HUMAN SPIRIT

HUMAN SPIRIT; Ch. 14

Leonard had no idea how Julius was going to react. Badly, on some level. That was a given. And with all the crap he had to deal with, Julius was at a breaking point. Vulnerable, yet knowledgeable, and apparently, in denial.

“No,” Julius said, holding his gaze with Leonard. “N- no, Claudius doesn’t know anything about the Abstract world. You’re lying,” he claimed. “You can’t honestly think that I’d believe you?” He got up from his seat. Leonard tried to stay calm, unwavering. There was no simple way for Julius to dive head-first into cold water. He had to test it first. Take a step forward, then back. Two steps forward, one back. And the process would continue – 'bit by bit' was the only way Julius was able to understand things. And it wasn't not like you could just heave this load of new information on a person, anyway. The whole Abstract world was something you came to understand in little bits, or else you wouldn’t understand it at all. 

And Claudius? The fact that Claudius already knew about the Abstract world only made it worse. Because for a brief period in time, Julius thought he had something that belonged to him, when, in fact, he didn’t. Claudius, as cocky and obtrusive as he was, wouldn’t let Julius live it down. It was the average big brother syndrome, simply put. Leonard got up, but Julius was already walking to the door, ready to leave. Selfish as it was for Julius to want the Abstract world to himself, it was understandable. Because never once was Julius ever truly left alone. Not really. Whispers and threats and memories always seemed to shroud his mind, even when he lived alone in his house. He’d deny it, of course, but it was true.

Julius was halfway to the door when the urn took advantage of his vulnerability. Leonard swore he heard some kind of cracking, which was terribly cringe-worthy, and Julius made a sound of pain. Grabbing his head with both of his hands, Julius fell to his knees in front of the door, about to leave. Leonard ran over to him, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving. A man even offered to call nine-one-one, but as Leonard perched over Julius’ trembling body, he assured the man that Julius was alright. But his body indicated otherwise: his skin seemed to be paler and his hair looked sallow. Shadows rose in places they hadn’t before, like in his increasingly sunken eyes and gaunt cheeks. Julius wasn’t getting older, or sick, but it was physical distress. Temporary, but no less intimidating.

Unexpectedly, Julius’ hand shot out defiantly and grabbed the door handle, then slowly, he pulled himself up from the ground. He was in a completely new state of mind. 

It hurt that Leonard couldn't help. At first, he was ordered to protect Julius. But now, he wanted to. Julius became something that Leonard wanted to help in all crises, what with how seemingly-fragile Julius was.  

Note, ‘seemingly.’

As he rose from his spot on the ground, Julius became this thing of raw defiance. Stripped of  his personal trials, tribulations, and stresses, he had nothing left but his soul to help him up. And to actually do so… Leonard knew why Julius had been burdened with the urn. Leonard knew why, of all the people on earth, the Creator had chosen him. It was because of his will power, which surpassed anything else humanly possible. And masked by the worries, fears, and phobias that Julius possessed, it was never able to shine through. There was always that restricted fidelity, that pain that caused it to damper. But now, walking out into the Abstract world, it was all clear.

In the second world, connections between a Token and it’s Keeper are physically noticeable, but never so bright as this. It was as if a thousand lightning bolts were strung from the sky, down to the hollow of Julius neck. And they were rampant, as if trying to escape. As Julius' green eyes became paler and paler, he fell to his knees once more in the middle of the road, but not in defeat. He was looking straight at the sky where the bolts were coming from. As they rang out in loud bullet shots, everything became blind. All the men in the suits, all the people in white, they cowered at the sight. But Leonard just stood there, indifferent by the light. He was too baffled.