by C. Louis S.
It was the song that made Leon open Disciple of Light again. He wanted to hear it again. He hoped it would calm his heart and his mind.
Since hearing Micaela from the basement steps, he hadn’t stopped pacing back and forth on the basement rug. There was something wrong with his life, but he didn’t know how to fix it. He could see two paths. One was the path of dark energy where he would be powerful and cool. The other was the path of True Light where he would be powerless but he would be guided by the sweet melody of his song.
He didn’t know which path to take, and his thoughts kept coming back to Randall. Everything started going downhill when Randall betrayed him. It was because of Randall that he was in this mess. At least, that’s what he thought when he couldn’t hear the song. With the song in his ear, his thoughts seemed to be clearer. And so he resorted to Micaela’s book for answers.
Leon sometimes felt this book was written about his life. Cade was almost in the same situation that he was. Although their society was based more on war and physically fighting for what they believed, Leon felt like he too was in a fight for his beliefs, his destiny. He wasn’t in a physical fight like Cade and The Avalon were, but his was a battle for his heart.
Cade would not give up his dark powers though he wanted to follow The Avalon. Without his dark energy, he wouldn’t be able to defend himself and the followers of Light. The Avalon told him that he could not be on the fence, but that he must choose one or the other.
His deciding moment was when The Avalon told him to go into the woods in order to go on what he called a Torchwalk. The Avalon explained that anciently a Torchwalk was a rite of passage for children to signify that they were ready to be adults, and that even though they no longer were used as such, maybe a Torchwalk would give Cade the answers he needed.
After wandering through the forest, fighting for answers, Cade saw a pillar of light and heard a voice sing to him. His heart was forever changed. He was no longer on the fence. He became firmly rooted in the Light.
In their final battle against the forces of the Dark Void, The Avalon was killed. They had a ceremony for him and buried him within the grounds of their first castle. Cade was named their leader and became known as The Avalon. The book ended and Leon slowly closed it.
It was Cade all along in all the legends that I’ve heard since I was a toddler. Cade was The Avalon. Cade, a boy who started as a follower of the Dark Void, who was the most powerful warrior with dark energy, who couldn’t decide if he wanted to completely follow the Light. He became The Avalon. ‘The Avalon’ was just a title until Cade made it a legendary hero.
Leon sat in silence, enjoying the piano tune in his heart and thinking about his two paths.
I need a Torchwalk. I need to go face my demons and find my answers. I could fly to the mountains and maybe I’ll find answers there. That’s exactly what I’ll do. I’ll fly to the top of the mountains and sit there until I know which path to take.
And then Leon remembered Randall.
He’s the whole reason I’m in this mess. Everything started going downhill when he betrayed me. I can’t find my path in life until I put an end to Randall’s tyranny over my life. I’m going to beat him once and for all. And then I’ll be able to go on my Torchwalk.
Then the thought struck him that he could easily sneak over to Randall’s house that very night. He could pull him out of bed and throw him out the window. Then he could rail on him a little and be back before his parents were the wiser.
Leon floated silently up the stairs to the living room. Everyone had long since gone to their rooms to play on their phones. He floated upstairs to his room and opened the window as slowly as he could with his mind. He slipped out of it and looked up at the crescent moon high in the night sky.
It’s a beautiful night for revenge.
Swiftly he flew through the air. The cold on his feet made him realize he had forgotten to put on shoes or socks. He thought to turn back, but decided he didn’t need them. He could win without them.
He landed silently next to Randall’s house. It was near the same spot where he had tumbled off the roof. Pushed off the roof, he reminded himself. Standing below Randall’s bedroom window, Leon was suddenly unsure of himself. Had Randall been training that whole day like I was at the Firebolts’ stadium? What if Randall gets in one dirty punch to the ribs? Would that be the end of me? Would my ribs break again? Once ribs heal, are they easier to break the next time?
He called on the dark energy to strengthen him and as soon as he felt its power, he called to Randall.
Unexpectedly, the window flew open immediately.
“Who’s there?”
Leon hadn’t thought about what he was going to say. “It’s Leon. Get down here and fight me.”
“Again?”
“Don’t make me drag you out of the window. We’re going to end this now.”
“You’re not even wearing shoes.”
“I’m ready for you. Come down here.” Leon floated up to the window so that he was at eye level with Randall. He was still the width of the roof away from him, but he could glare at him with ease.
“What, can you shoot laser beams out of your eyes, now? Are you going to melt me?”
“If you think you’re so tough, come out and prove it.”
“Leon, I don’t want to fight you anymore.”
“You lost that choice when you almost killed me with your new friends.”
Randall crawled out of his window onto the roof. He was wearing pajamas and was also barefoot. He sat down and folded his legs. This surprised and angered Leon. Randall wasn’t afraid, but he looked sad.
“Leon, buddy, please believe me when I tell you I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to get hurt like that. I just wanted everybody to think I was cool, but it wasn’t worth seeing you hurt. I think about it everyday and I just wish that you would forgive me so we can be friends again.”
“No,” Leon grunted. “This is my revenge. I must have it.”
“Do as you wish, Leon. I deserve it,” said Randall.
“Stop that. Fight me. This time I will beat you.”
Randall sat silently.
“Coward. Get up and fight.”
Randall said nothing.
“Then I’ll make you get up,” Leon snarled. He grabbed Randall with his mind and flung him to ground below. Randall’s body slammed against the side of the house and then crunched on the ground with sickening, cringe-worthy sounds.
Randall lay on the ground, unmoving. Leon floated closer to him. He felt a stab of guilt and wondered if she should stop, until slowly Randall lifted his head. The guilt was gone. Leon made a large, green refrigerator appear over Randall’s head. It was the first heavy object that came to mind.
Randall looked at Leon. There was no anger in his eyes. There was friendship and hope. Even though I’m about to crush him, he still won’t fight back!? He’s sacrificing himself so that I can get what I want. The guilt returned, hard. He remembered suddenly the feelings he had when biting the white fruit from the Tree of Life and the thing that Micaela had told them about Christ, their Savior. He sacrificed himself to save us all. Leon understood it now and it pierced his tormented heart.
I don’t need revenge to be healed. I don’t need acceptance from the kids at school or from Kaz Warwick for that matter. I need to follow the True Light.
And so Leon let go. He let go of revenge, of his hatred, of the refrigerator. He let it all go and for a brief instant, felt at peace.
In the midst of that moment of peace, Leon realized that he had let go of the refrigerator. He found himself watching in horror as it slammed down on Randall. Randall had made an orange force shield bubble around him as the fridge dropped. Whew, that will protect him. The force shield shattered and the fridge landed hard on Randall.
Leon’s heart stopped. Or time stopped. Leon wasn’t sure. Everything seemed to stand still. He saw the crumpled form of his friend lying on the ground. He wasn’t moving. Leon felt sick. After all this time
of trying so hard to beat his best friend, he finally had. He won. He beat Randall.
But his victory was bitter and painful. He felt disgusted with himself. He wanted to run away and hide under a rock. Maybe the rock will crush me and I won’t have to feel this way anymore. But he couldn’t run from the guilt, the anguish of soul.
Leon floated hastily over to Randall and landed on one knee. He checked for breathing first. Randall was wheezing. Good! Still alive, at least. The burden of guilt lifted just a little. He’s going to hate me forever. I betrayed him. He trusted me that I wouldn’t hurt him. He didn’t even fight back and I took that trust and crushed it with a refrigerator.
Leon’s mind wasn’t thinking straight and his thoughts were filled with panic. He began sweating. Randall’s wheezing breaths slowed even more.
I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Let’s see, a heavy object would break some bones maybe. His lungs might have collapsed. Maybe his spleen ruptured. Oh I don’t know. I need a healer. Where can I go for a healer? Let’s see the hospital usually has them on staff, but then they’ll ask how he got hurt. Do I know anyone who is a healer? Maybe that one weird guy in my Algebra class, Cody or Clancy or something? No, I can’t do that. What do I do?
Healer. I need a healer. Oh wait, I can heal. I can heal! Hmm, I don’t feel any brown light energy. Oh right, I need some brown light. Where can I get brown light? My phone! Thank you, Kaz!
Leon fumbled with his phone until he found where Kaz had showed him. He chose brown light from the array of buttons on the screen and just like that, brown light was shining on his face.
“Yuss!”
He felt a new reserve of brown energy fill his body and he enhanced it with all the dark energy he could coax into his body. Next, he grabbed Randall’s arm. What he had seen of healing he had only seen in videos, but in his mind he sent healing vibes into Randall’s body.
How do I know if this is working?
Leon suddenly saw in his mind a broken bone in Randall’s arm and broken ribs. It startled him a little, but it must have been the healing power that showed him what was wrong. He thought about the bones being healed all the while coaxing energy into Randall.
The images of the broken bones left his mind. He wasn’t sure if that meant they were fixed or if he did something wrong, but then he saw a gross organ-looking thing in his head and tried to imagine it being healed as well.
Randall coughed. He sounded a little better, maybe. He breathed normally without any wheezing. He slowly opened his eyes.
Leon felt happy for just a second. He had possibly saved Randall, but he had saved him from a death that Leon himself almost caused. I’ll never live this down. He’ll never call me friend again. I tried to kill him. This is the end of our friendship. I’m a monster.
Leon teleported away.
chapter 24
Immersion