Matt reluctantly stepped out of the little waterfall and tapped the panel on the wall, cutting off the flow of water. The soft cry of a whimpering animal came from behind him, followed by a squeaking sound of wet flesh dragging across glass.

  He whipped around and saw that Alex was still asleep. His arms and legs twitched as he tossed and turned. A hooded figure in white robes was squatting over him, reaching out with a pale, delicate hand.

  She traced her finger down the side of his face and Alex stilled.

  “Hey! Get away from him!” Matt yelled, covering the distance between them before he was even done speaking. The hooded figure stood with such effortless grace Matt knew at once that it wasn’t human. Soft white light emanated from its small frame and a familiar presence filled the room, causing Matt skid to a stop.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Matt demanded with sudden rage.

  The figure removed its hood and long locks of brown hair so light it was almost blonde tumbled down her shoulders and back in loose curls.

  “I have come for the boy.” She gestured. “He has called me here.”

  Matt was momentarily taken aback before a look of utter betrayal curled his lips into a snarl.

  “Are you...” He whispered, his fists clenched so hard his whole arms were shaking. “Are you.... fucking kidding me? I have been calling to you for months, Hope. Months!”

  Hope’s face was full of commiserating sorrow, which only angered him more. How many times had he seen that look? He had almost forgotten the way the corners of her full lips pulled down at seeing his grief.

  “Matthias...”

  “Forget it.” he said, cutting her off.

  He walked up to her and raised his manacled hands.

  “Just take these off. I think I am done here, now.”

  “Matthias.” She said again gently, and Matt already knew what she was going to say.

  “I am not here to help you.” Her light golden-brown eyes swam with regret. “You chose to be here rather than stay at my side. I can no longer interfere on your behalf.”

  Her voice held no blame or accusations, only regret and acceptance of his own choices.

  Matt barked a laugh, looking at her with astonishment.

  “You may have given me the option; but I never had a choice. A choice, by the way, I never would have had to not make if you hadn’t sold me for more power.”

  “A man like you always has a choice. And as always: you chose hope.”

  “Really?” He asked in disgust. “I always forget just how removed from humanity you really are. You do realize that I am here because of your deal, right?”

  Matt took an angry step forward, getting right in her face.

  “I have been tortured and experimented on for more than six months because you – oh, wait, I'm sorry; because I chose hope. When even that too was taken from me, I reached out to you despite everything. You – who only showed up to help someone else by the way, now refuse to help me and by extension, the person you are actually here to help! As far as I am concerned, your lust for authority is the cause of all of this. You think using an old inside joke will make me change my mind?”

  “And what of him?” She gestured towards Alex, not shrinking away from his heated gaze or closeness.

  “Am I the reason he is here too?”

  “I wouldn’t rule it out.” He grumbled darkly.

  Her bottom lip stuck out in a coquettish pout, and she swayed closer to him.

  “Is that what you really think of me?” she asked softly.

  His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t pull away.

  “You’re distracting me, why?”

  “Maybe I’m stalling because I missed you?” She offered.

  By any metric their relationship was never conventional. She has always been cold and detached, but he knew she was capable of great feelings and in all their time together she had never once lied to him.

  The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk she would know all too well. He knew better than most what the difference was between a misleading truth, and an outright lie.

  “That’s how you’re stalling me, not why.” He said.

  He looked over at Alex who was no longer thrashing from his nightmare. He had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep – a sleep that came only after Hope had touched his face.

  “You took away his nightmares.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I am Hope, after all.” She replied cryptically.

  Matt looked at her suspiciously and had a flash of intuition. He moved to go to the boy and she stopped him by putting a hand on his chest, fear flitting across her face like a bolt of lightning.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Matt stepped back with a smug look on his face.

  “You cannot go near him yet.” She warned. “He needs time to acclimate to the magic I used for the dream state he’s in.”

  “Dream state?” He asked sharply. “You’re talking to him right now, aren’t you? What do you want with him, Hope?”

  “I want to help him.” She said and turned to look at Alex.

  Her expression was a mix of pride and sorrow so deep he could feel it in her aura despite his senses being suppressed.

  “Help him how?” He asked. “Enough of your games, what do you really want with him?”

  As if in answer, Alex’s body lit up with magic. Dark blue-gray light lit him up from within before turning a bright white so blinding Matt had to shield his eyes. Blue and gold whisps of magic shot from him like sparks and then the light slowly faded from him.

  Alex remained perfectly asleep, as if nothing had happened.

  Matt stood frozen in astonishment. Everyone has racial abilities, but throughout the course of an essence user's life they tend to evolve them one at a time by being put in specific circumstances. That initial gray light was indicative of a racial gift evolution for someone at iron rank, but Alex wasn’t even a full essence user yet. What shocked and worried Matt was the white light at the end. That was the transcendent light you only saw from certain diamond rankers, gods, and great astral beings. Diamond Rankers didn’t have the power to alter another person's abilities like that, and the gods may give divine essences to their followers, but not evolutions.

  “You knighted him?” Matt asked. It was the only possibility he could think of. “Are you crazy? He’s barely an essence user; you could have killed him!”

  “I do not have the authority to knight him.” She said. “Alexander was given a title only. A starting point, if you will, for the path that has been offered to him. For his safety, it will remain dormant for now. When he reaches iron rank he will receive the title, with another portion of the power awakening each time he ranks up. He has much to learn if he decides to walk the path. When that day comes - if that day comes... He will knight Alexander Himself.”

  Matt glared at Hope and took a step back from her in disgust.

  “He...? He sent you here?” Matt asked. “I thought you were peddling gifts from the other gods. What? You thought I didn't know about their recent interest in outworlders? But you’re here for Him? He’s not even supposed to be in this reality.”

  “He has returned.” Hope said. “He has become... dissatisfied with the fulfillment of the terms that predicated his self-imposed retirement.”

  Fear shot down Matts spine at the implications.

  “What does He want with Alex?” He asked.

  Hope knelt beside Alex and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

  “He reminds me of you, you know. Back when we first met, before you started your penance.” She said, smiling warmly at the memory. “How long has it been? Do you really intend to-”

  “What does He want with Alex?” He repeated, not interested in talking about the past.

  “He has plans for the boy.” She said as she stood.

  She walked over to him, placing a hand on his cheek.

  “He has plans for you as well.”

  Matt pulled his face away with a shake of his head and she sighed as though disappointed at the loss of physical contact.

  “You have been running for long enough.” She said sternly. “He has allowed you this time to heal and move on, but you have remained stagnant for far too long. There comes a point where ‘a life for a life’ is just wasteful. Do you really think being a Hunter can balance what happened?”

  “What does He expect us to do?” Matt asked quietly.

  “You? He expects you to obey. You will train Alexander. You will teach him to become powerful. You will show him what it means to hold true power over others, and the wisdom to be able hold that kind of power without using it. When he is ready – if he is ready – you will teach him about the Pillars and the Legacy of the Primordial.”

  Matt gulped and looked at Alex. His arms and legs were spread out and he was softly snoring.

  “Surely, He doesn’t need another warrior. He doesn’t even know anything about this world.”

  “Exactly.” Hope said, her golden-brown eyes flashing. “He’s an outsider, a neutral party.”

  Matts eyes widened as her meaning crashed over him like thunder announcing a coming storm.

  “He is invoking his rite from The Pact.” Matt whispered. Words he forgot long ago echoed in his mind.

  ...Born of the void, with no kin or crown, the outsider shall come, to cast the world down...

  “Gods, I hate that damned prophecy.” Matt said bitterly. “I always thought...”

  “That it was supposed to be you?” She asked softly.

  Matt nodded, his eyes downcast.

  “Oh, Matthias.” She said soothingly, placing a hand on his cheek. “It was.”

  His head shot up and her gaze was gentle but firm.

  “You knew there would be consequences for straying from the path.”

  “So, this is punishment?” He asked angrily and gestured towards Alex. “What about him? I never wanted to be that. Why is He punishing Alex for my actions?”

  “Punishment?” She echoed, a hint of steel entering her voice as she dropped her hand away from his face. “His punishment has not yet begun. This punishment is one of reality. No matter how briefly; you stepped off the Path. In accordance with the rules, you can no longer assume that mantle.”

  The muscle in Matt’s jaw worked as forced himself to stay calm.

  “And His punishment?” He asked bitterly.

  “You already know what that is.”

  Matt looked at Alex sleeping peacefully and the anger whooshed out of him like the air from a balloon, leaving him feeling deflated and empty.

  “Why now? What the hell happened?” He asked in a small voice.

  “They have violated the terms set by the First.” Hope declared. “He allowed them to govern themselves, upholding the deal even after they’re rebellion destroyed the relic. However, His forbearance is finally at an end. They are no longer in balance, and he is now free to act within the confines of their own governing rules.”

  Matt shook his head in disbelief. The First almost never interacted directly with mortal realities, and he had willingly been sequestered for untold millennia. How bad did it have to be for the one famous for the belief in free will feel the need to bring the cosmos back under His control?

  “Is he going to restore and sit on the Throne?” Matt asked.

  “Occupying the throne would allow him to seize complete control but would offer no balance.” She said. “He has never wanted control; only balance. To be honest, he has grown rather fond of the idea of choosing certain mortals to serve as proxies. It is their reality after all. However, the other astral’s lust for power has become more important than abiding by the rules of engagement. The consequences of their incessant squabbling can be felt throughout the cosmos, yet they still refuse to take direct responsibility for their mistakes, fearing that it would reduce their own power. Instead, they toy with the lives of mortals in wagers and concessions. They use them as pawns in their political games and that is what the First intends to balance.”

  “By creating pawns of his own?” Matt asked derisively. “Is that what we are going to be? Pawns of the immortals?”

  “He does not want pawns, he wants champions. You will accept this task, or not. Instead of pieces on a board you will be Avatars. True Avatars, unlike the diamond rank vessels misused by the others.”

  Hope’s eyes began to glow bright gold and she raised her hand, stopping just short of touching his chest with her palm.

  Matt swallowed hard as he felt an aura surge up all around them. When Hope spoke again, her voice resonated with such cavernous depths of raw magic that he couldn’t even make out the words. For these words could not be spoken to the mortal ears; but only to the immortal soul.

  “The First Astral has invoked His ancient rites to once again effectuate the Primordial Pact. It is His prerogative to install balance throughout the cosmos as he deems fit and He calls upon you to usher in the new dawn. Matthias Macarius Masterson: Will you accept His call and carry this burden?”