Short Stories: A Collection of Magic - Updated Irregularly

From Spark, Inferno

Author's Note:

This is the last part of the Angels of Sun and Moon story. The next update will be something else. Hope you enjoy!

Evil, so long desiring to possess someone as pure as Llum, crept into his soul, filling the man with darkness. Soon he truly understood Evil, but had no desire to thwart it. Only the part of Llum that kept burning with celestial light sought the death of Evil, but the part was too small, the light too dim.

Llum’s soul had become one of Evil’s second homes, but Evil was calling him to his first.

“Come to me,” it called. “Come to me and serve. Together we will be great. Together we will radiate darkness to blot out the lights of heaven. Together – together we will have true power. Is that what you want, Llum? Power? Power over others? To see men and women do your will! It is a power like no other, Llum. Do you wish to wield this power?”

“I do,” said Llum, and his flickered and grew dimmer.

Evil brought Llum to his true home. It was no normal place. It was shaped from something other than matter, but it had form. The walls were made of agony, the floors were built of lies. The dripping ceiling was made of sorrow. Llum took it guiltily. Evil saw him looking.

“Every bit I built myself,” it whispered to Llum. “Agony I tore from dying limbs; sorrow from those who watched. Every lie I sowed myself – but I sowed on fertile ground: men lied to one another, some thinking it to be truth that they spread, some knowing it to be deceit; but they spread them, and lies grew. Together, we could make this place great. Would you like that?”

“I would,” said Llum, and the fire in his soul faded to a speck.

“Think of the light you once were,” said the speck. “You came to destroy Evil. You came to be free, to live among the stars. Choose light, Llum. Always light and never dark.”

“What whispers in your heart?” asked Evil. “I hadn’t noticed that speck of light. So small – so weak. Is this what guides you? Does this firefly, this flashing bug dictate your actions, Llum? I thought you were stronger. Are you weak? Perhaps you wish to be free of this light – shall I kill it? I could kill it now, if you like. Would this please you?”

“He’s afraid of your light,” came the star’s voice. “He knows you can still choose to be good. He knows you can destroy him, and he knows that you can be happy. Evil will never give you joy, Llum. It can give you many things, but never true joy.”

“Yes, I can give you many things, Llum. Better things than joy. Have you ever truly been happy? Even with light as your very soul, you have never been truly happy. Longing to dwell in two separate worlds, loving both. Love – love is meaningless when you know what I offer you, Llum. I will show you, but first, let me kill this light.”

“Once you were a child, innocent and pure,” said the light. “Evil took that from you. Do you remember, Llum? Playing in your father’s fields, your mother watching you, her hands guided by her love for you? Do you remember this, Llum? Or have you forgotten?

“When you felt joy, Llum, true joy – do you remember that? As a child, when you laughed and played; before I was even a part of you, you burned with a light brighter than many suns. Do you remember, Llum, wanting the world to share in your joy?

“Evil took these from you. Evil will never allow you to be happy; you will be its slave. Is this what you want, Llum? Is this better than shining among the stars?”

The speck had grown.

“Lies! Lies spread by pretty light: that’s all this is. You must let me kill it; let me snuff it out! It shines with pretty colors, yes, but they are tricks and illusions. Darkness holds true power, not pitiful love, or happiness. These mean nothing! Let me kill it, Llum. Let me kill it.”

The light inside of Llum grew, fed by its master.

“No! Llum, you stupid fool! What I offer is more than this glowing speck will ever be able to give you! Ask the light if it can give to you what I can give to you! Ask it, Llum, and you will choose to come to me.”

“He knows what I offer,” said the light, “and he’s made his choice.”

The light roared up into a mighty fire inside Llum’s soul, and burnt away all of Evil’s evil. Evil perished, but the inferno raged on.

Llum’s body was burnt away as the star he was meant to become took form. The earth he stood on lit ablaze, and was wrapped fondly by burning arms. Men and women and children didn’t perish in the flame, for it was no ordinary fire. They became Llum’s children, brothers and sisters of angels, but not angels themselves, and were free from evil.

“You have become a star,” observed Talmrimerik, who was among the oldest of the stars.

“I have,” replied Llum, shining his joy for all to see. “I have become a star.”

The dark sky shone bright as the stars it held beamed with all that is good.