Distant Cathartic

Distant Cathartic III (Soul 3)

The office disappeared. Lucifer was gone. The young Athlon stood up laboriously, alone in the void, surrounded by nothingness. A soft murmur rose, like a scratching at first, growing into a faint whisper. When Athlon turned to face it, it echoed across the void to remain behind him. He swayed for a moment, and then sat down, woozy from the attack. The whisper continued, taunting Athlon, planting seeds of despair in his mind. Athlon covered his ears with his hands, trying to block the evil suggestions, but he could still hear them just as loudly. He stood up, trying to gain control, trying to build a plan.

A long mirror appeared, turning to face Athlon. As he looked at his reflection, his image began to change. The Android's semi-shiny exterior grew dull, and the reflection's eyes turned from pale green to deep red. Athlon watched as his image grew hunched and sinister, flashing a row of jagged teeth in a vile grin that matched Lucifer's. The reflection threw its head back and laughed silently at its subject, and Athlon swung his fist at the twisted image, shattering the mirror with a loud crash.

As the older Athlon watched, chains appeared from thin air, and wrapped themselves tightly around his counterpart. The ground opened up, and swallowed its immobilized victim. Sensing his growing fear, the Elysians put their hands on Athlon again, and the void disappeared.

Setting back down on the balcony of Boris' tower, Athlon staggered to the wall and leaned against it. His hands had started shaking again. The Elysians spoke:

<Lucifer sent you into Hell. When the void swallowed you, you fell into his dark pit. Lucifer needs your soul, so he damned you to a lifetime of torment, falling forever, horrors reaching for you. He wanted you to know how real his power is. After 4000 years, your faith in his existence is unquestioned. Your timeline has now been dominated by your millennia in Hell. Do you understand?>

Athlon shook his head slowly.

<Your timeline is your soul. Your soul has spent most of its existence in constant fear of Lucifer. He can take you now, Athlon. He has a genuine claim on your soul. Very soon, he will arrive, and destroy you. He will consume you, and it will give him new, unlimited power.>

Athlon turned, and slid down the wall to the floor, holding his face in his hands. Words could not describe his fear.

<Have heart, Champion of Olympus. We have come to help you. We can sense his impending arrival, and we intend to help you escape this fate. If we do not, the galaxy will fall to his new power, and all will perish. The galaxy needs you, Athlon, more than ever. Six of our kind have volunteered for this task. They will return you to before the events you have seen today. They will remove the fear that troubles you so, and renew your youth. They will travel with you, and fight by your side against Lucifer. When he arrives to claim you, in the midst of Boris' defeat, you will not be alone.>

From the sky, a second tear appeared, and six more Elysians descended to the balcony. They were all males, and they wore intricately decorated battle armor.

<These are Elysian warriors, Athlon. They have watched your long journey across the stars, and when your time of need came, they all asked to join you.>

The warriors bowed to Athlon. They each drew a gleaming sword from their hips, and as one they lifted the weapons in salute to the Android. Athlon was speechless.

<We are out of time. Lucifer approaches to claim his prize. You must return now, to that fateful day. And this time, you must defeat him. Go now, and take the hopes of all Elysians with you.>

As the Elysian women finished their words, lightning poured forth from the sky above Heaven. The warriors grabbed hold of Athlon, and leapt from the balcony, pulling themselves into a perfect dive. High above them, Lucifer appeared from the black clouds of the storm, and rushed towards them. Athlon closed his eyes.