Chapter 183: DEAD-END

Sellena felt her fingers tremble at the cold touch,

She pauses...

Seeing her pale reflection on the half filled glass.

Yet despite the clouded vision,

She knew that she must.

But what if...it's truly wrong?

And that,

But vowing submission,

she'd doom her soul.

Every single nightmare flashes back.

From the first time Haborym snatched her from her back.

To the tight grip that was applied,

And the painful prick of needle to make her fall asleep,

Until she opens her eyes.

She do not want to be used anymore.

Tired of being surrounded by these demons.

Sellena's hands refused to take the glass,

As she stood up, apologizing for ruining the duke's plans.

Forget everything...even Asmodeus,

She tells herself,

As she stands up, refusing the immortality, which could be easily reached by her hands.

And yet, when she looked at Satan's eyes,

She feared of what may come next.

She feared that because of her refusal, 155 would die,

followed by Haborym, by Asmodeus, by all those she learned to care and love.

She feels her mind split in half.

"Come on darling, make your choice,"

Satan said, in a hypnotizing voice.

Sellena prayed one last time for some miracle to happen,

But Satan grew impatient.

And left her instead.

He warns her to make up her mind soon,

But knowing she may try escaping,

Left some goons.

The metal door closes behind her,

As she felt the heavy burdens laid sore on her shoulders.

She looked at the colorless water,

And looked at the goons which seemed to ignore her.

She then pulled her handkerchief and pretended to drink,

Though she only let it get soaked on her handkerchief.

"Let me out now, I finished the drink,"

She told the two masked demons,

But none gave a bother to speak.

They didn't let her pass,

And she wondered if they'd reply,

Once she politely asks.

And so she did,

"Can I please get out now?

I've done all Lord's Satan's wish-"

But before she could finish,

One gave a chuckle,

As it then began to speak.

"You dare call yourself a daughter of God,

When you lie and use desception, to get the upper hand,"

Sellena felt speechless, caught in the act,

But despite knowing she must submit,

She did not want to succumb.

She hated obeying the enemies,

Hated admitting defeat,

And that hatred grew something in her hands,

A warm sensation, a hot beam of light.

The demons positioned themselves in a fighting stance,

As if waiting for this moment, alas.

Could it be possible that Satan already deduct,

That she'd try to fake everything, leading her getting caught and having no choice but to fight?

But...what could have been the reason she must do this?

Was it just so Satan could be pleased?

Is she going to die?

This was the first time she had to fight.

Alone, without any man to fend her side,

Alone, with no angel to confide.

And yet, she tried to pray, despite the pressure in her chest,

And once she did, she felt the light glow brighter,

warmer,

As she hope God to do the rest.

But...despite her confidence, she was not ready for this,

She was slower, and smaller compared to them.

And so she could only block some strikes here and there,

As she tried not to scream, when she felt their claws dug to her skin.

She kicked one in the neck,

As she blasted the other, with sharp slate-like objects.

But the pain in her hands felt like touching fire,

So when the pain proved unbearable, she could only run.

But the place proved too tricky for the woman.

And slowly, she began to lose hope and ideas.

Every turn, she felt danger waving its hand,

And soon, she found herself trapped.

She saw the two following soon,

Claws exposed, and growls echoing,

She tried not to look, but their laughs were haunting,

As they played a chase of mouse and cat,

Until the place grew more narrow and frightening.

"The door leading outside this maze, only Satan could open,

But now that they found out I lied,

Oh...what good choice should I have taken?

Will I die this way? Since I chose not to drink that cup that would chain me to hell?

Regardless of what I should have done,

I wanted to...desperately escape."

She ran, and ran, until she saw a dead end.

And a door, conveniently close ahead.

She wanted to go somewhere else,

Knowing that it was too obvious as a hiding place,

But both sides were walls,

And the chaser's voice were nearer than she anticipate.

So she bolted to the door,

And tried to shut it off.

Yet it didn't fully closed,

As the two demons caught her almost.

She felt her heart beat faster,

As she cry out, in a pitiful surrender.

Her hands couldn't keep it half-shut forever,

As she saw her own blood, and skin,

drip slowly.

She tried to pray again, but couldn't concentrate,

As all she could hear, were their mockeries, and her heart beat.

She yelled, trying to use it to amp her strength,

But truth be told, she was far too weak,

tired, exhausted to overpower them in the end.

She then gave one last attempt,

Remembering Asmodeus' words,

The earrings he gave.

Everything he gave her, were magical objects,

All of value, all that could summon,

and detect.

She screamed for Asmodeus, despite November not yet coming to end.

Even if she's fully aware he could also be a threat,

She trusts Asmodeus, more than these demons,

calling her name.

Silence.

Silence and nothing happened,

That Sellena gave up and waited for her death.

Her fingers were bleeding, hands burned and legs scraped,

As her vision blurred, from all the blood she lost from the chase.

And yet when the demons were entering,

happily giggling to the sight of the bloodied woman,

They quickly came to a stop,

When a hot metal chain in their body quickly wrapped.

A creature, covered in black smoke, growled at the sight of them,

As they both were pulled mercilessly, having them lose conciousness.

Sellena opens her eyes and peeks at her saviour,

But what she noticed was not the man who saved her.

Her eyes turned completely wet when she saw the face behind the shattered mask,

Her poor brother, gasping for air as he asks her why.

His eyes were lonely, confused, shocked,

"Sister...why am I covered in blood?"

Satan appears before him,

As Asmodeus quickly felt furious.

"What did you do to my wife?!"

"I'm helping you, you should be grateful, she'll never have to leave your side."

Confusion marked the fifth's face,

As Satan walked towards Sellena's broken state.

She quickly held her brother in her arms,

"What...the hell, have you done?!"

Anger was evident in her eyes,

As her bloody fists crumpled,

"If it was me, it would have been much fine!"

"Relax, Sellena, your brother won't die,

That is...if you drink this cup,"

Asmodeus felt wrath, not wanting her to make choices she doesn't want,

But he felt frozen to his feet,

The moment his and Satan's eyes meet.

"You won't move...an inch,"

And so Sellena was left, sulking in guilt.

As she embraces her brother, gently, whilst gritting her teeth.

"Why do you have to do this to me?"

"You were the one who summoned your husband,"

"All I wanted was to be freed.."

"Well, let me break that delusion for ya,

You will never be free, Sellena.

You will have to serve one Lord, one way or another,

You will never be able to live, solely for yourself and your brother."

Tears rolled down from her cheeks as she recalled all the things she have lost,

She kisses her brother's cheeks, apologizing for all the troubles she have brought.

Satan did not like seeing such scenes, and proceeded to his plan,

"He can still be saved, I'll treat him once you drink from this cup."

"How can I trust the Lord of Lies?"

"Your husband is here, nothing to hide."

Sellena looks to Asmodeus, and although happy to reunite,

She felt sorrow, pain and sadness, engulf her bitter heart.

But it was a matter of life and death.

And she loves Jacob more than herself.

She took the cup, and although scared of hell,

Did everything just so her brother be nursed to health.

Satan's eyes were filled with happiness,

Now Sellena, is truly bound to hell.

Asmodeus felt guilt, growing in his chest,

As he saw her eyes turned more gloomy,

As she finished the drink without say.

Satan snapped his finger,

And another masked demon appeared.

Carrying Sellena's brother,

As she told the demon to be careful still.

Satan then looks at Sellena, clapping his hands slowly,

"Who would have know that our tiger,

be tamed this easily?"

Asmodeus walked towards her, demanding Satan to leave,

And although Satan did not like his attitude,

he did what he wished.

Sellena's eyes focused still on the blood,

Left by her wounded brother,

"How he's harmed..."

Asmodeus comforted her, kissing her forehead,

But she didn't feel to be paying attention,

And was simply heartbroken.

"Sellena, he'll be fine,"

"But I've been tricked, haven't I?

They used my brother against me,

So I take the cup and never leave.

Asmodeus...what should I do?"

Sellena began sobbing once more,

As Asmodeus felt still,

Uncertain of what to say.

He embraced her small figure,

As he then ended up muttering promises,

And although she cannot hear,

He swore to her God,

He'd get her out of here.

...

The demon carrying the wounded Jacob simply threw him to the pits of monsters.

"It did a good job, the acting was believable, even for a clone,"

The original Jacob muttered, appearing in the corner,

As it was revealed that all those who wore the special masks,

Were all but copies of the former.

"How lucky this Jacob is, to have such a loving sister.

Too bad...she wasn't any smarter."