Chapter 2 Shadows In The Dark

The city never slept. While its streets groaned with life, its bubbling waters concealed something sinister. Among the throng was Alex Mercer, his hood drawn down against the madding throng, a lightburning glitter in his eyes under its cover. With each step, he could hear that faint pulse, mindless but oh-so-sickly, pulsing at the edge of his thoughts, guiding him to his next victim. It had only been a week since he had an encounter with a demon, and the memories had yet to fade. The fighting had been brutal, but the aftermath was even more brutal. The joy he'd experienced as the demon ash poured from the chimney had him doubting the very humanity of his soul. Was this what Lucifer wanted? To turn him into a monster? Alex dismissed that notion and focused on the task at hand. It had been building in his head, leading him to an abandoned apartment building just outside the city limits. Its windows were smashed, its walls were smeared with graffiti, and it reeked of rot. The atmosphere surrounding it was thick, stifling, as if the building itself contained a soul. He stopped at the opening, hand hovering over the door. Inside were faint whispers of something unholy, freezing him to the bone. So Alex balled his fists and mustered the strength to go in. As soon as he walked in, the murmuring became whispering. Louder, clearer. These noises were not words but guttural explosions, a language that scraped against the edges of his sanity. The interior was worse than he’d imagined. As for me, I definitely apply not to have strange markings, symbols that seemed to twist and writhe, and his gaze. There were piles of debris all over the floor and an overwhelming smell of rot. Alexus, known for her edge, was cautious and listened to every sound. It was an internal detonation at this point, near deafening, the hammering inside his skull a zealous drumming into the belly of the building. He found where the noise was coming from on the second floor. The only light in the room came from several candles arranged in a ragged circle on the floor. In the center of the circle stood a figure turned away from Alex. It had humanoid features, but was on the wrong scale. It had long arms and a sharply curved spine, and its skin was a pale, sickly gray. “You’re not meant to be here,” rasped the creature, its voice humming in an unnatural way. It spun slowly until it faced him, an entity that was more beast than man. Its eyes were a coals of molten gold, and its mouth was a savage riptide of teeth. “This is sacred ground.” Hellfire ran down Alex’s fists as he stepped forward. “Sacred? Looks like a dump to me.” It grinned, the demon's body actually twitching, as if it was struggling to maintain a solid image. “You reek of him. The Morning Star. Why would he send you? ” “Guess you got on his bad side,” Alex said, his voice steady with terror mixed up inside his ribs. “We can do this the easy way, or … Just before he’d finished, the demon charged, slashing its claws through the air. Alex ducked as flames flew from his hands. He swung back, the hellfire incinerating the flesh of the demon. It screamed, a sound that rattled the windows and left Alex’s spine prickling. The fight was chaos, a blur of flame and dark. The demon was fast, its motion chaotic, Dad. It darted around the room, using the dark to its advantage. But Alex had learned from his first one. Those shadows bending to his will, his focus. He drew the shadows around him to darken the room still further and enveloped himself in their embrace. The demon surveyed the room with its fiery orbs. “What are you?” It hissed. Alex didn’t answer. He slunk silently in the dark, striking from the dark. The last remnants of the demon’s defenses were burned away by the hellfire, each blow growing sharper and more precise. The creature’s movements slowed, its shape flickering like a dying flame. “You will not win,” it growled, its voice rising in desperation. “All you are is a piece on his chessboard.” Alex hesitated, those words hitting harder than he expected. Taking advantage of his brief moment of hesitation, the demon sprang at him, savage and wild. They collided, bursting through the wall and tumbling into the hallway. The wind knocked out of him on impact, “Ugh! ” The demon loomed over him, talons bared, poised to rip. But in a desperate attempt, Alex summoned all the hellfire he could stuff into the TV. As soon as he made contact with the demon, flames burst out from his body and set the demon afire. It howled as its body burst into embers. When the flames calmed, it was just Alex standing, his chest heaving and his body vibrating from the effort. The cool night air was refreshing when he stumbled out of the building. The city was hauntingly silent; the roads are still. Alex was leaning against a lamppost, his head spinning. The demon’s words still rang in his ears: You’re just a pawn in his game. Was that true? Was he just a piece in Lucifer’s game? The thought turned his stomach. He’d signed a deal with the devil to escape eternal torment, but at what cost? With every battle, every kill, he seemed to lose a piece of his humanity. How much of himself would be left when this was over? Just when he was caught deep in thought, a voice interrupted him. “Rough night? ” Alex spun wildly, his fists lighting on fire instinctively. A woman stood nearby with her hands raised in surrender. She was lean and angular, with high cheekbones and memorable green eyes. A no-nonsense note was provided by her black leather jacket and combat boots. “Who are you? ” Alex waved his hands, flickering flames erupting from them as he answered the questions. “Relax,” she replied, in a measured voice. “Name’s Evelyn. I’ve been watching you.” “Watching me? ” Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Why?” “Because you’re not the only one chasing demons,” she said. “But you’re probably the most interesting.” Alex didn’t lower his guard. “What do you want?” “Right now? ” Evelyn stepped closer, fixing her stare on him. “To help. You’re in way over your head, and you don’t even know it.” “I’m doing good,” Alex said, though the fatigue in his voice betrayed him. Evelyn smirked. “Sure you are. That’s why you’re standing here looking like you just walked out of hell.” She paused and got real with me. “Look, I don’t know what deal you made, and you should know this: Lucifer doesn’t give without taking. You need somebody who knows the game.’ Alex hesitated. He didn’t believe her; still, she wasn’t lying. It was deep water for him, and the idea of a partner was appealing. “Fine,” he said finally. “But if you do anything, you will be sorry.” Evelyn’s smirk returned. “Fair enough. Let’s get to work.” Walking the city, Evelyn began to narrate. She was part of an ancient order, a group committed to maintaining the balance of good and evil. They had been following the rise in demonic activity and had seen Alex involved. “You are not the first pawn Lucifer has deployed in his schemes,” she said. Except you may be the first with an opportunity to break free.” “Break free? ” Alex inquired with the enthusiasm of a toddler. Evelyn nodded. “There’s a pathway to finish the transaction. How to escape without losing your soul, but it’s not easy.” “What’s the catch? ” “The trick is to hang on long enough to find out,” she said. “Lucifer’s not going to just let you walk free without some sort of fight.” Alex considered her words, and an ember of hope exploded in his chest. Maybe there was a way out of this nightmare. But for now, he had some work to do. The hunt would continue with Evelyn by his side; he might actually stand a chance. Their steps rang in the empty streets, and the shadows of the city loomed a little less on their walk. Alex didn’t know when tomorrow came what it would hold, but he knew that for the first time since he died, there was flickering something he hadn’t felt in a long time: hope.