Max moved with precision.
The blade in his hand felt natural now—an extension of his body. His stance was firm, his focus sharp. He had become something more than the broken soul that had once begged for death in this very cave.
Now, he hunted.
The small demons, once terrifying, now fell swiftly beneath his strikes. Their guttural screams cut short as steel met flesh. Each battle left him stronger, faster, more attuned to the unforgiving rhythm of survival.
He had learned.
Because Vaelis had taught him.
The Black Lion watched from the shadows, its golden eyes gleaming with approval as Max butchered his enemies with newfound mastery.
"Good," the beast rumbled as Max stood over the corpse of a fallen creature.
Max exhaled, wiping the blood from his remaining hand. A flicker of pride stirred in his chest.
"I'm getting better," he admitted.
Vaelis smirked—or perhaps it was simply the knowing look in its ancient eyes.
"You are. But do not mistake power for invincibility."
---
For the first time since arriving in Hell, Max felt alive.
He and Vaelis moved together, side by side, navigating the burning landscapes with purpose.
Their friendship—if one could call it that—was built on survival.
But it was real.
In this place where suffering was eternal, where death lurked around every corner—Vaelis had become his anchor. His teacher. His only companion.
Max no longer feared the abyss.
Not while the lion was at his side.
And then—
Hell reminded him of its cruelty.
---
The attack came without warning.
A deafening roar split the air.
Max barely had time to react before the ground beneath him shattered, sending him tumbling backward.
From the suffocating haze, monstrous figures emerged—towering demons with obsidian-black skin and burning crimson eyes.
They were not like the weak creatures he had hunted before.
They were stronger.
Faster.
Deadlier.
Max's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Vaelis stepped forward, muscles tense, wings unfurled.
"Run."
Max's breath caught in his throat.
"What—?"
The demons lunged.
Vaelis met them head-on.
---
The battle was savage.
Claws ripped through flesh.
Fangs tore through muscle.
Vaelis fought without hesitation, his strikes precise, his movements swift.
But there were too many.
Max stumbled backward, gripping his sword, trying to move—but his body refused.
He couldn't help.
He wasn't strong enough.
The demons surrounded Vaelis, their snarling faces twisted with bloodlust.
The lion fought with everything it had—tearing, biting, striking.
But even legendary beasts could bleed.
And Vaelis was bleeding.
---
Max saw it happen in slow motion.
A demon's claw—sharp, unforgiving—plunged into Vaelis's chest.
The lion let out a final, thunderous roar.
Its wings faltered.
Its body collapsed.
Max's world shattered.
"No—NO!"
He ran.
Ignoring the burning pain in his muscles, ignoring the fear clawing at his throat—
He ran to his fallen friend.
Vaelis lay still.
Its golden eyes flickered, searching for Max's face one last time.
A weak breath escaped its lips.
"Survive."
Then—
Silence.
---
Max's scream echoed through the infernal wasteland.
The demons watched.
They laughed.
His sword slipped from his fingers.
His chest felt empty—as if something inside him had been ripped away.
Vaelis was gone.
The one thing that had kept him standing—was gone.
Max collapsed, fists clenched, body trembling.
This place had taken everything.
It would keep taking everything.
And he would never escape.
Never.