Playing Villian with My Hell system

The morning sun peeked weakly through Lucas's blinds, but it brought no comfort.

His room looked like a war zone—clothes scattered, books tossed, socks on the ceiling fan (don't ask how). Lucas sat on the floor, eyes bloodshot, head leaning back against his desk chair, exhausted.

"I swear…" Lucas muttered, rubbing his temples. "We've been searching all night."

Kade floated above the mess like a moody balloon, arms crossed. "Yeah? Well, you think Death's little demon librarian's gonna let us nap while she goes on a world tour of soul-snacking?"

Lucas groaned, grabbing a half-empty can of soda. "My brain is soup, man. I've been awake for thirty hours. I'm hallucinating colors that don't even exist."

"Well, get it together, Rainbow Vision," Kade snapped, scanning the room. "Because if we don't find that book—Xorth will feed on our souls."

Lucas blinked up. "Wait, what now?"

Kade glared. "Yeah. Soul smoothie. With a side of brain toast."

Lucas sat up straighter, panic flickering in his eyes. "Okay, okay—so this is bad. Got it. Very bad. Catastrophic. End-of-TikTok-era bad."

They both paused as Lucas's room shimmered—his poster of "Space Cowboys 4: Planet of Regret" curled at the edges—and a holographic screen appeared, hissing into view.

SYSTEM ALERT

⚠️ NIGHTMARE ENTITY RELEASED

Danger Level: Apocalyptic

Souls Endangered: seven million six hundred and eight

Status: Actively Feeding

⚠️ REACQUIRE THE BOOK IMMEDIATELY

Kade raised an eyebrow. "Oh, perfect. That can't possibly get any worse."

Lucas looked at him, grim. "There are creatures inside that book?"

Kade turned slowly, giving him the "seriously?" face. "Dude. What did you think was in the Book of Death? Recipes?"

Lucas blinked. "…I thought maybe curses. Or like… death poetry."

Kade sighed dramatically. "That book is older than recorded time, man. When God was out there carving mountains and lighting suns, he found things. Things he didn't make. Things he couldn't destroy."

Lucas paled. "Wait—like what? What kinda things?"

"Think Leviathan," Kade said. "Think 'end-of-everything' creatures. Crawlers from forgotten stars. Hungry things. Big teeth, bigger egos."

Lucas groaned, face in hands. "Why do I feel like our best-case scenario ends with me as a human fruit snack?"

Suddenly, a mirror on Lucas's wall—dusty, cracked—glowed green and swirled with mist.

Kade floated toward it cautiously. "Uh… Mirror's doing the haunted TikTok filter thing again."

A low voice, rough and chilling, echoed from it:

"Does he have the book?"

Kade flinched. "Who's asking?"

"Xorth." The voice was cold. Knowing. "Answer the question."

Kade's eyes darted. "Book? Pfft. Yeah. It's totally with us. Safe. Guarded. Shelved alphabetically under 'D' for death."

A long pause.

"Good," Xorth whispered. "Then I know where to come."

The mist pulsed.

"Is… it okay?"Xorth added, voice edged with suspicion.

Kade forced a grin. "Yup. Totally not lost. Not at all stolen by a snack-obsessed fourth grader. Everything's just peachy."

The mirror flickered off.

Lucas stared, stunned. "You lied to a soul-eating entity."

Kade turned to him, grim. "We have very little time."

Lucas suddenly jolted. "Wait—what time is it?!"

He spun to check his cracked wall clock.

"MONDAY?! I HAVE SCHOOL!"

He launched himself across the room and barreled into the bathroom.

"Lucas," Kade floated outside the door. "We have a literal Nightmare on the loose, and you're worried about algebra?"

"I can't fail math again!" Lucas yelled through the door. "Also, what entity do you think escaped?!"

Kade rubbed his temple. "I hope it's one of the lower-tier ones. Something lame like a shadow imp. Or a dust sprite."

Lucas shouted over the running water. "Can we capture it?"

Kade laughed darkly. "Capture it? Lucas, by the time we think about capturing it—half the population will be goo."

Lucas emerged from the bathroom in a whirl of shampoo mist, shirt half on. "Mass murder. Got it. Love that for us."

---

**Later… At School**

Lucas stumbled into the school courtyard like a zombie on energy drinks. Students stared. Whispered. Dodged. Some didn't bother—slamming shoulders into him like he was invisible. (Which was ironic, since the *actual* ghost just phased right through.)

"School," Lucas muttered bitterly. "Where dreams go to die."

They entered the hall. Students buzzed around, faces in phones or drama. Kade floated beside him, completely ignored.

Lucas groaned as yet another student bumped him. "Seriously? Do people not *see* personal space?"

"Nope," Kade said cheerfully. "But hey, upside—if you do get possessed, they might finally talk to you."

They reached the class. A sharp bell rang. Lucas dropped into his seat just as their teacher, Ms. Everly, strolled in.

Kade suddenly froze.

A deep, unnatural growl echoed faintly.

Kade's head snapped toward the hallway.

"I'll be right back," he said quickly, floating backward.

Lucas hissed under his breath, "Where are you going?!"

The class turned, watching him talk to thin air.

Lucas smiled awkwardly. "I—I talk to myself. Builds character."

"Freak," someone muttered.

Lucas sighed.

Meanwhile… In the Hall

Kade drifted through lockers and gossip until something caught his eye.

There. Near the gym.

The Book of Death.

Being handed from a ten-year-old to another kid. Laughing. Trading.

"Two bars of chocolate," the boy said. "Totally worth it."

Kade stopped mid-air, blinking. "No. Freaking. Way."

He floated closer, jaw dropping. "The most powerful artifact in the universe… traded for *chocolate*? What is this, a sitcom?!"

He floated closer.

A voice stopped him.

"Kade Voss."

He froze.

The boy holding the book turned slowly—eyes now **pitch black**, rimmed with burning violet. His grin was sharp.

Kade hovered, arms ready.

Other kids gathered.

"Hey, you good?" one asked.

The possessed boy tilted his head, smiling wider. "Shut up."

The students blinked.

Then screamed.

As their mouths melted shut.

Skin stretched.

Eyes rolled back.

Kade's ghostly form flickered in horror. "Oh. Crap."

The boy—no, the thing inside him—stared directly at Kade.

"Kade Voss," it said again. "You talk too much."

Kade grimaced, floating backward.

"Yeah, well," he quipped, "I am the comic relief."

The boy stepped forward, the Book pulsing in his hands.

"Let's see how funny you are… when I rip the laughter from your soul."

Kade hit the ground like a sack of haunted potatoes.

"Oof—yep. That's my spleen. Or… whatever spleen-equivalent ghosts have. Soul-bladder? Pain crystal?" He groaned and rolled to his side. "Ten outta ten landing. Would not recommend."

From the far hallway, sneakers squeaked frantically. Lucas skidded into view, panting, still clutching his half-zipped backpack and a soggy Pop-Tart.

He stopped mid-step. Stared. Blinked.

"...Oh."

There, at the center of a forming ring of scorched tile, stood a ten-year-old with eyes like a void and a smile like broken glass—holding the **Book of Death** like it was his new favorite bedtime story.

Lucas pointed, voice cracking. "Why is my little brother possessed by Satan's intern?"

Kade dusted himself off, limping toward him. "Welcome to the party. You can join. We're short on snacks, but hey—there's eternal screaming."

Lucas turned on his heel. "Nope. Not today. I fought Death yesterday. And I'm not fighting a god-tier demon inside *my brother* before second period."

He made it exactly five steps before the lockers on both sides slammed shut with a thunderous crash, tumbling down like dominoes and blocking every single exit.

The demon-boy's voice echoed, warping the air:

"No one leaves."

Lucas froze. Turned slowly. "...Yeah. Of course not."

Kade gave him a thumbs-up. "Silver lining—no math test today?"

Lucas shot him a glare. "You think this is funny?"

Kade raised a ghostly eyebrow. "I make jokes when I'm terrified. It's a coping mechanism. Super healthy."

Lucas gestured wildly. "That thing is my brother! And he's—he's doing demon ASMR and telekinetically destroying school property!"

Kade winced. "True, but to be fair, I did fight a barista once who could set people on fire with her latte foam, so this is still technically… not my worst Monday."

Lucas groaned, facepalming. "This can't possibly get stupider."

Enter a chihuahua.

It trotted in from the janitor's closet—wearing a tiny red scarf, ears perked, nose twitching like a dog who's been through five wars and didn't like any of them.

Kade blinked. "Who… invited the dog to the demon fight?"

The dog stopped. Sat. Then spoke.

**"Kade. Shut up. I'm here to sort this out."**

Lucas gawked. "...The dog *talks*?"

Kade tilted his head. "Do I *know* this dog?"

The chihuahua squinted. "You don't yet. But I'm here on behalf of the higher management."

Kade's eyes widened. He whispered, "Wait. Wait—only one hell-being has that voice, that weird scarf, and an unrelenting hatred for my jokes…"

He gasped.

"Drough?!"

Lucas blinked. "Who is Drough?!"

Kade held up a finger. "Shhh. Legend status only. Drough once out-poker-faced a Balrog during karaoke night."

Lucas just stared.

The chihuahua rolled his eyes. "Enough. Xorth sensed the chaos. I've been sent to clean it up. The Book isn't safe in mortal hands."

The possessed boy—Lucas's brother—gripped the book tighter. His eyes burned brighter. "No one takes the book."

Kade took one careful ghost-step back. "Okay, I mean—look, he's got a point. Like, he's got the 'evil glowing eyes' thing going and everything. Who *am I* to argue with a demon kid in Crocs?"