As the door opened wider, brilliant light shot into the small closet, and burning heat hit the priest like a shockwave. Vand’s brow creased as he stared into a vast wasteland, bright sunlight sparkling off the rolling hills of sand. Vand shook his head to clear the mirage from his vision, but the image did not go away. Slowly, Vand ventured through the door and into the wasteland. His eyes scanned the vastness around him. Tall mountains rose in the distance, and lava flowed down the slopes. Smoke curled upward from the mountainous peaks and a harsh wind whipped across the desert floor. Grains of sand slammed into the priest with stinging regularity, and Vand turned to retreat into the closet, but the doorway was gone. He stood shaking his head in confusion as his eyes gazed over the vast desert behind him.

“I must be delirious,” Vand said to himself.

Vand turned in a circle, bringing up his arms to protect his face from the stinging sand. He saw no exit from the wasteland.

“Am I dead?” Vand asked himself. “Is this what comes after life?”

“Is this what you want to come after death?” boomed a loud voice.

Vand gasped as he turned swiftly to find the source of the voice. His mind swam as he moved, and the priest fell to the desert floor.

“Who are you?” Vand shouted loudly. “Show yourself.”

One of the lava-spitting volcanoes suddenly moved. Vand rubbed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He watched with morbid curiosity as a body formed out of the volcano. A grotesque creature towered over the distant mountains and laughed deeply. The creature was monstrous and black. Horns sprouted for its head, and its eyes were like molten lava. The ground thundered as the beast walked towards Vand, but the priest could not take his eyes off of the demon. He saw sharp claws protruding from the creature’s hands and feet. When the creature laughed, Vand saw a snout full of huge sharp teeth. The priest quivered in fear.