"Flesh is a trap…and magic sets us free."

13 years ago - The Mojave Desert 1983

The two vehicles came to a stop outside of the abandoned factory. After a few seconds four teenagers emerged. The four of them had known each other for nearly two years. All started off the same…runaways, living on the streets, barely able to survive. All seeing no hope in sight until Nix found them. All of that time following him, their beliefs thrown away. There was a world underneath all of this, a world of power and magic. Things they never thought could happen were shown to them. They saw truth in Nix's words and thought perhaps he might even be more powerful then God himself.

Finally that changed.

Swann stepped out, his shoulder length hair blowing behind him. Hearing his boots crunch against the pebbles and sand, he took a deep breath. He was the one who finally saw what Nix was doing. That he was a madman and had to be stopped. He wasn't using his power to discover things…he used it to destroy. He knew Nix had became fond of him. Out of everyone else who worshiped him, he somehow stood out. He was nothing more then a deadbeat teenager who seemed to have gotten lost in this world. He had no family or life to return to. Somehow Nix showed him a power that seemed to great, he saw the danger in it. He became close with Nix, learning his power as others watched. He knew those like Butterfield were jealous. He was the chosen one, he was the one that Nix wanted to rule the world with.

Then finally it hit him, he wasn't learning these powers for any certain reason. He was learning them to bring evil until the world. The same evil that made him live on the streets since he was thirteen. Finally he saw a different side of Nix, a side that terrified him.

So he left.

A few agreed with him. They knew Nix was crazy and bound to harm others. So they took off into the night, planning on what they would do next. For the past two years they had been their entire life. What could they do now?

Then Swann heard of Nix kidnapping a child.

This wasn't a follower. It was a little girl. Taken away in the night to be used for one of Nix's powers. To be sacrificed. It didn't matter to Nix if he harmed a child…he saw it was blood that needed to be spilled.

Having slept on it, Swann finally got the others to return. He had read up on finally stopping him. It had to be done…before it was too late. Walking forward, he tried to be strong. But the truth was…he was scared to death.

"Are we ready?"

Jennifer hid her gun into her jeans before eyeing Swann in a nervous manner. Swann knew Jennifer liked him. In fact the first night he was taken in by Nix, she crawled over to him as everyone was sleeping and introduced herself. She had been there longer them him and was at least five years older. Both slowly became friends, and as soon as things began to make Swann uneasy, nearly two years later…she was the first to agree. Both had done their research on binding Nix. They had to use Swann's power he developed to stop him. The cult would be lost without their leader…and maybe, just maybe it would be over.

Swann had slept with Jennifer a few times. It was mostly just sex between the two of them. In fact nearly everyone in the cult slept with each other. Nix believed that flesh should be shared, to create power. Swann wished he felt the same way about Jennifer as she did. But he just couldn't. Somehow something was missing in his heart, something in which hurt so badly he couldn't stand it. He wished she didn't agree with him so much. She was risking her like coming with him today.

"Look, maybe we should think this over?"

Pimm said as she lifted her handgun. The four of them all began walking forward, their eyes darting back and forth, clutching their weapons. Swann checked the bullets in his gun.

"He's gone too far…"

"So he took a kid…"

Jennifer turned around, shooting her eyes at Pimm.

"He's gonna kill her!"

Quaid, another friend of Swann's who escaped raised his shotgun.

"If he gets inside our fucking heads, he'll drive us crazy."

Swann felt his pulse begin to build up before snapping around.

"SO STAY OUT HERE!"

Quaid and Pimm froze as Swann stood there, the wind blowing against him. Jennifer moved forward and attempted to slip her hand into his. Swann moved away from her reach. He didn't mean to be cruel to his friends. They were the ones that followed him. They were the ones who knew Nix was dangerous and were taking his risk to save the child. He hated treating Jennifer like this. Even though the night before, after everyone was planned out. They took rooms in a small beaten down motel nearly fifty miles away. Jennifer came to his room, just after midnight. Seeing him awake, the two sat on the bed, talking about what would happen if Nix really did try to turn on them. Try to show them all those awful images and truths he spoke about. They were betraying a madman, and most likely wouldn't survive. There the two of them had sex. It was silent, and empty of any emotion. Once Swann finished, he turned over, putting his back to her as she slowly dressed and left him. On the ride down, he softly told her that he wasn't planning on staying with her once this was over…if they lived.

She looked forward as they drove before slowly nodding. She told him she understood he didn't love her, that she was drawn to him and felt as if she was dying whenever they were around each other. She told him it was just something about him…maybe that's why Nix picked him. He was different then the others. Looking over for a moment, he nodded. They agreed that if they lived, they would all go their separate ways. Jennifer then told him how sorry she was for everything.

"For what?"

"For falling in love with you…"

Swann couldn't look at her, clutching the steering wheel, he drove on.

Now the four of them stood outside, before Quaid blinked. Swann turned back around and began walking again. Slowly the others followed.

Once inside, a chill went through the air. Sand was littered on the winding floors. Wind screamed outside as dim candle light showed off the gothic paintings on the wall. The four of them kept walking, waiting for anyone to pop out.

Swann paused in the main hallway. For a moment he remembered this had been his home.

"Look around, if you see the girl yell."

Swann then went forward to where Nix slept. His heart pounding.

Thoughts began to go towards the last two years. How much it felt like a family, this psychopathic leader Nix as their father. The things he was shown, and the power he was given. Everything, all this time was now shattered. He had to stop this before it was too late.

Thinking of the girl, he prayed she wasn't dead. Finally he found the opening of the room. Pieces of plaster and wood falling apart. Pointing his gun forward, his arms shaking. He stepped into Nix's room. Looking around he saw everything he had seen, so many nights in the dark learning his ways. The two of them, gaining power together. Did Nix love him? Perhaps he did. He remembered all those times, learning the powers and secrets of the world, as Nix's old gray eyes studied him.

Then he hear the cries. Freezing he turned around to see the girl, tied up and huddled into the coroner of the room. Her long dirty blond hair hanging in her face. Bloody scratch marks on her legs as she shook.

Swann looked at her, before lowering his gun. That's when that empty feeling in his heart suddenly went away. He couldn't explain what it felt like looking at this young girl, but seeing her, so helpless and afraid made him feel as if he could really do this. Fear went away as he walked forward, falling to his knees and taking the tied cloth out of her mouth.

"Please help me…"

She wept. Philip held her, touching her beautiful and soft face as tears ran down it. Both locked eyes. Her brown ones, and his sparking blue ones. For a moment, Swann felt time stand still.

"Your gonna be okay…"

The girl looked at him as he held her, both of their eyes locked together.

"Okay?"

Slowly he heard a creaking behind him. The girl then looked past his shoulder and screamed. Swann turned around and saw Nix hanging on the structure of animal bones and rags. Hanging there, mid air…the fear came crashing back. The girl ducked down, crying as she turned away. Slowly without no feeling, Swann stood up as Nix smiled at him.

"I knew you would come…I've got so much power to give you Swann." "All you have to do is beg."

Swann felt his heart begin to race. Goosebumps broke out all over his body as he stared at his past master. Hair hanging in his face, his eyes went wide as he looked at him.

"Fuck out."

Nix smirked.

"You don't think I got it to give?"

"No…"

"Your wrong!"

His words roared through the empty room, before he went flying towards him. Swann didn't even get a chance to think or lean down and pick up his gun. Nix crashed him into the wall, his hands wrapping around his throat.

"I COULD EAT YOUR FUCKING SOUL!"

Swann gasped for air, the pain in his throat burning. In the distance he thought he heard Jennifer scream. It was all over…He thought to himself.

Nix smiled, pinning him down before brushing his hair away.

"How would you like to see the world as it really is?" "You must see flesh with God's eyes."

Slowly an awful burning pain went into Swann's head. Within seconds everything almost turned to black. His eyes burned as he felt completely numb. Laying against the wall, the room began to spin.

"Swann?"

Quaid called out. Nix then pushed him forward out of the shadows.

"Here he is…"

Swann was barley able to stand on his own two feet.

"Take a look Swann…"

Jennifer and Quaid stood there.

"These are your friends…"

Swann blinked, his stomach tossing. There he saw Quaid and Jennifer slowly began to melt. An awful terrifying change happened. All human features went away. A mix of darkness of dripping mud appeared. Swann's heart started to hurt, he kept blinking but these monsters before him wouldn't go away. The dripping mess hissed at him.

Swann cried out, trying to hit them. He needed it to go away, everything was spinning. He was going crazy…was this what he would see for now on. Blinded but the shield of flesh?

"NO!"

He cried out, bending over and holding himself as he shook. Sweat dripped off him before Jennifer stepped closer.

"What have you done to him?" "Swann?"

She tried to come closer, touch him.

Swann pushed her away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME, HE GOT INSIDE MY HEAD!"

The mess, which had Jennifer's voice fell to the ground.

"Do you wanna be like that Swann…mud, shit?"

Swann swung his arms at the air. The pain and sight wouldn't go away.

"Come here…"

Nix held out his arms.

Slowly Swann turned around.

"Share the power…"

An awful energy began to feed into him. Nix was giving something to Swann, something dangerous and strong. The waves of energy kept going into him. Feeling his eyes burning even more, he stood back helpless.

Then…

The sound went off, for a brief second Swann thought Quaid's shotgun had fired. Standing there, the energy stopped flowing into him. Nix's face morphed into the closest thing Swann could describe as hell. Frozen he stood there, before blood began to appear on Nix's shirt. Falling to the ground, the burning disappeared and the ugliness and monsters turned back into his friends. Taking a second, he saw the little girl with the gun.

She had been the one who shot Nix. Standing there, she cried out and dropped the gun.

Swann turned away for a second before Nix struggled to stand up. Moaning, he clutched his bleeding wound. Just then shots were fired. Once from Quaid, the other from Jennifer. Causing Nix to fall.

"Swann…help me…"

Swann turned, now seeing clearly. Nix was down…this was his chance.

"Bag."

Within seconds Jennifer tossed it to him. Kneeling down on Nix's body, he took out the tools he was given to Nix nearly a year before hand. Tools which had been around for centuries. Tools in which stopped and undead from returning. Nix told him these were tools they could use in the future.

"What are you doing?"

"Binding you…"

Swann took out the metal pieces before placing them on Nix's face. Biting into the thin flesh of his thumb, he felt warmth began to dribble down.

"You little shit!"

Placing his blood on the screws, they began to bind inwards. Nix screamed out as the metal was sealed on his face.

"This isn't over Swann!"

Swann then placed the final piece. Making his blood seal it.

Nix's words were now muffled, and silence came over the room. Moving for a few seconds, he finally stopped.

It was finished.

Nix was dead.

Pimm slowly walked forward into the room, her eyes on the body.

Slowly Swann stood up as everyone circled around.

"Is he dead?"

Pimm walked forward before Quaid nodded. In the background, they heard a dog barking.

"Dead…"

The little girl slowly walked beside Swann, her small white dress covered in dirt and blood.

"What do we do now?"

Jennifer softly said. Looking up, Swann stared at his friends. Here he was, nineteen years old, and had stopped this evil force. The same force that gave him power, and showed him the truth of magic and life. He couldn't harm anyone else…it was finished.

"We bury him so deep…no one will never find him."

The little girl began crying again, holding her hands to her face. Swann looked down at her and felt that strong protecting feeling drift through him. Slowly he put his arm around her, trying his hardest to sooth her.

From across, Jennifer eyed them before dropping her eyes.

Swann knew it over. Turning away, his arm still tightly around the girl, they walked out.