The Forgotten Son
Written by Gary Millington
"You are not alone anymore Clark" Riya's Final words
"There are many secrets in the house of El" Kara
Prologue
I walked through the sands of endless time with no destination in this long and pointless journey I call a life. How long I have been here? These are the one of many questions I still have been left unanswered. Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I come from? And all I get in answer is the whistle of the sand beneath my feet. I walk which I feel is for miles everyday of every month of every year hoping to find something anything to give me a reason for being here and all I am left with is the same feeling when I fall to sleep each night.
"You are alone"
The only time I am not alone is when the soul eaters are hungry the black lifeless demons who scour this domain looking for prey my only true companion in this world and they are my only true enemy. Though I feel there hatred burning within them and at times I do feel pity on them because apart from there appearance they are just like me trapped and lost in this zone of the damned.
But today was the day when my life would change forever.
I opened my eyes as the sand whipped up in my face the perfect wake up call, and yet I felt deep down that something was going to be different. I got up to my feet and immediately noticed a soul eater on the hill above stalking me. Same old routine the demons were always the opportunists for sneak attacks. But like every soul eater that approached him he would feel the tingling sensation round his neck and the predator would run with the vapour between its legs and disappear in the horizon. He looked down to see the only thing that kept him going on. A necklace which has been with all his life which has he knows been protecting him from the monsters from his fears and the symbol that was embedded on the crest of the crystal the letter S which he knew was his origin, his identity, his destiny. As much as thought of that feeling gave him hope that was not going to solve the feeling he had in his stomach he was starving getting a meal in this place was very hard to come by with insects and small serpents only on the menu he mite as well get a head start.
As I rummaged through the rocks to find my well earned breakfast the winds I noticed had changed direction very dramatically. Odd I thought but my driven objective for food pushed me into ignorance as I continued my search. As I lifted the rock I was pleased to see 2 scorpions startled by the sunlight making a run for the shade. And as I went to grab the main pincer I noticed the sky above me had went dark. Understanding the implication of this he decided breakfast can wait as he had never seen the sky react this way. A few sparks from the sky and bolts of yellow light came surging from the heavens. From the horizon I saw it strike the ground instantly the surface of the sand shook violently throwing him completely by surprise off his feet. I tried to use his hands to brace himself but slicing my hands hard against the rock I had once picked up.
I rived in agony as the blood slowly dripped from my ripped skin off my hand the ground was still shaking rapidly then before I could even brace myself. I felt myself getting tugged hard against the floor something was pulling me as I seemed to be gathering pace. I tried to grip the ground but my hands flailed helplessly in the sand like a massive boost of energy I was ripped from the ground and sent spiralling into the air stilling be pulled in the same direction. I gripped hard on my necklace hoping it would come to my rescue again but it did not respond. I managed to look into the direction I was heading it was a huge ray of light emanating from one spot I was moving through the air so fast I could feel my face hurting at the speed I was going. I was so close to the light now and surprising enough I saw soul eaters ahead of me vanishing into the this abyss I was unsure what lied in there but maybe it would be somewhere apart from here even if that place was death.
Contemplating my final moments I heard a voice coming from the vocal point It came through so clear like it had be amplified directly into my ear "RIYA!!!" with a loud bang the light vanished before I entered the light. I came spiralling to the sandy surface hitting hard against the floor. I seemed to role down a sand dune the hill was as steep as I came to an eventual stop and the bottom of hill everything inside of me hurt it felt like my entire body was deprived of energy. With whatever adrenaline in my body I urged myself to my feet my focus was very foggy as my eyes felt like they should be up at the top of my head. I closed my vision for a moment and when I came to opening them again I was took away with what I saw it was something he had never seen before. There stood 3 triangular pillows pointing into each other and in the middle of those pillows was a pedestal.
He slowly approached the object contemplating that whatever my inmates were sucked into I had missed my chance to join them for the good or bad I still wasn't sure. As I approached the pedestal a symbol stood on top of it and a first I did not understand what this meant but I clinched hard and removed my necklace and had to check twice the S symbol on the crest of the necklace was the same symbol that was on the pedestal. What this meant I did not know however the difference was the pedestals symbol was full of blood. Whoever touched this must have been having a rough day like I was. Then the wind was taken out of me and I was sent spiralling to the floor. I got up to see that I was not alone a single soul eater was also interested in the development. The more worrying concern I had was the necklace was not in my hand no more I was not protected he looked around and his guardian angel was nowhere to be found. He now released his worst nightmare was now a reality I had to face my fear alone.
The monster charged at me with great pace before I could react it zipped past me slicing my arm. Quickly returning it sliced my face as it circled me with no remorse slicing my leg my stomach it was to fast if only I had the power that it possessed to be as fast as it was my train of thought was blown out of my attention as the demon speared me but the bizarre thing was it went through me and I could feel it passing through my body as it left my back as if it was an exit I went to my knees as my body was to much in agony to stand with the damage this nemesis had inflicted but what I was about to hear shocked me "Thank you for a sharing." Even I talk to myself but this was different I looked behind me to see that it was not a soul eater I was seeing. I saw a man just like me same height same build. "Who are you?" was the only thing I could come to words. This man merely smiled as he responded in a cocky attitude. "I'm you…only a little more bizarre" Me I thought It sounded stupid but if this was me it's the first time I've seen my reflection before. He I, I wasn't sure had dark brown hair green eyes and a face that could bring justice or revenge on the world it was not up to someone else to decide his fate.
He charged at himself well the bizarre version and caught him sending him crashing into one of the pillars with all his mite punching into his own face again and again but all my opponent could say is
"You can't hurt me in the zone…Kryptonian"
Not understanding what he meant with a mere push I was sent flying backwards and landed right next to the pedestal but with amazement I also saw my guardian angel the necklace lay in the sand in my reach. The Bizarre me which I could only call it at the time charged toward me to finish me off with acrobatic effort I picked up the necklace I nipped myself onto my feet and pushed the necklace into his chest. The necklace surged into light and sent a light across his body as he raged in pain as the image of myself faded before me and he was reverted back to his soul eating black vapour ghost he once was at the same moment the necklace shattered into a dozen pieces in the sand. As the soul eater slowly approached I positioned myself facing my back towards the pedestal realised the 3 words that haunted me all my life were going to be my last. I slowly moved my bloodied hand to grip the top of the pedestal for leverage. I closed my eyes ready to face my fate "I….Stand…." My bloodied hand touch the S symbol and a raw entered my ears only knowing the soul eater was about to devour his prey. "…Alone"