Legacy of Dolyn

by Amelia Guillem

Shall envelop thy foe

  With the shades of the night!

  The magical ball in my hand grew and exploded. Everything blew in an instant. Not only the soldier bots and the general but the whole facility. The result is a gigantic crater.

  Gwen and the others are forced to observe the scene from high up in the hills. They gasped, thinking I died in the explosion. But Moros shows up holding my unconscious body. Liz and Aster recognized him. “You are...” Moros smiles. “Never mind that. Take her home.”

  After handing me over, they rush to the van for a long ride home. Gwen, Aster, and Liz look after me as I sleep. I can’t wake up for some reason.

  Date: October 6

  Time: Morning

  I’m still asleep. Apparently, they changed my clothes into a long t-shirt. Gasp! Does this mean Aster and Maury saw all of me? Pervs! But I’m asleep, so I suppose that’s okay.

  Anyways, they’re watching the news on the explosion. The report mentions the blast but doesn’t refer me. However, the story did compare this and the event back in March because of the giant crater. “So, there was a similar event in March? I’ll consider it,” Aster said.

  “Is Glen still asleep?” Maury asked.

  “Yeah,” Gwen replied, “but she’s okay. Her heart is beating at a normal rate.”

  “Maybe fatigue?”

  “It could be.”

  The room falls into extended silence.

  “Gwen, the spell she summoned. How in the world does she know it?” Aster breaks the silence with his question. His stare towards Gwen demands an answer.

  “I’ve heard the spell, too. But that spell hasn’t been mentioned by anyone else. What was it, Gwen? How come she knows the chant?” Liz also demands an answer.

  “Guys, let’s wait until tomorrow. We’re too tired from the event last night.” Gwen is hesitant to speak on the matter. Why is she doing this?

  “Makes sense. Might as well leave Glen to rest,” Aster said, getting up to leave my room. Maury follows suit. “It’s best to take a rest. I’ve been in this body for too long, and my host needs to recover. But you better be ready to tell us the truth, Gwen.” Liz exits my room too.

  Gwen breaks down and cries her tears out.

  “What have I done?!”

  Date: October 7

  Time: Afternoon

  I’m still asleep. No matter how much I struggle, I can’t open my eyes. My friends are inside my room, checking me out.

  “I wish she wakes up again,” Maury said.

  “Gwen, you still haven’t answered the question,” Liz said. “Not only that but what about him? What was he doing there and why he carried her?” Aster added.

  “Let me answer that,” said a familiar voice as it teleports into my room. “Mrs. Gwendolyn, it’s about time we tell them. The truth they need to hear.”

  “Who is he?” Maury asked.

  “He is Moros, a god,” Liz replied.

  “It’s been forever since I’ve seen all of you. Of course, you’re all drastically different now.” He shifts towards Gwen. “Mrs. Gwendolyn, we must get ready.” Instead, he sees Gwen on her knees and crying. “I didn’t want her to go through this...”

  He sighs. “The short answer is her powers awaken to that of a certain goddess. She said it herself: ‘mistress of the full moon.’ Hence, a reincarnate of Nyx.”

  “That’s why I was suspicious of her powers. Only a god would be born with them. Now it all makes sense,” Aster acknowledged.

  “So, she wasn’t another sorceress but a goddess all this time,” Liz admitted. Maury is speechless. He is at lost for words due to this revelation.

  “Since her death, Gwen and I traveled time and space looking for potential candidates. We never had success, but we ran into many false positives. Her spirit possessed one toy after another in hopes of finding the one candidate.

  Then three years ago, we found Glen and witnessed her powers. Since forth, Gwen observed her day and night. We would meet every month to discuss our progress. I wasn’t keen at first since she could’ve been another powerful sorceress. Yet, I remained. I observed her daily living as much as Gwen did.”

  “When I found her, I was going to use her to accomplish my mission.” Gwen choked through her tears. “But I got to know her as a person, and I got hesitant. It’s such a shame because I had this to show her too.” Moros pulls out a large tome from his briefcase. It’s wholly intact. “It’s my Book of Spells. I wrote it to give her. It’s simply a journal of my adventures with the complete list of spells at the end of the book.” Moros places the book on the table.

  “Okay, Gwen, why go through this?” Liz asked. Aster also waits for an answer.

  “The God of Darkness. He revived.”

  “The God of Darkness?! How is that possible? You defeated him, did you?!” Aster shouted.

  “Yes, I did!”

  “Then why?” Liz demanded.

  Gwen sighs. “Because he cursed me before he died! I killed him, but I ended up dead because of the spell. Since we were in the Underworld, he revived me but placed a curse. He warned the curse would pass on to my descendants. I couldn’t rest in peace knowing this. That’s why I had Moros help me.”

  The silence is unbearable. But that’s nothing compared to what Gwen would say next. She can’t bear the silence and the guilt no longer. She must confess.

  “Everything that happened to her and his revival... is all because of me! I wanted power so bad that I risked the entire world just to get it.”

  “What happened that day, Gwen? How did you obtain the power you wanted?” Liz asked.

  “While you and Laurice were setting up the food, I chased a white butterfly. I wanted to ignore, but it urged me to follow it. I followed the butterfly into a shrine that held a box along with a seal. Seemed forbidden but I opened anyway, and all sorts of evil flew out. When monsters showed up, my magic became more powerful. I assumed it was because of the box. But deep down, I knew I screwed the world. That’s why our world went through an ice age and the reason we went to the Underworld.”

  “Gwen, how could you?!” Liz cried.

  “I was weak, okay?”

  “That’s not an excuse!! Did you have any idea of the suffering we went through because of your goddamn ego?! You had the gall to hide your secret from us and even die with it! How many lives were sacrificed because of you?!” Liz begins to sob. “You’re a coward, Gwen. A horrible, selfish coward!” Liz storms out of the room. Aster and Maury quietly leave.

  Gwen remains alone with Moros, crying.

  Date: October 8

  Time: Afternoon

  I’m still asleep once again. Geez! When will I wake up? I think I’m starting to regain conscious a bit. Gwen takes a nap next to me.

  Maury, Aster, and Liz are sitting in the living room. They remain silent as they’re still worried about me. Maury breaks off by asking a question. “Do you know anything about Nyx?”

  “To be honest, no,” Liz replied. “I only knew of Nyx by name and not the myth itself.”

  “I don’t know anything either. But keep in mind we didn’t have the resources you have. We simply did whatever our instincts told us. Survival was our top priority,” Aster said, then shifts toward Maury. “What are you doing?”

  “Oh, I’m looking up on Nyx,” he said, looking down on his smartphone. “There’s not too much info.”

  “Choose whatever’s relevant,” Aster egged.

  “There’s one: Nyx is the Goddess of the Night. She is the daughter of Chaos, the source of all creation. She was tasked to rule humanity along with her brother, Erebus, God of Darkness.”

  Aster and Liz gasped.

  “The myths vary,” Maury continues, “but one story tells Nyx favored humans over the gods. She assisted by giving them light to grow food among other aids. Erebus wasn’t pleased, and they waged war against themselves. Nyx finally killed Erebus, and she carried his body to the Underworld. Even from there, Erebus tries to eradicate humanity through his hatred
.”

  “So sad. Brother and sister fighting for their beliefs,” Liz mumbled.

  “The Erebus on the website and the one we saw are the exact same. There’s no mistake. If what Gwen said is true, then it is possible he may attack anytime,” Aster concluded.

  “How do you know? There’s no picture of him here,” Maury said, pointing out the website.

  “We’ve seen him. He was a giant pitched-black monster with sapphire eyes. Even chained, he was powerful to knock us down,” Liz said.

  “The Underworld is the land of the dead, right? So, how you were able to travel there?”

  “We needed a ‘referral’ from the gods. That’s when Moros helped us out.”

  “His name appears here. Wait? He’s the son of Nyx?!” reacted Maury in shock.

  “Let me see,” Aster paused. “It says Nyx mothered many children. I recognize some names here. I think I fought one of them.”

  “I think I did too, but I forgot who,” Liz added.

  “How hard was it traversing through Hell?”

  “Very hard. Nine levels plus valleys and spheres. It wasn’t fun. We were forced to separate and travel in pairs. Liz and I traveled to one end. Gwen and Laurice on another. But we got together when we arrived at the center.”

  “Do you think we would have to travel there to fight him?” Maury inquired.

  “Oh, I hate to think that,” Liz whined.

  “I don’t know...” Aster sounded unsure.

  “Whatever the case, we must be prepared,” Gwen said as she exits my room. “But it shouldn’t be difficult this time. The problem is getting her to admit her status as a goddess.”

  “You don’t know when he’ll attack again?”

  “No, and neither does Moros. There is no way to tell unless there’s an ice age. I’m sorry.” The agony continues to grow every second.

  Date: October 9

  Time: Morning

  I’m finally awake. I opened my eyes, and I see Gwen next to me. Gwen wakes up too. “You’re awake!” she whispered. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay.” I stroke her gently. Her fur is so soft. She has tears in her eyes, and I wipe them off with my finger. “Gwen, why did you hide your secret?” I uttered.

  Her eyes widen.

  “You knew I was born a goddess. And now this God of Darkness has wakened, I’m going to fight him and die? Right? That’s what’s going to happen to me?!” I shiver with anxiety.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve overheard. Why do you do this to me? I trusted you. You’re the one who told me to trust you: to tell you anything that bothers me. I’ve done so until now. You refused to tell me, and now this comes up!” I started to choke. “This is worse than the bite you gave me. Get out!”

  “Glen, I...”

  “Get out!” I raised.

  “Yes, but read my Book of Spells,” she begged.

  “Don’t tell them to come in. I don’t want to see anyone right now. I want to be alone.”

  Gwen leaves my room in tears. The others take as a sign of me being awake, but Gwen urges not to go in for the time being. They get the hint.

  Maybe I was harsh on Gwen. But I can’t forgive her for keeping this secret. I got up from my bed to do some stretches. Next, I walk towards my desk to pick up this Book of Spells. It’s not like I wanted to pick up the book. I sought to look at it. I glanced at the photo frame of a selfie I took with her. I put it down.

  I turn back to my bed to read the book. Starting from the first page, she narrates how she began her travels. The story of how she met her future husband, Laurice, is mentioned. I got hooked for some reason, and I keep reading.

  Shortly after meeting him, she got her first job as a bodyguard for a wealthy client. But something went wrong, and the client was killed. She fell into a deep depression. Tears dwell my eyes. Is this empathy?

  She met Liz, a princess, in her 3rd year and the two became close friends. One day, she chased a butterfly that leads her to a shrine with a sealed box. She opened it, and evil spirits were set loose. Yet, her powers received a significant boost.

  On her 4th year, she met Aster, known back as Sartre. He was the son of medical experts. She received an invitation to compete in the so-called Babylon Games. Her friends also competed there. They were 1-on-1 fights to the death. Wow! Who knew?

  Then in her 5th year, Gwen traveled to the Underworld to prevent the God of Darkness from freezing the world. She used the forbidden spell to kill him but ended up dead. He used his last strength to revive her but cursed her as punishment. The curse was stamped on her arm as a black tattoo. Because she didn’t want to worry her friends, she decided to end her travels and settle with Laurice.

  The curse caused constant pain and persisted in her old age. It would pass on to her descendants who will become potential vessels for Nyx. But this will also cause the god to revive. When this happens, the world will enter another ice age. Thus, the world would end.

  Not only I’m a reincarnate of Nyx but Gwen’s descendant? No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The end of the book shows a complete list of spells. 50 of them. Each listed by category, level, and element. My eyes widen when I see the chant of the magic I summoned, the Night Shade. Is this made up? Has any sorcerer done this?

  “I see you read it,” Moros said. He teleports into my room. “You seem to understand what’s expected of you. You’re NOT a simple sorceress. You’re the key to this world’s salvation. But I understand you need to live your life. How you’ll live is up to you. Do remind this: I’ll always have your back. Simply ask, and I’ll assist you.”

  “Thank you, Moros. I understand now.” I braced Gwen’s book as I burst out of my room. The others are surprised to see me standing.

  “Gwen!” I drop to my knees while gripping the book. “I’m sorry for saying cruel things. I understand now! I want to help!”

  “You don’t have to, Glen—”

  “No! This is my destiny. I will see this to the end. I will succeed in the legacy you left for me.” Gwen jumps into my arms. I hug her as I stand up. “But I’m not doing this alone. I realize that I have friends who genuinely care for me. We will succeed in saving this world together!”

  Maury is the first to rush to hug me. The other two observe with a smile. Maury escorts me to the sofa. “How are you doing, Glen?” he asked.

  “I’m feeling great!” I replied.

  “Awesome!” Maury nicely pats my head.

  “You’re a goddess now. Think you can bear it?” Aster asked, with a hint of concern.

  “As long as you guys are here.”

  “Don’t worry. You have my support as well. Aster and Mr. Maury explained everything to me. I wanted to save you. That’s why I had my uncle, a police chief, help us,” gal said to me.

  “I never expected this from you...” I shiver.

  “I understand how you feel, Glen. I know what is like to have a spirit inside you. Liz and I are one. Just as you and Nyx are one.”

  “I’m sorry for being nasty to you.”

  “Want us to be friends?" she asked, holding my hand. Her eye contact reminds me of Liz.

  “Agnes...” My face flushed, my hand grips hers.

  “You said my name,” she whispered.

  The two of us weep and hug. Agnes... Agnes is my new friend. I’m so grateful for her doing this for me. She risked her life. That I’ll never forget. Good karma paid my efforts.

  “Hey, guys! Want a group hug and a selfie? We’re a team now! We gotta celebrate our victory! Hold on! Let me get my smartphone!” I shouted as I rush back to my room. Taking a picture of my new friends makes me so excited! After grabbing the thing, I run back to the sofa. We didn’t waste time posing for the picture.

  The picture becomes part of my phone’s wallpaper. I sent it to my friends so they can have it too. We like to think it as our good luck charm.

  We spend the rest of the day chatting many topics. Gwen, Liz, and Aster speak actively of their adven
tures and battles. We went over Gwen’s book as well. Maury and I learned so many things not published in history books.

  And we will eat dinner tonight.

  Oh yeah, we’ll drink too!

  Date: October 24

  Time: Afternoon

  I haven’t been entirely recovered. I’m okay on a physical level. It’s my state of mind that’s still messed up. Me, a goddess of all people? Seriously?

  I’m sitting on the sofa with Maury and Gwen, who’s in her cat form. Maury has been stroking her for hours. She gives out these cute purrs when she rubs her head against him. I enjoy seeing them together. It makes me happy.

  “By the way,” Maury speaks up, “can I ask you something? What happened three years ago? I learned from Agnes’ uncle that a guy you dated was set on fire and died.”

  So, it has come to this, huh? My story from back then is public knowledge so I wouldn’t be surprised he knows. I’m going to have to tell my story sooner or later to them. They have the right to know since they saved me.

  But Maury and Gwen are the only ones here. This means I’ll have to repeat when Aster and Agnes return from their shopping. I move closer to Maury, who wraps his arm without saying a word. It’s his way of reassuring me.

  I take a deep breath and narrate my story as both listen.

  Date: unknown

  Time: unknown

  The story began when I was 18, months after I became a roommate to an acquaintance. She had a friend who threw a birthday party at her parents’ mansion.

  We were invited, of course.

  It was a rowdy birthday party. But I wasn’t the party girl I am now. I was the reserved, shy one. A young and tall handsome man sits next to me with a drink in hand. He introduced himself as I did. (At least he didn’t joke about my name.) I’ve learned he was the 20-year old son of a billionaire. My interest piqued and we spent the party talking about ourselves. We exchanged numbers after the event ended.

  I received a text from him a few weeks later for a private date he reserved at a restaurant. My heart pounded with excitement. We met and spent talking for hours.

  He took me to a hotel afterward. Why a hotel? I thought he was bringing me home. Anyway, he tried to get his way with me. He said I was like his fiancé. That’s when it shocked me: he was engaged! He was committed to a daughter of a politician. They knew as kids, but he never liked her to be his wife. If he was going to marry, he expected his wife to be “adventurous.” I lectured which made him upset and dragged me home. I thought it was over between us.