The Book of the Morningstar: Rise of the Daemons

By Mike Pacholok

Thousands of years after the rebellion in heaven began, Malachi, a devoted angel, stumbles upon The Book of the Morningstar, which reveals truths about the rebellion Malachi never suspected. His knowledge marks him for death, but before being captured, he sacrifices his own life to protect the truth he has learned.

On Earth, all the world’s problems have been solved by the introduction of a clean energy source called the WT Crystal. Alexander is a young university student who struggles with his daily grind. As his stress mounts, Alexander begins to see strange phenomenon and is haunted by dreams of a previous life. With the help of an ally of the angel rebellion, Alexander comes to recognize the soul of Malachi lives within him, as does the untold knowledge he once possessed.

Alexander furthermore realizes that Malachi’s angelic partner, Satarel, is also on Earth, soul fused with that of a human. Alexander begins his quest to find Satarel and bring The Book of the Morningstar to the rebels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483436340

Book preview

THE BOOK

OF THE MORNINGSTAR

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RISE OF THE DAEMONS

MIKE PACHOLOK

Copyright © 2015 Mike Pacholok.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3635-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3634-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015913058

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 08/25/2015

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1 – Alexander and the First Sign

Chapter 2 – The Letter

Chapter 3 – Thunderstorms

Chapter 4 – Lazarus

Chapter 5 – Resurrection and the Second Sign

Chapter 6 – Discovery

Chapter 7 – Loss and Accusations

Chapter 8 – Joshua

Chapter 9 – The Silver Falls

Chapter 10 – Fire from the East

Chapter 11 – The Pieces Begin to Move

Chapter 12 – A Lesson

Chapter 13 – Satarel

Chapter 14 – Predictions of the End

Chapter 15 – Conversations by Moonlight

Chapter 16 – A Distraction and the Third Sign

Chapter 17 – The Resistance Mobilizes

Chapter 18 – Second Thoughts

Chapter 19 – The Chase

Chapter 20 – Interrogations

Chapter 21 – Freedom Cry and the Fourth Sign

Chapter 22 – Debating

Chapter 23 – Signs of the Apocalypse

Chapter 24 – Traitors

Chapter 25 – Gros Morne and the Fifth Sign

Chapter 26 – The Resistance

Chapter 27 – A New Leader

Chapter 28 – The Valley

Chapter 29 – Training

Chapter 30 – Satellites and Doorways

Chapter 31 – Understanding the Enemy

Chapter 32 – Tempora

Chapter 33 – The Library

Chapter 34 – Escape Attempt

Chapter 35 – The Observatory

Chapter 36 – Planning the Assault on Tempora

Chapter 37 – The Assault Begins

Chapter 38 – The Facility

Chapter 39 – The Tower

Chapter 40 – Dreamland and the Sixth Sign

Chapter 41 – Tempora’s Third Sun

Chapter 42 – The Island and the Seventh Sign

Chapter 43 – The Last Caretaker

Chapter 44 – Reunion

Chapter 45 – Masada

Chapter 46 – The Temple of the Rising Sun

Chapter 47 – Green Eyes of Death

Chapter 48 – Blue Eyes of Life

Chapter 49 – Gomonveth

Chapter 50 – The Burning Pyre

Epilogue

To my wonderful wife, Leanne,

and my two children, Arya and Tristan: without your support, I never would have finished this novel.

PROLOGUE

"T hirty . A dirty word if ever there was one. I never really thought about turning thirty before because it always seemed far off. Now it looms over my head, like the sword of Damocles. Should I be afraid of turning thirty? No! I’ve lived my life well, I’ve accomplished a lot, and there’s a lot more of life to live! It’s only thirty. Not all my friends would look at it so simply, though; they have said that turning thirty is like the end of the world. It is the apocalypse of youth, the revelation that the only things left to look forward to in my waning years are retirement, death, and as always, taxes.

"Claiming that turning thirty is the end of the world as I know it has always intrigued me. As my faithful shadow readers are probably aware, I am fortunate to be a New Year’s baby. I was born seven seconds after the stroke of midnight, January 1, 1999. No doubt, the doctors were pushing my birth back until the faithful time. Being a New Year’s baby, I have had to share my birthday not only with the festivities of celebrating a new year, but also with the gloomy predictions of how the world will come to an end. So instead of wallowing in self-pity about turning thirty, I’ve decided to look back at all the end of world events I’ve survived this far.

"The first prediction of the end of the world during my lifetime was Y2K. Although not universally recognized as a problem that would result in the total annihilation of the world, it was considered to be a serious threat in some circles. For those of you who are too young to know what Y2K is, the short description is that it was a fear that all computers around world would stop functioning because of how computer programmers programmed the date. This would result in some sort of catastrophe, which could include airplanes falling from the sky because of computer malfunctions, missiles launching unexpectedly, and so forth. In the end, what happened? Nothing. Although we did spend a lot of money to make sure nothing happened.

"When it became January 1, 2001, there were more predictions that the world would end because we had entered the new millennium. What is it that is so concerning about a new millennium or a new century? Now, this prediction didn’t really gel, and most people around the world simply ignored it, me included.

"Between 2001 and 2012, there were a bunch of predictions from various cults around the world. The one that started to catch people’s attention was the prediction that the world would end on December 21, 2012, the date that the Mayan calendar was to stop. So what? you say. Well, some researchers believed that it meant the end of the world. And to help fuel that line of thought were a number of incidents between 2001 and 2012 that suggested that maybe, just maybe, the world was coming to an end.

"One of the first events was 9/11, the dreaded terrorist attack that took place on September 11, 2001, leading to an increased amount of conflict around the world, including the invasion and subsequent rebuilding of both Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States, Canada, Australia, and major European countries committed troops to both campaigns to help combat terrorism. It became quite apparent to the governments involved that the deployment of troops in those areas would require a large time commitment of upwards of twenty to twenty-five years. My parents told me that they would bring me to various protests of the use of Canadian forces in both the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. I never understood why my parents thought that bringing a young toddler to a protest was a good idea …

"Despite the various concerns of the governments involved that the wars that they had entered into would take much longer than anticipated, the United States government stopped being concerned once the Democrats regained the presidency in the 2008 election and retained it in the 2012 election.

"The next major event that led people to believe the world was coming to an end was the increasing reports of adverse human impact on the environment. Global warming was the leading issue among many groups, with concerns of how the increase in temperature would result in higher sea levels, more extreme weather patterns, increased drought, and environmental impact on all forms of life.

"In 2008, a number of major natural disasters, either resulting from global warming or some other force, struck the world. The United States suffered through the worst hurricane and tornado season ever recorded. Those storms resulted in New Orleans being practically destroyed a second time and the deaths of more than one hundred thousand people. China also suffered from numerous earthquakes that resulted in more than 200,000 people dying from the initial earthquakes and the subsequent aftershocks and landslides. The country of Myanmar was devastated by a typhoon and lost nearly 500,000 people after all was said and done, primarily due to water-borne disease. Australia was hit with massive forest fires that consumed one-third of the country’s forests. From my nine-year-old perspective, though, I was worried about the environmental impacts on the Earth and started fundraising for ways to help combat the various environmental problems that we faced.

"Between 2008 and 2009, the global economy began to slow down, and it became quite apparent that the world was in a recession by late 2009. At the same time, the cost of energy, particularly oil, was skyrocketing. These high energy costs resulted in increases to the price of food, which, in turn, lead to widespread shortages and riots. By 2010, the problem intensified as farmers converted more of their crops to corn for the purposes of creating biofuel.

"Given these crises, you could see why people thought that the end may be near, even if the disasters were the results of our own actions.

"All of these problems did lead to one very positive result. The world’s governments and their citizens, cognizant of what was happening, put aside many differences and politics to try to work on a solution. Unfortunately, it was not the government that came up with a solution to the problem by 2012. Instead, it was a company that developed a new form of clean power. You know what company this is; we all do. In early 2012, WT Enterprise unveiled a new form of technology that utilized the patented WT Crystal as the power source. Not much to this day is known about the WT Crystal except for the fact that it was found in Canada’s far north in the Arctic Circle. It was ironic how climate change resulted in the opening of the Northwest Passage, which, in turn, resulted in this discovery. When the WT Crystal was unveiled, the world was stunned. The WT Crystal could easily replace coal, oil, and nuclear power plants. The technology could be retrofitted into existing power plants, and the power it would provide was clean. No more carbon dioxide and whatever else was being belted into the air. And on December 21, 2012, the United Nations and all world governments agreed to adopt this new solution.

"So you can say that the Mayans were right—the entire world changed from that day forward. It didn’t get better right away, but at least we all figured out that we can do something about our environment within our lifetime. By 2014, the majority of coal and oil power plants in North America and Western Europe had been replaced with the WT Crystal. Unfortunately, there was a catch to using the WT Crystal: only certified engineers from WT Enterprise knew how to actually repair and maintain the crystals. And it became clear that the United States and Canadian governments were not about to let the actual know-how behind the technology be disseminated to the world.

"With this strange turn of events, do you think people stopped predicting the end of the world? Oh, no. That would be too simple. After all, the world was still in the grips of a food shortage. There was still discord between the Muslim world and the Western world. Most of the world resented the US and Canadian governments for exercising such tight control on WT Enterprise. This only worsened in 2016 when WT Enterprise revealed two new innovations. The first was a new engine that ran on a crystal that possessed enough energy to last ten years and could be recharged with electricity. The first large-scale application of this new engine was in the US and Canadian military. WT Enterprise had already successfully tested the engine through its own military arm, the Knights Nazareth, a mercenary group hired by the US government to assist with maintaining security in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The second was a new way to revitalize damaged or dead soil to become healthy and bountiful again. This became the boon people needed to completely recover from food shortages. Governments were feeling apprehensive about continually using a technology that they did not fully comprehend—or control.

"By 2020, things were looking up. The world food crisis was over, the environment was improving as more vehicles were being converted to the new technology, and the economy had recovered. I can still remember my parents getting their first car with a WT Crystal. They felt so proud that within their lifetime, people were working to save the environment, even though they still had misgivings about the secrecy of the WT Crystal. For me, though, the best part about my parents getting that car was that they gave me their old car, even if it still polluted because it was a hybrid.

"Like most people, I just lived my life, while even more people were predicting another world war and that the world would end by 2025. Those prophets were partially right. By 2021, war had broken out between the United States and China over allegations of industrial espionage. The United States accused China of trying to steal secrets of the WT Crystal, as well as various acts of sabotage that led to a US aircraft carrier being destroyed. The war between the two powers had some profound effects that I believe signaled the end of an era. The United States and Canada declared the WT Crystal to be a state secret, and to help control the flow of information, they began an active campaign of curtailing the use of the Internet. Not to say the governments completely stopped free speech, but their actions have pushed most people from the Internet onto the peer-to-peer networks that you are currently using to download this. Of course, the governments also actively seek out ways to disable P2P networks wherever and whenever they can.

"Despite the freedom-fighter hackers out there who work hard at maintaining and keeping our networks secret, the United States has been surprisingly good at finding and disabling them. Thankfully, I can still find a place to upload these podcasts so I can tell you about what I think is important, even if it may cross the line and be considered illegal at the moment. The last few years of having to endure this type of repression has really been the closest thing to the end of the world. Funny, though, despite my role of commentator on the world at large here in the shadow web, in reality, I still have to follow and work with the government-controlled truth, even if I think that it is wrong that I can’t speak the truth on any and every topic that comes up.

"The war between the United States and China didn’t last long and is probably seen more as a cold war with some minor skirmishes. By 2025, when the prediction was that the world would end again because of war, China and the United States signed a peace treaty. The peace treaty didn’t change anything regarding the way the Canadian and the US governments view the control of information, though.

It’s going to be 2029 in a few days. The only end of the world that is happening is my own when I turn thirty. But obviously, if the world can survive all of these other apocalyptic predictions, surely I can survive turning old—I mean, thirty.

Podcast by William Clarke, December 28, 2028

CHAPTER 1

ALEXANDER AND THE FIRST SIGN

A white glow shifted and shimmered over a glistening rock wall and ceiling of the small cave. The glow barely illuminated the space. In the center was an altar made of dark materials, so dark it appeared to absorb the light. The altar was completely smooth, cut from stone, and polished. On it rested a large, leather book, bound with platinum and covered with strange symbols. A man wearing a black cloak stood above it, holding a white crystal that created the glow in the cave. The only thing noticeable about him were his eyes, which were blue and very large. He peered over the book and ran his finger across the surface as he tried to understand the symbols. His hands fumbled within his cloak, and he pulled out a blue crystal that glowed softly. As he passed the crystal over the cover, a star appeared. It disappeared as he put the crystal away.

Morningstar, he whispered tentatively under his breath. He placed the crystals on the edge of the altar and grabbed the book. He hastily opened it and began skimming, flipping the pages quickly as his eyes darted over the words. A specific page caught his attention.

This can’t be right. This can’t be right.

The man pulled back in astonishment and dropped the book back on the altar.

The light blinked out and then dimly returned. The man jumped and looked around rapidly. He slammed the book shut and shoved it into his cloak. As he waved his hand over the light, it extinguished. The sounds of heavy footsteps and the swish of his cloak echoed through the tunnel.

Suddenly, the darkness changed, and sunlight blazed in. The cave was replaced with tall, crystalline structures, reflecting the light of two suns. The man in the black cloak strode in between the structures. His hood was back, revealing jet hair and skin that had a silver complexion. He was awestruck as he took in his surroundings. He looked up into the orange sky, which was filled with purple clouds and swirling, black specks. The man strained his eyes and identified the black specks as people flying through the air. He was so astonished that he didn’t even notice the approach of two men in red cloaks.

They were taller than he was, almost eight feet tall. Their skin appeared metallic, like polished brass that reflected the light. The polished curvature of their heads accentuated their long, pointy ears. Red orbs, sunk deep within their faces, burned like smoldering craters. Under their long, red cloaks, the men wore intricately carved golden armor.

Malachi.

They seemed to speak in unison in a low, almost growling tone.

Who? the man in the black cloak said, confused.

He knows what you have discovered. You are to come with us, growled one of the metallic men.

What are you talking about? the man asked as he took a step back.

The two grabbed the man they had called Malachi. He tried to fight them; he broke free of their grasp and turned to run. One of the red-cloaked men pointed a hand at the fleeing Malachi. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. A black beam blasted from his hand and struck Malachi in the back of the head. With a loud exclamation, Malachi collapsed.

Malachi awoke to see a gigantic, gold door engraved with many strange symbols. The door started to swing open, and an eerie, crimson glow emerged from the room. Malachi was shoved from behind into the room and onto the ground. He got to his knees and looked to where the crimson glow was emanating from. Malachi screamed—

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Oh, my lord! Alexander shouted as his eyes flew open. It was just a dream.

He looked around the dimly lit room and suddenly fell to the floor.

My God! he exclaimed from the ground.

What just happened? Was he floating beside his bed? He continued to look around frantically, trying to remind himself that he was now awake and that he must have slipped out of bed. He looked at his alarm clock. The holographic display of his WT Enterprise alarm clock read 5:10 a.m. He calmed down and said to himself, At least I won’t sleep through my first class.

Alexander stood and rubbed his back. He donned his blue terry-cloth bathrobe and got out his bathroom supplies before opening his door and stepping out into the hall. The glow of the fluorescent lights burned Alexander’s eyes, and he flinched. This was the problem with living in a university residence. Alexander looked at the blue carpet as he trekked down to the showers. Luckily for him, the early hours ensured that a shower would be free. He quickly found an empty one and entered.

Twenty minutes later, Alexander emerged and returned to his room. When he arrived at his door, he studied it momentarily. The heavy, metal door was covered with various electronic message boards and photos. One sign flashed Alexander’s name in various colors and advertised his position as floor senior. On an electronic whiteboard were various little messages from Alexander’s girlfriend, Bridget. All were simple, telling him that she loved him and that she wanted him to sleep well.

Alexander smiled as he opened his door and entered his room. His alarm clock had gone off, and the soft, melodic, female voice filled the room. Alexander had a strange affinity for music from the early part of the twenty-first century. He never really knew why, except that it had seemed to begin after he turned seven. Perhaps it was because of his mother, who always sang to him, or maybe it was that he preferred songs with lyrics he could understand; the music these days sounded more like noise. That’s why his alarm clock was only linked to his massive database of what he referred to as classics, a term he knew was often debated with Bridget, who did not share Alexander’s love of old music.

The voice coming out of the alarm clock sang of losing a feeling of certainty within your soul and warned that when the angry morning rises, difficult decisions will have to be made. His smile quickly faded as he listened and noticed the light streaming in the window. The sun had started to rise. It was still quite low in the sky; however, the light it cast was crimson. Alexander shook his head; he had seen a red sun like this before, but given the last moments of his dream, the color of the sun surprised him. And the description of an angry morning in the song seemed to be too appropriate with the look of the crimson sun.

Shaking off the coincidence of the music, the color of the sun, and the color emanating from the room behind the golden door, Alexander returned his attention to his room. It was small, containing a single bed, a glass desk, an armoire, bookshelves, one desk chair, and one ancient easy chair—not to mention all the electronic tablets, textbooks, and clothes that were scattered around the room. Photos of Bridget were plastered on all of the walls.

He quickly got dressed, told his computer to wake up, and sat down and looked at the photos. She was a beautiful young woman. Long, curly, auburn hair flowed down her back. Her eyes were large and bright, sometimes green, sometimes gray, and sometimes brown. Alexander always thought there was something else behind those eyes, something hidden. She was his height, not that he was very tall. She was slender and very ladylike. He had met her when they were still in high school. He was a year older than she and went off to Queen’s University first. They had been dating for almost two years.

Alexander turned his attention to his computer, which reported that one e-mail had arrived, reminding him of one of his midterms this week. It had been a hard year so far, and it wasn’t going to get easier. Besides the stress of trying to double major in economics and computer science and trying to handle a job of being a role model for thirty first-year students, he also had to help Bridget adjust to this new life at university, which was surprisingly a very stressful job.

Bridget and Alexander lived in the same residence hall on the same floor. Luckily, he wasn’t responsible for her in his job as floor senior. He was happy she was closeby, but for the first month and a half, she had been very clingy. He tried his best to always be there for her. When he was in his first year, he was teaching Bridget calculus over the phone. That was always difficult, given that he didn’t have the textbook in front of him. Bridget would also call him just to get reassurance from him about her tests and essays. He always obliged, even if he had to sacrifice going out with his friends.

Despite all that, he sometimes didn’t think he was doing enough. It was challenging, as Bridget had also decided to take on a double major, in international relations and history. She was also stressed because she no longer had the time to keep up her gymnastics and judo. To make matters tenser, the relationship had been strained ever since he’d left for Queen’s, but they’d weathered the fights and managed to stay together despite being apart for eight months. Now, Alexander was finding the anxiety was escalating. He tried to believe it would pass and everything would be all right. He hoped it would, at least.

Another day, another dollar, Alexander whispered. He picked up his tablet and headed out for breakfast.

The day passed in the way Alexander had expected. He had fallen asleep in all his classes again, despite how uncomfortable the chairs might be or how garish the lights were. He had always fallen asleep in his classes, ever since he came to Queen’s in his first year. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, if anything. After all, it was hard to say sleeping in class was an issue, since many other students were afflicted with the same problem. Alexander was concerned that it was something more, and he hoped one day he’d find out. It was three o’clock, and it was time to meet Bridget after her English class.

Alexander walked to Miller Hall. The hall retained an old-style façade but had recently been renovated inside. In fact, gutted may have been more apt a term to describe the changes to the building’s interior. It was the home to Queen’s geological engineering faculty, although, for some reason, Queen’s administration had decided to put a first-year English class in it as well. Alexander had always thought Bridget was lucky, because she was one of the few people smart enough to be able to select their own university degree. Alexander was not, and he had to endure the matching program that suggested his best career lay in a business environment that dealt in computers. Since Bridget was considered to be a genius, she was allowed to select whatever education she wanted. Alexander thought Bridget was lucky to be able to choose, but he would never have chosen international relations and history.

He waited patiently on the steps that lead up to Miller Hall and looked at the hustle and bustle on the road. There was a constant flow of students heading to and from classes and the student center. Hovercars and older, traditional cars slowly drove down the street, occasionally honking at a student who was not paying attention as he or she was crossing.

As Alexander looked across the road to Goodwin Hall, the home of the Computer Science Department, he thought he noticed something climbing up the outside of the building. He squinted. It appeared to be a human that had a blue glow surrounding him. And the person wasn’t climbing up the building but was floating up the building. After Alexander shook his head and looked again, the man he’d thought he’d seen had disappeared. He was convinced that he was seeing things.

People started to emerge from Miller Hall, and Alexander’s attention returned to waiting for Bridget. As people trickled out of the building into the brisk October air, they bundled up and quickly went on their ways. Alexander’s eyes were scanning the crowd, but he didn’t recognize anyone—not that he should, since it was a first-year class. A very tall fellow emerged. Alexander glanced at him and could have sworn he had seen him before. I think he lives on the floor, he thought. Maybe in the same wing Bridget does. Well, it’s good that she has someone she can talk to about the class.

Bridget emerged from behind the tall gentleman. She smiled and walked down to Alexander.

Hi, honey! It’s cold; let’s get back to res quick!

She grabbed Alexander’s arm, and they were off.

Alexander asked with interest, How was history today?

Bridget tapped her hand on his arm with excitement and said, Really good—we got our essay assignment today. It looks hard, but I think I’m going to do a great job on it. How was your day?

It was all right, for what I remember. He shrugged.

You fell asleep in all your classes again, didn’t you? You really should see a doctor. Did you have any more of those dreams? Bridget was worried.

I did. This one seemed more vivid. Like I was actually there. And, of course, as if that wasn’t enough, I could have sworn I saw a person flying around Goodwin Hall! Alexander said in hushed tones.

Bridget chuckled. Vivid dreams of aliens, and now a person flying up a building? Sounds like you’re reaching. You probably saw some sort of engineering experiment and you want to think it was related to aliens.

Yeah, maybe, Alexander muttered under his breath.

They quickly walked back to residence, where they said farewell but promised to meet for dinner in a few hours. After dinner, they went back to Alexander’s room. They sat in silence. Alexander began to study, and Bridget picked up the day’s paper and started to read.

Meow! Bridget exclaimed after a while.

Hmm. What is so ‘meow?’ Alexander asked as he stared at math theories. In his head, he was wondering if she could be quiet for one minute.

All these guys in suits. They look so good. Why don’t you dress up more? Bridget sighed.

Alexander didn’t raise his head but rolled his eyes and thought to himself, God, woman, get real.

The sounds of heavy techno music erupted from someone’s room down the hall.

Give me a second; I have to tell someone to turn down their music and remember this is a study floor.

Alexander got up and quickly went out in the hall. Why can’t they learn that this is a study floor? Alexander thought, annoyed. It means that this place is supposed to be quiet, not loud. They all signed up for it; they should know better.

Alexander stomped down the hall. He came to the door where the loud music was coming from. It was one of his usual suspects, Natasha, who he was always telling her to turn down her—in his opinion—shitty music. He knocked. No answer. He knocked louder. The music was turned down a bit.

Natasha, remember, we’re on a study floor; please keep your music turned down.

He heard grumbling from inside the room, and after a minute, the volume was turned down again.

Thank you. Alexander sighed and returned to his room.

Now, what were you saying about dressing up? he asked Bridget when he walked in.

Bridget looked up from the paper. You should dress up more. You would look better. Be more like the commerce students. Why don’t you dress up more?

I don’t dress up more because I don’t have a lot of money. Don’t you like how I dress?

But you can do so much more and look even better! Especially if you let me pay!

I didn’t realize you thought I didn’t look good enough. I need to study.

Alexander grimaced as he sat down.

I was just trying to help; don’t take it so personally. I’m going for a walk. I’ll talk to you later. Bridget stormed out.

You’re supposed to find me attractive regardless of what I wear—don’t forget that! Alexander yelled after her, and then said to himself, I can’t believe she thinks I need to dress up more to be better-looking. She should love me for who I am, not what I wear. Goddamn it!

Alexander looked at his tablet. He stared at it for a while and then started to work again. He couldn’t let this bother him since he had more important matters to deal with.

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Malachi looked out from the balcony. The two suns were setting and the sky was a deep orange-red color. Purple clouds drifted lazily across the sky. He looked around. There didn’t seem to be anyone in flight at the moment. He looked down and could barely make out the ground. The air was crisp at this height.

There he is! Get him! voices screamed from behind Malachi.

He looked behind him and saw the brass men with the golden armor running toward him. He turned back to the balcony and climbed up on the edge. Without hesitation, he jumped.

Malachi fell for some time before he allowed himself to fly. He knew that they would be following him, but he didn’t know who they were or why they were after him. He darted around the crystalline structures and weaved in and out, hoping to lose his pursuers.

Bolts of green energy flew past him. The air seemed to sizzle as they passed by. Malachi shot a glance behind him. The brass men were following—five of them. They all were firing the green energy bolts from their hands.

Malachi swerved and darted as he tried to escape. A bolt of energy grazed his left arm, burning his black cloak. His left arm went numb.

I didn’t do anything! Leave me alone! Malachi screamed, but his voice was lost in the wind. He went into a nosedive.

The men in the red cloaks followed, and they were gaining on him. Malachi didn’t know what to do. He looked back just as he saw a bolt strike him. His whole body went numb. He started to fall. Farther and farther, he plummeted. Suddenly, he felt a jolt, and—

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Alexander’s tablet crashed to the ground. He jumped up.

Did you not get enough sleep last night, or is my class that boring? a man exclaimed as he looked at Alexander. He was wearing the stereotypical professor outfit: corduroy pants and a tweed jacket. This was a fairly outdated look, but Dr. Adams had been around for almost fifty years.

Sorry, Dr. Adams; I didn’t get enough sleep, Alexander said sheepishly as he picked up his tablet. He looked at his friends, who were laughing quietly at him.

Very well, then, I can return to the lecture.

Dr. Adams turned to the board. He was a professor who still believed in the old chalkboard to help give lectures, and, amazingly, chalkboards were still available for his use!

Alexander looked at his watch. Only ten minutes left. He had managed to only sleep through forty of the fifty-five minutes of the class. The time passed quickly, and the class ended.

As everyone left the classroom, Professor Adams shouted, Midterm tomorrow—don’t be late!

Dammit; I forgot about the midterm. I’m going to have to cancel my date with Bridget so that I can actually study, Alexander thought to himself. She’s going to be upset. I haven’t had much time for her in the last week, and we still haven’t quite patched things up yet.

Alexander returned to his room and left a message on Bridget’s video voicemail. An hour later, a loud knock came to the door.

Come in, he called.

Bridget came in, fuming. What do you mean, you have to study? You promised that we’d go out. We need to talk. She was almost in tears, but she was fighting them back.

I’m sorry. I forgot about my midterm, and it’s tomorrow at eight thirty. I have to study for it. This class is really hard.

Alexander wasn’t exaggerating. Although he was a very good student, his mind just did not grasp discrete math, and it frustrated him to no end. He was hoping that Bridget would understand.

You never have any time for me. I’m always third in your life—

Alexander was caught off guard. After all, he often went out of his way for her and for others without asking for anything in return. And this was about school, not just a blow-off. Alexander’s blood began to boil.

Now, that’s not fair. I have to study and do my job. You know you aren’t third; it’s just that I’m really busy and stressed right now.

Fine. I’m going to go down by the lake. If you’re lucky, I’ll come back.

What are you talking about? Alexander looked at her, confused.

What do you care? You don’t have time for me. I’m going to go jump in the lake, Bridget said coldly.

Alexander looked at her and knew that she was not talking about a simple swim in Lake Ontario. She had made various veiled threats of suicide to him before, but this one seemed unusual. It was the look in her eye, as if she was determined this time. Alexander repressed his anger and spoke softly.

Don’t do that. Don’t talk about killing yourself; you know I don’t like that.

Too bad for you, Bridget said, enraged, and with that, she left Alexander’s room, slamming the door behind her.

Fuck. I can’t take this, he said to himself as he got up quickly and knocked over his chair. I need to talk to someone.

He opened his door and made his way down the hall. He got to a door marked Codemonkey, Residence Don. He knocked.

It’s open, came a quiet voice from inside. Alexander entered. He walked into a room that was somewhat bigger then his was. The only big difference was that there was a couch. Alexander quickly took a seat. He looked at Shane and forced a smile. Shane was a tall, lanky fellow, bald (by choice), and wore small, wire-frame glasses.

What’s up? Shane asked.

Alexander choked back some tears and began his story. He told Shane about all the fights and problems he had been having with Bridget. After twenty minutes, he got to today’s problem and how she had threatened suicide.

I know she won’t do it. She’s just trying to get attention, Alexander concluded.

Yeah, but she shouldn’t do that to you. That’s not fair of her. How do you feel now?

Tired, emotionally drained. I need to study for my midterm tomorrow. I’ll be okay. Thanks for listening.

Anytime, Alexander, anytime.

Alexander quickly returned back to his room. He was a mess. His eyes were all red from the silent tears that had flowed while he told Shane the story. He tried to get back to studying.

An hour later, the phone rang. Alexander picked it up after he read the call display that said SHANE.

Hello.

Hi, Alexander. I’ve been talking with Joanna, and we both think that we should all have a talk with Bridget. The sooner, the better. Do you think she’d be up to that?

I don’t know. I’d have to ask her. Should I come?

You can if you want. We figured you’d be the best one to see if she’s willing to talk.

Okay, I’ll call her and see what happens.

Sounds good. Joanna is already here, so we’ll just wait for you both in my room. Alexander felt somewhat childish at this point, as if he were being called into the principal’s office.

Okay. Click.

Alexander caught his breath. He waited a few minutes and then picked up the phone again. He dialed Bridget’s room.

What do you want? a cool voice said.

I had a talk with Shane, and he and Joanna want to know if you’d like to talk about things with them.

You told them about what’s going on? I can’t believe you. How dare you?

I just wanted to find help.

Bullshit. You can go fuck yourself, Alexander. Bridget slammed the phone down.

Alexander slowly lowered the receiver and hung up the phone. He slowly walked down the hall as if a great force was deliberately holding him back. He got to Shane’s room; the door was open, and he entered.

She won’t be coming. She’s mad at me for telling you.

Are you okay? Shane asked.

Well, it only feels like my soul is being ripped asunder. No big deal. Alexander cracked a small smile. It was obviously forced.

I think I’m going to go talk to Bridget myself—if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen. And, Alexander, get some rest, Joanna, a short, blonde girl, said as she jumped from Shane’s couch and walked out.

Thanks, Joanna, Alexander said. I think I’m going to go back to study. Thanks, Shane.

Alexander returned to his room. It was already ten at night and he had not done much. He sat back down and tried to continue studying.

An hour and a half later, he realized he was too upset and tired to concentrate. He got up and looked out the window toward Lake Ontario. A half moon was shining brightly on the still water. As Alexander looked out at the water, he noticed that there was a shimmering wall of color in the middle of the lake. It was not just one color but seemed to rotate through the spectrum. Alexander stared at it for a few minutes and it faded away, leaving nothing but the faint blinking of lights from the American side of Lake Ontario.

Either I am losing my mind or we have some really talented engineers! I need to sleep, he said to himself. So he crawled into bed, clothes and all, and went to sleep. About half an hour later, a knock sounded at the door. Alexander slowly got up to answer it. When he opened the door, there Bridget stood. She walked in and he closed the door.

I can’t believe you betrayed me like that, she said fiercely. Her eyes brimmed with contempt and anger.

I needed help. I didn’t know how to deal with your suicide threat.

That’s bullshit. I’ve done that before. You know that. Except this time, you decide to go and tell someone. I can’t believe you. I bet you made me out to be some awful person! Bridget exclaimed.

No, but I did explain the fights we’ve been having. In his mind, though, Alexander thought he probably had made her sound like an awful person, but telling her that would probably not be the wisest course of action.

How could you? Why now?

I don’t know. I guess I just felt I couldn’t handle it anymore. I just wanted to help.

Bullshit. You just wanted to help yourself. As soon as this starts interfering with your life, you do something about it. You just care about yourself.

That’s not true. I did it to help you. And I want to help you because I love you.

Funny way of showing it, you asshole! You have no loyalty to me, only to yourself. Fuck you! And now you can get your wish. I’ll give you space!

Loyalty? What the hell are you talking about? I am loyal to you. I wanted to get you help! Are you breaking up with me?

Isn’t that what you want?

"No! I wanted to help you." Alexander’s mind raced—was it what he wanted? Maybe it would be easier if she broke up with him.

Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s only fair that I repay the favor, she replied.

I don’t understand.

You don’t have to. Did you want to talk about things now?

Alexander paused for a second. He was exhausted and he knew he had a midterm in eight hours, which he knew he wouldn’t do well on.

Can we talk about this tomorrow? I have a midterm in the morning, and I’m exhausted.

Fine. Bridget stormed out again.

Crap. Alexander collapsed to the ground and cried quietly. He soon fell asleep there.

He woke up at quarter to eight. Realizing he didn’t have much time, he had a fast shower, got dressed, and went to his exam. Even though he was rushing, he still managed to show up just as the midterm started. He took a seat and tried to work on it. He quickly realized that he was in over his head completely. The hour time limit passed, and Alexander handed in an almost blank test. He doubted he had written enough to pass.

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After Alexander was done with class for the day, he returned home, thinking about Bridget and feeling guilty for what he had done. Maybe she’s right; maybe I’m not loyal, Alexander thought as he sat down in his chair and thought about his relationship with Bridget. For two years, they had been together. He thought about how he had taught her calculus over the phone when he was in first year. He would talk to her for hours on the phone, trying to keep her calm about him being away from her. He remembered all the times he came home to surprise her. He would do anything for her—although Bridget never seemed to acknowledge that.

Two days passed. It was a Sunday and Alexander was sitting in his room, like he always did. There was a knock at his door. He answered it, and Bridget stood there. She quickly came in.

They both blurted out, I’m sorry.

They kissed and held each other, both with tears in their eyes. Alexander and Bridget held each other and talked the night away. The fight ended as quickly as it had begun.

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Malachi, you can’t be serious. Are you really going? an angelic voice asked.

Yes, Satarel, I am serious. It should be found in this area. Malachi pointed to a black-and-red globe the size of a basketball that floated in mid-air. It was slowly rotating. The surface of the globe seemed to be constantly under flux. Malachi turned to face a beautiful woman. She was tall and slender, almost regal, with a golden complexion. She was armed, with two swords slung over her back.

The two of them stood in the center of a cavernous space, next to the globe. Satarel looked around at the other globes floating in mid-air nearby. At the center of it all was a huge, blue fireball around which all the other globes orbited.

Satarel flicked her waist-length, ebony hair back as she turned to look at him. In her hair was a yellow iris in full bloom. "Please be careful. The planet is very unstable,