Chapter 387: The Living Nightmare (3)

"Everywhere I went I saw white, and endless storm and expanse for as far as the eye could see. Yet, that was not what first hit me. No, it was the cold that struck upon my skin and the snow beneath my feet. Even the expanses of space had no such effect on me yet this cold around me was paralyzing,"

"However, what paralyzed me more was the realization that there was an angel, directly breathing to my side. His armour was cracked, his wings were clipped, and blood gushed out from his every pore as he bled on the ground with an expression of pain that far exceeded even mine." 

"There I saw an opportunity, and I immediately seized it. I had no way to warm myself… Despite being a flame demon, my flames were designed after your pure demon energy… Thus, it gave off no heat at all… It could not help me… So I had to find an escape."

"With the meagre strength I had left, I trudged upon this hopeless waste land, dragging the angel upon my two shaky hands…"

"At one point I had had nearly given up, my eyes were turning dull, my wounds were getting to me and the cold was ready to take me out of my misery. But that was when from above, I witnessed a light… A shining orange light I had not seen in what felt like forever."

"Fire..."

"It was the only hope I had left, and with that, I grabbed onto it as hard as I could and used everything I had to force myself up that mountain towards the light. And through sheer will and perseverance, I reached my destination with the angel still alive behind me. It was a castle, the very same castle I reside in now, yet it was far less empty, far less faded, and far more alive..."

"Indeed, it was bustling with aliens that came in left and right, entities I had never before seen in my life. But to me, it mattered not as I made my way towards the gate."

"The warmth of the castle was getting to me the closer I got, yet as soon as I was ready to enter the hot paradise of within, I was immediately halted by guards upon the entrance who spoke to me in a language I didn't understand."

"So then I forced myself to enter again, only this time they used force and pushed me to the ground."

"I grunted… In that moment I had to make a decision, and in that moment, it did not take me long to decide. I channelled my black flames and vaporized the two guards who stood before me. And the elegantly dressed guests immediately ran away in terror, yet I did not let them flee."

"With a pool of blood under my feet, I stepped foot within the castle gates for the first time experiencing true warmth with the angel still in my hand. But, instead of a warmer welcome, I was greeted by an army of guards stood before me with spears and shields in hand yelling at me in that same tongue."

"I cared not for what they said as they attacked me, I retaliated. And with one simple spell, they were dead… In that moment I realized that I was in the mortal realm, for I was able to defeat them so effortlessly in such a state. They were no demons or angels, they knew not even a single spell to protect their lives and their constitution was so meagre and lacked no energy."

"Over the bodies I marched, and the further I went the more guards arrived only to be mowed down over, and over, and over again. Their morale and determination were commendable, or was it stupidity? To this day, I still don't even know. But even as they saw their own comrades turn into mush right before their eyes, barely any of them faltered as they rushed me with zero regards for their own lives."

"Eventually, I made it past them all. And the throne room was my final destination, and the warmest place of all. Women and men dressed in suits danced underneath a bright chandelier, children frolicked playing on the ground, and upon a throne was a smiling man with a crown atop his head."

"As I entered, they took one good look at me… But that look was their final one as they were all dead in their next… The only man I kept alive was the king himself who I kept for questioning. But everyone else was erased out of existence like the insects they were."

"From all the negative energy I received, I was able to heal myself back to functioning condition. I cast several spells upon the king to ensure he wouldn't run or kill himself, and I began to heal the angel in my hand to consciousness because we two had much to discuss…"

"The king was beyond shocked. He shrieked a banshee-like cry of pain as though it were the end of the world. I would like to imagine that is how the ant king reacts when a man steps upon their mound. His eyes turned watery, his nose even more so with snot as he broke down. Had it not been for the spells I cast he would have most certainly died of a heart attack from all the shock."

"And luckily for him,he  spoke easily and told me everything I wanted to know. I didn't even have to resort to any major torture or mind magic to get it out of him, but the angel was far more resilient…"

"He woke up, chained in the castle's dungeon, bound heavily and given no chance to retaliate. At first I questioned him… For many years he would not crack despite all the pain and suffering I inflicted upon him. However, I didn't give up. I had a goal after all, I needed to know what had happened. And on one faithful day… He cracked, and he revealed absolutely everything to me."