by J. J. Egosi
He thought, the demon king in my nightmares. Lucifer.
“I’ll take your collective cluelessness as a sign that he hasn’t told you about me,” said the man.
“Wait, what? Are you saying Michael knows you?” said Julianna.
“That could explain why he’s after you if you had a previous run-in,” Alexa suggested, gazing at the man’s strange mask.
“That’s preposterous!” Isabella said. “Michael had never even left the dark realm before the past week or so. There’s no way he could have met someone like you without my knowledge about it.”
“Though he is the archangel, they are said to know each other well … And be bitter rivals,” said Ursula.
“I know all that. I’m asking if Michael can recognize this plague doctor looking freak right now,” Isabella said.
“There’s one way to answer that.” A devious smiled formed across the man’s face. “Ask him if he knows my name.”
Isabella gulped as she turned towards Michael. The rest of the girls stared at him tensely.
“Well?” Ursula asked. “Do you remember his name at all?”
Sweat rolled down his face. The grin on the demon king’s face trapped him just as those faces did in his nightmares. There was nowhere to go. He had to confess what he’d been hiding right there and now.
“It’s true,” said Michael, trembling. “He’s the demon that’s been haunting my nightmares. His name is Lucifer.”
The girls gasped.
“You’re joking! You mean you’ve met him in your nightmares?” Julianna asked.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us this before?” Alexa demanded.
“I’m sorry. I just”—
“A pity,” Lucifer began, “to think your own species would bring such horror to the same man you love. Oh, how you all must be drowning in self-doubt, wondering if you can trust him any longer. He is a liar, after all.”
“I didn’t lie,” Michael appealed. “I just didn’t tell.”
He looked over at them with a nervous smile. Their stony gazes silently communicated a loss of trust and disbelief in what they had just found out.
“I’m curious if he ever has nightmares about any of you ladies,” Lucifer said. “It’s not good for an angel to spend so much time with demons after all. In fact, it’s rather bad for their health!”
“Do we scare you, Michael? Tell us,” Isabella said, trembling with worry, as the other girls looked at him, painfully awaiting his response.
“What’s going on? Of course, you don’t. You’re my”—
He saw their faces contort to those he saw in his nightmares. Gasping, he trembled back. The four of them looked with despair.
“So, you are afraid?” Ursula whimpered, on the verge of tears.
Michael gritted his teeth. To his right, he heard Lucifer’s chuckling filling the forest. His blood boiled at the sound as he darted his head towards them.
“That’s enough! Stop trying to poison their minds. You know all my recent nightmares were your doing.”
“I suppose some tragedies are inevitable. And some nightmares won’t go away,” Lucifer said.
“And what does that mean?” Michael asked.
“Tell me. What are you most afraid of?” Lucifer asked.
Michael gulped. He trembled in the wake of a grin more terrifying than any he’d ever seen as the hideous miasma spread under Lucifer’s mask.
“It’s solitude, isn’t it?” Lucifer asked.
“How did you”—
“You can’t stand the thought of being abandoned. Forgotten by the world. Or as I might say, being left all alone.”
Michael’s eyes widened. The uncertainty he felt during his prior encounter with Lucifer became clearer, leaving him mortified.
“Your voice. I know where I’ve heard it.” He pieced together the fact that the voice he heard in the twilight forest, haunting his mind, and Lucifer’s were the same. “This can’t be. This must be a mistake.”
“Oh, but it isn’t,” Lucifer said. “I’ve been in your mind all along. Watching. Observing what it is you admire most. And what leaves your nightmares running amok? And when it comes to being left behind, that’s a nightmare you can’t outrun.”
“Shut your mouth. I’m”—
“Don’t believe me? Look at your friends,” Lucifer said.
Michael turned towards the girls and met their wary gazes as they struggled to maintain eye contact with him.
“You want nothing more than to be revered. Loved. Surrounded by those you cherish. Yet, you drive those same people away. How serendipitous.”
“That is not true.” Michael shivered as he stumbled back. He nearly tripped over his ankle as the dread in his mind took a strangling hold.
Lucifer snickered. “Your dreams were more than just dreams. They were visions. Visions of the future.”
“The future?” Michael said, confused.
“Yes, vague as they were, each dream tells a story. Would you care to know a dream of mine?” Lucifer asked.
“As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t,” Michael said with a scornful glare.
“Well, I’ll tell you, anyway, since I’m feeling chatty.” Lucifer grinned. “The dream I had was quite real, for it told of something that took place long ago.”
“I didn’t ask for a history lesson, either,” Michael snapped.
“Oh, but it’s such a delightful story, Michael,” he insisted. “A story depicting the great struggle between two beings that fought against one another for this omniverse countless eons ago. The creator god, Michael, and the destroyer god, Lucifer.”
The beating of Michael’s heart sped up at the mention of his name. He was certain the association with divinity was a mistake. He was anything but.
Lucifer stared into his panic-induced eyes with a smile. “That was no mistake. You’re that creator and I am that destroyer.”
“Did you just say I’m a god? And an archangel?”
“Yes. You were born a god, as I was, and earned the title of archangel through your divine abilities. Just as I earned the title of demon king with my diabolic persuasion,” Lucifer replied with a grin.
Michael’s head swirled with confusion. His mind overloaded with images he couldn’t recognize—eras he’d never experienced, where creatures he’d never witnessed took form, and civilizations he had no recollection of rose and fell. Many worlds dawned and set before his eyes. An immediate bond he couldn’t comprehend took hold of him. He couldn’t see anything else. All he could see were those visions. And all he could feel was his heart pounding out of his chest.
“That’s correct.” Lucifer grinned. “The god of creation. The man who birthed this world. And I, the god of destruction, will be the one to take it away.”
“Get the fuck out of here. Michael’s seriously a god,” Ursula said.
“Unholy shit!” Alexa nervously gulped.
Michael turned towards the girls, sensing apprehension building in them as they slowly backed off from him.
“That, I didn’t know. I promise.”
“Well, it seems my servant, Hecate, did a better job than I expected of not disclosing that information to you,” Lucifer began, “I never thought that obsessive little runt could shut her fucking mouth.”
Michael gritted his teeth and shifted towards his direction. “She died in your name. Perhaps you could learn something from her sacrifice!”
“Oh, but I’m only here to teach”—Lucifer walked towards Michael with a callous look—“And shed a little enlightenment here. Perhaps you could learn something. A certain sheet of wool over the eyes that needs pulling, yes?”
Michael clenched his fists and turned towards the girls one more time. “Please … I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. One thing led to another and between my constant drinking, I was never able to do so.”
“We heard what you said, Michael,” said Ursula. “And we heard what Lucifer said, too.”
Lucifer’s eyes widened wit
h intrigue.
“Are you really a god?” Isabella asked.
“That, he is,” Lucifer replied. “One of the most powerful and ancient there is. Save for yours truly, of course.”
“You knew this all along. Why tell us now? Why didn’t you have Hecate reveal his nature?” Julianna insisted.
“Oh, no special reason. I just wanted to see the look on all your faces when I told you myself. Especially Michael’s,” Lucifer replied with a devious grin.
What a bastard, Isabella thought, clenching her fists.
They don’t seem as bothered as before, Michael thought, staring at their blank expressions. Maybe they’ve forgiven me?
“Well, we should get down to business. The battle between the two greatest forces is about to begin. I hope your friends have a stronger shelter than those pathetic tents. Otherwise, they’ll be blown out of this dimension within seconds,” said Lucifer.
The girls backed off as Michael and Lucifer prepared to face off. Michael was done feeding Lucifer’s ego by showing fear. He would not back down this time. He kept his eyes pinned into Lucifer’s, ready for whatever games he would throw at him.
“This is insane, isn’t it? Tell me I’m not the only one that’s thinking this,” said Isabella.
“You’re not. I just can’t believe it’s true,” Julianna said. “The archangel is also the god of creation.”
“And given the demon’s reputation for his sharp honesty, there’s no denying it,” said Ursula.
“I knew he was important, but to be the one who created the entire world? I thought that was just a legend,” said Alexa.
“Our Michael? The god of all creation?” Isabella said in amazement.
“And the leader of the organization is the god of destruction. How could we have missed that?” Ursula added.
“I don’t know, but it looks like hell’s about to break, so we should definitely take cover,” said Isabella.
“Shouldn’t we help him?” Ursula suggested.
“Against a force as formidable as the god of destruction, we’d only get in his way,” Alexa said.
“She’s right. Michael would focus more on protecting us than on fighting against Lucifer,” Julianna said.
“You’re right,” Ursula said with reluctance.
The girls nodded in agreement before taking formation. Alexa started the magic chant and the other girls joined. Almost instantly, their shadows rose into a shield, not even steel could perforate.
“I’ll be the end to all your wildest dreams and so much more once this is over,” Lucifer warned.
“What you call ‘dreams’, I call ‘nightmares’. And I’ll be the one to rid you from them, once and for all. I swear it,” said Michael.
The hateful look on Michael’s face suggested he could spit at the sight of this scoundrel, but Lucifer simply responded with a swaggering grin.
Enough of this! Michael thought to himself.
A chill rushed through his body as ancient power coursed through him. The skies responded with claps of lightning. A blanket of darkness shrouded the forest as creation and destruction set for battle.
Chapter 7
Secrets from the Shadows
M
ichael’s eyes flared with disgust. Every fiber of his being seeped with hatred for the man facing off against him. His fingers inched towards the sword by his side. As they grazed the handle, he felt a jolt of self-doubt pierce his mind. It left him trembling, panting heavily as a cold sweat formed.
“Still afraid, I see.” Lucifer grinned. “It’s only natural when pitted against an opponent as formidable as me.”
“What is it you want with me, Lucifer?” groaned Michael. “Do you just want our titan rings or are you trying to recreate one of your sick nightmares?”
“A true master of the dark arts never reveals his intentions until it’s too late. Too late for his opponent, that is,” Lucifer replied in a playful tone.
“I’ve had it with your mind games,” Michael snapped. “Tell me what it is you want with me and those dimension titans or I swear I’ll knock you out of this fucking dimension.”
“You boast an impressive game for someone too timid to unsheathe his blade.” Lucifer grinned.
Michael’s face reddened. “We’ll see who’s timid!”
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He swiped his blade out of its sheath and stormed forward with a trail of lightning.
Lucifer chuckled. He manifested an orb of shadows in his hand. The girls watched from the side with awe as it took the shape of a sword. Michael’s blade edged closer before Lucifer struck him deep in the stomach.
Michael looked down at Lucifer’s weapon, coughing up blood and gasping with disbelief. “That’s”—
“Do you see now what it means to be the demon king?” said Lucifer. “I’m more than just a walker of dimensions and dreams. My ability to forge the very darkness to my whim is unparalleled.”
“This feeling…” Michael twitched from the unbearable squirming inside him. “…it’s like your shadows are swallowing me from the inside.”
“Yes, shadows are the opposing element of the angel race. Being stricken by them is like having a flesh-eating disease dwell inside you.”
“That can’t be. Make it stop!” Michael grabbed onto the shadow blade, attempting to pull it out. Like a rabid hound thrice his size, it proved too strong. Fighting his will, it burrowed deeper, forcing out his screams.
“Michael!” Isabella shouted.
She and the others looked with terror as Michael’s body gave out.
“God or liar or whatever, he’s still our friend. We can’t let him do this!” Ursula pleaded.
Lucifer smirked. “I’d avoid stepping closer. Unless you’d like to meet a similar fate. After all, history shows I’m not averse to slaughtering my own blood.”
“You won’t end me.” Michael gritted his teeth, tearing up as blood spilled from his mouth. “I won’t let you because my fate is mine to control.”
“That might be true, but with fate comes resolve. And yours is too weak!” With his other fist, Lucifer thumped Michael square in the face, sending him off the shadows of his blade and to the ground.
Michael’s eyes widened as he coughed up even more blood. He fell to his side, gasping in agony. The girls watched in horror. Ursula tried to intervene but Alexa blocked her, citing the immense danger of daring Lucifer.
“I’m getting bored, already. How about you and I give your little harem a performance to remember?”
Lucifer released his webbed black wings for the night to see. They expanded further than the girls’ did. Michael leaned forward, more intimidated by Lucifer’s power than before. Still, he refused to let his resolve go unrequited.
“Fine, if that’s what you want, you’ve got it!” Michael stood up, releasing his white feathered wings.
Lucifer looked at him and grinned as Michael’s wounds healed. “I see you’re able to regenerate when you’re in your angel form.”
“That’s right.” Michael remembered his first booming of the archangel. Amidst the ruins of an elemental stricken city, the gashes left his stomach healed, and his ambitions born.
“Very nice. I’m glad this doesn’t have to end so soon anymore. I was hoping to make a night out of this.”
“In your dreams,” Michael replied, lunging towards him with his sword.
“In that case, where in my dreams would you like to finish this?” Lucifer said, swiftly blocking Michael’s attack.
The one where I bury you!” Michael formed a pulsating stream of bolts in his hand and blasted Lucifer in the face, sending him a dozen feet back.
Lucifer hissed from the burning sensation as it took hold. His eyes grew red and veiny all around as they began to water.
“Shadows may be a flesh-eating disease to angels, but what are lightning bolts to demons if not the equivalent?” Michael asked.
Lucifer stared with a flaring scowl. “You’re more scrupulous than I th
ought.”
“No kidding,” Alexa said to the girls. “That was quick thinking on Michael’s part.”
“But how long can he maintain that momentum?” Julianna asked.
Lucifer and Michael rushed at each other with their blades. Their blades clashed, forcing a storm of lightning and shadow across the battlefield. The girls screamed as they shielded themselves from the blow.
As the dome-like explosion of black and white slowly dissipated, it revealed the ongoing ferocious combat. Michael and Lucifer exchanged swings of their swords and various light and dark based attacks, respectively.
“You’re not half bad for someone with hardly any recollection of who they are,” Lucifer said.
“It doesn’t take a strong memory to know you can’t be trusted,” Michael refuted.
The two continued to clash their blades, trading blows and splattering blood upon the battlefield.
“Damn, this is hard to watch!” Ursula said in a nervous state, as she covered her eyes with her hand, peeking through her fingers.
“Michael will do fine. He just needs to believe in himself,” Julianna said in a more calm and collected manner.
“Therein lies the problem,” said Alexa.
“What do you mean?” Ursula asked.
“I mean Michael talks a big game, but I doubt he has what it takes to carry out the victory he needs.”
“Yeah, but”—Ursula began.
“Let’s not forget his powers have been dormant for years and his memory is still fledgling. Meanwhile, Lucifer’s power is at full capacity.”
“What are you saying?” Isabella asked.
Alexa sighed. “I’m saying Michael can believe in his ambitions all he wants, but his power just won’t be able to match Lucifer’s in the end.”
“I think you’re wrong,” Ursula said.
“Just look at his battling tactics of you don’t believe me,” Alexa said. “He’s very good at sending out his lightning attacks and he’s decent with his sword, but he’ll need to do more to win this. The last thing he wants is to focus on what he desires out of his future, he blinds himself from what’s in front of him.”
“You’re right,” Julianna said. “We’re dealing with a ruthless tyrant that toys with his victims and won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”