Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

90. Aboros (2)

The small group of three rushed through the hallways. Astra and Leo were just one step behind Erebus the entire time. When a group of Devils passed them, they hid in the shadows and let them run by. Although he wanted to kill them, he held himself back. He trusted Fenrir to handle it so they could focus on finding Aboros. 

Some of the more powerful Devils paused and looked in their direction, but when they heard the snarls of the Amarok Wolves, they would take off. Erebus could hear the battle roars behind them, and the walls shook with the impact. However, most of the screams came from the Devils' side.

Erebus kept moving through the twisted hallways, and Leo felt they were more confusing than the Hive. Still, Erebus seemed to know the way and kept going down random halls until they reached a long stairwell. 

Erebus turned toward Astra with a hesitant look. "If we approach who I am expecting, you may hear things about me..." His words trailed off. 

Astra smiled knowingly. "I won't pry, and I won't tell anyone what I hear." 

"Thank you," Erebus murmured, leading them down the long stairwell. 

Although it was covered in darkness, Erebus could see the scars of the fire from long ago. The stone walls and steps were still scorched. The closer to the basement, the more the steps slanted. 

Leo gasped as he realized the stairs were deformed because they were melted. "What fire melts stone?"

"A phoenix's flame," Erebus said. "It was the only thing capable of destroying everything quickly."

Leo shuddered. "There's phoenixes?"

"They're a secretive race who keep to themselves in the deserts of the Spirit Realm," Erebus explained as he reached the landing. 

He hesitated in front of a plain steel door with his hand resting on the cold surface. It was recently replaced and held no similarity to the one before the fire.

"Prepare yourselves," he said quietly. 

He had no way to guess what was behind the doors. The last time he opened these doors, he saw a lab that still haunted him. He wished he could protect the other two from the cruelty of the Devils, but he needed them with him.

He pushed them open slowly and was greeted by a dark, stale room. A few crystal lamps hung on the wall, but the light they emitted was miniscule. They flashed ominously, illuminating the odd structure of the room with a dim glow.

When Erebus entered this room thousands of years ago, it was a gruesome scene with tables and bodies everywhere. However, the room was now bare, and floors and walls still showed evidence of when Erebus had burned it down. The walls and floors that weren't melted were covered in scorch marks and ash. Areas where the room had collapsed were still littered in the corners. 

No one had bothered to clean up Mad Blasphemy's lab. Erebus thought it was strange, considering Lychgate had called Mad Blasphemy his master, but then again, Lychgate had questionable loyalties.

Erebus' eyes adjusted to the low light and found an eerie structure on the opposite side of the room. He couldn't see many details of the structure because of the lighting, but he could tell that there were ascending stairs that reached a twisted-looking chair. The chair was far from smooth and had lumps and ropes coiled around it, making it seem alive. Behind this chair was a large curtain hanging from the ceiling. It fluttered a little, revealing a pulsing yellow glow.

Although his eyes were untrustworthy in the unnatural light, his senses were on alert, especially when he felt the ancient and familiar aura. He pulled out his daggers and glared towards the chair, knowing that this was where the aura was coming from.