Voice of God

"Time. It flows uninterruptedly through the eyes of all living things. Like a river, it endlessly flows through a set path designed by the Gods. Fath, as many would call it. One cannot wish to build a dam to halt a river for long. Eventually, that dam will burst, causing a destructive force to follow. I could say the same about time. One cannot wish to prevent the flow of time. Shall one try, they shall be met with only the wrath of the Gods."

A boy stood at the end of a long corridor with large wooden doors reinforced with metal plates on the right and large crosses carved into the thick stone walls acting as glassless windows. Russel stood quiet, head against the wall, as he listened in on a young woman sitting in a cross-shaped window looking off into the colorful evening sky. The woman sat in a room filled with a dozen old wooden tables littered with unorganized paperwork. The woman's scarlet hair flowed out of the hazel nun's outfit she was dressed in. In her hand was a small black pendant shaped like a cross. The sections of the cross were made of small swords that pointed towards the center, piercing a heart.

She held the cross close to her chest before reaching into her chest and pulling out a small device. She looked out the window solemnly as she messed with the device. After a moment had passed, a soft beep echoed tensely as she let out a pained sigh and crossed her heart. She put the device away, turning towards a desk within the room with student files with a pained expression. "Should he continue down this path of recklessness, the demons will surely erode the walls he's built around his soul. Should that ever happen-" The nun turned to face Russel. Seeing that she had found him, Russel walked into the room. She met him with a vacant look. Her crimson eyes locked onto the boy's chest rather than his eyes. "-you will have to choose, Russel. Will you become his salvation when others have failed? Or will you take his role and carry the weight of our sins?" She stood up and approached Russel with graceful steps. "No matter what path you choose, remember this: free open your soul to those around you, or you may change into a demon yourself."

"So you knew I was listening in on you?" Russel said in a quiet tone. The nun before him nodded slightly.

"Of course, my child. All that I said was a message for you. All of it." She stood next to Russel. She towered over the young lad by a tad bit. The nun placed her hands on the boy's shoulder. They were rough and coursed like a soldier who served for a few years. She looked down at Russel's chest. With a bitter look, she adverts her gaze.

"Hey-"

"You need to be careful, Russel." She cut Russel off. "The line of work you have entered is not for the faint of heart. Frankly, I would have preferred that you didn't have to get involved with this group of 'characters,' to put it bluntly."

"Huh?" The nun's tone shift caused Russel to stare blankly at her. Her once graceful appearance had now shifted to something more to what Russel was accustomed to. "Wait! Are you okay in the head, Kendra? Like you being serious before was terrifying."

An audible sound of clicking teeth echoed in the empty room just before the nun pulled out a thick book and slammed it down onto Russel's head.

"HEYY!!!" Russel snatched the book and threw it at Kendra. She gracefully caught the book and pivoted around. After a full swirl, she threw the book back at Russel. The book strikes the same spot she had hit before. The book then bounced back into Kendra's hands. "Why!!!!" Russel held the head in pain. All I did was ask a question!"

"First of all, were you even paying attention to a single word I said!?" Her tone caused Russel to let out a nervous laugh before he adverted his gaze. "Second, how dare you try to attack your beautiful mother? I was only trying to give you advice."

"That was after the advice, and you attacked me first!!!"

"Then how about next time dodge and you would have this issue."

This back-and-forth between the two lasted for a few minutes before they stopped and laughed. As the rays of dusk faded into darkness, Kendra walked up to Russel and gave him a tight embrace.

"Just remember," she said softly, "you're gonna see things you have never wished to see. The rose-colored glasses you have worn all your life will shatter once you step out of the church's gates tonight. I pray that you can keep hold of your soul."

"Quit it." Russel gave her a gentle push. "You are making it seem that once I step out these doors, I'll become a different person." Kendra took a step back with a worried expression painted all over. "I'll be fine. You raised me, after all."

"Heh…" She gave him a forced chuckle before looking at Russel directly into his eyes. The look of worry was no longer visible as her crimson eyes sparkled with hope. "That I did."

Russel smiled at her before grabbing his things. As he approached the doorway, he stopped briefly. "Hey, Kendra?" He turned his head back to see the nun behind him, giving him a curious look. "How did you figure out I was gonna become a knight anyway?"

With a smug look, she puffed out her chest. "Your mother will always know everything that happens to you. But if you want a more serious response, then show me that you can make it out in the world in one month's time."

"Why a month?"

"Starting tomorrow, I have some 'Church' things to take care of, so I'll be MIA for a while."

"Ah, I see." Russel waved goodbye and left the room.

Sometime later, as the moon's silver light shined freely in the clear night sky, Russel found himself halfway to where he needed to be. The dim street lights provided him just enough light to enjoy a scenic view along a weathered stone wall. The wall helped prevent people from dropping off a steep hill towards the "undesired" parts of the Kingdom. Russel took a moment to look over the wall to the distant mountains. Small lights illuminated the peaks, with small silhouettes resembling buildings that could be seen.

Taking in the fresh air, Russel gave out a long sigh. "Man…what was up with Mother? She's never that serious. The look in her eyes…the way she kept glancing at my chest…and now she magically has a work trip out of the blue. Is this really the right choice for me?"

(Why, of course it is!)

"WHOSE THERE!!!" Interrupting his moonlight reflection was a strange voice. Startled, he turned around with his fist out in front, ready to punch someone. To his surprise, there was no one. "Huh? I swear I heard a voice loud and clear just now."

(You did, child.) The voice called out again. Despite the voice calling out creepily, it was calming to him. Russel looked around his dimly lit surroundings. (Look as hard as you may; you shall not find me until you have found yourself. I am the voice of God.)

"The voice of God, my ass."

(How cold of you. You were taken in by a child of God, yet you refuse to believe in God.)

"What do you want with me?"

(Simple, I want you to find the answers that you seek. Ever since the crack of the previous dawn, you have kept a clouded mind. While I cannot physically help you, I can guide you towards the answers you seek.)

"Why would I trust you?" Russel said in a low tone as a few people passed by. "And why would I need answers?"

(You want to know more about the world, no. You want to learn more about the people around you. Kendra, a child of God who has several secrets that not even you, the closest person to her, know about. Then there's that girl with the hazel hair, Jasmine. A poor child being led astray by a man whose hands are stained with the blood of his own his own kin.)

"What do you mean by that?"

(Walk towards the building a few blocks northeast and enter through the second-floor balcony window. Only then shall thy eyes be opened.)

"…Those are some pretty elaborate directions." Despite his skeptical tone, Russel was curious. He made his way toward the building that the voice had pointed out and sensed a strange feeling that lingered in the air. A thick smell of gunpowder flooded his nose. Russel rushed towards the entrance of the building. The door was latched shut from the inside, leaving him with no other choice but to find another way in. Remembering the directions the voice had said, he looked up. A silver curtain stained black danced with the wind. Russel scaled the side of the rocky building and jumped onto the second-floor balcony. The window was broken, with shards of glass scattered everywhere. From within the building, a powerful aroma of smoked ham and cinnamon mixed with the thick smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. Just as Russel tried to walk into the building, a pair of voices could be heard.

"Why hesitate now?" The voice was feminine and had a familiar tone to it. "Is it because you see that I have full control? Is that it? Does it make you want to save me from the demon that gave me his blessing?" Holding his breath, Russel carefully walked over the broken shards of glass and made his way toward a large bedroom with a dim light shining out of the doorway. The walls were covered in strange claw marks and bullet holes steaming as if they were recently shot into. He peeked into the room and saw a young girl in a hazel uniform stained with blood. The uniform was torn, exposing her skin and undergarments.

"So I take it that you have no desire to repent?" Yet another familiar voice said, lacking emotion. The voice belonged to a man. Russel tried to peek a little more. While he could not see the man entirely, he had a good view of the girl. She was a classmate of his. A lovable and fearless leader he had known since he was adopted sat before a man holding a rifle to her face. She was fatally wounded, sitting in a pool of her own blood. 

"Of course not!" The girl, with an unwavering tone, shouted towards the man. "The demon opened my eyes to this corrupt Kingdom. Those people who once called themselves my family were nothing but puppets of those who stave us for the sake of control."

"That's a shame. With the views held dear, you could have helped us."

"Don't make me laugh, traitor. You claim you fight to expose the corrupted ones, yet here you are. You are nothing but a dog cursed with the blood of the ancient priestess who had once served our so-called hero." A soft clicking sound echoed. The girl flinched slightly. "You will never achieve your goal. Everything you hold dear will, in turn, be used against you."

"What is your name?"

"Ask Kendra."

Without a second to spare, the man fired his gun. The girl's head exploded, and her body fell to the ground. The man walked over to the girl's body and patted her down. Once he looked up, Russel got a good view of his face. Lance Salvius, the man he could never forget. His emotionless eyes searched the girl's lifeless body. Russel took a step back and stepped on a piece of broken glass. Lance quickly aimed his gun toward the room's entrance and shot a warning shot without saying a word.

Russel bolted down the stairs as fast as his legs could take him and stood before a scene ripped straight out of a horror movie. A small family of six, each of whom Russel had met, sat at a long table filled with fresh food stained with blood, each with their heads blown off. They had met their ends instantly, as there was no sign of resistance as each of them held hands as if they were in the middle of staying grace. Resisting the urge to vomit, Russel ran out of the nearest window towards where he was supposed to be to begin with. As he ran, he called out to the voice in his head, yet no matter how many times he did, there was no response.