The roof of the train compartment burst open with a deafening crash, sending shards of twisted metal and scattered screws raining down onto the plush, carpeted floor. Lisa stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared up at the jagged hole in the ceiling, the cool night air rushing in like an unwelcome intruder.
A guttural roar shattered the stunned silence, drawing her gaze upward just as a massive figure dropped through the opening and landed with a heavy thud. It was enormous and hulking—a grotesque humanoid hybrid with the snarling head of a lion, a broad human torso rippling with unnatural muscles, and anisodactyl feet as thick as a man's legs, ending in razor-sharp talons that scraped against the floor. The creature rose to its full height, towering over her, its golden eyes locked on Lisa as thick strands of drool dripped from its jagged fangs onto the carpet below.
"What in the world?!" Lisa exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and fury. She stumbled back a few steps, her hands glowing with raw magical energy as she hurled a barrage of heavy fire spells at the beast. Blazing orbs of flame slammed into its chest and face, each impact sending ripples through its furred hide. The creature recoiled with a pained snarl after every hit, but it pressed forward relentlessly, its thick skin unmarred by so much as a single scratch or burn mark.
"Hey, Lilith, this would be a *really* good time to chime in," Lisa shouted into the empty air, hoping her demonic companion would finally respond. But only silence answered her, thick and mocking. She scoffed in frustration, her heart pounding as she yanked open the nearest compartment door—a small, dimly lit cabin lined with wooden panels and a narrow bunk bed. She darted inside and slammed the door shut, channeling a surge of her magic to reinforce it with shimmering blue barriers that hummed with protective energy.
"I'm not allowed to interfere with human problems," came Lilith's voice at last, cool and distant after months of eerie quiet. It echoed faintly in Lisa's mind, like a whisper from the shadows.
"But my sister normally gets—" Lisa started, her words tumbling out in desperation.
"Michael is an angel—an *archangel*, in fact," Lilith cut her off sharply. "His job is literally to meddle in human affairs. There's only a minor penalty for him at most. But we higher demons? We have it rough. The Creator doesn't like our existence one bit."
"Who even *is* the Creator, and what is he like?" Lisa pressed, leaning against the door as if it could shield her from the chaos outside.
"Gruesome. Self-centered. Strict," Lilith replied curtly, her tone laced with ancient bitterness.
"Now what's the way out of this mess?" Lisa demanded, her patience fraying like a worn thread. But Lilith fell silent again, leaving her alone with the pounding of her pulse in her ears.
Sweat beaded on Lisa's forehead and trickled down her temples in salty rivulets. She glanced around the cramped cabin, her breath coming in short gasps—the flickering lantern light casting long, wavering shadows on the walls. She'd faced dangers before, but nothing had ever cornered her like this, trapping her in a metal box hurtling through the dark.
Outside, the spirit thrashed against the magic-reinforced door with brutal force, its talons raking deep gouges into the wood. The bangs echoed like thunderclaps, shaking the frame and vibrating through her bones. Lisa clamped her palms over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut against the relentless assault.
But amid the clamor, a soft chime pierced through—like delicate silver bells tinkling in a gentle breeze. It started as a low rumble, carrying a distinct, soothing melody that wrapped around the edges of the noise, pulling it apart thread by thread. The chimes grew stronger, weaving into a harmonious cascade that swelled until it drowned out everything else, filling the air with an almost tangible calm.
The banging stopped abruptly. The sense of looming danger evaporated like mist in the morning sun. Heart still racing, Lisa lowered her hands and eased the door open a crack, peering out into the compartment. The air hung heavy with the scent of scorched metal and faint smoke, but the spirit was nowhere in sight. It had vanished without a trace, leaving only scattered debris and a few singed patches on the carpet.
"You really don't know how to use your powers, do you?" a melodic voice said from behind her, smooth as silk and laced with amusement.
Lisa whipped around, her hand instinctively sparking with residual magic. What she saw made her breath catch—not in fear, but in quiet awe. Standing there was a woman of breathtaking beauty, her skin as fair and luminous as fresh milk under moonlight. Her eyes were narrow and gleaming like polished obsidian, framed by cascading waves of raven-black hair. She wore a flowing white gown that draped elegantly over her lithe form, its silk edges whispering against the floor. From the base of her spine swayed nine luxurious tails, each one a shimmering cascade of deep blue fur that caught the dim light like sapphire waves. In her delicate hand, she held an ornate fan adorned with silken strings, from which dangled tiny silver bells that still faintly hummed with residual magic.
"Who,or what are you?" Lisa asked, her voice tinged with fascination despite the adrenaline still buzzing in her veins.
"A demon," the woman replied with a sly smile, gliding closer with the graceful poise of a dancer. Lisa instinctively took a few cautious steps back, her skepticism sharpening her gaze ....trust didn't come easy after the night's horrors.
"A demon?" Lisa echoed, her brows furrowing.
"Yes, a fox demon," the woman confirmed, her tails swishing lazily behind her like curious serpents. "I was sent to assist you."
"By who?"
"Why, the Mother of Demons herself, of course."
It clicked in Lisa's mind like a key turning in a lock—this was Lilith's clever workaround. If she couldn't intervene directly, she could dispatch one of her loyal subordinates to handle the dirty work.
"How did you get here so fast?" Lisa blurted, glancing toward the shattered roof as if expecting to see a portal still swirling.
"By magic, obviously," the woman sneered, her full lips curling in mild disdain. "Don't ask such foolish questions." Lisa frowned at the sharp retort, crossing her arms.
"What's your name?"
"The name is Nalia," she said, her voice warming just a fraction as she snapped her fan shut with a crisp click.
Their conversation shattered like glass under a great thud that rocked the train's floor, sending vibrations up through their feet. Another spirit had crashed into the compartment—this one sporting the sleek, spotted head of a leopard, its emerald eyes glowing with feral hunger as it crouched low, muscles coiling for a pounce.
Nalia didn't hesitate. She raised her fan with fluid precision, and a mighty gust of wind erupted from it, howling like a tempest and slamming the beast back against the wall. The bells on the strings chimed in rapid succession, their tones rising into a piercing symphony. The spirit threw its head back and screamed, a sound like tearing metal. Fine cracks spiderwebbed across its leathery hide, glowing faintly orange as they spread from its snarling maw to the tips of its claws. Within seconds, the fissures consumed its entire form, and it crumbled into a heap of brittle debris. Wisps of acrid black smoke curled upward from the remains, dissipating into the air like defeated shadows.
"How did you do that?" Lisa breathed, her eyes wide with astonishment as she stepped closer to the pile of rubble.
"I used a magic art called Higher Evil," Nalia explained, flicking a speck of dust from her gown with casual elegance.
"What's that?" Lisa pressed, leaning in eagerly.
"When a being is born from chaos and destruction, it's marked as one of evil's own," Nalia said, her voice steady and patient now, like a teacher addressing a promising student. "Evil comes in grades, each with its own price. Sure, good can cancel out evil, and the reverse holds true. But evil can also cancel out lesser evil—if you wield a higher form of it. That's what I did just now."
"Uh..." Lisa trailed off, her mind reeling from the sudden flood of lore, pieces clicking together like a puzzle she hadn't known she was solving.
Before she could press for more, another spirit dropped through the roof with a savage growl, its form twisting mid-air. Nalia dispatched it with the same effortless grace—fan raised, winds whipping, bells tolling—until it shattered into nothingness. Then came a third, and a fourth, each meeting the same fate in bursts of smoke and silence. Lisa could only watch, transfixed, her earlier fear giving way to a burning curiosity as she studied every flick of Nalia's wrist, every chime of those enchanted bells.
In mere minutes, the onslaught ended. The compartment fell into a blessed quiet, broken only by the distant whistle of wind that came in through the breached roof. With a shared glance, Nalia and Lisa levitated upward on currents of soft magic, rising to inspect the damage. There, silhouetted against the paling sky, stood Lisa's companions; Amir and Aurora . They had clearly been poised to leap in, ready for an onslaught.
The trio locked eyes and let out a collective sigh of relief, the tension draining from their shoulders like water from a punctured flask. They all but ignored the enigmatic fourth presence Nalia for the moment, too weary to unpack her arrival just yet. Dawn was breaking, painting the horizon in soft strokes of pink and gold as the sun peeked over the rolling hills outside.
"Shall we leave this nightmare behind?" Amir asked, sheathing his blade with a weary nod.
The girls nodded in agreement, their faces lit by the first warm rays of morning light.