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)

by Alex Villavasso

  “You...” Emil scowled. “Don’t speak.” Emil’s palm grew hot as his energy began to materialize into an orb that crackled in the center of his hand. “I have more than enough reasons to erase you. You’re number two on my shit list, soon to be number one.”

  “Calm down, Emil. Now isn’t the time,” Skye said as she studied Emil’s emotions. Emil shifted his focus from Grim to her, and then, finally, back to Sage. “I know how you feel. We all do, but we need to stay focused if we want to see this through.”

  “Steel yourself, Emil. Cast your emotions aside,” Omari said, his thoughts aligning with his sister’s.

  The storm of light that swirled in Emil’s palm slowly faded and ultimately subsided with the clench of his fist. Emil grunted as he lowered his arm, pretending to ignore the arrogant smirk that had risen on Sage’s face. He’s too strong to leave unchecked. What’s stopping him from killing all of us once his powers return? A subtle flame grew in Emil’s eyes as he looked at Skye. She has to know that he’s a threat. So should Omari. Damn it...this is the perfect chance. “I’m surprised the guards haven’t begun their offensive yet. Especially now that most of the people are gone,” Emil said, burying his apprehension.

  “They’re waiting for us,” Omari replied. “Now that the people are gone, I can only imagine that their primary concern is to protect their king. It’s been clear for some time now that this is a trap. The second that he senses a threat, his men will converge. I assume he doesn’t want to get his men wounded in affairs that don’t directly involve them.”

  “No,” Emil said as he pulled out a set of shuriken and spread them across his fingers. “He wants everyone to die. That guard on the stage, his troops, everyone that’s on his side, even the Abnormals—they’re all disposable.”

  “And how do you know that?”

  “Because Arius needs an enemy, and that enemy is us. In his reality, we’re protecting you, Omari—a known terrorist in the eyes of the king. That man on stage is a collaborator. We’ve already rebelled. We’re The Black Rebellion, remember?” Emil tensed. “It sets the stage for whatever move he has next, and I can’t let that happen. Our best shot is right now. I’ll lead with these shuriken to thin out the troops so we can advance on foot, then I’ll focus on the earth Abnormal and give relief to the wind girl. Omari, you keep an eye out for the leach. If we’re lucky, he’ll try to absorb the fallout from my attacks and then you can assassinate him before he even realizes you’re there. Skye, we’ll need you to focus all of your energy into making a psychic barrier of some sort with a decent range. I can’t sense energy like you or Omari, so we’ll have to stay extremely close. I’ll match my speed to yours so we don’t get separated. You’re our only defense against Arius, so your brother and I will protect you with our lives. And you should do the same,” Emil said as he faced Grim. “Okay.” Emil’s hair swiveled as he turned to the stage. “On my mark.”

  “So, it’s settled then,” Omari said confidently as he watched Emil and began to ready himself for the split-second offensive.

  The three shuriken that Emil held between his fingers sparked with blue energy that jolted across each of its pointed angles. “Go!” Emil kicked off from the ground and hurled his shuriken, his allies racing behind him. “Get ready for the counter attack, Omari!” he yelled as he began to pick up speed. “Rah!” Emil jutted his hand forward as his shuriken neared the guards, causing the energy around them to rapidly grow. The guards raised their shields and stayed grouped as Emil’s shuriken exploded into a blanket of light, engulfing them despite their efforts to resist his offensive. Where is he? Emil thought as they continued their advance towards Arius.

  “Emil, look out!” Skye yelled.

  “Wha—” From the ground, a spire ripped through the earth, aiming to pierce through Emil’s chest. Emil jumped to his left but the javelin shredded through his side, stripping flesh and marring his clothing. “Ah!” Emil’s ribs screamed in pain as he twirled his body in mid-air to regain his balance. With his sword in one hand, Emil cut through the air, sending a pulse of light towards the stage while he suppressed his wound with the other.

  So, is this the extent of your power? Arius leaned off of his katana as his flowing hair twisted in the breeze generated from his brother’s attack. With the flick of his wrist, Arius whipped his sword across the neck of the guard he held captive, his eyes still focused on the wave of energy rapidly approaching. Noticing the opportunity, Vespa jumped from the stage and landed in front of the stationed guards, eager to absorb Emil’s light. Just as Vespa extended his hands, Omari appeared in mid-air behind him, his body already in motion to assassinate. Before Omari’s hidden blade could reach him, Vespa quickly turned after noticing a disturbance in the atmosphere. Omari’s thrust overshot Vespa and Vespa twisted back and met Omari with a knee that exploded into his chest, leaving Omari stunned as the air forcefully escaped his lungs.

  “Omari, don’t let him grab you!” It was faint, but Omari managed to hear his sister’s cry over the immense pain that distorted his senses and he recovered his fighting spirit. Before Vespa’s hands could reach him, Omari warped, materializing beside Vespa, and delivered an airborne side kick that was thwarted by his enemy’s forearm. After parrying the blow, Vespa clutched Omari’s leg, but Omari quickly broke free by twisting his body and using the momentum to follow up with a kick to the side of Vespa’s neck. Omari’s shin cleanly connected and a dull boom echoed in his ear. Vespa buckled but remained flat-footed from Omari’s attack, virtually unfazed by the impact.

  He let me hit him. He must be using the energy to fortify his defenses, Omari thought, still suspended in the air. Omari’s eyes narrowed as he studied Vespa, wracking through his mind, contemplating possible ways to exploit his ability. Behind the brute, Omari witnessed the intensity of Emil’s light as it cut through the air with no remorse. Gah, I’m out of time. Omari vanished in a fraction of a second, leaving Vespa alone to weather the onslaught of Emil’s energy.

  As the wave of light crashed into Vespa’s side, specks of light jolted across his raised shoulder that he tucked his body behind to shield him. The wave of energy shrunk in mass and intensity as it passed through Vespa but still continued on its path towards Arius. The earth trembled beneath the square and a wall of concrete and rock erected in the space between the wounded guards and the Abnormal in front of them. Emil’s light crashed into the barrier but was unable to break through. His attack was neutralized before it could reach his brother. Vespa lowered his shoulder and smirked as Emil’s energy traveled downward and assimilated into his being, further empowering him to do battle.

  “They’re all so strong,” Emil mumbled as he continued to apply pressure to his bleeding wound. “Is it even possible to win?” Directly underneath the sun, the figure of a man jumped to the top of the slab of earth, casting judgment on all who fell beneath him. His cape swung freely with the wind, his katana thirsty for blood. Even with the rays of the sun casting a shadow that distorted his silhouette, Emil knew without a doubt exactly who it was. “Arius,” he growled as he clutched the hilt of his sword. Finally, his moment had come.

  Chapter 3: His Mercy

  5 years ago

  It shouldn’t be much longer, now. Arius thought as he intently walked through the blooming foliage of the forest. It had been days since he’d last seen his brother but the looming thought of an encounter plagued his mind even on the calmest of nights. It was his heart that pained him the most, a silent battle between what was and what had come to be. Though he went to the east and his brother went to the west, they both knew the majority of the forest by heart. Emil could have easily found him if he were willing. Only by chance it seemed that Arius managed to go unnoticed for so long, and he knew that could change in an instant. The unyielding pressure left him empty and gave wake to many sleepless nights. Safety was a commodity but not a necessity. From the moment he took up the sword, he knew that his life would be burdened with hardship and transgressions. In the world
, there was no one left for him. After all, it was through his connection that he was made weak in the first place, or rather, was it his love that gave him strength?

  As Arius studied the beaten path ahead of him, his mind wandered to a place it often ventured to when left untamed. Like ghosts, he saw himself, his brother, his father and mother, Raphael, and his men. They were all at his house, his parents dead at Emil’s feet. Emil was fighting a losing battle and Arius was tucked away, afraid and paralyzed with fear. His words meant nothing to Raphael and his men, despite how hard he pleaded until finally, something had changed. Something from within. It was his hate that fueled his words and gave them life. The fire he harbored in his soul was the strongest then, the deaths of his family fresh in his mind.

  As Arius closed his eyes, he remembered the pain, the hopelessness, the confusion, the despair...everything that he swore he would never feel again. But somehow, in a way, he almost invited it. The emotions coursed through him as he recalled their escape, the power he felt after, and how much he had grown since. The death of Raphael and his daughters, his resolve to change the world, and finally how he severed ties with the only person left in the world he could trust.

  To Emil’s credit, Arius noted that as predicted, killing Raphael failed to give him closure. The wound healed for but a moment with the hole opening soon after, aching and yearning to be made known. More than likely, that hole would never be filled, but Arius was okay with that as long as his lusts guided him.

  If it was in fact love that gave birth to his abilities, then it was his hate that nurtured them. If erasing your humanity was all that it took to change the world, then Arius gladly accepted his fate—no matter how large the price.

  Arius knew there was no turning back, not even if his very soul were on the line. In his eyes it was of little value anyway. It had already died a thousand deaths and continued to die daily. Losing it would be a convenience.

  There... Arius’s eyes widened at the sight of his salvation. It was the outskirts of a town not more than a couple of minutes away. He increased his gait but a pull on his chest punished him for taxing his recovering body. His breath left him in a sudden jolt of pain, halting his movement all together. “Damn it...” Arius groaned as he clutched the fabric that hung over his shirt. Even without the use of his power, his body still longed for rest. The town that lied ahead would be his refuge. There he could disappear and live a life separate from who he once was.

  “HEY, YOU!” A STRANGER called as he marched behind Arius. “Just who do you think you are? I’m talking to you!” The twilight reflected on the brim of Arius’s forehead where his bangs and rugged cloak met. It was night now. He had made the decision to wait until it was dark before venturing further. He would blend in better that way; a weary traveler in a strange land who only required food and a place to stay. A ghost was what he desired to be, nothing more than an unfamiliar spirit carried by the wind, searching for purpose. “Hey!” A foreign hand clamped down on Arius’s shoulder soon after he passed the stranger that desperately pleaded for his attention.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” Arius softly responded, before continuing his stride.

  “Neither do I.” The stranger’s grip tightened as Arius tried to pull away. “That’s a nice piece of clothing you got there. Who gave it to you?” The faint chime of metal sliding from a sheath registered in Arius’s ears.

  “My father...”

  “Well, when you get home, tell him to buy you a new one. Off with it. Blood would only ruin it for the both of us and we wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

  “I agree,” Arius said before shrugging his shoulder free. “I would prefer that when you slit your throat, you try your best to avoid ruining my clothing.” A jolt of pain shot through Arius’s system, sending a wave of numbness that dulled his extremities. Ignoring the pain, Arius twisted his body and dodged the pointed edge that lunged towards him. The thief overextended in his attack and Arius was able to grab his wrist and twist it into a lock. The thief yelped as Arius’s hold tightened, but Arius was only satisfied once his enemy dropped his blade. Arius watched the dagger as it drifted onto the ground, only slightly aware of the events that had just transpired. As his cloak blew in the wind, Arius sighed upon realizing there was a new incision among the many that decorated his garb. It was a wretched cape; filthy by all standards, but even still it was something that his assailant desired.

  “You’re a coward.” The sour taste of iron lined the palette of Arius’s tongue as he spoke, his mind still focused on the failure of his abilities. “You only prey on the weak and have no remorse.” From the far corners of the alley, more thugs emerged and slowly weaved into a disjointed circle that surrounded Arius. “And now that you can’t win, you bring your friends,” he scoffed as he pushed down deeper into his foe’s shoulder blade. “You’re exactly what’s wrong with this world.” As Arius began to lift his head, his vision blurred and another streak of numbness coursed through his limbs. With his free hand, Arius reached into the satchel he hid beneath his cloak and armed himself with a dagger of his own. “If I have to, I’ll kill every last one of you.” The hue of Arius’s irises briefly flickered from black to purple. “I won’t allow myself to die here...not after how far I’ve come.” The taste of blood grew stronger as Arius clenched his teeth and swallowed back the bile that rose from his gut. “Stand down...or fall to my blade.” The legion of teens snarled but hesitated to step any closer. His grip on the hostage weakened but he pressed the tip of the blade to his victim’s back to deter him from moving. Like a pack of angry wolves, they watched, waiting for the best chance to strike and ensure the safety of their fellow friend. The burning sensation that Arius felt in the center of his chest reminded him that he was running out of time as he stared into the eyes of his enemies.

  “You...will...respect me!” Another pulse of pain surged through his insides at the echo of his decree. From his brow, a cool bead of sweat ran down his face as he began to heave air forcefully into his lungs. No...not yet. A slow, creeping darkness settled like a fog over the alley as Arius’s body continued to wane in strength. It’s all going black. If I lose consciousness, then... A moment of time escaped Arius’s grasp and the world was considerably darker than before. The darkness had gnawed at his peripherals and was steadily making its way towards the center. Arius clutched firmly onto the wrist of the thug he held, desperate to re-establish his sense of vertigo. I can’t...die here. Not to a bunch of thugs.

  “He doesn’t look too good.”

  “Yeah, what’s wrong with him? He sick or something?”

  “Doesn’t matter, maybe next time he should keep his mouth shut.”

  “Enough!” A blur of a man emerged from the foreground, his voice more defined and mature from the rest. “Can’t you see the boy is unwell? It’s not our place to leave him to die under such conditions. Where are you from? Hey! Can you hear me?”

  Arius’s grip on the hostage eased as his legs gave from under him, causing him to fall to his knees. “You...will...” The darkness voided his vision and isolated his mind in a cloudy haze. In his time of need, his strength also left him, leaving him lost in a black box removed from all notions of the outside world. Respect...me. Arius’s head smashed into the ground and his body lay still as the others watched from where they stood, unsure of what exactly had just occurred.

  “What should we do with him, Hugo?” one of the young marauders asked as he and the others stared at Arius’s unconscious body.

  “What do you think?” Hugo grunted. “He was once like you, wasn’t he?” Hugo said as he stepped from the marauders and hovered over Arius. “Whose idea was this anyway? Was it the cape? That filthy thing? Or were one of you just looking to throw your weight around?” Hugo turned around. “Well?” Hugo’s eyes slowly shifted through each of the members’ pale faces. They’re scared shitless...little brats.

  “I-it was me, I’m sor—”

  Hugo’s hand shot up into the air. “Sa
ve it, Roen. I’m not the one you should be apologizing to. In fact, he hasn’t woken up yet. But if you really mean it, then you won’t have a problem making sure our little friend here is properly taken care of, right?”

  “R-right!”

  “And fix your face, will ya? It’s the least you can do after what you did to him. I may not be the best person in the world, but I’m fair...in a way.” Hugo chuckled. “Not like those soulless bastards that muck up the place.”

  “So what should I do with him?” Roen asked.

  “Pick him up and bring him back inside.” Hugo sighed as he pressed his fingertips to his head. “And be gentle with his head when you move him. Doctors say that you should be careful when it comes to things like that.”

  “Pick him up?” Roen asked as he sized-up Arius’s limp body on the ground.

  “Yeah and hurry up. It’s only dumb luck that we haven’t been spotted yet. Even in the middle of the night, we can’t keep this up forever.”

  They were roughly the same age but Roen was smaller than Arius, and not nearly as strong. Roen traded views with Arius’s body and Hugo before finally committing to the task.

  “Okay.” Arius weakly groaned as Roen grabbed him beneath the shoulders and tried to hoist his body over his back. “He’s too heavy. I can’t do it.” Roen slowly lowered Arius’s body back onto the floor.

  “Shit, kid...really?” Hugo shook his head and returned to Arius’s side. “Okay guys, let’s get going,” he said after picking up Arius and cradling him. “This is getting to be more than I bargained for.”

  Chapter 4: At Arms

  A gust of wind kicked up beside Emil and a set of feet tapped softly onto the ground once Omari’s body materialized. “Emil, are you okay?” From his slumped position, Omari rose and turned to face his friend.