The Brimstone Chronicles - The Book of Eternity (Book 3)

CHAPTER 22 - Heart of Darkness, pt. 1

"That is my decision, yes." Andrew seemed more reserved now, or contrite, it was difficult to discern which since his brow remained forever furrowed from a lifetime of scowling.

"Right. I came here to ask about..."

"Your grand-father. On my side." Andrew finished, and then an almost discernible smile played across his lips as he saw his son's reaction and said, "I thought as much from the moment I saw how you signed your message."

"Then why... why declare earlier that I wasn't your son? Why act so surprised and fearful?"

"When you spend your life despising your origins and living in a world ignorant of the reality of those origins, you eventually tire yourself out and one of two things happen: Either you give in and embrace your roots, or you forget and sever them so that you may live out the remainder of your days in what peace is left for you to find."

"But you're so..."

"Human? Believe me, son, I learned that truth decades ago. When I discovered what my father was, it was one of his enemies who had come to my mother looking for him. Angered by my father's absence, the demon attacked my mother and struck her dead before he turned to me. I saw his true form then, and that of my father who appeared at the moment of my mother's death, summoned by her dying breath. My father -jet black skin and all- saw my dead mother with his fiery eyes and swiftly slew the demon that killed her... Then he was gone, never even looked in my direction. Years ago, when I turned twenty-one I decided that I needed to know if I was anything like my father. A foolish idea, really, surely there must have been a safer way to find out. Nonetheless, I went prowling the streets of Rema, looking for trouble. That night I learned just how pathetically human I was and that the only thing my father ever gave me was the gift of true sight." Andrew said the word 'gift' with so much loathing that Alexander almost pitied his father.

"So you don't know where he is then." Alexander deflated.

"Actually I do now. When you were born, he came to me in a dream that morning; said only one word and left."

"What did he say?" Alexander straightened now.

Eyes closed, Andrew took a breath before he reopened them. At that moment his eyes went from the darkest brown to the bloodiest red, and when he spoke his voice was almost mist-like, "Diyu."

"The Chinese hell..."

∞

"The Chinese nether realm?" Shift inquired as they left the driveway, "Just how many hells do we plan on visiting in one month? And why can't we go somewhere less life threatening? Like Hawaii! I've never been there..."

Kryssana laughed before she replied, "Hawaii, nice? Hawaii was once a hell realm, you oaf. That's why they have all those volcanoes; it was a realm that stretched from there to the chain of volcanoes near Japan. Something happened that killed all its demons and their king – without a being of power to maintain it, the realm rose from its depths and joined the human realm."

"I happened." Nexus mumbled.

"What was that?" Leliel asked, overhearing Nexus while she was listening to what Kryssana was telling Shift.

Nexus took a breath then spoke louder, "I happened. It was a dark time for me, I was grieving. I saw it as justifiable that I destroy every demon I came across."

Shift stepped away from Nexus, "Considering only two in our little entourage aren't of demonic origins, let's try not to cause you any grief, shall we? In fact, forget I said anything about Hawaii."

Kryssana shook her head in pity at Shift's conversational maneuvering, "Alexander, how are we getting to Diyu?"

Alexander went into his mind for information on Diyu and learned then that Diyu's only entrance was meant for Diyu's inhabitants – who all had wings. Turning to his comrades, Alexander asked, "How many of you can fly or have alternative means of air travel?" Leliel and Nexus were the only ones who replied positively since they had wings.