Episode-35: Escape into Hell

Date: November 26, 3008
Time: 19:20
Location: GPS Error

~Damiver~

Felix’s body was still, quiet and unmoving as it lied over Maldran’s corpse like a blanket. The screams of anguish still reverberated off of the metal walls of the confinement, each rebound driving the metal stake further into his heart. Damiver looked up with his dark eyes, focusing intently upon the door, the threshold into the world. But that world was not what it seemed to be. The happiness and joy was just an illusion, covering up the chaotic actuality. There were no happy endings.

The darkness was unbearable; he could almost feel it sinking into his skin. Damiver sighed deeply and dropped his head. His thoughts were growing increasingly morbid. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the notion of never seeing the light of day again, never smelling the crisp leaves of Henesys again, never running his hands through Nova’s sweet hair again pushed its way to the front. Damiver wasn’t prepared to accept it, but knew he must.

“Guys,” he said, trying as hard as he could not to break down, “We have to face the facts.” He looked around at Naz, Mikhail, Russ, and Felix’s eyes that were all focused on his, “There is a strong possibility that we will not make it out of here.”

“Bullsh**,” Felix muttered under his breath. His eyes returned to Maldran’s closed eyelids. The glint of fire still burned in his pupils.

“The next time they walk through those doors might be the last thing we ever see,” Damiver continued, ignoring Felix’s retort.

“No,” Naz suddenly said as he raised his head. Damiver’s eyes whipped across the row to the Shadow Templar. There were no tear streaks or lines upon his face. “No, the next time they walk through those doors, it will be the last thing they see.” He gave a sly wink.

Then, as if they had heard Naz’s statement, the door handle swung down, opening the door. The dark prison was suddenly flooded with a pale yellow light as three figures stood towering in the doorframe. All of a sudden, the pale artificial lights were extinguished, the prison a void once more. Three separate screams echoed off of the walls, then silence ensued once more. Damiver breathed in deep and hard.

“Hey,” a voice suddenly protruded out of the blackness, “Come on.” Damiver tried to stand up, and somehow, his bounds were cut. The ropes slid off of his wrists like a dead snake, defeated and decaying. Then, someone bumped into him.

“Come on,” Mikhail’s voice reached Damiver’s ears, “Felix he’s gone. We have to leave him.”

“Leave him?! Hell no! Maldran doesn’t deserve to have this hellhole as a final resting place!” Felix burst out uncontrollably.

“Don’t worry, Mikhail replied calmly in a fatherly tone, “We’ll make this the most glorious tomb a man could ever have. I swear.”

The blackness faded, and Damiver found himself staring into a long dimly lit hallway. Three lifeless bodies lied motionless on the floor, their eyes facing straight forwards unseeingly. He stepped over the corpses into the corridor. “What the hell happened?”

Naz chuckled surprisingly, “I don’t know, but a few hours ago, I felt my mental potency spike exponentially. I just needed a chance to test it out.” He walked forwards to join Damiver, who noticed that Naz seemed to be floating just as Lily had.

“What do we do now?” Felix asked bitterly as he finally left the prison.

“First, we find Lily and correct whatever the hell is wrong with her,” Naz replied, looking at Mikhail who nodded in agreement. “Then, we find Nova and split.”

They made their way through the dimly lit halls, led by Naz’s unknown guide. The Shadow Templar had a magnificent grace to him; he looked angelic even in the corrupt, yellow light. The fallen angel.

Damiver looked down at his hands. He felt naked without the steel handle of a weapon nestled in his fingers. There was a certain longing in his mind of the kickback of a S-16 Scarab Assault Rifle, or the ear piercing ringing of each bullet as they seared through the air into his enemies.

Suddenly, Naz deftly and silently sprang against the wall. Damiver crouched down behind him, his ears pricking up as two sets of voices strolled down from around the corner. From the sounds of their heavy boots clanging clumsily on the metal floor, Damiver could tell they were Fenris’ guards.

Naz gave a warning look to stay back and then he dashed forwards. Immediately, everything went black just as it had back in the cell. There were two screams followed by two identical thuds. The shadows cleared again and Damiver peeked around the corner. The guards were on the floor, still, and Naz was walking back with two S-16 Scarabs in his hands. Tossing one to Mikhail and the other to Damiver, he whipped around once more, leaving Damiver confused as ever.

“Hey,” Damiver exclaimed as he hurried to catch up to the Shadow Templar, “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” Naz replied as he continued to stroll forwards, “My mind just started to do that. What ever that black veil is, I don’t know, but it works, so I have no problem with it. If there are any repercussions, then I’ll say I’m probably…” he trailed off, his eyes fixated on something dead ahead.

Damiver’s glance followed and he found himself looking at a single, plain door at the end of the hallway. It had to be significant, for Naz’s breath suddenly became short and jagged. “Lily’s in there,” he whispered to himself under his breath.

“How do you know?” Mikhail asked concernedly as he made his way towards Naz.

“I… I just know.”

“So what do we do know?” Felix asked uncertainly, his eyes glancing from Naz to the door and back, “Maybe we should think of a plan, maybe surprise…”

All of a sudden, before Felix could finish his sentence, Naz dashed forwards and drop kicked the door. The metal rectangle crashed to the floor with a deafening ring, revealing a circular room filled with computer monitors and other beeping machines. As Damiver watched in amazement, each man that rose to draw weapons suddenly seized in mid-motion. Their eyes all formed the same expression of shock and then, they were gone, thudding onto the floor, lifeless. The room was empty now, save one.

Lily strode forwards, her white cloak billowing in an unknown wind. Her beauty was evident even in the dark room as her white hair cascaded down the sides of her head like breathtaking waterfalls. A pair of silver irises stared into Naz’s eyes with hate and fury. Her katanas hung loosely in their sheathes at her side. Damiver could see her fingers flexing, dying to be reunited with those oh so familiar hilts.

“Lily, remember who you are,” Naz stated firmly, “You’re not one of them. You’re better than that. You’re a Shadow Templar, not a Shadow Ancient. You don’t belong here.”

“Don’t,” Lily muttered coldly, her eyes still fixated upon Naz.

“There’s nothing for you here except torture. You’re on the dark side. Come back home with us, Lily. You can’t stay here.”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT I CAN OR CANNOT DO!” Lily suddenly screamed. Damiver stumbled backwards, winded by her piercing shriek. His brain was throbbing in agony. When his eyes focused again, he realized Lily was pointing both of her katanas at Naz’ throat.

“Whatever Fenris did to you, you can fight it,” Naz replied, his voice calm and unwavering.

“Fenris opened my eyes,” Lily fumed, the tips of her blades starting to shake, “I realized things that I’ve never seen before. It’s you, you and Mikhail that are the enemies. Fenris is the hero in this story. You two are just impediments to his plan.”

Naz scoffed, “Is that what you really think?”

“Who are you to question Fenris?” Her voice was rising again.

“Look, would I be stupid enough to stand against you unarmed if I was wrong?” Naz shot back.

Then, she was a blur. Lily did not even bother with a verbal answer. The next moment, Lily’s twin blades were dug deep into a machine in the back of the room. The computer exploded in a shower of sparks as Lily twisted her katanas out and faced Naz again, who had moved inhumanly fast to dodge the strike.

“Lily, you know I’m right,” Naz said, still calm and controlled.

She lunged forwards again, but her blades only destroyed another computer monitor. Shrieking in rage, she whipped it around, sending the broken screen to pieces on the wall.

“Lily, I don’t want to hurt you,” Naz muttered, his eyes never leaving Lily’s.

Lily feigned left and slashed out to the right, but somehow, Naz had gotten past her again. Damiver was suddenly thankful that Naz had obtained these newfound powers. The gods must be on their side.

“Lily, please,” Naz seemed to plead, but she swung out again, bringing an entire row of computer monitors crashing into the ground. Then, in a sudden blur of black, Damiver heard a muffled scream, and Naz was suddenly on top of Lily on the floor.

“Get off of me,” Lily spat, and Damiver saw her trying to push Naz off, yet he held fast, his strength easily overcoming hers.

“Lily, please try to remember,” Naz whispered, though his eyes glared into Lily’s soul.

“Get off of me now!” She screamed. One hand managed to get loose and Damiver heard a loud smack as she backhanded Naz on the cheek. The next moment, Naz was pressing both of her hands to the ground with his own, forming an inescapable grasp.

“Lily shut the hell up,” Naz muttered quietly.

“Go to hell, Naz…”

And then he kissed her. Damiver’s eyes dilated in distress as the two Shadow Templars were suddenly entwined in such an act. Naz’s eyes were closed, and Lily’s silver irises seemed to be returning to their original color. As Damiver looked on, her shocked face seemed to relax, and then she closed her eyes. It took him a moment to realize the feeling, but Damiver was suddenly hit with a blow of jealousy. No matter how strange and twisted this looked, images still managed to creep into his mind, images concerning Nova.

After what seemed like an eternity, their lips separated, but remained close together. “Remember now?” Naz whispered.

“I…” Lily stuttered. It didn’t take a telepath to know Lily’s heart was fluttering uncontrollably, “I… remember… Didn’t know you felt that way… about me.”

Naz smiled warmly, flashing his row of perfectly white teeth. Damiver suddenly felt ashamed of himself.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Lily smiled and Naz pulled her to her feet. Together, they strolled down the hallway which seemed exponentially brighter than before. Damiver saw Mikhail and Russ’s faces explode in happiness, and wished he could have done the same, but nothing could bring him back except for Nova. Where ever she was, Damiver wanted to be there, needed to be there.

A blast of wind lashed out at his face as Lily blew the front doors open. Then, the clash of thunder confirmed his worst fear. The streets in front of him were flooded as rain continued to pound down onto the world. The musty skyline was veiled by pitch black storm clouds that lingered so low, Damiver felt that he could reach out and touch them. Another flash of lightning revealed the disfigured bodies that floated down the street, and Damiver realized the flood was stained a defiled black.