Holy War: Two Worlds and an In- Between

Chapter 8: Let Me Explain

When I got out of the wardrobe, Jack was gone. Grandma came home, then Michael, but I couldn't put in the effort to talk to either of them. I went to bed that night with no interference from the wardrobe. I questioned my sanity even on until morning while I waited patiently for Olivia to arrive in our driveway.

I didn't take the time to observe the roses in the garden or the statue that looked over them. I could only stay attentive enough to make sure that Michael didn't get into too much trouble. I ignored his happy shrieks as he jumped in puddles and only let him be background noise.

Olivia's car rolled up in front of us, and Mike ran straight for the backseat. I took my time, though the rain drizzled on my head. I realized that my behaviors began to mock that of Jack or Arlow or whoever he was. I couldn't even trust my grasp on reality.

"Tell me why I have been hearing from everyone in the school that you and Jack snuck off somewhere after school," Olivia said after I got into the car and said our customary "good morning".

"I guess it's because you've been talking to some particularly gossipy classmates," I responded dryly rubbing my eyes. I ignored Mike as he played with his phone.

"Oh right, look at you. I bet you didn't get a single wink of sleep last night. Did Jack have anything to do with that?" ?he asked harshly hinting at some pretty serious stuff with a snarky eye roll.

"Actually Liv, Jack had everything to do with it," I retorted sarcastically. I saw her face twist up and a heavy breath left her nostrils.

"So what am I supposed to tell Liza?" She said in annoyance as we rolled into school.

"Not my problem," I mumbled climbing out of the car and closing the door. I did try to care but I couldn't.

For the most part of the day, I avoided most members of the school body who wanted to pry into the details of the night that Jack and I shared. I assumed that "Well I went through a magical portal where I found a teleporting messenger whose sole purpose in life is to drag me to another dimension where I fight demons. It was truly a night to remember," didn't seem like the right answer, so I didn't respond to anyone.

At lunchtime, I was greeted by Jack who stood waiting for me at the huge double doors that lead to the field, "No lunch?" He grumbled walking beside me.

"You expect me to be able to eat after all of this?" I hissed taking a step outside, "I couldn't even enjoy Scarlett's strawberry pancakes this morning."

"So I'm guessing you met Allioni," he said lowly as we strolled outside, "probably should have given you a heads up."

I spun on my heels blocking his way, "Oh yeah, I met your little friend. We had an interesting conversation about your alter ego, Lord Arlow! What kinda weird Harry Potter name is that?" I scoffed.

He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger, "It's not my alter ego, okay. That's just as much me as I am now," he sighed, "arguably more me than I am now."

I looked at him with confusion. I didn't particularly enjoy having more riddles compiled onto the heaping pile of stress I was dealing with. I felt like the world was crumbling around me. Nothing felt real and I felt helpless against it all. My only hope was that I didn't look as bad as I felt, because I was entirely too sure that I would have been thrown in an insane asylum.

I guess I did look as bad as I felt though. It was only a matter of seconds before Jack pulled me away to the table furthest away from everyone else that I realized that I was on the brink of a mental break down. He sat me down looking at me with an unusual amount of pity. I didn't want to crumble in front of him but there was too much that was going on for me to handle.

"Tell me everything," I said choking back tears, "no more riddles. I am on the brink of a mental collapse."

He took a seat next to me, "Are you sure you want to know?" He asked. He seemed to be on the calmer side of his ever-changing moods, "There's no coming back from this once I tell you."

"I just spent the night in another dimension with a teleporting boy named, Allioni where he told me that I, a high school student, am destined to fight in a Holy War against angels and demons. Oh yeah, he also mentioned that you, my friend, are some sort of Lord. The world is falling apart and nothing makes sense so if you would please explain to me why the universe is working in antithesis to everything that I know I would be ever so grateful," I ranted raising my voice towards the end of my performance.

"Ok, but you have to understand that everything that I tell you is true," he said, I nodded, "We aren't alone in this crazy messed up universe. Thousands and thousands of years ago, the universe birthed the planet Saros. There, lived the powerful and the weak. The most powerful beings were the so-called 'Holy Beings' who lived in the heavens. They had powers untold and became Gods among men, though they were not truly Gods at all. Those species weren't the only ones.

"There were demons and fairies and giants and minute beings. Mages, horsemen, sorcerers, and others but the least powerful were humans. The world broke out into a holy war that I must admit I was a part of. I was a mage, the most powerful in all of Alexandria possibly Saros. That's all that I remember. I'm not sure what else happened but for some reason, I was reborn here and I grew up thinking that I was Jack and I am Jack but I am Arlow too," he explained solemnly. I was entranced by his words.

"Like reincarnation," I remarked to myself, he nodded, "but why do I have to fight."

"I don't know, but I had a vision that you were fighting in the holy war," he explained. I thought for a second and was instantly confused.

"Diana, you have to fight in the holy war," he sighed and looked off into the field, " we both do."