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MAGGIE'S POV

I wake up alone inside a small jail-like cell.

It's dark and uncomfortably quiet. An eerie type of quiet that gives you goosebumps and taunts your imagination with nothing but negative thoughts.

I desperately feel around for my phone, curious to know how long I've been here and also to see if I can call for help. Any type of help. I later sigh in exasperation because apparently on my way to Hell, nothing had come with me except for the clothes that I'm wearing. I'm even without my knife. I shake my head and let out a bitter laugh. What is wrong with me? As if there'd be any cell reception down here. I'm clearly not thinking straight.

Even if I did have a way to tell time, it's probably for the best that I don't know it. There's no point in knowing because the reality is that I'm stuck here forever. Time doesn't matter. I don't matter. Nothing matters anymore.

I'm dead.

I want to scream, cry, and wish away everything that's happening but I can't. I have to push past it. I have to be tough and move on. That's what my father would tell me if he were here. Whenever I threw a tantrum as a child, my father would always tell me how there was no point in whining and crying because ultimately, it wouldn't change anything. What happened, happened. Best to move forward rather than dwell on something that can't be undone.

His wise words still ring true to this moment.

There's no sense in me breaking down. It isn't going to change the fact that I'm royally screwed, so I might as well suck it up and get comfortable. Hell is my new home, and the sooner that I accept that, the easier the rest of eternity will be for me. Hopefully.

At least I have back control of my legs. I stand and stretch my stiff body, groaning in discomfort as my joints crack and pop like I'm eighty years old.

Having been forced to sleep on a concrete floor will leave you feeling that way. Though, I can't be too annoyed. This is Hell, after all. Being given a fully furnished room on day one just wouldn't have been realistic. And after that unexpected zapping trick that I did on Laudon, the devil's son, I doubt he's in the mood to hear my complaints about Hell's terrible housekeeping.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" I move closer to the thick metal bars, calling out into the pitch-black darkness surrounding my tiny prison. "My name is Maggie, for anyone listening. I'm... new here. And while this is probably said a lot, I'm really not supposed to be here. Any tips on getting through this nightmare would be greatly appreciated."

I don't know what I'm doing right now, but it beats standing around talking to myself.

As I wait for a response, I begin to count the seconds in my head. One minute passes, then two, and then three. By the ten minute mark, I sink to the ground in defeat.

I need to come up with another way to keep busy before my mind cracks in two.

"I really don't belong here," I mutter out loud, growing angry all over again. Better to be mad than scared shitless. "How was I supposed to know that stupid ritual wasn't a total sham? Ugh! This is all Andrew's fault. I'll kill him if I ever make it back to earth."

"Thou shalt not kill, remember? You'd just end up right back here. Surely you wouldn't be dumb enough to waste your second chance on some idiot boy that's probably already forgotten about you."

"Oh!" I gasp at the sound of the new voice. "It's so great to hear another person speak. I can't see a damn thing, so I thought I was the only somebody down here." I scramble to get closer to the metal bars, pressing an ear between them, trying to get a feel for which direction the stranger's voice is coming from. "Do you know where we are right now? Whenever I pictured Hell, I didn't envision it being anything like this."

"There's no name for where we are, as far as I know, but I personally like to think of it as a sort of holding area. He keeps us locked up until he figures out what he wants to do with us. Some don't stay here long, others do."

"How long have you been here? Where are you? Who are you? And what's your name? I'm Maggie!"

"One question at a time, new girl." The man chuckles, his voice is deep and raspy. It reminds me of Johnny. I can't help but frown at how badly I miss my friends. "From the sound of it, I'd say I'm a couple of cells away from you. My name is Erik; that's Erik with a K, not a C because I'm cooler. I've been down here for about..." He goes quiet, his voice barely above a whisper. It almost sounds like he's counting to himself. "Today marks day 787. You?"

Fuck. This really is Hell.

"First day for me," I brokenly reply. The knot forms in my throat before I can stop it, and soon my eyes begin to water. This is only day one and it's already taking everything in me to not completely fall apart. I can't bear to think about how I'll be mentally come day 787. "I'm only here because of a stupid dare gone wrong. What about you?"

Erik sighs. "I got shit-faced drunk on my twenty-first birthday and thought I was in a good enough shape to drive myself home from a friend's house. Long story short, I wasn't."

"Oh. So, you had a car accident and... died?"

"Not quite," another voice joins the conversation, and this one is even deeper than Erik's. The hair on the back of my neck rises in response. "A few minutes into his drive home, Erik crashed headfirst into a family of three, instantly killing them. Then, unable to handle the heavy sentence he received, Erik decided to take the coward's way out and hung himself in his cell on day five of his prison stay. Funny how things turn out because now he is here, right where he belongs, rotting in a new cell from which he can never escape."

I don't have time to deal with the truth bomb that just dropped because before me materializes a man with a floating fireball in his hand, the only source of light being produced down here. The man is tall, has fair skin that is covered in scars, is obnoxiously muscular, and has the same creepy black eyes that Laudon has. When he smiles at me, showing off a mouth full of sharp teeth, I forget how to breathe.

"Time to go, little one."

I immediately rush to the back of my cell, frantically shaking my head. It's hard to be tough when you're staring down a man—a demon—whose teeth could probably rip your head off in one big chomp.

"I-I'm not going anywhere with you!" I scream. "So fuck off!"

"Careful, Zul. We've yet to uncover exactly what she's capable of." Laudon steps into view and gives me his signature look, the one where he comes off impassive and cold. "Maggie, do remember that it's in your best interest to cooperate at all times. You may either walk out on your own, or I'll have Zul drag you out of there. You have ten seconds to make a decision."

I don't need ten seconds. I'm not letting either of them come in and lay a hand on me. "I can't come out unless you two back the hell up first."

"Oh, my." Zul chuckles, then licks his lips at me. "May I have her after you are done examining her, my prince? The feisty ones always taste the best."

Before I can tell him where to shove that nasty looking tongue of his, my cell door opens on its own. I reluctantly walk out before they decide to walk in. Laudon takes the lead while I stand behind him, and while his disgusting minion stands too damn close behind me.

"Why am I being examined? And by who?" I build up the nerve to ask. I try to memorize the path that we're walking, but it's dark and by the seventh or so turn, I give up. My brain isn't strong enough to house a map of literal Hell. Not today. "Is the exam going to hurt? Can I even feel pain anymore? I can't tell if I'm still alive or dead. My heart continues to beat, but..."

"You are very much still alive, little one. See?" Zul pinches me hard on the back of the neck to prove his point. I hiss in response, cursing him quietly. "I have excellent hearing, so do be mindful about how you speak of me. I do not play as nice as our dear prince."

"Excuse me?" I gently tap Laudon on his shoulder, keeping my attention and eyes forward while trying my best to ignore the macho psycho behind me. "Not that I'm complaining, but why am I still alive? I thought you were supposed to take my soul."

"My plans have changed. At the moment, my number one priority is uncovering what it is that you are, because 100% human you are not," Laudon replies without glancing back. "After I get the results from your examination, I'll then deal with the extraction of your soul."

"Now that will hurt," Zul whispers near my ear. He then tugs on one of my curls in the back, seeming to get a kick out of pissing me off. "I wonder if your screams sound as pretty as you look. I do hope to find out later after the prince is finished playing with you—"

"Enough, Zul. You are free to go." Laudon snaps his fingers, and I no longer hear any footsteps walking behind me. When I turn to look back, both Zul and the darkness are gone.

In their place is a dirt path surrounded by tall, beautiful trees with colored leaves. I face forward again and confirm that my surroundings have indeed changed. Laudon leads me into a cozy... cave-turned-home? Hanging on the faux brick walls are various paintings of creepy looking people and places that I hope to never see. Only a single ball of floating white light, bright enough to illuminate the massive space, dangles a few inches away from the high ceiling.

I blink through the confusion, my head spinning nonstop. I don't ask how we got here. I've reached the point where the less I know, the better.

"Can I please know who'll be examining me?"

"A specialist."

"And what exactly do they specialize in?"

"Chatty, annoying humans. Keep moving." Laudon nudges me in the shoulder, ushering me towards an old wooden table that's positioned on the far righthand side of the cave. I focus on it rather than the giant display cabinet in the back that holds all sorts of torture-like devices.

"About the ritual. Does it work for everyone?" I take a seat and try to make small talk, wanting to do anything I can to help take my mind off how this 'examination' is going to go. "Or was I simply one of the unlucky ones?"

"No," Laudon says. "The ritual doesn't work for everyone. There have been times when Hell has been finicky regarding the type of souls it wants. I would not have been notified that someone initiated a ritual in Brinton Forest had Hell not wanted you."

"Great," I mutter. "What makes me so special, then?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Laudon replies. "I've yet to uncover why, but you radiate a type of energy that I have never felt before. At one point, I was eager to claim you until I eventually came to my senses. I am not the selfish type; Hell needs your soul more than I do."

"Okay, but do I even want to know what claim means to demons?"

"It's exactly what you think it means." Laudon smirks, appearing to be amused by our little Q&A session. He slips his hands into his pockets and starts to walk over to me. "You see, pure souls—what Zul and I suspect you have because neither of us detects an ounce of evil within you—possess a certain energy that tainted souls simply do not have. Meaning that anytime a demon gains possession of a pure soul, their power grows immensely. Their life force is extended by hundreds of years, along with other remarkable benefits. Same goes for Hell; the more souls that we absorb, wicked or pure, the more powerful we become as a kingdom. But you... you are..."

"Not exactly a normal human being with a normal human soul, so you want to have me examined because you're afraid I might fuck shit up if handled improperly? Especially since you don't have the answers for why I can shock you at random?" I think aloud, slowly putting the pieces together. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a bit scared of me."

"Scared of a little virgin girl?" Laudon chuckles. "I fear no one but my father."

"Yeah? Then riddle me this—before me, has any other human been able to hurt you like I have?" I ask out of curiosity. He shakes his head, and my eyes widen in shock. "I'm... the first?"

"Yes," Laudon answers candidly. "I've visited Edreial, or what you call Earth, twice and both times, excluding you, I have gone completely undetected by the humans. While you may be the first human to harm me, I will make sure that after today, you will also be the last."

I falter and break eye contact. My heart is pounding so fast I fear it may fly out of my chest and smack Laudon dead across the face. I can't believe that I'm the first human to blow his cover. Not only that, but also physically harm him. My... powers, if I can even call it that, currently only work sporadically. I don't know how to control it. I want answers as badly as Laudon does for why I even have powers. I just wish there was another way to go about getting them.

"Before I'm to be picked apart, I'd like to know one last thing. What's the story behind Brinton Forest?" I ask, changing the subject. I like that he's in a talkative mood. Maybe now I'll be able to get some answers of my own. "I assume the ritual I performed can only be done on that specific plot of land, so it's obviously cursed or something. What happened out there?"

"My father happened," Laudon replies. "Blood is more than just blood. With the right spell, it can do many terrifying things. At Brinton Forest, it created a direct portal to Hell..."

He pauses for a moment, giving me a look that I can't quite decipher. I assume he's questioning himself on whether he should tell me this story or not. When he decides to continue speaking, I smile a little in relief.

"A few years after he was banished from Heaven, and right before God created the humans, my father got into an altercation with a group of angels on Edreial. A fight ensued, my father was outnumbered, and he ended up gravely injured. He narrowly escaped by having used blood magic to create a temporary portal to Hell. It has since been sealed, but his blood continues to taint the land that you humans now call Brinton Forest. For thousands of years, that land has attracted all types of attention, has been the reason for many of its ridiculous rumors, most of which have been started by humans, specifically the ones who like to call themselves paranormal investigators. At first, my father was indifferent about the attention that his old battleground had been receiving. Then, one day, he saw an opportunity and seized it."

"The opportunity to lure people to the forest and trick us into offering up our souls under the false pretense that we'd get a wish granted in return..." I pause, feeling sick to my stomach because it all makes sense now. "When I did the ritual and offered Lucifer my soul, when I bled where he once bled... I basically knocked on Hell's door and told you to come get me."

"Basically," Laudon confirms. "You knocked. I answered."

I look up and meet his vacant black eyes, sighing miserably. "I really wish you hadn't."