The Godless: The Mystery of the World

By Suren Fant

Centuries ago, when Earth was not under the control of God, it was controlled by a cruel and heartless creature, called Neuron. Comming to our planet, God saw, how Neuron treated as his subordinates. God and Satan decided to take to hands the authority on Earth. It was very difficult mission. God and Satan adapted all the people and their feelings.
In XXI century a young man from a wealthy family found new potentials, that ancestors of humanity and Neuron had. It becomes to him what had happened centuries ago and behind it hunting of angels has begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467052092

Suren Fant

Suren Fant was born in 1985 in Yerevan, Armenia. In 2005 received bachelor degree in Cybernetics from SEUA. In 2010 received master degree from SEUA. Works of Suren Fant are mainly in genre of fantasy. He has many poems and short stories, which gathered rather big audience in internet. Suren is the creator of internet site "The corner of Armenian literature", where Armenian young authors and beginners present their works. Suren's first book "Mher" was published in Armenia only in Armenian. The book "The Godless"was translated into English and Russian. Works of Suren Fant gathered rather big audience not only on Armenian, but also on Russian internet sites. The most part of his short stories are translated into Russian.

Book preview

Prologue

I stood on the only rock in the middle of the ocean and saw nothing around except the endless water. I couldn’t understand what the light was, engrossing the Sun. It came out of the ocean and gradually became larger and larger. The breeze with the water drops in it blew into my face, making my long hair fly back from my eyes. I felt every wave of the ocean, which collided with the rock, as a stroke on my chest, but tenderly, trying not to harm me. I felt the smell, the smell of pure water, speeding to me. The waves kept rising, leaving the rocks behind, and stretched to me, as if I were a king. I kept looking at them as if they were children, striving for their father, so that he could protect them with his body and strength. As if I saw their eyes full of fear. They feared somebody and sought protection in my arms. But I was motionless and looked and looked, and listened to them calling me.

When the water reached my feet, everything became quiet and there was a feeling that time had stopped. I didn’t hear their sounds any more, there were no more waves, the wind didn’t blow into my face and my long hair slowly lay back on my shoulders. I saw with surprise that it was snow-white and smooth and it was shining with its bright light. Though it was beautiful, I saw that it was dead. I raised my hand to touch my hair, but my hand didn’t reach it. All that time I didn’t notice that my hands were pale and were covered with shiny but soft ice. Like soft crystal the ice covered all my body. I unbuttoned my shirt and saw my crystal breast.

The water touched my feet. It wanted me to look at it. Looking down, I saw that it rose around me and invited me to touch it, to take it by the hand and follow it. For a fraction of a second I looked at it and thought, if I should consider its appeal, but finally, it could persuade me. When I touched it, everything plunged into darkness; everything vanished before my eyes, leaving me alone with uncertainty.

Darkness is uncertainty, but there is a purpose in light, a purpose to which every living being stretches its hands. I didn’t realize it them, but now I see it. I saw my aim, a feeble hardly visible light in the midst of darkness. I looked at my aim, gained courage and ran to it. But there was something that didn’t let me reach it and touch the light. Something prevented me from passing the distance to my aim. I continued running, but whatever I did, however I tried, everything was useless. Then suddenly, as if the light itself got angry with the one who was holding me, and flared. In a second it reached me and from its brightness I opened my eyes.

It was a dream. At that moment it seemed to be a simple dream of a simple man. I didn’t know then that I freed myself from a spell, under which I had lived for many years without even realizing it. I had been a simple boy before, who didn’t know his aim, but now I know everything and I know for sure what I must do.

Chapter one: Light again

Life is an endless circle, the end of which is a beginning. It is the same in nature. The question is: do we consider ourselves part of nature? Certainly, not, we don’t think so, and looking the nature in the face, we damage everything, on which our existence depends…

- Are you sleeping, dear? – Manushak asked.

The young man opened his eyes and his thoughts or his dream vanished in the bottomless night. He was lying in bed with his beloved and her head rested on his breast.

The young man moved Manush’s head aside and sat on the edge of the bed, covering his face with his hands. The girl didn’t even try to break the silence hovering in the darkness. She simply encircled the boy from behind in her arms and legs and put her head on his shoulder.

-Sometimes it seems to me that there is a beast inside me and it strives to escape from the cage… Have you ever had such a feeling? –at last the silence was broken by the young man’s quiet voice.

-What beast, Aren? – inquired Manush.

Aren was tall, his body and face were thin, his hair and eyes were black. The girl had curly hair; she was of medium height with an oval face and black eyes. They were both young, and their life was still ahead,

The light from the street lamps lit Manush’s feminine beauty. Her bare breast leaned against Aren’s back, passing her warmth on to him.

-You know, sometimes I have a feeling that I’m a cage, and a wild creature wants to escape outside from me…- Aren said, removing his hands from his face and looking at the curtains gently fluttering from the quiet breeze – at such moments I become too cruel and feel animosity to the whole mankind…

-Do you consider me your enemy too?

-No-o…- mumbled Aren, - I don’t know, - he answered frankly, - I even don’t think about you at such moments.

-Ah…you don’t even think about me…- the girl got offended.

-Right now you want to awaken a beast in me, - said Aren with a bit of anger in his voice. – I think much about you, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t have other thoughts in my head.

-It’s different with me, - smiled Manush, - I think about you even when I’m asleep.

-You’re lying, - smiled Aren and turned to Manush.

-No, I’m not, - said the girl rolling her eyes, - I think when I wash, eat, work…

They stopped talking and started to embrace, kiss and caress each other. Aren tenderly put her on the bed, looked into her wonderful eyes for some seconds, then gently kissed her on her neck. But it didn’t last long as the girl’s telephone rang.

-It’s mother, - said Manush.

Aren moved aside and the girl rushed to the telephone.

-Yes, Mum…

Manush was talking to her mother and Aren was admiring his treasure. He admired the perfect feminine body, her beauty. He was ready to turn the world upside down and run across deserts for her.

I’ll give you everything, darling, you won’t need anything. Be always as happy as you are now. - Aren thought, without listening to what Manush was talking on the phone.

-…OK, Mum…I’ll be home soon,- she turned off the phone, came up to Aren, put her arms around him, kissed him and said: it’s high time.

-Yes, I guess so, - Aren replied.

In the lift Aren didn’t even look at the girl, while Manush looked at him fixedly. She couldn’t help casting a glance at the precious stone of the ring which Aren gave her on the day of their engagement. When she was far from Aren or was sad she found consolation in that stone. But this time it was different: Aren was at her side but the consolation was again in the stone. Something had changed in her beloved, or he had problems today? Maybe he was out of mood.

Aren’s luxurious car was at the entrance. This time courtesy was forgotten and the girl had to open the door of the car herself. For a moment the car engine broke the silence of the night and one could hear only the rustle of the autumn leaves.

It was autumn.

* * *

-Have you ever smoked?

Two boys were standing in the empty school yard. Judging from their height and features, they were both elementary school pupils. It was quiet everywhere; it meant that it was study time at school. The two boys were playing truant and walking near the school. They didn’t even think that the teachers could see them. What’s more, they were speaking on a subject for which they were too small. Under their feet one could hear the rustle of the leaves, dancing in the autumn wind.

-No, Aren, - the boy answered hastily and in surprise, - and you?

-Certainly, I have! – Aren cried out boastfully, - is it bad?

-Well…- the boy tried to resist, but refrained.

-Nothing bad, - Aren said, - no matter that adults forbid us to smoke. How many times did you play truant?

-Ha-ha, many times, I don’t even remember.

-But didn’t they tell you, it’s bad to do that?

-They said, but it isn’t the same…

-There is no difference, Tigran, - Aren answered, - shall we go to buy a cigarette and smoke? – Aren suggested, thinking that he had proved his point. You will see that there is nothing bad in it.

-No, no, -replied Tigran hastily, I don’t want,- he added, seeing in Aren’s look how else could it be? Tigran is a coward, I didn’t expect anything else

-All right, - Aren said calmly and turned away from him.

Behind him, at about twenty meters distance was the school gate. Everybody left them and went home, but not the two boys. You could expect anything of them. To be more exact, of Aren, and Tigran followed his example. And here was another deed. Just at that moment a boy, who was a little older than those ones, entered the gates. He looked at them with confidence and headed to the entrance of the school. Aren kept looking at him and thought of some plan. While the boy was approaching them, Aren turned to Tigran and said:

-He is not from our school!

-So what? – Tigran got surprised.

-I know for sure, he has come to see a girl from our school, - Tigran felt cruelty in Aren’s voice.

Aren didn’t let Tigran answer anything. He turned to the boy and asked:

-What are you looking for in our school?

For a moment the stranger looked at Aren, but didn’t stop.

-I’m talking to you, - continued Aren loudly and self-confidently, making the stranger stop. The latter came up to Aren and looked into his eyes.

-Who are you looking for in my school?

-Is it your own school? – the boy asked floutingly.

-Yes, it’s mine. – Aren answered coldly.

In this way Aren wanted to prove something to Tigran, or to the whole world… On the first school day he beat his schoolmate, because that boy treaded on his new boots accidentally. Since the first day at school he had been summoned to the headmaster’s office five times, and his parents were called to school at least fifteen times. But his parents came to school only once when he broke the school window with anger. Certainly, Aren’s father bought new glass for the window and he wasn’t expelled. But who would dare expel the son of a wealthy man?

And now Aren was looking for new problems with a grown-up boy, who was mocking him.

-Why are you laughing? – Tigran said, troubled by Aren’s behavior.

Tigran was Aren’s only close friend. They had been friends before they went to school.

Suddenly it became dark; the only ray of light was seen at the very end of the darkness. Aren couldn’t understand how he had got there. Several seconds ago he was standing beside Tigran. He saw nothing around, only a small light in the distance.

He couldn’t even understand where he was standing. He raised his hands slowly and spread them, as he didn’t know what he could touch. After standing so for a few seconds, Aren gained courage and walked towards the light. He could fully realize that it was useless to stand still, though you couldn’t know how long the light would persist, that’s why he needed to hurry.

He walked slowly, trying to feel the surrounding space with his hands and feel the floor with his feet, but he had an impression that there was nothing beneath.

I cannot… - Aren didn’t even understand, if he heard, said or thought those words. At last he decided to run, though he saw nothing in front of him. He was running, but he wasn’t even sure, as he felt neither the floor nor the wind in his face. His face? Aren tried to touch his face but changed his mind. To be exact, he was afraid that he might not find his face.

And again there was the light.

Aren opened his eyes and realized that he was in his bed. He lay for some time, looking at the ceiling indignantly. He quickly came to his senses and understood that his childhood had already passed and there was no light at the end of the tunnel, which he was longing to so much. Those unpleasant dreams about tunnels and childish games again woke him up. But the dream seemed so real that it took him some time to return to the reality.

At last he returned to the present time. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but Aren couldn’t sleep after that dream and he had to get up and go to the bathroom. He went along the corridor. He washed and felt much better and at last returned to the reality. But looking at himself in the mirror, he saw the imprint of the recent dream which kept pursuing him. Aren returned to his room. The room wasn’t big but it was richly decorated. The walls were of light color, the ceiling was snow-white. His bed was just in front of the door, beside the window and the computer table. The television was opposite. The dawn was breaking and one could see the outlines of the bare trees.

Aren came up to the window and opened it. He lit a cigarette, looking out of the window. Though the wind was cold Aren stood in front of the open window almost naked. He smoked his cigarette to the end, thinking about his strange dream. What’s to be done? It’s simply a dream, and this is reality and it’s time to go to work. He dressed, took his things, left the room and went down the stairs. There was quite a big living-room downstairs full of rich things in classical style: luxurious carpets, a huge luster, different statuettes and a big clock. Well, the owner of the house is apparently a rich man; there is no doubt about it. But the owner was not Aren, but his father.

Aren had lived in luxury since childhood, he was used to such life, a life without troubles, but today nobody had made breakfast for him. Of course, everybody was asleep and he had nobody to blame. That’s why he decided not to stay at home and went to the entrance at once. The house was all surrounded with a flower-bed. There was a pavilion not far from it where Aren played cards with his friends on hot summer days. The pavilion was empty now. It was not just because it was early morning now, but because usually in autumn it became abandoned. A narrow path led in two directions to the gates and to the garage. Aren went into the garage, got into his car and left through the gates. He hadn’t decided yet where to go, and drove in circles along the empty streets of Yerevan. There was no road police and he drove, breaking traffic rules, exceeding the speed limit and going through the red light. He had always liked speed and now he could enjoy it.

He drove into the avenue of Freedom, lined by huge trees on either side, and went down to the city center. He drove down Teryan Street. There were several educational establishments of Yerevan in this street. Usually there are lots of students here from early morning till late at night, but now it was deserted. Students were likely to be waking up and preparing for the new day.

Aren left the Universities behind and turned left to the student park, in the center of which there was a small pond with fountains, and a café Poplavok at its bank. On the left there was Yeritasardakan underground station. In front of it there was a monument to a great Armenian writer Avetic Isahakyan, who stood with a cane in his hand and looked towards the street named after a famous writer Khachatur Abovyan. How many times did he make an appointment at this monument…But now Aren wasn’t going to meet anybody.

He continued his way along Teryan Street, which crossed Sayat-Nova Street, then Tumanyan Street. Between the two most beautiful streets of the city there is the Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Swan Lake. At this time of year the lake was covered with ice and was ready for skating, but in summer it is rather crowded.

Turning from Teryan Street into Tumanyan Street, Aren noticed a 24-hour café. Parking his car at the entrance, Aren decided to have breakfast with a cup of coffee there.

While Aren had breakfast, the city was waking up little by little. It was quite impossible to drive in the way Aren had been driving an hour before. It was even easier to get to the place on foot than by car. But Aren worked nearby and it was a five-minute drive.

Aren entered the building and went to the lift. The guards greeted him and then he took the lift. One of the offices of his father was on the fifth floor. They dealt with international shipments. His

Reviews for The Godless

[chaysebwb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The synopsis is what grabbed my interest at first. Something before the time of God and Satan. How interesting! Another that peaked my interest was the cover of the book. The way it is spilt in two differnet perspectives. Aren is, as one would put it, special. After ending up in a car accident and being able to heal at an incredible rate, Aren relaizes that his life is about to take a ride. And this ride is one that isn't always fun. For Aren, I think with him being followed and hunted by forces that hold the same pwer that he does leaves him in a predicament that no one would want on themselves. This book is filled with a lot of twists and turns that will leave the reader wanting more. Filled with both biblical and un-biblical references that book proves to be an interesting tale. So readers, come check out this book. I give this book 4 souls!