Chapter Two

Hubbert

When you are chasing shadows, darkness becomes your ally

Revolutions are built on blood and tears

Earth/Inferna (Mount Tenebra) EarthYear 1979 (21 years before the Second Reckoning)

Hadriel came out of his home—a cave in Tenebra that his sons had chosen for him—for a stroll. He just couldn't keep his eyes off Inferna, shining brightly above his head. He was confused about his feelings for the Burning Planet. Although only the doomed were sent to Inferna, he had lived there for so long that it felt like his real home. He even missed it.

Hercules saw his Soul-Father staring at their old home. "Your eyes give an impression of longing."

"Hercules, don't you want to return to it?" Hadriel asked his Soul-Son.

"If we want to return then what is this fight all about?"

"Wish we knew the answer to that. Anyways your expressions suggest you have some news."

Hercules drew a long breath. "Hector was executed today."

"We thought so. But the feeling has grown so weak that now we barely feel the pain. Hector was the twenty-seventh."

"Sire, what is the limit?"

"Even one splinter is too much for a normal human. No other Soul is known to splinter more than twice. Ever since you were born out of us, we are just counting how much more can we endure."

"So will our next incarnation also remember everything that has happened in all our past lives?"

Hadriel sighed. "Hercules, memories are not always a blessing. We could have done anything to get rid of this curse, however, these memories also keep us going. The rebellion has lived for a thousand years because of them. Our enemies, the Unholy Pieteous, just can't slay this demon."

"Maybe destiny has chosen us to fight for Souls. Sire, now what do we do next?"

"Alert all our brothers on Earth to keep looking for the signs. Our heir will be born in nine months. We must take him under our protection before the Scions of Pieteous track him down. His flesh and blood will be of utmost importance to us. He will take us places that are out of bounds for Souls."

***

Ryan

Earth (The Scottish Highlands. The Mainland) EarthYear 1997

Ryan hated darkness, but when you are chasing shadows, darkness becomes your ally. His foes loved the gloom, they fed on it, so he befriended the dark to hunt them down.

All the lights at the Highlands Chemical Plant were out. A single guard was posted to look after this important facility. People of Earth had become too complacent with security due to almost non-existent crime. Not all humans had become pious souls, but no one risked getting relegated to Inferna. Whether there was a Hereafter or not was up for debate, but the lure of Bliss and the threat of Inferna had kept humans in check.

The guard seemed to be dozing inside his cabin but when Ryan came closer, he saw strangulation marks on his neck.

"Demon's curse! The Earth isn't a safe place anymore," Ryan cursed under his breath.

The small side door near the cabin was ajar. Someone had sneaked into the facility. Ryan's hunch was right. The situation was precarious. Danger could be anywhere around him.

Ryan stealthily covered the grounds to enter the facility. Indoor battles weren't his strong suit. His elemental powers—lightning, storms, rains, landslides, etc.—worked best outdoors, but he didn't have much of a choice here. His adversaries had changed their gameplans and he had to play by their rules. The only thing working in his favor was the element of surprise. The demons didn't know he was coming and this remote location might give Ryan a chance to catch the big fish.

The darklings were on a roll. Today they were about to up their game from freak accidents to a proper disaster. Rather than going for another random attack on the Dark Night, this time they had thoroughly planned a large-scale tragedy. This was going to be their biggest attack to date where they would get thousands of recruits in a single hit.

This large facility was located on the fringes of Edinburgh. A gas leakage here would kill thousands. Ryan had done his homework. He had memorized the blueprints and knew the exact location of the command room. He had to reach there before the Soulments could release the toxic gases into the atmosphere. Ryan had already foiled some of their previous attacks, but he was running out of gas. It was tough to wage a lone battle against the demons who were getting more and more creative about how to murder people.

Ryan reached the large engine hall that had huge tanks filled with chemicals. He rushed toward the metal staircase that led to the command room, however, a surrealistically calm—but crisp, loud, and clear— voice stopped him in his tracks.

"We were waiting for you."

Ryan looked up. A young man of his age stood on the small landing above him. Golden hair, green eyes, radiant face, broad shoulders, and a muscular body. Every part of him had been meticulously carved. He looked like a demigod out of those fantasy movies. A black Emporio Armani suit and a shining Rolex further complimented his Hollywood star look.

"Holy Angels, you just scared the heavens out of me."

"Honestly it is very difficult to scare people—because of our immensely good looks—but we love doing that. Fear is so beautiful."

"So what brings you here? I would rather prefer this whole place to myself." Ryan felt beads of sweat on his forehead. He had his Army of Unseens for protection, but this guy wasn't alone either. Ryan was surrounded by gloom. Some heavy dark presence filled up the room. If Ryan's senses were right, he and his invisible friends were thoroughly outnumbered.

"This place will be all yours once we blow it up and bury you here." His voice was composed, almost musical. Ryan searched for some emotions in that—a sense of urgency, anger, frustration, anything—but there were none. That steely voice kept jangling his nerves.

"Curse the Demons! Why do you want to kill me? You don't even know me."

"You love chasing the shadows. We want to turn you into one of them."

"I am just looking out for humans, although you seem to have some other plans." Ryan tried to keep panic out of his voice.

"Are you afraid?"

Ryan's hair was standing on end, his heart was thumping out of his chest, and he was like a deer caught in headlights. Other than that he was perfectly okay. He took a deep breath and looked back at his foe. "Bless the Souls! Not afraid but a little surprised. I don't walk into such situations every day."

"Yes, you are more used to sneaking from behind and ruining our efforts. You cost us hundreds of recruits when you saved that ship." His voice was so casual as if he was talking about recruiting volunteers for a charity.

"Holy Angels! I saved hundreds of souls. You know what happens when you murder people? Right?"

"No one knows that better than us."

"Hell's Hole! then why do you want to send your fellow beings down that vicious path?"

"No wars are won without sacrifices. Revolutions are built on blood and tears."

"Holy Crap! This is not a revolution, just a mindless rebellion. There is no war."

He smiled—a lovely smile that would have won a million hearts—but it sent a chill down Ryan's spine. "If there is no war then why were you all sent down from Bliss? Your doting forefathers haven't sent you here on a vacation, right? We hear the Land of Unending Pleasures is a thousand times more beautiful than Earth."

"We are here to ensure that a notorious little spark doesn't burn down the whole house."

"We are afraid you won't be able to do so. We give you full marks for trying—you did manage to piss us off a little—but this is where your journey ends," he said adjusting the sleeves of his suit. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Contact our commanders in Inferna if you wish to join the Free Souls. Tell them you were killed by us—in person, very few receive this honor—and they will give you a special treatment."

Ryan's heart was thumping like a pumping station, still, he wouldn't go down without knocking some sense into his adversary. "Darkness never triumphs over light."

"One's darkness is another's light. It is just a matter of perception. Light and dark, good and evil, virtue and sin, Bliss and Inferna."

"Demon's Curse! Is this how you justify killing innocent people? Your flawed perceptions won't turn murders into virtue."

"Its benefits outweigh its detriments. This is all for the greater good. We don't exactly enjoy it but it is part of our job. Someone has to get their hands dirty."

Ryan shook his head. "You are rotten. Your soul is broken beyond repair."

"Yes, our Soul has been splintered twenty-seven times, but here we are. Standing in front of you—in flesh and blood—looking perfectly alright. And rotten? Come on, girls go insane over this marvelous human body. Many say that I am a Malak from Bliss, can you believe that?"

Ryan was at a loss for words. "Twenty-seven times? Who are you?" That is what he managed to blurt.

"Oh pardon us. Did we just forget the useless human tradition of formal introductions? Myself Hubbert, the heir of Hommer—the most powerful and benevolent Soul in the three worlds. And we would sincerely like to thank you for coming after us."

"Good Heavens! And why is that?"

"We made a few attempts at that other girl but it is quite impossible to go past Harbux. Vasilias has gone out of the way to protect his heiress. On the other hand, I doubt your Guardian is that skilled—especially when you have made things a lot easier by walking right into our trap. We need to kill just one Poten to thwart the powers of the One. Now quickly make your last wish. We had to come here to take care of you after a long boring function. We are exhausted."

Ryan's mind was racing at full tilt. He needed to bide some time but all he could come up with was a lame idea, still he went with it. "I want a couple of Mcdonald's quarter pounders with cheese, two Hardees classic Angus Thickburger, and a Burgerking triple whopper. All of them with fries and coke."

"That is what you want to do in your final moments? Crack some unlaughable WhatsApp jokes? And we thought you were a sensible human."

"Holy Angels! No jokes there. I am very serious about my food."

"No way a person can eat all that at once."

"Good Heavens! Just have a look at my huge frame. These are just for starters, you don't know my appetite."

"We are far from the city, and it is two in the morning. There are no 24/7 outlets here."

"I can wait. I am in no hurry."

Hubbert sighed. "We were never in favor of this last wish stupidity. Those we mass murder don't get any last wishes after all, but Hadriel told us to uphold the tradition during special executions. We are asking you one last time, do you want to change your wish?"

"For Soul's Sake no, I want what I want."

"Guess your gimmicks have given us a very good reason to do away with this useless custom once and for all. Your other Poten friends won't get any last wishes because of you."

Ryan frantically looked around. What can he conjure here? Wind, lightning, rain? Nothing would help him under the roof. He glanced at Wavey—his Guardian Soulment—but the morose expression on his face told him the story. They were surrounded. Royally screwed.

And then, Ryan made a huge mistake by staring into Hubbert's eyes. His blood froze and his mind went numb. Those deep green eyes probed Ryan's soul while he was lost in their endless abyss. Pain, suffering, despair, disaster, death, darkness, hell, and Inferna—Ryan saw it all. Those weren't the eyes of a young, charming, carefree guy rather they were a gateway to doom and destruction. They sucked out every ounce of hope from Ryan's heart.

"Playtime is over. Let us get back to work." Hubbert broke away his gaze and turned his attention to the roof. He calmly rolled up his sleeves and jerked his head—the ceiling collapsed with a thunderous roar. Then he jerked his head again and this time, all the giant tanks in the room exploded, one after another. A tsunami of fuming chemicals gushed toward Ryan.

Ryan grunted aloud, Wavey began to glow in a dark blue shade behind him. The Guardian turned into a giant figure to hold the ceiling while his Unseens tried to stem the flow of the acidic chemicals.

Hubbert jerked his head for a third time. Another blast and an overhead tank started to spew out some gas. Solid, liquid, and gas. Wow! How poetic. Ryan had to admit his enemy had a cruel sense of humor. He was destroying the master of elements through the three basic forms of matter.

"Goodbye, Ryan. Best of luck with your reverse journey." Hubbert's icy tone felt like a thousand thorns piercing his flesh. "Soon you will be one of us. Hopefully, the next time we meet, you will be fighting by our side." Hubbert straightened the sleeves of his jacket, adjusted his collars, and disappeared with a whoosh.

The ceiling's debris was almost on Ryan's head, the fuming chemicals were at his feet and the poisonous gas had already entered his lungs. His Unseens were overwhelmed by this all-out attack.

Ryan closed his eyes and resigned to his fate. He was waging a lone battle for years but he hadn't himself expected to fall this early.

And his fall wouldn't just be his fall.

It would be the fall of two worlds—the start of an end for the Symphony of Souls.