The heavy iron door was cross-reinforced by three thumb-thick iron bars, and the wall was covered with dense anti-demon runes, glowing with a cold metallic luster under the dim light. There was only a squeaking small iron bed and a plastic kettle filled with water in the center of the room, and there was nothing else.
Sam walked back and forth anxiously, his military boots making a monotonous "dong-dong" sound when he stepped on the cement floor. His knuckles turned white from clenching his fists hard. Every time he turned around, his eyes would glance at the closed iron door, with suppressed anger and growing panic burning in his eyes.
Dean stood outside the iron gate, looking at his brother inside through the narrow iron window. There was no expression on his face, his jawline was stretched like a bowstring that was about to break, and there was unconcealable pain and determination deep in his eyes. His fingers unconsciously rubbed Colt handgun around his waist, as if this could bring him some comfort.
Bai Haorui was leaning against the wall opposite the corridor, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was wearing a black jacket, with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing his smooth wrists. Three yellow talismans were turning between his slender fingers, and was drawn on the talisman paper with cinnabar. Heart-Clearing Mantra glowed with a faint golden light. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes moved back and forth between Dean's tense back and Sam's manic figure behind the bars, his eyes full of complex emotions.
"Okay, let me out. This is not funny at all." Sam suddenly stopped and put his hands on the iron door. The cold iron bars hurt his palms. His voice was filled with suppressed anger, like a beast trapped in a cage.
"That's right." Dean's voice was cold, without any warmth.
"Dean, please. This is crazy." Sam's tone softened, with a hint of pleading, "I know I was wrong, and I shouldn't hide it from you, but I can really control myself. You see, I haven't drank for three days, I'm fine."
"No. Unless you quit completely." Dean's tone did not loosen at all. He did not even look into Sam's eyes, his eyes fell on the runes above the iron door.
"Listen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. Open the door." Sam's voice was full of regret, but more importantly, he was eager to get away. His body leaned forward slightly, trying to find a trace of wavering on Dean's face.
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault." Dean finally turned his head and looked into Sam's eyes, "It's not your fault! You lied to me again and again, it's not your fault! I noticed it but didn't take more decisive action. I understand now, Sam, you can't control yourself anymore. That thing has got into your Bones."
"I'm not a drug addict." Sam suddenly raised his voice and hit the iron door with his fist, making a dull sound. The entire iron door shook slightly, and the runes on the wall flashed a faint red light.
Bai Haorui took a step forward and stood next to Dean. He handed the three yellow talismans in his hand through the gap in the iron window, his movements gentle but firm. "This is the Clear Heart Talisman I drew, stick it to your chest, and silently recite the incantation on it. It can help you. Stabilize your mind and ease the withdrawal reaction." His voice was calm and gentle, like a clear spring pouring into this tense atmosphere, "Sam, this is not punishment, this is to save you. I was also wrong. I thought you could control the power instead of being controlled by it. Now it seems that I was wrong."
Sam looked at the three yellow talismans with a faint golden light, his eyes complicated. His eyes moved back and forth between the talisman paper and Bai Haorui's sincere eyes. After hesitating for a long time, he finally stretched out his trembling hand to take it. But he didn't stick it, he just held it tightly in his hand, and the corners of the talisman paper were wrinkled by him.
"I don't need this. I'm not sick." He whispered, with a hint of stubbornness in his tone.
"Really? Then I guess the devastated look I saw of you recently was all imaginary." Dean's mouth curved with a mocking smile, but his eyes became even colder, "Do you think I didn't see you sneaking out in the middle of the night? Do you think I didn't smell the stench of demon blood on you?"
"You actually want to twist this into some ridiculous detoxification intervention?" Sam's fist hit the iron door again, this time with greater force. His knuckles were red and bleeding, and the blood flowed down the iron bars, leaving a dazzling mark on the gray concrete floor.
"If it smells like a duck and walks like a duck..." Dean said lightly.
"Dean, I'm not drinking demon blood for fun. I'm trying to become strong enough to kill Lilith." Sam's voice was full of grievance and unwillingness, "Only I can kill her and stop Apocalypse. Have you forgotten our goal? Have you forgotten how your mother died?"
"Powerful?" Dean seemed to have heard some big joke. He suddenly laughed, but there was no smile in the laughter, only endless anger. "This is far from 'powerful'. This is called weakness. It's called despair. It's called pathetic! Real power should be a controllable power like Haorui! He doesn't need to drink the blood of the devil or sell his soul, but he can still kill the devil!"
"But we can't learn his methods!" Sam was irritated, and his tone became sharp, "How many times has he been through life and death in the past few years to develop this skill! Can we just watch him solve these problems and do nothing? Killing Lilith is the most important thing. Or are you too busy being self-righteous and have forgotten her?"
"Oh, Lilith will die." Dean's smile disappeared, and his eyes became extremely serious, "Bobby, Haorui and I will kill her. But we won't take you with us."
Sam's body shook suddenly, as if he was struck by lightning. He looked at Dean in disbelief, his eyes widened. "You are not serious."
"Congratulations, Sammy. You have just successfully won yourself a spot on the bench against Apocalypse." After Dean finished speaking, he slammed the lid of the bars shut.
"Clang--!"
The huge noise echoed in the empty basement, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.
"Come back! Dean! Let me out! Dean! Let me out!" Sam smashed the iron door crazily, yelling, his voice became hoarse due to excessive force, "Haorui! Let me out! Please!"
His fist hit the cold iron door again and again, blood splattered everywhere. But the only response to him was the cold silence of the iron door, and the sound of Dean's footsteps gradually disappearing.
Bai Haorui looked at the closed iron window and sighed softly. He could clearly feel Sam's intertwined emotions of despair, anger and unwillingness behind the door, like a black flame burning crazily.
"Sam, don't let your inner demons devour you." He said silently in his heart, "I hope this Clear Heart Talisman can help you keep your last shred of sanity."
He turned around and followed Dean up the stairs. Only the desperate shouts of Sam were left in the corridor, like a dull knife, cutting everyone's heart again and again.
The sound of banging on the door lasted for a full hour before gradually subsided.
Sam was leaning against the iron door, breathing heavily. His shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck tightly to his back. His hands were bloody and bloody, and he felt a sharp pain every time he moved. He looked at the three sweat-soaked Clear Heart Talisman in his hand, hesitated for a long time, and finally took out one and carefully placed it on his chest.
A faint warm current came from the talisman paper and slowly flowed through the body along the blood vessels. The burning anxiety calmed down a little, and the racing heart gradually calmed down. He dragged his tired body to the iron frame bed, sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes as Bai Haorui said, and silently recited Heart-Clearing Mantra.
"If the heart is calm, everything will be silent. If the heart is ice-clear, it will not surprise the sky if it falls..."
His voice was low and trembling. The spell echoed in the empty room, forming a strange rhythm.
Suddenly, the lights in the room began to flash wildly, making a "sizzling" sound of electricity. The walls also became blurred, as if the entire space was distorting. The temperature of the air dropped suddenly, and a familiar, nauseating smell of sulfur filled the air.
Sam opened his eyes suddenly and looked around in horror. His heart was beating so fast that it almost jumped out of his chest.
"Guys! Come down! Something is coming!" He shouted to the door, but no one responded. The entire basement was deathly silent, with only his own breathing and heartbeat.
The next second, a figure quietly appeared behind him.
Sam didn't even hear any footsteps. He only felt a cold breath blowing on the back of his neck, like a poisonous snake's letter licking the skin.
He turned his head stiffly.
Alastair was standing behind him, with that iconic, cruel smile on his face. He was wearing a crisp black suit, his hair was meticulously combed, and he was playing with a silver scalpel in his hand. The scalpel shone coldly in the dim light.
"Hello, Sam. Nice to see you again." Alastair said slowly, with a voice like sandpaper rubbing against wood, "It seems that there are only two of us here. Oh my god, tell me, how should we pass these boring times?"
Sam wanted to retreat, to scream, to summon the power within his body. But he found that he could not move at all. An invisible force bound him tightly, and he was dragged to the center of the room like a puppet on strings. On the cross painted in the center of Devil's Trap on the ground, cold iron chains automatically wrapped around his wrists and ankles, nailing him to the cross. A piece of rag was stuffed into his mouth, and he could only make a vague whimper.
"No. No, no, no. No, no. No--stop! Stop! Alastair--please. Please."
He shouted crazily in his heart, tears and sweat mixed with his eyes and flowed down.
Alastair walked slowly in front of Sam, and gently scratched Sam's cheek with his fingers. His fingers were as cold as ice, like a piece of ice.
"You know, Sam, I've always wanted to test the difference between you and Dean." He said softly, his eyes full of sadistic pleasure, "The days when I tortured John and Dean in Hell were the happiest times for me. The sound of their screams was the most beautiful music I have ever heard."
He raised the scalpel in his hand and slowly brought the tip of the knife close to Sam's eyes.
"Let me relive those wonderful memories again, okay?"
At this moment, Clear Heart Talisman on Sam's chest suddenly emitted a burst of dazzling golden light.
"Zila--!"
Alastair's fingers were burned by the golden light. He suddenly retracted his hand and let out an angry growl. Black smoke erupted from his fingers, and his skin was burnt black.
The hallucination disappeared instantly.
Sam found himself lying on the small bed in the center of Devil's Trap, with his arms still in a bound position. He was shaking all over, cold sweat had soaked through his clothes, and even the sheets were wet. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were full of fear and confusion.
"No. No. Oh God, no! Please! Please, please. God!"
He held his head and curled up on the bed, his body still shaking. He touched the Clear Heart Talisman on his chest. The talisman paper had turned a little black, and the runes on it had also dimmed a lot.
The living room was filled with the strong smell of whiskey and cigars.
Bobby was standing in front of the bar, pouring whiskey. His movements were a little slow, and his face was full of exhaustion and worry. His gray hair was disheveled, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deeper than usual. Sam's intermittent screams came from downstairs, and each one was like a needle pricking his heart.
I poured three glasses of whiskey and gave one each to Dean and Bai Haorui. The amber liquid swayed in the glass, reflecting the dim skylight outside the window.
Dean took the glass and drank it in one gulp. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but he didn't feel it at all. He placed the glass heavily on the bar with a loud "bang" sound. His face was so gloomy that water dripped from his face.
Bai Haorui took the wine glass but did not drink it. He just turned it gently in his hand and looked solemnly in the direction of the basement. He could feel that Sam's emotions were becoming more and more unstable, and the dark power was surging crazily in his body and might explode at any time.
"How long will this last?" Dean's voice was hoarse, with a hint of imperceptible anxiety. He reached for the wine bottle and poured himself another glass.
"Wait, let me check it out in my devil's detoxification manual first." Bobby sighed, picked up his wine glass and took a sip, his tone full of helplessness, "Oh, wait. No one has written such a thing at all. No one knows how long it will take. Hell, no one even knows whether Sam can survive it. This kind of thing has never happened before!"
Just then, the phone rang.
The ringtone broke the dull atmosphere in the living room and seemed particularly harsh in the empty room.
Bobby frowned impatiently, walked to the phone and reached out to answer the phone.
"Hello... go to hell, Rufus. If you call me again, I will kill you." He yelled at the phone, and then hung up the phone with a bang.
"What's wrong with Rufus?" Dean asked, raising his head and glancing at Bobby.
"He knows." Bobby's face became even heavier, "I don't know which damn hunter I heard about Sam from, so I called to ask what the situation was."
The phone rang again.
Bobby took a deep breath and quickly reached out to pick up the phone again.
"I'm busy, you **********. You'd better have something important." His tone was full of anger.
Listening to the voice on the other end of the phone, Bobby's face became gloomy little by little. He held the phone receiver hard, and his knuckles turned white. A few drops of whiskey in the glass spilled on the bar.
He hung up the phone and was speechless for a long time. He just stood there blankly, looking ahead blankly.
"What's wrong?" Dean and Bai Haorui asked at the same time, with an ominous premonition rising in their hearts.
"The news. The news is very bad." Bobby's voice was low, "Key West Ten species became extinct overnight without any reason. Fish, birds, lizards, nothing was left. And Alaska, all fifteen people in the fishing fleet went blind, and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. They said the eyes looked completely normal, but they couldn't see anything. New York, a primary school teacher suddenly went crazy, locked the classroom door, and killed sixty-six children."
Dean's pupils suddenly shrank, and the empty wine glass in his hand almost fell to the ground.
"These are... seals?" His voice trembled.
"Yes. There is no doubt that these are seals. They are breaking quickly." Bobby's voice became lower and lower. Every time he said a word, he felt the burden on his shoulders getting heavier. "Who knows how many are left? There must not be many. Where are your angel friends? Didn't they say they want to stop Apocalypse?"
"You ask me?" Dean spread his hands with helplessness on his face, his tone full of dissatisfaction with the angels, "I haven't seen Castiel for a week. It's like they all disappeared suddenly."
"I'm just thinking." Bobby hesitated, looking at Dean with complicated eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Dean asked.
Bobby hesitated for a moment, then expressed his thoughts. "Apocalypse It's almost here... Is now really a good time to stage our family farce?"
Dean's face darkened. "What do you mean?"
"Okay, I don't like this as much as you, but Sam can kill demons." Bobby's voice was full of contradictions and pain, "If he and Haorui work together, they can kill Lilith. They have a chance to prevent the end of the world. But without him, we might not be able to win at all with just Haorui. Because Haorui won't Clone Technique can't handle everything in time."
"So?" Dean suddenly raised his voice, his eyes full of anger and confusion, "Sacrifice Sam's life and his soul in exchange for greater benefits? Is this what you want to say? The world is difficult, so we should use Sam as a nuclear warhead? Throw it away after use?"
"That's not what I meant..."
"Then what do you mean?" Dean interrupted him and stood up excitedly, "I would rather the end of the world come than watch him become a soulless monster! I have already lost him once, and I don't want to lose him again! Do you understand?"
The living room fell into silence. Only the occasional moans from Sam downstairs echoed in the empty room.
Bai Haorui finally spoke, his tone calm but extremely firm. "Bobby, Dean is right. We cannot sacrifice Sam. But now the seal is breaking rapidly, we cannot sit still and wait for death."
He raised his head, looked at Dean, then at Bobby: "You stay here and watch Sam. I'll handle these cases."
"Are you alone?" Dean and Bobby looked at Bai Haorui at the same time, their eyes full of worry, "This is too dangerous. The things released by these broken seals are definitely not ordinary monsters. And the three places are thousands of miles apart, and you can't make it in time."
"Don't worry, I'm measured." Bai Haorui smiled slightly and drank the whiskey in the glass. The spicy liquid burned in his throat, cheering him up. "I can deal with these things better than your salt bombs and holy water. And my speed is faster than you. I can deal with which one."
He stood up and picked up the backpack placed in the corner. "Bobby, give me the detailed addresses of these three places and the contact information of the local hunters. You can support me remotely and call me anytime if you have any questions."
Bobby nodded and immediately turned around to look for information in the study.
Dean looked at Bai Haorui with complicated eyes. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end he only said three words: "Thank you."
"We are brothers." Bai Haorui patted Dean on the shoulder. His palm was warm and strong, "Take care of Sam. Wait for me to come back."
Bobby came back with a stack of information and handed it to Bai Haorui: "New York's address is at Queens. The local hunter's name is Mike; Alaska is at Port of Nome, the hunter is Old Jake; Key West is on the southernmost island, and the hunter's name is Carlos. I have called them and they will cooperate with you. Be careful, Haorui."
"Got it." Bai Haorui took the information and stuffed it into his backpack. Then he picked up the mahogany sword placed in the corner. The sword was engraved with the inscription Three-Five Evil-Slaying Talisman, and five Five Emperor Coinss were tied to the hilt that he had kept in his body for a long time with True Qi True Gang.
He turned and walked out of the living room.
The two of them watched Bai Haorui disappear from the door, and the living room fell into silence again.
Sam woke up from the hallucination just now. He was surprised to find that he was not bound, but just lying on the small bed. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was still dreaming.
Just then, a boy's voice sounded in the room.
"The answer is yes. You're still hallucinating."
Sam suddenly turned his head and looked.
I saw a boy of about 14 years old standing in the corner of the room, with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He was wearing a blue hoodie, his hair was messy, and his face had the same facial features as Sam, only more childish. But his expression was unusually angry.
That's my 14-year-old self.
"I'm crazy." Sam muttered to himself, his eyes full of despair. He subconsciously touched Clear Heart Talisman on his chest. The talisman became darker again, and the warmth almost disappeared.
"Absolutely." Little Sam said coldly.
"What do you want to do?" Sam asked, with a hint of vigilance in his voice. He slowly sat up from the bed and stared closely at the boy in front of him.
"An explanation." Little Sam walked towards him step by step, his eyes full of disappointment and anger, "How could you do this to me? I thought we would live a normal life."
"I tried. I really tried." Sam's voice was full of guilt, "But things didn't go as planned. I'm sorry, kid."
"'I'm sorry, kid'? That's what you're going to say!?" Little Sam stopped and stood in front of Sam, looking up at him, "This is our only wish. We were once so close. You left dad. You gave up hunting. You were going to become a lawyer and get married. Why did you ruin it all?"
"Listen. They came to me, and they almost killed Jessica." Sam's voice was low, with unconcealable sadness. Whenever he thought of Jessica, his heart hurt as if it was being cut by a knife.
"Yes. If you hadn't run away with Dean Bai Haorui, and if you had been there to protect her, she would definitely not have broken up with you." Little Sam's words were like a sharp knife, accurately piercing Sam's most sensitive place.
Sam's face became ugly.