Clark's eyes opened to something he didn't expect; sight. He felt his face to revel in this amazing feat, when he noticed that the only thing he felt when his fingers touched his cheeks was a tingling sensation. He then looked up and around him and realized that he was surrounded by white light. However, the light was not pure. There was an off-white tint and the light tended to flicker. Clark felt that if this was Heaven, it was not very impressive.

"Where am I?" Clark whispered to himself.

"The battleground of your soul, my boy!"

Startled, Clark whipped his head around to see whose raspy voice had called out to him. He was shocked to see Rev. Jim standing in the exact clothing that he was in when they first met, but his voice seemed altered. His hands were folded in front of him and he wore a solid grin on his face.

"H-how did you get here?" Clark said, trembled.

"I think that this is a very impressive place that you have inside of you, Clark. I'm surprised that you are even allowed to have it, since you're not human and all."

Clark's emotions were bubbling up as never before as he listened to the continued taunts from this evil man. Clark didn't feel like he did when he was in a normal state. He felt that there was nothing holding his feelings back, as if he was on red kryptonite. Only in this situation, he felt that there were moral emotions inside him that drove him instead of bodily desire. It was that that kept him from ripping this man to shreds. Clark was actually hoping for some red kryptonite about now because he wanted to tear this man apart limb from limb for what he did. However, he also felt sorry for the man. Clark didn't want to, but he felt compelled to.

"I don't even think that you know what this place is," the reverend continued. "It is a battleground of sorts located inside your soul where people like me fight other fools who want you to join them. However, it is up to you on who wins and who loses. You can give power to the army that you want on your side, I suggest me in this case."

"Why would I do that," Clark hissed through clenched teeth. "You humiliated me. You insulted me. You called me a demon!" At this point Clark was shouting. "Why would I want to give you anything!"

"My my," Rev. Jim said while running his hands through his hair. "Talk about holding a grudge. I know I might have done some bad things, but it was only to get you here, so that I could offer you amazing power."

"Like the power you have? The power to manipulate and control innocent people?"

"Those people would have been nothing without me! They would've simply been hick farmers who beat their families and spend their nights consumed in the bottle. I'm doing them a favor."

"By taking away their freedom. No one has the right to do that."

"Oh poppycock, boy! I do no more than this world that you love so much. I don't see you berating all the television shows that attract teenagers by the millions and make a certain day of the week their day of worship. And when these shows become less than perfect, these people organize just like an army! If my enemy's followers were like that, then I would've been defeated a long time ago."

Clark found it hard to disagree with the reverend on that point, especially since he had seen some kid's at school have sessions of mourning after iBuffy/i was canceled. However, he had a feeling that he couldn't let this man see him cringe. Clark figured that he was in the middle of a dream and the reverend was somehow channeling into his subconscious to try and make him give up hope. From this theory, Clark knew that he couldn't really fight the reverend here, so he just had to take this verbal onslaught that was meant to confuse him.

"It's not just that! I believe that you have a certain girl clad in pink that you followed like your life depended on it not too long ago."

All of a sudden, Clark discovered that his resolve was going to be harder to keep than he thought. "You don't know anything about that! Besides, that ended a long time ago."

"Because she let you down. However, you never berate her as you do me. In fact, you still let her close to you. I'm no different than her."

"Lana still cares about me! Just because we're not in love anymore doesn't mean that she's not a good person! That's more than I can say for you!"

"We get told things all the time and believe they're true just because other people or the media says so. Why don't you berate them! I'll tell you why. Because they didn't beat you. I'll tell you this about that race that you want to protect. No one thinks for themselves, and most aren't even qualified to. You for example. Name one decision you have made that has benefited your family for the better."

Clark let out a slight growl at that statement, but as he thought about it, there was really no decision he made in his life that he thought made a positive difference in his parents' lives. Clark was trying to see through the fact that this man was constantly changing the subject in order to confuse him, but at this point, Rev. Jim was circling Clark just as before, and it was giving Clark a horrible flashback.

"You only want to help people because you think you have to out of guilt. And, let's say that by some off chance, you do make a difference and find a way to help the human race immensely. The minute one poor soul spreads a nasty rumor about you, the public will turn against you. Why? Because everyone is too dumb to think for themselves! They need someone to do it for them! That's my point! You and I are called to lead these people, and with my help, you can gain the power to do so."

The reverend then walked over and put his hand on Clark's shoulder. The boy jerked his body away and gave the reverend a killer look. "You don't know anything about the human race!"

"I know more than you think, and I can teach you a whole lot more if you join me."

Clark could feel something inside of him that made him feel queasy. It was like a snake slithering around his body and making its way up to his chest. It seemed to constrict him around his middle and around his chest. It made him stand very still as he began to wonder if this serpent was real.

"Will you join me?" the reverend said in a slow, deep voice.

"N-n-no." Clark said as his neck began to feel tight. A hiss at his side caused him to panic and close his eyes, but then, all of a sudden, he heard a swipe and felt the tight feeling disappear.

"Aelora!" Rev. Jim shouted.

Clark's eyes shot open and his heart soared as he heard that name. However, what he saw when his eyes did open was very different than what he expected. Aelora looked different than she was when he last saw her. She was in a flowing white dress and her formerly matted hair was now straight and reflected the light like a mirror as it flowed like water around her shoulders. Her glasses were now missing and had been replaced with deep blue eyes, and her rough hands now were as smooth as silk.

"Aelora? Wha…?"

"It's okay, Clark," she said in a soothing voice that seemed to resonate all around him. "Wait here."

She then stood up from kneeling and revealed that she had grown a few feet. She opened her hand and let a long and slender sword grow out of her hand. It had a shiny finish and a wonderfully complicated design on the handle. It didn't look like a traditional metal sword but rather a crystal or glass object. Aelora then raised it up to the sky and let it glimmer in the white light of Clark's soul.

"What's going on!" Clark asked in a panic as he stared at the intimidating weapon. He then looked over at the reverend and saw that he was now holding a large battleaxe in two of his clenched hands.

"It's time for you to lift the façade!" Aelora cried. As she pointed a long finger toward the man who then hunched over and moaned.

"What'd you do to Rev. Jim!" Clark asked Aelora, slightly afraid of this newly discovered power of hers.

"Rev. Jim is dead," she chimed. "He has been dead for several years now. This is Marduk, or Manipulation, whichever name you prefer. He is a demon whose sole purpose is to trick and deceive."

Clark felt a great rising of fear within his heart as he heard those names. Not because of the names themselves, or the fact that this man had been his abuser for what seemed like an eternity, but because of the fact that fangs grew out of the man's mouth whenever Aelora spoke. He also noticed that other parts of his body were changing as well.

"A demon," Clark said as he stepped back from the gradually shape-shifting creature and behind Aelora. "You mean, like those things on iCharmed/i?"

Rev. Jim, or Marduk as he was now known, threw his head back and cackled like a ruthless hag. "See what I mean, boy," He said in a voice even raspier than before. "You are controlled by what you are told."

"Silence!" Aelora called out in a greatly amplified voice. She then turned to Clark and said in a patient voice, "Real demons are nothing like that. Their sole purpose is convincing the world they do not exist, and using that ignorance to wreck havoc on the human race."

Clark then furrowed his brow and rubbed his arms as he looked back at Marduk and glared at him. "You never thought I was a demon at all did you? You knew I was good. You just wanted to convince me that I was evil so that you could control me!"

"Yes, I was told you were a smart lad. Not too good on the street smarts, though. Very trusting. A stupid characteristic if you asked me. Reminds me of James, right before I took him over."

"You…you gave Rev. Jim his powers?"

"Yes sir. I gave James his power. He was a very weak soul, which made him easy to manipulate during a mission trip to Haiti. He was trying to cast me out of a man whom I was inhabiting, and I managed to latch onto him as he thought he succeeded. I then came to him in a dream and told him that I would give him great power if he would listen to me and follow. Being the smart man he was, he accepted. Unfortunately, I didn't specify what the power would be." At this point Marduk threw his head back and gave a horrible and evil laugh. "Over these past years, I have been eating away at the man's spirit while using my power of manipulation to cause great havoc in this church. Of course, the moment I found out about you, a kind boy that would one day fight my forces, I knew that I couldn't let you go on."

"I had a feeling," Clark said as he tried to hide his fear.

"Don't be afraid, Clark," Aelora cooed. "He only has as much power as you let him have."

"Oh don't listen to all that mumbo-jumbo, Clark. If she really cared about you, then why didn't she save you?"

Clark's eyes then went wide and then looked to Aelora.

"It's his most frequently used lie, Clark," Aelora said calmly. "Don't take it to heart."

"But why didn't you save me? Apparently you have a lot of power."

"All will be explained in due time, Clark."

The boy looked down toward his feet and carried an apprehensive look on his face. He then let out a sigh and muttered, "I don't know."

"Ha! You see Aelora! He sees right through you!"

Aelora shook her head and put her hand on Clark's shoulder. "Clark, why are you believing him? I just outed him as a demon, and when you saw him in the physical realm, he did horrible things to you! I know I didn't save you, but there wasn't a second when I didn't want to. However, I knew that this time needed to happen."

"Why!" Clark shouted. His eyes were brimming with tears and his fists were clenched. Out of his line of vision, Marduk was growing larger as Clark's anger swelled. The boy was hurt and broken and he wanted to know why this had to happen to him. He began to back away from Aelora and grind his teeth together.

"See, Clark, you can't trust anyone," Marduk cackled. By now, he had totally changed his shape. His fingers now had long talons and his incisors were sticking out of his mouth. His hair was now long, black, and tangled. His skin was grey, and he had long black wings sticking out his back. His clothes were now composed of a back toga that hung over his shoulder and went down to his calf muscle, and his eyes glowed yellow like a stop light.

"Y-you're right," Clark said though the lump in his throat. "Nobody cares. Aelora…Aelora only did this be…because she wanted to destroy Mar…Marduk. She didn't give a rip about me. My…my dad…at least my mom cared enough to…"

"Your mother's alive, Clark," Marduk said as he began to draw near Clark.

His eyes then met Aelora's and she nodded while closing her eyes in deep sadness. All she could do was stay silent now that Clark was giving Marduk all the power he needed.

"Yes, even she knows it. Your mother was given a bullet-proof vest that had fake blood inside. Once you all left and she was alone, she got away using the truck."

"No!" Aelora shouted. "That's not…"

She didn't even get to finish her sentence before Marduk darted over and hit her with his battle axe. He then turned his face toward a horrified Clark and continued to feed him dark innuendo.

"That woman was only going to explain away why she let your mother leave without you, just like when she didn't save you. She just tortured you with kindness so that my tests would hurt all the worse."

"But w-what about what you said…"

"Only lies that her power forced me to tell. Look, I don't admit to be perfect, but I am someone who wants you to be all that you can be."

Within seconds, the monster that Marduk had become turned back into a man, and then continued to decend on the boy. Clark felt compelled to look at this man and didn't even act out his desire to look over at Aelora, who was weeping on the ground holding her gaping wound.

"Clark, believe me. Your parents have abandoned you."

"But what about when my dad…"

"What about your father? He was the one pounding the nails into your wrists. What made you think he was some sort of exception? He wasn't. Your parents are gone, Clark. They've left you for greater pastures. However, I have a way that you can make them pay. You can follow me and "

Martha sat on the grass behind the church building as they waited for the sun to come out from behind the overcast clouds. Clark's head was in her lap as she ran her fingers through his slippery, black hair. She could hear Clark muttering some things that she couldn't make out, but she knew that there seemed to be conversation going on.

"How is he?" said a young feminine voice behind her.

"Not well," Martha said softly. "I told you we should have done this sooner. Why did we have to wait until they already nailed him, Kimberly!"

"Martha," Kimberly said as she knelt beside the grieving mother. "We got there too late, and that's my fault. However, I'm glad you followed the plan even though we didn't get there in time. Otherwise, he would be hanging on that cross right now and you would probably be dead. However, now you're starting to do exactly what Aelora told you not to do. You have to be calm for him. That will only cause more stress for him."

"Can you blame me?" Martha said as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Kimberly then put her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I understand, Martha. I felt the exact same way when my father destroyed Stephen. I had no power to save him then at the age of twelve, but it only increased my resolve to stop him from hurting anyone else. I hope that I succeed this time."

Martha nodded in acknowledgement of her words, but little else. All that encompassed her focus right now was her boy beaten and broken in her lap. Despite the summer heat, he was shivering and it seemed like his heart was beating very fast. Martha was not a doctor, but it seemed impossible to her to have a boy under this much stress when he was practically unconscious. Martha figured that he was simply catatonic, but then the question was raised as to how the reverend was able to make her boy like that.

"Kim," Martha asked softly. "How does Rev. Jim do all of this. Is he a meteor freak?"

"Freak?" Kim asked. "I'd agree with that notion one-hundred percent. However, the meteor thing is very far from the truth."

Martha was confused, and she wanted to ask more, but she heard more moans from her son and she began to realize that asking questions to keep her mind sane was only going to lead to kidding herself

Jonathan was running from behind the hill that the church sat on top of before stopping right in front of the sight.

"They slashed our tires and drained our gas tank," Jonathan huffed. "We're going to have to wait for the help you called."

"Let's just hope that Chloe got the mail I sent her."

"Chloe?"

"Kimberly got me to a computer and let me e-mail her with our location."

Even though the message was an encouraging one, Jonathan could feel the ice coming from his wife's voice. It was like a cold breeze ripping through his spirit with every word. The farmer had a feeling that she didn't mean to sound so cruel, but it was hard to hide the fact that she was still angry.

"Uh…Martha," Kimberly said. "Maybe Jonathan can stay with Clark on his own while we go and wait for the cavalry."

"No, Kimberly. I want to stay with…"

Kimberly then pulled Martha close to her and whispered, "Jonathan needs this time, Martha. Clark has stabilized now that he's at least outside. Once the sun comes out then he'll heal faster. I doubt that he's going to die, but if something does happen, you're not the one he should be talking to."

As much as Martha didn't want to believe it, she knew Kimberly was right.

"How did you get so wise at sixteen?" Martha sighed.

"A great sister," Kim laughed. She then got up from her position on the ground and trotted over to Jonathan who was looking at Clark from a distance.

"Jonathan," she said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "My name's Kimberly, I…"

"I know who you are," Jonathan interrupted. "We met before…all this."

"Good memory," Kimberly said with a weak laugh. "Now, you and Martha have been very good at not getting hysterical here. I'm pretty sure that Clark's going to be fine, which means that there is no reason to get overly upset. If you do then you will…"

"I know, Martha already told me. It will cause Clark more emotional distress."

"Yeah, anyway, Martha and I are going to wait for help while you stay with Clark…"

"Wait sh-shouldn't Martha be there. She's his mother."

Kim pulled away and tilted her head to the side. "Jonathan, this interruption is starting to get on my nerves. Now just let me explain. We've been sitting here for a half an hour and all you've been doing is circling the shed and running over the hill to explore and make sure that none of the followers are leaving the sanctuary. You have not been less than three feet away from your son in that whole time. It's annoying Martha and it's annoying me."

"But…but…" Jonathan put fingers on his temple to try and keep back his emotions. "I can't…I can't…what if I have a relapse?"

"Of what? The spell? There is no chance of that happening Mr. Kent, and you know that as well as I do."

Jonathan sighed before putting his face in his hands. "I can't face him," he whispered. "I can't sit there and watch him…helpless…"

"It's okay Jonathan," Kim said as she stood up on her tiptoes to put her arm around the farmer's shoulders. "You'll have to face him sometime. Might as well be now."

Jonathan nodded and lifted his face from his hands. He then trudged over to the spot where Clark lay and knelt down beside his wife. Martha then patted the man on the shoulder without looking at him and pushed herself to her feet.

"C'mon Martha," Kim said to her as they walked away from the spot.

Kim and Martha both were balancing themselves on the inclined ground as they started to disappear over the other side of the hill. Martha couldn't help but spend most of her walk looking over her shoulder to her beloved, her baby, her only child. The boy that she loved more than anything else in this world. She was so heartbroken at the sight of abandoning him once again. She wanted so badly to fight this girl's words just like she did after she faked her death.

"Martha! We have to go! We have to call for help!"

"No! I can't! I have to chase after Clark! They're going to hurt him more! They might kill him! Please! Please!"

Martha ran toward the door without waiting for an answer as she grabbed the knob of the iron door. However, she was stopped by Kim and Aelora when they grabbed her and held her while she was struggling to break free.

"Let me go!" She shouted. "I need to save my baby!"

"Martha! Get a grip!" Aelora shouted. "You won't be saving Clark by doing this! You have to stay here and come with us. We're going to save your son, but now is not the time for hysterics! Believe us, Mrs. Kent. We want Clark free, too"

Clark was free now, and that left Martha very relieved that she ended up listening to the girls and waiting so that the greater good was served. However, after Clark was out of her line of vision, she couldn't help but lose her footing and roll down the hill.

"Martha!" Kim shouted as she slid down the incline. Luckily, Martha only tumbled a few feet, but it was enough in once again inflame the ankle that she twisted earlier.

"Are you okay?" Kim said as she knelt beside the woman as she gripped her hurting joint.

Martha was unable to speak as she looked up at the young girl. She was pursing her lips as if holding back her urge to cry. She also was taking large breaths through her nose.

Jonathan looked down at his bleeding son in the grass and tried to stop the tears streaming down his face.

"Oh God. Please! We need the sun!" Jonathan didn't know what to do. He watched as the clouds became thicker and the sun was further impeded. All he could do was watch his son suffer from his wounds. Despite Kim's words, Jonathan was frightened from the scars in Clark's wrists pouring blood more every second, and all of the other multiple scars on his body continuing to bleed. Clark's skin was pale and his eyes were barely open, with the look of death taking him over. All the farmer could see was a son who had been put through a horrible ordeal that would likely affect him for the rest of his life. Even when his scars healed, there would probably be horrible emotional wounds that would never go away

Jonathan crawled over to his son's side and stroked his cheek.

"Clark?" he said with pain in his voice. "I know that you can't see me, but please hear me. Please, Beloved."

Clark was just about to respond to Rev. Jim when he heard the familiar masculine voice in his ear.

"What's that?" Clark said as he lifted his head. "It sounds like my dad."

"It's in your head, boy," the reverend said.

Clark felt his heart and noticed that it was warm. It then began to spread around his entire body. He then felt a single tear fall down as he whispered. "Beloved. I'm Beloved."

Marduk looked up and began to panic. Clark could see the fear in Rev. Jim's eyes and pulled away from his hands. "How could he use that word," he sneered. "Of all words."

"It is my dad!" Clark shouted. "How did I ever listen to you! You were lying all along."

Angry, Marduk bared his teeth and pounced on Clark, pushing him to the ground. Clark looked up and saw that his true form was now back, and it was wrecking havoc on Clark's mind. Marduk's talons dug into the boy's torso as a shot of emotional pain made it to Clark's heart. He screamed as the flood of every bad memory he ever experienced piled its way into his conscious thought. Clark shouted for the memories to stop as his being began to weaken. The grey creature on top of him snickered and laughed at the suffering of the boy. Seemingly out of nowhere, Aelora used her sword to strike the demon in the cheek and ran to Clark's side.

"You're okay," Clark said as he recovered from the blow. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why…"

"You'd be surprised how often it happens in this world, Clark. I forgive you. Now, to your father. What is he saying?"

Clark lifted himself off the ground and let Aelora help him onto his feet. He still felt disoriented after the memories finally left his mind, but Clark then felt a gentle touch on his cheek that was echoed by him putting his fingers on the felt spot. The boy then felt a surge of happiness within him at what he heard.

"Oh god, Clark. Please don't die! I love you more than anything. I didn't want to do those things. I just…I don't know…I…oh my son…please forgive me!"

"Aelora," Clark said as sadness began to well up with the happy feeling. "My father really does love me. He…"

"He's lying!" Marduk shouted as he tried to recover from the last blow.

"Don't listen to him!" Aelora countered. "You would not be able to hear him if he wasn't sincere!"

"I know," Clark said with a smile. "He doesn't want me to die. Am I…am I going to die?"

Aelora sighed and told Clark, "I don't know, but I'll tell you one thing, I think that no matter what happens, your dad would like to hear from you right now."

"How do I do that?"

"Just speak from your heart. However, it might hurt to reconnect to your body, and you might not be able to say much."

"I don't care. He needs to hear something me. I have a feeling that the most important words will get out."

"Beloved," Clark said in an almost inaudible voice as he opened his eyes ever so slightly.

"Clark?" Jonathan frantically said as he cupped his son's chin in his fingertips and looked at him. "Clark, can you hear me?"

"D-daddy. B-bel-loved. L-love…you. "

Jonathan couldn't help himself anymore, he just broke down and bawled and put his head in the grass. This was just like his son, to be a kind and gentle person. No matter what he did to him, Clark was going to love him. It was this kind of love that made him the most worthy person to die in the way he did. Jonathan squeezed his son's still hand as much as he could to comfort him, even though he himself was in more pain that he had ever been in his whole life.

"Aelora…he's…he's crying…he's…Aelora, I've never heard my dad cry like that before. I just…I can't die. I can't leave him like this."

"That's why we have to defeat this enemy so that you can have a fighting chance."

"I will not let you destroy any others in your sick game, Marduk!"

"How naïve are you, Aelora!" He said in his raspy voice. "He couldn't even fight me when he was in his own strong body. Here, he's just as weak as everybody else, so what makes you think that here will be any different"

"You are obviously the naïve one! Souls are far stronger than the body, and this boy has the strongest soul of anybody I have met in this horrible cesspool you created. That is why this time we will defeat you once and for all."

"Oh Aelora, ever since you showed up in my domain you have tried to keep me from destroying every soul that came through here. You think that you tricked me into telling James to adopt you, but it was you who got duped. Posing as a poor Russian teenager didn't fool me one bit. I wanted to get you so that I could show you how powerful I was. I was at a weak time in my life when you defeated me during the rule of Hezikiah. This was the battle that you have constantly been losing and you won't admit it."

Aelora sighed and shook her head before she stated in a strong voice, "You didn't destroy that many souls

Every time you have tried and every time you have failed. Why do you think you will succeed now?"u

Aelora then looked over at Clark. The boy had a very frightened look on his face, as well as one of confusion and doubt. Aelora then smiled at him and held out her hand to the boy while speaking to Marduk at the same time.

"You know why, Marduk. You feared what this boy would become, but little did you know that he has already arrived. You fear him, Marduk. Being the manipulator you are, you can pass your fear off as desire for him to join you, but fear never hides from me."

Clark grabbed the hand and Aelora gripped it tight. He then smiled at her as she returned the expression. Clark then looked at the sword that was in Aelora's other hand.

"Are you going to fight him?" Clark asked.

Aelora then gave him a single nod and said, "And so are you."

Clark's eyes went wide and then looked down at his own free hand. It too had a sword, only it was smaller than the one Aelora had. However, it was still a very impressive weapon. Clark's lip began to quiver as he glanced over at the looming creature pacing on all fours with a black battleaxe clenched in his teeth. Clark licked his lips and took a deep breath.

"I don't know if I can…"

"You can, Clark. There is no shame in fighting these creatures. If you don't then you will have to live with their deceit forever."

"But…I couldn't before. Maybe I'm not supposed to."

"You're angry, Clark. It strengthens you in body, but it weakens you in this place."

"Th-that doesn't make any sense."

Aelora then let out a little giggle before saying, "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that. Just have faith, Clark. You want to defeat him, don't you?"

"M-more than anything."

"Than that is enough. Give up your fear and your anger and trade it for resolve."