Phantomaniacs: Redemption

By Theodora Oniceanu

The World of Shadows becomes a place for hell to expand its dominance which alarms the Angels of Light making them intervene in Aedan's and Auria's affairs. With the help of a few human angels and the immortal Maeve, Amy and Amitiel adventure into the rescue of the souls unfairly used for dominance over the grounds of Alba as well as other territories destined to stillness and a meaningless grey existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Theodora Oniceanu
• Release date: Jul 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005972271

Theodora Oniceanu

Theodora Oniceanu (born Lacatis) lives in a small town named Targu-Mures, situated close to the heart of Transylvania, Romania with her husband, her son and their cat. She followed the classes at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Petru Maior Transylvania and the ones on Sociology and Social Studies at the University of Spiru Haret, Bucharest. She is passionate about arts and crafts, she also loves sports, travelling and photography, enjoys good quality music and, of course, books. She's been writing since age nine, but with interruptions. Now she feels that she has the necessary time to dedicate good part of her life to writing.

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No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any for or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For both my son and my nephew: May there be love and hope and healthy laughter in your lives!

Phantomaniacs

Redemption

by

Theodora Oniceanu

Contents

PHANTOMS OF THE PAST

FOREVERNESS

PHANTOMS OF THE FUTURE

DECISIONS

REDEMPTION

The past remains imprinted in the genom, forever. It may be left behind but it will always be a part of you, it will always tell your story, one way or the other, and it will always make its way back to you through memories and states of mind sometimes inexplicable. Be it on a piece of paper, a screen or carefully spread a mix of paints on a canvas, we will find ways to remind of what it was and show what it is, looking deeper into our roots, the deeper truth. I’ve known light and I’ve known darkness and I know what lies in between. I have made my choices according to the knowledge I have. I am Maeve and I share traces of character that are similar to Amitiel and Amy, two of my dearest angel friends.

PHANTOMS OF THE PAST

Dean had heard Aedan’s words of early celebration and started feeling sorry for the young man they had just tethered like a beast, throwing him to the ghosts and demons of the dungeons’ prison of Aedan’s palace. Fettered and haunted by voices of pasts he could not imagine otherwise than horrible, Peter yelled words of spite for a while then settled down realising that he was acting crazyly. So, this is what had happened to Norah! She was led into fighting demons’ mockery and ghosts haunting. She wasn’t crazy. "God, how foolish I was! How sorry I am, Peter had whispered, Norah... I am so sorry for my stupid behaviour! Oh, Norah! I am so sorry for my foolish words!" a demon parodied. Behaviour another one corrected in a scoffing tone. Acts! a third one jestered. Oh, my foolish acts, my foolish words, my foolish behaviour! the first one aped.

The fuggy air in his cell was putting pressure on his already hurt lungs and trachea - he started coughing through hiccups caused by the swallow of blood. His stomach wouldn’t take it, the blood started climbing up his throat. He sputtered. The demons began mocking his condition as well. It wasn’t easy to keep it cool - these demons and their ghosts were pervading his being, making an easy doe of him, molding him to perfect the shape of a crazy man. He had to recompose and fight these spirits. He had to come back to his normal senses. How could you take this for so long, Norah? he asked in a deep whispery tone. The sound of his voice was making him take a better grip on the reality surrounding him. Although being part of it was not among his wishes, he couldn’t fool himself and plunge into denial. The best way to overcome a difficult situation is to acknowledge, accept and understand it. Norah had obviously done the same - that’s what’s kept her alive, that’s what helped her finish on top of it.

Down in the dungeons of Aedan’s great palace, Dean was easily making his way through jeering demons and cold ghosts yelling their fears back at any creature they encountered. Back so soon? a jeering demon mocked. Are you trying to save the young man? a second one inquired in an insidious tone. Oh, and we thought you were on our side! another one mocked. I wonder what Aedan thinks about all this... a third demon grinned.

- Back off! Dean said with spite. He was beginning to see the mistake he had done choosing to fight on Aedan’s side. He felt angry at himself as well as at the whole situation. Given the circumstances, he had to be careful with any help he might give to any prisoner or opponent.

Dean was after power and domination but he didn’t want to attain it by just any means. He didn’t want to deeply hurt people in his way to touch glory, especially when it came to hurting innocent people. He thought of Miranda and her last fight on the grounds of this World of Shadows. The spite with which she fought demons, the one he, himself, fought them only to become a pawn on their side now - that’s how he felt. "I’m easy prey to these demons, he said to himself, one little mistake and I am theirs. It’s good that Miranda escaped these grounds. But where is she? I can’t seem to find any way to reach her!"

Miranda was his greatest concern. He couldn’t let the same thing happen to her again. Still bewildered by his thoughts on her, fearing that she might become an opponent one day and force him into fighting against her, he was ready to admit that he had acted foolishly - "what if Aedan decides to put her through more suffering and pain?" Dean could only hope that Miranda was safely away from the World of Shadows and its eyes.

The palace was nothing Dean expected to be or could have imagined. Although engulfed in a silent darkness there was a noise speaking through the walls of this abode, making its gardens shiver with fright at every moment a twig cracked under the firm heaviness of a foot or a wind blow through the branches of the well shaped trees abandoned to the greyness of a world where shadows were continuously telling their stories, their lives, their pasts and futures merged in a perfect waste of time, eternal.

They loved it, though, many of the shadows inhabiting the place - they loved their waste of time, imbuing it with energy they had in limitless amounts. They loved telling their stories and doing nothing else but tell - tell on their neighbours, tell on their friends... there was nothing much to do, nothing better; there was no wish nor will to change anything, there was no hope for light or better days. Sometimes they would get terrified, showing horror with the cruelty of some demons paying visits from the depths of the Underworld. There were demons with whom an incarnated shadow could live or accept a presence but there were demons too cruel for the World of Shadows and Dean and Peter were about to learn about those as well, soon.

- Here, take this to keep you warm! Dean threw a coat to Peter. We don’t want you to die on us.

- That’s very thoughtful, Peter answered looking down at the tossed coat with mistrust. Why are you keeping me here, alive?

- Seriously? You need to ask? Dean asked aloofly.

- I am not going to serve your cause, so what’s the point? the other one said with honest certainty in his voice.

- Maybe you’ll think about it! Dean hoped aloud. You have the opportunity of considering things closer, have a better view on what awaits you if you go on with this attitude!

- You sound like these demons around here! Peter said with bitter contempt. A scoffing piercing laughter of a demon spirit was heard.

- They must be suffering, Dean mused looking above his head, his hearing concentrated on the surroundings that were more silent than usual.

- You seem to understand these guys very well! Peter raised an eyebrow.

- You’re in no position to play the aloof, Peter! Dean said pensively. He was sad with his thoughts, making a parallel with his situation in which love was given no chance to find fulfillment of fantasy, desires either feeding or grinding the heart, leaving it prey to madness and chaos, to tears of the soul that has no physical fluid to share with a spectator - a heart and mind to turn stern. About half an hour ago you were all angry, spitting mad words to demons you don’t have power over, nor control! Dean continued sparkling tears from within his being coming out to the surface in the form of flash-lights. He was feeling sorry for Peter. He knew that the man loved Norah whose story made quite an impression on him. He also knew that this love was going to bring them both more suffering as the prospects of their future together were now as dark and filled with danger as a mined field dominated by the roars of the restless spirits of soldiers put down, devoured by ghouls and lulled by demons into the depths of self delusion.

- What do you want, Dean? What do you expect from a poor professor who has no other ambition than to live a simple life, peacefully away from demons and ghouls and creatures that are meant to take away all the joy a human was ever capable of producing?

- You can play the fool, Peter, if that makes you feel better about yourself...

- Pff... Peter disdainfully dismissed.

- Nobody is going to help you down there where you will be sent to learn your lesson, Dean followed.

- You seem so wise, really, Peter said raising his eyebrows in two mocking curves mimicking surprise. You guys most certainly know how to attract a fellow to your side. It’s like that fellow, Conall, all over again.

- What do you know about Conall? Dean thundered.

- Only what I could hear from Norah and her friends! Peter harshly retorted.

- Very well, have it your way! Dean said narrowing his eyes with spite. A shrill voice yelled a distant Help me shrouded in despair and loneliness. Peter’s heart climbed to his throat, his skin tight with spasms. Dean let his anger go with that yell. Use the coat, Peter! he said sternly. You will find it very useful down here and perhaps into the Underworld as well, where you’ll probably be sent soon. I’d think about my attitude, though, if I were you! Things are much worse down there than here and you haven’t quite been a rock star so far! Things can get very tough here, into the World of Shadows as well! His face reflected the light of a bitter smile of pity that Peter resented quite a lot. His mouth crooked in contempt as he spurned Dean’s offer and advice, turning his back at him. Dean didn’t say a word more. He simply turned around and moved farther away, his steps echoing into the odd silence cast upon the dungeon’s prison. Deep into the distant horisons of this World of Shadows, the roars of a riot could be heard. The demons weren’t there, in the cell with Peter anymore. It was as if they had found better things to do than tease Peter with his feelings and thoughts on Norah. They were there though, lurking into the eerie silence, waiting in the dark for a mistake, for an opportunity to start their jester dances and their tampering pranks.

- This place is slowly killing the soul, Peter shivered looking down at the tossed coat.

The walls of Aedan’s palace were lavishly decorated with luxurious tapestry and paintings, reliefs of deities and ornaments framing scenes of unforgettable glory. A few rooms had frescoes painted, ornaments included and little statues made of gold or silver. The man Aedan once was had exquisitely expensive tastes, his will for domination and power - strong. Dean feared him as Aedan had proven himself very cruel an angel of darkness, with more than one occasion purposefully showing Dean that he was ready to punish any infidelity. Dean had risked to give that coat to Peter without consulting Aedan first but he wanted to make sure the man imprisoned wasn’t going to go mad and, perhaps kill himself. He didn’t want to be responsible for Peter’s death. And he didn’t want to make of Miranda his greatest enemy - he knew her as an angel he desired but could not have. They were different yet the same in some aspects of their character. She seemed to have suffered enough when they first met - she was ready to stand for her rights to comfort and appeared to wish to do so for others’ right to freedom as well. He had also suffered in silence when she rejected him, then, after meeting her again, he suffered knowing her taken down and used as a weapon, her life put to danger, her fury against the dark side, unleashed. His ego and pride meant nothing but a shield, once his heart broken. In small steps he approached the saloon where Aedan was forcing himself to enjoy a victory long imagined but the fine wine wouldn’t taste like before - it burned with spite and choked its owner with its fruity richness. Glass half full, Aedan threw it into the fire watching the flames with silver flickering eyes. Patrons of the dark dungeons! he murmured. They made their way into my wine. he said in a low deep tone musing for a while, his eyes riveted on the fire. A knock at his door brought him back to his palace’s reality.

- Come in, he said, his deep firm voice echoing through the saloon, haunting the hall as it knocked at each empty room’s door. Dean entered and approached Aedan cautiously. He stopped ten steps away from this ambitious ruler over half of the World of Shadows, as Alba3 was one of the greatest regions and he had conquered many others in small