《A Descent Into Madness》


 Prologue

    Wednesday June 6th 2007.


    The beautiful young woman had smooth blonde hair that was long and had a stunning sheen to it. She had been a track star all throughout high school into college giving her a toned physique before she settled down and gave birth to her precious son Matthius. She had captivating blue eyes that instantly stole her husband''s heart. However, her once vibrant eyes fell grey as she lay crumpled in a bloody heap on the eggshell white carpet in her bedroom. Her body mangled from the visceral attack that happened moments earlier.


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


    Tuesday June 5th, 2007


    She had been watching her favorite cooking program, ¡°Showdown Diners¡±, a delightful series about rivaling diners in East Texas, vying to win the prize of a fully paid for remodel of their establishments. The episodes usually lasted around an hour; so, like clockwork, she winds down and prepares for a nightly routine shortly after the guilty pleasure of the mundane program. She had put sweet little Matthius to bed only an hour or so before her program came on. This week''s competition came to a close with Frannie''s Diner, a splendid little dive in Kilgore, TX, winning the top spot for the week after a rather impressive Southern Style meal. As she stretched her arms and began to stand, she yawned deeply from an exhausting day of grocery shopping and keeping her little one entertained and happy at a large local park.


    Heading up the wooden stairs to her son¡¯s bedroom, she stopped and quietly opened the door to Matthius''s room. Peering in and seeing that her sweet boy was fast asleep with his little thumb pushed firmly into his tiny mouth, she said goodnight to her baby boy and gently closed the door. Yawning and trying to let her mind escape from the tedious todo list that she always had playing in her mind she entered her master bedroom. Without warning an uneasiness fell over her. A feeling that can only be described as dread, a cold shiver rushed through her frozen body causing goosebumps to rise and fall over her skin. She could feel the tiny hairs on her body scratching at her clothes which gave her a sense of falling through the air.


    Without understanding of why, she sensed a presence, dark and looming, inside her room just above where she was standing. A throat rumbling and maniacal laugh ascended from the ceiling had her frozen in place. Breathing quickly, she could not bring her eyes to look upon what sinister being had emitted the disturbing and somewhat gleeful laugh.


    "My Dear, this will all go so much more smoothly if you just look upon me." A gravelly voice said. Still paralyzed with terror, her eyes remained fixed upon her nightstand drawer directly to the right hand side of the king size bed.


    "Look at me" The voice boomed.


    She raised her eyes tepidly. What she saw sent waves of shivers down her spine. The creature was inky black with crimson tattoos that flowed like a river upon him depicting scenes of gruesome atrocities such as murder and rape. As her eyes gazed upon his body, she realized that he had a human form besides his unusual skin color, size, moving tattoos, and the jagged claws on each of his hands. She was now staring at his claws petrified, noticing that they slid in and out of his hands with every breath. He was also very tall with a muscled physique. Seeing her eyes fall upon him, he smiled revealing his razor sharp teeth that looked as if they had been filed to point. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "There you go. Now, my Dear, you don''t know me; however, that is no matter. All you need to know is that your beloved husband does, and I warned him this day would come. To put it plainly, my name is Nerraz; I am a demon lord and a servant of Lucifer." He raised a hand to silence her as she tried to respond continuing on, "The men who your husband serves, disrupted my plans, recently causing Lucifer to be deeply displeased. As you may know, I cannot allow that to stand. Repartitions must be made and blood must be spilled in atonement for this failure."


    His voice was matter of fact as if what he was saying was completely rational and anyone could understand it. She spoke weakly, "This is all in my head; this can''t be real."


    "Oh but I am all too real, Dear." He stated bluntly.


    "Please!" She begged. " I have a son. He needs me here; don''t take that away from him. Don''t take his mother away from him." As she spoke the words became increasingly desperate, but Nerraz did not sympathize. "You don''t have to do this... I haven''t done anything wrong."


    With one step, a step that was so fast that it made the room vibrate. And just like that he was so close to her she could feel him breathing. Nerraz had grabbed her by the neck, his claws digging into the supple flesh and hissed, "It matters not. Your husband and his order cost me everything. He will pay and your blood is the price I demand." He hurled her across the room towards the bed and she hit the buttery yellow wall with a sickening crunch. Her screams of agony resonated in his ears like a sweet and harmonious symphony. She struggled to move; however, in horror, she realized she was completely paralyzed from the waist down.


    Inching over to her now limp body, Nerraz cackled.¡±¡°This will not be painless and it will not be over quickly. Revenge must be savored, and I intend to do just that." He ran his index claw across her unmoving legs moving it slowly up her legs toward her now exposed midsection. He placed his palm upon the soft skin of her toned stomach and proceeded to squeeze his hand into a fist causing his jagged claws to penetrate deep within her belly. She screamed out in excruciating pain. "Please...." She pleaded, finding only deaf ears as Nerraz methodically flayed her body until she passed out from shock.


    When she awoke, all she saw was pointed teeth grinning wickedly. Her body was completely eviscerated; the searing pain that came from it was unbearable. He had done unspeakable things to her, but for reasons unknown to her, he had left her face completely unscathed besides the damage left from being thrown against the wall.


    "I''ve had my fun. It''s time for you to atone for your husband, my Dear. I''m sorry it had to be this way. Lucifer does not accept failure. Make your peace with your fate."


    "What about my son..." Her words barely came out a whisper as her body began to fail her from loss of blood.


    "Quiet." Nerraz ordered.


    He grabbed her by the neck once more and lifted her up. "Goodbye, my Dear." He whispered in her ear. With those words, Nerraz squeezed her neck firmly till he felt the satisfying snap. Dropping her lifeless body upon the floor, he walked out of the room towards Matthius''s room.


    Lucifer had been very clear. One life was required to enter the realm of hell once more. Until that life had been offered up, he was banished from his home. The offering was complete; he was free to return home now. However, he knew his master despised loose ends. As he walked into the small room, he was fully resolved in his decision to murder the child as well. Creeping up to the crib, he gazed down at the little boy with dark chocolate brown hair and a pale complexion sleeping soundly with his thumb still secure in his mouth. In that moment upon seeing the child, all Nerraz''s resolve vanished instead consumed with thoughts of his son, Dergam. Trembling, he began having doubts. He knew the sleep spell he had placed on the boy prior to attacking his mother would wear off soon; however, he no longer had a desire to harm this child. He knew it was weakness, but that night, he left the child choosing to return home to his own son rather than carry out more revenge. "Daddy is coming home, Dergam. At long last, I''m coming home."

 Chapter 1

    Beep!


    Beep!


    Beep!


    The high pitched assault on his ears from his alarm woke Matthius from his restless slumber. Shit¡­ Can I just get a few more minutes?. He thought as he ran his hands through his fine brown hair. He threw his legs over the side of his bed. His feet hitting the icy tile floor of his bedroom, he shivered and stood up slowly. Every step was like walking on a frozen floor. He walked into the small adjoining bathroom shuffling toward the mirror. Placing his hands on the off-white sink, he peered into the mirror. His bloodshot eyes were sunken in from lack of sleep.


    Ever since the incident, he had slept like shit. His dreams had become so vivid that they could no longer be considered nightmares. Instead they had solidly entered the realm of night terrors. He would wake up in a cold sweat screaming after seeing his mother being viciously attacked by a demonic being. Her face was exactly like the old pictures he had of her, but when he tried to remember her without the pictures, she was just a blurry figure of his past. What did it mean? Why did it all feel so real like he was reliving a buried memory? According to his estranged father, his mother had been murdered in a home robbery after startling the criminal in their master bedroom.


    Lately, Matthius had questioned that narrative though. These night terrors were much too real to him; something wasn¡¯t adding up. These terrors didn¡¯t feel like a dream, they were more like a memory. . Being a raging alcoholic and drug addict, his doubt was definitely justified as his father had never been a reliable source of information. Since the loss of his beloved, his father had sunken into depression and grief so powerful that all his responsibilities fell to the wayside.


    As his descent into darkness became more and more detrimental to the health and the well being of his son, Matthius had been sent to be raised by his father¡¯s sister, Aunt Tami. He barely knew his father, and every time he had actually been successful in convincing his aunt to see him, it had been a futile exercise in reestablishing a relationship. Whoever his father had been prior to his mother¡¯s murder or whatever demonic ritual plagued his mind, was long gone replaced by a shell of the man he¡¯d been.


    He was sickeningly skinny with his eyes bulging out of the sockets from malnutrition. He wore the same tattered clothes every day ( A heavy metal T-shirt with the Horseman of the Apocalypse on it covered in vomit and some ripped up blue jeans someone had given to him months maybe even years prior).On more than one occasion as he grew older and earned his own income, Matthius had tried to get his dad new clothes and help him get an apartment; however, his efforts were in vain. Drugs and booze had completely taken over his father¡¯s life; no one could save him from his addictions anymore.


    Growing up, Matthius was an easy child and never wanted for anything. Aunt Tami was young and beautiful, and even more than beauty she was a successful lawyer. She had a massive apartment in the upper-side of the great town of Fremont. She was the most gentle and understanding person that he had ever met. Holding him when he broke down from the weight of it all, she never let her job obstruct her relationship with her nephew who she considered her own son. She had never been married, which had always confused Matthius.


    She was stunningly gorgeous with the most vibrant red curly hair that always made heads turn. Paired with that, she had piercing green eyes that seemed to cut right through any bullshit anyone told. She was a shorter woman, but had near flawless skin besides a spackling of freckles. Many suitors had tried to make an honest woman out of her, but they had all been greeted with the same cool dismissal. She only cared about one person in her life, Matthius.


    Matthius had struggled in school and was bullied incessantly. He remembered, when he was in fourth grade, they had a discussion about this.


    ¡°Kids are assholes, Matty. Don¡¯t let their hurtful words get you down, okay?¡± Aunt Tami said sympathetically.


    ¡°I just struggle. I can never seem to focus on my work, and the kids in class call me hateful things because I can¡¯t keep up with the teacher¡¯s lesson.¡± Matthius said mournfully. ¡°I feel absolutely hopeless, like something is wrong with me.¡±


    She looked into his golden brown eyes as they filled with tears. ¡° Matty, the world is cruel, but you are so much stronger than you know. You are a very bright and talented young man. They only say those awful things because they are either missing love in their lives at home or they perceive you as a threat. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°But, Momma (he called her Momma maybe in part because he loved her like a Mom, and partly because it helped lift the weight of his missing parent.) don¡¯t feel that way. I can¡¯t concentrate. ¡° He shuffled his feet nervously looking down at the wooden floors of the dining room. ¡° What if, the kids are right. Maybe I am retarded.¡±


    So swiftly, Matthius couldn¡¯t even react, she grabbed my trembling hands in hers. ¡°Don¡¯t let me ever hear you say that hurtful word again, young man. You know better than that!¡± Her voice rose slightly then softened as she saw more tears welling in my eyes. ¡° Oh, Matty, I wish you knew just how special you are. Someday, you will know exactly what I¡¯m talking about, but for now, all I ask is that you just trust me. You are going to be so much more than those naive little boys will ever know.¡±


    Those words had stuck with Matthius, and although he didn¡¯t understand exactly what she had meant, he felt comforted. As the years went by his grades started to improve. The once awkward little boy with the stunning golden brown eyes grew to be the most handsome and intelligent young man in Fremont High School. Young woman flocked to him especially when he became the star basketball player, but only one had stolen his heart. She was a track star with long jet black hair and the most captivating blue eyes he had ever seen. She had a septum piercing, that his Aunt disapproved of and let Matthias know about almost daily. She saw this rebellious act as a bad influence on her little Matthias. Quite frankly, Matthius didn¡¯t give a damn though. He respected his Aunt, but she was much more than the piercing in her nose.


    Her name was Samantha or Sam for short. She was an incredible athlete and an even better kisser. However, that wasn¡¯t what he loved most about her; rather, he loved how incredibly intelligent she was. They had deep and meaningful conversations about; politics, geography, the collapsing social order that democracy was lacking since the creation of social media. She also was a huge nerd. They would spend their weekends reading comics together or watching the latest superhero flick in theaters. Things were so simple and easy with Sam. He felt a connection unlike any he had ever experienced before then with her.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    When Graduation Day came, they went and celebrated with Aunt Tami and Sam¡¯s family. All seemed so right in the world. Shortly after graduation, Matthius and Sam had decided to get an apartment together as they were going to be going to the same college, Truman University, just outside of Fremont. Having grown to adore Samantha, Aunt Tami helped them pay for the deposit on their new place.


    She was always so supportive of Little Matty and all that he wanted to do. So paying for all his college courses as well as getting him a top of the line laptop for his studies, was an easy decision for her. He hadn¡¯t taken any of this for granted and promised someday to pay her back; nevertheless, she insisted that it was not necessary. Everything was coming together, and Matthius and Sam were absolutely content and deeply in love.


    Then as quickly as it had begun, it all fell apart. The first night terror had shaken Matthius to his core. What the fuck was that? His sunken eyes showed that he has not been sleeping well. He was scared, maybe more than that, he was terrified, and began losing sleep and some nights he wouldn¡¯t even sleep at all. Trying so hard to understand what was happening to her lover, Sam comforted him every morning, but soon there was nothing she could do to help. He was falling apart as if tortured by some unforeseeable force. She would hold him close and kiss his sweat laden forehead, but eventually, her own studies and goals began to suffer because of her commitment to him. He remembered their conversation as he stared into the mirror this morning.


    ¡°What can I do to help, Honey?¡± She asked


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sam. I am trying so hard to be better, but nothing is helping. Even my therapists are having trouble figuring out what exactly is wrong with me.. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m cursed or something.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t cursed.¡± She stared at him concerned. ¡° We just need to find another therapist who can make sense of it all.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Honey. We have already gone through three in the last month. Not to mention four fucking physicians and sleep studies that have gotten us nowhere closer to any answers.¡± He was frustrated,; but seeing her hand withdraw slightly, he said softly, ¡° I¡¯m sorry, Sam. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I can¡¯t keep doing this to you though. What happens when I finally snap. By then, it will be too late, and what if, God forbid, I hurt you? I¡¯d never fucking forgive myself.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± She said in a faint whisper.


    ¡°I love you, Sam, but I can¡¯t let you continue to destroy your future for me.¡± He said solemnly.


    ¡°No that¡¯s my choice to make, dammit!¡± She raised her voice in desperation. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make that for me. Fuck you for even trying. I love you, Matty¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you too, but I can¡¯t drag you down anymore, Sam. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Before she could respond he had stood up and walked out of the apartment. She sat there in stunned silence. As he walked down the stairs to the entrance of the apartment complex, Matthius felt an indescribable pain. He knew he had done the right thing, but it didn¡¯t make it hurt any less. The other more undesirable thought running through his head was much darker. His phone was buzzing in the pocket of his blue jeans; he ignored it. It was most definitely either Sam or his Aunt; right now, he couldn¡¯t speak to either.


    This was the daily struggle he faced. His mind was tortured by the things that no one else could see. How many times had he been told that what he was going through he could just ¡°push¡± through.Those very sentiments always made him feel as if he had done something wrong or like this totally intangible feeling was his fault. Many times he had gone to the therapist and explained his issues only to receive the same empty response: ¡°Well you know things could be worse. Try to think of all the good in your life.¡±


    He had tried so hard to explain to them that he felt completely helpless like he had no control over his own emotions anymore. He would go from one professional to another with varying opinions, but most of the time it would always end up the same way. They would ask him their series of probing questions, and then before he left their office, they would prescribe him some form of useless medication that only caused his problems to become more pronounced.


    It was the single most flawed system in the country. The Psychologist and therapist did not give two shits about their patients; at the end of the day, they were all just a payday for them. Mental health was a profitable market to be in. These professionals and the drug companies they supported were sucking the life out of the helpless. Only one time had Matthius met a psychologist who truly cared. He would let there meetings run long understanding fully that what Matthius felt was legitimate and that perhaps drugs weren¡¯t the solution. Unfortunately, just after his third visit with him, Matthius was given the news that he had passed away from a brain aneurysm. So now here he was feeling completely hollow and alone; his thoughts fixed on what he felt was the only solution.


    Without thinking, he got on the number 23 bus and headed uptown. I have to do this. It¡¯s the only way. He was trying to convince himself still, but as he did so, he hopped off the number 23 and walked onto the Fremont Bridge. All around him, bystanders were on the bridgewalk eating melting ice cream cones and smiling joyously. Fuck could have picked a better place than this. Oh well¡­ Fuck it. This is the only way tobe free of this torture. I¡¯m sorry, Sam. I love you¡­ Please, forgive me.


    With that thought, he sprinted toward the bridge railing attempting to jump over. Little did he know a portly Fremont Police officer, with a chubby face and classic cliche mustache, had been observing him cautiously as he was still in his pajamas and looking rather out of place among the jubilant bridge visitors. He tackled him just before he could hurl himself over the railing. Landing with a heavy thud, the man''s weight knocked the breath out of Matthius, and struggling to break free of the officer''s grip, he accidentally slammed his elbow into the officer¡¯s vulnerable nose causing blood to gush from it.


    ¡°Calm down, kid.¡± He said firmly but with compassion still in voice somehow. ¡° You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Please, it¡¯s the only way.¡± Matthius pleaded. ¡° I have no other choice.¡±


    ¡°You always have a choice, kid. Hold still I got an ambulance on the way.¡±


    He was admitted to the local mental ward. They said it would be only a 72 hour hold, but after several evaluations, the doctors and psychologist deemed he would need to be held for an additional 14 days. Several people came to visit him while he recovered: his Aunt, the officer who¡¯d saved his life, and his best friend from high school.The one person he wanted to see more than any other; however, couldn¡¯t bear to see him, his Aunt admitted to him.


    Now three weeks later, he was home. While he was in the ward, Sam had moved out, but she had left him a letter:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dear Matty,


    This feels like such a shitty thing to do, to leave without goodbye with only this letter to explain why, but it is the only way. I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t come visit you. After our last conversation, I could no longer bear to see you especially when I found out what you had attempted to do. If I was the cause for that terrible decision, I¡¯m so sorry. You are my world; life feels utterly empty without you, but I think we both know that it¡¯s best to be apart for now. I want you to know that I am not moving from town or going to try and find someone else. You are my always; nothing will change that. Please forgive me for everything that happened. I feel responsible for it all, and I will forever carry that weight with me till the day I die. I will wait for you. Please take care of yourself and don¡¯t ever think that what you chose to do is the only solution you have. I love you, Matty.


    Love, Sam


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He knew he shouldn¡¯t have, but he taped the letter to his mirror to remind him daily of what he¡¯d lost. This was both saddening and motivating to him. She said she would wait. Whatever the fuck was wrong with him, absolutely nothing was going to keep him from being with her again someday.

 Chapter 2

    Gazing into the once spotless but now utterly filthy mirror, Matthius thought about the day ahead of him. During his time in the mental ward, his aunt had grown quite fond of the officer who had stopped him on the bridge. She had asked him to join them for lunch today.


    Officer Bradley Youst had introduced himself rather sheepishly to Aunt Tami. Later, she would tell Matthius that according to Officer Youst, he was absolutely smitten by her beauty. She too had fallen for the rotund yet sincere officer rather quickly.


    ¡°No one has ever made me this happy, Matty.¡± She gushed to him after their first date. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. I don¡¯t know if before now I¡¯d ever met one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Mom.¡± Matthius said fondly. ¡°You deserve to be happy.¡±


    ¡°How can I be though? It¡¯s selfish with you being in the position you are.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± He said curtly. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think like that. I¡¯m a grown man. It¡¯s about damn time I took care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Matty, you just lost your beautiful girlfriend and attempted suicide. You need me.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I need to do this on my own. I¡¯m not going to drag everyone down in my life. I will be okay. I promise. Now please can we discuss something else. My head is killing me from sleep deprivation and dehydration.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Matty. I care, that''s all.¡± She said defeated.


    ¡°That I will never doubt.¡± He assured her.


    Matthius stumbled away from his sink, and sunk to his knees. After several painful bouts of heaving, he threw up all the contents of his stomach. This fucking morning just gets better and better. He thought, holding his aching abdomen. I can¡¯t be late for this lunch. I promised Mom I¡¯d be okay. I have to be fucking okay.


    The last thing Matthius ever wanted was to worry or upset his aunt. Unfortunately, today, something was much more noticeable than before. He was completely shaken by a terrifying occurrence in his dream the previous night. Though much of the dream was the same, there was one bone chilling difference: The entity in the terror gazed directly upon him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    In that moment, Matthius knew that what he had been dreaming for months upon months was sickeningly real. Fuck¡­ What does it all mean? Why am I dreaming about that particular woman? Who is she? As he pondered these thoughts, he lifted himself up and collapsed roughly into his shower.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed angrily. ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡±


    He felt a release from cursing, but it was short lived as the pain in his head doubled from his clumsy fall. Feeling his scalp gingerly, his hand came back bloody. Fuck my life. May need stitches. He groaned in pain. I can¡¯t call Mom; she will freak the fuck out, and that will ruin things with Officer Youst. Gotta come up with a good excuse for not showing up.


    He felt something sticky trickling down his neck. Dripping off his hair, he felt his back getting wet. He didn¡¯t have to look to know that the bleed was bad. What in God''s name had his head hit. That¡¯s when he noticed the bottle of Jim Beam he had stashed in the shower the evening prior. I guess, drinking really does kill.


    He laughed at his own ridiculous joke and attempted to pull himself off the aquamarine tile floor of his shower. Bad fucking idea! He fell back down with a thunk. Now his ass hurt and he was not anywhere closer to getting out of his shower. Thank God I¡¯m not naked, at least. Reaching for his phone in his left pocket, he jerked his hand back and swore once again.


    ¡°Fuuuuuuuccccckkkkk! Can¡¯t a guy catch a guy catch just one fucking break!!!¡± He roared as he stared down in disbelief at his lacerated hand.


    His damn screen had broken on his cell. Very carefully, he reached into the same pocket for his seemingly cracked device. After successfully retrieving with no more injuries to speak of, Matthius peered at the shattered screen in dismay. It won¡¯t turn on. Shit¡­ What now?


    Is this how it ends? Honestly, it¡¯s so pathetic. Rather fitting if you ask me. Maybe it¡¯s exactly what I deserve. Maybe secretly, I¡¯ve wanted this all along. Then he thought about Sam. He knew this couldn¡¯t be the end. He wasn¡¯t ready to lose her especially not in this asinine way.


    He grabbed hold of his navy blue shower curtain. Lift your ass up, man. He chided himself. You gotta be strong for Sam. This can¡¯t be the end. Heaving his athletic body with all his might, he once again came crashing down.


    No! No! No! Dammit!


    Growing increasingly desperate, Matthius tried with all his might to get back up; however, as he did so, his vision became spotty. His head was spinning now, and once again he felt the sudden urge to vomit. A fraction of a second later, he did just that. Before he could even register what was happening, he blacked out.

 Chapter 3

    Matthius was dreaming again. He knew that all perception of the world outside was fading away, replaced by the horrifying alternate reality he had lived in his mind over and over. He was watching the young woman with great intensity again. She was were she had always been at the beginning of this scenario, watching something on her small little flatscreen television.


    He noticed, as he always did, that she was quite captivatingly beautiful with her long sun-kissed blonde hair and her aqua blue eyes. Her body was very trim, and Matthius always remembered thinking that she definitely must work out regularly. The wry smile on her face and quiet chuckle emanating from her lips made him feel a twinge of sadness.


    He knew what was about to occur. Please don¡¯t make me watch this again. I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t be helpless, powerless again. Without any regard to his pleas though, time moved forward; he was now following the woman as she checked on her son. Unlike previous times; however, he heard her say something that sent ice rushing through his veins.


    ¡°Goodnight, Matthius. Mommy loves you so much.¡± Her words gushed with the deepest love that only a mother would have.


    Matthius felt tears welling in his eyes. No¡­ He thought despairingly as the reality of what his night terrors had been sunk deep within. Mom? That can¡¯t be right. She died in the robbery. The police had fucking confirmed it. Seeing through the lies now, Matthius knew that what he had been dreaming for months, what had utterly tortured him to the depths which he sunk so deeply into, was his own mother¡¯s actual death.


    His mind was racing now. He followed his mom as she entered the master bedroom. Please God. Not this again. Fucking anything but this. His pleas fell on deaf ears as a menacing voice spoke to his mother in the doorway of the room. The demonic figure spoke, "My Dear, this will all go so much more smoothly if you just look upon me."


    Matthius had heard this line so many times, but this time it was even more terrifying than before. Mom¡­ Run. Knowing this was a useless venture made his heart sink into his stomach. The demon spoke more; however, Matthius¡¯s focus was on his mother. Her beautiful face was now distorted by the horror he knew she must be feeling. Her lips trembled as she pleaded with the entity.


    His eyes drifted to the demon¡¯s body. Stunned by the flowing tattoos that covered the creature''s entire body, he trembled. The depictions of murder and rape were so visceral that he had to avert his gaze. Fuck. What the hell is this thing? It was a rhetorical question; he knew that whatever this thing was its (His) name was Nerraz.


    Eyes averted knowing what came next, Matthius cringed as he heard the crunch of his mother¡¯s body striking the bedroom wall. He sobbed, and losing his resolve, he lifted his head and stared upon his mother¡¯s mangled body. More than seeing a demonic being; what happened next was what fucked him up the most. Stolen novel; please report.


    Stomach churning, he watched Nerraz blithely mutilating his mother. This went on for some time, and Matthius squirmed with each nauseating slice he witnessed. The sheer bliss on Nerraz¡¯s twisted face was disturbing. Matthius shivered.


    Like a vile surgeon, Nerraz went about his task. Matthius watched his mother squeal in anguish as the demon¡¯s barbed claws sawed through her skin with ease. Methodically, he removed various layers of her skin leaving patches where muscle and bone could be seen. Not long into this torment, his mother passed out. For awhile longer, Nerraz continued his sick operation By the time he got bored with his torture, Matthius¡¯s mother looked as if she had been mauled by a crazed animal.


    Squeezing her neck, Nerraz lifted his mother¡¯s limp body into the air. Blood was seeping from seemingly every pore of her body. Jesus. I can¡¯t stop this. It already happened. Mom, I¡¯m so sorry. Why did this happen to you? He heard her neck break and watched as her lifeless body slumped forward and tumbled to the floor in front of Nerraz. The once vivid white carpet was now stained with the viscous blood of his now deceased mother. He stared at her body for what seemed like an eternity.


    When he broke from his trance, he turned around and found himself staring directly into the demonic face of Nerraz. Jumping back startled, Matthius spoke to the demon lord.


    ¡°Why? Why her you demented motherfucker?!¡±


    ¡°Dear Boy, it was the only way for me to return home.¡± He said matter-of -factly. ¡°Your father cost me everything. A price had to be paid.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you. Tell me why you are here now. Tell me why this conversation is happening. Tell me why you are fucking in my head.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You are special; just like your weakling of a father. You have a gift. I will offer you this only once as I did with your father something which he disregarded thus leading to today''s events. Don¡¯t pursue me. I promise you, you will regret it. There will be a penalty, that I can guarantee. Do you understand that if nothing else?¡±


    Matthius remained silent piecing the Demon with his golden eyes. Nerraz chuckled, shaking his head slowly.


    ¡°Like father, like son, huh? No matter.¡± He said coldly. ¡°I will not hesitate to punish you like I did your father.¡±


    With those menacing words hanging in the air, Nerraz vanished from sight. Matthius fell to his knees. Confused and utterly defeated, he thought of the threat that the demon lord had uttered. He didn¡¯t care anymore. Whatever had just happened, he was going to make Nerraz pay for his mother¡¯s murder, that is if he didn¡¯t die from his head wound before he had the chance. Wake up! Wake the hell up, dammit!


    Willing his eyes open, he awoke from his dream. A blurry and perplexing scene was unfolding in front of him. Two older men in business attire were tending to his wound.


    ¡°Lie still.¡± One of the burly men said to him. ¡°We got you.¡±


    Matthius weakly raised his right hand to push the mysterious figure away, but the second man pushed his hand back down. There was a black cloth in his hand. Matthius'' brain was still foggy; however, he knew that whatever was on the cloth was not pleasant. Struggling to break free, he watched helplessly as the man placed the cloth over his nose. A sickeningly sweet smell assaulted his nostrils; then once more everything faded away leaving only darkness.

 Chapter 4

    Frank Janson peered down at the now slumped over body in front of him and his partner Mark. Both men were sweating profusely as they attempted to lift the body up. Chloroform had knocked him out cold, but that didn¡¯t make carrying the 6¡¯4¡±, 240 lbs. young man any easier. The young man was named Matthius according to the information they were given. He smelled like a distillery mixed with the nauseating stench of vomit. His gray t-shirt was steeped in blood from the wound on his head. He looked rather pathetic in his plaid boxers covered in vomit. Frank felt sorry for him. Poor kid. He didn¡¯t deserve this curse. I wish I didn¡¯t have to draw you in further, kid; but I have no choice. You may be our only hope.


    They had been ordered to bring him to the Sanctum. Their order, known as the Vizacs, had a great interest in him; Frank and Mark were to bring him before their leader, Zachariah Treagar. Both, he and his partner, were the best the order had to offer. Frank grunted in frustration at the thought of this. He had been in the order his whole life, but it never failed that when an initiate or at least, hopeful initiate, needed a nudge into the right direction or to be rescued from themselves as so often was the case, he was always called. He wasn¡¯t a young man anymore; his graying hair proved that.


    After the disaster in 2007 though, the order had suffered. Where once so many young men and women had the gift, those numbers had begun to dwindle. Their enemies, however, had grown in power and influence. Wherever they went, corrupted minds and devastation followed. The order utilized all their members to stop this infestation, but they were too weak to make a substantial impact.


    Desperation had settled into their organization like a parasite feeding off their insecurities and growing doubts of the validity of their once noble cause. Had their enemies finally won the war? Not if he had anything to do about it. He ran his hand across his unkempt silver-gray beard. It was time for the procedure. This kid''s life depended on him remaining focused.


    ¡°Let''s lay him on the bed here, Mark. We gotta stop the bleeding. ¡° Frank instructed.


    ¡°Sure thing, Frank.¡± Mark grunted.


    They heaved the limp body onto the queen size bed staining the light blue sheets with crimson red blood. Sinking into the soft mattress, Frank sat down beside Matthius¡¯s body. What a fucking mess. Sorry, kid. I guess, I''m gonna owe you some new sheets. Aww, what the hell. I guess I¡¯m getting soft in my old age.


    Frank had the rarest gift of them all. He was what the order called an Iach or, in layman terms, a healer. He had no medical degree; however, his gift was something much more special. As he sat by the young man, he gingerly rolled him over to examine the head injury.


    ¡°Shit, he did a number to himself. Hold him steady for me will you, Mark.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Mark reached over the young man¡¯s body using one arm to keep him in place on his side. What happened next could not be explained by science or any theory developed by man. Frank¡¯s hand began to radiate; a golden light emanating forth from them. Though he had witnessed this very sight, many times previously, Mark was enamored by it. Frank smirked, satisfied that his gift still impressed even his oldest of colleagues, but realizing that the young man didn''t have much more time to spare, he once more focused his attention on the task before him. He gently positioned it upon the kid¡¯s head. Matthius shuddered but remained dormant. His body illuminated as light coursed through it sealing, not only, the gaping wound in the scalp, but also, delving much deeper.


    Inhaling deeply, he felt a strain in his chest as his heart, once filled with light, was now overtaken by the darkness he had taken upon himself. That is what the gifts were. They were powerful, yes; they were incredibly powerful, but there was always a consequence that followed them. He was able to heal even the most detrimental of afflictions; however, each time he did so, he absorbed the darkness with that person.


    This young man was overflowing with darkness to an extent that Frank had not seen for decades. Whatever demon had taken hold of this Matthius¡¯ body was a goddamn nightmare. He sensed the power this demon had, but he didn¡¯t know who it could be. Whoever was afflicting this kid, Frank knew that it was far from over.


    ¡°Something sinister is at play here, Mark.¡± He said solemnly. ¡°Whomever this kid has attached to his soul, it is more powerful than any demon we have faced in many, many years.¡±


    ¡°We have to tell the others. In the meantime, what are we going to tell this guy when he wakes up?¡± Mark inquired.


    Frank could sense the weariness in his partner''s voice. What were they going to do now? Matthius was out of imminent danger; nevertheless, when he awoke, they would have to supply him with the truth. Could he handle the truth? Did he already know the truth? Was that where the darkness came from? Had the demon been brazen enough to reveal himself to the kid? All these questions rushed through his head.


    ¡°All we can do is tell him the truth. What happens from there will be up to him.¡± He answered. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t accept the truth, though, or he fights against it, heaven forbid what will happen then. ¡°


    ¡°We have to believe he will accept the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is, of course, all our wish, but I wonder, if this kid follows the path, what if it becomes too much for him. Every action has consequences and no matter how dire our situation is, we must be prepared for what will happen if he can¡¯t handle his gift. The burden may be enough to break him.¡±


    ¡°Shit, I hadn¡¯t necessarily thought of that before.¡± Mark said ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up. In all our years of this damn war, we haven¡¯t faced a situation like this. Our order is suffering. Things are falling through the cracks, and mistakes that were never made before. It¡¯s because we are exhausted though.¡± Frank consoled. ¡°Many of us are so oppressed by the many burdens we have taken on that we can barely function.¡±


    Mark knew that what Frank spoke of was an all too real reality. ¡°We need a fucking miracle, huh, Frank?¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ, himself, can¡¯t save us from the hell that is coming, I fear.¡± Frank replied. ¡°What I took from that kid has truly disturbed my soul. I believe that our past mistakes may be coming to bring a reckoning.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Clarity: it¡¯s a beautiful thing, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity Matthius felt just that. Moments earlier, all he felt was guilt, pain, and madness settling in him, but now, there was an overwhelming peace. He sensed that he was still unconscious, yet at the same time, he felt hyper-aware of his surroundings.


    He could hear two men talking about things that, at the moment, didn¡¯t make sense to him. He tried to remember what had happened before the darkness embraced him; it all came rushing back. The fall had been a nasty one; it had left him nearly dead with a gaping wound in his head.


    It was at this point, recollection of the terrifying dream swiftly filled him with equal parts fear and rage. Nerraz. That was his name. He killed my mom; he is the reason I lost Sam. Matthius'' memory was flashing gruesome images of the aftermath of his mother¡¯s fateful meeting with Nerraz.


    Still enraged, his mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. Nerraz would pay. For now though, he needed answers. He could still hear the two mystery men talking softly just outside his conscience. Who are they? What did they want with him? Clearly, they don¡¯t have any desire to harm me; otherwise, I¡¯d already be dead. So why was he alive? Was there something more nefarious than a fucking demon going on here? Or were they here to help?


    As these thoughts were running through his brain, he felt himself gaining consciousness again. At first everything was blurry as if he¡¯d been blinded by the sunlight on early morning drive, but then he saw everything with clarity once more. Leaning over him was a stocky built man who looked to be about fifty to sixty years old judging by his stone gray hair and beard.


    ¡°Welcome back, kid.¡± The man greeted Matthius. ¡°Lie still; the healing process is swift, but it damn sure will make you dizzy.¡±


    He was right. As Matthius jerked upright his whole head felt like the fucking ocean swaying back and forth. He felt queasy again till he lay his head back on the pillow. Reaching for the back of his forehead, he ripped his hand away in shock.


    ¡°What did you do to me? How am I not dead or, at least, bleeding profusely from my head injury earlier?¡± Matthius said voice cracking.


    ¡°That¡¯s rather hard to explain, kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got all the time in the world now seeing as I already missed my lunch plans.¡±


    The older man looked at his partner standing on the other side of the mattress, ¡°Well let me ask you this, Matthius. Do you believe in demons?¡±


    ¡°How the fuck do you know my name?¡± Matthius queried angrily. ¡°Who the fuck are you people?¡±


    ¡°Well do you want me to explain everything to you or not, dammit?¡±


    Matthius could hear genuine frustration in the man¡¯s voice. He pondered whether or not this was all and act or if he was truly being sincere. Sighing, he let go and accepted that he needed answers, and being difficult or unruly would get him nowhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± He said calmly. ¡°Please, tell me more.¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, answer my previous question; it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t honestly say I did before, but after what I experienced today, I am starting to believe that maybe I do now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wise of you cause I got news for you, kid; they''re very real. Whomever decided to attach himself to you is formidable. So much so that I have absolutely no clue who he is or what he wants from you.¡± He paused. ¡°Shit where are my manners though. My name is Frank Jansen. This here is my partner, Mark Brody.¡± He pointed to the other man standing by his bed. ¡° We are part of an organization formed long ago to keep the nightmares of hell out of this world, but sadly, our order has suffered many casualties of late. We need your help, kid. You have a gift; you may be our orders only hope.¡±


    ¡°So what, I''m like some sort of savior or something?¡± Matthius asked.


    Frank chuckled lightly, ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes. However, your role has yet to be revealed exactly how important it is.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck did my wound just miraculously disappear? I mean, come on, Frank, I need fucking answers.¡± Matthius seethed.


    ¡°As I said before, you have a gift; I was once like you and the order found me. They assisted me in developing my gift. I can heal almost any wound, big or small; however, it comes at a price.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± Matthius asked intrigued.


    ¡°Picture it like this, kid. What are you feeling right now? Do you feel lighter? Do you feel like all the pain and fear you had before has somehow vanished?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, yes. That¡¯s exactly how I feel. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because I took that from you, kid. I was able to heal your wound, but there was a penalty for doing so. All your insecurities, nightmares, and everything dark and disturbing in you is now in me. Our order calls it Dmectila or translated absorption. I am what is known as an Iach, a healer. Are you following me, kid?¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Matthius said. ¡°So you absorbed the darkness in me into yourself in order to heal me? That¡¯s heavy shit. Also you said you sensed the demon presence on me; how is it that you don¡¯t know his after absorbing all the darkness?¡±


    ¡°When I tried to absorb what lay heaviest on your heart; your soul fought against me. It was as if you wanted the darkness and the demon attached to remain.¡± Frank said perplexed.


    ¡°He killed my mother. I had to witness it over and over again for months every time I lay down. Then today, before you arrived, It was as if I was in the dream. He saw me and he spoke directly to me. He took pleasure in the twisted memory he had forced me to gaze upon. He wanted me to feel insecure and weak.¡± Matthius shivered.


    ¡°What was his name?¡± Frank asked.


    ¡°Nerraz.¡± Matthius stated bluntly. ¡°He threatened me. Said if i pursued him, that the same retribution that fell upon my mother, in retaliation to whatever my father did to him, would befall those I love.¡±


    ¡°Shit. It¡¯s happening again. kid, You cannot pursue him; trust me. He will make good on his promise, and anyone you love will be a casualty.¡±


    Matthius pushed his body up against one of his memory foam pillows; the dizziness he¡¯d once felt had worn off. He was pissed. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Nerraz murdered my mom in cold blood; he relished in it. Am I just supposed to let that go?


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you, kid. We will help you control and understand your gift; however, you have to let go of the thought of revenge. If this demon truly is Nerraz, he is an ancient power that we can¡¯t contend with. Just ask your father or better yet, acknowledge what your father has become since he stood up to that monster.¡± Frank pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making any promises. Unfortunately though, I need answers, and my father can barely even communicate anymore. I guess you guys are my only option.¡±


    ¡°Before I tell you everything you desire to know, I need your word. You have to promise that you will not pursue Nerraz.¡±


    ¡°Did you not here what the fuck I just said? Seems to me like you need me. I refuse to pledge anything like that, but I will, however, use my gift to help your order. So you choose, Frank: My gift or a promise you know is impossible to keep.¡±


    Frank sighed defeated, ¡°Fine, kid. You win. Get cleaned up and dressed; we¡¯re going to take you to see our leader, Zachariah. He will have all the answers you seek. We¡¯ll meet you outside shortly.¡±


    Matthius smirked, and lifted himself out of his bed. As Frank and Mark exited the room, he headed once more for his shower. What greeted him was a grisly scene; blood was everywhere. He touched the back of his head again; it was smooth. Unbelievable. Then again what even was believable anymore. Everything he had heard moments prior was insane.


    He stepped on the blood stained tile floor of his shower and turned the water on. It was scalding, but he didn¡¯t care. He was deep in thought. This is crazy. What the hell am I doing? I don¡¯t even know if I can trust these guys. I need answers though, and they may be the key to killing Nerraz. The fiery water ran down his body; all the blood on his body and the shower tile swirling down the drain.


    Matthius turned off the shower. Stepping onto the cold floor, he threw a towel around himself and entered the tiny closet inside his bathroom. He grabbed a magenta t shirt, a fresh pair of boxers, and dark blue jeans. Getting dressed quickly, Matthius readied himself for the madness he was sure was coming.

 Chapter 6

    Grabbing his keys and wallet off his nightstand, Matthius exited the apartment and headed for the elevator leading down to the lobby. He remembered how rough but equally enjoyable the initial move was. So much had changed since that eventful day. Not only had he lost his sanity, but he had also lost the love of his life. He thought about the letter she had written him.


    She had said it was the only way that saying goodbye wasn¡¯t possible. Matthius thought about her saying he was her always, and he said a silent prayer that whatever was ahead of him would bring him back to her arms.


    Ding!


    The elevator doors opened; he stepped out into the massive lobby. He had always felt like whoever designed this complex had done incredibly overboard with their design for this lobby. Posh chairs and ridiculous looking tables were all throughout looking incredibly out of place. The ceiling off the lobby was covered in shiny fake gold tiles with a mural in the middle depicting some epic biblical war from, what his aunt had told him was, Revelations.


    Aunt Tami was a very religious and pious individual; Matthius not so much. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe in a higher power; he just wasn¡¯t so sure that an omnipotent deity would give a shit about him. He knew it broke his aunt¡¯s heart that he didn¡¯t believe the same way that she did; nevertheless, she never let it get in the way of their relationship. When Sam and Matthius had seen how much she loved this particular apartment complex, they had both decided it was perfect for what they were looking for. He knew that the mural had caught her eye and that the whole setup in the lobby and their guided tour there had captivated and won her over completely.


    Now contemplating that very mural that had captured her attention, he thought, Not very accurate. Demons definitely don¡¯t look like that from my limited experience. Pointy horns and red skinned depictions of the creatures were prevalent throughout the mural. Matthius chuckled and darkly thought about how people had no clue what their enemy truly looked like.


    Nerraz¡¯s appearance had been visually arresting. Matthius pondered the demon¡¯s features: the jagged claws receding in and out with every breath ; the amber yellow eyes, sharp and penetrating; and the ashen skin. It was a terrifying visage that left his mouth completely dry. In comparison, the demons pictured on the gaudy mural looked absurd and made Matthius snicker. If they only fucking knew.


    Walking towards the revolving front entrance doors, he greeted the receptionist, a scrawny twenty three year old only working at the apartments  in between his classes at Truman. He had told Matthius that he aspired to be a teacher someday. Matthius always tried to make time for the young man because he knew the struggles that came with balancing work and college.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Tony? Having a good day?¡± Matthius smiled making small talk.


    ¡°Not so bad, Matt. How about yourself?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t complain, Brother. How¡¯d your test go?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°I aced it, bro!¡± He said excitedly. ¡°Thanks for helping me study for it. I know things haven¡¯t been easy since... ¡° He trailed off embarrassed he had brought up such a sore and sensitive subject.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Also it¡¯s okay, we both know what happened. I did something stupid and lost my girl. You don¡¯t have to be afraid to mention that, man.You aren¡¯t going to hurt my feelings; I accept it happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He said sheepishly. ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Got some unfinished business I need to take care of.¡± He said cryptically.


    ¡°For sure, Bro. Well, be safe, man and call me if you need anything.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Sure thing, Tony. Same to you.¡±


    Matthius walked out the revolving doors into the arrid summer air. Shit. I can¡¯t call him. My phone was shattered in my fall. God, could this day get any better?  Walking past the giant concrete fountain of Moses parting the Red Sea, he headed for the apartment parking lot. There he found Frank and Mark waiting for him by a cobalt 2017 Chevy Cruze.


    ¡°What took you so long, kid?¡± Frank huffed.


    Frank¡¯s brow was dripping with sweat, and Matthius could see that his suit was sticking to his skin. Frank was uncomfortable, and the heat wasn¡¯t making things any easier. Nerraz was cunning and calculating. If Matthius went after him, he knew that it would be the end of the Vizacs. All their hard work would have been for absolutely nothing.


    ¡°Had to say goodbye to someone.¡± Matthius answered. ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°Get in the car; you¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±


    Wanting to say some snide remark, Matthius thought better of it and slid into the back seat of the vehicle. The back seat was filled with leather bound books that looked to be quite old.


    ¡°What are these?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Unimportant right now, kid. We got a long drive ahead of us, and I will answer what questions I can for you, but I need you to pay close attention to it all. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can; but seriously, can we move these fucking sacred text to the trunk, please? If this is going to be a long trip, I¡¯d like to at least be somewhat comfortable.¡± He said snarkily.


    ¡°For fucks sake. Just sit there and listen. ¡° Frank was exasperated.


    Matthius fell silent as the vehicle lurched forward to their destination. He was exhausted. Angels and demons were creatures of fantasy, yet here he was with some randoms from a secret society and a demonic entity haunting him. Basically, the same shit.


    He had wondered for awhile now if something more sinister or unusual was causing his problems; however he never expected the real answer. I mean lets be real. What agnostic would even entertain the idea of a demon being the reason he had such a fucked up life.? What truly baffled him though was why he had waited so long to reveal himself to him. Not caring what Frank had said moments before, he asked this question.


    ¡°Why did Nerraz wait or so long to torture and then reveal himself to me?¡±


    Realizing this was actually a good question, Frank answered, ¡° Your gift doesn¡¯t become apparent till you come of age. For lack of a better term, until you ¡°become a man¡±, Your gift lies dormant.¡±


    ¡°So your saying that until i had sex, my gift was just asleep in me?¡± Matthius said incredulously. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking joking.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid not, kid.¡± Frank said gravely. ¡°I mean, think back when did the nightmares start?¡±


    ¡°Fuck me.¡± Matthius muttered in realization


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, kid. All of this would have happened eventually. To be honest, most thought you¡¯d be alot younger than you are. Shows that you have good morals and waited for the right moment.¡±.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better. I lost her because I was going insane. Where the fuck was you stupid order then? Why do you wait till I literally lost everything?¡± He was furious seething with disgust.


    ¡°We have been struggling. Our great order is not what it once was. We haven¡¯t had a new member since 2007 after your mother¡¯s murder. We waited too long, and for that, I apologize, but blaming us will get you nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Fine. So Nerraz sensed that my gift had awakened just like you. Does this mean that he is secretly scared of me since he tried so hard to break me?¡±


    ¡°There is a possibility that he feels the same as us in that you are the one who can either unite or destroy us.¡± Frank answered.


    ¡°No pressure, right?¡± Matthius laughed.


    ¡°I promise, we will do everything we can to prepare you for what is to come.¡±


    ¡°What is coming?¡±


    ¡°Nothing good, kid. We are readying ourselves for something major. What that is is anyone¡¯s guess, but Zachariah believes you will be at the center of it all.¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck is this Zachariah other than your fearless leader.¡± Matthius said sarcastically.


    ¡°He is an excellent leader. Make fun of him all you want, but you will understand when you meet him. In fact, I think I will let him tell you of our order and why you are so key to our success.¡±


    With those words, silence fell over them. Matthius knew that whatever had occurred to him to cause the waking nightmare he had previously might still be present. However, he could no longer keep his eyes open. Leaning his head against the cold window of the inside car door, he felt a sinking sensation and  drifted to sleep.

 Chapter 7

    As he entered the ethereal realm, Matthius found himself walking down a soot covered cobblestone path. Surrounding him were shadowy mountains covered by a thick haze of fog. He sensed more than he knew that he was no longer in the realm of the living. Wondering where exactly he was, he continued along the walkway.


    The mountains were looming suffocating the life out of everything their shadow fell upon. There were no trees on them, just the same scorched earth blackness that covered the road he was walking down. Being led deeper and deeper down, Matthius felt a shiver run rapidly through him as he heard a chorus of screams more and more clearly.


    As he journeyed further and further down the path, he saw things that at first he didn''t understand. He came upon a house, much like one you would find in those dream sequences in movies like Little Shop of Horrors ,with a white picket fence and a freshly trimmed lawn. On the lawn was a young man with a very handsome face, tall and muscular, crying out in agony holding a woman in his arms who had a disgusting laceration across her throat. Her skin was a pale hue and her eyes were glazed over with what appeared to be flies landing upon them.


    What the fuck? What the fucking hell is this? Matthius thought. As he did so though, the handsome man began wailing even louder and saying. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Honey. I should have been there¡­¡± His voice cracked. ¡°They did unspeakable things to you. They deserved to die, but I couldn¡¯t do it, Honey. I was scared and weak.¡±


    He screamed in agony again. Matthius watched as the woman disappeared from his arms reappearing in front of him being grabbed by another menacing figure. The figure was holding a knife to her throat. Matthius could see that the woman had been violated and beaten by whoever this figure represented. .


    Slowly, the figure grinned wickedly and ran the sharp knife across the woman¡¯s supple throat blood squirting  directly into the man¡¯s face. With an unceremonious shove, the figure threw the woman upon the perfectly even lawn in front of the man. The pain behind the handsome man¡¯s eyes was a form of torture that no man can escape. Losing those you love was the ultimate form of torture, and as he rushed to his woman¡¯s side, Matthius knew now where he was.


    Realization hit Matthius. This is Hell. He said with realization. The endless agony they speak of and the constant torture. It isn¡¯t being flayed open, probed, burned, or whatever other fucked up thing we¡¯ve always thought. It¡¯s reliving your failures or loss again and again. This guy''s girl died in a horrible way and now they repeat it for him over and over again never allowing him to find peace. They didn¡¯t need obscene torture devices; this was much worse.


    He descended further and further down watching one scene after another unfold in front of him as every few feet a person would be reliving their hell. Drug addicts taking their last dose or watching their friends overdose, fathers and mothers watching their daughter be raped in front of them, gamblers losing their last cent to the one machine that ruined their entire life, and a teenager putting the cold steel barrel against his forehead as his parents rushed through the door too late to stop the inevitable ¡°boom¡±: These were only a few of the terrible scenarios played out in front of him. The wails of agony rose to a crescendo; each moment ending at the same time only to restart the same way as before.


    Shit. This is heavy. Why am I here? As if hearing his thoughts, an unseen force grabbed Matthius throwing him in front of an imposing throne made of what appeared to be human bones. A rather normal looking man with ginger hair was seated upon the throne. His face was thin with red stubble peaking through his pale skin. The first word that came to Matthius¡¯ mind was ordinary. This man was plain, with a plain suit and plain features.


    Matthius could sense that this was anything but true. Seeing him rather suddenly, the man grinned.


    ¡°Well, what brings you here, Matthius. You are not due to be here for a few years yet.¡± The ginger headed man asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­. Who the fuck are you.¡± Matthius knew what his answer would be, but pissing Satan off just seemed hilarious to him. ¡°How do you know, my name? Are you Jesus?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°You little fuck! I know that you know who I am. I know that you know where you are cause I am the one who fucking brought you here.¡± Composing himself he continued, ¡°I am, of course, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Ruler of Hell, or whatever the fuck you want to call me. I have a proposition for you.¡±


    ¡°What might that be?¡± Matthius said slightly intrigued.


    ¡°I have a little problem. One of my subordinates is a thorn in my side. I need him gone, and I need you to get rid of him. If I don¡¯t handle this properly, then I could have an uprising on my hands. I need a more discreet solution.¡± He peered down at Matthius. ¡°You are that solution.¡±


    ¡°How the hell am I the solution? I¡¯m a fucking nobody; I have no skills or abilities that would help you.¡±


    ¡°Oh but you do. A fact that you will learn soon enough. Accept my offer and you will be handsomely rewarded in this world and the next; refuse it and you will suffer. The order you are currently riding with are known as the Vizacs. Let them train you; hone your craft. When you have complete control over your abilities, I will bring you back to my realm and explain what comes next. Do we have an agreement?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t another one of your names, Prince of Lies. Why the fuck would I trust you?¡± Matthius queried.


    ¡°I know you were walking down the path of torment earlier. You observed what happens when you are sent to my realm. Is that really what you want? To relive your mother and Samantha¡¯s death over and over.¡± The last words froze Matthius'' heart. ¡°Oh shit look at me giving away the surprises of the future. My bad, kiddo.¡± For an instant, Lucifer''s eyes lit up with glee. He was enjoying making Matthius squirm. ¡°Let me tell you what you really want to hear. If you do this for me, then you will get your revenge on Nerraz. He is a fucking fool thinking that one sacrifice would settle the debt for failure.¡±


    Those words resolved any doubts Matthius had.


    ¡°You think that just because you offer me exactly what I desire most; I will actually trust you. Fuck you and your offer.¡±


    Enraged Lucifer¡¯s form changed from the plain ginger man to the same ashen colored skin beast that Nerraz. Unlike Nerraz however, Lucifer was a giant now towering over Matthius. He had twisted horns that added an extra three feet to his height and his claws were golden with specks of blood throughout them. He had similar tattoos as Nerraz, but as he gazed upon them, Matthius felt himself sinking into madness. Ripping his eyes away after what seemed like an eternity, Matthius sunk to his knees onto the soot covered ground.


    Lucifer roared shaking the entirety of his realm, ¡°You have no idea how much you will regret that decision. I told Nerraz to leave you be besides some light torment, but now, you made your choice.¡±


    Matthius strained to get off the ground. He should have been terrified by this transformation and the threats that came, but he was calm on the inside. He looked up at the towering beast in front of him.


    ¡°Threaten me all you want; I have made my decision. I will not be a puppet to the one who allowed my mother to be killed by an underling. Fuck you, Lucy.¡±


    Lucifer bellowed, ¡°So be it, Matthius. The blood to come is on your hands. Remember that.¡±


    With this statement, his golden claws stabbed Matthius repeatedly with a vicious flurry of blood and gore flying throughout the ashen air. Matthius awoke with a start grabbing his chest and looking around confused.


    Looking back at him concerned, Mark asked, ¡°You good, kid?¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah I¡¯m okay just a bad dream.¡± Matthius explained lamely.


    ¡°Shit I know how you feel. They come and go for me too; can¡¯t remember the last time I got a good night¡¯s sleep. Well, the good news is we are almost to our destination. Are you ready to get some answers?¡±


    Matthius was perplexed. Mark hadn¡¯t said a word the entire time he had been talking to Frank. He noticed the genuine kindness in his deep blue eyes and the twinge of a smile forming on his lips. This was a good man; I know he is. What if my decision causes his death? What if Lucifer meant both Frank and Mark¡¯s blood would be on his hands? What awful fate awaited them?


    As he pondered this, the car slowed. Lucifer said Sam was going to die. Matthius remembered horrified. I have to protect her. Maybe this order will give me that ability or maybe I just fucked us all.  Looking out the car window, he saw they were pulling up to a large cathedral in the middle of nowhere.


    The cathedral was white with two giant oak doors and green shingled roof. It appeared to be quite old with signs of wear and tear on the dirt stained white siding. Matthius could imagine that at one time this must have been a truly stunning place, but now all that remained was a dilapidated mess.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± He asked.


    ¡°This, kid, is the Lyiaza Cathedral. It was once a resplendent place filled with the very best of our order; however, now it is only a husk of its former self much like the order it once contained.¡± Frank replied ¡°Zachariah and those remaining of our order dwell inside. Follow me; Zachariah is waiting.

 Chapter 8

    Following Frank and Mark to the giant oak doors of the cathedral, Matthius was anxious. What lies behind these doors? What have I gotten myself into? Well too late now; here goes nothing. Before they reached the entrance of the cathedral, a piercing groan emitted from the door as it swung open slowly front the inside.


    They walked across the threshold into the cathedral past the man that had opened the doors. He was dressed just as sharply as Frank and his accomplice and looked either malnourished or fatigued from stress. Matthius wasn¡¯t sure which was the case, but as he looked upon him, he felt pity for the man. Is this what I will end up like? He thought heading deeper into the main hall.


    Inside the sanctuary, a gathering of men had formed around the altar. Each of them was equally as well dressed as the last, muttering prayers and falling to their knees with a desperation that was palpable. Matthius was perplexed. Was this the great order that he had heard so much about prior? He watched as a man, in a navy blue suit and a crimson tie, walked up to the altar raising his hands to silence the men before him.


    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen.¡± He said lowering his hands.


    ¡°Good afternoon, High Priest.¡± They all said in unison.


    ¡°We are all weary; this much is clear to me. However, we mustn¡¯t lose hope. I know God will provide the support we so desperately need. As the Lord stated himself in 1 Corinthians 10: 13, ¡®No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.¡¯¡± He paused. ¡°We are being tempted, gentlemen: Tempted to give up, to throw in the towel, admit defeat,  and let man suffer even though this war is no fault of their own in many cases.¡±


    He continued on as Matthius was urged by Frank and Mark silently to sit with them in a creaky pew. ¡°We cannot lose sight of our purpose on this earth, men. Remember when Jesus was tempted by Lucifer, himself, in the desert? Did he allow himself to falter? No, my friends. He remembered the promise in Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.¡¯ ¡°


    ¡°Amen.¡± The group of men, now sitting (In similar pews to those Frank, Mark, and Matthius sat), said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Jesus had every opportunity to just say ¡°fuck it¡± and abandon us, but he didn¡¯t ¡°


    These words took Matthius by surprise. What kind of church is this? I¡¯ve never once heard someone say that particular word in a sermon. This is a church, right? His interest peaked, he listened more intently than he had prior.


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to ask you, men.¡± The man continued on. ¡°Are we going to abandon those that we have been charged with protecting? I get it; trust me. I have had my fair share of doubts, and God knows, I have been tempted to give up. I refuse though. Please tell me I¡¯m not alone in this, men; otherwise, our great organization will fall. Remember that won¡¯t affect just us at that point. So who will stand with me and follow in our God¡¯s footsteps?¡±


    Matthius watched as one by one each man raised their hand even if they felt trepidation of what consequences would come from it. The man in the navy suit beamed a stunning smile, his teeth perfect and a brilliant white. Raising his hands high above his head, he spoke softly, ¡°Then let us pray.¡±


    Following their leaders example, the men lowered their heads and began muttering once more with an immense passion. The man at the altar gazed upon them with what appeared to Matthius to be genuine love and care for them.


    ¡°If you have had doubts, Now is the time to bring them before the Lord and ask him for strength to carry on.¡± He addressed the men. Then shifting into his prayer, ¡°Lord, we are but your humble servants. We know that you won¡¯t give us more than we can handle, but dear God, we are weary. The enemy grows stronger as we continue to weaken, but Lord, we know that our strength will never be sufficient. No, Lord, we need you. Please grant us the strength that we lack, and help us to fulfill that which you desire of us. In your Holy Name we pray. Amen.¡±


    ¡°Amen.¡± The congregation said before raising their heads. ¡°Sustain us, Oh Lord.¡±


    They rose from their pews, and Matthius stood up as well following suite with Frank and Mark. The clamour of their voices rose as each man began to discuss their situation and what was to come next. Frank made eye contact with Matthius and gestured for him to follow them to the altar.


    As they approached the altar, a hush fell over the group of men staring stunned by Matthius'' presence. The man in the tailored blue suit turned away from his conversation with another man to gaze upon Matthis as he strode forward to the side of the wooden altar.


    ¡°Dear God¡­ You are here. I feared this day would never come.¡± He said, continuing to stare. ¡°Ah shit! Where are my manners? My name is Zachariah. You must be Matthius Reemes; I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡±


    He reached out his leathery hand to shake, and Matthius obliged shaking it slowly.  Perplexed by how the man knew so much about him, he let go of his hand and shuffled his feet unsure of what to say to him. When he finally spoke, he said, ¡°What is it you want from me? Why am I here? What, pray tell, is going on? Why is this happening to me? Who the fuck are you people? What the fuck did I do¡­¡±


    Zachariah raised his hand to slow down the rush of questions that were flowing out of Matthius like a tsunami.


    ¡°Listen to me. All this will be answered in good time. ¡°


    ¡°No!¡± Matthius bellowed. ¡°I¡¯ve waited long enough. I deserve some answers, and I want them right fucking now!¡±


    ¡°Matthius,¡± Zachariah addressed him calmly, ¡°Follow me into my office and we will discuss this further, okay? I promise you; I will give you the answers you. Just please follow me.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    His anger subsiding partially, Matthius sighed, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Zachariah led them deeper into the cathedral walking down the sunlit hall. The wall of the hall was covered in painting similar to the one in Matthius apartment; however, there was one distinct difference: These demons were identical to the visage of Nerraz. Matthius examined them as they walked further down the hall toward and realized that something else was different. The figures that usually represented angels also looked different. Gone were the halos and white robes; these beings portrayed had golden skin standing all of eight foot tall with glorious white wings and swords that appeared to be made from the elements: Fire, water, earth, ect. Remembering that Lucifer was once an angel himself according to the Bible, Matthius understood now why he had gold peaking through his ashen skin. Now, he realized he was apart of this war that was pictured before him.


    Further down the hall to the right was a closed mahogany door. Zachariah pulled a brass skeleton key from his jacket and unlocked the door.


    ¡°After you, gentleman.¡± He gestured for them to enter.


    Closing the door behind them, he said, ¡°Please, be seated. Get comfortable cause this will not be a short discussion.¡±


    They sat down in Victorian style chairs and fixed their attention on Zachariah. His office was like a doorway into another time. He had a persian rug on the floor and in the corner by the ornate painting of Jesus was a rosewood bookcase. It was brimming with a multitude of scholarly text and on the middle shelf was a small walnut chest filled with scrolls. Matthius assumed that this must have been the sacred text of the order, and as if to affirm this, Zachariah perused over them and gently grasped a select few. Bringing them over to his mahogany desk that matched the entry door they had just walked through, he seated himself in his peach colored Eastlake chair scooting it forward closer to his desk.


    ¡°Alright, Matthius.¡± He folded his hands onto the desk. ¡°You asked for answers now the time has come for answers.¡±


    Matthius nodded his head, anticipating growing. ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°As I said before, my name is Zachariah. I am what is known as the High Priest or leader of the group of men you saw earlier. The name of our order is the Vizacs. We were all born with gifts that awoke in us when we came of age. This is all information you already know though.¡± He said seeing Matthius¡¯ frustration growing. ¡°Our order started during the Black Plague. Why it started then; we don¡¯t truly know; however, our first known record of our founder is from that era.¡±


    Lightly tapping his finger on  one of the scrolls in front of him, Zachariah continued, ¡°Our founder''s name was Gabriel Freemont. He was nothing special until one day he had a vision from God, himself. In this text before me, it states that the Lord told Gabriel that the war between heaven and hell was no longer hidden from the sight of all men. He had chosen to task a select few to keep the darkness at bay. A unit of men that would be tasked with to walk between the world of the living and that of the otherworldly. These men were to be given gifts to aid in their task.¡±


    He paused pouring himself a glass of water from the pewter pitcher on his desk and took a sip of the liquid. ¡°I understand many people will ask why there are no women in our order. To that I have never been granted an answer. In some cases in our history, members have gone as far to say that since the fall of man happened because a woman listened to the serpent and partook of the forbidden fruit, God does not trust women with this calling; however, I do not believe this to be true. As for the gifts we are given, they vary. Many men have the ability to heal. Some have strength beyond that of normal me, and still some have the ability to harness the elements. Then there are the rarest of gifts: Telepathy, heightened intelligence, and my own ability, foresight. ¡°


    Matthius knew none of these gifts applied to him. Confused, he asked, ¡°Then what is mine? I don''t have any of those abilities.¡±


    ¡°I was getting to that. You, Matthius Reemes, are a dreamcatcher. You have the ability to enter dreams and change them in any way you see fit. In fact, can quite literally remove the nightmares and pain demons cause from the mind of any person you wish. There is a consequence from all these gifts, though. The pain and suffering you and healers take from others are placed upon you as a burden that you must carry forth. Others experience migraines, burning skin,  and a loss of sight to name a few. I myself suffer from the inability to share what I see in my visions. They are only for my eyes to see.¡±


    He smiled weakly, ¡°I realize this is alot to take in, but I believe you may be the only hope our order has left. We have fought for centuries and used our abilities to aid mankind, but after so many years of success, we began to fail. Demon¡¯s power has grown, and unfortunately we have grown weaker. In a bid to end it all, we called upon a member of our order to help us gain the upper hand once more.¡±


    He sighed heavily as if in pain. ¡°You weren¡¯t alone in your ability, Matthius. There was one who came before you who could do as you could. You have barely scratched the surface of what you can do; however, your father was seasoned at it when we came to him requesting his assistance.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you saying?¡± Matthius suddenly felt cold.


    ¡°We needed a win. I recruited your father to enter the realm of Hell. His mission was quite simple. I tasked him with taking out the thorn in our side, Nerraz. He was the demon Lucifer relied on to keep his conquest on schedule. Where once I could see everything that was to come now everything was foggy. I believed that Nerraz had something to do with this.¡±


    Eyes welling with tears, Zachariah choked, ¡°It¡¯s my fault that all this is happening now. I believed that, even though my gift was useless at that time, I was still wise beyond my years and could outsmart a demon. I was gravely mistaken. Your father did as he was told and he located Nerraz home. Nerraz was waiting there for him though, and he imprisoned him. However, the demon believed your father was not a true threat to him, and after threatening him that if he ever returned he would make him pay dearly, he let him go.¡±


    Zachariah, Frank, and Mark all looked at each other with mutual sadness. Matthius was having trouble taking it all in. My dad was part of this order? What the fuck. What abilities do I possess then if he was so powerful? I wish this all wasn¡¯t happening. Why did I have to be chosen for this. Fuck.


    ¡°Your father chose loyalty to us over this threat, and upon our request, he returned to Hell. This time it seemed as if God was on our  side because Nerraz was not there to disrupt our plans. Remaining undetected, your father found out information that once given to our order, crippled the demon¡¯s assault and gave us the upper hand once more.¡±  Zachariah rubbed his temples.


    He said the next part in a whisper, ¡°Lucifer found out about Nerraz¡¯s choice to release your father, and in fury, he murdered the demon¡¯s wife. To be clear, demon¡¯s live similar lives to us. Anyways, after that happened, Nerraz enacted his vengeance. You know what happened¡­ He returned the favor by murdering your mother. This broke not only your father, but also our order. The Vizacs were shaken to our core; I knew that my failure and pride would be a devastating blow.¡±


    ¡°Your father left the order, and when that happened, it fell apart. Demon¡¯s became more cunning and viscous; we began losing men daily.¡±


    ¡°So you think repeating the past by asking for my help will revive your dying organization?¡± Matthius asked incredulously. ¡°What the fuck is your problem? I thought you could see the damn future? Can¡¯t you see that the path is identical. Nerraz threatened not only me, but also my family and the woman I love. Why the fuck should I help you?¡±


    ¡°Because we have no other choice, Matthius.¡± Zachariah said. ¡°We have no other options, and I¡¯m afraid neither do you. You¡¯re now a part of this, and unfortunately, there is no escaping it.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Silence lay thick in the air as the two men glared at each other; Frank and Mark began shifting in their seats uncomfortably. Frank kept rubbing his hands up and down his upper thighs as if willing the tension away. Mark, who up until then hadn¡¯t been as forthcoming with conversation, spoke up first.


    ¡°High Priest, what if the boy is right? What if we are repeating past mistakes expecting the different results.¡± He paused. ¡°You know I¡¯m loyal to this cause, but Matthius'' reasoning is not unfounded.¡±


    ¡°Know your place, Brother.¡± Zachariah fumed. ¡°I will not have my intentions doubted by those below me. This discussion is between me and Matthius. In fact, why don¡¯t you and Frank leave now. We will speak of your doubts later.¡±


    Frank was stunned by this outburst from his leader. He wanted to defend his brother, but he knew that it would be a futile and hollow gesture. Seeing that his partner was about to say something he¡¯d regret, Frank grabbed Mark gently by the shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, brother. You heard the High Priest; this isn¡¯t ours to discuss. Let¡¯s go meet Brother Wyatt in the main hall.¡± Frank said empathetically.


    Mark slumped his shoulders defeated, ¡°All right, Frank.¡±


    They had been through so much. Frank and Mark had never been married or even dated any women; their lives had always been consumed by the order. They had grown closer to each other the older they got, and the two of them had a deeper love for each other than many had the capability of understanding.


    As a healer, on many occasions, Frank used his gift to save his friend from the brink of death. Every time he had done so though, he had taken in the darkest parts of his partner. Obtaining that kind of knowledge about anyone is a deeply personal connection, and contrary to what one might think, it was a binding agent in their relationship.


    Frank opened the door leading the way out of the office. As they passed through the threshold and around the corner, Frank grabbed Marks hand and led him into the small room beside Zachariah¡¯s office. He pulled Mark close and kissed him gently.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let Zachariah find a reason to get rid of you, Honey.¡± Frank chided. ¡°We already have to tread carefully without you upsetting the High Priest.¡±


    ¡°I know, Frank, but what is being done to the boy is just history repeating himself. Are we really going to stand here and do nothing as Zachariah uses another young soul as a pawn. We both know that he does not have his ability anymore as he claims; it faded when we lost that boy¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°We don''t know that for sure, Mark. We cannot start doubting now; otherwise what was the point of all the sacrifices we¡¯ve made thus far.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m scared of how I am feeling too, but for God¡¯s sake we can¡¯t even be our genuine selves for fear of being excommunicated from the very order we helped survive for decades.¡± Mark said dejectedly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that shit bother you? Don¡¯t you want to stop hiding without fear of persecution?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want that!¡± Frank said angrily. ¡°Right now though, we have got to lie low. It isn¡¯t the right time.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me, Frankie? When the hell is the right time? If we let that boy rot, then we are no better than the demons that are manipulating people into doing their will. What is the difference between us? Tell me that, at least.¡± Mark said vehemently.


    ¡°We have a High Priest appointed by our Savior; he wouldn¡¯t lead us astray, Mark.¡± Frank said.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°He is a man, Frankie¡­ Men are fallible. The day we deny that will be the day we fall and everything we worked towards comes crumbling down.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let myself believe that he has fallen like that, ¡° Frank said quietly.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time we accept that fact as reality, Frankie.¡± Mark said softly. ¡°I know in my heart that what we have been called to do is the Lord¡¯s will, but the direction things have taken recently seem skewed towards revenge or worse still motivated by pride.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Frank paused dreading what he was going to say next. ¡°Something hasn¡¯t felt right since we were assigned to Matthius. I¡¯ve just been so afraid to voice my fears aloud. The High Priest is our only true leader through all this hell. If he is, in fact, fallible then our order may very well be on the brink of destruction. ¡°


    ¡°There is another solution, Frankie.¡± Mark stared into Franks hazel eyes anxiously. ¡°You could lead us. You could be the new High Priest.¡±


    Frank was stunned. How could his partner even say much less even consider this a possibility; it was sacrilege of the highest level. He could hear the thump of his heart rate accelerating in his ears. As he considered the ramifications of his partners words, his palms began to sweat and began to feel weak in his knees.


    ¡°The High Priest is literally in the next room over, Mark.¡± He stated emphatically. ¡°How can you be so fucking reckless and naive. Even if I agreed with your sentiments ( which I will give no opinion on), I cannot act upon such an idea.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t agree with me?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I will not entertain this thought process.¡± Frank replied bluntly.


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t give a fuck. We are in a dire time once again, and it is time for us to stop dragging our feet. It is time for action, Frankie. I love you, but if your blind loyalty for the High Priest pushes us apart, as much as it may hurt, so be it.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it has come to? Is that really how you see me? After all we have been through? After all I have sacrificed?¡±


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, Frank.¡± Mark said, growing steadily frustrated. ¡°You are the one too afraid to show your love for me openly and unabashedly.¡±


    ¡°Now hold on, that is incredibly unfair, and you know that it is so much more complicated than that.¡±


    ¡°How, Frank? How!!¡±


    ¡°They will not abide by it. You know what consequences we would face.¡±


    ¡°I would welcome a thousand deaths if my last breath was in your arms knowing we were true to ourselves. Why do we have to hide in fear? Why can¡¯t we be true to ourselves?¡±


    Frank''s anger receded seeing the pain in his lover''s eyes. He knew that what he had said was true for both of them. He too longed to be true to his heart, and he also knew that Mark was right: He was afraid. After every life or death situation they had been through, the one that he never wanted to consider as reality was this. Knowing that if they came out, Zachariah would have them shamed and murdered. Many times, the High Priest¡¯s sermons alluded to the very fate he feared most. All men have that one fear that they just can¡¯t overcome; this was his.


    Tenderly, he said, ¡° Because I am afraid. I¡¯m terrified of losing the only good thing in my life.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mark said, his anger fading.


    ¡°You, Dumbass!¡± Frank said increditiously. ¡°I may be the toughest craziest motherfucker you know, but when it comes down to what we have, I am terrified of losing it. I have one weakness, Mark. If I let them see that, then we lose everything.¡±


    ¡°Frankie, you have to push all that aside, right now. The love we have for each other is pure and indestructible; nothing they can do to us physically could ever destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°That boy is being thrown into a world he knows nothing about. I know, he is stronger than his father according to Zachariah, but what if he isn¡¯t. We could save him, Frankie. We could bring about a better era for the Vizacs.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but if we are wrong, it could cost not only our lives but the boy¡¯s too. Let¡¯s go get something to eat, okay? Then after dinner, we can discuss this more.¡± His eyes looked upon Mark longing for this awful discussion to be over.¡±


    ¡°I could definitely use some food after the day we¡¯ve had.¡± Mark said reluctantly. ¡°Lead the way, Frankie.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure!¡± Frank said relieved.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°So what can a gifted man like me even hope to accomplish in this order?¡± Matthius queried as Frank and Mark exited the office. ¡°You guys keep on telling me that I¡¯m powerful and can save your order, but how? I keep being told I have gifts yet the only thing I see is terrible visions that feel incredibly real.¡±


    Trying to hide his frustration, Zachariah breathed in deeply. He studied Matthius with a shrewd eye. How was he supposed to save their order? This kid was just like his father, stubborn and enraged at the lot he was given in the world. His order was crumbling away at his feet though; he had become desperate for an answer.


    When they lost Matthius¡¯ mother, he had formed a plan. It was honestly quite simple. He would have a ¡°vision¡± that the child of the slain would become the chosen saviour of his order. For many many long and painful years, he had kept this deception at the forefront of his orders'' mission.


    He was a bitter man, but a hollow shell of the great leader he had once been. He knew that if by some miracle this kid did pull off the restoration of the Vizacs that he, the High Priest, would be praised and placed on a pedestal once more. If his ¡°vision¡± was found out to be a lie though, and Matthius failed to save his order then he did not want to even entertain the thought of what may befall him.


    Now as Matthius asked this question, he knew exactly what he would have to say to keep his deception alive.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they are real.¡± Zachariah said boldly. ¡°Your gift is what we call a Realm Walker.. Not only can you live and breath here in our realm, but you can also traverse other realms including Lucifer¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°So let me get this straight, I¡¯m like the fucking socerer supreme of the real world? What like some sort of fucking multiverse traveler?¡±


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s kind of a shitty generalization; this isn¡¯t the fucking comics, kid. However, if that makes things easier for you to understand what your gift is then fine, we¡¯ll run with it. You have the rarest gift of them all. As I mentioned before, your father also had the same ability; however, we believe that you are more powerful than him.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Matthius queried.


    ¡°When your mother passed, I had the most intense vision about what was to come. In this vision, I saw you leading the Vizacs in an assault on Lucifer¡¯s realm. The crazy thing is you were clearly around the same age as you are now yet something was different about you. Your hands were glowing a dark purple hue, and I could sense immense power coming from you. My vision then shifted to you standing over Lucifer¡¯s body. I didn¡¯t need confirmation; I knew that he was dead.¡±


    Matthius interrupted Zachariah, ¡°Hold up. I killed the fucking Devil? You must be out of your damn mind; have you seen me? I, literally, a few hours ago almost died from falling on a whiskey bottle. I hate to break this too you, but I think your visions are bullshit. I am not a fucking hero, and there is no way in hell that I am mankinds saviour.¡±


    ¡°I get it, kid. It¡¯s hard to accept your true calling. Unfortunately, no matter how much you deny it; this is what you are destined for. I¡¯ve foreseen it, and I am never wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s lovely coming from the man who couldn¡¯t save my mother. You and your fucking order are a joke.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Matthius. You can disrespect me all you want and doubt every word that comes out of my mouth; however, I will not allow you to question my people. I understand this all is heavy and hard to wrap your mind around, but taking it out on my order is pointless. Channel that rage and resentment toward the real enemy. Every second we procrastinate and draw this shit out needlessly is a second we can¡¯t afford. Lucifer is gathering his forces and war is not coming; it¡¯s already here.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Matthius stood up so abruptly that his chair crashed to the floor. He had to get the hell out of this place. Zachariah and his order really believed he was some sort of force to be reckoned with; it was too much to take in. He moved towards the exit meer inches from the door when they heard the yelling happening from the room next to them.


    Matthius and Zachariah both heard Frank and Mark clearly. As they listened to discussions of Frank replacing Matthius and of the forbidden love that until that point Zachariah had no knowledge of, Zachariah¡¯s After the screaming faded, Zachariah looked at Matthius with a hopeless bitterness plastered upon his face.


    ¡°Well¡­ not only are you running from your fate, but my own right hand men are planning to overthrow me. This day keeps getting better. Go if you want to, kid. I have a lot I need to consider right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Zaachariah. They are just worn down by the shit you all have gone through; you can¡¯t judge them for that.¡±


    ¡°The mutiny and betrayal is not what I am referring to. They have broken a much more sacred rule; I can¡¯t let that go without punishment.¡±


    With those threatening words, Zachariah rose from his chair and headed for the door. As he came closer to the door, Matthius felt something deep within him stir. Suddenly, he felt like lightning was running throughout his entire body; his hands began to tremble. Dark purple light licked his hand like a hungry flame that had eagerly been waiting to come forth.


    Holy shit!!! He wasn¡¯t lying to me. I do have a gift. What the hell do I do now? I can¡¯t let him harm Frank and Mark. They are the only connection I have to this order that wants to help me and do right by me. I have to do something.


    This wasn¡¯t Harry Potter or Dragon Ball Z; this was the real world and he had absolutely no clue how to control the tempest of power flowing through him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take another step or you will fucking regret it. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cute, kid. I¡¯m not a moron. You may have unlocked your gift, but you have no fucking clue how to control it or even use it.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going to let you harm them. You want my help? Then while I am the only one who can supposedly ¡°save the world¡±, you will not lay a hand on them. I¡¯ll make sure that they don¡¯t go forward with there plan, but if you want me to restore your order, then I need your word. Otherwise, I will obliterate this order you hold so dear with no qualms. Are we in agreement?¡±


    Zachariah was enraged yet defeated by these words. Inexperienced or not, the power Matthius held was a threat to the order and to Zachariah, as well. Begrudgingly, he nodded his head and backed slowly away from the door.


    ¡°You win, Matthius. I concede; our order must survive no matter what the cost.¡±


    Matthius felt his pulse slow, and his hands returned to their normal state. He breathed a sighed in relief that Zachariah had given in to his demands so easily. His gamble had paid off.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to clear my head, but when I get back, I will be ready for whatever training you deem necessary to prepare for what is to come.¡±


    ¡°I will speak to our trainer and let him know that you will be with him shortly then.¡± Zachariah said through gritted teeth.


    With that, Matthius walked out of the door into the long hallway. He felt nauseous. He knew that at this moment he was in way over his head and that he was no saviour as Zachariah had claimed. He thought about his encounter with Lucifer and knew that all he had felt in that moment was fear. Sure had stood up to the Lord of Hell, but he knew deep down that he had been terrified.


    How can I be the one who defeats the Devil if God himself couldn¡¯t get rid of the fucker. Honestly, He still allows him to fuck with men daily; now all of the sudden, I was contingency plan all along. I¡¯m a nobody.


    Even as these doubts raced through his head, Matthius knew that the power he felt was immense. He would venture to say omnipotent. Fuck¡­ Am I a god? What the hell is happening to me? I can¡¯t deny how good it felt though; how right. What if Zachariah was right? What if this really is my destiny? Holy fuck¡­ I was chosen to defeat Lucifer.


    He didn¡¯t want to accept it. Then he remembered his mother, and the rage he felt toward Nerraz was rekindled. Lucifer is the reason Nerraz murdered my mother. If I am meant to take down the fucking Lord of the Underworld, then so fucking be it.