In stark contrast to the moments prior, the room had fallen silent. Test closed his eyes, still able to see the silhouettes of Jenz and Nicole as they had hung in Isaac’s grasp, and fought the urge to fold up on the ground from the emotional pain. He swallowed forcefully, knowing that there would be a time for mourning. The time for retribution was now. Test opened his eyes and looked upon Isaac with a hatred that he’d not thought himself possible of harboring.
With Ikuhabe standing beside him, Isaac met Test’s gaze and then allowed his energy to fade while closing his eyes and inhaling deeply; relishing in the outcome of his actions.
Test stood, rekindling the fire within and could suddenly see a cluster of shadowy figures approaching Iku from behind. He glanced to his right, to the young pair who still held Prim and Lauren firmly in place.
“Now,” stated Isaac as he opened his eyes and relaxed his posture. “Whatever will you do?”
Test turned his head back to Isaac, and watched as his father’s face appeared next to Cliff as they stood just behind Iku. “I’m going to kill you,” he stated plainly in a growling voice.
As Test stepped towards Isaac, Iku’s hands ignited, and around him appeared five spirits, each with their hands upon him; each of them taking a percentage of his power. The glow within his torso faded in and out like a flashlight whose batteries were failing. He struggled, pushing them off one by one, but each time he reached out to touch one of them, the targeted spirit would release his energy and disappear, only to be replaced by yet another.
Feeling the hold upon them release, Prim and Lauren stood, both of them watching with pleasure as yet more spirits surrounded Casper and Ashley, draining them of their power. A trickle of blood ran from Lauren’s mouth and dribbled down her chin. Pooling it within her tightened lips, she spat in the direction of Isaac, sending a ball of blood and spit to his feet.
As his followers struggled, Isaac watched in amazement, a curious look upon his face. “What is this?” he asked. “It seems you have discovered a weakness.” He grinned devilishly as he took a single step towards the line of Shadows. “However, it seems that you have overlooked something.” He glanced back to Iku and then to the twins. “I don’t care if they live or die.”
Showing no reaction to Isaac’s declaration, Test’s jaws clenched tightly as he replied. “It seems that you’ve overlooked something as well.”
From deep within the pit of his soul, he allowed the flood gates to open. As he closed his eyes, an immediate burst of energy radiated from his torso, and he felt the now familiar black approaching. Taking the reins of his own power, he lowered his chin and grinned as his transformation began.
Isaac watched with uncertainty at the spectacle before him. He watched as the outline of his adversary blurred, shifting from side to side, and felt Test’s energy swell to that which he’d never felt from any other Shadow before him. And then, in an instant, it was gone. He could sense nothing but the energy coming from those standing on either side of Test.
“Interesting,” commented Isaac nervously as he took as step back from them. “What is th…?”
Before he could finish, Test’s eyes opened, revealing the fire within. The white lights sizzled inside the red at an erratic pace. Though his mouth moved, Isaac couldn’t speak.
Enjoying the obvious look of fear on his face, Test took two steps toward Isaac. In response, the ancient Reaper’s hands ignited as he threw them forward. Both Prim and Lauren dove for the ground, but Test remained standing, untouched by Isaac’s blast as the wall on the opposite side of the room buckled from the force of their impact. Test continued forward as Isaac reached out for him, attempting to do to him what he’d done to Jenz and Nicole, but he couldn’t. The frustration and fear on Isaac’s face was like candy to Test and he wanted more. He stopped in place, watching Isaac hold his arms to his side while allowing his energy to swell before throwing a massive blast that yet again had no effect.
“What’s the matter, Isaac?” asked Test playfully. “You seem to be having some difficulty.”
Isaac’s head angled as he listened to Test’s voice. It sounded strange, fading in and out like he was speaking through an old Leslie speaker. He backed away, fearful for the first time since he was human, and bumped into Iku who was held in place by six pairs of hands. His breath came in short gasps as he watched Test take yet another step forward, barely three feet now separating them. In a moment of panic, he phased to the other side, expecting to be faster than his adversary, but was horrified to see Test standing before him, appearing exactly the same as he had stood among the living.
“That’s not possible,” muttered Isaac, the fear within causing his voice to tremble. He shifted back to the living, startled once again to see that the image of Test remained the same.
Test crouched like a linebacker ready to break through an offensive line, and with his hands splayed to the side, winked in honor of Cliff.
Faster than he could react, Isaac’s body was engulfed in a cold numbness as Test’s body entered his. He could feel the use of his extremities fade, and struggled in vain to phase one last time. He lowered his head, breath becoming more difficult to catch, and felt his consciousness wane until the moment came when his mind was no longer his.
Lauren and Prim walked forward to where Isaac stood. His face was lifeless, a blank and empty stare that looked as though it were carved from stone.
“Kill him.”
Prim and Lauren jumped back as Isaac’s mouth uttered the words with difficulty.
“Kill him,” he said again in a long, drawn out and breathy voice.
“Test?” asked Prim, taking a tentative step forward. “Is that you?”
“I don’t know how long I can hold him.” The words seethed from Isaac’s lips though they were not his own. “Kill him now.”
“How?” asked Lauren as she peered into Isaac’s eyes.
“You know there’s only one way.”
“We can’t,” answered Lauren emotionally. “Not with you in there!”
“It’s the only way.” The words came slower and with more difficulty. “You—have—to.”
Alyssa stood with a hand on Ikuhabe, listening intently and trying to understand what was happening. Letting her hand fall, she reached out and touched Isaac’s shoulder. “Test, what are you doing?” she asked, not understanding.
Isaac’s head slowly turned to her and the corners of his lips turned up ever slightly. “Trust...,” the words stopped as a labored breath was taken. “Me….”
Letting go of the energy around her, Alyssa slid peacefully into the spirit realm. Where Isaac had stood among the living, Test stood among the dead. He appeared transparent, like that of a partially materialized spirit would appear to the living. She reached out to touch his cheek, but her fingers passed through. A single tear fell down her cheek as she spoke.
“What will happen?” she asked.
Without moving, he looked blankly into her eyes and whispered one last time. “Trust…me….”
As she wiped the steady stream of tears that had begun to fall from her eyes, she spoke with a trembling voice. “Don’t leave me. Please—don’t leave me.”
“Out—of—time.” He forced the words out with a gurgling breath.
Prim and Lauren waited as long as they could, struggling with what they knew they must do. Deep down, they’d both hoped that there was another way and that Alyssa could change Test’s mind, but they knew he was right. There was only one way to destroy a Shadow.
Prim held out his left hand for Lauren to take. Hand in hand they stood before Isaac’s shell and hesitated.
“Please—quickly.” The words came as a nearly silent whisper, Isaac’s lips barely moving.
Noticing a pulsating twitch within Isaac’s right arm, Prim knew that they couldn’t postpone the inevitable any longer. He ignited the flame within as he looked to Lauren. Her face bloodied and swollen, tears mixed with the blood that had dried on her face.
Laure
n released Prim’s hand and whispered into Isaac’s ear. “Come back, little brother.” She backed away, flipping her internal switch as her body burst with light. She looked to Iku’s captors and spoke wearily. “Take him away.” She watched as Iku stared at her. Gone was the ever present scornful look that had always resided on his face. Taking its place was a look of penance. He bowed his head to her as he back away under his own free will.
Prim placed a hand on each side of Isaac’s head and lowered his head in concentration. The red flashes of light began to race the length of his arms and the blue light within his palms began to intensify.
Lauren placed each of her hands on either side of Isaac’s waist, her visible energy emulating that of Prim’s.
Within a matter of seconds, Isaac’s body began to shimmer. In the silence of the room, there was an audible sizzling sound that slowly grew in volume as the two Shadows increased their output of power. Lauren looked into what once had been Isaac’s eyes, and her heart sank as they looked to her. With a wink that took seconds to complete, his eyes closed and a pleasant grin appeared on his face.
“Finish it!” shouted Prim, his arms now nearly one solid beam of red light.
Lauren pushed, trying not to see Test’s face within her mind. Closing her eyes, she felt a surge swell from within, and could see the blinding white light emitted from her hands through her eyelids. A second flash from Prim’s hands signified that he too was ready, and with the white hiss of sound coming to its zenith, a sudden vacuum sucked Lauren’s hair around her face.
She opened her eyes to see a fine dust shimmer as it fell from the air. Catching and reflecting the light from above, each particle appeared as though it were glitter, alternating between varying shades of gray as it tumbled to the ground.
Both Prim and Lauren watched in silence, each of them afraid to look around and discover what they thought to be true.
Finally, as the last of the dust settled, Lauren spun on her heals. “Test?” she shouted, continuing to look around her frantically until Alyssa appeared before her.
Her eyes heavy with tears, she spoke as her bottom lip quivered. “He’s gone. I watched him….” She paused, releasing several heavy sobs. “I watched him shatter into a million tiny pieces!” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly.
Lauren wrapped her arms around her and, holding her tightly, allowed herself to release her own pain. The two held each other for several minutes, being joined first by Maggie, and then by Cliff. Prim took Lauren from behind by the waist, and kissed the back of her head gently, still numb from the fact that he’d lost so much.
Jenz was gone. He had spent nearly a lifetime with this woman that gave him new hope in a life that, at one point in time, he was prepared to give away. He remembered the sickening feeling that overcame him just before they’d entered the building, when she’d mouthed the words ‘take care of them’. Something in him told him that her sacrifice was part of her plan all along, and he found himself angry that he hadn’t been able to stop it. He wasn’t sure he knew how to exist without her, yet here he stood, sobbing with Lauren and a collection of spirits that he’d known for little more than a day. He was about to begin a new chapter.
“Hey.” Cliff’s gruff voice cut through the sobbing like a knife. “What’s that?” he asked as he pointed to the floor where the dust had collected.
Everyone turned, and at first, they didn’t see what the old man was talking about, but suddenly, piece by piece, the particles began to separate. Everyone watched in dead silence as, with increasing speed, the one loosely scattered pile began to collect in a smaller, denser pile right beside it. As the flow of particles began to slow, the pile seemed to swell, to begin to grow larger. It was as if each particle were expanding and then melting with the next one that touched it.
As if feeling a heart beat, Prim could feel the distant pulse of a Shadow from within the rising dust. His tears of sadness turning to tears of hopeful joy, he whispered aloud. “I can feel him.” He turned to Lauren with a smile, his tear-filled eyes glimmering in the light.
Now appearing as a three foot tall, molded, molten statue, small points of white light began to splatter over its entire surface. Their intensity and frequency increased steadily until the point where it was impossible to look at. As they all turned their backs, they could see nothing but their shadows cast on the floor from the light behind. Both Lauren and Prim began to find it difficult to stand in place as a powerful wave of energy had begun to push them away. The room began to tremble; the massive chandeliers that hung from the ceiling dancing as though they were birds on a wire.
Feeling faint from the pressure on her ears, Lauren looked to Prim and shouted. “We need to phase to the other side!”
With a nod Prim waited for her to phase and then followed.
The silence of the dead world was nearly as disorienting as the one they’d just left. Both of them stood erect and, realizing that they were not alone, peered into the faces of the spirits in the room. They were greeted by looks of astonishment, though not directed at them.
Lauren quickly turned and, in the spot where Isaac had stood, a gentle glow was emanating from beneath the floor. As if melting through the earth below, a beacon of light shot from the ground the center of the glow. Within, she could see Test’s face, his glowing red eyes penetrating above all other light. She watched, holding her breath, as first his right arm came from within the solid floor, and then his left. Placing his hands flat to the floor, he held them inches away as his body continued to rise, seemingly from the ashes.
As the last of him cleared the earth, Test looked down upon his form and watched as the glow within him subsided. He looked up to see a multitude of stunned faces, none of them sure of what they were seeing. Prim, Lauren, Alyssa, Maggie, and Cliff stood in a semi-circle with a mixture of pain and joy on their faces.
Taking Prim’s hand into hers, Lauren spoke to him. “Is he…?” She paused. “Dead?”
“I don’t know,” Prim replied in an awestruck whisper.
Closing his eyes once more, Test’s shoulders hunched as he took a breath. Lifting his gaze slowly upon them, he answered Lauren’s question. “No, big sister,” he said with a grin. “I’m not dead.”
His words brought about an eruption of movement as everyone who stood before him, both living and dead, rushed around him. First to reach him was Alyssa, who wrapped her arms around his neck, planting her face firmly into his shoulder while sobbing for joy. He felt different pairs of arms embrace him from all sides, their touches sending waves of comfort throughout his body. He looked to his left in time for his mother to kiss him on the cheek. Her eyes were wide and round, swelling with joy that he was still there for her to hold. As another hand squeezed his shoulder, he looked over Maggie to see his father’s youthful face glowing with pride. Standing next to him was Cliff, his dearest friend. With arms crossed and the remnants of tears tangled in the stubble on his cheeks, the old man winked as he struggled to contain himself. Test had never seen Cliff cry before, and the sight of a lone tear coming from the corner of his eye brought new meaning to their friendship.
They all stood there for what seemed forever, holding one another; each of them a new member of a family that was not related by blood, but by the path they had chosen to follow. One by one they broke away from Test, allowing him the ability to move. As he turned, he could see the bodies of the children lying on the floor. His heart sank.
Seeing the distress on his face, Alyssa, with her arms around his waist, gently ran a hand in a circular motion on his back. “You did what you could,” she spoke softly. He turned to her with a smile and her head snapped back, startled by the pleasant look that had suddenly appeared on his face.
“They’re not dead,” he stated plainly as he looked upon the children.
Overhearing the conversation, Lauren and Prim appeared at Test’s side.
“What do you mean?” asked Alyssa.
“Wouldn’t their spirits be
with us if they had passed?” Test replied.
“Yes, you’re right,” answered Prim. “So why do they remain lifeless?”
A sudden flash appeared on their right, and as the group turned, Ikuhabe approached. He walked to Test, and without looking him in the eye, an intentional show of submission, Iku spoke as he took a knee.
“I have lived my life in a less than honorable manner, and beg that you show me the mercy that my former master would not.”
Initially feeling a spike of rage towards the man, Test was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of pity towards him. Laying a hand on Iku’s shoulder, Test spoke.
“All of us have done things that should not have been done, myself included. Each of us has regrettably taken the life of another, and that is something that we will have to live with for the rest of our long lives. The only thing that can be done now is to move forward and be better than we were yesterday.”
Iku raised his head, but refused to make eye contact with Test. “Thank you for your forgiveness. I don’t know where I’ll go, but I will no longer be counted among the Reapers.”
Ikuhabe’s words sparked a thought in Test. “Where are Casper and Ashley?”
Seeing Test searching the room, Iku stood and spoke cautiously. “They are gone.”
Test’s eyes snapped to Iku’s who quickly looked away. “How did you know what I was doing? Are you a mind reader?”
Iku chuckled. “No. I’m observant,” he replied. “The twins fled the moment that Isaac fell.”
“Where did they go?” asked Test.
“I do not know,” answered Iku solemnly. “Their souls are as scorched as Isaac’s, and their conscience disappeared long ago.”
Stepping forward, Lauren spoke. “I didn’t know them well, they are young in terms of a Shadow’s life, but Ikuhabe is right. They are a wicked pair.”
Turning his head to Lauren, Test asked. “Is there reason to worry?”
The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series Page 26