by Melissa Aden
“Yes, I see it,” I answered him.
“Following that ray of light, look down.”
Doing so, my heart dropped. I stifled a scream and clutched tightly to Everett realizing we stood on a polished stone ledge jutting out into hollow nothingness below and all around us. The rickety metal railing we had just walked on lined the walls of the large, cave-like space in a suspended semi-circle, merely secured by nuts and bolts.
Wrapping his arms around me, Everett whispered, “It’s okay. I won’t let you fall. What do you see below us?”
“An endless abyss,” I answered. “What are we doing out here? This is crazy.” I panicked.
“Shhhh. Take a deep breath,” Everett said, tightening his hold around me. “Everything’s okay. I’ve got you.” I deeply inhaled the smell of his cologne, feeling myself melt into his arms. “Relax. You’re safe here.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, feeling a little less afraid.
Mia boldly walked to the ledge’s edge with an awestruck look on her face. “Can you feel it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Everett answered. “What about you, Sophie?”
At first, I rationalized that I had warm fuzzies because Everett’s arms were around me, but as I concentrated on the feeling, I accepted that it was more than that. A warmth familiar to what I felt earlier in the park coursed through my veins, empowering me and chasing away my fear. While the feeling was nice, it also came with a heaviness that was increasingly hard to stand under.
“I feel it,” I smiled, savoring the feeling. “What is it?”
“Dio’s presence,” Everett whispered. Letting go of me, he talked as he backed up to the ledge’s edge until the heels of his feet dangled over. “Dio is very powerful and has the ability to create things, hence one of his many names, The Creator. His first creation was a world called Alethia. He ruled there before creating Earth. Portals, like this one, are places where two worlds connect. This particular portal links Earth to Alethia.”
“But… that’s impossible,” I blurted.
“Is it?” Everett asked. I suddenly felt foolish considering the sensation I was experiencing. “Dio creates all worlds with their own complex set of rules. A rule on Earth is gravity: what goes up must come down. Alethia has its own rules, too, like no gravity. When two worlds connect within a portal, the stronger world’s rules manifest there, overruling the lesser world’s rules. In this case, Alethia’s rules trump Earth’s rules.”
“But gravity still seems to be in effect,” I said, jumping up and down to prove my point.
Everett only laughed and said, “Feel your chin.”
Doing so, I shrugged. “There’s nothing there.” Everett smiled, patiently waiting for it to dawn on me. “There’s nothing there!” I couldn’t believe the scab from sledding the sidewalk on my face was gone.
“One of Alethia’s rules is supernatural healing. And gravity — at least as you know it — doesn’t exist there.” With that, Everett kicked off the ledge, leaping backwards into the darkness.
I screamed, instinctually reaching out for him.
But he didn’t fall. I couldn’t believe my eyes. He floated in mid-air in a sudden burst of blue light streaming from the bottom of the abyss. I cautiously approached the edge of the ledge, looking for some sort of hidden netting or footing.
“There’s nothing there,” Everett said nonchalantly, like he floated in mid-air all the time. “But it’s okay. I won’t fall. You can trust Dio and you can trust the rules of Alethia.” He reached out for me. “You’re next.”
“No way,” I said, backing away from the edge.
“If you won’t, then I will,” Mia said, already running.
With a majestic leap, she flew into the air, held in place by nothing. As she did, pink light burst forth, mixing in with the blue like the aurora borealis.
“Wow! It’s beautiful,” she breathed, taking in how the two lights danced off the crystal formations now visible on the rock walls.
“This isn’t happening,” I whispered, shaking my head.
The floating snow tunnel and hearing voices in the wind were one thing. But this. There were simply no words for it. I’d never seen anything more beautiful in all my life.
“Come on, Sophie. Take a leap of faith,” Everett vexed.
“Very funny.”
“Just take my hand.”
I glared at him and, careful to keep my hands to myself, peered over the ledge again. I was confused as I was unable to find the source of the light or the bottom of the cavern.
“Don’t think. No matter how much you try to make sense of this, it won’t compute. You’ve been raised to believe certain truths, like that gravity makes everything fall, but Dio’s ways are different from ours, meaning some of his rules simply don’t make sense,” Everett said, still reaching out. “Like with all things in life, you have to listen for Dio’s voice and jump when he tells you to, having faith he knows what he’s doing and that he has your best intentions at heart, as only he can see the bigger picture.”
With a hesitant sigh, I shut my eyes and concentrated. The more I focused on the warm feeling, the more it welled up inside of me, increasing and growing heavier by the minute until the air felt thick in my nose. I let it soak me through; hardly able to breathe as it filled my lungs with its heavy air, permeating every dark thought and fear. I sensed it was healing me, filling in holes that had once been there, and soon felt light as a feather — held down only by the weight of this intense feeling. And then, when I thought the weight was more than I could bear — about to crush me to pieces — the voice from the snowy field came back to me, whispering just one word in its lyrical way.
“Jump!”
Without another thought, I ran and jumped before my fear caught up with me, again feeling Everett’s arms embrace me. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Purple light joined the dance of blue and pink and I felt myself relax, marveling at how secure I felt.
“I’m not falling,” I mused.
Everett laughed. “No, you’re not falling.”
Looking up into his eyes, I realized how close our faces were. We both froze and for the second time today, I felt the undeniable heat emanating between us and longed for him to kiss me. Against the wash of breathtaking colors, the prisms emanating from the walls and the deeply therapeutic feeling within me, there had never been a more perfect time. Besides, I loved Everett. I gasped at the revelation. I hadn’t known exactly what the feeling was before, but in this place, I had exceptional clarity.
“Whoo-hoo!” Mia’s voice was far away, close, and then far off again. A gust of wind swished past us as her voice faded away. Everett and I looked around, searching for her. She flew in fast circles around the metal railing’s edge. “Come on!” she cheered, her voice growing louder as she gained on us. “This is great!”
Everett pushed away from me, grabbing my hand. I stared in awe at my dangling legs before looking into his excited face again.
He smiled, saying, “Let’s fly!”
Chapter 33
The Beginning
“That’s exhilarating!” I gushed.
Everett collapsed next to me on the floor of the small cave high above the metal railing. “Flying tends to be,” he laughed.
It wasn’t until I’d caught my breath that I noticed the stunning beauty around me. Rays from the look-alike aurora borealis sent jewel-toned sprays of light ricocheting off the gems and crystals lining the cave’s ceiling and walls.
“It’s beautiful here,” I breathed, admiring the glittering rainbow of colors.
“Yeah, this is really something else,” Everett replied, reclining beside me, his arms folded behind his head. “Dio does good work, huh?”
“Yes!” I smiled at him. “What sorts of things has Divaldo created?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope. Dio is the one and only Creator. In fact, he created Divaldo.”
I gasped. “Really?”
“Divaldo is simply a copy-cat-wannabe when it comes to creativity. But he does a heck of a job counterfeiting Dio’s ideas.”
“What’s the story between Dio and Divaldo?”
Everett laughed. “Where to even begin?”
“At the beginning.”
“Okay,” Everett said, realizing I was serious. He rolled on his side to face me. “I already told you Dio created Alethia, right?” I nodded. “Well, after creating it, he created beings to live there, which we know as Alethians or angels. It was — and remains to be — a perfect society. Regardless of his power, Dio is a kind, just, and wise ruler with great integrity. The same then, Dio was good to the Alethians and greatly loved them, and in return, his people loved and respected him.”
“So far, so good,” I nodded.
“Well, one of Dio’s creations was Divaldo, known then only as Lucian, and he was special — supreme above all other Alethians and second only to Dio. Lucian was a stunningly beautiful and charming being who was popular with the Alethians. He had great favor with Dio as well, who loved him like a son. Lucian thrived for some time because of the favor and great knowledge Dio bestowed upon him, but eventually, his divine wisdom and good standing with the Creator went to his head, causing him to believe he knew better than Dio.”
“And pride was born — the conflict of the story. I was waiting for it,” I said.
Everett nodded. “Dio had given Lucian a will, and he turned that will against the Creator, making the grave mistake of thinking he could do things better on his own. He resented Dio, which soon grew into something worse, causing Lucian to despise Dio’s control and reign altogether. The condition of his heart bred darkness, and his judgment was clouded with selfish intentions. Lucian’s love for the Creator soured and, figuring he could be like the Creator — or even better — he plotted a mutiny.”
“Wow! That’s pretty ballsy.”
“Yeah, it was a dark time. Through Lucian, pride, greed and envy were born. His allegiance no longer to Dio, he was ruled by his own hatred. As the evil in his heart took root and grew, so did his obsession with gaining power, and he planted malicious rumors and lies in the hearts and minds of anyone who would listen to discredit Dio. Due to his position, the other angels trusted him, so many believed him and were deceived. One by one, other angels also turned their wills away from the Creator, pledging their allegiance solely to Lucian.”
“It makes sense that Hagen works for Divaldo,” I thought aloud. “It sounds like you’re describing him: the lying, gossiping, pride, and maliciousness.”
“Hagen just follows the model,” Everett shrugged.
“But back to the story,” I insisted, intrigued. “What happened next?”
“Well, it’s important to know that the Alethians are sensitive beings: highly perceptive and intuitive, but also easily overstimulated due to their heightened awareness, something only remedied by the peace and refreshment Dio’s power and presence provides. Lucian’s darkness unbalanced his sensitive followers, rooting, growing, and festering inside them, then manifesting outwardly as well. Their delicate spirits not designed to withstand such evil, the darkness painfully mutilated and disfigured the once beautiful angels. Failing to see it was simply consequence of turning away from the Creator, Lucian’s followers blamed Dio, crying out for war.”
“How could Dio not know what was going on?” I asked, astounded.
“He did.”
“Then how could he allow it to happen? Why didn’t he destroy Lucian and his followers, stopping evil once and for all?”
“Because they were his creations, Sophie,” Everett answered. “Like a mother loves her child, they were born from him, and he deeply loved them. Each being was a unique vision he’d conceived, stitched together by his very hands and fueled by his breath of life. Because of this love, Dio allows his followers a will and a choice. He wasn’t in the dark. He knew what Lucian and his followers were up to, but withheld judgment, giving them a chance to realize their misdeeds and mend their ways.
“When I think about it, Dio’s reaction showed his true character and integrity more than anything. He wasn’t angry but heartbroken that his creations had turned against him, and more so, that they’d been so ruthlessly tortured and deceived into being ruled like Lucian’s puppets. So in an attempt to prevent war and further destruction of any of his beloved creations, Dio summoned Lucian, knowing truth could set him and his followers free of the dark bondage they’d succumbed to.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to make sense of things. “I understand why Dio didn’t want to hurt Lucian’s followers. But at least kill off Lucian, the heart of the problem. Why give him a second chance?”
“I don’t know. Like I said before, Dio’s ways are different from our ways, and things he does don’t always make sense to us. It’s a double-edged sword as it can be frustrating not to be able to figure him and his ways out, but also something to be thankful for. I mean, who would want to serve a master you could figure out and whose thinking wasn’t higher and more complex than your own?
“Many of Dio’s characteristics boggle us humans, like his strength to not let things anger him easily and to readily forgive even the most outrageous grievances. He also has the ability to remain untainted by evil, allowing him to act out of graciousness, compassion, and love, instead of the hatred or pride we humans are so easily entangled by.”
“In other words, some things about Dio remain unexplainable because our minds don’t have the capacity to fully fathom him or his ways.”
“Exactly!” Everett nodded.
“Did Lucian come to see Dio?” I asked.
“Yes, and Dio told Lucian of his great love for his people, including the ones who’d turned their hearts against him, before listening to Lucian’s side of the matter. Dio then explained to Lucian that he still loved him, but warned that he was on a path of destruction. Dio gave Lucian a choice, offering him and his followers forgiveness and healing from the evil inside them if they changed their ways and retracted the call to war.”
“And Lucian obviously didn’t because he’s still at war with Dio,” I said.
Everett nodded. “Lucian was stunned by Dio’s approach. He was so desensitized by the lies he’d told himself and others that he’d forgotten Dio’s ways, expecting Dio to be upset by his betrayal, attempt to kill him, or, at the very least, threaten him.”
“He expected Dio to react as he would have,” I observed.
“Yes, but regardless of the love and mercy Dio granted Lucian, his heart was hard and he merely saw Dio’s reaction as weakness. He refused Dio’s offer, swearing to call war down upon Alethia, its inhabitants, and even Dio’s future creations. Anything reminding him of the Creator, he’d hate and destroy.”
“So prideful!” I shook my head in disgust.
“It gets worse. Lucian hurled insults and jeered at Dio for loving his people, calling him a weak, pathetic leader whose followers revered and obeyed him because they were forced to. Lucian thought he had gotten the best of Dio, but he had sorely underestimated his opponent, forgetting how all-powerful the Creator truly was and is.
“Dio explained to Lucian how he loved his creations so much that he allowed them a choice of whether or not to serve him, and that his angels loved him of free will — because they respected his compassion and trusted his intentions for them. Since he still did not want war and Lucian had rejected a second chance, Dio figured out a solution. Dio had created Alethia in all of its beauty and perfection, handcrafting each being that resided there, including Lucian and his followers. He would do it again, creating another world where Lucian would have fair chance to rule as he saw fit.”
“And, of course, greedy for power, Lucian readily accepted,” I deduced.
“Yup. Lucian jumped at the chance to rule a kingdom all his own, but no sooner had Dio created Earth for him than Lucian had ruined it. Dio left Lucian to his own devices, but, the embodiment of Truth, Light, an
d Love, Dio is unable to stand for lies, darkness, hatred, or fear, so it was only a matter of time before Dio’s anger burned against Lucian and the dark, evil kingdom he built.
“Like light obliterates darkness in a physical sense, so it does in the spiritual sense. Dio struck Earth with his Light and glory, consequently casting Lucian and his followers out of it and leaving Earth decimated — a dark hole in the galaxy.” Everett leaned in, adding, “Some say this explains the extinction of dinosaurs.”
“Wow!” I gasped. “But that’s not the end because we’re on Earth now.”
“You’re right. It wasn’t until much later that Dio decided to repurpose Earth for his glory. He redeemed this once desolate place, bringing about light and land and animals. Dio then created humans, the first creations designed in his image, to rule the new Earth. His trust in humans to own and control this new world again revealed his true character, further exhibiting his love for his creations.”
“I bet this upset Divaldo,” I laughed.
“Of course it did. Once again, if anything, Divaldo is prideful. He and his followers had been roaming the galaxy homeless for what seemed like an eternity, and now, Dio was reclaiming the world that once housed his kingdom. This offended his pride, and the message of Dio’s love was again lost on him. Divaldo set about ruining man, this disgusting Dio-shaped creature, vowing to regain dominion of Earth in the process.”
“And did he?”
“It’s the current struggle we are part of today. Time and again, Divaldo has managed to stumble us humans along the way, so Earth isn’t the way Dio originally intended as our failures have opened doors for Divaldo’s darkness to infiltrate, but the war is still being waged. Humans are still given a choice of who they want to follow: Dio or Lucian Divaldo.”
“What is the state of the battle today?”