Is she still there, he thought.
He released the bow and dropped it to Osira. He climbed off of Hunter and watched as Osira fired another shot. Two arrowheads flashed a beaming red as they stood lodge in Hunter. One in his chest and one in the head.
Hunter cried out then threw Osira against a car. He turned around and charged at Ethan.
"Run to the door," a female voice yelled from the upper floor.
Arrows flew in the direction of Ethan as he sprinted towards the exit sign.
Is she firing at me again?
The arrow in Hunter's head exploded. He dropped to the ground with a resounding thud. Ethan covered his face as he flew against the doorway. He looked up and saw Hunter's lifeless body slumped with no head.
Osira emerged through the flames. She held her crossbow at her side. Ethan leaned against the door and waited.
The exit flung open. It released a blinding white light. Osira covered her face as she stumbled backward.
"Come quick!" a woman demanded. She held up her hand and hurled Osira back up into the arena. Ethan grabbed her hand.
"Wait," he insisted. "She wasn't a threat..."
She released his hand.
"...at least I don't think," he continued.
"You don't think?" the woman inquired. "Men."
Ethan got to his feet and looked up at the arena. Osira laid positioned on the floor in a sniping pose. She aimed in his direction and a light flashed at the tip of her arrow.
"Move!" the woman cried out.
Osira fired her weapon as Ethan and the woman jumped through the doorway. Ethan fell on top of the woman as she immediately kicked the door closed. Ethan got up and noticed the arrowhead lodged in the panel from the other side.
***
The woman held up an amulet. Looking through it, Ethan watched as the door exploded. A wave of fire shot through the sub-level of the building.
"Friendly, huh," the woman laughed.
She opened up a portal and disappeared. Ethan was alone in an endless sea of darkness.
“Wait!” he yelled out. “Where am I? Who are you?”
A single light illuminated Ethan on the spot. He tried to glance up. An Oblivious flower fell from the light. It floated down gently and landed in Ethan’s hands.
"Ethan...” a familiar voice spoke, “Do you remember who I am?"
Ethan's eyes widen as he looked down at the flower. He lifted up his head as he fought the nerve to reply.
"Mama...” he uttered softly. “Yes... yes, I do.”
UNEARTH
Vain
“Ethan...” his mother spoke, “...welcome home.”
Ethan held the Oblivious. He looked upon the flower and recalled the day he laid one on his mother’s doorstep. The house was abandoned. No one could’ve survived, he thought to himself. He stood in silence.
"Take this as a gift...” his mother insisted, breaking the silence between them. “I too was alone in this world. A long time ago, I lost your father-"
"Dad?" Ethan interrupted. He looked up at the light.
"I lost you..."
She paused.
“But more importantly...” she continued. “I lost myself.”
Ethan crushed the flower in his hand. He let the petals fall to the floor. They blew away at his feet.
"I thought you were dead?" he uttered.
Her voice went silent.
“Well!” Ethan exclaimed. “Tell me why am I now hearing from you?”
"For fourteen years...” she spoke. “...I numbed myself to that pain. It took me a while to realize you were never coming back."
He cover his face as he look at the light.
“You lost your way...” he grumbled. “How about me? What in the world was I supposed to do... I'M WAS YOUR SON!"
The spotlight turned off. Ethan braced himself. In the solitude of darkness, footsteps approached him. His mother appeared.
"Let me have a look at you!” she smiled.
Floor upon floor, a circle of candles flickered around Ethan. They lit up the room of an old library. Ethan looked up as he noticed the two titanic statues centered in the middle of study.
"What is this place?" he uttered. "Am I... hallucinating?"
A petite hand reached at his scuffy face. Sophia removed the hood from her red garment and unveiled herself.
"Where am I?" Ethan continued.
"You are home, my son... as I said before."
"Mom," he replied.
The woman stepped closer to Ethan. A tear welled up in their eyes as he hugged her tight.
"I am worried about you..." she whispered in his ear.
Ethan grimaced his face. As he pushed her away, he took a step back.
Sophia reached for his face again. Ethan stood quiet as his mother felt his beard.
“You are right you know...”
Sophia lowered her hand.
“You are my purpose,” she continued as she walked towards the shrine.
"When I was younger, I had visions. To me, those visions felt real. They were visions of this planet, but it was a different kind of Pangaea... one that I felt I lived in before."
"You're an Awoken," Ethan uttered, turning towards his mother.
Sophia lit an incense on the shrine.
“I never knew what those visions meant,” she replied. “Most people I’ve told them about, discarded them as fantasies or wild dreams."
She took the incense from the mantle.
“Later...” she continued. “...as I grew up... a voice appeared in my head. It took many years before I realized that voice as Gaia, the spiritual mother."
Ethan looked at her confused. He watched his mother pray to the shrine. He approached her with hesitation.
"Why don’t I remember this?"
He stood beside her and watched as she lit another incense. "We were happy, just you and me... even without dad."
The woman turned to him and smirked.
"Go on..." she replied.
"Dr. Belmont gave me an opportunity for a better life... a life outside of Central District."
"Is that so?" his mother replied. "Is that the story the company cooked up."
Ethan's eyes widen.
"I don't remember it any other way!"
Sophia blew out her incense. She glanced up at Ethan then walked across the room towards a small door.
"Whatever he told you... or didn’t tell you, I'm quite sure it must have been hard to deal with, son. But you are here now... with me... and I need you to acknowledge that there are truths that lay before that can’t no lie undo."
She signaled for Ethan to follow her. He obeyed as ordered.
***
"There's something I've never told you, Ethan... even before you left for the city.”
Ethan stood patient.
“Your father never abandoned us. He was killed by the Apex Corporation when you were just four years old."
Ethan walked solemnly next to his mother.
"I'm not sure if you remember it but... I've always told you that he left us... for another woman."
Ethan paused.
"Whichever version you believe now..." his mother continued. "...is up to you."
"You told me he left us!" Ethan erupted. “Why...” he stammered. “How... how did he die from Apex?"
"Your father was the only man I ever loved. He protected and cherished me, even when I didn't feel I deserved it."
"Did you lie to him too!"
"He died in an uprising against the corporation. He somehow pushed through the frontline and demand they release their water for everyone. A group of guards shot him down when he tried to scale the water towers."
"He died trying to provide water for us!"
Ethan threw his hands up.
“The man that he is...” Sophia paused. “The man that he was, was very kind and generous... and because of that, when he died, I lost control of the voices in my head. I lied to you, Ethan. I didn't know any other way."
"So you decide to discard me, just so you can deal?”
"Ethan, I'm your mother!"
"Not by my standards lady."
Ethan's mom shook her head.
"Kali," a voice spoke from further up the corridor. The woman that helped Ethan, approached them.
"How's everything going with the reunion?" she continued.
Ethan's mom bowed her head then turned towards her son.
"As much as you would expect," Kali replied.
The woman approached Ethan.
"You should be grateful of this woman...” she uttered. “Not only has she been an asset to me and our cause, but she convinced me in saving your little ass."
Ethan smirked as he stared at the woman.
"I don't know what anyone has told you, but the life you lived before is no longer the life you are destined for, kid. You are now in Shangri La, The City of the Ancients... This place is very dear to me and people like your mother. If you must understand one thing, you must understand that your life is as insignificant to me as the wind that blows."
Sophia and Ethan both glanced at one another.
“It has come to my attention though,” the woman presided. “That I now have an opening and need to expand my available options. You carry the blood of your mother, and even though you're not fully Awoken, you are a credible candidate for the task at hand."
"You insult me..." Ethan scoffed. "...and now you want me to help you?"
"Yes!" The woman replied. "I want you to understand this... your mother cares... so much about you. But not everybody will give a shit.”
Ethan looked down at the woman. He turned to his mom. She nodded her head in agreement.
“Now please, if you will...” the woman continued. “Follow me."
She lead the two to room down the corridor.
"I arranged a lounge where the both of you can speak more intimately. I would like you both to enjoy the company of one another... But do be in haste, I fear that our time is still limited so, please... No more fighting!"
The woman turned around and walked away without pause. Ethan stood next to his mom as they both watched her walk away. The woman lifted her finger up.
"Leave the fighting on the field," she hollered.
Sophia approached the doorway. "It's ok, Ethan..." she insisted to her son. "Hecatan means well, she’s just fitting into the new body. Now please...” she continued. “Join me inside."
Safe Haven
Ethan and his mother stared deep into the hearth of an immense fireplace. They sat in armchairs across from one another, both unaware of the young girl who entered the room carrying a porcelain kettle. They glance at one another as the young girl poured a cup of tea for Ethan's mom.
Sophia took a sip from the cup. The girl approached Ethan with the kettle.
Ethan declined.
The young girl left as Sophia dismissed her. Ethan looked back at the hearth while his mother sipped her tea.
"Isn't this lovely!" Sophia uttered, breaking the silence between them. "You... me... my cup of scented jasmine."
Ethan didn't respond.
"The soothing effect of green tea..." she continued. "...combined with the scent of jasmine, it’s very beneficial for relieving stress. I gave cups of this stuff to you as a child. It was the one thing that helped reduce your fever and pain-"
"Why did that woman call you, Kali?" Ethan interrupted. "I've heard that name referenced about you before. Leo mentioned it."
Ethan’s mom sipped her tea, then put the cup down.
"I have a new name, Ethan. Sophia as you know me as is no more. I've been united with my true calling.. I am an Awoken."
"Of course you are," Ethan groaned. "What really happened after I left with the Belmonts. Why was our house destroyed?"
Kali stared off into the fireplace.
"That fire..." she replied. "That fire was the death of Sophia. She was reckless and naive... unable to raise a child. I lived in that lie for too long."
"Dr. Belmont gave you provisions in exchange for his research with me. You didn't have to stay in the District."
Kali turned towards Ethan.
"That was my ultimate plan once I got myself together. At the time... I needed help. I needed to know there was a reason for my condition."
"What about my condition... I'm the one afflicted with Xeno-CID-"
"And in the care of Dr. Belmont..." she interrupted, "You were given the best treatment possible."
Ethan shook his head and adjusted himself in his chair.
"One day, I found the courage I needed to see you. I arranged a visit with Dr. Belmont's approval. I had so many letters that I wrote but I never sent out. I was going to give them to you on that day. But as night fell, someone broke into my home... I was kidnapped... and thrown outside the walls of New Gate."
"Who kidnapped you?"
"I don't know who she was?"
"She?"
"Yes," she replied sipping her tea. "Even though it was dark, it was a woman in the disguise... I could definitely tell the difference."
Ethan leaned forward.
"Didn't you try to come back?"
"I did try."
Kali leaned forward as well. "But there was no use... a woman like me getting back behind the wall... Soldiers would kill me on sight if I returned."
Ethan glanced around the fortified stone room. "How did you make it out here?"
"There was a dog..." Kali remembered. "I assumed he was a stray. It bothered me that he was on the opposite side of the gate. The nearest providence, Jorah, was sixty miles east of there. As I approached the dog, it barked, bringing the attention of some Apex guards. I immediately went to hide... but I was captured. When a guard raised his weapon to shoot me, the dog lunged at his throat and attacked him. I got up and ran, but the dog followed behind me. Giving what little water I had left, I assumed the dog was thirsty. I gave him my last bit of water for saving my life."
"Seems like a horrific event..." Ethan uttered. "But why are you here?"
"The owner of that dog was the same woman who saved your life."
Ethan nodded his head.
“Her name...” Kali continued, “...is Hecatan. Back then she wasn't so young looking. She offered me reprise, in return, I offered to be her caregiver."
"How does she know about the orb?"
Kali smiled.
"She's the one who created it. As my relationship with her grew, she opened up to me and revealed who she really was. She helped me understand my visions."
"Who is she?"
"She was born from the Titans, Rhea and the Cyclops, Brontus. With that union and the teachings of Prometheus and Phanes, Hecatan has vast knowledge about our universe."
"Can you trust her?"
"Indeed, I can. How else would you explain a place like this still intact, after eons of destruction."
Kali paused. She looked at Ethan's bewildered face.
"Hecatan already explained to me her role in the Great War. Her father was brutally murdered, and as a baby, she was ripped from the womb of her mother. Raised at the hand of the Titan king, Chronos, he trained and conditioned her to one day kill the person responsible for her parent's death, Kaos. Using her father's eye as a weapon, her and Prometheus forged the Occulus."
"If she had planned on killing Kaos, what happened? Why is Chronos a threat?"
"As the war continued on... Hecatan learned that Chronos was the one responsible for her parent's death. So... Together, with the help of Leo, we formed the rebel group, Chaos. Our mission is to find the others who are Awoken and oppose those who side with oppressing others."
"Do you remember any of that?" Ethan inquired. "The war I mean-"
"I do..." she replied. "...but vaguely. I look more towards the future, in hopes that we can still have one to come."
"What does that mean?"
"There may not be a tomorrow... for any of us. Titans, humans alike. This universe will die soon if we don't act now. The do
orway that is Egress, will soon be breached."
"Egress?" Ethan replied, solemnly.
He slumped down in his chair. Suddenly he started to convulse. As Kali reached out to him, she gently guided her son to the floor. She held him in her arms and reached for her teacup.
"Sip this..." Kali whispered. She waited for his seizure to subside. "The valerian will soothe your muscles."
With trembling hands, Ethan reached for the cup.
"There... there now. Relax."
Kali stroked his head as she held him close to her. She watched as her son sipped her tea.
"I imagine this is a lot for you. We don't have to continue if you're not ready. You are back with me now... that's all that matters."
Ethan placed the cup on the floor. He gradually pulled himself up.
"Hunter..." he confessed. "he’s dead."
Kali looked up at Ethan.
“Son, I already know that.”
"I need to get back to New Gate..." he uttered. "I've got to find Angela... I need to go."
Ethan stumbled across the room towards the door.
"Wait!" his mother replied, as he twisted the doorknob. "There's something you must know before leaving."
Ethan stood by the door.
"Leo was assigned to look for a woman named Neoma. He failed that task, hence the reason you were brought here. With the use of a replicated orb, we have been able to track the woman. She's at the Mansion of the Belmont resident."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Go there, Ethan. Everything you need to find will be at that location."
"This Neoma..." Ethan uttered, "...she gets brought up a lot."
"Please, Ethan...” Kali urged. “Help us find her... the rest we can sort out when you return."
She took out her amulet and opened a portal. She reached out a hand signaling him to walk through it.
"I'm proud of the man you've become... I know you are very strong."
"Just say it."
"If you have your mind set on this girl... if you believe she's worth it-"
Interrupting his mother, he pulled her close and hugged her.
"She's worth it, mom."
"Then I will protect her just like I will protect you," she whispered as she smiled.
***
Ethan and his mother exited the portal and arrived at the front gate of the Belmont Estate.
"Here we are..." she uttered. "This is where I leave you."
Raising Sera- Lineage Page 17