Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 29: Hell

Episode 29: H e l l

I think my spine broke. But if it did, it wasted no time healing itself. My body was aching all over and my arm muscles were even tenser as I tried to break the fall and take most of the impact from Aiko.

It was hot. So hot, it took me a moment to actually realize how much my nostrils hurt before I started to choke.

I sat up, staring back at the tiniest hole that was left of the portal.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I screamed, coughing and clutching my chest as my hand reached out to it. "Stay open a little longer!" 

"Mommy." Aiko hugged me tightly and almost instantaneously I felt better. But my heart was still pounding and my eyes began to tear up.

"V!" I screamed at the closing black hole, threatening it with a spiteful glare.

"Don't worry." Aiko places his small palms on my face, wiping my tears away. But I couldn't stop sobbing. My trembling hands pressed into his back as I looked back at his relaxed face.

"Aiko...I'm scared," I whispered, looking around at where we landed. Large rocky volcanoes seemed to be blocking most of the landscape, but this particular area we were in was nearly vacant. My head snapped up at a wild cry, looking back as a dark bird, large as a mythical dragon, beat it's wings loudly into the foggy red-tinted sky.

This was Hell.

Hell.

I know my soul was fully demon, but I couldn't handle this. It wasn't just my breathing, but my eyes. Everything seemed to burn at the sudden change of atmosphere. Just when it healed and felt better, another wave of pain attacked me. Nothing in this realm was similar to what I had always been used to. It was so much harder to even stay alive under its conditions, and even my strong demon endurance was struggling.

"I don't know what to do now...how could he..." My fingernails dug into the soft red soil and my eyes wouldn't stop leaking.

"It'll be okay mommy, trust me!" Aiko continued to wipe away every single tear that fell off, patiently sitting in front of me and looking back with a smile.

"Aiko..." I gasped, staring at him with bewilderment. "Do you feel okay? Can you breathe well? Are your eyes hurting you?"

He blinked at me with confusion but ended up nodding anyway. "Okay."

"Oh..." I shut my eyes with relief. I wasn't too excited over the fact that he was able to adjust to this freakish environment that quickly like it was second nature, but at least he wasn't in pain. I wouldn't have been able to handle that.

I didn't know how I was going to survive here after being recklessly thrown in. Hell wasn't my home and to be very honest, demons--other than the expectation with the princes of hell--actually terrified me. From prior experience, many of them didn't look quite as normal-ish as I was used to at the mansion.

And those demon birds swarming over our heads weren't giving me any peace of mind either.

All I wanted was V. I was scared. And not just because I was going to be here alone too, but also because I didn't know what happened to him. I didn't want his memories gone. I didn't want him to be left back there. I don't want him to feel afraid, lonely, or dreadful. He didn't deserve any of that.

"V..." I shut my blurry eyes before I could see the black hole diminish into a mere speck of dust in the air.

"Why are you crying?"

A gasp lodged into my throat and my eyes flew open.

There he was, standing right in front of me, clearly landing in a more dignified way than I had.