Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The faint sound transformed into a growl that couldn’t have come from the throat of a living being. It sent tremors down Laurent’s legs and bound his feet to the floor as the wall in front of him cracked open, sending crushed bricks and plaster in all directions. The large antique mirror remained unmoved even as the hole behind it grew larger and revealed a burning pit about to swallow the world whole.
Fiery breath dried out Laurent’s skin at once, making it tighten on his face as the mirror trembled too, its matte glass rippling like the surface of a lake deep in the woods. When the tips of the long horns pushed through, and Laurent’s knees shook so violently he avoided a fall by sheer luck.
His legs felt immovable, stiff, calcified, yet the weight of the living being in his arms urged him to fight through the mental paralysis, and he dashed for the door. Each intake of breath created a sense of hollowness in his chest, but he no longer thought of his own safety, focused on getting the baby somewhere where it couldn’t be affected by Baal’s dark magic.
His feet barely touched the floor on the way to the exit, and he was about to touch the handle, push through to the real world when the massive doors went up in flames so suddenly he couldn’t keep upright. His heel slipped on the wooden surface, and as he fell, the impact pulled the egg out of his arms. He managed to tighten his grip on the ruby surface and kept it safe as he collapsed.
His elbow hit the floor first, sending a jolt of pain throughout the left side of his body, but he refused to let go and cradled the baby to his chest, frantically getting to his knees when he spotted the tall figure emerge from the mirror, which at this point levitated above the burning pit of crushed brick and mortar. Baal’s breath was dark fumes, and as he walked Laurent’s way, his lion-like feet leaving behind a path of burning wood, the unreal magnificence of his form rendered Laurent mute.
Baal’s eyes were completely white and emitted an infernal glow, which also streamed through the cracks in the demon’s charred skin. Each step he took set fire to the life Laurent had made with Beast, and by the time the creature stopped in front of Laurent’s hunched form, blue flames have consumed all the walls and furniture. The only gas left to breathe was the fumes of broken dreams.
Laurent wanted to beg for mercy, feeling humbled by the power on display, but the creature’s single gesture tied his mouth shut. When Baal spoke instead, leaning down so Laurent could smell the sulphur on his breath, his voice was like the sound of nails scraping against dry wood.
“I will not be deceived, mortal. I hear and see everything.”
Laurent pulled the egg tighter to his chest, but there were no pretty words to sway the monster. His eyes itched, welling up with tears of… what exactly? Fright or mourning for the future of his child?
Baal hummed and hovered his huge claws in such proximity to Laurent’s cheek he could practically sense them cutting in already, but Baal withdrew his hand and opened his mouth, uncovering two rows of stalactite-like teeth. “I will crack this egg open and drink its contents. I can feel the taste of blood already.”
“N-no,” uttered Laurent, but his voice was so small it might have drowned in the noise made by the crackling fire.
Baal let out a cackle that sounded like glass bottles getting crushed. “Betrayal is in your nature, Laurent Mercier. My wrath will reach you, your man, and your son if you don’t stop interfering with my plans. And once that happens, all those you love will be suffering for an eternity. I will have my hounds devour your innards and my flames burn your extremities, but I will not let you die, so your torment can start anew each day till the end of time.”
Laurent had no words to respond to such threats, so he remained immobile, arms protecting the most important thing in the world.
When Baal moved back, his feet remained immobile, as if he were levitating a splinter of an inch above the floor, but all of Laurent’s focus was on the long finger pointed straight at him. “I have warned you, Laurent Mercier. The choice is yours.”
The demon’s huge form retreated to the mirror, and then, within a single inhale, it folded in two and disappeared.
In a moment that had Laurent shrieking with fear, all the lights came back on, revealing a room seemingly unaffected by the fire that had been consuming it seconds ago. Only the scent of char and sulphur hanging in the air proved that he hadn’t dreamt it all.