2025-02-01 20:33:23
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Bargain Infernal Episode 115: "Fading Light"
The night had swallowed the city whole, leaving only the faint flicker of firelight and the echoing hum of a world on the brink of collapse. Alex stood at the edge of the ruined city square, his chest heaving, breath sharp in the cold air.Blood soaked his clothes, a stark contrast to the ash that coated everything around him. Helena stood beside him, her silhouette now clear against the firelight, her sword reflecting the dim glow."How many are left?" she asked, her voice a low rasp, her exhaustion telling like his own.Alex didn't have an answer. They had been fighting for hours maybe longer.The hunters, the demons, the twisted creatures that had clawed their way from the depths of the Veil… they were everywhere. And yet, somehow, they still hadn't run out.No matter how many they killed, more appeared."Too many," Alex muttered beneath his breath. The last threads of his magic flared poorly within him, like the remains of a spent fire.He could feel it the connection with the Vei
Bargain Infernal Episode 116: "The Abyss Stares Back"
Alex's brain was a gray fog of blackness, suspended between life and death. Pain wracked through his body. The pulsating power that he had once channeled throughout his body now barely whispered; its familiar pulse was just a memory to him. He didn't even know how long he'd been out, but the weight of the world pressed down on him from all sides the weight of the Veil's collapse.When his eyes fluttered open, he was no longer in the ruined city square. The world around him was dim and strange, the air thick with an oppressive stillness. It was a place between places, a limbo of sorts. Shadows clung to the walls, twisting and writhing as if alive, and the ground beneath him pulsed like a heartbeat."Helena," he breathed, his voice low and broken, almost inaudible in the heavy air. His heart pounded in his chest, cold dread scratching at him. He had failed her. The last thing he remembered was her standing over him, her eyes filled with determination, refusing to leave him behind. He ha
Bargain Infernal Episode 117: "A World Dying"
The sky above was black as pitch, an eternal night that stretched over the city like a suffocating blanket. The air crackled with electric tension, and the earth beneath Alex's feet hummed with a strange, unnerving pulse.Every breath felt like it was his last, a cold chill seeping into his bones, his body still reeling from the power surge that had nearly consumed him.Helena stood beside him, her face pale but resolved. The slight glow of her sword's edge was the only light in this hellish world they now dwelled in.She had always been the stronger of the two, the anchor, but even she seemed to feel the weight of the storm that was now coming."Do you feel fine?" she whispered softly, although the concern shone in her eyes.Alex nodded, setting his teeth against the sharp sensation. "I'm fine. We don't have much time."The woman, the one who had given him the power to defeat the Harbinger, stood just ahead, her back turned to them, her staff glowing faintly in the dark.She was unsh
Bargain Infernal Episode 118: "The Price of Sacrifice"
The tower loomed before Alex, its jagged silhouette casting an eerie shadow across the shattered landscape. The Heart of the Veil was somewhere inside, pulsing with a force he could feel even from a distance pounding like the beat of a dying world. But even as he drew closer, his breath ragged in his chest, he knew this wasn't just a journey to save the world. It was a path to damnation, a final trial that would cost him more than he was willing to give.His mind still clouded by the memory of Helena's eyes, the fear in her gaze as she fought the Keeper to buy him this one last chance. He could not lose her not now, not after everything they had been through.Get to the Heart. Fix the veil. Save her.The words repeated in his head, but with every step toward the tower, the air seemed to grow more oppressive. And here, it was not just that weight of thoughts that crushed him; it felt like something watched him, so much bigger, darker.Something that made even the pull from the collapse
Bargain Infernal Episode 119: "The Shattered Fate"
The world was crumbling down for Alex. His eyes blurred, with smoke mixed into the air and a stench of putrid decay. Lucifer's sneering laughter in his ears, he stood his ground as frozen, looking at the cold steel blade protruding out from his chest.His pain was excruciating, unbearable, spreading through the fire in every part of his body. Blood welled out around the wound, trickling to the floor in slow measured drops that somehow seemed to boom through the oppressive silence of this dying world.Alex struggled to breathe, body shuddering under the suffocating pressure of Lucifer's presence. Once burning so strong inside him, now sputtering, dying as the remnants of the Veil's power ran out through his fingers like sands in an hourglass.He glanced at Helena, still standing there, her eyes empty and lifeless, the darkness swirling around her like a shroud. She didn’t move. She didn’t speak. She was lost to him now.“No…” Alex breathed, his voice weak but desperate. “Helena… please
Bargain Infernal Episode 120: "The Reckoning"
The air was thick with the smell of burning ruins, and the world seemed to be holding its breath, poised on the very brink of annihilation.The Heart of the Veil had shattered, leaving nothing but a swirling vortex of dark energy that stretched across the sky, like the open mouth of a hungry beast.Alex's body shuddered, not only at the shockwaves of pain running through him but also at the raw sensation of chaos unfolding in front of him.Beside him, Helena strained to sit up, her sword still clutched tightly in her fist, but the shadows around them grew heavy, closing in from every angle. Her breathing was difficult, her body bruised from the skirmish, but there was something new in her eyes something hard, fierce."Alex, we have to finish this," Helena said, her voice rough but steady.He turned to look at her, his heart swelling with a mixture of fear and admiration. There was no one else he'd rather face this hell with. She was his anchor, his reason for fighting, even as the wor
Bargain Infernal Episode 121: "Endgame of Shadows"
Before them, the rift pulsed like a living thing, crackling with the dark energy from its edges in a way that seemed to twist reality itself around. Alex saw through a blurred vision, feeling his body in agony from releasing the full blast of the power of the Veil.The ground beneath him felt unstable, cracks appearing in the earth, tearing the ground apart every time the rift pulsed with its beat. Every fiber of his being screamed in agony as the last remnants of his strength bled away.Helena's weak, trembling hand on his shoulder brought him back to the moment. She had crawled closer, blood staining her skin as she fought to stay conscious."Alex," her voice rasped, barely audible over the roaring wind. "What the hell is that thing?"He didn't answer back. His eyes were fixed on the rift, staring into the swirling darkness, which seemed to promise only despair. Something was coming out of it something he had never felt before.It wasn't just darkness; it was something far older, fa
Bargain Infernal Episode 122: "The Edge of Oblivion"
The silence was deafening.Alex's body was suspended in mid-air, but the cold, unyielding void surrounding him made him realize he wasn't floating he was falling. His stomach churned as the darkness seemed to stretch on forever, the weight of his own failure settling over him like a crushing burden. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, as though the last of his energy had been sucked dry.He tried to move, to push himself out of the abyss, but his limbs were sluggish powerless. The very essence of what made him Alex Mercer, the man who had defied death itself, seemed to be slipping away. The Veil's gift, the fire, the shadows they all felt distant, like forgotten memories. He had nothing left.But then, through the crushing void, there was a flicker.A spark of warmth.His name."Alex."It was a faint, far-off sound, unmistakable nonetheless. Helena's voice. That voice had always been his anchor, his tether to the world he fought to protect. But this time, it wasn't enough.The
Latest Chapter
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
