The Whispers of the Fallen

by J. D. Netto

  “Sort of like you, right?” I said.

  “I will get there…trust me,” he said. “The humans kept on spreading throughout this earth, having children, grandchildren, and started civilizations. Until one day one of their daughters was roaming around alone—she was young and curious. The Fallen Stars kept their eyes on creation, looking for any gaps that would allow them to infiltrate it and damage it in any way. Mordred, one of the Fallen Stars, entered Elysium through the Gates of the Fourth Dimension. The girl found him as she walked about, lying on the forest floor. His clothes were ragged and old, his eyes were red, and he seemed weak. The girl took him to her village and there, they offered him help and shelter. No human would have ever thought of the darkness that was to come about. As time passed by, he and the girl grew fond of each other…”

  His face grew sorrowful as agony flowed from his voice.

  “Mordred seduced the young girl with his charm and beauty and lay with her.”

  I was shocked. His eyes showed such agony and hate that I was feeling remorse by asking him all these questions.

  “Um…you can stop if you want to, Devin. I didn’t mean…”

  “It’s alright,” he said. “You will have to know this sooner or later. Let’s take advantage right now that we are alone and it is calm. The future holds much war and perilous journeys for all the inhabitants of this place.” He bowed his head and breathed in deeply. “As soon as the act was over, Mordred disappeared right before her eyes. She stood still, trying to comprehend what had just happened. A few moments later, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. As she laid her hands over it, she noticed her stomach had grown in a short amount of time and she felt something kicking inside.”

  “She was pregnant?” I was pretty sure he could see how surprised and awestruck I was. I could not fully grasp the disturbing idea of a young girl getting pregnant and seeing body changes in such a short amount of time.

  “Well…yes, she was. Then, all around the village, Whispering Lights appeared.”

  “Whispering Lights?” I asked.

  “Small lights that can enter the brain and cause great distress. They are usually sent out by a Fallen Star. They have rhythms of their own. It is said that they sounded like drums beating in perfect harmony.”

  I gasped.

  “As the sounds grew louder, the screams also echoed. Other Fallen Stars invaded the village and for the very first time, humans were murdered. She also noticed how strong her body was becoming, how her senses grew keener, her heart was beating faster. She was becoming one of my kind—a Nephilin.”

  “So they were no longer immortals after what happened?” I asked.

  “Only those chosen to guard the book remained immortal, along with the young girl. They all lost this privilege because of one that fell. The Fallen Stars wanted the Diary so they could discover the words their lord had written. But they were not able to find it. They left proclaiming that one day they would strike Elysium with all their might and would relentlessly search for the book. But the Diary can only be unlocked by one of those that descend from the Council. Only through blood can it be opened.”

  “What was the book’s location before it ended up here in Agalmath?” I asked, burning with curiosity.

  “The Council kept the Diary hidden away; they were wiser than many since they had been appointed to protect the Diary.”

  “Was this the only book Lucifer wrote?” I asked curiously.

  “Many are the rumors that other books were written by Lucifer, only these books were never found,” he replied.

  “Wait…wait…wait…how do my parents come into play?”

  “After these happenings, darkness was able to enter Elysium. Starting with the baby that young girl was carrying inside of her…she carried my kind.” His voice broke at the saying of the last word. I could feel that he resented being whatever he was.

  “What are you?” I asked.

  “I am a Nephilin, the cross between human and Stars. That’s what the young girl became after she had lain with the Fallen Star.”

  We were both silent for a while, then he continued.

  “As time went by, other Fallen Stars slept with humans, causing them to give birth to my kind. Years passed, tales became legends, legends faded into fables and humanity forgot the Creator and where they had come from. Nephilins remained hidden in the shadows as humans populated the world. As humanity thrived, many were the men that were drunk with the idea of power.”

  “The Diary remained hidden throughout all this time?” I asked.

  “Yes…the Council faithfully kept it hidden away in Justicia. Until one day the Fallen Stars commenced an attack on the small villages of Elysium, murdering many innocent men and women. They started an army that no human could stop with mere weapons. These humans became something called Shadows. You see, the darkness had so deeply infiltrated into Elysium that humankind lost all the knowledge about the Creator. When one dies without knowing light and darkness they cannot cross over to Tristar, so they become Shadows—insane, uncontrollable souls, with an unexplainable urge to kill anything that stands in their path. They do not have a mind of their own and are controlled by the Fallen Stars.”

  “What do they look like?” I asked.

  “They still resemble humans but they are deformed. Their eyes are bright gold, and their skin colorless. They move like wild animals when hunting,” Devin said with eyes fixed on the road.

  Devin sighed. I was immobile, my breathing faltered. All this information overwhelmed me.

  “I thought you wanted to know where your parents come into play…”

  “Yes…what happened?” I was so appalled at the story Devin was sharing that I found it hard to have any reaction whatsoever.

  “Eighteen years ago the Fallen Stars found the hiding place of the Diary. During the perilous battle between the Fallen and the Council, your parents, Diane and Dustin Khan, along with Paul and Lune Aliward were able to escape with the book. They made their way to Agalmath and there they settled down, keeping the Diary hidden in a place no one would ever suspect.”

  I nodded slowly as I looked at the sky. Heavy drops of rain hit us with force once again.

  “How did you know where we were?” I asked.

  “The Council has been watching both of your families for a while. The Fallen Stars will come after you both, especially Demetre. We knew that when you reached your state of maturity they would no longer wait to attack. You both were the ticking of the clock. As soon as you both turned eighteen, the war started.”

  It had finally hit me. We were the reason for their coming.

  “Why us? What is so special about us?” This was the sort of question where you knew you would not get a pleasant response.

  “Your parents were part of the Council. Many say that you two are the only direct blood descendants. Rumor is that the only way for the Diary to be opened is if both of you choose to shed your blood for it. But they had to wait eighteen years until your blood matured.”

  I was looking back at the carriage and through the small window behind me I saw Demetre lying down. He was still unconscious. Due to the lack of pigment on his skin, I could tell he was weak. Just a couple of hours ago we were both ordinary kids that had to work with our parents to earn our living. I felt the weight of the situation.

  “Are things going to get better, Devin?” I asked, looking at the trees ahead.

  “Not for a while, I’m afraid, Isaac.”

  I sighed. My heart pounded in my chest.

  “I’m going to go inside the carriage and rest a bit. I feel tired. Will you be alright?” I asked reluctantly, knowing that he might also be exhausted.

  Devin chuckled.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. Go rest. I will wake you up when we get to the borderline.”

  I was clueless on what he meant when he said borderline, but I was losing the battle against my eyelids and their urge to close. I lay down and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come to me
. It wasn’t long until I heard Devin humming a very mellow tune as the sound of a soft breeze blew against the carriage window.

  III

  I saw a young girl, eyes as blue as the midday sky, hair as golden as the sun. She was clothed in a fine red dress, standing against a white wall. She brought me great fear. Somehow I could sense she was one of the immortals: a Nephilin. She slowly walked toward me with a piercing gaze. My body shivered with every step. I heard whispering voices as she approached. She laid her right hand on my shoulder.

  “Isaac…Isaac…can you hear me?” I woke up with what appeared to be Demetre calling me.

  I leaped up quickly. “Demetre! You are finally awake. How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain?”

  Demetre looked out the window.

  “I am fine,” he replied in a tremulous voice. “Where are we? Is…is this your father’s carriage?”

  “Do you remember anything?” I asked.

  He paused for a minute. I could tell he was deep in thought, trying to remember any of the incidents of today.

  “The rider…my chest…Isaac, what happened to that rider in the fields? Our parents…what happened?”

  Patiently, I explained to Demetre all the events that had preceded us until now. By the look on his face, fear was overtaking him with every word I spoke.

  “Are our parents really dead?” Demetre asked with fearful eyes.

  I shivered at the question. “I’m honestly not sure. I’m not sure about anything right now,” I replied sincerely.

  “Are you sure this Devin is trustworthy?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “We have no choice as of right now but to trust him. He has been right so far about everything, and the story he told…the events he spoke of, they make sense.”

  “So the Diary is in our possession?” he asked.

  “It has been for eighteen years but our parents never mentioned it to us. They wanted us to not have any part in this.”

  We came to an abrupt stop. I immediately opened the door of the carriage and both Demetre and I walked out. I saw Devin standing next to the horse, looking out at the woods.

  “Nice to see you are doing well. Isaac was worried,” he spoke with eyes firmly gazing at the woods ahead.

  “What are you looking for, Devin?” I asked him as my eyes scanned my surroundings.

  “We are being followed. A while ago something picked up our trail. I can feel them,” he affirmed; his eyes never swayed away from the trees.

  “Who picked up our trail? What is going on?” Demetre sounded desperate. Abruptly he placed both of his hands on his knees and bent down, hurling violently.

  “Are you alright?” I asked. He was taking big breaths.

  “I am feeling weak. I feel as if I haven’t eaten for days,” he managed to reply, despite the hurls.

  As I turned to Devin, I saw a dark shape standing in a tree right on the other side. I blinked and then the dark shape had disappeared. For a moment I thought it could’ve been the tiredness of my mind, but then I looked again, and I saw the dark shape standing, this time in another tree.

  “Devin, right there!” I pointed but the dark shape was gone.

  “Demetre, you should probably head back to the carriage,” I instructed.

  “It is useless. They have found us. Be calm and no sudden moves,” Devin whispered.

  Right above us on the tree branches stood three dark shapes. My stomach dropped, and I couldn’t breathe. They were so close that when I looked up, I could see the creatures much more clearly. They were eerily humanlike, but the darkness emanating from within them was supernatural. Although they stood upright like humans, their bodies were deformed. Their fingers were crooked and twisted, and their arms dangled lifelessly in front of their bodies. These dark creatures wore nothing but ragged and torn cloth resembling what might have once been proper clothing, and their talon-like feet were bare. The last thing I noticed before catching my breath was their piercing yellow, catlike eyes staring right through me.

  “What are they?” I whispered.

  “Shadows. Stay close,” Devin advised us.

  They acted similar to wild animals when hunting. They were drooling; their body movements were swift and agile. I could clearly see the female and male resemblances in all of them.

  “What do they want?” Demetre mumbled.

  “To devour us—that is the only thing these creatures want,” Devin replied in a breathy voice.

  Then, as I turned my head to look at Demetre, Devin leaped up, took out his sword from his waist and ran toward the woods. Two of the Shadows followed him while one attacked Crystal.

  “Come on. To the woods! Let’s go!” I exclaimed.

  I did not look back as I ran. We escaped deep into the forest without the slightest clue of where we were going. The eerie silence of the forest spiked fear inside of me.

  We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, leaping over fallen trees, navigating through the thick brush, and trampling anything in our path.

  We came across a beautiful torrential river. The bottom of the river was visible even under the cloudy gray skies.

  “We swim across,” I instructed, trying to measure the distance to the other side with my eyes.

  “Across? Do you see how strong this river is? We’ll drown, Isaac,” Demetre insisted, trying to catch his breath.

  Once again the growls echoed around.

  “We don’t have time, Demetre.” I stepped inside the river; the water was up to my waist. Just as I started to take another step I felt something grab my leg and pull me down with a strong force.

  “Isaac!” I heard Demetre’s muffled screams as I was dragged to the bottom of the river. I opened my eyes in the crystal water and I could see the same Shadow from minutes ago. Its eyes glistened under the water. Terrified, I tried to swim back to the surface, but it continued to drag me down. My adrenaline kicked in and I tried pulling myself from its grasp, but it was too strong.

  From behind the Shadow I saw Devin approaching at an amazing speed. He drew his sword and violently pierced the creature in its head. Its body slowly vanished into ashes, which floated like a cloud up to the surface.

  In haste, I made my way back to the surface, gasping for air. Devin leaped up from the water into a tree, while Demetre stood near the riverbank in shock.

  “I told you it was a bad idea…why didn’t you listen?” Demetre said the moment he saw me coming out of the water.

  “Isaac, the Council is not far from here. We must keep on running so we can cross over the borderline,” Devin yelled.

  We ran as fast as we could. Devin went ahead of us, leaping from branch to branch and tree to tree. His agility was mesmerizing; my eyes were hardly able to keep up with him.

  “Stop!” Devin shouted.

  “What is it?” Demetre asked in a loud voice.

  Devin quickly descended from the tree and stood at our side. He looked frightened. He was so still that even his breathing was barely noticeable.

  “There are more, many more coming our way from the clearing up ahead,” Devin said.

  It did not take long for me to get a glimpse of them. Their numbers were probably in the hundreds, all walking in our direction. They came out from the trees, some leaped out from the rocks, others even from the ground. But ahead of them, there was one that appeared to be the leader. He wore a black cloak that extended all the way to the ground.

  “You really thought you had gotten rid of me, didn’t you?” he said. I had not easily forgotten his voice. It was Cyro. My eyes widened. I looked at Devin.

  “Why do you keep protecting them, Devin? What is your gain in all this? You know you were born from one of us. There is no redemption for you,” Cyro calmly spoke.

  “You know there is always a choice, Cyro, even if I am damned regardless.”

  The Shadows growled ferociously. They seemed to be waiting for the simple order to attack. Cyro slowly walked to us. He looked at Demetre and smiled.

  “Pity to
see one so young enduring so much pain.” He laid his hands over him. I was afraid Demetre was going to suffer again. I froze. I saw no action coming from Devin either.

  “I hate to tell you, Devin, but sooner or later your nature will come out.” He smiled. “A wild beast can never be tamed.”

  He walked back to where the Shadows were.

  “I could just release my puppies over you three. It would be such a delight to see them devour and feast on your flesh.” He spoke the last words with such excitement and disturbance, it caused my breathing to falter.

  “Consider this an act of mercy. You may go to wherever you are heading, but know this—we will find you again and take what belongs to us. I know there are people that you must see now. Farewell,” he said with a malefic grin.

  Like the mist, they all disappeared right before our eyes. I was confused. Did we not have what they wanted? Weren’t they after Demetre and me?

  “What just happened?” I asked Devin. There was no reply. “I take it you are as confused as I am?”

  Devin nodded slowly. Judging by the expression on his face, I could tell he was trying to piece everything together.

  “As Cyro spoke to me, I saw…I saw a blond girl. Her eyes were blue…she smiled at me,” Devin grumbled. I felt compelled to tell him about my dream earlier, but not right now. It could not have been the same girl, at least not in a dream.

  “Did she say anything to you?” I asked.

  Devin still seemed awestruck. “No, she never said a word. She only smiled. Interesting that…as I gazed at her, I felt as if every joyful moment I had ever experienced in my life was just about to vanish,” he replied.

  “Who are they?” Demetre asked, looking ahead.

  I looked up and saw four horsemen. They had red capes and were clothed in silver armor that, even without any direct light, shone brightly. I noticed they had brought an extra horse with them. As soon as Devin saw them, he walked in their direction. The four horsemen came down from their horses only a few feet away from us. As I watched from afar, it appeared as if Devin knew these men really well.