The Seed of Hope

Chapter 53: Cataclysm and Confessions

Logan busted through the doors of their headquarters with Kate in his arms.
-"Naoko!! Ivee!!"-
As he called them, he heard screaming coming from the kitchen, so he rushed his way to the left of the forge and as he went in, he saw the Rai and the Celestians writhing on the floor. His eyes moved to the far end of the wall to see Naoko and Ivee huddled together in a panic.

-"Kate too!?"- They both shouted.
-"Elohim must be going on a rampage again. The sky out there is violent."- Logan laid Kate on the table. -"If this is the beginning of another event like the Great Shift, I don't think we will come out of it alive!"-

-"Don't say that, Logan! We have come so far, Kate has fought and sacrificed too much to die here!"- Naoko jumped on the table and began slapping Kate's face in a desperate attempt to wake her.
-"Kate, please!! Kate! Wake up!!"-

Within Kate's consciousness, however, it was silent. It brought her back to that vibrant day at the beach where she was enjoying herself, the sunset warming her skin and the water cleansing her soul. The distant laughter of the people around her was suddenly muted by that massive explosion that swept across the island.

Her breathing became agitated as Logan and the girls noticed her armor faintly manifest onto her body. The halo appeared on her head again.
-"Look!"- Ivee pointed it out.

The halo began to glow in a strong and glaring white light which went down from her head to her feet, then up again. Kate opened her eyes to reveal the light coming from within. Her body began to float up, images still playing in her mind's eye of the chaos and death that surrounded her. Her right hand began to glow and steam, and the red sigil Bassilisk planted on her along with Elyon began to burn red.
Logan noticed it and grabbed her wrist. He tightened his grip on it, fearing that it was Bassilisk's curse upon her that was taking over her. As he did, his head snapped back, and he fell into a dark room. His breath echoed into the nothingness as disorientation took over. He stepped on invisible puddles of what sounded like water which caught him off guard. But there was no water, just darkness. He called for Kate's name but was just met with more and more echoes of every little movement he made. He began to hear his heart beating, pounding in his ears, the blood rushing through his veins, his muscles moving within his skin. He hated this feeling.

-"Kate!!"- He called out but suddenly was slammed by a heavy and strong force. He quickly recovered and landed on his feet. After spitting out blood, he looked around to see what the hell that was. He noticed an eerie outline a few feet away from him, ominous glowing red eyes that glared down at him. This tall figure was broad with what looked like wings. Horns protruded from the top of its head and pointed directly at Logan.

-"What are you!?"- Logan gritted his blood-stained teeth. This heavy aura was so familiar. Sweat began to drip down his chin in the sudden heat. The figure just stood there, growling and breathing deeply. Steam coming out of his unseen nostrils. Logan understood that this beast wasn't going to give him any explanations, so he engulfed his hand in flames, and the other he held his cutlass.

The beast suddenly lunged at Logan, its glowing red eyes leaving trails in the darkness. They clashed together and Logan was pushed back slightly. The horns of the tall figure left sparks against the cutlass. Logan grunted as he pushed it off and threw the fire at it.
As the fire burned bright, Logan could see just a glance of the figure in the warm and thick darkness. Logan gasped and extinguished the flame from his hand. His skin tingled as he felt more sweat build up. The ground thumped as the beast ran towards him. The horns were glowing a burning red as steam hissed into the air.

-"Is he?"- Logan dodged an oncoming dash by stepping to the side. -"It can't be!"-

Logan was suddenly hit in the back of the head hard. He fell onto the hot ground but in a swift movement stood up and leaped back, gaining distance from the rampaging figure. His hand was engulfed in flames once more and sent it up, illuminating the dark area. And there he was. A dark and ominous beast with an oh-so-familiar face.

-"Solomon..."- Logan choked. Solomon's eyes were burning red with rage, but his face was plain and aloof--as if he was controlled by something else.
Solomon suddenly dashed toward Logan and pinned him against an invisible wall. The horned man grabbed Logan by the skull and forced him to look up at him. His long and sharp nails dug into his temples and scalp, drawing out blood. Logan grunted in pain as he tried to get Solomon off of him, but it was no use. Solomon was probably double his size. Besides that, Logan felt incompetent in his father's presence. This energy and this power were beyond his comprehension. Logan noticed how Solomon made him feel intimidated. That's a first. He needed to be like his father. It was his birthright.