‘And what do you call them?’
‘I call them the Nephilim. It is they who have divided the Committee and its forebears from humanity for thousands of years. It is they who have toppled nations and destroyed civilisations built on lies: malevolent alien life forms that the Committee calls spirits and demons, aliens which can manifest on the metaphysical plane, but are in actuality as corporeal as humanity itself. The Nephilim feed off your world like an insidious plague as they siphon off negative energy created by those who’ve been tricked into betraying their species and, indeed, their entire planet, for the empty promise of material wealth. And half the Nephilim’s work is already complete, as War, Famine and Pestilence precede them.’
‘The Horsemen of the Apocalypse.’ Tyler said, his unease deepening.
‘Yes. And only Death remains. They return to show humanity their ways are corrupt.’
‘And what if humanity refuses to hear them?’
‘They will have no choice. The Horsemen are already here, waiting, always waiting. And for many parts of your world, the Horsemen never left. Long has it been in your power to solve others’ pitiful existence, and now the entire world will get to experience it for themselves. You think and act like these things don’t exist beyond your invisible thought borders you call nations, but Death, War, Famine and Pestilence are happening right now on your doorstep, and in many cases created by those that rule you.
‘No. The Horsemen cannot be denied and if humanity continues its course, its so-called advanced civilisation will fall and only when it’s on its knees, swimming in seas of blood and death, will you change your ways, and by then it will be too late. The wisest amongst the Committee will hear these words and see the unsettling truth within, but they will be in the minority, for the weight of history weighs down upon them all, “we’ve come too far”, it will be said, “we continue as planned.”’
‘But fear not,’ Bic said, ‘all is not lost. That future is almost upon you, but has not yet come to pass. There might still be time to avoid it, if you act courageously and quickly.’
‘How?’ Tyler said, knowing his family remained on the surface. ‘How can we avoid it?’
‘Those that see this truth must stand up and lead the way.’
‘The way?’
‘Yes, before it’s too late, before the point of no return, and that time is now. As it has always been, as it always will be. The way ahead is clear ... for the way ahead is truth. And if truth is resisted, the way ahead is corruption and death, always and all ways. For it can be no other. You reap what you sow, and humanity has sown long and deep. Speak the truth and it will set you free. Lie to yourself and others and you will see where it leads you: despair, depression, anxiety, hate, jealousy, lust and corruption, resulting in a life unlived and a terrifying death drenched with regret.’ Bic looked at him. ‘Is that what you desire?’
Tyler shook his head. ‘No, not for anyone.’
Silence descended once more and Tyler couldn’t help but look back at the Earth and the signs of war. But, as he contemplated Bic’s words, he thought of something that had been worrying him. ‘The Nephilim, are they the ones sending the signals?’
Bic glanced at him. ‘Yes. Even as we speak they enter your solar system. The circle of cause and effect is turning back on itself, inevitably, unavoidably, completely.’
‘The Nephilim are on their way here?’
‘They are. Humanity is no longer the fittest, it is the stupidest, and thus the weakest, and it shall become extinct if it fails to act on its destructive, greedy, self-serving ways. And if it doesn’t, I will do it for you. There were Anakim who thought as humanity did and they became something else, something worse. Arrogant and cruel. Greedy and hateful. Pompous and manipulative. Secretive and lustful. They became their worst nightmares, a race without compassion, a race of hate and jealous fear, terrified of physical death and, worst of all, terrified of unconditional love – terrified of God itself.’
Tyler turned his gaze back out towards deep space, the gleaming stars a distant grace. Somewhere out there, something was coming: the Harvester of Souls, the Great Darkness; and soon, very soon, they would be here, and from what he could tell, there was no one left to stop them, no one except ... Tyler’s eyes drifted to his reflection in the sweeping window and thought, no one except me.
Chapter Three Hundred
Out in the Mongolian wilderness, an icy wind swirled around a barren mountainside. And yet the arid wasteland was not as devoid of life as it first appeared. Tiny plants clung to the side of its rocky surface, the loose stone interspersed with green-brown foliage barely visible to the eye. Insects crawled and flew, and the smell of fresh air caressed the senses. Human war and chaos raged across the planet, but there was another world, a world of peace and plenty, a world of forgotten dreams waiting to be remembered, and soon, very soon, that dream would return, but before it could, darkness needed to be overcome.
Halfway up the mountain, its loose surface shifted, sending a smattering of stones skittering down towards the plateau, below. Soon after, larger rocks moved upwards an inch, dropped down a little, and then bulged upwards again until they toppled over, end over end, chasing the smaller stones that preceded them. A dark hole lurked beneath the disturbed area, its entrance to the underworld a forbidden treasure. In the light of a setting sun, a dust-covered arm reached up and grasped a handful of withered grass. A second later, the arm’s owner emerged into the dying light, its bald tattooed head gleaming black.
Alexander Konstantin hauled himself to his feet and gazed out to the horizon, as the sun dipped out of sight. Day plunged into night, but our guiding star’s final rays left the top of the mountain illuminated, like the giant pyramid it was.
The leader of the Knights of the Apocalypse stood up tall, the writhing Pharos light beneath his skin silhouetting his black tattoos with a shimmering glow from within.
Movement from nearby made Konstantin pause and the light inside him faded, leaving him in darkness, as two wounded men crested a ridge and approached.
‘My Lord,’ a man said in Russian, coming to a stop before him. ‘We thought you were dead.’
Konstantin turned his eyes on the knight who had spoken, the look making the man take an involuntary step back.
‘What are your orders, sire?’ the second man said.
Konstantin said nothing for a moment. He then turned to look up, as the sun’s light finally vanished from the mountain’s top. ‘Gather the knights,’ he said, his voice a guttural rasp.
‘Which ones, my Lord?’
‘All of them.’
‘All of them? But there are thousands, tens of thousands.’
‘Yes.’ Konstantin walked past them and, unseen by the two knights, a shimmer of light flickered beneath his skin. ‘Gather them all,’ Konstantin said, as he gazed up at the night sky, ‘for our masters are almost here.’
Chapter Three Hundred One
Agartha, the lost kingdom.
‘What’s he doing?’ Jason said.
Sarah followed his gaze to where Ruben knelt near the temple’s entrance.
‘He’s praying,’ Trish said.
Jason’s brow furrowed. ‘It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it? We’re all here, safe and well.’
‘He’s not praying for us.’ Sarah approached the Templar knight as he finished his communion with God, and couldn’t help but consider his naked torso. It was hard to believe such a man was also a monk and a devout Catholic. But, it seemed, you really could never judge a book by its cover. Her thoughts suddenly turned to Avery and she wondered how she could have got him so wrong. How can someone so twisted appear so kind? How did I miss it?
‘Because you didn’t trust your instincts,’ said a voice in her head.
Sarah knew it was true. She’d never really got to know Avery and now it was clear why. He hadn’t wanted her to. And that’s when she felt it, remembered it, the sense of emptiness he’d exuded. It was hard to put a finger on, b
ut it was like he wasn’t really there – a kind of empty deadness, which filled the shell of his body. He’d never really seen her, not really. He could walk like a man of God, talk like a man of God, even think like a man of God, but when it came to feeling like one, seeing like one – being one – he was totally blind. He was so lost, he had no idea who he was, or why he did what he did. He’d literally sold his soul to a self-created devil and what he’d received in return was death itself, the death of the light he’d been born with. But Sarah knew, without him, she’d have never found her own light. Without his darkness to fight, she would have remained forever lost. So, in many ways he was to be pitied, not feared; loved, not hated; as he’d made the ultimate sacrifice – he lived in the dark so others could know light.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Sarah said.
Ruben looked up at her. ‘It’s not your fault. I failed, not you. It was my responsibility to keep the prophecy safe.’
‘Maybe the prophecy is wrong.’
Ruben shook his head. ‘Cardinal Dolmante had solved it. He was not a man to give false hope and it’ll only be a matter of time before Avery completes his work, and then Christ will be found.’
‘Then we’ll find him first.’
He gave a growl of frustration. ‘Down here?’
‘Don’t they say the Lord moves in mysterious ways?’
Ruben stayed silent and Sarah thought he was going to remain so, until he said, ‘They do.’
‘Then maybe this is exactly where you need to be.’
Ruben considered her for a moment, sighed, and then got slowly to his feet. ‘Maybe you’re right.’
‘What did you pray for?’ Sarah said, as they descended the steps to where Jason and Trish waited for them. ‘If you don’t mind me asking.’
‘I prayed for hope. I prayed for those on the surface and ...’
‘And?’
He hung his head. ‘Salvation.’
‘You prayed for help?’
He nodded. ‘I prayed for help,’ he said, sounding dejected.
‘Is that bad?’
‘I wanted to ... I wanted to do it myself: to save him. I thought it was my destiny, my purpose.’
‘I don’t think we ever get what we want,’ Sarah said.
‘Of course we don’t,’ Jason said, overhearing. ‘If you want something, you’ll always be left “wanting”.’
‘We get what we need,’ Trish said. ‘If you really want something, you need to say “I am going to make it happen”, not that you “want” it. I thought everyone knew that.’
‘The great I am,’ Ruben said, nodding. He looked at Sarah. ‘Your friends are wise.’
‘They are.’ Sarah looked at them and felt her heart swell. ‘And you should remember something else.’
‘Which is?’ Ruben said.
‘Sometimes we all need a little help.’
Ruben didn’t reply.
Sarah tightened the belt on the white tunic he’d given her and gazed down at the red cross. ‘Some more than most.’
‘And did God answer?’ Jason said to Ruben, his expression intrigued.
Ruben frowned. ‘I don’t know, but I know one thing.’
‘And what’s that?’ Jason said.
Ruben gazed up to the sky. ‘He listened.’
Chapter Three Hundred Two
It had been a few hours since they’d arrived in the new world that was Agartha, and as night approached, it had been decided to wait until the following day before they attempted to set out for civilisation. Sarah shivered in excitement: a new civilisation. What wonders will it hold? What wisdom? Even now, as she sat near the temple’s highest point, gazing into the distance at an alien landscape, she still couldn’t quite believe it all existed. The Anakim were here – now – on Earth, or rather, inside it. All this time, humanity had been searching for answers outside of itself, when the greatest truths and most amazing discoveries were found within.
‘I searched the temple inside and out,’ Ruben said, coming to sit down beside her. ‘There’s no way back.’
‘There’s no transport device, either,’ Trish said, as she and Jason came to sit on her other side. ‘It’s almost like the Mayans built it.’
Sarah looked up at the stars twinkling above them. ‘I always knew it was a one-way trip.’
‘You don’t think there’s a way back?’ Jason said, dismayed.
‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘But you just said ...’
‘I know.’
Jason gave Trish one of his looks and Sarah knew what they were thinking, that she’d lost the plot. And maybe she had, but then, what was a story but another life, another perspective?
‘So, we can get back to the surface?’ Jason said.
‘Of course,’ Sarah said, ‘if you really want to.’ She swung her legs, which dangled over the high ledge and the beach below. The ocean’s sparkle reflected in her eyes and the light of a waxing moon rippled over waves which continued to lap at the shore in a regular soothing wash. ‘But why would you, when you have all this?’
‘This was supposed to be a way out,’ Ruben said, unable to disguise his anger. ‘A way out of the pyramid.’
‘It was,’ Sarah said, unfazed. ‘Just not in the way you thought.’
Ruben muttered something under his breath and Sarah smiled. ‘Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?’
Ruben didn’t reply and Sarah knew Jason was dying to point out that her record on foul language was less than exemplary. And he’d be right, but then change was always difficult to accept, especially when it was in those you loved – especially in those you loved.
‘So, what happened up there?’ Trish said, shooting the Templar knight a hard stare. ‘Ruben told us you might not make it.’
‘Yes,’ Ruben said, his eyes suspicious. ‘How did you escape Konstantin?’
‘You mean the thing inside of him?’ Sarah shrugged. ‘It was actually Konstantin who saved me. He sacrificed himself for me.’
‘That doesn’t sound like him,’ Ruben said.
‘Then perhaps you don’t know him as well as you thought.’
‘I know him plenty.’
Sarah didn’t comment; sometimes people had to have a villain so they could be superior, the winner – the victor – the only problem with that was, it never allowed you to forgive. It also meant you believed they’d taken something from you, which could mean only one thing: that you weren’t the victor at all, but the victim. Sarah knew there was only way to truly win, and that was not to win at all, but to let go of the past and future, and to understand those who’d wronged you, and to love them, for it was they who’d shown you the way home. And that’s when Sarah realised that there was nothing really to forgive anyone, no matter their crime; there never was, as they were just as lost as she’d been, controlled by their suppressed emotions, which they’d buried deep down inside. It was ironic. Avery knew of the very therapies that could cure him of his false nature, but refused to acknowledge he needed trauma release himself, instead choosing to believe his notion of love was the real thing, when it was just a twisted truth forced upon him by another.
‘“You have heard that it hath been said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,”’ Trish said. ‘“But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other.”’
‘I said the same thing to Zinetti.’ Ruben looked at Trish in shock, and then glanced at Sarah.
Again, Sarah said nothing, as Ruben struggled with the notion he’d just encountered. A few seconds passed and then the Templar knight stood up and walked away without another word.
‘Rude,’ Jason said.
‘He has trouble letting go,’ Sarah said. ‘We all do, at first.’
‘Are you okay, Saz?’ Trish said. ‘You seem different.’
‘Different?’
‘More relaxed,’ Jason said, and Trish nodded in concern.
‘That’s because I am, and what’s mor
e, I now know what I’m here to do.’
Jason and Trish swapped another look. ‘And what’s that? Jason said.
‘Avery brought me here. He made me think there was a way to stop the asteroids, a way to save billions of lives. He made me think I was trying to stop them from saving the world. He made me think I was evil, when it was his light that was masked. It was his darkness trying to manipulate me. And, it turns out, in one way he was right. There is a way to save billions of lives and he led me to it. He helped me, when he thought he was helping himself. He has no idea what he’s doing, nor does his Committee. They think they’re making themselves stronger, when they’re just making themselves weaker. They think they can take and take and lie and kill, and get away with it, believing if they just address the balance with half-hearted measures, the world remains in equilibrium. Amazingly, they do this and think they’re illuminated. But they forget one thing. They forget the law that can never be broken.’
‘What law?’
‘This world is a mirror. Whatever you do to another, you do to yourself. If you hate another, you hate a part of yourself. If you kill another, you kill a part of yourself. If you enjoy another’s pain, you enjoy your own. If you steal from another, you steal trust from yourself. If you fear something, you fear yourself.’ She thought back to when she saved Konstantin, and how he’d saved her right back. If she hadn’t helped him, she wouldn’t be alive now. She hadn’t done it for that reason, the intent was instinctual, but the end result was clear. As was Avery’s help bringing her here.
‘I once heard something strange.’
Sarah, Trish and Jason turned to see Ruben standing behind them.
He looked up at the sky and said, ‘Without Judas Iscariot, Jesus would never have realised his greatest triumph. Therefore, do you hate Judas and those who carried out the crucifixion, or thank them from the depths of your heart for allowing Christ to realise his full potential?’
‘It takes a wise man to accept truth,’ Sarah said.
Ancient Origins: Books 4 - 6 (Ancient Origins Boxset Book 2) Page 148
