Anna Alexander: Master of the void. Part II

– I would like to speak with Ruvars! Please leave us alone! – Mark said, staring intently at Azazel.

The girl was puzzled by his words and slightly embarrassed. Silently lowering her eyes, she turned away and hurried after Joe, who was moving away inexplicably quickly.

Sardo had been strange from the very beginning of their meeting. He was clearly nervous and didn’t understand why he should talk to Mark and give a chance to that traitor! But recalling that he himself had once been so abandoned by Azazel, his anger gave way to a smirk.

– You seem upset about something, I can see that! – Azazel suddenly asked Joe.

The half – demon wasn’t expecting a question from the girl, especially at such an inconvenient moment. He had no desire at all to talk about how Anna had been tormenting his mind for a long time, and he certainly didn’t want to be a burden in front of Ruvars.

– Not at all! – Joe replied, smiling a little.

– You look worried! – Azazel persisted, as if deliberately trying to pry into his innermost thoughts.

But Stefan didn’t listen to her. He wasn’t interested in Azazel’s words. His thoughts were elsewhere, on the one who was now in a state of separation.

Chapter 4.

Mark’s guilt

– I know that I have caused you the worst pain in the world, because a girl, a friend, more precious to me than anyone else, could die because of me! – Mark suddenly exclaimed.

His eyes were staring off into the distance. He wasn’t thinking about whether Ruvars would forgive him, nor did he wish for the demon to stoop to such a thing, but he would be grateful if Anna returned and everything fell back into place.

Mark pondered for a long time whether he should try to talk to Ruvars about Anna, but the fear of being rejected and cast into the abyss of hell threw him into turmoil. He dreamed of becoming invisible, disappearing into the flow of life where there was neither Azazel, not Anna, not Ruvars.

– Why are you here, traitor? – Ruvars said, his voice full of obvious fury.

His gaze scorched Mark, and his face changed instantly. No one knew what to expect from a demon in the flesh, but Sardо and Stefan felt a shiver from afar, guessing what their brother was capable of.

Mark felt his body softening, like cotton, and Ruvars was to blame. He was gradually draining Mark’s strength, turning him into a helpless and flabby creature, incapable of existing alone, shaping him into something amorphous and formless.

Ruvars and Mark had never been enemies, but they couldn’t be called friends either. Two unpredictable beings were connected by delicate threads, intertwined in their fates, and each of them had to play their role in the other’s life. Ruvars and Mark clashed again at a crossroads, where a serious choice stood before them: between good and evil, life and death…

For a moment, a thought crept into the demon’s mind that perhaps the wizard had found a way to return Anna faster than they could find the Sun Root, and he was right. Mark had a different proposal, possibly less advantageous for both of them, but more effective for Anna.

In a strange place where a semblance of the sun was always smoldering, an ominous gloom prevailed. The pyramids in the distance, usually radiating warmth, light, and energy, now gaped with icy indifference. Ruvars preferred to speak on territory where he felt at least some support, although he understood that he didn’t particularly need help.

The silent chill of the pyramids, penetrating to the bone, tormented Mark’s soul, impatient to rid himself of the oppressive burden of regrets. He felt like a spoiled child, unable to manage the chaotic swarm of thoughts scattered like seeds in his head, which had grown unbearably heavy, astonishing even the demon.

– I didn’t settle with you after the last battle, and I still owe you! – Mark blurted out, with the force of a dam bursting.

– You owe me more than your miserable life! – growled Ruvars, and his eyes flared again with emerald fire, sparks of rage dancing within.

Mark knew that Ruvars could turn him to smoke in an instant, scatter him to ashes, or transform him into something that could never be found. He was terrified by the demon’s unrestrained energy, his sheer force, but most of all, he feared that piercing gaze that froze him with icy cold.

– Do you wish to offer something of substance?! – Ruvars hissed.

Mark’s tongue felt as if it had frozen to the roof of his mouth. He couldn’t move, but he had to answer, for Ruvars was waiting.

– I… I have a proposal that could save Anna without you’re the Root of the Sun. And who knows if you could even find it, for it only grows in the Former Lands, where the master is your half – brother! – Mark exhaled and gave a crooked smile.

Ruvars frowned, trying to understand what kind of proposal could come from Mark and how he knew about the Root of the Sun, which grows only in the Former Lands. This news made the demon wary, for only a few were aware of it.

– How do you know about the Root of the Sun and the Former Lands?! – Ruvars asked with blatant surprise.

Mark only smirked in response and, glancing around, noticed that all three of Ruvars’ travelers were lost in their own thoughts. Wishing to prove his usefulness, he decided to speak plainly, without deceit.

– Promise me that if my proposal doesn’t please you, I’ll go to the Former Lands with you! – Mark demanded.

The demon was stunned by the unexpected help from a creature he didn’t even consider his enemy, and raising an eyebrow, he replied disdainfully:

– But if anything goes wrong, I’ll throw you into the abyss of hell, to my brothers, who will enact a terrible judgment upon you, which you undoubtedly deserve!

Mark nodded in agreement. He knew he had an ace up his sleeve that only Anna and Azazel knew about. The thought clearly gave him confidence in his words and actions.

– I’m waiting for your offer! Speak quickly, or you’ll end up in eternal torment. I will ask my brothers to provi… – Ruvars didn’t get to finish.

– My life in exchange for Anna’s life. If all the powers of our circle perform the Chalice of Bafo ritual, she will return… But you should know that Anna may come back different! – Mark interrupted him.

Ruvars seemed to come to from the deafening shout of his name. His eyes darted around, searching for meaning in Mark’s strange statement.

– You don’t understand, White Light mage, what you’re talking about, do you? – Ruvars asked doubtfully, not realizing how well the little squirrel was controlling the situation.

– I understand perfectly well what I’m saying. We can get together in a matter of minutes, and Anna will be there. But the choice is yours! – cut in Mark.

– What do you want from me, villain, for me to become your debtor? – Ruvars would not calm down.

Mark could not understand the demon’s true motives. In his opinion, this was the best chance to get Anna back quickly and without significant harm to her health. No one could promise that she would return as she was, but she would come back alive. But would Ruvars agree?

– You are a madman if you think I will let you enter Anna’s space and free her from the bonds of the shifting trap! – Ruvars shouted so loudly that Azazel involuntarily covered her ears.

At that very moment, the sky darkened with nightmarish visions. A vast wasteland, resembling a mirror, opened up high above. Along the edges of this eerie expanse, as if linked by a single chain, sat previously unknown creatures, spewing a strange slime that resembled liquid resin. No one knew what dripped from their mouths, but everyone felt that it was all ill-omened. The goo, thick and black, burned through the earth, leaving smoldering craters in its wake. Just one inhalation would sear the throat, and the eyes would sting.

The creatures moved slowly, clumsily, like toys controlled by some unknown force. Their limbs, long and thin in disproportion, buckled under the weight of their bodies. Their skin, if it could be called that, resembled old, cracked stone covered with lichen. No eyes were visible, only gaping voids in which sparks sometimes flickered, like embers in ash.

Ruvars looked up in amazement. Fear held Azazel and Joe captive, while Sardo and Mark exchanged worried glances and seemed rooted to the ground, immobilized by the number of creatures above.

– Who or what are they? I’ve never encountered such marvels! – Joe asked the equally shocked Azazel.

– They are eerily beautiful, as if they’ve come back from the very depths of hell. And if I’m not mistaken, these are Likki! – Ruvars growled.

There were so many of them that at first, the eyes couldn’t capture the shapes, which resembled wolf – like faces. Within moments, they would change into human faces – sullen and stern, as if forced by some power to sit in their places

– What’s happening to them? Why are they changing faces? – Azazel asked fearfully.

– Or faces? – Mark clarified.

They exchanged glances. Mark seemed to be reading Azazel’s thoughts – he knew her that well.

– I dare say it’s because of Anna. She’s human, and her essence still belongs to her. And, as I understand it, when the Likki stop changing, it will become clear what’s going on with Anna – either she’s disappeared, or she’s fighting for her existence! – Joe explained.

Everyone fell silent. The oppressive quiet was broken only by Sardo, who didn’t understand the meaning of his half – brother’s last words.

– It’s simple, Sardo, – Joe responded. – The Likki will show us the truth: has Anna fallen into darkness, turning into a she – devil, or is there still a spark of humanity in her!

The Demon of Darkness was puzzled by his answer, and a genuine concern for the girl stirred in his heart. She held not just power, but something greater than his brother’s mere demonic strength. She carried within her a force unknown to anyone until now: a fusion of light and dark powers, an unprecedented and incomprehensible weapon against… yet against whom Sardo could not even guess!

Sardo pierced Ruvars with a gaze, catching the raging fury in his eyes. He barely held back from intervening in his torment, but the memory of his own suffering, once endured because of this girl, made him step back, allowing his younger brother to deal with his feelings on his own.

– You won’t go to him? – Azazel’s voice suddenly sounded.

– No. I think he needs to think it over himself and come to terms with the idea that Anna might take our mother’s place, – replied Sardo with a smile.

– But she’s my friend too, Sardo! After all, this transformation could completely change her! And if she ascends your mother’s throne, I will also turn into something horrible! – protested Azazel.

Sardo smiled faintly. His face, after the judgment of the ancestors, seemed softened, more pleasant, and even human.

– Azazel, you shouldn’t measure yourself by her! Just because she is your friend doesn’t mean your paths have to coincide. Her fate is now beyond even Ruvars’ control. Your friend is turning into a monster in the guise of a devil, and if you follow her, I’ll have to put on the mask of my lost dark essence again and become the Demon of Darkness, – Sardo warned.

Azazel fell silent, pondering his words. Should she spend the rest of her life in human form if there is a chance to gain immortality?

– What do you mean? I don’t understand you, Sardo, explain! – Azazel pleaded.

– I’m talking about the fact that I’ll have to pull you out again, and then myself, from the abyss into which my brothers – and only – plunge me, – Sardo replied.

Azazel barely smiled. Deep down, she was rejoicing, having heard the words she had been waiting for so long.

Sardo was also pleased with himself. Finally, he had found true happiness, and in Azazel’s face – real life.

– I’m beginning to understand myself, Azazel. Before, I only cared about my family and my circle. I was surrounded by strange beings who dreamed of seeing me strong and useful, as I once was, – he said, lowering his eyes.

Azazel was surprised by his words. Just a few weeks ago, he had been happy to have gained a mortal body and a human heart, to be able to live among people, to change for himself and others, to be useful to the human world in some way!

– Sardo, I don’t quite understand you! You wanted so much to become mortal, to feel the beating of a heart, to change for yourself and others, to avoid causing trouble, and to feel the lightness of walking in the wind! Did something happen because you decided to change yourself? – exclaimed Azazel, upset and bewildered.

The Demon of Darkness himself did not understand what was happening to him. One part of him craved goodness, but the other, dark part, could not come to terms with change. Inside him raged a struggle between those opposing forces he had inherited and acquired thanks to Azazel.

– We’ll leave this conversation for later. Right now, there are more important matters than our arguments and reflections, – Sardo cut in.

Azazel wanted to object, to point out his mistake, but she felt that the Demon of Darkness was not in the mood for conversation, and, resigned, fell silent.

– I just want to help so that this doesn’t have consequences for all of us! No one knows what awaits us in the Former Lands, whether we’ll come back alive, whether we’ll even get a part of the Sun Root, and whether Anna will destroy us all after her ‘return’! – Mark continued.

Ruvars raised his eyebrows and frowned. He understood that Mark was right, but his selfish attachment to the girl didn’t allow him to let this matter be decided for him.

Azazel sensed insincerity in Mark’s words and didn’t trust his help. It seemed to her that he would betray them again. She gave a bitter smile. After all, trust is a fragile thing, and Mark had already crushed it to dust once.

– I think we need to face the truth. Anna is waiting for Ruvars, not you, and I suppose her protection won’t let your spirit into her world, – Azazel cut in.

Ruvars was pleased with her answer. He had never liked Azazel, but in this difficult situation, he was glad that at least someone was on his side.

– No, and that’s my final answer! In any case, I’m against this move! – Ruvars suddenly exclaimed.

Sardo and Stefan remained silent, considering every possibility that Mark might take, since bringing the Chalice of Bafo into the mortal world was risky.

– What kind of punishment awaits us from the ancestors? – Joe mentally asked Ruvars.

– The Chalice of Bafo is the lesser of two evils, since it’s not under the control of my brothers. The main thing is – Nestor won’t agree! – Ruvars replied, nervously releasing sulfurous steam from his nostrils.

Some time passed before Mark dared to ask about the answer that had been troubling the brothers.

– What’s going on? Tell us, mortals, what are you talking about? – Mark asked.

The younger of the brothers exchanged a glance with Joe and sighed. His sigh was full of hopelessness, especially when it came to Nestor and Anna.

– Ruvars says that Nestor won’t help for a certain reason, – Joe replied.

Mark smiled and reached out his hand to Joe, hoping he would accept his help and not become as sullen as Ruvars.

Joe shook the outstretched hand and declared loudly:

– I trust him. He will help Anna, and I think it’s necessary to give him a chance to make things right!

Azazel opened her eyes in surprise but remained silent. Sardo stood, looking up at the Likki, which multiplied like malevolent entities, and in their mirrored reflection almost touched the ground.

– We need to deal with the Likki! They are advancing on us, which means they need us for something, or they want to take something from us! We must find out their motives! – Sardo said sharply.

Ruvars missed Anna so intensely that he thought he caught a faint scent of her hair carried by the wind. He greedily inhaled the air, dreaming of how her presence would instantly send the Likki fleeing.

Sardo noticed a shadow of change on his brother’s face, but understanding that the looming Likki threat was far more serious, he did not ask him about it. The brown – eyed demon’s heart longed to put an end to the nightmare that had gripped the environment they were in at that moment, and in an instant, Sardo took decisive action to resolve the sinister problem.

Chapter 5.

The Likki and their leader

– Form a circle! – Sardо suddenly commanded, watching as the Likki descended upon them like a silent and relentless avalanche.

The three creatures instantly took their places, as if obeying an invisible conductor. In their eyes was the closeness of beings, a connection that united them despite the difference in blood and purpose.

Around them, as if by the wave of a magic wand, a ring of fire rose, devouring the darkness. In an instant, the brothers transformed into monsters whose bodies blazed with furious flames. Their appearance was terrifying, yet the color of their eyes and the amulets around their necks remained unchanged. Another brother, with his own amulet, joined the ominous siblings, and this brother was Stefan.

His amulet, resembling the number “30” with a small curl, was crafted in the spirit of the “Om” symbol, representing the spiritual path to self-knowledge. The simplicity and elegance of the amulet reflected the essence of its owner. The amulet, like Joe’s eyes, emitted a soft lilac light whenever he sought to help, perform a good deed, or protect against an enemy. The brothers understood that Joe, the half – human, possessed more kindness than all of them combined, and they found his presence difficult to bear. But to deal with Likki and their army, raw strength, drive, and rage – found in each of them and their talismans – were required.

Azazel was surprised by Likki’s appearance. Although she had seen things far more terrible than these “faces”, the girl felt her roots, once deeply grounded, become shallow and fragile. She felt herself losing connection with Anna and growing increasingly attached to Sardo and his family. And although the Demon of Darkness never broke the family covenants (except for becoming a half – human), family always remained his top priority.

Sardo had no intention of being polite with Azazel or saying words he might regret later, but he decided to tell her something anyway.

– Soon you will become part of my family, you need to get used to it! – he said suddenly.

Azazel was taken aback by Sardo’s sharp tone. It wasn’t a suggestion, but rather a statement.

– You’re offering me something I don’t need, I’m still too young for your family! – she objected.

– Does my family not make you happy? – he asked.

– I don’t know anyone in your family! Your family isn’t just your brothers, it’s also your parents! – Azazel shot back.

An awkward silence followed, after which Sardo softened. He knew the seed for further conversation had already been planted.

– Very well, then. It means you’ll be preparing to meet and get to know them! – he replied sharply.

– I think we’ll have time for that conversation later. Right now, we need to save Anna! – Azazel cut in.

Sardo smiled at his beautiful friend, for in that moment she seemed even more mysterious and radiant to him.

Everyone remained in the same positions as a minute before, except for Azazel. She felt the presence of immense forces around her and didn’t know what to do. She was being tossed from side to side, and like a bird with clipped wings, she didn’t know how to direct her boundless energy.

– Hold on tight, Azazel, now you’ll see something greater than the infernal court! – Joe shouted, letting out a strange laugh that Sardo didn’t like at all.

Moments later, the surroundings where this strange gathering of creatures and half-humans had assembled fell into oppressive silence. It was so quiet that the beating of hearts could be heard, and every beat could be counted.

Azazel had forgotten the purpose of her stay in this cursed place. Sardo was sure he had not arrived here by accident, while Joe was determined to pull Anna out of the captivity of time.

Meanwhile, Ruvars, without taking his eyes off him, watched Mark frozen in place. It seemed the little squirrel was preparing for a decisive leap, wanting to make his final move, but here too Ruvars misjudged.

– I believe Mark needs to stay and make a choice… The fate of many depends on his decision, including Anna, who might one day return if we are quick, and for her return I will continue to fight! – Ruvars suddenly declared.

The silence dissipated, and a rumble, like distant thunder, woke Azazel, Sardo, and Joe from their sleep.

– I ask everyone to remain in their places and not take chaotic actions. Something extraordinary is happening right now, a strange event that should free us from Likki. But if we are careless, disaster is inevitable! – Ruvars announced.

The space around the villains, sitting in their bizarre mirror, began to distort. Their mad dance was not just entertainment – the monsters drew destructive power from it, and there were more and more of them!

The Likki loomed over them like ominous asperatus clouds, full of rage. Their wolfish faces had long ceased to take on a human form, and their menacing fangs gave them a repulsive, grim appearance.

– Sanavar! Sanavar! – the Likki shouted as they saw their leader.

Sanavar stepped forward. His crooked legs resembled the wheels of an old cart. He moved like a komodo dragon emerging from an ambush, waiting for prey. His strange gaze wandered across the vast mirrored space above, and it seemed as if this height might collapse at any moment – for there was nothing permanent in this dark place!

The Likki became lively. They greeted their leader as if witnessing a miracle, something that happened rarely and only under extraordinary circumstances. Sanavar was unique in that he could lead huge, multi-million hordes of strange creatures into a battle that could be their last!

– Get up, you lazy creatures! Our time has come to rule this world! – roared Sanavar.

The Likki instantly sprang to their feet and, jumping either from joy or in anticipation of conquests, surged as a single mass toward Sanavar. He watched with a satisfied smirk as the entities transformed into human bodies with the more terrifying features of wolfish faces. Their torsos seemed ghostly, like mist; they whispered strange words, and their legs grew fur like true predators. They walked on two legs, not like beasts but like half-humans, and their ritual dance became a key part of worshiping Sanavar. The viscous slime disappeared from their jaws, giving way to the bloodthirsty snarl that never left their constantly open mouths.

– We are with you, oh great and mighty Sanavar! We have come to take what is ours in this world, but there is no spirit left here to turn to! – rang a voice, echoing like a chorus from above.

The Likki began to click their teeth, as if trying to tear each other apart or gnaw through the very air… Strange creatures, tearing themselves from the depths of their bodies, dissolved into the air, painting nightmarish pictures of their thoughts.

Sanavar made unusual sounds, resembling a call to an undeclared battle between the Likki and a quintet of entities that had emerged from the underworld and Lion’s house.

– I wish to speak with the leader among you! Let him step forward! – Sanavar said in a bass voice.

There was neither malice nor benevolence in his eyes… Sanavar seemed the embodiment of absolute calm and even kindness, for he had no intention of “shedding tears” over his two-faced servants, who might cease to exist! And though they were neither human nor animal, there was something in them between a being and a creature!

Ruvars stepped forward and looked around. He saw the grotesque faces twisted into smirks, unbecoming of the Likki. The half – humans, half-wolves did not seem as terrifying as Sanavar had imagined them. Ruvars saw in them mere puppies compared to the monsters dwelling in “his” house.

– I have little time, and I am here not because I wish to see you, but because you appeared uninvited, and with threats as well! And whatever you decide about us, I hope we part ways peacefully and, most importantly, quickly! – said Ruvars.

Sanavar raised something resembling eyebrows, giving him a childlike expression, and, opening his eyes wide, said: