Hellbound Heart

Chapter 383 Light and Darkness - Part 1

In the depths of the underworld, where light dared not linger and shadows reveled in their eternal dominion, the air quivered with the arrival of three individual: Zeke, Alicia, and Gav. They emerged from the vortex of darkness that tore through the fabric of realms like a silent scream. But what welcomed their arrival was the sound of clashing steel and guttural war cries echoing in the distance. Alicia who was still clinging to Zeke immediately felt the thickness of the air, filled with the scent of brimstone and death. As the trio landed on top of the edge of a steep cliff, overlooking the battlefield, the sight of them was a sight to behold. Alicia stood between two imposing men, her silver hair cascading like ethereal silk, shimmering like a star's last light against the darkness. Alicia's gaze swept across the battlefield, where creatures of nightmare clashed with one another. Orc-like entities, their skin a patchwork of greys and blacks as if painted by the soot of a thousand fires, wielded massive weapons. Weapons that seemed not crafted but born of the underworld itself, pulsating with a malevolent life force. Beside these hulking brutes marched creatures that transcended the boundaries of nightmares. They were a collection of the bizarre and terrifying, an fusion of limbs that twisted in unnatural angles, eyes that gleamed with malevolence, and mouths filled with fangs, ever snarling, ever hungry.

The sky churned with dark clouds, lit sporadically by flashes of lightning, revealing glimpses of the hellish scene. "Seems they are indeed barely holding on," Gav remarked, his tone casual, almost bored, as if commenting on a training spar rather than the infernal war before them. The timbre of his voice was completely devoid of any concern.

He turned to Zeke. "You can go, Zeke. Leave this to me."

Zeke gave a nod, his expression unreadable. In the next instant, Gav became the center of a gathering storm, his form a nexus for the shadows that seemed to hunger for release. His vast wings unfurled, blacker than the void between stars, as the shadows pulsed even stronger around him.

With a smirk that spoke of dark confidence and a gleam in his eyes that burned with unholy light, Gav released his power. Alicia, instinctively squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding eruption of Gav's dark energies.

She immediately opened her eyes again, only to find that Gav was gone. In the distance, a sound like thunder rolled across the battlefield, a sonic boom that seemed to signal Gav's arrival into the fray.

And as the shockwave of Gav's arrival rippled across the battlefield, a thunderous roar rose from the throats of the demons. It was a roar of bloodlust and battle joy, a sound so potent it seemed to shake the very ground beneath them. Alicia, felt a surge of awe at the display of raw power she had witnessed. She couldn't even help the goosebumps that crawled all over her skin. She's been into numbers of battles but this… this was just entirely… she couldn't even find the right word to describe this!

"Are you cold?" Zeke's gentle murmur made Alicia turn to face him.

"No, I'm fine. It's just..." She paused, her eyes scanning the vast, dark space before them again. The air was heavy with darkness, filled with countless demons moving and roaring. They spread out in a terrifying display, too many for her to comprehend. "I'm taking you out of here." "But… what about Gav? Will he be fine?"

Zeke's eyes held a flicker of something indecipherable as he reassured her. "Don't worry about him. That man's power surpasses mine. He's more than capable of dealing with these demons singlehandedly."

"If he's stronger than you, then why does he heed your commands?" she began, curiosity getting the better of her. "No, forget I asked. It's just... I keep forgetting that you've always had this ability to command the strongest with ease."

In response, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Zeke's lips. His fingers then gently brushed back strands of Alicia's silver hair, tucking them tenderly behind her ear. His gaze captured hers, gleaming with an intensity as if he was committing every detail of her face to memory.

"What is it?" Alicia asked him, curious why he was suddenly looking at her that way. Zeke's response came with a slight clearing of his throat. "Nothing," he said, his voice a half-note deeper.

A brow arched gracefully on Alicia's forehead, unsatisfied with his non-answer. She reached up, placing her palms against the coolness of his cheeks. "I guess my only choice is to try to decipher it myself, huh…"

A smile teased the edges of Zeke's mouth, his stoic facade crumbling ever so slightly as he tightened his hold on her wrists, his fingers a gentle yet firm like shackle. "Fine, I'll tell you..." His voice trailed off, a smile still playing on his lips. "Don't look so eager. It's nothing important." A momentary pause, and then he continued, the smile disappearing as swiftly as it had appeared. "I'm only thinking how out of place you are in this world..." His eyes held hers, steady and sincere. "Like a lone star in the pitch darkness…"

Alicia's breath hitched, the metaphor painting a vivid image of her luminance amidst the consuming void around them. Before she could response, Zeke drew her in, his arms wrapping around her in a protective embrace as if he wanted nothing but to shield her from the darkness itself. "I want to take you out of this world as soon as possible, Alicia," he murmured into her hair, his voice soft. "I'm fine, Ezekiel." Alicia said, trying to let him know that she was totally alright and he had nothing to worry about. Zeke's embrace around Alicia tightened. His impossibly calm power rippled. Then they began to dissipate, their forms fragmenting into tendrils of smoke. Swirling and coalescing, the smoke seemed to dance around them. And just as a star winks out at the coming of dawn, they disappeared, leaving the space where they had stood empty.

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