the demon of supernatural

**Chapter 3 - The Path of Strength**

The training was harder than Alex had imagined. Malgorath took him to a kind of underground arena, where the echoes of screams and sounds of distant battles seemed to fill the heavy air. Hell was not a place to learn calmly. Each lesson came with a dose of pain, suffering and, above all, humiliation.

"You must learn to use the infernal energy that runs through your veins, Alex," Malgorath explained, his voice soft but full of venom. "It is both a blessing and a curse. Without control, you are lost, and your soul is consumed. With control, you can dominate Hell."

Alex did not want to believe Malgorath's words, but he knew he was right. Each time he tried to summon the demonic power that now inhabited his body, he felt a wave of heat consume his flesh, and for a brief moment, he imagined that his body might disintegrate. But he had to continue. If he wanted to be more than just a pawn in the hands of higher demons, he needed to find his power.

For weeks, Alex practiced controlling the infernal energy, but what haunted him most was not the physical exercises or the failed attempts to manipulate the demonic flames. It was the constant confrontation with his own spirit, with the part of himself that asked itself: *Is this really who I am now?* Every day, he found himself further away from who he was, and closer to becoming a ruthless demon, like those who ruled Hell.

Yet something inside him refused to succumb completely.

One afternoon, while training in the dark, Malgorath appeared, as always, watching him with a sharp, calculating gaze. "I see that you are trying. But with anger and despair alone you will never be anything more than a mediocre demon. What you need now is to learn to control your desire for revenge."

Alex stopped and looked at the demon, feeling his anger bubbling up, but trying to keep his cool. "Revenge? What do you mean by that?"

"You're here because you feel you have something to prove," Malgorath said, smirking. "You want to return to the world of the living, you want to avenge death. You want to be more than what Hell has imposed on you. But know, Alex, that this anger will consume you. You need to channel it into something greater, more powerful. Only then will you be able to evolve."

Alex felt a chill. He didn't want to be consumed by this. He didn't want to be just another demon below the hierarchy. But at the same time, he felt the pressure. He needed to become stronger. Not just to survive, but to avenge those who had brought him to this place—fate, Hell, and even death, which he didn't fully understand.

"So, what should I do?" Alex asked, his eyes shining with renewed determination.

Malgorath took a step forward. "You must learn to use your anger, but not as a mere fuel. It must become your ally. Hell is ruled by desire, Alex. Whoever controls desire controls power. But remember, it is not just a desire for destruction. It is a desire for ascension. A desire to change what cannot be changed."

"I understand," Alex said, a new focus in his voice. "I will not let Hell define me. I am more than that."

"Good," Malgorath replied, smiling contentedly. "Now, let us test this new control."

Alex closed his eyes, focusing on the infernal energy coursing through his veins, trying not to lose himself in it. He visualized his anger not as a wild flame, but as a force he could shape and direct. It was difficult, but he began to feel a growing vibration in the air around him, a pressure that seemed to gather in the palms of his hands.

"This is good," Malgorath said, watching. "But it's still not enough. You need to understand that true strength comes from within you. Not just from your desire for revenge, but from your will to change, to resist. That's what will make you stand out." Alex stepped forward, his hands beginning to glow red. He could feel the energy building, but this time, he was controlling it. It wasn't an uncontrollable burst of rage. It was something more precise, more focused. "Now, try to direct that energy," Malgorath said. Alex closed his eyes again, focusing on his intention, and with a quick movement, he extended his hands. A blast of hellish flames shot toward the cave wall, creating an explosion that lit up the space around them. When the smoke cleared, Alex was panting, but he felt a strange sense of power. He hadn't become the monster he feared he would become. He still controlled his anger, his will, his essence. He was beginning to understand that even in Hell, there was a chance for redemption. Perhaps not to return to the world of the living, but to be something more than the darkness that surrounded him.

"You're on the right path, Alex," Malgorath said.