At once, a ray of light burst from the watch, surrounding the lake with a blue flame, as if gas had ignited all around it. The flame burnt on the water, which hissed and fizzed, immediately turning into steam and evaporating into the dark air.

‘Air!’ Thanatos commanded. ‘Blow!’

This time, the Chaos Stone emitted its supernatural emerald glow, summoning a strong wind that blew at the flames like candles on a birthday cake, until they were all extinguished.

Thanatos and Elliot walked forward on the now-dry earth to the door of the prison.

‘Earth!’ Thanatos boomed. ‘Quake!’

Immediately, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Elliot looked at the mighty stone prison. It was beginning to shake.

Thanatos threw his head back and roared with laughter. Elliot knew that feeling. The feeling of ultimate control. The feeling he had only ever known with the Chaos Stones.

He saw a large crack starting to snake its way down the front of the prison. And another on the side. And another around the base. As the Daemons whooped and hollered inside, the building began to crumble, huge stones falling from the mighty walls. Elliot dived out of the way as one landed inches from where he stood.

Suddenly, with an almighty crack, the stone fortress came apart as if it were an egg being cracked on a pan, splitting down the middle as the walls collapsed on themselves. Elliot choked on the almighty dust cloud that rose as the prison collapsed in a heap of rubble.

‘Water!’ Thanatos directed. ‘Cleanse!’

The sky was filled with a ruby-red glow. An almighty torrent of water fell from the sky, washing away the rubble in a flood. Elliot thought he would be washed away, but the enchanted water seemed only to act on the rubble, clearing it out of the way, leaving him and the Daemons standing firm.

For a moment, all was quiet. Elliot wiped the mush of ash and dust from his eyes and stared at a mass of forms, all cowering beneath their wings, as far as the eye could see.

‘Come, my children!’ Thanatos yelled at his army. ‘Arise! You are free!’

Slowly, the figure nearest Elliot unfurled its wings. It was like a red, furless bat, its scrawny, naked body showing the bones beneath. It rose on thin legs with three-toed feet, legs that reminded Elliot of the chickens they used to have on Home Farm. As it stood, it lifted its horned head cautiously, looking up in awe at its leader.

‘Master?’ it said eventually. ‘Is that really you?’

‘Yes, Pistis, Daemon of Trust,’ said Thanatos grandly, extending a hand towards the Daemon. ‘It is I.’

‘Thought so,’ said Pistis, eagerly kissing the hand. ‘Everyone – it’s him, it really is, I just know it.’