Demons

Chapter 23: Where Do We Go

This chap is dedicated to @flashet for sending me the link to this cool story, that you guys should probably check out, too. It's entitled "Ascending Crimson Nightmares" by @MindlessChica654321 Happy reading, folks!

CHAPTER 23: WHERE DO WE GO

"Where do we go from here

How do you fly with no wings

How do you breathe without dreams

Where do we go from here

from here, from here"

(Where Do We Go from Here by Ruelle)

Rachel

Everything was dark.

People usually imagined hell as some sort of fiery landscape with tortured souls on every corner. I read the Divina Comedia by Dante Alighieri once. He's depiction of Inferno still gives me chills. And Boticelli's La Mappa dell'Inferno just brought to life the nightmare. It may have been a depiction of hell, but it surely wasn't this hell.

But, for me, Trigon's domain was still worse. For one, it was cold. I guess Dante got that part right. Hell is cold. It's not fiery, and I think that's worse. It's a frozen, barren wasteland with stalagmites precariously hanging from the ceiling, as if they might drop on some unsuspecting victim. You also couldn't see the tortured souls, but you could definitely hear them. Screams were like background music to Trigon. They seemed to echo and bounce of the walls in this cavern- like place. But you could never what was happening to cause such agony, which only did things to my imagination. I shivered as my brother and I appeared in front of the throne. Skulls and bones gleamed, even though there was barely any light. A huge figure sat there, his red skin, orange eyes and white hair looking like that of his children. Thank Azar I took after my mother.

He grinned when he saw me, showing off pointy teeth. "Raven. Welcome home." He intoned in greeting, but to me, it sounded like a death sentence.

Damian

We ended up outside thebuilding, back in our formal wear and surprising a few people. After all, it's not every day a portal opens up out of nowhere to deposit Bruce Wayne on the side of the street.

Police cars were surrounding the area, while some officers tried to break down the doors leading into the ballroom. I have no idea how they ended up locked, nor could I find it in me to care. My father and Asteria were still clutching my jacket, and I knew it was the only thing keeping me up. I wanted to collapse to the ground and curl up in a ball. Rachel was gone. What was the point? Distantly, I heard sobbing. Then I realized the sound was coming from me. Everything was a little blurry, whether it was due to the tears or the feeling of lack of oxygen, I didn't know. All I knew was that I was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Damian, breathe." Grayson's face suddenly swam into focus as he crouched in front of me, but I couldn't do as he commanded. Someone began rubbing my back, as if it would ease the burden that clogged my chest.

But it didn't.

"What's going on?" another voice called. It sounded familiar, but for some reason, I couldn't place it. And then Grayson was pushed out of the way, and I met a different pair of eyes. "What happened to him?" Drake asked, this time addressing the others behind me.

The shock of seeing him chased some of my panic away, and in its place, anger took hold. "Where were you?" I asked, grabbing onto the lapels of Tim's jacket roughly. Everyone cried out in shock, while Drake lifted his hands in a placating manner. "If you'd arrived sooner, maybe- Rachel-she wouldn't have-" I couldn't even complete the thought. I didn't want to accept that she was just gone. I couldn't. The strength left me once again, and I let go of Drake, pushing him away from me.