The Trap

There's a change coming with the autumn wind. Something was coming; Talia could feel it just as Jack had always perceived. It was only the beginning. She feared for her son, Aquila, for she knew he was haunted and the world would fear him if only they knew what he might grow up into.

It was a wonderful crisp night. The moon lit dimly over Valga and the vast ocean. The breezy wind left the tree leaves to rustle in the lone streets. Everyone was shut in. Talia gazed at the moon through the glass window; the castle overlooked the bay and its beautiful surroundings. She was troubled by the thoughts of her recurring visions.

"Mother, please tell us a story," Aquila requested. He had a big grin on his face. Elena, his younger sister, sat close to him, her eyes were full of laughter; they had just been bored playing by themselves.

Aquila loved his mother's stories and would listen to them every night; he knew each one was special, especially this one. Talia turned towards them. She smiled at them, then lit a lamp nearby and sat on the bed with them.

"You have to settle if you must hear this one," she said. They both settled in excitement.

"Long, long ago, before mankind and before the gods emerged, a powerful Phoenix existed. It was made out of nothing; its powers were limitless. Nothing existed before it. It was the energy force of life itself. The Phoenix lingered in the vast space, traveling miles for thousands of years. With its powers, it formed new galaxies and worlds in the vast space, leaving beautiful magic to sustain these worlds.

However, as the years passed, its core snapped, and its magic turned against it, splitting its core in halves: one light and the other dark. The light energy was that of good; it grew strong, and with its powers, he created a home for itself in the skies and also for mankind on Earth. It was the Alpha, the first elder god. The Alpha created other gods and mankind with its magic, and the universe remained in balance. Peace and harmony prevailed in the skies and on Earth.

As for the dark energy, it drifted off and remained asleep for thousands of years. Its core was shattered into dust, floating in the dark alone, forgotten and lost. At the same time, a greedy god named Dominos was the keeper of Earth's magic dust. His duty was to distribute and protect the magic of the Earth realm. However, his thoughts became corrupted with evil, and he grew greedy.

One day, Dominos thought to himself, 'Why can't I wield the magic dust to myself? I'll become the elder god, ruling the skies and the Earth.' His evil thoughts led him to create a mystic staff capable of absorbing all magic to himself. He drained portions of the magic dust, becoming stronger, and commanded legions of gods, draining any god who resisted him.

This caused great abomination. Without the magic of men, evil erupted among them, and wars broke out. He poisoned men's thoughts with destructive ideas. Men died in great numbers, their souls damned to his will. Dominos sought to overthrow the Alpha, waging war in the skies, battling against the host of the Alpha.

In this battle, the Alpha overpowered him and, in great anger, smashed the right side of Dominos' face with the Hammer of Flames, a weapon sparkling with lightning and fire, destroying that portion of his face. With the Alpha's magic, Dominos was cursed and transformed into the Grim Reaper, a beast known by many names. Dominos and those who served him were damned and cast into the underworld for eternity.

The Alpha also shattered the Mystic Staff, releasing its powers into the universe to restore balance, a sign that good will always prevail against evil. This magic traveled throughout the universe, and part of it struck the dark energy, awakening it from its slumber. It became a very powerful dark Phoenix. Lonely and pained, it roamed the vast space, destroying worlds it once created. Its powers knew only destruction and were too powerful. Anything it came in contact with vanished into emptiness.

However, when the dark Phoenix saw the world of mankind, where good and evil coexisted, it believed it could change. It entered man's world to learn how to do good, so it could no longer destroy worlds. Yet, when the Grim Reaper discovered the untold mystery of the dark Phoenix and its powers, he sought ways to gain these powers to retaliate against the Alpha and his host of other gods." Talia's narrative arc reached its conclusion as her story came to an end.

"Wow! That was an epic story." Elena exclaimed, chuckling in excitement.

"What will become of the dark Phoenix if he fails to do good? Would he ever destroy our world, destroying us all with it? Aquila asked his Mother softly with concerns.

"Well, I can't tell. Only the dark Phoenix will have to decide his fate, to either destroy the world he loves and the people in it or save it from Dominos, the dark lord," Talia responded with uncertainty, which made Aquila worried.

"Dominos will never have the magic of the Phoenix because he's evil and would not change." Elena protested.

"Oh, my sweet Elena," Talia giggles, her fingers brushing Elena's long hair, then with her other hand she slid down Aquila's cheek in a warm caress, her finger finally cupping his chin and gently lifting it. "There's nothing to worry about dear. We'll be prepared for whatever danger may come. You are safe here."

"Mother…"Elena called to her.

"Yes, dear." She responded

"Will you get well soon?"

"Hmm… Yes, I believe that your father will find me a cure and I'll be fine in no time." She assured them. "On that note, how about we say our goodnight and go to bed?"

Talia tugged them into their respective beds one after the other.

"Okay, goodnight mama, I love you." Elena said, yawning to sleep.

"Good night my little princess. I love you more." She whispered softly.

"Hey mum, I don't want to ever lose you." Aquila said with a quivering voice. "I hope dad finds us the cure soon. I love you." He added.

"Goodnight buddy, I love you both." She smiled hard while leaving their chamber to go to sleep.

Talia was sick. Her last encounter with the goblins had left a deep scar, though she healed herself of her wounds but the goblins' venom mysteriously clung to her. This was one of Dominos' tricks unknown to her.

Over the years, the venom caused her magic to fade leaving her powerless and helpless. She became vulnerable;her skin became crusty and flaked off revealing cracks on parts of her body. She wouldn't last as it was killing her from inside gradually.

The only cure to her illness was the elixir of life but it flowed only in a secret stream in the island of doom. It was her only hope of survival, else she would become a lump of clay from which she was made of.

In her night vision, Talia saw Jack's boat shipwrecked and a lot of blood spilled everywhere, part of the ship sank into the ocean and Dominos held Jack captive. He stood behind Jack snatching him by his throat letting his claws slide into his neck.

Jack groaned in pain and blood gushed from his neck. He gashed and struggled breathlessly. Dominos glared towards Talia, thundering and laughing wickedly, he said. "You'll be next."

At once, Talia's eyes popped widely in fear. She could no longer sleep. She knew something strange had happened.

"No, no, no! It can't be." She screamed and sobbed bitterly. She bore her torment with great pains but the thought of her loss through the vision grieved and caused her such distress that her hair turned Grey in that very instant.

Far beyond the sunset, at the northernmost edge of the vast ocean, lies a majestic and powerful waterfall, its cascading waters tumbling over immense cataracts. This remarkable natural wonder creates a wide opening in the sea, leading to a forbidden dark island. Once standing proudly, it was cursed by the Alpha and hidden from the sight of any mortal.

Legends abound of ships that ventured too close, only to vanish into its depths, never to be seen again. Those fortunate enough to escape told tales of the mighty waterfall, yet none could unravel the mysteries that lay beneath its roaring waters.

Hidden within this abyss lies the great underworld, a realm of torment and suffering for wicked souls. It is the domain of Dominos, the Grim Reaper, and his legion of minions. Dominos inflicts relentless torment upon the evil souls consigned to the depths, subjecting them to eternal flames and unending anguish.

In the depths of the underworld, the anguished souls cried out in relentless torment, their screams echoing through the dark abyss. Each wail and each pained cry emitted potent magic and formidable powers. Dominos, the Grim Reaper, harnessed this dark energy, growing stronger with each agonized scream. But even with such power, it was never enough for him. His insatiable thirst for vengeance consumed him, driving him to seek dominion over the skies and the world itself. His sole ambition lay in harnessing the power of the dark Phoenix, an entity he relentlessly pursued.

Relentless in his pursuit, Dominos plotted ceaselessly day and night to capture the fledgling Phoenix. He devised a cunning trap, inflicting an incurable ailment upon Talia, a deliberate ploy to destabilize the people of Valga and draw the young Phoenix into his grasp.

Dominos was the epitome of evil, known by many names across realms. His throne, fashioned from the skulls of his victims, epitomized his malevolence. His visage was frightful, a monstrous countenance with razor-sharp claws. One side of his face bore brutal scars, exposing a blood-red eye. A hybrid of god and beast, his fearsome presence struck terror into the hearts of all who beheld him.

Furious at his minions' failure to capture Talia and her baby, Dominos summoned them for judgment. He knew it was impossible to obliterate them entirely; their souls would merely return to the reservoir of souls, destined to regenerate. Yet, the repeated cycle of dying and resurrecting was an excruciating torture for his minions, an unbearable torment they could not escape.

There was no way Dominos could leave the underworld, as the Alpha had cast a powerful spell creating a magical barrier that confined him from exiting the underworld forever. Yet, with the magic of souls, Dominos managed to create a portal capable of teleporting his minions to the island of doom. The magic wasn't potent enough to free himself.

His minions stood before him, trembling with great fear.

"For millennia, have I waited to burn down the skies and rise above these ashes to glory. I gave you a simple task: bring me the Phoenix alive, and you failed me. Shall I fail again? Or is it just a baby you couldn't bring me? With all my powers bestowed on you, you still prove to be weaklings. How dare you profane my powers?" Dominos spoke in the darkness, his face hidden, only his bloody eyes shone. His voice thundered deeply in their ears, and the ground trembled. It opened and swallowed some of them. Their souls rose like smoke and drifted to the reservoir of souls where they regenerated in torment.

Dominos stepped down from his throne and walked out of the darkness. "You there!" he exclaimed loudly, pointing at one of the goblins. It bowed quickly, trembling.

"Where is my prize?" he demanded.

"Master..." the goblin hesitated, its words faltering. Instantly, Dominos struck it with magic, transforming it into an onion.

"Minion, onion," Dominos chuckled darkly. He turned to a nearby goblin, singling it out. "You! Eat it."

The goblin swallowed the onion. As it choked and gasped for air, its stomach began to swell until it burst. Dominos erupted into thunderous laughter. He turned toward another group of goblins, fixing a stern glare upon them.

"You all let my prize escape. How could you?" He expected an answer, but the goblins trembled speechlessly. "Oh, you can't speak?" Dominos muttered. His impatience boiled over, and the goblins were consumed by flames.

"Why must I fail?" Dominos lamented. Approaching his crystal ball—an object reflecting whatever he wished to see—he summoned it with his magic. "Show him to me now!" he commanded.

The ball revealed Jack and his team sailing toward the island of doom. Dominos knew this was his chance.

"How pathetic!" Dominos sneered at Jack's mirrored image on the crystal ball in disdain. With a thunderous command, he summoned all his minions before him.

In the dimly lit cavern of the underworld, Dominos, the dark lord, sneered at his minions gathered before him. He took his place on the towering, sinister throne that overlooked the chamber. With a voice that echoed through the shadows, he addressed his assembled followers.

"This is the moment of our victory, my beloved minions," Dominos bellowed with a mix of authority and malice. "Bring me Jack. He must come to me alive."

As he spoke, he conjured dark incantations, drawing in raw, malevolent power that surged through the throne. An arcane energy burst forth, enveloping the goblins and transforming them into formidable beings. Their once feeble forms morphed, now exuding an air of menacing strength and adaptability.

"Behold, I have bestowed upon you greater strength," Dominos proclaimed, his voice resonating ominously in the cavern. "Go forth and retrieve my prize. Do not fail me."

With a chilling roar of approval, the empowered goblins surged forward, marching eagerly into the foreboding depths of the dark portal, their eyes gleaming with newfound strength and determination.