"You should have signed that contract, Solomon. Without your name on it, it's not as powerful as it could have been." The old woman, possessed by Baal, spat in Solomon's direction. "You could have overthrown that pretentious Yahweh. Belial wanted you to. Mephisto wanted you to. I wanted you to. Sheba favored you—she represents the will of the entire Abyss. The Umbra Witches were destined to serve you, and even that whore Lilith dreams of becoming your queen. You could have been the king ruling over Hell and the Abyss. We were determined to claim that throne together, but you backed out. Coward! Leave! I am not that soft little Phoenix boy—you can forget about making me submit again!"
"That was a long time ago, Marduk." After his initial surprise had passed, Solomon's face reverted to the composed demeanor he reserved for dealing with beings from outer dimensions. "I am loyal to no one, no god or demon. My faith doesn't belong to any higher power—I am human."
Placing a hand on the old woman's shoulder, Solomon said firmly, "Shift your will back, or I'll cast a banishment spell to expel you."
"You know that won't work." The old woman sneered, locking eyes with the sorcerer. "This foolish woman's soul is riddled with holes. It didn't take much effort for me to control her. Her son is as weak as she is. Even if you banish me now, I'll return once you're gone. And by then, you won't know where I'll be. Why don't we sit down and talk, Solomon? Tell me—what did the Ancient One drill into your head to turn you into this? You seem even worse than you were two thousand years ago."
Solomon glanced at the demon, then turned to help Damon and Anna, who were clutching their heads in agony. "Get out. This is private time now. That includes you, Dr. Hastings. I've already told you I'm not responsible for your safety. If you have a death wish, take it somewhere else—I've handled enough corpses to last a lifetime."
Anna clenched Solomon's hand tightly. He gave her a reassuring pat, signaling that he'd be fine. She looked at the old woman with a mix of fear and reluctance before taking her brother, who was the most affected, from Solomon's hands. She guided Damon and Dr. Hastings out of the room, closing the heavy iron door behind them. The sorcerer and the demon were left alone.
"Baal, I don't need to follow that path anymore. I've found another way," Solomon said, turning back to face the demon-possessed woman after the others had left. "It's not about that cyclopean alien stuck in the future. I simply don't want to be confined by the multiverse."
"You're abandoning the seventy-two demon pillars again, aren't you?" Baal hissed. "You're repeating what you did before. No loyalty can hold you, and no power can make you stay. That throne—the one Hell covets, the Abyss craves, and every dimension desires—you're the only one who doesn't want it. I doubt Phoenix knows this—oh, that weepy little brat, always so devoted to you. No wonder you summoned him first."
"Perhaps you should focus on appearances. At the time, I needed someone who could look after children, and Phoenix fit the role perfectly. Honestly, he's much better looking than you," Solomon quipped, conjuring an invisible chair beneath him and sitting down casually. "But you don't want me dead just because I uncovered your descendants, do you, Baal? Tell me—what did Mephisto give you?"
"Ah, that's an interesting story, Solomon," the old woman laughed heartily. "Are you going to clash with Mephisto again? Of course, of course, I look forward to it. You've always hated him. But don't get me wrong—I still want your life; that's a given. And another thing… I don't appreciate you meddling with my descendants. Anna—she's a gifted child. I wouldn't mind if she became your lover. As for my son… oh, I've never seen such a pathetic creature. Perhaps his mother drank too much red wine while pregnant. Regardless, stay out of my business, Solomon."
"Oh? And what do you think I'll do?"
Meanwhile, in the office, Damon sat slumped in a chair, holding his head as though his skull might burst. "What kind of person did you bring here?" he groaned, feeling as though hammers were pounding his brain. Before Solomon's arrival, the old woman never reacted to anything unless it involved Damon. Over the years, he'd even managed to briefly awaken fragments of his mother's soul, suppressed by the demon. But now, all that seemed futile. The demon's will had completely surfaced, and his mother's soul was nowhere to be found.
Anna, however, was too preoccupied to respond. She was glued to the monitor, watching the live feed from the hospital room.
"That thing seems to know him," Damon continued, answering his own question. "They look… familiar with each other. Did you hear what the demon called him? Solomon! That name is incredibly telling. If he really is King Solomon, then that demon used to serve him!"
"Well, it seems his workplace relationships are a bit strained," Anna muttered. She couldn't hear the conversation between Solomon and Marduk through the cameras, only see their interactions. "He found me; I didn't go looking for him," Anna added, glancing at her brother. She remembered how Marduk had insulted Damon—calling him weak, like their mother. She then shot a glare at the frightened Dr. Hastings.
"But I trust him," Anna said. "We have no choice but to trust him. Our powers are useless against that demon. We…"
Dr. Hastings seemed to snap out of her daze, releasing her grip on the rosary she'd been clutching. "I can't let him stay with that demon any longer," she said, standing shakily. "Your mother's condition is deteriorating. He's not like you, Damon. He's a real sorcerer…"
"You're not going anywhere." Anna shoved Dr. Hastings back into her chair with enough force to make the legs screech. "I don't care what you think. Damon and I get our power from that demon. I don't care what your faith tells you—that's my mother, and I have the right to decide. Shut up, Damon!" Anna snapped, cutting off her brother, who had risen from his seat.
"You've listened to this foolish woman your whole life. Do you really think your faith can cleanse your blood? We are children of a demon—that's an unchangeable reality."
"Dr. Hastings is trying to help…"
"She can't do anything! So why not let a professional handle it? Or do you want her to try her methods—Bibles, psychology, prayers, and penance—to cure her? Damon, when will you wake up? Our mother… there's almost nothing left of her. She is the demon!"
"What's going on?" Gabriel Rossetti, a young novice nun, hurried into the office carrying a box of files. She looked flustered. "I heard screaming from the patients… what happened?"
Dr. Hastings glanced at the screen, only to find that they'd lost the feed from the hospital room.
Anna ignored the newcomer. She and Damon turned toward the hallway leading to the patient wards, sensing… something. A call to their blood. It spread through the air, a maddening force that caused many unstable patients to act out. When Anna ran out of the office, Damon, despite his headache, followed.
"Ow—!" Anna yelped, pulling her hand back from the iron door. It was scalding hot, and the observation window had been covered. They couldn't see inside.
"Let me," Damon said, stepping in front of her. He focused on the door, his powers causing the lock to tremble slightly. The vibrations grew stronger and stronger until finally, the door gave way with a crash.
A wave of sulfurous heat and smoke poured out, engulfing Damon, Anna, Dr. Hastings, and the novice nun.
"Cough… cough…" Damon pushed into the smoky, sweltering room, waving his arms to clear the air. When the smoke thinned, he saw scorch marks on the walls—shaped like a three-headed serpent. But he didn't have time to ponder it. He rushed to the bed, where the old woman lay unconscious.
Anna shot a questioning look at Solomon.
"Negotiations failed," Solomon said nonchalantly, shrugging as he hid his burned right hand behind his back. "I turned down your father's offer. He wanted you to become my mistress, but I'm married… well, the wedding hasn't happened yet…"
Anna rolled her eyes at him.
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