Midknight, page 11
As with anything in your world, balance is required in all facets of life. You cannot have light without darkness. Love without hate. Good without evil. As long as the balance is maintained, the magic that held the Forsaken was never an issue. However, they discovered that if they could sway the balance in their favor.... introduce more chaos and evil into your world.... the balance would slowly start to shift, so they made it their mission to pollute your world with treachery and deceit in order to free themselves of their banishment in Perdisius. What they failed to realize was the scope of their mission without any magic here for them to use. There were too few of them to carry out their campaign as quickly as what they were hoping for, so they were forced to make a long-term plan. For thousands of years, the Forsaken worked behind the scenes turning men against each other with greed, power and war. This lengthy duration of time only fueled their hatred of the Celestials and the human world that we created. The Forsaken were forced to bide their time and do whatever they could to upset the balance.
It was in the last hundred years or so that the Forsaken made major breakthroughs with the advancement of your technology. It had been difficult to spread their message of hate around an entire world until the introduction of radio and television. This proved to be most beneficial to their cause, but the real breakthrough for them was the introduction of the internet and social media. Now, they could easily spread their hate around the world, corrupt more of mankind quicker and turn more of you against one another.
The Forsaken have had their fingers in almost every war, uprising, or conflict that has ever occurred on your world. They have skillfully manipulated humans against one another with their greed and pursuit of power. In doing so, they have shifted the balance of magic so much to their advantage that the powers that exiled them on Perdisius all those years ago are on the verge of collapse. When that happens, they will be free to wreak havoc and destruction to your world.”
John D'Angelo paused to let Beau make sense of what he had heard so far. The Celestial waited a moment and was about to carry on when Beau stopped him. “What you have told me is fascinating, but why have we never heard of the Celestials or the Forsaken before? I've heard of something similar.... in the Bible. Heaven and Hell. Lucifer being cast out of heaven along with his followers. What you've told me kind of sounds like that. I'm not an overly religious guy, but you must see where I'm coming from, don't you?”
“Yes, I do. Angels and demons. It has always been my observation that your religions are interpreted by those doing the preaching. I'm not going to get into a religious debate with you, otherwise we could be here all night. I've seen more than my share of those debates and what follows afterwards. All I will say is that there are different dimensions and realities that exist and there are times when they flow into one another by accident. I have always said to believe what you want to.... just don't tell me what I should believe. As for what I've told you, believe what you will...angels and demons...Celestials and Forsaken, but know this... your world is on the verge of collapse...religion or no religion and when that happens, the Forsaken will run rampant over you all until they have obliterated the entire human race.”
“How did it get to this? How am I tied into what's happening?”
“For that I need to backtrack a bit. Back to when the Forsaken first declared war on us. They were led by Apollyon, their version of your Lucifer or Satan. He became the supreme ruler of Perdisius and commanded the Knights of the Apocalypse and their armies. Each of these Knights ruled his own domain in Perdisius, of which there were six domains; the fire region that Apollyon ruled, the skies, the earth, the water regions consisting of rivers, lakes and oceans, the mountainous regions and the shadow realm. When the war was over and the Forsaken were defeated, the leaders of each of these domains was hunted down by the Celestials and put to death as punishment for inciting the war against them. What we didn't realize was that they took the precaution of giving up some of their ‘essence’ before they were captured so that perhaps one day they might rise again. An individual known as Murmur, the collector of souls, was put in charge of protecting the remnants of each of the Knights of the Apocalypse over all this time. It was him disguised as the preacher that you encountered in Southby when he gave you the cloak. In order for him to bring back Apollyon and his Knights, Murmur had to bond their essence with a suitable human host.”
“So, the cloak that he had me put on-”
“Is the essence of Schadowe, the ruler of the Shadow Realm.”
“So, I'm....”
“I'm afraid that you are bonded with an entity that is one of the more powerful Forsaken beings.”
“What's going to happen to me then?”
“That remains to be seen. Each human that bonded with the other Knights of the Apocalypse was chosen or stepped forward as a willing host. The cyber-attack set everything in motion much quicker than Murmur anticipated. When the person he had selected to join with the entity was killed, he was forced to improvise with you.”
“Do you have a way of separating this shadow entity from me?”
“I'm afraid not. Murmur has used an ancient magic that cannot be undone... even by the powers of the Celestials.”
“I'm scared to ask what that means for me moving forward.”
“From what I've seen of the others, the host.... was taken over once the entity grew stronger.”
Beau hung his head in silence. He knew that something strange had been done to him, but he never expected anything like this. Somehow, he hoped that it was all just part of some bad dream.
“How long do I have then?”
“I can't say for certain. You are the last of the six that has been possessed. The others have already been turned. You are the only one who has maintained your human soul. The others that were selected were men of lesser integrity and poor morals. You are a good man at heart, Beau Sittler. Murmur failed to account for this and the inner strength that you possess. He is a collector of souls, that is why he's been trying to force the issue and bring about your transformation into Schadowe. He was hoping that by sending others to kill Lauren and Michael, you would inadvertently kill one of them by defending your family. In doing so, he would be able to lay claim to your soul and add it to his book.”
“And if that happens?”
“If you kill another human soul, Murmur wins.”
“Is there some way I can fight off this Schadowe entity?”
“No, not that I know of. The good news is that twice now you have been able to use Schadowe’s powers to your advantage. I don't believe that Murmur foresaw this happening. I believe it was his understanding that while you weren't his ideal candidate for what he had in mind, Murmur went with the hand dealt to him and figured that the Schadowe entity would eventually overpower you and take over. What he also didn't realize was that you have something else going for you that he was unaware of. Do you remember when you were ill as a child, Beau?”
“With the brain tumor? No, not really. I don't remember much of it. I was only five, but my parents have told me a lot about it. Why do you ask?”
“Do you know why the cancer went away?”
“My parents tell other people that it was because of some miracle drug that I received, but they've told me that it was really because of some woman who I don't remember that saved me from the tumor killing me.”
“That would be Delilah Simmons. There is some debate amongst my kind as to what type of being she really was, but.... yes, she saved your life. She was able to draw the tumor out of you, and when she did so, she left a part of her behind to protect you and fight off the cancer if it should ever return. It is my belief that this is why the Schadowe entity hasn't been able to fully possess you. I think that what she imparted on you when combined with your strength of character and protective nature has been enough to hold the entity at bay.”
“So, there's a chance that I can beat this thing?”
“I want to tell you yes, that you can, but this is very old and powerful magic that you are dealing with, eventually....”
“Eventually, it will be too much for me to withstand.”
John D’Angelo didn't reply, but his silence spoke volumes to Beau. “Is that why you're here then, John? To keep an eye on me and prevent this entity from reaching its full power?”
“To a degree.... yes, but I want to help you, as well.”
Beau didn't like the sound of that. John was doing his best to sidestep the question, something that Beau wasn't really sure that he wanted to know the answer for anyway. For all he knew, John could be here to make sure that Beau changed into the Schadowe entity. He and the preacher could be allies in all of this and working together. On the other hand, if John was here to make sure that the Schadowe entity didn't survive, why wouldn't John just kill Beau now and be done with it? There was too much speculation for Beau to deal with and he felt it best at the moment to change the subject.
“I still don't understand how this cyber-attack and these Forsaken entities are all tied together.”
“The Forsaken have been planning for it in the past few decades with the advancement of your technology. With the collapse of your world, they wanted it to coincide with the Gathering.... the return of the six most powerful beings on Perdisius.... the Knights of the Apocalypse. Once that was complete, the barrier holding them back would be no more and they would be free to unleash hell on earth.... I believe that's the saying that you mortals use, isn't it?”
“That sounds completely terrifying. Why the cyber-attack though? If the Forsaken can pull off something like that, why not launch the nuclear weapons around the world and wipe us out altogether?”
“That would be too quick. They want your kind to suffer like they did, to despair...to lose all hope. Cyber-attacks were carefully planned and orchestrated to coincide all around the world. For years now, the Forsaken have been planting subliminal messages in your radio and television broadcasts and then in more recent years.... on social media. They have been quietly spreading their message of hate... using it to not only divide you, but to also condition the minds of those that they felt would be most susceptible to subversion. You see, the cyber-attack had two parts to it. One was to disable the power and communications worldwide and the second part was to relay a message to those susceptible preconditioned minds. Kind of like a pre-programmed hypnotic suggestion that when they saw or heard it, their entire focus would turn to death and destruction.”
Beau recalled the message that came over Lauren's phone when they were in Southby and how everything erupted into chaos and insanity after that. “I remember something being said about the time is now. Lauren and I both heard it. Why didn't it affect us?”
“Because of the people you are. Those that were targeted and affected by the message were morally flawed and had been conditioned for years leading up to the day of the attack. Their instructions were to spread fear and terror, pain and suffering...in order to tip the balance that I spoke of earlier, in favor of the Forsaken. With the power and communications disabled, they met less resistance in their objective leading to the collapse of many major cities around the world. The Forsaken in one fell swoop have basically turned humans against one another to achieve their goal. Divide and conquer.”
“Where’s the military in all of this?”
“They are doing what they can, but this isn't an isolated event. They can't be everywhere at once.... especially when every major city worldwide was targeted. The military has been concentrating its efforts on selected cities and doing their best to fortify them and proceeding from there.”
There's no way that any of this could be really happening, Beau thought to himself. If he hadn't seen it for himself in Southby, he would have thought that John D’Angelo was insane. This can't really be the end of the world, can it?
“What about you and your kind? Your magic could stop this, couldn't it?”
“I'm afraid our magic isn't what it used to be. The shift in the balance has played a part in that. If the Forsaken do indeed break free of their exile, it would take our combined might to close the rift to save your world, but that won't happen. Many of my kind fear that your world is a lost cause already and not worth the effort to save it. The Forsaken want first and foremost to destroy everything about your world.... slowly and painfully, but their true mission is to conquer Elysius. The majority of the Celestials are more concerned for themselves and Elysius than what happens to your world and are preparing for the inevitable if the Forsaken do break free.”
“So, we're on our own then.”
“Essentially, yes. There are others like me that are doing what we can to help you, but like the military, there are too few of us to make a substantial difference. We will do what we can to the best of our abilities here, but, in the end, it might not be enough to save your world if the full force of the Forsaken breaks free.”
“So, one way or the other, my world is doomed.”
“Perhaps...perhaps not. There is always hope, Beau.”
“Then, I hope that we come across a miracle or two before that time comes.”
The two of them were quiet for a moment as the weight of what John D’Angelo had told Beau settled in.
‘At least I don’t have to worry about paying off my credit card bills now.’ Beau thought to himself as he tried to look for even the tiniest silver lining. “What happens now? What am I supposed to do with what's been done to me?”
“That is up for you to decide. It is an unfortunate curse that you have been burdened with, but from what I have seen so far, it has also been a gift that you can use to protect your loved ones and your community.”
“Until the Schadowe entity takes over.” Beau wondered what would happen to him when that time came and sighed heavily. “You're right, though. If my fate is sealed as you say, I want to do whatever I can to protect Lauren and Michael.... and my family and friends. Do I tell Lauren about this or is it best to keep it a secret from her?”
John thought about it for a moment. “I think that you should tell her, but no one else.... of course, this is your call. She and Michael will be in the most danger if you do.... change. It is only fair that they receive some type of warning about what is happening to you. I wouldn't divulge anything to anyone else, though. Murmur likely has eyes and ears everywhere keeping tabs on you.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. I don't think I could keep something like this from Lauren anyway. I just hope....” Beau couldn't finish the sentence, too afraid to think what Lauren would do when she found out and too scared to think of a world where he wasn't part of her or Michael's lives. “I need you to do me a favor, John.”
“Yes, anything you ask, Beau.”
After struggling for a moment to find the words, he cleared his throat and spoke with as much conviction as he could muster. “If it gets to that point, John, where I am no longer in control of this thing.... I don't want anything.... any harm to come to Lauren and Michael. If something should happen to them.... if I'm responsible.... I could never forgive myself. You have to promise me that you'll kill me.... it if it gets that far.”
John gave Beau a sad and troubled look before finally nodding. “Perhaps, we should call it an evening. I've given you a lot to think about. We'll talk soon.”
“Yeah,” Beau replied, looking at his watch. “I should get going. I've got more questions, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around everything that you've told me so far.”
“Understandable.”
“How do I find you or contact you?”
“Don't worry. I'll find you.”
A second later, John D’Angelo disappeared.
Beau sat there for a few minutes by himself going over all that John D’Angelo had just told him. He always wondered in the back of his mind what he was supposed to do with the gift that Delilah Simmons had given him. By all rights, he wouldn’t have survived the brain tumour if she hadn’t intervened when she did. Beau didn’t like to dwell on it too much, but every once in a while, he would wonder why she had saved him and if there was something specific that he was meant to do with his life because of it. He had wanted to be a professional hockey player for so long that when that dream didn’t come to fruition, he wondered what his future was supposed to look like. When Lauren and Michael entered his life, Beau was sure that he had found his purpose in life. Now, after listening to what John had told him, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been destined for something more all along.
“Where have you been? Do you realize how long you've been gone? We were worried sick!” Lauren was waiting for Beau when he finally got back to his parent’s house.
“Sorry, everything's fine. I lost track of the time and didn't realize how late it was.”
His parents and sisters came around the corner and started to give Beau an earful before he apologized and assured them that everything was fine and that there was nothing to worry about. “The police have everything under control. Some idiots must have got liquored up and drove their vehicle through the showroom at Adams Ford. There was apparently a bit of shooting, but the police handled it. I was talking to Bruce for a while and then ran into that John D’Angelo afterwards. Kind of an interesting fellow.”
“You should have called us to let-” Sandra Sittler started to scold her son before she realized what she was saying. “Well, you shouldn't have gone rushing off like that. What if you'd been shot?”
“It's all good, mom. I was like a block and a half away from where everything was happening and sitting behind a car watching it all go down.” Beau tried to convince himself that technically he wasn't lying.... it was the Schadowe entity that had gone into the building. Maybe not a total lie...more like a white lie. “Okay, I'm sorry everyone. I shouldn't have gone and got everyone all worked up. We should get Mikey home and into bed, right, Laur?”
