The bicycle wheels shuddered and whined under Cam, the only sound in the quiet area. Around him, the grassy land spread out, filled with weeds and rocks. The city of Dublin was behind him, and ahead the rough shores of the Sandymount docks awaited him. The two tall towers of the power station were the only objects to fill the sky, with clusters of buildings around the docks further away.

Cam steered his bike towards an old fort nearby. He had traversed most of Dublin over the rooftops before coming across an unattended Dublin Bike, needing it for the long journey to the coast. Approaching his enemy's stronghold on an old bicycle wasn't his finest moment, Cam had to admit, but he worked with what he got. Stealing a free bike was better than someone's car, he figured.

Sephiaza had chosen an old defensive fort as her stronghold. The Martello tower was a round fortress from the fifteenth century, and used to defend against a great many forces, their research had told them. Within it, Sephiaza had discovered access to a series of underground rooms. Perfect for her to lay low until her forces chose to attack. Cam was sure they'd find at least one or two of the cauldrons that summoned pure demons to the world.

Cam approached a small building connected to the short tower, crossing a road with a few cars passing by. He looked around but didn't expect any attack, not until he was inside. Even the demons had some sense about revealing themselves to the public, usually.

He went around the tower to a grassy patch, beside a rocky section that reached the shore further away. His shoulder flared with pain, almost causing him to stumble. He gritted his teeth and steadied his breathing, willing himself to keep going despite the pain.

When he found a back door, he kicked it in and went through. The first room was empty, with a bare desk and old promotional posters and adverts on the wall. As he made his way to the next room, Cam's arm continued to ebb with a quiet ache, and a familiar dull throbbing reverberated in his head. Demons were somewhere nearby; a great many of them.

The entrance to the stronghold below would need to be easy enough for the demons to access, but harder for a human to find. It took him some time, but he came across a small room with a rock wall on two sides. Cam felt around the rock and discovered a thin line cut through the ground, moving up to the wall. A trapdoor cut into the rock, from the ground up to the wall. He found a hold around the groove and pulled up, fighting through the crippling spasms in his shoulder. The thick rock rose up, creaking and revealing a square hole. Large rock steps led down into darkness.

Cam propped the rock slab on his back and then stepped into the hole, bringing it down behind him. Darkness surrounded him when the slab closed with a grinding thud. A dim light source below showed the path of the steps, which led to a side tunnel. Cam considered igniting his light sword to see his way, but the exposed energy would be sensed by the nearby demons, the way he could sense them.

He reached the bottom of the steps and saw the tunnel to his left. It stretched several meters ahead, tight enough where Cam could almost reach both walls with his arms stretched. Fiery light came from the room at the far end, filling the tunnel with a hot, stuffy air. The throbbing in his temple increased, like bass from a powerful speaker next to his head.

Quick footsteps echoed off the rock walls. Lots of them, growing louder, like thundering drums. Cam reached around half way through the tunnel when the first demon rushed in. It kept its human form—baggy clothing billowing under its thin frame—unable to transform in the tight tunnel. A second demon soon followed, and then a third.

Cam readied himself and called upon his light sword. An explosion of pain burst through his arm, sparks of light flashing from his fist and then dying. Cam cried out and shook the numbness from his arm. He tentatively tried again, feeling for his light, but was met with a blank wall. The demons continued rushing towards him, huffing and grunting. His injury must have been preventing him touching his light, and an angel's light was the only way to kill a demon. So Cam had to improvise.

Okay, he thought, sweat beading his brow. They can't transform; I can't use my light. New rules.

The first demon met him with a wide punch, which Cam ducked under and threw an uppercut. It fell back into the next demon, which pushed past it and reached for Cam. Sidestepping, he grabbed the demon's arm and flipped it over his shoulder, punching it's head on the ground and grimacing as pain shot up his arm. He ducked under an attack behind him, spinning and grabbing it from behind, and then threw it back into another two demons.

The downed demon came up to him. Cam threw a quick punch and then wrapped his hands around its head. A quick jerk broke its neck and it dropped. It would rise again, but was out of the fight for now.

He worked his way through the next demon, blocking its attacks before smashing its head into the rock, and then jumped away from another one swiping at him. His instincts were to avoid being scratched, even though he was already infected with their darkness. Even so, he couldn't afford any more injuries.

Pushing off a keeled over demon, he knocked the next one back with a kick—moving as best he could in the confined space—then grabbed the bent demon and broke its kneecap before slamming it against the wall. He blocked the next attack and swung a backhand out, pushing forward and trying to advance through the tunnel.

A rough hand grabbed his T-shirt and Cam jerked away, ripping the shirt off him. He faltered and steadied himself, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his glistening bare chest, the hot tunnel becoming suffocating. A demon lunged at him and Cam fell back, lifting it and throwing it backwards with his momentum. Pain exploded in his shoulder as he hit the ground.

His vision spun, the throbbing pounding his head. One more demon rushed at him. Cam rolled to his feet and barged into it clumsily, lifting it up and slamming it against the ceiling. As they both fell, he grabbed its head and smashed it into the wall, grinding its face down against the rock. Cam crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath, as the demon slumped beside him.

A few of the demons moved and groaned nearby, but remained down. The end of the tunnel was only a few feet away now.

He pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the large room beyond. Metal sconces held fires that lit the open room, shadows flickering over the rock walls. Tall steps were carved into the rock along the walls, providing a second level and various multi-layered platforms around the room. On a raised platform in the centre was a large black cauldron. Cam recognised the object; the portals that summoned pure demons. An inky smoke rose from the cauldron, dissipating in the still air.

Cam instinctively called on his light sword, but instead of searing pain, simply nothing happened.

A low, menacing growl reverberated through the room, coming from all around. The air shifted and a huge demon fell from above, cracking the rock as it landed. The massive, hulking beast stood twice as large as a regular demon, with powerful arms that reached around ten feet and thick, scaled horns that curled around from its grotesque head. A crippling chill ran through Cam as he looked upon the demon—the pure form of a true demon, unfiltered by humanity. It raised its huge clawed hands and roared, shaking the walls with a deep reverberation that trembled Cam's bones. Fiery red eyes glared at him, bile dripping from its toothy mouth.

Cam stepped back, thinking frantically. The last time they had faced a pure demon, Sablo barely managed to kill it but at the expense of over-exposing his light and weakening himself. Cam had to face it without any light. The beast stomped towards him in powerful strides. Cam dove in and out of its reaching hands, knowing there was no way he could damage it. Dirt and grit collected over his bare torso as he slid around the ground. Even the standard-strength light sword couldn't penetrate its skin. Sablo had needed to flare his light to increase its potency in order to cut it.

Jumping back onto a higher level, Cam regained his breath. The pure demon scrambled up the rock wall with a startling speed and agility. As its head came up, Cam kicked it and then barged into it, curling his arms around it as he pushed away from the rock. They both fell back down, with Cam around its neck. He maintained his footing as the demon's back cracked on the ground. He secured his position and threw a barrage of quick punches into its head before jumping away. A clawed hand caught him in the air. The demon rose up and lifted Cam higher, and brought him close to its snarling mouth. He tried to inch out of the hold, pushing and punching it, but his strength was waning, and he was helpless without his light.

Coming there alone had been a big mistake. But, going there with his brethren would only have risked their lives too. Like the lives that had already been taken. Cam grunted and pushed against the demon's head as it tried to bring him closer. Its wide mouth reached for him. Bath-Kol, Haziel, Duma, Nathanael... Sablo, Briatha, Leo, Zophiel... so many angels lost. So much death and destruction. Deaths that Cam could have prevented if he had never fallen for Alyssa... if his faith was stronger. He pushed against it harder, grimacing as the head came closer.

With no light, and no understanding of their darkness, Cam would die there. But, something pushed him on. Anger flared in him. He cried out and a brilliant flare of white light burst from his hand, piercing the demons skull.

He fell through the air as the demon dropped to the ground. Cam landed and saw the beam of glorious light extending from his fist. The familiarity and comfort of it churned a well of emotion in him. His breath caught when he saw the flickering, erratic pulses of the unstable light, but he had no time to worry about that.

The pure demon pushed upward, faltering and having to steady itself. Thick black blood oozed from its head, but the wound itself seemed to be made up of empty space, like it was unaffected by light. A space void of existence. That was the inner core of the demon. Pure darkness. Like the angels were made up of light. But it bled also, and a true, pure demon wouldn't have blood. It huffed and growled fiercely, and then charged towards him. It wasn't a pure demon, Cam realised. Not truly. But it was close.

Huge arms came down on him and Cam jumped away, flipping as both arms passed by him. His sword flashed across its chest but it barely affected the thick skin. The demon stumbled back and roared, showing a barely visible line across its huge chest.

Cam backed away, readying his sword. The thought that it wasn't a fully pure demon gave him some hope, enough to keep him going. But he still needed to pierce its skin.

He rushed towards it and jumped, rising over its head. Cam retracted his sword and rechanneled it to extend downwards, and cried out with a burst of intense focus. The light sword pulsed with a blinding light as it came down and plunged into the demon's head wound, sliding deeper inside it. Cam swung around and planted his feet against the back of its head, and pushed back. His sword held deep in the demon's head but he kept pushing away from it, his legs locking. The light dug further into its head as Cam pulled back, like a fulcrum lever. The demon stumbled and tried to shake him off but Cam held on. In a sickening crack his light broke out of its head, splitting a chunk of the head away and throwing Cam back.

The demon hit the ground in a cloud of dust, and became still as thick blood slowly pooled around its opened head.

Cam lay on the ground, breathing heavily, sweat pouring from his arms and torso. He didn't know how his light returned to him, but he was greatly thankful for it. He could have dropped to his knees and praised the heavens right there. He lay on his back, catching his breath.

A shadow caught his eye above him. Vassago. Standing in the mouth of a cave entrance. The shadowed figure remained there for a moment, before he hopped down to a lower platform, one level up from Cam.

"Nice work, Dad," Vass said. "I was rooting for you."

Cam sat up with a grimace. He considered extinguishing his light but couldn't risk not getting it back again. "You could have lent a hand."

"Well, then it wouldn't have been as much fun."

Chips of rock fell from the ceiling, dust spreading through the air, as heavy footfalls shook the ground and echoed around them.

"Let me guess," Cam said, "not my time to die."

Vass shrugged. He opened his mouth to say something—

"Actually," a cold voice said. "It is about time."

A heavy ache burned through Cam's head, as if a thousand demons had smothered him. His arm burned and grew numb, almost cutting out his light. He turned and saw Sephiaza. She stood on a platform below, near the entrance. Vass remained above him, with Cam in between them on the other side of the cave. She wore a similar corset and skirt as the last time he had seen her, the year before, with a long silk robe flowing around her.

Cam swallowed, his voice leaving him.

"Camael," she said, the venom and contempt clear in her heavy voice. It still carried the huskiness Alyssa had, which Cam once thought sounded sultry, but now he considered it menacing.

The thundering footfalls grew louder as many more demons got closer.

"Alyssa." The name left Cam before he realised it.

Sephiaza's eyes blazed. "How dare you? Still deluded, I see. The same old Camael."

"You guys want me to give you a minute to catch up?" Vass said casually.

"Parent are talking, son," Cam said, matching his tone. "Go to your room."

Sephiaza rolled her eyes. "Enough. Camael, I can feel our power coursing through you. You have little time left. Now, you can either let it take you, and join us, or continue fighting until we put you down."

Cam's light continued to ebb and shudder, casting contrasting shadows that flickered against the fire's shadows.

"You said one thing wrong there," Cam said. "There's no way you'd allow me to join you. And so our only real option is for one of us to kill the other. That's the reality of the situation, right?"

Sephiaza remained standing firmly. Echoing howls cut through the air. The incoming demons were so close that Cam could hear their heavy breaths. Once they all came, he would have no chance of surviving.

Cam dove down to Sephiaza. She stayed where she was as he came to her, readying his sword. He struck out but a heavy black object knocked into him, sending him rolling to the ground. His light sword cut out as he skidded and then turned to face her, seeing Vassago now standing beside her.

"Careful," Vass said. "You could take someone's eye out."

Cam rose onto his feet and searched within him for his light. His arm tingled and burned as he held it out, but he ignored the pain. It took him a long scary moment but he found his light, and ignited the bright beam.

The first demon burst through a side tunnel, growling and stomping. A second demon fell from the ceiling and two more came from holes in the walls. At least they were all regular human-infused demons, even if that gave Cam little comfort. He had to get to Sephiaza now before they all attacked.

"Out of time," Sephiaza said.

Cam's heart ached when he looked at her; the face of the woman he once cared for.

With no other choice, he rushed forward. Anticipating Vass's interception, Cam spun away from his attack but a knee took him in the gut. He flipped with his momentum and reached out towards Sephiaza but a quick hand grabbed his neck pulled him back and slammed him down. Cam rolled away and jumped to his feet, bare chest heaving.

Vass came to him, fists flying among blocks and dodges. Cam called out, frustrated at swiping through the empty air as Vass darted around him. Behind Vass, Sephiaza glared at them, her lips curled into a relishing smile. She was enjoying this. The thought spurred Cam on, a fierce anger boiling in him. He lashed out, jumping and flipping, matching his son's movements. In his mind, he thought he heard Sephiaza laughing. More demons poured into the room.

"Come on, Dad," Vass goaded, ducking under an attack. "You can do better than that." He darted up and struck Cam across the face.

Cam spun, crying out, and channelled his frustration into his sword. He readied himself and swung a heavy blow. A burst of dark light erupted from Cam's sword as Vass caught his arm. They paused and stared at each other, the black light burning over their heads. Cam's heart raced as he stared at Vass, his face highlighted by the dark light.

"Look at that," Vass said, grinning.

Cam pushed back and extinguished his light. Sweat dripped down him, his arms hanging limply. The sharp pains shot through his arm and into his chest, gripping him. The cave walls began to spin and his vision blurred, but he made out dozens of large beasts surrounding him, wavering light shadows under water. Cam realised he had fallen onto his knees.

Sephiaza said something, or so he thought, but the room dimmed and sounds faded. The last thing Cam remembered was Vass standing over him, and then he blacked out.

[Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment and click the Like star. I'd love to hear what you think of the story. Thanks!]