Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 48: What's behind the door?

I ball my fist to feel my skin, however, I sense numbness caress my skin. I dig my fingers deeper into the palm of my hands, only to find pins and needles pressing into my flesh. Where am I? why can't I feel my body?

My thoughts fly when I suspect my Aether scarping the walls of my skull. The agony hits before the currents fry up every nerve in my being. Heat stings my body and I grit my teeth. Tears escape my eyes as I squeeze them in pain.

"Arhhh!" The bars of my yell echo in the surroundings as I screech.

"Alexis." I hear Asmodeus approach me.

The pain ceases mildly as he pats on my shoulder. My heart drums sluggishly at his sweet tone. Why am I so reassured by his voice? This should not happen!

"It's fine, it will hurt for a while." He speaks.

I woefully lift my lids to the hazy surroundings. Thrusting my palm on the warm stone floor, I rise to my feet. Burnt-cheery essence tickles my nose.

"What is that smell?" I whisper. My eyes narrow, when I take-in the sight before me. The darkness lone gets murkier. The corridor is unending. On the walls; doors are lined up. Each one different from the other.

"Come with me." He seizes my wrist and leads me through the hallway.

"Where are we going?" I reply in irritation. For some mysterious reason, I can't recall arriving in this ancient dingy tunnel.

"We need to find an extremely unique room." He speaks as we stride pass the doors. "It's white in color; it has huge tapestries on the walls, the furnishing is gold and there's a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling."

"What's in the room?" I blurt out the question, an eerie intuition drives me to defy him. Why am I unable to refuse him?

"There's a golden door. As soon as you find it, call out my name, I'll be there."

"What's behind the door?"

Asmodeus doesn't reply. He quickly unlocks a door and scans the room. He repeats the process again, and again; leaving several doors wide open in his wake. He also seems to be in a hurry. As if he had to strike the iron while it is still hot. What's up with him?

"Hey!" I call out after him nevertheless he stays quiet the whole time.

Grimly, I walk silently in the dark corridor. A soft purple light is dispersed over us, although, there is no source of light anywhere in sight. The warmth of the rocks guides me in front of a door. Muddy paint flakes dangle off the panel of the old entrance. The door knob has the dusty green mold over it. Why does this door make me stop in my tracks? Is it the rustic paint? Perhaps, it's the pinewood.

I glance at Asmodeus, who is 3-blocks away, yet again, slamming doors open and shut.

I roll my eyes and prepare to open the door.

As soon as I grip the knob and turn it open, bright dazzling lights greet my face. I step into an imperial looking chamber. From the walls to the minute detail in the frame of the paintings, everything screams royalty. The overhead chandelier glistens the room in dancing stars. The glimmering marble tiled flooring feels like pure milk. Tapestries along the cream-colored walls, depict stories. One of them has a robed man extending this hand towards the sky, a blade of water revolves around his wrist. The other has a woman sitting on a piece of rock. Her eyes have fiery rage in them. Who are these people? Why is every essence displayed on the tapestries except Aether?

I gasp. My gaze travels across the wide golden door; whose colorful diamonds shimmer in the light. It has strange symbols embossed over it. It must be Enochian. Wait! I have seen this before. This is the dream I kept getting for the past few months. The one where I kept opening multiple doors, and how each door led to the same room, the one which I am standing in right now. I always hear Asmodeus's voice behind the closed doors. The temptation of reaching out and unlocking the doors, creeps me up. What exactly is behind this door?

"Alexis."

A chilling sensation travels up my spine when I hear the voice.

"I told you to call me when you locate the room," I turn around to find him entering the room. He walks up to me, his eyes scan me sweetly, as if I were a delicious meal. His hand finds mine and he smiles. "Didn't I?"

I feel my body trembles at his touch. Why am I unable to react to anything?"

He then looks at the giant glimmering gates before us. His face injects with greediness. His lop side grin widens. Why is he so eager to open the door? What could possibility be behind it?

-

Third person

The two hunched figures show movement for the first time in the past two hours. The man sways slightly, while, the girl let out a painful welp as she struggles to stand straight. The two of them have their eyes shut as if in a trance. Asmodeus had opened the rift between the Aether and Earth. It is said that one can only exist in the Aether with their soul alone. In order to stay sane, one has to dwell without their flesh and bones. In short, only the soul can exist in the Aether, this; Asmodeus didn't known, he didn't even care about it. At the very moment, Asmodeus has astral projected himself in the Aether, he is in search of room, that if unlocked, could change the future of the entire world.

Due to the Sephilim telepathy, Asmodeus knows Alexis is the only one who could find the room in the Aether realm. One of the reasons being, that she had visited the room several times in her dreams. Asmodeus on the other hand, had scoured the entire Aether the last time he was upside. He kept searching for the room with the golden door, but ultimately was taken down by Samuel Abner; Alexis' father. This time, he made sure to keep his enemies at bay. The Trident siblings owed their lives to Asmodeus and considered him as their father.

Alexis stands helplessly in front of the white ball of fire.

"What is he doing to her? Where are they?" Ethan shouts as he tries to wrestle Azazel, who is holding him by his neck.

"Where they are supposed to be." Azazel mocks. "Our master is going to complete his mission and nothing will stop him, not even a loose cannon like you."

"Yeah, and who is going to stop me, you? A spineless creature?" Ethan provokes Azazel to punch him in the face. Fight breaks between the pair. In the heat of the moment, Ethan projects his fire shield to defend himself. He backs away from the maddened monster. He barges towards Ethan with his electric sword; ready to slice him in half.