Don't Go Into | the Devil's Den (Book One)

Four | Stand Your Ground

Belial's head tipped to the side and his body shuttered, his gaze not leaving Detective Grant's. He laughed, sounding like a mixture of low and high-pitched nails scraping a chalkboard. When he laughed, his glowing red eye sockets dimmed.

"How infuriating that you know my name," Belial spoke. He sounded like he was two different people talking at once. One voice was deep with a hint of scratching chalkboard. The second voice was even deeper and sounded like the roaring bear. "I am truly honored." He laughed again, making Detective Grant cringe.

Detective Grant leisurely receded from him. He had to force himself to remain calm as he knew of Belial's abilities.

"W-why are you here?"

In Belial's presence, anyone and everyone could feel this overwhelming sense of despair. Detective Grant's thought-processing felt like it was moving through sludge. He had a burning urge to destroy himself, anyone or anything around him. Fighting it was so hard that he literally had to concentrate on not shooting himself with his handgun.

"This," Belial gestured in a circle with both burly arms, "is my domain."

Detective Grant's hand involuntarily wrapped around his gun; a gesture that spoke volumes about this strange case. "Things are really starting to come together," he said, struggling to pull his hand away. "I feel what he feels. I'm developing a sense of what happened. Hope is still with us." Yes, he. Good, I'm starting to remember why I'm really here.

"Wrong!" Belial exclaimed, storming toward him. As he moved, a dark apparition, fitting his shape, flowed with him like a cloak. "I am corruption. His mind has been seized by my power. There's nothing you can do, Detective. He is a destroyed man. I live for this!" He threw his hands in the air.

"Where's the child?" Detective Grant inquired sharply. "I know your name. You know what that means, right?"

Belial shivered again.

"That means I have complete dominion over you, isn't that right?" He struggled with his handgun, itching to draw it, but cautious about the negative influence.

Belial chuckled. "Fool, you only know part of my name. But what's the rest of it?" Belial's eyes lit up in anger. "Filthy human! Leave my domain!" He assumed a defensive pose. Out of thin air, a black, decaying staff with a burning black flame encased at the top, materialized. It was taller than him and magnified his power.

Detective Grant's confidence spiraled into the pits. He found himself unsure on what his full name was! "Belial! Where is Laney!" Belial's destructive influence had grown so sharply that it drove him mad inside. It took all his willpower to resist Belial's magic. Regaining control of his arm proved toughest. He wanted to pull the trigger.

Belial pointed the black flame at Detective Grant and muttered something inaudible. Instantly, the flame blasted from the tip. Instinctively, Grant evaded, the flame grazing his arm. Handgun readied, he shakily blasted a few rounds at him. The first few shots missed, but one round landed in Belial's stomach, his large body working against him.

Belial grunted, whipping the staff across his body that unleashed a wave of dark flames. Detective Grant didn't know exactly what the flames did, but common sense told him to avoid them at all costs. He was at a disadvantage. To his favor, he could shoot Belial to death, but struggling over control of his body would be hazardous. Currently, Belial's staff, which Grant deduced to be the monster's chief power source, presented the biggest obstacle.

The church. He glanced down the road to locate Repentance. If he truly did travel the same road, then Repentance had to be very close. Before he could thoroughly scan the surroundings, Belial charged at him, horns lowered.

Detective Grant fearfully backed into a tree, noticing with a grunt that it was the same tree that his SUV bounced against. At the last second, he slid behind it; Belial colliding with the immovable trunk. A spine-tingling crackle whipped into the air, followed by a quaking thud. Though the trunk had been cracked in half, it produced no signs of a future fall.

Detective Grant peeked around. Belial was nowhere to be found. He'd sworn he heard a thud a few seconds earlier. Skeptical, he investigated the road.

What is your name? What is your full name! He struggled to come up with a valid answer. Was it a first and last name? A title? A position? What exactly was he known for? Demons had many names.

Suddenly, his attention nervously turned to his surroundings to watch for any incoming dark energy. Turning to the tree, the horn's imprints and woodchips lying on the ground was proof enough that he'd connected. Eerily, if Belial was truly gone, he wouldn't be able to feel his energy... he still didn't have full control-

"Foolish man," Belial's voice thundered from all around, "I am also the demon of deception!" He materialized out of thin air and smacked Detective Grant with his powerful staff.

The Detective flew ten yards before slamming into the dirt. A painful cry escaped his lungs as his shoulder dislocated on impact. As the enraged Belial approached, Grant used his good arm to drag himself in a retreat as best as he could.

"Marvelous!" Belial applauded, "I adore the victims who squirm under my might; it's truly exhilarating." Belial's staff pointed directly at him. "Be gone."

Adrenaline pumping, Detective Grant shot his last round. The bullet ricocheted off of his armor and slammed into the glass ball. A heavy force of energy erupted from the staff, shattering it. Detective Grant, like a rag-doll, tumbled for eternity through the dirt, while the brutish Belial slid a couple yards backwards on his back.