The Alpha's Dungeon

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

There were all sorts of things one could see when the forbidden, lab-made liquid would be injected into us. It was a drug used to weaken other wolves that would attack us, the only thing that could psychologically weaken a wolf and use its own fear to loose oneself. The drug was mainly used in battles between packs and a few other crimes.

I cried my eyes out last year after seeing the horror of my own mind but this time, it was different. I wasn't in the mortal world, nor the zone where we were all placed.

I was somewhere else.

And I wasn't seeing my worst nightmare.

Remembering the last night I had seen something like this, I bought my arm forward and pulled down my sleeve to find the tattoo of hell imprinted over my skin, the same one Xalorad and Artemis had.

I told myself it was merely a dream. Raising my head, I walked forward in the oblivion. Trees appeared in front of me, long, dark and with rings of fire hanging from their roots. I fought through the cobwebs formed in front of me and made my way to the light.

I was indeed in hell and it looked worse than before. The heat didn't bother me much, it simply stung me. The grounds were warm, lava flooding through them while there was an erupting volcano to my left. The screams of sinners were loud, obvious.

There were gates everywhere, demons standing on the rocks, punishing more people for the things they had done in our world. No one showed any remorse to anyone.

A man—a demon ran to me, his face scarred and unrecognizable. "It's over, for all of us!" He exclaimed before running past me.

I placed my hand over my heart and closed my eyes to take a breath. My pulses went spinning. I wasn't afraid, just confused. What was I seeing? What was I doing here?

"He has been killed!" A demon shouted, swinging his axe by a distance. I snapped my head to the other side. "Banished. There is no hell without him, with our Lord. The sinners of the mortal world will never repay for what they had done once our world is destroyed." He weeped.

I ran away as fast as I could before that axe ended between my neck and I was dead too. Taking a big leap, I went towards the center where the heat wasn't as strong and where demons couldn't be seen neither could be sinners. There was no one here, just ruined pieces of bricks that once seemed to be buildings, homes.

"Hannah?" I took slow and steady steps towards the woman with the same hair as my friend had. When she turned around, I saw her, her face, illuminated with happiness, her eyes reflecting love, except they weren't on me.

"Oh my God, I thought I was seeing a dream." I ran to her when I realized it was Hannah.

When she ran towards me, I quickened my speed but she went past me. "Hannah?" I stopped on my steps and turned around to see her running to someone else. Someone else. "Hannah. Wait!" I shouted, extending my arm to grab her.

I looked beyond her and found another woman. Someone I didn't like. Not at all. Artemis. She was standing at the end, her arms spread wide, inviting her.

"Hannah, no, don't go to her!" I screamed, chasing behind her to stop before it got to late. "Don't go to her! She's a bitch." I repeated, my heart clenching inside my chest.

The ground that I ran on began cracking, forming zig-zag lines and it began burning my feet. I groaned at the pain and ran quicker and quicker. But it got too late. Hannah reached her, the bitch and she went straight into her arms.

Tears formed in my eyes and I cried, "Please, don't hurt her!"

Shadows, black shadows began moving around me in circles, blurring my view. I tried to go past the shadows but they blocked me and forced me away from my friend. I killed the sob in my throat and pushed away the shadows.

"Hannah!" I screamed.

Between the little gap, I saw her again, smiling at Artemis, wrapped in her arms. Horror tore through me and my eyes widened. I went silent in defeat when they kissed.

The ground and the shadows pulled me in and after letting out the last scream, I woke up, woke up from the nightmare, or the dream, or the vision. I couldn't tell what it was.

I moved my hand and felt the sharp grass beneath me, rubbing against my palm. I was inside the zone, light-headed. It was dark as the sun had gone down. I didn't know how long I was out for. When I raised my head, I found a hundred trees around me and one right behind me where I was sleeping on.

My body trembled. What had I just seen?

I closed my eyes tight and when I opened them again I found Artemis kneeling in front of me. "I thought I'd find you here." She said, her scarlet lip curled cruelly.

"Is this a dream?"

"No, it's the reality, stupid." She rolled her eyes.

"How are you here then?" I questioned, getting up on my feet. The zone was closed after the participants were inside, no one could enter.

"Because I'm a goddess, idiot." She gave me another eye-roll and that was when I realized I was truly an idiot. "I can go anywhere I want to and I just came from hell." She continued.

I returned her glare, "Did you see Xalorad? I want to see him."

"Tsk, tsk, you can't. And yes, I did see him." Artemis came closer and touched my face. A small breathes whisper escaped her mouth, "Xalorad's never coming back, not today, not ever. You should start with forgetting him."

Fear knotted inside my stomach and a shiver of panic crawled down my spine as I shook my head. "No, no." I shook my head, feeling worse than ever.

"Yes, yes," She traced her finger down my lips and pouted. "Once he tells the truth, he will never return. What makes you think Uncle Hades will ever allow his own son, the prince of hell, to mate with a weakling like you?"

"No..."

"Even if Xalorad ever returns here, he'll come with a woman in his arms and that won't be you. It will be someone from hell, someone his Father has chosen for him, someone who would be stronger than you and you know what's the worst part? Once he marks that woman, there'll be nothing left between you, no emotion, no bond, absolutely nothing." She smiled, creepily.

Just thinking about it shattered me, tore me. I cried while shaking my head. "You're lying. You're just playing with my mind again."

She laughed, wiping away my tears, "And why would I do that?" She stared at me for a minute before taking a step back. "It's time to forget him and move on, Marissa."

"No."

Read the full book on Patreon; www.patreon.com/miakerr