CHAPTER TWELVE

They call it mood swings, but sometimes, it's the darkness pulling you in, breaking you, destroying your very essence. But you choose not to dwell on it, because if you do, you will drown. So, it's fine. And, if anybody asks, it's just mood swings.

Victor Mairo

  

     Should I say, life has its ups and downs? Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should just let this be. But, I don't know if I can. I can't just put it out of my mind. It's unfair on so many levels. And, what was that deal about my dad's face in the middle of the Wind thingy I had no idea. This was all so disorienting for me, no matter how I looked at it. I knew I had a lot to be grateful for, but honestly, I didn't know why. I should feel grateful for what I had no idea about. It was annoying. 

  "Honestly, are you even listening to me?" Brianna queried harshly. It was then I remembered that I was supposed to have been listening to what she was saying for the past few minutes. News flash, I didn't remember a word until she called me on it. 

   "I'm sorry, but I'm definitely not used to all of this. My mind needs time to process all of this," I knew I was babbling now, but I didn't care. I really just wanted to feel sane. Undisturbed. 

  "Hmmm, well I suppose it's a little too much for you to take in, so I'd pardon you for now. Thing is, I know exactly how you feel. That feeling of something amiss. I know you feel something is missing somewhere. Trust me, I do." Brianna said placatingly, patting me on the back like her little brother or something. I didn't need that kind of pity. 

  Funny thing was, I wasn't feeling as though something was missing, I was numb. Unfeeling. My heart warred with my mind, but this time, I let my heart take over. I was as cold as ice. Darkness clouds my vision, I was a man, lost in a world I knew nothing about. I was lost. 

   "I know you'd like it here. We have a training ground for those willing to be skillful in combat, a huge dining room, where we all come together to feast, no matter which sector of the city you were in. Eating together is mandatory. Thing is, we are not too many, roughly 300, give or take." Brianna explained, her eyes shining. 

" Wait a sec... 300? What exactly are you guys?" I said, my normal inquisitive nature coming to the surface. I quickly changed tactics when I realized that Brianna was pissed off, with the flippant way I asked. So, I reconstructed my sentence to, "Okay, that came out wrong. I mean, I just saw a portal open up, and drop me in a world I didn't know existed. It's weird, but in a good way. 

"Well, I know this is all, in one word, unimaginable to you, but I promise you, you'll get answers. Let's keep going. Do not despair. You're brave enough to have come this far." Brianna said with a sad smile, her eyes full of a pain I knew little about. I knew there was definitely a story there, but I had to respect her privacy. For now at least. 

"Where exactly are we going to? I have no idea where you are taking me," I complained like a whiny child, hoping to elicit a laugh, or even a smile from her. It worked. She smiled, her face lit up like the sun emerging from the clouds after a rainy day. It was then I realized exactly how beautiful she was. 

" We call this place, for lack of a better word, Eden," She said dramatically, waiting for the word to hit me. 

  "Wait, you mean, the Eden in the Bible? Serpent, forbidden fruit, flaming swords, etc?" I asked, my eyes huge like saucers. I was a geek, when it comes to ancient history. 

  Brianna gave a tinkling laugh, and replied with as much sass as possible, drawling her words as much as possible. I found it sexy, honestly speaking. 

" Where exactly do you think the legend of the fruit of the tree of good and evil came from?" She said as though tutoring a student, which was fine by me. "In ancient times, this was Eden. Now, we just call it Paradise. Now, calm down and listen. It's a pretty intriguing story, even to me that has heard it hundreds of times." She gave a sad smile again, but I didn't mind it. I really wanted to listen to the story. 

" Sure, I'm calm." I said trying to rein in my emotions, about how excited I was. 

" Good, " She said noticing my internal struggle to remain calm. She ruffled my hair affectionately, and I smiled back at her. We'd been walking for a while now, and a break was in order. I quickly pointed to a gigantic tree, and motioned that we should go sit underneath. Brianna looked at me, for three whole seconds, then told me to lead the way. 

  "I picked this spot because we'd be shield from the harsh glares of the sun." I said, quickly explaining myself. She immediately waved me off, and sat down on the grass, underneath the gigantic tree. 

   She cleared her throat dramatically, and began. I was hooked, every step of the way. It goes this way.. 

  In the beginning, men were gods, in total control of the world. The animals bowed to our rules, and nature itself paid homage. It was a beautiful existence. As time went by, man multiplied, each with his/her own unique gift from the creator. The creator was never seen, because men were capable of taking care of the world. But, one day, something happened. A man rose up, out of the peaceful harmony, and sowed discord. He was a natural leader and people ate every word he said. He had them wrapped around his thumb, the one known as lucifer. He wasn't powerful, he was one of the few born without powers. At least, that's what everyone thought. But, he had the power of persuasion. His words, soothed, calmed. He spoke as though he was giving a suggestion, but unknowingly, he was trapping minds. In just a few years, he turned a whole race against each other, so he was banned, him and his followers. That was the only time the creator was seen. He was angry, a ball of fire. Nobody actually saw Him, though with the stories that circulated, He was like a ball of pure energy. His very presence stopped a war. But before then, lucifer, the deceiver, heard tell that the creator was coming. He quickly escaped from Eden, without being noticed. His followers memories were erased, and new memories were implanted in them. So, the story has never been straight. They were all told different stories, and thrown out of Eden. They had no recollection of who they were, but the fake memories remained. They built civilization, and the stories went worldwide. Only one person, the one who escaped, knew the truth. Lucifer. Now, he's recruiting people from all over the world, with his power of persuasion. He knew what he had to do. Since he was the only one who escaped, he remained immortal. So, he did the only logical thing, he named himself the creator. Ever since then, with his power of persuasion, he got to own half the world but, he couldn't get what he wanted most of all, a way back into Eden. No matter how he tried, nobody knew anything about it. Eden was hidden from the world, hidden in the minds of the cast away. The creator set rules and boundaries, a flaming sword barring the door from whosoever, can peradventure, see it. Then, those in Eden were no longer immortal. In order to avoid a repeat of what happened. They lived really long and never aged more than 45. The lifespan was 120 years in general. Everybody was fine with it. The creator disappeared again. All was well. But now, Lucifer is recruiting, far more than he did in the ancient times. He's recruiting the memories of the cast away. If he finds a way to enter into Eden, all is lost. 

  Brianna said all of this without me uttering a single word. I was deep in thoughts. If all she said was true, I realized... We just led lucifer into Eden. 

   "Brianna, not to burst your bubble but.. What's that wind thingy that followed us?" I asked as nonchalant as possible. Brianna looked a little disappointed at my question but she answered, unenthusiastically, if I might add. 

   "He's an ancient evil with a billion faces. He can instill fear into the heart with just a glance. He's formless, just like the wind. He takes whatever face he wants. The face that scares you the most, or the face that'll make you stop and stare." Brianna finished lamely, not sure where I was going with this.

"Did you close the portal?" I asked, in a shaky voice. I was scared, beyond scared. 

  "Sure I did, what's wrong?" She asked, noticing my countenance. 

  "What's the name?" I asked again, ignoring her question. 

  She frowned but replied, "He's known as the end of the world, Armageddon. Though I don't even understand why" 

  I didn't say anything anymore. I knew exactly what happened. We just led lucifer, to Eden.