CHAPTER 25: HEARTS AGAINST THE ABYSS

(Continuation—Surface]

The underworld pulsed like a living wound— veins of red light slithering through stone, breathing smoke and heat into the endless dark. Venom stood before the fractured black crystal that reflected the chaos in the human race, his clawed fingers gliding lazily along its surface. His red eyes flickered as the image shifted: the once-vibrant poolside now a burning cradle of fear and screams.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "So fragile... Fear— humans are so predictable." He hissed.

The vision rippled. The demon hive— the monstrous creation of his wrath— loomed over the trembling mortals. It was a grotesque fusion of smoke and flesh, wings like torn shadows, its mouth wide enough to swallow the light. It moved slowly, savoring terror and feeding on the panic.

But then, two figures emerged from the distortion— cutting through the fear like twin streaks of energy.

Valkyrie.

And beside her was Bulb.

Venom tilted his head, intrigued. "Ah... the silly hybrid finally shows herself."

The ground below quaked as Valkyrie and Bulb descended from the glowing fissure, their arrival was like a burst of celestial flame. Valkyrie’s hair shimmered faintly with streaks of orange and silver under the moonlight, her eyes was locked on the creature’s towering shape.

"Hey, ugly!" Bulb shouted, stepping forward with his usual smirk, with dark energy swirling around his fists. "Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?"

The demon turned its head, its molten eyes narrowing, its voice rumbling through the night like thunder. "You... dare speak to me?"

Valkyrie took a step beside him, her tone was firm, calm but edged with fire. "Leave these people alone. They’ve done nothing to you."

A sound erupted from the demon— a low, crackling laugh that made the air itself tremble. "Orders... from a child of two worlds? You reek of fear and resentment."

Valkyrie’s jaw tightened. "You don’t scare me."

"Then you are already dead," it hissed.

From his lair below, Venom leaned closer to the crystal, his voice seeping through the demon’s mind. "She is the one. Valkyrie. Bring her to me... alive or broken, I do not care."

The demon’s chest flared with crimson light as it roared and lunged forward, its claws tearing through the air like blades. Bulb reacted first, summoning a surge of shadow fire that collided mid-air with the demon’s attack. The impact cracked the asphalt beneath them, sending waves of force across the poolside.

Screams erupted everywhere. Humans scattered from their hiding spot— some diving into bushes, others leaping over fences, leaving shoes, towels, and shattered phones behind. The once-lively pool now resembled a war zone.

Ava and Liz huddled behind an overturned bar counter, trembling.

"What is that thing!?" Liz whispered, tears streaking her cheeks.

"I... I don’t know," Ava stammered, her heart was hammering. "It’s like— like something from hell."

Liz peeked out. "And who are they?" she gasped, watching Valkyrie’s wings flicker briefly in the chaos. "They’re fighting it!"

Valkyrie charged forward, summoning her staff from thin air, the weapon glowing with an ethereal blend of white and gold. She spun it in a swift arc, striking the demon’s arm and forcing it backward. The air cracked with light as her energy met the demon’s fire, scattering sparks across the dark sky.

Bulb smirked. "Not bad, angel girl. Try to keep up!"

He hurled a blast of obsidian fire toward the demon’s chest. The monster countered, opening its maw to unleash a wave of dark plasma. The two energies collided mid-air, exploding into a storm of color that lit up the night like fireworks gone mad.

Venom’s voice echoed faintly through the connection, his tone was low and mocking.

"Interesting... She’s stronger than I expected. And he— the devil boy. What are you planning, little hybrid? Uniting heaven and hell?"

Valkyrie could feel his presence— that dark whisper brushing against her thoughts, and she grit her teeth. "Get out of my head!" she shouted, slamming her staff into the ground. The weapon erupted in a circle of light, creating a barrier that repelled the demon’s next strike.

Bulb landed beside her, panting slightly, with his smirk returning. "You okay?"

"Am fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Just focus."

"Yeah, easy for you to say when a ten-foot lava gremlin’s trying to chew your face off." Valkyrie replied.

The demon roared again, shaking off the dust. "Your power burns bright... but not enough!"

It spread its wings, sending a wave of heat that melted the edges of the pool. The water hissed into steam. Flames began to dance along the tiles.

Valkyrie leapt into the air, spinning her staff with both hands. Light burst from it, forming a chain of glowing runes that wrapped around the demon’s arm. For a moment, it was trapped— thrashing and snarling, its wings flapping wildly.

"Now...!" she yelled.

He grinned, summoning his full infernal energy. His eyes glowed red, horns briefly flickering through his hair. "With pleasure."

He clenched his fists, gathering the dark flame until it pulsed like a heartbeat. Then he hurled it directly into the demon’s chest. The explosion rocked the ground— dust, fire, and shadow blending into one.

Ava shielded Liz as the shockwave rippled through the bar counter, sending glass flying.

"What’s happening!?" Liz cried.

"I... I think they’re winning..." Ava whispered, peeking again— her eyes wide as she saw Valkyrie descend from midair, her aura blazing with light.

Venom’s laughter filled the underground. "Win, you say? Foolish children... You cannot kill what was never alive."

The smoke cleared. The demon hive was still standing— scorched, yes, but grinning with a mouth full of jagged teeth.

It raised one clawed hand, whispering in the forbidden tongue of its master: "I see you, Valkyrie... I feel you."

And then, impossibly fast, it lunged.

Bulb barely had time to react— he pushed Valkyrie out of the way as the demon’s claws slashed across his chest. "VALKYRIE..." He grunted, collapsing against the pavement.

"Bulb!" Valkyrie cried, sliding beside him. His armor flickered, and his energy sparking.

He coughed and smirked weakly. "Am fine, Angel girl. Who told you my name huh?"

Her eyes flared. "Stay down." She hissed.

She then rose, fire and light swirling around her— the mixture was undeniable, unstable and raw. The demon staggered back, sensing something unnatural in her energy.

From the underground, Venom leaned closer to the crystal. His grin widened. "Yes... there it is. The fusion."

The night exploded in radiance as Valkyrie unleashed her power— light intertwining with darkness, forming a brilliant surge that struck the demon dead center. Its scream shook the sky, a thousand echoes unraveling at once.

For a moment, it seemed to dissolve— fragments of its shadow body scattering like ash in the wind. The ground trembled, then fell silent.

Valkyrie collapsed to one knee, panting heavily, as her glow was fading quietly.

Ava and Liz looked on from their hiding spot, speechless.

"Did she just... kill it?" Liz whispered.

"I don’t know," Ava said quietly. "But I think she just saved us."

Up above, thunder rolled faintly— not from clouds, but from somewhere deeper and darker.

Venom stepped back from his crystal, the faintest trace of a smirk lingering. "Interesting. You’re not as helpless as I thought... Valkyrie."

He turned away, his cloak dragging across the molten floor. "But that power... that blend of light and darkness... it will consume you long before I do."

The crystal dimmed. The chamber fell quiet once more.

Back in the human world, the poolside lay in ruins— flames still crackling, sirens wailing in the distance (Police). Valkyrie stood amid the wreckage, staring into the horizon, her thoughts spinning. Bulb staggered to his feet beside her, holding his side but smiling faintly.

"Not bad for a first date with chaos," he joked weakly.

Valkyrie sighed, her eyes heavy with thought. "This isn’t over. Whatever that thing was... it’s just the beginning."

Sirens wailed in the distance as flashing blue and red lights painted the broken scene. Smoke curled from the shattered poolside, it was already past 7 now in the human world

The water still bubbling faintly where the demon hive had vanished. People were crying, shivering, wrapped in towels, and held by trembling friends. The smell of burned chlorine and panic hung in the air.

"Everyone, please step back!" a police officer shouted, waving his arm as his partner hurried to help a woman sprawled on the ground. Blood trickled down her arm, staining the pavement. "We need medics here— now!"

Valkyrie stood nearby, her breathing was uneven. She scanned the crowd— Ava, Liz, a few survivors— but her eyes caught on the woman bleeding out. The woman’s voice cracked as she screamed, "My brother! He’s still in the pool— Please, someone. help him!"

Before Valkyrie could move, Bulb was already diving toward the steaming water, ignoring the heat. He reached in, searching, pulling out a half-conscious boy and laying him gently beside the paramedics. "He’s breathing!" Bulb shouted.

More police arrived, forming a barrier between the wreckage and the terrified crowd. Aunt Grace stumbled through the chaos, calling, "Ava! Ava!" Her voice shook as she pushed past the officers until she found her niece.

"Aunty, am so sorry, I should’ve listened to you...am so...S...sorRY" Ava whispered audibly, with tears flowing down her cheek. Grace pulled her into her arms, tears streaming down her face as well. "Thank heavens, you’re alive. Come here...Sh..shhh" it was an emotional moment for everybody.

Valkyrie barely heard them. Her mind spun, her heart pounding harder than any explosion could. ’Why was the demon calling my name? What did it mean by... hybrid?’

She looked down at her trembling hands, the faint glow of her veins fading under her skin. The sirens, the cries, the chaos— all faded to a single, terrifying thought.

And somewhere deep below the earth, Venom’s laughter echoed menacely, like someone who is just getting started.