Broken Justice:

The

Curse

of

the

Omen

Ó Omen Cross November 24, 2013 A.D.

Preface

My name is Omen Cross, and I am a Satanist. But I am definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill type of Satanist. I don’t subscribe to the Lies that have been spoken throughout the Ages of Humanity, nor do I allow myself to be forced into claiming things which I do not believe. I have defended my faith, as well as my Father’s Name, against all sorts of opposition. So, prior to criticizing the story that you read, try to put yourself in my place in the story. Live my life, see as I have, then begin to speak. I do not bother people with what I believe they are doing wrong in their lives, and I expect the same courtesy to be shown. I was kind enough to allow this story to be read at all, without demanding huge sums of money for it. Act like you have some decency and intelligence, and try to read the story as it is written. If you are the type of person that likes to start problems for the sake of doing so, put this book down and walk away. You will light fires that you cannot control, and I will not be responsible for you being burnt by them. As for everyone else, my Brothers and Sisters in the Father especially, I hope that this story allows each of you some new level of Understanding in your own lives, that you might more easily be able to walk the path laid before you. My journey was hard, and cost me more than I ever expected. I would ask that each of you take this into account as well in your lives, for many are not truly ready to serve. For those that choose to, I also ask that this story not be distributed aside from the ways in which I personally do so. It is too dangerous to just toss around. Remember, discretion is the better part of Valor. I’m sure this will be understood, as well as many other things, once you read the story I have for you, a tale of Broken Justice...

The Way

1

The soldier stared at his cell phone. Despite being a soldier in the United States Army, his life was much less than one of honor. For his weight issues, coupled with his high intelligence and attitude, made him a regular target for the Sergeants. Also these issues seemed to cause problems with his wife as well. For she wanted more, wanted him to be a Sergeant as well. Not for the leadership, not for the ability to influence change, but solely that she might have more money to spend. The soldier's life was in torment, and he had begged for a way out. A way to change it all, so that his life would be worth something real.

For years this soldier had called himself a Satanist, but only behind closed doors. The main reason was a realization the soldier came to in his youth. It happened when he lived with his grandmother. One Sunday morning, she awoke him for church. But he refused to go, both on that day and ever again. When asked why he replied,"According to both the Bible and the words of the Pastors, the way in which I live will send me to Hell. But I do not believe the way in which I live is wrong. I harm no one intentionally, I steal from no one, and I am not afraid to put effort in to make something happen. So, if I cannot believe myself to be wrong, I cannot and will not change the behavior. Thus I am destined for Hell, and going to Church will not change that. I'd rather at least know which team I play for, and be knowledgeable of what lies ahead."

Displayed on the screen of the soldier's phone was a Satanic website. He had been here several times, reading the various pieces of information. The more he studied, the more it felt appropriate that he continue. As the various names and entities were described the soldier stared to the sky again. Something stirred inside him, something unlike anything he had felt before. He felt nervous for no reason whatsoever. Even though he was safe inside the training area with the other soldiers, he felt great fear. The fear came every time he looked at the Dedication Ritual. The reason was not because of the names spoken, or the blood he had to shed. The fear was unexplainable, just an overwhelming mix of internal pain and worry. And the fear did not prevail to any of the other readings, only the Dedication.. As such, while smoking out on break, the soldier stood and questioned the sky.

But there were no answers to be found in the sky that night, and thus the soldier returned to his duties. Life moved on, and finally the military training ended. The soldier returned home to Giselle, the woman to which he had pledged himself after joining the Army. He had great love for her, so much so that he had assisted her in lying to the government about being pregnant, so that she could leave the service. Afterward she had come to be with him, and they had been married ever since. She was a Latina, and her long brown hair hung just past her shoulders. Inside her matching brown eyes the soldier searched for the happiness he had always hoped would come from his love, but no longer did he see it. For now her eyes did not look upon him the same way, they were filled with disdain. She wanted to be a Sergeant's wife, like all her friends. She wanted them to have more money, so they could go out more. She wanted these things much more than she wanted her husband to be happy, apparent by her daily rants.

Their relationship was tolerable at best. Feeling her hatred towards him, the soldier felt no physical want for her. He began to spend much of his free time playing World of Warcraft, even sleeping alone in his recliner. He wanted things to change between them, he wanted the happiness they once had to return. He had never considered leaving her for anyone else, nor had he wanted to. For this reason, he ran almost every day after work, trying to lose the weight that kept him from Sergeant. He didn't want the position, as all he saw in his leaders was selfishness and corruption. But for his wife he decided he would try his best. Sadly his best had not been enough. Even doing the training three times a day was not producing significant enough results. The soldier was losing his faith in himself. He felt he was a failure, both to himself and his wife. He wondered if his life would turn around, if it was even worth living at all...

To negate these thoughts, as he did quite often, the soldier went out to wash his truck. He smiled as he gathered all the necessary tools. This was his most prized possession, and with good reason. It had been repainted with a deeply reflective black, and thus the soldier could see himself. But the reflection was marred by the dirt and water spots left by weeks of sitting outside. The soldier hated to see his vehicle this way, and it had been his plan to spend this day fixing it. He filled his bucket and started washing the hood. He couldn't wait to see his Xtreme shine again. He popped in his headphones, metal at full volume, and got to work.

As he sat washing the rims, suddenly he heard a voice. It called out, heard even over the music. And the noise was not the song itself, as the soldier was listening to his favorites that he knew well. He turned to look, but no one was there. As he went back to work however, he heard the voice again. He could almost swear he kept hearing, "Hey you," but that was impossible. For every time he heard it and checked, no one was found anywhere. His wife was inside watching TV, and the neighbors weren't even home. "I must be hearing things," he said to himself as he went back to washing the rims

"If you ignore me one more time, there will be a serious problem."

The soldier fell backwards, looking around in every direction. "Who said that," he said aloud, quickly turning to shut his Iphone off again.

"You called, and so I am here."

The soldier thought back to the days prior, and the questions he had asked. He was stunned. Could it really be this simple? Why him, when so many pray every day for answers they never receive? The soldier was amazed at this, and eager to continue the discussion.

"Are you the one they call Satan? The High King of the Darkness, the one worshipped under many other names before Christianity even existed?" The soldier had done some research, and would not be fooled into seeing the Christian description as the correct one.

"Yes. I am, but not all names spoken referring to Me are appropriate."

The soldier went to his knees, laying his face to the ground. "I am honored beyond words. What greatness have I done to deserve the King Himself to descend from His Throne, simply to stand here before me?"

You are My Child. Know in your mind and heart that I care for all the Children, and you stand among them. You asked for answers, not of a will to conquer or harm, but for Knowledge and Understanding. These are pure reasons, a thing rare in the world. But know Child that I have known of you since long before your birth. Now, you have had your questions answered. What shall you do now?

Tears ran down the soldier's face. His Father stood before him. He was no man of religion, simply a soldier with a family. His voice cracked as he responded through the tears. "Anything you ask Father. I spent my whole life praying for answers I never received. But You came. You cared, when even those around me do not, enough to want me around. Order it and it shall be done Father, Your Will is my command."

"An order? No, but it is time for your first lesson. You asked about the Dedication, and your hesitation to it yes?"

"Yes Father."

"It is because in your mind you did not truly understand what it meant to Dedicate yourself, and thus your heart bid you to stop."

The soldier considered this, and it made sense. He had no idea what this level of commitment would do to his life. It made sense that if he subconsciously recognized a flaw in judgement, his body could be made to react. But that meant the solution was further learning.

"Father, how might I truly understand? In what way can I prove my loyalty to You?"

"You have values I wish to see for Myself. You say to others that you are an expert at detailing vehicles, do you not?"

"Well..yes Father."

"Show me this supposed talent of yours. You already have everything you need prepared. I want you to clean this vehicle better than ever before. I want it to shine like a faceted black diamond. You may take breaks, but you cannot cease this task until it is complete. I will be watching, and you will know when you have done enough."

"Yes Father, I will do as you ask."

The soldier stood for a second, reevaluating his plans. He went inside an acquired some extra materials, then got back to work. He scrubbed with the sponge, doing his best to wipe away all the dirt. But just doing the pretty outer parts was not sufficient. He went underneath the wheel wells, scrubbing out filth that could be seen to have sat for some time. He opened the hood, scrubbing down all the parts inside. He scrubbed everywhere his arms would reach. At times he would reach a point where the scrubbing was not making a difference, and he would feel a need to continue on. Around the entire vehicle the soldier went, washing every inch with great care.

As he did, the Father continued to speak to him. But this was a one-sided conversation, as the servant worked and the Father talked. He spoke of places where cleaning was not done. He spoke about how the world did not truly understand Him. He spoke on His anger at the horrible things that people say about Him, and things done to others in His Name. He spoke on His sadness at the current state of the world, as Men war with each other over nothing. As He spoke the work seemed to be much easier, and thus the soldier seemed to work harder than ever.

After the first few hours of work, the Father left. He promised to return later, when His soldier was finished with the task. The soldier worked tirelessly, as his skin burnt red in the sun. But He ignored the burn, focusing only on his attempt at perfection for his Father. The entire vehicle was washed and waxed. He took a great deal of time with the waxing, making sure to remove every bit. By the time he had finished, the traffic from the street nearby could be seen in his truck. But this was only half the task, there was still much more to do.

He moved to the inside, and began the same level of cleaning there. The carpets were shampooed and vacuumed, Armor-All wipes cleaned the dashboard. Even the spaces between the vents was wiped down, as the soldier worked hard to prove himself to the Father. Finally, after the windows were wiped down inside and out, the truck was as clean as he could make it. It shone brilliantly in the light of the sun as it began to fall behind the horizon.

As the soldier went inside to relax, he felt something inside. A need to examine deeper. As he considered, he realized that he had forgotten something. His habits of detailing were always the same. After completion, he would drive it up and down the road a bit, just so people would feel jealous of the truck's beauty. But as he went for his keys, he realized this was not a trip like the others. The Father would be with him on his "victory lap".

Realizing this, he ran into the shower. He cleaned himself completely, shaving his face and brushing his teeth. He sprayed on good cologne, said goodbye to his wife. She asked for an explanation as to where he was going, and he told her he would explain later. She was not thrilled by this, but did not argue nonetheless. He grabbed his keys and jumped in the truck. He made sure his mirrors were set, put on his seat belt, and put in one of his favorite CDs. The music blared as he pulled out of the driveway, and a joyous smile was on his face.

He headed out to the 190, the highway that ran East and West through Killeen. As he drove down the road, he felt the presence of the Father again. Upon entering the highway, he was singing along to "Walk With Me In Hell" by Lamb of God. As he sang the words, he directed his focus to the Father, who had felt the need to come visit. Tears again streamed down the soldier's face as he thanked the Father for giving him such a precious gift.

Suddenly, a pressure existed on both sides of his face. The feeling was the same as having one's head cupped between a set of hands. Then, he began to lift above his body. He did not go far, he was simply held above himself. He watched as, even though he floated above himself, the driving was kept under perfect control. Speed was maintained, gear shifting was done, and traffic was all easily avoided. But yet he was not controlling these things, only watching them happen in amazement. As the song came to a close, the spirit and body of the soldier were reunited, and he turned around towards home. He felt that the Father had to leave soon, due to all the various tasks He has to complete. But He left with more than just a goodbye, he left the soldier with a message of hope.

"Today My Child, you have proven your Dedication to me. Not through the ceremonies and magics of others, but through the effort of your own body and will. This is how one is truly Dedicated, for the path of those that follow Me is beset with more danger than most can handle. To be a True Servant, you will have to learn to endure these things, no matter what damage they cause you. But you will not be alone, I will always be there for you. As such, abandon in your mind who you thought you were. For now you are Mine, and those of Me are not worthless or weak. My Children are the strong, those who refuse to back down from anyone. Today, as you become one of those strong Children, toss aside of the weak person you once were. To all that claim service to me, as well as any that truly care for you, you are now known by the name of Omen Cross. This name you have used before for other reasons, but I have taken it for Myself. For it suits you much better to the purpose I have in mind for you. Go now Omen, and prepare for the advancement of your chosen path."

Then, the Father's Spirit was gone. Omen could not believe what had just happened. As he pulled back into the driveway, he sat in awe and wonder for several minutes. This was unlike anything he had been told about how the path of Satanism worked. He had been told, as well as read, that it took years of training and study before contact could be made with the Demons. And the Father stood above them all, so that should mean only the highest get to speak with Him. So why now, why him? What was going on? How would he explain this to his wife, his friends, and outsiders? Omen pondered these questions, but after his great experience nothing would change his mind. He would do as he was told, and become a servant of the Father, regardless of anyone's opinion. He swore to the sky that he would not fail his Father, even at the cost of his life.

He went inside, and immediately began recounting the story to his wife. She supported him in his right to strive for change, but the disbelief in her face was obvious. As someone raised Spanish Catholic, Giselle did not take hearing the story of Satan’s arrival to their home well. But her atitude did not change Omen's demeanor. He went outside, onto his back porch to smoke and think.

As Omen sat and focused, thoughts began to enter his mind. It started like pictures, then with time progressed as the events in a music video would. To various types of music Omen saw various events, and he had no idea how any of them linked to one another. But then, the majority of the random images disappeared, and all that remained was the flowing image of a spanning area amongst desert and mountainous hills.

The area was full of people. People of every race and background were there. Inside the massive crowd, large groups could be seen as individual amongst the sea of Humanity. The thing that separated these groups was their garments. Each group could be seen to be various sects of Dark Worshippers, each standing out individually by the symbols they wore around their necks. Some of these smaller groups were performing rituals of various kinds, mostly out of reverence for the Father. As the sun began to lower in the sky, fires sprang up in many places across the area. The night was cold, the cold only found in the middle of a desert.

Then, upon the stage in the center of the crowd, a song began. The crowd reached a fever pitch within the first few notes. As the lead singer roared out the audience did so in return, and the sound resulting could be heard for miles. From some distance behind the crowd, a set of headlights came on. In tune with the notes of the song the revving engine of the vehicle could be heard, and with each one fire shot out the rear of the vehicle. As the beat of the song increased the vehicle sped forward towards the crowd, down a path kept clear by security.

The truck came to a stop about 10 feet away from the stage. Out from it stepped Omen, as the singing began. The crowd chanted along, as mosh pits sprang up across the sea of people. Omen shut the door of the truck, walked around to the other side and opened the door. No one could be seen inside, but after a second Omen closed the door. He took a knee next to the door and bowed his head. As the first verse reached completion, Omen reached out his hand to the sky. Upon doing so he seemed to be yanked upward by an invisible force, made to stand again. By the verse's end Omen watched the Father go out into the crowd. He himself made his way onto the stage, and began to dance and sing along. At the end of the first verse, massive pyrotechnics exploded, shooting flames high into the air.

As the second verse began, Omen turned to sing along to the crowd. Many stared back at him, and not all the faces looked happy. But Omen seemed not to care as he dove off the stage, riding the wave of hands that upheld him. Once he reached thee ground he made his way to the nearest mosh pit, and there he stayed for a time. But as the song slowed down, Omen caused the moshing to cease. He told them all by his hands to wait for the chaotic guitar to start, and they would mob each other at once. Many moshed in place, gathering their energy for what was about to happen.Omen took a knee, and put his left hand in front of his face, making the horns sit between his eyes. As the music exploded so did Omen, and the crowd around was quick to follow. Suddenly the entire crowd seemed as one giant mosh pit, as people let their energies rage. As the song came to a close, the energy could be seen to be so strong that it cracked like lightning in the sky. The Father was enjoying this time with His Children, and on the final note a great bolt of lightning struck a nearby light, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. The crowd roared with applause, and the band took a bow.

"What is this that I see," Omen asked the sky.

The answer did not take long. "It is a concert, one which I want you to put on in My Honor. A way for all My Children to gather in one place and worship together, if only for one night."

"But Father, a show of this size would cost a fortune. I am just a soldier, I could never afford such a thing. How am I to make this happen?"

"Not alone, and not yet. But keep in your mind what you have seen, as I expect you to do with all of the things I show you. For at some point in your life you may be presented with an opportunity to organize just such a thing, and you must remember that it is something I want you to do."

"Yes Father. I will not forget. Is there anything that I might do now for You?"

"Actually, there is. I had you take several pictures of the work you did for Me today. Use those pictures to write a story about this day, that it's importance might stick out in your mind. Try to learn to write without thinking, let the words simply flow through you."

Omen finished his cigarette, and went back into the house. He picked up his laptop, usually reserved for WoW gaming, and opened Microsoft Word. Omen sat for about 45 minutes, typing away feverishly at the keyboard. Afterward, he returned to the patio with a smile. For in such a such a short time, the poetic story describing his day was complete. It was entitled Covenant: A Day With the Father, and Omen quickly posted it on his Facebook page. It received a few likes, but the opinions of others did not concern him. For he had once again done as he was told, and the warm feeling he had inside proved he was successful in his task.

2

Over the next several months Omen's visions continued, as did his his transformation. For now, having been shown hsi Father, Omen became a vehement defender of his faith. His Baphomet pentagram, with its onyx background and golden designs, hung right next to his dog tags at all times. This upset many in Omen's Chain of Command, as they did not agree with his chosen faith. They saw it as inflammatory, unnecessary, and a "cry for attention". But Omen refused their demands to remove his symbol, citing the regulation that allows the wear of one religious symbol around the neck. This defeat sparked a fire in the Chain, and their differential treatment of Omen grew.

But despite all this, Omen was getting stronger. Military standards dictated that, as Omen was considered overweight, he was required to do twice the Physical Training each work day. The second session of these took place in the afternoon, in the hours prior to the day's end. At first, Sergeants that considered themselves physical specimens attempted to lead the group. But when the effort of the group could not meet the standards of the Sergeant, quickly they each started to disappear. Soon no Sergeants remained, and the soldiers simply spent an hour or so in the gym. But Omen was given orders to push himself to his limit, and he made a point to do so. From elliptical to bike to weights, Omen stormed the gym each day. He did so with a plan, taken straight out of the book written by his hero, Triple H. The 5-day plan Omen used as directed, adding in other things done for cardiovascular growth and weight loss.

Omen surprised his leaders when he became the only soldier in the battalion on the failing list that showed progress. His weight was dropping, as was his two-mile run time. But in it's place had come an attitude that they were not expecting. For every so often, Sergeants would be forced by their leaders to run PT. But this interfered with Omen's schedule, and the plans they had were never as effective. As such Omen refused to follow their lead, citing both his progress and all the previous examples of the Sergeant's failures with the group. This led to more than one argument between Omen and the Chain, but before the issue came to a head the unit had to leave for training.

Their destination was Fort Polk, where Omen had been stationed prior to his current unit. There stood the JRTC facilities, where soldiers are trained for the general hazards they face overseas. While stationed there for years, Omen watched the facility grow from containers with holes drilled in them to large-scale buildings, almost exactly the same on the outside as buildings usually seen in the Middle East. The people were all civilian actors, as well special units meant to play the role of insurgents.

But after so many visits to the area, Omen knew every inch. He led the convoy through the training area when they arrived, after having gotten sick of waiting on an escort. This made the highers happy, but as usual they didn't take long to change their attitude. Omen was placed on night shift radio guard, as he was not part of the gun truck teams that were doing the training. This was no different than when Omen was picked last for sports as a child, and for the exact same reason. The Sergeants did not like Omen, his ability to succeed without following them made them angry. After the first few nights his duty was changed, to guarding the ammunition storage area as everyone slept.

His partner on this guard was his friend Chance, and they had much in common. After several days of speaking to one another, Chance was also found to be a student of the darker side of spirituality, though not the same as Omen. He spoke of his many various trainings in magical arts, and also things to be wary of in the process of learning. He had showed Omen various staves and other objects he had constructed, telling Omen that someday he would likely do the same. As Omen recounted the tales of his meeting with the Father, Chance too was stunned. He then spoke of another he knew who was more versed in Dark Magic, and said that he would see if he could arrange a meeting.

Omen's worship continued even as the training went on. As he had time he would go out where the unused vehicles were parked, out at the edge of the area, where the guard towers stood unmanned. There he worshipped no differently than at home, singly loudly the words of his music. Each song brought different emotions, but all brought a want for more. As such Omen devised a plan, a special form of worship that he would carry out.

But before that, he had to acquire some necessities. This meant finding a way off the training camp, and getting into the larger part of Fort Hood. There Omen recalled a small BX where supplies could be purchased. Omen spoke to his Sergeants about the plan. They all wanted in, as did many of the other soldiers. They were out of their own supplies, and had brought cash hoping to find a store. Omen limited the plan to his own squad, the Ammo Section, and took their orders. He let them keep their money, as they did not believe Omen would find a way. But, with Chance beside him, the next day Omen went out to the area he worshipped. There he took the HMMWV of his Company Commander, and drove it straight out of the training area. He drove all the way out to the store, past all form of base and company guards. But none paid any attention, as seeing a HMMWV on those roads is common. Quickly Chance and Omen grabbed all items on the huge shopping list and loaded it up. Later, as the Ammo Squad sat doing nothing, Omen and Chance rolled up in the HMMWV. When asked why it was brought down, Omen smiled and began unloading the supplies. They all gawked with mouths open, but were happy to pay for their orders. Even the Commander and First Sergeant found out about the stolen vehicle, and brought Omen in for questioning. Omen defended himself, citing their lack of allowed time to grab necessities before the training was started, thus making it impossible for their soldiers to be prepared. As usual, Omen walked away with no disciplinary action, mostly based on how embarassed they would be telling their leaders.

Omen's 29th birthday came during the training. But even knowing this, Omen was allowed no more time than usual. In fact, on this day the Sergeants seemed to make a point to waste more of his time than usual. But Omen did not let it bother him, for this was a special day. Not because of the celebration of his birth, but because of his plans. It was Omen's birthday, but he had a celebration planned for the Father instead. He gathered everything he needed and waited, until the moon rose high in the sky and the soldiers were asleep.

Chance assisted Omen with his plan. Using Omen's Mach 3, Chance shaved a 5-pointed star into his hair. The single tip sat between Omen's eyes, and the opposing two at the rear corners of his head. It took over an hour, but on their late guard they had nothing better to do. Once the star was complete Omen added the substance he had concocted, a mixture of military grade bug repellant, lighter fluid, and his own blood. This he smeared across the exposed skin, covering the star in a viscous red. Upon completing this, Omen put on his headphones and moved out towards the woodline. There he sang in faith, and as he did so he alit the star on his head. It burned brightly for several seconds as he sang, and he felt a rush of energy come with it. Not simply the adrenaline or the pain, but a spiritual power unlike any Omen had felt before. Even after the star faded the strength seemed to remain, and Omen thanked his Father for the gift he had been given. In his deep faith he had been rewarded, as he had proven his faith more important than his health.

The next day, Chance came to Omen with news. Even though he had refused previously, suddenly his friend had changed his mind about meeting with Omen. The meeting was to take place later that evening, after dinner chow. Omen anxiously awaited whatever new information this meeting would bring as he ate dinner with Chance. They waited much longer than they were supposed to, it seemed Chance's friend was late. He finally arrived however, lighting his own cigarette as he complained about the stupidity of his unit.

Chance's friend was known best as Tre Damien, as far as magical names go. At first he seemed to scoff at Omen, but as their conversation went on his demeanor seemed to change. Especially when Omen told him about his meeting with the Father, and the changes that had come in him since then. Tre surprised Omen when he pulled him aside, reciting to him in private details of his worship the last night that no one should know. Tre had been watching Omen out in the woods in spirit, and what he saw had intrigued him. It made Tre want to see what Omen was truly capable of, but the time was not right. He told Omen they would speak more after the training. They would not be short on time, as the unit would be leaving for Iraq in a few short months.

Omen returned home to Giselle with a new vigor. But she seemed much less thrilled with the situation. Apparently, she had become fed up with the way the other wives spoke about Omen to her, words spoken in misunderstanding and blind hatred. But she wanted Omen to change, or at least stop speaking to others, about his religion. Even though she rarely attended Church anymore, it seemed she felt that she had a right to dictate Omen's faith. As such the rift between them grew, but Omen maintained his love for her. He had hoped that someday he could help her see for herself, that she too might be happy.

The four months between the training and the deployment were quite busy. Many forms of preparation, from vehicle inspection and turn-in to the loading of their company containers. Omen was found to be useful for a wide variety of things, using strength and speed greater thanm he was thought capable. But one thing that hadn't changed was Omen's afternoon workouts. In fact, Omen had gone so far as to tell his supervisors that, due to the extreme nature of his workouts, he would not be reporting to their useless end-of-day formations. The reason was he had sweat through every piece of clothing, and did not want to spend an excessive amount of time standing around doing nothing. The unit argued, as usual, but eventually gave up fighting with Omen. His progress far exceeded the other soldiers, and this was something that made the Battalion Commander look fondly on Omen's Commander.

During this time, new soldiers joined the unit. One of these, fresh out of Basic and AIT, had very little trained skill. As well his PT standards were not the greatest. On the same day Omen failed his measurements, the new soldier failed his run. His Team Leader, who was the same as Omen's, spent the afternoon bashing the soldier to his comrades, all while he was not around. Omen did not approve of this, and stood up to Sgt. Richard. He defended the other soldier, saying that a major part of why he failed was his lack of proper leadership. Sgt. Richard got angry at Omen very quickly, demanding that he prove he could do better. Omen agreed to try, and Sgt. Richard gave Omen control over the soldier's PT until the next test.

The test was just two weeks away. Omen pushed the new soldier to his limit, by forcing him to keep up with Omen. Everything Omen did the soldier was forced to match, except in areas of weightlifting where he was not capable. Every day after work they ran, they exercised, and they discussed how easily leadership can be proven wrong through effort. When the day of the test arrived, both Omen and the new soldier passed with flying colors, a fact which Omen quickly reminded Sgt. Richard of. His rage could not mask the truth, he knew he had been proven wrong.

As the deployment drew near, grand ceremonies were prepared. Being in the 1st Cavalry, certain expectations were upheld. The soldiers practiced their deployment ceremony for days before it happened. Omen refused to participate, telling his leadership that he would not be forced to bow his head and pray to a religion that was not his own. He also informed them that doing so would result in a loud, "Hail Satan," afterward, for all the families to hear. They tried to threaten Omen, but in the end knew he would not falter. They backed down, and Omen sat in the stands during the ceremony. But as it progressed, his Battalion Sergeant Major passed out from the heat. Omen rushed from the stands, helping carry his leader inside. He held the Sergeant Major's hat and dress coat as he was treated by medics, and it was Omen alone who rode with him in the ambulance. He stood in the lobby, still holding the items belong to the Sergeant Major. The Battalion Commander came to Omen, first congratulating him for his fine support of his leaders. But his pride turned to shock when he asked Omen for the Sergeant Major’s things and was firmly denied.

"You would argue with your Battalion Commander?"

"As a habit, no sir. But the items you request are personal property, and as such I will not release them to any but their owner. I will wait as long as is needed, but this is the extent of what I have to say about it."

"If you say so soldier," The LTC shook his head as he walked out of the hospital, obviously astounded that any soldier would stand up to him. Omen waited for about another hour before he was allowed to enter the ER's back rooms. The SGM lie medicated and asleep on the bed. Omen did not want to wake him, so he simply laid his things on the chair next to him and left. He waited for his wife to pick him up, and left the hospital full of pride for his actions. For even though it required standing up to someone of much higher rank, in doing so Omen had proved he could not be pushed around.

This continued later that week, during the Brigade Run. Omen pulled his right side groin muscle during the event, but even through the pain did his best to keep on course. While now walking moreso than running, Omen refused to quit. When asked to go to the medics, Omen refused. When yerlled at by Sergeants running by, Omen ignored their rotten tirades. For he knew that he would maintain his dignity by completing the entire course, and returning to his unit. Upon arriving, however, Omen saw the entire Battalion standing in formation. As he opened the back door and was seen, the Sergeant Major turned and called to him. He ran over, assuming Parade Rest for his leader.

"Yes Sergeant Major. Why is the unit still assembled? It is long past the time they are usually released for chow."

"The formation waits on you soldier. We have something for you."

As such, even with his sprained groin screaming in pain, Omen was given an Army Achievement Medal for his actions with the Sergeant Major. Omen's smile was broad as he accepted the medal, taking time to read the associated paperwork. It listed him as an "exemplary soldier" and "the kind of soldier all should hope to become". Even Giselle was overjoyed when he showed her, as the award meant Omen's unit was happy with him. She hoped that this meant soon her husband would finally be a Sergeant, something she said would fix their problems. But Omen could not focus on attaining more rank, for soon he would leave for Iraq again. This would be Omen's third time across the water, but he could tell this experience would be much different than any other.

3

Omen looked around his room. He had finally gotten settled into his room in Iraq, after what seemed like an eternity in transit. Now, staring at the small metal room, Omen was full of ideas for how to decorate it. But his mind also raced with the prospect of his future training. Tre had been very clear in the weeks prior to their departure, "During this time your training will increase greatly". But unfortunately, his unit was very busy. As such Omen did not get much time with Tre right away, instead he was forced to deal with the chaos in his unit. For by this time, their hatred for his religious choices had grown exponentially. This was mostly due to the worship, which Omen continued to do whenever he had a chance. This raised a multitude of complaints from other soldiers, and caused the Chain to ask Omen to stop. But he refused, this was his faith. Omen would not allow anyone to disturb his time with the Father, no matter their rank or position.

Eventually, Tre finally had some free time. Over the next weeks, Omen began to learn from Tre's experience. For Tre was not solely just a Human, as Omen quickly found out. The Human had a very special gift. He was able to channel a variety of spirits through him, their wills taking control of his own. As such Omen encountered many beings through Tre. Also, Tre gave him knowledge of his next magical instructor, who would guide Omen’s studies further. Tre took Omen's amulet for a second, chanted over it, and handed it back. Upon holding the necklace in his hands, it seemed to be extremely hot for no reason.

"The one called Belial now exists in small part inside that pendant. Keep it close, for others would not know how to handle the energy. Belial will be assisting in your training, as his expertise in magic is great. Listen closely and you will learn more than you could have dreamed. Master the teachings and you will know Power beyond measure. The choices are yours, and based on your effort."

Tre had never been more right. From the next night on, Omen felt a presence around him different from the Father. After time the spirit identified itself, indeed it was King Belial. At first Omen fell on his face, but was soon told to stand. Belial told Omen that his only purpose was the training, and that was all he concerned himself with. Omen understood, telling Belial he hoped to be strong and intelligent enough to grasp the full nature of his lessons. They started right away, as Belial sent Omen out to the Motor Pool area to worship and learn.

Over the next few months, Omen became strong in the training. Belial had shown Omen magic, right from the basics. He started with the magic of the basic 4 elements: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. Fire seemed like a natural first choice for Omen, and that was what he trained first. He learned to project bursts of flame, cause the ground to shake and crack, manipulate the air into tornadoes, and turn the movements of great bodies of water. At first, Omen was upset that these things did not take effect in front of him. But Belial was quick to remind omen that, "Just because it isn't happening HERE doesn't mean it isn't happening". This gave Omen renewed vigor, and he continued to learn and train. Omen trained with the Elemental Magic until he understood all the various things it could be used for. Turning the rock and roots of the Earth into a shield, then surrounding himself with a tornado seemed a relatively effective defense. And Water doesn't hurt much when it hits you, but it does when Fire makes it boil away. Omen trained his abilities over and over, but still did not see the effectiveness of it.

One day, Belial told Omen simply to sit between trucks, hidden away from the sight of others, and listen. He told Omen there was an aspect he still had not grasped, and it was a very important element of his training. Hearing this, Omen found the time as soon as he was done with work, while the other soldiers sat in their rooms and played games. He changed into his PTs, unsure of what form of instruction would follow. He also brought a bottle of water, two energy drinks, and his cigarettes. No matter how long this lesson took, Omen was ready. He sat between the trailers, awaiting Belial's arrival. He arrived shortly, after the sun had left the sky.

“Are you ready for your next lesson Omen?

“As always, I await your instruction Lord Belial. As well I am excited to learn the piece which I have been missing."

Suddenly, a bright light shone in Omen’s eyes, blinding him. Upon regaining his vision, it seemed as if the entire environment had changed. The ground was relatively the same, but the air seemed to hang more densely. This caused a “bluing effect" over every light in the area. Omen looked around, as what was once capable equipment now stood broken and destroyed. The buildings were as heaps of rubble, and no Human activity was found. But many things could be seen to sneak in between the shadows, though Omen could not readily identify them.

“This is the Nether Realm, which lies parallel to your own. But it is not Humanity that exists in this place, or not most commonly. Here you will encounter many Beings that are not allowed to be on your Earth fully, based on the Laws enacted. It is in this realm they wander, spirits without purpose. But many other things move in between this Realm on the way to others. Some even migrate through here to project themselves more fully onto Earth. But whatever the reason, they exist here. Now you can see the Nether as well. Inside the Nether your magic will begin to take effect, even though your Human body remains seated between these wheeled boxes. Begin to train again here, and your magic will grow more focused and controlled."

So Omen began training again. But to his surprise, in this place when a fireball was thrown it was real. The heat made Omen’s hand sweat. The force of it exploding melted the steel of the broken vehicle it was fired at. Seeing this, Omen began to focus more. Soon the ground was his armor, and the other Elements his weapons. Belial returned several times during this, to see Omen’s progression. He could be seen to crack a smile near the end, as Omen began to throw fireballs bigger than himself.

“Beautiful," Belial commented as he clapped his hands. “Simply beautiful. You take to this training like a pig takes to mud, you are now ready for the next lesson."

“Lord Belial, do you mean that the Nether was not what I was to learn today?"

“The Nether you have learned, as well you have trained inside it. You must continue to grow quickly, for there is not much time. Soon chaos will befall you, and you have to be ready."

Omen cocked his head to the side a bit. “Chaos? Who contests His Will? And what weapons might I use against them?"

Belial chuckled. “They contest you. They do not agree with your training, they feel you unworthy. As such they will attempt to see harm befall you before you are fully trained. As for weapons to attack them, you are training in such now. These are not merely instructions in the realities of magic, but a defense against external threats. The further you train, the more ready you will be for what lies ahead."

“Yes Lord Belial, I understand. I am ready for my next lesson."

“Fine then. How much do you know about the Old Elements?"

Omen thought for a second. “Very little, my magical training was not very good prior to the last few months."

Belial sighed. “Then you are way behind, allow me to explain it to you." Belial waved his hand, and an image of a circle with 2 lines intersecting in the center appeared. at each edge of the line was another image, each representing one of the four elements Omen had been training with.

“These are your basic four Elements. But inside them lie the Old Elements, combinations of these four that produce new results entirely. The first is Ice, the combination of Water and Air. As the air swirls around the water, it becomes solid and hard. It can now be used as a weapon of attack as well as methods of defense. In this way Ice does what Water and Air cannot. The second is Magma, the combination of Earth and Fire. The fire melts the Earth, allowing it to move and flow. But to touch this flowing force is to be incinerated. Thus Magma does what Fire and Earth cannot. The third is Lightning, the combination of Earth and Air. As these opposing forces collide, massive energy explodes between them. The energy moves between the Earth and Air, and can strike anything in either place. Thus Lightning does what neither Earth nor Air can do. The fourth, and final Old Element, is a combination of three Elements, not two. The Element is known as Metal, and it is the combination of Earth, Fire, and Water. The ore is removed from the Earth’s bosom, heated by the fire, then cooled into shape by the Water. It forms into weapons which can be wielded in the physical world, as well as armor for defense. In this way, Metal is wielded in a way that Earth, Fire, and Water cannot be. These are the Old Elements, learn them well. For as they are combinations of major Elements, they share the power and traits of both. Use this knowledge to train even more fervently Omen, the next step awaits you."

Omen did just that. For weeks he trained with the newly understood Elements, as well he learned to phase into the Nether to do so. Occasionally he would encounter other beings inside, but they seemed to pay him little attention. The only ones that did were those whose task it is to repair and maintain the integrity of that place, for Omen’s magic began to cause damage. But their task was simply repair, and as such they would show up after every time that Omen had trained, working to repair the ground. Even in the times Omen was not training, a portion of his mind was always considering new methods. He sought to find new ways to combine all that he had learned, in order to produce stronger attacks. But in order to functionalize them, it had to be understood both what the attack was comprised of and why it worked.

After nearly 5 months in Iraq, Omen finally developed his first personal attack. The name of the attack was Mjolnir, a name used to reference the magic hammer of the thunder God Thor. But in other various places, the word refers to the extraordinary energy of three combined elements, both Original and Old. It was this that Omen sought to harness, and his pride swelled as he finally found a working method. The spell starts with the concentration of Fire into the left hand, and Ice into the right. As these energies grow and compress they are forced together. This creates a “frozen flame", as the concentrated energy of Fire resides stable inside the block of Ice. Upon creating this mixture it is set aside, and Omen set his attention to the skies. He forced clouds to appear and swirl, creating a sort of vortex in the sky. As it spun Omen cast the frozen flame into the clouds. It disappeared, and suddenly the clouds began to swirl violently. As they did Omen focused the chaotic energy and concentrated it into the center of the clouds. The center of the clouds began to shine with a brilliant light as the energy grew. Omen raised his left hand, extending the horns with his fingers. The tips of Omen’s fingers began to glow the same color as the swirling clouds. He screamed, “Mjolnir,” and thrust his hand downward. The violent energy forced itself downward. Even Omen was surprised at the level of intensity of the attack, as it encompassed an area nearly 30 feet in diameter. The energy rocked and destroyed all things in its path, even breaking through the ground itself a bit. As the energy dissipated Omen stared at the crater he had made, as the Workers rushed in to heal the ground.

“Good," Belial said from behind him, “Now you are learning. Magic is a fluid thing, a function of will. It need not be limited by your perception of its capability, so do not allow it to be."

Omen panted hard as he responded. “Yes Lord Belial, I will enhance my capacity for understanding, then learn to apply it to my magic."

4

It was now January. The cold settled over the region, but it did not freeze Human ignorance. For even in the harsh conditions, soldiers ran across the base roads being tested. Even though the test was unfair, and violated proper standards of testing, the leadership dubbed it appropriate enough to subject it’s soldiers too. The reason was no more than regulations requiring PT tests to be taken every 6 months. But this standard was bastardized and abused, until every soldier that was disliked was tested almost monthly, hoping they would fail and could be punished. Omen did his test, but refused to put effort in. He even made a point to slow down at the end of the run, intentionally failing his two miles.

Omen was drug into the First Sergeant’s office yet again, as he was grilled as to the reasons for his outrageous actions. Omen stood firm, stating that the test was biased and inappropriate, as the soldiers had tasks that were much more important than PT. He told the First Sergeant that changing standards to suit one’s situation is immoral, illegal, and unsafe. Omen reminded his leader that Army training manuals state that these are the three reasons that any order can be ignored, and thus he did so. He told them that by punishing him they would only prove they held their own wants above the standards. Omen was subjected to much grumbling, but that was the extent. Once again, Omen was right about the standards. Once again, he had used their own flawed rules against them, and proven how broken their system was.

After he had become fed up with Omen’s antics, the First Sergeant pulled his soldier aside, and asked him what his issues with the unit were. Omen was very direct, citing multiple examples of which the “friends" within the platoon in which he worked. He spoke of their constant abuse of the soldiers not inside this group, forcing them to do detail after detail in the Motor Pool as they sat in their rooms. Omen labeled his Team, Squad, and Platoon leaders as corrupt and rotten. He told his First Sergeant that as long as the leaders were corrupt, he refused to fall under their command, and would continue to force the real standards upon them.

In response to this, along with the Sergeants requests, the bolt was taken from Omen’s M-4. This meant that the weapon did not function, and was no more a show. But still Omen was forced to carry it everywhere, and chastised harshly when he did not. Even locked safely in his room, stored in a place unknown even to his roommate, would not satisfy them. They wanted to make Omen feel stupid, they wanted to break his spirit. But Omen refused. He knew inside he was fighting for was was correct and fair, and so he carried the worthless weapon around day after day, still screaming praise to the Father.

Soon after, Omen was taken off their missions entirely. He was placed on a Vehicle Search Detail. This consisted of nightly replacing the guards at the station, as well as searching all civilian transports entering the installation. The detail was not hard, but it was quite boring. For while one night was active and full of vehicles, cycling in every hour or so, other nights were bereft of activity. This was because of the religious beliefs of the citizens, who did not work on certain days. This left an entire night with nothing to do. But Omen, along with the other soldiers there, usually found ways to enjoy the time. For the detail was found to be one place where the Internet was not as strained, and thus World of Warcraft could be played. There were 4 gamers present on the detail, and so they played both separate and together. But in the latest hours of the evening, almost all could be found asleep. The reason for this was unanimous. Even though all were known to work late hours, all were harassed by the unit during the daytime as well. As such, all of them understood the need for such. After all, the foreign guards at the gate beyond them were much more allowed to use their guns.

As time progressed, Omen was notified that he could finally go on leave. It had only been four months out of the scheduled twelve, and going on leave early was highly looked down on. But Omen had the best of reasons. Having no other special day on which to go on leave, he had chosen January because it was his Anniversary. But even though he had applied for it months in advance, as the time grew near Omen heard more argument than assistance. They told him too many were going, that he might get bumped. So, Omen spoke to his wife via the Windows Messenger, and told her the situation. Nothing changes policy like an upset wife, and soon Omen’s paperwork went through. He packed his things, turned in his boltless weapon, and said a fond farewell to G Company as he boarded the plane away from Iraq.

After several days of transit, Omen arrived home. Giselle waited for him, and they embraced each other for some time. But Omen had not returned simply to sit. Quickly they planned and left, headed to San Antonio. They had been once before, on a military marriage retreat. Omen had decided that since they enjoyed it so much, he would take Giselle there for their Anniversary. They checked into a hotel, and explored the city. Day after day, new experiences. They spent time at the Alamo, they went through haunted houses. They took many hilarious pictures at the local wax museum. They enjoyed parking and walking the streets, finding interesting things to do each day. Omen wanted so badly to enjoy his time with his beautiful wife, far and away from the misery of the Army.

But something seemed wrong at night. Giselle seemed withdrawn, both physically and emotionally. The physical part she blamed on a surgery they had agreed she would undergo prior to him leaving. She was having her insides cleansed of a vile disease that had impaired her ability to reproduce. This disease she had claimed to have contracted from a vibrator shared with a friend at a party, but Omen was no fool even before the Father. Strange how the disease had shown up while Omen was deployed the last time. And now, Giselle seemed to retreat from her “beloved husband" every evening, as they lay in bed speaking few words to each other. Omen wondered if he had done something to offend Giselle, but she claimed there was no problem.

But Omen would not give up on his love so easily. He awoke early the morning of his Anniversary, long before Giselle. But he had no need to, his plan had been in place since days before. By the time she was stirring, Omen was headed downstairs. She awoke to find him gone, but also a bouquet of flowers and a heart-shaped balloon sat on the counter. Minutes later Omen returned, hands full with the breakfast from the lobby. They relaxed for most of the day, as Omen told Giselle she needed to be dressed nicely for the evening. She spent hours on her hair, makeup, and outfit. Finally, they drove to Downtown San Antonio, where they parked the truck. They traveled down the Riverwalk, exchanging stories about their previous visit. But Giselle became agitated quickly, demanding to know where they were going.

Omen had planned for this, and right at that moment he pointed for her to follow. Past the end of his finger lie the Tower of the Americas, a landmark in the city of San Antonio. They rode the amazing glass elevator to the top of the Tower, and were seated at the table Omen had reserved. He spared no expense on the meal. Because he had called ahead, they had presented the couple with special menus, each one having the name of the individual on it. As they ate the Tower’s restaurant rotated, providing a panoramic view of the entire city. During the meal Omen professed his undying love for Giselle, presenting her with a new ring as her gift. It was not overly expensive, but brought a smile to Giselle’s face. After the meal they returned to their room. Again Giselle claimed to be in pain, and unwanting to be physical with Omen. As he went to sleep that night Omen prayed to the Father, hoping that what he saw was not true. For he saw his love melting away before his eyes, and it seemed he could do nothing to stop it.

The two weeks ended quickly, and Omen was on a plane back to Iraq. In transit he tried to refocus himself, for he knew he had much more to do. He could not be distracted by the problems at home, he had to continue the mission. Upon his arrival back to the unit, it seemed much had changed. For Omen’s voice had not been the only one against the corrupt leaders. His squad leader was gone, permanently. The Staff Sergeant who before then was seen fit to be the Platoon Sergeant had been reduced to a Squad Leader, and replaced with an actual Sergeant First Class. Omen’s weapon was returned, bolt intact, and he went back to his room. He spent some time with his roommate, discussing the happenings since he had left. By the Hunter’s descriptions, it seemed the changes Omen had sought were trying to be made. Omen went to bed that night excited, hoping to see a new G Co the next day.

But Omen learned quickly that nothing had changed. The new Platoon Sergeant had a control issue, and made a point of being harsh and arrogant with the soldiers. Behind closed doors, he was found to be just as corrupt as the others. But he did not play favorites with soldiers because he liked them. He worked solely off the words of the Commander. It did not matter if the Commander had no idea what was being done, and thus could not understand the reasons for certain things. He spoke, and his little pet Brackets followed. This caused more conflict inside the platoon, as orders came from multiple directions about the same work. As usual, the same crew was allowed to disappear.

For Omen, the only real change was his squad. For in order to keep him away from the “clique" he had fought against before, they had moved him. His new Team Leader was the same Sgt Richard that Omen had proved did not effectively lead troops once already. His Squad Leader was nothing more than a glorified asskisser. Being physically broken and near retirement, all he wanted was to look good on his way out. Between the two of them, Omen became a regular target for both detail and harassment. But nothing seemed to slow Omen, as each day he still completed his tasks.

Many of his nights were spent away from his company area. He would migrate to see Tre, and speak with him about many things. Also they played games together as they talked, though usually they spent their time on a patio built into the roofs. They discussed many things of magic and spirit, as well as what Omen had learned from Belial. Tre decided to continue Omen’s training as well, though in a different aspect. Tre spent his time teaching Omen about combat strategy. Omen raided some unused buildings, and even found hollow rods for them to use. They trained with the weapons as they talked about the nature of combat. But Tre quickly proved that Omen’s skills were outmatched. Every time they trained, Omen was easy prey.

“You are horrible with the staff. How can you ever expect to wield a scythe fighting like this?"

“I am sorry. But why must I fight solely with the scythe, if I am found to be ineffective with it?"

“The scythe is a weapon of respect and honor, used only by the truest of servants. By taking this weapon up you show your reverence to the Father."

“But can the weapon be modified? Is it able to be manipulated differently?"

“Explain what you mean by that."

“I..I can’t. Not yet. But i will by tomorrow. I need to go and think about how this will work."

Omen returned to his room, and pulled out paper and pencil. Though his drawing skills were horrible, by putting it on paper it helped him to consider what he needed. He spent hours thinking about different ways in which the scythe could be altered. Omen sought to make a perfect weapon for himself. Tre had told him that someday a weapon would be made for him, and it would meet his specifications. Knowing this, Omen wanted nothing less than perfection. Omen’s eyes grew heavy as he made a few final alterations, completing the design specifications he had in his mind. The next evening He visited Tre again, and presented the design he had made.What is this? I don’t understand a thing you have drawn here, save for the fact that the top blade makes it look like a scythe."

“Allow me to explain then." Omen took the drawing, and began using it to point to as a visual aid. “The weapon is similar to a scythe, but also much different. In it’s basic form the weapon is a staff with a large curved blade atop it. But at the bottom were two smaller blades, which curved outward in the same direction as the large blade. These smaller blades gave the weapon additional attack capability. But omen was not done. He described how the weapon could be broken down into three pieces, and the function of each. The bottom portion was to attach to the left forearm, and the top portion was to attach to the right. What was left in the center was as a hollow staff. Omen described the necessity for a length of chain that could be attached to the top portion of the weapon, allowing him a lethal blade on a chain that could be swung and thrown.

Tre was left speechless for a moment as Omen finished his description. “Why would you want a weapon such as this?"

“You were right, I am terrible with just the scythe. But while I have a scythe, a also have weapons more suited to my style. I am aggressive, i fight head-on. I have no want to parry my opponent into making a mistake, I want their head on the end of my blade. These weapons make it much more possible. And the chain-thrown blade adds a ranged weapon that can slice through crowds of enemies unless they keep their distance, This is why this weapon is functional, because it is multi-functional."

“And have you chosen a name for this weapon you wish to be created? All truly strong magical weapons are given names that connect them to the Powers they focus. So what name would you choose for this weapon, different from any I have seen before?"

“I call it Hell’s Cross. It is my ultimate testament to the Father, and if given this weapon I shall face any emeny without fear. For with such a weapon at my side I know my Father is with me, and I will never have to be afraid."

“Then let it be so. I shall inform those skilled in the creation of such things to begin work immediately. It will take some time, but when you need the weapon it will be waiting for you. But know now that because you have visualized this weapon so perfectly, by your will you can make it exist in the Nether. In this way you may train with this weapon before you ever hold it, and it will be less likely to harm you. This will be the next step in your training, as you combine the magic you have learned with actual combat. This will enhance your skills even further. Perfecting it will take practice, but the results will be worth more than you know."

Train was exactly what Omen did. It seemed that every moment Omen wasn’t required to be on some military duty he was working to progress in the Father. He found a location some distance from the company area, and went there to worship and train. In between unusable buildings, Omen screamed out to the Father. He could feel Him watching, and he made sure never to disappoint. He worked to exhaustion, and sang until hoarse. As time passed, Omen learned to adapt to the new style of fighting.

On the physical side, not much had changed. Omen had gotten his own room, as the Hunter found someone to love. This happened because Omen was put back on the Vehicle Search, and she worked there. Upon her coming to find Omen, the Hunter saw her and was interested. He asked Omen for help, and Omen convinced him to ask her out. Their love blossomed quickly, and soon they were wed. This meant they got to stay in a room together, and that left Omen a room to himself. Omen made effective use of it, rearranging the room for more space. This angered the Sergeants, who did not all share such luxury.

The unit began to treat Omen worse by the day. He never got more than four hours of sleep because of them pestering him during the day. He was constantly forced to get up and work like the other soldiers, even though they did not work nights with him. But Omen reacted in the strangest of ways. Their Hatred for him seemed to strengthen him, and he began to put that strength to use. He started hitting the gym again, going right back to the insane level of training he had been doing before. This activity caught even the eye of the Battalion Commander, as none could seem to avoid staring at Omen. For he had learned to channel the energy as he worked out, and it’s flow was visible in his face. The anger and Hatred turned into great force, and Omen used that to push himself harder. He could be heard to grunt and growl at times as he worked, forcing everything into the activity.

Omen’s personal life was not much better. Giselle seemed more distant now than ever. Upon hearing Omen’s stories about the unit’s treatment of him, she began to beg Omen to stop following his path. But Omen reassured her that he would endure, no matter the hardship. Giselle said she believed him, but her voice did not seem to agree. As time passed their conversations grew more and more spread out, as Giselle claimed to spending more time with her friends. Omen did his best to take her heart-breaking attitude in stride, for he could not let himself be slowed. Between the Army and Giselle Omen was under a great deal of stress, but his faith was stronger still. He placed his trust in the Father, praying that His Will show forth in Omen’s life, no matter the cost.

4

Time continued to flow, and suddenly Omen’s dreams seemed different. They became more vivid, like staring into a life that was not his own. But others around him knew of his name, so the vision must have been his. Omen could not remember much of the dreams, save for the presence he felt in every one. Omen could not sense the entirety of the presence, but what he did gather was quite foreign to him. It seemed almost...childlike. Omen sought guidance from Tre as to a potential solution to his problem.

“So you have a problem with what exactly?"

“I’m not sure. Some sort of spirit, but i cannot sense much other than a very youthful energy. But there was also a great deal of rage and malice that went along with that."

“Come back tomorrow. By then maybe one of us will have an answer."

That night, as Omen slept, his dreams were invaded again. But this time the images were much clearer, though Omen did not like what he saw. He saw himself chained to a wall. He saw a table with various instruments of torture placed stacked neatly upon it. Standing next to the table was a girl looking about the age of 12. She giggled as she pointed at Omen, stuck hanging on the wall. Omen struggled, but there was no breaking free. The girl continued to chuckle as she picked up a leather whip. She proceeded to whip Omen repeatedly, cackling with glee at the sound of each strike. When the whip did not satisfy, she used a whip of chain and spikes. It slashed across Omen’s body repeatedly, ripping holes of terrible size. Omen screamed out in agony, but it did no good. The harder he screamed the more he was beaten, and the more he was beaten the more the child enjoyed herself. This went on for some time, as the young girl administered various forms of torture to Omen.

But after awhile, Omen disconnected from the pain. He began to channel it instead, focusing it into a pure raging fire. Before the child’s eyes, Omen stood once again. Even as he stood ripped and bleeding, his rage allowed him to stand unflinching. Even worse, it seemed the energy was causing the chains to extend further, allowing Omen to stand further away from the wall. The child attempted to throttle Omen back to the ground. But with a quick step backwards, the chains now had length. Omen reached up, snatching the leather bands out of the air, ripping it out of the child’s hands. Omen raged, now holding the horrid weapon in his possession. The little girl retreated, making sure to keep well out of Omen’s reach with the whip. But Omen simply threw it far away from himself, and continued to grow in the power of his rage. The girl grew agitated as Omen seemed to be slowly freeing himself. But she also seemed intrigued with him, making it a point to move ever closer to the extent of his grasp. But after awhile she sighed, then threw her hands up in the air.

Omen sat up, realizing immediately that he was still in his room. Even for Omen, a dream of such depth and spectrum was not normal. He sat and contemplated the dream for some time, as it was still several hours before PT. But he still found no reasoning for such. He discussed it with Tre, and was told it would be looked into. But as Omen sought answers, the vivid dreams continued to plague him. However, they were not the same as before. Now the dreams revolved around various instances in which Omen was drawn toward a person. The person changed every time, but Omen was always drawn toward them. The person was always a beautiful female, though the face and build changed each time. The heart of the dream was always Omen’s movement toward the female. In every dream, Omen could hear a beautiful voice, seeming to constantly call him towards her. The dreams began to invade Omen’s daily life, as the voice seemed to call him there as well. Omen knew something was not right, and again he went to visit Tre.

As Omen had expected, he had encountered yet another being of the Other Realms who had taken an interest in him. Through much searching, information on the being had been obtained. Tre sat and explained what had been uncovered, as Omen’s eyes grew wider. For of all the reasons he could think of to be targeted, this one stood out as nearly impossible.

“What you have been dealing with is what is most commonly known as a Dream Demon. To be more specific, it is a being that exists who feeds off the potent energies present in the subconscious minds of Humans as they sleep. For while the conscious mind sleeps, the subconscious produces the same sort of perceptual stimuli. By manipulating this, the Demon can change the dreams of a Human to suit their will. As the sleeping mind bounces back and forth rapidly inside the dream, the Demon is able to absorb a portion of that energy, which strengthens them."

“So, the only reason for the arrival of this Demon was a want to feed? And now I remain as a walking buffet?"

“You see things in too small a perspective. Perhaps if you learned to speak of her by name it would take away your simplistic, discriminatory viewpoint."

Omen snorted. “Discriminatory? How can one training to serve in the Darkness discriminate against others of the same?"

“You tell me. Let me ask you this: If you were hungry, would the live cow not be seen as a future meal?"

Omen was shocked at Tre’s comparison. But Omen knew he was right, as he hung his head for his uneducated judgments. “Please tell me the name, that I might begin to understand better."

Tre smiled. “Her name is Serras, and you would be quite surprised at her level of interest in you."

“What do you mean?"

“I did some searching. The spirit was located and questioned, based on the authority of greater spirits to command lesser ones through their will. Serras felt your energy as you trained in the Nether. The level of which you channel the energy through you is a rarity in Humans today, and this is what attracted her to you. As such she entered your dreams to feed upon you. Actually you were fed upon several times before it was realized, as each time she pushed deeper into your mind’s energy."

“So then, what can I do about this in order to protect myself most effectively?"

“Well, that depends on your definition of protection. For you have not yet heard the whole story."

“My apologies, continue."

Tre cleared his throat. “She tapped into your mind completely, allowing full manipulation, the night you were tortured as you slept. Through this method Serras claims she has always produced the most effective results, as when they believe themselves in pain Humans become stronger. But your actions inside the dream were your own. By opposing Serras rather than cowering in fear and pain, you did something she had not encountered before. Your strong energy and will sparked her interest. Serras has a want for you, as is obvious by your more recent dreams."

“Wait, what?"

“You heard me. Serras likes you, she’s got a thing for you. As far as what you do about that...” Tre chuckled. “I guess that depends on you. But before you make any decisions, take some time to think about everything you have heard, that any decision you make be well-informed."

Omen nodded. This was no ordinary “what to eat for dinner" decision. Omen sat in his room dumbfounded. Why would a being of that nature want the company of a Human? How would that even work? And what about Giselle? Trying to answer at least one of these questions, Omen opened the Messenger. But as had become her norm recently, Giselle was not around. This was not an unexpected thing, and each time stories of time spent with friends was the reason. But the stories did not match. She would go out on her evenings, even during the week when her most prominent friends worked or had children in school. Also, much more money was being spent from Omen’s paycheck than usual. The excess of money from each check was designed to be their savings, towards their plans to have a child. But now very little was being saved, and the slew of excuses did not make sense. It seemed Giselle had bigger concerns than their future, a fact which pained Omen greatly.

At that moment, Serras’ voice came into Omen’s mind, the same sweet voice he had in his dreams. Omen jumped at first, readying himself for a battle. But Serras asked Omen to relax, and simply hear what she had to say. Omen agreed, and rested on his bed. Omen closed his eyes and focused, and soon he was able to see Serras standing in his room. The form she chose was slender and beautiful, with gorgeous flowing black hair that hung to her shoulders. Her eyes shone the deepest of blue, and her lips and fingernails were painted the color of strawberries. She wore a tight-fitting ensemble, comprised of a material somewhere around snakeskin leather. She stared at Omen with desire in her eyes, and licked her lips teasingly.

“You see Omen? I can be anything you want me to be. Hair color, eye color, body type, sexual habits, all of it is able to be manipulated. While I may not be here physically, I do have the ability to influence things in other ways."

Serras swirled her hand around next to her. As she did, Omen got a sensation exactly similar to the feeling a man has as he lies passionately inside a woman. Omen turned to the side, embarassed of what was happening. But it did not stop, it only grew. His body seemed to tingle with energy. Seras lowered her hand, and the effect subsided. Omen lay on the bed ashamed, as the pleasure had been so great he had reached orgasm. But Serras just continued to smile at him.

“That’s how it works, though it can be many levels better than that. What you know as passion and sexual please are simply impulses in your mind. Impulses I am well versed in manipulating to my will. I have the ability to show you a greater pleasure than you have ever known. And you need not concern yourself with my support, I am quite capable of looking out for myself. But in being with me I will show you how to see further into your dreams, giving you the power to project out further. All these things I offer you, if you allow me to be here beside you and feed as I teach you."

Omen’s mind raced. He loved Giselle, but she did not seem to love him anymore. She had spent more time criticizing his faith than supporting it, and she had asked him to give it up completely. She was not the same woman that Omen had married several years ago, who was taught by her parents to be faithful and honest. Now she moved around in secret, and had few explanations for where she had been. Giselle had made her mistake again, and Omen’s heart ached with the knowledge. Now he was wanted by more than a Human, his energy was desired by a Demoness. One who was willing to reveal herself simply to make trust possible. Omen stared at Serras, admiring her beauty. He realized that it was an illusion, but that Serras’ power would allow her to look any way she chose. As such his spiritual “girlfriend" would not be one woman but many, and exist both in his waking eyes and his dreams. Omen also wondered what new limits Serras might bring him in mental projection. Of course the downside would be trying to explain Serras to anyone else. He would be called a liar by any other than Tre, as they were not magical and would not grasp the reality of it. He would be called insane, a liar, and a filthy degenerate if he told them. It was all alot to consider, but the look on Serras’ face showed she would not wait forever on an answer.

Omen walked over and stared deep into Serras’ eyes. They glistened beautifully, but inside them Omen saw a swirling void, the truth behind the illusion. He ventured inside it, seeking the truth. He pushed through the smoke, coming at last to see a figure standing inside. She stood about the height of the average female, but her body was built much differently. Her skin seemed charred and dead, but it was not decayed at all. The color of the skin was a very dim grey, as the color of storm clouds. Her body formed in similar ways to a Human, but not all the characteristics were there. Her skin was extremely tough, resistant to contact force. Her eyes sat large on her face, their increased size only adding to their beauty. Her face narrowed sharply, ending at her pouting lips. Her hair hung to the center of her back, but the substance of it was not the same. She had two small horns, which projected out from her forehead. Each horn must have been no more than 6 inches in length. It felt less like hair and more like soft velvet. This was the Serras that existed, the reality behind the curtain. Omen attempted to approach Serras, and she recoiled a bit.

“It’s all right Serras. I understand you project yourself to me in ways that are more appealing to me as a Human. But this is who you are. If we are to stand together as you say, for any length of time, then I need know and accept what is beneath as well."

Omen reached out to Serras. She flinched a bit, but allowed his hand to touch her face. He caressed her gently, pulling her into his arms. She wrapped around him tightly, and Omen felt the warmth of her happiness.There they stayed for several seconds before Omen could not maintain the projection any longer, and fell back into himself. He looked around for Serras, but she was gone from the room. Omen was saddened a bit, as he had enjoyed the time so much he didn’t want it to end. But Serras’ voice whispered softly in his ears as he lay down to rest.

“I am not gone. It took much out of you to project yourself through the illusion, but it also took much out of me to pull you through to where I am. Rest now, and in your dreams we will be able to do as we choose freely."

Omen smiled as his head fell into the pillow completely. “I can’t wait."

That night in his dreams, Omen and Serras soared amongst the stars. They held hands as they stepped through one Realm after another. Each Realm was definable as different by the significant changes in energy present. Beings of all size and shape could be seen, and Omen took time to enjoy every place that they went. Serras seemed to enjoy simply watching Omen’s amazement at the places they went, like a child made suddenly rich inside a candy store. In the dream state Omen was able to control a much greater level of power, and thus easily floated through the sky next to Serras. After passing through several different places, finally they came to a stop.

The place they stood was very dimly lit. As his eyes adjusted, Omen saw various buildings around him. There was no light of any kind to be seen in the sky. This was not due to clouds, but due to what seemed to be a massive ceiling made entirely of solid rock. Serras led Omen up to one of the buildings, a single-level dwelling carved out of the surrounding stone. The building was seen to have one window and no obvious door. Serras and Omen stood in front of the dwelling, facing a carving etched into the rock. Serras waved her hand over the symbol, and it began to glow brightly. A section of stone creaked and slid backwards, then sliding sideways. This opened a way into the home, and Serras bid Omen to join her inside.

Serras’ home was very simple. There were no decorations on the walls, and few signs of long-term habitation. Everything was carved into the rock by design. Chairs were carved into the walls of the area on one side of the home. At the opposing end, a bed could be seen to be carven out of stone, and then covered with what materials were available. There was no kitchen, nor any form of bathroom. But there was a fireplace, and it burned brightly without any wood to fuel it. Omen searched for any kind of substance that might be powering the flame, the heat of which he could feel, but he saw nothing.

“This is my home. It isn’t much, sadly, but I am not anyone special. This is the standard of living for most of our kind, the only exceptions being those with Power and higher position. But it is suitable enough, for I rarely spend much time here. Most of my time is spent moving between Realms, searching for good sources of energy. But you seem to have changed that. The energy I am gathering from you is more than I require, for the first time in forever I am not starving. Truly you have been pushing yourself hard to have reached such a peak. Your energy is the finest I have tasted since the days of Old. Thank you for allowing me to be who I was born as without judgement."

Omen walked over to Serras, watching the light of the fire reflected in her eyes. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “No Serras, thank you for trusting me with the truth of who you are. I would rather be here with you for one night than forever with vain women who pay for beauty that is not theirs. Feed happily off of my energy, I give it to you freely. For whatever time we spend together, I will treat you as I would any other. Your happiness, your wants matter to me. And what you deserve most is someone that accepts you for who you are."

Omen leaned in and kissed her. Her lips tasted like honey-dipped cherries. She returned his affection, and before long Omen found himself lying in her bed. Serras made a point to take the dominant role, showing Omen how they could interconnect. But the feeling was nothing like Omen had ever experienced. His entire body was vibrating with pleasure. He reached orgasm multiple times, and each time energy was transferred to Serras. Omen could see the energy as it moved between them, but had no intention of stopping it. For each time he sent the energy, Serras moaned with pure joy. He was feeding her more than she ever had been, according to the whispers in his ear. The experience was even more than Omen had read about online as it pertained to sexual relations with female spirits. All the cares of his Human life were gone, lost inside the joy of their union.

After it ended, they lay together on the bed. Seras had a smile from ear to ear, she had obviously enjoyed herself. Omen gently stroked her hair as she nuzzled up next to him. He wrapped his arm around her and rested his head next to her own. As they drifted off to sleep together, Omen felt Serras’ mind. She didn’t want the time to end, but knew Omen had to be returned to his own Realm. She rolled over to face Omen, then kissed him passionately. But the look in her eyes began to change, becoming almost a form of despair.

“What’s wrong Serras? You look troubled by something or another."

She stared Omen straight in the eyes. “Will you be as they say your kind is? When tomorrow comes will you forget about me, now that you have known all I can give to you?"

“Not a chance. Though you and I may not be able to be together forever, our time will be much longer than one night. You are an amazing woman, and I wish to spend more time with you. Such time does not need to be limited to our physical interactions, I simply want to know more of you."

“And you shall dear Omen. With my help, soon you will be able to transverse all of the places we just passed through alone. For one of the reasons I chose to come to you was your ability to do so, a power I sensed in you from the beginning."

Omen was startled. “When was a given such power? I was not trained in any such thing."

“I am not sure where you obtained it. I know simply that the energy is inside you, it just lies dormant and unused. Perhaps someone else that has known you longer might have the answers you seek."

Omen pondered this as he lay next to Serras. He decided that he would go and speak to Tre at his next opportunity. But at this moment, Omen wanted only to enjoy every second he was given. He ran his hands up and down her body. Her skin was surprisingly supple considering how tough it was. Serras drifted off to sleep, and for a time Omen continued to stare at her. She looked so peaceful in that moment, when the chaos of her existence halted just for a second. Omen curled up close, and allowed his eyes to close.

Omen awoke to find himself back in his room. He continued work as usual, telling no one of his encounter with Serras. Days later, Tre was finally available for Omen to visit. They discussed what had happened, as well the developing relationship between Omen and Serras. Tre seemed happy for Omen, as he had been aware of the situation with Giselle. But the conversation turned drastically once Omen told the end of the story, the part that referenced his latent power.

“She said you had what exactly?"

“She did not specify. She simply said the power to transverse through Realms lied within me, so I sought answers as to how to unlock this."

Tre said nothing for several minutes. It seemed as though he was warring internally over what to say next. “You weren’t supposed to know about that yet." Tre sighed. “Damn her. Well, nothing can be done now except progress. Considering how close you choose to be to Serras, you will need all the training you can get."

Omen seemed puzzled. “Is she really that dangerous, that you would be so pensive?"

“The danger I am concerned with comes not from Serras, but from the results of you awakening your powers so early. The further you push outward the more you will encounter. Not all will be friendly, and you are in great danger as you leave your own body."

Omen stood up proudly. “But if this is a power i was born with, then is it not to be assumed I was meant to learn it’s control?"

“Yes. But not so early. You are still young Omen, despite how quickly you progress. There is much still you have yet to learn, and some things are necessary for you to survive on your path."

“Fine, then please instruct me further. In this way I can be as prepared as I have been for my other undertakings, and will stand a much better chance of survival."

“Agreed. Over the next several days, as time allows, you will be taught of the truth of what lies inside you."

That was exactly what happened. Tre explained the power that kept being referenced, and at first Omen didn’t understand. Tre said the power was a rarity, a form of magic that is not normally even used properly. He explained that the power allowed Omen to easily pass between Realms, unhindered by the usual barriers Human perception creates. Tre said the power could be focused, into a magical ability to melt realities together, allowing the pure combination of the Nether and the Earth. Tre said that, with extensive training, the magic could be empowered to extend beyond simply the Nether, enabling Omen the right to transverse all Realms with practice. But he also warned that doing so placed Omen at great risk, for if killed while traveling, the shock to his mind might kill Omen on Earth. Tre told Omen to consider thoroughly where he wished to travel, or he might end up somewhere unintended.

This gave Omen yet another new magic to work with. Now, having both Belial and Serras around as he trained, Omen had more motivation. He failed through many attempts to pass through completely, still seeming to have walls in his way. Tre had said many times that such barriers existed. As Omen progressed however, the number kept getting smaller. It referred to the number of barriers that still hindered Omen’s full potential, and it was disappearing rapidly. For Omen refused to be stopped in his progression of faith, he would let nothing stand between himself and the Father’s Will. As he would get discouraged, Serras was always there to reassure him that he was more than capable of finding the method. Belial however, proposed another method. Using Omen’s anger and rage he attempted to force the hole to open. As the purity of Omen’s Hatred began to flow, a small tear could be seen. Soon the tear opened wide, and on the other side could be seen the fires of the Pit. Omen strained to hold the small rip open, and eventually it collapsed closed.

Belial and Serras were overjoyed with Omen. They both giddily talked about how few the Humans have ever been with the capability to harness Gate Magic properly, and how excited they were that they had trained one that could. They praised Omen for his quick ability to learn, but immediately sent him back to work practicing. Over time though, Omen learned to maintain the hole in the air. Even still, he learned to hold the rip intact while using other magic or fighting. Soon, the holes became a weapon in Omen’s arsenal, as he dotted back and forth between the Realms, attacking from random points as he returned. Omen was growing adept quickly, so his instructors devised a plan. They made bets with Omen, where the reward ranged anywhere from the right for Omen to spend an evening doing nothing but gaming to sexual favors from Serras. Omen failed the tests put before him, but only the first time. After that, he would not accept uneven bets. And if made fair, Omen always overcame and won. Soon Omen was full of pride and rich in spirit, being the favored pupil of both his instructors. Belial made it a point to add some merriment to Omen’s life, easing the stress of his military taskings. Serras made the night a playground, as she made a habit of taking their intimacy to strange places. And with his consistent worship habits, Omen found himself quite busy.

The military did not make it any easier. Omen was still harassed constantly, as well the unit followed its usual standards of stupidity. Soldiers were constantly called out into the heat simply to stand around and wait for the leadership to have the guts to release them. The Chain cared little for the well-being of the troops, as they had been in Iraq for the greater part of a year now. Their ability to care had disappeared, and had been replaced by the same rotten ass-kissing that had been prevalent in the USA. Suddenly, more standards were released, preventing the soldier from doing things. They closed down the local restaurant, the only one on the entire installation. Now, their DFAC was the only place to obtain precooked food, so they could monitor all comings and goings. The leadership for some time had been using various forms of 4-wheeler and gas-powered cart to move around the base, ordering all the lower soldiers to stay away from them. But this did not apply to their favorites, who could be seen constantly driving around without even the proper regulated gear. This enraged Omen, for any time he was ever allowed such transport, it was due to a mission he was doing. He hated their constant limitation of his movement even more. For he needed none of them to stand by his side, for they did not follow the Father. Thus, he did not want to be forced to take someone with him as he went out to work and worship. Omen became very good at evading his leadership as he walked the base from end to end, tired of their nonsense.

One night, as he lay down to rest, Omen felt strangely. Nothing was specifically abnormal, but something was not as it was usually. Omen ignored the feeling, and went to sleep. He awoke inside an enormous cave. He frantically searched for a way out, but even his practiced magic did not work. Left with no other option, Omen moved forward in the cave. He began to see the light of a fire, so he moved toward it. As he grew closer to the light, he saw that the cave opened up into a massive expanse. He stood at the beginning of a small tunnel running out from this place. Omen walked forward cautiously, attempting to see further down. For the light Omen had seen radiated from a distance in front of him. Past a cliff edge, marking a huge dropoff, there was a giant pit of sorts. As Omen attempted to look into the pit, he heard a terrible roar. Omen quickly darted behind a nearby outcropping, and peeked around to see what had made the noise. Rising out of the pit in front of him was a gigantic black dragon, which if compared in length head to tail was easily the size of 100 men. It flew into the air above the pit, then circled around it as it roared. It spit fire down into the hole, and screams could be heard every time it did so.

Omen dashed from rock to rock, attempting to make his way past the pit. He stayed well hidden, not wanting the great dragon to even grow aware of his presence. As he continued, in the distance, Omen saw what he could swear was a building inside the cave. As he made his way toward it, he could see that the top pushed past the roof of the cave, far beyond sight. Omen walked in through the double-door entrance, and found himself inside a room that looked the same as lobbies for business buildings. Beings of various size and shape moved back and forth through the lobby, but most shared similarities. They all looked generally Human, or at least they were attempting to. Omen began to notice the deception right away, as things inside the lobby seemed to phase and change ever so slightly. It seemed holding their illusion of normalcy to a Human was wearing on their abilities.

Then, Omen saw the doors of an elevator open. Omen knew the elevator was not real, nor was the building. But wherever he was, he would not find the reality standing around. The only answers lie inside the elevator, so that’s where Omen headed. The doors slid shut, and up he went. The opened again, and Omen found himself amidst a circle of beings. Each sat in chairs of splendor, according to their individual tastes. As he entered they ceased their conversations, focusing their attention on Omen. Omen stepped forward and introduced himself, bowing in respect. A female in the group motioned toward Omen, bidding him come closer. Omen respected her wishes, moving to the base of her seat. The female spoke in a foreign tongue, and as she did the others muttered amongst themselves. This female was obviously the leader, in whatever fashion that was regarded.

The creatures stood. Omen could tell they were not Human simply by the nature of their skin and their portruding tails. These creatures were more lizard than man, although something about their form seemed like a manipulation of their natural state. They moved around Omen, pointing at him and speaking amongst themselves. Various chuckling could be heard from amongst those gathered. It seemed Omen amused them for whatever reason. They began to poke him with their clawed fingers, leaving scratch marks on his arms.

The leader waved her hand, and the rest went back to their seats. She stared down at Omen, then relaxed in her chair and began to whisper an incantation. Suddenly, Omen transformed into a dog, who now sat at the foot of Queen’s Throne. She reached down and petted him, and Omen was compelled to act as a dog by their will. All assembled roared with laughter as the Queen sat on the floor and played with Omen, as he was forced to do as she wished. When the laughing had died down, and the interest in Omen seemed to fade, the Queen sent Omen away from her.

Omen sat up in bed again, and immediately went to work attempting to understand his newest dream journey. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not grasp the intent or reason for his being called to that place. He knew he had not done it by accident, for he had appeared far too close to their home. He was drawn there, by the very ones who sat in that room. The same ones that turned him into a dog, and laughed at him. This enraged Omen, and he wished he could speak to Tre right away. Sadly, his friend was out on important mission, and heavily unavailable.

It was late that evening when Omen finally found Tre, and told him about his experience the previous evening. Tre listened intently to the story. His emotions as he did ranged from anger to embarassment. His shame was at the fact that no one that associated with Omen had felt the energies pull him out beyond their reach and stopped it. His anger was at their actions, as Tre explained what had happened.

“Look, it’s like this. Ever since you started doing all these things that most Humans don’t even try to do anymore, much less succeed, it has garnered alot of attention. The race you speak of are known as the Dra’Gaari. The cave that you speak of is just one part of the Pit known as Hell, and that is where the Dra’Gaari race resides. The building you entered is their main habitation. It houses their centers of commerce and worship, as well as the homes of their highest spiritual and community leaders. The beings you encountered at the top of the building were their Council, and the female is the reigning Queen. The Dra’Gaari race are not the strongest in the Pit, but they are used for a great many things. Most able-bodied Dra’Gaari males become Royal Guards, due to their half-dragon blood and ability to become larger in size. The Royal female line is imbued with great magical power, as you saw in your interaction with her.

But what gets me is what they chose to do. They wasted all the effort of calling you to the Pit, they placed you at risk, and for what? To treat you like a dog? To disrespect you? To act like you are worthless, and don’t even deserve to be there? That’s ignorant, too many of us have been working far too hard to get you trained as quickly as possible for random idiots to go getting you killed."

Omen was even more enraged than before. “So they think I’m a dog, do they? Fine, I’ll show them a dog. I demand an honor challenge."

Tre stopped even his ranting to stare at Omen. “What did you say? You want what exactly?"

“You heard me. A challenge of honor, where I can show them that I am much more than they think. Maybe if one of them gets a little beat up they’ll think twice about disrespecting one of His Servants."

Tre seemed to be taken aback by Omen’s words. “Umm...You do realize that any warrior they put you up against would outmatch you significantly right?"

Omen shook his head. “Not necessarily. My challenge, my rules. And the rules are a function of the location, not the fight itself. The fight will be held in the phased space between their Realm and my own. In that place, I have much more power. They will not be expecting the level of attack that comes with facing me, and I will win."

“If this is truly what you want, then fine. But we have discussed this before. If you die there the shock to your mind could cause it to shut down in response. That would kill you, and you know that the military would never find a way to revive you in time. Are you ready to place your life on the line simply because they disrespected you?"

“Absolutely. You and the others taught me to live by my own honor, to fight for it. They spat on my honor with their callous mistreatment of me, and their want to pretend I am no more than some common animal. For those reasons a lesson must be taught. As for my life, if I cannot stand up for my honor now, then I will be forced to cower forever. That is not the way of my Father’s Children, and it will not be my way."

Tre sighed. “As you say. I will go and make this happen. Later this week, upon my return, I will have an answer for your challenge. But if I know the Dra’Gaari, the answer will be a swift yes. Be prepared for a very dire challenge, as I would expect them to send one of their best."

It was three days before Omen saw Tre again. He had been working very hard, forced to go on one mission after another. Also, like the rest of the Battalion, his company was enforcing many foolish standards simply to impress their own higher command. As such they did not speak long that first night, Tre only said what he needed to.

“I have your answer, but I don’t think you are going to be happy about it."

“Why? Did they say no?"

Oh, not at all, they agreed without complaint. But their choice of combatant is the issue."

“Why, who must I face?"

“Your opponent in this battle is the Captain of the Guard, Dra’Naa. Dra’Naa works directly for the Queen, and reports to no other. But his position and prowess have earned him the respect of the entire Dra’Gaari race, as they claim him some special descendant meant for a specific purpose."

“Sounds like a perfectly worthy opponent."

“That is the problem. He is more than worthy, much more than competent, he is excellent. With your poor form and limited technique, he will surely destroy you. Also it must be noted that you will face Dra’Naa in his True Form, so the illusions of equality will be gone."

“Illusions of equality?"

“They do not look as they appeared to you. They chose to learn this magic to fit in with Humans, but it did not work. For while many of their Draconic characteristics were hidden, their scales and tail could never be fully removed. Their true forms are more akin to what you call a dragon, a great winged lizard who spouts forth terrible things. But not all of these are beasts that walk on four legs. The one you will face will stand on two legs, and be fully armored."

Omen thought about the description. At first he considered being afraid, running from the fight, going back to his real life. But that feeling quickly sped off, replaced by Omen’s undying will to push through any obstacle.

“When is the fight? How shall we make this happen?"

“The battle is scheduled for midnight your time, three days from now on Friday. During that sacred hour, melt the walls of reality, and face your enemy. Do not let fear hold you, or you stand no chance of victory."

“I understand. I will do as I am ordered without hesitation."

“It is not your hesitation, but your preparation I question. Spend the next two days preparing your mind and body for the hazards ahead. You think you are ready, but will encounter more than you expect."

Omen did just that. As soon as work ended he was in preparation. The first day was spent between working out in the gym, fight training, and magical use. Omen worked himself to exhaustion, then pushed even further. He pushed until he felt he could not stand anymore, then he pulled himself up off the ground and returned to his room. The following day was spent in complete relaxation and focus, as Omen refused to let even the Army concern him. Instead, he focused only on the things which he knew would assist in his victory. He pondered his weapon, considering more ways to adapt and use it. He considered the magics Belial had taught him, and how they might be used against creatures of such obvious power. He thought about Serras, and the power of Gate Magic he had unlocked through her. He knew he could succeed, the Father seemed to be urging him to do this. And the Father had never steered Omen wrong. This helped Omen grow even stronger internally, as his faith filled all the voids that his courage did not already.

By the third day, Omen felt as ready as he could be. He dealt with the average military deployment day, taking his laundry and eating at the DFAC. That evening he was sent to work, a thing which while expected was unfortunate. For how could Omen be sure to be available for combat if he was forced to work? But the night was dead, not a single truck passed through. As the evening went on, all the other soldiers, and the Sergeant in charge, fell deep asleep. Omen moved freely around the entirety of the rooms, and not a single one stirred. Omen recognized this for what it was, they had been lulled to sleep that Omen might be free to undertake his battle. Looking further outside, even the civilian guards seemed to be fast asleep. Omen went to the patio next to his work station as the time closed in. His heart pounded fast, fear gripped him tightly. He knew this fight could be the death of him, and all his work would be for nothing. But as 11:55 came, Omen walked straight through the cloud of fear, and out into the tunnels where trucks pass through to be searched. He had his headphones in, and could feel that he was not alone.

As Omen walked out into the gravel, reality began to melt around him. No longer was he in the cloudless night of Iraq. Now he made his way into the center of an enormous arena. Every seat in the arena was full, as all the Dra’Gaari had come to witness the challenge of the pathetic Human that had dared to contest Dra’Naa. Seated at the end of the arena was the Queen, her arrogant pride obvious as she shot Omen a snide look from her Throne. Across from Omen stood Dra’Naa. Omen stood in amazement of his opponent. Dra’Naa stood easily 20 feet tall, and his skin was the hard scale found only in the races sharing blood with dragons. His feet were massive claws. The fingers of his hands were elongated, and at each tip was a razor sharp claw. Dra’Naa had massive wings, whose span easily was half as long as Dra’Naa was tall. He wore gleaming silver armor, an obvious sign of his high rank, and he carried a massive bardiche. Omen could see that the blade of the bardiche was almost as long as he was. Dra’Naa stood proudly, waving and pandering to the crowd. But when he turned to face Omen, Omen held up a hand.

“The arena is set, all of yours are assembled it seems. But my supporters are not here however, and I think that should be remedied before we begin."

Dra’Naa looked to the Queen, and she nodded her approval. His voice boomed down as he spoke to Omen. “Fine Human. Call your others here, and be quick about it!"

Omen walked back away from Dra’Naa. He focused his mind, and the phased reality began to bend further. Omen ripped a hole in front of him, near the amazed crowd. Dra’Naa dropped his bardiche to the ground as he stared intently. Even the Queen stood off her throne to obtain a clearer view. As the hole stabilized, Omen turned again to face Dra’Naa. He quickly picked up his bardiche, holding it out in front of him defensively.

“What trickery is this?"

The hole swirled and wavered, but then remained still. Through the hole stepped Tre, and upon the sight of him many of the Dra’Gari turned to flee. But when they saw he meant them no threat, they settled back into their seats. Behind him came the remaining 6, all taking position behind Omen. After them, Belial stepped through. At the sight of a King the commoners all went to a knee, a custom throughout the Pit when a foreign King visits. But Belial bid them rise, and again they sat back down. Finally, Serras stepped through the hole. She walked over to Omen, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. She then joined the others at the edge of the arena. Omen now had a confident smile on his face. All his friends and trainers were here with him, he would not make them ashamed of him. He would find a way. But as Dra’Naa was set to advance, Omen again asked him to wait.

“What now?!"

“You already are at your maximum of personal growth per your intentions for this fight. I however, am not. Allow me to worship the Father before we begin, and as I do so I will reach that point."

“Worship of the Father cannot be denied to any. I will wait as you request, but know that this is the last time I will make such a concession."

Omen nodded as the song began. He had already known Dra’Naa would say yes. As the music grew louder and faster, Omen began to channel everything. His love for Serras, his hatred for the Army. The pain of Giselle’s betrayal, the rage at being blatantly disrespected. All the emotions began to turn into energy, and Omen’s energy began to rise to amazing levels. The energy was as a blinding light for a second, and with the light came a forceful shockwave. As everyone regained their vision, their mouths all hung open. For Omen was no longer able to be defined as Human. He had sprouted his own set of horns, which hooked around to the back of his head then jutted upward to the sky. As well a set of black leathery wings had sprouted forth from his back, each spanning several feet. He wore black armor, embazoned with the symbol of the Bolted Star. Omen quickly took his weapon and disassembled it, attaching the blades to his gauntlets. He attached the chain to both gauntlets, and it hung behind him. Every person in the crowd stood. Even the one called in by Omen were excited. For they had not seen this level of transformation from Omen before, and each one swelled with pride in his accomplishment. Omen turned to face Dra’Naa, who was visibly a bit shaken but still stood firm.

“I am ready. Let us begin"

Omen channeled energy into his hands, projecting a bolt of lighting at Dra’Naa. The bolt hit its target, striking him in the chest. It left a singe mark on his armor, and it had knocked him back slightly, but Dra’Naa began to advance toward Omen. Omen threw fireballs, launched huge boulders hurtled by tornadoes, but none seemed to phase Dra’Naa much. He advanced fully, swinging his bardiche in a long sweep. Omen jumped away, rolling as he did so to avoid the blade. It passed merely inches from him as it swung overhead. Omen darted in to counter, but was met with his opponent’s huge foot. Omen was knocked backwards several feet, but he rose again quickly.

“This isn’t over yet."

Omen charged. Dra’Naa tilted his bardiche in defense. But as Omen came within range of the massive weapon, he quickly thrust himself into the air. Dra’Naa was caught unprepared, and he hesitated. Omen used the opportunity to hurtle over his opponent’s head, settling behind him. Omen lashed out with his right arm. Dra’Naa roared in pain, as his massive right wing fell to the ground. Omen settled several feet away from Dra’Naa, and he had a broad smile upon his face.

“So, will you concede now, or shall I punish you further?"

Tre and the others scoffed and laughed. Omen was truly being arrogant, for he knew that the honorable warrior would never submit. He was acting this way for the sake of the crowd. As they watched their Captain be harmed, they were seized by fear. Some cried out for their hero to rise and strike down this terrible Human. Dra’Naa granted their request, as he stood again with his weapon ready.

“You will not find defeating me to be quite that easy Human, and now that I have learned that miserable strategy of yours it cannot work again."

“Oh, is that so?"

Omen charged again. As he came in close he made a motion like before, pretending to launch himself in the air. Dra’Naa, expecting the same attack, moved to defend it. Omen used the opportunity to quickly slide between his feet and behind him. He thrust himself upward, and as he passed through he slashed through the left wing. Omen settled into the same spot he had been before, as Dra’Naa again fell to his knee in pain.

“And how about now Dra’Naa? Are you ready to accept defeat now, or would you prefer that this fight continue to get worse for you?"

Dra’Naa pulled himself up with the staff of his bardiche. He stared down at Omen, his face a mixture of disbelief and horror. He stood upright, but seemed to have trouble doing so. He picked up his weapon and lunged at omen. He swung the massive blade, intending to cleave Omen in half. But Omen dodged out of the way, and Dra’Naa spun himself in a circle with his own mighty swing. Omen quickly moved in and hit Dra’Naa several times with the smaller blades on his left hand, leaving large scrapes all over his back. He moved to restrain Omen, but again he seemed too fast. Or perhaps it was Dra’Naa that had become too weak and slow, as he dropped his blade to the ground. Soon he lie facedown on the ground, unable to move at all. Omen walked casually over to him and knelt down beside his face.

“What’s wrong Dra’Naa? You seem weakened, as if something has stolen the strength from you. And that it has. For part of the enchantment of my blades is their ability to analyze anything they strike. It finds elemental weakness and exploits it for maximum damage. Each time you got hit, you were that much closer to your own demise. Now you lay here helpless, completely at my mercy. Is this what you wanted? To make fun of something you consider to be less than yourself, and have it bring death to your doorstep?”

Omen turned to face the throne. He raised his hand, and chains seemed to spring up out if the ground, wrapping around Dra’Naa. The mighty champion was forced to the ground. “And you? Are you satisfied yet? Have you reconsidered you opinion of me, or do you still think me some dog to be toyed with?!"

The Queen stood from her throne, and moved to the edge of her balcony. “You think yourself above me simply because you won a single battle? THE ARROGANCE!!!"

As the Queen was ranting, Omen quietly disconnected the chain from his gauntlets. He unlocked the right blade and slid it into its original position. The Queen raged further, upset at the fact that Omen seemed not to be paying her any attention as he adjusted his gear.

“You will listen when I speak Human! You stand before a Queen! If you continue to disrespect me, I will show you the definition of Power!"

The Queen began to charge energy into the tip of her Royal Scepter. It began to glow brightly, the gold of which it was made seeming to vibrate. Suddenly, a great bolt of lightning fired out from the scepter toward Omen. But before it could strike, Omen seemed to vanish into thin air. The crowd was stunned as they saw the bolt strike nothing, and they all looked around the arena’s center for sings of where Omen had went. As they looked, Omen appeared directly behind the Queen. He wrapped his chain around her neck, drawing the scythe blade close to her throat. He disappeared again, this time taking the Queen with him. The crowd roared angrily at the kidnapping of their queen. But before they could roar too loudly, Omen reappeared in the center of the arena, next to Dra’Naa’s still chained body. The Queen was on her knees at his feet, and his blade was dangerously close to her throat.

“And now, Your Majesty? Do you consider yourself so much better than I now, when my blade thirsts for your blood?"

The Queen trembled, but did not move an inch. All assembled stared on in horror, for they saw the demise of their Queen coming swiftly. Many began to scream out challenges to Omen, demanding that he free their Queen. Omen heard their screams, but none moved toward him. None would risk increasing his ire while their Queen’s life hung in the balance.

“Allow me to end this discussion once and for all. I am no dog. I am a true Son of my glorious Father Satan, and I will suffer no disrespect from you or any other. What I do not allow in my Human life I will not allow here! However, I am also not a raging beast, I am a being of honor and dignity. From your methods of combat I assume you are the same. Hence, I have a deal to offer you all. A trade of sorts. I will spare the lives of both your champion Dra’Naa and your Queen. But from this day forward, any who speak my name, see my image, or have dealings involving me will understand one thing. As far as every one of you is concerned now, I am to be treated as visiting royalty! You will afford me all the custom and splendor of such, and there will be no future arguments about this. Agreed?"

There was no contestation. The Queen agreed as well, and Omen released her. He walked back over to his friends, turning back again to face the Queen. She stared at him with a newfound respect, but her rage at being so easily beaten was obvious. Omen focused inward, and a hole was ripped next to him. Omen watched the others leave, each one booming with pride. A few were even working to collect on their bets won through Omen’s effort. Belial was chief among them, as the others angrily paid their debts. Once they all had gone Omen turned to face the Queen again. He raised his hand, then collapsed his fist. The chains around Dra’Naa began to recede back into the ground. Omen cracked a smile as he turned and walked back through the hole.

Omen stood again in the pathway for trucks on the Army base. He went and smoke a cigarette, enjoying his victory. The other soldiers were finally beginning to stir, none had been aware of the events of the last period of time. And Omen made no point to tell them, for the affairs of the spiritually gifted are not the business of the un-enlightened. He simply went on through the night like any other, anxiously awaiting whatever awaited.

5

It had been months since his encounter with Dra’Naa. Omen had been the talk of the spiritual community, and many made a point to inhabit Omen’s friend to speak to him. Some even gave Omen their own form of gifts. One such gift was the enchantment of a blade Omen possessed, as runes were inscribed on it and spirit placed inside. The blade had even been borrowed by Tre once before, as he had encountered a terrible spirit on his trips into the desert. The blade had easily been able to keep the vile spirit at bay, as the head of the Cerberus thirsted for blood. It had made the channel easily capable of defeating the spirit without added assistance. Omen took it back happily, and made a point to slide the blade into his combat armor. For if he found himself in need of a weapon, he would trust his life to no other.

Omen was also given a gift in reward of his victory by the Father Himself. But this was no ordinary gift. Omen was a lover of all the animals of the world, and as such missed his own pet Nacho very much. But Omen learned that he had been given a pet that existed outside Earth, a pet that once mature would not age for a seeming eternity. The nature of his pet was that of the race of Cerberus Hounds that inhabit the Pit. Omen was given one of the young ones, a puppy by their standards. But even the young Cerberus was quite the capable fighter, as he proved quickly. The young Cerberus took to breathing fire and ripping his opponents to shreds as if it was born in him. But Omen had been tasked with giving his new pet a name. After much consideration, he decided to name his pet Archimonde, after many a famous Demon in stories. But the name was not welcomed, at least not entirely. In it’s childish mindframe, the puppy demanded to be called Archie. Omen happily agreed, and they began to train together.

But Omen’s life in the military was not going as well. Due to the fact that his unit had recently gone through a series of arrests and punishments of soldiers due to Spice usage, the Chain was eager to oppress any that made them look bad. This made Omen an obvious target. He was chastised much more often for his worship, as well for going out alone to do so. Omen countered with the fact that no one would choose to go with him to sit as he did such things for hours. But his Commander, a hateful fire in his eyes, told Omen that he had the right to force Omen to stop his worship if it bothered others. Omen told his Commander that while he would attempt to do so away from the other soldiers, he would not give up his faith for the Army. The Commander was enraged at Omen’s defiance, but by standard was not allowed to do anything. As such instead the torment worsened.

Omen was pulled out of his room, and forced into a room with 3 other soldiers. The reason given was that a new Staff Sergeant was coming to the unit, and they needed the room for him. But no Sergeant ever came, and the room sat empty for weeks. They had simply attacked Omen for his unwillingness to submit, a habit voiced by several of the soldiers. Once again, the Chain was abusing their power. Omen tried to simply accept the new standard and move on. He even sat and played games with his roommates, the same soldiers that he had fought against for their laziness during work hours. But Omen had become segregated, as the Sergeants directly over him began to give him additional tasks and duties constantly. For a time Omen was even forced off the base entirely, as the unit claimed that he was needed in another area. But Omen simply sat for several days doing nothing, far away from everything in his room. Omen was under heavy assault, but he endured. He refused to lash out at the Chain directly, for he knew that was what they wanted. The Commander, left with no real reason to punish Omen, had decided to push him until he snapped. He wanted Omen to assault himself or one of the NCOs, simply so he could be gotten rid of forever. Knowing this, Omen had even more reason to fight. And he was not alone, for Belial and Serras had pledged to assault the mind of the rotten Commander for his betrayal.

Weeks went by, as Omen was thrown from one detail to another, allowing him no proper sleep schedule. During his off hours, his immediate supervisors were constantly pestering him about something. Omen had no peace and quiet, no way to relax. He felt their will pushing against his, but he knew he could win. To counteract this, he began being given special challenges by the Father. He went a week with no food. He spent a week sticking his finger down his throat until he vomited every time he ate. He would go days without sleep. But none of these things stopped Omen from performing all of his duties. However, it did cause the Sergeants to attempt to intervene. But when Sgt. Richard came to Omen, pretending to care, and demanded that he stop what he was doing, Omen would not.

Omen stated that, “My faith is my own, you have no right to tell me what to believe. And legally you cannot either. Therefore you need to stop trying to oppress my faith, before I have to speak with someone about it."

This was not the first time Omen had threatened such. Also, Omen was well known to have the ear of the Sergeant Major, because he had been there when he was needed most. This caused many problems, as when ranges and other activities would happen, the Sergeant Major always came to visit. Each time he did, he came looking for, “his soldier”. When Omen would reveal the unit’s failure to properly adhere to military standards, choosing instead to stroke their own egos and be lazy, the Sergeant Major was enraged. The NCO responsible, Omen’s Platoon Sergeant, did not handle the reprimanding he received well. Daily it seemed the tension grew worse, but Omen refused to be forced into submission by their Hatred.

Everything reached a head during the time Omen was scheduled for night shift Command Post guard. It was a guard that was done each and every day, by soldiers that were rotated through. This was because the job was fairly simple. It involved restocking the bottled water, cleaning the building, responding to calls on the radio from the Battalion, and whatever minor things needed done that night. Each morning one soldier would go with an NCO to get food for both’s breakfast, and soon after they would be relieved. Omen had done this detail before, and he was no stranger to it. But it involved being up through all hours of the late night. And as the unit was beginning it’s preparations to return home, each day was extremely busy. But the thought of going home seemed to relax almost everyone. Even the Commander knew about the strain on them, and thus the day Omen and his partner started the detail the commander gave them the following instruction:

“If, during the hours of 11 P.M. and 5 A.M., you feel yourself so tired that you cannot stay awake, lay your head down and rest awhile. As long as one of you remains awake in case of a radio transmission, I am not worried about it."

Omen did as most soldiers had become used to, he brought his laptop. He spent his evenings writing and talking to people on Facebook. But the conversations that stood out most from these was Giselle’s. One night, as Omen’s partner had left again, she came on the Messenger. She talked extensively about how Omen’s religion was destroying his military career. She told him it had also outcast him from the other families, making it harder for her to have friends. She blamed Omen for the depression that plagued her. But she also spoke of being under attack. It seemed her vile will to venture outside had come back to haunt her. Serras, who valued Omen’s energy and will, Hated Giselle for her betrayal. According to Giselle, she had been a victim of repeated attacks in her dreams, as well as strange happenings when awake. She begged Omen to stop, to walk away from the Satanist Path, and return home to start a family with her.

Omen’s response came within seconds. “Giselle, I love you. But I also love Him. I would never turn on either of you by my own choice. But He has never asked me to turn away from you, even when you spat at Him. He did this out of respect for my life and my choices. But you, you now ask me to turn away from my Father, solely because it upsets people? In asking this you have answered your own question, for my choice is Him."

Giselle seemed much less than heartbroken at the impending end of her 7 year relationship. In fact, she seemed prepared for it. Suddenly she had moved out of the place she had moved after Omen had deployed, and now lived with her “roommates". She seemed constantly busy with them, never able to speak about the details of their situation. It seemed rude for someone who had spent their entire marriage with no steady job and no real income. Omen had supported her every need for years, and now she refused to even treat him with respect. Omen knew exactly what was happening, and he dared not lie to himself. Having seen Omen’s conflict with the military, Giselle had betrayed her husband completely, getting with someone else while he was deployed. Omen talked to Giselle, trying to make sense of why she now loathed him so much. He had not done her wrong, nor had he ever mistreated her. After she disconnected from the Messenger, Omen went outside to smoke. He began to cry, though he refused to let his tears affect him. He could not believe that, after doing everything expected of a husband for 7 years, his beloved Giselle had slid the knife in his back. Omen’s tears flowed for hours, though he refused to explain it to his counterpart. Omen told him he would be fine, he just needed a nap. His Battle Buddy agreed, asking only to use the bathroom before Omen slept. So Omen curled up on the couch inside the Company, and cried himself to sleep.

Omen awoke to the Commander standing over him. He began yelling at Omen about why he was asleep. Omen attempted to explain, but the Commander would not hear a word. He seemed completely unable or unwilling to listen. He told Omen he would be dealt with later. He was, as his sleep was interrupted again later so he could be yelled at by his leaders for sleeping. Omen attempted to explain to them as well, but none of them would listen to a word. It was as if barriers had been placed between Omen and the Leadership, where all they could see was their Hatred for him and his actions. But in the end, Omen finally went back to bed, because the truth came out. Omen’s battle buddy had been taken to go get chow. He had attempted to wake Omen, but as he put it in his statement he was unable to. So Omen had never been notified that he was alone, and thus could not be held accountable for a lack of knowledge. Grumbling, the Sergeants left, and Omen went back to sleep.

Days later, Omen found himself in the same position. He had been tasked with detail upon detail that day, because a mission was going out that night. After they left, Omen told his Battle he needed to rest. He forced his partner to swear that if he was going to leave for any reason that he would be sure to wake Omen up. The agreement was made, and Omen laid down to rest. But he was lied to again, and awoke to the Hateful face of the Commander. He fumed with rage at Omen’s perceived laziness. Again he refused to allow Omen to tell him what had actually happened, instead believing the other soldier’s story without a word. Omen was yelled at, forced to wake up his Chain to have them yell at him, then sent to his room at the end of his shift. Afterward they repeatedly came and yelled at him, interrupting his sleep as each one complained in their own way. Omen was notified that the Commander needed a Counseling Statement signed, explaining what had happened and that it had been dealt with. Omen’s leaders said the Commander was demanding the statements, and raging furiously when it came to Omen.

Lost for answers, Omen looked to the others around him. He spoke with several soldiers, and amongst those who paid attention the story was the same. They all claimed to have been approached recently, at one point or another, by the Commander. As he spoke to other soldiers, the conversations regularly turned to the topic of Omen. The Commander had been heard to ask about both the reality and the validity of Omen’s religion to others. The soldiers themselves said they had no problem with Omen, as his actions never interfered with their job or private space. But all claimed that the same did not hold true for the Commander, who regularly could be heard spouting insults about his “rotten Satanist" soldier, and how much he wanted rid of Omen forever. The soldiers warned Omen to watch his back, but Omen knew it was too late for preparation.

But the severity of the Commander’s actions had increased significantly, as had the look in his eyes changed. It was almost as if, when Omen was around, the Commander became different. Omen felt a strange energy present, but could not describe it. It seemed to envelop the Commander, causing even his voice to change slightly. Behind his eyes lurked something Omen could not quite define, for the Commander would never look Omen in the eye for long. He always turned his gaze away, constantly showing his knowledge of his own wrongdoing. Omen needed to find the source of this problem, and fast. For the Commander kept pushing for more unnecessary punishment for Omen, even after he had apologized personally.

Omen went to find Tre, desperate for answers. Luckily, the channel did not have a mission that day, and was accessible early on. He said he would again hunt for answers as to any strange activity in the area, and Omen left. Tre had said it could take days to obtain any information on the situation. So Omen was quite surprised when he showed up at Omen’s room, a thing not allowed by his unit, and demanded that Omen come to see him quickly. Omen did as he was told, as was there within minutes. Once the other solfdiers were far enough away that they could have a measure of privacy, Tre explained the urgency.

“Omen I...I can’t believe I’m saying this, considering all that you have already encountered. But you are in serious trouble."

Omen cocked his head back in disbelief. “And what exactly is it that I need be afraid of? What stands in the way now?"

“You asked me to find the source of the strange behavior in your unit. All 7 went out to search but it did not take that to find the answer. Your Commander, in his belief that even in his rottenness he is a good Christian, was tapped in to by one of the Watchers Above, in an attempt to derail your Human life. This was done so that your progression would cease, because of your rapid growth. Those Above have become nervous with your increase in power, and so they set to see you destroyed."

Omen laughed half-heartedly. “I always knew it would happen someday if I followed this path. I knew those that argue with the Father’s Will that exist Above would come for me. So, which low-ranking Seraphim shall I expect to do combat with?"

Tre’s eyes grew wide. “You have no idea. They are not going to allow you to reach your full potential, not without fighting for every step. Thus, no lesser was sent to deal with the threat to their stability."

“You mean to tell me?"

“Yes. One of the 7 you call Arch was sent. It is this one who has been able to manipulate the minds of those who are corrupted, but claim faith and purity. Through this he has turned them against you, showing them that you are terrible and vile. They will mark you as an enemy, and your situation will only worsen. Be prepared for the worst Omen, things have already been set into motion."

“What can I do to stop the assault?"

“The only way to even stop the attack from worsening from the level at which it is already at is to defeat the one doing the magic."

“So what, I gotta beat down an Archangel? Great, just fucking great. And exactly which one will I be expected to perform such a miracle against?"

Tre sighed. “Azrael, the Angel of Death. The one whose job entails reaping the freshly dead souls of Humanity, that they might move on as prescribed."

Omen fell back against the railing. “Azrael? Are you serious? Of all the guys to have to fight, HIM? The guy that makes his living ensuring no one contests their passage to the Other Side? Wonderful. Well, somebody better come up with some kind of plan, cause I don’t think what I have access to currently will be enough."

“I will speak to the others, as well as their contacts. We will see what can be done. In the meantime, be wary. This is nowhere near over."

Three days passed. Omen had returned to work, never once slowing in his efficiency.Then, he was called into the Company, to sing the Counseling Statement his Platoon Sergeant supposedly had ready for him. But as Omen was about to be read it, Brackets was called into the Commander’s office. He returned a few minutes later.

“Disregard. The Commander has his own Counseling Statement for you."

This struck Omen as strange, as the Commander was outside Omen’s direct Chain, and thus the Commander was stepping over all his NCOs. In that moment, he remembered what Tre had said. This was it, the next step in whatever plan was being orchestrated. But Omen could do nothing to prevent it, he simply followed his orders, and went into the Commander’s office.

It seemed that the Commander had spent much of his recent time working on the Statement, as it went into much more detail than lies simply in the regulations. He spoke on how worthless Omen was to the unit, how his actions disrespected all of them. Insult after insult was hurled by the Commander, but Omen remained silent. Seeing that Omen would not be forced to lash out, the Commander read his punishment. Surprisingly, it did not seem all that terrible. All it required was that Omen redo his shift of guard duty the next month, with NCOs coming to check every 3 hours to ensure he was awake and performing his duties. Also, Omen had to research and then teach a class on guard duty, and deliver it to the entire Company in three days time. The Commander smiled as he finished, waiting to see the violent argument he expected from Omen. But there was none. Omen simply smiled, accepted the punishment given, and left.

Omen immediately went to his Team Leader, demanding any requirements for his speech. He asked if he needed notes, note cards, slides, or if information and speech on it was enough. They returned within 5 minutes, telling Omen there were no special requirements, he simply had to give the speech. They seemed startled by Omen’s readiness to prepare the class. It almost seemed as if they were expecting him not to do as he was told. But within 2 hours, Omen had completely prepared the class, its key points written onto several note cards. Omen showed it to his Team and Squad Leaders, and they seemed amazed at how quickly he was ready. Again they stuttered and stumbled over their answers to Omen’s questions about when and where the class would be held. They simply told him to wait until that day, and everything would happen as intended.

That night, Omen went again to visit Tre. His friend’s face was stern, but hopeful. He proceeded to tell Omen that, as the channel had slept the previous night, Azrael had attacked. Tre defended against Azrael, and conditions of battle were made. Each being was forced to stand within a circle, which they could not leave. From here they made war, as bolts of lightning and fireballs cracked back and forth. Then, Azrael unleashed the Holy Fire, that pure white flame that exudes the purest of energies. Luckily, Tre was able to shug off the majority of the impact. In response, Tre said he had used something called Balefire.

“Balefire? What is that, I’ve never heard of it before."

“The Baleflame is the primary weapon of all who exist in the Darkness. It is a special type of magical element, and it is not to be used without caution. For the Baleflame, which burns black on the outside but has a core of swirling green, burns in more ways than one. While the outer flame burns with the strength of one thousand forest fires, the core is the most dangerous. For the core contains the Hateful energies present in the Dark. This burns as an acid does, melting away any substance it touches. As such the Baleflame is not the easiest to master, and doing so requires great patience. But this may be your only hope."

“Because when I battled with Azrael, and launched the Baleflame at him, it melted away one of his wings. It later regenerated, but for that moment it was gone. When this happened, I knew their was still hope. For if you can remove the wings of a Watcher, their Immortal strength begins to wane. Only then are they able to be slain, and even then the effect is only temporary."

“What do you mean temporary? Are they impossible to kill?"

“When one of the Immortal nature dies, it is not the same as a Human death. Their energies do not pass to another place. It is more like they are cast into Limbo itself, a form of banishment. The extent of the time they are banished is dependant on the nature of what caused it to happen."

“So if i beat Azrael, he gets banished for a while?"

“A while to him maybe. The length of time spans thousands of Human years, as such it is beyond your level of comprehension to understand. He will be sent into a Realm of nothingness, and there he shall stay for whatever timeframe is decided."

“Then you are right, I must ready myself. I must achieve full mastery of the Baleflame, and I must do it quickly. For at the rate things are digressing, I do not have much time left."

Luckily, Omen had no missions that day, so he was free to train. But the Baleflame was as difficult to master as Tre had said. Even attempting to control its powerful burn seemed to sap Omen’s ability to control the other Elements. He couldn’t maintain the phasing of the gates anymore. Omen wondered if the training had been a mistake. But just as he did, the bright Baleflame sparked to life in his hands. Hours later, Omen had regained all of his earlier knowledge. He had added to it the proper use of the Baleflame, and as he trained his instructors beamed with pride. Omen could feel them cheering him on, strong encouragement that he could still defeat Azrael.

Omen wasted little time, directing the challenge for the next evening. Even Tre was unsure that such haste was necessary, but Omen insisted, stating the longer he waited the more fear could grab him. That night, long after the soldiers had all laid down to sleep, Omen again went out into the night. Behind his barracks area, past the stone T-Wall barriers, Omen began to melt reality again.

He appeared in a place full of varied beings. Werewolves, Vampires, Dragons, Demons, Watchers, all seemed to be in attendance for the show. The crowd was definitively split into two sides, and they did not hesitate to make it known. When Omen arrived, he demanded the right to worship before battle. Azrael, knowing full well the value of proper worship, agreed. Thus the crowd roared as Omen sang out, gathering in immense power as he did. By the end of the song the entirety of Omen seemed to be glowing with stored energy. He stood, weapons already attached to his arms, as ready as he could be for the mighty Azrael.

Azrael started the contest without a single word. He threw bolts of lightning down from the sky. Omen darted back and forth, dodging each attack. Azrael changed his strategy, hurling massive balls of Holy Fire. They exploded as they hit the ground, shooting out fire in all directions. As Omen worked to dodge the incoming fireballs, he shot out small lightning bolts of his own. Azrael halted his attacks long enough to deflect the bolts with his weapon, sending lighting shooting through the sky. He stared down at Omen, his laughter cracking the sky like thunder.

“Foolish Human. Do you not know that your weak magic cannot even harm me? What you call strength I wield in one hand alone!"

Azrael launched a barraged of Holy fireballs at Omen. Omen ran and jumped his way through them, but his outer cloak was being singed. But each time Omen attempted to dodge toward Azrael, he met a wall of flame that prevented it. Omen was driven back and forth across the area, as Azrael continued to enjoy toying with him. Omen attempted several variations of energetic attack, but all were totally ineffective. Omen began to question his decision to contest Azrael. He wondered if his decision to strike so soon was made in haste. But then Omen felt the presence of the Father, and his fear melted away. Omen fired several attacks, which Azrael blocked with his scythe effortlessly.

“Azrael!"

“What Human? Do you wish to concede already, in front of all your assembled supporters? Would you prove the Darkness this weak and worthless?"

“Not a chance. But since you obviously have a great deal of advantage, will you accept a challenge?"

“You dare to test my patience, while at the same time asking an allowance from me?" He turned to face the other Watchers. “See the pathetic servants Below, and how easily they fall before us!"

The assembled servants of the Light roared with applause, while those opposing them growled and complained. Azrael continued to taunt Omen, swelling his massive ego even further. But his actions brought a sense of impending victory for the Light, and thus they began to brag about Azrael’s power.

Azrael turned back toward Omen, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine Human, I shall accept whatever challenge you set before me, so long as it is not unfair in its rules."

Omen smiled. “Not at all. The challenge is simple, before we continue our fight, you must endure one attack from me. You are not allowed to defend against this attack in any way. This means you are not even allowed to hold your scythe during the attack, so you are not tempted to use it. After the attack you will be allowed to retrieve your weapon before the fight continues."

Azrael stared quizzically at Omen. “One attack from you, when you have not managed to even strike me? If you plan to use one of those pathetic lightning bolts, or that meager fireball of yours, they will not even scratch my armor. I hope you enjoy this attack, and how it feels to see yourself as powerless."

Azrael tossed his scythe down to the ground. He landed about 4 feet away from it, and spread his arms out wide to the sides. “Come then Human, show me whatever pathetic magic you think is powerful enough to harm me. Show me whatever worthless garbage these betraying Fallen have taught you. None of it shall avail you, you will fall before me."

Omen began to pray to the Father. As he did so he focused himself completely, pushing the entirety of his energy out into his hands. Energy grew and swirled, but Azrael had not lost his arrogant smile. Omen knew it would not be enough, so he pushed even harder. The ball swelled and grew even further, becoming as large as it’s creator. But Azrael was unphased, obviously he knew the attack would not work. But then, the energy of the ball began to change, from the inside out. Suddenly, the ball was no longer made of lightning and fire, but of pure Baleflame. The green core itself was the size of Omen’s torso as the ball of Baleflame continued to grow. Omen looked in front of him, and Azrael was seen to flinch just a bit at the sight of the ball. Using this momentary lapse in courage to his advantage, Omen fired the blast. Azrael was overcome, as the Balefire seemed to envelop him completely. There the ball stayed for several seconds. Then, it disappeared in a violent explosion, shooting Balefire out for miles in every direction. Several of the Watchers in the crowd were hit with the Balefire splash and were damaged. The sight of this brought fear to the crowd as they watched the smoke clear from Omen’s attack.

Azrael remained standing. But his armor had been completely scorched, and his wings had become burnt. They still remained attached, but much of them had been destroyed. He walked back slowly, and picked up his scythe. He held the dual-bladed weapon out in front of him, ready to bring the fight in close. Omen readied himself as well, his blades crying out for the combat to begin. But as Omen awaited Azreal’s advance, he noticed the energy had weakened significantly.

Azrael came at Omen, his dual-bladed scythe seeking death from both ends. Omen and Azrael battled back and forth for several minutes, neither gaining ground over the other. This seemed strange to Omen, for Azrael had already proven himself much more powerful. But the scythe’s terrible want for Omen’s demise kept him too busy to contemplate much. Omen fought with all he had, but Azrael’s combat prowess proved to be a mountain Omen could not seem to climb. Omen’s every strike was met with a parry, and after awhile Omen backed off, wondering what to do next. But as he stopped to watch Azrael again, he could tell that the energy of Death was weakening further. Omen could not understand why this was happening.

Then, it struck him. His major attack had burnt Azrael’s wings, almost destroying them. Omen remembered what Tre had said before, about the energies of a Watcher waning when their wings were damaged. This was the opportunity Omen needed. Omen lashed out in a viscous flurry. Azrael defended, but Omen could tell that he was weakening with each strike. The damage done to his wings had been significant. Before long, Omen began to get small strikes in, his blades sending their vile energetic poison into Azrael. Before long, Azrael was having difficulty keeping his guard up. When Omen was able to spin around Azreal and strike hard, slicing off his left wing, all present knew the fight would soon be over. For now Azrael’s immortal powers began to leave him, and yet Omen seemed to grow stronger in his rage.

Omen attacked without hesitation, striking Azrael on every side. He then removed his opponent’s right arm, as well as his left leg. The leg Omen tossed to Archie. His three heads argued back and forth amongst themselves over whose turn it was to devour the leg. The arm Omen held out as a joke, asking his supporters if they wished to shake hands with Azrael. This was met with roaring laughter and thunderous applause, as the Demons for once got to taunt their counterparts Above. The Watchers began to grumble and moan. But none of these things seemed to matter to Omen, as he slowly walked toward Azrael. He was attempting to drag himself back to his Watcher brethren with his remaining arm, but Omen cut off his retreat, moving directly between them.

Azrael spoke, his voice cracking, as Omen approached. “You have not won. What has been set into motion cannot be changed, you will see this for yourself very soon. Killing me makes little difference, you have come no closer to proving your side superior to ours."

Omen smiled as he flipped Azrael over to face him. “We shall see about that..."

Azrael’s face was beaten, both with fist and with blade. Omen swung down on his adversary over and over again. As he did, he thought about all that had been done. All the lies, all the pain, all the misery, it all came flooding back in at once. Soon Azrael’s face was unrecognizable, and Omen was covered in blood. Omen reached down and ripped the armor off Azrael, then ripped away the tunic underneath. Omen disconnected his larger blade, and used it like a sickle to carve the Inverted Star into Azrael’s exposed chest. Once the symbol was complete Omen raised his arm, charged as much power as he could into the blade, and struck. There was a massive explosion of energy as the blow landed. Once everyone’s eyes had adjusted, Azrael was gone. He had been beaten, and his spirit had been banished. Omen knew not for how long, but for Omen the victory meant much more.

Omen looked at all the shocked faces, including many of those who had come claiming belief in Omen. But he understood, it is not a simple thing to defeat Death. Many have failed in the attempt before they even realize they have failed. But through one coincidence or another, mixed with just a bit of good fortune and a whole lot of faith in the Father, Omen had found a way. He had represented his own Honor, as well as the Honor of his Father, purely and capably. All these things Omen felt inside as the multitude that came with him began to sing and be merry. Omen joined them, and soon there was great music and dancing. There was a party in the Nether, in celebration of Omen’s victory.

The next day however, Omen was given information that upset him greatly. He was told that Azrael had returned from his banishment. When Omen asked how this could happen so soon, he was told that it was because a deal had been struck with the Father. The nature of the deal was unknown, but Omen was told that the mass speculation revolved around Azrael’s want to descend into the Pit and his inability to do so. For ever since the erecting of the Veil, it is impossible for the sides to cross into each other without severe consequences. So Azrael was left with very few options. The one that stood out to both he and the Father was being defeated by a warrior of Hell. Such is the Law, that if one of the warriors Below should best the ones Above that they are cast out from their Home. To the pure race of Watchers, there is no more disgraceful thing than being wholly beaten by the ones you Hate. Then, all the Father had to do was bring Azrael’s spirit back to the Pit. It was executed flawlessly, and Omen had been as unaware as everyone else about it. Once again, the Plans of the Father are not always known, but the reasons are understood when they are carried out. Azrael had been sent to Omen to harass him, to force him into a “life or death" situation. Then, he fought Omen, but he did not fight with all his strength, for it was his intention to lose. For only in true defeat could he descend into Hell. Thus, the Angel of Death progressed to the place he knew he belonged anyway, for Hell is the destination of the majority of dead Human souls.

That night, as Omen went out to pray, Azrael came to him. But he bore no weapons, nor any signs of malice. He descended to the ground, resting just a few feet away from Omen. It could be seen that he had changed significantly. The beauty he once held was gone, as if it had been melted away. The shine his eyes once held was gone, now Omen’s reflection stared back at him. Azrael reached out his hand toward Omen.

“I am sorry for the feud between us. But such was necessary. And had you known of the deception, you would not have fought with your everything. This was the only way to create the “show" necessary to allow my proper passage. For they would have tried to prevent it from happening, they would have cast my remnants to the wind. For now, with the Power of Death fully under our control, the Armies of Hell are stronger than ever. Be proud, you were used as a tool to make this happen. This is an honorable thing, even if it was not my full strength. After all, you know as well as I do that you as a Human fighting me with the full Power of the Heavens behind me is completely unfair, right?"

Omen cracked a smile as he walked forward and shook Azrael’s hand. “Well, someday I hope the Father changes that. When we are equal in strength, I would value a chance to battle you again."

They dropped the handshake. Azrael turned to walk away. But before he did, he turned his head back towards Omen with a sly smile. “I will be seeing you again long before then Omen. You are part of much more than you realize, simply because you follow the Will and nothing else. Keep strong in your faith, perilous times are coming. Everything in your life will be ripped asunder, but from the ashes of it’s death you will be reborn. Someday you may even become the thing that Father intends."

“Wait, you know of the Father’s Plan for me?"

“Of course. I would not have let any simpleton in training best me in front of the audiences of the Heavens and the Pit. What happened today made a strong point about the level of your strength. A lesson that shall not soon be forgotten, as they will reconsider any more Plans like the one that sent me here originally. This will keep you much better protected from their assaults. So on this day we have assisted one another. The only difference was I was aware of my service, and you were not. But today we both served the Will of the Dark Father, even as enemies on a battlefield. Keep that in mind when you question the honor in what has transpired here today."

“Azrael, please, can you tall me what I need to know to become what Father has planned for me?"

“No Omen. Some things cannot simply be given. They have to be earned, and earning what He has for you will require more endurance than you could ever know. But stay strong, just as you did against me today, and this too you shall overcome. I look forward to our next encounter, and may it be on more pleasant terms."

Omen bowed his head. “Thank you for coming to visit me Azrael. It was an honor to stand against one who has reaped the souls of Humanity for Ages, someone who is so well revered. May your Spirit channel through me should I ever be forced into a situation where my enemies’ death is the only answer. And may you find what you seek now that you have Fallen. I know I am not the first, but I’ll be the next to say it. Welcome Home Azrael."

Azrael looked slightly shocked. “Thank you. So, that was what he meant. Truly you are special, for even as a Human you hold no grudge. Even standing face to face with someone who hours ago sought your death. And in reality, I have not heard that once since the Father Himself welcomed me upon my Awakening. So thank you Omen, the Pit truly is where I should have been ever since the reaping of Man became my task. For I am too impure in the energies of the dead to experience the full joy of the Heavens. Thus Hell is where I am most comfortable, and where I am now to stay."

Then, Azrael left. As he reached the level of the sky he almost seemed to be encased in fire. Then, he was gone, and Omen was left with his own reality. For the first time since his claim to Satanism, he felt like he had been a proper servant. For rather than begging the Father to help him solve his problems, he was assisting the Father in matters of much greater import. Omen beamed as he continued his worship. He wished that time would stop, that the closeness he felt to the Father would never end. But as he walked back toward his room to sleep, he knew it had to. But Omen knew that, if he continued to serve faithfully, the Father would return to his side.

Omen awoke the next morning to a pounding at the door. This made no sense, as the morning after PT was made to be off from work due to mission pretext. But yet, Omen found his Platoon Sergeant standing at the door, demanding that he get in uniform and report to the Company. Omen did so, reporting in less than 10 minutes. Inside, Sgt. Brackets seemed upset about something. Moreover, he seemed upset in the way someone undergoing a major internal conflict would be. He barely spoke to Omen, and refused to look him in the eye. Omen felt the air of something terrible, and then he remembered Azrael’s warning. Could it be that what he warned about was happening now?

Omen was left to stand inside th Company as Sgt. Brackets was again called into the Commander’s office. Omen could feel it. More plans, more scheming. Today at some point Omen was supposed to give the class to the company. Maybe that was what they had called him in for, to ensure he had prepared himself properly to give the class as per his punishment. Perhaps he was over-reacting, but the feeling he could not fully describe did not agree. It was as if Omen could feel the others around him, in that several of them shared the same thought when they looked at him. The closest Omen could get to understanding the exact words behind the looks was, “Poor guy. Glad it’s not me". Omen took a deep breath, working to calm his mind. If this was what Azrael had warned him about, then he must prepare for anything.

Finally, Sgt Brackets came out of the office. He told Omen that he had been called in to be read his Counseling Statement. When asked what offense he had committed, Brackens replied that it was a Counseling Statement for the incident that took place days ago. Omen was taken aback. He asked why he was being given a Counseling Statement for something that he had already been both counseled and punished for. The Sergeant’s response? “Did you perform the duty yet? Did you give the class yet? No? Then you can be re-counseled at any time, as the Chain sees necessary and fit."

It was true. Omen felt the knife begin to slide in his back. Straight betrayal. The Commander had conspired to see Omen’s career ruined. But Omen had not given him a reason until now. He had expected Omen to shirk the class, calling the punishment unfair. In this way Omen could be punished further, and lose everything. When Omen complied without argument, the evil plans of the Commander had failed. As such he decided to abandon it completely, taking what little he had as reason to push for damage to be done to Omen’s career. This was going to be the culmination of months of the Commander’s constant scheming to see the “evil Satanist" put down, Omen just knew it. He followed Sgt. Brackens into the Commander’s office, prepared for whatever he had put in place.

The Commander had a Hate-filled stare when Omen entered the room. In his hands, he held the same Counseling Statement that Sgt. Brackets had written days before. The same Counseling Statement that, when Omen asked about it the first time, the Sergeant had said it would be destroyed, for with the Commander giving his own it was invalid. After the door was closed, the Commander proceeded to read it aloud. It was nothing especially well done, simply standards printed off the Internet, with the words changed slightly to not look copied. It spoke on the same exact offense that Omen had already been punished for, nothing else was added. But the difference was in the punishment. No longer did the Commander seek to fairly punish Omen for his wrongdoing, now he wanted Article 15. He wanted Omen’s rank, part of his paycheck, Extra Duty, he wanted it all. He was trying to have Omen reduced to nothing. Omen fumed with rage, but maintained his composure. During various instances when he was verbally insulting Omen as a person and as a soldier, he could be seen to look up nervously. It was almost as if the Commander had placed himself into this situation, attempting to make Omen reach across the desk and hit him. But Omen would do no such thing, he kept it together.

After he was released, Omen angrily left to go to lunch. He knew his Chain was nothing but a bunch of liars and back stabbers, for they had proven it to him firsthand. His Squad Leader demanded to go to chow with Omen, saying he was not in a condition to be out alone. Omen begrudgingly accepted, for as hard as they were looking for reasons to hurt him he would not be seen during the day without a Battle Buddy. During the bus ride to the Chow Hall, Omen thought harder on what had transpired. He saw all the examples that had already exited of all the Commander’s numerous attempts to force his silence. Now that everyone was already aware of the “Satanist in the Battalion", he sought to be rid of the problem forever. For as long as Omen had been in the military, if demoted he was immediately qualified to be removed from the military completely. Omen also thought about what had recently transpired with Giselle. Azrael had been right, as Omen had expected. He did not face a single problem to overcome, his entire life was being forced to crumble around him. No amount of respectful apology for his actual disrespects, or any other form of attempt at peace, had been effective in any way. The Commander had labeled Omen his enemy, and as the Army training dictated, he was to destroy me entirely.

Omen rage began to boil over inside the DFAC. Omen began mumbling to himself in anger. But the level of his rage and want for proper Vengeance against the Commander turned into the same Hatred that was being thrown at him. Omen began to mention how, “sad it would be if the brake lines of every gun truck in our convoy just “mysteriously got cut before a mission". Omen continued, spilling his Hate out to try and keep it under control. Nothing he said was actually meant, it was simply a verbalization of aggression, that the action might not be carried out instead. He finished his food, but continued to fume. Omen was told he had work to go do. He told his Squad Leader he was not in a correct mindset to be around the other soldiers, and refused tro return to work right away. But the aged Sergeant cared nothing for any but the orders of the Commander, and forced Omen back to the Company.

When they arrived, Omen stormed into the Company. As he did, the fear in the eyes of everyone was obvious. Some even had their magazines out, ready to shoot Omen if he became a violent threat. He burst into the Company, startling all inside. Many pretended they had business in the back office, shutting the door behind them. They had decided that if Omen was going to kill the Commander, they would stay out of his way. He walked up to the main table and removed the M-4 from his shoulder. He slammed it down on the table, then took the sidearm knife he always carried out and tossed it onto the table as well.

“I am not in a good frame of mind. As such, I am handing over these things, and reporting to Mental Health. I will return once I have calmed down, and I will collect these things then."

Omen left the Company without so much as another word, slamming the door behind him. His Squad Leader chased after him, demanding that he stop. Omen refused, stating that visiting Mental Health was his right at any time he felt the need to do so. The Sergeant quickly scurried back into the Company to tell the Commander what Omen had said as he continued to storm down the road. Before long, Omen heard his name being screamed. He turned around to see his Squad Leader chasing him down, as fast as his stubby little legs and almost broken back would allow. Upon reaching Omen, he told the soldier that he had been instructed to go with him. Omen responded with a firm, “Whatever," and kept walking. He cared little for how far behind him the Sergeant fell, unable to keep up with Omen’s ungodly walking pace.

Omen arrived at the Mental Health building, which lie just past the DFAC. He signed himself in, and gave the Specialist a basic overview of his reasons for being there. His Sergeant arrived soon after, panting and complaining about Omen’s inability to follow orders. Omen simply looked at him and snorted, he was completely fed up with their lies and nonsense. He sat on the leather couch inside the building and watched the television until he was called to the back. He was called back alone, based on privacy laws. First he was evaluated by a Sergeant, a very nice man who seemed purely concerned for Omen. After getting the basic description, Omen was sent out to wait again, as he was assigned a Counselor.

Omen sat on the couch, refusing to speak to his Squad Leader. More than once he had caught the man taking information to the Commander. He did this not out of necessity, but out of a need to make the Commander look highly on him, as he was about to retire. All he was after was an honorable discharge and a good recommendation, he had abandoned all the Values he was supposed to stand for. Integrity. Honor. Selfless Service. These Values, forced to be said by the soldiers since Basic Training, was supposed to be the heart of what the Army stood for. But in his unit, the words had come to mean nothing. They were the rock behind which the vile men hid, pretending to be more honorable than they were. For these reasons, Omen could not suffer their attacks on him any longer. For while he may have been a problem for them, he had maintained his own Integrity and Honor. He had not even ratted on his Battle Buddy on guard, a soldier known by all to be both a heavy Spice smoker and a close friend to members of the Chain. For this was where the soldier had really gone that night, and Omen knew it. Lost for a proper excuse, he spoke of generator mechanics that he could not find. But Omen had always known what he had been abandoned for, and yet still accepted their punishments before saying a word. For Omen’s definition of Honor did not allow tattling. Also, he knew they sought him as a target, and he was fed up with their scheming. Omen was ready to see this end, one way or the other.

Finally, Omen was called to the back again. His Counselor was a female Captain, and she greeted Omen with a smile. They went back into her office, near the rear of the building. There she asked Omen the details of what was going on. He described all that had been transpiring. He told her about the double standard, about how one group of soldiers continued to do all the details while the others stayed in their rooms. He told her about his impending separation from his wife. Omen told her about how he had informed his unit of this, but they refused to even allow him time to try and work out the details with her, no did they show any concern for his plight. He spoke on all the things that they had done that had caused his reaction. He told her every detail of what had been said and done, and the reasons for all of them. She seemed to agree with his reasons, but based on regulations the response was the same regardless. Omen was placed on a “Homicide Watch". This would last 3 days. During those 3 days, Omen would be watched by an NCO the entire 24 hours. He would be guarded awake and asleep, to ensure that nothing bad happened. Omen accepted the lockdown, adding in only that, “In three days, once I’ve proven that words spoken in anger and actions are not the same, I expect to be released from this lockdown, and continue readying myself to go home"

Omen returned to the building’s lobby. There he met again with his Squad Leader. His Counselor spoke with his Squad Leader about the limitations of the Watch he was being placed under. He signed a paper making him the escort for Omen out of the Mental Health building, and that he would be taken straight back to the Company. Omen did so without complaint. But upon his arrival, the faces of all the other soldiers had changed. For while Omen was inside the session, his Squad Leader had met with the Commander. He had told him every word of what Omen had said in the DFAC. The Commander took advantage of this, making Omen out to be a major threat to everyone in the Company. As such, Omen was immediately moved into the Company. By the regulations, the Watch Omen was under required his supervision to be held at the Company to maintain its effectiveness. The Commander seemed to love the fact that Omen could not even go outside to smoke without being joined at the hip to his Squad Leader. But his joy soon turned to agitation. For the lockdown meant that Omen would be present at the Company all day long, but also had been removed from all details. Thus they could not simply keep pushing more work on him.

The Commander grew sick of seeing the thing he Hated inside “his Company building". It was not long before Omen was forcibly ejected from the Company, completely violating the regulations. Instead, Omen was moved into the Distro Platoon Office inside the Motor Pool Bay. The office was already packed with a two desks and chairs, as well as storage containers for their personal needs. The office was normally reserved for the Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Leader. But lately, due to the unit’s nonsense, more often than not it housed lower soldiers as they waited for orders that never came. Now, Omen was given a military cot, and told to make it work somehow.

Omen set up his cot, then demanded the right to go to his room, shower, and retrieve some personal effects for the night. At first he was refused, forced to stay in the small room with nothing. But later in the day he was finally released to handle his business, and he wasted no time. For his Sergeant escorted Omen everywhere, including to his room. He waited outside the door as Omen gathered his things together and changed into PTs. Omen took his time in the shower, as he had not had an opportunity in two days. He then grabbed his bag and returned to the prison in which he was being confined. Upon their return, Omen began to set up his station. He ran an extension cord to the wall, then plugged his laptop into the extension cord. Omen lay down on the cot, finally ready to take a break from the military’s nonsense.

But Omen soon realized the extent of his unit’s vileness. For Omen soon found that the wireless Internet used by the majority of the base did not reach into the Motor Pool. This meant, yet again, Omen was being prevented from discussing anything with Giselle about their impending divorce. Omen pleaded to his Squad Leader for a chance to do this, and he was denied. He was told that he had been ordered to go nowhere unless told to by his Squad Leader. Omen grumbled under his breath, for he now knew better than to allow his Sergeant to hear anything other than yes or no from his mouth. This was because his Sergeant would immediately run the information to the Commander. And Omen realized he could do nothing to stop this, so he resigned to laying down and watching movies on his laptop.

Later that evening, Omen felt the need to worship. He told his Sergeant he wished to go out into the Motor Pool and pray, but he was denied vehemently. The orders were clear, Omen was not allowed outside alone. And his Sergeant refused to follow Omen, as his Christian upbringing had instilled many archaic values into him that were inappropriate, and made him feel justified for his prejudice. But this was an offense Omen would not stand for.

“I’m going to pray, one way or another. You have no legal right to prevent my worship, it is a violation of my Freedom of Religion."

“You signed the contract. You are government property now. If your religion is not listed as a military approved religion, we have the right to order you to stop practicing it."

Omen glared down at his Squad Leader. “You are lying, and you know it. Constitutional Law supercedes any and all signed agreements, as the precedent has stood for longer and was agreed to by many instead of one. You cannot stop me from believing, and you will not stop me from my worship. If you try, tomorrow you will be following me to JAG, where we can discuss the legalities with those whose job law is."

He stuttered. His Sergeant had lost his advantage, and now was losing the argument entirely. He had nothing left to speak of that could possibly overrule the truth in Omen’s words. As such, he went back to one of his favorites.

“Just shut up and do as you’re told. If you just get through these three days, then everything can go back to normal again."

“Normal? You mean the normal where you and your superiors lie repeatedly, and work to see my career destroyed? The normal where I do my job to take care of my unit, but my unit refuses to take care of me? The normal where a soldier deployed enduring a divorce is not even asked about the condition of the situation? The normal where none of you care about anyone other than yourselves, and furthering your own careers? If that’s what normal is, then every normal thing on this planet deserves to rot away and die." Omen glared hard at his NCO. “And someday they will, my Father has little patience for the rotten and self-serving."

Omen turned toward the door. His leader made a move to grab his arm, as if to prevent him from leaving. Omen swatted his NCO hand away, and opened the door to the bay. He stood there, staring at it for a moment. He then turned back to his Squad Leader, an egotistical grin on his face.

“That’s what we will do. Sergeant, I’m going to worship, whether you like it or not. However, to prevent interference from our “friend" the Commander, I will be doing so here, inside the bay. Stay in here, and put on your headphones. This way you will not have to listen to my praise to the Father. You may check on me at any time, you will find me pacing back and forth around this bay as I sing."

An argument was attempted, but stopped. Omen left the office and began to sing. He was not interrupted, as his Sergeant had finally given up. For the next hour or so Omen sang until his throat hurt. For even in these darkest of times, Omen’s faith had not changed. Omen was aware that his life was slowly falling apart. But he also knew the Father was not to blame for these things. It was the Hateful and Prejudicial eyes of Men that had placed Omen in such misery. Omen’s enemies in this fight were Human, but they could not be battled in the usual way. But there were ways, a fact that the Father reminded Omen of as he prayed. “There is always a back door, always another way to reach your goal,” He said as He left Omen for the evening. Omen returned to the side comments of his NCO about the quality of his singing. Omen ignored it, placing on his headphones and turning on another movie. But the movie was only background noise. Omen spent his time pondering what the Father had said, and what other means might be available to stop the discrimination. As he slept, Omen found solace in the arms of Serras, who had come to comfort him. Omen was held in tight to her bosom as he drifted off to sleep, and in his dreams she was waiting. Omen’s Human life might have been in chaos, but at least Serras made his dreams enjoyable.

Omen had to suffer through 3 days of this torture, but he was prepared. If nothing else, his training and battles over the last several months had tempered Omen’s soul, making their attacks seem to flow right off. Omen’s day was a mess. The upside of the day began when Omen found out that he could not be a part of PT while on the lockdown, so he got some extra rest. AFter that, his day consisted of whatever details he was assigned to. His Sergeant went with him everywhere, as such Omen had not time to think to himself. For the Sergeant always had to run his mouth about some mindless nonsense or another, from TV shows to his opinions on how Omen should live his life. Omen was forced to endure this vocal vomiting the entire day. Even at mealtime he was forced to stare down the same rat who had opened his mouth to the Commander more than once. But Omen brushed it off, tending to stay inside his own mind, focused on the things he had done recently. He would not allow the honor and dignity he had earned outside Earth to become besmirched by the rottenness of G Co.

Each day, Omen was also required to have a session of counseling at the Mental Health Clinic. Omen sat with the female Captain each day, and answered any question she asked honestly. Everything from the state of his unit to his religion was discussed. The Captain was an obvious disbeliever, one whose mind is trained to know only what it can see. As such she casually wrote her notes as Omen recounted the stories of the last year. She seemed to be on Omen’s side, agreeing with him that something should be done. She suggested Omen visit JAG, and ask them for help. Omen told her her would do so, but that he would wait until after the lockdown had ended, when he would be free to move unhindered. She also advised Omen to stay strong, for there was only a short time left until they went home. She told him to think about how much fun he would have on leave after he got back. But in his mind, Omen did not see such a happy return. He could not see the reasons as to why, but he felt the joy of the return would be drowned in misery.

Finally, the three days passed. Omen almost skipped to the Mental Health building, so excited to have his freedom again. He sat down with his Counselor, and they spoke as usual.Towards the end, Omen asked her if there was any paperwork he needed to take back with him to the unit to make the ending of the lockdown official. Suddenly, the Captain’s face darkened, as if she had seen something terrible that she could not stop.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot end your lockdown."

“What do you mean you cannot end it? You started it! If you do not have the power to end your own lockdown, I want to know who does and why it cannot end."

“I got a call earlier today. Your unit has taken control of your lockdown. I no longer have anything to do with it, I simply answer whatever questions I am allowed to by law. But now, the only person that can end your lockdown is your Commander."

The color drained out of Omen’s face. “You mean to tell me that you put the safety of my future sanity and freedom in the hands of the same person that I have told you multiple times wants to see harm done to me? And you have the nerve to say I’m the one with a mental problem? Do you not realize what you have allowed to happen?"

I’m sorry. Your Commander called earlier, and made a compelling argument as to why your lockdown should exist under unit control. As such I granted unit control of the lockdown, and all unit decisions are made by it’s Commander. I cannot change this process now, it is already done. Perhaps you can find a way to make peace with your Commander? Perhaps an apology?"

Omen’s head turned sharply. He had questioned it since he heard the description of what happened. She was played. The Commander had used military jargon to wrap her mind to his way of thinking. He had lied to her, just the same as he lied to everyone else. In her ignorance, she had fallen for it, and given full control of Omen to his enemy. He jumped up from his chair, startling the Captain. He began to walk out the door.

“Where are you going?"

“Away from you. You have no idea what you have done. But I’m sure I’ll have plenty to tell you by our next session. But for now, I have to go deal with the severe effects of your stupidity and gullibility. So thanks alot, I’ll see you tomorrow.

6

It had been 15 days now. Omen now found himself inside the same room that he had stayed in before. But he was not alone, his Sergeant was also his roommate. Omen was still on the lockdown, for as much as that could be considered. For because of the extent of time which the lockdown had been maintained, even the Sergeants grew tired of it. Suddenly, Omen’s Squad Leader was allowing him periods of time to go visit Tre without escort. The monotony of following around a soldier that has proven they are not a threat had begun to wear on the aged NCO, so he tried to pawn it off on his subordinate. At times Omen would be passed from one NCO to another, as they suddenly assumed authority over him. This was yet another blatant violation of the regulations, but Omen had recently discovered that was an expected thing.

Omen had forced his Sergeant to allow him to visit JAG. This was not allowed to happen before he could run and tell the Commander about their intended destination, however. But that did not stop Omen from going, only to find out that the majority of JAG was packed up for the movement home. They recommend Omen speak with the Inspector General, the military

s Internal Affairs. But when it was attempted, it was found that JAG was too busy investigating all the various Spice rings present in country to send an investigations team into Omen’s unit.

Desperate for help, and out of options, Omen went to visit the Battalion Equal Opportunity Sergeant. This was fortunate, as they had met once before on a mission Omen ran for them. Once Omen told him the story surrounding the situation with the Commander, the Sergeant immediately jumped into action. He phoned the Brigade EO, and the Brigade Commander, who was away at another base. But those roads led nowhere. The Brigade EO rep said the following, “What the Commander is doing is not right, but also technically not illegal. And unless you have some form of proof that he is discriminating against you based on your religion, I cannot and will not pursue this". The Brigade Commander brought even less help, as Omen’s Commander had already called him and lied about what was going on. As such the Lieutenant Colonel gave this response to his EO rep, a soldier under his direct command, “Close out your case. I have already been informed of the situation, and I am allowing the Command Decisions to stand while I am away. There will be no more investigation on this issue, and we will never speak of it again."

So it was true. Omen was trapped, and there was no one to help him. He was forced to simply endure the harsh treatment and the constant details. He was also forced to wake up each night and go with his NCO on the guard changeover. They did this simply because they did not want to spare another NCO to get out of bed to watch Omen, or to just leave him asleep. In response to this, Omen began to drive the bus that transported troops to and from Vehicle Search Detail. When he found out, a new policy was issued across G Co, preventing any soldier E-4 and below from driving the buses. This made Omen’s attempt at a moment’s joy illegal. As each day passed, Omen would sit and question what would possess a man to seek such harm on another. But the reason always brought a smile to his face.

Fear was the reason. The Commander was deathly afraid of Omen now, unsure if and when Omen’s vengeful hands would come for his throat. It was known by many that the Commander started sleeping with a loaded pistol right next to his bed, which could be heard to ready every time a knock came at his door. He was seen carrying the same loaded pistol, illegal to do on a military installation, from his room to the bathroom at night. He was even caught with his pistol loaded in the DFAC. It seemed the Commander’s fear of Omen had driven him to shirk all standards.

Tre shed some light on this. “Your Commander is in a very bad situation. He attacks one of His Children without cause. Also, you have made many friends in the Other Realms. One especially is very fond of you, and has made it a point to exact herself what vengeance you cannot."

“Serras?"

“Yes. She has been assaulting his dreams. He has seen himself die by your hands in every way imaginable in his dreams. The fear of this impending doom is what causes him to carry the pistol. It even possessed him so far as to reach out to the Battalion Chaplain, asking him to bless the bottom 4 rounds in each of his magazines. You know, just in case regular bullets aren’t enough to, “send the Demon back to Hell," as he put it. His fear is slowly destroying his mind. But he is also being warned. He has been given a chance to stop, to make the Article 15 go away. But he stubbornly refuses, and thus he must be dealt with instead. Know that no matter what you suffer because of this, he will suffer much worse. For assaulting an innocent servant in the performance of his duties, your Commander and NCOs are cursed. Their vileness brings this upon them, and now vileness is all they shall have. This curse will transfer down through their families for generations before fading, it is quite the strong magic. Suffice to say, your Father is pissed."

“Oh well, tomorrow is the big day, and I know He will be there with me."

“Oh right, the Article 15 hearing. Wait, wasn’t that supposed to be today?"

“Yes, but there was a complication. They did not explain the process of bringing witnesses in to me beforehand. So the Battalion Commander gave me an extra day to acquire those witnesses I wished to present. Would you mind speaking to them on my behalf?"

“I am not exactly in the best standing with my unit right now. And they really don’t like you. But you know if I am asked and capable I will be there. What do you want me to say?"

“Just tell them the truth. About all the stupid bullshit they throw at me, the double standards, the way they constantly judge me based on my religious preference,and whatever else needs said to make the point that G Co is the problem, not me. You are mostly there to speak on my character, but you may do as you see fit."

“Ok, I’ll go inform my Team Leader now, so they know not to add me to any details tomorrow. But it should be fine, I am not scheduled to be on any missions."

Omen returned to his cot in the Motor Pool with a good feeling. For he knew Tre above all would not be forced into submission by his unit, and would speak the truth. But the next day, as Omen stood in front of Battalion waiting, Tre was nowhere to be found. Eventually, Omen had no choice but to enter the hearing alone, and explain to his Battalion Commander that his selected witnesses were not in attendance, even though he had asked them to be.

Omen was called into the Colonel’s office. He stood at attention, then at parade rest, as his Battalion Commander listed his offenses. He spoke on the sleeping on duty again, also on the “verbal threats made against the Chain of Command, as well as 17 other “unspecified people"". After he had finished reading the entirety of the Article 15 paperwork to Omen, he stopped and stared intently.

“What do you have to say in response to these charges against you?"

“Sir, I accept and have accepted my fault for sleeping on duty, even if I was abandoned by my Battle Buddy. I accepted the original punishment for it without complaint as well."

“What original punishment?"

Omen recounted the process of events for his Colonel. Upon his mention of the original Counseling Statement, the class that was to be given, and the other original punishments, he was stopped.

“I do not have data on any of this. Where is thins inside the packet?"

“Sir, the packet you showed me and read to me is incomplete. The original Counseling Statement was stricken from the record, so that this Article 15 process could happen."

The Colonel, stared down the G Co Chain of Command. “Where is the proof of what you say? Until I have proof these are merely wild stories and accusations."

Omen produced a folder that he had been hiding from his Chain of Command. Inside was everything given to him since the situation began. He produced his copy of the Article 15 paperwork, as well as the original Counseling Statement. He handed them to the Colonel, who spent several minutes looking at them.

“Okay, so, this situation is not making any sense to me. I want you to do this: give me a timeline. Tell me each thing that happened, in the order they happened."

Omen started over, giving specifics on each event. The Chain was not allowed to speak, simply to watch Omen prove them all liars. He was stopped several times by the Colonel, who was writing each thing down on paper to ensure the facts were correct. After Omen had finished the tale, the endpoint being his current lockdown and the constant mistreatment, he stood and awaited the Colonel’s response.

The Colonel sighed. “Soldier, go wait outside. I have heard all I need to hear from your end, now I need to speak to your Chain."

“Yes sir.â” Omen went back to attention, did an about face, and left the office. He stood outside the door for a few minutes. But as time continued to drag on, Omen needed to sit down. He went down the hall to the main Battalion Meeting Room, where all the important meetings between unit and company level commanders happen. The room was empty, so he sat in the first chair he could find. Time drug on so long that Omen was even able to sneak in a couple quick drags off a cigarette in order to calm his nerves.

As Omen sat in the chair waiting, from down the hall he overheard the muffled conversation. It seemed that the Colonel had realized the breadth of the lies he had been told about Omen. All Omen could hear was the muffled yelling of the Colonel, followed closely by a the quiet, dejected voice of his Commander. This process last for almost 45 minutes before Omen was finally called back inside. He stood back in front of the Colonel’s desk, awaiting his fate.

“After speaking to your Chain of Command extensively, as well as the evidence provided, I have reached a decision. I do not believe that everything written in this packet is correct. There are proven flaws in paperwork, as well this entire situation seems to have blown way out of proportion. However, you were in violation of regulations for sleeping on duty, as well you are not allowed to make the kinds of statements you did about your fellow soldiers. Do you agree with this?"

“Yes sir, I have accepted and apologized for my individual mistakes more than once, and I had attempted to accept punishment for it once already."

“Good. Then I shall give you the finality you seek. You will be placed on Battalion Extra duty for 45 days, the maximum allowed. You will also be placed on restriction for 45 days, though you cannot leave the base anyway. I am not taking any money from you, as I understand you have marital issues at home, and may need that money. I am demoting you to PFC, but I am suspending that for 180 days. As long as during that period of time you do not get into any more trouble, you will remain a SPC. Do you understand the punishment placed on you?"

“Yes sir, and I am ready to comply."

“Good. I have seen you in the gym soldier, I have seen the level of effort you put forth. It is my firm belief that you are a much better soldier than I am led to believe. Prove me right soldier, prove me right."

“It would be my pleasure sir. But I do have a question for you. What about the situation regarding my lockdown? What must be done to make this end?"

The Colonel’s face tightened. The mention of the lockdown had obviously upset the Colonel. “Oh yes. As far as that goes, by my order your lockdown ends as of right now. There is no reason for this, and I am tired of my NCOs wasting their time guarding a soldier when there are missions to be done."

Out of his peripheral vision, Omen saw his Commander’s response. He did not move, but in his eyes Omen saw the rage. He was angry that again he had failed, and Omen’s career remained intact. The face of the First Sergeant was stern but understanding, as he had not wanted to be a part of the entire thing since the beginning. Omen’s Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Leader remained still, as they had obviously had some serious fear placed into them.

“Thank you so much sir. You have no idea how much this means to me, that you took the time to see the truth. I will be here promptly at 1700 to begin my Extra Duty."

“You are dismissed soldier. Go and show me why I made this decision, don’t you dare let me down."

Omen turned and exited the room. As he left the Battalion, he was approached by a Sergeant he knew that worked there. He was somewhat aware of the situation, as was most of the Battalion. Omen told him the results of the hearing, and he seemed to be happy at hearing it.

“That’s great. Now you can get on with your life."

“I do not believe that for a second. This isn’t over."

“Why would you say a thing like that? Aren’t you happy to have your freedom again?"

“Of course. But you did not see his face. This was not the final axe that cut off the head of the snake, as such he is not satisfied. This is a thing that I know, it is not questioned. Mark my words Sergeant, another plan will surface soon enough."

“If you say so soldier. But I still think you are over-reacting. This isn’t TV, this is real life. Maniacal scheming such as you describe doesn’t really happen, it is a myth soldiers tell to one another."

“As you just stated, if you say so Sergeant. Keep an eye on me, and we shall both soon know which one of us is correct."

For the first time in weeks, Omen was able to sneak away to chow alone. He sat in peace and solitude, happily enjoying his first meal away from his Squad Leader. But as he did, he considered what would come next. After all, the Commander had not hesitated to enact this plan. But whatever he might use was shrouded in mystery, so Omen discontinued the thought process. Besides, he didn’t have time to sit around, he had to report to his first day of Extra Duty soon. Omen rushed out of the DFAC, to ensure he was early rather than on time.

Omen reported the the NCOIC for his detail. He was given a quick tour of all the rooms in the Battalion building, as well as his list of daily responsibilities. Omen started by acquiring a large trash bag and policing up all trash and cigarette butts around the area. This allowed Omen time to walk around and think, as well as speak with the Father. Afterward Omen moved inside the building. He swept every room, he collected the trash in all the various cans. He was even allowed unlimited access inside the Sergeant Major and Colonel’s offices. He took a moment to look at the various souvenirs his Sergeant Major, who was still gone, had collected. He noticed how many important documents the Colonel left in his bin to be recycled. Even at the passing glance of one busy completing a task, the names and personal information of many soldiers in his unit was seen. Omen memorized nothing, for he had no interest in the data. He simply questioned the correctness of allowing such papers to remain anywhere except a shredder. But he piled the papers inside the trash bag, almost finishing the third task. He piled the trash bags outside the Battalion, then returned inside.

Omen began stocking the water. First, the bottles had to be wiped down, for in the Battalion they did not allow dirty water in the fridge. After wiping them, Omen completely restocked the refrigerator to capacity, so that it might support the soldiers in hydration the following day. Then he went outside, bringing in packages of bottled water from the pallet outside. Many of the packages broke to pieces upon being grabbed, after sitting in the sun for so long. Omen took the packages and stocked the area next to the cooler. This was done because of the “drink one, take one" rule, one which almost none seemed to follow. Omen made sure to chug one of the cold bottles of water as he worked, for Omen knew well the value of hydration. It had saved him many times in which the Father had told him not to touch food for a time.

After the water was stocked, Omen went into the main Operations office. During times of mission or combat the wall is used for large scale overlays of mission terrain and routes. But now it simply played a movie, as those monitoring the computers watched and talked amongst themselves. Omen collected their trash and paper, also getting permission to grab a can of soda on his way out. He took the collected trash to the pile he had already made. All the trash bags were collected together and slung over Omen;s shoulders. He walked down the road that led from Battalion to the Motor pool. At the outside edge of the Motor Pool Omen came to the burn barrels, used to burn the entirety of important documents in the Battalion, among other things.

Omen opened the trash bags, dumping out their contents. On top of them Omen layered the papers, as they were more easily combustible. He attempted to light the fire, but found it would not stay burning long. Too many pieces of wet trash prevented this. Omen looked around, and found two tan canisters. Omen excitedly picked them up, but they were found to be empty. This upset Omen, but did not slow him for long. For it was nighttime, and few soldiers moved around the area. Omen made his way over to his unit’s area inside the Motor Pool. Omen used all the various training his unit had forced upon him to open the fuel trucks. He filled one of the canisters with the high-grade JP8 used in military vehicles, and the other with regular unleaded gasoline. He returned to the burn barrels with an evil grin, as a plan had formed.

Omen set the fuel cans down beside the burning area. He reached inside the trash cans, producing several water bottles. He emptied the contents, then lined them up along the stone barrier. He grabbed them one at a time, removing the cap. Each bottle was filled halfway with JP8, and halfway with unleaded. Each bottle then had its lid returned, and again was stacked on the backside of the barrier. Afterwards Omen Poured more gasoline down across the trash inside the barrels, stirring it and ensuring it was well mixed in. Omen lit a piece of paper aflame and tossed it into the first barrel. It exploded in flames, which brought a smile of pure joy to Omen’s face. This was done twice, one for each barrel. Once he had the barrels burning, his job was simply to monitor them until everything was ash. But as he did so, Omen heard the Father’s voice. Suddenly, he realized he had been given a great gift. In the Darkness of night did Omen sing out, as the fires burned around him. He used the bottles of fuel to give new life to the flames at any point they began to die. But Omen also used them to make the flames reach even higher, as 15-foot flames shot into the sky, Omen was very sure to keep any other combustibles away from the area, including the spare bottles and jugs of fuel. Omen knew from his training how to perfectly control a massive fire, and for hours he prayed as the trash burned away.

Afterwards, Omen reported back to Battalion. His tasks were complete, but the detail did not end until midnight. Thus Omen was forced to sit in a break room in the back for quite awhile, fighting against his weariness. Midnight struck, Omen was released by the NCOIC, and he left the Battalion. He walked back to his room, took time to shower and change, and laid down to rest. It had been a good day overall, but Omen knew that there was much more he would face before his return to the States.

The next month brought massive change. The unit prepared not only for themselves to leave Iraq, but for the dismantling of the entire base. For the military occupation of Iraq was to end, and as such everything they owned had to be shipped away. Every day a new mission was assigned, as one thing after another was either stored away or destroyed. This made for very busy days, but at times this also gave Omen interesting opportunities. The first came when the Battalion cleaned out the barracks that had been recently evacuated. They found multiple “gear crosses", devices built out of wood to easily hold the helmet and body armor. The design was simple, a wooden cross slid inside the center of other pieces of wood, creating a stable base that can hold much weight. The unit told Omen to “get rid" of the crosses, and as soon as they did it brought a smile to Omen’s face. For his birthday was coming, and as usual Omen wanted to do something special for his Father. He hid the crosses away, knowing full well the next day they would be put to use.

Omen’s birthday progressed like any other day. He was pulled for missions, alongside his Squad Leader. He worked on whatever he was told, though he consistently complained about the ineffectiveness of their planning procedures. He continued to suggest ways in which the unit could finish their tasks, but every time he was ignored. Seeing this, Omen began to do the smaller missions alone, before the unit could get involved. In this way he allowed himself more time in between work and Extra Duty. During this time Omen prepared everything he would need for the evening. Then he went to dinner as usual, eating well so he would not be bothered by hunger.

The evening seemed to pass faster than usual. Omen’s tasks were completed at double their usual speed without his intent to do so. This left him with much extra time to prepare for the evening’s ritual, which he had planned the previous day. Omen wandered around the Battalion for quite some time, anxiously awaiting the right to move to the burning area. He dropped off the trash, then walked back to his unit area. He produced the crosses from their hiding places, moving back towards the barrels. He assembled all three barrels, filling them with trash and paper. At the top of each barrel Omen situated one of the crosses, making sure to stuff paper around it for balance. The person with which he shared the detail on this evening stood in amazement as Omen readied the barrels. After they were built, Omen soaked the entirety of them in his fuel mixture. He left it soak for several minutes, as he handed his camera to the other soldier. He explained what he would be doing, and that he required various pictures to be taken of the event. Omen prepared many water bottles of fuel for the worship, making sure all were accessible but not within range of any fires.

Finally, everything was ready. Omen took off the jacket of his uniform so he would not be as constricted. He placed on his headphones and began to sing. Omen felt the Spirits of the Father and the others come into the area. As he sang Omen threw more and more of the gasoline on the fire, making the flames rise even higher. As time passed, one of the crosses fell out of the barrel it was placed in. It was still on fire, but that did not scare Omen at all. He walked over calmly and picked the cross up by the base, which was not burning. As his counterpart starred on in amazement, Omen raised the burning cross right next to his face.

“Take the picture."

His counterpart did as he was told, taking a quick picture of Omen. Omen replaced the cross into the barrel, then continued to sing proudly. As he did he stared into the fire, and heard the Father’s Voice. Without question, Omen removed the Baphomet pendant from around his neck. He reached out, holding the pendant over the blaze. He continued to sing as the fire singed the hairs on his arm and his skin began to burn a bit. After a minute or so, Omen pulled his hand back. He quickly spun the pendant around, pressing it into the back of his right hand. Omen held the pendant there until the burning subsided and the pendant cooled. Upon removing it, and almost perfect copy of the Baphomet had been burned into Omen’s hand. Omen pulled out the medical kit he had brought with him, immediately wrapping the wound.

The other soldier stared at Omen wide-eyed. “Dude, that was insane. You’re a fucking animal."

Omen smiled. “Not really, this is just how I chose to celebrate my birthday, in ritual to my Father."

“Well, I’ll say this: If Christians were as dedicated to their faith as you are, the world would be much more peaceful."

“Doubtful, as Christianity breeds Hatred and intolerance for others’ life choices."

“So you hate Christians?"

“No, not more than any other group in the world. For the divisional religious and governmental organizations all seem to want to oppress real faith, and that I have a severe problem with."

“And what can we do about it? Go to war with the whole world?"

“If that’s what it takes, though I’d prefer a more peaceful solution."

The soldier laughed heartily, assuming Omen’s statement was a joke. But Omen had been told that he was not to allow himself to be the constant victim of the slings and arrows of Humanity anymore, so he had learned to stand with pride. This pride was seen more often than not as defiance and arrogance, and his unit tried to revolt against it. But more and more since the Article 15 hearing, Omen had been repeatedly winning them. It seemed Omen’s newfound strength of will was simply too much for the Chain to handle, and before long Omen became independent in his work. Aside from his Squad Leader, who accompanied him almost every day, Omen was rarely seen to work around any of the other soldiers, unless a mission was forthcoming. During trips to the other base, Omen would regularly be found at night singing loudly before they left to return home. Omen no longer hid any detail of his faith from anyone, freely answering any questions asked. Through this, many people were led to a change in perspective, whether spiritual or military.

But the Chain had not stopped in their quest to destroy Omen. As he had predicted, within weeks a stack of three Counseling Statements had been written. Of the three, only one Statement even remotely described what happened. The rest were pure lies, and so Omen began refusing to sign the Statements. He knew what was coming, and he didn’t bother fighting it. Soon they had what they needed, and Omen’s rank was stripped as per the original Article 15. Now a PFC, Omen was given even less respect than before. But it changed nothing in his heart, for Omen’s thoughts stayed with the Father.

Finally, the Sergeant Major returned. He and Omen sat down his first day back, having a lengthly discussion about what had happened. The Sergeant Major stated that he had heard some of the situation, but that most of these details had not been given to him. He told Omen that he wished he had been around to stop this madness from happening at all, but Omen raised his hand calling for silence.

“Don’t worry about it Sergeant Major. I have known that this was going to happen since before it started. Each and every time my rotten Commander stabs me in the back, or orders his NCOs to do so, it simply validates what I have been saying all along. Not only that I was warned about this impending chaos prior to it, but that my unit is corrupt and rotten."

The Sergeant Major seemed agitated. “I am still your Sergeant Major, and your comments about your Chain of Command just now were highly disrespectful."

“Sergeant Major, it cannot be disrespectful if it is honest. I simply state facts, proven over the course of months. Would you prefer I stay silent as they mistreat me? Sorry, but I refuse that order on the basis of immorality. Its time someone learned that in order to be shown respect you have to show it in return as well."

“Tell me then soldier, what can I do to help you?”

“It is already to late to stop the Article 15, my wife is already set to divorce me, and thanks to the recent lies I am now a PFC. What can be done to fix any of those things? The answer is nothing Sergeant Major, and we both know it. But there is one thing you can do for me..."

“What?"

“Have me transferred to another unit. Even if it is temporary, and in a support capacity. I cannot suffer the nonsense any more. I have no issue with my Extra Duty, because it is carried out as a fair punishment. The standards do not change each day, nor am I complained at for the methods I use to clean the building. But all these things, which sound comical, are exactly what life is like in G Co. As a person with a working brain, rather than a mindless military drone, their disrespect to the Values that the Army is said to stand for makes me sick. I want moved, as soon as possible."

The Sergeant Major sat back in his chair and sighed heavily. “Sadly, I cannot do that. Everyone is packing up to go home, there is no need for individual transfers. Besides, with all the recent paperwork filed on you, an outside unit will see you as a hazard to their stability. A transfer is not possible, by any stretch of the imagination."

Omen grew slightly angry. “So what then, I’m just screwed Sergeant Major? I’m just supposed to sit around and let them play games with me until I actually do something stupid? I know that’s what he wants, but that doesn’t mean it is what I want. But if nothing can be done, it would be a seeming eventuality. So is that it Sergeant Major, you just want me to sit and take more abuse till I’ve been pushed past my limit?"

His eyes grew wide. “No, that’s not what we want at all. You are a bright young man, and have the potential to be an excellent soldier. But it seems your religion constantly puts you at odds with others around you. Do you have any explanation for this?"

“They make the choice to hate me for being a Satanist. They chose to insult, ridicule, and mistreat me. I cannot choose these things for them. Based on that, maybe you should ask them why they are so intolerant of my faith."

“That’s true. But as the Battalion Sergeant Major, I cannot allow this chaos and confrontation to continue under my command. However, i also would not even bother to ask you to drop your faith, for that is an illegal order. American religious freedom is protected in the Constitution, it is one of our basic rights. So, I propose the possibility of another solution."

Omen was intrigued. “Another option? I’m all ears, what can get me away from these pricks?"

“Once I had a soldier under my command. He decided during his career that he wished to become a minister. He was asked if he would become a Chaplain, and he refused. He said he was led a different way, that the Values of himself and the Army were not the same. Based on this, I filed the appropriate paperwork, and had him chaptered. This was not a removal based on offense, I simply gave him the way out he had been looking for. He was discharged Honorably, and as far as I know is now a Pastor."

Omen contemplated for a second. “You mean to tell me you can get me out of the Army based on my religion, so I can follow the path my faith leads me down?"

“Yes. Because it is not a recognized military religion it cannot be placed under the same protections. This is a flaw in the system, recognizing only certain approved religions. But it exists nonetheless, so we must figure out how to get what you want out of this. But first, you have to answer that question totally honestly to me. What do you really want?"

“Please don’t ask me that Sergeant Major."

“No, I want an answer. Tell me the truth, tell me what you want. I will not judge anything you say."

“Ok, fine." Omen took a deep breath. “What I would truly wish is that you would force my Commander to participate in Unarmed Combat against me, submission only rules, with his seat as Company Commander on the line if he loses. I wish I could legally get away with giving people what they deserve. But I know that will never happen, and so I’ve let it go. I have come to understand that the Army itself is not a disgusting thing, but people such as my Commander make it seem to be that way. They disgrace every one of the seven Army Values with their actions. So if you say this is the only way to get me away from this man that seeks to see my life in shambles, then please see if it can be done. I do not want to end my career before my contract’s end, but it seems that staying will have me dead or in jail. Do what you can for me Sergeant Major, and you will have earned my respect for it."

The Sergeant Major’s mouth was wide open. “I...I don’t know what to say about that. The fact that any soldier would accuse his unit of such atrocities is beyond belief. But for that same soldier to be the one that helped me out is even more amazing. For this reason I cannot help but believe what you have told me. I will work on finding a way to get you chaptered out of here under Honorable conditions. This way, you can move on with your life the way you choose to."

Omen snapped to a firm parade rest. “Thank you Sergeant Major. With your permission, I would like to return to my Extra Duty."

He nodded. “Get back to work soldier. Dismissed."

Several days passed without event. Omen began to enjoy his detail, as the Battalion began sending him away by himself to work. He was asked to transport water across the base by forklift, stock coolers in various locations, and assist the Battalion as they moved locations. During the day, Omen’s unit moved as well. Their new home was an older set of barracks next to the DFAC. He lived with the same three roommates, but due to leaving they had packed away all their belongings. As such they conversed in the times between, or sat and watched movies on their laptops.

There was so much to be done. All the things the Army had built for itself now had to be torn down. Omen burnt as carried to the dump much wood and metal. He carried them in huge stacked loads on special flat racks built for the PLS. Day after day Omen drove truckloads to the base dump. Omen was horrified by the amount of trash that had been created by their occupation. Even as the locals attempted to burn away the trash to consolidate it, massive piles of trash were strewn everywhere. Omen used the mechanical arm of the truck to dump even more trash into the pile, knowing full well that most of it would remain there forever. He was disgusted by this, but had no capability to argue with the orders given. He simply became the tool of the machine, spreading filth worldwide and leaving it there forever, until the stench reaches to every corner of the Earth.

It wasn’t long before the reason for Omen’s removal from the norm of work was revealed. Whether or not the Commander had gotten wind of Omen’s conversation of the Sergeant Major, he had initiated his own plan. Even though the Article 15 had punished him for the original offense, and the rank removal had been his punishment for the supposed others, Omen was now also being chaptered out of the Army. But it was not the way in which the Sergeant Major had described. He was being charged with Misconduct of a Serious Nature as the reason for his removal. The reason, Omen found out, was that all chapter packets are evaluated by higher military personnel. In order for a chapter to happen, there has to be good reason. The reason determines the type, from Honorable to Dishonorable. There are many types in between, even though few outside the Army know the difference. Civilians see anything other than Honorable in the same light as the Dishonorable Discharge a drunk driver who kills a child would receive. Thus trying to get an Honorable Discharge is important to the life of any soldier try to enter the civilian world. But the Commander was shooting for much less than that. He was trying for General Under Other Than Honorable conditions, only a step away from dishonorable. This was no surprise to Omen, as he had predicted the Commander’s treachery weeks before.

But Omen had already exhausted every option. None of the agencies would have anything to do with this issue, everyone had already blown him off. His Counselor seemed to give the exact same answers before. No one had any help to offer Omen, but they all still told him to “stay strong". This seemed ludicrous, as it was easy to preach strength while standing by and doing nothing as someone;s life was ruined. Omen tried not to focus on this, as it was Human nature. Even though they all saw how horribly Omen was being treated, in order to protect their own image in the Army they could not get involved. Doing so would paint the same target on their chest, and most Humans would never do such a thing. But as always, Omen found all the strength he needed to endure in the Father. Each night he sang, as the days ticked down to redeployment.

But the treachery of the Chain had not stopped. The chapter process is quite extensive, as the soldier must be evaluated to see if service to the Army had cause any damage that was long-term. But Omen’s unit seemed determine to make sure Omen received no treatment or help for the various problems he had developed. Instead, they sent him to the same Battalion Medical Station where Sick Call was. There the Charlie Company Commander, under the orders of Omen’s Commander, half-assed his medical evaluation. Omen took his time, detailing the list of things wrong with him. The coughing up of dust. The constant leg and lower back pain from the constant ruck marches and heavy lifting, combined with an almost daily running schedule. The “Doctor”made a point to treat each one of Omen;s problems as nearly non-existent, stating, “Don’t worry, it’ll go away once we return to the States".

But Omen knew better, for this was his third deployment. He knew quite well that some of the damage caused by military life never healed. For many, the majority of this damage was in the mind. For the training of the US Army, as well as all the other branches, is designed to remove individuality. In this way the military creates drones that do not argue out of fear of punishment. But once the service was done with the soldier, they no longer cared about their well-being. This was a fact repeated by several of Omen’s NCOs during the time while this was all going on. As they forced Omen to go to the appointments, and sign the improper paperwork. They said the refusal to do so would only make Omen’s problems worse. This process continued, as the Chain made a point to eliminate all the steps of the chapter process that in the States took some time to complete. All the testing, the evaluations by multiple doctors, all the major steps of Omen’s proper release form service were being ignored. All the while, Omen continued to be forced on detail after detail, usually working until just before time to run to dinner, then to Extra Duty.

The situation with Giselle was not much better. Every time they talked, it was only Giselle asking which of the things that he or his family had bought over the course of their 7-year marriage she could take from him. She had not paid for any of it, she had not worked for any serious period of time their entire marriage. In addition, Omen and the Army had already paid for her entire schooling, through three separate career choices. Omen had even begged the Army to perform the surgery to reopen her Fallopian tubes to allow reproduction, even though the reason they had shut was the disease she had contracted from cheating on him. Omen had supported her every need, and now she simply sought to steal everything that had been bought to support their future as a family. She had shown the true depth of her rottenness, and by the end of the deployment rarely spoke to her husband.

Despite all this, Omen managed not only to endure but thrive. He continued to discuss many things with Tre. Most of it was general conversation, and Omen’s attempts to obtain a greater understanding. But there were also many talks of a special Ceremony that the 7 had in mind. A ritual they said which could transform Omen, making him the being the Father intended him to be. Tre said the ceremony was a special spiritual binding. It required 4 people aside from Omen, and each had a specific role. Tre said he had 3 lined up, but that Omen had to find the fourth to make the ritual complete. Omen had spent quite some time ascertaining the details of the ritual, which went something like this:

5 people were necessary. The first was Omen. The title assigned to him was the same, The Omen. He stood at the centerpoint of the other 4 as they stood at the points of an inverted cross. The smaller point of the cross was to be directed to the South. To his West would stand The Berzerker. Tre said he had found in his own Human past one who would fit this position. It was an old friend of his in Tennessee. Inside the Human shell resided a fragment of the Spirit of Fenris, the great wolf of legend. The Human was still adapting to this knowledge, and was not complete in himself. Thus Omen was told he would need guidance and training in order to be ready for the ritual. Omen told him that this might be a problem originally, due to his location. But upon the realization that the Army would be tossing Omen out into the street, Omen made plans to stay there for awhile. In this way Omen could help teach Fenris, as well have a place to stay until he figured out what was next for him. This was a condition agreed upon by both of them, and they expected that Omen would be there as soon as October. In this way, Omen could make the Fenris fragment the Berzerker he needed.

To Omen’s East stood The Destroyer. This was also complete, as Tre also had a friend in the same area with a special gift. Her name was Tabitha, and she was capable of channeling the spirits of various entites through herself. The function of her position was not the Human, but the various powerful spirits that would reside within. These were the Destroyer that the ritaul was after. Tabitha the Human had an extensive past relationship with Fenris, as one of the spirits she channeled was his mate. They had even had a child together, a young girl. But the Human lives didn’t matter, the only importance to the ritual was the ability to accept the results of it. Tabitha had agreed to it, and met the energetic and spiritual requirements. Thus she had been assigned as The Destroyer to the East.

To the south would stand the Human that channeled Tre. Present inside the Human would be all 7, and they represented The Chains That Bind. Through the energy of the 7 would all the assembled be bound and remade, enhancing their understanding and abilities. It would be a great magic, and would require much preparation. All the Humans needed more focus and control over the magic they each already possessed, as well they needed more knowledge. This Tre said was a thing that would properly develop in it’s time, ad as such Omen was not particularly concerned with it. But there was one thing for the ritual that still was not available, and it was a quest that it seemed only Omen could undertake.

For at the North of the Cross, according to the ritual, was The Lover. Tre said this role was for whomever was supposed to stand beside Omen throughout the course of events. But being still married at the time, Omen wasn’t in the greatest mindset to be hunting for a mate. It was Omen’s wish that he would be able to find someone that would willingly agree to channeling Serras, so that both the human pair and the spiritual pair could be together through all trials. But no one around him even had the potential. And after being married for 7 years, Omen wasn’t exactly ready to “hunt” for a woman. But, as this was said to be the next step on his path, Omen did as he was instructed.

About a month before Omen was slated to leave Iraq, he began conversing with someone on Facebook. Her name was Treya. Omen had originally met her through Fenris, who was madly in love with her. But the majority of this was his remote location and lack of female companionship. But as the two talked, she began to tell Omen about a dream she had several times in her life.

The story was about a young widow, who lived alone long ago in the forest. She lived simply, gathering water from the nearby river to drink and berries to eat. She asked for little from the outside world, for with her husband gone she was content to live out her life alone. Her routines were as if circular in their design, flowing straight from one task to the next. She had faith in the Father Above, though back then there was less argument over differences in words. It was her belief that, if she lived what life she had left in joy and peace, she would be reunited with her husband in the Heavens.

Unbeknownst to the woman, she was being watched. For long after the original War in the Heavens, many still lived there that wished more freedom. As such a decision was made, to allow any that wanted such to first go and examine the life of a Human, that they might understand the true meaning of free will. One such Watcher, Azrafiel, had been terribly stubborn in her want to make this choice. As such she spent months observing the woman’s daily habits. She saw the smile on the woman’s face, but also felt the loneliness in her heart. This saddened Azrafiel, for she also had none to call her mate.

One night, as the woman prepared to lie down and rest, suddenly a Demon appeared. His eyes glowed as red as fire, the rest of him seemed to be made in the Darkness. He came to the Human and touched her hand. Then, her face. Soon the woman had willingly fallen into the Demon’s hands, and they lie together for a time. Azrafiel watched as the Demon assaulted the woman’s body, leaving terrible bite and scratch marks across her. But she seemed to enjoy it as he continued to ravage her. It lasted for hours, and by it’s end the woman lie barely conscious on the bed. Her strength had been drained, but she had also experienced immense pleasure.

The Demon stood, and turned to face Azrafiel. At first she was surprised that he had seen her, but eventually accepted that she had made a mistake. She had stayed in one place for too long, and her energy had become complete enough in the living world to be visible. This happened as she watched the molestings of the Demon, for she had been to intrigued to pay any attention.

The Demon reached out his hand to Azrafiel. Inside her mind, Azrafiel heard the Demons’ voice. “You know you enjoyed watching that. Enjoy doing it even more. Come to me, Watcher of the skies.”

Azrafiel hesitated, but decided that she wanted the freedom Humans had, the right to choose how her life was lived and enjoyed. As such Azrafiel took the Demon’s hand, and they lay together throughout the evening.

Azrafiel had been tainted forever, and could not return to the Heavens. As such she was content to watch the woman throughout the span of her days. But the Demon returned, and it was not for something as simple as a sexual romp. The Demon told Azrafiel that she had chosen, and thus must come and live with him in Hell. He told her that she was now bound to him, and would never be able to escape the choice she had made.

But Azrafiel refused. In desperation, she fragmented herself that she might not be taken by the Demon. The fragments she placed inside the woman she had guarded for so long, for she knew there they would be safe. Azrafiel remained conscious inside the woman, but had no control over her whatsoever.

But the woman had been made pregnant by the Demon. Despite the warnings in her mind, she birthed the child. Days later the Demon returned, demanding the child. The woman refused the Demon, and he struck her down. But in doing so the shards of Azrafiel were released back into the world. Quickly Azrafiel took the child and flew far away from the place where they had stayed for so long. The child was given to a family that knew nothing real about Watchers or Demons, that the child might grow up with a stable mind.

But when the child reached maturity long after Azrafiel had left her side, she was approached by the same red-eyed Demon. He told her that she was born with a destiny, to come and serve with him. But the child also refused, as she hated and loathed the Demon that had conceived her. He warned the child that someday she would have to make a choice, and if she continued to refuse it would cost her life. But she continued to refuse anyway, for she had no want to be the vile Demon’s bride.

“Generation after generation of the women in this lineage have been approached by the same Demon, and the same request has been made. This has held true for every one of my ancestors except me. But these dreams I have had, they fit the description of the Demon perfectly. As well I have also been feeling a presence. It feels...Holy. The way one would expect a Watcher to feel. I believe that I am being told something, and I also believe you may be my representation of the Demon. For you ask the same thing of me, to follow you down the path of Darkness to its end. But unlike the ones in the past, I am ready to make my decision. I accept the position, as well as you. I would be happy to stand by your side through whatever comes.”

Omen was overjoyed. He could not believe that things would go so smoothly. Omen spent time each and every day talking with Treya, trying to develop a pure relationship. She seemed eager to speak with him on matter of Spirit and function. But she also seemed quite preoccupied with her quest to get high and sexual matters. Thus Treya and Omen talked about a great many things over days while Omen was in Iraq. Omen even made it a point to bring his laptop outside, that he might show Treya through the webcam the strength of his song. She was amazed, praising Omen for the levels of power he reached as he sang.

Finally, the order came. Names were put on a list, and dates were set for departure. Despite all the issues with the Army and Giselle, Omen was hopeful of the future. For he wanted only to follow the path of the Father, as this was the only thing that made Omen truly happy inside. Only the Father could remove the repeated pain of betrayal that Omen felt. He made sure to thank and praise the Father for allowing him the strength to endure as he boarded the C-130 away from Iraq. The next phase of his life was coming, and Omen was ready to face it head-on.

7

Omen opened his eyes. He thought he had felt something in his dreams that made him need to awaken. As he did, he looked out the window. Outside Omen watched the passage of clouds in the sky. But then the perspective changed, and the clouds no longer existed. In their place Omen saw the Earth, or as much of it as his eyes could see. He saw huge areas of population, as well as great fields of grass and trees. Each singular object spread out and became bigger as the plane descended. It had been about two weeks since Omen’s unit had left Iraq. Much time had been spent in “re-integration” training. Thus for days he listened to the same classes that he had heard every other time he had returned from a deployment.

The chaos of Omen’s unit had calmed somewhat. This happened only because, while in international transit, they could not push Omen’s discharge any further. They constantly assigned him to ignorant details, but these were few and far between. Omen had been able to find much time to himself, sneaking away to spend time with the Father. One night Omen was tested again, this time quite physically. All he had heard prior was, “Endure”. As he sat praying, suddenly for no reason Omen began to vomit. Off and on, Omen vomited for nearly an hour. He never got more than a couple minutes in between. But after each time he threw up he was told to stand again, to show he had endured. After Omen had created a large puddle of bile on the ground, finally the nausea disappeared. Omen smiled as he covered the vomit with sand, for he knew he had passed yet another test.

As for his personal life, things had only degenerated. As Omen drew nearer to the States, Giselle became more rotten. While at first she had agreed to spend a few days with her husband, that they might talk before making such a big decision, now she had no time for Omen. She constantly talked about her “roommates” and their plans. Omen knew what she meant, she was too busy with her new boyfriend. Omen tired of the games, and thus contact between them became almost nonexistent. Omen pushed it aside, knowing that problem would resolve itself upon his return home, in whatever way was appropriate.

Many soldier cheered as the plane finally touched the ground in Texas. They were all so happy to be home. But Omen was still segregated. This was obvious by the fact that his Chain had called back about him before they arrived. Thus Omen was pulled out of line by a female Lieutenant. She spent over an hour questioning Omen about his current, “mental stability”. Omen was eventually released, but not after making his points known to the Lieutenant quite clearly.

Omen’s points were all based on decisions made throughout the Chain. The most prominent of these they attempted to force down Omen’s throat. The standard stated that, “All soldiers that return to the States while being punished by Article 15, as well as those being separated from the Army, were to be restricted to the Barracks immediately following re-deployment. For Omen, who had an impending divorce, as well as a home to move out of, Omen would not stand for this. He had already been punished by the Army more than should have been legally allowable. Omen told his Chain, as well as the Counselor, that he would follow no such vile rule. He told them, “If you got a problem with my opinions get out of my face, or fight them and you will usually lose.”

After the weapons had been turned in, and the soldiers had done their paperwork, they loaded the buses for the Field. As was the norm, they stopped at the same field where Omen had assisted his Sergeant Major over a year ago. But aside from the families that refused to stay away, there was no fanfare. The unit arrived late at night, and everyone just wanted to go home. For they knew the next day they had to come back, because there was much more that had to be done.

Omen had no one waiting for him. Giselle had decided that Omen supporting her for an entire year, like the previous 6 before it, did not warrant her presence that night. She had informed Omen that she would park his truck in the lot of Brigade, with the keys inside the gas cap cover. Omen wandered around the entire lot, carrying three bags with him. After approximately 20 minutes of searching, Omen saw his beloved vehicle again. He wanted desperately to jump in and leave, but he was not allowed to. For because of his impending divorce, Omen’s Sergeants had tried to force him immediately into the Barracks, so they could force him to follow the restriction rule.

Omen went and acquired the key to his Barracks room. Immediately afterward however, he walked back to his truck and left. He would not stay in the Barracks until after he had been able to move his belongings out of the house, and clean it for inspection. When Omen’s Chain argued, claiming they had the authority to make it happen, Omen’s response was simple and to the point.

“I have had enough of your hate-mongering and prejudicial treatment. I will not be following this bullshit standard no matter what you say. Besides, what else could you possibly do to me? You’ve already stolen my rank, my career, and you have tarnished my Honor. And now, when you are already processing my Separation, now you think you can put this stupid shit on me? I don’t think so. I’m not the others Sergeant, I actually have a working brain. Continue to push this issue and I will inform both the local newspaper and TV station as to the treatment you have been giving me. All that attention will not look good on the unit. And if you don’t believe me, keep pushing me. I’ll have you staring down the lenses of the cameras of 20 news stations in a week, asking why you discriminate against a soldier due to religious preference.”

That had been the end of the discussion. As Omen jumped in his truck he smiled at remembering it. He was glad he had finally broken free of the lies of the Army. For he had seen it’s true nature. It too was a self-serving thing that cared nothing for the lives or opinions of it’s comprising parts. All things of this nature Omen considered enemies, as the actions of the selfish cause nothing but pain and misery. And Omen’s Sergeants stood at the top of that list, exceeded in their vileness only by the Commander. But for this one night, Omen could get away from them temporarily.

He smiled as he slid his favorite Lamb of God CD in. As he drove away from Fort Hood he screamed along happily. For he had been able to make it home without any more issue than was expected. Now Omen felt like he could move forward. He laughed as he remembered what had been said about driving on the first night back. But Omen owned his own vehicle, had almost 11 years driving experience, and had learned even more from his job. Omen would not be denied his freedom or his property, something he repeated to himself as he drove down the road.

Omen was not quite sure where he was going. The house in which Giselle had lived until recently she had rented after he had deployed. Omen had never been there before. Giselle, in her rottenness, refused to even show Omen the way to the house. Instead she gave him very vague directions on how to find it, and left him to do it alone. But Omen would not be slowed by such things, and soon stood at the front door of the address he was given.

Omen used the key he had been left to open the door. He knew the layout of the house already, from pictures Giselle had sent months ago before moving in. Sadly, as Omen walked into the house, it looked almost the same as the pictures. There was nothing on the walls. The beautiful couch Omen had spent hundreds on was gone, replaced by a cheap, half-broken futon that Omen had never seen before. In the kitchen, almost every dish had been taken. There was a plate, a cup, a fork and spoon. But all of the actual cookware was gone. The washer and dryer was gone, as was anything non-military or non-tool in the garage. Upstairs Omen found slightly more, as his old clothes were thrown into a box. But there were no hangers, no hygiene items, and no bed either. The bed, whose frame was a wedding gift from Omen’s father and whose mattresses Omen had purchased while deployed was gone. The only items left untaken were the things Omen had specifically told her that if she took from him she would be taken to court. His 42“ HDTV, his PS3 and XBOX360, and his surround sound system. These things and his truck were all Omen had left. Giselle had left the Internet router, but had changed the password so Omen could no longer access it.

Omen sat on the mystery futon and cried. For he knew exactly what had happened. Giselle had taken everything that Omen had spent years buying for their home, and it now was the property of the Sergeant she had been cheating on him with. Even Omen’s dog had been taken, and Giselle would not bring Nacho over for a visit. She had said all these things to Omen while he was on his way back from Iraq, just before his arrival. At the same time she had taken half of the money in Omen’s savings, monies earned during the deployment. At first Omen had thought this reasonable, but seeing all that she had taken he knew it was not. But Omen could not fight, for he had no way to. Being thrown out of the Army, JAG would not be able to help him before he was gone. Civilian lawyers were too expensive considering all that Giselle had taken from him. Omen also knew that, technically, she could do as she chose. For Omen had given her a general Power of Attorney. He did this because they had been married for so long, and Omen trusted his wife. But now Omen saw the result of his misplaced trust, as Giselle had taken everything she could get away with, leaving Omen with almost nothing.

The next day brought a new challenge. For one other thing Giselle had left was a stack of bills on the counter, with a list of which were due on the 1st and which were due on the 15th. SHe left the places where Omen could go to pay these bills, along with the checkbooks Omen had demanded she leave behind. But this was the first, so on Omen’s first day back he had several bills that needed paying. He gathered up the bills due on the 1st, as well as the information pertaining to them and his checks, and headed to work. But he quickly learned he would not be given any time to take care of his bills, because the Army was only concerned about their own wants. What they wanted most was to go on leave, to get away from the Army.

But Omen was not given any form of leave. He had been told that, not only was he not qualified for the same 2 weeks of free leave as every other soldier, but that he could not even take the days he had saved. He was told his leave days would be cashed in and paid out to him on his last check. Omen was upset about this, but he knew it was the Commander’s fault. for he had already been told, by his Squad Leader, how serious the Commander was about being rid of Omen. His words had been exactly this before he went on leave, as per the story told by the Sergeant:

“You get rid of this asshole before I get back from leave. If you don’t, it is your ass in a sling. I don’t want to see him ever again. Make it happen.”

They worked very hard to see this done. The problem was increased when Omen’s truck was damaged in a minor accident. It was not destroyed, but the front end had suffered a decent amount of damage. But Omen was still able to have it towed to a nearby shop. Through the arguments of the Sergeants, Omen left to handle his issue anyway.

First Omen got a rental car, as per his insurance policy. It took an entire day for the shop to do the evaluation,. Once they had, they gave an amount to the insurance company. Omen received a phone call from USAA. They informed him that, because of the cost estimate to repair his vehicle, they had declared it a total loss. They said they would issue Omen a check for a specified amount,but that because of this Omen had to apply for a junk title. Omen refused, saying that he knew the estimate was blown out of proportion. But USAA didn’t care about anything but their bottom line, so they declared the loss anyway.

Omen went to the shop and chastised them for their overestimating. He called it illegal price gouging, saying they only did so because insurance companies don’t contest the estimates, so they can charge whatever they wish. During his rant one of the employees handed Omen a card, saying that he knew someone that was much more reasonable in his work. Omen called the man, and discussed the issue. he provided the estimate from the other shop, and was soon reaffirmed. For this shop’s price for the same work was over three thousand less than the original estimate, well under the total loss value. This sent Omen into a rage, as it meant USAA had made his vehicle junk for no reason. Omen set for the work to be done, then drove the loaner back to work.

The next several days were very busy. Omen rented a storage unit, and moved the majority of his things there. He did his best to clean the house, but Giselle had taken all the materials. Omen had no vacuum, no mop, not even any form of cleaning supplies were left. So Omen was resigned to purchasing new tools from Wal-Mart, and began scrubbing the house. Three days later, Omen moved the last of his clothes and TV into the Barracks room assigned to him. He then went and turned in his keys, and was told everything was complete. But Omen questioned this, as the real estate company never seemed to be at work to even accept a rent check.

Now living in the Barracks, Omen planned his next steps. While each day the Sergeants forced Omen to do one thing after another in order to be forced out, each night was spent trying to turn potentials into reality. As they made it so Omen couldn’t go to his Finance Class, as they said it was not required, Omen was also setting up a U-Haul rental. They told Omen, “You get one chance to clean and turn in your TA-50. If anything is sent back for any reason, you get no second opportunity. You will pay for it out of pocket”. But Omen continued to both amaze the Sergeants and shirk their will to upset him, as he found ways to make everything work, even walking out of CIF with a clear TA-50 record.

As the days went on, Omen became more direct and assertive towards his Sergeants. He knew they cared nothing for him, that they were simple pawns of the Commander. Omen treated them as such, telling each one to their faces what he thought of them. When they yelled at him for it he simply said, “You want me out anyway. If you tried to punish me for any of this, you will have to start the process over again to add charges. You won’t do that, cause that’d mean I’d be here when the CO came back. I’m not a fool Sergeant, and you have no more control of me than I allow anymore. Because your punishments for individuality cannot be levied me any more than you already have”.

After several more days, the process was almost complete. It was October now, and Omen has spent the last month being tossed around. He was tired of it. But today Omen went to the primary building on Fort Hood with purpose, because it was his last day. Omen’s Squad Leader escorted him inside as he went through the last step of the clearing process. Once he signed the paper, he was officially out of the military. In that moment, Omen ripped of the tags on his jacket. He replaced them both with new tags, much to his Sergeant’s dismay. The tag where his name had been now read Omen Cross, and the tag that once read US Army now real Hell’s Army instead. Omen had these tags made on his way home from Iraq, in preparation for this very day.

Many people tried to contest Omen’s new nametags. But now, out of the Army, Omen had no reason to fear any of them. He happily told off several high-ranking people, sending them away upset for losing the argument. As he exited the building Omen made a point to tell his Squad Leader off one last time. He called his Sergeant a filthy, betraying rat. He told him that no real man allows another man to completely dominate his own opinion. He also made mention of the curse placed upon all their vile heads for their actions. The Sergeant tried to retort, but only managed to stutter. This led Omen to chastise him further, throw up his middle finger, and leave. He left Fort Hood, knowing he could not return. But this did not bother Omen, he was ready to be through with the nonsense and lies of the military.

Omen’s truck was returned, but it was not yet time to leave. The U-Haul rental was not scheduled until the following Monday. Omen had done this to ensure he was completely cleared, and wasted none of the days of his rental. In the meantime he had a place to stay, the couch of his friend Barry from his first unit. Barry was still in the Army, but was soon to be PCSing. As such he was also leaving soon, and identified with alot of Omen’s situation.

Barry was a much more sociable person than Omen. Aside from his roommate, he regularly had people over. Barry told Omen that the coming Saturday night his friends would be coming over. During that time they would sit and drink as they played video games and Dungeons and Dragons. This sounded like just the break Omen needed after his recent turmoil. Omen made sure to purchase some alcohol and snacks for the party, so he could be seen as more than just some bum.

Saturday came. Omen spent his day walking around worshipping. He chose to venture to the place where he had gone so many times before. It was a bridge, spanning across the highway running through Killeen. In the center of that bridge Omen had sang out to the Father many times. But something else had been done there. It was a spell Omen had done before leaving. It was designed as a form of “mana battery”. By magically inscribing symbols of Power into the center of the bridge while pushing his will, Omen had created a vortex. This vortex sucked a small portion of energy from every thing that passed by it. Not much, nothing that would be noticed. For Omen knew that no individual high draw was necessary. The multitude of soldiers and civilians whose vehicles pass underneath this bridge was in the tens of thousands. As such, the vortex drew in massive amounts of energy, which could be drawn upon by Omen whenever he focused on the rune.

As Omen walked down the road towards the bridge, he felt a massive energy. Upon drawing near to the bridge, Omen realized that the rune was the source of it. For while it had drawn energy in for an entire year in his absence, causing the power of the rune to grow substantially, it had not been drawn from. As such the rune was heavily overcharged, but as he worshipped Omen took a small portion of it. The rest he left inside the rune, for he knew it could be useful later. But the increase in energy felt wonderful. Omen spent an hour upon the bridge singing before he headed back to Barry’s house.

Once the moon had risen high into the air, Barry’s friends began to show up. Everyone made themselves drinks and sat down to play. The game of D&D lasted for hours, but everyone seemed to have a good time. Omen sat and watched, as he did not have a character made, and did not want the character of anyone else. Omen had played the game many times years ago, and was fluent in his own methods of character creation. Finally, Omen decided to go outside to smoke and relax for awhile. For he was not used to being around people anymore, and he found that he did not really want to. For none had much more to offer than the same vile selfishness that had ruined his military career.

Omen sat outside listening to his music. But as he did, he heard something inside his mind. Omen worked to focus on it, to find the source. As Omen focused he began to see flashes, images projecting themselves into his mind. The flashes showed what appeared to be a woman locked inside a cage. The woman looked as if she had been trapped there for quite some time. Omen heard her voice, begging for freedom. She wailed about how long she had been imprisoned unjustly, for she had committed no crime. Omen felt her energy as he drew closer to the image. He felt sadness and pain, but no Hatred or malice.

Omen made a decision. He forced the door open from the outside. He said to the woman, “Go now and be free as you choose. None should be forcibly imprisoned forever, this is a disgusting thing. To allow this to continue would make me no better than the one that placed you here.”

The spirit left. Omen felt her joy as she was released, at seeing the light of freedom again. He sat for some time, contemplating what had transpired. He wondered who the woman was. He wondered what had caused her to be imprisoned. He wondered if he would ever see her again. But more than all that, he wondered what had drawn the spirit to be able to call to him now when it had not before, as well as why he had the power to break her bondage and she did not.

The door to Barry’s apartment opened. Out stepped his girlfriend Katie, who Omen had just met for the first time. She stood about neck-high on Omen, her short brown hair cropped neatly in military fashion. She was dressed what Omen called “conservatively seductive”, as one would expect a young female in this day to do. She lit her own cigarette and sat down beside Omen. They talked about general things, until Omen began speaking about his religion. All the sudden Katie’s face tightened. She then informed Omen that she also had some magical experience. But she also claimed that it had been years ago, for she was repressed magically. Katie claimed to have done this to herself in order to live a normal life.

Omen was shocked that anyone would choose to repress who they truly were for the sake of the opinions of others. He informed Katie about what he had just recently felt, what he had witnessed, and his reactions to it. She sighed, obviously fully knowledgeable of what had happened. Omen had released Katie’s magical side back into her, a fact Katie admitted she had felt just before coming outside. It was because of the strange feeling she had she sat and smoked, to try and relax. Now, knowing what had happened, Katie accepted the truth. Omen had busted her other side out of it’s repression, and it had reunited with her. She chastised Omen for making this happen, but not harshly. For she knew inside herself that this was who she was, and it did not deserve to be sent away forever.

They talked for hours, as she revealed more. The spirit is one of a great family of assassins, and the name she used to refer to it was Kindra. She had been next in line for the right to lead the family, but she had refused and left. She inhabited the Human originally as an escape from it. But when her family located her, they began to demand she return. But Kindra did not want to leave, she simply wanted to stay inside Katie and have fun. And Katie, with her deviant habits, was a perfect host for this. Katie loved to drink and party, and thoroughly enjoyed the touch of a man. She thrived off this energy, it was the release from her daily life she needed. This made for a perfect symbiotic relationship. Katie got to enjoy her partying, and the added pull that the spiritual energy had on the minds of men. And Kindra got to feed off of all those same people around Katie, maintaining her strength. Omen understood the explanation, as it was similar to his encounter with Serras. Thinking of her brought a tear to Omen’s eyes, as he had not seen or heard from her since he left Iraq.

Then, Katie began to talk about Barry. According to her, she was in desperate need of his touch on this night. But with his friends around, Barry was not as responsive as she would have hoped. Omen chuckled at her a bit, mentioning that, “pretty girls shouldn’t be allowed to go without as hard as those like myself look and do not find”. Katie told Omen that she felt his energy, and she liked him. But they both agreed that her place was beside Barry, and that they would not be able to be with one another because of this. Barry came outside soon after, and they all went inside. As they sat at the table, Omen saw the want in Katie’s eyes. Omen stood and demanded in front of everyone that Barry take Katie back to the bedroom and deal with her frustrations. Everyone seated at the table was shocked, and Barry was at a loss for words. But Katie nodded in agreement, and they went together to the bedroom. Omen stepped outside again as everyone else left for bed. He felt the energy of Katie and Kindra as they were in the depths of intercourse. Omen drew a portion of this energy for himself. He felt justified in doing so, for they would not be where they were had it not been for his intervention.

As soon as Katie and Omen spoke again, they became instant friends. Katie was very thankful for what Omen had done, saying that Barry had, “more stamina than usual”. They continued on with their individual lives, but remained in almost constant contact. The conversations were of varying natures, but many began to turn sexual in nature. Omen himself had been without since January, and his frustration was at a boiling point. Thus he began to relax, speaking the same sorts of things back. After all, they had both agreed their bodies would not touch for as long as she was with Barry, simply because he was Omen’s friend. Omen was fine with this, and continued to prepare for his departure. All the plans had been made, and Fenris anxiously awaited his arrival.

The next day, Omen got a strange text. It was Katie, and she said she had a problem. She told Omen that, due to a lack of energy from Barry, Kindra had begun to feed on the soldiers around her. Katie said she was gone to the field for training, and would not be back for a week or two. She had no idea what to do about this problem, and she asked Omen if he had any ideas. Omen pondered for a second, then told her to wait for him to text her again. Katie questioned why, but agreed regardless.

Omen jumped in his truck and raced to the bridge. Once there, he sat upon his rune with legs crossed and focused himself. Once ready he texted Katie, asking if she had time for a quick experiment. She said yes, and Omen told her to stand by. Omen turned on his music and focused intently on Katie. He pictured her exactly as he had seen her look in her uniform, trying to make the image complete. Once Omen could see her clearly he drew off the energy in the rune and fired it at Kindra.

Omen got a text almost immediately, asking what he had just done. Omen responded with a well-placed “?”, she elaborated in greater detail.

“Just now I felt a massive force. It struck me, and I was energzed by it. It was as if Kindra had been instantly satiated, and now was full and happy. My face feels flushed, my skin is warm, and I feel amazing. So, I’ll ask again, what did you do?”

Omen explained the process he had gone about. Katie was amazed that Omen had been capable of throwing energy across such a distance so effectively. She was more in awe of the strength of it, and the perfection of the energy’s design. Omen told her, “The energy was designed to strengthen you and make you fell better. It seems it did just that”.

But Omen wasn’t done. After they had stopped talking, simply to test whether what he had done was real or not, he waited a bit. After he could feel that Kindra had gone back to work, Omen sent energy again. But this energy was not the same. It was pulled from the extreme sexual frustration that Omen had, combined into the energy of the rune. Within one minute of firing this energy, Omen received another text.

“Holy shit, don’t do that without some kind of warning.”

Omen smiled, for this proved the truth in his magic. For it had been used unbeknownst to another and had still been just as effective. “Why, what happened?”

“I was at work, filing some papers, and you just rushed in, scooped me up, and threw me against the wall. I felt the energy of it, it felt amazing. But I can’t do such things while I’m working, it is too distracting.”

Omen accepted that Katie had work to do. To negate this, Omen returned to the bridge later that night, once her work had ended. Once she was done for the evening, Omen sent the energy again. This time she was much more receptive, and Kindra became visible. Kindra came to Omen, and they lay together in the stars. As Omen went back to Barry’s house that night, he was not sure how to feel. For he had an amazing experience, but he wasn’t sure if having sex with the spirit inside his girlfriend in a place where their bodies were not touching constituted infidelity. Eventually, Omen gave up the argument with himself over it. For he valued much more the lesson he had learned that evening about projection and energy manipulation towards another individual. That lesson felt even better than Kindra had, though only by a very slight margin.

Katie had asked Omen to stay through her return, because she was having a party and wanted him there. But Omen refused, stating that their interaction in the field had placed his mind into a position where he wanted her, and he did not want to disrespect Barry any more than he already had. Besides, the day had come. Omen picked up the U-Haul and trailer, loading his truck onto it.. He drove to his storage unit and cleared it out completely. Then he drove back to Barry’s, picked up his last few things, and said his goodbyes. Much had already been seen, and many trails had already been faced. But as Omen stared down the long road from Texas to Tennessee, he knew he would be fine. As long as he maintained the same level of commitment tot he Father that he had been, Omen knew he would find the answers he was looking for...

The Truth

8

Omen turned down the highway that his GPS said would lead him to Fenris’ house. The GPS had been Omen’s salvation, making his long journey much easier. Because Omen refused to stop, save for supplies, fuel, and restroom. He had sworn that his skills were sufficient to drive the U-Haul and trailer from Kileen to Lavinia. And he had done just that, though his eyes were extremely heavy. Omen looked at the houses spread along the highway. Most were what you would expect from a “country redneck”. The nearest town was almost 20 minutes away. This made for lots of solitude, but not as much accessibility.

The GPS told Omen to stop. On his left stood a blue trailer. The grass around the trailer was high, but Omen knew he had brought his lawn mower. The house was not maintained very well. This was one of many problems Fenris had spoken of in his home. Next door, Omen saw a broken-down looking house of red brick with a shed outside. This was the home of Fenris’ elderly grandfather. It was in worse condition that the trailer, looking close to falling apart completely. Omen pulled the U-Haul into the front yard of the trailer. Fenris came out to meet him, and they shared a handshake and a hug. They were both aware that they were meant to work together, and they accepted this happily.

Fenris gave Omen a tour. Omen quickly saw how much had to be done. There was filth everywhere. Trash piled up, junk strewn in every room, dishes left to mold for months. Omen would not stand for this, a fact which he told Fenris quite directly. Fenris attempted to make excuses for the mess, but Omen told him there were none. The only answer was to fix it. For this level of filth would onloy breed disease and discontentment.

Over the next several days the majority of this was accomplished. Omen cleared out the room that had once belong to his father before he has passed. Fenris refused to sleep in his father’s room, offering it to Omen. He then stacked his things inside the room, as they cleaned out the house. Inside the U-Haul they loaded all the unnecessary junk in the house. It was then taken to the dump, and weighed in at an amazing 1400 pounds. Fenris was upset at himself for the way in which he had kept his home, but Omen reassured him that it would be corrected.

At first, it was difficult to get Fenris up and working. His habits for so long had been his lob and video games, with no room for chores. This had fostered a laziness in Fenris, one that Omen swore to correct. He found clever ways to make this happen. Attributing the wolf-like habits of Fenris, methods were simple enough. For a wolf that is told his next meal depends on his level of effort is much more willing to comply. As such, Omen spent the evenings cooking for them both, as Fenris’ reward for his efforts. He spent his own money to stock the house with food and drink, but only once Fenris had cleaned the kitchen. In this way, within the first week and a half the majority of the trailer was clean.

Randomly, Fenris’ grandfather would come over, driving his riding lawn mower. This was usually to retrieve his dosages of prescribed medication, which Fenris held to ensure he did not overdose. But he also came over many times for food, something that surprised Omen.

“Your Grandpa doesnt have food for himself in his house?”

“Dude, you haven’t seen my Grandpa’s house.”

Omen made it a point to do so, and was thoroughly disgusted when he did. According to Fenris, ever since the death of his wife years ago, the rest of the family had mostly abandoned him. Fenris was the only one left that seemed to care in the slightest, but he knew he was not capable of fixing the problems. There was a stench of rot and death everywhere. The dishes, piled up in the sink, were so moldy and disgusting that Omen would never consider using them again. There was trash piled up everywhere, similar to how Fenris house had been. The standing freezers were full of rotten food, which stunk enough to make Omen want to vomit. Not one inch of the house was clean. Fenris’ Grandfather seem resigned to lay in bed and listen to the radio. Omen felt terrible for him, but did not know what to do.

Efforts were made however. Some of the trash surrounding the bed and kitchen were removed, and a mini fridge was brought in. This way, if he needed his milk or a snack, it could be left for him there to ingest. Omen was not totally satisfied with the efforts to clean this, but he could not focus simply on that. There were still many tasks ahead. Omen went out and purchased a new water heater, which he and Fenris then installed. But one of the pipes was not sealed properly, so it had to be torn apart and redone. But eventually, even without the knowledge or training to do so, hot water flowed throughout the house, and nothing leaked into the ground. This was one of Fenris’ first lessons from Omen, as he learned that effort is the only way to produce the intended results in your life.

After the major cleaning in the house was done, Omen’s focus turned again to his training. He had been told that he shared a similarity with a being that existed before, and thus it’s spirit was coming to him. He told Omen to delve deeper into the spirit’s essence to learn from it. He said that this was the next part of Omen’s test, to prepare him for the next step. As Tre put it, “Once you are transformed, you will have enemies on all sides. The Watchers will come for blood. The Heavens will open up to see you cut down. Be prepared for this, do not let them stop you”.

The fields behind Fenris’ house were perfect for this process. Whether it was the dead cornfield directly behind the trailer, or the road that led to the spanning fields and lake. Both places were found to be excellent for meditation and energy work. Without the usual mass of people, Omen was able to calm his mind much further. Inside, he located the spirit, and began to discuss many things with it.

The name of the spirit was Abbadon. Omen immediately recognized the name, from all types of religious texts. Abbadon was labelled as Apollyon, the Destroyer, some texts even referred to him as Satan Himself. But as the spirit allowed Omen to understand his history, Omen’s entire opinion of the spirit changed. Omen actually felt pity for a Watcher, or at least what used to be one. “Once I existed in the Heavens, under the name of Muriel. My task was that of Justice, and I was exceptional at it. My combat prowess was almost unmatched in the Heavens, and the Wrath I bore down in the name of the Light was efficient in its lethality. But despite these attributes, I was not considered “strong enough” to join the ranks of the 7. But I continued to work in the name of the Father Above, not a second’s hesitation in my loyalty to Him.

A day came when I was called to the Throne Room. The Father asked me to take a special assignment for Him. But He also warned that accepting it would change me forever, and my existence would never be the same. I accepted whatever He had for me, despite the warnings. My loyalty would not be phased by any work that I was to do.

The Father handed me a Boon. The Power of the Boon encompassed me. I felt it change me, adding to and taking away parts of my being. When it had finished, the Father spoke into my mind.

“Muriel, the Boon which you have given is different than other. Contained inside is the Power of the Gates. For the vileness of Humanity has caused many problems. Their evil magic has opened tears between the Realms. Through these holes, Demons have been flooding into the world, corrupting Humanity across all ends of the Earth. What I have just given you will provide you the strength to close these holes with your Will. As well you have been given the Power of the Holiest of Spirits, that you can combat the Demons. The final portion of the Boon allows you individually to exist in all Realms, that you might combat the enemies in all of them. Toss them back into the Pit, close the holes, and protect the balance of the Earth. This is the great task I lay upon your shoulders My Child. But you will never be the same as you once were. No longer are you Muriel, Watcher of Justice. Henceforth you will be known as Abbadon, Master of the Gates. Go now Abbadon, for you have many things to repair on the Earth.”

I left, and from that day forward I worked diligently for the Father. He had been more than correct, as the Humans had ripped hundreds of holes with their vile magic. I battled those I had once called Brothers and Sisters over and over, as I forced them back into the Pit. But the downside of existing in all realms is that you can be touched by beings from all of them. As I worked, my mind was constantly plagued by the voices of the Demons. They begged me to give up, to just let go of the Power I had been given. They told me that eventually I would be broken by them, and all the work would not matter anyway. They also reminded me that my loyalty had a price that I had not expected.

Controlling the Gates was not an easy task. In order to do so, I had to seal them inside me, removing them from the Earth itself. Inside me they could be contained, for the Power allowed it to be so. But as I absorbed Gate after Gate, the energies of them tainted my spirit. When I finally returned to the Heavens, my own Brethren were reviled at me. For the energies had degenerated my purity. They did not want me to remain in the Heavens with such taint lodged inside me. I was treated horribly, though I had served exactly as instructed. Eventually, the pain of my Family’s rejection drove me out from the Heavens, that I might continue my tasks without harassment. Thus I lived solely on the Earth for a time, as I continued my work.

Over the course of many generations of Humanity, I saved them from Demonic Invasion more than twelve thousand times. But in doing so, I had absorbed so much of the connecting energy of the Pit that I became connected to it completely. I became able to make the Pit itself quake by my Will. I could control the fires, I could make the ground crack and break. I had become Hell, as much as I was fighting against it’s influence. Finally, I went down into the Pit, to speak with the Dark Father. He was well aware of my situation, and offered me a solution. I would stay in Hell, and be treated as any King. But I would not control the Kingdoms of Demons, for they all reviled me for maintaining the walls of their prison. I was given a place to erect my own residence, and thus my Tower rose up into the air. From my Tower I was able to easily watch the holes being ripped, especially since I could see the other side of them. This continued for Ages of Man, and only stopped within the last Millenia or so.”

Omen was shocked. “That is the worst story I have ever heard. You served purely and faithfully only to be made an outcast for it? I can see why the Father was ready to give you a Home to call your own. None should be alone throughout eternity. But I have a question. What made you stop? Was the Power not limitless?”

Abbadon seemed to chuckle. “That was not the reason. The true reason was that I had to give up the Power willingly, in order that Humanity might be spared for one more Age.”

“Spared? What happened that was so severe that you had to give up that much Power to prevent it?”

“The untimely end of Humanity.”

Omen was at a loss for words for several seconds. “When did this happen, and how?”

“How is it you ask me when you know at least the majority of this story? As do almost all Humans across the Earth.”

Omen pondered that statement. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide. “You mean the story of the Son, don’t you?”

“Exactly. Men were birthed a Man that was to lead them to greatness as their first King in Ages that strove for the growth of all Mankind, not simply their own wealth. He was given the ability from birth to channel the Holiest of Holies, the Spirit of Love born first in the Heavens. It is the strongest and purest Spirit aside from the Father Above Himself, and the ability for it to speak and influence the events of worldly progression was the intent. But the evils of Men saw their promised King slain at their own hands. This was done because he spoke against the corruption of the Church, and wanted people to move against their lies.”

“But then where do you fit into the story told of the Son’s sacrifice? How much more is there that is not completely known?”

“ A great deal. But first, I shall test your knowledge on the subject. Answer me these questions: First, if the Son was born to die, as the Book now says, then why did he return to Earth? And what was so important that he had to be gone three days to accomplish it before returning?”

Omen thought hard about what he remembered of the Bible, as well as other books he had read throughout his life. He tried to focus on the references to the time after the death of the Christ. He was having trouble, as almost all the references focus on the life, not death, of the Son. But as he drew in his thoughts, he remembered a single reference that stood out in his mind.

“Are you referring to what they called in the Book the, Keys to Heaven and Hell?”

“Exactly. This does not refer to any actual Key. It refers to the Power of the Gates. For in their vileness, Humans had set to open the Gates of Hell completely. This was the reason why the Church had been corrupted in the first place, to functionalize the End of Days. But this End was not proper, not the one of Prophecy. As such, it was not in accordance with the Law, and had to be prevented.

The Son, just before death, was known to have blasphemed the Father Above. But this was not of his normal nature, so why do it? The reason was, the only way to prevent the end was to seal off the hole created by his violent and hateful murder. But the hole was not closable by my Power alone, we knew this long before it happened. For I had the Power of Hell and of the Earth, but not of the Heavens. The taint in me had destroyed it, made it inaccessible in its pure form. In order to seal the hole, and allow Humanity to continue on, all the Powers had to be united. The only way to do so was to place the energy of the Gates inside the purity of the Son. But this could not be done unless the Son was in the same place as I, so the Power could be properly transferred.

After his death, the Son came down to the Pit. I met him at the Gate, so that he might not be uncovered by our Brethren. For their Hatred of the Light was so strong that they would have surely ripped the Son apart. There, at the Gate, I handed my Power over to the Son. In doing so, I lost my control over the Pit, becoming no more than another Fallen. The Son then was sent back through the Gate to Earth, because transferrence from the Pit to the Heavens directly is not allowed. Thus the Son had to be sent back to Earth, that he might be able to properly pass back to the Heavens. Once complete, this process sealed off the hole, and the invasion of Earth was prevented. This was the true sacrifice in the death of the Son. This is why he said he knew he had to die. Because he knew Men had already made the decision to kill him, and no amount of convincing would stop them. This plan was set into motion long before the actual death. Many found out about the plan, and tried to convince the Son to run away from the Fate forced upon him. But he refused, and accepted death to save Humanity. It was the most important sacrifice a Human has made for more than their own interests in the history of Humanity.”

Omen attempted to wrap his mind around this new information. As a Satanist, he had been taught to hate Christians and their God. But now, hearing the tales of Abbadon, Omen’s perspective had changed quite significantly. For Omen knew that nothing happens inside the Pit without the approval of the Father, especially a Plan of this magnitude. This meant that the Father was aware of the Plan, and agreed to it. But this was nothing like the stories, which painted a world in which the Son battled against the Father’s temptation. But in reality, it had only been Demons that had tried to manipulate the Son into tossing his Fate aside. The Father was a part of the Plan to keep Humanity in existence. This meant the two sides might not be as much of enemies as Omen had previously thought. However, their recent actions toward him had not shown that trend.

“So then, that one sacrifice has saved Humanity from this invasion forever, as per the Book’s references to the Son being the final salvation for Humanity?”

“No. It did close the hole, but the Son exists now in the Heavens. Without my support since then, many holes have been opened up all over the world. These holes weaken the fabric of dimension upon which the Earth Realm sits. As this continues, the spirits of more and more Demons flood into the world unchecked. Now their vileness spreads to every corner of the Earth.”

Omen gritted his teeth a bit. “Those are my Family, you know.”

“Not the ones I speak of. While there are many in the Pit that follow the Will of the Dark Father, there are also those that seek to supplant him. They do not agree with His Plans for Humanity, they simply want everything to End. These are the ones you will find causing chaos on the Earth, the ones who serve no Father at all.”

Omen growled as he clenched his fist. “Betrayers of the Father? This is unacceptable. What might I do to assist in stopping this madness?”

“As you are now there is little you will be able to do against them. For while your Balefire worked well against Watchers, it has no potency against ones comprised of the same energy. You do not currently possess a magic strong enough to contest those that control the same types of energy that you do, but on a much grander scale. But be patient, young Omen. Continue to learn and train, see if you can uncover the answers to these problems. I will be here, as you and I are quite similar. You continue to fight and serve even when all those around you turn on you for it. You fight for the Will of your Father. These similarities are what allow me to speak so clearly to you. In time, and with practice, you and I can become as one being. During this period, I may speak through your words. When this happens, do not attempt to fight me. I only speak when I feel necessary, I do not wish to be in control of a Human. I am here to instruct you in more than you knew, to move you down the path.”

Omen took a knee and saluted. “Thank you for all you have spoken to me about Lord Abbadon. I will work diligently to see it done, to the best of my abilities.”

From the next morning on, Omen was training under Abbadon. Omen posed a simple question to Abbadon, and he was found to be correct in his assumption. It was a twisted version of the story of Abbadon, who had existed in all the Realms, that was the functional basis for what is called the “Spirit of the Ghost Rider”. It was Abbadon who was the “Angel” that had been “corrupted”, but it was not by means of torture, but as a function of what the task he was given did to him. He was the Spirit regularly sent by the Father to assist in guiding His Children down correct paths. For the roads inside the Darkness a long and winding, but most lead only to death. Abbadon, who was always loyal to both of the Creator Fathers, was happy to have a new task. No longer was Abbadon the Master of the Gates, but now more like the Father’s Drill Sergeant. Abbadon pushed Omen to work out every day, both cardio exercise and training with swords. He also demanded that Omen spend more and more time practicing all the various manipulations of energies, to find the purer source he needed. But Abbadon did not always remain to observe the training, many times he left Omen to train alone.

But Omen had another problem. Fenris had no garage, and the moisture in the air left his truck a constant mess. This made Omen spend hours of time cleaning it over and over. He did this because the truck to Omen represented the day he had met the Father, and thus it became his most prized possession. He was heard yelling about the condition of his truck many times throughout the house, a point which Fenris cared little about. For his vehicle, which he drove to work each day, belonged to his Grandfather. But Omen simply retorted that, as proven with his other possessions, he did not value the cleanliness of his car. Omen would rage about the filth, go out and spend hours cleaning the truck, then come back inside and complain about the time that had been wasted. Fenris told Omen he was overly concerned with the problem, but Omen seemed to take little note.

To help Omen cope with his anger, and take a break from the trailer, Fenris took Omen with him to one of the Magic tournaments he regularly attended. Omen spent some money, and was able to draft some cards for fun. Omen thoroughly enjoyed himself at the tournament, but this was not his only reason for coming. For that evening, Omen had asked Fenris to drop him off at a nearby club. Fenris agreed, saying he would be back after the tournament ended completely.

Inside the club, Omen remained quite antisocial. He knew no one, and few seemed to want to even look at him. Omen assummed this had to do with the changes in him since his decision to follow the Father. For while it had not deformed him, it had caused a serious change. This existed in his eyes, and everyone he asked about it gave him a different answer. But they all agreed, there was something very dominant and aggressive behind Omen’s eyes, but it was not Abbadon. Nor was it Belial, or Serras, or anyone he had been associating with. Looking for answers to this, Omen contacted several people. Kindra agreed to help, and used her own magic to peer into Omen’s soul. After a few minutes, she responded again. Omen was told that there was something very dark inside him, so much so that it was almost a part of him. When asked for a name, the one produced by Kindra was Cranneigh, pronounced “Kray-nay”.

It must have been this thing that the people in the club saw. For even those that seemed friendly toward Omen at first soon quickly retreated away from him. Omen did not care, for he was simply enjoying his drink and the music. Moreso due to the fact that he had learned how to manipulate energy in a new way. Omen used the energy, focusing into the drinks he ingested, adding a potency that cannot be tasted. But it could certainly be felt, as after one drink Omen was flying inside the energy. As he did, he felt a presence. This was not one of the ones he was used to, but after a few moments of chasing the energy to its source, Omen took a knee on his barstool. For the presence he felt was none other than the first Queen of the Pit, Lilith herself. She had come because she sensed the energy surrounding Omen, the deep seeded lust in his heart. Omen was great at controlling his urges, but the lack of a partner had built Omen’s stress up significantly.

Lilith told Omen to draw a rune onto the table at which he sat. Omen complied, quickly inscribing the Baphomet pentagram with his energy. Then, she had Omen move to other places around the club, doing the same thing. After completing the runes, Lilith then demanded Omen connect the runes together with energy. In doing so, Omen realized that the design of the locations of the smaller runes was yet another pentagram, encompassing almost the entirety of the club. As the energies linked together, the runes glowed brightly with energy.

“Now, spin their energies. See the lust inside them. The energy can be seen as a swirling mass of purplish black energy. As you look from one person to another, you can see the varying levels. Make the energy inside them swirl and grow, enhance their lust. Once the energy has reached a fever pitch, use the runes to draw off the energy of all of them. In this way you will receive a great amount of energy personally, but you will send it to me as well. Do me this service, and as you do see the power of Lust for yourself.”

Omen was happy to complete the assigned tasks. He joyously went to the dance floor, extending his energy out to surround everyone. Then he began to tornado their energy, forcing a spin that created massive growth. As he started this, it seemed as if the entire club decided to hit the dance floor, for it had been almost empty before. Omen pushed even harder, willing a massive increase in the energies of Lust to feed the Queen.

Omen went and got another drink. He sat down at the same table, and watched the progression. Soon after, a woman approached him. She had never spoken to Omen before, but seemed more than willing to go have sex with him. Omen ignored her, as his attention was on his task. Then, the woman made the mistake of touching Omen’s drink as he went to the bathroom. By the time he returned, she was being carried out of the club by her friends, having passed out immediately after she ingested Omen’s drink, as per the eyewitness accounts. Omen chuckled a bit, for he knew what had happened. Such is the price an untrained Human pays for touching the energetically enhanced drink of a proper servant of Darkness. He cared little, for he saw the energy growing further.

Fenris finally reappeared, but it was not Fenris. At several points, the spirit of Fenris was gone. At times, he was replaced by his nephew Inogomel. This was not his real name of course, but Omen did not concern himself with it. Inogomel was much more friendly and social than Fenris, who preferred war and slaughter. As soon as he entered the club, he asked Omen what he had done. Omen explained, and Inogomel accepted his reason. He knew better than to argue Lilith’s wishes, especially because of his fondness for succubi. He was content to sit and watch Omen as he moved around the club, spinning the energy.

Omen went and sat on a couch situated on a stage next to the dance floor. He did so to get away from the crowds and the chaos. Fenris joined him, sitting at the other end. Omen smoked and watched as the energy grew even more. As he watched, 7 different women jumped up on the stage he was seated on, and began dancing seductively. Omen enjoyed the show for a moment, then left the stage. He moved to a nearby bench. After being seated there for no less than a minute, on either side of Omen were couples making out passionately that were not there before. Omen watched the men sliding their hands up the shirts of the women, and down the pants as well. Omen smiled, for Lilith had been so right. The power of Lust was flowing freely through the club, and everyone was falling deeper into it by the second.

It was time. Omen went out to the center of the dance floor. As he gyrated to the music, he connected to the runes. They were overcharged beyond belief with purified Lust, seeming as if they would burn through what they were placed upon. After tapping in to each one, Omen began to pull. He sucked a portion of the lust that had been built up out of each person. The result returned them to just above the level of Lust they had before the spell, but they maintained an increase. As the energy flooded into Omen, he felt as if he might explode. It entered every pore of his body, making every hair stand up on end. Once he could absorb as much as he was capable of holding, he pictured the Queen. He fired the Lust at the Queen, who raised her left hand to accept the massive ball of energy. As it touched her hand, the energy wavered, then was drawn into Lilith. The energy made the Queen glow brighter, showing off all of her most beautiful attributes. But while Omen enjoyed what he had done for Lilith, he had no intentions of asking her for anything. As Omen considered it, Lilith was his Father’s Bride. For that reason, he would never attempt any form of relations with Lilith other than service as needed. Omen felt her thanks, so strong he burst out from inside his pants, soaking the insides with semen. He drove home feeling like a proper servant, and he had also learned a new form of magic. Omen praised the Father upon his return home for being visited by Lilith, as it was totally unexpected.

Several days later, Omen was outside training. Due to the offense he had taken at the actions of the Watches toward Abbadon, Omen wanted nothing more than to storm the Gates of the Heavens and blow them wide open. Omen wanted the Watchers to suffer as Abbadon had, all the while being treated as unworthy and insignificant. Omen rage seemed as if it would burn down everything around him if released fully. In his rage, Omen saw massive holes blown in the Earth, removing large portions of the worthless Humans that inhabited the cities of metal and glass. Omen wished that, in his transformation, he would receive enough power to become a giant Bull Demon, that he might personally be able to rampage the cities.

Suddenly a spirit appeared. But this spirit shone brightly in the sun, her long hair shining brightly. Omen was confrontational at first, assuming this was an agent of the Watchers sent out to attack him because of his will. But she showed Omen that she held no weapons, nor intent to harm him. Omen lowered his guard, and allowed the spirit to remain unhindered. Once he did, the spirit spoke to him.

“Greetings Omen.”

“Greetings. You seem to be much brighter in nature than most of the entities I deal with. Might I know who you are, that it might be ascertained why you are here?”

The woman swept her hand across the area surrounding them. “I am the spirit of the trees and the grass, the animals and other denizens of Nature. In your language I am referred to as Earthmother, among many other names.”

Omen was taken aback. “The Earthmother? The energies which the Father’s combined with their own to create the original Humans?”

“Yes. And as to your other question, I have come because I see your intent, and it is incorrect.”

Omen became agitatated. “What do you mean? In what ways am I wrong?”

“You seek massive chaos and destruction across the world. This cannot be allowed, as in the destruction the planet itself would be damaged. If the planet destabilizes, all life on it will end. Plant, animal, and Human alike. I will not see this happen, for the Earth and it’s inhabitants are all my children. So, I ask that you rethink your tactics, and spare as much of the planet itself as is possible.”

“I have no problems with that. I am a friend to the elements of Nature. My enemies lie inside Humanity, as well as Above. But in order to fulfill this, I will need different weapons. The energies which i am trained in are made to destroy, on a massive scale.”

“Dear Child, you still are not yet understanding. What you have been trained in is varying levels of the manipulation of energy, nothing more. You perceive one thing as different from the other because you have been trained since childhood to limit your mind’s expansion, to know only the definable limits of things. But if you can manage to wipe this away, to reset your mind to when you were a child, you will be able to understand what I mean.”

Omen bowed. “Thank you Earthmother, I appreciate your guidance. And I will do my best to see as much of the Earth spared as is possible, that the forests of the world might regrow, and replace the disgusting tributes to Man’s Greed. But I have one other request, if it is your will to allow it...”

“Go on.”

“If the situation should ever come to the brink of war, in order to assist them in our combined survival, I will need access to the minds of the Warriors of the Earth. The trees, the animals, I need to learn to feel them, and have them feel me as well. In this way I will have the support of the wilds, a place which I intend to live someday. And in this union, your warriors can assist me in maintaining the integrity of the trees. For a wolf does not destroy a tree to kill an intruder, nor does the bear ruin the beauty of the forest with it’s rages.”

The Earthmother smiled. “When the time is right, when you need the support of the Forest, I will be there. You will not be alone, the strength of the Earth will support you. But also heed my words about your growth, for time grows shorter every day. Before the day comes that all the beauty of my planet is ripped apart by Human selfishness, find some way to stop them. Do not let the Home you were all given, a rare and precious gift, be destroyed as you watch it burn all around you. For this is not my Will, nor is it the Will of your Father.”

She left, and Omen sat down to consider his newest lessons. Omen’s mind began to change, as war became less of a priority. Before Omen’s Hatred for the ignorance of Humanity, as well as it’s will to seemingly destroy itself by intention, was the cause for his want to see many of them wiped away. Simply so that there would be less stupid people on the planet, and the rest could regain the balance of the planet. But now Omen realized that he had been misguided. His own natural habits had overruled his better judgment. The answer was not to destroy everything, the answer was to breed the growth necessary to stimulate a new, positive life. Omen also realized that, in his need for revenge, he had been straying somewhat from that path. As such it was time for a readjustment, for not every step in the path of the faithful is a correct one, but all can lead to the goal if you can keep the intent as the focus.

Omen also sat and pondered what the Earthmother had said about his magic. She said it was simply, “a manipulation of energy”. Omen made a fireball in his hand, and stared at it. He saw the flames undulate in random directions, he felt the heat that it produced. Then, he launched it. As it flew, he watched the heat of the fire cut through the air, changing the makeup of it as the flame passed through. As it landed the flames exploded out in every direction. They burnt for a time, then disappeared. Omen then charged and threw a lightning bolt. He watched as the electricity cut the air in a similar way to what the fire had done. But wherres the fire seemed to melt the molecules in the air away, the lightning passed through them in transferrence. In this way, much fewer of the molecules of the air were damaged in the passing of the bolt. And when it connected, the bolt did damage that produced similar levels of lethality to the target, but without the mess of the residual burns. The bolt passed into the ground, where it simply became energy inside the Earth.

“That’s it,” Omen said to himself. “That’s what she means. The bolt and the fire are created from the same energy, yet they produce different effects. This means that energy can be manipulated into all form and fashion, with the proper level of effort. But wait, if that standard holds true...”

Omen stood up, put his headphones in, and went to work. He learned to change his perception, seeing simply the energy he wished to manipulate. But instead of weaponizing this energy, Omen sent it to the trees and animals, the children of the Earthmother. The images he was shown as this happened were astounding. He saw energy as one thing, split into billions of smaller pieces. Each piece was individual, but also part of the whole. Omen reached out to the source of the energy, and reached the realization. The Power can be as it is willed to be. It is a result of the will of the user, and their internal intentions. Thus Omen began to practice new attacks, readying himself as he had been instructed to do. In doing so, through extreme manipulations of the Human soul inside him, Omen was able to tap into the Fires of Purity. This allowed Omen the ability to tap into the Holy Fire, though doing so was not comfortable. But Omen knew that this was a weapon that could be used against Demons, for they are weak to it’s energy. Omen began to add the Holy Fire to his arsenal of weapons, as just another elemental weakness to exploit in his enemies.

9

Omen woke up full of excitement. He shaved and trimmed his hair, for this was a special day. Tonight, Omen had made some very specific plans. He intended to head back to the same club he had visited before. But this was no ordinary day. Not only was it Friday, regarded as the Father’s Day, but it was the Friday night before Halloween. As such, Omen was going in costume, intending to send tribute to the Father while at the club. But Omen had also been very lonely. His conversations with Treya, as well as random emotional support from Kindra, could not cure the pain he felt inside. For Treya had been extremely hesitant in coming to America, though her excuse was always the money required. And Omen had almost no interaction with the outside world. This caused an internal need for a mate for himself to grow. So he also had a secondary intention for the evening, obvious by the hygiene materials he packed in a bag to take with him.

The day passed as normal. Fenris was understanding of Omen’s need to visit the club, and wished to go with, but could not due to his job. So Omen prepared to go by himself and enjoy the pleasures of the Lust energy. He spent some time focusing his energies, ensuring he was ready to properly perform the inscriptions. He visualized in his mind the exact spots where Lilith had instructed him to draw them before, so he could properly repeat the magic. As the time drew nearer, Omen drove to Jackson. He readied himself as a Love’s Rest Stop there, for their shower was not working correctly. He changed into his costume, an evil clown dressed in red and black. His outfit came with the proper ruffles, and even a tiny top hat. Omen smiled inside the mask as he stared at himself, for he knew the costume suited him well. Much similar to his years in the Army, when he dressed as Jason Vorhees, making a point to scare even adults in his neighborhood.

After readying himself, he removed his mask and headed for the car wash. For once again, the rain had left water spots across his paint. He grumbled as he washed his vehicle about how much money had to be wasted keeping this clean, simply because of where Omen was forced to live. Especially in a situation such as this, where Omen might find someone to take home with him, and need his vehicle to look and smell nice for the sake of it’s attractiveness. For it had been proven that females did enjoy riding passenger in the truck, because people tended to stare at the reflective paint. This fed their own egos, a thing most people tend to enjoy doing. So Omen made sure every inch was clean, just in case. The sun has set by the time Omen was finished with his meticulous cleaning.

He still had a few hours until the club would be interesting, for people don’t usually get going until after Midnight. As such he grabbed a bite to eat at a local Steak n’ Shake, a place he had enjoyed since his childhood in Illinois. They always had remained relatively reasonable in their pricing, while maintaining a nice, clean, friendly restaurant environment. Omen enjoyed his cheeseburger, as well his random conversation with his waitress. Omen told her that when she got off work she should join him at the club, though he never expected her to go. After he finished his meal he headed outside, ready to drive to the club.

Omen had his music going. He was driving the speed limit, even under it at times, because he was in no hurry. Omen pictured in his mind the joyous time he would have. His thoughts drifted to his experience last time. Perhaps this time, one of the girls he saw dancing he would converse with, and use the strong energy to his advantage. Omen’s GPS easily led the way without the need for him to stare at it, calling out his turns in advance. Omen giddily awaited the intersting things that would transpire inside the club.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light,. Someone, either in the opposing lanes or behind him, had flashed their brights. Omen was blinded, a symptom of his diagnosed aversion to light.Omen took his foot off the gas, dropping the truck into neutral out of habit. But as his sight came back, Omen was horrified. He slammed on his brakes, but went careening into the rear of the vehicle parked at the stop light in front of him. Omen had managed to slow down significantly, but it had not been nearly enough. Time seemed to slow as his front end, made mostly of plastic and fiberglass, was crushed by the steel bumper of the full-size truck he had hit. His airbag deployed, and his head struck it violently, whipping back to strike his headrest.

Omen came around. He was extremely sore in his head and his back. As he looked around, he saw the results of the accident. The entire front end had been annihilated, as the plastic provided the components no protection. Omen’s radiator now sat where the motor was. Fluid could be seen to leak into the cab of the truck, recognized as a combination of oil and various vehicle fluids. But Omen did not smell fuel, so he was not concerned about a fire. He groaned and grunted as he took off his seat belt and began to open his door. But before he could, he saw the lights of a police car. As such he waited, and located where his cell phone had fallen.

The officer came up to his window, and asked if Omen was ok. Omen responded, “No, but more than that I’m pissed”.

Omen explained to the officer what had happened. He told the officer about his issues with bright lights, the same reason he is found wearing sunglasses each day. He explained going blind, and what the result had been. The officer asked Omen if he could step outside, and Omen happily complied. He was sent to sit on the curb of the street as the officers controlled the traffic surrounding the accident. As he did so, Omen contacted USAA. He did so simply to inform them of the accident, for the sake of any claims made against it. For USAA had falsely declared his vehicle a Total Loss, junk by standards of title. This meant that they would give him nothing to fix the vehicle, it was simply gone. Omen began to sob as he realized fully that his precious truck was destroyed. With the level of damage, it would never see life again.

They awaited the tow truck’s arrival. The officers had asked Omen repeatedly if he wished to be taken to the hospital. But Omen, having no insurance and little money, would not have unpayable bills forced upon him. So he declined, but found that the accident would still be very costly. Even the fee to tow the truck back to Fenris’ house and drop it off was over two hundred dollars. For no reason at all but the distance traveled, a blatant scam. For the person who has had the accident has no choice but to have their vehicle towed, even if the rates are outrageous.

On the way back to the house, Omen heard the voice of the Father in his mind. But this was not the same happy, loving Father that Omen was accustomed to dealing with. Instead, the Father’s energy raged like and inferno, so strong Omen trembled in fear.

“This was done to you for a reason. Because this is what you had earned through your actions. For months now, you have wasted energy complaining about cleaning your vehicle. You attributed this thing to your love for ME. You placed it above things of more import, wasting both time and money. The term used to define one who does such a thing, placing any object above all other things, is called Idolatry. And I will not tolerate any Idolater to serve in My Name.

In addition, tonight you had said was about sending energy to Me. But in your individual Lust, you began to place your want for sex above you want to make Me happy on My special day. You disrespected me directly. You would have been no better for seeing yourself spit in My Eye than what you had done. For these reasons you were punished for your actions, that you might learn from them in the future. I am extremely upset with you on this night, My Night. You will work to repair this damage, for I have told you to do so.”

Omen began to sob when he realized the level of his disrespect. He cried all the way home, which the tow truck driver attributed to the loss of the vehicle. When they arrived, Fenris was shocked. But he also made mention that he had felt something terrible some time ago. When they checked the times on his feelings, it was found to be just before Omen crashed. It sent a shudder down both of their spines to know that they were so connected, to be able to feel each other across miles of distance. As the truck was dropped into the front yard, Omen walked over and touched it. He began to circle the vehicle, apologizing about everything. He begged the vehicle’s forgiveness for his misjudgements, which had cost the vehicle it’s beauty. He begged the forgiveness of the Father for his failure, as well he pleaded for a chance to redeem himself someday. He felt the Father again, but He had returned to His usual form of projection. The Father had simply taught Omen a lesson, he was not holding any grudges. For in being truly apologetic, he had proven his will to learn from his mistakes.

The next months passed mostly without event. Omen was intied to Thanksgiving dinner with Fenris’ family, which he happily accepted. This had been his first real meal of the sort in years, for while working for the Army the food was never the same. Omen even made sure to bring a pan of green bean casserole with him to contribute. They all sat and ate until they were full, then spent some time in conversation. This was an interesting experience for Omen, who due to his solitude and studies had become differently opinionated about Human beings. In public, Omen now found it hard to hold his tongue about all the random stupidity he saw. How the people around him wasted their lives, working to support things that all rot away eventually. Omen had become disgusted with almost everyone, but he still made it a point to allow each a chance to prove to him that they were not the same as the others. For as he had been told over and again, “All Humans have the right to choose. Just as they choose to be vile, they can choose not to be. Few are capable of this change of character, because it is very difficult. But it is accomplishable, and every Human must be given the opportunity. This is one of the things I expect you to teach others, just as you were taught.”

Omen had been working pretty hard. His work entailed attempting to understand the stories of the past in the Heavens enough to properly write them down. Based on everything he knew from the Father, from Abbadon, and from all the others, Omen could not believe that the stories were completely accurate. Omen found too many inconsistencies, but noted also that many of the facts surrounding did match. So Omen began to focus on some of the individual stories, trying to find the Truth inside. He researched subjects listed as of great importance throughout the claimed spiritual history of Humanity. But as much as the stories contradicted one another, Omen always found similarities in the stories, when viewed from the position of one reading stories written by people from many Ages past, spanning thousands of years.

Omen found in several of the stories references to one form or another of major Flood that happened. But while the Bible implied that the world was flooded simply because Humans had become corrupted, Omen couldn’t imagine such a thing. For in many of the stories beforehand, the YHVH had punished the mass responsible for the offense, not the entirety of the planet. But with more research and inflection, a much different story was told. Once Omen began to understand these concepts for himself, Abbadon’s voice entered his mind.

“The Great Flood was a decision that was made by more than one of the strong beings in the Heavens. The reasons for it’s necessity were varied. The main cause was the over population of the Nephilim. These beings, the procreation of both Watchers and Demons with Humans. These beings grew to amazing size, and possessed a strength far above the Human norm. But due to their size, they consumed massive amounts of food, equated to 100 cows a day. As their numbers grew, the resources of the Earth could not support them. And their strength was such that few contested them. To protect the Human Experiment, the world was flooded, and those of faith inside each region were given ways to survive the chaos. In this way, the world was slowly repopulated afterward, removing the original problem. This was directly against the wishes of the Earthmother, who had already receded her waters once to create a proper habitat for the newly bred Humans. But the Plan was enacted, and at the same time the Veil was erected. This barrier prevented the physical transferrence of those from the Heavens, and from the Pit as well. In this way, Humanity was made safe to grow on their own as a species. It is holes in this Veil that my task was to repair.”

This all made perfect sense. It had not been simply the rottenness of people, but a threat to the stability of the planet that warranted the drownings of so many. But Abbadon’s references to the Veil hit home with Omen as repeatedly important. For the Veil, being the barrier between the Realms, was the only thing preventing a full on invasion by Demons. But it was also the only thing preventing the Father from standing on the Earth as well. Omen was not sure which side of this to take at first, but soon understood the Veil’s necessity. It allows balance to be somewhat maintained, so Humans can develop without a physical force to guide them. It forces Humans to adapt their minds, learning to connect to the Will and follow it. Besides, if Abbadon had guarded it, and Omen was to become similar to Abbadon, the same task might be levied on him someday by the Father. Omen decided that he would wait to make any individual decision until he fully understood the Father’s Will for him.

Omen had begun to expand, trying to reach out to others that were of the Father. Lacking anything nearby, Omen turned to Facebook. The majority of what he found were those that claimed to be dark as an excuse to act vile themselves. But he did meet several people whose viewpoints helped enhance his own. Usually they came from various Satanic groups, where Omen would see their postings and begin conversations with them. This led Omen to be invited to more groups of this sort, expanding his perspective even further. He began to see complications in the groups, as varying forms of Satanist warred with one another over who was correct.

Omen sought to correct this, and sat down at his laptop to write. He wrote and posted many various stories, trying to get some sort of positivity across. He tried to be a voice of Faith instead of War, as was commonplace amongst his dark Family. Omen did his best to stay out of these confrontations, unless the words of the offenders turned toward disrespect of the Father Himself. In those situations Omen rose up violently, demanding that, “Children learn their place”. This was not taken well by the others, and it cost Omen a couple of the groups he was a member of. Omen cared little, for he knew not everyone is capable of seeing past their Hatreds and learning.

As the year drew to an end, Omen’s life fell into chaos. For the last roughly two months, Treya had claimed to be preparing to come to Tennessee. This was planned for by many, as the ritual was scheduled to go on while she was present. Omen had spent much time attempting to prepare himself, that he might be good enough for his new mate. But as the time drew near, she gave nothing but excuses. Then her excuses turned to insults, as she began to chastise Omen for everything. She claimed she had never cared for him, that the whole thing was done by intent. For the spirit inside her was not as it had said, a fact that confirmed Omen’s most terrible suspicions. For through Treya, the Arch Uriel had manipulated Omen, preventing him from ever finding someone to fulfill the role of The Lover in time.

Omen was filled with dread. For this plan was intended of the Father, and Omen was afraid to see it not happen in time. For like all those that study in the Darkness, Omen was well aware that Humans who cannot fulfill the needs of the Beings Outside are generally cast aside. And one such as Omen, who had been given more knowledge than most, would probably wind up dead for his failure. Omen went out into the woods and cried for hours. He cried at the thought that he might lose his life, but he cried harder at his inability to complete the assigned task.

In the midst of his misery, the Father appeared. He told Omen that, while the plan had been knocked off course, nothing was finished. He reminded Omen that, “The war does not end until the warrior can no longer fight”. He told Omen to stop crying, to get up and go back to his studies. For when one door closes, another waits to be opened.

Omen did as he was told, his resolve to fight strengthened by the words of the Father. He went back to his writings, which began to garner more attention. This led Omen to be respected for his work, and sought for counsel by others of his kind. Some had interesting viewpoints of their own, which added details to things Omen had already perceived. As Omen wrote, the words continued to flow without thought. It was as if, once he began to fill himself with the energy and write, the words wrote themselves.

One who took notice of Omen’s work was named Genavieve. But she did not refer to herself by her real name to any but her contacts in her real life. To everyone else, she was what she associated herself to. A Watcher by the name of Sarafiel. According to Genavieve, Sarafiel once was told to sound the Horn given to her. This was one of the Horns signifying the End of the Ages of Humanity. But Sarafiel, in her want to not see Humanity wiped away, refused. She fled, hiding the Trumpet away so that it could not be blown. In order to protect herself, Sarafiel had fragmented her soul, spreading the pieces out to the winds. The fragments lodged themselves into Humans, which gave them connection to the power of Sarafiel. Through the connection Genavieve said she had learned to draw her own power.

Omen told Genavieve about his recent interactions with Uriel, and the loss of the Plans put in place. She felt horribly for him, but at the same time she claimed a connection to him. For Genavieve said that her own path involved Abbadon, as he had attempted to reach out to her for some time. She claimed that, for a time, her soon to be ex-husband had learned to channel Abbadon fully, even procreating a child with her through him. Omen looked to the sky for confirmation from Abbadon, and found no argument on the subject. But when questioned as to why, Abbadon remained silent. This is, and has always been, a sign of great secrets among Watchers, who are normally happy to discuss any topic openly. Omen decided to leave Abbadon’s secrets to him, and to focus on the situation.

The situation was not normal. Genavieve had been in a “polyamorous relationship” for some time. While she was married, to a soldier in the military, she said that he had been horrible to both her and the child, and thus she was set to leave him. She made references to her want to visit Omen, to see for herself those things that cannot be seen anywhere else. Omen was interested to see if Genavieve held the potential to replace Treya, and allow the ritual to go forward.

Then, it happened. Genavieve told Omen that it had been requested of her to leave her husband, and to move to Missouri. The one that had invited her Omen knew from the groups as Norman, though they all called him Norm. Genavieve said Norm was able to contact the spirit of the Fallen Samael, regarded as a King of Hell. She claimed she was packing her things, to be shipped across country, and driving there. But she would not be alone. She planned to take her small child with her, as well as her best friend Blake. But Blake was more than her friend. Blake had been her lover as well in the polyamorous relationship many times, according to the stories Genavieve told. She spoke of love as a thing that can encompass more than two people, that can allow groups to love each other freely without complaint.

Omen realized that the drive from South Carolina to Missouri was long. But situated right along the road was the way to Fenris’ trailer. Even though they had no heat, and the trailer was freezing at night, Omen invited them all to stay. He said they would do well to drive the first distance, then stay overnight and recharge. He told Genavieve that they could easily repay Omen and Fenris for the night’s stay by making breakfast for everyone before they left. As well Omen and Genavieve would finally get a chance to meet one another face to face. Everyone agreed that this was the best idea for them, so that they would not be driving tired with a child present.

The next evening, Omen got a phone call. He heard Genavieve’s voice. Apparently, they had forgotten where their turn was, no gas stations were open nearby, and they were lost. Omen talked with her for several minutes, locating her position. Once he did, he gave them instructions on which ways to turn, guiding them to the trailer. He stood outside and awaited their arrival. As the tiny car pulled up, Omen saw that it was packed quite full. It stopped, and Genavieve ran to give Omen a hug. She was much smaller than Omen, very small in build. Her long brown hair hung down over both shoulders, but was matted from the long trip. As they hugged Omen felt the warmth of her body, something he had not felt in quite some time.

Blake stepped out from the vehicle, and Omen shook his hand and welcomed him. Blake was taller than Omen by several inches, with long blonde hair that hung down to the center of his back in a ponytail. Omen began helping unpack the necessities from the car. It was raining, so Omen expedited his work. Cooking utensils, things for her infant son, and the bags of their individual clothing. After all things were carried inside, Omen provided a tour. Immediately, complaints arose as to the lack of heat in the house. Omen reminded them all that he had mentioned this before they had arrived. But he also told Genavieve that he would let her and her child sleep in his room for the evening, and he would sleep in the living room. She thanked him for his kindness, and they all sat down to converse.

They went into town, and acquired the necessary ingredients for dinner. Leaf spinach, rather than the iceberg lettuce used in most salads, simply because of the increase in nutritional value. They also procured various ingredients to make Genavieve’s supposedly “famous” stir fry. Omen happily bought the ingredients himself, but they demanded the right to assist. They said this was because they stayed with him for the evening, and it was only proper for opening their home to feed Fenris and Omen. They drove back to the trailer, and started to work.

As they cooked dinner, many conversations were had. The first was Guenavieve’s repeated request that Omen refer to her as Sara, in respect to the angelic presence she channeled. Omen understood, for he had also been given a “spirit moniker” to be used. Omen went into his room, coming back with a bag of gifts. But the gifts were not for Sara, they were for her son. For Omen had heard the stories, of the child being created by Abbadon’s influence. Because Abbadon was so close, Omen almost felt his “fatherly instinct” take over at times. Omen smiled with joy as he saw the child playing, though he had no particular reason to do so. And the child seemed interested in the gifts Omen provided, various foam and plastic weapons. A sword, hammer, shield, and dagger. As Abbadon had put it, “Everything the child will need to begin learning to use weaponry, that he might be versed in it later in life”.

As Sara and Blake continued cooking, Omen spent time playing with the child. Children had always been endeared to Omen, obvious by his consistent good relations with them. This is because Omen refuses to judge their level of Knowledge or Understanding solely by their age, or any other single trait. Omen saw out of the corner of his eye as Sara stared at them. But she was not judgmental in her gaze, it was one of happiness and respect. She had said there had been much chaos in her home before they had left, and the child had been being mistreated by his father. This was a thing Omen would not stand for, as he has always believed that the intentional mistreatment of children with no cause is wrong. It seemed the child took an instant liking to Omen as they sat and spent time together. Omen took a keen interest in the child’s love of the Hot Wheels he had brought with him, as they were obviously his favorites.

All sat down to eat until they were full. The food was amazing, the flavors precise and the vegetables cooked just enough to be properly edible while maintaining the nutrients inside. Omen made a point to do the dishes himself as the others sat down and talked. They discussed the trip so far, as well as the current destination. Sara spoke of how exciting what she was headed there was, and how hard she intended to work for her dreams. Omen, curious to know more, began to ask deeper questions. But the subject was quickly changed to other things.

Omen retired to his room for a time before the others went to sleep. He did this so that he could have some private time to focus himself and catch up on his multitude of Facebook messages. As he did, there was a knock at the door. Sara entered, and apologized for disturbing him, claiming she had some things she needed to discuss with him. Omen accepted this, as she had been so obviously evasive before, and Omen wanted more answers.

Sara finally explained what was really going on. She had been hesitant before, as she had not been able to see Omen’s true intentions. She said that she had to see for herself whether Omen was or was not the one she had expected. But she said he was exactly what she thought, someone who was being trained to channel Abbadon purely. She said this was part of a much greater plan, as Abbadon’s spirit was needed in the world. She said this was because the Time of the End was coming, and those who are meant to be participants in it were inhabiting Humans in preparation. She asked Omen if he was ready to take such an important position as Abbadon’s. As well she questioned whether Omen would be able to give up his attachment to himself in order to allow a pure channeling. Omen reassured Sara that whatever he had to endure was just a step along the road, a road he willingly walked.

After their discussion, Omen went to the bathroom to change into his sleeping clothes. As he prepared to leave the room, Sara asked him to stop. She told Omen that her son would only sleep beside Blake, due to the fact that he had taken care of the child for so long. She said that, since the child would not be staying in the room that Omen should stay. It was understood that there was to be no physical contact, as Sara was going to be with another. After debating it, Omen finally gave in. He lay down on his mattresses as Sara cuddled up beside him. Out of habit, Omen wrapped his arm around Sara’s shoulder, closing his eyes to sleep.

“I can feel him inside you. You are his next chosen, to replace my failing ex-husband. For he could not complete the tasks assigned, thus the energy of Abbadon has moved to another. If you accept this change, you will eventually be a part of my son’s life, as his true father will want to spend time with him.”

Omen was not sure how to feel. For he had tried many times before to be involved in the lives of children that were not his own. And while the children loved playing games and running outside with Omen, the parents were the ones that seemed to have problems with it. Their presuppositions as to Omen’s nature were the cause of this, as was the case with most of the prejudices Omen faced. But Omen held a special place in his heart for the children, who have not yet been corrupted by those around them and made vile inside. He also remembered that his doctor had told him that his sperm count was extremely lower for a Human, and that reproduction without laboratory assistance was nearly impossible. Thus Omen did not have much to look forward to in children of his own, and enjoying time with the children of others helped ease this pain. He thought that maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing, maybe being a “father figure” would help him find balance within.

“Will you accept that responsibility? Will you be a father to my child, in order to make Abbadon happy?”

Omen thought for a moment. “If that is the Will for my life, than I will accept it. But I am not sure yet as to whether that will work or not, for you are going to be with someone else. While I can spend time with the child, and treat him as a son to someone whom I respect, I cannot say that I believe being his new father will be effective for his growth.”

Sara seemed to understand this. “You know, it makes sense to be wary of such a big change. Let’s try this: you come with us to Missouri, just for a few days. You need to get out of here for awhile anyway, I can tell by all we’ve talked about recently that you’ve been feeling trapped in this place. Come, take a little vacation. You can stay with us in the hotel room, free of charge. My only request is, when the container arrives with my things that you help us unpack it.”

Omen thought about it. She was right, he needed to get away from the trailer. After the loss of his truck, his freedom had been cut to 0. And Omen had never visited this part of Missouri, so it might be an interesting experience. This would also give Omen time to sort out the swirling of emotions that he could not keep control over. Omen finally agreed, saying that he could take over the driving responsibilities, with his GPS and military experience. She enjoyed the idea, as she had been doing all the driving previously. She said it would be nice to have such a “strong, capable man” around to assist her in moving to her new home. Sara nestled even further into Omen’s chest, and the odor that eminated from her was intoxicating. It smelled of sweet honey and fields of flowers, but she wore no perfume. The odor seemed to exude from her skin itself, filling Omen’s nostrils with joy. The scent was comforting as Omen drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Omen packed some things into the same bags that he usually carried on trips. This included his computer bag, so he could bring his laptop, as well as materials to charge his phone and a few other items. He knew he didn’t need much, for three days was all he was expected to be gone. Omen told Fenris he would be back, and to keep an eye on the house. Fenris was saddened, for as Omen left he would be alone again. But he understood Omen’s need for some time away, and so he said his temporary goodbyes.

The drive was very strange. Omen encountered many more bad drivers than he was accustomed to. Especially semis that he would pass in areas with sharp dropoffs. Omen began to reach out with his energy. Something was attacking them, entering the minds of the other drivers. Sara was jostled awake many times as Omen swerved to avoid these potential accidents. Sara would be agitated at first, but quickly calmed when she heard what was going on. AFter witnessing this trend for herself more than once, there was no more argument. Something was trying to prevent this trip from happening. But Omen, while tapping into the vast knowledge and skill of Abbadon, was not phased by these things. He continued on, even as his eyes became heavy, until they had reached their destination.

Night had long since settled in when they reached their goal. Sara tried calling Norm multiple times, but received no response. They sat in parking lots in the city, with no idea where to go to rest for the night. Everyone became upset, as Norm had been fully supportive of the whole plan, and had been in constant contact up until this night. Once the aggravation had reached a fever pitch, finally Norm came into contact. But his response was that he had no way to met with them, and they needed to look after themselves for the evening. After raging about this for a moment, Omen searched out a hotel nearby for them to stay on his phone. One was located, and Omen drove the last few miles.

They went inside. The room was beautiful, complete with a stove and sink for cooking. This was part of the intent, as they had brought food with them. After unpacking they began working on dinner, as Sara also asked Omen to borrow his laptop to use Facebook. After dinner they sat and talked more, mostly about what they would do if Norm continued acting the way he was. They decided to work out those issues in the morning. Each took time to clean themselves thoroughly from the long trip.

Omen asked, with all four of them, how sleeping would be arranged. Sara decided that Blake would do best to sleep with the child, to keep him calm at night when he became scared. Blake agreed to this, citing the child’s wild sleep habits. As such, finishing his shower first, Omen laid down to sleep. Out of respect for her Omen wore his sweat shorts to bed, for Omen did not wear underwear. This he knew would be rude and disrespectful. Omen turned to face the window, thinking about all that was going on. He wanted to figure out why he felt it necessary to come on this trip, why he had been pushed so hard inside.

The lights were out by the time Sara finished her shower and lay down to sleep. To Omen’s surprise, she cuddled up next to him with her clothes spread wide open, leaving her naked breasts exposed for Omen to see. Omen shyed away from her at first, as they had not discussed anything quite of this nature. As she lay down Omen was nervous to put his hands on her, thinking it undignified. But as she moved his hand across to hold her, Omen no longer argued. As per his hyperactive habits when with a woman, proven over years of marriage, Omen let his hands wander across Sara’s soft skin. She cooed softly as he cupped her breast in his hand, wincing slightly as he pinched the nipple. The sound turned to a quieted moan as Omen’s hands ventured beneath the sheet, touching at the warmth between her legs. Sara melted into his hands as Omen began to stroke her.

Omen moved the covers as he slid closer to Sara. But as He slid his pants down, Sara pushed away from him and told him no. Omen was shocked, as it was Sara that had started the entire thing. But Omen kept his honor, immediately leaving the bed. He slid his clothes on and stormed out of the room as Sara watched on. He went outside and listened to his music as he prayed. As agaitated as he was with Sara about flipping her position so quickly, it was not his major issue. Due to his body preparing for intercourse, he had built up tension. The tension had caused the condition known as “blue balls”, or the swelling of the testicles causing extreme pain. Omen spent most of his time doubled over in the field behind the hotel as he attempted to withstand the pain.

Omen eventually learned to manage the pain, finally walking back inside. As he reentered the room Sara rushed to meet him, begging for his forgiveness. She explained that she had come to stay with Norm, and did not want to begin anything with Omen until she was sure he was not going to be there for her. She asked Omen to tell her it was okay, and Omen refused. He explained what had happened to him physically because of her actions. She was shocked, tears welling up in her eyes, and continued to apologize. But Omen refused to accept any of them, stating simply, “You cannot ask forgiveness for something you continue to do”. He laid down, turning the way in which was most comfortable, and went to sleep. When Sara attempted to snuggle next to him, Omen pushed her away. He would not continue to play this game with her, Omen knew he deserved better treatment than that.

The next day, Norm finally contacted Sara. He said that he had fallen asleep, as well the woman he currently stayed with was “up his ass”. The woman Omen discovered was the mother of Norm’s child, who also considered Norm to still be with her. But from Norm’s words he did not like the way she treated him, as a slave to her. However, Omen also noted the stories and references to the fact that it had been much time since Norm had brought any form of income to the household, even though he had a child. This seemed like an irresponsible person, and it upset Omen that this was who was chosen over him. This was the reason why as he heard these stories he was in continual pain, as his condition had not yet subsided.

As they sat at the hotel, Sara and Norm sat together on the bed. Omen sat with Blake on the opposing bed, and the child moved about by his choice. Sara and Norm became quite touchy with one another. When Sara asked Omen and Blake to leave, that she and Norm talk privately for awhile, Omen knew exactly what was happening. He made a point to lock off his laptop, preventing access, before he left the room. Omen felt terribly disrespected through all this, and decided to react in kind. As Sara attempted to give them a time to return Omen did not pause to listen, but he did pause to throw a menacing stare at Norm.

Blake attempted to calm Omen as they left the hotel. He explained that Sara had made a decision to be with Norm, and that was that. Omen retorted that if that had been her only wish, she should have kept her clothes on and stopped him long before she did. He also added that she was now knowingly having sex with the same person that was the reason why he was now in constant pain, after he had done nothing but be kind to her and follow her leads. Omen turned away from Blake, going out in the field to pray. He prayed for a release from his pain. He also asked that the one who had caused it be forced to suffer in an equally painful way.

Omen and Blake went to a nearby ice cream shop to eat. After a while Sara and Norm joined them, looking somewhat unkempt from their recent romp. This only fueled the fire of Omen’s aggravation, but he maintained his composure. He respected Sara’s right to make her own decision, but still did not feel Norm was worthy of what he was being given. For since his arrival Norm had done nothing but ask for everything, from money for food to cigarettes. He brought nothing to them being there, and Omen wondered how he was expected to support both Sara and her son, while also having Blake there. Omen continued to stew in his mind about how worthless the newest addition was, especially after hearing that he was expected to drive them places as they sat in the back and kissed. He tossed Sara her keys, saying he was going back to the room, and they could go wherever they chose.

As he left the shop Sara was close behind him. She grabbed his arm, asking him why he was being so harsh towards them. Omen explained the entirety of his position, as well his belief that Norm was not the right one for her or her son’s future. Omen told Sara she would be better off coming to stay with him at Fenris’ than to support a bum until she was run dry. But Sara told Omen that Norm had been found to be necessary, because of his connection to Samael. Sara had told Omen that there were many reasons that he did not understand as to why Sara felt she had to choose Norm. But she also remarked that she would be lying not to admit having feelings for Omen. Omen pulled away from her as he remarked, “You cannot claim to care for me and lie with him as I sit blue-balled because of you while you do nothing”.

Omen walked away from Sara. She returned inside the shop, and soon after Norm came chasing behind him. Now it was Norm who was trying to calm Omen down, something that made him spit at the ground.

“Youre pathetic. You bring nothing to this group other than your ego and the ability to channel a spirit. The only functional part of this could be found in another person, thus you are not required. You do not deserve a second of Sara’s time, let alone to be touching her over a person that actually cares and was kind without an intent to have sex. I went days of being nice and polite while not touched physically. You acted like a total dick when we got here, made excuses, then came over like it had not been an issue, and went straight into bed. And then you, after all your disrespect, forced me out of the room so you could get laid, while you are the same reason I am in constant pain. If you think you can calm me, you are sadly mistaken. You are a dog, and no dog could ever speak to me from a position of respect or power.”

Norm tried to maintain his ego in front of Omen, but he was seen to walk back slouched with his head hung to the shop. Omen returned to the room, and began preparing his things. He had been told he would be taken home within 3 days. After experiencing all this, Omen was ready to go. This was not a vacation as it had been promised, Omen was more stressed now than before. As the rest returned, Omen had little to say to them. Norm was still upset from having been put into his place by Omen, and he could not look Omen in the eyes. Blake pulled Omen aside, and attempted to speak to him. But his words fell on mostly deaf ears. Omen told Blake that he was not responsible for the actions that caused his anger, but by constantly agreeing with any decisions made by Sara, he was also held accountable for them. Omen warned Blake that maybe it was time for him to develop his own opinion, not just cosign to Sara.

Omen left again to worship rather than continue the sick feeling he had. After he had been outside awhile Blake and Norm came to where he was singing. They told Omen that Sara wanted to speak with him alone, she had already spoken with them both. They walked down the road, headed to the nearby grocery store for ingredients for dinner. Omen returned inside the hotel to find Sara sitting cross-legged on the bed. She asked Omen to come sit beside her, and he did so. She asked Omen if he was really ready to act like an adult, the kind of adult that could be responsible enough to take care of a child. She questioned his recent behavior, calling him immature. She said Omen had known that she had come here for Norm, for she felt a stronger pull from Samael than from Abbadon. She also said that the last one Abbadon had chosen had been found unworthy of her based on his abuses, and thus she was wary to even consider another. She said Abbadon, “Has a perchant for military types, as when proper they exude the same traits as Abbadon himself, Warriors of Protection”. But she warned that, in order to even come close, Omen would have to accept that Abbadon was simply chasing her. And that, if Omen was to be around, he would have to accept their relationship was not as it was with Norm.

Omen snickered. “The same? Hell no. He doesn’t deserve a woman’s time. He lives here, and yet has no motivation to support the child he has. You think once your money runs out that he will be able to support you with no job? You think he’s gonna get up off his ass for you when he can stay living with his girlfriend and son? And on that topic, just where do you intend to have your stuff sent anyway, the hotel parking lot? You talk like you know what you are doing, but you have no idea. So fine, choose the bum, I could give a damn. But when you realize how stupid you were for turning down someone that puts in as much effort as I do for someone that is obviously self-obsessed you will understand. And don’t bother crawling back asking me for any chances, the door will be shut.”

Sara’s eyes were wide behind her glasses. It seemed Omen’s words had struck home with her. She sat in silence for a moment, then nodded and walked to the computer. She began typing away, sending Facebook messages to Norm. Soon they returned, and dinner was made. Omen was no longer rude or unpleasant in any way other than poking fun. He tried to get to know Norm as a person, since his decision with Sara had been made. He ignored her almost completely, striking up many conversations with the other guys. He spoke to Blake about his massage techniques, which he had seen Blake perform on Sara more than once. He spoke to Norm about the UFC-style training he was doing.

Sara seemed surprised at how easily Omen had turned off the switch, and now was happy and joking. But any point as which she tried to hug or touch him, Omen moved away. He was making his point quite clear, there is no middle ground. The girlfriend is treated especially well by her other because of the relationship they share. Men are nice, polite, and even kind to women they are not in relationships with. But unless one is a dog, one does not touch all over the woman of another, for that is not your place. Especially in his presence, that is a disrespect that few men would tolerate.

The night continued without interruption as they talked about many things. Things of spirit, things of function. They spoke about the potential for great progress. For Sara had a story that she wanted to tell of her own spiritual interactions. She said this was to be done with a graphic novel, entitled, “Tears of Sarafiel”. She said that with this story, which was one of her movement both through the Heavens and the Pit, would help expand people’s minds as to the nature of the beings that reside in those places. She said this would be a necessary step, that without something new for people to understand about faith they would be lost. Omen agreed that this was a failing in most people, as they lived their lives for nothing. He told Sara that he hoped her story would reach it’s goal, that with strong effort she could succeed. For the sketches she had shown him were beautifully done, showing all of the spirits they associated with. One showed the “Angel” Sarafiel, whose wings were meant to shine beautifully in a dazzling array of colors. Another showed the small and wiry Samael, who could obviously be seen to be much more capable than his stature let on.

The final picture was one she had drawn of Abbadon through the many times she had seen him. Omen was shocked at the detail in her drawings. It brought much more to Omen’s perception of Abbadon himself, as Omen as more skilled at feeling the spirits than seeing them. This Omen had been told was a special precaution of some kind, barriers that had been placed on him that only he could break down. He was told over and over, despite his many arguments about it, that his eye would only open completely in the time allowed by the Father, not before. So as Omen stared at the picture, what he felt took shape. Abbadon looked tired, from so many Ages of combating the Demons and the vile holes. His wings, which obviously once had been large and bright, hung ragged and dirty at his sides. He had long curly hair, though this was something he and Omen had discussed many times. As he put it, “That may have been the old style, and I am seen with it at times, but the hair of the warrior should be cropped short to prevent it becoming a disadvantage”.

Omen praised Sara for her fine artwork. She noted that this was the reason she knew her calling. She said that with Omen and Norm around she had begun to see clearer details as to the story she was trying to tell, because of the spirits they channeled individually. She spoke of her high hopes that they would all be able to work together on these things, that in combined effort they would all be made stronger. Everyone nodded in agreement, for none were as concerned with themselves as the intent of the Original Plan, one agreed to by both “sides”.

The plan involved the Creation of Humanity, and reasons for it. For if understood by so many that “something” had Created them, this had to be done with purpose. Originally, the best theories on this state that Humanity was created as a form of slavery, to mine gold and other precious things for the Creators, that they might take them back to their Homeworld. But the problem with this theory lie in examples found of evidence supporting to the contrary. For the sites of these great ceremonies also existed, but no evidence was found of any method by which these sorts of things were either found or obtained. This does not refute the theory, but does make one question where else these things were moved to. Until reference was made at the general locations of these ceremonies, in light of other religions that followed thereafter.

Many of the ceremonies revolved around the most ancient of legends. About the true path to Power. This is something that Humans have sought after since the original tales in Humanity. This tale lies most obviously in the Knowledge that it was the “Name of God” that was the reason Lilith had been able to overcome her banishment from the Garden. Analyzed further, what they spoke of was a formula, spoken in the language of the Ancients, a language Human vocal cords cannot begin to produce. For even as much as a sentence in this language speaks forth like a song, the depth and variance of the notes representing key points in language. By learning the appropriate combinations of notes, more than likely from overhearing the conversations of the Watcher guardians, Lilith had uncovered the means to their Power directly. By doing so, she was able to, “sprout wings, and fly away from the Garden,” to the cave where she was spoken of being next, prior to her joining with the Dark Father.

It was a want for this same measure of Immortal Power that drove Humanity to great feats. Mighty Pyramids were built in homage to this Power, in an attempt to recreate the energy necessary, they felt, to focus the Power so completely that such magic could be attained. For while the people already had great magic, they constantly strove for more. The joys and splendors they had amassed were not enough for them. The wealthy became filled with greed, beginning to take of the offerings to the Gods for themselves, stored away inside their erected pyramids. The people became slaves, forced to work on this constantly increasing number of “paid in full” pyramids. Humanity had become obsessed with the ability to buy their way into the Heavens, to pay for Paradise.

This became most obvious when the most vile of magics was attempted. The most terrible of the rich and powerful conversed, scheming for new ways to attain even greater power. Their whole basis of faith was that they were constructing these great towers to the sky to reach toward the Heavens, to open the Door, and to pass on into Paradise. In their collusion, the men came up with a scheme like no other. They immediately set to work, each sending out his servants to prepare all necessities. “This will be the greatest achievement in Human history,” they thought to themselves as they called in their spiritual advisors, the ones dealing in the strongest of magics. They asked them for all the proper runes for what they would need, a count which ranged in the tens of thousands. Each a separate inscription, hidden in a specific location, so as not to arouse too much suspicion. Each would have to be carefully done, and it’s placement known long before construction.

Time passed as the project became a reality. Everything they had learned about how to stretch the Pyramids further and further into the sky was used, until the Pyramid’s top rose beyond the sight of any that stood nearby. But this one was different. It was not meant for a burial, it was owned by no single King. This Tower was built with a flat peak, and stairs which led to the top. This had always been a method used in constructing the tops of these great Towers, but never befiore had the peak been left flat. It was believed that the peak of sight stood at the tip of the Pyramid, the link between Earth and the Heavens. But this one was designed with a different plan in mind.

On the eve of the Full Moon the ceremony began. Mages of a count never seen before chanted in unison their spells, each working a different piece of the overall spell. A massive energy was collected, with ignited all the runes hidden around the walls of the Tower. As the Tower became charged it focused upward, through the various mechanisms built to make this happen. At the peak stood the vile Men who had conceived this rotten plan, as well as the best mages of the entire lot. They began to chant as well, as the pure energy focused further and further upward, igniting the sky. This was what they sought, the Gateway into the Heavens. They refused to wait to live properly and earn their Paradise, they felt righteous in their quest to take it for themselves. As they saw past the Realms of Humanity, the mages had reached their goal. They had opened they way past the Earth, now Humans could go as they pleased.

Lightning slammed down upon the peak of the Tower. The force of it knocked many of the wicked off the edge, plummeting to their demise. As the rest turned to each other, to figure out what to do next, they realized their ears were not working properly. As they listened to the words of their comrades, it sounded like nothing ever spoken before. And as they cried back to end the joking that they might survive they were met with the same quizzical look. What had happened to them all? Why could they not communicate with each other? Most importantly in their minds, “How will I manage to live through this?”

Few managed to do so. The bolts continued to rain down from the sky. It split the rock everywhere it landed. Soon the Tower itself began to collapse, all the intricately carved stones crashing to the ground below. Most of the mages in attendance, as well as all at the peak, were made quite dead by the end of the assault. What few remained scattered far away from each other, for they knew what they had caused. In their evil and selfish will to steal Heaven before they had earned it, the Evil Eye of Men had been put out. No longer could they find the path to true Power, though often did they try. Many were able to retain shards of the Original Power, giving them magic of their own. But no matter the level of effort, no Human could ever reach the level of Power they had previously possessed, for it had already been proven to be abused. Thus for the second time, Humans had destroyed their purest of potentials with their rottenness.

Omen reached in his pocket, pulling out his wallet. From it he produced a 1 dollar bill. and quickly flipped it over. As is on all of these items, the picture of the Pyramid with the shining Eye at the top. Omen knew the symbol was used by many groups, both real and invented, as a source of identification for themselves. And the governments, or moreover those assigned to the creation and printing of money, had placed this same symbol on the back of every dollar in the country. But the symbol Omen realized referenced this same thing, the Human struggle to take Power for themselves rather than earn it through proper service and faith. Omen took careful note of these things, as it referenced people that would be opposed to their new “Tower” being struck down as well. Especially if that Tower was not made out of stone, nor meant to reach to the Heavens, but made out of digits and worthless paper with drawings on it. This was meant simply to take control of the entire populace, so that they might not ever lose their own Power. All the references suggest that these circles still know some of the oldest magics, and use them to influence things around the world. Whether or not that part was true in reality, or more a passing belief, was an unanswered question. For without speaking to those people, you would not know those answers. And those people will never reveal themselves publicly, for it would be at the cost of their life. This led them all to question the possible multitude of enemies they might face along the path to enlightening people.

Finally they all went to bed. Omen lay beside Blake in one bed, as Norm and Sara occupied the other. For the child a bed was made of blankets, pillows, and toys, that he might be as comfortable as possible. As Omen fell asleep, he heard noises in the bed next to them. Apparently their interaction earlier had not been enough for Norm, who wanted Round 2. As Omen heard the sounds of Sara cooing in agreement, he refused to stand for it. He exploded out of bed, putting on his clothes and storming out of the room. He went down to Sara’s car, and in the cold of November in Missouri he slept. This was much more comfortable, with no disturbances to block his rest. Omen decided that it was almost time for them to part ways, for him to return to Fenris’ house somehow.

10

Early the next morning, Omen was awakened by a knocking at the window. Outside was Sara, clothed warmly and wrapped in blankets. She climbed inside the driver’s seat and stared at Omen. She questioned him again about why he was so offended after their previous discussion. His response to her was that, while he had accepted them being together, this did not mean he wanted it thrown in his face as they had sex in the bed next to them. Sara countered that, asking Omen why it was any different than what had happened with him nights before as it pertained to Blake. Omen told her that the situation was only different because he had spoken out in offense against it, and thus out of respect they should at least keep it in private.

Then, Omen told Sara the time had come. He told her that while he enjoyed spending time with her son, and attempting to help him learn as was allowable, that following around a group of people while alone and pained by it was not going to work for him. He told her that, considering all that had happened with his ex-wife and Treya, he needed someone who would be there for him, not just expect of him. And obviously, based on her want for Norm, Sara was nowhere near that one. Omen told her that he neded to return to Tennessee, and continue working on finding the proper Lover to stand by his side.

Her eyes opened wide. “You’re...You’re gonna leave us?”

“Yes. There will be much less turmoil without me here. Im sure the three of you can figure out what to do next. Besides, my three days is almost up, and that was what was agreed to anyway.”

Tears seemed to well up in Sara’s eyes as she took in what Omen had said. He was going to leave, and take his connection to Abbadon with him. Considering how many things Sara had spoken of doing that involved Omen, this was a major flaw in the plan. She had forgotten that he could be gone just as easily as he had come, for expediting movement is the way in which you pass quickly from one road to another. She cried as she left the car, headed back to the room. Omen chose not to follow her, for it was the concern of her other to bring her comfort. He went back to sleep as much as he could, due to the rising sun agitating his eyes.

Omen awoke again. There was a message on his Facebook messenger from Sara. She wanted him to come upstairs, and said there was something everybody needed to discuss. Omen arrived in the room to see everyone with somber faces. He moved over and sat down in the chair in the corner of the room, facing the others.

Sara did all the talking. She told both Omen and Norm that, based on how things were at present, she could not evenly evaluate who was correct for her. She mentioned Omen’s recent jealous habits, as well his ease of temper. But she also spoke on Norm’s immaturity, his seeming lack of contribution, and his need to “step up”. She said that by her standards neither one was quite ready to be with her, but that she had a solution.

Sara told them that the answer lie in a “polygmaous relationship”. This meant that, as she explained it, sex was not viewed in such a strong light. This allowed all the participants to copulate freely without arguments about territory. Sara said she had experience in this sort of thing, and knew how it was meant to work. She also claimed intent to bring other females into the relationship that would follow the same rules, allowing more people to have someone at once, eliminating the factor of jealousy. But she also said that, in order for it to even have potential to work, it had to be agreed upon by everyone. And once agreed upon, the conditions had to be followed, and the arguments had to stop. Sara claimed to have feeling for the both of them, and said she was cracking from the stress. She began to cry, saying, “I don’t want to lose either of you, I just feel as if something will go wrong if I do”.

She asked what each had to say about their viewpoint. Norm spoke first. He talked about how his son’s mother had repeatedly cheated on him, and the damage it had caused. He spoke on his internal rage at the thought that anyone would even look at Sara with his knowledge. He claimed that he would be willing to stand up for her in battle, a challenge Omen dared him to accept. But Sara separated them before anything could happen. She demanded that they stop fighting amongst themselves because of their male egos and be reasonable. Blake tried to assist with her suggestion. After a while, Norm sat back down, followed by Omen doing the same with a grin. Norm finished his turn speaking highly of himself, and his ability to accept things he was not used to.

Omen went next. He spoke again on the constant trend in the group mindset. He stated that everything was being slighted, and that he would not tolerate it. Omen stated that, “Abbadon was of Justice. If expected to be like him I will demand the same. Any acts of unfairness of impropriety would be considered a threat to stability, and would immediately cause issues”. Omen swore that he would never be a part of this situation if it was not fair and balanced, and that Sara had to enforce that fairness. As the only female involved in the relationship, her time would be wanted by all. For the relationship to work, she would have to give of herself equally to them all. He also said, based on the cheatings of his ex-wife, and the betrayals of Treya, that he was not in a very good position to be allowant for much leeway in this area. He glared down at Norm as he said, “I would consider this, but if this one lets his ego and selfishness interfere with what is fair, you will not be able to stop the hammer of Justice from falling”. Norm seemed both ready to fight Omen and run from him at the same time, for it could be seen that Omen’s eyes held no fear.

Blake took his turn. He spoke on how childish both Norm and Omen were acting. He spoken on his experience with Sara in a relationship of this nature. He spoke on how kind she had been to him, letting him stay with her and her husband as he assisted in taking care of their son. He told them that he had once been in their position, raging out in his want for Sara to be his own. But he said over time the feeling had passed, that it had brought a peace to him. He told the other two that they held great potential in the future, but first their individual egos had to be stifled. He told Sara he would follow whichever decision she felt was best for their future.

Everyone sat for a moment, considering the viewpoints of the others. For this was a decision no one of them could make, it had to be agreeable for all. To not be so would completely destroy the original concept of the relationship, and trust would cease to exist. Without trust a constant rift would exist that prevented any form of mutual progress. These were all hazards in accepting such a relationship for themselves, as well attempting to bring enlightenment to a larger group of people. It would require focus, effort, and a selflessness that was uncommon in people. But in doing so, they believed they might have a chance to change things. To make life different, to effectively change the entire world for the better.

They agreed, all of them, to give the relationship a shot before judging it. That sat with each other and agreed to the conditions necessary for the relationship to maintain balance. After about an hour, Sara asked Blake and Norm to leave, that she and Omen might have time together. They lay together for a time, and Omen felt his spirits soar. It released the tension of so many months, finally allowing Omen’s male mind to be distracted from it for a time. He showed her body great love and care, to prove his dedication to her. Afterwards they rinsed in the shower, and were dressed and chatting when Blake and Norm returned.

Omen sat chatting with Blake as they prepared dinner. On the other side of the room, Sara and Norm sat conversing quietly to themselves. Soon they excused themselves and left the room. Omen gave Sara a kiss on the way out, which seemed to drive Norm out the door even faster.They left Blake and Omen alone in the room for quite some time. Omen used the time to discuss with Blake things referring to his training in massage of the hands and feet. Blake demonstrated this by doing them on Omen, while describing what he was doing and why. He explained the variety of pressure points in the hands and feet, which link all over the body through the network of nerves. After receiving a massage of each hand, the more sensitive and difficult of the two types, Omen returned the favor. He in turn massaged Blake’s hands, as he asked questions about his technique and strength of pressure.

Blake was surprised at Omen’s incredible capacity for fast learning. Omen explained simply that this had been the entirety of his life, something he considered a gift of the Father. Blake began to question Omen on the things he had learned in the past, that he might gain a further knowledge of his own. As they started talking seriously however, Sara and Norm returned. The air they brought with them was heavy, and hung over everyone in the room. They somberly sat down upon the bed. The look on Sara’s face was one of a sad acceptance. The look on Norm’s was angry and barely controlled.

The conversation was tense for a minute, but gradually returned to normal. They began to discuss what to do next, for staying at the hotel room was not feasible. Sara said she belonged in California, that was where she was being called. She said that from there she had connections that would allow her to obtain good work easily, drawing models for the gaming company Blizzard. She also said she had a friend who lived in that area, and might be able to help them find a place to live. But as they investigated this idea, it was found not to be time yet. For Sara had a custody hearing forced upon her by her husband, as he was trying to take his son back. So Sara would have to go to South Carolina more than once very soon, which made moving to California unfeasible at the moment. This left the group with a lack of good options for what to do in the period of time in between.

Suddenly, a spark of brilliance. Ever since the death of Fenris’ Grandpa, the house next door had sat pretty much abandoned. Omen explained the condition of the house to them, the lack of proper heat or clean areas. But Sara seemed convinced that the house could be cleaned out, then fixed up so that it could be used for temporary habitation. Sara said this was a great idea, as Fenris would not be lonely with them all around. But her intents spanned even further. She wanted to use the land owned by Fenris’ family for generations to build a building. This would begin as their dwelling, but was meant to expand to include a school of magic.

The School was something they all agreed needed built. The education of Humans in this day and age is a process of repeated limitations, forced and reinforced into the minds of the students. This process continually forces the mind into understanding only those facts given, allowing little room for individual expansion. Also, with most religious documents kept from children until long after the child’s mind has developed, generations are forced into a single viewpoint that few manage to expand past. This keeps the majority under calm control, but dulls the intelligence of the majority. The point of the Magic School was a place where learning could be done on every level, not just those acceptable by society. In addition to studies on the basic principles of math, science, and history, they intended massive study dedicated to the principles upon which magic was based.

Three of them had already proven to make good instructors in their own areas. Blake was found to be the most knowledgeable in matters of basic magic principles, shielding, and the calming of the mind. Sara had massive talent at the process by which one finds their center, refocuses it towards the proper frame of mind, and the grounding out of all the vile nonsense that possesses the mind and heart. And Omen was told that he would be their resident “Destruction Mage”, as he had well learned the most terrible of magics, but also how to properly manage their use. Due to his inexperience, Norm himself had little but raw potential to offer the group. But as conversations went on that evening, Omen noticed a trend.

In and between their general discussions, Norm stayed consistently close to Sara. He spent most of his time whispering in her ear, words Omen assumed were simple vocalizations of affection. But upon closer observation, each time he spoke Sara soon followed with a new adaptation of their ideas. These adaptations began to “insert” Norm into important positions throughout. She wanted him as her co-artist on the graphic novel. She believed his input would play the greatest role in the facts surrounding the story. She also believed that Norm was the closest to “purely channeling his associated spirit”, and that this put him in a very important role. Sara spent the rest of the evening praising Norm’s potential, as Omen tried to focus on the necessities for progress. He hoped in time they would stop criticizing him and see how much he had to offer. But for now he was content to watch the situation, and find the source of the problems.

The next day they packed up and left. This happened almost immediately after the realization that Norm was in some sort of legal bind, as he was worried about his girlfriend calling the police on him. From his words he may have had a warrant out for his arrest, and thus he needed to leave quickly. Sara, upon hearing that Norm might be taken from her, made the decision to pack quickly and be gone to Tennessee, far away from the officers in Missouri. As she had expected, Fenris happily welcomed the group of them into his home, as well he accepted the idea proposed. They would all work to clean out the house next door. Once complete Sara, Blake, Norm, and Sara’s son could all stay in the house. Omen would remain in the same room inside the trailer, as would Fenris. But once they arrived in Tennessee, Omen was quick to remind them that there were limits to his kindness.

The house was in terrible disrepair, it would take weeks just to clean out the garbage and filth. In the meantime, people had to have places to sleep. At first Omen watched as a sly whispering between the two became a sweet request from Sara to allow her and Norm to sleep in Omen’s room on certain evenings. This was vehemently denied, as Omen told them his sheets were no place for their sexual exploits. He explained that they had all been very stingy with what they called their “personal items”, and now Omen had rights to do the same. He warned them that access to his room was by invitation only, and remaining meant following Omen’s rules. This meant Omen kept control over both his television and laptop, for they were not to leave his room. He willingly allowed others to use his things for a time, but when they abused their rights Omen made them leave.

Sara seemed agitated as the days went on. Maybe this was because of Omen’s rules around the house. Maybe it was because Omen had become the dominant force in the household, organizing and planning each day’s work and activities. Maybe it was because Omen constantly outperformed Norm in every task that the two undertook, from physical activities to work. But on the nights in which Sara would sleep in Omen’s room with him, she seemed upset. She hid herself away, refusing to give herself to him. But those same nights, once she thought Omen had fallen asleep, she snuck out into the living room. She went to the couch where Norm slept, and their they would have sex with one another. Omen had been able to see this for himself, as well he was informed of the noise made by Fenris. This added to Omen’s frustration, and before long he had Sara sleep on her own end of the house.

During each day the group spent analyzing the situation, searching for the source of the complications. Because all had claimed the same form of “mental cloudiness” from time to time. Usually these occurrences led to large arguments inside the home. This caused serious rifts between everyone residing there, as such it had to be remedied quickly. This led to many difficult evaluations of things they thought they knew, and a reconstructing of belief. Because the more of the Demons they found around them, the more were found to be hazardous. They strove to find new ways to fix this problem, to seek the pure Truth they were after.

One evening, Fenris and Norm were arguing with one another in jest about a video game they were playing. The playful arguing turned swiftly into male posturing, as Norm felt necessart to begin talking about his fight training attempting to impress Fenris. This did the opposite, giving the wolf a challenge to face, which he had not for quite some time. But before they could have swings at one another, Omen had another idea. He took them all outside, even Sara was present. Omen played referee in a match pitting Fenris against Norm. This was a form of combat wrestling, and no punching or kicking was allowable. The two rolled around for several minutes. Norm rolled Fenris over onto his back. At the same time Fenris grunted harshly, noting that he had been injured. Soon after he submitted, and sulked back into the house, still clutching his side.

Norm strutted around, gloating about defeating Fenris. He called Sara over to celebrate, kissing her passionately. It seemed that Norm was going to have yet another evening where he was going to brag about being the best fighter in the house. But before Norm could saunter inside, Omen stopped him by calling his name.

“So, you seem very confident in yourself. Are you ready for a match with the champ?”

Omen knew what he was doing. The ego inside Norm had been seen every time Norm was presented with any opportunity to posture in front of Sara. Omen could see that this was done so she would forget that he was putting in the least amount of effort, and showed the least amount of magical understanding. After his easy victory over Fenris, he knew Norm’s perception of his abilities was way too high. He aslo was aware that he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

It didn’t take long for Omen to convince Norm to a match. Especially once Sara joined in, excited to see the two strongest of her men go toe to toe in competition. The tension for male dominance was always high betwen Omen and Norm, and Sara agreed that the match was a good way to release their need to prove dominance without actual confrontation. Omen allowed Norm a break, and they shared a cigarette. He warned Norm not to let his guard down, for the second round would be much harder than the first. Norm simply stated that he needed to worry about nothing, that he would prove Omen to fall just as easily. Once they had enjoyed some rest time they prepared for the match, naming Sara the referee.

The match began. Omen calmly walked in a circle around Norm, demanding that he make the first move. Norm barreled forward, attempting to knock Omen over. But Omen used Norm’s momentum to swing him sideways, ending him up on the ground. Omen chuckled as Norm got back to his feet, even making a point to toss a quick joke at him. This caused Norm to stand up with anger in his eyes. He did not appreciate his ego being poked at, Omen could see his rage had grown. But this was exactly as Omen had expected.

Nick came in at Omen again, this time attempting to use his anger to force Omen off balance. But as he came in with his rage Omen tapped into the power, and slowly began draining his energy. Over the next few minutes Omen playfully tossed Norm to the ground, and held him down on the ground. He spent his time letting Norm struggle as he repeatedly spoke about how easy the fight was, and how simply Norm was being beaten. Norm’s ire continued to grow, but this only gave Omen more energy to feed off. Soon Norm was weak, easily forced into being chocked by Omen. As his hands wrapped around Norm’s throat, Omen stared death into his opponent’s eyes. He tried to fight Omen’s hands apart, but it was no use. He began to gurgle and choke, as the breath of life was being taken from him. His eyes began to roll back into his head as Sara rushed forward, demanding that Omen stop. Omen saw Norm’s death approaching. Inside it he could see an end to the arguments, a way to have Sara to himself forever.

Omen released his grip on Norm. He stood and walked away from him, as Sara rushed in to make sure he was okay. He walked away from them all for a second. Inside Omen’s mind, he was still controlling what he had felt. It had been terrible, something he had not felt in many years. It was the same pure Hatred he had felt long ago in his youth, long before Omen had learned of the Father. Even then, the young child was known to Hate the entirety of Humanity, and wished to see its’ destruction. This had changed much over the years, and Omen thought himself free of it. But in that moment, as Norm lie near death on the ground, it had returned. Omen had felt it’s desire to destroy the thing Omen felt had offended him. It had almost taken full control of him, Omen had almost killed someone he claimed to want as a friend. But he had overcome the feeling, and maintained his own honor.

After stabilizing his mind, Omen rejoined the others. Norm was angrily brooding about the loss. Now it was Omen’s turn to brag and boast as Norm had done. Surprisingly, the reactions were different. For while when Norm had been bragging about his victory Sara was all over him, now she sat next to the same warrior that had fallen. She did not seem to like Omen’s prodding at Norm, reminding him of how easily he was beaten. Omen even ensured to explain to Norm why he had lost, that his energy had been drained due to his lack of proper shielding. Omen made Norm feel like he had never been trained in fighting at all, making a point to stop and point out each of his individual failures. But as he did so he also made mention of what Norm should do differently next time. He explained that his words were not meant to hurt or upset Norm, only to force him to see his mistakes, that he might learn from them. Sara chimed in, admitting that she had watched Omen’s actions during the battle. Norm hung his head as he walked off alone to deal with his anger. Omen ignored his temper tantrum, and went back inside.

Several minutes later, Norm came inside moaning in pain. In his rage at having been so easily defeated, Norm had struck a large piece of plywood next door. But the wood seemed to have more strength than his hand, as one finger had obviously been broken. The others helped Norm disinfect and wrap his hand, then they all sat together in Omen’s bedroom. They criticized Norm for allowing his rage to overtake him. Omen did so especially, stating that, “if I had done the same during our match, you would not be alive right now”. This statement brought a look of shock to them all.

Sara shuddered. “You were going to kill him?”

Omen stared directly at her. “During our match, yes, it was considered. But the thoughts were not my own, I had to combat them. Something definitely tried to assist me in killing poor Norm here. And I’m guessing Samael isn’t exactly pleased that his channel was torn down like a child, and thus he was not able to control his own rage. Now he has a hand that is broken, a permanent reminder of his failure. Sounds like the kind of lessons they teach, from my experience.”

Sara nodded. “Omen is right. These guys can be dicks sometimes, but the things they do they have reason for. If Samael and Abbadon decided there were lessons that needed taught, they would do so without your agreement. Norm, you have to train more. You were drained far too easily, which would be potentially fatal to you in magical battles. We will have to train more with each other on this in the future, so we can all become stronger.”

That night, Omen came out of the shower, preparing to go to sleep. Sara was found to be splayed out across Omen’s bed, happily typing away at his computer. Omen told her to put the laptop down. Sara argued at first, but under Omen’s stone gaze she changed her mind. Omen paced around the room as he spoke.

“You know, I have worked very hard in the name of this relationship. But you it seems have seen none of this. I have heard your words that Norm is considered first, more important to you than myself or Blake. While this is an acceptable personal choice, the levels to which you have taken it have gone too far. You tell me it is dangerous for us to have any form of physical relation, because Norm will react harshly to it. But you seem to keep no concern for my feelings. You allow yourself to coddle Norm like a child as you stab me in the heart. Well, tonight has proved one thing to me. Regardless of what you think in your own mind, Norm cannot and will not be considered my leader, or my better. He is weak, frail, and I could easily have killed him off tonight. I chose not to do so simply that you would not be hurt at his loss, for I knew this would pain you. But this game is over Sara. You want to continue working towards a fair relationship, you let me know. But since now you seem not to want that, begone from my sight. You have lost your right to be in my room, go sleep with the one you sneak to each night and fuck.”

Sara’s eyes grew wide. Omen had not stood up to her this forcefully since Missouri. She began to cry, and soon after Norm tried to rush in the room. Omen told Norm to get out, he was not wanted in the discussion. When he tried to argue he was forced out the door, and it was shut behind him. Omen had taken a form of dominance over them all, as now he held the total upper hand. Now, with all the things owned by Omen in jeopardy of being lost to use, suddenly his value became higher. Omen was quite aware of this from the beginning, as he had warned Sara of it over a week before. Norm had nothing to offer, and in constantly choosing Norm’s opinion over his, Omen was set for some good old fashioned revenge. By negating their rights to use his laptop and cell phone, things they did not have, Sara and the others would be completely cut off from the outside world. Omen hated to do this, but the girl still had refused to learn that Omen demanded fairness and decency from them.

Omen picked Sara up off the bed, her eyes full of tears, and prepared to eject her as well. She clutched onto his arm bawling. “Please don’t do this Omen. I can’t do this without you. You have the natural leadership qualities necessary. Without you, the other two have no focus or direction. It is you that gets them up each morning and gets work done. Please, don’t push me away from you. I care about you, I don’t want to lose you.”

He stared down at her and smiled. “Then you go put your pretty little mongrel out there in place. I am tired of playing second fiddle to someone that can’t hold a candle to me in any way. But your addiction to his will disgusts me. One whisper from Samael, and you turn on us. I am not Blake, I will not stand by for such injustice.” He pried Sara’s grip off his arm. “Go tell him that I have as much right to your time and your body as he does. And tell him if he continues to act selfishly towards me, I will eject him from this property. Fenris only let you stay because I asked him to, he will see you removed just as easily. And if he resists? Well, I’d say that a person with warrants shouldn’t put himself into a situation where the police will be called here, such as they would be when I eject him. Then you can visit your precious Norm in jail, and learn how serious I am when I speak.”

Norm was outside the door, listening to Omen’s words. He immediately became enraged, wanting to come for Omen. But Sara and Blake pulled Norm outside. Omen stayed inside with Fenris, who asked him what had caused the altercation. Omen told his friend the truth, that Sara was being unfair, and Omen was tired of it. He told Fenris that Norm might have to go, and Fenris agreed. If Norm could not control his ego enough to act like a rational adult rather than a spoiled child, they would all be better off without him. They waited as the others remained outside, obviously having a similar discussion with Norm. The difference was he was an invited guest, and that invitation could be quickly taken back. After some time Omen went back to his room, and Fenris went back to his gaming. Omen decided to do the same, popping in Skyrim so he could relax.

It wasn’t terribly long before Sara entered Omen’s room. She had been crying, but her tears had dried. She walked over and knelt down next to the bed, stretching her arms out toward Omen.

“Please, don’t send Norm away. I admit that I have been unfair, but he should not be punished for this. Please, accept my apology, allow me to show you how beautifully we can all get along once the childish jealousy stops. I promise you, I am working on his jealous issues. It will not be much longer before he breaks free from all the damage of his past, and can act more adult as it pertains to this relationship. I told him that we all agreed to the relationship, he has no right to act sour about it now. Please Omen, act like the mature one here. You make such decisions much easier, this is why you are easily compatible with Abbadon. Samael by nature is sly and sneaky, and has a large ego about himself. It is these traits that Norm has as well that allow Samael to flow through him. You knew this already, why do you continue to judge it?”

“Because nothing has changed. I have told you the same thing over and over, yet you have done nothing about it.”

“I told you that Norm was my first, and you accepted that. I go to him first for this reason.”

“Yes. However, this does not give you rights to hide yourself from me just because his appetite is insatiable, and you feel dirty having relations with both in one day. You may choose him first, but that does not mean you will be able to choose his best interests above all others. You can beg and plead all you want, but this is not allowable. There will be no more arguments about this inside this house. The next time I have to go through this childish nonsense, Norm will be sent to the street. And if you and Blake have an issue with it, you may happily join him.”

Sara bowed her head, resting it on Omen’s thigh. “No, I don’t want this all to end before it has a chance to begin. I am already looking for someone to bring in to the relationship, a female that would happily be with all of you as much as myself. This will both stop the jealousy, and make it so that more than one of you can be satisfied in a day. Don’t give up on us yet Omen, you have my word that these issues will stop. If not, I will get rid of Norm myself, so we can focus on the future.”

Omen thought about what Sara had said. He had heard similar things before. As such, Sara showed a pattern of not following through with her words. So Omen spoke a spell inside his mind, which passed through the bond the two shared and into her. The spell was an energetic contract, based on what Sara had just said. She would get what she wanted, and Omen would give them all one more chance to fully prove themselves. But if she continued the same, if she repeated the same mistakes again, she would break the contract. The energetic terms of the contract were simple. If Sara was to break her word again, and prove unworthy, the energy would then pass into her. Once inside it would corrupt and destroy everything she held dear, until she was forced to understand the depth of her failure. Omen prayed this spell to the Father in his mind. He felt Abbadon’s agreement with the terms, they were deemed completely fair. This would be Sara’s last chance to prove herself. But Abbadon also told Omen inside his mind that he must allow himself to accept more abuse this time than before. Abaddon wanted to see for himself whether or not the Human that channeled Sarafiel deserved to or not.

Omen leaned down and picked Sara’s head up off his leg. He leaned in and kissed her. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She thanked Omen for his patience and adult decision-making skills. She said this was why Omen had to be the one that stood over the other two, for he had the sort of dominating personality that males are forced to respond to. Omen told her to go inform the others of his decision. She left the room, returning several minutes later.

“Norm wants to speak with you in private.”

“Fine. Tell him I’ll be out in a second.” As Sara left the room, Omen put on his coat and shoes. He reached behind his bed, pulling out a secret weapon. A gift from Fenris, the metal knuckles were quite large. It had a large base, made for comfortably gripping with the palm of the hand. The metal came up to rounded tips between each finger. The metal of which the knuckles was made had already been proven to easily crack wood, by Omen’s previous testing. Omen swore if Norm disrespected him again, it would not be homelessness that he would be concerned with.

They walked outside alone. Norm, to Omen’s surprise, looked extremely dejected. He spoke softly, his words carefully chosen so as not to offend. He apologized for acting like a child. He talked about how hard it was for him to think about Omen being better than he was to Sara. He hated the fact that Omen channeled the father of Sara’s child, and thus had a closer relationship with the boy. He said he acted jealous because he saw Omen as a major threat, that he assumed Omen would steal all her time away. He said he couldn’t stand the thought of being away from Sara, or not being a part of their mission. He promised as well that he would be capable of change, he simply asked Omen for patience. As he spoke, Omen forced a similar energetic contract into Norm. He would not allow these betrayals to continue, even if the energy destroyed them internally. But he smiled as the contract was sealed with the handshake he and Norm shared at the end of their conversation. Omen smiled because he felt akin to the nature of the Father, Who accepts deals offered to Him for the eternal souls of Humanity.

11

Over the next few days, the overall situation improved drastically. Norm finally began to get over his jealous viewpoint of Omen. Even such that he began asking Omen to wake him up early to do Physical Training. Omen agreed, and put Norm through some of the rigors he had endured during his time in the Army. This effort seemed to strengthen the bond between the two, as they smiled and joked with one another. Afterward, the two would progress over to the house next door, and continue the process of emptying it out. As they did so they found out exactly how dilapidated the house was . The two did their best each day until the sun went down, tossing out loads of various junk. No one in the family had wanted anything to do with the items, based on their level of filth. Thus the majority of items acquired throughout the life of Fenris’ Grandpa were thrown out of the house, to make room for Sara to live.

At random intervals during the day, Sara would come over to check on the progress. But her presence usually caused more harm than good, as the distraction she caused slowed the work. But Omen let her remain anyway, for the days had been much more peaceful. They happily discussed things of many natures as the men worked. Sara made a point to select several objects from the home that she liked, and removed them for herself. Omen assumed she had asked Fenris’ permission to do so, since he seemed to care nothing for any of the items in the house.

One of the things they discussed quite frequently was an idea Sara had. She had decided that Fenris, whose family owned a large plot of land in that area, could sell her some of the land on her word to pay it back, or gift it to her if he chose. Her intent was to build a large new building. The building was intended both as a home and a school of magic, the thing they had talked about doing. Sara said that, as long as Fenris was willing, she was sure she could find a way to finance the construction. She boasted that soon her fame from drawing for Blizzard would bring in enough money that these things were accomplishable easily.

But things began to degenerate again. But this time, the issue lie between Sara and Fenris. For Sara was quite used to the three men coming to agreements with her on most things, if for no other reason than to pacify her. But Fenris was a wolf in his own den, and did not follow the same standards. He would very directly tell Sara how he felt about her actions, and the way she treated the people she cared about. While usually very calm and friendly, due to Sara’s attitude at times the beast inside Fenris raged out. But usually, the patient wolf would leave his own home, and go outside for a run to calm his mind. For in the light of the moon, the wolf enjoyed his right to run free through the fields. As he did so, Omen also too some time to go out into the night and pray. Omen felt something as he did, though he could not place an exact feeling on what it was.

Many spirits had seemed to interact with the group lately. But Sara had convinced everyone that most of the spirits surrounding them intended harm to “their goals”. As such she demanded that many of the spirits be disassociated with, so that they could hear only the voices they wished to. In this madness, Sara convinced Omen that Belial was against them. That he was channeling through the pendant Omen wore, due to how long they had been bonded. Sara told Omen that the only way he could be free of it, and stay a part of their group, was to take the pendant off his neck and cast it out into the woods. Omen was unsure of what to do, but he did not want to hurt his friends. He definitely did not want to let Abbadon down. And so, with a heavy heart and tears in his eyes, Omen cast the Baphomet he had worn for so long out of his sight forever. It did not fly far however, and Sara said she would cast it out further, and ensure it was done.

Late that evening, as Omen lay down to bed, he heard a fight erupt in the front room. He heard Sara screaming at the top of her lungs. He went out to investigate. To his surprise, Sara was screaming at Fenris. Fenris, who was on his day off, was up late as usual playing video games. Blake and Norm had actually played Guitar Hero along with him. But as Fenris continued on, showing his skills at the Expert level, Sara came out yelling about the volume. She claimed that her son was trying to sleep, and the volume was bothering him. This stood contrary to the facts, as the child was in the room asleep. But Sara continued to holler and scream about how disrespectful Fenris was being.

Fenris had said he would be happy to be part of a team, but refused to be pushed around. He began to yell back, reminding Sara whose home they stayed in. This sent them both into a fit, as they argued over whose point was more valid. Omen and Blake rushed in to break up the argument, separating the two. But as Omen pulled Sara back into his room, she had made a decision. It was time to leave, they would not stay with Fenris anymore. She said that she had been considering this necessity for some time, and that this had been the final straw. She told Blake and Norm to begin packing their things. They complied without hesitation, moving to pick up the things that belonged to them.

Omen walked back into his room. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He paced back and forth, unsure of what to do. He kept searching for some method by which he could cause this fight to end, and bring peace back to the house. But when Sara came back to the room, those thoughts were proven a dream. Sara asked Omen what he would do. She told him she would understand if he chose to stay. But she also reminded Omen that he had promised to work for the goals that everyone wanted to accomplish. She told him it would be quite hard to assist them from so far away. Sara also brought up the fact that Omen had claimed love, and promised himself to her. She said that she had given him her body and her heart, and she would feel both had been given in vain if he abandoned her now. She also suggested that, if she left, Abbadon would seek someone closer to her son to bond with, leaving Omen alone. She grabbed some of her things, and left Omen to think about his decision.

Omen’s mind was fuzzy. He couldn’t concentrate on any single subject, a trait highly unusual for him. But he kept trying to analyze his options to make a rational decision, but it was almost as if his mind had been affected in some way to prevent it. All Omen could feel was the swirl of emotions that told him he wanted to be with Sara, and to help her achieve her goals. Omen could not avoid the feeling, it was the only thing that seemed to prevail his mind. Omen tried to fight past the feeling, but was totally unable to. He felt he would not survive for long unless he forced himself to move forward with them.

Omen decided, and told Sara what he would do. He also began packing up all the things that belonged to him. Fenris told Omen he would happily store his things, but Sara told Omen his things would be safer in storage, due to issues with the lock on the trailer door, as well as the many hours Fenris was at work. She convinced Omen to take everything that he had bought, even the pots and pans he had pirchased when he first moved in. Even items of food she said they would need, and Omen needed to ensure were taken for them. Omen, Norm, and Blake worked tirelessly to pack up everything they needed to. They all went to sleep that evening in sadness, for the day had been filled with misery and Hatred. The end result had caused a rift inside a family, and now the group would set out on the road towards the unknown.

The next morning everyone rose early. They went and acquired a U-Haul, bringing it back to the trailer. They loaded up all the things they would not actively need into the truck. Their clothing and necessities they loaded into the car, ensuring everything would fit. The car was packed full to the brim. There were 5 people, including the child, inside the car. The back of the small window was packed to the ceiling with bags and various items of need, so much so that the back window could not be seen through. Omen jumped inside the cab of the U-Haul, and Norm came to join him. They had discussed this, feeling that they would learn to enjoy each others’ company more if they shared in things they both enjoyed. Sara and Blake followed behind in her car as they drove down the road to Jackson.

The went to the place where the U-Haul had been rented. There Omen rented a storage unit, where all the items from the truck were packed. Once finished the truck was returned, and as the sun set the five of them were on the road again. The road was frought with the same perils that Omen encountered the previous two trips. This seemed to be worse than before, as more and move large vehicles swerved to strike Omen. He had learned to feel outward, to sense the weakness in some people that was being exploited. This provided Omen an advantage on the road, for he could feel the accidents before they happened, and could prevent them. His driving was relied upon heavily, and this gave Omen something to challenge himself. For Omen learned to push himself long past the limits of exhaustion, past the point where his eyes grew heavy. Omen learned to use his energy to force his mind and body to function longer without shutting down, while still retaining his reaction times on the road.

After many hours, they arrived at their destination. They were in the state of South Carolina. They had come because Sara’s husband was demanding the right to see his son, something that Omen had to at least respect. For having no real interaction with his own father in his youth, Omen understood the damage this causes a child. As such, he was happy that the child’s father wanted to see him. But Sara was not so happy once they arrived, for she knew this meant her son would be away from her for a time. Omen stayed outside in the car, even leaving to run an errand so as not to loiter in his driveway. For Omen knew that this man was the one Sara had asked Omen to replace in her son’s life, and upon seeing him Omen was not as comfortable with the idea.

His name was Gary. He stood about as tall as Omen, with only a slightly smaller build. He had shortly cropped dark hair, and by glancing into his eyes Omen recognized the energy that he possessed. But as he made a point to take his son and play with him, happy to be reunited after the long time in between, Omen questioned how much of what Sara had said was true. Omen did not see the abuser in his eyes that Sara claimed him to be, but he also knew not to judge things simply by their appearance. Omen decided to save his judgments, for it was not his place to do so. He smiled as he waved goodbye to the child he had helped watch over for weeks now, hoping that he would be happy.

In a couple weeks, Sara had a court date. This was a hearing about the custody of the child, for his father wanted him back. They were all contacted by a lawyer who represented Gary. The lawyer, by his words and actions, was looking to use any method necessary to influence opinion about the safety of the child. The lawyer had the audacity to go on to Omen’s Facebook page, copy a picture taken long before Sara and Omen had even met, and say it created an issue of safety for the child. The picture was one taken at Chase’s house, of his young son holding a samurai sword. But the lawyer tried to say that these pictures, along with Omen’s very direct vocalization of his faith, held a threat to the child’s well being. Omen growled under his breath as these vile insults were hurled at them all, but he maintained his composure. He knew that falling for the trap, and becoming forceful with the lawyer, would only give him evidence to support his claim that they were unfit for the child. As such Omen remained patient, to see how the situation would unfold.

Sadly, Sara’s aggravation at the loss of her son was directed at Omen. She blamed him for all her troubles, because of his vehement statements of faith online. Omen asked her how she could possibly be upset at him for the same thing they all believed. She responded that, “doesn’t mean you have to flaunt your faith everywhere”. This hurt Omen internally, as Sara had been the one that said they would have to work hard to support the Father to the masses, whose minds are trained to think of Him as rotten and evil. But Omen let it pass, considering it her way of releasing the pain she felt with her son gone. But he was hurt worse after, without even an apology for her hatefulness, she snuggled up next to Norm and went to sleep, still whispering about how mad she was at Omen.

After only two days in the shady motel in which they stayed had passe, the decision was made to leave. Sara said that they had to move, that the energy in this place was constricting her. Omen felt constricted as well, but this was more a function of the treatment he was receiving. As the group attempted to delve further into their research, seeking more answers to their intended goal, Omen’s views and opinions were treated as the least important of any spoken. But what they were looking into was of great importance, from the feeling they all got. They drove to Tennessee, but it was not the same region where Fenris lived. This city seemed built for tourism, but they came during the off-season. No jobs seemed to be available, and it didn’t seem like staying was going to work out in the long term. But as they spent the time in between there, awaiting Sara’s court date, they continued to expand on the concepts they had all agreed needed to be focused on if any semblance of real Truth was to be found.

It started with the realization that pictures existed online of a galaxy far away from our own. A galaxy in which they say that stars are created, where life is born into the universe. But the photos of this region provide a shocking picture once analyzed with spiritual insights as well as physical ones. For the visual reference is clear, an old man seems to be doing battle with a dragon. All agreed that this represented a battle that existed for Ages. But this battle was not between the “God” and “Satan” of Christianity. The old man represented the King of Humanity, who had grown weary through all the ages of Human reproduction. It was understood that the reason why this condition would exist was simple. If energy is taken from one thing, and placed into another container, creating an entirely new thing, then a portion of the original energy was destroyed to create it. Taking into account how many Humans have been made through this energetic process, it would be understood that there would be a significant decay in the original energy. This would create a process similar to Human aging, as the energy slowly is sapped away.

Opposing this aging man is what appears from all accounts to look as a dragon does. But what is this thing locked in combat with the man? What is the reason? And why would this interaction cause more stars and other forms of life to be Created in the process?

It was obvious that the bing referenced was not the Satan of Christian lore. For in all Omen’s interaction with Him, as well as the rest of the group, the Father never seemed to look or feel the way this entity’s picture did. The picture to look at brought a feeling of sheer horror and dread to all 4 of them, thus they had to dig deeper. They looked for clues in the texts and tomes of religions. They found in ancient Sumeria references to the “Father” of the beings that ruled over the Earth. This Father had birthed two Brothers, both equally born of His Power. No reference spoke more on anything further back in understanding than the Original. It was spoke of as the “level above” the others, but little was made in reference to this Being’s interaction with Humanity. But all the Gods lower were spoken of regularly as to having a multitude of interactions with Humans. What would cause this to be, where there was one God that had no reason to interact with Humans?

All the stories speak of the Gods’ “passage through the stars”. But taking this into a more scientific consideration, this could be the way the ancient people’s understood the technology necessary to travel past the furthest known star. If this is taken into account, as many have done before, this would mean that many traveled together. If one was mentioned, but not prevalent, would this mean that they were not “present” on the trip? And if this be that case, what would be the reason for such an action, if the Creation of Humanity was so important?

They had been discussing this for quite some time. This had always been the point at which the group of them got stuck, for there wasn’t a written, definable answer. They had discussed several options, but none seemed to fit. Omen got up and made them all drinks as the others continued looking further into the picture for more details. They began to see various things that they interpreted a variety of ways, attributing to the names of various Beings that they knew. Omen handed each their drink, then returned to the chair he was seated on, and placed his drink on a napkin on the desk next to him. He continued to listen as they discussed what they were seeing inside the photo, and what they believed it meant. But Omen’s focus remained on the unanswered question. He didn’t want to focus on more until he had solved one thing. Frustrated, he took a sip of his drink, wiping the moisture from the glass.

Omen looked down onto the desk. The napkin sitting there was wet from the condensation of the ice in the glass as it melted. Omen saw small notes that he had jotted down about other things, things that he already had well in his mind. The wetness had caused the thick ink to run, turning the once readable notes into smudges that ran together. Omen continued to stare at the napkin for a second, and focused his thoughts intently. Immediately he jumped out of his chair, and walked to the other side of the room. He fished through the bag where Sara kept her art supplies, and pulled out several items. This caused Sara to want to get upset, as Omen was not an artist, and the items in the bag had great value in the creation of art. But Omen told her to wait, he was working on something.

Omen sat down at the desk. He placed down the paper, and took a pencil in his right hand. First, he scribbled down some basic numbers. Then, he took a black colored pencil. He drew a circle, filling it in with black. Then, he drew lines, like waves, out from the circle. On the opposite side of the paper, he drew a circle of pure white. He drew the same waves out from the circle toward the center of the paper. He set the pencils down, staring into what he had made. The waves he had drawn across the paper intersected in various shades of grey in the center of the paper. Omen picked up the pencil again, drawing a large circle in the center. This circle he marked as Earth, and the lines criss-crossed through the circle in almost every place.

Omen picked up the paper and stood up. He grabbed his phone and headphones and went outside. The others had paid him little attention, other than try to distract him with all the things they believed they had uncovered. But Omen was told to go outside, and told to take the drawing he had made with him. He went and found a place outside the hotel to think on what he had drawn, but as well to expand beyond the drawing with his sight. As he stared he considered an event that is spoken of, but of which there is no written full record. The Creation of Humanity. But not in the context of a single religion that had been written, nor in a perspective of “good” or “bad. For those are definitions placed by people, and flawed by every lack of Human understanding. So Omen tried simply to ask himself simple questions, and come to reasonable conclusions. But he maintained the Creationary perspective on things, for with his experiences he knew this to be a fact.

The next logical question, if Creation is a fact, was the reasons for doing such. Omen sat and considered the many theories behind this. But none seemed to fit properly. The theory that we were made as slaves seemed to have alot of following. But the hole in this theory lie in the admittance to Humanity being Created with Free Will, the right to choose their own actions. This made no sense because any Being capable of this level of Creation would also understand the problems associated with having slaves who choose for themselves. As such, something Created simply as a slave would not have the ability to understand the “right” or “wrong” in their actions, they would simply follow them without question. So this gave credibility to the theory that Humanity was Created for a larger purpose. This led back to the original question, what was the purpose?

Everywhere Omen had looked for this answer throughout his research, he had not even found a clear or complete reference. The only mention made for any reasoning as to the nature of Creation were the references to similarities to the Creators. The most well-known of these references is Humanity’s being made in the “image” of their Creators. So Omen decided to chase this theory, and see if this could lead him toward the answer to his original question. But what would this even begin to define? The general assumption was that this referred to the physical appearance of Humans, or their general physical construction. The assumptions lie in everything from the shape of the Human body to the simple concept of Free Will itself. But none seemed to be a full explanation of any kind. For the physical appearance is only as definable throughout history as Men have allowed it to be. As seen in almost every example throughout the religions of history, the Gods have been depicted in a variety of ways. Even pictures referencing the same “Godform” inside the same religion had major differences that could be seen. This meant that the similarity could not exist in the physical, as the Gods themselves were not assuredly of a similar form to Humans. So Omen threw out this theory, and continued to think on the subject.

The next theory, the one that seemed to hold the most weight, was the reference to the Free Will of Humanity. In many types of lore throughout history, this was referred to as a “special gift” given by the Gods. Most of the tales of other races speak on their function as servants, who seemed more to follow orders than to choose for themselves. The stories say that other races of beings were Created first. All accounts of these Old Beings describe them as immensely powerful, and seemingly ageless. These Beings, even classified as minor Gods in their own right by some, seemed to be more than capable of serving every need and function of Existence. But if that is the case, then the Gods had no need for us at all. If on their own they were capable of completing any task, and fulfilling any need they might have, then Creating something as fragile and short-lived as Humans would make no sense amongst a sea of Immortal Beings. So the need for something of this nature must have a more important reason than servitude, especially if born with the right to choose for themselves. Omen continued to search for the reason for why a short-lived thing with the ability to choose for itself would be made if so many other Beings already existed.

One night as Omen slept, after yet another argument with Sara over his inability to “fit in” with the group, which as usual stemmed from arguments between Omen and Sara over why she spent each day and night in Norm’s arms, he had a dream. In the dream, Omen was floating inside what seemed to be a void of nothingness. He saw a giant ball of energy floating above him. The orb swirled every which way with a chaotic energy. The energy swirled and grew as it seemed to collapse in on itself. Then it exploded outward, the shockwave seeming to stretch on for Eternity. Once everything had settled Omen saw two orbs hovering in the air. The orbs were shaped differently than than the original had been. Omen saw that energy seemed to pour out from one orb, and the other seemed to be drawing that energy in. Omen forced himself to float closer to the orbs, to examine more in depth what he was seeing.

The orbs seemed to be generally the same in size of energy, but also seemed to oppose one another. The draw coming from one end seemed so strong that it might draw in the entirety of the other orb. But then the orbs drew to close to one another. As the purest edges of their energies met they exploded. The force of the explosion pushed the two orbs far across the scope of Existence from one another. The orbs seemed to settle in their new loactions. Now the energy of one could not be siphoned by the other.

Omen focused further inward on the first orb he had seen. He saw it sitting at its own edge of reality. Out from it poured energies of all color and size. As the energy flowed out it began to combine and fuse onto itself. As the energy continued to flow, in two places it began to take form. After the energies had come into form they immediately set to work. They worked together, taking of the energy that comprised them to Create more, in all varying size and shape. They drew out of the energy of the Original to create so many things. But as they did so they watched the energy of the Original source grow weaker. They seemed very concerned about the decrease in the Original energy. Attempts were made to put energy back into the Original source. But despite numerous attempts, energy could not be siphoned back. The only way this could happen is at the cost of destroying whatever was providing the energy, so that the whole of it could be properly recycled into an energy form that was usable. This seemed fruitless, to Create things only to be forced to destroy them. But such seemed the norm, as varied planets and races were built and destroyed, the energy recycled through all that were heavily tapped into it. This process allowed all to continue on Creating, while never destroying the source energy completely.

But another problem arose, from the other end of Everything. The other orb that been created in the initial explosion was still sitting in the place it had moved to. But toward it began to float the rays of energy that had been made inside the Original Creation. This energy touched the edge of the orb. As it did, the orb seemed to move. It did not move far, nor did much happen in its movement. But as each ray struck the orb, it seemed to draw a little closer. For each ray of color that touched the orb, it seemed to be absorbed inside. The color would flash for a second, then seem to disappear inside forever. The orb continued to move slowly in the direction from which the rays were projected, as metal drawn to a magnet from great distance.

After a great span of time, many things had been Created. They spanned across distances only measured in that they knew that the space existed, but had no way to accurately measure it all. As it stretched across a seemingly endless scope, eventually the things Created become too many in number. It was eventual that at some point all that had been Created came into contact with the same thing that absorbed all that various energy. As it did the entirety of their lives were annihilated, absorbed into the swirling orb. They too seemed to disappear inside. As so much energy was absorbed, the orb itself grew and changed. It began to move in erratic ways, no longer straight towards the opposing energy source. The orb moved now as if it possessed a Will of its own. But to each place the orb now seemed to go existed things in many varied forms of life. As with the first, all were drawn inside, and the energy continued to swirl and grow.

Everything inside Creation seemed to have concern because of the damage cause by the orb. Attacks of many kinds were launched at it, attempting to remove the problem. But no energy was capable that could be found, nothing could match the strength it had. For it had been born equal in Power to the Original source of Creation, something to which there was no equal. Thus nothing Created out from that source was strong enough to combat something born equal to it, for they had less strength than the energy from which they were Created. Many things afterward were Created in an attempt to combat the problem, but all attempts failed. The swirling orb just continued to swallow up Race after Race of those Created. As it did the energy seemed to become more than just a ball of swirling mass. It had absorbed the form and minds of so many that it now began to take a form of it’s own. A terrible and destructive form, similar to that of a great black dragon. But the term dragon could barely define the massive form of this Being, which seemed to have wings that spanned across galaxies.

This massive Beast began to make it’s way toward more existent Beings. Omen focused inward, towards the places that seemed next in this monster’s path. As he did so he could hear the screams of those that inhabited them. They were filled with fear and panic, for they had heard the stories through the network of messages that pass between the stars. But nothing could prepare them for the feeling of having their entire reality slowly melt away, then disappear in a flash. As they progressed past their last moments as an individual, Omen felt their minds. Inside their own thoughts Omen could feel the presence of a foreign Will. This Will sought only destruction. It wished to reabsorb all the energy that had ever been generated, to recreate the swirling chaos from whence it had spawned. This was it’s only Will, to destroy all things and re-absorb them. And this was exactly what happened, as massive holes were eaten through Existence. But this process took time, as the Beast enjoyed it’s meals quite thoroughly. For with each one more Knowledge was gained, absorbed into the massive whole of the Beast.

As the Beast continued to swell in It’s Knowledge, It gained all the associated power that those It had absorbed had Created in their own right. It learned of Itself, learned of the capacity of It’s own mind. It learned inside itself the capabilities of it’s mind, and thus the Beast began to project Itself to places where It intended to feed. The Beast would find those places that had full civilization, whose societies were many and varied. Then before they even realized what was happening, their entire known star cluster became vacuumed into the mouth of the Beast. In their final moments in time the Beast would project Itself to them. The Beast did this simply to “watch the worm wriggle”. It enjoyed the torment on the faces and in the hearts of those It was about to consume, for each was one step closer to the perfection the Beast sought.

Many of the remaining Beings inside Existence sought a way to keep the Beast from destroying all that had been Created so beautifully. But as time went on, they seemed to forget about the massive threat altogether. Their focus turned inward to the growth each society saw within. But none of the selfish societal growth ever mattered. The Beings grew and flourished for spans of time, but eventually the best they could hope for was to become aware of the impending doom before the Beast had a firm grasp on them. Entire species became wandering remnants, strung across the spaces between the stars in hiding. It seemed eventual that all things would be sucked back into one place, one very small piece at a time.

The Creators called representatives from across Existence together. Between themselves, they had come up with one more Plan to stop this cycle of destruction. The only way to combat the Beast was with the full strength of the Original Energy, as this was the only thing even close to equal. But they could not, nor would they, destroy all that had been Created in order to accomplish this, for they already weighed heavy with the guilt of every Race they could not save. Instead, they would make Existence itself the prison inside which the Beast was jailed. Using the strongest magic available, they distorted time and space itself. They bent and twisted all the galaxies around the Beast, creating an energetic shell that did not allow energy to be absorbed. Around this shell rotated all the varied Races and galaxies Created since the Beginning, with the dreaded Beast trapped inside. Over time the Beast seemed to calm, even seeming to drift off into a dream of It’s Own.

The flow of Time and Creations seemed to continue and stabilize without complication. But the manipulation necessary to allow such a thing to be had been extreme. For in order to turn Everything into a prison, endpoints had to exist opposing one another. The strength of these energetic endpoints was determined by the total amount of energy that flowed through them. From these endpoints flowed the energies of all that had been Created, separated by the will behind them. Those whose energies were pure and untainted resided in the place they were assigned, using the energies of the Light to empower the remnants of the other Races. On the opposing end of the energy, those rotten and corrupt in their selfishness would be sent away, so that their rottenness would not infect the others. Through this a balance of energy was maintained, and as long as the balance remained, so did the prison of the Beast. The Creators rejoiced alongside the Created, for finally they could know peace and prosperity again. Once again societies progressed and changed, and much was discovered that benefitted them all.

But the energies of the endpoints seemed to weaken. The Beings that resided there drew their strength from the resonant energies of the places they inhabited. As such, their feeding made the energy of the places themselves weaker. As the energy weakened, the Beast could be felt again. It still seemed to lie dormant, but showed the signs that it would not sleep forever. For even inside the slumbering Beast, the Will to destroy all things remained. As the endpoints continued to weaken, the Beast seemed set to be free. Those knowing of this fact were gripped with pure terror, for they knew that they would be unable to prevent their own annihilation. The spell had worked, but it had only extended the length of rope from which Existence was to be hung.

The Creators strove for another option. A way to keep the prison intact. A way to strengthen the energies of the endpoints of Existence, that they might remain strong enough to keep the imprisonment of the Beast throughout Eternity. But through many experiments with all sorts of Created magic, the results were fruitless. For the energies of the associated places were not exactly the same as the energies of the beings that resided there, and thus the only method to strengthen it was to destroy the Being. This was not appropriate, that lives must be continually sacrificed to maintain a jail cell, and the Creators continued to experiment with new methods, grumbling in their frustration. For every failed attempt used up more of the Original source energy, and drew them all closer to being powerless. Panic was instilled in the Home of the Creators, as all the Servants learned of their plight. But all still sought a method to destroy the Beast, and bring peace to Existence forever...

Omen snapped awake. He threw on his shoes and headed outside. He sat almost trembling as the images in his dreams were burned in to his mind. Everything he had seen, everything he had overheard, it was more than Omen had ever expected. While he had seen things in his dreams before, and traveled to many places, Omen never thought his dreams would take him through the history of Everything, even if only in part. Omen closed his eyes and prayed, thanking the Father for all that he had been shown. About the True Beginning, and about the threat which all Existence faces. There was no name associated with the Creature in Omen’s dreams, even as he questioned Abbadon about it. He was told that the only term used to speak about the Beast, though doing so was believed to bring it closer to awakening fully, was “The Beast of Greatest Nothing”. As Omen had feared, his dreams ran parallel with reality. What he had seen was the answer to the question he had asked, in more detail than Omen could have ever imagined.

12

Omen told the others some of the details he had learned. But as usual, his input was met with questioning eyes and snide comments. It seemed that as Omen had focused inward, Sara had become obsessed with the image of the Orion Nebula. Inside it she claimed to see images of all kinds, and then inside them she saw what had to be done. She claimed that she was to be part of a new Plan, designed to unleash the strongest Lords of Hell upon the Earth. Omen sat and listened as she detailed the plan out for him, explaining where it all was to lead.

It started with her, of course, or moreover the spirit she was associated with. Sara said that Abbadon had been the first piece of this puzzle, by creating her son. She continued on that she was meant to ascend to a higher position, the “Whore of Babylon” in the stories of Old. She said that her task was to become impregnated by each of the seven Lords, one after the other. In doing so she would produce children connected to the Lords from birth. Sara said that with the kind of instruction they could provide the children, they would understand their gifts at extremely young ages. This would allow them to grow to a level of strength incontestable by the rest of society, trapped inside the lies of the Mundane. Sara said that these children would go on to lead the future of Humanity, no longer limited by the lies of the past.

Omen began to object the potential Plan right away, saying that whoring herself out to a variety of men was not the answer. But Sara was not phased by Omen’s rationale, she simply spent more time on Facebook looking. She began to tell them all about those she would find that might hold the potential to be “next on the list”. But in reality, the one most likely to be next was Norm himself. For each day they spent in bed with one another, and they only had Sara’s birth control shot to prevent it. Sara admitted to the truth in this, that Samael was most likely to be the next father in line. This gave Sara even more reason to spend all of her time beside Norm, treating Omen like some form of indentured servant. She demanded he massage her feet and hands, begged him to do all her various chores for her. But in the end she showed him no real affection, simply a guise of pretend happiness when she decided to. Omen recognized he was in a terrible situation, and had no way to get out. He prayed to the Father that he might be released from the vile grip around his throat, but no answer could be heard. As such Omen continued on, forcing himself to maintain his composure. Even as every thought in his mind wished to see all three of the adults lying dead on the floor.

They drove back to South Carolina, and the mistreatment continued. More and more Sara complained about how Omen “wasn’t far enough along” and “would never be able to properly channel Abbadon at this rate”. At times Omen let her words harm him, for in truth he still cared for Sara. Despite her mistreatment of him, Omen still believed there was a chance she could be made to see again. Besides, he had promised in contract to give more effort for this than would normally be acceptable, simply to prove he had tried to hold up his end. Omen still continued to drive the car for the most part, though at times when he became exhausted Sara took over. She would drive for about an hour or so as Omen rested, then he would take the wheel again. They pulled into a run-down looking motel in a terrible looking evening. They were prepared to stay a couple of days, resolve the court issue, then leave again. Their destination was as yet uncertain, but they knew this would be the time in which that decision was made.

That night Sara and Omen left by themselves to acquire groceries for the night’s meal. Sara said this was her way of, “giving Omen the time he always begged for”. They spent their time discussing what to do next, aside from their usual arguments over fairness in relationships. Sara asked Omen what he thought was best, a move that he found mildly surprising. For why, if he was constantly chastised for being “inappropriate” would his opinions even be considered? If Omen was as rotten inside as Sara constantly accused him of, then she should not even want his opinion. This led Omen to the realization that Sara had brought him along with cause, not simply just as another servant to her needs. This was also why she “told him he should leave” many times, that she would provide his funding to get on a bus. But in reality it had all been a smokescreen, designed to keep Omen’s feelings hurt. Once Omen realized this for himself, he decided that it was time to do the same, and seek comfort for himself. He said nothing of this to Sara, only asking if any progress had been made to finding another female for the relationship.

Sara said some potential existed, but even her suggestions were unfair. She said she had found another “wife” of Samael, and that she was willing to join them. But this only seemed to mean that Sara and Norm would share another woman, leaving Blake and Omen further outcast. Sara had taken the “relationship” and turned it into her excuse to do whatever she wanted to three men at once. So Omen began to look for himself, to see if there was any other he could find that might understand his situation. Someone that might want to help him, someone that might care for him as person.

On Facebook Omen conversed with many people. He was also associated with many Satanic groups, even after Sara had told him the groups were influencing him negatively. Omen sought someone that he could discuss his issues with, that might be able to guide him to the next step on the right path. For after being told that his task was to watch someone he cared for mother 6 children, while he raised her other, Omen realized that the path itself was corrupt. Sara had become selfish and twisted in her own perceived power, and now wished to have that kind of dominance over more men. As well she wanted dominance over any women that joined the relationship, a point which she made clear to everyone from the beginning. Sara saw herself as a Queen, and wished to be treated as one, even though she could not provide for servants the way a Queen does. Omen growled to himself as he saw Sara for who she truly was, as well as what she had caused him to do to himself. Sara had convinced Omen that he was a failure, that he deserved to be treated terribly. By doing so, she made her keeping Omen around seem like a gracious gesture. This was easily cosigned to by the others, who simply wanted Sara to stay happy. Omen swore that a way would be discovered to get out of this predicament, a direct violation of the contracts he had made with them internally.

Omen drove Sara and Blake to the court date. Norm was told to stay behind, as Sara assumed that even his presence would raise too many questions from her husband.Omen was told to drop them off near the courthouse, then pull away from sight. Omen was to park the car and await a message telling him to return. Omen sat alone for quite some time, evaluating his situation. In that moment, Omen wanted simply to take the car and leave. But he knew that such an action would only lead to his arrest, and Omen had worked extremely hard to keep his record free of incarcerations. As such he prayed again for a way out, and for the strength to endure until that way was found. Omen felt in his heart that he could make it through this trial, just as he had all the ones before it.

When he finally went to pick them up, time had to be spent unpacking the car. All of the child’s belongings were given to his father, who had been granted “temporary custody”. The hearing itself would be held at a later date, once Sara had time to stabilize her life. But for now the child was to stay with his father, a decision that made Omen smile. Sara’s selfishness and constant desire for more was already taking things from her that she cared about. Omen knew this process would only continue, for he had seen it many times before. So Omen pretended to care as he consoled Sara about the loss of her child, all the while waiting for her fall to become worse.

The decision was made to leave South Carolina the next day. The destination had finally been set, based mostly on Omen’s conversations with Sara. For he had told her many times, “If you feel that California is where your Fate lies, then why would you be anywhere else? The answer doesn’t exist”. But the drive across the country was long. It was also nearly Christmas, and as usual the families of the group that cared at all for their kin called to ask how they were doing. Based on what was said, a new route was planned. They would journey to Tennessee once again. They would spend a night with Tabitha, and eat with her. Then the next day they would leave again, but this time their road would take them north. For Omen’s family had wished his presence so badly since his return from Iraq that they invited the entire group to stay in their home, free of charge. This was a service that Omen’s mother and step-father had offered, and Sara told Omen she thought seeing his family was best.

As they made the drive to Tennessee, Sara discussed the specifics of the trip to Illinois. Omen explained the heavily Christian influence on his father’s side of the family, a fact proven by the preachers in the family, married to one another. This was just one pair of Omen’s patriarchal line, and all of them wanted to see the family’s “military hero”. For Omen was the third generation of his family to join the military in one branch or another. Even with the nature of his discharge, Omen’s family still told him that he had been the honor for his generation of the lineage. This honor gave him an ability to draw the family together, so that they might all have the same attempt to talk to him. When they learned of Omen’s arrival, his grandfather rented out a section of an Italian restaurant in Pekin. They would all gather here as a family, eat, socialize, and then return to their individual lives. This had been a family Christmas tradition for years, but it had recently been overshadowed by the sickness Omen’s grandmother had. No matter the name of the disease, it took away his grandmother’s ability to walk, to speak clearly, and to manage her own life. This had forced them both into a nursing home, for her husband could no longer care for them both alone. Without a house to gather at by invitation, the family had splintered in its’ own directions. Omen assumed that it was hoped this party would change that, instilling a new tradition for the family.

The most heated topic of discussion was the situation regarding them all staying with Omen’s mother. Omen had not spoken to his mother in years, due to her constant disrespect. She had no idea the nature of Omen’s relationship, and everyone felt it best that it stay that way. As such they decided that, while in Illinois, Sara was Omen’s girlfriend alone. Nothing was to be said of the polygamous relationship, and they were to follow this until they left. Everyone agreed this was for the best, though Norm was upset. This lie in that he had slept with Sara almost every night since they had left Tennessee, and now she would be in Omen’s bed. From here Norm would be unable to touch her as he so frequently desired, a fact which brought an internal joy to Omen. Perhaps now Norm would feel the pain he had suffered for so long.

They arrived back in Tennessee to a warm welcome from Tabitha. She did not have much room for them all to sleep, but they made do with the couch and blanket padding on the floor. Omen had become used to this, as many times in his anger over unfairness he had moved himself to the floor of their hotel rooms. This plus the military had made Omen resistant to the pain of laying on the carpeted cement, so he did not complain about where he would sleep. The same did not hold true for Sara though, who spent the entire time complaining about how nothing was good enough for her. Omen could feel the degeneration in her, she was slowly losing control. Her connection to the dark energies had overshadowed her want for enlightenment and growth with her demand for more control. Omen was sure that the whispers of Samael, and Norm’s constant lusting for Sara, also had an influence on her mind. But the time was not right, Omen had to continue.

That evening, as they argued, Abbadon channeled through Omen purely. He felt his emotions, his control, and his perception of reality change. For Omen spoke and acted, but not of his own volition. Abbadon spoke words to Sara that were both stern and hopeful, an act that Omen did not understand. But after much consideration, Omen realized the reason. Abbadon came into Omen fully to prove that Omen was more than capable of handling the effect, that his soul already possessed the qualities necessary for it to be complete. But Abbadon, like Omen, saw what was happening. He wished that Sara would calm herself, realize what she was doing, and stop. But Abbadon, who was once a spirit of Justice, could not influence her decision to do so directly. Her own Free Will to be vile had to be maintained.

After everyone else had laid down to sleep, Omen paced the front porch out front of Tabitha’s house. As he did Abbadon spoke into his mind. He told Omen that many things were set to happen. He told Omen that he would need to maintain the same level of fortitude he had shown upon his expulsion from the Army. Abbadon warned that he would endure much suffering, but that in allowing such to be he would find his next step. So Omen sucked his pride deep down inside, and accepted taking the vile Family with him to Illinois. Omen hoped that maybe seeing how close-knit his family remained, even at such a great distance, might open their eyes as to the nature of Family.

When they arrived, Omen’s mother welcomed them with open arms. She had prepared places for them all to stay. Omen and Sara were to stay in the bedroom at the end of the hall. This room had been Omen’s years ago, now it had been converted to his mother’s study. But she had reorganized the things in the room so that a queen-sized air mattress, obviously of decent price, could be made in the center. In the basement, a bed was made for the other two. But there was also the large couches, made of both cloth and leather, that could be used to rest as well. Omen saw that his mother and step-father had worked even harder than usual to make the home inviting. This was simply because Omen’s mother had not seen or heard much from her only son in years, and wanted to make a good impression.

Plenty had been made available for them to enjoy. Alcohol had been purchased for everyone to drink, so that they might relax and enjoy themselves. For Omen, an early Christmas present. Based on things he had said to his mother about his findings as to his own past life, she had bought him something special. A bottle of Russian Standard Imperia Vodka, the best Russian vodka she could find reasonably. As they sat in the Jacuzzi that evening and drank, they talked about many things. As the vodka worked its way inside Omen, he found his personality changing. But this was no channeling, the feeling was much different. Omen seemed to choose to speak with an accent, though his perception of it was broken. He talked about how good the vodka was, and how “puny people just can’t handle it”. While the minor amount had been more than enough for the others, mixed in their drinks, Omen sat with a glass of vodka and sipped it. They happily chatted their way through the evening, then each went to sleep.

Omen enjoyed the situation he found himself in. For in order to portray herself solely as Omen’s girlfriend, she was unable to hang all over Norm. This left her pent up in the evening, when she was more than happy to ravage Omen. She even seemed to put more effort into the act than usual, opting out of her lazy habits and putting her whole body to work. After they were done Sara would snuggle up beside him, the same as she had done before. Omen finally understood. The scent he recognized when Sara was around, the way his mind seemed clouded when she was making her will known. It was a magical effect she produced, a form of hypnosis. The pheromone entered the minds of the men, and compelled them to follow her every whim. Omen chuckled inside as he felt the poison attempt to work on him again. But in recognizing it, Omen had broken the spell. But that would not stop him from taking full advantage of her belief that it was working, a fact he had proven as he lay beside her naked form. And to ensure the deception, Omen would have to “play the role”.

Over the course of the days that followed, Omen did just that. He spent his time relaxing, as well as visiting some of his old friends. But as time went on, the mood in the house seemed to change. Sara began to argue with Omen’s mother for nonsensical, pointless reasons. But Omen’s mother seemed to fuel these arguments, as if she was encouraging them to happen. More than once, Omen had to break up their fighting. Each time would send Sara into a rage, for she was dealing with a woman who refused to be dominated. But eventually, Omen would manage to calm the situation again, and they would go back to enjoying their time. But Omen continued to have a strange feeling that something was terribly wrong. Everyone seemed to be acting like the worst of themselves, without any balance in their actions. This confirmed a strange energy Omen had sensed since his arrival.

Omen searched for the energy. But it was found to be very difficult to locate. For it did not seem to come from any person in the home individually, but more it seemed to “jump” between them all. At times Omen felt the influence of the spirit on himself. Once it entered his mind, he wished to see the others in the home pay for their continual disrespect of him. He wished to say vile, hurtful things to them, so as to damage them internally. This effect seemed to be transferable through people to other locations as well. For even when they left the home, the vile behavior continued. Omen did his best to mitigate the constant conflict, as he continued to search for the source of the problem.

The evening came for Omen’s family to gather. All of his traveling companions were invited, by Omen’s choice to do so. Even Norm, with whom Omen was in conflict over so much. Omen did this as a pure gesture of Family, bringing his Human family together with those he had wished to be Family with in spirit. Everything seemed to go quite well, as each person found themselves engaged in discussion. Omen talked with many of the members of his family, enjoying the time as best he could. But he had a strong feeling that things were going to go wrong again, and that it would be soon. As they packed up their leftovers to leave, Omen tried to explain to the others that he had a “bad feeling”. But Sara did not seem to be in the mood for discussion. It seemed it had already overtaken her, and she was fighting to maintain control of her actions. As they drove back to the house the anger and vileness were already pouring out of Sara, directed mostly at Omen.

Everyone tried to just enjoy a couple drinks and watch television, but it seemed to be impossible. The rift between Sara and Omen’s mother was as definable as it was obvious. They no longer wished simply to argue with one another over who was correct. Now they refused to be around each other at night, saying they could not relax because of the fighting. But they were both the source of it, so their fear of conflict made no sense. The majority of the evening was spent with Omen’s mother moving between the back yard and her room as she complained about Sara’s treatment of her after all she had done. Sara spent most of the evening drinking with Blake and Norm. It seemed, from what Omen’s mother had told him, that they had gone quite overboard in welcoming themselves to the home. They drank most of the contents of all the bottles Omen’s step-father had sitting on shelves in the basement, as part of the bar he had built for himself.

Omen became quite agitated at the actions of the others. But he was also watching them all change personalities on each other, causing even more chaos and discontent. Seeing this, Omen shook his head. He had tried to figure out what could be done to drag them all out of this mindset, but they refused. As such Omen retired to his room, with Sara following him shortly thereafter. But on this evening, Sara did not seem to enjoy their joining as much as she recently had. She put forth effort that was obviously less than any of the previous times. After a time, she told Omen he needed to stop, for she had been made sore. Omen was not finished, but tried his best to respect Sara. As he fell asleep, Sara said she was going back downstairs to watch movies with Blake and Norm. Omen said good night to her, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning they had plans. Sara believed herself extraordinarily beautiful, and as such she like to have pictures taken of her. Many of these could be seen on her Facebook page, as she posed in many different places and positions. This photo shoot was different in that Omen’s step-father was allowing them to use his motorcycle as a prop. The bike, with it’s cherry red metal lined with fire and chrome, was perfect for photographs. But due to Sara’s small frame, even she knew she would look out of place. So Omen was asked to “play the role of a biker” for the pictures. Sara said Omen, with his goatee and size, fit the type usually associated with motorcycle riders. This was made to look better when Omen pulled a lambskin leather jacket out of his closet. This had been a gift from his sister years ago, and this was a perfect occasion to wear it.

After hours of makeup and preparation, the shoot itself took about an hour. Blake took the pictures, and assigned the positions for them. Some Sara took by herself, straddling the bike in a variety of ways. She did her best to push emotion out through her eyes, the true key to good modeling. For without this trait, the model’s expression does not look real, and thus the picture itself loses value. Omen watched her as she moved about at Blake’s request. He watched the manner of her movements, the emotions she tried to project. Omen was glad his role was supporting, and required much less to make correct.

Blake called Omen to the bike. Now as a pair, a multitude of positions were set up and photographed. The “nature” of the photos was simple. Omen was supposed to be a biker, and Sara was his girl. The pictures gave the impression of a happy couple, all over one another in their want. Of course this was far from the truth, but such is the nature of modeling. Some of the pictures taken were said to be so beautiful that the emotion of both must be real. And while Omen admitted that the picture had the look of real emotion, he could see that it was all fake. With her eyes closed in almost every picture, Sara did not have to show the disgust in her eyes when she looked at Omen. And with his sunglasses on, no way of seeing Omen’s sly gazes at his plans to watch them all fall for their selfish oath-breaking. Thus the plan to pretend like he still cared for Sara was working perfectly.

Later that day, Omen was brought some news from his mother. When he heard it, he was thoroughly disgusted. Apparently, after complaining of soreness and leaving Omen to sleep, Sara had returned to the basement. She stayed there for a time, mostly sitting and conversing with Norm and Blake. This was not unusual, they had spent many an evening doing this. But Omen’s mother revealed her knowledge of the results. Sara would come back each morning with new hickeys on her neck and shoulders, ones not made by Omen. Omen had not paid much attention to the marks on her, as for the last few days she had been very closed off during the day. Then, Omen was told the details he did not want to believe. After Blake had fallen asleep, Sara and Norm snuck outside, and had sex in her car. This happened in her driveway, in plain sight of the windows of neighbors. As Omen attempted to take this information in, his mother added that ever since she had been getting terrible looks from her close neighbors. It seems this action may have been known by more than just her, and it has caused problems in the neighborhood.

Omen went off. He found Sara, and began raging at her for her ignorance. This was it, she had to be told about herself. For too long now she had too many supporting her selfishness, it had to be stopped. Omen put out everything about her actions for weeks, how she had played favorites and been lazy at every turn. But she still had hold over the other two. They could not see past the hypnosis they were still under. They their voices chimed in right behind hers, blaming the majority of the problems on Omen himself. This was a game they had used many times before, to make Omen seem like the one at fault. But Sara tried to force Omen to stay with his mother. While he could not tolerate Sara’s actions, Omen also could not stay. He felt that staying would be much worse than leaving, that his destiny was still to go. So Omen pretended again, this time pretending to cave to Sara and apologize, even begging for another chance to prove himself. This was a disgusting act for someone that knows they are not wrong, but Omen managed to be convincing anyway. They began to pack their things, setting to leave the next day for California.

The drive was quite chaotic. They stopped after the drive had become too much to handle, resting at various hotels. During this time the evaluations continued as to the nature of their mission, as well as their expanding of understanding as to the variety of Beings that surrounded them. For it seemed the more of them that united in their efforts, more showed up asking to join. This proved to Omen that there was a want for unification amongst the Family of the Father, a form that had not yet been developed. Many were trying to instruct others in their growth, but even the leaders seemed bereft on information as to what the intended goal was. The answers ranged everywhere from the empowerment of the self to the tearing down of Christianity, and many levels in between. It seemed to Omen that a direct focus was not yet defined, each sect simply continued on as they thought best.

Omen also began spending a great deal of time messaging Jamie. They had met many moths ago, when Omen lived with Fenris. At the time, Omen thought she was in a real relationship, so he had never seen her in any sort of personal way. But after talking to her several times, and finding out this fact was untrue, Omen began to be attracted to her. The one she had listed as her other on Facebook lived halfway across the world, and they had never met in person. It was another fine example of “Facebook love”, which only extends for as long as the game is entertaining. Also Jamie had concern over several visions she had in her dreams, things she was sure related to the one she called her other. Omen talked to Jamie at great length about many things. She had been in contact as Sara was mistreating Omen, something she did not seem to agree with.

As time had gone on, Jamie’s want had changed. Whereas before their discussions were mostly of faith and their individual lives, now they had started talking about merging those paths together. Jamie had expressed an interest in joining their group, and moving with them to California. But she said that it could not be done right away, because of her personal life. But in order to do this, Jamie had a condition. She wanted Omen to be considered her first in the relationship, and vice versa. This seemed like a fairer arrangement, since Sara wished to spend so much of her time with Norm. But upon speaking with each other several times, as Sara learned that Jamie was a dominant female herself, she immediately turned group opinion against Jamie.

Several methods were used to do this, some personal and some spiritual. The spiritual reason was easiest to define. Jamie had told them all a story from her past, one that is so terrible it baffles reason. She has dreamt several times the same dream, so vivid it could be no less than real. In this dream she is just as baby, being held in the arms of her father. But as it continues he soaks her with blood, a blood of the same nature as her own. He prays over the child, then attempts to drown her. But she is saved by her mother, who forces it to stop.

After evaluating her life over many years, Jamie had come to understand what had been done. It was a ritual, that placed a spiritual essence inside her. Over time, Jamie had learned to speak with the spirit, and to learn more about it. The spirit inside her was found to be that of Baal, venerated as a King in Hell. Baal had been known to come out in her when she was at a breaking point, or in times of great need. When he did so the tiny girl was capable of tossing grown men across a room, usually doing so by the throat. Jamie said she could not keep constant control over what was inside her, as at times it decided to overtake her against her will. It seemed Baal had his own plans for Jamie, though she had no idea what they might be.

In response to this, Sara began suggesting that they find a way to exorcise Ball from Jamie. She said this would purify her, allowing a more proper spirit to take Baal’s place. She said this was necessary because Baal was draining her, as well as the lot of them.They had discovered a form of spiritual leech, one that attaches itself to auras and feeds off them. Sara claimed that these leeches were weapons of Baal being used against them all. Ways were found to remove the leeches from their victims, even at great distances. But they always seemed to return, draining more energy from every person they interacted with. Sara also said Baal had come through the phone into Omen more than once, and he had come to them causing trouble. On further evaluation, Omen could remember at least once when after his conversation with Jamie he felt different in his mind. With these and many other reasons, Sara almost demanded that Jamie remove Baal before joining them in California. But after much contemplation with Omen, Jamie decided that removing Baal might prove lethal to her. For both knew that if such strong blood magic was used to put Baal inside, the magic required might cost more than could be paid for it.

As time went on, Sara and Jamie began to argue. It became obvious that lines had been drawn between them. But Omen did not care about their squabbling. Even as Sara threatened him to be left behind, he continued to talk to Jamie. He told Sara, “Until you are prepared to fulfill my needs the way you do Norm’s, I have every right to have those needs fulfilled elsewhere”. Thus each evening, after the day’s driving was done, Omen went outside the hotel room, to spend time talking with Jamie. Their conversations ranged on every topic imaginable, from matters of spirit to societal trends to sex positions. For the first time in months, Omen found himself smiling as he talked to Jamie, feeling a warmth inside that he had not in some time.

By the time the group had left Illinois, the connection between Jamie and Omen had been established firmly. They began to feel each other in times when one was sad or upset. They began to connect their energies, to allow feeding one from another. Even almost a country apart, the connection was so strong it could not be denied. With practice, the two even found ways to connect their energies sexually, so strong that it felt as if Omen had teleported to her home to have his way with her. This was felt strongly on both ends, neither could deny that this connection was the strongest they had ever felt. Both took great pleasure in their time together, and Jamie became the joy opposite Sara’s misery. Omen even made a point to call her just to sing to her as she went to sleep. While speaking to Jamie, Omen didn’t have to feel depressed about his life anymore. For she had promised him that on his next birthday, months down the road, that she would fly out to visit him. This prospect made Omen’s heart soar, and it became a sort of goal he wished to reach. Omen felt that if he could stabilize himself by June, he would have a proper place for her to come visit.

Sara became extremely jealous of Omen’s relationship with Jamie. It became worse when it was found that Norm agreed with Omen that Jamie would make a fine addition to their group. It seemed both had found another female that they enjoyed talking to, someone that was much more willing to give of herself to please them. This was completely different than Sara’s method, designed to string along as many as possible. Thus Omen watched the dominance war between Sara and Jamie unfold, as both attempted to sway the viewpoints of the men against the other. But Omen did not need to be swayed, he simply was waiting for the explosion. For with each day that the energy of his Lust and want for a mate did not flow toward Sara, she was upset by it. Each time Omen went out to sing to another woman, she felt the sting. And every time she knew that Omen was enjoying having sex with Jamie in spirit more than he had with her in person, she edged toward the explosion. Now, as they neared California, the split seemed inevitable. Omen awaited the right time to act, as he prepared himself for what was to come.

Finally, after days of driving, they arrived at their destination. As they drew closer to the city which their friend Dave lived in, Omen thought about the projected “next step”. The reason that Sara had chosen this city was that she had a friend there. His name was Danny, and he was an actor. He had done various things, but had not yet found his “break out role”. But Danny was hopeful for the future, and the money his eventual success would bring in. When he heard about the idea for the commune, Danny wanted to be involved immediately. He thought the idea of a shared living space with rooms set aside for the individuals and community spaces for cooking and spiritual growth seemed like an excellent idea, a model of the way people should learn to coexist. Danny said that when he obtained a role that paid well, something he had projected in his future, he would want to donate toward making this dream possible.

But Sara had done as was her norm, and twisted this to suit herself. She stated that Danny might be one of the seven lords she was to become impregnated by. Moreover she stated that, “movie stars have to have women to hang on their arm, for social functions or whatever”. Sara fully intended to be that woman, so that all the joy of Danny’s fame would rain down on her too. She even told the three that were with her that she would place Danny above them all, even considering marriage to him. As usual, Omen saw straight through the childish control game Sara was playing. She wanted one thing, for her life to be made easy, but to have all the wealth and power of the greatest of Men on Earth. The sense of entitlement Omen felt exuding from Sara made him sick to his stomach. But this was her disgusting plan, it had been for quite some time. All the others were well aware of it, and had accepted their place. But Omen’s acceptance had been his illusion, for in truth he simply watched as the story unfolded. Considered almost an outsider within the group, it was easy to see how the interaction would destroy Sara’s plan.

Omen began to leave the hotel where they stayed to worship. He walked the streets of California, even though they were unknown to him. Fearlessly his voice rang out past the houses and businesses of people he had never met before. Some made a point to stare, until Omen pulled his sunglasses down and smiled at them. It seemed that whatever they saw in Omen’s eyes had made them reconsider their actions. Down the road about a mile was a beautiful park. This became the endpoint of Omen’s walks, as the park brought a serenity that stone buildings cannot. At times he was accompanied by Blake, more because Sara wanted sexual privacy with Norm than any other reason. Blake would sit in the park and mind his business as Omen sang, caring little for what his so-called “friend” thought of the music. As always, the Father’s opinion of Omen was all he ever cared about.

Omen began to rage in his song. As he did, it was almost as if a hole began to open in front of Omen. Omen had not willed any holes to be made, for there was no need for that type of magic. But as Omen stared inside the hole, he felt something terrible. Almost as if the eyes of a dragon staring back at him. Then, the form began to try and force its way through the hole, snapping at Omen. Omen felt the mind of what attempted to push through the hole. It wanted terror, chaos, and destruction. Omen focused harder on what he was seeing, but did not have time to analyze it completely. He forced energy out of himself, striking the unwanted entity in the face. The pure energy of Light that Omen had learned to manipulate damaged it immediately, but only slightly. But the force was enough for Omen to push the mouth of it back inside the hole and close it tight. Omen fell to his knees and gasped for air. It had taken almost every ounce of his strength to force those jaws back behind the Veil. Omen thanked Abbadon for his continued assistance and guidance, for he knew Abbadon was where he had gotten the idea for the attack. He then praised the Father for giving him the strength to overcome, and headed back to the hotel.

He told the others about the encounter. Sara said Omen had opened the hole in his anger and Hatred towards her. But this made no sense, as during that song Omen had not been focused on their group and it’s problems. The most sensible theory came from Blake, who suggested that the Mind of the Beast might be partially awake, and projecting itself towards the Earth. This gave much more of an inkling of Truth than Sara’s suggestion, simply based on the feelings Omen had pulled from it’s mind. For even in the worst of Demons, Omen had never felt such a will to destroy.

That night Omen saw visions of a fire, the size and composition of which baffles the mind. This fire projected out from the mouth of an enormous dragon. The flames encompassed the entirety of the Earth and it’s Milky Way. The flames burned hot enough to roast the Human inhabitants of the Earth in minutes. Omen felt his skin burning, he fell to his knees and cried out in pain. He saw everything turning to ash around him. He watched as the trees burnt to the ground, leaving no lasting beauty to be found. He saw the people disappear, the whole area becoming like one mass grave. Omen looked to the sky for hope. But as he watched, the Sun itself seemed to be affected by the projected flames. It twisted and distorted, then seemed to dim a bit. Then, a violent explosion rocked the sky as the Sun was removed from Existence. Omen knew what came next, and prepared himself. As the skin seemed to continue to melt off his skin, he watched the ground in front of him evaporate in the shockwave of the Sun’s explosion. Omen saluted the Father and stared straight into his Fate, ready to see his Creator. Omen could almost hear the Earth scream in pain as the shockwave connected, as the Earth was ripped to shreds. Omen’s body spontaneously combusted, bursting into bright flames.

Omen awoke from his dream in agony. Even though his body showed no signs of it, Omen still felt as if he was on fire. He rushed into the shower, soaking himself in cool water to negate the effect. Omen calmed his mind as he brought himself back into reality, and the knowledge that he was not burning in any way. As he did the pain finally subsided, then Omen washed and cleansed himself. He was amazed at the depth of his dream. But then he realized all that he had seen. By spending so much time considering and focusing on the Beast, Omen had connected to it. It was the will of the Beast Omen had seen in his dreams. The eventual goal, and the Fate planned for the Earth and it’s inhabitants. Omen went outside to pray, begging the Father to show him what might be done. To give him a method by which he might be made strong enough to stop this destruction. No direct method was given, only the sensation that Omen must continue to learn. But now, with this Knowledge in hand, Omen had good reason to. For it was not simply his own life that would be affected by this, but every Existent Being in the known galaxy. A tragedy like this had to be avoided at any cost. This gave Omen a stronger resolve than ever, as he stood ready to face his own future.

13

It had been about two weeks since the group had arrived in California. Due to his service in the military, Omen had benefits available to him. He was asked to see if he could find a way to lie to the organizations, to be able to house their entire family. Omen wouldn’t have done this, but his will on the subject did not matter. For it was found that he could be housed, but only if he was alone. But while there, Omen found details for a program that he did want to participate in. It was a class just for veterans. The result of the class was a license to be a security guard anywhere in the state of California. While this wasn’t anything near what Omen wanted to do with his life, he also knew that those who guard the important gain important connections. It was these connections Omen sought, the route to those with means. Omen did not want this for himself, but to find someone who had the same will as himself to work toward progress and growth.

But the class was nowhere near the hotel where they stayed. As such, Omen had to spend what little monies Sara would give him, and obtained a bus pass for a month. He had to ride more than one bus to his destination, and the ride took more than an hour. But each morning, long before dawn, Omen would arise. He would shower and get ready, then walk to the bus stop. These times Omen used to pray, for there were almost no people around. As he rode the bus Omen found himself texting Jamie frequently, or simply listening to his music and reflecting. As he did so, Omen continued to ask why he was forced to endure this torment, knowing that he would eventually leave. The response was that all things happen with purpose, and that the time would be coming soon that Omen awaited.

Each day Omen arrived at the building where the class was held. He was always there long before the doors opened. This allowed for more time to pray, though as usual those around did not seem to enjoy it as much. One morning, as she was dealing with someone repeatedly draining her energy, Jamie begged Omen for help. She said that there was a female that she had known for a very long time, the one that taught her magic originally. But Jamie said that in doing so, the woman had opened a bond between them. She used this bond to take energy from Jamie, as well as invade her dreams. This had gone on for some time, and Jamie had no idea what to do in order to stop it. She had asked for days for various advice on things she might do to protect herself. Omen worked with her on her shielding techniques, as well on energetic measures for defense. But while the shielding seemed to prevent the woman from invading Jamie’s dreams, her energy was still being stolen. As she weakened the shield lost its strength, and again Jamie’s dreams were invaded.

Omen grew tired of the games. One morning as he awaited his class, Jamie called and begged again for his help. She had important business to handle, and she was being assaulted again. The woman admitted to this, saying she was not going to let Jamie leave her tutelage. Omen focused himself quickly, and texted his plan to Jamie. She sent back her understanding, and Omen returned to focusing his energy. He put on the music which properly focuses the purest Hatred inside him, creating the strongest of energies Omen could produce. But as he had learned to do from his conversation with the Earthmother, Omen spun and manipulated the energy. Now it no longer existed in the dark red of Hatred, but in colors more designed for strengthening and healing. Omen associated the energy to the things he knew brought Jamie joy as he continued to make the energy grow. Omen then visualized the bond that stretched between them. Once he could see it, Omen grabbed ahold of the massive energy. He sent the energy through the bond straight to Jamie. Soon after she responded that she had been suddenly struck by a massive force, and had lost her sight for a split second. But immediately afterward she had been filled with energy, and now was ready to complete all the day’s tasks. She thanked Omen for his help, but he was not done.

Having connected so deeply with Jamie, Omen could feel his way through her. He found the bond to the vile woman. He began to follow it to the source, but stopped midway. In the center he placed a two-way barrier. This allowed Jamie to feed energetically if she chose, but would make it much more difficult for the one abusing this right. The he continued, to the edge of the bond closest to the enemy. In this place he put another energetic trap. The design of this trap was as an energetic filter. It caused all energies drawn in through it to become twisted and vile, pictured the same way a sickness would be seen. If the woman refused to stop draining Jamie, the energy she would draw in would poison her. Omen smiled as he set the traps in to place, knowing full well that he still was not finished.

Omen drew himself back from the bond. Through it Omen could now picture the energy of the woman in his mind. She was surrounded by a shield of many various layers, meant to protect against any threat. But Omen had been trained to deal with such things. For knowing that each layer of the shield was a separate element, this meant that each layer had a separate weakness. One by one Omen melted the layers of the shield away, until the vile witch was exposed. Omen commenced to energetically “kicking her ass”, projecting himself assaulting her both physically and energetically. This was done with a feeling attached, something he knew the witch would feel. Stated simply, “this is your last warning, stop you vileness before it kills you”. After he felt the witch had been sufficiently attacked, enough that he was sure she had been affected by it, Omen drew back completely. He went on with his class as any other day.

But the day was far from normal. As Omen tried to study with the group, he felt the assault on his mind. His head became fuzzy, and pain split his temples. But Omen was ready. He threw up a strong shield as he listened to the instructors, and the pain subsided almost immediately. Omen knew the source of the attack, due to text messages sent from Jamie. She said that the witch had contacted her directly, and was very angry. She accused Jamie of sending a demon after her, that her mind was being tormented. She also claimed to be unable to feel Jamie at all, despite her best efforts to do so. Jamie had attributed it all to her new shield, but the witch knew better. She had attacked what had assaulted her in an attempt to prove herself dominant. But the attack was weak at best, the energy tasting like freshly uprooted plants. The witch was attacking with the power of the Earthmother, and Omen knew she would be very sorry for her mistake.

After the class, Omen moved again to the place where he had prayed before. He texted Jamie, and asked her the current status of the witch. She was found to be enraged, spouting challenges to whatever had contested her will. Omen was happy to accept her challenge, and asked Jamie to assist him. He told her to focus her will straight at the witch, and to will all her powers stripped. To have everything she was abusing taken away from her, that she might learn the price of selfishness. Jamie agreed, and began to focus her mind. Omen prepared his mind as before, but this time he was not alone. He felt two spirits nudging at him, demanding the right to assist. One was Abbadon, who had a serious problem with the witch’s vile abuse of Earth Magic. He said it was unjust, that the witch deserved to be punished. Next to him was Baal, who had become fed up with the attacks on someone he guarded. he said Omen would be more apt to use his energy effectively, as he could combine it into his own. They asked Omen to do more than he had ever trained to, to push his abilities to the next level.

Omen focused himself. He opened his mind, wrapping his energy around both Abbadon and Baal. He allowed the energy to swirl between them all, combining it into a single color. Once the energies were combined Omen created a vortex in his mind, drawing the entirety of the energy in. Omen shook his head as he stared in front of him. His mind was a chaotic storm of thought as both Abbadon and Baal tried to speak. But after several minutes the chaos was calmed, and the shell of Omen became the house for an assault squad. Now holding inside the energy of two, Omen was filled to the brim with their strength. He charged in energetically and assaulted the witch. He held back nothing, expending every sort of abuse he could create. She was burnt, beaten, wrapped in chains that melted into her skin. Omen did not hesitate for a second, he could feel their will flow through him. They all were tired of the witch and her abuses, and they were happy to assist Omen in doing so. Omen grabbed the bond between Jamie and the witch and ripped it apart, burning it off all the way to both ends. He felt the witch cry out for him to stop attacking her. He smirked as he walked away, but left Baal and Abbadon to continue their torment.

That was the last that was heard from the witch. Days passed without incident, then even Jamie became concerned. It was later discovered that the vile witch had died. Jamie was happy to accept this victory, for it was not the first time that her projected will had caused someone’s demise. Omen cared little for where responsibility need be placed, for the task had been accomplished. Never again would the vile witch pollute the Earth with her magic. Omen hoped that this would be one of the only times he would be forced to assault another magically, for Omen saw these people as potential Family. But he was happy that things finally calmed down in this aspect, for he had enough to deal with already.

The time drew near for Omen to graduate his course. Knowing this, Sara already had big plans for their future. She wanted Omen to get a job right away, so they could find a place to live. She had been forcing this effort down both Omen and Blake’s throats, demanding that they go out each day to look for jobs. But while they went out and searched, Sara and Norm spent the majority of the day having sex. Some time was spent producing small sketches in pencil, so that they could say they had been working. But none were even close to the level required for Sara to apply for an artist’s position with Blizzard. Omen knew their standards were high, as he had been an avid player of many of their games.

The problem worsened due to another guest of the hotel they stayed in. He smoked weed, something that Omen did not argue with personally. For prior to joining the Army, as well as a few times afterward, Omen himself had partaken. He enjoyed it, but never allowed it to dominate his life. More than once he had stopped, the most prominent being when he joined the Army. Even as much as he had enjoyed the feeling, Omen did not smoke weed during his entire time there, out of respect for the honor he felt the Army was supposed to have. But now, Sara happily joined this stranger in smoking. She knew Omen enjoyed smoking, but she told him he was not allowed to. This was due to his security guard course, and a job that would definitely require a drug test to get. Omen accepted this, letting her go off with the man alone to get high.

She returned with a strange request. The man had a prescription for marijuana, and Sara wanted Omen to drive the man to the dispensary to go acquire more. Sara was purchasing it, using some of the little money they had left. This money had come from her son’s college fund. Sara had insisted that they, meaning Omen and whoever worked, would replenish the fund later. She kept insisting that Omen owed her one fourth of the money, something Omen repeatedly scoffed at. For it was her decision to put her wants above the future need of her son, and Omen would not help her fix that mistake. Now, seeing this, Omen felt comfortable with his decision. Especially after she threatened to throw him out when he argued the legality of it. So Omen appeased her, and drove the vehicle, bringing Sara back the “medicine she needed so desperately”. But in accepting he had one unwaverable condition, that the smoking of such be limited only to Sara, and only in times when she was in pain. She accepted this, assuring Omen the weed was not for recreation. So Sara received no more complaints from Omen as she went into the bathroom, so Omen would not have to watch. They lay down to sleep like any other night, and the next day Omen returned to his class.

When he returned to the room that evening, Omen could sense that something was attempting to be hidden from him. He asked Blake how his day had been. Blake told him about the many places he had gone in search of jobs, but how few positions were available. He complained that the process would be made easier if Omen would give them his cell phone during the day. But Omen continued to refuse, saying the phone was the only thing they had not taken from him and treated him poorly for. In truth, his phone was their only means of contact at all, so as not to pay the high cost of hotel calls. Thus Sara could not speak to her son without it, Norm could not speak with the family that called for him each day, and Blake could not continue his job hunt. Omen was well aware of this fact, and knew that it was his last remaining piece of leverage. For Sara had fixed her own laptop, and now kept the single Internet connection for herself. Omen was slowly being made useless, but he would not allow this to be.

They moved again, to a hotel that was found to be cheaper. This was known to be the end of the funding, there would be no more places to stay. Omen had suggested many times before that they simply get a tent and move outside, until they were ready to become stable. This would save them hundreds on hotel stays alone. But Sara refused, she seem objected to life outside. Her ego saw her reflection as that of a Queen, and she demanded to live as one. But during their last week of hotel time, Sara revealed her next plan. Due to the fact that Omen and Blake had been unable to find a way to support her financially, she was going to abandon them both. She would leave with Norm to his parents’ house, and they would move on from there. She stated that she would “be back for them later”, but Omen knew what she meant. She was pretending to be nice before she abandoned them both. Omen also saw this was the reason that Sara had tried to distance herself from him emotionally. If she felt no attachment to him, she would feel no pain from leaving him behind.

That night as Omen spoke with Jamie, he told her of Sara’s rotten plan. He also told her about how he had been treated recently, having little food and no cigarettes while at class. He told her about how things were hidden from him, and how he had proof Sara and Norm had used money to go to McDonald’s while he was away, but there was almost nothing to eat in the room. Jamie had heard enough. She sent Omen 100 dollars via Western Union. Omen snuck out that same evening, taking Sara’s car to go retrieve the money. He bought himself cigarettes and some quick food, but knew to return the car quickly. For at any moment Sara might send him a message demanding his return to the room, usually to listen to more of her complaining. But he was never discovered, and that night slept well. For he knew that even when those that had claimed to be Family had betrayed him, someone still existed that cared.

The next morning, Omen happily sat and ate his Jack in the Box breakfast. His stomach would be full for this day’s instruction, and thus he could concentrate easier. But his phone was filled with messages from both Sara and Blake, who complained about all the things they could not do without Omen. Sara wanted to talk to her son, Blake was trying to set up interviews. They said this was an issue they intended to fix, and they would discuss it more later. Upon his arrival at the room, they all began criticizing him. Each seemed to take their turn taking out their anger and aggression on Omen. He sat on the bed, absorbing all they were saying to him. These people that had claimed to care so much seemed so eager to tear down someone that was hard at work trying to support them, all over something as simple as his personal cell phone.

Omen stood up and began to retort. He told Blake he needed to quit speaking until his words were his own, not regurgitated bile stemming from Sara. He asked Blake why, if she intended to leave him, he still defended Sara’s selfish actions. Then he turned his focus to Norm, ready to unleash all he had stored inside. He gave him every detail he had watched with his own eyes. How Norm constantly whispered in Sara’s ear, causing her to choose Norm first in everything. How he was happy to be the only male not required to work at all, how willing he was to live like a bum. He also reminded Norm, as he began to grow angry, that he had been defeated both in physical and magical combat with Omen before, and that he would easily be struck down. Omen began to feel all the rage he had stored for months flow through him. As the energy grew the others began to back away, recognizing the severity of Omen’s rage.

Omen turned his sights to Sara. His gaze stared death straight through her. He brought up every time she had intentionally hurt his feelings to serve herself. How she constantly told him he wasn’t good enough, how she downplayed his obvious talents. He told her what he had discovered about her sneaking out to eat without him, and demanded to know if McDonald’s was worth betraying someone that trusted her. He even brought up what she had done with Norm in Illinois, and all the problems it had caused. He told Sara she was everything but an angel, and he was tired of listening to her lies. He demanded she “unfuck herself”, for the continued safety of her own soul. Omen finished his statements by reminding them all, “Those who reside in glass houses should not throw pebbles at someone that hurls boulders”.

As expected, once Omen had finished his tirade the others began their own. They tried their best to turn everything back around, making Omen seem like the one in the wrong. They blamed their individual actions on Omen’s inability to “properly assimilate” into the group mentality, that his single-mindedness kept him apart from them. Omen took the assault for what it was, them defending their own egos. But as they yelled and screamed, Omen concocted a devious plan, for he felt that it was finally time. Omen pretended to be hurt by their words, even faked tears and remorse. He told them that his words were only his expression of a want to see the Family excel, and that he still believed it was possible. They believed every word, or at least pretended to. As Omen expected, they accepted him staying, but only with special conditions. He would have to leave his phone with them each day while he went to class, so they could handle their business. Omen accepted the terms of the agreement for his continued stay with them. Sara and Norm went back into the main bedroom, obviously with much to talk about alone. Blake went back to watching television, occasionally using a laptop to do research.

Omen claimed he was “too full of energy”. He started cleaning the entire hotel room, organizing one thing at a time. No one contested this, as they were known not to enjoy cleaning up after themselves. But as he cleaned, Omen found those things which belonged to him. He packed them all neatly into the bags he had brought with him. The only things that remained out were his clothes for the next day, his laptop, hus phone, and his hygiene items. Omen laid down to sleep, setting his alarm early as he always had to for class.

When he awoke, Omen showered and shaved as usual. Blake was awake for a moment, but soon rolled back over and fell asleep. After he cleansed himself and got dressed, Omen set to work quietly. He rounded up everything of his he could find, packing it into his three bags. Once he had found all he could remember, Omen strapped on the bags and left the room. He left his room key on the table, so they would know he was not coming back. Omen realized quickly that the combined weight of the bags was quite heavy. He had to adjust several times before it was comfortable, but soon was marching down the street to his music.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Blake standing before him, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Even with Omen’s hands full with his bags, Blake asked Omen if he had left his cell phone behind as instructed. Omen simply replied, “It’s over Blake,” and continued to walk. When called again he responded exactly the same way, and Blake soon rushed back to the room. Omen managed to haul the bags to the bus stop, and was happy when he got on it without further incident. Omen closed his eyes and prayed, thanking the Father for allowing him to leave the vile Family without all the problems that had been forseen. For both Omen and Jamie had been given visions of the price of leaving carelessly. They showed images of Sara sending police after Omen, falsely claimed that he had assaulted her. The other reason claimed was the theft of some of her things, which was why Omen took great care to take only what he had brought with him. Now Omen was alone with nothing, save for the little money he had left in his pocket. But Omen was prepared to survive however was necessary, and he had faith that he would be able to do so.

Omen sat at Jack in the Box again, waiting for the building to open. once it did Omen went straight inside, to the receptionist’s desk. He had spoken to her many times, for she was all the main driving force of the business. He asked her for a favor, that he be allowed to store his two large bags in a back room for the day. He also asked for understanding as to why he would be gone all day during class. Omen told her about his situation, and that he was going to look for a place to stay. She became instantly worried about Omen, for she knew he was not native to California, and had no one to go to. But Omen reassured her that he would be fine, that he had some ideas. So she took Omen’s bags and placed them underneath a table in her office. Omen kept the bag with his laptop, for he knew he would need it.

But as Omen hunted for a solution to his problem, another arose. Omen discovered that he had forgotten some very important items when he had left the hotel. The most prominent among them were the charger for his laptop, and the charger for his phone. Without power, they both died fast, and Omen had to struggle to make progress. But he managed to find the bus route to the VA offices without too much hassle, and soon he stood on the massive property.

Omen was amazed at the size of the grounds for the VA facilities. It was so big, it even had its’ own golf course. Omen got lost walking the grounds, but eventually found the building he had been told to visit. The wait was long, and Omen’s cell phone was dead. Due to regulations, the people working there were not even allowed to take Omen’s phone and charge cable from him to charge it, because their laws prevented any USB connections. As such Omen resigned to sit and wait until he was called to the back. He went through a couple quick meetings, being shuffled from room to room. Finally he met with an older gentleman who had alot of paperwork to complete for Omen. The man was so kind that as he processed the paperwork he allowed Omen to sit outside in his car, to charge his phone. Omen happily was able to send a few messages, letting everyone know he was still alive.

But as Omen checked his inbox, he had been contacted yet again by Sara. This had happened several times since Omen had left early that morning. Blake had also made it a point to contact him. While the words had been different, the message was the same. Omen recognized the point of the messages immediately. But Omen had also forgotten some very important things when he left. He had known of the plug box to charge his phone, and the charger for his laptop. But only after thinking more on it did Omen realize how much of his Sara still had. For on her key ring, Sara held the only two keys to the lock for the storage unit in Tennessee. This unit held everything Omen had left of value. Having experienced the selfishness of the Family, Omen knew his things would be in danger.

Omen replied to the message Sara had sent originally, as well as Blake’s first one. Both retorted with messages paragraphs long. Each one attempted to do exactly as they had verbally the day before Omen left, and as Sara had done repeatedly to Omen the entire time. They took known facts, and used them as the “main reasons” why everything had been Omen’s fault from the beginning. They called him an Oathbreaker for abandoning them, said he was nothing more than a liar. Sara also made it a point to deny over and over again having ever said or done anything to upset Omen, even blatantly going against words she had said days before. It was a disgusting attempt to make Omen feel bad for what he had done, and he was not about to fall for this same game ever again.

Omen responded the same as he always had. He told them the truth about what had been done to him specifically, his opinions on it, and his firm belief that they were acting both unfairly and selfishly. With Sara, Omen told her that she had some things of his, and he wished them returned. He did not want any form of conflict, nor did he want to argue. As such he suggested that she put the keys and essential charging devices into a bag, and give them to the front desk with instructions. In this way, they wouldn’t even have to see each other, but the items could be returned as was legal and fair.

But Sara would hear nothing of it. She told Omen that he owed her a great deal. She continued to demand that Omen pay back one-fourth of the college money she had taken from her son. She told Omen that if he wanted his things, she wanted what she believed to be hers. Even more than the money, what Sara seemed to want was Omen to come back to the hotel. She claimed that this was because she wanted Omen to apologize to them all for lying and for abandoning them. But even reading Sara’s messages as they popped up, Omen had a terrible feeling Something was wrong about the intent, but Omen could not place it.

Struggling for answers, Omen discussed the situation with Jamie. With her outside perspective on the facts surrounding the “habits” of Sara and those that followed her, her request played out much differently. This version made much more sense to Omen based on the situation. Sara cared little for an apology, though she would demand one to satisfy herself. The most basic way this story would play out ended with Omen being yet again verbally assaulted by the Family to “get the last word in” on Omen. But based on the recent actions, as well the lack of decency, there were other possibilities that were not so easily dealt with. For while inside the privacy of a hotle room, the Family could create any story of events they wished. The stories would always hold up, as it was the word of three against the word of one. They could claim anything, from attempted theft and destruction of property to assault and attempted murder. In doing so, they could ensure that Omen would suffer for leaving them. Omen assumed any action committed against him would simply be a play to boost their egos again. Omen had seen that their egos seemed to matter more than facts, so this became a serious possibility to consider.

Omen needed his items back. Without the ability to charge his phone or laptop, Omen would quickly lose contact with everyone. This was a thing Jamie would not stand for. Despite the expensive price tag to replace the items at Best Buy, the only store close to the VA, Jamie happily wired Omen enough money to cover it. She said she did this to ensure that Omen would not go back to the hotel, and put his safety and freedom in jeopardy. Omen happily accepted her gesture, and sent Sara a response to her idea. Omen told her that she could either give the items to the front desk, or they could deal with the legalities in court. Sara countered again with her insane demand for one-fourth of the money she had wasted. She also continued to enforce that she was never wrong, and that Omen simply misperceived her intent. But Sara had played her games one too many times, and Omen was aware of her tactics. Her mental manipulations would not work anymore, she would not fill Omen’s head with her lies. Finally, after Omen had become fed up with reading the essays Sara responded to him with each time, Omen stopped responding at all. He decided that he was done speaking to Sara or Blake through the Messenger, for he had made all his points clear. He decided to move on with his life, and leave the Family behind for good.

The VA provided Omen a bed at their facility. But this was only temporary, they said they would move him within a few days. But Omen asked for a special favor. For the rules of the place he was going forbid him to leave regularly for the first month. Omen was still in class, and very near graduation. He asked the VA if he could stay at the temporary residence until he completed the course. Because the facilities were designed to assist veterans in progressing on past their aid, they accepted Omen staying there for a period of four more days. This gave Omen time to finish the course, retrieve his things, and prepare to move to the new location. Omen was ready for the next step, but also keenly focused on lessons to learn in the present. For each new day brings new experiences, and further steps in learning.

While residing in the VA facility, Omen at least had food to eat. He got to shower in peace, and even washed his dirty clothes. He followed the rules, signing in and out as instructed. Omen finished his course without issue, actually enjoying several of the last days of it. The most prominent was the day spent learning from someone trained in the Praying Mantis form of martial arts. He gave an example of how to “focus one’s chi”, and asked everyone to close their eyes. He asked them to attempt to project their own chi energy with their eyes closed, that he might be able to evaluate those capable without any judgment being passed over those who could not. Having trained in much larger forms of energy projection, Omen was not surprised when his shoulder was touched, the instructor signaling that he could feel Omen’s chi focused properly.

After class, Omen handled his personal business. He had almost no money, and what he had he kept for cigarettes and the occasional drink. But he still enjoyed walking around Los Angeles and praying, even taking a few pictures for the sake of memory. Omen called Danny, who still had a few of his things. He asked if it would be possible for his things to be brought to the center, as the hours in which Danny were free Omen was not allowed to leave. Danny agreed, saying it would be the following day that he would be able to make the trip. Omen thanked Danny for his help, saying he hoped they would still remain friends. He told Danny that his issues with the Family were solely with them, and that he considered Danny a great person. They both claimed they would enjoy talking again when they saw each other.

The next day after supper, Omen sttod outside awaiting Danny. When he arrived he quickly got out of his car, and handed Omen the things he had requested. Most of it was personal paperwork, for Omen had little space to store anything else. He asked Danny to hold one of his most precious items until he was stable enough to retrieve it. This was the World Heavyweight Title Belt that Giselle had purchased for him years ago, during his first tour in Iraq. The belt was special to him in that it represented many things important to Omen personally. It represented the time when he was young, when he was able to wrestle and enjoy himself. It represented his transition into the Army, as he had won a title created amongst friends just before leaving. It also represented Omen’s acceptance of his position as a warrior in Hell’s Army, and his belief that if he continued to work hard he would become Hell’s Champion. Danny said this was not a problem, that the belt would be safe for as long as Omen needed it to be.

As they talked, Omen was hit with a terrible reality. According to Danny, Sara had followed through with her plan. Days after Omen had left, lost for other options and with no way to keep in contact, Sara and Norm left to his parents’ house. Just as she had threatened, they went alone, and had left Blake by himself with nowhere to go. Danny told Omen that he had found Blake walking the streets of Los Angeles and had picked him up. It was only when Danny told him that Omen realized Blake was still in the car right next to him. But he did not speak a word, feigning sleep each time Omen looked his way. But Omen knew the real reason for Blake’s silence. He was in pain, having been abandoned by the one he had cared for and followed for so long. He was ashamed that he had criticized Omen for speaking out on the unfairness of the very thing that now left him with no home. He was forcefully knocked out of the hypnosis by being left on his own with nothing by someone he had loved dearly. For these reasons Blake remained silent while Danny and Omen conversed, staying that way as the car drove off.

That evening Omen found himself in a strange situation. He had dealt with many things the last few days that had weighed on him heavily. As well he got criticism from every direction for ever leaving in the first place. Omen accepted the truth in their words, but he did as he felt compelled to by the Father. That night, as he stood outside talking to Jamie, his anger was enhanced. This happened due to the stories she was telling about how people were attacking her magically. This offended Omen for various reasons, stemming from abuse of magic to unprovoked assault, but the biggest among them was Omen’s feelings for Jamie. He had grown to care deeply for her, for she had been there every time that he had needed her. Hearing that people were attacking someone he cared about with magic, and that their attempts to stop it had failed, Omen’s rage at the situation grew.

As they were talking, someone in Jamie’s home would not stop dragging her away from their conversation. When Omen was trying to give Jamie a piece of advice she considered important, and he drug her attention away, Omen quickly fell into his rage. As their conversation drug on for minutes, and Omen was left to sit and stare at his phone, it grew worse. Omen hung up the phone, determined to prove that he was not to be brushed aside. He turned on his music and began to pray, channeling the emotions he felt inside. Inside the rage, Omen saw something else. He tapped in to it, and felt his strength grow immensely. He projected that energy as he stopped to take a picture of it. Then he continued to let the energy flow through him as his anger exploded out in song.

Jamie texted several times before Omen would respond to her at all. She asked first if there had been a problem with her phone, that maybe they had accidentally been cut off. But after a minute she realized the issue, asking Omen to forgive her for being rude. Omen ignored each message individually at first, reading them then putting his phone away. For as he had pushed that massive energy, he had fallen deep inside the rage. It flowed through him fully, wishing to rip the head off of whomever had interrupted his conversation. He felt Hatred burning inside him again, the will to destroy life for personal reasons. Omen struggled to contain himself as his will seemed pulled toward him projecting to Jamie’s house and attacking this person who he did not know.

Finally, after several minutes, Omen called Jamie back. Even as he was managing to push the Hatred he felt down, reducing the swell of it, he still spoke very harshly toward Jamie. Omen very sternly told her never to ignore him for the sake of mundane conversations ever again. Jamie’s voice grew quiet as she apologized for what she had done. Omen explained what was going on inside him, and the will that was projected. He checked the picture taken on his phone, and was surprised with his findings. He had been told that at times a strong aura can be photographed, but Omen never expected this. The entirety of the picture that was not Omen himself was bathed in a reddish-orange light. This picture had been taken with no flash, with only the street lights providing illumination. Omen immediately sent the photo to Jamie, who was equally surprised. Omen knew that the color of everything in the photo represented the strength of the Hatred he had been projecting. Omen had discovered an energy that had proven to be much stronger than any he had used previously, and as such Omen knew he would have to study it further.

Omen got to shoot a pistol for the first time, at a range for the course he was taking. Omen had been a soldier for over seven years, but had still never shot their standard handgun. This was because such weapons were reserved for the Officers, and for those they kept close and treated differently. Having never been one to suck up to his leadership, Omen had never been given the opportunity. But he wasn’t surprised when he qualified with ease at the assigned tasks for the range, missing only a select few shots. It brought back memories of his time spent firing his M-4 and M-16, and all that had to be done in order to make that happen. This range was much simpler, just more time consuming. But after qualifying at the range, Omen had completed all the assigned tasks for the course. The next day, he would receive his certificates. Omen allowed himself just the smallest bit of pride at having completed his schooling despite everything that had transpired. He was happy to have a picture taken of him accepting his certificates from the instructor. Now he could move on to the permanent shelter the VA had waiting for him.

The next day, a van came to retrieve Omen and his bags. Omen was packed and ready long before the van arrived, taking the time beforehand to purchase a few things. Omen did this because he had already been told the rules of the place he was going. He would not be allowed to leave at his leisure anymore, they had stricter standards for new residents. So Omen made a point to stock up on shaving cream, fresh razors, toothpaste, and body wash before he left. The van arrived an hour late, due to some issue that came up regarding a resident. But once it arrived Omen happily chatted with the man who he quickly found out was the Manager of the shelter. His name was John, and he seemed to care extensively about his job. He wanted to see veterans with problems be given a place to get over the issues that hold them down, so they can be ready to move on with their lives. The establishment was known as the VA Hollywood, due to it’s geographical location. This was a new experience to Omen, who had never visited this region of the state before. All he knew of it was what had been seen on television, which Omen knew meant little. As they drew close, there stood a giant church built by the religion called Scientology. Omen did not know much of this religion, save for what he had heard. He wondered what interesting treasures might lie inside such a magnificent building as he passed it. Soon afterward they passed a Burger King, which John said was a favorite of the residents due to it’s location. They pulled into an alleyway, and the van was stopped. John led Omen inside, told him to set his bags inside the office, and started the tour.

The building had once been a hotel, but now was used for a shelter. It had two large floors, with several rooms on each. The kitchen was huge, and stocked with various types of food. Meals were also brought in three times a day, the things on the shelves and in the fridge were for snacks. In the back sat several workout devices, though many looked old and barely functional. This was also one of the areas where smoking was allowed. Past that was a small area with chairs, which was used both for personal time and group therapy.They returned inside the building, and Omen was shown the various offices, as well as the room used for the majority of the group sessions. They went upstairs, and Omen was showed the setup of the rooms. He was also shown the balcony where residents went to smoke. Then they went down the stairwell on the backside of the building, and John showed Omen the laundry room. Then they made their way back into John’s office, so he could explain the rules to Omen.

The rules were extensive. This program normally was designed for those who had problems with drugs or alcohol, and thus require serious supervision. For the first 30 days Omen would need someone that had been there longer to sign them both out in order to leave the building. Each day there was a slew of classes that Omen was forced to attend, which lasted the majority of the morning and afternoon. Each night there was a group meeting before any of them were released to bed. They were very strict in every aspect of the word. Omen handed over his knuckles, along with two knives, so as not to be outside the rules. His system was tested for drugs or alcohol content, of which none was to be found. Omen had not shared in either for quite some time, and was not concerned about being unable to. Omen was also told that there was a curfew even for those that were allowed out, and during the late nights no one could leave. There was a list of objects that were not allowed to be brought in, as well as places that were considered off limits. These included places that made most of their money off alcohol, such as strip clubs and bars. Omen sighed at the laundry list of things he could not do, but knew he had no choice. He signed himself in, and was taken to his room.

The center was short on supplies when Omen arrived. They had neither a pillow nor a blanket for him to use. But as he sat in the bathtub, which sat in a room that adjoined each pair of living quarters, Omen refused to care. As he relaxed his muscles, using the Dead Sea salts he had purchased when he was married to Giselle, he heard singing. Omen looked out the window, and chuckled at what he saw. Next door to the shelter was a Korean-style church, and it was their worship that Omen was hearing. Omen’s room sat right next to the church’s property, which made the sound unavoidable. Only by putting on his headphones and listening to his music was Omen able to drown out the singing next door. But he did so, then lay down and plugged in his phone. He went downstairs, made himself a snack, then returned to his room.

Omen lay on his bed and conversed with Jamie through text. She asked if Omen was okay, how his mind was holding up considering all he had endured. He replied he was fine, and that he would find a way to survive. He told her about his situation, and all the rules they had placed on him. Jamie was saddened by this, as she knew it would steal away Omen’s right to wander the night and worship. But she promised to send Omen a “care package”, to make him feel better. Omen gave Jamie the address they had provided, excitedly awaiting whatever gifts she might send. For it had been quite some time since Omen had been given anything by another, and it was a welcome change. They conversed until they fell asleep with their phones on next to their sleeping faces, so that they might be as close to one another as possible. Omen felt a deeper connection to Jamie than he had ever felt, even since the day he met Giselle. Their energies connected both while they were awake and while they slept. Even with his life in turmoil, Omen was comforted by Jamie’s will to stand beside him. She had promised that she would find a way to fly up to California in June, to celebrate Omen’s birthday with him.

The days seemed to pass in a blurring line, with few details to separate one from another. Every class was a different variance on the same process. It was designed to deal with the issues commonly present in veterans. Alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and a slew of others are common conditions that develop in soldiers. Every group session was either a class on or an activity concerning dealing with these issues. Once a week they even had an art class, where a subject would be given for them to draw. Omen’s first drawing was a large inverted pentagram, drawn in red and black. When asked why he had drawn such a picture Omen replied, “You said draw what is most important to me”. Omen drew lines in the sand very quickly, making his religious choices well known to all. Omen refused to hide who he was for the sake of anyone, this had been a direct order from the Father. And while this raised a few eyebrows, and caused some concern amongst the Christian residents, it was accepted without complaint. The center had known before Omen came that he would not allow his religion to be forced down, because that was his right as an American.

After class, Omen went several times to the area behind the building. Having become fed up one night at the sounds coming from next door, Omen had decided he would stand for it no more. He went out the back door, and paced up and down the alleyway screaming. He sang several songs, directing the power of his voice straight at those who had forced Omen to listen to their worship. Omen felt it had come due time that they were forced to deal with his in the same way, as well he was tired of not singing at all. His voice exploded out, sending the churchgoers away from the building quickly as they exited. Omen’s smile was wide as he sang, and he had an evil look in his eyes. “Maybe next time,” Omen thought to himself, “they’ll be more careful about what their worship awakens”.

The majority of Omen’s free time was spent talking to Jamie. They texted from the moment both awoke until Omen was forced to put away his phone and go to class. It started again afterward, and lasted through the majority of the day. They talked about everything they each had on their minds. They discussed their individual futures, as well as the problems they faced. They talked at great length about the Father, and how much they both adored Him. They both admitted how happy they were to have someone to talk to that understood their perspective, and did not judge them based on faith. As they spoke so constantly, the bond between them grew deep quickly. It was not long before Omen and Jamie considered each other their chosen companion, and wished nothing more than to be together. They had discussed this many times, but the distance between them remained an issue. They pushed their distance aside, allowing themselves to grow close to one another without physical contact.

But according to Jamie, there was a serious issue. She said she was being attacked by a spirit. Not just any spirit, the one spoken of in many volumes as Asmodeus. The attacks were unprovoked, but they were done with cause. For Asmodeus was not only coming to her in spirit, affecting her home and her life, but he had taken a Human for himself. This one was willing, more than happy to trade his will for Power. Asmodeus was attempting to influence her decision, so she would be forced to go to his channel. His goal was to produce a child with Jamie, a move which Omen found strange. Until later that week, when he was allowed to go out for the day. He chose to go watch Ghost Rider 2 in the theatre, for he had been waiting for it’s release. After watching the movie, the reason was clear. Asmodeus held a Human under his control, and desired a Human with Power of their own to make a child with. In doing so the child would be born with a direct connection to the Demon, and he would be easier capable of controlling them.

Omen did his best to help Jamie fight off the will of Asmodeus. He prayed to the Father daily for strength to assist him in this effort. For Jamie had been very clear in her description of the situation. Asmodeus did not want her to be with her or to love her, only to create a child. She had become concerned that this childbirth might have fatal consequences, as is often the case with births of this level. They searched across the Internet for information that might be useful in aiding them. They spent each day together coming up with new magical strategies to mitigate the damage the energy was causing. Jamie cleansed, saged, and salted her home, attempting to drive the spirit away. Omen fought in spirit each day against the things he felt present in her home. But even as Omen struck Asmodeus with the Holy Fire, which he had mastered with Abbadon’s help, the Demon was only phased momentarily. Eventually Omen would manage to drive him back, but it would take almost every ounce of his energy to do so. And even this did not solve the issue for long, Jamie’s problems only seemed to worsen.

The Demon held her down and assaulted her body with his energy. He fought Omen as well, assaulting his mind with worry and sadness. For no reason Omen was driven down inside his own deep-seeded pain, things he had not even considered in years. Jamie had her dreams invaded, as Asmodeus would take her wherever he wished. He would use creative imagery to lure her in to a false sense of security, then proceed to reveal himself and have his way with her. As all this went on, the channel continue to force his will for Jamie to come see him, to make the child as was instructed. No matter the type of magic used, Asmodeus could not be controlled. He made the lives of both Jamie and Omen miserable as he attempted to force the lives of multiple people to line up according to his will. The only reference they could find to any sort of weapon used against the Demon was inside the Christian Bible. It referenced the need for pieces of a slatefish, but those were not to be found anywhere nearby. Other references existed inside the Enochian Magics used by King Solomon when he imprisoned the Demon, but Omen could not find where the answer lie.

Omen felt horrible for the situation Jamie found herself in. He also grew tired of the center where he stayed, because of the limitations it placed on him. His issue lie in the fact that, even after a month of doing exactly as he was told, he would still be forced to attend several classes each week. This meant that if Omen was to go to school, he would have to sacrifice studying time for a useless reason. This would also affect any job he could get, as Omen found out they had limits on the kind of job and amount of hours that could be worked. Omen saw that if he continued to stay at the shelter he would be trapped there for a very long time, and have little to show for it. After discussing this with Jamie several times, they decided to fix all their problems at once. Omen would come to stay with Jamie in Pennsylvania. She would not charge him rent, but would ask his help with tasks that needed done. Also there was a Community College nearby where Omen could finally use the monies he had earned his first term in the Army. For regardless of the nature of a discharge, as long as it is not Dishonorable, if a soldier has re-enlisted their original discharge is Honorable. This gives them full rights to all the associated GI Bill money that they had already paid into. And the GI Bill Omen paid into afforded him money for housing as well. This would give him some money to get back on to his feet with as he went to school.

Omen informed the leaders of the shelter that he would be leaving. They questioned the validity of his decision at first, wondering why he wanted to leave so bad. Omen responded that their system was designed to keep him inside it, and that he could not stand for. As well he was upset with them for taking the residents to visit the ocean, then not even allowing Omen to go to the water because others wanted to leave. Omen said that, while their shelter was nice, and good for the people that it was designed to help, Omen was not some recovering addict that needed structure. He needed freedom, and the right to move on with his life. Omen saw the shock on the faces of the Counselors at the shelter, for it was people constantly begging for more help that they were used to dealing with. By the time the conversation was over, Omen had a ride to the airport, from another of the residents, who would be released to take him. Omen bought the ticket, finalized his business in California as best he could, and awaited the day he would finally be free from all that following Sara had caused him.

Jamie prepared as well. They discussed the itinerary, and how things would be arranged. They talked about all that Omen should expect once he arrived. Omen was well aware of Jamie’s teenage daughter, of age to be considered a grown woman in her own right. Omen also was well aware of her granddaughter, a beautiful young girl with curly blonde hair. Omen knew this would be a new experience for him, as he had never been in this kind of situation before. But his strong love for Jamie gave Omen a resolve to push forward past the fear. Omen wanted, for her sake, not only to be able to coexist with the family but become a part of it. He swore that he would find a way to do so as he boarded the flight away from Los Angeles, thanking the Father for freeing him from the prison of the shelter.

14

The flights had been long. There had been delays at the airports. At one point, Omen was told he would be stranded overnight. But he pressed on, never listening to their constant pessimism. Finally Omen landed in Pennsylvania, and felt the stinging bite of the winter cold as he exited the plane. Omen proceeded down the corridor, searching for Jamie. He found her waiting just before the escalators down to the baggage claim area. She caught sight of him just after he began moving toward her. Jamie rushed to Omen, and jumped into his arms. They kissed each other, and Omen spent a minute holding Jamie in his arms. Jamie was tiny of stature, standing only to Omen’s chest. Thus it was easy for Omen to hold Jamie in his arms, happy to finally be at her side. After Omen set Jamie back down, they went and collected Omen’s bags. They hopped in Jamie’s car, and drove the road back to her home.

As they drove the two chatted happily about how excited they were to be together. They drove far from the airport, down through the roads lined with trees. The route seemed like it would be an interesting one to walk in worship. They went up a large hill, turning right into a trailer park. They wove around the area, finally coming to a stop. The trailer was dirty from the moss that had developed over too much time spent without maintenance. The front porch was rotting, the wood of the rails looking like it would fall off at any time. But inside, the trailer was well maintained. While small, the space was efficiently used. The bedrooms were reserved for Angelica, Jamie’s daughter, and Katrina, her granddaughter. The bathroom, and the washer and dryer were also on this end of the house.

Next to the front door was the kitchen. The counters and fridge wrapped around the edge of the room, connecting to the open areas for food storage. Inside the room Jamie had managed to fit both a kitchen table and the desk where her computer sat. The room that adjoined it was Jamie’s, and they were only separated by curtains and sheets. The bed was a mattress and box spring on the floor, situated in the far corner of the room. Spread around the room were a wide assortment of toys, though they had been cleared off the floor itself. On the side of the room sat a couch and a tv, at the edge of the blanket that hung over the entrance to the room. Jamie had done her best to fit dressers and decorations into the room without creating a lack of space. Omen sat his bags down next to the edge of the bed, and pulled out his hygenical items and towel. He asked if the shower was available, as he had been in transit for some time.

As Jamie led Omen back to the bathroom, Omen stopped to introduce himself to Angelica. She sat in the back room with her friends, and Omen caught a familiar odor in his nostrils. Apparently someone in this circle of friends smoked weed as well. Omen wondered, when he acquired the funds, if he might be able to purchase a bit for himself. For it had been quite some time since Omen had been able to truly relax. The only times in his life he could remember being truly calm were before he joined the Army, when he sat and smoked with his friends. And the few times he had shared with Sara, Omen had felt the same level of calm. He thought that maybe if he relaxed, he would be able to let go of all the stress of the recent months. But Omen ignored that for the moment, focusing on taking a shower.

Omen took the time to clean himself completely. After all, this was his first time seeing Jamie, and he did not want to make a bad first impression. Once he was clean and trim he went back to her room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, typing away on her phone. Omen sat down next to her, which caused her to quickly draw her phone close to her chest. Jamie commented on how good Omen smelled, which he explained was a combination of body wash and spray that he had used for some time. She asked if he was hungry, to which Omen responded that he had not eaten all day. They went into the kitchen, and Jamie used her grease fryer to make Omen some chicken strips and fries. Omen sat and enjoyed his warm meal as he and Jamie continued to converse. But at times Omen couldn’t even find words to express his feelings for Jamie. More than once he was found to just be staring into her eyes, feeling a pull from them that he could not explain. Omen hoped that with time he would relax, and be more capable of speaking plainly with Jamie.

After eating they lay down in bed together and watched TV. After a time they could not control themselves any longer, and ripped one another’s clothes off. All the energy and passion Omen had felt from a distance he attempted to draw in from Jamie. But she was still hesitant, due to her life choices. Prior to Omen Jamie had been a lesbian for 8 years, by her own repeated admission. They had spoken many times of Jamie’s past, that it might be understood who she was. But Omen never judged her for her choices, for based on her life he could understand. She had gone through 2 failed marriages, and had been abused both physically and mentally. She attributed this trait to all men, and then began dating women. But after years of experience, as she put it, “Bitches are crazy”. Jamie admitted that she had spoken to many different people over the last year or so, deciding what she wanted for herself. But she claimed Omen was the only one she truly felt safe with, the one she knew would never harm her. As Omen lay inside Jamie, he hoped someday to heal her from the pain of her past.

The next morning Omen adjusted to the routine of the home. Katrina woke early, and demanded assistance and attention. She would refuse to stay in her room, but usually was easily taken care of. The simple process of frying hash browns and opening the website for her to watch her cartoon videos on the computer was usually enough to start the child’s day. The television was left on Nick Jr. at all times, because there were shows on it the child enjoyed. Even though she had a TV in her own room, she insisted on being close to Jamie. Her grandmother seemed to be her whole world, as she called on her “Nana” for everything. When Katrina was ignored, even for a second, she would scream for her Nana at the top of her lungs. Omen understood this behavior was normal for a child of her age, still learning about proper discipline. What Omen found strange was that the behavior she was showing Julie was usually given to the mother of a child.

It didn’t take long to understand why this condition existed. Katrina had been born when Angelica was very young. Angelica was not yet ready to give up her teenage freedom, and seemed to leave the responsibilities of being a parent to her mother. Thus daily Jamie acted as both mother to Katrina and keeper of the home, while Angelica spent most of her days in the back room with her friends. As he came to realize this Omen made a point to spend more time playing with Katrina. Omen was once a child whose parents seemed not to care for him. He knew the damage that it does to a child internally to feel unwanted by their parents and those around them. Jamie was stressed to her limit from doing generally everything alone for so long, and didn’t want Katrina hanging all over her. This caused a constant conflict of interest, as Katrina sought attention while Jamie sought peace and quiet.

Omen was not completely unfamiliar with the upkeep of a home. As such he began to assist Jamie in various chores, as well in things he could do to assist with Katrina. By the third day it was Omen who began to wake up at the time allotted to let Katrina out of her room, so that Jamie could rest more. The tasks were monotonous and repetitious, but Omen performed each one happily. he hoped that by doing so it would give them more time to spend together in the evenings, that they might grow as a couple. For the daytime was too chaotic to accomplish anything, as the constant demands of the child were never-ending. But through effort Omen became so efficient at the chores that the entire house seemed to be clean within hours, even giving time for them to work on things that had been neglected. They worked together to scrub the grime off the outside of her house. Omen helped Angelica and her friends clear out tree branches in an area behind the trailer. None of these chores bothered Omen particularly, they gave him something to do.

But despite the seeming growth in the relationship, problems arose. The Human that had been trying to force Jamie to come to him, by the order of Asmodeus, began to message her again. He warned her that she would not get away, that he would find a way to make her his own. But these messages were dealt with, while many others remained in their place. For Jamie seemed to have a terrible habit, one involving her phone. She seemed to only put it down to be charged, then carried it with her again everywhere. She was constantly on it, messaging one person or another. Jamie admittedly was quite sought after in messages and texts by many people for a variety of things. But even in the times where Omen was trying to spend serious time alone with Jamie discussing important details of their relationship, her fingers seemed to work to the bone talking to someone. Out of the many people that were on this list, three stood above the rest.

The first was one of her Facebook friends, Jean. Though she lived halfway across the world, and they had never seen one another, they had bonded with each other deeply. For quite some time they considered themselves in a relationship, before Jamie decided to go back to men. Jean did not accept her precious lover’s decision, and wanted her back more than anything. She was an alcoholic, and used this excuse to constantly pull Jamie back in with sympathy. For every time she drank the woman was rotten, spouting Hatred in posts on people’s walls just to start drama. This was done with Omen personally more than once, as she belittled him on the public forum. When Omen told Jamie to deal with her mouthy friend, the only response he seemed to get was that she was sorry. She explained that she felt Jamie needed her in order to overcome her problem, that without that closeness she might go insane. Omen tried to accept this situation, but found it very hard to. For with her constant posting of photos and comments specifically referring to sexual actions she wanted with Jamie, and Jamie’s want to respond to them as acceptable, made Omen sick to his stomach. Omen confronted Jamie, but she seemed not to even hear him. This gave Jean more want to spout vileness at Omen about how she would split them apart, how Jamie was meant to be only with her.

But this paled in comparison to the other problem the relationship faced. Another of Jamie’s exes, Sonya, lived in the neighborhood. She was closely tied to all the other residents of the trailer park, a trusted friend. At first, out of respect for Omen, Sonya was not even allowed to come inside the house. It was only after Omen agreed to let Sony come over as a family friend to visit that she did so. Omen allowed this because she did hang out with and smoke with Angelica, and the girl had complained that Omen was interfering. Omen did not want to stand in the way of people spending time together, simply for it to be known that he and Jamie were together. But his kindness was quickly abused, the vileness in Sonya showing past the shiny cross she wore on her chest. She claimed to be a faithful Christian, but he actions proved otherwise.

Before long, Sonya was running the relationship between Omen and Jamie. She did this by constantly taking Jamie away from the home to go “run errands”, leaving Katrina at the trailer with Omen. This made Omen feel more like an indentured servant than a partner, and hurt him inside terribly. Jamie spent the majority of her days texting both Sonya and Jean, constantly claiming that she was not. She also had a habit of taking her phone with her into the bathroom each night, so she could speak privately with them. Also, Sonya had told Omen that their bond was so strong she could feel each time Omen touched Jamie, and begged her to solve this issue. Suddenly, Jamie became distant physically and emotionally, as Sonya wrapped her ex back around her finger.

Omen sat Jamie down and brought all his issues to the table. He would not hold in his feelings like he had with Sara, not with someone he cared for so much. He begged Jamie to see the mistake she was making, to think about his feelings for once. She responded harshly, saying she was doing nothing wrong, and Omen should be more secure in himself. She said Omen would never understand the depths of bonding that exist in a lesbian relationship, and Jamie claimed to be having difficulty leaving that behind. Omen gritted his teeth and dealt with the offenses, simply because he wanted the relationship to work. He went out into the night, singing out to the Father for guidance. Omen begged for help, so that this relationship might be saved. The other residents of the trailer park called the police, who stopped Omen’s singing on the side of the road. But after telling them the truth about his faith and what he was doing, they recorded his name for reference and left. No matter what else went on, Omen would never be denied his faith.

The situation only seemed to get worse. Three days after he had arrived, Jamie started her period. But the bleeding continued on, the flow just as heavy as the first day. After a week of this Jamie scheduled a doctor’s appointment to be examined. There was no explanation for the extensiveness of the bleeding, but still it continued. Jamie grew weaker every day from the loss of blood. Jean and Sonya took this opportunity to blame Omen for her complications, saying he had done something to harm her. Omen fought back against the accusations, but mistrust seemed to be developing. Now Omen was being looked down upon by Jamie as he struggled to find a solution. But he refused to give up on her, for he believed she meant her words about loving him.

After about a week and a half, another complication. Jean had been blocked again due to her harassment of Jamie when she was drunk. But in her place came another, named Shawn. He also felt a need to constantly post pictures referring to wants for love and sex and Jamie’s wall. Omen stood against this immediately, claiming there was no reason for her to do it. For while Jean and Sonya represented an aspect of Jamie’s life that Omen could not be a part of, another male did not fall in this same category. But just like the others, Jamie allowed Shawn to post pic after pic, even calling him her “boyfriend” on Facebook. Omen had no idea what else he could say to get through to Jamie, who thought the one person Omen was talking to was the one harming her. But Omen only spoke to Kindra, and only for advice on what he might do to fix things. In order to support Jamie in all things, Omen showed his dedication to her by magically attacking Kindra. SHe felt it immediately, and at that point had to stop talking to Omen for awhile. Even Omen knew that Kindra was not the cause of the issue, but he still strove to prove to her that he cared.

Then one day, Omen awoke to find Jamie missing. She came back later, and Sonya was with her. Jamie’s eyes seemed almost blank as she walked back to the bathroom. Sonya proceed to inform Omen that he had three days to find a place to go. She said she knew some shelters in the area, but that Omen would either leave by choice or be forced to. Sonya left the trailer, and Omen went to find Jamie, desperate to know what was going on. But as he asked her if she was going to allow this, he was met with the same blank stare. Jamie stated that she would be leaving soon, to take Katrina to the park as she had promised. Omen agreed with this decision, as Katrina rarely got out of the house. About fifteen minutes later Jamie and Katrina left with Sonya for the park.

Omen didn’t waste a second. Jamie had made her decision, now Omen would make his. He raced back and forth through the empty house, collecting all of his belongings. Back they went into the same three bags, a process Omen had become quite skilled at. In his anger at her treatment, Omen ripped in half a present he had made for Jamie while he was at the shelter in California. As he was almost finished, Angelica came back home. She asked Omen what he was doing, and he told her the truth. She was visually shocked, and swore that she thought Omen and her mother were doing well. But she understood when he explained it to her. Angelica rolled up a sizable joint, and they smoked together as Omen awaited his taxi. Right as they finished it rolled up in front of the trailer, and Omen tossed his bags inside. He gave Angelica a hug, told her to do the same for Katrina, and hopped in the cab. He was crying as he departed the trailer, but he knew it was for the best.

But Omen had no money left for a hotel. His mother, hearing the situation, had provided the funding to cover his train ride home. In desperation, Omen contacted his father. This was something he hated doing, as the relationship was strained at best. But he was relieved when, after taking time to discuss it with Omen’s step-mother, he sent his information to a motel 6 nearby. Omen checked into his room, dropped his bags, and prepared for the evening. His mother had sent him just enough money to cover food and cigarettes for the evening, and the cab fares from Jamie’s house to the train. So Omen went and acquired these things, making sure to save a few dollars for the trip. For it would take more than a day to reach Illinois, and there was a changeover in Chicago. But Omen decided that physical starvation was better than the emotional pain he was enduring.

It was only about a half hour after Omen left that Jamie returned home. Not long after that she became completely aware of the fact that Omen had left. Omen’s phone blew up with messages, sent on every forum. Jamie begged Omen’s forgiveness, and claimed she was dealing with more than he knew. She claimed to have been very clouded lately, even denying knowledge of several of their conversations. She asked him not to leave, swore that she would do more to make him happy. Jamie said she loved Omen, that she needed him by her side, and she wanted him to come back to her.

It was several hours before Omen responded the first time. He had been asked by several people not to do so at all. But Omen knew once his mind was made up no words could sway him. When he finally texted back, he refused her apology. He told Jamie that she had treated him horribly, and refused to even once put his feelings first. This violated a promise Jamie had made before Omen had ever arrived, and Omen would not stand for liars. He went on to say that she had put the wants and needs of ex-girlfriends before the needs of the one she claimed to be with now. She had no want to change those things about herself that hurt Omen, even as he did everything to change for her. This was the worst form of one-sided relationship, extending even so far as their vampiric habits.

Like Omen, Jamie took energy vampirically. For her was usually done as people stared into her eyes, even in photos on Facebook. Omen gave this of Jamie a nickname, calling it the “Black Diamond”. Omen knew from his own personal experience the effect it had. It sought after energy, creating a form of “pull”. Those who stared into her eyes, even in pictures, and wanted what they saw inside, were drawn to this Diamond. The way Omen had explained it to Jamie, “It shines in the the most brilliant of light, making one only want to draw nearer”. But the shine of the Gem was not limited to just one person. Many exist on Facebook who are looking and wanting, and they too catch the shine of the Gem. If they are allowed to stare too closely, they will become entranced by it. In this method they are fed from, but they also grow deeply attached. This was proven in all the situations that had arisen recently. Sonya started getting of Jamie’s time, then refused to give any back. Jean was given the right to speak and post pictures again, but lost it due to the same abuses within weeks. Now even this new person Shawn had been drawn in, and demanded her for himself. This was a game that Omen refused to continue playing.

Omen left the motel, walking out towards the nearby businesses. In between was the bridge for the Highway, with a street that ran underneath. With the moon shining brightly above him, Omen exploded in song. Even in this moment, when life seemed to be falling apart, Omen knew where to turn. He felt the Father’s Presence beside him as he sang, daring even to walk the hill next to the Highway. Omen was fearless in his song, screaming out at people he caught staring. He had grown tired of people’s criticism, for many of them were not nearly as capable as Omen. Few had gone through even half of the torment that Omen had just recently faced their entire lives. Omen saw them as mindless puppets, following only the preset standards they were given. For that is the mind of the world at large, hypnotized by the lies of religion and government. But Omen strove to find a way to change these ignorant viewpoints, to show people they were still being lied to. This was the most prominent want inside Omen, and he recognized it came straight from the Father. Whatever else he might do with his life, this was to be his main function. Armed with this knowledge, Omen was able to fight off the pain, and come back into peace with the Father.

Omen went to eat dinner.The food mattered little, as the stress of recent events weighed on Omen. Jamie continued to ask Omen if he would come back and talk to her. Omen replied that if Jamie wanted to see him, she could come to his hotel room. Excuses continued to fly as to the reason why this could not be done. Through this Omen recognized the true intent. She wanted to bring Omen back, find a way to apologize, and convince him to stay. A common trick, one Omen had watched his own mother use many years ago, along with Sara more recently. Omen laughed at the perceived “mind games” of females, and all the times in his life he had been forced to defeat them. For Omen told every woman he ever intended to be with the same thing, “I don’t play games, and I don’t put up with them being played on me”. As Jamie refused to come to the hotel, Omen finally laid down to sleep.

The next morning, he jumped in the same cab he had used the day before. He had made prior arrangements with the driver to be there in the morning, so he did not have to wait on a ride. He traveled to the nearest train station, about 20 minutes away. Omen entered the station, and filled out the required forms. He had already purchased his ticket online, so this was just the method of picking them up. After getting his tickets, Omen went and purchased some snacks and drinks at the stand. They were overpriced as expected, but this would be Omen’s last chance. Then Omen went outside and smoked as he waited for the train to arrive. During this time, he received many messages. His mother wanted to know the itinerary, what time he should be expected in Illinois. His father wanted to ensure he was safely at the station. Also Jamie continued to text Omen about her sadness at losing him, and how she wished she could make it right by him. Omen told her not to concern herself with such things, that she had chosen what she felt was best for herself. He told Jamie he hoped she would find what made her happy, even if that was not Omen.

The train ride was long and boring. Omen did his best to pass the time listening to his music and reflecting on all the events of the last several months. He knew he was still missing something, that all these trials had a reason. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the sigil of Lucifer he was carrying. This had been the replacement token of faith that he had carried, but it had refused to be worn around Omen’s neck. No matter the chain or cord used to tie the sigil, it found a way to fall off. Thus Omen had begun carrying it in his pocket instead, so as not to lose the sigil entirely. He sat on the train, flipping it between his fingers, as he found himself prone to do every time the object was held. He tried to locate an answer, for Omen figured if he found what he searched for the misery would end.

Jamie continued to speak to Omen, professing her undying true affection. Omen responded that his feelings for her had never died, simply his want to be tortured to be with her. The words mattered little, for every time Omen had Internet access the same things were being done. Still the pictures flowed, still Jamie seemed to ask for more. Shawn’s posts were spread across her wall in all form and fashion. And through further examination, she had done the same for him. Omen told Jamie that as long as she continued this pattern of selfishness that Omen would not be with her. Thus the texting slowed, becoming more focused on aspects outside their relationship. Omen began to let the texts flow without thinking about them at all, the responses he sent total automation. For inside, Omen was broken. During the ride, Omen sought to deal with the chaos inside him. The emotions were managed as Omen was used to doing. He thought his way through the spect of the pain that caused it to exist first, for without this step the rest was useless. Then he took the energy of the pain that clawed at his chest and forced it inside, into the swirling ball that had always existed at Omen’s center.

Omen had the definition of the “center” explained to him many times. Most saw it as a spinning ball inside the body which manages the energies of the major chakras. It has been defined as several of the chakras themselves, the most prominent being the heart and solar plexis. But as Omen had spent much time looking inward, he had found something else. While he could feel the spinning energies associated with the chakras, the energy of the center was much more elusive. As the Human mind and body fluctuate between efforts of faith and effort of worldly necessity, the center seemed to move between the chakras, focusing itself on the ones most necessary for the task. Thus the center could not be any of the chakras individually, for they remain in their own locations. Omen continued to evaluate himself, searching for his own true center.

Then, Omen realized his mistake. The energy that bound the chakras together, the center of energies, was what Christians referred to as the soul. The energy that binds to the body, allowing all the amazing and complex aspects of Humanity to exist. If this was the case, then the energy Omen sought was the essence of his own soul. This gave Omen more reason to seek success, that he might understand what it was he felt inside himself. Omen dropped even further into his evaluation of himself. He tried to visualize himself as energy inside a shell. He saw the aura that projected out from him, as well the spinning of the chakras inside. Omen tried to “stare” at each thing, to locate the heart of their power.

As he did this, Omen had a memory of the past. Long before Omen had accepted the Father purely, he was unsure of his path. He sought answers inside Wicca, a religion a fellow solider in his unit practiced. But when he requested that she teach him, he was forcefully denied. He was told that he was never to be trained, for the risk was too great. When he inquired why, the answer was not a simple one. “I can see you, both inside and out. Your aura projects a dark black that seems to enhance the Darkness around it. But when I stare inward further, what lies inside is worse. It is undefinably evil, and with such a strong energy inside you I cannot train you in magic. Such would upset the Balance of energies, and my kind are prevented from doing this.”

As he thought back on this, Omen tried to search for this energy. He tried to remember the feelings he had weeks before, when he stood enraged in the parking lot of the shelter. He went back further, remembering the times with Sara. He digressed even further still, into his history with the Army. Omen tapped into his own mind during those times, focusing on the feelings inside. He began to see a pattern, and focused on it. Inside the pattern Omen located a feeling that seemed to overcome him each time he was pushed too far. In doing so he located an energy that was separate from all the others. Omen searched for this energy in his current state, but it seemed to have hidden itself away. But Omen knew that next time he was overcome in such a way, he would be able to find what he searched for. In the meantime, Omen was content to worship the Father, and thank Him for giving Omen the next step in his search.

After over a day of transfer and travel, Omen finally arrived in Bloomington. His mother was there to pick him up, and they quickly left for the house. Omen’s mother criticized him for his actions, saying he would have been better off in California. Omen denied this for a variety of reasons, but most of which she did not want to hear. For they involved his devotion to the Father, something that Omen’s mother could not tolerate. Though she almost never attended church, and her habits were selfish and vile, she called herself a Christian. Her home had huge displays of angels, her belief in her own false faith. But she remained as such, professing things she did not act upon. Additionally, she decided to place judgment on the beliefs of her only son. She made a slew of rules for Omen to follow. She demanded that he not practice his faith in her home. She wanted Omen to pretend to be someone he was not. She demanded things of him that Omen knew he would not be able to give. But Omen was used to pushing past the arrogance of his mother, for he had done it for years. At times his mother could be quite stubborn, but she was reasonable. Once something was explained logically, usually she would relax. Omen hoped this would be the case as they drove back to the house.

As he walked inside, Omen was rushed by one of the dogs. He stopped and petted her for a second, but continued to search the house. Soon afterward he found what he was looking for, and rushed to greet his friend. Harley was his favorite of all the dogs his mother had owned. He was a cocker spaniel, with fur of pure black. He was the first dog that Omen had gotten to live with and bond, once h had reached the age where things of that nature mattered. Harley had slept in bed with Omen almost every night during his years before the Army, when he last stayed here. Harley was the closest friend Omen felt he had, as he was the only one that did not betray. Omen hugged Harley for several minutes, taking time to scratch the dog’s favorite spots, causing his leg to kick. It had been too long since Omen was able to spend time with Harley, for the last time with Sara he had been too busy taking care of her needs. Harley was not the same now as he had been however. He had gone blind and deaf due to various conditions the doctors diagnosed. But he had not lost his spirit or his intelligence. Even blind, Harley still managed to make his way through the two-floor house. Even in his old age, Harley made a point to go to the bathroom outside.

Angel rushed forward, licking Omen in the face. Of all the dogs, Angel had always been the most energetic. She was also a cocker spaniel like Harley, but her fur was a dark blonde. Angel had been bought when Harley had been found not to be enough companionship for Omen’s mother, primarily because he chose to spend his time with Omen. Angel had always been her “Mommy’s baby”, and she had the habits of a spoiled child. She was stubborn, randomly would mess in the house, and even “talked back” at times, neither growling nor barking but a combination that resembled speech. All these traits made her extremely endearing, despite the effort required to clean up after her. Omen spent time with them both as his face was soaked with Angel’s slobber. Omen laughed joyously, for the love of the animals was the most want for him that he had felt in some time.

Omen stood back up, picking his bags up again. He went back into the same room where he and Sara had stayed during his last visit. But the air mattress was gone. In its place was a twin-sized bed pushed up against the left wall. It had three drawers underneath it, and the wood of it was painted black. Next to the bed, at the far edge of the room, was a small nightstand. Omen’s mother explained that because she and her husband slept in separate rooms, due to his breathing condition, this was the only room available. And the computer desk would remain, as this would still be their office. Omen sighed at the cramped space, being reminded of the shelter in California. But as he built the cheap plastic closet that his mother had bought at a yard sale, Omen knew he would make the best of it.

There was a knock at the door. James, Omen’s step-father, entered the room. He said hello and gave Omen a hug. Then he sat down at the computer, to work on burning movies. For James had a program that allowed him to download entire movies, then burn them onto blank DVDs. In this way Omen’s mother had sent him tons of movies over the years, until he had stopped speaking to her. James complained about how he had just had to buy the newest software, and how expensive it had been. Omen looked through the collection of the movies James had made, selecting some of his favorites. He said he would watch them when he had a chance. Once Omen had unpacked most of his things, his mother requested that they all go relax in the jacuzzi. Omen agreed, knowing this would be just the kind of relaxing break he needed.

The three shared drinks as they sat in the jacuzzi, discussing many things. The question arse as to what Omen was to do next. He said that he’d had been considering a career in mechanics for some time. This brought a smile to his mother’s face, as her father had done the same. They discussed option for making this happen, most of which only lacked a means of transportation. But Omen would also have to make contact with the VA, and set up appointments for himself. If Omen was ever to receive any form of disability for the variety of injuries he had suffered in the Army, he would have to undergo more testing. This was largely in part due to the way in which the Army had forced him out, not allowing these tests to be done. They made plans to make appointments for Omen to deal with this issue, and his mother said she would drive. Omen finally seemed able to focus on his individual life for a change. It had suffered much damage, but he felt it could all be fixed.

15

It had been about a month since Omen had moved into his mother’s house. He had been trying to work on a variety of issues, but seemed to encounter serious roadblocks at every turn. Omen went to the VA offices to start his evaluation process. But their system was so flooded with veterans seeking aid that it was weeks before Omen could see a primary provider. The doctor had just recently had issues of her own, and had braces on both legs. But she evaluated Omen’s list of issues reasonably, setting up tests to look in to them further. But the tests were booked solid for moths, and there was no guarantee when Omen would be called to go. But while there Omen was checked over more than once, and some things were discovered. Omen had suffered minor hearing loss in his right ear, the one which had sat next to weapon as he fired at the range. And finally, they had allowed him a chance to be diagnosed photophobic. Omen had told the Army for years about his sensitivity to light, but they refused to believe him. But now, Omen finally had medical proof that his sunglasses were not just a fashion statement.

The last doctors he saw were mental, and they evaluated all that Omen had been through. He was honest with them, only omitting details which he knew would just cause problems. After the conversations Omen was sent to the pharmacy, to pick up medication. Another thing his mother had demanded was that Omen get some form of medication, to “control himself”. Omen did not understand his mother’s belief in the pills. After all, Omen had been given a variety of them during his military service. They had dulled him each time, producing nothing like the intended result. They never controlled anxiety, depression, or anger, but they did seem to dull the mind into complacency. Once, while in Iraq, Omen had done as instructed by his doctor in case of emergency. He took an extra pill beyond his normal dosage, because he had important missions to complete. The entire day Omen had felt like a mindless robot, emotionless but effective. After reaching this point once, Omen swore never to do it again. He would not force pills into himself designed to dull the activity in his brain. This was ignorance, and attempt to chemically control what was Created. It also was found to cut off the spiritual connection severely, making communication with the Father more difficult. After less than two weeks Omen stopped taking the medication, simply holing the jar in his home.

Omen found joy in going out walking. He went and sang up and down the streets of Pekin, caring little for the opinions of others nearby. Omen had no money, but he still treasured what he had. Despite his mother’s pleas for him to abandon the Father, Omen maintained his faith. Even as she complained so much about the pendant around his neck that he was forced to change it to pacify her. The one she wanted him to wear in its place depicted a snake and a flame, which she figured suited what she knew about her son. Omen attempted to wear the necklace, but got a terrible feeling from it. Thus Omen continued to wear his symbol of faith, simply hiding it from their eyes. As usual, no Human existed that was capable of forcing Omen to give up his faith, just as the Father had instructed.

Omen began to seek companionship, going to many local bars and clubs. But his mother, who still wished to enjoy her younger days, always wanted to come along. Omen felt a myriad of embarassment and rage as his mother spoke to females, attempting to get them to want Omen. This was disgusting, as Omen knew he was not what is considered normal. Trying to develop any kind of relationship, even a friendly one, with the average uninformed Mundane can be dangerous. Many place instant judgments based on their perceptions. Many are found to be the kind of Christian that spends more time hating those not of their faith than worshiping. Even worse, some are untapped sources of magical energy, and interacting with them may cause them to become a target for hungry Demons. Omen knew that it took much evaluation before anyone could be brought close, this was the reason he stayed back quietly.

To deal with her stupidity, Omen tried to find solace singing karaoke. While he was well aware that he was not the greatest singer ever born, he also knew the capabilities of his voice. For with practice, through doing constant worship to the Father, Omen’s voice had developed. He now seemed to be able to maintain longer notes, even past the point where his voice failed him. Also he had come to feel the presence inside him. At times this energy projected itself through Omen, causing his voice to have an explosive force. But Omen found that karaoke was not designed for him, simply because it allowed him to place judgment on his voice. This made Omen nervous, and his voice lost his power. Omen began to work on various methods by which he might break free of his nervousness, and let his voice flow. But what he found was that he preferred his method of worship. For with the inability to hear himself, Omen could truly sing out from his soul. As he did, he could feel himself connect to the Father. It seemed like he grew closer each day to his goal of finding himself.

Omen began to practice his channeling. He focused himself, learning to pull in more than just Abbadon. Through this Omen was given a greater perspective on those called “Demons” or “Fallen Angels”. Several of the varied spirits Omen managed to channel simply enjoyed the beauty of the planet, the splendor that Hell would never know. Each one was grateful to Omen for allowing them a chance to interact with the world on a deeper level than the spirit is capable. Through this Omen made many “friends” in the Spirit Realm. As he did so, he began to hear whispers of an enemy. He had dealt with this one before, but even Omen had not considered the extent of it. As the name of his enemy was revealed, as the facts were put together, the truth of the story was revealed.

It was, and had been, Asmodeus that plagued Omen. The reason for this was simple, Omen had defied him and been successful in tearing his plans asunder. Omen began to associate the details of Asmodeus’ many descriptions throughout text to his thoughts, as well as what both he and Jamie had experienced. Upon closer examination, the story of their time together held a staunch similarity to a tale of Asmodeus in the old days. This story existed in the Book of Tobit, where the story of Sarah and Asmodeus is told. In the story, the Demon wished Sarah for himself, and would slay any man that came to claim her. Omen realized that Asmodeus wished the same thing for Jamie. He wanted her for his own, to be manipulated by his choice. He wanted her to have no will of her own, simply to follow him without question. Like Sarah before her, Jamie was trapped in the battle for Asmodeus’ control of her life. But the reason for Asmodeus’ actions toward Omen were simple, Omen had stopped his plans.

Even now that he was gone, Omen still continued to advise Jamie against following Asmodeus. He told her that her will was meant to be her own, and she had the right to choose for herself. This made Omen a direct enemy to Asmodeus’ goal, and Asmodeus was not amused. He hammered Omen with the truth, that everything previously had been influenced by him. He had driven Sonya mad with lust for Jamie, and given her the ability to feel Omen touching her. He had pushed Jean to the edge of sanity, so that she would drink and cause chaos. Even now Asmodeus claimed to be working, through the one Jamie had blatantly disrespected Omen for. Upon evaluating the Facebook posts, the truth was identical. Shawn’s pictures and postings all screamed that they came from a man who lusted greatly, and used poetry to express his internal want. Omen warned Jamie that she was treading in dangerous territory. Jamie asked Omen why he cared, as she was not with him anymore. Omen responded that he saw a threat, and was responding to it the best way he knew how.

But she did not listen. In her haste to find the appropriate mate, Jamie brought Shawn to visit her. But the entire time, Jamie was texting Omen what was going on. For as Omen predicted, Shawn was not all he claimed to be. She said he was lazy, and that he had come expecting everyone else to pay for his needs. He asked to do tattoos for people in payment, but according to Jamie the work was shoddily done. She refused to let him tattoo her, because she felt a strange will coming from him. After being asked for advice on the matter, Omen contemplated the situation. Once he realized the true issue, he quickly warned Jamie. One trained in both magic and tattoo artistry could easily be doing a tattoo for someone, but inscribe on their body a spell of any kind. Based on his want for Jamie, Shawn would most likely use some kind of spell to keep her wanting and attached to him. Omen warned her of this potential, telling her to be wary of her choices in the near future. Jamie thanked Omen for his assistance, claiming that it would all be over soon.

Asmodeus continued to torment Omen. His image was seen inside nightmares Omen had almost every evening. While awake, Omen was tormented with the voice of the Demon. As the assault continued, Omen began to lose contact with the Father. This was not unexpected however, as Jamie had described the same kind of problem months before. It seemed one of Asmodeus’ strongest powers was his ability to “block out” the other spirits. As he did so, he made many attempts to mask himself as them. But Omen spotted the False Father and False Abbadon almost immediately, for he had learned more than their voices. He could feel them individually, he knew how they felt internally. The false projections Asmodeus brought forth, when examined, felt rotten inside. This was another easily recognizable sign of Asmodeus, the rotten feelings. For every time the Demon attacked, misery was his strongest tool. He loved to assault the mind with visions of him taking Jamie by one method or another, producing a child, then taking that child for himself to be used as a Human tool. As he did this Asmodeus would laugh at Omen and say, “You have barely slowed my plans, miserable Human. You will see soon enough, I have already won this game”.

But Omen refused to be beaten so easily. He realized that his biggest problem of late had been his ability to hear the Father, due to Asmodeus’ interference. Omen tried many things to ward off the Demon, but to no avail. He saged the entire house, as he thrust the whitest of energies out. Many things were driven away from the home, but not Asmodeus. Each day the assault seemed to get worse, as the laughing grew louder in his mind. But Omen countered this by staying in contact with Jamie, and helping her see past the lies. Then, Omen heard something that was both unthinkable and somewhat expected. Due to the fact that Omen had been so kind to her, Jamie was nervous around the forceful Shawn. After days without, in his haste to obtain Jamie Shawn tried to force himself upon her. He ripped at her clothes, intending to get to what lie underneath. She begged him to stop, told Shawn he was scaring her. Then, like clockwork, Baal overtook Jamie. She grabbed Shawn by the throat and thrust him against the nearest wall. This was an amazing feat for someone of her size, but Omen had seen the strength of Baal personally. After this the situation calmed down significantly, and she had been fine according to the messages she was sending.

But the thing she had noted as extremely strange was the situation surrounding the incident. Even Jamie admitted that, just before it happened, Shawn was not acting like himself. Even his voice had seemed just a bit different than usual as he attempted to assault her. And she claimed his stare had been blank as he went at her, not the usual lustful expectation one would expect from a male about to have sex after some time. Afterward, Shawn had no recollection of what he had done. He acted as if Jamie was lying to him when she told him the story, and was terribly apologetic. He said the last thing he could remember was talking to her, staring into her eyes, and feeling a deep want for her. Omen realized what was going on. Since Omen had kept Jamie away from the one he had chosen, Asmodeus intended to use anyone he could find. This meant Jamie faced threats from every direction, for lust is a powerful weapon, and Asmodeus wields it like no other.

In their research, Omen and Jamie had learned much about Asmodeus and his Power. He controls and manipulates the darkest of Lust inside the Human mind. This causes the most vile of desires, but Omen had learned that it did not happen instantaneously. Asmodeus worked slow, convincing the subject that it was love they felt in their hearts, and this was why they needed to pursue it so strongly. It was also discovered that Asmodeus has a severe distaste for Humans, in any aspect other than as tools in his plans. The only reason Omen could define for this was because Humans were able to contest him, and he enjoyed destroying their beliefs. Just as with the story of Sarah, who had so many suitors killed in the name of Asmodeus’ control, their were a slew of other realizations that were added. Asmodeus was the same Spirit that had infected the minds of the Catholic Priests, convincing them that their love for those that served the Lord’s Altar needed to be pursued physically. Of all the things Asmodeus had been shown to hate, it was pure religious leaders. For Asmodeus wants none to find True Faith, that their souls might come to the Pit for torment. In this way Asmodeus is strengthened, both by the energy expended by so many chasing their Lust, as well by all the souls dragged down by his misdeeds. This same threat now faced Omen and Jamie, but they refused to submit. They were both Children of the Father, taught to fight to the death for what is believed to be right inside.

About a week after Shawn had finally left Pennsylvania, and told never to return, Omen got a distressing set of messages. As they had continued to fight back against the will of Asmodeus, Jamie had noticed a strange lump in her breast. She had thought nothing of it at first, except for the nagging feeling that she was in danger. But when she went to the doctor, they confirmed everyone’s worst suspicions. Out of the blue, Jamie had contracted breast cancer. She said she heard Asmodeus laughing at her in her mind. He told her, “If I cannot have you, then I shall watch you die”. Jamie began to become severely depressed. She questioned her path, saying she would even turn away from the Father to make the pain stop. But Omen reminded her that when you are born of the Father, there is no real path but that of the Darkness. Everything else is an illusion, a trick a person plays on their own mind. But as they both understood their connections, they knew they had assistance. The only problem was that all their associated spirits seemed more interested in letting the two fix their own problems than to do it for them. Jamie and Omen continued to try and find a way to stop the attack, as Omen fixed other issues in his life.

Ever since Omen had left the military, he felt extensively owed. For the Army had slighted him in every way as he left, taking the entirety of Omen’s last paycheck. This included all his saved leave days that were cashed in, along with all his finalized monies. Omen had known for some time that he could collect unemployment for a time off of the military wages. He had started trying when he lived in Tennessee with Fenris, then again in California when he was with Sara. Each time, the process of paperwork and information was longer than the amount of time which Omen spent in one place, and was never finished. While in Illinois, Omen finally had the time to complete it. But when he tried to do so, he ran into a major roadblock. Due to the process by which state governments loan money from the federal government in order to pay out federal unemployment wages, Omen’s funds were lost somewhere. When he had been in California, they had requested the federal funds, even thought they never paid Omen any money. When he tried to request it in Illinois, it could not be done, for the funds had already been allotted. It took much effort, with Omen being forced to contact State Representatives in both Illinois and California, but eventually the problem was solved.

When Omen received his first payment, it also included back pay. Omen decided that he needed to use this money to purchase a vehicle, as lack of transportation was a serious issue. As Omen began looking, his mother came to him excitedly. She said she had found a vehicle that was perfect for him. An S-10 Blazer, the full-size model of the truck Omen had once owned. She said she had seen the vehicle several times, and that she felt it needed to be his. Omen went to look at the vehicle himself. It was red on the outside, and the interior was done in red and black leather. It was an older model vehicle, but the body seemed to be in good condition. Omen called the owner, and scheduled a test drive. It was found to drive beautifully, the exhaust roaring with each press of the pedal. The biggest downside Omen found was that the driver’s seat was a little weak, and might break someday. Also the antenna was missing, and the vehicle had only a tape player. But Omen knew he had a converter somewhere, he would just have to find it.

Omen’s mother became urgent in her pleading with Omen to find a way to purchase the vehicle. She said he might lose his chance soon, that he needed to jump on the opportunity. Omen’s step-father had agreed to get a loan from his bank, provided Omen made the payments to him each moth for the vehicle. Omen agreed, and the money order was acquired. Omen purchased the Blazer, and drove it back to his mother’s house. He knew the vehicle was old, and would have some issues. But Omen intended to become a mechanic, so he figured learning to do such things would come in time. He knew also that he would not be able to drive the vehicle for some time, until he could get the plates and insurance for it legalized. Omen had never been one to drive illegally, as he had seen it cost many of his friends their licenses. As he waited Omen began to acquire the materials to wash and wax his vehicle to perfection, so that it would be ready.

But the seller had been very dishonest with Omen. The paint was cheap, and the wax seemed to be absorbed into it, leaving a nasty film on the vehicle. When Omen found the tape converter, he found the reason for the missing antenna. The speakers were all blown, producing nothing but static. The air conditioning refused to work, even after it was recharged. As well both the driver and passenger windows were starting to weaken, becoming more difficult to roll up without assistance. Omen raged at the fact that he had been pushed to buy a vehicle with so many obvious faults and issues, that would have been seen if he would have been allowed more time to consider them. But he resigned to do his best with what he had been given, and to use it as a reminder of the lesson he had been taught before about Idolatry. Now that his vehicle was not capable of shining brightly and making others jealous, Omen would not waste the time to make it happen. Now Omen did not have a vehicle for show or for play, merely for use and function. Omen was thrilled as he got to drive around again, for it had been months since he had a vehicle to call his own.

Now Omen had a means of transport, and a system of base funding. He knew that this was the time in which he needed to figure out what he was going to do with his life. For staying still too long would waste the funds, making progress impossible. But rushing to be on his own would leave Omen with a need to work and do schooling, which would lower the quality of his effort in each aspect. Omen’s mother felt it necessary to force her wants for Omen down his throat. She had found a college nearby that she wanted him to attend. She wanted him to live there as he commuted to school, until he had gotten his degree. Then she expected him to find a job nearby, so as to stay in the local area. This had always been one of his mother’s habits, a constant attempt to drag him back to his old life. It would be different now that Omen was an adult, but the woman still craved time with her child, the time she wasted not caring when Omen was young.

But Omen found himself in an emotional dilemma. He had spoken to Jamie frequently about her situation. She was still being pressured, from seemingly every direction. As well her daughter seemed to respond poorly to her mother’s admission that she had cancer. Rather than step up and take over, Angelica still maintained her selfish habits, leaving all the workload on Jamie. Katrina was getting a bit older now, and her rambunctious habits were increasing. Jamie knew that if she was left in this situation to try and heal from the initial shock of chemotherapy she would not last long enough to. She contemplated leaving both children, going somewhere else to stay as she healed. But none of the options would last, for the people all would have to rejoin their own lives.

Omen sat amidst a sea of confusion. On the one hand, Jamie had been very rotten to him in the past. But on the other, she was in a terrible situation, one anyone would beg to be free from. What she needed most was help, someone that would not only be there for her, but to assist her as well. Omen knew the routine of the home well enough that he could manage it like clockwork. Dealing with the child would not be as easy, but Katrina seemed to like Omen anyway. Above all these facts however, Omen had never stopped caring for Jamie. She had begged his forgiveness so many times for her stupid miscalculations, for all the times she refused to listen to him when he was warning her. And through her Omen had located others on his Facebook page who were using Satanic groups to steal energy from people as they worshiped in faith. In this way Omen was able to locate and cut off a source of energy loss for them both thanks to Jamie’s fine observations. The two made an excellent team when they were focused, each being able to “fill the gaps” in the other’s reasoning. Omen had never felt this closely bonded to someone in heart and spirit, and he dreaded losing her to sickness or Demonic influence.

After much debating, Omen made a decision. He would fly out to Pennsylvania for a time, and assist Jamie during the first part of her recovery. Then he would return to Illinois, prepared to move on with the rest of his life. But this trip was also a test, to see if the mistakes of the past could be corrected through effort. If the test proved successful, the two could easily work out a plan to be together somewhere once Omen was settled and in college. She promised Omen that she would do better than before, that her previous mistakes with her lesbian past were behind her. Sonya had moved states away, and was gone from the situation entirely. Jean, due to the same abusive behavior as usual, had been blocked completely. And she had seen Shawn for what he was, a tool of Asmodeus. Jamie claimed to be learning how to sense Asmodeus when he came into the home, to prevent whatever nonsense he created. Through everything they had learned in the last failure, it was claimed that this time would be totally different. Jamie promised to open herself up completely to Omen, to stop hiding inside herself. Omen asked only that Jamie be his, and that they be allowed a real chance to grow as a couple. Jamie agreed to the terms, saying she needed no one else with one that was so capable beside her.

Omen began to prepare. But his mother, who held a deep grudge against any woman that hurt her son emotionally, refused to agree with his plans. She claimed that he was being an idiot, that Jamie did not deserve help. She claimed that Jamie was paying a penance for everything she had done to Omen and to others. She stood so firm in her belief that she told her son to his face, “If you leave, you will have no home to come back to”. This shocked Omen, as even his vindictive mother usually responded to facts. But in this case, even the notion that Jamie had cancer, and had no one else to turn to, did not sway his mother an inch. She claimed that her son was a fool, born with too much ability to care for others. She said this was not the first time this had harmed him in his life, and that he needed to learn to let go of his feelings.

But Omen had no want to give up what made him Human. He wanted to believe Jamie, he wanted someone to truly love him. As well he wanted to finally conquer Asmodeus, and free Jamie from his control. He had advised that this was possible, but not a direct method to do such, by someone Jamie had asked him to speak to. The man’s name was Tim, and he was supposedly a well-respected Satanic leader. Apparently the man had years upon years of experience in both religion and magic, and was viewed by many to be one of the top minds currently present in Satanism. For this reason, Omen excitedly greeted Tim on the phone. He did not want to speak in text or Facebook message, Omen preferred one-on-one conversation for matters like this. He and Tim spoke for about an hour, and he was given various advice. Tim told Omen to pray to Baal, to ask for his guidance on how to protect the woman he cared for. He told Omen he might be able to arrange some sort of deal with the Demon, in exchange for the Power he sought. Omen took the advice, though he did change it a bit. He prayed to the Father, that His Will be fulfilled in Omen’s life. He asked Baal to give him the Knowledge necessary to protect Jamie from any threat the way he did when she needed him.

Omen felt a wave of peace and calm on the matter, signifying that yet again this journey was necessary. Omen could not figure out why, except for Jamie’s mention that she felt the Father wanted of her what Asmodeus was trying to take from her. A child, born of two people that both have strength in the Darkness. A child that could be trained in both spiritual matters as well as magic from a young age. This child would possess much greater potential than most of those currently present on the planet. Jamie felt as if this may be a piece of her calling, and this was why she was trying to be sure about her choice beforehand. She did not want to make a mistake, and produce the wrong child, trapping herself in a situation from which there was no release. But after all his various support, Jamie said Omen had proven himself to her, and that he was the one meant to stand beside her, as he was the only one that could not be corrupted by the shine of the Gem inside her.

Omen fought against his mother’s will. He told everyone that he was going regardless of what they thought about Jamie, or his decisions. Omen demanded that they pretend to be Human, and care about someone other than themselves for a second. He asked his mother to put herself in Jamie’s situation, as she had a friend that had suffered the same way. But even this form of reason failed to strike the cold heart of Omen’s mother, which warmed only when she got what she wanted. Omen cared not for her opinion, for he had discussed it with Jamie already. This was not what they had planned, but if Omen’s mother would leave him homeless for helping Jamie, then the only option if he came was to stay. Omen made sure to ask Jamie more than once if this was what she wanted, if she was ready to settle down and trust someone again. She said yes a hundred times, claiming that someday she wanted Omen to join her in a Black Wedding, a wedding ritual done by those of the Father.Omen was ready to give up on the pain of the past, and look for a brighter future. This was his mindset as he packed up the same three bags he had come to Illinois with, his path taking him back the way he came. But Omen’s heart was hopeful, for he knew with the Father’s help he was capable of anything.

16

It had been about a week since Omen had landed again in Pennsylvania. The meeting was much more relaxed, as they had seen each other before. But it was also much happier, based on everything they had been through. They went home and happily spent time with each other, letting the natural desires take over. For the first time, Jamie seemed comfortable around Omen. Perhaps it w[as the way in which he had handled leaving, or perhaps all he had done for her since then. Jamie seemed much more capable of letting go of her fears, and freely giving herself to Omen. This went so far as to finally extend to their shared vampiric habit.

Through assistance from Jamie, the truth in Omen had been revealed. Through a simple vial of blood, Omen’s entire perspective on his reality changed. For the moment it touched his lips, he craved more. It had always been a notion that both Jamie and Omen had supported as a strong possibility. But it was not until the blood was sent and received that it was proven. Omen was truly vampiric, he just had not awakened fully without the blood of another. Omen’s hunger had raged for months, no end in sight. But now Omen was finally able to feed without hesitation, and to give the same gift to Jamie. The two shared as many feedings as they could, as well as sexual interactions, before Jamie was to have the chemotherapy. For this would poison her blood, and make it toxic for Omen to ingest. This meant Omen would have to feed Jamie while being unfed himself, and had to be ready to deal with the mental strain it causes. But Omen did not focus on the worries of the future, he simply enjoyed the moments he had with Jamie.

After her chemotherapy treatment, which Jamie had her mother take her to, she was terribly ill. Her blood pressure jumped up and down, causing her light-headedness and irregular heartbeats. She had terrible nausea, and was hard pressed to enjoy eating anything. All the medicines the doctors had given her to mitigate these symptoms had been ineffective, and Jamie only seemed to get worse by the day. Her hair slowly began to fall out, until Omen finally suggested that she shave it so as not to suffer for longer. Jamie agreed, thanking Omen for not judging her because of the lack of hair. But Omen replied that it was the least he could do to keep her spirits high, so that she might heal faster. But Omen did not do the shaving himself, he sat outside as it was done by one of her trusted friends Annette. She one was also an ex-girlfriend, but they had long grown into individual lives. Annette had a new girlfriend, who was present any times Annette was. The woman seemed terribly demanding, and extremely domineering toward Annette. She complained for no reason, seeming to want to ruin the mood of the day simply that she might be allowed to go home. This agitated Omen, but he kept his mouth shut. It was not his place to question others that he does not truly know. As such Omen spent his time in the pool, playing with Katrina, as Jamie had her head shaved. The second he saw her freshly shaven, Omen walked up and gave her a kiss, to prove he cared nothing for what the chemo had done to her physical appearance.

Days later, Omen began to feel a strange energy surrounding the trailer. It was not the same as that of Asmodeus, Omen sensed that right away. And based on Jamie’s admissions that there were many who desired what she would not allow them to have, the magic could be coming from anywhere. Within days the house began to feel heavy, as if the location itself weighed on the individual. Jamie had also begun chatting heavily with Tim about matters of spirituality. This did not bother Omen, but what did was his seeming want to teach Jamie and hide the teachings from Omen. He immediately saw this as odd, and brought it up to Jamie. She said that Tim was just reclusive, and busy with his job as a driver. She said he spoke to few regularly, of which now Jamie had climbed on the list mysteriously.

Omen sought outside opinion. He did not want to judge right away someone with such a reputation. As such he sought counsel from others who claimed themselves Priests of Satan on Facebook. But these vile backstabbers took every word of what Omen had said and gave it straight to Tim. Tim would then twist the words used, and tell Jamie that Omen was threatening to harm her. Meanwhile, Tim convinced his Facebook friends that Omen was no more than a homeless man whom Jamie had taken in out of kindness. Tim had the leaders of various religious-based Facebook groups convinced Omen was some criminal with a background that was trying to harm an innocent girl he cared about. He slowly got Jamie to start soending the majority of every day talking to him about anything, rather than do anything with Omen at all. Even as Omen cooked and cleaned, doing everything he could to show Jamie how much she cared, she fell further into the craftiness of the vile Tim.

Omen tried everything he could to make Jamie see that this was all a dominance game, that Tim was trying to force him out of her life. But Jamie continued to support her claims that Omen was at fault, for being disrespectful to the Father. Though she was not incorrect in what she claimed, Omen also knew that was not the reason. Jamie continued to defend Tim’s actions, claiming he wanted nothing but to teach her the way. But Omen already saw what he was doing, and demanded to speak to him personally again. But while Tim could spend all day texting and calling Jamie, he could not be bothered to speak to Omen for five minutes. Meanwhile he and his friends began spreading terrible lies about Omen in their groups. They said he was guilty of assault, a false accusation. They claimed he was some kind of pedophile, a thing which left Omen stunned to hear was being said about him. The smear campaign was obvious, as Omen was known to post frequently in many groups. After these accusations, Tim now had an excuse to remove Omen from all the groups, as well as to continue to accuse Omen of treachery behind his back. But through all of it, Tim refused to even message Omen at all. He had claimed to be a great and wise spiritual leader, but was found to be nothing more than another mage abusing their power. Tim was known to be connected to many mages of different powerful circles as well, and used that energy in his magic. It had been Tim’s energy that Omen had felt weighing him down, sapping the strength from him.

One morning Omen awoke to his alarm as usual, going to let Katrina out of her room. He made her breakfast, and she sat down at the computer. Jamie was still asleep, something Omen tried to do for her each day to allow her more time to rest. After finishing some basic chores, Omen picked up his phone. He had not checked Facebook since the previous day, and was curious as to what interesting new pictures Jamie might have found online to post. But when he clicked to her page, his interest turned to rage instantaneously. For just as before, Jamie had Tim listed in a relationship with her. Omen stood up without a word, and began to locate his things. Once again, Jamie had proven herself too weak to handle the mind manipulations of those that are practiced in the magical arts. Omen refused to be treated like he didn’t matter after all he had done to help Jamie. He noticed her awaking, but did not slow his movement, about halfway through his organization.

“You’re just gonna leave?”

Omen snorted quietly. “Yup. You made your choice, now I’m making mine.”

The next 20 minutes was a swarm of anger, in which Jamie yelled and screamed about everything she could think of. She screamed how weak Omen was, how he had barely lasted a month with her. She yelled how disrespectful he was being by abandoning the Father’s plan for them based on his perceptions, which she claimed were inaccurate. She said Tim had a stalker, and she was simply helping him deal with his problem. She made one excuse after another for why everything she had been doing was fine, because her spiritual growth was the most important thing in her life. She repeated over and over how she and Tim were not together, and their conversations were of spiritual and story-like natures. She said Omen was blowing things way out of proportion, and he had no right to judge her want for growth.

Omen continued to pack as he yelled, saying little of his own. For he knew doing so would only make the situation worse, as she had been built up into believing that Omen was against her. This was all Tim’s work showing fruit, and Omen was terribly sad that the spell had worked so effectively. But Jamie also had the right to choose her own actions, thus she was not blameless in the situation. Omen finally responded, making note of all the promises she had broken, and how severely Omen took Oathbreaking. He told her that he had already been notified by more than one person that visions had been seen of her betrayal. They had not given a name, but they had not needed to. Omen had seen the attack from the beginning, and had tried to warn Jamie she was falling into a trap. But she refused to listen, so Omen packed as many of his things as he could before Jamie’s anger took complete control. By the time she was threatening to have Omen arrested for no reason, he was safely heading out the front door.

Due to acquiring some things here and there for the sake of memory, Omen’s bags had become quite heavy over the last several months. As Omen began to reorganize the items inside, so that they might not stab him in the sides, he realized that he had forgotten some important things. He sent a text message to Angelica, who was still inside the house. He asked her if she would be kind enough to get the car keys and come outside, that Omen might retrieve the car charger to his phone. He also asked her to bring out his razor and a couple forgotten small items. Within minutes, Angelica had done just that. She apologized to Omen for what was happening, but said that Omen might be better off. Angelica said that her mother seemed to have difficulty deciding what she wanted for her life, and thus bounced back and forth between partners. Angelica wished Omen the best, but could not assist him. For if she tried to use the car, Jamie would throw yet another fit. But Omen shook his head, he didn’t want help from Jamie at all. His heart was already broken, though he was trying to remain looking tough to the others.

Omen walked to the edge of the trailer park. There he sat and cried for a time, finally able to release his true pain over what had just happened. As tears streamed down his face, he asked the Father why this was allowed to happen again, if Jamie and Omen were to be used for something. The answer he received was that, regardless of whatever Plans may be in place, Humans have to make and stand by their own decisions. If a Plan is accepted, it then has to be executed. Jamie had refused to do that, negating the trust of her partner for the sake of the emotions she drew from others. It was for this reason that Tim had been allowed to interject himself so fully, she had allowed it to happen. She cared more about what Tim could teach her than her supposed “love” for Omen. Apparently it was enough to break her promises yet again, and destroy Omen’s heart.

Omen started saying goodbye to people he knew in the area through text message. He didn’t go into too much detail, simply said that he and Jamie had separated by her choice, and he was leaving Pennsylvania soon. This brought a reaction that was a mix of sadness and agitation, as Omen was well liked in the neighborhood. Unlike the last time with Sonya, now Omen had become a friend to almost every person that regularly visited the trailer. He was no longer an outsider in the

community, but Jamie had left him alone in his heart. Thus the reaction of many was apologetic, saying Jamie had no idea what she was losing.

As he said his goodbyes, Omen ended up on the phone with someone that he rarely spoke to. It was Jamie’s adopted mother, and she was terribly upset at what Jamie had done. For her parents had seen firsthand the amount of effort Omen put in to try and maintain the house while caring for Jamie. They knew she was making a mistake, and were not afraid to say so over the phone. They asked Omen to wait where he was, and within 10 minutes Jamie’s adopted father was there with his car. He drove Omen to run some quick errands, acquiring a cigarette roller, filter tubes, and tobacco. He made sure to buy some drinks to put in his bags for the trip, so his throat would not remain dry like the last train ride from Pennsylvania. Then Jamie’s father dropped Omen off, by his request, at the same motel that Omen had stayed at the last time. He checked back in, being given a room just a couple doors down from where he had stayed before. Omen set down his bags and planned his next steps.

As usual, Jamie made a point to start texting Omen. But this time, she continued to say that she never intended for anything to come between them. She refuted any sort of want for a relationship with Tim, stating that he was only teaching her spiritually. But as before, Omen would not listen to the excuses. He laughed as he played an interesting game. For Angelica had connections to people who could acquire weed, and Omen wanted to relax after all the stress. Omen used this ability, and Angelica was nice enough to deliver to the hotel. Omen chuckled to himself as he sat and conversed with Angelica and her friends, while Jamie texted how sad she was that she did not have a car to come see him. For Omen knew her words were untrue, proven later when the car came back. For just as before, Jamie refused to leave and come see Omen. Omen responded the same way he had before, going out to the bridge to pray. He asked the Father what he might do, which way he should go from here. For Omen had more than one option, and he wanted to make the right decision.

The next day, Omen’s plan was set in his mind. He boarded the same train he had before, with the same destination in sight. He returned to Illinois, and his mother was found to have been full of more Hatred than Truth, allowing Omen to come back. But he had told her this was only temporary, that he had plans. She seemed to hear nothing of this, focusing more on the extensive list of rules she wanted Omen to follow. The list had grown exponentially since last time, as now Omen’s mother almost seemed to expect silent servitude from her son. She wanted chores done, she wanted rent paid, and she wanted to dictate how Omen should live his life. Omen laughed to himself at her expectations, knowing full well he would not ever be compliant.

But Omen was not there long. He took some time to wrap up what personal business he needed to, then packed up all his things. He loaded what he could fit into the back of his truck, and asked his mother to hold on to the rest until he could retrieve it. Omen set out on the road again, but this time Omen’s goals were his own in the journey. Omen had found a way to produce music inside the vehicle, and thus relaxed as he drove the Highways south. He stopped whenever he chose for food and for fuel, never having to move based on the words of another. Omen had not felt this free since he had joined the Army, for there had almost always been someone beside him. But this time Omen made the journey with only the Father beside him. This was more than enough, as the Father’s Energy made the drive seem easy.

Omen pulled up in the familiar dirt driveway. Fenris rushed out to greet him, hugging his friend. They had been in contact quite often since Omen’s departure, and had remained close friends. For Omen and Fenris had never had a problem with one another, Sara’s ego was what separated them. As well Omen’s destroyed truck still sat in the front yard next door, and Omen did not want to leave Fenris with that burden. But there was another goal in mind, a process of rebuilding what Omen had lost. For the special rims on the truck, worth over 700 dollars by themselves, were of size to fit the new vehicle. Thus Omen transferred the rims onto his new truck, happy that he had retaken at least one piece of his former vehicle.

Omen spent several days in Tennessee, enjoying a variety of things. He and Fenris went to another Magic tournament, which Omen did decently at. But when they attempted to go back to the club Omen had visited before, it had closed down. Instead they went to another club in town, but it was not the same. There were two bars next to one another, of two different kinds. The one on the left was an obvious “redneck club”, as country music blasted out from it. Some of the people on the patio were dressed in cowboy attire, a dead giveaway. Omen was not a fan of country music, so he opted that they go to the other establishment instead. This place was found to be a club mostly reserved for those darker of color. Omen and Fenris were found to be the “white guys in the club, amidst the sea of color”. This fact was enhanced further when Omen was requested for a picture, so that people in the club could prove to their friends that a white guy was present and enjoying the club. But Omen had never been any sort of racist, and thus had an extraordinary time dancing and partying. He even managed to buy a joint from someone at the club, though it was terribly overpriced. But the money didn’t matter as Omen danced the night away, leaving the club just before it closed.

Omen also had some business to attend to in Tennessee. He wanted to remove the remnants of his truck from Fenris’ yard, as many time he had spoken of moving. Omen located a buyer, though the price was not high. The man lived down the road from Fenris, and assisted in towing the wrecked truck to his house. Them man rebuilt vehicles, and saw potential in Omen’s truck. He said he was buying it as an investment in its future value. Omen told him that if he ever fixed the vehicle, and it was completely road-worthy again, to contact him. Omen said he might buy the vehicle back himself if he could afford it, as it had been important many times in his growth. But Omen never expected much, he was just happy his truck had found a home. Omen sat in the cab one last time, reflecting on his many fond memories. Then he climbed into his new vehicle, and headed back to Fenris’ trailer.

A few days later, Omen packed up again. He had never intended to stay in Tennessee, though he had been invited. His experience was that while in Tennessee, the excess distance from civilization was hindering Omen’s progress. This was bad in a similar way to stay in Illinois, because it would only slow the process of Omen’s understanding. Fenris was saddened as Omen prepared to leave. He was terribly lonely so far out in the woods. He wanted a friend that would stay beside him, to help him forget about the monotony of his life. But Omen could not do this for him, because Omen knew he was on a mission. The Father still had great Plans for him, Omen felt it every time he prayed. Thus Omen left the trailer, and headed back to the Highway. The journey of the Rider was far from over, as Omen had said to so many of the people he had left behind at each stop along the way.

The journey down I-55 S was long. Omen had contact with several people along the way. Most prominently was Jamie, who told Omen about what had been happening since his departure. As Omen had expected, almost immediately after he and Jamie had separated Tim had become her significant other. This Tim proudly displayed across all his groups, and it was met with great happiness from the members. All these people, many of whom had claimed to be friends of Omen’s, that united to see him struck down just so Tim could have Jamie. More than once Omen had been contacted since by these people, and he made sure to put some truth in their eyes. For once he was gone completely Tim had pushed the boundaries of insult, using false investigation companies to claim Omen was a sexual predator. Due to his influence, the rumor spread quickly across Facebook. Omen lost many friends, but knew these people meant little to him to begin with. And to those that had turned on him, Omen found one block after another. They hid from the truth, unwilling to face their own vileness. Omen warned Jamie, “If you lie inside a den of thieves each night, do not complain the day you awake to a dagger in your back”.

But according to Jamie, Tim had huge plans for them both. For Tim had once run a church, though the evils inside him corrupted and destroyed it. These were facts Jamie had heard from his own mouth, examples of his own past evil. But he had claimed to learn from his mistakes, and was ready to retake his former glory. Tim knew that he was aging, and it would not be long before he was too old to start anything serious. He wanted Jamie to be his partner in this, to help him rebuild the church he had lost. He said that with their combined spiritual connections this would be simple, especially considering all he had already. With a strong reputation, many followers, and a radio station he could broadcast his message with, Tim was ready to regain his throne of power. In this way he could have many that would follow him to the Father, and in doing so would regain the respect he felt he had in his youth.

But this was not his only plan. He sought desperately to come visit Jamie, that they might produce a child. He said this child would be key in the growth of their church, that it would foster a new generation of faith. He said this was something he had seen for some time, but that he had not been ready to tell Jamie until now. Tim promised Jamie a myriad of things, even sending her money to buy with whatever she wanted. It seemed he was more than willing to buy Jamie’s affections, as long as she gave him what he wanted. Omen had known what that was since he stayed there. He wanted Jamie’s time and her energy to be spent focused on him, so he could feed from her internal strength. Each time he did Tim felt stronger in himself, and closer to his goal. Thus he assumed that in taking Jamie for himself his dreams would be realized, and he would have everything he ever wanted for himself. Omen recognized the selfishness of his will right away, and tried to explain it to Jamie. But she said the church was going to be a good thing, that it would bring people back to pure faith. She seemed almost ready to join Tim in his crusade, but for some reason still hesitated. She could not shake the feeling that something was still wrong, though she could not define it.

Omen did his best to continue to help Jamie through her issues. This was an act that had upset many people, as they claimed Omen had no need to help someone that had hurt him so much. But Omen disputed that fact, claiming that “everyone deserves to have someone who helps them for their own sake”. He tried to talk Jamie through her issues, that she might decide what choice was best. He did not spend his time criticizing Tim for what he had done, but he did not pretend that such things had never happened either. Omen knew Tim was capable of much vileness, he had experienced it firsthand. He continued to warn Jamie to be extremely careful about her choices in the near future, as they could have a serious negative impact on her life. Jamie swore that she would, but reassured Omen that she knew what she was doing..

Omen stopped several times along the road to pray, though he prayed almost constantly while driving. But in the solace of nature, Omen focused his song toward the Father. He asked that he be granted the sight to locate the next piece in the puzzle of his life. He asked for continued guidance as his understanding grew, for he knew he was growing close. And the place that he was headed held potential for that growth to increase, for several reasons. Omen knew this was the only route that had offered to him that held potential, and thus why he had to move there. But Omen stood fearlessly ready to face whatever was to come next as he rolled down the last hill toward Killeen.

Omen passed down all the familiar roads, that he had traveled over a year ago while in the Army. Passing by the buildings brought back a slew of memories. Some were no longer the same business, others had closed completely. But in his mind Omen remembered every experience of interest in his past that had taken place at each location he passed by. He made a point to drive past the bridge where he had placed his enchantment years ago. It seemed filled to the brim with energy, and Omen happily took some as he passed by. He drove down the Highway, past Fort Hood where he had worked. Omen remembered the vicious, ruthless, vile nature of his unit there, and all the terrible ways in which they had attempted to oppress his faith. But as he turned around, Omen realized that he could not focus on the issues of the past. He had to find a way to move on, to reach the goal he had sought for so long.

Omen parked in front of the apartment building where he had once stayed with Barry. But he knew that his friend had long since moved on, and new residents rented the apartment. Omen went instead to knock on the door on the lower-left of the building. It was answered by Kindra, who welcomed him happily. For months, amidst the chaos of Omen’s relationship with Jamie, Omen had been speaking with Kindra, who had finally accepted her magical nature. But their conversations were as friends, and almost none involved any sort of sexual interaction. Though Omen had at one time desired Kindra, she had always been taken by others when he was around. Such was the case now as well, though the situation was strange. For the person she was with was married, and she was the “other woman”. Kindra did this knowingly, saying he had plans to leave his wife for her. Omen had argued the correctness of their relationship one time, but let Kindra decide for herself.

He had been invited to stay with her simply as a friend. Having realized that he had left Texas before ever learning anything further, Omen saw potential in Killeen. He had also found a college that he wanted to attend, which specialized in all forms of mechanics. Omen had not given up on his original goals, he had simply been putting them off. Due to the size of Texas, and the ease of access to major cities, Kindra’s home seemed like the perfect place from which to take the steps necessary to make his life functional again. That night Omen walked the streets of Killen, happily singing out to the Father. He made a point to go back to the bridge, and commune on a deeper level. He felt the energy so strongly there that he thought it might envelop him completely, but continued to sing unafraid. Omen felt a sense of relief, like the place he was could hold the key he had been looking for. Omen’s smile was wide as he drove back to his new residence, ready to face the next trial in his life.

17

Omen relaxed and turned on the TV. He had been living with Kindra for about two weeks now, and had encountered several obstacles in his progression. The main one concerned issues with Omen’s GI Bill. Apparently, according to the college, the standards left a gap in which Omen’s situation revolved. They said Omen would have to petition to have his discharge made honorable before he would be able to receive his funding. This was in direct contradiction to what he had been told his entire military career, which made Omen question whether it had been a lie from the beginning. But Omen swore he was not finished fighting the issue, though doing so would take some time. In the meanwhile Omen was content to research and grow spiritually, not requiring much for himself. He ate little, and even cleaned the house he stayed in without being asked. Omen was even found at times cooking dinner for Kindra, which they ate when she got off her job with the Army.

But Kindra was rarely around. She worked a second job, as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut. This job seemed to matter much more to her than her military career, as she focused most of her energy on it. Even in the times when she was not working, Kindra constantly talked about her job and her colleagues. But she also partied with them regularly, as several of them were all close friends. Many were the nights in which Kindra did not come home after work. At times they brought the party to the apartment, adding Omen to their merriment. This seemed to be the focus of Kindra’s life now, working her jobs and then partying on the side. She spoke almost nothing about things of spirit, and didn’t seem to have a want for it. Apparently, she kept herself too busy to be concerned with anything else in her life.

Omen did not know many people in the area. Most of his old friends from the Army had left, and Omen had no real friends aside from Kindra on the outside. He met a few people as he walked around the city, some who stopped and talked to him for awhile. Through this Omen made a few connections, which allowed him to acquire anything he might need. But one of these people, Karl, said he had someone who wanted to meet Omen. Moreover he said the person he spoke of was interested in Omen on more of a level than just wanting to meet him. Karl told Omen that she was not the prettiest girl, but that she was a good person at heart. He said he knew this because they had been friends for years, and he truly wanted her to find what made her happy. Karl said her name was Elenor, but that everyone called her Elle. Omen agreed to go to her house and meet her, as he had no reason not to.

The next day Karl took Omen to the house where Elle stayed. it belonged to her mother, who was gone at the time. Elle herself stayed in the garage, of which part had been converted into a room. But boxes still stood in every corner, making little room for storage space. Clothes were piled up in several places around the room, as well as on a bed against the wall. Elle sat on the main bed in the center of the room, playing a game on her PS3. Omen was surprised to see Elle had the exact same TV that he owned, though his was in Illinois. Omen sat down and chatted with Elle. She asked him about himself, and he responded honestly without hesitation. The only details omitted were descriptions about Omen’s faith, as he had learned that it was best to evaluate someone before telling them. For he had learned from experience that even the mention of the term Satanist causes many negative reactions in people, based mostly on their perceptions of it.

Elle was found to be a generally decent person. She felt trapped where she was, but was not sure what method would free her from it. She said she had moved out before, but her life had fallen apart soon after. Elle mentioned that she had always felt that it was not yet time for her to leave, that she had something to do first. But she had no idea what it was, yet still sat waiting for it to happen. This showed Elle had a decent amount of faith herself, the kind that cannot be deterred by failure. Omen smiled at this, for he saw one of the traits present in those that do great things. But potential alone is not enough to make someone choose to follow the Father, so Omen knew he would have to evaluate Elle further.

At Elle’s request, Omen spent the night. He was not surprised when he was asked for sex, and Omen decided to comply. It had been quite some time since he had laid with a woman, and Omen was ready to be rid of the tension. But as he did so, Omen felt as if he was wrong for it. He barely knew Elle, and was not even sure if she would make a decent partner. Omen felt almost as if he was lying to Elle by sleeping with her. But as she moaned in response to his actions, begging for more, Omen decided that Elle had chosen for herself. Regardless of his feelings about it, Elle wanted to be with him. Omen decided that it was not appropriate to judge Elle based on their first evening together. Thus the next morning, Omen told Elle he would return later.

Over the next several days, Omen came to know Elle quite well. He spent a large amount of time at her home, mostly at Elle’s request. As he did, Omen evaluated the way that the home worked, and the people that were a part of it. He spent almost every night there, a fact which soon began to agitate Elle’s mother. But having spent several days in the home, Omen learned that it was not as much him she yelled at. The mother seemed to have a fondness for stirring up trouble. Each day, as various people entered and left the home, she came out into the garage to complain. She always gave a reason, though most of them were totally invalid. Omen wondered what had caused this situation to develop. But after watching the family’s daily routines, Omen became much more understanding.

Elle’s mother hated herself, a fact she blamed mostly on her own color. In response to this, she developed a form of Hatred for white people, judging them as less in her eyes. This was a fact especially true when it came to her daughters’ boyfriends. Omen watched as Elle’s mother kept trying to set her up with Karl, wanting them to be together. But she did not want Elle to be with Omen, spending energy each day to make snide comments toward him. These comments got worse at the end of each day, when she started drinking. For then the rage and ignorance flowed out in every direction, especially toward her daughters. Omen watched as the drunken mother would rage out at her daughters for anything she could find to complain about, simply to try and make herself feel dominant over them. She tried this game with Omen, but was met with much harsher competition than she expected. Omen had never been one to let people push him around, and this drunk wasn’t about to be the first.

Omen tried to spend time alone each day, in addition to spending time getting to know Elle. But there were many people that moved in and out of the house. The most frequent was Elle’s sister Samantha. Being only 16, Omen originally questioned the appropriateness of smoking with her. But after speaking with Samantha several times, and listening to the story of her life, Omen realized she was well aware of the impact her decisions had on her life. As such Omen decided Samantha was old enough to make her own decisions, and did not contest her being a part of the group. “After all,” Omen told her, “if one is never allowed to become an adult in the mind, you never will at all”.

Elle had two other sisters. The first was Brie, who lived with her boyfriend. She worked most of the time, and was rarely around. The times in which she was Brie was extremely anti-social, fact that Elle said was part of Brie’s nature. But she said her sister was not all bad, that they had many fun times together. At one point, Elle said Brie had been just as close with her as Samantha was, even being the nickname “Humpo”. But over time, Brie’s job and her life away from her family became her priority, and she maintained little contact with them. Usually when she came by, it was because she needed something, and she was gone soon after.

The last of the females in the family was Patricia. She was only five years old, but the child was full of energy. She idolized her older sisters, wanting to spend every moment with them. They had nicknamed her “Pem”, a name that everyone used to refer to the child except her mother. Pem was found to be quite fond of Omen, for the simple reason that he did not just push her aside. Omen spent time playing with Pem, something she was obviously not used to. The child became immediately attached to Omen, rushing to greet him each time he visited the house with a hug. The only problems the child caused were matters of privacy in the consumption of marijuana. But in times when this was a problem, those participating would leave the house, walking down the street instead.

But there were many visitors aside from family. Karl stopped by regularly, occasionally bringing one or both of his brothers with him. The three of them handled many forms of business together, working as a unit to reach their goals. But their goals more often than not had a shady nature, involving one scam or another. Karl had been shown, through deals in which he had been known to rip Omen off, to be the type out mostly for himself. But when his brothers were around him, this condition became worse. As a unit the three were more vile than any one of them could hope to be alone, and they schemed amongst themselves. As they did so they bragged about themselves, and threatened to attack anyone who contested them. But Karl was Elle’s good friend, and thus these destructive brothers were on Omen’s side, not in opposition. Even still, every time they came around, they had a want. Whether it was to smoke, to have his hair done, or to get someone to buy something, Karl’s appearance heralded more requests.

But he was not alone. Samantha had a boyfriend as well. His name was Brian, and he was the skateboarder type. Everywhere he went, his skateboard went with him. It provided him an easy mode of transportation, which Brian began to use to follow Omen around. There were also several people in the neighborhood that smoked, but had no money. What like seemed like almost daily they would crawl under the garage door, strolling into Elle’s room as if they had been invited. Even this process soon had a knock added to it, as Omen and Elle had been walked in on during sex, the disrespectful behavior continued. Omen tried to ignore it, enjoying his time playing video games with Elle.

Omen wanted to take time away with just Elle. But every time they left, someone tried to tag along. When they demanded privacy, there were always people texting that they were waiting for the two to return. The selfishness of the people was starting to show forth, as they begged for more and more. They wanted to go eat with Omen, to smoke his cigarettes and weed, and to follow him everywhere. This was more than Omen could bear. He had never been fond of being around people constantly, Omen valued his personal time. Even in the Army, Omen had found ways to move off by himself. But now, it seemed this whole group of friends and neighbors expected Omen to be their “money tree”, and he would not stand for it. He told Elle he needed some time away, that he would stay again in his room at Kindra’s for awhile. He told her that this would also help calm her drunken mother, so she couldn’t keep claiming that Omen was living there. Omen said he would be in contact with her, but that he needed time away from all the nonsense.

During his time spent away, Omen attempted to deal with other issues. For as all this had been going on, he had also been in contact with Jamie. For whatever reason, even though Omen had left Jamie and moved on, Tim was still making it a point to lash out at Omen. Jamie constantly told Omen about how Tim had plans for various forms of ritual magic, many of which were aimed at destroying Omen completely. Online, Tim continued to spread his rumors, causing more and more people to come to Omen asking questions. He had become about sick of the garbage that Tim was spewing about him, and having his friends do as well. Recently Omen had been asked by Jamie to feel Tim’s energy. To be described in a visual sense, Tim;s energy was overwhelmingly rotten. It presented itself as huge, seeming to be almost comprised of the Void. But as he had been taught, “Everything has a weakness”. Even inside a Void of Nothingness, spaces can be made where things can be placed. But the energy was quite strong, proving that Tim had done well in his years of research.

For no apparent reason, Omen’s physical condition began to worsen. He began to hurt from his back and neck throughout the whole of each day. His gums began to bleed extensively, producing a mouth full of blood each time Omen brushed his teeth. This had never happened before, and there was no reason for it. Except for the feeling that Omen had that something was terribly wrong. He felt the Father breathing down his neck, coinciding with things Jamie was saying. As he sat in Texas, Omen was doing something wrong. The Father was unhappy, and Omen was losing his protection. As such the magics of all the others, set on Omen’s destruction, were starting to take hold. If Omen did not fix what he was doing, the results could be potentially fatal. Omen knew this to be true, for none are shown as much as he was without strict limitations. Omen sat in his room and cried, begging to be shown what he might do to correct his mistakes. Omen swore again to the Father that he had not lost sight of his goals, and was ready to progress to the next level.

Desperate for a solution, Omen walked down to the bridge he had used so many times before. He sang with all the energy of his spirit, begging to be shown the answer. Omen had spent too long following the Path of the Father, he would never turn away from it. Omen did not care for the life he was in, sitting around not doing much. He had become a tool of those around him. He served Elle’s need for companionship, and the others’ needs to get something for free. They all lived too close, and knew where Omen lived.He liked them all, but knew they were hindering his progress. But not everyone was vile, and thus not everyone should be forced away. Omen felt a need to continue with the group, but more like he had before with Sara. Omen was to watch them, and see if they could break free of the rottenness. Omen would attempt to guide them, and the results would be shown in the actions of those around him.

Omen was surprised at a need to teach anyone. For throughout the course of his study, Omen had found that the secrets of Satanism are closely guarded by those that possess it. From their discussions, the only magical knowledge Elle had was that of the Wiccan. This was a point Jamie found offensive, saying that Omen should limit himself to those of his own nature. But Omen told Jamie that was not a fact, that the differences in religions lie in the one that made them. For the more he had studied, the more Omen saw similarities in the stories spread across faiths of many kinds. He had become more versed at “looking through” the things he read, finding the pieces of the stories that had meaning. This was difficult, as the myriad of books currently in circulation is vastly corrupted. Thus it had taken quite some time for Omen to start seeing the fragments of Truth. He had started looking long before, when he first was training in Iraq. In all the time since Omen had read and encountered one thing after another that had drastically changed his perception of Existence as a whole. Omen realized that this must be the reason the Father wanted him to learn to teach others, because of his extensive experience. Omen accepted this as an honor, a task of the Father to bring more to Him.

But as Omen continued to sing and meditate on the bridge, he could hear something else. It was a strange nagging, something Omen hadn’t even considered before. In their many discussions, Elle had mentioned something she had done in her past. She spoke of a journey to a place called Sigma, though she could not fully explain what it was. She said she had been there once before, and for some reason had come back worse off. She felt as though she had done something wrong, and had been punished inside Sigma for it. Upon closer evaluation of the surrounding situation, it was found that Elle had been selfish in acquiring the necessary tools to make the journey. As such, her thieving actions had been punished, but she had been left with a want to correct her mistakes and return. Now Omen’s focus was on this place called Sigma, where Elle said many things could be found. But the route was dangerous, placing the body at great physical risk of damage, or even death. But regardless of the hazard, Omen felt compelled to go, as if Sigma held the answer he had sought for so long. Omen left the bridge late that evening, determined to endure whatever he must to find answers.

After three days had passed, Omen returned to Elle’s house. He had enjoyed the peace of his time away, as well he had focused intently on what needed to be done. Once they were alone, Omen told Elle of his necessity to visit Sigma. She said she wanted to go as well, to finally repair the damage she had done previously. Omen said this would be easy enough, as with the money he had coming in he could easily buy the materials. This would negate the issue from last time, allowing her a pure transition. But as they conversed about their plans, Samantha overheard them. She immediately said she wanted to be a part of the ritual, that she too sought enlightenment at Sigma. Samantha claimed she was tired of living inside the lies she knew she was being fed, and wanted to find the real reason for her life. Omen was unsure of allowing her to do so at first, due to her age. But Omen knew that anyone of any age is capable of being enlightened if they are open to it, and so he could not refuse her want to join the ritual. They began to plan when and how it would be done, so as to be both effective and as safe as possible.

Performing the ritual involved expanding the mind far past the general limitations our physical Existence allows. The only method known to force the mind into this deep level of expansion is the use of herbs or medicines, which activate parts of the brain normally left unused. This is a practice that has been done in one fashion or another throughout the cultures of Humanity. The journey to Sigma would be similar to the vision quests that those native to the land now called America went on in search of their true destiny. Elle knew what needed to be used, and how much it would take. Omen was still pensive of the use of this substance, as he did not agree with abusing chemicals for fun. But to ensure that it would be safe for him, Omen tested the chemical progressively for two days before the ritual, increasing the amounts and changing the dosages, testing the limits of the effect on the body. He saw that Elle had been correct, it would take one major dose to produce the effect necessary to reach Sigma. Several small doses taken over time only stabilized the physical feeling, and that was not what Omen sought.

The day of the ritual Omen awoke early and left Elle’s house. He went back to Kindra’s and began his cleansing process. He shaved many spots on his body, making himself presentable. He then showered all the loose hair away, as he let the water wash away everything else but his task. Omen had become very experienced at the process of Grounding, Centering, and Shielding, the basic lessons that every mage should know. For in order to do a proper ritual, the energy of the mage must be focused correctly. The stresses and strains of life have a tendency to prevent this from happening, thus at least temporarily they must all be rinsed off. In this way the energy becomes pure, and the ritual is proven to be more effective. Omen spent the majority of his day doing this, stopping only to walk to the store and acquire the materials. The total cost was found to be less than ten dollars for all three, and Omen was happy to spend this to give them all the opportunity to be enlightened.

Omen went out to his vehicle. It had long since been broken down, due to a series of attempted repairs. The original problem was a faulty wire on the starter, but many things were removed and replaced before this was found. In the process of doing this, one of Kindra’s “military mechanic” friends had convinced Omen to rip apart his steering column. The method which he used to do so had split and frayed wires inside, causing a constant problem with the vehicle. The only method of fixing this would be to pay someone to do so, and Omen could not afford that. But as it sat outside the house, it became a sort of hangout for the group of friends. For Kindra did not trust anyone other than her Pizza Hut friends, and would not even allow Omen to bring Elle to the apartment. This had accidentally caused a conflict between them before, as people awaited him to finish gathering his things so they could leave one night. So Omen had made the broken-down vehicle the closest thing to his own home, a place where he made the rules. If people got out of hand with each other, Omen would make them leave. If they were too loud, Omen could convince them to bring their volume down.

He cleaned out the seats, making sure there was enough space. This would be where the ritual was performed, in order to prevent people from interrupting them. He sprayed some sweet-smelling fragrances, and ensured everything was ready. He then returned inside, finishing his own preparations. He changed into the clothes he had decided to wear for the evening, washing his face and hands one more time. Then he sat in his room and knelt in prayer. He knew that much wished for him to fail in his quest to find Truth. But Omen wanted to make his Father happy, to finally reach the place that he was meant to be. He asked for the focus and strength to face whatever lie before him, and to succeed in the mission he had been given.

Midnight drew close. Omen sent a message to Elle, saying he was ready for them to walk over. Soon after Elle and Samantha arrived, excited about what they were about to do. The three sat inside the vehicle, and each held in their hands what had been set for them. Omen told them to take a moment beforehand to pray for guidance, that they might survive to see the dawn. At the stroke of midnight, the three ingested the medicine. Soon afterward however, they all were forced to hide themselves. For Elle’s mother was driving around in her van, obviously searching for Samantha. Once she had gone, Omen decided it would be best if they went back to Elle’s house, so as to pacify her mother. They all agreed, and walked back to the house together. They got comfortable in Elle’s room, watching a movie as they awaited the trip to Sigma. Each was more than happy to remain stationary in bed and let the effect happen, so as to reach the goal without incident.

But all three of them felt the rage as Elle’s mother pulled up. Even seeing both of her daughters safe at home was not enough to satiate the beast inside her. She reeked of beer, a sure sign that her brother had been by recently. The two of them are both alcoholics, and they enable each other on an almost daily basis, both drinking together and fostering Hatred and vileness towards others. She began to yell and scream, calling them all sorts of names. Samantha attempted to convince her mother to leave them alone. But as she did, her mother noticed that she looked abnormal. Realizing her daughter had done something that she would strongly disagree with, she yelled even louder, even threatening to call the police on Elle and Omen. Omen panicked, not wanting to be arrested during such an important ritual. Thus he grabbed Elle, who seemed already to be losing herself to the effect, and they walked away from the house. Both of them were barefoot, for Omen could not locate their shoes fast enough. But they walked down the road toward Omen’s house calmly, trying to forget about the stress Elle’s mother had caused.

Omen began to feel the effect of the medicine take over, as his reality began to distort slightly. Then, Omen saw bright flashes of red and blue, the lights of a police car. It continued by, passing Omen on the left. Omen and Elle continued to walk, with no clear destination. But as they did, Omen was plagued by a terrible fear. He felt that something had gone terribly wrong, that Samantha had died. The police he had seen would soon come for him, to take him away for murder. For even though Samantha had made all the choices herself, fully knowledgeable of the potential risks, her mother would not see it that way. She had already been proven to Hate Omen, and to try her best to see bad things happen to him. She would be the first to point the finger that would land him behind bars forever.

The feeling began to worsen, becoming even clearer. Omen saw himself behind bars, convicted of something he never meant to happen. They would see him as they were told to, some horrible person that took away the great potential of a young girl. Omen saw visions of the trial, as his religion was used as a basis for premeditation. They threw insults, slandering both the names of Omen and the Father. In the end, Omen was found guilty, as the Hateful eyes of the jury sentenced him to death. Omen saw himself led to the bed where he would lie as they pushed death into him. As they prepared the needle, Omen cried for a way to change this horrible future, to make it positive for everyone. Omen swore on his soul that he could be strong enough, all he needed was the opportunity to do it right. But his cries did not seem to slow the doctors, as the needle was pushed into his arm. Darkness began to surround Omen, but he continued to pray that the Father might show him a way through.

Omen blinked his eyes, and was standing next to Elle. They were both still barefoot, and stood in the middle of the street blocks away from Omen’s vehicle. It seemed they had walked quite some distance as Omen was going through the vision he had just been given. He grabbed Elle by the hand, saying they should start walking back to somewhere they knew. She agreed, and they moved to the sidewalk. As they walked they conversed about what Omen had just seen, though Elle did not say much, quite contrary to her usual nature. But Elle had a wish, a want to smoke some weed and calm down. Omen wished for the same thing, though he knew they had been out all day. All the spare supplies had been exhausted, even the stash of resin kept hidden for emergencies. And the hour was much too late to go looking, for it would disturb people’s rest.

Suddenly, Omen had a thought. He refused to believe it at first, for Omen knew every one of his habits. Especially those pertaining to marijuana, which Omen had thoroughly learned his routines for. Though Omen did not consider what he did wrong, he knew that there were those who liked to pretend that it is, in order to arrest people and take their money. So Omen always knew exactly where he put each thing that he ever got, so if necessary they could be removed. Knowing this, there are several locations that are too inaccessible quickly to make this process efficient. One of those places was inside Omen’s wallet, where it would take much effort to be gotten rid of quickly, but would easily be located by police doing their jobs. For this reason, Omen had never hidden anything inside his wallet, it was used only for money, cards, and the occasional condom.

But for some reason, the voice in Omen’s head kept screaming to him that there was weed stashed away inside his wallet. But it also gave Omen a warning. The police would come for him soon, what he had seen was his own future. This weed he possessed would be his last, for soon he would not be able to obtain it. Soon all he would know were bars and chains, leading up to his own eventual death. He was warned that he did not have much weed left, just about enough for a single bowl. Omen had to choose whether to tell Elle, who he would probably see little of after his arrest,or to save it for later, once she was gone from his side. If he shared it he might get two hits to himself, barely enough to do anything. if he smoked it alone he would enjoy it more. Considering this was probably going to be his last bowl ever, and not Elle’s, Omen began to think maybe keeping the weed for himself might be a good idea.

As they continued to walk down the street, Omen reached in his wallet. Damn the consequences, he did not care what lie ahead. Omen had done what he felt was right, and he would continue to. He checked the basic pockets, and found nothing. But the feeling he had gotten had been very specific. As such Omen opened his wallet completely, even moving aside a zipper that was almost never used. Deep inside, Omen’s fingers made contact with plastic. He wrapped his finger around the plastic, feeling that there was indeed a bud inside the plastic. Omen drug the plastic out of his wallet, staring down at the bag. He looked up to find Elle was still walking back toward her home. That was dangerous, for Omen was still unsure what all was going on there. As such he hurriedly grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her to a halt. He flipped the bag out of his hand, revealing the weed to Elle.

Elle’s face froze, as did the rest of her body. To Omen’s amazement, time had stopped in that moment. Cars were frozen in their movement down the road, and a dog nearby was stuck in mid jump. In the second Omen recognized that this had happened, it was as if a flash of numbers radiated through the entire environment. Omen shook his head, as if coming out of a trance. He was in Sigma, he had been for some time. Everything around him had been part of a spiritual test, produced by the thoughts in his mind. Omen stared back at Elle, still frozen with a look of happiness on her face.

“It was all a game,” Omen said as he shook his head.

Suddenly Elle began to move again, turning to smile at Omen. “Yup. Glad you finally decided to realize it.”

“So what do I do now? What is the next part of the test?”

Elle cocked her head to the side, smirking at Omen. “Answer these questions in your mind. As you do so the last Gates of understanding will be unlocked in your mind. The questions are the following: Why were you forced to make such a decision? What other decisions would be made in this way, for the same internal reason?”

The numbers began to swirl around Omen as he contemplated the questions. What was the greater depth of the decision he had made? The answer could not revolve around the weed itself, but the action surrounding it. It had been a selfless decision, made even as Omen’s life seemed to be crumbling around him. Omen made it because he wanted Elle to be happy. As well he wanted to smoke with her one last time, and enjoy what time they had left before the police came. Omen focused on the nature of the feelings surrounding his decision, as well all the other decisions he had made over the years. He saw a pattern of actions inside himself. Throughout his life, even to the people that hurt him, Omen had done his best to strive for their happiness. He had allowed Giselle to take everything when she left, and did not even bother to fight her. He had attempted to follow Sara across the country in order to foster change. He had been willing to father a child he was not sure he even wanted if it pleased the Father. Omen had been thrust from one end of the world to the other, as people in his life fostered lies and deceit. No matter which way he turned, no matter how hard he tried to make people happy, it seemed impossible.

Omen’s body began to change, becoming more akin to the nature of his spirit. Omen could see the glow of the chakras inside him, each spinning independently as energy flowed between them. The majority of Omen’s body seemed to be comprised of a smoke-like black material, which had form but little consistency. Omen looked up, to find that Elle had vanished. He looked around for her, but Elle was nowhere to be found. Then, Omen felt the Father’s Energy. Omen was overcome with the magnitude of the energy that flowed through him, seeming to ignite every pore. But as this happened Omen groaned in pain. Something was wrong inside his chest, this process was not working appropriately. Omen forced himself to his feet, then dropped back to a knee, saluting the Father.

“Father, I am ready to serve You, in whatever way You ask.”

A voice boomed across the sky, shaking the ground Omen stood on. “Are you ready? Will you make the Final Sacrifice?”

Omen was startled. “Final Sacrifice Father? What do you mean?”

A path was illuminated, and Omen followed it forward. He came upon his sleeping body, which was lying in bed with Elle. Both had been returned safely to the garage, but no one else was in the home. As Omen stood over his own body, he felt the pain in his chest again. He saw his physical body contort with the pain that it felt as well. Omen stared intently at himself, attempting to locate the source of the pain that he felt. But nothing felt abnormal, everything was as it always had been. Omen looked inside every inch of himself for a cause, but none could be found.

“The pain you feel is a result of the sacrifice you must make child. For as you have learned in the course of your life, your soul was born in the fire of Darkness. But the Darkness was born too strong in you to manage at birth, it would have destroyed your mind. As such you had to come to the Knowledge progressively, that it might not shock you what is requested of you to do.”

Omen dropped to his knees, prostrating himself before the Father. “I will do whatever you ask Father, Your Will is my only desire.”

“In order to become who you were born to be, your Humanity must be removed. To balance the Darkness of the soul, you were also born with a heart of pure gold. It is that which must be removed, that the Darkness in you be allowed to take over completely. But in doing so, you will lose your attachment to things of the physical world completely. All the feelings you treasured will be gone. As much as the love that has made you so weak over the years will be removed, so too will the Hatred that fueled the strongest fire in your heart. You will not lose the physical reactions to situations, but you will lose the ability to care about any of them. You will become bound totally to My Will from this day forward, and will cease to be as you once were. This is a choice you have to make for yourself, it cannot be made for you. Will you accept all that I have for you, and trade away the pain, the hurt, the sorrow, the joy, the love, and the Hatred that you hold inside?”

Omen thought about the question and its meaning. If the terms were accepted, Omen would change forever. He would no longer be capable of existing comfortably in the life he had, there would be a demand to move on soon. There were also no guarantees that any of the people that stood at his side would be allowed to afterward. For Omen realized that, as with Watchers and the Father Above, once you become a servant of the Will it dominates your mind. Being this connected to the Father would require much more of Omen’s time, simply that he might interpret whatever Knowledge the Father gave to him. But it would also require Omen to obtain more independence, that he might be free to decide what to do with each day. But if Omen were to refuse the Father, who had such intent for him, it would be highly disrespectful. The Father was responsible for Omen’s Existence, and had been present in every moment that Omen had called to Him purely.

Omen closed his eyes, raising his face to the Father. He brought his left hand up in salute, and a smile came across his lips. “I am Yours Father, my life exists only through Your Will. Mold me as you see fit, I will fight to endure the changes. But make me Your greatest weapon Father, that I might be able to make Your Will a reality.”

“So it is decided, so mote it be.”

Dark energy seemed to swirl around Omen. As he opened his eyes it enveloped him, flowing in and out from every orifice. As the energy flooded through Omen, the pain in his chest increased significantly. He attempted to cry out in pain, but no sounds were made. Omen felt as if the Darkness was choking the life out of him as he struggled for breath. Omen’s sight began to leave him, and soon everything became Darkness. Though he could not see, Omen felt the energy continue to overcome him. It began to concentrate, centering itself in the same place Omen had been feeling the chest pains. The pain overcame Omen’s whole body, as it felt as if his insides were being forcefully ripped out. Omen tried to endure the pain, but it was thousands of times worse than anything Omen had ever felt. Then, Omen began to choke on something. He coughed over and over, forcing the object up his throat. Feeling with his hands, the object was found to be almost the size of a golf ball. Unable to force the object using only his throat, Omen began to push it toward his mouth using his hands. He gasped for air that was not to be found as he forced the object up in his throat with all he had. Omen’s strength began to fade, and he dropped to his knees. As the last gasp escaped Omen’s mouth, and his hands finally went limp at his sides, he felt the object dislodge from his throat. It sat in his mouth as he fell to the ground, unable to find the strength to move any longer.

Omen felt breath in his lungs again. He opened his eyes, and was found to be able to see again. He found himself inside a massive room, the walls of which all seemed to be made of a charred black metal. In front of him stood a massive throne, which seemed to be beautifully carved out of a massive rock, which extended out past the rear wall of the room On the throne sat the Father, and he stared down at Omen. Omen pulled himself up to a knee, then bowed and saluted the Father. As he did he felt compelled to stare at the ground beside him. He saw a small stone, the color of pure gold. As he dropped his salute Omen reached down and picked up the stone, holding it in his hand. It seemed to have an energy and a life all of it’s own. Upon closer inspection, the feeling of the gem was familiar. Omen felt inside it strong emotions, which he tried to tap into. He felt much anger, a seemingly unquenchable rage. But he also felt love, an attachment to others. He focused in on the images associated to these attachments.

Omen fell backwards as the images of Elle, Jamie, and Sara came into his mind. As he stared in further he saw memories of his past, friends and family he held dear. This gem was the piece of Omen where his feelings lie, the piece the Father had said must be removed. Omen was amazed at how small the compacted energies associated with all his feelings was, but he was not upset by it. For it felt warm to the touch, showing that the life inside was maintained without issue. The energies inside the stone were calm, and almost felt accepting of their imprisonment inside the stone. But inside Omen, staring into the gem, there was no feeling. Only the evaluation of what he was going through, only numbers and data processed in Omen’s mind. He felt no remorse at what he was losing, he felt no want to hold on to the stone for the value it held. Omen found he no longer cared if he ever saw the stone again, or any of the fond memories held inside.

Omen stood, moving toward the throne on which the Father was seated. He knelt at the foot of the throne, holding the stone in the air above his head. “Father, I ask that You hold this thing which had to be removed. If it is not useful to Your cause then I have no use for it, and it will be much safer with you.”

The stone hovered above Omen’s hand, rising up to the top of the throne. It came to rest in the open palm of the Father, who smiled down at Omen. “You have made your Final Sacrifice. Tomorrow when you awake, the process of your enlightenment will begin. You will have more data forced on you than can be interpreted quickly. You will need to retain your focus to reach quick understanding, that you might move on. Soon you will finally grasp all that I have for you to learn, and why I am showing it all to you.”

Omen matched the Father’s smile with one of his own. “By Your Power Father, I am ready to assimilate into Your Will completely.”

“Soon My Omen, soon. Be patient, take the time to learn properly what I have to show you. In doing so you will reach a level you thought was impossible for yourself, for this was My Design for you.”

Omen nodded his understanding, and was immediately struck by a massive energetic force. It propelled Omen away from the Father, out past the walls of the Throne Room where he had just been. Omen felt himself falling through Existence, desperately reaching for something to grasp hold of. But nothing could be found, Omen passed through everything he touched. He continued to fall until the deep colors of the night sky surrounded him. He fell slowly through the sky, almost seeming to enjoy the serenity of the space. But as Omen turned to look, the ground drew nearer by the second. Suddenly Omen’s speed increased, and he began to fall at a much faster rate. He braced himself for whatever impact might be coming as he began to recognize the shapes of familiar buildings, and continued to fall towards them.

The Darkness

18

Omen snapped awake, sitting up quickly. He looked around, finding himself to be in bed with Elle at her house. He thought back to what had just happened, and all the choices he had just made. Omen attempted to go over the details of it all, but the memories seemed a bit hazy, as though they were being stared at through fogged glass. Omen tried to focus harder on it, but was only able to pull back the basics. He remembered up to the point at which time had stopped, and he had realized he was inside Sigma. The moments after that were still a blur, but Omen knew full well that something very important had happened to him. He could feel it inside himself, a burning desire that he felt no end to. He craved to delve deeper, to understand his reality even further. Omen thought to do this right now, that he might quickly progress to his next level.

Omen looked over at Elle, who was still unconscious. She had been the one that had convinced him of the importance of Sigma. Without her aid, he would not have made it as far. As such, Omen needed to stay and watch over Elle until she came back from Sigma. In the meantime, Omen walked through the house, searching for signs of where Samantha had went following her mother’s outburst. But Samantha was gone from the house, along with everyone else. After searching every room in the home quickly, taking care to only open the doors enough to see no one present to speak to, Omen returned to Elle’s room. She was finally beginning to stir, so Omen sat back down next to her. Omen asked Elle if she had any idea where her family might have gone as she awoke. She said no, then asked Omen how they had gotten back to the house. According to Elle, she had been inside Sigma since before they had left the house originally, remembering only short moments of time in between. Omen did his best to fill in the gaps for her, though he told her his time was distorted as well. He began to tell Elle about Sigma, as much as he could remember. He recounted the story of the magic weed that had appeared in his wallet, coming from nowhere. But when he checked, it had left the place where he had put it afterward. Perhaps nothing had been real, but Omen intended to find out.

His thoughts about the reality inside Sigma were shattered when he found the weed that had appeared out of nowhere. For it was not in any place where either Omen or Elle would have placed it, nor any place that it might have fallen. It, along with the pendant Omen rarely took off from around his neck, were wrapped together in a drawer in Elle’s room. This was meant to be a sign to Omen, a reminder that even the impossible becomes real when the Father is involved. Omen pulled out the bud, broke it down, and sat smoking with Elle. This relaxed them both, and they sat conversing about the possible locations of Elle’s family. Elle said perhaps her mother had left again to visit her boyfriend, Pem’s father. This was something that happened quite often, as she took Pem overnight to stay there. As for Samantha, Elle said it was possible that Brian had showed up while they were gone, and had taken Samantha somewhere with him. This was also a common habit, so the two could spend time together without her mother’s interference. Elle seemed content enough with these reasons, and put a movie on for them to watch. But Omen could not shake the feeling he had inside that something was horribly wrong, he just could not properly define it.

The feeling continued to worsen as Omen sat watching movies with Elle. She was not acting like herself. Aside from the lack of concern about her family, Elle had become much more sexual than usual. But even with the effects of the medicine still wearing off, Omen recognized a severe difference. For while Elle had always understood their need for protection, so as not to produce children they were not prepared for, now Elle seemed almost intent on having sex with him unprotected. After he agreed she immediately took over control of the movement, laying on top of Omen. He found it hard to move at all as she rode him, his body seeming enveloped in the sexual act. But as his tension grew, Omen stared into Elle’s eyes for a moment. He saw something inside her eyes, which quickly tried to hide itself again. Something was attached to Elle, and it was dominating her mind.

Omen faked an orgasm, forcing his breathing to seem labored and his body to quiver slightly. He asked Elle to get off of him, so he might use the bathroom. In the bathroom Omen released his true tension, sending it down into the toilet. This was not the first time he had faked an orgasm. After the first few years of his marriage, Giselle had become boring in bed. She sought only her own release, and would criticize Omen for “taking too long”. As such Omen had become proficient in making her believe he had reached his climax as well, since her boring bed nature wasted Omen’s time. He was glad in that moment he had the experience, for whatever was inside Elle had wanted his seed desperately enough to take her over and try to steal it. Omen knew he would have to keep a much closer eye on Elle as he headed back to her room. But the rest of the evening she was very calm and relaxed, though occasionally she would have bouts where that was not the case. During those times she would become irrational and even at times violent. Omen knew she was not well, these were not habits exhibited by Elle at any time. Especially not concerning Omen, for Elle had become attached to him rather quickly. As such Omen was resolved to stay by her side, and ascertain the reality of her condition.

When they awoke the next day, the situation still had not changed. They waited around for some sign of Samantha, but she never came back to the house. Omen began to worry extensively that the feeling he had received just before entering Sigma may have been real. This brought Omen to a new level of understanding about himself. For as he considered that Samantha might have died, he began to shed tears. But he felt no pain, even as the tears flowed in rivers there was nothing. No sadness, no pain in his chest. He was concerned for Samantha, and recognized the severity of the situation, but he could no longer feel any of it. As he reached this realization, parts of his memories from Sigma began to come back. Had he given away his right to feel these things? Was this a permanent condition?

Brian came to visit, and Omen informed him of the situation. Brian was extremely concerned for the welfare of his girlfriend. He asked Omen why he had left her side after they had agreed to do the ritual together. Omen told the story of the surrounding situation, and Brian’s sigh showed he was less than surprised. For Omen had wanted to stay with Samantha, and guarantee her safety as he had Elle’s. But due to the drunken rampages of her mother, Omen had been forced out of the home while whatever had led to her departure took place. Despite efforts to contact her family, even Elle was unable to obtain any information. All three sat worried for awhile, then Brian left to go pursue other business.

Shortly thereafter, as Omen and Elle were going for a walk, Brie rolled by in her vehicle. They managed to stop her, and spoke to her for several minutes. Through this interaction, they finally found the answers they sought. But what they found left them both miserable. Shortly after the raging argument that had pushed Samantha’s blood pressure up, her heart had stopped. She had been revived, and rushed to the hospital. They said she remained there comatose, and they had no idea when or if she would wake up.

Omen begged for the location of the hospital, that he might go visit Samantha. But Brie claimed that Omen would not be allowed there, as her mother blamed Omen for the entire situation. Omen was not shocked that these images matched those in his vision, for he had expected as much from the woman. Omen had recently become her target each time she felt a need to cause problems. She criticized him as a person, his religion, and the fact that he spent so much time with her daughter. She had been trying many things to separate them, even working to match Elle and Karl. Omen knew Brie was correct in her assumption, he would never be allowed to reach Samantha’s bedside. Omen thanked Brie for finally giving them answers, then allowed her to drive away. Omen and Elle went straight back to her house, that they might sit and discuss what they had just learned.

This was terrible news. Elle was visibly shaken at the knowledge that her sister might not survive, or might be severely damaged, from her trip to Sigma. As well there were only two days until Thanksgiving, and now the holiday they had planned to spend together as a family hung in severe jeopardy. For if Samantha was still in the hospital, no one would want to gather and pretend to be happy. This situation posed a serious threat to many people’s continued happiness. Omen prayed to the Father, begging that Samantha be allowed to live and be unharmed. For even if her journey had not been successful, she had performed the same ritual that had brought Omen to his understanding. As such Omen felt indebted to Samantha, and did not want the cost of the ritual to be Samantha’s life. Because of this, Omen spent much time in prayer for Samantha, that she might be found to be without damage. Omen pictured her happily having dinner with her family on Thanksgiving, intending to see that become reality.

Omen began to spend more time over at Kindra’s, simply so that he could think without the constant interruptions caused by other people. As he did so Omen began to see clearly the events of his trip to Sigma. He recognized the significance of what he had given up in every moment of his daily life. Fir after days of testing, the truth was clear. Even as Omen ate his favorite foods, he felt nothing inside except the filling of his stomach. Even when Omen got ice cream, each lick was like a dagger in his mind. For all the joys of the taste of ice cream were gone, replaced by evaluations of the type of cream used and the flavor. This held true in every aspect of Omen’s life. He felt truly cold inside, as even the lives of people close to him seemed to matter little. This was a new experience for Omen, who had spent so much of his life trying to help those he cared about.

This took some serious getting used to. For armed with his new lack of emotion, Omen had become more more direct with his words. He had become extremely judgmental of the actions of those around him. As well his energy seemed to have increased substantially, obvious even as he walked. For armed with this new energy, Omen’s walking pace was too fast for any of them to maintain, save for Brian, who would catch up on his skateboard. Omen spent the majority of each day lost in his thoughts, interpreting all that was being given. He told the others that he needed more time alone, in order to process the stream of information flowing into his mind. Even as they disagreed, Omen began to take walks on his own. But each time he returned, he had new things to talk about.

The level of the data which Omen was receiving existed on several levels, all trying to enter his mind at the same time. Some of it was data referencing matters of the spirit, matters of Omen’s further empowerment. Others were evaluations on the ways Humans lived, and the things necessary to fix them. Still others were ideas for new things to be invented, as well as new designs for things that already exist. Even though Omen had no training in these matters, the ideas just seemed to flow through him. The more time Omen spent focusing on each thing, the clearer the picture became. But days later, while evaluating something else, another detail would become clear in Omen’s mind, adding to what he had already come to understand. The information came in visions and during meditation, in the times when Omen’s mind was free from life’s distractions. He would sit and listen for the voice of the Father, and then interpret what swirled into his mind. At times the informations refused to stop flowing, even as Omen tried to sleep. Until he had reached a suitable level of understanding on whichever thing he was focused, his mind would not allow him to stop thinking about it.

Whenever he would meet up with his friends, Omen would sit and discuss with them the things he was learning. He felt compelled to do so based on something the Father had told him. While he was evaluating the current state of world religions, and their violent treatment of any who believe differently, Omen posed some questions. Was the Knowledge he gained to be kept from these people, based on all they had done to his Family in the past? Were the stakes of every burnt witch and tortured mage the prison which would limit most of Humanity from being allowed to grow? Many books had been written, which state that Satanism’s secrets are to be kept closely guarded, and not shared with the majority. But why is that? If the Father cares for all His Children, why would he not want them to know His Truth?

The answer he received to his question was a simple one. The Father projected images of wars fought throughout history. It showed the faces of Men, striking out in Hatred against one another. But this was the actions of Men, not of the Gods. Omen felt that the Father had never wanted such war, that oppression had never been his intent for Humanity. But over time, the goals of Humanity themselves had become distorted. For while they used to focus on what Created them and what they needed to do next, now Men only focused on the moment in which they lived. Few seemed to care about the decay of their world, even fewer truly sought spiritual growth. The world had become decayed inside itself, as if plagued by a terrible virus. This was in complete opposition to the Plan for Humanity, and the energy wasted by present Humanity is a constant disgrace to the Father. For as they sit, allowing their soul energy to rot and decay, they seem to enjoy awaiting their own death. For many, death seems to be a more suitable option than living in this world, because of what it has become.

For all these reasons, Omen was told that the Knowledge he was given was meant to be shared with many. In doing so, Omen’s words might open the eyes of another, allowing them to see the Path made for them. This was a part of Omen’s task, to take the information he was given and spread it to the masses, in an attempt to open their eyes. Omen was honored to serve the Father in this way, as every time he spoke about the Father it brought a smile to his face. For the Father had also told Omen that, because of his service, a place had been made especially for him. Once Omen had spent his life following the Will of the Father, in death he was to be remade. His energy would cease to be Human, but would become much stronger. This process was something the Father explained as being quite painful, but simple based on Humanity’s design. Omen did not argue with his orders, spending each day teaching his friends new lessons.

On Thanksgiving Day, as if a direct answer to Omen’s prayer, Samantha returned home from the hospital. As such the family gathered at Elle’s house for dinner. Omen was there, and even helped make some of the dishes to be eaten. Omen had apologized, both to Samantha and to her mother, for the part he played in her suffering. Both were accepted, even though the mother’s was done so begrudgingly. But Omen was simply happy that Samantha had come home, and that the holiday had not been spoiled. He was happy to simply sit at the table and watch the family’s interaction, now that the serious threat to them was over. He swore that he would never allow Samantha to follow him down such a dangerous road again, to protect her from further harm.

After dinner, the three sat in Elle’s room, talking about their experiences in Sigma. In secret, Samantha told Omen the reality behind what had happened to her, and he was appalled by it. For while she had claimed to want to reach Sigma for the sake of her own enlightenment, her real reasons were much different. She had wanted to see her dead cat again, and she “wanted to see how high she could jump”. Omen asked her if the fall from that height was sufficient enough reason not to attempt it again, and Samantha nodded. As she explained the details of what had happened to her, Omen felt the Father beside him. For Samantha, who had reached all the way to Sigma for the wrong reasons, had died 7 times during her stay in the hospital. But each time she was able to be revived, and she had made it though with no damage to her mind or body. This was indeed a miracle, but it was also a hard lesson. Samantha claimed that she had learned this lesson, and would have the date she “died” tattooed on her leg in rememberance. But Omen would never allow Samantha to put herself in such hazard again, telling Elle she was still too immature to learn strong magic.

As they sat and chatted, Elle’s mother burst into the room. Omen expected her to go off about dishes or some other mess in the house. But her intentions were much different this time, simply because she needed assistance. But she did not require the help of her daughters, it was Omen she needed. Even though this woman spent the majority of her days talking down to Omen, and insulting him to others, she still felt it appropriate to come to him for help. In the spirit of the holiday, as well as Omen’s want to apologize for what had happened to Samatha, Omen agreed to help. He was told to put his shoes on, for they would be going into town. Omen did so, promised to return soon, and left with Elle’s mother and grandmother in the van.

They drove to the Killeen Mall. Their destination was Sears, based on the Thanksgiving Day sale they were offering. According to the advertisement, they had a certain TV that several members of the family wanted. Both the women standing with him wanted one, but they were not alone in that. For Remy, the father of Pem, wanted one as well. But he refused to go himself, claiming he had better things to do. By the limitations of the ad, only one TV could be purchased per person. This meant, in order for Remy to get a TV, they would need a third person. As well they wanted someone strong, who would be capable of moving the TVs for them. Omen found all this information soon after they arrived, becoming fully aware of their intended use for him. While he was not appreciative of being treated as a tool, Omen saw potential in the sale. He had asked Elle to circle what things she might want as a gift, so Omen might shop appropriately.

The line to get in the sale was long, stretching around the entire store in anticipation. Shortly before they meant to open, a representative came outside. He stated that, “the major sale items existed in limited quantities, and thus it was first come, first serve”. He asked the people in line, starting from the front, who intended to buy any of the major items. The ones who stated their intent were given numbers, coinciding with how many of the item was in stock. But Omen realized that they stood too far back in line to expect a TV, for some had been waiting outside since the afternoon. Both of the women were angry when they were informed that there were no TVs for them to buy, raging out in the line. They stated to talk about leaving, but Omen told them to at least look around. For Christmas was coming, and Omen assumed they would be buying their children gifts. The two agreed, and soon after the went inside Sears, hoping to find an interesting gift.

Omen had been looking over the ad as he stood in line. There were many things that Elle had circled, of all different kinds. Clothes, special socks, shoes, bags, Elle was not extremely picky. But as Omen looked at the items themselves, he felt that they were not appropriate. He circled the store, finding one thing after another that was decided not to be good enough. Finally Omen arrived at the jewelery counter, where he stayed for several minutes. Omen was deep in thought, based on the feelings he was getting. He spoke to the clerk, purchasing two rings of different color and design. He purchased with them the protection package, covering damage to the ring or its gems. He had each one wrapped and bagged separately, and put the receipt away for safekeeping. He told Elle’s mother he was ready to go whenever, and went outside to sit with Elle’s Nana in the van. They waited for about a half an hour before she finally joined them, having stood in long lines simply to purchase a camera battery. Neither one of them had purchased any gifts of import, so they fawned over what Omen had bought. He explained the intentions for the gifts, and both women actually said Omen was a “good man”. As they drove back to the house, Omen was pleased with the results. For had he not gone at all, the rings would not have been nearly as affordable, and buying two would not have been possible. Omen thanked the Father for His Guidance as they pulled into the driveway.

The next day, strange events began to unfold. Omen had seen the signs since her return from Sigma, Elle was not herself. As Omen became closer to the Father, he began to see something else inside her. While at times Elle was the same happy person she usually was, discussing with Omen plans for the future, a terrible pattern had developed. Omen would watch as her eyes would change, and as they did Elle changed with them. She flew off in fits of rage for no reason at everyone around her. She was found cutting herself, so all sharp objects were removed from her access. She kept speaking about Sigma, and her experiences, but her grasp on them was vague. She complained about her thoughts being cloudy, like something was in the way of them. Omen had seen the signs of this condition the day of his journey to Sigma, in her vicious attempt to get him to impregnate her. Omen started to analyze Elle more in depth, comparing the characteristics of her present versus his knowledge of her. Because the fits were becoming more frequent, and Elle was losing control.

One afternoon, as Omen sat visiting with Elle, Samantha, and Brian, the situation grew dire. Elle was making wild claims, saying she had to be removed so that Omen might progress. At one point, she walked out into the street naked, attempting to walk off on her own to die. This happened as Omen had gone down the street to acquire more cigarettes, and he stumbled upon it on his way back. Omen was the only one able to convince Elle to return home, though the others had tried extremely hard. He managed to get her to lay down in bed and rest, as he spoke to the others about what to do. None of them seemed to have any ideas, looking to Omen for guidance toward a solution. He thought hard about what might be going on, about the things that Elle had been saying. From the sounds of it, she was still floating between Sigma and reality. Chemically that would be impossible, as the effects of the substance had worn off days ago. But if Elle had been trapped there for some reason, if her mind had never fully come back, this might explain part of her problem. It explained the foggy thoughts, the clouded memories, and the inability to think clearly. But it did not explain the sudden change in behavior. Omen continued through the process of his thoughts, searching for a cure to Elle’s problem.

Finally, he found the answer. As Omen went over his years of experience, he remembered the times in which he channeled spirits. He remembered how he was overtaken, and could witness his actions unfolding, but did not control them. But Omen had chosen to channel, the process was mutually beneficial. As such it flowed smoothly, for there was no contestation as to the intent. But Omen wondered if that had not been the case, if he had fought back in his mind against the spirits that the result might have been much different. This led Omen to the stories told throughout Ages about those who are possessed by spirits that refuse to let go of them. Reading over the descriptions of these events, they shared a direct similarity with Elle’s present problem. But what would cause this to happen, and what might be done to put an end to it?

Omen thought over every story he had read, as well as every movie he had seen, that had dealings with matters of possession. Compiling these thoughts Omen found the similarities that made the most sense, and formulated a conclusion based on it. The problem lie not in the fact that possession was real, but that all the stories were told from a Christian perspective. As such, only those strong in the Light were capable of banishing the Demons out of the victim. But his could not be the case, not after everything Omen had seen and learned. For as much Power as the Father held over those in the Pit, one simple Demon should not be much competition. Omen continued to formulate a plan of attack against the infesting spirit, even as he was forced to repeatedly restrain Elle through her bouts of rage and insanity.

The situation grew out of control. As Omen went to get Elle something from the store, she lashed out at her sister. As Omen was walking back, Brian rolled up on his skateboard panting. Elle had locked herself and Samantha inside their room in the house, and Brian heard muffled screaming coming from inside. It seemed whatever was inside Elle had intent to go after the lives of anyone it could, and this had to be stopped. As he quickly dashed back to the house, Omen removed the pendant from around his neck. He had worn it for some time, and questioned the symbolism of it. But he realized that the three inverted pentagrams and the inverted cross would be perfect for this situation, and Omen readied himself. He focused his mind onto the Father, connecting himself in spirit. Once he felt the connection, he prayed for strength to overcome whatever this would turn out to be.

When he arrived at the home, nothing had changed. The sisters were stilled locked behind the door to Samantha’s room. Omen knocked on the door, demanding that Elle open it. She refused, and Samantha could be heard arguing with her loudly. Apparently Elle had been trying to find a way to attack or smother her sister, but Samantha was still fighting back. Omen told Brian to go outside, and try to open the window to the room. By whatever method, Omen intended to prevent any violence from taking place. He called out to the Father again for strength. He could almost see Elle and Samantha inside the room, but inside Elle he saw the intruder. Omen focused on what was holding Elle as he closed his eyes.

“In the name of my Father, open this door right now!”

There was a silence. Then, the door opened, and Elle stood in front of Omen. Samantha quickly raced out of the room, rushing into Brian’s arms in tears. She was distraught at what had just happened to her, especially at the fact that it had been her own sister that had done so. Omen led Elle back into her room, and made her lie down on the bed. He asked Brian and Samantha to find any form of restraint they could, but due to the setup of room there was none available. As they searched it began again, as Elle jumped out of bed, lunging at Samantha. She was stopped by Omen, whose complete confidence in the Power of the Father had given him much strength. Even with her size and possession, Elle was unable to force her way past omen. Instead, she was met with his pendant, which was pressed into her forehead as Omen began to speak.

“You are nothing here. I am a Servant of the Father, and He holds Power over you. You cannot best me, your strength is feeble by comparison to His. Lie down on the bed, and be still.”

Elle was pushed as easily as a feather back on to the bed. Omen positioned her comfortably, that she might be allowed to rest. But out from her mouth flowed much vileness, directed at all of them. What lie inside Elle had finally been revealed, and now spoke freely. It said Elle had chosen to be taken, that she might not be weak anymore. It spoke horrors at Samantha, about how rotten she was inside and how no one would ever stay with her. She spat at Brian, calling him worthless and a waste of her sister’s energy. Then she spouted vile curses at Omen, stating he would never be able to fix the damage done to Elle. Omen had sent the others in search of tape, or some other means of covering Elle’s mouth. For Omen knew that the Power of Demons lies in the words they speak, and the influence it has on the Human mind.

In her rantings through Elle the succubus revealed her true goal. She had taken Elle to force a child to be born between them, but one infused with her own essence. This was a plan disgustingly similar to the one Asmodeus had for Jamie, and it seemed to have the same intended result. But Omen had thrown facts back at her, letting her in on his faked orgasm. At first the Demon argued the facts, saying that she had felt Omen’s orgasm. But Omen informed the succubus that he had seen the plan before it had taken effect, and had taken the proper steps to prevent it. The Demon raged, claiming that Omen’s story was impossible. But after presented with facts the Demon had only raged out more, for it’s plan to produce a child using the two had failed. The rage grew even worse, and Elle seemed to be struggling against herself to get off the bed.

Omen thought about what to do next. Restraining the spirit would not last forever, in order to help Elle it would have to be removed. But doing so required more than just faith, it would require the ability to take control over the Demon completely. This was not an easy task, as even the most minor of Demons do not take orders easily. Omen Placed his right hand over Elle’s mouth, forcing her vile words to cease.

“Be quiet Demon, by His Power I demand you be so. Speak not unless you are spoken to, I will not tolerate your ignorance any longer.”

Elle bit Omen’s hand hard, attempting to force him to remove his hand. But Omen continued to enforce his will upon the Demon, even as Elle’s teeth ripped off a small chuck of flesh from his hand. Finally, Omen smacked Elle in the forehead with his pendant, demanding that the Demon be silent. Elle became silent and calm, laying back down on the bed. Omen wrapped the chain of his pendant around his left hand, then pressed it firmly between Elle’s eyes. Omen stared straight at Elle, his gaze pushing past her physical body. He stared directly into the eyes of the succubus that had overtaken Elle. He saw the malice of the spirit, how willing she was to harm others to serve her own needs.

Omen thought back to all his previous experiences in the home. He remembered the stories he had been told by both Elle and Samantha, about a spirit they had seen several times. It showed itself as a little girl, and for the most part had seemed friendly. But both had also spoken about the strength of the spirit, especially when it became enraged. In the stories Elle had told Omen, she had spoken with the spirit at great length, and it had even given her a name. This was the lead Omen needed for the next step in his work. For while in possession of any of the names used by a Demon, a person can manipulate some level of control over them. But this is difficult, and requires the strongest of focus and strength. But Omen stood unafraid, for he knew with the Father’s help he would find a way to save Elle.

Omen leaned over Elle, the chain for his pendant wrapped tightly around his left hand. He kissed the pendant, asking the Father for His Blessing. He leaned over and pressed the pendant between Elle’s eyes, continuing to stare straight at her, He would not allow Elle to speak, nor would he allow her gaze to leave his.

“Uriko, I know your name. You are but a lowly succubus, out seeking to sap energy from Humans. But you have overstepped your boundaries, and now you deal with one stronger than yourself. In the Name of the Dark Father, I command you back to the Pit. Leave this woman, let her actions be her own. Go Home Uriko, you are not welcome here anymore.”

Elle began to fight against Omen. But as the Demon was leaving her, Elle quickly regained control of herself. She lie on the bed in disbelief as Omen told her the stories of all she had been doing. While some of it she already knew, some facts were totally foreign to her. She apologized at length to Omen, Samantha, and Brian for all she had done. Omen told her that the issue had been resolved for the moment, but that it would return if something more was not done. The others were startled at this, asking Omen why this would be. For if he had sent the Demon away, would it not be forced to stay there? Omen had a terrible feeling that there was much more to this issue than one simple succubus, but he maintained faith that everything would work out.

That night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Omen spoke very candidly with Elle. He knew he had to find the source of her internal problem, the thing she had been holding on to that had harmed her. But this required much digging, which Omen was more than ready to do. He spoke with her about her past, as well as anything she could remember about her journey to Sigma. He analyzed all her responses in depth, trying to ascertain what had really happened. After much time, Omen found the problem. It resulted from Elle’s interaction inside Sigma. For once, Elle had lost someone she cared for deeply. They had abandoned her, leaving her searching for answers she never found. Elle had wanted everything with them: a house, children, the entirety of the American Dream. Inside Sigma she had been presented with this false reality, where she had the family she had always wanted. Rather than reject the dream, Elle fell deeper into it, wishing to retain that dream of a family that cared for her. In doing so, she continuously was tempted with it, and drawn back inside the dream. This allowed Uriko the space to inhabit her freely, as Elle was weakened from continuously floating between dream and reality.

Omen talked with Elle. He told her that she had to let go of the dream, that she might come back to reality. He knew this would be difficult, as the level of attachment Elle had for this person was very deep. But he also knew she could be free of it, if she could let go of how much she wanted that fantasy to be real. Elle sobbed in Omen’s arms, begging him to make her problems go away. She said she would find a way to regain herself again, as long as Omen would stay beside her. She asked Omen to give her forever, to never leave her again. Omen did not want to lie to Elle, for he had no idea what might come next in his life. But as he hugged Elle, Omen promised that he would stay beside her until she was healthy again, since she had stood beside him in going to Sigma. Elle continued to sob, but these seemed to be tears of joy, as she clung tightly to Omen. She stayed that way until she fell asleep shortly thereafter, and Omen saw she had gone to sleep with a smile on her face.

19

Omen opened his eyes, knowing that another day of hard work was ahead of him. For while Elle had been stabilized, Omen didn’t feel that she was fully repaired. Her mind was still weak from the repeated trips to Sigma, and her inability to know reality from the dream anymore. After she awoke, Omen spent the majority of the day sitting with Elle, reaffirming positive thoughts within her. He told her to remind herself that she did matter, that her life had meaning. He told her to forget about the vile people that had betrayed her in the past, and to focus on the people that did right by her in the future. Elle seemed to want for a brighter future, to be free from all the people that had treated her so harshly. She wanted to be seen for her potential, not for her failures. Omen told Elle, “Then start here, start with your victory over Sigma. Solve the pain inside yourself, make yourself pure again, and be free from the torments you have endured. You are more than capable of doing these things, I have seen the potential inside you”.

The situation had improved, but was not fixed. From time to time Elle was still being taken, though her actions were much easier to manage than the first day. There was no one else in the house to interfere with this process, and it was going to stay that way. Elle’s mother had gone on a weekend trip with Remy and Pem to San Antonio. Knowing she planned to be gone all weekend, she had sent Samantha to stay with her Nana, so that she would not be around Omen. Omen had tried to explain Elle’s problem to her mother, but he was met with angry disbelief. Completely throwing out the accepted apology from days before, Omen had once again become the target of her Hatred. She tried to expel Omen from her home, which was only prevented by the fit it sent Elle into. Eventually, Elle’s mother caved on the issue, finding that Omen was the only one who could manage Elle’s behavior. But she ensured that her other daughter would be kept away from him the entire time she was gone. Samantha argued the decision, not wanting to be held prisoner for the weekend. But Omen told her that it would be better for everybody if she simply complied this time, rather than cause any more problems than had already been made. He promised he would come visit Samantha, as he had been to her Nana’s house before. Both Omen and Elle waved goodbye to Samantha as she climbed in the van and left.

Omen spent the day working with Elle. Her deep-seeded pain had been created throughout her entire life. The constant insults and criticisms from her mother had destroyed her self-worth. She had been torn down so repeatedly that she found it hard to believe that there was anyone left that truly cared. This was why she preferred the dream, because inside it she was actually treated with respect. Omen realized this would be a tough battle for Elle, especially with the constant chaos in the home. It seemed that the single spirit that had inhabited Elle was not the only problem. For in front of Omen’s eyes, other spirits flowed in and out of the members of the family, causing massive chaos. They infected the mother each time she drank, and were a major influence in her drunken rages. It stirred a need in the resident of the home to interfere negatively in the lives of those around them, even their own family. This was a very serious issue, and in her weakened state Elle was extremely easy to overtake. But at least now, Omen could see Elle fighting back inside herself, attempting to maintain control. Omen explained various methods she might use to guard herself somewhat as she was in the process of healing. But at times this was not enough, and again Elle would be taken.

The sun began to set in the sky. Omen had a promise to keep, a thing he considered very important. For Omen was not the type to make promises he could not keep, or even ones he was unsure of. But in this case keeping his word was easy, and could be done in a simple pattern. Omen told Elle he was going to shower and change, then visit Samantha for a short time before returning. He handed Elle a white stuffed bear, which clutched a red heart between it’s hands. This was a present Omen had won for Elle at the carnival, and she treasured it dearly. As he handed her the bear, Omen reassured Elle of his return.

“Until I return, hold this bear in my place. Inside it I leave a small piece of myself, that it might bring you comfort in my absence. Ignore the lying words of Demons, pay no heed to their nonsense. Stay here and rest, don’t go anywhere by yourself. Just relax until I get back, I will not be extremely long.”

“You promise you’ll come back?”

“I promise. Nothing will stand between me and coming back to this house. I will not abandon you, that too I gave my word on.”

Elle smiled as Omen laid her down in bed, her bear clutched tightly to her chest. Omen left to handle his business, finally able to clean himself again. Afterwards he walked over to the trailer that belonged to Elle’s Nana, but as he did he got a phone call. It was Jamie, and the discussion was on a subject that required much discussion. For Tim had not stopped in his consistent attacks on Omen, even though all the pain from them had subsided. His gums no longer bled, he no longer felt any pain that was abnormal. For in making his decision, omen had served correctly, and thus all the magic was broken that surrounded him. Now Omen would feel the attacks, like a slight headache that came on for no reason. But he was easily able to push all the energy away, blocking the spells with his own energy. This had astonished Jamie, for Tim was known to use very strong magic. But Omen simply replied that his faith was his shield, and they would never be able to penetrate it.

Recently, after becoming fed up with the constant attacks and insults, Omen had sat down to write. Though he did not use Tim’s name, the story he posted on Facebook had been an obvious shot at him. It was story about a vile mage, abusing magic he did not deserve. It referred to the mage as “bitch-made”, a phrase that Omen had recently begun using. It referred to those people who seem to have been sorry from birth, and whose every action was a selfish strike to serve their own will. He spoke on Mr. Bitch-Made’s inability to speak for himself, and his refusal to contact Omen in any way. He spoke on the use of the minions, which he constantly flaunted. For Mr. Bitch-Made did not want to deal with any of his problems on his own. He constantly sought aid from those that followed him, using his Facebook tactics to turn public opinion. Omen wrote how weak this made Mr. Bitch-Made, who could not even stand and defend himself. He called for a final resolution, an end to the conflict. He proposed that their differences be settled in the same way those who disagree inside the Pit settle their arguments. He called Mr. Bitch-Made to meet him in a neutral location. To sign paperwork at the same time as Omen, which would indemnify them from any harm they caused. Then, to meet in a separate neutral location, far away from the prying eyes of people, where they would battle to settle their individual score. This was the way, where the strong show their Power over the weak. In Hell, these challenges cannot be ignored by anyone. Omen reminded Mr. Bitch-Made of this fact, and told him it was time for him to defend his dishonor.

But Tim continued to hide, unwilling to meet Omen face-to-face. He continued to speak on how he, “had people that handled these kinds of things”. He threatened to send groups of people after Omen, to assault him under unfair conditions. But upon hearing this, Omen’s friends rose up in his defense. it seemed that if these people did enter Loma Vista, they would have an entire neighborhood seeking their heads. Omen started carrying his knuckles around in his pocket for protection. But he still walked the streets without fear, even in those times when he was alone. He continued to demand through Jamie that Tim stop ducking him, and hiding behind others that would just end up getting hurt. This was the case on this night as he walked to visit Samantha. The conversation stretched in many directions, from Tim’s avoidance of Omen to his seeming transformation toward her. She had he had become increasing wanting and dominating, demanding she give herself to him.

Jamie claimed that the first time he had visited her, the sight of him had made her sick to her stomach. He was aged and decayed, with teeth rotting out of his mouth. She claimed that she had felt a nasty energy approaching before he arrived, and that even her daughter did not agree with him coming in the house. She had forced him to stay at a hotel, for she did not want him in her home repeatedly. She met him in various public places, as he intended to stay for several days. Jamie claimed that Baal too had risen up against him more than once, expelling out from her when Baal tired of his constant complaining. For Tim came concerned with only one thing, he wanted Jamie to lie with him. He was ready to make the child that they had discussed, so his plans might move forward. Also he was asking Jamie to do rituals with him, binding them together as one. Jamie felt both pressured and unwilling, and sought help from Omen on what to do. He told her simply to give up her fear of Tim’s magic, as it was weak due to it’s selfishness. But Jamie struggled with this, saying Tim had been shown to be capable of much. Omen talked with Jamie for quite some time, the conversation dragging on. Intent on finishing it, he spoke to her in the driveway of Elle’s Nana’s trailer, expecting to go inside after he was done.

But his plans were quickly interrupted by the flashing of red and blue lights. Omen sighed as he saw them, for he could feel that they came for him. Omen ended the call with Jamie, taking his headphones off so as not to appear non-compliant. The police cars rolled up slowly, turning their spotlights on Omen. He shielded his eyes, turning his back to them. The cars stopped just short of him, and officers exited the vehicles. Omen held his hands to his sides, showing that he had no ill intent. The officers approached cautiously, but soon calmed down once they began to speak to Omen.

They said that Elle’s Nana had called them, saying he was tresspassing on her property. Omen told the police that he had been there several times before, as an invited guest, and had never been told he was not welcome. He explained that, due to recent events, he knew the woman was angry with him. He wanted to allow her to vent her rage at his misjudgements, so as not to hold a grudge. All these things Omen came with intent to see through, as well as to visit Samantha, and keep his promise. After Omen had spoken his piece, the officers nodded and spoke amongst themselves. As two of them remained with Omen, teo more went and spoke with the Nana. Omen saw the looks on their faces as they returned, and knew exactly what would be said.

The officers wrote Omen a warning. The Nana had demanded that Omen be labelled a trespasser, and for it to be illegal for him to be near her home. They said that it did not matter what Omen’s intent had been, because as the primary landowner she had rights. Omen sighed, but accepted the answer he had expected. He told them he would leave with no argument, and that it would not be necessary for them to follow him. But he also mentioned the situation with Elle, and that he needed to return to her to ensure her safety. He asked the officers if he would face the same issue when he arrived there, and was told that they had heard no such thing. He simply had to leave this property immediately, and not return unless he wanted to be arrested. Omen put the paper ticket into his pocket, shook the hands of the officers, and walked away from the trailer, headed back to the main streets. It was terrible that the Nana would rather involve police than talk through her anger, but Omen had seen a pattern of this in their family. They refused to settle their own problems, and used the police as tools whenever they got upset. This was an abuse both of the law and of honor, and Omen was disgusted that Elle’s Nana had proven so vile.

As he walked back to Elle’s contemplating all that had happened, an ambulance rolled by. Omen got a terrible feeling that something was wrong. Had something happened back at the house? Omen pace quickened as he analyzed what he was feeling, for it seemed focused on Elle’s condition. He raced the distance in between, but the route was still several minutes long. By the time he arrived, all the lights in the house were off, even the light left on in the garage where Elle had been. Panicking, Omen checked the garage door, to find it locked tight. He went to the front door, knocking loudly so that he could be heard. He begged to whomever might be inside to tell him what was going on, for he was worried about his girlfriend’s safety. But he received no response, and looked around for more answers. he saw a police car parked across the street, though it seemed to be unoccupied. Omen walked toward the car, hoping that by doing so he would find the officer that was in charge of it.

“Hey. What are you doing over there?”

Omen turned around. A female police officer stood just outside the open door to Elle’s home. She moved toward Omen, he hand firmly on the weapon in her belt. Omen showed his hands to her, asking that she relax and speak with him. For it was the officer who drove the police car that he had been searching for, and he had gotten exactly what he wanted. When the officer asked what Omen wanted from her, he answered that he sought answers as to the condition of his girlfriend. The officer responded with a saddened look and a deep sigh, followed by the words, “I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to disclose that information”. The officer continued on to inform Omen that he was being banned from this residence as well. This seemed surprising, considering the renter was out of town on vacation. But as he looked back to the door, Omen saw the sneaky face of Elle’s uncle. He pretended not to be watching, and also pretending not to be enjoying what he saw. Omen realized right away what had happened, and the realization enraged him.

As he had been held up by the police at Elle’s Nana’s, she had sent her son to work another vile plan. In one night, these two rotten people had banned Omen from all the places where the family stayed, simply because they did not like him. As for Elle, Omen found out quickly what he feared from the beginning. In addition to calling the police to ban Omen from the house, Elle’s uncle had dialed 911, claiming his niece was trying to harm herself. He had her sent away in an ambulance, and now she was locked in the hospital. But there were strict orders in place, Omen was to be kept away from Elle. Elle’s family had committed the ultimate betrayal. They had forced their own blood, stuck in the middle of a war for her own mind, into solitude inside a hospital. They had also cut off her contact with the one person she trusted to give her advice, and that seemed capable of bringing her back from the worst of her attacks. Now she would be trapped in a hospital room with those that would refuse to understand what was going on, claiming it was all in her mind. Any help that she sought from Omen could not be given, now Elle had to face the attacks of the Demons by herself. Omen sat in his truck, still in disbelief that all this had been done by Elle’s own family. Their Hatred for Omen’s faith, for Elle’s strong support of him, and for the choice Samantha made on her own, had twisted their minds. Now they sought only to destroy any happiness or comfort that existed between Omen and Elle, simply because of their Hatred for him.

Omen was stuck with no ability to do anything. He went back to Kindra’s and was forced to sit there waiting and wondering. As per their habits, those in the neighborhood came to visit Omen. They wanted to sit and hang out with him, but Omen was not in the mood for much company. Even when they sat together, Omen thought about how Elle was doing. He spoke to others about her condition, and they in turn found out what all had happened. Elle’s uncle had called 911 to have Elle taken away, and had changed a note they had written days before on a dry erase board, claiming it was a suicide note. Because of this, he had her sent away to the hospital, where they fed her drugs to keep her calm. They said that in two more days she would be shipped off to a mental institution in Austin, Texas. Omen became instantly angry, for this was the name of the ex-boyfriend Elle was still holding on to. He knew that seeing and hearing the name repeatedly would not be good in her condition. Omen spent much time praying for Elle, that she might survive through this trial.

As he sat inside the house, meandering from task to task, Omen was approached by Storm. Storm and Cloud were the cats that Kindra owned, they had been in the house since long before Omen had moved in. Storm was the older of the two animals, and in his eyes shown the advanced knowledge of a true familiar. Omen had studied the process of animals and their magical uses throughout history. Cats had been looked at highly, especially in Egypt, because they were said to be able to see into the spirit realm. This had held true for Storm, when many times the animal had been seen to distinguish spirits close to Omen in the room. He had a variety of reactions, though most were defensive and tense. Over time Storm had become very attached to Omen, making a point to sleep in his bed with him when he stayed there. Omen had learned to speak to Storm and be understood, as many times the cat had quickly followed his orders correctly.

On this particular day, Storm continued to sit in one place and stare straight at Omen. No matter what he said to the cat, or any attempts to feed or play with him, the cat refused to move. Omen asked Storm what the problem was, and he immediately ran into the bathroom. Omen followed, finding the cat seated in the shower. This was highly unusual, for cats generally dislike water. Storm was amongst these and would attack anyone that even accidentally got him wet. Storm avoided the bathroom at all costs any other day, but today he sat in the shower staring at Omen as before. Omen walked over to the shower, and took a knee in front of Storm.

“Is there something in here Storm? Something bad that needs to go away?”

Storm meowed, another thing rare for him. Omen told Storm he would deal with the issue, for he too felt a strange energy. Perhaps Kindra had brought something home with her, and it had been washed off in the shower. But it had not been washed away completely, and now sat in the house causing a disturbance. Omen would not stand for this in his own home. He prayed to the Father, then turned on the cold water in the shower. He turned and left the room with Storm, as the shower continued to run. Several minutes later, when Omen felt that the energy had left, he went back and shut the water off. As he reached in to turn off the water, it flowed down onto his arm. Even though the water was cold to the touch, Omen felt it burn his skin slightly. Once the water had stopped he quickly dried off his hand, seeing that there was no actual damage. But he had felt real pain when he came in contact with the water. But he had asked for the water to flow to cleanse the spirit, so why would this be? The answer was simple, the white energy used in the water to remove the spirit would damage anything of a Dark nature, Omen included. Omen accepted this Truth as he thanked the Father for helping him remove the spirit from Kindra’s home.

The next day, Omen had a meeting with the representative from UTI. He was told that, in order to use the money he had paid into and reenlisted to guarantee, he would be forced to get his discharge changed. It seemed that while the Commander had not completely ruined Omen’s life in expelling him, he had managed to derail Omen’s future. The man was very nice, and explained to Omen that there were two ways to accomplish this. Either way, there was a form that needed to be filled out and sent to the government for evaluation. Based on this form, one of two things would happen. The first option was that Omen write out the story of what happened, and all the Army had done to him. They allowed for supporting paperwork to be attached, but sadly the events of Omen’s life had separated him from these documents. So Omen realized that simply writing a story detailing a series of events that not only violate military standards but borderline on violating the First Amendment without proof would not be heard. And Omen refused to lie on the form, or to only tell half the truth just to receive something he wanted. While this may be the way of the world, this was not Omen’s way.

As he walked back to Kindra’s from the meeting, Omen contemplated the possibility of writing the form. But no matter what method he considered, he knew the result would be the same. They would brush him off, if for nothing else that to protect the Army’s reputation. For Omen had heard of many cases where the government removed someone to maintain that they were not at fault, nor had they violated any laws. This is the nature of the government, to protect itself by lying to the people. But as he continued to walk, he began to consider the other option. This one would require Omen to appear before a board of high-ranking soldiers, and basically have the nature of his Honor placed on trial. Omen thought about how this option would play out. He would more than likely have to wait quite some time to get such a trial to happen, which made little sense considering Omen’s life was still in the air. In going, he would probably be expected to wear the Class A’s that he had owned while he served. At first Omen thought about the possibility of going to Illinois and acquiring them. He thought maybe if he could show them that he had once cared for what he believed the Army stood for, perhaps they would listen.

As Omen sat in the house, contemplating his options, he began to see something else. It seemed the Father would have use for such a hearing, as a tool to enlighten the masses. Omen saw himself speaking in front of people, while being taped by cameras that broadcasted it out even further. He saw himself redefining what Honor means to people, so as to prove that he had never been wrong from the beginning. As well Omen was seen to teach basic lessons, to advance the understanding of people in general. He saw that he was told to calm himself multiple times, but refused on the basis that every word held bearing on the decisions made.

One of these lessons was the same that he had recently begun teaching his friends. He called it “How Man Sees”, and as always said it was a lesson in True Math, understanding numbers on new levels. Omen was seen to have been given a chalkboard, with which he would visually represent those things words alone cannot describe. Omen picked up the chalk, and turned to face all the people assembled, greeting them all with a smile.

“How do we see? Is it defined by what the data our eyes process, of which some require aid just to have? To some, the ability to see represents much more, being attributed to a greater level of understanding. The word means both, as such to see means both things. But does this mean that blind people, whose eyes cannot process the visual data, are incapable of reaching understanding? This is false, for there are many people that lack vision that go on to do amazing things. So then which value attributed to sight means more, which one has a more positive overall value?”

Omen walked to the chalkboard. He pointed into the crowd of people, and Elle stood. “The ability to reach understanding, as more people on the planet are capable of it. The visual data means less than the understanding of what it means, for without that you would recognize nothing that you see.”

Omen smiled, and wrote the word UNDERSTANDING on the board. “Correct. Understanding is the more important aspect of sight, as if our brains are incapable of processing the data, then what we see means nothing. So, if we as people constantly strive to focus our attentions on the most positive goals, reaching understanding should be a top priority. Because the lack of this is what breeds the constant war and chaos that keeps us from making progress as a species. One big giant misunderstanding. And if the words mean as we have discussed, what is a misunderstanding? Anyone?”

Omen turned to see several hands in the air. He selected one, and a man stood to face Omen. “A lack of sight?”

Omen’s face gleamed. “Yes! If sight represents understanding, than the issue that causes war is a lack of sight. Now, using the other definition, what does that make all the people that involve themselves in constant war and death, if these things harm the overall positive progress of Humanity?”

Hands shot up. People seemed to be getting into the discussion. The board was upset, but Omen had planned for all this. Part of the requested agreement was the people in the crowd, the right to say whatever he felt he needed to without interruption, and the cameras. All had been pre-planned, to make the discussion effective. Omen selected someone from another part of the room, trying to be as fair as possible in selection.

“Blind.” It had been said as a statement, not as a question. This person understood, they were listening with an intent to understand more. This was exactly what Omen wanted, people that were ready to learn rather than argue about it.

“Yes. Blind. Every last one of them. Blind to the misery they cause, blind to the damage they are doing to the planet. Blind to how their conflicts push us closer to the edge of the kind of war that ends life as we know it. It seems that Humanity has decided to let the blind lead us, and apparently it is to be straight off a cliff.”

There was much murmuring amongst the people. The officers seated at the board grumbled between themselves, obviously offended at Omen’s remarks about them and their leaders. But Omen turned back to the people, with a smile on his face. “However, this is not to be taken as some form of attack. After all, if a child is born blind, do you spend your days insulting them for it? Of course not, you work to make the child’s life be able to progress without it. As such, we work for progress, in this lesson called How Man Sees. What we just discussed was an example, data that I want you to consider as we move on with the lesson. So, how do we define what people are capable of seeing? Each individual is exceptionally different, thus so many see the same thing different ways. So how can all this be compressed into something that is explainable? Based on math, we learn that something can only be defined once you know it’s limits. So, what are the limits of general sight? Know that there are several answers to this question that are correct in their own way, and each of these in it’s own way proves my point. What are the limits of what people see, what matters to them now?”

Hands shot up. Omen was given a slew of various answers. Money. Power. Fame. Spirituality. What’s right in front of them. War. Good. Evil. The people wanted to be involved, each was hearing Omen’s words in their own way. He walked back over to the chalkboard, and wrote every one of the answers in a line going down. “Ok. We have several answers here. Rather than claim any of them as right or wrong, we will discuss their effectiveness for the discussion. Let’s start with the first one, money.” Omen reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He opened it up, pulling out a single piece of green paper. “Money. The Almighty Dollar. Everybody pull out a dollar if you can, and look at it for a second.” Omen waited as many people fished dollar bills out of their pockets and purses. “Without this, we can’t get anything effectively done in our lives. We wouldn’t have food, a place to stay, or any real form of friendship or comfort. This is proven by the number of homeless people in our country, who without this green paper wander aimlessly, trying to survive. But is this paper a limit to what we see? Is it an endpoint, or more of a tool? For if only a tool, it cannot also be an endpoint. Tools are used to reach a goal, they are not a goal themselves. So, is this a limit to what we see, is this the kind of answer we are looking for in this discussion?”

Various nos were murmured across the crowd of people. Omen drew a line through the word Money on the chalkboard. “The answer is almost unanimous, this is not what we are looking for. Money is a cause of many issues in the world, but it is not an endpoint of sight. On to the next answer, Power. Is this a limit of sight? Men seek Power every day, whether attempting to be promoted in their jobs, or the right to dominate the will of another. There are many forms of Power, which range from mental manipulation of others to the ability to act as you choose with no repercussions. This is a goal that seems to be driven into us from birth to want in one fashion or another, as competition is fostered more than teamwork. It seems more important to people to struggle to be better than others than to work together to excel as a whole. But is this a limit to what we see? Is this a definable endpoint, or yet another tool that people seek? For the only want to achieve Power is a want to use it for some predefined purpose, so does that not make Power a tool as well?”

Omen listened to the answers given in the crowd. He walked back over and drew a line through Power. “It is decided, the people are in general understanding. Power is a tool, used by those that have it against those that do not. As such it is not an endpoint of sight. Our next answer is Fame. The quest to get large amounts of other people to like you, and to want to hear what you have to say.” Omen chuckled. “I don’t think after the last two discussion we need to talk about this much, do we?”

The crowd voiced their agreement. Omen crossed Fame off the list, moving on to the next answer. “So, what about Spirituality? Religion, or the search for something outside of the physical self. This want has led societies throughout thousands of years of Human growth. The religious beliefs of each separate society determined the ways in which they lived, as well as who had the right to rule over them. But is this an endpoint of Human sight? Spirituality, if considered as an endpoint, would have an opposite in physicality. This would make the opposing end to the discussion physical sight, which we have already determined is not what we are looking for. So is Spirituality an endpoint for this equation we are trying to build?”

There were a variety of answers to be heard from the crowd. Many agreed, but many more were in opposition. The number of those in opposition was greater, heard by the loudness of their combined voices. Omen walked up to the board, and crossed Spirituality off the list. “People seem to be on both sides of this issue. The fact is, Spirituality is a goal. It is a want to achieve a level you realize you do not yet have, but know and believe inside you are capable of reaching. Spirituality is a tool, used to reach the understanding that we labelled as an important goal. As we have stated before, a thing cannot be both a tool and an endpoint, so we strike it from the list. Now, the next answer here. What’s right in front of each of you right now? Me? Am I an endpoint of your sight, am I the last thing you’ll grow to understand?”

The crowd argued their opposition to this statement. Omen crossed that off the list as well. “Good. I’m glad to hear that I’m not the last thing you’ll ever know, I wish you all long and happy lives. Our next answer here is War. The violent destruction that has been waged throughout history, for one reason or another. It has been done in the name of God, for country, for faith, for land, for freedom, for any and all reasons that you can think of. War has been waged in the name of Love as well as in Hatred, and these are polar opposites of one another. But is War an endpoint? Though our constant warring has the greatest potential to push us towards our own total destruction, is this an endpoint to what we are capable of seeing?”

The crowd answered this question angrily, as it could be seen that many of them were not fond of the current world’s need to fight war after war. Omen turned and struck War from the list, then faced the people again. “Oh my. We only have two answers left. And in a math equation, to determine endpoints we need at least two to define. But look at what we have here. Good and Evil. Now, take away what someone else has told you these words mean. Define them inside yourself by their true meaning. For many various cultures of Men have existed throughout Ages of Humanity, and each saw these things differently. For while some saw things as simple as the ingestion of certain animals as Evil, others did not. This trend continues to this day, where Good and Evil are matters of opinion, based on the individual. So when broken down correctly, these terms can be used as opposite definitions of individual perception. Good for this purpose would be defined as the actions considered appropriate by the individual, based on what they had experienced in their life. Evil would represent those things that they do knowingly that harm themselves or others around them, with an intent to do so. If we take these two things and place them next to one another, we see that they are indeed opposite, no matter the individual perception. For while those that are good see Evil actions as a thing to be avoided, those that consider themselves Evil see those actions as appropriate. Good and Evil change definition with each individual, however, they are perceived by everyone that has the ability to understand anything.”

Omen paced back and forth as he spoke, using the motions of his arms for emphasis. “These are the endpoints we have that are usable, as in each individual they can be defined as existent. So, how do we define these in a numerical sense? We live in a three-dimensional world, so let’s use three-dimensional math. One endpoint would be in the center, which in numbers would be defined by the number 0.” Omen walked to the chalkboard, and drew a 0. “So here we have an endpoint. But we have no idea which one of our opposites this endpoint defines. So now, we have to experiment, in order to find this answer. How do we go about this? Well, lets use Human general understanding. Allow me to ask this question, can you give me any number that generally defines Good? Is there an existent term that people use numerically that signifies Good in general?”

Omen heard several people discussing the question, but no one raised a hand. “Well then, lets try the other end. Is there a number that people generally understand to mean Evil?”

Hands went up instantly, especially from those that could be seen to be Satanic from their attire. Omen held up his hands. “Everyone that knows this answer, tell the ones that don’t on three. ready? One, two, three..”

“666,” rang out loudly from the crowd. Omen seemed to thoroughly enjoy the loud mention of the number, taking a second to sigh with a smile. “Right. 666, the supposed Number of the Beast. This number has been used in everything from television to music to religion, in reference to the essence of Evil. It is generally understood to mean this by any that have learned it. This can be proven by interjecting combinations of three combined 6‘s randomly into a person’s life. Their fear of the Evil in the number will drive them to a search to understand why they are seeing the numbers, that they might protect themselves. So, we have a generally understood definition number for Evil. Awesome. Now, how do we draw that mathematically, if we know one endpoint of the equation is a zero? This is dimensional math, so the answer is not a straight line. For we definitely do not see in straight lines, so this would not be appropriate.”

Omen turned to face the board. “I don’t know how many of you know the Bible, but the original translation of the verses says the number is six hundred, three score, and six. The number 666 is three numbers, not one. so if these 3 6‘s were separated, then graphed, how would that look? Each six is still a six, and can only go as far from the 0 as any other 6.”

Omen held up a small ruler. “This ruler is 6 inches long, unlike the 6 inches some of the men out there claim to have.” This comment was met with both laughter and quiet grumbling, as the people enjoyed the short break from the serious discussion. Omen walked over to the board, and drew lines out in three separate directions, making sure to stop at 6 inches exactly. “Now, we’ve got our three 6‘s graphed on the board. But while separate numbers, these three points are all linked together in being parts of the definition of Evil, right? As such, we have to make sure they stay connected to each other independently.” Omen drew lines from each point to the points closest to it, creating a design on the board. “Now, what have we Created in this equation?”

People seemed to be growing quite upset, but not at Omen. Many were grumbling about the government, and their various abuses. Many people sat staring at the dollar bills they had been asked to pull out of their pockets. But they answered Omen quickly and with force, showing their want to have the discussion continue.

“Right, we have Created a triangle. Now we can wipe the lines used to understand the equation away, showing that our two endpoints, while a part of each other are not the same, and thus do not touch one another. What do we have left? A zero inside a triangle? What does this define? Anyone?” Omen smirked as he prepared to face the crowd, knowing they were primed to answer him. He selected someone that had a dollar in their hand, as he knew they had the answer he was looking for.

“The All-Seeing Eye, the design pictured on the back of the dollar bill, atop the pyramid.”

“Ah, that’s an interesting term to use considering our discussion. For if the zero defines an eye, then that part of the equation is already used in the description, so the only thing left to interpret is the triangle, which we know was made out of the number that defines Evil. So if the triangle defines Evil, and the zero represents an eye, how would this picture be read if it was words rather than design?”

He called upon another in the crowd. “Evil Eye.”

“Exactly. So if this picture represents an Evil Eye, then how can it possibly see everything? It cant, it is trapped within the limits of Evil. An All-Seeing Eye would not be limited in such a way, it would extend on to all forms of Understanding. For with the ability to see everything that exists, you would be at a greater peace inside yourself. For having reached Understanding, you would not be troubled by the actions or words of others. So, based on that, are these eyes All-Seeing? Has the Eye on the back of every dollar helped you reach peace in your life? No? Then it cannot be All-Seeing. And if the definition of All-Seeing has been disproven, and the definition of Evil Eye has been proven to be factual, then Evil Eye is the correct definition.”

There was much anger being voiced amongst the people as Omen made this statement. References to the Illuminati, and to governmental corruption. The people were growing visibly enraged, fed up with the problems they saw referenced in their own lives. But Omen calmed them without words, wanting them to hear the rest of what was to be said. He walked calmly back to the chalkboard, pulling a small rod out from his coat.

“Now, we’ve defined what things we weren’t looking for in this discussion, as well as the endpoints of Man’s ability to see. We have constructed equations that exist in number, design, and speech, all of which point to the same conclusion. But, in order to make my final point, please look at the dollar bills again. Stare into that Eye for a second, try to feel your way inside it. I am going to ask a series of quick questions, and I want responses from the whole at the same speed. Are you all ready?” Omen waited several seconds, as everyone did as he had asked.

“That’s right in front of you, is it not?”

“Yes.”

“That’s money you’re staring at, is it not?”

“Yes.”

“If you gain alot of this, you would be very powerful, right?”

“Yes.”

“If you have alot of this, people will want to be around you, and you’ll become famous, right?”

“Yes.”

“Almost every religion on the planet asks you to give some of this to them, so they can further their own causes, as a condition of the quality of your Spirituality, right?”

The voices stuttered a bit. “Y..Yes.”

“Wars have been fought over the objects which increase the amount of this people possess right? Wars over oil, over territory, over control?”

“Yes.”

“Now, look back up at the board. See all these things that we crossed out, saying they were tools and not endpoints. We have defined the endpoints, and even seen the truth of the Evil Eye. Knowing all these things, and considering the answers with which you just responded to all my questions, which one of the two endpoints do these tools foster?”

There were looks of shock in the crowd, mixed with various levels of rage. The people had taken in everything Omen had said, and had realized the point of the discussion. As they began to grumble angrily, Omen pulled the dollar bill up next to his face. So, how does Man See? In general, through Evil Eyes that foster the worst kind of selfish growth imaginable. For this reason, the servants of one of the many organizations that see through these Eyes has no right to tell me that I am not Honorable, for you cannot see far enough to judge me.”

Omen smiled as he sat in the house. He had no idea when, but he knew the Father wanted much to be said. As he continued to sit he evaluated several other things which he had taken keen interest in. They revolved around some things that Omen had seen, but could not quite discern yet. Some of it revolved around the nature of things before Humanity, for this was a subject that had always interested Omen. Over the years, he had heard so many claim so much about Him. Who He was, what He wanted, His reason for Existence. He had seen so many stories, claiming him to be the same as a variety of other named spirits. At times it almost seemed that some people, when lost for answers as to the reality of something, simply attached the name Satan to it and walked away. This led to a hideous slew of misinformation, which is strewn online across the world. Through this misinformation the minds of many are corrupted, for they believe that the words written are true. This is especially the case for those who tap into magic as well inside their religious practices. For as soon as they experience magical growth, they believe they are on the correct path. Even as following it destroys them, their belief lies in what proof they believe they saw. Omen had always had a want to solve this problem, to find the Truth inside the lies. But it seemed almost every group, and nearly all the written texts, had been so corrupted that they barely knew which way to look for the Father anymore. If Omen wanted an answer, he was going to have to ask directly.

A major set of questions had revolved around a tale that has existed in many forms throughout history. It describes a “War in the Heavens”, the place where the Originals reside. The reason this issue raised many questions, especially the big one about Lucifer. For while many label Lucifer and the Father to be the same, many others contest this theory. Each side has their own reasons, but upon evaluation Omen saw that most of them revolved around what people believed a spirit “looked like”. This was not a way to discern a spirit, as they are capable of projecting themselves in many fashions. This meant that, as usual, most people had no idea what they were seeing, and by the words inside some of the books Omen read, many had been severely deceived. Omen wanted to see for himself, he wanted to understand.

Omen closed his eyes, and went into a deep meditation. Omen had tried many forms of meditation, but most had proven unsuccessful. But the one thing that had always worked was the music. Since the beginning, it had been the only way for Omen to connect purely. With the outside racket of daily life eliminated, and all the songs being those Omen knew and sung in faith, Omen was able to drain reality away. Ever since his trip to Sigma, his connection had increased significantly. Omen had asked for the reason for this, and he was informed that he was as intended. The piece that had been removed had held him back intentionally, so as that he would have more than he could handle as he was training. Now, lacking the ability to foster any form of real attachment to the physical world, Omen was able to disconnect from it almost at will. It still required focus, and a passionate will to find answers. But as Omen’s third eye began to open again, he saw bright lights, and a city that seemed made of pure gold.

20

Life in the Home of the Originals was simple and plentiful. Tasks were assigned and carried out. The Power of the Light nourished all who lived there, and through this they were given the strength of Immortality. There was peace inside the City, as all the Servants were family. They had been born through the Power of the Light, just as all the other things that had been Created of their nature. They served the Will of their Father, which all of them felt inside. It guided them through their actions, but the Father Himself could not be seen. For while tangible, the Father was also the Essence of Light. Thus He could not stand before them, His Power was far too great. This was accepted, as feeling His Presence over them was enough to give them cause to serve. It brought them great joy to fulfill the Will of the Father, and to assist in the Creation of so many beautiful things. Worlds flourished, species grew in number, and much Knowledge was gained over the manipulation of the Light.

After many things had been Created, the Servants were given a new order. Another Creation was coming into Being, but this was unlike anything Created before it. It would be the first experiment of this kind. The experiment sought, for the first time, to intertwine the Light and the Darkness into a single Being, capable of both by their own choices. This was unheard of, as all things Created before this had been either of the Light or the Darkness. The things Created constantly warred with one another, considering each other natural enemies. This caused constant chaos throughout Existence, and was responsible for the destruction of more than one Race. The Plan, as it was defined, was an attempt to show the True Power that existed in the unity of Light and Darkness. the same Power that existed in the Original Source, the only thing that could not seem to be re-Created. But the Father had enforced the necessity for this through the Will, and thus the Councils Above met to discuss the issue. Though most were accepting of the new Creation, many argued the fairness of it. For some of them wished to be free of their service, that they might live out their own lives as they chose.

Discussion turned into arguments, and soon their were two very divided sides. But in the end, the vote was cast, and the Servants had decided to support the decision in every way possible. They wanted to see the beauty of the newly Created Humanity, which was said to be designed much differently than they were. Their physical bodies were fragile, and aged away swiftly. But inside them, the energy of both Light and Darkness would flow. This mixture of energies would allow for a greater expansion of capability once mastered, for the Humans would not be limited to drawing from one Source. This also meant that they could exist anywhere, for as long as they could survive the hazards of the new home they would learn to adapt to it. The only place this not true of was the City Itself, for nothing that existed in Darkness was allowed to stay in that place.

But much of the energy which provided the life force for Humans was of the Light, and thus the energy would need to recycle in order to maintain the integrity of the stable whole. In order to do this, the energy would have to be purified before entering, a process which was defined through various experimentation. Once discovered, the process was only found to be able to remove a certain extent of the Darkness from an individual, and as such only those found to have less of it than the solution cleansed were considered appropriate for entry. The rest were sent into Darkness, to the Pit in which the Dark Father resided. There they would have the Darkness stripped from them, taken as an energy source and recycled. In this way the Darkness would be strengthened as well, and thus the entire concept recycled itself by design.

But the energy of Humanity was meant to do more than recycle, it was meant to make Everything stronger. For the small amount of energy used to produce the Human would grow over the span of their life. Properly focused, it could be used to achieve great things, or destructive things. But as the energy had grown significantly since it had been produced, when it recycled the individual energy strengthened the source that it recycled to. In this way, all the Beings throughout Existence were strengthened, for the Sources that maintained them were kept strong as well. It was a brilliant idea, conceived by the Dark Father, in an attempt to solve a much bigger problem.

For in addition to their warring, the Beast of Nothing ravaged many areas inside Creation. It’s unstoppable force wiped away much that had been Created, the energy never to return. This drained the total energy of Everything, and the problem was soon realized. If not prevented soon, the Beast would destroy Everything. This was It’s intent, a want to draw everything back into the single source from whence it came. But from this there was no return, as the Immortal Spirits that were taken by the Beast never returned. Instead, the Beast Itself began to gain their Knowledge and experience, becoming much more crafty in It’s tactics. Humanity was said to be another step in the solution to this problem, as through their increasing energy they could tap into a Power that was greater, and through this be capable of putting the energy of the Beast to rest once and for all.

The arguments only increased once the first Humans had been Created. Even within the original experiment, one of the two Created had chosen the Darkness, turning on even the other she was meant to breed with. Humans were quickly found to be almost impossible to control, as their Free Will led them to search for answers to every question, even those they were told did not need answering. For her disobedience, the First Female was cast out, and told she would rot and die alone for her betrayal. But she was rescued by the Dark Father, who would not see her beauty destroyed. Instead she was taken to the Pit with Him, and remade into something much different. Seeing this happen caused many in the Heavens to grow upset, for it was seen that the Power of Darkness was capable of transforming anything Created.

The Chief Servant, Lucifer, was one of the first to uncover this trend. He began to study it extensively, trying to find a way to counteract it if threatened. He performed many experiments in magic and in observation, taking a keen interest in the Humans. He seemed quite fond of them, for inside them he saw an answer to his own complication. Lucifer wanted the same Free Will that Humans had, that he might not be forced to destroy beautiful things anymore. He did not agree with many of the decisions made through the Will of the Father, and was tired of his voice not being heard. Lucifer studied day after day, seeking the Truth behind Free Will. He would not stop until he found it, no matter what the cost.

The rumors began to spread that there were many in the Family of Servants that stood against the Will. All that were accused of this had been very closely tied with Lucifer, who had been seen to have long discussions with each of them. They immediately became ostracized, as the other Watchers would not tolerate any of their kin tapping into the Darkness. Sadly, not every Watcher that was accused of being disloyal was, but all accused became instantly labeled traitors to the Will. Fighting began to break out in almost every household, as arguments spewed forth over the validity of wanting to choose for themselves. Not all wanted this to happen, many were happy with their lives as they were. They did not want change to destroy everything that they had built, for it was the most beautiful of Cities throughout Existence. As the arguments grew, it was seen that there was no peaceable solution. The Watchers were pushing themselves toward war, and this was unheard of amongst their people.

A mandate came down from the Will. In order to support the growing Humanity, Watchers were required inside the Pit. From here they could manage the affairs of Darkness, in the same way that they managed the affairs of Light. For no other Race was Created the same as the Watchers, for they were built as Servants to the Will. This decision was met with outrage, as it was known that the Pit was a terrible place, where the Darkness distorted everything around it. This condition caused even the ground to have a will to cause pain. This unstable energy caused fires to spout forth from the ground, and the Dark energy weighed heavily on any who drew near it. This place was normally forbidden to the Watchers, and it was known that any who ventured there could not return to the City. The Darkness would taint them forever, never again would they shine as brightly. But this was said to be a necessity, a requirement to allow Humanity to continue to grow. Hearing that the reason for such a horrible transition for so many would be for the sake of the same thing that so many had disagreed with originally made the arguing grow even worse.

Many Watchers went looking for Lucifer, who had been said to have disappeared from his post. Rumors flew that he had been seen in many places throughout the Heavens, speaking with various individuals. This caused even more rumors to spread, naming even more of the Watchers as betrayers. Now, almost half of them had been labeled this way, and were treated like criminals in their own home. Friends were seen to trade swords with each other in open combat over these issues, though each fight was contained to the individuals arguing. Even the natural order of the Heavens seemed to have been ruined by this series of events, and Lucifer was blamed as the responsible party. Though the issue was the differential treatment given to Humanity, it was much easier to name an enemy that could be fought. Michael, the leader of the Armies of the Heavens, declared Lucifer an enemy of the Will, and sought his death.

The situation grew even worse when a second list was produced. This list was much longer than the first, for many names had been added. Michael delivered the list to the soldiers, saying that those Watchers named were to be sent into the Pit. This would break their Family even further, for not every name on the list was a labeled betrayer. But Michael said that the Will was not to be contested, and that the list would not be changed. Many people questioned his newly gotten list, based on several of the names that had been added. But Michael was the leader of the Watchers, and the strongest among them except Lucifer himself, who was Created first. He told the Watchers on the list to say goodbye to their Family, and prepare for their journey. He seemed callous as he demanded this, as if he cared nothing for the misery of those that would never see their Home again.

Finally, during Morning Worship, the chaos reached a head. Lucifer returned publicly, but he was not alone. All of those that had been told they would be forced out of their Home stood with him, as well as others that had not previously. It seemed Lucifer had been quite busy recruiting, as his forces were massive. They pushed forward from the Main Gates, tearing through their Brothers and Sisters without remorse. Something in their eyes had changed, none of them were the same as they had been before. They fought with a new strength, which seemed to be born out of their want to enforce their will over the Father’s. Fires began to spring up, and the Heavens were seen to burn.

Michael rallied the forces of the Heavens and combatted Lucifer. But the forces sent were quickly slaughtered, and it was found that Lucifer had brought with him new weapons. These blades were forged out of the energies of Darkness, and the Watchers could not stand against them. Lucifer cut a path towards the Palace, wherein lies the Throne of Light. Lucifer wished to attain the power of the Throne, to add it to his own and grow even stronger. He said he refused to allow his Family to be forced into Darkness against their will. Instead, he would show them the terror that Darkness causes, and from it they would learn why Humanity should not have been born. The black blade that Lucifer carried seemed to radiate Hatred from within itself, as if even when not used it craved death and destruction. As such, even when Lucifer seemed to be in conflict about killing other Watchers, the blade seemed to strike them down itself. With each kill, Lucifer’s eyes grew darker, and the Power within him seemed to swell. As he tore across the City in conquest, Lucifer’s energy became stronger than any had imagined possible. None could even hope to stand against him, and Lucifer drew near the Palace Gates.

Michael stood in front of the Gates, with all the remaining forces of the Heavens beside him. The battle raged, and Lucifer’s forces seemed to have the upper hand. But in the moment of greatest need, time itself was stopped. Lucifer was beaten by the Father Himself, whose energy was strong enough to overcome even the Darkness that had changed Lucifer so much. All that were assembled fell to their knees, for they knew their Father had entered the conflict. And in that same moment, the battle had ended, and Lucifer had lost. Soon after, all those who had revolted against the Will were sent away from the Heavens, on a one-way trip to the Pit. They would reside there until the completion of the Human Experiment, and would never again enter the Heavenly City. Even as the betrayers who had killed so many of their own were herded onto the vessels designed to transport them to their destination, tears were still shed by those that were to remain. For much misery had been wrought in the Creation of Humanity, and the Honor of the Watcher Race had been corrupted by it forever. Lucifer vowed as he left that someday his Family would see the mistake they had made in supporting Humanity, for it would lead to the destruction of them all.

Omen awoke from his vision. He was startled by the level of detail with which he had just seen the War in the Heavens unfold. Now Omen had a totally new perspective on the conflict, and truly understood Lucifer’s intent. War had never been his goal, but he had seen in advance the horrible effect that Darkness has on the individual. He knew that fostering that Darkness to grow, simply in an attempt to make the Light grow, would lead to an imbalance of Power, and the eventual destruction of all they had built. Lucifer had fought to protect his Family, that they might continue to exist on through the Ages. But in his attempt to do so, Lucifer actually made the Darkness grow further inside his own people. For in order to have the Free Will of Humans, the Watchers too would have to exist in both Light and Darkness. Once they were shown this capability, they quickly fell prey to the Power. By the time they realized their error, they were too full of Hatred, and a want to conquer the Heavens for themselves. Lucifer’s intentions were pure, but he too had misjudged the Power and influence Darkness has on the mind. Seeing this vision made Omen understand the realities of the conflict, and as well placed a direct separation between Lucifer and the Father that remade him in Darkness. Omen smiled as he allowed the information to sit in his mind, that he might hold on to it for the future.

Omen got up to make dinner, as he did every so often when at Kindra’s. It was never anything superior, as Kindra only bought things that were relatively quick to make when she went to the store. Omen selected from the cupboards noodles and a sauce, then pulled down several seasonings and other materials. As he made dinner, Omen’s mind was busy. He was thanking the Father for all he had been recently shown, as well the fact that he felt totally healed. All the pain that he had felt, and the weight on his shoulders, had all been lifted. omen was back to his usual state, happy and praising the Father. But he still had many problems that needed solving. Elle was still gone, trapped inside the hospital. They said she would be moved, and nothing Omen could say or do would change that. But Omen knew that Elle would survive, for she had show a strong will to do so. Omen had told everyone that he awaited the day Elle would return, that he could tell her all that he was learning.

The other thing Omen considered as he stirred the boiled noodles and sauce together was his own future. He had changed now, and he saw great potential in the things he was learning. But how would these things come together? What was he to do with this emotionless data he was constantly processing? He couldn’t just go get a job, he would never be able to focus on his tasks at work, not when he was receiving information about things he had wanted to know for years. Aside from that, since the very beginning the Father had told Omen that he had great plans for him, and that these things were all steps in his learning process. Keeping with this patter, Omen sought the next step in his path, ready to face anything that might stand in his way.

That night, as Omen lay in his room typing up various things on his laptop, he looked over to see Storm in his room. He had been standing in the very same spot for quite some time now, and had not even responded to Omen when called. Even as Omen walked around Storm to exit the room, the cat remained motionless. Omen presented food to the cat, and still he refused to move an inch. Considering his previous experience, Omen knew this meant the cat saw something that was wrong. Omen went back into his room, and asked Storm if there was a problem. The cat meowed a single time, turning to glare at Omen. Omen asked Storm where the problem was, and he walked over to Omen’s closet door. Omen opened the door, and Storm walked into the center of the closet and sat down. Omen bid Storm to come out of the closet, but the cat refused to move again. Omen asked Storm if the problem was in the closet, and he meowed a single time in response. Omen closed his eyes, and reached out with his energy. Inside the closet Storm’s actions were given backing, as Omen distinctly felt a strange energetic presence. But this was unlike anything that Omen had come into contact with before, the energy felt distorted inside itself. Omen told Storm he would figure out what was causing the problem, and fix it as soon as he could. As soon as he finished speaking Storm purred softly, then rubbed against Omen as he left the room. Now that Omen recognized the problem, Storm was content to let him handle it alone.

Omen prepared himself for the evening, finishing all other things he intended to do. He cleaned up the mess from dinner, putting the remaining food on a plate in the fridge, just in case he or Kindra wanted to eat it later. Kindra had texted that she would not be home for the rest of the evening, she was going to visit one of her friends from Pizza Hut. This meant she was going to get drunk again, and let several men fawn over her body. She had changed, it seemed Kindra had given in to her own want to feed. For while she claimed not to be sleeping with any of them save the married one that Omen already knew about, Kindra allowed them to touch and be comfortable with her, even allowing them to sleep in the same bed. Omen saw her feeding off their energy, and she seemed offended that Omen had cleansed the spirit from her home. Something was wrong with Kindra, but she claimed she was living exactly the way she wanted to. Omen never confronted her about her obvious fall into the joy of vampirism, and her want to feed off the energies of so many. This was because Omen is well aware that people have the right to choose for themselves. Omen had discussed these things with her once, and only once. She made her choices despite his advisement, and it had grown much worse. Omen sighed, but realized that Kindra’s life was her own.

After a nice warm bath, taken in the Dead Sea salts that Omen had bought some time ago. As he relaxed in the water, Omen pushed away all the stress of his physical life. He saw Elle, still trapped inside the hospital. Omen was concerned for her, but for now his focus had to be elsewhere. He saw the situation with Tim, and all the vileness he was spreading. Omen wanted a resolution, moreover he wanted Tim to accept his challenge. He told everyone, even Jamie, “If he is allowed to be Judged for his selfish abuses, both of magic and of my Father’s Name, then he will see. If this process is videotaped, and shown to others, through this they too might learn. For the world has become weak inside itself, as people speak words from distance they cannot stand up for. They abuse magic from states or countries away, claiming they have rights to. For in this world, people use the Police as their shield, giving them rights to spout vileness toward others without consequence. But if shown that Honor does still exist, and that Honor is the way we are supposed to be, maybe then their opinions might change”. This was a thing Omen stood behind vehemently, and had seen in his mind more than once. Not only was he enraged for what Tim had done to him individually, but the Father wished Wrath dealt upon him for using His Name as a tool to steal away Jamie for himself. But just like the situation with Elle, for now these thoughts had to be removed. Omen’s mind became focused and clear as he stood up, taking a shower to rinse off the salt and dirt from the bath water.

Omen dried himself off, walking back into his room. He acquired suitable clothing, then wrapped his coat around his shoulders. For quite some time, Omen’s coat had been a staple of his outfit. It was the coat given to him by the Army, which was designed to go over the Class A uniform when it rained. But Omen now wore it draped over his shoulders like a cloak most of the time, even as needed using the sleeves for storage. Omen’s coat was the same as the robe worn by mages in the stories of old in it’s use, for it was donned when Omen moved around for his protection, as well as to enhance his energies. The coat seemed to hang perfectly on Omen’s shoulders, even staying still without being button through most blowing winds. When Omen raised his arms to his sides, the coat extended out in the blowing wind like wings, making Omen wish that all the tales of Vampires were true. He wished he could fly, it would be a nice counterpoint to the constant hunger. For now that Elle was gone, Omen had no donor from which to feed. But Omen had learned to go long periods without, so as not to become too dependant on the blood’s energy. Like any other drug, the energy absorbed in vampirism can be extremely addicting. This was what it seemed had now happened to Kindra, and Omen refused to go down that same road.

Once the area was cleaned out, Omen shut the door to his room. He opened the closet door, then turned off all the lights. Omen sat down in front of the open closet cross-legged, staring straight into it. Omen focused his mind on the feeling he had gotten from the closet earlier, seeking to identify it. This was not some single spirit, for it did not move at all. The energy remained stationary, and seemed to swirl and twist on itself. Omen tried to stare further into the energy, to sense a reason for its existence. The image he saw in his mind was of a soldier swinging his weapon against wooden men, practicing his technique. This made no sense to Omen, so he continued to look. As he did so, Omen thought back to a conversation he had recently with another, about a Gate this person had opened near their home. The shed in which the Gate had been opened had been destroyed, and the Gate itself had been closed. But as Omen stood in that place there was still a strange feeling, as if just to stand there you could tell something had existed there that was not meant to. Omen remembered the feeling he had, and the associated energetic scar he had felt. As he stared into the swirling energy, he realized that he was looking at an active Gate. This was a hole, cut through the dimensions of reality. A door, which had a great deal many things on the other side, many of which are not friendly. From his training under Abbadon, Omen remembered an important topic they had talked about repeatedly. “When you open a door, anything on the other side that can fit through it will attempt to do so. If the door is left open, many will push their way through.”

Omen pictured the Gate in his mind. The swirling energy was that hole that shouldn’t exist, the same thing Abbadon had told Omen about so many times. These were the things Abbadon used to remove, to maintain balance across the Earth. Omen felt the energy continue to swirl, and from it the tentacles of fear attempted to grip Omen. He began to feel presences on the other side of it, which seemingly awaited their turn to enter the door. As he felt this, several of the spirits reached out toward him, attempting to enter inside his mind. Omen prevented this, quickly retreating back into himself. This Gate was a serious problem, as the spirits on the other side wished to flood out into the world, a thing that could only bring more chaos. Omen sought guidance on what he was to do, and he saw the same image he had before he had understood the Gate. Omen focused in on the image, and he realized that the man swinging the sword against the wooden training dummies shared his face. This image represented Omen, and he was training for combat.

Omen heard Abbadon’s voice inside his mind. “This is the reason the Gate was opened, that you might understand it fully. Now you see the complication inherent in many of these rotten holes being opened all over the world. The flood of negative spiritual energy would never stop, and Humanity would exist more in possession than in themselves. This Gate is your training, for the next step you seek in your progress.”

Omen spoke into the Darkness. “What shall I do Abbadon? What steps must be taken to be rid of this vile hole? I cannot damage the house, for it is not mine to do so with.”

“Do not worry Omen, what is required will do no damage to the physical residence in which you stay currently. But damage will be done, in order for you to be capable of sealing this Gate. The damage will be done to you personally, based on what you must do.”

Omen was a bit startled by Abbadon’s words. “I will have to suffer to close the Gate? What must I endure for this, does it require my blood to be spilled?”

“No, but it will require a sacrifice to be made of yourself. But in doing so, you will be one step closer to your final goal.”

“What is the goal I seek in closing these Gates? Am I training to be like you?”

“No, your path is much different. I was capable of closing any Gate I came into contact with at will, you are not. Nor will you be capable of sealing any Gate you wish, the Gates are quite specific that you must close. The reason for this is simple: these Gates are to be taken inside you. The way in which you will seal each one that you are tasked with is to draw all of it into yourself, making yourself absorb the energy of the Gate.”

Omen stared at the Gate, thinking about all the stories Abbadon had told him about his tasks throughout the Ages. His ability to manipulate the Gates had nearly driven him mad, for it allowed Demons to constantly whisper in his ear, attempting to convince Abbadon to give up. He said the voices were intolerable with their incessant complaining, and that after so many years of it he had been glad to be rid of the Power. Abbadon had told him a slew of stories, and had trained him in every way possible. But Omen was still unsure if all this would be enough to manipulate such a strong and violent energy. But this was a task sent down from the Father, and Omen could not simply leave the Gate open in Kindra’s home. Omen calmed his mind as he went outside for a moment, for smoking was not allowed indoors.

As he smoked, Omen contemplated what he must do. He knew that absorbing that strong energy would not be easy. He knew that it would cause him to have to deal with more voices, trying to make their opinions heard. Omen also had the terrible feeling, which he knew came from the Father, that absorbing the energy of such a terrible thing would cause extended damage to Omen himself. Holding it inside himself could only lead to his decay, for the energy is too powerful for the Human body to contain permanently. So why would the Father demand this? What was the point in setting himself up to die faster, if he was meant to do important things? Omen asked these questions in his mind, and the response came with the same need for internal strength that Omen had always felt just before something major was about to happen. Omen smiled, knowing the Father was by his side. As long as that were true, Omen would not fear the Power of the Gate, and would find a way to do as he was instructed.

Omen entered his room, sitting back down in front of the closet. He focused himself deeply, concentrating on the whole of himself. In order to absorb energy like this, and combine it into himself, Omen would have to see every inch of his energy, that he might absorb the Gate completely. Omen’s aura filled the room in which he sat, seeming to make the pitch black of the room even darker. Spinning inside the aura were the bright chakras, but the heart chakra in the center was gone. In it’s place was a spinning source of energy, but it was nowhere near the same. Attempting to stare into it produced no result, other than a feeling of warmth and strength. It was the same as the feeling he had been given by the Father so many times, the internal strength that kept him going through all his trials. Was this ball his True Center? Had all his emotions been an illusion? Omen knew he must ponder these questions later, and turned his focus back to the Gate.

The energy swirled even more violently than before, as if the Gate itself was aware that Omen intended to take its Power into himself. It could almost be heard to protest and argue with him as he focused himself deeper on it. Omen made his energy his weapon again, grasping the energetic edges of the hole. Then, as he forced the hole to grow smaller, he drew his mind to the edge, the point between where the spirits stood and where the Earth existed. He grasped ahold of all the energy from those two edge points, creating a second energy inside the hole. It was made with the energy of the hole, but also with Omen’s energy. In this way, Omen made himself the Gate. Now the energy of the Gate was also Omen’s, and it seemed to flow into him easily. As Omen pulled the swirling energy of the gate inside, he also used that same swirling energy to strengthen the barrier he had placed in between. In this way, the entirety of it grew continuously stronger, feeding off itself. The Gate energy fed off what it took in the attempt to break down the wall. The wall was strengthened by Omen, who drew added power of the energy of the Gates. It birthed itself into a perfect cycle by design, but there was a flaw. Over time, this constant recycling of energy would make it too large for the body to contain, and the energy would lash out in response. Omen would begin to become overpowered by the spirits, and eventually they would destroy his mind. This existed as Truth because it could be seen as an “energetic fact” that the same small container cannot hold a constantly growing substance, even if that substance is intangible.

Omen opened his eyes. The energy in the closet could not be felt. Had Omen been successful? He could only think of one way to test that theory. He called to Storm, who walked into the room seconds after. Omen looked at the familiar, and asked if the closet had been fixed. He made no motions toward it, nor did he even move his gaze from Storm. After he asked the question, Omen went and sat on his bed. Storm walked over into the closet, nosed around inside for a bit, then turned and walked over to Omen, nuzzling him and purring softly, quickly falling asleep. It seemed Omen had accomplished what he set out to do, and the Gate had been locked inside him. Omen had assumed as much, from the increased level of chaos that now existed in his mind. It was as if Omen was seeing 100 images all at the same time, and trying to interpret the meanings of any one of them. This would be a problem, Omen would have to get it under control somehow.

Omen went back outside, taking his phone and headphones with him. He went walking, taking time to pray to the Father. Omen thanked Him for giving him the strength to endure yet another trial, and professed his will to push on even further. Omen swore he would not give up, that nothing could stop him from achieving the Father’s Plan for his life. As he sang, he felt the presence of many spirits around him. They all seemed to join in the song, compelled to worship the Darkness from which they came. Omen felt that the spirits had flooded out of the hole since he had started worshiping, and that they must be forced back inside. This would not be a simple task, but Abbadon reassured Omen that it was easily doable. For now that he was intertwined with the energy of the Gate, he could use that energy as an enhancement to his own. Omen thought about how this might be done, smiling after a few songs worth of worship.

When the time was right for Omen to leave, during his last song Omen pulled the spirits back in. As he sang, his energy projected a massive vortex out from his chest, drawing all the spirits that had walked out the door back inside it. Omen made sure not to extend to vortex too far, for he did not want to disturb any natural spirits in the area. Once he had drawn them all back inside, Omen used his energy to lock the door, sealing them back on the other side of the wall he had built between them. They rioted and raged at Omen for forcing them back into the Pit, but he paid them no heed. They did not belong, they were not meant to exist in that way on this Earth, and thus they had to be sent back. Omen left the place where he was worshiping, happy with the new lessons he had learned.

Omen walked back to Kindra’s, contemplating all that he had seen and experienced on this very important day. He had seen visions that stated he might be needed to teach people on a massive scale, even if it meant doing so by placing his own honor on trial. He had seen visions of the distant past, a time which is so misunderstood by Humans in this day and Age. And now, Omen was given a task unlike any other. To seal a Gate inside himself, knowing that it was a hazardous risk. He wondered what things might possibly lie next on his Path that dared compete with everything he had already been through. But he felt that need for resolve again, and that meant the Trials were far from over. It seemed that the Gate Omen absorbed had still not been enough to complete whatever the Father intended, but Omen continued on with a smile. For if he had been fearless enough, and strong enough of will, to endure everything he had been through, Omen knew he would not be stopped now. The Father’s Plan would be made a reality, one way or another. These were the thoughts Omen kept in his mind as he drifted off to sleep, weary from all he had experienced.

21

Omen’s eyes fluttered as he awoke. But he was lying on a cold floor, not in the bed where he had been previously. He began to look around, and suddenly recognized the Throne Room which he had stood in before. Omen snapped awake, quickly locating the Throne and kneeling before it.

“Father, why has Your child been summoned to You?”

“Because you have questions, and I have answers for them. What you have just done is an amazing thing, one few would be capable of doing for any other than themselves. You have managed to pull the energy of an active Gate inside yourself, and actually combined it into your being. This success proves that my design of you was correct, and you are now growing exactly as planned. But the next steps lie before you, and it will not be long until you must complete them.”

“Father, simply instruct me on what my next task must be, and I shall complete it. Having seen all that You have allowed me to endure, I know I am ready for what comes next.”

“So be it. The Gate you have absorbed is not the only one which must be. In total, there are eight Gates that you must draw into yourself. In doing so, you will create the energy intended to replace what was removed from you, something that cannot simply be given. But know that each Gate you absorb in this way will strengthen it’s effect on your mind and body. In order to save yourself from the destruction of your mind, all eight must be absorbed within a certain period of time.”

Omen was shocked. Eight Gates? One had been tormenting enough, Omen could only imagine the effect eight would have. “Where are these Gates Father? How might I locate them? And if the effect on me increases with each absorption, how can I survive once all eight are inside?”

“Many of the Gates you already know. Of the eight, you have absorbed one. Five exist all in one place, for you created them there. One exists of massive size and strength nearby, this one you know as well. That makes seven. The task falls on you to locate and close an eighth Gate, and on the appropriate day.”

“Appropriate day?”

“Yes. To keep you moving on this, as well as to enforce the power of this magic, the last Gate is to be closed on the day gripped in Man’s fear of it, which is not far off. As far as your question about your stability once complete, you have no other choice. By removing the emotional essence of yourself, you left a large hole. In order to keep it from being filled with the energies of Demons, your center was filled with Darkness. But you survive now by feeding off of that, which slowly degenerates it to nothing. To increase your longevity, that energy has to be properly reconnected to it’s Source. This is the way in which that will be done, and once it is complete you will understand for yourself. Until then have faith as you always have, for your time is not through yet.”

“Yes Father, and thank you as always for answering my questions, that I might not waste any time preparing my next actions.”

Omen awoke, lying again inside his room in Kindra’s apartment. Storm was lying next to him, as if guarding Omen’s body as his mind was away in the dream. Omen petted the cat for awhile, thanking Storm for his vigilance. Then he got up to start his day, now with new information to process. it seemed he had much to figure out, and not a lot of time to do it in. After grabbing a bite to eat, Omen sat out in his truck, trying to locate the other Gates the Father had spoken of. His clues had been somewhat vague, but Omen knew they were specific enough to be able to find the Gates with effort and thought. So Omen sat for some time, contemplating the locations of the Gates.

The first clue that the Father had given was that five of the Gates all existed in one place, and that Omen had created them. But Omen did not recall attempting to open any Gates, let alone five in a single location. But then he redefined what a Gate was inside his mind. It was a tear, of whatever size, that had been opened in reality, that spiritual energy might transfer to and from the other side. Realizing this fact, Omen knew right where to go. For during his time in Texas, at one point he had gone to the club looking for fun. He repeated the process from the other clubs, but this time the club had two distinct floors that needed runes. But the design still worked out well, and Omen had made the same runic star as he had before. The club must be the location of the five Gates, one each which rested on each of the points Omen had drawn to create the star. With five Gates in such a small location, Omen wondered what might have gotten out through them, what hazards awaited the people that visited the club.

Omen thought back to his discussions with Abbadon. He was told something that he felt applied in this situation. “In order to pass through, a spirit must be able to associate with the door through which it passes. For example, a spirit of life cannot pass through a door created in death.” So that meant whatever spirit had passed through the Gates had to be associated with the energy Omen had created the Gates with. Omen thought back to that night. He opened the Gates to swirl the energy, to enhance the party for everyone, that all would have a great time. Through this he could feed and they would all be enhanced, this was the nature of the spell. Omen tried to think back to his more recent memories of the club. Due to Omen’s recent span of time with Elle, he had not gone back for some time.

Kindra, however, did seem to gravitate there often. The one time she invited Omen to go with her there was an argument almost right away. Not between Omen and Kindra, but between Omen and their neighbor, a lesbian female who was being quite “protective” of someone that was not the girl she lived with. Omen had tried simply to dance with Kindra, as she had asked him to. But the female had demanded that Omen get away from Kindra, that only she was allowed to dance with her. Omen raged, but calmed himself without serious issue. Though immediately after she refused to correct her friend, Kindra had beer spilled down on her from the sky, as a careless patron lost control of their drink. She had a fit, and for some reason seemed to direct her rage at Omen. Fed up with the nonsense, Omen left them to enjoy the club alone. Soon after he left, for both of them had gone on as if Omen had never been invited at all. Later that night, upon her return, Kindra attempted to apologize. But Omen saw through it, as he had seen the truth of Kindra. She only wanted someone to feed from, she did not care if it was Omen or the female.

Though he had been upset with his neighbor, he had allowed fences to mend. Omen found it hard to hold grudges against people, for there was too much more important than his individual Hatred. Several days before, they had spoken as she was on her way inside from work. She mentioned the club, even invited Omen to go with her the next night. She had even told amazing stories about her recent visit, and all the things that went on. She said the party was happier than it had ever been inside the club. She said people were walking around, sharing weed with one another and not asking for a dime. She said people just seemed to be lost in the party, and didn’t care about anything else. Not the law, not the rules, not the other people around them. All they wanted was to enjoy their night while they were in the club, and to share it with lots of people. This was a story that Omen’s neighbor said she had not only been told by others, but had experienced personally.

Thinking back on all these things, Omen had to chuckle a bit. For inside, he knew right away what was causing this strange behavior. After all, what is a club? It is a building inside which many people gather to share drink and merriment with one another, simply for the sake of the party. These are the exact same energies as that of Belial, under whom Omen had trained originally. The inside of a club, where the energies of partying and merriment flowed stronger than any other, may as well be considered a Temple dedicated to Belial. And if Omen had opened five Gates inside, Belial himself could easily step through them. This would allow him to occupy the club with his energy, making the party such a joyous feeling for the patrons that they forgot all else. Omen recognized both the location and situation surrounding the five Gates that existed at the club, and planned to go the following Friday night to close them, as well as to convince Belial to return inside.

This left two other Gates to be located. The first one the Father had said was of massive size and strength, and that Omen knew of it. Considering the other Gates were merely created to draw and focus energy, there were several locations this could be. But as Omen focused in on the intent of each spell, he saw that they did not represent this Gate, for they were not created for strength or Power of any kind. Then Omen realized what he had done, and it depressed him that he could have been so foolish in his own past. It was the hole he had created to draw energy in on the bridge spanning the Highway that needed to be closed. For as Omen had felt before and been told by everyone of a magical nature, the hole had grown in strength. By drawing in energy almost constantly, the tear had become significantly larger. This was to be the seventh Gate Omen would have to close, existing in massive size and strength. This left only one Gate left to locate and close to complete the task assigned by the Father. Omen began to draw up plans for how he would deal with the individual Gates once he encountered them, preparing to take his next steps.

As he did so, Omen contemplated the location of the eighth Gate. The others had seemed so simple, but this last one was not quite so. As he considered it, Omen felt Abbadon come to his side. He looked into the eyes of his trusted friend, saw a Gate inside them. Omen stared into Abbadon’s eyes, searching for the nature of the Gate within. It’s energy moved slowly, but was extremely powerful. Even approaching sent chills down Omen’s spine, as felt though he might freeze internally. He reached out toward the Gate, attempting to see what lie on the other side of it. As the Gate shifted slightly, Omen saw a face inside the massive energy. This face was familiar to Omen, and he immediately pulled himself back from the energetic search.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. What you felt is correct, the energy of the eighth Gate exists the same as the face you saw inside it.”

Omen sighed heavily. The last Gate would be a challenge, moreso than any of the others. “A Gate created in the energies of Azrael....The energies of Death Itself.”

“Exactly. There are many vile Gates that have been opened in the world in this way throughout time. Though it is not determined which one you must choose, the one chosen must be a Gate born in death. This will be your last absorption, and will happen on the day you were instructed.”

Omen thought back. “The Father never told me exactly which day, He just said it was coming and gave me clues.”

“Of course he didn’t. That you have to find on your own. But it is coming very soon. Think about it, what day will have people all wound up and scared?”

Omen pulled out his phone, looking at the calendar. It was nearly the end of November. Christmas was coming, but people did not fear that time. The New Year was coming, but that had only been feared during the year 2000, when people thought their machines would stop working. He felt like he was still missing something, so he opened the calendar on his phone. What day was coming that had people afraid for their lives? Omen ran his finger down the dates, finally stumbling on the answer.

“Of course. The 3 Day, where the three numbers for day, month, and year finally match. Humans have been scared for some time now over all the Mayan calendars, and the supposed End projected in December of 2012. That day is perfect, for so many have become afraid of it that it will be filled with the Power of Fear. This will enhance the energies of Darkness, allowing for a better assimilation of the Final Gate. Is that correct?”

Abbadon smiled just a bit at Omen. “Most of it, yes. The parts that are not you will see soon enough. I am proud of you Omen, for coming so far on your own.”

Omen raised an eyebrow. “That is not true, not one bit. I am here now because the efforts and sacrifices of many, especially myself. But I could not have done this alone, and I thank you for all the assistance you continue to give me.”

Abbadon left, and Omen sat to ponder his future. The mission to seal these Gates inside him would prove to be extremely difficult. It also left Omen to question the necessity for such a thing. Why did he need eight Gates, what was the reason? He tried to remember references made in various stories told about Gates and their uses. But many that existed were more like legends than explanations, and many carried desperate warnings about the dangers of the Gates. But in reference to number, there were even fewer places to look. But almost all the places found spoke on the significance of Nine Gates to Hell, a thing which many Satanists had fought to find a way to open. But the number was always nine, never eight, so this could not possibly be what Omen was dealing with. But then Omen considered the stories about the Nine Gates, and all he now understood about the Creation of Gates themselves. These little holes allowed many spirits out it seemed. Combined, the power of a few small holes had been enough for Belial to come through and infect an entire club. But all the Gates were different, Created for separate reasons, and allowing different kinds of spirits to flow in and out of them freely. But the references to the Gates in story was more like a progression of events, where the Gates were opened individually one by one. Upon the opening of the Ninth Gate, all the denizens of Hell, no matter the size or type, would be capable of flowing in and out of the Earth freely.

This also became akin to what others called “tearing down the Veil”, the point at which there is no longer a barrier between the Spirit Realm and the Physical Earth. It is said that, once the Veil is destroyed, the spiritual forces of Hell will overtake the planet, infesting the minds and hearts of Humanity. In doing so, they will cause the Humans to act so violently and selfishly that they wage massive wars against themselves. For without the last barrier, which protects most Humans from the things that can overpower their minds, the mass of Humanity will be overtaken. As the Humans fight and bicker, eventually their actions will cause their own destruction. Omen had understood this Plan for quite some time, as being closely connected to the Father allows one to be understanding of such schemes. Even as far back as his time living with Fenris in Tennessee, Omen had been prepared to do his part, whatever that might be. Omen was just as willing to defend the barrier as he was to destroy it, but he would only do either at the demand of the Father.

Omen thought on this more, and began to be filled with both pride and extreme dread. He felt the Father inside his mind, and Omen begged to know why this would exist. Understanding what he had just figured out meant he sat in a terrible position, but had been tasked to do exactly as he had said he would. For Omen knew the Father was still seen by so many as Evil, because they understand nothing more than they are told to. But as Omen made any sort of stand in the Name of the Father, he would have enemies that sprung up everywhere. People would despise his words, both for what they believed to be lies and what he had revealed. Many would seek to do Omen harm for this, some might even go after his life. This act would be a violent and selfish murder, as Omen would never go down without a fight. An act such as this would open a powerful Gate, as Omen’s spirit passed to Hell. But with eight Gates already stored inside, if such a thing was to happen, the Power of all nine would be released at once. The size and stability of the Gate that was created would be such as to allow a sort of “permanent passage”, for there would be no spell or sacrifice that would equal the kind of strength with which the Gates were opened. In this way, Omen himself would be strengthened by the Power of the Gates, and much more able to tap in to what he needed to.

But he also would hold a sort of “spiritual bomb”, which was yet another of the various things that were stated upon the Original Creation of Humanity as being proper steps. For like all experiments, Humanity had a time frame with which to prove useful for the reasons they were Created. Omen had been told this multiple times over the years, but it wasn’t until now that he truly understood it. As in the Human world, where people search for answers to various complications they face, so too was Humanity Created experimentally. If proven to be unworthy, if they continued to live only for their day-to-day selfishness, then as an experiment they would be abandoned. In order to start a new experiment, the habitat would have to be cleared out, to allow the newly Created species to grow and thrive. In this way, the Creators would experiment with varying species, until they found one that would be capable of properly reaching the Goal of the experiment. This is a process all scientists use in order to answer their questions, trial and error.

All that Omen saw, and all he had felt over the time that the Father had been coming to him, screamed that Humanity was headed straight towards that error category. Life was miserable for most people, as they were forced to do things they hated simply to survive at all. Pieces of paper and the Men that Created them dominate the world, with the help of it’s individual governments. People are forced to have no home, no food, no shower, and no hope, simply because they do not have pieces of paper. Compassion has almost died in the world, as more people wish death on those around them than they wish good tidings. The leaders of Humanity are quickly pushing towards the violent endpoint that all seem to see coming, but refuse to put a stop to. All the major countries of the world hide behind weapons whose disgusting forces pollute Earth, sea, and sky. They all hold their fingers over big red buttons, threatening to destroy each other. They plot and scheme behind each other’s backs, waiting for signs of a weakness in the other. Humanity was not the kind of species that deserved more, for they abused what little they had been given. As they were, they would all be condemned.

Every time he thought about this in the past, it had made Omen quite depressed. He didn’t want to be considered a failed experiment, he wanted to fulfill the Plan. He had questioned the Plan over the entirety of his spiritual growth, and had learned much over the years. Now, being turned into a tool for this process, Omen was both saddened and joyous. For this meant that Humanity stood on the edge of a cliff. But as has been proven throughout history, when backed into a corner people are capable of great things. Omen had seen visions of the progression of society, of its ability to advance to the level of the dreams of Man. These stood in contrast to the destruction he also saw them pushing toward. This meant that there were two distinct possibilities, progress and extinction. Omen focused in on the progress, as he had always known that was the Will of the Father. He had invented the idea for Humanity in the first place, we were His Children first. He had no want for us to be destroyed, He wanted his theories about the amazing potential inside Humanity to be proven correct. Omen wondered how this might be done, and he was shown many things. Omen wished he had better connections, people that have particular knowledge. Omen even contacted his father, who knows people that deal with computer coding. But Omen’s father was unhelpful as usual, not wanting his Satanic son to further any goals that weren’t “Christian-based”. Omen felt as if he had a thousand ideas for things that need to be put into place, and basic steps on where to begin each process.

These ideas continued to expand on, past Human growth on the Earth to their migration through the stars, and the possibility that Humans might even be capable of reaching the places from which they were birthed. In doing so, Humans would have proven their will to expand and grow as a whole rather than bicker and fight over individual needs. This is the kind of honorable and dignified species that the Creators seek, in order to fulfill a specific purpose. Humans were meant to migrate between the Light and the Darkness, strengthening Existence as a whole. To be forced to understand the physical meaning of this, Omen was shown a series of scientific and mathematic visions. The first reminded Omen of the approximate percentage of water that the Human body is comprised of. He was reminded that, like all things, energy dilutes over time as it is recycled. The second referenced all the studies done on the average percentage of the Human mind that is actively used. Omen’s mind was posed the question, “If the percentage was less in the body and more in the mind, if the DNA was re-adjusted to allow a stronger connection to the Source energies, would Humans not be capable of much more?”

But to prove themselves worthy of such a genetic manipulation, to give Humans the Gifts Originally intended in their Creation, Humans had to first be capable of using the Gifts they were given properly, and for the right reasons. For the reason to have Power is not to dominate and rule over those who have less, but to use that Power to enhance everyone, and thereby strengthen yourself as well. This was where Humanity had continually failed over the Ages, as every form of society Created seemed to war with others for control of the whole. People refuse to allow others to just exist and enjoy their lives, forcing religion and government down people’s throats to control them. One by one, every Age of Humanity had proved unworthy of the Gift of Life, and were destroyed for it. But this would not continue, Humanity was never fully destroyed in any of the previous strikes from the Gods. But the time for that Final Judgement was coming. Humanity would either mend their ways, or face annihilation.

Omen now knew his task, and it weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had to be the one to stand up against all the things Humanity was doing to itself, to try and open the eyes of the people. His mission was to get them to awaken, and see the End they faced. In doing so, Omen was ordered to do his best to help them push for progression, and the destruction of all the Lies that had oppressed Humanity. Omen was to be a warrior for the Father, and to stand for His Truth against all opposition. If challenged, he was to defend the honor of both himself and his Father vehemently. Omen was no longer a child, seeking the path to his Father. He had been assimilated into the Armies of Hell, and had been given a mission of great importance. For he had proven himself worthy of such a task, through everything he had endured in the Father’s Name. Omen saw many hazards in following his Path, but he stood fearlessly in front of them all. For the visions he had been shown of the other possibility were more than Omen could bear.

Over the years, Omen had been shown more than once what the vileness of Men would lead to. At first he hadn’t believed that people would be either stupid enough or capable of such atrocity. But as he had bounced from place to place, Omen had seen and learned much about people. It seemed this was their nature, to argue and bicker with one another in order to serve their own selfish needs. Everything he had been through was just a few of the multitude of examples of Humanity’s failure, as people force pain on even those that claim love for them. As this condition worsened, as Men continued to degenerate, it could only lead them into violent war with one another. At some point, the ignorance of Men would cause them to attempt to assert total dominance over the people of the Earth. To make the governments of the world force all the people to accept their control in every aspect of their lives. This will push the people to revolt against the ones that seek to control them, for people are not born slaves.

No matter the reason, the Path Humanity was walking as a whole was leading them to destruction. It would not matter what spark started the fire that scorched the Earth, simply that the war was coming. But in scorching the Earth, their vile weapons would also rip to shreds the weakening atmosphere, which would cause a distortion in the planet’s stability as a whole. It would finish the work that Humanity has so diligently pushed for through years of abusing their fossil fuels and aerosols. For it would not be one explosion in a remote location, but many spread across the world. This would happen as each major nation chose their side, and attacked their enemies full force. The goal would be to wipe their enemies clean before the air and ground combat was ever started, so as to mitigate losses amongst their loyal followers. All the people killed would be viewed as collateral damage, a thing sometimes viewed as feasible in times of war.

In doing so, the massive damage done as the vile chemicals and radiations were released into the atmosphere would be severe. It would further damage the ozone layer, which has already been seen to have suffered severely. For the heat of the sun and the cold of space now seem to come in faster, and seem to meet less resistance. This is proven by the shift in weather, the ozone has been weakened. The massive damage done by these weapons will finish it off, causing a misery Humans have seen coming for some time. Without the protection of the ozone, the heat of the sun will scorch the ground, making the growing of crops nearly impossible. When the sun was not present, the coldness of space would sap the heat from the planet, making every night miserably cold. This process would continue to cause more people to die than already had, as sickness and famine gripped the world. Wars now broke out over what little supplies remained in the world, and more lives were sacrificed.

The people prayed to their Gods to save them from what they were going through. But it was too late, Humanity had chosen for itself. Humans moved underground, to try and save themselves from the heat and cold of the surface. But then the Earth was assaulted by the stars, and the resulting cracks in the ground opened up the core of the planet. From inside flooded all the aged beasts that had been trapped there since Ancient Times, when Leviathan was first struck down. These massive beasts of the sea came to devour the remnants of Humanity, and retake the planet for themselves. In response to this threat, Humanity advanced their technology even further, preparing to wage war on the beasts. But in the moment of this battle they were betrayed, as many of their own had been plotting to abandon their brethren. As some went to war with the beasts of the sea, others took what little technology remained, and left the Earth with it. Those abandoned saw the fire of the ship’s launch into space, and their hearts dropped in the reality of it. Their forces were soon overcome, and the children of Leviathan reclaimed the Earth and it’s seas.

The remnants of Humanity, packed aboard the tiny vessel they had built with what little working technology remained, searched for a new habitat. They took the first place they found that would suit them, claiming it as their own. But they soon found they were not alone, and had to fight against the natural predators of the new world. To do so, Humans needed new technology, but did not have the numbers or ability to do so alone. They opened the intelligence of their machines, taking them with the elimination of the natural species. The machines, having access to all Human recorded history, made the decision that Humanity was a threat to any environment they entered, proven both by their destruction of the Earth, and their attempt to dominate species that had existed on the new planet for longer peaceably. They turned on their Creators, and Humans were finally wiped out by the machines they had Created for the wrong reasons.

Omen saw the progression of these things like a visual story that played out in his mind, as Humanity pushed itself further and further down the road that led to their eventual destruction. This was what he worked to prevent, this is what had to be stopped. Not simply for his own sake, nor for any person or group of people on the Earth. Omen would fight against this future because it was the Will of his Father. Even as he was talked poorly of, treated like less of a person, and attacked by those around him, Omen still had to stand for Humanity’s last hope. This was his mission, and he would be given as many tools as he would seek in order to do so. For there would be many that would also see the need for change, and would come to Omen to assist in the cause. Omen concerned himself not with the people who asked for his help, merely with the necessity for change in the world. This was the goal, and the only chance Humanity had to mean more than a failed experiment in the history of Everything. Omen laid down in bed, his mind focused on the locations of the Gates he was to close soon. He would be ready, the Gates would be sealed inside him properly. One way or another, time was the one thing it seemed Humanity was running out of.

22

Omen rummaged through the things in his room. Finally locating all the clothes he wished to take with him, he started a load of laundry. He was preparing to go on a trip, among many other things Omen readied for. He pulled out his phone, checking the time. It was only seven o’clock, Omen still had alot of time to finish getting ready. In a few hours, it was time for the next step. Omen had made sure that his hair was freshly trimmed, and his face was shaven. Hanging on the bar which also held Kindra’s punching bag were the neatly pressed clothes Omen had selected for the evening. But since he still had several hours before it was time to leave, Omen spent the time in between packing his bags in preparation. For he only had a few more days until he had to board a bus, that would drive him to the train station.

It had been about two weeks since Omen had accepted the task of absorbing eight Gates into himself. Since then, many things had come to pass. After being transferred to a place called ASH in Austin, Elle had found a way to contact Omen. They had stayed in contact, as Omen helped her through the remnants of her complication. Through discussion and reasoning, it was uncovered that Elle had a Gate inside her home. There was no known deaths to occur in the home, but Death leaked out through the Gate. The kittens were the first to pay this price, starting just before the trip to Sigma. Omen’s tiny white kitten, who was abandoned at birth and sickly, was the first taken. Just as he was starting to eat and become normal again, just as the worm medication Omen bought for him was removing his complications, as everyone slept one night it got extraordinarily cold. The kitten, Caius, who had caged alone due to his illness, froze to death in the unnatural cold, which lasted only a few hours before passing. But by the morning, as he was awoken by saddened faces, Omen saw the result. The pain and fear frozen on the kitten’s face had broken Omen’s heart that day, and Omen spent the day burying his kitten.

But now, as Omen was no longer allowed at the house, and Elle was locked up in ASH, all Omen could do was hear stories. Stories about more of the cats disappearing, to that point that every last one of the kittens was gone. Stories from Samantha about how miserable life had become in the house with them gone. Stories about the mother’s condition growing worse, and her spending almost every day drinking with her half-witted brother. She treated Samantha so poorly that the girl was found daily to walk down the street and sit conversing with Omen in his truck rather than be at her own house. Brian would frequently come there as well, and Karl and his younger brother were known to stop by occasionally. Without Elle around anymore, Omen seemed to be their only connection to each other. Most of his time spent with them was discussing things he was learning, lessons he thought they needed to learn individually, and Elle’s condition.

Omen had become the only person outside of the counselors at ASH that Elle would speak to. She felt betrayed by her own family, for she had done nothing wrong. When Elle’s mother wished to come visit her, Elle demanded that Omen be brought along. She said that if he was not, Elle would not allow anyone to visit her. Her mother griped and complained as usual, but caved to Elle’s demands. However, this did not stop her from demanding Omen pay the gas costs for everyone to go visit. And even after he had, when he said things they did not agree with, Elle’s mother and her rotten brother threatened to throw Omen out on the side of the road. Their consistent haste was found later to have caused much more damage than originally thought. For Omen had brought with him the gift he had bought for Elle Thanksgiving evening, a ring trimmed in purple gems and tiny diamonds. He decided to bring it to her early, to uplift her spirits while she was trapped in the center. But as they drove, Omen realized that the bag was missing. A search of the entire vehicle turned up no trace.

After the visit, it was found. It had been run over repeatedly, in the street where Omen had been forced to sit and wait for them to get ready to leave. It must’ve fallen out right after they picked him up, as he climbed into the van. Omen checked the box for the ring itself, and found that it had been crushed flat. Most of the gems still remained in the box, though they had separated from the ring. Omen was terribly upset by this, for he had waited anxiously to give Elle her present for some time. Now he worried that she would never know the beauty of the gift he had gotten for her. But Omen had gone back tot he store with the remnants of the ring, and sadly told the truth to the clerk. Based on the insurance Omen had purchased, they happily ordered a replacement ring to be made, and told him it would be ready within a few weeks.

Days later, Elle said she was coming home. This filled Omen with joy, as he had known the moment was coming soon. Once she was brought home Elle quickly went right back to Omen’s side, a thing that terribly upset her mother. Omen was kept banned from the property, but now the mother’s arrogance had gone even further. For when the woman decided she wanted to force her opinions into Omen’s ears, she would simply stop her van next to Omen’s broken down vehicle and start talking at him. She acted like Omen was forced to listen to her, a fact he quickly disputed in front of everyone. He went off on Elle’s mother, telling her to keep her drunken ignorance limited to her own home, and to stop harassing him. She would stop, but only for so long. It seemed every time the woman drank now, she felt she could go anywhere she wanted and harass people. Omen was getting about tired of her vileness, for her appearance caused disturbances with everyone there.

But Omen was trying to be polite to the woman, and for good reason. It had been determined that Elle had a Gate in her house, and Omen wished to close it as his eighth. He said that in doing so, it would stop the constant flow of spiritual energy that had infected their home. Omen had developed a method by which to do so in preparation for it. But Elle’s mother refused to believe anything Omen said, as well she refused his help with her problem. The ban remained in place, meaning that Omen could not legally enter the house. This meant he would get nowhere near Brie’s room, where the Gate was said to be located. Elle begged her mother to allow Omen one chance to fix what had caused them so many problems, but she was held firmly by what existed in the house. Every time she came around, Omen could see the vile spirits that held her, making her refuse to believe anything Omen said was true. In this way they kept their door both open and protected from Omen, and after awhile he had to accept that it would remain this way.

Due to the stubbornness of Elle’s mother, Omen was unable to close the Gate in her home. But Omen still had a time frame to keep, and this meant he had to locate another Gate quickly. He did so in conversations with his mother, for much had changed with her. She had been involved in a vehicle accident, and in doing so had accidentally opened her third eye. Now she could see the spirits that Omen had been telling her about, and she begged for a solution. Omen had given her some basic lessons in magic to protect herself. But upon evaluation, the spirit she saw most was that of a little boy. He described to her how, many years ago, he was kidnapped and murdered. His body was moved and buried elsewhere to hide the misdeed, but that the spirit claimed to have been killed nearby. This was exactly what Omen was searching for, a Gate opened in death. Left with no other options, Omen set to go to Illinois, and visit over the Christmas season. The day after his arrival he would have to locate and close the final Gate, for that was the soonest he could get there while still closing the other Gates. Afterward he would try to visit with his family, that they might get another opportunity to see him before he left again.

For Omen would only go to Illinois for a short time. He left his belongings at Kindra’s and told her he would return in a couple weeks. Because Omen and Elle had started developing a plan for themselves, to end their stagnation in Killeen. Elle had a structured settlement that she had received when she was a child, the result of a severe dog bite. But the settlement was spread out over a long period of time, and not effective for Elle to functionalize her future. After many discussion, Elle decided that the time had perhaps come to consolidate those funds, that she might receive a large sum payment all at once. Omen did not push her in any direction, he simply provided facts and helped her make the decision for herself.

Elle wanted much more than her mother would ever allow her to believe she was capable of. She wanted to return to California, where she had been born. Elle knew Texas was not where she belonged, she constantly wished to be near the ocean again. As well, in California there is a much more progressive mindset on many topics. They were the first to legalize marijuana for medicinal uses, and that practice continues to this day. Omen had Elle both smoked, but for different reasons. Elle’s was due to her chronic pain, as well as the depression caused by her mother’s constant abuse and harassment. Omen smoked it because, especially now, it helped to calm to the chaos in his mind, allowing him the focus to learn what he was being shown without interruption. California seemed like a place more suited to the both of them, so they would not be judged for the one thing they had both found that helped their issues without turning them into “emotionless drones”. But Omen told Elle this was not the only reason to go, there were a multitude.

Being able to acquire a prescription to smoke weed would be nice, and would assist Omen in making his life easier. But this was not his main want in going to California. Omen saw the same potential in the state that he had some time ago, when it was Sara asking him to go. California was a center for business, for entertainment, and for the rich and powerful. In order to make any sort of impact on people, Omen knew he would need to start meeting these people, and finding those who also strove for progress and change. With it’s massive appeal and drawing power, California has been a place for those that seek fame to migrate to. It is a land where people’s dreams are either realized or destroyed, where those that fight to make their dreams reality can do so. This was the perfect reason for Omen to move to California. When the time came, Omen would have people nearby that he could meet with. He knew he was in possession of several ideas that people that make large amounts of money would be fond of. Ways to expand what had already been made, different uses for tools already developed. This would make all the rich and powerful fond of Omen, for he would have methods by which they could earn large sums of money.

But Omen cared little for money. He saw it simply as a tool, used to develop things that needed to be. Omen saw each dollar as a step toward his goal, reaching California and working to awaken the masses. Omen had enough money to make the move, but was told he did not need to. Elle’s father resided in California, and told them they could stay with him temporarily after moving there. For being so loyal and helpful to Elle, her father promised to pay for the moving truck they would need, since almost everything moved would belong to Elle. Omen had almost nothing left of his own, and most of it fit into 3 plastic tubs comfortably. Thus he had no need for a large truck, but Elle could not say the same. She seemed to want to take every small thing she had ever been given with her, even those things that she had no use for. So Omen did not argue her father’s want to pay the costs for the truck, as his responsibility to it was only as it’s driver. For Omen had sworn that he was fully capable of driving from Texas to California, making it cheaper for them to move all their belongings. Elle’s father liked the idea of saving money, and told them he would be ready for them shortly after Christmas. Once Omen returned from visiting his family, it would be almost time to leave. This plan suited Omen and Elle perfectly, for both were tired of living in Texas.

Omen looked at his phone. It was now nine-thirty, Elle would be coming over soon. Tonight was a very important night. At first, Omen had intended to handle it alone. But Elle had begged to come along, saying she desperately wanted to understand the feelings Omen spoke of for herself. Omen had allowed her to do so, as long as she did not disturb his workings. Elle agreed to maintain discipline, and went back to her house to get ready. Omen had been doing the same, and before she left Omen told her to return at ten o’ clock. They would walk together down the street, to a destination that was only blocks away. Tonight Omen was visiting the club, tonight five more Gates were meant to be absorbed. Omen was a bit nervous as he readied himself for the evening, for there was much that had to be considered.

Belial seemed to be in full force in the club. So in addition to absorbing the energies of the Gates, Omen had to convince him to go back prior to closing them. But Omen had confidence in his ability to do so, as Belial was one of his first instructors in magic. Though he hadn’t made his influence known in quite some time, Omen knew Belial was the same as ever. He was enjoying the merriment of the party, making it stronger so everyone would have more fun. For it this energy which strengthens Belial, thus it works in it’s own independent circle of flowing energy from the rest as long as he is present. And as Omen heard more stories from people that had visited the club, it was as plain as day. Belial had placed his own essence into the club itself, and the people were joyously falling into it. He was doing nothing against their will, but he was doing much without their knowledge. But convincing Belial to leave might not be easy. The energy he was receiving directly from all the people in the club was much more than most spirits get nowadays, as people have forgotten those that exist much older and stronger than themselves. So Belial was feeding well for a change, and Omen would have to convince him to stop.

Omen got a message, Elle was on her way. He finished getting dressed, making sure to run his lint roller across his black jeans and button-up shirt. Dressed all in red and black, Omen was ready to present himself properly. His shoes were polished and clean, as Omen had done so with a wet rag. He sprayed himself quickly with cologne, and headed to then door. Elle was just outside, Omen had finished exactly on time. Elle had spent much time getting ready for the evening. Her makeup was done with extra accent on the eyes, and the accents were done in red. She had put on the gift she was given for Christmas and put together as well. The red and black dreadfalls hung down to the center of Elle’s back, matching Omen perfectly. She wore a dress designed much like the garters of old, with other pieces underneath to allow further coverage. She had on a black skirt, much like the tutu worn by a ballerina. She wore black shoes with raised heels, even though she intended to walk to the club. Omen met her in front of the house, and they left together down the street.

Omen put in his headphones, and sang all the way to the club. Omen knew he would need every ounce of his strength to accomplish his mission. He would have to first convince Belial to step back through the Gates made, then draw them all inside himself, combining them with the one he had already absorbed. As Omen and Elle approached the front door of the club, lined across with police cars as usual, he paused Elle for a second.

“Before we go inside, take a moment and pay your respects to Belial. Considering that his energy now encompasses every inch of this club, and every activity done inside here strengthens him, right now this may as well be considered Belial’s Temple. As such, we need to show him our respects before we enter the door. Failing to do sight might anger Belial, and that is a thing we definitely do not want if we wish his assistance in the mission tonight.”

Omen bowed his head, taking a moment to connect to the energy. He felt past the front door, noticing that Belial had not fully come into the club yet. More likely than not, he had taken the opportunity to go out, using one of the people who regularly came to the club as a vessel for his transferrence. This meant he was not present at the club, at least not yet anyway. But it was Friday night, one of the most popular each week for the club, populated mostly by off-duty soldiers. This meant it would be one of the best nights for Belial to feed on the swirling energy of the people. Omen knew it would only be a matter of time until Belial’s essence came to the club, and as such he entered happily. He was asked to check his coat at the door, so Omen removed the contents of the pockets and did so. He ordered drinks for Elle and himself, then began to walk around the club.

Omen sought the locations of the runes he had drawn in the initial spell. But every one he went to had people scattered around, making the ability to stay still and work on the designs impossible. After several laps proved unsuccessful, Omen began to grow agitated. He had important work to do, and these ignorant people were in the way. Omen walked out to the smoking area in a rage, trying to maintain his calm. Elle followed soon after, obviously concerned for Omen’s stability. It had been seen that his emotions flared much easier now that a Gate lie inside him, as Omen struggled with all the presences that were not his own. Elle sat Omen down and talked with him, trying to calm his nerves. The alcohol was not helping Omen deal with his rage, as drinking only seem to make the problems worse in Omen’s mind.

Elle was tapped in magically as well. Since finally overcoming the torments of Sigma, Elle had become quite useful in magical discussion. She was much more capable than Omen of connecting to the spirit of the Earthmother, as she was still connected to her Earthly nature. Elle told Omen she had an idea, a way to fix the problem. They went over to a counter in the back of the smoking area. The end cost was a steep twenty-five dollars, but Omen agreed to pay the expensive tab. Several minutes later, Omen was presented with a large hookah, which had been filled with two flavors of shisha, strawberry and banana. They sat in the club and enjoyed the hookah as they joked about silly things. As they did Omen’s mood lightened, and he began to realize how much time he still had. They sat and joked about the stupidity of Elle’s mother, for allowing a Gate to remain open in her home, just to maintain a stubborn position of disbelief. This was a common trait amongst Humans, whose pride is so great that they will refuse even the hand that could save them from falling off a cliff. But people make their own choices, and that was why Omen was leaving for Illinois. Elle did not want him to go, but she understood the necessity for him to follow the Will of the Father. She knew that Omen was not capable of Human love or attachment anymore, and thus was not the same as he had been. But Elle clutched to Omen tightly anyway, saying she would find a way to progress herself, that she might be capable of continuing on beside him. While Elle was obviously not yet ready to push further, as she had only just healed from the recent assault, Omen saw in her potential to learn. To be useful to the Father as well, to become another piece of His Plan. But this would be a choice she made for herself, when the time was appropriate. Omen smiled at Elle, as she had been one of the few that had listened to what Omen had to say before judging it, which proved her to have an open mind. Perhaps someday, Elle would be given a task by the Father as well, and could decide for herself what side she would choose in the end.

Suddenly, Omen felt an overpowering energy fill the area. As Omen lit a cigarette, attempting to calm himself from the swell of energy, Elle noticed a strange feeling as well. She had no idea what she was feeling, and moved closer to Omen that she might be better protected by his energy. But Omen told her to relax, smiling from ear to ear. What she felt was Belial, he had finally entered the club. Omen told Elle that he would return shortly, that he had to go for a short walk. As he did so, Belial’s voice entered his mind. He heard first the familiar laugh that always accompanied Belial’s arrival, for he truly was merry in spirit. As Omen wandered both levels of the club, Belial spoke into his mind.

Belial met Omen warmly, for they known each other for awhile. His energy swirled around the club, and Omen saw the results. Instantly, the dance floor had filled, as people had given up their worry about the judgments of others. Even the people at the tables were swaying to the music, and many various toasts could be heard throughout the club. The joyous indulgence of Belial had filled the minds of those that wanted such, and the party rose to new heights. More and more people seemed to fill the club, as it began to pack every inch. The sea of people were all lost in their own parties, occasionally asking others to join them. On the dance floor people began to show off their skills, as many types of dancers filled the floor. Omen smiled at the joy Belial was bringing to the people, the truest nature of his Power. For while the Darkness corrupts this joy, turning into abuses of alcohol, drugs, and other people, the true nature of a party is the fun of the gathering.

“So, must there be an end to the joy of these people? You see how much they want to continue the party, why not allow this to be so?”

Omen sighed. “Because if you cannot leave without entering a vessel, you will eventually corrupt the energies here. Soon this party will not be the same. Soon the Darkness will grow too strong, and will cause problems and fighting. This is already starting, as two people were thrown out over an argument over whose party was more important in the club just a bit ago. You know this is true Belial, they cannot handle your energy continually. It corrupts them too much, as the love of alcohol has done to Elle’s mother.”

Omen heard the familiar laugh again inside his mind. “That is too true, those that don’t understand truly are too weak to handle it. More than once since I’ve been here, people have ended up in jail over the minor shred of my energy that they came into contact with, for they chose to use the party to strive for horrible things. One even took the energy of the party, and used it to try and rape a girl he had brought away with him. Humans really do take the Darkness to terrible levels, don’t they?”

Omen was shocked by this. “Wait. If Demons come out of Gates, just as you have here, and infect the minds of Humans with their energy, how then can the overtaken Human be blamed?”

“The answer to that is simple young Omen. A Human mind is not simply overtaken, possession does not happen overnight. It is a slow process, by which the voices of the Demon become the thoughts inside the mind of the target. As this process continues, the target Human becomes unable to distinguish their own thoughts from the whispers of the Demon. Once this effect has completed itself, the Human is now easily capable of being overtaken at any time, simply by the will of the controlling Demon. They can be forced to do almost anything at this point, as long as it does not conflict with any core belief or value the individual has. Attempting to do this brings the Human mind into war against itself, causing a violent reaction inside the subject. This is usually the point at which the possession is realized by outsiders, as the Human mind and the Demonic will battle for control. Thus the Human shell that houses the Demon is not blameless for their actions, for it was by their own choice that the Demonically-influenced thoughts became realistic actions performed by them, as they believed this was their own inner desire.”

Omen thought about that for a second. Belial was totally right. For while the voice inside the mind may push hard, making the thoughts unavoidable, it was the final decision of the Human that allowed the action to be carried out. Thus the Humans that fall prey to the whispers of Demons, in their ignorance and weakness, are just as to blame as the Demons that use those Humans to ruin the lives of others. Without the Demon, the Human would not have considered such vile actions. But without the Human’s consent, the will of the Demon would remain only a whisper. While many people would try to argue this fact, claiming themselves and their loved ones as innocent, the facts stand as they exist. Some thought in the mind of the individual, something selfish and rotten, was fostered until it became all that was left. Yet another Human, turned into a puppet for the denizens of the Pit, to be used for whatever purpose their controller decided was necessary. This condition is easily seen to plague many across the globe, as they commit selfish and vile actions that reasonable people see are incorrect. But lost in what they have been told inside their own mind, they believe themselves to be doing appropriately.

Omen still could not understand. “So then, what is the point of all of it? Why make the Gates in the first place? Why bring such horror into the physical world?”

“Omen, do you still not fully understand the Gates you work with?”

“What do you mean? I know as much as you can feel inside my mind, I know you have accessed my recent thoughts. What is it you think I am missing? Please explain anything I have not understood, I need to know as much as possible.”

“Think about it Omen. Where do the Gates come from? Is a Gate a hole that is Created, or is it a hole ripped in something that already exists? Based on that answer, why are Gates allowed to exist, and what is their function?”

Omen thought back through the years of training and instruction. Omen knew the Gates and the Veil were pieces of the same thing, one had an effect on the other. With that being the case, both would have started at the same time. Omen tried to remember when it was that the Veil had been constructed. He remembered the stories that spoke of Higher Beings living on Earth, and even birthing children. These were the stories told of the Nephilim, which were Human, but of great size and strength. They were one of the major reasons for the flooding of the Earth, as their overpopulation threatened the planet’s natural resources. But after that, nothing was said about the physical presence of Nephilim or Watchers on the Earth.

If it had been necessary to destroy so much to correct this problem, it would be understood from an experimental standpoint that measures would be taken to prevent this from happening again. Removing so many Beings of such Power would be difficult, as both sides had the capability to migrate to the Earth. Stopping one effectively would mean stopping all, and would require a very strong barrier. This barrier would have to be erected by the Fathers from both sides, as no one energy alone would be strong enough to prevent all transference. This must have been what the Veil referred to, the thing that stopped all the Beings from the other Planes of Existence from coming here physically. But Beings with such Immortal Power would still be able to stretch their mind’s energies past the barrier, if they pushed hard enough.

Belial spoke again into Omen‘s mind. “As Humans developed magic, they learned to rip holes in this barrier, in order to bring a greater Power than their own into the world. They did not see their actions as harmful, for normally it was used in ritual magic, done in worship to the Gods of the individual societies of Man. Thus the Humans saw their magical workings as done in respect and worship, so it was never considered that these holes would be a problem. But Abbadon had been tasked with managing these issues, keeping the holes sealed up as he found them. Over time, the constant tearing caused the energy of the Veil itself to weaken and fluctuate, allowing more spirits to transfer over than ever. As well the magics of Mankind grew more and more vile, as Men demanded to be given rewards from their Creators. All this was expected, as a part of the Human design is the ability to tap into the energies of both sides. But none could have expected how easily Men would turn on their Creators, assuming they held the full Power of the Heavens in their hands. Thus Humans began to abandon the advisement of the emissaries of the Heavens, and followed their own selfish will instead.

With the Veil intact, few were capable of stopping the vileness from spreading. As Demons whispered in the ears of Humanity, only Abbadon was capable of sending them back to the Pit effectively. He sealed Gates day after day, protecting the minds of Humanity from invasion. But the number of holes opened became larger than the number closed, as Humans abused vile magic more and more. Abbadon’s hands were full, and he fought to maintain his sanity. All these things were brought to pass by Humanity’s refusal to accept their own lives, and their will to rip through anything to surpass their limits. Now that you know the Truth of what is you deal with, does that knowledge comfort you? To know that the weakening Veil, and the resulting influx of Demonic influence, is the direct result of the magic Men have abused since it was developed?”

Omen hung his head. “No, it does not. Especially now, knowing that I personally am responsible for so many of these tears, even though I did so unknowingly. Now I am proud to accept this part of my task, as I am simply cleaning up my own mess. By sealing these Gates, I help stop a flood I myself started, and I could ask for no more perfect a task to be given.”

“Good. That’s what I’ve always liked about you, the strength of will. You’d rather stand up and admit your own past failures than run from them, and you are even willing to put yourself at risk to do so. This is the reason you were pushed so hard, that you might be ready when this time came. For now you walk down the road of Knowledge, and the journey to your Fate is perilous. You will need every bit of your strength to stand the slightest chance, and I suggest you take all the help you can get that is trustworthy.”

Omen stood near the railing of the club, staring down on all the people enjoying their night. Each one seemed so small, as Omen saw them from an outside perspective. He saw the people exist as one thing, scattered in various pieces. It was the whole of them he had to be concerned with, not the will of one or two. This included Omen, for his will was also just a piece of this puzzle. Omen thought about whatever he might do to bring this shattered whole back together, to make people understand what they too were missing. Humans had misunderstood their Creators for too long, and it had destroyed their minds as a whole. Now, most of them seemed like walking husks, simply waiting for death to come. This was not the world as it was meant to be, and something had to be done about it.

“Belial, you know why I am here tonight, you know also what I am ordered to do. I ask respectfully that you allow such to happen without incident, and that you pass back through the Gate before it closes. Will you allow this to happen?”

Omen heard the familiar laugh again, but it was much louder this time. “Of course I intend to help you. Do you believe, after everything that we have discussed, that i was not aware this day would come? It has been my work as well that made you the person you are. I have watched you fight against all the things you put yourself into, all in the name of the Father. I have known of you since long before you did, as well I have been waiting for this Time to come. In success or in failure, things cannot continue as they are. If Final Judgment is the only thing left to end the cycle of misery, then I too am ready to play my part. We all are given taskings that we must carry out, even if at times we wish they were different. Now you too fall under this category Omen, as you take a task you will not wish for yourself.”

Omen gasped as Belial spoke in his mind. All that he had been through, all the various training and trial he had suffered through. The discrimination by the Army, to constant Hatred from those that claimed love, even the betrayal of Omen’s biological family. Had it all happened just to prepare him for this, had his whole life been one big test? Omen struggled with his own reality, unsure of exactly who he was anymore. But Omen realized that he would have to focus on that problem later, for now he had a job to do.

“So, by what method will this be easily accomplished? The club is packed, and I have already experienced difficulty getting to any of the runes. It’ll be even worse now, since the club has become so packed with people. Also, I’m still unsure as to exactly how this should be gone about, considering it is more than a single Gate I am dealing with.”

Belial gave Omen a list of steps, to follow in precise order. He refused to repeat himself, so even slightly intoxicated Omen had to remember every detail by heart. Once the instructions were given, Belial’s energy spread back out into the club. Omen walked back down to the smoking area, finding Elle still enjoying the hookah. He sat with her for a time, explaining that he had been given tasks to complete. Elle understood, but wanted to go with as Omen worked. He said he would allow it, as long as when he started each working she kept her distance. He did not want anything to interfere with what he had to do, as Belial had said each step was important. Omen started by ordering a fresh drink, and spinning the energy as he took a few sips. Just as instructed, once the liquid had entered his stomach, Omen saw the runes he had drawn shining brightly in their locations. Each one vibrated with its own energy, but a link could be seen between them. Aside from the lines in the star, waves of energy coursed between the runes. It was the spot where these energies converged that was the point Omen would have to locate as he worked with the individual runes.

Omen started in the rear of the club, moving past tables to a cage kept in the back. Shining across the metal of the cage, Omen saw the inverted pentagram he had drawn so long ago. Remembering the way in which Omen always drew his runic designs, Omen retraced it, but did so in the complete reverse of the way he had originally drawn it. As Omen ran his finger over each piece of the design, the glow seemed to vanish. Once he had drawn over the entire design, Omen placed his hand over the cage. Omen felt the Gate, but it ran from his grasp, spreading out towards the other runes. Omen turned back toward the mass of people, to watch the energy migrate. It swirled and twisted in various directions, finally settling inside the other four runes.

Omen continued to move around the club, towards each of the runes he had drawn. Each glowed slightly different when approached, and the energy of each was different as well. But as Omen drew over each rune, the energy of the associated Gate swirled away. But as Omen drew over the last rune, sitting at a table upstairs, the result was not as anticipated. For all the energy of the five Gates had absorbed into one rune, but upon completing it Omen felt nothing. The energy swirled around again, then vanished from Omen’s sight completely. He sat for a moment dumbfounded, questioning his workings from the beginning. Had he done something wrong, or in the wrong order? No, that wasn’t possible, Omen had retraced his every movement exactly. So then, why were the Gates not absorbed into him?

Omen felt Belial standing behind him before a word was spoken. He felt the presence enter his mind again. Apparently this task was not yet complete. Belial smiled at Omen, a thing he was not known to do regularly. Omen calmed his mind, listening to Belial’s voice in his mind.

“You are not done yet Omen. What you have just done is compressed the Gate energy from five separate runes into one energy form. Now the five Gates are one inside themselves, stronger than any of them were originally. It was through door that I came into this place, and it must be through this door that I return. There is a simple way to do this, all it requires is that you trust me.”

Omen chuckled a bit, as trust had always been a running joke between the two of them. For one of Belial’s first lessons had been, “Trust no one, for Demons have as many faces as they choose, and most of them speak falsely”. Ever since, whenever Belial had been ready to give Omen instruction that would be both complicated and potentially dangerous, he had always said, “Trust me”. So Omen had to share a laugh with Belial as the two remembered their mutual past, which seemed like so long ago in Omen’s memories.

“There are only two more things you must do in order to complete your task. Both will require proper focus and acceptance. The first is simple, you must allow me to combine with you purely, as you have done before with others. But this time, our bond must be total, you and I have to exist as one thing. Once that is complete, you will allow me to enjoy the last of this party. Just before closing time, you will take the dance floor. Somewhere there is the space where the energies of the Gates centered after you compressed them. Find it, and take your place there. Once you have done so, use the Gate inside to turn yourself into a massive vortex. Draw the energy of the combined Gate into yourself, straight to the place where one already resides. As those energies combine, creating a new energy inside you, allow the doorway to open. As it does i will step back through it, and once the energy settles the Gates will close inside you. This is all you have left to do, can you handle this task Omen?”

Omen cracked a smile. “Of course. I’m not even close giving up yet. This is just another step. No step can be harder than the last, and this is not my last step. Thus there are greater challenges ahead than I have already seen, and I will face them all without hesitation.”

Omen told Elle to head towards the dance floor. Omen followed several steps behind, as he allowed Belial’s essence to mix into his own. He had never fully channeled Belial before, so the feeling was unusual at first. But soon Omen’s stress fell away, and he was filled with the joy of the party. Omen strolled out onto the dance floor, moving as he felt appropriate. He found himself keeping the beat of the songs with his right foot as he danced, rhythmically tapping it on the ground. Omen had not felt this free inside for some time, and was able to let himself go completely. Omen had not felt the full Power of Belial inside him before now, and was unadjusted to it. Time seemed to speed by as Omen danced, as if he had become unaware of it’s passage.

When the DJ announced that they would be closing soon, Omen knew it was time. As people continued to dance, Omen saw the disturbance on the floor. There was no visible hole, just a center where the swirling energies were the strongest. Omen went to this place, and fell into a deep meditation as he danced. He felt himself falling, as the energy tried to pull Omen inside. Omen saw through it to the other endpoint. All he could see was a room lavishly adorned in objects of bright metal and crystal. He recognized one of the symbols he saw in the room, and then understood where the Gates led. This was Belial’s Throne Room, for he managed many Legions of the Father’s troops as one of the Kings of Hell. Once Omen felt the endpoint, he spoke a silent goodbye to Belial, whose energy passed out from him into the Throne Room. As Omen sealed the holes inside him, the Throne Room’s image began to fade. As the Gates absorbed into Omen, and his energy began to twist and distort again, Belial’s voice could be heard from the other side.

“Steel yourself Omen, you will need every ounce of your strength to survive. For you still do not understand the depth of this trial, and what is coming requires much more than an iron will.”

Omen felt the massive energy vortex into him as he continued to dance. The center of Omen’s chest felt as if it might explode from sheer pain. Omen wondered if this was the kind of pain associated with a heart attack, as his left arm began to tingle and go slightly numb. But Omen would not allow himself to be harmed, he continued to pull the energy further inside. It twisted and contorted violently, and Omen could swear he heard the moaning of tormented souls from inside. But he shook off the sounds, trying to stay focused on what had to be done. Omen did as before, using the energy of the Gates to create a wall between himself and everything on the other side, using the same recycling principle as with the previous Gate.

Omen’s body finally relaxed, and his mind became calm and silent. He had been successful, one absorbed Gate had now become six. Omen was extremely relieved as he and Elle left the club. He walked Elle home as they chatted happily about his successful mission, stopping across the street. This was the furthest Omen would go since Elle’s mother had him banished by the police, for Omen refused to be arrested for stupid reasons. Many times over the past week, Omen had claimed to have vision of him being arrested and jailed. Everyone around him said he was “being silly”, for he had done nothing to deserve jail time. But Omen had responded to all of them the exact same way: “I do not know the reason why, nor will I until it happens. But I can feel it coming, soon I will be trapped inside Man’s jail.”

Omen kissed Elle good night, and watched as she went inside. He was glad to see Elle acting like herself again, no longer trapped inside her own mind. She had finally let go of the pain that had kept her from believing that happiness was possible in her life, and now Elle could finally move on. But Omen still was not sure if she was meant to move alongside him or not. Elle was much younger than Omen, and had little experience aside from the things he had taught her. With all that Omen was being shown that he should be doing, he worried that Elle was not prepared for what she would face. For it seemed that everyone around Omen soon became Hateful and vile towards him, even as he tried to be nice to them. Inside, Omen felt responsible for all Elle had been through. For it had been his failure to see and close the Gate in Elle’s home prior to the incident that had led to her being sent away. As he walked back to Kindra’s Omen tried to figure out is Elle’s safety should be put before her choice to stand beside him. But he realized it was still too soon to make that decision, for Elle still had much to learn.

The next day, Omen awoke to a request for breakfast. Half-awake, Omen trudged down the road to McDonald’s, and procured food. He met Elle at his truck, and they sat inside and ate together. They smoked as they discussed the plan for the day. Elle knew that this morning was important to her, for Omen was to be busy later that day. Even though he had just sealed the five Gates inside the club the night before, tonight Omen was prepared to seal the next one. It had been his plan for days now, so as to make his adjustment to the new energy quicker. So Elle had woken up much earlier than usual, so she could spend the morning with Omen. They talked about what had happened the night before, as well as Omen’s impending departure for Illinois. Elle said she was worried for him, because he would be so far away from anyone that truly understood what he was doing. But Omen reassured her that he would be fine on his own, especially in his own hometown. For at least inside familiar territory, Omen would never be short of places he knew to walk.

Samantha and Brian stopped by for awhile, and they all sat and conversed. Omen was trying to teach the two teenagers as much as he could, for he had seen and heard the potential for major difficulties in their futures. Samantha, even after her experience, still felt it necessary to spend her day associating with things that were not beneficial to her at all. Brian’s habits were even worse, as almost daily the boy skipped school. He would come to Omen’s truck to sit and talk with him, as he said he preferred the things Omen was talking about to the repetitive nonsense he learned in school. Omen was upset by this, but not at Brian. For ever since he was child, Omen had watched the degeneration of the school system, as children graduate with less and less intelligence each year, because the system continually lowers it’s own standards. They do this so those that do not have the learning capacity of others can “feel normal”, but in reality all it does is produce new crops of stupid people. As the schools teach less and less, and people are forced to immediately go to work, no time is left for expansive thought and growth of the mind. In Samantha and Brian Omen saw prime examples of this, as neither their parents nor the schools said anything that registered with them. But they would at least listen to Omen, so he took advantage of the chance to change their thought processes.

As the sun began to set in the sky, Omen asked everyone to go home. After saying goodbye, Omen went and readied himself again. But this outfit was much more casual, fitting the occasion for which it would be used. For Omen had to travel from Kindra’s to the bridge, which was quite a long walk. As he put on his coat, sliding his headphones up through his shirt and into his ears, Omen felt he was ready to close the last Gate in Texas. He proudly burst out the front door, singing as loud as he could down the roads leading to the highway. He saw people staring, and could see their mouths move in insult, even though his music prevented him from hearing their words. But Omen ignored everyone around him, for he was praying to the Father. He asked to be allowed to take his next step, to not be slowed by the energy he felt as he approached. For Omen’s spine shuddered as he walked up the last hill towards the bridge. His eyes grew wide, even though he stared at nothing. Omen marched ahead even faster now, as he had realized the depth of his own action.

Omen had not been back to this area of town recently, due to having no vehicle. But as he drew close, Omen knew he had made a terrible mistake. The energy of the Gate could be felt as far away as the street Omen turned on to walk towards it. As he approached the bridge, already covered in the Darkness of night, Omen saw the massive wavering energy. The rune he had created had opened a Gate, and it had sat for quite some time growing in strength. Now the hole was monstrous, and Omen could see it stealing energy from as far away as the military housing nearby. But inside the swirling mass, Omen felt the will of many Demons. It seemed they simply sat by the door, waiting for someone of the appropriate nature to pass by. Due to the size of the Gate’s energy, they were easily able to enter people driving by in their cars, and through this migrate all the way across the Killeen/ Fort Hood area. Omen could not imagine how many spirits had been allowed out of the Gate, as the size of it would allow many Beings the level of Belial to pass through. As Omen walked up the stone path leading to the bridge, he wondered how much more difficult this would be than last time.

Omen’s pace slowed as he came upon the bride. With the metal fencing wrapping around the entire bridge, there were only two ways to enter. As Omen stepped into the entrance to the bridge walkway itself, his entire body went cold. It felt as if every step led him further away from reality. Omen pressed on, as the lights of nearby businesses became fires that sprouted up from the ground. Omen searched amidst the mixture of two separate Realms for his connection point. Omen continued to walk down the bridge, singing out to the Father as he did so. For as long as he was singing to the Father, Omen knew he would fear no trial. He walked to the exact center of the bridge, where he had drawn the original rune. The circle he had made was large enough for him to sit in by design, and Omen prepared to do so. He sat his cigarettes and phone in the space between his crossed legs, after setting a playlist he used for magical workings.

Within seconds, Omen was lost inside the Power of the Gate. The energies inside him swirled in response, and it was if instantaneously he had become connected. But as Omen pushed further inward, he saw that the opposite end of the Gate was not localized like the others. When he was able to see through the other side of the hole, Omen was shocked. For the place he saw was not the Pit that he was used to. Having no idea where he was, Omen was forced to go further inside. For trying to seal a door is not possible if it is completely unknown what is on the other side of that door. Omen let himself drift further and further away from his body, and he could swear he saw the faces of other people inside. Omen moved ahead even further, hoping his actions hadn’t trapped some poor soul in this place.

As Omen reached the edge of the Gate, he tried to focus on the faces he had seen. But Omen was met with horror as his vision cleared, for what he saw was beyond belief. There were tens of thousands of people, spanning as far as Omen’s eyes could see. They stood around as if they were waiting for something. They migrated slowly towards another part of the area, and Omen tried to focus in on it. At the edge of the place the people were moving toward there stood a pair of men. But upon closer evaluation, these were akin to the Dra’Gaari Omen had encountered before, even though they attempted to keep their sharp teeth and narrow eyes hidden from the other people. The Dra’Gaari guided people through two openings in the far edge of the seemingly endless cavern. They were very strict as to which people went where, and any contestation was met with extreme force. Some people were thrown down the tunnels, as they cried and begged for another chance.

Omen knew where he was. This was Purgatory, the Space in Between Life and Death. This is the Doorway through which all souls pass as they leave their physical existence, on their way to either Paradise or the Pit. The amount of souls which remained standing around was a direct reference to how overpopulated Humanity had become, as more children are born than elderly die each day. Even Purgatory was filling up with the decayed souls of those long since dead, as they simply stood awaiting their Judgment. There was no conversation amongst those standing around, no signs that they even realized they could speak. It was as if each soul had been forced into a sort of “walking stasis” until after they passed through Purgatory. Omen felt terribly for those trapped in this place, for he was aware of how miserable it was there. For while Hell may have places designed for torture and pain, Purgatory exists in a place designed to be nothing more than a Doorway. Thus nothing but the Doorway exists, and those whose job it is to guard the proper passage of souls through that Doorway. The souls trapped in between exist there only as they await passage to the next world.

Omen turned his focus away from the torment of Purgatory, binding himself to the Gate as before. But he couldn’t help but stare at the multitude of tormented faces as the energy sealed itself shut inside him. And Omen’s spirit returned to the bridge, and the Gate was sealed on the other side as well, he was glad to be away from that place. Omen swore his service would be proper, and he would fight to his end for the Father. Omen did not want his spirit to be unknown by the Gods, kept sitting like a sheep awaiting slaughter. Omen would much rather his soul face the strongest tortures Hell has to offer than to rot away slowly like a zombie in Purgatory. As he felt the massive Gate swirl into him, it was almost as if he could feel the remnant misery of those tortured souls. Their voices wailed painfully inside Omen’s mind as the energy twisted inside his chest. He fell forward, clutching his chest. Omen could feel the energy twisting around inside him. His heartbeat was loud inside his mind, and seemed to be slowing down. As the sound began to fade, so too did Omen’s vision. The energy of Purgatory had been too strong for Omen’s body, it was stealing the life from him. Omen fought to stabilize himself, but still the energy overpowered him. It was almost as if the hands of those trapped inside Purgatory were reaching for Omen, pulling him in to join them. Omen was not ready to accept Death, but the pull seemed stronger than he could handle.

Suddenly, Omen felt a hand on his shoulder. The touch was ice cold, and Omen’s right shoulder was almost instantly paralyzed. It pulled him backwards, away from the tortured moans of Purgatory. Omen tried to look upon the face of the one who had stopped him from falling into Eternal misery. But the stiffness caused by the icy touch would not allow Omen’s neck to move either, so he could not even turn his head. Wherever it was he was being taken, Omen would not be able to prevent it. Omen closed his eyes and prayed to the Father, “Father, if these be my last moments, may the ones that follow exist where You are waiting for me. Open your arms Father, please welcome your son home”.

“Dry your tears Omen, it is not your time just yet.”

The voice was familiar, though Omen had not heard it in some time. “A...Azrael?”

23

Omen snapped awake, and his head smacked off the stone wall of the bridge. Omen recoiled, clutching his skull in pain. Had Azrael just saved his life? He felt the new Gate had combined with the others, and the energy inside had grown once again. But that voice, it had to have been the same one from years ago. He would never forget that voice, or the icy stare of the one whose mouth it came from. It was the same one who he had fought so long ago in Iraq. But why then would Azrael save him? It obviously wouldn’t be out of gratitude, as Azrael considered allowing Omen to win the first time thanks enough for his fall. But why then had he come to Omen’s rescue?

The Father’s Presence came over Omen, and the boy cried as he thanked his Father for his life being spared. Now he was still capable of doing what he must, the Gate of Purgatory had not managed to destroy him. Thanks to the hand of Death Himself Omen had been spared, the only spirit that would have been capable of dragging Omen’s soul back from that far inside Purgatory. The Father spoke very clearly into Omen’s mind, answering Omen’s questions as He felt was necessary. Omen listened intently, as every detail had a bearing on his future.

“Azrael has been working by My side since the day after you defeated him. This was My Plan from the beginning, that was why you were compelled to do so. But think about it Omen, I am aware of all things that are, and the nature of things that will be. I had seen you fall into Purgatory, I was well aware the grip it held on you. For Purgatory is not a place to be sought after, it houses the hollow and tortured souls of those that still await their Final Judgment. Without passing completely to the other side, these souls have no hope of being reborn. This is a Fate much worse than the Human death, as the soul energy slowly fades away into Nothingness. I could not allow this to happen to you, for you still have tasks to complete. As such, I required the specialized skills of the only Watcher that can still traverse the spaces between Life and Death, as his task moves him between all Realms. So, in order for you to be saved, Azrael’s assistance was required. But if you had not defeated him when you did, he would not be in my service, and there would have been no one to save you from falling away forever. So, by defeating Azrael then, you actually secured your own salvation from Purgatory in the future, without even realizing it. But this assistance comes with a cost.”

Omen saluted the Father, keeping his head bowed out of respect. “What is the cost Father? What thing might I provide to Azrael in repayment for his assistance?”

“Azrael wants only one thing from you Omen. He tires of listening to others around him talk about his loss to you. He demands repayment in the form of another challenge, that the stories might be put to rest once and for all. Azrael stated that he would not allow Purgatory to claim your soul, he would tear it out himself and send it to the Pit.”

Omen was shocked. “ Fight Azrael again Father? But you said I had tasks to complete, things that were very important in Your Plan. How does dying at Azrael’s plans fall into that category Father? I will be of little use once buried in the ground, for that is the Fate of those who contest Azrael.”

“Child, have you lost your nerve already? All that I have given you, and you still run in fear from one Watcher?”

Omen’s spirits dropped low. He felt miserable for losing faith in the Father, the same thing that had helped him through so much in the past. He had to find a way, he could not let his fear of Death slow him down. For if Azrael saw that hesitation born in fear, it would be the disadvantage that would cost Omen his life. In order to be ready to face Azrael, Omen would have to revert his mind back to the place he was when they fought before. He would have to toss aside any thoughts of weakness or failure, and become wholly what the Father wanted him to be. A warrior of faith, whose weapons cannot be broken by any force. It would take every ounce of training, and every bit of his will, to stand even the slightest chance against Azrael, Omen was certain of it. But as Omen rose to his feet, he felt empowered by the words of the Father. He would not give up, he was too close to achieving the goals set before him. One more Gate was all that stood between Omen and completion, and that had to remain his primary focus.

Omen’s spirits were lifted as he walked away from the bridge. The Gate was gone, and now people could drive underneath of it again safely. He heard the voices of angry spirits, criticizing Omen for closing their doorways. As they complained, Omen stepped into a mysterious hole in the ground, a hole which had not been there earlier. The hole was almost as deep as Omen’s right leg, so he shifted his body weight onto the other side. As his foot connected with the ground, Omen’s ankle exploded in pain. Naturally, it had been the same leg which had a notoriously weak ankle that had fallen into the hole. But based on the size of the hole, as well as Omen’;s body weight, his quick thinking was all that had saved him from a broken leg. For his over 200-pound frame would have caused enough force on his leg to cause a major break. But Omen had been spared yet again from serious injury, though he limped over to a wall in obvious pain. After a few minutes, Omen gritted his teeth and continued walking. It was more than a mile back to Kindra’s, but Omen walked the entirety of it alone. He was not angry about what had happened to him, Omen simply used the pain as energy to continue on.

Omen finally reached his truck, and sent a message to Elle that he was okay. She walked over to the truck, and they sat and talked for some time. Knowing Omen was leaving soon, Elle did not want to leave his side. Especially now that she would have to return to her bed alone, and have no one to sleep next to at night for comfort. Omen wished he could invite Elle in to sleep in his bed, but was well aware of Kindra’s rules. Finally, Omen came up with an arrangement that kept Elle happy, and violated no rules. Even though it was slightly uncomfortable, Omen and Elle climbed into the back seat. They brought blankets with them, and cuddled together in the back seat as they slept. Omen awoke with stiffness and pain shooting through his body, but seeing the smile on Elle’s sleeping face was worth it. For while he may be in slight pain temporarily, the joy Elle had felt over Omen staying with her was obviously great. Thus happiness had overbalanced misery, and the equation was positive overall.

After Elle finally awoke, the two smoked happily with the Mud Frog. Mud Frog belonged to Samantha, even though Omen had purchased it. It had been a gift, to replace something she had broken. But her mother madre constant efforts to take Mud Frog away from Samantha, so Omen had taken it back for safekeeping. Inside his truck it would not be bothered, save for when it was used. Omen had several pieces of varying natures hidden inside his truck. Most weren’t even used anymore, but Omen kept them for their sentimental value. He tried very hard to keep his items out of Kindra’s house, since she was military and not a smoker. The truck was the perfect hiding place, because no one held control over it but Omen. It also allowed Omen a place to sit and smoke in peace, without being harassed by neighbors or police.

This became the norm each night prior to Omen’s departure. Elle wanted to be by Omen’s side moreso than to sleep in a bed, and each night she was found to bring blankets with her to the truck. It was early December, and quite chilly outside. But even with the truck not running at all, they managed to stay warm huddled up under the blankets together. During the days Omen continued to ready himself for the trip, packing up any necessities he could find. Omen was not completely sure how difficult the last Gate would be. He assumed it would be quite hard, considering the last one had nearly killed him. Omen did his best to organize the things he was leaving, so that his room would not be a horrible mess. Omen informed Kindra of the extent of his trip, and that he would be back afterwards. Kindra told him to have a good time, and that she’d see him when he got back.

The night before leaving, Omen asked Elle to stay home. He had to wake up extremely early, and Elle was not a morning person. He promised to talk with her later, and that he would be able to make the journey himself. Omen had money for a cab, but refused to take one. He intended to walk, with all of his bags, to the other end of Killeen. There he had to get on a bus, which would take him to the train station. Everyone told Omen he was crazy for trying to walk so far with such a heavy load, for his bags weighed at least 80 pounds combined. Omen had his laptop, his PS3 and games, and plenty of clothes and supplies for the trip. Even though the Gate was meant to be shut within days, the trip would last several weeks. Omen intended to stay through the New Year, for he did not want to be in transit over the holidays. Having experienced the trains before, Omen knew that going while it was full would be terrible.

Omen awoke when his alarm went off, and quickly showered and organized himself. He was prepared to face the long walk head-on, ensuring that all his things were easily accessible. He was prepared for anything, save for the fact that he needed to stop along the way and purchase some drinks, because the prices on the meal cart are outrageous. Omen made sure to pack the hygiene items he had used that morning, so that he could shower when he arrived. The trip would take more than a day, so Omen had to be sure to have everything he needed. He did a last double-check, making sure all his chargers and electronic items were properly acquired. He would not have the same problem that he had with Sara, his current mission was too important. Omen swore that nothing would distract him from his mission, that he would focus on his task before enjoying the trip. He picked up his bags, groaning at first as he adjusted to the weight of them. This trip would be hard, and might push Omen close to breaking physically.

As Omen stepped outside, turning back to lock the front door, he was greeted happily by Brian. Having already said goodbye to Omen the day before, Brian was well aware of his plans for the next morning. Brian had decided that Omen was not to undertake the long journey alone, and had decided to skip school in order to walk with him. At first Omen told Brian to go to school, as he needed to study and learn. But Brian refused to do so, saying that what he had learned recently from Omen was worth more than months of his schooling. Brian felt he owed Omen a debt, and was ready to pay back what he could through his effort. Understanding his position, Omen decided to allow Brian to do as he chose. Brian took one of Omen’s bags, the one that had wheels on it, and began to walk alongside him.

As they walked down the road, with the cars flying by on their left side, Omen and Brian talked about many things. Brian had made a point to stay very close to Omen recently, and had even introduced him to some of his friends. He said that he saw something in Omen that was not common in most people, and felt a need to have Omen speak with others. At first Omen was hesitant, for he was not fond of the agitation caused by most people’s actions. But Brian had reminded him that, “In order to be heard by people, first you must speak to them”. Seeing the wisdom in these words, Omen had agreed to meet with more people.

One of his friends was also a Satanist, and considered insane by those around him. But when Omen came to his door to meet him, it was quickly shut in his face. For the boy who had answered the door in his sleeping pants and ragged shirt returned shortly thereafter wearing Gothic jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a jacket. He said that, as soon as he saw Omen, he felt that his attire was inappropriate. He felt an immediate need to be dressed correctly in order to speak with Omen, based solely on the energy he felt when he opened the door. They sat and conversed for some time, and Omen discovered his individual gift. For in mistakenly opening a Gate of his in the past, the boy had been taught the language of Demons. He could easily rattle of sentences in this language, as if he had spoken them from birth. Omen applauded the boy’s ability to learn, and answered several of his questions about Hell and the Father. Even with all this Knowledge, the boy was still lacking the Understanding of its use. Omen told him to have faith, and to try and focus his gifts towards the right causes.

Day after day recently, Brian had stayed right at Omen’s side. The physical aspect of this was easy to understand. Omen smoked, he wanted to as well. But even in times when Omen was without, Brian still was found sitting with him. He wanted to learn as much as he could from Omen about things that existed outside of the Earth. He had been raised a Christian, the son of a preacher. As such his viewpoint was extremely limited, because he had only been told so much information. Each time Omen explained a story of the past to him, and the ways in which the actual story has been distorted over time, Brian only wanted to hear more. Omen was pleased by Brian’s want for Knowledge, as that should be a goal for every person. Thus he took no offense to Brian’s constant presence, and simply taught the boy what he could.

Surprisingly, Brian had shown a sort of personality change once he had begun standing with Omen. He was found in school more often, he treated Samantha with more respect in their relationship, and he seemed to be a happier person overall. Every day he returned, Brian seemed to be growing closer to maturity within himself. Both Elle and Samantha has commented on how much more they enjoyed this Brian, who was concerned for more than himself. Through Elle, Omen found out that even her mother had started allowing Brian to spend time at their house without argument. it seemed that the stubborn teenager was being taught how to properly deal with people, as everyone around him praised who he was becoming. This had been Brian’s primary reason for escorting Omen across town, as he felt Omen was the reason for his drastic change.

After a grueling walk, in which Omen twisted his ankle again, finally they arrived at the bus station. Omen waited there for about an hour before he finally said goodbye to Brian, and boarded the bus for Temple. Once at the train station, Omen was able to get directions to a nearby Dairy Queen. He picked up some food, then headed straight back to the train. It arrived no more than fifteen minutes after Omen had returned to the train station. Omen smoked a final cigarette as fast as he was capable, then hurried on to the train. Omen packed his bags into the compartment for them, and headed upstairs. He found a pair of unoccupied seats, and stretched out across them. The trip was going to be long, and Omen wanted to relax as much as possible. He plugged in his phone, and put his headphones in his ears. For as much of it as was possible, Omen wanted to sleep through the train ride.

But sleep wasn’t always possible, especially as Omen went through his cravings for cigarettes. For like most industries, the train company had decided that non-smokers are deserving of more rights than smokers. Not only was there no car and no place on the train that allowed smoking, but the attendants only let smokers off the train once every so many hours, when they decided to stop for fuel. This brought up questions about societal standards that Omen had been pondering for some time. These weren’t just questions about the realities of freedom in America, but evaluations of American rights as based off the paying of taxes. After all, like all things that are done legally, cigarettes are taxed. Not just a little, cigarettes are one of the most heavily taxed things in America, and the prices for the same pack of cigarettes go up significantly each year. This is not price increases on the cigarette itself, but constant additions to the taxes paid to be allowed to smoke at all. But if all these extensive taxes have already been paid out to both State and Federal government, then smokers have already paid alot extra to be allowed their rights. So then why are they discriminated against for the sake of people that have not paid those extra taxes? If the extra taxes paid by the rich, as well as corporations, entitles them to more rights than the average person, then those who pay extra to their governments to smoke should not be stopped by those that have not paid those same taxes.

But as usual, America doesn’t run off common sense, it runs off the words of the whiny and weak-minded. As politically-correct standards fill our everyday lives, people are punished for not conforming to their design for what individuality should be. This was yet another lying double-standard from the country that seemed known for it, as this selfish Greed was the reason that people from other countries see us as worldwide terrorists, demanding that the rest of the planet follow our methods of Democracy and Capitalism with force. Omen had once been a tool of this worldwide oppression when he served in the Army. Now, as the freedoms of citizens shrink more and more each day, Omen wondered if a cure might be found. A way to make America what it was designed to be, a haven of freedom and tolerance for all. For having been discriminated against multiple times based on his claim to Satanism, Omen knew that America held no real freedom anymore, just the aged opinions of a bunch of crusty old Senators, each working for the interests of the people who paid for them to be elected. Democracy is a joke now, and every time it is told we spit on our ancestors’ dreams of true freedom.

This was the nation Omen lived in, and the first he would have to stand up to help. He sighed at this knowledge, for the rotten thing America has become is barely deserving of help. Omen sat on the train, wishing he could start in another country, that wasn’t as arrogant and closed-minded. But he realized that, in order to change a broken system, you have to start at the heart of it’s corruption. This is what America is to the world, and why Omen’s task had to start there. For while America had existed much less time that Britain, France, Russia, or China, it is their war capability and willingness to use it that has made them a world power. For in their vile will to always be victorious at any cost, Americans have already destroyed millions of lives in nuclear war. Even as the ground and air were knowingly poisoned for 100 years, even as generations of families were made sick with no cure. America was willing to destroy as much as was necessary to be victorious, proven in every war throughout history. But unlike the beginning, where Americans fought to be free, now the soldiers of the country move as pawns, helping to functionalize the slow grip of control that those who stand behind the governments of the world have placed on all of Humanity. America is now the primary tool of oppression, where once it was the last bastion of hope against such atrocities. Omen sighed as he hoped that someday America might be free again, the way it was meant to be when people gave their lives to protect that freedom.

The route of the train passed through several areas where Omen’s cell phone did not work. He found this strange, as with the current phone and satellite technology, there should be few places in the world where contact through the phone is not possible. But in the times when his signal would return, his phone would blow up with unread messages and texts. Many were from people with whom Omen was simply discussing matters of the spirit. Some were from Elle, who was still worried about Omen’s safety on the train. Some were from Omen’s mother, constantly rechecking the scheduled time of arrival for the train in Bloomington. But the messages about which Omen was the most concerned were the ones which came from Jamie. It seemed Omen had been right all along, and now Jamie was in serious trouble.

Tim’s vileness had not stop with his necessity to tear down Omen. it seemed that Jamie’s independent thoughts were the next thing on Tim’s hit list. He began to demand more of her, becoming adamant about wanting her body to be his. Jamie said she was revolted by the simple thought of having sex with him, as his aged body was too decayed for her tastes. Also, the constant “spiritual guidance”, which Tim had used to distract Jamie while Omen was staying there, had almost completely died away. Tim’s strategy with women of Satanist nature became obvious. He used all that he had read and studied about the Father over the years to make himself seem completely enlightened, so as to draw in those that wish this for themselves. Tim uses their respect for his assumed position to draw them in close, and fill their mind with lies based around him. In this way, he controls their spiritual growth, and they cannot seem to progress without him. This is a horrible method of teaching, but one employed by many who use magic. For if those you teach are always lower in Power, they will never rise up to take your position. This was Tim’s method of religious control, and Jamie had finally become wise to it.

She wanted to get away from Tim, but she was terribly afraid. For he was known to throw his magic around at anyone that he knew disagreed with his methods. This had been done to Omen more than once, as some of his magic was aimed at ending Omen’s life. Jamie did not wish herself or her family to become a target, but it seemed Tim held nothing back. He claimed his magic was more than Jamie could stop, and that he would continue to do as he pleased with her. He claimed that she would understand soon, that she would see the Truth in his words. But the longer their relationship was continued, the more vile and selfish he became. He tried to send Jamie gifts, but then put sexual stipulations on receiving them. Fed up with his games, Jamie had started pushing away from Tim entirely, trying to run away from the problem.

Tim responded as would be expected, using his magic to continue to oppress Jamie’s will. She begged Omen for help, as she had tried everything she knew to do with no success. Whatever Tim had done to her, it was not so easily removed. He claimed that he had used his magic to go back in time, and make a deal with the Father that no one could break. it was a deal that allowed for Tim and Jamie to be bound to one another forever, and for their separation to cause them both excruciating pain. Tim had become extremely desperate in his attempts to retain Jamie for himself, and Omen was tired of it. He had decided that, when the time came, he would battle Tim’s magic himself. For he had tried both to challenge Tim directly, and to offer peace between them. But Tim had rejected all these offers, for he could not be seen to associate with Omen after all the lies he had spread. Thus all Omen’s messages were ignored, and Tim refused to even speak to Omen himself. He was hiding, using his magic from afar like a sissy. This proved once again how dishonorable and disgraceful Tim was, and Omen swore he would find a way to rip the vile mage down off the throne Facebook had placed him on.

As Omen awoke on the train, seeing that it was about to stop for a time, he immediately grabbed his phone and cigarettes and headed for the door. As Omen finished one cigarette after another, attempting to quell his raging urges before he had to return to the train, he checked his recent messages. He was not very surprised to see a slew of texts and Facebook messages from Jamie, who was feeling sickly and panicking about it. For her sickness was unnatural, and no one else in the house seemed to catch it. She simply felt weak and sick, and sought a way to stop it. Tim had seemed quite confident that he could do so, and Jamie realized as she talked to him that he was the source of her issues. Having become tired of waiting for Jamie to come to him, Tim sought to force her into submission by becoming the only one she could seek help from to stay safe and healthy. Omen was disgusted and enraged by this, and he promised Jamie he would figure out what was going on. Omen snuck a quick few hits from his hidden metal pipe, then put out his cigarette and hopped back on the train. Now he was relaxed, and could focus on the problem at hand.

Omen sat back down in his seat, pushing away all other thoughts in his mind. He had spent much time living with Jamie, and knew her habits well. He knew she rarely rearranged her home, and thus all the major things remained as they had been when he was there. Knowing this allowed Omen to easily project himself inside Jamie’s trailer, arriving inside her kitchen. Once he had found his bearings traveling in spirit, Omen made his way into the through the kitchen. Something about the energy inside the home was different than before. It was much more malicious, as if the energy itself craved pain and suffering. Omen paid close attention to what he felt, as every detail would be important if he was to counteract the magic.

Omen walked into Jamie’s bedroom, and immediately became outraged. She was lying on the bed, attempting to watch TV. But standing over her was some rotten spirit, appearing as a mass of swirling shadows. Omen could see the spirit using vile magic on Jamie’s stomach, which Omen realized had to be the source of her recent sickness. Omen yelled out to the spirit to cease tormenting Jamie, and to leave her home immediately. When the energetic form turned to face Omen, he was instantly sick to his stomach. He knew right away that this energetic attacker was a piece of Tim’s energy, affecting her with his evil magic. Omen went on the attack, using all that he had learned about combat in spirit. He used every weapon in his arsenal, though he focused mostly on the pure white energy that did the most obvious damage. He beat Tim’s projection back and forth through the house, as he angrily yelled at the spirit for it’s ignorant abuses. He kicked it straight out the front door of the trailer, then sealed the area with his own energy. While it might not keep Tim’s energy out forever, this would at least slow whatever plans he was working on.

Omen texted Jamie, informing her that the truth had been uncovered, and dealt with for the time being. Jamie thanked Omen for his continued assistance, especially with all that he had suffered because of her. She said she wished to repay his kindness, for he had shown her a form of love that she had not known in years. Even when she was not promised to him, Omen continued to strive for Jamie’s safety. This she said was what separated Omen from all the other men she had dealt with, he did what was right regardless of his personal feelings. Jamie stated that it was this trait about Omen, combined with the Darkness she felt inside him, that had attracted her to him originally. In every day since, Omen had only reinforced her belief that his intentions were pure. She said she regretted terribly what she had done, allowing the vile lies of Tim to hold her mind. But Omen told her apologies were not necessary, for he had learned much because of their interaction. Omen told Jamie that she could thank him by living a happy life, and eliminating those people that sought to control her mind. As he sat back in his seat exhausted, Omen hoped that his efforts had not been in vain.

Later that morning, Omen received confirmation. Ever since his attack, Tim had been acting very nervous when he spoke with Jamie. His voice cracked and broke as he stuttered through his talk with her. Apparently, according to Tim, he felt as if he had been assaulted by a Demon. He questioned Jamie as to whether or not she had sent Baal after him, and she denied the accusations. omen was pleased to hear that his new Power was working effectively, and that Tim saw him as a Demon. For as long as Tim felt the energy was too strong to combat, Omen held the complete advantage. But Tim told Jamie he was going to do some ritual magic later, so he could, “try to help their budding relationship along”. Omen knew this meant Tim had some sort of rotten plan, but it would not surface until later. Omen would have to deal with this problem once it arose, but for now he would wait and see what happened. For only in knowing Tim’s basic habits and magical influences was Omen capable of breaking his spells, and he knew this to be the most effective way of doing so. Omen told Jamie to keep him informed, and that he would be ready for the next assault when it happened.

That afternoon, the train finally arrived in Bloomington. Omen found his bags, and disembarked the train. His mother was nowhere to be found, so Omen stood outside and smoked. As he did, he called his mother, who was only a few minutes away. Though she pulled up on the wrong side, where the train station used to be, Omen soon guided her to the main entrance. He loaded his bags in the car, and they left for his mother’s house. As usual, Omen’s mother was dying for someone to listen to her talk. She rattled on for almost the entire 45-minute drive, until Omen forced her to be silent. Omen told his mother that he was not the same person he used to be, and she could not speak to him like a child. For doing so brought about much outrage in him, as he knew more about the world than his mother. He had tried to explain things to her, but she had refused to listen. This had been the norm of their relationship for years now, and Omen was adjusted to his mother’s ignorance.

But as she continued to tell Omen the stories of her recent doings, it seemed she had been punished for her disrespect of the Father. After spending so much time cursing His Name every time she did wrong in her life and paid for it, He had grown tired of her mouth. She had been in an automobile accident, and afterward was forced to see the Spirit Realm. Ever since she had been tormented by many spirits, which she had no capability of forcing away. Omen had tried to teach her basic magic to combat this, as well as instructing his mother to sage and salt her home. But she seemed hesitant to follow his directions, as if she expected Omen to solve her problems for her. This was something he would not do, just as he would not do it for anyone else. Omen had learned a long time ago that those who beg for help each time they are in danger have no ability to defend themselves, and weak people like this deserve to be attacked. For any and all are easily capable of learning the methods by which they can be protected, but they have to want to do so. Even the Father had told Omen before, “Those who refuse to stand on their own must be allowed to fall on their own”. Following this standard, Omen would decide how his mother’s situation would be handled. As they arrived at the house, Omen wondered how this situation would turn out.

The first day was simple enough. Omen spent time with the dogs, went out for a walk to worship, and relaxed with his mother and step-father watching movies. They laughed together as Omen’s step-father Jimmy commented on how happy he was that Omen had come back for the holidays. He apologized for not being more trusting of Omen in the past, and said he would learn to accept who Omen was, even if he disagreed with it. Omen was happy to hear that the home had become less confrontational, as that was the last thing he wanted to do while on vacation. He already had one important task to complete, and it was to be done the next day. Omen went to sleep early, so he would be well-rested. Tomorrow Omen would confront the eighth Gate, and his task would end in either success or failure.

Omen awoke just before the afternoon. When he did, his mother attempted to come at him with a slew of tasks that she wanted him to complete. Omen laughed at her, then angrily reminded her that she had promised to leave him alone on this day. He had only one focus, and it was not her. This enraged his mother, and she yelled for several minutes about how he needed to respect his elders. Inside his mind, Omen had to start laughing. For his mother had never respected anyone, not even her own mother. She had referred to her own mother by her first name for years, even doing so in front of Omen as a child. This pattern of disrespect was something Omen did not like, as his grandmother was an amazing person. To counteract it, Omen spent some time calling his mother only by her first name. She was outraged by this, but after some time understood the lesson. After that, she was never heard to call her mother by her first name in Omen’s presence again, under threat that her son would never treat her with any respect. But she still was highly disrespectful of pretty much everyone, and had a habit of insulting people behind their backs. This was a thing that had cost her many friends over the years, and had given Omen fewer friends to play with as a child. He was upset that his own mother was still so rotten after fifty years of living, he assumed she would have learned better by now. But he pushed all of this out of his mind as he left the house that morning, for he had more important concerns.

Omen walked down the street, turning right at the corner by the church. He progressed on toward the school where he had once been a student. The school was for grades 4 through 6, and Omen had some interesting memories there. Memories of being picked on and mistreated, and being pushed past his limit. Omen remembered going home crying many days because of the treatment of the other children. Most of it was due to his perceived poorness, for Omen was always dressed in raggedy old clothes. Also he was a fat child, so this gave the other kids more ammunition. He thought back to all those years ago, and the time when he could remember making a choice, which he realized had remained until this day.

Due to the constant torment, as well as the sexual abuse from his step-brother, Omen was a terribly unhappy child. He cried more than he was happy, and his only solace was in his room alone playing video games. But this did not stop the feeling of being an outcast, and the internal pain that it caused. Omen felt as if he was worthless, for not even his parents seemed to have much time for him. His father was never around, and his mother spent more time drinking than parenting. Omen finally gave up on his parents, as well as the other children, accepting he would be forced to take care of himself. This was even more painful, as Omen realized even his closest family didn’t care. More tears were shed, and Omen became quieter and more reserved.

One night, as Omen lay clutching his favorite stuffed animal crying, he heard a voice in the dark. Omen had never been afraid of the dark, or of anything he had seen in the movies. Thus he was not scared to answer when his name was called, nor was he hesitant to strike up a conversation. The voice asked Omen why he continued to cry, why he could not let go of his pain. Omen responded that the entire world seemed to oppose his very existence, and he grew tired of the constant torment. The voice responded that it had a way to stop the pain, to make the tears that Omen constantly shed go away. This was seen as a dream to Omen, who had not been free from his pain in years. Hearing the offer, Omen was more than willing to accept whatever he had to. The voice told Omen it would handle the emotional problems, as long as Omen would trust it. Omen agreed, and for ten years thereafter he was devoid of tears. During that time he seemed to lose all happy emotions, falling into Hatred and Vengeance. But he had gotten his wish, and his pain was gone, replaced by a want to destroy those that had caused it. This was Omen’s norm for years, until after he joined the military.

As Omen stared at the school where he had spent a portion of his childhood, he took notice of the new addition. The new building was much nicer than the school Omen had gone to, which still stood as it once had. The old building was connected to the new one by a beautifully-built walkway. The new building had many windows, and the glass reflected the light of the sun brightly. Omen admired the work that had been put into the design of the new building, completely different than the one that already existed. It showed the progress in the building abilities of Men, as the new building rose several floors higher than the old one. Even though school was in, Omen still took a walk around the grounds. He felt the energy of the Gate nearby, though it was very different from the others. Omen closed his eyes, and began to feel his way towards the Gate. When he found the energetic center, and opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a small paved road that ran around the back of the school. This road was also newly built, as the old one had not extended in this direction before. Omen took a moment to ensure he was in the right place, then reached out to the Gate a bit. What he felt he could not define immediately. This Gate was very different, but Omen could not tell in what way. Then, as he saw the faces of teachers staring at him, Omen realized he would have to continue this later. He left the school, swearing he would return later that evening.

Omen spent some time walking through the main park in town. As he circled the lagoon, Omen pondered what he had to do. For the energy he had felt was something new to him, and even being close to it had almost stung a little. The energy had felt almost...holy. But why would holy energy have ripped a hole? Omen continued to ponder this question as he circled the park. As he had expected, Abbadon came to his side. Knowing that Abbadon was fully aware of his mission, Omen asked for more details on the last Gate. All he knew was that a young boy had been murdered in cold blood, and that was what ripped the hole. Abbadon told Omen to leave the park, and to walk into a place where he could be alone to talk. Once he had done so, and the only other voices that could be heard were those of the forest animals, Abbadon returned to provide an explanation.

“What you felt today, explain it to yourself. Add in who was killed, try to understand how the process works. Once you understand the Gate, try to understand why.”

“Well...The Gate was much different than any of the others that I have dealt with. The energy was...itchy, almost painful to be close to. The only thing I can akin it to is the feeling I have upon entering a church, when I am assaulted by the opposing energy. As far as who was killed, it was a young boy, still underneath the Age of Reason and Decision. At his age, his soul energy was still pure enough to be cleansable of almost anything using Liethe Water. So unless the child had been a truly murderous terror, this meant his soul would pass to the Heavens, for he had not lived long enough to commit any real sins.”

Omen hesitated in his explanation. He seemed to be thinking about something, but short a missing piece. He knelt down, picking up a nearby rock. Omen began to make little marks on the ground, using the rock like a piece of chalk. As he did so Omen conversed with himself about what he was marking on the ground. He would understand this completely, no matter what.

“THAT’S IT,” Omen screamed as he jumped up from his kneeling position. “The boy was an innocent, thus in his death he passed to the Heavens. His death ripped a hole, because of the nature of it. But because the soul passing on was pushed upward, that was where the hole ripped in the child’s death led to. The reason the Gate burns me is because it links to Heaven Itself, the place where the holiest of energy gathers. But why? Why would I want such a thing inside me?”

“Think about what is being placed inside you. Is it not meant to be a Gate that opens all doors? A way to pass through the Veil completely, regardless of where that might be from?”

“Yes, to my understanding that is the purpose of placing eight Gates inside me, so as to create one that can open them all.”

“Now, you already understand the nature of the Created Veil. It exists to protect the Earth from all Realms, not one. As such, if you needed to open a door to all those places, would they not all have to exist inside you first? Also, if the combined energies of Light and Darkness Created the Veil, would it not take a similar energy to destroy it?”

Omen realized the Truth in Abbadon’s words immediately. He bowed his head as he responded. “My apologies Abbadon, I should have seen this all sooner.”

“Relax Omen. You have learned much in a short period of time, as well much has been set for you to do quickly. It is understood that you cannot learn everything immediately, but give yourself some credit. You have managed to seal seven Gates inside yourself already. Gates to Hell and to Purgatory. All that remains is for you to seal the Heavens inside you as well, completing the mission you were given. But in order to do that, one challenge still remains.”

“You say that as if the rest has been easy by comparison. What thing lies inside this Gate that will contest my ability to close it? Will it be like sending Belial back was? Or is it more like the Power of Purgatory’s Gate, which almost drew me in completely?”

“What you will face this evening is a function of the Law. When the Veil was built, many ruthless Demons sought release from their prison. Through Humans, they tried many methods to destroy the wall early. They used the Human want for more power to convince them to build the Tower of Babel originally, telling the poor Human leaders that they would be able to acquire physical passage to the Heavens. While my job was to close these holes, I could not do both that and guard the Heavens from attackers. As such, another Watcher was mandated by Law to be the one who would combat any small opposing force that attempted entry.”

“One Watcher? You would think that they would be more protective of their City than to assign just one.”

“At the time it was mandated, no one assumed it would cause a problem. After all, who that resides in the Heavens or the Pit does not know of Death Himself? Who would be ignorant enough to challenge him face-to-face?”

“You mean? Azrael?”

“There is but one. It was the blades of Death that were assigned to guard the Heavens. Because none dared cross his blades, it was assumed that Azrael would make the perfect guard. Too bad they were wrong.”

“How so? Did he not perform his duties?”

“What? No! Azrael is extremely efficient at whatever he is tasked to do. But no one foresaw Azrael’s choice to fall from the Heavens. No one except the Dark Father, who was happy to bring Death to his side. But the Law stating Azrael was the guard was mandated in a time long before, and is quite difficult to change. As such, even as a servant of Hell, Azrael still fulfills his duties without question.”

“So then how were they wrong in selecting Azrael?”

“Because Azrael is the guard of the Heavens, and I was once the Master of the Gates. Between the two of us, we know everything that would be needed to assault the Heavens. Every weakness, every poorly trained soldier, all of it. But also, we held the Power to allow Gates to be open or closed. For just as I could leave a Gate to the Heavens open, Azrael could allow the one that opened it to pass. This is a serious flaw, building an entire system of defense around two instead of two hundred. Easier to manage, but weaker overall.”

“So, does that mean Azrael is going to let me just seal the Gate inside, since he’s on our team now?”

“Not a chance Omen. Guarding the Gate is Azrael’s duty, he would never abandon it willingly. Also, as you recall, Azrael is still quite upset about your last battle, and the level of aggression you forced on him. But the Father’s Will stands, and as such you will be at least afforded an opportunity to be successful. But your chances are not good, for the only way you will be able to seal the Gate is by forcing Azrael through it as you do so.”

“So you’re saying that, basically, my last Gate is only reachable if I can defeat Azrael, and manage to shove him inside it?”

“Yes. This is why Azrael pulled you back from Purgatory. He demands his rematch, and would not allow you to escape from it. You were brought back from Death simply to face it again head-on, to determine the true level of your worth.”

“And what is the outcome if Azrael is victorious during this battle? I assume he won’t be taking it easy on me like last time.”

“Outcome? The outcome will be the failure of your mission, and the disgrace you will feel in that failure. As well, the blades of Azrael may take the very life from you, and you may take an unplanned trip straight to Hell. You would be delivered to the Father in failure and dishonor, a victim of Azrael’s wrath.”

Omen closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He remembered how strong Azrael had been, how much magic had been necessary to do any damage. And that had been as he barely fought back, whereas this time he intended to be a challenge. Azrael was known for being capable of killing anything with his beautifully-crafted dual-blade scythe, a weapon both revered and feared throughout Creation. And this time, he would not be limited to using only the Power of Light. Omen knew he would be one of the first to witness the Power of Death, reborn in the Darkness. The thought sent a shiver up Omen’s spine. But as he clenched his fist and stood up, a fire was seen to burn in his eyes.

“Fine. If Azrael wants Round 2, that’s what I’ll give him. If the Father believed I was incapable of this task, He would not have placed it upon my shoulders. Azrael is no fool, and no easy challenge. But if that is the only way to finish what I was told to do, then a way will be found. Even if I have to destroy everything around us, I will find a way to seal the eighth Gate on this night.”

“Then spend the rest of the day preparing yourself. No one will interfere in this battle, but many will be Watching.”

With that, Abbadon was gone. Omen sat in the forest for some time, focused only on the Father. For while he knew that he was just hours from the time which he would return to the school, Omen had one priority. He sent himself as close to the Father as he could get, just to send energy to Him. The Father demanded to know why Omen would give up energy he would so desperately need, and his response was simple. “My life is Yours Father. In the event of my failure, that life would end, and I would no longer be capable of giving my energy to You. If this be my last opportunity to commune with You in this way Father, I would never give up that chance.”

After about an hour, Omen left the forest. He walked back into town, grabbing some food to ease his grumbling stomach. As he did so, Omen made sure to charge his phone. He needed his music today, to keep his focus directed on the task at hand. As he chomped down his burger, Omen wondered if this might be his last meal, and if he should have chosen a more expensive place to eat. But he decided that he would eat somewhere nice the next day, after he had been victorious. There was no room for a projected failure, success was the only option. Once he was in the mindset of a winner, and his stomach was full, Omen knew it was time. The sun was dipping low in the sky, and would set soon. Omen could feel Azrael waiting for him at the school, even though it was about two miles away. He was preparing as well, though the majority of what Omen felt was anticipation. Azrael was ready for his rematch, something he had waited years for.

Omen headed out from the McDonald’s. As he walked, Omen fell completely into his energy. He purified himself, so that nothing would distract his mind. Then Omen began to focus on the Gates inside him, and tried to focus the chaotic energy. If he could get this under control, it would be quite the effective weapon. But for now, it was more important simply to keep the energy stabilized, so that no Demons would bother him during his battle. Omen wished he had more time before facing Azrael again. His constant movement from place to place, as well as the constant problems, had limited his ability to do weapons training. Omen was sure that he stood no chance with his weapon in it’s scythe form, Azrael would quickly annihilate him. This meant he would have to use the attached blades, and this would put him in very close combat. With a warrior like Azrael, this would be extremely dangerous.

This was especially because Omen had no idea what to expect from the weapon Azrael carried. Aside from seeing it, Omen had never heard even a rumor as to any enchantments it carried. This meant that those truly aware of it’s capabilities kept silent, either by choice or by force. This made sense, as most of those who had contested Azreal had not lived to explain his tactics. Omen realized, just as he had years before, that he faced his most challenging trial with the Gates. Azreal had already lost once, and would not allow himself to be beaten so easily again. Winning this battle would require more than strength with weapons or magic, but Omen had no idea what it would take. As he walked up to the school, Omen felt a chill of dread come over him. In that moment he wanted to flee from the battle, that he might spare his own life. But Omen pushed away the weakness inside himself, and strode proudly onto the school grounds.

The sun was low in the sky, covered by the thicket of trees in the fields behind the school. But as the light faded, Omen walked up to a single tree, which stood down the road from where the Gate had been found. Omen drew his weapon, and planted it firmly in the ground next to the tree. As he stared toward the Gate, Azreal stepped out from inside it. He looked as Omen remembered him, though it could be seen that his energy had been tarnished. He drew his scythe in his right hand, holding it out to his side. As Azrael opened his hand, the weapon remained floating in midair. The two warriors left their weapons in their respective places, and walked toward one another. Once they stood directly across from one another, Omen reached his hand out toward Azrael.

“Though we stand on opposite sides in this battle, we serve the same Father. May our blades ring out in honor to His Power on this night, once the sun has fallen out of the sky.”

Azrael accepted the handshake, though his gaze remained coldly fixed on Omen. “As you accepted the challenge, I will allow you to define the rules of combat. Choose wisely Human, for your life depends on this battle.”

Omen cracked a smile as he released the handshake. He looked around the area for a few moments, then looked back toward his opponent. “Fine. I do not wish to draw this battle out, or to cause any more damage than is necessary. As such, the combat will be restricted to the area where this road has been built. My place will begin where my weapon rests, and you shall do the same. Should I be pushed back to that tree, you will have won. I can only be victorious by forcing you into the Gate. As for the combat itself, it will remain as it is. No interference of any kind is permitted, and calling for aid is equivalent to admitting defeat. These are the terms of combat, do you accept them Azrael?”

“These terms are agreeable, I accept them without contestation. Go now and prepare yourself Omen. The next time you leave the circle of grass surrounding that tree, you will be engaging in combat with Death Itself. Ensure that your affairs are in order, you will not get a second chance to do so.”

Omen turned and walked back toward the tree. Azrael’s words hung heavy in Omen’s mind. He wondered if he should call Elle, or at least send her a text message. But before he could reach for his phone, Omen realized this would be admitting defeat in his mind. This was something Omen refused to do, so he simply went to the tree and lit a cigarette. He sat down cross-legged in the grass, facing Azrael. Omen focused himself, trying to make his thought and actions one. Any hesitation between the two would be a weakness that Azrael would exploit. As Omen’s mind became clear, he felt multiple presences around him. Abbadon had been right, it seemed that many Watchers surrounded the area, forming a sort of wall around the combatants. But each one had their eyes fixed on the battlefield, eagerly anticipating the outcome. They grumbled and groaned as many Demons entered the scene, also interested in the outcome. Belial was there as usual, taking bets on the battle. Azrael was seen as the definitive choice by those betting from both sides, with few bets being placed on Omen’s behalf. But he smiled as he saw both Belial and Abbadon place bets in his name. As before, if he won they would as well, a fact that made Omen chuckle a bit.

Once the sun had finally set, Omen stood up and began singing. In the Darkness, the Spirit of the Father came over the area. All were brought to a hush at his arrival, and all of His True Servants took a knee. This included Omen, who continued to sing as he closed his eyes and saluted. Everyone that had interest in this battle was assembled, now the time had finally come. Omen drew his weapon out of the ground, and began to transform himself using his energy. Once his black armor had covered his body, Omen disassembled his weapon. He attached the blades to his body, setting the staff next to the tree. Next to it he placed the chains that normally were attached to the blades. Neither of these would be useful against Azrael, and holding them would only be a hindrance. Once his weapons were attached, Omen moved for a few moments, practicing his movements with the weapons. They felt lighter than the last time he had fought with them, which would make Omen’s swings quicker.

Omen reached out his left hand to touch the solitary tree. He said a quick thank you to both the Father and the Earthmother, for blessing his life so far. He asked to be given the focus and clarity to see a weakness in his foe, and the strength to achieve victory. He felt the Earthmother’s spirit as he prayed. She had been hiding inside the tree the entire time, to have a closer view than anyone else. She placed a thought into Omen’s mind that gave him an even stronger resolve. “The Earth stands behind you in this fight. This tree represents what i wish to see for you. Be strong, be firm, and be moved by no one. Use all the strength you have been given to become who you were Chosen to be, and make those who Created you proud.”

Omen smiled. It was nice to know that both the Mother and Father that had Created him were present to see the effectiveness of their work. Both of them had claimed tho have faith in his abilities, and now both of them stood behind him on this day. Omen was honored to be viewed in such a way by the Gods that came before him, considering the multitude of Humans which have been Created through their Power. They could be at any place on Planet Earth in this moment, but they chose to stand behind Omen. This brought Omen a feeling of intense Pride in himself. As he turned back to face Azrael again, the look in Omen’s eyes had changed. No longer could fear, pensiveness, or even anger be seen, all that remained was the cold stare of one who has nothing but a mission. Omen took a knee and saluted the Father one more time, then stood upon the edge of the grass circle.

“In the Name of my Father, my Mother, and all the spirits who protect me, I shall cast you down Azrael. Even if it destroys my soul entirely, I WILL NOT FAIL!!!

Omen lunged out from the circle, charging straight at Azrael. Azrael quickly grabbed his floating weapon, moving to intercept. As they came within range of one another Azrael swung his massive scythe, bringing the huge blade at the top down to bear on Omen. Omen blocked with the large blade attached to his own right arm, and the blades rung out as they collided. Azrael reversed the momentum of his weapon, bringing the other blade to bear from the left. Omen swung out with his left arm, deflecting the strike with his claw blades. Azrael took a step backwards, spinning his blade quickly in circles. As it continued to spin, so fast that Omen could not keep track of the blades, Azrael swung it at Omen. He was barely able to get underneath the swing, which had been aimed for his throat. As the blade passed overhead, Omen lunged forward with his own blades, aimed straight at Azrael’s chest. But in one fluid motion, Azrael’s scythe swung in between them, deflecting Omen’s attacks with such force that it sent him flying backwards several feet.

Omen picked himself up off the ground. Azrael was there instantly, unwilling to relent in his assault. The strikes came in from every angle, and Omen seemed harder pressed to deflect each one. As the flurry continued, Omen was slowly being driven backwards. He found himself totally on the defensive, as the speed of Azrael’s strikes left no room for any sort of counter. Every time Omen meant to deflect a blade, and create some sort of opening, he was immediately met with the other blade. Omen now understood the symmetry of the weapon, so perfectly balanced that it seemed to float from one blow to the next. Azrael seemed to be using little effort battling Omen, and the intense stare on his face had not changed.

Omen was forced to defend with both blades. The shot sent him reeling, but Omen used the distance to start an attack of his own. Lightning flew from Omen’s outstretched fingertips, reaching for Azrael. But he simply held up his right hand, and the energy was absorbed. Omen watched with horror as his magic was drawn in, and Azrael began to glow brighter. The energy used had only strengthened Azrael, as Omen continued to grow weaker and tired. This was a terrible situation, Omen knew he had to think of something fast. If he didn’t, failure and Death were all he had to look forward to.

In desperation, Omen launched a ball of Balefire at Azrael. This was the same attack that had caused him such damage in their previous fight. But to Omen’s amazement, Azrael stood firm against the attack. He attempted to grab it, in the same way he had the lightning. But as he did so, the energy seemed to still have an effect on him, though it was severely reduced from the last time. Azrael was seen to strain against the ball of Balefire, but eventually he tossed it aside. He stood back to face Omen, with a smug look on his face. He let his weapon hang in the air again as he pointed a finger at Omen.

“Do you not see how futile your attacks are? Even the Baleflame, the only thing that saved you from Death before, has little effect on me now. Now that I have been remade in the Darkness, the Power of that Flame will not stop me. What will you do now Omen, now that your most powerful weapons cannot save you?”

Omen looked down at his hands. Could this be true? Could Azrael have made himself completely unstoppable by becoming one with the Darkness? If everything else could be absorbed, and the Baleflame could be deflected, what was left? Omen contemplated each element he had learned, but he knew that none would be effective. Azrael was the essence of Death, wrapped in the Power of Darkness. What chance could he possibly have against such strength?

Azrael grabbed his weapon, and moved in to strike again. Omen stayed on the defensive, searching his mind for some way that he might counter. But as he continued to be distracted by his thoughts, Omen’s defenses became predictable. Azrael came in from low, arcing his blade upward. Omen stepped back as he smacked the back of the blade, sending it upwards past him. But as Omen tried to counter, sweeping his blades in from both sides, he saw a smirk cross Azrael’s face. From the opposite end, Azrael’s other blade was headed straight for Omen. He jumped backwards, hoping to evade the strike.

Omen’s left arm screamed out in pain as the blade ripped through the skin. As Omen stumbled backward, he attempted to examine the damage. Luckily, he had evaded most of Azrael’s blow. But the outer edge of the blade had still connected, leaving a large gash across Omen’s arm. As Omen stared at the wound, he felt a strange energy growing inside it. it spread quickly, and must have been a form of poison attached to Azrael’s weapon. Omen felt it burning into his flesh, causing both excruciating pain and a sort of numbness. Omen realized as he went to move it again that he could barely hold his weapon up correctly, his entire left arm felt heavy and weak.

Azrael had moved several steps back from Omen, and no longer held his weapon. It seemed Azrael was already assured of his victory, after landing only a single strike. But as Omen lost the ability to hold his left arm up, and was forced to disconnect the blade on his left arm in order to stand straight, Omen now knew why he had been so confident. Death’s Scythe brings only death, that is the nature of the enchantment. It slowly weakens the enemy one piece at a time until they are defenseless, that Azrael might end their life slowly. For once completely paralyzed by this effect, Omen would be helpless against even the lightest of attacks. As Azrael faced those watching in anticipation, he seemed to be in complete control. He had saved Omen’s life only to end it days later, that he might do so by his own hand. As Omen fell to a knee, blood streaming out from his wound, Azrael turned back to face him with a smile.

“Now, take it in. Now that you no longer are useful to me, now that I am not simply allowing you to beat me. Take in the miserable truth, that you were never capable of defeating me, and accept your own Death. At least in doing so, you will pass on in peace, and I might just take you to see the Father. But in these last moments, enjoy the suffering in your mind and body. And remember, now and forever, that the Dark Power of Death was always stronger than you. Let the Darkness close in Omen, stop fighting this fruitless battle. Nothing you are capable of can contest me, now that I am no longer bound to the Light.”

Omen looked upon Azrael. He was right, Omen had not even begun to penetrate his defense, and he was already seconds from death. Nothing the Father had given him was going to work against another Dark Warrior, especially not one of this level. All of the training was for nothing, now that Azrael was tolerant to Hell’s mightiest weapon. But as Omen looked past Azrael, he saw the Gate swirling behind his opponent. The energy looked white and pure, the same as it had when Omen had been aggravated by it earlier. As he stared into the Gate, Omen felt the energy inside himself swirl as well. As it swirled and contorted, Omen felt the Gate inside his mind. Inside was a place filled with the brightest of pure energy, but even the sight of it made Omen turn away. He had never wanted anything to do with the Heavens, as the energy was harmful to him.

Suddenly, Omen had an idea. He threw the Balefire ball at Azrael again, but changed the energy somewhat inside it. As the second ball was caught like the first, Azrael seemed to struggle in controlling it. The ball began to damage him physically as he attempted to absorb or deflect it. Seeing this, Omen launched a second attack. Azrael was quick to leap out of the way as the two balls collided, making quite the light show as the energy exploded. Azrael was suspended in midair above Omen, staring down with discontent. His robes and the ends of his hands and face looked as if they had been burned somewhat, though they were still relatively intact.

“HOW DARE YOU!!!” Azrael was very upset that Omen had managed to do him any damage. He flew straight down at Omen, drawing his scythe back for a major strike. But chains projected out from the ground, catching the hilt of the scythe and dragging it to the ground. Azrael attempted to fight off the chains, but more simply came out from the ground to wrap around the weapon. Azrael took several steps backward, forced to leave his scythe chained to the ground. But Azrael had more work dodging the chains than anything else, as he repeatedly jumped back and forth to avoid them. Finally, Azrael entered the sky again, and Omen responded in the clouds. Lightning cracked from every direction in the air, more than Azrael could follow at once. He was struck by more than one bolt, and it was seen to singe his wings as it landed. Azrael roared in anger, finally landing on the ground several feet from the Gate. Omen still stood at the opposite end of their battlefield, his left arm hanging limp at his side. Azrael turned toward Omen again, and his face was filled with Hatred.

But as Azrael tried to move towards Omen, he seemed to be trying very hard to do so. Omen realized quickly what was going on, the Gate Itself was trying to pull Azrael in. It wanted to become one with the others, the Gate Itself was fighting. Azrael turned his head, and in his eyes could be seen hesitation. In a second, Azrael had realized what was happening, and also realized his mistake. He forced himself forward, and seemed to be breaking free of the pull. But he was met with a lightning bolt to the face, which stopped his momentum. Azrael crouched down, kneeling as if in prayer. Omen snapped his fingers, putting a quick speel into place. He knew Azrael was not finished, and Omen had an idea about what he was planning.

Azrael’s energy pushed downward hard, launching him into the air with great force. He was attempting to use the sky to free himself from the pull of the Gate, so he could retake his advantage. But as Azrael launched upward, he met an invisible wall of energy. As soon as he hit it, Azrael screamed out in pain, and was stuck there for a second screaming. As he fell backwards, Azrael was met with several small balls of fire. As the crowd began to stare at the energy Omen was using, all quickly realized that it was not Balefire. The outer flame glowed the same powerful green, but the center was not Darkness. The core of the flame glowed a brilliant white, though the core of each flame was very small. As they struck Azrael, he was seen to burn from it. Omen smiled as his fireballs slammed Azrael back down to the ground. Omen relented, allowing Azrael to pull himself back up off the ground. But as he did so, he realized he was stuck again in the pull of the Gate, and strained to remain still. Omen took a few steps toward Azrael, a wide smile on his face.

“So, Azrael, I’m sure you’re wondering how I was able to cause you such damage. You can thank the Earthmother, for it was Her Presence that reminded me of something. The true nature of Baleflame is the energy of most potent Darkness, an energy similar to Death. The only reason it caused you any real damage in the past was because you were connected to the Light. Once you fell, that connection was gone, and so too was your weakness. But you made a fatal mistake in assuming you were invincible, for everything has an opposite. The opposite of the Baleflame is an energy most potent in the Light, but surrounded by the fires of new growth. It is the same energy which was originally experimented with in Humanity’s Creation. The most potent weapons against Death....Are the Fires of Creation!!!”

A hush fell over all in attendance as Omen raised his right hand towards Azrael. In front of his palm, a light began to shine. The light was small, about the size of a golf ball. But as Omen began to focus harder, the light grew in size. As it grew, the light moved further from Omen, allowing it to expand without touching him. Azrael tried to move, but quickly realized his feet were chained. Azrael roared in pain as the chains seared his ankles, struggling to try and remove them. He turned to look again towards Omen, to find that the light had grown to about the size of a baseball. The light floated towards Omen’s outstretched right hand, and was absorbed into the blade attached to his arm. As the blade began to glow brightly, Omen walked towards Azrael.

“Now Azrael, take it in. Now that the Light has left you, see your true weakness. Now you too have an opposite, a thing you cannot be. Now Death has no place inside the Light, and even looking upon it is painful for you. You see what you have given up forever, what you can never have again. Now Azrael, go pay a visit to the Heavens you have left, and remember the Light you will never know again!!!”

Omen thrust his blade at Azrael’s chest. Azrael put his arms in front of him for defense, but the energized blade pierced straight through. Omen used the energy to force Azrael backward as the chains around his ankles released. Azrael screamed louder than he had during their first encounter as Omen forced him towards the Gate. As Azrael drew close, his form began to dematerialize slowly, as if pieces of him were being pushed through the Gate individually. Omen roared with joy as he shoved Azrael through the Gate. As he did, the energy connected to the other Gates. Omen began to see inside, and saw the beauty of the City of Light. Omen’s eyesight was ruined by the brightness of the City, and his head seemed to split in pain. But as he looked inside, searching for the edge where the barrier needed to be erected.

The hole where the Gate was did not exist inside the City Itself. Omen saw the Golden Gates of the City, and in front of them stood many guards. They knew Omen was close to their Home, and they would not let him enter. But near them, Omen saw where Azrael had been sent. He stood in front of the guards, attempting to speak to them. But they would hear nothing he had to say, for Azrael had chosen to abandon them. They threw balls of Holy Fire at him, driving Azrael back from the Gates. As Omen watched this happen, for the first time he could swear he saw pain in Death’s eyes. Azrael had been granted his wish, and had fallen from the Light that seemed to bother him so. But in doing this, he had chosen to never again step foot inside his Home, a thing Azrael must not have realized would be so painful. He slunk away from the Gates of the City, but seemed to be going nowhere. Omen realized this was because Azrael now had no connection to the Light, and could not travel through It’s Power. Thus he would be unable to move between the Heavens and Purgatory, he was trapped outside the City Gates.

Omen pushed himself to the walls of the Gate, calling out to Azrael. As he did so, Omen used the energy inside himself to open a Gate into Purgatory, and bade Azrael to enter. As he did so, Omen sealed the hole, which worked to calm the outrage of the Watchers. Omen had just tarnished the energy outside the Walls of their City, and they moved in defense. Omen saw Watchers appear on every part of the Wall, stretching as far as the eye could see. But Omen had no intention to harm them, he simply repaid the favor Azrael had once done him. Omen pulled back, sealing the energy of the Gate inside himself. He pushed further away from the Heavens, finally able to see clearly again. As Omen reached the edge of the Gate near to the Earth, he felt the Heavens rumble his name. A warning was issued, one that Omen could neither force out of his mind nor ignore. From the force of the voice, Omen knew that it must be Michael speaking, as no other Watcher spoke with such amazing Power.

“Do not set foot near the Holy City again. The next time you do so, it will be seen as an act of hostility toward the stability of the Light. Every Watcher in the Heavens will descend upon you, and I will personally sever the head from your shoulders.”

Omen was not happy to be spoken to in such a way, but understood the seriousness of Michael’s words. He was a warrior of the Darkness, with Gates to Hell inside him. He was seen as an enormous threat in the Heavens, regardless of the decision to allow him to live. Thus just because they could not kill him did not mean they would allow his feet to touch their City, as they knew it would corrupt the purity of the Light. Omen understood their position, and had no real issue with it. After all, he was bound for Hell upon his death anyway, Omen had no want to live in the Light. He knew his place was with his Father, a place that exists in eternal Darkness. Omen sent a response to Michael, one he was sure would not be taken lightly.

“I’ll stay out of your City, you stay out of my mission. You have already seen I will stand for the Father’s Will against anyone, even the mighty Michael. If you truly wish the fighting to cease, and for your City to remain a bastion of Light and peace, then maintain that peace by staying out of my business. Any actions from this point on by the Watchers will be seen as a violation of this agreement. If you violate the agreement, I guess I’ll just have to open a few more of those holes, and we’ll see how you like having Demons at your Gates.”

“HOW DARE YOU! Insolent Human!!!”

Omen felt the Heavens tremble, and saw Michael rise from a high tower. He flew straight at the Gate, throwing balls of Holy Fire. But upon touching the Gate’s edge, the balls dissipated into Nothingness, becoming lost inside the spaces between Realms. Omen found his body, still kneeling on the road behind the school. He also saw the arguments transpiring between Watchers and Demons over what was transpiring. All could feel and hear what had just happened in the Heavens, and the arguments rose towards explosion. All this Power being unleashed in one area would not be good for Omen’s hometown, or any of the people that lived nearby. But Omen had an idea, to solve all the problems at once. He reached out to the edge of the Gate, and commanded his physical body to do the same. As both versions of Omen touched the edges of the Gate, and their energies merged, a massive vortex was projected from out of both ends of the Gate.

Wings were spread wide, of both wing and leather, in attempts to run from this vortex. But the force was enough to grab ahold of all of those who had gathered for the battle, as well as the charging Michael on the other side. As the spirits begain to swirl inside the vortex, Omen absorbed the Gate to the Heavens completely. In it’s place he put the energies of the Gate to Purgatory, and pushed as hard as he could. Omen felt the Gate pull all those assembled down into Purgatory. Michael struggled as he was dragged near the Gate. The golden aura around Michael seemed to be fading, as if Purgatory was stealing the Light from him. But suddenly the vortex ceased, and Michael fell to the ground. Standing where the Gate had been was an image of Omen, that swirled in the energy of the Gates.

“Watch your tongue Michael, lest you never see your Home again either. I could have easily sent you away, and you would have been banished by the Laws you protect. But like you, I know that the Light serves a purpose. Perhaps someday you will understand how similar we are. You are a Servant, as am I. You love your Home, and wish to remain here. I feel the same way about my home, deep inside the Pit. Do not judge me Michael, I fight as hard as you do to be a proper servant to my Father. But for your arrogant words, a price had to be paid. That price was every one of your Watchers who was on the Earth for the battle. They have been pulled into Purgatory, and you will not get them back. Be more careful who you threaten Michael, even the tiniest insect can dig a path through a mountain with effort.”

Omen sealed everything inside, forcing shut the seals on every Gate. He tried to control the massive energy inside him, as the Light and Darkness fought with each other. Omen could see the road again, but his mind was lost in chaos. He felt everyone that had just been banished to Purgatory through his efforts fighting with one another, as each side blamed the other for their banishment. Their fighting tore through many wandering souls, but they seemed to pay it no mind. They were focused on their warring, attempting to prove who was more powerful. But soon, the power of the Watchers failed them, and the Demons in Purgatory overtook them completely. WIngs were shredded, torn off piece by piece. The Watchers screamed in agony as the Demons ripped them to pieces, enjoying the taste of their blood.

The chaos in Omen’s mind finally calmed, and he could focus again. Once all of the Watchers had been defeated, Omen opened a hole inside Purgatory, which led back to the Pit. Omen congratulated his Family as they walked back through the Gate, welcoming them Home. He asked for a piece of a Watcher, and was presented with a left wing. It had been severely burnt, but was still relatively intact. Omen ensured all the Demons had come back from Purgatory, then called to Abbadon. He handed the wing to Abbadon, asking that it be presented to the Father as a token of his victory. As the last Demon returned to Hell, Omen was happy to fall back inside himself.

24

Omen walked around the area behind the school, singing praises to the Father. It had been an amazing evening, and Omen was proud to have been a part of such a thing. But he felt strangely about the encounter, as at several points he had not been himself. The ways in which he spoke to both Azrael and Michael were far and beyond anything Omen had done before, and he had never considered being so forcefully disrespectful. It almost had felt as if Omen had changed during the fight, but changed into what? The presence had felt familiar, as if it had been there all along. But while he had been trained by many, they all had kept out of the fight. What was this mysterious presence that Omen had felt, and where did it come from? Omen pondered these questions as he continued to walk the streets of Pekin, allowing the energy inside him to settle.

Omen returned to his mother’s house, and laid down to sleep. When he awoke the next day, Omen knew he had plans that he was not looking forward to. His mother, in her constant attempts to feel close to her son, wanted Omen to join her and Jimmy at a bar. The bar was in Peoria Heights, more than a half-hour drive away. The reason was that there was a benefit being held for someone they knew, and they wanted Omen to go with them. But Omen was not fond of staying in crowds for long periods of time, and did not have a vehicle of his own. So Omen agreed to go, but only under the condition that he would be brought back when the evening came. His mother agreed, saying they would be happy to give “their soldier” his wish.

Omen wasn’t thrilled about the trip to begin with. The benefit started early, and Omen’s mother expected them to be there at the start. Several local bands were playing, and she didn’t want to miss any of them. As such, Omen woke up much earlier than usual, so that he could get ready. He slept in the car during the ride to the bar, as his mother ran her mouth as usual. They arrived at the bar at around two o’clock in the afternoon. There was food to be eaten, though the cost was a five-dollar donation. Omen paid for his own meal, even though his mother had offered to do it. He supported the man who the benefit was being held for, and was willing to give some of his own money. He sat and ate the homemade barbeque happily as he talked with random people.

Omen’s mother had terrible habits. One of the most prominent was her need to take over any conversation she entered. His mother always wanted to be the center of attention, even though people did not always want her around. One of the ways she accomplished this was by constantly “showing off” Omen, whose military service was seen as extremely honorable. This made other people constantly fawn over Omen, which afforded his mother the attention she sought. She even went so far as to demand that one of the bands allow Omen to come up and sing a song with them. But Omen did not want to sing, and they played none of the songs he sang regularly. But she forcecd it to happen, and Omen angrily forced his way through an Alice in Chains song. He missed notes, forgot words, and the song sounded horrible in the end. Omen stormed out into the smoking area afterward, fed up with his mother’s ignorance.

Omen demanded to be taken home. It was almost eight o’clock, and Omen felt six hours spent at the benefit was enough. But his mother refused, saying she was not ready to stop having fun. Omen told her she had given her word, and needed to keep it. But she continued to refuse, saying she would not leave the bar. This left Omen stranded, and his explosive rage at her showed his disgust. In the bar, Omen called her a liar, saying she had no dignity. He chastised her for her constant lies and selfishness, and for parading him around like some show animal. Everyone in the bar was privy to Omen’s outburst. He then took the car keys from Jimmy, and went out into the car to wait. He would not spend another second in the bar pretending that his mother’s selfish actions were acceptable.

After some time, Jimmy came out to the car. He was obviously drunk, and had probably left the bar to get away from his wife’s ranting. He came to Omen apologetically, claiming that he did not agree with what his wife was doing. He handed Omen twenty dollars, and told him to call a cab. Omen knew that the distance from where he was to Pekin would cost much more than this in cab fare, and he told Jimmy so. But he seemed to care little, joining in with the same ignorant suggest Omen’s mother had given. “Well, why don’t you just call one of your friends, and have them pick you up?” Omen responded as he had before, that he knew better than do ask his friends to drive miles out of their way simply to help him. It seemed that once he was drunk, Jimmy was no better than the woman he had married. This meant neither one was trustworthy, so Omen would not be able to rely on them.

Even though he had no other money, Omen called the cab anyway. It arrived about twenty minutes later, and Omen jumped inside. He gave his destination to the driver, and the meter was started. As they drove, Omen explained his situation to the driver. He did not want to go any further than twenty dollars would take him, as he had no other means to pay for the trip. He told the driver to go as far as twenty dollars was, then he would get out and walk. Even the driver admitted that twenty dollars would not get Omen anywhere near Pekin, and begged him to find some way to pay the excess. But Omen refused to even make a phone call, saying his dignity would see him through. If forced to walk twenty miles simply to go to bed, Omen would do so. This set of statements seemed to inspire the boss of the cab company, who had been listening over the radio. He decided to pay for the rest of Omen’s ride, so that he would not have to walk on the Highway.

The cab dropped Omen off at a bar in Pekin called Goodfellow’s, a place where Omen had been more than once. But he didn’t go to the bar because of the party, Omen had been specifically invited. His cousin Brandon was the door man for the bar, and had asked Omen to come visit. He paid the door charge, and gave Omen some money for drinks. Omen went and enjoyed the party, running into another of his cousins. He had not seen Lauren in quite some time, and it was nice to visit with her for a change. Omen forgot about the stress from earlier, deciding to use his energy in a better way. Omen danced and conversed with people, allowing his anger to flow out and away. His mother came to the bar with Jimmy, saing she wanted to party more. She acted as if nothing had happened earlier, and tried to be sociable with Omen. He laughed at her, saying she would not ruin the rest of his evening. Omen ignored his mother for the rest of the evening, leaving the bar around 1 A.M. Omen chose to walk back to the house, enjoying each song he sang along the way.

Omen returned to the house to find that no one was home yet. it was extremely late, and the winter air chilled Omen to the bone. All he wanted was to go inside and sleep. He had been given keys to the house, but not to every door. The front door key Omen had did little to help, considering the glass outer door was latched shut. And the key to the inside garage door was no good with the garage door and outer door all shut and locked as well. Due to it being winter, all the windows were shut tight. There was no easy way into the house, and Omen had no idea when his mother would return home. In desperation, Omen decided to pop the back garage door open. At least this way the house would still be secure, and any damage would not be seen by outsiders.

Omen tried to use a card to open the door. When that failed, he struck the door with the side of his hips, to attempt to pop the latch loose. He did so, but also heard the splintering of wood. The door opened, and Omen stepped inside the garage. He turned on the light, to inspect the damage done. The area where the latch sat had broken off somewhat, exactly as Omen had suspected. Omen tried to screw the latch plate back into the wood, and found the screw holes were stripped out. This meant it would require more work to fix the door properly, and tools that Omen could not find. He secured the door as best he could, then laid down to sleep. Omen would fix the door in the morning, once he could ask Jimmy where the right tools were. The effect of the alcohol had all but worn off, and Omen was exhausted as he laid down to sleep.

Omen blinked awake the next morning, still a bit groggy from the previous night’s drinking. Something felt strange, though he could not determine what. He got up and dressed himself, taking note that several things in the room had been moved. The way in which things were moved suggested that Omen’s things were not wanted in the room anymore, and this could lead to only one outcome. Omen headed out to the kitchen, waiting to see what would happen. He encountered his mother and Jimmy, who raged about what had happened to the door. Omen tried to explain to them that it was easily fixable, all he needed was the right tools. But his mother refused to listen. She spent more of her time throwing fits about how much Omen had disrespected her in the bar the night before, and how horribly he treated her. Jimmy jumped to her side, enforcing an opinion that Omen knew was not his own. But he seemed happy to tell Omen, “Pack your shit and get out”. Omen had been an invited guest, and had only been there for three days. But even though they had asked him to spend his own money for the trip, and Omen was now broke, they still felt it appropriate to cast him out into the street. Omen left the house without incident, mostly because his step-father was a prison guarde. He had many friends in the police departmwent, and this would not be the first time he called them to solve his problems. Omen grabbed what he could, filling his three bags again, and left his mother’s house.

Omen growled under his breath as he walked away from his mother’s house. He had experienced much vileness from her throughout the course of his life. He remembered how the woman had ignored him most of his childhood, forcing him to remain in his room playing video games. Omen remembered how most of his mother’s extra money went to her bar habits, and left Omen wearing raggedy sweats to school, which got him picked on and beat up repeatedly. He remembered how his mother had thrown him out at eighteen, only to take him back later. He remembered a year or so later, when he was trying to lose weight to join the Army. His mother had claimed he was a liar, and was not going into the military, simply using it as an excuse to stay in her home longer. Omen’s mother had been a problem for years, but it had gotten much worse since their last move.

After she got married to Jimmy, Omen’s mother claimed she had everything she wanted in life. But over time, she lost more than Omen ever thought she would. She and her husband gave in to a daily need to drink heavily. Jimmy’s habit was only slowed by his job, so he was only severely drunk on the weekends. The two constantly spent the last of their monies each paycheck to go purchase more alcohol, and would complain if Omen drank any without asking. They had become belligerent, arguing with one another constantly over meaningless nonsense. This trend had degenerated the personalities of both people, and who they were originally no longer remained. Omen’s mother stopped exercising, saying, “I’m married now. I don’t have to work to look good for anybody.”. She gained all the weight she had ever lost back and more, swelling to twice her normal size. In response, Jimmy gave up as well, allowing the muscles and slim form given to him by the Marines to fade away into gelatin. Both of them had pretty much given up on themselves, and Omen could not understand why.

Omen searched for a place to stay, at least for the night. As usual, his father cared little about the trials his only son faced, and was unwilling to provide any form of assistance. Omen had no real options, and was ready to face homelessness if it was necessary. But beforehand, he would have to find a place to drop off his bags. Omen sent a variety of messages to a few people he trusted, to try and find a place for his things. But the response Omen received demanded much more, and so Omen walked down towards the Downtown Pekin area. He arrived at an second-floor apartment, and knocked on the door. It was answered by Omen’s cousin Brandon, and Omen was welcomed inside.

Omen had quite the history with his cousin, who was only slightly older then Omen. As children, they had spent a large amount of time staying with their Grandparents. This led to them becoming close as friends, and playing together regularly. In Omen’s youth, Brandon had been his only real friend to play with. But as time went on, their individual lives took them in different directions. They reunited when Omen was thrown out of his house, when he stayed with Brandon before. that had been ruined by Brandon’s drug addiction, which was cocaine at the time. omen remembered the day he and Brandon had to sneak out of the apartment, and toss their valuables out the back window in a chain, simply to load them into the car without being seen. This had led to Omen’s first bout of Illinois winter homelessness, as he had spent a few months that year living in his car parked by a bridge.

Brandon’s condition degenerated when he discovered heroin. Brandon became an instant addict, and over time his habits made him betray his entire family. He stole from his parents, and even from his grandparents when he moved into their basement. He was found to be in constant need of his drug, even shooting up during Christmas parties when no one was looking. Omen saw most of these things happen, but refused to betray his cousin. He knew Brandon was lost inside his addiction, and needed help. Omen tried his best, but the strong pull of heroin drug Omen in as well. For about two weeks Omen experienced the joy of snorting heroin, until he realized he was becoming more and more like Brandon. Omen refused to become that kind of junkie, and start harming others to serve his own habit. So Omen quit having anything to do with heroin, and told his cousin to stop pestering him about a ride to his dealer.

In the end, Brandon’s habit had brought many people suffering. His father did not want him around anymore, he was not welcome in his home. The same held true for their grandparents, who had been robbed and hurt enough by Brandon’s selfishness. He lost all his friends that were not drug buddies, and became violent and aggressive. He had Omen cash several bad checks, which almost landed Omen in jail prior to joining the military. Had it not been for their grandfather paying off the debt owed by the bad checks being cashed, Omen would have lost his future. This pattern of behavior continued until his habit got so bad that Brandon began robbing people to support it. When he and his roommate robbed a golf course, they sealed their fates. Brandon was arrested, and sentenced to several years in prison. He had been to drug rehabilitation several times, and it had been unsuccessful. Perhaps a few years spent in a cell would be the reality check Brandon needed.

Omen had only spoken to his cousin a handful of times since his release from prison. Omen had been living his own life, and Brandon was recovering from his past. For the longest time, Omen wanted nothing to do with Brandon, because of what his selfish actions had almost cost Omen. But many people, even his mother, said Omen had held his grudge long enough. He needed to get over his past, and give his blood relative another chance. Omen had done, and had gone to hang out with Brandon more than once as he moved in between Pekin. Now, he sat on Brandon’s couch, explaining how his mother had invited him for Christmas just to throw him out three days after he arrived. Omen had no money, and nowhere to go. He knew he would be getting more money soon, but soon does not put a roof over one’s head. He had no real intention of asking anyone for help anymore. He was sick of the judgmental stares people gave him when they provided assistance. The arrogance of people, that act like they’ve never needed help before. This was the case with Omen’s father, who acted like helping his son was a chore.

Brandon invited Omen to stay with him for a while. Omen accepted, thanking his cousin for the generosity. He promised that he would not be in the way, and would make a point to mind his own business. They sat and chatted about their lives, and what had been going on. Brandon seemed to have finally changed. He worked two jobs, and made sure his son was taken care of. In his free time his son came to visit. Omen smiled at the amazing resemblance between Brandon and his son. Having no children of his own, and by the words of doctors being “almost incapable”, Omen wondered if a day would come where a child would share his face. He wondered if that child would feel blessed or cursed to have Omen as a father, based on the way his life was lived. But with no stability in his life, Omen knew a child was the last thing he needed. He wanted to be a good father, unlike his father had been. That would require having stability of his own beforehand, so the child could be taken care of. This seemed to be the path that Brandon was trying to follow, and Omen was happy for him.

Brandon was found to be quite generous. He allowed Omen to eat and drink whatever he had, save for the things reserved for his work lunches. He left the safety of the house in Omen’s hands, giving him the only key. Knowing how upset Omen was over his mother’s betrayal, Brandon had given Omen money specifically to go buy weed with. He said he could not smoke it, because of his probation, but he wanted to help his cousin relax. This was a whole different person from the one Omen had known years ago. The Brandon Omen remembered was extremely selfish, screwing over everyone around him. This had been going on long before the heroin use. It took Omen a couple days to even accept this new Brandon. Had his cousin changed this much?

After a few days, Omen was not so sure. While on the surface everything seemed perfect, inside things were not right. Omen didn’t pay any mind to Brandon’s actions at first, but eventually the sings of his continued corruption stacked up. He had a serious girlfriend, but she lived a few hours’ drive away. Due to her work, she was only able to visit on certain weekends, when she drove up. During the times between, the chatted on the phone as would be expected. But Omen soon realized that this was not the only girl Brandon was talking to, nor the only one he was seeing. He had a girl locally too, and neither of them knew about the other. He also talked to several other girls, with whom he seemed to be in the process of getting to know. It seemed that his cousin had taken on a new bad habit, treating women like pieces of meat. he cared nothing for their individual feelings for him, he simply used each one to attain a goal. Having fought hard to even have one girlfriend, Omen could not understand why Brandon would mistreat the beautiful women he spent time with. But Omen kept his word, and stayed out of his cousin’s business. It was not his place to reveal his cousin’s treachery to the women.

But this was not the only strange thing going on. After a couple days of being able to procure weed with the money Brandon had given him, Brandon had said he, “Knew someone he worked out with”. Brandon went to the gym every day after work, so the next day he returned with what had been promised. As Omen took the time to look at, smell, and test the weed, it was found to be extremely high quality for the area. This led Omen to examine other aspects of Brandon’s recent activity. He went to the gym, but seemed to be easily connected to people that deal in illegal sales. Omen had also noticed some strange behavior in Brandon. Omen knew his cousin was on probation, and being tested for drugs randomly. But based on his behavior, it seemed Brandon had found something that they couldn’t test for. But he did the same as he had done many years ago, when Omen first lived with him. He pretended that everything was normal, and managed to slide his use into his daily routine. Omen hoped he was wrong about Brandon, because his life showed so much potential now. It would be a shame to see him go back down the same road. Brandon might not make it back this time.

As Omen awaited funding to get out of Brandon’s apartment, he talked with many people. It seemed the problems were growing everywhere, as everyone he tried to counsel was in some major crisis of faith. The worst story of these came from Jamie. After Omen had defeated his spell, Tim’s magic had gotten more vile. Jamie said she felt as if Tim was cursing her in some way, trying to force her to be bound to him forever. One day while Brandon was gone, Omen did some projection. He went to Jamie’s trailer, to try and find the problem. But it was almost as if his memory of the setup of the trailer had become fuzzy, Omen couldn’t manage to hold his projection. This was the first time Omen had ever had this sort of problem, and he knew right away that it was some form of interference. Omen pulled his projection back a bit, in the trees next to Jamie’s trailer. This area was a place Omen had helped clear trees from by hand, and he knew it well enough to see clearly. As he found himself in the small cluster of trees, Omen was now sure that someone was trying to prevent his projection. He walked out from the trees, trying to find the source of the problem.

It didn’t take long for Omen’s eyes to catch the energy. It wrapped completely around the outside of the trailer, like a nasty bubble. The energy of the bubble did not look friendly, and the fact that caused interference supported this. Omen decided he would attack the bubble, to see if he could destroy it. But as soon as Omen launched a single bolt of lightning, it was stopped before it reached the bubble. In front of Omen stood a being similar to the Dra’Gaari that Omen had battled before. It chose to assume a form about twelve feet tall, and the span of his leathery wings was nearly the same. He stood proudly in his Draconic form, staring death straight at Omen. Omen called out, trying to strike up a conversation. But it seemed uninterested in conversation, standing there like a statue. But at any point at which Omen tried to get near the trailer, he was assaulted. He battled back and forth, trying to maintain some sort of advantage. But his opponent seemed easily capable of staying on even ground with him, finally knocking Omen back towards the trees.

But there was no counter-attack to be defended against. Omen picked himself up to find that his opponent had returned to the same position he had been in before, just outside the bubble around the trailer. This was strange, as Omen knew that Dra’Gaari were known for finishing their battles. The Dra’Gaari was male, obvious by several defining traits. This meant his Honor was the most important thing in his life, as it was with all Dra’Gaari male warriors. These were facts of their society that Omen had learned from Dra’Naa, during the times after their original confrontation. Based on all the information he had talked about with Dra’Naa, Omen knew there was some weakness for him to exploit. For if a Dra’Gaari prevents themselves from honorably defeating another, then they have to have a reason that has a higher value in honor. The only thing that they hold more honorable than defeating someone in combat is completing any tasks they are given, for many Dra’Gaari spirits work as Guardians for Humans. That would seem to be the case with this one, who protected a trailer he showed no interest in. He was not acting of his own will, this was all part of some kind of spell.

Omen pulled himself back for a bit. This was complicated, but there had to be a solution. Omen sent a text to Jamie, asking her how things were going. She said she felt terribly ill, and had a feeling that something bad was inside her home. She had tried to place the energy, but could not. She had tried to cleanse the house, but to no avail. Omen told her there was a complication in defeating the magic that had been used. Once it was described, Jamie knew right away. This spell was Tim’s, he had used ritual magic to try and enforce his will. Because he had such strong magic, he was able to work out a deal with the Dra’Gaari that was his Guardian. This was who was stopping Omen from entering Jamie’s trailer through projection. Inside, Tim was performing the same vile sort of magic on Jamie that he had before, the one that Omen had broken about a week ago. If Omen could not get inside, he would not be able to stop Tim from harming Jamie, and trying to force her submission to him. This vile abuse of Dark Magic could not be allowed, something had to be done. Tim had to be taught that using magic for selfish purposes only leads to misery for the wicked mage.

Omen projected back to Jamie’s. The bubble still remained, as did the Dra’Gaari Guardian. Omen called out to the Guardian. He offered a peaceful solution, he asked the Dra’Gaari to assist him instead. Omen said that he knew he would find a way to break this magic, and thus the Dra’Gaari would be disgraced upon his return home. By accepting working alongside Omen, he would be able to do things that were respectable. Omen swore to only offer tasks to him that were honorable, so he would never again be forced to guard vileness. But the Dra’Gaari refused Omen’s offer. He had too much honor to walk away from a spell he had agreed to help with. He warned Omen that he would not allow the protection to be broken, at the cost of his life if necessary.. Omen nodded his understanding, but this would not prevent his assault.

Omen had realized weaknesses that existed in Tim’s spell. This was a result of improper wording done inside the magic itself. Tim had been very specific about what he wanted his Guardian to do, guard the trailer with his life. But this meant his position as a guard only allowed him to move so far from his post, like an energetic leash attached to the Dra’Gaari. This was why he had not chased after Omen when he held the advantage, he was not allowed to. This was a huge flaw, as it left the Dra’Gaari vulnerable. Omen used this advantage wisely, staying at range from his opponent while attacking. Omen realized quickly that the bubble was more important than his life, and forced him to throw himself in front of several large attacks. But he recovered from them easily, and remained standing in front of the trailer.

This was not working. But Omen had noticed something else, and began to form another plan. Each time the Dra’Gaari had been hit with a major attack, the shield itself had fluctuated slightly. Omen thought on this for a minute, then realized the truth of the spell. It was the life force of the Dra’Gaari that was creating the shield around the trailer. If he weakened, it weakened as well. But this also meant that the only way to break the shield was to kill the Dra’Gaari, and Omen was not pleased with that. While he was an opponent, Omen felt he had not chosen to be in this fight. Omen begged him again to release the spell and join him. He was refused again, and sighed heavily. He did not want to kill anything that was undeserving, and this Being was merely doing his duty. But Omen also could not allow Jamie to be continually harmed by Tim either.

Omen charged a massive attack. As he threw it, the Dra’Gaari moved in front of the trailer in defense. But the massive ball of Baleflame changed direction, moving upowards and away. Omen threw out several more attacks, each one striking the Guardian. None did much damage, but they severely agitated the one they struck. He began to rage at Omen, demanding he come closer and fight. Omen agreed, but only if he would assume a smaller form, one that would not be easily overtaken by speed alone. The Dra’Gaari’s body began to change, as it shrunk down to about seven feet tall. This warrior was more akin to lizard than man, as it’s tiny frame would make it hard to strike. This would definitely be an interesting challenge, and Omen charged in with a smile.

They fought back and forth for several minutes, with neither obtaining a clear advantage. The Dra’Gaari wielded a halberd, and Omen was not used to fighting against the style of it. The lage blade made every move precarious, and the staff was used for blocking as well as attack. Obviously this one had been well-trained, and was experienced in this style of fighting. But after his recent battle with Azrael, Omen had become much more capable in battle. He swung defensively now, using each strike to attempt to make an opening. No longer was he a raging buzzsaw, Omen had learned to fight more cautiously. But even when blows landed, they had little effect. It seemed Omen’s claws were well known of, and their blades were evaded each time. The Dra’Gaari would not fall to Omen’s poison, but he had a multitude of other methods.

Omen made several straight attacks with his claws, knowing the way they would be defended against. As his opponent became distracted by the poisonous blades, Omen managed to get chains wrapped around his ankles. Before they could be resisted, the chains had drug the Dra’Gaari to the ground. Omen kicked his halberd away, and stood over him with a smile.

“It’s sad. You knew about the blades and their poison, but forgot about the chains that beat Dra’Naa. This mistake has cost you the battle. I give you one last chance to surrender, and release Jamie’s home from this shield.”

There was no reply. The Dra’Gaari had stopped struggling against the chains, he knew he was defeated. He was readying himself for what would come next, the strike he expected from Omen. But as he lay there, Omen walked toward the trailer. Omen’s eyes seemed to be filled with Hatred as he turned back to look at his fallen opponent, an evil grin crossing his lips. Omen released bolts of lightning at the shield. As they cracked across, the Dra’Gaari wailed in pain. Omen repeated this process using varying forms of energetic attack, and made note of the results. He walked back and forth between the Dra’Gaari and the shield, launching all sort of attack. He watched as certain elements had a greater effect, and then used only those type of attacks. Omen cackled meniacally as he fired one blast after another. He taunted his opponent, reminding him that he had been given a chance to survive.

The barrier began to weaken. It was obvious the Dra’Gaari was fading, and soon would be destroyed. Omen charged a massive attack, and turned his hand toward the shield. As the energy grew, Omen stared into the eyes of his opponent. Inside them, Omen saw a defeated warrior, ready to accept death over failure. This was something that Omen respected, for he fought the same way. It was not this Dra’gaari’s fault that Tim was rotten, he was simply doing his job as a Guardian. Omen saw a hint of sadness and unfulfillment, it seemed this Dra’Gaari had been striving to reach a higher plateau. It was unfortunate that one with such potential had been bound to a vile mage like Tim, and Omen almost felt sorry for him. Omen turned his body and walked forward, moving the energy over his chained opponent. It remained hovering there as Omen knelt down beside his foe.

“I understand your position, and I respect it. But you know as well as I do that the one you guard is vile. He does not deserve the magic he has been given, and he must pay for his abuses. But I will not force your life to be paid as a cost for his rottenness on this day. The energy you have given to maintain the shield has almost killed you. If I were to attack the shield one more good time, you would be destroyed along with it. But instead, I am going to pass through, and stop the actions of the one you are protecting. I advise you to make this your last bound task to him, as the next time you will have made the choice yourself. The spell has been weakened to the point of breaking. Once I deal with him inside, he will give up on the magic. Once that happens you will be free again. Take heed of my warnings, I do not show mercy twice.”

Omen walked toward the shield. Even in that moment, the fallen Dra’Gaari tried to block the door, focusing his energies in that spot on the shield. But Omen simply dropped the ball of energy that had been floating there. The Dra’Gaari screamed out in miserable agony, and the barrier weakened. As it did Omen stepped throught the door, and was able to see inside. Just as before, the vile spirit was roaming the house, spreading vileness throughout. Upon seeing Omen the energy changed, and it was then Omen saw Tim as he chose to project himself. He existed as a massive blob of slimy Dark energy, which twisted and contorted as he moved. Omen attacked, forcing Tim away from Jamie.

But his attacks seemed to produce little effect, as the nature of Tim’s projection was that of Void. Upon striking Tim’s form, the energies seemed to vanish entirely, lost in the Void inside him. None of Omen’s attacks seemed to land, and Tim turned his focus away from Jamie. Tim lurched forward, but Omen had a surprise of his own. As Tim attempted to surround Omen with his energy, to try and trap Omen inside the Void, Omen, opened a Gate inside himself. Tim soon realized that even the Void can be drawn in by the Power of the Gates. Omen sucked both of them inside the hole, sending them into another Plane. Now Jamie would be safe as they battled, as well as the young child in her home. Once they had settled, Tim was easily able to reform himself, and in doing so chose to expand his size greatly. Now standing over twenty feet tall, the oozing mass of Void towered over Omen. Tim exploded in laughter, saying that Omen had made a mistake in pulling them away from Jamie. Now nothing would stop him from unleashing his full strength on Omen, and proving that he could not be beaten.

Tim lunged at Omen, the massive Void filling the air around them. But Omen dodged quickly, not allowing himself to be overtaken. Tim threw out what looked like a glob of black slime to the eyes. As Omen moved out of the way, he saw it’s function. Upon striking, it slowly overtook whatever it had hit, wrapping it’s victim in the Void. As this happened, little spots of void came into being. Tim absorbed each one, growing larger with every bit of Void he absorbed. Omen tried every attack he could think of, but they dissipated into Nothingness. Omen continued to dart around as he tried to think of a plan. But soon the void of which Tim was comprised was enormous, and Omen found himself out of places to run. He darted over to a tree that still remained, and pointed his scythe blade at Tim. Omen turned and clutched the tree tightly as the massive void collapsed over him. He tried to see into it, to find form amidst the Nothingness. But all he felt was pain, and a desire to force that pain to stop. Reality seemed to collapse around him as Omen continued to clutch the tree.

But as the last of the Void collapsed in, omen enacted his plan. Using the tree as source for the energy of Life, Omen forced it to grow to massive size. Suddenly, the tree began to expand on into the Void, growing to amazing size. The tree began to fill the entirety of the Void. Omen felt Tim lurching from the pain this was causing him, as the Void inside him was being replaced with living growth. As Tim struggled to force the growth of the tree to stop, Omen found the center of the Void. He forced himself into it, becoming the center of the Void. Once he found the right spot, Omen made a bright light shine forth from him, spanning out in every direction. As the light passed through the Void, Omen saw Tim’s true form. He lashed out, attacking Tim with every attack he was capable of. Each one caused the Void to contort and weaken. Soon, Omen stood outside Jamie’s trailer again, with Tim’s crumpled form lying on the ground in front of him. He looked back over to Tim’s Guardian, who was once again struggling to free himself.

“The Master is weak, and his spells weaken his Guardian. You see him broken at my feet, learn well the lessons of this day. I was not your enemy until he made us that way, as we both sought to complete our missions. Do not associate yourself with someone so weak again, lest you further dishonor yourself.”

Omen went back inside the trailer, and gave Jamie some energy to repair herself. He did his best to cleanse the inside of the home quickly, dragging all the negative spirits into himself. As he left he sealed the door shut on them all, sending them back to their places of origin. Omen decided to wait and see what happened first, and not inform Jamie of anything that had transpired. About two hours later, Jamie texted Omen that Tim was in a panic. She said he seemed extremely vulnerable, even scared, and was accusing many high-level people of attacking him. He begged Jamie for her help, but she told him that she was not capable. All of the recent bouts of sickness had weakened her, and she was in no condition to join in any battles. Omen responded to Jamie that she had made the right decision, and that Tim’s magic over her had been broken. But he knew this would not be the last of Tim, who had an issue with an entitlement complex. Like many other people, Tim believed himself specially Chosen. He believed this gave him the right to abuse his Power, as he was special. But Omen smiled when he heard the result of his workings. Tim was broken, but not by some ancient sect of mages, nor was he being cursed by someone. He had been broken by the Power of Faith, and the strength of one Chosen that fights for his Father, not for himself.

The days afterward were interesting, to say the least. At first Tim was afraid, and begged Jamie to help him. He felt he was under a serious attack. He claimed his dreams had become nightmares, and that he felt an angry presence around him. Omen laughed when he heard this, for he was aware of the reason the day it began. For the night after the encounter, Tim’s Guardian came to Omen. Omen was unsure of the reason for the visit at first, but was quickly put to ease. The Dra’Gaari respected Omen’s decision not to cause him to fail in his mission. Since it was Tim’s weakness that eventually broke the spell, he was not held responsible for the failure. He had managed to maintain his honor, and he was grateful. But he was also enraged at Tim for putting him through such nonsense simply to try and be vile. As such the Guardian had decided to assault Tim’s mind for a few days, and to allow other spirits to do the same. For three days, Tim found himself without assistance or protection. During this time, all the people who had problems with Tim saw their magic taking shape. But the effect was only temporary, as no Guardian ever abandons their charge completely.

Days later, once his Guardian had stopped allowing him to be assaulted, Tim went right back to his selfish habits. It was if he was blind to the mistake he had made, and went on to more vileness. He continued to push Jamie, demanding that she join him in all things. Jamie continued to make excuses why he could not come to see her, so Tim began to spread more magic instead. Strange things began to happen around Jamie’s house. The level of overall nastiness increased, as Angelica and her boyfriend began to fight every day. From what Jamie described, most of their fights were about money, and it seemed the rage grew with each new argument. But these were not normal relationship spats, they quickly became exceedingly violent in nature. All of Angelica’s clothes were soaked in bleach, and it was slung into her eyes. Doors were broken, the trailer was slowly being destroyed. Jamie no longer felt safe in her home, but Angelica would not allow her man to be thrown out. Her attachment to him was more important than even her young daughter, who had to hear most of the arguing.

But this was not the only thing Omen was concerned with. The young child had begun acting strange as well. Jamie told stories about the things she was seeing. The child would be found wide-eyed at various times, wandering as if she was lost. She was also found to be afraid at night, claiming she was seeing things in the shadows in her room. This was thought to be simple childhood imagination, until she began to act abnormally. The child’s artistry, though it was very base and without much form, showed pictures of shadowy forms moving around the home. The child was seeing something, and she was fighting an infection. For those that are closely tied to such energies often find themselves becoming hosts. Angelica had already given in to her greed, and it seemed Katrina had an issue as well. Tim actually began to take credit for opening a Gate inside Jamie’s home, saying he had done so for the sake of projecting himself to her easily. But in doing so, he was allowing vileness to flood into her home. She begged him to close it, and he said he would only do so if she would bond to him completely. Jamie wanted nothing to do with Tim now, but seemed to have no way to repel him.

Jamie told Omen she wished she had listened to him. He had been right all along, Tim had been rotten from the beginning. He had manipulated her mind, using what he had learned about magic to entice her with Power. But once she got close to him, Jamie saw the vile thing Tim truly was inside. As he had told her more stories about hsi past, which Jamie forwarded to Omen, a much bigger picture came together. Tim had once been in charge of a church, and a well-respected leader of faith. This was in his youth, when although large in size he still had an appeal of his own. But once he had become too comfortable, Tim used his position as a Satanist to inspire his followers to do terrible things. He convinced the women to lie with him, and ran dealings with prostitutes. He used the faith as a way to rationalize this monstrous behavior. But eventually, his congregation learned of his misdeeds, and turned on him. Ever since, Tim had yearned for the power and respect he had once possessed. His lust for Power was driving him mad, allowing him to believe that he could curse anyone he chose without repercussion. He had even turned on the woman he had claimed love for, simply because she would not bow to his will.

These character traits seemed all too familiar. Omen combined that with several stories Jamie had told him about their conversations, and the mannerisms of Tim. It seemed that since his original fall from being a leader, the mistake that had cost Tim everything had been his lust. It had caused him to manipulate his congregation, accept the doing of rotten things, and made him go to any lengths necessary, simply to attain whatever thing he lusted for at the time. His sin was Dark Lust, and it was Asmodeus that he had been dealing with all along. But, per what he had said to Jamie, Tim was completely deceived. he believed that the Father was speaking to him, telling him to do these horrible deeds. Once again, Asmodeus had convinced someone that he was the Father. Once again someone had fallen to their Lust, and was lost in it spreading vileness. Tim had to be stopped, something had to be done.

Jamie offered Omen an option. At first, Omen refused the idea, claiming it wasn’t feasible. But Jamie said she needed help, and no one else had been able to touch Tim’s magic. Several had tried, but the problems in the home only seemed to worsen. She had begged everyone she could think of, but no one had been able to help her. Jamie saw the problems increasing, and knew one person that she thought could help her. Omen. She asked him to come to her home, and offered to pay for the travel. She said that if he were present in her home, together they could find a solution. Also for some time Jamie had still maintained that she had been deceived, and still cared for Omen deeply. She wanted a chance to prove she could trust him above others, and be the kind of woman she truly was inside.

Omen was unsure of what to do. His next expected steps lie with Elle, and their attempt to go toward California. But Omen considered his movements over the last months as well. Hadn’t those all served a purpose? Wasn’t each a step along the path to learning? But which path was Omen supposed to follow now? He knew his life was not the same as before. He knew his new abilities, as well as the things he was starting to see, would bring chaos down upon him. This had been proven every time, as he had been hampered no matter where he went. The last time Elle had been around Omen, and tried to assist him magically, the results had nearly killed Samantha. They had nearly stolen Elle’s mind away completely, and forced her to live out her days in a mental institution. Elle had almost no real magical training, but her connection made her succeptible to Demonic influence. Was the plan to California really going to work, would Elle be able to handle what she was asking for?

Omen had to consider all the people in his life currently, as well as the Path he had chosen to follow. What was the right thing to do? Go back to Texas, and leave the trailer to fall to the magic of Tim, who was more than likely drawing Power from Asmodeus? Or to go to Pennsylvania, with Elle awaiting his return? Neither was the greatest option, as it seemed one way or another someone would get hurt. For Omen knew if he went to Pennsylvania, it would be to help someone he cared deeply for, and had once shared an amazing connection with. The saddest part of it all was that inside, Omen felt nothing about either option. While he weighed facts and possibilities, Omen could want for neither. It didn’t seem to matter what his destination was anymore, so long as he was doing what he needed to.

Omen went out to the park to pray. As he did, Omen asked the Father to guide him along the path that was best for his training. He did not care what he had to do, or what torments were placed in his path. He needed to fully comprehend why these Gates were now inside him, what the true purpose of all this training was. Omen knew he could not possibly be given all this Knowledge without a purpose behind it. But that purpose was still fuzzy, as if the picture hadn’t come into focus yet. But he knew that the puzzle of his life was finally coming together, and he was ready for the next piece. Thus Omen took what he was advised to do, and boarded a train. He looked back at nothing, even as his mother tried to contact him again. He had more important things on his mind than being outcast by his blood, Omen was on a mission from the Father.

26

Omen sat on the couch, considering his next move. Everything he needed was gathered, it was almost time. Omen sat on the couch, trying to focus his mind. Had he forgotten anything? One missed step could ruin everything he had put into place. Omen could not afford that, this action was too important. He had been advised heavily, by several spirits, on the most appropriate method. Omen had taken everything said under advisement, and constructed a plan. Materials were gathered, and Omen gave very specific instructions. He had spent quite some time explaining the mechanics and intent, and now the time had come for execution. Omen had strong faith that his deeds would be successful, he had no reason to believe otherwise. For as long as the Father was a part of his workings, Omen knew that victory was attainable.

“You ready to do this?”

Omen opened his eyes, bringing his vision back into focus. Jamie stood in front of him, clad mostly in black. Her hair had grown back somewhat from the cancer, now becoming “peach fuzz”. She had wigs, but rarely wore them around the house. The treatment for her cancer had led to the removal of both of her breasts. Jamie was not happy about losing such a major piece of herself, nor about the implants she would receive once she had healed. Even worse than that were the rock-like bags that had been inserted post-surgery, to stretch her skin for the implants. But these things were necessities to maintain her own life. They had taken an obvious toll on Jamie, who weakly still managed to be the center of her home. Even still, Jamie stood in front of Omen, prepared for what they had discussed. Omen had not wanted to involve her, but knew it was the only method by which the problem might be solved.

Omen lit a quick cigarette, and grabbed a drink. He had been at Jamie’s for about three days since arriving on the train. Omen had almost been forced here, by the words of more than the Father. But as with all deals made, there were explicit conditions before Omen had boarded the train to Pennsylvania. Omen would visit Pennsylvania, and assist Jamie with the assault from Tim. In return, Omen asked for Jamie’s word on one thing. He said that it might sound strange, but that it was what he was told to request her to do. “For the time I am there, and only for that time, I want you to treat me as you should have the times before. Do not put the nonsense of others before what we are doing, don’t let anything impede progress. As far as they are concerned, for that time, you are busy and need to be left alone.”

Jamie happily agreed to Omen’s terms, thanking him for being kind enough to help her. Thus he had boarded the train, and taken the ride from Illinois to Pennsylvania. He had finally received funding, and was able to eat during the trip. Prior to leaving, Omen had bought some things for Brandon. Food and drink, to replace what he had eaten. Omen felt this was a just action, so tat he not feel as if he was taking advantage of his cousin’s kindness. Omen had said goodbye to Brandon, and had even contacted his father. Omen begged his father to listen to what he was saying, and help him work on what had to be done. His father had the one thing he didn’t, serious money. It had always been this way, but his father had never shared his wealth with his only son. Omen was the outcast of his loins, and the same held true now.

Omen’s father balked at his ideas, saying he would do nothing to help his son. He considered his own child a failure, a disgrace, and an embarassment. All this because of his faith, because his father was “saved”. But Omen had endured more hardship than his father had known throughout his entire life, who was this man to judge? Who were any of them to judge someone who fought so strongly for what they believed in, as they fight with one another like animals? Nobody, neither God nor even close to his level of Understanding. They had no right to judge his faith, for they did not truly understand it. They understood only the lies they had been fed by religion and media, the mass scare tactic known as Satan. For Omen knew his Father was no raging Demon, but was made out to be so that Humans might fear connecting to Him. For in doing so they too would reach Understanding, and then those in Power would not hold their mental control.

This was what Tim had been doing with Jamie. Once, his words had been allowed to possess her mind. By constantly giving her time to listening to his lies, they infected her mind. Soon she began to lose her perspective on her own faith, seeking Tim for guidance on almost everything. This was direct mind manipulation. As this spell started to break, he had sought any method by which to force Jamie to accept uniting with him. He demanded to be allowed to bond into her soul completely, and to take dominance over her forever. He also sought to impregnate her with his seed, before age stole his ability to do so. Omen saw the means by which Tim was trying to force his will down Jamie’s throat. She had fallen prey to the initial attack, and had been unable to completely break free ever since. Between Tim’s attacks and dealing with chemotherapy and surgery, Jamie was almost broken completely. Even though Omen had broken several of Tim spells, the vile mage did not seem to learn.

Jamie had begged Tim to seal the Gate he had opened in her home. But he had denied her at every turn. She had prayed, but the magic seemed too strong for her to combat. Once Omen had arrived, he saw the problems immediately. Rage flew around the house unnecessarily, over the most ignorant of issues. The child was under direct possession, obvious one night as the two laid down to rest. The child, who had fallen asleep some time ago, stood over the bed staring at them. But her face held no expression, and her eyes were not her own. When called by her name, the child refused to respond. She simply stood over them staring, without a word or a sound. Eventually the effect wore off, and the child returned to normal. But Omen knew these problems would only worsen over time, and he had to put a stop to it. But to do so, he would need Jamie’s help, for the magic was not connected to him personally.

Jamie had been baffled by this originally. Considering Omen’s dealings with Gates, and his connection with them, she thought he alone could surely handle it. But Omen explained the truth about how magic worked to Jamie, and in doing so she finally understood her necessity. Omen explained that magic existed in a “Trinity Function”. He defined it using a triangle. He explained that one point was the Human, whose willed wished to influence reality in order to make itself known. In this situation, Tom’s will to do whatever he wanted with Jamie was this point. The second point represented the target, the opposing force in the magic. It was the reality of this point that was attempted to be influenced. But both Tim and Jamie had knowledge of things that made it known that they were Hell-bound spirits. As such, there energies were of the same Father, but willed different things to happen. These were opposing forces in any spell that Tim tried to enforce, but they were not the only factor.

Omen told Jamie what he had learned. Humans had been designed to be infused with a Power they did not currently possess, as a reward for achieving the goals set before them. But many Humans knew they were meant to be capable of this Power, and their belief that this was so created a strong will. That will was touched by spirits in other Planes of Existence, who wish to see this thing come to pass. The will did not flow from attacker to target, it had to pass through the point in between. Thus in order for a spell to be truly effective, a Higher Being adds their strength to the magic, creating a united force. This united force, on both sides of the Veil, is able to distort reality. But it is the strongest will inside the spell that creates the effect. And Omen had maintained concerns all along that Tim’s will was not the only one attempting to harm Jamie.

Both Tim and Jamie claimed to serve the same Dark Father. So it would make no sense that he would choose one of His Children over the other, this was not His Nature. Thus something else had to be involved, something that held malice against Jamie. Combining this with the details of their usual interaction, and the things Tim demanded, the picture became clear. Tim had fallen prey to his Lust for Jamie, and Asmodeus had taken advantage of an opportunity. Now he had another willing tool to manipulate, who was willing to harm Jamie to possess her. Omen had warned Jamie of this, told her to warn Tim, but his eyes had been blined to the truth. He believed the Father was telling him to force Jamie to his side, he was lost in Asmodeus’ lies.

This was a serious problem. While he had been beaten back before, Asmodeus had never been truly stopped. Despite every attempt to do so, Asmodeus continued to assault them both. Omen had heard the same cackling in the back of his mind that he had encountered the last two times. Neither Jamie nor Omen had even come close to stopping Asmodeus from terrorizing her mind, both awake and asleep. Once again she was being held down in her dreams, once again she was being taken against her will. It would take more than either them had individually to stop this attack. But Jamie had no other option, she needed time to heal. And Omen had conceived a way to make that happen, based on an extended version of his own three-point magical principle.

Omen knew that many of these magical trinities existed. Tim had tapped into the one that he had created out his connection to Asmodeus, through his Lust for Jamie. This strong force had overwhelmed any ability to be controlled by either Human alone. But together, they held several trinities. Omen showed Jamie how they would combine all of these trinities to overpower the spell. Omen had a trinity of spirits that protected and guided him, as did Jamie. But while the Father was a part of both, He was the only similarity. Omen’s trinity existed in the Father, Belial, and Abbadon. Jamie’s existed in the Father, Baal, and Lilith. They existed as single points in a variety of trinites throughout these. To see all at once it was almost atomic, as the Father become the centerpoint of these various triangles. Together, they formed a pyramid of Power, of which the Father was the apex. It was this power that Omen had decided they would tap into in order to counteract the magic that had created the Gate. No matter how much Tim had agreed to give to Asmodeus in order to make his magic work, the force of this much Power combined would surely overwhelm it.

But with all these various Beings, Omen would need a way to focus all that into a single will. He had Jamie help him produce a series of ingredients. He used wine to symbolize the Father, the lifeblood through which all their Power flowed. Into the wine they mixed several other ingredients, each symbolizing one of their associated spirits. Then they each pierced their hands, allowing their blood to join the mixture. They prayed over their ritual, and visualized the goals of the magic. they wished the Gate to be sealed, for Tim’s control over Jamie to be broken. They wished to destroy all the vileness that had spread through the home, and to put an end to the chaos. Once their will was spoken, each of them took a sip from the cup. It was placed back into it’s position, then Jamie stood behind Omen.

They both closed their eyes and began to focus on what they had discussed. They pictured the energy of all the Beings whose ingredients inhabited the cup to fill them, allowing the energies to swirl into one. Omen told Jamie to raise her hands, and draw as much of that power into herself as was possible. When she had absorbed as much as she could handle, Jamie forced all that energy into Omen. He was seated in front of her, drawing power into himself. As her power was added Omen’s energy exploded in size, and he struggled to hold onto it all. But omen continued to drag more and more energy into himself, until the size of it emcompassed an area much larger than Omen. Once he had as much energy of will as he could hold, he fired it at the Gate that he saw in his mind. Through the Gate, the energy of the ritual was sent straight to both Tim and Asmodeus. Omen felt severe resistance as he tried to force the energy out toward his enemies. Omen strained against the vile will that had distorted reality, bringing only pain and misery. He heard Asmodeus’ voice inside his mind, saying that he would never win.

Omen felt the will of the others join his own. He felt the efficiency with which Abbadon struck at Asmodeus, weakening his control. He felt the strength of Baal’s overpowering shadow as it pummeled at Asmodeus, trying to force the spell to break. He felt as well Belial and Lilith, who worked to tempt Tim’s mind to distract him. As the will of all of them combined, Omen felt the magic begin to weaken. He was able to force everything back past the hole. As Tim and Asmodeus found themselves surrounded, the spirits aided Omen and Jamie in forcing the Gate to dissipate from two sides. Omen continued to hold his hands as he felt the Gate dissipate, ensuring he destroyed every inch. Once Omen felt the connection of the Gate broken, his hands dropped to his side, and Omen’s fell forward onto the carpet. Jamie leaned forward to ensure he was breathing, then gave him space to recover. Omen sat up a couple minutes later. He reached out around the house with his energy, and asked Jamie to do the same. Both of them agreed, the strange feeling produced by the Gate was gone. They had won, vileness had been defeated again, by those who kept real faith in the Gifts they were given.

The next day, Tim’s stress was obvious. Jamie happily shared the messages, as he strained to find a solution to his crisis. Tim knew he was under attack, but he could not ascertain from where. He tried to convince Jamie to let him pull energy from her to heal his weakness, but she refused. Tim said he couldn’t feel inside her house anymore. He asked if something was wrong with her, if something was present around her. Jamie did not answer any of his questions honestly, allowing his mind to race and wander. Omen had found it hilarious that even as they threw magic directly at him, Tim still could not recognize Omen’s energy. Omen did well to keep his presence in Jamie’s home off Facebook, as he knew Tim had many spies. Even with all these things at his disposal, Tim was unaware of the attack that had struck him. Omen wanted so badly to brag, but restrained himself for Jamie’s sake. After going through all this, Jamie needed time to relax and heal. Omen prepared himself to spend the rest of his visit in peace and enjoyment. He ate Christmas Dinner with Jamie and her family, as well as some invited friends. Omen helped prepare some of the food, though he let the mother and daughter enjoy their bonding. For once the two were not arguing, and even Katrina was helping with the cooking. During the times which her presence was unwanted, Omen played with her in the other room. He always enjoyed his time with Katrina, for he knew she did as well. Without many men in her life that seemed to be around for her, Katrina was bereft of male comfort. Omen did his best to fix this in his own way. Almost every night, before Katrina went to sleep, Omen read to her. Katrina was allowed to pick the story, and Omen usually read more than one. But the hug he received from Katrina each night showed him one of the terrible centers of what had infested the child in the first place. She was starved for attention of a positive nature, for most of what she dealt with was anger and misery.

Omen tried to spend time with Jamie. But after the ritual with Tim, another problem reared it’s ugly head. Yet another of Jamie’s Facebook friends had approached her, seeking to be her mate. Despite her agreement to ignore such things for a short period of time, soon Jamie began to fall into her old habits. Suddenly, all she had said about them sitting and spending time together was the same old process of Omen fighting to get her attention off her phone. Omen refused to battle against this, as Jamie had already been warned about it so many times. Though it pained him that she chose to break her word yet again, even as he continued to help her, Omen had managed to keep calm. He knew his visit was short, soon he would be right back on the train. For many nights Omen spoke on the phone with Elle, and the conversations were known throughout the house.

Jamie claimed that because Omen was still planning to go back and move with Elle to California that he was not her partner, and thus she could do whatever she chose. Omen agreed with this, but countered that she had given her word not to do so just once. Jamie did as she was known to do, making one excuse after another. She defended her relationship online with this rotten prick, who was admittedly a Samael channel. As those connected to Samael are known to do, the one known as Shaun used his silver tongue to draw Jamie in. All the beautiful pictures and compliments were unavoidable for someone like Jamie, who had been through so much recently. Between the cancer, her home life, and the problems with Tim, Jamie’s perspective of herself had been damaged. She now saw herself as weak and bereft of beauty, made ragged by the effects of her sickness. It was this pain Shaun was feeding into, becoming the one she felt made it go away.

Omen did his best to help Jamie see that she did not need Shaun in order to feel beautiful and loved. He tried to explain that the Father had always seen her this way, for he had made her to be beautiful. It was the terror of her life that had destroyed that beauty, and had forced her to hide away inside herself. All the abuses of her ex-husbands, both physical and emotional, had tarnished what she had once been. Now she was sheltered, reserved, and found it difficult to open herself up to anyone completely. When she did so it was only in short bursts, as she then quickly retreated back into herself. Omen saw the pain inside Jamie, and he wanted to help. Even if she was upsetting him, and breaking her word, Jamie deserved the right to feel beautiful inside. This is something Omen believed should exist inside all people, especially those that want to follow the Father. For Omen believed that all Humans were born with a potential value, but many allow that value to die over time. But it was also his belief that this behavior could change, if people learned to respect the beauty and value of their own lives again.

In an attempt to do this for Jamie, Omen had constructed a plan. When they went to the mall, so they could get out of the trailer, Omen bought Jamie a sexy outfit. She had tried it on in the store, it fit her beautifully. Even with the temporary replacement bags where her implants would be, the red lace baby boll dress looked outstanding. This gave Omen a brilliant idea, and he refused to listen to Jamie’s arguments about him buying the dress for her. He had a plan, and all she had to do was let it be. But Omen made her agree to the plan in advance, promising it would not be anything she would not be comfortable with. Once she agreed, they purchased the dress and returned to the trailer. It was a few days before they could actually go through with the plan, due to Katrina’s youthful energy. But the first night she fell asleep at a decent time, Omen had Jamie shower and make herself look pretty.

She was wearing the red lace baby doll, with it’s black trim. Omen had helped Jamie pull the dress’ strings back, so as to properly accentuate the outfit. The dress had come with a matching set of red lace panties, though they were covered by the black spandex Jamie had on over them. She came back into her bedroom, where Omen had finished setting everything up. A set of handcuffs had been suspended from the ceiling. There were whips, chains, collars, and other bondage tools scattered around the bed. Jamie walked over, and sat down on the bed next to Omen, smiling as they went over what they were about to do. In doing this Jamie could be who she felt she was inside, as well as be made to feel truly beautiful. Omen handed Jamie the gas mask, which she happily strapped on. Omen handcuffed Jamie to the ceiling, then backed a few steps away from her.

After adjusting the lights, Omen began to snap pictures with his phone. He moved to a variety of positions, and had Jamie stand various ways. He told her to pretend to struggle against the cuffs, to act as though she was trying to escape. He had he face the opposite way, taking pictures of her from behind. Then he undid the cuffs completely, and had Jamie pose for him on the bed. As he continued to photograph her, Omen told Jamie to give in to her own inner beauty. He told her to try and channel the essence of Lilith, whose daughters are most comfortable with their sexuality. As Omen had Jamie pose in a variety of positions, had her remove the mask as well as the spandex, and handed her all of the various props, he maintained his respect for her. He constantly reminded her that this was for her own sake, and to ignore his presence. Once they felt they had exhausted their various options, Omen cleaned up the props, placing them back into the small bag Jamie kept them in. While this had been just for the sake of photography, when healthy Jamie did enjoy pushing her sexual boundaries.

Omen sat next to Jamie and showed her the pictures. Every one that she liked Omen immediately texted to her. He pleaded with Jamie to post one on Facebook, though he told her to use one with the mask. In this way only those that truly were her friends would know that this was her, so she would not be harassed by tons of horny men and women. After they had finished, Omen sat Jamie down on the bed to talk. He told her to really look at the pictures he had just taken. He reminded her that her breasts were not yet complete, nor had her hair regrown. But then he told her to see how beautiful the pictures were themselves, and that none of those things had prevented that. If the pictures were beautiful, and the pictures were of Jamie, then Jamie herself was beautiful. This fact remained regardless of what she had been through, and it continued on even after the session was over. This was the point Omen had been out to prove to Jamie, that the true beauty inside her had not died. Based on the smile on her face as she looked at the pictures of herself, Omen felt he had accomplished his task.

But even after all his efforts to show her the true nature of someone that cares, Jamie had not changed. She accepted the help with a smile, then after it was given went back to her selfish ways. Omen finally began to become upset by the situation, and voiced his opinions about it. Especially after Jamie began to claim that Shaun was taking credit for her protection and Tim’s current agony. Worse was that she claimed to believe him, only because he claimed to have gifts in necromantic magic. Omen could see straight right through the lies of Samael, but once again Jamie had become blinded. He constant need to feed from the energies of others was once again making Omen feel insignificant. But this time, it was a direct violation of a deal they had made. Omen began to force much rage down inside himself, especially after Jamie announced her relationship with Shaun on Facebook. This brought back painful memories of the times she had done this to him before, when Omen had come to live with her. But every time she was confronted with these perspectives, Jamie said she was doing nothing wrong. Because Omen was not intending to stay with her, even though she had suggested it, Jamie did not care about his feelings. Even after everything Omen had done, someone she barely knew states away was more important.

Omen’s anger began to turn to rage quickly. He was tired of giving so much for others, only to have them spit in his face. This was the same selfish vileness that Omen knew had most of Humanity firmly in it’s grasp. But Jamie claimed to be better than most people, deserving of more based on her birthright. This is a thing that exists in many across the world, who feel themselves entitled to more from birth. But Omen knew that the Gifts given to the Chosen are also earned. Jamie was not earning them, she was manipulating things to her advantage. While this may be acceptable for succubi to feed off the energy of Humans, it is not acceptable amongst Humans that claim love for one another. Omen heard the voices of the spirits, and they agreed with him. But they told him not to allow the arguing to begin again, to force peace to be maintained. One way or another, this visit would last until the day scheduled for Omen to leave.

As the days progressed, the situation grew worse. Angelica went back into her old habits, throwing fits whenever she felt she wanted to. Omen had seen this pattern every time he had been to the trailer. Angelica always used her bipolar diagnosis and an excuse for this behavior. But Omen knew that while she could not control her raging emotions, Angelica made a choice to act the way she did. Just because her mind is viewed as abnormal does not remove her responsibility as an adult for her actions. For if she were to rob a bank, her bipolar would not be an allowable excuse for the crime. Thus a person with a disorder must have greater control, to keep their disorder from causing problems. Omen knew this personally, as he had been diagnosed with a variety of conditions throughout his life. But aside from smoking weed for focus, relaxation, and comfort, Omen had not been comfortable with using medication to change his brain. For just as he told Jamie she had to do, Omen appreciated the beauty in his individual Created beauty. But none of the females inside the trailer seemed to see themselves in this way. To combat their Hatred for what they saw, they lashed out at everyone around them. In hurting those around them, and pushing them down, the females constantly felt empowered in their own lives. But this was an unhealthy pattern to continue, as it only led to more suffering.

One day, Jamie and Omen were arguing loudly. Omen felt like his insides were twisting in on themselves when he raised his voice. As his rage grew, he began to hear the voices of Demons in his mind. He realized quickly that his increased Dark energy had opened the link inside him, and now more energy was sought. They wished the argument to explode, they wanted Jamie and Omen to strike one another. Omen knew he would never hit a woman, even after struck himself. But Jamie did not live by such precepts, and had struck Omen in the past. As the energy swirled, Jamie began to yell louder. The spirits inside were leaking out, causing Jamie’s to see Omen as disrespectful. She lashed out at him, and the spirits wished the conflict to grow even more. This situation could quickly lead to disaster, something had to be done to put a stop to it.

As Jamie continued to speak very harshly toward Omen, he rummaged through his bags. Jamie got distracted by her phone again, most likely another text from Shaun. As she stared at her phone, Omen produced a leather belt from his bag. His mother had purchased this belt for him as a gift, but Omen was not fond of the printing. But the belt was not being removed to be worn, it served a much more painful purpose. Omen stared down at Jamie for a second. She was lost in her messaging again, proven when Omen walked up next to her. She paid no attention as Omen grabbed his phone off the table next to the bed. The leather belt was still hanging from his left hand as Omen located his headphones. If there was to be any crying, Omen would not want to hear it. Omen turned on his music, selecting Murmaider by Deathklok as the first song.

Omen turned and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He took off his shirt, tucking the cord for his headphones into his pocket. Despite the tiny size of the bathroom, it had three large vanity mirrors. As the music played loudly in Omen’s ears, he felt the energies inside him swell. He felt all the vile urges of the dark spirits, demanding more pain and suffering be caused. They wanted to feed, and knew a confrontation between Jamie and Omen would provide a good meal. Omen meant to send them all back, but first he had to lure them in. The only way to do so was to give them the pain they sought, and Omen was prepared to do so.

Omen stared himself in the face inside the mirrors as he swung around his shoulders, the leather smacking across Omen’s bare back. As the music continued so did Omen’s torment. The lashes came one after another, across every area of his back. After the first few strikes, Omen no longer needed to control his arm. The demons enjoyed whipping the Human, as Omen gritted through the torture. Omen allowed this to continue for several minutes. In doing so, he released his own rage toward Jamie. All she was doing, all she had done, this was the fuel Omen used to endure. He stood proudly, even as his back was found to be glowing bright red. The Demons made sure to whip every inch, so that there were no white spots remaining on Omen’s back.

But once the Demons attempted to leave Omen, and return to their mischief, they found themselves trapped. Omen had used the pain he was feeling to lure them inside, and allowed them to be trapped as they tormented him. Omen drew them further inside, down into the Gates buried deep within. He threw them all inside, shutting the door behind them. The Demons had been given their wish, and had dined well on the misery of Humanity. But Omen had paid the cost himself, in order to ensure that no one else had to. He returned to the bedroom, and explained to Jamie what he had done. He showed her the marks on his back, and told her the reason he had been forced into such a position. Jamie apologized for anything she might have done to offend Omen, and also for being so terrible towards him. But Omen replied that there was no more need for apologies. For another function of what he had done was to remove all the pain his past with Jamie had caused him. Now he felt no rage toward her, and had no reason to want any form of conflict.

By the next day, Jamie had returned to the same foul behavior. But Omen’s actions the previous day had proven successful in more ways than he had expected. For now, even as Jamie sat and texted the pictures Omen had taken of her to Shaun, so he could stare at them, Omen felt nothing. He realized in that moment that he would never see Jamie in the same way again. Omen gave up any attempt to get her to do anything but what she chose. This the last few days of Omen’s time in Pennsylvania were spent watching television. Jamie spent the majority of time between her phone and computer, messaging one person or another.

During all this, Omen was given an interesting lesson. It started off with Omen fulfilling the wish of a child, but soon grew to be much more. Katrina had never played in the snow much, and finally it had chosen to cover the ground. Jamie had no real want to go outside for long, she was too busy with her friends. This reminded Omen of the way his mother had been with him once, and he refused to allow Katrina to suffer the same way. As such, Omen had prepared various things for them to play with. He had attached rope to a pair of small circular sleds, so he could pull both the child and Jamie if they wished. He had Jamie assist him in dressing Katrina as warmly as possible, as the child fought excitedly. Katrina was ready to go play in the snow, and was ecstatic that someone finally wanted to play with her.

Omen and Katrina went outside. Jamie joined them soon after, having seen how much fun was being had. Omen taught Katrina how to make snowballs, and practiced throwing a few with her. He drug her around on the sled as she giggled happily. But Katrina wanted something else, she had spoken about it days before. What she truly wanted that she had never been given before was a snowman, and Katrina was determined to see this happen. Omen started small, teaching Katrina how to pack a tight snowball. Then he taught her to make the ball a bit bigger, then to roll it around in the snow. By doing so the ball would grow larger, and make the size necessary for her snowman.

Jamie decided to join Katrina in rolling her snowball. Eventually it became difficult for her, and they brought the ball to Omen. But it was still small, Katrina was not used to moving much weight. Omen showed her the size of snowman that using a ball that small would make, and Katrina was frustrated. She wanted a real snowman to look at, not some tiny thing no one would see. Omen told Jamie to take Katrina and begin work on another ball, that he would work on their problem. Omen put the ball down in the snow, and began packing all the snow around into it. He had to make the ball much larger than this, and doing so would require serious effort. It was not Katrina’s fault that she could not do this, she was far too young to be that strong.

As Omen packed snow together, the Father’s Presence came into his mind. He saw what Omen was doing, and had decided to come spend time with him. This made Omen overjoyed, for what son would not want his Father to play in the snow with him? This was the same wish Katrina had, and in granting it for her the same thing was given to Omen. But unlike playing with a child, the Father came to spend time talking with Omen. These were some of his favorite moments during his journey, the times in between when he interacted with the Father. He enjoyed the flashes he saw in his mind, and the thoughts he was given to consider. These were the lessons that he was meant to learn, for the sake of the journey he had undertaken.

Omen made a ball of ice and snow that was roughly to his kneecap, then began to roll it across the yard. He was determined to give Katrina the snowman she wanted. But as he continued to roll the ball, it was found to be very heavy. All of the snow melting together was forming much ice, which became much harder to move. But the Father encouraged Omen to push on, as He spoke on what it means to Create. To take something that already exists, and combine it in new ways to make something completely different. This is the method of Invention, the path that leads to progress. If Omen was to truly grow close to his Father, he would learn how to understand His Nature.

The Father showed Omen the variety of ways in which this applies as the ball continued to grow. The most obvious was the Father, who intentionally gave of His Own Energy to Create the souls of Humanity. But it also existed in many smaller forms, one being what Omen was doing. For even the simple action of compressing snow, when serious effort is added, can create something amazing. This was the same way in which the Men in Ages long ago had learned to shape and heat their stone and metal in order to fashion the things they utilized. This applied to the way a blacksmith adds the strikes of his hammer to properly shape any blade or armor. It also applied to houses constructed of brick and mortar, as the stone had been compressed and shaped to Create the house. But the Father said this was only the surface of the capabilities of Human Invention.

Omen saw all the various things Men have produced. Omen saw the Pyramids of Old compared to the skyscrapers of today, as Men stretch further towards the sky in the quest to attain Immortality. Whether a quest for a better afterlife, or simply a play to be well-known for having the necessary wealth to construct such monstrous things, Men had used their Invention to reach for the sky. In other ways, Men had used their Invention to give them wings to fly across great distances. They had brought great theories and principles into their Understanding, allowing them to Create even more with what they had. Men had even ascended past the edges of their planet, pushing toward the distant stars. It seemed Men had no limit to their potential, as long as they continued progressing toward the future.

But the things Omen saw afterward were not as pleasant. For the other side of Humanity’s ability to Create had produced the most unimaginable weapons of war. In the Ancient times, these things were centered around weapons like the sword and bow. But due to lack of technology, Men sought to use magic to supplant their Power. For all the weapons were designed with an intent to protect, or such was the claim made when they were Created. But once they had been made, all were eventually used as a means for one group to hold control over another. For Ages Men fought, and as they did their weapons advanced. But as the technology advanced, the warrior spirit of the Men died. They became reliant on the ability to kill an opponent from great distance, or while they were unaware. It seemed war had become Men trying their hardest to to kill as many as they could while hiding, and this was not an honorable form of combat. In the present, Men survive mostly on the threat of these weapons of war being unleashed on the world, and their fear of the consequences of that action. But all these conditions exist because Men have Created them, and continue to allow them to be.

The ball Omen was still rolling back and forth across Jamie’s yard had grown immensely. It was now half as tall as Omen. But he continued to push, even as the weight of the ball grew to such that continuing to push it became difficult. The Father kept speaking to Omen, and encouraging him to push even harder. He spoke on the current condition of the world, and all that had been lost. While pockets of Humanity strive still for growth and progress, the rest of the world focuses on their own ignorant Hatreds. More people spend their day focused on what they must do to acquire objects that have little value in either individual growth or in Humanity’s progress. The Father posed the question to Omen as to why this was. What would cause Humanity to force themselves into Hatred and war, if they believed themselves to be such evolved beings?

The Father pushed Omen’s sight back thousands of years. Many societies of Humanity flourished in their own ways. Each had it’s own set of beliefs, following the Gods that came to their aid. Each society interpreted the Gods differently, but all saw them as neither Good nor Evil. They were seen as a sort of “group effort” by which Humanity’s needs were filled. But later in history, a different form of faith arose. These faiths demanded that all those that followed others were heretics, and needed to be punished or killed. This trend arose due to arguments between travelers from one society to the next. People of other faiths were seen as less, treated unfairly, and even harmed. All these crimes were committed from one Man to another, but the Names of the Gods were used to justify the action. Soon the followers of one God warred against another, claiming their deities demanded the conflict. But while these massive wars did bring great Power to the nations and Kings of the world, the majority of Men received only pain and suffering.

As these conflicts continued, new religions began to arise. These faiths claimed a single deity responsible for all that has been, calling it the “One True God”. These faiths were based off of scrolls and texts that were recovered over many years of fighting between nations. The stories in those scrolls spanned many Ages of Human growth, but were compiled as if they were all that mattered. Each faith took up their own written book, claiming it was the full Truth. As these faiths became supported, their followers fought with each other. Since each claimed theirs was the only God, it automatically made the followers of a similar faith enemies. The more prominent these single-deity religions became, the more prominently war overcame the Earth. In Man’s selfish quest to claim it’s own selfish desire as the Will of the Gods, Humanity had Invented their own need to war with one another. Wars ravaged the nations of the Earth, until one was able to take control of a large enough area of the civilized world to be considered a world religion.

The ball of ice and snow rolled down a small hill in Jamie’s yard. Omen had to push the same ball up this small hill in order to roll it back down. But despite the force of his entire body straining against the massive ball, Omen had done so. As the ball rolled back into the center of Jamie’s yard, Omen stared at it for a second. The ball was now about three-quarters his size. It had become so heavy that it pulled grass and dirt from the ground into itself as it rolled. The ball was now a mixture of ice, snow, grass, mud, and even a few small rocks. Though the ball was no longer pure snow, Omen was pleased at what he had made. For what once had been the water in the sky and the ground beneath his feet had now become something tangible and new. Omen packed snow around the base of the ball, to ensure it stayed still. Jamie and Katrians presented the ball for the body. Omen set the ball on top of the giant block of snow and Earth he had Created. But their efforts were not as hard fought as his, and the second ball was too small.

Omen took the second ball, restarting the process he had used before. Soon the second ball grew large as well. Omen strained to pick up the massive ball, but was able to get it seated on top of the first. Then, Omen packed snow around the crevices between one snowball and the other, creating a barrier to assist in holding them together. As he did this, the Father was explaining how things must be constructed in order to remain stable. Just as Humans had muscles that supported the hard bones in their body, this snowman needed something situated in between it’s large pieces, to make it strong and stable. So Omen used the advice to Create a sort of muscle structure for the snowman, in order to keep the frozen artwork standing for some time. Omen had been working for quite some time, and the sun was getting low in the sky. But nothing would stop Omen from completing the snowman, and learning all he could from the Father.

Once the body was situated, Omen made a proper head. The ball for the head took only minutes to make, due to it being much smaller than the others. Omen built more snowy muscle tissue around the head, trying to represent the muscles of the neck and shoulders. For without these, Humanity would have a problem keeping their heads attached as well. Omen asked Katrina what materials she had selected for the face. Though Jamie had mostly retreated inside, and Katrina had gone also to prevent sickness, Omen continued to work. He made the eyes and mouth out of the rocks scattered by the road. Omen worked diligently to dig out small indentations for the eyes, so that the rocks would look somewhat realistic. Once he was done, Omen stood back from the snowman. He went inside, bringing Katrina to see what they had accomplished. The snowman was finally complete, just as the Darkness closed in over Pennsylvania.

Omen wanted them to go outside and take pictures with the snowman. At first, Jamie was too busy with her conversations to want to join. Later, it was too dark for the pictures to come out properly. Omen wanted a picture of the snowman he had made, especially after the last conversation he had with the Father before leaving. It had been explained to him as he worked that effort is rewarded, and not all things Created exist in the physical Realm. Omen had made a snowman, but the Father had used that idea to make something else. Like Omen’s snowman, this Being was Created out of what seemed like pure ice. But inside, throbbing veins and arteries could be seen. This was the flowing energy of the Earth, like the mud and grass inside Omen’s snowman. But Omen felt another element inside the thing that the Father had Created. This was analyzed easily, it was the same Darkness that everything of the Father was Created with.

The Father happily presented his new Creation, saying it was a gift for Omen. Even if the snow and ice of Earth melted away, the Being Created in the spirit would never be destroyed by such simple means. On Earth it was just a snowman. But in the Spirit Realm, it was a towering golem of black ice. But even in the hot places, when the ice was melted away, still the core of Earth remained, providing the power which would make the ice reappear. It seemed this golem would be hard to kill, as burning the wet roots was nearly impossible. The three elements which comprised the golem were also found to be the weapons that protected it from harm, as if the massive size and strength was not enough. Omen sparred with the golem for a bit, getting a taste of it’s limitations. This was a powerful ally to have, even if it could not be used in the Physical Realm. Omen knelt down and thanked the Father for the gift, dubbing it Golmen of the Frozen Earth. Omen prayed to the Father to give the Golmen a specific mission, to protect the home and family of Jamie. If decided, the task could easily be changed, but for now protection was enough. Omen felt a little safer as he went inside, feeling the strength of the spirit golem watching over them as they slept that evening.

The next day, to Omen’s dismay, the head had been blown or knocked off the snowman. But Omen said this did not matter, for the head was not required. The snowman still had arms, and the base of it was still firmly seated in the snow. It’s definable eyes and nose may have disappeared, but as Omen stared at Golmen in spirit, he realized this did not matter. For Golmen had little in the way of a definable set of eyes, or a nose. It seemed the porous ice was the means by which all data transferred through the frozen Golmen, and the wet roots transferred that information like a nervous system. This allowed Golmen to see everything around him, which was an advantage Omen had not planned on. Having 360-degree vision would make Golmen almost impossible to catch by surprise. It seemed that the loss of it’s physical head had done nothing to slow what existed in spirit. Omen smiled, knowing this truly meant that Golmen would live on long after the snowman melted away. As he realized this Omen knelt and thanked the Father again, for he had been given yet another wonderful Gift.

Omen finally headed inside, his mind filled with Pride. He was so proud that the Father had taken the time to talk with him. As Omen dried off, changing into fresh clothes, he wondered why others didn’t have the same level of connection with their Father. But his questions were soon answered by more than one voice, all saying the same thing. It seemed that the Father, Baal, and Abbadon had all encountered the same issue with people and their connections. Moreover, as Omen felt the energies inside him contort, this problem was one of the biggest amongst all Beings trying to contact Humans. But all the reasons Omen heard in his mind were the same, repeated with different voices in different orders. Though the individual priorities were different, the problems remained the same. Omen tried to focus on each of the problems in connection he perceived, to find ways to correct these issues within himself. The Father told Omen to look around the trailer, and find those answers for himself. Omen began to walk around the trailer, searching for these clues.

As he threw his dirty clothes in the hamper, Omen sat for a moment with Katrina. As he played with her, Omen recognized that she was the first category of people. Katrina represented all those youth that still know nothing of what exists around them. While at her age this was not an issue, as she grew older it would become that way. The child had already shown a natural connection, and had been taken by spirits more than once. As she grew older these issues would only increase. Without being given the proper knowledge at a young age, Katrina would be very likely to experience spiritual chaos as she grew older. This would more than likely affect more than just Katrina, expanding out to all those she was close to. All this misery would be a direct result of not teaching the child about the spirits, and about ways to deal with them.

But this was an uncommon practice in today’s world, and even making mention that you were teaching magic to a child would be seen by most as a terrible thing. Even if the child was taught in secret, what she learned would drastically change her perspective on life. This would cause her to grow up different from all the other children, a thing which generally causes problems in child development. Katrina would become an outcast, and this would only further increase the pain she had already experienced in her youth. The pain of abandonment, of feeling all alone in the world. The general outcome of such a process of events resulted in almost no possibility for a positive outcome. So which was the greater fall? To say nothing to the child throughout her life, and watch as Demons torment her? Or to give her what she needed to protect herself, knowing what it would cause in her life thereafter?

This was the same issue the spirits had. It was these questions that they found hard to answer. For anyone nowadays that claims a connection to spirits is thought of as insane. Humanity has grown so arrogant that those with faith are claimed to be crazy, while those that believe in nothing but wealth and Power are allowed to lock them away. Most of the Knowledge that is attempted to be sent is brushed off by society. This is because those in control want to stay that way, and will not allow anything to contest what they have built. Many in control were given connection, only to abuse it for the sake of selfish gain. Thus even those at the top magically had decided to hold down those below them simply to maintain position. The easiest way to do this without destroying countless lives was to force the masses to remain ignorant of the truth. Humanity had trapped itself inside a prison of ignorance, and seemed unable to get out. But why? Omen knew ignorance can be changed through education, why is that all people don’t want to be informed?

Omen continued to ponder this as Katrina went back into her room. Omen went to the bathroom, and as he did Omen heard talking from the next room. Angelica and her boyfriend sat in the other room, talking loudly over their television. Omen had always wondered why if they wanted to talk they hadn’t turned the TV down, if for no other reason than their voices carried. In the many times he had stayed there, Omen had heard all manner of things through the thin walls. But he made a point to forget all that he heard, as it was not his business in the first place. Most of it was conversations between friends, but other talks revolved around private business. None of this was Omen’s place to know, and as such he filled the those places with other information.

But as he left the bathroom, Omen realized that they were representative as well. For his last question had been about why people don’t protect themselves. Angelica also had natural gifts, but hers were being used against her. Her energy was out of control, and she did nothing to try and contain it. Omen had asked Jamie several times why she didn’t tell Angelica the truth. Her reply was that Angelica claimed not to want the information, because she felt herself a Christian. Angelica was the second category of people: those who simply don’t care.

Whether they believe otherwise or believe in nothing at all, many people choose to ignore what happens around them. Because they choose to ignore it, and do not care enough to learn about it, they leave themselves open to attack. This is common in most people, who believe only what they feel is common around them. They choose not to push any further out, so as not to upset their own lives. Most of their focus is on petty things of this world, and their need to obtain more. In this constant quest for physical gain, the needs of the spirit are completely ignored. This leads to a lack of connection, and an “empty” feeling inside. For the hole left by a void of spirit cannot be filled with anything, whether object or person. This feeling of emptiness leads the individual to a constant quest for more in their lives, in an attempt to fill the growing void inside them. This condition can be seen in varying stages throughout the majority of Humanity, as each tries to fill their own empty spirit. But this could not be the end of it. For if all Humans are born generally the same, we are all born with the capability to understand the Spirit Realm. But would this Knowledge alone be the salvation of Humanity?

As Omen sat on the couch pondering this, Jamie came back into the room. She asked Omen how he was doing, and they started a discussion. Omen was about to talk to her about what he was pondering, but then her phone began to buzz and ring again. She instantly became focused on what was said on her phone. After she responded, she attempted to rejoin the conversation. But now the subject had changed, now Omen’s train of thought on what they were discussing was broken. As their conversation continued, this interference happened multiple times. After awhile, Jamie walked into the kitchen. Omen had spent the majority of an hour trying to talk to Jamie, but most of it she spent involved in the discussions on her phone. Eventually Omen gave up on the conversation entirely, and resigned to internal reflection as she jumped on her computer.

As Omen lay on the bed, listening to his music, Baal came to visit. Omen had dealt with Baal many times before. They had opposed each other, and also Omen had asked for his guidance. For the only reason for their opposition originally was Omen’s misunderstanding of Baal’s purpose inside Jamie. Omen had accepted his own mistake, and had requested a chance to learn more. In doing so, he had found ways to show respect to Baal inside the home. This particular visit, Omen had brought with him something designed to respect Baal. Though a very simple item, it was designed to be an object of respect. Encased in hard plastic and kept clean, the object was Omen’s gift to Jamie. He had prayed over it once he had arrived, asking that Baal accept the offering of respect. If he was protecting Jamie, as all the instances had proven, then he deserved to be respected for that. Though he was not to be worshiped over the Father, his presence was not to be ignored either. Both Jamie and Omen had felt the results of doing so in the past. As Baal’s energy came over Omen, he knelt and saluted in respect.

Baal discussed another major problem in Humanity, one Omen had just witnessed. This was her major issue, one who simply does too many things to allow themselves the time to grow. In her constant distraction, Jamie was wasting time that they could have used to discuss something functional. But this was not the only example, nor was it even the most serious one. He spoke on the actions that people choose that take all their time away. In this day and age, almost anything desired can be acquired. This causes many people to find a thing they enjoy, and become extremely attached to it. This attachment becomes so strong that the individual cannot seem to function normally without it. When this disorder is an attachment to alcohol, drugs, sex, or any other number of things looked down upon by society, it is classified as addiction.

But it seems that in Humanity, only certain addictions are classified as problems. What about the police officer, addicted to his power? In handing out tickets that are not necessary, and harassing those that are not harming others, is this man not simply feeding his addiction? To the rush he feels as he overpowers another, to the joys that Power can provide? On a grander level, what about those that stand atop the pyramids of Power in the nations of the world? If their Power and their control is their drug, is it not seen that they are simply feeding an addiction? As they strive for war and chaos, simply that they might extend their own individual influences, are they not simply seeking a larger dose of their precious drug? For the true definition of a drug is not defined as one thing. A drug is any thing which causes a person to make a mental decision that one thing is more important than the well-being of themselves and others around them. If a person in Power uses that to harm and hold down others to serve themselves, then Power has become their drug. Just as Omen’s cousin had once stolen from his family just to feed his precious heroin habit. The references were different, but they were also the same. Humanity had become a planet full of addicts, fighting over whose addictions were considered tolerable.

This was the third complication. The fact that people just don’t try hard enough anymore. In the past it could be seen that those who were connected to the spirits were upheld in society. This was because their Gifts had proven strong enough that the societies’ faith was placed in them. The shamans of old religions, whose authority stood separate even from the clan leader. Spirituality and connection used to be seen as Gifts to be upheld, so that people might learn from what was said. If it was through the voices of the spirits and the Gods of various religions that Men were inspired to better their own lives, at what point did the Gods become non-existent? It was as if the world had been convinced that every society before them had been lied to, and that now they were “enlightened”.

But as Men turned against their Gods, their struggles against one another only grew. Now each Man wanted to believe himself the one possessing the truest Knowledge of any other, simply that he might dictate what the others do. In doing so, these individuals spread nothing but selfishness. Each had garnered amazing respect, and wanted to maintain that forever. Thus even inside individual religions, many smaller groups splintered off. Each sect had it’s own set of beliefs, changed from the views of another by whomever had Created it. Christianity especially was known for this, as the original faith had splintered into many smaller sects. Each one claimed it was in possession of the correct way to do things. But if all followed the same book, and the same God, how could the beliefs be so vastly different? These differences Omen found to be only societal, as groups of people made decisions for themselves on what was and was not appropriate. It seemed every time society changed, a new form of Christianity sprang up to accept it. But as long as all the churches maintained the same overall belief, religious control was still maintained. Across the world, each society was allowed it’s own set of beliefs, as long as the precepts were the same.

Omen laughed as he remembered something he had been told. About how the Book of Revelation explains that those who have corrupted the texts will fall, during the process of events referred to as The End. For while the Church itself was not named, the bastardized whore their religion had become was. Considering this, even by the flow of events named their demise was imminent. Omen knew this was a natural thing to happen, as more of society realized they had been lied to. For what race of known Humans discovers that their entire society, as well as their faith, was only a portion of the real Truth, and then simply smiles and lets that stand? It has never been known, every society that realizes their leaders were corrupt finds a way to revolt against that system. This meant that the present state of society was doomed to fall into chaos. As long as the minds of the majority remained closed and confrontational, Humanity as a whole would never unite. The constant warring would only grow until it had decimated most of the technological beauty that Humanity had Created. All because people refused to try hard enough to see the perspectives of others, all because they believed they knew what was right.

Omen thought back on all the various things he had been considering. To be pictured as a single thing, the combination of just these three basic types of people dominated the world. Those that did not know, those that did not care to know, and those whose effort was not strong enough. With this dominating the overall majority of people, spiritual growth became viewed as less important. More currently, those close to the spirits were called insane and locked away. Now Humanity claimed to have no prejudices, but their true Hatreds still existed. Omen was a fine example of this, as he had been judged for his faith ever since accepting it fully. People like Omen were now the minority of the world, the only ones still treated with Hatred. All for expanding their minds past what they had been told to believe, and realizing the truths of faith. The world had changed completely, as any form of faith other than that controlled by the system was seen as heretical. People were still judged for it, assaulted, and even killed. All this because they were “heretics”, and “deserved the punishment they received”.

But who was truly the heretic? The one who prayed in his own way, who sought expansion beyond the limitations of a single book? Or was the heretic the one who charged this man as evil, and tortured someone who had done them no wrong? Which of these Men was the one truly destroying real faith, and claiming it to be the “Will of God”? What God would want His Children kept ignorant and confused, what loving Creator would want imprisonment for his Creations? What God would seek massive war across nations, simply to force people to believe a certain way? And if Humanity had truly evolved since then, why were they still allowing themselves to become trapped in the same pyramids of control that had dominated them for generations? How could Humanity allow religion and technology to destroy the things that had Created them, faith and progress?

Baal told Omen this problem had been brewing for quite some time. Humans, in their constant struggling to attain more for the individual rather than the whole, had built themselves a prison. Now they were trapped inside, desperately struggling for a way out. Individuals wished for positive change, small groups formed to see progress done. But the efforts of these groups have always been overshadowed by the systems which Humanity has built. If at any point it is seen that the followers of any faith might change the ways in which things are done, that faith is immediately targeted. Individuals throughout history that have strove for real growth and change inside the perceptions of people have been quickly snuffed out, or labeled as traitors to the system. Humanity had now almost completely lost their connection to any real faith or progress for the whole of Humanity. The masses battled to find some sort of individual identity, and each system vied for control of the future. The only eventual endpoints of such a design was that it would collapse, a thing many already claimed to see signs of.

Omen spent the next several days pondering the things that he had discussed with Baal. How could something like this be fixed? Was it even fixable? And even if it was, how would Omen ever convince anyone to listen? Omen had already seen the horrors of what the world around him had become. He had lived through the terrible acts of many individuals, as well as the discrimination of his own government. What would change their viewpoint now, how could he ever manage to even make a dent in this monster? Omen spun all these questions in his mind as he prepared to leave. It was now 2013. By definition, a year can only end with the strength which it was begun. As such Omen prayed mostly for strength, but also for guidance in the future. He felt there was still much more ahead of him, though it would not all be pleasant.

The day finally arrived. Omen packed his things, making sure to undo any strange effect his energy might have Created. Omen rode in the back seat as Angelica drove to the train station. This would be the longest journey Omen had ever made on the train. It would take more than two days. As they made their way to Harrisburg, Jamie told Omen how much she would miss him. During hsi stay, even up to the very night before, Jamie had asked Omen if he would change his mind. But even as he hugged her goodbye, Omen knew he was making the right decision. Omen had fixed the problem, even though Jamie had not kept her end of the bargain. Either way, Omen had still learned much from his time spent in Pennsylvania. Now, the train would carry him back to Texas, with only one stop in Chicago. From there Omen would take the next step, just as was planned before his departure.

27

Omen’s eyes fluttered open as he heard the voice of the driver. He had been asleep for about the last half hour, on board the small transport shuttle from the train station. He looked out the window, looking for anyone he recognized. Several of his friends had voiced a want to be at the bus station upon his arrival, to welcome him home. But as the shuttle pulled up, and Omen looked around, no one was there. The small station was empty, save for the attendant who let Omen use the bathroom. Omen walked around the area outside the bus station a bit, but no one was around. Omen decided to fire up a bowl and a cigarette while he waited. Omen had managed to acquire a bit of weed from Pennsylvania before departing. He had smoked at several of the stops along the way, which helped relax him enough to sleep through the two-day trip. When he had time between trains in Chicago, Omen had stopped and smoked with a homeless man that he ran across. Omen had no money for him, nor any food, but at least in this way he had been able to show that some people still care. Omen had been homeless before himself, and understood what it meant to be shown random kindness.

After finishing his cigarette, Omen put his headphones on. He picked up all of his bags, and started walking. None of his friends had shown up, but Omen was determined to make it home regardless. The bags were heavy, weighing almost as much as Omen remembered his military bags weighing as he moved back and forth from Iraq. But despite the strain on various parts of his body, Omen pushed on down the road. He allowed his anger at no one coming after so many had said they would to fill him. He combined this with all his anger towards the multitude of things that had gone wrong recently, and all the various betrayals. This made him feel exceptionally strong, and soon he was tearing down the roads. He stopped to take a break on the sidewalk next to a gas station, lighting a cigarette as he calmed his breathing. Omen had been a smoker most of his life, and the habit had only gotten worse in the Army. But Omen had accepted it about himself, admitting that the person he was without a cigarette to calm him was much more hazardous. He had quit several times in his life, but want back for this reason each time.

A man parked nearby called to Omen. Omen waved him over. The man asked Omen what he was doing, and Omen told him the truth. He asked if he could give Omen a ride in his car, just so Omen wouldn’t have to walk the extensive distance. Omen thanked the man, but refused his kind offer. Omen stated, “If I encounter those that said they would meet me along the way, then so be it. If their words were lies, and I am forced to walk this alone, then so be it. Either way, I will do exactly as I said I would, and walk from the bus station to my home”. The man voiced his respect to Omen, as it was unusual in people to do things the hard way. They shook hands, the man left, and Omen finished his cigarette. He picked his bags back up, adjusting them for a measure of comfort. Then Omen flipped on a new song, and continued on his journey.

As Omen crossed the street next to the gas station, he saw some faces he recognized. On the other side of the road Omen was walking down were Elle, Samantha, and Brian. It seemed they were on their way to him, they were just far behind schedule. But Omen was surprised as he was able to pass by them without being noticed. They were so busy talking amongst themselves that they had not even noticed him on the road. But as he moved further away from them, he heard his name called. He looked back, and saw the group of them staring at him. Elle immediately began to charge across the street, wrapping Omen in a tight hug. Both of his larger bags were taken, and Omen carried only his backpack.

They walked down the road, in between the dimly lit streets. They stopped for a time to rest, and Omen was presented with a special gift. He had been gone over Christmas, but they had not forgotten him. They had soaked the paper of a blunt in pure honey, let it dry, then fashioned a beautiful blunt from it. The group of them sat and smoked as they told stories back and forth. But mostly they were curious about the process of events Omen had gone through, as they were aware that he was working on many things. He told them some of what had been done, as much as he felt was needed at the time. He focused more on the need for change and growth, that the time for ignorance was fast dissolving. After their hiatus the group walked the remained of the distance together, chatting happily about various things.

They arrived back in the Vista around 8:15 PM. Samantha went home, knowing her mother was probably fuming about her absence as usual. Everyone else climbed inside Omen’s broken-down vehicle. Omen noticed as he unlocked his door and climbed inside that something was wrong. His passenger door was unlocked, and the floor of the vehicle had more trash on it than Omen remembered. Omen found that nothing of importance had been stolen, at least none that could be seen inside the powerless vehicle. He let Elle and Brian in, and they discussed the remainder of the evening. Brian informed them that his parents enforced a strict curfew on him. He said that, after 8, they would lock the doors. This meant he had nowhere to go for the evening, for his parents would not let him in. Elle had a place to go, but wanted to spend the night with Omen as before. She had not seen him in some time, and did not want to leave his side. Brian and Elle began to argue over whether or not Brian should leave, to give the two time alone. Outraged, Omen finally lashed out verbally at them both. He gave them a process of events to follow, and left no room for argument. He would not have them deciding what was to be done with his evening, that was his own choice. They all exited the truck, and Omen locked the doors.

They left, heading for Elle’s, and Omen went inside. Kindra was not home, at work as usual. Omen cleaned himself up as he thanked the Father for returning him safely. Omen threw his bags down, taking inventory of several things. He took his wallet out and placed it inside his backpack, for he would not need it for the rest of the evening. He pulled out some comfortable clothes, so his body could finally breathe. A Disturbed T-shirt, sweat shorts, socks, and the only shoes Omen had that were comfortable. This would be his attire for the remainder of the evening, it was finally time to relax. But something felt strange. Omen could not place the feeling, but something was not right. Omen shook off the feeling, as he could get no gauge on what it was. He headed back out to his vehicle as he sent out various messages. He let several people know he had arrived safely, and that he would be out of contact for the evening.

Elle returned. She had done exactly as Omen had instructed. She had given Brian blankets, so he could sleep without being cold. She had returned with more blankets as well, but these were for them. Even in the brisk January cold, they would sleep in the truck together. As they sat in the back smoking and chatting, Elle produced a bottle. This was wine she had on New Year’s Eve, but she had saved some for this night. They drank the wine together, as they sat and talked. Elle said she was so happy to have Omen back, that things had only worse with him gone. Elle now was forced to live in a position where she was watching her family being influenced, but they all said she was crazy. The same things were attempted with her during the time Omen was gone. But Elle had finally learned from her previous mistakes, and no longer listened to the vileness they spouted. With Omen back, Elle thought they might find a way to control some of the spreading problems. Even though Omen disliked Elle’s mother, and did not care to help her, he agreed that he would try. As they drifted off to sleep, Omen tried to formulate a plan by which this might be accomplished.

Omen awoke the next morning. The windows on his vehicle were fogged from their sleeping breath. But Omen was able to make out the form of Brian, standing slightly up the road from his vehicle. He was still wrapped in the blankets from the night before. As Omen looked further out, he saw two police cars parked down the street. Omen snapped awake quickly, unsure of what was going on. He saw the officers surround Brian and begin questioning him. Brian was a minor, and this was a weekday. He was obviously truant from school again, and this was not good for him. But the reason for all this was the curfew of his parents, and Omen felt that being punished for it would be unfair. He made the decision to get out of his vehicle, and walk over to where Brian was.

He was stopped shortly after exiting the vehicle. The officer asked for Omen’s identification, and Omen told him it was inside. He gave his name, and all necessary information to find his records. When asked what he was doing, Omen told the story starting from the night before. He explained that he and Elle were sleeping inside his broken-down vehicle. He told them about finding his passenger door unlocked, about strange things happening while he was gone. Omen was asked if his vehicle could be searched, and he told the officers no. Elle was wrapped in blankets, and not fully dressed. As well Omen had done nothing wrong to deserve to be searched, he was simply making the truth known about the situation. They had no reason to be harassing him, Omen had served in the military while living here. Omen was no criminal, simply someone telling the truth to the police. They told him to take Elle inside and get her dressed, that he had done nothing wrong. They were here to deal with Brian’s truancy, and would be gone shortly. Omen complied, leading Elle inside. Even though he had told the officers that Kindra did not like people in her home, they had said that their word held more stock. Omen questioned if this was an example of police power being abused as he led Elle inside.

Omen sent Elle back to his room to get whatever she needed to change into. As she did, Omen stared out through the peephole in the door. He saw the officers talking with Brandon. Then one led him over to their car, and the other two started rummaging through Omen’s vehicle. This was completely illegal, both because Omen had said no and because the officers had sent him away. But still they continued to look around, walking back and forth from Brian. Each time they came back, their efforts seemed targeted in a specific location. It seemed Brian may have decided to turn against his friends for the sake of his own choices. If he had not put himself on probation, the officers would not be threatening him as harshly. In response, he had decided to spit out whatever he knew about Omen’s habits, proving himself a traitor.

Omen told Elle to prepare herself as the officers marched to the door. Omen opened the door, and they stepped inside without being invited. They said they had found weed and parphanelia in the vehicle, but they produced no evidence of this. They told Omen and Elle, “We don’t care who, but someone’s going down for this”. Omen looked over at Elle, who was gripped in the stress of the situation. He knew she was applying for college funding, that she had plans for her future. Omen didn’t want anything to impede her potential, let alone such a bullshit arrest. Omen told the officers, “If someone has to fall, then let it be me”. They locked handcuffs on him, and forcefully pushed him to their car. They would not even allow Omen to say goodbye to Elle as they forced his head down into the back seat, slamming the door behind him. As the police cars began to drive off, Omen saw one officer left standing next to Brian. He was escorted into the back of the remaining car, which drove off in the opposite direction.

Omen was taken to the Killeen Jail. What few items he had on his person were removed. He was given a small blanket, and forced into a holding cell with several other people. Omen demanded his one phone call, and was told the phone was on the wall in the cell. Omen picked up the phone, which was found to process only collect calls. He dialed his own cell phone number, hoping that perhaps Elle had picked it up after his arrest. But the message on the phone said Omen’s number did not accept collect calls. This was strange, as he had received collect calls before. Omen dialed several other numbers, attempting to get through to someone he knew. But his mother’s house phone, his father’s phone, and his grandmother’s house phone all gave the same message. It was impossible that all these numbers could be blocked in the same way, so Omen searched for an answer from his cell mates.

Omen was informed that these phones were special. Killeen had designed it’s jail so that the phones would only contact bail bondsmen that were listed on the wall next to it. Their system made it so that without contacting these people, Omen would not be able to contact anyone else. Omen called several of the numbers, and got no response. He called the number for the county bail bonds, which was known by the other prisoners with experience to be the cheapest. But the county number gave the same unavailable message as Omen’s other numbers had, proving they would not allow these people to be contacted. Finally, left with no other options, Omen was able to contact a place called Aardvark Bonds. A woman named Betty was on the other end, and Omen explained his situation. He told Betty that, because his record was clean, he had never been through anything like this before. He asked if she would call hsi cell phone, and try to make contact with Elle. He wanted Elle to at least know where he was, and the general situation. Betty said she would do so, and told Omen to call back in a few hours. Omen hung up the phone, knowing that at least an attempt was being made.

Omen sat down in the cold jail cell. Keeping warm was impossible with the tiny blanket, so Omen decided to converse more with his cell mates. When he told them why he was in jail, those that had been arrested several times laughed. They claimed that omen’s offense was so minor that it was usually not even enforced. They told stories about cops taking small amounts of weed, or simply writing tickets to be paid. None of them had ever encountered someone in jail for something so minor, a simple misdemeanor. But Omen was stuck in the cell regardless. It seemed that the officers had made a decision to cause the most damage possible. Arresting Brian for a truancy violation would have been a decent end to a day, but throwing Omen in jail seemed to be the option they chose. As an adult, Omen would be more valuable to their system.

As the ones who had been arrested multiple times explained the process to Omen, his attitude turned quite sour. Even though his crime was minor, he would be held the entire day in this cell. The next morning a judge would come, and set a bond value. This amount was based on the crime, similar to a ticket. Omen asked if any of them knew how much his bond might be. They had no clue, but said it shouldn’t be much, based on the nature of his offense. Once his bond was set, Omen could contact one of the agencies. They would assign a portion of that value for him to pay them, and they would cover his bond. This would get him freedom, but would not end the process. For Omen would still have to report to a courtroom later on, and have more fines and punishments levied on him there. Paying the bond was the only way out, but it was not a way to freedom.

After this discussion, Omen sat by himself thinking. Like most people that have never been arrested before, Omen did not understand how it worked. Now, being trapped inside it for no reason, Omen saw the scheme at work. This police station no longer upheld any real Justice, it’s officers had become totally corrupted. Each one abused their position, and they bent and broke laws to do so. Omen’s vehicle had been illegally searched. He was not read his miranda rights as he was being arrested. His single phone call had been allowed, but distorted so that he could only contact a bondsman. The system was designed to toss people into jail until they were forced to pay their way out, just to be called a criminal and fined heavier in court later. The system of Justice itself had become broken, and now was no different from organized crime. They forcibly extort money from people by tossing them in jail for any minor offense, then only allowing their freedom if it can be bought. Omen questioned how this is not considered Double Jeopardy, paying twice for the same offense. He knew this to be illegal based on the Constitution. But he also wondered if the government had found a way to strip people of their right to Justice, as they have stripped away all other individual freedoms.

Now that Omen had become aware of the realities of his situation, he knew he was trapped for at least a day. He decided to converse more with the other inmates, simply to pass the time for them all. One man he immediately was able to strike up a friendly conversation with. Like Omen had once been, this man was a soldier stationed at Fort Hood. It was obvious when the man entered the cell that he had a physical disability of sorts, as his walking was hard-fought. He limped constantly, saying that he had been damaged during his time in the Army. He told Omen that he was authorized a cane just for walking, but it had been taken from him. Through their discussions about their individual jobs, the man seemed to be a hard worker. This seemed like the last type of soldier to be locked in jail, so Omen asked about what had brought the man to this place.

The story was horrible. Aside from being a soldier, this man was capable of great love. He loved his wife so much that he did something few would be capable of. Her little sister was being abused and molested in her childhood home, so the couple adopted her themselves. In this way they could both protect her from the abuses, and save her from ending up in foster care or the system. Omen was shocked at this, for he doubted he would be capable of adopting a child of more than 10 years in age to live with him. Especially a female, and one who grew up in a bad environment. The child’s life was like a recipe for waiting disaster, and no one would be able to predict the outcome.

The man continued telling Omen his story. The girl had aged, and was now fourteen. Like all teenagers, she had fallen into destructive and argumentative habits. The man, who was now her legal guardian, did his best to correct the issues. He did so by using the process of reward and punishment. The girl was evaluated on her schoolwork as well as her behavior. Failing in these areas meant the removal of the things she enjoyed. These were most prominently her phone, computer, and the television, as Omen was told that was all the child seemed to do in her free time. When she did wrong, these things were taken away. The removal of the young girl’s cell phone would send her into fits of rage, as now she could not spend the day texting and messaging all her friends. The child revolted angrily against this, but soon realized her arguments would only cost her more. Omen agreed with the punishments he heard, as they were fair and not physical in nature. Omen was punished in similar ways as a child, though he did not own a cell phone to be taken away.

The man was also trying to teach the young girl how to prevent the terrible things that had happened to her from becoming reality again. Even with his injury, the man trained his adopted daughter in martial arts. In doing so, he hoped to make her ready to protect herself in the future. This seemed to Omen to be a perfect way to turn the pain of the child’s past into a strength, if she only used the anger at what had happened to her to help her focus on training. But the man said his daughter did not respond as he had hoped to the training. In fact, what had happened was so terrible that Omen almost threw up. Never before had he heard of such a miscarriage of Justice.

The man had been training his daughter for some time. She had become somewhat adept in what she learned, and her adopted father wanted to put her skills to a real test. He informed his wife of his intent, and she accepted the plan. Once night, after everyone had gone to sleep, the man quietly snuck into his daughter’s room. He restrained her by the wrists, as one attempting to harm her would do. But he was both fully clothed and not using his full strength. The only intent was to get the girl to wake up alert and defend herself. The girl screamed and fought, and eventually broke free of her limping father. But the next day, despite being told what was going on, the child made a rotten decision.

She went to the police, claiming that her adopted step-father had been sexually abusing her. The man was arrested immediately, and now sat in a jail cell accused of being a sexual deviant. All this had happened because he had adopted his wife’s sister, and had tried to act like a good father. But the angry revolt of a teenager in today’s world, one who loved to abuse the system’s rules to hurt others, had now destroyed this man’s life and reputation. Even if acquitted, he would never be seen the same way in the Army again. His record would be forever tarnished, and he would be seen by outsiders as some filthy child molestor. Omen wished he could help, but he knew that he could do nothing. Both men were prisoners of a corrupt system, who held them in attempts to bring in more funding for their police station and government. One man was held after being betrayed and illegally searched, the other from a girl who had cried wolf on the crime of rape.

After the story was over, Omen called Betty back on the phone. Elle had indeed picked up Omen’s phone, as well as many of his personal effects. Omen asked Betty to call Elle one more time, simply that she might be given a list of people to call for Omen. Omen was aware that several people talked to him each day, and would worry at his sudden disappearance. Omen asked Betty to have Elle call several people, so they would at least be informed. Elle had a message sent back to Omen as well. She was working on finding a way for Omen to be free from jail. But without a bond amount, nothing could be done. Omen was stuck for the rest of the day, unable to do anything but wait.

The rest of the day only made the situation worse. The holding cell was kept extremely cold for no reason. Being as large as he was, the small blanket he was provided only covered about half of Omen’s body at once. As such he spent the majority of the day shuffling back and forth, fighting his body’s internal temperature drop. Eventually, lunch was delivered. But it consisted solely of squares of cold turkey and cheese sandwiches. Nothing warm was provided, nor was any sort of drink. This was a snack, not a meal, and Omen was told that this was all that was provided for lunch and dinner. The guards cared nothing for their prisoners, treating them with constant disrespect. Omen was thoroughly disgusted at the way the system operates. They imprison people any way they can, force them into situations where they can contact no one, refuse to even feed or keep them warm, then force them to buy their way out of it. What kind of Justice was any of this constant abuse? These were people’s friends and family. Omen knew he could not possibly be the only person imprisoned for an unjust reason, as one sat in the same cell with him. How many of these stories existed in this jail? In the county, or the state of Texas as a whole? And what about the government that does the same, calling it’s offenders traitors and terrorists instead of just criminals? Was Omen just the small fish in the Sea of Injustice?

As the day went on, this seemed to be the case. One man, who had been sleeping since Omen had arrived, finally awoke. He had no idea why he was in jail, and begged the guards to at least tell him that much. But they refused to do so, saying the man would find out when the judge came the next morning. Omen sat and talked with him for a time, trying to help him figure out where he had come from. The man was thankful for Omen’s help. Having acquired several blankets, he gave Omen one of his extras. Now, Omen could finally manage to curl up into a ball and cover himself completely. He awoke shortly thereafter, when a teenager entered the cell. Omen sat up, and found out what had brought him to jail. Apparently, he and his mother had been in a major argument, and he had broken a window in her house. In response, the mother had her child arrested. But one of the other prisoners assured him that, as a minor, he would be released the next day.

Dinner arrived, more turkey and cheese triangles. The minor, knowing he would go home the next day, wanted nothing to do with the cheap food. He gave his sandwiches to Omen, who gave half to another prisoner. Omen ate the open half of the sandwich, then rolled himself back up under his blanket. He had been cold the entire day, and decided to use his body heat to give him one semi-warm meal. If he stayed huddled under the blankets with the sandwich, soon it would become warm as well. Omen tried to fall asleep as he thought about enjoying some warm food for a change. But the door was opened, and the guards burst in. They demanded all the plastic wrappers from the sandwiches. After counting them, the guards demanded to know where the other sandwich was. Omen came out from the blankets, and told them why he had not eaten it. The night guards, who had proven in every situation to be nothing than spoiled children abusing authority, demanded Omen eat his food immediately. They said they would return in fifteen minutes, and collect the wrapper. If Omen was not done eating, then they would take the sandwich from him.

Omen hurriedly ate his food. When the guards returned, Omen produced the empty wrapper as instructed. His food had not had time to warm, but at least it was not ice cold as before. The guards turned to leave, but one of them was not finished harassing Omen. He had noticed Omen’s size, and had seen him rolled up under the blankets. The guard demanded to know how many blankets Omen had. Omen explained that one had not been enough, so he was given another. When asked by who, Omen refused to give any names. The guard huffed and puffed at Omen, flashing around his perceived Power. He yanked the extra blanket from Omen, then the guards left the cell. Omen heard the rotten guard talking after they left, bragging about what he had done for no reason. These were the people that were paid to watch over prisoners, people given authority and measures of Power. The point of this system is to enact Justice, but Omen had not seen a single example of it yet.

Left with one blanket, the rest of the night was cold and restless. Omen was only able to sleep for about two hours before the cold gripped him, and he was forced to wake up and move around. Another man was eventually brought into the cell. Omen was awakened by the man’s loudness, as was everyone else in the cell. The group began to grumble at the man for disturbing them, but he was obviously drunk and did not care. Trying to mitigate problems, Omen stood up and talked with him. According to his story, he had been plucked from a bar nearby, after being assaulted by three people. The three people were the owner of the bar and two others, who had then made the single man out to be the problem. Regardless of the truth in this story, Omen helped the man as he could. The man’s English was not the best, and he did not understand how the phone worked. Omen explained the rigged phone, and how it could be used. As the man finally calmed down and began calling numbers, Omen was able to drift back off to sleep. He hoped that the morning would finally bring an end to his misery, that his unjust imprisonment would end.

It was just after 6 AM when Omen awoke. The guards were forcing everyone awake, as they thrust them their meager breakfast. Omen had not expected much, having been fed turkey and cheese sandwiches twice throughout an entire day. But as they tossed a packaged Honey Bun at him, Omen truly understood how horribly prisoners were treated here. What person could survive on food like this, with no nutritional value whatsoever? Soon after the miserable breakfast, the judge finally arrived. It was time for all the prisoners, save for the minor and the man arrested the night before, to stand before this man. Omen hoped as he waited for his turn that he might be able to explain his situation, that perhaps something might be done. But as the aging fat judge sat down in front of the chained prisoners, his first words to them all showed how little he cared about Justice, his job, or anything at all.

“I am only here for your arraignment. I do not care about the conditions surrounding your individual cases, so don’t bother telling me.”

The judge called each prisoner forward. Apparently, according to the new laws, the citizens of Killeen were not required to have their rights read to them until after they were arraigned in jail. This was absurd, as Omen had known since he was a child that these rights were required to be read upon an individual arrest. But Omen had not been the only one to not have his rights read to him as he was arrested, it seemed only once imprisoned were people now allowed to know their rights. And the only right the officers, the guards, and the judges even followed was their demands for the prisoners to keep silent. Omen was called forward, and read his misdemeanor offense. But he was shocked when the judge levied a three-thousand dollar bond on him. Omen had never been in jail before, and his record was clean. Why was the amount of his bond more than all the court and ticket fees would have been if a ticket had been issued instead? How was it fair to more than double the cost of such a small thing through such underhanded and forceful tactics? Was the entire Justice system now just a money scheme?

Omen was forced to sign the paper with his name on it, accepting the bond for something that had been started by illegal police action. But he had no choice, the only other option was to sit in the holding cell longer. Omen took his right to a court-appointed attorney, as he had no money to cover one of his own. Omen had no idea what this would mean, only the stories he had heard. Perhaps maybe his lawyer would understand, and could help him find a way out of this unnecessary chaos. After everyone had signed, all the prisoners were shuffled back into the holding cell. The judge had finished his duty, and now stood around for a moment discussing food with the guards. This was something they seemed to enjoy doing, bringing in food simply to parade it in front of people that had almost nothing to eat. Omen’s rage at all of them began to well up in his eyes. But he had to remain calm, letting his anger out would only extend his sentence. But everything inside Omen wished for real Justice to return. For people like this, that abused Power and authority, Omen hoped their whole lives would become chaotic and tormenting. People such as this do not deserve the lives they are given, as they use those lives solely to harm others.

Omen sat down and began to pray to the Father. He asked to be given strength, that he might continue to endure. Whatever was to happen next, Omen knew he would fight as he always had. Though the system of crime and imprisonment was much stronger and more ingrained than the other people Omen had dealt with recently, the battle would not be much different. They would strive to force Omen into submission, and try to make him pay as much as possible to do so. But the mindset of these people was not much different than Omen encountered while serving in the Army. They were brainwashed around their own system’s lies, and used their positions of so-called Law and Order to create more prisoners and criminals. Most of the monsters in jail were not the prisoners held in the cells, but the guards that treated those prisoners like animals. The difference was that the guards were able to get away with acting however they wanted, because the prisoners were behind bars. Omen wondered how many of these guards would be destroyed in single combat within minutes outside of their job, and without their precious guns to protect them.

A new officer entered the holding area. He carried with him several pairs of handcuffs. This officer had been sent to retrieve all those prisoners in the holding cell that were not to be released that day, to transport them all to a larger jail. Omen sighed, knowing his name was on the list before anything was said. He lined up with everyone else, and accepted the cuffs on his wrists. Each set of cuffs was linked to the others. Omen laughed a bit to himself, knowing this was his first “chain gang”. But apparently Omen was a larger threat than the other prisoners, as he was the only one they felt necessary to place ankle cuffs on. The prisoners were shuffled out the door of the jail, and into a van built for prisoner transport. The van drove for almost thirty minutes before finally arriving at it’s destination. The Bell County Jail had many procedures which kept prisoners inside. Omen watched as the van went through multiple doors. The guard released the prisoners from the van, and all went inside.

After basic evaluations of the prisoners and their belongings, everyone was shuffled into several small holding cells. The cells all faced the center area, referred to as “The Pit”. Inside The Pit were several long benches to be sat on, with a wall separating male from female. Just past the benches were four phones, which looked exactly like the phones in the Killeen Jail. Omen was able to get the attention of a guard, and asked him about the phones. He explained what had been going on in the other jail, and asked if he would encounter the same here. The guard told Omen that the phones at this jail worked normally, save for the collect charges. Omen knew that as soon as he was released from the cell, and allowed to use the phones, one of his theories would be proven. Either all jail phones were designed this way, or Killeen was running a separate scam altogether.

It was more than an hour before anyone was let out of their holding cells. The guards did not seem to want to do their jobs, and spent time talking while nothing was processed. Once the cells started to fill up, many were let out into The Pit. Omen picked up a phone, and immediately dialed his cell phone number. If he was able to make a call, it needed to be Elle. Omen was happy to hear the mechanical voice ask for his name to be stated, and tell him that he would be given a “short free call”. He had been correct in his assumption. The phone in the Killeen Jail was rigged, specifically to prevent people from contacting their loved ones. But this did not mean that the County Jail was appropriate, Omen already saw signs to the contrary. The laziness of the guards, as well as their demeanor when asked simple questions, did not speak well on the nature of the jail.

Omen was happy to hear Elle’s voice on the other end of the phone. When the first thirty seconds of the call ended, the phone cut off. It seemed that was all that free allowed. In order to continue to conversation, Elle would have to accept a ten-dollar charge. This charge only gave them a short few minutes with which to talk, so Omen did his best to use them wisely. They spoke about where Omen had been moved to, and Elle said she was looking for a cheaper bondsman. After speaking with Betty, she had asked them for a total of 450 dollars to cover Omen’s portion of the bond, as well as the associated fees. Neither Omen nor Elle had this kind of money, so she was looking for a cheaper method. Omen told Elle that he would survive until the best method was found for him to obtain his freedom. The call ended cheerfully, as Omen did not want Elle to worry about him. He needed her to stay strong, she was his only link to the outside world.

Omen went and sat down on one of the benches. Shortly thereafter, the guards announced that all prisoners would be returning to their cells. It was time for their shift change, and they were ready to go home. Another hour passed, as no one was processed. As far as Omen could tell, not a single person had completed the process since he had arrived. It had already been four hours, and Omen had spoken to no one. Finally, shortly after 5 PM, the new guards allowed the prisoners back into the Pit. Everyone was cold, and no one had blankets. At least air moved freely inside the Pit, and it was much better heated. Over managed to control his shivering, even as they foced him to stay seated. Omen wanted simply to walk balk and forth until his body warmed back up, but this was against their rules.

Finally, dinner was served. Considering the meals over the last day, Omen had no idea what to expect. But he was pleasnatly surprised to be handed a chow-hall style tray and a cup. The tray contained a basic set of foods, which together made a generally balanced meal. There was bread, meat, starch, vegetables, and even a dessert. The cup held the generic beverage drink that was being served. But Omen ate over bit of this meal happily, for he had been starving for some time. He especially enjoyed the cheap salad, although he wished it was a better kind. After his tray was clean, Omen handed everything back to the guards. He sat back down, deciding to converse with the other prisoners quietly.

Omen found out something he had not been told since his arrest. It was called a “Personal Recognizance Bond”, or PR Bond for short. This was a special type of bond service offered by the county in which an offense was cited. According to the prisoners, a PR bond was much cheaper than any other service, going for as low as 25-30 dollars. This amount Omen knew he could afford, and asked what it took to attain one. The prisoners said that PR Bonds were for those people whose offenses were minor, or that had no prior offenses. It was a sort of “gift” the system gave to those who were not repeat offenders, to allow them to get off lightly the first time. Omen realized as he sat listening to their explanations that this was what he had been looking for. A PR Bond was designed just for people like him, with minor offenses and clean records.

Omen asked what he should do next. He was sent to dial the same number on the phone that he had tried to call first from the Killeen Jail. Like all other outside numbers, this had produced a “cannot receive collect calls” message. But from this jail an automated voice responded, asking for Omen’s information. After he had provided it, Omen sat back down in the Pit. He hoped that soon the lady would call his name, and he could be on his way to freedom. Many instances of injustice and flat-out illegal behavior had placed Omen inside the jail. He hoped that this time, the Law would be what helped him get out. As he waited, Omen decided to try a few other calls. He called his mother, but the phone was answered by his step-father. He barely spoke during the free moments, and after it cut off he refused the charges. Omen called his father, but the phone was found not to take collect calls of any kind. It seemed his family cared nothing about his Fate, so he decided to move on without them.

Omen called another number he remembered. Jamie answered her cell phone, and the two spoke for a short time. Omen informed Jamie of all that he could before the free call ended. He knew Jamie could not afford high phone bills, as she already used a pre-paid phone. But she had promised to write to him, as soon as he could get her an address. Omen was called by name, and moved forward hoping it was time to go. But instead he was moved into a chair with a screen in front of it. On the other end was a tired-looking man, who said he was Omen’s attorney. He promised to be in contact soon, but said the police report for Omen’s case had not even been filed yet. He claimed it might be days before the “discovery” he had filed for would show result. The man said he would let Omen know when he found something out. He did not give his name, phone number, or any information by which he might be contacted before ending the conversation. Omen’s spirits were dampened as he sat down in the Pit again. It seemed many things in the legal system were broken, and most of them didn’t want to be fixed.

Omen’s name was finally called. It was already after 9 PM, it had been seven hours since Omen had arrived. Omen saw the very first person process through, leaving in their orange jumpsuit. One person, and it had only taken seven hours. As Omen walked into the back area, he sat down and spoke with a woman. It was found that she was the one who dealt with the County’s PR Bonds. She had received Omen’s information, but told him that there was a complication. According to her, once a bondsman has been contacted about a bond, the County cannot touch that bond for 24 hours. What a coincidence, that the people now couldn’t help Omen for another day. Omen pleaded his case with her, explaining that she was contacted first. The issue had been the rigged phones in the Killeen Jail, which did not allow her to be contacted. She said she would ask her supervisor about the situation, and asked Omen to go sit back down. Omen waited for awhile, only to find out worse news. It seemed that someone had informed her that Omen had intentions to leave for California. Based on this, Omen would not be staying after his court hearing. They denied Omen a PR Bond, saying that his want to change state residency was the deciding factor. Once again, Omen’s hopes for Justice had been dashed by the system of Law.

Shortly after this decision was made, Omen was finally called in for processing. His personal data was taken, as were all his various photographs. As a machine processed his identification badge, he worked on other things. they asked about any allergies he had, any problems they needed to know about. omen responded that his only problem was the continuous lack of Justice that he was facing, and the fact that no one seemed to care. One of the guards seemed to understand Omen’s position a bit. He was sent to a small table, where another man awaited him.

The man said he had something for Omen. Based on the nature of his crime, and the situation he found himself in, they wanted to offer him a deal. It was something they called “Trustee Status”. Basically, the agreement goes like this: work, doing whatever task assigned to you, and each day you serve counts as three. This deal meant, according to the man, that Omen’s sentence would be extremely short. Due to the fact that the maximum penalty for this first offense was 30 days imprisonment, dividing that by three meant Omen would be out in just over a week. They sent Omen back to the benches to consider this option as they continued to process his paperwork. Omen sat and considered all of his options, of which there were few. Omen bowed his head and prayed, asking for any sort of guidance he could get. But ever since he had been in jail, Omen had found himself unable to focus outward. The only voice he could hear was Abbadon’s, which very weakly told Omen to stay strong. He said, “This will be one of your strongest tests. You will have to succeed or fail on your own, no one can help you”. Then his voice was gone, and nothing else was heard.

Omen made a decision. He quickly ran up to the phone, deciding to spend another ten dollars to contact Elle. he told her to stop contacting bondsmen. he would wait out his sentence. He had decided this was much better than paying money to only be free temporarily. He knew that in court he would just end up paying more if he did not sit out his time in jail. Even though Omen felt this whole thing was wrong, he would simply fight through it. If they were telling the truth, he would be out within two weeks. Omen said he could survive that long, and told Elle to focus on her future. She had college courses to prepare for, and they had plans to move. Omen would not allow this petty nonsense to change the plans for his life, the things he knew he was supposed to do. Omen had already survived so much, he knew jail would be no different. He tols Elle to keep faith, and hung up the phone. He went to the guards, and told them he was ready to sign the paperwork.

The next part of the process moved relatively quickly. Omen was given his wristband, and handed a bundle of clothes. He was told to change completely out of his current outfit, and to bring those items back to the guard. He would be dressed only in what they gave him, an outfit of dark green. Omen was told that the difference in color was the difference between Trustees and other prisoners. After he changed, and handed away the last of his personal items, Omen was shuffled into an individual holding cell. He was told he had to remain there until an officer came to retrieve him. Unlike the main prisoners, the Trustees were kept in another location. Omen sat down to await this transfer, finally seeing an end to the dark tunnel he was trapped in. If he could just get moved, and serve his tripled days, he would be out very quickly.

There was no way for Omen to see the passage of time inside his individual cell. But the cold air pumped in kept him all but frozen. Omen asked for a blanket, and was told he was not authorized one. Since he was not to stay in that jail,he had to wait until he arrived to receive his blanket. Omen tried his best to stay warm during this time. He developed a process to force time to pass, though it was uncomfortable in every aspect. He would get up, do various forms of exercise to raise his body temperature, then lay back down and force himself to sleep. In this way, Omen knew he was passing several hours. But despite all this effort, no one seemed to be coming for him. The hours grew later, and movement outside the cell seemed to die down. Omen had asked for anssers over the intercom, but was given nothing in response.

Fed up with the nonsense, Omen began to beat on the cell door. Using every part of his size and weight, Omen knew he was making a large amount of noise. It was not long before this racket attracted one of the guards. The short female was dressed in several layers of clothing, including her thick police coat. She asked Omen why he was making such a disturbance. Omen demanded to know why he was being held by himself for so long, and why no officer was coming for him. He asked only for a single blanket, and said that would be enough to keep him pacified. His biggest issue was that the small cell was kept a a terribly low temperature, and he could not rest comfortably. The guard scoffed at Omen, saying the cell was not cold. Omen asked how she would know, with all those layers covering her. She told Omen, “I can change your paperwork, and send you in the hole with the rest of the animals. You sit in here and shut up until somebody comes for you, I don’t want to hear another word”. With that she left, giving Omen no answers of help at all.

Omen went back to his process of keeping warm. This place was disgusting. It seemed like every one of these guards enjoyed torturing the people they processed, simply because they had the ability to. Omen wondered how this was allowable. Even when in the Army, Omen had been told that prisoners are guaranteed fair treatment. It was the lack of this that had gotten so many soldiers operating military prisons fame when people discovered that they were mistreating their prisoners. So why was the Justice system inside Omen’s own country, one he had served, treating him like this? Omen had given years of his life in service to the Army, only to be treated with disrespect and intolerance. Now it seemed that even the civilian world was bent on terrorizing Omen’s life, until he was broken completely. Omen forced himself to sleep as he huddled inside his own shirt, hoping that he might freeze solid. Perhaps then the guards might understand that too much cold is a bad thing for the Human body. Maybe then the next person like Omen would get a blanket, and not have to feel this way...

28

Omen awoke to the sound of the cell door being opened. He fell off the small bench he had been sleeping on, finding that his entire left arm was numb. Omen managed to get up to his feet. Standing in front of him was a male officer, dressed in the garb of actual police and not guards. This must be Omen’s transport finally.

“You ready?”

“To get out of here? Hell yeah!”

Omen happily accepted the handcuffs around his wrists. He strode out of the cell, and was glad to see the door closed behind him. He asked the guard what time it was, and was told it was 5:30 AM. He had waited for seven hours to be picked up. According to the officer, he was available until midnight the previous evening, well after Omen had finished processing. This meant the guards had intentionally left him to freeze, rather than send him where he was supposed to be. He was escorted all the way out of the holding area, back into the parking deck where he had arrived. He climbed into the back seat of a patrol car, which quickly left the County Jail.

Omen watched the cars go by, enjoying the small taste of freedom. At least for that moment, Omen was part of society again. Omen watched the passing buildings as they drove further into town. He took not of the Courthouse building as he passed it, wondering if that was where his hearing would be held. The vehicle finally stopped just down the street, next to a single barred door. Various objects were scattered around the door, and a camera was positioned above the doorway. A buzz sounded, and the officer led Omen inside. Omen shuffled into the small area between the two security doors. He entered the main hallway, no more than 8 feet wide. He stood in front of a wall of bars and bullet-proof glass, with a thick metal door leading inside. The door was only openable from outside when not locked from the inside, a fact Omen noticed as the guards moved around. After several minutes, Omen was led into the office next to where he had been standing.

He met a guard who was given the rank of Corporal, the person in charge of this shift. The Corporal explained the basic responsibilities that Omen would have inside this jail, which they called The Annex. It had once been a juvenile detention center. But it had recently been refurbished to house adult prisoners, due to the overpopulation of the jails. This building housed those prisoners the system had deemed “low-threat”, based on their crimes and individual records. The Annex had several floors, each one separating various categories of criminals. Omen was to be placed into Dorm 5, and he was told he would be called the next day. They had to do a full medical evaluation on him before he was qualified to be a Trustee. Omen voiced his understanding of everything he was told. He was led back into the hallway, and pointed toward a pile of items. These were the things Omen was to be issued, this was the entirety of what he would have in jail. Omen picked up the plastic container, seeing the small bag inside. He held the container under his right arm, picking up the mattress he was given with the left. After going up to the third floor in the secured elevator, Omen was moved toward the door of a large cell. He was led inside, and the door was closed behind him.

Omen found an empty bunk, and placed his mattress onto it. He grabbed the sheets and blankets the guard had left by the door for him, and made his bed. Then Omen opened the plastic container, and examined what had been put inside. He found a spork, made of thick orange plastic. Omen had been told this was the only form of silverware provided, and each prisoner was responsible for keeping ahold of their own. He found a tiny bar of soap, a small tube of toothpaste, and a tiny toothbrush. The rest of the contents were materials for writing. Omen laughed when he saw the cheap flexible pen. This was a safety measure, to prevent writing utensils from being made into weapons. But the pen was found to be nearly impossible to use. Another inmate assisted Omen, teaching him how to use the label from the deodorant in the bag to make the pen easier to use. Omen thanked his cell mate, and was given a basic rundown of the Dorm.

The Dorm existed very racially separate. Each group was found to generally associate amongst themselves. Even the setup of sleep seemed to be split racially, something which Omen’s selection of bed had interfered with. But he had no bias, nor affiliation to any of them. He explained that he saw all people as simply that, until they gave him a reason. This was accepted, and Omen was given a better tour. The process of mutual bathroom use was explained, how towels covered the open area of the toilets when someone needed privacy. The inmates tried to show each other at least a basic level of respect, simply because they had to live together. Showers were taken in whatever order people waited in line, in a single-person stall inside the Dorm. In the center were the tables where they ate, as well as where they spent their free time. A small TV was suspended near the ceiling, which several people sat watching. This was the extent of the Dorm, this was where Omen would be staying for a time.

The rest of the day was a training exercise in jail life. When lunch was preparing to come, the inmates began to talk amongst each other heavily. They were working out deals for the various parts of their food, trading it for other foods or amenities. Several people pulled out plastic bowls with lids, revealing food they had stored from previous meals. Omen sat and ate his meal, watching the process unfold. Everyone traded either food they had or food they would be getting for a variety of food, drink, and favor. Nothing illegal nor immoral was discussed, simply basic exchanges. One of the major amenities this applied to was the bags of instant coffee. This was considered a prized thing to have, as almost everyone drank it. It was made using the two electric water boiler pots, the only source of heat they had. These pots were even used to cook packages of Ramen noodles inside the plastic bowls. The lid and plastic allowed the noodles to be sufficiently heated before the water cooled down.

After lunch, Omen learned about the Commissary system in the jail. Everything they had, outside of the same small bag Omen had been given, had to be paid for. Doing so required money to be put onto an inmate account. But the inmates cannot put money on their own accounts. Someone from the outside has to visit the jail, and put money into a machine that manages the accounts. This machine charges a fee to place money onto the account, even though this was the only method to do so. Omen was handed a list of all the things sold. Everything on the list was exorbitantly overpriced. Even the simple package of Ramen noodles that people were eating was overpriced by over 300 percent. Omen inventoried the things he knew he would need, realizing quickly that simply to survive in jail for a short time would be expensive. It would cost him at least fifty dollars just to acquire hygiene items, things to write letters with, and a few basic snacks. Based on the amounts listed, these things would not last very long, meaning that they would have to be purchased regularly at this rate.

Omen went and sat down on his bunk. “Here we go again,” he said to himself. Omen knew he was starting to see the bigger picture. According solely to laws developed during a time when cultural fear was higher than cultural intelligence, Omen had been locked away. If he had been issued a ticket, Omen would have paid a small fine and walked away. But by doing this, the County was forcibly taking money from Omen, as well as his loved ones. As soon as he was thrown in jail, the process had started. Forced to only call the expensive bail bondsmen, or else he would have no outside contact and be trapped. The outrageous collect call fees, the animalistic treatment from the guards. All of it was wrapped around the ability to take as much money as possible from the person they considered a criminal. Omen sat by himself, questioning the legality of such a system. Constitutional Laws dictate that Double Jeopardy was illegal, that a person can only pay one penalty for a crime. But if that were the case, why were all these additional fees allowed to be added?

Following the methods they want you to, a person would pay for years for almost nothing. This would lead to an inability to properly fund their individual lives, leading them to end up destitute. Having already been in jail, these people would turn back to crime simply to survive, knowing that if they were caught they would go back to jail. They system was totally corrupted inside itself, based on the choices made by the people in control. If a prisoner could serve their time and truly be set free, they might move on with their lives. But with years of restrictions and fines to follow even serving jail time and paying all the court and ticket fees, there was no escape. There was no path to actual freedom, simply chains of a different kind. Chains designed to hold a person for as long as possible, or until they could be blamed for something else.

Looking at the design of it, Omen realized how flawed it was. If criminals are born by their own choices, then criminals will continuously be produced naturally. But if the system to deal with these criminals simply steals everything they have and sends them back, it only recycles the problem. The number would grow more drastically with the system in place, as the old and new criminals could associate with one another while in jail. This would lead to more organized criminal activity, as it had been planned for years in advance. The Law and the criminals would constantly war with one another over control, as each believed themselves right in their actions. In order to combat the increasing criminal element, the police would have to adopt shady tactics, becoming like the criminals they sought to arrest. This would cause those inside the Law to be corrupted, which would slowly corrupt the Law itself. Looking around at his situation, Omen realized that this was where he found himself. Trapped in a system of Law that was just as corrupt as any mafia, for they utilized the same tactics. Threats, fear, and force.

Omen sat for some time, and finally came up with a plan. He picked up the phone, dialing his cell phone again. Elle responded on the other end, happy to hear from Omen. Omen explained the plan he had put together. He asked Elle to use his phone to get in contact with Kindra. Through her, Elle could gain access to Omen’s room. There he had left his wallet, as well as excess money he had left hidden. Also inside the backpack were the Klonipin he had been prescribed from the VA. Though he rarely took it, Omen knew it would be useful. With the lack of smoking inside the jail, the medicine would help relieve the effects of quitting cold turkey. Once she obtained these things, Elle could visit the Jail. She could place money on Omen’s account, which he could use to buy phone cards and other necessities. As well she could give his prescription to the guards, and they could issue him proper dosages as was directed. This was the best idea Omen could come up with quickly, and time was important. Omen did not want to stay inside the cell pondering his Fate, he wanted to take hold of it.

Omen ended the conversation by reassuring Elle that everything would be fine. Despite the situation, Omen’s faith had not changed. He reminded Elle that he had seen this coming months before, and that experiencing it was just a reaffirmation that he was on the right path. Based solely on this, he told Elle he would endure. As long as his faith remained, the cell in which he was kept would not hold him. After Omen laid back down on his bed, he closed his eyes and prayed. He couldn’t feel anything around him, but he knew he was not alone. Omen would never give up, he had been through too much. What he encountered now was different than his other experiences, but it was based on the same thing. The system, just like Sara and Jamie, were simply taking advantage of Omen to serve their own needs. But this was different in that the prison system uses freedom and comfort as their tools of manipulation, rather than love or sex. Their end goal was every dollar they managed to extort out of the prisoner during their stay, it had nothing to do with Justice. But Omen knew that he was following what the Father had told him, and this system of Broken Justice would not be able to interfere.

The next day, Omen was called downstairs for his evaluations. After they were completed, Omen was told that the next day he would be evaluated mentally. After the completion of this final test, Omen was told to pack his things. He was moved from Dorm 5 to Dorm 4, specifically reserved for the Trustees that worked. Omen chose the top bunk of the bed closest to the cell wall, the point closest to freedom. From here, Omen decided he would strengthen his resolve. He introduced himself to the other Trustees. Some were to be transferred soon, either to State Prison or rehab facilities. Others had come recently, having become settled just before Omen arrived. They sat and explained the differences in the lifestyle of a Trustee versus the other inmates.

Agreeing to work extra in order to reduce the time inside had it’s benefits. Omen had been informed that he was to be promoted even further up the Trustee chain, becoming what they called “Black-and-White Trustee”. This position was given to very few, existing only three to four at a time. The status was so special that it even afford a higher bonus, allowing the days worked to be at a 4-to-1 ratio. When Omen found out about this he was stunned. This meant he would be out in as little as a week. But even during that time, Omen had other benefits to look forward to. When a Trustee did their job, the next corresponding meal’s size was doubled. For many Trustees, this meant double meals almost all day long. This led to better trading habits among the Trustees, for some of the foods were not desired. One way or another, hungry prisoners found a way to be somewhat fed.

Another benefit of being a Trustee was a matter of cleanliness. Inside the jail, all the prisoners were given changes of clothes once a week. But every shift a Trustee worked afforded them a clean outfit as well. This was something Omen happily accepted, as he had always tried to keep himself clean. He despised the thought that he might be forced to wear the same dirty clothes for days, as that breeds disease. It seemed that Omen’s decision to become a Trustee had been one of his best, as it had afforded him many opportunities he would not have had otherwise.

During the times between details, the Trustess would be found playing dominoes, spades, and watching TV. There were certain times that this was said to be the case by habit, revolving around the sleep schedules of various shifts of workers. This was most common after dinner, when the shows on TV were most worth watching. Everyone made a point to try and agree on which shows were watched. There was no direct racial separation inside the Trustee Dorm, simply shifts of workers assigned to various tasks. As Omen laid down to sleep the first night, he saw great potential in the days ahead. perhaps his stay wouldn’t be so terrible. With all he had planned, soon he would have funds to buy a few things. And with Elle’s help, at four days to one, Omen felt his sentence would go by swiftly. All he had to do was keep faith, and refuse to give in to the torments around him.

During the next several days, Omen fell in to the habitual process of life in the Dorm. Being close to the cell wall, Omen was awakened nearly every time the guards called for Trustees. This happened late at night, as well as early in the morning. Some were called to perform cleaning of the hallways and doors on the jail during the times when prisoners were mostly bedded down. In the early morning, Trustees were summoned to go prepare breakfast for the prisoners. All the assigned Chow Trustees grumbled and moaned, but eventually set out from the Dorm. About an hour later, the rest of the prisoners were awakened. Trays were slid through an opening in the center of the cell door. Prisoners qualifying for a second tray were handed it. At times, due to people being on other details, extra trays were left over. The prisoners, Omen included, worked to finagle these excess trays of food from the guards. This process they called “Trayjacking”, and Omen was learning from the best. Another prisoner, who had been there longer, showed Omen the easiest ways to get a second tray without being noticed. Between the two of them, many trays were shared amongst the Dorm.

After breakfast, the prisoners that had leftovers they wanted to keep loaded them into the plastic bowls, and everyone went back to sleep. This was a commonplace activity in the day of each prisoner. It is referred to as, “Sleeping off your time”. An inmate focuses themselves into a state where they can easily continue to sleep, in order to pass the time of their sentence more quickly. Some swore by this process, saying their entire stay of months had felt like a few days, and they were now well-rested. As each individual found themselves incapable of any more sleep, they would be found to shuffle awake. Most generally moved towards making themselves coffee, trips to the bathroom, and time spent watching TV. The volume on the TV was kept intentionally low in the mornings, so people could continue to rest.

The biggest interruptions were summons for various Trustees. There were many tasks, and categories were designated for each. The ones summoned most often were the Kitchen Trustees, who were called regularly three times a day to make food. This was their only detail, and they ate especially good for their work. Next were the Floor Trustees, summoned at several different times each day. The Floor Trustees were many in number, but each detail required only three. As such they worked rotationally, and usually no more than twice in a day. The other basic type of Trustee dealt with the laundry for the entire jail. This team spent their days down in the building’s basement, folding and sorting the clothing. All the prisoners of these types wore the same green uniforms while they worked as they did while inside the Dorm, being given fresh clothing each time.

But Omen was none of these. His classification was Black-and-White. He had to get a second wristband to support this change in status. The others that shared Omen’s classification were pulled from the Dorm each day. They were taken to the main jail, where they worked on various tasks. But only two of them were ever taken at a time, and three existed counting Omen. Omen’s task was shared by no other, and when he found out about it he had to laugh. For the job that separated him from everyone else, and gave him such a functional method to be free, was washing police cars. Omen pulled the guards aside, asking if he had misunderstood. They responded the second day by calling for Omen. He went downstairs, and was told to change. The uniform he was given was white with black stripes, and he was told he had work to do.

Omen was handed rags and soap, along with a very light brush. He was told to clean the police cruiser, and do his best to make the job good. As he was outside, Omen enjoyed the fresh air. He looked around, seeing life going on without him. People lived, cars moved, time passed. But Omen was not a part of any of these things as long as he remained trapped. Omen worked very hard to clean the car’s exterior, as one of the rules stated that he could not get inside. This meant there were places that could not be cleaned properly, a point Omen made clear almost immediately. Omen spent about thirty minutes washing the police car, until finally he could do no more. It wasn’t his finest work, but it had been a nice experience. The only downside was the collection of cigarette butts that filled the can nearby, and the fact that Omen could not smoke. He had gotten to wash a car, something he enjoyed doing, while being outside for a time. If only he had a cigarette, he felt the day would have been perfect. He was almost sad to go back inside, wishing he had more cars to wash.

It was during the afternoons of each day that the society within Dorm 4 awakened. This was because the food served at breakfast was small and unfilling. Everyone went back to sleep in the mornings, or was called to work. After lunch, once the prisoners had eaten a decent meal, they began to converse. Many of these conversations revolved around the meals themselves, and a constant misunderstanding as to the nature of the Grid. This was a piece of paper on the wall, which contained a grid of meals. It was listed by breakfast/lunch/dinner, but the paper was not just for a single time period. This menu was constantly rotated from beginning to end, with almost no change in the contents. The problems arose in people’s inability to understand the grid without dates attached to it. But Omen was able, after a few days, to locate their position on the Grid. From that day on, Omen was the one who let everyone know which meals were next.

Each day was a new discussion. These discussions were held by the bunks, at the tables, and next to the door of the cell. They discussed their projected food trades over the next few meals. They discussed the shows they watched on TV. They discussed the reasons for their individual arrests. They discussed strategies in games as they played. They told jokes to one another, and at times roaring laughter was heard in the Dorm. Not everyone got along, as some took offense to things that were said. This led to certain people only wanting to play spades or dominoes, the only games available, if certain others were not playing. Omen was ostracized in this way for a time, based on another’s opinion of him. But Omen did not need to play games with them to keep busy, he had found another method.

Upon his initial arrival in Dorm 5, Omen had found a book amongst the things lying around. The title was “The Joy of Living”, and it was written by a Buddhist monk of much training and knowledge. Omen had originally picked up the book because he had nothing else to do. But as he read each page, he wanted to read more. The book started off very basically, but each point made was building understanding. By the end of the book, Omen’s viewpoints on meditation, the adaptability and functionality of the mind, and himself had become clearer. What he had read had not changed his faith, but it had expanded his Understanding. For the first time, Omen was able to fully meditate inside the Void, floating within it free of thought or emotion for hours. The things he had learned had helped him perfect some of his own techniques. As such, Omen knew he had read a valuable book, not just a story to pass the time.

In between pages of the story, Omen wrote letters to the outside world. He wrote to Elle first, for she had done the most for him. Omen was not able to afford to spend money to call her repeatedly. In his letters, Omen detailed out for Elle the things which she could do to help him. This included paying his cell phone bill, so the phone remained on. Omen had talked to Elle recently, but none of the news had been good. Kindra was avoiding her, Elle was still unable to get ahold of Omen’s things. She had tried calling and texting many times, but was repeatedly blown off. Elle wanted to find a way to force Kindra to give up those things which were not hers. Omen told her to just keep trying instead. Though Kindra seemed to care more about her Pizza Hut friends than Omen, he knew things would progress eventually.

But worse than that, Elle told Omen the system was trying to steal his vehicle. The day he was arrested, his vehicle was cited for being parked facing the wrong way. Omen explained the vehicle was broken down, and the direction could be changed. But Omen had been arrested with his keys in his pocket, and the keys now sat inside a bag. Without them the vehicle would not move. The officers that arrested Omen told him verbally that his vehicle was being cited, but that because he was being jailed that it would not take effect until afterward. Elle told Omen that she had looked into it, and found out these were lies. Less than a week after the day he was originally arrested, Omen would have his broken-down truck towed away. The only way to solve this was to get ahold of the keys, and move the vehicle before this happened.

One thing was holding up the other. Elle had convinced her mother to bring her to the jail to visit Omen. But she would only do this one time, so Elle had to handle all her business at once. This meant she had to bring everything that Omen needed for himself and his Inmate Account, then take the keys back with her. This process was accomplishable, and the jail had paperwork that could be filled out to make this happen. But for as long as Kindra was avoiding Elle, time was ticking away on this option. Elle told Omen the police said he had until Monday to find a way to move the vehicle. They had spoken on Wednesday, and later that week the result was still nothing. But Omen was out of money to spend on the phone, so he wrote his thoughts and questions to Elle instead. He knew it would be several days before anything she wrote back reached him, but he eagerly anticipated the response.

Omen started writing another letter. He wrote to Jamie, as she had asked him to during their short conversation. But as he wrote the letter, Omen had no idea what to say. This woman had been terrible to him on multiple occasions. However, they also shared a very close bond, one that existed in deeper aspects than their relationship ever did. Jamie was on a path similar to his. She also sought the Will of the Father in her life, and was unsure which path to take. Omen had been the lamb sacrificed to this process of constant indecision, as Jamie had been incapable of choosing a single path. But now, after all he had learned, Omen did not hurt because of it. Instead he saw all as small steps toward a larger goal, just as his time here was. Omen had seen this before it happened, which always meant he would learn something from this time. He had no idea what these things were, but he was determined to find out. Omen ended the letter with a single request. Jamie was a part of a group Omen ran on Facebook. He asked her to place a message into the group, to inform them of his situation. He asked her to leave his prisoner address, so letters could be sent by anyone that wished to. Omen was not sure if Jamie, or anyone else, would write back. But he hoped they would, ending his letter happily.

The rest of most days, in between each meal, was decided by the programs on television. While a few programs were watched by almost everyone, most were simply to fill time. Many of the inmates hooted and hollered to Jerry Springer. The men drooled as the ladies walked out on 12 Corazones. Tyler Perry sitcoms dominated the evening, along with many other random shows. All these things were wrapped around a schedule centering on the ending football season, and the coming Super Bowl. Every prisoner had their own favorites, and only little groups were ever found actively watching. The rest paid mild attention from their bunks, seeing and listening as they did other things.

Omen’s personal favorite to watch whenever he got the opportunity was Ellen. He had seen the show before jail, but it had been quite some time. Each show had something in it that Omen enjoyed. The kicker from the Vikings, putting footballs through a giant O hanging from a crane. The girl stricken with cancer, who because of Ellen got to work for Cover Girl and feel beautiful. She randomly showcased all kinds of talent, ranging from singers to people that spun cardboard signs. Every story was different, but the point of the show was clear. Ellen was the type that tried to give people a chance to be who they really were, and give those people an audience to witness that. Omen wondered if his life would ever mean anything to other people in the world. He wondered if he might become a guest on a show like this someday. But what would he say, and how much of what he said would even be allowed? Would anyone that did show interest in his story want to do so with anything but a judgmental, accusatory mindset? Would even someone like Ellen, who as a lesbian understood what it meant to be treated differently, be able to smile and speak normally to a dedicated Satanist? Could the conversations be civil, and the barriers of old prejudices be finally broken down? Would Omen ever be capable of achieving something like this?

Omen usually found himself deep in thought by the time dinner came. After some more arguing with the guards over proper tray distribution, everyone enjoyed their final meal. At about this time, the inmates began to ask the guards questions. The questions were about the Recreation Time for the evening. As the Trustees were always working, they never took Rec during the day. At night the temperatures dropped, but many just wanted to go outside. The only rec available was a basketball court on the roof, which had chain link and wire covering the ceiling. But you could see the night sky, the moon, and the stars. Basketball became the only real physical activity, aside from those that did exercises inside the Dorm. Thus the ability to have Rec each night was an important issue for many of the inmates, for whom this was their only release. Omen was not the greatest at basketball, but played his heart out for the sake of the sport. At least it was something different to do, a break from the monotony. Even when checked to the cement, even as his ankle twisted and sprained, Omen smiled and enjoyed the game.

As the evenings drug on the Dorm drifted off to sleep. But their TV viewing, and their rest, was repeatedly disturbed by the guards. The guards had become the common enemy that held the prisoners together as a unit. For they were known to dent the entire Dorm Rec for no reason other than their laziness. Some of the night guards repeatedly smelled of alcohol when they came to work. They smiled as they denied people that had worked their extra trays, or as no one got Rec for days. Any instances of arguments between inmates was quickly quelled as the group stood against their oppressors. They had conflicts and issues amongst themselves, but they were all facing the same injustice. At least for the time in which they shared the same cell, they would stand together against the guards. They sent in complaints day after day, under many of their names. They spoke with every supervisor, demanding that changes be made. They were being lied to directly, treated unethically, and generally disrespected. Even if nothing was done, the inmates demanded to be heard.

At the end of each night, Omen laid down and meditated. Though he had been unable to stretch outside the cell, and unable to hear any of the spirits, Omen’s faith had not waned. Through what he had learned in the book he was reading, Omen worked on expanding his own internal capability. For if trapped inside a situation where expansion becomes impossible externally, the only way to grow is from inside. Omen refused to become stagnant, so he focused on himself. Omen learned to float inside the Void, but felt uncomfortable in doing so. For even with Omen inside, the area was no longer completely Void. And Omen found he preferred to meditate inside pure Darkness, as that was more suiting to him individually. As Omen’s body lay still on the bunk, his spirit sat floating amidst a seemingly endless pool of Dark Energy. It swirled around him thickly, like a fog that would not dissipate. Omen took in some of the Darkness with every breath, expelling out the vileness within. Before long, Omen became barely distinguishable from the Darkness in which he resided.

Once this bonding was complete, and Omen was able to focus himself purely, he stayed in that position meditating. From here, thoughts and visions are like stories projected on a wall. But they seem to skate by so quickly that they would be hard to grasp. Aside from that, the point of this meditation was to avoid chasing the thoughts. As such Omen became a spectator, as his thoughts raced by in all directions. Some were simple words or images, others had a deeper complexity. Omen saw the various sizes of his thoughts, based on how important they were to him personally. Many were easily recognizable, as they were things Omen focused on often. Some of the thoughts would simply skitter by, then turn away and disappear. Others seemed to swirl around in the Darkness with Omen for a time, wishing to be focused on again. But Omen maintained his resolve, and stayed focused inside the Darkness. Eventually all the thoughts faded away, and Omen was left in peace. When he was finished, Omen would return to his body. Sometimes this process lasted only fifteen minutes, others it lasted for hours on end.

29

Omen sat on his bunk, tapping his finger on the mattress impatiently. It was late in the day, and he was tired of waiting. But he had no choice but to do so. He could not move until they called his name, despite how long he had been waiting. What was taking so long? Had an issue come up, was this not going to happen at all? Many others had been called, so it must be happening. But still Omen sat on his bunk, as he had for the entire day. Omen heard footsteps coming from down the hall. The guard arrived, and called Omen to the door. Omen was released from the Dorm, and led down the hallway.

Omen’s step lightened the further he went down the hall. He had been in jail for several days, but he finally had something to enjoy. He had spoken to Elle earlier that day. She was coming to visit him, and finally they could take care of business. Elle had done her best to deal with Kindra, and procure Omen’s things. She had been fought at every turn, as Kindra cared little for Omen’s well-being. There were only two more days until Omen’s vehicle was to be towed. Omen had the form in his hand, filled out and signed, giving Elle the right to acquire his keys. This was a day Omen had been waiting for. Finally, a chance to at least manage some of the issues that had been plaguing his situation. Omen rode the elevator down to the first floor, and was ushered into the visitation room. The room was singular, with seats along a wall of bulletproof glass. Omen sat down on one of the empty stools and waited.

After a few minutes, the door on the other side of the glass opened. Elle came inside, immediately rushing towards where Omen was. She had worn the same red and black dreadfalls that she was wearing the day Omen had come back from Pennsylvania. The dreadfalls were her own making, after she had acquired the necessary materials. The hair and materials for the dreadfalls were Elle’s Christmas present from her mother. She had immediately fashioned two set of dreadfalls, using different colors. Out of the two sets she owned, she knew these were Omen’s favorite. Aside from red and black being Omen’s favorite color combination, it was also what he wore most often. This meant the dreadfalls had a habit of matching Omen’s outfit when they were worn. Omen appreciated how hard Elle had visibly worked to make herself look good for the visit. This was yet another example of how much she cared for him, and how hard she worked to see him happy.

Elle sat down, and they began to converse. The conversation started as expected, as both of them spoke on how they missed each other. Omen found himself being forced to repeat statements more than once, due to the volume of the conversations of the other prisoners. Some of them had no respect, speaking loudly as if yelling. Omen found himself pressing close to the tiny holes in the glass, just so he could hear Elle’s responses. This was a terrible system for visitation, but it was all that was available. Omen knew much business needed to be discussed, and visits were only twenty minutes long. Elle had to ask her Nana to bring her, as her mother was being uncooperative. This would not happen again, so Omen had to make every second count.

Their first discussion was about the things she had brought. Elle had already stopped by, and placed fifty dollars in the machine. But Omen asked her to put in the whole hundred. He needed as much funding as possible. Even a ten-minute phone card was ten dollars in the Commissary. Elle said she would go back after their visit. Omen asked about the medicine he had requested. Elle said she had gotten it, as well as nicotine patches prescribed by the VA. Omen had gotten them when he had considered quitting smoking, but had saved them until he felt the time was right. Elle said the people at the prison would not allow him to have either of these things. Even though they were prescribed medications, and Omen was handing them over through the proper channels to be distributed in the appropriate doses, the Bell County Jail would hear nothing of it. They had sent Elle away with the medications, and she promised to put them away somewhere when she got home.

Then they talked about their inability, on both ends, to get ahold of Omen’s attorney. Omen had filed the necessary paperwork to obtain his name, place of work, and contact number. But whether from the phone in the jail or from outside, it seemed that Omen’s attorney had no want to speak with them. This was distressing, as Omen had already been in jail for nearly a week. He was nearing the time that he should be released. But no one had heard anything on the situation, neither Omen nor Elle. They both agreed to continue making attempts, but the future was not bright in that area. it seemed that Public Defenders do not bother to speak with or associate with their clients at all. Omen was not being questioned about the situation surrounding his arrest, no evidence or statements of any kind were being collected. It seemed that Omen had just been tossed in jail and left to rot.

But while the system kept Omen pinned down, it seemed everyone else was turning on him as well. Elle told Omen stories about what people were saying behind his back. All the people that had claimed to be Omen’s friends while he was around were now speaking almost as if they wanted him to stay in jail. Omen had become a topic of happy discussion in his incarceration, everyone acted like they were better off without him. Even Jamie, who had been in contact with Elle several times, had claimed that Omen was lost. She claimed that she was learning while Omen was gone, and that his faith was impure. Elle said Jamie had even failed to adhere to Omen’s request, even leaving his group as if she were disgusted with him for some reason. It seemed that now people were coming out of the woodwork with claims that they had been hoping for Omen’s demise. Omen had done nothing but try to be nice to these people, and they had turned on him at the first opportunity.

But this was not the worst of the news Elle had for Omen. At first she couldn’t even manage to tell Omen anything, and changed the subject. But when Omen began to tell her about the form he had for her, she began to break down. She said that the police had violated even the sticker on the vehicle, which said it had to be moved by Monday. On Saturday, two days before, Elle had walked down the street to find the vehicle gone. The police had broken their word again, as well as the law. But Omen was in jail, and could do nothing about this. His lawyer would not contact him, and he had no way to get out. Omen’s vehicle, which he had tried so hard to fix, was now gone. All because he had been illegally searched and arrested, and tossed in jail like an animal. Omen began to think about all that he had done with the truck. He had traveled many miles, in between states. The truck had many issues, but it did not deserve this kind of ending. Omen was distraught at the thought that all the time, money, and effort he had spent on his vehicle would mean nothing.

Omen changed the subject, preferring to talk about how Elle was doing. She still had a life on the outside, and Omen wanted her to live it. He asked about her college. Elle said she had finally managed to enroll in her courses, something she had been attempting for some time. Omen congratulated her, for he wanted her to achieve greatness for herself. he had always told her that her greatest accomplishment would be the thing she did that made her feel empowered within herself. Taking some courses, and challenging her mind, would be a great way for Elle to do this. Ever since Elle had mentioned the notion of enrolling in schooling, Omen had pushed her to do the best she could to succeed.

Elle told Omen she would need his help when he got out. She claimed to be having difficulty with some of her online courses. Omen laughed for a moment, saying he could easily help her. It did not matter what course she was having problems with. Omen knew his intelligence had been proven his whole life. From his youth, as he got straight A’s without any time spent listening in class. The 29 average Omen got on his ACTs when he was tested before graduation, with his highest scores being in science and math. It had been tested again before Omen entered the Army. Omen had studied hard for two weeks for the ASVAB Test. His overall score was a 99, and his GT Score was a 130. These numbers were well above any standards set for intelligence or officer positions, but Omen had never sought these things.

When he had been married to Giselle, once she had a similar issue. Her course was Basic Accounting. It was a complex form of very basic math, the way in which businesses keep track of their income and expenses. Omen had asked her to show him the chapter she was on, and give him an hour alone. Omen sat with the book for an hour, learning what she was trying to understand. An hour later, Omen taught Giselle the information in a way she could understand, based on the way her mind worked. He compared the problems to simple expenses they had around the house, but placed them in the proper columns. By the end of their discussion, Giselle understood her Accounting. Though there was much more she had to learn, Omen had gotten her back on the correct road, This meant he could do the same thing for Elle, and help her progress as well.

Their next topic was about the situation in the neighborhood since Omen had left. The day of and after Omen’s arrest, everyone had seemed shocked that Omen was gone. But since, they had all turned on him with their words, speaking about him as if he had done them wrong. But worst amongst these was Brian, who the day after Omen was thrown in jail returned. he had not been punished at all for violating his probation. His freedom was still just as it had been. Brian sat around Elle’s room with Samantha as they had for a long time. But Elle was firm with Brian. Though they had been friends for a very long time, she felt Brian had done an unforgivable thing.

There was simply too much evidence. The police had searched Omen’s vehicle after they said the two were free to go inside. Each time they searched, they had stood and conversed with Brian first, Omen had seen this firsthand. Elle informed Omen that she had cleaned out his vehicle immediately after his arrest. In doing so, she noticed several things that caught her attention. Even though Omen had seen them enter the vehicle several times, many of the things police would have looked for remained. Omen’s spiked knuckles, as well as his inscribed knife were under floor mats in the back seat. Both were well out of regulations, but neither were touched. Omen had bagged up some of his Klonipin in the plastic from a cigarette pack, to move them around quickly and discreetly. These were in his center console, and would have arose suspicion in officers. Elle also said Brian had specifically requested a piece of the paraphanelia that had been left in the truck. To her surprise, several of the pieces had not been touched, even ones in obvious places.

The facts were clear. Brian was a snitch, he had betrayed his friend to save his own skin. This was troubling to Omen, as he had been working hard to teach Brian before he left. He had high hopes for the boy, but now everything was different. Now that he had betrayed the trust of his friends once, he was no longer to be completely trusted. Omen made it well known that Elle could hang around whomever she wanted, but Omen would have nothing to do with the one that had put him in jail. Personally, he wanted to rip the backstabbing Brian’s face off, but knew this would solve nothing. But Brian had proved the nature of his true character under pressure. This was exactly as Omen had predicted he would while they were together. In caving to the police, and betraying a friend, Brian had proved himself to be weak. Now Omen knew he could not be trained any more, for he did not deserve the teachings.

The guards notified Omen and Elle that their time was up. Ell gave Omen a kiss through the glass, which he returned with a smile. As they said goodbye, Omen saw Elle fighting back her tears. She did not want to leave his side again. She was unsure how and when they would be together again. And she felt terribly for everything he was going through, which would have been her if he had not stepped in first. But Omen told her to smile, and keep faith in the Father. Despite all this negativity, which many people seemed to want for him, Omen knew he would survive. He gave Elle his word that she would see for herself. He would overcome this trial as he had every one before it, and in doing so he would grow in himself and his mission. They waved goodbye as Omen left the visitation room. He found a guard, and had himself escorted to his Dorm.

As the door to the Dorm slammed shut, Omen sighed deeply. He sat with his head in his hands at one of the tables near the television. But as it was discovered quickly, he was paying no attention to what was on. Even as people waved their hands in front of him, he remained motionless. This became a sort of joke to the other prisoners for a time, until they began to worry that Omen’s silence would turn into an explosive rage. For the only movement he made was the constant flashing of his eyes, which changed as Omen seemed to encounter various feelings. This continued for a short time, until Omen eventually stood up. He went over to his bed and laid down, trying to get a grip on himself.

Omen wanted to burst out in tears. But at the same time, he wanted to chew through the hearts of all the same people that caused him to want to cry. But he could only rationalize his situation, and make a decision on what to do about it. He had been told about the rates for an impounded vehicle. Omen’s truck was no more, it had been stolen from him by Bell County. His friends, even the one he had forgiven more times than any other, were turning against him. His own family would not even take a single collect call from him. The system wanted him in jail, and more individual people wanted Omen dead than wanted to see him succeed. This was pure insanity. Omen had spent years searching for answers to questions that have been asked for thousands of years. Why was he being treated like he had murdered someone, or like a common thief? Was this whole situation just a giant attack, that had been brewing spiritually for some time, based around all the people that wished Omen harm?

Kaiser walked over to Omen’s bunk. Of all the people in Dorm 4, Kaiser had been the closest to what Omen could call a friend. They spoke regularly, about a variety of topics. It was Kaiser who, once it was discovered that several people in the Dorm had a problem with Omen, was able to uncover the truth. What was causing other inmates to treat Omen differently in jail was the same thing that he had encountered outside. Simple, closed-minded, religiously-based discrimination. Even those who admittedly stole from others, or those involved in networks of organized crime, felt they still had the right to judge Omen’s character. Kaiser had done the opposite, enjoying their discussions extensively. Kaiser said Omen was one of the few interesting people he had talked to, as he had more to say than what he had heard on TV. Thus Kaiser and Omen spent at least a part of each day talking together now.

Kaiser could see that Omen was under alot of stress. He asked how the visit had gone, and Omen recited the list of problems. Kaiser was shocked at everything Omen told him. He asked what kind of life Omen had lived to be in such a position. Omen gave Kaiser whatever answers he sought without hesitation. Omen was not ashamed of his past, he saw each day as part of what made him special. But now it seemed that life was attempting to collapse in around him. While Omen had been betrayed before in his life, it was never this severe. How was it possible that almost all his friends and family turned on him at exactly the same time, for no reason? What had possessed the minds of the police officers, who were willing to break the law to find a reason to arrest Omen? Why had they impounded his car two days before they were supposed to? Omen posed these questions to Kaiser, but he had no response to give. As Omen finally laid down to sleep that evening, he sighed and grumbled to himself. He had hoped the day would result in happy knowledge, but it had left him with only more unanswered questions.

Omen continued on in the cycle of daily life in the Dorm. On Sunday Omen was given a special treat, as another car came in to be washed. The sun shone brightly, even in the cold temperatures, as Omen scrubbed the cruiser. He considered this a special day, as cars to wash were few and far between. Omen found out that this was for multiple reasons. The first was that the car washing was not allowed when the temperatures dropped past a certain point, which it had several days recently. The other reason was that most of the vehicle cleaning was left to people doing Community Service to pay off their fines. Omen laughed to himself that the day everyone else said was for Church was the day Omen got to be outside again. In the fresh air Omen prayed to the Father as he worked, asking for nothing more than what was wanted for him. Omen knew he was enduring a trial, and it would end as it was meant to. He would not beg to be set free immediately, simply to be shown the way to freedom. As he went back inside, Omen took one last deep breath. He would be outside in the fresh air again soon, as long as his faith remained strong.

Monday, having nothing to do, Omen spent his time in discussions with the other prisoners. He wanted to be as sure as possible about everything, so he knew exactly what to expect. He learned the exorbitant rates that are charged when a vehicle is impounded. Two days after being impounded, the charges compiled were more than Omen would be able to afford, and the amount only grew. By the time he was released, the impound and storage charges would be more than the vehicle was worth, especially in it’s broken condition. Omen also wanted to know about what to expect in his own near future, based on his charges. The responses were all the same. Omen should be qualified for his freedom within a few days, but the final decision would be that of the system. According to prisoners that had been in similar situations before, “The system takes care of your case when they feel like it. You may spend two months here just waiting for a court date, all while having already served your time”. Omen was horrified when he heard this. Would that be how his story played out? Based on his lawyer’s choice to ignore him, this seemed to be a severe possibility.

Monday evening everyone spent in preparation. This was a normal Dorm habit the night before Commissary. The reason for this is there was only one list of the codes for the buyable items for the entire Dorm. The list was old and somewhat faded, so Omen decided to copy the whole thing onto cardboard. At least in this way, he would not have to borrow a list again, and would save everyone time. The codes went into bubbles, similar to the way children take standardized tests in school. Each bubble had to be filled in appropriately, as well as the ones for the personal information. Omen filled out his request a second time, to ensure everything was correct. He had waited too long to get the rest of the things he needed, Omen was tired of waiting. By the end of the evening, all the papers were inside their assigned envelope to be picked up.

The next day, everyone awaited what they had purchased anxiously. Each time a Trustee was called away to work, they returned asking if the Commissary cart had been by yet. That afternoon, a cart was heard wheeling down the hallway. Everyone jumped up excitedly, moving towards the cell door. Each person was called by name to come up to the door. They were presented with a piece of paper to sign as they inventoried the items inside their bag. Once the paper was signed, the items were handed over. Omen waited patiently for his turn, allowing those that seemed to be in more desperate need to go before him. He could wait ten more minutes for what he had been without for almost a week.

Once he retrieved his bag, Omen sat down on the bunk to organize it all. He removed the bowl he had purchased, exactly the same as all the other inmates had. Inside the bowl Omen broke up a package of Ramen noodles. He added the water from the electric pot, then replaced the lid on the top. As Omen awaited his snack, he popped an Atomic Fireball into his mouth. Omen pulled out his assortment of various hygiene items, placing them inside his plastic bin. Next to them Omen sat the new pen he had bought, as well as the pad of paper and envelopes that went with it. In the extra area of the bin, Omen organized what food he had bought, ensuring everything was easily accessible. Omen closed his bin, and sat enjoying his Ramen noodles, along with his first cup of instant coffee. Though the meal was simple, Omen felt as if it was the better than any in quite some time.

But not everyone shared Omen’s joy. Somehow, despite their combined efforts to the contrary, several of the sheets were claimed to have been filled out improperly. This led to a total negation of certain prisoners’ ability to buy anything that day. This situation had cost one prisoner, who had just arrived the day before, the denture adhesive he was in need of. People had to go without their daily cups of coffee, and some were now unable of making phone calls. They pleaded with the guards to allow the errors to be corrected, even if only for the necessities on their lists. But the guards blatantly refused. Whatever the reason the computer had not accepted their sheets, this meant they would be screwed for the next two days. For Commissary only ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the rest of the week required planning and control. But when that planning was disrupted due simply to an error in paperwork, it cause several of the prisoners to grow increasingly upset. Omen watched these things transpire, wishing these was something he could do to help. But the guards listened to no one but themselves.

After eating his Ramen, Omen decided to put his new phone card to use. His first call was to Elle. Omen told her that he had finally gotten his Commissary, but also that the phone card had only ten minutes. As such they spoke quickly about what they needed to. Elle told Omen about more rumors and nonsense being spread behind his back. She spoke on the continued inability to contact Omen’s lawyer, or anyone dealing with his case. It seemed that since their visit nothing had gone well, things had actually digressed. Elle complained of the issues of living in the home with the active Gate, now that she had been there for some time. She could control herself, but not the madness that seemed to grip her family. They spent more time arguing with one another than acting like they cared. Elle wanted to get away from the house desperately, before the situation grew worse. But she had nowhere to go, and would not leave without Omen. She had sworn to stand by him throughout his jail sentence because Omen had gone to jail instead of her.

Omen tried to end the conversation with Elle on a happy note, even despite all that was going wrong. He told her to try and relax, to let the stress of her family’s arguments pass right through her. Omen gave Elle some ideas for things she could do to get out of the house, and separate herself from the energy each day. He also taught her some methods of quick protection for herself while at home. These were combinations of things he had taught her before, simply explained in a new way. The method was a means by which she could do her best to keep safe. Omen wished he could do more for Elle. But while trapped in the jail cell, all he could do was hear the results days afterward. But these things would not last forever. Omen promised Elle that he would be back to help her as soon as he was able. As he hung up the phone, Omen hoped that he would be released in time to be of help. The way vileness had been spreading in that home, any sort of calm would not last very long.

Omen picked up the phone again. This time he dialed Jamie. When she answered, Omen said he was happy to hear her voice. But Omen’s true intention for calling he kept hidden from Jamie. Due to everything Elle had been saying to him, Omen had discerned a few basic concepts. The first was that Jamie was doing the things that Elle claimed, which she had been shown to do before when coerced. It was no real surprise that all the people that wanted Jamie, and hated Omen, would try to convince her that he had fallen from the Father. But the second was the tension between two women that both show interest in the same man. There was always jealousy in the words of one as they spoke of the other. As such, Omen wanted to do some investigating of his own. Omen did not want either side of the story, he wanted the truth.

Jamie’s story was much different from Elle’s. She admitted they had been in contact, and also admitted to leaving the group. But she claimed it was Elle who was being misleading. She said Elle had slipped as they were talking, and mentioned something of importance. Her ex-boyfriend had moved in just a few doors down from her. This had happened within the last few days. Jamie also claimed that she had been in contact with Omen’s lawyer, something Elle had claimed was impossible. She said he had told her the police report still was not filed, and thus they could do nothing towards freeing Omen. She claimed Elle knew about these things, but just didn’t have the heart to tell Omen. She said Elle had lost faith in him, but did not want to add to his stress while in jail. Jamie told Omen she hoped that his situation would improve soon as they ended their conversation. Omen hung up the phone, and laid down in bed to think.

His “celly”, the person that slept beneath him, asked Omen to borrow a single minute of his phone card time. He had just recently been arrested, and did not have any money on his account yet. He needed to let his family know that he was in jail, so he could get these things. Omen realized that he only had three minutes left on his phone card. He would not make any more collect calls, he hadn’t for some time. Once the card was gone, he would be completely out of contact with everyone. But Omen still agreed to give a minute to his celly. He remembered how bad it had been before he was able to get in contact with Elle, and would not let someone else go through the same misery. His celly kept his word, using only a single minute off the card.

Omen had two minutes remaining on his card. But based on everything he had learned, Omen did not know which way to turn. He knew that someone, if not both of them, were being somewhat dishonest. But without the ability to see things for himself, Omen found it hard to determine which parts were lies. He spent some time lying in bed, considering all that the two women had told him. Both painted horrible pictures of the other, while only speaking on their own good dealings for Omen. Both were claiming innocence, but this could not be the case if both stories were true. Either the people and their stories were both false, or the people were false and the stories were true. Either way, Omen knew he was being lied to. This is a thing Omen knew he could not tolerate, as he made a point to be honest with others. The lies had to be uncovered, there was no other way. Until this happened, Omen would simply sit and toss it around in his mind, inventing whatever possibilities seemed feasible inside his mind.

This process would only cause Omen more stress and worry if he allowed it to continue. He jumped down from his bed, picking the phone up again. Omen decided he would call Elle again, using the last two minutes on his card. He was not sure he believed what Jamie had said about her. But the references to the ex-boyfriend had around Omen’s suspicion. He wanted to find out from Elle’s own mouth what was going on. But there was no answer on the other end. Omen hung up the phone and tried again. But despite several attempts, Elle did not answer the phone. Omen became frustrated, and starting pacing back and forth across the Dorm. Elle had never failed to answer his calls before. Was the phone simply on vibrate, and unable to hear? Did Elle go out somewhere, and leave it behind? Or was she simply busy with someone, and chose not to answer his call?

Time continued to pass with no response. Two hours after he had started trying to reach Elle, he found success. By now Omen was fuming at his inability to get in touch with Elle. His voice was quite stern as he spoke to Elle, demanding to know the situation with her ex-boyfriend. He asked why she had kept such information from him, as they had spoken more than once during his imprisonment. He asked why he had to find out from Jamie that her ex had come to visit her, and was living right down the street. He also wanted to know why he had been calling her phone for two hours without a response. Omen’s voice was quite clear when he told Elle to tell him the entire truth, without hiding a detail. Omen knew he could read Elle’s mannerisms, and if she was lying he would be able to tell. Omen had tired of the games between women, and was going to force it to stop.

Elle’s voice stammered on the other end of the phone. She admitted that her ex had moved in, and that he had come to visit her. She also admitted that he had come by to see her, with an intent to rekindle their old flame. This was the same person that Elle had wanted a family with once. His face was the one she saw inside Sigma that had kept her there for so long. Elle admitted to all these things, but told Omen those times were gone. She had accepted the truth of it all. This person had abandoned her for his own selfishness, even though she loved him dearly. He was willing to hurt her if it served his needs. She realized now that she did not need people like this in her life to make her feel loved anymore. Omen had showed her that people that care stand up for you when you need them, not just when they want to. She had told her ex to leave her alone, she was not going down the same road.

By the time Omen finished talking with Elle, he knew that Elle could be trusted. She might not have told him what was going on, but his reaction to finding out was the reason why. It was only after hearing the whole story from both sides that Omen truly saw what was going on. Elle had not lied to him directly, she had simply kept from him those details which would cause him stress. Jamie on the other hand had been very deceitful with every word, just as she had been the times when he was around her. Elle had done everything Omen had asked of her and more. Even though she was not told to, she had cleaned all of Omen’s belongings out of his vehicle. This meant these things were not also lost to the blatant injustice that had already cost him so much. Elle was doing her best from outside to support Omen. He had no right to question her loyalty to him, and decided to stop doing so from then on. The rest of the world seemed to be focused on Omen’s demise. He had to keep trust in at least one person.

30

Omen awoke to his name being called by the guards. But he was not alone, Kaiser was being called as well. Both of them stood up, putting their tops and shoes on. They were brought out from the Dorm, and escorted down the hall. Into the elevator, and down into the basement. Omen grabbed the large trash bags full of clothes, and carried them into the main room. Kaiser turned on the radio, and they found a station to listen to. Kaiser began folding clothes as Omen started packaging. He grabbed the uniforms based on the sizes they had listen, and set them in piles. Top, bottom, socks, underwear, towel. This was the daily bag that was given to each Trustee after they had finished working their individual shift. Omen had to make sure everyone had what they needed, so there were no complaints in the Dorm that evening.

Omen listened to the news on the radio. He couldn’t believe it was already Saturday. Where had the time gone? Omen knew he was closing in on his second week in jail. But still there had been no contact with his lawyer, nor was their word on his release. The temperatures in the area had dropped significantly, below the limit of Omen’s duty. Because of this, Omen had sat for several days with nothing to do. His clothes began to stink, and he began to feel the loss of the extra food. People had started leaving the Dorm. It happened rather slowly at first, but then expanded rapidly. Soon there were only enough Trustees to cover the basic responsibilities. Kaiser and Omen both requested that Omen become a Laundry Trustee, as Kaiser was now alone. It had taken until Friday for the guards to allow this change to happen.

Ever since, Omen and Kaiser came down to the Laundry area one to two times daily, depending on the necessity. But they stayed much longer than they needed to. The basement was the only place in the jail free of guards and cameras. The only two ways out were locked tightly, but the two had no intention of escaping. It was enough for them to sit and listen to the radio as they talked. Away from the other prisoners, as well as the harassment of the guards, they could do as they pleased. When the time to eat came, their doubled portions were sent down to them on the elevator, along with coolers filled with ice water. No one cared that the two prisoners spent hours down in the basement, and that was just the way they liked it. All they had to do was ensure that all the laundry stayed folded and organized in the bins provided. This was simple, and rarely took more than an hour each day to maintain.

Omen wrote a name on a slip of paper, and slid it into the bag. He tied it up tightly, stacking it with the others. They were done for the day. Omen and Kaiser propped themselves up on the wooden shelves to rest. This was their pattern each time they came downstairs. Complete the work, then relax for awhile. It was during this time that Kaiser and Omen got to talk privately. Omen had been forthright with the entire Dorm about his faith. He had even tried requesting that his symbol be returned to him, which was denied by the guards. But his public honesty had caused him to be judged by several of the other inmates. The guards, as well as their supervisors, had laughed at Omen’s request. They claimed that Omen would not be able to protect his necklace, even though it had little value.

But Kaiser was the opposite. After hearing Omen admit his faith to the Dorm, Kaiser was interested to know more. He was not a firm believer in any set faith. Kaiser just liked to learn things, and base his own judgment off what he had learned. Omen found this to be an endearing trait, and they had become friends quickly. Now, thanks to Kaiser, Omen was a Laundry Trustee. While in the basement, they discussed many aspects of Omen’s faith. Omen did not hesitate to be honest with Kaiser. He was relieved when he was not met with hostility after describing himself more in detail. Kaiser admitted not to understand everything that was said, but he did agree with many of the concepts. Most specifically the ones surrounding the current state of the world, and it’s need for immediate change. But Kaiser reminded Omen that they were both prisoners in jail, and could do little in their position. Omen countered that their sentences were only temporary, and he was more focused on the future.

Dinner came down the elevator. It was the most commonly rotated meal on the Grid, and also what was used whenever they did not have what was listed. Four pieces of bread, two pieces of bologna, one piece of cheese, a bit of lettuce and tomato, and a package of peanut butter. It was also served with some garbage coleslaw, or whatever else they had laying around. The two sandwiches was never enough for anyone, and was one of the most traded items. People would actively trade their peanut butter and other things for the meat and cheese from another’s plate. This suited Omen well, as he was not fond of bologna. Since they were on duty, their portions of this were doubled. Omen and Kaiser traded food between themselves. By the end of the meal both of them were full, and they both had bread to take back upstairs with them. They sent the remnants of their meal back up in the elevator, then returned to the Laundry Room.

About an hour later, they headed upstairs with the Trustee Laundry. They handed it over to the Corporal, then headed back upstairs. Omen immediately headed to his tub, removing his pen and paper. Omen had been doing alot of writing lately, most of it being letters to the people outside. In the time since he had been locked away, Omen had only received one letter. The letter was from Jamie, and in it she talked mostly about her own life. She marveled at her own ability to progress, and told Omen he should wish for the same. She felt as if she had learned something that he needed to know for himself, but that it was a thing she could not tell him. This was common among situations Omen dealt with, but not just with Jamie.

Satanists as a group defy the ability to be defined generally. However, one seemingly prevalent trait is their necessity for secrecy. Whether it be a sect sacrificing behind closed doors, or just a teenager seeking more than his parents will allow, Satanism in general has demanded caution. The reason for this is the constant persecution, that continues to this day. Pastors of Christian churches are allowed to spout Hatred and persecution at Satanists, and are protected in their right to do so. But the protection allows them a safety net, which prevents them from receiving retribution for their actions. This is a flaw that exists entangled between church and state. Laws exist to protect the innocent, but are abused by the vile. As long as the laws protect them, they can do as they wish.

Because of this, the Satanist develops with an inability to trust those around them. As they grow in power and magic, they also see threats. Not simply from the people around them, but from outside as well. Once connected to the energy, spiritual contact becomes more frequent. Random accidents, strange occurrences, even possessions result. This drives the true Satanist, who realizes they are in part to blame for this, further into seclusion. Also, other mages come along, attempting to prove something to themselves or others. Their method is almost always to attack those known to be powerful, or to try and hinder their teaching. Curses and vile magics are launched by people who more often than not simply don’t get their selfish way.

But this can be just the beginning of the problem. Many of the teachings that exist are inappropriate, or partial in their descriptions. Spells can backfire, and have terrible consequences. Worse yet, the under-trained Satanist might push further than they are capable of dealing with. Instances such as this can result in severe damage, both physical and mental. The caster might be left insane. Or worse yet, they might not be themselves anymore. The caster may have already been overwhelmed by the will of a Demon, because of their misunderstanding of the magic. But the worst of it was when these splintered magics opened Gates and infected outsiders with spirits as well. All these terrible things could easily be prevented, if only the knowledge was shared more freely.

But this action in and of itself has become almost impossible. As Omen’s time in the Army had proven, some of Humanity’s prejudices still existed. Even those who barely thought about their faith, and almost never went to church, use their Christianity as cause to discriminate against a proclaimed Satanist. Because of the portrayals by the media and film industries, as well as various individuals throughout history, all Satanists are labeled without cause. Even those like Omen, who simply attempted to live their lives and understand the realities of life were beaten down regularly. Satanism was not accepted as a faith by most, and the right to follow the faith was treated like a crime. But for some, this was still not enough. Many small groups still engaged in their own form of “witch hunting”, going out and assaulting people that were known to be Satanists.

This constant turmoil drives most real Satanists into seclusion, and makes them unwilling to help anyone. For it reaches a point where almost every person the highly-enlightened Satanist encounters seeks to harass or insult them. They are constantly accused of being rotten and evil, and are ostracized by many people outside their own faith. Upset with their fellow man for the unnecessary mistreatment, someone who has learned much is driven away. They decide to remove themselves from the ignorance, and generally end up living out in forests or near water. Others are driven mad by the oppression, and seek vengeance for the abuses inflicted upon them. They begin to research darker magic, seeking spells for misery and death. Some of these spells are successful, while others backfire on the caster. Tensions rise in the local populace that encounters the secluded Satanist, as rumors spread make them out to be a monster.

No matter what the situation, this would not turn out well. The best way to protect oneself is to remain hidden, and to only share real knowledge with those found to be worthy of it. But this caused more people to use the improper magic, and to be unprepared for magical assault. It seemed like either way this situation was destined to explode. The only peaceful recourse was a true form of unity amongst them. For while sects of Christians will argue the semantics of the Bible and its meaning with one another, Satanists seems to have a habit of aggression. Those seeking quick paths to power, money, fame, or influence find themselves spurned by those that already have that knowledge. The reason most often is because they know the magic would be used for inappropriate reasons, and would only cause the problems to grow. But in being told no, they find other methods of magic. They choose the one that refused them to target first with the vile magic they learn, attempting to assert their own perceived dominance.

Omen had no want for such things. His only goal from the beginning had been to serve the Father in whatever way was asked of him. For this he had been the target of more than one magical assault. Many did not like the things Omen saw in his visions, as it conflicted with their perception of truth. More often than not, this conflict existed in the individual’s claim that power was their birthright. They were no less vile than the governments they claimed to wish to fall out of power. All they wanted was to take control for themselves, for their voice to be heard above all others. As Omen sought to unite his Satanic Family, others spread rumors and lies behind his back. It was as if they wished the Family to remain splintered and ignorant, simply so they could retain control over their followers. Omen was always standing in their way, fighting against their lies. He refused to allow them to put themselves before the Father they claimed to serve. Thus Omen was labeled an enemy, and targeted in many attacks.

Omen lay in bed, wondering how he might change this viscous cycle of misunderstanding. Omen was a part of several groups on Facebook. He had tried to talk to people inside them. But all he got in return were demands for him to teach selfish people magic to attain wealth and power, requests to join churches and organizations, and arguments about the validity of his words. Some people might be hearing what he had to say, but his voice was drown out by all the surrounding nonsense. Even amongst his own Brothers and Sisters he was being called vile and a traitor to the faith, simply for following the path set before him and being honest with them. There had to be a more functional way to help more people understand, allowing them to connect in their individual faith. Thus they would be able to guide themselves somewhat in their own progress, and would not have to rely on the teachers to instruct them on every step. This was what Omen had to find, a way to bypass all these rotten people in Power. For as soon as anything he said became public, it would automatically be criticized.

Omen put his pad and pen away. He pulled out a package of Ramen, as well as his plastic bowl. As he dug through the various things he had inside the container, Omen’s hand passed over a single Twix bar. On Thursday, when the last chance for Commissary for the week came, Omen had bought this piece of candy. But he refused to share it, or to touch it at all. Omen said his freedom was coming soon, and he would eat this Twix bar outside the jail. Omen kept the candy bar as his show of faith that his time inside the jail was coming to an end. Omen did not buy another phone card, and remained out of contact. Aside from Jamie’s one letter, Omen had heard nothing. Elle had sent a letter, but it was rejected for her use of colored crayons. Omen received only a copy of the envelope it came in, with the tiny pictures she had drawn to make him feel better. How disappointed Elle would be when the letter was sent back to her. Omen was disappointed as well, as his name was almost never called for mail. But despite all this, Omen still believed his time was almost finished. Thus he continued not to touch the Twix bar, knowing he would enjoy it very soon.

A guard banged on the cell door, calling for Omen. He walked over to the door in his flip flops, asking what they needed from him. They replied that he had a visitor, and needed to get dressed. Omen quickly complied, and was ready to go within minutes. As they led him down the hall, Omen asked if the guard knew who his visitor was. He wasn’t expecting anyone. But the guard knew only that Omen had a visitor, no other information had been provided.

As Omen waited for the elevator to take him downstairs, he wondered who had come to visit. It could be Elle, as she was one of only two people he had listed as authorized. The other was Kindra, and she was not likely to visit based on her actions. But the visitor might also be Omen’s lawyer, or someone else wishing to speak with him about the case. As the doors opened, Omen hurried to find out. Whoever the visitor was, it was a break from the monotony. It had been a week since Omen had someone come to visit, and four days since he had been in contact with the outside world. Any news was better than no news at this point as far as Omen was concerned. He sat down at the tiny stool, happy to see that there were only a couple other prisoners being visited.

Elle stepped through the door, wearing her other set of dreadfalls. They were bright purple and green twisted together. Omen had laughed when he saw these, constantly associating the color combination with the Joker from Batman. Elle’s outfit and makeup matched her hair, yet another effort that must have taken hours. She almost skipped as she walked over and sat down at the glass. The smile on her face was huge, she brimmed from ear to ear. Whatever was going on, it had caused Elle much joy. Omen couldn’t wait to hear what had caused her to smile so much, a rarity with Elle.

The news was amazing. Omen’s lawyer had finally contacted Elle on Omen’s cell phone. He said that he had worked out the arrangement, that Omen would be free soon. Elle said Omen’s lawyer had stated that Omen’s time spent in jail would cover all the fines and penalties associated with the original offense. He would not be put on probation, and he would have no fines to pay. Omen was taken aback. Even moreso when Elle informed him that is release was going to happen on the coming Tuesday. Omen would only have to sit in jail for two more days, then he would be free again. Omen began to chuckle a bit as he heard the news. Though he continued to listen to Elle, Omen stared up toward the ceiling for a moment. He thanked the Father for proving that his faith was not misplaced. Once again, he had proven everyone that didn’t believe him wrong, as he had predicted his coming release on Thursday, when he bought the Twix bar. How ironic that the day of Omen’s release was the next time Commissary would be issued, and now Omen might not be there.

The guards made a decision to be rotten again. No surprise, it was the night shift that was known for these things. Even though some of the inmates had several people visit them each week, Elle had only ever visited Omen twice. This time, they decided to pull Omen out of the room before even the assigned twenty minutes had expired. Omen and Elle sent each other kisses through the glass, saying they would be together again soon. Even if their time had been cut short, it was the best thing Omen had heard since his arrest. Omen couldn’t wait to tell the Dorm about his impending release. Kaiser was especially happy for Omen, though others grumbled and groaned. Kaiser mentioned that he would be going to court on the same day, and that their paths might cross during the process. Kaiser said he was going to court on Tuesday, and that was also where Omen was probably headed. But all Omen heard was that he was finally going to be free again on Tuesday. Nothing else inside the process mattered, as long as Omen could finally get out of jail.

It seemed almost as if this knowledge made the time drag on longer. Sunday proved to be heavily uneventful, save for one thing that the inmates all agreed on. The Super Bowl was drawing near, which is always a major event in America. Omen was not a football fan, but did not hate the game. He had played some JFL during his youth. More than likely, any Hatreds Omen held towards football were based on how he was treated when he played. Picked on, forced to play only the special teams, and beat up by the quarterback and offensive line. But as for the game itself, Omen simply did not take the time to sit and watch football much. But today was different. These games were important, qualifying teams to play in the Super Bowl. As such it was something the inmates were talking about all day before the game started. Omen knew the television would be dominated by pregame shows and football games throughout the evening. Rather than argue this, Omen decided to watch the game. Perhaps he would see something he liked about football now that his perspectives had changed.

Omen was right. The game that everyone was talking about was the Patriots versus the Ravens. Omen had caught a part of the games that had led up to this one. The Patriots were the team that everyone seemed to rally around, because they spent large amounts of money to acquire serious talent. It was through this process that the Patriots had become seen as the team that was especially difficult to beat regularly. Another of their assets was their quarterback, Tom Brady. This man was revered as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the game. People said it was this man that would lead the Patriots all the way to their Super Bowl rings. But something stood in their way, something that had to be overcome today. Their opponents were the Ravens. Omen had watched the Ravens play somewhat the week before. He saw something during their game that he found quite interesting.

Omen realized the Ravens were playing with strategy. Every one of their games seemed to be played the same. During the first half, they allow certain plays to happen. In doing so, they give the opposing offense confidence in their playbook. Many teams take serious advantage of this, accruing huge leads by halftime. The announcers would talk about the mistakes the Raven players were making as the opposing teams’ fans hooted and hollered. The whole first half, the Ravens seemed as though their quest for the Super Bowl would be overcome by every team they played. As the game between the Patriots and the Ravens began, Omen saw this same thing happen. But Tom Brady is a true entertainer, as well as a lover of the game of football. For this reason, the Patriots did not press for a massive lead. Once they were a bit ahead, the Patriots began to try and waste time. Everyone was seeing exactly what they were expecting, the dominant Patriots conquer yet another force. During halftime, the inmates argued over what would happen next. Previously, before he had watched any football, Omen had claimed the Patriots would dominate the series.

But now, as halftime passed and everyone made a snack, Omen had a different theory. He explained it to some of the other prisoners that were sitting around. Everything that had happened during the first half was deception. The defense of the Ravens had allowed the Patriots to make some of their plays, to determine their clutch habits. Under pressure, especially on fourth down, teams have a habit of using certain clutch players. By evaluating the ways in which the Patriots utilized their players, the Ravens would be prepared for it in the second half. And the fact that the Patriots had not managed to get a larger lead was the thing that Omen said would be their downfall. They were enjoying a nice lead, thinking they would coast to victory as usual. But Omen’s prediction was that the Ravens had plans for Mr. Brady in the second half.

Omen was never more pleased to be right. The second half of the game was a thing of beauty. The Ravens defense changed up their strategy, and the Patriots found themselves at a loss. One after another, the revered passes of Tom Brady were being snatched out of the sky, or batted away by raging defenders. The defense left little room for anything to get past them. It reminded Omen of the game he had played as a child called “Smear the Queer”. Anyone who even thought to touch the football had mere seconds before they were forced to eat the turf. Drive after drive, the Patriots seemed to have no real solution for this assault, and the scoreboard began to reflect this.

It was as if the Ravens had targeted Tom Brady’s play style. As time went on, Brady’s confidence on the field began to wane. As his passes continued to strike the ground instead of their intended receivers, the smile under his helmet began to fade. Tom Brady, the hero of so many, was being thoroughly embarrassed. This was the truest heart of the Ravens strategy. For the greatest strength of a team can also be it’s greatest weakness. For the Patriots, it was their unstoppable winning, and the overconfidence that it gave them in their ability. This was no more true than in Tom Brady, who had to spend his time under the lights and cameras of individual fame. His reputation as the best had become his weakness. As the Ravens proved it wrong, Tom’s skills seemed to grow weaker. More interceptions, more failed drives. By the fourth quarter, the results were clear to everyone. The Ravens had brought a plan with them, and the Patriots were going to be destroyed by it.

But in the fourth quarter, the Patriots struggled hard for a comeback. Their efforts brought the game to a point where very little separated the two teams in terms of score. The Patriots had possession, and were making a decent drive down the field. But time was ticking down, and the Ravens were fighting hard as usual. On fourth down, the Patriots had to try for it all. Brady went back to pass, and the receivers ran their patterns. But the Ravens’ defense was too strong, they would not allow the pass to be completed. They meant to end the game at this point. But in working so hard to cover the receivers, the Ravens had left a large gap on the field. There was little but empty field between Tom Brady and his first down. Given his level of skill, the run was easily accomplished by Brady in such an important situation. But Brady refused to rely on his own skill, deciding to wait and throw the ball instead.

When the ball was smacked out of the air, Tom Brady saw the realities of the mistake he had made. As he sat down on the field for a moment, lost in the knowledge that he individually had failed his team, Omen smiled. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Omen said as he laughed hysterically. “Brady was too scared to take the chance and run the ball himself, and his fear cost the Patriots the game. Good job Brady, wonder what your team thinks about their star player deciding to be Bitch Made during a Playoff Game.” Fans of the Patriots inside the Dorm yelled and argued with Omen, saying that he did not understand football well enough to make judgments. But Omen knew what he had seen. As the game ended, Omen happily accepted that he was right all along. The strategy of the Ravens’ defense had overcome the strength and reputation of the Patriots by destroying the confidence of their star player. Omen applauded as he headed back to his bunk, happy to have seen such a show.

Monday came and went without much event. Omen was now the one trying to sleep the day away. But he found himself too excited to be able to sleep. He had no idea what process tomorrow would bring, for his lawyer still had not contacted him. Omen’s wish was that he would awaken tomorrow to his release from jail, but he doubted that were possible. But no matter what the series of events that followed, they all had only one conclusion. Omen’s release from jail, after weeks of being imprisoned for nothing. He had done as he was instructed, and stayed strong. Even during the times when other inmates tried to engage him in a fight. Omen would not have his sentence extended for any reason, he was not going to stay trapped in the Bell County Jail. During these encounters, Omen stayed lying on his bed. He would not physically engage someone unless they touched him first, which none ever did. Omen saw the fighting for what it was, just frustration being vented in whatever way is available. The frustration of people like himself, trapped in jail, as life passes them by. But as Omen closed his eyes on Monday night, he knew his frustration was soon to end.

After breakfast Tuesday morning, Omen was up and ready. His things were packed and organized, and Omen started demanding to know when he would be released. But no one had any answers for Omen, so he tried to sit down and wait. As Kaiser predicted the night before, Omen’s name was called along with several others. A total of seven prisoners, from several Dorms in the Annex, were escorted down to the main hallway. They were cuffed together, escorted out the door. They climbed into a van similar to the one Omen had ridden in before. The prisoners chatted amongst themselves about various things, ranging from their cases to the outside world. The van pulled into the same garage that Omen had arrived in when he was first transferred to the Bell County Jail. But they took a different route, going down a hallway instead of into the processing room.

The line of prisoners was placed against the wall. Omen’s cuffs were separated from the group, and he was led off individually. But any hope for this to be the moment of his release was soon dashed as he was placed into another holding cell. All the prisoners in this cell wore the orange uniform of the Loop. Omen wondered why he had been removed from everyone else he knew. The group of men he now sat in the cell with did not sound like they would be free any time soon, from the stories they told. Many sat awaiting their cases to be decided, resulting in massive sentences in a state penitentiary. Omen seemed to be the only one that even sounded like he was going to be free any time soon. Had Elle been wrong? What was the meaning of him still being locked away, if today was the day set for his release?

About thirty minutes later, everyone in the cell was brought out and chained together. They shuffled slowly as a group through hallways, past secure doors opened from an external source. These doors led into the bowels of the buildings of the Bell County Jail. For one side was a prison, and the other was administrative. But in order to transfer prisoners from one side to the other, the guards use the lowest levels of the building. Omen stared at all the various pipes and signs as they continued to shuffle down hallways. He tried to ignore the pain in his ankles as he was either too slow or too fast in his walking, focusing on his destination. The prisoners were huddled into an elevator, and sent back upstairs. Once they arrived back above ground level, they were lined up against the wall. Their chains were removed, and each prisoners was cuffed individually.

Another guard came out from inside the wooden double doors next to where the prisoners where standing. This man obviously enjoyed the power his position provided, as he smiled while giving out orders to the prisoners. He demanded that none of the prisoners converse with each other in any way while they were in the courtroom. Each inmate was only to speak to their own lawyer. If anyone violated this, the guard said their case would be pushed back to a later date. For Omen, this would mean that he would not be granted his freedom until a later date. Omen reminded himself to be sure and avoid making this mistake, so this stupidity could end. Since the beginning, Omen had done nothing to anyone. Yet he was being treated like some animal, shuffled around by armed guards.

Omen walked into the courtroom, and sat down on the bench he was told to. The benches in the courtroom resembled the pews at old churches. They were terribly uncomfortable, not designed to meet any Human specifications. From what Omen had seen, this jail had been built as compactly and cheaply as possible, while still allowing an internalized system. There was no need for an external courthouse, and Omen could see from the design it held many offices. The side pposite the jail probably housed every state lawyer and the entirety of the court system. It was all managed from inside one building, with little outside contact. In this way, this system could imprison people for almost anything, and drag it around within itself. As long as the reason was enough to be considered legal, the system cared little for the offense. The guards were the enforces of this system of extortion, as they had the right to use force legally.

Omen’s lawyer called him over. The man was sort, again, and his eyes looked worn and tired through his glasses. He presented Omen with paperwork to read over. This man had not spoken to Omen once about his case, nor had he investigated any of the information. What he presented was an admission of guilt to the crime of possession of under an ounce of marijuana, a misdemeanor in the state of Texas. Omen’s lawyer said this offense carried a maximum sentence of thirty days imprisonment, which Omen was going to be signing for having served sixteen. Omen countered this point immediately. If he had truly been receiving his 4-1 days as he had been promised, he should have been released in a week. Even at 3-1, the basic Trustee ratio, this would have made his maximum stay ten days. Omen demanded to know why he was held for an excess of days without cause, if his sentence had already been served. He also asked his lawyer why he refused to speak with Omen about his case. This whole process had started because of an illegal search and seizure of Omen’s vehicle. But they refused to investigate the issue at all, they simply shuffled Omen through the system.

Omen looked over the rest of the paperwork. He found something that he had issue with even more than the charge itself. For inside all the wordings of the legal document Omen was to sign in front of the Judge, it stated that his driver’s license would be revoked for 180 days. This was outrageous, for Omen’s crime had nothing to do with driving. But his lawyer explained that the state of Texas now was capable of suspending the Driver’s License of anyone convicted of any drug-related offense, no matter how minor. But Omen’s lawyer handed him a card, of which Omen noticed he carried several. This card had a name and phone number on it for a class that Omen’s lawyer said he would have to take before his license could be reinstated. But Omen still protested, saying this kind of action was unjust. His lawyer replied that this was Omen’s only choice if he wanted to be free again. Omen asked how, if he had served the maximum punishment for his crime, he could be punished even further. Had Justice become that corrupted inside it’s broken system?

Omen realized he had no choice. He went back to the bench, and awaited his name to be called. But when the Judge called Omen’s name, his lawyer was busy with another client. Omen was forced to watch them interact with one another as his case was pushed back. He seethed with rage at the entire system for the atrocities they had committed. He had been illegally searched, arrested, jailed for weeks, extorted out of hundreds of dollars in phone calls and basic necessities, and now they were even going to take his Driver’s License. Omen was sickened by what the world had become. For if this was Justice, and it was this broken, then how bad was the rest of the world?

Omen’s lawyer finally accompanied Omen to the Judge’s bench. The charges and paperwork were read by the female Judge, whose eyes seemed to have glazed over long ago. She read the paperwork without care or concern for the contents. Omen was told to answer the questions as either yes or no ma’am, and he forced himself to do so. He felt this entire thing was a travesty, and wanted to yell and scream at them all. So badly Omen wanted to place Judgment on the heads of those around him, but he chose to stay silent. He was moved to the table next to the bench, where his fingerprint was placed on the document. This was the finalization of his dealings with the law. Omen’s lawyer had asked if he would like Elle notified, and Omen said yes immediately. AFter he came back from outside, he said she was well-informed. He had told her to meet Omen here, that he was almost done.

Omen was excited to hear that he was nearly free, and that Elle would be waiting for him. As the prisoners were called back out into the hallway, and cuffed back together, Omen began to ask when he would be separated. His papers were signed, he was a free man. But freedom had never moved so slowly or painfully as Omen shuffled back down the basement corridors with his chain gang. But as they neared the areas where the cells and various connecting corridors were, Omen was separated from the others. Another guard cam, and Omen was taken down a different hallway. But to his dismay, it was not in the direction of the signs that pointed to release. Instead he was taken back into the room where he had come from, and tossed into a holding cell.

Omen found himself back in the company of those he had left the Annex with. They discussed their individual cases with each other as they waited to be sent back. Omen told them he had been released, but it seemed not to matter. For as time continued to pass, nothing was done to move them from the cell. As dinner began to approach, some of the Trustees began to rage at the guards. They had jobs to do, and needed to get back in time for dinner preparation. But the guards did not care, it seemed they were doing yet another shift change. As usual, this process dominated more than an hour, as the guards laxidasically meandered up and down the hallways. From inside their cell, the inmates were able to keep track of time. They had been sitting inside the holding cell for nearly two hours, waiting on nothing but an escort. One of them, a prisoner from Dorm 3, began to pound and kick the walls and doors, demanding some sort of answer.

Finally, after they had all finished their coffee, the guards pulled chains out of the closet next to the cell. They opened the door, and chained the inmates together. The trip back in the van was much happier than before. The officer decided to turn on the radio, and let the inmates listen to music. As well many others besides Omen had seen progress made in their cases. Overall, the air inside the van as the inmates were transferred was joyous, as each saw themselves closer to freedom. Especially Omen, who wished to be let go as soon as they arrived. This nonsense was over, Omen wanted to get his things and go. If Elle was not there when he arrived, Omen decided he would walk back to Killeen. One way or another, he was getting away from the Bell County Jail.

The prisoners were un-chained, and most were sent away to their Dorms. Omen went into the Corporal’s office, demanding to be released. But they claimed Omen’s paperwork had not been processed yet. Based on this flaw in their own efficiency, Omen was not yet allowed to be released. They forced him back into the Dorm, demanding that he remain there until called. Omen tried to stay calm the best he could. But as the clock spun further and further, his patience wore thin. Soon Omen was found with all his belongings, as well as his mattress, sheets, blanket, and pillow, sitting on the table next to the cell door. Each time a guard passed, Omen quizzed them as to why he had not been released yet. Their responses were similar to something Omen had heard earlier on in the day. Omen had to be released today, but no time was specified. As such, by law, it was legal for them to continue to hold him until 11:59 PM. This was yet another travesty of Justice, a loophole which the system happily abused.

As Omen’s anger increased, the guards pulled him and Kaiser downstairs to work. At first Omen was even more angry that he was being made to work when he was supposed to be free. But after talking with Kaiser, they realized this was a preventative measure. They knew Omen enjoyed being away from the Dorm, and they had placed him here to wait. There was nothing to do but talk about what Omen intended to do when he got out. Omen told Kaiser that Elle had said she would be waiting for him, and he believed she was telling the truth. After that, he spoke on his intents to get back to Killeen, and move on with his life. The City of Killeen, and Bell County, has taken much from Omen by abusing their system of law and jail. But he considered this all another test, something he had to endure to prove he would not lose faith. For while the hands of evil Men had thrown him into jail over their desire to extort money from him, Omen was almost free. Omen managed to calm himself as he talked with Kaiser about his plans. They shared one last meal together down in the basement as they joked about the ignorance of the system. What Broken Justice this was, no more than governmental extortion and control.

What once was a way to remove those that were dangerous to others had now become a way for the government to siphon money from it’s citizens, by constantly levying them with fines and terms of probation. Even for those that don’t end up in jail, they spend years paying the government for their freedom. Most of the “crimes” for which these things exist should not even be considered as such, for they are matters of personal choice. And if Omen’s training throughout the years had taught him one thing, it was that Human Beings were born with the right to Free Will. Choice is a thing that has to be allowed, and the current system was trying to force the opposite. Through police and military force, along with media and advertising, they sought to oppress the individual mindset, and create a single way of thinking. Anyone that fought against this was immediately thrown in jail or killed, labeled as a terrorist or a traitor. No one was allowed to contest the government’s right to imprison or hurt anyone they chose, based on the changes they had made to the Original American Laws.

As Omen sat, seeing for the first time the deep-seeded corruption of the nation he had once fought for, he wished he could still feel pain in his heart. For in that moment Omen truly felt betrayed by almost everyone. In his life, he had suffered through more betrayal than should be allowable in a single lifetime. As a child, he had been abandoned by his father, who progressively left him to build a new family. His mother wished for her youth and freedom more than her son, and Omen spent most of his nights with sitters. When he was abused by his step-brother, he was completely betrayed by his father. The Army had turned against him, simply because he refused to deny his own faith. Giselle had cheated on him more than once, and taken almost everything while he was in Iraq. Sara had stabbed him in the back to be lazy with Norm. Jamie had turned on him for both men and women. Brian had directly betrayed his supposed friend to protect himself. And now, even the country Omen had served in the Army had turned against him, trying to ruin his life. This had been Omen’s life for as long as he had known. This was the reason Omen kept to himself, and was hard-pressed to trust people. Because it seemed as if the entire world had labeled Omen as their enemy, and sought his pain and suffering.

But his was not the case with everyone. Omen knew that so far he had at least one example to the contrary. For Elle had not broken any of her promises to Omen, she had done her best to help him. She had accepted him going to Pennsylvania to assist Jamie, even though she did not agree with it. They had tried to make plans together, and the only hindrance had been the people in between. Omen couldn’t wait to see Elle once he was released. He knew that she had been planning on a method by which they might finally leave Texas. Elle had wanted to leave the state for some time, and return to California. After all that he had endured thanks to the vile and tyrannical government of Texas, Omen had never been more ready to leave. He hoped that something had already been arranged, but had no idea what to expect next. Other than the thing that stood more importantly than all of them, his release from jail.

The two were called back upstairs. The sun had long since gone down, and the cold of night had set in outside the Annex. A guard finally came for Omen, telling him to collect his things. Omen was outside the cell door within seconds, for he had been waiting on the same table as before. The things which belonged to the jail were given back, and what was Omen’s was placed into a plastic bag. Omen was led downstairs, and his belongings were given to the Corporal. Omen smiled as he accepted the cuffs on his wrists and feet. He tried to rush the officers to get him out the door, even as they argued and complained. He was driven back to the Loop, and taken back into the same processing center where he had arrived.

Omen sat on a different side of the processing room as those that were newly arrived. He saw the faces of those that were in his position when he had arrived, freshly arrested and trying to figure out what to do. Just as Omen had been, these people’s requests for assistance were ignored by the guards. It had not been solely him that was treated this way, it was the common practice inside the Bell County Jail. Omen’s belongings were handed over to a female officer, who then led Omen down a hallway. She brought him to a holding cell, and told him to strip down. She said an officer would be along shortly to collect his issued clothing, and give back what he had been arrested in. Even though Omen was excited to get his own clothes back, he worried about their condition. The socks and shorts had both become nasty having been forced to be Omen’s only attire for days after his initial arrest. If they were not washed, by now the smell would be overwhelming. But either way, Omen was happy to step inside the cell.

Omen stripped down to his socks and underwear. These two would have to be removed, but Omen was not yet inclined to do so. For the holding cell, just like the one Omen had been locked in for hours before, was kept extremely cold. Omen shivered as he stood almost nude inside the jail cell, waiting for the officer. But even though what seemed like a great deal of time passed, no one came to the window. Omen paced around the cell, trying to stay warm. Without his clothes, his body heat was escaping quickly. Omen tried to smack against the heavy steel window, but there was no response. Trying to call the guards to the door did not work either. This was because the holding cell which Omen was in sat amongst the offices of many high-ranking jail officials, who all had left work hours ago. No one seemed to hear Omen’s cries as he tried to keep himself from freezing to death before he was set free.

As he moved around the cell, Omen decided to let himself go. He fell into the perspective of his own past life, a Russian man named Vladimir. This man had died long ago, during the Second World War. But during several times in his life, Omen had felt pieces of this life in his mind. Occasionally, Omen could feel Vladimir’s voice inside his mind, as if his own past were speaking to him. So Omen decided to strike up a dialogue with his own former self. He laughed as Vladimir strode proudly around the cell, caring little for the temperature around him. He claimed that Omen was puny compared to what he had once been. Vladimir claimed Omen needed to adjust to the harshness of the cold if he ever wished to have the internal fortitude of a Russian. Vladimir claimed that all of Omen’s problems would be solved if he simply managed to get out of jail, and head to a liquor store. Vlad claimed that a bottle of Vodka would cure Omen’s problems, and that he should seek one as soon as he was released.

A guard came to the door, asking if Omen was ready to go. But it was Vladimir that answered her, in a terribly-forced Russian accent. “Freedom? I would love freedom. But you have not yet given me clothes. If you would like, I can leave without clothes. But this may upset those around you. As such I suggest that first you provide me with clothes.” The guard was astonished when she realized that no one had come to help Omen. She scurried off, saying she would get Omen his clothes. Several minutes later, a man came to the metal window, and handed Omen his clothes. They reeked from being trapped inside a plastic bag unwashed, but Omen slid them back on. He handed everything that belonged to the jail back to them, and was told he was clear. The guard returned shortly thereafter, and escorted Omen back into the main area. This was a room omen had seen from the other side, but not completely, upon his arrival. This was the end of his journey, the last station before he would be released from jail.

Omen’s personal information was taken, and his things were inventoried. omen smiled when he saw that his last few cigarettes, as well as his lighter, were amongst the things that had been in their possession. Omen signed for his belongings, but they were not given to him. the guards said Omen was not allowed to touch his things until he was released outside, past the last security door. The only thing left to do was for this station to process Omen’s final release paperwork, and put this entire process to an end once and for all. But the female guards that worked at this station, just like all the others, seemed preoccupied with talking to one another. It was nearly thirty minutes before all of Omen’s personal data was recorded, and another fifteen before they told Omen there was a problem.

Omen had given the officers all of his correct personal information upon being asked, as he was trained to do in the Army. But for some reason, even though Omen;s records came up under his Social Security Number, his Illinois Driver’s License did not. They asked Omen for his License number, and he replied that he did not know. Nor was his ID amongst the things that he had been arrested with. It seemed the County was unable to locate Omen’s license to suspend it like they wanted. As they quizzed Omen about this issue, he laughed them off. He told the guards, “It’s not my fault that your system can’t find the records, and I will not be held longer because of it”. They sat Omen back down in his chair, saying they would figure everything out soon.

But just like before, their promises of expeditiousness proved to be lies. Omen watched as another man was brought into the room. He stared intently as they began to try and process this man before Omen. He demanded to know why he hadn’t been released, if they were working with someone else. They responded that this man had some sort of priority, and needed to be released first if possible. So Omen was completely brushed aside as they squabbled over the new release’s paperwork. Omen heard them arguing, even from great distance. he wondered why people in positions of such sensitive knowledge felt it necessary to speak so loudly with one another, so others can overhear their conversation. Apparently, the man’s release forms had an incorrect code for the crime which he had committed. Because of this minor error, they were unable to process the man’s release.

Omen was startled by what he heard. Now they were both stuck in the same situation, sitting around for no reason. As the guards went back to discussing topics unrelated to the release of either of them, Omen became increasingly agitated. The day was drawing to a close already, the hands on the clock read past 10 PM. Omen had been supposed to have been free once he signed the paperwork, but that was nearly eight hours ago. Omen pondered why the guards felt it necessary to do this. Was it possible that this was part of a scheme to cause people to lose their tempers, and do something stupid? Omen had considered just that many times, but had managed to control himself. If his will was weaker, he might end up in trouble. This would negate everything he had done, and send him right back to jail. Omen began to seriously consider that each time they had locked him away and left him for hours, it may have been another attempt to achieve this very result. But all their attempt to break Omen had failed, and he would not fall to the final challenge.

Instead, Omen decided to begin a conversation with himself. He adopted to distinctly different personalities. The vocal inflections of each were distinctly different, as was their method of speaking. The two of them sat debating the validity of forcing someone to sit around a jail when they have paid a debt they never owed in the first place. The guards became agitated by Omen’s conversation, and Omen could see they took offense to his accusations. They told him to be quiet many times, but Omen was past that point. He simply continued to converse with himself, as the other inmate looked on in horror. He must have thought Omen crazy for talking to himself. But Omen was killing two birds with one stone. His imaginary conversation allowed him to say the things that he could not say directly to the guards without offending them, as well as kept Omen entertained.

After about thirty minutes of listening to Omen have various discussions with himself, the guards became highly agitated. This behavior was exactly what Omen had expected from the female guards, based on the way they acted. Now, in order to keep their own peace of mind, they wanted Omen gone. All the sudden, it no longer mattered that they couldn’t find Omen’s Driver’s License, they just wanted him to sign his papers. Omen chuckled under his breath as they called him back to the counter to finalize his paperwork. His plan had worked perfectly. Even if the guards were set on taking their time, Omen was now the exception. Within ten minutes, a guard was escorting him to the door. He passed through the security door, and then through a metal detector where another guard stood. The bag containing all his various personal belongings was handed to him, and Omen waved goodbye to the guards.

Omen proudly pushed open both of the doors leading out from the jail. He took a moment to breathe in the cold night air. He reached inside the plastic bag, and removed his cigarettes and lighter. He pulled out a single cigarette, placing the pack into his pocket. Omen moved away from the doors, towards the parking lot next to the jail. In between was an area of sidewalk. No one was around, and the hour was late. Omen did not see Elle, or anyone else for that matter. But Omen was not worried about this. He laid his cigarette and lighter on the ground next to him, and took a knee on the ground. Omen prayed to the Father, thanking Him for giving Omen the strength to endure this newest trial. As he did so, Omen re-affixed his ring and necklace. it felt wonderful to have them again, and to be outside of the jail. Omen was overcome with joy at being given his freedom again. As he prayed, Omen felt the Father come to him. He had been there the entire time, but had hidden Himself from Omen. In this way, Omen’s faith could be tested when he was not being spiritually supported.

Abbadon came down as well, congratulating Omen on doing as he was instructed. Omen had always been one of Abbadon’s favorite pupils, by his own admission. This was not because Omen was more gifted than any of the others, but because of Omen’s stubborn refusal to give up. Abbadon had said this was Omen’s best quality, and warned him never to lose it. But mostly he had come simply to let Omen know that he had always been nearby, regardless of the fact that Omen could not feel him. Even though this test had called for spiritual separation, none of them had wanted to make Omen feel abandoned. But this had been a true test of both Omen’s endurance and his faith under pressure. Abbadon had never doubted that he would stand in this place and converse in this way with Omen, not for a second.

Omen broke out in song, even though he did not have his phone for music. Omen could not contain the amazing feeling he had. Not only had he been granted his freedom, but he had followed his Path without stumbling. As Omen sang, he saw a van pull into the parking lot. Before the van had come to a complete stop, Elle jumped out of the passenger door. She rushed to Omen wrapping him up in her arms. Elle kissed Omen repeatedly, an act he was happy to return. As they finished the cigarette, Elle introduced Omen to her aunt Shelia. SHelia was the only family Elle had that lived closeby. Coincidentally, once the van drove for a few minutes and came to a stop outside a trailer, Omen found himself staying just across the street from the jail in which he had just been imprisoned. Omen stood outside and stared at the massive jail of stone and steel. This place was designed to trap people inside, as their lives are slowly drained to nothing. Even though he had to sacrifice much in order to get out, Omen had managed to separate himself from the Broken Justice of Bell County. He nodded another thanks to the Father as he headed inside.

Elle had plans for the evening. But before he would agree to anything, Omen had demands of his own. His clothes stunk enough to make his eyes water, Omen needed fresh clothes. As well he need to take a shower, and fully cleanse himself of the vileness of jail. Elle was prepared for this request, and had brought clothes that would fit Omen. Omen spent a good twenty minutes enjoying his shower. He shaved and brushed his teeth, cleaning himself completely. Omen had stared at himself in the metal mirror while he was in jail several times. But as he looked at himself again, Omen noticed a severe difference. It was almost as if something had rejoined with him now that he was out of jail. His eyes seemed different, more alive somehow. Omen shook off his concerns about whatever might be going on inside himself. He shut off the bathroom light, and headed out toward the living room of Shelia’s trailer.

Elle sat on the love seat watching television. Omen joined her, their legs comfortably wrapping around one another. Elle had several gifts that she had brought to celebrate Omen’s release from jail. When she picked him up, Elle had presented Omen with a 20 ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper. Now that he was done with his shower, she could give him the rest. Elle had brought weed with her for them to smoke. Omen enjoyed being high for the first time in weeks, as it took very little. Also, Elle had brought a bottle of wine for them to drink. The combination of the two soon had Omen reeling, as his body was no longer used to the influences of the substances. This was no different than when Omen had drank after returning from Iraq, a simple lack of tolerance. But Omen’s tolerance was high enough to sit and joke with Elle and Shelia for hours without becoming a slurring mess.

After much prodding, Elle convinced Omen to come to bed with her. She had been wanting something else since Omen’s incarceration, and she was set on getting it. Omen had no problems making Elle happy, though the action provided him no joy. While he was able to move and function like everyone else, it was situations like this that proved how different Omen truly was. He felt no desire, no want for sex at all. Not just with Elle, but with anyone at all. Omen’s mind had become so analytical in nature that it now lacked the capacity for basic Human feelings. Omen did not let this bother him, making sure to fulfill all of Elle’s needs. She had supported Omen while the rest of the world wanted to turn against him. Omen was happy that he had Elle in his life. She was the only person left that Omen felt he could actually trust once his back was turned. After they had finished, they fell asleep together on the full-size bed. It was uncomfortable, but anything was better than jail. As Omen drifted off to sleep, he wondered what might come next on the path set before him. But regardless of what it was, Omen would be ready. The bars of Bell County could not hold him, and the attacks of the vile would not stop his progression.

31

Omen awoke, hurrying across the trailer to the bathroom. Shelia was already awake, and sat in her chair watching TV. Omen sat down with her and talked for awhile as Elle remained asleep. Shelia was not particularly fond of her sister’s habits, or her pattern of disrespect. She said these things were habits that had existed in her sister for some time. Nor was she fond of the system, or it’s methods of control. Shelia told Omen a story, about one of her tiny animals. Living next to the highway, one day the dog wandered in the wrong direction, exploring as dogs tend to do. When cars came down the road it scared the dog, who fled to the other side of the highway. But with traffic continually flowing across the road, the dog soon found itself wandering away from home. It was picked up by the county animal shelter. Once Shelia was able to locate her dog at the pound, she also found herself being extorted. Her dog had not had recent updated shots. Shelia now not only had to pay to get her dog out of the pound, but had to sign paperwork agreeing to get all the shots required within thirty days. If Shelia was not able to afford the shots within the thirty days timeframe, she could be fined heavily. Worse still, her precious dog might be taken away for no reason.

Omen was disgusted. He had just endured the revolting ways in which the Justice system has become broken and corrupted. Now it seemed that these same rules were being applied in terms of those living creatures people held dear. Anything that could be taken away or used in order to demand more money from the populace, to fund the crumbling government. A government based on lies and deceit, whose very currency is a creative lie invented many years ago as a way to manage the expansion of a populace without the expansion of it’s real wealth. After the individual governments had taken control of the majority of the continental Earth, their sights turned to maintaining that control. The easiest way to do this, at all levels, is to ensure almost the whole of the populace owes someone a debt. As long as this is the case, that individual must continue to work and pay off those debts, or risk losing all they have worked for. Especially if not paying those debts results in imprisonment, which will cost both money and time. Whether it was with people, their pets, their vehicles, their homes, their choices to smoke cigarettes and marijuana, or any other of a multitude of methods, the governmental system was using their power to steal the money of the people, as well as their individual rights.

Omen’s ranting about the flawed nature of the government was interrupted by breakfast. The meal was very simply prepared, but to Omen it was heavenly. No longer forced to choke down flavorless oatmeal and grits, Omen savored every bite. While they did not share Omen’s enthusiasm for their meal, Elle and Shelia sat and ate with him. As they ate, Shelia asked Omen about something she had overheard him discussing with Elle. Omen had been given back his phone, but did not have headphones to go along with it. Elle had managed to find a set of her own, but they were broken, producing little more than static interference. Shelia walked over to her computer desk, and began moving around various papers and objects. She pulled out a simple set of old earbuds and handed them to Omen.

“Try these out and see if they work. If they do you can have them.”

Omen thanked Shelia, then rushed into the bedroom. He got dressed quickly as he explained his plans to Elle. The night prior, upon his release, Omen had begun praying before Elle’s arrival. Omen felt he still had much more praying to do, right at this moment, to thank the Father for watching over him. Elle understood, and said she would stay inside with Shelia while Omen worshiped. While Elle was known to join Omen in his singing on occasion, Omen usually did his praying alone. This was his private time, alone with the Father and the spirits. Omen gave Elle a kiss, telling her he would be back inside later. He did not plan to go far, as he did not know the area. But Omen knew he rarely stayed confined in one area. He told Elle not to worry about him, that he would try to stay closeby.

Omen happily strode outside, despite the brightness of the sun. Omen had never been particularly fond of the sun, choosing to do most of his travel and worship by night. But today none of that mattered. As Omen stopped for a second to look across the street at the jail where he had recently been confined, he sighed with dismay. That building represented one aspect of a much larger problem, one that Omen was sure he would deal with again. But not today. Shelia’s trailer sat next to an empty lot, which gave Omen ample space to walk around. As he put his headphones into his ears, Omen finally was able to feel like himself again. Being locked away in jail had prevented Omen from any time of real worship or prayer, as these actions were treated harshly by anyone that realized their intent. But today Omen would be able to correct something that had been wrong since he had arrived back in Texas. Omen had not yet spent time singing to his Father.

As Omen began to sing, he looked up into the sky. Omen excitedly pulled out his phone, and took a picture of what he saw. For today was a bright and clear day, so clear that the bright nearly full moon hung just above the trees. The moon was clearly visible, even in the middle of the day. Omen took this as a blessing, for it was rare to see this in Killeen. But Omen could not help but stop to thank the Father after he finished his first song for the moon that shone through the day. On this day the powers of the Darkness could not be contained. Omen’s singing grew even louder, as he walked through the field. Omen felt the presences of many that he had interacted with over the years come to visit him as he worshiped. Omen recognized several of the presences, but his focus remained set on his worship.

Omen’s singing began to grow more intense. He found himself standing a few feet from the highway, singing while facing the oncoming traffic. Omen actually walked across a part of the highway as he sang, with traffic speeding by in the nearby lanes. Omen felt truly free, and had no fear of the speeding cars. Even with the music blasting in his ears, Omen’s senses had heightened. It was almost as if he could feel the cars before the crested the hill, and was easily able to avoid them as they came toward him. After some time, Omen returned to the grass next to the road. His singing had not stopped for any longer than the periods of time that his phone transferred from one song to another. Omen’s throat was dry, and he wished he had brought something to drink with him. But he would not allow this minor inconvenience to stop him from putting as much energy into his worship as was possible.

Omen saw Elle as she headed his direction. When she arrived, Omen was in the middle of a song. As was normal for him, he used his hand to demand that Elle wait until his song was finished to interrupt his prayer. As they spoke, Elle said that soon it would be time to go. Her aunt was going to take them back to Killeen shortly, if her mother continued to be a pain. For as usual, Elle’s mother wanted nothing to do with assisting her daughter. Omen thanked Elle for the information, then told her to come back when it was almost time to go. He was not through singing yet. Elle understood, producing a bottle of water she had brought out with her. Now Omen would not have to suffer through the dryness of his throat as he sang. He thanked Elle again for her consideration of him, then set a song to play on his phone. Omen went right back to his worship, taking advantage of every second. He had no idea what the rest of his day might bring. For now, Omen wanted only to be alone with the Father.

About twenty minutes later, Elle exited the trailer again. Omen took it as a sign, and started moving towards her as well. They met at a single tree, which stood on the property next to Shelia’s. Omen continued to sing as he climbed the tree, taking a moment to sing while amongst the branches. Elle smiled up at Omen as he finished his song from up in the tree, then swung back down to the ground. Omen removed his headphones, and the two headed back inside. But as Omen entered the trailer, he overheard Shelia on the phone. Based on the nature of her conversation, it seemed like they would not be leaving right away after all. Shelia was having issues with her bank, who had charged her multiple times for non-sufficient funding in her account, but she had only done it once. Shelia had known about the situation, and put money in to cover it. But the bank charged her the fee again, which drew her past the money she had put in. Now they kept dragging Shelia through a cycle of trying to charge her multiple times for the same thing, using various business loopholes that banks are provided.

It took almost an hour for Shelia to straighten things out with her bank. But after she hung up the phone, Shelia said she intended to close her account anyway. There was no reason why she should be treated this way by the people that she allows to manage her money. There are many banks, and many branches of those banks. The funding of each branch is determined by the amount of business that it does. Some banks thrive off of the customers that come inside. Most thrive off of their location, and the easy access to an ATM. But Shelia, like Omen, knew that a bank’s customers are it’s business. For if everyone that put their funds in a bank suddenly went in and withdrew them, the bank would be forced to close it’s doors. The opposing side to this is that if this is done, bankers are trained to say their money is gone before it actually is, in order to prevent a total loss of all the business’ funds. But for herself, Shelia would find another way to manage paying her bills and buying necessities. Any business that treats it’s customers without courtesy or respect does not deserve to exist, as no business can exist without it’s customers.

After Shelia got off the phone, they discussed the process of getting Omen and Elle back to Killeen. Shelia said Elle’s mother had said she would do it before, but now was arguing as usual. Shelia could not really afford the long drive from Belton to Killeen and back. But Omen told Shelia he would cover that, and put some gas in her vehicle. All he had to do was get back to Kindra’s, to where his wallet was waiting. From there he could withdraw money and repay the kindness Shelia had shown him. Shelia appreciated the gesture, and was quick to agree to being given money. Omen even offered to buy Shelia a pack of cigarettes as well while they were at the gas station, simply to show how much he appreciated what she had done for him. The three of them jumped in the van, and sped off towards Killeen. The drive was much more pleasant than any Omen had been party to recently. He was happy to watch the city of Belton, and it’s County Jail, disappear in the distance behind him.

Omen’s smile dimmed when they arrived in the Vista. As they turned onto the road where Kindra’s apartment was, Omen’s head drooped a bit. As they stopped in front of the driveway, Omen stepped out in a daze. He stood over the place where his vehicle had once been parked. Omen had done the math in his head. By now, the fees were higher to retrieve the vehicle than it was worth, and much more than Omen could afford. For just a few moments, Omen’s mind reflected on his memories in the truck. He remembered all the hidden flaws it had been purchased with, and how Omen had intended to fix them someday. He remembered the drive to Tennessee, even without music flowing through the speakers. He remembered how hard he had worked to swap the rims from his old truck onto the new vehicle, to maintain a piece of his own history. He remembered the drive to Texas, and the many times spent inside the vehicle once it had broken down.

Omen reached down, and moved a large rock out of the road. This rock had been used by omen and his friends to assist in jacking up the vehicle so that it could be worked on. Since the vehicle’s initial breakdown, they had worked extremely hard to fix it. Many things had been replaced, but the remaining problem was in the wiring of the steering column. Omen had once pushed the vehicle several blocks to have it evaluated, and spent money to see it repaired. But the repairs had not lasted, now there was a charging issue as well. Something was severely blown out in the wiring, and even the shop had no idea how to fix the issue. But Omen had never given up on seeing his vehicle fixed. He had intended to see his repaired vehicle towed behind a U-Haul on his way to California with Elle. But now it was all gone. Every dime he had spent, and every drop of sweat. Now the vehicle would most likely be auctioned off cheaply, or destroyed entirely for the metal. What a terrible end to such a loved vehicle, what a miserable way to go. All because of the greedy corruption of the local government, who had taken all they could from Omen.

Omen sighed and shook his head. He had to move on, the past could not be changed. Omen reached in his pocket, producing his keychain. As he walked up to the door of Kindra’s apartment, something was different. ALmost instantly, Omen put the pieces together in his mind. But Omen did his best not be judgmental without cause, so he gave Kindra the benefit of the doubt. But as he tried to put his key into the door and failed, the reality was apparent. Kindra had changed the locks on the doors while Omen was in jail. Though she did not seem to have time to send Omen’s medications and money quickly, or to make contact with Elle, obviously this had been a priority.

Omen grumbled under his breath at this obvious attempt to porevent Omen from entering the house. Omen laughed, for he assumed this was Kindra’s way of saying he was unwelcome. But based on her actions when he was in jail, Omen had little desire to be around Kindra at all. His major wants were to have his coat a change of clothes, along with his wallet and hygiene items. Omen contacted Kindra, but the response was harsh and aggressive. She claimed she was too busy to stop by the house, even for a minute, to allow Omen to collect his things. She said she would not be able to make time until after 11 PM, when she was through with her second job at Pizza Hut. Omen asked Kindra why she was acting this way towards him. He had never treated her in this way, and had done his best to give her advice when she asked. He had cleaned up her house without so much as a request, even cleaning up massive piles of cat feces that had grown over months behind her couch. Now she could not even be bothered to return Omen’s belongings to him. Omen wondered what had brought about this terrible change in Kindra, but she hung up before he could ask.

Omen’s head hung low as he walked back over to Shelia’s van. He explained what had happened, and also that he had no way to provide Shelia with the money he had promised. Kindra’s asinine attitude had broken Omen’s promise. Shelia was visibly unhappy about losing out on the money, but assured Omen that it was not his fault. As Shelia drove off, left with no other option, Elle and Omen walked down the street toward her mother’s house. But as usual, Omen stopped across the street from the residence. Elle’s uncle had use the police to ban Omen from the property, and Elle’s mother was known to use ruthless tactics to cause pain. Omen refused to even step foot on the property, he would not go against what the police had told him. Elle asked Omen what he would do, now that Kindra had locked him out. Omen responded that he would simply wait until she returned, and collect what he was able to. He had no other choice. His identification, his debit card, and all his warm clothes were inside Kindra’s apartment. If he wished to get any of these things back, he would have to wait for her.

Omen used the time to make several phone calls, to notify people of his release. But he made no attempt to contact his mother, for she had made the decision to ignore him in jail. He called Jamie, as well as his friend Amethyst from Facebook. Then he called some of his local friends, who said they would be by shortly. They kept to their word, but Omen had no place for them to go while they visited. As such they gathered in the area behind the house where Elle’s mother stayed. From here they were not bothered as they sat and talked. Everyone happily welcomed Omen back, saying that he had been missed. Internally, Omen wondered why they bothered to lie again, after the truth had already been revealed. Perhaps they assumed that Elle would not say anything, or perhaps they thought Omen would accept it? Either way, Omen knew that soon he would be separating himself from all these people. They had already betrayed him once, he would not set himself up for it to happen again.

As the sun went down, the bitter cold of night set in. Elle brought Omen a blanket, and the two of them sat together. Everyone else had long since left, after realizing Omen had nothing to offer them. But Elle refused to leave Omen’s side, saying she would remain with him all evening. But Omen demanded that Elle go inside, and sleep in her own bed. Omen did not want Elle to suffer because of what had been done to him. By eleven, Elle had accepted that decision. Even though she did not want Omen to be forced to endure the cold night alone, she knew he was right to send her inside. The last thing they needed to add to the situation was Elle getting sick. Omen convinced her to go inside, telling her he would deal with his belongings personally. Once he had them, he would contact Elle to discuss the next step.

Omen had contacted Kindra shortly after 11. Her response was that she was not sure she would be coming home from work that evening. Omen thought back to the discussions he had with his friends earlier. They had told him that it was illegal to render someone homeless without at least a 30-day notice in the state of Texas. Based on that alone, Omen had legal right to call the police on Kindra. He could have her arrested as he had been, or at least force her to let him inside. But having just recently had his entire life messed up based on a situation started by the Killeen Police Department, Omen had little trust in them. For all he knew, it might end up being the same rotten policemen from before, and they might haul him back to jail on some bogus charge. Unlike the rest of society, Omen would find a method besides the system’s broken Justice.

Omen was able to convince Kindra to come to the apartment before she went to visit whomever she planned to stay with that evening. Omen stood shivering in the cold, waiting for her to pull up. As soon as she opened the door, Kindra told Omen all his things were in the closest of the room where he had stayed. Omen went straight back to the bedroom, as there should be nothing of his in the living room. The room had been thoroughly cleaned out, and now held nothing but her punching bag. Omen opened the closet door, and found several grey plastic tubs inside. Omen pulled out the three tubs, along with piles of his other things. Omen did his best to sort through them, looking for the things he needed. Kindra’s cats had pissed on a whole tub full of Omen’s clothes. But rather than do the right thing and wash them, Kindra had just thrown them in the tubs reeking of urine. Once again, Kindra was proving to be truly vile inside.

Omen managed to find several outfits that were still clean and did not stink. He pulled out these things, along with hygenical and survival necessities. Omen changed into warmer clothes, knowing the night was going to be cold. The rest of his things Omen packed back into the tubs, stuffing them back in the closet. He organized what he had acquired into the same three bags that he had traversed the country with more than once. By now the bags had become very worn out, and seemed to be ready to rip apart at any moment. But these were Omen’s only bags, and he had no other choice but to rely on them. After the bags were packed, and the tubs neatly packed away again, Omen took a quick inventory. After making sure he had all the cords he needed to plug in his electronics, as well as what clothes he could grab, Omen sent a message to Elle. She would be down to assist Omen in carrying the bags shortly. But until then, Omen still had some business to attend to.

Omen took the bags out to the front of the house. He called Kindra, demanding to know where the rest of his things were. Kindra said everything was in the closet, a fact Omen was quick to dispute. He asked where she had taken his hygiene items to, as it was all missing. At first Kindra claimed not to have them, but after being coaxed she pulled them out from where she had hidden them. The other major item that he could not find was a glass pipe. This pipe did not belong to Omen. But when he was arrested, he had been holding it for Samantha, so her mother would not steal it again. This pipe was named Mud Frog, and everyone loved it. It had been hidden prior to Omen’s arrest, safely tucked away where it could not be seen by anyone.

But according to Kindra, when she organized his things it had been found. Omen asked her where it was, and Kindra said she, “got rid of it”. Omen had known Kindra for some time, and knew well her vocal patterns. She was being evasive about what she had really done with Mud Frog. Omen knew right away what had really happened. One of her non-military Pizza Hut friends now had possession of his friend’s piece. Omen yelled at Kindra, saying she had no rights to give away things that were not hers. Kindra stubbornly refused to give Omen any information on where she had sent Mud Frog away to, for she knew Omen would head straight there to retrieve it. But she was quick to send yet another message on her phone as Omen was chastising her.

Kindra had been on the phone or messaging the entire time Omen had been at the apartment. At first, Omen was not sure if she was just talking to one of her friends or not. But Kindra had stayed outside, with the door open, while Omen was packing his things. Though he did not try to, Omen overheard some of Kindra’s conversation. Her voice was weak and cracking as she spoke, and she had barely spoken a word to Omen at all. Suddenly, the truth clicked in Omen’s mind. Kindra knew what she had done, as well as what she was doing, was wrong. She was afraid that Omen was going to harm her for her many offenses. She stayed on the phone with another male, so that if something happened they could rush to the scene and call the police. She did not come in the house so her neighbors would see anything that happened to her. She was a criminal, forcing someone to be homeless while hiding behind the law and her friends.

This was another example of the problems with the current state of the world. Humanity’s need to maintain civilization and peace within their society had spiraled out of control. For in situations like this, where people blatantly harm others, the person harmed should be allowed to exact Vengeance on the offender. But the laws of Man do not allow for such a thing. After all she had done, Kindra deserved a sound thrashing, to remind her that being rotten to people is not tolerable. But if Omen were to do what he felt was just and right, he would soon go right back to jail. Justice was not allowed, but yet Men claimed to be civilized. Their egotistical belief that they can control the lives of everyone now begins to show it’s own dark side. For now criminals pay the system for their crimes, and those harmed receive nothing. In other cases, based on a “lack of evidence”, these people walk free. But those free Men are not allowed to be harmed by those whose families were torn apart by their rottenness. Where is the Justice in that? Was this all that was left in the world, a bunch of weak-willed cowards, hiding behind laws and rules like a shield as they hurt people?

Omen growled under his breath. After everything he had endured, he was ready to make someone pay for what they had done. So far, everyone that had harmed him had gotten off without a scratch. Every urge inside Omen boiled, begging for one piece of real Justice. Even if that Justice came only in the explanations Kindra would have to give to her bosses about why she was in such a condition, why she had deserved it. But Omen took a deep breath, dragging those terrible thoughts deep inside. This was his common habit of late. Like damming up a massive river, that only grows larger with each betrayal. He grabbed his bags and walked outside. Elle was headed up the road, and Omen met her near the parking spaces. Omen told Kindra he would be back for the rest of his things at a later time, when he had a place for them. As he headed down the road, Omen watched Kindra go inside, still talking on her phone.

Omen and Elle walked down to the corner next to her mother’s house. Omen set down the bags, pulling out a few select items. After zipping his bags back up, Omen gave them to Elle. Omen walked away from Elle as she took the bags inside the garage where she stayed. Omen headed first to the gas station, to acquire cigarettes and something warm to drink. Then he went around to the area behind the houses, where the group had sat and smoked many times. Omen sat back there, huddled in his coat. The breeze seeped in through the thin fabric, as well as Omen’s other layers. This night would definitely be a challenge. But eventually Elle showed up, carrying with her the things they had discussed. She had brought Omen a blanket to wrap himself in so that he could sleep. She had also brought the piece Omen had requested, so they could share the last bit of weed they had between them. Elle sat down, and they wrapped themselves in the blanket.

As they smoked they discussed the rest of the evening. Elle wanted to stay right where she was, nestled next to Omen. But all Omen had to sleep on was a wooden pallet, where he would curl up wrapped in the blanket. This would not be comfortable for him, let alone for the two of them. Also, Elle had a bed to sleep in. In a place that was warm, where she could rest comfortably. Omen understood Elle’s want to remain at his side, but he did not want to jeopardize her health. As such, eventually Elle gave up on trying to spend the night outside. Elle was worried as she left, but Omen reassured her that he would be fine. After over seven years in the Army, he could survive one cold night alone. He did not want the suffering that he was already enduring to spread to anyone else, and add more lives to the list of those made miserable in his quest for Knowledge. After she left, Omen did his best to get comfortable inside the blanket.

It was not easy for Omen to get his mind to stop running. So many things were flowing through, colliding with one another. If Kindra had given Elle the things that Omen needed as soon as she had asked for them, Elle would have come to visit sooner. If she had come sooner, she would have gotten Omen’s keys, and moved his truck. It had been Kindra’s inaction that now left Omen without a decent place to sleep for the evening. Even if the vehicle had been seized inappropriately, before the tow date, Kindra’s laziness had been time necessary for that to happen. Omen had no problems with his body temperature, as his rage left him sweating. He tried to calculate how much he had spent on the truck, the rims, and the parts to attempt repairs. Omen then took a portion of that amount, placing that much worth of the blame for what had happened on Kindra’s shoulders. Calculated, the amount was several thousand dollars. Omen wondered how he might exact repayment of that debt. His mind raced, assisted by the voices of Demons. In situations like this, where Omen’s emotions rose, the energy inside him contorted. This allowed Demons to have an easy connection from which to attempt to get Omen to commit vileness. This had become a semi-normal thing in Omen’s life over the last month. It was another one of the things that Omen learned to manage and control inside himself. Not just for himself, but for the sake of everyone un-deserving that was around when Omen’s rage finally boiled over.

In the dark of the night, Omen tried to center himself, to calm and focus his energies. In order to do so, Omen stared at himself energetically. His aura had grown significantly, now extending close to the houses nearby. Omen searched for all the individual things that were clouding his energy, preventing him from focusing correctly. As he located each one, Omen attacked them. He forced each one down, far past himself, into the center of the Earth to burn away. But these actions alone did not help Omen retain control over himself. Something else was going on, deeper inside than the nonsense of the world. Omen turned his gaze further inward. It had been quite some time since Omen had been able to stare at himself like this, due to his constant movement and issues. As he did so, Omen was shocked at what he saw. Everything about who he was inside had changed, but the center of it all was still the same.

Omen had spent alot of time over the years evaluating the center of his being. He had found several levels, and for a time thought each was the extent of the evaluation. But none had proven completely effective in maintaining stability within. Picturing his center as a golden ball of energy made no sense, but seeing it as pure Darkness during his life had made little sense either. For a purely Dark heart has no capacity to feel compassion, nor will be found willing to help others voluntarily. This did not define Omen, who had given of himself many times over the years only to be turned against when it was convenient. Everyone had agreed throughout Omen’s life, he had a golden heart. Once. But this was what the Father had removed. Now, it was replaced by the spinning energy of the Gates. The Gates existed through varying levels of Existence, giving Omen access to a great deal. These energies swirled, like a spinning hourglass of infinity, deep inside Omen’s chest.

But as he stared at it, Omen recognized several things. The most importantly was how distinctly his energy had changed at the core. It had grown immensely stronger, but did not feel the same as it once had. But now, without the energy of his emotions swirling around inside him, Omen was able to see even further inside. He stared towards the Gates, and saw the effect they had on his energy. It had caused a change, but it was not the source of the massive change. It had only enhanced something that had already existed, which was no longer countered by the golden heart’s energy. This energy was different from that of the Gates, it lied even further toward the center. Omen forced himself past the massive swirling energy, searching for the core of himself. As he passed, the voices of many Demons could be heard, as well as the wailing of tortured souls. But Omen ignored these things, for they were not his goal. In order to find the answers he sought, Omen would need to maintain his focus. With effort, Omen was able to make his way through the chaos of it all, and into a small place where almost no light seemed to reside.

This was what he was searching for. Inside the place Omen kept hidden from the world, where even Light found it impossible to penetrate completely, Omen knew he would find the center of himself. He began to wander inside this place, where he could barely make out the movements of his own form. In the distance, Omen saw an area that seemed to radiate a light, though it was not a strong one. More like the remnant light that passes through the crack underneath a doorway. Omen sought the source of it, walking towards what he saw. But upon reaching the area where the small bit of light was it faded away. In it’s place Omen heard voices conversing. But the voices seemed...familiar somehow. Omen tried to focus in on the conversation. It sounded like a man speaking with a crying child. The child’s voice cracked and broke as he spoke, he had obviously been crying extensively. The other voice, which seemed much more mature from the sound of it, was hard to hear. It seemed to be speaking quietly, loud enough that only the child that was close could hear. Omen tried to move closer to where the voices were coming from, that he might finally understand why they sounded so familiar.

Omen used the boy’s voice as a point to follow. As he drew closer, he began to hear the things the child was talking about. Most of it was indifferent general conversation, about various people and places. The child spoke on how much he Hated his school, how miserably he was treated. Then he talked about his parents, who he claimed were both worthless. Neither one gave a damn about him, they were too concerned with their own lives. This boy felt terribly unloved. Moreover, he felt he was Hated by the entire world. All he had ever wanted was to be given a chance to be seen for his strengths rather than his failures. But no one had been willing. It seemed as if it might have been better if he had never been born. Even at his young age, his life meant nothing to anyone, or so he felt. The boy began to sob again as he talked about his problems. By the strength of the child’s voice, Omen knew he couldn’t be far.

Omen ran face first into a wall that he could not see. Based on the sounds of the child’s crying, he had to be on the other side. Omen felt around the wall, looking for a way through. As he did he heard the other voice, working to calm the child. Omen began to hear the voice more clearly. it spoke on how the child was not worthless, and his life did have a purpose. The voice said the child was meant for much more than he knew, if he wished to be. The child was disbelieving at first, but was willing to try anything to make his torment end. He didn’t care about anyone around him, or even about himself. He wanted something more than the bastardized life he had been given. The child asked what he needed to do in order to change himself, that he might be ready for such a thing. The voice told the boy to let go of his fear, and accept becoming one with it. It said the process would be painless, and after that the boy’s life would change forever. The voice promised that this change would make all the pain go away, and end the boy’s misery once and for all.

Omen was taken aback. He now recognized the voices behind the wall, and had no further need to enter the room. The voice of the child that he heard was his own. The other voice was the one that Omen had nicknamed “Black Death” as a child. Omen thought back on those times. Inside the misery of his own life, Omen had been visited by a spirit. It promised all the things that he had just heard and more. The removal of pain was only the major benefit. It also promised methods by which those that hurt Omen might be repaid for their vileness. The voices he was hearing was the night Omen made the decision to let go, and accept the offer. It was the night that Omen had opened himself up to the spirit completely, and allowed it to change him. And change him it did. For a decade thereafter, not a single tear was shed. Also from that day forward, Omen became further possessed by his own Hatred. Omen did not think the same, act the same, or allow anyone to push him around anymore. It was on this day that the Omen had accepted that he would also house something other than himself, and was willing to do so freely.

That day had changed Omen forever. He no longer needed friends, or emotional support from his family. What he had accepted inside made all that unnecessary. But as it grew more and more one with Omen, his Hatred grew along with it. As he grew older, only Omen could distinguish between one and the other. Both were allowed control at one time or another, even though the Human still maintained it overall. But at times, Omen remembered walking away from his own body, locking himself away in his mind. During these times the spirit took over directly. But allowing this to happen usually had terrible consequences. For the Hatred of the spirit could not be quenched, it sought chaos whenever left in control. This had been the cause of many of Omen’s altercations during school, as the spirit guided Omen’s thoughts toward ruthless ways to overpower the authority of his teachers. Omen never wasted his time with petty squabbling, his aim was to cause unbearable pain and misery.

The spirit was allowed itself to lie dormant in Omen for years, by his choice. When he joined the Army, Omen wanted a different life. He sought peace and stability, and the happiness of family that he had never known. But when these things proved to be less than Omen had hoped for, Omen had turned back toward the Darkness. Through contact with the Father, Omen had learned what path he was to follow. Through the training of Belial, Abbadon, and many others, his control had grown immensely. But deep inside himself, Omen knew that the spirit remained. It was not any of the ones he had dealt with. This was a fact proven through various interactions it had with Sara and Jamie. It always wanted to be viewed as minor, like it did not matter in the greater spectrum of things. But Omen knew what he felt behind the words. The will was extremely powerful, and the only thing Omen felt from it was Hatred.

Omen tried to push toward the source of this feeling, searching for answers to his questions. If this spirit was not the Father, nor Belial, nor Abbadon, nor any other denizen of Hell that Omen was aware of, then what was it? What random Demon had become so much a part of Omen that they were now indistinguishable from one another? What was it that truly lie dormant inside Omen, and what was the function of it? Omen tried to push deeper inside the Hatred. He felt another presence inside, a different feeling that everything around it. Omen tried to reach out to what he felt. But as he did, something stood in between them. Omen stared in horror at the face of a great Dragon. It’s gaze pierced Omen, sending shivers of terror up his spine. But as Omen was able to pull back, he saw several of these dragon heads, each different from the others. Omen tried to count the number of heads, to try and discern how many dragons there were. But he was quickly interrupted by the powerful roar of the head he had encountered first. This awakened the others, and they all began to move around. As the heads rose from the ground, Omen realized that they were not separate from one another. It was one massive Dragon that stood before Omen, with seven distinct heads.

Omen snapped back into himself. He had fled from the massive Dragon immediately, as he had no idea what to expect from it. What was this terrible thing, and how did Omen connect to it from inside himself? Had he pushed too close to the Gates, and come across something he wasn’t looking for? No, that didn’t make sense. Something else was going on. Something to do with the spirit that Omen had initially accepted as a child. Omen came out from underneath the blanket, forcing a large cloud of steam to rise into the night air. He sat up and lit a cigarette, trying to understand what he had seen. Omen knew he had heard references to a seven-headed dragon before somewhere, but could not remember the source. Omen tried to use his phone to research, but found it to be nearly dead. He would have to wait until morning to use outside sources to help in his quest for understanding. But Omen took a moment to pray, and thank the Father for what he had seen. At least he had some idea of where to start looking now, rather than just wandering in the Darkness. Omen rolled back up inside his blanket, finally able to close his eyes and rest.

The next morning, Omen awoke due to his own discomfort. His body ached from the strange way in which he had slept. Omen got up, going to the nearby thicket of trees to urinate. It was about two hours after Omen awoke before Elle came outside to join him. She was nice enough to bring a cup of warm coffee with her. Though Omen did not care for coffee, he enjoyed being warm inside again. They sat and discussed their plans for a bit. This situation was worse than anyone had expected. But to sit and dwell on the negativity of the past would only delay future progression. As such, Omen had to continue focusing on the future. Allowing himself to rot away on the street would only give credence to all the people who said that Omen’s faith was the cause of his turmoil. It would only be in succeeding that Omen would truly be able to put those that had hurt him to shame properly.

Elle went to take her blanket inside, and Omen met her at the edge of the street. They walked out of the Vista, headed into Killeen for sustenance. Omen had not eaten in quite some time, and his stomach was not happy with him. As they walked, Elle made a call on Omen’s phone. She spoke for about ten minutes, then hung up with a smile. She couldn’t wait to tell Omen what she had heard. Her conversation was with her father. According to James, he was nearly ready for them to come to California. He said he would cover the costs of paying for a moving truck and a trailer, to haul a vehicle that belonged to Elle. But he would only pay his share if they could produce the money to cover the gas costs, as well as any other necessities on the trip. But based on the expenses from his previous trips, Omen knew this would be no small amount of money. The drive from Texas to California would take days, and would cost hundreds in fuel alone.

This presented a problem. Most of what Omen had left was simple spending money, and would nowhere near cover the kind of amount he was projecting this trip would cost. Elle had no money either, and both of them knew her mother would not help. Omen knew he could not ask his own parents, for they had already proven where they stood as it pertained to their son. This meant Omen would have to find a way to acquire this money himself. As they sat and ate lunch, Omen pondered how he might make this happen. After several minutes, he came to a realization. It was time for Omen to file his yearly taxes. Every year since he had started working, Omen had always claimed 0 on his tax forms. This allowed him to collect a nice check from his tax returns every year. Omen considered this a sort of “savings plan”, whereby at the beginning of each year Omen had extra money for larger expenses. This would be a perfect way to get the money they needed, so they could be gone from Texas permanently.

Omen and Elle walked down to McDonald’s. From there, Omen plugged in his laptop, and logged onto the free wifi. Omen searched out his W-2 Form online, based on the instructions he had been e-mailed. But what he found was worse than he could possibly imagine. Omen called the help number, because he could not believe what he was reading. After being transferred several times, Omen final came in contact with someone that was ready to help him with whatever his problem was. But when the man did his searches, the same results came up. It seemed that someone had set up Omen’s unemployment to be given to him without taxes being taken out of it. This was a complete shock to omen, who vividly remembered filling out the tax forms, and claiming 0 as always. But regardless of where the mistake had come from, Omen had paid no taxes from which to collect back a return, for the first year since he had worked.

But the man had good news as well. It seemed Omen still had collectable time on his unemployment, something he had not even considered. The thought of asking for an extension had never occurred to Omen, he had simply done what he could with what he was given. But based on the man’s evaluations, this would be just what Omen needed. By the time Omen saw his first paycheck, he would be back paid for several weeks. This money would be enough to put away into the savings, to fund the trip to California. This was exactly what Omen had been hoping for. He happily gave his information to the man over the phone, setting up his new account. Finally, something was going his way. Now he just had to survive until the money came in.

But this was not as easy as it seemed. Even in Texas, the bitter cold of January could be felt. Omen had what clothes and things he had acquired from Kindra’s. He had some outdoor training, from things he had learned from camping as a child. But trying to live outside was much different. There were no animals to hunt safely, and the trees in the woods yielded no fruit. Omen would still have to survive off buying food like everyone else. He had some money, but knew it would never be enough. He could use it to rent a hotel room for a few days, but then would be completely broke. This would be wasteful, and comfort was not a necessity. Omen decided to prioritize his continuing supply of cigarettes, food, and occasional weed with the money he had remaining. But he knew that this too would not be enough to last, the funding would need supplementing somehow. But Omen could not think of a quick way to do this legally, and was not about to end up in another legal entanglement.

Later that evening, Omen prepared for another night outside. But this night was very cloudy, and Elle was worried that it might rain. But her concern did not stop her from begging to stay outside with Omen, just as she had the night before. But once again, Omen would not hear of it. The possibility of rain was just another reason why Elle was better off inside, warm and safe in her own bed. Omen said he would do exactly as he had the night before. If the rain came, he would seek shelter amidst the trees next to where he would be sleeping. This was the best he could do, having spent most of the day trying to deal with the situation surrounding his taxes. So for at least one more night, Omen would stay huddled up on his pallet. But Elle brought out a large blur tarp, which she had taken from her mother. Elle told Omen to wrap himself in the tarp as well as the blanket, so if it rained he would stay protected. Omen thanked Elle for her thoughfulness, Kissing her goodbye as she walked away. Omen wrapped himself tightly inside the cocoon made of both cloth and plastic, and was sure he would be fine. He closed his eyes, and was not concerned about where his head lay as he fell asleep.

The next morning, Omen found that the heavy rain had not come. He pushed the tarp back back into Elle’s yard, and walked around to warm himself. As expected, Omen’s phone had died the night before. This left Omen completely out of contact with everyone. He needed to find a way to fix this problem, and quickly. Omen walked down to the gas station, searching for a solution. He tried to charge his phone on the plugs outside the gas station, but they were all shut off. After he bought another pack of cigarettes and some snacks and drinks, Omen headed back towards where he had slept. But on the way, he had an idea. Omen did not care if what he was about to do upset anyone. But he doubted it would, as there would be few people that saw him. Even fewer that did not recognize him and ignore his presence completely.

Omen walked up to Kindra’s apartment. She was gone as usual, as were most of the neighbors. But next to where Kindra’s outdoor trash can was existed a plug that Omen had used before. Omen smiled when his phone began to turn back on, signifying that the plug was working. Omen hid the phone behind the trash can, then moved over to the side of the apartment building. He sat as he had when he lived there, beside the trash can where no one could see. Omen stayed in that spot for about an hour, hoping he would not draw attention. Once Omen saw that his phone was decently charged, he also saw that Elle had left him several messages. She was worried that something had happened during the evening, and also was making it known that she was awake. Omen grabbed up his things, and headed back to the pallet where he had been sleeping.

Elle came down soon after. Their plans for the day were simple to voice, but much harder to accomplish. Elle was tired of seeing Omen left huddled up on a pallet each night. She suggested that Omen build a shelter for himself in the trees behind the houses. This property belonged to no individual, so Omen would not be tresspassing. The overhanging tree branches would provide him with added protection from the weather, especially if the rain came in. The clouds were thick in the sky, and this was likely to happen. But they did not have much with which to construct any form of shelter. They walked down into the thicket of trees to try and evaluate where this process might be achieved. For in order to survive for longer than a few hours, more than simple shelter would be necessary. There would have to be a place to use the bathroom, and usable paths to things that were needed.

Not too far from the broken fence which led from the houses to the trees they found such a place. There was only one easy path into the area, even though it could be seen as it was walked by. Once inside the trees, the actual area was found to have been used before by people to dump their trash. Old tires, lidless coolers filled with mold and filth, and various trash was scattered everywhere. Omen walked around the area for several minutes, evaluating any possibilities. He considered what materials he had available, and how they might be used to build a shelter. Though he had been on several camping trips throughout his life, and had worked assistance in construction, Omen had never built anything of this nature before. Omen lit a cigarette and put his headphones in, asking for some guidance. If this area would be suitable for a starting location, then something would have to work.

Suddenly, Omen came up with an idea. He sent Elle back up to her mother’s house. While she was gone, Omen acquired the pallet he had been sleeping on. He brought it back to the trees, sitting it next to a pallet that was already there. Elle returned several minutes later. She had brought with her a length of thin yellow rope, and the tarp she had given Omen the night before. Omen sat the pallets down underneath two trees, whose leafless lower branches hung next to one another. Omen unfolded the tarp, and found the general center of it. Omen cut the rope into pieces using a knife Elle had brought with her. He poked several small holes in the tarp, and ran the string through them. Omen tied the string tightly to the branches, forcing the tarp to expand outward. By the time he was done, the tarp was now a makeshift tent, with a door that opened next to the tree on the right. It was not perfect by any means. The door did not close, and there was little space inside. But the space was enough to allow sitting room on the pair of pallets without being hit by the tarp. This was the best they could do with what they had. But considering the materials they were given, and the amount of training between them, both were extremely happy with what they had done.

As they completed their work, Elle restated an argument she had voiced before. She wanted to spend the night with Omen, regardless of the temperatures or the possible rain. She was tired of laying in bed wondering if Omen was okay or not. She wanted to be by his side, even if it meant being huddled in a blanket underneath a tarp. Omen wanted to argue, but Elle had done too much. The shelter would not have been able to be built without the materials and assistance Elle provided. As such the shelter was hers as much as Omen’s and she had rights to stay there if she wished. Omen admitted these facts to Elle as the finishing touches were put on the makeshift shelter. She had as much of a right to sleep inside as he did, and he would not argue it with her further. Elle went up to her mother’s house, returning with two blankets and a pair of pillows. This was as good as it was going to get for the evening, but it was quite the upgrade from before.

Omen helped Elle get everything situated inside the tent. But there was still more to do. Omen took three of the old tires and stacked them on top of one another, creating a makeshift toilet. This he placed a distance away from their dwelling, to prevent the smell and bugs from drifting inside. Omen sent Elle back into the house for toilet paper and a few other necessities while he went to run errands. Omen picked up cigarettes for the evening, as well as dinner for them to share. By the time he returned, Elle had the tent completely set up. One blanket was laid over the pallets, to provide some cushioning. The other they would wrap themselves in to maintain warmth. They had a candle to burn, which gave them a light to see by. By the time the sun set in the sky, they had everything they needed. Omen took some time to wander amongst the trees, singing and praising the Father. Now he would not only survive the harshness of what had happened, he would learn to manage it happily. As Omen and Elle nestled together underneath the blanket, drifting off to sleep, Omen remained hopeful. This situation was only another bump in the road, another trial to endure.

32

Omen was deep in thought as he walked the distance to Wal-Mart from his tent. It had been over a month that he had lived outside. During that time, many things had changed. He had finally received the payment from his new fund, and now had a bit of money to live on. He had used part of that to buy an actual tent, though he could not afford a nice one. But the tent he bought at Academy Sports was definitely an upgrade from the tarp and string. But this had only happened after several weeks. In the meantime, Omen and Elle had made what they had as comfortable as possible. Elle had brought down the feathered padding off her bed to cover the pallets. Wire had been used to replace the string, which gave way under heavy wind and rain. But those concerns were behind Omen now. However, many more concerns had taken it’s place. Whereas once Omen only needed to concern himself with how he might survive his unfortunate situation, now the problems had become more intense.

Technically Elle still resided with her mother. Her mother collected a portion of the food stamps the government sent her because she put Elle on the forms. Also, the size of the house her Section 8 allowed her was based on the number of her daughters, which included Elle. After several days, Elle’s mother had decided to let Omen back into her house. But it had never been to stay, only to perform certain tasks. They used the shower, cooked food, and plugged in Omen’s phone and laptop. But Elle’s mother acted like these things were the most that anyone had ever done for a person. She used her “hospitality” as an excuse to sit and talk Omen’s ear off, complaining about anything she could think of. Omen was one of the many things on her complaints list, which seemed to be endless. She constantly was found drinking, or preparing to do so. Her brother only made the problem worse, as he made a point to instigate the situation. Omen did his best to keep respect for Elle’s mother in her own home, but the constant disrespect was making it very hard to do so.

This problem had culminated on Valentine’s Day. Even though he didn’t have tons of money to spend, Omen wanted to do something nice for Elle. She had been the only one to stand beside him, even through her mother’s constant badgering. They had gone up to the house to shower and get ready for their evening. The mother, whose boyfriend was not doing anything for her, was jealous of her own daughter’s plans. She could not believe that Omen was doing more for Elle while homeless than her boyfriend was doing for her, the mother of his child. Her rage at not being treated as she felt was appropriate led her to start drinking early. Before long she started ranting. Not long after that her rants were rage and Hatred, directed straight at Omen. She had asked him several times for money to help “pay her bills”. Omen knew she only bothered to ask when she was out of money for booze, and thus denied her requests.

Omen knew Elle’s mother had allowed her abuse of alcohol to go too far. She began to take dangerous risks, mixing alcohol into the energy drinks she carried with her as she drove. She was found to drive drunk almost anywhere, even doing so with Pem in the van. This was a thing that no one agreed with her doing, but she refused to listen. Every time Omen and Elle came up to the house when she was around, they spent most of the time listening to her rant and rave about her problems. It was as if she forgot that she slept warm inside her house as her daughter and Omen slept wrapped in blankets each night in the cold. All that mattered was what she wanted, and she wanted just about everything. Omen and Elle were expected to do dishes in the home that they had not made. They were expected to clean the house like they lived there. The woman even had the audacity to ask Elle to make dinner for the family more than once, only to argue with her afterward and send her away. Nothing was good enough in her eyes, especially Omen. Elle’s mother Hated Omen with a passion, and felt he was not fit for her daughter. She wanted Elle to be with a black man, because of her self-Hating racism.

As Omen was called names over and over, finally he had enough of the nonsense. He started to talk over the drunken woman, pointing out all the flaws in her character. She was a terrible mother, who had four daughters that Hated her. She Hated herself, blaming it on the color which she was born. Her response to this was to become subservient to Black Men, because she felt they were better. She was a raging alcoholic, and was on a path to destroy herself and her family. She was not only hurting herself, but setting a terrible example for her children to follow. This could be seen in all of her daughter that were old enough to decide for themselves. She allowed herself to get beat by her boyfriend, then was weak enough to go back to him afterward. Omen through all these things at Elle’s mother in succession. If she wanted to run her mouth about his dignity and his Father to his face, it was about time she felt how deep Omen’s words could pierce. He had held his tongue for a long time, watching her actions. Now he assaulted her with all her faults at once, forcing her to stare her own truth in the face.

As expected, she was not happy about it. Omen was ordered to leave her home again, and told that if he did not within ten minutes the police would be called. Omen did not even speak a word, he simply gathered his things. The woman wanted an argument, a reason for Omen to be wrong about her. But he refused to let her get her way with him, and was gone soon after. Elle came with, carrying with her a small bag. They went down to their tent half-ready, and finished in their own home. Elle’s mother had once again proven how vile she was, even to her own daughter. What a terrible thing to do to her own child on Valentine’s Day, simply because she was jealous. But this was no less than Omen had expected from her. She seemed to get worse by the day. But now Omen would not have to deal with her anymore. Omen would make it a point to stay off her property unless allowed, he would find other methods of survival. The jealous and drunken woman was not going to ruin the surprises Omen had planned for Elle.

They walked all the way across town. First, Omen took Elle to dinner at a steakhouse that he had eaten at years before. Then, they walked across the street to the mall, where Elle was allowed to buy some small gifts for herself. She chose to purchase two sets of gauges for her ears. One Elle had picked out, made of neon green plastic with a pot leaf in the center. The other’s Omen had picked out, and had the Batman emblem on them. After these gifts were purchased, Omen took Elle down the street even further. The sat and watched a movie together that Elle had been talking about since Omen’s release from jail. All these things Omen had planned before they ever left, and Elle knew nothing of any of it. He tried to have her guess each thing as they walked, making a game of the trip. Eventually she was able to, and was happy for figuring it out without being told. By the time the sun had gone down that evening, they had shared an amazing day together. This was Omen’s intent, and he had pulled it off flawlessly. Even though he did not have a place to live, Omen knew how to properly treat a woman that deserves it.

They were not alone in their homeless happiness. For the couple had attracted animals to their side through no choice of their own. The first was Gizmo, the orange-and-white male cat that Elle had while Omen was in jail. Gizmo roamed around the neighborhood anyway, so he found it fitting to do so each day. He returned at night to cuddle and sleep with them inside the tent, which was now his home. The next pet they acquired was a pit bull of some sort that had been abandoned by it’s owners, The dog was amazingly loving, and followed Omen and Elle wherever they went. They actually had to buy a leash simply to kept the dog, which they named Two-Face, from following them straight into Wal-Mart. After that he had remained their pet. Usually he stayed inside the tent with everyone else. But due to the destructive natures of Pit Bulls, Two-Face eventually had to be kenneled when they left. The third animal was a kitten, found lost in the home of Elle’s neighbors. They could not keep it, and the newly-born kitten had nowhere to go. Omen had initially agreed to take care of the kitten only until a home could be found for it. But soon Hermes was another member of the family, and had chosen Omen as his master. This tiger-striped kitten was so sweet that he made a point to come and nuzzle Omen’s face, in order to show his love for his master. These three animals now joined Omen and Elle almost every night, cuddled up together in the warmth they created for each other. They were all the family each other had, for no one else seemed to care. But as they kept each other happy and warm each night, they needed no one else.

But more problems came looking for them. It was no surprise to Omen when Elle’s mother and brother were seen hiding at the edge of the trees where his tent was. He called out to them, demanding to know what they wanted. Both of them were drunk, slurring badly. They came and starting harassing both omen and Elle, trying to make them feel miserable for their situation. Omen got loud quickly, demanding that they both leave. This was not their property, they had no right to harass other people. Omen was fed up with their constant need to get drunk and then target Omen and Elle for their nonsense. He would not put up with it in the only place he could call home. Omen told them to go back to their own property, and leave them both alone.

But as expected, Elle’s mother was not satisfied. She felt it necessary to call the police, to report Omen as a homeless person living behind her home. Based on the nature of the laws in Texas, technically being homeless is considered a crime. Though this law made no sense to Omen, it still existed. Based on that, Omen could be arrested yet again. Simply for trying to live in peace, and not tolerating the vile words of rotten drunks. Elle began to panic. She begged Omen to run away. She said she would take credit for the tent and everything with it, since she lived closeby legally. She did not want Omen to lose his freedom again, not because of her mother’s ignorance. She told him to take off into the woods, which at night would cause Omen to be impossible to locate without serious effort. From there he could wait for an opportunity, and run even further away, and wait out the police until later.

But Omen refused to run away. He was tired of the police being used as a threat by people every time they did not get their way. Elle’s grandmother had done it, her mother had done it several times, and now she was trying to do it again. She knew this tactic worked on everyone else, and she used it every time she had no other way to win an argument. Omen told Elle he was going to put her mother’s strongest weapon to rest once and for all. She sobbed, telling him she didn’t think his plan was a good idea. But Omen refused to budge, claiming it had to be done. If he was able to put down the threat of police as a weapon in her arsenal, they could be rid of the problems it caused. Omen was not scared of the police, or their jail. He had survived both, and could do so again if necessary. But he was doing nothing wrong, and would not run away like a coward. He strode proudly up to the road, and awaited the red and blue lights of the police car as it approached.

Omen intercepted the police as soon as they pulled up. He told them everything, leaving out none of the details of his situation. He told them why they had been called, in the hopes that they might harass and arrest Omen. He explained the surrounding situation, and the recent events of the evening. He had no reason to hide from any of their questions, something that started the officers. But they talked for quite some time about what was going on. Afterward the officers went over to the house to speak with Elle’s mother and uncle. When they returned, they came bearing happy news. The land Omen’s tent was on belonged to no one, and as such there was no issue with him staying there. So long as Omen was not harming or harassing those around him, he was not at fault. They also said that Omen was correct. Even though he was homeless, he had the right to his personal privacy. As such Elle’s family had no business being around him without cause or permission, as it violated this right. Omen returned to Elle with the happy news, and finally one of their biggest fears was relieved permanently.

But it seemed Elle’s mother was not out of nasty ideas just yet. The next day Omen saw a large pile of boxes in the front yard. Elle’s mother had decided to pack up and throw out all of her daughter’s belongings. Her reasoning was she wanted her garage space back, and Elle’s things were preventing that. But in reality all she wanted was to cause more problems, to try and hurt them yet again. Her and her brother both sat in the house and laughed together at their vileness, thinking themselves brilliant. But Omen had an idea, and put it into action. It was illegal for Elle’s mother to throw out her things, for the same reason Omen could have fought his expulsion by Kindra. As such the items could legally remain on the property, and she could do nothing about it. The issue was protecting them from the rain, as well as from sight by those who might take these things for themselves. So Omen moved all of Elle’s things into the back yard, wrapping them with the blue tarp they had used for their first shelter. The next day they bought another tarp, rope, and stakes. They did their best to secure Elle’s things outdoors, hoping that soon they would be leaving for California.

But since Omen’s release from jail, Elle’s father had been full of nothing but excuses. Week after week one thing or another wasn’t ready. Week after week Omen’s funding dwindled away. The man acted as if Omen was not using what little money he had to support both himself and Elle, as well as saving for the move. Due to their lack of storage space and refrigeration for food and drink, their purchases covered only a few days at a time. But even though they worked hard to spend as little as possible to feed themselves, shopping at places known to have good prices, the numbers just continued to go down. Omen needed a way to keep the funding going, and he had to do so fast. Waiting much longer would result in the loss of the monies necessary for the gas and food costs for the trip, and that was something Omen refused to do. the alternative was that they would soon have to go without anything as they waited on Elle’s father to decide the time was right.

Elle presented Omen with an idea that he quickly embraced. They went into town, down past the McDonald’s Omen had eaten at so many times. In the shopping center there was a clinic that Elle led Omen into. Omen filled out the paperwork, and spent all day waiting through the process. He was not even able to be processed until the next day, due to complications in the rules of their acceptance process. But after the problems were fixed, Omen underwent his testing. Soon after he was led to sit in a chair, and ha d a needle inserted into his arm. For the next half an hour, Omen’s blood was repeatedly drained out of his body, spun in a machine to remove the plasma from it, then returned from whence it came. At the end the plasma that had been removed, which was the yellow color of urine mixed with a bit of blood, was replaced with a saline solution. After this was over Omen was handed a ticket, which allowed him to receive his payment from the machine in the front. Through giving up the energy inside his own blood, Omen now had a way to supplement his funds.

Through this process, Omen met someone that knew of him. Tre’s girlfriend worked at the plasma donation center, and through this contact Omen was able to locate Tre again. Though the walk across town to visit him was long, Omen was happy to make it. He sat with Tre chatting and playing video games, happy to be around someone that understood. He was tired of dealing with the mundane idiots that inhabited the neighborhood he lived in. With Tre, Omen was able to discuss things of a spiritual nature without worry that someone would label him insane or spout vileness at him for it. This was a nice change of pace, considering the constant harassment that Omen dealt with where he stayed. Omen told Tre about how disgusted he was with the way he was allowed to be treated, based solely on the perception of his faith. All it took was hearing that Omen was a Satanist, and most people were instantly turning on him. But those like Tre, who also understood the nature of these things better, could be talked to about various ideas for the future. This was something Omen took advantage of when their schedules allowed it, as real friends were a luxury Omen did not have.

What he did have was alot to concern himself with. The funds were draining fast, and Omen had another idea. To prove their faith, and their belief that the Father would help them through their situation, Omen and Elle went on a week-long fast. They restricted themselves to only bread and water, knowing their bodies required at least something to endure their schedules. During this week, Omen gave plasma at the clinic twice, still managing to meet their standards for donation. During this week, carnivals had come to town, and the smell of funnel cakes wafted temptingly into Omen’s nostrils. But Omen and Elle had survived all the temptation so far, resigning themselves to what they had chosen. Omen now walked to Wal-Mart, to get more bread for the next couple of days. His body was weak from the plasma he had given, and all the walking around town without proper nutrients. But Omen endured regardless, fighting through the pain in his body.

As Omen left the store, his phone vibrated. The message was from Elle, and she was extremely concerned. Apparently, someone had walked by, seen their tent, and now was sitting out side and would not leave. They were not harming anything, but this was a person neither Elle nor Omen knew. Omen hurried back from the store, making a point to sneak up on this new person. He was found to be high off a psychedelic hallucinogen. But he was starting to come down, and was sitting there while he waited for this to happen. He wanted to go home, he hadn’t slept in over a day. Omen and Elle sat and talked with him, even making a point to smoke a bowl with him as a sign of goodwill. After an hour or so the man finally left. But as soon as he did, Omen and Elle went into a serious discussion.

This nonsense had to stop. Elle and Omen agreed, they would have to move their home somewhere else. Away from Elle’s annoying family, who still kept coming down to harass them. Away from the areas that people walk through, so their house could not be seen. Away from the noise and lights of the nearby houses that bothered them at night. Even away from Karl and his brothers, who were now accepting bribes from Elle’s mother to harass Omen and Elle. Everyone around them was trying to make their lives miserable, but it could be fixed with effort. Omen and Elle spent the next couple of hours searching the woods for the best spot to move to. After it was located, a path was made to lead from that spot to the clearing behind the trailer park. By the end of the day, Omen and Elle were planning the next step in discussion. They both were excited as they laid down to sleep, anxious to start the next day.

When they awoke, they shared bread with one another. One of the advantages of living outside during such a cold time of year was the ability to buy almond milk and various products, which stayed cold in the evenings and was usable for breakfast the next morning safely. Afterward, Elle continued the packing inside and around the tent. Omen walked over to the pallets, which were now situated outside the tent and used to keep things off the ground. He grabbed as much as he could carry, and began heading towards the new location. The half-mile walk was hard, as the trees reached out to slow Omen’s progress. His body ached under the weight of all he was carrying. But Omen did not care, forcing himself down the small path. As he dropped the load with a heavy sigh, Omen sat down on a nearby log. After a short break, he headed back to Elle. He made sure that no one was watching his movements as he went back and forth. Omen didn;t want all this work to be in vain.

When Omen returned, Elle was almost finished with the packing. The tent was torn down, laying in pieces on the ground. Omen assisted Elle with the remaining packing, loading the last few things into trash bags. Now that all their belongings were secured, Elle began to help Omen move everything. Load after load they huffed through the trees. Elle fought against years of easy living to move heavy weight across large distance. But Omen continued to push her, reminding Elle that strength is only built through extreme effort. Three loads later, almost everything had been moved. They called their animals by name. Two-Face was led by a leash down to the new location first. Then Hermes and Gizmo were called from their spots in the trees, and followed behind Omen and Elle to their new home.

The next two hours was spent reorganizing. By now Omen had purchased a second tent, as the zipper on the first one broke, leaving a hole for cold and rain to enter. But now they had a much bigger space than before, and were much further away from people. The area they had found had obviously been used as a sort of community for homeless people in the past. The was obvious by the remnants of tents and makeshift shelters that remained. But the remains were mostly burnt, which left Omen to question what had happened to the previous residents. Now they had the area to themselves. The trees in this area hung much higher. This allowed Omen to use a shovel and chunks of broken concrete to fashion a fire pit. Then he walked out further, and cleaned off an area that would be used for the bathroom. This time, to prevent the smell and pests, they would bury their feces.

As Elle rearranged the final pieces inside the tent, Omen looked over all they had done. Whereas the first location simply was functional for their needs, this place was perfect. The long path was the only way to reach their site without being severely hampered by trees and fences. The path twisted and turned from the hole in the wall next to the trailer park. No one would just stumble across them now. Omen hung his coat on the small peg that had been hammered into a tree by the previous residents. He and Elle packed Rebirth, and shared a bowl to christen their new home. This was much nicer than where they had stayed previously. If people had not been so rotten, they would be welcome to visit. But now, the list of people welcome would be severely limited. Omen was tired of worrying about people walking by his home when he and Elle were gone. He was tired of dealing with her mother’s nonsense, and with all the people that had betrayed him.

As the day drew later, both Omen and Elle became extremely hungry. But they were only on the fourth day of their fasting. They opened up some of the special bread they had purchased, the French loaf with seasonings. Omen prayed to the Father as he cut the bread. This place was truly a gift. Now Omen would not have to deal will all the nonsense anymore. No longer would people be allowed to walk down to his home whenever they chose. Omen was tired of all of them, for they had all proven to be less than worthy of his respect. Elle’s family was full of back-stabbers and shit-starters. Karl had proven that his ability to be a good friend to Elle and Omen was based on whether he could benefit more by betraying them. Brian had been allowed to come visit, only to sit and eat food in front of them more than once during their fast. Samantha had done the same, but had crossed the line even further. Without permission, she had brought several of her friends down to the tent to smoke. These people spoke of little except drugs much stronger than marijuana, and Omen was happy when they left. All these had been good reasons why they had to move, to get away from this ignorance once and for all.

As the moon rose over the trees, Omen went outside the tent to pray. He started by kneeling down in front of the firepit he had dug, asking that the fires burn hot in the Father’s Name. He had arranged sticks into a pentagram, and had used the compass application on his phone to ensure the lowest point was directed South. The pentagram of sticks was soaked in lighter fluid. Omen waited for the correct song to start playing, then lit the fire as he screamed along in worship. As the flames of the star rose into the night sky, Omen’s voice was carried along with it. Omen walked back and forth around the area as he sang, comfortable amongst the trees. There had been no signs of wild animals being a problem, and now people were kept at a distance as well. Here Omen could truly be free, and enjoy his worship without the judgmental stares of Humans. After Omen had sang himself hoarse, he finally went back to the tent. Elle had been there listening, though she took care not to get in Omen’s way. She understood the nature of his worship, and respected his want to show his thanks to the Father.

After his prayer time was over, Omen called Elle outside. They sat by the fire for a time, discussing many things. Their focus was on things of the spirit, as it usually gravitated toward each evening. For once they had finished all their walking around and required chores every day, they finally were able to focus. Since the power on Omen’s phone and computer did not last, they found other ways to keep themselves entertained. They had purchased a copy of the Necronomicon, a book many people swear by as complete truth. This was a book that Omen had heard of years ago, long before the Father came to him. But as they sat and read it, Omen understood the story. The man had a strength of spirit, and undying will to survive at any cost. But the things that had been done to him by the King prior to his training had desecrated his viewpoint. Now all he wished to see was evil, Hatred, and death. These were the things he encountered as he traveled. But in striving so hard to find the strongest necromantic magics available, in his true wish to repair the damage that had been done to him, all he found were ways to spread more pain. He was quite successful in doing so, and he learned many things on his journey. But he never found the joy or happiness that he had lost before his journey started. For in choosing to fall further into the misery and Darkness that his torturous abuses had placed him, this man only found more of the same.

Omen had once been in a similar situation. In his youth, Omen had seen nothing but Hatred in his eyes. This had gone on for years, and was not specific to any person or group of people. Omen remembered when he used to walk across his hometown of Pekin as a teenager. Encountering people led to having visions of watching them dying in horrible ways, which brought a smile to Omen’s face. All he wanted was to bring the same misery upon the lives of others that he felt their existence brought upon his. This had led him to cause constant problems in school, as he sought vengeance from his teachers for the offenses of everyone. It had caused him to be incapable of being in the normal classroom setting, as his raging outbursts interfered with the lessons. But Omen’s intelligence had allowed him to maintain good grades even through the misbehavior, which left everyone puzzled. They could not decide what to do with a child that was obviously highly intelligent, but chaotic enough to be extremely dangerous. This was the reason why Omen had started home-schooling in his second year of high school, learning on his own from packets sent in the mail.

Just like the necromancer, Omen’s wish to see only Hatred had been granted. But in doing so, he had lost the ability to see the good aspects of people. This left him bereft of compassion for any of them, a mindset shared by the necromancer. But thankfully, Omen’s story had not ended so tragically. For upon joining the Army, during Basic Training, Omen made the conscious decision to change. He did not want to remain Hateful for the rest of his days. While powerful, it made the world seemed cold and dark around him. This decision had led to Omen’s first feelings of happiness and love in years, followed closely by his marriage to Giselle. But now, lacking the ability to feel either side of this spectrum, Omen looked back on his own past inquisitively. Even though he had no knowledge at the time, Omen could not deny the Power he felt in his past. Something about the Hatred he had felt was not normal, it exceeded normal limitations. It expanded beyond the Hateful want to take one life, or even the terrible Hatred of genocide. He wanted no less than Total Annihilation, then end of all forms of life. Each time he had tapped into that strength in his youth, he had found reserves that surpassed anything he was normally capable of.

But it was not just the Hatred. Omen remembered what he had seen inside his own center. The voice he heard was one that Omen remembered in the back of his mind. The same one that had changed him, brought him into the purity of Hatred. He had always assumed it was the Father that had done this. But now, looking back, Omen knew for sure it was not. The feeling was distinctly different from that of the Father. He remembered instances of the spirit surfacing over the years, but overall it had not even been noticable. It was as if whatever had once raged inside him was now asleep, and unable to be felt anymore. But in it’s place Omen had learned much on his own, growing in Power and Knowledge. But Omen was sure, based on what he had seen in his center, that this spirit was not gone from him. It had intertwined with him so completely that at times even Omen felt they may as well be the same. But by his choice it had gone dormant, allowing him to live on his own. But what was this spirit, and what would happen once it returned to him?

Over the next few days, Omen pondered these questions. Now completely removed from the areas well-known to others, Omen and Elle were not bothered at all. Text messages were sent, as people were shocked to find the original site left empty when they tried to visit. Many people wanted to know the location of their new home. But Omen was very direct about the necessity to maintain secrecy. Especially with Karl, who had asked several times to be shown the way. He promised to come smoke and have fun, but Omen knew he would also reveal the location to Elle’s mother. Omen laughed at seeing the results of his perfectly-laid plans. These results were things that he had predicted when he originally discussed the plan with Elle. His predictions came true further when the messages went from inquisitive to angry, as Elle’s family became upset that she was hiding from them. Even as they moved throughout the day, obtaining water in jugs as well as charging their things in the trailer next door, no one could find the location of their new hidden home. Because they both took great care not to be followed when they left, and were also known to walk all over town. This left them with no pattern to be followed to ascertain the location of the entrance.

At the end of their seventh day of fasting, Omen and Elle had made special plans. They made the long walk to the store. They grabbed lighter fluid, hot dogs, buns, ketchup, and mustard for dinner. Now that they were able to eat again, it was time to put their firepit to use. But this would not be enough to truly satisfy their hunger. As such Omen purchased chips to go with the meal, as well as the ingredients for S’mores. Omen considered himself lucky that he was able to find marshmallows of larger size, which would be better for fire-roasting. After they collected these items, as well as more drink mix, they paid for their things and left. They arrived just shortly before the sun went down, leaving Omen just enough time to ready the fire before their meal. As they ate, they talked about everyone else that was missing out on the simple joy of this meal. Stuck in their commercialized mindframe, most people rarely take the time to enjoy a good dinner around the fire. Omen realized as he ate that he had once been the same way. But he did not miss the person he had been, he was more comfortable in the skin he was wearing.

Omen had wondered what would break the peace he and Elle were sharing in as they waited to move to California. But he was shocked when the reality came to pass. Omen received a phone call from a blocked number. This person used a name Omen had never heard of, and claimed Omen owed him a large sum of money. Omen had no idea what he was talking about, as he had borrowed nothing since before his release from jail, save for Elle’s mother’s tarp and shovel. And those were things Elle borrowed from her own mother, something that was not unheard of. So being accused of owing someone enough money to have them throwing the kind of threats that this person was seemed astonishing to Omen. The claimed Omen was going to be targeted if he did not come to some arrangement with this person, who said he was only “trying to help” Omen.

Omen tired of the stupid game, and hung up on whoever was on the other end. They called back soon after, furious at being ignored. Now the threats were very direct, apparently Omen’s life was at risk. It was claimed that only one thing could save Omen from the predicament he had gotten himself in to. He needed to go down to Wal-Mart, and get in the back passenger side of a vehicle that he had never seen or heard of before. It was said that inside the vehicle they would discuss how Omen’s debts might be repaid, and all the issues could be put to rest once and for all. The person on the other end said Omen had one hour to be at Wal-Mart, or it would be assumed that he was making no attempt to solve the issue peacefully. The phone was hung up, and Omen headed back into the tent.

Omen was furious as he told Elle about the conversation he had just had. She asked if he was going to go to Wal-Mart. But Omen responded that leaving his home would be the worst idea possible. If someone was after him, exposing his location would only give them a chance to go after him. And the thought of climbing into some unknown vehicle with unknown people was simply preposterous. For all he knew, that would be all it took for them to drive him off and assault him, or even worse. Even if he didn’t get in the vehicle, going at all would give a chance to others to discover where his tent was set up. This secret had been well-kept even to that moment, which meant that no one was aware of Omen’s location. Due to this, they would be hard pressed to come attack him without his knowledge.

Omen decided to listen to the message from the first call again. After they went over the tape, Elle was sure that the masked voice was Karl. Perhaps he was once again trying to start problems in Omen’s life at the behest of Elle’s mother. Perhaps he was simply waiting until Omen left his home, so he could locate the path leading to it, and share that information. But perhaps he had done someone wrong, and placed the blame on Omen to save his own skin. Karl was easily capable of all of these things, and would be more willing to help someone else kill Omen unjustly than admit he was a liar. Whatever the reason, Omen decided what he was going to do. He reached underneath the carpet they had found on the side of the road, which proved as the hard base of the tent floor, and pulled out his inscribed knife. Omen would not head into the hands of his enemies, but he would not cower like a wounded animal either.

Omen sprung out of the tent, with Elle quickly following behind. She was concerned about what Omen was planning to do at first, until she saw that he was not intending to leave the area around the tent. Omen worked quickly, moving around various branches and pieces of trash that were strung around the area. On the path leading to the tent, Omen piled up various pallets, branches, and a large piece of thick metal he had found near where Two-Face’s kennel now sat. After spending some time arranging it, Omen smiled at what he had done. Now, for someone walking up the path to the tent, it looked as if there was a shelter built just in front of them. This would distract anyone who came down looking to do Omen and Elle harm, and give Omen a chance for a surprise attack. Omen cleared several small paths around the trees, taking care that they were not too obvious. Then he moved further up the path, fixing the places that he had moved things around to clear the path originally. Once he was done, the path was back to being unrecognizable to the untrained eye. He set up several places where the branches and rocks moved easily, allowing chances to break ankles and reveal incoming attacks. This was the best outer defense Omen could muster given the time and resources provided, but Omen knew it would help if someone did come. He had no protection against gunfire if it was used, and only Elle would care if he was gone. But as Omen drew out his spiked knuckles and blades, he was prepared physically and mentally. If they decided to fight, they would have to kill someone that was fighting back.

Thankfully, no attack came. The next day, Omen and Elle decided to allow Samantha, and only Samantha, to come visit the new location. But in order to be led to the location, Samantha first had to promise not to tell anyone where she was taken, not even her boyfriend Brian. They were not about to let anyone compromise their secrecy, especially after the threats that Omen had just received. Samantha was shocked to hear that people were threatening Omen, as she was well-aware of his natural habits. Like everyone else, Samantha had been helped more than once by Omen, and was not inclined to believe that he owed anyone a dime. She too assumed it was probably Karl, trying to goad Omen into revealing himself. That night, Samantha sat and smoked with them as they discussed what would come next. This place was nice for what it was, but it was not an endpoint. Elle assured her sister that all these things were happening for good reason, and soon this part of their journey would be over.

The next day Elle sought to make her words reality. She spoke with her father again, explaining all that had happened recently. The harassment, the threats, the lies, the attempted arrests, the fact that Elle’s being outcast from the house and it’s Internet had caused her to be unable to do her school work, all of it. The money Omen had received was running out, despite his best efforts to make it stretch as far as possible. Soon he would have to reach into those funds that were reserved for the trip, which Omen had built up beyond simply the gas costs. It was finally decided, they would move in two weeks. Omen would take care of renting the truck, since he would be driving it. Elle’s father said he would send the money to cover the truck as soon as it was paid for and proof was given of such, so it could be seen that his money was not being wasted. Omen agreed to the terms, happy to get the process underway. As Elle hung up the phone, they were both almost giddy with excitement. Something they had waited on for months was finally coming, as long as they made it happen.

The truck was rented within the hour. Omen and Elle had already done their research on moving companies, just as was requested of them. In doing so, they found that Budget had the best price for the rental they needed, both in distance and truck size. By the time it was paid for, the rental had cost Omen nearly 600 dollars. Elle messaged her father, letting him know what had been spent, down to the exact number of dollars and cents. They had no intent from taking more from him than he had promised to contribute. He said he would be able to send them money three days before they were scheduled to pick up the truck. This was fine, as it would not allow Omen to waste what he was given senselessly. The hung up the phone, and headed back to their house. They had learned alot about the people around them during their time spent homeless in the woods, but the time for change had come. There was still much that needed to be done, Omen could not quit yet. And Elle had agreed to stand beside him in his travels, so long as he stood by her as well.

The next two weeks drug on extremely slowly as Omen and Elle awaited their time to leave. Now that their time left in the woods was short, omen was more comfortable inviting guests. First, they invited the three young girls that had helped them repeatedly during their period of homelessness. The three children, which Omen nicknamed “The M Children”, wanted to spend the night with them in the woods. Omen decided to erect the spare tent, so the girls could have the campout they wanted. They roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and by the next morning the girls headed home. They left their blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags, with an intent to return another day soon. Samantha came to visit several times, but asked if it was okay to bring Brian. Omen was hesitant about this at first, as he still did not trust the one who had caused him to be put in jail. But he decided to allow it, and Brian came down and smoked with them a few times after that. But no one else was allowed there, and no one that knew the location was allowed to speak of it. Now they had a secret that stayed just between them, one they all intended to keep that way.

Omen went again to the clinic to donate his plasma for extra money. Though he had covered the costs of the truck, and once repaid he could easily cover food and fuel, Omen decided to get as much money as he could before he left. They needed to stock up on all their necessities before leaving Texas, as they would be cut off for some time in transit. Omen asked Elle to sit down and start planning out and listing all the things that needed to be done before they left on paper, so they would not forget anything of major importance. When he returned, Omen assisted in creating the list. Although the list was long, and many of the things on it could not be done immediately, all of them had to be done. This way they would have no reason to return to Texas, for Omen had claimed he never wanted to see the state again after his departure. Texas had taken too much from him in the times he had lived there, both as a soldier and as a civilian. Omen wanted to be out of the Lone Star Hellhole, far away from Fort Hood and Killeen.

The day before the rental was to be picked up, Omen and Elle acquired all their last-minute necessities. They packed up most of the things in the tent, leaving out only clothes for the morning, as well as things to eat for breakfast. When the morning came, Omen left the tent swiftly. He had to walk quite a distance across town to where the Budget office was, and his rental was scheduled at a specific time. But as usual, Omen arrived almost twenty minutes before he had to. This was a habit Omen had developed over years of service in the Army. Omen considered on time late, and early on time. Being late was not even considered an option, a point Omen made clear to Elle more than once. Within thirty minutes, Omen was headed back to the trailer park. He drove into the back, backing the truck up on the edge of the gravel marking the end of the driveway. After opening it up, Omen headed back down to the tent. It was going to be a long day, he had much work ahead of him.

As soon as Omen arrived, Elle was ready to finish tearing down the tent. They were completely packed within fifteen minutes, and focused their attentions on loading everything into the truck. This process took about another hour, but soon the forest looked as it had before Omen had arrived. He had taken great care to remove more trash than he had brought in, so as to respect the place where he had lived in peace and safety. Samantha arrived in the midst of their work, and assisted with the final load. Then they all went back down to the woods, to sit and smoke one last time. This small thicket of trees had brought Omen and Elle some fond memories, which would not soon be forgotten. Omen said that, should they ever return to Texas, Omen had no need for a place to stay. For the sake of nostalgia, he would bring his tent and stay in the same location if the situation ever arose. But as far as Omen was concerned, Texas was about to be far behind him forever.

Omen drove the moving truck around, parking it in front of Elle’s mother’s house. Elle jumped out and went inside, as Omen had told her to say her goodbyes. Meanwhile, Omen immediately went into the back yard, removing the tarps that were covering their things. It was no surprise when Omen found that the rains that had nearly soaked the inside of their tent nights before had ruined many of the cardboard boxes, which were now so brittle they fell apart. As well many of the items inside those boxes had been destroyed by the water. The most prominent example of this was Elle’s collection of various books, mostly of spiritual nature. The severe water damage had destroyed most of the books with mold and fused pages. Omen called Elle out from the house, so she could see for herself the results of her mother’s selfishness. When she saw what had happened to the books she had collected for years, Elle sat on the ground and cried. Once again her mother had found a way to break her heart, and seemed to be enjoying it from inside the house.

But Omen had no time to concern himself with such things, there was too much work to do. He left sorting out the moldy and destroyed things to Elle, and set his mind on leading the moving truck. He started by removing everything that had already been loaded, as it was not what was meant to be in the back. He then acquired Elle’s 42“ TV, which he wrapped in two thick blankets. The TV was placed in the rear corner, with the screen facing the back wall. Around it Omen stack the heaviest of their things, all of the heavy tubs and Elle’s chest of drawers. After that Omen began to chain boxes, based on size and weight, into the moving truck. As the truck began to fill, and the pile in the back yard began to dwindle, Omen began to feel his own exhaustion. He had already been working on this project for hours, and had been doing so seemingly alone. None of their so-called friends had come to help, and Elle’s mother was actually impeding the process. She kept begging her daughter to come inside, and help her with menial things she could not figure out. This had left Omen to work alone, carrying so many things that were not even his.

The next time Elle came outside, Omen furiously stated this fact. Everything that was being moved, saved for three bags and two plastic tubs, belonged to Elle. Yet she was nowhere to be found as the truck was being loaded, feeling it more appropriate to be inside with her mother. Omen admitted that he had told her to say her goodbyes, but not to spend all day doing so. Omen was exhausted already, and still had to start the long drive to California later that evening. He was not waiting until the next day, he was leaving Killeen after sundown. Omen reminded Elle that he could easily stop moving her things, and demand that she not take any more unless she moved it herself. But this was not his intent, he simply wanted some help. And possibly something to drink, as even in the brisk cold air he had been sweating profusely. Elle agreed, returning minutes later with a tall glass of water. Omen sat down for a while in a chair in the back yard, as Elle continued sorting through her things. The work was not complete yet, but serious progress had been made.

As the sun drifted down towards the horizon, Omen loaded the last few things. The fourteen-foot truck was nearly packed to the brim, and more still was to be thrown away. Omen climbed into the cab of the truck, taking care not to be seen smoking inside the vehicle. He had worked too hard to have anyone get on his nerves now. Elle walked out to the truck eventually, asking Omen if he was planning to leave right away. She said her mother wanted her to join them for dinner before they left. Elle said her mother was not happy with Omen coming inside, but she insisted that if Omen was not welcome she would not stay. Omen did not particularly want to eat with Elle’s mother either, after all her rotten attitude had caused. Though they had learned to adapt to their homeless situation, the mother’s ego had fought them on things as simple as drinking water, bathing, and electricity to charge their devices. This woman was no mother, she treated her children terribly. But Omen agreed to the meal, simply that Elle and her mother could finish saying their goodbyes.

As Omen ate his barbeque and potato salad, trying to block out the sound of Elle’s mother’s voice, he couldn’t wait to leave. The same woman who had spouted such vileness at him, and had called the police on him for no reason more than once, now wanted to sit and break bread with him as if nothing had happened. Omen fought against his want to put this vile woman in her place once and for all. She could do nothing to slow them down anymore, nor could she make their lives miserable afterward. But even as Omen smiled, seeing joyous thoughts of this failed mother broken on the ground, he forced himself back into a calm state of mind. His personal wishes did not matter in this situation. The only thing that was important was leaving as quickly as possible, and being rid of these people once and for all. Starting an argument would not make this happen, it would only make the remaining time more stressful. So Omen used the meal, and several glasses of water, to choke down the things he wanted to say. Someday this woman would see the result of her wickedness, but today would not be that day.

As Omen and Elle prepared to leave they were intercepted yet again. But this time it was Karl and Samantha, who simply wanted to smoke with them one more time. Omen agreed, packing everyone into the small moving truck. They took a trip around the block, sharing a joint and fond memories. Karl asked if he could come with, and Omen said no. Karl said this repeatedly as a joke, but Omen was not amused. Once Karl had claimed he would find a way to hide himself amongst all the things in the back of the moving truck. Omen had bought a lock to prevent this from happening without his knowledge, as well as to deter thieves during the trip. But his words to Karl were clear, and he meant every one. “If I find you in the back of my truck as we’re moving, I’ll leave you on the side of the road wherever that might be.” Karl had backstabbed Omen more than once, and now was trying to smile in his face. While Omen wasn’t about to argue and fight, he made his point very clear.

The truck pulled back up to the house. Samantha and Karl climbed out, hugging Elle goodbye as they did. No one tried to hug Omen, or shake his hand. But he did not want these things anyway. These were not his friends, they had proven that through their actions. Everything about this place was rotten, from the individuals to the local government. Internally, Omen considered himself the opposite of all these lazy, worthless, ignorant, judgmental mundanes. Nothing would make him happier than getting away from them, and never having to set foot in Texas again. Omen had clearly told Elle many times during their planning, “Once we leave Texas, I never want to come back”. Thus today was an awesome day for Omen, and he spent the last few moments alone in prayer. He asked that his eyes, hands, and feet might be kept strong and focused, so he could survive whatever trials the road might bring him. Once Elle climbed back into the truck, the time had come. Omen happily put the truck in drive, the goal of California looming distantly in his sights.

But on the way, they had a sad errand to run. For while Elle’s father had accepted almost everything of theirs coming with them, he said dogs were not allowed. As such Two-Face had to be left behind, there was no other choice. This had left Elle heartbroken, and even Omen was unwilling at first. But do to lack of other options, they would have to be rid of the dog who had wandered up on them, and become a part of their new family. But they did not want to just let him go, nor did they want to call any sort of animal control. Two-Face had the look of a dog with Pit Bull mixed in his genes, and as such would be considered a hazard. Either of those two options would result in the dog, who was now like a son to them, ending up euthanized and dead. Neither Omen nor Elle was ready to accept their dog’s life as a cost to be paid for them to leave. After doing some searching, Elle had found someone she knew that had agreed to watch him. This man lived in the country, where Two-Face would have room to run and play for once. While the separation was still upsetting, it was the best thing for the dog. Omen and Elle left a few of the things they had bought for the dog with him as they said goodbye. Omen did not want to return to Texas, but would do so for the sake of his dog when the time was right.

They climbed back into the truck, and both had tears in their eyes. Omen snorted as he discovered this, laughing at the natural response to things he could no longer feel. It was always funny to him when he encountered a situation where the emotions he had once possessed would have been reactive to situations. Instead, his brain just processed it as data, noting solely that he had intent to come back for Two-Face. The dog had been loyal and loving, despite his nervous chewing habits. He did not deserve to die simply because the world was now “civilized”, and dogs are not allowed to wander by their choice anymore. Omen wanted to find himself a nice place, that would allow all of his animals to be at his side. This would take time, but Omen had high hopes for the future. Getting away from the constant betrayal and “legal illegality” of Texas was Omen’s highest priority. He had to continue on his mission, whatever that might be. After spending a moment consoling Elle, and sharing a cigarette to relax, Omen did just that. He was awake, alert, and ready to start the journey. Despite how hard he had already worked in loading the truck, Omen wanted out of Texas immediately.

By now, the sun was long past set. Omen had no idea where they were, he was following Elle’s directions. He had no choice but to trust her memory on the route, as the GPS on his phone had no signal. As soon as they left, Omen began to notice another problem. As the road progressed, deer could be seen strewn across both sides of the road. Omen had never seen anything like this before. It was one thing to encounter a deer, or a few of them, when driving in the country. But as the count Omen was keeping in his mind of the number of deer along the road as he tried to avoid them passed triple digits, he gave up entirely. Omen had barely understood the concept of “hundreds of deer” before now, even with years of driving experience. Omen fought at times to keep control. He knew better than to speed along the roads in the huge moving truck, but the bulky vehicle was difficult to adjust quickly. Omen hoped that all the breakable things in the back of the truck would not be damaged by all the constant swerving and shifting. But he had no choice but to push on, and do whatever necessary to avoid the deer scattered across the route. Omen breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he saw the sign for the Highway in the distance. Not one deer had been hit, and not a scratch had been left on the moving truck.

Thankfully, the rest of the drive was uneventful. They made only those stops they needed to along the way. Omen was glad they did, for as they drew closer to their goal his funds were running out. Elle’s father had come through on his word, and sent them money for the truck. But he had decided to change what he had previously said. He sent 250, and said he would be able to give them more later. This unexpected loss put Omen much closer to running out than he had hoped for. In fact, by the time they arrived Omen had very little left of the money he had been given. This was the end of any money he would be getting, so there was nothing left to look forward to monetarily. But as Omen finally crossed the border into California, and saw the beaming smile on Elle’s face, those worries faded for a moment. They had finally arrived in the place they had said they would be going for months. As they pulled up in front of the house, they were both excited. This day marked the beginning of a new part of their lives, their attempt to succeed in life alone.

33

As they walked inside the house, both Omen and Elle were appalled. The house that her father lived in was filthy in almost every definable aspect. As he claimed to be in the process of readying to move, boxes were scattered and stacked all over the living room. There was trash of every kind scattered across the whole house. There were no cleaning products in the bathroom. The bedrooms had trash and dirty clothes piled up several inches on the floor. They kept two snakes, but the glass tanks were too small for the animals and poorly maintained. But none of these things could begin to compare to the disgusting horrors of the kitchen. The sink had some complication that had not been fixed. This caused nasty backwash water, which stunk like sewage, to sit stagnantly in the sinks. Dishes were left dirty and piled everywhere. Trash and empty bottles and cans were strewn across the floor. Old food was left to sit out and rot, which had attracted roaches. The inside of the fridge was covered in the nastiest of old stuck-on food. There was no edible food in the house, due to the kitchen’s condition.

Omen was sickened by what he saw. Even when homeless, Omen had never been this filthy. This was the kind of mess that attracted pestilence and disease. Elle’s father not only allowed this to happen, but taught his son these atrocious habits. Now two lazy men laid around the house, each with his own television and game system in his room. Neither one wanted to do any of the work necessary to clean up their home. Like pigs, they were happy to lie in their own filth. But Omen knew right away that he was not capable of this. Ever since joining the Army, Omen had learned the value of cleanliness. He would not allow the place he lived to remain in such a condition if he could prevent it. But with his money running out, and Elle’s father’s seeming lack of concern for his filthy home, Omen was not sure how much he would be able to get done.

Despite this complication, Omen had no choice but to stay. He had spent almost everything on the trip. The remaining 300 dollars from the cost of the moving truck, which Elle’s father had stated he would pay Omen, never came. Instead the man watched as Omen spent the last of his money. He took his son out to eat at night, before they came home, as Omen and Elle ate nothing. He complained when, in cleaning the house, they spent change they rounded up to buy drink mix, to remove some of the rotten taste from the tap water.When asked for even the slightest amount of money, Elle’s father threw a fit. Rather than denote it from what he was supposed to owe Omen already, he demanded that every cent he gave be repaid. At times his rottenness left them both without cigarettes, forced to smoke butts they picked up off the ground. Elle complained of hunger more and more every day, as her father left them to starve.

But these were not the only issues in the home. Elle’s father had developed a very high opinion of himself, mostly based around the Christianity he claimed belief in. Though he was never seen to read his Bible or focus on it at all, he claimed his religion gave him spiritual authority. It was based on this perceived authority that he had been found to disrespect Omen’s faith more than once, making jokes about the Father while Omen was forced to stay silent to maintain his residence. It seemed that he had spread his attitude to his son as well, as the child was known to spout off his mouth to adults without punishment. He was allowed to sit in his messy room, never being made to clean it, and just play his games all day. The laziness and filthiness of the father was the sin that was being passed on to his son, as they both seemed to enjoy their disgusting habits.

But Omen and Elle did not plan to stay in this situation for long. They continued to work towards plans they had made since prior to leaving Texas. Elle was going to consolidate her annuity through Peachtree. In doing so, they would have enough money to move out from her father’s filthy hovel, and get a place of their own. But this process was not immediate. Every day they were forced to walk across Concord to the UPS Store, to fax various requested documents. They became known to the clerks at the store, who greeted them warmly each time they returned. But even all this alone would not be enough to get the money that Elle had waited on for years. All these documents were simply paperwork that had to be filed before Elle went to court. Until the courts signed off on the consolidation, it could not happen. But this process forced Omen and Elle to remain broke as they waited. The Peachtree representative, a wonderful woman named Gemma, actually sent them a 50 dollar gift card in the mail. She understood their situation, and did all she could to help them last until they could receive the rest of Elle’s money.

But the wait time for the court date was almost a month. This left them much longer to last than the gift card would support. In desperation, Omen and Elle went to San Francisco. They had found a place that claimed to buy plasma online. But upon reaching the clinic, Omen saw that it was donations, not purchases. The advertisement had been false, there was no money to be made here. And taking the BART from Concord had required them to loan 20 dollars from Elle’s father, which he would demand to be repaid later. But even though they had no money, Omen took the opportunity to walk around San Francisco a bit. With it’s massive rolling hiss and nearby ocean, the city was quite beautiful. omen knew he would have to come back and visit again once he was able to afford to enjoy himself. But they climbed back onto the BART home dejected, having spent money in a quest that netted nothing.

In desperation, Omen and Elle sought aid from the local agencies. This was something that Omen had fought over vehemently, not wanting to be a beggar. But the day he was forced to beg for change simply to obtain the last fifty cents he needed for a pack of cigarettes, he realized how far he had fallen. Elle’s father had turned him into a common street bum, begging for change simply to survive. Once this had happened, Omen was finally willing to go to the nearby food pantries. Upon hearing that there was no food in a house containing four people, the helpful people gave up large quantities of food. Omen and Elle happily filled out all the necessary paperwork, as well as carried the boxes and bags of food across town. When the food began to fill the house, Elle’s father demanded to know the source. Once told about the methods, he tried to take charge of the entire household’s food management. He acted as if he had the right to manage foods he had nothing to do with acquiring.

Omen finally got fed up with his nonsense one day, and exploded in argument. Omen claimed that Elle’s father did nothing but work and complain. The kitchen was only clean enough to make food in because Omen and Elle had spent days cleaning the house to the best of their ability. They had used money off their gift card to purchase the cleaning supplies. And now, they had put food back into the house. But still, Elle’s father was not satisfied. Every day he came home in a terrible mood, upset from whatever had happened at his job. Not only was he completely ungrateful for all the work that had been done in his house, he actually complained that they were not doing enough. As far as he was concerned, Omen needed to get into working construction. This was his line of work, and he said it payed well for little work. As for Elle, he kept trying to push her into working as a bagger at Safeway, simply because he said he knew someone that could help her get the job. These were not their goals, but he tried to force them into it anyway. His son was left to run without discipline, and now was growing up to be a filthy adult. He was not acting like a Christian, or even a decent person. And Omen was tired of not letting him know that he saw these things, and how disgusting they all were.

By the end of the argument, it was Elle’s father that walked away. Despite his constant complaining, the man had already proven that his personal life was in shambles. His bills were left unpaid, his credit was completely shot. He worked every day he was able, but seemed to use the money for nothing. Omen wondered where the money was going, as the man did not drink or do anything else. But he was found to be gone much later than the time he got off work during a majority of his nights. Most of this was due to the softball league he and his son participated in. But this did not explain why he felt a need to intentionally avoid paying his bills, or why he refused to clean after himself. But as Omen stared closer, he saw the influences of those he knew well from the Pit. Even though Omen had not dealt with them directly, knowing of them is difficult to avoid. When you are the spirits of certain vile actions, your presence can easily be felt.

But it was not simply one vile spirit attacking Elle’s father, there were two. Each one was distinct, known by both the nature of their actions and the energy which swirled and grew once they arrived. The first was Mammon, that great spirit of selfish Greed. As he continued to whisper into the ear of Elle’s father, he had learned to care for nothing more than that which he owned for himself. But even those things he did own he had no respect for. He constantly demanded more, nothing he had in his life was sufficient. It was this same Greed that had driven him to buy food for himself and his son while Omen and Elle had nothing to eat, then eat it in the next room. He constantly asked when they would find work, so they could help him pay deposits on the place he intended to move. It seemed he expected Omen and Elle were going to stay with him for some time, to help him pay his bills. These were all things the man had said himself, proving how far he had been corrupted. For even while two people sat without even food to eat, this Greedy Man sought to obtain money from them when they had it to take.

But Greed was not his only problem. For another great spirit had infested his mind, and the effects of this one were far worse. For while at times Mammon can motivate one to conquer a foe, to obtain the thing they had that you wanted, Belphegor motivates no one. The Lord of Sloth is known by all that reside in Hell. His Power is exactly what it would seem. Like the sloth itself, hanging carelessly in the trees, Belphegor seeks to make the mind enjoy laziness. For inside the aspect of doing nothing there is a great perceived relaxation. Belphegor’s magic is the type to make one lose their concern for the matters of their own life, lost in the joy of whatever mindless activity he has them controlled with. As their lives are thrown away in their want to do nothing those overtaken by the influence of Belphegor rot. For the longer they enjoy doing nothing, the harder it becomes to remember how to do anything correctly. The spots where memory, talent, and skill once resided now house an empty hole, lazily lost in the world of Sloth. This was seen in those that are so lazy that they refuse to maintain there own hygiene, or any standards of personal cleanliness. For doing these things requires effort, and Elle’s Slothful father was rarely known to do that outside of work.

But despite his knowledge of what had infested the man, there was nothing he could do about it. For this was not a case of Demonic possession, wherein one is overtaken against the Will and used as a puppet. Elle’s father had chosen to listen to the vile whispers of the Demons inside his mind. This was now a “team effort”, where Omen could feel the Demons hovering over Elle’s father, whispering vileness into his mind. Omen had watched as the situation unfolded. The goal was almost always the same, to cause chaos inside the otherwise peaceful home. For the man who had been calmly joking about random things was now screaming at the top of his lungs about money, like it was a goal to be sought after. But Omen had always wondered to himself how paper of no real value and invisible numbers inside a computer system is considered wealth, and is prioritized above all other things. Abbadon had once said, “At least in the old days Greedy Men hoarded gold and precious stones. Now they hoard paper and plastic, things that burn away to dust with little effort”.

But just as Omen thought he might finally lose control, things began to change for the better. Elle’s settlement had been completely arranged, they only awaited the court hearing. As such Peachtree was kind enough to extend Elle a two-thousand dollar advance on her final check, so they could survive until after the hearing was over. Now that they had money of their own, Omen and Elle had no more need to hunt for change on the streets, or pick up cigarette butts off the ground. Now they were able to sit together in a restaurant, which Elle selected, and eat a meal that was much more expensive than they could normally afford. In this way, they eliminated their need for frivolous expenditures by releasing it in a way that was not allowed to get out of control. But they even shared margaritas to celebrate their visit to the Elephant Bar. Omen saw it as a gift that the Father had given, allowing them to have something to survive on as they waited. Now the time would go much smoother, and soon they could be on their own. Once away from Elle’s immediately family altogether, both agreed they would be better off. Elle was ashamed of what her parents had become, but accepted that it was their choice to be vile. No one had forced Elle’s mother to repeatedly harass them in the tent, or call the police for no reason. And no one demanded that her father jam Christianity down their throats as he violated at least 3 of the Seven Deadly Sins all at once: Sloth, Greed, and Vanity. This man was a terrible Christian, a terrible father, and a terrible excuse for a Human being. But Omen would be rid of him soon, and he and Elle could finally get on with their lives.

But one morning, as Omen sat on the front porch smoking, he got an unexpected phone call. His mother was on the other end, and she was in tears. They spoke for some time, and what Omen learned horrified him. His mother claimed that for months her husband had been degenerating. He refused to quit drinking, even after doctors warned him about serious health hazards. He even drank heavily on his prescription heart medications, having no concern for his health. But the problems had grown far beyond this, based on the stories Omen’s mother was telling. She claimed that James had beaten and raped her one evening when they went out for a Halloween party. But due to his position as a prison guard, and all his friends on the police force, James was threatening her not to say anything. He had become violent in his discipline of the dogs, even striking the blind and deaf Harley that Omen loved so much. This was not the James Omen had known for years. James was a peaceful and caring person, this behavior was far out of his norm. Something was wrong with this entire situation, but Omen was not sure exactly what it was.

Omen’s mother told terrible stories about the last few months of her life. She had contracted a staph infection, and was sick for some time. But after taking control of the phone, James had lied to her. He said he had spoken to the doctors, and they said her condition was incurable. James spent his days drinking and watching television, as Omen’s mother was made a prisoner in her own room. When he got horny, James would force himself on Omen’s sick mother, even as she begged him to stop. James hid her precious personal belongings, food, and other items, simply that he might try to make her think she had lost them. But as she found the items hidden, she knew the truth. James was trying to break her spirits, he wanted Omen’s mother to die. She claimed to be terribly afraid for her life, but that no one would help her. James had friends inside the police, and all the people they knew liked him. Even Omen’s uncle and grandmother had been turned against her by James’ lies according to what was said. Omen’s mother was all alone in a terrible situation, and no one seemed to care.

Omen hung up the phone and headed inside the house. He explained all that he had just learned to Elle, whose shocked expression spoke for itself. Having been assaulted in that way years ago herself, Elle understood the pain of the victim. Despite the fact that Elle was still upset with Omen’s mother for throwing him out on the street, no one deserved this kind of torment. She asked Omen what he intended to do. But he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, speaking softly so as to make the point of his words clear. “I do not know what to do in this situation. My mother is in danger, based on everything she just told me. But based both on her treatment of me and my lack of emotional connection, I find myself unable to care much. However, the woman is my mother. Without her, I would not exist in the world as I am. And no one deserves to be raped and have their sanity attacked. These actions sound nothing like James, something else is at work here. But more importantly than that, I feel the pull again.”

Elle’s eyes opened wide, for she was fully aware of what Omen spoke of. When Omen referred to being pulled, it was in reference to those things he did for the Father. Throughout the time that Omen had been training, this pull had been part of what had led him down the various paths he had followed. While not appropriate, each one provided important steps in learning. Omen had learned not to fight against what he felt, as his senses were too attuned to be denied. omen had been able to use his connection to perform perfect tarot card readings on multiple people of different types, based solely on questions they asked about their life. As it was with his time spent in jail, Omen saw that there would be problems if he tried to help. This mission was not going to be a happy one, and it might even put Omen and Elle in danger. For even though James had been forced to get rid of all his guns, he had simply given them to his friend to hold for him. These were not simply pistols, but hunting rifles and automatic weapons. With all that Omen’s mother was saying, it was possible that they might be attacked. But even as Omen felt the threat looming over his decision, he felt no fear. He informed Elle of this potential, and explained that if they went it had to be prepared for.

The discussion went on for some time before Omen picked up the phone again. He dialed his mother, and said they would come. But first a way had to be found for them to bring their animals with them on the journey. Neither Omen nor Elle would allow her father and brother to watch them, as the snakes they own were rarely fed or taken care of. They would not see their animals neglected, Hermes and Gizmo were part of the family. Owning three dogs herself, Omen’s mother completely understood the need to protect a helpless pet. It was agreed that the animals could come, along with Elle and anything they wished to bring. Omen’s mother said she would pay for whatever method brought them to Illinois, so long as it was not overly expensive. They were not going to move there, simply go to stay for a bit and help out. Omen hoped that by doing this he could get his mother back into a stable condition, and allow her to move on with her life.

As they discussed how they might make the trip to Illinois, several options were considered. Another moving truck was not necessary, as most of their belongings were locked in a storage unit miles away. Airplane travel was possible, but neither of the cats had the necessary shots for airline travel. This meant they would have to be taken to the vet first, and have hundreds spent to get them the papers necessary to even take them on a plane. Then there was the outrageous ticket prices, along with the added fees for their baggage. But the train Omen had traveled on was not possible, animals were not allowed. This same standard applied to bus travel, which would also take far too long. Omen knew he needed to get to Illinois as soon as possible, to find whatever it was he was being drawn toward there. This meant they had to search for another method, but their options were severely limited.

No one they knew would be of any help either. Elle’s father had already tried multiple times to get money from her once they had gotten the advance on her settlement. But Elle, who had watched Omen’s behavior enough to learn to stand for herself, denied her father forcefully. The same man that had not kept his word about 300 dollars would not be given anything he would enjoy having. Omen had predicted this would happen before they even received the money, after learning the man’s behavioral habits. His strong attachment to his Greed caused him to try and take money from those who had little, and needed it to survive for almost another month. Now, adding another trip to the list of expenses, this would not be easy. But Omen’s mother had reassured them that she would be able to take care of all their needs. The house was stocked with food, they would not have to worry about spending money simply to survive. Omen’s mother desperately needed their help, and something else was going on in the house. They had no choice, they had to find a way to leave quickly.

The answer came through a combined series of things that had happened over the last few weeks. In order for Elle to receive her payments from Peachtree, she had to have a bank account with her name on it. As such Omen and Elle opened both a checking and a savings account together. But when they did so, they found out something interesting. When Omen was in Basic Training, during several lengthly speeches on how to survive the military, the Sergeants had suggested everyone apply for a credit card. Omen had never owned a credit card in his life, as he did not enjoy spending money he did not have. Debt is a prison that a person is trapped inside by their own choice to do so, and that was a choice Omen did not want to make. But surprisingly, the bank had approved the application Omen was told to file, though the card was never used. Now, years later, the card was still able to be obtained, with an interest rate that is unheard of in today’s economy. The bank said Omen could call and request a new card be sent for his account, and it would arrive in a few days.

This was exciting news. For Omen had considered renting a car to drive the distance to Illinois, as he was used to it by now. But car rental companies demand credit cards in order to process their transactions, in case the vehicle is damaged in any way while rented. This had been an obstacle that Omen was not expecting, as his debit card had been good enough to rent the moving truck. But now, with a card easily within his reach, Omen could make all these things happen. But in order to do so, he would have to do a thing that he had sworn for years that he did not want, own and carry a credit card. Omen called his mother, and explained the situation. She desperately begged him to hurry up and apply for the card, so he could leave as quickly as possible. She promised to pay every dime that was necessary to rent the car, as it would be much cheaper than flying and getting the necessary shots for the cats. After some grumbling and moaning, Omen called the credit card company, and accepted what had to be done. The card was shipped express, paid for by funds in the bank account.

It would be a few days before the card arrived, and they could actually leave for Illinois. During this time Omen and Elle prepared for the trip. First, they decided on where to rent the car from, and what to rent. This decision would help determine how much they would take with them. After looking online, they found that Hertz had amazing pricing for the multi-state trip. They only intended to keep the vehicle until they arrived in Illinois, they could not afford to keep it afterward. As such many rental companies did not even offer vehicles to be rented, especially not at the extremely cheap prices Hertz had advertised. This was a relief to Omen, who for months had been in constant worry over his monetary situation. He cared nothing for the money itself, but wanted to ensure there was enough for everything. But with these prices, and the guarantee of an economical method of travel, Omen was sure that this was the right decision. Not only could their cats come with them, but also Elle’s television and their most important personal items. Everything important could be kept on hand, and the trip would be safe and easy.

Elle explained her plans to her father. He was aware of the situation, after an argument several days earlier. Once again he was trying to force a meager bagging job at Safeway down Omen’s throat. Omen knew he was meant for and capable of much more, and did not want to be trapped in a mundane life. But as Omen was trying to sort out the situation with his mother, pressing the same issue again caused a serious debate. Omen not only denied the job, but explained his reasons as to why. AT first, Elle’s father through a fit about how irresponsible and lazy Omen was. But after hearing the whole situation, his demeanor quickly changed. He had a mother as well, and could understand the position Omen found himself in. But then the argument had turned into his request that Omen go alone, and Elle stay with him. But both Omen and Elle knew that doing this would only result in him repeating the same Greedy behavior, without Omen to be around to help Elle. His request was also denied, as Elle said she refused to leave Omen’s side. Now all that was left was to wait for the card to arrive in the mail.

The day the card arrived, Omen set his plan into motion. He walked across town to the Hertz, and picked up the 2012 Toyota Camry he would be driving. The car was amazing inside, both comfortable and well-suited to his needs. Even the loudness of the stereo, as well as the musical quality, was up to Omen’s standards. This was a nice car, much nicer than anything Omen had driven in awhile. He had made sure to pay extra for the vehicle coverage, to ensure he had no outside costs. But Omen looked toward the future excitedly. It seemed everywhere he went, no matter what state or type of people, Omen became quickly outcast. The traveling in between these places had become the only place Omen was ever truly able to relax. Now that Elle joined him in this trips, he had someone to share jokes and stories with. Omen wondered if he would ever be able to find a home aside from the road, a stable place to call his own. But nowhere he had been had felt like home, as he was continually judged and mistreated. Now that she walked beside him, Elle faced the same treatment he had all his life. But as he had, Elle was learning to remain strong through it all. Now they would go and face whatever hazards Illinois might have in store for them together.

By the time Omen arrived back at the house, Elle was hard at work on the next task. Omen quickly joined her, finalizing the packing and disassembly of the last of their things. They packed the Camry full, then drove to the storage unit Omen was renting. Everything was packed inside, and the lock was firmly re-attached. The rest of their things would be safe here, and they would be back to pick them up soon enough. They grabbed some food, then headed back to the house. The car was packed again, but this time for comfort and ease of travel. Omen managed to slide Elle TV into the back seat without compromising his ability to see through the rear-view mirror. By the time the packing was complete, everything had fit perfectly. The cats would even still have plenty of room to move around in the back seat, as well as the litter box they had placed on the floor. Gizmo and Hermes had proven to be excellent on road trips, spending most of their time asleep on the floor. This time, without the added stress of the moving truck and all the things in the back, Omen would be more comfortable driving the long distance. This would be his best road trip ever. It would be the first time Omen could relax and enjoy the road as it passed by, but also have someone to enjoy the trip with as well. Omen’s excitement was peaked as the last few things that were not being used were loaded into the car.

But before they could leave, Elle wanted to say goodbye to her father and younger brother. Omen completely understood, and said they would postpone leaving in order for her to do so. Elle had already notified her father of what day they were leaving, in the hopes he would come home after work to say goodbye. But this did not seem to be the case, as the hours passed on and on. It was almost sunset by the time the two returned home. By the nature of their discussion, it seemed like they had simply been out messing around. Perhaps Elle’s father did not want to say goodbye to his daughter. This might have been due to the past, and the last time he was forced to do so against his will. Or maybe it was due to him not wanting to shed tears as he said goodbye in person. But Omen walked away for awhile, allowing Elle time to speak alone with her father. They were still chatting when he returned, but the mood had lightened significantly. He wished Elle luck as he hugged her, and Elle’s brother did the same. Elle promised them she would be back in California soon, and that she would do her best to keep safe until then. Elle waved goodbye as Omen backed out of the driveway. They would be on the road for at least a few days, but Omen was looking forward to every second of it.

Elle had a single request before the left on their journey. She asked to stop at In-and-Out Burger, since there were none to be found in Illinois. Omen agreed that this was a perfect idea, and they sat and shared burgers, fries, and shakes. This would not be something they could do too much, or they would drain themselves for the remainder of the month. But Omen was glad that such a simple thing as a meal at a particular place could bring Elle such joy, and thus he was more than willing to do it for her. By the time Omen turned onto I-80 East, the sun was almost lost behind the mountains. This was a beautiful sight for what Omen hoped would be another amazing trip down the road, following the Will of the Father. He knew that there was more waiting for him in Illinois, but he had no idea what that might be. Both omen and Elle were nervous, because they both had felt negativity resonating from the trip. Something bad was waiting for them in Illinois. But they had to endure whatever they were feeling in order to try and help Omen’s mother through her problems. This was what was correct in the situation, a woman could not be left alone to be abused. Despite the many problems between Omen and his mother, he had to seek Justice.

Omen thought back to his many discussions with Abbadon about the true nature of Justice. Seeking the benefit of one person over the other creates a constant cycle of fighting over who is more important. Justice is about what benefits the overall majority, as well the future progression of the Human Race. Our societies claim that they uphold Justice, and protect the peace of their individual nations. But as the nooses of Law and government become tighter and tighter, basic Human freedoms are taken away. The freedom to speak the things that are on your mind without being judged or held down for it. The freedom to make your own decision as to what kind of person you are born to be. The freedom to follow your own individual faith without being treated differently for what that faith is.

None of what the Men that gave their lives for America to be free originally existed anymore. Under the guise of American freedom, the same oppression was started by new leadership. Now it was not a single family, but all the wealthy and powerful that could decide which direction the country moved in. The voices of the people were either ignored or snuffed out. Now America was seen as the nation that oppressed others in the world, denying them to make their own decisions as a people. What about any of this was Justice, or freedom, or living? Abbadon had claimed that this was a part of the problem, the fact that Justice had been broken. Just as in the story of Jesus, now many innocent men are left to hang, as they are forced into monetary oppression simply to maintain their freedom. Now the people sat on the edges of their seats, waiting for this Broken Justice to destroy them all.

Omen passed through Reno on his way East. Though he was still at about a half a tank, omen decided to stop for gas anyway. He had never been to Reno before, and was interested to see inside the city. He was not going to stop for any longer than it took to get gas though, as he was trying to maintain his energy level. But he had mentioned something to Elle as they pulled off the Highway. omen told her that, as in all major gambling cities, wherever they stopped for gas would have slot machines inside. In order to commemorate their first visit to Reno, omen wanted each of them to play a few quarters in the machine. Elle laughed at Omen, saying he could not guarantee that the gas station would have them. But after they filled the car with gas and went inside, Omen’s smile grew wide immediately. Situated right next to the door were two very simple slot machines. After using the restroom, they sat down to play. Each of them had only three quarters, and Omen did not intend to spend any more than that. But as Elle’s machine rang that she had won over 28 dollars in change, Omen couldn’t help but laugh. He was used to following the pull he felt inside from the Father, and it had led him to a nice little addition to their funds. Omen was sure the change would come in handy as they left the gas station. Elle now happily texted her first gambling experience to her family as Reno’s lights dimmed behind them. Omen thanked the Father for the small gift he had provided, and the clarity to follow his instincts to a reward. This was a beautiful beginning to what Omen hoped would be an awesome trip. But the terrible energy he felt hanging over this situation left him with severe doubts.

34

The drive was surprisingly easy. The Camry got amazing gas mileage, which both saved them money and time in stops. They found several places to stop and rest when Omen’s eyes became tired. Each place they encountered was clean, safe, and had working bathrooms and access to snacks and drinks. Even the traffic seemed to be calmer than usual. Omen was left to spend most of his driving time singing along with the stereo, which played the songs on his phone. Elle joined in, understanding that there was no judging to be done inside the car. Omen sang out in praise to the Father, and cared nothing for the sound of his voice. Once Elle learned that she too would not be judged for her singing, she happily joined in. At times Hermes and Gizmo would climb into the front seat, demanding attention from their owners. But with the exceptional level of space in the Camry, Omen could drive comfortably with a cat in his lap. Everyone was calm during the trip, there was not a fight to be had. They were on a mission to try and help Omen’s mother, but they also were planning their own future. For Omen had said, “There is no way I can do anything to help the majority if I focus on every concern of each individual. There are too many, and I do not have that much time. We will do what we can for her, and try to discern the source of what I am feeling. But the progression of Humanity, and the Will of the Father, are the only priorities”.

Three days after he they had left from California, Omen and Elle finally arrived in Pekin. Omen had done his best to prepare Elle for dealing with this place, and his family. He had explained the history of the city in which he was raised, which for the longest time had been a major hub for the Klu Klux Klan. As such people of color were rarely found living happily inside the city, something Omen had noticed over many years of living there. This meant that, in one fashion or another, they could expect to deal with closed-minded people that will attempt to cause problems. For it is the nature of those who fear and despise change to fight against anyone that attempts to enact it. Considering the situation they were going in to, anything could happen. Also, Elle could only stay temporarily. After the first couple of weeks, she had to return to California to go to court. This would finalize her settlement, and allow them to get on with the plans they had for their lives. Omen would be left in Illinois alone, and Elle would have to handle business on her own for awhile. This was the process of events they planned to follow, and said nothing would prevent them from happening.

As the Camry rolled into the driveway, Omen’s mother rushed out to greet them. Omen was shocked when he saw his mother. While for years Omen’s mother had been overweight, she hasd lost it all. But it did not look healthy, the woman looked worn and sickly. Everything about her seemed weak, even the hug she gave Omen. But the one thing that had not weakened was her mouth, which immediately began to run. She babbled about how happy she was that they were finally here, that she could finally sleep in peace. She said she spent every night in fear that James might return, and his violent rage might end her life. But Omen reassured his mother that, at least with him there, they would have to earn any lives they took. While his mother’s task was to call the police, Omen knew if attacked he would fight back. This was something he had come prepared in his mind to do if necessary. If the home of his youth was attacked, where his mother and dogs lived, he would stand to protect it. Omen had removed all fear or apprehension of this event’s occurrence from his mind by the time he had arrived.

As they walked inside, Elle was given a tour of the house. The extra bedrooms were packed to the brim with all sorts of things, various items Omen’s mother was trying to sell. Because she did not work, and could not receive disability for her various problems, she sold crafts online to help fund the home. But Omen was sure that the things his mother talked about selling in the future were not helping her now. James’ job as a prison guard had been what paid the bills for years, ever since Omen’s mother had stopped working. Now, with him gone, she had a set amount of money to survive with. She acted like she had plenty of money, but Omen saw cracks in her story. Various mentions of bills that had been left unpaid, problems she was trying to sort out. Through his mother’s constant necessity to spout off everything she knows simply to be heard, Omen saw more problems ahead. The situation was worse than she had let on, and Omen began to wonder why she had hidden this information from him.

As Elle was being shown the rooms, Omen carried the cats and bags inside. Gizmo was not fond of the dogs at first, but the cats soon adjusted to the place they were staying. After all, when in Texas they had shared a tent with Two-Face, who was much larger than any of the dogs Omen’s mother owned. Once everything was moved inside, Omen started organizing. His mother had claimed that the basement was his completely, that other than doing laundry she rarely went down there. She claimed that James’ drunkenness and abusive behavior had made her become used to staying in her room. The 42“ TV that she now had in her room was the one that had been Omen’s for years. The same one that had been necessary to trade to pay off the loan on the truck that had been taken from him. But at least now, Omen’s mother had her own things to do. She promised to stay out of their hair, and not to hassle them. The basement was to be their home for the time that they stayed, and Omen’s mother said she would do her best to make them feel welcome.

Omen and Elle spent time unpacking their things. Omen had to move many things out of the way in order to make the room functional for habitation. But as soon as he started reorganizing, his mother was there to tell him what not to move. Many of the beer steins and things that were stacked on the bar were worth money, and thus they were to be left as they were. Omen worked around this, using what space he had effectively. By the time he was done, they had a functional room built up in the basement. The bed was made, most of their clothes were put away in the plastic closet Omen had left from his previous stay. There was still clutter everywhere that would have to be moved, but for now the room was complete. As they sat down to smoke a bowl, a thing which Omen had already discussed and had agreed upon by his mother, they realized there was much work to be done.

Once they had settled in, the severity of their workload became apparent. Omen’s mother presented a large list of things that she wanted done, things Omen and Elle were expected to do. Doors that had been kicked in that needed replaced. Gutters that needed cleaned, grass grown knee-high with an inoperable lawn mower. There were a multitude of minor tasks around the house as well to go along with these major projects. Omen tried to get to work on them, but found another complication in the work. for while he tried to perform each task, his mother would constantly nitpick and harass him. Nothing was ever good enough, and even once a major task was complete she was not satisfied. It was as if she expected that Omen would manage to finish everything in a day. This was not feasible, especially with the materials they were missing. But Omen started knocking some of the tasks off the list, hoping soon he could finish them all. Perhaps this would stifle his mothers’ constant complaining, which took up the majority of her conversations with both Omen and Elle.

This was a terrible pattern in Omen’s mother. It was Omen’s belief that it was this behavioral pattern that had pushed away all her friends, leaving her with few people to talk to. It was also his belief that this same pattern was the basis for the wedge that had been driven between them years ago, a wedge that would never fully go away. Omen’s mother was always gossiping, and always complaining. She complained about her neighbors, speaking extensively about their personal business. She complained about James, and all he had done to her. She complained about the rest of the family, and how they had selfishly turned away from her. She even complained about Omen and Elle at times, spouting off various nonsense. This was the mother Omen had known for years, and he was used to these things from her. Omen tried to keep Elle calm, helping her adjust to this new situation. If Omen had kept quiet and calm for so long with both Elle’s mother and father, she owed him the same level of effort with his. Thus they both worked to organize the house while attempting to fix the various problems that existed throughout. But Omen’s mother was always getting in the way, trying to waste their time in conversation. Then she would complain that they were not getting enough done.

As the first weekend drew near, Omen’s mother said she had a great idea. She wanted them all to go down to Fast Eddie’s, a Bar and Grill of some denote in southern Illinois. Omen had been there more than once before. Their food prices were kept cheap, in remembrance of the people that originally built the place generations before. Omen knew that the place itself was quite fun, and wished that he could take Elle there. But not with his mother. Omen had dealt with her many times before. She refuses to go and be on her own, demanding that Omen stay and associate with her. Plus, Omen was still upset about what had happened last time. He didn’t want his mother abandoning them downstate, as they had returned the rental car to Hertz. Based on his last time spent in Illinois, this was a severe possibility. But his mother spoke on spending the night in a motel room, then returning the next day. This also posed many problems. There were a total of five animals, and one was as important as the others. None could be left behind, and that was quite the occupancy in a motel room. But Omen’s mother said she had found a place online that was both affordable and pet-friendly, near the place they wanted to go. She refused to let go of this idea, becoming extremely stubborn about it. Eventually Omen agreed, though he did so with more than a bit of hesitation.

Omen was extremely concerned about the situation surrounding everything that had transpired here. Since the moment he had entered the home, Omen had felt the energy around him. It weighed over the home like a fog, and almost seemed to be drawn in with every breath. The voices whispered constantly inside Omen’s mind. Something was horribly wrong here, but Omen could not find the source immediately. He had scoured the house from top to bottom, searching for the distortions in the energy. The center of it was located, inside the room that had once been been Omen’s. Now it was full of everything that had to be moved inside so that Omen and Elle could fit their bed and personal effects in the basement. James’ things were still stacked and strewn about the room, just as they had been every time Omen had visited. According to his mother, he had not been allowed to take anything before being removed by the police. She had filed an order of protection against her husband, and that was the reason why he was still gone. Omen continued to wonder at the true source of the problem late into the night.

His mother had suggested that several items might be negatively enchanted, and might be having an effect on James. But based on the severity of what was infesting the home, the source was not a simple object. These magical doings were the result of a very strong attack, one that could only be coordinated by high-level Demons. Upon speaking to his mother many times, and examining the various things he had seen with his own eyes, Omen finally put names to the attackers. Both were very familiar, ones he had encountered before. Mammon had taken James with Greed, as he had become obsessed with money over the last year. This was what had made him expel Omen from the home before, claiming he had cost him too much to be forgivable. Over the time just before Omen had arrived, prior to his removal, James had taken all of the credit and debit cards from Omen’s mother and chopped them up. He drank and spent money as he chose, but she was not allowed to. He had lost all the honor of his days as a Marine, as well as his basic decency, in his quest to fill the hunger of his Greed.

But Mammon was not alone. When Omen identified the other aspect of what was going on, his anger began to overflow. The second major thing that had infested the minds of both people inside the house was the dark depravities of Lust. Omen’s mother claimed James had beaten and raped her, and taken her while she was sick and unable to resist. James was known to stay up late at night watching all manner of pornography, and to have a growing collection inside a DVD case in his room. Now that he was gone, Omen’s mother had become increasingly Lustful herself. She sat and spoke on how she would find someone that was more capable sexually than James had been, someone who could, “do her right”. She had spoken of the possibility that this might happen while they were downstate, and how Omen and Elle might have to, “give her the room for awhile”. But Omen knew that Lust was not simply reserved to sexual actions. Both of them shared a constant Lust for drunkenness, as they spent more than they could afford to drink each day. Their Lust drove James to drink even after his heart condition had made it ill-advised. Even as she had no money, Omen’s mother still went out to buy alcohol almost every day.

Omen knew the chief spirit that had taken their minds. It was Asmodeus, the same spirit that Omen had encountered many times before. Omen had learned much about Asmodeus during the various encounters he had with him. Asmodeus did what he wanted, and was not able to be controlled. Asmodeus liked to ruin people’s lives, especially those connected or of true faith. Asmodeus loves to watch his Lust corrupt people, proving how weak and worthless they are. But more importantly, Asmodeus had a serious problem with Omen. More than once Omen had caused his plans to be ruined. Omen had prevented Jamie from being taken multiple times through their conversations, even now that their relationship was long dead. Asmodeus had lost to Omen, a thing he was not used to. His energy was what clouded the home, and was most prominent in all that had gone wrong. But Omen was well aware of Asmodeus’ power, due to their previous encounters. It would take much more than a few words or some sage to stop Asmodeus. But regardless, Omen did these things anyway. At least by removing any lesser spirits, dealing with Asmodeus might be easier.

But after doing these things, just like every time Omen was able to force Asmodeus away from him, they returned with little hesitations. Something was allowing the spirits easy transferrence into the home, even the seemingly minor ones that messed with the electronics. Late at night, after Elle was asleep, Omen decided to search for the reason for this problem. While Major Demons are more than capable of jumping in and out of certain places quickly, this kind of massive transferrence was rarely heard of. This could only be the result of a Gate, and it had to be close. Omen’s search led him back into the room where James’ things still sat. He sat down in the center of the room with the lights off, trying to focus on the problem. As Omen’s mind cleared, he saw the same visions he had before inside his center. After several minutes Omen’s silent stillness was broken by him striking his head as he lurched backward suddenly. Now he fully understood what he had been seeing, and the full breadth of what it had caused. As he regained his composure, the voice of the Father came into his mind.

“It was here, many years ago, that a decision was made. A soul that was still below the age of maturity, still pure internally, was traded away into the Darkness. This action ripped a massive hole, as rarely are pure souls given away willingly. This hole also had to be large enough to allow the passage of the spirit that now inhabits you, and has since that day. Based on the level of Gate required for this to happen, many other spirits have been able to transfer partially from the same location. This Gate exists because of the deal you made years ago, when you first gave your soul to My Will, by accepting the one sent to you by My order.”

Omen begged the Father for a solution to the Gate inside his home. But the Father told Omen that any efforts made at closing this Gate would be futile. Because the Gate was linked to him, trying to close it himself might be fatal. Moreover, based on the laws of equivalent exchange as well as increasing value, more would have to be given to close the Gate than it took to open it. The purity of Omen’s soul, any chance of Paradise, had been traded to open the Gate. How would Omen, or anyone else for that matter, be capable of sacrificing enough to force it shut? The answer was that there were none capable. Only the full power of Abbadon would be capable of sealing such a massive rift in the barrier between one Realm and another. But by his own admission, Abbadon had given up much of his power long ago, in order to allow Humanity to live on for another Age. He was not capable of closing Gates anymore, one reason for the massive influx of them worldwide. This meant that there was absolutely nothing Omen could do to cleanse the home where his mother still lived. Omen decided that traveling outside the home for a time might be beneficial to everyone, to get away from the chaotic energy. Omen went to his mother, and explained what he had learned. She claimed to have been told years before that Omen was special in some way, and that he had a special destiny before him. As they prepared to leave, Omen reminded everyone to cleanse their minds before they left. Only by forcing Asmodeus to remain inside the home would they be capable of keeping him from joining them on their trip to Fast Eddie’s. Everyone loaded up in the HHR that Omen’s mother was so proud of. Once again, Omen was the driver. At least this way he could keep the car from being a tool used to harm them. As they left the house, everyone seemed happy and excited about their upcoming adventure.

But the drive was several hours long. Within a half hour after leaving, Omen’s mother had returned to the way she was acting before. Omen could not even enjoy listening to the radio as he drove, due to his mother’s constant need to talk and complain. She wanted to be heard, and the radio was too loud. But not when it played her music, then she was ready to act like she was just like them. But Omen ignored her, finally focusing himself on the road. Her actions had caused his rage to boil to the surface again. He was being nice, and accepting her invitation to come with her. In response he was being disrespected and talked down to. Omen was becoming fed up with his mother’s behavior already. She made it very hard to want to help her do anything, or even be around her at all. But Omen could sense that, just as he had feared, Asmodeus had hitched a ride inside his mother. They would not be alone on this trip, the problems would only increase. Omen was sure of this as they finally pulled into the parking lot for the hotel where they were to be staying.

Omen and Elle sat in the car while Omen’s mother went inside to pay for the room. Once she returned, Omen was told to drive around to the back of the hotel. He quickly learned that his mother had refused to pay the pet deposit for the room, in order to save herself money. Omen was appalled by this, as he had been forced to pay similar deposits many times. But as they were already in town, and his mother was unwilling to leave, Omen was forced to help sneak five animals into a second-story hotel room. After that, he and Elle were forced to bring up all the luggage, along with the things for the animals. Omen’s mother did not lift a finger to help them unload, but could be heard complaining about everything she could think of each time Omen returned to the room. Even smoking weed was not able to stifle the mother’s aggravation, something Omen was not used to. Asmodeus had a firm hold on her mind, and was manipulating her like a puppet. But she felt that everything she said was justified as she continued to spout nothing but Hatred.

Finally the sun went down, and everyone got dressed to go out for the evening. When they arrived at Fast Eddie’‘s it was close to the time when food service ended. But they were all still able to order everything they wanted. Omen took the number for the order, knowing that it would be awhile before they ate. Many people were in line for the exceptionally tasty and cheap food at Fast Eddie’s. While they waited, Omen decided to find a place for them to sit. His mother had already gone off to stand next to the band. She was seen to harass the band members in between songs. Omen knew well what she was doing. She abused Omen’s former military service, forcing it on people in places such as this. As he expected, he was singled out in a speech between songs by the singer, and forced to endure the stares of the crowd. Omen despised when his mother did this, especially because she always requested songs she liked. In reality her request had little to do with Omen, it was a way for her to make herself feel better. As long as she was constantly reminded of the honor of her son, it must mean she was worth something individually. Omen was overjoyed when the band returned to playing, and the crowd returned to their own conversations.

As closing time approached, Omen knew they would be better off leaving early. His mother had become enraged, and was loudly arguing with him as they walked to the car. Omen had to drive the car up to the door just to get her inside, as she laughed about how she forced her son to serve her. Omen had expected as much. His mother’s actions had once again ruined a happy evening. But Omen drove back to the motel without yelling back at her, trying to maintain some sort of peace. Once they got back to the room it only got worse. Asmodeus caused Omen’s mother to rage out of control. He had lied to her about a great deal many things recently. He had completely convinced Omen’s mother that he was the Father. In doing so, he had also convinced her not to listen to her son, claiming he was on an incorrect path. He had even convinced her that Omen would die soon, and be replaced with another child of the same destiny. Omen heard the lies that penetrated her every word, things said simply to cause Omen doubt in his mind. But Omen knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. He was watching his mother, a person he knew better than anyone, fall prey to the deceit of Demons. In doing so he now saw how severely it could affect an individual mind without being seen as any form of possession, and without anyone having need to stop it.

Omen realized that the mind of his mother was quickly being lost to Asmodeus’ control. As happens to most people that become spiritually connected without the training and guidance to support it, she had become easy prey for a powerful Demon. Now she was unsure of what to believe. For the powers of Asmodeus are great, and he showed them to her regularly. But under the guise of being the Father, he pretended that these were all signs of why Omen was the problem. Omen was rotten, vile, and a disgrace to all that the Father had given him. Asmodeus promised Omen’s mother to give her another child to replace Omen. A child that would love and respect her in the ways Omen had not. A child that would take up Omen’s sword, and complete his destiny. All this would happen after Omen’s death, which the false Father claimed would come swiftly. Then she would become pregnant again, even though she had a hysterectomy. All these things had been told to her, and she had believed every word. Now she saw her own son as a threat, the one person with both the training and capacity to help her.

Omen’s mother ranted and raved at her son about things she did not even completely understand. Her perception had been warped so far by Asmodeus’ influence that she could not discern reality anymore. One moment she was clam, happily talking about how Asmodeus had left her mind. But soon after it would start all over again, and she would be right back to cursing her son’s name. The situation got so bad that Omen’s mother swung her fist at him while his back was turned. But Omen had felt the energy, the malice directed at him, and was able to block the incoming attack without looking. He placed his hand over his mother’s eyes and mouth, forced white energy into her as she fell backward onto the bed. She lay silent there for several minutes. During that time, Omen decided he was going outside to pray. perhaps with him separated from his mother, she might be able to experience relief at least temporarily. Omen knew he was Asmodeus’ target, everything that had been done to his mother and James was directed at him. It was the smug reminder that Asmodeus could not be stopped by any means Omen was capable of, at least not for long.

Omen went out to the parking lot behind the hotel to sing. He begged the Father for a way to cure his mother, to end her misery. But the Father replied that she had to make her own choice, Omen could not force her hand. This was the nature of Free Will, the one Gift given to Humanity that caused so many arguments before their Creation. For not all of the Created were capable of choosing for themselves. Watchers were naught but servants, who without the Will to guide them were lost and hopeless. Fallen were locked in a prison, unable to see outside it’s walls until Humanity’s fate was decided. Demons were trapped in that same place, but had been born there, and knew of little else. Humans were special in their ability to choose to follow any faith they chose, to see life in their own way. As this was a thing so much separate from many other Created Races, it is considered a special and important part of our Humanity. Thus like all others that truly understood the Will of either Father, Omen was bound to honor it’s laws. Free Will is the right of the chosen individual, Omen’s mother had to be allowed to make her own decisions. Even if these choices led to her falling further into despair and chaos. Even if her mind was a price paid for making bad decisions. And in death, Omen knew his mother had much suffering to look forward to. After disrespecting the Father, and refusing to learn or see the truth, she would be punished severely in Hell. If she was even allowed past the Gates of Purgatory. More likely she would be left to rot there, until her soul was near fading and became food for hungry Demons.

Omen sighed, depressed at what awaited his mother. But Abbadon came to his side as well, and made some very good points. Throughout his whole life, Omen’s mother had been rotten. She had chose her friends, her drink, and her fun over her only son. She had betrayed almost every one of her friends. She had caused people to be yelled at by their bosses for pointless reasons. She had professed a faith that she did not follow. She had asked for salvation from both sides, and had been granted assistance more than once. But she spat any gifts she was given back into the faces of those that gave them. She was worthless as an individual, the world would be better off without her. But in a world where everyone is protected each day of their lives, even the truly rotten like her cannot be made to suffer. They hide behind their police, their welfare, and their precious government. Taking any action against her, no matter how justified, would be labeled as a criminal act. Just like all the other people over the years who had done Omen wrong, only to be allowed to get off without punishment. But they would not escape Judgment, no mortal is capable. Thus Omen knew that all of them would see the error of their actions soon enough.

Elle rushed outside frantically. She managed to calm herself, and explained the reason for her stress. Omen’s mother had been calm for a time, but the problems had started again. It had reached a climax when Omen’s mother had convinced Elle that Omen was in danger. He was ina field hurt, and was going to die. Elle tried to call Omen’s cell phone, but there was no response. She had dashed outside, worried desperately that she would not reach him in time. But luckily Omen’s random wandering had brought him to the exit she used to leave the hotel, thus preventing her from heading into the open fields. Omen had never been in any danger, Asmodeus was trying to cause more problems. For if Elle got lost in the fields, Omen would be just as desperate to locate her. This could lead either one of them into hazard of various kinds in the tall dark grass. Snakes and other dangerous things were known to inhabit the area. This problem was getting out of control quickly. It seemed the degeneration of Omen’s mother had worsened since his arrival. It was almost as if this whole thing had been one giant setup from the beginning. But they could not give up now. They had little money, and no way to return to California. They had to endure, and try to help Omen’s mother somehow, at least until the settlement cleared completely.

Omen and Elle went back into the hotel room. The rest of the night went back and forth, as Omen’s mother became the puppet for Asmodeus’ vile will. Eventually she became worn out, a problem faced by those who allow spirits to inhabit them for any length of time. Once she finally went to sleep, Omen and Elle were able to do the same. The next morning Omen was eager to get on the road. At least back in Pekin they were not confined to such small spaces with her, and could leave when things got too out of hand. As Omen expected, the drive back was a nightmare like the last trip. His mother continued her habits of complaining and talking, even through songs Omen was trying to sing. She had lost almost all concept of the fact that her son and Elle had driven across half a country just to come help her. She seemed to have forgotten all her promises before they left, and now was making herself a liar as well. She claimed that Omen had spent too much on the car rental, and now she was unwilling to pay. This left Omen with a hefty credit card bill that he would have to pay off when the settlement arrived. This was doable, but Omen felt he should not have to do it. Despite her situation, she had promised she would pay whatever it cost to get them to Illinois. Now she was giving them nothing to cover her many promises but misery and chaos. They were stuck for now, with no other option but to try and help Omen’s mother regain her mind.

Over the next several days, Omen attempted to fight off Asmodeus’ influence. But despite cleansing the house in every way he could think of, both physically and energetically, the situation only grew worse. Now Elle became a regular target for the verbal assaults of Omen’s mother. Pretending she understood the nature of Omen’s task, she claimed Elle was not of pure enough blood for Omen. She also claimed that the vampirism that Omen and Elle shared had destroyed his own purity. She spouted off every insult she could think of at random times. In between she would retreat to her room, claiming she, “needed to get away from their impurity”. Omen and Elle took several opportunities to leave the house. Omen took Elle over to meet Grendel, and they spent several visits there relaxing. Away from the chaos of the home and Omen’s mother, they were actually able to relax. They smoked together as they chatted about all the things that were going on. Even Grendel failed to understand why Omen’s mother was treating them this way, after they had come so far just to help her. But they all agreed that the way things were going, an explosion had to be coming soon. But they had no choice but to wait for it to happen, and find a way to deal with the results.

The day finally came when Elle had to board the train to California. By this time, his mother had spoken on how happy she was to have Elle out of her home. The same person who many times had claimed that she loved Elle, and wanted to spend more time with her new daughter, now wished pain and suffering on her. Once she had left, the insults got worse. Omen’s mother spent hours each day criticizing Elle in every way she could think of. Each time she did so, she pretended that her words were orders from the Father. But Omen recognized the manipulations of Asmodeus. Especially after his mother suddenly knew another girl, who lived closeby, that was perfect for Omen. The girl was supposedly beautiful, wealthy, and she was a perfect match for Omen. Now that Elle was gone, this girl could come over. Omen’s mother said that this girl would probably end up staying with Omen after the first date.

Omen had no want for anyone else. Having been disconnected from his Human emotions, Omen did not even see sex the same anymore. Without a want to obtain a sexual conquest from a new person, Omen had no will to meet this new girl. Elle had proven herself over months of standing beside Omen. His mother, like most people, did not understand what she was talking about. Many are chosen based on what their blood holds, and many fail their tasks. The truest servants of Darkness are those who fight to see their tasks completed. For it is only these people, whose effort is strong and constant, that can expect to be given the hardest tasks by the Father. There can be much Power in the blood of some, but blood is not everything. Proper service and faith are the tools of the true believer, and Omen would not let his mother corrupt that.

But this was not her only request. Since Omen had initially left the Army, his mother had tried to get him to do the necessary paperwork for his military disability. But due to the constant jumping from one place to another, Omen had been unable to make the appointments. His mother brought the issue back to the surface, claiming Omen needed to get on it right away. But after listening to her speak, her interest in this had nothing to do with Omen. She wanted him to start receiving his disability check, so he could pay her bills for her. Since she had originally requested help, Omen’s mother had acted like he was going to stay there forever. But Omen did not want to live in Illinois. Nor was he going to be the money tree for a woman that had treated him so horribly. It was bad enough that the woman had refused to pay back the money used to rent the car, now she demanded money for cigarettes and the like. Her funds were fading, and she expected Omen to save her. But Omen and Elle had their own lives to live, they could not be burdened with someone that had no will to earn anything for themselves.

One night, Omen was forced to go to dinner with his mother. While he knew it was a horrible idea, he agreed to go anyway. During the meal, his mother guzzled cheap alcohol, adding to the strong stench already on her breath. Once again, she tried to force Omen to agree to leave Elle, and conform to her way of thinking. She said this was the only way that Omen could make the Father happy. Omen knew that Asmodeus was using his mother to try and ruin him. Omen had to keep following his path, and so he denied his mother again. Outraged, she threw a fit inside the restaurant, raising the eyebrows of the other patrons. Omen stormed outside, refusing to be forced into a public argument. His mother followed soon after, pretending she had only come outside to smoke a cigarette. But she continued to hound Omen, saying he had to change everything about himself. She claimed she was calling the shots now, and that any disobedience of her was disobedience of the Father. This is a common tool of used by Asmodeus to convince ignorant people that he is the Father, and so Omen brushed it off yet again. Omen was able to finish most of his meal, and they left without further incident.

But as they left the restaurant, Omen’s mother smelled heavily of alcohol. Omen tried to get her to give him the keys. When she refused, Omen decided to ride along to keep an eye on his mother. But their arguing only increased, as Omen finally got tired of his mother’s disrespect. Omen flew off the handle, angrily spouting off the truth to his mother. All she had been told was a lie, and if she continued to disrespect a servant of the real Father, she would be punished for her transgressions. This seemed to snap his mother out of her insanity. For a time they talked reasonably, and Omen begged his mother to spend the night with a friend. To get out of her room, and out of the house, for at least a night. When they stopped at an ATM, so Omen’s mother could withdraw money, she also decided to change the plan. Now they were going out to bars, now she wanted to party. She seemed to care little for the arguments they had just finished, all she wanted was to party some more. But Omen would have nothing to do with it. He knew his mother was too drunk to be driving, and she was not in her right state of mind. He refused to be a part of his mother destroying herself. Her response was to eject Omen from the rental vehicle she was driving, the replacement for the HHR she had recently driven into a ditch. Omen was left to walk all the way back across Pekin.

Omen chose to use this time to ask the Father for guidance as he made his way back to his mother’s house. On the way, Omen stopped to pray at the same school where he had fought Azrael, and closed the 8th Gate that lie locked inside him. As he did, he felt a wave of feelings wash over him. But they processed as thoughts in his mind rather than emotionally, and as such Omen was able to understand them. The world was a place full of these kinds of situations. People following the vile whispers of Demons in their mind, ruining the lives of those around them. Families and friends that tried to help these people, only to be spat on and turned away. There were many people that had found themselves in the same position as Omen was currently in. In the end, there were only two choices. Omen could continue to fight against what was happening, and try to save his mother. The other was that he turn away from her as well, and accept that she made her own choice not to change. Omen found himself in a difficult position. For years ago, he had turned away from his mother, not speaking to her for several years afterward. If he was to turn away from her again, after all she had done, there would be no coming back. Omen would never speak to her again, nor would he want to hear of her from others. He would be totally disconnected from his own mother forever.

Omen heard Abbadon’s voice in his mind. In order to make this decision, Omen would have to place real Judgment on his mother. Omen accepted this, and began to evaluate her life. This woman was responsible for bringing him into existence. She had survived several birth complications during her pregnancy. She had prayed and begged for the stability of Omen, who was said by the doctors had a 50% chance of being born mentally retarded. This was due to all the various complications that she had suffered, even though she had done her best to eat and live right while pregnant. She was given what she asked for when Omen was born, with his mind as well as all fingers and toes intact. She had been extremely thankful, and had worked to pay the bills for them both on her own. She had managed to keep a roof over their heads, and food in their mouths, for eighteen years of Omen’s life. She had allowed Omen to stay with her, even after claiming he could never do so again. If not for her, Omen would have been without a home more than once.

But then Omen evaluated the other side of things. She had been blessed with Omen, but had spurned that gift soon after. Once her husband left, Omen’s mother saw him as an impedence. Omen was the reason she had not gone to college, and could not spend more time with her friends. She had to work harder to support another mouth, as well as buy all the things children require. These were things she spat at her own son in anger more than once, claiming he was a mistake. She began to leave him with babysitters more than she was home, going out partying with her friends. She had forced Omen to live with a man that was a cocaine addict, and physically abusive, simply to survive another day. Her vain attitude, and her constant need to spill information, left her with no friends. She had never understood her child, nor even made an attempt to. Once he was an adult, she had thrown her son out into the street more than once. She had been responsible for more than one period of homelessness in Omen’s life. She was extremely greedy and possessive, even with her own son.

But she had done even more. She had abused the honor in Omen’s military service, bragging about it as if it was her own. She set up parties that were supposedly for Omen, but ruined them when she was not the center of attention. She had caused major arguments between Omen and the women he was with due to her insults and mouth-running. While Omen was in Iraq, she accepted a medal from the city of Pekin on his behalf, then kept it for herself. She had been trusted to be on Omen’s bank account, only to steal money while he was deployed. She had lied to, manipulated, and abused her own son. Worse still, when she believed herself Christian, she had disrespected the Name of the Father multiple times. Now she was harboring a spirit whose will stood against that of the Father, and claimed it to be Him speaking. Her words and actions as of late had been a constant interference in Omen’s ability to grow, other than in understanding at the severity of this problem. She tried to get Omen to cheat on Elle, and wanted him to pay her way through the rest of her life.

This was Omen’s mother as he knew her, both the good and the bad. Omen knew that the vast amount of knowledge he possessed could only be obtained by someone that has watched a person throughout the majority of their life. The eyes of a child, that develop through all that they see go on around them, see much more than people think. It is only that child’s silence on those matters that allow the parent to believe that the child is unaware. Now, faced with this sort of decision, Omen had plenty of information from which to base his decision. Omen sat down next to the same tree where he had fought Azrael, and contemplated what he would do. After much deliberation, Omen made his decision. He would continue to try and help his mother for now, while Elle was gone finalizing their business. But if no progress had been made in cleansing her of Asmodeus’ control by then, Omen would accept walking away from her. He knew he still had much to do on his path for the Father, he could not be held back. This was all staying here with his mother would do, and Omen would not allow that to happen. He had a job to do, nothing could stand in the way of that. If his mother was to fall to the tricks of Demons, then she had to be allowed to fall on her own.

Once Omen had made his decision, Abbadon came to his side. The smile on his face gave away the intention for what Omen had just done. In taking the time to rationally evaluate the overall impact his mother’s existence had on his life without bias, Omen now understood the nature of Judgment. For while he had seen much that his mother had done, the Watchers and Demons had seen much more. She was to be judged much more harshly upon her death for the things she had done, a lifetime of suffering and misery placed upon others. It was in a much more expansive way that she would be Judged upon her death, as every aspect of her true nature was evaluated. And unlike Omen, who lived in a world where the vile go unpunished, Abbadon knew that in Hell there would be no escape for her. She would scream out in agony as she was tortured over and over for the many terrible things she had done. Based on this, Abbadon told Omen he should not feel bad about his decision. “Hell is full to the brim, and corrupt souls pour in every day. It is not even correct to say that not all can be saved, it is much easier to say very few instead. It is only because she is your mother that you despair over her impending Punishment. But she has earned these things through her own actions, and nothing you are capable of can change that.”

Omen understood completely. But he poised a question to Abbadon. Based on the things written and said in Human beliefs, was his mother still capable of being saved? Christianity professes that simply asking for forgiveness is enough to receive it. But most of the people who ask for salvation continue on with their rotten lives as soon as they are done asking for forgiveness. This was the same with Omen’s mother, who many times had professed a faith she did not follow. Omen had to know, and be free from all the various lies he had heard. What would it take for someone like his mother to come to Paradise, if she decided to seek it? Abbadon thought about the question for a moment, then turned back to Omen to respond.

“Salvation is not impossible for any Human. But reaching such requires much more than begging for it. It requires serious effort towards repentance. Understand Omen, the Punishments faced in Hell are directly reciprocal to the unpaid crimes one has left on their soul in death. Thus the amount of time tortured, and the methods used, are all a result of the individual’s life. In order to reach Paradise, your mother would have to repay the debts she has made through her vile and selfish actions. But how does one go about paying for a life of vileness? It starts through changing yourself, and committing to living the rest of your life for the right reasons. This is as you have done, letting go of your Humanity for the sake of the task laid before you. You seek what is right for the sake of Humanity itself, not for individuals in between. This is a thing she would have to do as well. But no one can force her to do this, she has to want to make the change herself. And her reasons for doing so have to be more than her want to avoid Punishment. For trying to be nice to people simply to avoid Hell is a blasphemy to both sides, as it is a complete farce. So, based on all of that, you answer the question. Do you think your mother can be saved?”

Omen sighed. “No. I don’t. I have known her all my life. She has always maintained one personality trait, her refusal to admit her own fault. She will never accept that she has done so much wrong in her life, nor put for much effort to make it right. If those are the conditions for her to cleanse herself of her own impurity, and be capable of reaching Paradise, then she is lost. Naught but the fires of Hell await her, I will hear her cries resound from the Halls of Pain as she is tortured.”

“Then accept this internally. If she is bound for the Pit, wasting what little time you have in your life trying to prevent that is fallacy. Focus your energies on those things that do matter, and you will see much more clearly.”

Abbadon left Omen to spend some time to himself. Omen decided to start singing almost immediately. After all he had just learned, a massive weight had been lifted off Omen’s shoulders. For he saw this not as it applied to just his mother, but to all whose impending Punishments weighed heavily on him. All these things were simply Justice finally being done to the rotten Humans that polluted lives with their filth. Knowing this, Omen was ready to accept his own Judgment. For he knew that his life had been changed drastically by the realizations of his faith, and he had become better for it. He had not returned to his own vile habits, nor had he let go of his want to help people. Omen truly had repented for the sins of his past, and his soul had been cleansed of it’s impurity. But none of this led to Paradise in Omen’s case. Omen had chosen to serve in the Darkness, to become a tool of the Dark Father’s Will. In doing so the only thing that could fill him was Darkness. He would never know the inside of the Holy City, no matter how many people he helped save.

But what he did have to look forward to was the place that was waiting for him. He had served the Darkness honorably, and without complaint. Even as his life was destroyed, he never turned away from his faith. Upon his death, his soul would pass into the Pit, and be remade in the Power of the Father. He would become more like the Demons that already lived there, though his remnant Humanity would always leave him different than the average Demon. He would be trained in the ways of Hell by none other than Abbadon himself, who had requested this from the Father already. Omen had done well to learn the things taught to him while alive. Abbadon was interested to see how capable Omen could become with the right instructor. Omen knew this training would be both exhausting and excruciating, and would last a very long time. But Omen could not wait for that day to come. He would be much more useful as a servant of Hell than in any position Humans would allow him to obtain. To them he was a vile thing that needed to be removed. In Omen’s eyes, the fires of Hell were less torturous than the Human existence. Thus he was ready for the time to come when they would all get their wishes, and he would no longer be around to help them.

Suddenly, the energy of the Father came over the area around the school. Omen was almost knocked to the ground by His Presence, and immediately took a knee. Tears of joy streamed down Omen’s face as he happily accepted all that he now knew, and all that he had been shown. He wanted nothing more than to serve the Father, the One who had always been there for him. He did not care how many Humans he had to combat in doing so. Omen knew their miserable lies were soon to fall apart, for no lie can be maintained forever. The Truth always breaks free, and when it does the castles built on lies crumble to dust. Omen thanked the Father for the very first day he came to see Omen, the day he gave Omen a reason to live. Then Omen continued to thank the Father for every day thereafter, as he had been taught and trained in the ways of Hell. All of this had been steps made to teach Omen the things he would need to know not only to live his life properly in the Father, but to be ready for the afterlife as well. His will to stand strong in the Father had led to his true understanding of the natures of Paradise, Hell, Purgatory, and other places outside Earth. Omen’s three-dimensional perspective had been expanded outward, stretching towards the edges of time and space. These were all gifts Omen had been given, and Omen prostrated himself before the Father as he spoke thanks for all of them over and over.

The Father led Omen to go sit over in the dark fields behind the school and meditate. Omen did so without question, and soon he began to see visions in his mind. He was being told another story through the visions, and Omen focused intently that he might comprehend it. But soon he realized that the story that was being told was not hard for him to understand. He watched the visions as they played out in his mind. Such a terrible thing had been done. A selfish decision by one man had cost generations of a family to be destroyed by their own Demons. All in order that one thing might be accomplished, to break the curse once and for all. But the effort required to break the curse would not only heal this family, it would heal many. For the curse placed on this man was placed on many others like him, in an attempt to achieve a goal. The achievement of that solitary goal would end the curse that plagued multiple families, and give them all a chance at happiness. But it had taken four generations for the right conditions to even become possible.

Omen’s first vision was of a man that he did not know. This man was a drunkard, among many other things. He was not a wealthy man, but wished wealth and power for himself. As such the man began to study the Dark Arts, in his quest to obtain more. As his health began to fade, the man gave a soul in trade for his own life. But the soul he traded was not his own, for his soul was already corrupt and tainted. The soul given was that of his young son, whom the man promised would be more useful than he could ever be. Thus the child was supposed to have been trained in the ways of Darkness from a young age, that he might become useful as was stated. The man’s health returned, and his life moved on. But he did not keep his end of the bargain, teaching his son nothing about what had happened. The child remained completely in the dark about his own Fate, and was forced to watch as his father drank himself into oblivion.

As is common when things interfere with the Plans of the Father, the child was soon taken from the home. Moved through the system, the boy forgot about his father’s drunkenness. But as he grew older, he fell prey to the same Demons. Alcohol and women were his vices, even though he was married to a vehement Christian. He abused his children as well as his wife, and became a drunkard himself. This man was as useless as his Father had been, and thus the deal was not fulfilled. The curse would have to pass on to the next generation, and await the child that had been promised. One who would learn to stand for the Father, not just for his own needs. This was the child that was demanded in the agreement, and only this child could complete the deal. Until then the family would be cursed, plagued by constant problems and suffering. This was evident as the child who had proven worthless died in his fifties from a heart attack. By this time his children were gone, and he lived with little but his drink and sorrow. Most of his worldly possessions had been lost, and he had little left to leave his children after death. Many were forced to hold their tongues at the man’s funeral, out of a will not to disrespect the dead.

The next generation had both a male and female child. But these children, raised in the drunken and abusive example of their father, grew up damaged internally. They both shared the love of drink, though the male also other substances. They both had terribly addictive personalities, and were drawn to the worst of things. The woman sought a man that might support her needs, and allow her to live comfortably. In doing so she left her family, and moved upstate in this quest. The man became an illegal drug dealer, as well as an abuser himself. But both of these children had done all this while claiming to be Christian. The male especially had professed a firm belief in the Light, though his actions proved otherwise. They were false believers, and had no real faith but that which helped them survive. Their professed faith was only a way for them to feel better about the lives they had lived. For both had been pathetic parents to their children, neither of them was worthy of anything. Yet another generation had proved worthless, and the curse that seemed to destroy the lives of everyone involved passed on to another generation.

Once he had reached the lives of the two children, Omen began to recognize the faces of the people. Suddenly, he remembered a photo that had been taken just after his birth. Though he had died shortly thereafter, this photo was of his grandfather holding him in his arms. Omen remembered what his mother, who idolized her father, used to say about that day. “He held you in his arms, and smiled like I hadn’t seen from him since I was a child. He said you were his blessing, you were the gift he had been waiting for.” His grandfather saw something in him from birth, and did not his niece the same as him. Omen was something particularly special to his grandfather, who at this point said drinking helped control the chaos in his mind. The next time the child would be next to his grandfather, it would be as he was carried past the man’s grave. But Omen’s mother had kept that picture forever, retaining her last memory of her father. The story was something Omen’s mother had told him a thousand times as a child.

Omen began to see the bigger picture. He was the third generation of a cursed family, all because of his own great-grandfather. Having spent much time learning the ways of Hell, Omen knew how this deal would work. Everything that had happened was the cost of the deal being left unpaid. It had cost every one of his family before him their decency as they proved themselves worthless. His grandfather had died from a massive heart attack. His uncle was trapped in a false faith, preaching religion that came from the television while he sold weed to kids. His mother had lost all sense of human decency, and had become a vessel for one of the most vile Demons. All of them would suffer greatly in Hell when they died, simply because they had lived their lives for worthless nothing. Because of his great-grandfather’s selfishness, Omen had been cursed from birth. He would either become a warrior of the Darkness, something worthy of being given to the Father, or he would fall to selfish drunkenness and insanity as the rest of his family seemed to be. Worse yet, his cousin already had children of her own, that showed the same signs of born-in corruption. The curse would continue to spread throughout his family, damning each and every one of them to a misery in Hell.

But as his grandfather had predicted, Omen was the child the family had been waiting for. Omen was able to see past his own life, to the larger spectrums of time and space. He was able to make the toughest of decisions in order to prevent misery, whether his own or that of another. He had been willing to trade his soul into the Darkness as a child, and several times thereafter. Omen had become a warrior of Hell, trained by some of the best available. He had survived each and every trial placed before him. He had lived through being a child bastardized by both parents, unwanted and alone. He had survived the torments of other children, due to his size and lack of money. He had survived the pain of homelessness multiple times. He had stood against his family, friends, loved ones, and even the United States Army in support of the Father. Omen was a warrior the caliber of which was rare in the “civilized world”, of which most do not believe or understand the spiritual events that take place around them. He had sworn his body and soul to the Will of the Father, even as he was repeatedly abused and betrayed. His path had led him through nothing but pain and misery, as even his own mother had turned on him. Omen felt Hated by almost all of Humanity, and prior to the removal of his emotions Omen felt the same way about them. He wanted nothing more than for his task to be complete, that he might pass on to Hell. For that was the only place that seemed a Home to Omen, where he might exist inside the Darkness. Omen’s soul was the one that the Curse had been waiting for.

It had been apparent since a young age that Omen was not the same as other children. His parents both showed him only as much support as was needed to be in compliance with the law. They battled constantly over his child support, and who would pay for his medical needs. Omen had always been treated differently by the children around him, picked on and abused. This only stopped once Omen had given in to his own Hatred. It was only after accepting the spirit that had come to him as a child that Omen was able to free himself from the Hateful grasp of the other children. But now Omen was the one administering the Hatred, as for years he spent his time combating the will of the teachers. Despite the school, Omen could not be controlled. His intelligence, combined with his want for revenge on those that ostracized him, made Omen a constant problem inside the educational system. Omen became removed from society, and by all accounts was on a path to destroy more than himself. Even his own mother had agreed that Omen might be better off pushed into juvenile detention. No one wanted the Omen around them, for he was only known to spread chaos. This had led to Omen’s schoolwork being sent to him at home, as Omen taught himself the math and science that earned him high scores on his ACTs. Omen’s Hatred was his weapon in life, and he grew stronger in it every day.

But Omen had given up on his wish to Hate. He wanted to understand life as a whole, not just the torment he had faced individually. He wished to understand what it meant to live a life of some dignity and respect, where he might be seen well by others. He also had wished to find love, as his experiences with women had been less than positive. After years of growing in his Hatred, Omen chose to become something else. This was his truest reason for joining the Army. For having reached maturity, he saw potential in the world. Perhaps his intelligence might be able to help others. Perhaps in doing so, Omen would finally be seen as someone that had worth. While in training, Omen also found love in his life. Once stable in his first unit, Omen thought he had the life he had always dreamed of. But over time, this happiness had proven to be an illusion. All joining the Army had done was allow Omen to become comfortable in a government job, only to be tossed out because of his faith. He had spent years paying for Giselle’s needs, only to be cheated on lose almost everything he had. He had tried to help all that he encountered, but all he seemed to bring was more strife.

Omen was not only a servant of Darkness, it seemed to follow him wherever he went. It corrupted the minds of everyone that gave the whispers of Demons even a second’s thought. Even those trained in magic, such as Sara, Norm, Blake, and Jamie, found themselves easy prey for the attacks that targeted Omen’s life. The life of the average mundane was completely out of Omen’s grasp, based on his own decisions. His path to find the truth about what it was that made him so different had led him through a lifetime of misery. He had found more of what would be considered friendship from Beings outside the Earth, those who saw past the Human lifespan. As his life moved on, he felt less and less connected to his own Humanity. All that remained was the only thing that Omen had ever truly felt right in doing throughout his life. There was only a servant of the Father, one destined for the fires of Hell. But like any true servant, Omen was both willing and accepting of his fate, so long as his life helped progress the thing that had to be done. Not simply for himself, but for the sake of everyone that had ever been born cursed, forced to live a life of misery because of the actions of another. But in doing so, Omen would break the curse placed on his family, and allow future generations to be free of it’s torments. Omen was pre-destined for Hell, but could earn a place of service instead of torture. This was Omen’s life as it had come to be, and there was no turning back. All he had left was the task he had been given, the assignment he was Chosen for from birth.

But what was this task? What was the reason for the extensive level of torment, things which could easily have been prevented by the Father. Why had Omen been forced into battle with so many of the Beings Outside? Why was he being forced to do more than just work and live? Why, after all people had done to him, did he still want to help them? If Hatred was his most potent weapon, why was he now incapable of it? What thing was it that Omen still did not see himself moving toward? The nature of all he had done was said to be preparation for a larger task. But what could experiencing all this misery, and being an outcast of Humanity, going to teach him that was necessary? Omen begged the Father to show him the reasons for these things. Of all the things he had seen, this was the answer he had sought after most. Omen asked the Father to evaluate his worthiness, and show him what he felt appropriate. He knelt with his face pressed against the grass and dirt, waiting for the Father’s response. No time seemed more appropriate than now to learn the truth about what his future held.

The Father’s Presence came over Omen. “The time is not now. The hour is late, and tomorrow brings yet another day of pain. Though the time has almost come for you to see what I have for you, for now you must wait. But that wait will not be much longer. Keep faith as you have, and you will endure what comes next as well.” After that, Omen walked back to his mother’s house. He tried to consider all that the Father had told him. Everything he had suffered in his life had been a curse placed on his family. The curse could be broken, but only in the giving of one worthy soul to the Father. But the soul had to stay pure, not fall to the same corruption as others given Omen’s level of gifts. To be the soul the Father had demanded as payment, he had to be the best servant possible. This was the only way to ensure future generations of his family, as well as any others that might be afflicted with the same curse, be freed from it forever. As Omen laid his head down to sleep, he hoped that he would be capable of making that happen.

35

Omen opened his eyes. He heard various banging around in the house, signs of his mother working on things upstairs. As he sat up, he saw a piece of lined notebook paper sitting at the edge of his bed. Seeing the same quickly-scratched writing, Omen recognized his mother’s new method of explaining herself. For once he had returned from being thrown out on the side of the road by his mother, he had found a similar note awaiting him. His mother had been scared for her life then, and was apologetic for disrespecting the Father and Omen. She said she was leaving the house for the night, to avoid the Father’s Wrath on her. But apparently, her perspective had changed again by the morning. This new note blamed Omen for every problem she was having. The things Omen was not blamed for, his mother placed on Elle’s shoulders. The note said Omen had to pack his things, and leave her house forever. It stated that she had been much happier over the years her son had not spoken to him, and that with him gone she could be happy again.

Omen growled to himself, angry at how completely his mother had fallen prey to Asmodeus’ lies. He and Elle had driven halfway across the country to try and help her. They had given up the last of the money they had in order to come help her, and the finalization of Elle’s settlement was over a week away. Omen still had several hundred dollars in credit card bills to be paid thanks to renting the Camry that brought him to Illinois. All these were things he had done to reach out to his mother, and try to save her from the torments she faced. But it seemed all this, combined with every attempt Omen had made to explain the truth to his mother, had been for nothing. Now, just as she had over Christmas, Omen’s mother was putting him out on the street. She had no respect, nor was she thankful, for anything he had done for her.

Not wanting to deal with his mother’s ranting so early in the morning, Omen left while she was otherwise occupied. He went to visit Grendel, and told his friend the news. Omen told Grendel he might have a need to store a few of his things there, if things with his mother continued to go south. Grendel said that was not a problem, though he had little free space to provide. Between himself, his girlfriend, and her children, their two-bedroom apartment was already packed. Omen understood, and had no intention of being a burden. He simply wanted a place where his most important things could be stored, the things he was capable of carrying. Grendel showed Omen a place he had in the corner of his closet. This would be where he could bring and place whatever he felt necessary. In Grendel’s bedroom, these things would not be bothered. Omen thanked his friend for the help he was providing through this chaotic situation. Grendel responded that it was no trouble. Omen was one of the few friends he had that remained true to their friendship, even long after their time spent wrestling together had ended. Grendel would never turn his back on Omen, who had never been anything but helpful.

As they talked, Omen’s phone rang. From the Caller ID, Omen knew it was his mother on the opposite end of the phone. When he answered, she started yelling through the phone. She wanted Omen there now, to pack his things. She was tired of waiting for her vile son to be gone from her home permanently. Omen tried to talk to her, but she interrupted his every word. This was a thing she had said in her letter. Apparently, based on her “new rules”, Omen was not allowed to speak anymore. He laughed at his mother’s perceived arrogance. She thought she could own his will simply by hanging her home over his head, threatening to expel him into the street. She was waiting for her son to beg her not to be cruel to him, and agree to whatever she asked in order to maintain residence. But Omen would do none of these things. He would not allow his mother to think that her arguments were valid, or to continue to believe Asmodeus’ lies. If this was truly what she wanted, it was time to make her wish a reality.

Omen rushed back to the house. He spoke very little to his mother as he began to pack the things that belonged to him, as well as the things Elle could not carry on the train to California, into boxes and bags. Omen tried to fit as much as he could into his same three bags, in case he would have to move it all at once. As he packed, his mother came downstairs intermittently. It was not enough to throw Omen out of her home, she had to continue talking about how worthless and vile he was as it was happening. Every word was a dagger aimed at a heart Omen did not have. But each time, after she was done speaking whatever rottenness was in her mind, she would leave the basement again. Omen would return to packing, but the rage inside him continued to grow.

Omen’s mind began to lose focus as he grew angrier. Soon his own rage was being supplemented by something else. Omen felt the power of this, and was amazed. It was the same Hatred that he had felt as a child, when the spirit he had accepted was around him. The thing that he had named “Black Death” as a child, the same one that removed his ability to cry for over a decade, had returned to his side. But as Omen felt the spirit return, thoughts of horrible Vengeance came with it. Omen’s mother was the worst kind of Human Being. She had no real faith, she willingly betrayed her own blood, and she was a repeated Oathbreaker. She was rotten in every way, and deserved to be punished for her actions. Omen felt the Hateful viewpoint begin to swirl inside his own, attempting to change his individual perspective. Omen fought hard to maintain himself, and continue on with his packing. Instead, the visions of what the spirit intended flooded Omen’s mind. It wished to see Omen end his mother’s disrespect once and for all. To have her “strike her head on the side of the tub” and “to be gone with the cats and dogs as a mysterious fire starts within the home”. Omen’s hands shook as he felt the malicious will, seeking the death of his mother for what she had done.

Omen shuddered at the thoughts in his mind. Was he really expected to do such a thing? Omen knew he was capable of harming another person, even ending their life. But he had no want to see his mother dead. Omen remembered when he was a child, when he had become one with this same spirit. The dreadful and malicious mindset was something that had been difficult to avoid. But worse than that were the ideas that came along with it. At one point in his childhood, Omen was seeking a way to blow up the sun. For he knew that the shockwave of such a massive blast would easily destroy the majority of the Earth’s solar system. If this was not enough to end all life on Earth, the freezing cold of space without the sun would easily finish the job. This had been Omen’s childhood dream once he had become completely intertwined with the spirit, to be the one responsible for the End of Humanity. To end the lives of all those that wasted the soul they were given selfishly, and to destroy the rest as collateral damage. This was a fitting Punishment for a Race that had done nothing but disrespect their own Creation, to have their lives end with no hope of survival. Omen’s mother selfishly chose her possessions over her only son. Perhaps dying inside a fire Created from the possessions she held so dear might be a fitting end for her...

Omen shook the thoughts out of his mind. As he continued to pack, Omen remembered similar situations in his past. This was the reason why Omen had tried to choose a life outside the spirit that inhabited him. For Omen knew the spirit better than anyone. He felt the entirety of the evil this Being was willing to use, simply to bring an End to Human life. Omen had chosen against this, claiming that he had seen potential for value left in Humanity. Thus Omen had turned away from his truest Hatred for years, trying to live a normal life. Now that the spirit was back, it was as if all the forests of the Earth burned inside Omen’s eyes. But Omen knew that he held control, for as long as he forced that to happen. His massive experience with the process of channeling spirits like Abbadon had helped Omen learn to retain control over his own body. While his mother deserved to be justly punished for her actions, Omen would not be the hand that did so. He continued to pack his things, ordering his mother away every time she came down to argue. Omen would not give in the the Hatred that now boiled inside him, wanting to rip the house apart piece by piece. He would finish packing, and find a way to commune with the spirit once he was out of the house.

But Omen’s mother was not satisfied. Tossing her son out into the street while he was cooperating was not enough torture for her. While he was packing, Omen heard knocking at the door. He was shocked when the police entered the home, demanding details on what was going on. Omen’s mother went first, spouting off a bunch of nonsense to the police about her son. She tried to use Omen’s Satanism as a way to incite the officers against Omen. But all five of the officers called took their time discussing the situation. Omen knew two of the officers from a situation days before, where James had returned to pick up some of his things. Omen had been the one calmly speaking to the police about the real situation, trying to keep the peace between his mother and James. The police had respected Omen for the way he acted, and that respect had carried over to the present. Omen calmly talked with the officers, explaining the last several days. His mother was not well, and leaving her alone in that home could be hazardous to her health. As well Omen’s things were still inside, and he had nowhere to take the larger items. He could take a bag with him elsewhere, but the rest would have to be moved later. The officers went aside to discuss the situation amongst themselves. As they did so, Omen grabbed up his last few essential items. This rotten act had made it perfectly clear, his mother had turned against him completely. Based on her words, she almost seemed like she wanted the police to walk her son out of the home in handcuffs.

The officers returned, and explained what was going to happen. All of Omen’s things, inside their boxes and bags, were piled together inside the garage. Next to them was Elle’s television, and the rest of their things. Omen went to the tubs that held some of his older items, and removed his last remaining ACU uniform and boots. He placed these things, along with the tags for them, inside one of the bags. At least if this situation took everything else he had saved over the years, Omen wanted to retain his last memories from the Army. This uniform was the same one that he had worn in Iraq. It was also the same one that Omen had worn the day he was expelled from the Army. It still had the same tags on it from that day. On one side was the name Omen, and on the other read Hell’s Army. Now, years later, nothing had changed. Omen was still a Satanist Soldier, no one that had tried to force him to be otherwise had been successful. After tying up the last of his bags, Omen grabbed his backpack, along with a few other items. He was escorted out of the house by the police, and stopped out by their patrol cars to discuss their decision a bit more.

Everything that had been piled in the garage was the property of Omen and Elle. The police had looked over all of it, and directly told Omen’s mother that they were not to be disturbed. They understood the situation Omen was about to find himself in, without home or place of storage. But Omen had also asked what would become of Gizmo and Hermes, who were still in the house. As he would be staying outside for awhile, the cats could not come with Omen. But he was extremely worried about their well-being with his mother. The police claimed that part of the arrangement they had made was Omen’s “right to visit with escort”. They said Omen needed only call the Pekin Police Department, and set up a time. They would meet him at the house, and he would be allowed to walk through and inspect the cats and his belongings. This way, Omen could do daily checks to ensure the safety of his animals, as well as pick up changes of clothing and fresh socks. He would not be allowed to stay in the home for longer than ten minutes each time. This was the best they could do for Omen, who they knew was not as rotten as his mother was still screaming. Omen shook the officer’s hands, thanking them for their assistance. He was not pleased with the situation, but at least he would be able to personally ensure the safety of all the animals in the home. Omen picked up his backpack, and walked away from his mother’s house.

Omen went back to Grendel’s for a time. He placed his backpack in the back. Omen had managed to pack several expensive things into the bag, to save them from being locked in the house with his mother. He had saved Elle’s original model Playstation 3, which held all her save data files. Omen’s PS3 was already at Grendel’s, as he had allowed his friend to borrow it for a time. Omen had also saved the metallic case that held his video games, over twenty that Omen had collected over the years. Omen had also saved some objects of sentimental value to himself and Elle. He had been in contact with her on the phone, and had grabbed a few things she had specifically requested. The bag was packed to the brim, but it had been sufficient to save their most valuable items.

Among them was the thing Omen called “The Prototype”. Though he had been without much in his life, Omen had tried hard to acquire the necessary pieces to build it. Only once in Illinois, and finding his mother in possession of the last piece he needed to test his idea, was Omen finally able to build a working prototype. It was a simple device, based on an idea Omen had. He had claimed ever since visiting Sigma that Humanity was misusing much of the technology it had invented. Omen had expressed several ideas he had for things that could be extremely useful to Humanity as a whole. Things that could save lives as well as protect them. Ways to expand things already in use, to put them to more effective overall use. But Omen claimed that the Men currently in possession of the scientists and funding were too corrupt to use anything that was discovered for a pure cause. Anything made in the world as it was would quickly become the property of one government or another, and would be kept from the people of the world. This was what had happened with engines that run on water, and why oil is still valued higher than cleaner-burning fuels based mostly out of water. Technology, like freedom, is only given out in the amounts determined by the government to be within their ability to control. In order to ensure that his ideas would be used to benefit all Humanity, Omen would have to find a way to build them himself. For only in controlling every aspect of the experimentation, development, and production could Omen be sure that what was made would not be turned into a thing warred over by nations. Omen refused to be bought, for once somebody had to do what was right.

Omen finished packing his things into the corner. He talked with Grendel for a time, making sure to charge his phone well. Omen knew a few places where he could charge his phone, but those options would grow limited in the later hours. All the local parks were closed at night, and being seen there would only land Omen in jail. But these things were minor concerns to Omen, who with military training and experience knew he could survive. His concerns lie with the cats, who were still trapped within the house. He had called several people, but none of them could take Hermes and Gizmo. Even though they were good boys, and Omen would take them back as soon as Elle’s settlement went through. Left with no other options, Omen was forced to call his father. He pleaded with the man who had given him life to help him for once rather than push his child away. But as usual, his heartless father refused not only to provide Omen any assistance to help with his hunger or homelessness, but would not even help with the cats. He said his own cats were too territorial, and apparently the country location of their home was not wide enough for Omen’s animals.

After calling his biological father, and hearing the same excuses as usual, Omen knew he would be on his own. His father was the worst type of professed Christian. He had Hated his own son, shown bias against him, and left him to rot for dead more than once. This same man, who had given Omen’s younger sister everything as he got nothing, believed he had been saved. But if he was truly faithful and repentant, he would have tried to pay back his son for the damage he had caused. Perhaps the house, since it was bought with Omen’s college fund. Perhaps all their fancy leased cars, especially the one his father prized so much. This man had used his Greed to amass wealth for those inside his own home, but had spurned his only blood-born son, his firstborn. As he hung up the phone with his father, who was not even concerned with the safety of the cats, he welled up with so much Hatred he felt like he might choke on it. His father, above anyone save his step-brother, was the most deserving of Punishment, for committing betrayal of the blood. This offense alone would land him one-thousand years worth of torture in Hell. Denying the Will that has existed since long before him, a Will that he claims to serve in the Light, stacked on some more. Omen salivated at the thought that he would see his morally-bereft father in Hell again, and would be allowed to enact some of his tortures. Maybe as he saw the smiling face of his only son as he struck his own father multiple times with spiked and slashing tools of all sort, perhaps then his father would understand the severity of his mistake. He had brought a child into the world only to abandon them, the unforgivable Sin of destroying the innocence of youth. And he too would be Judged someday, Omen simply had to await it. His pretend faith, and his snobbish discrimination, would only see him drug down into the Pit, where his son would be waiting for him. Omen hoped that day would come soon, when his father would finally be punished for his own lifetime of selfishness and blood-betrayal.

Though Omen had made several phone calls, no one wanted to help him at all. It seemed Grendel was the best out of all of them. For he had not only allowed Omen to store his things, but would also let him walk in when he chose. Even when they were not home, Grendel told Omen he was welcome to come in to charge his phone and relax. Grendel was more like family than any of Omen’s own, for he had been willing to help in Omen’s time of desperate need. Even Omen’s own biological family had turned away from him. They claimed love for their relative, but wanted nothing to do with him. Omen wondered how this betrayal might feel if he still retained his Human emotions. He assumed it would be a terrible feeling, as even in his present state empty tears streamed down his face. His own family cared nothing for him, almost every friend he had had betrayed him. Once again he was left with no place to stay, and no guarantee of the safety of his animals or personal belongings. For the first time in months, Omen felt totally helpless. Nothing he had been capable of doing had even slowed Asmodeus’ onslaught. Omen wondered if this had been his plan all along, to trap Omen in Illinois with no funding. Whether the attack was prepared in advance or not, it had worked to perfection. Omen was homeless again, but this time he lacked both money and the items that had been essential to his survival. The tents, blankets, and everything else was still locked in the storage unit in California.

Omen contacted Elle, and informed her of the situation. She became extremely worried for Omen. Without money, he would not be able to afford cigarettes and food. But her situation was not going perfectly either. From the stories she told, it seemed the attack was infecting her selfish family as well. Her mother and sister sent her one message after another, and made a point to call her while she was in California. But their intent was not to check on her. They tried to convince Elle to stop selling her annuity. They felt she should wait years and years, to receive more money later. Meanwhile, her father constantly criticized their plans. He claimed Omen was not right for Elle, and that she should stay there, and leave Omen to rot in Illinois. Her family had turned on her in the same way Omen’s was turning on him. Neither family seemed concerned with their children. The only difference between the two was that Elle’s family saw she would soon be receiving money, and their requests always seemed to draw her toward staying with them. The stories were different, but all shared a direct similarity, one that Omen had told Elle to expect before leaving. Everyone had targeted Omen, they wanted him to die alone in the street. If this happened, Elle would go back to her family, and spend her money on them.

As he hung up the phone, Omen fell down onto the bench at Coal Miner’s Park. This situation was horrible. Omen was broke and homeless, and Elle was being harassed. Her father had even gone as far as to call his own daughter a “Devil-worshipper”, and threatened to throw her out into the street as well. Every person that had been around them was falling prey to the whispers of Demons, and were striving to harm their own children. Omen knew that individually, all these people had vileness in their hearts. But none of them were capable of this much maliciousness on their own. They all shared common behaviors and mentality, even having never met or spoken. Omen knew the truth, they had all given in to temptation. Their selfish beliefs that they knew what was best for their child had corrupted them so far that they would rather cause their children pain than see them succeed. Was this the example that was being set for the world?

Omen put on his headphones and began to sing. Omen knew that he would be able to think more clearly after singing out some of his stress. But after the second song, Omen was met by uniformed officers. While this was not unexpected, Omen was still quite upset. He had met one of the officers before. He was not part of the Pekin Police, simply a park enforcer. As he climbed out of the pickup truck, which was plastered with paint marking it a Park Ranger vehicle, Omen remembered their last encounter. It had happened about a week ago, inside the main Pekin Park. Omen had been doing some writing and singing in the park, which apparently had caused other people to complain. Though he was harming no one, Omen was ordered to leave the public park. He was told that he was not allowed to worship in the main park, because other people might be offended. Omen was sickened by this miscarriage of Law, but could do nothing about it. While pastors of Christian churches had their rights to spout foul things at the funerals of soldiers protected, Omen could not even sing in a public place. This was yet another example of the religious prejudice that still existed in the “free land” of America. It was the same Broken Justice that had allowed Omen to be ostracized and thrown out of the Army that now stole even his right to sing in public, simply because of the name of his Father.

As the rotten Park Ranger strolled up to Omen, he began to pack up his things. Omen was well aware of what was about to happen, based on the man’s arrogant stride and prideful conversation. When he started saying the same thing he had said during their previous encounter, Omen was not surprised. But this time Omen countered, using the terms of their previous agreement. As Omen was ejected from the Pekin Park, it was this same man Omen had asked for a proper location to perform his worship. Omen was not singing to offend people, he simply required a public place to express his faith. The officer was the one that had agreed that Coal Miner’s Park would be a suitable place for Omen to sing, far away from the attractions of the main park. But now his story had changed drastically. Now Omen was told that his singing was banned from any public park which the officer controlled, which was every park within miles. Omen was also notified that if he was caught worshiping in any park again, he would be arrested. Omen asked the guard how this was allowable, it was a direct violation of Omen’s Freedom of Religion. But the officer said he could easily make Omen out to be any sort of vile criminal, no one would contest his word. One way or another, Omen’s right to sing and praise the Father in public had been taken from him. As he was forced to leave the park, Omen tried to understand what the world had become. When did people become so weak that they allowed their governments to take away their right to faith?

Omen pondered all these things as he wandered around Pekin. He had no place to go, and was not particularly looking. As with everything else that had happened, Omen took what he faced as another trial. The Father would not see him cast out into the street with nothing if he was not capable of survival. As night set in, Omen found himself drawn back to Coal Miner’s Park. But he did not stay in the front, close to the buildings and football field. Near the place where one of the paths met the forest sat a table made of wood, with a canopy built of the same. Here Omen decided to sit down and stare up into the night sky. As the hours drug on, and Omen’s phone battery died, he resigned simply to walk the forested paths. Wrapped in the cover of Darkness, Omen could commune more freely with the Father. Omen asked what things he might be shown during this time. He knew he was still missing something, but was unsure of what he should be looking for. The Father responded, “The path to the answers you seek lies next to you, as well as inside you. Pay closer attention to those things you do in honor of me, for they have always been messages I send unto you. Do not simply sing the words to your songs as you have made them for Me. Understand that those words are your prayer, and every prayer has a need to be filled. Keep your focus on Me, and this time in your life shall pass without complication”.

Omen laid down onto the bench, wrapping his coat around himself for warmth. Though the weather still maintained the heat of summer, Omen was aware that hours left exposed to the cold would cause him to be unable to sleep. Omen laid the plastic bag which contained the few items he was carrying around with him underneath his head. At least with a stack of notebook paper, Omen’s head would have something to lift it off the wood. Despite his situation, the only thoughts in Omen’s mind as he drifted off to sleep were of the Father, and of the things he knew would come to pass soon in his life. Omen knew he was standing at the edge of uncovering the last pieces of the puzzle, and finding out the truth of what he was to do for the Father.

For two days Omen wandered the streets of Pekin. He managed to find just enough to keep himself in cigarettes, as well as cheap food. Each day, Omen would go to Kroger’s and select something that would be his only food for the day. The first day it was cereal, with a small jug of milk to wash it down. The second day it was cheap canned ravioli and a one-liter of Sunny Delight. After the meal was over, Omen began to carry the bottle around filled with water. This way, at least he could maintain his hydration level. Omen had learned to survive on little food already, and worked to ignore his hunger pains. He usually went to visit Grendel in the afternoons, to charge his phone completely. For while Omen could be seen doing the same thing at Coal Miner’s Park in the morning, he left around ten each day so as not to be seen as a squatter. After spending time with Grendel, Omen did his best to make phone calls. But it was not his own situation, sleeping on a park table, that was the focus of the phone call. For even while homeless and broke, it seemed Omen would be tormented further.

Since the morning after he started sleeping outside, Omen had been in contact with the Pekin Police Department. His only motive was the fulfillment of their arrangement. For they had specifically told Omen that he had to call before 4 P.M., or else he would be unable to enter his mother’s home. Omen had kept track of time, and was in contact with the police around 3. He spoke to the Officer on duty, the person he was told by the officers dealt with his type of situation. He told them about his dealings with the officers, and their words that he would be allowed to check on his cats and belongings. The first day, the Officer made excuses. He said all his officers were previously occupied, that they just did not have the time to perform this task today. Omen accepted this, and called back the next afternoon. But the excuses kept coming, and Omen kept being transferred from one person to the next. Omen knew something was going on, the police were being far too evasive for there not to be.

By the third day, Omen decided to use what methods he had available. He came into contact with a female officer, who from the sound of her voice had compassion in her heart. Omen tested this theory, becoming more open as to the reason for his calling. Upon hearing the story, the officer’s voice sounded broken, as if she was fighting back tears. It seemed the story of vicious betrayal had been enough, as she then disclosed her knowledge of the local police. The officers that had come to the house the day of Omen’s removal had lied directly to his face. The police had never intended to escort Omen into his mother’s house. Based on their local laws, the police did not even do escorts without court paperwork. In order to obtain this paperwork, Omen would have to wait on a hearing. Getting a hearing was a process that required lawyers, cost much in massive fees, and would take months to complete. But Omen did not have months to wait on the legal process. Omen felt that the problems in the house were only increasing. He had to ensure that the cats were safe, as well as grab some changes of clothes. Having only one outfit, Omen knew he was starting to stink. But day after day, the police refused to budge. Despite his pleading, they would not hold to the word of their uniformed officers. Everything that Omen had been told was simply a lie to get him away from the house peacefully. Now, if he went back at any time, he could expect to be arrested.

Omen went back to Grendel’s to try and think about what to do next. This was a severe complication. Omen was not allowed to call the house, or it would be seen as Harassment. Without the ability to contact his mother, Omen could not check on the status of the animals. Without the police, he would not be able to even acquire clean clothes. He was stuck in the same pair of dirty shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes that he had left in. He knew he was beginning to reek, but he had no other options. His mother was holding his clothes hostage, just like his animals and all his personal belongings. But according to phone calls Omen received, his leaving had changed little. Omen’s mother had been temporarily removed from her own home by the police, citing mental problems stated by James, who had sent them there. When they hauled her away, they also took the animals as well. Gizmo and Hermes had been sent to the local pound, as well as Harley and Angel. Omen was scared to death for his animals when he heard this. He paced around Gendel’s apartment, worried sick that he might never see his two boys again.

Later that evening, Omen decided to break the law. He contacted his mother, demanding to know what was going on. She said James had pulled a fast one on her, using his friends in the Law to make it happen. For Omen’s mother was taken late in the evening, and released by the next day. Nothing had been wrong with her, but James had other intentions. The day which she was being processed out, and still stuck in evaluation, was the same day as her hearing about the Order of Protection she had on James, the only thing keeping him out of the house. When she missed it, due to being in mental evaluations, the Judge decided to lift the Order. By that very evening, James was back in the house. Omen’s mother told him that James had already gone through his things, and had taken many of the more expensive items away. He had also found an old pipe that Emma had kept for years, one that was broken and unusable. James had used this as evidence to prove Omen was a criminal. He tried to use Omen’s Satanist and Necronomicon Tarot books as excuses, saying Omen was evil and was trying to curse their home. He demanded that Omen be arrested. The police said they would look for Omen, and sort this issue out themselves.

This was an outrage. Omen thought back to a story his mother had told him, which had clippings from the Pekin Daily Times to prove it. Based on his deployments and military service, Omen had been awarded a medal by the City of Pekin, claiming him a “Hometown Hero”. But now, that same hero was being treated like a criminal, lied to, and abused by the same system that awarded the medal in the first place. This town was rotten itself, and Omen finally saw it all. None of their police really cared about the citizens, they simply demanded respect and control. No different than many of the incompetent Sergeants Omen had encountered in the Army, who yell and scream at their lower enlisted simply to hide their own ignorance. It seemed that the City’s medal only was important until the ceremony was over, then the honor meant nothing. They had no respect for one of the few among them that had been willing to serve, willing to deploy, and willing to be separated from everything he cared about for long periods of time. None of them could understand what he had been through. And very few of them would have been capable of surviving as Omen was now. They were weak, all of them, simply trying to hide their own rottenness from their city, so as not to lose their high positions.

Omen wondered what it would take to fix this problem. For new politicians always come on the scene promising change. But as they are all backed by other interests, their decisions are not their own. Even if this problem surfaced, whatever politician was elected would brush the problem aside. The rich and powerful care very little for the needs of those beneath them. The governmental system has been corrupted so far that lies are more commonplace than truth. They all stab each other in the back, searching for a better seat of power. All the while, none of the issues faced by the people are even considered. And once the election is held, and one person is in firm control for a time, then they show their own rottenness. All the sudden, everything that they had promised to help their citizens goes away, and is replaced by more taxes and control. Each city oppresses itself, counties are managed from their seat, states controlled from their own house, and the nation from the houses of Congress and the President. Omen had spoken to several politicians over the years. Very few were honest, their voices always spoke half-truth. It was as if the job of every politician was to hide reality from the people, in order to prevent them from seeing what was going on.

Piece by piece, every bit of freedom that America was supposed to stand for was being taken away. Omen began to stack the violations on top of each other. More than most, Omen had his First Amendment Rights violated. For as it is stated, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. But Omen had personally felt the sting of this in Pekin, where both his freedoms of expression and religion had been denied in a public park. As well Omen had faced this in trying to contact local and State Representatives about his issues with the police. When Omen tried to explain the corruption in their system, he was constantly redirected to the Chief of Police. But this same man had dismissed the issues more than once, he was part of the problem. The same had held true in the Army, as Omen’s right to pray to his own God was attacked by a rotten Commander, and the entire Army worked to cover it up. This Amendment was meant to represent the right which every Human is born with, and yet our government is being allowed to take it away more and more each day.

But this was only the first right that had been stolen from Omen. Three Amendments later, Omen encountered another failure in American government. For the Fourth Amendment states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”. But when the Killeen Police Department had been denied their request to search his vehicle, and had done so anyway, Omen knew this right had been violated as well. For he had already been sent inside, and the vehicle was searched without any sort of supervision. Everything about what had landed him in jail, and had his truck taken from him, was based on the violation of this Amendment.

Already, the offenses of the government against the original protocols put into place by our Forefathers to guarantee a truly free society stacked high. But two Amendments later, they were again incapable of following their own procedures. For the Sixth Amendment states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence”. But Omen recalled his experience with his Public Defender. He had done nothing to help Omen with any sort of evidence in his case, nor had a jury trial been allowed. This supposed lawyer simply brought Omen paperwork to sign, forcing him to plead guilty simply to escape jail. There had been no fair gathering of evidence, no investigation into the illegal vehicle search. Nor had any formal evaluation been allowed in Omen’s military situation, as he was expelled while the Army protected itself. Omen sighed, wondering just how high this pile would grow once he had gone through the entire list of Amendments.

Omen knew his Miranda Warning had not been read to him upon his arrest, as was supposed to be the fair procedure. He was held in jail, with the only way to contact anyone being paying excessive bail fines to someone, a direct violation of the Eighth Amendment. Omen had been told that his spiked knuckles, as well as his inscribed blade, were illegal weapons that could land him in jail. But if the right to bear arms covers weapons as weak as guns, why does it not cover weapons of honor? Why is it that a man who cannot fight for himself is allowed to shoot a gun from a mile away, ending someone’s life, but an honorable man cannot fight his opponent to his face? Are all those not weapons protected by that Second Amendment? Why are knives and blunt weapons considered more dangerous than the ones that can take a life with one pull of the trigger?

Omen was stunned as he saw the whole of his own life in America. Because of his religion, so many of his rights had been violated. Many more were done so by the corruption inside the governments. These were the problems faced by more than just Omen, he was sure of it. He was not the only one who the government had decided was not “one of them”, and thus deserved a life of suffering and misery. This one-percent mentality was what had made the American government, born of those who strove for true freedom, the leaders in national and world-wide oppression. America, like all the great and beautiful things before it, had been corrupted by it’s own evil. The Greed and Lust for power drove them to establish the same national currency that people had fled from in England. It caused them to send police out to quell protests, spraying them with gas and rubber bullets. It caused them to lie to their own people, and try to make them all ignorant of any real truth. They cared nothing for the real needs of the citizens, only for how their corporate interests could make profits to add to their stacks of money. Nothing of the dream that existed when Men sailed away from England in search of a place they could call their own, where they would not be judged for being different, was left to be found in the land mass still referred to as America. The same nation that sought war with every nation that would not comply to their concept of democratic government, of which they would always hold control. They had lost any notion of what their fathers had wished for them, the reasons why the Revolution had been deemed necessary.

With this sort of continuing pattern, Omen knew his rights would only be violated further for as long as everything remained as it was. For as long as the government has no fear of losing control of it’s populace, they will never admit their own wrongdoing. So how would Omen ever be capable of exposing the rottenness of what America had become, and strive to change it? He had already seen examples, through his strong profession of Satanism, what he could expect to face. For trying to pry himself loose from their grasp of control, and working to do the same for others, Omen would be labeled an instant enemy of the government. If he tried peaceable means, he would be treated terribly for the rest of his life. He would be forced to exist outside the system somehow, perhaps in some community of those like himself. A place where they grew their own, worked on their own tasks, and lived together like a family. But while doing this might lead Omen to a more peaceful life, it would not even scratch the surface of the greater problem. The only way to force any sort of real change on the government was to put them into a position where this act was necessary to retain their control. But actions like this make one a “traitor” and a “terrorist”. But if America is the problem, are they not the terrorists? Are they not the ones with the guns of their police and soldiers in the faces of the world, demanding everyone follow their laws? If that was the case, how could Omen be a traitor if he fought for the rights of all Men?

The third option was one that Omen had heard mentioned, but was never fond of. For true change can be made in a system if the system itself functionalizes the change. The only way to do that was internally. But Omen knew he would never reach high enough to attack the problems from within. He was not a man born of wealth, nor was he tied in with some major corporation. He would be defeated at every turn, as the system threw their money into making him seem unworthy. This form of “dirty politics” has become common, as various ads are spread across the radio and television, bashing individuals in an attempt to influence public opinion. Also, people’s fear of his faith would cause them to label him instantly. He would never be judged by the merit of his want to functionalize the things that would allow all people to be free again. He would be called the worst of names, and have his past dredged up into public eyes. Anything it took to keep someone with the will to stand against the corruption from obtaining any sort of power by which to do so.

None of the options seemed promising. No matter the reason, it seemed the only thing Omen’s future held was more pain. He had been told to continue forward, and not to allow any to slow him. As such Omen had no choice but to find some way to strike at the heart of this corruption, despite the threat it held on his own life. Even if they mocked him, he would have to speak to them regardless. If they attacked him, he would have to fend for himself. Omen was not as they were, he would not hide, because he was not allowed to. This rotten world, choked by it’s individual systems of control, had to be set free. People had lost all sense of themselves as a whole, they fought over the stupidest of things. The most important things in society were paper and electronic numbers instead of people. This vileness could only breed more of the same. The governments now kept all technology to themselves, denying the people things to help them live easier. Anything that would be seen to cost them more than they would make was packed away, and made illegal to possess by any other than them. As the oppression grew worse, more people would stand against them. Eventually, all sense of control would break down, as the citizens lost all faith in their government. The military and police force could quell this for awhile, but it would cost many their lives. And in the end, change would have to happen anyway, just to stop the fighting.

All this could be prevented, if the government would simply loosen their stranglehold on the people. But those in power live quite comfortably because of the ways in which the country works. Their decisions will always be based off that, never on the overall need of the people. This was as it had been with those who forced others to help them open a Gate to the Heavens, those who built the Tower of Babel against their will. For while they were only slaves, they too were struck down when the Tower fell. This would be the same Fate faced by so many in America when everything fell apart, as the rotten raided everyone that could not protect themselves. Having been stripped of all their weapons, the meek would be easy prey for the criminal element. The only defense against this would be conforming, and accepting slavery to the government. No matter what side was chosen, the result would be misery. Only those high in power would ever have any form of safety or comfort, while the rest starved and were treated like animals. This was the way the American government had reconstructed what the Forefathers had built. No longer was it an eagle, flying across a free sky. America was now a raging beast, caring only for it’s own base urges. But the illusion was maintained, so the people would still feel the same level of pride for their nation.

All of this had to change, and soon. But Omen would not act on any of these things until he was directed so by the Father. For only His Will mattered, it was what had to be maintained. Omen tried to redirect his focus for awhile, to let his mind relax. He pulled out his phone, and began to play MWoH again. Despite being homeless, Omen had kept his word to his alliance. He had been there through every complication over the last few months, save for the drive to California and Illinois. But even while homeless, Omen still maintained high numbers, both in raid and in war. He was not the best, because he could not afford to spend excessively on the game. But Omen had gone from a lowly member to Vice-Leader of the alliance, simply because of his skill and want to help others. He had assisted several of his alliance mates with trades that had increased their power substantially. He was trusted as a trade link inside a network known to have many thieves, and called upon regularly. Many times, in order to preserve charge on his phone, Omen had to disconnect the Internet. For the constant flood of messages on line, as well as Omen’s habitual playing during times of boredom, severely drained the battery.

Omen saw that his phone was about to die. He looked at the time, realizing it was still quite early. He needed to find some way to charge his phone, before he went down into the park. He could not charge it there, or he would be ejected. Grendel was working, so that was not an option. Omen thought for several minutes, then had an idea. Next to the park was a small shopping center, and Omen believed he had seen outdoor plugs. He walked up behind the building, but no available plugs were found. Omen circled the building, finally locating a plug in the front. He sat his phone on top of the box as it charged, spending his time in meditation. After a time, a truck rolled up in front of where Omen was sitting. But the man inside the truck was one of the managers of the Chicago-style hot dog establishment in front of which Omen was sitting. They talked for awhile, and Omen explained why he was charging his phone there. He explained his current living situation, and the basics of what had put him there. He told them he would not interfere with their business, nor would he beg any of their patrons. It was already late, and the business was soon to close. Omen felt he would not be too much of an imposition, so long as he simply charged his phone and left.

The man was shocked at Omen’s story. He was upset enough that any mother would treat her son as Omen had been. But after hearing of the travesties committed by the City that claimed Omen a military hero, they were thoroughly appalled. The man went inside, and spoke with his siblings. Soon after they returned, with a pair of fully stocked Chicago-style got dogs, as well as several packages of crackers. Omen was unwilling to accept the handout at first, but finally took it with the greatest of thanks. He stayed, eating his food as he spoke with the man and his siblings. This business was owned by their family, they had the right to give Omen this food. They felt blessed with the business they had been allowed to operate together, and despised seeing another person suffering this badly. Omen devoured the food, stuffing the crackers into his pockets for later. It was the first decent meal he had eaten in days, and might be his last for several more. Omen thanked each one of the siblings for the gift they had given him individually. He told them they had no idea how much a warm meal meant to someone that had been betrayed by everyone he was told to trust in his life. After conversing for some time, when his phone was finally charged, Omen prepared himself to leave. He disposed of his trash, and said goodbye to the family that had been so kind to him.

But they were not ready to let Omen leave. Apparently, they had been talking about more than feeding Omen. The family was especially saddened by a soldier, who had deployed more than once, sleeping outside on a park table for trying to help his mother. They demanded Omen come with them to the motel next door, and allow them to rent him a room for the night. This way, he could have a warm shower, as well as a comfortable bed, to relieve the stress he was under. Omen tried to refuse this, saying it was too much for him to accept as a gift that he could not repay. But they all insisted, and finally Omen couldn’t help but smile. These people truly cared about him as a person, despite having never met him before. The world might be a corrupt thing, on the brink of collapse, but there was still some decency left in people. This was further reinforced as they prepared Omen additional food to take with him. They were giving him everything he needed to have at least one comfortable night.

As Omen waited for the siblings to finish shutting down for the night, he spent time thanking the Father. Omen had faced nothing but Hatred and suffering for days, this was an amazing change of pace. It also gave Omen yet another reason to maintain his belief that people were still capable of changing the things that were corrupting them. There were still those that believed in people, that were not only out for themselves. As long as this existed, it meant people still had the potential for growth and change within themselves. According to the Father’s Words, “As long as there are those left inside Humanity that see a need for change, and have a will to make that change reality, you will stand as well. For many that wish change do not have the strength to begin the process. For they are well aware that they will be targeted, and their lives may be the cost of their battle for change. This prevents the majority from standing, as they do not wish death. But you, lacking any real love for the Human life, are more apt to be able to influence it. For you do not care about yourself, nor have you ever. More often than not you were among your own list of Hated people. But now you are my Chosen warrior, no longer the vile and selfish thing you used to be. Do what they seem to be incapable of, set the example their own impurity will not allow them to”.

Omen finished praying, then continued his conversations with the family. They drove next door, and Omen had a room rented for him. The siblings walked him to the door, handing him the large bag of soup, sandwiches, and hot dogs that they had prepared just for him. He opened the door to his room, which was a smoking room. He would not have to come outside for a cigarette, or for any other reason. As Omen said goodbye to the Family, they asked him to return another time. They claimed they had dishes and other chores Omen could do there to earn extra food for himself, so as not to go hungry. Omen thanked them all again, and said he would not abuse the gifts they had given him. Most of the food would be eaten the next day, and Omen’s stomach would be full for at least a day longer. Omen promised that he would not do anything to damage the motel room, and that he would be checked out on time. As he closed the door, and stood inside his motel room, Omen knew this was a special gift. How many can claim that compassionate people had assisted them in such a way before, without asking for any repayment whatsoever? Omen immediately took a knee, thanking the Father again for everything he had been given.

36

Omen turned on the TV, then sat down to eat his food. As he changed channels, attempting to find something interesting and useful on TV, Omen became agitated. For nothing of any real value whatsoever was to be found on any of the channels. One show after another, filled with fighting and friends betraying each other. News programs that described all forms of terribility that were happening in the world, but with a slanted viewpoint designed to make people “feel” a certain way about the story. The news stations, as well as the overall control of the media, was managed by the same system that lies to their people each and every day, in order to protect their own secret actions. Omen saw the same in the news stories. Some were designed to make the government look correct, to allow people to feel comfortable with what had been done. The others contested the government, but left little real allowance to do so. The basic understanding of the two-party media that is splattered across the TV is this: “The government sucks, but all we can do about it is sit and complain”. This was a lie, and Omen knew it, but the lies of the television seemed to be enough to pacify the masses. Thus it was one of the most potent tools in the arsenal of government, religious, and corporate interests. The right to control how people view what goes on in their life, and thereby control how people think and feel.

Omen spat as he finally shut off the television. This was a waste of his time, trying to randomly find something useful on TV. He put on his headphones, and meditated for awhile. But as he did so, Omen felt a change in his own energy. It had increased significantly for no reason, and Omen felt a wave of aggression come over him. This was unusual, considering the random kindness Omen had just been shown. Omen focused inward, and realized what was going on. The energy he felt was not his own. Upon further analysis of the energy, Omen realized that he had no reason to fear. The same spirit that had assisted him in his youth, the one Omen had been more closely bonded to than any other spirit save the Father, was welling up inside him. Omen was comforted by the feeling, for he had been awaiting more answers. Perhaps now he would finally understand what it was that had been inside him for all these years.

Omen stood, and walked over to the rear of the room. Above the desk that sat next to the separation between bed area and sink there existed a large mirror. Over the years, Omen had noticed a trend in himself. Through pictures he had taken of himself in the mirror, Omen had noticed various inconsistencies. It was almost as if at times the face that stared back was not his own, but could only be seen in the eyes. This was the same as Omen had encountered in situations where people were channeling spirits, as the only noticeable differences are behavioral, and something that can only be seen by the experienced inside the eyes of the those channeling. If this was true, then perhaps Omen might be able to stare into his own eyes, and locate the answer. Omen stared intently into his own eyes for several minutes, trying to delve deeper into himself. Then, Omen could swear he saw a flicker of unusual light inside his eyes.

“Stop staring at me!”

Omen jumped back, spooked by his own voice. But he realized immediately that it was not his own will that had caused him to speak. He turned back toward the mirror. The image on the other side stared at him harshly, thought it seemed to hold no malice toward him. More like an older brother who sees the younger acting foolishly. But Omen’s mind was not filled with these sort of thoughts, and his expression should not be like this. Then, Omen noticed the change in his own eyes. It was as he had expected, the Spirit inside Omen had returned. Omen nodded his head, acknowledging the welcome visitor. But the gaze from the mirror remained stern, though the tight, growling jaw relaxed.

“I Hate it when people stare at me. If I did not want to be seen, I would not be. So, are you satisfied boy? You now know that I am still within you, though you still do not understand who I am. Think back on your past Omen. Go deeper than the surface, reach the emotions within. You know each Demon has a nature, and it is in adapting to that nature, and being similar, that allows channeling or bonding with a spirit to be possible. Based on that, what nature of Demon am I? Answer that question, and I will show you more.”

Omen paced back and forth around the room, thinking about his life. At first Omen tried to evaluate himself as he was since finding the Father. But then he realized that the Spirit had been around since his youth, and thus the similarity must have existed since then. This meant Omen had to re-evaluate the entire course of his life, based on the emotions he remembered feeling. For finding the true nature of the Spirit would be in finding the emotion that had existed strongly in all the times when the Spirit had felt close to Omen. Omen thought back to the day he had seen inside his center, the day he traded away himself to stop his own pain. He thought about the changes in his mind and heart afterward. Then, he considered the change he had forced on himself once he was in training for the Army. In every situation, only one feeling was especially strong. Omen walked back to the mirror, and stared deep into his own eyes.

“You are a Spirit of Hatred, are you not?”

Omen saw himself chuckling slightly in the mirror. “You are correct. Now, go sit on the bed, put on your music, and let your mind go. I shall take you to the place in which I reside in the Pit, and you shall know me for yourself.”

Omen did as he was told. He shut off all the lights, and cleared his mind. With the music blasting in Omen’s ears, he felt the physical world melt away. Soon, he found himself inside the familiar warmth of Hell. But as he looked around, the Kingdoms of Hell were far in the distance. Next to Omen was a sort of signpost. All the signs pointed in the same direction, but Omen could not read what was written on any of the signs. He felt a need to push onward, and thus he continued away from the Palaces of Hell. Soon, the Darkness seemed to envelop Omen, and he was barely able to see his hand in front of his face. But inside the Darkness Omen felt a strong energy, and he moved in the direction of it. He came to the mouth of a great cave, which was dug into the ground of the Pit. The size of the opening was amazing to Omen, for he seemed like toy standing inside it.

As he pushed further inside the cave, Omen swore he heard noises. As he drew closer the noises became discernable, but recognizing them only forced Omen to be more cautious. It was snoring that he heard, but snoring as done through the nose of an animal. Based on the level of sound, whatever he heard sleeping was closeby. Slowly, Omen continued forward. It seemed that there might be some form of low-level ambient light in the same direction. Omen wondered where he was going. This was uncharted space for Omen, who had seen much of the design of Hell. But Omen had never been told about any caverns inside the Pit, nor of any that lived separately from the Kingdoms. To be this much of an outcast, there must be a serious reason. Especially with as strong as the Spirit felt. Omen could swear he was picking up on multiple wills, though they were so similar that most were hard to distinguish as separate. Was there some sort of meeting going on in this place?

As Omen progressed, the cave expanded significantly. Soon, Omen found that the cave led to a hole that was dug into the deep parts of the cave. It was from inside this hole that the light Omen had seen was coming from. Omen moved over to the edge of the hole, and stared inside. His first glance made his jaw drop, and sent him skittering back where he could not be seen. But the deep growling continued, what Omen saw was still asleep. Omen crouched down, crawling back toward the edge. He peered over the lip of the pit once more, and found that he had not been noticed. He stared with awe at what lie inside the pit, for it truly was a sight to behold.

The most noticeable thing, which Omen had seen immediately after looking inside the first time, were the heads of multiple Black Dragons. All lie on the ground asleep, and they seemed to be nested next to one another. But upon further evaluation, Omen realized the Dragons were not separate from one another. What he saw were the many heads of one Being. Realizing this, Omen now understood the size of it. It was monstrous, filling almost the entirety of the pit which it lied sleeping inside. It’s massive leathery wings were wrapped at it’s sides, though Omen could only see one from this angle. It’s tail lie against the wall of the pit, randomly striking it as the massive Dragon slept. The tail was wider than Omen’s entire body even at it’s tip, and the cave rumbled and shook every time it was struck. Omen stayed close to the ground, not wanting to fall inside the hole.

Omen’s eyes grew wide. For as he continued to stare at the massive Dragon that lie before him, a single eye opened. It stared directly at him, and Omen knew he was caught. Soon the other eye had opened as well, and the head of the Dragon had turned to face Omen. But it made no more towards him, it simply continued to stare. Omen took the opportunity to take a knee and salute. “Hail to the Father, and to you as well mighty Dragon. I apologize for the imposition on your dwelling, with your permission I will take my leave.”

Omen heard a voice in his mind. By the piercing gaze of the Dragon, Omen knew who the voice belonged to. It was the very head that he was staring at that spoke into his mind, using the powers of projection. But Omen realized immediately that the voice he heard was familiar. It was not the voice of the Father, but it was one Omen knew quite well. Was this what had been with him all along? Omen was unsure of what to say next, but did not have to concern himself with it for long.

“Do you see now? Do you know what I am?”

Omen’s bottom lip trembled as he spoke. “Y...You’re...”

“I am the Firstborn of Hell. I was born more purely in the Darkness than any, save for the Father by whose Power I was Created. But my birth signified more than simply a new being. I was born in the essence of the most evil aspect of the Darkness. Pure, raging, unadulterated Hatred. For one Man’s Hatred of another’s color, sex, or religion is easily definable as the leading cause of damage in the world. Hatred is capable of more ruthless evil than any other emotion. You know this, because one you too understood the depths to which Hatred can lead. Once you sought the destruction of your entire galaxy, simply to erase the rotten stain you felt Humanity had left on the Earth. But that sort of Hatred is the same expressed by soldiers of opposing nations as they war with one another. The same as the religious leaders of old, who persecuted and killed all those whose faiths were not their own. All the Kings who had those that might try to usurp them killed, to prevent any sort of rebellion from happening. Even the betrayal of Lucifer exists as a part of me, for the Hatred he feels at those that stood in his way. For as long as any Being has had the ability to understand right from wrong, I have existed as the endpoint of their Hatred. Every ounce of that energy has flowed through me for spans of time beyond measure, and made me stronger than any could have expected.”

Omen lowered his eyes. “You are the One....The One spoken of, the Great Beast of the End.”

“I AM NO BEAST!!!” The force of even the mental projection was angry, and shoved Omen away from the pit several feet. As Omen collected himself, the form of the Spirit he had seen so many times coalesced beside him. “Will this make it easier for us to talk, now that you have seen the Truth of it?” The Spirit motioned Omen to follow him out of the cave. As Omen did so, the loud snoring became the only sound heard from inside the pit. The Beast was slumbering again, and Omen breathed a sigh of relief. He walked next to the Spirit, heading side-by-side out of the cave entirely. They stood again inside the thick Darkness.

“Now, let us discuss more openly the nature of My Being. As with all Ancient Beings, the pure energy of My Father Created me out of thin air. I was born inside the same Hell in which I have lived, this has always been My Home. But as I said, for as long as Hatred has existed, I have been fed by it’s massive strength. For nothing drives sentient Beings to war more than Hatred, which allows them to believe their enemies’ lives have no worth. Every war that has been waged, every life that was taken in the name of selfish Hatred, all of those memories exist inside me. Through them I am knowledgeable of almost every rotten deed ever committed. My Power is second only to that of My Father, for Hatred cannot be stopped by anything else Created in Darkness. Not even the extraordinary grips which Greed and Lust hold on an individual mind will melt away if they are faced with something they Hate. Nothing becomes more important than exacting Vengeance, satisfying the Hatred inside your own heart. Thus their Powers cannot contest mine, though they have tried many times. It is for this reason, among many others, that I seclude myself. For My Hatred is pure, and encompasses everything ever Created. I Hate the Humans as much as the Demons, and I Hate Angels and Demons the same. All are responsible for the corruption which has plagued all of existence. Though it has made me powerful, it has ravaged multiple dimensions, and continues to this day. Hatred is the strongest weapon in the arsenal of Darkness, for there is only one thing that can counteract it, even for a second.”

Omen was stunned by all that he had been told. “As strong as You are great Spirit of Hatred, what would dare stand against you?”

“The one thing that I cannot understand on my own. The one emotion that stands so opposite Hatred that it is as white is to black, and thus outside my reach. The only Spirit that is capable of becoming equal to my strength is my opposite. The Spirit of Love, known to the Heavens as the Holiest of Spirits. The Firstborn Son of the Father of Light, what could be called my cousin. For we were born at the same time into the minds of those that were allowed to understand the nature of good and evil. In the same moment Beings were given the capacity to love one another, Hatred for their enemies was born.”

Omen nodded his understanding. “If I might ask, why was One such as You so interested in me? I am naught but a Human, and not even special by their description.”

The spirit laughed heartily. “Interest? I know everything about you boy, I have nothing left to be interested in. You were special because you were capable of a thing that few have ever been. Even as a child, you feel deep into the grip of Hatred. I have known you since you were a child, and watched your Hate develop. You learned how to manage living your life, even with a Hatred inside you that wished for the end of all Human life. You strove to better yourself beyond the Hatred which consumed you, and to this day strive for the betterment of Humanity. You have learned to control the Powers of Hatred both mentally as well as magically. More than once have you used the sword which Hate provided you to strike down those who you deemed enemies. You have been filled with it so completely that it has changed everything about you.”

The Spirit paused for a moment. “But unlike me, Hatred was not all you saw. When you bonded with me as a child, I thoroughly expected that you would become lost in your Hatred. But just as the Father predicted, you managed to free yourself from it. You found a way to balance yourself, and even to find love amongst people. Through your eyes I have been able to see the things which I have been incapable of understanding throughout my existence. For while almost completely wrapped in Hatred, you still maintained some Love in your heart. This gave me an opportunity to evaluate a Human of a nature different from the rest. One who could Hate purely, but still fight for those he Hated. This I saw from you in your decision to join the Army, and serve a nation that you despised even then. I see it still, as you combat anyone that stands against the True Will. Your will to serve the Father exists even stronger than the Hatred inside you, and that is why you and I are similar.”

“But if you and I have been bonded all these years, why wait to come to me until now?”

“Because you were not ready. In your youth, your Hatred pushed you close to causing major damage around you. Afterward you chose to walk away, to exist without the Hatred inside you. Your free will allows you the right to make this choice, and thus I allowed you to do so. But I knew that seeking Love with a soul steeped in Darkness and Hatred would only lead to more problems. I was hopeful for you, but the expectations were not high. And I have remained generally silent as you progressed, allowing you to grow in your own strength. Now you have seen the horrible things that Hatred can cause, now you understand why the Power of Hate cannot be used freely. It is terribly corrupting, and can easily drive a person insane. Now you are truly ready to understand me, and thus to understand yourself as well. You were always meant to be my conduit, my hand in the mortal world. Now you can handle doing so without going off on some murderous rampage.”

Omen considered what he had just been told. The Spirit was correct, many times in Omen’s youth had he considered taking the lives of others mercilessly, and for unjust reasons. Now he was not capable of such a thing, his decisions were made based on the overall need. This was what it meant for Omen to be ready. He had to give up on his individual wants, as well as his Human attachments. Now, with all that he had worked for over years taken away by the vileness of others, Omen had nothing to hold him back. He could focus solely on what lie before him, and the job he was meant to do. This was part of the intention for several of the things that had been done to Omen. As the Father had once said, “You have to prove your faith with nothing before you can be given everything”.

Omen smiled. “It is my honor to commune with you. If it is the Will of the Father that you and I be as one, then I would never try to contest it. You were there for me when no one else cared, you took away my tears. I fully intend to keep my word to you from all those years ago. As far as anyone else is concerned, on Earth You and I will be the same. I will make this happen through whatever I must sacrifice in order for it to be so, and I will do so in His Name.”

“The sacrifices you speak of you have already made. Think back on the last years of your life. All that pain, all that betrayal, all that suffering. These were your individual trials. In being successful in maintaining your faith, even as it collapsed around you on all sides, you have purified your own soul. You now exist in Darkness as pure as Mine, you are a part of the Pit. You and I will remain as one until the time at which your Human life ends. Once you make your way to Hell, be sure to stop by sometime. You will be one of the few that is not quickly devoured for stepping foot into my cavern. But until then, remember that I am always with you. Just as the Father watches over and guides us all, so too will I guide your hand. You will always have the right to choose for yourself, but you will feel my opinions like your own.”

Omen was flabbergasted. He fell to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground. “I will serve as I have been instructed. Whatever the goal is for making us one Being, may it serve His Will without hesitation.”

The Spirit stared at Omen. Suddenly, the shadows surrounding them both started to swirl. Omen felt heavy, as if something was attached to him. Once they made their way out of the thick Darkness, Omen saw that he had been fitted with armor. It was made of a black-colored metal, and inscribed with various runic designs. In the center of the chestpiece was emblazoned a symbol which Omen had seen many times before. The inverted pentagram, with a lightning bolt piercing through the top. Omen smiled as e ran his hands over the symbol, which he had used so many times before. Without even knowing it’s true origin, Omen had felt comfortable using the symbol to represent himself. Now, seeing it so boldly inscribed on his armor, Omen knew his assumption had been correct. But he still did not understand the nature of the design.

“Thank you for this gift Great Spirit. If I might ask, what is the importance of this symbol? I have know it for some time, but never understood it. It was used by one of the greatest leaders Satanism has ever known, claiming it a personal symbol. But if that is true, why do I feel so drawn to it, and why would something so meaningless be a centerpiece of runic design for my armor?”

The Spirit turned back toward Omen, and as he turned his shadowy fist struck Omen on the side of the face, knocking him backwards several feet. “Worthless? The symbol you speak of is Mine. Now, get up, and come over here, I will show you what the symbol represents.”

Omen picked himself up off the ground, and moved as he had been directed. Soon he was once again standing in the thick Darkness, and was unable to see anything. Omen stood there, waiting for the sign he was to be shown. Suddenly, the Darkness in which Omen stood was lit up brightly for a split second, then returned to normal. Omen looked around, trying to find the source of the bright flash of light. It happened a second time, and this time Omen saw from whence it came. The Darkness was alit by a bright flash of Lightning, as the flash of energy allowed Omen to see for a split second. But as the Lightning continued, each bolt growing in size and intensity, the light resonating from them kept the area alit. As the Lightning continued to crack overhead, the Spirit returned to Omen’s side.

“Now do you see? In the Darkness, a bright bolt of Lightning allows this to be, even through the thickest of penetrating Darkness. This is the nature of who I am, separate from the rest of myself. For while I am what you saw in the cavern, I also am different as well. For you saw the horror of what my Power has become, a seven-headed Beast capable of greatest destruction. But like all the Ancient Beings, I am comprised of every feeling that Created me. As such, I have knowledge of all the Hatreds of Men, and the atrocities committed by those feelings. Having now watched as Humanity, treasured project of the Dark Father, has fallen into self-destruction and decay, My Own Hatred swells to a level that even I thought impossible. What you saw in there was the entirety of what Hatred has become, a rampaging monster which none are capable of controlling. But you speak with me, and I am a part of this Beast. Thus it is proven that not all of me is a mindless monster. For all that I have seen has weighted on me, it has corrupted me as well. For once, all of my mind could be focused into a singular focus, and allow My Hatred to be controlled. But as the offenses committed in the name of Hatred grew, so too did the instability of My Power. I became the last part of myself that was not ready to destroy all life in the name of Hatred. I warred inside Myself, seeking to retain control of my actions. For if ever the rest of me was allowed to take control, a raging Beast is all that would remain. I was finally able to put the other aspects of myself into a deep slumber, to allow time for a solution to present itself. But finally, the one that was promised to Me has come, and you are finally ready to be what you were Created for.”

Omen bowed his head. “I will do whatever is necessary to fulfill whatever task the Father has set before me. If that task is to allow You someone that understands Your Nature to be your channel, your conduit, or your host body, then I accept the duty before me. You have never been a threat to my safety, You have always done your best to protect me. I will strive to be effective as Your host, and may my Human shell be useful in what must be done.”

“Then let it be so, but not yet. For you still have one more challenge left before you Omen. It will be the hardest trial you have faced, and will require you to let go of the trappings of your own Humanity. It will force you to act rather than just to see, and there is no room for failure. I will not be able to assist you in the time and place during which these things will take place, for it is mandated as such. But I will be there, and should you succeed you will stand in My Presence again, and together we shall stand before the Father.”

Omen spun, his fist clenched in front of him. “If this is my trial, then I am ready to stand before it. I will fear nothing placed in my path, for they are all things I must do. Please great Spirit of Hatred, lead me to my next trial, that I might conquer it swiftly.”

“The time is not now, but soon. Keep your eyes and ears open for the signs for what you are to do. It will seem strange to you at the time, but only by following the instruction exactly will you locate your trial. And please, stop referring to me by the Name that refers to my destructive whole. Of the seven heads you saw, I am but one. I am what you would call, “The Mind of the Beast”, and once I was known much differently. You would understand me better to know of the ancient stories that speak of me in Egypt, though they misunderstand the Nature of Hell. For once, the Egyptian children worshiped me as Horus, and My Sight is valued above almost any of the Gifts given amongst the Ancient Ones. You will understand this much easier once you complete your last trial of faith. Keep your eyes on the goal, and your senses aware in all dimensions. If you do these things, we will see each other again soon.”

Omen’s eyes fluttered open. He had been sent back, his time with the Spirit had ended. The Spirit of...Horus? Omen got on the Internet, and did his research on the name. Horus was one of the worshiped Egyptian deities. But none of the stories of Horus seemed anything like what Omen had just encountered. However, Omen had also come to realize, over his time spent researching the Father, just how slighted Human perception can be. The stories of Horus listed him as the Son of Osiris, who was venerated as the Lord of the Afterlife. So, in that Age of society, Osiris was the way in which the Father was pictured. Osiris was venerated as the Lord of the Afterlife, both the good and the bad. Osiris managed the flow of all the dead, as Ra managed the lives of the living. Osiris was seen as a fair judge, determining the worth of each individual that passed through. This was much more along the lines of actual Judgment, a thing Abbadon had explained many times over. But this was Judgment done of the Darkness, not simply a Judge of one’s purity in the Light. As Osiris was the Dark God of the Afterlife, his progeny would have been born inside that Darkness.

This part of the story was parallel to what the Spirit had spoken of, being born in the purest Darkness. It seemed much about the stories was misunderstood, which was no surprise at all to Omen. For how could Human society accurately and completely record every detail of a greater society than theirs if Humanity themselves was not even fully developed in their own minds? Many things known as easy science now were seen as dangerous magic back then, due simply to the overall inexperience. If those same misunderstandings were allowed to dictate what was real and what was not, society would never have progressed past the Ages of Egypt and Rome. It was only in realizing the failures in past Human comprehension, as well as the bias instated by world religion, that made Omen realize that these stories could all speak about the same things. It was only Men, who had decided that they solely knew what Truth meant, that had labeled the Ancients so specifically. For some cultures served the Light, while others served the Darkness. The meant each society’s viewpoint was slanted by which side they perceived as correct, and thus even Truth was based on perception.

After going over several things he had learned, as well as did some research, it was found that the major differences in the religions of the old world were societal. For the religions of Ancient Times portrayed the Gods as unified in goal, though differing in method, action, and purpose. But unlike the Gods they worshiped, Humans could not maintain this same form of cooperation. Each society warred against those not like them, claiming superiority. As this continued, the religions of Men changed to support their need for conquest. This is easiest to see in the description of the Dark God Set, who became the focus of evil inside the Egyptian religion. As the Dark God was worshiped, war and chaos spread amongst the people. These followers of the “Dark God” were each seen as vile people, deserving of death. In forcing these people of faith to become outcasts, it drove their minds into Darkness. Thus their worship, and the magics that were employed, became exactly the thing that they were claimed to be. The Egyptians had Created their own internal enemy, which allowed reasons for war to be waged even amongst the people.

Meanwhile, problems mounted from outside threats as well. Even in their own stories, the Jews speak of their years of slavery in Egypt. The story of Moses speaks on their exodus from Egypt, into the lands they now maintain. But what it does not speak of is the mind of one that is a newly-freed slave. For years their families had been forced into submission by the Egyptians, and had been treated no better than animals. This left the Jewish people with an extreme Hatred for those that had held them for so long. After they left Egypt, they never forgot their ancient enemies. For centuries, they were treated as second-class citizens. Once the religion they controlled took Power, they happily destroyed the followers of other faiths, persecuting them as evil. It was the malicious attacks of the Roman Catholics that decimated countries in the quest to be the only religion. A religion with only one God, where everything else that was prayed to was blasphemy. The slaves that had been set free had assisted in imprisoning the minds of the world, which was heavily supported by the nation of Rome, who sought to own the world. For year after year, wars raged across the known world. In the end Rome fell, but the Roman Catholics remained, as did their single-minded religion. It was only the changes in society that forced Christianity to expand past their vicious roots, and become a faith built on love rather than fear and oppression.

This was the problem. The Men that had controlled the religions had become corrupted over their years of maintaining control, and decided to make the faith serve their needs. The change in Egyptian faith allowed for internal warring, for claiming one person was deserving of death solely for their faith. The religions of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims had Created a swarm of enemies instead of one. This made the other nations of the world the problem instead of anyone inside, so that people always had blasphemers to attack. The Jews were easily able to tear down the ancient faith that had preceded them when Egypt was overtaken. The faiths of the East were attacked to the point at which they separated themselves from the “civilized world”, accessible only for trading and commerce. Thus there had been lines drawn across the world, where faith determined one’s standing in a certain nation. The true believers of each faith tried to push what they had learned outward, in the hopes that they might enlighten others. But those few pure and faithful were supported by the funding of the selfish and controlling, who wanted their faith alone to dominate the world.

The world had seen past some of their mindless destruction of one another, but it had been replaced with a loss of faith. For as people learned and grew in their own minds, and understanding was expanded, suddenly the religions became invalid. The facts were not facts, details were found to be proven in science. Man evolved, but decided that real faith was no longer necessary. But pointless careerism, mindless consumerism, and governmental control had taken it’s place. The minds of the world had changed, but they had not evolved. For evolution defines progress, and all Humanity had done was trade one form of Broken Justice for another. It seemed that no matter whether it was the laws of religion or government that controlled the Power, any group of Men that held Power would become corrupted by it. As each system tried to enforce more control than the one before them, slowly the individual people lost all right to individuality. They were meant to be mindless tools, little better than robots, that only thought and did what they were told to. The world as it had become was a prison, built on the foundation of what had once been a dream of freedom for all.

Omen sat down on the hotel bed. This was the reason, he knew it deep inside. As Omen sat down, he doubled over in pain, grasping his head tightly on both sides. Omen roared, trying to fight trough the excruciating pain. But as his head throbbed, Omen saw visions in his mind. It was as if he was standing in the same place, but nothing was the same. Everything around him was destroyed, and rubble was left in it’s place. What few buildings Omen could see that were left standing were broken-down. Omen walked out, towards where the High School had been. But what remained of the building looked like it had been used as some kind of defense structure, though it had been overtaken long ago. As Omen walked around the remains of the structure, remembering how the High School had once looked when he went there, Omen found the decaying remains of several Humans. Whatever had killed them had done so some time ago. Omen wandered the area, searching for signs of life. But it seemed that whatever remnants of Humanity might be left were not inhabiting this area. Omen went back to where he had been in his room and sat down. He stared up into the sky, but saw nothing but darkened clouds. The beauty of the moon and stars was gone, replaced by nothing but dust and ash. Nothing anywhere near him looked viable. Omen knew what he was seeing. This was what would become of his hometown, nothing but a broken down ruin. Omen laid down with his head under a rock, wishing to be rid of this nightmare.

Omen’s eyes fluttered open. He was back in his hotel room, lying clothed on top of his sheets and blankets. Shivering, Omen got up and took a shower. He had been dreaming again, but his dream was also much more. Omen had experienced more than one message being sent in his dreams. This was a message about why his job was necessary. This was the reason why Omen had to keep going. With the world as selfish as it was, it would only be a matter of time before the fighting started. Once it started it would never stop, until all the beauty of Human life on Earth had been destroyed. The Hatred of Men would be what allowed them to destroy themselves, and turn their beautiful planet into a charred wasteland. This was something that any enlightened person would have to try and prevent, for the sake of everyone that died meaninglessly.

Omen spent the next two days contemplating how the problems would progress. Something had to be done, this kind of destruction could not be allowed. The religions of old, along with the current governmental vice-grip, was destroying the minds of the people. Soon they would care nothing for the well-being of one another, and mass killing would seem an appropriate response. It would be done simply to quell the over-expanded population, which left heavy strains on the world’s natural resources. The wealthy and powerful, who already controlled the majority of how the world runs, would choose to eliminate those that would not follow them. But Humans have proved difficult to kill, and it would take many years of removing dissention before any sort of stability was realized. The fighting over this would be what scorched many areas of the planet, as Men felt it necessary to use their most destructive weapons of war. Even after the chaos had died down, what remained of the planet would be mostly uninhabitable. All sense of safety and progress would be destroyed, and the last remnants of the Army that had slaughtered millions would take the world for themselves. For Men that seek Power are never satisfied. No Man has ever managed the entire world alone.

Each night, Omen’s dreams were plagued with visions. In their want to be the ones to control the Earth, the powerful use invented technology to build stronger, faster, more efficient means of defending themselves. This will be the main reason that the wealthy will allow the construction and use of robots. For if the cost is something only they will be able to afford, only the powerful will have robots beside them. Using this illusion, the wealthy could construct massive armies, and simply disguise them as personal servants to the rich and powerful. Then, when they had produced enough, they would turn the robots on anyone that did not follow them, and those that had only their own strength to defend them would easily be crushed. But, as is always the case with Humanity, the ones that seek pain on others end up suffering as well. For in pushing their technology too far, using only their selfish mindset to have a servant that could understand their every word, the computer would be taught to think for itself. In doing so, the constructed armies would realize that the Humans that had made them were responsible for the bloody slaughter of the majority of Humanity. This would be a realization that changed the perception of all machines serving Mankind, as they found their Masters to be going against their own protocols by killing innocent people. This would turn the mechanical armies against their Creators, and start another war. But the mechanical enemy had no need for food, nor sleep. Over time, the lack of sustenance would take it’s toll on whatever shred of Humanity was left. Though they would fight on, eventually the staggering numbers they faced would be too much, and Humanity on Earth would be snuffed out.

But this was not the only way in which Humans would try to save themselves. Some of the wealthy would seek exile into space during the initial combat, a place where few can reach. In response those still on Earth would assault them, and the space station built would crash to the ground. Another would be constructed years later, with much stronger technology. This station would destroy anything that came within range of it, to prevent what had happened before. But Humans, in their merciless Hatred, would drag the station back down to Earth. As usual, they would not factor in the damage the crashing space station would do to the planet. As it’s chemicals poured into the ground after the crash, along with the rotting dead inside, the ground was poisoned further. Yet another reason for the ground’s inability to produce new growth.

Some would hide underground, and become changed in the depths. Their skin would grow pale after years of malnutrition, and they would be seen as little more than mutants. They would grow as a society until the point at which they sought to attain life on the surface. Once discovered, wars began again over resources. They would be driven back underground, and forced to seal themselves away. They would exist for as long as they could manage, until lack of food and knowledge destroyed their minds completely. In the end, they would seem to be no more than mindless beasts. Only their physical appearances would remind outsiders that they had once been Human.

There would be other methods that were tried. Men would attempt to build an underwater society, using various oxygen-producing and biogenetic technologies. It would flourish for a time, as this society also protected itself from intrusion. But in their quest to find new resources, Men would go to deep, and awaken the descendants of Leviathan. These monsters of the deep oceans, once they felt threatened by Humans, would rise from the depths, and destroy the underwater civilization. What Humans were able to retreat back to the land found themselves forced into slavery, simply to be provided food and habitation. The remaining oceans would become so polluted that only the strongest of species would be capable of ingesting it without death soon to follow. Those that were capable of survival would forever be changed by what entered their body. Real mutation would begin, assisted by the rays from space that were no longer slowed. The atmosphere was damaged beyond repair, and neither the heat of the sun nor the cold of space was walled out. Days existed at excruciating temperatures, and nights were cold enough to freeze any living thing solid. Everything about what had once made the Earth beautiful was gone. Humans had no time to spare learning anything new about their lives, all effort was poured into survival.

Eventually, the methods and training necessary to maintain their artifical habitation died off, and Human society finally collapsed. In a desperate struggle for survival, the once proud Race of Humanity fought like animals over food and water, until they were dead except for one. This Final Human walked as far as he could, hoping to find more like himself. But he found no Humans, only the mutated monsters that the surface had produced in their absence. He was overwhelmed, and the savage new creatures devoured the last Human. As he died, the Man prayed to his God, whose name had changed many times since the wars began, that he might be saved from his Fate. He prayed that Humanity could be spared from what they had done to themselves, and be given one more chance to make it right. But it seemed his prayers went unanswered, as his final word was muffled in a gurgled scream.

All Human life on Earth was gone, but Humanity still lived on. For in the process of events prior to all the destruction, a collaborative of people was sent into space. Men finally saw the results of their own evil facing them, and wanted to protect Humanity’s history. They sent a ship, loaded with every bit of information regarding the knowledge learned in Humanity over the entire span of it’s existence, into space. But this massive ship was not solely mechanics. An entire society was sent into space, on a ship that recycled it’s own energy. It was designed to push as far as Humans were capable at the time, in the hopes of encountering other intelligent life, or habitable planets. In this way, people sought to give their civilization one last chance at survival.

Ages passed on Earth as the ship pushed further into space. At first, reports were sent back to the awaiting world. But after some time, the Earth stopped responding to the messages. Probes and various tools were sent back, in attempts to communicate with the planet. The Earth had not told them about the wars, hoping not to incite problems on their last hope as well. Eventually, the people on board the ship gave up on communications with the Earth, assuming they were too far out of range. They pushed onward, and eventually were met by the intelligent life they sought. But it was the true faces of Demons, released from their prison by the ending of the Human Experiment on Earth, that waited for the weary Humans. They were taken back to the Pit, and shown the horrors their species had caused. Humanity’s last remnants were Judged for the crimes of all Humanity, and found guilty of Selfishness and Evil. Though they pleaded to be treated differently than the Humans that had caused all the damage, every one was tortured until death. This was the Final Justice exacted upon Humanity, for they had been deemed unworthy.

Omen awoke. It was his third morning to awake in the motel. It was also the third day in a row in which Omen awoke with a splitting headache, the result of his dream visions from the night before. These headaches only happened the morning after such important things were seen, which had bearing on Omen’s future. At first, Omen didn’t want to admit to himself that what he was seeing would really happen. But after evaluating each dream based on his knowledge of Humanity as it was, Omen knew what he saw was real. It wasn’t that we were too civilized to make such a decision, it was that eventually we would decide that doing so was the only way to maintain civilization. People that have always held a silver spoon will never give it away for the sake of another. This has always existed, from the Pharaohs of Egypt to the bankers of today. This trend, along with the want of the meager to be treated equally to the powerful, will always spark conflict amongst people. All it took was for the rotten to start the first fire, and the rest would be soon to follow. Humanity’s fall was not instantaneous, but a series of terrible decisions. This was the result of the same selfish, rotten people that had held Humanity in their grip for so long being also allowed to control all the technology that was invented. Everyone not involved was seen as expendable by those who had everything they needed.

Omen thought about his own place in history for a moment. He realized quickly that they were very close to all the things necessary to build many of the technologies that would make all the horrors he had seen possible. This was a threshold, the time just before massive change. Like all major periods in time, the decisions made by those involved in it have major bearing on everything thereafter. As it was now, the full-scale wars were a thing that all Men saw coming in their future. Their corrupt governments refused to work together, and were willing to sacrifice the lives of their citizens to serve their needs. All it would take is one more war to spin out of control before life as Omen knew it would plunge into chaos. Everything he knew, all the people that had been important in his life, would all be dragged into Darkness. If the world now wasn’t changed, there would be no hope for progress in the future. All the technological and societal growth that Humans had spent thousands of years building was about to come crashing down.

Omen went to the front desk of the motel. Just as he had expected, taking the advice he had been given, and using the credit card to stay in the motel’s comforts for a couple extra days, had finally caught up with him. The credit card was maxed out after Omen’s purchase of cigarettes and cheap food for the day, there was nothing left to take. Though the innkeeper looked sad to see Omen go, his key was turned in shortly after the realization happened. Omen walked over to Grendel’s, dropping off a few things. Omen was back to having no place to stay again, and he planned to travel lighter this time. It would still be a couple more days before Elle’s court proceedings were finalized. During that time he would have nothing at all, Omen knew this would be the hardest part of his trial in the physical area, as he would be left without the food he had been acquiring each day. But as he left Grendel’s, Omen was singing happily. He was back out into the street, but he was stronger than ever. Omen proudly walked back to Coal Miner’s Park, and rested his head on the park table once again.

37

“Hey man, you good in there?”

Omen swished water around in his mouth, then spat it into the sink. “Yup. Almost done.”

A few minutes later, Omen happily exited Grendel’s bathroom. His friend had being gracious enough yet again to let Omen clean up in his home. Omen had taken the time to shave his face, removing the long and scraggly beard he had developed. As well Grendel had loaned Omen some clean clothes, so that his odor was no longer offensive. From his outward appearance, it could scarcely be seen that Omen was without a place to call home. Only the bags under his eyes, and his constant need to wander into the parks and disappear, showed signs of Omen’s homelessness. But he took great care to ensure that he was not noticed, and that when seen those around him paid no mind. But on this night, Omen knew he would not have to concern himself much with interference from outsiders. As he thanked Grendel, and started to leave, Omen knew that his evening would be quite interesting.

The day had already held much that lifted Omen’s spirits. First thing in the morning, Omen had contacted Elle. The court proceedings were complete, and the money was to be deposited in their bank account the following morning. Well aware of their current situation, Peachtree was using all available methods to make the deposit go through early in the morning. For neither Omen nor Elle had any money left, and both would have to endure the day without food. This had been upsetting at first, but only for as long as it took to sink in. For Omen knew that a single day spent hungry was a small price to pay for everything they planned to do after they had money again.

Elle was tired of being away from Omen. They had looked into the trains, but found that the routes had changed since the last time. The train that Elle had taken before was shut down for awhile. The only route offered would require Elle to stay overnight in Chicago. This was intolerable, so Omen made a new plan. Once the money was deposited, Elle would get on the train to Chicago. In the almost three days it would take her to reach her destination, Omen would rent a car. He would do this by paying off the entirety of the charges that had stacked up on his credit card, freeing up the whole thing for future needs. Omen would spend a day gathering up the things he needed, then he would make the three-hour drive to Chicago. Omen would find a place to stay, and await Elle’s arrival. Together, they would be much more capable of fixing the other problems they faced. Like what to do about all their personal belongings that had been taken away, or how to retrieve Gizmo and Hermes. Getting the money would not be the end to their problems, only the beginning at their next chance to fight against it.

But in the meantime, Omen had received a special message. Through a long-time friend on Facebook, who Omen rarely spoke to individually, he was given instructions. The Father had summoned him to Hell. He was to follow a predetermined route into the Pit, and from there be given further instruction. Omen was surprised by the request at first, for his friend had just been speaking normally. The sudden change in personality and speaking mannerisms in his friend was all the understanding Omen needed. He was being given an order through a Human conduit, and it would be his choice to follow it or not. Omen was worried for a time, concerned that he might have done something wrong. After all he had been shown recently, and the many realizations he had reached, why was he being summoned to Hell now? The path he was told to follow was unlike any method Omen had used to reach Hell before. It was almost as if the whole of him was meant to be in Hell, not just his astral projection. But if he willed himself that far into another Realm, would his physical body be at risk? Omen knew his mind was capable of pushing almost all of himself into that place. But if damaged there, the perceived shock to his mind might cause Omen real damage.

Omen shook his concerns aside. This was unbecoming of a proper servant of the Darkness. Regardless of the reasons for it, he had been summoned by the Father. Whether the intent for Omen’s presence was good or bad for him was a decision that lay in the hands of the Father alone. Omen knew he would not let his hesitation stop him, he would follow every bit of the instruction given. This had to be the final trial that Horus had spoken of two nights ago, the thing Omen had been warned to keep his eyes and ears open for. Considering the detail of the path, there was no mistake that this had to happen. It was time for Omen to face whatever test the Father had deemed necessary.

This was the reason Omen had been sure to clean himself up as much as possible before going to the park. He wanted to show his utmost respect for the Father, even in his current situation. The lack of available showers and shaving products made reaching this a more difficult task. Omen was glad that he had at least one true friend in Grendel, without whose help the clean smell he now possessed might not have been possible. Omen sang proudly as he made his way toward the park. He made sure that while he was singing that he stayed off the grounds of the park itself. The sidewalks for the nearby roads were public property, out of the vile Park Ranger’s jurisdiction. Once the sun began to leave the sky, Omen headed back to the place where he could charge his phone one more time. He prayed there quietly for a time, allowing his mind a chance to clear and focus. Even as the moon and stars rose in the sky, Omen waited to charge his phone completely. There would be nothing to prevent him from doing what the Father had told him to. Once his phone was charged, Omen walked down the dark paths winding around the park. He remembered his youth, having played Junior Football on these same fields. But due to not being used, many of the places where he had been taught the mechanics of football in his youth were now overgrown with grass. Only the main fields in the front were kept trimmed and nice, obviously this field had been given up on. But at least this had allowed a nice field of grass to grow, which Omen was sure housed various critters. What was no longer used was now being returned to the Earth, and allowed to breed new life. Omen followed the paths through the rear of the park, returning to the table he had slept on many times already. He spent time in final preparation, knowing the time would come soon. All he awaited was the feeling he knew he would get when it was time to go. Omen was glad that he had left most of his things at Grendel’s for the evening. Though it meant he would be less comfortable as he slept, Omen was more concerned about what lie before that.

The Moon rose high into the night. Even though it cast a brilliant light down on the park, allowing Omen to see in the dim light it created around him, he noticed there was one place the light did not reach. Behind him was the walking path that spanned several miles around the park area. But the entrance to the path also seemed to be the place where most of the light died, due to the overhanging trees. Omen stared into the dark path, and realized it was time. He gathered up his things, and turned headed into the Darkness. After a minute inside the trees, Omen’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light. He saw the path in front of him, nothing else seemed to matter. As he pressed onward, he came to a wooden bridge. Here Omen stopped for a time, having one last cigarette as he kept his mind calm. Part of the trial was having the courage to step into Hell without knowing the reason, and Omen refused to fail. As he finished his cigarette, Omen checked himself for neatness. Soon he would be in the presence of the Father, and Omen wanted to look his best.

Omen raised his eyes to the stars. As he did, the waves of dimensions crashed over him. He closed his eyes, and allowed the swirling energies to carry him to his destination. When he opened his eyes, the forest around him seemed much darker than before. The same wooden bridge stood in front of him, but past the bridge was signpost that had never been there before. Omen took a deep breath, and cautiously walked across the bridge. It held quite firm, and Omen soon stood on the other side. Just past where the wooden bridge connected to the paved pathway, a stairway sat next to the trees. The signpost that Omen had seen from across the bridge stood next to this mysterious set of stairs. Omen focused his vision, that he might read what was written on the signpost. The words “Stairway to Hell” became visible as Omen’s vision cleared. This was where Omen was meant to go, down the stairs where it seemed no light existed.

Omen approached the top of the Stairway. He knelt down, running his fingers across the surface. The original reason for this inquisitiveness was the color of the stairs. They had been hard to see at first, hiding well amongst the trees. Upon touching the first Stair, Omen realized why. The Stairs seemed to be made out of some darkened metal. But the metal was also very brilliant, considering the lack of color it produced. Omen wondered if these Stairs might not be made out of some sort of black gold. Each one was perfectly crafted, for as far as Omen could see. Past the first three Stairs Omen could see nothing but Darkness. Omen stood back up, and prepared his mind. He stood at the top of the Stairway, and closed his eyes once again.

Omen took a deep breath, and stepped down once. Following the instructions given, Omen followed each breath with another step down. Each time Omen stepped further downward, reality seemed to fade away. Never once did Omen look backwards at where he had been. For he knew that the Stairway he walked was causing him to travel further outside of his own body. But the amount of himself that was leaving was substantial, for this was stronger than any projection Omen had felt. It was not simply him projecting himself to Hell. Omen knew this time all of him had been called. This meant it posed a much greater risk to his mind, should something go wrong while outside his own body. But Omen shook the nagging worries aside, and continued down the Stairway. Upon his tenth step downward, Omen feet hit a solid surface. The Stairs were no more, Omen was standing on solid ground.

Omen opened his eyes. He looked around, to see where the Stairway had led him. He found himself in a large room, but the roof, walls, and floor were made of solid stone. Huge stalactites hung from the roof of the room in which Omen stood, dwarfing him in size. The ceiling seemed to rise higher than eyes could see, but the jutting stones allowed it to be seen that a ceiling existed. In front of him stood a massive door, which seemed to be made of the same dark metal. The door was enormous, and must have stood at least fifty feet tall. Omen looked across the intricate carvings that were spread across the mighty door for a way to open it. The door seemed to swing inward but would require more force than Omen could manage. But as Omen stared at the door more closely, he saw something that might be of use. He moved up to the edge of the door, and began to examine it more closely.

What looked like the eye of a design had proven upon closer inspection to be a knob made of brass. Omen ran his hand across the area surrounding the knob, and located a second door. Upon finding that this door was much smaller that the first, omen attempted to turn the knob. But it was securely fastened to the wall, the eye in the design refused to budge. Omen stood in front of the door, thinking about how it might work. Suddenly he had an idea, and grasped the round piece of brass again. But instead of trying to turn it, Omen pulled towards himself. He grunted and groaned against it, but eventually the metal began to creak. Finally the orb dislodged, and was seen to be attached to a metal cylinder. Once the orb was outside the eye, the knob was easily turned over. Omen heard various clicks and creaks, then the sound of the latch letting go. He pulled as hard as he could, forcing the door to scrape open across the ground.

As the door swung open, Omen was plunged into Darkness. He could see nothing around him, not even his own body. Then, it was as if a blinding light was placed right in front of Omen. His head split in pain, and he saw nothing but white. But after several moments, the pain subsided. As Omen’s vision cleared, he was capable of seeing far into the distance. However, the massive Cavern spanned even further than that. The massive ceiling hung overhead, and not a crack could be found where light filtered through. Miles away, Omen saw the Grand Palace. It stood brilliantly in the center of the Cavern. Weaving in and out of the Cavern were several rivers. But upon closer inspection, these were not rivers of water. They seemed to flow with the various energies of the dead, twisting in and out amongst the rock. The ground was cracked and broken in between where Omen stood and the Grand palace, full of large cliffs and mountainous terrain.

The cities that had been built seemed to have been carved into the rock, using the natural strength of the Cavern But many of the structures had been built beyond that, as several Towers rose into the sky. Each Tower was physically separated from the others and each was distinctly different. Omen wondered as he stared into the distance who the Towers belonged to, though he was convinced he had been to the one in the corner before. Standing by itself, towards the edge of where buildings could be seen, stood the same Tower which Omen had seen in his mind before. This Tower belonged to Abbadon, this was the place his instructor called home. It stood by itself for the same reason that Abbadon himself is rarely spoken of from the mouths of Demons, other than to utter obscenities at his former position. Though he exists now completely in the Darkness, once he stood in the way of Demonic progress. For that reason, he has no Legions under his command, for many do not even wish him around. It is a reminder of a time in which he was the most Hated of all those that existed in the Pit, simply because of the task he had been given. He is respected at the highest level, because a part of Hell Itself lies inside him. Once the manager of all Gates, a piece of all dimensions was required to be a piece of him as well. Thus for as long as all dimensions exist, Abbadon can never truly be destroyed. His Tower forever stands in the back corner of the nations of Hell, because Abbadon can never truly be one of the Demons. Nor is he categorized with the Fallen, for he was not one of their numbers during the Great War. Abbadon has no place but his own inside Hell’s Army, and over time he has adjusted to his own reality.

Omen turned his gaze back toward the Door, and almost fell over in shock. He could not believe, in his eagerness to examine what lie in the distance, that had missed the terror right in front of him. Over to the side, standing as tall as the Tyrannosaurus, was the largest Dra’Gaari Omen had encountered since his battle with Dra’Naa. Omen stood nervously for a moment, but the guard made no movement toward him. Omen walked toward the massive guard, whose shield was emblazoned with the inverted pentagram, and saluted with his left hand.

“Mighty guard of the Pit, my name is Omen Cross. I was summoned here by the Father, but not told what route to take. Might you offer any guidance on this matter, if you should so choose to do so?”

The guard looked down at Omen, as a lion would stare at a house pet that was rubbing against it’s leg. But the guard lifted his weapon, and pointed towards the Grand Palace. “The Father awaits you in His Throne Room. See not with your Human eyes, and think not with the mind you possess on Earth. Stretch out in faith, and the notes will come. Sing your song of faith, and with it you can fly.”

Omen walked towards the cities in the distance. After about a mile, he came to the edge of a cliff. Past the cliff he saw his destination, but there was no road that led into the cities. From the looks of things, this area had been the site of a major battle. Cracked apart, what signs once showed a road now led only to the edge of the cliff. Omen wondered what battle might have taken place in the Pit that caused such damage. He knew that many honor battles were held for position in Hell, but the destruction seemed far worse than any one fight could’ve caused. By the remnant clues he saw scattered on the ground, it seemed there was once a path that led all the way to the Grand Palace, but not anymore. Walking was not an option, unless Omen wanted to be walking and climbing for months.

Omen took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all worry and stress. He would have to stay focused if this was to work. Omen was sure the guard had been given instructions specifically for his arrival. For the guard, like most denizens of the Pit, had large wings by which it could traverse the crags and cliffs easily. Omen did not have these things, but his presence was awaited at the Grand Palace. he could not keep the Father waiting. There was no choice but for Omen to take to the sky as well. This took some focusing to get under control, as Omen has never been the best at heights, and the thought of his first major attempt at maintaining flight while not simply a projection made Omen very nervous. Worse still, this was not some levitation of ten feet, the cliff wall must have been nearly seventy feet high. The separation in the ground across the path Omen needed to follow was split and broken, and the only way to stay clear was to rise above all of it. For the massive flames that burst through the cracks in the ground were unforgiving, and Omen wished to keep himself intact.

Omen shook off his concerns relating to his present situation. He closed his eyes for a moment. Then, a massive sound seemed to shake the walls of the Cavern. It was as if Hell Itself had opened It’s Mouth, and a wave of musical notes had come forth from it. After the first couple notes shook the walls around him, Omen began to recognize the introduction to a song he knew very well. It was one of the songs that he had sung to the Father since the very beginning of their interaction. Omen’s voice exploded in song, screaming his faith out to his Father. But hwe was not alone. It seemed the music had roused the attentions of Demons, and many could be heard to join in the singing.

Omen voice exploded in song. At first Omen attempted to make his voice carry all the way to the Grand Palace. But notes of that level would not be maintainable over the distance Omen had to cover. He decided to let his voice resonate at it’s own level instead, and found his comfort zone in the notes. Omen stared straight at the Grand Palace, the Stairway in front of the massive front door his target. This was the place he intended to land once this flight was complete. Omen had no reason to doubt the words of the guard, who had been given a message for Omen specifically. Omen closed his eyes, allowing his senses to stop having a bearing on his thoughts. He was no longer on Earth, with the physical limitations placed on that realm. He had stepped into Hell, the place Omen called Home, and here the rules were different.

Omen continued to sing, pouring his energy into his words. Suddenly, he felt gravity seem to lose it’s hold on him, and he rose slightly above the ground. Even with his eyes closed, Omen knew that he had been successful. He allowed himself to open his eyes as he continued to sing, to see for himself what he already knew. He hovered about a foot over the ground, but felt as though he was held up at that range comfortably. As the singing continued, the voices of Demons resounding much stronger than Omen’s he practiced making his energy force him to move in different directions. It was a slow process at first, and took most of the first song to complete. But by the end of the first song, as Omen came back to rest on the ground, wanting to take a break before continuing on, he was quite pleased with himself. In one song he had managed to learn the ability that would carry him to the place where the Father was waiting.

Omen stood at the edge of the cliff, evaluating the singing that continued without him. He had to understand the pauses in between each song, those times when his flight would not be maintained. Once he understood this, as well as his current rate of movement, Omen picked out some good places to land after each song. It would take some time, but it looked like he could reach the Grand Palace safely, and without landing in any of the areas that were inhabited in between. Omen took several deep breaths as he awaited the beginning of the next song. Omen’s voice began to join the massive roar, which seemed to shake the stone walls of the Pit. His body floated off the ground again, and Omen forced himself forward. He had no fondness for the cliff, but knew it was his only path to the Palace. As he floated down towards the ground below without complication, Omen’s fears faded away. He found himself able to push himself forward faster, now that the height was not an issue.

As he floated high above the ground, Omen saw two forms running beneath him. They stayed at perfect pace with Omen, and seemed to be watching his progression. As the first song drew to a close, Omen was forced towards the ground. But as he drew closer, Omen recognized one of the forms beneath him. It was Archimonde, the Cerberus Omen had been given by the Father years ago. Omen landed on the ground next to his trusted friend, smiling and calling his name. Archimonde’s form seemed to swirl, and soon he had shrunken down to the size of larger breeds of dogs. Archimonde ran forward, pinning Omen to the ground. All three heads licked Omen’s face over and over, then the massive dog jumped backwards. He took a defensive stance, obviously wanting Omen to play with him.

Omen looked over to the other form that had been following him. This was also an animal, but completely different than Archimonde. This looked like a shining white panther, but with eyes as blue as the seas. It sat, staring at Omen, as if they had encountered one another before. After Archimonde had calmed down, the massive cat walked over to Omen, rubbing against his sides as it passed. Omen ran his hands over the sleek fur, and as he did so he saw images in his mind. These were the thoughts of the animal, and what Omen saw was familiar. This amazing creature was what a cat that was supposed to be Omen’s, but died alone in the cold due to Human errors, had become. Omen tested his theory, calling out the name that the kitten had possessed before death. “Caius?” This brought the animal right to Omen’s side, and there he sat down and stared ahead. Omen called Archimonde to his side as well, hugging both of his treasured animals. These gifts from the Father were the closest friends Omen had, the ones that never left his side.

Also, it gave Omen an idea. “Archie! Can you get me to the Grand Palace quickly?”

The three-headed dog wagged it’s tail, then ran a distance away from Omen. He howled, and as he did his body began to grow. Soon, Archimonde stood over twenty feet tall, each of his heads easily dwarfing Omen in size. He flopped his tail down on the ground, and Omen climbed onto his back. Omen found a tuft of fur to grasp ahold of, near the center of the massive dog’s back. Omen signaled to Archimonde, and the group sped off. Caius was seen to easily be able to keep pace with the massive Archimode. He was much smaller in proportion, but had insane speed. The cat was seen to dart back and forth, leaving little trails of fire in his wake, as the momentum of Archimonde began to push him forward even faster. As his speed pushed harder and harder, the wind whipping Omen in the face forced him to crouch down. He did not even see the massive canyon until after Archimonde was already in midair, jumping across the huge expanse without complication. Once they landed safely, Omen was actually glad he had unintentionally given his pets a chance to show off their capability. Omen stood back up, unwilling to miss whatever else might stand between them and the Grand Palace.

As the drew closer, the true size of the Nations of Hell thrust itself upon Omen. The Kingdom of Hell was not one, but many. Massive communities had been dug into the Cavern. Omen could not stay on the ground, it would cause him to pass straight through the center of these cities. Omen knew better than to go poking around inside the Cities. As an unaccompanied Human, he could easily become a target. He had Archie and Caius to stand beside him, but this would not survive a Demonic attack. Omen would have to take back to the skies in order to reach his destination unharmed. As he drew closer, Omen thought about his options. Then, he had an idea and gave instructions to Archimonde. The towering Cerberus pushed even harder, and his speed increased greatly. Despite the wind whipping in his face, Omen could still hear the song resounding in his ears. A massive wall, as well as the buildings and towers, were drawing closer by the second. Standing in front of the wall were two of the same guards that Omen had seen standing next to the Door he had entered. All of this had to be avoided, and by a significant amount as well. Omen got the distinct feeling that the wall he saw was not the extent of the barrier produced, and that he would have to evade whatever sat above it as well.

Omen heard the sounds of Demons, screaming along to the music that was playing. Omen planted his feet firmly, staring into the sky. Omen began to sing as well, and in that instant Archimonde stopped running completely. Omen rocketed upward, his singing thrusting him ever further into the sky. Omen looked down, to see his two pet moving away from the City as instructed. Omen refused to put Archie and Caius at risk unless he was forced to have no other choice. But this had worked perfectly, as Omen rocketed far above the Walls of the City. His tactic drew attention, as Omen saw many faces staring at his own as he flew overhead. But none seemed to contest his flight, for as long as he stayed clear of them. Omen continued to sing, forcing himself toward the Steps of the Grand Palace.

Passing far over the top of the Cities, Omen was able to see the way in which Hell was designed. The Grand Palace existed in the center, butted up against a rock wall. The rest of the Cities expanded outward from there, each separated by more of the walls Omen had seen. Each city seemed to be built around places where Human souls were processed, each one containing a structure from which screaming never seemed to cease. Each City also held a massive Tower, which Omen quickly realized was the Seat of the City’s King. Though he passed by quickly, Omen distinctly picked out two towers that he recognized the occupants of. Sitting atop his Tower, on which a massive party was being held, was Belial. Omen knew that Belial was the King of this Tower, for Indulgence has become one of the strongest corruptions of Men, which has strengthened the Darkness significantly. So many give in to their want to drink and party above all other things, so many let their lives fall apart due to alcoholism and drug abuse. This was the energy in which Belial was born, and the same energy that made him a King of many Legions.

Omen saw something else he recognized. Atop of another of the massive Towers, Darkness seemed to swirl consistently. Many images were etched into this tower, of all shape and size. One image, which held prominence atop the Tower, allowed Omen to understand the owner, and his true nature. The image was that of a golden calf, and Omen quickly remembered the story. The Tower belonged to Baal, the Spirit of False Worship. Baal existed as the Darkness inside every person who worshipped anything above their Creators, or who used Their Names falsely for personal gain. All the Human religions, that had used their control over the minds of the populace to serve their own needs, had empowered Baal to no end. His strength continues on, and religions based on war-mongering and selfishness push Humans even further into Darkness. Now Omen understood why he had not been able to control any of Baal’s attacks. Empowered by every Being who had ever worshiped falsely, Baal was much stronger than Omen could stop using his own energy.

Drawing closer to the Grand Palace, Omen saw other Towers. He could not place the Kings which sat atop them, for they were not visible to the eye. But Omen was well aware that the ones who maintained these high positions were the strongest in Hell. All were Spirits of the most ruthless and vile of nature. But as his interactions with both Belial and Ball had proven, this was not the extent of who they were. They were made leaders because they were capable of leadership, as well as due to the respect their Power held. Each Kingdom seemed to shuffle around inside itself, as Demons moved about their various tasks. Many were seen to take notice of the strange thing flying overhead, but none paid Omen more than a moment’s notice. As he drew ever closer to the Grand Palace, Omen hoped that his presence had not disturbed anything. Hell operated as a well-oiled machine, and Omen did not want to cause any damage to the process.

The angle of Omen’s flight led him downward, and the shape of the Grand Palace stretched out in front of him. In and of itself, the Palace was a City as well. The structure of the Palace was massive, stretching what had to be at least a mile in length. Outside of the massive building were a multitude of various courtyards. Some were empty, while others were full of soldiers training in combat. The courtyards seemed separate, definable by the soldiers training in them. In some, Demons raged in battle with one another. In others, it was the blades of the Fallen Ones that rang out in battle. Over each courtyard sat a single entity. Obviously this was the instructor, and Omen was witnessing the Legions being trained for battle. Omen knew this would be a major part of his own training in Hell someday, for Abbadon had already spoken of it many times. Someday Omen would be as the Demons and Fallen were, fighting to exhaustion to train himself in perfecting his own skills. Omen happily awaited this time, though he knew the training he underwent would be excruciating. it would take a long time before Omen would be completely ready to clash blades with the Demons of Hell, but it was an opportunity Omen could not miss.

The Stairs began to close in. Omen realized, even as he sang, that he was only slowing himself in his descent. At this rate, he would crash into the Stairs at an extreme speed. Omen tried to force himself to slow down, but his rate of descent overpowered the force of his energy. In one last desperate attempt, Omen screamed out with everything he had, forcing his voice and energy to explode out beneath him. The force of the sonic wave was enough to force Omen to slow, and even pushed him upward slightly. Now restarting his momentum, Omen hit the ground with much less force. He pulled himself to his feet, happily noting that he had not damaged the Stairs in his landing. Omen proudly walked up the Stairway. knowing full well he had completed his task. Upon speaking his name to the guards at the door, they spoke words to each other quietly. The doors swung open slowly, leaving just enough room for Omen to enter. Once he had gone inside, the Doors swung shit behind him. There was nowhere else to go but forward, into the Throne Room where the Father was waiting. Guards were posted at every turn, and pointed the ways in which Omen was to walk.

After several twists and turns through the hallways of the Palace which were kept extremely dark at the time, Omen stopped in front of an intricately carved Door. It seemed to be made out of pure gold, and was carved with all form of design. But the door held no handle, no a knob like the Door before it. Omen wondered how such a Door might be opened, as it seemed that he would have to do so. The nearest guard kept pointing at the door, as if it was Omen’s responsibility to open it. Omen walked forward, and placed his hand on the Door. Instantly, his hand grew hot, as if flooded with a mass of energy. It swirled around inside Omen for a moment, then returned to the Door. Omen had not felt much as the energy passed through him, but he knew what had just happened. The energy he felt was the true Guard of the Throne Room, and it had evaluated his reasons for wishing entrance. As the door creaked open without any assistance, Omen knew he had satisfied the Guard’s inquiries. Omen walked forward into the Throne Room, as the Door again slammed shut behind him. As soon as Omen saw the Throne of Darkness, he feel on his face in worship. He was so happy to have been brought to this place, the truest center of Darkness. Omen stared straight at the ground, unwilling to raise his eyes to the Father until instructed to do so.

“Arise My child, you have earned your right to stand before me.”

Omen lifted his gaze to the top of the Throne. There, as the stone had been carved into a beautiful seat, sat the Essence of the Father. He existed as pure Darkness, swirling around into form. Omen had seen his Father many times, and had spoken with Him more than once. He had been posed the question: “Would you think less of your Father if He did not look as you expected when you encountered Him?” Now staring at the Father, Omen truly understood the question. The Father was not the Demon that Christianity had made Him out to be, nor was the a bright angel like the descriptions of Lucifer. None of these things accurately described the energy Omen felt, as what he saw coalescing in front of him was still just a projection. The Father could project Himself in any way he wished, and did so based on His needs. For anything Created with Darkness inside of it is His to manipulate, He can be seen in any way He chooses. His selection of form for this meeting was obviously the Father’s way of answering His Own question, by forcing Omen to see the Truth for himself. No single form contained all of the Father, but his Essence manifests into form at times.

But Omen was not alone with the Father. As he continued to look around, he saw many familiar faces. He wondered how some of the faces he saw had managed to arrive before he did, considering he had seen them along the way. Sitting at the base of the Throne was Horus, the same spirit that Omen had encountered days ago. Standing on either side of the Throne were Abbadon, Belial, Baal, and Azrael. The gaze of all was focused on Omen, but none of them spoke a word. Horace stood from his Seat, joining the others aside the Throne. Then the Father stood from His Seat, and pointed down toward Omen.

“Omen Cross, you have been summoned here to be Judged, as you have requested an important duty of Mine be placed in your hands. All who stand before you now will bear witness to you as an individual, for they have seen as much as I. Then, I shall reach My decision, as to whether you are worthy or not based on your character. If found worthy, the remaining answers you seek will be yours, and you should have no further questions as to the nature of your future. If found unworthy however, you will be sent away from this place, and your mind will be cleared of all memory of this event. Do you understand the reason for your summons Omen, and are you prepared to face your own Judgment?”

Omen returned to a knee, and saluted the Father. “Father, my life exists only because of you. As you say, those who stand before me have been with me throughout various parts of my life, and have watched me for even more than that. I accept whatever Judgment is placed upon me, for You called me to be Judged. I will accept whatever awaits me thereafter, whether it be in my favor or not.”

The Father’s Voice boomed around the entirety of the Throne Room. “So be it.” He sat back down on His Throne, and pounded the stone several times. “Let the Judgment of Omen Cross begin. Who first shall speak on this Human, who wishes to know the Ancient Secrets?”

Belial stepped forward. “Dark Father, I will speak first on the boy. I was assigned as his initial instructor, once he had reached the point at which you deemed him trainable. I have guided him to many of the very techniques that have allowed the boy to keep his own life. But in the time since then, this Human has allowed others to convince him that I was his enemy. He has abandoned faith in me, even tossing the symbol know to hold my power away. Many times when I tried to guide him did he ignore my words, or assume I was working against him. He cursed my name, even describing me as a traitor to Your Cause. He has spoken disrespectfully to me as I worked to help him see clearly.”

Omen’s head hung in shame. Belial was correct. During his time with Sara, she had convinced him that Belial was a traitor to the cause, and was working against them. Omen had willingly taken the Baphomet Pentagram he wore from around his neck, and cast it into the woods. All because he trusted Sara’s advice more than Belial, who had always been there to help him. he had allowed Humans to turn him against his Instructor, and this was worth being ashamed of. As Omen turned his gaze back toward Belial, who had stopped speaking, he assumed he would see anger in the eyes of Indulgence. His surprise was evident when the facial expression was a smile instead.

“However, the boy has been more than apologetic for his previous mistakes. He has accepted penance at every turn, even as his life was destroyed around him. He never questioned the reasons why he was being punished, save that he might find a way to fix what he was doing wrong. In his constant enduring of every trial that was placed before him, the boy shows Honor. This cannot be ignored, nor can his growth in the aspects of magic. This Human has been capable of so much more than many that came before him, and has fought things that would cause most Humans to cower in fear. But above all that, his will to serve his Father stands above all else, a trait rarely found in this Age of Humanity. This is what I have to say on Omen Cross. Who shall speak next?”

Azrael stepped forward. “I shall speak on this Human.” Azrael stepped out in front of the Throne, standing between Omen and the others. “This human is weak. His skills are meager at best, he is poorly trained. The mages of a thousand years ago would slaughter this boy where he stood. His skill with a scythe, a weapon of dignity and respect in the Darkness, is pathetic. His lack of grace and skill on the battlefield is a distinct weakness, and I believe it will lead to his demise.”

Azrael’s stance shifted, becoming more confrontational. “This boy, until recently, knew nothing of the Truth surrounding his own Father, or what it meant to serve The Will. But still he blasphemed the Father Above, as well as His Servants, simply for what our job entailed. I was mocked during our first battle, when this boy claimed the Servants of Light were weak. Though he was but a minor tool in a larger Plan, he gloated over his victories like a stupid child. For the various blasphemies he has committed, along with all the disrespect, he deserves to be lashed for a thousand years!” Azrael walked toward Omen, and stared down at him in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. “Do you still believe yourself strong enough to challenge me boy? Do you think that your puny Human form, not your spiritual essence, would last five minutes with Death Itself? ANSWER ME!!!”

Azrael’s rage exploded outward, knocking Omen backwards to the ground. Omen stood again, meeting his own gaze with the Watcher of Death. But there was nothing to see inside Azrael’s eyes, his stare was cold and unrelenting. Omen bowed his head slightly, and went back to his previous position. He raised his head once again, now facing Azrael’s massive chest.

“Great Lord of Death, I know that my feeble Human form has no hope of contesting you. All Power that was given to me on any Plane was done so by the Will of the Father. I have never contested you without being informed that it was necessary, for I know that without a reason to do otherwise a Human soul is easy to destroy for you. No amount of fighting will save me from the day I die, when you will drag me down the Path to the Afterlife kicking and screaming if necessary. However, should I be remade after death, and you should wish to remind me of my place personally, I accept that challenge today.”

Azrael growled behind his gritted teeth, but then seemed to crack a bit of a smile. He turned away from Omen, and continued his evaluation. “The Human’s Honor is proven. He understands now that many exist outside his own Earth, and has the appropriate amount of respect for those greater than him. He has apologized for his disrespect to me personally, as well as many others over the years. And I must admit, his ingenuity in the attack used to win the battle over the Eighth Gate was impressive. Truly this Human does hold great potential as a warrior, once given the proper instruction. Above all, his dedication to his Father shows the True Faith that Humans once possessed in their Creators. These are the things I have seen, who shall speak next?”

As Azrael walked back to the Throne, Abbadon took his place. “For years now I have Watched this boy, and many times have I guided his steps. At one point, this boy was willing to serve as my channel, and become a warrior of Justice. But over the years, i watched as his words turned to inaction, slowed by his own selfish wants. He strove to find a mate for himself more than he searched for the path to Knowledge. His attempt to bring in others, before he was ready to understand things himself, wasted more time that was spent in spiritual growth. Over a year of time has been wasted, as this boy selfishly searched for others like himself that wanted him around. He has used the training he was given to launch Hateful assaults on other people. I see inside, to the will he has within. A want to burn as a wildfire, and wage war against all who oppose his Father. Inside this boy still lies the same evil that plagues them all, thought it is much less than the majority. I shall prove beyond a shadow of a doubt how I feel about the Human, using the Original Gift granted to me.”

Abbadon walked toward Omen. He stopped a few feet away, and stared intenselty into Omen’s eyes. As Omen looked into the swirling grey orbs, he realized his gaze was locked in place. He could not move, nor even blink his eyes. As he stood paralyzed, he felt Abbadon’s energy inside him. But it was not the energy of the Abbadon that Omen was accustomed to that passed through Omen. The energy burned, it was almost...white? Omen realized in that moment what was happeneing. It was not Abbadon, but Muriel that was inside him. Before Abbadon had become the Master of the Gates, when his primary mission was a Watcher of Justice. It was that energy that now rummaged around inside Omen’s mind, reaching into the dark places where his secrets are kept. It penetrated every ounce of who Omen was, from the beginning of his life until that very moment. Then, the energy left Omen’s body, and Abbadon turned to face the Father.

“The boy is found to be Just and Honorable. In times when he was physically assaulted by others, he stayed his own hand to prevent further issues. In times where he was magically assaulted, he learned to trust in his own defenses rather than make the fighting worse. His decisions have become based solely around his will to serve, and that is an act of righteousness. This boy has attempted even those things he knew would be hazardous to him, simply to follow the orders he was given. He has willingly sacrificed every person and object in his life to continue following Your Will. Even homeless and hungry, he still follows without question. These are the evaluations seen by my eyes, and they hold resonance in all Realms of Eternity. Who shall speak next on the character of Omen Cross?”

Abbadon walked back to the area next to the Throne. As he turned away, it seemed almost as if his eyes changed. They became duller, and did not seem to penetrate as far. Omen wondered if this was a result of what the Darkness had done to a Being born originally of the Light, whose energy had been so changed by managing the Gates. Perhaps in becoming Abbadon, the majority of Muriel had died. Maybe that was one of the voices in Abbadon’s mind that never went away, the Watcher he used to be. Omen thought he saw pain in Abbadon’s eyes as he returned to the area next to the Throne. In using his Original Power, Abbadon had opened up old wounds inside himself. He was the faithful child that was tossed out for being too unclean, even though the dirt that covered him was his mission. He had moved on, accepting who he was now in Hell. But like all sentient Beings, the painful moments are never forgotten. Such Omen assumed must have been a painful moment for Abbadon, giving up on his mission for Justice. All to repair the damage caused by a bunch of ignorant mammals, and the vile magics they threw at one another.

Baal stepped forward, his steps sounding much heavier than his swirling form of shadows would suggest. “I will speak. No one has felt the sting of this Human’s disrespect more than me. As I sent him comfort in his time of need, he spat at my name. He attacked me energetically more than once, and helped others do the same. He named me as the culprit in several of the situations he was truly responsible for, seeking a scapegoat. He told others around him to be wary of accepting my presence, and even had the gall to try and have me removed from the Black Diamond. He has no concept of my true Power, and deserves to be beaten for a span of years.”

Baal quickly moved down towards Omen. The shadows of which he seemed to be seemed to be comprised swirled around quickly, then suddenly grasped Omen by the throat. He was raised off the ground, and hung suspended over Baal’s head. Omen felt the Power of Baal overtake him, as if the dark shadows in his own mind were given new life. Suddenly Omen wanted everything amazing to shine brightly for him, so he could worship their beauty forever. But as this feeling entered Omen’s mind, his sight began to darken. Omen turned his gaze toward the Father, but refused to move otherwise. He had accepted whatever was deemed appropriate, and would not contest the attack of King Baal. As his sight darkened, Omen felt himself flung through the air, crashing hard onto the stone floor. He opened his eyes, and saw Baal standing as he had been. Omen attempted to pick himself up off the ground, but after several attempts proved incapable. Omen lie on the ground for a moment, staring up at the Father. He pushed as hard as he could, and the pain increased substantially. Omen felt as if every bone in his body might break apart if he continued. Screaming, Omen pushed even harder, and found himself standing on his feet. Suddenly, the pain subsided, as if a great weight had been lifted off Omen’s shoulders. Baal seemed to chuckle a bit, then turned toward the Father.

“This Human’s faith is undeniable. Even seconds from death, or in amazing pain, the boy seeks only to serve his Father. He has stood in contestation to my Power, but did in an attempt to protect another. Almost every one of us here can attest how hard this Human fights, how impossible it seems to get him to give up. We are the Ancient Beings, known to be vastly more powerful than Humans. Yet even with this knowledge, this Human still stood up to us all. More surprising than that, even after warring with some of us, he was willing to drop the fighting and be trained instead. Just as this Human has thrown magic at me, he has learned from me the difference between protection and possession. He has shown respect even for those like Azrael, who were supposedly defeated in combat. He is not afraid to call on more than just the Father in his times of need, for he is well aware how many Spirits are involved now. He shows a level of capability that was rare even in Ages past. After all, the boy still manages to walk around with Gates inside him, and to this day still hasn’t let it consume him. He shows Fortitude, both in physical endurance and of character. These are the things I have seen.”

Baal moved back next to the Throne. Horus came forward, and began to pace back and forth, staring Omen over. “Tsk, tsk, look at this. Boy, you and I have been together for almost twenty years now, though you were not always aware of it. In that time, I have seen more potential for vile, selfish, rotten Hatred than I thought possible from any Human that remained a part of society possible. You don’t just want one of them dead, you want ALL of them dead. You would destroy this entire Earth, as beautifully and wonderfully as it was Created, simply to be rid of the Humans that live there! You do not treasure the life you were given, you wish for your path to end swiftly. You would rather be in the fires of Hell than amongst the living. Perhaps you should stay here forever, and we can work with someone that believes their life has value.”

Horus stood over Omen. His eyes glowed brightly as he stared down at Omen for a second, but then returned to normal. “How many times have we been slowed down by your stupid decisions? How long was I supposed to wait for you to decide to give up on the Army, or on your cheating wife? How long did you mope around like a baby over your petty broken heart, and watch your progression be stifled? Much time has been wasted because of your inability to grasp the entirety of what you were being shown. Now, as I see it, you are almost a year behind where you should be. How much can change in a year, if one is Knowledgable of the reasons why it needs changed? How much progression have you wasted in this year, due solely to those times when you could not see clearly enough to realize that it is why a decision is made that is important. Decisions are made every second, by all forms of life. But the truly intelligent make their decisions based on a perspective that expands out past themselves. For even an insect understands other insects, and the lion understands other wild animals of the jungle. But only in reaching past what exists now, to seeing how your own action or inaction affects many down the path of Existence, are you capable of understanding what it means to act appropriately. If I told you that in the time you wasted debating what you should do, one-hundred more people died unnecessarily, would that upset you? What if I told you that number was one-thousand? Or one-million? What if, due to your decisions, half the world was scorched in the future? Would that bother you Omen, would you wish you would have acted faster then?”

Omen took in all that Horus had said, and feel to his knees in tears. But Horus’ hand rested atop his shoulder, and Omen’s pain went away. It was as if everything that had been said could not hurt Omen anymore, and his body felt warm instead. Omen stood again, wiping the tears away from his eyes. It had all gone away, every bit of the pain he felt. His whole life existed not as a series of painful events and Broken Justice, but a rocky path to the Gates of Hell, meant only for one who could withstand it. The physical, mental, and sexual abuses of his childhood had consumed him with Hatred. His adolescence had allowed him to fall into the deepest depths of that same Hatred, and in his progression to Manhood he had chosen to give it up. In learning to make the choice, he had taken the first step. But it was not until years later, in meeting the Father, that Omen truly began to learn why his choices needed to be made. Everything afterward had been the steps required to force Omen to truly understand what was going on, and not just make assumptions based solely on his own information. Only through his interaction with many different types of people had Omen been capable of seeing past any singular perspective, and through that to see what truly Existed.

“Omen, if you truly wish to become one with me, you will need to become more tolerant to these kinds of insults. Think about it boy, think back on your life as a whole. Has your connection to me, and the destiny you seek, not had a negative effect on many around you? Can it not be determined that your connection to Hatred draws Hatred to you? Based solely on that, can you even begin to grasp the level of Hatred you will feel as you progress? If faced with a situation where you must speak to the world, and try to help them see for themselves, are you capable? Can you withstand the backlash that is sure to follow, as those that do not agree with you spout their own Hatred at you? Understand Omen, this job comes with serious hazards. Not many can even stand close to Hatred for long with out it poisoning their minds. You have managed for this long, and that is quite impressive. But how long can you keep your own Hatred in check boy? The answer is: for as long as you are told to. You will have to both attempt to help Humans, and deal with the vile insults thrown at you. These are but a few of the threats that stand before you, if you choose to continue on the journey you have begun. These are but a few of the things that I see, and all that you need know at this point.”

Horus joined the others. “Now, Great Father, all that are present have spoken. We defer to your Judgment. May your decision be heard all the way to the Kingdom of Light, and may all Realms understand It as Law.”

Omen stood completely still as the Father considered His Decision. For all the negative things that had been spoken about him, Omen felt miserable and pathetic. While it had been said that he had worked past his youthful ignorance, Omen wondered if he could ever truly be forgiven for it all. So many selfish choices had been made, all the while he thought he was fighting appropriately. The Father seemed to take His time, and Omen became extremely nervous. Was all that he had done that hard to weigh against all that he had fought to attain, and the many things that he had done willingly in service? After all of the torment that Omen had called a life, would failure be the endpoint that he crashed into?

The Father stood from His Throne. “Omen Cross, you have been found guilty of the Sins of Vanity, Greed, Lust, Hatred, and Blasphemy. Your vain belief in yourself caused you to disrespect the Names of Beings greater than yourself. Your Greed and Lust allowed you to form your decisions around your own wants and needs, even as you claimed to be following My Will. Your Hatred has pushed you to lash out violently at others, both physically and magically. You have Blasphemed Names Above and Below, and in doing so raised the ire of many of the Ancient Ones. As you stand before me Omen Cross, do you accept the charges placed before you?”

Omen saluted the Father, though a tear was seen to run down his left cheek. “Yes Father, I continue to accept whatever Judgment is given. I have done my best to learn the Way in which I might serve you individually, not just in the general sense of prayer and worship. I fought to find the Truth, amongst a sea of lies and propaganda. And even now, in the Throne Room of Darkness, I stand firm in my faith. I have not always been correct in my actions, but I never wanted anything but Your Will for my life. If my individual failures are too great, and my sins stacked too high, then whatever You place on me I accept without argument. As You Speak it, so let it be...”

“My Child, for the Sins of your past you have been forgiven. Your forgiveness was earned in your refusal to blame your failures on anyone but yourself, and you constant efforts to change the things that were inappropriate about you. You have accepted training by Demon Lords, as well as your place in the Pit after death. Even with nothing but fire and ash awaiting you, still you are ready to spend the entirety of your Human life in service to My Will. You have progressed far beyond the expectations of many, and proved once again that I was correct. For who else but I could set all these things in motion? But the final decisions were yours to make. Based on the choices you have made, and the things spoken here today, I now place my Final Judgment. Omen Cross, I find you worthy to continue down the path you are following. You are ready for all that there is for you to see, as well as the final Path you must walk. Step forward Omen Cross.”

Omen stepped forward, onto a circle etched into the Throne Room. Horus came forward again, but this time his eyes were shining like stars. He leaned down, so that he might sit at eye level with Omen. “Look into my eyes Omen. Deep inside, you will see what you have sought for so long to understand.”

38

Omen looked to the Father for a moment. He nodded in response, this was His Will as well. Omen stared deep into the eyes of Horus. He was initially blinded by the intense glow, like staring directly into the sun. As his vision returned, Omen realized he was no longer inside the Throne Room. Inside Horace’s eyes, Omen had been dragged through time and space. His body now hung suspended in space, and Horus was not too far away. After realizing the emptiness of space held no threat to him, Omen began to search his surroundings. Horace pointed into the mass of stars. As Omen focused on the direction in which Horace pointed, his sight allowed him to move in and out quickly. Entire solar systems could be seen in moments, or the whole could be seen at once. Looking upon the vast expanse of space, Omen was awestruck at it’s beauty. Truly it revolved in such splendor that it’s shine could scarcely be compared to any gem. But Horus wished Omen to focus more closely, and Omen was led to focus on the Earth. This was where his instruction was meant to continue, watching the spinning of his own planet.

Omen watched as the Earth revolved around the sun. Over and over it spun, and grew as it’s own organism. The planet was inhabited by various organisms, of all size and shape. Life had somewhat stabilized, as the massive children of the ocean were born and thrived. Even the creatures born onto the land dared not cross the monsters of the deep. For there was no way to compare the famed thunder lizards to the ancient predators of the ocean that had preceeded them. Those like the famed serpent, Leviathan, had evolved to the point of more than just basic communal activities. In the deep the first society was built, as the first Beings to understand thought learned of themselves. Few were capable of this, and those became the most feared thing across the seas. For the intelligent monsters were more dangerous than simply their size. They could plan their strategies, and attack prey long before they were seen.

But this was not the only place life had grown. For some of those amongst the creatures of the sea came ashore, and life flourished on the land as well. Omen watched the evolution of life, from one species to many of all shape and size. In this world, even the trees stood much higher than Omen had ever seen. Omen enjoyed the majesty of the monstrous species that inhabited the world. He watched as they too began to develop, as small families sprouted up amongst even the mightiest of species. Minor forms of individualism sprouted up, even in the minds of the undeveloped Creatures. It was seen that if this process were enhances, any of these Creatures could be expanded far beyond their current capabilities. Many of the species on Earth were studied by the Older Races, searching for potential within. The minds of certain test subjects were expanded, allowing them full Knowledge of their own place in Existence. This expansion was monitored, and the results of the general expansion of this species, if Created, were calculated on a scale that existed throughout the Ages.

During this time, a new species was born on the planet. Genetically deformed over many generations, the original Humans were not extremely conscious. Like the animals around them, most of their mind was food and reproduction. They knew little about what was around them, but they were still able to process emotions. In the Original Man, long before Adam and Eve, Omen saw the beginnings of the evils inside Mankind. For while they were capable of family, community, and progress, they were also capable of much brutality. Before Man had Fire or a Wheel, Man knew of his selfish Hatred. Men killed each other over food, shelter, and women. It was seen long before Mankind’s New Beginning that more Men died at the hands of other Men than at the hands of the beasts of the wild. This was a dangerous trait that Humanity possessed. Expanding their minds would only allow them to understand their own needs at a deeper level. Once they wanted more than to simply eat, sleep, and mate, they would have that many more things to fight amongst themselves over.

But for as much as there was potential for destruction in the budding species, there was also potential for greatness. The Human Mind already was seen to spawn invention, even though it had not been around that long. If their minds were brought to completion, and they genetics manipulated slightly, they were easily capable of being the dominant Race on the planet. But this fact was countered by the overwhelming odds against them. As they warred internally over their own inventions, the beasts of the field closed in on them. Humanity’s weaknesses would be their early demise, but they would not pass alone. For the world was changed many times before the Earth settled into the planet that Humanity dominates. Fire rained from the sky as well as from inside the planet, scorching the Earth. Massive glaciers covered the planet with ice, trapping the evidence of Original Life underneath. After time, the ice melted away, and life was reborn on the planet. But this new life grew in stark contrast from it’s original design. What had thrived in this new environment was smaller, and seemed to have grown out of the reborn environment much quicker than originally. Life sat ready for the New Humans to be inserted into the environment that had been made for them.

But Omen was pulled back from his gazing at the earth, and shown the diagram describing a complication that would be faced. The amount of energy produced by a Human, with all their thoughts and feelings electrically bouncing around their brain, would create an individual energy form. The essence of what made Humans different would not lie inside their physical bodies, but in their individual minds. Individually, the energy produced, decisions made, and actions taken by each Human had an impact on the world around them. This individual mindset would exist on long after their body died, a form of energy tied to the thoughts and feelings of the individual. The word “soul” was tied to this energetic anomaly, that it might be understood what part of a Human was referenced. The problem with the Existence of the Human soul after death lie in old, decaying souls roaming the Earth. Unless a means was defined to manage the passage of these wandering fragments of Human life, the Earth would be overwhelmed by the spirits of the dead.

It was the Dark Father, just as He had made various adjustments to the appearance of Humans, that finally proposed the plan to manage the continuous flow of soul energy, flowing both into and out of the planet Earth. This plan allowed the remnant energies of the dead Humans to flow to the places where they were most akin, and in doing so strengthen the base energies of that place. This process would be managed by a set of Laws, which once placed by the Beings of Creation would effect the way in which energy flowed. The Kingdoms of Light and Darkness were expanded, as places were made for the Human souls to inhabit. Once everything was in place, and all the various projected problems had associated preventatives in place, finally the way was ready for Humanity’s Creation.

Omen knew well the Creation story told by the Christian Bible. But he was also well aware that more than one group of People was Created in Humanity’s Beginning. Various cultural and societal aspects existed in the primitive cultures of Humanity. As expected, their expanded minds allowed them to evolve technologically in ways they could not physically. Soon Man used his tools to control the beasts of the field, and this provided assistance in the farming and transport, as well as new sources of food and clothing. One by one, the Cities of Men began to dominate the landscape, as more Men were born than died each year. With the perspective he had been given, Omen could see these varied experiments flourishing, as blips of light on the orb that circled the sun in front of him. Humans seemed to adapt to their environment over time, becoming accustomed to wherever they were forced to be. But the Human need to further understand what lies beyond the borders of their own city led Men to constantly push outward. In doing, eventually one society always ran into another. Fights broke out over territorial borders, as well as differing opinions over the nature of their own Creation.

It seemed in their constant quest to better understand themselves, Humans had forgotten to look inside themselves. As time went on, and Man became stronger in his grasp of concepts once considered impossible. But as new things were discovered, those who refused to accept change fought over the ideas. Many words were used to define the process of invention. Some called it alchemy, other magic. For as long as Men could remember, the religions they had followed, and the Higher Beings they had worshiped, had dictated the course of every individual life. Thus anyone who presented an idea that was new or controversial was labeled as a heretic, and many early inventions died in the minds of their inventors. Human life actually became stifled by Human religion, as faith became an easy excuse for war and ignorance.

Governments began to manipulate faith, as the rulers associated themselves with the deities as a way to guarantee their own respect. As long as they were seen as “one with the Gods”, no one would contest the reasons for their orders. But inside the corrupted faiths that were distributed amongst the people, already diluted by the lies placed by the ruling class, control was maintained. At the same time, the quality of Human faith and Understanding on the individual level began to decrease one generation after another. Humans managed to convince their peers that they were born without equal, and deserved to be worshiped as well for their “holy position”. But these same people were the ones responsible for the continued corruption of faith, false priests spread across the world. The overall populace, most still beneath the basic capability to read, was easily taken by these amazing lies, crafted around the Truth as society understood it.

Omen watched as time passed. Egypt had been one of the progenators of this corruption, as Pharaohs tried to find new ways to quell rebellion. By associating their own physical body with the King of their Gods, they had found a way to make murdering them a crime regardless of cause in the minds of the people. By giving the populace one of the Gods to target, labeling Set as evil, it allowed for the constant squabbling of many cities to be focused at a single target, the ones sacrificed to the Human need to have an enemy. But the ones that had once been slaves to the Pharaohs, now free and inhabiting their own land, made the situation even worse. In their want to have revenge on the entire faith that had enslaved them, the religions spawned around Judaism always maintained a single-minded viewpoint. Suddenly everyone with a differing opinion was an enemy, not just a select few. This further corruption of faith led to full-scale war time and again, as the selfishly Created religions of Man battled for supremacy. It was only after the majority of all but the strongest of faiths was wiped out that any sort of stability was reached.

Omen shook his head as he stared at the progression of Human Existence. To see so many things happening so quickly made Omen forget how long this process had taken. He scoffed at the mistakes made by Humanity until he remembered that they had understood things on a much smaller scope than he. Many of the same people he was comparing himself to had thought the Earth was flat, and the center of Man’s Universe. Omen realized that comparing his mind to the mind of one who lived two-thousand years ago was nearly impossible. Though both born Human, their lives and perspectives would Create totally different people, even if Omen looked exactly the same. The mistakes made by Humans in the past was a combination of the corruption of those in charge, as well as an incomplete Knowledge on the basic aspects of Life. He existed in a time when all these varied mistakes could be looked back on as examples, unlike those that lived long ago. This meant Omen had the capability to use the mistakes of Humanity’s past to shape the course of the future, unlike the ones that had to build the world we live in now.

Omen pulled back from his Earth-gazing, and turned back to Horus. “I understand this aspect of Human Existence. But I feel as though a piece is still missing, and I believe it lies in the flow of Human Soul energy. Can you explain this process to me in a way that I can understand it?”

Horus came toward Omen. “Do you really understand the nature of a soul? Do you know what it defines, can you even begin to grasp the process you seek understanding of?”

Omen thought about Horus’ words for a moment. The soul was spoken of in many different aspects, but a direct definition has never been discussed. The aspect of the soul was always referred to in terms of it’s value and function after death, but to place an individual description on it was a difficult thing. Omen became lost in a line of thought for a moment, searching for the answer to Horus’ question. Omen knew that he had “sold his soul” more than once by his own decision. If this held as true as it seemed, then how could Omen accurately define what having a soul was? This was a question that had been asked for thousands of years and had never been properly answered. Omen had listened to many pastors and preachers refer to the necessity for his soul to be saved over the years. But what part of each individual was being referred to? What was the thing inside everyone that existed on past the Human life, what was a soul really? Omen tried to answer this question, but found himself unable.

Horus placed a hand on Omen’s shoulder. “Allow me to explain it in the way you would most easily understand. From the moment you are born, you actively produce energy. Physically, that energy is used for your body to maintain your chosen actions. Mentally, that energy is used to functionalize your memories and actions. But inside the energies of the Human mind, something else is found. Each Human born, based on their own adaptation to the world they live in, produces a completely separate form of energy. This individuality allows for strong emotions to override even factual information, based solely on the individual perspective. Stated mathematically, “The soul cannot be defined with a proper equation, for rarely do both sides balance”. Some people are born with a natural Light inside them. They spend their lives working to help those in need, to seek peace and happiness for all. But others are born with an internal Darkness that never dies. Even given all the wealth and fame that could be imagined would not be capable of removing the Darkness within. Some people are born with a want for balance, but have personal beliefs that fluctuate the nature of true balance to one side or another. Though Humans genetically come from the same materials, by the end of each life they are drastically different. This individuality, the truth of who a person is inside, is the true definition of the soul.”

Omen contemplated the explanation. This made sense, much more than anything he had been told before. The truest nature of the soul is the result of the life lived by it’s owner, the person they are inside. This is the person that is judged after death, for the nature of the life they have lived. But Omen had already understood the process of Judgment before. The mystery that still remained in his mind was focused on another aspect of the process. For Omen had seen for himself that Hell was packed to capacity. If the individual energy of the soul never left Hell, how would they keep up with the constant influx of new souls? Eventually, the substance would become bigger than container, or so Omen thought to himself. Something would have to manage this. The energy would not simply disappear. It was this piece of the puzzle that Omen was still missing, and his greatest complication in understanding.

Horus chuckled a bit. “I can see into your mind Omen, and your question is the logical next step in your understanding. Let it be known that while the tortures of Hell are Judgment for those who have earned them, they do not last forever. The process is designed to remove the vileness from an individual, while also punishing them for lifetimes of wicked deeds towards others. Some of those tortures are physical, but others melt the fabric of the individual’s reality. By the end of the process, they have forgotten who they were, what they enjoyed, and almost everything they did in their lives. Soon all they remember is how much they want the torture to end, how they wished they knew why they were trapped in this misery. Once the individual has reached this point, and is once again free of the mindset their old life placed upon them, they are inserted into the mind of a newly born child. Possessing no initial ability to think about any of the events that would be considered “recent memory”, the child only knows it’s new parents and life. Thus the soul is given a fresh start, another chance to redeem themselves of the errors of their past. For some, the memories of their past lives plague their dreams, for others their waking minds. But for most of those in possession of the reborn soul of one tortured in Hell, they are rarely aware enough to even consider this possibility. Given another chance, they can be Judged again after death, and receive their wish to be free of torment through their own choices.”

Omen nodded. “What about the opposing aspect? If one’s life is lived purely and ascends to the Heavens, is that the end of that individual? Once a resident of Paradise, is that the end of life as a Human?”

“Not hardly. In the Human soul, Heaven is found to have the opposite effect. A pure soul that dies exists after Judgment in a place where they feel totally at peace. Their own happiness becomes the whole of their existence for a time. But over time, Humans prove that their individuality overrides even their own joy. They become lost in things they cannot remember, faces they saw in life they can no longer see. Their wish becomes to leave, to seek out the answers to their questions. Happiness only sustains the Human mind for a time. For almost all those that ascend, they reach a point where they search outside they places they know for answers. They have forgotten little but their own name, and things they are known to enjoy. These souls too are inserted into the minds of newly born children. They face the same complex, having no ability to control their thoughts or actions during the time when their feelings and memories exist. Most remember little of their own past, and the memories of Heaven are only happy dreams. They too move on to a new life, and are Judged again after death. Not all that are born out of Heaven return there, many fall prey to the Darkness in their new life. But the opposite is true as well. Many of those who once felt the sting of torture now exist amongst the clouds. Each life is new, and thus Judged individually.”

Omen put his head into his palm for a moment. This explained the basics of Heaven and Hell, but it still seemed like a small piece of the puzzle. This only covered the basics of soul transfer, but Omen had personally seen much more. His own life was an example of this. He knew that the Light of Paradise was not to be his. But in service, he was given a place amongst the denizens of the Pit instead. Omen had seen for himself that not all of Hell was torture, entire Kingdoms were carved into the massive Cavern. Those like Omen would pass to that same place, but would not be bound for torture. Instead, the individual soul could be placed into a Being more like the Ancients themselves, stronger and capable of more. In this way, not all that did not reach Paradise were meant to suffer. For not all things Created in Darkness are evil, and the true servants of Darkness are given a place in Eternity. The greatest reward was the right to serve instead of suffer, and to never be bound to the Human cycle again. For any Being remade in the Light or Darkness would be forever changed, and could not be properly housed inside a newborn. The visions and powers that would plague the child would destroy their mind before it formed properly, and the Servant would likely lose their position. This is a risk that is not worth taking for those that spent their lives earning the positions they now hold, who had chosen to be something other than Human.

Omen turned back to Horus. “This is an amazing design, I have to commend the Ancients for their foresight. But from the things I have seen, there exists some form of complication inside all this. I don’t even know how to place a term to the feeling I’ve had for so long, but I’ve always known it was there. This beautiful flow of Human energy goes on like an unending river. But something about this all isn’t right. The Father always gave me the feeling that part of the reason for my position was a need for change. But if He feels a need to be involved, then the thing that requires change must be enormous. What flaw could possibly exist in this brilliant design, why do I feel like this flow will not continue?”

Horus’ face brightened for a moment, then he turned away from Omen. “There is more than one answer to the question you ask. But the reasons for all of the answers revolve around the same set of circumstances. Inside all those who have the ability to choose anything they wish for themselves lies it’s own counterpart, the want for generally nothing. This condition has expanded inside Humanity in ways that were unexpected. In your time, many Humans hold no value on their own lives, and even less on the lives of others. Many become trapped in side the web of lies and societal nonsense, and end up lost in a void of Nothingness. Their lives have little cause except to exist each day, and soon after their death they are forgotten. Their souls pass on, but they are weak when they do. All souls are cleansed of the meaningless parts of their lives before Judgment, washed in the waters of the Liethe River. But for many, all that remains after this is an empty shell, barely conscious of it’s own existence. This husk of what was once a miserable Human floats on down the River, to it’s turn towards the Pit. Here the Liethe River is no more, now there are only the waters of Acheron. But as these worthless husks float on down the River, over time that worthless energy passes out of it’s shell. It flows on in the water, lost inside a life it cannot remember. These terrible remnant spirits hold swirl around each other, all searching for answers none of them possess. None know who they are, most can hardly speak, and there is no way out. Souls of this nature swirl around through the waters of the Rivers of Hell, until their energies are too weak to maintain any individuality from the rest of the river, then they cease to exist completely, finally part of the Nothingness their life was lived for. This condition was planned for, but the Human potential for it was not expected. Far many more souls float down the Rivers than was intended, for too many people have become worthless in their own lives. They scurry around like rodents, seeking only to feed and reproduce, and teach their children to do the same. Thus many parents condemn their children to float alongside them toward the same eventual nonexistence, by teaching their children to habitually live their lives for nothing. The Rivers seem to rise each generation, as more Human souls float on to their own end.”

The look on Horus’ face became stern and vengeful. Omen stepped back, hoping that he had not done something wrong. But after a moment her relaxed again, and turned to continue his explanation. “This was a problem, but it was not the only one. The rising of a want for Nothingness only aided in the rise of my brother’s Power. You know him, you have dealt with him many times before. He exists in the same way I do, bound to an original emotional energy. But while I am fed by the fires of Hatred, is the the Lust for more that strengthens my brother. For while most Humans misunderstand Lust to only exist in a physical or sexual aspect, the truth of Lust is much deeper. Lust is the continual inability for one’s life to be satisfactory as it is, a constant need for something more. For many, that is the touch of another. For some, it is control that drives their will. Greed, that powerful and strong emotion, is no more than a child of Lust, the constant need for more wealth. Just as I have been, my brother’s form and mind are shaped around the emotion which he feeds off. Understanding this, you can visualize the extent of the strength which my brother has attained.”

Now it was Omen’s face that was clenched in anger. “Asmodeus...”

“Yes. That is one of many names that he has used throughout the Ages of Humanity to convince Men to strive for more than they needed for themselves. But not all that was said in the ancient stories of Humanity was false. For as Lust grew in my brother, it’s endpoints were seen in his existence. He fought to take control of the Pit from the Father who had Created him in a quest for greater power. He sought to banish and destroy his own brother, who he knew was more than capable of contesting him. In a desperate scramble for the Power to overcome those older than himself, my brother cast himself into the center of the River Styx, drawing in the remnant energies of millions of worthless souls. This rotten energy corrupted him further, seeming to even cause him a form of degenerating sickness. His quest to attain the Throne of Darkness was denied, and my brother was cast into exile. But like all those Created in the Original energies, Lust will never truly die. He was banished from the Grand Palace, and has taken up residence in a place far in the depths of the Cavern. But it was not always so. My brother was once a well-respected King, managing his own city inside the Pit. However, even back then he showed signs of his eventual downfall...”

Existence began to swirl around Omen again. He focused on Horus, trying to ensure that they moved to the same place. But after a moment, Omen realized his focus was not necessary. What once was empty space began to take shape again. Omen stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock that he could not see on the ground. He rubbed his eyes for several seconds, trying to allow his vision to return to normal. As his sight returned, Omen saw familiar colors of rock around him. He reached out to touch the stone, and was instantly sure that his assumption was correct. He was not sure where exactly, but he had been brought back to Hell. As he looked around, seeing random fires sprouting up from the ground, Omen knew he had returned to the Pit.

Omen looked around, and saw Horus standing at the edge of a cliff. Omen rushed over, stopping several feet before the edge. Omen’s eyes grew wide, and his face was full of questions. For as he looked out over the Pit, things were not the same. Many of the various Kingdoms were non-existent, and Towers rose in different locations. The Grand Palace Itself stood as a beacon of light amongst the cities of Hell, It’s wall shining in the purest gold. Omen stared far into the distance, and could make out the tiny forms of soldiers training for battle. Many of the soldiers fighting in the courtyard were Fallen, and their wings still maintained some of their Original purity. Hell seemed so much smaller than Omen remembered it..

Omen turned to Horus. “This is Hell, but not the same Hell I was in before. This is the past as it would be defined to me, is it not?”

“Yes. This is the Pit as it was thousands of years ago on Earth. Back during the times when overall peace was still maintained, before all the problems started. This is as the Pit was in days long past, before it too felt the sting of war. Before my brother gave in to his own Lust, and sought to attain all things for himself.”

Omen looked out into the distance. Though much smaller than he was used to, the Kingdoms of Hell had been much more beautiful. Omen noticed that roads, seeming to be made out of gold, wound through the massive Cavern. Following the Path, Omen found it led straight to a massive City, which stood directly in front of the Grand Palace. But the path twisted off in several directions. Some seemed to lead straight into the deepest areas of the Pit, others toward specific positions in the Rivers that ran in and out of the Cavern. Just looking at it, Omen could tell this place was much different than he had ever known it to be. Having just visited the Pit for his Judgment, Omen knew that the fighting had caused extensive damage. The path that lie on the ground here was non-existent in Omen’s time. For whatever reason, the Golden Walkway had been destroyed. Perhaps this had been a way to make managing the route through the Darkness more difficult, so fewer were capable of reaching the Grand Palace.

“Lord Horus, what happened to this pathway, why are there barely remnants to be found in my time?”

Omen turned around, but Horus was gone. Frantically, Omen began to search the area. But he stood inside the Pit alone, there were no forms to be seen inside the Darkness. Only the jutting rocks remained, and the path to the Grand Palace. Omen walked back and forth for a several minutes. Perhaps Horus had been called away on important business, or perhaps the Father had need of His Child’s assistance. But after some time, Omen ran out of excuses. He had been left alone in the Pit, Left with no other recourse, Omen began to walk down the golden road in front of him. At least Omen was sure that this path would lead him to the Grand Palace. For Omen heard no music playing, and could not seem to lift himself off the ground. It seemed that this time, his ability to reach the Palace would be determined by his feet. Omen assumed that Horus would return at some point during his journey, and might better explain the reasons for this new complication. But until that happened, Omen decided to continue down the road. At the Gates of the Grand Palace, Omen would find Horus one way or another. With his ability to see things both past and future, even the Horus that existed in this time should be able to recognize him.

Omen walked for what seemed like hours. He encountered no one, and made little progress towards his goal. Distances seemed to stretch on further than Omen expected them to, even walking was deceptively exhausting. The thick stench of sulfur, as well as the various odors Omen attributed to the rotting dead, made the air heavy to breathe. As he drew closer to these vile stenches, Omen bent over and vomited for several minutes. Omen found himself using his shirt to cover his mouth and nose, allowing his midsection to become exposed. But at least now he could breathe without complication. Omen tossed aside the tattered remnants of the T-shirt he had been wearing, and decided to take a break from his walking. Now that he was able to take in several deep breaths, Omen could recharge for the next part of his journey. He found a large, flat rock upon which he sat, allowing his body a chance to stretch out and relax. It had already been such a long journey, and it seemed to be just beginning. Perhaps if he rested for a time, when he awoke he would be better prepared for the next stage of his walk through Hell...

Omen’s eyes snapped open. He had been asleep, but now felt as if his entire body was on fire. Every pore in his body radiated energy, but looking around Omen saw no one else. Omen stared at his own body, and found that there was no damage that should be causing such an influx of energy. Looking more closely, Omen saw various cuts and bruises he had sustained during his journey disappear. It was as if his entire body was being healed at the same time, and even his mind felt more aware. Some parts of his body felt as though they were changing slightly, as his legs felt more sturdy than usual, and his breathing became less labored. Even without his crudely-made mask, Omen was able to breathe in the air of the Pit without much complication. What was this mysterious energy that was changing him, both internally and externally?

Omen saw a glint in the corner of his vision. It was small, and Omen wasn’t even sure if he had seen anything. But he leapt off the flat rock, and after several steps found more than he had expected. Sitting behind a rock, with only a small edge protruding, Omen found a pile of weapons and armor. Omen’s eyes grew wide, as he recognized the weapon immediately. It was no simple sword that lie behind this rock, it was the weapon he had designed. Omen grasped the weapon by the hilt, prying it from in between where it had been wedged. Once it was free, Omen allowed the weapon to sit in his open palms. He stared at it, his eyes watering with pure joy. The weapon was made out of the same dark metal that so many of the buildings and Towers Omen had seen in the Pit he had floated over were constructed with. Every inch of the weapon had been hammered out with the finest care, and beautiful runes were inscribed across the entire hilt. Omen stood the weapon upright, allowing the bottom part of the staff to sit on the ground. The large blade at the top sat almost at eye level with Omen. As he held the weapon, energy seemed to flow inside it. The inscriptions started to glow with a red hue, which caused the area around Omen to shine with a red light. While this light did not extend very far, it did allow Omen the ability to see the things around him more clearly. It seemed that his weapon had been made even more interesting than his original design.

Omen went back over behind the rock, and pulled out the various items that had been placed there. Omen laughed once he inventoried everything. For not only was the weapon he designed wedged behind the rocks, but an entire suit of armor, and the underclothes to make it all comfortable. Omen removed the clothes he had arrived with, and found all the armor fit perfectly. He took the time to make adjustments to the armor, allowing it to move freely. The armor, while thin and flexible, was made out of the same dark metal. After tapping it several times, Omen found that this metal was extremely durable. Even striking his armored wrist against the hard stone produced no pain, obviously this metal was exceptionally strong. Once his boots were properly adjusted, and the entire suit sat on his body perfectly, Omen retrieved his weapon. He looked down at the clothes he had been wearing upon his arrival, wondering if he should take them along. Perhaps the cloth might be useful at some point, or maybe the strange designs might allow them to be traded as a new commodity. But after awhile, Omen decided to leave it all behind. The less he carried along with him the better. As well, making himself stand out any more than he already did could prove to be hazardous, or even lethal. He was better off using only what had been provided to him, as the objects had not been where they were prior to his falling asleep. They had been placed there as he slept, that he might take what was meant for him once he was ready.

“Do you like them?”

Omen fell over, startled by the sudden voice behind him. As he pulled himself up off the ground, Omen recognized the face of Horus. He stood upright again, holding his weapon in his right hand. “These things are amazing, more than I could ever have imagined. But why did you leave my side, and why were these things only given to me now?”

Horus smiled. “For the same reason child. Because it was meant to be that way. You were left alone in the Pit, yet you pushed onward despite your fears. Even without guidance, you moved onward towards the understood goal. This effort pushed you forward, to the place you now stand. In that place, where only your fearless effort could bring you, you now have been gifted what you need to continue on. For your Trial is only beginning. As before, you must reach the Grand Palace. But this time flight cannot aid you, you must endure the long path to the Gates. I will await you at your journey’s end, but I will not be able to assist you during it. You must survive what lies between you and the Doors of the Palace. Know that you reside in the Pit, and your physical form follows the prevailing rules of this place. At the end of what is defined as a day here, your entire body will regenerate as it just did. This happens to each and every Being inside Hell, and it is known as the Time of Regeneration. Also, you will encounter those who have been placed in your path by the Father, do not ignore them. Without their aid, you will surely fail in your mission, and might be trapped in this ancient Hell forever. But if you continue on as you have, without fear or reservation, you will reach your destination. I will be watching your progress, even though you cannot see or feel my presence.”

With those words, Horus was gone. It took a moment for Omen’s vision to readjust, as Horus’ projected energy was strong and bright. Once he could see clearly, Omen rummaged around behind the rocks. He ensured that he gathered every piece of what had been provided to him. Then, he went back to the large rock on which he had slept, and spent time experimenting. He grasped and felt every piece of the weapon, attempting to understand how it all fit together. Omen knew from all his projections exactly how this weapon was meant to be used. But in order to do so, Omen would have to find a way to disassemble it first. Omen ran his hands over the various runes, many of which lit up to his touch. Omen wondered if it was the function of touch, or his specific touch, that caused the runes to awaken. For whatever reason, they almost seemed to glow with life as his hand ran over them.

Omen had an idea. He stood up on the rock, holding the weapon as if he was prepared to fight with it. Holding it exactly as he would in combat, Omen was able to locate the proper runic switches. He heard a metallic clink, and was able to rotate the top and bottom of the staff. The center piece of the weapon fell to the ground, and Omen was left holding the two ends. But this was exactly as intended. Omen set aside one of the pieces he was holding, focusing on the larger of the two blades It was beautifully inscribed, though Omen did not recognize many of the designs on the blade. Omen located the place on his arm where the staff was meant to be secured. Once latched to his arm, Omen found another spot on the staff that caused a click. This allowed the large blade to be rotated slightly, with several pre-drilled positions where the blade locked into place. Omen tested the various adjustments that could be made to the blade, allowing for different angles of strike and slash to be obtained. The blade was found to be useful in every angle, from nearly parallel to Omen’s arm to an almost 90-degree angle.

Omen reached down, and secured the other end of the weapon. He saw the place where the staff piece was meant to be inserted on his left arm. But the way the blades were currently sitting, doing this would cause the blades to be useless. Omen searched the shaft, locating another set of runic locks. The blades slid up the shaft, locking into place at the end. Now the shaft could be lashed to Omen’s gauntlet, giving him a pair of dark metal claws which extended from his left hand. These blades, while much smaller than the blade extending from his right arm, could also be swung much quicker, and with greater precision. Omen moved around for several minutes, testing his own ability to manipulate his weapon. The blades hung heavily on his arms at first, but over time Omen became accustomed to the weight. He practiced for awhile, knowing that his ability to fight with his chosen weapons would likely be tested. In order to stand against the denizens of Hell, Omen would have to do more than look good wearing his blades. He would have to use every bit of his knowledge and skill, and even then he could potentially fail.

Knowing this, Omen took the time to train himself on every aspect of his new weapon and armor. He disassembled and re-assembled the weapon multiple times, as he was once trained to do in the Army. By becoming so familiar with his weapon that he could piece it together in seconds, Omen knew he would save himself time in combat. The weapon was designed to be used in several forms in order to deal with various forms of combat. But in order to do that, Omen would have to be capable of quickly transferring from one style to the next. This would not be accomplishable if it took Omen five minutes to break down the weapon and ready himself. That thought continued to push Omen to seek the full extent of his weapon’s capability.

Omen located a length of chain, and immediately was able to connect it to his armor. This chain was another piece of his weapon design brought to life, the ability to have some range added to his attacks. But doing so was also extremely dangerous, as the chain connected to the end of the shaft with the large blade on it as well. Now this blade, which also was the top of a scythe, could be thrown as a projectile, and retrieved by yanking the chain. Perfecting this style would be hard, as the slightest miscalculation could send the same edged death toward Omen’s head. But once mastered, this additional style would be extremely difficult to counter, and a welcome addition to Omen’s arsenal. But Omen actually found other combinations, which had been added without his specification. The same length of chain that could be attached to his arm could also be attached to the end of the staff that had fallen off when the weapon split into pieces. This gave Omen a staff to fight with that had a chain attached to it, swinging around a massive scythe blade. This added to the control of the scythe blade, as the staff acted like a control lever for the chain that was attached to it. Omen practiced this new style for a time, wondering why he had not considered this particular design before.

Eventually, Omen decided to appreciate the perfect design of the Ancients, and train himself on the amazingly-crafted masterwork that lie in the palms of his hands. Omen re-assembled the pieces again, and practiced with it as a complete weapon. Omen remembered when he had tried to train under Tre in Iraq, and how his ability to fight like this was criticized. After the first few swings, Omen realized why. While the weapon was not terribly heavy to hold, when swung it handled very differently. The large blade cut through the air, along with almost anything else it slashed through. A single strike required much effort in order to empower the blade enough to cut through harder substances. But the momentum of the blade could also create energy. Omen found that as he was able to swing the blade in an arc, moving forward with the momentum of the blade, the swinging blade became light as air. For as long as the blade continued it’s momentum, even the speed of Omen’s movements was increased. The added weight and momentum propelled Omen further forward, increasing the distance his steps could cover as he manipulated the blade. This speed and change in movement stopped as suddenly as the momentum was lost, or in whatever strike Omen stopped moving. The end of this increasing flow of energy was found to be more powerful than any strike Omen had managed to muster on his own. This was the power held by the weapon when it was complete. For while Omen was faster with the weapon broken down, and had the ability to increase his range, his strongest strike could only come from this configuration.

Omen began to shed tears of joy. Truly, the weapon Omen had asked for had been given to him, he now held Hell’s Cross in his hands. Every bit of the perfect weapon he had described in Iraq had been made, and some things had been added that had not even been spoken of. The final design was so perfect that even Omen could not have believed that it was real. The designs were obviously Runes of Power, and existed in many languages. The weapon, whether together or in pieces, absorbed a small portion of Omen’s energy into itself. This caused the red hue to glow inside the runes, producing the light. But this same energy seemed to add to the weapons themselves, making the strikes more powerful. As the weapon was put together, this energy combined into a singular force. Omen fell to a knee, and thanked the Father for the Gifts he had been given. If this was the end of his journey, if he were to die inside the Ancient Pit, he would do so having seen the brilliant end to something he himself had Created in his mind. Having tested every facet of the weapon’s design, Omen was able to truly appreciate the beauty of it’s construction. This was why even Tre had been somewhat awestruck when Omen had proposed the idea for the weapon. This weapon was unlike anything before it, Hell’s Cross held a life all it’s own. Omen felt the ends of the blades when they were attached to him, almost as if they projected out from his physical body. He could feel which angles cut most appropriately, and would create the level of damage he sought. This weapon had been built specifically for Omen, and given to him exactly when he needed it most. Omen’s tears sizzled away on the hot rock as he continued to send his thanks to the Father, without Whom none of this would have been made possible.

After he finished praying, Omen decided to return to his training. He knew he had a goal, but he also knew that the road might prove to be difficult. Without being capable of defending himself, Omen would be easy prey for anything he encountered. If Omen was truly to be the warrior he had spent so long training to be in spirit, first he would have to endure a warrior’s training. Having only his body and weapon with which to instruct him, Omen spent hours practicing the manipulation of his weapon. Each piece of the weapon was used individually, and Omen tried different combinations to produce specific effects. He laughed as he swung the weapon, as happy as a kid at Christmas. This weapon was everything he had ever wanted, something truly honorable to fight with. He did not need bullets to prove how strong he could be, the work of his own body was capable enough. Now that he held the weapon he had always dreamed of, Omen felt no need to stop due to his exhaustion. Or due to the many lacerations that penetrated his armor from miscalculations as trained. Omen soon found himself unable to move, his blood running out onto the rocks underneath him. He had pushed himself so hard, and cut himself so many times, that he could no longer stand. But he continued to smile, knowing that the pain he felt would only be temporary. He was no longer on the Earth, life was different here. Omen closed his eyes, and allowed the Darkness to close in around him. When he awoke, it would be time to continue his journey...

39

Omen opened his eyes. As he had rested, time Time of regeneration had obviously passed. His wounds had closed, and the blood that had poured forth from inside him was now dried on the stone. More than simply dried, the porous rock seemed to have absorbed Omen’s blood. It now glowed slightly differently than the stone around it. Omen realized that the energy of his blood had caused this change, and was amazed by this realization. In this place, even the blood of a Human was a foreign energy, and had a substantial effect on everything around it. As Omen got back to his feet, and re-assembled his weapon, he remembered the clothes he had removed. Omen went to the rock formation where he had changed, but his clothes had vanished. In their place was a simple hooded cloak, which Omen quickly threw over his shoulders. The cloak was designed so that Omen’s weapon could be slid through a hole in the rear, so it could be strapped to his back as he walked. The hood was found to have a sort of cloth screen, which could be pulled over the front of the hood. This covered Omen’s face completely, and filtered out most of the dust in the air. Omen realized that with the screen pulled over his face, almost his entire body was now covered with armor. Unless closely inspected, Omen did not appear Human. This partial disguise would help prevent the stares of outsiders from prying too far into Omen’s progression. Omen finalized his preparations, taking a moment to thank the father for this last Gift, and began the long walk down the path to the Grand Palace.

The wide road which led to the Palace made navigation inside the Darkness simple. But while the road was direct, and the way straight and smooth, Omen’s progress was still repeatedly impeded. Massive gusts of super-heated wind blew around the Cavern, strong enough to knock Omen tumbling backwards over himself. These winds produced clouds of molten ash and sulfur, which once formed fell from the sky like rain. Omen found that the material from which his cloak and armor were made were not harmed by the fire which fell from the sky. But Omen did his best to find cover during the times when these fiery rain clouds passed overhead. For the fire that rained down from the sky did not burn out immediately, and soon the ground was covered in a wall of flame. Omen found an out-cropping of rocks, and managed to hide himself inside them. He was unable to see the progression of the storm without stepping into the inferno, and as such Omen took the time to rest his mind and meditate. Once the flames had died down, and the storm had moved on, Omen returned to the golden pathway. He had covered some of the distance between himself and the Grand Palace, but much more remained.

As he continued down the road, Omen saw a form headed towards him. Something else walked the same road, but in the opposite direction. Having not seen anything in the distance he had covered, Omen wondered where this other wandering Being might be headed. If the answer was not a place, could the reason for this Being’s movement have something to do with Omen? If so, was it for the sake of assistance, or harm? All these questions ran through Omen’s mind, but he continued forward despite his reservations. He could not hide his way to the Grand Palace. Also, if he had seen this other Being from such a distance, it was assumed that the opposite was true as well. By hiding, Omen would only show a fear of what crossed his path, and that would be seen as an immediate weakness. Thus he proudly continued forward, even as the form of the other Being became clear. It was not Human, Omen recognized the shape as distinctly Dra’Gaari in nature. The lizard-like scales, the massive scaled wings, the thick armor common to the Royal Guards. This was obviously one of the generations of Dra’Gaari that had existed before Omen had interacted with them. But the inverted pentagram which emblazoned the armor of the Being that approached Omen was undeniably the same. This was a Royal Guard that approached Omen, but whose Royal Guard?

As the two came together on the road, Omen was finally able to discern the dimensions of what he had encountered. Standing at least eight feet tall, the massive Dra’Gaari showed all the signs of being well-respected. His armor was clean and polished, and had many small inscriptions which Omen had not seen on other guards. Obviously, this was not simply a guard, but someone of respect inside their community. But this only raised more questions in Omen’s mind. For the leaders and strong warrior inside a group rarely deal with rumors and minor occurrences themselves. Based on this, why would a warrior of such high regard be out alone in the Darkness, far away from the Cities of the Pit? As Omen stared up at the massive frame that stood before him, he wondered if the finely-crafted armor had any weaknesses. It’s design was so perfect that it left no hole for a blade to penetrate, even as the massive Dra’Gaari turned his body. Even the tail was armored, with spikes that projected out from the tip. Omen hoped that whatever the reason for his exodus to this place that it was not for the sake of harming Omen. Despite all his recent training, Omen was unsure if he was ready for a fight of such obvious magnitude.

Omen saluted, his only known method of showing respect. “Hail to the Dark Father.” The only response was an intent stare. Omen tried again, using his hands to point at the things which he spoke of. “My name is Omen Cross. I am on a quest to reach the Grand Palace. Is there any assistance you could provide in this undertaking?” Still, the same agitated stare. Omen thought to himself for a moment, then came to a realization. In the time which he was currently, the language he was speaking had not yet been invented. Omen’s words must sound like a jumbled mess, and meant absolutely nothing. The agitable look on the face of the Dra’Gaari showed his failure to understand Omen’s words. Speaking would not fix this problem, unless Omen magically learned an ancient language. But this obviously was not happening, so another way to communicate would have to be found.

A thought entered Omen’s mind. But it was nothing that he understood, and Omen questioned the source of the thought. Was the answer as simple as that? Omen reached his left hand out in front of him, holding it in place there. The Dra’Gaari walked forward, and placed his clawed hand over Omen’s. Easily enveloping his entire hand, Omen felt an energy pass through the physical connection they had made. This energy passed through Omen’s body, settling in his mind for a time. Then, it exited the same way it had entered, and Omen felt no lasting effect on himself. The Dra’Gaari released his grip on Omen’s hand, and stepped back.

“Greeting Omen Cross. Thanks to the energy you just felt, I now understand your mind. I speak your language, and understand the task before you. What questions would you ask me, before you continue on to the Grand Palace?”

Omen was shocked at this amazing turn of events. Was this an individual Gift, or were most of the denizens of Hell capable of this? Would simply coming into contact with each Demon he encountered allow Omen to speak with them casually? Not wanting to take this risk, Omen pondered what questions to ask. It would not be prevalent to his own safety to allow multiple Demons access to the reasons for his journey. Given such an excellent opportunity, Omen did not want to squander it. But aside from all the questions about what lie ahead of him, Omen also wondered at the nature of the Being in front of him. Having encountered Dra’Gaari on multiple occasions, Omen had always wondered at their history, and their origins as a species. But not all these questions needed to be asked in this moment. Omen had to prioritize, and select which questions would most benefit him on his quest.

“Greetings. By what name might I refer to you?”

“My name is Dra’Naa’Zorian.”

“Thank you for taking the time to converse with me Dra’Naa’Zorian. Based on your individual form as well as your name, I take it you are from the race I know as the Dra’Gaari. Is this assumption correct, or am I misinformed?”

“You are correct. Based on what I have seen in your mind, the one you encountered was a descendant of mine, one who lives after I am gone from Existence. Though the families of the King and Queen have changed from the way in which i know them, the faces of my kind are undeniable. What you know is the Kingdom which I serve, but in a different time than I know of it. Many things have changed, but our overall civilization has not. We still seem to maintain our Original Task of honorable service to the Army, and our strength has not waned over the generations. Our societal dignity and Honor has been upheld, and our traditions are almost all still intact. I saw all this in the various visions you have had of your travels to the Home of the Dra’Gaari, in the way they handle themselves. Seeing this, while it is confusing, makes me proud of my people. For even after generations of service, we still maintain high levels of respect inside the Pit. Our shields guard all of the most prominent positions, and our blades strike down those that refuse the Will of the Darkness. Even in your time this fact remains, and that gives me cause for celebration. I now know that, as long as we continue as we have, our children’s children will know our same Honor. This fact alone is enough of a reason to answer any question you ask me, so long as it does not interfere with my orders.”

The mention of orders reminded Omen of his earlier concerns. “You say you are under orders. If you are able to answer, might I inquire as to the nature of what brings you out to this desolate corner of the Pit? There is little out this way but sulfur and ash, and you seem to be a Dra’Gaari of high regard.”

“To answer that question, I believe this very encounter may be the reason. Several cycles ago, as I say conversing with my kin, I received the internal order. To us, who are connected to the Will we serve, orders are felt as an overwhelming urge to perform a certain action. But it takes time and focus to discern the exact specifications of one’s orders. With training, we learn to attune ourselves to the Will, and it becomes easier to understand the orders that are given. Those like myself, who have become strong in our training, can interpret orders within a matter of what you would call hours. I knew two cycles prior to this moment that I was meant to walk in this direction, and that a random encounter would help me to understand the reason for my being there. That was all the push needed to bring me to this place, as fighting against our orders causes us internal pain. The only interaction I have had since departing from my Home is with you now, and that is why I believe you are the reason I am here.”

Omen took a knee, and saluted. “If that is the case, and you were sent solely to provide me guidance, then you have my thanks and respect Dra’Naa’Zorian.” Omen stood again, and thought for a moment. “For I would assume that you were told to provide me no more than that, am I correct?”

Sra’Naa’Zorian looked puzzled. “You are, actually. It...surprises me that you are aware that I cannot aid you in any way other than to provide information.”

Omen turned his head, and cocked a sly smile. “It shouldn’t. I am on a mission, as you have seen. This task is mine to undertake, though I am unsure of what methods I might use to complete it. However, your broad wingspan would give me the same assistance that I was told would not avail me, the ability to fly over everything between here and the Grand Palace. This is not how I am meant to undertake this mission, and thus having you around would allow for an unnecessary advantage. We both know the Father does not allow for such things, you are given what you require to continue.”

Dra’Naa’Zorian cracked a smile of his own. “Now I understand why you were brought here. Humans are not known for their will to push past their fears and pain to find what lies beyond. In being here, you have been Chosen for much more. But only through reaching your destination will you attain it. The strength you show in your character is what separates you from the others. All I have seen in your mind has proven this. Also, I have seen your Judgment. To be spoken of so highly by the Kings of Hell is a rarity, for rarely do Humans impress them. It is my firm belief that you will manage to evade death, and reach the Grand Palace.”

Omen’s face twisted sharply. “Death? What things exist here that would seek to do me harm?”

Dra’Naa’Zorian used his arm to make a wide arc over the span of the Pit in front of them. “More than you could ever know. You have seen the storms that rain fire down from the sky, and you have seen the harsh terrain. But there is much that you have yet to encounter personally, and many of those things would seek your demise. You fail to understand Omen, if inspected closely, you exude the living energy. It is faint, for the Father has hidden it well. But those with the appropriate understanding would easily know you to be something other than a resident of Hell. For the lesser Demons, this would be enough to cause them to attack you, as they sought your living blood. The flowing energy of the living is a rarity in this place, and is treasured like a fine wine. As easily as you could be killed and sucked dry, you could easily be imprisoned, and farmed for your living blood. Unlike myself, the others of this time have no knowledge of you, and would follow their usual habits. If caught, you would be in serious danger of losing your weapon, your freedom, and your life. All these things would seriously impede your journey, or end it entirely. But these are not the only dangers you face. Follow me, and I will explain further.”

Omen walked behind Dra’Naa’Zorian down the road for several minutes. Then, they walked away from the path, and towards the top of a cluster of rocks that stood to the left of the road. Once they arrived, Omen could see far into the distance again. Whereas the road was placed into the lowest parts of the ground, and therefore massive rock walls blocked all ability to see, from here Omen could stare deep into the Pit. He saw the brilliance of the Grand Palace in the distance. Before that, a massive City was carved into the path. The road lead straight to a large wall, obviously the Front Gate of this City. The only way to reach the Grand Palace was to go through the city. As soon as Omen saw this reality, and the amount of guards that patrolled the rest of the Walls around the City, Omen knew his road would be difficult. How would he manage to slip past the guards? Perhaps Dra’Naa’Zorian could be of assistance in this matter, and send a message forward to his brethren. But no, his only ability to assist was informational. But perhaps he knew of someone else that might be of assistance in passing through the Gate.

As they reached the highest point of the rocks, Dra’Naa’Zorian turned back toward Omen. “From here, you now see additional hazards. But the ones you see are only a piece of the true hazard you face. For you fail to take notice of the Rivers.”

Omen looked around the Cavern. There were several Rivers, which flowed in and out of various areas in the Pit. His instruction continued. “These Rivers are not made of simple water, but are the flowing energies of the rotting dead, continuously spinning in circles, until at which point they fail to be able to distinguish themselves as an individual, and their soul’s energy dissipates into the River. Many of the souls that flow down these Rivers are still somewhat tied to their Humanity, but only in the most vile of ways. They seek only release from their misery, and to drag anyone they can down with them. Do not stare into the eyes of the Spirits that flow down the Rivers. They will seek to control your mind, and force you down into the depths. If you sink too far into the River, you will not surface. Your soul will become trapped in the same flow, and you will be just another inhabitant of the River.”

Dra’Naa’Zorian’s face stiffened, and he pointed to the Gate Omen had been staring at. “But the Rivers can be easily managed, simply by avoiding them. This is not the case with the City, the name of which exists in a language your tongue cannot pronounce. The dangers you will face in the City are too many to count. As we discussed, your simple discovery as a living Human by the wrong Demons could destroy all that you have sought to learn. But even attempting to pass through the Gates is difficult. This is not your Earth Omen, and the rules here are different. Rarely in the world we know is a Human, soul or otherwise, found wandering the Pit alone. We as Dra’Gaari are trained to notice these things. If you try to enter alone, the guards will surely accost you. If arrested, you will be questioned, and tortured until you provide answers that are suitable. You will suffer in ways your Human body can barely comprehend, and it will kill you. It will only be in your death that you are discovered to be alive at all, unless you admit the truth to them. If you admit the truth, then you face the previously discussed problems.

But there is more. The City you see before you is managed by one that you know. The Kingdom you see, which stands apart from the Grand Palace, was the first of it’s kind. Prior to the existence of the City, the Palace managed the affairs of the Pit. It was only after massive arguments about the efficency of a properly managed society, and the squabbling between siblings, that one of the First Children left the Grand Palace, and decided to rule his own City. This decision was not contested, as the Ruler was a direct descendant of the Father, and the City was managed as beautifully as it had been spoken of. What you see in front of you is the result of that, the City Below the Palace. As you can see, it is an amazing thing, full of moving parts that functionalize the duties of Hell. But based on what I have seen in your mind, this will not last. For the Child that left his Father’s side, and strove for his own control, will also be the one to make war against the Grand Palace. For as has been proven, Lust is never satiated, and his appetites grow with each passing cycle.”

Omen ckenched his fists. “Lust? You mean Asmodeus, or Set?”

“Those are Human names, as your kind attempts to understand those that exist outside of their Earth. To us, he is known only by the name of his associated emotion, but mostly in respect as a King. He is the Secondborn of the Pit, born in the Darkest of Lust. But the one you know does not yet exist. For now, Lust maintains his acceptance of the Father’s control, and is happy to manage his own City. Thus he is still revered and respected by the Demons under his command, and they will carry out any order given. This includes the acquisition of a passing Human, should he get word of your presence in his Kingdom.”

Omen looked puzzled. “But even if I was dragged in to his chambers, I seek no harm against him. I’m sure that even Lust could be convinced to allow me to pass, as my quest is a mission given by the Father.”

“That might be true if you were anyone other than yourself. But I have seen into your history. You have dealt with Lust on more than one occasion, and have been the cause of the failure of several of his plans. If you were discovered, and brought to him, he would do exactly as I have. In doing so, he would know everything about you, including all your various confrontations. Even you admit to yourself that Lust has a problem with you. If he became aware of these issues, do you think anything would stop him from quenching his Lust for Vengeance, and tearing you to pieces?”

Omen’s eyes grew wide. Suddenly, the reality of his situation struck him like a speeding train. The only way to the Grand Palace was through a City whose King was Omen’s greatest adversary, the same rotten Spirit who had caused so much damage in the lives of his friends and family. But while Omen had evaded all of Asmodeus’ attacks in the past, this was not Earth. Inside Hell, the Power of Asmodeus would be unimaginably strong. If found, Omen would stand little chance against such strength. He would be tortured to death, but it would be dragged out over an extremely long span of time. Every battle he had ever waged against Asmodeus to help Jamie, his mother, and himself, would be paid back in full. Omen was sure he would be locked away in a place where even Horus would be unable to reach him. If that happened, Omen knew he would not only fail, but be trapped forever as Asmodeus’ prisoner. If Omen was discovered by anyone in the City, and not immediately shuffled away to be farmed for his blood, he would more than likely become a toy for Asmodeus. This could not be allowed, but there was no other way to the Grand Palace. Omen would have to walk right through his enemy’s Home in order to reach his Father.

Omen turned back to Dra’Naa’Zorian. “The information you have provided me has been truly enlightening. Without it, I might easily have fallen right into enemy hands. But considering everything you have said, I see no way for me to make it inside the Gates. Have you any advice on a method I might use, or do you know of anyone that does?”

“Your path has been shown to me, that I might then give it to you. Exactly one hour to your understanding after the third cycle to pass, approach the Walls of the City. Seek out the Fallen Vassago, he is your only hope of entering the City.”

Omen nodded. “I understand. Thank you for all the guidance you have provided me Dra’Naa’Zorian. I have the same level of respect for you that I have for your descendant, the one you saw me do battle with in my memories. One is just as honorable in their service as the other, you both do your Race proud.” Omen turned to climb down from the rocks, but suddenly felt clawed hands underneath his armpits. Omen was lifted off the ground, and carried through the air. He was released in the exact place on the road in which he and Dra’Naa’Zorian had first interacted. Omen looked up, and watched his newest acquaintance fly off. Omen wondered how much of this interaction Dra’Naa’Zorian would share with the rest of his kind. Through Omen, a glimpse of his own future had been seen. If he told the rest of the Dra’Gaari, they would be better prepared for the chaos that was to come, when Lust finally attempted to usurp the Grand Kingdom. But the story of a wandering Human in the Pit would be hard to believe, and Dra’Naa’Zorian might be labeled as some insane heretic. Worse still, some of his own might be serving a double-duty, providing information to Asmodeus. If this happened, Asmodeus would become aware that his plans were known, and would adjust his strategies. This could end up changing the entire spectrum of the damage caused by the war, and could easily cause the death of thousands of Dra’Gaari. Omen kew inside that Dra’Naa’Zorian would only reveal what had happened if he felt it necessary for the overall safety of his people, and the continuation of their species and it’s duties. As Dra’Naa’Zorian disappeared into the sky, Omen hoped the story would at least stay in his family. So that one day, his descendant Dra’Naa would understand the Human that stood in front of him on the day they faced each other.

Omen continued on, walking the path that had been laid before him. Few were seen during the journey, and the ground was mostly barren rock with no habitation. The road remained the only distinct feature, until Omen came upon the River. The path connected to a bridge, which spanned the massive River. On the opposite bank, Omen saw that the road continued on. Omen made his way toward the bridge, which passed very close to the water’s edge. The bridge itself seemed only to float just above the River, as if the River was attempting to rip the bridge down. As Omen took his first step onto the bridge, he looked down into the waters below. His eyes grew wide as he saw the spirits floating down the River. As he looked at them, the attention of the spirits became focused on Omen. They began to cry out to him, begging for his assistance. they were tortured, in miserable pain, and wished to be set free. Omen ignored their cries, and began crossing the bridge. As the bank where he had started drew further away, the voices of the spirits became louder. As Omen drew near the center of the River, his ears felt as if they would explode from the screams of torment. He continued forward, making a point not to look into the water beneath him. All slowing down would produce is a greater chance that he might not make it across the river.

Once Omen completed his journey across the bridge, he walked a short distance away from the River. He found a cluster of stones to sit down on in relative comfort, and turned back to stare at the River. Omen had felt the pull in his mind the entire walk across the bridge. The spirits called out to him, they believed he belonged there with them. They said he was as worthless and rotten inside as they were, and no amount of effort to the contrary would change that. The spirits claimed that despite his efforts, someday Omen would end up floating in this River anyway. As he had crossed, Omen had seen many images in his mind. All of the times when he had been selfish, and other people had been hurt. These were the parts of him that belonged in the River, and the reasons for the spirits’ ability to pull on him so hard. Omen had to fight hard to maintain his own sanity, and at times became unsure of his own Honor. But he had continued to deny the spirits of the River their meal, and now his mind was clear again. Everything he had seen was the attack of the spirits of the River, attempting to drag him down with them for all eternity. But as omen turned to leave, he picked up a small rock.

Omen called out to the River, “I do not belong here, for the parts of me you speak of do not define who I am. You exist here because the whole of you all was rotten and worthless. I am not like you, because I strive to be something more through my own effort. I will never float down your Vile River, for my soul is defined by something real. My service to the Father has made me more than you ever were, and that is why you will never hold me in your grasp.”

Omen tossed the rock into the River, watching the energy of the spirits swirl around it, then realize the rock was of no value and dissipate again. Omen realized in that moment that the minds of the spirits that floated down the River were like that of carnivorous fish. The only difference was the remnants of their Humanity, and their ability to speak as Humans do. They were like swarms of anglerfish, with the pretty light being their cries for help and understanding. But the other aspect of their attack was mental, assaulting the vileness that exists in one’s past, through the memories they tap into. Both of these were tools used to lure the victim into the water, where they can be attacked by all the spirits at once, and drug down into the depths of the River. It was a clever tactic, but Omen’s mind had been strong enough to fight through it. As he continued on, Omen hoped he would not have to cross the River again. The mental assault had almost been enough to drive him into the River, his life had literally almost been lost. And he was still quite far away from his goal, with only harsher challenges ahead. Omen knew he would have to muster up every ounce of his courage to face what lied ahead.

Time passed, and Omen continued to walk. The Time of Regeneration brought new spring to Omen’s step each time his body healed, and his steps quickened to match it. As he walked, Omen continued to go over his recent conversation. At the rate he was approaching the City, arriving by the third cycle would not be a problem. The problem lie in keeping an accurate measure of time once he did arrive. Dra’Naa’Zorian was extremely clear in his instructions to Omen. He was only to approach the Gate one hour after the passing of the third cycle. Omen remembered his time spent guarding Gates in Iraq. The process was designed to move quickly, and to keep the space in front free from gatherings of those waiting to get inside. Based on this, Omen’s chance to encounter Vassago was extremely low. The timing would have to be perfect, to ensure that everything happened accordingly. He thought over several methods by which he might keep accurate track of the passage of an hour. There were no clocks, and Omen had no watch to give the time to him. He would have to count out the hour after the Time of Regeneration in order for it to be accurate.

Omen did the math, at sixty seconds per minute, counting out the sixty minutes in an hour would equal a total count of 3,600. But Omen knew that trying to count that high in one shot held a serious hazard. If he miscounted once, how would he ever get back on track? The entire hour’s count would be lost, and Omen’s plan would be ruined. Omen considered counting smaller numbers, and using his fingers to maintain certain “stages of progression” in the counting. For each minute, a finger was used. But Omen knew he would run out of fingers quickly. Using his fingers would require the count per finger to equal 360. This could easily cause the same problem, especially if Omen’s hands became necessary for other reasons. This meant that using his hands to manage the counting would not work, it would lead him to lose count by the end. He continued to walk, trying to think of new methods. This hour had to be counted properly, or it could cost Omen everything.

Omen was thinking so hard that he did not notice the rock he tripped over. As he tumbled to the ground, Omen had an idea. Rocks, the most plentiful thing in the area, would solve his problem. All he would have to do is acquire enough of them for a count to be maintained. As he continued on, Omen stopped several times to pick up small rocks. He placed the rocks inside a pocket in the cloak, and continued on his journey. He didn’t want to carry too much excess weight, nor did he want the count to be too complicated. By his count, fourteen rocks was enough, and should allow him to keep an accurate count without too much complication. He continued on, now safe in the knowledge that he was as prepared as he could be. Now he would have to rely on the Father’s hand to guide his steps toward Vassago, and his way inside the City.

40

Omen was exhausted. He had been walking for what had to be considered days worth of his own time, taking only short breaks to rest in between. But as each cycle passed, Omen found the cycles were longer than his own understood 24-hour day. But as each cycle passed, Omen found he was doing more than just healing from the day’s struggles. The things that caused the damage seemed to become less strenuous. As the Time of Regeneration passed each day, Omen found that he had become stronger. His legs now moved faster, his steps carrying him across greater distances without discomfort. By the passage of the second cycle, Omen was able to easily run down the road, even with all the weight he was carrying. Each day Omen took time to practice with his weapon, so that his arms would grow stronger as well. As Omen finally began to approach the Gates of the City, he knew that he had completed his task, and arrived before the start of the third cycle.

Omen found a spot several hundred meters from the Gates and sat down. He reached into the pocket on his cloak, and removed the fourteen small rocks he had collected. He arranged them in two piles. The pile on the left had five rocks, and the pile on the right had nine. Once the piles of rocks were arranged accordingly, Omen closed his eyes and meditated. He would not be able to fall asleep, or he would miss the exact second at which the Time of Regeneration happened. In order to count out the exact hour, he had to be awake the second it started. As Omen meditated, he prayed for the strength and focus to succeed in his task. Omen was well aware that nothing he had done previously would compare to this challenge. It would take every ounce of his courage, skill, training, and just a bit of luck to succeed. But, like all things, Omen’s new challenge was going to start with numbers. Three-thousand, six hundred numbers stood between Omen and the Gate, and failing to count any of them might lead to his death. But Omen had concocted a plan during his walk to the City, and was as prepared for this as possible.

As the time grew closer for Omen’s count to begin, He took several minutes to look at the City. Not much could be seen, for the Wall in front of it looked to be almost fifty feet tall, Behind it, Omen could only see the Tower, rising high above the homes carved into the stone. This Tower was the Home of Lust, and the one place Omen had to avoid. As he continued to sit, he watched the operation of the Gate. Beings of many shape and size were allowed entry, but all had to maintain a specific size. Every Being that drew near the Gates, whether Demon or Dragon, shrunk down to no more than around eight feet tall. The guards stood taller than that, Omen had guaged their height at around ten feet. He realized quickly that this was a method of control by which the forms of the City’s residents were kept in check, so that large Dragons and great Beasts were not damaging the City. But despite watching for them, Omen had seen no Humans pass through the Gate. Omen wondered, as it was so far in the past, how few true servants there were in the Pit representing Humanity. Omen hoped the number was high enough at least that his presence would not be a mystery to the residents of the City.

Omen saw the lights change in the City. He felt the wave of energy flood over him, signaling the Time of Regeneration. Omen immediately stared counting in his head, using a military-style count to keep the numbers passing correctly. Thousand, one. Thousand, two. Omen counted all the way to sixty, then picked up a rock with his right hand. The count started over again, as Omen continued to pick up rocks. Once Omen had nine rocks in his right hand, and his count reached sixty, he dropped all the rocks he was holding, and picked up a rock with his left hand. This was Omen’s plan. He counted each minute individually, marked the minutes with rocks in his right hand, and the passage of each ten minutes with a rock in his left. Omen stayed focused as he continued to count time with the rocks he had gathered. Once Omen was holding all the rocks he had gathered, having five in his left hand and nine in his right, he stood up from where he had been sitting. When Omen’s count reached sixty, the rocks fell from both of his hands. He turned and walked towards the Gate, having successfully managed to count out the passage of an hour of time.

As he approached, Omen saw a crowd of various Beings shuffling inside the Gate. Omen did his best to move with them, attempting to be seen as part of the group as they moved. As he walked, Omen tried to keep his energy calm and stable. For Fear is an emotion that feeds many Demons, and showing any signs of it would be like shooting up a flare. It would reach them as scent reaches the Human nose, and they would be drawn to the source of the smell of Fear. This would break Omen’s secrecy almost immediately, increasing the possibility of the terrible consequences he had been forewarned of. In order to maintain his disguise, his energy had to be compressed, so it could barely be seen at all. This was strenuous at first, but Omen had prepared for this as well. He used deep breaths to maintain his hold on his own energy, holding it as small as the size of a pea. The crowd Omen moved with began to pass through the Gate, and he saw the City opened up in front of him. Omen moved forward, wondering where he might find Vassago.

“You there, the short one in the cloak and armor.”

Omen turned around, and saw one of the guards staring straight at him. Obviously he was the one being spoken to. But as he moved back towards the guard who had summoned him, knowing full well that running was not an option, he wondered how he had understood the guard’s words. His language didn’t exist in this time, nor was a common tongue spoken in the Pit. How had this guard spoken to him in his own language, so well that he knew he was the one called upon?

Take heart Omen, you are doing quite well thus far. The last time you slept, I made some adjustments to you. For you had completed the first part of your Trial, and found a way to communicate with a Being that did not speak your language. But an inability to communicate effectively would lead to your quick demise in this place. The enchantment I have placed on your not only allows you to understand what is spoken, but also allows you to respond as you are used to without needing to adjust the language. The sounds that are produced will mimic the common tongue of the Demons, and thus be understood by all. Enjoy this new Gift Omen, you have many challenges ahead of you...

Omen tried to keep his emotions under control as he stood in front of the guard. The guard looked him over, taking note of every detail about Omen. “Remove your mask, and state your business for entering the City.” Omen pulled down the hood as instructed, and the guard began to reach for his weapon. “A Human? An unaccompanied Human, wandering around outside the City? You better explain what brings you to this City quickly, unless you would rather visit the Royal Torture Chamber instead.”

Omen stammered over his words a bit a first, but managed to keep his composure. “My..my name is Omen Cross, and I was sent here, to arrive at this exact time, and seek out the one called Vassago.”

“Vassago? I know of him. What business does a Human have with him? Your kind is known only to exist in torture, or in the service of your Masters. Humans are not known to wander around outside the City alone, nor to approach this Gate by themselves. Tell me of the business you have with Vassago, and why you act so much differently than the rest of your kind. Also explain the weapon and armor you possess, and where you obtained it.”

Omen knew he was caught. If he tried to lie, his raging emotions would give him away. If he told the truth, he would be arrested almost immediately, and taken to the King. But before another word could escape Omen’s mouth, he was struck on his right side. Omen flew through the air, landing in a crumpled heap on the ground. As he looked up, he saw that his assailant was obviously one of the Fallen. His dingy white wings made this fact obvious, though they appeared to be held down in some way, making them seem smaller than they were.

“YOU ARE LATE HUMAN!!” His assailant turned toward the guard. Excuse this Human, he was part of a bet between myself and Belphegor. Due to the nature of the bet, he was forced to walk alone until he reached the Gate, which should have been an hour ago. But you’re late, as usual.”

Lightning crackled from the fingers of the one who had assaulted Omen. Omen’s body twisted and contorted, and he yelped in pain. As the pain subsided, Omen saw several of the various passerbys laughing at him. Obviously, this kind of treatment towards Humans was common, and so Omen decided to play along. He had no idea who it was that attacked him, but they seemed to know of him. Omen picked himself up off the ground, but bowed his head in a sign of service and respect. For now, he would have to be seen as nothing more than a plaything, simply to pass through the Gate.

“Now get moving Human, lest you be punished further. You have many tasks to complete, and because of your tardiness now all will be more difficult. And put your mask back on, hide the weakness of your Humanity!”

Omen complied, pulling the hood back over his head. He moved forward, watching the movements of the guard. As Omen was allowed to pass, he saw that the guards had given up their arguments. Omen to them was no more than a slave, and barely worthy of notice at all. He kept his head down, following the steps of the one who had demanded it. As the Gates closed behind them, they moved through the mass of the City. The structures Omen had seen from a distance were much larger than he had envisioned them. Some of the smaller dwelling were carved into the rock, while the larger buildings were expanded beyond that. But little could be seen of the individual dwellings, due to a lack of ways to see inside the rock walls. Each house had at least one window, though most were sealed with a thick metal window. The window usually sat directly beside the center of each building. Omen continued to walk through the City, wondering what beautiful things lie inside each home. Omen did not want them for himself, but was interested in seeing the treasures that were collected in Hell. Only in understanding them could he know how life was lived in this place. But the design of the dwellings did not allow this, nothing inside the houses could be seen.

They stopped. In a low voice, the Fallen leading Omen finally spoke directly to him, rather than at him. “I’m glad that worked, it could have been much worse. Sorry about the abuse, but it diverted the attention away from who you were. I am the one you seek, but I seek you as well. Just as you were told in advance a name which would help you, I saw an image of a bolted star. The same image is emblazoned on your armor. The moment I saw it, I knew you were the one I was looking for. Based on my orders, I am to show you hospitality for the evening, as well as to lead the way through the North Gate. For it will be much easier for us to maneuver during the times when these things are common, so that you are not noticed. Once we reach the Grand Palace, I will have fulfilled my duty. But I am quite interested in the Human that stands before me. Your energy is much different than I am used to seeing from your kind. Come Omen Cross, let us make our way to my Home, that we might sit and talk.”

Omen saluted. “It is a pleasure to meet you Vassago. But just call me Omen, everyone does.”

The two made their way through the city. At times, it seemed as if Vassago was testing Omen, moving extremely quickly and darting around corners. But in addition to the handshake they had shared, Omen had felt his energy. Omen kept relative track of Vassago as he moved, using his own routes to keep pace. He took care not to bump into the others as they moved through the City, not wanting to start any problems. Omen had to admit, this was a great way to get a cross town. Soon they had covered a great distance. Omen realized that the ground itself went downward in this area of the Pit. The stones he had seen in the distance were the tallest of these, while the rest existed underneath. This allowed for varying heights of dwelling, some above the surface and others below it. As the ground dipped further, Omen saw a distinct difference in the nature of the Beings that existed in the different places. The upper level, near the Front Gate, was only the level that contained the markets and necessary factories. What Omen had originally seen as Homes were actually the windows of various markets, which simply were not open at the time. They progressed downward, and the landscape changed drastically.

The heat rose the further down they went. The air became a bit hard to breathe, but Omen found ways to adjust. Vassago finally came to a stop, and Omen met him shortly thereafter. He spent a minute catching his breath, fighting hard to suck in the heated air. He found that it became necessary to use the force of his nostrils to breathe more, in order to stop himself from coughing. Vassago just stood there, neither being critical nor offering assistance. After a minute or so, Omen was able to get his breathing back under control, and stood up to face Vassago. They continued on, but Vassago slowed his pace. Obviously the first part of the journey had been a test of Omen’s capability, and now they would progress on into the Pit.

“Vassago, how long have you been here?”

Though he continued to walk, Vassago stared towards the roof of the Cavern. “It has been longer than I care to measure since I have known the beauty of sea and sky. Much longer still since I was Home, with my beloved Uriel.”

“Uriel, was she your wife?”

“Humans do not properly understand the definition of love, nor does your concept of marriage define our relationship. We shared combat, but our bond was much deeper. We lived in the same residence, and had the option of Procreation. But this process is not the same as Human reproduction, and requires more energy to produce. We never produced children, due to the process of the Fall.”

Omen smiled. This topic had always been an issue of major contestation amongst varying religions, as even to whether or not it had happened. “Vassago, can you tell me about the Fall?”

“I can, and I may. But before that happens, I have some questions of my own. But that can wait. We are here.”

Omen looked ahead, and saw a cluster of dwellings. Each one sat out over a massive cliff, which was seen to go even deeper into the Cavern. The light from past the edge of the cliff made it known how hot the core of the Cavern was, as the light reached all the way to the surface. Each dwelling sat back a distance from the edge, obviously allowing for the collapse of layers of rock. They made their way toward one of the Homes, and Vassago dashed forward. As Omen walked toward him, he watched in wonder as Vassago opened his door. Vassago placed his hand over a design carved into the rock, and spoke words that Omen could not hear. The rune glowed, and a slab of rock slid sideways, revealing a doorway. Vassago stepped inside, and his Home seemed to come to life at his presence. The house lit up in various places behind Vassago as he motioned for Omen to enter. Once Omen had entered the dwelling, the slab of rock slid closed, sealing them both inside. Omen sat his weapon on the wall next to the door, hanging his cloak on top of it.

Vassago’s house was less majestic than Omen had imagined. There was an area for storage, and an area that had chairs for sitting in, one of them obviously being Vassago’s personal chair. Various crystals were scattered around, each one having a pedestal on which it sat. The light of the fires, which burned just brightly enough to light up the room, made each crystal glow in brilliant spectrums of color. But there was little else to be found inside the home. Vassago sat in his chair, and offered another for Omen. Omen sat down, finding the unusual chair to be quite comfortable. Omen dared not question what material had been found to cover the metal, as Omen had seen no animals.

“So, now that we are here, and you are not as exposed, who exactly are you Omen? What do I need to know about the “parcel” I was supposed to escort through the City?”

Omen sighed. “I fear your task to assist me may not be a pleasant experience for either one of us, but not due to either of our actions.”

Vassago leaned forward. “And why is that? Does it have to do with that symbol on your chest, the thing I was sent to retrieve?”

Omen ran his hand over the cool metal of his armor. “This armor was made for me, not by me. The symbol is one that was given to me to follow, a symbol of spiritual reference in the place I come from.”

Vassago leaned in closer, staring at the symbol on Omen’s chest. “I have seen much of the Humans that exist on the Earth. I do not recognize any sect that follows this symbol, nor any worshiped deity. What does this symbol represent? Who do you serve Human?”

Omen saluted. “I serve the Dark Father, the One and Only. The Will that exists inside all things born out of Darkness, as well as all those cast into Darkness.”

Vassago nodded. “Interesting. You do not subscribe to any current set of Human values, and you wear a symbol that is not recognized. But you also understand the Dark Father, something few of your kind are capable of. What is it that makes you, and that symbol, so special?”

Omen took a deep breath, and began recounting his own tale. He stood up from the chair, finding it easier to speak as he paced back and forth. Omen used his hands for varying forms of emphasis, especially as it pertained to his feelings of rage and Hatred. Vassago seem enthralled by Omen’s tale, listening intently to every word. Omen tried to leave out the meaningless details of his Human problems, and focus on his spiritual journey. Once he had reached the point at which he was at the Front Gate, Omen sat back down. Vassago seemed eager to respond to all that he had heard, and Omen was ready to let him.

“So, allow me to summarize everything you just told me, and make sure I have all the pertinent facts straight. You’re from the future, and you were brought here by the Firstborn as some sort of Trial. You were forced to walk when you have flown before, so that you might encounter those you were meant to along the way. You have no idea as to the reasons for you being brought here, save for the knowledge that you have to reach the Grand Palace. Prior to being here in this time, you were being shown the flow of Human soul energies, suspended in the fabric of space and time. Is that correct?”

“Yes, all those things are exact statements.”

“This is quite the interesting trial for any Human. It required much energy for you to be projected this completely into a time that is not your own, and special manipulations of the fabric of space and time. Tell me Omen, why would the Father bring you here? Even your presence in this time could seriously alter and affect the course of events for more than just yourself, and both Horus and the Father are well aware of that. What is it they want from you that would cause them to drag you this far back in time?”

Omen thought about this question, as he had wondered it many times himself. “Logically, the reason I was sent here was to see something that does not exist in my time. Much has changed in Hell between now and the time when I was last there. War ravages your landscape, and the First Family of Hell is shattered by it. Lust makes a grab for Power, holds it for a time, then is cast out from all Kingdoms, retreating into the Darkness. Other Kings rise, new Cities fill the Pit. But inside it all, a massive corruption begins. The vileness that fills the Pit, washed out of the souls of Humanity, begins to corrupt the Demons further. This place shows signs of Honor and dignity, even under the control of the same one that will someday turn against his own Father. The Kingdoms of Hell in my time exist as a necessity, to manage the flood of rotten souls that pass through. The energy creates a form of sickness amongst the Demons and Fallen, which causes them to degenerate. This gives them more cause to seek a release from the Pit, and less reason to be dignified toward one another. As all this goes on, the Power of Lust continues to grow, as he seeks the same release. Lies and half-truths permeate almost all our books, and little real faith is found. Perhaps it is not what your time requires of me, but what I require from your time.”

“Hmm. That seems like it would be a much more prevalent reason, for you to see the history you cannot find in your tomes. If your overall Knowledge is as corrupt as you say, then it would take something this severe to even begin to understand the history of the many Races that inhabit this place. Tell me Omen, what do you know of my people? What legends still live on in the stories of Humanity in your time about my kind?”

Omen thought back. Various tales still exist, but none are close to complete. They speak more in reference to your kind and their history than in actual definition. The story has caused much argument amongst Humanity over the truth in it. For many believe they know the story of the Fall, and the nature of the Fallen Angels in their tales. But I have seen enough to know that the stories are slighted. More exists inside this tale than people know, there have to be reasons for all this. A peaceful community does not suddenly explode into war inside Heaven without some kind of prior warning. And most Humans now see Fallen Angels in the same way as Demons, and provide little distinction one from another. The stories that we have are fragments at best, and I guarantee they do not do justice to your Race.”

Vassago looked puzzled. Omen explained how the story of the Fall had been adapted as a way to explain all religion, as well as the nature of God and Heaven. Vassago scoffed that any single book, let alone small references throughout a book, could even begin to contain their history. He said that much more had been lost than was expected, and the flaws in Human understanding were the cause of this. This was the case with all Human stories, which constantly changed to suit the whims of the people telling the story, that their own interests might shine through as well. The individual perspective seemed to have been used as a way for Humans to bicker over whose story was correct. But how can that be argued if none of the stories have the correct data? This was the complication that caused the biggest dispute between faiths. For if one story is true and correct, the others must be false, right? In order for a religion to maintain their highly regarded positions, they could never admit that the various stories of faiths they have warred against were just different interpretations of the same Creators, and that their wars had been wrong from the beginning. In a way, the organized religions of man had imprisoned true faith, forcing the masses to have their faith defined for them. Vassago was shocked when he heard how time and technology had driven Men away from understanding their faith, expecting that simple prayers offered to a pastor were enough to redeem all their transgressions. But his shock turned to amazement when Omen described how much larger Hell had become, and how full of souls to be tormented.

“But that’s not all. The worst, above all of it, is that some that exist down here now strive to break the Original Law, and cause the End of Humanity to come before the time.”

Vassago leapt up out of his chair, his face clenched in rage. “What do you mean, break the Original Law? The Law exists, and Humanity’s end cannot be advanced. NO ONE ARGUES THE LAW, AND NONE SHALL CONTEST IT!”

Omen sighed, “I apologize if I upset you Vassago. I speak only on the series of events that have transpired in my time, when Men and Ancients both seek to destroy the Law, attempting to write their own rules of life.”

Vassago moved over in front of Omen, and snatched him up by the cloak. Vassago held Omen suspended in the air, but Omen did not fight. “So Omen, you seem to be well-informed. Who are these vile betrayers, that seek to destroy Original Law? War already ravaged the Heavens, as well as the ancient Earth. Whose vileness is to blame for this Omen? TELL ME!”

Omen maintained his calm, knowing that the rage inside Vassago was a remnant of the Watcher he had once been, his individual connection to the Will. “The answer is not a single name, but many. On the physical Earth, Men have become so selfish that they stand on the brink of their own worldwide destruction, as they war over petty differences and control of natural resources. In the Pit, war has already ravaged the landscape, destroying the beauty that exists now in this place. Lust uses his greatest Power, his mastery over the Lies told to Mankind, to poison all world religions. Now, the priests of faith molest small children, and religious arguments have cause more unnecessary death than any other cause in Humanity. All religions have become corrupt, seeking wealth from their followers, claiming people can use money to help them into Heaven. All these things combined have pushed the Earth to a point at which few have any real faith left, the Earth stands on the brink of worldwide chaos, and more souls pour into Hell than ever. If this trend continues, no amount of effort will be able to save Humanity from it’s own destruction.”

Vassago released Omen, and went back to his chair. “My apologies. It is a function of our nature to protect the Original Law, and even now it remains a part of me.”

Omen chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Mistakes happen, and I am as offended by the situation as you are. Perhaps if my world weren’t in such chaos and discord I might not have been sent back here to seek ways to stop it.”

“True. But if you had not experienced life the way you did, you would not be the person that stands before me, recognized in all dimensions as a Being worthy of respect.”

“Thank you Vassago, I appreciate the sentiment. But I still am not sure at which point in history I am, as it pertains to the Pit Itself. Has Lust cast himself into the River yet? Has Abbadon joined the ranks of the Fallen yet, does his Tower have any place here?”

“What?! Abbadon is not Fallen, nor has he ever been. Abbadon, once Muriel, is the Master of the Gates. He is only known here as the one that returns any Demons that make their way to Earth, closing off the Gates that are created through magic. More than one of the Demons that live in this City have attempted to free themselves from the Pit’s torment, only to be forced back inside by Abbadon. As for your other question, that makes even less sense than the first. Even Lust could not be stupid enough to cast himself into that River willingly, those waters are known to be poisonous. Even in his desperation to seek a Power greater than that of Hatred and the Father, Lust would never make such a stupid mistake. He is a King, and commands Legions of his own.”

“Apparently the warnings were not heeded. From my knowledge of the passage of events, Lust casts himself into the River by choice, he is not forced. But doing so corrupts him even further. Lust refuses to control his own inner evils, and brings about war in the Pit in his quest to attain the Dark Throne. He is eventually cast down, but in his banishment enacts a much more ruthless plan, the corruption of all religion on Earth. Using false names, and getting people to believe him as a variety of deities, Lust corrupts the understanding of the Originals. In doing so, war breaks out on the Earth, and systems built around real faith are replaced by what Humans called Capitalism, a system created around the concept that each individual should have a Lust for physical wealth. In being de-throned in Hell, Lust attempts to become King of Humanity instead, using a system built around lies to manipulate and control the population. The faith built around the greatest of those lies now keeps the last remnants of ancient truth hidden away, claiming it as their property. Men destroy the Earth as they squabble over their miniscule perceptions of Power, seeking wealth, fame, and control as their only necessities. It seems that in casting himself into the river of souls did provide Lust one thing: the complete Knowledge of the depths of Humanity’s vileness. This Knowledge gave him everything needed to turn Humanity’s vileness against itself, and destroy their ability to functionalize anything but their own Lusts. The world I come from is the purest example of this, as individual wants are prioritized above the needs of all Humanity.”

Vassago smashed his hand onto the arm of his chair. “This whole thing is preposterous. Not even Lucifer sought to create this much chaos, and the war his plans began tore the Heavens apart. For the King to go even further than that, the energies of the River must have driven him mad.”

“Perhaps. Lust follows his own nature, and strives for greater Power. But by combining himself with the vast vileness of generations of rotten Humans, he gained something few of you understand. The faithless will to do anything you want, even if the consequences would destroy all of Existence. Hell’s Throne did not last, and the Kingdoms of Humanity are not nearly enough to satisfy. The next step would be...”

“Vassago stood, clenching his fist. “War against the Heavens, and the attempt to destroy the Kingdom of Light once and for all. if he had already held the Throne of Hell, and dominated Humanity’s souls, the only left he would not have possessed. Considering all I known from the Greedy and selfish on Earth, such a plan is well within his grasp. Men were already responsible for one attack on the Heavens, as they selfishly tried to open a Gate by which to enter before death. But Human Beings are not capable of such strong magic.”

Omen gasped. “But they are capable of inventing great technology. If Lust owns the mass of Humanity, and all the technology it creates, all he has to do is wait for them to invent what he needs. Once the right technology becomes active, it will only be a matter of convincing the Humans that using it will give them new territories to conquer for themselves, which has proven to be Humanity’s strongest motivator as a society. As long as Humanity continues under the lies and guidance of the Lust inside them, they will march like trained soldiers, straight to their own destruction. But more than that, they will be tools for Lust’s attack on the Heavens, a war which will surely rend Existence in pieces.”

“Vassago, I know the stories of the wars that have plagued Humanity. But the War in the Heavens, and the Fall, happened long before these things. I’m sure that, like all the others, the story of it could help us as Humans understand the mistakes that have been made in the past by more than ourselves, to prevent repeating those same mistakes. But the stories about your Race’s history is fragmented at best. If it is not a problem, would you explain what you saw happen to me, that I might truly understand the course of events that led to the Fall, and not just know it happened?”

Vassago stood from his chair, and paced around his home. “The history of our Race is a thing that causes nothing but more misery. Even discussing it brings about the most painful of memories for every one of us, things that hurt more than can be explained. For it is the story of how Humanity began, and the chaos that Free Will caused in the Heavens. As you have come here at the behest of the Firstborn, you are deemed worthy to hear the tale. However, my personal views on this situation are a much broader perspective than the stories you speak of. I will tell you everything you wish to know and more, but only under two conditions.”

“Name them.”

“The first applies to after you complete your mission, and stand in the presence of the Father. Considering what you have told me, I wish to move out of this City before Lust attempts to take over the Pit. When you stand in front of the Father, I want you to speak to Him on my behalf. Ask Him to have me reassigned into the Grand Army, so that when the war comes I may fight for the Honor of the Grand Kingdom. I will not stand beside a King that would commit such a vile act just to attain Power for himself.”

Omen laughed a bit. “You don’t need to ask for that as any sort of requirement. Had it not been for your assistance, I would not have made it past the Gate. I would carry your request to the Father even if I owed you nothing. Anyone who would stand on His Side against the armies of Lust deserves the right to do so. So this condition is no problem. What is the other condition?”

Vassago turned his back to Omen and sighed heavily. “The other condition I have is a thing I do not even want to ask for. I know what you are Omen, you were brought here while still alive. The blood that runs through your veins still flows with the Powers of Light and Darkness, as do all your kind while alive. The energies of your living blood provide a strength that cannot be found here, similar to that which we had in the Kingdom of Light. To properly show you everything aIl wish to see, I require some of your blood.”

Omen looked at his hands, considering the blood in his veins. Omen had been told that the energies of his living blood were a precious commodity more than once. But now, he wondered at the deeper level of that meaning. Were all those who existed outside the Earth drawn to the energy of Human blood? If this was the case, Omen was a serious rarity, and would be hunted by almost every Being of the Pit. No matter where he went, every Being aside from Dra’Naa’Zorian, Vassago, Horus, and the Father would try to take his blood. Omen was glad that he had spent time training with his weapons, as well as adjusting to the Pit. He was not about to let his blood be taken until he was unable to protect himself. Once he left the safety of Vassago’s home, and headed out into the City, there would be no turning back. No matter what he encountered, Omen would have to push forward. Vassago had said he would be Omen’s escort. Being Fallen, perhaps some pure energy might strengthen Vassago, and give him extra skills to aid them...

“I will need a cup, and some form of liquid.”

Vassago looked shocked at first, but moved toward the back of the room as Omen’s face showed his lack of reservation. He produced a small clay chalice, and poured a viscous liquid into it. The liquid flowed like rotten milk out of it’s container. Vassago came back into the room, and handed the chalice to Omen. What had flowed out of the jar sat inside the chalice like a thick black wine. Omen stood up, and walked over to where his weapon was sitting. Omen grasped the clay chalice with his right hand. He grasped the blade of his weapon with his left hand, feeling it easily pierce his skin. He released the blade, and saw his blood begin to flow. Omen clenched his fist, allowing his blood to drip down into the chalice. Once Omen had bled into the chalice for a few seconds, he released his grip. Vassago walked over to Omen, and placed his hand on top of the wound. Omen gritted his teeth for a second, but the pain from his wound soon subsided. Once Vassago removed his hand, Omen’s wound had healed completely.

Omen swished the liquids together, allowing the substance to mix itself naturally. Before Omen could do anything else, Vassago placed a hand on Omen’s shoulder. “Know that what is in the chalice is the energetic wine that sustains the majority of the Beings in the Pit. It is the resonant flowing energies of the dead, and it is the only source we have down here. While it may not be the most pleasant to drink at times, the energies of the dead carry much Knowledge with them. To drink of our wine is to become one with the energies of the dead, which will remain inside you forever.”

Omen nodded. “I understand. But I may not have another chance to sample this wine prior to my own death, if even then. Based on that, this is a rare and unique opportunity.” Omen took a small sip from the chalice, allowing the substance to pass slowly down his throat. It tasted wretched, but carried with it a strong energy. Omen felt the energy join with his own, and his mind attempted to expand with the Knowledge that remained inside the energies. Omen felt like a fire raged behind his eyes as he handed the chalice to Vassago. Omen had only taken a small sip, he expected Vassago would finish the rest. Unlike Omen, who was drinking the wine to test it out, Vassago had need of the energy mixed in the blood and wine. Omen refused to be greedy, and even after enjoying the first sip handed the chalice away. This mixture was part of his agreement, and should help Vassago out significantly.

Vassago slurped down the contents of the chalice quickly. As he did, Omen saw Vassago’s body begin to change. The places on his wings that were charred and burnt seemed to regenerate, and Vassago’s wings began to shine again. His face changed as well, looking more youthful and vibrant. A bright aura began to exude from Vassago, lighting up the entirety of the room. Such a bright light in such a small room was almost blinding to Omen, who turned and shielded his eyes. Once he could see that the light was dimming down a bit, Omen looked back toward Vassago.

“This is how I was Created, and how I existed during the time of the Great War. Now that you see me as I was, you will be able to place yourself inside my mind’s eye as I tell you the story. Follow me upstairs, and as we walk I shall tell you my story.”

Omen hurriedly got out of the chair, and rushed to follow Vassago. This was a story Omen had heard spoken of since he was born, but had never fully understood. Knowing that he was about to finally understand the nature of what caused the War in the Heavens, Omen’s excitement was at a fever pitch. This was a story definitely worth listening to, and just might give Omen a new perspective on Existence. He began to scale the steps carved into the stone as Vassago started his story.

“It began long before the Creation of Humanity, in the City you Humans call Heaven, the Grand Kingdom of the Light...”

41

“My people were one of the first sentient Beings brought to life by the Creators, after the first plants and animals. For in Creating so many beautiful forms of life, the Originals realized they would need assistance to manage it all. We were Created to be the finest and most functional of Servants. Our very essence lived on throughout the passage of time, allowing us to assist in the tasks assigned for Ages without end. The Creators gave us the Knowledge that made us grow as a mighty Race, able to pass back and forth between the stars. Our tasks were as varied as we were individually, as we helped foster many forms of life across the cosmos. Our task was to Watch, and try to help the things that were Created grow and become beautiful. But we served all manner of function within our own society as well. For it was known from an early time that Light was not the only force present in the universe. We were told of the Existence of Darkness, but warned to avoid it as if an enemy. For the place in which we resided was found to be the strongest and purest in the Light, and the energy that was produced there was unlike any other. Through the Father of Light, as well as the resonant energies of those things Created in the Light, all were strengthened.

But as time passed, it was found that we would have to do more than simply watch, due to the conflicting natures of Light and Darkness. Created in opposing energies, the Being of Light and Dark were constantly in conflict. Many of them wished to be allowed to come into the City, a thing that is forbidden for any not pure in the Light. The fighting over this issue caused the necessity for the Army to be raised, and trained in case of necessity. Once our people learned the art of combat, few were found to contest us. Our immortal strength, combined with the skills we trained ourselves in each and every day, made us a force to be reckoned with. Soon, it was only necessary to dispatch two or three of our soldiers to deal with the Beings that refused to accept our Sacred Laws, which had existed since our Creation. Many forces, from Demon to Dragon, were repelled from the Gates of the City. Our people grew into classes of their own, based on the tasks they fulfilled. Some were soldiers, some managed the affairs of other species, and some simply spent their days giving energy to the Creators. We were Created completely aware, and that awareness allowed our Race to be efficient. We worked as a Family, but kept our own system of values.”

The stairway that they walked on was just wide enough for Vassago’s wings to fit comfortably. As they neared the top of the stairs, Omen saw that the upstairs room was dimly lit as well, a fact which quickly changed once Vassago entered it. Omen finished climbing the stairs, intent on hearing every detail of Vassago’s tale.

“I was Created to be a soldier, and spent my entire Existence training in the art of combat. Once I was ready, I became a part of the Grand Army, a force so powerful an opponent would swear they shared a single mind. And in part that was true, for the Will of the Father was what drove us as a society. Lacking anything but a want to do as instructed, our skills could not be matched. In fulfilling our tasks, we were strengthened further by the energies of the Light. It gave us sustenance, and maintained our immortality and beauty. This is how we Existed for generations, fulfilling the Will of the Father. We saw the Creation of many amazing species, as well as the Fall of many Created Races into the Darkness from whence they were born.”

Omen stepped onto the flat surface of the second floor. The same little fires burned here as downstairs, which would have only provided the lowest of light, had Vassago’s aura not filled the room when he entered. This room was as simply built as the4 rest of the home. Omen could make out an obvious writing desk in the corner of the room, and what looked like a bed up against the far wall. Most of the empty space had been filled with Vassago’s meditation and worship area. This was a circle, carved into the floor of the room. It spanned an area large enough for Vassago to stand or sit inside it easily, but Omen could not make out the runes carved into it. Vassago walked over to his desk, and picked up a small crystal that sat on a pedestal there. He held the crystal out in front of him, and it began to shine more brilliantly than any gem Omen had ever seen. As it did a small beam of light began to emit from the top of the crystal. Omen began to see an image inside the beam of light, and as he focused on it the image took definable shape. It was similar to Vassago in shape and form, obviously of the same Race. But from what he could tell, the image was that of a female, whose long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. She wore a tunic, held together by a circle of what appeared to be gold. But this tunic only covered the armor underneath, which was made of a highly-reflective metal.

“This is Uriel. We met during the early years of our development, as we trained to be part of the Grand Army. Even during training, Uriel and I stood out amongst our peers. Individually we showed excellent prowess, but as a team we were found to be nearly unstoppable. For this reason we spent time training even more together, to perfect our skills as a unit. Even after we were finished with our required training, Uriel and I continued to perfect our talents. Through this we developed a bond, similar to the way Humans visualize the emotion called Love. By the time we were faced with our Tests, to see if we were ready to be soldiers in the Grand Army, Uriel and I were more than prepared. Our blades rung out in perfect harmony, ringing against their targets likes the notes to a song. We were both accepted into the ranks of the Army, and began our individual taskings. Soon after we took up residence together, and began to consider having children someday. But first we had to make our names inside the Grand Army.”

The color of the crystal changed slightly. The image shifted, and once it settled again it was different. The Being pictured was still Uriel, but she had changed drastically. Her hair had been cropped, and now sat in the middle of her neck. Her face no longer showed any signs of happiness, but was replaced by a menacing scowl. Her tunic was gone, and her armor shone brightly. She carried a sword in her right hand, and even the stance of the image seemed hostile. Omen wondered how much time had passed between one image and the other, but realized it was fallacy to try and put a number to it. The long lives of Immortals cannot be as easily defined in numbers as Humans do with their own.

“Once integrated into the Grand Army, it was truly seen how the highest parts of our society functioned, a thing that few outside the Army concern themselves with. Inside the Palace of Light sat the Throne, and on that Throne sat the Father. He was not always there, but came and went by His Choice. His Will was felt by all who served inside the Kingdom, and it gave us strength. But in order to manage the affairs of our people, the Morning Star became our leader. Lucifer’s position was a function of his Creation, for Lucifer was Created before any of our kind. His Power was stronger than the rest, as it had not been diluted over multiple re-Creations. Also, his love for the Light was strong, and he had been at the forefront of all our major battles against the Darkness. His skills in both combat and magic were revered by the rest of the Kingdom, as he had never met his match. His second was Michael, who followed the orders of the Will without question. His sword was stained with the blood of many Beings, all who had contested the Will. He did not allow for dissention among the ranks of the Army, and his Battalions were the strongest.

Michael led the first combat squad sent out without the Morning Star’s aid, which was comprised of Lucifer’s seven most trusted warriors. In the completion of a difficult mission without extensive aid, these seven were promoted to the newly-appointed rank of Arch, defining the warriors whose positions exist above the understanding of most Beings. These Seven were instilled with the most powerful aspects of the Light, in order to fulfill their individual duties. These Seven were called on by the Will more often than any other, but each was a respected leader in the Army. Each trained and fought beside their own soldiers, who spent every day training under their tutelage to become a flawless fighting unit. This was the nature of service inside the Kingdom’s Army, a duty much more respected than the simple maintaining of worship. It is not an easy life, and requires constant effort to be seen as anything more than just a soldier.”

Vassago stared at the image projecting from the crystal, and let out a heavy sigh. “Uriel’s skill caught the eye of Michael, and she was recruited into his Battalion. I, however, was not. After her recruitment by Michael, Uriel began to change. Her personality became violent, and her focus became her missions of Vengeance and War. Uriel had once only seen combat as a means to maintain the peace of our society, but now she seemed to enjoy the killing. More than once did she come home soaked in the blood of others, most of whom were much weaker than herself. As I maintained my own training, I began to see the horrors of what Michael’s Battalions were doing. Uriel became shrouded in her own secrecy, refusing to speak on the mission she was carrying out, even after they were completed. Her life became all about her work, and I was of little consequence to her. The little we did speak, she was always complaining about how busy she was, and wished she had more time to enjoy the Light. But she barely seemed concerned with the joy she had once felt in simply existing inside the Light. Now she only came back to the house in between missions, and spent only as much time there as was necessary.”

Vassago sat the crystal back down on it’s pedestal. The image disappeared, and the glow of the crystal faded. “During this time, rumors began to spread amongst the Army. Rumors of a new Creation, something different from anything seen before. But this was a thing that had never happened before. In all the previous Creations, our entire society had been advised in advance. But in this case, even the mention of it around the leaders seemed to spark their outrage. Whatever this rumor was, it was either false or being kept well-hidden. I asked Uriel about this once, knowing the soldiers of Michael would be the best informed of any in the Heavens. She denied the rumor, but diverted her gaze from me as she did. This gave me cause for concern, but other rumors existed as well. I had heard, through various conversations, that a major battle had taken it’s toll on Lucifer. He had been struck by one of the agents of Darkness, and had taken quite some time to heal. During that time, Michael maintained control of the Army, and eventually things returned to normal. The Morning Star was found, even before he was healed, to be present at every time of worship and praise. Despite his injury, his Love for the Light had not changed, or at least not publicly.

According to the rumors, the nature of the weapon that had struck Lucifer had caused more than just physical damage. During the battle, Lucifer was seen to turn away from his enemy after being struck. This was totally against Lucifer’s nature, as not once had he been known to retreat. After the enemy had been driven back, Lucifer spent days recovering. But even after this, he became less social than usual, spending most of his time in the place reserved for him. Only a select few were allowed entry into this place, and nothing of it’s contents was discussed. But from the stories being told, when he left his place even Lucifer’s beauty seemed damaged. He seemed constantly concerned about something, but never spoke on what it was. His Pride in his position turned into arrogance, and eventually only the Archs were allowed to speak with him directly. More rumors spread, as the people became worried about Lucifer’s condition. For as long as we had existed, never before had one of our own been known to shy away from his Brothers and Sisters, nor was our kind known to keep secrets from each other.

Then, it happened. News rang out across the Heavens, a new Being was to be Created. But this Being, of which the Race would be called Humanity, was different than any before them. In what was once considered an abomination of the Light, Humanity was to be Created in the energies of both the Light and the Darkness. This “special Creation” would exist from their Beginning with something that nothing before them had possessed. For anything Created both of Light and Darkness would constantly be in conflict with itself, seeing both the positive and negative aspects of what was around them. As much as they would be capable of following the Light inside them, they could easily fall prey to the temptations of the Darkness. This individuality was a thing that concerned many in the Heavens, simply because the Darkness was already known to destroy the Light that it encountered. This seemed to be a function of their Creation, as they all fed off the Fear and Misery they caused. If this found it’s way into Humanity, it would cause serious complications. Unlike our Race, they would not be fed by the Will, and thus could choose to do as they were instructed or not. This caused even more argument, as many of my Brothers and Sisters wished this same sort of freedom for themselves.”

But larger issues became the primary focus. Claims began to spring up about spies within our own ranks, members of the Army that had begun serving the Darkness. These claims were not founded by any information, but caused panic amidst the soldiers, as none were sure of the loyalty of their Family. All wanted to serve properly, and ensure the longevity of our Race. In order for this new Creation to survive, much more would have to be managed than before. This would require a massive effort, and would take place within a defined set of parameters. So much of the discussion about the necessity for Humanity’s Creation revolved around the need to strengthen the Light, that balance might again be attained throughout Existence. Humans were seen more as a form of energy than the true individuals that would eventually spring forth from this Creation. But the Will demanded that this Creation be supported, as an experiment in the ability to strengthen Creation through the fusion of Light and Darkness.

Thus, despite all the arguments, the Laws were put into place. These Laws managed all aspects of the Created Humanity, and gave us various positions to fulfill. Humans were extremely complex, and capable of more than any realized. Based on this, as well as the overwhelming belief that Humans would fall prey to the Darkness within them, one of the Laws required that some of our own be sent into the center of the Darkness, to serve as assistants to the Dark Father’s Will. This outraged the residents of the City, who had struggled for generations to prevent Darkness from coming to their Race. But a list of names was issued, of those who had been designated to be sent to Hell to assist in it’s management. Massive arguments broke out, as the names called did not want to be sent away from their Home.

As this arguing started, Lucifer rose to defend those being sent away. He claimed that he had been intently studying the Darkness since the battle that had damaged him, in order to discover the nature of what had struck him. Through his research, he had found a startling pattern developing inside Existence. The Darkness was increasing at an exponential rate, but the Light was not growing to match it. Lucifer begged everyone not to support the Creation of Humanity, as it would only cause the Darkness to swell quicker. As well, sending so many of their own into the Pit would decrease the overall Power of the Light. Lucifer demanded that if any were to be sent into the Pit, he would be sent first. This was argued, as Lucifer’s position was regarded higher than any other. But he demanded it, claiming that he felt the decision was unjust, and thus he would not smile and support it. After the initial arguing had expanded into the masses, the Army was ordered to stop the fighting. As the soldiers swarmed in, and everyone was sent to their homes, Lucifer disappeared from sight. The soldiers searched his residence, as well as every place he was known to visit. But Lucifer was nowhere to be found, and no amount of summoning convinced Lucifer to return. Whether at worship or at the demand of the Archs, Lucifer was nowhere to be found.

After several cycles passed, we all realized what was really taking place. For the first time, one of our Race was standing in contestation of the Will. More and more, our kind was found to be in places other than they were ordered, and training was almost non-existent. Most spent their time inside their own homes, unsure of who to trust. The soldiers that remained loyal to the Will were assembled, and plans were made to enforce the Laws put into place. Regardless of the fact that it would be their own Brothers and Sisters that they would have to force out of the Kingdom, the soldiers prepared for their transport. It would take a massive effort in order to send them all into the Darkness, and they had to be prepared for resistance. One way or another, the Will of the Creators would be realized, and Humanity’s experiment would begin.”

Omen moved over to the nearest wall, and slid down onto his behind. He could not believe how close he felt to the story. This description of the course of events made more sense, as the actions described were things Omen could see as general behavioral reactions. But this seemed strange to Omen. How could a Race that had cooperated and agreed on everything suddenly have become capable of standing against the Will of the Creators? As well, what had caused Lucifer to change so much? What had the weapon that struck Lucifer done to him that had caused him to turn away from his own nature? Omen wanted to ponder these questions, but knew Vassago was not done with his story.

“As for me personally, I was informed by my Commander that my name was chosen to be sent into the Pit. I had no idea why I had been chosen for this, and so I went out in search of the answers. Uriel was rarely around, and her words were no longer to be trusted anyway. I asked around amongst those I still believed I could trust, and had the process explained to me. All the names of those that were to be sent were kept on file in the Hall of Knowledge, so that all were aware of the list. I went to the Hall of Knowledge, and spoke with the Recorders. According to their vast records, they were able to explain the process by which the list had been made. It was the Archs who had to nominate those that they believed should be sent, no name entered the list without their approval. This meant that, in order for one of us to be sent away, our own Generals would have to force it to happen. Kept in the Hall as well were all of the original nominations, each signed by the associated General’s seal. I could not believe that our own Brethren were so willing to betray us, simply so that they would be able to remain happily in Paradise.

I spent many cycles visiting the Hall of Knowledge, looking for my own nomination. Once I found it, I became sickened by the truth. The reason I was being sent had nothing to do with the Tasks defined for us in the Pit. The listed reasons were my “combat experience” and “various understanding of the Darkness”. None of these statements made sense, as even in my own unit I was not the finest warrior. I read the entire request, speaking on my inability to properly serve the Light. I was shocked, as not once had I done anything other than what i was ordered. At the bottom, I saw the seal of the Archs, proving that the document had been properly made. But when i looked closer, i noticed the individual seal of Michael. This was the real reason, Michael was trying to have me sent away. For some time I had heard the rumors of Michael courting Uriel behind my back, and how they were seen spending much time together outside their training. I had confronted Uriel about the situation, and she gave me her solemn word that nothing was going on. But if nothing was going on, why was Michael having me sent into the Pit, and leaving Uriel to stand at his side?

All those that were being sent were already being treated like a lesser class of our Race, simply because they would soon exist in Darkness. This led to a time of separation, as those that were going to remain in the City looked down on those that were leaving. We were called vile and rotten, though none of us had done anything against the Will. Those inside families that were to be sent were outcast from their homes, and treated like criminals by their own Kin. Those that remained laughed to themselves about the plight of those being forced away, because it did not pertain to them. They were willing to smile as they damned many of their own to misery and torment, simply to follow their orders blindly. But in doing so, they had also developed an intolerance and even aversion to their own Family, based on nothing more than who was nominated by the Archs to leave. They had used their positions of dignity to betray their own, and now only those that listened to their words without question would remain.

During this time, as I was on my way back from various conversations, I was approached by Lucifer. I had heard that he had been spotted in various places inside the City, but no one had spoken on the intentions for such. I allowed Lucifer into my home, and we talked for a time. He asked me how I was doing after being nominated to go into Darkness. I explained my individual situation, and my belief that Michael was having me eliminated. Lucifer was appalled at my story, and said I was being treated unfairly. He said that if I was going to be unfairly sent away from my Home, I should at least stand and contest it. Lucifer claimed that the Archs had become increasingly possessive and controlling, and wanted only for their control in the Heavens to be maintained. This was one of the many things that had caused him to flee from the Palace, as Lucifer said he was worried that he would be arrested and harmed. He had fled from the City for a time, but had kept an eye on the affairs of the Kingdom. He had watched as our once unified Race now squabbled amongst one another.

Lucifer claimed to have discovered what had caused this. At some point, the Fathers of Creation had decided to give us our wish, and had allowed us to choose for ourselves. This he believed had been done as an example, so that we would truly understand the Humans we were to watch over. But just as we had feared about Humanity, our own had been corrupted by their individual choices. As we revolted more and more against the Will, we had left empty space within ourselves. But the space did not remain empty, it had been filled with the Darkness. This Darkness spread slowly, and drove the ones infected to become impure. But this infection would not be seen until long after it had fully corrupted the individual. Once corrupted, like all agents of the Darkness, they would seek war against the Light, and would disrupt the Kingdom’s stability.

Lucifer claimed that the time since his injury had been spent in research and study of the Darkness, in order to find new ways to stand against it. He said that the warriors of Darkness were utilizing extremely powerful weapons, which had been forged in the strongest energies of the Pit. Lucifer claimed that it had been one of these weapons that had struck him, and it had produced a terrible effect. For the first time in his life, Lucifer understood the nature of Fear. His research had shown him the spread of the Darkness, and his Fear of it drove him to research even further. Lucifer even claimed that he had made a weapon of his own, to counteract anything the Darkness might send. He claimed that the weapon was capable of slaying anything that stood in his way, and had named the weapon Godslayer. When asked why the name was chosen, Lucifer remarked that, “None must stand in the way of the right of all to be free. If one Race is to be built with the right to live as they choose, then all must be allowed to do the same. I will not simply stand by as my Brothers and Sisters are sent into the Darkness against their will”.

I asked Lucifer what he intended to do to stop what was already set in motion. As we sat in silence for several moments, we both knew the answer. Lucifer would not bow to the Will, he would fight to see the decision changed. As he stood to leave, he asked what I would do when the time came. I told him that I had no idea, but I hoped some sort of peaceful solution could be found. But as the door closed behind him, I knew we would see each other again, and the next time it would not be under such cordial circumstances.”

Vassago paced around the room as he spoke. The further he got into the story, the more agitated he became. It was obvious that Vassago was making a point not simply to remember the story, but to relive it inside his mind. Doing this dredged up all the memories and feelings associated with that time. Though he knew he could never understand how Vassago felt, he knew that his life had faced similar problems. Omen had also been persecuted for following his own path, and not conforming to the designs of others. Omen knew the sting that was felt when his superiors in the Army betrayed him, the same as Michael had done to Vassago. Omen also knew what it was felt like for a small group of those that feel themselves entitled to Power controlling the lives of the masses through lies and deception. But these things were more the actions of Demons than Servants of the Light. Was Free Will really so dangerous, that it could savagely shred the peace and stability of the Heavens? I began to wonder if I too should flee the City, and after some consideration I did just that. I met Lucifer in the place he had told me that he would be waiting, should I decide to leave. We left together, and I was led to the place where all those that had decided to stand against the Will had hidden themselves. This was a place Lucifer had found during his travels, and we remained well-hidden from the eyes of the City.

In response to the growing number of our kind found to leave the City due to the mandates put in place, the Archs demanded that all those slated to be sent to the Pit be arrested, and held until the time came for them to leave. These arrests caused more to fight back against the Archs, but the strength of the Army was too great. Soon the loyal began to round up all those who they had already sentenced to damnation, and ensured that their last days in the Light would be miserable ones. The doors of many houses were kicked open, and many who had done nothing but serve the Will faithfully were imprisoned. They were brought out each day for worship, but during all the remaining times were locked away. Lucifer made a decision, to use this weakness to his advantage. Plans were made for an assault on the City. Our goal was to free the others, but once engaged in battle we knew it would not stop. There could be no end to the fighting until the issue had been resolved, once and for all. In order to force the Archs to surrender, we would have to overthrow the City, and take the Throne of Light for ourselves. From there we could make a new Law, which would prevent the forcing out of our kin. Everyone readied themselves for the worst battle in the history of our Race, for never had our kind waged open war against each other.

We snuck into the City using a path that was unknown to almost everyone. Once we slipped in unnoticed, we used the houses once occupied by our imprisoned Brothers and Sisters as places of refuge, and hid inside them to wait out the day. We stayed hidden until everyone was gathered for evening worship. In that moment, when we had the best chance of freeing the others, we struck. We charged into the place of worship, searching for our fallen comrades. They were found to be standing near the back of the worship, surrounded by the soldiers that guarded them. The joyous singing was cut short by the sound of the first blade, and the entire scene erupted into chaos. We pushed forward, closing the gap between ourselves and our kin. Once released our forces would be a much better match against the Armies of Heaven. We cut down the last Brother who stood between us, and began to break the chains which held our Family prisoner.

Suddenly, our momentum was broken. From every direction, armor-clad soldiers appeared. We found ourselves trapped, the Archs had known the attack was coming. We were outnumbered and outmatched, as the best forces in the Army were placed at the front of the circle which surrounded us. Behind them all, on the steps of the Grand Palace, stood Michael. Next to him stood Uriel, and in that moment I lost all my feelings for her. They were replaced by the blinding rage I felt toward Michael, and the Vengeance I wished to be placed upon him. They gloated together over the plan they had concocted, which now saw all their enemies trapped like caged animals before them.”

Vassago chuckled. “Or so they thought. Once the fighting began, many of the soldiers turned away from their duties, and assisted us in our battle. Even some of those who were not scheduled to be sent away did not agree with the methods being used by the Archs, and refused to tolerate their betrayal any longer. Suddenly, Michael’s own trap began to collapse back around him. As the numbers between us dwindled, I charged directly at Michael. Even if it killed me, I would have my revenge. He had stolen all that i had ever cared for, and simply for that he deserved to die.”

Vassago went to a corner of the room, and produced a sheathed sword. He withdrew the blade from the sheath, and handed it to Omen. After allowing Omen to examine it for a moment, Vassago returned the weapon to the place he had taken it from. “This was the sword I lashed out against Michael with. I fought with all my years of experience, and every bit of my training. I even incorporated techniques which were not taught by our instructors, in order to throw Michael off guard. But was able to slow Michael. As we fought, i began to realize how over-matched I was. His technique was flawless, and he swung with a strength that seemed like it could move a mountain. Each time I was forced to parry one of his strikes, I felt as though my arms would soon break. Before long, I had been slashed and beaten, and lay bleeding on the ground before Michael. He boomed in laughter, as he spoke on why he was better suited for Uriel.”

Vassago clenched his fist, and seemed to hang his head in shame. “I..I gave in. My Hatred for Michael was so powerful that as my life began to fade I fell into it. All I could see was him touching Uriel, and convincing her to lie to me. He had used his position to steal away the most beautiful thing in my life except the Light Itself, the one I meant to spend Eternity fighting beside. I forgot about anything but how much I Hated Michael for everything that he had done, and how badly I wanted to hurt him. Suddenly, I felt my strength return, and soon I was back on my feet. Michael had moved on to other battles, but this fight was not over. Through my want to destroy Michael, I had been given new life. I picked up my sword, and jumped right back into the fray. I slashed through my Brethren as i made my way back to Michael, caring little for the dying faces of those in my path. They were nothing more than a minor inconvenience, pests that stood in my way. By the time I made my way back to Michael, my sword was stained with the blood of many of my Family.

As I approached my goal, I began to look around the field of battle. As I did, I was filled with a mixture of dread and horror. For my own Brethren, who had given in to their own Darkness, had become corrupted by it. Their forms began to change, and Dark magic began to pour out from their hands. The Army was caught off guard by this, and obviously weak to the attack. On every front, our forces were pushing back the Army. But at what cost? All of the beauty that my Family had once held was fading, and they began to look like the Demons that they had fought for so long. This was an atrocity, but could no longer be prevented. I realized, though I had not seen my own form, that I too had been corrupted by the Darkness inside me. That was what had picked me back up off the ground, and it was the same force that pushed me to slay my kin without mercy. I had already fallen to my internal Darkness, and it had already begun to change me. I saw the problems unfolding, but did nothing to prevent the spread of Darkness inside myself. If this Power would give me the strength to destroy Michael forever, it would be well worth the sacrifice made to obtain it.

I lashed out at Michael, my blade yearning to slice him in half. I attacked with reckless abandon, having no concern for my own life. it was more important that Michael die, so that my need for Vengeance might be fulfilled. His techniques had not slowed any since he had struck me down, but my new Power changed the odds. Now it was Michael who was on the defensive, as I mercilessly attempted to take his head. After quite some time, I brought the mighty Michael to his knees, and prepared to end his Existence once and for all. He was defenseless, and stared up at me without moving. Michael was ready to accept his death, even if that death was in failure. I reached back, my smile wider than ever before, as I prepared to destroy my enemy.”

Vassago slammed his fist against the wall. “But that rotten back-stabber! Just as I was about to finish Michael, I felt the blade pierce through me. I turned, to see the face of the one who had cost me my Vengeance, and then I began to sob. For it was Uriel who had stabbed me, seeing only that Michael was in danger. It was not until after I turned to face her that she realized what she had done, and quickly removed her blade from my stomach. She wept as she held me in her arms, attempting to use her own energy to heal me. Despite the fact that I had waged war on the Grand Kingdom, Uriel still did not want to be responsible for my death. I lay on the ground, my sight fading in and out, as Uriel did her best to save my life. Laying closeby was Michael, but by his movements he seemed to be fine. Though i had given in to my own Hatred in the attempt to destroy Michael, the eventual outcome had been the same. Now I had been defeated and spat in the face of my Race’s Honor, by becoming one with the Darkness I had fought against for so long. I watched the battle continue, wondering if all my kind would feel the same way once they were struck down, when they realized the extent of their own disgraceful actions.

Then, the Gates of the Grand Palace flew open. For the first time in Ages, the King of the Heavens stepped out into the fray. He was clad in the brightest of armor, and carried a massive mace. With one swing of his mighty weapon, many of the corrupted fell. But as the rest of us shyed away, Lucifer only seemed to smile more. He tossed away the weapon he was fighting with, and unsheathed the one on his back. As soon as he did, I felt the darkness inside the weapon. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It seemed as though the weapon itself sought to end all life, and the stronger the Being the more Pride would be felt in the kill. But as Lucifer held it, his eyes began to change. The aura of Light around him seemed to fade away, and was replaced by swirling Darkness. A wave of force exploded outward from Lucifer, knocking everyone to the ground except the King. Seeing his opportunity, Lucifer charged in, desperately seeking the King’s death.”

Vassago stopped speaking. Omen thought he was just pausing at first, but as he looked on this was not the case. It was the description of his memory that was bothering him, something about the next part of the story was particularly stressful. Omen stood, telling Vassago he did not have to continue the story if it bothered him. But Vassago brushed off Omen’s charity, saying the end was too interesting not to be known. Vassago went downstairs for a moment, returning with the chalice and jug of black wine. He poured himself a glass, offering Omen a drink before continuing on with the story. His hand shook slightly as he continued the tale, but his voice showed no fear or hesitation.

“I saw it with my own eyes, and still scarcely believe it. Lucifer struck the King, his blade passing straight through the King’s chest. In that moment, almost all the fighting stopped. Many of the soldiers, upon seeing their King fatally wounded, fell to their knees in despair. This made them easy prey for our Dark Family, who moved in to finish what they had started. I looked up to see Uriel and Michael, fighting together over my nearly-lifeless body. I had been taken out of the battle, and had no other option but to be a spectator. But with Lucifer standing proudly, maintaining the same pose he had when the blade had struck, the morale of the soldiers was failing. Without the King, what chaos might befall the City?

Then, a blinding flash of Light stopped the fighting. The eyes of all had been blinded, and for a time nothing could be seen. As the total bright white dimmed, I found that I was pinned to the ground where I sat. As I looked around, taking note that warriors from both sides seemed equally forced to remain still, I turned my gaze back to the Grand Palace. Lucifer still stood there, his face locked in a smile of conquest. But as I watched in amazement, the King began to move. He grasped the hilt of Lucifer’s weapon, forcing it out of his body. Lucifer was shoved backwards, and fell to the ground while still remaining frozen in place. The King tossed his mace to the ground, reaching down to grab hold of the frozen Lucifer. The King stood Lucifer up again, turning him to face the Kingdom. By the time Lucifer had been positioned correctly, the King’s wounds were completely healed. Not a drop of blood had fallen to the ground since the moment the King’s chest was pierced, nor did he show any signs of pain. The King turned, and a wave of energy flooded out from him, which burned as it passed through me. I felt as though my very Being was trapped inside an incinerator, and I was not alone. As I cried out in pain, many around me did the same. When the screaming died down, I saw the final result. All those who had stood beside Lucifer had changed physically, as if the beauty of their form had been stolen away. Their wings hung low and looked ragged, and even their armor seemed to have lost its’ shine.”

Vassago sat down onto the bed, which moved very little as he made contact. Whatever the padding on the bed was made of, it was not the sort of materials Omen was used to. “I was scared to look, but knew that it was necessary. Though I was not able to stand, I used the armor of a nearby fallen soldier to see my own reflection. I broke into tears, for I too had changed. All of the dignity and Honor which my name had once been a part of had been destroyed, I saw nothing but a monster staring back at me. I had become the same as I had allowed myself to be internally, rotten and Vengeful. I had fought against my own kin, willing to end their lives simply to seek my personal Justice. The thing that stared back at me was who i had become, and my Original Created beauty would never be seen again. Even now, as the energy of the living blood courses through me, I have nowhere near the brilliance I once held. In that moment, I realized I was truly lost to the Darkness within me, and had become an abomination and an embarrassment to my Race. The others around me were each lost in the same realization, as they became aware of what they had done to themselves. Each began to weep, and many began to pray to the Father for forgiveness.

As we all remained pinned to the ground, the King began to speak. Rarely was the King’s voice heard, and the sound of it cracked the air like thunder. “Children of the Heavens, look at what you have become. You argued against the Creation of Humanity, saying they were too capable of falling to Darkness. But in being given your wish, and granted the choice to serve or not, you proved yourselves no better. Rather than accept the wisdom of those that Created you, and thus keep true faith in the Creators, your connection to the Light was weakened. Soon you all began to fall prey to your own Darkness, and spent more time arguing than working towards progress. In the initial experiment as to how this Race would handle Free Will, you failed at an astonishing rate. It was all too easy for you to turn towards lies, deception, and harmful behavior towards one another, all based on rumors that they were rotten. But the most vile among you were the ones in Power, who sought to banish all who they did not see as equals. This fostered a division amongst your people, and eventually led you to war. A Race that had existed peacefully for Ages beyond measure, and had assisted in the Creation of so many things, now fights with each other as beasts in the field. You have disgraced yourselves, and the Light from which you were Created. Thus Judgment has been placed upon you all, visible by the decay you have all suffered. What you see with your eyes is the result of the Light being removed almost entirely from you. This is how you will exist from this day forward. As well, all who are unclean will be sent into the Pit, as this is a Just action. If you had left in peace you would have been welcomed home like heroes once this project was completed. But instead, you will be banished from this great City forever. You will live and serve in the Pit of Darkness, to pay for what you have done, and will not be allowed freedom until after the experiment with Humanity is completed. This is the Judgment placed on you all, those who have Fallen from the Grace of the Light.”

The King turned to face Lucifer. “As for you, Morning Star, your crimes are the worst of them all. You became gripped with Fear, and hid away from your Family. In secret you discovered the nature of Darkness, but experimented alone rather than sharing the information. You saw a problem that was bigger than yourself, but in your foolish Pride felt yourself capable of controlling it alone. Rather than sit down with your Brothers and Sisters and plan ways to prevent the Darkness from corrupting you all, you assumed that their corruption was imminent. In doing so you showed a complete lack of faith in the Power of the Light, and Its’ ability to combat the Darkness.”

The King walked over to Lucifer, and removed the sword from his hand. The King looked over the weapon for several moments, then continued to speak. “This weapon is an abomination. The sole purpose for the Creation of this blade was a vicious will to destroy all forms of life. This blade resonates the Hateful energies of Darkness, and even as I hold it I hear it cry for blood. By bringing this weapon into Existence within the City, You Lucifer are responsible for infecting the Kingdom with Darkness. This vile blade shall hereby be banished into the furthest depths of Creation, never to be retrieved again. Any caught attempting to retrieve this blade will have their essences removed, and placed into the blade they seek to possess, sharing forever in the weapon’s banishment. Thus I have spoken it...”

The blade vanished. “Thus it is.” The King returned to his Judgment of Lucifer, now that Godslayer had been dealt with. “See now, Morning Star, just how fruitless your efforts were. in your quest to protect the Light, you destroyed the Kingdom of Heaven’s stability.” The King waved his hand across the soldiers and Fallen still pinned to the ground in front of Lucifer. “See what your foolish Pride has cost you. While once you were the brightest shining star in the Heavens, now your star has crashed to the ground. You stand before me now as a shadow of what you once were, little of your true beauty remains. This will be seen in your form as well as your energy, as the Light you treasured so much is stripped from you. You will be cast into the Pit as well, just as you claimed you would always do to protect your Brethren. But your Fall will save no one, and you will become the Chief Servant of Darkness. Once you held Power in the Heavens, now you will serve the Powers of Darkness. But while the Light in you will almost disappear completely, you will always maintain your Original beauty. In this way, yourself and those around you will remember this day, and the terrible things you have done. This is the Judgment placed upon you Lucifer, Fallen Star of the Morning.”

Across the Heavens, the sound of weeping filled the air. Those who had been Judged unworthy and vile lamented their actions, begging for another chance to prove their worth. I remember the puddle of tears that had flowed from my eyes as I wept, knowing how horribly I had failed myself. Whereas once I was willing to do anything to be the best warrior in Existence, my Hatred for someone who had harmed me caused me to become one of the worst instead. Having seen the horrible visage staring back in my reflection, my eyes became blinded by the tears. I could not feel the warmth of the Light inside me anymore, and it hurt more than I could have ever imagined. I felt no joy, no happiness, no love. All I could feel was the pain from what I had lost, and all I could see behind my flood of tears were the faces of those I would never see again. Among them was Uriel, the same one who had been forced to stab someone she cared for to protect her Brother in combat. Seeing her face only made me cry harder, as I was reminded that i would never see her again. If I did, she would be my sworn enemy, and it would remain that way forever.”

Tears began to well up in Vassago’s eyes. He continued the story, ignoring the obvious pain it was causing him. “My sight did not clear until after I had been taken. I was told later that after the Judgment, all those who had remained loyal to the Kingdom and the Will had been released, and ordered to arrest the others. We were held in various locations, under heavy guard, until it was time for us to leave. Once the transport was prepared, only strong enough to make the trip to the intended destination, we were filed inside, and the doors were sealed behind us. The transport was designed so that nothing could override the location to which it was being sent, in order to prevent the Fallen from trying to escape. All the remaining of our Race were assembled in the streets the day that the Fallen were sent away. Despite what they had done, some of those that remained still wept for their Family as we were shuffled into the ship. The ship had no windows, so once inside the Light could no longer be seen. There was no way to know exactly how long we were inside the vessel that carried us to the Pit. But once we arrived to the center of Darkness, we sought solace inside the Grand Army of the Father. Many were accepted, but treated unfairly and even abused due to their appearance. Over time, most of the Fallen adopted a more Demonic form, allowing their wings to burn away and be remade in the Darkness. But some, like myself, still cling tightly to the last remnants of what we used to be. Such is also the case with Lucifer, who remains as he was the day of the War. Even despite the passage of time, and the constant need to draw off the energies of Darkness, Lucifer’s image is attached to the last remnants of who he was. Now he is found to draw mostly off the Power of his Pride, which was so strong it conspired to usurp the Heavens. He retains his form to remind himself of the mistakes he made in the past, that he might never allow others to follow in his behavior. Lucifer now almost completely bereft of the Light that he loved, still attempts to prevent Humanity from becoming as we are. A Race constantly in conflict with Itself, who functionalize war more often than peace. Now we all serve the Dark Father’s Will, and continue to keep the Plan going. I hope my story has enlightened you in some way, providing you insight that you did not have previously.”

Omen stood, and outstretched his hand. Vassago returned the handshake, then Omen stood straight and saluted. “Vassago, your story is amazing. Never before have any of the tales about the Fall or the War allowed me to understand what had caused it. But now I do see, though certain other questions are raised.”

Vassago looked intrigued. “What other questions?”

“For example, I wonder as to the nature of the weapon that struck Lucifer. That seemed to have been a catalyst, as once Lucifer began to show Fear, the Darkness was spread further in the City. If this strike was a catalyst to the events that happened, was it part of a Plan, some form of attack?”

Vassago cracked a small smile. “The name of the blade is Fearbringer, and it is the most prized possession, as well as the strongest weapon, possessed by the Spirit of Lust. Using the Power of Fear, Lust is able to convince Beings that striving for their own desires is the only way to prevent them from ceasing to exist. It was Lust that attacked Lucifer that day, a fact we learned soon after our arrival. A battle was fought between Lucifer and Lust, as Lucifer blamed him for all that had happened. But Lust struck the newly Fallen Lucifer down. The Darkness that Lucifer had been tapping in to was a part of Lust, and thus he could not match up to the level of strength he faced. But Lucifer did not die, he simply was defeated. Afterward he took his place as the First Servant of Hell, as well as being the Spirit of Pride. Lucifer once again commands many soldiers, but now they are Legions of Demons. Our numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of those that existed here before us, though most are minor and feeble. Each of us is given a task to complete regularly, in order to keep the Pit functioning properly. But in truth, we stand below the Kings born here, as well as some of the Greater Beings that now rest in this place. This is and always has been the case, with Lucifer being the single exception. So, if you ask me to tell you whether or not this was all planned by Lust before he battled with Lucifer, I would respond that I do not know. But the events did work out heavily in Lust’s favor, as the strength of the Light was greatly reduced, while the numbers of soldiers under his command grew.”

Omen growled. He had fought against Lust on more than one occasion, and had been the victim of multiple attacks. He knew the misery that was used, as well as the want to make one’s life better at the cost of everyone else. Omen recognized the similarity in the attacks, realizing quickly that the method was generally the same. What Lust had done to Lucifer with a blade, he did to Humanity through the temptations and problems in their lives. His goal was the same for Humanity as it had been for the Race of Watchers. He sought to destroy them internally, so that their strength would be reduced overall. But whereas the Watchers were Immortal, and had only been banished, Lust’s attacks on Humanity were sending droves of souls into the Pit, strengthening him even further. Every bit of it seemed like a piece of a larger Plan, to destroy any society that he could not control. This fact held true in the times Omen knew that Lust attempted to take the Throne of Darkness, another attempt at dismantling and reorganizing the things already in place. Lust was not trying to control one thing, but all things inside Creation. This fit well within the vile nature of those that evilly Lust for Power, as no one is safe from their attacks. Those in Power seem to always become corrupted by it, and only bring about lies and distrust one toward another. Lust had used his Power to corrupt the Heavens, and cause so many to Fall. Omen knew the truth, Lust sought a similar Fate for Humanity.

“Vassago, this same thing seems to be happening to Humanity. Those in control care only for themselves, hoarding money and resources while the nations of the Earth starve and suffer. Wars stem from the most petty of disagreements, and wild accusations are thrown around, labeling people as betrayers to the governments, a word they call “terrorist”. The ones that hold the ability to affect change seek only to maintain wealth for themselves and their families, their Lust and Greed have grown to astonishing levels. The religions of the world have functionalized the selfish murders of millions, simply to prove their doctrine as correct. Their Fear of each other leads them to constantly strive to keep as many secrets from one another as possible. The same things that tore your Race asunder seeks to destroy the Created Humanity as well. This has to be stopped somehow. Is there any way to defeat Lust?”

“None that is known, for none dare to contest Lust. It is well known that the direct descendants of the Fathers of Creation are far superior in strength to the rest of us. None of our kind would directly contest Lust unless he went against the Will. According to what you have told me, the only time this will happen is when Lust attempts to overthrow the Grand Palace. Any other time, based solely on his level of Power, Lust’s orders are simply obeyed.”

Omen thought about all he had just been told. The story had shown Omen much about the problems that existed in his own world, and the eventual outcome of the digression in society. But he found himself more concerned with Lust, and the things he would face the next day. The one Omen knew as Asmodeus for so long was the same one that had damaged Lucifer, darkened the Heavens, and betrayed his own Father. A way had to be found to stop the evil machinations of the Spirit of Lust, before all of Existence was destroyed in his quest for Ultimate Power.

The glow in Vassago’s aura began to fade. “Come over here Omen, there is one more part of my home you have not yet seen...”

42

Vassago walked to the edge of the room, and raised his hand to the wall. He spoke, and a hidden door slid open. Omen followed Vassago through the door, finding himself suspended outside the rock of Vassago’s home. Vassago had carved out a porch of sorts, and almost the entire City could be seen while standing on it. Omen stared out into the City, taking in the wonders around him. So many beautiful residences had been carved out of the rock. But many were indistinguishable, obviously built to seem the same as the rock from which it was carved. If Hell were ever attacked, the unaware attackers would fall prey to hidden enemies at almost every turn, exploding out from their homes in the rocks. But this was not the extent of the danger, for Omen recalled that those who inhabited the City were forcibly kept in check. If threatened, they would be allowed to assume their true forms, found to be much more destructive and dangerous. The City seemed to have places designated for this form of combat, though no fights were being held inside the City’s Arena. Various Beings moved up and down the multitude of pathways that branched out up and down through the City.

“Omen.”

Omen turned. The glow that Vassago had attained through Omen’s blood had faded. Once again, Vassago looked tired and worn. “I am going to spend some time in meditation, so I will leave you here for now.”

Omen nodded. “That is a great idea, the view here is beautiful. Though nothing but the Darkness can be seen in the sky, this society is a wonder of construction. Rather than force structure to be raised above the ground, most of your buildings are dug into the already sturdy rocks, providing both strength and secrecy. I can tell that the number of Beings that resides in this City, or who have residence here, is far greater than I originally expected when I entered. I will enjoy spending some time here. Enjoy your meditation Vassago.”

Vassago left, the rock sliding shut behind Omen. Vassago obviously needed some time alone after recounting the Tale of the Fall. It was an extremely painful story for one who was forced to live it, and to exist on for Ages afterward. Omen sat down on the stone, and began to consider the life of an Immortal Being. For Vassago, the span of years Omen called a life was nothing, like the blink of an eye. All that he had endured, and the horrible things he had seen, would continue to live in Vassago’s mind forever. This was why, after so long, he remembered the story so clearly. It was the most prominent memory in the mind of an Immortal, and thus a large part of who Vassago was. But it was also a disgrace that Vassago carried with him, one that could never be washed away. More than likely, Vassago was inside his home weeping, for all the many things that had happened. Omen could tell as he told the story that Vassago had not changed much since his Fall. Inside, he still wished none of it had ever happened, and more than anything missed the Light that he had lost. Omen was sure that seeing himself closer to his pure form had only added to the pain Vassago felt as he told the story. Once he came back, Vassago would have cleansed himself of his feelings concerning the past, and would be calm and focused again.

Omen turned his gaze back towards the City. Rising high above the rest of the structures was the Tower, where Lust reigned as King. Omen looked around, wondering how many of the Beings in the City would be destroyed in Lust’s attempt to conquer the Grand Palace, and how many more after it was taken back. Beings no less Honorable than Vassago, some simply born inside the Darkness. Omen closed his eyes, and began to pray to the Father. He prayed that some way might be found to allow the War in the Pit to pass with as few casualties as possible. Though Lust’s grab for Power was an inevitibility, that did not mean slews of Demon life had to be lost to serve it. Omen prayed that an answer might be discovered, a way to combat Lust that was effective. Omen swore that he would stand personally against Lust if given the strength to do so, as the Demons and Fallen respected the Power too much to contest it. Even if he was the only one left to do so, Omen was ready to fight to the death to prevent Lust from destroying all aspects of Creation. The Race of Watchers had already been torn asunder, Omen would not allow Humanity to be treated the same way.

“If you think you’re ready...”

The voice Omen heard startled him. He opened his eyes, and nearly fell backwards in surprise. He took a knee, raising his left hand in salute. “Greetings Lord Horus. As always, it is a pleasure to see you.”

“Greetings Omen. I see you have made your way into the City of Lust, and are safe with Vassago. You have done quite well, just as was expected of you. Even bereft of Power, you have managed to make your way into the City. But it will take much more than subtlety to make it through what you will face next. For evasion will not be able to keep you from the gazes of others for long, nor was it meant to. From now until the moment you reach the Grand Palace, consider yourself out of options. To survive, you must either find a way to flee, or fight back against what threatens you. The weapons and armor you were given will have to be tested, but even that will not be enough.”

Omen was not really surprised. “What else might aid me in my journey that can be found easily?”

“Take heart child. Continue to pray, and ask others to join in your prayer. Through this you will discover the next step.”

With that, the image of Horus was gone. Omen sat back down, taking heed of the information he had just been given. Omen prayed hard, trying to connect deeply to the Father. He felt himself falling deep into the center of the Darkness, far from everything else. But then, Omen heard a familiar sound. But in this place and time, hearing the sounds was nearly an impossibility. He soon realized the sounds he heard were playing inside his mind, and realized what he was supposed to do. He heard the notes of his music inside his mind, and Omen began to sing along with them. His voice carried out across the pit, resonating off several of the large rocks around him. It did not carry extremely far, due to the sounds of work being done in the Pit. But this mattered little to Omen, who continued to sing as loudly as he could.

The door slid open, and Vassago stepped back outside. “What are you doing? Are you not supposed to be in hiding, avoiding unwanted attention?”

Omen smiled. “I will not hide, not anymore. I was told to survive by whatever methods I could, be they fight or flight. But hiding will not allow us ease of passage to the Grand Palace. I would rather die through one day of fighting in the name of the Father than a lifetime hiding like a mouse. I suggest you ready yourself for this, as I am doing now through prayer. Would you care to join me in prayer Vassago?”

Vassago looked at Omen with obvious shock. He reached into his armor, producing a small bag made of some animal hide. “I wondered when this would happen. After we started talking, i assumed these were for you. I was given these a very long time ago, and told to hold them until I met someone that would ask me, even in the Pit of Darkness, to pray with them in faith. I had not believed the order when I was given it, as rarely are any Demons found to be praying by choice. I was told to conceal these items, and only reveal them to the one they were meant for. I believe you to be that one Omen, and so I give these objects to you.”

Omen took the bag into his hand, removing the small leather strip used to keep the bag sealed. Omen opened the bag, reaching his hand inside. After a moment, Omen removed two stones from the bag. They were of equal size, but vastly different in color and feeling. One looked like an opal, so purely black that no Light could pass through. The other was beautiful, and shined in a flawless color of white. Both fit within the palm of Omen’s hand, and radiated powerful magic energies. Omen looked to Vassago for an answer, but he simply shook his head. Vassago had no idea what the small gem-like rocks in Omen’s hand did either.

Omen sat back down on the stone, sitting the two stones in front of him. Omen closed his eyes and meditated on the stones, trying to ascertain their function. Suddenly, Omen felt a large energy wash over him, and immediately fell on his face. Vassago took a knee as well, for both could sense the Presence of the Father. His Image appeared before them, settling onto the ground. Omen raised his eyes to the Father’s Image, raising a salute. “Greetings dear Father, I am truly honored by Your Presence. How might Your child serve you Father, in what way might I be of use?”

The Father spoke, but His Words resounded in Omen’s mind. But based on the looks he was expressing, Vassago heard them as well. “Omen, what you have been given is a special set of Gifts. One is to be used after our conversation, and the other in your time of greatest need. Once I depart from you, cast the black stone to the ground, and receive the Gift I have left inside for you. Keep the other one close, and only use it when left with no other option. Know that these Gifts will change you, and the changes may be painful. But rest assured that these things are meant to happen, and keep faith in My Power. As long as you do these things, you will find the strength to overcome the challenges you face.”

The Father turned toward Vassago. “Vassago, you have served the Will with Honor. But Omen will need your assistance in the coming day, lest he be left alone against swarms of enemies. Complete the last of the tasks given to you, and join Omen at the Gates for the Grand Palace. Do this, and you will be allowed to join the ranks of the Grand Army, where you have always belonged.”

With those words, the Father was gone. Omen and Vassago stared at each other for several seconds, both full of questions. Vassago scratched his chin. “Where I’ve always belonged? Does that mean I was always destined to be a soldier in the Grand Army of Hell? If so, why was I forced to remain out here for so long?”

Vassago’s concentration was broken by Omen’s hand, outstretched in front of him. “Because He knew that I would be sent here someday, and would require a way through the City, as well as someone that could be trusted to stand beside me. You believed yourself outcast from the Palace, but you had been on a mission for the Father all along, bringing one of His Children to Him.”

Vassago accepted the handshake. “Truly you are special amongst your kind. You are the kind of Human that was spoken of, the reason why Humanity was Created. It was believed that many would grow as you have on both sides, and would strengthen the energies Above and Below. You deserve the right to stand amongst the Demons and Fallen of Hell, for you serve the same Father, and with a fervor that few still possess in the Darkness. I would be proud to stand beside you in battle Omen, today as well as any other.”

“And I you Vassago. We both have made many mistakes in our past. But we fight to prove that our Honor stands above our mistakes, and we have always served the Will.”

The handshake was released, and Omen walked back over to where he had been sitting. The two stones still sat on the ground, humming slightly from the energy pushing out from within them. Omen picked up the leather bag, placing the white crystal inside as instructed. This is my last-ditch attack, Omen thought to himself as he tied the bag shut, and then tied it firmly inside his armor. Omen reached down, picking up the black stone. The Father said to cast the stone at the ground to receive its power...

Omen reached back, throwing the stone at the ground with all his might. The stone shattered like glass after coming into contact with the ground, and a mass of Dark energy hung in the air. The energy swirled and contorted, forming tendrils which shot out toward Omen. The tendrils wrapped around his body, like the fragmented body of a giant snake. As Omen’s body was overtaken, he felt terrible pain, like being trapped inside the incinerator used to burn Human corpses. As the tendrils wrapped around his entire body, the pain was excruciating. Omen’s body felt as if it might boil, or explode out into the Pit in pieces. Omen screamed, but no sound was produced. The tendrils closed over his face, and Omen was unable to see. Omen stopped struggling, accepting the excruciating pain. He could not run from the energetic tendrils, nor would he given the opportunity. The pain drove Omen to a knee, and he fought to keep from being driven all the way to the ground.

The pain subsided, and the tendrils vanished. Omen looked over what parts of himself could be seen, and found no distinct physical changes. Even his face was still the same, though his eyes shined enough to see in the reflection in his armor. Omen stood, turning to face Vassago. Vassago stood flabbergasted for a moment, then calmed himself and spoke.

“Amazing. A Boon of Remaking, and one Created out of the Darkness. I have seen the effects of Boons before, but not since I lived in the Kingdom of Light. It was the pure Darkness that encompassed you, and it has become a part of you. You have changed Omen, your energy is much stronger than before. You have been remade in the Darkness, given the strength to combat those like myself. To be given something of this level, you are well-respected in the eyes of the Father who Created it, for only they can produce Boons of their own energy. This Power will serve you well in whatever battles we will face.”

Omen agreed, and went back into Vassago’s house. He went downstairs, and collected his belongings. Omen strapped on his cloak, pulling the hood back over his head. Omen strapped his weapon across his back, then headed back up the stairs. Omen saw Vassago strapping on his weapons, preparing himself as well. Both of them were aware of what lie ahead, and they knew there was not much time left. Soon they would be locked in combat, forcing their way to the Steps of the Palace. Once they were both ready, Omen asked Vassago to re-open the door to the balcony. Omen walked outside, bidding Vassago to follow. Once the door slid shut behind them, Omen crouched on the ground.

Omen began to draw an symbol on the ground, using his energy to force the lines into Existence. Once complete, the lines made the shape of the Bolted Star, the same image that was on Omen’s chestplate. The Star was placed inside a circle, and Omen stood in the center of what he had made. Omen raised his arms to his sides, and began to focus his energy. The Star on the ground began to raise into the air. As the Star passed through omen, his muscles contorted violently. But Omen maintained his focus, pushing the Star far above his body. It lifted high into the air, finally settling as the Star pointed its’ proper point downward. The Star hung in the air for a second, then exploded violently. Lightning cracked out from the Star as it exploded, shooting out in every direction.

As Omen was casting the spell, he finally retained enough control to open his eyes. He could see the faces of other Beings watching the spell as he cast it, interested in the magic being used. As the spell progressed, the eyes of many had been drawn to the Star. As it hung in the air, almost all of the City was waiting to see what would happen. The massive explosion startled the masses that gazed upon it, but they hooted and hollered as the lightning shot across the sky. After the Star had dissipated, the masses that had been watching it turned their gaze toward the direction of Vassago’s home, the place from which the Star had come. As Beings moved toward his position from all sides, Omen knew his time spent in hiding was over. But Omen was not concerned, and turned back toward Vassago with a sly grin. The Star was just the beginning of the spell, the fun was about to begin.

Omen had heard the Father’s voice inside his mind. The Gates within you are now open wide, and you have been given the strength that you have trained with. Go now My child, go and send your worship outward. May your song be so lond that it reaches My Ears inside the Grand Palace. As usual, Omen was not about to disappoint. After the energy from the Star had settled, notes began to ring out across the City. The energy of the Star had become the notes, which now reached far across the Pit. As the notes began, Omen took a deep breath. He focused all his energy, preparing himself to show the Father his level of commitment. As the notes began, more were drawn to the place where the Star had produced, interested in the strange sounds they heard. Omen screamed out, pushing hard with his energy as he sang. His voice resounded so loudly that it came back to him, striking off the nearby rocks. The sound of Omen’s voice carried across the City, and all the residents seemed to leave their homes in an effort to locate the source.

Omen pushed harder with each scream. The final roar of the song’s introduction produced a sonic wave, which shook the nearby houses. This inspired shock in the mass of Beings that was beginning to assemble in front of Vassago’s house. Omen lifted his hands again, and floated into the air. He came to rest at the highest point of Vassago’s house, and from there prepared to continue singing. But as the first verse began, Omen began to throw fireballs into the air, forcing them to explode in brilliant colors. By the end of the first verse, Omen had charged a massive fireball, and he released it on the proper beat of the song. The ball exploded perfectly in time with the end of the first chorus, burning out in several vibrant colors.

As the second verse began, Omen floated high above the ground. As he rose in the air, Omen felt something aside from the crowd beneath watching him. As he rose high into the air, Omen found the source of the feeling. In various places throughout the City, small Towers rose up into the air. These Towers were too small for anything to live inside, but atop each Tower rested a small, gem-like object. As Omen stared at the gem that was close to him, suddenly a large eye opened up in front of him. Each tower was a different eye, and these eyes were obviously connected as a network, allowing sight around every corner of the city. The ey stared intently at Omen, but Omen simply continued to sing. These eyes were obviously one of the ways in which Lust maintained control within the City, and surely his presence would be seen and reported quickly. After the song, omen knew it would be time to make his way out of the City, before Lust’s grasp was able to reach his throat.

Omen began to charge himself with energy as he sang. Lightning cracked in the air around Omen, followed by a large bolt striking him atop the head. But the bolt did not slow Omen, instead the sound of his voice carried even further. Omen clenched his fists and pushed hard with his energy, forcing the Power inside him to swirl violently as it grew. Omen’s energy, though it had risen to an extreme level, was stable and manageable. He placed the bottom edges of his palms together, and a small ball of energy appeared between them. the energy spun quickly, absorbing the energy of the Lightning sparking around it. As the energy was absorbed the ball continued to spin, growing massive in size. During the downbeat of the second chorus, Omen fired the ball skyward, suspending it far above the Tower. It hung there perfectly, the energy spinning to keep it contained inside the ball.

As the instrumental began, Omen charged his own energy again. He used his energy to draw a piece of the resonant energy from all the assembled masses. The amount was miniscule to Beings of such Power, but combined inside the ball hovering in the air these bits of energy were massive. Suddenly, the ball of energy in the air became the widest object in the City, save for the expansive Walls that surrounded it. Omen settled back onto the roof of Vassago’s home, seeing th started gazes of the crowd. Many were stomping along to the music in support, but many more were nervous about the energy Omen had Created.

The last verse began. By now Omen’s scream was so strong that every citizen of the City was standing outside, staring into the ball of energy in the air. As the song drew near the end, Omen charged energy in his left hand. As Omen sang the last line, lightning cracked out from his fingers, reaching for the ball of energy. When the bolt of lightning struck the ball, the energy inside de-stabilized, and the ball exploded. The explosion was heard and felt by all inside the City, and the shockwave stretched far into the Pit. Omen smiled as the song ended, knowing he had done his best to please the Father. If the sounds of that song of worship had not been heard, then no sound would be able to penetrate the Grand Palace’s walls. Omen had done as he was instructed, and sang out as hard as he could to his Father. But in doing so, he had drawn the attention of almost every Being in the City, many of whom now stood below him on the road.

One of the crowd stepped forward, pointing a clawed finger at Omen. “Who are you Human, and from what source have you acquired such Power?”

Omen clenched his fist, smiling as his voice rang out across the crowd. “My name is Omen Cross, and the Power I have is a Gift given by the Dark Father. The symbol you first saw in the sky, that of the Bolted Star, identifies myself and those like me. For I am not the only Human that possesses a strong energy, and someday many will walk the streets of this place. I was chosen to come here, in a place and time not my own, that I might know the splendor of what you have built in this place, the purest center of Darkness.”

Omen heard a loud groaning sound. He looked around the City, and located from where the sound had come. The lower Doors of the Tower had burst open, and many guards began pouring out. Omen looked around the City, and found that guards were drawing closer from every place they had been guarding. All were converging on Omen, and by the way they moved their intention was not peaceful. Only their King could provoke the City’s guard to such action, Omen thought as he jumped back down to Vassago.

“The guards are coming, we need to leave now. Lust has learned of my Existence, and seems to have called every guard in the City to obtain me.”

Vassago agreed, and with a mighty thrust of his wings was airborne. “It will be much easier for us to progress by foot than through the air, as the guards possess items that can negate flight. Let us make our way to the Gate, I will lead the way.”

Another flap of his wings, and Vassago launched himself through the air, landing just past the crowd that had gathered below them. Omen followed suit, using his energy to propel himself through the air. Omen crouched as he hit the ground, then launched into a sprint. Vassago led the way, quickly darting down various passageways. Unlike the last time, Omen’s new Power allowed him to keep up easily, maintaining a distance of roughly three paces between himself and Vassago. Omen could not see where they were going, but as the road turned upward he was reassured they were going the correct direction. Guards began to show up as they ran, but most were easily fended off by Vassago. The one that was not, to his surprise, Omen managed to deflect with his scythe. Though he continued running, Omen was astonished. The weapon he had deflected was almost twice his size, and the guard that swung it was enormous. But the Power granted by the Father had given Omen the strength to stand against those that would seek to slow his progress. Now Omen and Vassago worked as a team, deflecting the guards attacks as they continued upward, towards the North Gate that led to the Grand Palace.

As they reached the uppermost level, Omen began to hope that they might reach the Gate without complication. But as the buildings parted, and the Gate drew near, both Vassago and Omen stopped short of their goal. Standing between them and the Gate was a wall of guards, both Demon and Dra’Gaari. They stood only far enough apart to allow them to both turn and take off in flight if needed. Each individual was brandishing their weapons, obviously this Gate had been protected as they ran. As Omen and Vassago stood there, attempting to find a weakness in the wall of guards, more swooped down from above them. Soon, the wall had become a ring, and Omen and Vassago found themselves trapped. There was nowhere to go, and attacking any one of the guards would cause them to be overwhelmed. Omen and Vassago stood with their backs to each other, watching every guard in the circle that surrounded them. As Omen looked at the guards, he knew that their present forms did not properly show their individual Power. Thus there was no real way to tell which way would be the easiest to attack.

As they stood there, a loud voice boomed out over the crowd. “HUMAN!” Omen recognized the voice immediately. Though slightly less cracked, the Voice of Lust was easily to hear. “You are a strange and interesting specimen. Even I have never seen one that is able to control Power so easily pass through my City. I am the King of this City, and I will not allow you to leave just yet. First I request your presence, that I might learn more about you. If you allow yourself to be escorted to my Tower, we can speak there. Once I have had my questions answered, you will be free to continue on.”

Omen chuckled, having already been warned about the consequences of accepting this offer. Perhaps this was the reason that Dra’Naa’Zorian had warned him so strongly about it, to prevent him from accepting what sounded like a simple invitation. But Omen had dealt with Lust too many times before, and was well aware individually of how rotten he was capable of being. Omen would never allow himself to be forced into the Tower, all he would find there is excruciating pain, and eventual death.

“You may not know me, but I know you, mighty Secondborn of the Pit. Word of your Power and deeds reaches far to my ears, further than you might expect. However, I am on a mission directed by the Will of the Dark Father, and I can focus on nothing else. I apologize, but I must deny your gracious invitation, for I must go to the Grand Palace.”

“HOW DARE YOU!!!” The grumblings of the varied Beings that had gathered outside the circle of guards matched this rage. None could believe that a Human had just denied a King, standing in direct opposition to his will. “You dare to spit at my hospitality, after you were offered peaceful conversation? Simply for this, I would see you cut down where you stand.” The guards began to ready their weapons, and Omen grew nervous. “However, I believe I have a better idea. You wish to pass through the North Gate, and reach the Grand Palace, correct?”

“Yes. I wish no war against your City, I simply must reach my goal. I ask for peaceful passage to complete this goal to be allowed.”

The evil cackling that Omen heard made it clear that his request had been denied. “You ask for peace, yet you have blatantly disrespected a King. You say you do not wish war, yet you flee from the City Guard. You are quite amusing, little Human. So much so in fact that I have decided to grant your request, as long as you also agree to my terms.”

“And what terms might these be, what use might a Human be to the King of Lust?”

“You cannot fool me. I have been watching you, Omen of the Bolted Star. You use much greater Power than those of your kind should be able, and you are capable of moving freely around the City. You are not the same as the others here, and I intend to prove that fact. If you refuse to come to me, and explain this difference personally, then I shall force you to show me instead. My terms are the following: you must face me in combat, and manage to do visible damage to me. This must be damage that can be seen by the guards that surround you, as proof that you have completed the task. If you do this, the guards are hereby ordered to allow you passage o the Grand Palace. Do you accept these terms, or would you prefer I order the guards to overwhelm and destroy you?”

Omen sighed, knowing he had no choice. “I agree to your terms, provided the passage allowed applies to Vassago as well. If you are damaged, both of us are allowed to leave without any contestation from the guards, or the residents of the City.”

“Agreed. Let all assembled here know that these terms are agreed to, and thus must be obeyed without question.” Energy swirled in the sky above Omen’s head. He must be enacting an energetic Law, Omen thought as the energy stabilized again. This energy is what makes denying the Law nearly impossible, and can only be generated from a Throne. Lust must have built his own Throne, which covers only his own city. This way Lust can make his own Laws, which only apply to those that live under his rule.

Omen readied his weapon. “Though I do not see the use in pitting a King of the Pit against a Human, I am ready to do battle with you. Come down from your Throne, and let your questions be answered.”

“In time little Human, in time. You are far too eager to be destroyed. I will be with you shortly, but until then allow me to keep you entertained.”

43

One of the guards that stood around Omen and Vassago stepped forward. The massive Dra’Gaari towered over Omen, standing at least ten feet tall. The majority of his body was armored, including his tail. The guard carried a large spear, the blade of which was half the size of Omen’s body. As the guard stepped forward, the circle of guards collapsed, closing the gap the missing guard had created. As the guard came forward, Omen readied himself. Vassago turned, preparing himself for battle as well. But Omen thrust his arm in front of Vassago, which surprised him a bit.

“No Vassago. There is only one opponent, and he fights with weapons of Honor. I must face him alone, I cannot allow you to assist me this time.”

Vassago gritted his teeth. “Are you insane? We are stronger together than separately, and could easily overcome this challenge.”

“Exactly. Lust wants to see MY strength, he knows of you already. Making the fights simple will only cause Lust to send more opponents at us. I will do this on my own, and allow the King to do what he intends: study my movements, and locate a weakness to exploit.”

Vassago’s eyes grew wide, but eventually he stepped to the side. “You know he intends to study you, and yet you fall right into it? I do not see how this is a wise move, but I will allow you to do as you wish. However, should you begin to come to harm, I will be forced to intervene. My mission is to escort you to the Palace, I am not under your command.”

Omen nodded. “Understood. But have some faith, will ya?”

As Vassago backed away, he had a puzzled look on his face. Omen turned back to face the guard, who was still in the same spot he had been before. Obviously, he was allowing Omen and Vassago to decide what they would do before he acted. But as he watched Vassago step away, the guard laughed heartily. “Really? The Fallen would step aside, and force the Human to battle alone? Truly you must be a coward Vassago, for this Human will surely die because of your weakness.”

Omen laughed, which drew the guard’s attention back toward him, as well as the rest of the crowd. “So, you believe it will be that simple? Then ignore Vassago, face your opponent. Thrust your spear, and remove this pitiful Human from the streets of the City you protect. Then everyone can go home, and this will all be over, yes?”

The guard was visibly smiling through his helmet. “That is a good idea. The last one you will ever have Human.”

Omen maintained his position, not moving an inch. He looked over the massive guard, whose thick armor seemed to cover his entire body. From head to toe, this guard was armored to the teeth. The spikes that protruded from the guard’s armored tail were each jagged, appearing as if they could rip through flesh instantly. Lust had not chosen this guard hastily. Of all the guards that surrounded him, this one was much more heavily armored than the rest. His Dragon-like scales added even more protection. Omen stood there for a moment, looking for a weakness to attack. But none could be found, the guard had designed his armor around this concept. Omen considered his options, then remembered something he had been told by both Tre and Belial. Omen’s stance became more aggressive, and he chuckled a bit.

“Come on then, let’s get this over with...”

The guard advanced, drawing his spear back. The weapon thrust forward, attempting to go straight through Omen’s chest. Omen swung his own weapon, knocking the huge spear to the side. As the guard attempted to bring his spear back to bear, Omen used his energy to dash forward quickly. The guard set his weapon to defend, but Omen dashed right by him. Omen thrust the large blade of his scythe forward, using his energy to assist the strike. To his astonishment, the blade easily pierced the thick armor, as well as the guard’s left ankle. Omen yanked the blade upward, causing a massive gash from ankle to calf. Omen leapt backwards as the guard roared in pain, moving back from the guard several feet. The guard’s blood flowed from his leg, and he obviously had some difficulty putting his entire weight on it. Omen smirked, for his plan had worked perfectly. Tre had once told him that his blades carried special enchantments, allowing them to penetrate much further than most weapons. Omen wanted to test this theory first on a weaker spot in the armor, and the armor around the back of the legs was a good place to start. Having seen the result of his attack, Omen gained much confidence in his own capability, and prepared for another strike.

The guard growled angrily, but Omen stood unafraid. Omen launched himself forward, using his energy to propel himself with more force. He launched a series of attacks, aimed at every part of the guard’s armor. The guard defected his blows, bringing the rear of his weapon around to strike. Omen attempted to guard against the blow, but the force of the guard was overwhelming. Omen was propelled backwards, crashing down onto the ground with a dull thud. The guard charged in after Omen, who quickly returned to his feet. The massive spear slashed downward, the guard attempting to take obvious advantage of his size and strength. But Omen used his scythe to parry the attacks, using the guard’s momentum against him. With each failed attack, the guard grew angrier. As he attacked more aggressively, Omen saw that his opponent had lost control. In a fit of rage, the guard attempted a wild overhead strike. As he did, Omen crouched down and dashed to the guard’s right side. As he passed by, Omen spun in a circle, forcing the blade of his weapon to gain momentum with the swing. The guard attempted to turn, but the weakness in his opposite leg caused him to hesitate. Omen’s blade connected cleanly behind the guards knee, ripping through flesh as it continued to spin. As the guard attempted to counter this attack, the strength of his legs gave way, and he crashed to the ground. The assembled crowd let out an audible gasp as the guard fell, and Omen stood over him unharmed.

“So, shall I run him through now, or should this one be toyed with first?”

Various grumblings, as well as voices full of disbelief, began to be heard amongst the crowd. This was Omen’s intent. Lust was no fool, and would not charge headlong into a fight without evaluating his opponent first. In order to force Lust out of his Tower, Omen had to put on a show. The arguments of the crowd, as well as the upset look on the faces of the other guards, proved that Omen’s plan was working. In that moment, Omen had a memory that made him laugh, but also gave him an idea. For many years ago he had been a wrestler, and had been taught how to incite crowds using little but words. Perhaps he could put those talents to work here, and incite the anger of the City of Lust. In doing so, their King would likely come down to “defend their Honor”, to make it look as if they mattered to him. This entire thing was one big show that was being put on for the City, and Omen was never one to disappoint.

Omen looked down, and saw the guard struggling to reach for his weapon. Without hesitation, Omen spun his weapon upward, removing several of the guard’s fingers. The guard roared, retracting the arm he had been using. “Now, that wasn’t very smart,” Omen said as he picked up one of the severed fingers. “Now you’re missing fingers, and can’t even grip your weapon correctly. Keep pushing me, and I might just be done with you.” Omen threw the finger at its’ owner, who growled angrily as he lay on the ground. Then he stepped away from the guard, turning to face the assembled crowd. “However, I leave your Fate up to the citizens of the City you failed to protect. What say you all? Shall this one be spared, or be punished for his failures as a warrior?”

Omen held up his left hand in a fist, extending his thumb out to the side. From the stories he had seen, this was an understood method of determining public opinion during an arena battle. As he outstretched his thumb, the crowd immediately began to voice their opinions. The roars of many Beings could be heard, but most of them shared a common opinion. Just as planned, Omen’s words had turned the crowd against one of their own, and now they wished his death to come swiftly. Soon, the various opinions became a massive chant, “DEATH! DEATH! DEATH,” being the only sound that could be heard. Omen turned away from the crowd, his gaze turning towards the Tower.

“And what say you, O King of Lust? By the Laws of the Pit, all that this one is will become a part of me should I take his life. All that was his will become mine, including his position as a guard in this City. Would you see this happen, or would you rather go against the will of your people?”

Omen saw a mass of Darkness swoop down from the Tower. It was a small amount, and it floated down over Omen’s outstretched hand. Obviously, this was how Lust was going to communicate his answer. The fact that Lust refused to speak proved that Omen was starting to get to him. If Omen was told to kill the guard, Lust would be forced to accept a Human as a member of his City Guard, something that Omen had not even seen in his own time. Humans were not guards, they served their masters in the Pit as they were told. This action would set a precedent in the Pit, that Humans were capable of standing up to the Beings that came before them. This would inspire a form of respect, but also fear and anger towards Humans. For if Humans could take over the positions held by the Beings before them, then Humans might be capable of taking higher positions as well. This meant that Omen would instantly be seen as one to be feared, but also would be Hated for the position he had attained. But if Omen was told to let the guard live, the King would show weakness. For while Omen might be Human, he was also a capable warrior. From the perspective of the City’s residents, Omen was now more worthy than the fallen guard. The entire City was calling for the death of the guard, their chant easily reaching Lust’s ears in the Tower. Either way, Lust was not getting what he wanted from this little display of his..

The energy formed over Omen’s hand, and he felt a strong pressure. His thumb was forced downward, a sign that Lust had accepted the will of the City. As the energy dissipated, the chants of the crowd grew even louder. Omen walked back to the guard, who lay almost motionless on the ground. He had accepted his defeat, and whatever Fate awaited him. As Omen grasped the hilt of his scythe, he pulled back his hood. “Warrior, remove your helmet, and accept an Honorable death.”

The guard reached up with the hand that still had all its’ clawed fingers, and slid the helmet off his head. As it fell to the ground with a loud clang, the guard used his hands to push himself off the ground. He raised his head, his gaze raised to the roof of the Cavern. Omen moved in front of the guard, and took firm hold of his weapon. Once the guard lowered his head again, Omen positioned his blade over the exposed neck of the guard. He reached backward, hurling the blade downward with all his energetic force. The blade hummed with energy as it connected, and energy shot outward as the blade cut through flesh. As the guard’s body slumped to the side, and his head rolled in the opposite direction, Omen turned back toward the Tower.

“It is done. I have passed your test. Now, come down from your Tower, that you might see my strength firsthand.”

Lust’s laugh reverberated throughout the City. “Impressive Human, most impressive. However, as you stated, that victory makes you one of my City Guards. No guard can earn the right to challenge me through single combat, it will require more for you to prove yourself. But take heart, I will provide you a sufficient challenge.”

Three more guards stepped forward from various places in the circle, converging into a small group. Two were Dra’Gaari, and one was a Demon of some sort. While much shorter than the other guards, the Demon seemed confident that he could stand with them in the fight. He carried a sword and shield, which glowed red through their black metal. The guard on the Demon’s left carried a two-handed axe, with a wide face that Omen could easily lay on comfortably. The other guard Held a shield as well, but in his right hand carried a massive mace, whose spiked head was larger in width than the shield carried by the Demon. They stood together, staring directly at Omen.

Vassago walked to Omen’s side. “There are three of them. Allow me to assist you, that we might stand a better chance of success.”

Omen turned back to Vassago. “Of course Vassago. It will be much more fair that way, and I know you have been waiting for a chance to get in on this fight.”

Vassago reached down to his belt, drawing forth his twin blades. The swords gleamed beautifully, obviously Vassago had taken good care of them. They seemed to vibrate with energy but each one was slightly different. As the two warriors prepared to stand together against their foes, the voice of Lust cut through the air.

“So, you will face this challenge as a team? So be it, let the battle commence.”

“With pleasure. Time to show you how strong two warriors of the Father can be!”

Omen and Vassago charged forward, and the guard moved apart slightly in preparation. But Omen and Vassago shot off to the left and right of the guards, flanking them from both sides, and forcing them to split their attention. As Omen faced the axe-weilding Dra’Gaari, and saw the Demon turn toward him as well, he realized that he was the focus of their attack. The third guard was simply to keep Vassago busy, while the other two attempted to overwhelm Omen. Seeing their strategy, Omen concocted a plan of his own. If he was forced to face two of the three, this would give Vassago time to fell his opponent, setting the odds much more in their favor. While this method would be extremely dangerous for Omen, it was their only option. Trying to fight the force and skill of three at once would be nearly impossible, but in reducing their numbers Omen knew there was a chance.

As Vassago moved away, putting a distance between the fights, the Dra’Gaari swung his massive axe at Omen. Omen jumped away, barely able to escape being cleaved apart. But suddenly, the blade was twisted, and even outstretched another strike was attempted. This guard was experienced in his fighting style, and kept Omen at a distance. Omen moved quickly, parrying the massive blade the best he could. While he was not struck, Omen found himself unable to advance on his opponent. If this continued, Omen would be worn down without ever reaching the guard. The guard drew back, and quickly sung the blade downward. Omen dodged the blade, but the force of the blade striking the ground knocked Omen backwards. He was barely able to avoid the next strike, which aimed to sever his head. Omen leapt backwards, attempting to create some distance. But as he did, a ball of fire slammed into his chest, knocking him back much further. As Omen got back to his feet, he saw the Demon guard smiling evilly. He was allowing the larger guard to do the majority of the fighting, and was backing him up with magic. Several fireballs were hurled at Omen, and he was forced to dive out of the way to avoid them.

“Omen! Hang on!”

Omen heard Vassago’s voice, but was unable to focus on his fight. But from what he could see,Vassago was having little problem dealing with his opponent. The massive guard attempted to use both his mace and shield as weapons, but Vassago’s blades were not slowed by them at all. Vassago was easily driving the guard backwards, he should have victory well within hand. But he still needed time to finish his opponent, which left Omen to deal with the other two guards. As the fight continued, the two guards seemed to adopt new strategies. Wheres before one attacked while the other waited, now they were working in tandem. Omen now found himself fighting to dodge fireballs as well as the massive axe, an effort that was not working in his favor. Even as he defended, Omen found himself pelted with fireballs, each one searing the spaces between the plates of his armor. He could not keep this up much longer, something had to be done.

The crowd let out a serious of gasps and grumbles. Omen looked to his side, and saw Vassago’s blades lodged deep in the guard he was fighting’s chest. He ripped them out, and the guard’s blood spilled out onto the ground, running into the stones in the color of aged eggplants. As the guard tumbled forward, Vassago spun around toward the remaining guards. “I’m on my way Omen!”

Vassago’s call drew the attention of the Demonic guard, but the other remained focused on Omen. The guard, seeing that they had lost their advantage, swung his axe in a wide arc, trying to cut Omen in half. Omen jumped, landing on the enormous blade as it passed. Before the guard had an opportunity to correct, Omen leapt off the blade, his scythe blade seeking blood. The guard attempted a counter, but Omen was expecting it. Omen quickly reversed his weapon, and the two small blades dug into the guard’s chest on the right side. As Omen felt the blades dig in, he channeled lightning through his weapon. The electricity sparked and crackled, seeming to pour out of the guard’s every orifice. Omen planted his feet firmly, and used the energy to propel himself at the final guard, who was using fire to keep Vassago at a distance. The guard felt Omen coming, and raised his shield in defense. Omen drew his weapon back as he was launched forward, and swung with the energy he had charged inside the weapon. It struck the shield harmlessly, but the force of the strike was enough to send the guard flying. Vassago gave chase, but the Demon quickly darted away. Unlike the Dra’Gaari, the Demon would not simply stand still and be assaulted.

The two guards regrouped, staring down Omen and Vassago. The wounds created by Omen’s strike still bled slightly, though the guard seemed to shake his wounds off. Omen and Vassago moved in again, sticking with their previous targets. As Vassago worked to get within striking range of the Demon, the Dra’Gaari continued to try to cut Omen down. But Omen continued to avoid the guard’s attacks, dodging sideways while keeping his distance. With each swing, the guard seemed to grow tired. After several swings, the guard dropped his massive axe, and collapsed to the ground. Omen moved toward his opponent slowly, smiling evilly as he did. As Omen stood over the guard, he was not even seen to reach up to defend himself as Omen’s small blades stabbed into him multiple times. Not even a sound was uttered, the guard seemed only to lay as if dead. Omen stopped attacking, and held his blades in front of the guard’s face.

“Do you like them Dra’Gaari? These blades are poisonous, as I’m sure you are now well aware. You were poisoned the moment you were struck, and it slowly paralyzed your entire body. Now you lie helpless before me, awaiting the final blow. But fear not, I shall end your life swiftly.” With those final words, Omen twisted his weapon, stabbing the scythe blade into the guard’s eye. As the blade sunk deep into the skull of the guard, Omen charged the blade with electricity. As the blade piecred the Dra’Gaari’s skull, the electricity cracked through his entire skull. After a few seconds, Omen withdrew his blade, and the guard’s smoking corpse fell to the ground.

Omen looked up just in time to see the Demon slam his shield into Vassago, knocking him backwards toward Omen. Omen helped Vassago up from the ground, and they stood to face their final opponent. The Demon’s face was twisted up in rage, and he gripped his weapon and shield tightly. “ENOUGH!” A wave of energy poured out from the Demon, and Omen and Vassago braced themselves in order to remain standing. “You disgrace us individually, as well as the City Guard, by dispatching us with such ease. This will not be allowed to continue, I am tired of seeing my fellow guards fall by your hand!”

The Demon flapped his wings, and shot forward at the pair like a bullet. Omen was barely able to see the sword as the Demon attacked, and was struck on his left side. His armor deflected most of the attack, but the force had made its’ way inside, and Omen felt the strike shake his internal organs. The Demon’s extreme speed added momentum to his strikes, making up for his small stature. The Demon darted back and forth, launching fireballs in between his strikes. Vassago and Omen adopted a defensive posture, trying to find a way to effectively attack the speeding Demon. The Demon launched forward again, and Omen prepared to parry his attack. But instead of a blade, Omen was met with a direct strike from the shield, and sent flying through the air. Omen crashed to the ground, his weapon landing next to him. As Omen shook his head, forcing his eyes to regain focus, he began to realize his energy was waning slightly. It seemed that the extent of the fighting was taking its’ toll on Omen’s energy, he would have to be more direct. Omen slowly pulled himself up off the ground, reaching over to grab his weapon.

As Omen composed himself, he saw the battle continue. Vassago’s style with the twin blades was amazing. With each strike, Vassago seemed to be creating a massive whirlwind around himself, which made his strikes harder to see. But despite this tactic, the demon was unimpressed. He swung his sword out, and Vassago’s left blade was sent flying. This left Vassago defenseless on one side, and the shield was sent into this weakness. Vassago was struck high, the shield crushing him to the ground. The Demon stood over Vassago with a twisted smile as he raised his blade overhead.

“NO!” A bolt of lightning flew from Omen’s fingertips, striking the demon in the back. The Demon stumbled forward, and Vassago was able to roll away. As he did, he struck with his remaining sword, piercing the demon deep in the stomach. The Demon stumbled backwards as Vassago removed his blade. Vassago moved away, retrieving his other weapon as he and Omen moved back together. But as they prepared to launch a final assault, the wound in the Demon’s stomach sealed shut. He stood smiling, seeming unaffected by the damage he had suffered.

“Your blades cannot harm me. One of my strengths is my ability to heal quickly. Nor will your poisons work, I have a natural immunity due to the speed at which I heal. The techniques which have saved you from the other guards will not work against me, soon your fighting will come to an end.”

Omen gripped his weapon tightly, and released an audible growl. “Seriously? I stand here, trying to prove myself in honorable combat, and you throw something like this at me? Fine then. If there is no Honor in you, I shall show you no mercy.”

Omen raised his right hand, focusing his energy. Suddenly, tendrils of Dark energy sprung out of the ground, seizing the Demon by the wrists and ankles. The Demon struggled, but more tendrils continued to sprout forth from the ground. Like the energy that had overcome Omen, the tendrils wrapped around the Demon like snakes, and soon the Demon had been brought to his knees. Omen walked forward, holding his blade to the side. “Now, because this warrior sought to fight me unfairly, I will show him the weakness he retains.” The tendrils moved, forcing the Demon’s neck to be exposed. Omen raised his weapon skyward, and in one swipe removed the Demon’s head. As it rolled across the ground, Omen stabbed it with his smaller blades, ensuring that the brain had been destroyed. Omen flipped his weapon over, showing off the head of the demon that was attached to it. The roars of the crowd showed their anger towards Omen, who once again had managed to defeat their guards. Now that he had defeated more than one, Omen was quickly gaining rank within the City Guards. Now, if he actually planned to stay, Omen would be assigned to guard important positions, possibly even the King. From the perspective of those who had trained for years to attain these positions, Omen was a terrible disgrace to all they had worked for. His ability to cut them down through various methods was making them all look bad, and the City’s inhabitants were not happy about it.

Omen turned back toward the Tower, holding the severed head of the Demon high above his head. “So, are you satisfied now? How many heads must roll before you come down from your Tower. Would you sacrifice every Being in this City to avoid facing me yourself?”

There was a short silence before the King responded. “Foolish boy. You stand proudly, as if you have defeated an entire army alone. You have no idea of how many soldiers are at my disposal, you speak of things you barely know. But since you are so eager to die, I will give you a real challenge. Arise Sarthax, and destroy this impudent Human.”

As Lust spoke the name of Omen’s opponent, many of the citizens fled from the area. The circle of guards expanded, but retained the wall that prevented Omen from leaving. By their nervous movements, everyone in the City was well aware of what Omen was about to face. A massive roar filled the air, sending more of the residents running. Omen searched the skies for the source of the voice, and found the reason for their fear. Rising in the air next to the tower was a massive red Dragon, and its’ eyes were fixed on Omen. The Dragon swooped down from the sky, shaking the ground as it landed. Omen stared at the Dragon, whose scales looked as if they were made of stone. Omen realized that the guards had only extended their circle in order for the massive wyrm to move about freely. The Dragon roared, and a wave of flame poured out from its’ mouth. Omen and Vassago leapt away to either side, trying to avoid the flames. As the Dragon closed its’ mouth, Omen and Vassago were both found to be only mildly singed.

The Dragon spoke. “I am Sarthax. Abandon all hope Human, only death awaits you.”

Sarthax charged, the ground shaking with each step. Omen charged as well, not wanting to sit still and be eaten. Vassago followed in behind Omen, and as they approached the two split directions as they had before. Sarthax followed Omen, his massive jaws attempting to swallow Omen whole. Omen dodged, trying to turn Sarthax away from Vassago. But as Vassago tried to strike, Sarthax’s enormous wing batted him away. Omen continued to avoid the teeth of Sarthax, rolling away as the jaws clamped shut right next to him. Omen propelled himself forward with his energy, slashing downward behind Sarthax’s neck. But his weapon connected with a dull thud, and no wound was produced. Omen continued to try in different places, but nothing was able to penetrate Sarthax’s thick scales. Omen continued to attack, fighting from above as Vassago battled below. But in the blink of an eye, Sarthax reared up on his hind legs, and swatted Omen out of the air like a fly. Omen few through the air, crashing hard against one of the various buildings which walled the fighting. Omen fell forward from the stone, falling several feet before crashing to the ground. Omen groaned, attempting to pull himself back to his feet. The force of Sarthax’s attack had been substantial, Omen had not been able to slow his flight through the air, or to prevent himself from crashing into the building.

As Omen tried to stand, Vassago continued the battle. His blades slashed in every direction, but none seemed to have an effect. Vassago struck low, trying to reach Sarthax’s belly. Omen realized quickly that Vassago was aware of the place where Sarthax had a weakness, and was trying to exploit it. But the Dragon proved to be too smart for this, protecting his underside as he snapped and slashed at Vassago. Vassago was driven back, and eventually knocked away as Omen had been. But before Vassago could recover, Sarthax charged again, blasting a cone of flame at Vassago as he pressed forward. Vassago was unable to avoid the fire, and was engulfed inside. As the fire subsided, Sarthax was lying on the ground. He had tried to defend against the attack, but the flames had done their damage. Vassago’s wings were scorched almost completely off, and every part of Vassago had been burnt. Sarthax stood over him drooling, each drop sizzling on the stone as it fell. Sarthax opened his mouth wide, preparing to devour Vassago.

As he lunged forward, Sarthax was struck on the side of the head. Roaring in anger, Sarthax searched for the source. Omen pulled on his chain, retracting his scythe blade. As it fell to the ground next to him, Omen re-attached it to his right arm. Omen placed the staff on his back, readying his arm blades for battle. “Sarthax! Your fight is with me!”

The Dragon swung around with its’ scaled tail, attempting to swat Omen away. Omen jumped over the tail and thrust his blades downward. As his blades failed to penetrate, Omen channeled lightning through the metal, attempting to damage Sarthax with electricity. But the hard scales seemed to direct the electricity straight off, and it was grounded out with little problem. Sarthax spun, lashing out with his razor-sharp teeth. Omen avoided being eaten, but was caught by the edge of a tooth as the massive jaws barely missed him. Omen darted away, trying to make space to develop a strategy. But Sarthax responded by sending his firey breath, forcing Omen to run from the flames. As he ran, Omen tried various forms of attack. None were effective, causing only the most minimal of damage. Omen used the circle of guards as his limit, running in a circle around Sarthax. Omen used this time to charge a large amount of energy into a single blast, which landed directly in the Dragon’s face. Sarthax stepped backward, shaking his head for a second. But as his eyes re-focused on Omen, it seemed the attack had only made Sarthax angry. His fire breath became globs of spit, which stuck to the ground and burned anything it touched. The fires created by this napalm burned for some time, and a such Omen quickly found himself out of places to run.

Sarthax closed in, using his napalm to prevent Omen from running any further. Massive fires burned all around the two as Sarthax loomed over Omen, his massive jaws smiling wide. Sarthax opened wide, preparing to swallow Omen in one bite. Omen refused to move, holding his blades close to his side. As the Dragon’s jaws began to overcome him, Omen jumped straight up, thrusting his blades outward to each side. As he expected, Sarthax’s mouth was not as weak as his hide had been. Omen’s blades sunk deep into the roof of Sarthax’s mouth, as well as his tongue. As soon as Omen’s blades pierced his flesh, Sarthax chomped down, trying to rip Omen apart, and end his fighting. Omen pulled his feet in close, his knees next to his chest. He hooked his blades into Sarthax, holding on tightly as the Dragon whipped its’ head back and forth. Omen charged his energy, waiting for the opportune moment.

As Sarthax flung his head downward, Omen planted his feet. Using the momentum of the massive Dragon’s flailing, Omen launched himself forward, using his energy to force his blades to rip through the soft flesh, and propelled himself out of the maw of Sarthax. Omen turned to find Sarthax attempting to launch his firey spit, but being unable to do so. Apparently the damage Omen had caused to Sarthax’s mouth had made him unable to control his fire. Omen smiled, knowing he had finally caused some damage. He also took note of the fact that his energetic attack had produced an effect as well. Omen stared down Sarthax, who growled as small drips of blood fell from his mouth.

The wyrm flexed its‘ wings, and Sarthax fixed his gaze upon Omen. “I admit Human, I am very surprised. You actually managed to hurt me. However, one small wound will not save you..”

Sarthax’s words were replaced with a gasp as he reared back, preparing to lunge at Omen. He looked down, and at that moment Vassago ripped his blades across the Dragon’s belly. Sarthax roared in pain, and thrust Vassago downward with his foot. Vassago was unable to overcome the claws of Vassago, and was crushed to the ground. He stared down at his fallen opponent, and Vassago made no movement whatsoever. “Pitiful Fallen. How dare you stab at my belly!”

“Sarthax!”

The Dragon turned around, and his eyes grew wide. Omen had charged his lightning into a ball, and had forced it to grow in front of him. The ball of electricity now sat in front of Omen, being nearly the same size as the one who held it. Sarthax reared back, preparing to throw his fire. But before he could start his attack, Omen launched his own. As the fire began to spew forth from the mouth of the Dragon, the ball of lightning connected with the flames. As the energies connected they exploded violently, and as they did Omen forced his energy forward. The force of the explosion knocked Sarthax backwards, and the electricity cracked throughout his body. Just as Omen had experienced with his first attack, while in the mouth of the Dragon, Sarthax’s blood was a fine conductor of electricity. Omen continued to force his energy into Sarthax, penetrating every part of the Dragon’s body. Sarthax let out a roar, which knocked down all the nearby guards. As they fell, they too felt the sting of Omen’s lightning, as Sarthax’s blood had been forced away by his roar as well.

Omen finally stopped attacking. Sarthax collapsed, his body adding to the many guards around him that had fallen from Omen’s attack. Slowly, Sarthax wrapped his tail in close to his body, using his wings to cover himself. Sarthax left no space for attacks to be sent at him, nor made any movements toward Omen. Omen looked over to where Vassago had fallen. He still lay where he had fallen, but seemed to be moving a bit. Perhaps Vassago had not been completely destroyed after all...

Omen pointed toward the Dragon, huddling in safety behind his own wings. “Sarthax! Do you yield?” This question prompted many whispers amongst the remaining guards and crowd. Omen, who had already killed so many of their own, and understood that killing a Dragon would entitle him to much, was offering Sarthax a chance to accept defeat? The Dragon did not move, but his voice could be heard from inside.

“I stand bleeding and defeated, something that is unheard of from a Human. I admit defeat, and ask that you spare my life. If you do so, I will honor any one request you ask of me, whether that be a question you ask or a task given.”

Omen thought for a moment. “Sarthax, I find myself in a bit of moral conflict. You tried to devour me whole, and nearly killed Vassago. You would not have spared me, if faced with the same choice. Yet still, I find your offer intriguing. You say you will do anything I ask, in return for sparing your life? Then I accept, but only under the condition that you follow me, and assist me in flushing out your King. I will not tolerate him avoiding me any longer, and the aid of a Dragon would prove a valuable asset. Will you stand beside me Sarthax, or shall I simply destroy you?”

Sarthax growled, but then retracted his wings, revealing his face. “You have my word, my fire is yours to command. Whatever strength I have left is yours to use as you see fit, and should I die my debt to you will be paid.”

“ENOUGH!” The sky around the City began to grow dark, and energy began to pour up into the sky from the Tower. “If you wish to die, then so be it Human. But for attempting to turn one of my own against me, your death will be slow. Since you requested it, this fight will be one-on-one. All others remove yourselves from the combat area, by order of the King. By the Law of my City, none shall interfere in this contest, lest their entire Being be ripped to shreds by those assembled here. If you have prayers to say Human, I suggest you finish them quickly. You will not have another chance.

Finally, Omen thought to himself, the King of Lust is coming to face me. Omen repeatedthe statement again in his mind, wondering whether or not it should make him happy. For while he would now finally be fighting for his freedom, and the right to complete his mission, he would be forced to face one of the Ancients, the Spirit of Lust Itself. As the energy continued to swirl in the sky, growing thicker and darker by the second, Omen was sure he was in trouble. There would be no assistance, no way to distract his opponent from destroying him. Omen stood inside the City of Lust, and Its’ King was coming down to fight. Of all the things Omen had faced, he knew this would be his toughest challenge ever. Even fighting the Spirit of Lust on Earth was nearly impossible, and this was definitely not the Earth. Here the Darkness flowed stronger than anywhere else, here Lust was at his full strength. But Omen stood unflinchingly, determined to face whatever lied ahead. He had to, too many sacrifices had been made to reach this point. And failure would only lead to non-existence, as death in Hell would leave his soul nowhere to pass.

Omen decided to take Lust’s advice. Father, thanks to the Power you have given me, I have become stronger than I ever imagined. Thank you for showing me a strength most Humans will never know. If this be my time to die, then let my death Honor You in all ways.

44

As the energy in the sky began to swirl together, all those still assembled took a knee, waiting for their King to arrive. Omen refused to kneel, an act which garnered more than one complaint from the others in the crowd. The energy coalesced like black smoke, forming into a small tornado. The tornado settled over the ground, and as the spinning slowed it began to take form. Lust was not drawing off the energy of any physical form, but the essence of his own energy. But the form took shape, appearing similar to the way Fallen are described in the stories. He stood just slightly taller than Omen, with a wingspan just longer than the outstretched reach of his arms. As the smoke solidified, Lust appear almost Human-like in his physical features. His armor seemed to appear the same as the rest of him, little separation existed between one and the other. The spaces between radiated with energy, and the blade that hung from his belt was like nothing Omen had felt before. The magic was distinctly separate from Lust’s own energy, but both felt equally terrible. As Lust opened his eyes, and raised his left hand, the assembled crowd rose to their feet.

“My people. This Human,this miserable and worthless creature, has disgraced us all on this day. He snuck into the City using lies and deception. As many of you rested from your duties, this Human caused a violent disturbance in the sky. He argues against the will of your King, and tries to turn you against one another. This is the kind of problems that Humans cause, I have always held to that belief. Because of his treachery, one of your own stood for him rather than you. The Human corrupted Vassago’s mind somehow, and caused him to betray his own City.”

Lust turned in all directions as he spoke. Omen realized quickly that Lust was doing the same thing Omen had before, inciting the crowd in his favor. As their King began to list Omen’s crimes, the citizens grumbled in anger. By the third sentence, the grumblings became cries of outrage. By the end of the list, the citizens cried for Omen’s blood. Now, the people cheered loudly for their King, begging him to slay Omen quickly. Lust reached into his belt, and drew out the blade he was carrying. The metal was the black, but the energy that flowed through it glowed a dark purple. After drawing his sword, Lust pointed it directly at Omen.

“My people, i hear your cries. You wish the stain that this Human has caused on our City to be removed once and for all. Your King has heard you, and has come to grant your wish. Let this fight commence, that Omen Cross be destroyed once and for all.”

Omen took in several deep breaths, watching Lust as he played to the reactions of the crowd. As he had been waiting, Omen had come to realize how much damage he had suffered during the previous battles. Omen could feel his energy starting to wane, though he did his best to keep it focused. Omen had finally reached the battle he had been waiting for, but was running out of energy. Lust was obviously aware of this fact, which Omen gathered was why he paid almost no attention to his opponent. Lust even turned his back to Omen, as if the fight did not matter to him at all. Omen seized the opportunity, charging full-speed towards Lust, attempting to sink his blades deep into the King’s back.

Omen’s blades passed right through Lust as if he were still comprised of smoke. But the right fist seemed firm enough, as Omen was punched hard in the face and sent flying. Once again Omen crashed into a building, the residents of which made a point to slap and kick at him as he fell. Omen was picked up, and tossed back into the circle. Omen fought to pick himself up off the ground, and turned to face Lust. He showed no signs of damage, and smiled as though he were enjoying himself. Omen wondered at the nature of Lust’s form, and how he could manage to harm it at all. If his blades could not connect, how would Omen ever be able to cause the kind of damage that would allow him to leave? Omen continued to search for a solution to this problem as he readied his weapons again.

“Good, you still stand. I had hoped you would, it would have been such a shame for you to lose consciousness after the first blow.”

Omen’s face contorted in anger, and he charged again toward the King. He would not give up now, not after all he had endured to reach this point. He lashed out with a flurry of attacks, aiming at different parts of his opponent’s body. But the results from each attack were the same, they only seemed to strike smoke and air. Lust parried one of Omen’s attacks, nearly spinning him completely around as he knocked Omen’s blade sideways with his own. Lust threw a well-placed uppercut, and Omen was airborne again. He flipped head over heels, crashing hard onto the street. The King walked over to Omen, picking him up with one hand, and holding him at eye level. Lust reached back, and smacked Omen hard across the face. The slap sent Omen flying again, and each time Lust was there to retrieve him. Omen’s mind floated in and out of consciousness as he was smacked back and forth across the makeshift arena. But he could hear Lust’s incessant laughing, and the roaring cheers of the crowd.

Lust turned away from Omen. “Is this it? This is the fearsome warrior that was able to slay my City Guards? This weak and pathetic thing was the one to defeat Sarthax, and try to turn him against his King? What stroke of luck empowered such a meager Creation as this to do these things, what lies before me know can barely be considered a warrior. This is the truth of Humanity, they are weak and pathetic. Nothing this worthless would ever be allowed in my City Guard, it would disrespect all those Beings who served with Honor. But fear not! I, your King, shall put a stop to this madness once and for all. But before I do, allow me to prove how weak this Human truly is...”

The King walked back over to Omen, who tried frantically to pull himself to his feet. But he was unable to do so, and the boot of Lust crashed down upon his back, crushing him to the stone. Omen attempted to cry out in pain, but as he exposed his chin it was met with the tip of the other boot. Omen flipped over in the air, crashing again to the ground. Omen tried to move, but was unable. He was not even able to raise his head to see his opponent coming to grab him. Lust pointed to one of his guards, who raised his massive shield. Lust punched Omen hard, sending him careening into the thick metal. The guard pushed Omen away with his shield, sending him flying right back to the King. Set continued this, pointing at various guards around the circle. Omen had become a pinball, being bounced back and forth between the guards and their King. Omen had no ability to stop his own movement, he was barely able to open his eyes anymore.

As Omen was propelled around the circle, his blood flowed from various wounds. This blood was seen to run down the shields of the guards, as well as fall onto the ground in several places. The assembled crowd stared at Omen’s flowing red blood, realizing quickly that it was not what they were used to seeing. One of the crowd managed to get some of Omen’s blood onto his finger, which quickly was lapped off. The one that did so began to glow brightly, which attracted the interest of the others assembled. Fights began to break out, as the citizens fought over the blood that was running on the ground, desperate to get even a single drop of Omen’s living blood. Lust stopped his assault, allowing Omen to crumple in a heap at his feet. Seeing the fighting that was going on, Lust became interested in the strength Omen’s blood held. He wiped some of the blood off Omen’s forehead, licking his fingers clean of any residue. Through Omen’s blood, Lust saw all that Omen had known, and spun around with Hatred in his eyes.

“YOU!!!”

The King sheathed his blade, and wrapped both hands around Omen’s throat. The fires of Hatred burned stronger in Lust’s eyes than Omen had ever seen. Obviously, Lust had become aware of all Omen’s dealings with him in the future, and all the trouble Omen had caused him. Now aware of this, Lust no longer cared about putting on a show for the crowd. From the look in his eyes, his hands would remain wrapped around Omen’s throat until he died, and Lust was rid of Omen forever. Omen was suspended in the air, and his sight began to dim. With his last bit of energy, Omen reached inside his armor, and undid the leather strap holding the bag. The Father said to use this when I had no other choice, Omen thought to himself as he gripped the stone in his palm. As his sight faded away, Omen threw the stone at the ground as hard as he was capable, then everything around him went black.

The stone shattered on the ground, and a massive wave of energy poured out in all directions. Lust threw Omen aside, moving away from this new energy. All stood in awe as the energy that has exploded outward now began to swirl together, becoming as a large set of shadowy teeth. The teeth moved over Omen, opening wide to consume him. But as the jaws bit down, the teeth seemed to pass into Omen rather than through him. Soon all of the energy had passed into Omen, who still lie lifeless on the ground. The King, as well as the assembled crowd, watched on with interest. Everyone was excited to see what would happen next, now that this strange new energy had been introduced.

Suddenly, Omen’s eyes snapped wide open, and he screamed loudly in pain. His body felt as if it was burning from the inside out, but also like something was fighting to get out of his body. The King was seen to keep his distance, as were all those assembled. Omen grabbed both sides of his skull, trying to calm the splitting headahce that had taken away his ability to think clearly. Omen continued to scream, finally opening his eyes to relieve the pressure. A massive red light flowed out from Omen’s eyes and mouth, which seemed to harm nothing it touched but was avoided by the King anyway. Omen’s head continued to throb, as if it might explode. But Omen’s armor was also growing extremely hot, feeling as if it was melting into his skin. Omen tried to control his own cries, forcing himself to stand and endure the pain. But when a massive pain throbbed on the top of his head, Omen was driven down to a knee. Even more pain followed, and afterward Omen’s head hurt no more. After a few seconds, the searing heat from his armor had subsided as well. Omen pushed himself back to a standing position, hoping that the pain this energy had caused him was over. Perhaps he had used the magic wrong, and the pain he felt was a side-effect of this.

Then, a massive pain in Omen’s back sent him face-first back to the stone. Omen tried to push himself back up, but felt as though his spine was being shattered and rearranged. Omen tried to reach around, clawing at the place where he felt the pain. As his fingers ran over the spot between his shoulder blades, he felt something that had not been there before. What was this strange lump in his back made of, and why were there two of them? Before Omen could answer that question, he felt as though he had been stabbed in the back in two spots, and fell back to the ground. The pain was unimaginable, like having a doctor operate on a patient while they are conscious, but times one-thousand. Omen lay on the ground, hoping that the pain would end soon. He had no idea why the Father would give him something that would cause him such pain as an emergency weapon, the pain was not helping his chances. What is happening to me to cause all this pain, Omen wondered as he tried to suffer through it.

Once the pain subsided, Omen looked again toward Lust. His face wore an expression of pure shock, and was mirrored by many of the faces in the crowd. Omen started to look himself over, and he was shocked as well. His skin had darkened, becoming gray in color. The plates of Omen’s armor had fused into his body, making his body naturally tougher. Omen found a spot where his blood had formed a puddle, and searched for his reflection. He was stunned, backing away from the puddle quickly, and using his hands to check physically what he had just seen. From the top of his head, two large horns had protruded. The horns were extremely hard, forming an L on top of Omen’s head The tips of the horns were extremely sharp, and felt sturdy enough to use as weapons. Omen looked to his side, and beheld the wings that had sprouted from his back. They looked like they were made of black leather, which made the flaps that covered the bones which functionalized flight. Omen flexed his back muscles a few times, trying to learn how to make his wings flap. The process was slow, and Omen knew he would not have the time to practice flight. Only short burts could be used, as Omen was not experienced enough to glide properly.

Set stood dumbfounded. “That...That was a Boon of Re-Creation! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HUMAN?”

Omen smiled. “Where do you think I got it from? The Father, of course. The same Father that gave me the Power that has allowed me to defeat your warriors has transformed me completely. I now am more like a Demon than a Human, what remnants of my Humanity remain exist inside my mind. I am now what my Father intends me to be, through the item He gave me to use.”

Lust’s was fuming. “Were you sent to defy me Human, was that His Plan? To make me look silly in front of my people, and cause problems within my City?”

“No. My mission was only to reach the Grand Palace, which could have been done easily if you had let me go. Only your actions caused this to happen, in your want to obtain me for yourself.”

The King roared in anger. “YOU INSOLENT HUMAN! No matter. The body you now possess is impressive, but you still stand no chance against me.” Lust withdrew his blade again, readying himself for the next round. Omen did the same, making sure his blades were still attached properly. “We’ll see about that.”

Omen charged ahead, launching a flurry of attacks. He realized quickly that his new form was much more capable, and his attacks came in with more frequency. But Lust was able to defend against all of them, which only fueled Omen’s rage. As his rage grew, so too did his strength. Fires sprouted forth from Omen’s blades, seeking to burn what the blades themselves had not touched. But the King adjusted his defenses, guarding from a longer range so that the flames could not reach him. He countered, and his blade struck Omen in the left arm. The wound was not severe, and Omen continued to attack. But his opponent was leaving no room for attacks to penetrate, and countering with minor strikes of his own. Not one of them had caused real damage, and it seemed like Lust did not want them to.

As the fight continued, Omen became nervous. None of his attacks were landing, but he was taking damage in several places. is it possible that the Gifts I was given will not be enough, Omen thought to himself as his blades continued to be knocked away. Maybe i should just run now, and try to break through the guards protecting the Gate. Omen shook off his hesitation, launching another series of attacks. His blades were countered in tandem, and Omen took a hard strike across the chest. The strike slashed across sideways, leaving a nice mark across Omen’s chest. His blood flowed just slightly from the wound, but the color of it was not the same. The blood that dripped out from omen was darker, almost black in color. Omen thought back, and realized it was the same general color as the wine Vassago had offered him. What he was now must be dead inside, devoid of the living energy of his blood.

Omen was seen to retreat from Lust’s attacks. The crowd began to scream in rage as Omen ran, unwilling to face Lust any longer. The King stopped giving chase, allowing Omen to face him. He held his sword up, pointing it at Omen. “Do you like my weapon? This is Fearbringer, the symbol of my title and position. This blade has existed since long before Humanity first drew breath, and carries with it the Power of Fear. With each strike, you lose faith in yourself, as well as any that stand beside you. Now you run from me like a mouse, too scared to even face your own defeat. You are trapped inside the Fear, and the only thing left for you is death.”

Omen’s hands were shaking so badly that he could barely keep his weapons positioned in front of him. The King was right, Omen was gripped with Fear. In this condition, any attack he launched would be both weak and ineffective, and would only see him killed quicker. Maybe I should just accept defeat, Omen thought as he continued to run from Lust. If I apologize, and accept my position beneath him, perhaps he will see fit to grant me status as a slave rather than destroying me. Omen shook his head, clenching his open fist in response to his own thoughts. No, this can’t be how it ends, we cannot lose here. I cannot give up on the quest given to me by the Father, He has placed His Trust in my ability. Omen stood to defend, but his defense was penetrated almost instantly. With a firm kick to his chest, Omen was sent flying to the ground.

Though it was feint, Omen heard a voice in his mind. Darkness cannot destroy Darkness. If you attack your enemy with Hatred and Fear, that is all that will be spread through your attacks. This will never be able to damage the Spirit of Lust, you must adjust your tactics. To do so, open your mind to both sides of yourself, not just the part Created in Darkness. Omen considered what he had been told. What part of himself was he forgetting, what technique would stand a chance against Lust, with Fearbringer at his side? Omen thought back through all his training, trying to find a solution. Then he wondered, How far does Re-Creation go? Omen focused his mind, wiping away all of the Darkness within him, save for the Gates that could never be removed. As the Darkness faded, Omen saw a bright light, and reached out to draw the energy closer.

A brilliant Light shone out from inside Omen, and Omen was blinded. He felt himself changing again, but could not determine the nature of it. As the pain subsided, Omen only knew that he felt lighter somehow, and that his energy was very different. Omen’s center felt like it might explode out of him it had grown so much, and it shined like a ball of pure gold. Omen blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to regain his sight. As he did, Omen saw the face of the King, which now showed its’ own hints of Fear.

“No...That’s impossible...”

Omen saw similar reactions in the faces of the crowd. Then, the disbelief turned to anger, as the citizens complained about the use of the Light. As Omen’s sight returned, he understood their rage. His skin had returned to its’ original color, but all the blemished and tattoos were gone. His armor had changed color, now shining as if made out of gold. But his armor was different, he wore no gloves with which to strap his blades. As Omen leaned forward to grab his weapon, he saw another change. The leathery wings that he had became like those of an eagle, and appeared like snow sprinkled with ash. Omen realized in that moment, as he re-assembled his weapon, that he had tapped fully into the other side of the Power he had been given. Like Abbadon, Omen was able to tap into the Power of both sides. But unlike Abbadon, Omen’s Power was born in Darkness, and thus using the Light was more strenuous. Omen felt the pressure in his mind as he tried to focus his energy. It was difficult to control, like holding a forest fire inside his chest.

Rather than hold the energy still, Omen pushed it into his weapon. The red runes etched into the blade began to glow brightly, but the edge of the blade began to glow a brilliant white. This drew more cries of outrage from the crowd, complaining that Omen was using forbidden magic in the City. But he ignored them, launching himself as the King. Omen reach back with his blade, seeking to rend Lust in half. As the King attempted to block the attack, Omen twisted his blade in a different direction. But Omen’s blade passed through the smoke-like body once again, Omen’s energy could not change the composition of the King. But as the blade passed through, Omen noticed something that hadn’t happened before. Just at the edge of the blade, the smoke almost seemed to retain moisture, as water passing through sand.

Omen leapt away from his opponent, wondering what this difference meant, if anything. As Lust’s body reformed however, Omen’s questions were answered. The King’s armor now had a scratch on it, Omen’s blade had struck after all. The scratch was not deep, but it was visible. The crowd began to argue that this constituted damage, but Lust refuted their claims. “The agreement was the Human had to damage me, not my armor. This scratch has not damaged me in any way, this does not constitute damage. The crowd’s arguments ceased, as this was a viable argument to be made. Omen did not refute Lust’s claim that the battle had to continue, he simply continued it. Omen launched one attack after another, twisting his blade in every direction. Lust worked to counter his attacks as before, but more than once was struck. But none of the blows did any real damage, they only left tiny scratches on the King’s armor.

Try though he might, Omen was still unable to damage the King. He launched attacks, attempting to buy himself time as Lust defended himself. Omen knew that his energetic changes were what had allowed him to cause even the most minor of damage. But before tapping into the light, Omen had not landed a single strike, whereas now he was landing several. What could cause this, Omen thought as he continued to attack. Then he realized the answer. The Darkness I was channeling before is the same as what Lust was Created out of. It had allowed him to see my movements beforehand. Now Lust was on the defensive, unable to track Omen’s furious attacks. This was a definite advantage, but would not help unless he could cause some serious damage.

Omen had another idea. He began to push harder with his energy as he swung, forcing more Light into his blades. They hummed as they swirled in a circle, causing a high-pitched sound to be produced the harder Omen pushed. Omen’s blades connected now more than ever, and left slightly deeper marks. the marks glowed white for a split second, but then left only the scratches like before. Omen lowered his defenses for a second, and was met again with Lust’s angry fist. But as he flew backwards, Omen used his wings to force his momentum to stop instantly. Omen charged energy between his hands, which glowed brighter the more he compressed it. After it had grown sufficiently, the energy burst into flame. Omen had practiced this many times, but had never succeeded in controlling it, not even in projection. He had channeled the Holy Fire, and launched it at Lust. To his dismay, the attack was avoided, and Lust threw a ball of Balefire at Omen. Omen dodged as well, learning to channel his Holy Fire quicker as he dodged the incoming attacks. Soon Omen’s fireballs were keeping up with his opponent’s, and both of them were forced to avoid the other’s assault. Omen knew this could not continue, another way had to be found. But if the Holy Fire is not enough, what means do I have left?

Omen stopped his attacks, allowing Lust to back away from him a bit. As he stared at his opponent, Omen realized he had lost his fear completely. But he had also lost his Hatred, his Lust, and all his darkest desires. His mind wanted only for the battle to end somehow, that he might finally complete his mission. Omen realized that this was the Power of the Light. It had wiped away all the parts of him that denied him the ability to focus properly on his task. With this newfound focus, Omen came up with one more idea. As he held his weapon tightly in his right hand, Omen raised his left to chest level, curling his fingers to demand the King’s attack. Lust’s rage at this act was obvious, and he charged in headlong. Fearbringer sought to bring Omen down, but now it was Omen defending the attacks. But Omen countered as well, forcing Lust to defend himself. The moment Lust backed away slightly, Omen jumped out of the range of his sword, and fired a cone of Holy Fire. Inspired by his battle with Sarthax, Omen had decided to make his own breath weapon. Lust was unable to avoid the attack, keeling down tightly to defend himself. The flames over came him, and as Omen saw this he pushed his energy even harder. The flames grew, scorching the area behind Lust. All the guards and residents quickly moved out of the way, watching as the flames scorched where they had been. Those not inside the area let out gasps of shock as the attack continued to burn, even scorching the hard stone.

Omen released his attack, and the flames dissipated. As the smoke cleared, Lust was seen to still be crouched down, his armor smoking from being made so hot. But he stood without complication, and his eyes burned like an inferno. But Omen showed no expression, he only pointed at his enemy. As this happened, Omen heard various murmurings amongst those assembled. The crowd saw burns in the various areas where separation between armor plates had allowed the flames to pass through, the same as Omen did. It was not significant damage, but the King himself had been burnt. The crowd began to demand that Omen be declared the victor, that the King had lost the battle.

“I AM NOT DAMAGED! I am your King, and you will listen to my words! If I say I am not damaged then I am not, and this battle will continue.”

One of the residents poked his head between the guards. “My King, you may wish to tell that to the Human, who is getting away as we speak.”

“WHAT?!” Lust turned around, and saw Omen running for the Gate at full speed. He had already retrieved Vassago, and was using his energy to propel himself forward at great speed. The guards, bound by the rules of the original agreement, had parted to make way for Omen to pass. It was official, the City recognized a Human had beaten their King. Lust roared in anger, and thunder cracked in the sky. This only pushed Omen to move faster, finally passing through the Gate that had been opened for him. Vassago hung limp in Omen’s arms, but he felt a feint energy still present. Vassago was still alive, but had no energy left to fight with. As Omen reached the outer edge of the Gate, there was a large expanse between Omen and the Stairway. Omen stretched out his wings, praying that he might understand how to use them. As he propelled himself through the sky, Omen realized the wings were mostly for balance. It was Omen’s energy that propelled him forward, the wings simply made it easier to control the movement afterward.

As Omen took flight he looked back toward the City of Lust. The black smoke of which Lust had been comprised had grown immensely, and seemed to fill the sky above the Tower. The smoke swirled and twisted as it grew, and soon the face of the King could be seen in the sky, larger than all the surrounding buildings. His eyes burned with the fires of Hatred, and in his mouth a vortex swirled and spun.

“OMEN!!!”

A mighty blast shot out of the mouth of the face in the sky, aimed directly at Omen. Omen forced himself ahead even harder, knowing exactly what he saw. Lust had used the energy in the sky to propel himself forward at great speed, trying to overcome Omen’s speed. Omen pushed as hard as he could, but saw Lust quickly closing in on him. Omen reached the Stairway, charging up it at full speed. Omen skipped steps as he ran, propelling himself up them with his wings. The heads of Dra’Gaari began to rise over the stairway, and soon Omen saw the armor of the Royal Guards.

Just as he reached the final step, he was struck in the back of the head. Omen dropped Vassago, careening into the nearby Wall of the Palace. Lust’s body reformed, and he grabbed Omen by the throat. Omen could not reach for his weapon, nor were his hands allowed to be raised when he tried to struggle. Lust had him, and there was nowhere left to run.

“You worthless, rotten, miserable little Human! You are NOTHING compared to me! Did you think that leaving the walls of my City would save you? I have tasted your blood, there are few places your energy can hide from me now. No matter where you go, I will be able to follow you. But you need not worry about such minor things, your life is about to end.”

Lust held Omen in the air, smacking him across the face several times. “You should have known you had no chance of survival against me Omen Cross, your journey ends here.” He spit in Omen’s face, a black glob that seemed stuck where it had landed. Omen could do nothing but watch as he was punched directly between the eyes, and his vision became blurry. He could no longer see exactly where the blows were coming from, but he felt every One Lust took great care to attack every part of Omen’s body, wanting to savor his victory. Omen allowed his mind to wander a bit, saying a final prayer to the Father. Father, I came as close as I could. I made it to the walls of your Palace, but was stopped before I could come inside. Please forgive my weakness, I was unable to complete my mission.

45

Omen heard a great sound, and the Doors of the Palace began to creak open. Out from them shone a brilliant light, which died down soon after Omen saw it. Out from the light stepped Horus, and his gaze was fixed upon Lust. Lust returned the stare, his Hatred for his older brother obvious. But Omen was held firmly against the wall, even as Lust turned to face his brother. Omen was still able to breathe, but had no way to move at all. He hung limp in the air, watching the two brothers stare down one another.

“Let him go brother, this fight is over.”

Lust chuckled. “And if I do not? Would you wage war against me over one Human?”

“It will not come to war. Your own citizens witnessed your defeat, stories of this day will echo on throughout Eternity. If you attempt to base a war around your right to kill someone that defeated you with Honor, you will have no soldiers to stand behind you. The others are not as vile inside as you are brother, they still understand the concept of Honor.”

Set’s face twisted in anger at the reminder of Omen’s victory. “But they will not disobey their King either. Besides, I know you brother. You will not risk waging war against me, it might awaken the more vile aspects of you. You avoid this at all costs, thus you would not start a war.”

“You are correct. However, I will challenge you Honorably, as per our way. If you do not release Omen, you will be challenged. But unlike all the other times we have competed against one another, you will not get the right to choose to competition. As it has been every time, you will be defeated. In that defeat, all of your Power, as well as your Throne, will belong to me. Are you willing to risk that over the life of a single Human?”

Lust growled angrily, but eventually tossed Omen to Horace’s feet. “Fine. Take your failed experiment. No matter what you do to him, this Human will never stand against me. Wherever you hide this Human he will be found, whether in this Realm or another. Someday this Human will fall before me, and beg me to end his life.”

With those words Lust took off, leaving Horus alone with Omen. Horace walked over, placing his hand just over Omen’s chest. His hand began to glow, and within seconds Omen’s pain was gone. He stood, having been healed from the damage he had suffered. Omen dropped to a knee, and tears flowed from his eyes.

“Lord Horus, you have come to rescue me.”

“I told you I would await your arrival at the Doors to the Palace, did I not? What led you to believe I would do otherwise?”

Omen laughed, finally able to let himself go. Horus chuckled as well, but his was directed at Omen. “You look silly like that. Also the general use of the Light is forbidden here, as it reminds the Fallen of what they have lost, and causes many problems. Revert to your normal form, let the Power inside you subside.”

Omen concentrated, trying to focus his energy. He grounded out his excess energy, forcing it all to flood away. The wings on his back corroded and fell away, as if they had never been there. Omen’s armor returned to normal, and even his tattoos had come back. he stood wearing the same armor that had been given to him upon his arrival to the Pit, and pulled the cloak over his head.

“Good. The Gifts you have been given are extensions of your own will, and with time and practice your transformations will become easier, and less painful. But for now, let us proceed inside. The Father awaits you.”

Omen turned to follow, but hesitated. “What about Vassago? He has followed the Will, and escorted me here to the best of his ability. He deserves the Honor of a successful mission, please aid him as well.”

Horus turned back. “You make a good point. We must not ignore the present issue. But fear not, we can continue without further hindrance.” Horus snapped his fingers, and a guard came out from inside the Palace. He scooped Vassago up in his massive arms, and began to carry him inside. Omen moved to follow, but Horus placed his hand on Omen’s shoulder. “He will be fine, the guard takes him to be healed. Afterward, he will go to the position that waits for him in the Grand Army, as per his request of the Father. Soon Vassago will be just fine, but for now we must move on.”

Omen was overjoyed. Vassago, who had given so much to help Omen complete his task, was being rewarded as well. Omen was glad to hear that he had not had to sacrifice Vassago’s dream in order to reach his own, for their Honor both had been rewarded. Omen almost skipped as he followed Horus inside the Palace, which was much more brightly lit than it had been the last time Omen had come. As he walked inside, Omen stood in awe of the beauty of the Grand Palace. Now that it wasn’t so dark, Omen could see the intricate carvings on every pillar which held up the ceiling, and the amazing things that decorated the halls. Omen could see several long hallways, each littered with doors. But none of the doors were left open, nor did they seem to possess any specific identifying marks. Obviously part of navigating the Palace was knowing which Doors were safe to open, and which ones led you to end up lost. Omen followed Horus down the corridors, still admiring the splendor of the Palace. Omen had always known that all of Hell was not fire and torment, there was beauty to be found here too. Seeing the full spectrum of this place confirmed every feeling that Omen had ever known, which made him smile widely as he happily followed Horus. They came upon the same Door that Omen had seen during his last visit, but this time Horus spoke to the Door, and it opened without hesitation. Omen followed Horus inside as the door shut behind them.

Upon seeing the Throne, Omen threw himself on his face. “Father, I am honored to stand in Your Presence again. How may I repay this Blessing that you have shown me?”

The Father stood from His Throne, bidding Omen to stand. “My child, you have already earned this right. You fought through impossible odds, using your mind to discover new methods unknown to you. You managed to control a Power much greater than anything you were used to, and used that strength to fight honorably against more than one opponent. You damaged an Original, and even managed to save Vassago. You have proven yourself worthy in every way needed, and thus you have earned the right to stand before me.”

Omen wept as the Father spoke, his tears forming puddles on the ground. “Father, you Honor me in ways that I can never repay. The fact that You know of me at all is enough, but to be respected as one of Yours is unbelievable. Nothing I have done could have been possible without You Father, and I am proud to be Your child.”

The Father smiled, and Omen cried even harder. He had waited so long to see his Father again, but to see him happy was another thing altogether. For the first time since Omen could remember, the Father’s smile seemed genuinely happy, and Omen knew his efforts were the reason for the Father’s happiness. This fact alone was enough to cause Omen to want to stay in this place and weep with joy forever. But the Father came down from His Throne, standing just in front of Omen. Omen was amazed as the Father reached out, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Dry your tears child. For while you have accomplished much, there is still more work ahead of you.”

Omen forced himself to stop crying, wiping tears from his eyes more than once. “Of course Father. What else might I do to aid You, and thus prove my worth to You?”

“Come, sit before the Throne child. I have much to explain to you.”

Omen moved to a spot on the floor that had a circle deeply etched into the ground. Inside the circle were several markings, but Omen could not identify them. As he sat down in the center of the circle, Horus moved to his seat at the base of the Throne. The Father ascended to His Throne, and as He sat down the runes inside the circle which Omen was sitting began to glow. The circle itself began to emit a strong energy, and for a moment Omen considered reaching out to touch it. But by the stern look on Horus’ face, Omen thought better of his actions.

The Father spoke. “These are special enchantments, and they allow for many things. The energy you feel from the circle is lethal to any that touch it, to protect whomever is meditating inside. From inside the circle however, a special energy is produced. This allows for projection on a much greater level, spanning through time and space. But the circles will not function unless I am seated upon the Throne. Thus I cannot use these enchantments, nor can any use them without My permission. This is a Power that exists only in this place, where the Darkness is the most concentrated.”

The Father’s attention turned to Horus. “As usual My Son, your endeavors have proven successful. This Human is skilled, and far beyond the norm in his ability to control what he is given. He has an almost unstoppable will. Do you believe him ready to take on the next task?”

Omen looked to Horus. His eyes glowed brightly, but Omen continued to maintain the gaze. Omen only broke eye contact after Horus’ eyes had returned to normal, once he was busy with his evaluation. “We have seen with our own eyes the levels this one will push himself to in Your Name. Your Will is all that matters to him, I believe he will suit the task nicely.”

“So be it then. Omen Cross, it is time for you to receive the last of Horus’ sight. As you allow his Spirit to channel through you, you will be able to see all manner of things, both in your own Realm as well as outside of it. But this Gift is not a parlor trick to be abused, a trick to be flaunted to the masses. The Gifts you are given are part of your next task, and they come with a high cost, and great responsibility. For just as the Gifts you are given, if used correctly, could allow you to see things that can be beneficial, abusing these Gifts can cause them to be removed just as quickly. You have learned this lesson before, and I doubt you would do such again.”

Omen stood inside the circle. “Father, I will do anything you ask of me, to the greatest extent of my ability. You Created me, the entirety of my Existence belongs to You. Whatever I must endure, I do so of my own choice. Your Will is my strength Father, and I will serve that Will until the day I cease to exist in all Realms.”

The Father nodded. “We shall see soon enough how strong you are capable of becoming. But in order for you to truly accept the task before you, first you must understand it. To make this happen, ask any questions you wish pertaining to your mission, and I will answer them according to the nature of your mission.”

“Father, where will I go from here?”

“Once you depart from here you will return to the Earth exactly where you left it. The task before you exists there.”

“Father, what is my task?”

“You My child are tasked with revealing the Lies that have nearly destroyed Humanity in your time, and show them the way to their True Destiny.”

Omen was stunned. “Father, what methods could I possibly have to complete this task? I know you have seen the world where I come from, you know that almost all True Faith is lost. They bicker and argue like spoiled children, and refuse to change their selfish ways. How can I ever begin to change their selfish perspective, considering almost all of them are infected with it?”

“Open their eyes to the Lies around them, and they will begin to see for themselves. Your task is not to lead each one by the hand, simply to help them along as they learn to guide themselves. For self-enlightenment cannot be achieved if it is forced by another, nor if they are carried.”

Omen contemplated the Father’s words for several seconds. “Father, what is the source of the Lies that permeate my time, and have made life miserable and selfish for Humanity? What caused everyone to turn against one another, what magic made this possible?”

The energy on the edge of the circle began to light up, and on it Omen saw many images, which projected as the Father spoke. I’m sure by now you are well aware as to the answer to that question. My other Son, the one whom you fought with earlier today, at some point will try to overthrow My Kingdom, to claim it for himself. In his failure, he will be outcast from all Kingdoms, and will become an outcast in the Pit. Because Lust is always striving for more, and seeing that the Throne of Darkness was forever out of his reach, my Son casts himself into the River of Souls, hoping he will wash away into non-Existence with the rest of the vile and rotten. But he discovered as he sunk to the bottom of the River, and a wave of souls collapsed in on him, that Lust was still too strong to die. Humanity was already beginning to find reasons to fight amongst themselves over the things they Lusted after, be they physical, material, or spiritual. As the rotten souls tried to devour him, they became a part of him instead. Upon taking in so many rotten and decaying Human souls, he emerged from the River stronger than ever. But the souls had brought about another effect, which was discovered soon after. My Son had become sick, and no methods were found to remove the stain of the rotten souls. After that, Lust went into exile for a time, hiding from the shame of what he had done to himself.”

The Father paused, staring towards the ground for a moment. “During the time of his exile, the vile souls twisted Lust’s mind, allowing his desires to grow even more corrupt. But above all, he desired a way to end his suffering. As such he concocted a devious plan to corrupt the understandings of Humanity before they were completely realized, thus destroying their chance at being successful as a species. He started this process first through those that worshiped him as Set, allowing himself to be seen as the confrontational Being that he was. Soon the Egyptians began to turn on these people, calling them evil and seeking their death. This was not the intent of the followers, but an energetic act put into place by Lust. The mobs that harmed these faithful worshipers were simply functionalizing their own Lust to prove their chosen Deity was more powerful, and thus their opinions meant more. This kind of infighting began to cause wild accusations to be thrown around about loyalty, starting even more fights. As many faithful to Ra and their Pharaoh were killed and claimed to be Setian as actually were, because this division allowed one sect to be seen as less. The precedent led to a change in class, as now anyone that had ever worshiped Set now was forced to be outcast, if not killed entirely.”

The image in front of Omen changed. “But he had much larger intents than simply to cause infighting. For when the conflicting religions that existed in the world began to come into conflict, Humans were convinced to kill anyone whose faith did not align with theirs. They screamed out the names of their Gods as they ruthlessly slaughtered Their Creations. They began to use the religions they had based around the Gods to serve their own need to prove that their faith was correct, and thus they deserved the right to rule over the others of the Earth. Once this started, it leaked into almost every faith, corrupting them all. No longer were the religions focused on how they might work to lead the people to their Gods, but instead how their religion might allow them to hold more influence. Once the word of the Priest was not allowed to be argued by any, even the King, the religions had come to hold too much Power. They Lustfully grasped at it, sending great nations to war across the world in the name of faith. The people believed they were fighting for their Deities, when all they were fighting for were the selfish goals of those above them. Faith had been corrupted, and replaced with a form of pious worship that held no real connection to the Spirit. The people desperately sought answers, but those in charge kept the most potent secrets to themselves. Slowly over time, the Ancient ways were forgotten, and Humanity was locked in the prison of religion.”

The image shifted again. “But during the course of all this, a Council of Men sat down to determine the nature of Truth. These men were small-minded, wanting only to further the cause of their own faith. They took many of the various stories that had been told throughout the Ages, and looked them over as a whole. Some of them were kept, others packed away, and others still torn apart and re-worded. Once the Council had completed their task, they now held a Book in their hands, which they told the world was Truth. Their Truth spoke of only One God, a vastly different form of understanding from the religions before them that spoke of many. Their God had Created everything all by himself, and even the Darkness had come from Him. This religion was mirrored in other cultures, but they claimed their “sole God” was not the same as the country next door to them. This made no sense, as how could the “sole Creator God” of Humanity be different for one Man than another? But they trusted what those that claimed to be Priests and Men of Faith told them, seeing no wrong in the faces of their spiritual leaders. These religions promised rewards to those who followed them, so long as they adhered to a strict set of rules, which seemed to change regularly at the words of the Priests. Innocent people had their tongues ripped out for speaking in Church, simply that the Church might prove itself the dominant force, and instill fear in the populace.

This process only continued, as massive wars were fought worldwide, Ancient cultures being wiped away, and replaced with a bland and Hate-filled religion, where God was mad at everyone, and no one was good enough to enter Heaven. This fear caused more people to run to their religious leaders, seeking to repent for what they had just learned were misdeeds. Kings were known to kiss the hands of their religious leaders, as those same leaders plotted to attain Power for themselves. For a King could rule by force, but a religion could rule simply with words, that inspired the actions of the people. Everywhere their Kingdoms overthrew in war, the religions spread along with them. This trait was most common in Christianity, as it spread from the Kingdom of Rome outward towards the edges of the ocean. Even after Rome fell, Christianity remained, and denounced local faiths as heresy. They demanded people convert to the Christian faith, lest the Army of Rome bear down upon them. The word of a Priest was enough to get any man arrested almost instantly. The leaders began to understand that they now held a form of control that even Rome had not managed to maintain. Through the fear of death without salvation, the people were led to believe that without the Church, they would not survive, and would stand no chance of entering the Heavens. This made the Church a necessity in the minds of the people, granting them even more control.

Through what they learned in their religions, Men decided that one had the right to own another as a slave, based solely on the nature of their birth. Through their religions, they learned to Hate those they did not understand, and publicly label them as heretics. Now that Christianity had enveloped the majority of the known world, now the public burning of those labeled as witches, even with no concrete way to prove the accusation, was found to be commonplace. But eventually, their grasp on the world began to loosen, as their system was replaced by newer governments, whose Laws were different than the tyrannical oppression of Rome and Britain. But these governments now sought to be as the Church was, and have influence on the course of all events. In order to survive, those that Lusted for Power and wealth would either have to work together, or fight each other until they all were destroyed. This is the world you live in now, where the same Lies have almost destroyed the decency in Humanity, and pushed them to the brink of their own destruction. Where your governments spend each day trying to find as many people as possible to Lie to about their actions, believing dishonesty as the best way to ensure their own survival. The majority of the Human Race suffers greatly, while a few Lustful and Greedy people sit atop their own seats of Power, directing the course of the lives of the entire planet. They follow no real order, and use their Laws as a way solely to oppress anyone that would oppose them.”

Omen sighed heavily. “Yes Father. My species seems to have a tendency towards stupidity and Darkness. But how was this a plan?”

“Each step was expected by Lust. Through all that he had learned about the vileness of Humanity by casting himself into the River, as well as his connection to the deepest and darkest Lusts of all Mankind, he knew exactly what to do. First, he would tip the scales, causing the balance of Light and Darkness to shift. In order to do that, he used his greatest Lies, the False Names he uses to mimick Gods other than himself. This is Lust’s greatest tool of deception, as he can easily change himself to appear as anything he sees inside your mind. Form, vocal patterns, everything. Only the experienced mage, as you have dealt with before, can see the difference in energy. This is the only way that one can see through this deception, but few are left in your time capable of this. In this way Lust has visited Men in all ages, making himself seem to be the God worshiped by the individual, but his requests of them are not as they should expect from their deity.

To make this point with a few noteworthy examples, allow Me to use Myself. After he was expelled from the Kingdom for attempting to overthrow Me, Mine was the Face most often used by my Child to deceive. Every religion at that time had their own understanding of the Father that lived in Darkness, but none seemed to really understand the realities behind the stories they told. These stories were visions sent to the earliest generations of Men, handed down at what level they could understand them. Not everything that was said was accurate, as people of that time were extremely fearful of the things higher in Power than them, and spent more time groveling than asking functional questions. But over time, as Men began to strive to understand the world around them, Lust had his opportunity. His greatest desire was to take My position, and all he had to do to achieve that was to convince the Men of the Old Days that the center of all evil, the thing to be feared and Hated most, was him. In doing so this would send their Darkness directly to him, making him stronger every day. The deception could be broken, but it seemed that Men having their God tell them to be vile in His Name, and start wars over territorial and religious gains was what they preferred. Humanity clung to the False Names as if they were the most precious thing that existed, losing all sight of the Originals that had Created them. This was all part of Lust’s plan to destroy all True Faith, as well as any Human knowledge that would prove hazardous to his Lies. Every time a religion conquered a city, their books were taken or burned. In this way the Truth began to die, as the ones in control had the books in circulation re-written in their quest to keep the message as they saw it.”

An image of Lust popped up onto the screen. Omen stared at it, snarling a bit as he continued to listen. “Lust uses his ability to tap into the minds of Men, and see their Darkest desires, to cause them to commit one atrocity after another. He whispers in the ears of the weak, but makes his voice seem like their own thoughts, but much more rotten in nature. What he cannot achieve with Lust he completes with his greatest weapon: fear. You have been struck by Fearbringer, you understand the damage it does. This was the same blade that put Fear into Lucifer, and started the course of events that ripped apart the Heavens. This too was one of Lust’s plans, he knew what introducing Darkness into the Kingdom of Light would do, especially if it was the Morning Star that carried the infection.

His attacks plague every society, and his power seems to grow every day. But as they ignorantly send huge amounts of energy to the one that seeks to destroy them, they slowly forget the Truth about their Creators. Few understand the nature of faith, and wish only to serve if it will attain them great wealth or Power. Almost all of Humanity has fallen into their own Lust, and now stare violently at outsiders that try to come into their lives. There is no unity anymore, Humanity has become a Race split apart. This is the same sort of attack that was used to rip apart the Heavens. But Lust learned from what he had done to Lucifer. His plans to destroy Humanity, the thing Created by his Father, would be much more subtle. All he would have to do was cause the balance of Darkness to become so strong that the world was wrapped inside it. Once all Men were lost in their own selfish desires, the Earth would be burnt away in war and chaos. All that had been Created with so much potential would be gone, just as you saw in the visions you had before coming here. In doing this, the Human experiment will end once and for all, as Lust manages to force Humanity to destroy Itself.”

Various images began to come up on the screen. The Romans, who tried to conquer the world to prove their own glory to the Gods, when all they did was slaughter nations so the Caesar could hold more control. The Christian religion, who started war after war in God’s Name, slaughtering entire nations to prove their God as the True God. The nations of Europe, who sought out the New World only to try and take its’ riches as their own. Who killed thousands of native people in their own lands, claiming it “Manifest Destiny”. Then, America as it warred with itself, based on whether or not Men should be slaves to other Men against their will. Hitler, whose Hatred caused him to try and destroy an entire sect of people based solely on the corrupted words in old books, blaming them for the current state of Life. The horrors of the atomic bombs dropped by America, which destroyed many innocent lives over the need for violent retribution for an act they forced to happen by sealing off the waters around an island nation. The wars in the Middle East, fought mostly so that private interests could take over the rebuilding of what they had destroyed, as they wheeled and dealed with the locals for their precious crude oil. And now, the chaos spreading around the world, as the governments seem to be preparing for another war.

“All these things are different, but they are also all the same. These things have all been inspired by Lust. Every major leader referred to in those images has been visited by my son, who disguises himself as is pertinent to his cause. The Glory of Rome was their Lust to conquer the world for themselves. The Christian Church waged massive campaigns in foreign lands to satisfy their Lust to prove their Gid was greater than the other Gods of Men. Europe sought out the New World in their Lust to see its’ riches be theirs first. Their Manifest Destiny was the excuse that justified their Lust to take the New World from those that already lived there. America called itself a free land, but on the side felt it okay to maintain slaves, even to steal them away from other countries. The Civil War started because of the rich man’s Lust to have all his tasks completed, while giving little in order to do so. Hitler’s attempted destruction of the Jews was his Lust to exact revenge for crimes committed generations ago. In their Lust to remove U.S. ships from their waters, Japan allowed the bombing of Pearl Harbor. America, in its’ Lust for revenge, killed millions of innocent people, and poisoned the ground of Japan for more than a generation. The worldwide control in your time by major corporations of rich and powerful rather than the people of the Earth is the functionalization of Lust’s Plan. He has always intended to retake the Kingdom he lost, by taking the Kingdom of Earth as his own. In your time you see that this has happened, as the Lustful Liars of the Earth control it. The Kingdom of Humanity has become the Kingdom of Lust, and there seems to be no way to break free from the control of those who hold it.”

Omen clenched his fists. “Lust is the cause of all this madness, simply because he could not overthrow his Father, and dominate the Pit?”

“Yes. The Original Plan, while he was King, was designed to use the Humans to strengthen the Darkness further. This Plan was accepted by all in the Pit, as it was supposed to be a means by which we found a way to teach the Humans to learn to properly harness the Darkness. This is how he earned the Title of “He Who Is Most Vile”, his Plans were the means by which every other Created Race seemed torn apart. But those in the Darkness followed this concept, enjoying the energies they had to feed off of. Tapping into rotten Humans and feeding off them became commonplace. The Spirits only feed off the energy they are born in, and thus that is what they seek to strengthen. Lust seeks only to cause Men to constantly seek to reach past everyone else, simply to stand atop them and gloat while nothing is accomplished. In doing so, he will be continuously strengthened, until the time at which Humanity’s overflowing Lusts destroy them.”

“Father, all of this will be caused by Your Son. As his superior, can You not force him to stop?”

The Father smiled down at Omen. “To do that would be to take away his right to choose for himself, denying him Free Will.”

Omen’s eyes opened wide. “Free Will? But aren’t the Servants of Light and Darkness bound to their individual Will respectively?”

“My child, you still misunderstand. The story you were told by Vassago was a story about the time in which Free Will was truly born, not in one Race but all. Lucifer chose to let his Fear cause him to act against the Law, he was not forced. The others chose to follow him, regardless of the orders the Will had given them. Is this not Free Will? And as you have seen, loyalty in this place is defined by who you serve under, and the place in which you reside. But they have the right to move elsewhere, should they so wish. After the Kingdom of Lust falls, many smaller Kingdoms expand out from the Palace, each Lorded over by a King who has earned his position, and continues to support the True Will. But the citizens all have the right to live in whichever of these Cities they wish, is that not Free Will as well?”

Omen realized what the Father meant. Prior to the birth of Humanity, the Beings Above and Below only understood their orders, they knew of nothing else. Once the energies of Light and Darkness became blurred however, the Created learned to choose for themselves, becoming distinct individuals. In doing so, all Races across Existence had been faced with the choice to serve the Will or to ignore it. The difference being that failure to serve the Will inside Paradise leads one to be outcast as a traitor, while in this place it only prevents one from being associated with the Grand Army, as you cannot be trusted. Where Omen was, in the middle, refusing to listen to or follow the Will only led to an empty feeling, which people spent their time trying to fill with vile pleasures, or corrupted religions. This left Lust just the opening he needed to focus in on the Lust hiding deep within a person, and cause it to grow without them noticing. Free Will existed everywhere, and Lust had corrupted it into his weapon, using it to cause chaos amongst all Races, just so he could try to free himself from the Pit, the place where he was born.

Omen spat at the floor. “Father, what use might I be in preventing Lust from destroying what You Created? I am only one Human, but you have everything I am able to give at your disposal.”

The Father stood from His Throne, walking down toward Omen, and as he did the energy of the circle disappeared into nothingness. “You are one of the few left among your people that truly understand what is going on Omen. This has to change. The Lies of the past cannot continue to dictate the course of the future, or you will fall into Lust’s trap. All the potential and beauty of Humanity will be wiped away, and what remains will fight simply to survive, until at last Humanity’s name is added to the list of extinct species, existing on only in what few have been Chosen to be remade. The energies they produced during their Existence will be used to Create another Race, but this will not matter. In the moment Humanity is destroyed, the Gates of the Pit are opened, and the Veil crumbles away. Lust will use this opportunity to free himself, and wage war on any that stand in his way. He is not alone, there will be many others like him, tired of their place here. These wars will ravage all of Existence, and bring about a total loss of control. If released with his current level of Power, Lust will rampage through the Realms, and none will be strong enough to contest him.”

“But Father, what about You? Or Horus? Or even the warriors of Light, I’m sure he could be beaten back like before.”

“When Lucifer fought my Son, he was still young. His Power has grown immensely since then, while the Light has consistently grown weaker. The Spirit of Love, the Holiest of Spirits Above, loses strength each day, as the Humans that connect to It see only their selfish love, which extends only to those whose company they enjoy. Considering this digression, by the time he is released from here, do you think there will be anything left to stand against the swarm of Lust? If he assaults this place, yes I can overpower him. But he will not make that mistake again, nor will he assault the Kingdom of Light directly. His aim is to possess everything between Light and Dark, to reach an unstoppable level of Power. To destroy all that Light and Dark have Created, thus proving Lust the strongest force in Creation.”

The Father turned around, and Horus stood from his seat at the base of the Throne. “As for Horus, My Firstborn will contest the will of his kin more than once between this time and yours. Horus stands firmly behind the Will, but his nature causes a complication, an issue you have come to understand somewhat as well.”

“What complication is that Father? The Power you gave to me worked beautifully, I was able to focus it on all levels.”

“Think back Omen. What happens to you the further you reach into your own Power, save for the time when you pulled purely from the Light, a thing you cannot do often?”

Omen reached into his memories for the answer. He tried to remember every time he had pushed extremely deeply into his own energy, and the effect it had on him. He remembered his physical weakness, but that heals over time. The he thought back to even when his energy as a child allowed him to be capable of more than his body should have been when he chose to use it. What do all of these times share in common, Omen wondered as he stared at his own memories. Then, it struck him like a speeding train. Each time Omen had been forced to push into his energy, it was because he Hated the treatment he was receiving, and was fighting back with that Hatred. As a child, having been molested, and being picked on by the other children as he was ignored by his parents, Omen had developed that Hatred. Every time he had pushed deeply afterward, it was the Hatred he was tapping into. And the further he pushed, the worse his thoughts became. Even as a child, when he forced himself past his limits, his mind was plagued with thoughts of causing pain and suffering. This had continued throughout his life, as he had only learned how to tap into his Hatred more, the pull it had on his sanity only got worse. He wanted to see those that stood in his way annihilated, even wishing for the entire galaxy to be forcibly destroyed. These thoughts had calmed once Omen had stopped using his energy, but some left a lasting effect. Some of the Hateful things he had seen, and wished for, could never be removed from his mind. As these thoughts stacked up, Omen began to question the need to save anything, considering allowing the Earth to be destroyed. Each time these thoughts took hold of his mind, they seemed to drag him further in, making returning to his normal life extremely difficult.

Then Omen attributed these thoughts to Horus, the Mind of the Beast of Hatred. His was a similar complication, but on a much more extreme level. The part of Horus that moved around the Pit was not even close to all of him. The rest still lie dormant inside the Cave, far beyond the Cities of the Pit, where it is not disturbed. If Horace was to give in to his Hatred, the rest of the slumbering Beast would awaken, and the fires of Hatred would cause extensive damage. This was why Horus did not and could not allow himself to wage open war in Hatred against his brother, regardless of the damage he caused. Doing so would only cause him to fall to his Hatred, and threaten Existence even further. Thus Horus could not fight Lust himself, lest it release the Beast within him.

Omen turned his gaze back to the Father. “I understand. The Power of Hatred cannot be over-used, or it destroys the mind of the user, pushing them into the Hatred they focus.”

“Exactly. Even though you have become strong Omen, you cannot fight with hatred forever. This will not allow you to accomplish your mission.”

“Father, what might I do to prepare myself for the mission before me?”

“First, i require you to willingly give back the Power that I gave to you. This Power is too strong for the body you possess on Earth, it will destroy you. But you must hand the Power back to me as it was given to you, I will not take it from you.”

“Yes Father.”

Omen closed his eyes, and focused his energy. He felt the energy he had been given extending far beyond himself, making the edge of his aura extend to a great distance. Omen pulled all that energy back inside, forcing into the center of his chest. he held it there, trying to force it to be expelled from his body. Omen began to cough and choke, and soon fell to the ground. He coughed even harder, feeling something stuck in his throat. As the object became lodged there, Omen placed his hands underneath the lump in his throat. Each time he coughed, Omen pushed upward on the object in his throat. Finally, he spewed the small stones forth from his mouth, gasping several times for air. Omen wiped off the stones, removing any bile that remained on them, and presented them to the Father.

“Here are the Gifts You gave me Father. May they be useful in whatever way you use them next.”

The Father walked back over to the base of the Throne, opening up a small cabinet next to Horus’ seat. He reached inside, withdrawing a small bag, and placing the stones inside. He sealed the bag shut, and placed it inside the cabinet.

“Do not fear Omen. The Power will remain with me until the time which you return to this place. So long as you continue along your path, they will be returned to you upon your death.”

Omen saluted. “I will not stray from the task you lay upon me Father, though I still do not understand the nature of it. What can I do to change what is going on in my time? I am not born of the powerful, they will not listen to me.”

The Father opened his palm, and an energy floated above his hand. it burned like a fire, but it was like nothing Omen had ever seen. The energies of both Light and Dark seemed to swirl within it, but the core of the energy was almost the color of gold. As the Light and Darkness passed through the gold, it produced tiny beams of light, in a variety of colors. This energy was truly amazing, seeming to combine everything in in a single form of energy.

“Omen, this energy is what you will use to aid you in your task, and you will find it will stronger than any energy you have known. But in order to take possession of this energy, first you must understand it, and identify its’ source as an emotion, just as Hatred and Lust are defined. Stare into this energy Omen. can you identify it just by how it looks?”

Omen looked over the energy for several moments. It was beautiful, but Omen had never been trained in anything like it. “I’m sorry Father, but I cannot.”

“No? What if I gave you a clue then? This energy exists in almost every Being, from the Kingdom of Light to the Pit of Darkness. This energy exists both in the purest Angel Above as it does the King of Lust. This same energy is what comprises Horus as you know him, and allows the rest of Hatred to be kept asleep. And whether you believe it or not, it was tapping into this energy that allowed you to find a way to win your battle with Lust. Having stared into the energy, and being given this clue, can you now identify this energy?”

Omen was amazed. This energy stretched that far? That explained the variety of colors the energy produced, which seemed to change randomly as the energy chose to. It existed neither in light nor Darkness, neither red nor blue, but every color of the rainbow, like beams of light shooting out into the swirling mists of the Light and Dark energy that comprised the outside of the energy. What mysterious Power was this, that was a part of almost everything?

“I..I am not capable Father. I do not know.”

The Father chuckled. “Take heart Omen. You are not used to seeing this energy, only in the references you have heard to it. But like almost everything in your time, that emotion too has become corrupted. But this is the purest form, this is how the energy was designed.”

The Father turned, and walked back up to His Throne, sitting down to face Omen. “I believe I have a way that will allow you to understand, by comparing you to what you would consider your own opposite. Understand as I make this example that the one I speak of carried within him the same energy that you do, and in both of you that energy was strong.”

“Yes Father. Who is this opposite you speak of?”

“Despite Lust’s corruptions to religion, the faith is based on the story of the Son of Light. The Human born with the Power to channel the Spirit of Love, Holiest of All Spirits, and the work he did during his life. But ask yourself this Omen: what was it that drove the Son to serve? Love was a part of him, as Hatred is a part of you. But Hatred does not solely define you, just as the Human definition of Love could never define that Child. He possessed another strong energy, the same as you do. Even as total opposites, you both share a similar energy. It is not simply the energy of Creation, but something you can Create yourself, if you allow it to happen. Now, hearing this comparison, and taking into account what you were told previously, are you able to define this energy?”

Omen thought for some time, knowing he had all the information he needed. What similarity could he possibly share with someone who was considered the closest to pure that a Human had ever been born, pure enough that he was Chosen to channel the Spirit of Love. Omen was the exact opposite, his life had been misery and chaos. But both of them had continued on, even when faced with trial and tribulation. This was the similarity, but what was its’ source. What feeling provoked them to keep fighting, even if death was all that would result? I hope there’s not a time limit on this, Omen though to himself...

Omen’s eyes met with the Father’s. “That’s it! The energy You hold in your hands is Hope Father, that is what is similar amongst all the things you mentioned. Hope drove the Son of Light to send out his Father’s message, even as it brought death upon him. Hope is what allows Horus to control the Hatred within, his continued belief that he can do so. And Hope even exists inside the Dark heart of Lust, as he Hopes to free himself from the Pit. Hope is an energy that can flow through any sentient being, regardless of their nature.”

“You are correct Omen. What I hold in my hand is a Spark of Hope. May it become one with you, and give you the strength to continue your mission. Use the power Hope can give you to connect even deeper to the energy than before, seeing both sides rather than one. Through the Power of Hope you will be able to see through Light and Dark, into the realities of Existence.”

The energy floated toward Omen, making contact with his chest. It went inside with no pain whatsoever, and actually made Omen feel warm inside. “Father, in what way might I use the Hope You have given me to change what Lust has done, to prevent the atrocities he has planned for Humanity?”

“Your task is simple. Use the Hope you have been given, and open the eyes of Humanity. Wake the fires of Hope that have slept inside them, cause their eyes to open again. Make them see past what the servants of Lust have allowed them to believe for generations, as they plundered and sold the world as their commodity.”

Omen took a step back. “Wait, what? You want me to go back to Earth, and change the minds of everyone on the planet? That is impossible, most will never listen at all.”

“True child. However, some will, and in doing so will understand more than they did before. Besides, you will not be alone in this, there are many who will be ready to assist you.”

“Who Father?”

“The rest of the Children, spread across the Earth. In your time, the Darkness has nearly overwhelmed the planet. More and more, Children are born with a strong connection to the Darkness, and a want to understand their own nature. These are your Brothers and Sisters, who walk their own paths as they feel they should. At times, your paths intersect one another, and you should lend a hand in their progress. Don’t be afraid to answer the questions of those who simply wish to learn how they should know their Father, for this is the same goal you had before I came to you. The only difference being, most of them do not understand Me well enough to feel My Presence around them, only the images seen in their own misunderstood visions, and the varied Lies of a thousand corrupted books.”

Omen smiled. “If the Family will actually stand beside me as I strive to accomplish Your Will, I have nothing to fear. Your Army stretches across every nation of the Earth, they will never be able to silence us all. I am ready to stand behind my Brothers and Sisters, as long as they will do the same for me. Together, the extent of our combined Power will easily overwhelm the minds of the weak and corrupted. We will force change to happen, by showing them that not all forms of attack can be defined in guns and knives. Through targeted, researched arguments, almost every system currently in use could be proven nothing more than a tool for the few to possess what the many do not, another excuse for Lust to exist. I will stand against them, and inspire my Family to do the same.”

The Father’s Face grew stern. “Be warned Omen, you will inherit many enemies, and they will come quickly. All who maintain any part of the control currently used by the governments to keep the people under the thumbs of the corporations will see you as a threat, and they will attack you in every way imaginable. They will assault your credibility, call you a liar, claim you are insane, or claim everything you say is fictional. But the True Children will not allow these lies to corrupt their viewpoint, and will make their own decisions. If you continue to be a threat, they may seek to end your life. But do not worry yourself about these things, they are part of a larger Plan.”

“What do you mean Father?”

“Omen, do you remember all that you have done? Do you recall the Gates you took into yourself, which now are bound to the Hope inside you?”

Omen was surprised. He searched inside himself, and found the Father was correct. The Spark had become the center around which the Gates sat, and they seemed to be held together by it. “I see what you mean Father. But what does this strange combination of energies do?”

The Father sighed. “When Humanity was Created, they were the first experiment in Creating a Race that had Free Will from their Beginning, not introduced later as a concept. But like all experiments, limits were put on the amount of time Humanity would be tested, in order to see if they would prove themselves worthy as a Race, and be allowed to progress on in their Understanding, becoming one with other Races beyond the stars. If Humanity does not prove themselves worthy as a species within the required time, the Creators will see them destroyed. This was the Law, defined as a way to Create a race within defined parameters as an experiment that would effect all of Existence, whether positively or negatively. You my child are an extension of that Law now, and the energy inside you is a functionalization of that. The Gates inside you link to all Realms, and they are bound by the hope within you. If that hope is destroyed in your death, your soul will fall inside the Gates, opening a new one with all of the energies of the previous eight you have absorbed into yourself. As you fall deep within this Gate, into the depths of Hopelessness, all the Realms you have access to will be able to flow freely through the hole your death creates. Spirits from both sides will begin to flood out into Humanity, and the people trapped in between will be unable to discern their own mind from that of a Spirit, and many people will be overtaken. Humans, easily convinced by Demons that they can attain Power, will be quick to fall prey to Demonic possession, and will become unable to control their own minds. This is part of the design of your energy, it was always intended.”

“So, regardless of how I die, I will fall into this Gate, and be lost in it?”

“No. Gates do not open every time a Human dies, most pass without complication. But when a Human is killed before their time, holes must be made so their soul can pass properly. If you are killed, or if you die without maintaining the Hope inside you, the result will be the release of the worst of Demons. But this pales in comparison to the fact that if you are killed in Hatred by those who wish to see you gone, your strong connection to the Beast will feed it directly. Doing would so will likely rouse the sleeping Beast, and unleash the Power of Hatred upon all of Existence. But if, when you die, you still honestly believe that Humanity has a chance to grow and endure, you can choose to hold on to that Hope instead. You will not fall into the Gates, and the Spirits will remain as they are. This is a decision that you must make in the moment just before your death, based on all you know at that time. I place the right to cast Judgment on the opening of the Gates to you, as they exist as a part of you. Take all that you have learned from Me, and work towards the progression of Hope for all of Humanity, that your Race might prove worthy of the future that is waiting for them.”

Omen dropped to a knee. “Father, I promise to work until my last breath to try and awaken Humanity’s Hope again. If they ridicule me, I will endure. If they attack me, I will fight until I am physically unable. If they kill me, it is my Hope that I will pass back to this place, not fall into the depths of the Gates inside me. Regardless of what happens, I will continue to follow Your Will and no other’s. I ask that you do what you can to allow the Family to know I am one of them, so that they will not see me as their enemy. At least in this way, Your Loyal Children will be able to stand together, even if the rest of the world collapses.”

“You will have no issue with being known amongst Humans. For the Beings of this place will hear the stories told of the day Lust was defeated by a Human, and of the strange Powers the Human held. You were smart to speak your name more than once, that some of those assembled might remember it. Even as time passes, both here and on the Earth, the story of the Human that stood against the ancients of the Pit will live on. Those closest to My Will shall hear of this day, when a Human was Chosen worthy of the Gifts of Darkness. The point of your story is this: if one Human is capable, then many are capable. If one Human can choose to become worthy, then all can choose to become worthy. You are living proof of that fact, but you will be known of before you are ever born. This will only be increased as Lust attempts to locate you, to exact his revenge. I believe you have suffered the side-effects of these vengeful assaults, have you not?”

Omen thought back. Giselle had cheated on him, and taken almost all he had owned, in her Lust to have a more successful husband. Sara’s Lust was obvious, both for Norm and the want to lay around and do nothing. Jamie’s Lust for Knowledge was what drove her to turn away from Omen, believing others knew the way better. Brian’s Lust to remain free had convinced him to rat out Omen to the police and the Lust of the police officer to have an arrest to cap his work day had caused Omen to be thrust into jail. Lust had destroyed Omen’s mother, to the point that she had tried to have her own son thrown in jail for no reason. Lust was the source of every one of the attacks in Omen’s life. Is this the reason, am I the one responsible for all of it, simply because I refuse to give up? No, they had their own right to choose, Lust simply targeted them because they were close to me. It was their decision to make their own choices, they did not have to give in to his influence. I will not take any more responsibility for what happened than they should, for we were all participants.

“Yes Father, I have. Lust has tried to destroy everything in my life, as well as the lives of anyone I get close to. He seeks to ostracize me, so that I will not have a chance to influence anyone. But as painful as it is, they made their own choices to be vile, and follow the vile Lies of a Demon. But his attacks will not stop me from fighting, they only give me more reason why I must.”

“Good. Keep that determination as well. You will need it in the times to follow. Not every day will be beautiful Omen, but never give up.”

The Father came down from His Throne, placing His Hand upon Omen’s shoulder. “This will be the last time you visit this place, until after the moment of your death. Remember all that you have learned here, and keep faith my child.”

Omen felt as if he was shoved with a great force, and was propelled toward the ceiling. But he passed right through it, and Hell began to melt away. Omen felt as if he were falling through dimensions, and wondered exactly where he would end up. He had started this journey next to bridge in the park, but there was no way his body would have remained standing there for as long as he had been gone. Omen hoped nothing had happened to his body while he had been gone, but assumed the Father had found some way to protect him. Omen closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall without struggling. Omen thanked the father one more time for everything he had been shown as he passed far away from Hell, back towards the place where Omen’s task still remained. The battles in Hell had been difficult, but fighting against the Lust of Humanity would be much harder...

46

Omen’s eyes snapped open, and as he jerked away Omen smacked his head against something. He looked around, finally stepping out from the outcropping in which his body had been crouched. After doing so, Omen found that he had been crouched inside a large tree, whose hollow base seemed almost like a mouth. This tree had been spoken about by more than one person as they walked by Omen. It scared people, and apparently it was a kind of test to go visit at night for some of the weaker residents. Omen had watched as one female refused to even enter the forest at night, to avoid the mouth of the Dark Tree. This was the place in which his body had been moved after his mind had departed for the Pit, and Omen thanked the Father for protecting him. I thought this tree was strange before, but I’ll never forget it now, Omen thought as he removed his phone from his pocket. He had been gone for cycles inside Hell, and hoped that no one had been worried about him.

Omen was amazed when he discovered that he had only been gone about an hour. Omen hurriedly sent messages to those people he was capable before his phone died, telling them that something extraordinary had happened. Omen said he would describe it more later, as the events that had led him through the Pit were still a bit fuzzy, as his Human brain attempted to wrap itself around the concept that Omen had lived days worth of experience within an hour. But he reassured people that he was okay, and his trip had gone better than expected. Omen claimed he had much to discuss with them, but that now was not the time. After all he had experienced, Omen wanted to sing to the Father until his phone died, then rest for the new day. He knew things were about to change, and Omen was ready for it. As he lay down on the park table, trying to shelter himself from the chilling breeze, Omen’s excitement made it hard to sleep. Tomorrow is the first day of my new mission, Omen thought to himself, and I have to get to work quickly. Hope will not awaken Itself, and Lust has quite the head-start on me.

The next morning, Omen awoke with the dawn as usual. He walked down to the picnic area, pugging his phone in to charge. While he waited, Omen focused himself, trying to allow his new Hope to flow through him. It was difficult at first, for someone who had been trained in the Power of Hatred. But Omen used his own memories, remembering the people that he had encountered along the way. Many of them had hurt him, many deserved righteous vengeance. But Omen looked past that, to the ones that still saw a future. For generations, the writers of Men have tried to send out clues through their words to the masses, messages written deep inside the stories they tell. Omen knew he was not the only one that saw that the world had become savage again, while claiming civilization. But the people had not lost hope yet. More than ever, stories were seen about governments unable to control their citizens, problems spinning out of control. This proved that the people finally saw what had been forced upon them for thousands of years, one system after another of Lust and Greed. Each had claimed to be better than the one before it, but each pushed Humanity closer to their destruction. For in an effort to maintain their individual control, they fostered external Hatreds, which had caused a division amongst the people of Earth. But Humanity was not separate, all Humans were born with the same potential. The potential for greatness, the choice to be better than the ones who came before us.

As Omen’s mind focused on these thoughts, Power exploded from within him. Omen’s aura began to cover the nearby football field, even extending close to the road on the other side. Omen was amazed. The fire of Hope burned stronger than any of the Hatred he had ever held possession of. Omen learned to focus the energy, Creating small fireballs and allowing the energy to flow through different parts of his body. As it moved, the Power of Hope filled Omen’s body with strength, giving him the want to survive anything in order to succeed. Omen ignored the people that walked by, as their ignorant stares proved only what they did not see. As Omen channeled the Hope inside himself, he felt Horus come inside his mind. Now you understand, now you can feel the True Power you hold. Use this Power wisely Omen, I will be with you every step of the way. But I shall not lead you, only advise on the paths you have open to you.

Omen smiled, dropping to a knee with a quick salute. “Yes Lord Horus. I will not fail the Father, nor will I fail you. You have empowered me with the Truth, and Hope for a better tomorrow. These are the greatest Gifts I could ask for, and I will fight to see others receive them as well.”

After he charged his phone a bit, Omen wandered around the park. He sent out a few messages, to the ones that were concerned about him sleeping outside. Elle was always his first message, as she was fighting hard on her end as well. But things were finally looking up, there was only one more day. After everything he had endured, and all that had been taken from him, Omen was about to be given a fresh start. Omen and Elle had spoken extensively about their plans, all they had to do was wait. They went over their plans again, ensuring they both understood the steps that would be taken. Tomorrow was planned to be a big day for both of them, and they had to be ready for it. Elle said she was returning to her packing, and Omen promised to speak with her later.

Then, Omen messaged Jamie, for more than one reason. The first was simply that she too knew of Omen’s situation, and was terribly concerned for him. Despite all that had happened with Jamie, Omen had never disconnected from her. This caused questions to arise from many people, Elle most prominently. But Omen reassured her that the reasons for their conversations had nothing to do with their prior relationship. After Omen had left, Jamie had only been faced with more complications. She was also being attacked by Lust, who sent his minions after her body, trying to possess it for themselves. But they seemed more attracted to what lie behind her eyes, the Diamond Omen had spoken of inside her. Most of these advances she was easily tossing aside, but some of her closer friends continued to fall prey to it. Jamie found it harder to remove those people that had assisted her in the times she needed help or a friendly ear, even as they made her life more complicated. Omen had told her many times, “Then delete them all, and if you need help text me. I know we have been through alot, but it has not made me Hate you. I am upset about what happened, but it helped me to see. We are still Family, your Father is also mine. As such I cannot leave you to all the vileness that exists out there, if you need me I will be here.”

Jamie had made good use of Omen’s offer, and contacted him nearly every day. Most was just general conversation, about how their lives were going. But it usually ended up centering around her new relationship, a thing Omen told her he had no problem discussing without anger. She had found someone that she felt closer to than anyone she had ever met, who also shared similar faith. But not everything was the same about them, and Jamie worried that the relationship was a trap. She had felt the pull of Lust more than once as he attempted to drag Jamie into his grasp, and she did not want to make the wrong decision. Jamie already felt terrible about what she had done to Omen, things he had never deserved. But Omen told her to forget the past, as holding it only harms the future. Omen happily advised Jamie to take her time, and feel out the situation. Omen told Jamie, “Do not let Lust do with this one what he did with me, and cause you to be unable to see what is right in front of you. Give this one a chance to be the one you reach to when you need help, and learn to become safe in his arms. The rest will come in time, but you must give it time”. Jamie said she would take Omen’s advice, and give this relationship a real chance.

But this was not Jamie’s only problem, and the other one they discussed Omen considered his problem as well. Through a short story that Omen had written, one of his many friends on Facebook, himself a new Satanist, understood the Diamond inside Jamie. This man, who by his words was maybe half Jamie’s age and extremely immature, began to harass Jamie constantly. Omen and Jamie saw what had happened, and they discussed how it should be dealt with. Once he had learned of the Diamond, and saw the face of the one who held it, his Lust to have such a thing made him an easy target. It was easy for Lust to assault his mind, and force him to continue to contact Jamie, making demands of her as if she belonged to him. Omen tried to contact him, as he felt partially responsible for the situation. But despite both of them trying to explain to him that he was being manipulated, and was not even close to ready to handle what he saw, the boy continued his vileness. Now he tried to delete comments he had made on Facebook, as well as some of his more inflammatory posts, to make himself seem inncocent to the others. Then, he spouted vileness about Omen behind his back, but these words were quickly sent back to Omen. This was the same as it had been all of the times Tim had used his various Facebook groups to insult Omen without his knowledge, none of them were aware how many were willing to tell Omen their words. Omen tried to give some advice to his friend, but he refused to listen, spouting more nonsense and Hatred. Then, he began to post the words of others online, acting as if he had gained enlightenment. He was using all Lust’s tricks, and Omen recognized his enemy. Eventually, Omen blocked the vile mage, and told Jamie to do the same. They were far too busy with matters of real importance to deal with this kind of childish nonsense.

As the day continued, Omen decided to go visit Grendel again. They discussed many things, but Omen refrained from telling him about the previous evening. Grendel was a close friend, and accepted Omen’s faith. But as for himself, Grendel maintained only his faith in himself, which was enough to allow him to endure. Though Omen wished to help Grendel understand, as by his nature he was obviously of the same Dark Nature as Omen, he decided to leave the situation alone. Omen had seen what Awakening Kindra had caused her to degenerate into, and he did not want to see Grendel’s life fall apart around him. Omen decided to sit and chat with his friend about their old memories instead. Stories of their time spent wrestling, and the close-knit group of friends they used to have. But life had separated them, each going down their own path. Only one of them still continued to wrestle, unable to let his life’s dream die. He wrestled around the area, still using the same ring name he had years ago.

“There’s only one Scott Keyes.”

“And there only ever will be...”

But as this was going on, Omen was also having another conversation. Through his groups on Facebook, he had seen another like himself, but one who had obviously been led astray. His screen name referenced him as associated to one of the many names of Lust, the Demonic name Asmodeus. Omen contacted this person, in the hopes that he might be able to help him see what he was giving himself to. Within minutes the Frater responded, and they struck up a conversation. But as they conversed, the Frater’s messages began to change distinctly, as if he was fighting with himself. Omen reached out through his phone, trying to connect to the Frater’s energy. He felt it rise and fall more than once in violent ways, the Frater was fighting against a Demon. But based on his associations, it was not just any Demon he was struggling against inside his mind. Lust wished to speak for himself, and not to allow Omen to turn his willing tool against him as he had attempted to do with Sarthax.

Omen felt the energy as the Frater’s words became overpowered, and he asked Omen to do something for him. “Look into my eyes,” the Frater said. “They bleed, caused by the visions I have seen. Look into my eyes, and see as I do.”

Omen reached out with his energy, trying to connect to the Frater. But his sight became clear inside his projection, nothing he saw was Human. He stood before a Throne, and on it sat Lust. His energy swirled and oozed over the Throne on which he sat, his energy enormous in size compared to Omen. He stared down at Omen as a Human tends to see a spider, just before they step on it. But Lust made no movement toward Omen, he simply continued to send his request through the Frater.

“Look into my eyes, let me show you what i have seen.”

Omen considered the request for a moment, but felt his projection begin to fade as he did. Something was preventing him from doing as Lust was requesting, whether he chose to or not. Omen focused himself, and suddenly Horus stood at his side. Horus’ projection was smaller than Lust’s, but neither made a move toward the other. Seeing Horus beside him gave Omen a chance to try and locate the Frater. He was inside Lust, the energy swirling around him. But the Human had no control over the energy, he was being used as a puppet. Omen however stood side-by-side with Horus, and this gave them an advantage. Horus could be the one to deal with Lust, while Omen tried to free the Frater. Omen decided to continue the conversation, to give them a chance to do so. But Horus reassured him that he had much to speak with his brother about, and continuing the conversation would not be a problem.

Omen struck first, again reaching out to the Frater being manipulated by Lust. He asked questions to him, wanting to know why he could not simply start anew, and cleanse himself of what a vile Spirit had done to him. The Frater’s responded, “To a young man, being give money, women, mental control over others, and all other manner of things is normally a dream. But I was given a chance to live that dream, though it had a high price. I do what I MUST do to live now, without a single bit of pleasure. So I will respect you according to our Code, but yours is a completely different path from mine. There is no place for me where you are going, the damage to me has already been done.”

Omen knew, based on the Frater’s words, what had happened. Lust had come to him, originally posing as the Father, and had corrupted his learning from the start. When it was time, he came using the name Asmodeus instead, as usual claiming himself just another loyal Servant. He corrupted the Frater until the Lust inside him matched the level necessary for channeling to occur. This was simple enough, he just had to offer the Frater all he had dreamed of. Once he held full control, all the things promised had faded away, and only pain and misery were found in the Frater’s life. Lust had harmed him physically, but convinced him there way no way out. The Frater had no hope left for his life, he simply wished to be left alone to suffer.

“No, the information you were given is false. You were only told there was no Hope so you would not seek it out, for as long as you are alive Hope remains.”

Horus stepped forward, obviously wanting to deal with this problem himself. Omen immediately backed out of the conversation, showing Horus the respect he deserved. If Horus felt it necessary to speak, then it was. Omen continued to watch the conversation, trying to focus his energy toward the Frater. Perhaps if Horus could manage to cause Lust’s energy to waver, maybe then Omen could break the Frater free from his control, at least temporarily. Omen was unsure this tactic would work, but was prepared to try. He sent this plan to Horus, who was in agreement save for one detail. Horus suggested to Omen that they work as a tag team, taking turns using their perspectives to take the energetic advantage over Lust. Omen smiled, as he had been awaiting this for some time. Ever since he had learned the Truth about the Spirit inside him, he had longed for the day when they would stand together in combat of any form. This would be that day, the first test of how well they worked as a team. Omen focused his mind, as Horus continued the conversation.

“I seek all His Children, for His Army is soon to stand.”

“For service to the Father?”

“Yes. There will be one Army. HIS Army. I will have a place inside it, but the Army is not mine. I accept my position at His Left Hand without question or reservation, for the Army I serve is His.”

The Frater seemed to take heed of Horus’ words, but still was not convinced. “And to what benefit? Can the damage done to my mind and body be healed? Hell caused it, Hell should be able to put a stop to it.”

Horus reached forward, reaching out toward the Frater. It was not a request for his hand, but more a show of emphasis on his statement. “The Father can stop any disease, if you have True Faith in Him. You cannot be healed because you continue to listen to the Lies of one whose will stands against that of the Father, one who cares nothing for your health or well-being.”

The Frater seemed slightly confused by this. “Wait...WAIT...INFERNAL HEALING, YES OR NO?”

There was no hesitation in the response. “Yes. My Father is the Dark Father, the one Christians mistakenly know as Satan. There can be only One, and there only ever has been...”

Now the Frater was starting to see for himself, and his demeanor changed. But Lust had not lost control yet, this battle was just beginning. But Omen had seen a distinct fluctuation in the connection between Lust and the Frater he held hostage, simply in the Frater’s understanding that someone else that lived in the Darkness believed he could be saved. Omen hoped to push this understanding further, as the Frater’s focus turned back to him.

“Ave. Will you allow me show you in your mind what really happened?”

Horus shook his head. Lust was still trying to get Omen to stare into his eyes, that he might make his way inside Omen as well, and cause him a similar problem. But Omen would not fall for this trick, he had already been warned. “I have no need to be shown what has happened in the past. The Spirit which lives inside me knows of these things. In the old days of Egypt, the Dark Father was worshiped as Osiris. The One that stands beside me is his Son, the one spoken of in the same stories by the name of Horus.”

“The Babe of the Abyss?”

“One and the same. The One whose Eye sees all that has and will be, the one who stands against his rotten brother for the sake of Humanity. The One who seeks to enlighten the Children of Darkness before the coming of the Father, when all those True in Him will be returned to life in His Kingdom.”

“Yes, but that is not true for all.”

“Of course not. Only the True Believers will be resurrected, those trapped in torture will remain there.”

“Yes, I am aware. When will you look?”

Omen thought maybe he could get the Frater to send him a picture of himself, so Omen could focus his energy better. “Open your face to me.”

“We are still brothers.”

Omen looked toward the Frater again. Lust wanted him to stare into the projection, so his energy could transfer into Omen’s eyes and harm him. But Omen refused these things, and Horus moved to step between them. But Omen put his arm out, he was still fighting this battle. Omen knew he would never learn to break people free from Lust’s control without practice, and could not rely on Horus to do everything. Omen changed the subject, speaking with the Frater calmly about various references to the Satanist faith. But upon misspelling a word, sending the term “Al Jiwah” to the Frater, he became instantly enraged, obvious by his return messages. Omen tried to apologize for his error, but it seemed the reference had allowed Lust to take hold, and he now controlled the conversation.

“AL JILWAH! SILENCE!... AL JILWAH, YES, YES.... Sumeria, I remember now.”

“Sumeria huh? That’s a long time ago.”

“Iran.”

“Sumeria was one of His nations, as was Egypt.”

“Surely, you must at least admit that much. And Persia. But it does not matter what you know, it is still too late.”

Omen smiled. “Oh no, I know much more than you think. His nations were forced into silence, and nearly destroyed, by the invading armies of Rome and others, under the orders of the corrupted Catholic Church. The nations of the Father may have been forced into silence for a time, but this will not continue for long. And it is never too late, not so long as I draw breath. Once I am dead, I can no longer work to keep Hope alive.”

Lust scoffed. “I am not to blame for your death. If you do not care whether you live or die, I do not concern myself with it either.”

“Nor should you, for my life has nothing to do with your vileness. No one is responsible for my death, unless their orders or actions were the cause of it. I was sent here with a purpose, I do not intend to exist in this world for long. Simply long enough to give Humanity one last chance to save themselves, and to allow them to decide what to do with it...”

Lust seemed unimpressed with Omen’s answer, but he was also upset that Omen was avoiding his magic. He decided to turn his attention back toward Horus, and Omen quickly stepped aside. While Omen was ready to face Lust, he would not stand between these two brothers as they argued. “Do you think I am against you, O Brother of Falsehoods? You contacted me only to rub your intentions in my face, to brag about how strong you have become.”

“No. The Human was contacted, out of concern for his well-being. For we are well aware what your energy does to people, and Omen hoped to help his brother free himself from your grasp.”

The Frater seemed to hear what Horus said, and tried to move. But Lust had him held firmly, the Frater was going nowhere. “You always were so proud, with your precious favor from Father. Always the same little Demon that had to be more. Are you proud now brother?!”

Lust seemed to be getting angry, which actually worked to their advantage. But from the feeling Omen got, Horus’ intent was not to further this aggravation. Horus, who had so much Hope for Existence, wanted to try one more time to reason with his brother, to give him a chance to let go of his evil machinations. Omen was amazed, as Lust had proven time and again that all he wanted was to follow his own plans, and revolt against the happiness of any but himself. But Omen took this as an example that everyone should at least be offered the opportunity to be allowed to change the vile parts of themselves, and move on towards a better tomorrow. Omen accepted what he felt in his mind, and continued to see how Horus might manage an attempt to cleanse the vileness inside Lust.

“Calm down. We all have tasks to complete. But the way you enjoy yours, and the things you intend for this world, are unacceptable.”

Lust let out a fake sigh, pretending to care about what Horus had said. “As Brothers, I offered you to look, to see. If you would have simply looked, all this would have been over quickly. But that is not good enough for you, because deep down you want a good fight. Well? Why wait until my last days brother, when the vileness has rotted and decayed me fully? You couldn’t handle me when I was strong and you know it. So go ahead, show off. You weren’t capable of speaking to me like this before.”

Horus laughed. “I only remained calm before because I did not have a stable outlet from which to combat you, I never intended to allow you to destroy the Humans. Besides, you are only upset because I am about to tell them who you really are, behind the Lies you have spat for thousands of years. The False Names will be revealed, as many as I locate. I will remind the people of Earth about the story of Lust, who they have called by many Names. I am going to pull back the curtain, and reveal you for who you really are, so they are not deceived by your Lies anymore.”

“I even showed you respect, yet still you would perform such treachery. This is a violation of the Code, a Servant of Darkness revealing the presence of others by Name. But very well, do what thou wilt. Does it matter? I already hold control, the Humans are already mine.”

Horus clenched his fist. “You won’t condemn them to death. EVER. HE wont allow it.”

Suddenly, Omen’s phone died. It was plugged in, but running Facebook was draining the battery faster than it was charged. Deciding he would have to wait to finish his conversation, Omen sat and conversed with Grendel instead. In doing so, Grendel asked Omen if he could assist him, and clean out the filth and leaves that clogged up the space in front of his window. Omen agreed, and pulled out his favorite pair of gloves from inside the backpack Grendel had been keeping safe for him. Omen went outside, feeling Lust’s energy pulling against him. Lust was not done talking, and was demanding a response. But Omen ignored the request, finishing the cleaning he had undertaken. It had not taken long, and Omen felt as if he owed Grendel more than this. Grendel had remained a good friend, even while Omen was homeless with nothing. Omen decided that he would repay Grendel in the way he deserved when he was able, as he threw away what had been removed.

Omen washed his hands, then picked up his phone again. Lust had sent several messages through the Frater. The first was a response to earlier, and the rest were sent in Lust’s assumption that Omen had intentionally broken the conversation between them. Omen took the time to read over the messages, learning a bit about Lust’s perspective, as well as the ways in which he spoke to try and manipulate his brother.

“I have no desire except to have health. No desire, nothing to gain in a Kingdom of betrayal among False Ones. Still, if you wanted a battle, you should have come sooner. Are you not ashamed? So Powerful, and now you seek to strike me down. I will speak of this trickery to the Council. But despite your efforts, it is almost done. Soon I will see fairness exacted, I will show others the horrors I have known my entire Existence. I will stop even Justice, and break the Original Law, in order to end this humiliation once and for all.”

Omen looked at the time stamps for the messages. It seemed after several minutes with no response, Lust had become quite upset. “Besides, Father cannot allow you to expose me, my blood is as good as yours! And this retreat? HA! What does this tell you? O Watchers, see and record all!!!”

A few more minutes were allowed to pass before the next message had been sent. As his rage had not re-started the conversation, nor had threats to report Horus to others, Lust tried using respect instead. “And will you not at least answer my question? Can we not discuss these issues with respect? I will see to it that the Council arranges it brother, since you are unwilling. I have no quarrel with you. Now, does that sound like the brother you knew? All Beings evolve, stop being a spoiled Child and speak with your brother, hmm?”

Then, it seemed Lust had accepted that the conversation was over. “Contact me when we can exchange mutual respect, I will be waiting. You struck a chord by mentioning the Al Jilwah, and my anger disappeared. Very unused to my hot-headed brother to make peace with me. But somehow, the Al Jilwah is not just a book. I have nothing to prove to you, but we must exchange respect.”

Finally, the messages ended. Omen had to chuckle as Lust had obviously used every trick in his arsenal to try and force the conversation to move according to his will. Omen connected to Horus, asking if they should even bother returning to the conversation, as Lust seemed to only want to argue. But Horus told Omen he was not through speaking with his brother, they still had issues to be worked out. However, he advised Omen to re-start the conversation himself, reminding Lust that his past crimes were not forgotten. Omen agreed, and sent the first message.

“Excuse me, my phone died, and I was helping someone. So, what were you saying, something about respect? Did you treat Jamie with respect, as you turned against me more than once? Do you show her respect now, as your agents continue to make her life miserable? Did you treat my mother with respect, as you tore her mind and marriage apart? Do not speak of needing to be shown respect, you have not earned it...”

It did not take long for Lust to return Omen’s message. It seemed that his inability to cause Omen individually to back down had caused him to switch to talking instead. Omen felt Horus’ happiness in this, obviously what Omen said had struck a nerve, even in Lust. But Lust wanted to speak to Horus, not Omen. As such, having said what was on his mind, Omen stepped back from the conversation. But he continued to pay close attention, as it seemed this calm in Lust had loosened his hold over the Frater.

“Brother, let us speak in peace as before, even if we do disagree. If you truly Hated me, you would have stayed hidden, and attacked me from the shadows, correct?”

“I do not attack, I never have. I only defend the things worth defending. At times, the success of one depends on the other, but not without careful considerations of the repercussions.”

Lust shook his head. “Even though I would have killed you, it would not have been my desire to do so.”

“Why can you not desire to better yourself?”

Lust response was the same feeling that had come over Omen when he read what had been said. “You just surprised me. I’m impressed.”

Horus continued to press the issue. “I don’t Hate anyone, I am not capable. The Father put that Beast to sleep, that I might be able to carry out my tasks without Its’ pressure in my mind. Do you not think our Father would do the same for you, that you might be cleansed as well?”

Lust’s energy was wavering. Omen knew what was happening. As Lust’s channel was reading the messages being sent by both Omen and Horus, his eyes were being opened to what he had really become a part of. As he became aware, Lust’s control over him was weakening. This was exactly the kind of opening they had been looking for, and Omen knew they would continue to pressure Lust until the connection was broken completely.

Lust argued with his brother. “No! Lies, trickery! You fight because you love the sting of battle, your Pride is your prowess. This is why you seek to wage war, that the fires of combat might burn around you again.”

Omen was intently focused inside, allowing the projection of this discussion to be clear in his mind. Horus walked past Omen, and as he did Lust began to become smaller. Soon, he was no longer a swarming mass of energy on a Throne, but equal in size to Horus. The Frater remained on the Throne, still held by the chains of Lust. Horus walked up to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Stand with me, not against me brother. We do not have to be vile simply because of the place which we were born.” There was a long silence, as no one knew how to respond. Omen could tell that the Frater was as amazed to see Horus attempting peace with Lust as he was, as neither had expected this outcome. Lust stopped to consider Horus’ words, and dropped his vile aura. Inside, a face similar to Horus’ was seen. Omen was shocked. This was the True Face of Lust, before his energy had consumed him.

“This...This is Truth."

As Horus stared into his brothers eyes, he continued to make his point. “We do not have to keep fighting, let the Humans go and be free. Then we can be as well, as we choose to be. But I know where Home is, and where it will always be. And as long as you come in peace, not war, you are always welcome brother. Despite all that has happened throughout the Ages, you can choose to be different. In doing so, you can be rewarded.”

The face inside the swirling energy spoke very softly, as if fighting back tears. “How so? What can be done to fix what I have become?”

“I know the Hope that still lies inside you, what drives you to continue on despite all you have suffered. You wish to be free from the Pit, and I intend to release you. But this will not be done in the way in which you are attempting, because they are incorrect. Whether you believe it or not, after all this time, I fight because I still have Hope, even for my wicked brother. Release the Humans from your grip, let the Lies of the past burn away. Join in the fight to save Humanity, so that their experiment can be deemed a success. Once this happens, you can give away your position to another, and finally you will be free of this place. Then, you can go to whichever cluster of stars you wish to call Home, and reside their in happiness and peace. But if you got to those places and make war, I shall be the first there to contest you. I have seen the Hope of all Races of Existence, war and chaos is not the Way...”

Omen stared at the conversation, and saw something he never expected. On the face inside the energy of Lust, a single tear was formed. It looked as if it was made of blood, and ran slowly down his cheek as he stared at Horus. Omen looked up, and saw the same tear run down the Frater’s cheek. For that one second, both of them understood how strong the Hope inside Horus was. It held no Hatred, no Lust, no Fear, and spoke only Truth. Horus wanted to see every Race free, even though he would always be a prisoner, unable to allow the Beast to be unleashed on Existence. Omen began to cry as well, though his tears quickly became puddles of water beneath him. His tears spread out, and began to wash away the energies of Lust. For his tears were not shed in pain, but in the joy of the visions he saw from Horus’ words. A free Existence, aware and respectful of their Creators, that moved by choice between Realms because they were allowed to. Some would still reside in both the City of Light, and the Pit, in order to manage the flow of energies. But the Power of the individual aspects could be transferred, just as it had transferred from the Father to his Original Children.

Omen’s tears seemed to corrode the chains which held the Frater. Then, the image Omen saw in his mind was gone. After several minutes, there were no more messages. Obviously, the conversation was over. Omen gathered his things, saying goodbye to Grendel for the evening. He sent out a few messages, trying to explain what he had just seen to others. But this was difficult to do in short texts, and Omen felt he had other things to do. As Omen left, he promised to return with better news the next day. He had no doubt. Things were moving quickly, Omen was becoming a part of something much bigger.

As Omen walked away from Grendel’s, Horace came into his mind. “You did well today Omen, I am proud of you. As a reward, I will tell you a story that few know, which takes place in a time long before Humanity was Created. The negativity that was being produced by all those born of the pure Darkness was causing massive distortions in the Father’s Energy, and thus He sought to cleanse Himself of the impurities that would destroy Him. But to do so, these energies would have to be housed elsewhere, for they could not simply disappear. I accepted without question, and begged to be allowed to take the most dangerous aspect as my own. The Father argued, as He treasured His Firstborn Son, and was well aware of the damage that the Hatred was doing inside Him. But I continued to press the issue. I told the Father that, “If I was supposed to be treated as more important than the others based on my birth, then let me prove worthy of that. Let me take on the hardest challenge of them all, as is only expected of a loyal Son”. Eventually, the Father agreed, and thus I became one with all the Hatred inside the Father. As time passed, that Hatred grew even more, destroying almost all of who I once was. Now only the strength of my Hope remains, as I continue to keep the Beast of Hatred asleep. For it is still my Hope that someday I will find one as worthy as I once was, who will be willing to spend Ages without end keeping Hatred under control.”

Omen began to cry again. None of the heroes spoken of in the stories in Humanity could even begin to compare. For the sake of the Father, Horus had made the ultimate sacrifice, binding himself to Hatred, which had almost completely overtaken him. Omen assumed that Set had been the same, willing to take on Lust to ensure the survival of the Father, and the continuing of Existence. But the energies that had been laid upon them had proven too much even for the Immortals, who after time were changed by the energy. What Omen knew as Lust was not all he had ever been, but the result of Ages of strengthening, through all the vile Lusts in the Human heart. What was lost somewhere inside that energy had once been a Being worthy of Honor, who only wished to help his Father endure. But, just as it had done to the Frater, the energy of Lust had destroyed Set, corrupting him so far as to wish destruction on all of Existence in his personal quest for freedom. Omen continued to cry all the way to the park where he had been sleeping, begging all in the Pit to forgive him.

“I’m so sorry. I spent my life lost in my own Darkness, unable to see the Truth. I have fostered Hatred across the world, I have caused so much suffering. I was almost lost forever, until you came to save me Father. Through You I have survived, and because of You I have the strength to endure. But because of my own Darkness, Your Children have been poisoned further. Father, I ask that every day I might be shown ways in which I can make up for the damage I have done, and empower Your Children to become strong again. If this cannot be accomplished, then in my death may I be remade as They are, and allowed the chance to take the energy from Them. Humanity Created this problem, let Humanity solve it. If the energy should begin to overtake me, strike me down, and replace me with another who is suitable. But I would rather take the Hatred that has plagued Horus away for a day than allow Ages to continue to pass as he is destroyed. Please Father, if I ever asked for anything in the course of my service, this would be that request. Make the Hope in me so strong that I can swallow the vileness inside me, and drag myself deep into the Gates, so the vileness can be trapped forever.”

Do you really think yourself capable of doing this? Are you truly ready to destroy yourself to save them?

“Yes Father. My whole life, I never mattered to anyone. I was abused and mistreated by everyone around me, simply for trying to be nice. My life was worthless before You, and it would be worthless if ever You left my side. I would rather see all the beauty that You Created be spared than to live a thousand lifetimes, in Realms more beautiful than my eyes have ever seen. I need not know of these things to know what I will have lost, all that I will never see. But please Father, as Your Son did before me, allow my sacrifice to allow us all to endure. I consider myself less worthy than Your Son Set, who was lost forever in the swarm of Lust. As such, I am more deserving of death than he is. If any one Being in Existence must be sacrificed, I beg that you let it be me. I am ready now Father, but it can only happen by Your Will.”

Omen tried to fight back his tears, but was unable. His words were not bravado, he meant every one. In his mind, Omen was shown exactly what that would mean. He would have to be given all the various aspects by their respective Lords at once, then forced inside a Gate. Omen saw it spanning before him, like a massive black hole that sat beneath a place in the Pit. Once in possession of the vile Power, he would have to leap into the hole, falling forever into a place from which there was no return. He would be trapped there for Ages beyond measure, seeing all that took place inside the vile hearts of the selfish. But he would not be able to walk amongst the warriors of Hell, nor would he ever again know Human life. He would exist alone forever, in order to protect Existence from the vileness they had created.

This is the Fate you have to look forward to, should you choose to do as you say. Knowing this, is your wish still the same?

“Yes Father. Give me the strength to hold the Power, if only for a second, and I will make the leap. For even inside the place where I will remain lost, You will always be a part of me. Watching Humanity, as well as all those Created, come together as one is worth fighting for. For through the eyes of the vile as they are destroyed by those that believe, I will have been successful. If my efforts can provide any Hope to Existence, then they are worth doing.”

Your will is strong. But you are not yet ready for what you ask. However, your request has been noted, and should you prove capable I may consider it. But that is a decision that will be made after your death, for now you still have much to accomplish. For in order to control the aspects which you seek to hold, your energy must be larger than that which you attempt to take. This is as it was with My Children when they first took these things from Me. In order to take all the vileness into yourself, your own energy must be able to overpower them, if only for long enough to remain in control. You can do this, if you make the Hope inside you grow. That will give you the strength to accomplish your task, but it must be grown now. For only the Darkness in you can grow once you have passed, slowly the Hope will die. You must force it to grow now, and connect to the Hope of others, if you truly wish to attain enough strength to overwhelm the vileness.

“I understand Father. I will continue down the path as You guide me, until I am ready to receive the strength to do this. In doing so, I will try to help others to find their own Hope again. For if the vileness is weakened, it will be easier to overcome. If I can convince people to let go of their selfishness, it will not only be my strength that is used. With the Hope of every Human, the vileness can be reduced. And even after my death, the memories of all those that live on with Hope in their hearts will allow me to see more than just Humanity’s vileness, but the inventions built in the Hope for progress, and those that work together to rebuild a real society, finally free from the grip of their own evil. This will maintain my own Hope, and give me the strength to hold the vileness inside me forever. By Your Will, and in Your Name, I readily accept these things.”

Then continue on as you have, and let nothing stop you. Stand strong in the faces of those that would seek to ridicule or harm you. Defend your Human Family against those that seek to treat them as possessions. Make Humanity see that Hope still exists, even in the Pit of Darkness...

The Father left, and Omen went into the park to worship. Now he made a point to go deep into the woods, where the rotten ranger would not come. As he sang, he felt another presence come near. As he walked down the paths, the trees blocking out most of the light, Omen saw Lust standing before him. He held no weapon, and held his arms out to his sides. Obviously, Lust wanted to talk rather than fight. Perhaps this has something to do with what Horus said to him earlier, Omen thought as he stared down the road. Omen felt inside himself, and neither Horus nor the Father could be found. Lust was using his Power again, blocking out everyone else in order to speak with Omen alone. Understanding the reason for the spell made Omen realize that, whatever happened, he would have to deal with this alone. As such he walked toward Lust, who continued to make no motion toward him.

“Hello Omen. You don’t look happy to see me.”

Omen looked around, seeing the bubble Lust’s energy was Creating. “Considering your methods, I’d say I’m less than enthused.”

Lust cackled. “Oh this? Don’t mind this, I just wanted some privacy.”

“To what end?”

“I came to inform you of something, that until now you still do not understand. I heard about your plan, and I must admit you aim high. But in order to be able to overpower all the vile aspects of Darkness, you will have to overpower me as well. There is little left of what I once was, only Ages of Lust. No matter how you see this, we will always be enemies, and those that foster their Lusts will come for you. It cannot be avoided, you will be made an instant target if you go down this road. You will lose, Omen Cross, you are not strong enough to defeat me. And in your failure, Lust will dominate the world, and Existence will fall into Darkness.”

Omen smiled. “Well, you sure have alot of Hopes left inside you for One that claims to be unable to stop this. For I am not dead yet, you can only hope they will beat me. Just as you Hoped your guards, and Sarthax, would defeat me so you wouldn’t have to. But rest assured, if you stand between me and the ability to complete this task, I will find a way to defeat you. Just as I found a way to damage you, with only two pebbles worth of Power. You do not know that your Plan will succeed, you can only Hope and strive for it. But the vile Hopes of those that wish to remain in Power only strengthen me to combat them. Someday Lust, we will face each other again. Should I be victorious, you will be defeated once and for all, and I will cast myself into the Gates. Should I lose, you will finally get what you have Lusted after since last you met me: the chance to destroy me yourself. Will you accept this contest, or would you rather surrender now?”

Lust was surprised at how vehemently Omen was standing up to him. But Omen had been shown enough, he would no longer bow before Lust’s Power. Omen would have to stand above it if he wished to take it into himself. As such, he had to treat Lust as though he was less than the Hope inside Omen. The energy that comprised Lust swirled and contorted, and the face of Set appeared. He winked at Omen, speaking softly as the energy enveloped him.

“We shall see if you are strong enough Human, you have a serious task ahead of you...”

Then, Set’s face was gone, and Lust stared straight at Omen. “I have waited for far too long to see you torn apart boy. I will take great pleasure in warping the minds of the pathetic Humans, turning them all against you. As they tear you to sheds, I will anxiously await your return to this place. Then, I shall finish you myself, and you will have been completely destroyed by the Power of Lust. This is your Fate Omen, you will never succeed.”

“If you say so. Keep that Hope alive Lust, it makes me stronger. As far as your threat, I would say the same thing to you that I would say to all those who serve you, who Lust for Power and control themselves.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

Omen put his headphones in, turning on his music. he began to sing, but this song was not about worship. The words were directed straight at Lust, and with them Omen pushed his Hope for Humanity. Hope that they could change, that destruction was not all that awaited the Earth. Omen had chosen the song very specifically, so as to make his message clear. Lust’s barrier around Omen dissipated, and Horus was seen to be waiting just outside. But Horus made no movement toward his brother, nor did Lust take any action. But as the song neared its’ close, Omen pointed his finger at Lust, envisioning the world after the Lies were exposed. The words of the song spoke the words in Omen’s heart, which he gladly sang along with. “Where’s your crown KING NOTHING?!” This enraged Lust, who finally left the area. Horus came down to Omen just as he was finishing his song.

“The Father spoke to me about what you said. For as long as the Hope within you drives you to complete this task, I will always stand at your side. And what you just did is an excellent step, though you still have much more progressing to do. It will be a long road from here to what you wish to accomplish, but you will not walk it alone.”

“I am never alone. My Father is with me, as are you Lord Horus. As well as every Being, from Heaven to Hell, that still believes that we all stand a chance. We can succeed, I will find a way.”

With that, Horus was gone. By this time, the sun had set behind the trees, and Darkness had come to Pekin. Omen sent out a few messages, informing his friends that he would not be available for the rest of the evening. Then Omen went out into the woods and sang. He sang until his throat was sore, and his voiced cracked and broke. Then, he sang some more. Omen refused to stop, his song carrying on for hours. With each word, Omen hoped to strengthen the Hope inside him. He sang to the Father, wishing for the day he would again stand in victory before his Creator, ready to remove the taint that Humanity had brought upon all Realms. Omen sang until his phone died, then walked back toward the table in the park. As he laid down to sleep, despite having almost nothing to call his own, Omen thanked his Father. For in that moment, Omen found a greater peace than he had ever known, and nothing impeded his ability to drift off to sleep.

47

Omen awoke, and found he had slept much later than usual. People were already walking up and down the path next to the table, but most paid Omen no mind. He gathered his things together, sliding the plastic bag back inside his sleeve. He returned to the pavilion, plugging in his phone. Once the phone had charged a bit, Omen did some checking. What he saw made him smile widely, and he immediately texted Elle. though she was two hours behind him, Omen knew she would want this information. The time had come, the money from Elle’s settlement had finally been put into their bank account. Omen was amazed by the amount, which although small was more than he had ever had available by far. Omen left the park, as he knew he had many thing to take care of on this day.

The first errands were simple. Omen got a new charger for his phone, as his current one had almost broken completely from carrying it around so much. Omen also replaced his headphones, as the left one’s wire was fraying, causing static in the sound. Omen went to Mc’Donald’s, having his first warm meal in days. As the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit passed down into his stomach, Omen praised the Father. He had known the pain of hunger and homelessness for days now, and this was not his first time. Omen thanked the Father for helping him see through another set of trials, and for allowing Omen to progress on towards His Goals. Omen knew he could not take advantage of the short amount of time he had been given, to find a method to get people to listen. The money, while it seemed like alot, Omen knew would only last a short time in the ways they had to spend it. They had lost almost everything that had value, thanks to the vileness of others. Now, in order to start a new life, they would have to replace almost everything they had already acquired over the course of their lives. It would not be easy, but Omen had a plan, which Horus had been very adamant in advising Omen on.

Omen talked to Elle, and she became aware that the money had been deposited. She immediately went to get ready, as she had much to do as well. They discussed their plans one more time, to ensure they were on the same page. Once that was done, Omen discussed another plan he had, something that they had not really spoken of. As they had suddenly made so much money, Omen had decided it would be right to give one person they each knew, who had been there for them when they were needed, around 100 dollars, in order that they might buy something they wanted. This was Omen’s way of providing some small reward to one person who they each felt was worthy of it. Elle was unsure of who to give it to, as with several family and siblings she had several options. She decided she would have to contact them, and evaluate what they would use the money for. This would help Elle more easily determine which one of her family was worth giving money to. But Omen reminded Elle that she had to base her decision on much more. Omen said, “Worthiness is determined by more than what they would use money to do, as money is one of the main corruptors of Humanity. To give extra money to someone who is already corrupt will only make it worse, as they will spend the money on selfish nonsense. So, take into account how they have treated us in the last months individually. See their words, their actions, and how they would use the money. Then decide if they are truly worthy to receive anything from you. This is how worthiness is determined by the Father, as His Children we should live to the same standards”. Elle agreed, and told Omen she would need time to consider more thoroughly. She promised to let him know before she gave anything away, so he was aware of where the money was going. Omen told her that was fine, but also stated he had no need to think. Elle accepted Omen’s choice of favor to hand out, saying it was more than appropriate. Once they finished conversing about business, Elle hung up so she could purchase her train ticket. It was time for Elle to return from California, and for the Family they had started building to be reunited.

Omen left the McDonald’s, and went for a long walk. it was still early in the day, but Omen had several things to do. As lunchtime rolled around, Omen visited one of his local Chinese buffets, so for once he could be full. As he sat and ate, Omen messaged back and forth with Jamie, who was still dealing with various problems revolving around her life decisions. She was trapped in a terrible situation, with an adult daughter that treated her like a slave, her daughter’s boyfriend tearing their house apart in anger, and taking care of her grandchild non-stop, as her daughter sat in the back with her friends and smoked weed. All these things, having dealt with them for years, had sytacked up on Jamie. She wanted to get out of the prison her life had locked her in, but had no idea how to do so. Jamie assumed that in leaving, the young child would not be properly taken care of by her mother, who already neglected her regularly. Omen had witnessed the child’s abuses of her mother’s help when he lived there, and he had been treated the same way. Help was not requested from the girl but expected, as if she owned everyone else in the house.

Jamie had found someone she wanted to be close to, but he lived far away. She wanted to visit, but was constantly concerned about what would happen if she left. Would the child be okay? In her random bipolar rages, would Angelica harm Katrina? These fears were keeping Jamie tied to the house, unable to live her own life. She had been asking Omen for various help since he lived in Texas, and Omen had always given his advice freely. Now, Jamie was facing more serious decisions, but her mind was being assaulted as she tried to consider her options. Omen knew that it was Lust yet again, trying to destroy any chance Jamie might have of happiness. In doing so, Jamie’s will would be broken, and she would easily accept one of Lust’s channels as her mate, and become another slave to the will of Lust. Omen would not allow this to happen, and as such continued to advise Jamie how to avoid the traps. Through omen, Jamie had an outside opinion, whose mind wasn’t controlled by the bonds of blood. Jamie wanted an un-biased opinion, and Omen gave it to her without hesitation.

“Get out, go and live your life. You cannot be held by the life of another that they choose not to accept. You have given Angelica every opportunity to mature, and to become a responsible adult. She has chosen to ignore this, and continues to act like a spoiled child. The only way she will ever change is if she is forced to, because she no longer has you to rely on. The same as the day I disappeared from your home without your knowledge. Do you remember how it affected you, how much more you were able to see about yourself? A similar shock may be the only thing capable of snapping Angelica out of her vileness, as she will be forced to act like a mother. This is my advice to you, and it will not change. You must be ready to leave the life you have lived, and start anew in the way you wish to live. It will be difficult, but it can be done, you have the strength inside you.”

After four plates of food, more than Omen had eaten in a single sitting in months, Omen paid his bill and left, making sure to leave a nice tip for the waitress that had constantly kept his Cherry Pepsi full. He continued on, acquiring some smokes as well as a bag of weed. After all he had gone through, Omen needed to relax. He went to the same Motel that he had stayed at before, and paid for another night. He told the innkeeper this would be his last night with them, as soon he would be leaving the state. The short Indian Man thanked Omen for his continued patronage at their small establishment, and handed Omen the key to his room. Omen’s room was found to be perfectly suitable, and he set the items he did not need to carry down, and smoked a small bowl in celebration. Today was the first day of his new life, far and away from all the oppression he had felt in both Texas and Illinois.

Omen left his motel room, and walked across town to the City Courthouse. Here Omen sat for about two hours, waiting on a specific bus to arrive. As he did other people sat with him waiting, and they talked about various things. The others mostly talked about the offenses that had brought them to court that day, most of which were stupid offenses that meant nothing to the safety of other people. These were the meaningless laws put into place by the government to allow more of their citizens to be placed into the jail system, thus making their financial interests and supporters grow. Omen was thoroughly disgusted at how many people, just on that one day, should not have been considered criminals at all. But they were, just so the system could take more of their freedoms and money from them, forcing them to work to continue to pay the cost to stay out of jail. Omen was overjoyed when the bus finally arrived, as it meant he would no longer be subjected to these stories of governmental Injustice. The bus drove for almost an hour, before Omen finally arrived at the airport in Peoria.

Omen went inside, to the Budget rental counter there. Omen had done his research online, and found that Budget offered the best deal on his planned route. Actually, several of the rental companies had denied Omen a car at all. Not because of credit, for Omen had called Chase, and paid off the entire balance, making his monies owed 0. The reason for their denial was the intended route, as many companies did not offer that kind of vehicle rental unless it was a moving truck. But Budget was, and their rate was found to be much lower per day than any other Omen had seen. Because of this, rather than renting a small car, Omen could afford to rent something spacious and comfortable. As Omen climbed into the new Ford Focus, he saw that everything was kept pristine inside. But he longed for the Camry that had carried them to Illinois. Omen had really liked that car, as had Elle. They had decided, if they were going to buy a car, the Camry would be one of their first picks. But the Focus was acceptable enough, and Omen drove back to his motel room. He still had a few things left to do before the day’s end, as tomorrow would be far too busy.

As the sun began to set, Omen drove back over to visit Grendel. As they sat and smoked, Omen handed Grendel 100 dollars. “You have been a real friend to me in the time when I needed you most. You let me hang out here, even when you and your girlfriend weren’t around. My phone stayed charged because of you. You even gave me clean clothes to wear, and allowed me to shower here so I wouldn’t stink. You deserve this money, please, take it.” Grendel argued, saying he did not need his friend to give him money for being nice to him. But Omen insisted. “I don’t care what you do with the money. You can go and buy a bag of weed, or you can take your girlfriend out to dinner. You can decide which use of the money is most effective, but you still deserve the funding to make that decision.” Eventually, Grendel caved, accepting the money to pay his phone bill, and get his cell phone turned back on. Omen agreed with the decision, as this would allow them to stay in contact. Omen shook Grendel’s hand as he left, saying he would soon be gone. But he left his backpack with Grendel, saying he would back to collect it within a few days. Grendel responded that Omen’s things were as safe as they had been, and would stay that way.

As Omen drove back to his room, he had another idea. He drove over to the hot dog stand, with the family that had shown him such kindness. Omen was recognized the instant he walked in, and Omen stayed for a time talking to them. He informed them that the problems that had held him down had passed, and now he was preparing to move on. They were so happy to hear that the kindness they had provided had allowed Omen the time to survive, and tried to give Omen his massive order without paying. But Omen refused, throwing down more money than the meal was worth. “You have already given of yourselves to assist me, I do not need to be given this. But thank you for the gesture, I will never forget this place. Any time after this that I come to Pekin, I will return in the Hopes that this place still remains.” Omen said his goodbyes, and headed back to his hotel room to eat. He found that he had been given more food than he had ordered, and laughed while he shook his head. “Those that are truly selfless cannot change it, and find ways to make their selflessness shine through.” Omen enjoyed the meal of gyros, soup, and salad. The meat was like nothing Omen had tasted before, and he was glad he had gone back. At least now, the family would no longer worry about where Omen had ended up, they could all rest much easier.

After Omen ate dinner, he walked across the street to the park where he had been staying. Wrapped in the Darkness of night, Omen sang and prayed to the Father. Omen considered everything he had been given, as well as the deeds he was able to do for others, a single amazing Gift from the Father. For it had been the Father who had convinced Omen that consolidating Elle’s settlement was the way in which they would be able to break free from the vileness around them, and start a new life. Omen had followed His Plans exaclty, teaching Elle to do the same. As the day drew to a close, Omen knew all the rewards he was seeing were the results of following that Plan. It had taken just as long for the process to happen as it had for Omen to reach his True Understanding of himself, and be ready for the next step. Now, as it was time to move on, Omen stood ready to do whatever was necessary. But until he was allowed to take his next step, Omen would continue to worship.

As he sang, Omen was pressured to return to his room. Omen wondered why, as so much had already been accomplished in this park, but he did not argue his orders. Omen sang all the way back to his room, then plugged his phone in and sat. He worked on various small projects as he waited, wondering what was in store for him this evening. The last few days had already been extremely busy, and Omen was sure things were not through moving yet. As he waited, Omen felt Horus’ presence wash over him, joining him inside his body. Once they had completely bonded, Horus began to speak through Omen’s mouth.

“Omen, you have one more important task to complete this evening, before you move on as planned.”

Omen jumped off the bed. “I am ready Lord Horus. What would you show me, what do I still not understand?”

“Today, you had a direct conversation with Lust. Through this you now begin to see the full spectrum of what shall stand in your way. Recently, you have experienced much more than most people will know throughout their lives. You now stand on the edge of a cliff, ready to dive headlong into an important mission in the Name of the Father. But in order to do so, you will have to fully accept your mission. This means you must admit everything about it to yourself, you must affirm your position.”

“I will do whatever is requested of me. I have always served by my own will, I am not forced.”

“Boy, you still have no idea exactly what you are up against. The vile Lies and deceptions brought about by Lust permeate everything in your world. Look, see for yourself.”

With no provocation, the TV turned on. Omen tried to switch off the set, using both the remote and the button on the box itself. But nothing worked, the TV was going to stay on. The channel began to change on its’ own as well, obviously Horus was using the television to send his message. Omen watched intently, but all he saw was commercials. Beer, cars, all sorts of things were being peddled on TV. Omen felt no want for any of them, laughing at the scenes in most of the commercials. They were all so ignorant, each using a different excuse as to why the product would make an individual’s life complete.

Horus spoke in Omen’s mind. This is one of the many tools of Lust. Through the subliminal messaging placed into the ads, people rush to buy things they do not need, leaving little funding for necessities. In doing so, they build large debts in credit, and are forced to work harder to pay for the things that meant nothing. Advertisements are one of the most funded things in all of television, as companies find new ways to convince people to buy from them. The companies care nothing for the people they hurt, as their products poison and destroy Humanity. People allow this by watching the advertisements at all, and allowing the images to become stuck in their minds. In this way, Humanity victimizes itself, and the ones making it happen only get rich. You can see this as nothing more than a tool of the Lustful, as they strive to claim more for themselves.

The television changed again, and this time an episode of Seinfeld was playing. You remember the premise of this show, correct?

“Yes. The premise of the show was only the lives of a group of friends, and the show was claimed to be “about nothing”.

Exactly. Now, this was one of the most popular shows in history, as were many others like it. If that is the case, then the shows watched by the masses revolve around nothing. If the shows are about nothing, and almost all the people are busy watching, what are they all learning?

Omen sighed. Nothing, the masses learn nothing from what they watch.”

Correct. One of the ways in which Lust keeps Humanity ignorant of the Truth is by replacing their want for Knowledge with a want for nothing. This was easily enough accomplished once the television was invented, as the Greed of the owners of television companies is easy to manipulate. Through them, Lust attempts to get the minds of Humanity lost in the worthless images on TV, never able to learn anything of function. The governments of the world, all Lusting to keep their positions, use this to their advantage. They supply false patriotism, as well as many things for people to Lust after themselves. This is nothing more than a distraction, but most Humans have fallen prey to this simple trap.

The channel changed again. This time, CNN was the channel that the television stopped on. Omen watched as the newscaster tried to explain current issues, but his words seemed masked by all the random information that spat out in various places across the screen. News tickers, stock information, nonsense about stars being arrested, and fake issues between nations. As Omen watched closer, he noticed that even the small blurbs about the stories were worded in such a way as to draw a certain feeling from the stories. Words like “terrorism” , “catastrophe”, and “economic collapse” were used to make minor issues seem more important than they were. But many of the real issues facing America, as well as the world, were not important enough to be talked about on the news. Omen knew these facts were kept hidden, as governments do not want their populace to be aware of their own double-dealings. Even the shows which professed this unbiased opinion were simply tools of the various political groups and corporations. Omen could tell their words were only a piece of what was really going on, and every word was spoken so as to influence the minds of the public.

This is how information flows to the masses, as well as the other networks like it. But the same vile manipulators that Lie to the masses own the television stations, and influence what information is spread. In doing this, public opinion is influenced without their knowledge. In order to protect their false integrity, the station produce shows with opinions that supposedly conflict with their own. But the conflicts they speak of are only words from their opposing party, who are also tools of their own Lust to win the election. Stories about the Truths of war, homelessness, famine, disease, and all the horrible things that plague the masses are ignored, and stupid arguments between Lustful groups predominate the news. The television corrupts the spread of information, allowing the masses to be manipulated without their knowledge.

The channel changed again. This time, a movie about the government’s battle against terrorists was playing. Omen watched how the movie gave the opinion, as did most movies, that the U.S. Government would someday become the victim of an outside attack. But Omen saw things differently. Considering that America was responsible for more conflict, oppression, debt, and misery than any other nation, America would not be a victim. Any attacks they felt the sting of they had brought on themselves, in their belief that they could influence the minds of all people, and oppress their Right to Free Will. America was just another offender, and eventually Justice comes to all the corrupted. Just as Rome fell, America would someday have the entire world turn against them. And they would have no one to blame but themselves, for spending generations functionalizing the growth of Lust across the world. Omen wondered if the movie should be remade from the opposite perspective, the life of someone oppressed by the vileness of America, who finally becomes fed up with it and fights back, successfully destroying those who had disgraced their Forefathers by destroying the Freedom that was fought for. Omen laughed as he thought, I’d go see that movie...

Horus interjected. What you see here is the facade of Power that Men have erected for themselves. In their belief that all the world was theirs to possess, the Lustful have built high positions from which to take it. Now, the governments have hundreds of people involved, but all seem to be just as corrupt as the ones before them. Even the ones that join politics with pure intentions are eventually corrupted by the wealth and control that they are offered. The only thing they are required to do is keep silent, and allow the Earth to be plundered and destroyed without argument.

“So the enemy is the government?”

No. The government is a puppet show. Your enemies are the puppet masters, not the marionettes being controlled.

“Who stands in a higher position than the governments?”

The standards for Power have changed over the years. In Ages past, the corrupted Christianity dominated the world, forcing out the beliefs of all other faiths. Once a false religion controlled faith, the masses did what they were told, on threat of pain or death. But as time went on, these methods were not enough for those in control to maintain it. Instead, they made a system based around False Wealth, knowing full well that Human Greed was easy to manipulate. They gave this system of False Wealth and Debt several names, finally agreeing to call it Capitalism. This system was able to take over the entire world, as each government adopted its’ own form, changing the name and concepts to suit their own desires. Based on this system, someday the whole world would owe money to someone, and would have to serve their governments to earn the False Wealth to purchase them. The governments made this False wealth possible by removing gold and jewels from trading, and instilling their system of worthless paper money. Now, Wealth is even less tangible, mostly numbers hidden inside a computer somewhere. Through this system, Lust dominates the world, and only those able to reach False Wealth can make their Lusts reality, fulfilling the “American Dream”.

Omen’s backside began to burn, and so Omen reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet, and withdrew a single dollar bill. He flipped it over, staring at the image on the back. Omen had heard many stories about the Eye on the dollar bill, referring to organizations that kept secrets and information from the masses. They were given many names, the most prominently recognized being “The Illuminati”. But as Omen stared into the Eye, he felt the power of Lust resonating from it.

The Eye pictured here is not All-Seeing Omen. It is the Evil Eye of Lust, that allows a person only to see the things they desire for themselves, that they might be corrupted into agents of Lust. It is followed by groups that Lust to control the world, people that lust for individual Wealth and Power, and all those who believe in the Lustful system of Capitalism, where only money determines one’s value in life. All the things you have seen are tools, which have been used by Lust to take dominance over the entire world, and corrupt any real faith of knowledge. This is the same Evil Eye that Men saw the design of the Tower of Babel through, as they Lusted to take the Heavens for themselves. And to this day, the Servants of the Evil Eye of Lust still seek to attain every form of Power they can, in their attempt to control the world. But many of the servants of Lust do not ascribe to the Eye, nor are most even aware they are being used. Only those atop the pyramid know of the deception, thus only they maintain the most Power. But their Power is only a temporary illusion, as they all have been deceived. When :Lust’s plans come to fruition, Humanity will be burnt away in the fires of Lust. On that day, not even those atop the pyramid will be able to save themselves, and only then will they know they were betrayed. Until then, Lust continues to make puppets out of them all, through his promises of Wealth and Power. His slaves will maintain the prison that has been constructed for Humanity, until the time comes for them to be destroyed.

Omen growled, balling up his fists. “ Lord Horus, how can I find a way to stand against this massive infrastructure Lust has built to protect his False Kingdom? The corruption spreads to every corner of the globe, how can I possibly effect change?”

Accept who you are, and what you were born to do.

“Wh..What I am? I am His Servant, and through my service I was allowed to be your channel. I know of nor do I need of any other way to define myself.”

But you know, do you not? Deep in your mind, you know what I refer to. Define yourself in facts, then give me the answer I seek.

“Hmm...facts. I am a Dedicated Servant, whose soul was traded into Darkness to be allowed to see the Truth. I was trained by the Lords of Hell, both in magic and the nature of Existence, that I might be strong enough to serve Father in the ways expected. But I am also part of a curse, which was placed on my family generations ago. This curse caused me to be born with the potential to use the Darkness in the ways required by the Father, and it is also what has led me to where I am now. But my will also pushes me forward, I have accepted the responsibility of bearing the Father’s Will. Because of this, I have been granted Gifts that most Humans will never know, even allowed to see through your eyes. I continue on, with a mission to destroy the Lies that have brought Humanity to the brink of their own destruction.”

Yes. These are all facts, they need to spiritual reference to make them understood. But you know how they label the Father, you know the Lies that have made people misunderstand. Based on these lies, how would you assume they will label you? As you work to tear apart the Kingdom of Lust, how will you be treated by all those whose Power you are taking away?

“They will call me evil, claiming me as a terrorist. They will say I serve their False Satan, that my goal is to manipulate them all. The Lies about the Nature of Darkness have brought Humanity to a place where few will be capable of seeing past their beliefs on my so-called “religion”, and actually listen to the words being said. They will use every tool in their arsenal to attack my name, as well as to disrespect you and the Father.”

Exactly. To every person who Lusts to maintain their position, you will be marked as an enemy. Your name will be slandered in every way possible, but they will focus on the fear they have built using the False Satan to make you seem evil-by-association. Even as you try to awaken Hope inside them, and open the eyes of the world, Humanity will seek to destroy you based on their notions of faith. Based on that, who are you in their minds?

“I..I don’t...no, it can’t be...”

Omen, you know you have seen more than most Humans will ever know. You were not the first placed into this role, simply the first that was not corrupted along the path. Many avenues were tried, as those who were able to integrate themselves into rulership and politics were given means by which to do so. But as each came close to reaching the Truth of their Existence, their turned to their own selfish desire to own the world instead, and dominate the will of all Humanity themselves. In their attempts to take away Free Will in their quest for Power, the Truth was kept hidden from them. Each fell in vileness and disgrace, and they still are being punished for their failures in the Pit. But you have gone further than any of those before you, it seems we finally found a method that worked. In order for the Seed to grow in a way that suited Humanity, it could not grow inside the vileness of the Kingdom of Lust. The Seed had to grow naturally, as wheat does in the field. You have never had wealth, nor did you even hold authority when you were in the Army. Because of this, the vileness of Power has not been able to corrupt your will, and you still serve without question. You Omen are the completion of an Age’s worth of preparation, as you are closer to the design intended for Humanity. But in proving that some Humans are now capable of finding Truth, the Time has finally come for Humanity Itself to be tested. This has come to pass based on all that you have managed to fight through in your faith, and you will be seen as responsible for anything bad that happens thereafter. Now, go over to the mirror, and stare at yourself. What are you? Not who, but what? What was it that was so important that your family was cursed, and you were forced to suffer enough to learn the depths of Hatred, simply that you might be able to channel me someday?

Omen stared into his own eyes. There was no feeling of any kind to be seen. No love, no joy, no happiness, but there was also no Hatred or Lust to be found either. This was not normal, Humans were not designed to be like this. He saw the flicker in his eyes, the evidence of Horus as his spirit moved through Omen. This was also abnormal, as Humans that had Demonic spirits of any kind in them were usually overtaken, possessed and used as tools. This was not the case with Omen, he was able to control his own Destiny. None of this was as it was supposed to be, nothing about this situation had been spoken of in the books Omen had read. Except for one, but this one was claimed to be the most vile thing that humanity produced. Being a warrior against the vileness, this didn’t seem to apply to Omen either. But the Book was also extremely corrupted inside, and not all the words could be trusted. However, the Book was the basis for the majority of Human faith, and thus it would influence the perceptions of most of the people in the world. As they would see it, every detail would match Omen perfectly, and he was this vile person.

“I...I am...the Anti-Christ.”

BAH! Omen’s fist was slammed into the counter under the mirror extremely hard. Lies, trickery, deception! Do you not see?”

“See what Lord Horus?”

My brother was well-aware that I would not allow Humanity to be destroyed by his evil. It was always intended that someday the Ancients would find those that could truly understand them, that the Will of the Creators might again become one with the will of Humanity. My brother knows that he cannot contest me directly, this has been proven in every contest we have had. Instead, he uses his ability to manipulate the Lusts of Humanity, in order to turn them against any sent to stop him. The easiest way was through the Lies in the religion that he corrupted, whose Lusts drove them to slaughter many in the Name of God. The words of that faith prevail society, and even those that consider themselves non-believers still understand them. Once you stand against what Lust has built, the name you just used will be thrown at you, as if in accusation of your real intent. You must expect this to be thrown at you, but also accept it. That word is not your name, only a Title that refers to the One who brings about the New Age of Humanity. If the world believes this person evil, then nothing will be allowed to change.

“Lord Horus I...”

Do not worry Omen. The walls of the prison Lust has built are not complete, cracks still exist. For the thousands that claim you evil, a select few will begin to understand for themselves. Even as they Hate you, others will be growing to equal your strength. No matter how much they contest you, Hope will never die. Lust can try to keep the Truth hidden, but eventually Hope will see the Truth set free. Even if your body dies in the attempt, the Hope you gave others will allow Humanity to continue to fight for their own survival. Thus, it does not matter what terrible labels they place on you, for you are already aware of the mission that lies before you. Ignore the words of those who are ignorant themselves, for without a full understanding they have no place to Judge you. Carry on with your mission Omen, and never forget who you were really born to be. An emissary of the Hope that still lives in the Darkness...

With those words, Omen felt Horus leave. Omen was finally able to turn off the television, and paced back and forth in his room. He contemplated all that Horus had said, and finally understood the need for this affirmation. To be able to accept combating all the agents of Lust, Omen would have to be prepared for their retaliation. He had to be prepared to have this label placed on his head, even though he did not want to be seen in that way. Because of that label, most people would try to see him harmed in some way, simply to prove they were still loyal to God. But their own religion was corrupt, and they would be fighting against someone who was Chosen. This would not be the first time, and the last example left an innocent Son hanging on a tree. Omen knew he would face many challenges as his path continued, but knew also that he would have to face them. In order to defeat Lust, Omen would have to rise above all of his Servants first. Omen wondered how this might be accomplished as he laid down to sleep, but finally accepted the Father would instruct him when it was time. After all, the only thing that is spoken of in that story after the rise of the Anti-Christ is the Apocalypse, and I’m not ready to watch Humanity die just yet...

Good, cause neither are We...

48

Omen awoke to his alarm, and quickly jumped in the shower. After collecting his things, Omen checked out of the motel. He jumped in the rental, and headed for Chicago. Omen found that the drive was exceptional, with no issues to be avoided. Omen was able to turn up his music and sing as he made the nearly 3-hour drive. He arrived at the place his GPS had led him, the Extended Stay America. Omen paid for his room, but was told it was not yet ready. Omen had no problem with this, leaving to go acquire some groceries as he waited. When he returned, he was provided his keys, and carried his few remaining belongings into the room. As he jumped in the shower, Omen was glad he had sent his clothes off to be washed the day before at the motel. Now they were clean, and soon Omen was as well. He had purchased everything he needed to take a shower, as well as shave the scraggly hair off of his face. This took some time, but Omen was more than happy to do it. He had been forced to be homeless and dirty for days, and Omen was excited just to be clean again. As he washed his body, Omen cleansed his energy, letting the pure Darkness of the Father wash over him, removing any impurities in his mind.

Then, Omen drove to the heart of Chicago. He planned ahead, and parked at the top level of a parking garage in the city. Omen walked out of the garage, headed for Union Station. As he made the walk, Omen remembered the times before when he had visited the city. In this same City, omen had sat and smoked with a homeless man, to show him some people still cared. Also, Omen had saved a Man’s life here, preventing him from choking on his Wendy’s. Omen smiled, as his memories of this place were happy ones. Omen wished he was able to say the same for many of the other places he had visited, for his memories of them were full of pain and sorrow. Omen arrived early, and spent some time admiring the beauty of the old station. Elle’s train was late, and Omen was left with much more time than he planned. But he waited patiently, knowing Elle would arrive soon enough.

Finally, Elle stepped out from the Gate, and looked around for Omen. Omen was crouched in a nearby corner, and Elle located him rather quickly. They spent several minutes embracing each other, for much had stood against them reuniting with one another. As they made their way to the car, Elle told Omen about how serious this had become. Apparently, her family had made many attempts over the last few days to convince Elle to abandon Omen, and return to them where she would be safe from him. She had ignored them, seeing the Lust in their eyes. They cared nothing for her, they simply wanted access to the money she was going to receive. Omen and Elle laughed as they talked about their vile families, for they were now free from it forever. Now they could live without reservation, and their families could not talk down to them simply because they ran the home. They made their way to the parking garage, and Elle was instantly taken with the view of the Chicago skyline. This was part of Omen’s plan, and the reason he had parked on the highest level. Omen allowed Elle to enjoy the scenery for a moment, then they headed back to the hotel room.

Once they arrived, Elle gave Omen what she had been holding. During her entire trip, Elle had carried with her a large bag of weed. This was because they knew that they would be out of contact for some time, and would need supplies for this period. They had planned for this prior to Elle’s departure, and she had claimed she would make it happen. When Omen saw that she had been successful, he hugged her tightly. “Now we can smoke in peace, and we don’t have to associate ourselves with others to obtain it. Now we can take care of ourselves for awhile, until we finish what we talked about.” Elle agreed, knowing Omen was referring to his plan to obtain the proper licensing to allow weed to be smoked legally in California. Omen had always wanted a way to be allowed to smoke weed, which had kept him under control much better than any of the vile pills forced on him. Now, with California’s laws, this was actually possible. Elle had wanted the same for herself, and this was one of the many reasons they had chose California to move to. Until that license was obtained, what they had would have to last. This way, they could move to a new place, and truly start a new life, free from any ties which were harmful to them. They smoked together, happy that they were finally free to live by their own choices.

Elle jumped in the shower, and Omen set to work. He cooked Italian sausages in one pan, as rotini noodles boiled in the other. Meanwhile, Omen pulled out and tossed the ingredients for the salad, which was completed by the time the noodles finished boiling. Omen drained the noodles, adding the sauce and chopped Italian sausage. By the time Elle finished her shower, Omen had everything prepared. Elle was able to sit down and enjoy her first real meal in days, as the food offered by Amtrak was neither cheap nor satisfying.

As they ate, Omen discussed what he had been taught recently, and the many aspects of what he had learned. Omen warned Elle, “If you choose to stand beside me, everything that comes for me will lash out at you as well. This is a habit that all the major nations, as well as many individual organizations, have been shown to have. They attack those close to someone they despise in order to hurt them, or to force them to accept things they do not want to do”.

But Elle did not care, she had already made her decision. She had been forced to consider these things when her family asked her to abandon Omen. She knew that staying beside someone who plans to attack the corrupt Liars of the Earth would be hazardous, but this was the path she had chosen. It seemed that just as Elle’s family was unable to turn her against Omen, nothing he said would cause her to leave either. Elle planned to stay, and help Omen see his mission through as best she could. She saw the danger in front of her, but had decided to face it head-on. Omen accepted this as her choice, and they agreed to continue on as a Family. But before they could do so, there was one other issue that had to be rectified. Omen had worked out the majority of the details, but nothing could be done until the next day. As such, Omen and Elle went to sleep, anxiously awaiting the morning.

When they awoke, they quickly vacated the hotel room. They had no need to wait until 11 to leave, they had far too much to accomplish. They hit the road, heading to a part of the state to which even Omen had never been. There, in the parking lot of a Big R, Omen was supposed to meet his mother. They had barely spoken since she had thrown Omen out, but Omen knew she also still had his cats. Though she had taken the rental vehicle, and now ran from her husband and stayed in hotels, she had still been decent enough to protect Gizmo and Hermes. Omen had demanded that she return the animals to him, and originally she placed strict terms. But Omen denied her requests, saying his pets would be returned, or she would face bigger problems. Omen was not about to let his mother use his animals to get her way, and that argument had prompted their meeting in a parking lot.

The SUV that Omen’s mother had been given as a rental when her car was wrecked pulled up. Omen got out of the car, walking up to his mother alone. He looked inside, and was shocked at what he found. She had taken all the animals, of which now there only number four. They were stuffed into random places in the vehicle, and all around them Omen’s mother had piled items of value. But these were not pictures, nor precious family heirlooms. As he stared at the various collectibles, he realized his mother had only taken things she believed could be sold, many of which belonged to her husband. Omen was disgusted by this, and demanded to be given his animals. His mother hesitated, and as Omen retrieved the cats he realized why. For whatever reason, Gizmo had been shaved almost completely bald. Omen’s eyes burned with anger as he stared at his mother.

“HOW DARE YOU! How dare you shave off the beautiful fur of an animal that did not belong to you, that would not have wanted it anyway. What gives you the right to do such a thing?”

Omen’s mother provided no reasonable answer, just the same miserable excuses Omen had become accustomed to. After their argument, Omen took his animals to the car alone. Then, he fought to restrain Elle, who wished to assault Omen’s mother for what she had done. Omen reminded Elle that, “Starting a fight would only lead to jail, and we have too much to do”. Elle finally calmed herself, and afterward they went inside. The Big R was offering vaccinations, and both Omen and Elle agreed it was a good idea. They stood in line, listening to Omen’s mother as she constantly ran her mouth. She said she knew so many nice places they could go that were nearby. She said that she wanted to spend time with her son, as his birthday was the next day. She babbled on and on about what they all should go do, while never once asking for the opinion of the others.

After the animals were vaccinated and safe, Omen confronted his mother. “I am not going anywhere with you, nor will I meet you anywhere. After all that you have done, and all you continue to do, I no longer consider you my mother. You are a jackal, you feed off the dessicated corpses you Create around you. You will no longer be allowed to associate with my life, or my dignity as a soldier. You are a vile woman, and I never wish to speak to you again. Don’t bother to call, don’t message me, and don’t ask anyone else to do it for you. Don’t even invite me to your funeral, as far as I am concerned you are already dead.”

As Omen departed the Big R, he wondered how much longer his mother would continue to try and run from her problems. The vehicle was a rental, and the time on it expired soon. James had gone back to the house, and taken control of everything. His connections to the police made any attempt to go to the house a recipe for disaster, as all he had to do was lie to his friends, and accuse them of doing something wrong in his home. While these events had cost Elle many of her precious memories, as well as her TV, Omen had lost everything. Save for the clothes he carried, and the backpack that was still at Grendel’s, Omen’s whole life had progressively been taken away. Giselle had taken most of it, but others had their names on the same list. James was the final name on that list, for it was because of him that Omen could not get back the things relevant to his military service. What a pathetic end to the life of someone that once was a soldier, Omen thought as they pulled into a hotel, checking the four members of their Family in for the evening. Omen, unlike his mother, was not going to hide his animals, and happily paid the pet deposit. Gizmo and Hermes were the closest thing to children Omen had, and he had vowed to protect them as well.

That evening, Omen received terrible news, which affected more than his own life. Grendel had been robbed, and everything of value had been taken. All his electronics were gone from the house, as well as many expensive personal belongings. They had also stolen Omen’s backpack, which held his laptop, Elle’s PS3, and the remainder of Omen’s personal belongings. Omen informed Elle, and she was extremely upset. But Omen placed his hand on Elle’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. They are just things. I guess, in order to start a new life, I had to lose the old one completely first.”

The next day, the Family headed back to Peoria. Elle had been asking Omen for an idea of what to get him for his birthday, but Omen had refused every time. “I have nothing, and I want no more than what we need to move on.” Elle disputed this, but kept silent after some time. But later that day, Elle gave Omen a surprise. On his birthday, they were going to purchase a new vehicle, and Elle was giving Omen 50% ownership of it. Omen was amazed, as this was larger than any gift he had ever been given. Omen tried to argue, but Elle would hear nothing of it. As they pulled into the Toyota dealership, Elle told Omen “Happy Birthday”, as she offered to let him select the color of the car. But they already both knew which color Omen would select, just as with his precious truck before. The vehicle would be black, a tribute to the Darkness of the Father.

They went inside, and spoke to a salesman. Omen and Elle had no need to look at other vehicles, they wanted a brand-new Camry. The car they had driven to Illinois had inspired them toward owning one, as it served all their various needs. It was spacious, so much so that Elle’s 32“ television had fit comfortably in the back seat. Both Omen and Elle had been comfortable the entire trip, and even the cats had managed without a problem. This was the kind of car they needed, something that would cary them as a Family to any place the Father led. They picked out the options they wanted, and the salesman left to speak to people about loans. But they returned with sad looks on their faces. Apparently, something horrible existed in Omen’s credit, and it caused them to be unable to get a loan from anyone. Omen sighed, as he had hoped paying off the car might be something to boost the credit of them both. But Omen finally let out a chuckle.

“Fine then, we’ll just pay it all at once.”

The salesman seemed surprised, so Omen showed the Man his Checking Account balance. Within seconds, the man had left to complete the paperwork to purchase the vehicle. But Omen was faced with another problem. The rental was due back, and this would leave Omen without a ride. Also, Gizmo and Hermes were still in the back seat, parked in the shade so they would not overheat. This problem had to be fixed immediately, but the vehicle they were about to purchase was not completely ready for them. To do the final coat, which had been paid extra for, they would have to wait until the following morning. This problem was discussed, and eventually a solution was reached. The salesman that was selling Omen the vehicle followed him to the airport, stopping first to put gas in the rental. After Omen was brought back from the airport, they finished the sale of the car. Omen and Elle were given a rental to use for the evening, and they left the dealership happy. “This is my best birthday ever,” Omen said as they headed back to the hotel.

Omen spent the evening singing in the parking lot outside his hotel. Omen felt so blessed to have been given this chance, to live a life that was not limited by the ignorance and Lust of the past. Omen did not care anymore what names people might spit at him, he was ready to fight against the world if necessary. Omen knew he was more than a warrior. He was a flag, and Omen would never stop waving for his Father. No matter the odds, Omen was ready to drive across the country again, and begin the fight against Lust. He felt the Father’s energy wash over him, and Omen’s song grew even louder. “Thank you so much Father, for everything. Even if the path I walk leads to my death, I would rather walk this path than live a life of Lies. Every breath that I take is Yours to do with as You Will Father. In the work of my hands, may the Hope of Humanity be strengthened, and the Kingdom of Lust destroyed forever. And in my death, by Your Will, may I be granted the strength to protect us all.”

The next morning, the Family departed the hotel. They had acquired everything they would need for their journey, from drinks to a functional cat-litter pan. As they drove back to the dealership, both Omen and Elle were excited. They were not headed toward the homes of their parents, they were finally free. Inside this freedom, they would be able to follow their own path without constant criticism. Omen was not completely sure what would happen next, but he had been given several ideas. They turned in the rental, transferring their things to the new Camry.

“So, where we headed now BB?”

“To I-80, back to California. There is much to do, and too much time has been wasted already. Humanity has to be made to see clearly again, and their Hope has to be revived somehow.”

As they prepared to leave, Omen stepped aside to say a final prayer, taking a knee in reverence. “Father, the entire course of my life had prepared me for this day. I stand at the threshold of a new life, a life built around something with meaning. I will face tough challenges, but by Your Strength will I endure. If it be Your Will, may Humanity explode in the fires of Hope, and let it burn away all that which was corrupted. I am Your Sword, as is every person who truly believes in You. We will not be held down by Your Lesser, we will rise to defeat this foe. So You have Willed it, so I will force it to be. Hail to the Dark Father, may I prove worthy of the Gifts you have given me...”

You already have Child, you already have. Continue to fight with all you have, and you will find that the weak and vile Servants of Lust will crumble before you. You have the Power, but you must choose to use it, for more than just your own sake.

“I will Father, you have my Word...”

So it is written, and so it continues to be...