The hideous creatures were increasing, more of them gathering in dozens, each looking more deadly than the previous ones. Asher could feel the oozing powers from them—it was a darkness in the form of smoke, choking him from the inside. No doubt he was terrified. His main purpose for coming to Paradise High was to study. Who would have thought he would be involved in some scandalous activities? And now, he was imprisoned in a dark hell, some saying he would never come out due to the fact that he was in danger.
Asher fumed. Who were they to determine his life? Fuck them all. He would get the hell out of this damned place and back to school—that's if their school was still standing, because he had a feeling that whatever was happening to them, their school was having it worse.
When the twisted creatures approached slowly, cornering them in a circle, Asher could clearly see Jeremy's face—ashen white—but he tried masking his fear. His sister, who noticed the dread forming in his mind, slowly clasped her hands over his and whispered something in his ears that made him blush.
Asher could feel his heart breaking. So after all their intimate moments, he was still hella straight? Or pretending to be so.
After kissing him close to three times, after saying all those things, here he was—cowering around his sister. And his sister, who had no idea what was happening, was blushing so hard, forgetting they were in a deadly situation. One that might get them killed. Yet here they were, showing affection—one that he was crushing on so bad. Jeremy just pretended he didn't exist and moved to his sister. Why was he like this?
Lamia didn't notice the tension between Asher, Jeremy, and Rose. His mind was focused on the deadly forces approaching in full force, and in less than ten minutes, they were outnumbered by ancient terrors.
Then, the sudden romance between Rose and Jeremy vanished like a puff of smoke, making Asher giggle silently—even though he was at risk of dying. Gosh, he was so stupid. First, it was Ezekiel, who threw his feelings aside and was embracing Ares, the sexy teacher. Now, the only one who truly cared for him was back to his sister. Gosh, the pain of falling in love with a straight guy. They mostly played with your emotions, treating you like their toy. But enough was enough. He couldn't continue being tormented like this.
"What are you mortals doing in our territory?" A deadly voice echoed from nowhere.
Asher's body shook. Weren't they already outnumbered by the dead witches? Then why did the voice sound like it was coming from the air? Asher looked around in panic.
Lamia, the brave one, didn't flinch. He dared to look the terrors in the eyes—those dead eyes that Asher could swear were like a soul sea, where the cries of haunted souls echoed in pain. Looking into those eyes was like being sucked of your life force. Strangely, Lamia wasn't affected by their darkness.
"We were trapped here. We don't want trouble. Just let us leave, and none of you shall be hurt."
Lamia's daring words made Asher blink. Does he know he's angering them by saying that? Why couldn't he calmly apologize and let them avoid them forever?
Jeremy was still holding Rose so tightly, as if letting her go would cause her disappearance. And Rose, who had constantly rejected Jeremy's advances previously, was now letting the handsome guy cuddle her like his lover, making Asher even more sick to his stomach.
Then, as if Asher knew it, the dead witches' faces twisted into something he couldn't fathom. Someone marched to the front of them, its face more terrifying than the others. Its head was bald and glowing like a crystal, its hollow eyes and rotten corpse-like face making the onlookers turn away. A terrifying, loud laughter erupted—one that tore the soul from the body.
Lamia's confidence was slowly waning, and Asher could see it clearly—because he was not blind. Even the two cuddling couples had stopped, fear holding them like a child hugging his mother.
"So, Lamia Alexandria. The one that ruined our plan. The guy that captivated Damian Wayne Williams, our chosen one. Am I right?"
The horrifying voice of the strange being rang out.
Asher watched Lamia, curiosity sparking in his mind. What happened between him and Damian that made the witches so mad? He just prayed nothing would lead to a fight. Or was he deceiving himself? Of course, the dead witches wouldn't let them go without destroying their lives. So, he just stood there, transfixed, waiting for Lamia's answer.
"Yes, I am Lamia Alexandria. And thanks to you guys, my Damian was taken away from me. You devils ruined his life!"
Lamia fired at the creature, but it just laughed at his words, finding them amusing.
"Me? Ruin your life, or his life? How did I do that? We had a deal. He was supposed to procreate. We gave him powers—huge ones no one has ever been able to comprehend. We made him immortal. We gave him another lifetime to continue his mission. But what did he do? Fall for an ordinary mortal—a useless one, for that matter. But now I get it.
"You're Elysian—the worthless mundane he sacrificed himself for by collecting the dreadful Torch of Light. Wow, I am shocked."
The vile creature laughed even more.
Asher finally realized why Lamia was a demigod. Lamia was gifted the Torch of Light by Damian. Wow, what a romance. But what really happened? This was making him more interested, despite the circumstances. Maybe this story might lead to a way out for him.
Lamia was silent. He looked down at the barren land, slowly shedding tears. He had just remembered Damian. How he died. Vanished without a trace. Sacrificing everything for him once again. No, that wasn't fair. He deserved a happy ending after all the suffering he endured—just for him.
"Oh, now you realize the truth, Lamia? You're supposed to be dead. And because of you, the veil separating the world of the living and the dead has weakened.
"You know what that means? Hadrain bringing you back to life broke so many barriers. The armies of the dead will soon infiltrate your world. But that's if we don't destroy your precious world first."
The leader declared, and his wide mouth opened.
Asher's face became deathly pale, his eyes wide, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. The armies of the dead? And what he felt wasn't even comparable to what Lamia was feeling right now. Being tagged the destroyer of humanity was too much for him to bear.
"Oh, don't worry. I know you're immortal, so you won't die here in the Dark Trench—unlike your friends, who are mortals. So, you're free.
"And one more thing. You shouldn't have left your house. Because our new agent—don't worry, you know her.
"Your worst enemy, Abigail, has gone to your place. And your generation will be wiped out from the surface of the earth. Oh, poor Catherine, how will she defend her two babies?
"Hadrain, on the other hand, is in hell with his father. So no one is defending them. Know what that means?"
The cruel voice of the witch grew more vicious.
Lamia was already on the ground, crying. He remembered Sylvia telling him he shouldn't have come. His mind flashed to Hadrain's smile. Catherine, begging him not to leave again.
Then, the witch's voice made them tremble even more.
"Oh, what a family reunion. I see you have finally found Lucinda…"
Lamia turned to Rose. He was about to move when a dark shadow caught him, pulling him away.
"No! Let me go! Lucinda, is that you? Nooo!"
Lamia struggled, but the force binding him was too strong.
Then the battle began between Lamia and the head of the dead witches.
And as crazy as it seemed, Asher was praying for Lamia to win.
He was dismayed at what had happened—Rose, his sister, was Lucinda. How was that possible? His sister was Rose. No way! The witches were lying. They were bluffing.
Jeremy was trying to hold on to Rose's shaky body. Asher, too, came to help, but the ground shook, and the earth opened. Their eyes widened as the ground swallowed them. Only Lamia was left with the dead witches, while the three had it worse.
The portal landed them on the dark sea, the very place where Jeremy and Asher had barely survived before. The waters swallowed them, but that wasn't their biggest problem. Swimming wasn't an issue—it was the abominations lurking within the ocean.
One of them rose up—it was like a walking mountain. A Leviathan.
Its body was an immense mass of writhing, blackened scales, slick with the stench of ancient decay. The beast's form was serpentine, stretching endlessly into the abyssal depths, coiling through the ocean like a monstrous god of the deep. Its eyes, glowing orbs of molten gold, radiated a sickly, infernal light, illuminating the waters with an eerie glow. Razor-sharp fins jutted from its spine like jagged obsidian, glistening with the blood of past victims.
The Leviathan's mouth opened, revealing rows upon rows of serrated teeth, each longer than a sword, dripping with corrosive saliva that hissed upon contact with the water. Its breath was a scorching gust of putrid air, thick with the scent of rotting flesh and sulfur.
The sea trembled with its every movement, waves crashing violently as it let out a guttural, earth-shaking roar. The sound alone sent ripples of terror through the air, a dreadful warning that they were nothing but prey in its domain. The beast's tail lashed the surface, sending walls of water into the sky, while its long, barbed tendrils snaked through the ocean, searching, sensing, hunting.
But it was not alone.
Two more Leviathans emerged from the shadows of the deep, their bodies just as colossal, their monstrous presence thick with hunger. They were fighting for dominion over the waters, yet the moment they sensed the falling humans, their battle ceased.
Three pairs of gleaming golden eyes locked onto their new prey.
And they rushed toward their meals.