I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
- Revelation 22:13
INTERLUDE
All was well. His servant was distressed, but he was not. He had encountered far greater obstacles over the millenia than a few children, gifted though they might be. Through his servant, he had controlled them once before, and he was more than confident that he could do so again. Perhaps this time, he would destroy them. Or perhaps he would maintain his hold on them indefinitely.
Yes, a fate worse than oblivion: eternal imprisonment.
The irony was not lost on him. It only served to make the thought all the sweeter.
Those among the gifted children who were suitable for the job would become the first seeds of his army. And with that army, he would build his empire anew - a simple task, surely. The world had changed since the magician had locked him away, but through his servant's eyes, he knew that its inhabitants remained the same weak, diseased people. Pathetic creatures, all of them, hardly fit to grovel at his feet. He would do away with that soon enough.
Only the strong survived. Only the strong were worthy of survival. Bereft of his rule, the world had forgotten that lesson.
He would remind them.
Soon...
END INTERLUDE