The Chosen

The following is a complete work of fiction.

Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is completely coincidental. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.

Disclaimer:

The following story may contain erotic situations. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now. Also expect blood, gore, incredibly funny scenes and super-powered teenagers with a destiny to save the world. If you're not a fan of any of these plus strong cursing and violence than this is not your type of story.

Chapter 18

What does one do knowing that today might be their last day alive?

What does one say to the people they love?

What does one pray for?

This was it. There was no more training, no more fights, it all came down to this. I tip toed downstairs and the glow of the TV in the living caught my eye. I looked in and Morgan and Mom both lay sprawled on the couch. Melted ice cream lay in bowls on the coffee table. Fondness and love rushed through me so suddenly at the sight. I took the quilt that was draped over the couch and covered them. I took a moment to just gaze at them. This was what I was fighting for. This was why I was going to end this war. I wanted them to live in the same world they had always known. I would be dammed if my family would come to truly know hell. I wouldn't allow it.

"I love you," I whispered. "I'll make you proud."

I left the house and the winter chill slapped me in the face. The moon hung silently in the sky. The only witness to my departure, maybe my final departure from my house. It was midnight and the neighborhood was deserted so I didn't even bother to look before transforming. I closed my eyes and with barely a thought my clothes shifted into the familiar garb of my Chosen uniform. The weight of the cloak was comforting and reassuring. Whispering the leap of faith spell, I jumped into the air and cleared my neighborhood in three powerful bounds. I landed in Preston Park six minutes later.

My boots made nary a sound as I walked across the parking lot. There was a movement in the shadows. Fours figures stepped from the darkness and I breathed easier seeing that it was the other Chosen and Nathaniel. I went to Omega's side and quickly squeezed his hand. His smile boosted my confidence more than he knew. If I was walking to my death than I was happy that these three were beside me to look death in the face. And hopefully laugh and tell it peace out. We'll see.

"You guys ready?" I asked.

The Executioner nodded. "We've had two days to think over anything and make all the plans we can. It's now or never."

I looked at Omega. "You have the Giants Dagger?"

He nodded. "I have it stored in my sub space pocket."

Solaris sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I hope that thing works as advertised."

"Trust me," replied Nathaniel. "It does. Warlock, do it."

I nodded and grabbed at the air with my hands. "Separate!"

I exerted a bit of power in my fingertips and grabbed at the folds of reality. I pushed my will and energy into my actions and split the air apart as if it was a curtain. The air ruptured and opened as if someone had taken scissors to it. I stepped back and looked at the sight. A shining line marked the gateway and on the other side appeared the landscape of the Ever After. I looked at the familiar twilight sky with its multicolored stars glowing brightly.

We gathered around Solaris and joined hands. I looked at Nathaniel who stood a little apart from us. He gazed at us sadly and I refused to let my last memory of Nathaniel be one of him frowning with worry. I pouted at him and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Success. He knew I was up to something.

"Nathaniel," I called out, annoyingly chirper. I ignored Killian's groan. "Do me a favor?"

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "And that may be?"

I grinned wolfishly. "Please yell out Sailor Teleport."

Omega went into a sudden coughing fit and he looked at me incredulously. He was the only one that knew what I was talking about. We had been watching episodes of Sailor Moon when we just wanted to chill out at my house. Surprisingly his idea. Soul mates I tell you. We were currently on the R season.

"Why?" he asked with a confused look.

I pouted at him. "Call it a last request."

"I can't believe this," murmured Omega.

Nathaniel pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. "Fine," he replied, grudgingly. He took a deep breath and bellowed out, "Sailor Teleport!"

"This is so lame," Solaris muttered under his breath. "Sun Rise!"

An orange bubble sprung up around us and we went swiftly soared through the portal and out the other side. We flew through the air high above the Ever After. The landscape of forests and ongoing fields stretched on before us. We came to a spot about five miles away from the portal and landed. We instantly went into defensive positions, looking left and right for any threats. After the all clear we relaxed and breathed a little easier.

"Do you think we're far enough away from the portal?" asked Solaris.

The Executioner nodded. "I think so. If the Lords in Shadow didn't feel the portal opening then they surely felt our arrival. Our power stands out like a beacon here."

Omega made a noise of agreement. He reached behind him and when he brought his arm back around in his hand was the Dagger. He handed it off to Ryan.

"I think you should take it," answered Omega to the Executioner's perplexed expression. "You're the best at hand to hand. So it makes sense that you hold it. In case things get nasty you'll be deadly with it."

I nodded. "He's right."

The Executioner took the blade and banished it away in sub space with a simple hand motion. We discussed where we should go next. It really wasn't much a discussion. We each could feel a dark presence to the north that eclipsed anything else in this realm. We decided on walking on foot rather than teleporting via Solaris. A big ass orange ball that flies through the air is far from covert. It was like drawing a huge target on ourselves.

We stuck to the shadows as we hiked over the hills and plains. Occasionally we would spot a roaming monster or demon, but we would quickly hide before it saw us. The less we used our powers the better our chances of staying undiscovered.

We walked a good five hours. It was a long five hours filled with tense silence, the occasional conversation, but mostly just quiet contemplation. I spent the entire time holding Adam's hand and just reveled in his closeness. I shared soft smiles with Ryan and eye rolls with Killian.

It was without warning that we came upon it. We saw it sitting in between a pair of giant mountains. It was an enormous, alien structure that seemed as if it had been carved from the mountains beside it. It was shaped like a pyramid but carved from the blackest stone I had ever seen. It was intimidating just to gaze upon. The black stone seemed to suck in all surrounding light like a living, black hole. The ground in the entire valley was dead and I knew nothing would ever grow in this area. It was too much evil and it cursed the land, marking it forever as place of maliciousness. I could feel a numbing darkness ride the wind, drifting through the air. It sensed it and it was everywhere. I felt like whatever was in there could see us. I knew it.

"Looks like we found home base," stated Omega. "It's their shadow citadel."

We crouched behind a rock ledge a quarter mile away from the shadow citadel. Near the structures base was a legion of monsters that I knew we could easily take out without exhausting ourselves. From there we just had to find a way inside. I couldn't see an entrance.

"Looks like we'll have to blow a hole to get inside," I remarked, quietly. "There's no entrance."

The Executioner nodded. "They must have sealed it up once they felt us enter the Ever After."

Solaris snorted. "They're scared of us."

"More like cautious," I corrected, recalling the entities powers. I remembered the giant beings that we defeated at the cost of our lives. Scared? Yeah right. "Let's do this according to the plan. Solaris, on my flank."

We leaped over the rock ledge and hit the ground running. The mass of demons guarding the citadel saw us and they roared in rage. We skidded to a stop thirty meters away. Simultaneously we brought our arms forward.

"Revenge of Lucifer!"

"Spectral Cannon!"

The beams of red and gold light exploded from our hands. The blasts of light tore into the front lines, melting clean holes right through their bodies. Instead of dissipating we continued pouring power into the beams and they grew stronger, searing a hole through a demon and then continuing on to the demon behind it. With a grunt we dragged our beams wide and carved into the ranks like they were tissue paper.

The last demon fell and I cut my attack. "All clear."

"I figured it would be harder than this," commented Solaris, frowning.

I groaned. Oh God. He just had to say it. I looked around waiting for the other shoe to drop. I knew my luck and it wasn't good when someone jinxed themselves. When nothing jumped out at me and a bomb didn't blow us up I breathed easier. I grabbed Solaris's shoulder.

"Please don't say that again," I warned him.

Solaris smirked. "Awwww, is someone getting paranoid?"

There was a loud boom and I felt myself being thrown back by a force of concussive air. My shoulder clipped a boulder and then I hit ground, my head slamming hard on a rock. White spots flashed behind my closed eyes and I got to my feet holding a hand to my head. Fuck. What in the hell was that. A line of stone statues shaped like mutated gargoyles had come to life, from their post at the citadel's walls. I gulped and eeped loudly dodging the heavy stone axe thrown at me.

"Starlight Lance!"

A lance of light dropped from the sky and split three of the five gargoyles in half before I even registered what happened. Omega appeared at my side with his sword blade ignited. He shot me a concerned look and I gave him a thankful smile.

The Executioner appeared behind the last two gargoyles. His staff punched a hole through one's chest. He kicked it in that same spot and it shattered as if hit by a Mack truck. The other gargoyle threw a punch that caught the Executioner in the chest. He staggered back and then he was flipping through the air like a character from one of those Japanese anime shows. His foot reared back and roundhouse kicked the gargoyle's head right off its body. The Executioner let out a loud shout and punched it in the chest, watching in smug satisfaction as it exploded in pieces. I blinked. Remind me to never play punch buggie with him. It was hard to remember that he could bench press cars.

"We have to breach the wall," said Omega. He raised his arm and flexed his fingers. "Ha!" He yelled, throwing a blast of telekinetic force.

There was a flash of a white explosion that threw us all back. However, there was only a dent in the citadels thick, black stone wall. I gaped and looked at the dent in disbelief. I remembered Omega's telekinetic blasts used to have the power to shatter mountains. This should have been a piece of cake. I looked at Omega and he raised both eyebrows, stunned.

"Well, that's never happened before," he admitted, shrugging.

Solaris raised his arms and let loose his Spectral Cannon. The gold light struck the citadel in the same spot the dent rested. The explosion was just as strong this time also, and we raised our arms buffering the shock. When we looked again there was now a scratch near the dent. Well fuck me.

The Executioner shook his head. "We're focusing on one spot. Whatever this stone is it's strong as hell. We just need a big enough explosion that is focused on a wider area."

"It will buckle some of the internal structure," said Omega, catching on to his theory.

"Exactly," confirmed the Executioner.

We spread out and launched attacks at the wall. The black stone glowed white as our ethereal powers superheated it. There was an explosion of multicolored light that threw us all back over five meters. When the dust settled there was now a man sized hole in the dark stone.

I grinned. "I feel like we should strike a pose or something."

"Let's wait till after we win, Love," smiled Omega, shaking his head.

We entered the hole and I was surprised at how open the space was. The corridor before us stretched on, lit by lanterns that gave off an orange and red light. Statues of twisted creatures backed the walls. I stepped over the rubble fireball charged in my hand. Guards dressed in dark armor rushed around the corner directly toward us.

"FIREBALL!" I chunked the gathered flame.

They didn't last long as the mystical fire burned their flesh away, leaving blackened husks on the stone floor. I ignored the bodies and extended my hand forward. The energy was stronger now that we were inside. It was so suffocating. It buzzed along my fingertips and I used it to divine the location of the source.

"The energy is stronger that way," I said, pointing to the corridor to the left.

We had to destroy four more patrols of guards before we came upon the door. It was tall and around its frame was inlaid with rubies and emeralds that gleamed even in the low light of the corridor. I laid my hand on the door and gasped as it opened at my touch. I was getting a bad feeling about this.

Solaris swallowed audibly. "This is starting to scare me."

I gathered my power to me ready to use it to vaporize anything that jumped out. I could sense the others doing the same. The chamber was a huge cavernous room that was built on the scale of ancient Greco cathedrals. An enormously high, arched ceiling stretched up so high above us that top couldn't be seen. It simply vanished into shadow. The floor and the walls were made of polished stone, smooth and gray, shot through with black, like veins inside a body. Thick columns circled the room and from their top posts, lanterns splashed amber and scarlet light onto the walls. The floor rose toward the far end of the chamber into high steps that rose up on a raised slab of stone, featuring a throne made of black stone. The throne had a tall back that raised fifteen feet into the air.

I was fully expecting to see an organ somewhere with Raoul playing the theme to the Phantom of the Opera. We creped into the room and couldn't see anybody but I knew they could see us. Something waited in this room. Something powerful, something old. The power carried that hideous embodiment that I had come to associate with the Lords in Shadow.

"I don't see anybody," said Omega, quietly.

I shook my head, concentrating. "Well, something is here."

"Something like me."

We spun toward the sound and I raised my arm. There was a flash and I screamed as we were literally picked off our feet and thrown into the wall. My back felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to it. I fell to the ground moaning in pain and winced as I moved my head to look at the attacker. I tried to move my body but a force pressed down upon me like a great weight on my shoulders. Dizzily I watched our attacker step away from the shadows.

It was a boy. A boy of about ten years old. He was dressed in a gray business suit. His light hair was white blond. That color that only kids have before it darkens to brown when they grow up. His dark eyes regarded us innocently. It was a planned innocence that wasn't fooling me. I wasn't buying the little boy act.

"You want to try that again when I'm looking, punk," I said, trying my best to make the room stop spinning.

The boy cocked his head. "You are not the humans we exterminated from this realm. I can sense agents of the higher powers when I lay eyes open them. You are Chosen."

"Give the kid a prize," I snapped back.

Solaris groaned next to me. "I want to give him a punch in the throat. Let us up!"

The boy stilled. It was an otherworldly stillness that just enforced the fact that whatever this creature was it wasn't human. His eyes dark with ice and coldness seared Solaris on the spot. Killian screamed suddenly, falling to the ground, banging his forehead against the stone floor.

"Stop it! Stop it!" screamed the Executioner, watching Solaris in horror as blood ran from his cut open forehead.

Then it was silent.

The boy took his gaze from Solaris and he fell over, breathing heavily. I looked him over. His forehead was bloody but the cut didn't look that deep. I knew he would be down for a minute however.

"Look into my eyes," the boy commanded.

I looked into those dark eyes. They say eyes are the window to a person's soul. I looked and looked and saw nothing looking back at me. This kid had no soul. Suddenly those eyes turned into pools of power the sucked me in and it was like I was trapped in a flood of despair. Hands grabbed me, choking me, showing me horrors of shadows, and the awfulness of Hell. I screamed and jerked my eyes from his gaze and I fell over. I panted harshly. No fucking way. I looked at the boy and he was smiling at us. It was a smile that didn't reach those frightening eyes. This boy was a predator in disguise. He looked at us like some cats would look at small birds.

"A Lord in Shadow," whispered Omega in realization.

The boy nodded and stepped closer to our immobile, trapped bodies. "Your people knew me by many names. Aranneaia, the Master of Silent Spins, the Spider King, the Spinner of Torment."

Damn. Damn. Damn. This was not good. Not good. I swallowed down my panic and hoped that my unadulterated fear didn't show on my face. I schooled my face into a picture of defiance.

"Do you want a cookie now?" I snapped. "Where's your homeboys? We need the gang all together so we can kick your asses."

The Spider King laughed. It sent shivers down my spine. "You amuse me, Prince Emrys. I had forgotten that you mortals had such sharp tongues. Too bad that we killed all of them in this realm. I shall enjoy returning to our rightful home and playing with the humans. They had such pretty blood. It was bright and red. The sounds they made when they screamed were beautiful."

"Why are you in this form and what humans are you talking about?" I asked.

The Spider King smiled. It was a smile that should never appear on a young boys face. It was terrifying. My throat suddenly went dry and I wanted to pray for my soul.

"I have waited millennia for this moment," he said, his voice was hard now, all traces of kid gone. "I have many forms. This is but one of them. It entertains me to look like the boy whose soul I burned from his body," His voice changed to a young soprano, flecked with pain and confusion. "Momma. It burns. Mommma!" I almost vomited at the conjured mental image. "His mother shoved a broomstick through her neck in madness."

The Executioner narrowed his eyes and glared up at him, from his trapped position on the ground. "You sick fuck."

"Thank you," the Spider King said. He looked at the Executioner and he bucked back, crying out in pain. Ryan's head slowly returned forward and blood dripped down his now broken nose. "I shall not be interrupted again. Where was I? Ah yes. When you banished us here we were weak and our power diminished. So we slept. We dragged our army's to the deepest caves and pits and slumbered, regaining our power. As with most worlds life had appeared in our absence. In a form that we knew of. The form of the human. They littered this world, killing the lesser of my kind, and forging their empires across our prison. We were awakened by one of their own, who craved our power and hoped to covet it. We slew him and destroyed all of his pathetic species."

I cleared my throat. "Keep talking. All you're doing is giving me more reason to kick your ass, Spider bastard."

I struggled against the power holding me. Dammit. I threw my power against it and it fizzled away as if I had thrown paper at it. It was no use. This power was beyond me. The Spider King's trap held us down in a well of power that upped the denseness of gravity. I could do something similar, but on the scale he was employing his force was incredible.

Those dark eyes flashed and I screamed as the gravity pressing down upon me increased. I hit the stone floor hard on my chest. I distantly heard Adam calling my name and I almost blacked out as my head pressed heavily into the floor, as if someone was grounding down their boot on my skull.

"Get off my boyfriend, fucker!"

Omega struggled against the force holding him and suddenly he broke free and threw his arm forward. A blast of pure telekinetic force ripped through the air in a watery haze. The Spider King was thrown off his feet and into a pillar. That's my man! I tried to climb to my feet but I was still being held down. Can I ever get a break?

Solaris muttered a curse realizing he was still trapped too. I looked at the Executioner and he mirrored my frustrated look. This was a Lord in Shadow we were dealing with here. Of course it would take more than that to break something he had willed into being.

The Spider King climbed to his feet and regarded Omega thoughtfully. "You are the one that is closest to the Rekal-Liant. Your previous incarnation always did put up a good fight."

Omega didn't say anything. He just settled down in a fighting stance and the Spider King laughed lightly. Omega flicked his hand and Animus Gladius appeared in his grip and with a thought the blade ignited in a surge of white-blue light. They lunged forward and the Spider King dodged the blade's glowing tip as it sliced at his head. He swept his foot out and Omega jumped over the leg, and flew back using his telekinesis to distance himself.

"Starlight Lance!"

The sword blade extended and it hit the Spider King in his gut. The boy thing stumbled backward, staring down at the glowing sword impaling his stomach. I swore. The sword should have skewered his ass. The Spider King walked forward and the glowing blade nailing him grew smaller and smaller as he closed the distance. He batted the sword away and grabbed Omega who lunged at the last second. The Spider King swung him around by his collar and tossed him. Omega flew through the air like a human comet and I screamed as he hit the wall near the rock throne with a bone breaking power. He fell in an unmoving heap on the floor. Only his visibly heaving chest, signaling that he was still alive and breathing, prevented me from breaking down here and now.

The Spider King turned his pale, young face toward us and smiled. "I am so glad that I decided to not kill you immediately when I first sensed you enter this realm. I knew this would be fun." He stepped forward and said, "Let's play."

Abruptly the force that was holding us down vanished and I could breathe easier. I climbed to my feet and so did Solaris and the Executioner beside me. I looked to where Omega had fallen and could see him hold a hand to his head. Good. He wasn't out of this fight yet. He just needed a few minutes to recover.

"You fucked up now, Spider-boy," said Solaris, cracking his knuckles.

The Spider King licked his lips and it was disturbing to see the hunger that flickered in those cold, dark eyes. He lusted for this fight. His body practically hummed in anticipation for it. How long had he been waiting for this confrontation from us? Most likely since we had banished him and his ilk here. Well if it was a fight he wanted then it was a fight he was dammed well going to get. Bring it.

He moved first. One second he was there and the next he was punching me in the gut. I fell to my knees, winded. He ran past me, slapped Solaris to the ground, and then charged Ryan. The Executioner however was just as fast. He dodged the hit meant for him and retaliated by punching the Spider King in his stomach. The Lord in Shadow fell on his back and slid into a column. Boo-sha-kah. I rose to my feet.

"Sit boy!" I commanded, extending my hand, pinkie and index finger pointed toward him.

The Spider King stared at the glowing yellow light that attempted to warp gravity around him. He shrugged off its effects and cancelled out my spell just by waving his hand.

"I decline," he said staring at me, stoically.

"Hell won't have you, neither will Heaven. To the fog of limbo I banish thee to." I hurriedly raised my arms and gathered the mist from limbo to solidify into power. "Soul Reaper Reprise!"

Solaris nodded. "That's what I'm talking about! Spectral Cannon!"

My garnet colored ball was batted way and it hit a column where it promptly exploded the construction. The yellow torrent of radiant light hit him a split second after he deflected the Soul Reaper. The Spider King simply raised his hand the beam splashed across his palm as if were nothing but a ray of warm sunshine.

The Spider King laughed at us. "Oh please."

I looked at the Executioner and nodded. Ryan got the hint and jumped forward, staff in hand. Please God let this work. Solaris and I sprinted forward and were carelessly sent flying back with a glare from the Spider King. The Executioner jumped at the boy thing staff raised to strike. The Spider King caught the spirit staff in two hands, swinging Ryan around. Ryan let go and flew into a nearby pillar. The Spider King broke the staff in two. I ran forward and he tossed a piece at me that knocked me in my chest. I fell over winded and out of breath, choking at the force of the impact.

Omega staggered into my line of sight and the Spider King saw him too. He looked at me. "What was that spell you used earlier? Ah yes, Sit Boy!"

Omega cried out as the gravity around him warped and he collapsed to his knees. The Executioner attempted to climb to his feet and I prayed that he could finish this. Solaris came at the Spider King from his blindside and was backhanded away like a fly. The Spider King loomed over the Executioner and grinned.

"Your staff was quaint," he said, his eyes twinkling dangerously. "I think you should have it back!"

He brought down the broken piece in his grip, hard and fast, hitting Ryan right in his side. He punctured flesh and Ryan screamed as the staff went through clean, emerging on the other side of his back. With a sickening slurp, the Spider King withdrew the broken staff and tossed it at Omega, trapped in the gravity field.

"Ryan!" I screamed.

Solaris screamed too and we ran to them. Ryan wasn't done yet. Coughing up blood he lunged forward, Giants Dagger in his hand. The Spider King looked amused at this, and didn't put up a defense as the knife neared him. All traces of amusement left his face as the knife entered his chest all the way to the hilt. He staggered back, his pale face staring down at the blade in numbed shock.

Suddenly the form the Spider King inhabited twisted and grew, changing shape and size, till it loomed above like some shadow creature of old. It shed the human flesh and a gigantic, monstrous spider stood in the place of the boy. Its many eyes dripped acidic goo that hit the ground and cracked the stone floor where it touched. It hissed at us and I backed up readying my power to form a shield. The Spider King swayed on its numerous legs and fell over, shaking the very foundation of the citadel. Dust knocked loose from the ceiling fell like a cloud of dark rain.

"...We... Rule...This... Realm... In... Cycles..." the Spider King's fallen body hissed out. It was like seven voices speaking as one and its deep, chorus vibrato echoed in the chamber. "When... One... Is... Gone... Or... Sleep... Another... Rises..."

Its many eyes went white and it finally died. I sighed. One down. I helped Omega up and we joined Solaris kneeling at Ryan's side. Blood coated his chin and his face turned paler by the second. I knew no Chosen healing could fix this. This wasn't some bruise or a cut. He wasn't going to make it I realized with a dawning grimness of sorrow.

"I figured I would die here," admitted Ryan softly, coughing. "At least I took that bastard out with me."

My eyes burned with tears and I didn't fight them as they trailed down my cheeks. I grabbed his hand and cried harder as he weakly squeezed my hand.

"Stop talking like that!" I demanded, crying. "Adam, don't you have the power to heal? I remember you said!"

Omega shook his head, sadly. "I can't," he replied, wiping his eyes. "I can't heal like I used to. This wound is beyond my power anyway. I would just make things worse."

"Dammit!" cursed Solaris, punching the ground with his fist. He let out a stifled sob. "Don't die, Ry'."

Ryan smiled, his lips rapidly turning a pale blue. He looked at Killian with a tender expression that I have never before seen on his face. It was warm and carried with it so much emotion that it just made me weep harder.

"Shhh. Please stop crying, Killer," Ryan whispered, running a shaky hand against Killian's tear stained cheek. "There's still two more to go. Go get `em, guys."

He went still and his eyes just went blank. They turned glassy and I couldn't choke back the sob that erupted from my throat. Solaris ran a hand down Ryan's face, closing his unseeing eyes. I fell on Adam's shoulder and he cradled me to his chest. I could feel his body shake with sobs too. Ryan was dead. Never again would he smile at me urging me to take something seriously or roll his eyes when I went into a random tirade. They had taken his life away from him... again. They would pay. I pulled my emotions together. Ryan told us to be strong. I would do him a disservice if I just stood over his body and cried. His sacrifice and death meant something. I could be bitter later. Now it was time to fight.

"Guys," I said, quietly. "Remember what it said before it died. They rule in cycles. One rules while the others sleep and then they switch. Well we just killed one." I swallowed. "Another one is awakening now."

"Two to go," Solaris whispered, running a hand through Ryan's hair.

Omega rose to his feet. "I'll go get the dagger from that things body."

The ground rumbled and there was a deafening explosion like the sound of a thousand bombs going off at once. Omega stumbled over the spider's leg and fell to his knees and hands as the citadel rocked once more. The shadows in the room seemed to shift of their own accord. Something started to feel wrong. It was a tightening in my chest and a skip in my heart. The shadows shifted again bending in strange angles. Then I felt it more clearly. Something was coming. Something terrible. A lurking fear. A Presence spread to fill the air and I clawed at my throat as my breath came in labored pants.

With a terrible heave the entire top of the chamber was ripped open and flung away. I screamed as a giant of a creature loomed above us. Its flickering body was ghostly white and seemed to be made of the howling wind given tangible form. Those dead eyes looked down at us and an awful terror plunged into my soul from that look alone. It started to speak and its voice was a like a great pressure on our minds, and within the sound of it crawled other sounds, screaming children, dying stars, and the singing of nightmares.

"I WAS HERE BEFORE THE LIGHT OF THE DAWN BATHED THE PLANET. I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY HOME AGAIN, LITTLE CHOSEN ONES."

The Sleeper of Nightmares had awakened.

I staggered to my feet and glared at the being. "If you want Earth you'll have to get through us first. I will not go down without a fight. You want a battle then lets go. I'll show what a Chosen really is."

"SO BE IT."

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Poor Ryan. Two more Lords to go and 1 more chapter left. Remember though guys. There are still two more books to go after this arc, so don't get all sad. NEXT CHAPTER: Endgame.

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