I wondered could there really have been that many places in the other realms? But if I really thought about it, if Heaven and Hell were each the same size as the surface of the earth then there were a lot of places you could visit. I gathered if they hadn’t been in the mind to recycle souls then they would have all been overrun many centuries ago.
I looked around the main room thinking a giant could have lived here quite comfortably and still have room to stretch. The room we were stood in was an Octagon shape and branched off in eight different directions. The long arched passageways continued on far beyond the eye could see and each, like the main room we were stood in, had seven levels of doors all linked by balconies running the full length.
It reminded me of a massive library, only instead of displaying books there was every kind of door imaginable. There were tall doors, thin, wide, and squat. There were old, new, slatted, panelled, carved, ramshackle, paint chipped, stripped, bleached and varnished.
Round, square, I could even spot one that was the shape of a star. There was the weird and wonderful, like one I could see as I spun round in awe that looked to have been made from an entire tree root. Up on one of the higher levels there was one made all from broken mirror pieces that looked to have been laid on bloody foundations.
It was all incredible and something you could have stared at for hours and still spot something new with every turn of your head. Even the great wooden spiral staircases that were situated at each corner of the Octagon shaped room were amazing. All of them were highly decorated and carved in different styles, each a different shade of wood than the next. And each of them was what connected all of the floors together, so you could get to every single door.
The only common theme there seemed to be that all of the doors held some kind of keystone above them and they held a different symbol carved into each one. I gathered this was instead of door numbers and it made sense seeing how many ways numbers have been written down throughout the ages. But symbols have always been the one form of communication that unites us all. I couldn’t think of one single country or race that didn’t use symbols in modern society, even to this day and it was something we had all carried from our ancestors since the beginning of time for us mortals.
“This way.” Aurora said and I turned to find she was stood at the centre near a giant water feature. The enormous amount of water that was being pumped to create it made me wonder if it had something to do with the fountain above us.
Whatever its cause or use, it was incredible to witness. It flowed the full height of the room looking like a water tube big enough you could have fit a car inside it without getting it wet. I frowned as I got closer and wondered if what I was seeing was real? The water wasn’t falling down but it was in fact raining upwards.
“That’s amazing.” I said reaching out with my hand, one I found slapped away to my great shock.
“Don’t touch it!” Aurora shouted at me and the panic in her voice told me I should heed her warning.
“Why, what…what is it?” I asked looking up at it and feeling drawn to whatever power it held.
“It is what powers all the gates here. It channels the power and essence of Janus himself.”
“So it’s not a gate then?” But even as I asked this question I knew that it was but what I didn’t know was where it led to.
“Oh it’s a gate, it’s just one that’s forbidden to be used by anyone who’s not worthy.” She sighed when she saw my confused face and continued,
“One needs to be judged first and to be judged by Janus, he does so by not only looking into your future but also into your past and more importantly, your reasons.” She said flicking her fingers so I would move further back.
“So if you don’t pass his test you don’t get to use it, I get it…”
“Oh no you don’t. If you don’t pass his judgement then you don’t get to go home. If that were the case we would have every one of my kind down here trying their luck. No, there is a reason no one wants to be judged and that is the punishment if you fail.” She actually shivered a few steps back before turning round to put her back to it. With this reaction I gathered it must have been a bad thing to fail then, so I asked, following after her,
“But wait, what does it do, what is the punishment?”
“What does it matter, just leave it be Keira.” Hearing Aurora actually saying my name was enough to make me drop that question but there was one I really wanted to know and this was one I wouldn’t give up on.
“Ok fine but just tell me, where does it go?” She stopped in her tracks and I saw her defeat when her shoulders slumped.
“It goes everywhere and anywhere. Just think it and it will take you there. The past, the future, some place in the present, anywhere you want to go as long as you think about it hard enough when you walk through, that’s where you will find yourself. It’s dangerous and foolhardy to try.”
“But why, I mean it must have worked for…”
“It has worked for no one! As the Janus gate only allows the worthy through they don’t take the chance for selfish reasons. Only the most worthy cause will be allowed to pass through its essence and to this day, it hasn’t found one.” She looked past me when she said this, as if she had lost someone dear to her through this same foolish act and I finally let it go.
She walked away and I looked back one last time. There was something that kept me held there, like it was luring me in and I wondered if that was part of the power it held over people. Was that why there were those crazy enough to try it? Either way I found I was no different and it took an irate clearing of Aurora’s throat to pull me back into the now.
I walked away wondering something else and that was why when I needed to get into Hell, nobody had told me about this place back when I was trying to save Draven? Was it because I was human? I jogged the last bit of distance between us and had to ask,
“Last year when I tried to…”
“I did wonder how long it would be before you asked.” Aurora said, back to being irritatingly cocky and I almost cursed myself for the question.
“Only my kind can come to this place and most are not worthy to open over half of its doors. Try and remember, for a human to get into Hell or Heaven, usually they do have to be dead.” She shot me a look as if to say, should we test this theory and instead of rising to it I just said,
“Well I guess lucky me considering I was allowed in and I gather I still am now or this has certainly been a massive waste of a girly trip.” She rolled her eyes at me once more not getting my humour and I wondered if there was any humour in the world she did crack a smile at.
“Yes, I think it has been established that you are obviously different.” This was not said in that warm, loving way. No, more of an ‘I hate that you’re different and more special than me’ kind of way. When she turned her back to me I knew it was obvious this conversation was over, so in my saturated clothes I squelched my way after her.
I had started to get worried when she started walking down one of the endless corridors and the only benefit of that I could see was that by the time we reached the end I would be bone dry again.
But thankfully this wasn’t the case as after only a few short steps down there was an open archway. This was ornamented with painted scenes of both Hell and Heaven on carved stone that was designed like a frame within a frame, stepping down in on itself. It was beautifully painted but the primary colours used were blues depicting Heaven’s side and reds doing the same for Hell.
“Stunning.” I whispered as we passed through. I would have thought given the door that the room would have been just as spectacular but other than pale, bare stone walls there nothing other than the reasons we were here.
Two doors.
“I gather we take the black one.” I said and she didn’t respond. It was a large round room and opposite each other two doors protruded from the curved walls like statues in their own right. The black one I spoke of had a huge block frame and it looked to
be made from cast iron. It was crudely made with what looked like desperate souls trying to escape and reminded me of the wall of souls that attacked me that day when I first found the Temple.
All tiny hands and faces pushed themselves against the forged metal as if being caught in the making process trying to escape. I looked to the other side and saw the white door of carved marble framed by Roman pillars, reminding me of the entrance to Witley Court.
The door was split into four panels and each held heavenly images. Gardens and a celebrated feast were in the bottom two, whilst the two on the top held Gods on thrones. The last scene showed a great battle with half naked men wearing large elaborate helmets on horseback.
When I took a step closer I noticed something important and my head snapped between the two doors.
“It’s a story of the great battle.” I said out loud making Aurora huff. Well I bet she would considering her ancestors lost and these doors made it blindingly obvious of that. The Heaven’s gate told a story of peace and serenity being shattered by the mutiny and divide between the Gods, then after the battle came the feast for victory. The opposite door told only one story, which was the outcome of what happened to the Titans.
“So if that door leads to Tartarus, then this door leads to…”
“Not all places in Heaven are safe to travel to. It’s not all divine power that keeps everyone in check…how do you think the first demons came to be?” She asked and it was obvious she was feeling superior having this knowledge over me.
“So you’re saying that the first demons came from those that went against the original Gods” I said which wasn’t a big shocker but knowing my weakness for gaining answers and knowledge into more about the supernatural, I couldn’t help myself.
“To want something different in your life than those around you doesn’t make it wrong, that is why not all Angels are good and all Demons are bad, we just all envy mortals.” I frowned at this but from my face alone I didn’t need to ask the question.
“Look around you, does this look like we have free will to you? No, if we want to make our own choices we must leave our home and be cast aside into your world, only to find we have even more rules to abide by there. But you mortals, the Gods gave you the world to do with whatever you chose and let you live your lives without limitations and after being created by the blood of my…”
“Eh, hang on a minute, there is a bit of a difference here considering us mortals, ones that you envy, have not even the same amount of power you guys hold in your little fingers!” This time I was the one stomping up to her as I continued my rant letting my anger bubble hotter.
“So don’t talk to me about injustice when my people have to go through the pain of watching loved ones die or feel the pain and suffering of illness! Ever even had a cold Aurora, ever had a snotty, cracked nose, a throat so sore every swallow feels laced with razors or a cough that keeps you up all night? And that is just one illness everyone experiences at least once a year, I am not even going to talk to you about Cancer! So I think all things considered, immortal being that you are, we are more than even!” I finished and only then did I realise I had backed her into the door to Hell.
“Fine. Do you want to back off now?” She said and it was then that I recognised what I saw in her eyes…
It was fear.
That night quickly flashed back in my mind and it was the night I had almost killed her. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought about it till now. But in truth I put this down to how I would block out that part of my life as it was too much to bear thinking about. And that night was no different. That very moment I walked into Draven’s bedroom and saw her there it had been like a red cape to a bull. Something inside of me had snapped and what came out was a power of vengeance of the likes I had never known. I had in fact prayed for the very same power to come to me in the Temple with Alex but it was as if I had been running on empty.
“Aurora, what happened that night back in Lake Como, I just wanted to…”
“No!” She shouted, moving out of my way and when she took in my look of shock in the sight of her reaction she said,
“Please, let us not mention it again.” I nodded and left it as it was, feeling that no more could be said.
“Shall we go to Hell?” I asked instead, changing the subject for one definitely more dire and dangerous but without a doubt far easier to deal with. Because going to Hell was a piece of cake compared to having a heart to heart between two people who obviously hated each other.
“I think that would be best.” She said and it was the first time I got to see a glimpse that she did in fact have at least a slither of humour running through her serious veins.
She put her hand in the small pocket in her tight suit jacket and I had noticed her doing the same thing in the car before I nodded off. It almost looked a like a nervous habit as this was the third time I had caught her doing it. Only now I realised what it was and I had to wonder how many of those coins she had in her pocket, because this time she pulled out a slightly larger one.
Then she surprised me when she bent on one knee and my first thought was how she managed it in such a tight skirt. This wondering of mine was eclipsed by her next action and I watched with a raised eyebrow when she slid the coin underneath the door. Well what did I expect, a coin slot like on a fruit machine or if you wanted a can of coke?
Whatever she had done it was clear this wasn’t her first Rodeo, as the next thing I knew the door to Tartarus was opening and as I walked inside I received my next big shock of the day…
Tartarus was a Temple.
Chapter 61 –
Saving Mortals and Freeing Demons.
I looked round in wonder at what would have once been a magnificent place to see. We were in some kind of broken Temple that quite obviously had been a place to come and worship the old Gods. But it was hard to imagine why it would be down here in a place like this. So once again I found myself asking the question,
“What is this place?”
“This is the Temple of Lost Olympus.” She said stepping over the fallen remains of what were once great and mighty statues of her ancestors. If I thought the Temple of Janus was large then this was its older, bigger brother! The statues alone were like buildings left to rest on their sides. Huge severed arms still holding onto their weapons reminded me of Jurassic trees fallen after a storm.
“But why is it here?” I asked following after her and climbing over the smaller bits of debris. I could practically hear her rolling her eyes!
“Mortals…” She muttered before she carried on.
“This temple used to be on top of Mount Olympus but after the last battle between the Gods, Zeus forced the remaining Titans back into this place. Once there he then used the last of his power to bring forth the greatest storm this planet has ever known, striking down his own Temple and using it as a prison, one that took them straight to the lowest levels of Hell.” She said this scowling at the statue of the God she obviously held responsible.
“And this is what remains?” I asked looking back around the room.
“No, this is only half of what remains, the other half…well I guess only Dominic knows what that looks like…this way.” She said and I knew enough by this comment what she meant. After making our way across the vast room she came to what appeared to be a hidden door. I frowned and said,
“Is it not that way?” I pointed to the large door at the end, next to the only statue that remained mostly intact and you could tell it was the main man himself…Zeus, the one Aurora clearly detested.
He was sat upon a huge throne as if looking over his domain and now I guess he was forever to be punished also, considering all he had to look at now was the result of such a war.
“No, Dom went this way. I can feel his presence as if he walked these very steps.” Once again I found myself frowning that she could ‘feel him’ and I knew it was irrational, but I didn’t even want her thoughts to feel him, let alone her jealous hands. Not only th
at but it annoyed me that she made out she could feel his presence when I had the strongest urge to go the other way.
In the end I didn’t say anything but just followed blindly as we went off in the opposite direction to what I felt was right. The entrance to the next room was half crumbled away and I passed it as quickly as I could in fear that it would all come crashing down on me. I let out a sigh of relief when making it through and growled under my breath when I heard Aurora chuckle because of it.
We walked into a dismal looking space that reminded me of what a tunnel to Hell would look like, which wasn’t surprising considering where we were. It was made from a kind of mosaic style only instead of using tiles, it was clad in black rock that looked like shattered glass. It was as if someone had smashed a massive slab of it and then tried to piece it back together again.
Once again I was worried about the light situation, or lack of it more like but in the end I didn’t need to worry. Aurora’s dark shadow walked over to one wall and lit something that was hanging down, almost like a giant match. Once it was lit she picked it up and put the end to what I could just make out was a small hole in the curved wall. I heard the sizzle and then it was like a tiny bomb went off as the flames must have travelled behind the walls.
One by one small windows carved all along the tunnel lit up and provided us with enough light to be able to see how far down it went. Well one thing was for sure, I would certainly be getting my wish of being dry again long before we got there.
I couldn’t tell you how long we walked, but two things I was thankful for. One, I was now mostly dry and two we didn’t have to see the bottom of the tunnel before reaching our destination.
As we had been walking down I had noticed there had been plenty of arched doorways to choose from and it looked to me as though these could have been different cell blocks. Well it was a prison after all so it would make sense.
The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) Page 18