The spirits told them all types of things, but mainly, they gave them an option to gain strength. Firstly, as anyone would, they talked to a viable source, in this case, it was the government. Once they got the green signal, they followed every word the spirits told them…
And it worked. And it kept working, continuous success and even more rich individuals began to learn about the 'Underealm.' However, there's a term that's said, 'Large money never comes easy.' And they didn't find it easily, but what they did find easy, is using the spirits' word.
Tears dropped from Alex's eyes as his older brother was in unbearable pain, realising that there was legitimately nothing he could do to help.
"Hmmm," Something appeared right behind Alex, "I see this is what it has come to."
It was a spirit, and the same spirit that they first acquainted with. This is where it had all started, and this was the Spirit's first appearance in a very long time.
"Oh," Alex breathed in relief, "You're here." He creepingly sneered, "My brother's about to die! Please, come help!"
Sweep!
The spirit now fully shaped, he sat on the couch in the middle of the room, glancing at the glass barrier.
"Why should I?" The spirit grinned.
Alex turned dark, "What do you mean… we helped each other! You said you'll help us succeed! You said you'll give us more than what we have!"
"Did I not?" The spirit responded, "I gave you success." It grinned, "You just used up all of it."
Alex stood up, dropping Will's body to the floor, "What…?" He began to turn towards the spirit, "I said, help him." He demanded.
"And what if I don't?" The spirit giggled.
"I'll… I'll kill all of you!" Flames burned all over Alex once more. "Ehhhhhhh!"
He began rushing the spirit with his fiery palm, and the spirit simply sat with eyes closed on the couch.
Bam!
The spirit threw a plastic water bottle in the air, and by the time it landed, it sat straight up, a perfect toss. In the exact position Alex now lies, with his fiery powers washed away. The spirit still sat on the couch, but Alex had now lost all his abilities, and he was immobilised.
"Why can't I move?" Alex said in a shaken voice.
"You ungrateful humans." The spirit grinned, standing up from its couch, "I gave you these powers, so don't forget, the man who turns the lights on also has the job to turn them off. Essentially, I can take back those powers whenever I want." He finished, standing eye to eye with Alex.
"No…" Will shakenly tried spitting out words, "Please spirit! That's my brother! Please let him go." He begged, as Alex stood there, paralysed.
"Shut up, ugly fart," The spirit whispered.
The spirit then threw a kitchen knife towards Will's head, aiming it perfectly, as Will now lost all sense of himself.
Alex's eyes darkened, and the spirit began walking past him to claim back his knife.
"Why must you make me waste this perfectly good knife?" The spirit was relieved.
Alex stayed there, eyes open, body unable to move, life threatened, and his brother… had just died. It was straight out of a nightmare.
"Let me tell you a story," the spirit said, licking the blood off the knife, "There was once a child who wanted to become a hero." He began to walk towards Alex.
Alex stood there, silent, listening, trembling at what had just happened.
"This hero wanted power; he wanted to save this world from injustice." The spirit ran a hand through his hair, "Sounds kind of similar, don't it?"
Alex began to gain memories, from the start of his and his older brother's journey, and it continued, an agonising experience it was.
"Anyways," The spirit continued, "That kid started to grow through the ranks, gaining more and more power as he went on. But there was an issue." It paused, twirling the knife around his fingers, "He reached the end, where humans cannot surpass their physical capabilities. So, he made a deal with the devil."
And then, the spirit began to laugh, "Well, not the devil, just me."
Alex tried moving his body, angry murmurs spat out of his mouth, but he couldn't put words together, not in his current state, at least.
"That human got that power, that power became an expectation." The spirit said calmly, "That person didn't notice when 'help' became 'obligation.'"
The spirit stopped beside Will's body.
"And you definitely didn't notice when the price kept rising."
Alex tried to speak once more, but nothing came out.
"Organizations like yours," The spirit went on, "Exist everywhere. Gangs, corporations, governments, intelligence groups, cartels, and more. They all exist, all for our personal benefit in the end."
It tapped the knife against its palm, "You get strength, influence, safety." Its eyes darkened, "And in return, you stop wondering about potential consequences."
The spirit leaned closer to Alex, "You thought you would change the world?" It whispered. "But all you did was help its demise."
Alex's tears fell freely now.
"And just like that," It snapped its fingers, "You had no more left for you."
Alex's body finally collapsed forward, knees slamming into the floor.
The spirit began to walk out of the room, waving a hand to everyone who still lay in there, which was, truthfully, only one person. The room now remained silent, nothing more to it, just that.
And just like that, a man kneeled beside his dead brother, realising too late that the thing he trusted was never supernatural at all.
"Brother," Alex finally let out a whisper as he began to fall, his body completely numbed, "I guess in the end, we couldn't be the superheroes we always dreamed of." Alex smiled, closing his eyes, starting to fall to the floor.
And so ended the story, not of heroes or demons, but of a brother who followed, and a fool who believed power was ever given without cost.
In the end, they were never villains, only victims who misunderstood real human values.