Bargain Infernal

Episode 2: Shadows in the Dark

The city never slept. Its streets buzzed with life, but beneath the surface, something dark stirred. Alex Mercer walked among the crowds, his hood pulled low to hide his glowing eyes. Every step he took was accompanied by a faint pulse at the edge of his mind, a sickening rhythm that guided him toward his next target.

It had been a week since his first encounter with a demon, and the memory still haunted him. The fight had been brutal, but the aftermath was worse. The satisfaction he felt when the demon disintegrated into ash had left him questioning his own humanity. Was this what Lucifer wanted? To turn him into a monster?

Alex shook the thought away and focused on the task at hand. The pulse in his mind was growing stronger, leading him toward a derelict apartment building on the edge of the city. The place reeked of decay, its windows shattered, and its walls covered in graffiti. The air around it felt heavy, oppressive, as if the building itself were alive.

He hesitated at the entrance, his hand hovering over the door. The faint whispers of something unholy echoed from within, sending a chill down his spine. Alex clenched his fists, summoning the courage to step inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, the whispers grew louder, more distinct. They weren’t words but guttural sounds, a language that scraped against his sanity.

The interior was worse than he expected. The walls were lined with strange markings, symbols that seemed to shift and writhe when he looked at them. The floor was littered with debris, and the stench of rot was overwhelming. Alex moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. The pulse in his mind was almost deafening now, a relentless drumbeat that led him deeper into the building.

On the second floor, he found the source of the disturbance. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of candles arranged in a crude circle on the floor. In the center of the circle stood a figure, its back turned to Alex. It was humanoid, but its proportions were wrong. Its arms were too long, its spine arched unnaturally, and its skin was a sickly gray.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the creature rasped, its voice echoing unnaturally. It turned slowly, revealing a face that was more beast than human. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, and its mouth was filled with jagged teeth. “This is sacred ground.”

Alex stepped forward, his fists igniting with hellfire. “Sacred? Looks more like a dump to me.”

The demon snarled, its body shifting as if it were struggling to maintain its form. “You reek of him. The Morning Star. Why would he send you?”

“Guess you pissed him off,” Alex said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest. “Now, we can do this the easy way, or…”

The demon lunged before he could finish, its claws swiping through the air. Alex dodged, the flames on his hands flaring brighter. He countered with a punch, the hellfire searing the demon’s flesh. It screamed, a sound that rattled the windows and sent shivers down Alex’s spine.

The fight was chaotic, a blur of fire and shadow. The demon was fast, its movements erratic and unpredictable. It darted around the room, using the darkness to its advantage. But Alex had learned from his first encounter. He focused, letting the shadows bend to his will. The room darkened further as he drew the shadows toward him, cloaking himself in their embrace.

The demon hesitated, its glowing eyes darting around the room. “What are you?”It hissed.

Alex didn’t answer. He moved silently through the darkness, striking from the shadows. Each blow landed with precision, the hellfire burning away the demon’s defenses. The creature’s movements grew sluggish, its form flickering like a dying flame.

“You can’t win,” it growled, desperation creeping into its voice. “You’re just a pawn in his game.”

Alex paused, the words cutting deeper than he expected. The demon took advantage of his hesitation, lunging at him with renewed ferocity. They collided, crashing through the wall and landing in the hallway. Alex groaned, the impact knocking the wind out of him. The demon loomed over him, its claws poised to strike.

In a desperate move, Alex summoned all the hellfire he could muster. The flames erupted from his body, engulfing the demon in a fiery inferno. It screamed, its body disintegrating into ash. When the flames died down, Alex was left alone, his chest heaving and his body trembling from the effort.

He stumbled out of the building, the cold night air a welcome relief. The city was quiet, the streets deserted. Alex leaned against a lamppost, his mind racing. The demon’s words echoed in his head: You’re just a pawn in his game.

Was that true? Was he nothing more than a tool for Lucifer’s agenda? The thought made his stomach churn. He’d agreed to the deal to avoid eternal torment, but at what cost? Every fight, every kill, seemed to strip away a piece of his humanity. How much of himself would be left when this was over?

As he stood there, lost in thought, a voice broke through the silence.

“Rough night?”

Alex turned sharply, his fists igniting instinctively. A woman stood a few feet away, her hands raised in a gesture of surrender. She was tall and lean, with sharp features and piercing green eyes. Her black leather jacket and combat boots gave her a no-nonsense vibe.

“Who are you?”Alex demanded, the flames on his hands flickering.

“Relax,” she said, her tone calm. “Name’s Evelyn. I’ve been watching you.”

“Watching me?” Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Because you’re not the only one hunting demons,” she said. “But you’re definitely the most interesting.”

Alex didn’t lower his guard. “What do you want?”

Evelyn took a step closer, her eyes never leaving his. “To help. You’re in over your head, and you don’t even realize it.”

“I’m doing fine on my own,” Alex said, though the exhaustion in his voice betrayed him.

Evelyn smirked. “Sure you are. That’s why you’re standing here, looking like you’ve been through hell.” She paused, her expression turning serious. “Look, I don’t know what deal you made, but I can tell you this: Lucifer doesn’t give without taking. You need someone who knows the game.”

Alex hesitated. He didn’t trust her, but she wasn’t wrong. He was in over his head, and the idea of having an ally was tempting.

“Fine,” he said finally. “But if you try anything, you’ll regret it.”

Evelyn’s smirk returned. “Fair enough. Let’s get to work.”

As they walked through the city, Evelyn began to explain. She was part of an ancient order, a group dedicated to keeping the balance between good and evil. They’d been tracking the rise in demonic activity and had noticed Alex’s involvement.

“You’re not the first person Lucifer’s roped into his schemes,” she said. “But you might be the first with a chance to break free.”

“Break free?”Alex asked, his curiosity piqued.

Evelyn nodded. “There’s a way to end the deal. To get out without losing your soul. But it’s not easy.”

“What’s the catch?”

“The catch is surviving long enough to find it,” she said. “Lucifer’s not going to let you go without a fight.”

Alex considered her words, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest. Maybe there was a way out of this nightmare. But for now, he had a job to do. The hunt continued, and with Evelyn by his side, he might just stand a chance.

The shadows of the city seemed a little less daunting as they walked on, their footsteps echoing in the empty streets. Alex didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time since his death, he felt a glimmer of something he hadn’t felt in a long time: hope.