41. 41 - Lilith

41 - Lilith

T he words spill from my lips like venom, laced with ancient power and a weight that makes the air around me tremble. The final syllable reverberates through the room, and for a moment, the world holds its breath. Then it happens.

The portal shudders, and a crack of fiery energy slices through its center. It splits wide, spilling Hell’s essence into Briarwood in violent, pulsating waves. Shadows leap and twist, stretching unnaturally along the walls, their jagged shapes distorting as if alive. The once-sterile white halls are devoured by creeping darkness, the pale fluorescence replaced with a dim, blood-red glow.

It is beautiful.

The energy is intoxicating, a heady rush that makes my pulse race and my skin tingle. I can feel it—the power of Hell, the very essence of destruction and chaos, seeping into every corner of the building. The walls groan under its weight, cracks spidering across their surfaces as if the structure itself is trying to recoil from the darkness.

Behind me, the horsemen stir, their reactions primal and raw. The portal’s energy pulses through them, awakening something deep within—something ancient, something terrible.

Vito is the first to change. His form straightens, his eyes blazing with a golden light that burns with the hunger of conquest. He clenches his fists, and I swear I can feel the ripple of his will bending the very air around him. The smirk on his lips is dangerous, full of promise and inevitability.

“This,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with satisfaction, “is what we were made for.”

Beside him, Kaua’s transformation is even more visceral. His body tenses, his muscles coiling like a predator about to strike. His hands flex, and the energy rolling off him is violent, barely contained. His eyes are alight with the primal urge for battle, his teeth bared in a grin that is more feral than human.

He looks at me, and I see the fire in his gaze, the promise of destruction. “This world is going to burn,” he growls.

Nevan’s change is subtler, but no less chilling. His touch leaves a trail of decay, the very floor beneath his feet withering to ash. The light around him dims, as if his presence alone is enough to snuff out vitality. His expression is calm, almost serene, but there is a quiet hunger in his eyes—a hunger that cannot be sated.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he says softly, his voice carrying a note of reverence.

And then there’s Ewan.

He stands at the edge of the portal, his figure cloaked in shadows that seem to ripple and shift with a life of their own. His eyes are dark, endless voids that draw in the light around him, and his very presence chills the air. Death radiates from him, a cold, inevitable force that cannot be denied.

“We’re complete now,” he says, his voice a low rumble that sends a shiver down my spine.

I step forward, feeling the power of the portal wash over me in waves. It wraps around me like a lover, familiar and all-consuming. The final transformation has begun. The last vestiges of Vienna, the fragile mortal I once was, burn away, replaced entirely by Lilith—the queen of Hell, the mother of chaos, the harbinger of ruin.

I lift my hand, feeling the energy coil around my fingers like smoke. The horsemen watch me, their gazes filled with awe and devotion. They are no longer just men; they are avatars of destruction, embodiments of the apocalypse.

“Are you ready?” I ask, my voice laced with power.

Vito steps forward, his smirk widening. “I’ve been ready for centuries.”

Kaua cracks his knuckles, his grin feral. “Let’s give them something to remember.”

Nevan inclines his head, his calm demeanor betraying the storm that brews beneath. “Lead us, my queen.”

And Ewan, my constant, my Death, steps to my side. “Always.”

Together, we march forward, the portal’s energy surging around us. The walls of Briarwood buckle and crack, the building itself warping under the strain of the darkness that now consumes it. The sound of distant screams echoes through the halls, the remaining staff and patients caught in the storm of chaos.

As we move, the horsemen unleash their powers, each step a declaration of their dominion.

Vito’s influence is palpable. The few orderlies who dare to stand in our way turn on each other, their minds twisted by his will. They claw and fight, driven to madness by the force of his presence.

Kaua charges ahead, his movements a blur of violence. His fists connect with the walls, with doors, with anyone foolish enough to stand in his path. Each impact sends shockwaves rippling through the air, the very foundation of Briarwood trembling beneath his strength.

Nevan follows behind, his mere presence draining the life from everything around him. Plants wither, the air grows stale, and even the light seems to dim as he passes. The energy he exudes is suffocating, a quiet, relentless force that leaves only desolation in its wake.

And Ewan...

Ewan moves like a shadow, silent and deadly. His touch brings death, instant and absolute. The guards who try to stop us collapse without a sound, their bodies crumpling to the floor as the life drains from their eyes.

I watch them with pride, my heart swelling as I see the destruction we unleash together. This is what we were meant for. This is our destiny.

We reach the heart of Briarwood, the portal’s energy pulsing like a heartbeat. The air is thick with power, the scent of sulfur and ash filling my lungs.

Asmodeus steps through the portal, his form more terrifying and magnificent than ever. His eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, the chaos around us fades.

“You’ve done well, my queen,” he says, his voice a low growl that sends shivers through me.

I smile, the power of Hell coursing through me. “It’s just the beginning.”

And together, we prepare to bring the world to its knees.