The Demon’s Bride

Elise was determined to see through the plan they had started, where they had to kill Apollyon for good before the angel of wrath would try to create more disaster than he had already done. Whether it was revenge that Apollyon want or his other twisted reason, Elise would stop the man himself and taught him the mistake of what he had done. 

"We should hurry," Elise said to Ian. She didn't know if it was fate or if Apollyon had chosen the town of Venues for a reason.

Ian looked at the place with a hum. Unlike her, she noticed how Ian was at more ease than her. Just as the thought passed by, Ian smiled at her, "It's alright, Elise. We do not be in haste for anything that is done in a hurry often lead to many mistakes and drawbacks instead." He then turned to Lady Caroline, "Thank you, your lady. I have seen that there is truly a reasonable person in Hell."

"I would say there are more reasonable person in the world more than you think. Though, it differs with whether you will find someone who could blend well with you," Lady Caroline commented. "Strange, young man. I feel that I can get along with you well even though this is my first time being acquainted with you."

"I would also like to say the same. A woman like you is always great to be a friend with," Ian answered politely. "Someone who can take care of my dear wife is always welcomed to me."

Elise shook her head with a small chuckle of her lips. "We will leave now, Lady Caroline."

Lady Caroline watched as red mists envelope Elise and Ian before going to her own thoughts where she sighed at the end of her interrupted thought, "So?"

The person behind her stepped inside the room. On the person's hands were the body of her servants. Lady Caroline noted how her servant's bodies were slack without energy in them and sighed, "Should I be thankful you had let them leave or should I praise your cleverness to wait for me alone before striking? You seem to know your power's limit," turning her face to look at the person behind her, Lady Caroline's eyes who noticed something narrowed down deeper, "On second thought you don't seem to be Apollyon."

The person raised his face, slightly lifting the hood of their cloak that covered his face as well, revealing slightly their golden eyes, "Come with us in peace, Lady Caroline we meant no harm."

"Says the person who had attacked my servants, coming in without a knock. How can I believe your words?"

"Explanation will take time," answered the other angel who was taller than the one who had been talking. "Come with us and refusal will cause us to have no choice but to drag you away by force," he threatened. 

"That's not a nice start but I have to refuse. I am one who doesn't obey what people's order unless they request kindly, after all. Your rudeness isn't helping me to change my mind," lady Caroline twirled the smoking pipe from her hand that changed it shape into a silver whip. "Be careful boys, I don't teach myself how to restrain my power."

By the time Elise and Ian had appeared to the town of Venues, she saw the fog that had grown thick around the forest. Even though they had stepped on the side of the road where the fog shouldn't cover, the spot they stood at was engulfed by the white hazy smokes. 

"It seems true what Lady Caroline said. Indeed, we have been welcomed by the known Apollyon himself," Ian remarked when he felt a smaller hands grasped his palms. His smile curled when he looked at his wife who had held his hand. 

"So I won't lose you, let's hold hands," explained Elise, thinking the stare from Ian was a questioning gaze.

"I was thinking to do that. Don't step away from me even for ten seconds understand, my love?" Ian watched Elise vigorously bringing her head up and down. "Good," he praised before they walked away from the place, entering the smoke that created an opening with their shape before disappearing altogether, leaving no trace of their entrance as if the fog had eaten them. 

One of the patient in the castle, pushed himself from the bed. His eyes tried to adjust on the situation around him and became confused as he couldn't grasp his current location. Dalton remembered meeting Elise and Ian… and then, he was attacked by a sharp headache pain, meeting Ernest who then… who then shot his mentor Kyle.

Dalton covered his hands over his face, feeling headache hitting his head. But the headache he felt now wasn't caused by illness or curse, it was rather out of guilt for he felt partly blamed for the death of such a great man. In his mind he kept on blaming himself for not noticing the changes that occurred on Ernest. Was it because Ernest was one with a great skill in acting? Perhaps. Nevertheless, it didn't change how he had avoided to help Ernest when they were children. He had no power but also fear to go against his parents. Perhaps a few of his words can change his parent's mind if he had tried. 

The root of Ernest's anger is undoubtedly stemmed from his parents. The entity inside Ernest could be the one flaming but they were the one igniting hatred. Dalton dragged himself from the bed. He didn't know where he was but he knew he should be on his way to find where Ernest is. They might have gone estranged and Ernest had done so many sins that repenting for it would take him hundred of years. But they were brothers, bound by blood or not, they are brothers. 

Dalton took it into his hands the job to help Ernest, to stop him, and save him as other brothers would. His unbalanced steps caused him to look like a drunk man. Dalton persistently pushed on his own way when he stumbled and staggered to the mirror beside him. His hand sink into the mirror when at once his entire body was sucked by it, leaving him to disappear from the room at a blink of an eye.

On the other side, Esther woke up, finding herself stuffed inside a box yet again. She slammed her hands over the top of the surface but she received no answer. The angel that she saw before she passed out. It was none other than Heaven! This is dangerous! The dark sorcerers are usurping the throne without notice!