At first he felt only pain. Pain that fully overcame his mind, cruelly rived his body and constrained him to forget everything - even who and where he was. The only thing he could think about was pain. Burning, insufferable pain that possessed every part of his body. It seemed that this pain had become a part of his life, which will never go away and never cease. He lost everything - his mind, his memories, his willpower and even himself. He was lost in this space of pain. He felt himself falling deeper and deeper into the darkness of blind agony; pain became even stronger if it was possible, and suddenly everything stopped. The darkness wrapped him, the agony possessed him and the last thing he felt was like if he divides in two parts. Then he didn't feel anything anymore.
Light. Bright, sore light tried to get into his eyes through his closed eyelids. He opened his eyes and at first didn't neither feel, nor see anything. The bright light made him blind, but then he started to see bit by bit. He slept in a wide bed and, looking around the room, he didn't remember if he has ever been here. He felt sure that he'd remember it because this room was kind of a very interesting place. It was something luxurious and artless in time. All the furniture where brightly white, and the room was filled with warm, soft light. At first he was surprised where he is, but then he remembered also who he is, and that filled his body with spiritual pain. Memories cruelly tantalized him and, although he still felt physical weakness along all his body, this pain was nothing by the side of the agony he felt in his heart. He closed his eyes, trying to immerse into the soft self-abandonment again, but he couldn't. A question after question came into his mind, and he emitted a soft moan.
Why I'm still alive? his mind was screaming.
And suddenly he heard an answer.
"Because it's not your time yet."
Was this only his imagination? He tried to rise up his head to look who and if someone stands in the doorway, but it was too hard for him, and he collapsed in the bed, emitting a moan of the pain.
"Better don't try to get up yet," again he heard this voice. "You're still weak."
Thoughts quickly flied through his mind, but he still didn't understand who could be this person. At least, the voice sounded friendly and he felt that he needn't to be afraid of the speaker.
"You're right, it's not necessary to be afraid of me," the voice said again and suddenly he saw the speaker.
It was a very old man with wrinkly skin, it seemed that he must be hundreds of years old. That meant that he's not a human. The old man had a white and very long beard, his white hair was as long, and his hands held a stick. When he took a chair and sat down near the bed, an endless wisdom and unimaginable experience glittered in his old, genial eyes.
"Welcome back to the life, Cole Turner," he sincerely said.
Cole frowned. "Back? To the life? But how…?"
"How it's possible that you're still alive after you were vanquished? How it's possible that you aren't burning in the flames of the hell right now?" the old man interrupted him. "I already said that it's not your time to go yet."
"I don't understand," Cole sighed, feeling tired and harassed. "I had to die. They vanquished me. I was in the hell already, I felt it. Who saved me?"
"I did," the old man shortly replied.
"But why?" Cole faintly closed his eyes. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you let me die? Why didn't you let me rest in peace? I don't wanna live anymore."
"Well," the old man soothingly put his hand over Cole's. Suddenly Cole felt the power and light that came from man's hand to his and then reached his heart, "I know you don't but you will have to."
Cole sharply rejected old man's hand, looking at it with a surprise and distrust. "Who are you? How do you know me and what do you want?"
"Calm down, Cole, I don't want to do anything bad," the old man sighed. "So many questions but I'll try to answer. All I want is to help you. You're not dead because you're destined to live. There are things, which you still have to accomplish, Cole. Your life isn't over yet. I'm an angel, and my name's Amistad the Wise. In truth, I'm the leader of all angels, and our destiny is to help human, to lead them and to show them their right way…"
"I'm not a human," Cole interrupted him.
"Cole, don't be silly," Amistad tardily stroked his beard. "You are a half human and there's a lot of human in you. Besides, don't you feel that something has changed since the Charmed Ones vanquished you?"
"What are you speaking about?" Cole frowned.
"Patience, Cole, and I'll tell you everything," Amistad answered. "Don't you really feel that you're the same and also the different person in time? You are right, you were in the hell. In truth, your evil side stayed there," Amistad looked in Cole's eyes. "Forever."
Cole doubtfully looked at him. "Do you mean that I really divided in two parts there? I felt it…"
"Yeah, you did," Amistad nodded. "See, there's still justice in the world. We couldn't let that the hell ravens the whole you. You've done many cruel things, Cole, but that's far in the past and we know you've learned from your mistakes since then. You've done also a lot of good, Cole; we know it because we constantly followed you," Amistad sighed and immersed into memories. "There are a lot of things you still don't know, Cole."
"What?" Cole was so distracted that it was everything he could breathe.
"When you were born, there were two ways in front of you and two destinies you could choose," Amistad started to explain. "Your demonic mother knew it and she decided to choose the destiny for you. You know that she killed your mortal father and raised you in a demon dimension. You grew up as Belthazor, despising your human side, being cruel, cool-headed and fully evil. But the life gave you another chance, Cole, because everyone must choose his way by himself. You chose another way, remember? You chose it then, when you weren't able to kill Phoebe Halliwell. Do you remember that evening? You wanted to kill her, while you were kissing, but you lowered your knife and whispered I can't. Later you killed the Triad, and that was the beginning of your new destiny."
"I didn't know…" Cole whispered.
"Of course, you didn't," Amistad interrupted him. "No one knows when they have to choose between something, and they also don't know how their decision will change their lives. Since then we started to watch over you. I must say, I believed in you since the early beginning. I know you'll make it."
"I'll make what?" Cole painfully exclaimed. "I wasn't strong enough to fight the evil! I gave up, I became the Source, and since then my life is just an absurd, pointless existence! I don't live, I do just exist, and that's not the same!"
"Stop it, Cole, don't despise yourself," Amistad gently said. "You're wrong. You were strong enough to fight the evil and you did it. You weren't able to overpower it, and that's absolutely natural. As I said, we watched over you, and recently before your last extermination we found out that your destiny is about to change again."
"How do you mean it?" Cole asked. "Will I become Belthazor again?"
"No, no, not at all," Amistad denied. "I can't tell you everything, but I can say that you'll find a new meaning of your life. You're destined to do a lot of great things in the future, being good. You had to be vanquished to regenerate one more time. And this time," Amistad genially smiled, "you won't have to fight the evil in yourself, because you'll never be evil again. Your evil side stayed in the hell and won't ever return."
Cole sighed. "I guess I'd have to be glad, but I'm not. I wanted to be good just because of her and now I don't care anymore. Of course, I'm thankful, but I'd better be dead right now. Can you at least tell me who am I now?"
"You still have got all your powers," Amistad answered. "In truth, technically you're still half human, half demon, but not evil. Besides, you don't have to thank me, because I didn't change anything. Your destiny was changed by someone that stands higher than anyone else in the world and is the most powerful, the most benevolent and the most generous being through the time and space."
"You mean, God?" Cole whispered, words sticking in his throat.
"Cole, remember that there are things that human just can't understand," Amistad said. "Yeah, it was a touch of God, but you needn't understand who changed your destiny, you have to understand why it's changed. You have deserved another chance, and it's given to you, Cole. I already said that I can't tell you all things, which can happen and will happen in your future, but you have a great possibility to start everything from the beginning. Use this chance, Cole."
"How?" Cole asked.
Amistad kept silence for a while. "Your new destiny awaits you, Cole. Soon I'll tell you what is happening on the earth, and you'll be able to take a part in the battle between good and evil. But I'll never tell you how to exactly use this chance. You'll have to find out it by yourself," said that, he stood up. "I think it's enough for today, Cole. You know everything you have to know for now, and all other things I'll tell you later."
"All other things?" Cole asked. "Do I have to know also something else?"
But Amistad just smiled. "Everything has its time, Cole."
"Okay, can you at least tell me where am I?" he sighed.
"Of course," Amistad nodded. "Here's heaven. You have to stay here until you'll recover. You're ill and weak, so we're going to care about you. Are you hungry? I'll tell my cook to bring a breakfast for you."
Cole nodded. Amistad gave him a soft smile and gently took his hand.
"I have always known you're a special person, Cole," he said.
Light. Bright, sore light tried to get into his eyes through his closed eyelids. He opened his eyes and at first didn't neither feel, nor see anything. The bright light made him blind, but then he started to see bit by bit. He slept in a wide bed and, looking around the room, he didn't remember if he has ever been here. He felt sure that he'd remember it because this room was kind of a very interesting place. It was something luxurious and artless in time. All the furniture where brightly white, and the room was filled with warm, soft light. At first he was surprised where he is, but then he remembered also who he is, and that filled his body with spiritual pain. Memories cruelly tantalized him and, although he still felt physical weakness along all his body, this pain was nothing by the side of the agony he felt in his heart. He closed his eyes, trying to immerse into the soft self-abandonment again, but he couldn't. A question after question came into his mind, and he emitted a soft moan.
Why I'm still alive? his mind was screaming.
And suddenly he heard an answer.
"Because it's not your time yet."
Was this only his imagination? He tried to rise up his head to look who and if someone stands in the doorway, but it was too hard for him, and he collapsed in the bed, emitting a moan of the pain.
"Better don't try to get up yet," again he heard this voice. "You're still weak."
Thoughts quickly flied through his mind, but he still didn't understand who could be this person. At least, the voice sounded friendly and he felt that he needn't to be afraid of the speaker.
"You're right, it's not necessary to be afraid of me," the voice said again and suddenly he saw the speaker.
It was a very old man with wrinkly skin, it seemed that he must be hundreds of years old. That meant that he's not a human. The old man had a white and very long beard, his white hair was as long, and his hands held a stick. When he took a chair and sat down near the bed, an endless wisdom and unimaginable experience glittered in his old, genial eyes.
"Welcome back to the life, Cole Turner," he sincerely said.
Cole frowned. "Back? To the life? But how…?"
"How it's possible that you're still alive after you were vanquished? How it's possible that you aren't burning in the flames of the hell right now?" the old man interrupted him. "I already said that it's not your time to go yet."
"I don't understand," Cole sighed, feeling tired and harassed. "I had to die. They vanquished me. I was in the hell already, I felt it. Who saved me?"
"I did," the old man shortly replied.
"But why?" Cole faintly closed his eyes. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you let me die? Why didn't you let me rest in peace? I don't wanna live anymore."
"Well," the old man soothingly put his hand over Cole's. Suddenly Cole felt the power and light that came from man's hand to his and then reached his heart, "I know you don't but you will have to."
Cole sharply rejected old man's hand, looking at it with a surprise and distrust. "Who are you? How do you know me and what do you want?"
"Calm down, Cole, I don't want to do anything bad," the old man sighed. "So many questions but I'll try to answer. All I want is to help you. You're not dead because you're destined to live. There are things, which you still have to accomplish, Cole. Your life isn't over yet. I'm an angel, and my name's Amistad the Wise. In truth, I'm the leader of all angels, and our destiny is to help human, to lead them and to show them their right way…"
"I'm not a human," Cole interrupted him.
"Cole, don't be silly," Amistad tardily stroked his beard. "You are a half human and there's a lot of human in you. Besides, don't you feel that something has changed since the Charmed Ones vanquished you?"
"What are you speaking about?" Cole frowned.
"Patience, Cole, and I'll tell you everything," Amistad answered. "Don't you really feel that you're the same and also the different person in time? You are right, you were in the hell. In truth, your evil side stayed there," Amistad looked in Cole's eyes. "Forever."
Cole doubtfully looked at him. "Do you mean that I really divided in two parts there? I felt it…"
"Yeah, you did," Amistad nodded. "See, there's still justice in the world. We couldn't let that the hell ravens the whole you. You've done many cruel things, Cole, but that's far in the past and we know you've learned from your mistakes since then. You've done also a lot of good, Cole; we know it because we constantly followed you," Amistad sighed and immersed into memories. "There are a lot of things you still don't know, Cole."
"What?" Cole was so distracted that it was everything he could breathe.
"When you were born, there were two ways in front of you and two destinies you could choose," Amistad started to explain. "Your demonic mother knew it and she decided to choose the destiny for you. You know that she killed your mortal father and raised you in a demon dimension. You grew up as Belthazor, despising your human side, being cruel, cool-headed and fully evil. But the life gave you another chance, Cole, because everyone must choose his way by himself. You chose another way, remember? You chose it then, when you weren't able to kill Phoebe Halliwell. Do you remember that evening? You wanted to kill her, while you were kissing, but you lowered your knife and whispered I can't. Later you killed the Triad, and that was the beginning of your new destiny."
"I didn't know…" Cole whispered.
"Of course, you didn't," Amistad interrupted him. "No one knows when they have to choose between something, and they also don't know how their decision will change their lives. Since then we started to watch over you. I must say, I believed in you since the early beginning. I know you'll make it."
"I'll make what?" Cole painfully exclaimed. "I wasn't strong enough to fight the evil! I gave up, I became the Source, and since then my life is just an absurd, pointless existence! I don't live, I do just exist, and that's not the same!"
"Stop it, Cole, don't despise yourself," Amistad gently said. "You're wrong. You were strong enough to fight the evil and you did it. You weren't able to overpower it, and that's absolutely natural. As I said, we watched over you, and recently before your last extermination we found out that your destiny is about to change again."
"How do you mean it?" Cole asked. "Will I become Belthazor again?"
"No, no, not at all," Amistad denied. "I can't tell you everything, but I can say that you'll find a new meaning of your life. You're destined to do a lot of great things in the future, being good. You had to be vanquished to regenerate one more time. And this time," Amistad genially smiled, "you won't have to fight the evil in yourself, because you'll never be evil again. Your evil side stayed in the hell and won't ever return."
Cole sighed. "I guess I'd have to be glad, but I'm not. I wanted to be good just because of her and now I don't care anymore. Of course, I'm thankful, but I'd better be dead right now. Can you at least tell me who am I now?"
"You still have got all your powers," Amistad answered. "In truth, technically you're still half human, half demon, but not evil. Besides, you don't have to thank me, because I didn't change anything. Your destiny was changed by someone that stands higher than anyone else in the world and is the most powerful, the most benevolent and the most generous being through the time and space."
"You mean, God?" Cole whispered, words sticking in his throat.
"Cole, remember that there are things that human just can't understand," Amistad said. "Yeah, it was a touch of God, but you needn't understand who changed your destiny, you have to understand why it's changed. You have deserved another chance, and it's given to you, Cole. I already said that I can't tell you all things, which can happen and will happen in your future, but you have a great possibility to start everything from the beginning. Use this chance, Cole."
"How?" Cole asked.
Amistad kept silence for a while. "Your new destiny awaits you, Cole. Soon I'll tell you what is happening on the earth, and you'll be able to take a part in the battle between good and evil. But I'll never tell you how to exactly use this chance. You'll have to find out it by yourself," said that, he stood up. "I think it's enough for today, Cole. You know everything you have to know for now, and all other things I'll tell you later."
"All other things?" Cole asked. "Do I have to know also something else?"
But Amistad just smiled. "Everything has its time, Cole."
"Okay, can you at least tell me where am I?" he sighed.
"Of course," Amistad nodded. "Here's heaven. You have to stay here until you'll recover. You're ill and weak, so we're going to care about you. Are you hungry? I'll tell my cook to bring a breakfast for you."
Cole nodded. Amistad gave him a soft smile and gently took his hand.
"I have always known you're a special person, Cole," he said.