Secrets Within the Resounding Sound

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"No," I said softly, then I screamed it a second time. "NO! We won't!" I used Juni's arm for strength as I pulled myself up. When I stood beside her, I smiled at her. "This will not be the end, Juni. I will not let it."

I pushed her hard, using all of my strength. She fell several feet away from me. Before she was able to stand. I resurrected a barrier trapping Nergal and I together. This put Juni outside of it, she beat her hands on the invisible wall, her powers useless against it. I could see her screaming at me, but my barrier deflected the sound. Nergal came towards me, he grinned his devilish grin and chuckled maniacally. When he took a step towards me, I smiled right back at him.

"I will not let you win this." I seethed. My fists balled at my sides. "I will not be the end."

He looked at me and chuckled one more time. "You cannot choose who lives or dies. The Fates are the only ones who have the power to do that."

"Then," I whispered my powers flaring out of me turning everything around me into darkness, "you do not know me, nor do you know my aunts as you believe."

"That will not make a difference. Even they can not change what will happen." Nergal's laugh was maniacal.

It was my turn to laugh and I took a step towards him, his power a raging fire around us. I could feel it burning my skin, the air around us acrid just like the smell of those rooms so long ago. I moved in closer, I could feel my power welling up around me. I imagined it as it should have been; whole, pieced together. But I knew that there were still empty spaces within it.

"You think you can go against me?" Nergal asked, skepticism in his voice.

I breathed out the words, "I know I can go against you."

"You will not win, child of Janus." He retorted. I took another step, my darkness surrounding me, touching his fire and eveloping it, surrounding him. He laughed nervously and his power expanded, fighting against mine. "No use, child." His power beat against mine, his fire morphing into my darkness. "Just come with me, and your friends will live."

I could not let anyone die. "I will make sure my friends live no matter what."

I reached my hand out, wishing, hoping, praying that I could touch him. I could feel everything, all eyes on me, all the lives in all the world. I knew that if I did not do this, not erase every memory then he would overthrow all the gods. He would find a way to become the god of everything. I could not let that happen. My grandmother had worked so hard to build this world and my aunt and my father had worked so hard to keep it the same and growing. What they needed this world to be the same. I needed to become their pillar, to save them, to make it so that there worlds were never messed with again.

So I reached my hand through the fire, the burning of my skin was fierce. I reached all the way to my bones, I needed to treat the pain as if this was nothing. I could get through this. I reached farther, my powers brightening around me, changing shades like a kaleidoscope of colors.

I reached and I reached until I caught him.

He struggled against the force I put into him, straining against the powers that flared beneath my palms.

I wanted to return to that smile. This is the lie my mother protected. I can't curse someone or kill anyone. I can't repeat the same things my father did in his past. I can't be dyed in blood. I can't spill people's blood because blood is the proof of being alive.

My hand laid across his forehead, I felt his thoughts, his memories. I don't know how, but I could feel everything inside of him. My body could sense so much sadness. Was it because I held in my hands the end of everything? There was something very painful in the look in his eyes. But that was impossible.