MIX-Salvation

Chapter 8

“You seem to be taking this better than the rest of us.” Obsidian remarked a while later.

Riley shot by him, whizzing to and fro, from the closet to the bed pulling out clothes. He stopped mid whiz and grinned like a little boy. “Sorry. This is just so cool. What did I miss?”

Obsidian had watched quietly as he’d stuffed his face with food earlier, as soon as he’d pulled on some clothes. He hadn’t even bothered to shower first. Riley was so starved he felt like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. And when he’d started eating, it was as though his tongue had an explosion of flavor with every bite. Zyrah had plopped into a chair across from him exhaling noisily after serving him yet again, while Storm had giggled like a little girl. She found it adorable, the way he popped yet another piece of chocolate into his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss, as though it were the first time he’d eaten the confection.

Obsidian had his eyes trained on him too, but they held a look of wonder. Nobody had interrupted him, nobody had questioned him. They’d let him take in everything at his own pace, hoping he’d open up when he was ready.

He hadn’t.

“Ah, not much.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets unsure of how much to tell him, how soon to let him know…“What happened, while you were unconscious?”

The grin slipped off Riley’s face. He closed his eyes remembering and let out a shudder. He inhaled deeply, sadly, and then opened his eyes again.

“Go.” Obsidian smiled in understanding. “Freshen up. We’ll talk when you’re ready.” His hand reached automatically to comfort him.

Riley looked taken aback by the action. A feeling much like the one he’d had when he saw his mother, whispered through him. He flew into the bathroom without looking back.

Obsidian:

‘How could the Elders have lied to me? How could they let me believe that Opal had died with the child still inside her? How could they not tell me that MY son was Salvation?’

He’d grieved everyday for his loss, still grieved…Memories of time spent with his love swept through him leaving him feeling drained. He’d never had reason to live let alone be anything more, till he met her. Until then he’d wandered around his plane aimlessly, watching the other Phantom grow insane with power, while he waited for death to claim him. He’d known what they were from birth. Their genetic make up was designed with only one thing in mind-destroy. He’d never felt the need to harm, unlike the other. Raphael had called on him many times to join him in his version of fun but he wouldn’t, even though that so called fun resulted in him sharing half of whatever life force his brother had stolen. He’d felt it the other day as well, when his magick had grown more forceful. He couldn’t destroy his brother even if he tried…Causing pain would only result in him remembering the look on his mothers face as she disappeared. As it was, his first memory had been the look of unadulterated fear contorting her features as she realized that they would live, while she was fading away. He’d wanted to comfort her, but he’d only just been born. Somehow, when she looked at him, she’d known that he was different from the other. Her eyes, filled with new hope, had locked with his. A ghost of a smile playing on her lips, she whispered one word, ‘salvation’, before the light in her was extinguished completely.

It was the vision of that light that had kept him from seeking darkness, even though he was borne from it. No matter how bad it got, he would not be a slave to it. He’d thought that’s what the Seer had meant by the foretelling. ‘He is one with five and ties with you...’ He’s assumed his mother had seen the future of him helping the Shield of Salvation. Not that he’d actually be his own flesh and blood.