by Rick Heinz
Without his guides, he might have wandered forever, or easily walked into demons. With them, a ten-minute jog led him around all obstacles or potential enemies. Mike didn’t need to question why or how. He just knew. He was marked. Always part of the afterlife. Always with one foot in the door. Regardless of how the dead, the damned, and the demons tried to get out, he was always racing to the edge to dive in.
The entry to Lazarus’s prison was completely ordinary and mundane. At least, as normal as possible within the pits of purgatory. It was simply one of many catacombs along this particular catwalk, on this particular level. The only thing that stood out to Mike was that this one had a small, rusty padlock that looked about a thousand years old. A few mounds of ash lay nearby, but other than these small oddities, it was no more special than the millions of other souls that lay resting and waiting.
The padlock crumbled into rusty dust in his hand, and Mike heaved the gate open. He lowered his head as he stepped within the door. It felt cramped. Down here, there were no smells, odors, or sounds. The revelation hit him like a brick. Gabriel just saw a shadow and mentioned needing a spell. He didn’t seem concerned at all about me getting close. Every one of the crew stayed huddled by each other and couldn’t see far out on our dive below Chicago. Except Lucy with her special lantern. The Unification has opened all kinds of portals to create light for diving in. Because nobody can fucking find this tomb. There is nothing in purgatory. No senses at all. But I can see just fine. Wow, that thought of eternal darkness for everyone is pretty scary.
Mike walked into the tomb. It looked like he imagined it would. A small, cramped room filled with decorative carvings within the walls. On a stone slab lay a small body. Mike guessed it was perhaps four feet tall at best. Walking up for a closer look, he could tell it didn’t glow like the rest of the place. It was like him, physically there, in a body rather than being ghostly. A collar bound around his neck chained him to the slab. Its mummified, tiny naked body just lay there in front of Mike. That . . . that’s it? This is the thing that is supposed to solve the world’s problems? I don’t even think it could see over a countertop.
Its hand feebly touched Mike’s wrist, the first real sensation he had since being down here. Mike jumped back like a spider just crawled along his hand. Lazarus used no words, but his thoughts and feelings were as clear to Mike as if they were his own. Lazarus wanted freedom. Not freedom from this tomb, freedom from existence. He wanted his torment to end. In a single touch, he begged Mike in a thousand languages to end him.
Is this really what the Unification wanted? To kill him? Or were they planning on dragging him out of here in his undead state and shackling him to their schemes? He made up his mind. Reaching out and grabbing the hand, Mike poured his emotions out, thinking of everything that had happened and trying to explain what was happening in the world. It begged for release. Mike acquiesced. It took far more strength than Mike thought it would, but with a grinding effort, he twisted and finally snapped off the head of Lazarus. In an instant, the body turned to ash. What a total letdown. Well, he’s free. Free from everyone. Now how the fuck do I get out of here?
He stepped out and looked up at the false sky, easily finding the rift where he entered. It was the largest and closest, a ball of light that seemed ever expanding. Ever growing. An explosion of orange-and-red light blinded him. There was no sound to accompany it nor any physical sensation or wind, just a jubilation of light. Mike squinted his eyes and fell to his knees at what he saw.
Replacing the vision of the catacombs was a wildfire of light that spread and tore at the ceiling of the cavern all the way down below him. Flames seemed to wash over him in waves even though they held no heat. In the flames, Mike saw his ghosts, everyone he knew recoiling as they were consumed and turned to ash and sucked to the center of the cavern in a vacuum.
He dived for the smallest figure, but when his arms wrapped around the little ghost, it too was blown apart by the explosion that only affected the spirit world. In the second that it happened, it was gone. Gone too was the vision of the river and the illuminated tree above the building. His ashen world appeared to be a desolate landscape, devoid of its previous wonder and inhabitants.
It was silent.
There was no trace of anything out of place, other than being beneath the ground in a world where plants fed on angels. The charred landscape he saw only extended to the cavern walls but made him feel infinitely empty inside, which made it all the easier for him to close his heart off and deaden his emotions. Something just nuked the spirit world. A single moment after he freed Lazarus.
A man approached him. Shadows danced and flitted around his feet in patterns, as if he had more than one. With each step, plants near him withered and died as they were frosted over.
Mike noticed the man’s red-lined black coat, his white hair short and combed back. With each step, he moved seven steps closer in a flicker. As he got closer, Mike saw his mismatched eyes, one red and one white. Sparks of electricity danced between his fingertips. Arcane tattoos crawled and moved across his skin.
When he was finally in front of Mike, he placed a pocket watch into a vest and took a deep bow. To Mike, it was like he was looking at a puppet, an animated doll that had several ghosts stitched together inside it. When he rose from his bow, the pendant of the ouroboros, filled with gold and gems, stood in contrast to the rest of his outfit.
“Wonderful night for a stroll, do you not think, Mr. Auburn?” His mouth stretched open, revealing fangs and a hollow emptiness where the green light of souls swirled in the black. Mike had been to hell and back. He’d seen a lot of shit. But for some reason, this freaked him out the most.
“What the fuck are you?” Mike replied.
“Tsk, tsk. Don’t be rude. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I know all about you. Your thoughts and doubts have filled my cavern. Your legend precedes you. I am, as Alexander DuPris called me, the lich king. I am Warlock Vryce, primus of the society, historian, and so much more. You are the first outsider I have met in the new world. Shall we go above ground and watch the festivities of the eternal night? Our city will be boasting a fantastic fireworks show, and the great vampire singer Molly LeMuse should be giving a private performance for all the members of the society as we speak,” he said with a charming look.
“No fucking way. Nope. Nada. I’m here for my friends’ freedom. Not to frolic and dine with elites. That ain’t my scene, buddy. Turns out the Unification pinned their hopes on the wrong dead guy as well. So why not just step aside so we can go after the person who screwed us.”
Gabriel joined them. “Good choice, Mike. I knew you wouldn’t side with them. Or us for that matter, but at least not them.”
“It is a holiday, my apprentice. This day, there shall be no violence. It is sacred. The time of man is at an end. And yet, it is just beginning,” Vryce said.
“I hope your enemies feel the same way. You should stay down here until this blows over. Up there, you are exposed.” Gabriel looked worried as he came to his master’s side. Mike could tell Gabriel was more afraid of him than he was worried about Vryce.
“I am exposed. That is why you are here with me. I will not cower in fear and hide as the Innocence is shredded and mankind is awakened into its truest state of divinity. I will not miss the day the barrier between the lands of the dead, heaven, and hell are all thinned and magic returns to this world. Destiny awaits each of us. Now, let us not delay. There is much dancing, feasting, and music awaiting us.”
Vryce raised his left hand, and six of the shadows below him mirrored the gesture, like a knife cutting through clear gelatin. He tore at space itself until on the other side, a portal opened into a ballroom party already under way. He looked back and smiled as Mike saw his friends dancing on the other side. Guess I can only keep going forward.
CHAPTER 56
Roger Queneco was at their side the moment they stepped into the room. He took Mike by the arm in a formal fashion, locking their elbows. “I present to all
of you, Auburn. The slayer of Golgoroth. The man who bloodied Chicago. I told you all to prepare for a roller-coaster night. Who among you had the foresight to bet that he would be standing in here tonight? Eh? Eh?” Roger pointed awkwardly to a room that was brought to a standstill.
Eyes were not on Mike. They were on Vryce, who strode over to the windows. While Vryce looked outside, Mike got a good look at the news on the monitors.
From what Mike was able to glean, it was about midnight. Some sort of eclipse had caused the sun to turn black in other parts of the world. Scientists were baffled, as no satellite footage picked up any object large enough to cause such an eclipse. Yet as the sun rose over the horizon, it was inexplicably blackened as if it were an eclipse. The talking heads rattled on about the Mayan calendar and its end being significant, while climate change experts pointed to a sudden change in the atmosphere.
These explanations all fell to the wayside as panicked news reports urged people to remain calm and stay indoors while footage of the dead rising and demons pouring from the earth filled the screens. On some televisions, Mike noticed that ghosts from purgatory moved in the background in areas where the blackened sun rose. With every new city or news report that aired after the black sun rose in their area, the gathered members cheered and raised their glasses of blood or wine in celebration.
It was New Year’s Eve for monsters.
“Master Vryce?” asked Roger. “Might I steal your guest for some introductions?”
Vryce seemed oblivious at first, then nodded his head. Roger jerked on Mike’s elbow, but it felt to Mike like it was a three-year-old child trying to pull him around. Awww, it’s cute. He thinks he’s strong and important. “Dude, I can walk on my own. Hi. I’m Mike.”
Queneco ignored him, gleefully introducing him to clique after clique. Mike thought he saw a wispy ghost in the background poking her head through a wall. He focused his gaze on where he thought she was. She winked at him and was gone. Like trying to catch mist.
In one cabal, vampire soldiers drank blood in the company of Kevin Yukito.
“I call this batch organic humans,” Kevin boasted. “Humans who were fed a strict vegan diet their entire lives. Certified organic grass-fed humans. Delicious, yes?”
One of the vampires stared at Mike with unblinking eyes and tilted her head like a mantis. “We follow your lead,” she said, looking right at Mike, “on how to best produce blood, Kevin.”
The other members of their group had been swept up and carted around just as Mike had. Doc was thrust into a conversation about how the psychology of a person would affect them in the change after consuming a heart. “After all, some people are born with such determination to break any influence,” Doc said as Mike walked past. “Not everyone can control their emotions and not talk too much.” Doc raised his glass. Mike knew he was feasting on information from those around him.
Phoebe had been cornered by Alexandria and looked like a teenager who was bored. Alexandria was asking sly questions about the future in between polite conversation, and from the looks of it, she was getting what she wanted. “Don’t worry, love. The dead will walk again,” Phoebe said while squirming as Alexandria tried to seduce her. “Don’t you read the book of Revelations? I told you the dead will walk again. But that’s not why we came here.” Mike saw Phoebe point over to Vryce, who still stared out the window. Mike realized that to Alexandria, it appeared as if Phoebe was simply pointing out the window to the sky.
“Enjoy it while it lasts, hero,” Gabriel said with a smirk as he popped a piece of meat into his mouth. Mike noticed that while he was looked upon with great regard, Gabriel was alone. Everyone in the room looked at Gabriel like he was the village asshole. “Guess we have a choice to be a pawn or not, after all. It will be dawn here soon,” he said as he knelt down to retie his shoes. He had a look of determination on his face as he stayed close to Vryce. Gabriel looked extremely out of place in this room. Everyone in the society was dressed up, wearing lavish gowns and suits with dashes of arcane sigils or ancient jewelry. In contrast, Gabriel wore a T-shirt, ripped-up and bloody jeans, stained shoes, and messy hair.
Fuck. If he wasn’t terrible in another life, we could have been friends. Mike looked down at his own battle-torn attire and fidgeted with a union button pinned to his green trench coat. The World War I coat was still holding up after everything it had been through thus far. They don’t make ’em like they used to.
Every time Mike was about to get close to one of his own, Queneco grabbed his arm and clicked his tongue. Mike found himself standing in front of another group of soldiers being quizzed on how he had awakened Chicago. They were voraciously thrilled to see him stand by their side on this glorious day.
It took Mike every ounce of will to summon the strength to break free from Queneco’s influence. The night was being lost. If there was any chance to stop this, he had to act soon. Remember everyone who died, man. Remember why you are here. Stop listening to everyone. Give a shit again. This isn’t you! It’s a trick!
Pushing himself away from Queneco felt like leaving a cozy warm bed on a winter morning. Mike knew the moment he stepped away and felt the despair and emptiness of his lonely heart that pain was his strength. I was a fool to hide it. I need the cries of the forgotten.
Queneco tried his best to rope Mike back in by mentioning Molly’s music, but Mike was already ignoring him. “You bastards killed my friend Frankie, turned some of my team into stone monsters, and are no better than the ones you are trying to stop,” Mike said before planting his shoulder into the little man’s chest, knocking him into a table and causing goblets of blood to spill on the floor.
Without looking down, Mike had pushed him away with a flick of his strength. He used his speed to close the distance to Vryce and Gabriel.
The room went quiet. Gabriel drew his sword when Mike appeared next to them. Vryce continued to gaze at his domain below.
“Tell me, Mr. Auburn. Look below and tell me what you see,” Vryce said.
“There’s no point, asshat. You have the power to shred these portals open, that means you have to have some way to reverse it,” Mike said.
“Perhaps I do. But insults will not help you. Look below and tell me what you see.” He gestured with his pale hand to the city below.
Mike looked around the room, and indeed, all eyes were on them. Realization set in that the sycophants had ignored the happenings of the city after the riots ended. Now even he was curious about the people’s current status. He placed his hand on the cold glass and looked out, expecting to see fires, chaos, soldiers shooting civilians, and mass looting.
But he saw a different sight. Riots and fires did not light the night sky. Instead, a peaceful light snow fluttered down onto military trucks where people formed lines around the block.
Mike saw them handing out weapons to civilians along with clay jars. He saw calm, order, and unity as vampires openly handed to the people the very power that Mike started the riots with as they fell into line.
Sometime in the night, the society had taken his rioters and turned them into more soldiers. Instead of continuing to kill each other, the society troops joined ranks with the rioters and fought against demons, teaching them how to best take them down. They also gave the rioters blood, power, and the means to defend themselves against what was coming, from their own stashes. It started as a clash between two forces, but in the span of a full day and night, the society soldiers had used their strength to appease the riots. You gotta be kidding me. He actually listened to what his city was demanding? When does that ever happen? His mouth was hanging open in shock when Gabriel put his sword away.
“You and I are not so different, Mr. Auburn,” Vryce said. “We both want humanity to succeed in the face of adversity. The room behind us contains power. That is true. These are creatures who have mastered their changed states. But they are weapons that will be used to save those below. Those people below are being given a choice, to become something more than
what they were, or face oblivion. We are not hoarding our power as you championed. Today is a holiday, and the world is changing. If it could be stopped, would you really want it to be so?” he asked.
Emotions swelled in Mike as he looked out the window. It felt as if the battle had just begun and the trenches of war had been dug within the hearts and minds of the people. Listening to Vryce felt like making a deal with the devil himself, a false promise. Even if he declares this day sacred, we could never work together. Secret societies like this were what he had spent an entire lifetime trying to fight and expose, and to just let it go felt like a betrayal he could not tolerate.
At the edges of his vision, Mike felt a familiar sight return to him as he peered into the edges of the underworld. Phoebe was still cornered, but he saw her smile at him.
Vryce looked to the room behind him. Mike knew he saw Phoebe’s smile. Mike noticed an emotion on the creature’s face. It looked like resignation. “Mr. Auburn, Gabriel—”
“You know what? Fuck all of you. I’m not your endorsement. You want a message to carry on. Here is one. Gods can fucking die.” Mike’s fists clenched to the point that bones in his hand cracked and began to burn with agony and rage.
The rest of his friends leaped from their various positions and began fighting everyone in their way on a warpath to the warlock.
Lucy manifested from behind a wall nearby, with her twin axes already brandished, her ghostlike form rapidly becoming solid. From her proximity, she had to have been stalking her prey this entire time. Akira dropped the ruse to turn into her giant mantis form, the skin of a soldier sloughing off her like a cocoon at the feet of Kevin Yukito, while colorful wings expanded so she could take flight and close the distance.
Doc inhaled deeply with his pointed fangs exposed. Those standing around him grabbed the sides of their heads and fell to the ground. Even Queneco was disabled by the psychic attack as he consumed the very thoughts in their heads.
