The demons laughed at the few survivors. Made jokes on their infernal tongue. For them that was a party. But for humans, there was no more appropriate word than hell.
Even their song was hurtful for human ears. What was considered fun, was just evil. Matthew looked at Faralynn and Erin. He could not protect them. Even if he threw away his life, there was nowhere to run to. All he could do was stand there, powerless and hope for a miracle.
The demons were keeping them alive, as an amusement. The horror on their faces was somehow hilarious to them. The despair of the priest, the anger of the child, the desperation of the elf and Matthew’s hopelessness were like an art piece on a gallery. And all they could was stand still.
At first they thought it was part of the horrible song the imps were singing and drumming on the corpses. But then it got louder and louder. The priest thought he was hallucinating, but soon it got clear to them that the sound was real.
A rhythmic beating which was alien to that hell, but far too familiar for the people on earth. The sound of a helicopter. Not just one. Then the metallic sound that resembled a metal sheet hitting a fan and the thousands of explosions reducing those outside the crevice into blood and dust.
Three war helicopters were hovering over the hill and using their cannons to reduce all the demons outside to nothing.
A side door opened and Farzan, Faralynn’s father, dressed in full armor and carrying a spear on one hand and a sword on the other jumped out as soon as the cannons silenced.
His face was the face of fury itself. Surrounded by lightning that jumped out his weapons to the nearby stone, his presence instilled fear on the demons themselves. He charged relentlessly reducing all those in his path to piles of flesh and bones.
Rappelling off the helicopter, other adventurers came down. All dressed in very expensive gear, each with their own weapons and fighting styles. They also charged in after the elf warrior killing every demon on their path.
When all were dead, the helicopters landed and the adventurers soon started to treat the few survivors that were wounded. Matthew and the others were still on guard. Still with their shields up. They couldn’t just relax. They were unable to believe.
It was only when Farzan approached Faralynn and with tenderness held her hand, that she dropped to the ground crying like a baby. The elf hugged her father with all her strength while bawling: "Ufa! Ufa!" that meant father in elvish.
Only then the others also allowed themselves to relax and let go of their weapons.
The priest, knelt on the floor thanking God.
The boy, knelt beside his mother’s body with tears running through his face.
And Matthew sat on the floor breathing heavily until his MP ran out from using Anesthesia on himself. Then the pain of half his face being burnt, his ear being bit off, and all his body being covered in cuts and scratches and bites hit him all at once just before he lost consciousness.
The bodies were taken in two helicopters and the third were loaded with the survivors. Apart from Orson, Erin, Faralynn, Matthew, the priest and the boy, 6 other survived, but severely injured from being played with by the demons.
The helicopters flew through a gate back to earth that was opened by a very powerful adventurer.
The Saint Helen hospital still stood, but wit its top floors missing. As soon as the gate swallowed the building, it closed. After learning of his daughter’s missing, Farzan hurried to find a Warlock who could open a gate to Violentia and assembled a team to save her.
It still took too long, he thought. 12 survivors out of 87 people. He felt guilty towards the other families that his daughter survived. He looked at Matthew, unconscious on the floor, he was there again, fighting by her side again. He remembered Roland’s words. The old man was right, that kid would protect her. Farzan tightened his hug around her. He was not going to lose her.
Matthew woke up at a hospital. It was dark. Using Mana over your MP led to falling into a coma-like state. And forcing it even further, led to consume your own life. Therefore, whenever someone lost conscious because of MP exhaustion were committed to a hospital to undergo health exams.
At his side, sitting on a chair, his mother was fast asleep. He survived. He didn’t want to wake her, but he couldn’t get up being hooked into the machines that monitored his vitals.
"Mom?" He said quietly, but that was enough to make her jump off the chair and hug him and kiss him.
"Thank god! My son! You’re awake!" She said with tears in her eyes.
Nurses and doctors came in to check up on him. Matthew’s mother let the family know he was ok. He was on painkillers for his wounds and, now that he was awake, drinking healing potions.
Matthew was expecting to hear his mother go on anytime about how dangerous the career he chose was and how he needed to give up on it. But she was just quiet holding his hand thankful for him being alive.
"I can’t stay." She suddenly said. "I have to grade some papers. But your dad will come soon to spend the rest of the night with you."
"It’s ok mom. I’ll be good on my own."
"I love you Matty." She said kissing his forehead.
After she left, Matthew fell asleep. But his dreams were filled with the images of hell. Of people being killed. Of the horrors he saw.
He woke up suddenly ready for battle searching for his weapons.
"It’s ok. It’s ok." A female voice said calming him down.
He then realized it was Faralynn, sitting on the chair his mother was sitting earlier, and holding his hand. She was dressed in a hospital gown, meaning she was also being treated there.
"Can’t sleep, huh?" She said with a half-smile.
"I can. Just can’t keep asleep."
"It all comes back." She added.
Matthew nodded. "It doesn’t feel real. I’m scared of waking up and still be there."
"I’m glad Erin didn’t see how things ended in there." The elf said getting up and walking towards the window. "I can’t but fear that we’ll be spirited away like before." She paused while looking at the night lights. "I can’t take out their faces from my mind." The elf said with tears on her eyes.
Matthew sat on the bed, and held her shoulder. "It won’t happen again. We’re out. We survived. We’re saved."
Faralynn held his hand. Got close to him. Passed her hand on his burnt face and held his hair with force scaring him. She then kissed him passionately while exploring his body with her hands. But when her hand grazed one of his wounds and he flinched in pain, she realized what she was doing and stopped.
"Sorry. I..." The elf said flustered. "I don’t know what..." She couldn’t find the words. "I’m scared and don’t want to be alone. But... I don’t do this. This isn’t me."
"It’s ok." Matthew said a bit displeased about stopping, but also a bit scared for how she was acting. "I don’t mind you being like that. I also don’t want to be alone." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NovelHub(.)net
"No. Something is not right." She said getting away from him. "I need to go." Faralynn hurried out the door.
Matthew was left dumbfounded on his bed. Part of him really happy and the other part a bit scared. What was that?
Even after his father arrived, he could not get a good night of sleep. The next day he was discharged and went back home. He expected to be received by a scolding from his mother and sister, but both of them just hugged him tightly.
He went back to his room, threw his things on the floor and laid on his bed.
When the door slowly crept open, his hand went to his machete. But seeing his sister’s face coming in, he let it go.
"You should take a shower, Matt. The bathroom is yours."
While showering, he was constantly looking out the tiny bathroom window. Always peeking behind the curtain. Shampooing with his eyes opened.
He checked under the table before sitting down for lunch. Looked under his bed before laying down. Walked around the house checking if the doors were locked.
Matthew too felt unsafe. Could another gate to hell open there at anytime? Could an imp fly inwards through a window?
He left his house in the afternoon to buy more bullets, a second gun, a new protective vest, and a small shield.
During dinner, he kept a gun in his pocket while eating. At night, he couldn’t fall asleep.
"I’m happy you’re home safe" His mother said while wishing him a good night.
Wide awake in the late night hours, holding his weapons while scanning the street through the window, Matthew questioned if he was back home at all.