[Warning: This chapter contains graphic scenes of violence and disturbing themes. Discretion is advised before proceeding.]
The vengeance of a woman who lost everything over a lie, the man who lost everything to rage and revenge, and people looking for an easy trade, finding their end through greed—beings that will never rest in peace. Humanity is capable of anything out of ignorance and avarice, but what exactly brought them back from among the dead? Perhaps, just perhaps, there is a hidden hand behind all of this.
A long journey through Mictlan has led our friends to travel a great distance. Currently, MALEKIN and QUETZALCOATL are in trouble; let us see how they get out of this while carrying extra weight. The mortal Jorge is between them, and now they are trapped by three supernatural beings.
Our three friends stand tense facing these specters, who advance slowly; it seemed they were sizing each other up to see who would attack first.
MALEKIN: (whispering) Hey, Jorge, seems like you know about this stuff. Which of these three is the weakest so we can escape?
JORGE: (nervous) Let me see, wait, give me a minute. (Muttering to himself) "La Sayona" is a dead specter, while "El Silbón" is also dead; sure, "El Pishtaco", on the other hand, might be something else. After all, they are just mortals filled with greed for easy gain, selling human fat, but here I wouldn't know for sure. In conclusion, I think the Pishtaco is the weakest.
QUETZALCOATL: Speak up, we can't hear you.
JORGE: Sorry, the one in front, he is the weakest.
No sooner do they hear those words than MALEKIN grabs JORGE, lifts him onto his shoulders, and yells at him to hold on as he bolts alongside QUETZALCOATL straight toward "El Pishtaco", who is taken aback by their charge.
Quickly, the Pishtaco attacks MALEKIN with his machete, but Malekin dodges it with ease, spinning on his own axis to deliver a kick to the "Pishtaco". We see JORGE clinging on, screaming from the immense force MALEKIN applies with the kick, which sends the "Pishtaco" flying, slamming him hard against the massive rock that was previously behind their backs.
We see that "El Pishtaco" remains crushed against the rock while the other supernatural beings begin to give chase.
MALEKIN grabs JORGE and tosses him to QUETZALCOATL, making JORGE scream in desperation as he is handled like a ball. She catches him and keeps running. Meanwhile, MALEKIN comes to a dead stop, turns around, and faces the specters. He then slams the ground with such force that he manages to shatter it, making the earth tremble and unbalancing the specters, who fall to the ground and stare at the terrain for a few seconds. Immediately looking up, to their surprise, MALEKIN and QUETZALCOATL had vanished. Both specters scream in frustration; apparently, they wanted to catch them at all costs.
Our friends had disappeared, and we now see them far in the distance. As they run, they hear the screams of the monsters, sending a cold shiver down their spines. Approaching the Inca city, they spot a cave at the entrance where they decide to duck in to rest for a bit.
Now our friends are inside the cave resting from the massive scare they experienced. Once seated and a bit calmer, they begin to analyze the situation.
MALEKIN: (pain on his face) My hand hurts; I used more strength than my body is accustomed to. Because our power has been reduced, I broke my hand and, to make matters worse, my regeneration ability is at its minimum; it will take me a few hours to heal.
QUETZALCOATL: It seems we shook them off; I don't feel them nearby anymore.
MALEKIN: I hope so, since I don't have all my powers. And how are you, Quetzalcoatl?
QUETZALCOATL: I'm fine; it seems that being a god, I still retain most of my powers, but my strength and other attributes are reduced. I'm surprised your attack unbalanced them.
Upon hearing this, JORGE, who was sitting with his head down, suddenly snaps his head up and speaks.
JORGE: Yes, yes, you're right, they were unbalanced. So they aren't fully specters; here they are tangible; they can be harmed. When I was alive, a specter was untouchable, the books said so, and also the ritua... aaa, cough, cough, sorry, that's what the books said.
MALEKIN: Books? I heard a lot about them from my friend HERACLES and also from DANTE; they say there are many things written in them.
QUETZALCOATL: In my world there were manuscripts containing laws and other things written on them, but they never spoke of creatures or anything like that. I think DANTE told me that in one of those books, something is written about me.
JORGE: Sure, a lot is said about you; some think they are legends, but look at you, you are here with us, so it exists.
QUETZALCOATL: I would say my definition of existence is different from yours, umm, damn it, they found us, run, let's get out of here.
Our friends dash toward the exit and, as they step out, they encounter the two specters. Quickly, JORGE hides behind a rock, and we see how the specters stand staring intently at JORGE. This is noticed by MALEKIN and QUETZALCOATL. In the blink of an eye, the two specters vanish, and that chilling whistle echoes through the area once more along with the woman's shrieks; the noise is so intense that everyone covers their ears.
We see JORGE curled up on the ground, covering his ears, praying that they don't do anything to him, and suddenly, the noise stops. A suspenseful and bone-chilling silence takes over the area. JORGE slowly gets up from the ground while MALEKIN and QUETZALCOATL gaze watchfully in every direction. We see JORGE slowly backing away to make his escape, and just as he turns around, the two specters stand right in front of him, giving him an immense fright.
JORGE screams desperately in terror; our friends quickly run to save him, managing to strike the specters and send them flying, crashing into the trees. Our friends pick up JORGE, who had fallen from fright and had wet himself.
MALEKIN: Damn it, Jorge, show a little courage. (In his mind) Wait, this is strange, dead humans aren't supposed to have bodily functions; something is wrong.
JORGE: (embarrassed and trembling) I'm sorry, I couldn't help it.
Our friends notice a noise, and when they turn to look where the bodies of the specters were, they realize they are standing as if nothing happened. Getting a bit scared now, MALEKIN yells to run. QUETZALCOATL uses her nature power, which allows her to manipulate plants; by moving the nearby vines, she manages to temporarily trap these beings and, without wasting a second, they bolt, hearing their screams in the distance.
MALEKIN: (running and sweating) Seems you still have plenty of tricks, Quetzalcoatl.
QUETZALCOATL: (running) And you haven't seen even half of what I know, hehe.
Our friends manage to circle around the Inca city, as they didn't want those things chasing them inside. They decide to venture deeper into the forest; after running for a while, they manage to find a large hollow tree where they climb in to rest. Now we see them sitting on the ground once more.
QUETZALCOATL: Shit, I still feel their presence. They are searching for us. Now I want you to explain something to me, Jorge: why are they after you?
JORGE: (nervous) Uh, there's nothing to explain, they just want to kill everyone... they're like that, hehe.
MALEKIN: (annoyed) Wait, Dante once told me that nobody kills just to kill, there's always a motive, and if I think about it, you are pretty suspicious. (Looks him up and down, growing surprised.) It's true, now that I look at you, how can you have clothes if humans here are brought in naked? And besides, how can you wet yourself if humans here don't have bodily functions?
JORGE: (nervous and sweating) No? You see, I... I have these clothes because I took them off a corpse from these lands, and as for the other thing, well...
QUETZALCOATL: (annoyed) Seems he doesn't want to talk, but luckily for us I have a power that allows me to view the memories of those I touch. I've never used it before, but I think this occasion warrants it. Hold him, Malekin.
JORGE: (nervous and trembling) Wait, there's no need for you to go through my memories, I'll tell you everything.
MALEKIN: (stern) This time I think I'll follow my instinct.
Left with no choice, JORGE tries to run and escape, but he is caught by MALEKIN, who grabs him with both hands and squeezes, pinning him motionless. QUETZALCOATL approaches JORGE, who is desperate to prevent her from touching him and begins writhing from side to side. MALEKIN has no option but to tackle him to the floor and sit on top of him, pinning his hands, and now QUETZALCOATL grabs his head and peers into his memories; deeply marked, macabre memories from deep within JORGE are revealed.
Venezuela, October 2039, city of Caracas.
On a street lacking any brilliance, a couple is arguing at the entrance of a house.
JORGE: What the fuck do you want, Valentina? I already gave you this month's money, what else do you want? I'm not a millionaire for you to get the fucking idea of begging me for money every two seconds.
VALENTINA: Look, Jorge, you and your bullshit have me fed up, it's always the same shit with you, saying you don't have any. You think I don't know the fucking nonsense you're up to? You leave and then show up two years later sending me crumbs, and the girl, Jorge... you don't think about her.
JORGE: Look, if I was in other countries it was because of my research; you know that's my dream and my career.
VALENTINA: Sure, you bastard, you think we're going to live off your dreams? Marianita doesn't live off dreams; you have no idea everything that happened...
While this argument took place, a girl of roughly 10 years old peeked through the door.
MARIANA: Daddy, is that you?
VALENTINA: Look, daughter, this scoundrel who claims to be your father and cheated on me with whatever woman crossed his path is giving us crumbs again. Do you still love him like this?
JORGE: Come on, Valentina, don't say that in front of the kid.
The girl runs out and hugs her father. He kneels down to receive the hug, but the mother separates them and ushers the girl inside.
VALENTINA: Look, Jorge, if by tomorrow you don't bring me something more, I swear you can forget about the girl; I said goodbye.
The door is slammed shut right in Jorge's face. He is furious at his ex-partner's treatment, though she wasn't entirely in the wrong, given that JORGE was irresponsible—pursuing a low-relevance career and making minor discoveries that weren't enough to feed himself, let alone support a family.
Amid his poor life choices, we see him entering taverns and seducing taken women, then entering the world of gambling in an attempt to get easy money and find a quick way out, but none of this leads anywhere, and his troubles persist.
Desperate for money and fame, certain rumors lead him to discover an ancient and macabre book; this book lay forgotten in a public library on a shelf dusty from time. Upon opening it, he finds many accounts and stories of ghosts, specters, and rituals to summon demons, which drives him to obsession—seeking a quick escape from all his problems and abandoning all his responsabilities.
A few months have passed, and we see our friend locked in his house inside a macabre room, when suddenly a knock sounds at his door. Upon opening it, a person hands him a summons; it was a lawsuit for child support. He doesn't care, simply takes the summons, and retreats back into his business. We see him enter a room where papers are scattered everywhere and strange writings cover the walls. He is reading the book he found; suddenly, a macabre voice is heard.
MACABRE VOICE: Jorge, Jorge.
JORGE: Damn it, shut up!
MACABRE VOICE: You summoned me for a reason, I have your solution, listen to me.
JORGE: (annoyed) What you're asking is too much, anything but that.
MACABRE VOICE: I know you need it, just give me what I told you, I can get you out of this, remember.
JORGE: Shut up, shut up, please, just shut up.
Memories of his ex-wife swirl through his head; perhaps due to the demon's intervention, but he hears her words calling him a failure, useless; reminding him of all his mistakes, and he sees the face of his daughter, who looked at him with pity. Suddenly, his phone rings; it was his ex-wife.
JORGE: Hello… what do you want?
VALENTINA: Look, you piece of shit, you haven't given me money in a long time, and I'm practically whoring myself out to earn a living, and now I'm going to leave you ruined; that house you're in is going to be mine and at least I'll be able to survive with that.
JORGE: (calm but extremely angry) You know what, come to my house, I'll give you the money you want right now; I have 20,000 dollars. Drop the lawsuit and come over right now; I'm feeling a bit ill, I can't leave. Don't bring the kid, I don't want her to see me like this.
VALENTINA: If you're lying to me, I swear I'll leave you out on the street, you hear me?... Fine, I'll head over there.
After this, JORGE hangs up and starts laughing like a lunatic; suddenly he stops dead and stares into the darkness of a corner of his house, which was in complete blackness and where two red eyes can be seen.
JORGE: This time I'll take your word for it, I will give you that woman as a sacrifice and you will give me what you promised.
A macabre smile with razor-sharp teeth appears in the darkness, and in a eerie voice, it echoes: "Deal made." Hours pass, and VALENTINA arrives at the location, knocking on the door, but no one answers; she tries several times, getting annoyed, but suddenly the door swings open on its own, and timidly she enters, calling out for JORGE, but receives no answer. Stepping inside completely, she notices almost everything is dark, feeling a cold shiver down her spine; she wants to leave, but when she turns around, the door slams shut.
With nothing left to say, she walks forward berating JORGE for scaring her, and without further ado, goes up to the second floor heading toward JORGE's room. When she opens the door, she sees a pentagram on the floor and a goat with its stomach sliced open on the ground, bleeding. She immediately screams, but is silenced by a hand covering her mouth with a rag soaked in a substance, knocking her unconscious.
After some time, the woman opens her eyes only to realize she is tied up and gagged on a table, and we realize she is in the basement of that house. The woman, desperate and terrified, tries to escape, and when she looks straight ahead, a hideous, monstrous creature stands before her—a creature in the shape of a goat—and she gets so terrified that she wets herself. Then a hand removes the rag from her mouth, and we see it was JORGE.
JORGE: Hello, Valentina, let me introduce you to a friend; he will help me get out of my miserable life.
VALENTINA: (crying and desperate) Please, Jorge, let me go, I swear I won't say anything. For the love of God, I promise I'll leave you alone and never bother you again; set me free.
JORGE: (with a malevolent smile) Now you want that, huh? Hahaha, it's time you pay for everything you did to me. For you I gave up everything and you never supported me; today you get what you deserve.
Finishing those words, JORGE takes a surgical scalpel and begins slicing through the woman's chest, opening her in two, all while she screamed in agony, and we see how the creature present there reveled in the woman's screams. We see JORGE consumed by his lowest impulses, and after a few minutes in a frenzy of madness, we see how JORGE has brutally dismembered his ex-wife. Covered in blood, he looks at the creature and simply says: "I have complied," to which the beast smiles back at him.
After a couple of weeks, the woman is declared missing, and the child is handed over to JORGE. He was never a suspect because the monster took care of wiping his tracks completely, now living happily with his daughter, since the demon had given him fame and fortune after the ritual. They live happily, but of course, evil never gives you what you want in full.
Time after all of this, the man had fallen low again, and this time he had sunk to the absolute bottom of the barrel, with hitmen and debt collectors after him; he didn't know what to do, and once more, the voice of that demon was heard.
MACABRE VOICE: Hiiiii, it seems you want power again, but this time you'll have to give me everything, and I want more suffering, ha, ha, ha, ha.
JORGE: (drunk) No, wait, not that, anything but that… my daughter is mine, please (kneels), give me another chance… I'll bring you something else, name it.
The same red eyes appear in the darkness, but this time they were furious, which frightens JORGE, and resigned, he merely lowers his head and sighs… but then, he laughs like a lunatic, looks at himself in a mirror, and says: "After all, this is for my own good." A lunatic has been born; sadly, there is no divine hand to stop his actions.
The darkness of night arrives, and we see JORGE enter the girl's room and inject her with a drug to put her to sleep. Later that same night, we are back in the basement, and we see the girl on the very same table where her mother died, tied down by her limbs. When she awakens, she feels indescribable pain, and upon opening her eyes, horror-struck, she sees her abdomen and chest cut open, exposing all her internal organs while she watches her father slicing like a madman, drinking alcohol and laughing while the demon revels in the child's agony.
While all of this was happening, JORGE looks up, and by chance, his daughter's gaze locks onto his. As he watches his daughter's final breaths, she stares straight into his eyes and, weeping, whispers: "Why?" As she takes her last breath, JORGE, shell-shocked, stands frozen gazing at the face of his now-deceased daughter, while the demon laughed and spoke.
MACABRE VOICE: You did well; tomorrow you will have your reward, wahahahahahaha.
Jorge's face is blank, almost paralyzed, but he slowly turns to look at the demon. Annoyed, the creature asks what he's staring at, and with no expression on his face, Jorge slowly approaches the demon. Without warning, he draws something from his waist and rapidly plunges the tip of a spear into the demon's chest, tackling it to the ground. We see the demon screeching in agony.
MACABRE VOICE: What the fuck, a mortal weapon hurt me? Wait, (sweating) this is the "Spear of Longinus"... how the fuck do you have it, you damned mortal?!
JORGE stabs it a couple more times, stops, and gets up from atop the demon.
JORGE: When you granted me fame from our first deal, this was my discovery. Remember that I am an archaeologist, and you cannot leave this house. (Slowly begins to cry.) I don't know why I did it, but I want to get everything back.
As he says this, he pulls out the cursed book he also carried at his waist and reads a few words aloud in the demonic tongue, opening a white portal of sorts.
MACABRE VOICE: (spitting blood) Hold on, mortal, that portal is…
JORGE: I will rescue their souls from heaven and bring them back.
When he says this, the demon present laughs out loud.
MACABRE VOICE: Hahaha… (spits blood) You think the angels will have mercy on you when they find out what you did? cough, cough; hahaha, please, cough, cough… I curse you, mortal!
As he says this, the portal's color, which was previously white, turns to blue, and JORGE looks on in confusion.
MACABRE VOICE: (angry) Now I curse you to go to lands forgotten by all… (spitting blood, nearly passing out) In my name… in the name of "AZAZEL"!
After this, JORGE is sucked into the portal and appears right where we currently are; he hadn't died, he had entered hell in his physical body; the rest is history.
Now we see QUETZALCOATL release her hands from JORGE's head, who is weeping on the floor. We see that QUETZALCOATL is also crying, and MALEKIN abruptly stands up, looks at QUETZALCOATL, and asks.
MALEKIN: What happened? Why are you crying?
QUETZALCOATL: (tears streaming down) Nothing good comes from this man, look.
QUETZALCOATL places her hand on MALEKIN's head and transfers JORGE's memories to him; horrified, MALEKIN falls to the ground and vomits from everything he witnessed. He quickly stands up, removes his bandana, and glares at JORGE.
MALEKIN: (furious)… You, damned human, now that I have your memories, you disgust me; not even the demons I know would dare go that far, and I am a demon who lives in hell. Now, through your memories, I know those two specters are coming for you: betrayal, greed, and deceit—all of this led you down an evil path, and that's why they seek you out.
QUETZALCOATL: Malekin, look over there.
QUETZALCOATL points toward a spot where "El Silbón" and "La Sayona" stood as if waiting for something.
MALEKIN: Good, glad they came. Hey (addressing the specters), he's yours.
MALEKIN grabs JORGE by his clothes, lifts him up, and walks slowly toward the specters while JORGE begs desperately for his life.
JORGE: (trembling and weeping) Wait, wait, please, we can talk about this. I deeply regret it, I swear, please. You're a demon, I know you must have done bad things and you have to understand me. When someone wants power, they do whatever it takes; in the end I repented, I swear, please. (Looks at Quetzalcoatl) Come on, help me, I was useful to you, I can help more. NOOOO, PLEASE, NOOOO!!!
MALEKIN stops a few meters from the specters and leans close to JORGE's face, who is weeping and trembling.
MALEKIN: I should have guessed you weren't from these lands. Dead humans don't wet themselves, and for your information, I never harmed those who didn't deserve it. What's more, it's through my own effort that I am where I am; with my own power I will reach the top. You make me sick.
Finishing his words, MALEKIN throws JORGE at the feet of the specters, who look down at him, each grab one of his legs, and begin slowly dragging him into the darkness of the forest. As we watch JORGE scream in desperation, we hear MALEKIN utter the words: "Welcome to hell," and once they can no longer be seen, macabre laughter echoes, followed by the sound of crushing flesh that brings an end to JORGE's screams. We see QUETZALCOATL looking sad, averting her eyes from the scene, and MALEKIN rejoins her.
MALEKIN: (Places a hand on Quetzalcoatl's shoulder) Rest easy, it's all over now.
QUETZALCOATL: (sad) I can't believe what humans are capable of doing for power. Do you think we did the right thing?
Before MALEKIN can answer, a mysterious voice is heard.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Of course you did the right thing, do not regret it.
Taken by surprise, MALEKIN and QUETZALCOATL turn toward the mysterious voice, but see nothing. Realizing the voice came from below, they look down to discover a toad-like creature beneath them; it resembled a toad-goblin holding a walking stick, wearing a loincloth, a necklace made of colorful stones, and other accessories.
MALEKIN: What on earth are you?
MYSTERIOUS BEING: Umm, mortals know me as "Mayantú". A pleasure… {croak}.
Who could this strange creature named Mayantú be? Is this amphibian friend or foe? What happened to Dante? Very soon we will find out.