Raven's Rise

They drove in silence for a few hours, finally stopping at a hotel a few cities away. The roads held little traffic at this time of night, and if anyone outside Raven’s Peak knew what had happened, they didn’t let on. It seemed too quiet.

Abigail watched in horror when Haatim disappeared into the crevice. It seemed like watching through a blurry window, as she remained only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Still locked in mortal combat with the demon, it tried to finish crushing her.

“We need to go,” Frieda grabbed Haatim’s arm and tried to draw him back into the car. “It’s over.”

Abigail found herself in a vast empty space, no longer surrounding herself with memories to make it seem more real. She couldn’t afford to expend the effort to create scenery for them. Instead, she would need all her focus for the demon if she stood any chance of coming out of this alive.

Dominick stood in the doorway of the old antique shop, trying to hold the army of demons at bay. They pressed closer. It wouldn’t take long before they breached the shop, with or without Surgat’s orders.

Once Haatim reached the other side of the portal, something shifted in the realm he’d come to. On his side of the portal, it had seemed as though he floated in the air in a black void, freely able to move around but a touch disoriented. On this side, however, it felt considerably more horrible.

Somewhere in there, Arthur lived. It took Haatim a second to pinpoint him, but he could feel his spirit a ways inside. He felt empty, vacuous, but not dead. Or, at least, not eliminated and destroyed.

Haatim stood over Abigail in the small room where he’d found her. It looked like an underground cavern lit by candlelight, though he could see no candles anywhere. The room remained empty except for himself, and Abigail lying on a large wooden table.

Dominick kept moving down alleys and side streets, weaving through buildings but making sure not to get too far from his friends. Slowly, he worked his way back toward Frieda and Haatim.