Chapter 11: Hell
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The scorching heat enveloped the city like a suffocating blanket, and the air, heavy with a nauseating stench, was almost unbreathable. The young albino mutant had caught his breath enough to begin to process his surroundings. The chaos around him left no room for doubt: the city was being devoured, not by fire or physical collapse, but by a dimensional aberration that transcended human understanding. Every corner his sight could see was infected by a dark force, a demonic presence that left no room for hope.
The ground beneath his feet trembled unevenly, as if the earth itself were being consumed by the abyss. Shadows in the streets distorted and took on a life of their own, moving erratically, attacking the unwary. Buildings, which had once been silent witnesses to human progress, now twisted into grotesque shapes, mutating into something more sinister, as if the very essence of the city had been corrupted.
Inanimate objects, those that should never have had a will, were possessed of an unholy rage. Cars started on their own and raced down the avenues like wild beasts, ramming and crushing any unfortunate enough to cross their path. Streetlights trembled as if they were specters of metal and glass, and shards of windows flew like daggers, seeking flesh to tear apart. The screams of the victims echoed in all directions, mixing with the deafening sound of glass breaking and the creaking of walls giving way to the supernatural forces.
Madelyne Pryor, the queen of Limbo, had achieved the unthinkable. Her demonic invasion had succeeded where many other forces of evil had failed. Not only had she defeated the X-Men, but she had decimated other heroes who had dared to oppose her. Aleis still couldn't understand how it had happened. Where were those who had always fought for humanity? How could the heroes' resistance be so fragile in the face of the power of a single person? The answers didn't matter at the moment. All he knew was that he was alone. Alone, surrounded by demons and beings who had once been his companions in the fight for a better world.
In the distance, he could see the shattered body of the hero who had been appointed to protect this part of the city. There was not much left of him, just a mass of flesh and bones that writhed in involuntary spasms. Next to him, Massacre, a being that was already a nightmare, now possessed a demonic power that had turned him into an even more monstrous aberration due to demonic possession. The weak mutant could not afford to stop and face him; with each passing second, more and more of the city fell under the control of the forces of Limbo.
With a superhuman effort, Aleis activated his vector shield, deflecting the attacks of the cursed objects that tried to take his life. Each step was a challenge, but he could not afford to fall here. The creatures of Limbo stalked him from the shadows, but his determination kept him moving. His powers, while useful, were not enough to face the magnitude of the invasion. He needed to get to the underground, where, at least for a brief moment, he could find shelter and rethink his options.
As he moved forward, the cityscape became increasingly decayed. The buildings were no longer just misshapen structures, but seemed to be alive, pulsating with a malignant energy that made them writhe as if they were creatures trapped in perpetual agony. The streets had become rivers of blood and fire, and the once blue sky was now tinted a hellish red, pierced by dark portals that hung like open wounds in the firmament.
Demons emerged from dark portals that hung in the sky like open scars on the horizon. The invasion from Limbo, led by Madelyne Pryor, had proven to be far more devastating than the heroes had anticipated. The X-Men, along with other superheroes, had fallen or disappeared amidst the chaos. Only a few remained, scattered and resisting in the shadows.
He knew his only hope was to descend into the underground, a place where the chaotic energies of the demonic invasion had not yet fully penetrated. As he ran, his mind tried to process the magnitude of the situation: How had the heroes failed? How had it all come to this? How had his body recovered after falling in battle? Had one of his fellow mutants saved him? The feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed him, but it also pushed him forward. The young albino mutant felt the weight of responsibility crushing him. He had barely escaped the clinic, barely survived Massacre, and now he had to face an even worse fate. But something inside him, an unknown force, kept pushing him forward. He felt that his powers had not reached their full potential, that the pain he had felt upon awakening was not just suffering, but an ongoing transformation. If he survived this, he might discover what he was truly capable of.
As he reached the entrance to the subway, he walked on and saw other survivors huddled near the stairs. They were terrified, seeking shelter, but many of them had already lost all hope. A small child was crying next to his mother, and an old man with his face covered in soot was trying to reassure the few people left. Aleis clenched his fists. He could not allow these people to perish here.
"Everyone, get down to the subway!" he shouted in an authoritative voice, surprising even himself. It's the only safe place for now!
Some looked at him with distrust, but the fear of the demonic invasion was far greater than any doubt. They began to move slowly towards the stairs, and Aleis kept his vector shield active, deflecting the debris and attacks of the possessed objects that stalked them.
But just when he thought he had managed to get the survivors to safety, a tremor shook the ground beneath his feet. From the shadows of the subway, a figure emerged. It was tall, thin, but clad in black, glowing armor, with red eyes that glowed like burning embers. Aleis recognized it immediately: one of the criminals possessed by demonic power, a new threat that had come to hunt down the few survivors.
"Do you think you can escape us, child?" the figure said in a guttural, distorted voice. "The entire city is now our home... and you will be our next offering."
Aleis, still weakened from the previous battle, felt terror rising within him. But he couldn't give up now. Not after he had come this far. His eyes flashed with renewed determination as his powers began to activate again, and the air around him filled with psychic energy.
"I'm not going to die here," the albino muttered. "Not while I can still fight."
The demonic figure let out a hellish laugh before charging towards him, but Aleis, controlling the vectors around him, launched himself forward with astonishing speed, dodging the attack and preparing for what would be the most intense fight of his life. He knew that the fate of the survivors, and perhaps the entire world, depended on his ability to master his powers and face the forces that had been unleashed.
The demonic figure advanced with unnatural speed, each step echoing like thunder in the underground. Aleis barely had time to react, using his vector shield in front of him just as the being delivered a blow with devastating force. The impact shook the tunnel, causing chunks of concrete to fall from the ceiling. The air was heavy with a sense of doom, as if fate itself was deciding the outcome of their fight.
The albino took several steps back, feeling the weight of the pressure on his body. His shield, though powerful, was beginning to show signs of wear. The demonic energies were more intense than he had anticipated. But he couldn't let that stop him. Not when there were people counting on him.
"This is just the beginning," the creature said, its voice echoing in dark echoes. "Your world is falling apart. Why are you still fighting?"
Aleis gritted his teeth, fury bubbling within him. The memories of his past life, of his constant struggle to understand himself and his power, gave him renewed motivation. It wasn't just about surviving; It was about protecting those who couldn't defend themselves.
"Because if I don't, who will?" he replied, channeling his manipulation of the surrounding vectors into a single point, feeling the very essence of power flow through him.
Suddenly, the environment changed. The air around him began to distort as vectors, invisible lines of matter, gathered around him, creating a vortex that shook the surroundings. It was as if the very space around him was bending under his control, a tangible manifestation of his raw power. The demonic creature watched him, curious, before launching another attack. But this time, Aleis was ready. With a quick flick of his hand, he deflected the blow with precision, sending the beast crashing into one of the tunnel walls with such force that the concrete shattered into pieces, leaving an indelible mark in its wake. The crash echoed like an echo of his own internal struggle, a reminder that his own battle was also a war for his identity.
The survivors, still on the stairs, watched the scene in a state of awe and terror. The boy who had barely escaped death was now fighting with a skill few could understand, facing a force that seemed invincible. Hope slowly ignited in their hearts, as they realized they were not alone in the utter madness of the demonic invasion.
The creature rose, its demonic eyes filled with fury, but before it could fight back, Aleis decided to risk it all. With a blast of air from her vector manipulation, she launched a series of precise attacks, each one targeting the creature's weak points. Each impact resonated like an explosion, and though the beast's black armor was resilient, it could not withstand the combined force of so many blows. Aleis' determination became an unstoppable wave, each attack sending a clear message: she would not give up.
Finally, with one last move, Aleis created a vortex with her psychic energy so powerful that it enveloped the creature in a spiral of air, tearing it apart from the inside out. The beast let out an agonized scream before being completely consumed, disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke that dissipated like the fears it had faced.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, broken only by the faint sound of falling debris. The young mutant was breathing heavily, his knees shaking from the effort, but he had done it. He had defeated one of the most powerful demonic forces he had ever met. The feeling of victory gave him a momentary respite amidst the chaos.
The survivors began to slowly descend the stairs, their faces filled with gratitude and wonder. The little boy clung to his mother's hand, looking at Aleis as if he were a hero in a story, a symbol of hope in the midst of darkness. But he only looked toward the horizon, where the portals to Limbo remained open, as a reminder that the danger had not yet passed.
"This is not over yet," he murmured, looking at the broken sky beyond the entrance to the underground. "But it is a start."
He knew the road ahead would be long and full of danger. Madelyne Pryor was still out there, and Limbo continued to spread like a plague across the world. But now, with his powers controlled like never before, Aleis felt he had a chance, a spark of hope in the midst of darkness. The fight was not only for his life, but for the future of all those who remained, for those who had lost faith and for those who still hoped for a savior.
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