Seth's blood ran cold. A sharp, icy fear shot down his spine.
'T-there's another one?!'
He truly had not expected this.
One demonic entity, whose power was a complete mystery, was already a nightmare.
The thought of facing it was terrifying enough...
But now, to discover there was a second one?
It felt like a cruel joke.
His original plan had been risky enough with a single monster to avoid...
Now, the danger had just doubled!
Perhaps it was his fault...
He had stupidly assumed there was only one demon in this place.
After all, everything he'd heard suggested demons were violent, chaotic beings.
If there were more than one, wouldn't they just try to kill each other?
The idea that they could coexist, sharing this dark den, was terrifying.
It meant they were either working together, or they were so powerful they didn't see each other as a threat.
Both options were bad...
Seth tried to make sense of it, but his mind came up empty.
He simply lacked the knowledge to make comprehensible and arguably logical theories.
He was still so new to this unfamiliar and dangerous world.
A frustrated thought crossed his mind.
'If I get out of this, I really need to ask Phoebe's mentor for help... she seems incredibly knowledgeable...'
Just then, the horrible screaming from the fleshy demon in the main chamber faded away.
In the sudden, heavy silence, Seth's ears picked up a new sound.
A low sounded muttering.
'It's talking...?'
Driven by a mix of fear and curiosity, Seth took a slow, careful step closer.
The tall demon in the suit was chanting to itself, its voice a dry, raspy whisper.
The words were clear and filled with a twisted, obsessive devotion.
"Oh... the great enchantress, your love will be known, your lust will embody what is to come... Feed on my love, on my lust, on my children, and my life..."
The chant sent another shiver through Seth.
His eyes darted back to the rusty ladder, his ticket out of this hellhole...
Although he wasn't one hundred percent confident in his ability, [Null Presence], he felt a surge of hope.
He was quite sure he could use it to climb the ladder without being noticed and escape directly!
It was a gamble, but it was the only bet on the table.
He decided to take the chance...
Moving with the slow, deliberate care of someone walking through a field of sleeping snakes, he crept towards the ladder.
His heart hammered against his ribs so loudly he was sure that without his ability the demons would probably hear it.
He kept his eyes locked on the suited demon, but it remained facing the wall, lost in its creepy prayer.
Seeing that it didn't react, Seth heaved a silent sigh of relief.
He reached the ladder, his fingers curling around the cold, rough metal.
He began to climb, each step feeling like a mile.
He didn't look down, focusing only on the circle of darkness above.
When he finally pulled himself up and out, he tumbled onto soft ground.
He lay there for a second, panting, before pushing himself up to look around.
What he saw made his brain stutter...
He was in a grassy plainfield.
A vast, open space under a starry night sky...
In the distance, he could see the dark outline of a forest.
The air was clean and cold, a stark contrast to the rotten stench of the den.
'What the... weren't we in a warehouse?'
He thought, utterly bewildered.
This made no sense...
Although he had walked a considerable distance underground, the exit should not have led him somewhere so completely different.
He should have come up in a back alley or another part of the industrial district.
He spun around, but he couldn't see a single building, light, or any sign of the city...
It was as if he had climbed into another world!
However that wasn't much of a problem as of now... he was finally free! And he was out!
From here, Seth had two options.
He could run.
He could vanish into that forest, run to safety, and never look back!
However, he would have to live with the guilt of leaving the others behind.
'These are people I met merely hours ago, why am I so caught up with them...?' were his first, original thoughts.
He had always been a survivor, looking out for himself first.
His morals were often just things he followed when it was easy, out of common good will, not real sacrifice.
'Besides, we can't fight those things...'
He reasoned with himself, the memory of the flesh demon's madness-inducing form flashing in his mind.
'Even looking at them drives you insane... It's suicide.'
The only reason he was able to escape was because of his ability [Null Presence].
However, none of those people had this ability at all!
To Seth, the logical choice was clear.
It was either he lives, or all of them die.
There was no scenario where he played the hero and everyone walked away.
He slowly justified his escape as he stood on the grassy plainfield.
The air was fresh and the night was peaceful.
It was inviting him to stay, to be safe.
Seth stared into the dark, unknown forest, his thoughts a chaotic storm.
He stood there in silence for a long moment, the cold night air biting at his skin
He let out a long, slow breath
He turned his back on the peaceful field and climbed back down the ladder, descending once more into the nightmare.
'Fuck it,' he thought, a grim smile touching his lips.
'At least I'll die knowing I tried to be good this time...'
...
"There's an exit ahead?"
Arthur asked the moment Seth finished explaining what he saw.
Everyone gathered close, their faces tense and pale in the dim glow of the strange symbols on the walls.
Seth nodded.
"Yes. There's a ladder that leads up to the surface. I checked it myself. But… things got weird after I climbed out."
He paused, still unsure how to describe it.
"It doesn't lead to the back of the warehouse or anywhere familiar. When you reach the top, it opens into a grassy plain. There were no buildings and no signs of the city."
Riko frowned.
"What? That makes no damn sense."
Sophia hugged her arms, shivering.
"So… like a barrier? Or a different space?"
"It might be..." Seth answered.
"But I can't confirm anything. All I know is—it's a way out. But once we get to the surface, we might get lost. And that's assuming we even make it up there alive."
Silence fell.
They all understood what that meant.
Arthur broke the tension first.
His voice was calm, but there was a heaviness behind his words.
"I'm surprised you came back. You could've left without saying anything."
Seth didn't answer.
He only gave a small smile, one that didn't reach his eyes.
He didn't want to explain why he returned.
Maybe it was guilt or stupidity.
Maybe he just didn't want the kid, Matthew, to die.
Arthur seemed to understand anyway.
He nodded once, firmly, and reached into his pocket.
"In this world, it won't be good for you to be a kind person."
"If there's another chance for you to escape, you need to take it without hesitation."
Arthur said.
He placed two metallic reddish coins into Seth's hand.
They were cold and heavier than they looked.
"If we can't get out, give these to the boss."
Arthur said.
"It's proof that you're friendly. You can explain everything to him after."
Seth clenched the coins tightly.
"You don't have to—"
"Take it," Arthur cut him off, his voice firm.
"I have a wife and daughter waiting for me. If I die, the boss will look after them. He'll listen if you show those coins."
The coins Seth's hand suddenly felt much heavier after hearing that...
Sophia suddenly spoke up.
"Why don't we lead one demon into the other? Make them fight each other? That might give us enough time to run to the ladder."
Seth blinked.
"If they wanted to fight, shouldn't it have happened long ago? They've been down there together for who knows how long."
Arthur rubbed his chin, thinking deeply.
"It's a risky plan. But we can't rule out the idea completely. Still… we need to consider the demons' circle level."
Riko clicked his tongue impatiently.
Seth stepped forward before the conversation drifted further.
"When I looked at the first demon—the big… flesh thing—I felt madness. Something in my head twisted.... like I was losing myself just by staring."
Sophia's eyes widened.
"Madness?"
Seth nodded.
"But when I saw the second one—the tall man—it didn't affect me at all. It was creepy, sure, but I still felt… sane."
Riko muttered under his breath...
"So the screaming meatball is stronger…"
Arthur and Sophia exchanged a glance.
Something silent passed between them, as if they both understood something unspoken.
Arthur spoke first.
"So the first demon is definitely stronger. Much stronger."
Sophia added, her voice soft but certain.
"The more sins a demon holds, the more corrupt and dangerous it becomes. If it pushes madness onto you just by being seen… its sins must be overflowing."
She pressed her hands together, thinking.
"There's an old saying among witches: 'When sins gather without restraint, the mind will rot before the flesh does.'"