4 The Lands Beyond

Everette.

Crying.

Aisha has been crying non-stop for about half an hour.

The cause?

She's in hell.

This is another reason why dealing with human souls is a nuisance; they find it so hard to adapt to change that they spend a long time lamenting. Only humans regret being immortal.

"Will you shut up?" I wonder with exasperation.

She raises her blue eyes full of tears and looks at me pleadingly.

What is she waiting for?

I don't control who comes here, it's not my problem.

"You have no compassion." she murmurs in a weak voice.

It makes me sick.

"Oh wow, so you were hoping you could be bad all your life, then you would come to hell and the demons would have compassion on you when they saw your little tantrum. I'm sorry, I hardly have pity on anyone who deserves punishment."

"How do you know I deserve to be punished?!" she shouts in dismay.

"Very simple, you are here. No one comes here by mere chance."

I am supposed to be supervising hundreds of things since my father is not here, but instead I find myself here, standing in front of a soul lamenting while many spectres watch us with discomfort.

"I want to go home..." she pleads, running out my patience.

"You don't have a home to go back to, damn it! Now you are here, now you are a soul that will become a demon. Stop mourning! It's really pathetic that you think you're going to solve any of this with tears."

"You're a monster!"

"Get used to it! Because unless you learn to be happy, none of this situation will change, if you don't become a demon or at least make the effort, I will throw you into the river of lost souls and you will stay there for eternity."

"I will never stop being human." she declares, looking straight into my eyes.

The repulsion floods my body and I take a step back.

"Then I don't want you near me." I say firmly. "I don't want anything to do with humans and I see that you insist on having one's stupid mentality, so stay away from me."

I turn around and leave her on one of the busiest avenues in hell. I materialize far away, feeling the irritation take over me, I am very aware that when that happens it is not appropriate for me to be near other entities. I appear in the abode of my father, an enormous fortress with a certain sinister threat.

Cozy.

When they feel my presence, their captive souls appear before me.

"Welcome to you, Master."

"My father is not in hell, for now I will take care of him."

My father has a certain fascination for ancient art that becomes somewhat peculiar, his room is full of statues of the human kingdom, most of them are as they assume that the fallen angels look.

A little exaggerated, I would say.

The whole place looks like a medieval castle, illuminated by torches and antique furniture, the east wing is a prison for the biggest scum of hell, that's why it's under lock and key. This place is quite similar to a labyrinth, created to guide you to your worst nightmare.

I remember when I found mine.

I proceed to climb one of the hundreds of flights of stairs here and head to his office, the highest point in hell. From that place you can observe from the most agonizing soul, to the darkest entity.

"Master, the great Asmodeus wishes to see you." a soul bows to me again.

"Make him pass." I order.

It nods, even with its eyes lowered, and withdraws. The souls fear to see us directly, and Aisha avoids my glance in the same way, which gives me much grace.

"Everette!" my euphoric friend exclaims.

"There is no need for so much emotion." I roll my eyes.

"All right, show me." rubs his hands together and looks around the place.

"What?" I raise a confused eyebrow.

"Your new soul," he answers obviously.

"I left her." I shrugged my shoulders.

His eyes, startled by the horror, manage to bring a smile to my lips.

"You what?!"

"I left her a few hours ago."

"A few hours?!"

"Yeah, shut up." what a way to ruin the fun of disturbing others.

"Everette, are you crazy?"

"Mmm...Yes?"

"You know very well that they will kill her, for the darkness that corrupts my soul, you cannot be so irresponsible, you are supposed to take care of her."

"Calm down" I roll my eyes. "Nothing bad will happen to her."

"Do you think so? You seem to have forgotten the soul eaters, you know they catch every soul that doesn't have a place, it's her first day here."

"I gave her my mark." I answer abruptly "So would you just calm down?

"Your mark?" he raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"She was scared, so I gave it to her to shut up."

"Wow..." he says in amazement. "You don't give your mark to anyone."

A mischievous smile forms on his lips and he crosses his arms as he evaluates me.

"Don't think anything stupid" I squint my eyes in his direction.

He raises his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"I'm just saying, it's very unusual for you to give your mark to a soul you've just acquired."

I raise my hand and make him disappear from the room, materializing elsewhere. I don't know how I've managed to tolerate that demon for so many millennia.

"Master, the demon of seduction wants to see you." one of my father's souls says as he materializes in the room.

I sigh in surrender.

"Tell her to come in."

"As you order, Master." he disappears.

Seconds later Shameena appears.

"Twice in one day, what have I done to get this curse?" I tell in a dramatic tone to annoy her.

"Very funny." she watches me severely. "Your beautiful soul has a problem."

"I'm sure it's nothing she can't solve on her own."

"It is in the Lands Beyond."

Damn it.

"How do you know that?" I interrogate her.

"You can hear her wailing all over the mountain." shrugs her shoulders

All right, now I've got to go and get that fool out of that place before she ends up being reduced to nothing.

"Very well, I've got to fix this and you're coming with me."

"Why do you need me?"

"Because you are the only other evil entity besides my father or me who can stand up to Lilith."

"Your beloved aunt." she mocks me.

"I didn't choose my relatives. Now shut up and let's hurry up." I materialize us outside my father's house and make us appear at the border with the kingdom of the fallen and the Lands Beyond meet.

Hell has many sections, there are entities that send reports to my father of every new demon that joins them. My aunt, the specter of the night, Lilith, is responsible for the Lands Beyond. Her long black hair helps her to propel herself through the air, her pale complexion and red eyes are mesmerizing, she is a beauty without equal, and she has a weakness for the souls of men, so at night she goes to the human kingdom and seduces them while they sleep and then takes possession of their souls.

She is charming.

"This place is wonderful." murmurs Shameena.

Being a demon of seduction, she is strengthened by the thoughts stolen from men, she is fascinated by their attention and it is her delirium to humiliate them before her. Shameena and Lilith are two of the most powerful female demons in hell, and it is because they have known how to take advantage of their powers and make them grow thanks to human weaknesses.

"Get ready." I order her once more before materializing, now before the fortress of Lilith.

"Master, we have felt your presence since you set foot on the periphery, the spectre of the night is waiting for you." warns one of the slaves.

"That bitch has an incredible servitude." says Shameena.

Having a natural gift for seduction, both hate each other and try to outdo each other at every moment.

As I walk through the huge dark granite building, I try to sense Aisha's presence.

"Everette darling!" her voice calls to me from the darkness. "My favorite nephew finally decides to visit me."

I walk at a steady pace and throw a ball of fire directly from my hand into one of the extinguished torches, to light the way.

"How are you, Lilith?" I smile maliciously at the sight of a man bleeding to death in front of her. "You know well that you must not bring your victims here."

"Look at him." she gets up and stands next to me. "Isn't he divine?" she looks at the man in fascination. "You have no idea how much he begged for his life, you should have been here, it was one of the best tortures I have ever done."

"I'm glad you're full and satisfied." I bow slightly out of formality and respect.

"You are more and more powerful, nephew." she lets a kiss in my cheeks and walks away to sit on your throne while she trample on the man as he walks towards it.

She wears a slightly transparent black dress with an opening down to her thigh, her long, perfectly combed hair and her high heeled sandals suit perfectly. Her face is a little pink because of the excitement of her recent torture.

"I thank you aunt, but on this occasion I am afraid you have under your control something that belongs to me."

My aunt's gaze falls on my right side and in her eyes I read the hatred she experiences in contaminating Shameena.

"Demon of seduction." greets by commitment.

"Ghost of the night" she answers, dry.

She looks at her from top to bottom with irritation.

"I see that the millennia are evident in you." she mocks.

"You know that my beauty increases with the passing of the centuries." she smiles proudly. "You, on the other hand..." grimace with repulsion. "...oh don't worry, perhaps in a few millennia old prostitutes will not be frowned upon in the human kingdom."

Lilith joins in and, at superhuman speed, positions herself in front of Shameena.

"Purgatory would be a good place for you, unfortunate soul. "

"That is enough" I take her away from her and she retreats. "Have you captured any hellish soul?"

"The souls that are here do not interest me, nephew."

"For it is my knowledge that under your domain is my new human soul."

She closes her eyes in a thoughtful gesture.

"It is probable that she is in the Hall of Torment. You know that recent souls are attracted by their own weaknesses up to that point."

"I would appreciate it if you would allow me to review."

She bows.

It would be my honor." she stands up and walks, while Shameena and I follow.

We go down a huge flight of stairs, and after a few minutes I hear a series of moans that manage to move me. Shameena stops suddenly and starts moaning as she falls to the ground.

"Too much pleasure?" I make fun of her.

"So many begging souls..." she squirms with lust. "All of them begging for mercy." I see her hungry look.

I put myself on her level and stroke her head, understanding her reaction.

"Stay here, I'll be back soon." She just nods as she continues to sigh.

Lilith, although with more difficulty, doesn't stop advancing to the entrance of the room.

"Nephew, I'm afraid I'm at my limit, if I go in I'll devour all those souls without stopping" she excuses herself with a heavy breath.

"Don't worry." I smile slightly "Let the darkness be in your path."

"And guide my destiny."

I wait until she walks away and open the door.

The room is a long dance circle, where there are many, too many souls wailing, each one of them being consumed by blue fire, something that only exists in hell.

For the demons, a dying soul is the most delicious thing that can exist, that is why the weak demons stay away from the river of lost souls, it is so hypnotic that they end up drowning in it, since they cannot devour them all, in my case, I have quite a bit of control over this, but even being here, I am tempted to devour them. Shameena and Lilith were intoxicated by their suffering, if they continued, they would have devoured all these souls, which would have been unnecessary, considering that human souls do not make us more powerful.

It is at that moment that I see her.

She is in the fetal position on the floor, crying inconsolably as the blue flames surround her, writhing and begging for mercy, a grunt of pleasure erupts from deep within my throat. Her eyes collide with mine and manage to snatch a smile from me.

You look tempting in your most painful moment, Aisha.

I lift her off the floor and walk out of the room, once I close the door she is unconscious.

"I guess you will be more obedient now..." I smile maliciously.