Devil's Peak

Chapter 12

Christopher blinked and rubbed his eyes, still disoriented from the sudden shift in surroundings. They had returned to the demon world, and the oppressive atmosphere weighed down on him like a wet blanket. The air smelled of sulfur and burnt wood, which stung his nostrils and made him cough.

"Guys, look!" Lily whispered urgently, pointing towards the familiar doorway from Ryder's dream. Christopher's heart skipped a beat when he saw his younger brother, still curled up on the ground with Jellybean lying protectively next to him.

This time, though, they were on the same side of the doorway as Ryder - and standing between them was a very angry Molech. His enormous frame cast a dark shadow that seemed to engulf everything around him, and his eyes glowed like hot coals in the dim light.

"You cheated!" Molech roared, his voice shaking the ground beneath their feet. "There was no way you should have beaten me!"

Christopher clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger welling up inside him. He wanted nothing more than to run to Ryder's side and make sure he was okay, but this monstrous demon stood in his way. Beside him, Coleton stepped forward, unfazed by Molech's towering presence.

"Cheating?" Coleton said calmly, tilting his head. "Well, if that's the case, then we must have both cheated...and my friends here simply cheated better. You did after all start off with an attack that was not survivable."

Molech's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.

Coleton crossed his arms, an amused smile playing on his lips. "I have many names, actually," he replied nonchalantly. "Dream Guardian, Time Mage, Father Time...Annoying Brat, The Coward, to name a few. But I prefer Coleton, as that's the name I was born with."

Christopher couldn't help but marvel at Coleton's courage in the face of such a terrifying creature. He felt grateful for his friend's support, but he couldn't shake the nagging worry that gnawed at his insides. What if they couldn't save Ryder? What if it was all too late?

"Enough talk!" Molech snarled, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You will pay for your insolence, and your brother... well, let's just say you won't be leaving here with him."

Christopher's heart hammered in his chest as Molech raised his clawed hand, and he braced himself for whatever would come next.

Taking a deep breath, Christopher mustered all the courage he had left and demanded, "Give me my brother back, Molech! We won your twisted games, fair and square!"

Molech sneered at Christopher, his eyes blazing with fury. "Fine," he spat. "You can have whatever is left of him."

With that, Molech launched a massive fire attack at Ryder's limp form. Christopher and Lily called out their brother's name in panic and despair, knowing there was nothing they could do to protect him from the inferno.

"Ryder!" Christopher cried, feeling utterly helpless as the flames roared towards his little brother.

"NO!" Lily added, tears streaming down her face.

But just as all hope seemed lost, two small imps - Richard and Madelyn - flew in like a flash and positioned themselves between Ryder and the fire attack. They put up a magic barrier, their tiny hands working together to form a shield around Ryder. The barrier held for a second before shattering into pieces

"Richard, Madelyn!" Christopher thought, his heart swelling with gratitude for their selfless act.

The flames rushed in at the two imps, ready to consume them. But just as the fire reached them, there was an explosion of light so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes.