I hate the dark

Charlene, ReNew, and Ariel crept slowly down the corridor. Even with the light shield in hand, the darkness was so thick they could barely see more than a few feet ahead. Charlene’s breath hitched—tight and shallow. It had been years since she felt this kind of fear. The dark had a way of dragging out the deepest, buried terrors.

ReNew glanced at her, alarmed. Charlene was showing signs of a panic attack.

A high-pitched squeak broke the silence, and something skittered across Charlene’s feet.

"Was that a rat?" she gasped, stumbling back.

Charlene's chest tightened.

"I don't know, Charlene—it’s too dark. Maybe a small cat?" ReNew offered.

Charlene shot her a glare cold enough to shatter stone. "I’d slap you if I could see you better!"

Still breathing hard, Charlene lifted the shield toward ReNew’s face. “Let me see you.”

"I’m just trying to help you, Char!" ReNew said gently. "In through your nose, out through your mouth." She gave her a calm smile.

We need to move quickly before she gets any worse, ReNew thought.

"I HATE THE DARK!" Charlene cried, trembling.

Ariel, the hound, nodded solemnly.

Without warning, hands shot out from the walls and grabbed them all.

"Aha!" they screamed in unison—even Ariel.

As soon as the screams rang out, the hands withdrew into the stone.

"I’ve had enough of this bull," Charlene growled. "Let’s light this place up!"

She blinked, and suddenly the corridor walls lit up with fluorescent paint, glowing in streaks and symbols.

ReNew gagged. “Ugh, it stinks down here!”

“That’s much better,” Charlene muttered. She turned to Ariel. “When we have time, we need to talk.”

Ariel nodded again.

"Help us!" came desperate cries—from inside the walls.

Charlene leaned in toward a crack. “Hello? Who’s in there?”

More hands reached through the stone.

"We're in here!"

"Please save us!"

"Before they come back!"

"Who?" ReNew asked.

"The black-eyed guards!"

"Hurry!"

They took off down the corridor, searching for a door.

Meanwhile, Armaros, Idris, and Heth had found Asmodeus. He was scraping away the sigils that kept him sealed inside the catacombs, using possessed guards to claw at the runes with their bare fingers and broken nails.

"HURRY UP, YOU DOGS!" Asmodeus bellowed.

He suddenly sensed Armaros’ group approaching and darted into the corridor. “Stop them!” he shouted.

The demon guards turned from the sigils, ready to fight.

“We don’t have time—he’s getting away!” Idris shouted, sprinting after Asmodeus while Heth and Armaros clashed with the guards.

Idris was gaining ground—right on his heels.

BAM!

Idris was knocked out cold.

Asmodeus summoned a portal. Black smoke poured from it, tendrils writhing. They slithered toward Idris, attempting to force their way up his nostrils.

Pinned under Asmodeus’ foot, Idris thrashed in pain.

“Stop resisting, dog!” Asmodeus hissed.

Suddenly, Seth, Professor E, and Asbeel—another hound—burst onto the scene. Asmodeus retreated quickly, sprinting back toward the demon guards. Asbeel launched into pursuit, sprinting along the ceiling like a spider.

“Bro, you okay?” Seth asked, kneeling beside Idris.

Idris coughed. “Now that you guys are here, yeah. Good timing.”

Professor E helped him to his feet.

“Can you continue?”

“Yeah. Let’s go catch ourselves a demon.”

Back in the glowing corridor, Charlene, ReNew, and Ariel found two massive doors—sigils etched into both the left and right. The cries came from behind them.

“Help us, please!” the voices cried.

Charlene blinked and memorized the sigils—they might be useful later.

“What now?” ReNew asked. “We can’t open them without the keys or the words.”

“Maybe we can go back and get Torock?” Charlene suggested.

Then Ariel spoke with a deep, growling voice: “Everyone, move back from the walls.”

Charlene repeated the command. “Move back—and cover your faces!”

Ariel rammed the walls with her shoulder, again and again, until the stone crumbled, revealing two gaping holes.

ReNew and Charlene rushed in, helping the trapped Fates out.

“THANK YOU!” they cried. “We’ve been trapped for so long.”

There were too many to count. Charlene could feel their hunger, pain, and fear like a wave pressing into her chest. The stench was suffocating.

“Follow the hound to the exit,” Charlene said firmly. “Stay close, and move quickly. We’re not safe yet.”

She and ReNew supported those too weak to walk. Ariel allowed three to ride on her back.

At last, they reached the steps. Torock met them and guided the Fates to safety.

Charlene, ReNew, and Ariel stayed behind to guard the corridor.

Heavy footsteps echoed ahead.

It was Asmodeus—still running, Asbeel sprinting after him along the ceiling. Armaros followed close behind, hurling fireballs down the corridor. Asmodeus ducked and weaved to avoid the blasts.

He didn’t see Charlene.

She was already crafting a sigil box using the markings she copied. With a blink, she launched them—left, right, up, down.

“One, two, three—on the floor,” she whispered.

The sigils locked into place. The trap was set.

“Lights off,” Charlene commanded.

Darkness swallowed the corridor again.

They ran silently, letting the dark mask their escape.

Asmodeus caught one of Armaros’ fireballs with telekinesis and hurled it back. Seth and Professor E barely saw it in time—Seth tackled E, but flames caught his leg.

Seth rolled him in moss, smothering the fire, then opened a portal and shoved him through. Dr. Gilead and Tabitha immediately began healing him.

Asmodeus could see the exit now.

Anywhere’s better than the catacombs, he thought. Torock will pay for leaving me down here.

He laughed. “HA! HA! HA!”

First square—clear.

Second square—clear.

Third—he stepped—

The trap snapped shut.

Asmodeus slammed into a transparent wall with a thunderous BOOM that shook the corridors. The shockwave knocked everyone off their feet.

He crumpled to the floor—his front teeth shattered, his mouth filling with blood.