Broken(DC)

Lying on the beach and basking in the warmth of the sun, I felt completely at ease. Moments like these let you truly enjoy the fruits of your labor. Feeling the gentle sea breeze, I was at peace. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything—just lie there and soak it all in.

I was still young, and I'd missed out on so much. Why not make up for lost time? Especially now, when I caught a couple of glances from two girls lounging not too far away. I wasn't that skinny guy anymore, and there was no reason to fear anyone finding out I'd recovered. I'd hung my cane on the wall as a reminder of the past and everything I'd been through. If anyone asked how I'd healed, I always had an answer ready—my medical company had discovered a cure.

Getting up, I approached the girls, whose lush black hair was still slightly damp from swimming in the sea. Their swimsuits weren't overly revealing but still highlighted their features.

"Good evening," I said as I got closer. "I was wondering if we could enjoy the sunset together?" I wasn't exactly smooth, but I tried to make a good impression.

"Hi," said the dark-haired beauty, and her friend echoed her greeting. "We don't mind. You can join us."

"My name's Brian. Would you mind sharing the secret of your names?" I asked.

"Oh, fine, we'll tell you. I'm Daphne, and this is my friend Callie. We haven't seen you here before. Are you from out of town?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, I'm from Star City. I decided to take a break from work," I replied. So, they were locals. Judging by their tans, they really did spend a lot of time here.

"Star City? I've heard of it, but I can't remember much about it. What do you do for work that lets you take off whenever you want?" she asked, thoughtfully placing a finger on her chin.

"Maybe you heard about the recent incidents—we had a few fires. But that's nothing compared to the alien attack on Metropolis," I said.

"Oh, right! That was awful. Aliens... I always thought that was just fiction and CGI, like in the movies. I still can't believe it," Callie said.

"Let's not talk about sad things. We're here to relax. So, what do you do for a living?" Daphne asked.

"I run a small business. I work for myself," I replied.

"Really? Owning your own business is so cool," Callie said.

"We're still studying at the local college—law school," Daphne added.

"You know, I'm not too familiar with the area. Any suggestions on where we could spend the evening?" I asked.

"There are plenty of places to go; after all, this is a popular resort town. How about a club? Are you into that?" Daphne suggested.

"I've never been to one," I admitted honestly.

"What? Then we have to fix that! Come on, you're going to love it," Callie said, immediately starting to get dressed. Though "dressed" might be a bit of a stretch—she threw on a cropped tank top and shorts. Daphne, at least, had a slightly longer T-shirt.

They grabbed my hand and pulled me along. Spending time like this felt strange but refreshing. The club wasn't far, so it didn't take long to get there. The entrance fee was low, so we easily got inside.

I was immediately struck by the light show—neon lights flashing brightly, almost blinding me. My sensitive ears protested against the deafening music that pounded relentlessly. It took me a few moments to adjust to the chaos around me.

They dragged me straight to the bar, where an array of cocktails with all sorts of creative names awaited. Time to try some. As expected, the alcohol had no effect on me, though I did enjoy the taste of the cocktails.

I tried to immerse myself in this atmosphere of unrestrained fun, but for some reason, it didn't click. Everything felt absurd and pointless, and one question kept circling in my head: why? Was I having fun? Maybe, but it definitely didn't bring me any real joy.

After spending two hours in the club with Daphne and Callie, I began to feel drained by the atmosphere and decided to step outside for some fresh air.

As I exited the club, I noticed that the sky seemed unusually gloomy tonight.

Ding-ding.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Pulling it out, I checked the caller ID and saw who it was.

"Hello," I said.

"Hello, Brian. Or should I call you the Monster of Metropolis? Hero or beast?" The voice on the other end chuckled. His knowledge of me still unnerved me. "I'm sure your face is frowning right now, and you're wondering how I know. But from your silence, I can tell it was you. I'm no god—I don't know everything."

"Just tell me why you're calling," I said. He wouldn't call for no reason, so clearly, he intended to interrupt my vacation.

"How rude. And here I thought we were almost like brothers—partners in blood and spirit," he said. I was already about to hang up.

"Fine. I've sent you an address. Go there—I need your help with something," he added.

"You've got business to attend to?" Callie asked, noticing that I had finished the phone call.

"Yeah, sorry about this," I said.

"It's fine. We're not that close yet to demand you stay. Here's our number—call us if you want to hang out again," she said, handing me a slip of paper with a number written on it.

"I definitely will," I said, taking the paper and immediately saving the number to my contacts.

The message with the address came through right away. It wasn't far from where I was.

He knew I'd be in this city. But how? When he mentioned I'd need to go to another city, I hadn't even considered coming here. If he wanted to meet in person, I'd get the answers I needed and try to avoid his games. Once the deal was done, I'd cut ties with him for good.

Breaking into a light jog, I headed toward the address. It was near the edge of the city—a small building with benches and doors. On one of the benches sat a figure who raised a hand as if to say, "Over here." He wore a wide-brimmed hat, and the lower half of his face was covered by a black fabric mask.

What caught my attention was the movement of his hands—he was shuffling cards, each adorned with strange, intricate drawings. As I approached, I stopped a short distance away.

"Don't be afraid, have a seat. Though I should probably be the one afraid of you," he said with a laugh, pulling out a card. It depicted a monster tearing open a man's head. "Not the most promising outlook," he remarked, staring at the card.

"Before we start, let me make one thing clear: after this, we don't know each other," I said firmly.

In response, he drew another card. This one showed two paths diverging, only to converge again at the end.

"Fate disagrees," he said.

"I don't believe in fate," I replied.

"Maybe you don't care. But ordinary beings can't resist the pull of a grand destiny," he said, drawing another card. This one was blank—just an empty void. "Still unknown."

"Cut the games and get to the point," I pressed him.

"Fine. I'll be direct: someone needs to die," he said, pulling out yet another card. This one showed a table and a grotesque demon feasting on human bodies.

"We agreed—I don't kill," I said, my voice hardening. I didn't like where this was going.

"The deal was about people. I'm asking you to kill a demon," he said cryptically, removing his mask.

Beneath it was a face that wasn't entirely human—eyes with crimson irises and black pupils, sharp teeth, and yellow, coarse-textured skin.

"Our brother has gotten too bold. He's drawing far too much attention to himself," he said, his tone growing serious.

"And now, let's get to the point—who are you?" I asked, surprised by his appearance. Could he be yet another alien?

The moment I spoke those words, visions began flashing before my eyes: hands drenched in blood, tearing apart creatures with brutal strength. My teeth sank into their flesh, ripping chunks away. The vision vanished as quickly as it came, pulling me back to reality.

"You're tormented by the past, the future, and the present—a terrible disease with no cure. I am a demon from the hellish realms, much like you. I've been through the flames, scarred by the world. You've probably heard of heaven and hell, but they're merely separate dimensions in the universe. Yes, souls do exist, but they're destined to be cleansed and reborn. Hell steals part of the stream, feeding on the energy of souls, consuming them entirely. It's easiest to attract sinners, as their souls are highly compatible with our realm.

I was one of those souls—a sinner who loved gambling. After death, I became a lowly demon, and over thousands of years, I rose to the rank of a higher demon. They named me Probability. And yes, I still love games of chance," Probability said, tossing his cards into the air and deftly shuffling them.

"Why do you say I'm like you? I'm human," I replied, though deep down, I knew these visions were somehow connected.

"I'm just a grain of sand; it's not my place to tell you the full story. Nor am I capable of seeing your destiny. But I'll say this: commanding hellfire isn't something just anyone can do. Only true higher demons can control the flames, see souls, and perceive their sins," the demon said.

"So that's how you know everything—how you predict the future?" I asked.

"God forbid… or so I'd say if I were human. But I'm afraid holy fire would burn me to ash. I don't predict the future; I see probabilities. I gather information from lower demons. You've probably heard of them—imps bound to various objects," he said, and a small, dark creature appeared on his hand, writhing restlessly.

"Why don't you kill the one you're talking about yourself?" I decided to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"If I could, I would. Let's put it this way: imagine you're playing a game and have invested all your points into a single skill. I see probabilities, but I'm a weak demon myself. Many demons are stronger than me. The one who needs to be killed, however, specializes in combat abilities—specifically, the magic of decay. A horrifying skill, but it shouldn't be too difficult for you to defeat him," the demon said.

"Fine, I'll help. But tell me—gluttony, is it really that bad?" I asked.

"On its own, it's not so bad. But when you devour hundreds of people and host feasts where freshly torn human bodies are the main course, that's a different story," Probability said.

His words darkened my mood. Could there really be demons living in our world, doing such things?

"Are there many like him?" I asked, a growing desire inside me to hunt them all down.

"Not many. Most, like me, just want to live in this world. It's far more interesting here than in the endless wastelands of hell. But there are those like Gluttony. They act as if this world is theirs, doing whatever they please, and that doesn't sit well with many of us. When someone behaves like that, it creates, let's say, unrest for demons like me," Probability said, showing a card depicting a man burning at the stake.

"Now everything is clear to me. Tell me where he is. And if others like him appear in our world, you'll let me know," I said, deciding I wouldn't allow such creatures to live on Earth.

"Agreed. Now all that's left is to banish him from this world," Probability said, rising from the bench.

"Banish?" I asked, not entirely understanding.

"You see, every higher demon is tethered to the hellish realm. We're merely guests here. If our physical manifestation is killed, we simply return to our realm and, after some time, can come back," Probability explained.

"Is there no way to destroy him permanently?" I asked.

"Almost impossible. But for you, there is one way. You could destroy the very essence of Gluttony within his own realm. To do that, you'd have to return to the place you were so desperate to escape from," Probability said.

"Then for now, I'll simply banish him. I'm not ready to venture into the unknown, especially since we barely know each other. Besides, I've heard demons always deceive," I replied, wary of his words. His subtle insinuations didn't escape me.

"Excellent. And you've heard correctly—we always lie; it's in our nature," Probability said, waving his hand to open a portal.

A dark vortex surrounded by flames appeared before us. I could feel the heat emanating from it, and it seemed to lead to a place far removed from our world.

"Let's go," he said.

Probability stepped through first. Following him, I found myself standing before a massive, ancient castle. Built of stone, it exuded an air of antiquity. Smoke rose from several chimneys, but no lights were visible inside.

The structure looked foreboding, and I could already feel a fiery rage building within me—a deep, primal urge to destroy this place.

[IMAGE]

"He's taken up residence here," Probability said.

"Then should I attack?" I asked.

"No. I'll give him a chance to leave on his own," Probability replied.

I didn't agree with this. I wanted him to feel at least a fraction of the pain he had inflicted on others.

We headed toward the entrance, with Probability leading the way. As soon as we stepped inside, a powerful stench hit me—like the smell of countless bodies decomposing somewhere nearby.

We moved deeper into the structure and entered a room with a large pool. But instead of water, it was filled with heaps of human bodies piled together, their blood forming the liquid that surrounded them. Flames of rage ignited in my eyes.

"Oh, it's you, my dear brother. But you're a bit early—the bath isn't ready yet. You'll have to wait; the aroma isn't quite fragrant enough," said a demon stepping out from the shadows.

He held a glass filled with a crimson liquid—clearly not alcohol.

[IMAGE]

"Berul, I've come to tell you—you've become far too reckless, breaking the rules," Probability said. His words drew a burst of laughter from the demon.

"Rules... they're so boring and uninspiring. I've grown tired of them. Isn't it far more exciting to live as you please?" Berul said, stepping closer to us. I was ready to incinerate him on the spot, but Probability raised a hand to stop me.

"I'm giving you a chance to leave peacefully and stop tormenting the innocent. Follow the rules, and you won't be forcibly sent back to Hell," Probability said firmly.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! And who's going to send me there? You?" Berul sneered. "Leave while I'm still feeling generous, or you'll be the one heading back to Hell."

He dipped one foot into the grotesque bath, splashing the crimson liquid lazily. That was the last straw for me. Flames erupted across my body, and a torrent of fire surged toward him.

"Not bad, bringing a mage with you," Berul said mockingly, standing firm. "But it's pointless."

The fire around him began to change, no longer yellow but glowing an intense, bright red.

"This can't be... where did you get that fire?" he exclaimed, startled.

The flames consumed his clothing, searing his flesh. Berul screamed, "Begone, pathetic mortal!"

From the pool, a wave of darkness rose, crashing into me with immense force. My flesh began to melt away, stripped from my bones. Regeneration fought desperately to restore my body, while my adaptation tried to adjust to the attack.

What remained of me was a blazing skeleton, engulfed in hellfire. Consumed by fury, I lunged at Berul with everything I had.

[IMAGE]

The streams of flame continued to consume him, burning away his flesh. He screamed, begged, threatened—but I showed no mercy.

"Please, stop! I'll leave on my own. I beg you, brother, tell him!" the wretched demon pleaded.

"Wait, Bryan, stop your flames," Probability said, his tone calm yet firm.

"Why should I? He deserves to suffer, just as they did!" I roared, pointing my blazing hand toward the pool filled with lifeless bodies, my gaze fixed on the charred remains of the demon writhing and groaning on the ground.

"Don't you want to help their souls? They're still under his control. We need to set them free," Probability said, his voice cutting through my fury.

"You pathetic wretch! Release all the souls, or I'll make your death last an eternity. I'll burn every millimeter of your flesh, minute by minute, until you beg for oblivion," I growled, my voice echoing with a chilling, otherworldly timbre.

"Alright, alright! Please, just stop!" Berul cried out, his arrogance shattered.

"Bind him with this chain, imbued with your power. It will prevent his escape and ensure he keeps his word," Probability instructed, handing me a chain that shimmered with a dark, fiery energy.

"You traitor! We're brothers! How could you side with him?" Berul spat, his fury flaring as he realized he had no way out. His flesh ignited again, but it was too late.

Grasping the chain, I wrapped it tightly around his smoldering body. The flames surged as the chain bit into his form, glowing brighter with every link that bound him.

Without hesitation, I dragged him toward the pool of blood and bodies. His cries of protest and pain echoed through the chamber, but they only fueled my resolve.