| |
What if it is all for nothing? If all roads lead to the same end, what’s the point?
A few days later, Bathsheba bursts into my room and drags me outside. It’s not even dawn yet. There isn’t a single animal making noise.
We are walking through the jungle, and she says, “Day six! Are you excited or what?”
I yawn. “Super excited.”
“Hey! Don’t be sarcastic. I spent some time thinking about your dilemma. I’ve decided we need to make training with your sealed beings priority,” she says.
“How are we going to do that?” I ask.
She says exuberantly, “Deep and intense meditation. You’re going to sit for hours and try to manifest them outside of your body. Like you did in the lunchroom.”
“But I didn’t have any control over that. I don’t even know where to begin,” I say. I’m also not thrilled about this. It sounds really boring.
“Hopefully, you will soon. We’re here!” she says happily.
We walk out of the jungle toward a cliff. Elijah and Gabriel are already here. The drop is enormous. Eden must be a big place because all I see is dense jungle spread out for miles.
“Okay, so what should I do?” I ask.
“Sit as close to the edge as you can and try to find a relaxation point. Breathe in heavily. Focus on your sealed beings,” Bathsheba says.
I walk to the edge. The sun is just beginning to rise. I was a little skeptical, but this is already feeling pretty good. I close my eyes and sit down. Before I reach the ground, something brushes my back.
I realize it too late. I can’t feel the ground, and the wind is rushing through my hair. My eyes open in panic.
“I hope you find a way to survive this!” Bathsheba yells while looking over the edge.
“Did that crazy woman just push us off a cliff?” I think Lucas says. I’m yelling so much that it’s hard to tell. I didn’t like the first time I fell to my death, and this time it’s real!
I can tell that I’ll be falling for a while. I spread out my body as much as possible, but I don’t think it’s helping.
“What should we do, Luke?” Lucian asks.
“Do I look like a plane? How should I know?” I say.
“Grab the side of the cliff!” Lucas says.
“At this speed, we would lose our fingers or hands!” I yell out. Wait. What if I can turn Pandora’s box into something that can help? “Quick, think of something that can dig into the side of the cliff!”
They call out, “Grappling hook. Spear. Pickaxe.” That last one might work. I reach for Pandora’s box, but... it’s not there! Bathsheba must have taken it from me.
“What are we supposed to do now?” I yell. The ground is getting closer. Why can’t I fly like Gabriel? Gabriel! That’s it!
I don’t even waste time. I direct my body toward the side of the cliff and ram my back against it. It tears through my shirt. Blood is pouring out, but I feel that sensation. Both of my shoulders have a sharp searing pain. My body wants to fall unconscious, but I force myself to stay awake.
They’ve both realized what they have to do. Out of my left shoulder, a shadow forms. Pure light is coming from my right at a much slower pace. I don’t think they will make it in time.
Something feels different. Pandora’s box is back on my belt loop. I stop myself from using it. I don’t know what will happen to Lucas and Lucian if I do.
It’s taking them too long. The ground isn’t that far now, but there are small trees sticking out of the cliff’s face. Instead of trying to dodge them, I turn on my back and slam into a branch.
The branch snaps immediately. It slows my fall, but I’m sure it almost killed me. It bought me the time I needed. My shoulders are hurting less, and I see two complete wings. Having feeling in them is a weird sensation. The rest of my body is healing. In a few moments, the places where I hit the cliff and branch feel almost completely better.
I try to move my newly formed wings. Slowly, I am falling less and gliding more. I clumsily fly higher until I reach the top of the cliff.
I stumble as I land. Bathsheba holds me up. Her left hand is burned from taking the box. She says, “I knew you could figure it out, sweetie. I’m proud of you! I wish we didn’t have to put you through that.”
I was super mad, but her saying she is proud of me throws me off. I’ve never really had anyone tell me that. It’s hard to put how I feel into words.
“Why did you push me off a cliff?” I ask.
“Beelzebub protected you when your life was in danger. If we could replicate that, we thought you would be able to release them again. Stabbing you was out of the question. Making you fall off a cliff was the only thing we could think of. We didn’t expect you to ram yourself into the cliff, though,” Gabriel says.
“What if I couldn’t do it? Then what? Prepare a funeral?” I say, still half mad.
“That’s what my pet was for.” She whistles. A... pterodactyl lands in the tree behind her. “He was ready to catch you before you fell all the way.”
“Is that—” I can’t even finish my sentence. My wings fade away, and I collapse to the ground.
––––––––
“He’s catching on faster than I would have thought,” I hear Gabriel say.
“It’s not just the box. The boy definitely has potential on his own,” Elijah says.
“But I think he might be too reckless. That stunt back there was dangerous,” Gabriel says.
“He’s smart, not reckless. He thought he was going to die but came up with a solution in such a short time. When pushed to the edge, it will be the quick decisions that can change everything,” Bathsheba says.
I sit up. They’ve moved me into the house. The clock says it’s four in the afternoon. I must have been unconscious most of the day.
“Do you think he’ll be ready in time? Six days have passed. Having a demigod mission ready usually takes much longer, and we’re attempting it with five of them,” Gabriel says.
“Luck is on our side. He’s been named captain of his team. Since his challenge will be last, that gives us an extra four days,” Elijah says. Captain? What does he mean by that?
Lucas groans in my head, “Geez, that hurt. I feel like my very being has been torn apart.”
“You took a big risk with that, Luke. We had no idea what we were doing. Who knows what could have happened,” Lucian lectures.
“Pain was the only thing I could think of that would help us trigger it. Is it possible for us to do it without being in danger?” I ask.
Lucas is the first to answer. “Maybe. I’m beginning to understand how it works, but it tires us out really fast. Stopping ourselves from blacking out right after won’t be easy.”
Elijah and Bathsheba walk into the room. They seem surprised that I’m awake. I ask them, “Anything else for today?”
Bathsheba smiles. “Not yet. I think I’ll let you rest for a while.”
A voice yells from outside, “Aye, Gabriel! Where is the test subje- I mean boy at? It’s time for his checkup.” My stomach churns.
“He’s busy. It will have to wait until later,” Gabriel says.
“I’m not coming all the way out here just to turn back. I have my orders too. Now move, angel.”
Paean busts open the doors of the room. He rolls in his medical table. His cloths from the lab are wrapped around him. He takes some off and throws them over the rafters.
“All right, boy. Easy or hard way?” he asks.
“What do you want from me this time?” I ask.
Paean tosses several medical objects into the air. The cloths catch all of them. He says, “I told you that you would see me again. I need to make sure your body is stable. The second magic cast on you should’ve destroyed your body. After more research, I’ve determined it’s the only thing holding you together. Should that magic weaken, not even my healing expertise can help you. You could explode at any moment.”
“Did he just say that we’re a walking time bomb?” Lucas thinks.
What does that even mean? I could die just because I’m alive. What am I even doing all of this for?
Bathsheba pulls me toward her and hugs me. “Luke... I know this is hard, but don’t worry that much. Paean is bad at communicating with his patients. He’s saying it’s a possibility. I can see the magic around you too. It’s still extremely strong. It could be years before anything happens. By that time, we’ll find a way to help you. I promise.” She makes me feel better, but it still isn’t fair.
“I thought I made that pretty clear,” Paean mumbles. “No matter. Get on the table.”
I do what he says, so the cloths don’t do it for me again. I learned that lesson. I take off my shirt as Paean examines me. One of his cloths is holding up a mirror. My eyes look distant. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. I’m still trying to shake off what I’ve just been told.
Paean checks my blood pressure, ears, and eyes. Then he waves some machine over me until he looks satisfied. He takes some blood samples from me and tells me to lie on my stomach.
“You have a new scar over your right shoulder. The second magic is much stronger here. There is a second being sealed in you, isn’t there? No wonder Zeus is so obsessed over you. He must be an angel. Does he know his name?” Paean asks.
I ask Lucian, but he says no. He only knows the name I gave him. I tell Paean.
“I see. You seem stable and should be able to attempt your challenge without any fear of combusting into magical vapor. You’re a much better specimen than the last one,” he says.
“Thanks... I think.”
He writes on a clipboard and says, “Right, boy. I’ll schedule your next appointment for when you get back from Hell. Don’t avoid me when you get back, or I’ll have my flunkies drag you to me in the middle of the night. I can’t guarantee your safety if it is past one in the morning. That’s when I perform all of the untested experiments.”
Paean walks toward the door, but Gabriel stops him. “Wait. Can you get me a list of all the missing-in-action angels in the past nineteen years?”
Paean huffs. “Want to find out who is trapped inside the boy, do you? You don’t have clearance to that information anymore.”
Gabriel steps closer to Paean. His voice raises. “If you want Luke to see you again, you will get me those files.”
Paean’s cloths hold three scalpels to Gabriel’s neck, each from a different angle. Paean says, “Do not try to negotiate with me, angel. These sessions are as much for his safety as my own curiosity.” The cloths wrap back around Paean. “Still, I was not denying your request. Just know that if they find out, I know nothing of it.”
Gabriel relaxes. “I expect nothing less. Thank you.”
Paean doesn’t respond. He pushes his cart out of the building while mumbling something about cross-engineering DNA sequences. The cloths close the door behind him.
“That may be the nicest he’s ever been,” Elijah says. Gabriel grunts in agreement.
––––––––
Compared to my first week, things were ordinary for a while. I spent my time learning to use different weapons. Bathsheba says that while I’m not doing badly, none of them are the perfect fit for me.
When he was there, Gabriel taught me a little on how to fight ranged opponents. I hope I don’t have to fight any. I wasn’t very good. Gabriel occasionally left to see how the others were doing. He says they seem to be making a lot of progress. I wish I felt like I was too.
It turns out the box can only stay transformed for about ten minutes, then it takes about one or two minutes before I can use it again. If I change it back before the ten minutes, I can transform it again almost immediately. I don’t have any problems communicating with Lucas and Lucian while using the box anymore.
The problem is that this is day twelve. I may have learned more about myself and my weapon, but I don’t feel myself growing any stronger. The news about me being a bomb has also been gnawing at the back of my mind, making me feel even more worthless.
Despite that, Bathsheba has only made my time more gruesome. Yesterday, I was chased through the jungle by a pack of hyenas, as if Gabriel’s potshots weren’t enough. Even he has taken the kiddie gloves off. He’s shooting arrows that can kill me now. I’ve been scraped enough to know that he means business.
Today, I’m fighting five empty suits of armor that Bathsheba is somehow controlling. I’m still trying to learn how to use Lucas and Lucian’s powers, but so far, no luck. I don’t know how she expects one ordinary guy to fight five enemies at once.
I dodge two blades at the same time while one of the suits tackles me from the side. I’m pinned to the ground by this hulking suit of armor. It punches straight for my face, but I stop its hand in mine. Four swords point down at me.
“That’s 355 times since you’ve come here that you would have died. Out of the 356 fights, there’s only been once that you would have killed me.” Bathsheba lowers her arm, and the suits of armor crumble to the ground. “And that was the first time.”
I lift myself up and turn away from her. “What’s the point of this? You’re not teaching me anything but how to get pummeled. If I had to go against someone like Justin with his ice powers, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“You think my training is worthless, do you? You’re the one who hasn’t been giving it your all. These past few days, you’ve been giving up too easily,” she snaps.
I feel my face redden. “I’m not like these other demigods! If I do have powers, we don’t even know what they are. How can you expect me to keep to their standards?”
She pulls off her blindfold. Her blue eyes are burning through me. “Hell won’t go easy on you! This isn’t one of your field trips. I’m putting you through training well above what they do on Olympus. Even this is nothing compared to what you could face on your mission. If you can’t take this, then go home.”
“I can’t help it that you can’t teach me, and I’m no good!” I toss my sword to the ground, but it changes shape and reattaches to my belt loop.
Elijah walks into the training hall. “What is going on in here?”
“Why did you even take me to her for training?” I demand.
“She knows a lot about—”
I interrupt him. “She got me to release my wings once! Once! She can’t know that much about sealed beings!”
Bathsheba walks toward her chamber. “Elijah, take him from this place. I have no intention of training someone who loses heart so easily.”
“I can find my own way out!” I march past Elijah.
I trudge through the jungle toward the gate out of here. I stumble on some briar, hit the ground, and slam my fist down. “Stupid freaking jungle.”
“What has got into you?” Lucian asks.
“We’ve gotten nowhere, Lucian! I don’t feel any stronger. We haven’t learned how to use our powers. This is a waste,” I say.
“This isn’t one of Lucian’s TV shows. What do you expect to feel like?” Lucas asks.
“I don’t know, but not like this. There has to be another way,” I say.
“Well, what’s the plan then?” Lucas asks.
I think about it for a few minutes while walking to the gate. “I want to see how my friends are doing. Maybe I can join their training instead.”
The cherubim are surprised to see me pass through the gate. They allow me through without a hassle, but they sure are strange angels. I try to ask them if they know anything about where Peter’s trainer, Chiron, might be. They don’t say a word. Are they ignoring me?
I search our room back at the HQ, but it’s empty. I knock on the girls’ door across the hall, but nobody answers. Now what?
I wander to the hallway leading to Paean’s lab, of all places. I am getting desperate. On my way, I hear voices around the corner.
“I can’t believe how good Paean’s secondary technician is at patching people up. What was her name again?” That voice sounds like...
“Really? You forgot already, Justin? You just finished seeing her. Her name is Amanda,” another guy’s voice says.
“Oh yeah, Amanda! Thanks, Trevor buddy! In a few years, she could be as good as Lindsey,” Justin says.
“I think we should stick to training in the war simulator, though. I might actually blow you up next time,” a girl’s voice says.
Justin laughs. “Nah, it was just a scratch. Trevor just didn’t want to knock you out.”
“Whatever, our combos are flawless, right, Brooke? Are Kale and Brittney going to train with us? We need to work on our coordination.” That’s Austin’s voice.
Justin says, irritated, “No. They’re busy doing some special training. They wouldn’t even tell me with who. I don’t know what’s running through their heads these days.”
They round the corner. None of them look very happy. Justin and Austin perk up when they see me.
“Hey, long time no see! I heard you were in Eden. Back already?” Justin asks.
“He looks tougher. We might not be able to take his box so easily now.” Austin’s freckly face grins.
Do I? I glance at my arms. I didn’t even notice that I’ve bulked up a good bit. It hasn’t even been two weeks. Why do I still feel so weak then?
“I-I just came to take a break and see everyone. Do you know where Peter and the rest are?” I ask.
“Sure, they’re up on the mountains. At least a hundred miles from the HQ. That’s where our high-level training grounds are located,” Justin says.
Trevor says, so quietly I can barely hear, “Except Audrey. She’s in the war simulator. She hasn’t stepped out in days.”
Justin slams his fist in his hand, “Ah! He’s right! I forgot about that. She’s tough as nails.”
“What is the war simulator, and why is Audrey in there?” I ask, puzzled.
“Grandfather and some of our older half-siblings made it. Basically, they created a way to enter a simulated world. Wars old and new can be fought in there. It’s a good way to test the real limits of your powers because if you die, you only get taken back to the real world,” Brooke explains.
“Yeah, and Audrey has basically made herself the queen of the place. I’m guessing she used to play a lot of games. She took to the rules like a charm. Nobody even saw her claim the largest castle in there until it was too late. Now the simulator is stuck in that program until she is defeated,” Justin says.
“Wait, I thought she was training with one of her half-sisters? Also, how did she beat a bunch of trained demigods at their own game?” I ask, dumbfounded. I know she’s tough, and sure, she used to play games a lot, but that doesn’t account for anything.
Justin looks uncomfortable. “Uh... yeah. About that.”
“What is it? Just spit it out,” I say.
Trevor steps forward. “She learned how to use her powers so fast that her half-sister was barely able to teach her anything. I told her about the war simulator. She spent a whole day in there learning the basics. Then, out of nowhere, she took the place by storm. Since it’s a virtual world, fighting one day in there is almost like three out here.”
“She’s probably been pushing herself almost as much as you. For a bunch of newcomers, I’m impressed. As demigods, we already learn fighting techniques quickly, but you two are cut from a different batch.” Justin smiles.
What do they even see? I haven’t done anything. I need to test if what they think is true. Maybe seeing her again can answer questions about myself.
“Take me to the war simulator. I want to see Audrey.”
Justin walks up next to me. He places his hand on my shoulder, “Sure, let’s go. We’re always itching for some fun, right, guys?” Brooke and Austin bound ahead of us. Trevor just smiles slightly.
