12-27-2017, 01:57 PM
<small>(Live post between Evelyn and Ascendancy)</small>
He needed to be away from her. He could not trust himself, despite the discipline and measured control he prided himself for maintaining. He hurried from the throne room with long, calculated strides that carried him swiftly away. He longed for the basement sanctuary currently under construction. Kicking around the dirt and debris of the battle-field that was his home would be a waste of time, however. So he aimed for his office. He wanted to sequester himself from the night, send his messages, and prepare the consulates for the ball.
But a voice pulled him back. Evelyn's voice, distant, yet heard clearly, paused his steps. He flushed with a chill that unnerved him, and he turned slowly. Her approach was direct, and her gaze was daring. She demanded explanation that Nikolai could not deny her. Her eyes pleaded despite the insistence to her tone. Few but for his closest counselors had the courage to interrupt his pace, let alone extract his innermost schemes unsolicited.
He gestured that the Preator agents let her pass. Why intervene into affairs outside his empire now? Why rescue a continent only when it was convenient? Should he say it was because his time had come? Because he revealed his true divinity to the world, the first and greatest channeler alive, the Archon, the Apollyon and he was ready to claim the rest? Because he wanted to save the world from itself and now was the time to act before someone else did? No, he could not tarnish the optimism and hope that radiated from this woman with his cynical motives. He could not tell her the whole truth, but he could reveal some of it. The temptation to embrace her rose again, but Nikolai resisted the call. He had to see how she responded first.
"Because I want the United States to know that I am not evil. Because I want the savior of Africa bound to me and through him we can save the continent from itself. Because women and children need medicine and shelter. Because I have the means to act and I finally realize that I should do exactly that. I can herald a new age of prosperity and peace, Evelyn, but I need the world, namely, your world, to believe I am not evil in order to do it."
The United States was his last hurdle toward conquering the planet. Their resistance was what kept the western continents from entering the Custody's fold. If what was once the strongest nation on earth would simply bow to him, that age could begin. This woman, Evelyn Avalon, was his ally toward building that realm. He had to make her see, but he had to do so while resisting the pull to simply lay it all at her feet.
His voice fell to a whisper, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Evie's gaze softened, "No. It is not. Be truthful with yourself. Be truthful with me."
Her words pierced his heart like an arrow, wounding him more than Regus or Garrett or Michael ever could. He couldn't tell her the truth. She would flee and so too would ruin this perfect chance to infiltrate the heart that held Washington in its grasp.
He hesitated to answer. Was he truthful with himself? Was the reason to win the heart of his enemy or to win the heart of this woman?
His sanctuary called again. "Come, I want to show you something."
The basements were immediately comforting. The elevator was still out of use, so they took the stairs where the battle began. Plastic covered walls that were half-boarded up. Pipes and electric wires were exposed. The gleam of bedrock-carved rooms from under the Kremlin.
"Step carefully,"
he advised. Power tools were left out. Dust and nails littered the floor. His eyes roamed immediately toward the spot where the Ijiraq's body was discarded. Michael had it removed, Nikolai recalled to the man's credit. Perhaps to study it, or perhaps to learn their weaknesses. He didn't care. He was simply grateful it was gone.
Evie broke him from the memory, "This was where it happened, wasn't it?"
Nikolai turned to face her. Pain and torment touched his face like shadows. She studied their surroundings. "Yes."
he replied, "but not as you think."
He was drawn to her, that was certain. Revealing this secret was dangerous. She could leak it to the world and undermine everything he built so far. He was trusting her immensely with this knowledge, but something in him drove the need to share it. She had to know in order for her to truly understand his cause. Only then would she truly believe in him.
"There was no bomb. It was the Atharim. You've heard the word before. The Atharim penetrated the very defenses of my home and here I fought them back."
Not the whole truth, but enough of it. "The pictures that were leaked of my injuries were real. But I regenerated, Evie. I healed. Why? Think about it? Think of what I have done in my lifetime. Think of the world order fifty years ago and think of what it could be another fifty. Look at me, Evie. Look into my eyes and tell me you don't see agelessness."
He grasped her hands, "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't see a god."
~~~
Evelyn nearly fainted when he called her by her childhood nickname. Beyond that, she could not believe what she was hearing. No bomb? This was his home? He regenerated like he'd been touched by the hand of Jesus himself. He was pleading with her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw all his greatness. She'd studied him her whole life and knew exactly what he had accomplished. She shuddered to think what the world would be like in another fifty years. It would likely be unrecognizable, but he clearly thought that was for the best. But it wasn't democratic. It wasn't right to rule by theocracy. He wanted her to admit what he believed to be true, but she refused to say it.
"You're not a god,"
she would break him to utter the truth, but the truth was painful. She could not feed that lie. "You're a man. A brave, powerful, strong and righteous man, but a man. Even the greatest of kings were men. The Pharaoh's of old were men. The Emperor's of conquest were men. You are mortal just like me."
He shook his head in response. Just then, the room began to dim. The lights lowered like a black sheet doused their light. Then a fog of darkness rolled forth from Ascendancy. His expression was war and his countenance hellish. Evelyn should have regretted telling the Ascendancy what he did not want to hear, but she didn't fear him. He drew strength from the darkness that erupted.
That was when Jesus revealed her true purpose. She gasped at the revelation. She was not here to guide the CCD, nor was she here to draw a treaty on channeler rights. She was here to save this man from his own darkness. Her light was his salvation. The light of Jesus flowed through her, and she whispered for his power to cleanse the demons from Ascendancy's soul.
She held forth a hand and approached him, "Nikolai,"
she spoke through the darkness that overtook her vision. Light spun from her own soul, but it did not penetrate. Not yet. She had to reach him. She had to get through.
"Nikolai!"
she called, gripping the cross that dangled from her neck. "Together."
She whispered the epiphany, and the beautiful flows of God's power melded with those of darkness. Light met dark and in response, a great glow gleamed like a crystal casting a million points of radiance surrounded them.
In that moment, she saw him for what he really was. He glowed bright as the sun. How had she never seen the glow before? She squinted, focused, and forced herself to peer through the pain to the man beneath. She took a step forward, and shadows skittered from her feet. Another step and emptiness fled. Another step and the power of Jesus entwined itself with the powers of channeling. She released the cross necklace. It fell forgotten to her chest. She reached out with both hands and clenched his shoulders.
~~~
It was not that long ago when Nikolai stood in this room and summoned his power to cloak him in a curtain of darkness. His reflection in the mirror waned and disappeared at that time, but the spell broke when he moved. This time, in the same room where the Ijiraq pulled more power through him than he thought existed in the entire universe, he wove the same threads. Black clouds rolled like smoke from his feet consuming the flesh of that mortal body. But the spell did not require sheer strength to finish, he realized. He did not draw deeper upon the power to complete it. Instead, he realized it collapsed because it had been incomplete to start with. The darkness needed a reflection in order to disappear.
He added the final two flows to the web: water, the fluid that let the flows slip into perfect symmetry and Essence, the spirit of the intangible folded the light. His aura disappeared, but the glow of threads remained. Evelyn clutched his shoulders, but the weave did not flicker. In fact, he pulled her into the fabric of his reality.
They existed now in a realm parallel to the tangible one, but they were not alone. The texture of his creation rippled with newfound threads. He could not see them, but he knew they were there. His powers interlaced with hers, and together they marveled.
"You are right, Evelyn,"
he spoke in awe. "I am not god. I am not Nikolai. I am something else."
His eyes traveled the latticework of majesty before settling upon her face. A name was conjured, one he heard whispered in his mind once before.
She answered for him, "Aidoneous."
The smile that parted his lips made her soul want to sing. "I know you."
She whispered and the last remnants of fear faded.
Together, with light and dark folded equally around them, he wrapped his arms around her as she to him.
He pulled her lips to his, lifting her to her toes to do so. His soul stretched with life and hope. She was everything that he was not. Together, they could accomplish anything. With Evelyn at his side, his future unfurled and all seemed clear. Their path forward was set. He would reshape the Atharim into his image. He would pacify the world with his hand. All previously denied could be achieved. A dread king and queen they would make.
~~~~
Sofia Castilla, the ranking congressperson on the Foreign Relations Committee never thought she would find herself sleeping in palacial chambers inside a Russian fortress. The democrat was not necessarily pro-CCD, but neither was she vehemently opposed to the Ascendancy and his power. Still, it didn't mean she was comfortable sleeping beneath his roof. Perhaps it was part of his plan by inviting them to stay as a means to unnerve them. A poor night of sleep led to foolish decisions the next day. It irked her, and she threw back the downy blanket to walk around and burn some of this useless energy away.
It was late, she noted the hour, but sent a message to Francis anyway on the bet that he was as sleepless as she. Indeed, she guessed right, and his invitation that they speak together was accepted. She wrapped herself in a robe and slipped into the corridor that adjoined the suites.
As she knocked softly on the Secretary's door, she heard sounds radiating from the corridor. First one, then a second of the agents that protected the Ascendancy at all times appeared. Sofia gasped and clutched the handle, willing it to open. Just as the first guard noticed her, Francis arrived. She hurried inside, but held the door open just a crack to watch what happened. From the sounds of it, Ascendancy was not alone. Sofia held her breath.
"¡Ay, Dios mío!"
She whispered. Ascendancy and Evelyn, their Evelyn, were together. He paused not far away, took her by the chin and kissed her with such heat that Sofia blushed to watch. They moved on a moment later, destined for Sofia knew where.
When a shadow overtook her view, she stood upright with a gasp. The last thing she saw were the dangerous eyes of that ridiculous agent. He yanked the door shut on her nose and Sofia straightened in alarm.
Behind her, Francis asked what in the world was going on. She spun and grit her teeth. "Evelyn has betrayed us."
She trembled with fury. After all she had done to protect and vouch for the girl, she literally slept with their enemy.
He needed to be away from her. He could not trust himself, despite the discipline and measured control he prided himself for maintaining. He hurried from the throne room with long, calculated strides that carried him swiftly away. He longed for the basement sanctuary currently under construction. Kicking around the dirt and debris of the battle-field that was his home would be a waste of time, however. So he aimed for his office. He wanted to sequester himself from the night, send his messages, and prepare the consulates for the ball.
But a voice pulled him back. Evelyn's voice, distant, yet heard clearly, paused his steps. He flushed with a chill that unnerved him, and he turned slowly. Her approach was direct, and her gaze was daring. She demanded explanation that Nikolai could not deny her. Her eyes pleaded despite the insistence to her tone. Few but for his closest counselors had the courage to interrupt his pace, let alone extract his innermost schemes unsolicited.
He gestured that the Preator agents let her pass. Why intervene into affairs outside his empire now? Why rescue a continent only when it was convenient? Should he say it was because his time had come? Because he revealed his true divinity to the world, the first and greatest channeler alive, the Archon, the Apollyon and he was ready to claim the rest? Because he wanted to save the world from itself and now was the time to act before someone else did? No, he could not tarnish the optimism and hope that radiated from this woman with his cynical motives. He could not tell her the whole truth, but he could reveal some of it. The temptation to embrace her rose again, but Nikolai resisted the call. He had to see how she responded first.
"Because I want the United States to know that I am not evil. Because I want the savior of Africa bound to me and through him we can save the continent from itself. Because women and children need medicine and shelter. Because I have the means to act and I finally realize that I should do exactly that. I can herald a new age of prosperity and peace, Evelyn, but I need the world, namely, your world, to believe I am not evil in order to do it."
The United States was his last hurdle toward conquering the planet. Their resistance was what kept the western continents from entering the Custody's fold. If what was once the strongest nation on earth would simply bow to him, that age could begin. This woman, Evelyn Avalon, was his ally toward building that realm. He had to make her see, but he had to do so while resisting the pull to simply lay it all at her feet.
His voice fell to a whisper, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Evie's gaze softened, "No. It is not. Be truthful with yourself. Be truthful with me."
Her words pierced his heart like an arrow, wounding him more than Regus or Garrett or Michael ever could. He couldn't tell her the truth. She would flee and so too would ruin this perfect chance to infiltrate the heart that held Washington in its grasp.
He hesitated to answer. Was he truthful with himself? Was the reason to win the heart of his enemy or to win the heart of this woman?
His sanctuary called again. "Come, I want to show you something."
The basements were immediately comforting. The elevator was still out of use, so they took the stairs where the battle began. Plastic covered walls that were half-boarded up. Pipes and electric wires were exposed. The gleam of bedrock-carved rooms from under the Kremlin.
"Step carefully,"
he advised. Power tools were left out. Dust and nails littered the floor. His eyes roamed immediately toward the spot where the Ijiraq's body was discarded. Michael had it removed, Nikolai recalled to the man's credit. Perhaps to study it, or perhaps to learn their weaknesses. He didn't care. He was simply grateful it was gone.
Evie broke him from the memory, "This was where it happened, wasn't it?"
Nikolai turned to face her. Pain and torment touched his face like shadows. She studied their surroundings. "Yes."
he replied, "but not as you think."
He was drawn to her, that was certain. Revealing this secret was dangerous. She could leak it to the world and undermine everything he built so far. He was trusting her immensely with this knowledge, but something in him drove the need to share it. She had to know in order for her to truly understand his cause. Only then would she truly believe in him.
"There was no bomb. It was the Atharim. You've heard the word before. The Atharim penetrated the very defenses of my home and here I fought them back."
Not the whole truth, but enough of it. "The pictures that were leaked of my injuries were real. But I regenerated, Evie. I healed. Why? Think about it? Think of what I have done in my lifetime. Think of the world order fifty years ago and think of what it could be another fifty. Look at me, Evie. Look into my eyes and tell me you don't see agelessness."
He grasped her hands, "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't see a god."
~~~
Evelyn nearly fainted when he called her by her childhood nickname. Beyond that, she could not believe what she was hearing. No bomb? This was his home? He regenerated like he'd been touched by the hand of Jesus himself. He was pleading with her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw all his greatness. She'd studied him her whole life and knew exactly what he had accomplished. She shuddered to think what the world would be like in another fifty years. It would likely be unrecognizable, but he clearly thought that was for the best. But it wasn't democratic. It wasn't right to rule by theocracy. He wanted her to admit what he believed to be true, but she refused to say it.
"You're not a god,"
she would break him to utter the truth, but the truth was painful. She could not feed that lie. "You're a man. A brave, powerful, strong and righteous man, but a man. Even the greatest of kings were men. The Pharaoh's of old were men. The Emperor's of conquest were men. You are mortal just like me."
He shook his head in response. Just then, the room began to dim. The lights lowered like a black sheet doused their light. Then a fog of darkness rolled forth from Ascendancy. His expression was war and his countenance hellish. Evelyn should have regretted telling the Ascendancy what he did not want to hear, but she didn't fear him. He drew strength from the darkness that erupted.
That was when Jesus revealed her true purpose. She gasped at the revelation. She was not here to guide the CCD, nor was she here to draw a treaty on channeler rights. She was here to save this man from his own darkness. Her light was his salvation. The light of Jesus flowed through her, and she whispered for his power to cleanse the demons from Ascendancy's soul.
She held forth a hand and approached him, "Nikolai,"
she spoke through the darkness that overtook her vision. Light spun from her own soul, but it did not penetrate. Not yet. She had to reach him. She had to get through.
"Nikolai!"
she called, gripping the cross that dangled from her neck. "Together."
She whispered the epiphany, and the beautiful flows of God's power melded with those of darkness. Light met dark and in response, a great glow gleamed like a crystal casting a million points of radiance surrounded them.
In that moment, she saw him for what he really was. He glowed bright as the sun. How had she never seen the glow before? She squinted, focused, and forced herself to peer through the pain to the man beneath. She took a step forward, and shadows skittered from her feet. Another step and emptiness fled. Another step and the power of Jesus entwined itself with the powers of channeling. She released the cross necklace. It fell forgotten to her chest. She reached out with both hands and clenched his shoulders.
~~~
It was not that long ago when Nikolai stood in this room and summoned his power to cloak him in a curtain of darkness. His reflection in the mirror waned and disappeared at that time, but the spell broke when he moved. This time, in the same room where the Ijiraq pulled more power through him than he thought existed in the entire universe, he wove the same threads. Black clouds rolled like smoke from his feet consuming the flesh of that mortal body. But the spell did not require sheer strength to finish, he realized. He did not draw deeper upon the power to complete it. Instead, he realized it collapsed because it had been incomplete to start with. The darkness needed a reflection in order to disappear.
He added the final two flows to the web: water, the fluid that let the flows slip into perfect symmetry and Essence, the spirit of the intangible folded the light. His aura disappeared, but the glow of threads remained. Evelyn clutched his shoulders, but the weave did not flicker. In fact, he pulled her into the fabric of his reality.
They existed now in a realm parallel to the tangible one, but they were not alone. The texture of his creation rippled with newfound threads. He could not see them, but he knew they were there. His powers interlaced with hers, and together they marveled.
"You are right, Evelyn,"
he spoke in awe. "I am not god. I am not Nikolai. I am something else."
His eyes traveled the latticework of majesty before settling upon her face. A name was conjured, one he heard whispered in his mind once before.
She answered for him, "Aidoneous."
The smile that parted his lips made her soul want to sing. "I know you."
She whispered and the last remnants of fear faded.
Together, with light and dark folded equally around them, he wrapped his arms around her as she to him.
He pulled her lips to his, lifting her to her toes to do so. His soul stretched with life and hope. She was everything that he was not. Together, they could accomplish anything. With Evelyn at his side, his future unfurled and all seemed clear. Their path forward was set. He would reshape the Atharim into his image. He would pacify the world with his hand. All previously denied could be achieved. A dread king and queen they would make.
~~~~
Sofia Castilla, the ranking congressperson on the Foreign Relations Committee never thought she would find herself sleeping in palacial chambers inside a Russian fortress. The democrat was not necessarily pro-CCD, but neither was she vehemently opposed to the Ascendancy and his power. Still, it didn't mean she was comfortable sleeping beneath his roof. Perhaps it was part of his plan by inviting them to stay as a means to unnerve them. A poor night of sleep led to foolish decisions the next day. It irked her, and she threw back the downy blanket to walk around and burn some of this useless energy away.
It was late, she noted the hour, but sent a message to Francis anyway on the bet that he was as sleepless as she. Indeed, she guessed right, and his invitation that they speak together was accepted. She wrapped herself in a robe and slipped into the corridor that adjoined the suites.
As she knocked softly on the Secretary's door, she heard sounds radiating from the corridor. First one, then a second of the agents that protected the Ascendancy at all times appeared. Sofia gasped and clutched the handle, willing it to open. Just as the first guard noticed her, Francis arrived. She hurried inside, but held the door open just a crack to watch what happened. From the sounds of it, Ascendancy was not alone. Sofia held her breath.
"¡Ay, Dios mío!"
She whispered. Ascendancy and Evelyn, their Evelyn, were together. He paused not far away, took her by the chin and kissed her with such heat that Sofia blushed to watch. They moved on a moment later, destined for Sofia knew where.
When a shadow overtook her view, she stood upright with a gasp. The last thing she saw were the dangerous eyes of that ridiculous agent. He yanked the door shut on her nose and Sofia straightened in alarm.
Behind her, Francis asked what in the world was going on. She spun and grit her teeth. "Evelyn has betrayed us."
She trembled with fury. After all she had done to protect and vouch for the girl, she literally slept with their enemy.