The Son of Light Book 1: Rebirth (10 page)

His Worst Fear

Josh & Nick

Josh saw Hexen remove his hood, revealing his face.
Is this the guy from before?
He looked like him, but he didn’t have red eyes or look particularly abnormal. He was muscular with a chiseled face; his eyebrows were dark and thick above pale eyes, and his head was shaved. Josh saw a handful of the ghostly orbs drifting towards the demon lord. Hexen absorbed them and his eyes were healed. Josh stood frozen as his turquoise eyes met Hexen’s black ones.

It was simply mesmerizing. Hexen’s gaze sent chills through Josh body. Everything seemed to have stopped and yet Hexen was getting closer. Then he heard a voice.

"Josh, run!" yelled Nick.

He felt himself being pushed back and saw his brother racing towards Hexen.

Without warning, Hexen fired black lightning from his fingertips, catching Nick off guard. Josh saw Nick catch the bolts in his hands. He stood there, watching them, still confused and shocked. He failed to notice, however, the black and purple mist forming above his head.

From it, Damen dropped down in front of him. Josh screamed as he saw a flash of purple light. He felt himself being blasted into the air and through the gates of the college. He rolled into the student center, hitting his face on the ground as blood streamed from his nose and forehead.

He sat up and saw his brother’s cell phone in front of him through the blood in his eyes. Damen came flying towards him, firing more lightning. Josh rolled to avoid the bolts, which instead hit the ground and phone with a loud
bang
. He scrambled to his feet and ran away towards the corridors.

Meanwhile, Nick continued to block Hexen's roaring black bolts at the front gates of the college. With great fury, he converted the bolts into a bright blue beam and pushed it towards the demon lord. But the beam quickly became black bolts again, much more powerful than before. Nick leaped out of the way and created a flaming orb in each hand. He turned to the flames, hoping to use his special attack, like he did in the City of Pasag. The flames did not heed his command, however. He turned around and saw Hexen commanding them into the ground. Moments later, a pillar of fire shot up under Nick, but he managed to dodge it in time. Hexen commanded another fiery pillar to shoot up. Nick dodged it again, but felt his sweater burning. He pulled it off and clapped his hands over his head, and a blinding flash hit Hexen’s eyes. He turned and saw that Josh was gone. With great speed, Nick headed straight for the college.

Josh ran through the corridors as purple lighting blasted past his head and legs. He ducked and covered as pieces of the corridor crumbled around him and dust particles blinded his sight. He fought against the temptation to look back at Damen, who was laughing manically behind him.

Eventually, he gave in and glanced back, hoping his attacker had gotten tired. To his surprise, Damen was gone. Josh looked around frantically. Suddenly, he felt something bite his right shoulder. He fell to the ground, shrieking in pain, and saw Damen standing over him, laughing. His teeth were bloodied and his eyes glowed red. He let out a loud screech as purple lightning flashed on his body. Josh crawled to his feet and ran away screaming.

Meanwhile, Nick bolted onto the walkway and saw Josh running out of the corridor. Before he could move, Hexen appeared in front of him. With great hatred Nick lunged at him, swinging his fists and hollering like a wild beast. None of his swings were connecting, however. Then all the air was forced out him as he felt Hexen’s iron fist drive into his gut. He fell to his knees and watched Hexen head towards Josh.

Josh scrambled up a tall flight of stairs to a stone garden all the way at the back of the college. The garden held large stones in a wide circle around an even taller rectangular stone. Etched around the garden in blood was an outline of the symbol that matched the one on his hand. He turned and saw the strange fire mixing with purple lightning, and the ghostly orbs around him. Damen had appeared again a few feet away, commanding them. Josh dropped to the ground and threw his hands over his head. Suddenly, the symbol on his hand flashed and light covered his entire body. Damen’s attack hit Josh, creating violent flashes.

Down on the walkway, Nick struggled to his feet and leapt onto Hexen, placing him in a tight chokehold. Hexen thrashed around as Nick beat him viciously in the face. Hexen reached over and threw him into a classroom. The demon lord flew towards his fallen foe, but he was met with a sparkling jet of blue fire roaring towards him. Nick stood up and continued the attack. Hexen was blocking the swirling blue flames with his bare hands and in moments, had converted them into a force wave.

Nick felt himself launch into the air. The entire college came apart under the force of Hexen’s counterattack, from the shattering windows of every building, and the falling bell tower that crashed into the library and gym, to the exploding classrooms and stores. Everything was in ruins. Nick hit the ground and gave out a loud cry. He looked down at a rusty pole sticking out of his left calf, blood gushing everywhere. Hexen ignored the screams and headed for the stone garden.

Damen ceased his attack once he saw Hexen approaching. The light shield faded, leaving Josh exhausted. He felt a cold hand gripping him by the throat, and he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He looked down and saw Damen holding him high in the air, wearing a wide grin.

Josh kicked the demon lord anywhere he could, but it was like hitting stone. Then he saw Damen open his mouth and a long, wet tongue protruded out. Josh squirmed as it brushed across his mouth and his nose. Damen’s eyes glanced over to an approaching Hexen and then back to Josh.

Nick quickly melted the bottom end of the pole and pulled it out of his bleeding calf. He limped after Hexen, grabbed his cloak, and pulled the demon lord onto the sharp pole. Hexen screamed, falling to the ground. With one hand, Nick engulfed Hexen in flames and with his other, encased him in glowing ice. Hexen moved no more.

Josh felt his throat squeeze tighter and tighter until suddenly he felt himself fall to the ground. He looked up and saw pain stretching across Damen’s face. He stood paralyzed as Josh backed away. Moments later, Nick arrived, firing another jet of blue fire and destroying Damen's body. Josh saw Nick struggle towards him and pulled him to his feet. Josh was horrified.
What the fuck is happening?
Everything was going so fast.

Before he could speak, a storm of black and purple mist appeared in front of them. Hexen stepped out, his face emotionless. Josh quickly moved behind his brother, who was trembling just as much as he was. He saw the ghostly purple orbs entered Hexen’s body again and within seconds all of Hexen’s burns and wounds were healed.

Josh saw Nick create blue flaming orbs in his hands and heard him say, “When I say the word, run away as fast—”

But before Josh could hear the rest, he saw Nick drop to the ground gasping for air as Hexen’s mist covered his head. He rushed to aid his brother as Hexen closed in on them.

“Leave him alone!” wailed Josh.

Hexen continued to stride towards him.

“I’m warning you, stay back!” he ordered, clenching his fists.

Hexen did not listen. With his blood boiling, Josh leaped at Hexen and punched him in his chiseled face. It had no effect. Josh pulled back his fist in pain. It had been like hitting a brick wall. He stood there for second in shock, then as if in slow motion, he saw Hexen raise his right hand and bring it down at him. Josh felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and then darkness.

Face to Face

Josh & Nick

Through the mist, Nick watched Hexen carry Josh in his arms. Hexen gently rested him on the center of the stones, under the taller stone. Hexen stared at Josh’s bloodied face for a moment before raising his hands and commanding black mist to form mini black spheres on the stones. The dark spheres immediately began drawing the ghostly orbs into them, from around the area. In one quick hand movement he commanded dark beams to shoot from them into the sky.

The beams met and created a colossal black sphere. Finally, Hexen created a symbol on Josh's chest similar to the one etched around the garden, with Josh’s own blood. Nick tried moving, but he felt weaker and weaker as the black mist continued to grip him. Suddenly, he saw a flash and moments later Hexen was gone, but Josh’s body was left behind.

Josh woke with his vision blurred, but once it cleared he saw nothing but a pinkish glow. He looked below his abdomen and saw that he was in a sea of purple and pink orbs, similar to the ones he had seen in the park.

"Wh-where am I?" he moaned, wearily.

He looked at his hands and they seemed transparent. He soon realized his entire body was see-through. Only a symbol glowing on his chest, that looked similar to the one on his hand, was solid. This surely had to be a dream, but it couldn’t be. He could feel pain all through his body. It was like a million small, hot knives carving into him slowly.

"You are with me, Son of Light," said a cold voice.

Josh turned and saw Hexen standing on a piece of land a few feet away. Josh stared at him, totally in shock. He franticly looked around the never-ending pink sea for any signs of Nick.

"He is not here," said Hexen.

Josh looked back at Hexen wide-eyed.

"You. Who are you? What do you want?" asked Josh nervously.

"I am Lord Hexen," answered Hexen calmly.

Josh stared at him with confusion: Hexen was speaking, but his mouth wasn't moving. He heard two voices coming from him—one sounded normal, one sounded demonic. And for some reason, Hexen was getting taller.

"I knew someone like you once. He’s gone, but here you are before me with the same powers," said Hexen, beaming at Josh.

Hexen kept getting taller, and, suddenly, Josh heard screams echoing through his head.

"You proved that in that park today,” Hexen continued. “You can see negative energy like him. You even have the same symbol on your hand."

Josh began to panic as Hexen took a few steps closer. The screaming grew louder in his head. Josh finally recognized who it was. It was Nick, but where was he?

"Nick! What's happening to him?" he cried out.

"Your brother has protected you from me for years. But I knew he’d become arrogant and reveal your whereabouts at some point. Unlike him, I understand patience. After all, you are the Son of Light; the one who will defeat the mighty Demon Lord and his kingdom of hate,” said Hexen amusedly. “He will share the same fate as your mother.”

"What? Please, leave my brother alone! I beg you!" pleaded Josh.

He looked down and saw that the glowing pink sea was now at his chest. Hexen wasn’t getting taller; Josh was sinking into the pink sea.

"Why? He’s human, and there is nothing innocent about humans. This is the end for mankind," said Hexen.

Meanwhile back at the campus, Nick continued to writhe on the ground. The black mist felt like white-hot knives slowly puncturing his neck. Through the mist he could see Damen dancing around him, shooting lightening into the dark sky and yelling in his demonic, childlike voice.

In every high school, college, home, and street near the park, hundreds of men, women, and children panicked as they dropped like flies with their flesh rotting. Soon chaos crawled over the entire world as the colossal black sphere hung in the sky, surround by millions of the pink, blue, and purple orbs. Planes crashed into cities, and cars smashed into buildings and gas stations creating huge explosions. Hundreds of bodies continued to pile up in the streets as the stench of rotting flesh filled the air.

In the dark realm, the sea was now at Josh’s neck.

“They call me a murderer. I’m not a murderer, I’m saving mankind from itself,” said Hexen.

"Please!" Josh cried out.

"And to make sure I never have to see your face ever again, your soul will fade in my lake of negative energy. You’ve weakened yourself in that park enough to make this quick," said Hexen, now looking above Josh’s head.

Josh frantically swam towards him and grabbed the ends of his long cloak.

“As long as you live, I cannot have peace,” said Hexen.

"Don't kill him! Don't kill him, Please!" Josh begged.

Lord Hexen stood like a stone statue. The last thing Josh saw before sinking completely under the pink sea was Hexen pulling his hood over his eyes and walked slowly away. Lord Hexen continued on until he suddenly came a halt. He was stuck. He turned and saw Josh’s hand tightly clutched on the tails of his cloak with the triangular symbol shimmering.

Back in the stone garden, the large symbol flashed again around the stones, along with Josh's body. The force was go great the stones began to crack and the ground tore apart. Nick was able to move easier for the mist around his head was weakening. He rolled behind one of the stones nearest to him, glancing from Damen to his brother. He saw that Damen had stopped dancing and was now beaming at Josh.

In the dark realm, Josh continued to pull on Hexen’s cloak, heaving himself onto the piece of land.

“Let go!” Hexen ordered.

“No! I won’t let you kill him!” Josh yelled, weeping.

Hexen desperately kicked Josh back into the sea. The moment Josh touched it, the pink sea became a sea of light. Josh lunged back up now grabbing Hexen’s legs, pulling himself out of the glowing sea. Hexen collapsed and Josh’s soul fell onto Hexen’s chest and wrapped his arms around him.

“Let go!” Hexen yelled.

They both fell to the ground. Hexen aggressively forced himself away and moved to the other side of the small island. Josh crawled towards Hexen with watery eyes, and saw a look of horror on the demon lord’s face.

“No! No!” screamed Hexen, covering his eyes.

Josh saw Hexen freeze. For a split second Josh thought he saw Hexen’s eyes water, but the demon lord vanished and the symbol on Josh’s chest faded. Then there was a bright flash. Josh felt himself fall asleep.

Meanwhile back at the campus, Nick saw Damen stretching a hand towards Josh’s body. He felt a powerful force of energy soaring over him. He could not see anything, but it felt sickly, cold, and dreadful. He knew Damen was doing something, but whatever it was, the blinding shimmering light from Josh’s body seemed to be repelling it.

This was Nick’s chance. Damen’s back was turned and if he could get to him, he could save Josh. And so, he crawled with all his might towards the demon lord’s heels. But just as he got close enough grab the demon lord’s cloak, Damen suddenly screamed. Nick clapped his hands over his ears. The sound was so painful he thought his ears might bleed. Damen stood paralyzed in front of him. Then without warning, Damen moved again. He quickly turned into black mist and Nick watched him fly away from the garden. “What just happened?” he thought.

Then, as he struggled to keep his eyes on his brother, small, shimmering white and sky blue orbs flew from Josh's glowing body. The bright orbs flew into every black sphere in the stone garden, causing them to boil. Before long they were covered in pure light along with the dark beams.

The light beams made their way to the colossal black sphere as hundreds of the glowing orbs flew into it. The millions of ghostly orbs around it began to evaporate. Within moments, the monstrous sphere exploded into pieces covering, the sky in light particles.

As light particles rained down around him, Nick crawled towards his brother, who was now visible through the fading light around them. The etched symbol around the stones stopped glowing and with all his might, Nick continued to crawl.

Finally within reach, he noticed tears falling from Josh’s closed eyes, and trickles of blood running down his nose and mouth. Nick desperately tried to wake him, but he saw no signs of life in his baby brother.
No! No!
Nick felt his movements becoming slower. Before long, his eyelids felt heavy. They shut and there was darkness.