A Demons Final Chance
TW: Brief mention of abuse and SA
Scanning the amusement park for threats, Aamophis sighs in relief for a moment. The little girl he was sent to protect can play now, so long as he stays on alert.
“Let’s go through the mirrors!” Dahlia runs off without waiting, disappearing into the crowd. This one could be dangerous.
“Dahlia, wait!!” *Aamophis runs into the Hall of Illusion, only seeing his reflection. Not even the sound of Dahlia lets him know where she is. Every turn confuses him even further. Calling out results in silence. Did she actually run in here? Is she messing with Aamophis? Where is she? She’s been known to be a mischievous little girl, always getting herself into all sorts of trouble, but he could have sworn this was where she’d be.
Trapped in the Halls of Illusion, Aamophis starts feeling overwhelmed. Searching for what felt like twenty minutes, he couldn’t even find an exit. The mirrors start feeling like a bad dream, morphing different faces onto his body.
One particular face stops him in his tracks. Except it’s not just a face. He staggers closer to the figure in the mirror. Snakes glide over a standing woman’s body, possessively wrapping around her like their Queen in need of their protection. A Gorgon. The realization of who she is brings goosebumps up his spine. This must be some kind of joke. Was she even looking at him? Could she see him? Only the whites of her eyes were shown, so he couldn’t tell for sure if she was even awake or alive, as she was as still as stone. A couple of snakes spot him instead and make their way toward him, tongues flicking.
Behind him, a mirror shatters, drawing his attention from the Gorgon. He spins around to see a body covered in blood, half dead. A version of him in the past. Bloodied, long black hair, and fear in his pale blue eyes. His broken horns brought back the very memory of that day. A troubled woman, he swore to protect and give a home. Until that woman met a cursed, high elf and introduced the two. The two battled each other, resulting in the woman’s death. Something Aamophis still cannot grasp an understanding of brought her back to life. He thought the Gorgon brought her back, or perhaps even the elf, as that cursed fuck was madly in love with her. Death was nearly his punishment before he signed a final deal with the Gorgon. This deal, to protect a child instead. Surely they believe a demon wouldn’t let a child get damaged. And if he did, the rest of his life would be spent in the deepest parts of hell. Being punished in the worst way until his body no longer holds the capacity to regenerate.
The Gorgon flashes in multiple mirrors now, a wry smile formed upon her lips. “You failed me.”
Standing tall, dark, and muscular, the snakes now hang from her body like vines on a tree trunk. Dark copper hair outlined her furious, honey colored eyes. Part of him was now starting to feel that this was real as he was glued in his tracks.
“Can you see me? Have you seen Dahlia? I’m scared she’s hurt. I can’t find her, I-” Aamophis starts trembling and falls to his knees. “I tried,” He squeaked out.
The mirror distorts, and he sees Dahlia, hunched in a corner behind a man. Her voice cracks as she begs. This isn’t real. Dahlia isn’t being hurt, not anymore. Aamophis just needs to find her and leave this place for good.
“May may!!” Dahlias voice cuts the illusion and echoes in the distance.
Aamophis thrashes around, yelling out for Dahlia.
“She’s running from you.” The Gorgon responds in front of him again. “Do you not remember?” Confusion races through Aamophis.
“Excuse me?” That was all Aamophis could manage before looking away to catch another reflection to the right of the woman. A reflection so familiar yet so foreign. A face neither too masculine nor too feminine. Their long, unwashed dark hair looked wind-blown as if they had gone through a war. Blue eyes devoid of any emotion. Skin so pale their body may as well be in a coffin.
He looks away. What he saw only looked like a stranger in that moment. He realized it was him before he was reborn into a demon. What happened to him as a human was so long ago it became a blur.
The Gorgon cocks her head to the side with a grin. “Well, hello there, dark friend.” She says to the dying figure beside her.
A wanted flyer posts itself against a mirror he fell against. Murder and date rape of multiple women. Aamophis shakes his head, tears streaming down his face now as he stumbles and careens away from the mirror. “What the fuck is this? What did you do?”
One of the men in the mirrors strikes Dahlia before the Gorgon turns her attention back to Aamophis.
“You had a purpose and chose not to fulfill it once again. Perhaps protecting girls isn’t something you’re able to do, considering how you were when you were alive. This was supposed to be your redemption.” She points down at him. His hands appear covered in blood. “You were shown the outcome, and you still did it. Choosing the life of violence only further put Dahlia in danger. You have no idea the trauma you have just caused her. It’ll take years to undo everything you’ve done. I’m in control of her healing from now on.”
Aamophis stutters, eyes darting around the small room of mirrors as more memories are shown.
“I-I-I’m sorry! It won’t happen again, give me another chance! All that matters is that I killed those men. That’s all that should matter, right?!?”
A mirror to his left shatters, and Dahlia pours out, her body turning to liquid as Aamophis jumps to put her body back together, failing. “No, why are you doing this? Bring her back to me, and I can fix this. I can fix her!”
Warmth envelops the room, followed by light. The figure in the mirror that had bled out from earlier burst into flames, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“Denial. Do you not see what the mirrors portray? You cannot save anyone with your selfishness.”
Just then, Dahlia appears in the mirror to the left of the Gorgon. Aamophis lunges at the mirror, clawing at the glass, desperately trying to hold her. Dahlia jumps back with a scream, running behind the Gorgon. Her small hands grab at the cloth covering the Gorgon’s body. Her long amber hair covers her face as she bawls. The interaction felt real yet just another illusion he couldn’t decipher.
“Bring her to me!” He wanted to protect the child from getting hurt again. Wanted to keep her all to himself. She would prove the Gorgon wrong this time if he could just change her mind. Controlling the tears he’s choking on, he tries once more.
“One more chance, please, just one more chance. She’ll be the happiest child you’ve ever seen. I promise. I will kill them all!” The fire from the burning figure in the mirror starts spreading its way toward Aamophis.
“This girl is not your vessel. I will not allow you to destroy her any longer. I will not take that chance again.” Snakes make their way toward Dahlia, covering her to protect her from what she’s about to see. The Gorgon bends down and reaches her hand out through the glass, gripping Aamophis’s chin, forcing them to lock eyes.
“You are an animal. A demon. A bastard of a dying beast. And quite frankly, not even a good one. Demons like you never learn.”
Aamophis lets out a whine, breaking out into a sweat as the fire creeps closer. She lets go of his face, eyes still locked onto each other. He tries to move away from harm and her gaze. He’s set in stone by his feet.
“We discard demons that fail to protect.” She raises her right arm, leading the fire to spread up his legs now.
Whimpering and sobbing, Aamophis tries one more time. “Dahlia, please come with me. I promise I’ll fix this, just don’t leave me alone. I can’t go alone. No one will ever touch you again, you have my promise.”
He looks down, slowly beginning to surrender to the fire absorbing him. The tears running down his face tasted like poison, making him retch. He has nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. Surrendering is something he doesn’t like to do, but when you’re this trapped, what else is there to do? One minute he’ll be completely absorbed by the flames, and the next he’ll be back in hell enduring his life-long punishment.
“Please, don’t let me die alone.”
The woman stands back up, tall and full of power. “Something tells me she no longer wants to follow you. This is where your bond ends.” Her voice was strict and protective.
She turns slightly, grabbing Dahlia by the hand and leading her to stand in front of her, gently squeezing comfort into her.
“She requires my protection now and is no longer a worry for you. You will perish and be punished by these flames for failing as you did.”
More images flash by him of the moments he had with Dahlia. Yet again, nothing happy appears at the surface. Or at all. Only tears and men refusing her, pleading with them to stop. One man on top of her, covering her mouth. Aamophis watches and waits for them to be done so he can destroy them. He was supposed to stop them from causing her pain, but he only watched and waited in amusement. He knew what he did now was wrong. The smirk he saw on his own face now brings rage.
His realization came too late as his body was engulfed in flames. His face remains, and he catches a glimpse of Dahlia looking back at him, fear in her hazel eyes burns the deepest regret in his mind. If only he weren’t all out of chances. The look of a hurt child pained him more than the fire dissipating his body. That would haunt him longer than his punishment. Aamophis reaches out a fiery hand, resting it on the mirror as death takes hold of him.
Dahlia sighs. Relief and sadness in her quiet voice. “I’ll… miss him, May.” The Gorgon wraps her into a tight hug, and snakes surround both of them.
“You’ll be happier this way. I can create any reality you’d like.” The woman promises.
