Genesis (Prophecy Rock Series, Book 1)

Chapter Forty Two

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The Warrior watched Raden as he sat upon the lonesome edge of the precipice. Raden remained motionless as he meditated in silence. The sun was just dropping over the distant mountain range, coloring the world in various shades of purple. The snow-capped mountaintop of Mount Iwai was the highest point in all the empire. It was here that legends told of the beginning of the Renzai Empire. 

The Sun God had fallen in love with the Moon Goddess, mesmerized by the beauty of her celestial aura. He chased her for countless ages, always unable to catch her, until that one blessed day. The sun and moon became one and cast a shadow over the whole world. From their union, millions upon millions of children were born, scattered to live and illuminate the night sky and accompany their mother. Today, we can still see their heavenly presence as stars staring back down on Eos. As more celestial children continued to be born, one child named Renzai, compelled to beget his own family, decided to leave the heavens and begin anew on the world below. He was said to have come down in a flaming comet. The impact from his arrival shifted the landscape of Eos, causing mountains, oceans, and rivers to form. Renzai took on the form of the first human and started his new life on Eos. It is his descendants that the people of the empire claim their genealogy to. A holy people destined for holy glory. To many of the empire it was simply a myth, but to a select few, it was a reality. Sitting before the Warrior, Raden was evidence of this truth. Their savior was here; Renzai had been reborn.

The Warrior observed the chaos consuming Raden. His body remained completely still, but the ever-changing aura he projected was in turmoil. Bright cardinal flames burst forth sporadically, interspersed between moments of peace. The first markings appeared shortly after sunset last night. The symbols of the Ancients flowed throughout Raden’s skin. Rippling across his arms and chest, his body giving off the translucent appearance of water. More symbols surfaced as the night went on. It was well past midnight when Raden’s body was completely covered by them. Everywhere but his face was now camouflaged. Raden remained that way until early morning when the next phase of his evolution began. The mark for Chosen appeared on his forehead. Lines flowed out from the symbol, connecting with the ones on Raden’s neck. A burst of a light coursed through every tattoo etched into his skin. They shifted and formed, as if his body had been wrapped in a hundred million slithering serpents. The markings finally merged together and solidified into place. 

Streams of smoke emanated from Raden’s body and the aura surrounding him disappeared. Concerned that something had gone wrong, the Warrior urgently made his way over, but that’s when Raden turned around abruptly. His eye patch had burned away, and his left eye glowed a brilliant scarlet now. Light poured out of it. His entire demeanor had changed. His hair was slicked back, wisps of smoke drifted about his head. His body appeared more muscular. There was a gravitas about him that was hard to deny or resist. Raden slowly stood up, his muscles still sore from the training. He stared into the sky; perhaps he was simply gazing at the beauty of the early morning dawn, or perhaps he was talking to his heavenly family, reunited after so long. It was the latter that the Warrior preferred to believe. As if thinking the same thing, Raden’s hands began to shake as fire engulfed his forearms. He thrust his hands upward, and released a grand fireball into the sky. He stumbled back, falling to one knee, sweat covered his brow, but a smile appeared on his face as he watched it rise high into the sky, magnificent as the sun. The Warrior watched in awe as it continued to rise beyond Mount Iwai. Suddenly, it violently exploded, showering the mountain range with heavenly crimson, melting the snow-capped mountaintops, revealing the virgin earth below. 

Raden made his way towards the Warrior, his feet burning footprints into the ground. He was only a few feet from the Warrior when he suddenly felt dizzy; everything went dark as he collapsed.