Later that night, Rafa lay restless in his bed, the weight of the day’s events still lingering in his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to will himself to rest until, finally his eyelids grew heavy. The gentle hum of the night lulled him further into its embrace, and he slowly began to succumb to sleep.

  His breathing slowed, and the edges of his consciousness began to blur. His body sank deeper into the softness of his bed, and just as he thought he might find comfort in the stillness, something shifted. The darkness around him thickened, its presence slowly creeping in, pulling him under. He could no longer tell where his dreams ended and reality began.

  A chill swept over him, and the familiar warmth of his room faded into an oppressive cold. The air grew dense, almost suffocating. His heart began to race as shadows twisted and lengthened, stretching across the room like creeping tendrils.

  Before he could react, the world around him dissolved, and Rafa found himself standing in an endless void—a place where time and space no longer seemed to exist. The oppressive silence pressed against his ears, muffling even his breath. Panic surged through him, but his limbs felt heavy, sluggish as if the very air weighed him down.

  The darkness closed in around him, suffocating him, rendering his eyes useless, and as he reached out in desperation, he was left questioning the very essence of his being. The air grew colder with each passing second, sending an uncomfortable chill through his skin. Silence, deafening and absolute, consumed the space, leaving him disoriented and unsure of where he stood.

  Then, a faint flicker of light appeared on the horizon, its glow barely breaking through the overwhelming gloom. Shadows twisted and danced like sinister figures across the floor, and the light, though small, promised something more. As it grew brighter, Rafa’s breath caught in his throat—the very sky seemed to split apart. The clouds twisted into shades of deep purple and fiery red, and from within, monstrous figures slowly took shape.

  Countless demons emerged from the long shadows, their bodies stretching across a barren, desolate landscape. The air grew thick with despair, pressing down on him with a force so suffocating that Rafa’s mind reeled with confusion—was this a dream? Or something worse? He thought.

  The demons turned their gaze toward the light, their eyes burning with hunger as they erupted into a frenzy. Some of them crawled on all fours like wild beasts, while others flapped their leathery wings, shrieking in a chorus that echoed through the desolation. They charged toward the light, trampling one another in a mad scramble, crushing anything in their path.

  As they drew closer, a thunderous roar reverberated through the air. The clouds above trembled, and the demons that had once soared through the skies fell to the earth like shattered glass, crashing into the ground with bone-rattling force. Rafa felt a crushing weight in his chest as if his very soul was bound by invisible chains. Yet, the light remained, growing brighter, its presence more powerful with each passing moment.

  Then, a figure descended from above, a massive silhouette that blotted out the faint glow. It landed with a force that shook the ground beneath Rafa’s feet. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and as the figure rose to its full height, the light revealed its true form—a towering demon with cruel, menacing horns and a tail that lashed with malicious intent.

  The air thickened, suffocating, and oppressive, as the demon’s presence bore down on Rafa like an invisible weight. A cruel smile twisted across the demon's face, eyes gleaming with malice as he fixed his gaze on the horde of demons before him. His voice, smooth and dripping with venom, slithered into Rafa’s ears, sending a chill deep into his bones.

  “It’s been far too long,” the demon purred, his tone drenched in dark amusement. “I am Belial. The sovereign ruler… over all of you.”

  The grin that spread across his face was like a predator toying with its prey. His tail lashed the ground with a force that made the very earth tremble, each movement a reminder of the destruction he could unleash. He reveled in the fear that rippled through the air, his power palpable as he savored every moment of his dominance.

  The demons shrieked in abject terror, their knees buckling as they were crushed under the weight of Belial’s presence. They cowered, trembling, unable to even lift their heads, their minds consumed by the sheer terror radiating from their ruler. But one, foolish and brimming with arrogance, dared to defy him.

  With a defiant roar that echoed through the desolate landscape, the creature rose from the ground. Its form was a grotesque mockery of nature—an ox’s head, a bear’s massive body, and the rippling arms of a tiger, each part twisted into a nightmarish whole.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Belial’s eyes narrowed, a cruel amusement dancing in them. “How precious,” he whispered, his voice dripping with disdain, as he looked upon the challenger with barely contained malice. He beckoned the demon closer, his finger curling as if to invite it to compete for power.

  The challenger roared, unleashing a ferocious blast of fiery breath from its nostrils, the flames licking at the air with a violent, consuming heat. Its nose ring glowed, an eerie light pulsing from it, signaling the creature’s full intent to strike. With the speed of a predator, it lunged at Belial, its massive form cutting through the air like a living weapon.

  But Belial, with a bored flick of his wrist, summoned the earth itself to obey him. The ground beneath them cracked open with a sickening groan, and from the fissure, a massive demonic hand shot forth, blackened fingers curling around the challenger like chains forged in hell. The earth trembled violently as the demon was yanked downward, its shrill cries drowned in the sound of bones breaking. Blood erupted in all directions, splattering against the earth like a grotesque rain.

  Belial’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as he let out a deep, almost leisurely burp, relishing the chaos. “So delicious,” he purred, his voice smooth with dark satisfaction. His smile then twisted into something darker, his eyes scanning the seemingly endless horde of demons. “Anyone else?” he sneered.

  While the majority of the Demons remained sprawled on the ground, unable to rise, a few defied the odds. They staggered to their feet, their numbers gradually multiplying, first into the tens, then swelling rapidly into the hundreds. And in a heartbeat, as if moved by an unseen force, they all sank to their knees in unison, their heads bowed in absolute reverence before Belial.

  “Excellent,” he purred, pleased. His hand lifted again, and with a flick of his fingers, the remaining demons who couldn't stand at all, were crushed under an invisible weight. Bones cracked and screams echoed as the pressure mounted, snapping them like fragile twigs.

  Rafa could scarcely believe what he was witnessing. Was this hell? His thoughts churned in a whirl of disbelief. The question lingered in his mind—if he hadn’t stood up, would he have been crushed as well?

  His heart thundered in his chest, and his every instinct screamed for him to run. But fear held him rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the weight of the nightmare unfolding before him. He dared not make a sound, praying that Belial’s attention would remain elsewhere.

  As if on cue, Belial turned toward the light that had begun to pulse and flicker with an unnatural intensity. His gaze fixed on the shimmering portal, and through it, he saw a laboratory—one where a scientist toiled away, seemingly performing intricate procedures on a patient.

  "Okay, it's time to close you up now." Spoke the scientist as he loomed over the light from the other side.

  Belial’s grin turned sinister as he reached out and, with a swift motion, seized the scientist by the throat. “You will do no such thing!” Belial roared, yanking him through the light’s portal.

  The scientist’s eyes widened in horror as he found himself in a landscape of nightmares, the reality of his situation sinking in. But in that fleeting moment of chaos, he caught sight of Rafa—a shadowy figure in the distance, a flicker of confusion on his face. Before the scientist could process what was happening, Belial hurled him back through the portal, and in the chaos of the moment, he slammed the back of his head against a nearby wall with a sickening thud, instantly knocking him unconscious.

  Turning back to his demons, Belial’s grin grew wider. “This is my realm, and no one will escape before me! Understood?”

  No one questioned him. But as he confidently stepped toward the portal, reaching out to touch it once more, a sudden force materialized, engulfing him in a surge of energy. A powerful zap then propelled him forcefully backward, staggering him in astonishment. "What… is this?!" he hissed, his voice laced with disbelief and growing rage. “Who dares to challenge me like this?!”

  As Belial's body crackled with burns, he regained his composure. The thought of someone casting a spell crossed his mind. "But who?!" he demanded, striding purposefully towards the portal.

  Peering inside once more, Belial felt an unexpected surge of energy ripple through him as the light source pulsed, flickering wildly with an intensity that almost burned his senses. The soft glow, once steady and controlled, now trembled in erratic patterns. To his amazement, the man at the center of the light stirred, his form shifting in the shadows as if coming to life from the very essence of illumination.

  From Belial’s vantage point, a strange connection formed—an unnatural bond—as if he were no longer just observing, but experiencing the world through the man’s eyes. Every detail became sharply defined: the cold, metallic scent of the room, the faintest hum of electricity in the air, the frantic beat of the man’s heart echoing in Belial’s chest.

  With an almost primal force, the man thrust himself off the table, his body trembling with the raw urgency of something far beyond mere survival. His muscles strained, and his breath came in shallow gasps as if every movement cost him everything. Belial could feel the man’s fear—no, not just fear, but a desperate will to live, to resist the oppressive darkness that threatened to consume him.

  In an instant, the man turned. His feet slammed against the floor as he sprinted toward the door, each stride filled with frantic determination. Panic ignited in Belial’s chest, cold and sharp. This was no mere vessel of light; the man was alive—alive and fighting with every ounce of his being against the darkness that sought to claim him. The very air seemed to pulse with his struggle as if the room itself knew this was a battle for something more than life—it was a battle for freedom.

  As the man barreled through the door, Belial’s mind screamed in silence. Stop him! Every instinct screamed that this could be his only chance, that the fragile thread of escape was slipping away with every passing second. He had no time to question why or how, only that the moment was slipping through his grasp, and he might never have a chance like this again.

  Enraged, Belial let out a deafening roar that sent Rafa cowering in fear. Rafa stumbled backward, a cloud of dust swirling around him.

  Belial swiftly turned his head towards Rafa, his eyes filled with fury.

  In a state of sheer terror, Rafa desperately scrabbled backward, his heart pounding in his chest. "Oh shit, c'mon Rafa! Snap out of it!" he pleaded with himself, his voice trembling.

  As Belial pointed in his direction, commanding the other demons to attack, Rafa felt a cold wave of dread wash over him. His heart hammered in his chest, a primal urge rising within him to escape. Frantically, he turned around, his fingers scraping the ground as he struggled to find traction. But it was too late. A powerful grip seized his leg and yanked him forcefully.

  His eyes squeezed shut, overwhelmed by a wave of dread. Then suddenly, he snapped awake in his bed, gasping for breath as his mother tugged at his leg, urging him to wake up.