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Bargain Infernal Episode 25: The Abyss Stirs
The oppressive darkness of the Abyss loomed greater than ever, its malevolent tendrils coiled and writhing as though sensing its final victory. Alex and Mara stood shoulder to shoulder, their backs pressed against the cold stone of the crumbling temple. The air around them was suffocating, thick with the energy of the gate threatening to unleash chaos upon the mortal world."I won't let it end like this," Alex said, gritting his teeth, his hands glowing faintly with hellfire. Sweat dripped down his brow, but his gaze was locked on Mara, who stood at his side, her daggers shimmering in the dim light.Mara turned to him, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “You’ve been fighting this battle for so long, Alex. But you’re not alone anymore. We’ll face it together.”Her words steadied him, grounding him in the moment. Alex reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever.”Mara was unable to answer before a deafe
Bargain Infernal Episode 26: The Light
The temple was silent, deafening. Mara stood in the ruins as the light from the gate disappeared into nothingness. The oppressive energy of the Abyss was gone, but so was Alex.For a moment, she stood there, her mind racing. The man who had fought so hard to protect her, the man who had promised to return, was now gone. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as frustration and despair threatened to overwhelm her.But then she remembered his words: "I'll find a way back to you. I promise."Mara rubbed away her tears, the set determination chiseling on her face. She was not going to let him go in there alone.Meanwhile, Alex was surrounded by such darkness it was suffocating. The Abyss was a place of pure malice; its air thick with unnatural energy clawing at his soul. He could hear the whispers on all sides, voices promising him power, revenge, and destruction.Alex ignored them, focusing on the faint connection he still felt to Mara. It was a fragile thread of warmth
Bargain Infernal Episode 27: Shattered Bonds
The city was a labyrinth of shadows, its towering buildings casting long, oppressive shapes across the streets. Alex walked ahead, his steps deliberate, his eyes scanning every corner for danger. The battle with the Abyss had left him more than scarred it had left him changed. But nothing could deter him from keeping Mara safe. Not anymore.Beside him was Mara, the quiet, steady reassurance. Warm and steady, her hand rested in his, a reminder of everything he had fought for. It was more than a lifeline; it was a bond, the tether that pulled him from the jaws of the Abyss. More than that, it was a promise: never to be alone again.Are you sure you're okay?"Mara's voice cut through the silence, soft but laced with concern.Alex looked at her, flashing a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The exhaustion was etched into every line of his face, the weight of the battles he'd fought, both physical and mental. But he couldn't afford to show it. Not when Mara was by his side.“I’m f
Bargain Infernal Episode 28: The Cost of Protection
The city was alive with a dangerous energy, its streets pulsating with the chaos of a world on the edge of unraveling. Alex Mercer and Mara stood together beneath the dim glow of a flickering streetlamp, their fingers intertwined, the bond between them stronger than ever. But they both knew that this was only a facade the calm exterior because the truth was that the peace they had fought so hard for was fragile, and the shadows of the Abyss had not been banished completely.“You sure you’re okay?” Mara asked, her voice quiet but laced with concern. She had seen the strain in Alex’s eyes, the subtle tremor in his hands when he thought no one was looking. His battle against the Abyss had left scars deeper than the physical wounds he wore.I am fine," said Alex, but he never sounded that honest. He was lying, of course; he knew Mara would never probe him to find out what he was really feeling. She was too nice, too maternal to pry into someone's soul. Instead, she simply squeezed his han
Bargain Infernal Episode 29: The Edge of Despair
The world around Alex pulsed with a sickening rhythm, as shadows writhed and twisted like living things, manifestations of the Abyss itself. He'd been walking what felt like days, or maybe only minutes, in this eternal nightmare of shifting darkness. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the very ground beneath him was pulling him deeper into the void.His heart pounded in his chest, not from the physical exertion but from the fear gnawing at him the fear that Mara was slipping further from his reach. The very thought of losing her again of failing her was enough to drive him to the brink of madness.But he couldn't afford to let that fear control him. Not now.He caught, in the distance, a flicker of light. That pale, heavenly glow in dark, suffocating air. His hesitation lasted, for a split second, as that doubt crawled down his spine. Could this be a trick? Another lie conjured forth by Lucifer and meant to keep him on high alert, from breaking his focus?But then he felt it
Bargain Infernal Episode 30: The Oppressive Force
The darkness seemed to thrum with a malevolent energy, as if the shadows themselves came to life in twisting convolutions. His breath caught in ragged gasps, his chest burning from the force exerted, driving his body past its limits. He felt the weight of the Abyss bearing down upon him, threatening to crush him beneath its oppressive weight. But he couldn't stop now.Mara.The name echoed in his mind, the faint tether that still bound them together, a fragile thread pulling him forward. She was close he could feel her presence, just beyond the veil of the Abyss, but every step he took seemed to push her further away.His hands, slippery with blood, clenched into fists, hellfire flames flickering around him, illuminating the shadows in ghastly, shifting patterns. Once steadfast resolve now a flickering ember, weakened by the endless fight, each battle, every sacrifice bringing him to this point, yet he is no closer to saving her.“Mara,” he whispered, his voice barely audible above th
Bargain Infernal Episode 31: The Flames
The darkness was crushing, a cold that seeped into Alex's bones, gnawing at his very soul. His breath was shallow, his chest constricted as the shadows continued to pull him down. The tether to Mara, that flickering thread of warmth that had once guided him through the Abyss, was fading fast, slipping through his fingers like sand in the wind.He had fought so hard. He had burned the Abyss with hellfire, faced down demons, and sacrificed everything to protect the one person who had given him hope. But now, standing at the precipice of eternal darkness, Alex could feel it—the final pull of the Abyss.Mara.Her name echoed in his mind, a soft whisper that cut through the roaring void. His heart ached, torn between the overwhelming urge to follow her fading presence and the desperate need to hold onto what little of himself remained.“No…” Alex whispered, his voice barely audible over the deafening silence. He couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not after everything they had been through.
Bargain Infernal Episode 32: The wind
Alex's world was a blur of darkness and flame, his body burning as if it were being torn apart from the inside. The Abyss, a twisted dimension of pure malice, continued to claw at him, dragging him deeper into its suffocating embrace. He couldn't see anything could barely feel anything except the pain and the void pressing in on him from all sides. But he knew one thing: Mara was slipping away.Their connection, the tie that had linked them, their bond of love that had pulled him through the worst of this nightmare, was weakening. He could feel it, a fine thread of light pulling thin, reaching the breaking point. I won't lose you, he thought in desperation. I won't.And now with what strength was left in him, Alex battled back against the hold of the Abyss; his heart wept for all the aches he suffered at its attempt to gobble him down into darkness. His hellfire blazed wildly about him in great sparks of red and gold, yet nothing it could do halted the dark tides closing about him. Hi
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Episode 200: The Day of Redemption
The earth had been rent asunder. The heavens had cracked open. But now, in the aftermath of the battle, there was a stillness. A calm that seemed almost unnatural, as though the world itself had been holding its breath, waiting for this moment.Helena stood alone at the edge of the ruins, her hand pressed to the cool stone of what had once been a great wall, now reduced to rubble. Her fingers traced the cracks, as if seeking some sign that the world she once knew was still there, beneath the destruction. She closed her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath, and the weight of everything they had lost pressed down on her chest.She thought of the faces they had seen fall, the countless souls who had given their lives to this war. Friends. Strangers. Heroes. She thought of the world that had been swallowed by darkness, of the innocence that had been torn away. The battle had taken everything. And yet…A whisper of wind brushed her cheek, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she s
Episode 199: Final Descent
The fight had been on for hours, but Alex and Helena were not done. They were drained of their last drops of energy; every punch was a swat of finishing blows. The sky above was split apart by the crash of calamity, the earth below their feet cracked and blood-soaked, the battleground. They were a relentless force of abyssal creatures, clawing their way up from the very depths of hell itself. And above them, the dark creature they had been battling the twisted, monstrous being of molten rock and shadow—did not back down.Alex's eyes were wild with fury, his entire being charged with the hellfire he had summoned. Every breath burned like the underworld's flames. His body had become a vessel of destruction, and he was fighting this battle for what seemed like a lifetime. It was not just the creature in front of him but the darkness within himself, the abyssal power that threatened to consume him with every passing moment.Helena fought at his side, her blade slicing through dark creatur
Episode 198: The Horizon
The light had changed the battle scene, returning what was lost. The earth cracks had closed, and the lifeless land was now dotted with the first green shoots. Yet with all this peace, Alex couldn't shake the unease growing in his chest. The light was pure, potent, and alive, and it had pushed the void back. However, with its presence came something darker, something ancient, which had awakened from its slumber. The battle was far from over.As the warmth of the sphere ebbed away, the air shifted around them. The air, once still and inert, had become dense and heavy; it seemed almost as though it were waiting to break into the daylight, out of the shadows. There was a humming, pulsating vibration through the ground that lay in the pit of Alex's stomach. Like a heartbeat almost, but life's not this: that was deeper, much, much older.Alex: (on point, grave) "It's coming now."Helena: (eyes scanning the horizon) “What is it? The darkness… It’s not gone, is it?”Alex: (tightening his gri
Episode 197: The Spark of Hope
The light ahead flickered like a dying ember, casting a pale glow over the shattered landscape. It was faint, but there was a small, stubborn defiance against the darkness that had nearly consumed the world. Alex and Helena moved toward it, their footsteps echoing in the hollow silence left behind by the chaos.The air was still, heavy with the remnants of the abyss. Each breath felt weighted, as though even the atmosphere had been scarred by what had passed. The ground beneath them was cracked and barren, but there was something about the way the light shone through the haze that made Alex believe just for a moment that there was still something worth saving.Helena: (quietly, observing) "It feels like, like everything is waiting. Like the world is holding its breath."Alex: (gravelly, focused) "It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot."They pressed on, the journey heavy with the weight of the battle they had just fought. The path was uncertain, littered with debris, but Alex’s eyes we
Episode 196: Aftermath
The explosion had stopped. The sound was deafeningly silent. Helena's ground crumbled as the remnants of the abyss dissipated, but it wasn't a relief. There was no victory. Just emptiness that engulfed her.Helena: (whispering frantically) "Alex. Alex, where are you?"She scanned the devastation around her, her heart pounding in her chest. The rift was gone, its tendrils retracting into the ground like the remnants of some nightmarish creature. The air was still thick with the lingering residue of darkness, and yet, there was no sign of Alex.The sky above them, once twisted with shadow, was now eerily calm, the storm having passed. But this calm felt wrong like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something more.Helena: (shaking, speaking to herself) "He has to be here. He can’t be. gone."She ran through the rubble, calling out his name, but only the wind answered. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her blade, the weight of the weapon a hollow comfort in her grasp. She
Episode 195: The Final Hour
The air stank of smoke and rot, heavy with an acrid flavor. What used to be a city lay strewn before Alex and Helena as if it were a graveyard: buildings shattered, broken, rising like tombstones in the deserted land, all skeletal and speaking of the desperate fight they went through. Now, the world felt colder—as if the air had been hollowed out.Helena: (soft, grim) "How much longer can this go on, Alex?"Alex: (determined) "As long as it takes. The abyss isn’t done with us yet. And we won’t stop until it is."They had just finished dealing with the last of the creature's tendrils. The rift had closed, but there was no peace. The storm had calmed, but the tension was palpable, as if the calm before the storm held something far worse yet to come. It was clear now: the abyss had a plan. It wasn’t merely an enemy to be defeated. It was a force, a presence, an ancient evil that had only begun to reveal its true form.Helena: (with a sigh) "This place. It's like nothing is real anymore.
Episode 194: Descent Into Madness
The world had become a battleground. The city lay in ruins behind them, a monument to the chaos that had overtaken their lives. Alex and Helena, standing amidst the devastation, could feel the weight of what they had just accomplished. The creature, an embodiment of the abyss, was gone, but its shadow still lingered in the air. The ground was cracked, the sky darkened, and the very fabric of reality seemed to pulse in unnatural rhythms.Helena: (low, somber) "What are we even fighting for now? This place. It's a graveyard."Alex: (gritting his teeth) "We're fighting for the world that's left. We don't stop until it's all gone, until it's finished."Alex's voice was heavy with the weight of their struggle, hours of fighting, endless battles, and the constant, gnawing pressure of the abyss clawing at his mind. They had come so far, yet there was still so much to do. The world, what was left of it, was a fractured reflection of its former self. And Alex knew that, deep down, the abyss wa
Episode 193: The Reaper’s Reckoning
The remnants of the city loomed behind them, twisted steel and concrete jutting out of the ground like skeletal remains. The air still smelled of charred flesh, burnt remnants of a world that had nearly been consumed. Alex and Helena stood in the shadow of the destruction, their faces grim as they stared into the horizon, where the first signs of the coming storm appeared dark clouds swirling ominously in the distance.Alex: (gritting his teeth) “I thought we had more time. I thought we could end this.”Helena: (softly) “We can still try. But whatever we’re facing, it’s not just demons or the abyss anymore. We’re up against something older, something more dangerous than we can even comprehend.”The ground beneath them trembled ever so slightly, sending a shiver down Alex’s spine. He could feel it the pull of the abyss, as if it had sensed their uncertainty. The darkness was alive. It responded to their fears, feeding on it, growing stronger.Alex glanced at Helena, her sword still gri
Episode 192: The Storm of Violence
The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burnt flesh and smoke, and hellfire still hung faintly in the air. Alex and Helena stood together amidst the ruins of what had once been a city. The battle was over, but its aftermath clung to every corner: destruction, chaos, and the silence that follows the storm of violence.Their breaths were heavy, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through their veins. Helena wiped the blood from her face, her sword still in hand, its edge now darkened with the stain of the battle. Alex could feel the weight of the abyssal energy within him, like a constant hum in the back of his mind, a reminder that the war was far from over.He looked over at Helena. Her eyes, which had been bright with determination, were dulled now with fatigue. She was standing yet still fighting, but Alex could see the cost of the fight, endless as it was. To both of them.Alex: (softly) "We did it… but it's not over, is it?"Helena: (shaking her head) "No. It's only just