《Beyond Death’s Boundary》


 Chapter 1–Prelude to Darkness and Reuniting of Lost Love

    Chapter 1


    Holding the knife behind his back, Calvin could only feel anger at his brother. The boy older than him by only two years was broad shouldered, fitted with a square jaw and arms bigger around than drain pipes. Nathan stood a head taller than Calvin, with jet black hair and sun-tanned skin. His dark eyes showed resilience and maturity in ways that most twenty-two year olds would have to wait a decade or more for. He almost looked like John Wayne, emanating the same proud and assured swagger the main actor in a cowboy movie would carry.


    This contrast between the two made Calvin feel all the more justified in his willingness to kill Nathan. In comparison to Nathan, Calvin was thinner with slender arms and legs as well as fair skin. His bright blond hair did not darken with age like most by his age of eighteen and blue eyes showed an uncertainty and weakness that never would be found in Calvin¡¯s face.


    This combination of fair hair, fair skin and sparkling blue gave him a feminine appearance in contrast to Calvin''s which always made Nathan the favorite of women everywhere. His lean, weak frame made him the more feminine of the two brothers. It was once joked that, at a distance, Nathan could pass as a girl in his class. He could not play ball or lift weights as Calvin was able to, the two brothers¡¯ physical frame just too different. Not only that but Nathan was seen as the smarter of the two as he made far better grades than Calvin, as the latter cared little for academic success in comparison to his competitively minded elder brother.


    ¡°You said you wanted to see me, Calvin?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°Caught me in the middle of my uni homework.¡±


    They stood in the living room of their parents¡¯ house, the silence between them tight. Nathan¡¯s normally upbeat smile was downcast and grave after the tragedy that plagued them. Calvin, normally moody and sad-looking, had little in the way of change to his expression.


    The news of the murder shocked them both with Nathan the most visibly disturbed as his normally stout and unflinching body language became jittery. In contrast to his confident demeanor it seemed hard for him to stand up. However, Calvin was more affected by the death than Nathan had been.


    Calvin didn¡¯t care what happened to the murderer once he had been caught. His hatred of the man who stabbed Yui in a robbery gone wrong was fully eclipsed with his loss of the girl herself. Nathan wanted to personally kill and tear to shreds the recently released convict that had killed Yui but that didn¡¯t matter to Calvin. Nathan was only focused on revenge, his main emotion anger.


    Calvin¡¯s only feeling was loss and emptiness. He saw the murderer himself as no more than an obstacle who¡¯s effect on their lives was too late to prevent. What happened to the convict who should have served more jail time than he really did mattered nothing to Calvin. While Nathan swore everyday that it was the fault of the justice system to not hold the thug for longer than he did was irrelevant to the younger of the two brothers.


    She¡¯s dead. He thought. No amount of vengeance or changing the court systems will bring her back.


    It was a common thing to say to the victims of such tragedy but it only sunk in as Calvin lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could kill the would-be robber, change the courts so they held prisoners longer, made sure criminals¡¯ had better psychological evaluation and nothing would bring back Yui. You could do everything possible to prevent the deaths of more people like Yui, but you could never bring back Yui.


    To Calvin, Yui¡¯s murderer was no more to him than a boulder that had rolled down the hill and struck her in the face. No more than a load of supplies on an airplane that had accidentally unloaded and squashed her flat. Calvin didn¡¯t care a single thought for how she died, only that she was dead.


    It was like your food on a hungry night being gone. You didn¡¯t care if it had been eaten by someone else, stolen or rotted from lack of refrigeration. Your problem wasn¡¯t that you needed to punish the person who took it from you or provided refrigeration. It was that you needed to eat and there was no food.


    That was how Calvin felt. He didn¡¯t care what happened to the murderer. The thug who did this was a non-factor at this point since he could no longer be stopped from doing something he already did. Unlike Nathan who wanted to personally rip into shreds the man who killed his Yui, Calvin didn¡¯t really care if the thug served life in prison, was set on fire or got off scot free with no punishment.


    He killed Yui and nothing the robber could do could undo that. If he reformed his ways and became an upstanding model citizen no amount of charity or community service could bring Yui back to life. And no murders the thug committed could make Yui even more dead than she was or possibly undo his original murder.


    There was no reason to consider him, or the oddity of his motivations. Apparently, shortly after being released on parole the thug had the urge to get real violent so he attacked the two nearest girls to him. Yui and her friend were on their way from school when he threatened them with a knife to hand over their belongings.


    The schoolgirl who had no real cash was subsequently slashed to death by the mugger. Yui did what she could to protect her friend from the thug stepping between her friend and the robber. When he was caught, he said he attacked less out of desperation for money and more because he felt the urge to have a good squabble.


    Calvin wished more than anything that he could undo what the thug did. He wished for the power to undo what the thug did, to alter the past in such a way Yui never died. All night he could do nothing but dream up possibilities of fantasy where one could undo this tragedy. But it was not the only thing he wished for regarding Yui.


    Nathan, the more handsome and charismatic of the two brothers in comparison to Calvin¡¯s dour and shy disposition, had wooed Yui to his side. They had been going steady ever since her senior year of high school. It had been the most bitter disappointment in his life.


    Childhood friends from early childhood with Calvin and Yui being the same age, they had grown up and played together throughout middle school. It was inconceivable to Calvin to live his life without Yui. It was the only person he could ever see himself wanting to grow with.


    He was too much of an introvert to have that many friends and he cared little for his parents but Yui was the gem of his life, the central reason he lived. A drought, earthquake and plague would be easy for Calvin to endure so long as Yui was alive. The end of the world and death itself was just background noise to him with the girl at his side.


    However, as they grew older it became increasingly apparent that Nathan would be the more successful between the two of them considering their stature. Nathan had a way with women even older womanizers would feel jealous of. He¡¯d slept with a number of women that were his senior to make a harem.


    Calvin didn¡¯t mind or care what Nathan did with other women but Yui¡­she was something different. He could have any woman he wanted but chose the very one he couldn¡¯t live without. The unfairness that his small portion that Calvin secured for himself, the only part of life that he cared about, being stolen by Nathan was more than sorrowful to him.


    It was the equivalent of a millionaire stealing a beggar¡¯s bread. There were no words to describe the hatred in his heart for Nathan. And it only grew worse after Yui¡¯s murder.


    Calvin found no reason to live. His greatest joy in life was the happiness he found in those closest to him. But with Yui being the only one he found any worth in being close to, his desire to go on was skewered. Calvin had this aspect of life.


    He had been very young when he realized that people were temporary additions to one¡¯s life and would not stay around forever. He figured he¡¯d grow old with Yui enough that by the time she left him or died, he wouldn¡¯t have much longer to live. Calvin¡¯s most plausible wish now was to die soon with her, to join Yui.


    But the reason he could not end it himself was that Calvin was convinced that if there was any justice in this world that someone as dour as him would never inherit the same place as Yui after death. Yui deserved a better fate than that. But whether it was selfish or not to want him for himself, Calvin would do anything to have her in this life.


    He had wished with all his might that she might break it off with Nathan after a few more months since, from the gossip floating around, Yui wouldn¡¯t sleep with Nathan. The girl¡¯s sexual frigidity clashing with his older brother¡¯s legendary libido gave Calvin hope that they¡¯d break it off. Now that possibility was gone and his world had been cast in a darkness so thick it was impossible to pierce with any ray of hope.


    Until now that is. Calvin thought as he squeezed the knife extra hard against his chest. I can choose anybody¡­but I can¡¯t have you seducing Yui again. Then this would be pointless.


    ¡°So what was it you wanted to say?¡± Nathan asked.


    The younger brother took the knife with the empty pommel from his back, the silver blade flashing in the light of the afternoon sun before Calvin plunged it into Nathan¡¯s neck. The right side of his brother¡¯s throat was run through up to the golden hilt. Once the end of the knife exited the left of his brawny neck, Nathan fell to the floor.


    As he laid on the ground, dead from a single blow, no blood leaked out from the wound. Instead the blood ran down the silver blade, across the golden hilt and into the empty open circle of a pommel. The blood then crystallized to form a red gem to fill the inside. Satisfied, Calvin took the knife out from Nathan¡¯s throat before watching the corpse disappear into thin air.


    Calvin contemplated the mystery of how he attained the knife as he trekked toward the graveyard as it turned dark. Yui had been dead for a few months now, so there were no reasons to expect visitors. Without expecting anyone to see him in the normally empty graveyard of Maple Loaf, Calvin contemplated how strange the phenomena of the knife really was as he walked through the dead of night. It could only be described as supernatural.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Every night he would pray for Yui to come back. Not on his knees begging but lying awake and screaming internally. Calvin¡¯s plea was beyond words, the sweat and tears he had after every night Yui died enough to soak through his sheets. He had lost weight as he had not eaten much ever since she was dead. His body was more gaunt and lifeless than Nathan¡¯s was now ever since she had died.


    Calvin inwardly pleaded for the nightmare of being in a world without Yui to end. He wasn¡¯t even praying to anyone in specific. If there was anyone out there who was beyond human who could do anything to stop him from living in this loveless world anymore, Calvin desperately wanted to try. He bargained inwardly to anyone out there who could or would help. He felt it a futile attempt but finally was given an answer to his plea.


    The knife appeared at the foot of a sapling he saw on his way to school. The wooded area near the park Calvin walked by every day had a large tree that had fallen and rotted a while ago. However, rather than it being sad the fact that something that overshadowed other plants was now decomposing meant good soil was provided to new growth. And that was when Calvin saw the blade.


    The sight itself was just so peculiar, the knife holding a magnetic luster that he just couldn¡¯t escape from. The way it shimmered in the morning sunlight, the golden handle having an odd engraving of a snake wrapped around a fruit bearing branch and especially the empty pommel. Beside it lay a sheath that could be attached to a belt. When Calvin looked into the open circle at the start of the knife¡¯s hilt he felt the sudden urge to fill it with something.


    After walking over to it he held it up to his face and watched as the serpent engraved in the hilt seemed to move, wrapping more tightly around the branch as it glinted in the sun. He tested the edge of the knife, finding the keenness of the weapon peculiar. Something about feeling it made Calvin uneasy, like somehow that knife could cut through something deeper than flesh. Whatever he was feeling, it seemed it wasn¡¯t made by human hands.


    The weapon sharp enough to cut through the boundary between life and death. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.


    He wondered where that thought came from as it was so foreign to him. As he wondered why he was so attracted to it and what purpose it had lying in a location as random as a city park, a voice seemed to rush from the ground up into his legs. Yet it wasn¡¯t an audible sound but a message tailor made for Calvin alone. He stood shocked at the sensation, his body wringing with an odd vibration as though a shockwave had concentrated through his inner flesh.


    Calvin no longer merely saw the death of the original tree and its subsequent decomposing as an isolated accident of nature. It was a principle of how the universe acted. The death of one brought the life of more. The saplings growing in its wake would never have been able to grow had the original oak never died.


    As Yui will never return to life without sacrifice. He understood.


    And so Calvin decided without a moment¡¯s hesitation to bring back Yui. He cared nothing for the life of another person. There was no one worthy of living when Yui was dead. And Calvin¡¯s greatest paradise was to live with her unto death¡­and beyond if he could. The only question was who.


    And that was when he decided to choose Nathan. There was no one he felt would make a better sacrifice. And the reason for that had nothing to do with symbolism or deeper meaning. Calvin just didn¡¯t want a rival for the girl¡¯s romantic affections. She stopped hanging around him for the most part as she was too busy being courted by his brother, an act that drove Calvin mad with jealousy.


    There¡¯s no use bringing her back if Nathan will just take her back into his arms. He thought. The only way to be sure she is mine is to take away her former suitor.


    And thus Calvin¡¯s actions now took him to standing upon the grave of Yui¡¯s. He sighed as he looked down at the mound of earth before him. He felt relief flow over him that fate had allowed him this opportunity. Not only for a woman like Yui to be given a second chance at life but for her to be given to him of all people. Calvin took the knife in his hand, knelt down and drove it into the mound of soil up to the hilt. He stood up as he followed the procedure spoken to him beyond words by the knife.


    A quizzical reaction took place as soon as he did. Calvin watched, mystified, as the gem of solidified red melted back into liquid blood and ran down the shaft of the weapon. The liquid tainted the silver blade a sickening hue, as though feeling it had been violated.


    As soon as the remainder of the blood had run down the weapon enough to reach the tip of the blade, soaking into the soil. Calvin found the liquid didn¡¯t drip down as normal, like an open wound on someone¡¯s leg. It ran down like a river¡¯s current, hurriedly attempting to reach the mouth of the ocean. Once a patch of the earth was dyed red, the soil began to move.


    Calvin jumped back in surprise as something crawled out from beneath the mound of soil, moving away the earth as it attempted to escape. While in his heart the young man knew this would happen, he was still appalled at watching the sight. Calvin understood something at that moment: he had done something he wasn¡¯t supposed to.


    He felt like he had broken his grandmother¡¯s fine China, the remains of the imported material similar to what the young man was seeing in front of him. Instant regret stabbed through Calvin as he felt afraid he would be caught. The fear of his actions being revealed was real enough to give him a panic attack.


    Something¡­ He thought. Something about this¡­it feels¡­like I¡¯ve broken some law.


    However, that didn¡¯t seem to matter as the pale fingers reached through the soil that had been soaked with Nathan¡¯s blood. Calvin saw the beautiful white arm reach through the earth, like a drowning man¡¯s last attempt to keep himself from sinking by breaching the surface. There was a certain amount of flailing the arm did as the second one appeared before an upper body was revealed, the young girl¡¯s face and chest plunging up from the hole she had dug for herself.


    There was no mistake about it. It was Yui. He¡¯d recognize her anywhere.


    The girl was gasping for air as her entire body was caked in dry earth as she was gulping for air so badly it could be mistaken for screaming. Her loud and siren-like heaving itself seemed to tire her out. Her long, brown hair itself was littered with soil as it draped behind the front of her body like a dark curtain.


    Even covered in dirt, Calvin was captivated by the sight of her, unable to keep his eyes off her as she seemed stuck midway between below and above ground. It was almost as though she couldn¡¯t move past the layer of soil around her waist, trapped in that spot. Yui attempted to wiggle her way out of the ground by bucking against the restraint of the earth itself.


    The young man walked toward her, attempting to help her as Yui planted her palms on the soil at her side and pushed with all her might. It was unsuccessful, as it looked like there was no way she could pull herself out. Calvin gestured toward her before realizing an uncomfortable fact that prevented him from touching her.


    She¡¯s completely nude. He thought. I didn¡¯t notice it as Yui was covered with so much dirt but¡­but she¡¯s without clothes.


    Just as Calvin moved his arms away from her, wondering about how he would pull Yui out without it seeming to the girl that he was taking advantage of her, the girl finally wretched free of the earth¡¯s grasp on her. Just as she shot into the air from the momentum of her push against the ground, she fell over. It was apparent that Yui was attempting to stand upright but as soon as she attempted to take a leg out of the hole, she fell to the side weakly. It was apparent she had little to no strength left in her.


    Calvin, being right beside her as she did, caught her in his arms as she limply collapsed. The young woman was panting for life, gasping as she had half a mouthful of dirt she weakly spit out. Calvin felt bad holding Yui in the naked state she was in, careful not to touch her anymore than a gentle hold. She looked up weakly at him, her dark brown eyes glazed over as the dirt near them obscured her sight.


    ¡°Wh-Where am¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Am I¡­?¡±


    Calvin didn¡¯t know how to respond, so shaken by the sight he quivered as his arms felt through the coat of dirt keeping Yui¡¯s unclothed form partially visible. As Calvin tried to form words to explain what happened, Yui lifted her arms to grasp at his clothes, like a newly blinded person feeling the world with their hands. Her voice was so quiet, more so than usual.


    Her normally upbeat and gentle tone, a voice that you couldn¡¯t imagine without thinking the source was smiling, was raspy and harsh. It sounded as though Yui was sick and perishing. She looked up at Calvin, her gaze blank and hollow as life slowly seemed to return to them.


    ¡°Y-Yui¡­¡± Calvin said, unable to keep himself from crying. His vision blurred with tears as the beginning of his sobbing prevented the young man from saying anything more. His tears flowed down from his cheeks to wash some of the dirt from her forehead. ¡°Y-Your back¡­¡±


    He wiped her forehead, the wetness washing some of the soil away. She looked up at him, a sudden recognition spreading across her face. Yui lifted her hands to grab the collar of his shirt, her grasp growing stronger as she tightened her fingers around his clothes. Her gasping almost formed words as she began to remember to articulate speech.


    ¡°Calvin¡­?¡± she asked.


    He couldn¡¯t help but have a smile spread across his face as she remembered his face. Calvin clawed away the dirt from her long hair reflexively, wishing to declutter her appearance. Even masked by filth, her radiant, vibrant beauty was more than apparent. Her voice caught in her throat as she slowly recognized him, her eyes widening at the sight of his face. Yui¡¯s grip tightened with each passing moment of remembrance.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± she said. ¡°I remember¡­you were¡­¡±


    Tears blurred her gaze, her grip so stiff Calvin was forced to lean forward as she hung on for dear life.


    ¡°Were¡­¡± she said. ¡°M-My¡­friend¡­?¡±


    The recognition turned into a question, something Calvin didn¡¯t know how to react to. Just as his mouth quivered as he failed to answer, Yui began to sob. Her panting gasps replace the wailing that split Calvin¡¯s ears. At first he thought someone might hear them before Yui placed her fingers on his cheek.


    ¡°Wh-What happened?!¡± she asked. ¡°Wh-Where did¡­I go?!¡±


    She slammed her head into his shirt, a gesture that took him by surprise. The sobbing she continued began to wet the chest of his shirt, the screaming muffled against the article of clothing. And in the midst of this wailing, Calvin felt glad. The aching of his heart was gone, filled now with the young woman¡¯s return.


    As she wailed, Calvin absentmindedly looked down at the hole in the earth Yui had climbed out of. He peered down and found not only a tunnel leading into the ground but a broken piece of dark wood below. The young man silently gasped at the sight, noticing it seemed as though the top of the coffin had been slashed open by repeated slices.


    Did¡­? He thought. Did the knife¡­? Do that? Yui wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to pry herself out and not move that much earth¡­and it looks like a sword cut its way through from the top. Was stabbing the knife enough to not only dig a tunnel but¡­slice the coffin open? I¡­I guess this knife is sharp enough to cut through any boundary.


    But what happened next was stranger yet. While Calvin had a clear view of the inside of the coffin buried several feet below¡­something began to materialize inside. Bones seem to appear out of thin inside the wooden container before he could make out an entire ribcage appear. Calvin was bewildered at the sight?


    Who-? He thought. Whose bones are they? He wondered? Y-Yui¡¯s? But¡­but Yui climbed out so¡­so they can¡¯t be¡­


    He then looked down at the girl crying at his side. Calvin smiled before gesturing for her to rise up. She looked up at him, her expression wide-eyed and nervous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡± he said. ¡°Get you somewhere warm.¡±

 Chapter 2–Return to No Life?

    Chapter 2


    Nathan awoke with a renewed sensation of emptiness. In his body was the feeling of hollowness so deep and all-consuming it almost seemed painful. But pain was not the true way to encapsulate this experience. Nathan had never felt anything like it before.


    It was more of a drive than anything. A desire that pushed him forward like nothing else ever had. Instinctively he felt the urge to stretch, as though he had woken up from a long nap.


    However, he could not feel anything. Not in the traditional sense. His sensations about him had dulled and he felt as if his body was as responsive to outside stimuli as dead wood was. Dulled were his nerves, replaced by simple and low thuds that reflected more sound than they did pain or even feeling.


    As Nathan wriggled around he could vaguely make out he was trapped inside something. It was as though after being put to sleep that he had been placed inside a box. His world was composed of only two, barely feasible sensations: cold and solid. No warmth, no softness. Only the absence of more comforting concepts.


    Where am I? He thought. What place is this? Is this¡­where I was born?


    The questions held a dull realization to him. It was as though his prior existence no longer mattered as his new genesis began here. Behind him was a past that was beginning to dawn on Nathan as meaning nothing now that he was here. An oddity arose in him as he examined only the most tangential and fringe of remains from whatever life he had led before.


    He could remember he had a brother, parents, many girlfriends and one girl he had not formed a more lasting relationship with. But these were all vague and undefined memories, like creatures moving slowly in the dead of night. They were shadowy echoes of the past and not clearly established events Nathan could recall. He could barely remember anyone¡¯s name other than his own.


    <ol>


    <li> He thought. My brother¡¯s name starts with a C. That much¡­that much I¡¯m aware of.</li>


    </ol>


    He tried to remember the name of his girlfriend he had before he died but her name became so jostled with the names of his other past lovers that he couldn¡¯t remember it. Nathan couldn¡¯t tell how close they were considering she didn¡¯t even seem to stand out in comparison to everyone else he had dated. Again, all those women he had wooed and bedded seemed to be animals moving in the black of night, merely shapes jostling against the cloud of shadow that fogged his mind.


    Were my parents¡­? He thought. Any closer to me?


    Again, he could arrive at no acceptable answer for such a question. The memories he had of them were fighting for dominance against all the others pushing around in the blanket of black that had consumed his mind. An ocean of darkness plagued and thicketed his understanding of whatever past there was for Nathan.


    What¡­? He thought. Am I? What was I before? Before this? Before being trapped in this state? How was I brought to this place¡­this empty dark void? But¡­what more is it? It is not just that I exist in this void¡­I am that void.


    He then realized why he was so empty, why there was this constant craving to be full. It was the long since forgotten but somehow still existing knowledge of being full. Of being alive. It stuck to him.


    And it occurred to him that he could not be called alive. Not in the dormant, unfeeling state of his current place in the world. It felt as though the time of being truly alive had long since passed him by, like the sight of a beautiful woman that had swept in front of his lustful and wandering gaze. Now the sight of that aesthetic pleasure was gone, his senses now longing for what used to be right in front of him.


    I must¡­He thought. Escape.


    Nathan¡¯s clamoring against the wooden box became more forceful now, his beating against the inside enough to send his body ringing with force. He could not feel anything in the traditional sense, one of the memories of his lurking in the crevices of his subconscious was the sensation of touch. Nathan did not have that currently, or if he did it was the most unnatural and dullest form of it. It was as though his body were made of something as stiff and unliving as the wood he was trapped inside and bouncing around was the closest approximation to gathering knowledge of the external world.


    Nathan felt as though would never escape this confinement until he felt his hand reach an opening inside the box. He felt relief as he reached his hand upward through the cavity in the container to feel for an opening above. Nathan was both shocked and pleasantly surprised to find he could fit his entire arm up through the opening. He moved his right arm side to side to feel for the escape route to find it was made of what he vaguely remembered to be earth. Nathan found that it was a circular tunnel large enough to fit his entire body through.


    Nathan bent his back down, finding the cavity in the wood box above strangely spacious enough considering its size, before crawling upward. His fingers dug deep into the soil above before he was able to reach a certain length up to stick his toes into the earth below. He readily climbed upward, straining with each reach of his arms until he felt no more earth to climb up.


    Nathan felt free for a moment before his upper fell out of the tunnel he had climbed out of. It was odd as he could remember falling in his previous life, but it was always falling from a higher altitude to a lower one. Now he was falling from climbing out of a lower place to one above rather than the opposite. As Nathan contemplated this strangeness, he found something closing around his leg.


    The tunnel that had been so wide before was now narrowing, the diameter of the opening getting smaller and smaller like a mouth closing around a morsel. He hurriedly took out his right leg from the opening before it threatened to trap the limb. Just as he began to feel the sides of the circular cavity in the ground, Nathan slipped his remaining leg out by pushing all three of his other limbs against the ground.


    He jumped forward before landing on soft ground, the area less hard than even the ground was. Nathan wondered why that was but nothing in his memory seemed to answer that. It was all so foggy he could barely make out the most important people in his life at the time, much less more irrelevant concepts. As Nathan stood up, he noticed another reason his existence was shrouded in so much darkness.


    I can¡¯t see. He thought.


    The world around him was even more featureless and black than his past. Everyone the past people he met jostling inside the darkness of his mind were more alive to him than anything outside Nathan. His sense of sight was absent as the sun was at midnight. He stumbled forward, unable to move beyond his present position without lurching in an unnatural, desperate movement that reminded him of a sick man attempting to run. And as he did he found his world was also devoid of sound.


    I can¡¯t see or hear. He thought. I can¡¯t see or hear at all. This world, my world, is devoid of light and sound. Was it always this way? Was I always this blind and deaf?


    He didn¡¯t know. Nathan couldn¡¯t recall the past that clearly. All he knew for sure was his name, he had a brother and previous lovers and some kind of family and school life. While it wasn¡¯t much it was better than the nothing he was stumbling through.


    He began hating the fact that he crawled out of that wooden box to begin with. If the world he was going to live in was one bereft of sight and sound, a blank, featureless mockery of the human experience than he would rather have slept below ground. What curse was this?


    So this is the way my new existence will be. He thought. A dark and unfeeling as the box I spawned from. I think I remember what it was called¡­a coffee? Yes¡­a wood coffee they put those with no¡­no use in. I was put inside a wooden coffee.


    Just as he began wondering what constituted a worthless person, his world changed in an instant. Before then Nathan walked but had no idea how far he did. The confusion of being brought to this state and attempting to live in its madness was too overwhelming. Then a new sensation overtook him.


    Warmth. He sensed.


    And he was correct. He could feel a spot of warmth near him. No, two spots. They were close.


    It was odd how he could sense them. It was not the same as how a person would feel warmth from their blood pumping. The warmth Nathan felt was so outside his body there was no mistaking it for something within him. It was entirely external.


    What do you call it¡­? He thought. A radar? Yes¡­a radar. I have a radar¡­for warmth.


    In the same way some machines had radar for approaching objects, he discovered something similar to living warmth. Not warm in the way a fire is hot, no, an attractive warmth. One you want to get closer and closer to. It was a beating, pulsating warmth that Nathan felt jealous of. He then recognized where the desire in his body came from.


    The desire for that warmth. He thought. The desire to be with that warmth¡­to have it as well. I¡­I envy that warmth.


    He lurched closer and closer until he finally jumped upon the source of the warmth. They collapsed onto the ground with Nathan on top of the source of heat to vaguely feel it wiggling beneath him. Driven by sheer instinct coursing through he began to bite down on the creature beneath. As he did, memories of eating began to erupt into being within him. Nostalgia tore through him as Nathan¡¯s first bite of steak opened the door to more memories.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He was surprised how deep his teeth sank into the meat of the source of warmth, feeling his bare bones tear through something softer. With each successive bite and swallow he discovered a strange sensation explode in him. It was so odd that, despite the vagueness of his memories, Nathan was absolutely certain he¡¯d never experienced anything like this before.


    Growth. He thought.


    It was true. The flesh he bit into did not actually travel down into his body like would happen usually with devouring a meal. He was absorbing the flesh of the victim into his body and new skin was being created on his already existing body. Around his head sprouted into existence.


    The meat was sinking into him, his tough, unfeeling form suddenly feeling as absorbent and porous as a sponge. The solid matter he ate and ate and ate more of drained into him like liquid into soil. It was now combining with his body like coloring dye mixing with liquid until one couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the two.


    Homogenous. Nathan experienced the word more than remembering it. Describing a mixture so evenly distributed between the two substances they were hard to tell apart. Their flesh is becoming mine. But then¡­who is they?


    As Nathan sank more of his teeth into the victim he found two objects growing onto the side of his head and two in the front of it. The sensation was strange, explosions of organic growth around his head were almost like feeling a bone snap and stick out of one¡¯s leg. The memory of such a childhood accident happening to him became fresh in his mind.


    However, while this was odd, it felt pleasant in a way. The newness of the growth felt to him like the fresh growth of bright, budding leaf in spring. Wondrous and relaxing as opposed to the harsh pain of an injury. When the growths reached full maturity he began to remember their names.


    Ears. He remembered. And¡­and eyes.


    And then came the pain. It was a wailing being emitted from beneath him. Nathan jumped up, wondering in horror at what the sound was.


    His eyes were still forming in his sockets so his world was as dark as ever. But the world of sound he was experiencing for what felt like the first time was more vivid than any flash of light could be. The intense screaming that drilled through his mind was akin to a blind person¡¯s first sight being a fire erupting in front of them.


    Nathan landed on his back, a little pain jolting through him as he now had more feeling in his body. As he stood back up he found the shrieking began to quiet down as mumbles and groans of pain flooded him. Nathan, at first confused by this, began to remember what sensation this sound was associated with.


    Pain. He thought, his mind still fogged over as it began to form again. The idea of others having sensations felt like a foreign concept to him as Nathan found it hard for anything outside of him to be alive. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was true or if the fog of his mind had just not properly cleared up. Pain. But¡­it¡¯s not my pain so¡­so this must not be a living being.


    Using his newly found strength, he leapt onto the source of heat again and began chomping down more and more. With each passing swallow and subsequent assimilation into his body he could feel his eyes becoming more and more developed. He repressed the screams he heard emanating from the living thing, noticing it was creating a certain sensation in him. He didn¡¯t recognize it at first until memories of hurting others appeared in his mind.


    Guilt. Nathan recognized.


    It was not until he had eaten and absorbed enough flesh that his eyes had fully grown into existence. It was a wondrous sensation to see the world for what felt like the first time, light rushing into his body like someone had opened the blinds to a window. The darkness was beginning to fade as a result.


    I¡¯m no longer blind. He thought. I¡¯m cured.


    And then the horror of his new sight struck him like a hammer to the head. Nathan looked down in terror to see a dark skinned woman with long black hair having mouth size and shaped pieces of flesh torn out of her body. Her black jacket and matching black shirt had been ripped to shreds from Nathan feasting on her. She looked up to him, too weak to scream as he had bitten a chunk out of the flesh of her throat as she cried. Guilt flooded him as he shook with confusion.


    ¡°M-My hu-hu-husband,¡± she said. ¡°H-He¡¯ll¡­wonder where I am¡­¡±


    Nathan was confused, looking around at his surroundings. He was walking along a paved street so old the concrete was obviously unmaintained and filled with cracks. Puddles around him formed that he could make out in the moonlight.


    As Nathan observed more around he found that this street was a fair distance from any city, on the edge of the urban area. The area was forested with quite a few tall trees. Buildings could be made out but they were in the distance, over the horizon of the moonlit night. This area, to the best Nathan could remember from his newly gained recognition, was an isolated place near the town graveyard. A place he feels like he visited maybe a year ago.


    Why does this place feel so familiar? He thought.


    ¡°You-¡± the dying woman said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­hideous¡­¡±


    Nathan looked down with pity at the woman, stumbling back with guilt and shock as he could feel the concrete beneath him slightly better. He shook his head, not able to understand what clearly happened. Nathan didn¡¯t understand how he could do this to an innocent person. When he dove into the source of heat, he saw it as nothing but a lifeless flame of sorts he was forced to draw to if he didn¡¯t want to stay cold.


    I just thought it was warmth¡­ He thought. Nothing more than a¡­a flickering flame. There was no way to discern it was an average person.


    As the woman cried and Nathan was overwhelmed with guilt, he gasped as he was unable to cope. He now longed for when he had no ears to hear the screams of the suffering or see the blood of the wounded. This regret of gaining back his five senses only compounded when he looked down at himself.


    His body was nothing but bones. Both legs were straight, narrow pillars of white. As much as he was disgusted by the sight of such a bare and unsightly body, Nathan attempted to touch the leg bone with his hand. Only to find it was the same way. His hands were nothing but naked white joints, his palms bereft of flesh.


    Curious, Nathan turned to the puddle of water in the crevice of the sidewalk to see a hideous thing looking back. His head was mostly a bare skull, little doubt of that. But what made it truly disgusting was he had fully developed ears sprouting from the sides of his skull as well as black irises held within full sized eyes.


    With little other flesh on his body save for some skin covering the area where a nose would otherwise be, it looked like someone had stuck two prosthetic ears and eyes into a replica of a human skeleton. He recognized, to his horror, the dark flesh composing his ears and the little other skin on his face was the same shade as the woman¡¯s. He truly had absorbed the flesh he¡¯d devoured.


    ¡°I-¡± he tried to say but didn¡¯t have the mouth, vocal cords or lips to articulate. ¡°I¡¯m a monster.¡±


    He then looked down at the woman lying on the ground, bleeding from bite shaped holes in her.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t eaten you,¡± he said for no sound to arrive. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have eyes or ears. My body must only be able to grow and regenerate from devouring other humans. I must have died and this must be my only means of returning to life. How did I get like this?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take him long for the mental image of a young, fair skinned and unmasculine looking man shoving a sudden knife into his neck that he¡¯d hidden behind his back to resurface.


    Calvin. He seethed with rage. Anger boiled up within him. You took it all away from me. And why? Why make me like this? Who do you think you are to take innocent life? My life?


    He then wondered what he should do. He looked on with pity at the bleeding woman, afraid to go any further. However, the sensation to keep eating burdened Nathan like a stinging wound from a bee.


    If I do not seek to eat and devour¡­He thought. I will be like this forever. Only human flesh will return me to the way I am. But¡­how can I justify that?


    He looked down at the dying woman, her echoes of pain drowned out as he contemplated his next decision.


    I was blind and deaf before I attacked her. Nathan thought. Would others do such a thing to gain back what they lost? There are humans born blind and even deaf or an accident causes them to become that way. Would they do the same to return to a state of normalcy or gain something they never had before?


    He grunted as best he could.


    Wouldn¡¯t anyone in my position do the same thing? Nathan thought. A few dead humans in order to regain something that was lost. Something that rightfully should have been mine from birth. Why should I be forced to endure loss when I lost it through no fault of my own and it was wrongfully taken from me? If I do not devour this woman¡­one of us will still be suffering regardless. It¡¯s not as though it¡¯s an even, fair exchange. But does this happen often enough to be regarded as something I could draw influence from? Do other humans¨Cforget it, creatures, as what I am can only barely be called a human¨Crun into something like this from time to time?


    He pondered this question, thinking on what human experiences he could draw upon at this time. He knew animals ate other animals in order to live. In the wild, no creature was off the table as far as devouring was concerned. Only that the strongest among them were least likely to be killed.


    And humans did the same. Humans didn¡¯t just eat animals but also killed each other all the time. Crime was only the tip of the iceberg. Competition between humans whether it be rival businesses or armies had the goal of driving out any and all attempts at something that could threaten them. And from the destruction of those events bore new life.


    Without death there is no life. Nathan thought. Life must precede death just as death must follow life. It is an endless cycle. Death¡­death seems only natural in this world.


    He then dove back down to begin feasting again. The woman¡¯s screams were more subdued this time but still loud enough to disrupt his mind. However, as Nathan continued to eat and absorb the flesh into his bones, he could vaguely sense another source of warmth leaving his vicinity.


    He looked up to see a young girl fleeing the scene. As she grew further and further away from him, he recognized she looked like a miniature version of the grown woman he was eating. Nathan then realized she must have been too scared to react, something he might expect of a child.


    In Nathan¡¯s vague, hazy memory of this place he remembered it a spot where people would occasionally go on walks. Aside from the graveyard the scenery was nice and the old pavement had a nice bit of rustic charm. This woman must have been taking her daughter for a walk. The victim apparently saw him watching the child flee back to town as she pleaded with him.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± she said. ¡°Let my¡­daughter¡­go¡­kill me¡­too late for me b-but¡­not her, not her!¡±


    While Nathan had little use for the girl as the adult woman beneath him had more meat to feast on, he then realized something as the child raced back towards civilization. Nathan doubted this woman¡¯s flesh alone would be satisfactory for restoring his humanity and he needed more sources of it. Looking in the girl¡¯s direction, he could see a place where that need could be met.


    Prey. He thought as he eyed the buildings in the distance. I am the predator¡­from beyond death¡¯s boundary.

 Chapter 3–To Control For Love or Not?

    Chapter 3


    The otherwise soothing water surrounding Yui was of little comfort to her to the wave after wave of confusion that bombarded her. Her mind was a storm with the winds of both the unfamiliar and familiarity knocking the tides against her fragile state of being. Memories of Calvin swept over her as well as her parents and former boyfriend she was pretty sure was named Nate.


    But they collided in unnatural waves and mixed into a swirl of nonsense. It was as though her former life were a thousand mosaics gathered into a stream and sent blasting at her heart and soul at a thousand miles per hour and Yui was caught in the thick of it. The intense mixture of events and life circumstances from the time before was causing her to drown in the smear of information coming at her too fast to properly discern.


    The boy who had saved her was now appearing in her mind in the form of a flash of light that blasted into her mind. Their first memories together of playing in the dirt, picking flowers and telling silly jokes appeared so quickly into her psyche that Yui had to pant in pain, as if a hammer had knocked against her temple. The sweet scent of nostalgia that might have been pleasant at any other time was being forced into all at once, the resulting feeling similar to one about to burst from drinking too much water.


    Then came the memory of her boyfriend, Nathaniel she believed, who took her on dates to burger restaurants, chatted about school gossip and him asking if he would let him ¡°go further¡±, whatever that meant. His handsome appearance and manly charisma was alluring to her, the closest approximation to ¡°a true man¡± one could ever come to. But his emanation of pure masculinity and power was interwoven with so many different memories that struck at once it felt more like a punch to the stomach than anything truly sensual.


    Then there were her parents. For some reason, that was the part that Yui had the hardest time comprehending. From what she could remember, their names were Sayaka and Hiro. They were foreigners and this fact brought Yui great distress.


    They were¡­She thought. Were¡­replacements. Not¡­not my real parents¡­


    From what she could see of them, her parents looked worried and stressed most of all. They never scowled, but it felt as though they were always expecting something of Yui. Grades, schooling, the arts, her talents¡­these seem to flood her mind in relation to her parents more so than any real happy memories of them. Condemnation flooded her with the explosion of life experiences she shared with her parents for not living up to their requirements.


    I was white¡­She thought. They were from another country¡­my biological parents¡­no longer alive¡­so I had to be given to¡­my godparents. My biological parents¡­entrusted them in case¡­they died¡­and Calvin and Nathan I¡¯ve known since being adopted by them. Yes¡­that was my life.


    It was then that Yui remembered her dream of seeing her real parents. The parents who did not force her to be at the top of school in terms of GDP. Who didn¡¯t make her do extracurricular activities to look good on college applications. Who didn¡¯t make Yui draw paintings and sketches from real life rather than from her imagination like she chose. The memories of her strict, high-expectation parents made her cringe in fear, now remembering the fantasy of having less harsh guardians.


    Her parents often threatened to throw her out of her own house unless she made better grades or didn¡¯t do well enough in the arts. Yui remembered that she once had a full on panic attack when she brought a B- to her parents on her report code, something that they absolutely despised. They actually forced Yui to pack up her favorite belongings in a bag and forced her to stand at the front door. The young woman was crying and begging to stay in her own household, something her parents were on the verge of not letting her.


    When Yui was younger and she interrupted her parents speaking to other adults, they would take her away and beat her until she bruised. But the worst part was how they called her a tramp, a girl so reviled and rebellious she would get pregnant by a delinquent. In that case, they assured Yui they would not help the young woman raise that child.


    I hated my godparents. Yui thought. I always hated them. Secretly. They¡¯d scold me when I complained, and say I was ungrateful if I said I was depressed. I always fantasized about my parents being different from them in every way.


    She shook her head.


    No! Yui thought. It¡¯s wrong to hate! Even bad people¡­it¡¯s wrong to hate them. I should be grateful they took me in. And if they threw me out¡­I would be deserving of it for not appreciating their tutelage more. If I didn¡¯t take my career and future more seriously enough to not be above everyone else¡­then I¡¯d be no better than a worthless tramp who runs the streets. It is evil of me to spurn their education they sacrificed for me with hatred¡­I want to be an obedient daughter they can be proud of. But¡­I would never want to return to them. If I could choose¡­I would wish they forgot about me even being their godchild.


    The three sets of memories associated with each person kept pounding into her against her will, as if she was being force-fed another meal after she was well full. It was an odd pain that crossed with mental anxiety and physical discomfort all concentrated in her head. Yui couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t feel, couldn¡¯t hear because everything about her former life drove out literally all other sensory information. Even the hot water and soap felt more like background noise than anything she was experiencing on her skin.


    She attempted to distract herself by focusing on getting the dirt off her. The warm water in the bathtub had been dyed a dark brown from all the soil she had dug herself out of. However, focusing on cleansing herself of grime only hurt her state of mind further.


    I feel like I¡¯m drowning. She thought. I-I can¡¯t breathe...and I¡¯m being hit¡­just¡­just focus on the bath¡­


    Thorough shampooing and soap had done that but when Yui thought of why she had crawled out of that grave she couldn¡¯t say. She was not sure where she was when she awoke, only that she was inside a hard container that had a hole inside. At no time did Yui decide she had to escape from the prison she found herself in. She gave no thought to it.


    As soon as she awoke she began climbing out from the hole atop she could feel. In fact, Yui didn''t realize that she was conscious for more than a second before she started climbing to the surface. Yui was gripping the dirt around her and pulling herself up almost involuntarily and not fully realizing where she was. All she knew was she was confused and scared of why everything was so dark and cold.


    She didn¡¯t even begin consciously thinking until reaching the opening of the tunnel above. It wasn¡¯t until the boy she vaguely remembered to be named Calvin was found right beside her after crawling upward that Yui began to truly remember. After sitting in the bathtub for hours trying to collect herself, a pause occurred in her swirl of emotion and past life events. This was almost as scary as she began to ask questions.


    What happened to me? She thought. Did I change and fall asleep? Or did something happen to the world? Is the world the way I remembered from when I was normal?


    From what Yui could tell the world was the same as it had always been. Nothing seemed particularly out of sorts. But what did seem strange was where she had woken up. Within Yui¡¯s recently required memory it was too chaotic to truly discern any one particular memory from another, her whole life so homogeneously mixed that it was like trying to pick a single grain of sand out of a shoreline. However, there was one concept that seemed to answer such an inquiry.


    Death. She thought.


    The concept was so familiar, so core to her to the experience of living creature, she could not forget it. She knew what it meant to be dead and gone. To no longer exist.


    Is that what happened to me? Yui thought in distress. Am-am I dead?


    Tears flowed down her face again, fresh pain in her mind.


    Calvin stood outside the bathroom, fear and anticipation of renewed hope stirring inside him as he held freshly bought clothes in his arms. Calvin¡¯s parents were out for the night so he was able to deliver Yui into his house to take care of her. The poor, confused girl was barely conscious of her surroundings but she was tracking so much mud that the young man was forced to carry her to the bathtub to wash off.


    He didn¡¯t want her tracking in mud and alerting his parents to a new and unfamiliar presence, especially considering they¡¯d never see their other son again. It was a good thing that the bathroom was not that far from the back of his house where he could place her in. After drawing Yui a bath and telling her to relax as much as possible, Calvin left for the clothing store to buy her some new garments. He knew where Nathan¡¯s secret stash of money was so affording the girl nice threads was of little consequence. However, a new problem arose in his mind.


    Where will Yui live now? He thought. And more importantly¡­how will I keep her with me?


    It was something he had given little thought to. Calvin was so overwhelmed with the possibility of Yui being brought back that everything was secondary. He literally cared nothing else other than the fact she would be alive again. But now that she was, what would Calvin do with her?


    It was not like he could casually explain to either her adopted parents his own that she suddenly came back. It was not like Yui had run away or disappeared, something which he could explain away. And if his parents found out about this, they¡¯d be incredibly suspicious of his actions, especially considering Nathan was gone.


    How would I explain this? Calvin thought. And furthermore¡­even if I could somehow explain it away¡­Yui would be taken away. Like my parents would allow her to stay with us¡­even if they could assume she had returned from the grave. She would probably be placed in protective custody¡­or at least be given over to the police.


    He began panting in panic.


    All this would be for not. Calvin thought. As Yui would never stay with me.


    The young man felt overwhelmed and shortsighted for his decision to sacrifice his brother for this fate of never being with Yui. He began hating not only himself but his lack of decision making beyond resurrecting her. Calvin shook his head before realizing something.


    I¡¯m being selfish. He thought. As little as I may care about the morality of my actions¡­Yui is far more important than me. She deserves a chance at life more than anyone else. Yui should be given everything. And whether or not I get to keep her¡­she should be able to make her decisions based around her own happiness¡­not mine.


    As much as Calvin felt that was the true answer, he was unsatisfied with it.


    Then what was my purpose in bringing back Yui? He thought. Was it for her¡­or for me? I can¡¯t decide¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know my true intentions.


    He began wondering why he did it. There was no doubt he hated his brother and would be willing to sacrifice him so that Yui would have less competing affections, but that was beside the point. If Yui did not love him, would he still wish for her well-being?


    It was a question that Calvin had little resolve to answer. The idea of being without her was scarier than any gruesome death. It was like trying to live without tasting food or seeing the sun. One could exist as a human but without the enjoyment of anything it was merely a shell of living, not living itself. Calvin would essentially just be surviving with no real point or way to discern the good from bad. Like living without having any of the five senses.


    To not be so overwhelmed by this reality, he attempted to analyze why exactly he wanted Yui to be resurrected at all costs. If the choice of who to sacrifice was not completely up to him, it had to be a specific person, Calvin would still do it. He was not as motivated to kill Nathan for the sake of ridding himself of a rival as he was restoring Yui. But why? Why was this particular woman so special?


    To me¡­ He tried to put it into words. Yui is like the sensation of a fresh spring breeze. The newness of that life one sees on the bright green leaf from the branch that had since died in winter¡­that is Yui. She¡¯s a diamond. A gem worth trillions. Something like that is too expensive for me to afford. So I must steal it in order to make it mine. I am not the person that fate offers much luxuries to¡­so I must take fate into my own hands. And Yui is the ultimate luxury.


    Calvin knew that to be the truth, but he was unsatisfied with that answer for how selfish it was.


    So if Yui is the ultimate treasure¡­ Calvin thought. Is it not repulsive that I will not leave her alone? If I were to trap her with me then I would be taking away one of the world¡¯s greatest treasures. Yui is a blessing to this world¡­and if I were to deprive this Earth of such a treasure¡­then it would be the ultimate cruelty.


    He then looked down at the dagger at his side. It was held in a golden scabbard along with a brown belt that he had found at the same place that the knife had showed up at. The place where that large tree had fallen only to be decomposed also held a scabbard for the weapon that Calvin had found yesterday.


    Almost as if it was waiting for me to resurrect Yui. He thought. Once I did¡­there was no plan afterward. But how could there be? Who would believe me? How could Yui go back to school at this point? If she did¡­her very existence would destroy and disturb all of human society. It would be on the news and her parents¡­what would her parents think? Would they pressure Yui even harder to excel, thinking her special for such a circumstance of being brought back from the dead? And what about Yui? What will she want to do with her life after this? Continue her art career? Get back together with Nathan who''s dead? Bond more with her parents? If her memories return, which it seems they will considering she remembered me, will her other preoccupations drown out any remaining affection she has for me? If only..if only she would be vulnerable¡­allow herself to fall so I could pick her up¡­then she would rely upon me.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As Calvin thought of these implications, he rested his hand on the dagger strapped to his side. He secretly wished that Yui would just forget about her former life. More than anything he wished that Yui would forget Nathan.


    It was his biggest fear that any lingering memory she had of her former boyfriend. In fact, better yet, Calvin wished that Yui would get her memories mixed up and believe that he had been her boyfriend rather than Nathan. If only they could have traded places in her mind. That Nathan had been her platonic friend while Calvin her romantic interest. If her memories somehow got mixed up then it meant that he could feel good for having brought back such a jewel of a person and still not miss out in experiencing its riches. But he sighed sullenly, Calvin¡¯s hand tightening around the golden hilt in despair.


    As if that would ever happen. He thought.


    Calvin felt a slightly odd response in his hand. The young man felt as though something suddenly flowed from his arm down into the hilt of the knife, his hand wringing as a result. Calvin took his hand off the weapon to look down at it, confused.


    After shrugging at the slightly odd sensation, he then turned to the door in front of him and knocked. He waited for a moment, wishing to give Yui the appropriate amount of time to prepare herself. He found no answer.


    ¡°Yui,¡± Calvin said, trying not to be too loud at the risk of frightening the normally gentle and frail girl. ¡°I¡¯m back with some nice clothes for you. I¡­I hope you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    He waited for a response, a pregnant pause filling the air as he waited. Calvin began to grow worried before hearing the splashing of water, indicating she was leaving the bathtub. After what must have been minutes, an amount of time that felt far longer than it should have.


    His skin practically ached with anticipation as Calvin heard the wet footsteps stomping on the tile. After that came the draining of the bathtub and, if he paid close enough attention, the taking the towel off the rack, obviously the girl drying off. After several moments of intense anticipation, the door creaked open, Yui¡¯s arm barely visible as she let it open.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said from behind the door.


    Her gratitude sounded to him like the fresh spring breeze he associated the young woman with. Calvin was so glad to hear Yui¡¯s voice no longer tainted with sorrow and confusion. It was simple and humble, like how she usually spoke.


    He laid the newly bought clothes folded in one arm at the edge of the bathroom and living room before turning away. With his eyes averted, Calvin heard the door close behind him. Another long pause would take place before he heard it open again. He turned around to find a nostalgic sight in his view.


    Yui wore a pure white dress with frills, the skirt of the outfit stopping at her knees. It was the closest article clothing that Calvin could find to his favorite dress of Yui¡¯s. Whenever he thought of Yui, he thought of her in that dress. It was so pure and regal, like how he thought of her.


    However, when she stood in the doorway of the bathroom wearing it, he was almost disgusted by her disposition. Rather than looking elegant and well-groomed she stared at him with wide, fearful eyes as goosebumps crawled all over her skin. Yui looked like a lost puppy, shivering either from fear or the cold. Her hair was still wet, only to make her seem more like a starved dog Calvin took pity, brought into his home and bathed.


    She was not the joyful, exuberant girl with a patient spirit he¡¯d known and desired. Her appearance was more akin to a street urchin with clothes too fanciful for a lowly woman and an expression too dour befitting the pure color. Yui looked at him with immense confusion, as if demanding that he explain her existence to him.


    ¡°Lover¡­¡± she said to him.


    Calvin was shocked by how she stated that. At first he was confused at her lone word she threw at him. Calvin didn¡¯t know what to think before remembering what he had wished for and what flowed out of him to the knife.


    Did¡­? He thought. Did I do that?


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± she said. ¡°You¡­you were my love in my former life while¡­while Nathan¡­your brother¡­he was my friend¡­although¡­I chose you over him.¡±


    Calvin couldn¡¯t believe his luck. It was exactly what he envisioned and wanted more than anything. For Yui to think he was her chosen mate. But¡­could it be a fluke?


    ¡°What-?¡± he asked. ¡°What about your parents? You know¡­your adopted parents?¡±


    ¡°What adopted parents?¡± Yui asked. ¡°I have no guardians¡­or, at least¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    And that was all the proof Calvin needed. Yui couldn¡¯t remember even having parents to begin with, just as he wanted. This set a wonderful precedent for him.


    Yui must have been in the midst of recovering her memories on her own. He thought. She recognized me without my input when she first was resurrected¡­but as soon as I wished for her to think of me in Nathan¡¯s place¡­she just started saying it without being asked about it. Meaning¡­whatever changes took place due to my input happened rather quickly.


    But she clearly didn¡¯t understand the world around her. Her shivering wouldn¡¯t stop and kept scratching her head as if hoping that motion would dry it faster. Yui would occasionally look around the house before staggering a little, as if the sight of a normal home was too much for her. She looked uneasy as she stood up, appearing as if she was about to fall over.


    Calvin wanted to reach out and prevent her from falling over as she staggered to the left but he was afraid of taking her into his arms. He was overly conscious of Yui thinking that he was taking advantage of her. He couldn¡¯t allow Yui to think he thought of her as a vulnerable piece of meat.


    However, it was only after her eyes went blank with overstimulation of her new surroundings that he sprung into action. Just as Yui lost her balance from shivering and fell over, Calvin instinctually raced over and grasped her as she fell. The weight of the slim girl pulled him almost to the floor, Calvin collapsing on his knees.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s real anymore!¡± she shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what life is! Am I dead? Am I alive? Who am I?¡±


    ¡°Pl-Please-¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where I come from!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°If I can¡¯t remember my own parents¡­what or who am I? A monster? What creature can cross death¡¯s boundary and lie to tell about it? Nothing natural or human, that¡¯s what!¡±


    Yui began crying and screaming as he attempted to prevent her from slamming her body against the floor. Calvin wondered what to do as he began to feel afraid of the neighbors hearing. While she struggled in his arms he gritted his teeth in fury as his elbow nudged the end of the hilt while attempting to keep Yui from thrashing about.


    Please be calm Yui¡­He thought. Please¡­please just be calm¡­


    And then she was. As soon as Calvin had that thought, Yui stopped yelling. Her crying slowed to breathful sobs before inhaling as though she had run a mile. Yui collapsed into his arms once again before sitting up. After a few more deep breaths, Calvin found the girl had slowed to a silent cry. That confirmed his theory.


    Whatever I want Yui to do or think¡­He thought. I touch the knife and she either does it or thinks it.


    His eyes went wide at the possibility of what he could.


    No. Calvin thought. No¡­I can¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Calvin¡­?¡± Yui asked. ¡°What is this world? Is¡­is something wrong with it?¡±


    No. He winced in displeasure at the thought. No! Yui is too noble a person to do that to. Too¡­too pure. If I do¡­I¡¯d be violating something¡­something more than her.


    He had to resist the urge to grab the knife and issue his greatest wish into it.


    I cannot allow myself to stoop that low. Calvin thought. Not for my sake of keeping myself blameless but¡­but for not taking advantage of her.


    He stood up and turned away. Calvin walked towards his room. He decided to go to bed and sleep this crazy day away.


    He didn¡¯t make it three feet before he realized what that would entail. He would be staring up at the ceiling of utter darkness, wishing it would be over. Wishing the pain would be over. The pain of having no one.


    The pain of wishing desperately for a connection, a closeness that simply wasn¡¯t there. An emptiness and a longing that he observed everyone else had but Calvin himself could never attain. The darkness he would see in his room at night he would find in his very soul. He¡¯d merely look at it and find the same nothingness surrounding him haunted him wherever he would go.


    Something she doesn¡¯t have. He thought.


    Calvin turned back to eye Yui hungrily. Even as the girl tried and failed to stand up, there was something about her he couldn¡¯t help but admire. As Yui stood up and no longer looked confused, the elegance and playfulness of her disposition returned. She no longer was a wreck but someone on the verge between adulthood and childlike spontaneity. A brightness returned to her eyes and a warmth to her face Calvin saw in almost no other woman. Whatever Yui had, he lacked.


    ¡°I want that,¡± he said aloud. ¡°That life in you you¡¯ve always had and no one else does.¡±


    Yui turned to him with a playful expression that looked as if she wanted to play a game. It was always fascinating to Calvin how she could border on lovely maturity and spirited enjoyment of pleasure. However, what Calvin wanted in this moment was nothing innocent. He gripped the hilt of his knife.


    Come to bed with me. He thought. And submit to me.


    Immediately Yui¡¯s disposition changed. She didn¡¯t seem to be ready to engage in games or fun. In her face, Calvin could see will change and take on a rather hungry approach. Yui looked drained and animalistic in that moment. And another emotion came into being he recognized on her face: compliance.


    Yes. Calvin thought. For I am your guardian.


    Yui walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She looked like she was on the verge of tears again. The shaking ensued.


    Am I evil for what I¡¯ve done. He thought. I¡¯ve spoiled the young girl for good now. I¡¯ve ruined her¡­but I just don¡¯t care¡­I don¡¯t care if a thousand laws are violated and Yui doesn¡¯t know who I truly am¡­I¡¯m finally happy.


    ¡°Please,¡± she said. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want you to¡­to punish me¡­I feel¡­I feel like someone has done that to me in¡­in the past.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Want to hurt you. You¡¯ve been hurt enough.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± she said as she began tearing up. ¡°But¨CBut it was because I was¡­I was worthless¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Calvin shouted at her. ¡°You¨CYou¡¯re not!¡±


    Yui was struck by his answer, looking perplexed. The fact that she was downplaying her own value hurt him. Calvin hated the idea that someone so pure and trustworthy was calling themselves worthless. It just wasn¡¯t right.


    There were many people he¡¯d consider worthless. Too many to name. But Yui was the furthest thing from it.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only thing in this world I value,¡± he said. ¡°The only thing. Everyday I woke up thinking how miserable I am without you. I thought all the time of how¨Chow it¡¯s just not fair that you live in such an awful world full of awful people. Yui¡­I wanted you¡­I wanted you more than anything and knew that if I didn¡¯t have you I¡¯d never be happy.¡±


    ¡°You honestly think that?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Why? I was told by my parents that¨C¡±


    ¡°Forget your parents!¡± he shouted. ¡°Life¡­life can¡¯t properly exist without you.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What-?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°I think a lot about how people are born every day and how their existence is measured. And¡­and I don¡¯t know how to measure value¡­if there are so many people¡­how are they special? I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s special because¡­there are so many people in the world I¡¯ve met that give me no impression¡­that I couldn¡¯t see wishing to meet again¡­they all just blur into my mind and forget.¡±


    He could feel the tears roll down his face.


    ¡°But you¡­¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re different. You¡¯re not like that. I could never imagine living life without you¡­every day¡¯s just a new adventure¡­you¡¯re the brightness that makes every day feel new¡­every morning feel special. You never lost your innocence¡­never lost the shining inside you like so many others do. And that¡­that¡¯s more important to me than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­?¡± Yui asked. ¡°You couldn¡¯t live without me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never want to live without you,¡± Calvin said. ¡°The day you died was the day I did as well.¡±


    That¡¯s what seemed to do the trick. Yui rushed toward him and threw herself into his arms only for Calvin to tighten his grasp around her waist. The intense sensation that rushed all over his body as he grasped her white clothed back with his hands felt electric. He was so warm he could barely stand it. His body became encompassed by a warmth so vivid and hot Calvin was panting in heat.


    Yui held her hands beneath his chin, feeling the skin of his neck before stroking his hair. Calvin plunged his hands into brown hair to feel the silkiness of it. The neat, well-groomed neatness of it only made him more ravenous. With one hand he stroked the smooth, unblemished pale skin of Yui¡¯s right cheek. It was so


    The first kiss of his life was more sensuous than he realized. His body became more sensitive during the act of locking lips. As Yui held his arm the sensation was magnified tenfold so that it almost hurt to experience. Serenity flowed throughout his body and every anxiety was cast away.


    The closeness he felt in that moment was intoxicating. Calvin felt merged with Yui in some odd way. There was no separating them as they¡¯d connected to each other in a way beyond the body. It was what he wanted more than anything in his entire life. The feeling didn¡¯t end even after they separated their lips to draw breath. There was still an intimacy between them that would not stop clinging to his mind. They were one in spirit from then and nothing could change Calvin¡¯s mind. And it was at that moment he decided he could not force her to lay with him.


    I can¡¯t defile this gem. Calvin thought. I can¡¯t soil her¡­to blacken this pure, snow white soul would be akin to staining a white dress with innocent blood. She¡­she can¡¯t be treated like that.


    ¡°Yui,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Stay with me¡­stay with me and be my other half. My better half.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yui said.


    The moment of bliss was broken when something scaly slithered into the corner of Calvin¡¯s vision. He turned to see a snake slip its forked tongue in and out of its mouth and leered at him. Its scales were as black as onyx and shined with intense sheen that was near blinding. The eyes were a mesmerizing yellow with black slits that glared hatred into him.


    ¡°You were not supposed to do that,¡± it said.


    Calvin jerked backwards, almost pulling from Yui¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Sleep with the maiden,¡± it said. ¡°Defile her. Treat her as a harlot. And complete your carnal passions.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°What are you?!¡±


    ¡°Calvin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yui asked.


    He turned back to her to find she looked perplexed at his distress. Calvin turned to point at the serpent that appeared, only for her to turn and find it gone. Calvin¡¯s mouth was agape at the sight of the serpent appearing and vanishing from sight. Yui turned back to him to tighten her grip around his body and plead for answers.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± she asked.


    ¡°S-Something-¡± Calvin said. ¡°It-it-it came out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°A snake,¡± he answered. ¡°As shining black as a gem.¡±


    ¡°A snake?¡± Yui asked before lowering her head. ¡°I-I think that¡­no¡­that¡¯s horrifying!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I just-¡± she said. ¡°I almost-¡±


    She gripped her head and began sobbing.


    ¡°I remember it!¡± Yui shouted.


    ¡°I remember-!¡± Yui said. ¡°I remember the¡­the other side.¡±


    ¡°Remember what?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Calvin¡­?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Do you still have any canvas or paint? I remember¡­or at least I¡¯m beginning to remember¡­what lay on the other side of this existence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°You came over here a lot so¡­so the stuff you could paint with is somewhere in the closet downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Get it,¡± Yui said. ¡°And hurry¡­it¡¯s appearing¡­appearing suddenly.¡±

 Chapter 4 Ascension to Monster, Earth’s New Progenitor

    Chapter 4


    Nathan saw his next meal rush by. The grown man walked by the alleyway Nathan lurked in as he checked his watch. He had a briefcase in hand that swung slightly from side to side as he looked down to check the time. He was maybe thirty years old and his skin was a delicious pale with little to no body hair. Or at least the skin not covered by his black business suit was smooth and blemishless.


    But before he came into view, Nathan could feel his warmth. There were many patches of warmth that moved about out of view. The pedestrians of the street that he only knew as small flames passing in front of him were tempting to the creature. However, Nathan was aware that the more his prey knew of him, the less likely he would have to capture them. And the warmth of each invigorated him.


    Ohhhhhh. He groaned hungrily. So many morsels.


    Just as he passed the open space between the two buildings Nathan hid between, he snatched at him. The young man let out a confused ¡°huh?¡± before being dragged into the darkness by his right arm. Just as he continued to scream, Nathan slapped his hand on the passerby¡¯s mouth.


    The feeling of pressing against the mouth was a unique one as only about half his hand had flesh on it. The bare bone of his fingers slamming on the man¡¯s lips felt like a pillow squeezing a log of dried wood. The hand he carried the human¡¯s arm in was fully covered in skin but the arm itself was half-formed with only various blood veins and bare, red muscle grown atop the bone.


    The sharply dressed man was dragged up the side of the ceiling now that he was grabbed with both Nathan¡¯s arms. The former human was stationed on the brick of the building by hooking his sharpened, claw-like legs into red stone. Just as he kicked and struggled for freedom, Nathan chomped down onto his neck. Gripping his mouth even tighter as he shouted more loudly in shock, he relished the taste of human flesh and blood.


    There was something almost wonderous about the taste of human meat. It was different from how any roasted flesh Nathan had consumed in his former life tasted. It was somehow cathartic and energizing in comparison to how animals tasted. The meat of wild game or cattle was so dull when he remembered how eating with a fork and knife felt. It was taking the passion, the lust, out of devouring. This, this was returning the zest of passion back to the act of eating.


    He climbed across the wall with his feet alone, scaling the layer of bricking as he continued devouring the hapless victim. The man began weeping intense passion to live as Nathan ripped his right arm off with a jerk of his jaw. He swallowed the limb whole, shoulder first before taking a bite out of the man¡¯s face. Once half his head was crushed and swallowed, Nathan could feel the flesh seeping into his body. This was his sixth and final victim and once the last of his latest victim was being digested, there was no more bare bone on his body.


    The flesh and bone he consumed was mixing with his own physical being, like two colors of paint being swirled to form another color. The strengthening of his body was a wondrous feeling as the reaction transpired. But it was only the beginning of the wonder of this new power. Nathan had learned a special trick to help with his body¡¯s growth.


    I want more mouths. He thought.


    As the last of the flesh covered his body, sprouting from each side of his back was a snake, the creatures as wide as tree trunks. They hissed as they bared their fangs. The snakes were the color of his flesh, an odd light brown from eating so many different humans.


    Their skin mixed together into a perfectly homogenous meat that he could turn into anything. The two snakes that grew from Nathan¡¯s back were similar to the one that sprouted from his back like a tail. It stared at the newly grown reptiles and hissed at its siblings, examining the other without eyes.


    Nathan jumped down from the wall he scaled and walked along the stone of the alleyway. He had eaten anything he could find lurking in it. Once entering the city he was careful to slip into the lesser paved roads of the city and lurk in the dark places. Nathan was afraid of meeting people as in a state like his he would be vulnerable and not strong enough to chase prey.


    However, after the second of his victims he became strong enough to drag humans into dark places and eat them. It became easier once he discovered he could manipulate his flesh at will as he ate them. Now Nathan¡¯s new body was wondrous and beyond anything a human could naturally attain.


    That was precisely why he walked to the back of the alleyway to look at himself. There was a large puddle of water that the sun had not dried up on account of the overhead ledges of the roof blocking its light. However, there was enough moonlight casting into the alleyway he could see himself.


    Nathan found his reflection awe inspiring. His unblemished flesh was light brown and his toes and fingers were clawed like a feline¡¯s. He had willed the digits on his hand to grow into claws to make it easier navigating dark alleyways and walls of the city to make catching prey easier.


    Nathan¡¯s limbs were thicker than telephone poles, wide with muscle and sinew. He stood taller than seven feet. His white eyes were very round but his pupils slitted and black as night. His jaw was human-like but far wider than the average man¡¯s. And it was filled with teeth far sharper than a wolf¡¯s.


    The snakes sprouting from his body had mouths almost as wide as car tires with fangs twice as long as human fingers. Their length may have been six feet in total. The skin was not scaly but leathery, a distorted version of his own flesh covering their bodies.


    And finally his hair. It was a long silky black. It came down his back like a dark curtain and gave him a certain regality. Nathan smiled into the reflection to find his glistening white teeth shining in the moonlight.


    ¡°I¡¯m beautiful,¡± he said.


    He looked up to the moon and began laughing to himself. Nathan was glad of what had transpired. At first when he was a stumbling skeleton he thought his existence was a cruel joke and would forever be painful. Now, he was glad his brother had killed him. There was nothing about this Nathan would change. To think that death would be the greatest thing to happen to him. He sighed in relief at the full moon.


    ¡°What do I do now?¡± he asked himself. ¡°I¡¯ve regained my body and more¡­¡±


    He looked at his hand, admiring the part of his body that looked so strong and well-crafted, like a statue hewn expertly from marble rock. Nathan liked that he was the author of his own creation. The idea that he made himself felt powerful in a way beyond explanation. To be one¡¯s own creator¡­that thought gave him so much autonomy.


    ¡°What should a creator such as me gift to the world with my immense power?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°How can I more perfectly satisfy it, as it has me?¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, slithering across the wall of brick beside him, was a snake so shiny that it gleamed in the moonlight. It turned its arrow-shaped head towards him and slithered its forked tongue at him. Its eyes were full of a lust Nathan could not quite understand.


    ¡°Reproduce,¡± it whispered. ¡°Create more of your own kind¡­¡±


    Its voice sounded as smooth as silent water to Nathan.


    ¡°This world¡­¡± it said. ¡°It needs a new species¡­of those like you.¡±


    It then slithered back into the shadows of the alleyway. Nathan pondered the words of the serpent, looking back up at the moon. He smiled a little.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he said.


    He looked back down at his hand to admire it some more.


    ¡°A new species of those like me,¡± Nathan thought. ¡°To spread my greatness. But in order to do so¡­¡±


    He turned to the opening of the alley. Nathan walked towards it to approach the street outside. When the pedestrians around him saw the strange, inhuman creature they gasped in fear at the sight. Nathan smiled, knowing that such puny cretins couldn¡¯t grasp the power or might of a being like himself. Prey like them were not meant to understand beings such as him, only for him to devour to maintain his existence.


    ¡°I must continue to feed,¡± he finished.


    Nathan raced towards the first two sources of living heat he could feel, a young couple. He pounced on the man first, pinning him to the ground as he struggled underneath Nathan¡¯s grip and weight. He then began feasting on the human¡¯s body, starting by crushing half his head with one bite of his jaw. He swallowed, willing the flesh to be stored in his stomach rather than seeping into the rest of his body.


    It will serve a special purpose. He thought.


    The mate of that human ran in fear of Nathan before he stretched his snake of a tail at him. While Nathan used the jaws of his face to devour the man, the snake bit into the side of the woman. A chunk of flesh and rib was ripped out of her body before the snake swallowed. After she fell over, instantly dying, as he finished the last of her mate.


    While the snake swallowed bit off and devoured whole chunks of the woman, Nathan looked around to find the humans around him screaming in panic. He smiled before stretching the snakes growing from his back as long as they could possibly stretch. The two snakes caught two women by the shoulders and swallowed them whole. Nathan willed all the flesh he was consuming to be gathered in the pit of his stomach for the formation of his new creations.


    After those four victims were taken care of, he raced at full speed toward more victims. The snakes growing from his body bit into or swallowed whole more prey before Nathan himself would grab another human. He took hold of a fleeing man by the ribcage and lifted him to his face. In one bite he tore off most of the man¡¯s torso and swallowed with a bit of wincing, finding it more than he normally could ingest. Afterwards he took slightly smaller bites to more quickly finish the meal.


    The invigoration he once felt for eating was gone as the meat no longer seeped into his body. It was being gathered in his belly, Nathan willing the creations to form from the ingested meat. As he did so, he transferred his mental will and thoughts into the developing mind of the new creatures. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Be powerful. Nathan thought. Be great. Accomplish amazing things. Be above that of an average man. Do not be idle as they are. Have desires that would never occur to them. Do not conform to their standards and transcend the stars themselves. When you are released into this vast, open world as the mighty lion that roams the savannas and the great eagle that flies overhead to capture the world from such a privileged viewpoint. Be greater than the material that brought you into this world so that I may be glad that I procreated your existence.


    However, realizing what he was saying caused Nathan to reconsider his choice of words.


    But obey me. He thought. Be willing to obey me.


    Now he was ready to give birth. A cavity in his back opened for the first of the creatures. The hole in his back was nothing but a deep gash in his body at first before widening into something as large as a manhole. Nathan could feel hands grip the sides of his open body as it pulled itself out. He could feel something slimy and wet slithering out of him, like a mucus covered worm crawling out of a hole. It plopped down on the concrete with a wet plop as a guttural cry could be heard.


    For the next creature Nathan had to apply more pressure on his back. He squeezed as hard as possible as he attempted to help the next creature be born. Another squishing sound followed as the newly consecrated being hit the pavement. Nathan turned to examine his new spawn.


    One staggered from the pile of saliva-looking liquid that covered it and formed a pool at its feet. As it raised itself, Nathan found the creature to be very thin and long-limbed. It was even taller than Nathan was but so slender it looked as if it had no muscle. Its limbs were less like arms and legs and more like ropes attached with wispy, willowy fingers so stretchy and pliable they looked like you could tie them in knots. It had toeless feet and cracks in its skin like it had been whipped repeatedly.


    Its skin was extremely pale and its eyes were not at all round and looked more like thin slits carved into wood. Its pupils were bright green enough to look like emerald colored flashlights that shone in the dark of the night. Its bald head was oval-shaped with holes for ears and no visible mouth. The thing¡¯s entire torso was less than half as narrow as a normal human¡¯s but body length was twice as tall.


    A unique specimen. Nathan thought. Certainly would not be mistaken for a normal human.


    ¡°I shall call you Reacher,¡± he said. ¡°On account of your height.¡±


    It looked down at him with its narrowly visible eyes, its entire body bending as easily as a palm tree in a tropical storm.


    ¡°Thank you, father,¡± it said. ¡°I shall serve you well and with all my heart.¡±


    Nathan was shocked to find that when it talked, the entire half of its face opened. He could see the entire interior of his jaws, from the small baby-like teeth to its wine colored mouth. When it closed its mouth its face returned to the bald, egg shape it had once been. Nathan was surprised to find it looked as if it had no visible mouth, its lips just that thin and neatly hidden.


    He then turned to his other creation. He examined the creature to find it slowly rising from the saliva-like liquid just as the first one. Only he could tell it was female by its figure.


    It had something of a mature, feminine body with long flowing hair and pitch black eyes with red irises. Her hair was as long as Nathan''s and golden in color. Her skin was a dark brown, far darker than Nathan¡¯s and she was covered in bright red stripes save for her face. She looked human save for the pairs of eyes covering her hands and feet with irises as bright red as the ones in her face. She may have not been uniquely inhuman but she was beautiful.


    ¡°You shall be Iris,¡± he said. ¡°On account of your many eyes.¡±


    She looked up at Nathan with curiosity. She began examining her body and then looked back to her brother and progenitor. The woman shook her head.


    ¡°What if I wanted to choose my own name?¡± she asked. ¡°A name that will last throughout history and mark me as someone great? What shall that be?¡±


    Nathan leered at her, finding the inquiry annoying.


    ¡°It is not names that matter,¡± he said. ¡°But the accomplishments of the individual. So Iris is as befitting a name as any.¡±


    The newly birthed creature did not look comforted.


    ¡°If I do not have a name that will make me great,¡± Iris said. ¡°Then I have less of a chance of being great. So what must I do to be great and secure my reign as a conqueror in this world?¡±


    ¡°Conqueror?¡± Nathan asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Iris said. ¡°When I think of the term great¡­I think of someone who has crushed all opposition and defeated any challenge that came their way.¡±


    Nathan frowned at her.


    I want to be the only conqueror of this world. He thought. And I do not want anyone to be a rival in that regard. Where did she get the word conqueror?


    He mulled over the possibility before realizing that when he was creating the will and personality of his creations, Nathan had the same definition in his mind. When issuing a command that his children be great specimens that rose above the normal man, they conquer and defeat their problems. That they be competitive in nature and find ways to win. Nathan himself wished to be a conqueror in life.


    ¡°One does not have to be a conqueror of this world,¡± Nathan said. ¡°All have different roles and places in which they can carve out greatness for themselves¡­you should not place all your trust in wishing to conquer the world. Be great in different ways.¡±


    The confusion in her expression cleared, the woman nodding her head.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± she said. ¡°Strive to be unique and great¡­without attempting to conquer the world¡­I shall do that. But¡­what purpose can I take on in order to be great?¡±


    ¡°Serve the master,¡± Reacher said.


    He bent down toward her and looked at her through tight eyeholes.


    ¡°Be a gracious protector of our master¡¯s wishes and desires,¡± he said. ¡°Fulfill them and we will become great by proxy. He is our progenitor after all.¡±


    Iris nodded before turning back to Nathan.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Serve him¡­and we will be great by proxy. But¡­what if I could be greater by not serving our father? Then¡­wouldn¡¯t I be serving our master better?¡±


    Nathan leered at them, realizing a mistake he made when he issued his will into them while they were developing.


    It seems I was too binary in my desire. He thought. I wanted them to become great. As my children, I wished for them to be powerful and rise above others to prove my greatness. But I also wanted them to be obedient to me. It seems I added my last request too late and only one of them gained it while the other doesn¡¯t have much of that desire. However, the other doesn¡¯t have that great a desire to serve me and is more concerned with being great. How can I convince the second creation to become great and obey me?


    He then looked back up to Reacher with intense suspicion.


    And a toady who is so willing to jump at every one of my commands will never amount to much. Nathan realized. I must try to blend them better.


    ¡°Reacher,¡± he said. ¡°You must decide for yourself how to be great, so long as it does not contradict my intention. Commit yourself to a path of success that you can be sure of you will achieve. Think hard about what life you can live to show you are better than all other creations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master and father,¡± the thin creature said with a bow.


    He then turned to Iris who held a more skeptical gaze.


    ¡°And you,¡± Nathan said. ¡°Commit yourself to something great as well. Try and achieve something that will make me proud¨Cmake yourself proud. Become a great artist, if you must. Artists have their valued works praised for centuries if they are good enough. Commit yourself to that.¡±


    Iris looked down, the eyes not on her face looking around wildly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Art¡­art. I¡­I believe I would¡­like to make paintings¡­that represent¡­¡±


    She then looked down at the eyes on her own hands.


    ¡°The emotions I feel deep within me,¡± Iris thought.


    Nathan smiled. He then thought that it was probably a leftover memory of Yui that was sent into her. It was an ambition that would never interfere with whatever schemes Nathan had.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°The emotions you feel within you. Make art that brings that out.¡±


    She then looked back at him and glared.


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Nathan was astounded by his spawn¡¯s blunt answer.


    ¡°What?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°No,¡± Iris said. ¡°I do not wish to make art that represents feelings or desires. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°B-But why?!¡± Nathan asked. ¡°It-It allows one to¨Cto be remembered for ages to come! The feelings imbued within art resonate for generations when portrayed well enough!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°It does allow one to rippled their emotions across time. And the emotions I have are ambition and the desire to stand above all others. To rise taller than any other living creature¨Cto do something to make others jealous of me. Then I shall be worthy of such titles.¡±


    Nathan glared at her, baring his fangs and claws. He was angry enough to kill the girl, regretting he had used up the flash he¡¯d consumed to bring into this world. Just as Nathan thought of killing her, Reacher bent down to look directly into her stoic and haughty expression.


    ¡°You should obey the master,¡± he said. ¡°If he were not here, we would not be either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Iris replied. ¡°I shall abandon his desire to use me as a pawn and to live through me.¡±


    ¡°Treacherous wench,¡± Nathan said.


    He extended all three snakes growing from his body forward to eat her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take back the flesh used to make you for a more loyal creation,¡± he said.


    He willed the snakes to open wide and attack. The girl groaned in pain as the snakes ripped her skin from her bone and swallowed. Iris fell to the ground, crying in pain before her body was gone and all that remained was a pool of blood. Reacher looked down curiously, shaking his head in disappointment. Nathan glared in frustration, letting the flesh sink back into the pit of his stomach.


    Next time I will make my creations less patronizing to me. He thought. And make a race that is the spitting image of me, that can capture my glory. As befitting a creature who has crossed over death¡¯s boundary.

 Chapter 5 Memories Beyond Death’s Boundaries, The Strange Paintings

    Chapter 5


    The painting that Yui drew on the canvas was as beautiful as anything Calvin had seen in an art museum. He had almost forgotten how gifted Yui was at artistry. While he was untrained in painting, he could tell just by watching that the girl had wonderful brushstrokes. She was exceptional in the way she could blend colors as well as make what she drew both realistic and imaginative.


    How could anyone think someone this gifted was worthless? Calvin thought. Her parents must have been out of their mind if they said she was of no value.


    However, the pictures that she painted were more haunting than they were beautiful. The first portrait felt wide somehow. Wider than the square of canvas it was drawn on. Vaster than could be captured was the environment in front of her.


    It was almost like a starry night, the glinting gems of white and yellow cast against a blackish white sky. Yui had to be careful when painting the background both shades as it seemed the heavens were layered in the two colors. Stripes of white contrasted against wisps of black behind the stars.


    Only they weren¡¯t stars. Calvin wasn¡¯t sure how Yui did it, but in the small dots of brightness the young woman had drawn intricate man-shaped figures. They were small human figures in what he thought were robes. Calvin was unsure about the clothing of those people as they were so small but they were definitely human-looking.


    If he looked close enough the faces of each person in the stars were unique and individualized, like snowflakes. Calvin was amazed at how Yui had been able to capture such personalized human expressions with so little room. It was miniscule the shapes she drew but if one looked closely you couldn¡¯t say one tiny small face was a copy of the other.


    But when he observed the human figures even closer he was taken aback by their expressions. They were not ones of pain but stoicism. A hard expression with upturned faces, as if they were too holy to look down. Their noses were upturned and their eyes were looking up, if Calvin was correct. Observing their eyes was hard as they were so miniscule he had to squint to look directly at them.


    The fact that they were stoic was somehow off-putting to Calvin. It hurt him. He felt as if there was something they were looking at that he couldn¡¯t see. Something that wasn¡¯t invisible but too far up in the heavens a man as small as him could not grasp. Calvin was amazed that Yui could capture something like that.


    How could any artist capture something that detailed? He asked himself. How could one invoke such a specific emotion with such miniscule images? Yui must be a genius or¡­or she must have seen this very thing. Very closely.


    But the way she captured such fine stoicism was not the only disturbing thing about her painting. Below the black and white horizon was a beach as pale as human flesh. It looked less like sand and more like the skin of a human. The individual grains did not cohere into something like fine earth but almost like the mosaic of the topmost layer of a man¡¯s flesh. And beyond that was the sea of red.


    Calvin was convinced the water beyond the beach of flesh-colored sand was not merely red but depicting actual blood. The color that Yui used to capture it was too dark a red to be something else. Even the way she painted it made it look thicker than water could ever conceivably be.


    When she finished the painting the beach that he couldn¡¯t tell was supposed to be sand or flesh was dotted with countless skeletons, skulls and various bones. A treasure chest of human remains littered it but not a bit of flesh remained among them. Calvin could only imagine that so much flesh was ripped off and soaked into the sand beneath them the sand had fully mixed with it. Even stranger were Yui¡¯s words pointing to the skeletal remains.


    ¡°Those,¡± she said as lifted her brush to them. ¡°Were the ones who could not make it.¡±


    ¡°Who could not make it to what?¡± Calvin asked.


    She then pointed to the stars above where the figures were bathed in what looked like light.


    ¡°The ones who watch over us and look at the lives of all mankind,¡± she said.


    Her face was so dissonant as she spoke. It didn¡¯t look as if Yui was speaking at him but toward something else. Something he couldn¡¯t see. Her words had a strange hollowness to them, lacking emotion. Calvin felt Yui wasn¡¯t speaking from her emotions but from something deeper. Something he couldn¡¯t touch or see. Something he couldn¡¯t feel.


    ¡°I remember seeing it almost as if in a dream,¡± she said. ¡°Yet, unlike a dream, I saw it so clearly. It was as if it happened in another life, through eyes that had both been and not been my own.¡±


    Yui looked at the painting with widening eyes. It was as though she gained her memory of the whole event and now fear wormed its way into her heart. Calvin was afraid she¡¯d start screaming again but instead her face became oddly placid. As Calvin examined her, he found the fear in her heart was not something that threatened her survival but something that made Yui¡¯s inner being quiver.


    It opened a hole in her innermost self that made her experience terror beyond the mortal plane. Looking into her blank eyes, Calvin could almost see into Yui¡¯s heart. He could see the hole that was in her peaceful, gentle soul like the seam opening up in a piece of cloth.


    ¡°Yui¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°Yui¡­?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± she said. ¡°I was there¡­I was there to see the river of blood¡­the stars that were brighter than gold¡­and the people inside them more beautiful than gems¡­but¡­but those stars¡­¡±


    Her eyes grew wider, the seam in her soul only grew as well.


    ¡°They looked down on us,¡± Yui said. ¡°Because we were evil. And they were holy.¡±


    ¡°Evil?¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°There are so many lost souls in there,¡± Yui said, her oddly passionless voice continuing. ¡°All so lost and full of tragic grief¡­weighed down by the burdens of the heart¡­swimming in eternal dread for their many crimes¡­¡±


    Yui reached her arm forward toward the painting.


    ¡°I-¡± she said, tears stinging her eyes as she pitied those she saw in her painting. ¡°I want to help them. I want to take them from her torment.¡±


    ¡°Take who?¡± Calvin asked.


    The girl continued stretching her hand toward the painting, causing Calvin to reach forward in an attempt to stop her.


    ¡°That paint is still wet,¡± Calvin said. ¡°You¡¯ll stain your dress and-¡±


    Calvin looked in horror to see that Yui¡¯s hand had reached into the painting. The canvas rippled like still water whose surface had been broken through, circles of crimson emanating from her fingers as they reached deep into the blood. The dark red sea Yui had drawn was now a portal of liquid that she had put her free arm into.


    ¡°Yui!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I can feel them,¡± she said. ¡°In there¡­searching¡­searching desperately for hope.¡±


    Calvin peered closer in panic to see human figures beneath the dark red surface Yui spoke of. Through the veil of crimson he could see people with faces distorted by pain swimming in the blood. They were somewhat covered in shadow, bathed in shade except for their faces which may as well have been white as snow in contrast. Calvin wasn¡¯t so much disgusted by them as fascinated.


    The sea of blood somehow expanded past his vision and now he was looking into the void of dark red. They dashed through the liquid maniacally, almost like fish in the ocean. The expressions of each man and woman were distinct and unique, just as those in the star were. However, they portrayed a far wider range of emotions than the star people did.


    They were all tormented but had different phases of it whether it be pain, sorrow, hatred, confusion or something in between. Those in the stars were all stoic and righteous, conveying some amount of morality that elevated them above those below. It was when looking up to compare them that Calvin became more disturbed.


    They have to look down to find those horrid beings swimming about and shrieking in pain. He thought. I can¡¯t see how they can stand it.


    ¡°Look out how much pain they¡¯re in,¡± Yui said as she began crying. ¡°Look at them¡­it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s horrible¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calvin shrieked. ¡°What are they?!¡±


    ¡°Those who have died and did not make it to the stars,¡± Yui said. ¡°The only ones who can cross the River of Blood are those who have never committed an evil act. Only¡­only I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s that good.¡±


    ¡°So¡­?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s everyone who¡¯s ever died? In there¡­suffering? Why do they look so horrid?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still trying to get there,¡± Yui said. ¡°They¡¯re still¡­they¡¯re still trying to¡­to¡­to make it. Make it to the stars. The fact they¡¯ve been hurt¡­hurt by their own misdeeds¡­the river¡­it hurts them as much as they have hurt others in life¡­¡±


    She pushed her arm deeper into the crimson, past her elbow.


    ¡°I have to take one of them out,¡± she said.


    ¡°But-¡± Calvin said. ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°I have to try!¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t allow myself to see anyone else hurting!¡±


    Yui dropped her paint brush to the floor and reached into it. Calvin watched as Yui stuck both of her hands in, waving both of her arms up to her elbow in the pool of blood. Calvin could see Yui was fishing around within it, trying to grab what she could inside. Then her arms stayed still and jerked slightly.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°Calvin! I found something! Someone grasped my hand on the other side!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Calvin said, more scared than anything. ¡°Oh¡­okay¡­just¡­¡±


    And then Yui was pulled further towards the painting.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she cried.


    Her chest slammed against her painting as she cried in pain. She struggled and squirmed in resistance as the front of her white dress was bloodied. Yui began crying in pain.


    ¡°No!¡± she cried. ¡°No! I-I wanted to help you get out!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Calvin shouted.


    He grabbed Yui by the shoulders, only to find an intense force pulling against him. Calvin panicked as his heart began slamming into his throat, the ensuing fear resulting from the idea he¡¯d lose Yui again. He began screaming in fear.


    ¡°C-Calvin!¡± she said. ¡°He-He¡¯s pulling me in!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°No he won¡¯t!¡±


    Calvin put his hands closer down Yui¡¯s arms and pulled with all his might. Calvin began running out of breath and his arms began hurting he was being fought against with such force. He began gripping his feet against the floor of his bedroom with all his might, trying with everything to wrench the thing¡¯s grip off of Yui.


    He began reliving the nightmares and panic attacks he had after Yui¡¯s death. The idea of being without her was so harrowing to him he¡¯d rather not live than exist without her. Life would have no meaning without Yui. It was this idea that gave him strength, this fear that maximized his strength by volumes he couldn¡¯t imagine.


    ¡°Oh-!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°Calvin¡­please!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± he replied.


    Through agonizing fear and intense pain, Calvin eventually dragged Yui¡¯s arms out of the pool of blood with a startling discovery. Blood stained arms and hands grabbed hold of Yui¡¯s wrists and seemed to be wanting to drag her into the painting with them. But they were not bloodstained like Yui¡¯s arms were. The blood darkened and flowed around them like waterfalls recycling their liquid so that it would not drip from these limbs. With every bit of strength they had, Calvin and Yui pulled the latter¡¯s arms from the grasp of the arms.


    They fell onto the bedroom floor, both gasping in exhaustion with Yui struggling in Calvin¡¯s arms. Calvin, already tired, had the wind knocked out of him by the girl landing on top of him. He began panting for air as Yui sobbed. They both looked up to see the arms washed back into the flow of blood, disappearing like a fish caught in a torrent of water. Calvin let his head fall back, utterly perplexed at what transpired.


    ¡°That,¡± he said. ¡°Was close.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yui said. ¡°That poor soul¡­! If only¡­if only I¡¯d been able to help him¡­¡±


    ¡°Yui¡­¡± he said. ¡°You almost died¡­lost again¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was trying to kill me,¡± she said. ¡°He may have just been desperately trying to get out of that horrible place. I¡­I don¡¯t know what more I could have done.¡±


    Yui rolled off the top of him and staggered up almost as soon as Calvin did. He looked to see her white dress ruined by being bloodstained. He sighed, knowing she¡¯d have to change again if she wanted to be presentable. Calvin shook his head.


    ¡°So is that what you saw when you¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°Died?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Yes¡­I saw them¡­I saw them¡­I saw them carried by the current here and there¡­thrown around like grains of sand in a storm¡­their lives¡­or what was left of their lives by that point was torment¡­all of them failing to reach the other side¡­¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    She then looked back at the painting.


    ¡°Only¡­¡± she said. ¡°Only¡­I was able to reach it. I don¡¯t know how but I was able to swim through the torment and¡­and was able¡­able to make it that place beyond the horizon. So that I was among those in the stars.¡±


    ¡°How were you able to swim to the sky?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°I mean¡­it makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°One can travel anywhere so long as their heart is pure enough,¡± Yui said. ¡°At least¡­at least in that world. When one¡¯s heart is pure¡­one is able to sail into the stars¡­and I suppose¡­I suppose¡­I suppose I did¡­because I had¡­the heart to do it¡­¡±


    She looked to the side, obviously uncomfortable.


    ¡°But is my heart really pure?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°It is!¡± Calvin said. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone pure of heart¡­it¡¯s you!¡±


    She sighed, looking down.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she said. ¡°I just¡­I just wish the others could¡­could go.¡±


    ¡°Well I doubt that,¡± he said. ¡°I doubt that anyone had your heart. Not in a thousand years could someone like you be born again.¡±


    She then opened her eyes.


    ¡°But-!¡± Yui cried. ¡°I think that¡¯s why I was supposed to go!¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°What¨Cwhat do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It-¡± Yui said. ¡°It was an exchange¡­an exchange of sorts. To cross over the boundary¡­¡±


    ¡°An exchange of what?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°To cross over¡­the boundary of death?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yui said. ¡°There is another boundary¡­a boundary that is beyond the boundary between the dead and the living. One which mere mortals attempt to cross after they die¡­only to never reach. It is the boundary which separates the common man¡­.¡±


    Yui went back to the easel she sat at before taking the painting she just drew off the wooden device. She then took a blank canvas and began painting again. Calvin was amazed at the speed she could paint at and it still was beautiful. It was almost inhuman how well Yui could paint at the efficiency at which she could.


    Did Yui¡¯s skills at painting get better after she died? He wondered.


    Her next painting seemed even stranger. The river of blood was still there but now there was a path of snow white stone in the middle of it. The walkway of stone was untainted by the red of the blood around it and the figures were crawling from the crimson sea onto the path.


    It was a narrow walkway and they had to be careful not to totter over to the side and be drowned within. However, they were able to walk forward along the way in a single file line. As they marched forward their forms gradually changed. They no longer looked dour and hateful. They became happy, with expressions of gratitude and wonder. Love and contentment followed all who took the narrow path.


    ¡°From those above,¡± Yui said.


    When Yui finished the painting he found that at the front of the white, stone path was Yui herself. She was swimming at the surface of the river of blood, something that he had not seen a single person do in the other painting. The ability to do such a thing must have been very special. If Calvin was observing the painting right it seemed that wherever Yui swam a white stone path followed, miraculously materializing in her wake. He was so confused at the sight.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°What does all this mean?¡±


    ¡°An exchange of death for life¡­¡± she said, her hollow tone returning. ¡°I remember¡­I remember being there¡­being there¡­and swimming¡­swimming against the current of the river¡­¡±


    She cleaned the hair of the utensil in a cup of water on Calvin¡¯s nightstand before dabbing it back into different pools of colored paint. With white and yellow, Yui drew the star people to now watch the figures below. It was now that they were no longer so disgusted with those swimming in the river of blood below. They could now tolerate the presence of the figures below. And Calvin was beginning to see why.


    Yui began decorating some of the figures with yellow and white paint to indicate they had begun gaining the essence of those above. Now that the victims once swimming in the blood river were becoming like the star figures it apparently wouldn¡¯t stain their eyes. It was almost like they were too sensitive to look at such. Calvin was impressed that Yui could so easily convey this.


    ¡°I was meant¡­¡± she said. ¡°To die¡­for¡­for¡­the chance for these victims to become like those in the heavens¡­I had to push so hard against the waves of that horrid river¡­but I did nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I always knew you were special Yui¡­but I didn¡¯t know you had some divine destiny or something¡­I always thought you were merely kind.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that is enough,¡± Yui said after finishing the painting. She then took another blank canvas and set it on her easel. ¡°A kind heart¡­a heart renewed with unbending love and courage¡­to challenge the world¡¯s evil¡­that may be something greater than what others call freedom¡­it may be the highest form of freedom¡­to be unbound by hatred or obsession.¡±


    As Yui began drawing her new painting, she began crying again.


    ¡°As I lived on Earth¡­¡± she said. ¡°I found people were driven by success and power¡­driven by the desire for wealth and fame¡­for popularity¡­burdened by the anger of petty grudges and the abuse suffered at the hands of others¡­¡±


    Tears flowed down her face at her own words.


    ¡°So shallow and destructive humans all were¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°Striving for a goal we didn¡¯t understand¡­a goal to ascend past the stars when we couldn¡¯t even step forward, we had so little strength.¡±


    Calvin then could see why Yui had become sad again. The figures that had climbed onto the pathway that materialized behind her were now falling. She drew them tottering over and splashing into the blood red beside them.


    He was shocked to see some of the figures now bathed in the whitish-yellow light like those of the stars were once again drowning in the dark red. Calvin¡¯s mouth dropped in horror to find that most of those that had begun walking fell into the river of blood before flowing back to the beach behind them. He gasped in fright to see Yui painting not those people but their bare skeletons drying on the flesh-colored beach.


    The few who remained on the path marched stoically on with an almost militant-like fervor. Unlike in the river of blood they were not in pain or distress. Unlike at first getting on the path they were not overjoyed. Now they were stoic and stone-faced, more like the people of the stars.


    ¡°Yet as hard as I tried¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°Some refused¡­the way I made¡­it was so thin¡­not all could stay on.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Calvin said. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­?¡±


    He began looking at Yui in a different, odder way than he normally would. He used to see her as a gem of a person, pure and perfect in every way. Now Calvin saw her as an almost dangerous and enigmatic person. A being with a power beyond mortal comprehension.


    Is Yui someone who has control over death and life? He thought. The power to even save the dead? A person who has not only crossed over the boundary of this world twice but has also allowed others to go beyond a boundary beyond even that?


    He looked at Yui as she took the canvas of those lost souls falling off the narrow path to replace it with a blank one. Calvin was now aware that Yui¡¯s painting skills had progressed that she could paint masterpieces in a frighteningly short time. It was more proof that Yui had gone beyond that of a mere human being.


    She had surpassed the limit of a mortal but Calvin didn¡¯t quite understand what Yui was. Before she was resurrected Calvin saw Yui as a victim who lay dormant during her time in the grave. Now he looked at her as someone performing supernatural and powerful deeds during her time dead rather than just sleeping. He was now beginning to grow afraid of what lay beyond the boundary of death.


    Is there something beyond what lies within human life? He thought. A world¡­that we don¡¯t know about? That the living don¡¯t even know about? That¡¯s not possible!


    But now this was undeniable proof. Calvin had viewed Yui brought back to life in exchange for Nathan¡¯s as a fluke of nature. Something that wasn¡¯t real because it was so rare and out of the ordinary. He didn¡¯t give too much thought to whatever force brought the knife to him or what Yui had been like in death.


    Now, he felt there was something bigger than just the two of them. And that snake that appeared before Calvin for a brief moment had something to do with it. A snake that, the more he thought about it, looked like the one on the knife he brought.


    Is¡­? He thought. Is it the same creature? Is it¡­is it¡­playing us?


    Yui¡¯s next painting answered his question, as though she knew his thoughts as well as her own. The paint pouring across the once empty canvas now brought to life the scene of Yui¡¯s death. Calvin had to resist the urge to turn away as the memory stung in the back of his mind like a hornet¡¯s poison.


    It showed Yui standing in front of her friend as a grim-faced, stocky man slashed at her. It was almost like Yui was being defensive in attempting to position herself between her blond friend and the mugger. The knife that was driven into the girl¡¯s flesh carried blood as it swiped across her stomach. Just as Calvin looked away he saw Yui draw something in the lower left hand corner that interested him more.


    The same black snake that appeared before him was now being painted with glossy black scales. There was no question that it was the same as the serpent that had confronted Calvin. Its arrow-shaped head looked forward at the mugger and onto Yui as he watched them from afar. And as Calvin examined the positioning of the serpent in relation to the humans in the portrait, he began to notice what Yui was conveying.


    Was the serpent controlling the mugger¡­? Calvin wondered.


    It certainly looked that way. The mugger slaying Yui did not look like an intelligent, autonomous being so much as he looked inhuman and enraged. His expression held no emotion other than the desire to kill. It was odd to Calvin that Yui could capture without words such a direct meaning simply by painting the serpent in a certain location. From the way it was positioned the serpent looked like it was truly behind the events that transpired, in both a metaphorical and literal meaning.


    The sun above also looked peculiar. It was positioned in the right hand corner of the portrait, in direct opposition to the black serpent. Calvin wanted to call it a sun but it didn¡¯t seem right.


    The sun in the portrait looked more like one of the star people that Yui had painted in her earlier drawings. Rather than circular it looked somewhat man-shaped, with a face within the white and yellow paint to produce a light. However, the sun bore an expression that Calvin had never seen before.


    It looked stoic like those in the stars but far more regal than even them. Rather than diverting its eyes away from the scene below, it looked on with pronounced judgment, scanning the events below with anger. With the sun¡¯s face and the black serpent in direct opposition with the murder on the level between them, a strange portrait was drawn in Calvin¡¯s inner world.


    The serpent was not the only one who had a plan. He thought. Whatever his enemy is, whoever he is faced against that holds the power above, also had a part in it. Almost like¡­Yui¡¯s murder was a meeting ground between their two opposing wills. Almost as if¡­that which was below and that which was above clashed on the mortal plane. And not for the first time¡­


    ¡°An exchange,¡± Yui said. ¡°Almost like an agreement between them. My life was to be taken¡­because¡­¡±


    Her voice became hollow and dissonant, a certain hesitance residing over her words.


    ¡°I threatened the serpent of death¡¯s power,¡± she said. ¡°My life on this earth¡­it made him fear his domain¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Why would some snake fear you?¡±


    ¡°Because in this world of constant torment people add to its evil by hurting others,¡± Yui said. ¡°Killing for the purpose of bringing life¡­it was a principle that this world¡¯s bloody history is built upon¡­a principle that the serpent has used to corrupt us all¡­defiling any truth within that principle¡­¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°A principle I didn¡¯t believe in,¡± Yui said. ¡°Because I wouldn¡¯t hurt others no matter what power it would give me¡­¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°And I suppose I was alone in that,¡± she said.


    Calvin then felt self-conscious, afraid that Yui had seen directly into his soul.


    No life without death. He thought. That was the very principle I used to bring Yui back to life. But¡­but it worked. Is the principle evil in and of itself? Or can it be used for good?


    ¡°Everyone I met swimming in the river of blood on the other side of death¡¯s boundary¡­¡± she said, pausing to remember. ¡°Had plagued another swimming along with them with suffering. They were all burdened with the other¡¯s evil¡­punished for causing suffering¡­¡±


    Yui looked down, ashamed at herself.


    ¡°I suppose I had never caused anyone suffering,¡± she said. ¡°Which was why I was the only one allowed to cross the river¡¯s current. I only wish I could have done more for them.¡±


    ¡°But if the principle of death for life is evil,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Then¡­then how did¡­?¡±


    He tried to ask the question without revealing his own evil.


    ¡°How did you return to life?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean¡­sacrifices have to be made for¡­for stuff like they don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more so the principle of making others suffer and fail for your own benefit,¡± Yui said. ¡°Not just death in a physical way but in a deeper meaning¡­destroying the will of a person to live or their dreams¡­eviscerating their own happiness for the sake of your¡¯s¡­a world like that is something I didn¡¯t want to participate in.¡±


    She then pointed her brush to the serpent in the lower left hand corner.


    ¡°I was an outlier,¡± Yui said. ¡°A human being that had never committed a moral wrong. And the serpent must have noticed that. So he planned to have me killed¡­but in accordance with the grand star¡¯s will¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this, Yui?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± she yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    She put her paint brush down on the tray in front of her easel and took in a deep breath. The girl looked like she was in deep pain as she leaned down and began panting. Yui squeezed the leg of her easel as Calvin rushed toward her, afraid she would collapse again. She shook her head as she waved him away, sitting back up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I know all this,¡± Yui said. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­my memories they¡¯re all coming back to me¡­and¡­and they¡¯re really fuzzy¡­¡±


    She shook her head in defiance, as if trying to jostle an impediment within her mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was told,¡± Yui said. ¡°I think I just¡­absorbed it while I was there¡­on the other side¡­because once I crossed over the boundary¡­I realized it was all connected. And I did it twice¡­¡±


    ¡°This boundary you keep talking about¡­,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Is it¡­real? Like, is there actually a gate or, or...a barrier?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± Yui said. ¡°There definitely is. There¡¯s a barrier, a veil, a distance¡­something put in place between the living and the dead. And¡­it¡¯s connected to the morality of all mankind.¡±


    She pointed to the paintings she had taken off her easel before pointing to the one in front of her. Calvin noticed after repeated proddings that Yui kept gesturing to. He then noticed what she was trying to show him.


    ¡°The heavens and the earth below¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°They¡¯re¡­they¡¯re so far a part.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yui said. ¡°Long ago¡­apparently the earth and the heavens were closer together¡­no¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s correct.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°It was more so man used to be as those among the stars,¡± she said. ¡°Before being brought down to a lower plane¡­the grand star would not allow mankind to retain its elevated stature because of their misgivings¡­¡±


    Yui looked at her paintings again, almost fainting at the sight of such intense portraits.


    ¡°Once they abused their power¡­¡± she said. ¡°They¡­were prevented from living further¡­a boundary called death was put up¡­and a river with a current so strong they could not hope to reach to the heavens to regain their power. Death¡­was the boundary meant to prevent humans from further abusing their power.¡±


    ¡°What-?¡± Calvin asked as he shook his head. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°A memory I absorbed crossing over the boundary,¡± Yui said. ¡°And another memory I absorbed crossing the boundary past that one.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°But¡­but why? How? What¡­what did humanity do?¡±


    ¡°The serpent¡­,¡± Yui said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how¡­but¡­but he poisoned the minds of humans of old and¡­and¡­they became evil¡­attempting to use the principle of suffering and destruction in exchange for power to advance themselves.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Calvin asked, growing nervous as he hoped she would never realize what he did to bring her back.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°And because of that¡­death was created¡­to prevent them from further abusing such power. But now¡­now the serpent¡¯s plan is to¡­is to upend that barrier that separates death from life. That separates the heavens from the Earth.¡±


    ¡°And why would he want that?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°He wants¡­he wants to return to his place among the stars.¡±

 Chapter 6-The Tower to the Heavens

    Chapter 6


    ¡°Marvelous,¡± he said to himself.


    He watched as the creatures that had spawned from him grabbed humans captured off the street and chomped their flesh and bones with their wide jaws. After swallowing whole chunks from the victims, they then regurgitated it into a bloody paste similar to clay. The malleable material made of skin, bone and blood was very good for acting as a mushy substance that hardened the more one squeezed and pressed it.


    Nathan had eaten nearly half the entire town. Hundreds of thousands had been digested in his stomach before he spat out more of his new species. And for every one human he ate he spat out two to three new monstrosities. Nathan had been careful to issue the command to be both obedient to him and serve his desires above all else, lest something that happened with Iris transpire again.


    The creatures that ranged from multi-limbed monstrosities to angelic looking women with fair skin to winged creatures with thick leather covering from head to toe then molded that paste to form the structure Nathan had instructed them to make. He was proud of the weird mutants he had formed from regurgitated humans he feasted upon. Nathan was careful to make a menagerie of creatures but made sure they all had strong jaws on which to chew human bodies before turning it into mush.


    With every passing glance he made at the tower and the creatures he fell more in love with himself. He was proud he had made them in the same way a sculpture artist would admire the craft of their hands. It made Nathan proud of himself in a way he knew he never could have attained as a normal human.


    I suppose it¡¯s the highest compliment to oneself¡­He thought. To be proud of your creations to have taken a life of their own. Beautiful. I am truly the most amazing being that the work of my hands has the work of their own hands¡­I truly am the greatest creature on Earth.


    And what a work it was. The tower had reached far beyond the scope of any building in the surrounding city. Nathan could not help but admire it.


    It was almost marble in appearance, colored by human flesh that looked light brown in color but also mixed with red blood and white bone. So the tower looked like a swirl of coffee, scarlet red and pale white but as smooth as a newborn''s skin. Whenever Nathan felt it he could feel unblemished, featureless perfection. It was almost sensual in how it electrified his tactile senses with wondrous affection.


    The tower was already ten times taller than the building in the city with the greatest length and nearly twice as wide as the widest. It rose up into the air so far he could not see the end of it, dwarfing all other surroundings. There were triangular entrances to rooms beyond counting that filled the outer surface. The creatures either crawled up the tower by scaling the flat surface, entered the rooms at the base of the tower to ascend the stairs within or flew there on leathery, bat-like wings.


    After applying pressure they could mold the mixture of human flesh, blood and bone to fill in the gaps of the tower or build on top of it. Any blemishes or empty cavities in the surface or interior of the grand structure were quickly filled or made to conform with the rest of the building. Those with wings quickly took to filling more layers on the very top, adding to the already impressive creation.


    Excellent. He thought. Excellent, excellent! I-I¡¯m brilliant! I am truly the greatest living creature alive!


    A manic smile broke out on Nathan¡¯s face. He could not suppress his joy and pride anymore than a hammer to the knee could keep him from screaming in pain. It was so overwhelming that he had the capabilities of doing such. Nathan began relishing in his own accomplishment.


    I am different from all other men. He thought. Different¡­different and better. Different¡­different and superior. I have ascended. Somehow¡­somehow I have soared above all other men. All others are dust beneath me. Is this¡­is this what it feels like to be a king?


    He chuckled.


    ¡°There is no king like me,¡± he laughed. ¡°A king is beholden to his subjects. And I have soared past any who could subject me. That is why I built this tower¡­to¡­to¡­to make myself a king¡­?¡±


    But then a question was raised to himself.


    But why? He thought. Why did I set out to construct this in the first place?


    For that, he had no answer. Or at least, no solid answer. Nathan associated a structure larger than any other made by his new species to be a way of supplanting his new reign as king over all other governments. However, why a tower of all things rather than just invaded and conquering other peoples was odd to him. Most other nations did that when they wanted to become great.


    Why a tower specifically? He thought. Is it¡­is it a leftover from before I arose from the dead.


    Nathan became a little cross with himself. He began trying to recall why he wanted to make this tower in the first place. He harkened back to the inception of the idea. But nothing came to him.


    He had grown so mad and drunk with power at the idea of murdering people and then spitting out better ones that were more in line with his idea of a perfect being. He had no conscious reason for doing it anymore than a predator consciously decides to stalk prey. Nathan just did it because it felt natural. Because the idea of forming his own race made him feel especially powerful.


    But the tower idea now felt so strange. It was so specific and unrelated to his ability to create new creatures from old that it felt¡­tacked on? Like¡­a dream or wish that he once had but had forgotten about, only now arising.


    Did I have it in my old life as a normal human? Nathan thought. And only now I¡¯m remembering it? Could that be the case.


    As the creatures continued to build, Nathan drew his mental attention more and more onto the source of his desire to construct this monstrous building. He had no recollection of it being in his mind when he first awoke inside the container he now knew to be called a coffin. It did not even show up when he first learned he could feast upon humans. The desire arose within Nathan between now and some time when he discovered he could create new creatures. And upon careful inspection, he discovered the source of the urge.


    It was an¡­He thought. Order?


    It was so strange to acknowledge that odd, almost sad truth. No one gave Nathan orders. He was the one to give orders. He was the king.


    There¡¯s no one who gave me orders. Nathan thought. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m totally independent of all influences.


    His eyes widened in reality.


    Aren¡¯t I? He thought.


    He began recognizing that he had been given life by a source outside of himself. Nathan remembered that he did not dig the hole that led him out of the grave. He did not even make the cavity in his coffin. In fact¡­Nathan didn¡¯t even have the drive or desire to climb out of the coffin. It was more like something inside him was driving it.


    No¡­He thought. There was no one¡­no one brought me back¡­I brought myself back! I hungered and ate before becoming the creature I was. No one told me to do it! I just acted.


    But that wasn¡¯t true. He knew it. At least, it didn¡¯t feel true. Not entirely. Nathan could remember a certain¡­a certain something issued him to devour humans and make his new species. He didn¡¯t recall what that thing was but¡­but he could actually remember but it was so fogged over he could only vaguely recall it. What had caused him to create his own race?


    A voice. Nathan said. Whispering in the darkness. Silently speaking to me in a tone as smooth as water. As wise as a¡­a serpent?


    Nathan could not in reality remember the source of the voice. It was so foggy. It was covered in shadow. It felt as if the source had crawled out of the darkness to reveal its true form, only to slither back into the recesses of his mind or the shadows. Nathan was not even sure if the source of this command was his own subconscious giving him orders from the depths of his heart to convey his truest desires¡­or a tempter of the night and come along to plant the idea in his mind. And the closer he looked¡­the more he found evidence it gave him the desire to build this tower.


    Then which is it?! He screamed inside his own mind. Whose will am I doing?! My own or the desires of another man!


    He curled his hands tightly into fist, wishing to snap someone¡¯s bone in half in anger. The snakes sprouting from his body hissed in defiance at the idea of trickery. There was a feeling of hurt pride in Nathan¡¯s mind.


    I did this on my own! He shouted at himself. On my own! For myself! And no one else! I was the one who resurrected myself! No one assisted me! Through my own sheer willpower I climbed the border between life and death and conquered! No one has ever done what I have merely because they are not as great as me.


    He looked up at the stars above him and glared.


    ¡°Do you hear me, oh heavens?!¡± Nathan shouted at the top of his voice. ¡°I am my own master! My own creator! I created myself and knit the sinews of my own skin! The clay that fashioned my body is the work of my own hands! And no more!¡±


    His entire body lurched forward and hissed with his fangs, his eyes never leaving the star.


    ¡°You hear me?!¡± Nathan shouted. ¡°I created myself in my second birth! Therefore I am subservient to no one except myself since I owe no one any life debt! I owe it to the greatness of myself to build a monument in my honor! A monument that shall stand forever and dwarf the mud pies humans make for themselves!¡±


    He roared like a tiger''s growl mixed with the hissing of a serpent.


    ¡°Do you hear me?!¡± He shouted. ¡°Do you hear me?! I am my own creator!¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± someone said.


    He turned to find that behind him was one of his subjects. He looked similar to that of a centaur with the lower half of his body quadrupedal, like a horse, with round, black hooves and even darker black fur. However, his upper body was not a man¡¯s torso but a face as wide and tall as a man¡¯s chest.


    The red face had a yellow mustache devoid of arms but a wide mouth with teeth the size of human hands. The smile was somewhat unnervingly shaped into that of a permanent frown. Nathan had named him Frowner as he had been imbued with Nathan¡¯s frustration of not yet completing his tower.


    ¡°Our tower is being built at an unprecedented rate,¡± he said. ¡°It has already surpassed the entirety of the city¡¯s buildings.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said.


    ¡°But we found something¡­¡± Frowner said. ¡°A bit odd.¡±


    Nathan narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Odd?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Apparently¡­apparently the tower has reached a place in the sky where it¡­it now has reached into another world. It is tall enough to have reached a new plane of existence.¡±


    When he said that, Nathan felt a bit of familiarity arise within him, as if he knew what Frowner spoke of before he said. He considered it, finding a small sense of pain poke him along with a foggy memory of screams of torture. For a reason he couldn¡¯t quite discern, it gave Nathan a bit of optimism. However, he was still unconvinced.


    ¡°Frowner,¡± Nathan said. ¡°That is impossible. You can make any structure as tall as you want and it cannot enter into another plane. The humans have built airplanes that soared the skies and skyscrapers that stand as mountains. A building¡¯s height is not able to enter a new dimension.¡±


    ¡°No my lord!¡± Frowner said. ¡°There is no mistake about it! We have entered a new world! A world that the humans before us could not hope to enter!¡±


    ¡°And how?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°How could the length of an object enter a new realm by mere height?¡±


    ¡°The principle of life for life,¡± a crisp, cool voice said. ¡°Destruction for rebirth.¡±


    Nathan looked around, to find nothing. He whirled around only to see out of the corner of his something quickly retreat back into the shadows. He turned to face that portion of the street only to see out of the corner of his eye something slither back out.


    ¡°This building is no ordinary tower, made from such common elements as stone and brick,¡± the being that slithered out said. ¡°It is made of death itself. Constructed purely from the demise of human beings. Such a creation has the power to pierce the boundary between the Heavens and Earth itself known as death. Wherever sacrifice of the living is made, a rend between the world of the living and the dead, the mortal and the supernatural, is sure to follow.¡±


    The being shrouded in shadow quickly retreated back into the darkness to disappear. As soon as he did, Nathan almost forgot he was there to begin with. With the being that seemed to slither away, he was not sure where the answer had come from. However, Nathan now seemed to know that the tower being constructed from dead humans had pierced the realm of the living and the dead.


    It had gone past the boundary between mortal and immortal planes that separated normal humans from the supernatural. No other structure could have done that. Nathan shook his head in confusion before feeling a surge of optimism and satisfaction reach him.


    ¡°Another world?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°Wh-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The top of the tower has transcended a certain¡­¡± Frowner said. ¡°Boundary it was never meant to reach¡­or was meant to reach all along. It has grown so tall it has reached the very heavens and a world that separates Earth from the stars above.¡±


    New world? He thought. That separates the heavens¡­from the Earth? Stars¡­


    A vague memory filled his head as though what Frowner said was jogging his memory.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Tell me of this new world,¡± Nathan said. ¡°Does¡­does it have a beach of flesh¡­with a river of blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Frowner shouted. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Because I¡¯ve been there before. He thought. When I was dead. I swam in a vast ocean of crimson, boiling in pain, each wrong deed I committed stabbing my fragile and vulnerable flesh. Others screamed in misery as they too suffered for their horrible deeds.


    The memory brought up horrible realizations Nathan had never thought before in his life.


    Every person who has existed has done something wrong. He thought. Something they knew they were not supposed to do, hurting their conscience. And it is only justified in our minds that they are punished for their evil. But we ourselves do not want to be punished. We only want others to be indicted for their crimes against their fellow men while escaping judgment as an anomaly. It is the primary instinct of human beings to escape punishment while punishing others.


    His body tensed and constrained against itself with the memory of fear.


    And is a truth that pressed down on me to the point of suffocation when I was dead. Nathan thought. I finally realized I was no better than anyone else and deserved my pain just as they did.


    ¡°I am wise,¡± he lied. ¡°And know all the secrets of the universe. That is how I knew.¡±


    ¡°So do you wish to stand atop the tower so as to reach the heavens?¡± Frowner asked. ¡°To supplant yourself as ruler of all creation?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nathan asked.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Frowner said. ¡°Do you not wish to stand atop it? To enter into the new world? Isn¡¯t that what you created us for?¡±


    ¡°Wh-Why-¡± Nathan said. ¡°Yes. Yes I would. It is in fact what I made you for. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because, my lord,¡± Frowner said. ¡°I just know. You set out to prove your greatness and wish to stand atop it, not only to dwarf all other peoples and rulers, but to ascend to new heights. I have always known that, sire. You set out to complete a tower for your honor¡¯s sake and I merely am an extension of that desire.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Nathan thought. ¡°Yes. I suppose beings carry the will of their creators.¡±


    And then it hit him. That was where the desire for the tower had come from. Nathan had inherited the will of the being who had created him in his present state.


    But which being brought me into this world? He thought. Whose will did I inherit?! If I only inherited my own will because I created myself¡­then why do I have the desire to eat humans and create this monument, something I don¡¯t have any recollection of wishing in my previous life?


    ¡°Come my lord!¡± Frowner said. ¡°There is no time to waste! You must ascend the tower immediately!¡±


    Nathan nodded and followed Frowner to the tower. As he raced forward, he recognized there was an urgency in Frowner¡¯s tone. An urgency that Nathan also shared.


    He held the urgency for the same reason he wanted to build the tower. A reason Nathan couldn¡¯t remember. The reason existed in his mind, he knew that much, but he could not for the life of him clear the fog that clouded the memory of such a wish.


    I am my own person. Nathan assured himself. Aren¡¯t I? I create my own desires¡­just as I did in my own life as a human. Did I not?


    That, again, was a question he could not answer plainly. He had always strived for status. Nathan wanted to be strong and wanted others to know he was. He wanted to be looked up to and respected. He wanted to be remembered in his life as someone great and powerful, which was not so different from how Nathan was now. But why he wanted to be great was beyond him. He had no reason to describe the reason for his desire for power and flexing of his pride. He just did.


    So I¡¯m the same as when I was a human. He thought. Merely going off of instinct for my purpose in this world. Like an animal.


    But just as he could dive further into introspection, two of his winged creations greeted him as they crawled forward. They stood in front of the tower Frowner had led him to. Their dark red, scaled bodies were like that of lizards with bodies as flat house floors and as wide across as a grown man in perfectly square shapes.


    Their heads were perfectly round save a snout as cylindrical as an empty roll of toilet paper from which forked tongues slithered out. Teeth could be seen moving within those snouts as they had retractable jaws as big as an alligator that could fit through. Their six legs and circular heads that grew from the sides of their flat square made them look less like animals and more like decoration. Their wings sprouting from their backs made from what looked to be brown leather flapped expectantly.


    ¡°Ride us, master,¡± Eb, the one to the left said. ¡°We are at your service.¡±


    The two creatures folded their wings into an odd shape. The appendages became liquid flesh for a moment, like how the tower was constructed, before forming a chair he could sit in. With their wings hinged together in an odd fashion, the sides of their flat bodies glued together. Now they had hooked themselves to each other.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Flow, the other said. ¡°We are your dominion as you have created us for such a role. Honor us by allowing the two of us to carry you to your rightful throne.¡±


    Nathan remembered that he had created them specifically to give him an airborne throne. He did not want to have to dirty himself with climbing or walking when his servants could do that for him. Nathan pictured in his mind the most royal and self-aggrandizing way to do so. Flying on the backs of subordinates was the ultimate way to assert dominance over his realm.


    Of course, they inherited my will to prop up myself. He thought. Just as I inherited the will of the one who¨CNO!


    He grit his teeth in defiance at the thought.


    I rose myself from my own grave! Nathan shouted. And no one else did so! My own willpower did it! That¡¯s how great I am!


    He then walked over and plopped himself in the chair the two creatures had fashioned for him. Their two free wings flapped with intense speed before ascending upward. Nathan gritted his teeth, glared on up and forced himself to smile.


    I am the king of this world and all other worlds! He thought. My will is my own! I am my own creature and no other influence governs me!


    With the surge of wind the flying creatures beneath him were kicking up, it almost felt like a hurricane beneath Nathan. He looked up to see that as he ascended he could see the top of the tower was obscured by something. When he looked up at it from the ground, Nathan could only see the dark filled sky.


    Now that he climbed in altitude, there was something different surrounding the zenith of the tower¡¯s height. A sea of dark red clouds swirled around the top of the tower. Many of his creatures that were scaling the large tower by quickly climbing up it disappeared into the dark red mist.


    The crimson hue looked blood red and somehow familiar to Nathan as it grew closer and closer. Finally, the winged creatures flew into the dark red mist with all of Nathan¡¯s sight being obscured in crimson. He whirled in every direction before they ascended out of the dark red clouds. Then Nathan was reminded of death once he saw the beach of flesh.


    The tower¡¯s head protruded out of the sea of blood in the middle of its flowing current. There was no more red mist, as it had been replaced with crimson liquid. Nathan figured the bloody mist must be beneath the sea of blood.


    He not only figured that but imagined that any pilot that flew over this area had never seen this. It was not just a certain altitude one had to reach to see the realm of death, but a certain material that must be used to construct it. How fortunate he was to see what no other living man probably did. As he sat on his throne of flesh, he watched as the tides pushed blood on the beach of human flesh. The skeletal remains of humans littered it, just as he remembered, as were the figures of miserable humans swimming in their misery.


    But there was another structure as well. One that Nathan had such a faint memory of he almost forgot it. The long, snow white road in the middle of the river that the dreadfully oppressed humans climbed onto. They walked down the white trail, some falling back into the blood sea to be washed up as skeletons, while others made it to the end of that path. The more they walked down the white path, the more their bodies shone like stars.


    That path was to the stars themselves. The straight, narrow white line that was perfectly unstained by the tides of blood reached to the end of the horizon. And there something impossible happened.


    The horizon met with that straight, white path. As in, the thin white line intersected perfectly with the thin of the black, starry sky. And those walking along it were climbing into the blackness of the sky.


    Nathan was confused at first, thinking it was an illusion. The horizon as humans saw it was just a trick of the eyes. Under human perception, the hillside of the ground would meet the sky above to create a falsity they met. An optical illusion like that could not even fool a child, as evidenced by the fact that no matter how hard one chased after the horizon, they could never reach it. It was as impossible to grasp as catching light in one¡¯s hand.


    But it was happening nonetheless. The humans that had crawled from the sea of blood were now managing to transplant themselves into the night sky. Once they reached a certain point in the horizon, the sky seemed to be like nothing more than a black canvas dotted with shining yellow and white stars. They would dive into it as though jumping into tar.


    However, rather than becoming trapped and in misery, their bodies would light up with a vibrant yellowish-white glow. The illumination cast from their forms would magnify by ten times until they were like miniature stars. Nathan was impressed as it was obvious the light that emanated from them was the joy radiating from their spirits. Walking the white path had not only allowed many to escape the misery of the blood sea but also gave them an intense jubilation that manifested in the form of physical light.


    And above him was the full moon itself. Its brilliant, silver light bathed the entirety of this place in a wonderful luminescence. And for some reason he could feel the moon look down on them and judging them as dangerous.


    This place¡­He thought. It is the realm of the dead. It is death itself! I was on my way to defeating death by creating a structure so tall it would ascend the mortal plane. But¡­but someone has beaten me to it!


    He glared at the white road below him. The winged creatures he soared on flew him to the circular top of the tower. Many of Nathan¡¯s creations were still adding onto the roof of the tower, undeterred as they continued to mold human flesh into solid shape. His winged servants landed him onto a half-finished, flat surface that looked like a crescent moon upheld by nearly completed stairs and poles. Nathan looked down at the creatures directly underneath him working to once again take pride in his new species.


    How great you all are. He thought. Superior to humans as evidenced by your ability to not only butcher them like cattle but used their very beings to form something unprecedented.


    He then turned to look up at the stars in the sky and glared.


    As reflections of me, you are greater than them. Nathan thought. So much greater. I have ascended the mortal plane with my own two hands¡­


    He then looked down to the figures squirming inside the sea of blood.


    And you are all superior to them as well. He thought. Who can compete with my brilliance? Not any of you, for certain.


    He then turned back to the stars.


    What must I do now? Nathan thought. What must I do to assert my dominion over this creation? I have ascended such heights¡­should I¡­should I continue building¡­or is there any place left to continue adding onto?


    ¡°You must fight the stars themselves,¡± a voice said.


    Nathan looked down to find a black serpent staring up at him. It¡¯s head stared up at him, the eyes a strangely beautiful yellow. It was so long that its entire body wrapped around the entire circumference of the tower. Nathan could not even see all of its body since it was so long, some was hidden amongst the sea of blood red below.


    ¡°To claim your victory,¡± he said. ¡°And establish yourself as the true king of all creation¡­you must defeat the stars that guard the heavens.¡±


    Nathan leered at him quaintly before looking up at the stars. He saw within them human figures that emanated with a huge brightness no other light source could. Nathan was not even sure of the sentience of the stars, unsure if they could decide anything, whether they could fight or surrender.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You want to be king of the heavens, do you not?¡± the snake asked. ¡°Go¡­challenge those stars. Claim your prize.¡±


    He then looked down at his soldiers building through the half-finished tower.


    ¡°And what of my tower?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°If my soldiers die fighting, they cannot build my tower. Should I call them off adding more layers to the tower?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the serpent said. ¡°If you do¡­you shall not ascend to the highest level of the heavens!¡±


    ¡°And where would that be?¡± Nathan asked.


    ¡°The place where the grand star resides!¡± the serpent said. ¡°That is where the one who resides who separated the heavens from the earth!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Most certainly!¡± the serpent answered. ¡°He saw humans had grown too powerful and they challenged his rule as a result! Now you must do as your ancestors did and challenge him in order to regain what humanity has lost!¡±


    ¡°What humanity has lost?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°But I am not fighting for humanity. I am fighting for myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes and you will never ascend to the heights of heaven unless you first challenge the grand star,¡± the serpent said. ¡°Do your best and conquer him. Then¡­then you shall know true satisfaction. But first¡­you must defeat the stars he has placed in the sky. They are his guardians and will challenge you if you make your tower any taller.¡±


    The serpent then slithered back into the blood sea, slithering in reverse down the circumference of the tower. After disappearing into the dark red liquid, Nathan forgot who he was talking to. He had the memory of talking to someone but he did not know who it was. The most he remembered was that he now just had to challenge the stars above him.


    Yes. Nathan thought. They will interfere in my plans to conquer all of existence. The stars¡­


    He looked closely at them, seeing a certain odd movement waver in their emanation of light.


    I can see they grow restless. Nathan thought. As if they are readied to descend.


    He looked up at them, feeling the defiance grow in him as he stared up.


    They grow anxious at my presence. Nathan thought. I cannot hold back any longer.


    He then looked down at the creatures he had spawned and loosened his mouth to shout.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Nathan screamed. ¡°I need half of you up here!¡±


    He let his voice carry downward and travel through the tower, the reverberations of his mighty voice causing the structure to shake.


    ¡°Any of you not immediately working get up here and fight these stars!¡± Nathan said. ¡°They are an impediment to my work! Fly or scale the building in hordes and attack with all your might! Attack! But for those of you who remain below, whatever you do, do not stop working!¡±


    Silence fell before a huge uproar took place. The crawling creatures scurried up the side of the tower in hordes while so many countless winged creatures soared to the starry sky. At first, Nathan was confused as to how they would fight inanimate objects until the stars themselves descended from their place in the heavens.


    It was like watching animals trapped in black tar unglue themselves from the pitch black and jump out from it. When they unhinged from the sky of dark liquid, Nathan could see them more clearly. The shining light brimming from them so completely covered their forms their bodies were mere outlines in the sheer white flame of their emanation.


    The first clash happened in midair between Nathan¡¯s winged creatures using their claws, talons or strong arms to strike back. They drew what appeared to be blood, golden fluid flowing from their gashes and other wounds. However, when the star guardians struck them back, the brilliant light around them burned the creatures. They shrieked in pain before falling downward while the star guardians levitated in midair, panting from the wounds given to them by Nathan¡¯s creations.


    The crawling creatures formed the second wave. Those they chose to be Nathan¡¯s soldiers turned some of their limbs into liquid and stretched it into the air above. The liquid then hardened into ladders for their comrades to climb up. The crawling creatures with more than four limbs wrapped their arms, legs, tentacles and other appendages around the star guardians to break or suffocate them. Many of Nathan¡¯s soldiers were burned to cinders from retaliation but many of the star guardians plunged onto the beach of flesh below when their wounds became too much. He smiled at the sight.


    I am winning. He thought.


    A manic grin spread across his face before one of his creations climbed up to the unfinished roof. He was Tugger, a blue humanoid creature with three arms springing from both shoulders. He had no eyes in his head but had three eyes on each limb and one on his chest. Two wide jaws like that of an alligator grew from the sides of his head. Tugger was carrying a mushy mass of human flesh and saliva he had spit up.


    ¡°My master,¡± Tugger said. ¡°I am glad to inform you we will continue adding layers to this roof. So you may want to find another place to reside.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nathan said with a manic joy. ¡°I must. How goes the progress to the tower?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Tugger said. ¡°Considering our workforce has been divided in half¡­it will take 2 hours to nearly double the length of the tower.¡±


    ¡°Only two hours?¡± Nathan said. ¡°Splendid. You have my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tugger said with a nod. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime¡­¡± Nathan said.


    He turned and stared up at the star guardians descending to fight his army.


    ¡°I shall protect my tower,¡± he said. ¡°Eb, Flow, ascend!¡±


    ¡°Yes master!¡± Flow said.


    ¡°Fight proud, master!¡± Eb shouted.


    They pumped their wings and flew into the sky with a force that could kick up tornadoes. Nathan set his sights on a star guardian that descended directly down to the tower, his fist clenched tight as he prepared to strike. Nathan braced himself as he jumped forward to claw at him.

 Paintings of the Afterlife

    Chapter 7


    ¡°What do you mean it was an exchange?¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°My death¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°And resurrection¡­it was an agreement between the black serpent and the grand star. I would die so that the black serpent could be rid of the grand star¡¯s favored mortal¡­and the grand star would have a human that would be sent to the realm of death and create the narrow, white way that would result in the salvation of many souls. They¡­they agreed on a trade that would¡­would result in the end of their long war that has raged for days beyond mortal comprehension.¡±


    Yui was no longer painting, her brush cleaned of any excess pigment in a jar half filled with water and lying on the tray of her easel. She seemed to be tired, holding her forehead with her palm and sighing. Calvin was not only positive that painting had taken a lot out of her but memories were flooding into her. Her last portrait seemed to conjure and solidify memories that had been chaotically swimming in Yui¡¯s mind.


    ¡°There was a contest that had occurred between the serpent and the grand star for¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°For¡­for a long time. After mankind¡¯s creation¡­the serpent convinced mankind to fight for him and replace the grand star¡­¡±


    ¡°A contest¡­?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Between two ancient beings?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s all coming back to me¡­I remember it now¡­what I learned on the other side of life. The grand star and his enemy¡­and his enemy¡­agreed¡­agreed on a trade. He traded my life for another¡­so that I could die¡­and create the narrow, white path that would save people from eternal suffering.¡±


    ¡°But why you?!¡± Calvin demanded as tears stung his eyes. ¡°Why you?! Why couldn¡¯t it be someone else?! Of all the people in the world¡­you''re the one least deserving of death!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°I am¡­and apparently¡­the grand star was seeking that. One person in the entire world who had never committed a single wrong action¡­¡±


    Yui looked up at him to be frightened by the tears in his eyes. Calvin looked as though he was on the verge of breaking down again. He didn¡¯t want to look weak to her but he had no self-control. The months Calvin had spent away from her were the most agonizing of his entire life. Calvin would rather suffer the pain of having his limbs torn off than being away from Yui again. She looked nervous, obviously choosing her words very carefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Yui said. ¡°I had no choice¡­I mean¡­the grand star had no choice but to allow the serpent to manipulate someone to kill me. I-I-I-I¡­I had to go so¡­so¡­so others wouldn¡¯t suffer! I-¡±


    He quickly rushed forward and tightened his fingers beneath her shoulders. Yui struggled against him but couldn¡¯t free herself. She began crying again but Calvin shook his head.


    ¡°Who cares about them?!¡± Calvin said. ¡°You¡¯re better than them anyway!¡±


    ¡°I care!¡± Yui said, tears stinging her eyes. ¡°I care about their lives! This world has so little compassion, so little mercy¡­we all just step on each other in order to advance, not caring who is crushed to get what we want¡­¡±


    ¡°You owe them nothing!¡± Calvin shouted.


    She glared at him as she burst into full blow sobbing.


    ¡°Calvin!¡± Yui said. ¡°You¡¯re acting selfish! You¡¯re thinking only of your own happiness and no one else¡¯s! For that reason¡­for that reason you never had many friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Calvin said, trying to calm down. ¡°I was thinking about you! I don¡¯t want you to have to suffer.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yui said. ¡°You may have been thinking of me but you only wanted me to be with you.¡±


    He stopped acting so emphatic and calmed down, her logic sound and reason piercing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care about me,¡± she said. ¡°You just wanted to control me¡­to cage me so I would make you happy forever. You just used me as a means to happiness. That¡¯s not treating me like a human being.¡±


    His arms began to shake with apprehension and fear, her words so true it¡¯s like she could see into his very heart.


    What she just said is the very reason I killed Nathan. Calvin thought. Because I wanted her for myself. I could have killed literally anyone but I chose him so that she could no longer be his. I wanted Yui to be mine.


    ¡°But how can I not?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Yui you said it yourself. You¡¯re perfect.¡±


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± Yui said while glancing away.


    This was typical of girls who were demure compared to their peers. They were known as women who were more mature and well-behaved hated it being brought up. It carried the risk of having a double edged sword effect to their reputation.


    If they were promiscuous, dressed risque and were materialistic their name would be disgraced by their parents and gossip would spread about them. If they were chaste, kind, and were modest to the point it was noticeable they would gain the reputation of being stuck up and prudish. Yui being the former meant she was embarrassed when someone complimented her on her charitable and humble nature. The other girls would giggle at Yui when it was suggested.


    ¡°No I mean it!¡± Calvin said. ¡°You¡¯re the most compassionate person I''ve ever met! You care about more than anyone else! You¡¯re the kind of person who would dedicate their lives to the service of others! You have the spirit of a humanitarian and the soul of a lamb! Think about all the evil that those people swimming within that cesspool of blood committed! What are they compared to you?! Vermin! Scum! Trash!¡±


    ¡°Calvin¡­!¡± Yui said as she shook her head in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± he shouted as he tightened his grip around her arms. ¡°You can deny who you are, who you truly are, but the fact is that this all proves you''re better than those people you intended to save. If the grand star or whoever loved you so much that he chose you to suffer for those people¡­then you shouldn¡¯t contaminate yourself with them.¡±


    Yui looked broken at his words, angry he would ever say such a thing.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°You have it completely backwards, Calvin.¡±


    She grabbed his arms with her long fingers to wrench herself free of his grip on her shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s why you''re this dark and withdrawn person,¡± she said. ¡°You believe that good people keep it to themselves¡­and use their morality as a bludgeoning stick to show how much better they are than others. Like it¡¯s a race to see who¡¯s better.¡±


    His grasp on her became weaker and weaker with each word she spoke, each word hitting closer and closer to home.


    ¡°Good people¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°Don¡¯t think in terms of how much they can hold onto. They don¡¯t think about how little they must offer and give to others¡­¡±


    Yui now tightened her grip on Calvin, his wrists in a vice of strength he never thought she could muster. He was surprised the girl could maintain such intensity. Yui then death glared Calvin in the face as she gritted her teeth in determination.


    ¡°They. Give. Everything,¡± she said. ¡°All they have.¡±


    Calvin became scared of Yui in that moment, more than anything in his entire life. He was no longer afraid of death as Yui wasn¡¯t threatening his survival. Yui was hurting something more important, something deeper, than his life. Calvin could feel the girl¡¯s near murderous anger challenging him in a way no one else had. It was the kind of threat that was more dangerous than any mortal fear. It would haunt him past the grave.


    She¡¯s saying I¡¯m worthless. Calvin realized. That I¡¯m evil. That I¡¯m zero. And even if I died¡­I¡¯d still be worth nothing. And I could never escape that truth that I¡¯m trash. Because I believe what I just said. And she believes something so much greater.


    ¡°The maximum value that I have to others is the minimum I must do,¡± Yui seethed as her grip on his arms threatened to cut off circulation. ¡°I shall never give any less than my very best at serving others. And if that means unimaginable suffering¡­I accept it.¡±


    Calvin was too afraid to speak any further, so fearful his words would incite her to cut deeper.


    ¡°And those who see goodness as a means to an end to keep themselves safe,¡± Yui said. ¡°To lord it over people as a way of proclaiming they¡¯re better than others¡­they know less than insects. And are dumber than cattle. Because they have no clarity of vision. Purity of character is not meant as an excuse to beat others into submission¡­it¡¯s a willingness to sacrifice everything for a total stranger¡­even if the martyr is better than those he saves.¡±


    He froze in place, his arms going white from her grip on him and sweating from stress.


    ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t believe good people should feast off their own morality and declare themselves kings above other men,¡± Yui said. ¡°Means you don¡¯t understand anything about what it means to be a good person. And I doubt you ever will.¡±


    She let go of him, continuing to stare at him with a stern glare. Calvin was beyond tears as he stared down at the floor. He was thoroughly disappointed in himself and was reeling from the verbal beatdown she had given him. Calvin felt it was pointless if Yui found out if he sacrificed Nathan or not as she basically said every horrible thing he guessed about himself.


    I¡¯m awful. Calvin thought. And revolting.


    ¡°And the serpent knows this about you,¡± Yui said. ¡°It knows every horrible thing about everybody. Apparently the serpent used to be a star¡­but ever since he rebelled against the grand star¡­he was thrown down to the Earth¡­in the form of a serpent and stripped of all his heavenly power.


    ¡°I saw it!¡± Calvin said. ¡°I saw him!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°The serpent¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°He¡­he appeared to me! And¡­and he tried to¡­¡±


    ¡°To manipulate you?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Calvin said. ¡°He tried to¡­to¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to tell Yui at the risk of her thinking he was just trying to use her.


    ¡°To hurt someone,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Something you knew was wrong?¡± Yui asked. ¡°That¡¯s the snake¡¯s power. He was stripped nearly of any and all physical abilities and only had the power to whisper things into the mind¡¯s of vulnerable humans. In the form of a snake he can¡¯t physically harm anyone or lift so much as a cotton swab.¡±


    She looked back at her paintings, narrowing her eyes almost to glare in curiosity.


    ¡°He remains here¡­¡± Yui continued. ¡°A spiritual, immortal being¡­trapped in the material plane. The heavens were not only further separated so that man was trapped below¡­but so that he was as well¡­the river of blood an impediment he could not cross¡­.or ascend past.¡±


    ¡°So the realm of the dead was made as a way not only to prevent humans from challenging the heavens¡­?¡± Calvin said. ¡°But this snake as well. But if he was¡­I don¡¯t know¡­if he¡¯s this powerful immortal being¡­why doesn¡¯t he just¡­do it all himself?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± Yui said. ¡°He has no physical power.¡±


    ¡°Then what can he do?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Something about him¡­his main power relies on the things he plants within someone¡­normally encouraging their dark desires,¡± she explained. ¡°And the worst part is¡­usually they don¡¯t even remember that it was him who planted the desire in them unless they resist whatever prodding he gives them. He¡¯s doing something right now, I don¡¯t know what¡­but something that will allow him to move past the border of death and enter the heavens again. And¡­if I¡¯m correct¡­it has something to do with my resurrection.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s eyes widened in realization. He unsheathed the blade to look at it more closely. If he thought hard enough, he could remember a foreign voice invading his ears the day he found the knife. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°The weapon sharp enough to cut through the boundary between life and death,¡± the smooth, crisp voice had said.


    At first, Calvin had thought it was his own imagination but that now it made more sense it had been the serpent. His eyes followed the serpentine emblem on its handle, the gold twinkling in his eyes. It all made sense


    ¡°The serpent¡­¡± he said. ¡°It told me to use the knife.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Um¡­!¡± Calvin shouted.


    He had never planned to tell Yui how she was brought back from the dead. And especially not tell her it was him who killed Nathan. Calvin had hoped that Yui would view her own resurrection as a force of nature that was impossible to explain or control. Calvin didn¡¯t want to explain he sacrificed his brother for it.


    ¡°That,¡± Yui said. ¡°The knife of choice!¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°When I was in the realm of the dead¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°The grand star explained that relic was the relic that humanity used to become evil!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°The knife?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yui said. ¡°That was how I was brought back from the dead! The knife of choice is what humanity used long ago to survive! It was a relic given to them by the grand star that gave them all the food and water they could ever want! The knife of choice allows one to create and preserve life and it was given to humanity to allow them to flourish! The power to create life flowed from the knife¡¯s very essence!¡±


    ¡°Sounds neat,¡± Calvin said. ¡°So¡­did it provide enough food to prevent world hunger or something?¡±


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Yui said. ¡°However¡­the knife was used by the black serpent. He taught humans to sacrifice other living beings to gain untold, unnatural powers. That¡¯s why the grand star threw him from heaven. See the serpent insignia on the handle? That¡¯s how you know it was corrupted by the black serpent¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°Then how did I wind up with it?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°It was stolen by the black serpent,¡± Yui said.


    ¡°Stolen¡­?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Before he was thrown to the earth and cast from the heavens¡­¡± Yui said, clearly trying to remember as she glanced away. ¡°He took the knife of choice with him. Thus taking the humans¡¯ ability to make new life away as well as it embodies the principle of sacrificing life for power. Which is why the grand star and the serpent made their pact.¡±


    ¡°The grand star?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Who¡­who exactly is he?¡±


    ¡°The largest star there is,¡± Yui said. ¡°The one who created all other stars. The source of all life in the universe.¡±


    She then turned back to the knife and glared at it.


    ¡°The grand star wanted to have the knife back so he made a deal with the black serpent,¡± Yui explained. ¡°The serpent would give it to a mortal the grand star would eventually choose and in exchange¡­the grand star would withdraw his protection from me¡­his most favored human.¡±


    ¡°Withdraw his protection?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Those stars you see in the night sky are not mere balls of light and heat,¡± Yui said. ¡°Apparently¡­they are the guardians of the heavens the grand star placed to watch over humanity. They routinely intervene in human affairs and protect whoever the grand star orders them to. And¡­I think¡­¡±


    She looked out at the window.


    ¡°I think the stars are protecting us right now,¡± Yui said.


    She pointed to the window and Calvin walked over to find that outside, the fence was glowing ever so slightly. It was almost like someone painted the wood a nice yellow color. It confused the young man.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a barrier around this house for now¡­¡± she said. ¡°Notice how your parents haven¡¯t come home yet¡­it may be that the stars are¡­preventing anyone from entering.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Calvin said. ¡°I-I wonder why¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­and they were ordered not intervene in my death,¡± Yui said as if she just remembered. ¡°So the grand star agreed he would not prevent my death so¡­so that the grand star could regain that knife.¡±


    ¡°The knife¡­¡± Calvin said as he looked down at it. ¡°It appeared to me one day and¡­and I used it to-¡±


    ¡°Bring me back,¡± Yui said. ¡°Of course. Do you have any intention of keeping it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Calvin said, holding it out as if allowing her to take it back. ¡°I don¡¯t care as long you¡¯re alive! Do what you want with it!¡±


    ¡°Then the grand star¡¯s plan worked,¡± Yui said. ¡°The knife of choice is no longer in the hands of the black serpent. And many have now been saved from eternal suffering. And I¡¯m alive¡­so it seems like the grand star won in every aspect. So the grand star¡¯s plan worked¡­¡±


    Calvin gave an uneasy smile, hoping that Yui would not put two and two together. He hoped that she would not surmise that he had to take the life of someone to resurrect her. He hoped that more than anything that Yui didn¡¯t know about the knife¡¯s requirement to close the door. However, Calvin¡¯s heart sank as she glanced back towards him.


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± she said. ¡°Who did you sacrifice to bring me back?¡±


    ¡°No one!¡± he lied, his cheeks heating with guilt. He looked incredibly flushed from the simple question, feeling as though a knot was tying in his throat. ¡°Not¡­not a single person died! I just-!¡±


    ¡°The knife¡¯s power embodies the principle of destruction in exchange for life,¡± Yui said. ¡°To bring back to life someone dead¡­someone must have died in my place. So¡­who was it?¡±


    He shook his head, more willing to let his arm be ripped off than explain it to Yui. Her eyes were so genuine, brimming with something akin to judgment but not nearly that oppressive. She did not want to punish Calvin or scold him¡­she just wanted to know who died in her place.


    ¡°I-I-¡± Calvin stuttered. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Someone had to die by the knife¡¯s blade,¡± Yui said. ¡°I know it. So who did?¡±


    ¡°It-¡± he said. ¡°It was Nathan.¡±


    ¡°Nathan?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Your¡­your brother?¡±


    ¡°You remember?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I remember quite a bit¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°From both my time in the realm of the dead and my former life on Earth. And¡­Nathan¡­¡±


    Oh no! He yelled to himself.


    ¡°Was my boyfriend¡­¡± she said. ¡°We knew each other but¡­we were not as close of friends as you and I were¡­¡±


    Calvin winced, feeling a strong pain burn his chest. It was as though a wasp had crawled inside him and was stinging his heart. He could barely breathe from what Yui said. Calvin shook his head as the rest of his body quivered in fear.


    ¡°Strange that I chose him,¡± Yui said. ¡°You loved me more, I believe¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Calvin said. ¡°Exactly! I¡­I love you more! Now, now, now¨CI¡¯m sorry but¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you kill your own brother?¡± Yui asked. ¡°The knife would have allowed for literally any sacrifice¡­but Nathan? Why did you hate him?¡±


    ¡°I-I-¡± Calvin stuttered.


    ¡°Was it¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Because you were jealous of him¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yui!¡± Calvin said. ¡°I was just so overcome with grief¡­! I don¡¯t know what I was thinking! Your murder was the single worst even in my entire life and¡­and whether you were dating him or not I couldn¡¯t live in a world where you were dead! I just couldn¡¯t! You being alive was my only consolation to this awful, awful world!¡±


    ¡°So Nathan¡­?¡± Yui said as she nodded her head. ¡°Was the sacrifice¡­? Calvin¡­I don¡¯t know how to explain this to you but¡­but I think the black serpent still had a plan to counter the grand star¡­and I think it involves your brother. You may have given into his very scheme to return to the heavens by¡­by killing your brother.¡±


    ¡°Yui¡­,¡± he said, trying not to cry. ¡°Pl-Please¡­I realize¡­I realize what I did was wrong-¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming to me¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°Almost¡­almost¡­flashing through my mind. Calvin¡­I think I¡­I think I can see your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calvin shouted. ¡°But he¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Yui held her head, as though it was hurting while she tried to remember something. She groaned in pain as she walked to the other side of the bedroom. Yui then stared up at the sky through it. She glanced at it curiously enough that Calvin walked over and viewed the night sky to view what she saw. Oddly enough, he could almost tell what made her so curious.


    The stars in the sky were twinkling like a diamond, shining brightly like Christmas lights and then fading. It was as though they were anxious about something. Many of the stars that glowed intensely for a moment suddenly vanished from sight.


    The moon itself looked as though an odd shadow was being cast against. An odd shape, almost like a rope, snaked across the surface of its pale, shining surface. Calvin staggered backward when the thin, slithering shadow had an arrow-shaped head.


    ¡°I-I-¡± Yui said. ¡°I think you killing Nathan had unintended consequences¡­consequences the black serpent was relying upon.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calvin shouted. ¡°You-You think he wanted me to kill Nathan?!¡±


    ¡°He had a plan within the agreement with the grand star,¡± Yui said. ¡°Just as the grand star planned for me to do something once I died¡­the black serpent planned for Nathan to do something once he died as well.¡±


    That only built another layer of guilt onto him. Calvin froze, afraid of saying anything further. Yui, looking almost like she was in a daze, returned to her easel. She then took her brush from the can of water, dried it with a small towel that came with her art supplies and began painting again. Calvin noticed she was using quite a bit more brown than she had before. As Calvin realized that Yui finally understood that he killed someone to resurrect her, sought to apologize.


    ¡°Yui¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry for kill¨Csacrificing Nathan!¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Yui asked as she painted.


    He was surprised that Yui even asked him that question.


    ¡°Y-You know-!¡± Calvin said, not wishing to repeat it. ¡°For¡­for that bad thing I did to-to¡­to bring you back!¡±


    ¡°Yes but which are you sorry for?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Killing Nathan? For withholding information from me? For being manipulated by the black snake? For being jealous that I chose Nathan as a romantic partner? For getting caught?¡±


    It was the last one.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°I just wanted you back so bad¡­I would have done anything to have you back and¡­and¡­¡±


    He could almost feel Yui¡¯s disappointment grow with each word. She silently painted away while he stood behind her, trying to think of some excuse, desperate to get her judgment off his back. He then thought of some strategy to try and not make her hate him so bad.


    Just voice whatever misgivings she has about what you did. Calvin thought. Try and say whatever she wants you to. Apologize in the way Yui would want you to.


    ¡°Yui¡­¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­I know I shouldn¡¯t have let the grief of your death consume me so bad. Death¡­death is natural. It¡¯s experienced by everybody¡­so¡­so I should have recognized that and¡­and moved on from my grief so¡­so as to never kill anyone out of that sorrow.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Death isn¡¯t natural.¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Death is not a natural stage for a living being,¡± she said. ¡°In the same way it is unnatural to have black, withered legs, so is death for anyone.¡±


    ¡°B-But-!¡± Calvin said. ¡°Death¡­everyone dies! Eventually! It happens all over the world! It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s natural! It-it¡¯s normal!¡±


    ¡°Then why does it feel so bad?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Why does it feel like a perversion of life rather than a natural conclusion? Why do we hate it then? Why do we prevent it from happening at all costs?¡±


    ¡°Be-¡± Calvin said. ¡°Because we¡­we don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°But why not?¡± Yui asked as she continued painting. ¡°Tell me, Calvin, when I was dead¡­did it feel natural? Did it feel like the end of the day, just a normal conclusion? Something that begins and ends with regularity?¡±


    Calvin was trying to analyze Yui¡¯s words underneath the lens of his emotions. It didn¡¯t take more than a casual glance to know that she was essentially right. Nothing about Yui¡¯s death felt natural.


    It didn¡¯t just feel sad. It felt like an explosion on a peaceful, summer day. A burst of chaotic, destructive energy that ravaged everything he knew. Calvin couldn¡¯t sleep at night because something felt so wrong with her death. Like a wound that couldn¡¯t properly heal. Nothing about it felt like a natural end to all things. It felt like a perversion of nature if anything.


    ¡°It¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel natural. It felt like a perversion of nature.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yui said as she painted. ¡°Humans despise, try to prevent and grieve over death because of its very perversion of life. We all have this secret knowing that life is not supposed to end. We don¡¯t admit it and say that since everyone dies it¡¯s normal, when in our heart of hearts we know it¡¯s not. A perversion indeed.¡±


    ¡°But how can a perversion be normal?¡± Calvin said. ¡°By its very nature a perversion defies regularity. It¡¯s an anomaly.¡±


    ¡°And when an anomaly becomes the norm it is the ultimate perversion,¡± Yui said as she was more than half-finished painting already. ¡°One that we grow accustomed to and become numb to the reality of. If everyone¡¯s limbs are decayed and dead we forget what healthy bodies usually look like and accept that deterioration is natural, even if it¡¯s not. That is the reason you resurrected me. Because you realized more than anyone else that death is unnatural. It just took you the only person you cared about to realize that.¡±


    Calvin shook his head, not wanting to agree with Yui but finding her logic incredibly sound. He didn¡¯t want to give into Yui¡¯s rationale for a reason he couldn¡¯t describe. It would be like admitting defeat, admitting he was wrong.


    But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it would be admitting the world was wrong. That all human existence was built on a grand lie. What they thought to be the normal cycle of the human organism was a house of cards unsteadily maintained by its faulty foundation.

 Chapter 8–The Fear of Immortality Is The Fox and The Sour Grapes

    Chapter 8


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that human beings regard it as the ultimate desire and greatest humiliation to the extent that every government and institution¡¯s job is to prevent that very thing¡­?¡± Yui explained. ¡°That it is indeed both unnatural and perverse?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± he tried to think of a response. But there are plenty of stories of people who live forever. In mythology and modern tales. And they often end with the immortal wishing they would die. Humanity has imagined what everlasting life is like and it¡¯s often been a curse. So wouldn¡¯t that be evidence against what you said?¡±


    She then stopped painting and turned to him, setting her paintbrush down.


    ¡°Interesting conclusion,¡± Yui said. ¡°Then let me ask you if you¡¯re familiar with a tale. Do you know of the story of the fox and the sour grapes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Recite it for me,¡± she said.


    He rolled his eyes before thinking of it.


    ¡°There was once a fox that noticed some grapes hanging from a vine,¡± Calvin thought. ¡°They looked delicious and he wanted to eat them more than anything. However, after trying to jump to reach them so many times he eventually gave up. And after giving up, the fox decided they were probably sour anyway. So it was pointless to reach them.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yui said. ¡°The fox saw an ultimate treasure he wished for more than anything. But upon not being able to attain such a boon, the fox decided it was pointless to reach them because they wouldn¡¯t be satisfactory to his tastes. Even though he never ate them to truly decide. In other words, his reasoning didn¡¯t come from any evidence of experiencing his hard-gained treasure but a mentality to ease his discomfort. He was trying to make himself feel better that he didn¡¯t get what he wanted.¡±


    ¡°And you feel this way¡­?¡± Calvin asked quizzically. ¡°About mankind¡¯s attempts to achieve immortality?¡±


    ¡°Moreso their view of it,¡± Yui said. ¡°Perverse or not, all humans know they will die someday. So they think to themselves that to not die is a harrowing fate. People attempted to rationalize and make up the downsides of living forever, a fate they had never been blessed with. Just as that fox had never eaten grapes before and tried to soothe his hurt pride, so mankind has written tales about the horrors of immorality.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°I-I-I never thought about it that way.¡±


    ¡°The grief you experienced was from a vague memory humanity has had long before they held the knowledge to build structures taller than mountains,¡± Yui said. ¡°There is a memory they are all linked to of a time before¡­and it arises whenever a loved one dies, awakening like a lost dream or forgotten wound. Because they all know it would have never happened before the black serpent helped bring about humanity¡¯s ruination. You felt you just had to bring me back alive because it¡¯s how human beings would normally exist.¡±


    ¡°So-?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°You don¡¯t blame me for killing Nathan¡­?¡±


    Yui sighed.


    ¡°I do but¡­¡± she paused. ¡°This is the way I see it. Say someone stole something from you. Your most valuable possession. You tracked them down to gain it back but¡­but in doing so¡­you had to defy laws of invasion of privacy, breaking and entering and even murdering to get it back. The possession was yours, no doubt, but you committed many wrongs because of an original wrong done to you.¡±


    She looked up at him, holding his smooth cheek with her even smoother hand.


    ¡°Death stole me away from you,¡± Yui said as she caressed his face. ¡°And you did everything in your power to gain back your most prized possession, your most treasured jewel. Even if you had to steal away the life of another.¡±


    Tears flowed from Yui¡¯s eyes, watering her beautiful dark irises.


    ¡°And for that¡­¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m beyond grateful. Not that you killed to bring me back¡­but to know someone loves me just that much. Calvin¡­you love me more than anyone ever has. And as someone who had parents who made me feel like I had to earn their love with good grades and responsible behavior¡­I¡¯ll never forget that.¡±


    A faint smile crossed her face.


    ¡°Death¡­¡± she said. ¡°Is the very barrier that prevents love like that from uniting the two. And it is reviled for that reason.¡±


    ¡°But-!¡± Calvin said. ¡°But death is still a thing! It still exists! Within everybody! Everything has to die some day! Perversion or not¡­we must exist and move on from reality, no matter how harsh it may be. It may not have once been normal¡­but it certainly is now.¡±


    ¡°So I suppose you¡¯re okay with crime since law breaking happens everywhere?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Horrible things happen to everybody,¡± Yui said. ¡°Everyone has committed heinous evil such as lying, hatred, or theft. All over the world things as disgusting as political corruption, conspiracies to kill innocent people and even pedophilia. In the latter¡¯s case, much of the world runs off human trafficking of the sexual exploitation of children. Does that all seem natural?¡±


    ¡°Um-¡± Calvin said. ¡°M-Maybe¡­maybe not good but it¡¯s definitely existed forever.¡±


    ¡°But if it has always existed then why do all the world¡¯s evils feel so wrong?¡± Yui asked. ¡°They don¡¯t just feel bad, like the natural course of weather. Bribes feel like a perversion of justice. Even if it¡¯s how much of the government is usually run, we feel it shouldn¡¯t be that. As does the notion of innocent people dying in terrorist attacks. We¡¯re incensed with rage when that happens. When women are preyed on by men, we don¡¯t say it¡¯s natural for men to attack them. We condemn those things not because they are too our discomfort but because we feel the world should be different than to be supported by evil. Do you disagree?¡±


    Calvin looked away. Yui was challenging him in ways he never expected. He didn¡¯t wish to think this deeply. Calvin was more introspective than Nathan for sure but he had never felt his world flip upside down like this.


    Now that Yui was alive once again, his world was becoming more warped with every word. His world was not decaying like it was after she died but new dimensions of reality were appearing within him. He finally began to understand what Yui meant.


    She¡¯s not talking about how the world is. Calvin thought. She¡¯s talking about how the world was¡­and is supposed to be.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yui said.


    She turned back to her easel and began painting. Calvin was impressed with how fast she could paint masterpieces. There was no doubt her artistic skills had multiplied by at least ten times after her resurrection.


    It was not long before Yui was done with her newest one. She put her paintbrush back in the water and stood up. Calvin¡¯s eyes went wide with the horror she had captured.


    ¡°This is what the stars told me,¡± she said.


    The tower rising from the sea of blood was like nothing he¡¯d ever seen. It was a darker shade than the more pale color of the beach near it but it looked like human flesh nonetheless. And still it looked like blood had been mixed in with the material and something white, like bone, to create a swirl of color. The hue of the tower was like an ice cream flavor made of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla that had an odd effect on his eyes.


    It rose tall enough to reach the heavens. In the same way that Yui¡¯s path of white reached to the end of the horizon as though it were a physical barrier, the tower stretched to the top of the heavens. Calvin could tell because standing atop it and clawing the blackness of the sky was someone who resembled his brother.


    His body had morphed into that of a monster¡¯s. Three snakes grew from his back, one of which included a tail-like appendage that hissed at the viewer of the painting with malice, as though it could see Calvin. His hands and feet were equipped with claws that looked like a mix between a large cat and a wolf¡¯s.


    Calvin kept his square jaw but it was wider now and filled with rows of knife-like teeth. Onyx black hair streamed down the back of his head like a veil while two obsidian black horns sprouted from his scalp. His skin was similar to the brown of his tower, an oddly beautiful shade that reminded Calvin of imported wood.


    He watched the beast of his brother shred the humans bathed in the light of the stars with his animal-like fingers. His hands were coated with their golden blood and the painting portrayed them in mid-fall, either trying to fly back up to their place in the sky or land on the beach or river of blood. The star people that now floated on the surface of the river had their golden blood color the otherwise red liquid a strange yellow.


    But even worse was how many other creatures climbed the tower and fought the stars. Many were winged beasts that brawled with the star people in midair, while the grounded creatures had limbs malleable enough to turn into ladders their comrades could climb up. Monstrosities with too many eyes to count and more limbs than an earthly creature should have savagely attempted to rip their holy enemies apart. The wicked, beastly monsters piled around the tower dead as they bled human blood but many stayed on the tower itself.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Those not fighting were building the tower. Calvin could see the depictions of both winged and non-winged monsters ascending up the structure carrying piles of molten red and pale mush. Those that reached the tower were fashioning new layers to the tower from the malleable material, sticking it onto heights of the structure and molding it with their hands to create a solid structure.


    ¡°What-?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°What is going on?!¡±


    ¡°What the serpent wanted,¡± Yui said. ¡°This.¡±


    She put her finger just above the base of the tower where the red paint for the sea met with the mixture of other colors for the tower. She then ran her finger to the top of the tower where its utmost height very nearly met with the top of the black sky. It was where Nathan in his monstrous form fought against the descending star people.


    ¡°The tower is what the black serpent has wanted all along,¡± Yui said. ¡°This tower of¡­of flesh is perfect since it is both physically tall enough to reach into the heavens and made of the right material to cross over into the material plane.¡±


    ¡°So¡­?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°It¡¯s made of-?¡±


    ¡°Human flesh, yes,¡± Yui said. ¡°The tower is made of death itself, meaning that it is built upon the principle of life for death, sacrifice for advancement. Just as the knife of choice has the power of. By sacrificing so many lives, Nathan has ascended to a height he can literally place himself in the heavens. And that very tower is what the black serpent will use to climb back into the heavens, where he was cast down long ago.¡±


    ¡°But I thought the grand star won since you came back?!¡± Calvin said. ¡°Not only is the knife retrieved, you made a way for dead souls to avoid eternal suffering but you came back! So¡­so what did the black serpent do?! Did he bring Nathan back or does that thing just appear to be my brother?!¡±


    ¡°Apparently¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°From what the stars told me¡­they¡¯re now fighting these creatures that Nathan created. They¡¯re trying to replace the stars¡¯ place in the heavens and now¡­now¡­now this is entering the second phase of the black serpent¡¯s plan.¡±


    ¡°Second phase?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Did you really think that these two powers that had been warring for eons had no backup plan, do you?¡± Yui asked. ¡°The knife made sure a more complicated layer would arise. The first stage was their official agreement they made¡­my life for the knife. But they had plans beyond that that went beyond what they said¡­hidden stages¡­¡±


    ¡°And the second stage of the grand star¡¯s plan was to have you create the way to life for those that died,¡± Calvin said. ¡°While the second stage of the black serpent¡¯s plan¡­was¡­was for Nathan to become this huge monster and build this immense tower.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Yui said. ¡°And the third stage of the black serpent¡¯s plan is when the tower is finally tall to reach the heavens and supplant the stars in heaven with himself and the army Nathan amassed for him! Once it¡¯s reached the height of the moon or grand star the black serpent will slither up the tower and attempt to supplant himself as king!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Calvin said. ¡°I only resurrected you! Not Nathan! Why is he here?!¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s not how the knife works,¡± Yui said. ¡°It essentially¡­gives both back.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Calvin asked.


    She turned and looked back towards the window, the stars still twinkling very oddly.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s what the stars tell me,¡± Yui said. ¡°They tell me that¡­when one kills a person to bring another back from the dead¡­they don¡¯t resurrect just one. They bring back two. The first they intended to bring back in their natural form¡­and the other as a ghoul.¡±


    ¡°A ghoul?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°A malicious being back from the dead who feeds on other lifeforms in order to get stronger,¡± Yui said as she kept looking at the stars, many disappeared into the black void of the night. ¡°It assimilates the flesh of others and can create spawns, demons that obey its commands. Once they feast on humans, their bodies become clay in their hands that they can make into nearly anything.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the next phase of the grand star¡¯s plan?¡± Calvin asked.


    Yui then turned back to her paintings. She set aside the one she had finished before taking a blank canvas and set it at her easel. She then dipped her paintbrush into her palette and held her brush over the white object.


    ¡°This,¡± she said. ¡°My paintings¡­they have the power¡­to create anything I wish. I suppose¡­it is a power only one who has crossed death¡¯s boundary twice can attain. The ability to create portals to reality¡­or even change it.¡±


    She then set her brush down onto the trey.


    ¡°Only¡­¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I-I-¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can make that would aid us. I-I don¡¯t think I can imagine anything that would defeat Nathan and the black serpent or aid us in this situation.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Calvin said. ¡°You drew all those other amazing portraits even before you rose from the dead. Why can¡¯t you just make, like, a giant wrecking ball or big hammer that destroys these guys?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t do that!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not what I usually paint!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you break out of your element¡­even just a little?¡±


    Yui shook her head.


    ¡°There is a big difference between artists who can just imagine anything and those who are trained to draw as close to real life as possible,¡± she said. ¡°Even under the same art, there are different disciplines and specialities. Just like a  shaolin monk can be excellent in their field of kung-fu but know nothing of jujutsu. Or a great poet not being able to write the novels an author who specializes in full-length books can.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Calvin,¡± Yui said. ¡°I¡¯m a realist painter. I was trained to draw things I have physically seen or remember. If it¡¯s not right in front of me or I can picture it in my head then it¡¯s very difficult for me to create. I¡¯ve practiced memorizing objects and places so that I can portray them on my canvas. Any weapon that could defeat them is something way out of my element for me to paint.¡±


    ¡°Then that means you can depict things you know are real but not change them or add onto it,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yui said. ¡°It¡¯s why I was able to paint the realm of the dead so well. I¡¯ve been there long enough I can picture it perfectly. And the stars themselves told me in images what Nathan was doing.¡±


    ¡°But if the grand star¡¯s third stage of his plan was to have you use your paintings to defeat Nathan and the black serpent¡­!¡± Calvin said, trying hard to think. ¡°Then¡­then he knew that you could do something. Draw something.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t!¡± Yui said. ¡°Nothing powerful enough to hurt Nathan or his monstrosities! What animal or beast is there that can crush¡­crush things that can defeat star guardians?!¡±


    Calvin looked away to turn back to the moonlit night. He looked back at the starry night sky to watch the stars twinkling oddly as ever. The young man felt they were saying something to him but he couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was.


    His eyes narrowed not in a glare but a deep expression of confusion followed by a heavy sigh. Calvin¡¯s gaze drifted down to his backyard before turning back up to gaze at the night stars. He couldn¡¯t look very long at any one object or place for some reason. At this point, Calvin was filled with self-doubt and hatred of himself.


    I tried to make things better¡­He thought. I can¡¯t even enjoy Yui, life is so weird.


    Love. The word came to him. Except, it wasn¡¯t a mere word. It was followed by a great sensation of warmth and compassion that was then followed by intimacy.


    Only to potentially destroy everything. Calvin thought. My parents were right to trust Nathan over me. He was always better in everything he tried.


    Longing. The word along with the sensation of missing something in the past or wishing the future would change to be more suitable.


    Now he¡¯s proving that he was better. He thought. Nathan had Yui without needing to defy the laws of nature and was powerful enough to defy the heavens. What am I in comparison?


    Lost love. Calvin recognized that it was no longer the word but the very concept being downloaded into him. His very spirit was being talked to as he looked out.


    He then looked up at the stars more carefully, transfixed by their odd lighting. Calvin then understood what Yui meant by the stars talking to her. They were not speaking audibly. They were communicating with the very core of his being.


    Resurrect. Was the next concept downloaded into him. It was not just the idea of a person brought back from the dead. They had defeated death, an unnatural enemy of the world. And with it brought a renewal like the spring green of a newly budded leaf. Calvin could almost see pink blossoms erupt from the branches of trees in his mind, the same hope and relief flowing over him as when Yui plunged from the earth.


    He was shocked at the intense feelings washing over Calvin before he found himself looking at his backyard. And in the corner of his square fence was a wooden grave he hadn¡¯t touched in years. Calvin¡¯s eyes watered at the sight.

 Chapter 9–Return of Calvin’s First Friend

    Chapter 9


    ¡°Trap,¡± he said.


    His knees felt weak as memories flooded him. He couldn¡¯t hold his own weight for very long before collapsing onto the floor. Yui stood up and rushed to his side as Calvin laid on his side, tears wetting the floorboards of his room. She put her hand underneath him and grabbed his wrist to hoist him up before he let out a huge sigh and a sob.


    ¡°Trap¡­¡± he breathed.


    ¡°What-?!¡± Yui said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Trap¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Yui asked as she brought him to his feet.


    ¡°Trap,¡± he said.


    He waddled a little as his body wavered heavily and unsteady. His legs felt like popsicle sticks trying to support the weight of a boulder as tears ran down his face. Yui did her best to hold him up, her hands nearly beneath the pit of his arms as he could not stand on his own. Calvin shook as he attempted to stand, Yui doing her best to slow him down.


    ¡°What-?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My dog,¡± he said. ¡°My favorite¡­dog.¡±


    ¡°That old mountain cur that died all those years ago?¡± Yui asked. ¡°What¨Cwhat made you think of him?¡±


    ¡°You can bring him back,¡± Calvin said. ¡°You can bring him back, like he was all those years ago.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yui asked, shaking her head in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Calvin nodded. ¡°You¡­you can bring Trap back! I know it!¡±


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± Yui shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know what that¡­that has to do with¡­with anything!¡±


    ¡°Just listen!¡± Calvin said, grabbing her shoulders. ¡°You can bring Trap back! The stars¡­the stars told me you could!¡±


    Yui again shook her head, more confused than anything.


    ¡°But¡­¡± she said. ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­!¡± Calvin said. ¡°Because I loved him.¡±


    He let go of Yui and took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself.


    ¡°What does love have to do with this?¡± Yui asked. ¡°How would-?¡±


    ¡°Because you and Nathan have different powers¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°Based on the reason each of you was resurrected. I killed Nathan because I hated him while I brought you back because I loved you. Nathan¡­Nathan had a bone to pick with me once he died¡­he was hateful that he had to die while you¡­you were resurrected with the purpose of love.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Is that what the star people told you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Calvin said. ¡°And your power¡­it¡¯s even greater than Nathan¡¯s because of that¡­that you were brought back with love¡¯s intent. And Trap¡­¡±


    He then turned to his night stand where a picture stood. It had a much younger Calvin hugging a dog with light brown fur and a black jaw. He was somewhat long and lanky and had large black eyes.


    As the young man stared at the photo he was reminded of happier days when life seemed full of joy and hope. Everyday with Trap felt like a new adventure. He could run with him and do nearly anything, the world feeling like it was fresh every morning he went out to play with him. Tears filled his eyes.


    ¡°He was my first love,¡± Calvin said. ¡°And you¡­you were my second.¡±


    He then turned back to the young woman as his breath felt heavy in his throat, his eyes pleading


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I mean¡­do you really think that would help us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive!¡± Calvin said. ¡°If you bring him back with¡­with the purpose of love then¡­then he may help us with defeating Nathan¡¯s army!¡±


    She looked down at the picture of Trap and Calvin, sighing.


    ¡°I-I-¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know¨Clike I said I can only paint things I¡¯ve¨C¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Then paint from the picture!¡± Calvin said.


    He picked it up and pointed to the dog on it.


    ¡°Paint Trap so he can come back!¡± he said. ¡°You can do it! Please!¡±


    ¡°Calvin-!¡± Yui said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you this but¨Cbut your dog¡¯s dead! If I were to do that¡­I think I¡¯d need to paint him rising from his grave.¡±


    ¡°Then do it!¡± Calvin said, more tears stinging his eyes. ¡°Paint him coming back up! His grave¡¯s right out there!¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Yui said. ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Calvin said, sobbing. ¡°I need to see my dog again. I just need to. I know¡­I know that buried in my heart is a wound that never healed¡­it was just hidden¡­it was where Trap was ripped away from me. The scar in my heart is still there¡­and the stars want to put an end to that pain. So please¡­Yui¡­please¡­Trap might be the very weapon that can defeat Nathan.¡±


    She glanced to the right, obviously mulling it over in her head. Calvin studied her expression to find that he had in fact gotten through to her. But she was reluctant to give in.


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± Yui said. ¡°If the star people told you so¡­then I think it¡¯s worth a shot. Your old dog just might be the key to their defeat. But if so¡­give me the knife of choice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll need its power,¡± she said. ¡°Painting something like that is¡­is hard for me because I can¡¯t draw it purely from memory or eyesight. I¡¯ll need extra power¡­power over life and death that only the knife can guarantee me. So¡­please.¡±


    He nodded before unsheathing the blade and handing it to Yui. However, just as she did so, Yui gestured for him to stop. She stared blankly at him, almost afraid to touch it as she stared out the window.


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡± she said. ¡°The stars¡­they¡¯re telling me that¡­you¡¯ll no longer have control over me if you hand it to me.¡±


    He froze in place.


    ¡°H-How-?¡± he said.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Yui said as she stared out the window. ¡°The stars¡­they say that once you give the knife to me¡­you can¡¯t control my thoughts or feelings anymore.¡±


    Calvin grinded his teeth together, mashing his molars hard in frustration.


    What if Yui leaves me? He thought. What if she decides that I¡¯m not worth having around and abandons me¡­even though I went out of my way to get her back?


    ¡°I-I-¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I remember that the knife does give you some influence on whatever it created but¡­¡± Yui said as she turned back to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it could control whoever was resurrected by the dead with its power¡­and once you relinquish control of it to another person¡­that control over them is gone.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­!¡± Calvin said as he tried to give an excuse. ¡°How about¡­?! How about I use it to stop Nathan?! I could just make him stop whatever he¡¯s doing and call his creatures off!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± Yui said as she shook her head. ¡°Only the one intended to be resurrected can be manipulated. Not the sacrifice himself.¡±


    He sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°Well that makes this a whole lot more difficult,¡± Calvin said.


    He glared down at the knife, angry that it had not been as simple as he once thought.


    If I give it away¡­ Calvin thought. Yui might leave me again¡­just like she did when she chose Nathan as her boyfriend over me. I can¡¯t risk that.


    He then remembered what Yui said about how Calvin had been selfish, wishing for her to be his for his own happiness and not her¡¯s.


    If I don¡¯t give it over now¡­Calvin thought. It¡¯ll prove her unequivocally right. She¡¯ll never forgive me for not stopping Nathan¡¯s reign of evil and think of me as her jailer. I-I can¡¯t let that happen. Not for the world¡¯s sake¡­but for Yui¡¯s.


    ¡°Take it,¡± Calvin said. ¡°It¡¯s more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    She scooped it in her hand before wincing in pain. Yui screamed before dropping the weapon as though it were a hot pot of water. It hit the floor with a dull thud as Calvin raced over to her. He held her hands in a firm grasp as Yui bit back more yelps of pain.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°That thing is cursed!¡± she said.


    ¡°Cursed?¡± Calvin asked.


    Yui sighed before withdrawing her hands from his grasp and breathed in a deep sigh, waving her hands in the air as though to cool them off.


    ¡°Like I said before¡­¡± she said. ¡°The knife¡¯s been tainted by the serpent¡¯s influence. When he fell from the heavens and took the knife with him¡­it changed the nature of the knife.¡±


    ¡°But I could use it!¡± Calvin said. ¡°Why can¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°I guess because I¡¯ve never committed evil in my life before,¡± Yui said. ¡°And the knife in its current state feeds off the dark and decrepit desires of mankind. So we reject one another on a fundamental level.¡±


    Calvin sighed in frustration.


    ¡°So that means you can¡¯t bring back Trap?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Yui said. ¡°I can. I¡¯ll just have to change it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked.


    She sat back down, picked up her brush and dipped it into the gold paint on her pallet. With supernatural speed and efficiency, Yui began painting the handle of the knife. She didn¡¯t get much further than the pommel before she began giving orders to him.


    ¡°Hold the knife up to me,¡± Yui said.


    Calvin just stayed motionless, confused as to what she would do. Yui then turned and almost glared at him. She pointed to the weapon on the floor.


    ¡°Pick it up and hold it!¡± she ordered.


    ¡°But-¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll paint the knife exactly the same but without the snake insignia on it,¡± Yui said. ¡°It marks the black serpent¡¯s influence on the freewill of man¡¯s choice. Without it¡­we might be able to use it to defeat Nathan. And if I have it on me while I¡¯m painting¡­I might be able to overcome my specialty as a realist painter.¡±


    He hurriedly picked the weapon up and held it up to Yui. She started painting furiously as Calvin grasped it aloft. As she did, Calvin¡¯s heart soared with anticipation at the thought of being reunited with Trap.

 Chapter 10–The Serpent Transformed

    Chapter 10


    Nathan had never felt more alive and mighty in his life. All around him was chaos, chaos that he had created. His monstrosities both winged and climbing up from ladders of flesh, were fighting the stars of the night sky.


    As he flew upon Ebb and Flow, he clawed through the flesh of the star guardians with his claws. When he was unable to do that, Nathan injected them with poison from the many snake-mouths growing from his body. Ebb and Flow could beat their wings with intense force to blow back the star guardians away. This combination of many points from which he could launch attacks allowed Nathan to take down more star guardians than any soldier in his army.


    The beings blurred by white and yellow light were becoming fewer and fewer with each spawn Nathan ordered to attack. The waves of creatures he sent up felt endless, dragging many to their doom below. Of course, Nathan had many of his spawns he lost, but he felt he was winning the battle.


    And when he would look back at the tower he had constructed, it had reached through the heavens at this point. The layers added onto it by his workers was beyond imagination. It had actually pierced the night sky itself.


    It had pierced into the black night itself and a strange thing happened once the tower penetrated the black, murkiness of the night itself. When the tower¡¯s latest heights had touched the heavens above it was like slamming into wet concrete. Nathan ordered his followers to work through the liquid that hampered them, commanding their backs to be put into it. He knew it was difficult for them as it was like laboring while bathed in pudding. And he lost many soldiers fending off the star guardians as attackers.


    But once the workers penetrated the night sky above, the tower broke through the layer of the murky semi-solid of the heavens. A large, gaping hole surrounded the tower where it had pierced the blackness of the sky that allowed those crawling and flying from below to enter the new layer of heaven. They had pierced the portion of the heavens the star guardians did not want them to.


    Many star guardians had lost their place in the sea of blackness and been replaced by his spawns. The spawns placed themselves within the gunky blackness, the substance adhering to their backs as they laughed in delight. Once they did, the spawns seemed to gain a new power. Fire appeared in their hands and their breath seemed to create strong winds. Their bodies crackled with lightning. Upon seeing this, Nathan raised his voice as loudly as he could.


    ¡°Show your power to the Earth below!¡± Nathan commanded. ¡°Exercise your might on the puny earthlings and declare my might as my children! Then the world shall know the heavens have a new master when they see what power even my brood is capable of!¡±


    And they did. The spawns of his that had replaced the star guardians by burrowing their backs into the murky black created harsh weather. Streams of fire shot down from their hands, lightning blasted from their bodies and their very breath whipped up hurricanes.


    Rather than their disastrous powers stopping with the large stream of blood below, their elemental streams created large holes in the sea of blood. Rather than the blasts of fire, lightning and wind piercing through the red liquid, the sea opened immensely large holes for them to pass through. When the red liquid made cavities for their disasters, one could see cities and mountains through it from above.


    It was as though the sea of blood was obedient to whomever fixed themselves in the sky. Forests were set ablaze with the flames of the creatures while the winds blew human dwellings to smithereens as their lightning obliterated anything so that nothing was left standing.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Nathan said as he stared down at the phenomena. ¡°My creations have ascended as the new guardians of the heavens. This night sky must give any creature that makes it its dwelling untold powers of destruction. Now the world shall know to bow before me and never not fear my might and wrath.¡±


    Once Nathan commanded Ebb and Flow into the space between the tower walls and penetrated blackness. The absence was as wide across as a stadium once it was broken through, giving them more than enough room to ascend upward. Once he soared up, Nathan was surprised at what new territory the heavens offered him. Once he flew into this new level, Ebb and Flow set themselves down on top of the newest layer of the tower.


    He stared up to find the moon looking back at him, its pale, silver glow enticing him. Nathan stared back up at her with immense pride, wishing to claim her. He recognized that he could see her through from below but this was the level in which she resided.


    Above the moon floated a piece of what he assumed to be earth about as wide across as the space between the wall of the tower and night layer of the heavens. It was somewhat odd to see a collection of bare dirt hanging above the ornate celestial body. As closely as he examined it, Nathan could not make out anything more than a flat collection of soil with no life growing from the top or the bottom.


    But beyond that, this place was more wondrous than the realm of death had been. The layer of black had been replaced with a golden one as pure as gold. Rising from the floor of pure gold were many structures such as gates and castles decorated with gems from rubies to green and blue emeralds. Everywhere Nathan looked there was a palace to be dwelt in, a sight that only increased his ambition. The sky above was a vague white which he couldn¡¯t tell was pure or somewhat foggy. As Nathan floated there in the upper part of the heavens he felt power, the entirety of the scenery making his pride soar.


    To think I have accomplished this by my own hands. He thought. Is there a greater creature than me, to have so quickly ascended to this height?


    Nathan began laughing as he was so ecstatic with self-congratulation. He wondered how he could mold this layer of heaven to his own will. What statues or monuments of himself he could make. Nathan sensed that whoever controlled this realm controlled all of what could reasonably be called the universe. He also wondered if there was a layer beyond this one.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± he answered himself.


    However, just as his spawns began wandering through the city streets, various strange lights appeared in Nathan¡¯s vision. Hundreds of bursts of gold light appeared before, in their place, stood tall, humanoid creatures that looked like their surroundings. Their skin was bright gold and they were decorated with different gems.


    Their individual characteristics were mostly their height and the gems that adorned their bodies. They looked like humans created from liquefied gold that had cooled with spiral, rectangular or scale-like patterns of gems covering them from head to toe. Their eyes were human-like but their bright irises hurt to look at as they burned like fire and observing closely hurt Nathan¡¯s vision. Each one looked sternly at Nathan and his creations.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Nathan asked.


    ¡°We are the treasured ones,¡± one of them with rubies displayed in circles on his skin and emeralds in a rectangle pattern said. ¡°We live in this realm of the heavens after being created by the grand star.¡±


    ¡°You have broken through the second layer of the heavens,¡± a taller one said with rings of blue sapphire decorating his body. ¡°We of the treasured have seen the evil you have wrought. And the grand star is not happy.¡±


    ¡°Surrender now,¡± another said with straight rows of pink diamonds running vertically along his body. ¡°As we are far more formidable than the star guardians.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± another treasured one who had horizontal rows of black gems surrounding his body. ¡°Give up, puppet of the black serpent.¡±


    Nathan laughed.


    ¡°Puppet?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know who you¡¯re talking to. I am the new king of the heavens.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Are you really that dense?¡± a treasured one with a single transparent diamond in his chest asked. ¡°Do you not know you have been manipulated this entire time?¡±


    Nathan laughed.


    ¡°By whom?¡± he asked.


    He grimaced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of you understand how powerful and accomplished a being your dealing with,¡± Nathan said. ¡°I rose from the dead through my own sheer force of will, created a new living species unlike anything seen before or since and scaled to the heights of heavens so high it¡¯s never been seen by mortal eyes.¡±


    He flexed his claws and willed the snakes sprouting from his body to hiss at the treasured ones.


    ¡°You would all do wise right now to bow before me, renounce your insubordination and apologize while I¡¯m still in good spirits,¡± Nathan said. ¡°Lest I utterly destroy you and this place you call the heavens. Because nothing is too big for me to accomplish now.¡±


    He roared with jubilation.


    ¡°No one has used me,¡± Nathan said.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± a familiar voice spoke.


    He looked down at the source of the voice. Wrapping itself around the near fifty feet of the cylindrical tower that had risen from the golden floor was an impossibly long black snake. Nathan recognized it but in the oddest of ways.


    The memory of it was like something he had witnessed long ago in childhood or at his birth but was now suddenly arising in his mind. The sight of the black serpent cleared away the fog of forgetting just for a moment and now he could see clearly the truth. And the truth was¡­that black snake¡¯s voice had been behind him at every juncture since he entered this new stage of life.


    ¡°You,¡± Nathan said. ¡°You were the one who told me to build the tower.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his voice as smooth as marble.


    ¡°Did¡­?¡± Nathan ask. ¡°Did you¡­? Did you plan¡­for me to reach here?¡±


    ¡°Why yes,¡± the serpent said. ¡°Now¡­I shall thank you for your cooperation in returning me to my rightful place¡­¡±


    The serpent opened its mouth wide and lunged toward Nathan. Nathan felt every nerve in his body want to vomit with disgust as the innards of the serpent surround his body. Nathan kicked and struggled with every muscle he could but there was nothing he could do. Nathan attempted to stretch his arms and snakes growing from his body but they were pressed so tightly against him it hurt.


    The innards of the snake were as wet as fresh dew on the grass while the texture reminded him of his own cheek. It was like being surrounded by a slipping slide that was covered in sticky slime. However, as flexible and wet as the inside of the snake was, it was a vice to his body.


    He began to gag as the inside of the serpent reminded him of dog feces and skunk spray mixed together. He could no longer breathe the stench was not only so repulsive but so thick it was like shoving his face in sewer water and gasping for air. Nathan began screaming in discomfort as there was no way out.


    And then he felt himself moving deeper into the maw of the creature¡¯s body. Nathan felt himself slip headfirst further and further down the snake¡¯s digestive tract. He screamed in fear as loudly as he could at the top of his lungs. Nathan shouted until the echoes inside the serpent ricocheted like pebbles thrown off a brick wall. He became jailed by his own gasps for mercy until he was convinced there was no escape.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    He could feel his body spiral further and further down the length of the tower. Nathan sensed his body pressed not only against the inner wall of the serpent but the outside of the tower to such an extent he almost felt he would vomit his own innards. The only thing he could compare it to would be a steamroller pressing him against a stone cylinder in circular motion. The tube of the snake¡¯s body made him cycle back and forth in a helix shape until he was dizzy from it. Nathan had almost gone unconscious from the mixture of whirling motion and sickening air before a new sensation overtook him.


    His body caught on fire as he reached the serpent¡¯s pool of vomit colored stomach acid. Searing pain spread across every square inch of Nathan¡¯s body as he was pressed headfirst into the liquid. Once his feet were consumed he began splashing helplessly as his body melted.


    The flesh that had once been armor turn to something akin to melted butter. His very bones and horns began no more solid than the acid surrounding him. As Nathan screamed and tried to keep his head above the liquid with his quickly disintegrated body, he swallowed much of it.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted, his words drowned out by the disgusting liquid traveling down his throat. ¡°How?! Why?!¡±


    He spit more of it out.


    ¡°I was supposed to rule the heavens!¡± Nathan shouted. ¡°How could you do this to me?! How?!¡±


    ¡°I needed a sacrifice,¡± the serpent said. ¡°And someone with a physical body.¡±


    He could hear the snake¡¯s voice from within his own belly. Nathan shook his head in disbelief at how smooth the sound was. Even drowning it felt remarkably soft to hear.


    ¡°Phy-!¡± he shouted. ¡°Physical body?!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the serpent said. ¡°As an immortal being I have more and more of a physical body the higher I am in the heavens. Which is why Earth was my prison¡­it was so far down I had no way of directly manipulated anyone.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Nathan said. ¡°I-I should be invincible-!¡±


    He was drowned out as more acid rushed into his mouth.


    ¡°I have no real way of interacting with the physical world back on Earth,¡± the serpent said. ¡°As the grand star stripped me of said privileges. I had nothing despite being amongst the greatest of his creations and now I shall seek my revenge by overthrowing him. So thank you, my pawn.¡±


    Nathan looked up at the sinewy muscles to find them contorting in laughter.


    ¡°No!¡± he said. ¡°Why-why did you¨Cyou lead me to this?!¡±


    ¡°I had to find a human who I could manipulate,¡± he laughed. ¡°I needed someone to become a ghoul, give me an army to fight with and build the tower. It was the only way I could reach the heavens I was thrown out of. And the grand star allowed me you to have.¡±


    ¡°B-B-But why me-?!¡± Nathan asked.


    His voice became drowned out with acid he was swallowing as he could no longer support his body weight above the surface of the pool of liquid.


    ¡°Why not my brother?!¡± he shouted. ¡°He started this whole thing!¡±


    ¡°Because your brother would not obey me,¡± he said. ¡°You would. Your brother and you represent the two core drives of the human nature: power and love.¡±


    As Nathan further sunk into the stomach acid he could hear the serpent¡¯s voice better than the gurgle of the liquid around him.


    ¡°Your brother killed you in order to resurrected his beloved Yui,¡± he said. ¡°She was his true love. Calvin was guided by the core desire of love while you were guided by the desire for power. Success was your chief motive you sought while Calvin desired nothing more than affection from its greatest source he could find.¡±


    His laughter was so loud it drowned out the gurgling of the acid.


    ¡°And let me tell you, Nathan,¡± he said. ¡°It is far easier to manipulate someone whose prime motivator is ambition than one driven by relationships and affection. Those set on building their own pride cannot comprehend they are being manipulated while those who wish for love will eventually understand a relationship where they are being toyed with has nothing to offer them. For all your boasting and power, you are still easier to be used as a pawn than your worm of a brother.¡±


    With what little of his eyes he had left, Nathan began crying.


    ¡°My wimp of a brother¡­?¡± he thought. ¡°Better than me?¡±


    ¡°In this circumstance,¡± the serpent said. ¡°Yes. And finally¡­I needed a ghoul that had eaten a great deal of humans so that I could transform. Digesting you will give me a great deal of power.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Nathan shouted as half his face had melted into the stew of his liquefied body and the acid around him.


    ¡°You are very nutritious right now,¡± the serpent said. ¡°The thousands of humans you¡¯ve consumed shall now be inside me as well, nourishing me to achieve my most powerful state. So¡­I thank you.¡±


    Nathan began to lose all consciousness as the acid completely consumed him.


    ¡°Dear sacrifice,¡± were the last words the serpent spoke to him.

 Chapter 11–Resurrected to Defend

    Chapter 11


    The sprouting of several new heads was followed by a shout of surprise and rejuvenation. The serpent felt immense pleasure as a neck grew from midway down his body. He willed the new head to look at his first with narrow, slitted eyes. He was impressed with the extra eyesight it offered him.


    And then another grew. The third head stretched from the left side of his body after the second had grown from the right side. Soon, more necks and heads sprouted from his body so that he could see from all around. With each of his new heads, seven in total, he could see the fearful expressions painted on the faces of the people of the treasure. They looked on in horror as his body thickened immensely, the serpent growing proud of the looks he incited in them all.


    His body was harder and harder to be called a serpent¡¯s with each stage of his transformation. Another pleasurable sensation filled the top of his head as a golden crown sprouted from it. His many heads allowed him to watch every crown that grew from the new scalp. Then his pride increased as a single, silver horn sprouted from five of the heads. The head close to the right from his center head grew two while the centermost head, the original, sprouted three.


    His obsidian scales were no longer black in color. They became dyed a deep red between scarlet and crimson. His tail lengthened as well, swinging it below as wildly as a tree branch in a storm.


    And finally, legs. This was what the serpent turned dragon wanted most. Four of them sprouted from the bottom of his body from which he crawled off the tower and onto the golden floor in front of him. This is what he was most proud of.


    When the grand star cast me down¡­He remembered. I lost my legs. It is what gave me the ability to exist as easily as a mortal would on Earth. Without them, I could not physically manipulate anything. That all changes now.


    His first act as a dragon was to swat the treasured people with his tail. Dozens of them went flying with one swing of his tail, crashing into the procured palaces they had stayed in for thousands of years that while he had spent on Earth. He then roared loudly enough to make the treasured people stagger back, some falling to their feet.


    He then bit in half one with his centermost head while slinging back another to the ground with a swipe from his left most. The remainder of his heads went in a volley of bites and slammings, throwing the treasured people every which way or slicing them to bits with the fangs of his mouth. He raced through the second floor of heaven, crushing those in his wake with his claws. Every thing and person he destroyed in his attack felt glorious.


    The treasured people retaliated, conjuring bejeweled weapons of gold from their bodies to slash and stab at him with. However, their swords and spears had no effect on him. The newly grown scales as red blood were so sturdy the blades and bludgeons broke upon contact. Any that attempted to attack were soon broken into bits by the dragon¡¯s attacks.


    The dragon looked around to find the spawns doing as they had done to the star guardians. They were engaging in combat with the treasured people and holding their own very well. It was not as strong a victory against the star guardians as more of Nathan¡¯s creations lay dead here than below but the dragon had destroyed many a treasured person in a very short time.


    And they seemed to have no difference of opinion between him and Nathan. They still fought for him as they did their master, as he knew they would. Now that he had digested Nathan, the ghoul was apart of him and the recognized it. They could feel his lifeforce in him. It would be soon that he would have dominion over this portion of the heavens.


    Yui held the new knife in her lap as drew Trap rising from the grave. The portrait of the knife leaned against the wall next to her, exactly as it had been before minus the snake insignia. The physical knife itself had the golden snakes disappear from it as well. As she painted, Calvin noticed the speed and realism of she captured in her artwork was even greater than it was before.


    The knife of choice has amplified her abilities. He thought. I just hope it¡¯s enough.


    Yui was finished with this painting soon after completing the one that transformed the knife of choice. She put her paintbrush down after she had rinsed it with water. Calvin only had to wait a moment before the picture came alive. He looked out his window to find something rising from Trap¡¯s grave.


    Tears flowed down his face as he saw the lanky, noble looking cur rise from the soil with renewed energy. However, he did not stand near his grave before disappearing from outside the yard to his side. The dog gave Calvin no time to turn and look at him as he jumped directly toward him.


    His paws sat directly on his shoulders and his face stared directly at Calvin¡¯s he was so tall. As Trap balanced his hind legs on the floor of his bedroom Calvin ran his hands down his back, feeling his thin coat of fur for the first time in years. He couldn¡¯t handle the whole experience. Calvin broke down crying.


    He fell to the floor while Trap licked at his arms, the dog more than comforting him. Enough tears wet his hands that they pooled in his palms like he had dipped them in a fountain. Calvin was unable to contain his joy, not able to look Trap in the eye as it seemed too much of a pleasant dream. He was unable to stare back at the dog despite his affectionate display as Calvin was too worried he¡¯d wake up and discover it was over.


    I can¡¯t help myself. He thought. You¡¯re back¡­just like Yui. What¡­what did I do to deserve this?


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Yui asked.


    He looked back up at the girl, her beautiful face staring down at him from the seat in front of her easel. Calvin saw the painting in front of her split into two opposing images: one with Trap standing in front of a hole near his grave he just rose from and the other with Trap standing in the room with the both of them. Calvin couldn¡¯t smile, his joy unable to be expressed through any expression he knew of.


    Now Calvin understood why he had become a loner later in life. Trap had been his best friend. And once he died, it left a wound in him that could not heal. Yui was the only thing holding him up from utter despair but once she became more interested in Nathan, it left him devoid of hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± he said. ¡°Beyond¡­beyond life. I now understand what you mean¡­death is unnatural. And us humans can feel it¡¯s warped effects on our heart. For the rest of our life. We don¡¯t get over our loved ones'' deaths¡­we just bury those dark emotions.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yui asked. ¡°You agree?¡±


    Trap wasted no time in walking further over to Calvin and laying his head down in his lap. The young man gently petted his head down the length of his back. The dog groaned in pleasure as he relaxed in his presence.


    ¡°Something¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°Something in me feels¡­feels healed. Like a scab or¡­or flesh is forming over a wound I had.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°A wound?¡± Yui asked. ¡°You still had a wound from this dog dying all those years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it but¡­but the wound was still there. After all those years of me forgetting about Trap¡­I never got over him. And that¡¯s why I became a loner¡­because I knew I would never find as good a friend as Trap.¡±


    ¡°Never got over him?¡± Yui said. ¡°But Calvin¡­he died when you were a child¡­right? And you say¡­and you say you''re just now getting over him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Calvin said. ¡°The wound never healed¡­Trap¡¯s death left a scar in me I could never overcome¡­because the only solution for it is for Trap to have never died in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Like you said,¡± Calvin explained. ¡°Death is unnatural. And the sorrow and ill effects it leaves on humans are unnatural as well. We are forced to move on from something we know should have never happened in the first place. And because we know death should not exist some of us cannot move past the pain of our loved ones¡­so we must bury them. We bury that pain just as we do the dead¡­not because it helps but so that we may forget. We try to forget about our pain¡­we try to forget¡­even though it¡¯s futile. And it is futile because the only remedy for that pain is for them to have never died in the first¡­or for them to be brought back.¡±


    When the dog stood up, Calvin held Trap close to him, hugging his neck as their faces touched. It was just like old times, when he played with Trap outside. He couldn¡¯t control his tears, the amount of memories rushing into him felt too great. Calvin could hardly contain the joy he expressed, unable to hold it in.


    ¡°And that pain is gone now,¡± he said as he looked back at Trap. ¡°Because you''re back.¡±


    ¡°Now what do the stars want you to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Calvin asked.


    He turned to look out the window nearest him. However, he was not greeted with a pleasant black canvas dotted with twinkling stars. He saw streams of fire blast down from the sky above. Lightning followed as well, flashing so brightly the night turned to day.


    The city of Maple Loaf in front of him was being burned to cinders and utterly destroyed by the wrath of the heavens. Wind blowing horizontally uprooted houses before soaring into the horizon. Calvin watched as the weird weather ravaged every portion of the city he had grown up in his whole life. Even weirder was how his own house and yard remained unchanged. While the fence around his yard glowed a bright yellow, the winds, fire and lightning did not touch them. Any blast of fire was repelled by an invisible force, like a transparent barrier that hovered in the air. The lightning could not penetrate this invisible barrier any further than the fire could.


    No matter how hard the wind blew, the tree in his backyard did not sway. Not a single blade of grass was taken out of place. The house was firmly rooted in the ground.


    ¡°What-?!¡± Calvin asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°A storm is approaching,¡± Yui said. ¡°One that could destroy the entire Earth.¡±


    ¡°But how did this happen?!¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Is this the work of the star guardians?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yui said. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like it.¡±


    ¡°Then what?!¡± Calvin turned and asked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Creatures that have replaced the star guardians have done this,¡± Yui said. ¡°Nathan¡¯s army of spawns must have defeated many in a battle and done this.¡±


    Yui stared down at the knife in her hand, squeezing it. Calvin wondered if a surge of power was flooding her, a similar experience he had when first taking the knife in hand. It shined in the artificial light oddly, almost too bright to look at it.


    Without the snake insignia the weapon had a markedly different appearance. There was no feeling of temptation one could feel just looking at the blade. And yet it emanated a certain power that made one almost afraid to touch it, a sacred essence surrounding the weapon. It was almost as though the snake insignia had been an inhibitor to its true potential and removing it had unleashed its full might. Yui turned back to glare at her easel.


    ¡°We have no time to waste,¡± she said.


    She slipped the knife back into its scabbard she had fit around her waist and started back to painting. However, instead of drawing on a new canvas, Yui began painting on the same one that depicted Trap rising from the grave. Calvin walked behind her to find she was painting the dog in the portrait.


    The dog was being covered in golden light, like a robe of bright yellow was being draped over him. It was odd to see a dog dressed in raiment but the closer Calvin looked it appeared more so like he was bathed in solid light. The yellow covering was almost like armor.


    His bedroom shined bright, the flash of nearly blinding Calvin. After covering his eyes and they adjusted to the brightness, he looked back at his source. He found Trap covered with the same yellow brightness as in the painting.


    Surrounding every portion of his body save his tail, paws and head was a robe of what could only be described as solidified light. The flowing robe of brightness was like the twinkling of the stars only magnified. Calvin had to make sure to stare most directly at Trap¡¯s face because looking too closely at his clothing would be like staring directly into the sun. The dog smiled happily, obviously very pleased with this development.


    ¡°What-?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Trap has been clothed with the power of light,¡± Yui said. ¡°The knife of choice has granted some creatures to be given the power of the brightest star¨Cbut only after it was purified.¡±


    ¡°The power of the brightest star¡­¡± Calvin said as he kneeled in front of Trap.


    ¡°This is probably what the grand star wanted,¡± she said. ¡°This was probably part of the grand star¡¯s plan¡­to be purified of the serpent¡¯s influence. In its original state it can give a being the strongest power a being can be granted.¡±


    ¡°Can Trap really defeat these¡­?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Whatever¡¯s up there?¡±


    ¡°If the stars are correct,¡± she said. ¡°The knife of choice devoid of the serpent insignia is the ultimate conduit of the grand star¡¯s power.


    Yui then took the portrait with Trap in it off her easel and picked up a new one. There had been a dozen blank canvases in total and Yui had already burned through nearly half a dozen. Calvin hoped that whatever she intended to do would be done quickly.


    ¡°Yui¡­?¡± Calvin said. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­?¡±


    Tears flowed down his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to have Trap fight these things are you?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I have no choice,¡± Yui said. ¡°Only something wearing the sun as a robe can defeat whatever Nathan and the black snake have conjured up.¡±


    ¡°But he may be killed!¡± Calvin shouted.


    ¡°That may be,¡± Yui said. ¡°But the entire world will be destroyed if we don¡¯t take the opportunity to challenge them. I¡¯m sorry but it has to be done.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Calvin screamed.


    He held Trap¡¯s face, looking directly into his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s all I have! If he¡¯s gone-¡±


    ¡°This is what the stars told you to do,¡± Yui said as she continued painting. ¡°To use Trap to fight Nathan¡¯s army. For whatever reason, he was their first choice. You needed to let go of Trap the moment you realized the stars called for him to be brought up.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°This is your problem, Calvin,¡± Yui said. ¡°You are so desperate to latch onto people and possess them for your own happiness that you won¡¯t let them out of your grasp. This is how the black serpent seduced you into killing your brother as a sacrifice for me¡­because you believed I belonged to you¡­just as you believe Trap belongs to you.¡±


    Yui quickly finished painting the sea of blood again as well as a beach of flesh. However, there were no more stars in the sky. Only bolts of fire and lightning covered the black night. Then she drew Trap with his robe of light in the painting. He hovered between the red sea and the black sky alit with wrathful blasts.


    ¡°And now he belongs to the grand star,¡± Yui said. ¡°To end the war in the heavens once and for all.¡±


    Calvin hugged the neck of the dog tight enough the pet let out a cry of pain.


    ¡°Fight well,¡± he said. ¡°Trap. Fight well.¡±


    And then Trap disappeared from Calvin¡¯s grasp again. The pain in his heart reminded him exactly of the time when he knew Trap was dead. He could see his heart split in half by a sword at that point, the two halves of the core of his being falling to the side. Tears formed in his eyes again, Calvin holding back screams of agony.


    ¡°Fight well,¡± he said. ¡°Trap. Fight well.¡±

 Chapter 12–Loyalty of a Lost Friend

    Chapter 12


    Countless memories had been flooding Trap since he had woken up. At first he had been in the backyard he had grown familiar with in life. Then he had seen his old master, Calvin, again. The appearance of his former was the sweetest fate Trap could hold in his heart. Then he became robed in light and felt empowered.


    ¡°Fight well,¡± Calvin told him. ¡°Trap. Fight well.¡±


    And then everything changed in an instant. Suddenly he was in a world he had never seen before. He was suspended in midair, the world beneath him red as blood and the sky above as black as night. Weird flashes stormed around him. He looked around in fear, the oddity of the atmosphere instilling terror.


    The day he was a small puppy, sitting in a cage, alone and terrified. It was his first real taste of fear. He¡¯d been taken from his mother just after he¡¯d been weaned and separated from his siblings. Trap shook in the cold, isolated cage as he wondered what the next cruel happening fate would burden him with.


    I will die here. He thought.


    ¡°Hey mom, look!¡± a voice said.


    He looked up to see a young boy with bright blond hair look down at him. The pup backed away as he opened the door of the cage in the back of the pick-up truck. The human stretched his arm to pet the top of his head, stroking it rather gently. While the pup didn¡¯t trust the boy immediately, the fact that his first interaction was a pleasurable one made him half-trust the new creature.


    ¡°He looks kind of scared,¡± the boy¡¯s mother said as she walked behind him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.


    He then rubbed the pup¡¯s ear between his fingers as he smiled into his eyes.


    ¡°But that¡¯ll change,¡± the boy said. ¡°Because I love him already.¡±


    It was that memory that made his heart glow with a soft, yet vibrant bravery. He was no longer intimidated. He narrowed his eyes at the world around him, intent on completing his master¡¯s will.


    Calvin told me to fight. He thought. My kind are supposed to be subservient to their masters and obey their every whim. We are to fight and live for them.


    Any part of him that felt reluctant to engage in combat disappeared upon further memory of his former life.


    But Calvin was never that way with me. Trap thought. He never once commanded me to risk my life for him, never once asked me to hunt or bring back animals as prey for him to feast on. In fact¡­Calvin did his best to feed me and serve me like I was the most important thing to him.


    Trap was amazed at his ability to fly as he hovered in the air. He felt so energetic as he recognized the sky was his domain more than the Earth had ever been. He smiled, feeling youthful like a pup.


    If only Calvin could see me now. He thought.


    The roar of thunder bellowed beside him and a flash of fire crashed down in front of his eyes.


    What on Earth? Trap thought.


    He looked up in confusion to see the source of the destructive weather. He was surprised to see monstrosities of writhing flesh and evil appearances staring down at him. Many had multiple limbs, eyes or did not look human in the least bit. Sitting in the black sky as they did, they looked more like pieces of meat that had been jammed together and compiled from different bodies.


    Disgusting. Was his only thought.


    The putrid monsters fired beams of fire and lightning that Trap had to continuously avoid to not be wounded by. He raced through the air, intent on taking down these ferocious beasts. He barked up at them, just as a lightning bolt struck Trap. In the middle of the blast as his world was lit up with a bright white, he thought back to all that Calvin had done for him as a pup.


    And it is my turn to return the favor. He thought. Not as a servant, a pet or a hunting dog¡­but as a friend.


    The lightning bolt did nothing to him. Whatever Trap was clothed with, it shielded him from the harsh energy that thunder was constructed of. He looked down to see the lightning bolt had instead struck a city below. It was obliterated.


    And since humans were so kind to me¡­He thought. I must be kind to them in return.


    He raced up to the sky, barking furiously as he soared towards the creature that had launched the thunderbolt. As Trap approached the monster he found it was essentially a man¡¯s torso with bat wings growing from the bottom of it. A single bloodshot eye grew from the middle of the monstrosity. Four human heads in total growing from the sides of its body. The heads had no eyes, only two ears and wide mouths with teeth twice as large as a normal human¡¯s. The lowest head where legs would have grown on a normal torso was crackling with electricity as it had launched a lightning bolt from its jaw. The other three heads now crackled with white lightning as they laughed at the destruction they had wreaked.


    However, the creature did not get the chance to do so as Trap bit into the topmost neck. Every head of the creature screamed in pain before he shook the monster around in his mouth, feeling it let out a death rattle before lying still in his jaw. Once he felt life had fled from the abomination, Trap let go of it and watched how it plunged to the red sea below.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He looked to his right to see a jet of flames stream down from the layer of black above. It had been fired by a creature with the talons and legs of a bird as tall as trees with the body of a flat disc. Beneath its pancake-like body was the mouth of a wolf that breathed the hot red flames.


    A hole had emerged in the sea of red beneath it as if the liquid was subservient to the destructive whim of whatever was above it. When the red sea gathered itself into an empty hole to reveal a human city below. Trap raced across the sky as fast as possible, hoping to intercept the blast before it could harm anyone.


    In that city could be good people, like Calvin. He thought. And there, in that very city, could be people with strong bonds like we had.


    As he neared the blast to feel the heat of the fire, Trap thought back to the sorrow Calvin experienced in the final days of his first life.


    I wouldn¡¯t want any boy to lose his pet like he did with me. Trap thought. I¡¯d rather die than any human experience that loss.


    When he intercepted the blast of fire, Trap experienced the flames have no effect on him. It was as though they were no hotter than a gust of wind. Even stranger he felt the fire absorb into the coat of light that surrounded him. Red tongues of heat emanated around the clothing of yellow light. Trap could understand the fire was now at his disposal to do with as wished.


    He looked up at the terrible creatures firing lightning, wind and flames down below to destroy whatever they could. He growled in anger at them before barking as loudly as possible. Trap released the flames from around him, multi-directional beams of red heat jettisoning from his body into the sky above. Each blast targeted a different creature, the fire commanded at Trap¡¯s will to attack as many of the monsters as possible. Trap looked up and was satisfied to see the charred ashes of many of the creatures falling to the sea below. He gave a happy bark before rushing up to the black sky.


    A creature that looked like a snake with half a dozen human bodies writhing like separate snakes was his next target. The men and women that sprouted from his back or side inhaled air while the main snake creature blasted it out from its mouth in the form of a tornado. As Trap climbed higher and higher into the air he opened his jaw to breathe in the tornado.


    It gathered in his belly before his stomach expanded. No longer able to hold in the circulating vortex of wind, Trap expelled it in a howl. The tornado not only shredded the multi-bodied serpent above on contact but circulated across the entire layer of black above. The sky above was shaking like a mattress being slammed into, many of the monsters above falling as the tornado he breathed out threw them to the sea of blood below. Many of the monsters were torn to pieces in the process of being hit with the tornado.


    After expelling the tornado, Trap looked around to find any other monsters plastered to the black sky above to find one giant looking down at him. It looked exactly like a blue human except with eyes covering its entire body and was far taller than a human. Each individual leered at him in anger. Preemptively ready for the attack, Trap climbed into the air after it, barking ferociously as the giant growled with no visible mouth.


    The dragon was having a wonderful time during his rampage. He had transformed into something more akin to what he was before the grand star cast him out. The thrill of crushing every living being in his sight was truly ecstatic.


    Every one of them fell to his claws and jaw. He gored so many of the treasured people with his horns that their golden blood colored his head a bright yellow. Claw marks from his feet could be seen lying among the defeated, a testament to the dragon¡¯s pride. No matter what weapon the treasured people pulled from their body, it shattered upon contact with him. He laughed the whole way he marched down the street of gold. The spawns Nathan had procured stood at attention, laughing with the dragon at their victory.


    ¡°When the grand star rises in the morning,¡± the dragon said as he headbutted a treasured person attempting to stab him with a bejeweled spear. ¡°He¡¯ll find the heavens have a new king.¡±


    He then turned to see a winged creature standing near him. The wings were feathered, like a bird¡¯s, but the rest of his body was as smooth as a newborn''s with no hair. He had three pairs of eyes, one in his head, another in his chest and another on each of his legs. The dragon looked at him with his leftmost head.


    ¡°Go tell the spawns that have taken the lower level of the heavens to no longer destroy anymore of the Earth,¡± he ordered. ¡°The humans have got the message of whom to fear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sire,¡± the creature said.


    He jumped into the air and flew toward the tower Nathan¡¯s spawns had constructed. He dived into the space between the golden floor and the tower walls. However, he came up sooner than the dragon expected and flew toward him in fear. The winged monster was visibly shaken.


    ¡°Sire,¡± he said. ¡°All those that have replaced the star guardians are dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?!¡± the dragon said. ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°B-But I saw it-!¡± the winged creature said.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to go check for you,¡± he said. ¡°Your eyes must be defective.¡±


    The dragon pushed the winged creature out of the way before rushing toward the tower before finding something flew out of the empty space. He stopped in his tracks to find a dog wearing gold meeting him. The dog gave a happy pant before growling at the sight of the dragon. The dragon leered curiously at the creature before his eyes widened in fear as he recognized the raiment that covered him.


    He is clothed with the sun! The dragon recognized. It is the ultimate power the grand star can grant to a mortal creature! But-but if he¡¯s wearing that-


    He shook all seven of his heads in disbelief.


    Could the knife of choice be purified of my influence? He wondered. No, that''s impossible! Unless¡­


    He glared at the dog, growling back at him as the canine bared his teeth.


    Unless that girl did that. He thought. Whatever returns from the grave is given extraordinary power. And considering she never committed an evil act¡­it¡¯s possible she purified the knife.


    He shook his head.


    No matter. He thought.


    ¡°Attack!¡± the dragon shouted.


    The spawns rushed toward the dog only for the creature to howl in anger. Bright light shone from the robe of sunlight clothing him and the creatures nearest to the dragon blackened like charcoal. Their ashes fell to the golden floor beneath them, the other monsters fleeing in fear at the sight of the dog.


    Darn it. He thought. Any creature any less powerful than me could easily be slain by a creature returned from beyond death¡¯s boundary while wearing the sun robe. I¡¯ll just have to take care of this myself.


    The dragon rushed forward, attempting to bite at the dog before he jumped in the air to dodge. The dog fell down to bite at one of his horns, irritating the dragon. He roared in frustration before throwing him off, the dog skidding across the ground. The dragon rushed forward with his centermost head bowed, ready to gore the dog. However, the canine rushed to his feet and howled in defiance.

 Chapter 13–Self Sacrifice

    Chapter 13


    ¡°Is it ready?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Yui said.


    He watched her finish painting on a new canvas. This time it was a picture of what was above even the stars. It showed the moon hanging far above a golden city with a flat plain of dirt above even the moon. Yui finished painting a circle directly above the plain of bare soil.


    Calvin watched as she reached her hand into the circle above the large piece of dirt to find her arm disappeared into it. Calvin stared at the canvas, transfixed at her ability to manipulate reality with a mere paintbrush. She then turned to him and gestured.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Yui said as. ¡°Jump in.¡±


    ¡°Why are we doing this again?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°This,¡± Yui said.


    She pointed to the flat piece of dirt.


    ¡°Is where humans originate,¡± she explained. ¡°It is where the knife of choice can be placed to unlock its unlimited power. We can defeat the black serpent if we get there.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to save Trap?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Trap is the one who¡¯s saving us!¡± Yui said. ¡°He¡¯s buying us time before we can stop this mess altogether!¡±


    ¡°I just want him to be okay,¡± Calvin said.


    Yui shook her head.


    ¡°You want others to be your friend so bad that you aren¡¯t willing to let them go,¡± Yui said. ¡°Even if it means letting them complete the purpose they were meant to.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?!¡± Calvin demanded. ¡°Let Trap get himself killed! Should I have just left you dead as well?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize the purpose people fill,¡± Yui said. ¡°Like instruments in the hands of a master mechanic or artist they each serve some specialized role. I was supposed to die to save others from suffering eternal punishment. Trap is fighting to prevent the black serpent from causing anymore destruction.¡±


    She held out a hand for him to grasp.


    ¡°You think too much in terms of the emotional benefit people have for you and you alone,¡± Yui said. ¡°People can be of great service if they are thrown to the wind and discarded like paper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a horrible way to look at people,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s what must be done in hard times such as these,¡± Yui said. ¡°Now¡­it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your role.¡±


    Calvin would not have taken the hand of anyone who said that unless it was Yui. Calvin placed his hand in hers, the softness of her skin tantalizing him. She pulled him closer as she plunged into the hole she had painted. It was only about as large as a man¡¯s hand but once she jumped in headfirst, the circle expanded to accommodate her head with Calvin quickly following behind her.


    The two landed on the exact place Yui had painted, Calvin¡¯s chest hitting the bare Earth while the girl landed on her side. As he stood up he found his clothes dirtied by a layer of brown dust. He brushed himself off while Yui got to her knees and stood up herself, wiping the dust off her dress as Calvin did the same to his clothes.


    He looked around to find the area they resided in was a strange one. Above them was a layer of white that seemed to have rolling clouds that sometimes made it look foggy. It was in stark contrast to the blue sky on Earth. The strangest part was that Calvin found they were not standing on a planet but a platform of what appeared to be earth. He could even make out the edges of the flat plain from afar rather than a spherical celestial body.


    The plain they stood on was nothing but bare soil. It was dry too, as though water never dared touch it. As Calvin looked around, he found that the plain of soil was laced with cracks resembling small canyons, like tilled soil in a drought. The whole area was a featureless desert of garden dirt that had never had a drop of moisture in its existence.


    Except for one structure in the very center of the plain. In the middle was a stone monument that was completely square. Its surface was so smooth and shiny it almost looked like glass as it stood up vertically. Calvin was drawn towards the object, wandering toward it.


    Upon closer inspection he found the stone had writing on it that he could not read, reminding him of ancient sumerian writings. He thumbed the letters engraved in the glossy gray stone to find the indentions almost sharp. When he looked directly down at the square stone he found a slot at the very top of the slab. It looked almost triangular but the cavity in the stone was too thin to be a true triangle. It honestly looked more like a longer object would belong inside.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°This,¡± Yui said. ¡°Is the birthplace of mankind.¡±


    ¡°Birthplace?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°But¡­but how?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± she answered. ¡°This is where the grand star intended us to thrive and cultivate life.¡±


    ¡°Thrive and cultivate?!¡± he shouted. ¡°There isn¡¯t so much as a blade of grass that grows here! How¡¯re we supposed to cultivate anything when a desert has more life than this?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Yui said as she knelt down to pick up a little soil.


    She let it fall from her hand, a sudden wind catching the brown dust as it traveled aloft.


    ¡°This soil is the same as the kind on Earth,¡± she said. ¡°So it¡¯s good for growing things. It just hasn¡¯t had nourishment in a while.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Calvin asked rather skeptically.


    ¡°Because the grand star told me while I was dead,¡± Yui said. ¡°I absorbed a lot of information about the creation of man and the nature of reality while I existed in the realm of the dead. And I know that this piece of earth was once a part of the planet before the grand creator rid it of this portion of the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yui said. ¡°After the black serpent goaded the first humans into committing evil, the planet that they lived on as well as black serpent was thrown to the lowest realm possible so that they could no longer have any dominion.¡±


    ¡°Dominion?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yui said. ¡°When a creature lives in a certain plain, anything below that plain is their dominion. They have control of what is beneath that layer of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she explained. ¡°It¡¯s probably why Nathan¡¯s has the power to wreak all that destruction they¡¯re doing right now. They claimed that layer of the heavens and now have the dominion of what lies below it. That¡¯s why the grand star cast humans down¡­because he wanted a race that had discovered evil to have as little power as possible.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Calvin said as he looked over the area of soil. ¡°So this place¡­it¡¯s a piece of the original Earth before it was tainted?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yui said. ¡°My memories were at first fuzzy¡­but the more I painted the more I remember all the information I absorbed while I was dead. And I think I know what needs to be done to defeat the black serpent.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°We need to create a new lifeform,¡± Yui said. ¡°One that¡¯s powerful enough to destroy the black serpent. Once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Well how are we going to do that?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°I think we were supposed to come here¡­to do that¡­¡±


    She began nodding her head back and forth, obviously trying to jog her memory.


    ¡°This piece of earth may be dry,¡± she said. ¡°And devoid of life. But it¡¯s where the original soil was before it was tainted with evil. It¡¯s where we can create a new lifeform capable of stopping the black serpent once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Calvin said. ¡°So where do we start?¡±


    Yui took the knife from its scabbard and held it up. Once the knife was fully unsheathed, Calvin could almost feel a sense of anticipation emanate from the blade as she pulled it loose. It was as though the thing was alive and anxiously waiting to be drawn near the stone slab. She then pointed to the stone monument in front of them.


    ¡°By inserting the knife into the stone slab,¡± Yui said. ¡°In the beginning, this blade which represented mankind¡¯s freewill was used to grow food, produce water and nourish the environment. So long as the first humans committed to the grand star¡¯s commands they never were in want of anything.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Yui hovered the blade over the slot in the stone and inserted it into the cavity. There was a noise similar to rock scraping against rock but beyond that nothing happened. Yui pushed the knife in deeper, only to find there was no further level it could go. She let go of it, waited for a second and sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this thing?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Yui said, leering in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s¡­there¡¯s something wrong with this knife.¡±


    ¡°But you purified it,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I thought I did,¡± she said. ¡°With the serpent insignia no longer on the hilt¡­it means that it''s free of corrupting influence¡­but they may not mean its full power is unlocked.¡±


    ¡°You keep talking about this knife¡¯s full power,¡± Calvin said. ¡°What does that even mean? Are you actually saying this knife was built in with some kind of restraint on it? I¡¯d think that anything that could resurrect a person with a stab wound has plenty of power already.¡±


    ¡°Not that it was built that way,¡± Yui said. ¡°Just that being used and interfered with by the black serpent degraded its power. If anything, dark powers like that were the least of its abilities.¡±


    Yui began smoothing her hand over the pommel.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost like,¡± she said. ¡°The knife isn¡¯t complete yet. But it almost is. If¡­if only¡­if only I knew what it was.¡±


    She took her hand off the pommel before sighing, rocking back and forth again as if trying to remember.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Think. What more must one do¡­¡±


    Calvin rolled his eyes, sighing as he strolled away from the monument to observe the world around him. Now that he was on this hunk of dirt that didn¡¯t have so much as a flower growing from it, he felt somewhat calm. Ever since bringing Yui to his house to take care of her, Calvin¡¯s mind had been abuzz with one crazy happening after another. He was just glad that the weirdness had ceased for just a moment so he could collect himself.


    Only it didn¡¯t last long. Calvin found himself drawn to the edge of the piece of land out of a simple curiosity to see what was below. At first he saw the moon beneath him, it¡¯s large and spherical nature less mysterious as he Calvin made out the rocky texture of its surface. When he looked past that, he was horrified at the sight.


    He could see quite clearly below the shining gold city was being rampaged through by a seven headed, red beast. It was covered with scales that appeared both bright and dark red with many horns and crowns. The very sight of him looked unimaginably hideous and yet familiar, the eyes of the creature the very same as the black serpent who had tempted Calvin. One of its heads looked up at him to glare.


    And he was fighting Trap. The dog enveloped in solidified gold light was thrown to the ground after repeatedly rushing at the dragon. Trap would occasionally grab hold of one of the dragon¡¯s necks with his mouth and attempt to drag it to the ground. But then one of the other several mouths of the dragon would slam its head into Trap and he¡¯d be sent flying into one of the gold palaces. No matter how many times Trap attacked the dragon, one of the creature¡¯s other heads would prevent it from making a deathblow. And Calvin could easily see that Trap was bleeding from several places and tiring from his fight.


    And they were not the only two fighting. Humanoid figures looking like they were made of gold and decorated with jewels fought creatures that Calvin recognized as Nathan¡¯s army from Yui¡¯s painting. The beings made of gold and gems would conjure weapons made of gold and decorated with jewels and attempt to retaliate against the monsters. The dead on both sides lay sprawled out in the city, both the red blood of the monsters and gold blood spilled out. Calvin screamed in panic.


    ¡°Trap!¡± he shouted. ¡°Trap!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yui asked.


    He turned and raced toward her.


    ¡°Trap-!¡± Calvin said. ¡°He¡¯s fighting the black serpent!¡±


    ¡°Fighting the serpent?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Then¨Cthen he¡­the black serpent must have found a way to recover his original body.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Calvin shouted. ¡°Do something! Save Trap! He¡¯s wounded badly!¡±


    ¡°Calvin!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°I already told you! Trap¡¯s doing his-!¡±


    ¡°Doing his duty,¡± Calvin said. ¡°Completing his purpose. Yeah, yeah, I know. But I can¡¯t lose him anymore! I don¡¯t want to lose anybody!¡±


    ¡°Well then help me figure out a way to use the knife of choice!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°It wants something¡­I know it does but¡­but I¡¯m not sure what it wants.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried asking it?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Asking it?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I know it seems strange but¡­but that knife¡­it¡¯s like it was glad to be here. When you unsheathed it¡­it was happy to show up here after so long. It¡¯s like this was it¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°How did you discern that?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the feeling I got when you pulled out the knife,¡± he said. ¡°I think¡­I think here of all places it¡¯s more alive than ever.¡±


    He then turned the knife, the weapon still buried up to the hilt in the stone slab¡¯s indention. Calvin walked towards it as he glanced down at the golden handle. He narrowed his eyes, not leering at it, but trying to observe it carefully.


    It¡¯s calling me. He thought. Specifically¡­me.


    He then wrapped one hand around the handle.


    Tell me what I must do. Calvin thought.


    A surge of foreign images enter his mind. They entered his mind in a streamlined, chronological order that was like a speeding train of information. The story the knife painted in his mind was one he was familiar with.


    Two men stood facing each other. One was taller and had more facial hair. The shorter of the two younger and not as muscular. He held the knife of choice in his hand, the snake insignia visibly slithering across the handle.


    They were surrounded by a beautiful jungle of fruit trees, the forest blooming with flowers and round produce. Animals that Calvin had never seen raced across the world of green and shouted jubilantly. The only creature that did not look happy was a black snake that dangled from a tree at the younger brother¡¯s side.


    The younger of the two brothers stabbed the oldest in the stomach before cutting a red arc across his belly. He fell to the ground, gasping in pain and coughing up blood as the other sibling stood over him. A malicious grin appeared on his face as he became bathed in a wicked red light that soon transformed into fire. His chuckle was deafening as he held a hand up as a blast of red flames, obviously impressed with the power he had acquired.


    Calvin then saw the knife drop to the ground, blood covering as the greenery around it wilted. The plants and trees in the garden began to decay into brown ashes as though the hot sun was drying it. The animals also collapsed to the ground, their tongues hanging out as if dying of thirst.


    Then an image of the entire Earth appeared in Calvin¡¯s mind. The planet was held alongside the moon and above even the stars. The gold realm below was level with the Earth, the golden floor surrounding the surface of the globe. Then, the planet began to fall.


    A burst of light appeared from above that lit the entire universe up that it was blinding. Once the white light dissipated the surface of the Earth began to crack apart, like canyons splitting in the crust. The earthquakes were followed by the Earth¡¯s actual descent downwards as it fell from being level with the golden plain of the heavens and beneath the stars. The night sky below opened up to form a hole that the planet dropped into. Once it disappeared below, the night sky closed up to form a seamless canvas of black interspersed with stars.


    Calvin looked back to see that of the great forces that repelled the Earth downward, only a single piece stayed behind. That piece was a dried, mile-long fragment of Earth that held the stone monument in the center of it. It was bereft of true life as only rotted animal husks and sun-dried flowers dotted its surface.


    The monument no longer held any mysterious aura that Calvin first looked at it with. The stone structure was rather sad looking, like a lonely child that had been left behind by its mother. Whatever its intended use had been was no longer in place now, the object as meaningless as the bodies of once abundant life surrounding it.


    The image was burned into Calvin¡¯s mind so strong he could see with his eyes closed. It was actually the only image he could make out, his surroundings secondary to that. And then the image changed for him to gain a much closer look at the monument, more specifically its indention.


    Then the younger of the two brothers appeared beside him. Calvin glanced at the younger sibling but his main focus was still the cavity on top of the monument. He slid the bloodstained knife into the indention before lightning poured from the stone and showered the man. The snake slithered around the monument, bathed in the lightning as well. The two laughed as hey absorbed the electricity, becoming more and more engrossed with power.


    The vision ended and Calvin once again saw himself gripping the knife in front of him. He slid it out of the stone slot and held it aloft. He narrowed his eyes on the silver blade, his stoic expression looking back at him.


    ¡°What?¡± Yui asked. ¡°What did you learn?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± he said. ¡°This all started from¡­the younger of two brothers killing the first brother. He was tempted by the snake to do so¡­because sacrificing another living being is how one gains power. And the snake knew that.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°I-I think the first humans were thrown out because¡­because of the rivalry between two brothers. One was jealous of the other¡¯s possessions and¡­and wished them for himself. He could not accept being subservient to the eldest.¡±


    ¡°Like with me and Nathan,¡± Calvin said. ¡°I killed him to gain what he had¡­you.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Yui said. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°And so history repeated,¡± Calvin said. ¡°The grand star and the black serpent¡­they set this up so that both could have¡­have some closure with the events. They have to repeat¡­for it to end. For this cosmic brawl to come to a close it has to end where it starts.¡±


    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± Yui asked.


    He held the knife up to her.


    ¡°It means someone needs to make a sacrifice,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yui shouted.


    ¡°You said it yourself,¡± he said. ¡°This weapon embodies the power of sacrifice. Even exchange, equal trade. In order for the world to be returned back to the way it once was¡­it¡¯s got to end with someone willing to give up their lives.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yui shouted.


    She took hold of his hand, trying to wrench the knife from his grasp but Calvin pushed her away.


    ¡°No, please!¡± Yui shouted. ¡°I-I-I¡­don¡¯t want to live without you!¡±


    He shook his head, gritting his teeth in preparation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already come back from the dead!¡± Yui said. ¡°I could possibly do it again with the power I¡¯ve attained! You need to think about-!¡±


    ¡°I am thinking,¡± Calvin said. ¡°About others.¡±


    He then looked across the plain where he stared down at the edge.


    ¡°Trap¡¯s fighting the serpent,¡± Calvin said. ¡°A battle he can¡¯t win but is hoping something good will come of it. You tried to save your friend when that mugger attacked you and built a way for the dead to attain life again. Yui¡­you¡¯ve been doing everything you can to help others and the world around you while I killed Nathan and started this whole mess.¡±


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have died to save anyone had you not killed me!¡± Yui shouted.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Calvin said.


    He held the knife vertically as examined his reflection.


    ¡°All for selfish gain,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s time¡­it¡¯s time I make a sacrifice.¡±


    Calvin turned the knife over in his hand and plunged it into his stomach. Yui screamed as he fell to the dusty ground, lunging after him. Yui held his face as Calvin coughed up blood. Gritting his teeth he pulled the knife out of his body and handed it to Yui, gasping in pain the whole time.

 Chapter 14–The Promised Savior is Born

    Chapter 14


    ¡°Do whatever it tells¡­ugh,¡± blood erupted to the roof of his mouth as he spoke. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Calvin,¡± she said.


    ¡°Go!¡± Calvin shouted. ¡°You¡­ugh¡­want to see me survive¡­¡±


    More blood rushed to his mouth as his wound was so deep it was bubbling up like a red fountain. Yui took the knife into her hands and rushed to the front of the monument. However, just as she was about to slide the knife into the indention, a great roaring appeared out from beyond them.


    Calvin leaned forward as Yui turned around for them to both scream in horror. A very irritated collection of red horned heads rose from the other side of the edge of the soil. It crawled on its clawed legs towards them, rushing as fast as an overgrown reptile could.


    ¡°You thought you could march into my new domain without me noticing?!¡± he shouted from his centermost head. ¡°I¡¯ll rip you into little pieces in front of one another and torture those fragments alive!¡±


    However, just as he neared Yui, a bright flash of gold jettisoned to his right. Calvin looked to see Trap had tackled him in the side and flung the dragon over quite a distance. As the dragon roared in pain. Trap then flew in front of Calvin and leaned over him, licking the young man fervently.


    Calvin could see the dog had patches of skin removed from his body, many scar marks and the gold robe covering his body was covered in his own blood. Calvin smoothed his hand over the dog¡¯s head, smiling at him as best he could in agony. He laughed a little as Trap licked his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to know you¡¯ll be the last thing I see before I die,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s only fair.¡±


    ¡°Touch my garment.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s eyes went wide at the sound of his dog speaking to him, the sound so shocking it almost made him ignore the fact he was bleeding to death.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°My cloth of sunlight,¡± Trap said. ¡°You¡¯ll be rejuvenated.¡±


    Calvin reached forward and grasped the garment that looked like it was woven from sunlight. Immediately, flesh grew over Calvin¡¯s wound. He was even able to immediately sit up, feeling as though he had no injury once-so-ever. If anything, he felt like he had greater strength and energy than before.


    ¡°Wh-What was that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Kindness,¡± Trap said. ¡°Just like you showed me in my first life. And you intended to sacrifice yourself for the betterment of others. You have truly broken the curse of the sacrifice of power that mankind¡¯s freewill was tainted with. Now¡­the knife¡¯s true power can be released.¡±


    He looked back at Trap to find him turning to Yui.


    ¡°Insert the knife now,¡± he said. ¡°Awaken it¡¯s true power and create the prince that shall end the dragon¡¯s life and reign over the mortal world.¡±


    ¡°A prince?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Trap said. ¡°One that shall be made of the blood of you and Calvin.¡±


    Yui nodded before inserting the knife slick with blood into the indention. Calvin stood up to find a satisfying click could be heard upon entering. A bright flash of light followed that the stone monument became bathed in. However, a roar could be heard from behind them.


    ¡°Insects!¡± the dragon shouted. ¡°You think you¡¯re on par with the newly crowned king of this universe?!¡±


    ¡°Hurry!¡± the dog shouted. ¡°Create the new guardian of the heavens!¡±


    They all turned to see the dragon rushing towards them, all of his legs like blood red blurs he was moving so fast. Trap sprung into action, flying forward before latching a hold of his centermost neck and slammed the central head into the ground. However, just as he wrestled the dragon to the ground a head to the right jabbed at him with its horn.


    Trap was flung backward, fresh blood splattering across the dry soil. Calvin attempted to race forward but Trap looked back and shook his head. He turned back to growl at the dragon, the serpent hissing in anger before Trap lunged forward, his fangs bared. Calvin turned to Yui as she was being bathed in light.


    ¡°Calvin!¡± Yui said. ¡°The knife¡­it tells me we must hold hands!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said.


    He rushed forward to the other side of the monument and grasped Yui¡¯s outstretched hands. The light emanating from the stone then surrounded Yui. Similar to Trap¡¯s robe of sunlight, the young woman became dressed in pure, golden light. Yui¡¯s hair became encircled with twelve twinkling crystals that frantically twirled around her head.


    And then her stomach grew bigger. Both of them cried in surprise as her belly engorged until it reached the stone monument. Her white dress stretched to the point of almost tearing, squeezing Calvin¡¯s hands in desperation.


    ¡°C-C-Calvin I-¡± she said.


    ¡°I know,¡± he answered. ¡°When he said¡­create a new life¡­he meant to literally create a life that shall challenge the serpent.¡±


    Yui collapsed onto the ground, screaming and writhing in pain.


    ¡°Oh it hurts!¡± she cried. ¡°I-It hurts!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Calvin asked.


    He raced over to and laid his hands on Yui¡¯s expanded stomach to find she was gasping for air.


    ¡°It¡¯s already coming!¡± Yui cried. ¡°I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m about to give birth at this very moment!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calvin shouted.


    ¡°I think I remember this¨C¡± Yui said. ¡°Ugh! From the time¡­I was dead¡­!¡±


    She shut her eyes as she was crying, tears flowing down her face. She rolled over in pain as Yui continued to scream in agony. Calvin began running his hands through his hair in nervousness, nearly tearing it out in panic.


    ¡°The grand star¡­¡± she said. ¡°Told me¡­I was¡­going to give birth to the savior of this universe!¡±


    ¡°What-what-?!¡± Calvin shouted. ¡°What should I do?!¡±


    ¡°Run with the baby!¡± Trap shouted.


    He saw the dog cored in the stomach by one of the dragon¡¯s horns before being thrown to the side. He collapsed to the ground, too tired to continue running. Calvin nearly screamed in horror, only to find to his relief the stab wound was already closing over. Calvin realized that Trap¡¯s robe of gold probably had regenerative properties. However, he did not get up immediately, as rising to his feet became more and more difficult.


    If Yui¡¯s wearing the same thing¡­He thought. Then that means any wound she has after giving birth will be healed. However¡­it looks like this battle has thoroughly worn Trap out.


    ¡°Die you worms!¡± the dragon shouted. ¡°I won¡¯t allow any rival for my dominion to be born!¡±


    The large red reptile raced towards them after goring Trap. Not knowing what else to do, Calvin grabbed Yui so that she was scooped in his arms. He was glad to know the robe of sunlight increased his strength to lift her without any trouble. Calvin raced towards the edge of the flat plain of dirt with Yui in his arms. Once he reached the edge of the plain he jumped as far as he could. The last thing he saw before he jumped was Trap weakly lunging at the dragon only for the larger of the two creatures to headbutt him away.


    Hoping to land on the golden layer below, Calvin plummeted further and further down, closing his eyes in fear before feeling himself crash into something rocky. Calvin looked down to see he landed feet first into the surface of the moon below, the strength he received from Trap preventing him from dying upon impact. His shoes looked relatively undamaged as well.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The moment of relief that he did not die was followed by an awareness of Yui¡¯s shrieking combined with the roaring of the dragon above mixed with Trap¡¯s barking. He kneeled down in front of Yui to hold her hand as she gritted her teeth to prevent her from screaming. This did not prevent her from making noise but merely caused her to bottle her yelling inside before shouting so loudly it hurt Calvin¡¯s ears.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!¡± Yui yelled.


    The young woman was clearly unable to not express her pain in anything but garbled shouts. She was beyond coherent words and was screaming in agony. And it mixed with the dragon¡¯s roars and Trap¡¯s barking. A tense moment filled the air where the screaming of everyone fell almost silent to Calvin.


    It was as though his ears no longer registered the noise because that was all it was. Noise. Nothing but nonsense information that happened to have a high decibel. There was no reason to believe these sounds had any real meaning behind them but simply bore the frustration of everyone else that he could do nothing about. Listening would not prevent Yui from feeling pain, it would not slay or help the dragon above or help Trap win the fight.


    No one would be aided or impeded by Calvin listening intently. He would only be hurting himself by trying to find meaning in unreasoned, clanging sounds. So the world fell strangely silent as the background intensified with senseless murmuring. It was almost peaceful the way he learned to tune out sounds he didn¡¯t like. Calvin almost wished he¡¯d discovered this ability sooner.


    There was a certain pausing Yui¡¯s screams had. Growing so desensitized to noise he almost didn¡¯t notice it but her shouting seemed to stop. Looking closely, Calvin saw that her gold dress was ripping open as something emerged from her body. And he was surprised to see it was the arms of a fully grown man.


    It was at that moment that the dragon slammed onto the ground of the moon in front of them. Calvin¡¯s sense of peace was gone as the slit eyes stared him down, hissing in anger. Calvin looked out of the corner of his eye to see Trap plummeting to the ground and landing on his back. The dog slowly stood back up but he was so matted in his own blood it was clear that he had no more fight left in him.


    ¡°Time to devour the child!¡± the dragon roared.


    Calvin stood between the dragon¡¯s centermost head and Yui. The dragon lunged one of its heads forward only for Calvin to punch at it. That was a mistake.


    His fist seemed to shatter into dozens of pieces, causing him to go limp. The scales of the dragon felt as solid as rock. He was pretty sure he had broken his hand and possibly his arm.


    After damaging his right hand with a simple headbutt, the dragon then bit Calvin with his leftmost head along the waist. He screamed in pain as fresh blood flowed from his stomach as he was enveloped in its jaws. He struggled for freedom but it only drove the fangs deeper into his flesh.


    ¡°You could have just stayed out of this, Calvin,¡± the centermost head said. ¡°You had everything you wanted. Your lost love, your pet¡­you could have even slept with Yui if you commanded her with the knife.¡±


    Calvin groaned in pain, the jaws of the dragon acting as a vice to his body. The dragon then held an adjacent head up to his face. The slit eyes filled him with fear.


    ¡°But you instead chose to meddle with concerns not your own,¡± the dragon said. ¡°And now you shall die for mingling with that which wasn¡¯t your business.¡±


    Calvin shouted in pain as the dragon laughed. He could feel his body slump down as he felt his life fading. The dragon continued laughing as he drove his fangs deeper into Calvin until it stopped abruptly. His eyes went wide in horror.


    Calvin turned to see someone new standing in front of Yui. He helped the young woman to her feet where she stood behind him, cowering. He was the bravest looking person Calvin had ever seen.


    His wooly hair was as white as snow and his skin was like glowing bronze straight out of the furnace. His eyes were like the blaze of a fire, burning red with passion. He wore a simple white robe and purple sash and his face glowed like the sun. He waved his hand in front of Calvin, a thin light showering him from above.


    The dragon let go of Calvin, the young man plummeting to the ground with a grunt of pain. The dragon staggered backward as he shook in horror, the strange yet powerful man quietly following him. Calvin watched as he held out his right hand for seven twinkling crystals to appear from his palm. As he watched, Yui rushed over to him and held him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°My stomach,¡± Calvin said. ¡°I¡¯ve been bitten.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well I-¡± he said.


    He gestured to his wounds to find they were gone. He wasn¡¯t even bleeding. Calvin touched his bare skin where the dragon had gnawed on him to find no blood painted his hands. He thoroughly examined himself before looking back at the man the dragon cowered in front of.


    ¡°Did-?¡± Calvin asked. ¡°Did he¡­heal me?¡±


    The dragon roared at the man with all seven of his heads before the seven crystals twirling in his right hand shot toward the serpent. Upon impact the stars burst into flame where they touched the scales of the reptilian creature. The dragon screamed in pain as fire engulfed it, thrashing its head about in pain.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°No, no, no! This will not be the way it ends!¡±


    It lurched forward toward the strange man, only for the man to open his mouth wide. A sword handle appeared from inside his jaw he then grabbed and whipped at the creature. The blade was unsheathed from his throat where it was hidden, the dragon cut in two by the blade. His burning body further crumbled into ashes once his body was severed. In a moment, his two haves burned into nothing so that nothing remained.


    He then turned to Yui and Calvin, the two of them unable to stand still. Yui pressed herself into Calvin¡¯s bosom as he wrapped her in his right arm and clasped his left hand with her¡¯s. The two of them were afraid to say anything.


    The man looked away to find that Trap was walking toward them, so wounded he was almost about to fall over. The glowing man knelt down and let one of the seven stars hovering in his hand float toward the dog. All of Trap¡¯s wounds closed over and he was cleaned of all bloodstains. The dog barked energetically, clearly overjoyed.


    ¡°You have all done well,¡± the glowing man said. ¡°You have helped defeat the black serpent once and for all, at the risk to both of your lives. And for that¡­I thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but¡­¡± Calvin said. ¡°I could have never done it without Yui. In fact¡­I¡¯m only here because I murdered my own brother. I¡­I deserve death for my deed.¡±


    He only smiled warmly.


    ¡°Such wounds can be mended with time,¡± the glowing man said. ¡°Besides¡­I¡¯m sure your brother is doing better already.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Calvin asked.


    Nathan gagged as blood rushed down his throat as he reached toward the white, stone-like pavement in front of him. He dragged himself onto the pavement before standing up on it. As Nathan was soaked in blood, he could see others walking down the narrow way to be seated in the black sky like the stars were. He forced himself to march forward behind a woman, careful not to fall off the pavement.


    ¡°He¡¯s taken the narrow way?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Quite,¡± the glowing man said. ¡°He is on his way to living in peace and comfort for all of eternity. So¡­his death may not be as bad for him as you would believe.¡±


    Calvin sighed, turning away.


    ¡°Still,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make what I did right.¡±


    The glowing man looked to his side to see Trap walking beside him, barking happily.


    ¡°Calvin?¡± the glowing man said. ¡°Do you mind if I take Trap with me? I wish him to be my partner as we descend to the Earth.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am the savior of this accursed realm,¡± he said. ¡°Mankind has committed great evil since its fall and I would like to show them a creature they can model themselves after. One obedient and full of love. Under my reign there shall be no wars or crime. The weak will not be stepped on or sacrificed for the ambition of the strong.¡±


    He opened his mouth again and plunged the sword¡¯s blade into his mouth, the entire weapon disappearing down his throat. In its place an iron scepter appeared in the glowing man¡¯s left hand. Testingly, he swung the rod of metal once before looking back up.


    ¡°And I have a final purpose for the both of you,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°Cultivate a new Earth,¡± the glowing man said.


    ¡°What?¡± they both asked.


    ¡°As I go down to Earth to bring order to the nations and be the one true king to their world,¡± he said. ¡°I want someone to live on a fragment of the Earth where it can be what it once was. A cornucopia of abundant and delicate life.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Like it was intended.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°With the knife of choice put in its proper place you can now make new lifeforms. New humans, new plants, new animals. It is all in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yui asked. ¡°You would give two humans that much responsibility after they gave into the black serpent¡¯s temptation?¡±


    ¡°You proved yourselves loyal by being willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good,¡± he said. ¡°When the first humans were tested like that, they failed. But you did not.¡±


    He then turned and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, the sky above them was no longer a foggy white. It began to light up with golden light. The world around them was bathed in the shining of the sun, a nice warmth flooding Calvin.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s daytime.¡±


    ¡°The grand star has returned,¡± he said. ¡°The star guardians and treasured people slain by the dragon and his pawns shall be revived. And his light shall nourish the world to a new era of peace.¡±

 Epilogue—Eternal Love

    Chapter 15


    Calvin held the new baby in his arms, stroking the baby¡¯s bald head. Yui cooed at the child by gently poking his fragile mouth with her fingers. The baby¡¯s giggling made them both laugh.


    The fragment of the Earth was no longer barren of life but had greenery springing from every space. Horses with wings flew by while snakes crawled on multiplied legs like centipedes. Large lions ate fruit dangling overhead while sheep as large as elephants slept in the shade. The sun shined brighter than ever that day and would never fade. Calvin had never been happier and new for certain this feeling would never fade.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.