Ethereal - Part Two

Chapter 33 - Hope

I felt as though someone had punched the wind out of me, and the stale air of the dungeon cell did little to help my breathing. I looked at Thoren who just shrugged and stepped away from the cell with a smug look on his face.

I didn't trust him. Not one bit. I couldn't, not after he brought me here, not after he betrayed his Fallen brothers. My mind flitted back to that day in the bathroom, after Thoren had left and Kazier found me in the bathtub, screaming from a supposed nightmare.

I had asked him about the reason for him being thrown out of Heaven. But he didn't want to tell me. He said that 'that's not a story worth telling', and I had left it at that.

But now? Now that Thoren told me Kazier had raped his sister-in-law, it...it just didn't add up. So he housed the sin of lust. That didn't mean he lusted after his brother's wife and forced himself on her.

And so, I decided not to believe any of Thoren's harsh words about Kazier's character. For all I know, he wanted me to hate them. He wanted me to feel isolated and desolated. But I would stay strong. I knew the truth. The Fallen would come and save me.

.............................................

Ryelen and I reached the beach where we would be meeting Adaeon and Torrin. Torrin regarded me after I landed next to him and then looked towards Adaeon.

"Keep strong, brother. We will soon find a portal" Adaeon spoke confidently, but the nagging feeling at the pit of my stomach had me feeling otherwise. Nevertheless, I nodded my head in agreement with Adaeon.

"Have Kazier and Destry said anything?" Torrin asked both Ryelen and I. "Their search has been futile. I have asked them to join us on searching for a portal". "They are now in Town, hopefully they will find us a lead to work with" Ryelen told them and then we split ways to search the beach.

After Mira and I were attacked while we were flying towards Ryelen's cabin in the woods, I managed to save Mira and bring her to safety. Zeir and Torrin had split from Adaeon and followed the cowardice demons that decided to retreat instead of fight us off.

They followed them here to this exact same beach, which is why we decided to explore the area. If only I had not been eager to destroy the demon nest we found in the Gatrim Woods by throwing those two grenades, we could have used that same portal to travel to Hell and a lot of time could have been spared.

I sighed and looked around, it was a warm sunny day and therefore there was a crowd at the beach, soaking up the sun and playing in the cool salty water. If only these mortals knew that they were on the possible brink of extinction. If the birth of the new demons were successful, that is exactly what would happen. Lucifer would let his creatures loose and wreak havoc here on Earth.

I ventured further away from Ryelen near the rockier part of the shore. Two women that walked past me sent a smirk my way, but I pretended as though I had not seen it.

As I walked, I kicked a few shells out of my way, nearly injuring a sea snail in the process. I bent down and slowly picked up the overturned sea snail and then placed it's body down on a nearby rock. Then something caught my eye on one of the rocks and hope started soaring in my chest.