Alexis
If I am alive, then this must be the Aether. I glance at the white washed room. It is the same as I had seen in my dreams, nevertheless, it seems tangible. I can feel the warmth of the soft light from the chandelier on my skin.
I gulp the ball of fear that has being crawling up my throat, Asmodeus had dragged me into the white rift. We are in the Aether. The realization skids like a bullet train, the dreams I've had all this while were about the Aether; the Golden door, the obsidian corridors, the white room.
"All my life, I've waited for this moment." Asmodeus steps towards the jewel studded doors.
"Asmodeus!" I utter his name; my voice filled with fury.
"Alexis, honey, I do appreciate you helping me, regardless, I think I can take it from here."
"Stop." This time I keep my tone dangerously low. The fire essence swirls like molten lava in my gut. My mouth feels as dry as a sandpaper. My headache almost knocks me off balance. "I won't let you open that door."
"You can't stop anything, love." He replies in a sweet-menacing tone. "This is my destiny. I was born for this, so, stay out of it!" With that his fist lights up with deep purple flames. The amethyst glow courses in my direction. It strikes the center of my chest. Air knocks out of my lungs and my body is tossed back into the hard brick wall. The pain shoots my spine and travels up to my head; my body drops to the floor with a bang.
A low grunt leaves my lips as I make an effort to keep my eyes open. Hot tears form at the corner of my eyes. The muscles of my body ache as I try to get to my feet again.
"You will burn!" I howl into his face as I summon my fire essence. Heat erupts in my chest as I produce a flaming ball of fire. The force augments with every passing second. I aim the ball at Asmodeus, my hands shiver in feebleness.
I send the fire ball in his direction. Nevertheless, the flames merely brush him like a weak gust of air. Not a single speck of dirt appears on his clothes. My flames roll and die down.
I look at his face. Botheration is not even in question; he seems least interested by my move. He sulkily steps away from the door and makes his way towards me.
A fresh swell of anger rises in me. I breathe sharply and produce my fire sword. The essence disperses in a heat wave. This time Asmodeus stumbles back, however, he soon regains his composure.
"So, Ethan did teach you a few tricks. But, that doesn't change the fact that I'm undefeatable. You should've considered your chances of survival before making your move." He mutters in irritation.
Before he can get any closer, I sweep the blade in his way. In an instant, he dodges my attack swiftly. His flames turn to a radiant turquoise wisp. Swirls of water surrounds his arms; the water essence creates a ridge shield. A sizzling sound generates when the cool shield comes in contact with the fire sword.
"The fire essence fuels on rage; which you don't possess right now." Asmodeus smirks devilishly behind his shield.
"I will in a moment." I snarl as I surge the sword into the water barrier. It is like throwing a fist at a brick wall. Though, my body is numb, I can feel the sting of the heat on my skin. A small crack appears on the floating liquid. I jab the blade further. The tear widens. Finally! The shield is wearing off! Gritting my teeth, I charge the sword through the shield. With a splash, the water essence shield spills all over the walls of the white room, the shield splatters like a water balloon pierced by a needle. From top to bottom, I am entirely drenched in cold freezing water. The sword dissolves, so does my fire essence.
"Not so fast!" I hear the words after feeling the pain on my left cheek. My pale skin must've turned a crimson, but that is least of my worries; Asmodeus knocked me to the floor. The wetness of blood itches below my nostril. I wipe it with the back of my hand; which comes back bloody. It almost seems like my nose is smashed with an iron hammer. "Not that brilliant at a hand brawl, are we?" He speaks over me. I shut my eyes in pain.
"Get up! Come on, fight me!" He barks.
The pain reaches my mind and my Aether begins to tick.
"Face me, you piece of shit!" With that he grabs a handful of my hair and hauls it back.
The blood is all over my face, shirt and in my mouth. My tongue is soaked in blood.
"You won't get away with this!" I stutter in agony. My vision starts to blur. The glimmer on the objects in the room, look like large glowing orbs; almost like the bokeh effect.
"Oh honey! I already have. I brought you into the Aether with an intention of one thing only, that being, finding the door that leads to the void. This is a mere astral projection; your body is still on earth. That place must be covered with the blood of your friend by now. Azazel doesn't spare an ant; he has killed every single pathetic friend of yours."
The wildfire in my chest ignites at his words. My eyes transform a completely different color. The amethyst glow surrounds my being. I feel charged currents travel my spine. On the tips of my fingers, currents tickle my skin. Just like a loaded gun, I blast Asmodeus in the face. The white-hot currents hit him in the chest and he tosses away like a fly struck the swatter. His body crashes into the colorless wall.
"You are weaker than I thought." I talk to him, while he struggles to lift himself of the floor.
"What!" His head snaps at me.
"The Aether is tired of you, Asmodeus, I can already sense the mystic forces fighting inside you. They don't want to be a part of you anymore. That is the reason, you couldn't find the door to the void. The Aether in you is fading." I stand upright and stumble slightly towards him.
"You don't know anything. The Aether considers me superior to any other Altruist. They will never leave me. You are terrified over the fact that you are not their first choice." He babbles as he pushes himself to stand.
"Are you even hearing yourself? The Mystic forces are with me." I pause to let the words sink in his brain. I slowly raise my palm to show him the purple glow dancing on the surface of my skin.
"What..." His speech wavers. His eyes widen in petrification, with he realizes the force missing within.
"You are just an ordinary sephilim." I stand before his battered body. I feel an eerie intuition jerk my body.
Alexis! Don't fight it!
I feel my chest rumble at the thoughts. What if I stop? it seems much easier than what I'm doing right now, I might not even be able to pull this off, even with the force, it appears almost impossible.
Alexandria, remember why you started.
"Dad?" I look around the room. That voice definitely sounds like Dad. "Why did I start?"
I close my eyes to the darkness. At, first there is a mild red tint, soon memories skid my vision, I see my school, Nancy and Damion standing in the hallway. Jake flirting with one of the seniors. Mrs. Morris walking by with a stack of papers; her bun stands higher than ever. I see Marty being yelled at by Elvira. I see my mom decorating the vase with purple orchids. The high ceiling was about to crush me, when I get pulls aside by Ethan. His flaming gaze locked on me; his pale face just an inch away from mine.
"For them."
I dash and wrap my arms around the man standing before me.
"Dad." I sob in his arms. He is real, I sense his spirit blooming in the darkness. "Dad, I... I... You..."
"Sweetheart, you are the bravest women I've ever seen." He cups my face and speaks to me.
"Dad."
"You did something so incredible; you are fighting for your friends and family. I knew you'd be able to overcome the fear. Your mother and I tried for years, When, you were born to us, it was a miracle. I could see the ray of hope, in your innocent smile. I'm dead. That doesn't mean I'm gone. I'll always be there with you. whenever, you are stuck, you find yourself doubting your motives. I'll always come to you."
"So, are you alive?"
"No, this is a fragment of my soul, offered to you by the void.
"The void?"
"Yes, you can't overcome the void. The one who comprehends that shall be granted an eternal blessing. Now, finish what you started. You can do this!"
He lets go of me.
"Dad!"
I howl as I watch him fade into the darkness.
He is right. I CAN DO THIS.
...
"No!!!" Asmodeus screeches the word into the night. The terror in his tone echoes with the walls of the room. His eyes light up like melted lava, the sight of which sends my spine chilling. The hair at the nape of my neck stands straight.
"You can't kill me!!" He snarls as he rises to his feet. His jaw clenches so hard, it almost feels like it is going to crack the very next second.
"You are right." I let out without hesitation.
The anger on his face pauses abruptly.
"I can't kill you, that is why I am locking you away."
"What are you..." He goes silent when I clutch his right arm up to his elbow.
"Forgive me." I utter, before tightening the grip and start the extraction.
"What do you think you are doing?" he screams.
The force of the essences flow from Asmodeus' body, through his arm and into me. I feel my head split in half. The jolt of currents charges my nerves and twists my body like an elastic band. Flashing lights blind my vision.
"No! No! Stop it! I said Stop!" His protests or commands doesn't bother me anymore.
"Arhhh!" I yell. It feels as if some surgeon is cutting open my kidney with a butter knife. My pulse skyrockets and I let out a throaty roar from my chest. The walls of the room quake. Large cracks form on the surface; the canvases, tapestries unhinge and fall to the white marble floor. Among the clatter, roots protrude from the raptured floor; their crawl around the walls and debris. A gust of wind swirls overhead, gradually, water droplets sweep into the miniature tornado, until, the droplets turn to a stem of water. Ergo, a lasso of fire loops in a huge circle around Asmodeus and me. All the elements are gathered under a roof. This is extremely unusual phenomenon.
"NO! Don't do it!" I hear Asmodeus plead at my feet.
"I will trap you, regardless, you won't be needing your powers any longer. You don't deserve it. You only used it to hurt people and gain more power. You killed thousands of people without batting a lash, their blood is on your hands."
In an instant, my heartbeat stabilizes. The pounding in my ears seizes. The room drops dead silence. Tears stem down my cheeks, my glowing eyes on Asmodeus.
"My father tried to warn you, he died to keep you from hurting others. You might have not noticed, but he loved you. I can feel his love. This power in me, I can sense his heart ache for you. That's the reason I'm letting you live."
I withdraw my hand from him. Turning around, I walk towards the golden door. The tumult of the elements didn't affect the door a bit. Its diamonds are stuck to the panel intractably.
I rise my arms and close my eye. The hollow intuition I felt minutes ago, crawls back into my breasts. Breathing the cool air, I clap the handle and open the door.