chapter 15: final conflict
chapter 15: final conflict
His flashlight was almost no help, for the sheer vastness of the room was immersive. The darkness felt like it surrounded him, engulfed him, yet he knew not to be afraid because something important was here. He heard voices in the distance, both female, and moved closer to the mysterious sounds. Finally he could make out Dahlia, and see a scene unfolding nearby.
"I was shocked to realize the talisman of Metraton was being used." She said enthused, the eccentric woman speaking to none other than Cybil Bennett. He saw between them a bundle sitting propped in a wheelchair; the figure covered in bandages and horribly disfigured. It was a girl, and by her size maybe about fourteen.
She looked like she was clinging to the last moments of life. Crouched at the foot of the wheelchair was a little girl wearing the old navy school dress, and realized that if Alessa was in the chair, then the girl was…
"Cheryl!"
Dahlia continued, and Harry kept quiet.
"In spite of the 'Lost Soul' returning at last, a little longer and all this would've been for naught! It's all because of that man. We must be thankful to him." She sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm."
He saw Cybil was standing motionless, her handgun trained on the babbling old hag. He hoped everything would keep going smooth until he could figure out how to snatch up Cheryl.
She continued, "Even though Alessa has been stopped, his little girl still has to go. What a pity!" She chuckled, the sound full of evil and hate and making Harry go rigid with anger.
Dahlia made a sudden move toward the girl, Cybil reacting quickly.
"Freeze!"
She fired, the bullet disintegrating in thin air, hitting an invisible barrier.
"What in the devil's name…" Cybil muttered, mortified and frozen. She was suddenly struck in the gut by an unseen force, all of the air in her lungs escaping in a loud oof! She sprawled to the ground, unconscious. Harry stepped forward, confronting the old witch.
"Dahlia!"
She turned and looked at him, a smug smile covering her face.
"Well well well, to think someone like you would make it this far."
"Is that Cheryl?! What have you done to her?!" He demanded, shaking his finger at her.
She looked truly surprised, replying "What are you talking about? "You've seen her many times, restored to her 'former self'."
He shook his head vehemently, saying quickly "I am in no mood for your little jokes!"
She cocked her head.
"Don't you see?" She pointed to the girl in front of the wheelchair, bound and gagged.
"She's right there…"
"No…its not possible!"
He looked at the girl, shaking his head.
"That's absurd!" He replied, feeling weak.
"You're the only one who thinks so…" Dahlia responded coldly.
"Why? Why did you do that to her? Why are you doing this?" He asked, he voice trembling slightly.
She furrowed her eyebrows.
"It's been a very long seven years…" She said, drifting off.
"For the seven years since that terrible day Alessa has been kept alive, suffering a fate even worse than death! Alessa has been trapped in an endless nightmare from which she never awakens!"
Harry was struggling to comprehend, saying "I don't understand."
She smiled.
"He has been nurtured by that nightmare, waiting for the day to be born. That day has finally come. The time is now! Everyone will be released from pain and suffering. Our…our salvation is at hand! This is the day of reckoning, when all our sorrows will be washed away, when we return to the true paradise!"
She started to raise her hands, speaking louder and louder.
"My daughter will be the mother of God!"
A burst of pure white light exploded from Alessa, engulfing Cheryl. It got brighter and brighter, both of them backing away the transformation occurred. It flashed-
-and was gone, in its place now a glowing, opaque figure of a girl in a beautiful white gown, her hair long and flowing. Her face was bright, to perfect to even see clearly. It was a tear-jerking sight, both half's of Alessa's soul now reunited to create the mother of God.
A gun shot run out, and blood spewed from Dahlia's abdomen. She cried out, falling to the ground in pain. Harry turned as footsteps resounded through the chamber, seeing the doctor from Alchemilla stopping beside Harry.
"Quite screwing around! Return things to how they were before!"
"Kaufmann!" Harry yelled, but he paid him no mind as he continued to shout at the fallen Dahlia.
"Did I ask for this? Nobody uses me! You won't get away with this…"
She looked up, still holding her side and grimacing in pain.
"Your role is over, we don't need you anymore. What do you think you can accomplish by coming here?" She said proudly.
"My, aren't we getting cocky huh? Bet you can't see this and keep your cool…"
He reached into a pocket of his coat, pulling out a red vial. He held it up high, the light from Alessa catching it.
"Aglaophotis! I thought I got rid of that!"
Kaufmann laughed.
"All I had to do was plant another sample for you to find. I knew you'd check my office, so I left it in the desk." He chuckled.
"You're easy, and there's more where this came from!"
He reared back, Dahlia crying out feebly
"Stop it!!"
He chucked it hard, everything seemingly slowing down. The small red vial spun in the air as if in slow motion, all eyes on the glass tube as it flew on a crash course toward an unaware Alessa.
It shattered, the red liquid covering her. She screamed in agony, her light burning out. She covered her head with her hands, shaking and moving erratically.
"This isn't good. Something ain't right…"
Dahlia started cackling maniacally, her body rocking while she threw her head back with uncontrollable laughter.
Kaufmann backed up quickly, speaking so fast Harry could barely hear him.
"What on Earth? That's not supposed to-"
Before he could finish Alessa crouched to the ground; a sickening split echoing in the cavern. Blood began billowing out as something began to peel its way from her spine. Her gown fell off, leaving her exposed and dripping with blood. Red, sinewy wing popped out, followed slowly by a huge, throbbing torso.
The demon stretched, two long, straight horns protruding from the 'God's' head. Two long arms and legs were revealed, each tipped with fierce claws. Alessa crawled away and slumped to the ground, unmoving as Samael tore his way through her frail body. The demon was suddenly in the air, its huge wings blowing air down on Kaufmann and Harry.
In a great clasp of thunder a magical red lightning cloud showered down from the belly of the beast, igniting Dahlia ablaze. She screamed once more, this time the sound choking full of red hot pain. She lay her head down and died, quietly accepting fate.
A cloud started billowing up, filling his nostrils with the smell of burnt flesh. He heard the deafening roar of the thunder and realized he had to act fast- the next bolt might be aimed at him. He pulled up his handgun and open fired, the bullet making contact but having no effect. He saw some blood droplets fall, and realize that it wasn't enough.
He saw that Cybil was still oblivious to everything, lying sprawled several feet away. Kaufmann had fled, but dropped his tote bag in the process. He ran toward it-
-jumping back as an electrical bolt exploded the ground in front of him. He rolled as debris went flying, covering his head and face.
"This is insane!"
He scrambled back up, the beast flying closer toward him, hovering in midair above him. He grabbed the black tote and took of in a sprint, running near Cybil's body.
"Hey! Are you alright?!"
She didn't respond, only fluttering her eyelids for a moment.
"Damnit!" He said out loud, shuffling through the leather bag. There were mostly documents, nothing really of use inside the main pocket. He glanced up at the monster as the spawn form another ball of energy between its fists. He felt another vial of the Aglaophotis, as well as his revolver and spare magnum rounds.
"That's what I need…"
He loaded the gun quickly, the God swooping down in an aryl attack. He jumped, hearing the swoosh and smelling the tainted flesh.
He dipped the barrel of the revolver inside the vial of Algaophotis, the end dripping as he pulled the hammer back and aimed at the fiery beast.
"You aren't a God…Go back to hell…"
He pulled the trigger, the first bullet searing through the shoulder of the winged demon. He repeated to shoot five more times, unloading the weapon into the monster. The tipped bullets seemed to have an amplified effect, and they brought it to ground. He put the last several bullets into the chamber, loading it back-
-but Samael swiped forward, sending the gun soaring across the air. He tossed the vial in a last ditch effort, and the monster moved at the last second. The liquid shattered, and suddenly Harry was defenseless again.
He saw by Dahlia's burnt remains there was a metal object, and it was the Flauros. He ran over and picked it up, dousing the bottom in the Aglaophotis.
"What's there to lose…"
He tossed the heavy object at the demon-beast, red tendrils snaking out from it as it collided. Samael started to disappear in red dusty particles, a howl piercing the sudden silence. It almost sounded like a child screaming followed by a deep growl. There was a second burst of white light, and he-it, was gone-
-and there was Alessa, looking around with a frightened look.
"Daddy…?"
"Could it be?"
Everything started to rumble, the chamber suddenly rocked with tremors. Several balls of flame fell from the sky, igniting the ground as they exploded. The ground was soon dotted with spots of fire, glowing that something from a Christmas scene.
The girl brought her arms in close, wrapping them around her hips. Harry watched in amazement as the hazy glow faded, and saw the girl raise up an infant, bundle in pink swaddling. The tremors worsened, and he was suddenly panic-stricken as he realized what was happening.
This would be the last time he'd see Cheryl, or Alessa. Whoever she was, it was still his daughter. And she was offering a baby, another child. How? Magical conjuration? Would she be evil, like Dahlia? Will she be like his Cheryl?
Alessa pleaded with her eyes, urging him to take the baby. He felt perspiration drip from his forehead, realizing now that the fire was coming in close. He knelt down, taking the oddly light bundle from her transparent arms. He stared at it for a moment, seeing that it was a beautiful baby girl. Her pale skin and dark eyes reminded him so much of his beloved daughter. She cooed, the sound so comforting in this place.
He smiled, a tear falling from his face and landing on her head. She looked scared for a second, then very serene. She closed her eyes, and amidst the chaos, was now fast asleep.
Alessa pointed toward the blackness, Harry seeing a light appear far in the distance. An exit… The child had made him an exit. His child. She looked up at him, then back at the light that she had created. She said all she needed to without muttering a single word.
"A second chance. Take it and run or simply die…"
He looked down at the baby, then Alessa and back to the baby. This was it. He took several steps, looking back again. He saw her manage a smile, closing her eyes as she gave him a single nod. Cybil began to stir, waking up as the whole chamber was erupting into fire. Harry saw her up ahead, walking slowly toward the light.
"Cybil!" He called out.
She turned, her face lighting up.
"Harry! You're okay!" She looked at the baby, then up to Harry with a look of questioning.
"Is it…?" She started. He couldn't answer. He looked down, then up to Cybil's worried face.
"It isn't…Cheryl…But she's my daughter…"
She smiled, putting her arm around his shoulder.
"That's what you were looking for right?" He chuckled, a light coming up inside his eyes.
"Yeah…yeah it is…"
They heard footsteps come up, and saw it was Kaufmann.
"We've got to get out of here!" He screamed, limping badly and holding an injury to his arm. Harry noticed Lisa coming up quietly behind him, still covered in blood. She wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him back.
"What the-! Lisa?! Get off me!"
She glanced over at Harry, approval painting her face, and she dragged him down into the blackness of the Otherworld, where both would probably remain for eternity.
Cybil looped her arm around Harry's, ushering him to move.
"Lets go!"
They started sprinting, an explosion showering a cloud of fireballs overhead.
"We wont make it!" Cybil cried. Harry held the baby tight, closing his eyes as certain death approaching-
-and they never hit, simply suspended in mid air. They looked up, the blackness dotted with flaming shrapnel. Both looked back and saw Alessa with a single arm raised, staring at them with concentration.
Harry smiled, Cybil pulling him away before he could stay any longer. They both regained their sprint toward the light, getting closer and closer as the tremors started to make everything collapse.
Alessa lay facedown on the cool steel, waiting as long as she could, hopefully when the two 'good people' in town were out, before destiny could start again.