The Guardian Chronicles: The Darkness Within

By J. L. Heathfield

Cain is a soul that can never enter Eden and is born of pain and suffering for a crime he cannot remember.
But maybe with the help of his childhood friends Michael and Lucifer he may finally find redemption.
He is the darkest of souls but Cain is all that stands between the creatures of the night and a great evil rising.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: May 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496981479

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© 2014 J. L. Heathfield. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/19/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-8146-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-8147-9 (e)

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Contents

Introduction

Prelude

Book One

Chapter 1 Scroll of Confession and Rebirth

Chapter 2 The Legion and the Return Home

Chapter 3 Forgiveness

Chapter 4 Prophecy

Chapter 5 Lucifer’s Tale

Chapter 6 Caroline

Chapter 7 A Den of Evil

Chapter 8 War and Love

Chapter 9 Lucifer’s View

Chapter 10 A Land Untamed

Chapter 11 Aftermath

Chapter 12 A Moment of Your Time, Please

Chapter 13 Into the Pit

Chapter 14 A New Life

Chapter 15 Catalyst

Chapter 16 In Between

Book Two

Chapter 1 The Rise of the Darkest Soul

Chapter 2 Caroline’s Tale

Chapter 3 A Failed Policeman of Paris

Chapter 4 Michael’s Tale

Chapter 5 Night Terrors

Chapter 6 The Heart and Soul of Albion

Chapter 7 Two Old Gods

Chapter 8 To Dream of Times Past

Chapter 9 A City Held in Fear

Chapter 10 Monastery

Chapter 11 The Mists of a Past Life

Chapter 12 Evil Dreams Too

Chapter 13 True Evil Released

Chapter 14 The Darkest Night

Book Three

Chapter 1 Home

Chapter 2 Night of Dust

Chapter 3 The Darkness Within

Chapter 4 Abel

Chapter 5 Standing before Peace

Chapter 6 Rebirth

Chapter 7 Time to Rest

Chapxter 8 Forgotten

Epilogue A Walk in the Night

I like to thank my Dad

Brain Lambert

Who made this book possible?

But sadly left this realm

On 23Rd of November 2013

We will see each other again

But not yet

And to my children

Gabriella and Joseph Lambert

My two little stars

Introduction

The Beginning

More often than once death whispered in my ear

Grave what thou heart’s in a diamond and gold

I am the monarch that all monarchs fear

Who hath in dust their far-stretched pride unrolled?

All, all is mine beneath moon’s silver sphere

And naught, save vitae can my power withhold

This not believed, experience true thee told, by danger late when I do come near.

As baghen my visage I did show.

That of my horror thou right use might make.

And a more sacred path of having take

Now still walk armed for my ruthless blow.

Trust flattering life no more, redeem times past.

And live each day like it was my last.

Redeem Times Past, poem from seventeenth century

My name is Michael. I will tell you what I remember of when the old universe died and this universe was born, one of many.

To us, time had no meaning; maybe once it had, long ago—so long ago now that it’s like a far-off dream. If I told you how old my kind was, you would call me liar. Our universe has faded into memory now.

Your universe was born from the catastrophic death of ours. The first universe was made up of order; yours was ruled by chaos. We were all that was left of the old universe; maybe our creator thought it would be a good joke to keep us here in this place. Some of us, like me, expected change; many did not and resented change and the birth of something new. Then the first of your kind came; you call them gods, demons, angels, and the first humans, immortals.

We made war on all of them and on ourselves and on all the worlds that this new universe had. Then the universe decided to change again, and mortal humans were born. You were born and died, not like us who do not know peace or death or rest.

The universe changes; we do not.

Many of us bred with your kind; one such joining gave birth to Lucifer, my weakness, my mistake. Lucifer united factions against the gods, the first and the oldest. There was a war in what you call heaven, and he made war in what you call hell. The third war still goes on today in all the worlds in this universe and your Earth. We still walk among you; only those who wish, see us. Know this: they turn away and hide under their beds or take their lives.

Lucifer gave your world vampires, soul catchers, and everything that goes bump in the night—the beasts that you say live under your beds. But he is not the most evil; there is worse than him.

Time passed, and many of us faded into dreams, memories, and nightmares; some became legend, dust to history. How many thousands of years I fought and stood alone, I do not know. I grew old and tired. I grew weary of war. I waited for a human to take my mantle. Hope is all I have that one day I may know peace and rest. How I wait and fight in this never ending war; please, let the universe let me know peace and rest, just for a while. Oh, how I wait and dream when I can…

Prelude

In the Mists of a Dream

Tis stranger to look on a man that is dead

As he lies in a shell-swept hell

And to think that the poor black battered corpse

Once lived like you and was once well

Tis stranger for when you come to think

That you may soon be like him

And it is fear that tugs at your trembling soul

A fear that is weird and grim!

A. J. Mann, The Soldier

When you humans left your sea, us higher beings (as we called ourselves) corrupted you. We bred with you and interfered with your development; you were bits of metal which attracted us, who were magnets. Your free will amazed us. Most of us wanted to leave this realm and go to what was beyond.

How can I explain and make you understand we are trapped here? When you die, what you call your soul leaves your body and passes beyond our reach; it is like a gold light that fades. That is the only time most of you see us; the other time is if we let you. Some of these souls return and are born again; most don’t, except one. He always returns; his soul is light and dark. He is always called Cain. I’ve watched him for thousands of years. Sorry, I’m jumping ahead of myself; back to where I was.

Some of you are born with what you call the sight and see things you should not see; you know us for what we are. Most are called mad or prophets; others, messiah or tyrant, like Christ and Baal and many others.

Humans began to build communities and then cities and civilisations, some of which became empires. We treated you like pieces on a chess board and used you in our war. With the help of your gods, led by Lucifer, they enslaved you; it was the immortals who helped you rise up and overthrow them. But then Lucifer built an army of darkness, made up of demons, vampires, and soul catchers, that still haunts you.

Then in a turn of fate, Lucifer’s son, Satan, overthrew him, leaving him no kingdom.

Then a soul so dark came; he became infamous: Cain, the human who would not know peace, but he will tell you his story. Then the Christ child was born; he gave you hope and light in the darkness. It was my kind that abandoned the war and left you in darkness and fear.

The immortals became too few to fight; Lucifer’s army remains, with Satan at its head. But now I feel something is about to change. There is only one thing I can be sure of: Cain has something to do with it, and it will be born out of sadness, pain, and darkness.

Book One

Chapter 1

Scroll of Confession and Rebirth

As in a dusky and tempestuous night

A star is pread her locks of gold

And while her pleasant rays abroad are rolled

Some spiteful cloud doth rob us of her sight

Fair soul, in his black age shined thou bright

And made all eyes wonder thee behold

Till ugly death, depriving us of light

In his grim misty arms thee did behold

Who more shall vaunt true beauty here to see?

What hope doth more in any heart remain?

That such perfection shall his reason reign

If beauty, with thee born, too died with thee?

World, plain no more of love, nor count his harms

With pride trophies death hath hung

William Drummond

I am about to die but fear I will not know peace or rest. I am the man who brought death to his brother to please a being who cares for nothing but pain. My