Prophecy of the Nexus

Chapter 19

"So what's that got to do with me?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around her words. It was like being around the twins when they were having a debate. What she was suggesting was that I had the power to stand up to the demon king? But how was a mortal supposed to do that?

"Simple," Meredith said, "there are two outcomes from your prophecy: either Korlax consumes the world, or you destroy Koralax." I shivered at the idea of Koralax's corruption spilling over the world, turning the grass to ash, the sky to fire, and nothing but pain and destruction. The Divine's creation left in ruin. "So, I wanted to give my Master a little help. I wasn't strong enough to kidnap you myself, as I was still weak. Therefore I stopped you becoming an Arknight, so when the time came you would have been far less prepared to take him on when the day arrives."

"But that didn't work, did it," I pointed out. For the first time, I smiled at her. It seemed even the Demon King's servant couldn't get things right.

Meredith nodded her head from side to side. "True, but I hadn't been expecting the Nexus to be so stupid to go beyond the Halo. Those ghasts smelt your essence miles away, and how could they ignore the ultimate feast." I wiggled uncomfortably at that description. Something was unsettling about being described as a feast. "So as a precaution, I told my minions to keep you alive and bring you to me instead. I couldn't have predicted you'd be stupid enough to go beyond the Halo again, let alone attract a demon on purpose." I looked away from Meredith's eyes. It was like being told off by Sir Atticus. The glare, the tone, the superiority of experiences. I could see why those two got along.

"So why not just attack and steal me away yourself?" I asked.

"I did," Meredith said coldly. She then gestured to the horde of demons behind me. "I've been growing this army for ten years to destroy Londinuium and capture you permanently. I let them attack a nearby witches clan to gain strength before sending them into get you." She shook her head dismissively. "You appeared strong enough to hold your own."

"Sorry for being such a problem," I replied. I didn't feel sorry for her; I almost respected her. For months I had wondered what the Fallen would be like. I had just imagined a more powerful demon, not one so tactical, clever, and patient. And that made me think of something. "If you knew I had to be stopped, you must have had my prophecy before that?"

Meredith went and leant against the boulder. She looked up at the night sky like she was wistfully thinking of a past long forgotten. It was scary how much humanity she had left. The other demons were deformed beings with only mild reminders of who they had once been. "It was ten years ago. My teacher, Sir Heath, wanted to discover Koralax's true nature. He wanted to bind a soul to the demon king, and so he needed a sacrifice. However, not any old soul would do. He needed one with enough power to survive the connection. So he needed a conduit to an angel." She then looked down at Marcus, and there was pity in her eyes. "Atticus was the one my master meant to turn. But I begged and said I would take his place." She paused for just a second. "I killed Sir Heath's wife and forged a new conduit." What looked like a tear seemed to appear in her eye. She then glared at me like I had been the real cause of her pain. "You'll never know what it is like to have your soul torn away. To feel it vanish into a void. However, I was lucky. Rather than losing my soul, it was replaced with my connection to Koralax." She spread her arms, revealing her human form. "That is why I remain unchanged. My Master's experiment worked, and even the witches felt the shock waves of the event. The first human powered by a demon. I couldn't stay, though. I left, my master screaming of his success. I flew out of the building and left to consort with my new master."

I stood there, blown away by what I was hearing. My mind was in overdrive, trying to piece all the bits together. This was beyond anything I could have imagined. "That's when you saw my prophecy?" I asked.