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Quelled by Pain now has its author's edition out today!

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The world will no longer be a place of false happiness. It will know suffering again, but it will also know true love. Adler faces off against the Light and his older brother one last time with a group of new friends and challenges. Using the wisdom pain has taught him, he'll sacrifice everything to free the world and save his brother's soul.

This author's edition includes Behind the Story trivia and the original and redone artwork for the story.

My 310th book is finished and out today!

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After the devastating event where Timeo's secret hero identity was outlawed, he continues to fight for justice in the undercity of Meridian, where the demonic sixth family hides and conducts their dark rituals to corrupt the city. During his hunt, he'll come across a new ally who implores him to be merciful to them. As one event leads to another, he'll discover there's more to the undercity and a better way to make up for past mistakes.

More than our Masks: Chapter 4 – The Two Sides of Love, Mercy and Justice

Chapter 4 – The Two Sides of Love, Mercy and Justice

The home of evil that we find ourselves standing in front of is an abandoned Catholic church that is stitched together with pieces of metal and stone. Its stained glass windows depict actions of rape, murder, torture, and corruption, and the skins and bones of the innocent decorate both the exterior and interior, which is strangely devoid of guards. Instead, the only people in the broken church are the six primary leaders of the sixth family, who all have horns protruding out of their bodies, which are hardly hidden by the thin robes they wear. Immediately, our two sides clash through mental and spiritual powers as the forces of good and evil face each other down.

“Do you think you can save them? Save us?” I hear their voices saying as if they were one being. “The measure of our sins is too great. Look around you and see the greatness of our works. Our influence has sent many to Hell, even the most innocent and virtuous men and women have fallen because of us. Your prayers, penances, and powers can do nothing to stop us. You might as well have killed everyone on your way here.”

“No! I know there’s still a chance some may be saved, and yes, that includes you as well,” Polina says.

“Save your efforts for yourselves. You’ll fall again into sin sooner or later. Your monthly need to go to confession is proof of this, and that your God doesn’t care about keeping you from sin, and our encounter is proof He is giving you to the Devil. Face it. Humanity is evil and belongs in Hell with its true master.”

“We are more than our sins. We can overcome them and become better people!”

“You’re all nothing more than hypocrites, who pretend to be heroes when you’re just as villainous and evil as we are, L’Obscurité! You’re too cowardly to grab power and control the world like we do. At least, we’re honest with ourselves.”

“You’re wrong!” I say. “I am more than L’Obscurité, my sins, and my virtues. I am Timeo Severe, and every part of me is myself, and I embrace all of it and offer it up to God. You may define yourselves and be honest about it, but you don’t know your true selves, who God knows better than you do. Look within yourselves. You know how many times you’ve changed your character and the masks you wear. I know you do it because I’ve done the same, but the darkness and masks I embrace are of true justice and all have my contain my true face. See and be awakened by the power of it!”

Our powers overwhelm the leaders of the sixth family, all but one of whom die from either bleeding out internally or having their heads explode from the internal conflict. The remaining leader appears to be in a trance as the ideas he was taught to hate flood his mind, as if he’s hearing them for the first time. He begins to cry and breaks off the horns on his body as an act of penance, reaching out to the others in the sixth family to encourage them to repent as well. With the repentant leader’s plan already in mind, Polina and I use him as a conduit for our power to reach every member of the sixth family in the undercity, urging them to change. As expected, some comply while others do not, but at the very least, a few choose to change for the better, and that’s what truly matters.

We don’t have much time to celebrate our victory and accept the repentant leader’s wanting to join us, as he tells us about a syndicate of superhuman villains invading Meridian and the shaking caused by the battle on the surface. I try to bring those who want to help to the surface as quickly as I can, and by the end of it, I must’ve brought a hundred or so people up. This syndicate is here because of what I thought would happen. The power vacuum left by the deaths of criminals, villains, cops, and heroes made Meridian a prime target for powerful foes. They thought they’d establish a foothold in the city, but they didn’t expect the resistance they’re facing now, and are being killed or put into police custody. Thanks to the repentant members of the sixth family, my apprentices, and helpful members of the Cadaverosa family, the syndicate is dealt with within hours, and I hardly have to take part in the fight. By the end of it, I go to my apprentices, who are glad to have ended two threats to the city in one day.

“See? I told you mercy was the right option to take,” Polina says.

Kane sighs and says, “Yeah, I have to admit it.”

“Does this mean you’ll join our group, our family?” Raziel asks.

“Hmm. I think I will, while still being an officer, if that’s okay with you.”

“You have my approval,” I say. “We still need to repair our relations with the city. Speaking of which…”

Because of the help we gave the city in its time of need, Mayor Jeph removes our outlawed status with the country and makes us legitimate heroes again, which includes Raziel, the repentant members of the sixth family, and some of the people of the Cadaverosa, who keep their true home a secret. With today’s battles won and our rewards given, I bring my apprentices to my house for dinner.

Back in my normal form, I led them inside while saying, “Darcy is probably beyond anxious to see us.”

“Mother is, knowing her,” Raziel says before turning to Polina. “Try not to get involved when father and mother get in fights or get frisky. Also, try to be on her side more than his.”

“You’re such a kiss-up,” Kane comments.

“Why are you calling him and his wife father and mother?”

“Darcy adopted us, so to speak, because we live at their house. She’s kid crazy. Be careful with her,” Kane says.

“I’m sure we’ll get along fine.” Kane, Raziel, and I look at one another. “What? What’s there to look out for?”

Darcy opens the front door and immediately looks at Polina with suspicious eyes.

“Hello, Mrs. Severe. It’s an honor to meet you and be one of Timeo’s newest apprentices,” Polina says with a gentle smile and a hand out.

Darcy grabs me, kisses me, holds me close with her head in my chest, and tepidly shakes Polina’s hand. “Nice to meet you, too. From what I know about your history, you have an interest in my husband.”

“Just his career as a hero and everything that he does for the city through his family’s legitimate businesses. I assure you that it’s nothing romantic.”

“Hmm. I hope you’re right for your sake. You can come in for dinner, but you’re not staying here. It’s not just because my husband is here, but also because single men, like my two sons here, shouldn’t live with a single woman before marriage.”

“You tried to do that before we got married,” I point out, which Darcy pretends not to have heard.

“So, she isn’t going to be a sister to us?” Raziel asks.

“No,” Kane and Darcy say.

“Well, thank you for your hospitality anyway. I’ll be sure to listen to your advice.”

Darcy continues to gaze at Polina before we go in and have dinner with my apprentices and actual children. My legacy in Meridian feels even more solidified than before, with Polina being part of my team, the deaths and repentance of the sixth family, and a renewed status as a legitimate hero. The present has never looked brighter to me, as the shadows of the past fade away, and the potential sunrise of the future seems even more promising than before.

 

The End

More than our Masks: Chapter 3 – The Seventh Family

Chapter 3 – The Seventh Family

Following the people in crow skull masks, we find ourselves even deeper in the undercity. Here, we find people with pale or mutated skin or bodies with severed horns on them. The buildings here are all from the seventeenth century and seem to be the original historical buildings rather than the ones found on the surface. They’re updated a bit with modern electrical lighting and have steel exteriors that act as a shield. Holy crosses, images of saints, and other sacred imagery can be found on and in every building we pass, and people pray in the streets to add further spiritual protection.

A man with many severed horns on his body, head, arms, and a silver crow mask approaches us, accompanied by others wearing similar crow masks of varying colors. He removes his mask and reveals his face with orange and red eyes, and a calm expression, and says to us, “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Timeo Severe. My name is Interitus of the Cadaverosa family. Why don’t you transform back to your normal self? We’ve kept our side of the undercity safe for generations.”

After looking into Interitus’ memories to confirm it, I agree, and transform back into my normal self.

“I know you looked into my memories first before making a decision. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not offended by it. It just confirms to me that you’re a smart man,” Interitus continues.

“I’m glad you see it that way. Tell me more about your family’s history so that my apprentices here aren’t kept in the dark,” I say.

“Walk with me.” We walk with Interitus as he continues, “Meridian was first independently founded by the Severe, Affare, Geben, and Travail families, and when the more powerful government of the land came, the Ellory family came to bring order to it. Meanwhile, they didn’t know that the demonic sixth family was the one causing trouble and trying to sow corruption into the roots of the city, and we, the Cadaverosa family, were the ones keeping them at bay. In today’s terms, we’d be considered superhumans, heroes, and vigilantes.”

“I always thought it was weird that superhumans were not being mentioned in Meridian’s history, despite them being part of all history.”

“We made sure to keep that secret. Back in the day, superhumans were called Nephilim, freaks, saints, miracle workers, witches, and so on, so it was best that we were hidden so as not to be hunted down or taken advantage of by countries or ruling bodies. Still, we kept an eye on all of Meridian’s dealings and have people in all families, including your own.”

“Will you be more open? The world is more accepting of superhumans and vigilantes.”

“Because they can control them and give normal people superhuman abilities through scientific or spiritual experimentation, or both, such as in Coronamento’s case. No, we do not need to go public. We’ve comfortably lived beneath people’s noses for generations, and we’ll continue to do the same for future generations. The only reason we revealed ourselves to you is because our people with mental and spiritual powers have evaluated you for years, and finally decided that you were trustworthy and wouldn’t expose us. Even if you do, our powers will allow us to make this place look abandoned even as we’re close by you.”

“I thought you’d have backup plans upon backup plans since you’ve been able to keep yourselves secret for so long. You’re right to trust me. I won’t turn on men of the same faith and will respect your privacy because of all you’ve done for Meridian without due reward. Speaking of which, I could secretly bring food, water, and more, if you wish.”

“No, we need to live in perpetual penance for the sake of Meridian’s sins and those of the sixth family. Though if I could…No, forget I said anything.”

“Please, continue.”

“…you have a wide range of suits, such as the red one you have now. Do you think…”

“You’ll have one. I have plenty since I wear one of every color and pattern for each day. I have an appearance to keep up, after all.”

“No, I don’t need one.”

“What if you want to go to the surface? You’ll have to look normal to blend in. Please, I insist.”

“Seeing superhumans is normal nowadays…but…okay, fine. Anyway, back to business. Another reason we revealed ourselves to you is that your newest ally, Polina, has been guiding you in correctly dealing with the sixth family. As you can see from my and some people’s appearances here, those affected by the sixth family or its members can be converted and saved.”

Looking back at Polina, I see her have a look of smug satisfaction on her face, which I smile back at.

“Yes, she’s a blessing to our team. Would you happen to know the location of the head of the sixth family?”

“If we did, we would’ve severed the head of the hydra centuries ago. They’ve dug themselves deeper into the undercity behind rubble, blockades made of the flesh of their victims, and other cursed tricks, but I think your powers and those of your allies can break through them with a bit of our help. Are you ready to go now?”

“Of course we are. The sixth family has been corrupting the innocent and getting away with evil for too long, and the thirst for justice must be quenched. Isn’t that right?”

Polina, Kane, and Raziel vehemently agree with me, which brings a smile to Interitus’s face. Before we head out, we pray together for God’s protection over our souls and minds, the primary targets of the sixth family. Afterwards, we set out, and Interitus led us to the series of barriers he mentioned. We deal with the guards near it and assess the challenge ahead. The walls seem fused with human viscera and exude a cursed aura, whispering temptations to me. The voices grow louder and harder to ignore as everything shifts around me, even as I resist in my L’Obscurité form.

“You are more dark hero than faithful servant,” the voices say. “Your wife and infant children worry about you day and night, and even though your wife knows you’re invincible, the memory of seeing you shot in the head by your brother haunts her memories and dreams.”

I pray for strength as I try to allow my dark powers to push my way through the barrier. Looking around me, I see that I’m alone, save for the bodies of criminals, villains, and people I’ve killed and met through my life.

“Their blood stains your hands. You’ve killed more people than you’ve saved, and it’s nothing to be proud of, no matter what excuse you use. You have more control over your powers than you think, and by acting as a conduit for justice, people are put through sadistic tests of pain to force them to repent.”

Continuing forward and ripping through barriers and demonically possessed guards, I see the gored bodies of my wife, children, and friends.

“This is the fate of all who are allied with you.”

Next, I see the hanged bodies of my siblings and parents.

“No one, who is a hero of any kind, can forever protect their loved ones from death or a tragic fate.”

The entire room around me is engulfed in flames as I see Raymond, Ralph, and other good cops and heroes get crushed.

“Not even the virtuous are safe from your so-called powers of justice. Why don’t you give up your powers or do nothing? You’ve done it before and tried to give your powers back to the source of them before. You already know what must be done.”

I remember the good I’ve done and continue to tear through the barriers and demons in front of me. A hand then reaches my shoulder and fills me with comfort. Turning around, I see Polina pushing me forward, who is then followed by Kane and Raziel. I can’t let them down. I can’t let anyone else down! With their strength backing up, I push forward one final time and break the spell that’s taken hold of everyone’s mind. The veil of the spell is now lifted, and we see broken structures, bits of flesh, and an area drenched in blood around us. Most of the members of the seventh family have survived, while others sadly died.

Interitus comes up to us and says, “I knew you’d all be the keys we needed to get past their barriers. Let us continue to the final test.”

We gather ourselves and move forward as the seventh family sanctifies the area with prayers, holy oils, and sacred salts. Meanwhile, I have a sneaking suspicion that the fight with the sixth family won’t be the last challenge we face today. Perhaps it’s just the remnants of the temptations I encountered or their whispers still echoing in my mind. Still, I sense that the fight for justice on the surface must be addressed next, not only because the battle in the undercity will soon be over but also because something is brewing there due to the lack of heroes and the power vacuum left by Raziel’s fires. I keep this thought in the back of my mind so I can focus on the task ahead, as I can only tackle one difficulty at a time.

More than our Masks: Chapter 2 – Mercy in a Brotherhood of Justice

Chapter 2 – Mercy in a Brotherhood of Justice

In the dark depths of the undercity lit by torches and dim electric lighting, Polina and I search for the leaders of the sixth family. Thanks to my ability to read memories, this process is easy. What isn’t so easy is holding back while I let Polina knock out the minor leaders with her mind powers. It especially doesn’t help when the minor leaders fight back or aren’t too affected by Polina’s powers, which forces me to step in to help. My dark powers saw these villains in half, make the remains of their victims come to life to tear them apart, and force their demons to turn on them to destroy their bodies from the inside out.

Even though visceral violence and the killing of higher-ranking members of the sixth family are common here, the frequency of it is too unusual for the people here, and they start to go on high alert. Because of this, Polina and I hide in the ruins of an old, buried church that I’m able to slip through the cracks of. Here, we hide and wait until our enemies lower their suspicion and the guards go back to their usual patrols, so that Polina can more easily reach our targets.

“You’re doing well, all things considered. What made you want to be an officer and vigilante at the same time?” I ask.

“You did. Your example has inspired me to work within the law to not inspire chaos and to secretly work outside of it so that justice reaches the places it cannot,” Polina says.

“Does the government or anyone know about it?”

“Yes, I’m a legal vigilante, and I do have friends and family who know. It’s the legal and right thing to do, after all.”

“Those two things, legal and doing the right thing, don’t always mix, you know. If you want to help me, you’ll have to allow true justice to overcome mercy and what the law allows, even when stretched.”

“I know that, but I’m sure we can change the world through a gentle but firm hand, always offering a second chance first, and judgment later. It’s what God does for us, so why shouldn’t we do the same?”

“Fair point.”

“Helping people is why you started being a hero, isn’t it?”

“Serving my Lord was why I became a hero. He suddenly gave me these powers one day, so I should have no better reason than that to be a hero.”

“You’re right. Still, the Lord is always best served by helping others, and that’s what you’ve done, both as L’Obscurité and Timeo Severe. The Severe family has been aiding Meridian through education, healthcare, and serving the poor for centuries, and you carry on your parents’ tradition well. I’m sure they’re proud of you.”

“You think so? Even though-”

“Yes, even though your powers killed them. The same goes for Raymond, his assistant Ralph, and others who died in last week’s fire. You’re more than a dark hero who makes sinners and criminals horribly suffer for their sins, Timeo. You’re a faithful son of God and your parents, and a good father and husband. I see it in your soul.”

I let the thought simmer in my mind, and before I can say anything, the sounds of an explosion and shouting stop me. Polina and I leave the ruined church to see what is happening and hear the guards being ordered by their leaders, who communicate telepathically, to pursue the intruders revealed at a specific location. Already knowing who they’re talking about, I guide Polina to where the guards are headed, finding Kane and Raziel fighting and killing everyone who comes at them, both possessed civilians and guards alike.

“Cease this fighting,” Polina’s voice echoes through people’s minds, which completely stops the fighting as people hold their heads in pain. “You need to realize who the real foe is and fight them instead. Do not let them make you fight each other and let yourselves be blinded by anger and violence.”

Polina’s voice knocks out the civilians and guards, while leaving Kane and Raziel standing.

We go to them, I introduce Polina to them, and Kane says, “Why did you stop us, and what were you talking about? These people are our real foe! Have you not seen what they do down here?”

“I have and know that their demons and leaders are influencing them,” Polina says.

“Really? I don’t think you have. I’ve seen the evil things they’ve done to children, both violent and sexual, know how they corrupt people from the moment they’re born, and kidnap people of all ages to torture and make them as messed up as they are. If they refuse to give in, they have a painful death to look forward to before they are eaten and their skin is worn or put on display in their ritual rooms.”

“They don’t know any better and need to be given the chance to. Kane, you deserve to live despite hurting so many people for the goals of revenge you once had. I know you struggle with the fact that you see so many people who are marked for death and wonder if you’re doing the right thing by letting them live, and if you’re a bad person for having the desire to do nothing but execute judgment.”

Kane seems stunned by Polina reading him like a book, and crosses his arms as he thinks of a counter to her words.

Next, Polina says to Raziel, “You struggle with the fact that you have little control over the fires you wield. Your guardian angel’s words give you little to no comfort at times, despite them being directly from God, and you feel guilty about the numbness to your actions, at times. You don’t need to feel like your entire life is all about atoning for your actions or thoughts.”

Raziel looks down at the floor, back up after some thought, bows his head, and says, “I understand. Thank you.”

Hearing the noise of reinforcements in the distance, I take my apprentices to a nearby dilapidated bank trapped by a cave-in to continue our conversation and make our next plan after telling Kane and Raziel what we know.

“If we take down these leaders, will the rest come to their senses? I’m not sure that’ll happen. Even normal people continue in their sin after being shown they’re wrong. How much so will these people who have known nothing but the demonic and evil for their entire lives?” Kane says.

“No one deserves to live after they sin because sin is death. It’s the suicide of the good within us, and Love itself was killed for it, but we got mercy even when we were enemies of goodness. If you see that a person is alive, then you know that God is keeping them alive because there’s still a chance, however small, that they can change. I’m not saying that even the head leaders can change, I’m not really expecting them to, but we have to try nevertheless because we were given that same chance despite our sins.”

“Raziel?” Kane says as he turns to him.

“The flames of my powers have ceased because of her voice, and my guardian angel tells me to trust her. Let’s give her a chance,” Raziel says.

Kane turns his eyes to me, and I nod.

“Okay. We’ll trust you on this, but if the people choose to continue in their sin…”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“It’s settled then. With that done, if you want to become a full vigilante, are you going to wear something else? A basic mask and vest make it obvious you’re just an undercover agent of the law.”

“What? Do you want me to look like a modern gunslinger like you with a hood and strapped to the teeth with four guns, or should I look like a medieval angel knight like how Raziel does?”

A sudden noise in the bank draws our attention to the back of it, where we heard it.

“We’ll figure that out later,” I say.

The broken walls at the back of the bank shift like a sliding door, revealing a group of five people who walk through. They wear bulletproof vests and leather armor, along with masks resembling the skulls of crows. Their skin appears pale, and they either wield some kind of blessed conventional weaponry like blades or guns, or possess some sort of superpower.

“As if we need another secret group to deal with,” Kane says with his white revolvers out.

Kane wielding his revolvers means that these people deserve mercy, rather than death, and justice when he wields his black pistols. Looking into their surface-level memories, I see that they’re a part of another secret family, but this one is the opposite of the sixth family.

Stepping up to them, I say, “You’re here to take us to your leaders, correct? There’s no need to be on edge about us, since we have a common enemy.”

Lowering their weapons, one of them says, “So, it is true that you can read memories, Timeo Severe. It’s impressive to see in person, and yes, please, come with us. We have much to discuss with you about our common foe that threatens the entire city.”

I nod at my apprentices who follow me, following our new, unexpected ally. The undercity of Meridian holds many more surprises than I originally thought, with the appearance of this latest group, who seem to have a deep, secret history with Meridian.

More than our Masks: Chapter 1 – Opening Up to Compassion

Chapter 1 – Opening Up to Compassion

I set bouquets at the graves of a friend and his trusted associate, kneel by them, and touch them. On my friend’s gravestone is the inscription, “A strong protector of Meridian, just like the rest of his noble Ellory bloodline”.

“I hope the inscription is to your liking, Raymond. You may not like how I’m handling things nowadays, but rest assured that justice is being served. Pray for me so that I gain the wisdom needed for my God-given vocations,” I say.

“Coming out here every week isn’t going to help,” Kane Mundr says from behind me.

“If you do come out here, at least have us watch over you, father. The people of Meridian don’t look favorably upon you,” Raziel says.

“Let them talk. We did the right thing.”

“Speaking of which, I told you two to go ahead of me into the undercity,” I say.

“I know, but we were concerned about you.”

“I’m fine. I need time to get over what happened last week and carry on. That’s all. Now, go. You know that others need more help than I.”

“Yes, father.”

Kane and Raziel head out, and I leave the grave after a few more seconds of silence and prayer. I then go to my parents’ grave and spend some time there as well.

“I’m not the same kind of healer that either of you was. Still, I hope to be just as virtuous as you both are and that I’m making you proud,” I say.

Four people who were close to me died because of my powers. They may not be completely under my control, but I could’ve still…no. I gotta stop thinking about that. It’s time to go to work. Transforming into my dark hero form, L’Obscurité, a long hat forms on my head, a cloak jacket and scarf cover my body, a bullet hole appears on the center of my forehead, and my face becomes an unrecognizable shadow of itself with only a set of sharp black eyes and terrifying, permanent smile on it. My body then becomes one with the light and dark as I travel through it to reach the undercity. In my travels, I can’t help but stop and listen in on the conversation happening between construction workers in the tunnels.

“Do you think they’ll actually go after L’Obscurité? He has saved the city and hundreds of people in it, and brought hundreds of criminals to justice.”

“But he was also helping that guy, Raziel, people said, set the city on fire and killed all those cops and heroes.”

“Don’t people say that Raziel and he can’t control his powers, and that people just get what’s coming to them? That fire that burned the city was harmless to some people and objects, while burning others to ash.”

“Even then, they’re still responsible for the people they allow their powers to hurt.”

Don’t let it bother you. Just walk away from the conversation.

“Regardless, I don’t think the city will bother L’Obscurité. They already have their hands full repairing the damage from that day, and there are people like Timeo Severe, his wife Darcy Travail, Klinge Geben, and Lancetto Affare in support of him.”

“Yeah, having the four most powerful families in the city supporting you can help, but that won’t mean anything if the country outlaws you. Besides them, some of the common men still support him because of everything he’s done, while others hate him.”

“Do your sons still have that L’Obscurité merch?”

Yes, but they may want to sell it later since the stores have stopped selling merchandise based on him. Selling outlawed hero merch to the right buyers can get you enough money to retire on, after all.”

I finally feel empowered to move on after hearing that conversation. I never liked the city selling merchandise based on my hero identity, but at least I’m glad to know some people still support me. The tunnels where the workers are located were abandoned by the city years ago and are prone to collapsing at any moment. They’re only getting attention because Raziel’s fires have revealed a hidden threat beneath the surface that I’m focusing on. No criminal organization, no matter how powerful, wanted to hide under the city because of how dangerous it was, but a secret, sixth family manages to.

This sixth family draws their power from the demonic and shows no interest in wealth or power. Their only desire is to drag others down to Hell with them. Personally, they influenced my siblings and turned my older brother against me, resulting in the deaths of my other siblings and parents. They will pay for every sin they’ve committed as well as the sins of their ancestors. I will ensure that every hero and cop killed by my dark power did not die in vain and that the city becomes even better and safer than before.

As I venture deeper into the undercity, I discover buildings from the nineteen hundreds, the eighteen hundreds, and even the seventeen hundreds, dating back to when the city was first established. Strangely, not all of these structures are in ruins; people live in them and carry on with their lives like anyone else. However, all of them bear mutations, with horns protruding from their faces and bodies, arms, and legs. Each is guilty of leading a life steeped in sin and the corruption of the innocent. All face the sentence of death. I can feel my very essence tremble in anticipation of their executions, yet I pray and maintain control. There’s a more effective way to remove them than simply slaughtering them on sight. Moreover, I observe that the leaders of the sixth family guide their individuals they follow to their death. Yet, without these leaders, they would be directionless and easier to take down, so I bide my time and sift through their memories to uncover the locations of these leaders.

After learning the location of a group of leaders that are about to do something horribly disgusting, I head out to stop them. Going to the area, I find them going to ritualistically rape a nun to force her to have a child, just like they did with the other nuns and innocent women of all ages down here. They purposefully have children here that way so that the child that comes out will be an easier target of sin and demonically possessed. The children who are harder to corrupt and the women who can resist are killed, eaten alive, and the leaders wear their skinned remains and decorate the ritual rooms such as this one. The skinned remains of innocent people, heroes, and vigilantes call out for justice to me, but before I can act, I feel my powers hold me back and sense a familiar yet foreign presence.

A shot strikes one of the leaders in the arm, halting the ritual before it can commence, as the leaders glance into the hallway to see who interrupted them. It was a woman with red hair, wearing a simple black and white mask featuring angel wings on the light grey side and black wings on the dark side, along with a dark blue bulletproof jacket, black cargo pants, and black boots. Exploring her memories, I discover that her name is Polina Yelizaveta, a police officer by day and a vigilante by night when justice calls for it.

She enters the disgusting room and says, “Stop this!”

The leaders in the room look at her like predators look at prey, with their mouths watering and their senses telling them to pounce on her. The leader who was shot was hardly affected by it as their demonic powers quickly heal their wound and press them on to attack Poline. Before they can, Polina’s voice resounds and touches their souls and mine as well.

“This isn’t you,” her voice echoes. “Who are you even? Do you know? Have you thought about it beyond what you do? Do you really want this life that you have?”

The questions she poses give me pause to consider how I’m living, but for the leaders, they’re suffering from a mental breakdown as they clutch their heads, scream, and writhe on the floor until they pass out. With them out cold and seeing that Polina is an ally, I turn my attention to the nun, and thankfully, my touch heals her wounds and exorcises the dark magic done to her body.

“Will she be okay?” Polina asks.

“She will. I need to bring her somewhere safe so she can get some rest,” I say. “Are you not going to try to arrest me for my crimes, officer?”

“I don’t see a reason to, even though my higher-ups would at least have me try. As far as I can see, we’re on the same side with the same goals, L’Obscurité, or should I say, Timeo Severe?”

I reveal part of my real face, but keep it a hazy image, so that it stays safe from prying eyes.

“You figured out who I am, but I see in your memories that it happened on the day that you got your powers.”

“Yes. I obtained them and learned your secret one day while you were helping us, cops, arrest and take down some criminals. Your dark powers touched me, and I obtained the power to see the good in people’s souls, the weakness within them, and why they deserve mercy.”

“I appreciate you keeping my secret safe. I see you can also knock them out through sheer mental willpower. What of the people who don’t deserve mercy?”

“My powers can make them bleed out from the inside, give them heart attacks, and other internal conditions that kill their organs, but I have to have a line of sight for them to work.”

“What about these people? Why do they deserve to live? You saw what they were about to do, and their bodies and this room are dressed in the skin, bones, and blood of their victims.”

“They’re under the influence of the higher leaders, their demons, and they’ve been indoctrinated since birth to be this way. They need to be given a second chance so that they may know the real truth. I’ll explain more once we get that nun to safety.”

“I was about to say the same thing. I’ll be back in a second.”

I take the nun into the light and dark and whisk her away to the surface. There, I disguise my appearance and voice with a mind-altering shadow to look like one of the construction workers, tell the others that I've found a woman underground who needs help, and have them call an ambulance. Once they do, I head back down to Polina and tell her that the nun is safe and we should continue our conversation in a less wretched room. She agrees, and we go to a closed-off hole in the tunnels far from the underground city.

Polina continues our conversation by saying that, “The people here have been abandoned by the surface and ages past who have forgotten about them, and only have the demonic sixth family as their influence. They haven’t the faintest clue about the love and mercy of God and deserve to know it so that there’s a chance they may be saved. Don’t your powers allow you to see that in their memories?”

“I can’t see all their memories at once. Even then, my powers do what they will on their own. I am merely a conduit for the Divine’s will,” I say.

“I know, but you can still hold back justice for mercy’s sake. Can’t you?”

“I can. Still, the blood of the innocent calls out for justice.”

“Justice will come. Just allow me to sever the demonic influences over the people in the undercity before doing so. It’s why I’m down here. I thought there was a good chance you’d be down here because of who and what are down here, and you didn’t want to cause more trouble on the surface.”

“Your guess was right. Are you sure you want to work with me and my apprentices despite disagreeing with our methods?”

“I know better than most that you weren’t guilty of the deaths caused by Raziel’s fire and your dark powers. You merely let your powers do what they had to. Stop beating yourself up over it,” Polina says as she hugs me. “It’s okay.”

I put one arm over her and returned her hug.

“Thank you. I’ll allow you to go with your plan, but the tides of justice can’t be held back for long.”

“I know. Give me some time, and I’m sure some will be saved, at least. We may also be able to repair your reputation on the surface by helping the people down here.”

“I hope so.”

Polina and I go off on our hunt for the heads of the leaders of the sixth family. Here’s hoping that severing the heads will free those under them and repair the damage I’ve done to others.

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The city of Meridian is engulfed in flames; however, certain things and people remain unharmed, while others are reduced to ashes. Raziel Emundatio is responsible for this supernatural fire, but when Timeo and his sidekick Kane read his soul, they discover that he is an innocent man. The Divine has a greater reason for allowing this fire to burn, and they must trust this stranger if they wish to uncover a darker threat against the city.

Executioners of Justice, Fire and Nightmares: Chapter 3 – Lawless Bringers of Justice

Chapter 3 – Lawless Bringers of Justice

The scum run back to their kind and a place where they think they can be safe. They run deeper and deeper through abandoned tunnels and old buildings, homes, and stores from a Meridian that existed during its first hundred years of existence. I keep going through their memories to gain further information about them and what they know about this undercity that’s been operating under my nose, a place that most criminals don’t go into because of how condemned and hostile it is to live. At a moment’s notice, the ceiling could collapse or a feral animal or human could rip a person’s throat out, and yet, these people persist like cockroaches. I was a fool not to look into this place further, but the memories of other criminals made me think that this place is only home to the most insane lunatics and drug addicts.

No one knew how far down the undercity really went, and the kinds of people that lived down here. Now, I do, and I have a lot of punishing to make up for, especially since they’ve done something personal to me. The scum are now in the deepest depths of their undercity, the very end of the line, where no one but those utterly loyal to them know about. They tell their friends about what happened, who are also shocked and look as demonically possessed, both at me attacking them and them coming back.

I laugh at them and say, “Did you really think the hands of Divine justice would not reach you sooner or later?”

“We thought you were on our side! You helped cause all that chaos and killed all those people, especially the heroes and police! What other reason could you have besides turning into one of us?” one of them says.

“The ways of the Divine are strange and mysterious. No one can predict what He will do, not even I, a mere conduit for His will, but now I see that everything that happened was a means to an end, so I can know about and reach you.”

“The world isn’t going to accept you! All the heroes and governments of the world will turn on you because of what you did! Your only chance of survival is to stick with us. What do you say?”

“Hahaha! That’s my answer! You’ll all pay for the corruption you’ve poisoned the city with, especially that of my brother.”

“Brother?”

“Oh, forget I said anything. You and the legacy you’ve left will be forgotten soon. I know that you’re all part of or allies with the sixth most secretive family in Meridian, but that entire bloodline will die tonight! So, repent now, if you can.”

The demonic members of the sixth family attempt to use their unholy powers to manipulate my mind and those of Raziel and Kane as I summon them from the darkness, but I leverage my powers to counter theirs. They endeavor to manifest their demons to assist them; however, these demons are angels first and obey their original master in Heaven out of fear, rather than their earthly and Hellish master, ultimately turning against those who command them and tearing them apart. Dozens upon dozens of them are slaughtered in gruesome and painful ways, and by the end of the battle, at least a hundred or so lie dead at our feet. This provokes a hysterical laugh from me before I steady myself and venture deeper into the depths of this place, where I discover the remnants of their Satanic rituals and depraved acts. Here, we uncover individuals they’ve kidnapped and tortured in sexual or painful ways, along with the remains of those they sacrificed for their wicked religion.

As we free the captives, Kane and Raziel ask me what I was talking about in relation to my brother and why I was laughing more manically than I usually do. I explain that, “These people didn’t do crime to gain power, wealth, or influence like many of the other criminals I’ve faced before, but they did it for evil’s sake, to corrupt the city and send as many souls with them to Hell as possible. Besides influencing my siblings into abandoning our family to satiate their degenerate behavior, they also influenced my brother to kill his siblings and expose my secret identity to my parents, which led to his and their deaths.”

“It’s a good thing we stopped them then,” Raziel says.

“It is. They are also responsible for kidnapping your friends from the original orphanage you were at. As for the location of those friends, I’m uncertain. There’s still much of these tunnels to uncover.”

“I’ve made my peace with never seeing them again, but thank you anyway. Let’s get these people to safety first.”

I bring the people, Kane, and Raziel to the surface with my power and find that the fires in the city have subsided. We get some distance from it all as I immediately take Kane and Raziel to my house, where I see Darcy waiting by the door with my two kids. She’s about to run out to me until she sees Raziel and stops dead in her tracks.

I transform back into my normal self and say, “It’s okay. He’s my new apprentice now, and what he did helped me bring justice to an undercity of vile filth that did evil under all our noses.”

“What about Raymond and Ralph, and all those heroes, cops, and innocent people who died?” she asks.

“Our powers took their lives so that the evil beneath the city would show itself. It was an unfortunate, but necessary loss.”

“I…I guess I can accept that, knowing what your power does and that it’s not completely under your control.” Darcy goes up to Raziel and says, “Welcome to the family and your new home, son.”

“Son?” Raziel asks.

“Yeah, Timeo’s wife has an obsession with getting kids. She calls me the same thing, so try not to be weirded out by it,” Kane explains.

“I’m fine with it and calling L’Obscurité, father.”

“You can call me by my normal name outside of public earshot,” I say.

“Okay, father, Timeo.”

“You don’t need to call me father either.”

“Yes, he does. It’s appropriate as your new son,” Darcy says.

“I agree with your wife.”

“You know what? I think I like Raziel now. He’s worth keeping around.”

“Oh, boy. This is going to be a lot to deal with,” Kane comments.

A few days pass, and Raymond and the many people who died during the city-wide fire have a mass funeral that I attend with Darcy, our kids, Lancetto, Klinge, Mayor Jeph, and his Deputy, Tim. Meanwhile, Kane and Raziel watch us and pay their respects from a distance. After the funeral, Jeph and Tim talk to me in private.

“Meridian has to turn its back on L’Obscurité because of what happened, even though he rescued people and exposed an even darker criminal underworld under the city,” Jeph explains.

“There’s no way we can support him. Getting caught doing so will irreparably ruin our reputation and the trust the public has in us. His identity won’t be exposed, but we can’t work with him in any capacity anymore,” Tim further clarifies.

“I understand. Thank you for everything you’ve done,” I say.

They nod to me and leave us. I then turn to my closest friends and ask, “You don’t have to support L’Obscurité either since it’ll ruin your lives and businesses as well.”

Lancetto immediately says, “I’ll never abandon my brother. I’d rather live and die in a disgraceful life first before doing so.”

Klinge shrugs his shoulders and says, “He’s a hero of the people, and he still has many supporters in and out of the city. Besides, I never cared for drama or criticism to begin with.”

“I can’t thank you all enough for your support and friendship.”

“With that done, you should go back on the hunt,” Darcy says.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. The public’s attention is on the surface. Also, I can’t stand the thought of innocents being tortured and raped beneath the city, especially children.”

“I get it and feel the rage too. The time of their judgment is at hand.”

My friends tell me to bring justice to the scum underneath the city on their behalf and I promise them that I will. Afterward, I tell Kane and Raziel what we’re doing, and they’re eager to do the same, so we do that and bring fire, nightmares brought to life, and death to the villains in the undercity who thought themselves invisible and safe from the hands of Divine justice. When we find them, we stop them just as they are resuming their depraved rituals. In an instant, their sacrifices and victims completely disappear from the room.

I laugh at their confusion and say, “You thought you could blaspheme and spit in the face of the Divine until your death? Hahaha! If you wanted to go to Hell so badly, here we are to bring you to it.”

Kane, Raziel, and I then slaughter the wicked and free the innocent, all in the name of Divine justice.

 

The End