by J. D. Netto
“The one that disgraces our kind has disappointed us all once again,” said Adawnas, pressing her lips while raising her upper eyelids. “You should have remained asleep. You would have spared yourself from the shame of a lost war.”
His breathing ragged, Devin’s legs gave out. Dark circles surrounded his blue eyes; his chapped lips had lost their pigment.
I knelt beside him. “My friend, you must rest.” I tried to avoid staring at his open wound. My heart feared that a fate worse than pain was about to come upon him.
He coughed, lifting his eyes to mine.
“Do not prevent death from finding me today,” he whispered. “My tormented heart needs rest.”
I grasped the nape of his neck, lifting his head toward me.
“Do not say foolish things. We have a war to win, Devin,” I said as fear welled up inside of me.
There was a tremor beneath my feet. Xylia and Demetre sprinted in my direction, standing by my side.
“We have company,” Xavier said in a dark voice.
The tremor intensified, causing some of the weaker trees in the forest to fall. The wind howled, and the raindrops continued to pour over us like a flood.
Guttural sounds filled the air. Demetre set his eyes on me, recognizing the malefic growls. I looked over my shoulder and saw Duane holding Ballard’s body in his hands.
“No!” I darted my way to him, trying to dodge the falling tree branches. I closed my eyes and raised my arms as one of the pine trees fell on top of my body. Its thick branches scraped my face in my attempt to avoid the full impact of its descent.
When I opened my eyes, I realized that Ballard, Petra, and Adara’s bodies had disappeared. For a couple of seconds, I stared in disbelief, trying to understand what had just taken place.
Hands dug their way out of the ground as the tremors continued. Decayed bodies crawled from beneath the earth, their bright yellow eyes capturing every detail of their surroundings.
“Shadows.” I shuddered at the word.
The tremors ceased. Sweat poured down Xylia’s face as she watched the Shadows clump around us like wild animals hunting for their prey. Demetre’s brows furrowed, his eyes following their every move.
Seven Nephilins stood around Xavier. Despite his wounds, his face exuded the confidence of his triumphant victory.
“What did you do to the others?” Xylia screamed in fury. The Shadows approached us, saliva dripping down their necks. She darted them a furious stare. “Do you think I am frightened of Shadows? Death has looked me in the eye many times.”
“You will not say such foolish things once the Shadows sink their teeth into your skin, girl,” Xavier retorted. “I am aware that we need you alive, but it would be my pleasure to torture you.”
The snarls of the creatures assaulted my ears like an unrehearsed symphony. These were the moments when I wished I could control the new ability that developed within me. I wanted to enter Xavier’s mind and send him back to the Abyss.
“Where are the others?” Anger flowed with every word I spoke.
“Since they accepted my offer, I must keep them safe.” Blood rushed to my cheeks as his voice filled my ears. “Soon they will open their books, allowing Lucifer’s body to begin to take its shape.” He walked in my direction. “Of course, without the Diary and the Book of the Justifier, Lucifer’s body could never be whole.”
“What do you mean?” Xylia asked.
“Every book represents a part of him.” He pointed to me. “Your book is his heart.” His gaze met Xylia’s. “And yours, my dear.” He clicked his tongue, raising his eyebrows. “The Book of the Justifier represents his chest. Without both, Lucifer’s body could never come to life.”
Xavier let out a sudden pain-filled grunt, and his body doubled over. Xylia, Demetre, and I raised our swords, ready to strike our enemy in his moment of weakness. We ceased our attack when the remaining seven Nephilins flocked in his direction, standing in front of him. The Shadows released angry roars as they watched us with their bright, feverish eyes.
I looked at all of the Nephilins, hoping to find Adawnas in their midst, but she was no longer within sight.
Xylia glanced back.
“Isaac, Arundel is awake,” she stammered, surprised.
He reclined his body against a tree trunk, struggling to stand. With a weary face, he rubbed his gray eyes with his fingers while taking in shallow breaths.
“Why was the boy not taken?” one of the Nephilins shouted. “Why did they leave him behind?”
In silence, they exchanged a confused look.
“Fools,” Xavier moaned.
A sudden roar filled the atmosphere, followed by the flap of strong wings. From the sky descended a white dragon. A thin smile grew on my face when I saw Nathan flying beside the beast. The Nephilins looked at the creature in horror, and the Shadows screeched in fear.
“We have to leave, Xavier,” one of the female Nephilins clamored. “The white dragon will smite us all with its flames if we stay.”
As Nathan and the dragon got closer, the Shadows fled through the forest, screeching. Xavier pressed his lips together, bearing his eyes into mine.
“Let us leave. Isaac and his remaining companions will come to us soon.”
Xavier and the other Nephilins turned into shapeless shadows, vanishing into the air.
My body grew cold as I caught sight of a dark shadow surrounding Devin’s unconscious body. I reached for the shapeless fume, attempting to capture whatever had ahold of my companion, but the shadow disappeared, taking my friend with it.
The wind weakened, and the rain and thunder ceased.
For a few seconds, I shut myself off from everything around me, trying to acknowledge the fact that my companions had been captured. Our enemies had taken Devin, the one that I always believed to be undefeatable.
I cast my sword onto the ground, its blade sinking beneath the mud. My fingers rubbed my forehead as I rested my left hand on my hip, pondering the events that had just taken place.
The loud roar of the white dragon startled me. It whirled its long wings as its paws sunk beneath the melting snow. I lost my breath when I recognized the rider mounted on the beast.
Xylia’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sathees!” she shouted, running to greet the one who had aided her in the caves of Bellator. He alighted from the white dragon, walking to her embrace. His tattered garments were covered in grime.
Nathan approached and landed. I watched him with weary eyes. He rushed his way to me. Sorrow was stamped in his hazel-green eyes, and bruises marred his face and hands. His fair hair cascaded in front of his right eye. His ragged wings were smeared with blood.
My emotions went on a rampage, racing inside of me. No other desire would be able to suppress my longing for vengeance.
“I am glad to see that you are alright,” Nathan affirmed, resting his hand on my shoulder. His silver armor was covered with dents and scratches.
I pulled my shoulder from his grasp.
“Can you not see that we are not alright?” I shook my head, spreading my arms. “Our companions have been taken by our enemies. They gave in to the temptations Xavier offered them.” My fingers swept through my hair. “We are far from being alright, Nathan.”
“Do not speak as if all hope is lost, Isaac,” he said. “There will always be strength within us to overcome the darkness of the world.”
My chin quivered. “I no longer have such strength.” My voice broke into sobs.
I bowed my head, feeling the tears drip down my cheeks, making their way to my lips. I covered my face with my hand, kneeling on the snow.
I shouted as I grabbed the satchel from around my shoulder, hurling it against a tree. I despised the day the Diary had come to me. Maybe I should have taken up Xavier’s offer to erase my mind. Even if we were to triumph over Lucifer, these memories would always haunt me.
I heard heavy footsteps approaching me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Arundel a
mbling my way, holding my satchel.
Nathan raised his hand, signaling him to stay back. “Boy, I think you should—”
“I would like to talk to him,” Arundel demanded, interrupting Nathan before he could finish his sentence.
Nathan darted him a cold stare.
“It is alright, Nathan,” I sniffed, raising my shoulders as I tried to contain my sobs.
He turned around and headed toward Sathees and the others. Arundel let out painful grunts as he knelt beside me. His eyes were full of sorrow.
He cleared his throat.
“It’s not easy, is it?” he asked in a soft voice as he handed me my satchel. Shivers shot down my spine when I felt the Diary in my hands.
“No,” I answered in a low voice. “I had already grown used to the idea that they were dead.” My hands wiped the tears from my cheeks. “And then I discovered that they were still alive. Moments later, I had to be the one to take their lives.”
Arundel narrowed his eyes. “They are at peace now, Isaac.” A shy smile curved his lips. “May the joyful memories you have of them be an anchor of courage when darkness surrounds you. Long before this day, my father was already dead to me. His arrogance and pride killed my love for him day after day.” He pressed his hands together. “He did love my sister very much, but after my mother passed away five years ago, his feelings toward me changed.” He bent his head to the side, cracking the bones in his neck. “He would always have this spiteful look in his eyes whenever he was with me. I never understood why.”
My nose sniffled. “I am sorry,” I said.
“Be glad that you mourn their deaths out of love, not regret,” he said with his voice caught in his throat, shying his eyes away from mine.
“What do you regret?”
“I regret all the time I wasted trying to be the son he had always dreamed of.” He lifted his eyes to the sky. The storm clouds raced against each other as they hovered above us.
“Take your time.” His hand tightened around my shoulder. “You have the right to mourn their deaths, but people like you cannot linger in the disasters of the past. You are no ordinary man, Isaac.”
He stood to his feet, rubbed his hands on his pants, and walked toward the others.
Though they all talked amongst themselves, I noticed that Nathan and Sathees occasionally glanced at me. Xylia and Demetre kept looking my way, probably waiting for the right time to speak to me.
“Isaac.” I heard the familiar voice I had been longing to hear for so long. I turned around, looking for him amidst the trees, but he was nowhere in sight. I shot a quick glance at my companions, wondering if they had also heard the peaceful voice that had called my name, but they still talked amongst themselves. The white dragon rested his head on the ground, napping.
With my satchel around my shoulder, I rose to my feet. My eyes circled my surroundings, expecting to find him.
“You are looking for me in the wrong place, Isaac,” he said. His powerful voice was like the sound of crashing waves. “Close your eyes.”
My eyelids came together. Though I was unsure of what I was going to see, I obeyed his command.
Amidst the darkness, I saw him—the Creator. His white mane bounced as he approached me. His six wings were covered in long feathers as white as the snow that rested atop mountains.
“You are here.” My lips pressed into a tight smile. “After all this time, you have finally come.” His scarlet eyes were like sharp blades that could slash my flesh and reveal the depths of my heart.
“I never left.” He halted, standing inches from my face.
“It surely felt like you did,” I said, shying away from his gaze.
A low snarl came from him. “Do not mistake my silence for abandonment. I have been watching you since the day you took your very first breath.”
“Maybe that was the problem. You were just watching.” I turned my back to him. “Why did you not help me?” My arms spread. “My companions were taken. I was tempted to accept Xavier’s offer.”
“Silence can often teach us timeless lessons. If I had not withheld my words, you would have not recognized your weaknesses and strengths.” Our eyes met. “Despite all of your abilities, you are still a man, Isaac.”
“And yet I have seen things that no man should ever see.” I turned my gaze from his. “Done things that have scarred me for the rest of my life.”
He listened to my words in silence. I noticed the tears that dripped down the sides of his face.
“I watched all the events you mentioned unfold. After all these years, the consequences of mankind’s fall continue to manifest. The day Lucifer was given the right to enter Elysium, disaster and death followed. Though one man may sow the seed, those around him will reap its fruit, whether it be good or evil.” He let out a soft breath. “I am bound by the limits of the universe I created. I decided to give mankind the power to choose for themselves. I cannot interfere with the outcome of their choices, but I can send help and aid them in the battle against the darkness.”
“That was a dangerous thing to give us.” I sniffled my nose.
“It was my way of showing mankind that I trusted them.”
“Do you still trust us?” I feared his response.
“Why do you think I have you and the others going on this journey?” He hardened his scarlet eyes. “My trust stands unshaken. Your journey represents the choice laid out before mankind. You all carry Lucifer’s weapons. With such a task also comes the choice to persevere in your decisions to keep these books safe, or to succumb to their temptation.”
His voice filled my ears like a beautiful melody. It brought peace to my heart, allowing me to forget, even if only for moment, the sorrow that was inside of me.
He gazed into the darkness, silent.
My hands trailed around my satchel, feeling the Diary that sat inside.
“Is there anything else you would like to ask me?” I felt his strength in every word he spoke.
I clenched and unclenched my hands, thinking of the many questions that needed answers. Two of them required immediate responses.
“Are you aware that there is a traitor inside Tristar?”
His face grew empty of any emotion. He stood in front of me, quiet.
“Are you?” I insisted, pacing in his direction.
“Is there not betrayal inside every single heart?” With tender eyes, he looked at me. “The desire for vengeance? Self-righteousness? There is a rebellious traitor inside each one of us.”
I withheld my words, pondering what he said.
“What difference is there between a thief that robs a family’s food supply and a man that steals his neighbor’s joy by speaking evil words upon him?”
I was incapable of finding a suitable response.
“Worry not about traitors in other realms of the universe, Isaac,” he said, letting out a low snarl in his throat.
“There is one more thing that I must ask you.” He bore his tender eyes into mine. “Where did my parents go after they died?”
“Home.” His voice was calm and soothing. Though his answer was short, it filled my heart with peace. With a smile stamped on my face, I watched as an incandescent light enfolded his white body. His wings disappeared like vapor. The striking scarlet eyes melted like ice under the heat of day.
My eyes shot open and creases appeared on my forehead. Time had stood still while I’d spoken with the Creator. I saw my companions resting against old tree trunks. Demetre sat in silence while Xylia and Sathees talked. I rubbed my hands against my legs to rid them of all the melting snow. I picked myself up from the ground and grasped my sword.
Every step I took felt as if a weight was being lifted from my shoulders. The sorrow that came with the death of my parents and the capture of my companions was still present, but a reassuring feeling of victory filled me with strength.
Sathees caught sight of me. His pale face was shrouded in bruises and cuts. Red veins surrounded the gray irises of his eyes.
“It is good to see you, Isaac,” he said in a tired voice. Xylia gave me a half-hearted smile as I stood next to her. Demetre’s face was stamped with sorrow.
“It is great to see you, Sathees.” I narrowed my eyes, surprised. I darted Arundel a curious stare.
“You both have the same unusual eye color,” I remarked, analyzing Arundel’s facial traits. The muscles between my eyebrows constricted. “And the same nose.” I looked back at Sathees.
Those around me looked at both of them, widening their eyes at the similarities of their traits.
“Eyes like yours are not so common, Sathees,” said Nathan, darting Sathees a confused look.
Arundel took three steps toward Sathees. “Have we met before?”
Though confusion shrouded Sathees’ face, the resemblance was undeniable.
“No.” His voice was cold. He darted me a calm stare, avoiding any conversation with Arundel. “I will go find us something to eat. It will be dark soon.” He marched toward the trees.
Arundel watched Sathees until he disappeared amidst the trees. He grimaced, pressing his right hand over his left shoulder.
“What happened to the others, Isaac?” Nathan’s face was shrouded with worry.
I drew in a breath, letting it back out with a sigh as I tried to find strength within me to answer his question.
“Xavier penetrated our minds, presenting an offer that was almost too tempting to decline.” My brows furrowed as I cleared my throat. “He gave us the choice to have our memories erased if we opened our books.” As my words flowed from my lips, a despondent look filled his face.
“So you are telling me…” His voice faded while he crossed his hands. He lowered his head in disappointment.
I noticed that Demetre wept, snuffling as he listened to our conversation. Grave silence loomed over us. We all knew that their acceptance of Xavier’s offer gave Lucifer’s army even more power.
“Adawnas called this power the Dark Exchange,” I added. “She was confused as to why some of us did not remain asleep.”
“Where is Devin?” Nathan surveyed our surroundings with curious eyes.