"The Occulus!”
Neoma looked down in her hands. “We need to find Hecatan!”
Nyx approached Neoma. She manifested into a smokey black mist as she disappeared into her cloak.
"I can feel the Occulus presence," Nyx whispered. "A beckon relaying its location was sent to me."
Nyx looked down at Neoma as she revealed her face through the mist.
"Let’s go," Neoma uttered.
Nyx eyes exploded into flames as she shrieked and possessed Neoma's body.
***
With a flash of white light, swirls of gas stretched beyond the limits of space. Neoma watched in terror as screams echoed throughout the universe.
"What are you showing me, Nyx?"
"The fall of Andromeda and our Milky Way."
An explosion erupted as the two galaxies collided.
Neoma trembled at the thought.
"Father will stretch into the Egress, right? He will create new life... and that life will create new life and that new life will go on.”
Nyx shrieked a deafening shrill. It tore the fabric of Neoma’s mind.
"Not anymore, my child."
***
A fireball ripped through space. It flared off the surface of the sun and soared into space. It passed the eight planets with precision and speed, illuminating the celestial gases that agitated the galaxy. The universe engulfed the flame, exploding with the quickness of light as it collided with the Egress. Tartarus emerged from the unclaimed darkness. His malignant spirits followed. As they flooded the gate, a sea of other worlds laid vacant and opressed behind them. Tartarus clapped his hands together. A wave of dark energy was sent that propelled the two universes to collide with one another.
Neoma gazed at the clashing violence.
"In order to redeem yourself from the fate of these two worlds, you must atone for the mistakes as Gaia. You must find your strength, Neoma. Everything that ever was or will be, depends on Tartarus not breaching the Egress."
"But I'm not-"
"Silence," Nyx interrupted Neoma.
"You will find your strength. You will find your reason. There will be no question."
Nyx pulled her cloak over Neoma face.
***
A rage erupted inside her. Neoma held on to her stomach with trembling hands. She desparately protected her womb. Her body felt warm as the blood leaked from her stab wound in her back. She gazed upon a barren wasteland.
The baby felt weightless almost lifeless. Inside her body, it was poisoning her.
Neoma realized she was suspended in space.
"This child will kill you," Nyx uttered. "Purge the body... It's the only way to save us both."
Neoma didn’t respond.
"We will die together..." Nyx continued, "I will not be kept to that a fate."
The primordial removed her cloak from around Neoma. Neoma witnessed as she gave birth to a still born baby. She covered her mouth in terror. As the lifeless body floated in space, a stream of green energy radiated off the unborn child, circulating the Earth's atmosphere.
Neoma cried out. Her body ached while Nyx replayed the memory in an out-of-body experience.
The flesh of the child started to peeled away. Tissue was revealed tissue... then bone... until all that was left was a glimmer of a light. Neoma reached out her hand and absorbed the light of the child into the orb.
"Her soul," Neoma remembered. "We have to retrieve the Occulus!"
Nyx held up a lantern. Radiating with a warm soft glow, it soothed Neoma.
"As promised, the glimmer of light is our hope. I carried her soul for fear the Occulus would be found. When you removed Hecatan from her powers, you left yourself defenseless as well. I kept her safe in my mantle, knowing one day she would be set free."
Neoma reached for the lamp. As she held it in her hands, it disappeared instantly.
"How do I bring her back?"
"She can only be revived once the bloodline of the Awoken is no more. You will have to unbind the pagan covenant... you must learn to unbound yourself from Leonidas."
Neoma gasped and her eyes widened. As Tartarus approached her with his legion, trillions of universes laid destroyed in his path. With a seemingly infinite amount of space between herself and him, Neoma closed her eyes as she nodded in agreement.
The stillness of darkness engulfed around her.
***
Nyx screamed and the door to the laboratory flung open. She walked out the room and manifested into a veil of dark mist. She disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.
Neoma felt weak. She picked herself up from the floor but stammered to her feet. She looked down at her medical gown. Blood trickled down her thigh and between her legs. She hobbled towards the examination tray and grabbed a set of shears.
She wander out into the corridor. More cellars were present. More rooms like hers. More reasons for her to leave. She read a large yellow sign at the end of the hall.
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.
She explored the labyrinth of corridors in the basement. She opened a door and a dining room was unfolded before her in the Belmont Manison.
A Debt Owed
The Pits
Ethan stumbled backward. He held the left side of his jaw as he readied himself for another attack. He ducked under a left cross and returned with a right hook of his own.
He jabbed his assailant then followed up with another punch to the masked man's face. His opponent barely flinched. The six-foot-seven behemoth shook off the blow. He kicked Ethan’s chest with the force of a moving truck.
Don't get sloppy.
Ethan coached himself as he slammed hard against the metal cage behind him.
"Kill em'... break his freaking neck!"
The unabashed crowd roared, encouraging the two fighters to give them blood.
Ethan stood up. He looked around the arena as anonymous faces with white masks surrounded him.
"Show me those pretty lips," taunted the behemoth. "I want a kiss from that mouth of yours after I bash in that bloody face!"
Ethan rushed the behemoth with a bellowing scream. He wrapped his arms around the behemoth's waist and began punching him repeatedly. The big guy raised his arms up. Smashing them down on Ethan’s back, he laughed as Ethan gasped for air.
The behemoth threw his hands in the air.
"Balrog! Balrog! Balrog!"
The crowd chanted his name. Chaos erupted as spectators threw in weapons of various sorts.
Ethan crawled towards a nearby pipe. A bullet ricocheted near his hand. Two riflemen stood guard outside the arena next to Leo. He sat upon a makeshift throne.
"Animals!" Ethan cried out.
Balrog picked up a machete and approached Ethan. Sparks sputtered from the blade as he dragged it acrossed the arena. Ethan stumbled to his feet. The Balrog kicked him again in the chest.
"MAKE SOME NOISE!" Leo echoed throughout the arena.
The crowd exploded into a cheer.
"Seems like our contender is no match for THE BALROG!"
Ethan reached for another pipe. The Balrog stood over him. He pulled at his hair and held the blade against Ethan’s throat.
Ethan pulled at the Balrog’s wrist. He struggled as the blade inched closer to him. He rolled on his side, dodging the swipe of the Behemoth. A face palm strike and Ethan bent the behemoth’s arm in an armlock behind its back.
"Let go," Ethan uttered.
"Go ahead... break the arm! I can still shove my other hand up your ass!" the Balrog replied.
Ethan continued applying pressure to the Balrog's arm. With a bellowing howl, the Balrog gasped as he heard it pop. The machete in his hand dropped. Ethan scrambled to his feet as the Balrog reached for the weapon with his other hand. He picked up the blade and swung it wildly.
Ethan took a step back before stumbling over a crowbar and chain. The Balrog lunged down at Ethan.
"Shove this in your ass!" Ethan yelled as he grabbed the chain and swung it.
The cage door opened and two fighters stormed in.
"Really!" Ethan uttered. "No intermission.”
Leo grinned. "Seems your not as helpless as you put on. Let's see how much of your mother you have in you. You owe me that much."
"Owe you!" Ethan yelled. He braced himself for the incoming combatants.
"I saved you, Ethan, now you belong to me..." Leo stood from his throne. "THIS WHOLE CITY BELONGS TO ME!"
Automatic rifles were raised in the air from the audience members. They discharged a gamut of bullets that echoed throughout the coliseum.
Sweat poured from Ethan's eyebrows as he continued defending himself. He glanced around the arena.
Scantily clad women danced in metal cages as men formed lines to join in the fight arena.
What has New Gate come to?
Ethan fought to catch his breath as he snapped back to the action.
"I have had enough... You want a fight... then C’mon down here and fight!"
Leo stared at Ethan. He snapped two fingers then pointed to the arena. "Send more men," he ordered.
Ethan's eyes widen. Men poured into the arena carrying various weapons and tools. As they circled around Ethan, he pulled out the bar lodged in the Balrog's buttock. He steadied himself, anticipating for the first blow to come towards him.
The arena went silent. A white light glowed behind Ethan. He turned around and covered his face. A short hair woman appear before him.
"Who the hell are you?" he uttered.
Hecatan raised up her hand. She looked up at Leo then lowered it, forcing the contestants in the arena to bow down.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "Have you found Neoma yet?"
Leo stood from his throne. He clenched his jaw and gripped his fist. "I'm no one's savior," he uttered.
Ethan turned around. The woman was gone.
He looked up as he heard a rumble. An explosion erupted, and the ceiling to the basement blew up. As debris fell down on Ethan, he rolled out the way and scanned the throne for Leo. Dust clouded his vision as people scattered around him. Two canister of gas fell from the breached ceiling.
Ethan covered his face with his arm. A combatant grabbed Ethan from behind. A gunshot to the forehead dropped the assailant.
"McCall!" Hunter shouted.
He jumped down into the arena. A group of guys attacked him but he reached for his shotgun and blew away their limps.
"There's nowhere to go, McCall... I can track you anywhere."
Ethan touched his leg.
“Nano-tracers,” he uttered.
He pulled the machete from the Balrog as more men came to attack him. The more he slashed away, the closer he fought to the exit. Hunter advanced towards him.
"There’s no way out, brother... Only one of us is leaving here alive!"
"What do you want Hunter? You've got the orb!"
"And now, I will have your life."
Ethan gripped the machete.
"It doesn't have to be this way. Too many lives have been lost already. Do you wanna see more blood spilled?"
The body of a dead man laid sprawled on the floor. It stood between Ethan and Hunter. In the smoke-filled arena, both men stood in gridlock.
"Spilled blood, Hunter growled. "You have no idea the power that spilled blood can make. You denied me my right to be Head of State, you single-handedly destroyed my family, and worst you betrayed your own brother."
He must have found out, Ethan smiled at the thought. "That would be adopted brother," Ethan corrected.
Hunter smirked.
"Why, yes..." Hunter agreed. "Adopted... meaning you have no claim to the Belmont estate, and now finally, you can return to the darkness from which you came from."
Ethan dropped to the ground as an arrow abruptly flew by his head. Two more followed in progression.
"You talk too much Hunter," a female voice interrupted. "I'm not here to watch a pissing contest."
The woman fired an arrow into a rafter and repelled herself down into the arena.
"That voice," Ethan uttered.
The woman removed her mask. She held her crossbow directly at Ethan’s face.
Ethan knelt to the ground. He dropped the machete and raised his hands high.
"What are you doing?" she replied. "Giving up is not an option."
Ethan looked up at the woman. Her resemblance to Angela weakened his muscles. He couldn't control himself. Could it be, he thought. Short black hair... never was her thing... then again neither was a crossbow to the face either.
"Do it," he uttered. "If anyone deserves my life, it's you."
"Get off your ass!” Hunter ordered.
He pushed away the crossbow and grabbed Ethan from the floor. He punched him in the face and gut then threw him to the cage wall. He stared at Ethan as he slumped to the floor.
"Come on McCall... Fight me!"
"You look like shit," Ethan whispered, staring up at Hunter. He noticed that his breathing was heavy, his skin was pale gray and his eyes were black.
"What did you do to her?" Ethan uttered.
He grabbed at the chain fence and rose to his feet.
Hunter reached for his knife. He walked over to Ethan and tossed him over his shoulder. The arena shook as he slammed Ethan on the floor. He held his knife to Ethan's throat.
"I didn't do anything..." Hunter whispered in Ethan’s ear. "She made her own deal with the boogeyman."
Osira took aim with her crossbow.
"Hold still," she uttered.
"Shoot me!" Ethan requested.
"No..." Hunter directed. "This is my kill."
"Then just do it, already!"
A flashing light beamed at the tip of the arrowhead. Osira fired her weapon and the arrow was shot beside Ethan’s groin.
"She missed, McCall.”
Osira lowered her crossbow.
“Think again!”
Ethan pushed Hunter's arm, shoving the knife in his shoulder. He stumbled forward as the detonation of the arrowhead went off.
They fell through the floor as the arena blew up. Two cars were crash as they landed in a sub-level garage. Ethan rolled off the hood of an older model vehicle. He held his head as he laid on the concrete floor.
Osira jumped down and followed the two men.
Ethan stumbled up as Hunter rose to his feet. They looked at one another and got in a fighting stance.
"You're not gonna like what's next," Hunter uttered.
"Seems to be the kind of day I’m having,” Ethan replied.
Osira joined the assault. She fought next to Hunter trading blows with Ethan. Each time Ethan had a clear hit on Hunter, Osira would get in the way and counter his move.
"Stop pulling punches," she demanded.
Ethan’s arm was twisted by Osira. She smashed his head on Hunter's knee. Ethan pushed it away then swung her into Hunter’s arms. Hunter held her close as they disappeared together.
The garage went dark and whispered echoed in the shadows. Flashes of Osira appeared. She swirled around Ethan as Hunter’s voice laughed in the background.
“You didn’t save her...” he scoffed. “Now you will suffer.”
Ethan spun around with disorientation. He swung at the air as visions of Hunter materialized before him.
"You failed her, McCall... you are no savior!”
"No...” Ethan uttered. “I saved her from you!”
“You took her life...” Why else are you running...”
A gunshot went off. An image of Angela appeared.
“Your demons have found you...”
The image dissolved as a bullet flew in Angela’s heart.
“There’s no escaping them!”
Ethan stopped fighting. He fell to the ground as Hunter appeared before him.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Osira.
"This is how it ends for you, brother... at the hands of the Belmonts."
Increasing in size and girth, Hunter's muscle tore through his uniform. As he increased in size and girth, he consumed the darkness that surrounded the parking lot.
"You will never have that luxury... you will never know what a family is. You will die in the darkness. You will die, RIGHT NOW!"
Osira held her crossbow at Ethan’s head.
"Angela...” he uttered. “...I know you're still in there.”
“Shut up!”
Ethan put his hands on his head. “Remember our promise.”
A beam flashed from the tip of the arrowhead.
"I said I would protect you-”
“Enough of your words, I said shut up!”
“Even from yourself...” he continued. “Do you remember that?"
Osira nudge her crossbow closer to Ethan.
"I never did like him putting his hands on you... but I will protect you from yourself."
"What?" Osira uttered.
“I banged your wife... Come at me, bro!”
Hunter bellowed a thunderous roar. He charged at Ethan like a rampaging juggernaut.
Ethan disarmed Osira then threw her forward. He rolled out of the way as Hunter grabbed the woman and lifted her up by the neck.
"Get off of me..." she choked."What... are you doing... you freak?"
"Angela..." Hunter growled.
His eyes grew black and voided.
She pulled an arrow from her quiver. Struggling with Hunter, she drove it in his eye.
She fell to the ground.
"I'm not her," she cried out.
"No...” Ethan replied. “You're not."
He picked up her crossbow and fired a shot into Hunter’s chest.
Hunter cried out.
He slapped Osira then lunged on top of her. He choked her again with his big hands. Ethan jumped on his back. He struggled with the behemoth as he tried to pull him off with the crossbow.
"What are you doing?" Osira cried out. "You need to get out of here!"
Ethan held on to Hunter.
"I told you before... I said I would protect you."
Osira squirmed with each passing breath.
"Give me my bow," she ordered "I'm ending this now!"
Ethan hesitated as he looked down at Osira.
Raising Sera- Lineage Page 16