by Marc Mulero
With a grimace, the sniper moved to face the ten-foot door when a flash of Narene’s face came into vision.
Ugh, why now?
The woman whose heart Eugene broke slipped in to cause more anguish. Even if the connection was severed, her pained expression lingered, feeding into his misery.
He took a deep breath and pushed down on one of the engraved stone handles that separated him from his true love. His head dipped, dirty blond hair brushing against the carved door as he slid it open – and out came the crimson smolder clouding the room to the point of blindness, as if he’d just poked his head into a burning building. The visual was the same, but then came the perversions. Remnants of his time on Auront, his surroundings warping, sound slowing… a familiar ride. But right before he became engulfed, the voice he longed for called out.
“Eugene,” his name repeated several times after reaching him.
The resonance of a whirlwind whistled through his ears while the smolder vacuumed back toward the source, leaving just the hazy smoke emanating from her pores.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this.
“Jen, please tell me you’re well,” he said solemnly.
She stood up from her meditative stance and smiled. Her hair had grown almost to the length that Eugene remembered from long ago.
Her scarless face came into view. A memory of him on a couch and her climbing to force her way into the nook next to him left a strain in his heart, followed by terrible anxiety.
The helpless feeling drew him nearer to embrace her scarlet tinted skin.
“I miss you, Jen. I miss us. Let all of this go for a moment and come back to me,” he almost begged, grabbing one of her hands. “I’ve never felt so far from you. Even death was closer. At least then, you existed as you were in my mind, before all of this.”
A stream of smoke started to whirl around his fingers, but he quickly shook it free. “No, I don’t want amplifications, or powers, or any of that. I want to be lucid.”
Jen’s smile was replaced by a look of concern. “What are you afraid of? It’s just me…”
“The island of Auront brought you back and I’ll forever be grateful for that. But please, don’t let it consume you,” he pleaded, now grabbing both of her hands. “I know how focused you can become. I’ve seen it throughout our time together, but now the stakes are higher. I need you to learn how to scale it back, for me.”
Jen looked away in thought, and after a few seconds, the smoke around her appeared to dim in color. “You’re right.” She intertwined her fingers with his.
Eugene let his head slump in relief. “I have so many questions, I honestly don’t even know where to start. Our past… it’s been haunting me-”
“I cherish our past.” Jen took a seat on the floor and beckoned him to do the same. “Even the parts you’re haunted by.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s because you weren’t here. And how I lost you…” he began.
“Well, I’m here now, Eugene. You don’t need to dwell anymore,” she comforted.
“I guess not, but I’m still riddled with guilt.” He unhooked his rifle to lay it beside him.
“You never could have known. We were in an impossible situation… a situation that I put us in. It’s me who should be asking for your forgiveness.
“No, I made the decision to follow your dreams, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Jen’s eyes crinkled with joy. She rested her head on his shoulder and locked her arm with his.
He glared at her. “Do you remember everything since the incident?”
“Everything.”
“Why didn’t you talk? I thought they’d ripped out your tongue or something.”
Jen peered down at the smoke rising from her hands. “I… I felt dead inside, Eugene. Just a shell acting on instinct… floating, existing by the will of muscle memory. My actions, they weren’t my own. My thoughts were a drowned mix of the hell I’d experienced.”
“Mmph.” He turned away, pained, remembering the incessant screams back in Auront.
“Then Jason happened. The smoke, the geyser. That’s when everything went haywire – all of my memories became vibrant, like no time had passed between them. Imagine? It’s an incredible feeling, and it’s still here to this day. But I’m learning to control them rather than the other way around. To be honest, though,” she shifted position to face him and crossed her legs, “it’s not the past that concerns me. It’s the visions of the future, because… somehow… they’ve become interlocked with the past. This mess almost drove me insane.”
“I know, I was there,” Eugene sighed. “Dare I ask what you see now?”
She shook her head, whispering, “It’s taking all of my energy not to see it.”
“Blague made an interesting point. We were talking about what happened in Auront… he thinks that maybe your increased brain capacity is manifesting probable scenarios, and then creating the imagery of how they’ll play out.”
Jen shrugged. “I wouldn’t know if that’s true. All I see are the images. He may be right, or he may be rationalizing something that’s beyond our comprehension.”
“I hope he’s right. I’d still like to think that you’re human.” A shadow of a grin rested on his face.
Jen smiled playfully. “Oh, shut up.”
Euphoria ran through his veins, tickling his skin with pleasure, and comfort, for he truly felt rekindled with Jen in this moment, like he’d travelled through time to find her. It meant everything to him. They enjoyed each other’s caressing touch for a short time, but there was only so much longing bodies could express until words bridged the gaps, so he broke the silence.
“What happened back on Auront, when the smoke consumed you and Jason? How did you best him?”
The smoke emanating from Jen became vibrant again. “He… he didn’t fight back. Not really, anyway. Jason let me release my rage within the smoke. And it worked. I remembered who I really was after that, regaining control of everything. But for him, he had a death wish for some reason. He taunted me and flexed his powers, but refused to defend himself…”
This all adds up to what Nemura said to me that day back on Auront, that Jason will return. He really did believe himself to be a god.
“That man flew way off the deep end if he thought sacrificing himself was the answer.”
“I agree,” Jen said, looking ashamed of the lives she’d claimed in her crazed state. “Any visions of the future that include my death end with blackness. I have no reason to believe that there’s anything to follow. Jason thought this power was more than it is, and overconfidence led to his end.”
She says that with a bit of remorse. I think she did the world a favor.
“Don’t beat yourself up over what happened on that island.”
“I’m not, but I have to go back. It calls to me in a way that I can’t explain. I’ll be taking a trip over with the Aura, and I hope that you’ll join me.”
Eugene hesitated before shaking his head. “Nah, my place is here, Jen, and I hope yours is, too. I can’t leave the Sins again, especially not now. I have a bad feeling of what’s to come.”
“It’ll be a short trip,” she promised. “I just have to know why the pull is so strong and if there’s any meaning behind it.”
Eugene gazed down and framed her face with his hands like old times. “We were given a second chance, so don’t go running from it.”
Jen caressed his arm while staring up at him, calling attention to her puppy dog expression. Smoke drifted to surround her alluring lips, to bolster them, highlight them in darkness. And it worked. He suddenly remembered what it was like to live simpler, to want, to yearn. A tingle again reminded his body to live. It was her after all. This was the time to forget all of the chaos and reminisce once more… in the flesh.
Her mouth parted with no intention of speech, and before he could say anything, she gently moved her body closer to his. Eye contact remained steady and temptin
g. The scars on her face reminded him of the long road, and what it meant to find each other again after all this time. It was beautiful. Glorious.
Her gentle advances continued: slowly she unstrapped her combat wear, seductively peeling it off of her shoulders, looking down as if surprised her skin was exposed. Then clothing folded down past her breasts before she finally reached up to passionately kiss his neck. Her lips were warm, her touch so familiar. And just like that… Eugene vanished into desire.
Sunlight bounced off of every piece of gold armoring Mulderan’s body, like he was an angel descending from the heavens to protect the earth. Elegant designs encircled the black orbs resting on his pauldrons, and a freshly polished crown reminded his company of his worth.
The view from a body-length jet window displayed something sorely missed - the high spires of the Grand City of Nepsys closing in beneath him, built in the confines of his mind long ago. It was only right for him to return. The time was now for the highlords to remember who started it all.
Eldra stood beside him, draped in black from hair to wear, equipped with a long sword sheathed at her hip and a rifle at her back. A small army awaited the royal couple, to bring the Highest Lord to his rightful place.
Mulderan turned to Eldra. “Have my orders been processed?”
“Of course, Hiezer troops are being recalled in waves to guard Nepsys. The city’s artillery defenses are being readied as we speak. If our scientists are correct, we will be prepared for survival shortly.”
“Make no mistake, Eldra. This world faces its next catastrophe, and humanity will pass its next test.”
Massive buildings decorated the view, most with greater width than height to endure nature’s trials, and fewer with inverted dimensions to act as scouting towers, keeping watch from high points within the walls. Large metallic hooks bit down into the earth from each building’s base like a cat sinking its claws. The ambitious architecture mirrored that of Hiezer armor - glossy black structures lined in gold stood with tall, curved points, like a bull’s horns at their peaks. Shining fragments were neatly engraved into the external casing of each edifice to reflect sunlight, illuminating the city to grant its heavenly aura.
Anti-gravity constructions had been developed as a sustainable solution to any future quakes to come. Air-spheres rested throughout the city, suspended in mid-air, with grounded stabilizers keeping them from spinning out of control. Every Hiezer knew the protocols to mount them, to keep stable upon an object that was never truly still, like balancing on an enormous ball, only far more refined. Research… technology… it would save them all.
On their descent, missile launchers detached from barrack walls and twisted to aim at Mulderan’s craft, but then quickly receded once it was registered.
One glance below to the highly decadent streets of Nepsys was indicative of a long, successful career - Mulderan’s, of course - and the tiered rings of status that he’d concocted along the way. How else would Hiezer scientists stroll with chins held high, long sleeves flaunted like designer bags to ensure not an inch of cloth touched the floor. Paved streets were dipped with flecks of gold, like an endless red carpet of magnificence. Guards patrolled closely at their heels – protection for the worthy – while the lower-class visitors scurried to keep up like lapdogs looking for scraps. Advanced notepads, flapping mouths, attempts to syphon some privileged knowledge in exchange for labor. It was always clear who was in charge, if not for all of the groveling, then solely by the design of their attire.
Slowly, Hiezers around the world slip from my grasp. My time away has increased this risk tremendously. Fortresses in Bulchevin and the Region of Noah fall into rebellion hands within weeks of each other, and who is to blame? Who of the world leaders should be held accountable in my absence?
But none of this truly matters. Humanity’s looming trial is what beckons attention. The endgame. My endgame. The time has come to set in motion a different set of priorities, leaving expansion and control to slip into secondary precedence. Only defense and maintenance of this city must be paramount. Upholding the elite is the key. Humanity’s brightest, handpicked through generations, must live on with Ayelan in their veins. That is the only way to preserve it all.
Thruster fire flickered, lowering the craft smoothly to a halt. They touched down at the forefront of a colossal residence, one with many glistening layers.
The jet’s exit platform dropped, exposing the royals to rays of golden brilliance. Hiezer scientists and their surrounding entourages stopped cold, framing their eyes out of fear of their returning leader. No reciprocation was offered, just business as usual.
So what if the trials are accelerated… what if the quake comes now? Citizens should be grateful that there’s one among us willing to accept the burden. The age to come will provoke anarchy to the fullest extent. Our margin of error will be reduced to nil. If not for the order created here, in Nepsys, we would descend into an apocalypse. But alas, I’m free, and the Grand City will endure. And by the end of it all, a new species of long life will reign.
Mulderan led the cavalry toward the oversized home.
“He is undoubtedly on high alert since the news of your return.” Eldra clanged an elegant door knocker protruding from the mahogany entrance.
“If he’s here, then he also understands that this meeting is inevitable.”
“Mulderan,” a woman said after opening the door, dressed in a rich tunic with large pearl earrings. “Your absence was apparent, my Highest Lord. Welcome back to your rightful place.”
Eldra pressed the door open, staring the woman down with one constricted pupil while making her way into the home.
The woman bit her lip, masking her dismay as Eldra pushed past her.
“Good afternoon, Claras,” Mulderan greeted. “Excuse the intrusion, but there are vital matters to be handled. Where’s Alek?”
Claras stepped aside to allow Mulderan to pass, fear stripping the color from her face. She gulped once. Mulderan eyed the small girl standing beside her, who clenched her mother’s hand with all of her might.
“Both of you should go upstairs.” Mulderan waved his hand, motioning to the guards to keep watch before he proceeded forward. His boots clanked against the dark wood floor, resonating throughout the spacious dining room and through to the open hallway, where Alek stood hunched in his study. The distraught man grasped opposite sides of a window ledge and stared into the distance, counting Mulderan’s heavy steps like a ticking clock. He wore his Hiezer attire even in the comfort of his home - pauldrons, cloak, and all.
“I’m one out of eleven highlords. The sum of us was meant to uphold the integrity of our votes. What a joke,” Alek spat, pushing off the wall’s ledge to stand up straight.
Eldra was a few steps ahead of her husband, and on her way to Alek, she noticed two Hiezer bodyguards with their rifles in position to fire. Her eye squinted upon seeing them, annoyed at the thought.
“What’s this?” Eldra questioned, slowing her pace.
“Protection, of course.”
“You would protect yourself, and leave your wife and daughter unguarded?” Eldra sneered in disbelief. “You’re making this too easy on my conscience.”
“You… a conscious? Don’t make me laugh. Besides, it’s not them you want. You wouldn’t harm them.”
“Don’t tempt me, Alek. I’ve done worse for less.” Eldra kept her hand resting on her sword’s hilt.
Mulderan ignored the two bodyguards and stepped in front of Eldra, nearing Alek’s position. “What was your reason for bombing the Sins in Bulchevin?”
“To stop the invasion, obviously,” Alek responded, feeling mighty with guns drawn on his leader.
“And how did that go?”
Alek mulled over his choice of words, his orbed pauldrons reflecting a prism of light around him like angelic glow. “We couldn’t have known that our fortress would be taken,” he finally answered.
“We’d received communications that they breached the e
ntrance, almost ten minutes before you overrode the decision to stand down.”
“That’s not tr-”
Mulderan held up his hand for silence, and out of habit, Alek obeyed.
“This isn’t up for debate,” Mulderan said, taking another step closer. “The reports hold that Ayelan was likely placed on the front and back ends of that Sin group, which means you’ve probably destroyed half of it.”
The guards cocked their rifles to make their company known. “Please, stand down, sir,” one of them said in an unnerved voice.
“You would utter a command to the Highest Lord?” Eldra asked, almost laughing out her words.
Mulderan still didn’t acknowledge their presence. “Your actions have deprived your fellow lords and councilmembers from living fuller lives. You’ve deprived humanity of an experience that can only be had through Ayelan. And what’s worse, you did it for nothing.”
He stopped a foot away from Alek, who stood defiantly without a trace of remorse.
“I did what was right!” Alek shouted. “We had to attempt to retain control of our fortress. It could have preserved much needed Hiezer lives. Eldra’s babble stopped me from taking action when the time was right! We took a vote to stall your rescue, and Eldra lost. Yet, here you stand. Fuck your dictatorship.”
Mulderan slowly reached behind his back to free his stave.
“You don’t scare me,” Alek’s voice contradicted his words.
“But I should…”
The anxious shifts of weaponry sounded behind them. Aim at their Highest Lord upon his homecoming? Treasonous. What were they promised? What would an overzealous highlord give in return for the crown?
Alek’s uneasy breath wasn’t very kingly however, as it forced through his mouth like a nervous rodent – knowing his life hung in the balance, here, in these moments. They would define everything for him. His preparedness could reshape leadership of the New World as they knew it, if only his guards could rid the world of Mulderan, as planned.
But alas, the Highest Lord knew it too, and so he hit one end of his Bo staff to the ground, altering its composition in the blink of an eye – a spiral of metal ridges fanned around like two hand fans held together to form a protective shield. Shaking fingers clenched triggers at the split-second action, and from there, the luxurious home erupted into a crime scene. Bullets ricocheted into the walls and erratic shrieks echoed from the floor above.