Prologue: Lightning and Wings

Centuries ago, a young boy, desperate to prove himself to his cruel father, climbs the perilous Mount Helios. Trapped and facing death, he is struck by lightning, which miraculously grants him black, silver-streaked wings. Terrified of being branded an aberration, he hides his new power, but the event marks the beginning of his journey as Jericho Van Croix, a being caught between worlds—angel, demon, and human. This origin sets the tone for a life defined by pain, power, and the struggle to reconcile monstrous inheritance with a longing for love and belonging.

Grief and Determination

In the present, Farryn Ravenshaw is haunted by the traumatic loss of Jericho, her lover, who was consumed by hellfire. Pregnant with his child, she is isolated, misunderstood, and plagued by hallucinations and nightmares. Her pregnancy is anything but normal, and medical science offers no answers. Farryn's determination to bring Jericho back from Ex Nihilo (the void) is matched only by her fear and confusion about the supernatural world she's become entangled in. Her journey is one of grief, hope, and the desperate need to reclaim what was lost.

The Baron's Dark Inheritance

Jericho's past is revealed through flashbacks: his father, Lord Praecepsia, is a monstrous figure—both literally and figuratively—who abuses his family and harbors a demonic nature. Jericho witnesses unspeakable acts, including his father's incestuous relationship and transformation into a tentacled beast. The boy discovers his own supernatural abilities—healing, strength, and the power to command lightning—but is forced to hide them to avoid persecution. His mother, loving but enigmatic, hints at a greater destiny and the need to control the darkness within.

Nightmares and Return

Farryn is tormented by recurring nightmares of asylums, demons, and a mysterious blonde woman. Jericho returns from Ex Nihilo, but both are changed—he is weakened, his angelic powers stripped, and she is increasingly vulnerable to supernatural threats. Their reunion is passionate but fraught with danger, as Jericho's demon side grows stronger and more volatile. The couple is forced to flee to Nightshade, a purgatorial realm, where the labyrinth Infernium looms as a place of no return, haunted by the souls of the lost.

Torture and Defiance

Jericho is subjected to brutal torture by Bishop Venable and his father, accused of harboring evil. He endures flogging and exorcism, discovering that pain and pleasure have become intertwined within him—a legacy of his monstrous bloodline. Despite the agony, he refuses to betray his secrets or those he loves. His ability to heal himself is both a blessing and a curse, forcing him to hide his true nature from those who would destroy him. The psychological toll of violence, shame, and forbidden desire shapes his identity.

Crossing the Vale

To escape the Sentinels and the threat of Infernal forces, Jericho and Farryn must cross the Vale—the boundary between life and death—by drowning. Farryn's childhood trauma resurfaces, but Jericho uses his powers to seduce and calm her, blending pleasure with terror. Their crossing is interrupted by a monstrous sea serpent, nearly killing them both. They arrive in Nightshade, weakened and vulnerable, only to face new dangers and the realization that the rules of this realm are unlike anything they've known.

Demon's Descent

Jericho's loss of angelic power leaves him susceptible to his demon side, which grows more violent and possessive. He turns to seraphica, a drug made from angel's blood, to stave off his cravings and protect Farryn from himself. The couple's relationship is strained by fear, distance, and the ever-present threat of sexual enslavement (enchainsz). Jericho's obsession with Farryn is both his salvation and his undoing, as he battles the urge to claim her in ways that could destroy them both.

Mother's Secrets

Jericho's mother, dying and frail, finally confesses the truth: he is a Sentinel, a rare being born of angel and demon, destined to be both protector and destroyer. She urges him to choose goodness, to resist the darkness that claimed his father, and to protect Lustina (Farryn's past self) at all costs. Her death leaves Jericho with a legacy of pain, love, and impossible choices, as he grapples with the burden of his inheritance and the fate of those he loves.

Addictions and Arrangements

Jericho, desperate to protect Farryn, arranges for Vaszhago—a dangerous demon and former rival—to serve as her bodyguard, binding his life to hers. Vespyr, a human demon-slayer, is also recruited as an attendant. Farryn's pregnancy is complicated by the presence of an unbound soul (Syrisa), a malevolent entity that feeds on the unborn. The household is beset by supernatural threats, shifting loyalties, and the ever-present danger of betrayal from within and without.

Lessons in Violence

Jericho trains Farryn in self-defense, teaching her how to kill demons and angels with a cursed blade. Their lessons are charged with sexual tension, as Farryn's growing power and Jericho's weakening restraint threaten to tip them into violence or enslavement. The couple's love is tested by jealousy, fear, and the knowledge that their enemies are closing in. The line between pleasure and pain, love and possession, becomes increasingly blurred.

The Mentor's Test

Jericho is sent to train with Solomon, a blind organist and ancient mentor, who teaches him about the true nature of evil and the importance of compassion, discipline, and self-control. Through grueling physical and mental challenges, Jericho learns to harness his powers, command animals, and resist the temptations of darkness. Solomon's death at the hands of Jericho's father is a devastating loss, but his teachings become the foundation for Jericho's eventual redemption.

The Price of Power

Farryn is revealed to be the Met'Lazan, a prophesied healer with the power to access the vitaeilem (angelic lifeblood) of the heavens. Sought by angels, demons, and her own monstrous father-in-law, she becomes the key to the fate of all realms. Jericho bargains with Venefica, a black witch, trading the key to Eradyę (the barren realm) for a chance to save Farryn from the unbound soul. The price is steep: Farryn must enter a deathlike state, and Jericho must retrieve Letifer's heart from the center of the labyrinth.

The Unbound Soul

Syrisa, the unbound soul, possesses Farryn, feeding on her unborn child and driving her to the brink of madness. Farryn's hallucinations, nightmares, and physical pain culminate in the loss of her baby—a devastating blow that shatters her and Jericho. The trauma is compounded by the knowledge that Syrisa's vengeance is not yet sated, and that Farryn's soul remains a prize for the most powerful and malevolent beings in existence.

The Dogs Turn

The hellhounds, once loyal protectors, turn on Farryn, sensing the corruption within her. The household is thrown into chaos, as old alliances crumble and new threats emerge. Farryn's isolation deepens, and her sense of reality begins to unravel. The boundaries between self and other, human and monster, become increasingly porous, as the labyrinth of Infernium beckons.

The Witch's Bargain

Jericho, desperate to save Farryn, strikes a bargain with Venefica: in exchange for Letifer's heart, she will free Farryn from Syrisa's possession. Farryn drinks the witch's elixir, entering a deathlike state that leaves her vulnerable to the labyrinth's horrors. Jericho, Vaszhago, and Soreth (the angel) must navigate the shifting corridors of Infernium, facing their deepest fears and the monstrous guardians of Eradyę, as the clock ticks down to Farryn's final moments.

The Labyrinth Beckons

Farryn and Vespyr are trapped in the labyrinth, forced to confront rooms that replay their worst traumas and memories. Each door leads deeper into the maze, where the boundaries between dream and reality, past and present, are obliterated. Jericho and Vaszhago fight their way through Mortunath (undead) and ancient guardians, while Soreth's betrayal is revealed. The labyrinth is a crucible, testing the limits of love, loyalty, and the will to survive.

The Widow in the Woods

Farryn and Vespyr encounter the widow in the woods—Syrisa's true form—who preys on children and the vulnerable. The confrontation is both physical and psychological, as Farryn is forced to confront the legacy of abuse, the power of names, and the necessity of sacrifice. Vespyr's tragic past is revealed, and her death becomes a moment of both horror and liberation, as Farryn is forced to kill her friend to spare her from eternal torment.

The Heart of Eradyę

At the center of the labyrinth, Farryn faces Claudius Van Croix, Jericho's father, who seeks to use her power to free himself and awaken Letifer. The heart of Eradyę, encased in glass, is both the key to salvation and the trigger for apocalypse. Farryn, drawing on the memories of Lustina and the power of the Omni, is able to heal Jericho and banish Syrisa, but not before suffering horrific violence and humiliation. Jericho, restored to full power, destroys his father and the heart, closing the portal and freeing the souls trapped within.

Sacrifice and Survival

Farryn awakens, scarred but alive, in Jericho's arms. The couple is forever changed by their ordeal, but their love endures. Elyon, their son (and Lustina's child), is rescued from the labyrinth, and the family begins the slow process of healing. Vaszhago, freed from his curse, chooses to remain as their protector. The realms are saved, but at great cost. Farryn, now immortal and claimed by Jericho, must come to terms with her new identity, her power, and the legacy of pain and love that binds them all.

Characters

Jericho Van Croix

Jericho is the central figure—a man forged in pain, abuse, and supernatural inheritance. The son of a monstrous father and an angelic mother, he is a Sentinel: half-angel, half-demon, and all contradiction. His psyche is a battleground of violence and compassion, pleasure and pain, love and obsession. Jericho's journey is one of self-mastery, as he struggles to control the darkness within, protect those he loves, and atone for the sins of his bloodline. His love for Farryn is both his salvation and his greatest vulnerability, driving him to acts of both heroism and brutality.

Farryn Ravenshaw / Lustina

Farryn is a modern woman thrust into a world of angels, demons, and ancient curses. She is the reincarnation of Lustina, Jericho's first love, and the prophesied Met'Lazan—a healer with the power to access the lifeblood of the heavens. Farryn's journey is one of grief, trauma, and transformation, as she endures loss, possession, and violence, yet refuses to be broken. Her love for Jericho is fierce and unwavering, and her willingness to sacrifice for others is both her strength and her curse. She is the key to the fate of all realms, and her choices shape the destiny of those around her.

Claudius Van Croix (Lord Praecepsia)

Jericho's father is the embodiment of generational evil—a man who abuses, manipulates, and destroys those around him. Both demon and human, he is driven by a lust for power, vengeance, and the need to control. His relationship with Jericho is one of cruelty and twisted affection, and his obsession with the Met'Lazan (Farryn/Lustina) is both personal and apocalyptic. Claudius is the architect of the labyrinth, the jailer of souls, and the ultimate antagonist whose defeat comes at the highest price.

Syrisa of Soldethaire

Syrisa is a centuries-old witch whose soul, stripped from her body, becomes a parasite feeding on the unborn and the vulnerable. Her history is one of abuse, predation, and unfulfilled vengeance. She is both a literal and symbolic representation of the cycle of trauma, the dangers of unchecked power, and the ways in which pain is passed from one generation to the next. Her possession of Farryn is both a personal and cosmic threat.

Vaszhago

Once a rival and would-be assassin, Vaszhago is bound to Farryn as her bodyguard, his life tied to hers. He is a killer, a survivor, and a pragmatist, but over time, he becomes a true ally—loyal, resourceful, and willing to risk everything for those he serves. His dry humor and world-weariness mask a deep capacity for care, and his journey is one of reluctant redemption.

Vespyr

Vespyr is a Dra'Akon, a human with the power to slay demons, but her life is marked by abuse, institutionalization, and the struggle for identity. Her friendship with Farryn is a rare source of comfort and understanding, and her death in the labyrinth is both a moment of horror and a testament to the power of compassion and sacrifice.

Soreth

Soreth is an Elysiumerian angel whose pursuit of knowledge and power leads him to betray both Jericho and Farryn. His actions are driven by prejudice, ambition, and a belief in the purity of his own kind. Soreth's arc is a cautionary tale about the dangers of fanaticism and the corrupting influence of power.

Bishop Venable / Barchiel

Once a human bishop, later revealed as the angel Barchiel, he is a figure of religious hypocrisy, cruelty, and sadism. His obsession with purity and punishment makes him a relentless antagonist, and his eventual fate is a form of poetic justice.

Elyon

Elyon is the son of Jericho and Lustina, trapped for centuries in the labyrinth. His rescue and reunion with his parents is a moment of healing and redemption, symbolizing the possibility of breaking the cycle of pain and forging a new future.

Venefica

Venefica is a powerful and enigmatic figure who bargains with Jericho for the key to Eradyę. Her motives are complex, her powers vast, and her role is that of a catalyst—forcing

Last updated: May 16, 2025