Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3)

by Shaun Messick

  Koroan’s previous palace was converted into his base of military operations, where his top generals resided and worked. In fact, everything on Terrest was different, causing Ariauna’s heart to sink. In some small way, she was responsible for its transformation. All she wanted was for the Gnols to be gone and for the Terrestrian people to have their planet back. But now that there was no rebel influence on Terrest with Adrian being gone, the Gnol civilization flourished on the planet at the expense of her Terrestrian brothers and sisters, who were the primary slave force for the Gnols.

  Sighing, she sat back on the leather sofa and watched Calum with sadness tearing at her heart as he played with his toys. Calum was 14 months old now. In those 14 months, the Gnol civilization was led to believe that he was the son of Koroan and the great goddess of light, evidence that Koroan’s stewards of propaganda were doing their job. In fact, Macaria changed his name to Cain, an order she insisted be carried out. If anyone were to utter the name Calum in her presence, that person would be put to death immediately. Ariauna, however, never once saw Macaria, which was a relief to her, and she saw Koroan maybe a couple times a week when he came to check up on his grandson.

  Even though he never acknowledged Ariauna during his visits, he was different around Calum. The only member left of his bloodline seemed to have a dramatic effect on the king of the Gnols. So much so, that the mighty Koroan Chast seemed to have actual feelings for the child, even playing with him in the nursery at times.

  Ariauna looked down and straightened her red satin dress. She felt a little overdressed, but Macaria insisted that if she was going to be the primary caregiver of the prince and live in the palace, then she needed to dress like royalty. While she traced her fingers along the smooth material, her mind wondered back to her questions about the fate of Calum’s parents. A pang of guilt pressed within her chest as she thought about them.

  It was rumored that Earth had been torn apart by a giant wormhole that appeared over the planet. After all, the planet wasn’t even in its previous position in its solar system. All that remained were asteroids, remnants of Earth’s moon, which had been destroyed.

  If Earth certainly was destroyed, then Calum’s parents were truly gone, and the only people with the true knowledge about his heritage were she, Macaria, and his grandfather.

  Ariauna looked back at Calum with compassion. Over these six months of being his primary caregiver, she had grown to love him like he was her own. In fact, she was the only person he would go to, but he was beginning to warm up to Koroan. As he continued to play, she imagined telling him about his true parents when he was old enough. But she knew that wasn’t possible. The microchip implanted in her brain wouldn’t allow that. If she did anything contrary to Macaria’s and Koroan’s will, the chip would self-destruct, killing her instantly, or worse - causing permanent brain damage.

  Shaking the horrible thought away, she was about to stand up and make her way over to Calum when something astonishing happened. As Calum played with his toys, she saw one of his toys, a Gnol soldier action figure, begin to float in the air next to him. He held his hand out, grasping at the toy, giggling. Ariauna was stunned. She knew that Gnols didn’t begin to exhibit their telekinetic and telepathic abilities until they reached puberty; some earlier and some later. Never had she heard of a Gnol baby exhibit such powers, but then again, Calum Palmer, or Cain Chast as he was now known, was no ordinary Gnol child.

  She glanced at one of the cameras near the ceiling that monitored their every move, knowing that what Calum demonstrated was something Macaria and Koroan were waiting for. She stood up and made her way over to the bubbly little boy. Kneeling down beside him, she smiled. “What are you doing, Cain?”

  Calum’s bright blue eyes, which caused her heart to melt every time he looked at her, met hers. He smiled. But then he said something that caused her heart to both melt and tear with guilt. Looking at her, he said, “Mommy.”

  *****

  City of Zion on Planet Earth within the Orion Nebula . . .

  Night really didn’t exist anymore on Earth. The stars within the Orion Nebula dowsed the planet in eternal light, as well as the small planet that orbited Earth. In addition, there were no more seasons, just a constant comfortable temperature that blanketed the entire planet in paradise. Despite not having a night, dusk seemed to arrive every once in a while, giving Jake the opportunity to lie down on his favorite hillside just outside of the great City of Zion and to stare up into space.

  The stars and Earth were now dramatically different. The wormhole that formed in orbit above Earth just a short six months ago caused the largest earthquake ever recorded on the planet. The quake wasn’t isolated to just a few areas of the planet either. It racked and ravaged all of it, killing billions and changing the entire landscape. The Earth had been restored to its paradisiacal glory with the landmasses moving back into the Pangea supercontinent.

  Those that survived the mega-quake made their way to Zion or other safe cities, which were currently under construction. What amazed Jake even more was that he learned that all of the signs preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ occurred just prior to the mega-quake. In fact, the prophesied return of the Savior to the Jews transpired exactly at the same moment as the formation of the giant wormhole that took Earth from its seven-thousand-year resting place in its old solar system. Just as prophesied, he descended from the sky, splitting the Mount of Olives in two.

  As the planet traveled through the wormhole, it burned with intense heat, but he, along with his family, friends, and others were miraculously lifted up. They also witnessed the glorious return of Jesus Christ. He now resided on the planet, within his two capitals of Zion and old Jerusalem, reigning as the Prince of Peace. Despite the peace and joy that had settled over the Earth, Jake still struggled with the grief of losing those that were most dear to him - Celeste and his son.

  Adrian and the rest of his family and friends had the glorious opportunity to meet with the Savior on several occasions since His return. But in each case, Jake didn’t go with them. His grief was simply too much to bear. Anger also kept Jake from standing in his Savior’s presence. He was angry that his son was not miraculously protected from the clutches of Koroan and Macaria and personally blamed God for it. The thought of Calum being raised by Macaria and Koroan caused him severe emotional distress.

  He tried not to think of the thought at the moment as he stared up into the breathtaking cluster of stars within the Orion Nebula. He tried to change his thoughts, hoping that Celeste had somehow rescued their son and they were now living out their lives safe on Terrest. He knew the thought wasn’t likely, but it comforted him to imagine the scenario.

  As he continued to stare at the stars, he heard footsteps brushing along the lush green grass of the hillside. The person walking up the hill stopped once he reached him. Jake guessed it was his dad, who was the only one who knew where he was. He pulled himself up and froze when his eyes saw the scars on the bare feet of a man standing above him. He moved his vision up, past the white robe sashed together with a red sash, and stopped, staring into the loving eyes of his Savior. The Savior reflected a bright light indescribable to Jake, yet also comforting.

  “Hello, Jake,” the Savior said.

  His voice was like rolling thunder, yet so soothing it caused Jake to begin sobbing uncontrollably for the guilt he had for blaming God for Calum’s abduction. Jake knelt down before the Savior’s feet and wept. “Pl-please forgive me, my Lord.”

  Jake felt the strong but comforting hand of his Savior touch the back of his head. “Arise.”

  Jake stood and met Christ’s loving gaze. There was no way Jake could block the Savior from perceiving his thoughts.

  “There is nothing to forgive, Jake,” the Savior said compassionately. “I am well pleased with who you have become. I came here because I know the grief you have over Celeste and Calum.”

  Christ, by saying his wife’s and Calum’s names, caused the tears to flow even
more from Jake’s eyes. “Th-Thank you, my Lord.”

  The Savior placed his hands on Jake’s shoulders. As He did so, Jake noticed the nail marks on his hands. A deep sense of gratitude poured over Jake like a warm waterfall for the sacrifice the Savior performed not only for him, but for all of mankind.

  Jesus smiled warmly at him, perceiving his thoughts again. “Know this, Jake. Your wife and son are alive on Terrest.”

  “Are . . . are they together?”

  “No. But you will all be together one day.” The Savior paused, looking compassionately upon Jake. “The spirit of Calum is not only our dear brother, but he is one of my oldest and dearest friends. He is special. This is his test. Just as I redeemed all mankind from the chains of death and sin, Calum must make a redemption not only for himself but for the bloodline of the people of Gnolom. He is the prophecy for Terrest and Gnolom. Blessed is he who shall unite two worlds and two peoples.”

  Despite everything the Savior said about his son and his special mission, Jake only focused on being together with his family again. He had heard it before from his father, uncle, stepmother, brother, sisters, and friends. In his grief, they continued to tell him that he would see Celeste and Calum again. But Jake didn’t want to wait until the end of the millennium to be with his wife and son again.

  The Lord cocked his head sideways, again perceiving his thoughts. This caused Jake to duck his head in shame. Jesus placed a hand under his chin, forcing Jake to look into his eyes.

  Again, with only love in his eyes, Jesus said, “In a short time, you will return to Terrest. Calum will need the help of his father to complete his mission. But not until he is ready.”

  The sad frown on Jake’s face turned upward. Smiling, he embraced his Savior. A feeling of indescribable peace and love entered his soul as he looked up into the stars of the Orion Nebula once again, knowing that in a short time, he would be reunited with his wife and son.

  *****

  An isolated prison near the North Pole of Terrest . . .

  Celeste sat on the edge of her small steel-frame bed, cushioned with a small mattress. A tear rolled from her eye as she continued to think about Calum and Jake. Oh, how she missed them terribly. She had no idea if her husband had survived the crash of the Nighthawk after Macaria slammed it into the ground. She also feared for Calum. He would be 14 months old by now, and it tugged at her heartstrings knowing that he was being raised to believe that Macaria was his mother and Koroan his father.

  Shaking the emotional pain away, she stood up slowly, cringing in physical pain as she did so. Despite being miraculously raised from the dead and transfigured, she was wasting away. Her once powerful legs ached with every movement. She forced herself to walk to the small sink in her small cell where a rudimentary mirror was fastened above it. Grief stricken, she turned away after seeing what she had become as a result of the serum injections. Her once dark, shimmering hair was now thin wisps of gray, mangled over a sack of baggy skin, which caused her once bright blue eyes to bulge into protruding gray orbs.

  She was hideous. Not only did the serum take away her abilities, it also caused her to age at an accelerated rate. She now looked like a ninety-year-old woman. She knew that the guards would be coming very soon to inject her again because, even though she looked frail and old, her energy was beginning to increase and the old age spots and wrinkles on her face were beginning to disappear - a sign that her transfigured body was beginning to regenerate itself.

  Sighing, she painfully staggered back to her bed and sat down as she waited for the inevitable to happen. Even though she was beginning to feel better, each serum injection seemed to last longer than the previous one. When she was first taken to this desolate, cold, and isolated prison six months ago, she received injections every few hours. Then, the time between injections increased to once a week. Now, she guessed, it had been more than a couple of weeks since her last injection. This led her to conclude that either the Gnol scientists were perfecting their anti-ability serum or her body wasn’t able to fight off the serum’s results, causing her to wonder if continued injections would kill her.

  These thoughts, along with her grief from missing Jake and Calum, caused her to begin sobbing. She lost control and allowed the tears to flow. Sometimes, it just felt good to cry. She sobbed for several minutes when she heard the click and buzz of her three-foot-thick Omutx door. Instantly, her grief and sadness was replaced with rage and revenge. Adrenaline rushed into her system, energizing her for the moment. The door opened and in walked two stout Gnols.

  Leading the way was Captain Wielf, closely followed by Commander Tleallusk. Both Gnols stood roughly about the same height, around 6’ 4” tall. They were dressed in thick black fatigues with insulated black military coats covering their upper bodies to protect them from the subzero temperatures on their journey from their comfortable quarters in a separate building from the prison cells.

  Captain Wielf had green, penetrating eyes, which contrasted with the thick black beard covering his face. He held the injection gun containing the serum in his right hand. His demeanor was little more kindly than Commander Tleallusk’s, who leered at Celeste through dark eyes. A small, arrogant smirk graced along his lips through a black goatee. “It’s time, your Highness,” Tleallusk said disrespectfully and sarcastically, obviously making fun of her former title.

  Focusing every ounce of energy she could from the adrenaline rushing through her body, Celeste abruptly sat up and flung her arms forward. To her astonishment, she was able to control the invisible force around her, sending an invisible shockwave directly into Captain Wielf’s chest. The impact caused the air to rush out of his lungs, flinging him backwards and causing him to crack his head against the thick door.

  Commander Tleallusk jumped into action instantaneously. He leapt forward, backhanding Celeste across the face. The blow knocked Celeste off of the bed. Weakened by using her abilities and the blow, she tried to jump back to her feet to defend herself, but she couldn’t. Instead, Commander Tleallusk reached out and held her in place on the floor with his own telekinetic powers.

  Reaching down toward Captain Wielf, who still sat on the floor, dazed, he pulled the injection gun from his grip. “You fool,” he said derogatorily toward his second in command.

  Captain Wielf staggered to his feet as Commander Tleallusk took a few steps toward Celeste and placed the barrel of the injection gun on Celeste’s neck. He pressed the trigger, and she heard the swoosh as the serum plunged into her veins. Weakness immediately overwhelmed her. She couldn’t even hold herself up with her arms. Her arms gave way and her head fell, slamming her face hard on the cold metal floor. She lay there paralyzed, staring up at her captors.

  Commander Tleallusk handed the injection gun back to Captain Wielf, unzipped a pocket on his coat, and pulled out an electronic tablet. He smiled smugly at Celeste. “A gift from your father,” he said, holding the pad up before tossing it on her bed. The two Gnols then turned to leave the room. Just before the door closed, Commander Tleallusk looked back at her. “Enjoy the home movie, your Highness.”

  The door then closed and she heard the buzz and click of its locks, securing her inside. She continued to lie on the cold floor of her cell for another hour or so. She couldn’t move, a side effect of the serum as it did its work inside of her body. Tears pooled under her face as despair flooded over her like a heavy black blanket, suffocating her.

  Finally, after she was able to move, she pulled herself up onto her bed. The effort it took just to do that was excruciating. She lay down with her head on the small pillow and pulled the pad up to where she could see the message her father had for her. She turned on the device and gasped, which caused the floodgate of tears to flow even more.

  The frozen image of her son was on the screen. The video was paused. He was beautiful. Instantly, she could see the resemblance between herself and Jake. His black hair was thick atop his head and his piercing blue eyes danced with joy as he held a Gnol soldier action
figure in his hands. He had Celeste’s nose, but the rest of his face reminded her so much of her late husband.

  The anguish and grief was too much to bear. With a trembling hand, she pressed play on the pad. The video played for a few minutes as Calum played with his toys. As it played, she wondered what purpose her father had for allowing her to see this video of her son. As soon as the thought occurred to her, the action figure he held in his hand began to float in the air above him. Calum babbled something, and his eyes danced excitedly as he moved the action figure around in the air.

  The realization of the true power her son held hit her like a lightning bolt. Right then, she understood the true power her son possessed, which caused untold fear to protrude throughout her entire being because he was at the moment being raised by the two most evil beings on the planet. Her heart ached for what her son might become.

  She was already sickened by the video and was about to turn it off and put the pad aside when she saw a woman, dressed in a beautiful red, satin dress, kneel beside her son. “Ariauna!” she whispered, surprised.

  “What are you doing, Cain?” Ariauna asked, smiling at the young boy.

  Cain? Celeste thought as she watched her son turn and look at Ariauna. The look on his face was one of joy. “Mommy,” he said.

  Celeste’s heart sank, and the rage she felt before returned like an instant flame burning inside of her. With a shriek, she threw the pad to the other side of the room. It shattered to pieces.

  After more sobbing, she gathered herself to her knees on her bed, turned around, and looked up. There, near the ceiling of her cell, was a small half-foot-by-half-foot window. It was her only way to escape reality in her prison cell. She stood up to her feet on the bed and pulled herself up as high as she could reach so that she could see outside.