The Dawn of Destruction, Chapter 13 (Clean)

                          The Dawn of Destruction

Interitus 1 – Book One

            Chapter Thirteen

 

            “The telescope is the convergent point of four dimensions. Whether you’re an amateur or an astronomer, it gives you access to beauty that just cannot exist in the silent shadows of this twisted Earth. If you watch for long enough, you will see sights that do more than take your breath away; you will crack the encryption of the universe and see beauty so stunning that it freezes the air in your lungs. The volume of space will make the blood in your veins run cold, but it will not be the painful coldness that surrounds this desolate place. It will be the coldness of a world untouched by tragedy. And though there exists a world out there, a hellish place under the bloody reign of the demons and deities that infiltrated us, it is nothing in the infinite realm of space.

“I think it’s nice to have a reminder that I am a drop in the ocean of stars and light. I think it’s nice to decrypt time and space to see the expanse of the universe—to steal access to a world of lost reflections that no longer exists. It’s a cosmic photograph of the beauty that precedes the collapse. For a moment, I can ignore the misery which scarred me. I can ignore the Creation that will carry out this world’s destruction. I can ignore the actions that drove me to this rooftop, and I can ignore the reactions that will be carried out by my right hand.”

            Naomi closed the telescope and collapsed it back to its smallest state. The overhead starlight flickered across the white rooftop, enshrouding Naomi with an enchanting glow. The cool breeze swept across the singed surface of her skin, lightly tugging on her dark hair.

            Still staring at the sky, Naomi said, “There is no other way to feel that escape; there is no better way to find that temporary detachment. Even when I close my eyes, I can’t ignore the endless web of anguish. I can’t pretend it does not exist. I still have this crippling emptiness deep in my core. I still have a soul of darkness. I am still the victim of the universe; I am still the girl that God selected to be the ambassador of agony. This emptiness was not supposed to be here—not if we were left to our own devices. But there is no point in complaining about the timeline of cold destiny.

“Even if it’s merely a token gesture to the loneliness that devoured my heart, and although it will do nothing to change my state of mind, I can use Creation. I can use Creation to manufacture another person in this world, made from my own flesh and blood, built with my same bloodlust and emptiness. I can Create another girl to suffer through this world, and though she and I must never meet, at least there will be someone else in this ocean of stars who truly understands me.”

***

            After the fight with the six bandits, Seth went back to sleep for several hours. He wanted to sleep far longer, but he woke up in the morning and could not fall back asleep. Despite this insufficient sleep, he still felt fully restored, like he had defeated his fatigue at last. But even though he and Phil had not explicitly discussed it, they both knew that they had to do one thing while they were in the Himalayas. Beyond stumbling upon this temple and a new weapon, they wanted to find the hundred-year-traveler whom Liu had mentioned. He was allegedly an extraterrestrial man, and Seth was beginning to suspect that he was actually Harold.

            Soon after emerging from their rooms, Seth and Phil met in the restaurant, eating unfamiliar food for breakfast. Even though its taste bewildered them, they knew they might not eat again for a while. As they ate, they looked through the windows into the snow-covered outside world.

            “Ya know, Phil, putting the Equilibrium Trigger on your knives was really smart. I never woulda thought of that,” Seth commended him.

            “Ain’t I always told you I’m one of the smartest people of all time?! Now I ain’t sayin’ I’m like some Isaac Newton or Leonhard Euler or any of that good shit, and I can’t always be as friendly as other dudes, but sometimes I think everyone underestimates me! I don’t really give a shit though, it just mean some punk-ass won’t expect it when I start kickin’ they sorry ass. I’m just happy I found all my knives,” Phil said, beaming with pride.

            “Man, I’m so glad we’re best friends. I couldn’t count on my hands how many times you’ve saved my ass; you’re my hero,” Seth said.

            “That’s what brothers is for, man. Never forget.”

            Seth and Phil both rose to leave the diner and then the village, but then a familiar face poked through the door before they left the diner.

            “Pardon me, but I hear you both are leaving out of blue. I know this is not expected, but is it possible I may tag along? Master Liu says you have destiny in battle against great evil. I am compel to offer my assistance,” Zheng said.

            Seth could not figure out what to say. Sometimes when he let his mind wander, he fantasized about going on an adventure with a group of vagabond friends. But now that it was actually possible, it just didn’t seem like the best choice. It was not Zheng’s fault, since both Seth and Phil enjoyed his company; it was simply that Seth preferred traveling with just Phil. With a single glance at Phil’s face, Seth confirmed that they were both thinking the same thing. Nevertheless, he was not cold enough to reject Zheng outright.

            Seth cautiously explained, “You can join us, but just not right now. I know it’s a lot to ask, but see if you can find a way to get to San Diego! See, the source of all this evil is a woman who’s basically worshipped like a god. Phil and I will be going back there really soon, but we still have to find something in the mountains.”

            “I understand, and I most graciously thank you for opportunity to help! I have very good friend who live in San Diego. It will be nice to meet in person! But first, we must fight evil. How will I know this is evil woman when I see her?” Zheng asked.

            “Well firs’ of all, this hoe ain’t like none of them girls you see jus’ walkin’ down the street every day. That’s for damn sure,” Phil quickly said, chuckling with Seth.

            “What is defining feature?” Zheng asked.

            “…Tell me, Zheng. You a breast man or an ass man? There ain’t no wrong answers here.”

            “What is this breast man and ass man…?” Zheng asked tentatively.

            “It’s a dude who prefer a woman with big ol’ titties or a woman with a big ol’ ass! What’s yo preference?” Phil said.

            Seth tried to stifle his laughter, but Zheng’s cheeks flooded with a red hue. He stammered aloud, “In my village, it is impolite to talk about such details.”

            “Well, let’s jus’ say that if you is a breast man, you gon’ have to fight against yo inner desires just as soon as you see her! She’s this Asian hoe who got these real big titties on her, she like one of them anime girls turned real, man. And she real pretty too, Zheng. You’ll know it’s her instantly, I bet you!”

            After a period of uncomfortable consideration, Zheng managed to interpret Phil’s string of colloquialisms. He asked, “So the woman we must defeat has a most impressive bust?”

            “Man, let’s jus’ say yes. There all kinds of nasty-ass shit I could say, but I think you got the point. Actually, know what? Tell me, Zheng, you ever heard of Dolly Parton?” Phil asked.

            “That’s, uh, an odd choice of comparison. Really odd first choice there, too. Look, Naomi’s pretty hot, and that’s just a fact. You’ll probably see and hear about her all over the place; a lot of people there think she’s a prophet of God. Just be really careful, ‘cause those who believe her will stop at nothing to protect her. When you get to San Diego, call me at this number, and we can figure out a battle plan,” Seth told Zheng, handing him a folded sheet of paper.

            “I look forward to oncoming battle! And I know this sound very weird, but I feel like I already met both of you long time ago. A few years maybe, but I know this is silly. It just that you remind me of someone I know. I guess I am trying to ask…” Zheng said, but his voice trailed off.

            Zheng chose not to continue the previous thought. Instead, he opened the door for Seth and Phil with a friendly smile. Seth and Phil exchanged glances of uncertainty.

            “Farewell, Phil. Farewell, Destruction,” Zheng respectfully said.

            Seth and Phil stepped out into the sunlit snow, and with that, their journey began. The first stop was the rumored man in the mountains, and then the next destination was any possible way to get back to San Diego. The voyage began with a northeastward march, but Seth did not choose this direction simply because it had the gentlest slope. It was a longshot, but it was based on something Seth had noticed earlier.

In the early morning after he fought off the bandits, Seth had noticed an unfamiliar glow which stained the early sunrise. When he saw it, he remembered seeing a mosaic at the back of the restaurant; it used colorful stones to depict the landscape during early autumn. The mosaic was made from the perspective of a man standing at the village’s edge, staring due north into the early morning sky, just as Seth had done after the battle. Misty clouds rolled across the mountains, shining upon the leftmost four-fifths of both the morning sky and the mosaic in the restaurant.

When Seth reached the exact location as the mosaic’s point-of-view, probably from many decades ago, he realized that every detail was the same. The mosaic showed marks on the mountainsides left by frozen rivers and faded cascades. Even now, Seth and Phil saw the same markings in essentially the same place. The most interesting part of the mosaic, which was no longer visible in this early afternoon hour, was the unexplainable glow which shone in the rightmost edge of the sky. The color was certainly ignited by the rising sun, but it contrasted with the sunlight, suggesting that it had a different source.

            When he had first seen the mosaic, he realized that the color in the sky was the same shade as the substance used to draw the Equilibrium Trigger. Using the mosaic like a map in his memory, Seth led Phil toward a meandering valley. They walked between the slopes of mountains, but after many minutes, Phil narrowed his face and stopped walking.

            “You know what I jus’ realize? You been my best friend for like fourteen years, and I don’t even know if you a breast man or an ass man,” Phil said.

            Seth rolled his eyes and resumed walking. He didn’t want to ignore Phil’s question, but he certainly wouldn’t let it slow him down, either.

            “It’s probably a cliché, but nothing matters more than her personality,” Seth answered.

            “Man, I knew you was gonna say some lame-ass shit like that, but you know what I mean! What I’m sayin’ is, if some girl be perfect in personality, would you want her with ass or titties? I mean, seein’ as how you always try to talk about Naomi’s body and shit, you weird obsessive motherfucker, I think you prefer some chest meat. Am I right?” Phil asked.

            “Well, Phil, I’m not gonna lie. I pretty much love both. But hey, don’t go guessing my preferences just off one girl! I mean, based off your interest in her, I could think the same thing of you!”

             “Man, why you always be talkin’ about all this perverted shit? It’s like it’s all you ever think about… you and yo horny-ass,” Phil said, shaking his head in disappointment.

            “Man, how is it that the hardest part about hiking through the goddamn Himalayas is having to deal with you?” Seth asked with a laugh.

            Phil nudged his friend and gave a slight chuckle as they marched on. Before long, they found a peculiar glow which stained the blue-gray sky. As they walked toward the light, they saw the outline of a single mountain. The otherworldly glow reflected on the snowy surface of this mountain, creating a light which resembled a thick evergreen with a splash of pink mixed in; it looked like a vortex of vibrant colors between the snow and the sky.

The gentle swirl of hues and shades changed with every step as Phil and Seth circumnavigated the mountain’s base. After they walked about halfway around it, they noticed a new detail to the mountainside. A large ellipse of dense ash surrounded the reflection of the dazzling light. The layers of ash-coated rock were untouched by snow and ice. Driven by curiosity, Seth and Phil started to climb the mountain.

            As he and Phil climbed the daunting slope for what felt like dozens of minutes, Seth realized that he had been looking at the light wrong all along. The otherworldly glow was not in the sky; it actually came from the center of the ashy ellipse. Seth suspected that the light source was buried in the mountainside through a shallow tunnel, and that would explain why they couldn’t see the strange colors at every angle.

            While he slowly climbed, Seth suddenly remembered his ominous nightmare of dying on an icy mountainside. He repeatedly assured himself this would not come to pass; after all, they were far too low in elevation for anything of the sort. Furthermore, his fingers had not even gone numb, plus they only felt slightly brittle. Because of this, he convinced himself that the nightmare was an act of imagination and not a prophecy. It would not stop him from bringing down Naomi.

But after one thought led to another, Seth said to his friend, “I’ve gotta confess something. I should’ve said it earlier, but it’s hard to explain… ‘cause I don’t even understand it. When I touched the Equilibrium Trigger the first time, it’s like… my spirit went straight to Naomi. I got a peek inside her head, and-”

“And you saw some shit you really wish ya didn’t, right? I know, man. It’s like I got a little glimpse of it too. Like you felt so sad you just radiated that shit. Got me all down in the dumps and I ain’t even know why. Not at first. Now I got some glimpses, but it’s heavier than I know what to do with. She went through some real crazy shit. It twisted her into something unfixable, y’know what I mean?” Phil answered.

Seth shook his head slowly and muttered, “I just can’t help but wonder who she really is underneath all that. The way she ran through the dark to find her sister, the way she pleaded just trying to save her—maybe there’s some good inside her. Something buried from a young age because of all that. I think… what if she blames the world for stealing her childhood? Like she wants revenge for something she never shoulda suffered.”

“Man, I hear you, but unfixable means unfixable. Ain’t no changing that shit. I don’t mean to be a hard-ass or nothing, but the cycle gotta stop somewhere. She already killed hundreds of people. Maybe thousands! Probably gon’ be a whole lot more. What they supposed to do? Just let her kill ‘em ‘cause she went through some shit? And how ‘bout us? We just gon’ let her kill people ‘cause she went through some shit?” Phil asked.

Seth took a deep breath and shook his head before sighing. He said, “Of course not. And maybe I’m wrong anyway, it’s just… I saw something in her nightmare. A scared girl who wanted to protect her sister. She doesn’t have to be evil.”

“Maybe not, Seth, but try tellin’ her crazy-ass that. She gon’ show you exactly who she is. Already did. Can’t waste no time on the person she coulda been. It’s too late for that.”

Nodding with a murmur of forlorn agreement, Seth sighed and kept climbing. The peculiar glow grew stronger when Seth and Phil arrived at the ashy ellipse; it shone brightest from the entrance of the cavern. The light did not overwhelm their eyes; it just seemed to distort the color of everything it touched. When the two friends entered the cave, they noticed a peculiar ornamentation on every wall in the shallow cavern. A strange metal was embedded in the cavern walls, and ashes stained the ground. The whole place looked like the crater of a crash site before anything else, but Phil could not tell what had crashed. There was metal everywhere, but he saw no sign of circuitry or engines.

            “This is some crazy shit, man. Is it bad I expect some weird green goo to jump out at me any second?” Phil asked, looking around fearfully.

            “No… but this is really odd. Is this where our Cosmic Pens were made? Is this where the Equilibrium Trigger comes from?” Seth asked.

            “It is,” said a deep, familiar voice from the entrance of the small space.

            Seth swerved to face the exit and saw Harold standing before him.

            “Phil! This is the guy I told you about, the one who taught me how to use my powers!” Seth said, extending his left hand.

            “Man, Seth, you really gotta work on the way you phrase shit sometimes,” Phil cackled.

            But as he accepted Seth’s handshake, Harold said, “I have felt the incredible feats of what you’ve done already; I truly am proud to have activated you.”

            “Man, now this old-ass man be holdin’ hands with my best friend! This ain’t a good look,” Phil laughed to himself, but this still did not earn him any attention.

            “Are you the guy who taught Master Liu how to use the Equilibrium Trigger? How do you know all that stuff? Do you know anything that’ll help fight Naomi?” Seth hurriedly asked.

            “Slow down, my young friend. You are right, that was me; I am the wanderer who has roamed these mountains for a century. As for my knowledge and the secrets I know, well, I cannot say much. It would be irresponsible for me to change the future. It would be irresponsible for the path you must take. However, I will tell you this: A greater power exists inside the Equilibrium Trigger. Creation’s vessel may become vulnerable if you can find what you now know exists within her. You just have to make sense of it,” Harold explained, stepping deeper into the cave.

            “Man… it’s like you know everything. I have so many questions,” Seth admitted.

            “Everything will make sense in time. Until then, I suggest that you make a swift return to San Diego; Creation is planning her onslaught as we speak. There is a small but sufficient airport due east of this place, in a plateau between two mountains. They will transport you almost anywhere for a fair price,” Harold said.

            As Seth gazed with awe, Phil stared at Harold with an uncertain gaze. He then glanced at the peculiar metal in the walls of the cavern, but he could not identify anything he saw.

            “Thank you, Harold. I’ll do my best to stop her. I just pray that this isn’t the last time we meet,” Seth said.

            “Rest assured, Destruction. We will meet again. I know that in the end, we will fight together to create a better world.”