Chapter 13 - Memories

Luke ran out of the alley, and saw a Shadow with massive wings looking down at the class and a Shadow surrounded by arms on the hotel. "Kekeke!" the Shadow on the hotel shouted at the winged Shadow, seemingly attempting to warn it away from it's prey.

The winged Shadow focused on the Shadow on the hotel, it's faced twisted, enraged that such a puny thing would challenge it's authority. The winged Shadow didn't waste anytime and flapped it's wings, flying towards the hotel. The winged Shadow turned into a blur, slashing the hands that went up to interfere, turning them into a mess of pale flesh and translucent liquid.

BOOM! The winged Shadow flew through the arm Shadow and into the hotel, landing in the ground and creating a massive crater, obliterating whatever remained of the hotel. However, the arm Shadow had reacted quickly, moving its head out the way so only the arm trunks surrounding it were shredded by the winged Shadow.

Seeing an opening, Elena, who was still carrying Mara shouted at the group, "Let's go! Kyle, carry Mark, Rick, carry Lucy and for mia-"

"Rooaaar!" Mia's dragon, Kaindorsa, let out a cry of victory as it ripped the head off of the gorilla like Shadow. Kaindorsa then ran over to the unconscious Mia, picking her up with his maw and throwing her onto his back.

Seeing this, Elena smiled and said, "Let's go!"

As they attempted to run away the remaining horde of Shadows from earlier ran out to intercept them. The remaining Shadows weren't weak so there were still about thirty left. "Elena," said Andrei, "it will be hard to leave whilst carrying them, we might have to leave them."

"No!" shouted Elena, "we're not leaving anyone else!"

Andrei thought for a second before saying, "I'll follow along for now, but I won't risk my life."

Elena frowned before continuing to run away, firing off wind blades at the Shadows as they did so. However Elena quickly grew worried about their situation as the faster Shadows soon blocked their path. She knew that the fight at the hotel would be over soon as the winged Shadow was much more powerful.

Luke watched all of this unfold from the alley, fiddling with the dagger in his hand.

'Now is the time Luke,' said Lucifer, 'use your father's powers, they will be effective here.'

"I can't! I swore not to!"

"You have to!"

"No I can't!"

"You used to love practing your powers!"

"That was the past!"

"Then remember your past Luke!"

Luke sudsenly felt his knees go weak as he lent against the, his consciousness slipping away as he entered his own mind to view a memory he thought he would never have to see again, buried deep in the corners of his head.

"What did you do!" shouted a tall wrinkly woman with thin, grey hair. The woman was his sixty year old Foster parent, Ms Anwir, who walked with a wooden cane.

"I was practicing," said an eight year old Luke, confused as to why he was being shouted at.

"Do you remember nothing, child! I told you never to use that Demonic magic!" shouted Ms Anwir.

"But dad said I should practice everyday."

"Do not mention that demon in my household. That evil, disgusting creature was smited by the Lord for his sins, child! You're lucky that God is so benevolent that he allows something like you to live!"

"My dad wasn't a monster!"

The old lady sighed, "it appears communicating with demons is pointless, only pain can teach such barbaric creatures the lessons of God."

Ms Anwir then raised her cane and slammed it against Luke side. However Luke reacted quickly blocking the cane.

Enraged Ms Anwir shouted, "You would even deny God's lessons, demon! You truly are evil! You will require a lot of teaching that could have been used on humans, child, now get down on your knees and thank God for his benevolence!"

Ms Anwir then whipped Luke across the cheek with her cane, sending him sprawling to the floor. "Now for the lesson to begin," she said as she brought the cane down on Likes behind.

Thwack!

Luke was in tears, sobbing hysterically, he was both terrified and in pain, "Please, no!" he shouted, "I'm sorry I won't do it again, I promise!"

"It's to late, demon! Now accept God's love!"

Ms Anwir brought the cane down again and again, listening to the boys hysterical cries. Luke slowly fazed out of the memory and to a scene that was buried even deeper, under years of trauma and deliberate repression, trying to forget the period of his life, so as not to receives God's 'love' again.

A seven year Luke was in a bad mood, having once again lost to his father, he threw the wooden sword to the ground. "I'm tired," he said, "let's do this another time."

"Hahaha," laughed a tall, extremely good looking man with mixed black and blue hair. "I wish we had time to relax, but I need to teach you what I can for now, trust me it will help you greatly in the future."

"But you can teach me another time," said Luke, "it's not like you're going anywhere."

A sad expression flickered across the man's face before it returned to its usual warm and friendly one, "I wish, but I will have to leave you on your own soon."

"Why?" asked Luke.

"You could say I've sold my soul to fate," said Luke's father.

"Why would you do that?"

The man sighed, "There's a reason for everything, son," said Luke's father, "come, sit with me, I have something important to tell you."

"Okay," said Luke sitting on a stone wall next to his father. Luke and his parents were staying at a cottage that they owned in Scotland, for the summer. It was a small house in the middle of the countryside, the view over the landscape was stunning, Luke could see rolling hilltops wherever he looked, unblemished by any human structures.

"Before we start, I want to tell you something son." Luke's father readjusted his seating, "now listen carefully, my son, and always remember that you are the strongest of them all, you were made to break all the rules, to be unbound by the chains of fate, to change the laws of the universe that have governed us all since the beginning of time. By your own will, your own resilience and perseverance, you will be the star that leads them into a new era."

"I don't understand," said the little boy.

"You will, my star. When the time comes ask your grandfather for the prophecy, seek out the eight, the extra. They are the key to everything, and you, my star, will be the one to protect that key, and to deal with the consequences should that key ever be used."

"Will I really be able do that?" asked the young Luke, "I've never even beat you, dad."

"You will when the time comes, my star. Keep on practicing and nothing will stop you. Just make sure to remember that even when they all hate you, even when they call you a monster, even when they say you should have never been created, your dad loves you. Even when you hate and despise me, your dad will always love you, no matter what, my little star."