Chapter
1 – An Ever-Burning Flame
“Let the flames of divine justice
burn them all to ash,” I say as I drop in on an occult ritual that is about to
be performed.
The sinners and the materials of
their rituals burn to ash around me, with a select number of them, writhing and
screaming in agony as the flames burn not only their bodies but souls as well.
“This and that one, execute. Keep
that and the other one alive to burn,” my angel says.
Those who remain cry out for help
and mercy. Meanwhile, I draw my hand scythe that lights up with flames when I
touch it.
“The wheat will be separated from
the chaff,” I say as I start cutting down those my angel tells me to.
My guardian angel is always behind
me, the source of my powers, and whom only I can see, besides others who are
attuned to the spiritual. My appearance as a medieval knight in crimson armor
is inspired by him, with a cloak that’s like a coat of fire, and a helmet with
red, orange, and golden eyes on it. On my right pauldron, I have the words “Ego
Te Absolvo,” referencing and a reminder that my actions free people from their
sins or at least end their sinful lives, while my left pauldron has my personal
cross design on it, and is a reminder of my adoptive father, the dark hero L’Obscurité,
otherwise known as Timeo Severe. To my surprise and joy, there are a few
survivors of my attack. The flames on their bodies are gone, and they look at
themselves in amazement as if seeing themselves for the first time.
“Go and sin no more,” I say to
them.
Wings of fire sprout from my back,
and my angel lifts me into the sky and toward our next destination. I fly over
the city of Meridian, a city with a rich history and diverse architectural
styles, including Gothic, Art Deco, and postmodern, and consider its potential
future given its current state. It used to be a haven for crime and one of the
most dangerous cities in the world, but after L’Obscurité and my close friends
redeemed it, it is now an example of how virtuous Catholics can turn even the
worst cities into places that are worth living and full of opportunity. Because
of this, I must maintain Meridian’s new image and ensure it can be even better
than it is now. Heading into the next area, where my angel is guiding me, which
is in the underground city, I fly down into the tunnels and am met with a
darkness that my flames cannot dispel.
“Be on your guard. The enemy
surrounds us,” my angel warns.
My wings of flame dissolve, I
unsheathe my scythe, and walk carefully through the darkness.
“Why are you here, Raziel?
Shouldn’t you be protecting your fiancée and newborn baby boy, or are you
having second thoughts about falling in love with a victim of rape and adopting
her bastard child?” a voice in the dark asks.
“This is to protect her, while she
rests,” I say.
“You’re right in that. Her birth
was especially painful because her child was born with horns on his body, just
like his father. You could do nothing to ease her pain other than pray outside
the room.”
“Praying was the best thing I could
do. It is the best course of action in everything, like in situations like
these. You hide yourselves in the dark because you are afraid of my power.
Rather than confront me face-to-face, you rely on ambushes and your demons to
try to weaken me before attacking me. I, on the other hand, am not afraid, for
my God is always with me.”
My enemies growl in the dark.
“Your God didn’t help your fiancée
when she was kidnapped and put under a demonic spell. She prayed and begged
when she was tortured, but she went unheard. Explain that.”
“I do not know the reason why God
allowed it. Perhaps it was to draw our attention to the remnants of the sixth
family like you, or it was to allow us to be tested in ways that made us
stronger. I do not care to know the reasons or to argue about them because we
still rescued her and brought an end to those perverted sinners who went back
to their evil ways. Now, let me ask you, why did you revert?”
“Trying to resist my true nature
didn’t make sense to me. It made me realize that what made me feel good was the
right thing to do.”
“So, you’re only doing it because
of your feelings, and what your distorted view of truth is to you? How weak.
Still, it is not too late to repent. The way to Heaven is a daily cross, but
one that allows you to find joy in suffering and leads to eternal happiness.”
“I can say the same to you. Here,
taste and drink this to see things from my perspective.”
A hand reaches out from the
darkness with a vial of pink liquid. It smells as if it’s pulling my nose
toward it and fills my head with whispers.
Taking the vial and the hand, I
say, “Drink the poison yourself.”
Pulling the figure in the shadows
to me, I shove the poison down the figure’s throat. I blink a few times and see
the horned half-man, half-female person I am shoving my scythe down the throat
of, and the people like them around me. Taking the scythe out of their throat,
I light up my weapon as they scream and leap at me all at once. In a moment
that feels like it slows down time, I hold my scythe up, spin around, and cut
them all as my scythe extends to cut everyone in the room and spread the fire
around the area and through the tunnels. The remaining members of the sixth
family and their allies come crawling out of the tunnels, on fire, and
screaming.
“They were given a second chance
twice. They will not be given it again,” my guardian angel says. “Cut them all
down, burn them all to ash, and pray that they repent in their final moments.”
I do as my angel says, cutting down
every enemy I come across, and allowing the flames of divine justice flow
through me. The flames feel like hands reaching out from every part of my body,
longing for vengeance and to do God’s will. While culling the guilty, I see
some begging for mercy, and even fewer doing so earnestly. They all die the same deaths, but I honestly
hope that even a single soul is saved. Every person, every sinner, is always
one sin away from Hell, just as a singular decision damned the demons, who were
once angels.
Everything around me reminds me to
always repent from my sins, do constant penance, go to confession after I sin,
and guard my soul with the constant prayer that is my every action, thought,
and word I offer up to God, so that I may hold onto the salvific grace given to
me. May God have mercy on us all. Amen. As I continue to execute the guilty in
the tunnels, I search them for information on other possible hideouts or
allies, and find nothing, and what I do find burns to ash.
“You’ll get the information you
want,” my angel says. “There are more fools who are trying to weaponize the
demonic out there, but for now, finish your work here.”
“Yes, my angel,” I say.
Doing as my angel says, I continue
to carve my way to the exit, where a bunch of burning sinners are clawing at
the metal door. The door opens to reveal a familiar face with the light behind
him and two guns in his hands. Using his pistols, he shoots all the sinners,
killing them.
“It’s good to see you’re letting
recent events keep you down, Raziel,” my brother, Kane Mundr, says.
The man before me was adopted by
our mentor, Timeo Severe, and was his first apprentice. Even though he doesn’t
call him father or call me his related brother because we were adopted as
adults, we’re still brothers-in-arms. He wears a crimson and black hoodie, featuring
a snake design on his white shirt, along with a black pair of cargo pants and
black boots. His hair is black, and one of his eyes is white and light blue,
while the other is black and red, both of which show him God’s judgment on
whether or not a person deserves to die or be spared. He’s only wielding his
ebony pistols, used for executing the guilty. I point this out to him and ask
him why he’s not wielding his silver revolver in his other hand like he usually
does.
“These people didn’t deserve to be
knocked out by the revolver or receive mercy. I’m sure your angel told you
that,” Kane says.
“He did. I’m surprised you got here
so early,” I say.
“After hearing about what happened to
Polina and how she gave birth, how could I not? I’m going to make it a point to
be here more often to keep things in check.”
“We have it under control.”
“You and the Compassionate? You’re
the only one out here doing God’s work as far as I can see. Where’s Zahara and
Penelope?”
“Still with Polina. Where are the
Castigators, your wife, Idelle, and your new friend Zandro?”
“They’re visiting Polina, while I went
ahead to help you out.”
“What about your baby boy? Did you
bring him along?”
“I did, and I forgot to tell you,
but Idelle is pregnant again. It’s not my fault, it’s hers.”
“Do you remember what Timeo said
about attracting dangerous women?”
“Yes, yes! I know. I swear, you two
bust my balls about it every time you can.”
I apologize. Kane and I catch up
some more through our earpieces as I fly into the sky, and Kane drives on his
motorcycle as we make our way back to Polina. He can be a pain, but it’s always
good to see him. Since he’s here, the demonic threat I’m hunting can be more
easily dealt with, thanks be to God.
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