Quintus Crossings - Story IV: The Journal - Whispers Arc

Chapter 7: Warmth

The demon raised a long limb and pressed its rippling hand against the glass. A wave of intense heat slammed into Jason. He clenched his eyes shut and covered his face with his arms, retreating from the creature. His foot caught on something and he collapsed, pain jolting up his back.

A small hiss resounded from the cylinder. Miniscule lights began shining from beneath the canvases over the other cylinders. Jason scrambled back, heart lodged in his throat, then made to flee.

Stay.

Jason froze. That voice was so soothing.

Stay with us.

How could his sweat be so cold in a place so hot?

We won't harm you.

He turned. A red aura waved about the silver body. The thing pressed itself against the cylinder. The glass cracked.

What was he supposed to do? Idiot. He should've figured something demonic would be possessing Jaxon. The thing was the stuff of nightmares. He couldn't subdue it on his own.

Omar, Bianca, where are you guys?

Why call someone else? The gentle voice tickled the back of his mind. We're all you need.

He'd heard its thoughts, but now it was understanding his! Jason pressed a hand to his chest. Each breath burned and his limbs weighed tons. Maybe he couldn't do this alone. If only Michael had believed him, then he could have helped Jason. Instead, he was in their room, oblivious.

Curse it, Mike! Why'd you doubt me? You said you'd change. Is this your way of paying me back? A lie for a lie? I thought you were going to try to be better than this. I thought you were...

Jason's eyes grew heavy. The cylinder and surrounding canvases blurred as Jason plopped to the side, panting. His hands clenched, shaking with the force. Why, Mike? Now Jason was alone, against an enemy he couldn't defeat, with no sign of Omar or Bianca.

You do not need them. You only need us.

The fire from this being was seeping into Jason, overtaking all other senses. Jason's face scrunched, concentrating. Omar's and Bianca's presences were still there, but it was tiny compared to a few minutes ago. Were they alright?

Omar and Bianca must've been the ones to break the mountains, but had they been discovered? There were six of these creatures in here. There could be more that Jaxon hadn't found, however. If that was true, they could be hunting Omar and Bianca right now.

What had he done? He'd allowed one of his best friends to become prey to whatever creatures were outside this room. And Bianca...

Jason lay limp, his body surrendering to the demons' pressure, to the tickle in the back of his head, the whispering behind his ears. Jason's eyes flew open. That whisper was so similar to the one that had told Jason to do nothing in the stream, all the while Bianca was behind him, dying.

Bianca needed him. She was a child in a young woman's body. And she'd been so scared. For good reason. Omar wouldn't be able to defend both himself and her from these creatures.

It's fine. They're fine on their own. Come closer. Join us.

The world came into focus. Jason pressed heavy limbs to the floor and heaved himself to his hands and knees, groaning.

You need not worry. Come to us. We will let you rest.

Jason shoved himself upwards, facing the demon. The cylinder's glass had even more cracks in it. Jason's jaw clenched. He planted one foot on the ground, then another, and stood.