Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Infernal Fire

A gloomy Soul gives birth to monstrous evil

One who plays with fire ends up burning his hands

Vasilias

Earth/Inferna (Mount Tenebra) EarthYear 999

Baelor's mouth went dry. "I.. I.. didn't lose con.. control. I.. I.. swear."

"No, you didn't. Someone else took over." Vasilias had a faint idea about what just happened.

The soldiers whose swords had hit the targets froze like statues. They looked at their blades smeared with the blood of their friends. Signing up to kill, even the bloodthirsty demons, had been difficult for them, but now they had killed fellow humans. Their souls had acquired an eternal patch of darkness.

"Theoreous, divert their minds. We are surrounded by enemies. This is no time for remorse,"

Vasilias shouted but his voice was drowned in a flurry of events.

Simultaneous lightning bolts consumed a few soldiers. Fire erupted all around them. Earth shook violently and a large part of the ground caved in to gulp some more soldiers with their horses. There was complete pandemonium and demons were feeding on it. The metal armor could only protect the soldiers from direct demon attacks but their arrows, spears, and swords were useless against the elements of nature.

Baelor firmly held Vasilias's hand. He shut his eyes to concentrate. Every sinew in his body was stretched to its limits. It was now or never. He had never attempted to freeze such a large area with thousands of living beings. He stamped his right foot with all his might. An eerie silence engulfed the surroundings as everything was suspended in the realms of nothingness.

Theoreous just needed that little window. The frozen soldiers couldn't move on their own, but Theoreous took over their minds to move their bodies. He kept winking and soldiers, dancing to his tunes like puppets on a string, attacked the demons.

Gilbert took care of the Soulments that were out of their men's reach. With the time at a standstill, Gilbert was virtually dashing in no time and was almost everywhere at once. A concentrated effort from the Potens wiped out a large chunk of the demon army. Baelor was panting when things started to move. Gilbert was on his hunches as well.

A loud explosion shook the world. The intense flame burning at the center of the crater rose toward the sky. All eyes were glued to the fire. No one was able to break their gaze away from it.

The humungous ball of fire took a human shape. Even the spectators outside the Iron Cage were transfixed by this giant fire monster.

"The cat and mouse game is over. This is the end game," Vasilias whispered to his mates.

Although there was no sound, everyone then heard a voice. The fire demon spoke directly to their souls. "You call this the fight against darkness when the real darkness is everywhere. It resides within us and you, Souls and humans, Pieteous and Malaks. You fight hard but you can't win. This is just the beginning. This time there will be true Reckoning. We will blow away the humans like a wind blows away the blades of dry grass. Free Beings will rule this world. All those who have confined us to the misery of Inferna will pay for their sins. Earth will fall and so will Bliss. The retribution begins today."

The giant ball of fire erupted like a violent volcano. The fire spread outwards in all directions, consuming everything in its wake. Vasilias was the first to react. He erected an invisible shield, just in time, to protect himself and his men. Sherwin broke away from the trance and with a loud grunt, he reined in the fire from spreading outside the Iron Cage.

A grim silence encompassed them once again. Demons swooped on Vasilias's men shackled by the time freeze, but Baelor stamped his foot and got things moving. Humans recovered just in time to intercept the attacking darklings. Most swords and spears found their right targets this time around. Baelor was chuffed. "You might have heard of fighting fire with fire but fighting time with time, this has to be a first."

Theoreous clutched Vasilias's left hand and connected their minds. Every vein in Theoreous popped out as he first tracked the movements of the demons and then controlled his soldiers' minds to make them attack the enemies.

Sherwin, although stretched holding the fire, dragged some rain clouds from the other side of Mount Tenebra. The blissful rains wiped out the darklings that constituted the Infernal fire.

Terrifying shrieks echoed around the ground. It was pretty clear who was winning. The dawn of miracles was eliminating the gloom of magic.

The victory was near, but before humans could finish off all their enemies, their minds went blank. A sinister darkness shrouded their eyes, thoughts, and hearts. They lost sense of who they were, where they were, or what they were doing. There was a void. And at that moment, or non-moment as that moment wasn't registered in time, hundreds of fiery figures swooped down on Vasilias and his men. The fire entered the wide-eyed soldiers through their eyes, mouths, nostrils, or whatever was not covered by their armor. The fire didn't burn their bodies from the outside, it consumed them from within.

***

Mysha

Earth (India) EarthYear 2000

Mysha was quietly playing with a lock of her hair while a thousand ideas were popping up in her mind.

Mysha, you and your friends will never reach there in time.

I know Mystic. We are stuck.

What the hell were you thinking when you brought all your armies here and left Mount Tenebra in the hands of a few guards?

Mystic, I made a big mistake. I got them all slaughtered.

The bloodthirsty witch now has more blood on her hands.

Mystic, if you can't help me then just shut up.

Max was frantically pacing around the field. "Let me tell you, it will take our armies a minimum of four days to cross the sea."

"I can't believe this. The Mover is thinking about ships. The valley will be lost before sunrise. Seriously, why can't we just teleport there?"

"The sea is too wide for me to leap. And even if I somehow make it what chances do I stand on my own against an army of Hubberts?"

"Ya can surely carry me n Tri, Mysha can carry the baby giant."

"Didn't someone hear when I said that I doubt I will be able to make it across let alone carry someone else with me?" Max said gently massaging his right side. "And if Mysha tries this jump, she will definitely drown herself and sink our giant rock at the bottom of the sea."

"You don't have to jump that far if we can somehow enter Vrindavan," Raksha mumbled under her breath.

Everyone threw her a questioning glance.

"The Big Sea is the narrowest between Swarga Parvat, the cliff from where Indians jump into the Bliss, and Mount Bloom. If we enter Vrindavan then Max can simply teleport to the tip of the Swarga. Don't worry, there are no metals inside Vrindavan," Raksha added after seeing a concerned look on Max's face. "Once there, it will be a small jump right into the Valley of Reckoning."

"How do you know so much about the Valley?" Julian was surprised that Raksha knew so much about it.

"When Theoreous was guided through some divine intervention to India's gateway to Bliss, he first took the journey to the Swarga Parvat himself. Theoreous was the only one who turned his back to Bliss not once but twice. First, he returned from the Valley with his Pieteous friends to fight the great war and the second time he returned from Vrindavan to show Indians their path to salvation. His people meant everything to him."

"Accidental Queen, you can sing praises of your great ancestor on some other day. For now, can you tell us how you know what lies inside the Indian Valley?"

"Theoreous mapped his journey to Swarga Parvat, the whole route with every tiny detail. That knowledge has been passed down the generations and shared between the Guardians and the Healers alike."

"Okay okay Raksha, your idea of leaping from Sworge, or whatever you call that peak, is great but we have a small problem. Can someone tell me how are we supposed to enter the Indian Valley when that damn magical gate is closed shut?"

"If Wron-the-won is the replica of the Valley of Reckoning then maybe I can help you," Julian said in a barely audible whisper.

"How?" Max asked his mentor.

"The Dimwit Dullard keeps forgetting that we, the RightHearts, are the Custodians of the Valley. And Custodians know things that others don't."

"For God's sake Julian, will you please come to the point? We are kind of short on time."

"Tiny-Little-Witch, there is a sacred chant that can open the entrance to the valley on any given day."

"Holy Angels! I have never heard of it."

"It is never documented or talked about, only passed on from one Custodian to another. We take an oath never to talk about it under any circumstances."

"Crikey, ya just broke ya oath."

"Nope, I have passed on the baton to Edward. I am no longer the Scion so I am no longer bound by the oath."

"Hmm, so does your son know the chant that can open the Valley?" Tri's face had suddenly lost all its color.

"Yes, of course. I taught him everything before I turned fifty. I would have been in Bliss if the Dimwit Dullard hadn't taken an eternity to find me."

"Now we know whom Hubbert was dragging by his hair," Tri whispered on PMN. "Let us pray for Edward. May the Supremes give him the strength to endure whatever Hubberts are going to do with him."

***

Julian stood at the Swarga Dwar and extended his right hand to feel the invisible barrier. He moved his lips for a couple of minutes and then turned towards the Potens.

"Good Heavens! Brendon, you go first and we follow you," Ryan suggested.

"Thanks, mate ya take the honor this time. My back still hurts."

Julian let out an audible sigh. "Loose-Pants, let it be, the gate refuses to open."

"N why's that?"

"I don't know. I feel the pulse, the vibrations, the waves. It all builds up with the chant but when I say the magic phrase, the key to unlock the door, everything fizzes out."

"Holy crap, you mean to say someone changed the phrase?" Ryan asked.

"Baby Giant, this is not your, what do you call the letters you receive on your phones?

"Email?"

"This gate is not your email whose password you can change whenever you like."

"Julian, there's a good chance the angels guardin' this gate don't like ya goblin face. Or maybe these buggers don't know English."

"English has nothing to do with this. The whole chant is a prayer in Blisseric. Only the last key phrase is in English."

Raksha's face lit up. "That is it. The prayer remains the same but the key changes as per the location. If it is English for the Mainland, any guesses what it will be for India?"

"Hindi," everyone replied in unison.

"What is the phrase?" Raksha asked Julian.

"O the Gateway to Eternity, please accept us. But this phrase is useless without the prayer. So you have to first memorize this. Now repeat after me, Bismikum Ya Aqwiya al Holafaa al Nobala al Fodala al Rohama..."

"How many years do we have?" Raksha asked interrupting Julian who was slowly gaining tempo with the chant. "Because I am not learning that in a lifetime."

"I can't believe this. Are you guys seriously that dumb?" Tri asked rolling her eyes. "Rather than her memorizing a long chant in some otherworldly language why can't Julian learn a few words in Hindi."

"Okay okay, take a deep breath," Max said with a sheepish look. "No one thought of that."

Raksha looked at Julian. "If I translate this phrase it will be something like this. He anant kaal ke pravesh dvaar, kripya hamein sveekaar karein."
"Hey, enant call ki provise door..."

Max held his head in his hand. "Let me tell you this doesn't look like any better idea at all."

After numerous retakes, Julian gave a passable impression of the phrase.

"Well, it is time to give it a go."

Julian returned to the bridge and extended his hand. This time he recited the whole chant aloud and then said the keywords, "hey anant call ki provish dovar kripiya humi svikar carey."

Everybody looked with anticipation but nothing happened.

Julian tried again, then again but nothing happened. His shoulders slumped.

"His pronunciation is so bad that the unseens might want to throw him off this cliff," Raksha said through clenched teeth.

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Oh hello Accidental Queen, I can't forget my accent overnight. And I am at least trying. You didn't even attempt to learn the chant."

"Holy Angels Julian, why can't you recite the chant and Raksha say the phrase?" Ryan asked.

"Tag team won't work here. Only a Custodian of the Valley can open this door."

"Bless the Souls, that is exactly my point. Technically you both are or were the Custodians of the Valley. Your team might work. And what other options do we have? Your torturous Indian accent is not going to take us too far. Maybe the unseens guarding the gate are feeling nauseated hearing your croaky voice again and again and might just give us a little leeway."

Julian glared at Ryan but agreed to give this a try. He extended his hand with Raksha standing beside him in a similar position. Julian again recited the chant. The moment he finished, Raksha said, or rather pleaded "he anant kaal ke pravesh dvaar, kripya hamein sveekaar karein."

Everyone stood there holding their breaths, but again, nothing happened. Raksha hung her head, while Julian turned towards the others. "It worked," he announced.

"Zounds! But nothing happened here."

"Youngsters and their love for theatrics. What was Brain-in-Pants expecting? A loud bang, some blast, or what? There was an invisible shield that just lifted. Come here and see."

Everyone came near the bridge and they couldn't only see but rather feel what Julian was saying. A cool breeze blew in their faces. The sky twinkled with thousands of stars, the landscape sparkled with life, and the river below gushed with a renewed spirit. From the grass to the trees, everything looked as if dancing in joy. The chant had lifted a giant invisible curtain and in one step they had crossed into another world.

"Good Heavens. This is pure Bliss. Now we know what we are fighting for."

"Let me remind people that we need to whoosh." Max pulled them back on track. "Some demons are waiting for us on the other side of the sea. Raksha, Sworge is in which direction?"

"A blind leap on the top of a cliff. The Dimwit Dullard is in a hurry to die."

"If someone has any better idea I am all ears."

Julian turned to Raksha. "Are you carrying the maps of Wron-the-won drawn by Theoreous? Although I am pretty sure that you don't have the minimum common sense to do so."

"They are safely tucked away in the safe of my study."

Julian shook his head. "I knew that. I am flabbergasted at the pathetic levels of idiocy around me."

"But I have their copies stored in my brain. I memorized those maps with every tiny detail."

"Great job, Accidental Queen. But the problem is Max can't see what is stored inside your tiny brain. He has to actually see the map for this jump to have any chance of success."

"I can't believe this," Tri said rolling her eyes. "The old troll keeps forgetting that there is a mind reader amongst us. I can access that map in Raksha's mind and relay it to Max through our PMN."

"That should be enough for me to take the perfect leap, you know," Max said casting a furtive glance toward Julian.

"Bless the souls, but Max can only carry one or two people with him, and Mysha another one. What about the rest?"

"For someone's information, I have that part sorted," Max was back to pacing around the place. "With Mysha's help, I might be able to carry all of us, and maybe even Julian and Raksha. And that will also leave behind a big enough vacuum trail for all our Soulments to follow us to Sworgge. What do you say Harbux?"

Harbux had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole night. "Master Max has answers for all the problems. Why does he even bother to ask poor Harbux?"

Max was about to retort but Julian diverted their minds to another pressing issue. "Dimwit Dullard, what about our human armies? You are surely not thinking of dragging them through the vacuum. Crushed distorted humans will be no good to us."

"I have made some arrangements for that," Raksha said pointing to the sky. A fleet of AirCars was preparing to land near them.

"The Accidental Queen again shows off her pitifully high levels of ignorance. How can you even think that these flying boxes can catch up with the ultimate skill of teleporting."

"I am not counting on these cars to match teleporting, rather I am counting on us to hold on long enough for them to come to our aid."

"Your Unhighness, if we reach a stage when we have to rely on them to save us, then believe me we are totally screwed," Julian said crinkling his crooked nose.

"Then let's hope we don't need them."

"Okay okay, it's time to whoosh," Max declared.

Tri made Raksha stand in front of her. "Raksha, drop your guard and look into my eyes. Now focus on Theoreous's map so that I can pull it out from the depths of your mind."

Raksha stared into the endless abyss of Tri's eyes. Sia hovering behind her was glowing into a mystical shade of baby pink. Mysha grabbed Tri's right hand and Max held her left, while Brendon and Ryan completed the ring with Raksha and Julian in the center. Harbux turned into his dark ominous avatar that engulfed everything around them, whereas Olivia, Stokes, and Wavey joined their forms with Harbux. To the onlookers, it looked like a giant ball of smoke hovering on the ground.

"Let me tell you, I can see the map!" Max exclaimed. "Tri, lock on that image. Now zoom in on the mountain."

"Max, you control the wheel, I provide the thrust," Mysha cried. "Powering up the Soulments, let's fly."

***

"That wasn't such a bad landing," Max said dusting his clothes.

"Strewth! An inch here or there n I'd been down the cliff. Why I'm always the one hangin' by a thread?"

"Good Heavens! It wouldn't have been so bad. You would have directly reached the Bliss."

"Mate, I remember what Raksha said about people who leap before time. I plan to spend a long life with Tri, gonna have some ten twelve kids, n then take a blissful leap with'er rather than meetin' my end twirlin' round n round in a whirlpool. "

"For God's sake, can you two please concentrate? We have only reached the transit point. We need to leap again."

Max was lying on his back, huffing like a runner who had just finished a marathon. "For someone's information, I need to get my energy levels back up. We also have to wait for our Armies of Unseen to reach here through the vacuum gate."

Brendon too lay down beside Max. They all deserved a breather before another battle. "Mate, ya'll get us across, right?" He asked Max, nudging him with his elbow. That is when he noticed a blood stain on Max's jacket. Brendon pulled it aside and saw his shirt drenched in blood.

"Jeez Max, ya're hurt."

Max quickly covered the blood-soaked shirt with his jacket. "Never carried this much weight while teleporting. A wound has opened up on my side, maybe some internal damage as well. But someone needs to keep his mouth shut. We don't want others panicking, you know."

Brendon understood Max's logic because there was some turmoil going on within him as well. An hour later they were ready for the second leap. This jump was a short one and the group landed at the edge of the Valley of Reckoning. The majestic Mount Bloom and the famed Bridge of Faith that the Pieteous had famously walked a millennium ago were on their right. The gulf, where the Abyss of Bliss appeared at every winter Solstice, was behind them.

"You guys surprised us by taking a very unfamiliar route." The cold steely voice of Hubbert greeted them upon arrival. "Anyways, nice to see you all."

Brendon glared at Hubbert. "Can't say we're that pleased to see ya." It was hard to tell whether this Hubbert was the human one or one of the Soulments.

"Oh come on, don't look so surprised," Hubbert said adjusting the sleeves of his flowing silk robe and flashing his best version of I-am-here-to-kill-you smile. "Julian, your son endured way more pain than the fragile human body is expected to bear. But in the end, he opened the gate for us when we chopped off the head of your annoying granddaughter. That little devil had too big a mouth for her age."

Julian defied his old age when, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his spot and grabbed Hubbert by his neck. "You filthy demon, I will kill you. You will rot in hell for eternity."

Julian was left grabbing at thin air when Hubbert melted away in a puff of smoke. The next moment two Hubberts appeared on Julian's side and held him. A third Hubbert appeared in front of him."Julian, we don't fear hell because we have lived in one. You should have leaped when you had the chance, but you made a choice that you will regret for hundreds of EarthYears to come."

Hubbert unleashed a sword from his robe and, before anyone could think of anything, sent Julian's head flying toward the Potens. It landed right near Mysha's feet. The girls screamed, Ryan and Brendon froze, and Max sank to his knees.

"Now we have one less Scion family to worry about. Just for your information guys, we have already killed all of Julian's family and their cousins, the ones who stayed inside the Valley as the so-called Keepers of Abyss. Those morons sent thousands to Inferna. So RightHearts are pretty much done and dusted. Anyways, from tomorrow onwards, this world won't need any Pieteous scums."

Tri was the first to come out of the shock. "This Hubbert is holding a metal sword so he can't be a Soulment. Let us end the war right here." She whispered on the PMN.

"The Dumpy-Brainsucker never fails to impress," Hubbert said turning his attention to Tri. "But you are wrong this time. See, this is a customized sword with a wooden grip. All of us have one of these."

Two other Hubberts appeared on his side, brandishing identical swords and flashing whimsical smiles.

Tri looked at Hubberts with wide eyes. "I can't believe this. How did you hear what I whispered between our minds?"

Another Hubbert popped up. "You think you broke into our brother's mind in India? No, he let you in. And now we all are connected. We are one."

"You are lying. I broke into his mind and unraveled your secret plan."

A seventh Hubbert appeared on the field. "You think you know the plan?"

"Honestly, you can't confuse me with your blabberings. You wanted to keep us in India but here we are to ruin your master plan."

"Wow, you are such a genius, Tri," the Eight Hubbert on the field said clapping his hands. "You are here exhausted after a long battle. Drained after a tiresome journey from India. Stokes is already flickering like a dying flame. And Harbux, you look like a shadow of yourself. Where is that ferocious dark Marid?"

At that moment Brendon started coughing. He tried to control it but this bout was so violent it almost knocked him off his feet. It ended with Brendon throwing up lots of blood.

A Ninth Hubbert appeared to rub it in. "Brain-in-Pants doesn't look like he will be able to hold time for you any longer. The baby giant has already lost half of his flesh in the last few hours. That is one hell of a fitness regime, Ryan. And Tri, you messed up with Souls' minds and now all those demons are freely roaming inside your head. You won't be able to sleep ever again."

The Hubbert count reached ten with the latest entry. "Tri, wouldn't you want to finish off your enemies when they are most vulnerable? So did you crack our plan or did we lure you here?"

"You need to close them out, Tri," Mysha pleaded on the PMN. "They are toying with your brain."

"Tiny-Little-Witch, your friend is not that good," the Eleventh Hubbert corrected Mysha. "She can't lock us out. We are on the field, inside the valley, inside your minds, inside your very souls. We are here, there, everywhere."

Tri shut her eyes, but closing the doors when the intruder was already in was of no use. However, Brendon, the impulsive sports star who always lived by the edge, had enough of these mind games. He recovered from his cough, pulled out the Anti-Soulment guns tucked behind his shoulders, and opened fire. "Go to hell ya demons."

Hubberts were startled by this sudden assault and two of them were hit before they could disappear. The ensuing chaos broke their connection with the PMN, and Tri grabbed that opportunity to shunt her mind.

Brendon's unexpected attack had blown the bugle for a battle in which the Potens were thoroughly outnumbered. They had skills, but Hubberts were far superior to them. They had learned to connect their powers and work as a team but every single Hubbert was a team in himself. And the Potens were yet to see what Hubberts could do when they all acted as one.

The skies began to rain, not water but fire. Earth shook violently and looked hell-bent on consuming the Potens. And even the winds, blowing at speeds never seen before, tried to blow them over the cliff. Ryan tried to shield his friends from the wrath of the elements and Wavey, whose normally magnificent blue had turned into an ominous grey, was struggling to support his master despite having all the Potens' Armies of Unseen at his disposal.

A Hubbert appeared out of thin air and tried to drive his sword into Ryan's back, but Max blocked the attack just in time. Brendon stretched Olivia's Unseens to their limits to fire shots at multiple Hubberts at once, but when Brendon let go of the BrenFreeze, Hubberts showed they were no slouches with time as well. When things finally moved, the bullets flew all over the place. Brendon narrowly dodged one and another grazed Ryan's right arm. Many friendly Unseens were annihilated by these stray shots.

The blockbuster collaboration of MaxDash in BrenFreeze didn't work as well. Every single time, Hubberts' collective will overrode BrenFreeze before Max could do any significant damage. Max almost got killed when a Brendon slip at a critical moment helped a Hubbert dodge Max's attack and stab him in return. Stokes' timely intervention saved Max and had Hubbert hit thin air.

Tri was the only one performing above expectations. She controlled the minds of her Unseens amidst Hubberts' time-stops and made them attack the rogue Souls. Her projection of a human army firing incessantly made a Soulment company turn back on their heels. Furthermore, a thick wall of blazing violet flames was protecting the Potens from three sides and keeping the battlefield open only on one.

"Sweetie, why can't ya erect an iron wall here, just like ya did in India? It worked pretty well there," Brendon asked.

"Seriously? I can't believe you can't even make such basic logical conclusions. Brendon, Hubberts arrived before us on this battlefield, so they know there are no iron walls inside the Valley."

"Jeez, but why fire? What's so special about it?"

"Wish you had paid attention to Julian's lectures. Fire is the hardest element to master. Although Soulments can withstand small fires, only level 3.9 and above can control the hottest form of fire, the violet flame. So we can at least keep most of the Soulments at bay using this firewall."

"Ya're sayin' Soulments fear fire but ya're forgettin' that Hubberts have repeatedly used fire against us."

"Honestly, Hubberts have defied all magical logic, so some of their Soulments turning into fireballs doesn't come as a surprise. But believe me, violet flames these hot are a big no-no for a majority of them. Now, will you let me concentrate on keeping the flames burning?"

Tri and Brendon's conversation caught Ryan's attention. "Holy Angels! Fire can harm the soulments and you didn't even bother telling me?"

"Yes, fire can melt their forms, just like it can melt human flesh. But believe me, you can do nothing about that. You don't have enough flesh left on your body to conjure a fire with infernal high temperatures that can annihilate the Soulments."

"Who says I am conjuring anything? Demon's curse! This makes complete sense. Now I understand why Baelor sent me a gift I never needed. He knew this."

"What gift?" Tri asked.

Ryan ignored Tri's question and turned to his Guardian. "Wavey, where is Lahab?"

"He must be somewhere nearby, waiting for your instructions," Wavey replied. "You don't need me to contact him. But are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I am calling him in. Mysha, ask our Unseens to fall back. Bless the Souls, this might be an extreme step, but this is our best chance."

"Mister I-Like-to-Spring-Surprises, what are you planning to do?"

"Good Heavens Mysha, please trust me."

Mysha asked her Armies to retreat. There was a lull in the proceedings that was shattered by a thunderous roar that shook the world. All the ongoing battles paused as everyone, including the Soulments, stopped to see what was happening.

Ryan closed his eyes and moved his lips. A jet of violet fire shot from the sky and scorched everything in its wake. Trees, plants, vegetation, and Soulments, nothing was spared.

Tri was the first to spot the origin of the fire. "I can't believe this. A dragon? You got to be kidding me. These things really exist?"

"Everything exists in Inferna," Harbux growled. "Dragons are one of the most doomed creatures. Only a gloomy soul gives birth to such monstrous evil. Humans who commit unspeakable crimes with no remorse, their living souls become a part of hell. Once they reach Inferna they turn into these fire-breathing monsters. A dragon this huge, Harbux is sure this person would have been an embodiment of evil during his life on Earth."

"Strewth! As far as he's burnin' our enemies, we don't mind how or what turned him into this."

"Master Brendon, one who plays with fire ends up burning his hands. An uncontrolled weapon, a loose cannon like this could blow your own fort."

"Hell's hole! Uncontrolled? Who says that? Harbux, now see my control over him."

Ryan put his right index finger on his temple and muttered. "Lahab turn right."

On cue, the huge dragon swept right and unleashed his fire on a Hubbert. The Hubbert vanished but the deafening screeches meant that the dragon torched a good number of Soulments. Ryan kept mumbling and Lahab swooped right and left as if he was controlled by some invisible strings.

"Harbux, Lahab is not a loose cannon. Our minds are connected since I was a kid so he doesn't even need to be told what I want."

For the first time, Hubberts looked rattled. They had seen such dark beings in Inferna, but they weren't prepared to take on this huge monster in a battle. The darker the being, the stronger its connection with Inferna. On Nox Tenebris, with Inferna shining bright above their heads, there was no end to this dragon's fire. Lahab was laying waste to Hubberts' troops.

The rogue Soulments, visible ones and the invisible ones, the ones in their smoky forms and the others who had turned into something else, Lahab's fire spared none of them. Hubberts loved chaos, but this time they were on the receiving end. They were running out of time, and troops.

Twenty-two Hubberts appeared together in a far corner of the Valley.

"Mate, look all the buggers are there," Brendon mumbled.

Ryan took the bait and turned Lahab in their direction. An impulsive game-changing mistake. All Hubberts locked their eyes on Lahab, he froze mid-air and everything else froze with him. Brendon tried to break the invisible shackles but he was no match for all Hubberts acting as one. And they weren't just freezing time, a thick layer of ice was rapidly forming on the dragon's scales. Having spent hundreds of years in Inferna they knew a thing or two about slaying dragons. They were killing Lahab's fire with ice.

Mysha came to Brendon's help. By using all their Poten might and Harbux's and Olivia's joint strength, they broke the time freeze. Everything moved, but Lahab's frozen wings didn't. It fell out of the sky like a crippled bird. Before it could move, the Hubbert standing in the center of the group, threw an icy spear that pierced the dragon's heart. Lahab made a last-ditch effort to get up but that turned out to be the final gasp of a dying soul as the remaining twenty-one Hubberts threw spears that penetrated Lahab's vulnerable spots including his neck and chest. Some ear-shattering squeals preceded the silence of death. Lahab's war was cut short after a brief cameo.

The dragon did disrupt Hubberts' plans but they were back in control.

"Brainsucker, while watching the magnificent dragon show, you momentarily lost control over your illusions," The Hubbert who threw the first spear said to Tri. He was clearly the leader of the group and his voice was like a serpent's hiss that made everyone's skin crawl. "Hadriel, the Commander of Free Souls at your service. One little flicker is enough for us to see the deception."

Hadriel then turned to thousands and thousands of Soulments standing around him. "My loyal Souls, there is no Infernal fire protecting them. It is just the sorcery of the Wicked-Mind-Sucking Witch. Go, get them."

The Free Souls attacked from every side. This wasn't a human army whom the Potens could see and fight, these were darklings in all sorts of unimaginable forms. The chosen ones were like blindfolded prey in a jungle full of hungry beasts. They too had Soulments at their disposal, but their Unseens waited for their commands whereas Hadriel's forces were assigned a single task, finish the Potens by any means required.

The Earth shook and made it impossible for them to hold steady. A blistering mist burnt their skin. A thick smoke entered their nostrils and put their lungs on fire. Hail stones pelted down from the sky and a sinister chill froze their blood. They could feel the Soulments gnawing at them from every side, overpowering them, drowning them into a sea of nothingness.

Brendon tried to stop their charge but his freezes were broken by violent coughs. Max desperately dashed back and forth, stabbing and shooting, but he felt his inner body crumbling with every dash. Ryan, who now looked slimmer than Brendon, was no longer able to conjure a thunderstorm. He attempted to overcome the mist and smoke with a steady shower but that only worsened the chill. Tri's projections were going haywire and she was no longer able to control the minds of her friendly Unseens because of the growing shadows Hubberts had planted inside her mind.

Mysha helplessly looked at her friends trying to ward off the attacks.

Mysha, help Ryan or this smoke will kill you.

No Mystic, we need to help Brendon to hold time longer. Then only Max can kill them.

Brendon is throwing up blood and Max is badly injured. They are lost causes.

Mystic, don't say that. They are trying their best.

Mysha, their best won't save you today.

Mystic, this is no time for such negativity.

Mysha, this is the time to face reality.

Max collapsed to the ground. Brendon desperately tapped his foot but time ticked on. Ryan's rain stopped and the mist and smoke returned. The writing was on the wall.

Accept your fate Mysha. You have no choice.

Mystic, we must fight till our last breath.

Your last breath may not be too far.

Mystic, either help me or just shut up.

Mysha fell to her knees and closed her eyes.

The end was near. She had failed.