by J. D. Netto
I noticed the water growing darker and the sky grayer as the voice spoke.
“I know you are aware of the pain that is to come with this choice. Not only when receiving these powers, but also on your journey ahead, but the pain is necessary.” There was a deeper, mysterious tone to the voice now.
“Know this, I am watching your every move and will be with all of you until the end. Do not let your heart be troubled with the turmoil of the future. Be sure of one thing: the future is already written in the hidden stones of the hearts of those who said ‘yes.’”
The entire scenario around me changed according to the mood of the voice. They were all directly connected, synched as one. “I hope you are ready,” said the Creator.
I inhaled deeply. “Yes. I am,” I replied.
My eyes were shut firmly.
“When you go back to Billyth, they will not have noticed that you have been gone this long—time in the Fourth Dimension is quite different. Go and find the others who will fight next to you. Humanity chose the fall, now it is up to you to redeem and rise.”
“Why me?” I asked with tearful eyes. “What do I have to offer?”
“You had your heart, now you have given it to me. That will be enough.” The voice echoed louder this time.
There was silence. The water dropped in temperature and was slowly rising. I opened my eyes and the sky was no longer beautiful. The fish were no longer swimming, and the mountains were not visible anymore.
The water grew so cold that it felt as though knives were piercing my body. I could not move. I shivered so much that I thought I was about to have a seizure. Not long after, the waters covered me. I tried to swim, to go to the surface, but I couldn’t.
In my head, the pain had once again shadowed the beauty and peace I had just experienced. As my body was being exposed to these conditions, I felt it shutting down. Somehow, in the silence of these waters, my heartbeat was louder than ever. I knew I was dying. Was this the pain Raziel meant? I had to overcome death somehow? Was I supposed to die? Maybe it would be better for me to die here. I agonized, trying so hard to stay alive. Somehow I knew I had to die. Death seemed the right way to go.
So much for feeling immortal in this place. That was my last thought before I felt myself rise away from my body as it sunk to the bottom of this ocean, isolated somewhere in the Fourth Dimension. I hovered over the dark waters, watching all that was happening around my fragile body. To my surprise, the water level lowered. The bottom of the ocean turned white and my garments turned blood red. I did not know how, but I knew I could feel that part of me was still inside that body that now struggled to survive, but another part of me had left it.
I heard loud footsteps approaching. I looked around and saw nothing but the white nothingness that had surrounded me. In the midst of nothing, red smoke formed. But the smoke seemed different. Every move it made was synchronized. The smoke grew wings and paws. Then a mane formed. The red color faded away, revealing white fur. I was astounded at what I saw. A white lion with six wings approached my body. I felt a sudden connection with this creature. His red eyes brought me peace. Flashes of light surrounded his body. The majesty that came from this being was something unheard of. The lion gently approached my body and stood there, looking at me. I wondered what it was going to do. His eyes never stopped staring down at me.
The lion graciously walked around my body; his wings moved in a beautiful manner. The grand mane gently bounced, though no breeze was blowing. The lion stopped. Without hesitating, it attacked, violently biting my neck until blood poured out. The lion held my body in his jaws for a few seconds and then released it. I watched my own body being slaughtered as a burning pain embraced my neck. As the lion saw me bleeding, his red eyes filled with tears. I could hear low sobs coming from him.
The lion bent down and blew something on my face. A mighty wind could be heard. As I looked at the scene, I felt the wind blowing strongly against my body and as it blew, the wounds on my neck closed and my body slowly came back to life. I opened my eyes and noticed I no longer watched the scene but I had returned to my body. I leaped up in the hopes that I could see the lion but he was gone.
“A corrupted body and a corrupted soul need to die so righteousness won’t fall.” I looked to my right and saw Raziel standing next to me. The ocean waters rose once again, all the way to my waist.
“Say goodbye to your old body and to your old man.” In a friendly gesture, he laid his hand on my shoulder. “How do you feel?”
I took in a deep breath. “Better than ever!” I responded happily. “Even though it was quite an experience to watch it all. To see me die…”
“Your soul looks a lot more peaceful now, don’t you agree?” Raziel asked with a grin.
“My…soul?” I asked.
“Your soul was weak and fragile. That soul belonged to a boy, this one belongs to a man,” replied Raziel. “This was the prison of your soul. That is why you were inside that room with me. You were imprisoned, locked from the knowledge of your true destiny. Now that the walls have been brought down, you can walk in freedom. Soon you will realize that you will be able to read people’s thoughts. Your powers will evolve with time. When you go back, it may seem that your body hasn’t changed before ordinary eyes, but you will feel the strength inside of you burning.”
As his wings flapped, the ocean and the beautiful landscape disappeared.
VI
I was back in the throne room once again. Like Raziel mentioned, time hadn’t passed here. The scene once again was visible to me: Athalas bleeding Demetre alongside Nephele, who just glared at him. I looked at Devin and Adawnas, weakness stamped on their faces.
“Will this be enough time to take up on our offer?” Nephele spoke as she dawdled up the stairs. I reached out to touch my face and noticed that my body did not show any external signs of change, but inside I felt as if a fire burned relentlessly.
“Yes, it will,” I boldly replied as my fingers moved impatiently, tapping against my legs.
“Very well! I think I can guess what your decision is, correct?” She clapped her hands in a delightful manner. Athalas swiftly came from behind her, touching her on the shoulder. The moment he extended his hand, I could not help but see that not only his hands but also his garments were covered in blood. I had to compose myself. Even if the pain was immense, somehow I needed to find the strength to not allow this to sink in. “He is dead. The blood has all been poured over the Diary,” said Athalas under heavy breaths.
“We will tend to his body in a minute,” she replied, still keeping her eyes fixed on me.
“So, do you care to tell us your decision?” She smiled anxiously.
I knew there was some sort of strength inside of me, burning. But I had no idea how to use it. I looked around the room. The others all had their heads bowed; all were silent.
“Do you really think you can fool me, Isaac?” Azaziel grunted.
“I am not trying to fool anyone,” I replied, looking at Nephele. “As appealing as this offer may seem, I cannot accept it.”
I could tell the moment I replied, Devin and Adawnas became very apprehensive. Nephele’s eyes slowly changed. Her face twisted up with anger.
“Pity. You would be so useful here,” Nephele replied, touching my face.
She took a couple steps back. “It is a shame you won’t get to see Demetre in his full form.”
I was silent, looking deeply in her eyes. What Raziel had mentioned was coming true. My eyes were able to see inside her mind. I saw her inner thoughts about me; her deep fear of who I was. I supposed they couldn’t read my mind, since none of them had proceeded to do anything against me. She stood motionless, eyes fixed on me. I knew of her abilities to cut off senses and kill others. Pain crawled under my skin. My eyes began hurting, my heartbeat accelerated. I could hear cracks inside of myself, as if she tried to break me inside. Somehow, I did not feel threatened. I was feeling stronger than ever. I could read her soul and mind. Sh
e was becoming frustrated due to her inability to take over me.
The others murmured amongst each other. A sudden ferocious growl surprised us all. Nephele ceased her efforts to kill me and looked back. She frowned as she walked toward Demetre.
“You would have suffered less if you had been killed by me,” she grunted.
Many Nephilin guards jumped onto me, trying to chain me down. There were at least twelve of them on top of me. Out of pure instinct, I was able to push them back using only my mind. Like birds they flew away. A throbbing pain took over my head.
“Surprising!” exclaimed Azaziel. “Yet not good enough.”
“Leave him,” Nephele ordered coldly. “Allow him to get a good glimpse of what is to come.”
She picked up the bloody Diary, looked at it, and tossed it around the room. She then turned to me with a ferocious look.
“He came to you, didn’t he?” she whispered.
“Who did?” I asked, suspicious of what she had discovered.
She slapped me in the face. Rage had stirred inside of her. “Do not toy with me now—the Creator. Did he come to you?”
I did not answer.
“You have become impure…now we must wait for the purity of your blood to be restored.” She seemed distant in thought, probably thinking of ways to lure me into accepting their offer.
“So close…so close,” she mumbled in disappointment. “Never mind! You are no good to us anymore. Now you will have to suffer in the hands of your old friend—or what remains of him, anyway.”
Demetre wriggled around like a fish out of water. He screamed in pain, beating himself on the ground. Red eyes and pale skin appeared. After a while, he stopped moving.
Nephele’s eyes glistened as she contemplated Demetre’s transformation.
“Finally, it is complete,” she whispered with tears in her eyes.
Demetre rapidly stood to his feet. His face still had traces of the Demetre I knew, but he was changed. He stood still for a while, breathing. The room fell into complete silence.
“Corbin…Corbin…can you hear me?” Nephele whispered softly.
He opened his red eyes. I immediately realized he was no longer the friend I knew.
“Oh my love, how do you feel?” Nephele seemed to be hypnotized by him.
“It feels great to be here in flesh and bone once again, Nephele,” he replied in a somber voice. After a brief pause, he continued, “Is the Council still guarding the Fourth Dimension’s entrance?”
“No, my lord…all of the Council members have betrayed the Creator, and have sided along with us,” replied Nephele.
Corbin smiled. “They will be very useful in our hands, won’t they? We must have as many Shadows as possible to be trained in destroying this world.” He looked around, ignoring our presence.
“I suppose these are the innocent Nephilins?” Corbin approached Devin and Adawnas. As he moved, a shadow followed him. His presence carried emptiness—an unexplainable void.
“Why do you deny who you truly are? To know that you went out of your way for the mere hope of being redeemed is quite amusing to me.” He quickened his pace.
“You know that you will be destroyed soon!” Adawnas shouted, keeping her eyes fixed on him.
Corbin laughed. “And you think you won’t? Your bloodline is doomed, Nephilin. You are hopeless. As for me—look at me. I finally have a human host to live in. Do not dare speak as if you are one worthy of redemption.”
In an instant, he raised his hand and slapped Adawnas. She was thrown to the other side of the room, falling on top of the other Nephilins. There was a sudden change on his face—he was infuriated.
“If you were not so insolent, this Diary would have been opened by now. Do you realize that?” Hastily, Devin leaped up and fell on top of Corbin. He took up his sword and tried to wound him. Devin’s agility was no match for Corbin’s.
“It will be a treat to watch you all die by my hands,” Corbin grunted. He effortlessly dodged every move Devin made. There was an urge in my body to attack. This new strength burning inside of me seemed to have its own will of when to come out.
As he dodged and swayed Devin’s attempt to strike, I attacked him. I did not use a sword or a spear. Somehow I was able to use my mind to stop him. I focused all of my attention on him, and he immediately halted. I was not able to detain him for long due to the sharp pain that invaded my head. All the room muttered, not in their minds but with spoken words. It seemed as if I had done something that was too impossible or dangerous to do. Nephele intervened.
“What did you just do, Isaac? Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?” she asked, shouting at the top of her lungs.
Immediately I was able to see what her mind desired. Fear was the only thing that was stopping her from ordering the Nephilins to attack me.
Corbin closed his eyes. Everyone fell silent.
“Azaziel!” Corbin called out. Azaziel hastily went to his aid. “Let us leave Billyth tonight. Allow the bodies that are spread outside to rot—do not bury anyone right now. The Nephilins need to remain hidden for a while, at least until the greater attacks commence. We will deal with this one later.” Corbin looked deep into my eyes.
He nodded. “What do we do with them, my lord?” he asked.
Corbin ignored the question. He grabbed Nephele’s hand. A shadow enveloped them and as fast as a heartbeat, they disappeared.
“Coward!” I yelled. “Where are you off to?”
Did he doubt that I could defeat him? How could he turn away from me in battle? As fast as I could blink, the others also vanished from the room.
I was infuriated.
“Why would he suddenly spare me from this battle? Is he afraid?”
“Be glad that he did, Isaac. Be glad for many things that have happened tonight for they could have been a lot worse,” said Adawnas as she stood to her feet.
“How could it be worse, Adawnas? They have the Diary.” The thought provoked fear.
“They don’t have you, Isaac. You’ve chosen wisely.” She gave me a crooked smile, and then groaned in pain.
I walked to the window to look out at the city. As I looked outside, I understood what they meant by the bodies. They were scattered everywhere, as if they had been strategically placed around the city like special ornaments.
I don’t know where this strength was coming from. Somehow, in some way, I had to overcome the sadness of my loss. All while I gazed at a city populated with corpses. Demetre had always been with me since birth. I did not recall a single significant moment in my life where he wasn’t present. I was always there to protect him from any situation he couldn’t get out of by himself. Now I found him fighting against me.
From the window, the sight I saw could not solely be described by words. My only urge was to desperately go out there and try to find survivors. Since the awakening of these powers, my vision had become clearer, allowing me to see a lot more than before. Seeing those bodies scattered around brought within me a great rage and fury.
“We must look for survivors. We cannot leave without looking around,” I affirmed.
Devin, Adawnas and I started toward the window, broke through the glass and landed right on the street below.
I looked up and saw how incredible the castle looked. A mesmerizing clock tower majestically rose between two colossal columns. The high triangular roofs seemed even taller from the ground. The windows were adorned with ornamented frames.
Near the castle were many houses. Inside each one of them, I saw the bodies of the families who just happened to live in this city, ruled by some sort of underground government.
“So the Nephilins hide underground?” I asked Devin, enraged with what my eyes saw.
“They…um…we used to,” he murmured in a soft, shy voice. “Since the Fallen Stars started to create the army of Shadows, we have remained hidden. Not only underground but also on mountains and in caves.”
I looked at Adawnas and it was clearly visible ho
w much seeing this destruction brought her pain. She quietly looked around at the bodies. She could not mask her overwhelming sorrow.
In one of the houses, we found a child lying on the floor. He had been shot in the chest by many arrows. As I approached him, I felt a sharp pain in my head; my eyes stung immediately. I closed them only to see a vision. I saw Nephele killing with her vile and repulsive gift, along with Azaziel.
“No!” I screamed as soon as the vision vanished.
“What is wrong, Isaac?” Adawnas asked. It took me a while to find reason again.
“I can see what they saw, the last image in their minds before they died,” I explained. My hands shook uncontrollably as Devin approached us.
“Your gifts, they are quickly developing. Still, we must go on.” Devin looked at the bodies, shook his head in a sign of disapproval and left.
We walked out of the house, my heart feeling as heavy as stone. We continued walking along the dark streets of Billyth. Looking around, the thought that I had tried to hide away for a while knocked on my door again. The picture of my father’s and mother’s faces appeared in my mind, only to be destroyed by the terrible truth that they had been killed.
A tear strolled down my face. I was trying to stop it, to not let this thought take over me now, but I was not able to contain it. After the first tear another followed. I was overwhelmed by all the emotions I tried to ignore. The thought of having lost my parents and my best friend was tormenting.
Continuous sobs followed the tears, and soon, I was a wreck. So much went through my mind, all the things I thought I could hide away somewhere in my heart. Devin and Adawnas kept walking ahead of me. They noticed I had stopped, and after a while, they both looked back and walked toward me. None said a single word as they stood by my side. That was good enough for me; their presence alone brought me some comfort.
After I cried and grieved for a while, I was somewhat able to compose myself. I did not mention the reason for my crying; I did not want them to know. Not now.