Of Light And Shadows

Chapter Fifty Three...

Jia sat in the cold and the damp wondering what Lucifer and the others were doing in that moment. She couldn't tell how long she'd been trapped in Satan's weird dungeon but she knew it had been at least three days. Were the others searching for her?

It didn't matter. They wouldn't find her until Satan wanted them to. She had to find a way out of the shackles herself and escape before any of her loved ones could fall into his trap. The thought of Sellik suffering at his hands just so he could get the binding shackles made Jia feel sick to her stomach.

The sound of an old wooden door creaking somewhere out of sight made her sit up straight and scoot away from the bars, concealing herself in the shadows. The uneven rock walls of her freezing cage offered enough of an outcropping and cast enough darkness for her to observe whoever was approaching without having to show herself. Something about being able to hide gave her a small degree of comfort.

"Lisbeth," Satan trilled as he sauntered down the cold hallway towards her prison. "I've come to check on you, my dear." When she didn't respond he chuckled. "I imagine it's very cold and very damp down here. Lonely too. You know, there is a way to get out of here."

Jia could see him smiling, absolutely certain of his victory now he had his first born's mate in chains. Just the sound of his voice made her skin crawl.

"Choose me. Be a part of my collection, the crowning jewel of it, even. If you do that, and you agree to use your power however I wish, I will leave Lucifer and the others unharmed."

"What would you want with my power?" she asked warily, sensing evil intent.

"To destroy God, of course." He said it so simply, but the mere thought of him destroying such a beautiful being made her recoil. Hearing the wish given a voice felt wrong.

"I can't let you do that."

"Then you damn your loved ones to death," he shrugged. "I'll kill Lucifer and all of the other Devils, and you will be forced to give me new Devils. My own demonic Seraphim to replace the stain God has left on these realms."

"I will never give you children," she hissed, repulsed at the thought.

"Oh, but you will. The binding shackles do more than just sap your power. They give me complete control of the wearer." Jia's heart dropped into her stomach as he waved a hand and the shackles lit up with sickly red light.

An electric shock shot up both of her arms from the wrist, the current seizing up her muscles painfully before forcing them to bend and contract. Her legs took several lurching steps towards the bars until she slammed up against them. The air rushed out of her lungs in a pained gasp as Satan reached into her prison and gripped a fistful of her hair. Her eyes watered as it stretched at the roots and her skull bounced off metal, sending her crashing to the ground.

Satan waited patiently as she spat blood and sat up, inspecting his fingernails with mild disinterest like he hadn't just attacked her.

"You see? You can make it easy on yourself and submit to me, or I can force you and kill everyone you love. The choice is yours." He turned away in a swish of his long coat, his steps ringing through the cavernous room until the door slammed behind him.

Jia laid slowly back down against the cold stone, staring at the ceiling with a sense of detachment. There was no use crying or panicking if she wanted to escape. She was used to pain, though the kind of pain Satan inflicted was far more terrifying than anything Abe had ever done.

His threat settled in her bones, burrowing its way into her subconscious and becoming a persistent, nagging doubt at the forefront of her mind. She sat in her prison and stewed, trying and failing to think of a way to escape.