Chapter 5: Hope?

                                    

                                          
Magnus's POV
                          
He had gotten used to falling after winning the third fight. Every time his opponent turned into a feather and disappeared, so would the invisible floor he was standing on. Every time he landed the environment was different. The fall lasted for about five minutes. It gave him some time to breathe, even though it wasn't exactly easy. He was getting tired. Really tired. Magnus didn't know how long he could keep this up for. But he had too. If not for himself, then for Alexander. 
                          
Alec was the only thing that mattered in the end.
                          
Eventually he landed on both feet, standing in the middle of what looked like a desert. The heat was crazy, and there were bugs everywhere. 
                          
The sand was a dark red color, giving him unwanted memories of Edom. 
                          
He stood there, waiting for his opponent to appear. But instead of another winged creature, the figure that appeared in front of him was somebody he had hoped to never see again. 
                          
Asmodeus. Magnus stood there in shock, staring at his father. 
                          
"Magnus, nice to see you again," Asmodeus said, "I've missed you." 
                          
"But, I thought you were stuck in limbo..."
                          
"Yes, that wasn't very kind of you, especially after I returned your magic." He scowled. "And I see you've made up with the Shadowhunter."
                          
Magnus didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He just knew he was supposed to fight to the death, again. But Asmodeus didn't make a move. And Magnus was still in shock.
                          
"His death was a gift to you, my son. You could have been so powerful. But instead, you chose to try to save him. Pathetic, really. I thought I raised you better." 
                          
Asmodeus ran forward, his eyes turning into those of a cat, his hands alive with magic. 
                          
Isabelle's POV
                          
Eros had told her to grab Magnus's hand. She did as she was told, even though it felt weird to be holding her dead brother's unconscious boyfriend's hand. 
                          
Eros gave her a sad smile. "Good luck, Isabelle. Once you go in, there's no turning back. Are you sure you want to do this?"
                          
"Positive. If it's the only way to save Alec and Magnus, then I'm in." She said. 
                          
Eros nodded. His eyes flashed golden once again and her head began to hurt. Her mind was screaming at her, telling her this was a bad idea, but she ignored it. 
                          
She had never felt so broken when Alec had died. She had never felt so weak and helpless in his last moments, his bloody head in Magnus's lap, watching as his body went limp. 
                          
The pain of losing someone close to her was unbearable. Alec was so many things she knew she could never be. He was so important to her, and still is. Every day was a constant reminder that he wasn't here, and it was eating away at her heart little by little, and one day, there would be nothing left. She thought all of this in a second, before she opened her eyes standing on red sand, The Prince of Hell holding his sword to Magnus's throat. 
                          
"Any last words?" Asmodeus asked, pressing the sword deeper into his throat. Magnus caught Isabelle's eyes. She nodded. 
                          
"Yeah, actually," Magnus said. "Look behind you."
                          
Jace's POV
                          
"Clary! Where have you been? Don't run out like that! Where's Isabelle?"
                          
"I thought she was with you," Clary replied. 
                          
"Well, she's not. She left hours ago."
                          
"That's not good," Clary said, her expression one of worry. 
                          
"It's not safe with Jonathan still on the loose," 
                          
"We have to find her." Clary's worry turned into determination. "And fast,"
                          
Magnus's POV
                          
What happened next had happened so fast, it was all a blur. When Asmodeus had turned around and saw Isabelle, Magnus had ripped the blade from his hand, stabbing him through the stomach. Isabelle grabbed the other sword from the floor and cut it across his throat. Asmodeus fell to the floor, and wings sprouted from his back. His hair turned blonde, his eyes hazel. He turned into a feather and floated away.
                          
"It wasn't really him, Magnus," Isabelle said. 
                          
At first, Magnus didn't answer. But then something clicked in his brain, and he whirled around. "What are you doing here, Isabelle! You're not supposed to know about this..."
                          
"Magnus, Eros told me everything. I'm going to help you save Alec."
                          
"Who's Eros?"
                          
"The dude with the brown hair and blue eyes that in your house,"
                          
"Oh, he has a name. Cool."
                          
Just as he finished his sentence, the floor underneath them disappeared, and once again, Magnus was falling.
                          
Isabelle shouted as they plummeted to who-knows-where. 
                          
"Iz, calm down. It only lasts for like five minutes, and I always land on my feet, and I'm sure you will too." He was right. They both landed on their feet. This time, they appeared to be in the clouds. 
                          
"Where are we?" Isabelle asked, reaching out and touching a cloud. 
                          
"I don't know. but don't get too comfortable. In a few seconds, some evil being is gonna pop up and try to kill us."
                          
"Well that sounds pleasant," Isabelle grumbled.
                          
"Oh it is. Just wait until you see these guys. Practically invincible. Never get tired."
                          
"Then how did you beat them in the past?"
                          
"Stab them through the heart. They don't die, just turn into feathers and float away."
                          
"That doesn't seem fair," 
                          
"Life isn't fair, Isabelle. It never has been, and it never will be."
                          
Isabelle's POV
                          
Magnus looked horrible. His clothes were ripped, his face and hair were caked in a layer of his own blood mixed with sweat. He had cuts and wounds all over himself. And he looked drained. His eyes were dull. 
                          
"How long have you been doing this?" 
                          
"I don't know, what day is it?"
                          
"September 15th, I think."
                          
"Not for long then. I go here at midnight after the funeral."
                          
"And you've been fighting nonstop since then?"
                          
"Other than falling in between fights, yeah. But it's worth it to save Alexander."
                          
Isabelle nodded. Eros was right. Magnus would really do anything for Alec. And vise versa. 
                          
Suddenly, Magnus's eyes flashed to all whites, but just for a second.
                          
"We're supposed to walk. Come on."
                          
Isabelle followed him. Walking on the clouds was weird. It felt like she was standing on air. They kept walking until it started to get dark. In the distance, they could see something that looked like a temple. They continued to walk until they reached it. Inside, there were hundreds upon hundreds of people. They all had their eyes closed, and they were floating in midair. It seemed like they were each in their own personal cage of light. And right in the middle of it all was Alec.
                          
Hi. Sorry for the weird and rather unpleasant chapter. I tried. And gods, it's already 2:12. I feel like it still so early. I woke up kinda late today at like 8:30, so maybe that's why. I don't know. Anyway, thanks for reading, love y'all, bye. 
                          
Oh, also, yesterday I published the first three chapters of a Malec fanfic I started a long time ago and then forgot it existed. The updates on that one are gonna be really slow, but I will continue to update this story daily. The other story is called Come Back to Me //Malec// It's about Alec getting possessed by a demon and blah blah blah, if you're interested, go read the description. Okay, I'll shut up now. Bye.