Chapter IV

  Beyond a Fading Hope

  Desperate and terrified, Aiyana was carried through numerous bleak and barren Abyssal worlds. Each time the archdevil stepped through a portal, he sensed the next weak point in reality, and with incredible speed, he moved to its location, where he tore a fresh opening in the fabric of space. And so they traveled until they arrived at an unnamed planet within the far recesses of the void between realms.

  Their final destination was a terrifying world. Jagged crags littered the landscape, and writhing tentacles emerged from innumerable fissures. The dark spaces around them shifted and moved with unseen horrors. Despite attracting the attention of countless eyes, the native beasts withdrew deeper into the shadows, sensing the greatest monster in this land was the one carrying the forsaken paladin.

  They journeyed across the gray and depressing terrain, covering vast distances with a speed she imagined could only be surpassed by the archangels. After traveling for what felt like ages, the archdevil stopped before the mouth of a wide cave. Aiyana stared into the murky depths and knew they had arrived. The archdevil entered and the cave’s opening shrank into a smaller and smaller sliver of light as the darkness swallowed them.

  After a moment of lightless hell, Aiyana’s eyes adjusted, and she discerned a red glow illuminating the stone walls ahead. The light grew brighter with every step as they rounded a sharp bend. Murmurs became audible as a raspy voice spoke in a tongue she did not know. Aiyana shuddered, terrified she was about to experience one of the many fates worse than death she had prayed to avoid.

  What will they do to me, and how many times will they make me beg for death before releasing me from their torment? This cannot be my fate. The second there is an opportunity to escape, I must take it, even if it ends in my death.

  Despite her intense focus on regaining her freedom, images of the countless variations of torture crept into her mind. As they drew near, she steeled her resolve, determined not to give whoever awaited the pleasure of hearing her scream. They turned the corner and Aiyana squinted at the brightness of the light shining from the cave’s floor. A large five-pointed star was painted on the rocky ground, its crimson glow revealing the room and those within.

  On the left, a horrifying figure stood behind a bubbling cauldron. The thing’s mutilated face made Aiyana sick; thick scars sealed its eyes, and its lips had been torn from its face, leaving it with a permanent, eerie grin. Empty glass jars that once contained unknown potions and agents littered the floor beside it. It wore tattered gray rags that hung loosely over its emaciated frame, and its shriveled arms grasped a wooden pole as it continuously stirred whatever foul concoction it was brewing.

  A short creature in a black hooded robe crouched on the opposing side of the chamber. It muttered to itself in the raspy voice Aiyana had heard while carefully organizing a small pile of bones and softly gleaming runic stones with its furry hands.

  When the archdevil entered, the little creature fell silent and halted its work. It turned its head just enough for its luminous green eyes to stand out in the shadows of its hood.

  “Zrex! Druxus!” the archdevil bellowed.

  His words boomed throughout the cavernous room, shaking the cave. The two figures immediately cowered, whether from surprise or well-earned fear, she could not say. They quickly bowed and responded with seemingly fervent affirmations before falling silent with a subtle gesture of their master’s free hand.

  With a flick of his wrist, the archdevil tossed Aiyana, and she landed on the cold stone. She rolled from the momentum, finally stopping in the pentagram’s center.

  She sprang to her feet, and although Aiyana was weaponless, she was a trained killer. She had already selected her target: the small hooded figure who seemed adept at dark rituals with its knowledge of runes and bones. Killing it may do nothing, but there was hope its death could foil any sinister plans taking shape.

  Aiyana dove at the cloaked creature, attempting to grab hold of it before snapping its neck—a crude yet effective way to end its life. But it hissed and rolled away with remarkable speed, leaving her to hit the ground. Aiyana reeled, realizing she had missed her opportunity at a surprise attack. The creature pulled a black stone from the leather pouch fastened to its waist and threw it against the wall. The stone shattered, splattering black, inky liquid across the gray rock.

  Within seconds, something crawled from the splatter. It was as black as the slick substance from which it emerged, with skin that shimmered like oil upon water. It pulled itself forth and climbed through the dark window connecting the two unknown worlds. It was long and gaunt, with a featureless face and smooth genderless body. Thin limbs and protracted fingers extended at an exaggerated length as it gripped the cavern wall, pulling itself free before slumping onto the floor. It stood and charged at Aiyana with reckless abandonment.

  Before it could seize her, she thrust a well-timed kick into its midsection, but instead of solid contact, her solleret went straight through its gut. Undeterred, she drove her foot to the ground, splitting the thing from abdomen to pelvis. It responded by grabbing her throat and lifting her into the air while she repeatedly drove her fist into its head.

  Another faceless figure crawled from the portal, followed by two more at its heels as they struggled to climb over each other. Aiyana seized her enemy’s forearm and pulled herself up, delivering a kick to its face. The thing’s head spattered across the cave’s ceiling, yet it never loosened its grip. She linked her fingers and brought both hands down like a hammer onto its forearm, splitting it in two. The monster’s severed hand fell from her throat, and she landed, ready to fight.

  Within seconds, the other three were upon her. Aiyana attempted to defend herself, but they overwhelmed her. Their hands wrapped around her limbs, and they hoisted her above their heads. She kicked wildly with her free leg before the headless one rejoined them. It grabbed her ankle, robbing Aiyana of her final means of resistance. They carried her to the pentagram and lowered her to its center, pinning her to the ground.

  As the cloaked creature approached, Aiyana saw the face of a demonic rodent with coarse brown fur and two slender fangs jutting along its chin. This curious beast lived a life of stealth and solitude in the Infernal Realm. It excelled at hiding from the roaming horrors as it skulked through unnoticed tunnels and crevices, crafting dark spells in hopes of using them to one day subjugate those who had made it feel weak.

  It stood there momentarily, observing her with bitter jealousy and cold malice. It sneered, for it hated her almost as much as it hated itself. Reaching deep into its leather pouch, it pulled out a shackle made of blackened metal. It placed the restraint over her right wrist and pressed it against the cavern floor.

  The steel shrank, molding to Aiyana’s wrist perfectly before fusing with the rock below. She desperately fought against the powerful grip of her captors while the demonic rodent secured her remaining limbs. It muttered a series of incantations and purple symbols appeared on the restraints, sapping all strength from Aiyana’s body. The transformation was so drastic that she could barely open and close her hands, let alone resist whatever was to come.

  With its task finished, the rodent walked to the wall and lowered its head, allowing the shadows to obscure everything but the glow of its eyes. The featureless monsters returned to the inky portal they had emerged from. They climbed through and reentered their lightless world—the black liquid absorbed into the rock, removing all traces of their incursion into the Abyss.

  Throughout the ordeal, the archdevil had remained at the cavern’s entrance. He waited silently, arms crossed in the gloom. The only aspect of him Aiyana could see clearly was the smoke emanating from his eyes; it appeared as if the shadows within the cave were too frightened to approach them.

  Swirling violet portals opened around the chamber, and five winged figures dressed in scarlet robes emerged. They were fallen angels, beautiful and terrible in their grace and power. Blood-stained cloth was wrapped around their heads, concealing their eyes. Sanguineous tears flowed down the angels’ cheeks as they stepped forward with cruel purpose. They were unhindered by their blindness, for a dark power had gifted them a new form of sight in recompense for their physical sacrifice.

  They held black orbs, each the size of Aiyana’s head, with green ethereal figures swirling within. There were faces amongst them, twisted in agony and despair. These were souls stolen from their rightful rest upon their owner’s death, now bound within the dark orbs, withering away as madness shattered their remaining semblance of self. There was no proof of their origins, but from the pain in Aiyana’s soul, she knew these were spirits torn from her fellow Enochians. Forsaken and forgotten, they were doomed to serve their most bitter enemy.

  By all that is merciful, please do not force me to join them! she thought as they started chanting.

  The fallen angels stood at the points of the star, and their orbs came to life, powered by the suffering within. The archdevil stepped into the pentagram. He loomed over Aiyana before running a bladed fingernail down the front of her armor, slicing it open. He effortlessly pulled apart the orichalcum breastplate, peeling it off of her and exposing the cloth tunic beneath.

  She feared what was about to happen would be far worse than an attack on her soul, for true remorseless evil had no limits to the cruelty it could inflict upon another. Aiyana’s defiance erupted in a furious scream. If pure hatred could slay an enemy, hers would have severed even the mightiest devil in two. Unfortunately, her tormentor only responded with a broad, fang-filled grin.

  The chanting intensified as wailing echoed from the orbs. The black smoke of the archdevil’s eyes streamed forth, becoming a dark cloud that swirled around Aiyana, engulfing her. It reeked of sulfur and tasted like ash as it forced its way into her mouth with every agonizing breath. Her body writhed as she resisted the invading force, believing her resolve to be her only defense.

  Through her skin, ears, and eyes, the black swirling cloud pushed its way in. Her essence was overwhelmed, and she became saturated with a malicious hatred that desired to inflict pain upon all of existence. After what seemed like an eternity, the cloud finished merging with her, and Aiyana’s bound body lay trembling on the cavern floor. Even though the ritual lasted but moments, for Aiyana, it was as if time had slowed, beholden to this dark entity’s will, allowing it to savor her pain and fear.

  The archdevil stared down at her. He now had yellow eyes with vertical slits for pupils, the same devilish eyes she had seen countless times. He turned his back to her and strode out of the cavern, his hulking form disappearing around the tunnel’s bend.

  The fallen angels stopped chanting, and portals reappeared, allowing each creature to leave. As the portals closed, the pentagram faded, leaving Aiyana in total darkness.

  Abandoned by all of creation, she finally allowed herself to cry.

  *****

  Within the darkness, Aiyana waited with thoughts and memories as her only companions. Sadly, due to the lifetime of horrors she had endured, her thoughts often betrayed her, taking her to grim places filled with countless fears and uncertainties. Seeking refuge from the creeping madness born from her isolation, Aiyana’s sanity retreated into her memories. Yet she found little solace in her past, as her life had been nothing but an endless series of battles, losses, and regrets.

  Is this all I have ever been? Am I destined to be another forgotten soldier? How could I have not found love at least once in my life? Although I knew the love of my family, I barely remember my father or brother. They died when I was so young. But I have no doubt they loved me deeply. So many memories I have of my mother are from mere words written in her letters. Her eloquent expressions of love and care were made all too impersonal by distance. Please, Divine Light, grant me one more chance. I don’t want to die as the person I am now.

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  Despite Aiyana’s heartfelt pleas, she continued to lie bound as time passed uncounted. For time moves differently in blind solitude as one devotes their entirety to maintaining a coherent mind.

  Sleep offered no reprieve within this lightless prison as Aiyana’s waking thoughts intertwined with her nightmares. Only an intense thirst and gnawing hunger allowed her to realize her consciousness was inhabiting the waking darkness of the cavernous tomb instead of the black void encompassing her seemingly endless nightmares.

  Over time, her body withered, yet through some malevolent force, death never came. Aiyana had hoped that as she starved, her wrists would thin, and she could slip free of the restraints. To her despair, as her wrists shrank, so did the shackles, continuously contouring to whatever state her body was in. She always knew her captors would make her beg for death, but within this artificial oblivion, there was no one to plead to, no one who could end her life once her suffering had fully satiated their sadism.

  Aiyana’s mind began to fracture as she struggled to fend off the madness lurking just beyond the confines of her thoughts. In her desperation, she strove to lose what remained of her sanity. She came to believe that by becoming nothing, her consciousness would merge with the darkness surrounding her. Only then would she be free from this nightmare and from herself.

  She was torn from such thoughts by streaks of colors crisscrossing her vision. Mesmerizing patterns and spirals came to life, swirling and melting in an intricate dance. Faint sounds of laughter filled her ears as the colors morphed into simplistic images of her childhood. It was as if she were gazing into a shifting watercolor painting where Aiyana saw herself grow into a woman blessed with a family who knew only peace.

  Is this real? she wondered as complete bliss enveloped her. Or is madness pulling me into something else? Something beyond who I once was and into who I could have been? If my mind is to be lost, please let me be lost here.

  As her last sense of self slipped away in terrifying ecstasy, a light appeared from around the tunnel’s bend. Despite its distance, the light flooded her vision, replacing the beauty of what could have been with a blinding radiance. The darkness was pushed away, revealing a small hunched figure. Gradually, the sounds of raspy breathing and slow shuffling steps followed.

  An elderly woman hobbled into the chamber wearing a frayed loose-fitting robe. She carried a rusty lantern housing a single candle, which gently swayed with each step. The mysterious woman walked to the cauldron and filled one of the empty jars with a red liquid. She then approached the captive paladin and raised her lantern.

  Aiyana looked into the woman’s illuminated eyes. They were small and glassy, black as pitch, and partially hidden behind drooping eyelids and strands of thinning gray hair. Aiyana noticed two stubs protruding from the woman’s forehead. They were horns. The fact they were so worn down was a testament to the crone’s age, which undoubtedly spanned the rise and fall of empires. The stranger flashed a toothless grin and gave a subtle bow.

  This is no woman! It is a hag! A demon made to look like a crone. What black magic is this witch planning for me?

  Mysterious and aloof, hags rarely left the Infernal Realm, making them a largely unknown variable to Enochian scholars. Rumors claimed hags could see into one’s mind, but if such tales were true, then this demon showed no interest in answering silent questions—or speech of any kind.

  The hag pressed the bottle’s rim against its captive’s mouth. Aiyana turned her head and pursed her lips, determined to resist the demon’s plans, but the hag pinched her nose shut. Aiyana held her breath until her lungs ached, but time was not on her side, and she eventually gasped for air. The demon poured all it could before clasping its gnarled hand over her nose and mouth, forcing Aiyana to swallow.

  Whatever the concoction was, it tasted bittersweet yet burned like fire. She began to feel nourished, becoming stronger and imbued with energy as the sensation of life flowed through her. The hag’s lips twisted into a crooked smile. It produced a small glass vial from a hidden pocket within its robe. The vial emitted a beautiful glow, but within, a battle raged as two distinct liquids warred with one another. They swirled and separated, each attempting to overpower the other.

  Aiyana was mesmerized, and the world blurred as she became lost in their endless loop. Before she could react, the hag forced the vial’s contents down her throat. Their conflict continued down her esophagus until the liquids reached her stomach, where they calmed before disseminating throughout her body.

  Satisfied, the hag departed, hobbling out of the chamber and leaving Aiyana in darkness once again. The strange elixirs coursed through her with every rapid heartbeat. She started to feel different—her mind sharpened as a cool tingling covered her skin, and her muscles radiated a gentle warmth.

  Yet the effects went beyond the physical; her Divine powers were enhanced, unlocking something profound within her. Aiyana experienced the rare blessing of divination, and her consciousness fully awakened. It was like a third eye had opened, allowing her to see in ways she could have never imagined. An unseen will gently tugged at her thoughts. It beckoned her, and in her desperation, she surrendered. Her consciousness left her body, drifting from the cavern and into the sky.

  Aiyana watched the world shrink beneath her, and her mind’s eye peered through the ground as if it were merely a mist she needed to pass through. What she saw made her sick. Underneath the surface, horrific monstrosities slumbered. Disgusting and terrible, they were creatures that would make the vilest demon recoil, their endless tendrils and mouths coalescing in a nightmarish sea of living hunger. Aiyana’s consciousness fled into the Abyssal expanse.

  As her mind traveled through the void, Aiyana flew past rogue worlds and nebulous clouds of colorful gas with hundreds of planets shrouded within. Although she marveled at these spectacular sights, she feared venturing too far and tried to slow herself, but to no avail. A mysterious force held her firmly, and her velocity increased as she soared past a vast array of celestial bodies.

  She slowed to a steady drift, and her wonder mixed with terror. She gazed in awe upon a gargantuan blazing sphere millions of times greater than the largest planet. Bursts of fire, capable of consuming entire worlds, erupted across its surface, sending flames streaming into the Abyss.

  Aiyana tried to turn back, to return to her physical form, but the power drawing her in was absolute. The force pulled her into the barrier, engulfing her in fire; yet, to her surprise, she felt no pain. The swirling inferno filled her vision, creating an apocalyptic display of raging intensity. Faces of flaming energy emerged, circling her, crying out in woe. She pitied these forsaken beings but could do as little for them as they could for her.

  Finally, Aiyana was pulled through and found herself floating toward thousands of broken pieces of land covered in fissures and scorched craters. They drifted together, held by an unseen force at the center of their orbit. She drew closer, discerning that each section was unique. Whether flaming, forested, frozen, or of some other terrain, they were fragments of many different worlds, destroyed by a great cataclysm.

  Did these planets explode from within? By the Divine, these worlds were torn apart. Shattered by an unimaginable war. This is the Infernal Realm! How can I possibly be here?

  She glided between ruined landscapes once teeming with countless demons and devils, each bathed in the light emanating from the all-encompassing barrier of fire. Aiyana was being pulled toward the broken remnant of a continent made of gleaming red stone. Hundreds of volcanoes erupted sporadically, and the outlines of vast demonic cities were carved into its surface.

  The center of the landmass split open, revealing a chasm the size of a small country. Within its depths, two bulbous white eyes filled with swirling black clouds stared out. As Aiyana was pulled in, its enormous mouth opened, revealing long needle-like fangs that gleamed in the fiery light. She panicked, frantically fighting against this thing’s power with everything she had.

  Its mouth widened, and Aiyana knew she was about to be swallowed by this wretched abomination. She feared it planned to separate her mind and body, leaving her consciousness trapped without the possibility of death to release her.

  In the moment of her deepest despair, a blinding beam of light pierced the Infernal barrier and barreled into the monster. It roared as it recoiled, and the surrounding continent trembled with its pain and fury. The horrifying being retreated into the darkness, and the chasm sealed behind it.

  With her freedom restored, Aiyana’s astral form flew like a meteor through the hole created in the fiery barrier, and she soared into the Abyss. She could feel the intense pull of her physical self, drawing her mind back into her captive body.

  Aiyana slowly opened her eyes, vowing to remain in her body as innumerable questions raced through her mind. A sudden dread crept along her spine—she sensed a life growing inside her. With intense concentration, she focused her mind’s eye inward until she saw a child.

  It was a boy, small and fragile. Tiny horns sprouted from his forehead, and Aiyana realized he was a Nephalem. Her vision traveled through his flesh, and she beheld his soul. It existed in two halves, precisely as the stories told—the embodiment of good and evil. However, a portion of the dark smoke was also within him. It had joined with the evil half of the child’s spirit, strengthening it. Shadowy tendrils reached out, attempting to desecrate what was pure.

  Nephalem were tormented beings due to their spiritual duality, cursed with eternal conflict by the division within them. Yet the darkness worked to corrupt the child in his entirety.

  My mind was drawn away so my consciousness would have been trapped in the Infernal Realm. I would’ve been unable to stop or even realize what was happening within my body.

  Aiyana had only one recourse that she could use in the fight to protect his future. She concentrated on channeling her soul’s essence to her child, much like she had done with her weapons on the battlefield. She successfully sent a portion of her spirit to the uncorrupted half of her son, and to her surprise, the two energies united and strengthened one another. Together, they formed a shell of spiritual energy that encapsulated the dark half of his soul.

  She gazed upon the beautiful sphere of light that embodied their union. Yet, Aiyana felt the raging darkness within battling to break free. It was a malevolent force she feared could someday grow to blacken skies and bring civilizations to ruin.

  As time passed, Aiyana remained determined to claim her child as her own. Whenever she sensed the malignant corruption beginning to escape, she infused more of her essence into him. This was how the boy developed, caught in an inner conflict between the darkness and the light, until the time came when he was ready to enter the world.

  Aiyana experienced a popping sensation, followed by a gush of warm fluid flowing from her. Somehow knowing the time had come, the hag appeared alongside another of its kind dragging a stone basin. This new hag was slightly taller and thinner than the first. It smiled widely, revealing a mouth full of sharp yellow teeth sporadically positioned in its gums, leaving gaps that allowed its tongue to wiggle through.

  The hags pulled the shackles off Aiyana’s ankles with little effort. They tossed the restraints over their shoulders, and the steel turned to puffs of smoke as they hit the cavern floor.

  The pain increased dramatically as spasms rippled across Aiyana’s abdomen. The pressure was so intense she felt like something was crushing her from within. Periodically, the child’s horns scraped against her womb, lacerating and puncturing through. She bled immensely, and a dark red pool expanded beneath her.

  Aiyana bled far more than any Enochian could hope to survive. As her heartbeat slowed and vision blurred, she slipped into darkness. But the black smoke inside her body kept her alive, and the potions the hags forced upon her renewed her strength.

  Hour after hour, the pain built until it was blinding. Aiyana wondered if the potions enhanced her suffering, for she could not imagine anything natural causing this much agony. Delirium took her, and she screamed as the room spun.

  Finally, they tore the child from her, and the chamber was filled with the echoing cries of a healthy baby boy. The fanged hag placed the umbilical cord in its mouth and bit down, severing it. They carried the child to the basin and began cleaning him. Aiyana lay her head back as the entirety of her body shuddered and convulsed. She tried focusing on slow deep breaths as the dark force within mended her shredded flesh and reassembled her broken pelvis.

  The hags removed the shackles from her wrists, and with hideously twisted grins, they presented Aiyana with her son. Her heart swelled as she carefully took him in her arms. He was the largest baby she had ever seen, and she briefly struggled to hold him in her weakened state. The child gazed up at his mother, and although he had aspects of the Infernal form, he also had the golden eyes of an Enochian. She looked upon him and instantly fell in love.

  His light chestnut skin was a departure from the gray tinge Nephalems had in the depictions. Little black horns, almost the length of her finger, grew from his forehead. She smiled, thinking they were cute but every bit as painful as they appeared.

  Aiyana surveyed the chamber, but the hags were gone. They had taken everything except a jar of the mysterious red potion and a lone candle flickering at the tunnel’s entrance.

  She had no desire to venture into the dark, deciding to hold her son in the candle’s dim light. With each passing moment, Aiyana found herself unable to look away from him. She drank the remaining potion, hating it and distrustful, but she knew he would need her strength.

  Inevitably, the candle dwindled, forcing her to leave. She struggled to her feet and limped down the tunnel in her shredded, blood-stained tunic. As she neared the mouth of the cave, she noticed her sword and shield propped against the wall.

  Aiyana came to a sudden stop, her heart racing upon seeing a massive figure blocking the tunnel’s entrance. It was the archdevil, standing menacingly with a giant broadsword in hand. The fear of losing her child was overwhelming, and she moved cautiously toward her weapons, preparing herself for a fight to the death. She vowed that no matter what happened, he would not have her son.

  But the archdevil simply stood there, observing them. He raised the greatsword and pointed it at Aiyana before plunging the blade into the stone floor.

  “For the child,” he said.

  Aiyana held her son tightly and glared.

  “He will never be yours, and I will raise him to hate you,” she said with a venom crafted from a lifetime of violence and pain.

  “I welcome his hatred, and yours,” he sneered.

  The archdevil beckoned to something unseen. Aiyana dropped to one knee as the remaining dark essence forced its way out of her body and flowed smoothly into his, replacing his devilish yellow eyes with billowing smoke.

  “That was quite the trick—giving a portion of your soul to protect the boy,” the monster said with a fiendish smile. “It is surprising that until now, no Enochian had tried this.”

  His voice was different. It shook the cavern walls, becoming more menacing and hate-filled than a moment ago. He watched his hands open and close, as if he had forgotten his own body. He then returned his blackened stare to the paladin.

  “We had hoped to create a Nephalem who wouldn’t fall into madness, a servant drawn to one side over the other. Ironically, we got our wish. If you want this child so badly, take him. Then we shall see what becomes of our boy as you raise him amongst the feral creatures of the Abyss. Just remember, I will always be with him.”

  The Archdevil grinned as he turned his back on them. He punctured reality with his claws, and his muscles bulged as he laboriously forced open a portal and stepped through. The tear sealed, leaving them stranded in this cruel world. Yet a profound sense of relief overcame her; the fear of her child being stolen had departed with that devil.

  Aiyana held her son close and kissed his forehead. She had chosen his name, inspired by an Enochian word not used for generations.

  “Courage born from hope. Your name is Vandaris.”