The eastern horizon glowed red as Xander Blackthorn descended from the Forgotten Mountains. Shadows followed him like a living cloak as dawn drew closer.
The infernal presence he had sensed earlier grew stronger with every step. It pulled at the darkness inside him with a steady force. This was not common demonic power. It carried defiance and rage. A will that refused to kneel.
In a world ruled by gods, tyrants, and strict hierarchies, such a spirit was rare. It was also dangerous. It could bring down empires or be destroyed by them.
Xander accepted either result.
He moved quickly, his body fading into shadow before forming again. Stone paths gave way to a scorched valley where the land showed clear signs of damage.
The ground split into long cracks that released clouds of hot steam. Old runes were carved into the stone, marks left behind by ancient rituals and forgotten gates.
Most of them were dead.
One remained.
Ahead, the air twisted and shimmered as heat rolled outward. A rift churned at the center of the valley, its edges burning with infernal fire. Distant cries echoed from within, voices filled with pain and anger. The Demonic Underrealms pressed close here, straining against the thin barrier between worlds.
Xander slowed and fixed his gaze on the rift.
Whatever lay beyond it was the source of the call.
And it was about to meet him.
As he moved closer, the air grew heavy with ritual power. Harsh voices echoed through the valley, chanting in steady rhythm. A circle of demons stood around a raised altar. They were large and powerful, with horns and armored bodies marked by the symbols of the Infernal Court. These were enforcers, loyal to the hierarchy.
At the center of the circle knelt the source of the power.
She was bound by chains of living flame that forced her to her knees. The fire burned without consuming her, draining her strength as she fought against it. Infernal energy poured from her in waves, raw and defiant.
She demanded attention. Her skin glowed like heated embers. Her hair flowed like fire down her back. Curved horns framed eyes that burned with gold light. Fury twisted her face as she strained against her bonds.
Xander did not know her name.
But he recognized power when he saw it.
"By decree of Lord Asmodeus," boomed the leading demon, his voice shaking the ground, "you are named a traitor to the Infernal Throne."
The speaker was massive, his wings spread wide behind him. He raised a staff and struck it against the stone. Energy surged outward, feeding the rift beneath the altar.
The portal widened, its depths shifting with dark echoes.
Lilith shouted a curse in the ancient demon tongue, her voice sharp with anger. "You will regret this. My father will—"
"Your father ordered it," the demon replied, his smile cruel. "Your defiance brought shame to the throne. Your ambition threatened it. For that, you are cast out."
The chains tightened and pulled her closer to the edge. Heat rose from below, brushing against her skin.
"Into the void with you."
Laughter spread through the circle as the chanting grew louder, drowning out the fire and the cries from the rift.
From the shadows, Xander watched.
For the first time since his awakening, the hunger inside him found something worth taking.
He studied the ritual from a distance as his interest sharpened. This was not a simple execution. It was a public display meant to warn others. Yet the kneeling demon did not weaken. Her power flared again and again, pushing against the magic that held her down.
She was powerful.
Powerful enough to matter.
With a small gesture, Xander stepped out of concealment. His presence spread across the valley like a coming storm. The air cooled as shadows gathered at his feet and rolled outward.
"What a pitiful display," he said.
His voice cut through the chanting.
The ritual collapsed into panic.
Demons turned toward him, their eyes burning with shock and anger.
"An intruder," one shouted. "Kill him."
They rushed forward together, claws raised and mouths spilling flame. The winged leader thrust his staff ahead, releasing a blast that scorched the stone where Xander had been standing.
But he was already gone.
Xander faded into shadow and appeared behind one of the demons. His hand drove through its back and emerged from its chest, gripping a pulsing core of infernal power. The demon screamed once before Xander closed his fist. Energy flowed into him as dark fire consumed the body, leaving only ash behind.
The valley fell into chaos.
Demons roared and unleashed waves of flame that struck walls of shadow. Xander moved through the battle without pause, never where the attacks landed and always where the defenses were weakest.
A large enforcer swung an axe in a wide arc. Xander caught the handle, twisted it free, and drove the blade through the demon's body. Another demon tried to escape, but shadows wrapped around its legs and dragged it back toward him.
Its soul faded quickly.
Above the altar, the chanting stopped.
Only screams remained.
Seeing control slip away, the leader shouted over the noise. "Ignore him. Complete the ritual. Banish her now."
The chains tightened and pulled Lilith toward the widening rift. She struggled harder, fire surging against the restraints. With the demons distracted, the magic holding her weakened. Flames burst outward from her body. One chain shattered, then another.
With a cry of defiance, she broke free.
Fire surrounded her as she rose to her feet, wings spreading wide. Her eyes locked onto Xander, filled with suspicion rather than thanks.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Another assassin my father sent?"
She did not wait for an answer. Lilith thrust her hand forward and launched a fireball toward him.
Xander raised his hand. Shadows formed a barrier that absorbed the flames in a burst of sparks.
He did not move.
"Not an enemy," he said calmly. "Only curious."
Lilith bristled at the words. "I do not need your help," she snapped. "Stay out of my way."
She charged into the remaining demons. Fire consumed two of them at once, their cries ending as the flames closed in. The leader struck his staff against the ground. Symbols flared to life and spread outward in a binding wave.
Lilith dodged aside, but one mark struck her wing. Pain cut through her as she staggered.
That was enough.
Shadows ripped through the ritual circle, tearing apart the wards and silencing the symbols. Xander appeared before the leader and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him from the ground with ease.
His grip tightened.
"Your court," Xander said quietly, "means nothing to me."
The demon struggled as shadows closed in.
"Begone."
With a final squeeze, Xander crushed the demon's soul. Dark energy poured into him as the staff fell from lifeless hands and struck the stone. The remaining demons did not last long. One after another, their power was torn away and absorbed.
When it ended, silence returned.
Lilith stood a short distance away, breathing hard, flames coiling around her hands. She did not relax. Her eyes stayed sharp and watchful. This stranger had destroyed her captors with ease. His power surpassed even the strongest enforcers of the Infernal Court.
Yet he had not attacked her.
"Why did you interfere?" she asked. "What do you want from me?"
Xander stepped closer. The shadows pulled back just enough to reveal him. He stood calm and unafraid.
"Your power called out," he said. "In a world ruled by tyrants and cowards, you burn brighter than most." His gaze stayed on hers. "Stand with me, and we can turn that fire on those who tried to bind you."
Lilith hesitated. Warmth rose to her cheeks, not from flame, but from a feeling she refused to name. She scoffed and lifted her chin.
"Stand with you? I bow to no one," she said. "Least of all a stranger wrapped in shadow who thinks he is a savior."
A faint smirk touched Xander's lips. "Then do not bow. Fight beside me." His voice grew firmer. "Or fight me, if you choose. But alone, the court will hunt you until they succeed."
Her eyes shifted to the fading rift, then back to him. The defiance in her stance remained, but something softer showed beneath it.
"Fine," she said after a moment. "For now. Betray me, and I will burn you."
Xander inclined his head and held out a hand wrapped in shadow.
Lilith took it, careful but steady.
Fire met darkness, and a sharp spark passed between them.
Something had begun.
They had only just turned to leave when the ground shook beneath their feet.
The rift flared, its edges tearing wider as new power surged through it. The air grew heavy with pressure and intent. Shapes began to form within the fire and darkness, larger and more controlled than the demons Xander had already destroyed.
Lilith stiffened, flames rising around her as recognition set in.
"They felt the breach," she said. "My father's hunters. They will not stop until I am taken back." She looked at Xander, urgency cutting through her pride. "We have to go. Now."
Xander did not argue.
Shadows surged around them as Lilith's fire pulled close. Darkness and flame moved together without resistance. They vanished from the valley just as new figures forced their way through the rift.
Behind them, the scorched ground split apart as the hunt began.
Ahead waited a fragile world filled with enemies and war.
And somewhere along that path, the first steps of a bond neither of them had planned, but neither could escape.