Chapter 23 - Devil's demon

Finn looking at the displayed information now couldn't brag that he knew what it entailed. Some of the things he saw were foreign to him other than his name.

"While I don't know what half of the things here mean, I find it quite alluring. Perhaps there is more to all of this, "Finn thought with his eyes closed. To his sister, Juan, Finn was already in a deep sleep. But that wasn't the case.

*Bing*

[System needs to fully synchronize with host]

[Synchronisation requires the host to be in an unconscious state]

[Host will now be induced to sleep while synchronisation takes place]

Before Finn could say a word, his thoughts became foggy and he found himself falling into an endless void of darkness.

The fall was long but oddly, while it felt so real, he realized a fall from such a height of which he didn't know where it began or how long it had been that he was falling lacked one element, air.

He felt no air brushing against him from the fall. But not just that, he realized he wasn't breathing any air, to begin with. And the moment he realized this, his lungs felt squeezed in tightly while he was still falling. He held onto his throat seeking air but none of that seemed to exist in this place.

Soon he could feel as though everything had been amplified to the maximum. His crucial senses were at their peak. He could feel as though his body was departing from him piece by piece. He heard the sound of the flow of his blood slowly coming to a halt. His heart soon followed and he could hear no more heartbeat. His organs began to shut down one by one.

This reminded him of the time he was almost bleeding to death. He panicked some more and that's when right before his eyes, he could see his skin turn to flakes and peel off of him. Gradually his body began to turn to flakes and was being blown away. Yet he failed to understand how this was possible since there was no wind.

He was still falling with no heartbeat, no functional organ, no air and no end in sight.

He tried to scream but no sound came out. Nothing appeared to make sense anymore.

"This is worse than death," he thought. But while falling, the cold atmosphere reminded him of just how cold death felt. It felt like he was dead. No, he knew he was dead.

But how had this happened? Perhaps he let his guard down and was killed by that doll of a sister? He thought.

-There has to be an end. No fall can be this long unless I'm skipping past death's door this time and being plunged to hell directly. But even if that's the case, where is the end of all this? If it's the devil that must accommodate me then let him send his demons to come to get me!!! - Finn thought.

Suddenly, he became still. He wasn't falling again and he wondered how this could be. He looked beneath him and could see that there still wasn't a visible solid ground. It's like he was standing on darkness itself. There was no light so the only thing he could see then was darkness.

-How am I sweating when I have no functional organ? Do the dead sweat? I have never felt warmth in all my death. Must be getting close to hell, I suppose- Finn assessed.

Now that he looked at himself, his peeled-off skin was back. He listened and could hear the blood flowing through his body. His heart was beating fine again. And, it seemed, there was air again. Yes, he could breathe and could hear himself let out a sigh. Wait, he could talk and hear himself now. But he wondered how all this was possible.

"Is this what hell is like? Dying and being born all over again only to repeat the same? If so, then I think I should be granted a pass because this isn't new to me. I deserve to rest!!!"Finn yelled out and stomped his foot. But he realised then that he had made a terrible mistake.

He wasn't standing on darkness. Darkness couldn't be as solid as it felt to him when he stomped hard. The ground he was standing on was just as dark as the entire domain which was why he felt it was darkness.

But from his actions, he realized in a matter of time, there wouldn't be much to stand on again. The dark ground was beginning to crack. It showed visible signs of cracking as a red light was emitted from these cracks beneath his feet.

But it wasn't just a red light. He could feel immeasurable heat emanating from these cracks that were spreading like spider webs as time went on.

"I guess the devil accepted my demands. He is welcoming me to hell..."Finn said once but his voice echoed and it was played back to him multiple times. But oddly, instead of his voice fading out, it got louder and louder.

This didn't just hurt his ears which were extremely keen on hearing, no, it was hurting the ground he stood on as well. And as time went on, the sound got louder and Finn could see the cracks getting wider. He was about to fall into one when he heard a screeching sound.

-What in the infinite depths of death's bottom are those?"Finn muttered as he looked up, he could see over a thousand creatures flying his way.

He saw a thousand-winged human-like figure flying toward him. And at that moment, it had occurred to him.

He was beyond shocked, soaked with sweat and above all, he was paralysed with fear.

-Old man Zephyr said the gods always listened to our prayers. But old man Zephyr never said the devil eavesdrops on them as well. Now to show some benign gesture, the devil has acknowledged my wish and was benevolent enough to send his demons. - Finn thought with fear scribbled all over his face.

Straight away, Finn shot off like a bow from an arrow and began to run.

He ran as fast as his leg could carry him. He ran from the fast-spreading crack on the ground which emitted great heat that threatened to melt his skin off.

But that wasn't his only problem, the winged creatures above him were swooping down one after the other now and closing in on him.

He kept on running as fast as his eight-year-old leg could carry him. While running, it occurred to him that the cracks looked the same all the way through. It could only mean one thing.

He hadn't even moved from the spot he stood on initially. Darkness was everywhere so there was no way to prove he had even made a step forward. It was like he was running a treadmill. But he couldn't be too sure so he kept on pushing. He pushed himself so hard trying to get away from the promise of hell. The demons were right behind him now in their thousands. So much was been said to him at once that he couldn't hear anything. But he knew these were words coming from them. It's like they were cursing his already cursed existence.

-What is the need? I can't outrun them! Death has eventually caught up with me I see- Finn thought.

He stopped running. Turned around and could see the demons with their large wings drop from above one after the other. Their landing caused great quakes. He knew it was only a matter of time before they were all plunged into the deep abyss.

He looked at their numbers as they landed and what he thought he saw before was wrong. They weren't in their thousands. They were more, far much more than he could estimate.

But right in that small gap in the horde of demons that assembled against him, he could see light. A white bright light that fluctuated. He noticed after careful study that it was in sync with his heartbeat. The light flashed when his heartbeat. He knew straight away. That was freedom. That was life. The light was there once again to take him. He felt relieved that there was at least some form of hope. Alas, all he needed to do now was get past the legion of demons.

But just as he could see the light through that gape in the demon's assemblage, he could also see something peculiar that frightened him beyond all he had seen.

-Such benign gesture I have been favoured to witness. I knew hell would be bad, but it's hell here when I haven't even gotten there yet. I may not possess the purest of hearts but this is clear torment. The concept of fear has never been more open to me. I thought I was dead. But no, this is where I die- Finn stared motionlessly while thinking. It had gotten so quiet for a moment that he suspected something to be wrong. But then the next moment, he confirmed that all was in fact wrong as he stared at the faces of each demon, and all he saw was himself.