A World Like That

Chapter XXXVI

-Ariel-

At first, everything was dark and the air grew cold. He couldn't see where he was going, but wind whipped past him, seeming to suck him further down into Earth's core. He didn't know how far into Hell he had to get before it'd be enough to save Dante, or how far he could go before he died. The terrifying thought that he could die before saving Dante flooded his mind. If that happened, they'd both be dead and their effort would be for nothing.

He saw a faint blue light ahead. As he approached, he could make out that he was in an immense open space lit by pale blue. Something flew by his head, startling him with a sudden ghastly wail. He began to hear groans and utterances all around him. Something else floated in front of him, and he saw a face contorted in anguish. A low, agonizing sound came from the soul's lips. Terror seized him and he shut his eyes and tried in vain to block out the noises around him. This was his fate. He was going to die and end up back in this space, tormented and drifting endlessly with these other lost souls in Purgatory.

He felt a change in the air and opened his eyes. The air was warmer and he could smell smoke. Ahead of him, the blue was fading and a subtle orange took its place. The air grew thicker and he struggled to breathe as the smell of smoke became stronger. As the orange light ahead grew brighter, he squeezed one of Dante's wrists, hoping for any sign of life from him. He didn't want to be alone in this desolate, horrifying place. He desperately wished that he could see Dante's eyes and hear one last word from him so that he could go into death with peace.

A sob tore through his throat when there was no movement from Dante. He was going to have to face this alone. The orange light and heat grew so intense that he almost lost consciousness. He focused all his strength on flying forward. 

Without warning, the space opened up into a large chamber lit by fire. Flames danced along the edges and lava oozed from the ceiling and down the walls of the chamber. A thick black substance flowed through the floor of the chamber and the area was littered with bones.

He didn't want anything to do with the horrors in front of him, but he had to land. It was then that he noticed several demons present in the chamber, all who were staring at him in disbelief. One of the demons whispered to another, who promptly flew off, heading deeper into Hell.

His thoughts were racing. He was here, in Hell, and he wasn't dead yet. He didn't know why. He carefully slid Dante from his back onto the rocky floor. Kneeling beside him, he leaned over Dante to check on him. He felt Dante's breath on his face. It seemed less labored now, and he noticed the black in Dante's veins wasn't as visible as before. When he pulled one of the bandages on Dante's wings down, he saw the holes in Dante's wings were smaller. Maybe it was his imagination, but Dante looked better. He lifted one of Dante's eyelids and found that his eye was darker, more of a grey color instead of white.

In that instant, every hair on his body suddenly stood on end, and he felt an oppressive sense of fear and dread. Something pure evil had entered the chamber.

"Well, well, well," a voice boomed.

Nausea flooded his body and he almost threw up. The voice was the most unsettling thing he'd ever heard. It was as if several people were talking in unison, their voices all at different pitches.

He threw himself to the ground, covering his head with his arms. This is why he hadn't died yet. God had been wrong. He wasn't going to burn; he was going to be killed by Lucifer himself.

"Ariel. Look at me."

The last thing he wanted to do was look. There was nothing that could prepare him for the sight that met his eyes as he slowly lifted himself off the ground. The being in front of him was far bigger than any angel or demon. It had a man's body, but the skin was bright red and mottled with black, as if the actual flesh had burned away. There were hooves in place of feet and twisted horns protruding from its head. The worst part was the eyes. They weren't solid pools of black like Dante's. A dark red radiated out from the center, almost as if it were glowing.

"I never thought I'd see the day when an angel entered hell. Voluntarily, no less."

His breaths were coming faster, but he managed to find his voice. "I had to save Dante."

"My useless son is worth the life of an angel?" Lucifer's sinister laugh echoed in the chamber.

"He's not useless!" he shouted, and then caught himself. Talking back to the Devil would only make things worse.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Tell me more. You can speak freely here."

He looked around the chamber at the audience of demons that had gathered. Dante's friends were among the crowd, and Lilith was looking towards him with concern. Shax was open mouthed, staring at him like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Dante's life is worth just as much as mine," he continued, his voice shaking. "He has a good soul."

"And you think being good is a useful trait down here? It's Dante's biggest weakness and the reason we don't want him."

"Why don't you care about him? He's your son!"

"You naïve creature," Lucifer chuckled. "I don't care about anyone."

Dread swept through him again. He was going to die here, and he wasn't sure Dante would be any better off.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked, his voice quiet. "Or are they going to do it?" He glanced at the demons lining the chamber, their sea of black eyes almost as unnerving as Lucifer's presence.

Before Lucifer could answer, he felt an arm wrap around his chest.

"No one is going to harm him."

Dante.

He twisted, and it was indeed Dante. He was sitting up with one arm hooked around Ariel's chest. He looked weak and his eyes were still grey, but he was glaring at Lucifer. 

Dante's expression softened as he turned and met his eyes. "Ari, what are you doing here?"

"You were going to die. I had to save you."

"Fortunately for you two, no one is going to die. Not today at least," Lucifer said.

They both looked over at him.

"What do you mean?" Dante asked. "Is Ariel trapped down here now? What's going on?"

"You'll have to ask God for specifics," Lucifer replied. "But the curse is broken. Ariel will live and your health will return."

"But how?"

"Something about love," Lucifer said, waving his hand in the air dismissively. "I can't explain it."

Ariel grabbed Dante's hand and squeezed it. He didn't understand, but if Lucifer were to be believed, they were going to be okay. When Dante glanced over at him, he noticed something strange about Dante's eyes. They were growing darker again, but only in the center. The edges had gone back to white.

"Your eyes," he whispered.

"What about them?"

"They're changing. Can you still see?"

Dante nodded. "Almost as if I had never gone blind."

Lucifer cleared his throat. "You two have caused enough of a spectacle. Dantalion, you no longer have a place here and I suggest you take Ariel and leave."

Ariel held Dante's arm as he struggled to get to his feet. Azazel stepped forward to support Dante's other arm.

"I can't say I'll miss it here, or that I'll miss you," Dante said, his gaze as cold as Lucifer's as he looked at his father one last time.

"Goodbye, Dantalion," Lucifer replied, and then turned and left the chamber.

Dante's friends gathered around them, and he was surprised when they all took turns hugging Dante. He assumed demons didn't usually hug one another, but the possibility that Dante may never see them again must have been enough to change that.

Once Dante said his goodbyes, he turned to Ariel and held out his hand. "Ready?"

He took it. "With you, I'm ready for anything."