The Symphony of Death

by Matthew Newson

  The Symphony of Death

  The Man Wrapped in Darkness Series, Volume 3

  Matthew Newson

  Published by Matthew Newson, 2020.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  THE SYMPHONY OF DEATH

  First edition. May 20, 2020.

  Copyright © 2020 Matthew Newson.

  Written by Matthew Newson.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One | Lucifer

  Chapter Two | Alec Williams

  Chapter Three | Lucifer

  Chapter Four | Paul Luca, | The Man Wrapped in Darkness

  Chapter Five | Alec Williams

  Chapter Six | Death

  Chapter Seven | Alec Williams

  Chapter Eight | Death

  Chapter Nine | Paul Luca

  Chapter Ten | Paul Luca, | The Man Wrapped in Darkness

  Chapter Eleven | Alec Williams

  Chapter Twelve | Lucifer

  Chapter Thirteen | Lucifer

  Chapter Fourteen | Paul Luca

  Chapter Fifteen | Death

  Chapter Sixteen | Paul Luca

  Chapter Seventeen | Lucifer

  Chapter Eighteen | Alec Williams

  Chapter Nineteen | Paul Luca, | The Man Wrapped in Darkness

  Chapter Twenty | Alec Williams

  Chapter Twenty-One | Paul Luca, | The Man Wrapped in Darkness

  Chapter Twenty-Two | Death

  Chapter Twenty-Three | Paul Luca

  Chapter Twenty-Four | Lucifer

  Coming Fall 2020

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Lucifer

  The Second Heaven

  AS I RODE THROUGH THE jagged cliffs of The Second Heaven on Chaos, my fierce steed, the acidic atmosphere filled my lungs and brought slight comfort to my tormented spirit. Several groups of demons jumped out of my way, and the ones who weren’t fast enough were mowed down as Chaos barreled through them as if they were nothing. I laughed as one group splattered against his massive chest like bugs on a car windshield. Their final cries for help before they were sent back to Hell brought a smile to my face, and lifted my mood. I would see to it those demons were punished for their inability to be observant enough to get out of my way, not that any one of them was powerful enough to hurt Chaos. He was in a league all his own. He was my horse when I served The One, and he was strong even back then, but now after he had spent thousands of years being fueled by the fires of Hell, he had become truly majestic.

  My mind returned to the final moments of The Man in White’s battle with his brother in The Arena as we made our way upon the air currents. He had been so close to the permanent defeat and banishment of The Man Wrapped in Darkness. Winston had worked Paul over to the point he couldn’t even stand, but in the end, he had still come up short. Winston failed just like all the rest in their pursuit of the destruction of The Man Wrapped in Darkness. The moment of Winston’s defeat and the banishment of Legion was a monumental blow to my demonic forces, of which I would feel the effects for some time. I had secretly gone to the edge of The Pit of Eternal Suffering to see if Legion could be pulled from its grasp. I tried with all my power, but I couldn’t overcome The One’s decree. I lamented his loss as I wondered how I could ever recover from his permanent absence.

  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  The reality was, his banishment had been but a minor setback. For I would not be denied my victory over The One. I stopped licking my wounds and immediately regrouped. There was always another way, so I started down the path of the next phase in my plan. For there was one mightier than The Man in White, and I raced to meet one of my greatest warriors. He resided in the Second Heaven because it was the only appropriate place for him to properly do his work. He was far too powerful, and his contributions to my kingdom were much too important to be confined to Hell. He was also one of the few who were strong enough to reside outside of Hell and withstand our enemy.

  The more I dwelled upon the greatness of what I had in mind, I felt like a child on their birthday who couldn’t wait to open the present they had desired to claim all year. I was unable to contain my excitement as I raced to my destination, and I dug my spiked heel into Chaos’s side and tightened my grip as he sped up to break through a massive boulder in front of us.

  Shards of rock flew back and pelted Reviler and the beast he rode as I shouted over my shoulder. “Reviler, are you still with us?”

  “Yes. I’m still here, Lucifer,” shouted Reviler as he covered the gaping hole on his cheek.

  “What’s the matter, Reviler? I trust you’re not going to let the little cut on your face slow you down now, are you?”

  He struggled to get through the debris Chaos and I had sent his way, as he tried to keep up on the charred demon bird he rode upon. However, all of the animals of Hell were inferior to my Chaos. They had all come from the defiled spirits of Earth’s animals, whereas my fallen angels corrupted their DNA during the time of Noah. They were tainted half-breeds from a combination of natural and spirit beings’ offspring.

  But Chaos was completely a spirit being.

  He truly was the best horse all of Hell had to offer. He possessed a blackened coat so dark it rivaled the beauty of the outer darkness of Hell itself. His cold silver eyes instilled fear into all who gazed into them. When he ran or when enraged, he exhaled fire from his nostrils and mouth. His hooves were stronger than any of Earth’s metals and crushed all who stood in his path. His glossy black mane, though, was indeed a work of art. How it danced in the wind as he ran, and popped as it whipped against my armor. He was an exquisite creature, and I would ride upon his back into the final battle against The One when I would be victorious over him for the whole world to see. Then Reviler’s mindless chatter pulled me from my joyous daydream.

  “Are we getting close?” called Reviler.

  “Not much further now. Please, a little bit of patience goes a long way. Have you even taken a moment to enjoy the lovely landscape before you? This place has never been as sinister as it is today. It has made the ride seem like a stroll in the park.”

  “Yes, I find our surroundings truly heinous, and I’m not trying to be impatient or complain about our journey. But I don’t think my beast can withstand much more punishment. This realm can be very unforgiving for most creatures who are not used to being out of Hell for extended periods of time like this.”

  “Well, for your sake, I hope it does. After all, you’re the one who decided to ride that thing. But if it’s too weak, you’ll just have to walk to where we’re going and pray you actually find it let alone make it there.”

  I knew I had struck a nerve as Reviler’s beast cried out in pain as he whipped it to get it to continue apace, but if he wasn’t careful the animal would die and leave him stranded out there. As I pushed Reviler’s childish complaints from my mind, my destination crept from the clouds like a predator did moments before it pounced on its prey. At the top of the colossal mountain was the home of the warrior I desired to meet with. The place was truly special. In all of The Second Heaven, it was the only mountain where no demon dared to tread. Just about every evil spirit being avoided the place—except for me.

  As we approached our destination, we began the vast ascent straight up the unforgiving cliffside to the peak where the being I sought an audience with resided. Chaos released a deafening neigh that pried some of the rocks lose and caused a landslide down the side of the mountain. As we climbed higher, Reviler’s beast gasped and groaned as it struggled to fight on and jump higher.

  I heard the faint, beautif
ul sound of a violin, and I knew we were getting closer.

  My minion waited for my arrival at the top, and my excitement grew as my anticipation of our meeting peaked as high as the mountain we climbed. I kicked Chaos harder in his side, and he immediately quickened his pace as he released a deafening shout of pain as the flames streamed forth from his nostrils in a powerful display. I continued to press Chaos harder and harder through the blackened clouds that surrounded the mountain until finally, we broke through and landed at the entrance of the domain of my greatest creation.

  I dismounted Chaos. He breathed heavily as he exhaled smoke.

  I gently stroked his long face as he shot daggers at me with his eyes. “Good job, my friend. Take a moment to catch your breath. Tonight, you will feast on any being of your choice when we return to Hell.”

  Chaos nuzzled my arm in gratitude, and I lightly petted his head and thanked him again. Then Reviler and his demon bird stumbled out of the clouds and landed with a sickening thud behind Chaos and me. Reviler stood and cursed the animal for being weak as he delivered a hard kick to its face.

  “Now, now, Reviler, the animal is only as good as the owner who takes care of it.” I spoke to Chaos. “I would greatly appreciate it if you would help your demonic beast over there. It appears to be somewhat winded and in need of some assistance,” I motioned to the beast. “If you would be so kind as to help it.”

  Chaos nodded and strutted to the beast who looked up and locked eyes with Chaos just as he lifted his leg and brought its massive hoof down on the bird’s head and flattened it with ease. Joy filled me as Chaos picked up the bird by the back of its neck with his mouth and cast it over the edge of the cliff. Chaos then pushed Reviler with his side and indicated he wanted to send Reviler over next as he returned to me.

  Reviler was shocked and immediately protested. “Why did he do that? It’s going to take me forever to get back to Hell now. This forsaken place isn’t close to any of the Hell Gates that have been installed around The Second Heaven. Looks like someone needs to teach your beast a lesson in respect.” Reviler started toward Chaos with fists clenched, ready for a fight.

  Chaos reared his front legs and brought them down hard with a thunderous boom as he bucked up at Reviler, ready to battle with the demon.

  “Easy now, Reviler, I don’t think he likes you very much. Wait, what am I saying? He doesn’t like you in the slightest. He’s told me of the utter contempt he has for your existence. Let me save you some time and effort by letting you know you don’t stand a chance against him. I’d back down if I were you before I give him the go-ahead, and it will be you who gets taught a lesson.”

  Reviler seethed in his anger. “As you wish, but his day will come.”

  “Great. For the moment now, we’re all friends again. Don’t worry about how you’ll get back. You’re very resourceful, and I know you’ll do just fine.”

  Then I heard the soothing melody of the violin begin again. Instantly, I was serenaded by its intoxicating melody, and I closed my eyes for a moment to be raptured by the sound. Every time I heard the being play his favored instrument, it brought peace to my spirit. He was my most unique creation, and no one held a candle to the great works he had done for my kingdom. Even the most powerful and accomplished of all my demons couldn’t compare to all he had done for me. For they came into existence when the Nephilim died and released their spirits into the world when The One flooded Earth. The being I sought an audience with, he and I shared a special bond. He was the first and greatest of my creations, and the best part was how I tricked The One into helping me make him.

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go in already.” Reviler was still clearly agitated over the confrontation with Chaos.

  “Do you hear that lovely music, Reviler?”

  He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I do. Am I supposed to be impressed by it or something?”

  “You know what your problem is, Reviler? You fail to appreciate the little things in life.”

  His idiotic comment pulled me from my elated state and frustrated me with his sheer stupidity. On the other hand, it returned me to the present and brought me back to the task at hand.

  “Follow me, and for your sake, don’t touch anything in here,” I said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I said...You know what? Never mind. Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine. A strong demon like yourself can surely hold his own against anyone.”

  I sensed Reviler was a little perplexed by my words.

  “What do you mean?” he asked. “Am I going to upset the great conductor or something like that?”

  “Something like that. Now, no more questions, it’s rude to keep our host waiting.”

  I turned and faced the cave entrance. I could see a small light as it danced in the distance, and beckoned me to come forth. As I proceeded ahead, I used my dark abilities to light the unlit torches that had been placed along the walls. Chaos followed closely behind me, and Reviler stayed out of the reach of Chaos’s back legs in case he decided to let Reviler have it.

  As we walked through the long passageway, the music got louder, and sounded sweeter as we got closer to the source. Then we finally made it out of the hall and into a vast room that had been chiseled to achieve acoustic perfection. The walls were adorned with every instrument imaginable. Many of them I had gifted to the being over the years. There was also sheet music neatly stacked on a desk, as well as various stands around the room, which was also illuminated entirely by torchlight.

  The being favored the romantic time period, and dressed himself from that era. He had custom-tailored black trousers with knee-high black leather boots, a pale white shirt, a double-breasted red and black vest, and a black satin puff tie. He completed the ensemble with a gold velvet-trimmed regency tailcoat. He was a little over seven feet tall with short white hair, brown eyes, and a slender build. He, himself, was genuinely a work of art all its own, and his abode resembled a concert hall from the time period with his lovely works of art that depicted his various tasks on Earth. Out of all his paintings, I always found myself coming back to two in particular.

  One depicted the Bubonic Plague with countless people covered in their own blood as it leeched from their pores. His work added so many souls to my kingdom during those few glorious years. He had killed upwards to fifty million people, and almost decimated Europe.

  Then there was the exquisite depiction of what I had titled The Second World War. The canvas had scenes of The One’s children dying in gas chambers, firing lines, and various other ways. There was also the scene of the use of the first atomic bombs being used, and all the victims it had claimed. The canvas was so large it covered an entire wall of the room. That one individual had painted them all by hand. He and I had so much in common. We were real artists among so-called, self-proclaimed artists. He and I had come so close to my goal so many times throughout the years. However, we were still far away from destroying the world, being constantly denied victory at the last second.

  All that was about to change.

  We all stood there in awe of his perfected talent, and not even I dared to interrupt him, for he was lost in the composure of the notes he so beautifully crafted. Finally, he reached a stopping place, opened his eyes, and wrote something down on the sheet music in front of him. He placed his violin and bow back in their holders and turned to face us.

  I smiled and nodded. “Hello, Death, it is so good to see you again.”

  Chapter Two

  Alec Williams

  Williams Industries Headquarters

  Williams Point, New York

  AS I SAT IN MY OFFICE, I took a moment and reflected on the events that had transpired over the last several weeks. I had awoken from the coma that, apparently, Paul’s demon-possessed brother had put me in, and even with that, things had been going well. I had recovered quickly from the attack, and the doctors said my heart appeared not to have suffered any long-lasting effects from the supposed heart attack. My las
t EKG showed no signs my heart had ever suffered any trauma at all. The doctors had written it off to pure luck, but I knew the Lord had fully healed and restored my heart.

  Another major blessing that had come out of my near-death experience was Tiffany had come back into my life. She and I had reconnected quickly after I woke up, and I already had plans to ask her to marry me. I knew from the moment my eyes opened and saw her in my hospital room; I was not going to let her get away again. She was my one and only true love, and I never wanted to be separated from her again.

  The biggest relief I experienced was not the news of my heart, but the fact that I hadn’t seen any demons or devils coming around. I hadn’t seen any show up in my home or work, but I still found myself being overly cautious whenever I entered a room. Tiffany noticed me behaving this way and questioned me about my peculiar behavior, but I’d brush it off and tell her I thought I’d heard something, or I had a lot on my mind. She’d always let it go, and we continued on with whatever we were doing. I had no intention of telling her about the demons or Paul. I feared I risked losing her again if she knew, and truth be told, I didn’t know where to begin with it all. My family was guilty, she was innocent, and I intended to keep it that way. All in all, things seemed to have returned to normal.

  I hadn’t been that happy in a long time.

  When Paul told me about Rachel’s death it hadn’t surprised me, but I was saddened by it. In spite of all that had happened between us, I didn’t want her to end up the way she did. I preferred for her to give her life to Jesus, and then move on somewhere else and be happy for once. She was a victim during her childhood, but that didn’t excuse her from being the horrible person she decided to be as an adult.

  Her workgroup, and all the employees who knew her, were shocked when I announced it, and even more by the details that seemed to leak out here and there from the police report. It was hard for everyone to believe she walked in on a robbery, but over time they all seemed to accept what happened and moved on with their work and their lives. Everyone seemed to be doing well except for Paul.