Overcome

Overtaken1

A dramatic event2

To Prevail3

Overcome4

I awoke drowning in holy water. 5

Bubbles and fizz from physical disturbance clung to my body. The world around me was distorted, like some spectral realm that I didn’t belong in. Other forms floated around, darkened wraiths that I couldn’t make out. One drifted past me. It was a man. He was obese, stark naked, and dead. His blank white eyes glared emptily at me. A sudden burning seized my chest. I was running out of air. The burning and pain increased, my lungs yearning for that refreshing blast of oxygen to make them expand. My brain reverted away from the evolution of observation to the Neanderthal thought of ‘Must survive! Need air!’ I instinctively looked up and began to scan the lucid realm for a ray of light that would guide me back to the solid world, but to no avail. With no other choices, I began to swim upwards. I swam and I swam, but nothing was seen. And like that guiding force that appears when most direly needed, I saw a faint shimmering light. Not above me, but below. I flipped over and swam down. Just as it seemed that I escaped my liquid Hell, an explosion rang out. A great burst of bubbles and fizz were born directly in front of me. My brain, exhausted from the lack of air, shut down. The rest of my body followed simultaneous suit, and my consciousness failed me. 6

“Wake up sleepy head,” called out a gentle female voice. “Come on, wake up you lazy ass!” she whined in a high-pitched voice. The girl slapped me. “Ow!” I cried out. “What did you do that for?”7

“Cause it’s past noon and I want to go out.”8

“I don’t want to. I’m exhausted.”9

“Exhausted? Well, I guess I can understand why, after what we did last night.”10

“No, I don’t know.”11

“What do you mean you don’t know? Are you saying it wasn’t that good?”12

“Maybe inexperienced…”13

“Inexperienced?! How can you say such a thing? We’ve done this plenty of times before, and you never-” I laughed. “Why are you laughing? You laughing at me? At my performance?” I continued to laugh, the laughter increasing in volume. 14

“You want me to kick your ass don’t you?” she threatened in a sly sexy voice. I didn’t move, my eyes still closed and I pretending to sleep. “Hey dummy, I’m talking to you!” She gave a frustrated sigh and exclaimed, “That’s it!” as she jumped me. I caught her and wrestled her. “Stop it, you monster!” she cried out during the struggle, but in a joking manner. I let up a little, but then she overpowered me and jumped on top of me. We were both laughing now. 15

“I’m going to kick your ass,” she threatened again.16

“Not before I kick yours,” I threatened back. I flipped her around and now I was on top. We both stopped suddenly. Our breathing had risen in intensity and was heavy. I looked down at her, her chest heaving. All I could do was stare in amazement. 17

“God, you’re so beautiful.” I said, the thought flowing out into words so naturally. She only stared back, a small grin forming across her face. 18

“I know.” I bent down and kissed her. All of a sudden, she grabbed me and flipped me around. She had me pinned. “Aeris is the reigning champion once again. Quinn is the loser! I told you I would kick your ass!” she yelled out victoriously. I went to grab her, but she jumped up off the bed and began to do the Rocky victory dance. 19

“You’re so evil,” I said in disbelief at my gullibility. 20

“It’s not your fault. You just can’t keep your mind clear for one minute around me because I’m one hot mama!” We both began to laugh again, her for the comedic statement, and me for the truth of it. I can never think straight around her, and yet everything was so clear when I was by her. 21

“So are we going out?” she questioned. I could immediately tell she was interrogating me. What for I didn’t know. 22

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, trying to get her to reveal the place. It didn’t work.23

“Well, wherever you want to go.” I knew she didn’t mean it. She was testing me. I hated it when she tested me, but the way she did it was so cute. She would try to impersonate an interrogation cop, but she would do it in such a sexy way, as if she was trying to seduce the answers out of me. Then again, I always think she looks sexy, no matter what she’s doing or saying. 24

“I don’t know…”I trailed off, waiting for her next response.25

“Wow. You really are lost. I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a hint. Remember our ‘special place’ and what we did there?” I was dumbfounded. Our ‘special place’? Could she possibly mean where we met? No, that’s out in public, not that special at all. It was something definitely intimate. It had to be just the two of us. But where? I knew she liked fields, so I went with that for my next question. 26

“You mean that time we were in the field?” She seemed surprised that I guessed right. 27

“You’re on the right track. You will probably figure it out by tonight…”28

“What happens tonight?” I didn’t know what she meant. If it were about sex, she wouldn’t be this mysterious and coy about it. Maybe one of our past dates. 29

“When you figure it out, I want you to meet me there. I knew you would forget, but once you remember, you will wonder how you could have ever forgotten.” 30

“Why do you want me to go there?”31

“Because that was the place it became serious for us, and I want to tell you something serious.” I wanted to ask her then and now what this ‘serious’ thing was, but I knew she wouldn’t tell me. When she made an elaborate plan like this, she stuck with it. 32

“Do you promise that you will be there?” she asked, her voice serious and straight. I could tell this was in no way some joke or play on words. This was serious. “Well, do you promise?”33

“I promise.”34

“Promise on our love,” she suggested, looking for those naturally flowing words like before.35

“I promise on our love that I will be there.”36

I awoke with holy water in my lungs. 37

I began to cough and sputter, forcing the water to come up. My heart was racing from its sudden awakening. Feeling and senses returned to me as well as my consciousness. I figured I must have washed ashore. I looked out across a flooded area. Houses lay almost submerged, only the tips of the roofs still protruding from the water. This must be, or must have been, the residential area on the edge of town. I could see the backs of people bobbing above the water surface. They were the same bodies I had seen floating at the bottom of the water. I looked up above the water line and saw the apocalypse. The sky was blackened out in eternal night; the raven colored clouds hanged thick and low in the air. Large clumps of ashen cinder snowed down from the sky, creating an ash white paradise. The cityscape was barely visible, but I could tell it was in desolate destruction. The screams of people traveled upon the frigid bitter wind, creating the illusionary sound of a pack of screaming dogs. Though I was frightened by the sounds, I knew I would have to trek through the city. The river would be my guide through the chaos and to the other side, where my answers lay. 38

As I began the lonely journey, my memories began to form coherent streamlines, allowing me to remember part of my recent past. My girlfriend’s question echoed in my mind. Our special place? What did she mean by our special place? Maybe my sudden urge to go to the other side of the city has something to do with it. She also said something about a field. Suddenly, it was as if my mind made a mental connection between two unlike thoughts, creating a quick mental flash that filled my physical sight. That’s it! The Gray Fields on the other side of the city! I did know it all along, I just didn’t want to guess and feel bad about not knowing. With a place in mind, I began to walk faster, with a purpose. 39

This quickness vanished when I arrived at the city and saw what was happening. It was worse than I thought. Everything seemed to be flipped around, like I was in some Hellish version of Earth. The buildings were no longer made of concrete, but of cold discolored steel that vibrated and rumbled with each distant explosion. The streets were the same, only they were grating. I was able to look through the cross patterns down into nothingness. Nothing more than an empty void. I heard someone scream out from a few yards away. Unsure of who or what it was, I hid. I saw a woman run out of the shadows, her body twisted and distorted. From what I could tell, it looked like she had leprosy, the plague, and an assortment of other diseases. Whether her screaming was from the disease or some other unseen entity, I didn’t know until I saw a shadowy being come forth from the shadows and snatch her up. She screamed and cried, trying to struggle free from the beast’s death grip. Its very body seemed to be made of nothing more than a black mist, yet it was tangible. It hovered a dozen or so feet above the street, its misty wings shifting shape with each flap. I didn’t find out what it was waiting for until I saw part of the grated street open up. Once open, the Shade dropped the woman into the hole. I watched as her very soul and being faded off the face of the Earth and into oblivion. The Shade gave out a shrill cry as it flew off into the night. 40

“What the hell is going on here?” I said aloud to myself. 41

“Death is a midnight runner,” a voice spoke out from behind me. I turned thinking it was another one of those Shades, but I was only greeted by the face of a homeless vagabond. His face was covered with many five o’clock shadows and his clothing was nothing more than rags and a pair of worn out boots. He smiled a tooth filled grin, but he would not make eye contact with me. I realized he was blind. 42

“What did you say?” I asked him, curious. 43

“Death is a midnight runner. You just saw one didn’t you?” I nodded and remembered he was blind, so I said yes. He continued, “There are many more of those agents.”44

“What are they?” The vagabond didn’t answer, but only looked up. I looked up with him and saw a greatly terrifying flock of the Shades flying in the air. They circled around the city, striking down upon the vulnerable. The vagabond couldn’t see the beasts, but I could tell he sensed their presence. He continued with his story, “They’re the angels of death, the Fallen, descended down upon the Earth. The plan has failed.”45

“What plan?”46

“God’s Divine Plan. Something disturbed it, threw it off its path. It was meant for a person, maybe one or a dozen, but it has been distracted.” I wanted to ask more when I saw a look of pain come across his face. “Something about an intimate suicide...” After I heard these words, my mind made more mental connections, and like before, it created a flash of physical images. When they had disappeared, I looked to the vagabond to see if he noticed. “You saw the flashes too. Could you be...?” 47

I ran.48

I ran with no purpose or intent, but as I ran the vagabond shouted after me, “Remember the Promise.” I kept running, taking no care as to where or what I was running to. Two Shades spotted me and came swooping down for the hunt. I kept running. They kept flapping, gradually gaining on me. I could feel it. I was almost there. They seemed to feel it too, and quickened their pace. One of them grabbed me, but just as it did, it realized it was at the spot I was trying to reach. It tried to stop in midair, but failed. I grabbed one of its mist wings and flipped it over my shoulder. As I rolled to the ground, the Shade collided with the river and screeched out in horror as it disentegrated. The other one turned mist and flew off. I stood up and surveyed my surroundings. I was on the bridge that led out of the city. 49

I walked a mile or two before I felt the feeling again. I looked off to my right and saw that part of the road railing was missing, as if a car had smashed through it. Tire skids went up the street and swerved suddenly to the right through the gap in the railing. Then it happened. A great bang filled the air and as I looked up, I was further entrenched in my idea about the Apocalypse. The sky had cracked open, revealing the stars and moon. This would be good, only they were falling from the sky. The stars shot down like missiles, striking the city’s flesh and carving their own history into it. The moon began to descend upon the Earth, crumbling on its descent. I realized I had no cover, and could do nothing more but to stand and face the threat. I was hit by a piece of the moon, and lost my senses and consciousness once more. 50

“Are we there yet?” asked Aeris, her eyes blindfolded. 51

“Almost,” I answered. “And I promise I’m not trying to ditch you out in the middle of nowhere. I just want to surprise you.”52

“You better not, Quinn. And this better not be some kind of kinky sex thing, cause I don’t like not seeing you when we’re having sex, so that plan is done.”53

“It’s nothing like that. It would have been nice if it was, but I promise that it’s not.”54

“Alright, but if we’re not there in the next five minutes, I’m pulling this blindfold off.” I continued driving, every now and then taking a glance at her. The sun seemed to reflect off her hair, making it shine a warm and inviting light. “She is really going to love this,” I whispered to myself, so excited that I could not retain my power of inner monologue. 55

“What was that?” she asked, fearing I was up to no good. 56

“I said you’re going to love this.” I watched as the hill came into view, the sun’s rays shining out and over the outline of its emerald green grass. “Okay we’re here,” I said. 57

“Good. Can I take this stupid blindfold off now?”58

“No.”59

“Obviously not yet,” she sarcastically retorted. I led her out of the car and up the hill. I brought her right to the top of the hill and stopped her. “Now just stand right there and don’t move.”60

I slowly came up behind her and placed my hands on the blindfold. “Ready?” I asked, my eagerness seeping into my voice. 61

“As ready as one can be. But I’m telling you, if this is some dumb joke or some kinky scheme, I’m going to-” The blindfold dropped and she opened her eyes. 62

“My God,” she said, “It’s beautiful.” She said this as she stared down the warm glowing sun, which was slowly setting away into the west. Its rays painted the sky in various colors; red, orange, pink, purple. The sky was its painting, and we were its critics. 63

“So what do you think of my kinky scheme now?” I joked. She remained silent for a while, taking in the moment. “I just can’t believe it. I’ve never noticed how beautiful it is.”64

“Probably because of the city, but that just makes it more special. The sun is ours, only for those who take the time to appreciate it and go out of their way to do so.”65

“This is just so...wow.” 66

“There’s more,” I said as I gave a head nod towards something behind her. She turned and saw a Ferris wheel in the distance. “What?” she asked in disbelief.67

“There used to be an old amusement park here, but they went out of business. I was able to get the guard there to give us a ride.”68

“How did you...”69

“You’d be surprised what a little money can get you.” 70

“I never thought I would say this, but you’re the coolest boyfriend ever.” She leapt into my arms with glee and began to laugh and cry at the same time. Very rarely did she reveal her childish side, but the more time she spent with me, the more often it came out. It seemed to raise her spirits and bring such a youthful look to her face. I would never forget that look. 71

We both sat down on top of the hill, watching the sun descend. The warmth of it slowly faded away along with the light, but it was welcome to us, since the moist spring breeze of the night had drifted into the countryside. We huddled close together to keep ourselves warm. Not that we were freezing, but it was the kind of cold that made a person want to be snug and warm. Her hair flowed behind her with the wind; the blonde highlights in her hair waving back and forth like a flag. I stared at her. I just stared as she watched the moon emerge from the clouds. It was full and bright as it loomed over the forested land. She finally caught on and stared back at me. “Are we going to have an old fashioned staring contest, or are you going to kiss me?” she joked. We kissed for some seconds before she suddenly stood up and screamed, “Last one to the Ferris wheel is buying dinner!” 72

“Oh no you don’t,” I said as I chased her. We were both laughing during the chase, our laughter echoing throughout the night air. The night seemed to awaken from it. The owls hooted, the crickets chirped, and the wind grew slightly, causing the grass and trees to wave back and forth, creating that shuffling noise that they’re known for. 73

“You know, even if you win this race, you’re still buying dinner,” she shouted back towards me. 74

“That’s what you think,” I yelled to her, gaining. I finally caught up to her and tackled her down. We rolled around on the grass, the built up momentum from running still moving us. When the rolling stopped, we were both still laughing. We stopped laughing and tried to regain our breath as we stared at each other. 75

“So, this makes it official,” she said.76

“I guess so,” I answered, knowing what she was talking about.77

“Do you love me?” 78

“Yes.”79

“Do you promise?”80

“Promise to what?”81

“To always love me no matter what?” Now, most guys would be shocked to hear this question. If they had only been dating a girl for a couple weeks and she already wanted you to promise her love and to say that you loved her, most guys would bail. But I didn’t feel what a normal guy would feel. I did love her, and did feel like I would spend the rest of my life with her.82

“I promise to love you, no matter what happens.”83

‘I’m not going to make it,’ I thought. The rain was pouring down hard. I could barely see a few feet ahead of me, even with my headlights on. Every now and then, lightning would flash across the sky, allowing me to see what was in front of me. Nothing more than thick rain and a bridge that never seemed to end. I began to wonder if she would still be at our special place, with the rain and all. Even though it would be insane for her to stand on top of that hill waiting for me, I knew she was. There was some kind of feeling. And the way she made me promise her to be there. It was a no matter what situation. I just had to make it there, regardless of the weather. The lightning lit up the area in front of me, allowing me to see once again. But the sight was different. A dark shade was in front of my car. I braked, but it was too late. My car slammed into the shade. Something wasn’t right though. It didn’t feel like my car hit the shade, but went right through it. I lost control and swerved off the bridge, breaking through the fence and clashing with the river below. My head smashed off the steering wheel, and I was unconscious. 84

I awoke with rock fragments all over me. I looked to the sky, but it was dark again like usual. The Shades still encircled the city from above swooping down to deal death. I brushed the rocks off me and stood up, using the fence on the edge of the bridge to help me stand. ‘That’s what happened. One of those Shades made me crash into the river. But why?’ Then I made a connection. I remembered what the vagabond had said about an intimate suicide. Could she have killed herself, thinking I wouldn’t show up? I had no more time to think. I didn’t know how long it had been since the accident, but I knew I had to get moving. The thought of her killing herself was too unbearable. Knowing the Shades had some special interest in me and would probably try to chase me down again, I looked around for some kind of weapon I could use. I spotted a pipe, which used to be part of the fence sitting in a puddle of water. I picked it up, knowing it was better than nothing. I started up my run again, hoping the death dealers wouldn’t pay any attention to me.85

It wasn’t long until I came upon cars on the bridge. I looked through them, hoping to find one still running or the keys in the ignition. A terrible shriek sounded off in the distance. The Shades knew where I was. I quickened my search rate, trying every car. The only vehicle that still had the keys in the ignition was a motorcycle. I hopped on and flipped the ignition on. The motorcycle wouldn’t start. I tried again and again. The shadow beasts gave out another shrill shriek, letting me know that doom would soon be upon me. Finally, it turned on, and with a rapid revving of the engine, I took off. One of the Shades was in grabbing reach when I took off. It shrieked in failure and continued its flight. I didn’t know how many of them were behind me, but it sounded like there were at least a dozen, probably more. One of them came up alongside of me and attempted to strike me off the bike. I swerved away and went around an Oldsmobile, before swerving back towards the Shade and striking its head with the pipe. It let out a painful screech as its head was destroyed causing the rest of its body to fade. 86

The beasts continued the chase, more determined now that one of their own had fallen. Two were able to gain up to me. They crisscrossed back and forth over my head, trying to pull me off. But I kept ducking and swinging my pipe. Just as they crisscrossed over my head, I held up the pipe where they met. The two bodies fused together where parts of them disintegrated. I swung the pipe towards the bridge’s edge, catapulting the shadowy mass off into the river. 87

The chase continued, but took a turn for the worst. The remaining Shades fused together. Unlike the previous fusion, this one was beneficial since they created a new kind of monstrosity. It was some kind of shadow wolf. Immediately upon creation, it let out a howl and continued the chase. It was quick. The wolf shade jumped rapidly from car hood to car hood, closing up the large gap that I had worked so hard to create. Its pants and growls were more noticeable now that it was practically breathing down my neck. Lucky for me, there were no more cars to dodge, allowing me to drive straight and gain speed. However, the same applied to the wolf, so it didn’t really help. It came up fast and bumped into the back of my bike. I almost lost control, but regained it in time for the next attack. This time I was ready. Just as it opened its mouth to swallow me whole, I threw the pipe in its mouth. The Shadow Wolf choked and gagged as the pipe began to dissolve its insides.88

But it still chased me. Now with no weapon in tow, I felt defenseless. It was in this moment of gloom that I noticed something in the distance. The bridge was out. I knew if I could get the Shadow Wolf to try biting me right at the edge, it wouldn’t have time to stop itself from falling into the river. I revved up my motorcycle and pushed for the top speed, hoping to not only keep my distance until we reached the bridge’s edge, but also to make the leap across. Within a minute, the beast was right on my tire and I almost at the edge. With a final rev, I soared off the edge. Like I had predicted, the beast attempted to bite me and paid for its impatience by toppling off the bridge and into the river, where it boiled away into nothing. In midair, I released my bike and came tumbling down on the other side of the bridge. The bike joined the Shadow Wolf in the river. 89

The hill where I professed my love to Aeris was in close distance. This was it. Our ‘special place’. I walked, observing the once beautiful country landscape. It was devastated by the cataclysmic events. The green grass was dead and brown. It felt like straw to the touch. Mud boiled up everywhere, destroying the flowers that once dotted the landscape. The trees were hunched over; their trunks twisted and gnarled. I followed the muddied dirt road up to the once emerald hill. It too resembled the rest of the landscape. However, there was a hole on the side. It looked like a mining cave. This didn’t catch my attention as much as the Shades that stood in front of the cave entrance. It was at this moment that I realized just how much they resembled angels. If they were more than just shades, they would probably look bright and glorious. They would be their former selves. 90

I approached the Fallen with no fear. I had not come this far to be afraid. If anyone was going to be afraid, it would be them. I stopped only a few feet away from them. I stared at them and I guess they stared back. I couldn’t tell since they didn’t have faces. They didn’t have much in the way of detail. They were almost like shadows that an angel would cast. No detail. Just shadows of their former greatness. After a few moments, they moved aside. A sword was stuck in the ground. Its silver surface shone, regardless of the surrounding darkness. I could feel a power within it. Reluctantly, I walked over and pulled the sword out of the soft muddy soil. The power seemed to travel up my arm and into the rest of my body. Why were the Fallen giving me this sword? This had to be part of some scheme. But they didn’t attack. They all moved aside and allowed me passage into the hill. Maybe something was inside the hill. Some kind of creature, perhaps the thing that was behind all the destruction. But why would they allow me to go and kill their master? They probably thought the creature would destroy me without any effort. It didn’t matter to me. My mind set was still the same. I wasn’t going to let anything to stop me now. I was going to find my true love. I was going to find Aeris. 91

I walked through the opening in the hill. The interior was cold and dark. I could barely see where I was going, and only walked forward in hopes of stumbling upon a lit chamber. I began to sense the dark entity that inhabited this hill. Somehow, we were connecting. Soon, I would find out what it was.92

Finally, I spotted a light just barely in the distance and walked towards it. I climbed out the small hole where it was shining from. I was horrified by what I saw. The chamber was large, filling up much of the hill. The walls were not made of rock, but of living flesh. It seemed to breathe and heave, dying for fresh air. The ground too was made of flesh, moving and shifting as I walked across it. There, in the center of the room, stranded in the air, was a sight that disgusted me. 93

It was a biomechanical monstrosity.94

Veins and tentacles stretched out from the suspended body and connected to the walls. The body seemed to be inside out, the muscle and internal organs on the exterior. It was of average height, but had long limber legs. 95

And yet, the creature had human features. The face, while twisted in appearance, resembled a human. The entire face was in average proportion. The nose was small, the face smooth, and the lips somewhat full. The eyes, though closed, looked average in diameter according to the eyelids. There was even long flowing hair that fell down to its shoulders, but it was made of flesh. 96

In the middle of my terror, the eyes flipped open. They were surprisingly human, a dark blue. The entire cavern seemed to come alive, the walls and floor pulsating faster and harder. It stared straight at me, unmoving.97

“Where am I?” said the voice, female in sound. 98

“What have you done to Aeris?” I asked, fearing I would have to fight this monster. 99

“Quinn, is that you?” The voice sounded so familiar. I knew immediately who it was, but I couldn’t accept it. My heart was torn apart by the truth.100

“It really is you Quinn! I knew you would make it,” she said, a tear running down her cheek. 101

“What happened?” I asked, wondering how such a thing could come to pass. The question brought a look of confusion upon her face. “You don’t know what happened?”102

“No I don’t. I just remember waiting on the hill. It feels like it has been years since I last saw you.”103

“I feel the same way too.”104

“I wish I knew what was going on. All I can feel is pain.” She wasn’t aware of her deformed figure. I didn’t want to mention it, fearing it would only bring her more grief. I just kept looking into her eyes, watery with unknown grief. “I just remember the hill and then I blacked out. This is the first time I’ve been awake.” She screamed out, her body writhing with pain. The entire chamber seemed to react to her action.105

“What is it? What’s wrong?” She stopped moving, gasping for air.106

“No, it can’t be...I didn’t know.” Her face was filled with concern. Something was wrong. “Quinn, you have to listen to me. I don’t have much time. Something is about to happen that I have no control over.”107

“What’s going on?”108

“I’m going to change into something...something evil. You have to kill me before I change. Just kill me!” I was shocked when I heard these words. Why did she want me to kill her? There had to be another way to save her from this form other than death.109

“I can’t!”110

“You have to. This world depends on you. The Fallen are using me as a vessel to connect their world with ours. If you don’t kill me, there will be nothing left!”111

“No, I won’t! There’s no way I’m going to kill you. I just found you.”112

“This is no time to be selfish! You have to kill me or else everything will fall to them.”113

“But I...,” I fell to my knees and began to weep, “I just can’t.”114

“Do you remember the promise?” I couldn’t answer; my voice was all choked up. “Do you?”115

“Yes, I do.”116

“We made that promise in love. I want you to promise that you will kill me.” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t answer. “Please, promise me.” I looked into her eyes. They were filled with bittersweet tears. She wanted to stay alive with me for the rest of our lives. But she knew. Everything had come back to her in that moment of painful memories. I couldn’t betray her last desired wish. I had to promise. She screamed out again in pain. The change was beginning. I wanted to run instinctively to her side, but I knew that wasn’t what she wanted. “Do you promise?” she said, struggling to speak.117

I looked into her eyes, those sweet beautiful eyes, and said, “I promise on our love that I will kill you.” The tears began to stream down her face. I lifted the sword. I said to her, “I love you.”118

“I love you too.” Those were the last words she spoke before the pain became too unbearable. Her screams were louder, filled with so much agony and grief. I ran towards her. I was ready to fulfill the promise and to end her misery once and for all. But just as I was about to drive the sword through her, a force grabbed hold of me and tossed me across the room. I hit the flesh floor hard. The entire chamber was convulsing even more so than before. Everything was alive. The Fallen were in the chamber, surrounding both Aeris and me. One of them had grabbed me and thrown me away. They watched as the transformation took place. They too seemed to pulsate along with the room, ecstatic at the recent turn of events. It was then that I understood why the Fallen had let me in so easily. They knew that my love would bring Aeris’ downfall. I was the one who placed the final burden of grief upon her. She was no longer able to fight off the Fallen. They had her soul. It was then that I knew it was too late. Too late to end Aeris’ pain easily.     119

Aeris’ body began to shift and change. Her muscle mass grew in density, her height increased by some feet, razor sharp claws elongated off her fingertips, everything about her seemed to increase. Suddenly, it all stopped. It was quiet. The veins and arteries that connected Aeris to the chamber disconnected, allowing her to hover in place. Slowly, she rose up her head and opened her eyes. A chill ran through me as I stared into her cold black eyes. Aeris was gone. The creature stared at me and screamed out in victory. “So, her love has finally failed her. I knew it would eventually give way.” She looked down at me and howled in laughter. “Exactly what I expected! The very person she loved would be the one to push her over the edge. Tell me, how does it feel to be responsible for your lover’s death?” A burning hatred began to rise up within me. I had failed. Aeris wanted me to kill her, and because of my hesitation, she was in their hands. She was their master of grief. The one who would bring the final blast of destruction upon the Earth to destroy it all. I couldn’t let her get away with it. I rose up my sword and charged at her. She lifted her arm, blocking the sword, which shattered on impact. Now unarmed, she easily grabbed me and tossed me across the room. I hit the flesh floor hard, knocked breathless. As I lay wheezing, she taunted me.120

“Even now, you can’t fulfill what she desires. You are useless! You and the entire human race. You’re like this room. You convulse and ensnare the planet, destroying everything, including your own kind. Even worse, you destroy the love that you try to form with one another. You destroyed the love between you and Aeris when you didn’t fulfill the promise. Now she’s mine!” I tried to stand, but Aeris kicked me, sending me sliding across the room. 121

“You can’t even stand up to fight me. Don’t you love her enough to stand up and try to fight me?” I tried to stand, but I was too weak. I was still trying to regain my breath. She laughed again. “I’ll do Aeris a favor and just kill you.” She kicked me again, causing me to clash with the wall. As she hovered towards me, I looked around. My vision was blurred and I was on the verge of losing consciousness again. I looked to the sides, seeing the Fallen gathered on the sidelines of the conflict. They wanted to steal this planet, and yet they couldn’t even do it themselves without humans. They had to use us to complete their own plans. 122

Amid this thought, I saw a blur of light walking among the Fallen. It wasn’t with the Fallen and wasn’t even noticed by them. This creature was much more majestic and beauteous than the Fallen. My eyes seemed to focus on it, revealing to me an angel. The angel was Aeris. She walked over to me, the others oblivious to her presence. The light she emanated was warm and comforting. She knelt down and placed her hand on my face. The warmth traveled through me, refreshing my ailing spirit. “Do you remember the promise?” she asked me, her voice echoing. 123

“Yes, I remember. You wanted to tell me something on the hill. What did you want to tell me?” She placed my hand on her stomach. I didn’t know what she wanted me to feel. 124

“What is-" that’s when I felt it. The warmth, the life that was growing within her. “My God...” I said. She vanished just as the evil Aeris grabbed me and lifted me by the neck. Even though she was choking the life from me, I never felt more alive. I knew the truth. “Why are you smiling?” she questioned me, confused. I couldn’t help myself and started to laugh. The creature grimaced. It slashed me across the stomach with its claws, but the wound simply healed. Smoke began to rise off her hand. Her hands were burning from touching me. A screech of pain sounded off as she dropped me to the ground. “But how? What did you do?” I stood up from the ground, a newfound sense of love and determination pushing me on. 125

“I remembered the promise. You know the one, since you’re in the body that holds it. I figured out what she wanted to tell me on the hill.” The creature didn’t know what I was talking about until the memory flashed back through her mind. “You know...This can’t be.” I walked past her and touched the fragments of the sword, which reanimated. A new power filled the sword, a power that would be capable of destroying the creature. I began a slow stride towards her, sword upraised. The Fallen, seeing their plans falling apart, jumped in. It only took a gentle touch of the blade to destroy them, their misty forms blowing apart on impact. 126

The creature didn’t move, but just stood in disbelief. She was doomed and there was nothing she could do about it. I pressed her up against the wall and impaled her into the sword. A surge of holy power was projected into the creature, slowly ridding the body of the darkness. She pushed me aside and stumbled to the center of the room, where she collapsed. A final deafening screech of pain echoed in the chamber as the creature slowly passed out of Aeris’ body. I ran over to Aeris and cradled her in my arms, hoping that she was awake. Her eyes opened and she looked up to me. 127

“Quinn?” I was overcome with joy, but then I looked down and saw the gaping wound in her chest. She was bleeding to death. 128

“I did it for us, for the child.” I set my hand on her stomach, feeling the warmth from my son. 129

“This child is important. He will bring peace to this world. When I was asleep and connected to the hill, I was connected to everything. I could feel everyone’s pain and suffering. Even yours. The world needs this child so badly.”130

“I know. I promise to raise him up the way you would want him raised. I promise your death will not be in vain.” It was bittersweet. Though I was saddened by her death, I knew it was for the world. I would make sure that her memory would never be forgotten. We both began to cry, finding it difficult to let one another go. 131

“I will always be watching over you and the child,” she said.132

“I will never forget you.”133

“Do you promise?”134

“I promise upon our love that I will never forget you.” 135

We kissed the last kiss we would ever kiss.136

Our lips remained locked as a powerful light emanated from her body. It filled the room, and I felt its power as it spread over the rest of the world, killing off all the Fallen. Their bodies disintegrated upon contact with the light. For a brief moment, the Earth was enveloped in the warm glow of love. It subsided, and the chamber was dark again. 137

I looked down and saw a baby boy cradled in my arms. It cooed as it wrapped one of its tiny hands around my finger. I laughed and cried. Carrying the future in my arms, I walked out of the hill and up to the top. There, I sat with my baby boy and watched the sun rise on a new era of humanity. Soon, everything would be peaceful, just like Aeris’ wish. I watched as my son admired the same sun that his mother once did. I could feel her looking down from Heaven, smiling along with us.138

I was truly overcome.139

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