12. Chapter Eleven

It feels as though I've left the mortal world, and have been drifting in a dark and endless sea for an eternity. The deep and infinite waters are a mirror of the night sky, and I watch with a somnolent gaze as glittering stars pass me by, slipping effortlessly through my fingertips as I drift without any destination to reach.

One thing I am sure of, is that Stolas is here with me. Surrounding me in his dark power as he continues to weave his demonic energy into the very fabric of my being. I feel sheltered by my Great Prince of Hell as he soothes my splintered soul, allowing me the space to safely recombine and recalibrate to my new reality.

As I sleep in a place that exists between all that was, and all that is, enlightenment finds me. I understand now why he told me that although a lesser demon could amplify my spellworking, it takes a demon of immense power to protect his witch from the pure, unshackled force of her own magic.

It is because of Stolas that I have awakened and embraced who I was always meant to be. I was born of the sacred, primordial universe, with limitless magic intertwined with my very essence. I am power, I am strength, and I will never again be someone's victim.

I feel the surface of consciousness well before I near it, like I've taken a breath of unrestricted awareness into my lungs and that one breath is pulling me out of the fog.

When my eyes finally flutter open, the first thing I see is the patchy surface of my bedroom ceiling. The sight is so familiar, bathed in the warm, flickering light of what must be twenty lit candles strewn across the room.

I notice immediately how well rested I feel as I stretch my limbs across the wide expanse of my bed, the soft sheets falling away from me as I shift. Everything looks normal, save for the assortment of candles, a display I am certain Stolas left for me.

Closing my eyes, I focus my attention and search the immediate space around me for him. I don't feel him here with me. In fact, my bedroom feels tranquil and blessedly empty. I take another moment to enjoy the peace and quiet before I lift myself into a seated position, leaning back on my arms with my palms spread across the soft mattress.

I don't know exactly how long I was asleep, but a shower sounds amazing, so I swing both of my legs to the side of the bed and stand up. While heading in the direction of the bathroom, I pull back my curtain to peer out the window into the city beyond. I see nothing but empty streets, until one lone car quietly drives through.

Abandoning the window, I head into the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water feels heavenly, so I linger there a little longer than is necessary. Keeping my eyes closed, I sigh deeply as the heat of the water penetrates my body and drives the remnants of sleep away.

I have a lot to discuss with Stolas today, and that's really the only thing I want to be doing. My life is different now, and I want to better understand where I go from here. I plan to quit my job, and I don't feel like I am meant to stay here in this small, cozy apartment anymore.

It's time to embrace change and figure out how I want to live my life now. Do I want to stay in Toronto? My gut instinct is telling me that I don't, simply because barriers that once existed for me just aren't a reality for me anymore.

My eyes drift closed as images flood in. A quaint cabin tucked away in the mountains, warmed by a wood burning stove, featuring countless potted plants and dried herbs. A quiet, private place I can grow into my power. The perfect spot to practice until using my magic becomes as effortless as drawing breath.

My future is one of unlimited potential, and I want to explore that.

Excited to call upon Stolas and get answers to the questions bouncing around in my head, I finish up my shower and step out. Once my feet land on the soft shower mat, I am pulled from my thoughts by the sound of knocking at my front door.

I am not sure how early in the morning it is, but it is still dark outside, so I am surprised that someone is here. For all I know, it's 3:33 am again and another demon has come to harass me. Grabbing a towel from the rack just outside of my shower stall, I quickly dry my hair and grab a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. The knocking starts up again, and I sigh my irritation. I was hoping the peace and quiet would extend well into the morning, at least.

I grab something to tie my hair back with on my way out of the bathroom, when another set of knocks fills the dark space of my quiet apartment.

"Just a minute!" I call out as I hurry from my bedroom to the entryway. When I reach out and grab the doorknob, I freeze in place. The moment my skin makes contact with the cold metal of the handle, a spark of something sinister and unwelcome goes shooting through my fingertips.

A frown takes up residence on my face as I peer down at my hand, second guessing whether or not I should open the door or leave it be. My intuition tells me something is wrong, but I immediately deny the feelings of worry. I am a witch that is capable of immense power, bonded to a great demon. Whatever is on the other side of this door, I can handle it.

I pull the door wide open, and darkness is all I see.

The ambiance turns menacing as I gaze out into the pitch black void, my mind unable to comprehend what I'm seeing. My front door leads to the outside of my three-story apartment building. There should be a slab of concrete with a rough, brown welcome mat right outside my door. There should be a narrow concrete staircase and a potted plant. Hell, there should be an entire city outside of my home.

There is nothing. Absolutely nothing. A space so devoid of light, that nothing exists.

Every hair on my body stands on end, and I take an unsteady step away from the door, but I can't pull my eyes away from it. I am awash in feelings of dread, despair and discomfort and I just can't shake it.

When it becomes too much to bear, I finally pull my eyes away from the void and look back into the rooms beyond my hallway.

The sense of true wrongness has permeated my home. My confusion only intensifies when I glance around the interior of my apartment, only to find it looks… very strange. Like someone snapped a photo, turned down the saturation, and cast a haze over it all. It reminds me of the way things look in my nightmares, when your mind stops processing the details and colours because the intense emotions matter more.

For a moment, I wonder if I'm still in my bed. If I never actually woke up. My hand moves across my body to my other arm, and I pinch the skin as hard as I can manage. When I wince against the spark of pain, my heart begins to beat a panicked pace in my chest.

Nope, this isn't a dream.

Turning back to the door with the intention to close it, I am shocked to find the actual door now missing. All that is left is the frame, and the black void beyond.

"Yeah, that's not supposed to happen," I whisper, my voice a little unsteady.

I turn away from the door once again, taking a step forward to put some space between me and the hole in reality.

Only this time, my heart stops. Standing only a few feet in front of me is a creature so horrifying, I'm rooted in place by a nauseating wave of fear.

The demon standing feet away from me is burned and withered, emaciated in the way its black as coal skin is taut over its malformed bones. The smell of scorched rot hits my nose like a slap to the face, and I gag violently as I take a step back. The demon doesn't move, its head heavy on its shoulders, slumped forward like the very act of standing here in my entryway is too much for its deformed body.

My eyes wander to the gaping hole in its torso, where blackened guts spill out and slough off to the floor to land at its twisted feet. Its heart, ashen and sickly, beats slow and weak in its hideous chest cavity.

My shaking hand lifts to cover my mouth as my eyes travel up its spindly body to the entity's face, gasping as one swollen eyeball dangles from the socket by tattered muscle. The festering hole is full of worms, writhing and wriggling in the space its eye once was.

I take another step back as the demon begins to lift its head. Its neck cracks as it moves, and it stares up at me with that one remaining eye. White and cloudy from a cataract of decay, the globe is focused on me as I grip the frame of the door to keep myself from stepping through.

I don't know what's worse: the void at my back, or the monstrosity standing in front of me. It grins, and my skin crawls.

Before I can figure out what to do, the entity lurches forward and charges at me. I am so stunned by the unexpected strength and speed of its movement, all I can do is scream as its gnarled, rotting hands slam into my chest and send me flying backwards through the open door.

With a blood-curdling scream, my arms flail and my hands reach for the frame of the door as it rapidly recedes from my field of vision. The demon that shoved me through is standing at the precipice, a mocking grin on its twisted face, until the sight of my home disappears.

My hope dies with it.