The Chosen - 17. You Must Remember This

[Chapter 17]

Days passed and New Year's Eve fell upon us. I had gotten over my sickness the day before. I was now fit as a porn star. With New Year's Eve usually being the day of craziness, at least for normal people, we gathered together after dark to bunk down in Command. We didn’t know if monsters got wild during the new year celebrations, but didn’t want to take any chances. We cranked up the sensor arrays and settled down in the operations room ready for anything.

“This is amazing,” Ryan earnestly studied the Videum Crystallus in its book form. “The stored information is the entire collective knowledge of Prince Emrys.”

I looked up with a candy cane dangling from my mouth. “Is that so?”

“I don’t know why you bother, Ryan. You know he’s simple.” Killian turned around from the control station that linked to the monitors. “It’s a wonder that he even found that book.”

“It’s not just a book,” Ryan said before I could retort. “Its original form is a crystal that works much like a computer in the way that it stores data. I think I can crack it and figure out its full potential and-”

“Can someone please help me so we can get this thing set to a regular station?” Killian butted in. “If I’m going to be missing New Year's Eve parties, I at least want to watch the ball drop.”

Adam rolled his eyes and moved to go help him. “Killian, this equipment can pick up signals all the way from the Andromeda Galaxy. Local satellite frequencies are a piece of cake.”

I scooted my chair closer to Ryan and looked at the book. The blue pages with its glittering silver ink called to me like none other. I was getting a real Johnny Smith, Dead Zone, kind of vibe. I slid the book closer to me and flipped through the pages. The Atlantean lettering kept nagging at me.

I couldn't resist exhaling loudly in frustration. "I don't fully understand how to read this thing. There are passages here that seem like journal entries and I really want to know how some of our days were spent,” I grew sad and a bit pensive reflecting on the past. “...Especially our last.”

Abruptly the book’s pages began to randomly flip with such force that I jumped up with a curse. Ryan backed away and I was right behind him. Killian and Adam joined us in warily staring down at the abnormal sight.

“It’s possessed!” A fireball ignited in my palm. “Kill it!”

Adam’s sword was out and the blade ignited within the blink of an eye. He raised his sword and descended upon the book. Ryan yelled and jumped in front of him.

“Wait, stop!”

I stared him down. “Ryan, get out of the way. Have you learned nothing from the Evil Dead trilogy? Possessed books are trouble!"

“Chad, that’s just it," Ryan shook his head. He was examining it with a critical eye. "This is much more than a book. Can we at least see what happens before you two go all Avengers on it?”

I begrudgingly dissipated the fireball. “Fine.” I laid a hand on Adam’s arm. “Down boy.”

Killian rolled his eyes. “Can we say whipped?”

“Whipped,” Adam chirped on cue, smirking.

When he winked at me I leaned in and kissed him once on each cheek, right on each of his dimples. "You are," I kissed him on his chin. "My favorite thing."

And that was simultaneously wonderful and terrifying. This thing with Adam was only a couple weeks old but no one had ever made me feel this way. It's as if there was no gravity in the room Adam existed in, no up or down, air or sound, and the gears of time halted in his presence. In these moments it was like Adam was the only thing that existed. And that was terrifying.

Imagining falling in love with someone was naively easy, but actually falling in love and telling that person was mind-blowingly scary. I wasn't used to being self-conscious or riddled with doubt over feelings. Emotional was a word I've heard all my life and it had followed me on progress reports in grade school, whispered to my mom during parent-teacher conferences, "Chad is a bright student but he tends to get carried away with expressing himself" and that may be a defining personality train, but this felt too important to just blurt out. I loved who Adam had been in our past and I loved the person he was now. Confessing it out loud was an intoxicating thought.

“Well, would you look at that?”

I turned at Ryan’s voice. We creped closer to the book and studied its pages. The letters were pulsing as if alive, almost tangible as they glowed with an inner light. I licked my suddenly dry lips. The pages ceased turning and the book was flipped near its middle. I sucked in a breath as my thoughts seemed to hum with a sense of knowing. I found my hand stretching forward on its own accord. I knew what I had to do. The book was linked to me in almost a symbiotic way. It heard my wishes and it wanted to see them granted. I just had to-

I slammed my palm on the pages surface and Adam cried out, but I ignored him. Nothing bad was going to happen. I stared down at the pulsating letters and pulled at the thread of fogged memories until I hit gold.

“Initiate recall sequence,” I commanded firmly. “Data ports of alpha entries, open on authorization Emrys Cor, Prince of Atlantis.”

The pages flared to life beneath my palm. Long dead Atlantean script flashed rapidly across the pages. “Welcome Emrys Cor, Prince of Atlantis. Please input authorization key.”

The others jumped at the disembodied voice but I replied, “Gamma-omicron- scarlet-twelve-eleven.”

“Recall sequence initiating,” stated the calming voice. “Standby.”

I pulled once more at the memories and the final word fell from my lips. “Execute.”

The script settled and seemed to sink into the pages. A large five-pointed star drew itself so huge that it covered both pages. At each star point, a tiny jeweled light shined almost mesmerizingly. I swallowed, my throat suddenly feeling a little scratchy. I looked at my friends and they gawked at me as if I was jacking off in front of them or something. It was that kind of stunned shock that carried on far longer than it should. I squirmed on the spot and crossed my arms defensively.

“What?” I snapped a bit too harshly.

They came to themselves. “Nothing!” Adam said hurriedly. He traded a look with Ryan. “I-Well it’s just a surprise whenever you do that.”

Ryan nodded in agreement. “Your eyes go all vacant and then boom you just start talking with an authority that we never hear from you. It’s startling because it happens so randomly.”

I arched an eyebrow at Killian. “You have anything to add?”

Killian shrugged. “Kiss my ass.”

“Sounds about right.”

Ryan wasn't even paying attention to the conversation anymore. He was engrossed in the new shape that took up the book’s pages. I grabbed Adam’s hand and looked over his shoulder.

“What did you do?” Ryan asked.

I frowned. I knew but at the same time, I didn’t. It was weird. “I think we’re each supposed to touch a star point.”

“What will happen?” Adam stared at me.

“I’m not sure. I just know we’re supposed to touch a star point.”

We tossed the idea around and discussed the cons of the situation. There were a lot of them. Evil possessed book was the primary one. I was the one that kept hammering that point home. It wasn’t until Adam pointed out that I subconsciously knew what happened and offered further information that touching the book had merit. I agreed after giving a thought. My subconscious had never led me wrong so far. Eventually, we all agreed on seeing it out.

“If I die,” I said solemnly gazing around. “I want you guys to know it was me who ate the last honey bun...”

Killian exhaled loudly. “You, pig. I knew it was you.”

I wasn’t finished. “...And I split it with Adam.”

“Hey,” Adam said offended. “You promised that you wouldn’t say anything!”

“If I’m a pig you are too.”

“I’m not a pig,” he whined under his breath.

I squeezed Adam’s hand and smiled sweetly. “But you’re such a pretty pig, baby.” Then looking at all of them seriously, I said, “I don’t know what will happen, but it can’t be that bad. This book isn't harmful. I-I know this.”

And I did. I knew it in the pit of my soul. The same part of me that knew we were more than friends. We were Chosen. The part that knew Adam was my soul mate. It was strong and true and I believed in it. I extended my arm and I could see the others follow my example. Here we go. At the same time, our fingertips touched a star point.

And the world exploded in light.

***

A raised dais was the centerpiece of what looked to be a giant coliseum. The structure housed hundreds of thousands of people under its high domed roof. Golden sunshine poured from the crystal ceiling shining down upon the people garbed in fine garments of tan, white, and cream and browns. It was an incredible view.

Kneeling upon the raised dais were four teenage boys, no more than thirteen years old. They were arrayed in gleaming, silver mail and white tunics that shined as if was cut from moonlight. Standing tall before them in judgment was a middle aged man of fair skin with short golden hair and blue eyes like the summer sky. He wore elaborate silver robes and a winged crown upon his noble brow. He smiled at the teenagers and when he spoke his regal voice echoed so the entire assembly heard him as clear as the evening bells.

“By the radiating warmth of the sun, Sol, I present the Champion of Light, Solaris. Rise now, Lord Apollo.”

Apollo stood to his feet and faced the masses with a short bow.

“Endowed with the strength and spirit of the heavenly gods I present the Champion of Soul, the Executioner. Rise now, Lord Aurek.”

Aurek rose and joined Apollo after waving to the crowd.

“His miraculous gifts are a beacon of things to come. I present the Champion of Miracles, Omega. Rise now, Lord Admerion.”

Admerion gracefully came to his feet and the people gazed upon him in hushed reverence for his gift was a vision of the future.

“Blessed by the pulse of the universe to wield its power, I present the Champion of Magic and commander of the Chosen, Warlock. Please rise, Prince Emrys.”

Emrys joined his friends standing before the crowd and shared a brief glance with the speaker. King Oriens' identical blue eyes shone with pride and happiness directed solely at his youngest son.

“Their training has been grave, their knowledge tested and abilities honed,” King Oriens announced. “They are the best of the best and our greatest light when all others go out. These four are now the defenders of the realm and protectors of all mankind, Atlantean and Human. People of Atlantis! Welcome, the Chosen!”

***

The Valorescent was a radiant wonder in the sea of space, easily eclipsing the brethren warships that held in loose formation around it. It was all sleek silver lines and no less than seven kilometers in length, meant to convey beauty and elegance, hiding its true nature as an unstoppable juggernaut that could drop in system at a light speed factor of ten, decimating anything in its path with merciless precision.

It was a sharp contrast to the next ship down the line, a Harbinger class heavy cruiser. It was only two and a half kilometers in length and far less imposing. In all, thirteen ships of various types were assembled around the Valorescent for this particular operation. There were few things in this galaxy that would warrant the presence of the Valorescenet, the city of Atlantis only Hyperion class heavy dreadnaught and the flagship of King Oriens.

Lemuria was a bright, sea-green orb that hung in space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The planet was the first and only terraformed world in the Sol System made habitable by Atlanteans. It once represented the future. Now it represented death.

King Oriens stood up from his command chair. “Open a com, wide spectrum.” The communications officer nodded and pressed a sequence of buttons at his post. Now they were broadcasting across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and into open space. “This is King Oriens of the Atlantean Empire. You are hereby ordered to surrender claim of the world you now inhabit. It is the rightful province of the Atlantean people. You have killed our previous peace delegation. The time for a peaceful settlement has passed. Any resistance will be met with lethal force. You have two minutes. Oriens, clear.”

The channel closed with a chime.

Warlock arched an eyebrow at the terse declaration. “That was effective, Father.”

King Oriens only sighed. “I wish this wasn't the outcome, but there is only one place it will go after feasting on Lemuria.”

The Executioner nodded grimly, understanding the truth of the matter. “Earth.”

The Chosen traded silent glances. They were all in agreement then. While only sixteen years old, their experience in the field rivaled that of any senior officer enlisted in the King’s military. Their team had seen unrivaled beauty like the planets off the shoulder of Ursa Minor singing a song to resurrect their systems dying star that some have called the music of the spheres, the crowning of Greater Lumina, the dawn of the Forever Children on the fields of Gideon, and Tranquility's last stand at the Trulingulnar gate.

They had also borne witness to terrible darkness. They were there when Geidi Prime was burned to glass, they saw the horde of walking Necronimons crawl forth from the pits of Hollowsbane, the Soulless Empress with her demonic assassins, the Army of Abominations, the Killing Lord and his burning eyes and now below them a world of two billion souls was in the jaws of evil itself.

Omega rubbed his temple, wincing in pain. “There are so many voices crying out. They're in pain. So much pain.”

Warlock snapped around and leveled the king with a defiant glare. “Father! There are still people alive down there. Our people! We must help them.”

King Oriens shook his head sadly. “There is nothing that can be done, my son. They are lost. Once the Elder Spawn took root here it spelled doom for this world. If we don’t destroy it now then not just this world will fall, but Earth next and then others after that like wildfire.”

Prince Emrys closed his eyes and when he opened them a burning determination filled his gaze. Father and son looked at one other and there was a moment of understanding. The king nodded his permission and slumped down in his command seat, watching as the four soldiers of the gods sprinted from the bridge. May the grace of the heavens be with them.

The Chosen left the ship from the shuttle bay hanger, leaping through the force field that separated the cold vacuum and oxygen filled air of the hanger. Their bodies each a glowed different color as their celestial powers protected them from the void of space. As one, they descended on the planet like four falling stars. Fire burned around them as they entered the upper atmosphere and falling with a speed no dropship could hope to manage without incinerating during reentry.

Lights appeared and grew clearer as they descended upon what was once the capital. The resounding boom did the opposite of normal reactions. All sound and actions of every creature for miles around stilled. There was total silence. The Chosen rose to their feet and leaped from the sixty foot crater their landing created.

Emrys didn’t even recognize the world they stood upon. A black cloud hung in the sky that filtered the light into a drab gray. The buildings once pristine with their flowing lines and unique architectures now appeared ancient and worn. Spires were toppled over, streets destroyed, bodies and the smell of rotting corpses made them sick. The smell clung to the air and it was thick with inhuman sex and pestilence.

The sound of screams mixed with pain and despair drifted through the dark night. It was the signal they needed. They bounded off toward the source of the sounds. What they found were hordes of degradations with skin sloshing off their bones, and yellow tinged eyes clouded with insanity. Their hair had long since fallen out from manic itching at their scalp until it was now a raw, bleeding mess of flesh. These creatures were humanoid but disturbingly familiar in their tattered, soiled garments.

“These are the survivors?” Solaris couldn't hide the horror and nausea in his voice.

The answer was obvious that they were. The creatures looked up at the sound of his voice, discarding the carcass whose fleshy organs they were tearing into and gore dripped from their scaly chins.

The Chosen tore into their bodies with attacks of psionic and spirit energy, magic, and light. The creatures didn’t stand a chance. Their bodies were not adapted to stand up against the celestial powers granted to the Chosen.

There were no survivors left.

The remnants of Lemuria’s people were nothing but maddened soldiers of the Elder Spawn, that was devouring this planet. There was only one choice left. They had to kill the beast. It was their last testament and tribute to their fallen brethren who souls would never find peace.

It didn’t take them long to find the Elder Spawn. They just had to follow the smell of decay.

The Elder Spawn rose up above them in a mass of green scales and numerous, flailing tentacles. It towered higher than the spires of the city and its body was vaguely humanoid but covered in huge, plated armor that obscured much of its features. The head was like that of a great squid and tentacles were in the place where its neck should be. It was a giant of destruction and where it’s taloned eagle like feet touched, the ground rotted and wilted beneath.

What transpired next wasn’t a battle. It was an entity of oldest origin and from the deepest corners of space having a play.

The Elder Spawn brought them to their knees with a look. If they weren’t Chosen the look would have unrivaled their minds into madness and twisted their souls. It played and they fought the best they could, evading and attacking, but they weren’t as powerful as their foe. It moved with a speed and grace that was physically impossible for something large. There was not even a moment to pool their powers as it set the pace of battle at a ferocious speed.

Warlock stared desperately at his friends. They were strewn across the ruins of the capital city, their bodies lying in the decaying rubble of their battle. He was the only one that could truly end this here and now. If not, then his father’s fleet in orbit would surely finish it. Warlock snatched off the five-pointed pendent resting on the clasp of his cloak. He unsteadily got to his feet, raising the pendent high in the sky.

“This ends now!” Warlock declared. “By the power of MAGIC!”

A bright blue sphere formed around him with a snap.

“GIGA ANNIHILATION PROGRAM!”

***

Prince Emrys stared at the readings before him. He tapped at the console and adjusted the sensor arrays. He couldn’t believe it. This was all on him. The others hadn’t been helping. This devastation all rested on his conscious. Someday he would be judged for this. A great wreath of asteroids now clustered in a ring between Mars and Jupiter. The exact spot Lemuria once occupied. People were already starting to call it the Asteroid Belt.

“Please stop blaming yourself for this,” Admerion came up behind the prince's chair and observed the holoimages projected above the table.

Emrys chanced him a brief look. “It's hard not blame myself when it was me whose fault this falls to.”

Admerion came to his right side and his expression was sympathetic. “We're all alive and that's the most important thing.”

“I have sealed the Giga Annihilation Program away,” Prince Emrys said more to himself than Admerion. “The spell is far too dangerous to ever use again. Stars, if I had mispronounced even one syllable-” He shuddered. Admerion didn’t understand what that spell really was. No one, not even the highest spellcasters, realized what power he channeled. They didn’t understand what he could have become. What could have become him. “I hate to think of the consequences.”

A hand was laid on Emrys’s own. Admerion smiled sweetly. “You have given me more time to win your heart, so I can not find any sadness in Lemuria’s destruction and the Elder Spawn’s downfall.”

Emrys looked at the hand holding his own. “Admerion, release my hand or I will remove it and your arm.”

Admerion smiled teasingly. “As you wish, Princeling.”

Emrys put on an affronted look and glared at Admerion. All the while he was trying to calm his racing heartbeat that started when they touched. Emrys had responsibilities. Falling in love wasn’t an option.

***

Prince Emrys slid his hands into the draping sleeves of his inner robe. There was a chill in the air tonight and the wind made the white silks of his outer robe billow around him. He loved this view. From this balcony in the tower, he could see the whole of Atlantis. Under the night sky the tall spires and towers of white glass reflected the moonlight making the city shine like a polished jewel. On the horizon the blue ocean went on as far as the eye could see. Here under the blanket of stars it was apparent why Atlantis was called the glowing treasure of the sea.

Emrys felt Admerion before he joined him on the balcony, such was their bond. He wore an intricate crimson tunic cut in the latest fashion and a gentle smile was on his face that was only for the man before him.

"The others are worried for you, my love," Adermion cupped Emrys' cheek with his hand.

Prince Emrys sighed, turning into the hand reflexively. "I know. But I can't stop feeling a sense of foreboding. Something is coming."

"Let us not think about that," Admerion pressed their foreheads together.

Prince Emrys looked into his eyes and felt a wave of reassurance. If Admerion told him that everything would be alright then he believed him. After being together for four years trusting Admerion was as easy as breathing. Emrys leaned in and they touched lips and poured all their feelings into the kiss when the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet followed by blood curdling screams. They fell to the floor of the balcony as the entire city began shaking. The screams were louder and they climbed to their feet with great difficulty.

What they saw left them reeling. Demons, creatures of every species, such as vampires, demons, hydras, pyrolisks, cockatrices, werewolves, ogres, and trolls ran across the ocean as if it was solid ground. They streamed from a great rip in the air and pushed themselves into the city. Raging fires engulfed the streets and the city rocked as an explosion took down the medical tower. People ran screaming into the streets and it was pandemonium as monsters chased down their fleeing victims.

“This is impossible,” Admerion face was pale and frozen in horror. “How did they get past the shield?”

Emrys shook his head. His own horror was slowly swept away and burned in the fires of his fury. “The shield was down tonight for diagnostics. Come on! We have to get out there and fight!”

They transformed and jumped over the balcony's railing. They landed right in the middle of chaos. The invading forces were like an army of darkness. Wherever they walked devastation followed in the wake. Warlock and Omega used their combined might to clear the street.

“Get to the Star Dancers!” Warlock shouted over the roar of noise. “You must escape Atlantis!”

Even as he shouted his command the sky was flashing with colors from anti-gravity drive pods as small silver crafts rose into the air, activated their thrusts and disappeared in streaks of light. Swarms of ships followed this same pattern, as more and more Atlanteans piloted the Star Dancers away from the disaster area.

“Go!” Omega ordered the people who had stopped to watch the scene.

They didn’t need telling twice, fleeing down the street to the nearest evacuation facility. Omega and Warlock fought their way up and down the street helping people to evacuation points and destroying as many of the invaders as they could. From the beams of guided plasma that appeared in an adjoining quarter, they knew Solaris and Executioner were doing their part as well to help.

“Oh, gods,” Admerion stared in dismay, pointing at the sky.

The entire fleet of starships that Atlantis had at her disposal rose into the sky. Lights flashed from the ships as their weapon systems came online and let loose a rain of fire down upon the ocean where the creatures streamed from.

The sky unexpectedly lit up with an eerie green glow. The light came from everywhere at once and it carried with it a song. It was a mad cacophony of terrible nightmares, whispers of dread and the promise of eternal torment. The clouds twisted accompanied by a terrible tearing noise as a great clawed hand, ten times the size of any warship, descended from the heavens and struck the warships.

The Chosen could only watch in shock as the Atlantean ships exploded into nothing or crippled so badly that they plummeted into the ocean. The clawed hand formed a twisted shape of a head. Its enormous glaring eyes flashed and rays of spiraling green light struck the city, throwing everyone about as buildings fell into flame.

“He Who Dwells Above In Mist,” Warlock's voice was thick with repulsion. This was his worst nightmare. “A Lord in Shadow.”

Another explosion rocked the streets and they watched in horror as that destructive green ray cut the sky and tore into the Imperium Tower, the heart of the city and home to the royal family and the Chosen.

“No!” Warlock stared in anguished shock as his home exploded before his eyes. “Father! Gaius!”

Omega grabbed him around the middle as he ran toward the burning building. “Stop! Warlock! Emrys, stop! You cannot go back. They might have already gotten to safety.”

“They're gone. I felt it.” Warlock shook his head, thick tears splashing down his cheeks. His body felt kind of numb.

The ground quaked again and the floating platform on which the city rested upon gave a mighty lurch. The stabilizers had been damaged. They were sinking. Omega closed his eyes and telepathically called out to Solaris. Seconds later, he appeared with the Executioner and Nat’ahn in a burst of orange sparkles.

“Quickly, grab me,” Solaris snapped.

Warlock glared. “What! Leave our home? Never! We must stay and fight.” Tears continued falling down his face. He could hear himself talking but at the same time, his voice sounded very far away. “Too many people have died here to just run away.”

The Executioner shared a look with Solaris. Nat’ahn spoke up for them, “Warlock, the city has fallen and soon will sink beneath the sea! The fight goes on, but today we have lost this battle.”

Warlock reluctantly joined their side and Solaris’s teleported them away as a massive tidal wave, cresting at over seventy feet impacted the city. It crushed the supporting infrastructure and drowned most of the invading army. It wasn't long before the city lost its struggle of staying afloat and slowly sunk beneath the waves. The laughing entity in the clouds above howled its joy then vanished along with any remains of the once mighty city.

Atlantis fell at night in blood and sorrow, its people's accomplishments sank beneath the waves and into the deepest myths of history.

***

For six months the army of the Lords in Shadow chased the last remnants of Atlantis. The Chosen protected the flock of fewer than 3,900 survivors the best they could. They kept the refugees on the move, never staying in one place for too long, otherwise as if given some signal the demonic force would descend upon them like hunters. With the constant threat of attack, they also had to worry about dying from the freezing cold.

The Lords in Shadow decided that they must be exterminated at all cost and were throwing all their viciousness into that mission. They unleashed a grand storm across the world that froze everything. It was a time of darkness and a bitter coldness with no spring in sight. It was now the age of ice.

Warlock sought comfort from his friends and in the arms of his soul mate. The loss of his family was still strong and only bearable with them near. The burden of leadership fell on him in this uncertain time. As last of the royal bloodline the people saw him as king and looked to him to guide their every action. It was just another title he had never wanted but now wore with dutiful determination.

“I have finished it,” Emrys stated quietly. The others glanced up from the campfire they huddled around, sitting in a ring on the icy ground.

They shared the same surprise that it was Emrys who had broken the unsteady silence. In his hand was the Videum Crystallus, his treasured keepsake that went with him everywhere these days. They knew why he didn’t part with it. It went unspoken between them. If these were their last days he wanted people to know how they lived, fought, and died. Their legacy must be carried on.

Nat’ahn stared at him unwaveringly. “Are you certain?”

Emrys jammed his hands into the pockets of his thick coat and nodded. “Very certain. The spell is complete. It's like an incomplete form of the Giga Annihilation Program. It works on a similar principle but the power requirements are different and its capacity is limited thusly.”

“What does it do?” asked the Executioner.

Emrys let a chilling smile tug at his lips. “Deal justice.”

An awful scream rent the air and from above a great rip appeared almost half a mile away from their camp. They looked up just as a massive horde of travesties spilled from the portal.

“EVERYONE TO THE STAR DANCERS! FLEE AWAY FAR FROM HERE!”

The people were ready. There was panic but an orderly alarm. They hurriedly boarded the nearest crafts and began lifting off and departing in loose formations. Nat’ahn moved to unsheath a sword from under his jacket. Emrys grabbed his arm.

“Go, Nat’ahn,” The young King commanded him. “This is our time. We are going to finish this fight once and for all or our people will never be safe. Lead them, Nat’ahn. I-We won't survive this fight.”

Nat’ahn looked at the four young men who he secretly thought of as his own children. He had trained them since they were eleven years old. Eleven years later the adults before him stood ready, determined, boldly standing to accept their destiny. He nodded his head shortly and didn’t have any words to say. Goodbye just didn’t seem enough.

They watched their teacher board the last Star Dancer. Its engines pulsed brightly and it was off in a streak of light, off to some place far away. Their armor appeared silently and it was like stepping into a cool breeze. This was their birthright. This was their true form, Chosen. When they willed away their armor that was the disguise. This was who they were always meant to be.

The clouds shifted into the twisted face from six months ago. Its dark red eyes glared at them from on high as the clouds around its face shifted into a massive pair of arms. A harsh wind kicked up causing them to stumble. From the rear of the advancing army, the wind formed into a giant of a creature. It remained formless yet carried the currents around an intangible gigantic shape. It had legs like a man but its arms were great whips of air that churned and stirred like the tornadoes. Its body shifted like a gale appearing and disappearing as if this plane of existence wasn’t enough to hold all that it was. The Sleeper of Nightmares had awakened.

Dropping from the rift was a monstrous gigantic spider that had many legs stretching it taller than the mountains beside it. Its dozen eyes were yellow and seemed to look everywhere at once and they dripped a goo that sizzled and broke the earth when it dropped. The trio was complete. The Master of Silent Spins. They were all here. Nubas, Urero, and Aranneaia. The great court of the Lords in Shadow had convened.

The Executioner let out a silent sigh. “We're not making it out of this alive.”

Warlock nodded grimly. “Here we make our last stand. It was a pleasure being with all of you these last eleven years. I am a better person by knowing you.”

Solaris let out a laugh that lacked its usual humor. “Oh, Emrys. Sentimental to the very end. I will miss you, my friend. I will miss all of you.”

Omega gave Warlock’s hand a quick squeeze and smiled sadly. “The years have been incredible. I love you two like brothers and Emrys, king or not, you will always be my princeling. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Warlock said and meant it with everything that he was. There was still so much to say but there wasn't time. The army was almost upon them and the Lords in Shadow were right behind them. “We have to do this now. This is our only solid shot of taking them out.”

The Executioner's grin was feral. “Let’s do this.”

Solaris mirrored it. “I hope this spell of yours works.”

“It will,” Omega spoke up for Emrys.

Warlock instructed them to gather in a formation around him. They joined hands and one by one their bodies gave off a luminescent light. A bright shining gold that formed a tangible shield around them. The demonic army came upon them like a flood. They hacked, slashed, clawed, and gnawed but their emerging powers acted like a powerful shield that stopped their attacks easily. The army was like a river and they were a rock that remained strong and unyielding in the current.

The air twisted and it became an oppressing weight that threatened to crush them. The Lords in Shadow were tired of sitting back. It was time to play. Their power rushed out carelessly, melting through their army, and killing the earth as it poured forward. It beat against their shield and their very hearts were struck with a sudden grip of such awful coldness that it brought them to their knees, as everything that made them human was shown the true horrors of the shadows.

Warlock took the power the others were pouring out and added it to his own. The incantation for the spell he had designed for this sole use tumbled off his lips easily. He became a shining beacon of gold as the monstrous entities closed in on all sides. This was it. Warlock met Omega’s eyes and sent a silent promise. They would meet again. The final incantation shook the air and rattled the Earth.

“JUSTICE APOCALYPSE!”

From the southern pole of the Earth a shining gold light radiated like a new star and swept over the planet in a purifying wave of karmic justice. Creatures, demons, monsters and entities that hungered darkness above all things, were plucked from the darkest corners and deepest holes. With screams of rage their molecules were ripped apart and banished into a pocket universe, a dimension cut off from this one, and all others.

The Lords in Shadow contested their power against this prevailing radiance but it was too late to challenge the phenomenon. They were ripped apart like their demonic kin and they too were banished from this realm by a vast force. The light melted the ice into nothingness, bringing a thankful spring that immediately warmed the globe. The light sucked back in on itself, finishing the spell by sealing off the breach between the two realms.

The Chosen fell to the ground, dead. Every last bit of energy they had, even their life force, went into the avenging spell. Their unmoving bodies lay in the now green field. Each wore a look of peaceful bliss upon his face.

One by one their bodies pulsed and faded out of existence. The spell completed its last phase. It sent their bodies into the ether, shredding their physical forms, and storing their souls so that one day they would be reborn. The seal wouldn’t hold forever. Nothing could last an eternity.

When the seal failed they would be there, ready to again take on the fight against the darkness.

***         

I blinked my eyes clearing my vision of swirling pale dots.

It took several moments before I found my voice. “What the flying fuck was that!”

The operations room came into focus and I put a hand on my throbbing head. I glared at the book that was now closed and then stared at the others. Their lost expressions were stark on their pale faces. Just like me. I felt like I had just climbed out of a powered washing machine.

“I need to sit down,” Killian muttered, falling into a chair.

Adam grabbed me and held tight. “Was that real? Did all that really happen?”

Did it? I looked at the book and then at him. “Y-yeah,” I replied shakily. “All of it was real. The Videum Crystallus recorded everything and stored it in its database.”

“I’m having a real Marty McFly flashback,” Ryan joined Killian in sinking down into a chair.

Who are you telling? Adam rubbed the goosebumps that sprung up on my arms. That had felt so weird. Were we really there? No. I knew we hadn’t left this room. It was merely recordings downloaded into our brains via the link we created when we touched the book. I closed my eyes. So those were our last days? I felt like such a wuss compared to Emrys. How could I measure up to that kind of bravery? I was a Hufflepuff more than a Gryffindor I would say. Although a badger was kind of lame.

“Okay, I think I can see why we need to fear the Lords now,” Killian ran a wobbly hand through his hair. His face was an ashen white that spoke of recent horrors.

The doors swished open at that moment. We looked up immediately tensing ready to attack whatever moved. Nathaniel stepped into the room garbed in casual business attire, looking GQ as usual. His dark hair was swept back and those piercing green eyes took us in. A flicker of alarm appeared as he measured us. We looked a sorry sight.

“What happened? You look you’ve just seen a ghost?” Nathaniel dropped his bag.

I chuckled. It was a small laugh but it was something. “You could say that.” I smiled at him. “It’s good to see you. Did everything go okay?”

Nathaniel grinned and a gleam of triumphant shone in his eyes. “It went better than well.”

He reached into his pocket and produced a sword. No. It was big as hell but it wasn’t a sword. It was a dagger. Its blade was maybe four inches bigger than a usual dagger blade, however. The blade edge was a dark red and the rest was shining silver. It looked sharp as hell and deadly. There was something off about it. I couldn’t put my finger on it. But this was no ordinary blade. I would bet my sister on it.

“What is that?” I asked.

Nathaniel held it up to the light. “This is called the Giant’s Dagger. It was forged in the fires of the unholiest pit of Hell. The exact spot Lucier fell.”

“Shadows Bane,” Ryan said with a glint of recognition in his eye. “We all thought it was a myth.”

Nathaniel nodded. “That we did. A secret sect has been protecting and hiding the Dagger for eons for this one purpose. Only something made in the pits of Hell can unmake what was born in Hell. This is the weapon that will bring down even a Lord in Shadow.”

The name of the blade had rung a set of bells in my head. I looked at the dagger and a fiery song of finality sang through my veins. It was like my soul had been waiting for some type of sign or portent. It now had it and I knew this was it. My back straightened and I walked to stand in front of my friends. Purpose and a strong resolve were supporting me.

“It’s time,” I stated strongly. “We have seen the past.” They all nodded, faces grim. I continued on, “We can’t let them sit back and plan our slaughter like they did our last lives. Too many people were lost. Many good people. We have sat back on the defensive too long. Monsters break free from the Ever After. We find and kill them. They muster up a first strike force. We destroyed them. They send an invasion and almost permanently freeze our planet. We stopped them. One of their kind even attacked me in my own home. I say no more.” My voice grew confident and stronger with each word. At the same time, I was getting angry. Angry at the crimes committed that they had yet to atone for. “I’m tired of standing back and waiting.”

Adam nodded slowly. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes,” I replied, seeing my resolve reflected in his hazel eyes. “I am. It’s time that we go on the offensive. I say we take the power away from them and make them go on the defensive for once. We have the Giant’s Dagger and a way to kill them once and for all. I want to end this. Truly end this. They want an apocalypse. Then let’s give them one. There is one thing on this planet stronger than evil. That’s us. We were given these powers by the gods for a reason. Let’s make them proud.”

Nathaniel laid a hand on my shoulder and smiled warmly. “Well said, my prince.”

I observed the others. Ryan and Killian looked to be in total agreement and solemnly nodded their support. Adam’s eyes shined with pride and love. I let out a breath of relief. They had my back. I made the right decision. It was payback time. I looked at the dagger and knew that it would do as legend foretold. It could kill anything from Hell. Ready or not here we come, you bastards. It's time to settle up.

Somewhere in the world, a clock struck twelve.

Happy New Year.