The Last Light Series Omnibus One: - The Dreamer and the Deceiver - All Things Eternal - Ode to the King: A Superhero Epic Fantasy Collection (The Last Light Collection Book 1)
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The Last Light Book One: The Dreamer and the Deceiver
Alex Villavasso
Copyright 2017, Alex Villavasso
All rights reserved
This novel and omnibus is a work of fiction and is a product of the author’s imagination.
All events, places, and characters are either fictitious or portrayed in a fictitious manner. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form except by an authorized retailer or once written permission from the author is received.
For inquires, contact the author at AlexVillavasso.com
Please support the author and do not encourage or participate in distributing this work through illegal means.
Cover Art by Merilliza Chan
Typography by Jeff Brown
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
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Prologue: Forest to Flames
Chapter 1: A Past Life
Chapter 2: In A Perfect World
Chapter 3: Hugo, Demon of the Guard
Chapter 4: For the Ones He Loved
Chapter 5: Alone
Chapter 6: On Cursed Ground
Chapter 7: Death March
Chapter 8: A Fate Worse Than Death
Chapter 9: Left Behind
Chapter 10: Stained
Chapter 11: Omari, the Saint of Everrmore
Chapter 12: The Dreamer and the Deceiver
Chapter 13: Awakened
Chapter 14: Family
Chapter 15: The Man Who Would Become God
Chapter 16: My Will Be Done
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A Note to the Reader
The Last Light Book Two: All Things Eternal
Prologue: Don’t You Remember?
Chapter 1: A New Dawn
Chapter 2: The Birth of a Rebellion
Chapter 3: The Man Who Walked With Vipers
Chapter 4: Emil and the Angel of Death
Chapter 5: A Fighting Chance
Chapter 6: Omari’s Heart
Chapter 7: Omari’s Heart Part Two—A Prayer in the Wind
Chapter 8: What Was Lost
Chapter 9: Omari’s Heart Part Three—Omari and the Saint
Chapter 10: At Dawn
Chapter 11: The Other Side
Chapter 12: King and Court
Chapter 13: Before the Storm
Chapter 14: Together at Last
A Note to the Reader
The Last Light Book Three: Ode to the King
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Prologue: Forsaken
Chapter 1: The Black Rebellion
Chapter 2: Counter Strike
Chapter 3: His Mercy
Chapter 4: At Arms
Chapter 5: Relinquished
Chapter 6: His Grace
Chapter 7: The Boy Who Called Lightning from the Sky
Chapter 8: On the Move
Chapter 9: The Road Less Traveled
Chapter 10: A Twisted Fate
Chapter 11: A Demon Reborn
Chapter 12: What Lies Beyond
The Last Light Book 4: Dark Heart
The Last Light Book 4: Dark Heart | * Tentative title* | 2018
A Note to the Reader
About the Author
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Prologue: Forest to Flames
“Brother!” He stirred from his feet at the sound of his sister’s call in the middle of the night. Wasting no time, he grabbed his knife and sped to his sister’s room.
“What? What is it?” His uneasy breaths flared his chest with every exhale. His eyes darted quickly around the room, anxious to find the late-night intruder. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she said as she released the tightly coiled blankets from her grasp. “I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I—I just had another dream.” Beads of sweat lightly peppered her face and her eyes gave testament to her exhaustion. “This time there was a burning village and a boy—no—a man, fighting against another man. They were Abnormals. Just like us.”
Her brother studied her skeptically, drawing time to construct an answer before responding.
“Dreams are...just dreams, sister.”
“No...they’re not. Last time it was the execution, and before that it was the raid. Dreams are dreams, but not for me—you know that. They’re real. How many more can I let go unanswered? He was losing. He needed our help. They all did. They were all going to die.”
The mysterious man grew silent as he stared into the eyes of his determined sister. The fear that surrounded her was no more. “Even if you’re right, I can’t risk it. Forgive me. If your premonition is just that, who are we to challenge fate? If the fire does come to pass, I will scout the area in the following days. Other than that, we need to remain safe and unnoticed.”
“But you can’t! You can save them all!” she pleaded, slowly coming to tears.
“I’m fully aware of the situation, sister. We must all live with the choices we make. Just know that I chose your safety above everything else.”
As he turned away to walk back to his quarters, the familiar sting of guilt tore at his insides, causing him to question his words.
Chapter 1: A Past Life
“E! E!”
Emil was lying down, submerged in a bed of flowers, watching the clouds pass overhead in a nearby meadow on the edge of the village lines. It was nice where he was. The perfect spot. Peaceful. The sun warmed his body as the wind brushed over his coarse, blond hair.
“Hm?” He sat up sluggishly and bent his arms over his knees. “What’s wrong, Serenity?”
“What are you doing down there? If you wanted a nap, you could have just went back home. The guest room has been yours for a while now.”
“Yeah...so? It’s peaceful out here. I don’t have to deal with all the commotion going on in the village.”
He turned his head and looked past her red flowing hair to the village that lay behind where she stood.
“You know...everyone in the village loves you...especially after what you did for my mom. You’ve been here for more than a month already. You don’t have to be alone all the time.”
How can she say that knowing what I am? I know she sees the way they look at me. Why lie?
Realizing her words, her face flushed red, but Emil didn’t seem to notice, for his mind ached at the sudden reminder of his troubled past. Serenity folded her skirt and parted a path through the bed of flowers before sitting next to Emil. She then looked over at him and noticed his sullen face. From the corner of his eye he saw her, but he continued to look forward, ignoring her sky-blue eyes. Instead, he picked up a few crinkled petals and held them in his palm until she looked away.
“So, what are you looking at?” Serenity asked as she lined up her gaze with Emil’s. His eyes were also blue, but instead of the color of the sky like her own, his reminded her of crystals—deep and layered. It was as if he was holding something within them and was afraid that whatever he hid would come to light.
“The people.” Emil opened his outs
tretched palm and watched the petals dance elegantly as they were carried away by the blowing wind. “It’s nice.”
From where they sat, they could clearly see the thriving village and all of its merit. Children playing, vendors selling their wares, entertainers entertaining; the streets were alive and full of energy. Serenity looked at Emil once again in awe of the quiet admiration he had for the people of Nerai.
She wanted to feel the same way that he did, but when she looked, there was only emptiness.
“Yeah, it is nice.” He exhaled out into the atmosphere, dispelling the faint smile he wore only seconds before.
“Yeah, it is,” Serenity answered for his sake, trying her best to be polite.
After wandering for so long, Emil finally had a place where he could be at peace. A place to rest his head. A place to call his own. The change of pace was nice, but in the back of his mind, there was always the thought that they’d find him. No matter how nice these things were, he knew that as long as he was around, the village would never truly be safe. In all honesty, he liked the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk. He enjoyed the company of the clamoring and curious kids. He loved everything about the village of Nerai. Emil only kept to the outskirts of the village because he knew that the further away he was from them, the safer they would all be.
“Well, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready. Come on by whenever you’re ready. Just make it quick. You don’t want it to get cold.”
Serenity stood, placing her palm on top of Emil’s, and used it as a crutch to elevate herself. When she gained her balance, she slid her fingertips gently across his hand before walking away. Emil watched her dress sway hypnotically as she walked in front of him. Her flowing red hair, along with her flattering figure, pulled him away from his wandering mind.
“Hey!” he called out. “Wait up for me!”
“Oh, so now you decide to tag along?” Serenity said as she laughed. Her mood was light whenever they were together, and given the life her family had lived, her happiness was well received. When she was happy, so was Emil. Like the warmth of the rising sun, her joy seeped into him, making him come alive.
“I’m starving! I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I stopped and thought about it.”
He sprang up and jogged his way towards her through the meadow where she stood, arms folded, waiting for him with a teasing smile. While they walked through the village, the townspeople watched him and whispered amongst themselves. Even though he had been around for quite some time now, some of the townsfolk were still not at ease. To most of the people of Nerai, he was considered a hero. To others, a monster. The latter, he was used to.
As they walked, Emil and Serenity passed by a group of children playing in the street. They were relatively unnoticed until one of the smaller children stopped, snuck up from behind, and punched Emil in the hip.
“Ow! What’d you do that for?” He laughed and picked up the small child, hoisting him up on his shoulders.
“Taeo!” Serenity lashed out. “What did I tell you about hitting people!?”
“It’s cool. Didn’t feel it,” Emil said with a shrug.
“Oh really? Well how do you like this?! Hi-yah!”
A flurry of slaps rained down on top of Emil’s head as he walked, ruffling his choppy blond hair. After Taeo’s barrage of slapping ceased, Emil stopped and turned to Serenity with a blank look on his face.
“Did something just...hit me? A fly, maybe?”
Serenity stared back at him, confused.
“No? Okay, didn’t think so.”
Taeo laughed in amusement while Serenity shook her head in disbelief.
“What am I going to do with you two?” As disappointed as she tried to sound, she could barely hide the smile that was radiating from her face.
“Oh, E! E! Do that thing you do with your hand again. Please!” Taeo called out from above.
“Okay. But just for a second.”
Emil raised his left hand up to his chest and lightly channeled energy into his open palm as the three of them walked. The energy radiating off his hand was sky-blue and danced elegantly, fully under Emil’s control.
“Wow...it’s so pretty. How do you do that, E?” Taeo asked.
Emil heard the question, but it remained unanswered. Instead, he was occupied by the stares coming from some of the villagers. As the three of them continued walking, they received mixed reactions from the onlookers around them. Serenity spotted a child fascinated with what he just saw, but before he could come closer, his mother grabbed and pulled him back to her side. A few other parents with young children followed suit.
“Hey, E...” Serenity placed her hand on his bicep.
“Yeah, I got it, Serenity.”
He clenched his hand into a fist and the light radiating from his palm dissipated immediately, but even still, Emil could hear the nervous whispers around him.
A solemn silence formed between them until they reached their home.
“Hey, we’re home,” Serenity announced as they walked through the door. Serenity’s mother, Grace, was setting the table when they arrived. At first sight of the meal before him, Taeo took his spot and dove in. The others sat down after assisting Grace with setting the table.
“You really didn’t have to help, Emil. You’re our guest, after all,” Serenity’s mother said from across the table.
“I’ve been here so long. I feel bad not helping out when I can,” Emil responded.
“Nonsense!” she retorted. “You’ve done so much for us here. You’ve run errands for us and looked after Taeo for me. You’re always in the back, chopping wood. The list goes on. If anything, I should feel bad for not lending you a hand every now and then.”
“You gave me a place to stay, and for that, I’m forever grateful.”
“But you saved my life, Emil. If you wouldn’t have shown up when you did, who knows where I’d be now?”
Emil grew silent as he remembered that day. It was raining; a cold and dreary night. He chose to move at nightfall so it would be harder to track his travels. For days, the guards had been gaining ground on him and he was running low on places to stay. For some time, it had been just him in the wilderness. So when he heard a plea for help coming from the main road, it drew his attention. Immediately, he strayed from his projected path towards the distressed call. His boots dug through the mud as he ran, driving his feet deeper and deeper into the saturated soil with every step. The ensuing winds blew back the hood he wore upon his head, granting clearance to the raindrops which pelted him along his face as he sped through the forest.
“Help!”
The lightning from above guided him as he navigated through the foliage. The thunder’s boom gave him a sense of urgency. His legs burned. His breaths were sorely spaced. He ran until he found himself under the cover of one of the many trees in the forest and hid himself only a few feet from the fray.
There were three of them, each wielding daggers and inching closer to her. She backed away, pleading for her life. Her hand shook nervously as she firmly gripped her knife, swinging it in front of her assailants while she treaded backwards.
“Move any closer a-and I’ll kill you!”
The bandits exchanged glances as they laughed, creeping closer still.
“Yeah right, lady. Now give us the goods and we’ll be on our way.”
From the cover of the foliage, Emil drew his dagger from his right side and slowly placed his hood back on top of his head. Soon after, the dagger began to faintly glow light-blue. Crackling sparks danced along the blade as the ignited metal dully hummed.
A flash of lightning; a thunderous roar, and their bodies fell. Emil stood between the bodies of the three bandits he assassinated with uncanny grace and speed. His dagger bloody; his face unmoved.
“Are you okay?” he calmly asked as the blood dripped from his blade and pooled on the forest floor. Serenity’s mother gazed upon the corpses before Emil’s feet in disbelief as the ground turned crimson,
drunk off the blood of her fallen attackers.
Her pale face became even paler as she slowly nodded her head, still in shock from what she had just witnessed.
“Good.” He tucked his dagger away and began to move back into the cover of the forest.
“Hey, wait! Where are you going? It’s raining!”
He turned around and looked at her. His pure eyes pierced her soul. No longer was she afraid, nor was she shocked; only concerned. What she saw in front of her was no killer, but a young man who was tired, hungry, and out in the elements.
“Oh my God. You’re not much older than my daughter. Please stay with us; at least for tonight. You look tired. It’s the least I can do to thank you.”
Taken aback by her kind gesture, an unfamiliar emotion ran across his face. An expression that he had long since forgotten; a smile. He had been with them ever since.
Emil’s stream of thought was severed, returning him to the waking world, carried back by Taeo’s words.
“Mom, if Emil is such a good person, then why do they call him a monster?”
The words cut deep into him. After the initial pain, Emil’s breath escaped from his contracted lungs. The sigh was brief and sharp but strong enough for everyone to momentarily feel his pain. In his younger days, Emil had asked himself that very same question. He looked like everyone else and bled the same blood, too. Aside from his abilities, there was no distinction that marked him as different. Still, they labeled him.
“Taeo!” Serenity shouted angrily from across the table. Her scorn flushed evident by her face. The question was an innocent one, asked only from a young boy with little understanding. At his age, he was naïve of the cruelties that often fell upon the inhabitants of this world.
The room fell silent as all eyes shifted to Emil, but his gaze never met theirs. Instead, his eyes drifted downward, hovering over his plate.
“Sometimes people fear what they don’t understand. Emil is no monster...he’s family.”
Taeo and Serenity’s mother broke the silence that hovered over the table, parting the fog that separated the four of them. The frown that had emerged on Emil’s face inverted slightly.
Family.
For a moment, he was happy, but his happiness was short-lived. The smile he found across his face slowly reverted back to its depressing demeanor as memories of old came to the surface. The love of his father; the quiet strength of his mother. They came like flashes of white lightning, uncaring as to which point it struck. The good, the bad—they came unbiased and unfiltered, leaving him emotionally drained. And while the images were beautiful, it pained him to know that it had been so long that he could no longer remember their voices.