A Falling World: Chapter 3 Part 3: The Trial

Diana looked confused “What? That’s the question you had? That’s what you wanted to ask me the entire day?”

Of all the things Adam expected Diana to say this was not one of them. He stood in silence as the atmosphere turned thick and the tension increased. To say Diana was furious would be a disservice to rage she felt churning. A rage that continued to churn as Adam responded “What? What were you expecting me to ask?”

Collecting herself Diana put together a series of thoughts that filtered out some choice words “You brought me to where I first kissed you. You brought me to the place that completely changed my understanding of our world. Then you brought me here to where we first met. You told me that you love me and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me. What do you think I’m expecting you to ask me?” Getting close to him she continued in a tone that was a combination of anger and disbelief “I’ll give you a hint, it’s not to run off and become a goddess!” Each word she spoke was carrying the weight of a sentence “What. Do. You. Think. I. Thought. You. Were. Going. To. Ask.”

Adam stood with a chill coursing through his body. He was missing something, something big. What does Diana expect me to be asking right now? His mind raced through the day recounting everything that happened. He was about to say something to buy time before he felt an arm around his shoulder belonging to a man with blond hair and bright green eyes. “Marriage” the man said, “She was expecting you to propose.”

Startled both Adam and Diana jumped as Diana pulled Adam away from the man. “This is between us, get the fuck out of here” Diana shouted.

The man stepped closer as he played with his hair “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, that guy you’re clutching – it’s Adam right? Anyway he’s correct, there is magic in this world but, you see, it comes with a responsibility that Adam here hasn’t been taking care of.”

“And what responsibility is that” Adam sneered as he tried to understand where this man came from and if he was alone. He noticed that Diana was gripping him with an iron clasp grip and was standing between him and the blond haired man. With his free hand he tried to pull her back a few steps to no avail.

“It’s simple really” the man replied, “you can do magic all you want but it’s your responsibility to make sure we don’t know you’re doing it. Come on, how long have you been here?”

Adam started saying something about how he hasn’t done anything to warrant interference from the fae or their grimm before he was cut off “So you do know who we are – fantastic. Well good news, I’ve been following you long enough to know you aren’t trying to be malicious or do something that’d be a pain in my ass.”

As the man walked closer Diana made it clear he should back off as she took steps backward pushing Adam back as well. The man ignored her and continued to address Adam “It sounds like you’re trying to meet the guardian and start apotheosis which explains the materials you’ve been buying. That spell you’re setting up to call the door is old magic and it’s also cheap. I guessing you’re probably from some poverty stricken area of the fae which is why you’re going about things this way. Thing is though this is also a spell that hops dimensions which means it pops right up on our radar when you’re doing the prep work. It also means that I still have to deal with you. But, I am willing to make you a one time offer. You, me, and the missus here take a trip to the nearest ATM and you drain your account. You hand me the cash and I give you until sundown to call the door and leave town with or without the girl. That’s between you two.”

The man was about to add more before he was interrupted by a ball of energy that surged past him and caught Adam in the side. “Well there goes that plan” the man muttered to himself.

Sarah cursed herself. She spent the day tracking these two and now she found herself scouring one aisle of books after another trying to find them. She wouldn’t have come inside normally, but there was more than one exit to this building. After a few minutes she relented that they were lost to her. Turning around she began to leave the building and perch herself at an angle where she might be able to see two exits at the same time. She hoped that she might be able to find a spot like that, and that those two might leave through one of those exits.

She reentered the frigid outside. The sky was overcast with clouds and Sarah started looking for a good spot to perch when some quick motions off to the side caught her eye. It was them, they were running fast and were closing in on a corner where they would again be out of sight. Giving chase, Sarah was adamant not to lose them again.

His side hurt, and red began coloring his shirt but he could still move with ease. With Diana in tow they escaped the library. These people were after him so he told Diana to leave and she rejected with haste. Adam was sure he could lose them if he was by himself but with Diana at his side that wasn’t an option. There was some distance between the two of them and what he identified as an MTF unit, but they would close that distance soon. This meant speed was priority and he had one idea to have both himself and Diana escape though it meant leaving the frying pan and diving into the fire.

They ran block after block turning left then right. Adam was trying to find a place that would work. He could summon the door easily but the guardian had to open it. There were conditions that had to be met. The most important one was that the guardian wouldn’t open the door in open public spaces. So a secluded space was required.

Adam came into an empty alley with Diana. Removing a sack from his pocket and throwing it at a corner he shouted at the guardian that he sought to test his metal in crude Latin. His body tensed as the wall began to glow. White light began to creep up the wall and take the form of a door, but it didn’t open.

Diana, shaken, asked what was happening. Adam answered that those people were a task force that deals with magic. Hurriedly he clarified that they aren’t police, they don’t arrest people they just kill anyone they find using it. Adam grabbed Diana by the shoulders his desperation clear “I can get us out of here. That door can take someplace else where we can test to become gods. I wanted to make this great gesture about it but right now this is our only escape. But the guardian needs to open to the door.”

A strike of pain flared within Adams leg as a spike skewered it. He pushed Diana back as several more spikes embedded themselves within Adams feet and leg holding him in place as the blood pooled. Before Diana could hit the ground she felt the pull of gravity shift. Before she knew what was happening she found herself against the wall unable to move. The feeling was disorienting as she felt she was lying down but she could see the ground under her feet. Unable to peel herself from the wall she tried to understand why. It didn’t feel like there was some force tying her down instead she felt heavy and unable to lift her own weight.

Diana looked where Adam stood and saw behind him a man in blue with long straight black hair holding a metal rod and smiling. She yelled at Adam “behind you!”, but she was too late. There was a loud crack as the rod met skull and Adam fell limp and slumped to the ground as much as the spikes holding his leg would allow. “Adam, get up. Get the fuck up!” Diana cried, but there was no response.

Sarah was out of breath, it took all her focus to keep up with her target but she saw him turn the corner with Diana. There she stood at the end of the alley looking in. A shock racketed through her body as her blood turned cold. The guy she was tailing had blood pouring from his head and leg. He fell to the ground as something retracted into the concrete.

Sarah stepped back, she didn’t sign up for this. There’s no way Henry could expect her to do anything to intervene. She was only here to tail them. So one step after another she back away until she couldn’t. She meant to scream as someone clasped her arm but no sound came out. She recognized him as the same person leaving the store.

The blond man walked up to where Adam lay looking between him and the door. “Alphonse, you really didn’t waste a moment did you? Good job, but hold off on killing him if he’s not already dead”. Richard walked from Adam to the door before pushing on it as Diana cursed and cried beside him. “Doesn’t look like she wants to see you. Tough luck.” Richard said to Diana and Adam. Turning around Richard could see Torrance dragging some redhead his way. “What do you have there?” he called out as the two approached.

“She’s been following them since the mall. At first I thought she might be looking for some schmuck to cuss out but nah she’s been after the same guy as us.”

Richard looked at all the pieces currently in play thought it was starting to get out of hand “Alright, Alphonse take care of the girlfriend well deal with this one here after.”

Alphonse approached Diana who was struggling to lift herself and at this point was threatening to kill Alphonse. He place his hand on her forehead. At his touch her eyes and mouth radiated white light and when the light faded her struggling stopped and Alphonse released the spell holding her in place.

Diana was dazed and annoyed with herself as to why she chose to take this path home. Adam was supposed to meet her earlier but when he didn’t show she decided to reminisce. She made a mental note to give Adam an earful next time she saw him, but something felt off when she did – something hollow was there.

Walking out of the alley she gave no heed to anyone else present because to her there was no one there. On her way home she got something to eat and the next day waited for Adam after work reserved and expectantly. She did the same thing the day and again for many more days after that. As the days passed that hollow feeling grew and spread into something Diana didn’t want to acknowledge because she knew what it was. She knew what that pain meant, she was alone again. Adam was the only family she had, everyone else was gone, and now he left as well. Only it was worse because on some level she understood with certainty that there was no chance she would ever see him again and she would never understand why.

As for Sarah she still struggled in the alley as she watched Diana leave uncaring for Adam’s state. With Diana turning the corner Richard approached Sarah and asked what she had to do with all this. “Are you a side chick? Why are you here?”

Still struggling Sarah responded that she was asked to tail him as she pointed to Adam’s body.

Turning to Torrance Richard asked how she did while tailing Adam and Diana to which Torrance explained “Shit, if it wasn’t for her piggy backing off our spell she would have been spotted before she left the mall.”

Giving Sarah a thorough look Richard continued “You are not an investigator and you’re definitely not a witch either. You’re looking me in the eyes and you don’t have that look, so whatever your reasons are I don’t care. Not my business. Alphonse, take care of this one too while I figure out why this door isn’t vanishing.”

As Richard went to Adam to inspect for anything else he might have on him Alphonse approached Sarah. It was obvious to her that Alphonse was going to do to her the same thing he did to Diana, but even doubling her efforts she couldn’t break free from Torrance’s grip. With Alphonse within arms reach and desperation straining every muscle Sarah gripped the bottle she purchased earlier and swung it against Alphonse making solid contact against his cheek and in the same motion hefted the bottle at the wall with all her might shattering the glass into many small fragments.

At this moment Sarah was completely focused on the present moment. With a mental link she connected the shards flying to the light present in the alley. Guiding the light toward the glass and then outward her intent was to blind everyone. She closed her eyes and catalyzed her spell with the command “caecus.” The light was immense, and was far greater than she expected to the point where her eyes hurt even with them closed. As the light dissipated the grip holding her loosened and her assailants clutched their eyes cursing.

She planned to run past them but before she could her path was cut off on both sides. The ground behind her splintered into spikes and in front of her Richard tried grappling her, he couldn’t see her but he still knew where she was. He almost had her before buckling to the ground as he cursed and held his kneecap.

Sarah didn’t have long before the blindness subsided some and they could see her again so she ran full speed into the only opening available, a door in front of her that was pitch black in it’s interior.

She ran past the threshold for about thirty feet before thinking she might have made a mistake. The interior of this building was immense, dark, and empty with only what looked like a few stone paths behind some type of glass. As she stopped she looked behind her and saw the interior of the room extending beyond the entrance she came from and realized she greatly misjudged her options outside.

She considered turning back before seeing Richard, Alphonse, and Richard rush in bleary. It was clear that they were starting to make out shapes again. She saw Torrance make a motion and a spear of light manifested and rushed towards her. She fell and screamed as she felt fire searing across her face.

She pulled her head back and opened her eyes as much as she dared and saw the tip of a spear suspended in place mere inches from her face. The object then broke into shattered fragments of energy. Each fragment had its own edge and each one returned their creator with haste that did not bother slowing down after contacting his body nor after exiting the other side. Torrance was shredded and fell to the ground much to the confusion of his compatriots.

Sarah was frozen with confusion and fear. She returned to her feet to continue running but when she looked up there was someone in a mask standing in front of her. Looking at Sarah the person in the mask told her to wait there for a moment. Her voice was feminine and with a snap of her fingers Richard and Alphonse could see again and understand what happened to Torrance.

Alphonse carried with him an expression of fear while Richards was apologetic. “Sorry about the spell. The girl got away from us and Torrance didn’t know where he was. The girl shouldn’t be here. She’s from Earth, she didn’t cast the spell for the door, she’s not fae, and she’s not a witch. She just got a way from us. The boy’s probably dead at this point but if you want the body we can give it to you.”

The guardian responded with a tone more curious than anything “Take the corpse and leave unless you care to join him.”

Turning her attention back to Sarah she said “Welcome! It’s been a while since I’ve met someone who’s come in here off someone else’s spell. What’s your name?”

“Sarah” she said stepping in a direction away from Alphonse and Richard. She looked past the woman in the mask and watched the two hurriedly carry off their friend pausing at the figure behind them. Adam was conscious and limping into the room bloody.

Adam slowly made his way to where the Guardian and Sarah stood. Slowly Sarah was able to focus on everything as her breath began to steady and her heartbeat slowed down though her hands continued to shake.

The space was empty which only made the presence of the woman and Adam in front of her more pronounced. The woman wore white robes with simple black and red patterns and hid her face behind a white and black mask. In her hand she carried a javelin. “Welcome Sarah, my name is Virtus. Young man, what is your name and what brings you here? Is it immortality, wealth, truth? Perhaps you seek revenge, or absolute power?”

There was venom in his voice when he spoke “Adam, my name is Adam. I’m here to begin the trials of godhood. Why didn’t you open the door before?”

Virtus pondered for a moment scratching her chin “Hmm yes, why did I take so long opening the door. Maybe I just had a hard time finding it. Yes, that must be it.”

“Bullshit,” Adam spit “you could have opened it at any point. Something happened to Diana. I didn’t see her out there and she’s not in here.”