Well… the previous episode ended on a pretty devastating note. The demon boy has taken down one of the Slash Kings. What’s up next?

Distraught. Devastated.

Those two words were an understatement of how Ambradu felt as he sat on the floor of his bedroom, soaked in tears.

He couldn’t go to school. Of course, his parents couldn’t fault him for it, and even said it was the best thing to do at that point. Nobody in his current situation would be able to pay attention to any thing any teacher would say. All his mind could do that day was unsuccessfully struggle to understand the tragic events that had unfolded two nights ago.

It was too hard to digest. Too difficult to understand. Too painful to accept.

Jake was dead.

The Slash Kings had split up, alright, and he certainly was not happy with them for their actions. But one thing he could never deny was that he actually cared about Faisal and Jake. Especially the latter, as they had been friends from Class 2 till then. And to have been woken up with such horrible news was just too much.

His mother had stood by his bed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she woefully informed her son that the Yorke family had been attacked by armed robbers the previous night, and for some inexplicable reason, they had shot his best friend to death.

God, why, why did it have to be Jake? Why? Why? Whyyyy? He questioned as he continued to shed tears. This just wasn’t fair. Jake was nowhere near perfect, but an end like this? Way too cruel and undeserved.

Now that fight with him seemed so unnecessary. So trivial. He would give anything to have the chance to make up with him. Now even his fist fight with Faisal felt useless.

How death knew how to make folly of these insignificant issues!

He continued to sob, pained that he and his best friend could never make up.

“It shouldn’t have been you, Jake, it shouldn’t have been you,” he sobbed. “It shouldn’t have been you going out like this. This is too much! If only I could rewind the time…”

Crying for your dear friend, eh?

Ambradu jerked up. That was a really loud voice he had just heard. And it was not just his mind’s ear that heard it; his actual ears heard it. Apprehension gripped him as he curled up against the side of his bed. He had a fair idea of how it was. “Wh-wh-who is that? W-w-whadduyu want?”

Shivering as he looked around, he heard the voice again.

Who is that, you say? Oh, it’s an old friend, you know. A little boy you know pretty well… we met a few days ago when you went to see Mr. Doe, I visited your friend Jake two days ago and left him a little present between the eyes… you know me well.

That was obviously the Kingsley demon kid.

Confirming the tiny suspicion he had had while mourning. That he had caused his good friend’s death.

Ambradu sprung up from the floor. Grief had suddenly given way to fear. He didn’t know what business Kingsley had with him, but he was too scared to stick around. Especially with that straightforward admission of having Jake killed.

If he could be as far away from that evil entity, that would be great.

Hey! Where the hell do you think you’re going?

Ignoring the menacing tone Kingsley had now employed, he grabbed the doorknob and pulled.

It felt like pulling something that had been firmly glued to the wall; it was stuck tight.

“What the hell?” Ambradu wondered out loud as he tried to yank harder at the door. How come? His mother had entered the room about half an hour ago. Why was it refusing to budge?

GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR, FOOL! YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!

Ambradu jumped away from the door, terrified by that roar from the Kingsley demon. He shivered with fear, and weakly cried out, “What do you want with me?”

Right then, a line of fire arose from the door to the four walls of the room. Ambradu screamed at the sight of this sudden inferno as he fell to the floor.

“MAA! PAAPA!” he cried out loud. “HELP ME, PLEASE!”

The Kingsley demon laughed scornfully.

Don’t waste your time, fool! There’s nobody who can hear you. And you can’t escape. It’s just you and me.

Ambradu looked around, frantically trying to find any bottle of water or any liquid. Anything to try and fight this fire in any way possible.

As he ran to his dressing table, hoping to find a bottle or something, the evil voice let out a laugh.

Nope, there’s nothing in here to extinguish the fire, mortal! It’s just you and me and the fires of vengeance!

Ambradu watched on in horror as the flames grew bigger and fiercer, totally at his wit’s end. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t hide. He was simply at the mercy of this frightening entity, who was clearly still infuriated by their actions and unwilling to let it go.

Without warning, two balls of fire flew right at him.

“AHHHHHH!”

As to how he managed to dart out of the way of those raging flame balls, he had no idea. But as he lay sprawled out on the floor, he felt no part of his body or clothing on fire.

Relief for a brief second. But he was still in the hands of this evil being.

Foolish boys! You thought you could trample over every little boy and girl in your area and thought you could get away with it, didn’t you? I told you you’d regret this! I told you!

He began to cry again. This time, it was tears of terror. He didn’t need too much to connect the dots to realize that after weaving his wand of evil upon Jake, the Kingsley demon kid was coming for him too.

Oh, how his words spoken in weakness that day had turned out to be much stronger than he had ever anticipated!

“Please, Kingsley, I beg you, please don’t kill me! I’m sorry, I swear! I wish to God we had never beaten you that one time. Please! I beg you! I’ve changed, I swear! I’ll never bully another kid again. I’ll do whatever you want. But please! Don’t kill me!” he screamed in a flood of tears.

In response, he heard a scornful laugh from the demon. He continued to sob bitterly, wishing to God that this otherworldly being would show him some form of mercy.

Any form of mercy.

With the way he had had Jake executed, though, he didn’t have too much faith…

Awwww, so pitiful, aren’t you? So many tears and lamentations. Ha! Well, you’re lucky my hands are tied.

Almost too busy crying hard to hear the first part, Ambradu stopped when he heard the last part of the demon’s comment. “W-w-what?”

At that moment, the smoldering heat that engulfed the room dissipated as the flames reduced in size and died out.

Yep. From the moment you found out the truth and went rushing for forgiveness, my hands were tied. Even if I wanted to get rid of you, I’m not permitted to. So you can stop the little sobfest. I can’t kill you.

Ambradu doubted he would ever experience a stronger wave of relief than the one that washed over him as he heard that and saw the flames suddenly disappear. He wiped his tears and gasped, “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you…”

Don’t thank me for anything. I’m not the one to thank. Left to me, you should’ve been joined by your friend in the underworld by now. Besides, I’m still out for your other friend.

The tension and terror had exited his bowels upon knowing nothing was going to happen to him. But a lesser version dropped in them at the sound of that last sentence. “F-F-Faisal?”

Oh yeah, Faisal. Horrible little bastard! Don’t bother yourself trying to intercede for him; his fate is already sealed. It’s only a matter of time. It’s only a matter of time…

“Kingsley, wait!” Ambradu called out as the voice began to fade. It paid him no heed, simply repeating that last phrase.

It’s only a matter of time…

It’s only a matter of time…

“Oh, God. Faisal’s next. What do I do?” Ambradu wondered once the voice was no longer audible.

Sure, the Kingsley demon claimed the fate of his friend had already been sealed, but… surely there was something he could do to salvage the situation.

Right?

***

Not really.

He couldn’t text or call Faisal; his former friend had blocked him across all channels of communication, and the only person who could have gotten through to him was now lying in a morgue with a fatal gunshot wound to his head.

Could he speak to someone to warn him to be careful?

Who could he get to do that? Faisal didn’t have friends. With an attitude like his, it was no wonder most people chose to stay clear of him. The only one who could speak to him was Jake. He didn’t even know the number of Faisal’s brother.

In any event, this had to do with matters beyond the physical. Warning Faisal would be as effective as pouring a teaspoon of water on a raging forest fire.

Ambradu wrought his hands nervously as he sat on the bed, his phone in front of him. Salvaging the situation now looked like a bit of a bleak idea. God, how I wish You’d let me wind back the time. I swear I’d have nipped this bullying behaviour in the bud. Now look. We’ve bitten off way more than we can chew.

Kingsley’s words as they had walked away from him after the first pounding came to mind.

“You… you’re-you’re… you’re gonna regret this.”

He had known exactly what he meant when he said that. And dear Lord did Ambradu regret it. He knew wherever Jake was at that point, he regretted it. And Faisal… with the way the demon spoke, it was likely he was going to have his share of regrets soon.

He could only hope and wish it wouldn’t be a fate as horrid as Jake’s.

We’re slowly inching towards the finish line, and I’m sure we’re wondering what’s likely to happen to Faisal. The next episode will tell all…