Inhale.

Exhale.

"Just like Raphael told you…", Azazel said faintly, having a hard time breathing. 

He couldn’t figure out where he was. Maybe a street…? It didn't matter, this fog was so cold and heavy it was taking his breath away. The low temperatures were making every one of his extremities tremble and stiffen, and there was nothing he wanted more than to get away, but the mist spread far and wide.

There wasn't a single corner that wasn’t enveloped by it. Almost as if the road and the night sky had become one, all around was endlessly pitch-black. 

Such was this darkness that it could make anybody uncertain not only of their surroundings, but also of what might appear from the fog if one took too close of a look…

Azazel felt more faint with every step he took, his feet sounding heavy against the concrete sidewalk as if some invisible force was pulling him down. He stumbled and grabbed hold of a street lamp for support, its light dull and not fully illuminating the road, but at least it made it somewhat visible. 

"God damnit!" Aze said through his teeth not knowing what to do. Every inhale brought a sharp ache to his chest, as if his ribcage wanted to burst out of him. 

"I… I shouldn't-" He was too spent to even finish his sentence.

And so he stood there trying to catch his breath for... A few Minutes? No, hours. Days? These twisted dreams, no human could understand how their logic worked. Yet there he was: a demon, a fallen angel, no longer a being living under God's laws and still he struggled with these brainless activities as if he were mortal. 

It was a good thing he didn’t go down to Hell that often anymore; those pathetic fucks were perfect in the art of inflicting pain…

Stop acting like an underling and get your-shit-together! 

"Fuck." Aze exclaimed, trying to get back on his feet.

That witch better show up soon, my patience is wearing thin. 

The demon was more than ready to find whoever had started this mess and make them his muse for eternal torment.

He painfully started moving forward again, gradually becoming aware of his surroundings. 

God, finally!

Looking around, this place was nothing special. A highway leading into the forest, the humidity of it clung to his skin, the damp smell of rotting leaves and wet dirt filled his nostrils. He couldn't pinpoint it to any specific memory.

This was going nowhere and his chest was hurting again, so to keep his mind steady Azazel began listing all the ways he would use to kill that culprit fucker. 

What was that? 

A noise came from the bushes. With his remaining strength, -which was close to none-, he picked up the pace, heading towards the source of the sound. As he delved deeper into the entrance of the woods, he heard something that was new to him that day - a sound that was neither otherworldly nor an inner-voice urging him to feel worthless, reminding him of what a pitiful demon he was.

Instead.

It was a faint rattling sound.

He stepped closer but nothing was there. No matter how far he inspected the area, there simply wasn't anything in sight besides himself and the leaves.

It couldn't have gotten far that fast, right? 

Azazel sighed, tired and defeated.

Probably another trick of the nightmare…

With heavy steps he turned around to get back onto the main road.

As he continued along the path though, the demon began to notice something was off. The trees felt denser, the fog was thicker, obscuring everything in its path including the light of the moon and the stars. Aze’s hair stood on end as he realized he couldn't find his way back anymore. 

This was the same path he had taken to get into the woods in the first place and still he was completely lost. He didn't know how, couldn’t understand, it had only been a few steps in. 

With growing fear, he tried to retrace his steps but the path only seemed to twist and turn. Nothing was making sense, there wasn't any light left and the mist seemed like a relentless barrier keeping him trapped, now stronger than before. 

Unable to see and unable to keep himself up for much longer, Azazel fell to his knees, grasping the grass with shuddering hands, hoping for some sort of anchor to reality.

SHIT SHIT SHIT-

He kept staring down at the ground in a panic, hyperventilating as the realization hit him just as heavy as the mist falling down on him. There was no way out, no light, no footprints, nothing. 

This was it, wasn’t it? He was going to die like this. Alone like a ran over raccoon abandoned in the highway. Couldn’t scream if he wanted to, who would hear? Who would come save a demon? He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his beloved star- 

No. Don't even go there! 

He lifted his head in a rush trying to get rid of the panic building over. Despite doing the trick, it was short-lived.

In the distance, two white dots looked right at him.

Azazel gasped.

His heart beat violently as he grabbed the front of his shirt.

He was on his couch.

Alone

Inhale.

Exhale.