Redemption

[Abyss] Chapter One

He stared into the raven- black coffee right under his face. It was cold by now, but that wasn't a wonder really, since it had been standing there for a while.

And he had been sitting there a while as well. Thinking about last night. About the cold abyss he had nearly touched, the fire all around him. The friends he lost, his family as well.
Last night really scarred him.

Or did it?
It wasn't the first time he saw all of that.
Every single night in the past weeks, the same nightmare. Inside, he wanted to end it all. But one thing kept him from the obvious solution; and that was his curiosity.
He had always been very Curious, and it was more a curse than a gift to him in most situations. Curiosity killed the cat after all.

He moved his hand, sliding the book down the table and causing it to fall to the old, wooden floor. So many times he wanted to burn it before. All the trouble that he had been going through since he found the book four months ago.

A sigh escaped his mouth. Standing up, he took the cup of coffee and threw it against the wall in frustration.

He grit his teeth. "What do you want to tell me...", he hissed. "I know you're torturing me like this for a reason."

For a while, he watched the cold coffee drip down from the wall, leaving behind dark stains on the wall and the carpet.

Then he busted out the kitchen door, entering his main room that had now almost been transformed into a library. There were books everywhere: Piling up on the ground, on the couch and the old furniture. He had even taped some to the ceiling in desperate need of space.

Shoving some books aside, he sat down on the couch and grabbed the newest book. Maybe this one had some answers in it.
Just as he wanted to open it, he heard a knock on the door.

"It's open.", he groaned, putting the book aside.
The door was opened and a young woman stood there.

"Whoa, you okay there buddy?", she asked.
He laughed a little.
Typical for her.
"Sure, Phi.", he replied, "Why are you asking?"

Phi sighed. "I know you, Az, and I know how you look when you're not okay."
And it was the true. Phi knew him better than anyone else. No matter what happened to him, she was there.
Well, besides now. With all the supernatural things going on, he was afraid Phi would think he was crazy.
Even though he was pretty sure she already thought that.

"You got me.", he said. "I haven't slept well last night."
'Or rather at all..', he added in thoughts.

The Red- Haired woman walked over to him, sitting down at the opposite couch.
"I told you not to stress so much about all the stuff. It's not good for your health.", she said worriedly.

"Yes, Mom.", he smirked. Even though Phi was significantly younger than him, she was the one more responsible of the two.

Phi laughed. The noises echoed slightly through the big apartment, leaving him, as paranoid as he was, terrified.

She frowned again, leaning further to him.
"Az, I'm worried about you. This all really isn't good for you. Stop it."

He tensed immediately, his hand building a fist unwillingly.
"I told you, it's not that easy!", he yelled at her.
Then he widened his eyes, realizing how he just acted.
"...I'm so sorry Phi.", he said shaking his head. "I don't know what has been going on with me lately."

Phi took a deep breath.
"It's fine. I understand. And I don't, somehow. You're really not acting like yourself."
And that's the point when it became obvious again what she was studying. Psychology. She was very, very passionate about it.

He smacked his lips.
"Stop analyzing me.", he said standing up, looking away from her.
Then suddenly, he shivered. It suddenly had gotten very cold.
He turned around, staring at Phi, who frowned in response.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. But the feeling didn't go away. It had him in its grip completely, he felt like he was thrown out of life.
His vision blurred, he felt like falling.

"AZ!", he heard Phi's voice from far, far away. "Az, stay awake!"

He didn't even listen.
He just stared into the abyss in front of him. But it wasn't like in his dreams. Az felt eyes staring down at him, watching him, pushing him to his complete limits.

Then, he was pulled back.
He opened his eyes.

Phi sighed in relief.
"You had me worried there... Don't ever scare me like that again, okay?"

Az sat up, groaning. "I can't promise you anything. I wish I could though."

Phi shook her head. "Promise it to yourself then."
She stood up.
"I'll go make us some tea."

A few seconds after she left the room, Az noticed something.
He got up as quickly as possible and walked to the kitchen, but Phi was already standing there in shock.
The broken Coffee mug, the Book on the floor.
But she wasn't staring at that, of course.

"Should I be worried Az."
She said with no emotion.

He pushed her out of the room.
"I did NOT kill anyone, I promise!"
The man raised his hands in defense.

"Then why the Hell do you have bloody marks on your Table?", she asked him.

He shrugged.
"It's... Jam. Strawberry Jam."

Phi looked at him angrily. But at least the smile that was always on her face returned.
"I'm not that stupid."

It took a while for him to respond.
"Trust me Phi, it's nothing to worry about."

Then there was a noise.
Phi pulled out her phone.
"...Pancakes. I need to get going."
She looked at him.
"I trust you, Az. Don't do anything stupid."

He simply nodded, watching her leave after that.
Then he picked up the book.
"Are you happy now? I lied to my best friend."

"Honestly? Yes. We are."
There they were. The shadows. Whatever they were... they wanted chaos. Destruction, Disharmony.

Az sighed.
"I was wandering when you'd show up again. You didn't yesterday."

The shadows formed a person- like shape.
"You aren't our only priority."

He laughed.
"But I am a Priority. What a flattery, really!"

The Human Shadow shook their head.
"You're weak. You're not supposed to be... like that. If you continue like that, we'll sadly have to force you."

He reflexly walked up to the shadow.
"NO."

"There's much more than you think in this world. Wars that you never heard off. Species. Your little book not even shows half of it."
The shadow shrugged.
"What a shame you waste your potential on this."

"Then TEACH me. What are you here for anyways this time? To make fun of me and humiliate me? Well, good job, you did that alright!", he snapped at the shadows.
The first times talking the them had felt weird. But he got used to it quickly.

"You have so much to learn. You can speak of luck that we are here... So. The Black you saw today-"

He widened his eyes, interrupting them.
"I KNEW IT! You had something to to with that!"

The shadow got bigger. Suddenly, it had that intimidation back.
"Do not interrupt us."
The shadow shook his head. What was that supposed to be? Disappointment?
"And if you want to know, no. We didn't. And that wasn't 'Death' either. Those were Demons."

He swallowed deeply.
"I thought the book was lying about Demons... I thought they didn't exist."

"It's like we told you. There's much more to learn. And you need to learn all of it before you get to your true destiny."

They made a small pause.

"Azazel."