CHAMBER OF ILLUSION

The Yeti couldn't believe its eyes. Its stood helplessly watching me passing through the portal. Whoosh! The portal closed.

It was a narrow escape, I got lucky again, only this time I actually knew what I was doing. My fight with Vo'ak was the first and everything I did was by luck. I got my first ever powers through that fight, I also had to learn to use it still in the fight.

My fight with Ice King was a little different because then, I had already activated my powers and I was no longer afraid, at least not like the first time with Vo'ak.

When I went through the portal, I came directly into Mr. Gabriel's garden, or 'The Lord's Chamber', as everyone in the hellish realm calls it.

There was no one there, the place was quiet as usual and the waters were singing their sweet natural songs. The sounds of which could rejuvenate anyone from any kind of injury.

I found a place to sit, and few minutes later, I got completely healed from Ice King's ice and attacks. While I was savoring the healing powers of the garden, Mr. Gabriel's sharp yet soft voice echoed through the garden.

"You made it!" He said.

I sharply turned to face him, but something didn't look right. His face carries the expression of disappointment.

"Yes I made it." I responded.

He walked up to me and almost whispering, he said: "I am disappointed."

My expression fell. I saw the disappointment on his face, but I didn't expect him to say it right to my face, but then, I also remembered that he is the Lord here.

" But I defeated the Ice King's attacks." I said calmly.

He smiled. "Well that is why I am disappointed."

"What are you talking about?" I got curious.

He sighed and replied: "I was hoping that Ice King would destroy you. I thought once you get there, you would never come back again. But Ice King, he disappointed me. And now you would have to face your next opponent, and I promise you Sol, you are not going to enjoy it."

The sound of his voice as he speaks sent chills into my soul. My curiosity only grew because I needed to know who that next opponent would be, and why Mr. Gabriel spoke about him in such coldness high regards.

"Who is my next opponent?" I asked.

He smiled, looked me in the eyes and answered:

"Your next opponent would be none other than myself."

My heart banged, my expression dampened and all my countenance disappeared. I knew I barely survived Vo'ak and Ice King but Mr. Gabriel is the Lord of Hell; how in the hell would I ever survive him.

"Why you?" My voice shook, "Why do you want to destroy me by all means?"

He smirked, tapped me on my shoulder and said:

"Because I am the Devil. It is what I do, I destroy souls who earthly dirty lives sends to hell."

The moment he dropped those words from his mouth, the entire garden began to loose it beauty again, just the same way it did when I was being teleported to the Ice realm.

Mr. Gabriel's eyes started glowing with blood-red light, his face lost it beauty, his hair grew longer and more sentient. His teeth grew fangs like that of a vampire.

His forehead cracked open and two powerful mighty horns erected from it. His fingers also grew claws like a bear and his skin transformed from resemble a normal human's skin to a scaly thick red skin.

His body began to expand, growing more muscles and fibers. Gradually, I stood there in awe, my jaw dropped and my eyes almost fell out as I watched him grew taller and bigger and mightier than I could had ever imagined. Mr. Gabriel's transformation from a handsome man who deemed himself lord, to a deadly gigantic red beast happened only within micro seconds.

His garden transformed along with him. From a beautiful awesome peaceful garden into an arena of death, burning with liquid fire.

After his tremendous transformation, he checked himself out, sighed and began to walk calmly toward me. He opened wide his arms as if inviting me for a warm embrace. His aura oozes with suppression and oppression. I would never want to, but I felt my knees trembling, begging to go down in veneration to the evil Lord of hell.

"Bow to me." His voice vibrated.

"Ahh!" I screamed.

I tried to hold myself up, not to bow to him but in vain. My knees forcefully jammed the hot smoky dusty ground.

"Oh yes! That's right. Kneel." He commanded.

"Ahh! Please stop." I pleaded.

"Your plea does not matter. Nothing is going to stop me from crushing your soul puny boy."

I hissed in anger. That word again. Everyone kept using that word on me. I stayed silent with my head bowed and my knees down. I couldn't withstand his presence. Everything about him speaks evil and dominion. Everything I feared about hell, simply downed on me.

"And all these while I thought you were good man and a friend." I mumbled.

He busted into laughter.

"Good? Friend?… Look around you Sol. This is hell, and in here, whatever looks good could only be an illusion."

"What about the warm welcome, the beautiful garden and you even said I was your special guest?"

"Hmm… You truly are short sighted." He said, "But then, I knew you would be carried away by mere beauty and little kind gestures. I only shown you what you would want to see and treated how you would want to be treated.

Come on Sol, this is hell. What? So you were actually thinking that I was going to embrace you and keep you in here forever like a family?"

I'd never felt so helpless. His words crushed my hope, and his menacing domineering aura was even doing worse to me. All my powers hid their faces, for they were useless before him. Of course, hell is his domain, the realm he rules. Everything that has breath calls him Lord here.

I sighed faintly and pleaded again.

"Please… what ever you want to do with me do it quickly, I am already tired of the evil treatment."

He laughed at my words and said:

"I am not that evil. I was not going to kill you that easily, there's no joy in that. You have powers, so fight me."

"My powers are inconsequential to yours. This is your domain." I said.

"Blah blah blah… words cannot help you Sol. You defeated Vo'ak and was able outsmart Ice King, yet you still think less of yourself. Like it or not, I am your next opponent and you must fight me. I am giving a chance to becoming the new Lord of Hell"

Suddenly, everything stopped. Time seemed to hold, his suppressing aura began to loose its grips on me and the garden began to revert back to the illusionary beauty it carried.

We both were shocked by the sudden happening. I could tell The red Beast was taken by surprise in his own Damian. He carried a confused look, his eyes constricted and asked out loud:

"What is going on?"

"This is your domain." I responded. "How can you not know what is going on?"

"He wouldn't know… There's a lot he does not know." A sharp powerful voice pierced through the garden and even through both of our hearts in a powerful magical way.

By then, the garden had already took it former form. The serenity came back too, even The Beast lost it form and gave it way to Mr. Gabriel's human form.

"You that kneels, Rise!" The voice commanded me.

I did as the voice commanded. I stood there as confused as the owner of the chamber. We both looked at all directions of the garden to catch where the voice comes from but in vain.

Suddenly, the pool in the garden began to magically steer and glow at the same time. The waters began to take a form. Slowly but steadily, the form began to show the features of a human.

We both stood there in awe of the happenings. If I didn't know better, I would think Mr. Gabriel was just pretending to be surprised but no, he clearly was as confused as me.

Finally, the pool stopped steering and the glow stopped. We looked as a perfect figure emerged from the pool completely and perfectly formed.

Both Mr. Gabriel and I shouted in Unison:

"Freda?"

"Hello boys." She greeted.

My eyes widened at the sight of the must beautiful being I'd ever seen. I immediately delved into the realms of thoughts;

[[She is here… How? Freda. The goddess of beauty and sensuality, none can ever be like her. I'd never seen her this perfect, especially right now. I feel like jumping on her, but now is not a good time. Mr. Gabriel is right here and She… She look so perfect and glows like the true goddess that she is.

She is completely out of my league. Yes, she is a Queen of witches and a powerful goddess, while I am just a Soul who is too afraid to fight Mr. Gabriel.

Yet, her presence alone, brought down his ego. Oh Freda. I can't tell if your sudden appearance would help me or not… I am just super excited to see you.]]