by C. J. Lloyd
Calamity maneuvered a camera showing the destruction of naval ships. “But I digress. You could say I’m responsible for every war, famine, genocide. I could go on,” she cackled, “but what I want you to realize is how tiny and insignificant you are. That your world is nothing but a tiny grain that will be plunged into a sea of darkness by the ones who sent me.”
“Who sent her?” Violet whispered.
“I’m pretty much spilling my guts to you because this world has seen its last sunrise. Your world, along with many others, will be exterminated and ruled over by Legion. I’ve been hiding warriors from black holes for years in the cities of every country. They acted as sleeper agents, dressed like normal people until now.” She winked at the screen. “I bet you didn’t see that coming, Violet.”
Static once again filled the television screen. Then sirens began blaring throughout the base as screams and gunfire echoed from outside.
“Get ready,” Samantha called out over the cafeteria. “This isn’t a drill. We’re under attack.”
Soldiers took off down to the armory as the cafeteria emptied, leaving the seven of them huddled with Samantha.
Alfred cracked his knuckles. “Now what?”
“Do you all understand now what’s happening?” Violet asked.
“War, right? We’ve known this forever,” Alfred growled. “Elric already said—”
“No, this was never about Elric. He was used to keep everyone focused on something else. He was never the prize. She even had me fooled.” Violet shook her head, looking down at the floor, thinking about Calamity’s last conversation with her.
Jennifer asked, “What do you mean?”
“I had it all mixed up. I thought she was after Elric for his powers, but now this. Why wouldn’t she just rely on him? He could do it all if he wanted to. Maybe she changed? Something’s not right,” Violet finished with a shake of her head.
“Well, she’s making her move, right?” Jennifer began glowing with light. “It’s time for us to make ours. We have to go to the heart of it all, to that island.”
Violet turned to Samantha. “We’re going to need Rai, now.”
Samantha didn’t bat an eye. “I’ll get her down here.”
“Are we ready for this?” Terra asked nervously.
“We’re ready. Once Rai gets here, we’re leaving,” Violet said, looking over at the others.
Manie shook his head. “What about the other cities and the fights going on?”
“We can’t be at too many places at once like that,” Eden replied. “We have to let the world take care of the smaller stuff.” He tightened his fists. “We’ll get the ones who matter.”
The television was back on with scenes from cities under attack and the skies filled with winged creatures. This would be the last time. Violet had grown tired of all this. Now it was time to make their move.
Chapter 23
Deception and Betrayal
A rippling wave awakened Elric. Dark energy pulsed through the entire structure of the temple as he jumped from his bed.
“What is that?” Elric asked Erebus.
“She’s using her dark powers for something. I don’t know why. Should we check it out?”
“No, let her go. I’m sure it’s another attack from the world’s military. Let her waste her energy.”
Elric fell back on the bed, sinking into the sheets. Calamity’s energy was similar to his with the only difference being the source.
The explosions from outside began to subside already. The attack must have been over as quickly as it began. Elric made his way to the entrance of the temple and looked out at the smoking ships slipping beneath the waves of a calming sea. Dozens of tiny orange boats floated near the wreckages.
“The dead awakens?” He turned to see Calamity rising from the ground. She was draped in a long black gown, her hair flowing down her back. “You missed a wonderful morning. They planned to use nuclear warheads against you this time around.”
Elric rubbed his eyes and face. “So soon? What happened?”
“I told you they were contemplating a nuclear strike. They’re so easy to counter.” She laughed. “But it’s obviously nothing you have to concern yourself with.”
“I’m sure. Where’s Enzo?”
“Probably still out messing with the naval ships. He’s having a ball as usual.”
A blistering cold pulse of darkness spewed from Calamity. It was overwhelming, smothering, threatening. Elric watched her consuming orange eyes. She was serious. What happened?
She threw her hand forward, releasing a blast that knocked Elric back into the castle wall and sent him skimming down the hall. His aura protected him some. He spat up blood, looking down at his torn clothing, his wounds healing.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Elric demanded, rising to his feet. Darkness shrouded his body as his flesh started tightening and hardening. “You have a death wish?”
“No.” Her innocent young voice vanished and was replaced by a deep and inhuman tone that sent chills through his body. “But it’s time for me to take my place at the top of the food chain.”
Elric smiled. “What about the ones who sent you? Aren’t you going against their wishes?”
She cackled. Her lips blackened and her flesh became a sickly pale in the darkness. “Legion has seven members. The top members rule over multiple universes and are worshiped and respected as deities. I want that. I deserve that, not being stuck here manipulating fools. You’re all too easy. I killed a member of Legion, and now I have to complete one last requisite.”
“And what’s that?”
“Destroy an entire world filled with human civilizations.” She hissed as her teeth sharpened.
Elric swallowed as his eyes twitched. She could’ve been lying, but why would she need to? “This Legion. Who are they? What do they want?”
“Nothing. They already have everything. All they do now is keep order by freely manipulating events in the Allverse.”
Dozens of large hands rose from the aura that surrounded Elric and whipped toward Calamity. She raised her right hand and slashed with menacing jagged claws, turning them to dust.
She gave a greedy smile, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. “Elric, think about it.” Her hair lengthened into inky black strands. “Why would I recruit you if I knew you had more power than me? You couldn’t possibly be that gullible, could you? I found out about the deal your grandfather made with the Deva inside you. You know how much power that thing gave Justice?”
Elric tightened his fist. “I don’t care.”
“Thirty-five percent,” Erebus growled.
“Thirty-five percent.” She seethed alongside Erebus’s inner growl. “Leaving you, even with all four doors open, with the ability to only manage sixty-five percent, and you can barely do that.”
She started laughing.
Long thick black horns curved from the crown of her skull, her long black strands draping over them as a single strand fell to the bridge of her nose. A long whip-like tail fell from the long black dress that flailed wildly around her.
Her hands stretched and curved into long claws, longer than his own. Her bones cracked and snapped as she stretched. She slipped off the gown, revealing her lower body to be smooth black flesh, glistening in the bit of light that came through the opening, shining like leather. Her feet were similar to hooves but angled in a way that gave the impression she was wearing high-heeled boots.
Elric focused all the darkness within him that the third door allowed. His arms and hands began to scale over. Spikes protruded from his forearm, and his wings tore through the long-sleeved shirt he wore.
“Chances of survival, Erebus?” Elric asked.
“Hundred percent. No matter what, but—”
“Don’t worry about not telling me everything. There’s a reason why I stopped talking about it. One focus, one goal. Anything else will take me off that focus, and I could lose everything. Whether that’s Jen, my gr
andfather, Legion, none of that matters. Only my goal, do you understand, Erebus?”
Erebus barked. “Of course!”
“Then let’s finish her.” Elric smiled devilishly, confident. Regardless of what she’d said, he knew he could overpower her. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
“Oh, Elric, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this. At first, I thought about using you to help me with my quest. But I sensed that no matter how hard I tried to make you mine, you would still have a rancid bout of rebellion in you. It’s not your fault; it’s that defiant humanity in you. So, I couldn’t risk you turning on me, and instead I used you.”
Elric raised his right hand toward her. A black marble formed in his palm. Her eyes widened as she tried fighting the pulling force, but she was taken off her feet and dragged toward his grasp. Darkness formed in a shapeless mass in his left hand, sizzling with enough power to tear his own flesh away.
The blast created an explosion when he connected with her, shaking the temple to pieces. Portions of the columns that kept the upper part of the temple balanced toppled over and filled the place with dust and smoke.
A tail whipped from the smoke wrapping around Elric’s throat; he tried yanking it away, but it was slender enough that he couldn’t get a full grip. He was flung into the air and yanked down to the stone floor with a crash.
“Elric, you can’t be serious. A weak attack like that’s not going to do anything to me.”
Elric hacked and flailed. The veins in his head throbbed and bulged. The vessels in his eyes swelled. The dark aura that surrounded him did nothing. Her own darkness countered everything he could muster.
She stepped from the smoke, and her tail dragged him closer to her face. “You really do look just like your parents, you know that?”
“Shut the hell up,” he choked out.
The tail smashed him through a column and pulled him back to her face. She gently maneuvered a few strands from over his eyes. “Shut the hell up? Well, before I do, how about I spill the beans a bit, hmm? Let’s start with how I manipulated the military into killing your parents.”
She grinned.
“No, Cloud killed my parents.” Elric choked. “He admitted to it.”
The tail released Elric as he fell to the floor, dry heaving and gasping for air.
“Just because I didn’t physically do it, doesn’t mean I didn’t take part. All you have to do is whisper in the ears of those already corrupted, and they’ll do whatever you want. Yes, General Cloud murdered your parents, but I was the one who told him where to find them and even about your mother’s pregnancy.” She clapped her claws together. “All I did was take on the form of some high-ranking officer I killed a few weeks prior. Then I told Cloud everything and that included how they were in Florida when you were born. I just got the juices flowing, you know?”
Elric looked down to the ground, fighting to get his breath back. Focus. Focus. She’s trying to get into your head, make you lose control.
At this point, it didn’t matter who was responsible for his parents’ death. They were dead and gone; there was no changing that. But why was another matter. If it had to do with the Titans altogether, she would’ve killed me when I was an infant, but instead, she kept me alive, trained me. Which meant … “You killed my parents because you couldn’t get to my father like you got to me?”
“Smart boy. I thought you would start putting things together eventually. Not that it matters now.”
He rubbed his throat. “I see.”
“Do you, Elric? Because all I had to do was use your hatred. I put a target in front of you, and you attacked aimlessly. I even turned you against the only people in this world that cared about you.” She laughed. “Just because you’re a Titan doesn’t mean you’re not human. You’re just as capable of being used. You just had a more important role than the others.”
Elric wobbled to his feet. “Two things you’re wrong about, Calamity. The first being that I used you; you didn’t use me. The second is you didn’t use me to attack the others. I did that of my own free will.”
She rolled her bright orange eyes. “Whatever helps you to die in peace, Elric.”
Lightning thundered. It shook the foundation of the temple. An explosion ripped a hole through the ceiling, revealing the black clouds above. Calamity raised her right hand to the sky.
Elric thought about the attack that killed Sage. “Erebus, what now?”
“Patience,” the voice grumbled.
Elric became silent, trusting in the being within. Erebus had just as much at stake as he did now.
“I suppose once I kill you, Legion will be upset. But killing a Deva will earn me more points toward being a member.” She sighed with relief. “I love it when things fall into place.”
A black lightning bolt struck the tip of her finger and coursed through her body. She pointed toward Elric, releasing a devastating jolt from her fingertips. It shattered the hardened shell of the dark energy over his flesh and ripped through his chest.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he dropped to his knees, his face slapping the pavement. Elric’s breathing was reduced to a gurgling wheeze. He could hear the slowing thud of his heartbeat in his ears.
Flashbacks of his life flickered behind his eyelids. He saw his family, Jen, the Reeves, Violet and the others. He even saw Rai and Enzo laughing with him, but he was on his own, so far from them. A flashback of the first day he met Jennifer flickered.
He remembered watching five-year-old Jennifer struggling to bring a suitcase inside. He nearly risked his life to get to her—in his five-year-old mind—to save her from the overwhelming clutches of the suitcase.
He remembered everything so clearly now. It was the darkness that kept him safe from being hit by a car once. Nobody noticed it back then, but he could see it now, clear as day. Jennifer’s eyes glowed like gold; they were warm and strong because she was the Light Titan.
“Elric, my young dark prince, may you join your parents and rot in pieces.”
Elric could feel the pressure all around him. Calamity’s power was growing, preparing for the final blow. After all this time, all of his hatred, everything he fought for, this destiny he believed in … What was it all for? Right here, right now, at this very moment, nothing else mattered because he was going to die.
Her footsteps came closer, but the sudden sound of large wings flapping broke the tension.
“What do you want?” Calamity asked, her voice like that of a shrew.
“My queen, we have trouble. Those brats are on the island with the other Titans.” Allure’s voice echoed with a hiss.
“Good. Scout the area. I’ll be right there.”
“As you wish.”
Elric felt Calamity’s hooved foot press against the back of his neck. The heel portion dug into his spine. “I’ll be back, Elric. Don’t die on me while I’m gone now. I really want to savor your death.”
“What about the fire one?” Allure questioned.
“I’ve taken care of him already. He’s probably at the bottom of the ocean somewhere,” Calamity answered. “Oh, and by the way, Elric, if you can still hear me, I must say you were stupid to believe that Allure was planning anything behind my back. My number one right-hand officer …? How gullible can you be?” She laughed.
“Let’s go deal with the others,” she said to Allure. “They’re the only ones left who I need to worry about.”
Elric listened to the fading clicks of her footsteps until there was nothing but silence. He couldn’t move. His entire body was numb. The electrical force from her attack did major nerve damage. It was the perfect attack for a slow death.
Elric appeared in front of the fourth door, his body whole with no wounds of any kind. A large glowing crimson eye peeked out from the barred hole.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t as strong as the others. I was weak and cocky, Erebus,” Elric said, gazing at the opening, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“A li
ttle pipsqueak like you apologizing like it means anything to me?” Erebus laughed. “But it is me who should apologize to you. Now, open the final door.”
Elric nodded as he reached for the key. “I remember how frightened I was of you and how much you hated being inside me. It’s funny. If it weren’t for Calamity, we wouldn’t have grown as close as we did.”
“This is true.” A large black mass of smoke seeped through the cracks and formed into a miniature smoking manifestation of the monster behind the door.
The manifestation reached out with a clawed hand, anticipating a shake as Elric did the same. The large, clawed hand of smoke solidified around his wrist, cold and clammy.
“Your father was a strong Titan and so were you.” The beast’s eyes glistened as Elric walked through the smoking manifestation. He hesitated, remembering the faraway distant echo of Zaroule’s warning about his powers. “You must keep your resolve strong. You won’t even realize it’s taking over. Before you know it, your minds will be like one. I pray you never ever have to open that fourth door.”
Elric looked at the door and realized once it was opened, there was no turning back.
Unlike the previous times when he opened the fourth door, it wasn’t violent. A large, clawed hand opened up in front of him, and without hesitation, Elric stepped onto it. To Elric, the hand was the size of a house, raising him into the sight of glowing and crimson red eyes that were the size of a distant moon. The pupils were thin and slit vertically.
Then an explosion of energy, dark and immobilizing, consumed him. No. It devoured him.
Elric opened his eyes to find that he was alive but different. No longer a boy, no longer human. His wounds had healed. The darkness that spilled from him was so great that each step crushed the surface of the slick hallway.
He looked himself over, realizing he had truly become a monster.
Chapter 24
Calamity
Everything was covered in thick black smoke from the burning ships. To Violet, the skies looked heavy with thunder clouds, but only over the island. Further from the castle, the skies were deep blue and cloudless.
