A dream:

The heat of the room is stifling and the ground burns your bare feet. A hulking mass of white nearly see through flesh holds a rope that leads to your bound hands pulled out in front of you. Small flickers of red flame illuminate the space. The large creature in front of you is still for a moment before it begins to speak, the sounds are harsh but precise. It then lowers its head and faces downward for a second. It then stretches out its arms and then tugs hard on the rope. You fall hard onto our knees onto the solid stonelike material. The heat of the floor takes a second before it starts to burn your knees, you try to stand up. The thing that had led you here steps on the rope tied to your hands and the tug on your wrists stops you from fully standing. It then tugs hard on the rope and forces you back onto your knees. You shuffle back and forth trying to keep the burning of the ground from being too intense on any one portion of your legs. You look up and as your captor has stepped aside you can see a large figure seated in an ornately decorated throne, it is made of some kind of reflective metal, almost perfectly reflective. The form itself appears vaguely humanoid, except its size and its skin color which appears a crimson red, a pair of large black leathery wings protrude from his back and hang slack through gaps in the throne. In his left hand is a clear sphere of some kind and in his right is a staff or weapon of some kind, one end rests on the ground and the other side comes to three points sticking up into the air, it appears to be made of gold or similar metal. He has long black hair and yellow eyes that seem to be brighter than the light in here would allow for. A large pair of black horns come out of his head and twist and curl around his head. The base of the throne while metal appears to have flame coming out of it as if it were burning but it isn’t consumed by this fire nor does it seem to bother anything it touches.

He opens his mouth to speak and the same sort of sound fills the room, first you hear it in the room then it just seems to echo in your head. As it quiets you can hear it again, but this time it makes sense to you, like another voice inside your head.

“Its seems you and yours did not accomplish your mission. As you can see for yourself, I AM HERE.” the last phrase echoing louder causing actual pain as if hearing a deafening noise.

You don’t say anything but instead let out a soft whimper, in response perhaps to the pain alone but perhaps also to the situation you are in.

“Your efforts were in vain mortal, as if the machinations of your tiny minds could ever stand against my intellect. How many pitiful lives did you throw away attempting to stop my servants? How many years and meaningless lifetimes have your kind worked against me? Not enough it seems.”

The creature lifts a hand and the flames that light the room grow in intensity, You peer about and the room is full of devilish figures, black armor covering horned figures, there are so many different kinds of devils here, some appear like tall walking insects while others appear vaguely human with different parts appearing to come from some other type of creature entirely. As the light in the room brightens you can see what might be construed as smiles spread across the faces of all those that are present.

The figure on the throne places the clear sphere on his lap and forms his hand into a fist and points it out to one side then his index finger extends and the portion of the room out to his left illuminates. There are several humans bound and lying in a heap there. As the light comes up they start to move each trying to hide their eyes from the light that now surrounds them. Most of them are gaunt, starved looking, their skin red and blistered from the heat. There are 8 in all ranging from an older man to a young child.

Your vision clouds as tears begin to well up in your eyes, as the teardrops land on the stone there is a mild hiss and it starts to evaporate off the heated stone.

Words escape from you, or at least an attempt at them, as you inhale the heat burns your lungs and you cough and sputter and not much more than a high pitched groan escapes. Another attempt and even through the pain you shriek out the work. “Noooo” it echoes through the utter silence of the room.

Once again the voice booms in your head, “ Did you think you could hide them beyond my view? Now that I am in this place there is very little that I am not aware of.”

“They had nothing to do with this, no knowledge of any of this.” Your voice erupts before once again breaking into a rough cough brought on by the heat.

“But they do have something to do with You.” the voice in your head taunts, “Such fleeting things your mortals are. How easily every sign that you even ever existed can be removed. Parent.” He snaps a finger and fire erupts around one of the 8 bound figures, a few seconds of anguished screaming and then silence and a sickly acrid smell fills the air. Your eyes once again fill with tears and you break into sobs collapsing to the ground.

“Siblings.”

He snaps again and two more figures a man and a woman burst into flames as well.

“Friends.”

He snaps a third time in quick succession and two women also ignite in the same brilliant flame.

“Mentee.”

He snaps again and a young man no older than 20 is in turn engulfed.

“Lover.”

A similar motion and the same result. This time a man about 30 disappears to the flame.

“Child.”

Another snap of the fingers and last remaining figure burst into flame, a young boy barely old enough to walk.

“All gone, now you are all that is left, what proof is there that you ever existed, besides a few scratches on some pages and a name said in passing.”

“Kill me.” is the only response you muster through the sobs. “End this, I do not care anymore.”

“I will, have no doubt of that, but in due time. First you will tell me about the others of your order.”

“Never.” You offer in defiant response while trying to catch your breath.

The creature seated on his throne laughs aloud, a long deep laugh.

You wake.