She waited… and waited. Seconds, minutes, hours… days? Rachel couldn’t tell how long she had been down there. Sitting on that chair and vulnerable, with her dignity robbed from her. All she wanted was to try to find her husband. Just to see if he was safe.

  But there was nothing, so sound besides her erratic breathing. No sense of time. Her world became nothing but static in that room. That room became her world… a hopeless, hopeless world. There was nothing she could do, and she knew The Leader had a plan for her to continue his sick and twisted experiments.

  Powerless, she sobbed. She cried to herself as it became clear that she had failed to find and save her husband. Rachel thought it would be simple, but it became anything but as monsters of myth were a very real thing. Her tears were a reminder that her future, her new fate, would be something unimaginable that could only be derived from the darkest hearts of humanity. At the back of her head, she regretted not choosing to die when given a chance.

  Yet at the same time, Rachel figured out what she could do afterwards. Maybe being a servant to The Leader’s desires wasn’t a bad thing if she put her head in the right space. Perhaps to submit was the better option if she wanted to survive or a bit longer. The back of her mind liked the idea.

  Clank!

  Rachel’s body locked in place as the steel door buckled. Her breath became still while her mind returned to normal as someone outside slowly unlocked the door.

  She never believed in a God or some divine being, but she let out a prayer. Begging for mercy when that door opened, she knew The Leader would give her none.

  But besides seeing the Leader, the person who opened the steel door was something else. A naked demon. They were tall and had hooved feet. Their skin was light purple, while the goat-like horns on their heads were a bright red with silver trinkets at the tips. The demon had an androgynous appearance. It had a vagina and a single large breast, while having a masculine facial structure with tentacles that wrapped around its mouth like a mask. As it entered the room, its large leather wings coiled around its torso like a cloak.

  ‘Identify yourself,’ the demon coldly said to Rachel. Its voice was tonally soft but breathy.

  Rachel froze, unable to move or process what was in front of her. She tried to utter a word, but her lips failed her as they quivered.

  The demon snarled, growing impatient with Rachel’s silence and ever-growing fear. ‘Answer me, human. Identify yourself!’

  ‘Rachel!’ She blurted out. ‘I am Rachel Abernack, I’m a journalist and came here to find my husband.’

  The demon raised a brow, its cold expression replaced with a sense of curiosity. ‘Journalist? So, you're not part of this cult?’

  Rachel shook her head. ‘No! I knew they were a cult, but I didn’t know what they were doing. My husband was investigating them but disappeared soon after. I just want to know if he was safe or not.’

  ‘Then why are you in that chair?’

  ‘The Leader, the leader of this cult. He caught me and forced me here. He says that he has plans for me once the monster is dealt with. Please, you must help me!’

  The demon examined Rachel and thought to itself. Calculating whether freeing a human would be beneficial or not. But seeing that the naked reporter was no threat to them, the demon went over to the chair and unbuckled it.

  ‘I am Zaar’tha, Justicar of the Succulabra. I am here on a mission to bring whoever is involved in this degenerate communion and bring them to justice. You will assist me in this mission.’

  Rachel got off the bed and stood in the corner, rubbing her sore wrist. ‘Succulabra? What are you?’

  ‘You don’t know what I am, human?’ They huffed, annoyed that they had to go through a proper introduction. ‘I am a demon. A succubus you may call me, if your feeble mind is too ignorant to know the nuances of my culture.’

  ‘Succubus? So, your people were involved in this cult?’

  ‘Don’t insult my people!’ Zaar’tha hissed but calmed themself before lashing out and cutting the woman down. ‘I will forgive you for making a general and bigoted statement. But yes, people from my kingdom were involved in the creation of this cult. However, it seemed they had died long before I had found this place, perhaps before the formation of the cult. So, their involvement and possible crime of bestiality might not be true and removed from the records.’

  Stolen novel; please report.

  ‘Bestiality?’

  ‘Sleeping with creatures such as humans. But let me make this clear: despite my people’s reputation, we are not what your species think we are. To us, you are nothing more than animals. Sapient, intelligent, but not our equals. It would be morally reprehensible to have sexual relations with something as revolting as your kind. Meaning that I am here to put an end to this injustice by any means necessary, and you will help me achieve it.’

  Rachel raised a brow. ‘You make it sound like I don’t have a choice.’

  ‘That is because you don’t.’ Zaar’tha took a step towards Rachel.

  Seeing a strong naked demon stand over her. Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She wondered what the demon could do to her if they met at a different point in time. How those strong arms could hold her still and use her body however they please.

  ‘I only let you live because you might have information about the cult that I lack.’ Zaar’tha said, snapping Rachel out of a twisted trance. ‘Your knowledge of Earth and your technology is also a factor, for you are the only one able to use it.’

  ‘How come you can’t?’

  ‘Oh, I can. But I refuse to taint myself further by using technology made of metal and plastic. No, I will remain pure for as long as possible before my inevitable cleansing rite.’ As they finished, a bone blade shot out of their right arm, causing Rachel to jump. ‘To make a point, you don’t have a choice. I can easily work alone if I need to. Nor do I care if you live or die. For your life is just a footnote in my investigation. But if you want to live, you will follow my instructions to the letter. You will know that it would be preferable that you do as you are told and do it well. Do I make myself clear, human?’

  Rachel glanced at the bone blade. She knew better than to test the demon’s patience. Survival would mean compliance, but compliance she could work with and allow if it meant taking down the man responsible for the cult.

  ‘The mansion has an office nearby connected to the security system.’ Rachel calmly said. ‘I can help you locate The Leader and the monster.’

  Zaar’tha’s bone blade retracted back to their forearm when they stepped aside. Allowing Rachel to head to the office while they follow behind. As they got to the office, Rachel panicked as she realised their stuff was missing.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ The demon hissed.

  ‘No, my camera is missing. It has footage of when I got here.’ She replied before sitting down, entering the password and looking through the security footage.

  ‘Footage? What does that mean?’

  ‘Evidence! So, after I am done, I can bring them to justice and expose what happened to the world.’

  Zaar’tha nodded along, understanding the importance of the camera and the implications of its contents being released would entail. But before the demon could speak up on whether it would be a good idea to expose the knowledge of monsters to the wider world, Zaar’tha kept quiet.

  After a fair bit of searching, Rachel pointed at the screen after finding the Leader on the third floor in the master room. ‘There! He is in the master room. I can tell you how to get there.’

  Rachel stared at The Leader, seeing what he was trying to achieve. But without warning, her mind wandered about the monster. How the Inheritor would hold her and tear her stomach open to feast on her insides. That the gnawing of its teeth on her guts would make her fluster at the eventuality. But before the thought could become overpowering, she shook her head to regain control. What is wrong with me?

  The demon examined The Leader’s movements. They shook their head as they couldn’t discern what he was doing. ‘But the monster?’

  ‘I can’t find it, but it shouldn’t be far. However, that man has all the evidence I need. He is the reason all of this has gone to shit, and he admitted to me that he killed some demons and used their skulls for his rituals. This might go back to normal if you stop him.’

  ‘Is that so?’ Zaar’tha tapped Rachel’s shoulder. ‘Get up, we are going to confront him.’

  ‘Me? But I can’t fight.’

  The demon shrugged, ‘figure it out or don’t. I don’t care. But you will take me to that room, and that is final.’

  Rachel gulped, but she refused to go against the demon’s orders. She got up and walked with the demon, praying that neither of them would get jumped by the monster that stalked the mansion halls.