The First Pillar

by Roy Huff

  I walked towards my bed and collapsed. It was rare that I would fall asleep the moment I hit the bed, but this was one of those times. My body was exhausted, and it was forcing me to get some rest.

  The next day I awoke, the daylight revealed a lot more damage that had been hidden by the night. The campus was in shambles, all the trees were uprooted, many of the roofs were missing, and the rooms that were exposed to the outside were gutted. The main structures, however, were still standing. The solid concrete, brick, and steel construction of the buildings protected the campus from most of the wrath that swept in from the unearthly weather that we had just experienced. It was a frightening experience for sure, but the students and school would pick up the pieces and move on.

  Drusilla and Zee were at Professor Samil’s Easton Falls estate. The professor’s house staff found him collapsed on the floor in the front of the painting, devoid of life. Zee had a complicated relationship with his father. Now that his father was dead, though, all of those complications no longer mattered. Professor Samil was still his father, and his father was lying dead on the floor. Despite their differences, he was a hero to Zee as he always had been.

  Professor Samil had given too much of himself to the armies of Them. His energy was drained to dangerously low levels during battle. His age and arrogance had gotten the better of him, and now his life was over.

  Zee unconsciously vowed to be a worthy son, even though his father would no longer be alive to see it.

  Meanwhile, in Everville, the Fron began burying their dead and paying their respects to the massive casualties that had been lost in the great battle. A resolve had taken hold over the villagers of the Fron. They would not let the darkness stop them from being who they were. They were a happy species, an optimistic species, and with the help of The Keepers and willingness from the earthly realm, they were determined to defeat the dark forces of Them in perpetuity.

  I was also determined to do whatever I could to help Everville and its inhabitants, but I was more determined to find a way to restore the health of our dear friend Dante. Today we began the long task of repairing the damage done to our great university. After that, we would start a new quest to search for the solutions to bringing back our friend and stopping the armies of Them from invading the other surrounding lands of Everville.

  The End