The Stillness of Peace

Prologue (The Stillness of Peace)

 

Cars blurs past the ever so busy Dundas Square, where thousands of people go about their daily lives. My friends, Gillian, Suzanne, and I are not the exception. Here we are sitting on top of the black tiled pavement in the middle of the square, enjoying the first day of actual spring. I look up at the big LCD panel above the Toronto Eaton Center sign. It displays the date, Saturday April 11th, 2009, and the weather of eighteen degrees Celsius along with boring beauty advertisement. Feeling the cool breeze coming from the west, another huge crowd rushes out from the cramped Subway entrances.

I ponder, “Hmm, the crowd seems to be larger than the usual display, it is so busy today,” as I watch each person exit.
“I suppose that they have the same idea as us, to enjoy our beautiful mother and her fine workings. Heh, what a surprise,” I smirk sarcastically.

Then the soft-smooth skin of girl’s hand cups my left cheek. It grazes across and down my chin, leaving a warm tingle that shoots down my spine. When I glance down, I see her delightful expression, Suzanne’s, as she rests on top of the pavement with her head comfortably on my lap. She giggles, teasing me as she continues to send shivers down my spine with her melting touch. Unable to take it anymore, I settle left hand on top of hers while caressing her chin back with my right. She nudges passionately with her mouth into my palm and tightly holds my left fingers. Then our left hands gently rest besides her head and she smiles, closing her eyes under her big shady sunglasses.

Seeing her completely relax and content, I go back to observing the busy Subway entrance. When I look up, all I can see are the big metal covers of my history tome and fingers of the girl holding it. With the tome right at her face, it gives me the notion that she is ignoring me.

“Oh, Gillian…” I smirk with gratification, knowing that she is jealous of Suzanne, getting all of the attention.

As I continue to enjoy her amusing affection towards me, I slowly start to stare deeply into the only hypnotizing element on the covers, the celestial gem. I glare into ever-changing gem, as it fluctuates with different patterns of stars that appear in the night sky. Then a certain pattern appears and it reminds me of how I first met, Gillian and Suzanne.

“Hmm, Gillian and Suzanne. It was not so long ago, only seven month if I recall….” my mind utters as it slowly trails off into my deeper memories.

I remembered it being a strange night, the night that I met them. I was slowly making my way home after finishing an arduous entry within my celestial tome of a journal. With a honey green tea in my hand, I walked down the pitch-black alleyway of O’Keefe Lane, without a care in the world. I took a mouthful sip of my drink and the cold-soothing sensation flooded my body, unfastening all of my humanoid restrains with force. Uncontrollably, I transformed into my true form, an elven angel of death. I cracked my neck and felt the wonderful sensation of releasing my tormenting energy into the air. I proudly spread the arms of my black feathered wings as I hadn't opened them in months now.  

Continuing to enjoy the sweet honey taste of my bubble tea, I thought deeply about what I should pen in for my next entry. I looked up at the twilight sky and gazed upon the beauty of the shimmering stars and the patterns it created.

“Aly, Jaydeon, Diamond, everyone, how can I change this failing world? Just tell me...” I helplessly thought.

“Will humans ever evolve from their selfish and evil nature? Will they ever step into enlightenment and work together to build a better future?” I uttered as I felt that they were listening from the stars.
After a moment with no answer, I stated, “I’ve watched them for almost eleven thousand years and with passing each generation, their malevolence towards each other are worsen. Guns, tanks, battleships, jet-fighters and nuclear bombs, when will it all end? I do not care if they created such weapons, but to use it on themselves, that is just too sad,” as I dipped my in hopelessness.

When I reached to the middle of the narrow alleyway, my angelic sense interrupted my pondering and depressive thoughts. I looked around, and suddenly my feelings tripped on several life spirits quickly approaching me. I turned my head side-to-side, anxious to find a way to get out of sight. Quickly, my hesitant eyes caught a glimpse of the roof above me with a sign labelled, Ryerson University. With no time to decide, I bent my knees and jumped upwards into the cold dense air. The gravity of the hard earth propelled me up into the air and over the rooftop of the building. I gently tip toed down as I landed on the concrete edge of the roof. I hid myself carefully and then I peeked over the edge to see what was coming.

Then two girls appeared around the corner along with what's chasing them, three men dressed in casual dark clothing. I observed closely at what was happening as two of the three men picked up the tan-skin girl, while the other one pushed and pinned the other girl to the brick wall.

The tan-skin girl screamed at the top of lungs as the perverted rapists started pulling and dragging off her top, exposing her fair naked skin. As she screamed in agony, one of the rapist slapped his hand on top of her mouth while she burst into tears. The other girl that was pinned to the wall was in pure shock as her entire body was being brutally molested. Seeing their tormented faces, I felt sheer rage of how disgusting humanity had evolved into.

“Pathetic, despicable scums!” I thought as I spat to the side onto the cement surface of the roof.

I threw my drink behind me and I took a deep breath to calm my boiling energy. Slowly, I waved my pale hand across my face, with my palm facing me. When I looked back down, a black thick hazy fog began creeping into the alleyway from around the corner. The rapists looked up and anxiously scanned around, wondering where this strange haze was coming from.

I whispered, “Ebon Mist...” as a black glow shadowed my hand to my wrist.

In a few seconds, the twilight cloud completely engorged the alleyway and from twelve stories, I freely stepped off the roof. My body free fell down and stabbed straight through the thick fog. My feet slammed onto the hard pavement and the physical force of the powerful impact vibrated the narrow walls. The sudden loud smack startled everyone and the rapists dropped both girls to the ground. Blinded, they all leered at the direction of where the sound came from, me. I slowly got up and made my way toward them. As I walked, each thump that my shoes made shook each one of their hearts with greater fear.

“Who is there!” as one of the frightened rapist screamed out.

His already terrified friend interrupted, “I don’t give damn! Let’s get the hell outta of here," as he wildly turned around and walked into the brick wall.
“Oof...” he blurred out, carelessly bumping his head.

“What a fool…” I thought as I grinned at his idiocy.

Then I stopped right near the tan-skin girl and the coldness of my body, “the chill of the grave” bites her sensitive smooth skin. Even though I was concealed from her sight, she still covered herself with her own slim arms and her torn clothing, as she could sense my disturbing presence near her. I looked down, and seeing her bra exposed from the huge rip at the center of her top, my eyes started to burn with a crimson fury. The tan-skin girl’s eyes instantly locked straight into mine as the sanguine vividness petrified her completely.

Scared out of their minds, all I could hear from the rapists were, “What in the hell!” “Holy Sh…” “Dear god!”

Then right after, the tan-skin girl in front of me finally responded and she screamed in absolute chaotic terror.  She clawed the ground in a crazed frenzy, breaking her nails and scrapping fingers in an attempt to get away from me. As I watched her helplessly, I glared directly back at the three rapists with indescribable anger. I squinted my eyes with pure rage as a bloody haze simmered off of them.

“Disgusting Fiends,” I shouted, with warped tone in my voice.

Quickly, I sprang into action and fearlessly dashed towards them. The power of my angelic wings launched my weightless body forward with great speed and power. While in the air, I formed a claw with my left hand and fist with my right. Just as I reached the center of where they all stood, I threw my fist forward into one of the pervert’s chest. I leaked a small amount of dark energy from my knuckles and that sent him hurtling into the air. He flew out of the alleyway and bounced like a beach ball, before crashing hard on the curb of, Gould Street. Seeing him knocked unconscious, I turned to the one on my left and grabbed him by the neck while side-kicking the other on my right. The kick was so powerful, that I felt several of his ribs crack from the enormous force in which, propelled him into several rusty old dumpsters. I then lifted the last man up and off his feet, while staring straight into his eyes with merciless fury.

He uttered, “What in the hell, are you?” as he gasped and struggled to breathe.

“I am death…!” I replied as my eyes seared with greater intensity.

Not wanting to hear another word from him, I raised him higher off the ground and pinned him to the brick wall. Slowly, I watched his life faded away as he blacked out from the lack of oxygen. Seeing him utterly lifeless within my grasp, I opened my hand and he dropped to the ground like a ragdoll. I turned and focused my attention towards the two girl, especially at the tan-skin one.

She murmured, “Oh my god…oh my god...” as I glared over to her.

I watched her bloody hands shook with pain as she gasped with fear. Seeing blood oozed out of her wounds, I turned away and I grieved at what I had done to her.

“All that blood that was my doing. I must help her but what can I do, I cannot just reveal myself to her, she mortal. And there also the other one over there as well. Ale’xia, what would you have me do? I wish to help them,” I deeply thought as I stared up at the sky for answers.

Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed into the alleyway. The power of it was so astounding, that it was pushing my concealing mist out and away from the narrow lane. I waved my hand, like I was dismissing someone and the wind just stopped instantly.

“Alright...I shall and thank you, Ale’xia,” I nodded and smiled.

I pointed both my index and middle finger out at the same time. As I focused my thoughts, the same black burning glow started again to shadow my whole entire hand. I lifted up my fiery fingers and saw all the darkness that was around me, bending to my will. I began to twist my wrist slowly, lifting the dark mist from the engorged alleyway.

“Hmm, I better conceal my crimson gaze. I do not wish to frighten them any further,” I thought as I closed my eyes.

While my eyes were transforming, I could hear them, grasping in fear. They were so terrified, that I could feel the marrows of their bones shaking with my heightened senses. When all the blackness and shadow disappeared, I stood there proudly glowing in darkness with my wings folded in. I opened my eyes and saw, both of them in complete shock of what they were perceiving. Just by reading their faces, I could see that every line of their beliefs are being rewritten.

I smirked at their faces and thought, "Perhaps I should be the first to begin the introductions."

Slowly, I began walking toward the tan-skin girl in an attempt to heal her wounds. With each step I took, she edged one inch away in fear of me.

“It’s alright, I am going to heal your wounds, milady,” I said as I lifted my hands up to calm her.

“Stay away from me, monster!” she cried as she continued to edge away.

“Please, I was attempting to rescue you both from those despicable men with my powers, but it seems like my powers have harmed you instead. I feel much guilt for hurting you. Please allow me to heal you, milady,” I plead as I kneeled before her.

Overwhelmed at what I said, she immediately asked, “What are you?”

I smirked and answered, “It is not obvious, milady, especially with these wings and the fantasy stories your society has written. I am an angel, an angel of death.”

“Oh my god,” she uttered as she gasped, growing more anxious again.
Panting heavily, she asked, “If you are an angel of death, why are you trying to heal me and not trying to kill me?” looking perplexed and unconvinced.

I laughed hysterically and answered, “So you are implying that I being an angel of death, I must kill you? Ha-ha, you humans are all the same, always so skeptical about others, always afraid, never able to entirely trust anyone. Very well, if you do not wish for me to help you, then I shall leave.”

I stood up and started walking away, thinking, “Humans, they are so subjective. Just because I am an angel of death, they believe that I am some malevolent demon that I will kill them, that I must kill them.”

I sighed and stared at the ground, “Perhaps there is no hope...for them.”

“Wait!” she shouted and I stopped, startled by her sudden call.

Surprised that she would tell me to wait, I turned around and eyed at her.

“I am sorry I didn’t to offend you in anyway. It is just hard for me to believe in any of this, you know. Like, you are an angel!” she uttered still overwhelmed at my very existence.
“Hard to believe? Oh my god impossible is more like it,” said the other girl as she was finally able to snap out of her paralyzed mentality.

I chuckled uncontrollably and asked, “Do you have a name, my fair lady?”

Not knowing how to answer, she looked at her injured friend for help. Then after a few moments, they nodded at each other and she turned toward me with a skittish look.

“Umm, my name is Suzanne Truong,” she quietly answered.

I graciously bowed my head and said, “Well, Suzanne, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Then I turned toward the tan-skin girl and asked, “And what about you, milady?”

“My name is Gillian Zhou,” she answered.

“Well, greetings to you, Gillian. I wish to heal those wounds of yours or else they will get infected,” I stated, still concerned of her cuts.

She nodded lightly, still somewhat nervous at what I would do for her. As I slowly made my way toward her, her friend quickly rushed to her side. I smiled at Suzanne’s loyal and protective nature, even though that she looked more shy than, Gillian. When I reached them both, I kneeled down and took closer at damage on her smooth hands.

“Go ahead, hold out your hands and I will heal them,” I said and waited patiently.

“Alright,” She tensely replied and offered her them to me.

I pleasantly smiled at her and hoped that my enthusiastic expression would make her feel more at ease. Slowly, I closed my eyes and began concentrating my life force into the center of palms. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and saw both my hands covered up with two brilliant ivory orbs. They both stared deeply into the healing orbs, hypnotized by them.

I then calmly moved the orbs toward her wounds and stated, “This might sting a little.”

Suzanne held onto her as they both watched me press the orbs down on her opened wounds.

Instantly, she squinted her eyes and blurted out, “Ow, it hurts so much!”

I nodded and said, “Yes, it will hurt at first, but the pain should be fading away, right about now,” as I could see her cuts and her broken nails regenerate.

She bobbled her head back, surprised and uttered, “Whoa...wwo...wow...it starting to feel really good.”

I smiled with relief as the guilt within me slowly faded away like her wounds. As I continued to heal her, she looked up at me along with her friend more confused now than stunned.

I lifted my curious left brow and asked, “What is the matter, my dear?”

“What is your name?” Gillian asked from out nowhere.

Even though I was confused, I answered anyway, “My name is…”

“Kayne!” Gillian shouts out, startling me.

Quickly, I glance toward her as I can hear a jealousy in her voice.

“Huh...” I blurt out as the movement of my thick book hooks my eyes.

Then slowly, my celestial tome creeps down as it gradually reveals Gillian’s bitter face. She drops the tome heavily on her lap and instantly, she leans right up, at my face. Jealous for attention, she closes her eyes and brushes her nose against the tip of mine, wanting a kiss from me. I blush deeply with shyness and passionately kiss my forehead onto hers. She giggles at my giddy expression, as the emotions I have regain in these past seven months, blossoms out in front of me.  

“Gill…” I murmur as I turn away.

She nudges my forehead with hers and gives me a big adorable smile. Then my eyes jolts open as she suddenly presses her luscious lips against mine. She moans passionately as I can taste the sweetness of her breath, her love and her passion.

Quickly, a shift in the wind kindles my angelic senses for magic and energy. Sensing that something is not right, I lean away from Gill and urge Suzanne to get up by shifting my legs. They both get up and notice my disturbed expression as I mindlessly turn without reason, like I am madly possessed.

Suzanne tilts her head sideways and whispers, “Kayne, what’s wrong?” wondering why I am acting in such a bizarre way.

“It can’t be…” I squint my eyes, thinking.

Then the calm soothing breeze passing through me stops, like the world just suddenly stopped breathing.

“Hey baby! Answer...” Gillian cries while reaching for my arm.

Just when she grabs hold of me, a heavenly rumble explodes in the sky, like the chaotic roars of a thunderstorm. Everyone gazes up trying to locate the cause of it but nothing is there.

Then, thunderous clouds start rapidly forming around a certain spot in the blank sky. The Torontonians on the ground points directly into the electrifying clouds as an atom-like dot appears. The black dot begins swirling with energy as it starts growing larger and larger, like a tropical typhoon.

Gillian watches and drops my celestial journal as she is completely stunned. Meanwhile, Suzanne pulls down her face-covering shades only to see the impossible happening.

I gasp as well, unable to acknowledge it myself either, “As everyone around me, including my friends and I are about to face the oncoming darkness. We are about face, Apocalypse!”