CODEX Part 3: Between Heaven and Hell

Outside Lucifer’s domain was nothing. The vanity demons were surveying the place and a majority surrounded the mansion, ready to protect it with their lives. The ground shook again and the Hell hole above the mansion looked like it started to boil, surprising everyone with a burning smell that spread quickly around the domain.

Suddenly, demons started to drop dead while mist formed from thin air. One curious demon touched the mist and he got burned alive, making the others back off.

The low demons guarding the entrance into the vanity domain narrowed their eyes and growled at whatever was coming their way. They couldn’t see much, because of the thick mist, but they could see shapes coming towards them. They weren’t many, from what they remarked, but they were powerful. The silence that followed after a few deaths was tense; it was the silence before the attack and everyone was aware of that.

“Get ready!” One guard shouted at his fellow demons.

Right then, Lucifer walked out and waited for the enemy to show his face.

“Come Beelzebub! I’ve been waiting!” The vanity prince shouted into distance. He heard three gongs, foretelling the beginning of the war. He flicked his fingers as he made his way down to the gate, creating behemoths and wendigos from dead souls left to rot in the ground.

“Sorry to disappoint you, friend! It’s just me! The old, envious dragon!” Leviathan responded as he came into sight. He had a few demons around him, with bows in their hands and poisoned arrows. The vanity prince raised an eyebrow and took one step outside his domain.

“Where is the leader?” Lucifer asked calmly. Leviathan wasn’t dangerous or powerful enough to fight and resist against the vanity legion.

“He’s coming. But first, let’s make this party private!” Leviathan’s dragon eyes became white before he raised his hand in the air and swung it, the tattoos under his eyes elongating to his temples and curling up to his forehead before closing.

Lucifer knew what that meant; everyone knew. Leviathan was closing and locking the Gates of Hell; no one was getting in and no one was getting out.

Leviathan’s eyes grew bigger and his skin became pale blue like water, crawling up his back, where a tail suddenly appeared. He swung his hand to the side and the ground he was standing on became fire. A serpent rose from the fire and went right into his hand, transforming into a trident. Behind him, more malformed dragons and whales begun to rise, ready to kill for their master.

“That’s not enough, Leviathan.” Lucifer wasn’t even the slightest scared.

“Good because I’m not alone.” Right after he said that, with a smirk widening on his face, demons inside the domain started to scream in pain, “Never forget Belphegor and Mammon.” He continued, making his way slowly towards the vanity demon.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes and granted to his powers as the Loved One, he called for reinforcements. They came right away, demons from the outskirts, ready to kill just for fun. The walls around the domain grew taller and stronger while the hole enlarged, lots of demons dropping from Earth, ready to help and protect their kind.

Belphegor’s demons took the back of the domain, getting rid of the vanity demons easily while Mammon was being protected by his few demons; he wasn’t really doing anything. He came on a throne and didn’t bother to get off and fight manually.

Against what many vanity demons imagined, Gakhas was there with his master, using little energy while his former rival, Hejin, already dissolved a majority of demons coming at them.

“What are you doing, Gakhas?” The older demon snarled.

The short sloth demon rubbed his chin and didn’t move a step from the place he appeared on.

“If I’m right, Beelzebub is coming with the Legion. Why is it taking him so much? And where is Zoe?” Gakhas was genuinely curious.

“Who the fuck cares? Fight! This is war!” Hejin shouted in anger. She turned to the rest and continued to shout the same things, “This is war! You know what to do!”

Most sloth demons were lazy but when it came to such important matters, it was obvious they weren’t going to stand and watch. Most of them were smart and surrounded most of the backside. Vanity demons weren’t the problem, though.

“I think there’s a bigger problem,” Mepalham mumbled when he collided into Gakhas, both of them falling on the ground.

Hejin turned towards the direction Mepalham has been thrown from. Her eyes widened when she saw two behemoths running towards them.

Greed demons were falling like flies under Mammon’s disappointed eyes.

The greed prince couldn’t help but let himself explode. He was more than angry; frustrations gathered and with the major loss of demons and the pressure of war, everything pushed him over the edge and he fell hard.

“I HAD ENOUGH!” The short prince shouted before he let himself change into the monster he was.

Mammon wasn’t a fallen angel for nothing. His eyes became bigger than his face and got out of the orbit a bit, he got taller and his fingers became longer; he didn’t have fangs or claws but his fingers themselves were sharp and they started to morph two by two, leaving him with only three fingers on each hand. He didn’t have veins but some kind of liquid was visibly moving in his body, making his organs visible as well. He became very hairy and his spine bent; overall, he was horrible and would induce repulsion more than fear. Gakhas has never seen Mammon so pissed off.

“Find Zoe,” Gakhas jumped when he heard his master’s voice. His eyes widened when he saw just how pissed off Belphegor was, compared to Mammon. While the greed prince was running head first at the creatures, Belphegor was tense.

Belphegor changed just as much as the other princes. He became a monstrous, bearded demon with open mouth, horns and sharply pointed nails. Gakhas followed his master’s orders and grabbed Mepalham by his wrist before he ran into the building.

A few miles away, in a place that seemed to be nothing were Mehrdir and Beelzebub, the greed demon confused why they were in the void.

“Have you never wondered why I know this place so well?” Beelzebub mumbled, not in the mood to wait for the demon to respond.

The red haired demon blew over the void, uncovering a place that looked very much like a kingdom more than a domain. It was completely different from the caves and shitty guardians Mehrdir had seen.

Beelzebub’s domain has always been in front of their eyes yet no one really looked at it for what it was. Beelzebub whistled a certain melody and in response, they blew the horns.

“This is amazing,” Mehrdir mumbled, taking his time to look at everything.

Demons were living in small houses, which was very human. In the middle of the kingdom was a ball that seemed to be made of excrements. The smell was awful but the demons that walked out of that ball were dressed well and equipped with swords, knives and other weapons. Beelzebub didn’t have behemoths; he had insects, flies to be precise. Mehrdir’s eyes were widening more with each passing minute.

“Welcome to my domain, Mehrdir. It’s time to show why I am the commander and why I am the best.”

Mehrdir watched as more and more demons came towards their master. Some of them jumped on the back of some big flies and flew ahead while the rest made 6 rows in front of Beelzebub with too many demons to count in each row.

“This is extraordinary,” The greed demon was in awe. His eyes traveled towards Beelzebub, who was standing straight with his chin held high and hands behind his back, like a true military man. He was calm and emanating confidence from every part of his being. Mehrdir found himself respecting Beelzebub even more than before.

While Beelzebub was organizing his Legion, Zoe had been moved into a cell. She was still transiting from vanity to gluttony and the two signs were fighting against each other; she really wished she could die.

On the other hand, Eneizar finished the seal and told Chen to stay close to the front door, in case something could go wrong and he had to run. Ezekiel was oblivious but the youngest human was suspicious why Ezekiel could stay close to the dangerous demon while he had to be safe.

“Come on, help me grab her,” Eneizar ordered Ezekiel while thinking how easy it’s been and how something had to go wrong for the situation to be realistic.

Ezekiel walked on the left and wrapped her arm around his neck when Eneizar shook his head and told Ezekiel to hold her waist and let her arm down along the body. Chen tilted his head to the side and watched as the two men could hardly raise one woman.

“She’s gained weight,” Eneizar muttered.

“She has the same weight. The difference is your power. You became weak,” Ezekiel emphasized the last and most offensive word. Eneizar glared at the human and scoffed.

“Shut up and push her into the seal.”

That was their intention but Zoe’s eyes suddenly opened and she pushed the two aside with insane force. Eneizar hit the wall and recuperated quickly, launching at her a few moments later, kicking and punching without a scheme.

“You can’t get me into that seal, little pet.” She spoke with her eyes wide and crazy.

Abaddon wasn’t hiding anymore and freely exposed his energy and looks. Zoe’s eyes became fully black, scaring Chen shitless. It was so different from before because he knew there was no piece of Zoe left into that body.

Ezekiel fell over the glass table, breaking it into pieces and getting scratched on the shards. He had a piece stuck on his arm and one on his palm, right in the middle of the endless knot. It was a big piece and it hurt like heck. As he was getting up, he leaned against the window and got the chance to see what was happening outside. Ezekiel couldn’t believe it; ghosts and fairies were keeping the building guarded from low level demons; more exactly, savages. He noticed Andy trying to get Iaosur to wake up before he saw a shadow taking the sleeping body of the angst demon.

His attention moved on the problem at hand; Eneizar fighting –and trying to push Abaddon inside the circle- while Chen was trembling and watching everything from the front door. Ezekiel knew what he had to do even if he avoided it until now. That angel knew what he was talking about and the only way to make everything stop was to kill the demon. He had to kill Zoe’s body.

Ezekiel took out the shard from his palm and took a deep breath before he launched at the demon. Since Abaddon had a sick pleasure in torturing his former rival, he didn’t see Ezekiel running towards him and plunging the shard in the back of his neck. Abaddon only growled and turned to Ezekiel, throwing Eneizar aside.

“You are quite a pain in the ass, aren’t you?” His voice was scary and hoarse. It sounded like he was speaking from the depths of his being. The entity wasn’t stupid or naïve, but it was vanity and no one was above him except Lucifer. Ezekiel could use that in his favor.

Eneizar glanced at Chen over his shoulder and nodded, sign that meant he should open the book and prepare mentally and spiritually, which he immediately did. But Eneizar didn’t expect Ezekiel to punch his friend; the one he swore to protect and sacrifice for. Wait…

“Ready to sacrifice himself for the person he loves; a holy sacrifice,” Eneizar muttered.

Suddenly, the former vanity demon started to feel pressure on his chest, like someone was trying to suffocate him slowly, and a knot formed in his stomach. Eneizar was worried and for the first time in his entire lifespan, he was feeling regret. That deadly emotion that destroyed so many demons before him –even Beelzebub- and left scars deeper than any wound: regret. From what Eneizar had seen, that usually led to desperation which led to depression and ultimately, suicide. He didn’t want to regret anything; he wanted to be a demon again and get rid of this consciousness he had.

Ezekiel’s power was somewhere between average and low therefore, Abaddon easily grabbed him by the neck and slightly scratched him with his claws.

“You are nothing, little puppy. You don’t deserve to be the shit on the back of my shoe; that’s how low you are on the importance scale. Without precious Zoe, the legacy doesn’t have to live, does it?” Abaddon leaned in and whispered.

Ezekiel could smell his breath; it smelled like death.

“You talk big but we both know you’re less than shit, too. Lucifer’s beloved demon has never been you, Abaddon. The one with power has always been Abigor,” Ezekiel spat with hatred.

Abaddon’s eyes narrowed which immediately triggered something in Eneizar’s brain. Ezekiel was trying to lure the demon inside the circle by using vanity in his favor. While the demon was busy with the puppy human, Eneizar could push both of them inside the seal. With those thoughts in his head, he decided to wait the opportunity silently.

“You don’t know who you’re talking about, human.” Abaddon was getting annoyed with that little piece of thrash, “Abigor has never been a vanity demon. He’s always been a rogue,” The demon continued.

“A demon of the superior order, conjured for his power to foretell the future and to provide military aid and advice. He is shown either in the form of a very handsome knight bearing a lance and a standard, or as a ghostly specter, sometimes riding a winged horse,” Ezekiel started to recite from the book he read about demons. It seemed to tick the demon off, “Sixty of the infernal legions are at Abigor’s command. He’s also known as the Grand Duke of Hades, a great manipulator of men, inducing them to acts of murder and genocide. Seems more powerful than you can ever be.” Ezekiel was teasing Abaddon, which was both stupid and smart.

If glares could kill, Ezekiel was dead already. Abaddon was crazy mad and that was the moment Eneizar could use in his advantage. Unfortunately, Ezekiel kicked the demon in the chest and fell half inside the circle, half outside. In that moment, Eneizar pushed Abaddon inside the circle and shouted to Chen to start the exorcism. Chen gulped and rubbed his eyes while beginning the whole process.

Unfortunately, Abaddon didn’t let Eneizar to leave the circle, he actually got the chance to grab onto Eneizar’s shirt and pull him in. Ezekiel got out of the circle safely but the former demon was caught in the middle.

“Let me go you piece of shit!” Eneizar squirmed until he got his shirt ripped apart in order to escape. Before leaving the circle, though, he took care to punch Zoe’s face a few times, breaking his nose and making him bite his tongue.

Abaddon was already angry and Eneizar only added fuel to the fire. The demon blew up and pulled Eneizar back into the circle by his hair. It hurt a lot and Abaddon was lucky to have such a light body, making the former demon fall back, right over Zoe’s body. Eneizar hit Abaddon with his head and tried to get up. He couldn’t and struggled to get out before it was too late. Abaddon was fast and he knew he was going back to Hell in a few minutes but there was something he wanted to take with him.

The vanity soldier got up quickly and pulled Eneizar back in before he pulled Eneizar’s hand back while kicking really hard on the back of his knee, breaking both of them.

“Fuck! It hurts!”

“You’re not so almighty anymore, are you?” Abaddon’s eyes were blank which immediately gave Eneizar the picture of what was going to happen next.

Eneizar turned to Ezekiel and threw the dagger he kept hidden at his feet.

“Kill this prick and save Zoe.” Those were his last words before Abaddon ravished Eneizar’s body with his bare hands.

“Oh my God,” Ezekiel whispered, not getting over the scene he witnessed.

Eneizar was human; he died. Eneizar was dead! Ezekiel licked his lips and glanced at the dagger.

“Poor Eneizar is dead! You’re next puppy boy!” Ezekiel heard Abaddon shout. At first, he thought it was about him but the demon was addressing that threat to Chen, whose eyes widened when Eneizar sacrificed himself.

“Chen! No matter what, continue the exorcism!” Ezekiel encouraged his friend, who nodded and went back on reading.

Ezekiel remembered just how many people died because of Abaddon; all those innocent souls who left too soon. He got Terry entangled into his darkness and manipulated him into killing and getting his soul into the pit. Ezekiel’s breath was getting harsher and all those dead bodies he had seen came back to him. Zoe was suffering somewhere in Hell and he had to do something. Yes. He was going to do something. Ezekiel Addams wasn’t a coward.

In one swift motion, Ezekiel took the dagger and entered the circle. He knew it was especially created for demons of high level, he’d seen one before.

“You’re going back to Hell.” The human threatened.

Abaddon raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest, “Even if I die, I do go back to Hell. I don’t lose anything but you do, Ezekiel.” The way Abaddon pronounced his name made the human shudder.

“I know someone who wouldn’t care. I know someone who was ready to give her life more than once for me. Maybe it’s time I do the same.” Ezekiel didn’t know if those words were thrown in a moment of desperation or he was just trying to encourage himself to give his life away.

Chen got to the part where the demon had to be dragged out of the body by chains –the runes drawn by Eneizar in the circle. It was starting to work and Abaddon lost his balance for a moment.

“I’m ready.” The human whispered and looked up at the ceiling.

Ezekiel sighed for the last time and made a cross in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; that was the moment. He rushed towards Abaddon with the intention to plunge the dagger in his heart.

It didn’t go as planned. The demon wasn’t drained of power yet and still had enough control to thrust his hand straight through Ezekiel’s stomach. Chen’s eyes widened at the sight.

In her cell, Zoe’s eyes widened when she felt her heart snap. She screamed loudly and the darkness in her eyes vanished. Ezekiel was her legacy, he was part of her and she was suffering for him. She fell on her back and screamed again and again; feeling like her soul was being torn apart, like her fetus was being ripped from her placenta. Her right hand was burning like never before and she was crying blood.

“NO!” She cried in that small and dirty cell.

Zoe was all alone, no; she left Ezekjel all alone.

“No! NO, NO, NO!” She cried, rolling on her chest in both spiritual and emotional pain.

She whimpered and grabbed her chest in pain. The smallest connection she had to her human side, the smallest piece that kept her from giving in completely, that was fighting the serpent and the vanity inside her soul; that piece was gone.

One hand was gripping her heart while the other reached out towards the door.

“Ezekiel,” She mumbled. “Ezekiel. EZEKIEL!” She screamed over and over again.

“Don’t stop, Kyung Jae! Finish the exorcism!” Ezekiel still had adrenaline rushing through his body. That granted him a little bit of extra power and he used it carefully, “I’m not going alone,” The human barely said through gritted teeth.

Abaddon glared at the human and shifted his hand a bit. Ezekiel’s eyes widened and he spit blood on Zoe’s chest.

“You’re weak, Ezekiel. You’ve always been weak. You’re just human, nothing else.” Abaddon whispered near his ear.

In nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi,

Tu autem reverteris ad miserie tue cognicionem

Et velum nunquam vivos mortuosque mactabis!

Chen was getting close to the ending and Abaddon knew he didn’t have much to live in Zoe’s body.

“I knew from the beginning that you will succeed. My mission wasn’t to kill those children. I had to kill you,” Abaddon admitted, breaking Ezekiel’s heart. He’s been so naïve and didn’t take it as seriously as he should have had.

Et non revertetur ultra in hoc mundo,

With the last amount of life in him, Ezekiel plunged the dagger through Zoe’s heart.

Maligni spiritus derelinquam in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti.

With that last sentence, Zoe’s eyes widened and she screamed. Ezekiel took her hand out of his stomach and fell on the carpet, bleeding profoundly. Zoe squirmed for a moment before she fell limp, her eyes coming back to normal before they became lifeless. Her body was empty and he was going to die.

“Ezekiel! Ezekiel Addams, don’t do this to me!”Chen threw the book aside and ran to his friend’s side. “Don’t die, Zek. Don’t,” He whimpered.

“I-I’m fine.” Ezekiel breathed out while feeling the life slipping away from his body. “It’s going to be-be fine,” He continued in a low whisper.

Ezekiel’s eyes were getting paler and his body was getting colder.

“I’m so tired, Kyungjae,” Chen’s eyes widened when he heard his best friend say his name.

“Don’t dare fall asleep, Zek. It’s not your time yet! You’re so young,” Chen whispered the last sentence. He was so scared, like never before; he almost died twice and came back to life thanks to Zoe. Ezekiel could be saved too. He had to be saved. He had to.

Ezekiel closed his eyes for a second, scaring Chen even more than he was already. The younger human didn’t know what to do so he pressed tightly on Ezekiel’s wound, trying to stop the bleeding or keep it under control. He had seen it happen in so many movies but never imagined he’d have to live through it, for real. Ezekiel put his hand over Chen’s and smiled softly.

“I’m sorry, Kyungjae. You were right,” He winced, making Chen realize just how real everything was. The blood wasn’t stopping and their hands were getting dirty. Chen couldn’t held the tears in and let them fall down his cheeks.

“Don’t leave, Zek. You’re the hero. You killed Abaddon.” Chen tried to make Ezekiel feel better, since he’s always been angry that he was just a human, “You killed Abaddon,” He repeated.

Ezekiel nodded before he looked up, at the ceiling. Chen bit his lips while more tears came out; he couldn’t contain his pain, his heart was breaking.

“Zek,” Chen shook his friend when he saw his hand dropping next to his body, “Zek!” He screamed again, shaking the poor boy more.

Ezekiel could see him; the archangel. Gabriel smiled warmly and reached out to the human. He could hear the tapping again and he realized Zoe saved him from becoming Leviathan’s propriety; Ezekiel’s destiny has already been written, he was going to fall in Leviathan’s domain and become what he hated. But Zoe saved him; she purified him and gave him the chance to go to Heaven.

“You fought for so long. You have done an amazing job, Ezekiel. It’s time to rest.” Gabriel beckoned the human to take his hand; he did.

Ezekiel reached out and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, leaving the world forever. His eyes became empty, his soul leaving for a better place.

“ZEK! NO! EZEKIEL ADDAMS! Ezekiel Addams,” Chen’s tears were falling hard and couldn’t believe it happened to someone so loyal and so pure. He laid his head on Ezekiel’s chest and continued to cry until he couldn’t anymore.

The demons around the apartment left once Abaddon got exorcised. The ghosts, familiars and even the bulky dark fairappeared one by one inside the apartment. Andy started to cry while Iaosur bent on Ezekiel’s other side and closed his eyes.

The human died with a peaceful smile on his face; he finally found peace.

However, in a small cell somewhere in the depth of Hell, while the commander was getting closer to Lucifer’s domain, Zoe Lestrade died with her legacy. Zoe Lestrade fought for a long time and made promises that she couldn’t keep. Zoe Lestrade died that day and the demon hidden inside her came to life, the one Beelzebub couldn’t control and neither could Lucifer or Belial. That demon took over completely as the serpent spread on her back and the endless knot spread up her arm.

Zoe crawled to the door and got on her feet and hands. Her eyes darkened but not like before; this time, her eyes were bright yellow with black strings coming from the center, which was black as well. She growled, like an animal who wanted to escape from his cage –which she did; she broke down the door by only looking at it.

Zoe Lestrade had only one mission now; torturing Lucifer in the most gruesome way possible.