Dark Earth: The Prophecy - 15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Fight for Centropolitan Dominance

As soon as Thornos had helped us restore plant life, it was time to go to the lower levels of the recently secured city hall. The protective dome of Empire City served two purposes. The first was to imprison all non-evoloids. The other was to protect them from certain death. The dome was complete with its own artificial sunlight and plant life. It also collected rain water from storms which were frequent, and often violent, all over the planet. The Dark Knights’ power over the people was obvious everywhere. Executions were carried out daily just across from City Hall at Empire City Prison. Before The Dark Knights took over, capital punishment had been outlawed by the once infamous United Nations. After killing all the members of the United Nations, they took over the government of the world.

Restoring the world to what it once was would not be an easy task. The presence of The Dark Knights was much stronger in places like Europe and Asia. New Istanbul was where the central government of the world was located. Long before the arrival of evoloids, the United Nations had been relocated to Istanbul, Turkey, because the United States had decided to no longer host the United Nations. In fact, the United States actually declared war on the rest of the world just two years before the takeover by The Dark Knights.

The Dugamonian Army, led by General Kiso, was on Earth to aid The White Knights in rescuing the planet from The Dark Knights. The task would not be easy because there were over five-hundred million members in The Dark Knight military forces, including The Army, The Air Force, The Galactic Navy, and various paramilitary forces. This military juggernaut, though not as technologically advanced as that of Dugamonia, was certainly larger and had the advantage of being on its planet of origin.

General Kiso was going to have a meeting with the members of the Council. Since we defeated The Dark Knights in Empire City, this meant that Adriana, Natalia, Nikita, Cristobel, and I were new members of the Council along with Gerald (Mystic Warrior). The new line-up was different from the one the original Council members had once chosen because they thought the new system would be more efficient. Indeed the four of us worked well together. Gerald needed to stay busy after what had happened to Jan. The world was an unforgivable place.

The trip to Centropolis had been a covert operation to find out what Quake and his accomplices had done to the city. Essentially they had completely destroyed the infrastructure of the city. They had killed half the human populations and had even infiltrated Centropolis’ underground. I had gone to Centropolis with the entire Council. The assessment, while dangerous, was essential. Tempest had suggested the Council going in disguise to make sure it was done properly. Though the intelligence services were with us, it was up to us to figure out a plan of action along with the Dugamonian Army. General Kiso listened as Tempest described the plan in detail. In addition, he had his second in command, Colonel Mifa, with him. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she made a fool of Tempest more than once. She knew exactly what needed to be done. In my opinion, she knew more than even her superior.

The Council would actually be a part of the battle in Centropolis. Toppling Quake had become top priority. He had turned the city into a shell of its former glory. He had personally tortured and killed many humans, a task in which Caprican seemed delighted to assist in according to Intel. I had to be the one to kill them both, though they had insisted upon absorbing any powers from either, Quake’s because of their dangerous properties and Caprican’s because of the fact that he was a feral. There was little doubt about what would happen if someone absorbed multiple animal forms. Essentially, it would cause death, though there was only one way to find out for sure.

Citizens of Centropolis lived in great fear. Though The Dark Knights were brutal dictators, they had never made the citizens live in fear. So long as people did not break the law, they would have nothing to worry about. It was also suspected that The Dark Knights had actually wanted Quake and his minions to take over Centropolis and that he had been working closely with The Dark Knights all along. In addition, Caprican had united all the rogue groups and combined them into one group. Pleased by this, Quake officially made Caprican his second in command. The two of them had already killed thousands of Centropolitans. The situation in the city had severely degenerated, and Quake declared himself king.

My first job was to escort Colonel Mifa into Centropolis. Since I had never seen Dugamonians before, I was rather surprised by their appearance. They looked almost human but with more variety in skin color, hair color, and eye color. Colonel Mifa had deep red skin with purple eyes and hair. She was actually quite fascinating to look at. I even asked her about their species. She said that a Dugamonian woman’s pregnancy was a whopping 24 months! It was unbelievable. Apparently, the differences in anatomy allowed the fetus to grow to a much less helpless stage than a human baby. In fact, they could walk within a week of birth. Mifa was gracious enough to oblige me with answers to the questions I asked.

“Julian, you sure are an inquisitive one, aren’t you?” she asked warmly.

“It’s not every day I meet a woman from another planet,” I replied sheepishly.

“It’s fine, Julian.” Colonel Mifa placed her right arm around my shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Julian. However, you do have a temper. I know these things. We’re good at figuring these things out. Analyzing people is what we do. Sometimes we must let go of the past. Otherwise the bitterness will consume our souls. I do love how you’re so inquisitive. I also like how, despite the fact that you’d probably rather teleport, you were okay with the aircraft. I’m an old-fashioned girl. I won’t even let them use the teleportation beam on me.”

“I like traveling in aircrafts,” I replied assuredly. “I hate teleporting to be honest. I wish I could fly everywhere instead. I can take off like a rocket. It is so much more freeing.”

“Exactly my point, Julian,” replied Mifa enthusiastically. “At heart, I am like an eagle soaring through the skies. I can remember studying the species of Earth as a child and being fascinated by them. They are truly majestic creatures.”

Remembering the death of Talon Rider, I could not help but shed a tear for the man who saved my life. Talon Rider had fought valiantly, and his sacrifice would forever be close to my heart. Even after a week, Adriana was still upset and barely eating. She felt guilty for not having a better relationship with him. My thoughts were so jumbled at that moment in time, yet I knew I had to focus on the mission and make sure we arrived safely at the make-shift base outside the dome on the east side of Centropolis. We were expected to arrive just five minutes later, and I had lost my focus on the task at hand. We were close to the base, and I was supposed to fly beside the aircraft known as a Potonom.

“Indeed they are,” I replied sullenly. “I… need to get ready our landing. I have to fly beside The Potonom.”

“I understand, Julian.” I could tell she wanted to talk more, but I knew what my duties were. Entering the special chamber, I prepared to eject myself from The Potonom. Moments after exiting, an enemy aircraft was spotted. Though The Potonom had an energy shield protecting it, the enemy had shield piercing energy beams. My job was to aid The Potonom in destroying enemy aircraft as quickly as possible. The round disk was well within my sight. With my hands reaching forward I conjured hurricane-force winds. The battle disk’s trajectory had been compromised by the gales, and I decided it was time for some lightning. The energy consumed me completely, and I felt greater power than ever before. A massive lightning bolt blasted the disk with great destructive power, causing the vessel to explode upon impact.

That was just the beginning, however. Soon we were joined by two more bogies. One was circling above, the other below. A beam of red was soon directed at me from the bogie below. Barely dodging the beam, I recovered quickly and sent a massive Arctic wind that caused the vessel to fall to the ground. With my attention diverted, the bogie above shot me with a laser, one that barely missed me. I knew it was time to finish this fight. As fast as lightning I flew right through the battle disk with great vengeance and with a wave of supersonic energy pulsing through my fists. As my anger had reached its peak, it protected me from the ensuing explosion. Meanwhile, the Potonom was ready to land safely at the base.

Upon arrival at the base, I landed beside The Potonom. The first order of business was to go to the conference room where the general was to describe the plan in detail. For my part and that of most of the Council and The Protectors were simply to storm the compound of Quake. Meanwhile, the military forces were responsible for taking over the city hall and various other government-controlled entities including the EAS headquarters. According to Intel, Chaz had apparently been violently killed and parts of his body displayed at various locations in the city, a practice remnant of the uncivilized system of government in medieval England.

Arriving at the compound through Adriana’s purple haze at 0200, the members of the Council and The Protectors waited patiently as Cristobel and I entered the compound. Flying atop the compound, Cristobel and I were to enter through a trap door. This was the only weakness in the security system, for Quake must have believed that guards on the rooftop would prevent entry. However, the guards had easily been subdued by the sleep-inducing gas. The compound, dank and filled with the malodorous remnant of death, resembled the most gruesome scenes of Hostel (one of my favorite horror movies), including an incinerator on the top floor. Our job was to sneak into the security room which was rumored to be on the bottom floor. Though teleportation would have been the preferred mode of entrance, the compound’s security was advanced enough to prevent it. However, once inside, I would at least be able to use my special line of sight to find possible traps as well as any guards who were in the vicinity.

Taking cover to prevent detection, Cristobel and I used the shadows in the darkened hallways. Taking cover behind a large freight box, Cristobel and I waited for the guard to arrive at a close location. Aiming at the guard’s face, I shot a cloud of sleep-inducing poison which caused him to fall asleep. Catching the guard in his arms, Cristobel allowed him to slowly descend onto the floor, leaving him behind the freight box. Just ahead was an elevator. However, taking the elevator would warrant unwanted attention and, thus, we had to use the stairs. Slowly and meticulously turning the doorknob, I gradually opened the door atop the staircase. Descending through silent telekinesis just inches above the actual stairs, we made our way to the lowest level of the facility. Using my line of sight ability, I checked to see if another guard was in the immediate area around the door. Luckily, the guard I saw was facing away from the door.

Carefully opening the door and creeping into the corridor, and with dagger in hand, I ended up behind the guard. A quick yet powerful slice of the carotid artery was all it took as he fell to the floor in a heap of blood unable to call for help. Using telekinesis I moved the corpse into the stairway we had just used and closed the door through a similar method. However, evidence of bloodshed covered the hallway. Thus, our pace would have to be much less subdued. Taking flight, Cristobel and I flew to the south side of the building through winding hallways until we came upon the suspected location of the security room. However, the alarms had been tripped before we could enter, and guards were sure to be coming soon.

Punching the door with a shockwave, I entered the security room with Cristobel in tow. More Arctic winds traveled out of my hands and turned all the guards into ice. A massive lightning bolt caused all the formerly frozen guards to explode and destroyed the security system. By this time, there was no turning back because Quake, and the remainder of his minions were all awakened by the commotion. Lights were now on throughout the facility and formerly sleeping rogues were soon to “grace” us with their presence. Meanwhile, the others would be entering the compound as Cristobel and I fought our way through the basement. Deciding that I needed a challenge, I decided not to use my powers over weather. Drawing my trustworthy Katana from the sheath behind my back, I knew it was time for some fire. The first rogue had not a chance to fight as I sliced off his head which soon became charred. Cristobel used the flash to disorient a group of guards ahead of us. A sonic scream soon consumed their flesh, leaving nothing but tiny pieces of flesh and bone dust.

Almost ready to leave the basement level through another stairway to the 1st floor, Cristobel and I were soon stopped by an ominous presence. The door flinging open, a mutant goat was soon before us. Caprican had taken mixed form. Taking the mixed form of my own, I swiped the goat’s nose with my claws. Enraged by my attack, the mutant goat punched me in the nose with its hoof. In response, Cristobel kicked the goat in the face, causing Caprican to land upon a nearby table. Holding Caprican’s hooves down, Cristobel waited for me to kill it. Drawing my dagger, I recalled the report of Caprican’s betrayal of The White Knights. According to the report, Caprican had slain a White Knight Army Major who, according to Mystic Warrior and Talon Rider, was “hung like a horse”. Wanting to make the kill in the Major’s honor, I said, “This is for Steve!” Adding the power of fire to my dagger, I pierced Caprican’s heart. Soon the goat was bleeding as his flesh burned in blazing splendor.

Ascending the stairs to our desired floor, Cristobel and I soon joined our comrades. There was already open combat and Adriana was the first person I noticed as she delivered a crescent kick to a deserving foe before using some purple haze to kill her. The room was teeming with plenty of projectiles, as well as blood and various tissues. A foolish rogue decided to attack me. Dodging a punch, I retaliated with a powerful punch that sent her flying. Two more decided to attack me together, but they soon found out what a mistake it was. A backhand of immense strength removed the head of the first one as a fountain of crimson hurtled above. The second was not wise enough to relinquish his attack. For his trouble I flicked him in the face using the sweet destructive power of shockwave. The showering of blood, bones, and flesh was most grotesque to even the bravest and least squeamish of onlookers. While I was hopeful for another challenge it was not meant to be at the moment because the entire room had no one left except the Council and The Protectors.

Though I had not noticed, there was a wall on the northern side of the large room that appeared to be some kind of massive display. Soon a familiar yet ugly face was upon the display and he began to speak. “Well, it seems you have taken them all out. I may end up dead, but I can guarantee that someone will either be seriously injured or dead before all is said and done.” Quake was vehemently confident with his words, and he was looking at me with cruel intent as it became obvious that he could see everything going on. “Julian, do you wish to fight me? Do you know that these may be your final moments?”

“I will fight you on my own, Quake. But do you really think you have a chance in Hell of defeated an absorber? I have grown more powerful every single day that I have been away from Centropolis and this fight will be your last.” All others in the room were silent as they were indeed fearful of Quake. I was not deterred at all. I knew I could die in the battle, but I would certainly make sure that, even if I could not kill him, he would be easily killed by the others. The one missing person appeared to be Carculius. The reason for his departure was a mysterious one.

“I want the rest of you to leave right now! This fight is between Julian and me. I do have my ways of disposing of all of you, so I suggest you do as I say.” The others did not even think twice as they fled the compound. My hands began to shake as sweat enveloped my palms. Had anyone been around, they could have heard my distinct labored breathing. Quake appeared just to the right of the display in all his mighty arrogance. “We meet again, young absorber. This fight will determine the future of Centropolis and indeed, the future of Earth. This fight will be the last for one of us. May the best man, or boy, win.” Without a moment’s notice, I could feel the earth shaking below me. Going into the air, I summoned a powerful hurricane wind, hurling it at my foe with little effect.

The cyborg was laughing at me before he said, “Is that all you can do? You’re such a disappointment.” A blast of Quake’s energy roared through the air with great velocity and I barely was able to avoid it. With the building's teleportation disabler demolished, I teleported behind Quake and quickly hurled a blast of lighting to his back. This proved to temporarily disable the cybernetic freak but only briefly as another earthquake blast was hurled in my direction. Flipping through the air, I was barely missed with my aversion. However, the miss proved to be Quake’s breaking point as he suddenly became angry.

The rage aura, in its omnipotence, prevented another blast from killing me, though the forced knocked me out of the air and onto the floor below. Stalking his prey like a bear, Quake lifted me off the floor and said, “This is the end for you.” However, he had missed one important fact as I touched his metal arm with only my finger. The shockwave of energy turned the cyborg into a heap of scrap metal and organic material. However, my desperate act came with a cost as there was shrapnel in my body. Crawling forward, I, the victor, struggled to reach the door. I would have used my comlink, but it had been damaged. The struggle continued as I desperately tried to pick myself off the floor to press the button which would open the sliding doors. It was of no use as my head collapsed onto the floor and was consumed by a desperate need for sleep.

I thought I was awake again, but I was at the same place I had been in the dream. However, the statue had disappeared, and the man appeared at a normal height. “Julian, you have to pick yourself up. You have been victorious.”

“I can’t move, sir,” was my defeatist reply. “My body is failing me now.”

“Julian, you must call for him,” the old man replied. “He will help you. You are in the dream world, and he is the only one who can save you.”

“Cristobel, help me! Quake is dead, but I am severely injured. I can’t make it much longer.” The old man disappeared, and everything became dark. Close to death, I was no longer able to even dream. This bittersweet victory’s price was more than I wanted to have to worry about. What was done was done. Quake was dead and so was Caprican I had killed them both.

“Julian, wake up…” I was still so weak. The healing power could not remove the shrapnel, and the pain was still unbearable. “Julian, this is Dr. Kirschner. Can you hear me.” The throbbing pain was so intense. I knew Cristobel had tried to heal me, but he could not under such circumstances. Soon I was asleep again unable to sustain a conscious state.

Looking at the ceiling, I was unsure of my location. “You’re finally awake,” said a relieved Dr. Kirschner. “You’ve been asleep for 18 hours and 43 minutes.” This was a shock to me. Had it taken that long to remove the shrapnel and heal my body completely? “You should be fine now. I have removed all the shrapnel fragments. Cristobel thought he had done something wrong, but obviously the healing powers have their limitations. He will be in here soon to see if he can complete the process. Otherwise, it would be several days before you could leave the bed.” In the meantime, I went back to sleeping knowing I still felt as though I were going to die.

“Julian…” I heard someone calling my name. “I’m going to heal you, sweetie.” My eyes popped open and the face of my loved one was revealed to me.

Wryly smiling I said, “Thanks!” With Cristobel’s hands above me, I immediately felt the power. No longer would I have to concern myself with the severe pain with which I had been inflicted. Relief came quickly, and before anyone could say a word I noticed something inside me that needed to immediately be removed. “Doc, can you take out this catheter. I want out of here.”

“I can do that,” was his simple and direct reply. The discomfort was minimal as the air was evacuated from the catheter, and the device was subsequently removed. Sitting up for the first time in over 18 hours, I felt light-headed and somewhat disoriented. I planted my left foot onto the floor and the right was soon to join. On the bedside table was an envelope which seemingly contained a letter. As this form of communication was rarely used, I wondered why the letter was there. Cautiously opening the envelope, I began to read the words as Cristobel and Dr. Kirschner stood and watched as I read.

********************

Dear Julian,

By now, you are probably wondering why I have disappeared. I left this letter for you, because, of all the people I know, you are the one who most deserves to know what I have done. The White Knights call me a hero, one of the few hybrids who have not chosen the path of evil. That is not the case. The sins of my past have haunted me for centuries. I remember the days before Earth became a wasteland. While the Dark Knights are responsible, I cannot absolve myself of blame. Sean Hart was a decent man. I created Blackheart from the remnants of Sean Hart’s humanity. I did not kill him, but I may as well have.

The year was 2482. A young woman named Addison Young gave birth to a son, Adam Young. She lived in a poor neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn. I have covered my tracks well. Addison turned to a life of crime to support her young son. Addison decided to become an assassin for the All-American mafia. She was well adjusted to the night, for she was a vampire. Even in the early days, they called her Queen Bitch. Yes, Queen Bitch is my mother, and my real name is Adam Young.

My mother rarely mentioned my father, Michael Bader. He sired her and impregnated her. When she found out she was pregnant, he split. He wanted nothing to do with us. My mother plotted her revenge that day. Five months later, she set him ablaze in a dark alley in Queens, despite her gestational state. Ironically, pyrokinesis was my father’s power... Apparently, my father’s sister, Christine, despised him ardently. She reveled in aiding my mother in her sinister scheme to eliminate my father. The two became lovers before my birth. They were two evil hybrids hoping to raise a demonic spawn.

My childhood was a lonely and sullen one. My mother often brought home men to sire. She was an ace manipulator. Once the unfortunate souls were sired, they were destined for servitude. Addison quickly became a leader of the All-American mafia. Her powers made her an excellent yet tyrannical leader.

When I was a mere 18 years old my mother trained me in the art of assassination. Vampires are born to kill, but she taught me well over 100 ways to kill, including some that kill fellow hybrids. Her personal favorite was incineration. Any time she wanted to torture one of her sires, she ordered Aunt Christine to burn them. She made sure that the entire body did not burn. Instead, she would shoot a fireball at an arm or a leg and douse the flames with water shortly thereafter.

I remember my first assassination in vivid detail. Dustin McFarland, one of our rivals, had plotted to assassinate my mother in order to gain control of New York City’s syndicate. He specialized in creating Cocajuana, a hybrid plant derived from the coca plant and hemp. He was the All-American mafia’s greatest adversary and often the object of Addison Young’s ire. Unfortunately, we had to depend upon Mr. McFarland for our Cocajuana supply. Mr. McFarland’s son, Emerick, had perfected the hybrid product. The drug’s effects made it a popular fix for New York’s elites and anyone else who desired the precious narcotic. Primo lovers rejoiced when Cocajuana became available for the first time in history.

Mr. McFarland wanted my mother dead, because she controlled the hitman market. We had over 20 assassins, most of them hybrids. Mr. McFarland had only five assassins at his disposal, including the famous Antonio Moretti. It was not long before my mother told me I had to kill Antonio Moretti. She told me to use any means necessary to kill him. I opted to bring a human along to do the actual killing, for I was never a cold-blooded killer. I took control of her mind, and she was already skilled with a phaser. It was only logical that I would help her sneak into his office to kill him. Meanwhile, I was well-disguised to prevent detection. In fact, she never even saw my real face. Marcellas did a wonderful job when he applied the latex and make-up. I was like another person. The assassination went quite smoothly, and I was impressed with the result.

Flash forward to the year 2807, I was now in control of the All-American Mafia because my mother had sought opportunities in Kansas City, which is now Centropolis. Kansas City had grown tremendously, and the crime syndicate was growing stronger by the day, for the local government had not been able to stop the evoloids from doing whatever the hell they wanted. So here I was in control of the All-American mafia, and I received a mysterious call from a man called Deeko. His real name is unknown to me even to this day, but I suspect that he was Caborian.

Christina Hart was the name he submitted to me. Deeko knew of my mind control powers and wanted me to make sure that she was killed by humans. He wanted me to find three humans and train them. He offered a substantial amount of Earth money. How he had so much Earth money I am unaware, but he was vehement about secrecy. I received half the money before and half after, and the total was twenty million in Earth dollars. I trained the three humans: Derek Jones, Emily Vest, and Joe Watson. The three would forever be infamous for the murder of Christina Hart, your grandmother. Sean Hart became Blackheart that day and sought revenge on humanity, because he believed they were all responsible for his mother’s death. The only thing humans were actually guilty of was anti-evoloid sentiment. I was responsible for Christina Hart’s death, but I was only a hired hitman for the job. The same day, I was responsible for the death of your father’s sense of compassion and love, and I can never forgive myself for that. I have tried every single day to make up for what I have done.

I was never truly able to accept what I had done over the years. I quickly aligned myself with The White Knights, and none of The White Knights knew about my transgressions until now. Those were complicated times, and I know I should never have had a part it in. I am so sorry for what I have done. Your life has been a wreck because of me. You are essentially an orphan, and my sins have caused it. Seeing you over the last few weeks has been a constant reminder, and I cannot tolerate the guilt any longer. By the time you read this letter I will be dead. I hope you can forgive me.

Sincerely,

Carculius

********************

Angry… Flabbergasted… Sad? All applied. How could someone I held in such high regard be so monstrous and callous? “I can’t fucking believe this shit!”

“What’s going on, Julian?” Cristobel, having no idea what was in the letter, had no idea why I was upset. Handing the letter to Cristobel, I decided to find some clothes, get dressed, and flee as quickly as possible. Once I was decent, my intention reached fruition. I found the nearest exit and took off like The Potonom. I had no reason to be around people, for the sky itself was the only accompaniment I required. I noticed how dark it was. I had only recently seen the sun, but the skies over Centropolis were still covered with ominous clouds, and, as usual, it looked as though it could start to rain at a moment’s notice. Below, I saw a giant mass of dirt with nothing atop it to protect the soil from the rain.

Carculius was supposed to be dead, but I had no clue as to how he would have ended his own life. However, his fate would have been much worse had I killed him myself. Everything I hated about the world was his fault. He was the one who sold his soul for money, and I wanted to punish him, but the bastard denied me of what I felt I deserved. My anger in a powerful crescendo called forth thunder and lightning. The wind, in unforgiving fury, produced powerful gales as torrential rain plummeted to the Earth below. Then it happened. The old man somehow stopped me in mid-air. Unable to do anything but levitate, I had no choice but to listen.

“Julian, you must not do this, for the greater good should be your only concern,” the old man said indignantly. “I cannot always be around to stop you. I can only guide you if you accept your responsibilities and stop using your powers as a channel for wrath. You have the potential to save this planet, and conversely, you have the power to destroy it. You still do not know everything, for it is not time for you to know. Cabora holds the answers you need, and you must go there in a year. In the mean time, you must fight to take back this continent, and you cannot do so if you destroy it.”

“I feel so betrayed,” I bellowed. “I trusted Carculius.”

“We all make mistakes in our lives, Julian,” was the man’s simple reply. “You’re not free of guilt yourself. The level of joy you take in killing is exactly why you are at such a high risk of ending up like Blackheart. You must remember that your emotions affect your powers. Controlling the weather is arguably the most dangerous of all powers, for an emotionally unbalanced weather manipulator has destructive capabilities beyond most others. In your case, there is the rage absorption aura, one of the rarest of all powers. You must learn to meditate often. Otherwise, you will never achieve adequate emotional balance. You are meant to be a leader, but you must leave your anger behind you. The fate of the entire universe rests within your hands.”

“I never asked for this!” I snapped. “I’m only 18, and I cannot live a normal life. I risk my life every single day, and what do I have in return? I watched my best friend die. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father is a monster.”

“You cannot blame your own actions on those of others.” The old man had a frustrated frown upon his face, and his eyes even seemed cold. “You will eventually learn the secrets of my own past and how I failed my people. You must not repeat my mistakes. Because of my ineptitude, four planets have suffered great hardship. You are my only chance for redemption.”

“How am I supposed to define myself as a person when all I ever seem to do is sacrifice myself to the greater good,” I hissed.

“I never said you couldn’t,” the man replied as calmly as possible. “Much of your future quests will help you discover who you really are. This world may be affected by your actions, but you must attain self-actualization. You are important to the revitalization of this planet, and that is only part of your quest. As much as I hate to admit it, you have a lot of responsibility. You can choose the path of redemption, or the path of destruction that will strip you of your soul. The choice is yours and yours alone. However, there are others who will likely choose the same path and there will be a great evil in the universe. This is much larger than you.”

“How did you get here?” I asked bluntly.

“Cristobel brought me here,” was the reply that left me feeling incredulous. “He is more linked to you than he knows. He can bring people from your dreams without even knowing it. This is something that not even Diabolico can do. This is the prophecy becoming reality. Both of you have more power than your fathers, and that is why you can restore the world. He will not be summoning me again, because it also requires the powers of Necrolo. The two of them can summon me without even knowing. Their powers work together. Only you can aid them in reaching their full potential and that of your own, but you are not ready. First you must pay the price and learn from it.”

“Why must you be so fucking cryptic?” I snarled with indignation.

“In time, you will learn,” he replied sullenly. “I pray it will not break you. The choice is yours.” He disappeared with those words. Knowing what was to come, I decided to return to the base. I was still angry and would be for a long time, but I knew I had to move forward. I did not have any desire to take the dark path that would lead to the destruction of the universe. I wanted to save the world, but I was unsure of how I was even capable.

Upon returning to the base, I saw Adriana who had obviously been awaiting my return. “I read the letter, Julian. Mom is pissed at Dad right now. This secret was one he kept even from us. I can’t believe it, but we still need to clear the skies, because it is our duty. Cristobel is ready to summon the knight.” I simply nodded as I was not even in the mood to speak anymore. Once again, Simon watched our bodies as we became the knight. Simon knew his job well and would do anything to protect the three people he loved most in the world.

As the horse took flight with the knight upon his back, my thoughts drifted into what the old man had told me. I was scared. I knew something bad was going to happen, but what would it be? I knew returning the sun to Centropolis would be helpful to the people, and that was the only important matter. It was not long before the skies were clear and that the time had arrived to find Thornos so that he could join us as part of the knight. The attraction power had worked quite well, and he was indeed in love with Cristobel and me. While this was against our original agreement, we knew it had to be done for the greater good of humanity. The green grass and trees immediately populated the once barren ground below us. The beauty was unrivaled because the natural topography of Centropolis was much more beautiful to me than that of Empire City.

Once we returned to our bodies it was time to find Gianna. Oracle had insisted upon her being recharged. The plan was simple. I was supposed to teleport Gianna a location just outside the base. Since several of the others wanted to witness her rebirth, Adriana had taken Cristobel, Necrolo, and Thornos to see what was about to happen. I looked at Gianna as she slept. The doctor removed the feeding tube and the IV fluids as well as the IV itself. We did not bother removing the hospital gown. Instead, I picked her up, and Dr. Kirschner put on another one.

Once we had teleported outside, the reaction was immediate. Her body was aglow and the power repelled me away from her. The others stood by and watched as her body was recharged. Though I was behind her, I knew she was awake. Wanting to make sure she was fine psychologically, I scanned her mind, but it was as though the real Gianna was no longer there and her mind was no longer her own. Meanwhile, I noticed that Cristobel’s eyes and Necrolo’s eyes had turned completely while. A blast of energy from Gianna’s body was hurled at both of them as they seemingly became part of her. Suddenly another wave of energy pushed Adriana and I away completely as the three of them became a wave of energy that quickly left Earth’s atmosphere. I was shocked as I found out that my trial had just begun. I would have to temporarily live, or should I say exist, without the other half of my soul.

During the subsequent months, I tried the best I could to live on, but it was difficult. The only thought that kept me alive was the fact that I would soon be traveling to Cabora and hopefully be reunited with Cristobel. Adriana and Simon helped me as much as possible along with Calista and Dennis. I admired Calista’s strength as she did not even seem to cry during the memorial service for Gabrielle, Carculius, and Talon Rider in which all three of them were on display in the cryochambers. Carculius’ body had been discovered just outside the dome of Centropolis without his heart, for he had apparently allowed himself to be killed by a soldier, one who was subsequently executed for the assisted suicide.

Even with everyone around to comfort and occasionally distract me, I missed Cristobel every single day, and I cried myself to sleep, for he was everything to me. Furthermore, I was still angry with Carculius for having my own grandmother killed. The old man, who had appeared to me several times, had no way of returning. I had to wait until it was time to go to Cabora. I eventually numbed myself to any pain and moved on with my life, at least what I had left of it, and, in time, I was able to hide all my emotions deep inside. As for taking North America, we did. However, the only cities with sunlight were Centropolis and Empire City. The victory was certainly a bitter one, for there was nothing sweet about Cristobel being gone. I also missed Necrolo even though I had not even known his first name, Dominic, until after his departure. He and Mystic Warrior had helped me almost as much for Cristobel and I cared deeply for Dominic and appreciated his contributions to The White Knights.

All others thought the three were dead, but I knew they were still alive and told everyone as often as I could. Though they would not say it, they did not believe a word of it. I knew one day I would have a chance to prove them all wrong, and I knew someone would feel like a fool when all was said and done.