The Chamber of Genesis

by N. E. Michael

  “I suppose I was wrong about you after all,” Mikael rasped as he pushed with all his remaining strength. He gazed into Suriel’s raging eyes with a calm sense of resolution. “It was an honor to serve you, Master Azarai.”

  Mikael let go of Suriel’s arm, and the sword burned straight through his angelic heart. Suriel panted as he retracted the blade, his heart racing with adrenaline. An unnerving smile broke out over Mikael’s lips as his body slowly disintegrated into a haze of dark energy, dispersing throughout the air.

  Suriel looked down at the violent battlefield below and shouted, his booming voice piercing the ears of every soldier on the battlefield.

  “THIS WAR IS OVER!”

  The fighting stopped as all Enlai, rebel and knight alike, looked up to the sky with confusion and awe. The city fell hauntingly silent.

  “I AM SURIEL SON OF ALAROS, YOUR RIGHTFUL KING!”

  Suriel lifted his fiery sword for all to see, then flew down to the surface and landed beside Gavriel. The angel’s chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, soaked in a pool of golden blood. The surrounding soldiers watched him with wonder.

  “I did it, Gavriel,” Suriel exclaimed victoriously, a black color seeping into his darkening eyes. “Just as you said I would. I slew Mikael. I shall reclaim my father’s throne, and then the seat of the God King himself. I shall take what is rightfully mine. The world will bow to my commands!”

  Gavriel looked up at the Prince with saddened eyes.

  “I avenged my father’s murder,” Suriel ranted madly as if two minds were speaking from the same mouth. “Blood for blood, death for death. It is only fair. It is just! I will restore order to the planet! I shall remake this galaxy in my own image! This heresy has gone on long enough!”

  As Suriel rambled on, his voice growing wilder and wilder, something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He turned to see Raiden back on his feet, glowing with the rejuvenating energy of the feather Kiara held to his chest. Suriel’s eyebrows widened as the fire in his eyes swirled with rage, and his hands clenched to fists.

  “You will love me!” Suriel screamed. “You will bow down before m-”

  Before he could finish his crazed decree, Gavriel used the distraction to rip the amulet from Suriel’s neck and toss it over him to Raiden.

  “NO!” Suriel cried desperately, falling to his knees. The aura around him began to shrink, but to Gavriel’s surprise, it did not fade completely.

  “Fool!” Suriel shouted at Gavriel, his voice changing to a dark and foreign tone. He forged the aura around into a fiery blade and plunged it down into Gavriel’s heart, delivering a fatal blow.

  “How?” Gavriel choked in terrible shock.

  “I’ve already absorbed most of the power into this body,” Suriel sneered. “Once I take the rest, I’ll no longer need my father’s useless amulet.”

  “So it is you,” Gavriel gasped one last time, gazing up at him. “Azarai.”

  “Goodbye, old friend,” Azarai answered with a cold stare, and Gavriel disintegrated, his golden aura dissipated throughout the air.

  “Suriel?” Kiara asked with a shaking, frightened tone. “You killed Gavriel?”

  “Kiara, run,” Raiden whispered as he stood beside her, his fingers curled around the amulet. Energy surged from his hand throughout his body, and a light-blue aura began to shape around him. Watching the celestial aura form around him, Kiara obeyed, running off to the side of the road, accompanied by Skarai.

  “Suriel is dead,” Azarai said sinisterly. “I am Azarai, your god, and that amulet belongs to me. You’d be wise to hand it over.”

  Raiden met the intensity of Azarai’s glare as he placed the amulet defiantly around his neck.

  “Fool,” Azarai laughed scornfully. “You think you can control the power of creation? I was born for this, trained my entire life. You cannot expect to defeat me.”

  “Suriel!” a familiar voice called from the sidelines as Kain ran down the street towards them, followed by Mara and Ferrus.

  “Whatever is happening to you, Suriel, you can fight it!” Kain shouted. “You can take your father’s place on the throne and restore peace to the Kingdom!”

  “Uncle Kain?” Suriel asked softly, his voice reverting for a moment back to its former self, his eyes lightening. But the darkness returned, and Azarai regained control.

  “Your nephew is gone,” Azarai said, “but I shall indeed rule this Kingdom, along with the rest of the galaxy.”

  He turned back to Raiden.

  “Will you hand over the amulet, or will I have to rip it off your dead body?”

  “Sorry, Suriel,” Raiden said solemnly, his hands tightening to fists. “I can’t let you do this.”

  “Then, so be it.”

  Azarai molded the dark red aura around him into his blade, this time burning with black and red flames. Raiden took a deep breath, focusing the energy around him into a searing blue sword of his own as Azarai charged at him faster than any creature he’d ever seen. Raiden held his blade steady, and Azarai pounced at him through the air, plunging the sword towards his chest. Raiden watched it happen in slow motion, able to follow Azarai’s movements with a heightened sense of time and place. It was as if he and Azarai existed in a different time frame than the rest of the world. Raiden’s heart beat unnaturally slow, his mind focused and calm, aware of everything around him. Their blades met with a magnificent and terrible eruption of blue and red energy, producing an outburst of blinding light.

  “Raiden.”

  Raiden opened his eyes, turning towards the voice. He felt a sudden sense of peace and tranquility. The world had vanished around him, replaced with an infinite plane of empty, white space. The figures of two men approached him from a distance, each bearing a striking familiarity to both Raiden and Suriel.

  “Agius,” Raiden said, somehow knowing instantly who it was.

  “And I am Legasus,” the second man added calmly. “Or rather, was.”

  “Am I dead?” Raiden asked, puzzled.

  “You are not dead,” Agius replied. “You are in the Nexus, the web which connects all things.”

  “Like the mirror,” Raiden muttered slowly.

  “Nexus Mirrors are permanent tunnels through the Nexus,” Agius replied. “But the web is vast beyond comprehension, with infinite dimensions. The True Beings of all living creatures are inherently connected to it, even after we die.”

  Raiden contemplated the thought for a moment, trying to understand.

  “Why have you brought me here?”

  “You came here yourself,” Legasus answered. “But it is fitting that you pulled us here together. The three of us shared a common destiny. Each had the chance to end this eternal war, and so far, we have failed.”

  “I could have destroyed the amulet completely and released the Electus Prime free into the universe,” Agius explained. “But instead, I became arrogant, and I split it in two, believing I could survive the blast and continue on to become the God King. I was wrong, and Azarai’s spirit lived on after the explosion, bound to the gemstones.”

  “And I could have destroyed the Nexus Mirror on Earth, eliminating the chance of the amulets reuniting,” Legasus sighed. “But I fortified the Mirror instead in the hopes that one day I could perhaps connect the two planets and wield the God Power myself to build a better future. I was killed by Vespirus before I had the chance.”

  “The Order, or destiny, as you call it, is against us, Raiden. It always has been,” Agius continued. “That is why you must disrupt the Order itself, beginning with Azarai. Do not be tempted by the power that amulet holds. Defeat Azarai and end this war, no matter the cost.”

  Raiden bent his knees as the blow pushed down on him with a crushing force, nearly overwhelming his legs. He blinked, recalling the experience in the Nexus like a distant dream, wondering if it had truly happened, then returned his attention quickly to the opponent before him. Raiden struggled to parry as Azarai struck again and again with his blade, each
time growing faster. Finally, instead of using his sword to blow, Raiden held it out in front of him and released the energy holding it together, creating a pulse that threw Azarai sprawling a few meters back. Azarai landed on his feet, an amused grin on his face.

  “You cannot avoid my blade forever, human,” Azarai snarled, but Raiden wasn’t listening. Instead, he focused on the place he’d just experienced, the Nexus, feeling its strings stretching in all directions.

  Azarai charged at him again, but this time, Raiden didn’t summon a weapon. Instead, he focused his energy to tear an opening in the Nexus directly in front of Azarai, and the mad god vanished within the portal. The remaining Decrepit, having been watching the battle from above, fled with the disappearance of their leader.

  “What happened?” Kiara asked worriedly, running over to Raiden and throwing her arms around him.

  “I-I’m not really sure,” Raiden said.

  “It was all a blur to us,” Sable added, walking up to them, along with Kain, Mara, and Ferrus. “You guys were moving faster than a raptor.”

  “Is he dead?” Kain asked sadly with a pained expression.

  “No,” Raiden replied. “I just sent him away from here, but he’ll be back. I need to talk to Rio and tell him this war isn’t over.”

  “What do you mean?” Mara asked, looking around at all the stunned, gaping soldiers. “It looks over to me.”

  “He has thousands of undead under his command, as well as those Decrepit, and he’s growing more powerful by the minute. I won’t be able to hold him off again,” Raiden said grimly. “Soon, he’ll be unstoppable.”

  “Then what can we do?” Kiara asked.

  “I’ll explain once Rio’s here,” Raiden said with a grim expression. “But he’s not gonna like it.”

  ◆◆◆

  Azarai swung his blade with deadly force, only to find himself slicing through thin air. He looked around, finding himself surrounded by endless trees and shrubberies somewhere deep in the Wildlands. He uttered a furious scream, scaring away a stampede of small dinosaurs and birds.

  “The human can access the Nexus without a guide, Father,” Azarai spoke bitterly towards the sky. “Something a Rai could never do, only your pathetic, beloved humans. Even in this humiliating human body, I cannot access the gift you gave them! Does that amuse you, Father!? Are you happy!?”

  Azarai swung his blade angrily at a nearby tree, sending it crashing to the floor. It appeased him, and he smiled at the destruction of his father’s creation. He swung his sword again, chopping down a second tree, then warped the sword’s energy into a pillar of fire and sent its sprawling in all directions, setting the forest around him ablaze.

  “I will end this galaxy you built, Father,” he whispered spitefully, standing alone, everything around him bursting into flames.

  “I will erase it all, and your memory along with it.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Armageddon

  The day of destruction

  “What in Gavriel’s name is happening?” Rio demanded to know, stepping out with Pete from their hovercar onto what had previously been the battlefield. The road was cracked and splintered, littered with bodies and debris. Soldiers and rebels alike crowded around the street, confused as to what they were supposed to be doing and who they were supposed to be fighting.

  They walked to where Raiden and the others stood waiting.

  “Why did the war stop?” Rio asked.

  “Because Mikael was killed, and Suriel ordered them to stop fighting.”

  “Before he went stir-crazy?” Rio asked. “I heard the reports. He tried to kill you?”

  “Suriel was taken over by Azarai, the Demon King,” Raiden explained somberly. “Which leaves these people without a king. They need a leader, and I believe your ancestors have some experience with that…”

  Rio chuckled in disbelief. “I was fighting to liberate the Dingers, not to be king of his entire kingdom. From my experience, kings end up losing their heads in more ways than one, and I have no interest in it.”

  “There won’t be a Dinges or a Kingdom anymore if Azarai gets his hands on this amulet,” Raiden said grimly. “If he absorbs the rest of the power, he can use the Chamber of Genesis to reshape our entire galaxy.”

  “So, you want me to lead these men into battle against him?” Rio asked.

  “That would be futile,” Raiden said. “Even with the fraction of the Electus Prime still within the amulet, I can’t defeat him. An army of Enlai would hardly leave a scratch. He’s essentially a god. According to legend, there’s only one thing that was able to destroy Azarai in the past…”

  Rio’s face grew pale, and his lips tightened into a dreadful grimace when he realized what Raiden was referring to.

  “You want to blow up the planet,” Rio gasped.

  “It’s the only way to save everyone,” Raiden said firmly, a guilty knot in his stomach.

  “You mad, sadistic moron…” Rio shook his head in shock.

  “You want to destroy the whole planet!?” Kiara exclaimed. “Raiden, what about the village, we were gonna rebuild it! And all the forests and rivers, all the animals!”

  “Kiara, this isn’t easy for me either,” Raiden turned somberly to her. “But I don’t know what else we’re supposed to do.”

  “You can beat him!” Kiara begged. “We can do it, together!”

  “And what if I can’t!?” Raiden raised his voice, tears of desperation forming in his eyes. “Then I would die, knowing that everyone and everything I ever knew or loved, heck, the entire galaxy, will be destroyed because of a choice I couldn’t make!”

  “He is correct,” Ferrus said cooly. “A sure defeat of Azarai is the most logical solution.”

  “Liosa,” Kain stammered, “you can’t possibly agree with this-!”

  “How would you save the planet’s inhabitants?” Pete asked, entertaining the idea.

  “If I could access the Chamber of Genesis, I could send everyone through the Nexus, just like Agius did thousands of years ago. I would search for a suitable planet, maybe even Earth, for you guys to go to if I fail to kill Azarai. If I succeed, I will bring everybody back.”

  “Just like the legend Jaaro used to say,” Sable muttered in wonder. “Raiden is the savior.”

  “So you would evacuate the planet, and set off the explosion only as a last resort?” Rio asked slowly, contemplating it. “If, and I mean if, we would do this, I would insist on staying with you to make sure you pull the plug only when absolutely necessary.”

  “Staying behind would be suicide,” Raiden argued. “If I fail, the people of this planet will need a leader.”

  “I’ll do it,” Pete volunteered, a look of resolution on his face.

  “Absolutely not,” Rio shot him down quickly. “I won’t let you take that risk.”

  “I’m the best choice. You trust me,” Pete argued stubbornly. He gazed into fervently, yet affectionately into Rio’s eyes. “When I was a kid, you saved my life,” he said. “You gave me a purpose. I’m lucky for all the time you gave me, but now it’s time to repay the favor.”

  Rio stared trembling at his old friend, the man he’d regarded as his own son.

  “I can’t let you die for me, Pete.”

  “If you aren’t goin’, then I’m not goin’, so you’ve gotta make a choice. ”

  “I can’t believe we’re actually talking about this,” Kiara cried angrily. “This is crazy! You’ve gone mad, just like Suriel!” She stormed away from them and stood stubbornly with her back to Raiden, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Raiden’s heart broke as he watched her go, the guilt squeezing tighter and tighter around his heart.

  “Talk it over, I’ll be right back,” Raiden told Rio. “But hurry, cause we don’t have much time.”

  Raiden jogged over to where Kiara stood.

  “Kiara,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t touch me!” she shouted, shoving his hand off
before spinning around.

  “You said you’d protect us!” Kiara yelled furiously between tears. “Not destroy us! The place I grew up, this entire kingdom, my mother’s grave!”

  “Kiara, I-” Raiden stammered.

  “What about that dance?” Kiara moaned, her voice softening to a sob. “You were gonna take me dancing in Balron and buy me some of Bardo’s scralp. You promised…”

  Raiden stared her, heartbroken and speechless, unable to find the right words to say, if such words even existed.

  “Raiden,” Rio called from behind him. “I’m receiving reports from informants throughout the Kingdom. They say thousands of undead swarms are marching towards the Capital.” Rio sighed. “If you want to do this, we’d better begin now.”

  “Kiara,” Raiden said sadly.

  “Just go,” she whispered sadly, refusing to look at him. Sable walked up to them and wrapped her arms around Kiara. She glanced at Raiden, signaling for him to give them space. Not knowing what else to do, Raiden turned hesitantly backed to the rest of the group.

  “So, how’s this gonna work?” Rio asked.

  “I’m going to try and open a portal from here to the Chamber of Genesis,” Raiden focused, setting his feelings aside. “Once I’m there, I should be able to open every gateway to the Nexus throughout the entire Kingdom. You need to get the message out to every city, town, and village to go through the portals, and I’ll guide them to safety.”

  “What about Azarai?” Mara asked. “Once he sees the portals open, he’ll know where you are. He’ll try to stop you.”

  “Or he’ll hop into the portal with us,” Pete pointed out.