29. Loo Loo Land (Part2)

"I'M TOO ROYAL FOR THIS!!" Stolas screeched as the roller coaster spiraled downward at speeds he was not prepared for.

Cerberus sat ahead of him, all three grinning like maniacs.

"FASTER! FASTER!" they howled.

Beside him, Octavia sat in utter silence, gripping the bar.

"...Dad, you're embarrassing me," she muttered as he screamed through another loop.

"I'M TOO IMPORTANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!" Stolas wailed.

Blitzo, watching from the ground, snickered, eating his popcorn. "Should've charged him more."

The rickety roller coaster climbed higher and higher, the metal clanking like the slow tick of a countdown clock. The air grew thinner as the train reached its peak, revealing the sprawling carnival of Loo Loo Land below. The colorful rides, neon signs, and swarms of demons looked like ants from this height.

Perched on the very front of the first car, clinging to the edge of the metal rail, was a single, solitary fly. Its tiny, multifaceted eyes twitched as it scanned its surroundings. It buzzed, tilting its head from side to side like it was taking in the whole world at once. It rubbed its front legs together, savoring the chaotic energy that filled the air.

And just as the coaster tipped forward, beginning its terrifying descent, the fly's vision sharpened. Through its eyes, everything was clear.

It saw the passengers behind it.

— Cerberus — Stolas — Octavia —

And far, far away — beyond the reach of the coaster, beyond the crowds, beyond the park — a loud, booming laugh echoed through the air.

"HAHAHA. Fall, birdy, fall," came the unmistakable voice of Beelzebub, queen of gluttony.

Her voice was distant but omnipresent, like thunder rumbling from every direction. The fly twitched, as if even it could hear her taunt.

The coaster plummeted.

The screams were immediate.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"WHOOO-HOOOO!"

"FASTER! FASTER!" howled Cerberus in unison, their arms swinging in the air like they had no care in the world.

"OH DEAR FATHER, WHY?!" wailed Stolas, his noble composure utterly shattered. His hands squeezed the bar so tight it creaked under the pressure.

"This is fine." Octavia muttered, deadpan, her expression blank, though her hands clutched the bar in a death grip.

The world spun around them. The track twisted, coiling into a spiral. It shot downward, looping into a corkscrew. Gravity became a suggestion, not a rule.

Stolas screamed, his voice cracking with each twist.

The fly, still clinging to the front of the car, did not move. Not once. It just stared forward as though it had seen this all before.

"Again! Again!" the Cerberus sisters howled, one of them reaching forward to ruffle Stolas's feathers mid-ride.

Octavia's eyes snapped open, her face twisted in silent panic. "Dad, I'm gonna—"

But it was too late.

BLAAARGH!

The air filled with a horrific, sloshing noise as Octavia vomited in mid-spin. The contents floated in the air for a heart-stopping second, glistening under the park lights like a terrible meteor shower, before hurtling down behind them.

"NOT ON MY CLOAK!" Stolas screeched.

The fly, watching everything, tilted its head. Its wings buzzed twice, unimpressed.

The coaster slammed into its final stretch, jerking forward with a force that threw everyone forward in their seats. Cerberus, still howling with laughter, slammed into the bar in front of them but didn't stop grinning. Stolas flopped like a ragdoll, while Octavia sat eerily still, clutching her stomach, her eyes hollow from the experience.

The ride came to a complete stop.

"Please exit to your left," the ride operator, a bored-looking demon in a striped hat, muttered through a crackly megaphone.

...

As the safety bar lifted, Octavia moved in slow, jerky motions. She climbed out of the seat, swaying like a drunkard after a stormy sea voyage. Her hoodie was pulled tight over her head, her eyes hidden in shadow.

"Octavia, are you alright, my dear?" Stolas asked, still dusting vomit stains off his cloak.

She didn't answer. She just… walked away.

No, not walked — stormed off. Her steps quickened, each stomp louder than the last.

"Wait, Octavia! Where are you going?!" Stolas shouted, rushing after her.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shouted, her voice sharp and cracking like thunder.

Stolas's heart dropped. He picked up his pace, his long strides catching up to her. "Octavia, please, wait! Just talk to me!"

His words fell on deaf ears as Octavia pushed her way through the crowd, shoving past imps and demons. Her steps were frantic now, her breathing ragged. She ducked behind one of the booths, and Stolas finally caught up to her.

"Octavia, stop!" he said, grabbing her wrist.

She spun around, and Stolas saw it — tears streaming down her face.

"You're gonna leave me, aren't you?!" she blurted out, voice quivering with barely contained anguish. "You're gonna leave me like you left mom!"

Her words hit him like a spear to the heart. He froze.

"No, no, no, my darling, I—"

"You will! You always do! Every time something happens, you run off with that stupid imp! You never stay, dad!" She sniffled, her eyes full of raw pain. "You'll leave me all alone, and I'll have no one left."

Stolas's eyes widened. His breathing slowed as he realized what she was really afraid of. He knelt down to her height, wings folding back as he gently reached out. "Octavia, listen to me. I will never, ever leave you. No matter what happens."

She shook her head, teeth clenched. "You say that, but I see it, Dad! I see it every time you leave! Every time you pick him over us!" Her voice cracked. "I see it, and it hurts, Dad."

Stolas pulled her into a hug. She didn't resist. Her small frame trembled in his arms, her quiet sobs muffled against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Octavia," he whispered, his voice full of guilt. "You mean everything to me. I'll do better. I promise."

Her little hands clutched his cloak, holding him tighter. She didn't speak, but he could feel her nod against him.

Meanwhile...

Back at the main square, Blitzo stood by one of the larger attractions — the giant robotic clown.

"Alright, girls, listen up," Blitzo grinned, arms crossed. "This here is Robo-Fizz, and guess what? He's got 'playtime mode.'"

The Cerberus sisters' eyes lit up with mischief.

"Can we punch him?!" one of them barked.

"Absolutely. Punch away," Blitzo grinned wider.

The sisters didn't hesitate. They charged the clown, fists and kicks flying like a pack of wild animals. Robo-Fizz laughed as it danced around them, dodging each attack like a game.

But they didn't stop.

They never stop.

They pulled wires, broke joints, and finally…

BOOM!

The Robo-Fizz exploded in a brilliant burst of flames and confetti. Pieces of metal rained down on the park.

"WHOOOPS!" Blitzo said, wincing at the flames.

Loo Loo Land was now on fire.

The sisters high-fived each other.

"Again! Again!"

Blitzo looked at the flames rising in the distance and sighed. "Yeah, that tracks."

(End of a chapter)