Andrey's eyes snapped open.
Darkness. Endless, suffocating darkness. The air was cold and still, pressing against his skin like a living thing.
Then, pressure.
A hand around his throat. Not human. The fingers were too long, too thick, tipped with claws that dug into his skin just enough to draw blood.
He was lifted off the ground, dangling in the void like a puppet on a string.
Andrey's hands shot up, gripping the wrist of his attacker, trying to relieve the pressure on his windpipe. His feet swung uselessly in the empty air.
Before him, a face emerged from the shadows.
A demon.
His skin was crimson, like old blood, smooth and hairless. Two curved horns sprouted from his forehead, twisting back like a ram's, spiraling into sharp points. His eyes burned gold, vertical pupils slit like a reptile's, and they glowed with ancient, predatory amusement. He was tall and his body was lean but corded with muscle, wrapped in tattered black cloth that barely covered his frame.
