Andrei’s POV
“Do you know who I am?” the figure asked. His voice echoed in the quiet forest. It was no longer the overlapping timbre of many voices, but one. Deep. Resonant. All-consuming. As if it sucked all other sound out of the air around us.
I tried to speak, but my throat closed up. The air reeked of sulphur, thick and acidic. It burned my nose, eyes, and mouth, and made me cough.
“I am the Lord of Hell. The King of Blood and Refuse and Filth and Agony.” He removed his hand from my shoulder and walked around to face me. Up close, I could see him more clearly. His skin was as black as night with no discerning features, like he was made of void. His eyes were hollow pits with red coals burning within. His horns were twisted and jagged. Somehow, I knew if I touched the tip of one, it
