The Beginning Of An End

Chapter 17

It was really late into the party and I was watching the two demons and one trickster god rapidly getting consumed by the drug. Beelzebub was leaning into the chair with eyes closed with a small smile playing on his lips. It was a rare time to see him completely relaxed and I was glad that he seemed to be enjoying himself. Belial, on the other hand, seemed like he was slowly descending into madness. He kept ordering shots and didn't seem like he was stopping any time soon but despite the obvious insanity enveloping him, he seemed happy. He was even singing along to the music a few times even though he was tone deaf. And then Loki... As expected, was handling this way better than either of them and was almost on the same level as me. His lips were curved into a smile as he was supporting his head with the palm of his hand against the table. His eyes were partly closed but his gaze was fixed on me as he was trying his hardest to analyze me in his half-dazed state.

But when it came to me, my euphoric mood wasn't even as intense as it usually would be. As if I was more focused on others which stopped from fully surrendering myself to the high. That was why I kept ordering shots alongside Belial and tried to get my brain wired. It was going well for a while, I was beginning to feel some sort of enjoyment and excitement. In fact, I was even enjoying the music which eventually switched to classic rock. The music began to enter through the pores on my body and I finally felt relaxation streaming through me which was soon interrupted.

I heard commotion near the entrance of the casino and all of a sudden the music died out and everyone got really quiet, freezing in place as all of their gazes were fixated at one spot. Even Belial stopped in his manic tracks and stood up from the table to look over at whatever everyone was staring at. Beelzebub opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at me at which I just shrugged but then Belial looked back at me with visible fear in his eyes. I glanced at Loki who also was trying to see what was going on.

"The Dark Lord is here." Belial spoke and the three of us immediately looked at him.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU IS IT?!" We heard the screaming almost instantly on the other side of the room and we all got up from our seats. All demons were visibly confused and started whispering between each other as I looked over at Loki in concern. He had his gaze fixated on the front, trying to see where the Devil was. "ONE OF YOU TOOK SOMETHING FROM ME, AND I WILL MAKE DAMN SURE I FIND OUT WHO IT IS." The Devil continued roaring, the whole casino being filled out with only his voice. Both Beelzebub and Belial looked at me as they instantly figured out what the boss was talking about.

"I mean... technically it wasn't me." I spoke in a hushed tone, and a faint frown creased Beelzebub's forehead. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the room, snatching our attention like a vise. Our gaze snapped towards the source, and a gruesome sight unfolded before us. Blood sprayed, painting the wall and ceiling in a macabre display. Gasps rippled through the crowd, and a lump formed in my throat as dread welled up within me. Panic rippled like a shock wave through the demons, prompting a chaotic stampede as the screams multiplied and echoed through the room.

"I will continue killing each one of you until one of you comes forward!" The Devil growled in such a horrific voice that I'd never heard before until now. He was seriously losing his mind. Another horrifying scream sounded off as yet another bloody display appeared before us. The four of us stood rooted in horror, and then my gaze shifted to Loki. I clutched his arm urgently, my voice barely audible as I whispered, "I'm going over there. Make sure to cover me."

Loki's head snapped toward me, his expression a mix of incredulity and concern. "Are you serious?" he asked, clearly taken aback.

"Just be there," I replied firmly before releasing his arm and maneuvering through the throng of panicked demons. The crowd surged around me, frantic and desperate, cries of terror blending with the grim symphony of death.