Wait, a night hound….scared?

“Liin Descended from the Seventh to the Second!? What order did she dare to refuse?” The familiar voice called out. I didn’t want to peek over the balcony. Should I really be hearing these things, seeing these things?

“Balzrog commanded her to retrieve a soul had wandered into the sixth ring, but she didn’t! She didn’t! Liin saw that it was her love’s soul and would not bring him back! She wanted him to escape so she’s now sentenced to the Second Ring!” The chained voice crooned again. There was a sigh.

“Oh Liin, that harpy is always so stubborn.” The sad voice whispered.

“She is crying now for her love. The Vroks are becoming annoyed, but then again, when aren’t they annoyed?” The chains chittered.

“But Annabelle’s soul! Can’t you at least confirm that she isn’t there?” The voice begged and I froze. I don’t even think my heart was beating.

Annabelle.

Annabelle Warson.

That had to be Alex.

To confirm my suspicion, I peeked over the edge of the cracked stone banister. The purple glowing light was radiating from a type of symbol, a circle with five lines through it. Purple light glowed from the symbol, the portal.

But that wasn’t the scariest thing in the room. The portal wasn’t alone.

In the middle stood Alex Gaskarth. His arms were folded over his chest and a worried expression over his face. Dark purple bags were under his eyes. Candles around the room provided little light, but it was enough to tell me that he was worn down in every sense possible. Thing is, he had a friend….

A man, no, a thing stood across him, pacing around in front of him. Chains slithered over his body, as if the metal had a life of its own. The pale skin, barely visible, looked hollow and sickly. The chains slithered up and down his arms like snakes, tasting the arrow with barbed ends. The heaviest chains had balls of spikes or sharp metal blades attached to the end. It was like a nightmare built of steel and horror. The chains spilled onto the floor around the creature’s feet. They would wiggle on the stone to the end of their leash before crawling back to their master. I got lost in the moving links. Pale fingers like that of barbed hooks held a large chain and stroked it, as if it was a small bird.

Scariest thing? Alex was actually talking to this…demon.

“She is not in the ninth ring, if that is what you are worried about, Alexander.” The devil spoke softly, his tainted golden eyes blinking. It seemed like even the normally pure gold orbs were tainted with flecks of black.

“I wasn’t worried about the ninth ring, just about where her soul ended up. I don’t want her soul damned to any ring in Hell. It should’ve Ascended by now.” Alex worried. Al’Wy’En hid behind me again, but didn’t whine.

“Ascension is saved for those not like us, Alexander.” The chained devil smirked.

“What do you mean!? She is no vampire and has no dark blood in her!” Alex cried out again. The devil wiggled one finger, as if shaming her.

“She was never changed from pure blood to dark blood, but she was tainted and since she was tainted, she will not have Ascended. You know as well as I do that dark blood aren’t meant for Heaven. We are no angels. We are demons, the evil of the world, but we have power that the angels don’t.” The evil creature chuckled darkly.

“Yes, yes, Izziiron, I know that. The angels are restricted to divine and consecrated ground, churches, hollows, and the Ashen Mountain, but we are boundless. Only the demons that guard Hell are bound there. Do not remind me of these, for I know them. What do you mean she is tainted, though?” He asked, obviously confused. Sick bile rose in my throat just listening to them speak. How could Alex align himself with a demon of such disgusting nature?!

I knew I should run, get out of here and forget about it, but I couldn’t. I was bound here by some force that I didn’t know of.

“When you fed from her, there is a bond, something never to be seen. Just by feeding from her, means that she’s been in your company, a dark blood company. Heaven won’t let anyone touched by a dark blood near those doors. She may walk on earth on divine ground and consecrated land, but her soul will be attached to Hell.” The devil scoffed. Alex frowned, starting to snarl.

“No! She is too pure for any likes of Hell-“

“But it is you that tainted her. I have not been there in sometime, but I would say she is in the first circle. Do not take my word for it.”

“Wasn’t planning on that.” Alex muttered. The devil picked up another chain, playing with it fondly, just like a pet. There was heavy silence as both were consumed in thought. Al’Wy’En nudged my elbow, begging to get out. I crawled away from the banister when something caught my attention.

“Alex?”

“Yes, Izziiron?” Alex responded wearily.

“Do not trust that pretty girl of Alan’s. Her mother is coming back to retrieve her. Protect her.” And with that, there was a gust of icy air and the glowing stopped. Heavy silence ensued.

Whatever that was, whoever that devil knew to be the mother of Lily, Alan’s girl, was going to wreak havoc on our lives. I may not know much, but I knew whatever came out of the mouths of demons wasn’t good.

Notes