Dancing In The Void

Reality had been shattered.

A constant powerful ringing screamed inside Constantine’s eardrums as his consciousness faded back into his flesh. It felt heavy, not pulled down by the tug of gravity but pressed by debris that pushed down on his body from the other direction. His eyes were shut from the pain that vibrated through him, as every inch of his skin steamed from the intense heat. It felt as if he had been submerged in scalding water.

A groan escaped his lips and the sound echoed like electricity through his head. Its pitch rose and dropped unnaturally as it emanated outwards from him. The strange smell of ashes and embers mixed with flowers and rain flooded his nostrils. His muscles tensed, trying to shake himself of the pile of rubble pinning him down. The blocks of cement fell off of him and Constantine stumbled to his knees, trying to shake his eyelids open. But he could not see through the cloud of blur that obstructed his sight.

He pressed his palms against his eyes, groaning once again. He heard the sound he made this time. Its unnatural timbre made him realize the gravity of what was happening. His eyes shot open, this time no smoke concealed his vision of the ruined city above. Constantine slumped on his hands, staring in fear and disbelief with wide trembling eyes.

W-what…

A cacophony of colors swirled in the clouds above. Wisps of darkness and blood flashed and faded into unnatural violet colors like a kaleidoscope of horror. Massive chunks of earth, entire avenues, ruined buildings ripped in half, countless cars and people all floated gently on the missing wind high in the sky. It was as if it were all blown away by the explosion but no longer pulled by gravity past a point. It was a nightmarish painting on a starless sky. Thousands of chunks of ruins dripped down like rain, barely a few stories above ground.

Constantine’s eyes dropped down to his level. The fire consumed everything. He was just barely out of the centerpoint of a massive crater. The ground itself was charred and smoldering, still aflame with the ravaging balefire. His mouth hung open in sheer horrified awe. A small circle was drawn around him, where the ground beneath was less scorched. It was as if he had been…

...Protected. She protected me from the blast…

He pushed himself up rapidly, trying to stand but collapsed. His left leg ached with the pain of overexertion. Constantine took a deep breath, and willed himself on both feet. He grit his teeth as his knees locked to keep him from falling yet again.

“URIEL!” He shouted, calling out to her but the sound was wrong. Unnatural, distorted, echoing like a broken untuned instrument.

Constantine looked around for signs of life, his eyes adjusting further to the horrors he saw. The air itself was like black glass, liquid and shifting. It was as if some areas were drenched in a cloud of poisonous smog. He saw trees. Crystal trees made of the same black substance sprouted from these places, like tempered daggers thrusting towards the skies. Their crowns were alive with flames, feeding on the light. Perversions of nature itself. Sitting daintily near them, he saw Her.

His blood froze. They both stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, despite the fact that she was lacking a head. Her grim visage sprawled across the crater as if the darkened cloak was alive and rushing towards him. Constantine brought out his dagger, switching it into a spear and clutching it tightly with both hands. The echo of the metallic gears grinding against each other radiated outward from him but it did not stop the shadows from spreading.

“And what new devilry are you?” He shouted to the being. His attempt to be intimidating was dampened by the sweat that dripped down his temples.

Has she just been sitting there watching me the whole time I was out?

She only tilted her body forward slightly, rising from her throne of crystal roots. Stepping forward, she began: “You were shouting so vehemently for your dear dear Uriel. So shameless.” Her voice was unwavering in the unnatural distortion that affected whatever other sound was made.

“Who the fuck are you?” Constantine reiterated.

“Oh, where are my manners? I am Lady Death, Queen of Darkness and Reaper of All that Is.” She said, taking a courtesy bow.

As her right arm stretched out, Constantine could see a long scythe materializing in her palm. The blade shimmered and hummed with its dark and twisted energy. The mere sight of it struck fear within him.

“But you already knew that didn’t you?” Lady Death said. “Why yes, we’ve met… such a long time ago.”

“What in God’s name are you on about?” He said, stepping back. “I would recall an encounter with a headless… knight... thing…”

“You were so very young… Yes, I did not see it at first but it truly is you. After doing what I have for so long, faces all become a blur, but your father, he truly made an impression on me.” She continued, her voice cold yet soothing.

“Father... what?” Constantine’s body went limp as he tried to process what he just heard. Through the shock and confusion he saw the image of his father killing himself flash in his mind. “WHO ARE YOU?” He shouted, anger swelling inside him.

“I told you Constantine, I am the All-Taker. Its a shame you do not remember me. Oh well, fret not. I came here to reassure myself, and to make sure you do not disturb my plans in any capacity.”

Constantine grit his teeth once more, filled with rage. His mind still lingered on the thought of his father’s last moments. “Enough of this shit!” He shouted at her ”I don’t care who you are and I don’t care if you know me. You’re just another demonic freak standing between me, Nikolai and Uriel, feel free to drop dead.” He shouted, lunging forward with his holy lance at the ready.

“A cute little shard, broken from my true scythe. Pity. I don’t think you yet realize…” Death began nonchalantly. Her scythe flashed, cleaving through the darkness and ashen smog right as Constantine thrust forward with his weapon. The blades clashed with a sickening reverberation that kicked up an eruption of dust and embers. Constantine’s eyes went wide when he saw through a clearing that Lady Death’s scythe and his spear were tip to tip. His hands buckled under the force.

“...How UTTERLY UNMATCHED YOU ARE BEFORE ME.” Her voice boomed like a thousand thunderstorms at once. The sheer force behind her swing flung his body back like a ragdoll. He tumbled through the rocks and rubble, stumbling on his feet as fast as he could but not even a second passed before Death’s phantom rushed over him, scythe high up in the air. He tried desperately to swing his spear, retaliate against the incoming blow, but his arms and legs froze. His gaze remained unblinking, fixed upon the godless artifact of devastation. “ALLOW ME, TO SHOW YOU!”

The blade fell like a guillotine. The scythe tore Constantine’s soul in twain, engulfing his mind in fear and darkness. The fear grew and became a gateway itself, bestowing him with a blessed vision. The premonition flashed before his eyes, revealing the grand abyss, a yawning chasm stretching forever like the maws of infinity. His soul stretched through space and time, pulled by a thousand grasping, clawing, tearing hands as the infinite grew smaller and smaller. They howled with the voices of a thousand shrieking souls. He screamed and his voice echoed forever, joining their chorus of the damned. It ended the instant it began, his consciousness being ripped back into the present by the words she spoke.

“Now do you remember?” She said, her voice echoing like a fading whisper.

He lay on the ground, unable to conjure up any words in his catatonic state. The image was seared into his brain, her eye, an indescribable eye staring back at him. The mere thought of it burned his mind like a flaming poker. With a trembling gaze he opened his eyes and saw her dark metallic boots inches from his face. He slowly gathered the courage to look up at her and only saw a dark featureless shadow towering over him.

“You…” He began, short of breath and fearing for his life. ”You were there… w-why… why were you there?”

Death was silent. She merely flexed the fingers in her left palm, almost intrigued by the way they moved.

“Am I… dead?” He asked, still laying on the ground and not daring to move.

“No. It is not yet your time.” Her voice resonated coldly. “I have no intention to mess with the natural order more than I already have. I merely showed you an infinitesimal extent of my burden, of my curse. I don’t expect you to understand, but I am bound to this realm. Dear Nikolai’s explosion bled these two worlds together. You can see it now and by extension, Me, but I cannot act in the waking world otherwise.”

She swung her azure scythe towards the ground and a thicket of crystal roots formed into a throne. She slowly sat down upon it before the roots formed a seat for Constantine, pulling him onto it. The roots latched around his arms, neck and legs, pinning him down and forcing him to face Lady Death.

“You’re strangely resilient Constantine.” She began once more “I figured as much when you did not break to my dear shadow’s mind rending effect. Consider Me slightly impressed. However I’m curious, what makes you so unique? Is your natural affinity for this shard, this gifted dagger of yours?” She giggled as she mockingly twirled his blade in her fingers. “No, we both know what makes you so special, don’t we? I remember now.”

“Its because of you, isn’t it?” He replied, defiantly. “When my dad went mad, you were there, when he shot himself, you were also there. I remember it now, like it just happened.”

“Quite perspicacious of you Constantine. You see, your father, he did the unthinkable all on his own. He achieved a fragment of higher enlightenment. His mind pierced the veil between planes, and saw Death. He saw more than what you just did without my help. But some things are not meant for petty mortal minds.”

“I don't CARE what he did and I’m glad he’s rotting in a hole somewhere. He said, perking up with anger. “What do you want from me? Why are you telling me all this?”

“Before his dying breath, your father asked only one thing of me… to bring you back when you should have died. I accepted, why would I not? I was not only impressed by what he had achieved but your death was not meant that day. I brought you back and forgot about you. I suppose that had the side-effect of… inoculating you against me. Like a vaccine for dying. How adorable.” A slight bitter laugh echoed from where her head should be. She then shifted in her seat before continuing: “But no, no, no, the question my dear, is what do you want from Me? And we both know the answer to that as well.” She reached out her hand, coalescing dark energy within it until a singular image formed. An image of Nikolai’s all too familiar face.

God damn you to hell. Constantine thought, gritting his teeth.

“There are no Gods here, only I. You should be thankful Constatine. Thanks to Me, you both live when you should be dea-”

“THANKS TO YOU SHE’S A MONSTER!” He shouted, pushing his body towards her but being held in place by the thorns. The crystalline spikes cut into his neck and wrists, drawing dewdrops of blood. “You turned her into an abomination, and you’re forcing her to be your slave!”

Lady Death was quiet for a moment, before breaking into a hysterical laughter. A fake laughter that served only to mock and belittle.

“Ohohohoho, I have done nothing to her. I only revealed what was already within her. All that hate and anger, my, no wonder she wants to kill you.”

“FUCK YOU!”

“I’m sure you can do better than that.” Lady Death said, her voice less playful than before. The crystal vines tightened around his neck. “Listen child, you asked Me earlier what it is I desire, and there is only one thing I crave above all else...” Her voice trailed off and in a flash of darkness she was beside him, leaning next to his head. “Liberation.”

Her voice surged like electricity through Constantine’s body, radiating outward into his throne of thorns. The roots pulled back, dissipating like melting glass. Constantine collapsed on all fours, gasping for breath. Lady Death loomed beside him once again, but this time her gaze seemed directed elsewhere.

“It seems our little angelic friend is in trouble so I must take my leave, but know that I quite enjoyed our little chat. You’ve got zeal, if nothing else. I expect great things from you, do not disappoint me.”

With her final words she raised her gauntlet and was swallowed whole by the darkness of her billowing cloak. Constantine was all alone, hand outreached for answers.

Uriel… I have to… I have to save her... Were his final thoughts before his consciousness faded from his body once again.

Uriel’s body floated gently through the air. She was a couple stories above ground when her body drifted into a nearby car that was floating beside her. Shaken from her dreams of blood and fire, she opened her eyes and witnessed the destruction around her. The shock caused her to thrash her arms and legs and, unable to use her wings in a moment of panic, she began to fall. Her arm jutted out and caught onto the car next to her before she climbed on top of it.

Her weight seemed to be small enough to keep the car adrift among the wreckage that littered the sky. Her eyes darted around, taking in the delirious nature of the night sky and the occasional droplets of fire that rained around her. Countless mangled bodies drifted between chunks of ruin and through clouds of desolation.

Nikolai, what have you done…

The spike of adrenaline faded as she caught her breath, and the pain began to settle in. She clutched her stomach and lurched over, coughing blood onto the car’s white hood. Her hands were burned, skin red with blisters and sores. Blood bled from the nail-holes at their centers. She looked at them in horror before a sharp pain shot through her dark raven wings.

“Aaaagh!” She moaned. Trying to flex them slightly, wincing at the increase of pain.

Broken? Now… of all times? She thought, her face shrouding in despair.

Uriel tried standing up, pushing herself on her foot but her dismay caused her to be careless. Her wooden peg slid off the car hood, pulling her down onto the rapidly approaching neighborhood below. She flapped her wings, slowing down her fall but it wasn’t enough as she crashed against the ruins. Face up towards the sky, she gasped for breath, letting the agony flow through her body.

If it wasn’t before, its definitely broken now. She thought, slowly turning her head left over her shoulder as tears dripped down her cheeks.

“G-gah!” She grunted.

The angel lay there between the rocks and rubble, propped up at angle against a smoldered park bench. She listened to the sounds that surrounded her, trying to build up the strength to rise once more. The crackling of burning buildings, far-away sirens and alarms, collapsing structures and chunks of glass, but no screaming. No matter how hard she closed her eyes and listened, there was not a single voice she could hear, just the humm of the broken sky. Finally, she broke free of its hypnotizing gaze and pulled herself up, using the bench behind her as a ladder until she stabilized on both legs.

“You look completely and utterly pathetic.” A deep voice spat out with an icy disgust.

Immediately, Uriel’s white eyes flared and her arm lashed forward, slicing through the air. A conjured volley of white-hot blades of light shot through the darkness towards the voice. It answered with a mocking, hollow laughter.

“You’re the almighty angel that’s evaded my stupid underlings for so long?” It continued, now coming from someplace behind her.

Uriel spun around with a distinct lack of grace, surrounding herself in a defensive halo of her blades.

“Show yourself Demon! Come into the light so that I may smite your body into the dirt.” She shouted defiantly, while a single drop of cold blood dripped down her forehead over her right eye.

“Huhuhuh-HAHAHAHAHA! YOU? SMITE, ME? Hells, you’re so adorable. In your current condition I’m not sure you could smite a rabid dog.” The voice insulted her further. “In fact, you kind of look like one yourself right now.”

“Shut up!” Uriel shouted in anger, eviscerating the wall of ruins she was just resting against with a flurry of swords.

But the voice was not still this time, as a wave of darkness and hellfire shot back towards Uriel. A smoke-like blast with veins of bright purple and blue flames rushed towards her. She pushed her arms and wings forward before flinging them open. She winced at the pain but grit her teeth and bore through it. The blast was repelled by a powerful gust of wind from her wings. As the smoke dissipated by her retaliation, a form was drawn in front of her.

A hooded man, clad in dark clothing bound in red flaming chains around his neck had his right hand arched behind him, ready to strike. She had left herself wide open to the sudden attack, and his fist, wrapped in the same fiery chains, smashed into her stomach. The blow sucked all the air out of her body and sent her flying back. As she arched back, a sudden inspired thought flashed through her mind and she stabbed the ground with a sword, stopping herself from crashing into the building behind her. Uriel knelt on the ground, clutching her weapon and gasping for air. The man stood where he was, arms wide open and scoffing at her.

“Well? I’m eagerly awaiting your smiting. But so far I’ve received naught but disappointment.” His dark words stabbed at her will to stand.

“Gyah!” But stand she did, rising from the ground and unleashing the sword towards her assailant with a determined shout. The blade, bathing in holy fire, ripped through the air and looked like it would land a direct hit until the man slapped it aside with his chained hand.

“Wild, completely without care or tact. Like a cornered dog.” He mocked as he started walking towards her.

“Hyah!” Another blade materialized in her hand before it pierced through the air once again.

“Your power might be great, but the way you use it, despicable. Nothing more than a rabid beast who deserves to be put down.” He said with an icy cold in his voice as he effortlessly blocked the attack once again. Sparks of light flew off of his dark hellish chains.

“Just, DIE! Why won't you just DIE and let me be!” Uriel screamed with all the air in her lungs as one after another more and more swords of light shot towards the cloaked man. Her eyes burned with the force of the blazing sun, the wisps of a golden crown forming above her head but even so, her attacks were not enough to deter the man from approaching her.

“Useless.” He said, tossing aside every single blade she threw at him. “Each one of these blades should rend my flesh to nothing, it should sunder every molecule of my being just by being near them. That's what a true arch-angel’s power should be. But your power barely even scratches me. You’re nothing but a half-breed mutt.”

Uriel fell on the ground, defeated and broken, looking up at the man who towered beside her. HIs tall form was shadowed, even with the nearby flames, and she could not see his body under his cloak. Fear and tears welled up in her eyes, as she tried pushing herself back, using her legs and arms to put some distance between them. She turned around, getting up and attempting to run away, but her limping leg hindered her efforts. The man snatched her wing-bone with an iron grip pulling her back.

“Aaaargh!” She howled in pain as the man effortlessly yanked her through the air and slammed her against the ground. She coughed and sputtered blood, having it drip down the sides of her face as she lay on the cold ground in misery. The man faced her, pulling back his hood and revealing his gaunt, skullish head and the two gray eyes that stared at her from within.

“Look at yourself. Daughter of a whore. Pretending to be an Angel. You are in the presence of Baphomet, Lord of Hell and Chainer of Wicked Souls. I shall be your executioner.” He said, bowing his head slightly before stepping forward and pressing his foot on Uriel’s neck.

“Hrugk, grluk…” Went her quiet gurgles and gasps for air as her neck was crushed under Baphomet’s bony limb. She clawed and ripped at his skin, trying desperately to push him off but he was immovable.

“I expected Camael’s blood to be somewhat strong in her progeniture, but you have nothing of her grace, nothing of her beauty, nothing of her divinity. You’re so... fake.” He whispered to her.

“She should have been mine.” He shouted, betraying a sense of anger as he pressed down harder. “But… worry not, your corpse will make a fine replacement.”

Darkness clouded Uriel’s vision as life seeped away from her. The strength to pull at Baphomet’s leg faded as the sound of her heartbeat grew louder, and louder, and louder. Until all other noise was drowned out. Her body twitched and convulsed as her left hand went limp and she could only muster meager slaps with her right.

A magnificent flash of light carved through the darkness in her eyes, and suddenly there was release. Air rushed back into her lungs as she gasped and heaved trying to get it all back. Uriel was never so happy to breathe smokey ash-filled smog. She curled into a ball and quietly let life surge back through her.

“You… How dare you?” Uriel could hear Baphomet say with indignation. Her blurry eyes turned towards him and between the two stood someone she did not recognize at first. Dark gray armor shone despite the lack of light, and their cloak billowed as if the darkness itself clung to their body.

“Hello Dear, please do get up whenever you get your strength back.” Lady Death spoke with a warm soothing voice that still had a twinge of unnatural mien to it.

Uriel’s eyes went wide as she recognized who it was. “Y-you..!” She croaked, followed by a cough.

“Glad you recognized me Dear, now hush. Leave this place as soon as you can, things will get… unpleasant.” The angel nodded approvingly, and crawled backwards slightly.

“Do not ignore me, filthy mongrel!” Baphomet’s voice boomed. “Who let you off your leash?” He paused, sniffing the air. “I see, using my own blade to carve a rift between worlds. Despicable.”

“Rest assured Wolf Tamer, that no one is ignoring you right now.” Death’s voice echoed back, as she flourished her scythe. Uriel’s eyes looked in wonder at the weapon, drawn in by its blue shine. It reminded her of the moon’s pale shine that she loved so much. “I warned you that it would come to this if you interfered where you shouldn’t have-”

“I interfered?” He interrupted. “You were not meant to be a part of this in the first place. That angel is mine, mine and I will make sure her impure blood stains every spot of this town by the time the sun rises. I will drag her soul back to the deepest pit of hell and you will not stop me.” Baphomet’s eyes flared with demonic flames of purple and red and his dark cloak burned off his body, slowly evaporating to cinders and ashes. Dozens of flaming chains were wrapped around his frail neck, his torso and his arms, digging into his draping skin leaving hundreds of searing marks. His lower body was adorned by a pitch black sarong, kept under a belt made of bones that lined his waist.

Lady Death however was not intimidated, stabbing the flat end of her scythe into the ground in front of her. What started as bright blue wisps of light soon became apparent to Uriel were souls billowing around the scythe, and soon through Death’s armor. An azure flame permeated through her armor, bringing her body alight. For the briefest of instants Uriel swore she saw the shape of a face in the flames that escaped above the empty neck-guard.

“There is still time for you to walk away, Baphomet.” Her voice echoed with monstrous intent. “No one may stand before me, not even a Silence such as yourself.”

He did not dignify her with a response, instead slamming his chained right fist into his open left palm. Baphomet grunted before beginning a quiet prayer. Uriel watched from afar in horror as his body contorted grotesquely, engorging with muscle as infernal magic coursed through his veins tearing his skin open. The chains spun and uncoiled with some cracking and breaking, unleashing a howling whistle with each link. Demonic crimson runes appeared on his hands, flaming like hot-iron brands.

He then positioned himself sideways, one leg forward, one back. His right arm was reached straight forward, his palm at a straight angle with only his small finger pointing down while his other hand was close to his chest under his neck, open palmed but fingers curled down. The fiery chains that adorned both of his hands clinked with every breath he took.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Lady Death snickered.

Uriel’s eyes barely noticed the speed with which she picked up her scythe and the two lunged at each other. She only noticed the shockwave caused by them colliding that sent her flying back to the ground once more.