CHAPTER 5: THE EMPEROR

Jay was already very close to the end of his days at Logwood—four more months and he would take the final exams. Jay had a half day in school, with almost all subjects over. All the teachers were reviewing their subjects with the students. There was one more incident about to unravel for Jay just before the school would have two weeks off for study holidays so students could prepare for final exams.

As Jay was walking to his class, he realized that for the first time, he felt peace and tranquility at Logwood High. For some time, no teacher had been picking on Jay. Even the seniors seemed to be minding their own business. No devils were troubling him, either.

Cupid still lived in Logwood High, but his body was still healing from his fight with Fireball, and his chin was still scarred from the kick. Cupid had heard a report that Fireball had fought with General Fear and had been injured. He had not seen both for some time, so he rejoiced in the assumption that Fireball must have been stripped of his rank or at least terminated from his assignment to guard Jay. However, he was staying far away from Jay because of the Sky Patrol that guarded him. Neither could Cupid do much with the rest of the students as they were concentrating on their books, and there seemed to be angels patrolling the place often.

It was the rainy season, and on the bus ride home, there were heavy showers all along the route across northern Oman from Ruwi to Rustaq. There was almost no visibility as the bus swam its way to Jay's home through flooded roads. Nobody would be going outside till the rain had stopped.

As soon as Jay got into his house, he changed into his home clothes and put on a tape of the band Europe and played the song "Carrie."

Jay was hungry, so he pulled out a few slices of brown bread and put them in the toaster. He opened a bottle of Thousand Island dressing, a can of tuna and Heinz ketchup from the fridge. In a few minutes, there were three tuna sandwiches laid neatly on a plate. When he found some peanut butter, he decided to mix it with some ice cream for dessert and poured some chocolate sauce on top.

Jay loved food and wanted to learn the fine art of cooking one day. But for now, Jay knew how to make his food taste good by packing on the calories, though no one could tell by looking at his physique.

He savored the meal and sat on the faux fur carpet in the living room, stroking Rookie and listening to the music.

Rookie hadn't been playing much inside the house since the absence of Fireball. Sometimes Rookie would go sniffing at the places where Fireball would usually stand and then come right back and sleep on his little mat.

As the rainwater splattered on the windows, Jay watched how the drops would accumulate and flow down the windowpane. His parents were still at work, and it would be a few more hours before they were back. Jay's eyes were getting heavy as he kept watching the water drops. It was like counting sheep. At this point, he couldn't think about anything other than lying sprawled on his soft bed.

As he walked upstairs, he felt as if the very atmosphere around him were changing. He looked around to see if Fireball was there. Then he suddenly knew that it was not Fireball but the Wise One who had come. Jay smiled as he lay down on his bed. As his eyes were blurring with sleep, he could hear the raindrops, which started to sound like distant echoes to him.

As his eyes were getting heavier, he began to feel his body lift. He saw a portal open on the ceiling to the sky. All at once, he was floating. He looked down and saw his physical body still lying sprawled on his bed, but he was moving upwards. He saw the rain falling right through his body. He reached out to catch it, but it went through his palm.

He was flying upwards at a high speed, going through the clouds. The air was not stinging cold but gentle, and he felt good. He seemed to be going towards a massive light source, but his eyes were not getting burned. When he looked down, he could see his house, and then suddenly the entire neighbourhood, and then he saw the entire land the way it would look from a plane. He shifted his gaze and looked upwards. He saw the light source was getting closer. When he looked below again, he saw that he was in outer space. He could see the earth and the other planets. It was so beautiful, and he didn't feel afraid. As he turned his face upwards, he saw the light and felt it was very cold, but he didn't feel the need to cover himself. At the same time, he could feel a heat, but it did not burn him, either. The heat became less and less, and all of a sudden, he understood he had entered another realm.

Then Jay saw massive angels dressed in royal blue and white. They were so huge—some were the size of earth itself. They were welcoming him through a huge gate. Then he looked and saw a sign that read, "Welcome to the City of Blue primus." It was a very different experience from his visit to the healing rooms.

Jay saw so many birds of multi-coloured feathers that he had never seen on earth, and they flew so much higher than any birds he had ever seen. There were beasts that looked so magnificent with amazing fur that looked like it had been brushed. They all seemed to be living in the wild, yet they looked so well maintained. There was absolutely no dust, no dirt, and no foul smell on them. They were so pure. Jay wondered which ruler looked after this amazing country and its creatures.

There were so many flowery fields and fruit trees of every kind. He saw little children of all races laughing, playing, and chasing each other in the fields.

Jay felt a peace like never before.

Then all at once the Wise One approached Jay and hugged him tightly. He told Jay that the Emperor was waiting to take him to the garden.

"The Emperor wants to see me?" Jay asked.

"Yes, he summoned you, but he asked us to wait until you had finished your lunch, so we brought you up right after you were done."

Jay looked at the Wise One and asked, "where are we?"

"Welcome to Blue primus .Kingdom of the Emperor!" The Wise One smiled.

Many children came running to Jay, smiling and calling out his name in harmony.

He was amazed they knew his name .

Jay loved little children. At Logwood High, he would sometimes go meet and talk to the little children who attended the school. He waved at these children as he kept walking down the long road with the Wise One.

Jay discovered that he was not sweating nor was he tired. "That is strange," he thought.

He was brought to a massive arena with millions of angels worshipping with songs and dancing. He felt a strong, radiating presence around him, which the angels called "the glory of the Emperor" It felt like a force field of energy, except it was everywhere, and it wasn't just energy but the presence of a person.

Jay saw a tall, well-built man with a young face wearing a dazzling, white robe. He had long, snow white hair and a beautiful beard that appeared to be white, yet also golden. He sat on a huge throne at a distance, yet Jay could see him as clearly as if he were just a few feet away. It was strange that he didn't even need to squint his eyes. There was a massive, white fire shining in all its brilliance around the man on the throne, and after some time, it appeared like a rainbow in all its colors.

Jay saw the angels flying in the sky and doing choreographed dances, while many billions and billions of other angels were fallen prostrate in front of the man on the throne. Many birds and animals were sitting in a huge circle around the throne, transfixed on the glory. There were creatures who were seventy feet tall—they looked like angels of the highest order—and were falling down in unison, worshipping with great reverence. The Warrior Angels were falling down in worship and singing, "Holy, holy is the Lord God almighty! His works are perfect and just!"

The angels were worshipping in every genre of music Jay could imagine, and the power of the worship was greater than anything he had ever heard. He saw a longhaired angel in royal blue robes playing the lead guitar. His riffs, licks, and lead solos seemed to cut through the atmosphere. His playing was so powerful that it was mesmerizing. Another angel with brown dreadlocks and flowing, orange robes was playing the bass guitar, which was booming with vibrations so powerful that Jay could feel them beneath his feet. An angel with rippling muscles and wearing a dark green robe was playing the drums. Each hit on the toms and kicks on the kick drum could bring down the armies of hell if they were to hear them, yet in Blue primus, it sounded so grand. Another angel clothed in bright yellow and fiery flames was playing the keyboards. It was bringing such a beautiful ambience and presence that it was literally changing the atmosphere. Yet another in golden robes was playing the trumpet, piercing the air with perfect tunes. There was one more musician angel in red who was playing the saxophone.

The music released what looked like smoke of different colors into the atmosphere. The massive choir of angel voices began to sing harmonies, and the radiation of the Emperor filling the atmosphere became so thick and heavy that Jay collapsed on the floor and lay prostrate in worship. His body was not able to handle it anymore. His mind was captivated by the beauty and the presence of the Emperor.

Suddenly, a hand touched him, causing him to tremble from head to toe under an electrifying power—it was the Wise One in great power. He looked at Jay, but Jay was not able to fully handle the radiation of the Wise One. He couldn't even talk or breathe; his muscles were too relaxed. He felt like his bones were out of joint, but he felt no pain. He felt as if he were drunk from the power radiating from the Wise One.

"Come, my son stand up " the Wise One said, taking Jay's hand and helping him up. "The Emperor wants to meet you!"

Jay was surprised that he couldn't walk anymore because the radiation was so strong. He felt like heat was radiating from the Emperor to his body. Suddenly, he started to collapse again, but the Wise One took a firm hold of him and strengthened him. Jay knew if it were not for the Wise One standing next to him, he wouldn't be able to handle the power of the Emperor.

Jay was still standing really far away from the Emperor, easily three miles away from the throne. He wished in his heart that he could have an audience with the Emperor and see him up close. In a flash it was like time stood still everything froze as, his body passed ahead of all the angels and creatures in the crowd and ended up standing right before the throne. Now he was standing face-to-face with the Emperor in real time again. His eyes were riveted on the Emperor's blue eyes that had so much love in them as he looked at Jay. When the Emperor patted his head, Jay immediately felt the Emperor's love hit him like a thousand foot tidal wave that knocked him off his feet. Then the Wise One revived him and continued to stand in front of Jay, shielding him from the immense power of the Emperor until his body could get used to it.

As Jay studies his features.The Emperor's eyes were like blue marbles, and his skin was glowing and looked like the skin of a two–month-old baby, perfect and clean. His beard was flowing, and he actually looked like earth's Santa. He wore royal blue and white robes and a golden belt. He was adorned with rubies and topaz. There was a platform of emerald and sardonyx under his feet. His throne was huge. It had every type of precious stone on it. The throne was like a diamond shining in all its brilliance.

Then the Emperor spoke. "I am the Emperor, your Father. I am God. I am also called Yahweh and Jehovah. But you may call me Father because you are mine and I am yours. It is my breath and spirit that is in you.

"I have loved you before you were made. I fashioned you, my precious child. Before you were born, I already had a great plan for your life. Your Saviour, my son, the Prince, whom you will meet in person, and the precious Wise One, and I decided to create you. We spent time drawing and sculpting you for many hours and many days. We worked very hard as we filled your bones with marrow, put skin on your bones and blood in your veins. We tightened your sinews and tuned your organs, and then the rhythm of your heart started to beat to the sound of our music. "We gave you an excellent voice, so that you would glorify us the way the angels do here and that you would do this on earth and one day here to eternity.

"We knew that because your calling was very great, the Evil one would come to know it sooner or later. So we assigned to you our very own special angel from Blue primus, an Assassin Angel who was trained to fight in all the wars that Archangel Michael fights against demon powers and principalities. His name was "Raid "till you changed it to "Fireball", which is rather cute. By the way your angel, Fireball has recovered from all his wounds in the battle concerning you , and I will surely have you visit him before you go back.Whenever I meet my sons,daughters and Angels I will not release the power as you felt earlier as it will be too strong to withstand so I will cover my power and as I choose I will release it"

Jay loved hearing the voice of the Emperor. It was very comforting, and though it was a very low baritone, it was very gentle. Jay felt a wind moving beneath his feet as he continued hearing his voice.

Suddenly, Jay heard the laughter of children. He turned around and saw many children running to the Emperor. As they climbed all over him, the Emperor picked up each child and kissed and cuddled them. They were all over him, stroking his beard and playing with his cheeks. They kissed his cheeks, and then they ran down the arena.

The Emperor laughed and said, "Those are my children. They were orphans in the world—their parents did not want them. They rejected them on earth. But here, I accept them as my own, and no one will be allowed or able to hurt them or abuse them. They call me 'Papa,' 'Daddy,' 'Father,' almost anything they want" he said with a laugh. "They make their own names for me."

The Emperor looked at Jay with a smile. "I have set my love on you, and I want you to be a channel so that I can love my people on earth through you. You will be my voice to my people on earth. People are hurting."

Jay nodded with his head bowing low.

"Let's meet in the garden," the Emperor said.

In a few seconds, Jay began to feel that he was travelling so fast through the air, passing over the millions of angels. As he looked ahead, he saw a beautiful forest with huge, tall trees. There was an enormous wall and a massive gate which opened by itself as the Emperor, the Wise One, and Jay entered in.

He was now standing in a garden with the Emperor and the Wise One. He saw a very handsome, tall man with long, brown, wavy hair and a neat beard, sitting on a beautifully carved wooden bench and resting his hands on a round, matching wooden table. When Jay saw him, he suddenly felt love, peace, and goodness filling the garden. He felt this man was like a father, yet also like a brother. .

The Emperor looked at Jay and asked, "Do you know who he is?"

Jay replied, "No, I don't."

The man got up from his seat and walked up to Jay. There was so much love and compassion around him. The awesomeness of his presence made Jay weak.

Jay looked at the man and suddenly realized who he was. Jay said, "You are the Prince!"

The Trinity laughed, and Jay laughed too.

"Yes, it's me," the Prince said. "And this was revealed to you by the Wise One."

The Emperor, the Prince, and the Wise One went to the round, wooden table, motioning to Jay to join them. As Jay sat down with them and looked at each one, he saw that they looked very much like each other— They were inseparable.

"Who makes these?" Jay asked as his eyes followed the beautiful, carved designs of the table and his hands felt the wood. He lifted his eyes to catch the Emperor winking at the Wise One, and he quickly saw the Wise One smiling as he shot a glance at the Prince as he chuckled.

The Wise One leaned to Jay and whispered, "It's the Prince He is the man. He was the son of a carpenter, remember?"

Jay was surprised. "This looks like it was hard work." Then he thought for a moment and added, "Doesn't work like this hurt your hands? Do you get calluses like we do on earth?"

The Prince held out his palms in front of him. Jay saw the wounds on the Prince's wrists.

"Those are some nasty wounds there!" Jay said, at first assuming the wounds were from working on the wood.

The Prince smiled. "Those were from long, iron nails. It was my sacrifice for all creation. And when people who have accepted me keep on sinning, I can still feel the pain in these wounds. I still bleed red"

Jay remembered the many times he had sinned, and now he understood that each time he enjoyed his sin, the Prince was going through the pain. Jay was caught up in the moment, and he wept as he bowed down his head and asked for forgiveness.

The Trinity huddled around Jay and embraced him so tightly with the love of a close-knit family. Jay was so in love with the Trinity. In that moment, it dawned on him like he would never experience a love deeper than this.

Then the Emperor said, "I want to take you to a special place. We will meet the Prince again another time, as I want you to get to know him more and more, for that is pleasing to me. Then the Emperor put forth his hand to Jay. "Come, take my hand. Let's fly to the House of Wonders."

As the Emperor and Jay flew away, the Prince and the Wise One waved from the bench. The Prince made a heart shape with his fingers. When he saw Jay do a double take, he threw his head back and laughed.

HOUSE OF WONDERS

The Emperor and Jay began to fly through the countryside of Blue primus. Jay felt like they were in the sky above and could see the vast countryside below. It was so beautiful to see the flowers and trees of different colors.

Jay's attention turned to a huge, stone castle that had an incredible design. He saw a huge sign board that read, "House of Wonders." The doors were shining with excellent varnish, which looked so fresh. Jay could see the glow all the way from the sky. Suddenly, they began to lose altitude very quickly. Jay instinctively grabbed the Emperor with his eyes shut tight.

The Emperor smiled and said, "Don't be afraid."

When they reached the ground, Jay couldn't feel anything but a gentle vibration to indicate that his feet had landed firmly and safely. Considering how quickly they had landed, Jay was surprised that he hadn't felt any pain on impact. In front of him was the House of Wonders. When Jay looked, he saw carvings on the walls of the house of Abel and his offering, Noah building his ark, Abraham at the altar with Isaac, Jacob wrestling with the angel, Joseph honored as the prime minister of Egypt, Moses splitting the Red Sea, Samson with the jawbone of a donkey, David with a sling, and many, many more.

The Emperor suddenly picked Jay up and threw him into the air. As he flew upwards for hundreds of feet, Jay laughed in excitement. As he was still up in the air, he began to notice that some of the carvings were not complete. It seemed like the work had been abandoned.

Jay wondered in his mind, "Isn't Blue primus a perfect place? How come some of these carvings were not completed?"

Even while Jay was slowly descending to the ground, the Emperor read his mind and answered him out loud, "Son, many of my servants start my work on earth well, but they don't finish well. These are the lives of some of them. When they finish each mission, it becomes a carving here. Then there are some of my servants who just quit. They only become an outline of a carving that needs to be completed by someone else because they quit my work and pursued only what their hearts desired and not my ways."

As the Emperor spoke, Jay landed on the ground gently once again, and they stood together right in front of the richly ornamented entrance.

Suddenly, the massive doors opened. Jay had thought the House of Wonders looked huge from the sky, but when they went inside, he was even more awed at the size. Jay realized it was literally endless—it looked like a country of its own. He saw many angels working in different workstations. They were singing, whistling, and so happy that they all smiled at each other.

As Jay walked down the hallway with the Emperor, he saw many huge rooms. There was an enormous library. Inside, many angels were writing things down in books and then placing the books back onto the shelves of the library according to some kind of order.

They walked past many large rooms with names of people written on the doors. He looked at the beautiful chandeliers lighting up the rooms. Inside the rooms, angels were busy sculpting statues of people out of wood. Some angels were carrying the chipped wood out. Some were capturing scenes of people's lives in paintings. Others were framing huge pictures in frames of pure gold.

Jay noticed that everything was neat and tidy, and everything was done on a time roster. When one group of angels finished work, another group came to take over as if they were clocked in. He couldn't see one angel taking rest or being lazy or taking a nap. At Logwood High, he had seen the janitors sleeping on the job, but in Blue primus, all the angels seemed to be very excited and enthusiastic about the work they were doing, however minuscule it was. Whenever they saw the Emperor, they would worship him and bow down, and after he had blessed them, they would resume their work.

The Emperor said to Jay, "These angels you see here, along with all of the other angels involved in the lives of humans, will be publically rewarded and honoured by me in the ceremonies of Blue primus. I know each one of them and what they are doing how ever great or little their work is its all wonderful to me.. If they are in any need, I release assistance immediately for them so that they will be peaceful."

Jay was amazed at the fatherly heart of the Emperor. On earth, humans were treated with discrimination. He saw that easily at Logwood. He remembered how it was—how they would discriminate among students on the basis of things like superior grades.

The Emperor continued walking with Jay down the hallway and stopped in front of a room. On the door, it was written in bold letters: "JAYDEN HAYATH."

"Why is my name there?" Jay asked the Emperor.

"Well, this room is all about my plans and dreams for you, my son!" the Emperor said.

The doors opened, and the Emperor walked in with Jay. It was a beautiful room with a blue and white color scheme, along with some green, red, and orange.

"Hey, these are my favourite shades of these colors!" Jay said.

The Emperor smiled at Jay. "I know what you love the most, including your littlest desires."

The room had cordless mics, and on a certain mic stand, there were two scarves, one purple and one blue, tied to it at the top so that they flowed when there was a draft of air. There was an electric guitar, bass guitar,hang drums,a trumpet, a grand piano, a saxophone and even an excellent drum kit.

"Whose are these, and who plays them?" asked Jay, looking around for a musician angel to walk in.

"All these are instruments you will need for the songs that you will write for me," the Emperor said.

"Me? Really, can I do this?"

The Emperor laughed so loudly that it began to echo in the room.

Jay was shocked when he saw the way the Emperor reacted. He just loved the sight of the Emperor throwing back his head, closing his eyes, and laughing.

Suddenly, Jay heard a voice singing, backed by a band. It sounded like a tape was playing. There were massive speakers in the room, and the music sounded so awesome to Jay. The vocal style was rap rock. Then suddenly, he heard another song, and the vocal style was clean singing. Both were mind-blowing, and he wanted to know so badly what bands he was listening to.

"Which bands are these?" asked Jay. "And who are the singers?"

The singer is you in both songs, and the band names, I will not say. It will be a mystery until the time arrives, my dear son," the Emperor said.

Tears streamed down Jay's eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The music got louder and louder, and Jay closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw the Emperor dancing around the room to the music. He could see that the Emperor was enjoying it. Jay's eyes filled with tears.

"Most of your teachers don't have the capacity to understand the powerful gift of music I have put in you. Nevertheless, let go of what they said. One day, you will stand before huge crowds, and there you will know it was I who took you there. What Logwood High can never do I will do for you."

After the Emperor spoke, the angels in the room clapped and cheered while Jay bowed low to the Emperor.

"Rise up, my warrior," the Emperor said.

Suddenly, Jay found himself wearing a royal blue robe with a white, furry trim. He looked like a king. It looked so heavy, but it fit him like his own clothes that he wore at home. "What happened? Why am I wearing this?" Jay asked.

"This is how you look to me, Jay. I'm making you see how I see you—you are my son filled with my dreams, and you will accomplish them all!"

Jay could see the Emperor smiling, and he felt so strengthened by his beautiful words.

Then the Emperor took out a small case and opened it to show something to Jay. Jay looked inside and saw some small teeth, all polished like pearls.

"Teeth?"

The Emperor laughed. "These are yours, son. We have here all the teeth that fell out when you were young. I polished every one of them. I even have your baby clothes, every strand of your hair that you've lost—I've counted them and kept them here—and many of the things you lost when you were little. I have them here to give to you when you come here for good. Let me show you more."

He showed Jay huge paintings of when he was a child singing in school, in hotels, and at parties, and of Jay playing sports. There were huge photographs of Jay with his parents, Jay with Fireball in several occasions, and Jay with Rookie. Blue primus had captured every one of Jay's facial expressions and made them look so beautiful.

Tears streamed down Jay's face as he hugged the Emperor. He sobbed into the Emperor's robe, as the Emperor held him with love and warmth.

Jay couldn't understand how people at Logwood High and Route Number Seven could speak so many mean things about an Emperor who loved them to bits. They did not have a right understanding of him as the Father. In Blue primus, Jay could see why every creature adored him—he was simply pure, undefiled, unselfish love, and the essence of the Trinity was love, and the Trinity's heart always has and always will beat for humankind.

"Jay, I am so crazy about you, son. I have a room full of my paintings of you and your favourite things. I even have the letters you wrote to me—the ones you made paper planes out of and flew from the roof of your house?. Well, every one of them came up here, and I've put them all up on the walls, see how big your handwriting is?"

"I have all those letters and many others that were brought to me by my angels. Every day, I go to a huge, round stone table in Blue primus's garden, carrying a huge stack of letters from around the world. I sit with the Prince and the Wise One, and we read the letters, laugh aloud, and then send flying kisses and blessings from Blue primus back to many around the world. Each flying kiss falls on a person in the guise of his/her parents or some loved one giving him /her a treat or celebrating them in some way . The recipient feels joy also feels at peace and senses that it was the act of the Emperor."

Then the Emperor pointed to a beautiful book inscribed with "Life of Jayden Hayath" in gold on the cover. When the Emperor opened the book, a blazing light filled the room. As he flipped through the pages, each chapter would transform the atmosphere inside the room—if the chapter was beautiful, beautiful weather would be released into the room; if it was sad, dull weather would come inside the room.

The Emperor opened to a page about Jay as a baby in the hospital and then to another about him growing and taking his first steps. There was so much written about Jay and Fireball, along with pictures of them. There were pictures of Jay in school and onstage, singing and performing. The Emperor showed Jay a picture of him with Rookie when he had just gotten him as a pup. They looked at the part when he started to rap on Route Number Seven, but some of the words of the rap lyrics were blotted out. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at him, and Jay let out a nervous laugh. The Emperor patted Jay's head.

Then he kept flipping pages until he came to a chapter with so much light coming out of it. The pages were written with pure gold letters and had blood splotches on them.

The Emperor spoke. "This is the most precious chapter—the night you gave your life to my son my Prince! We were so excited! There was a huge party in Blue primus, and all of Blue primus saw me dance so shamelessly. I have the video of that crazy dance of the trinity for you, Jay! Every child danced with us—every one of our precious ones."

Next, the Emperor showed him the sound system with huge speakers that was set into the walls. The Emperor pressed a button on the wall, and the song that had been playing was replaced by the sound of someone mumbling with music playing in the background.

At first, Jay wasn't able to decipher what was going on. Then all of a sudden, he recognized the voice as his own. Then he realized that it was a compilation of all the prayers he had ever spoken, and the music changed with every prayer. Jay was speechless. He looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor was tearing up. Huge drops fell from his eyes and were absorbed into his robe. "We never judged you based on your grades, or what people spoke about you, or even your strengths, but we loved you just the way you are. I wept when you wept. I laughed when you laughed. When you were alone, I was always around you. I heard every word you spoke to me and every word you whispered. I saw every tear that fell in secret, the rejection and every hurt you went through at Logwood High. The times when you felt your parents misunderstood you, I embraced you. I read everything you wrote. I hear everything you say, even in your mind. I hear it, Jay. Your highest high, your lowest low, your every desire, your every sorrow, your excitement, and many, many more—all of it is precious to me, my precious lad." Jay bowed low. His tears flowed. He kissed the feet of the Emperor as his tears fell on them. The Emperor hugged him tight.

Then an angel painted a picture of the Emperor and Jay in this very moment. He, too, was crying.

The whole House of Wonders came to see what was happening because they could sense the Emperor's compassion flowing out from the room. They fell prostrate, worshipping the Emperor. His intoxicating love filled the room. Even the children who were playing outside started to knock on the doors of the House of Wonders. They wanted to come in to be a part of whatever was going on. Even the animals outside were drawn to the atmosphere.

As Jay and the Emperor were locked in an embrace, time stood still. Jay knew this love was all he truly wanted in life; this was his ambition, his trophy, his everything.

Then the Emperor stepped back to look at Jay's eyes. "Son, this is something I will tell you now and tell you for all time: There is nothing you cannot do if you put your heart into it and work hard with me, side by side. My Wise One will train you, and my son the Prince, your Saviour, will save you and the ones you attend to. We are with you. Go tell the people of the world we love them!"

Jay just stood still for a moment, receiving the rain of his compassion and love.

Then Jay's attention was caught by many objects covered with white sheets in the far corner of the room. He went to look but couldn't make out what was under the sheets. He put out his hand to pull one of the sheets off to see, but an angel caught him by the collar of his robe and pulled him back gently, saying, "Not yet, champ! It's not yet time for you to see."

Jay asked the angel what it was.

The Emperor spoke out. "These are my dreams for you, which will only be released as you pray, and some will come to you years later"

"Aww, come on! I want a sneak peek!"

The Emperor and the angels laughed. The Emperor said, "Okay, a sneak peek for you," and nodded to an angel.

The angel lifted the edge of one of the sheets just a little bit. Jay saw what looked like a few gramophones made of gold, but he couldn't see how. Many because the angel quickly dropped the sheet.

"Oh man, I barely saw that. Father, please, one more look?"

The Emperor laughed again. "Okay, last one or you will blow the surprise. What part do you want to see?"

Jay thought for a long time. Then he said, "Okay, I'll wait for it and ask at a later date."

The Emperor smiled and said " wise lad".

As Jay was about to walk out of the room, the Emperor said, "I have a room dedicated to each of my children on earth and in Blue primus."

So Jay started to a stroll around the House of Wonders to look at the different rooms. It felt like he was there for several hours, days, or even weeks, but he never got tired.

CHILDREN IN BLUE PRIMUS

By the time Jay got back to the front door of the House of Wonders, he found the Emperor surrounded by all the little children who had come inside. He opened the front door and said to Jay, "Now, let's go to where the children gather."

Jay loved children, so he was looking forward to meeting them.

Then the Emperor turned to the children and said, "We will meet you at the Hillock."

The children raced towards the Hillock. They swam through little streams and jumped through fields, laughing, giggling, and yelling with excitement.

The Emperor and Jay walked out of the House of Wonders and flew to a green hillock. Children were everywhere, running, playing, carving sculptures, drawing, and painting. Some children were singing or learning music. Others were studying, solving puzzles, learning how to count, or training in other disciplines. The children were of all ages, all colors, sizes and all kinds of hairstyles, boys and girls. He also saw men and women at a distance, walking with children.

Jay asked the Emperor, "Do these children go to school? Where do they live? Are those people over there the parents of these children?"

The Emperor looked at Jay with tears in his eyes. He wept as he spoke. "Some of these children were aborted by their parents because they did not want them. They were rejected at birth and murdered in the womb. Abortion is murder, but my people don't understand the pain these children go through. Some were brutalized and killed by wicked people. Some died in accidents, leaving their parents behind. When these children died, they were brought to Blue primus by my angels, and I embraced every one of them, and I told them I am their Father. I named these children myself. Here is one of them," the Emperor said, pointing ahead.

Jay looked and saw a fat boy with black hair from the back who appeared to be a little older than himself. The boy stood in front of an easel, painting a picture and laughing to himself in joy. The painting was of a baby wrapped up in many beautiful colors.

As they came up to him, Jay said to the boy, "That's a beautiful painting. How did you come up with the idea?"

He said, "Thank you. I don't know. I just like drawing babies."

When they had walked past him, the Emperor said to Jay, "We, the Trinity, christened him Reo, but everyone else calls him Homeboy."

Jay clapped his hand over his mouth and hurried behind a boulder to hide his laughter.

The Emperor smiled as he patiently waited for Jay to stop laughing and come back. Then he continued, "He wanted to name himself Homeboy after we told him he was made here at home, so that's what they call him. But I think it's cute," he said with a wink.

Then the Emperor and Jay had a good laugh together.

After a moment, the Emperor's expression changed. "His parents were young, Japanese artists who had met in college, and his mother got pregnant out of wedlock. She was young and scared, so she aborted the child.He came straight into my arms and I raised him here.

"Does he know about this " Jay asked

" yes he does and one day he believes he will meet them" replied the Emperor

" Here in Blue primus, the Emperor continued "I give all these children the best food and clothing, and they stay with me in my house. There are no orphanages or old age homes or dormitories. We all live together. When we eat here, we all eat at one table. We even feed each other. Some stay in the open country, according to their wishes. We all swim in the River of Life together. In Blue primus, none of the children are abused in any way as the evil one does to my children on earth. Blue primus does not know what abuse is. The children are always at peace.

"They are taught according to their talents and what they love Music, arts,geography,science, dancing, cooking, painting, sculpting, or anything, I assign to them certain angels who give them specialized training. My presence is also on the angels who are teaching them, but the children don't realize I'm there with them all the time in this way. I have a lot of fun with them. The children learn also by watching the animals and birds—their habits, dancing, and singing—they learn by mimicking them. The Wise One is the dean of the University of Blue primus. Here there are no grades, but all the children do excellently, and none of these precious ones are lazy. Each child is a source of admiration for everyone.

"I love animals, Jay, so we have many animals in Blue primus. You can pet them, and so can the children. None of the animals would ever hurt them. The animals understand everything we say, and I speak to them too. The animals take the children for rides. The animals love the angels too. Some live in the forests in Blue primus, others in the countryside. Some of the children draw on the bugs and creatures, and then I cause those designs to appear on the creatures of the earth, like the spots on beetles.

"You'll notice that although the children play outdoors all day, nobody is sweating or covered with dirt. This is because the weather here does not make people feel uncomfortable or unhappy like the weather on earth sometimes does. The air is always fresh, and just breathing the air will relax a person. Blue primus also has many more seasons than the typical four seasons of the earth, and everybody here enjoys all of them."

Then the Emperor looked at Jay with his beautiful, blue eyes and said, "I weep as I watch people on earth and see fathers come against sons and vice versa, mothers and daughters in disunity, a father and mother in divorce. Why doesn't the world see how much I love my Son and likewise love their sons and daughters? The way I love my children in Blue primus and on earth is a reflection of how I love my son.

"My son my Prince is the true light and life of Blue primus. He was sacrificed for humankind even before the foundations of the world—yes, even before the earth was created. My original plan for people and their relationships was so beautiful, but humankind wanted to do its own thing."

The Emperor sighed and was silent. Then after a few minutes, the Emperor looked at Jay and said, "I have a surprise for you. Come, and I will show you."

As they kept walking, they saw angels playing some kind of a game that resembled rugby. Jay thought it looked like so much fun. He saw that these angels were huge, powerfully built, and so fast. As they played, many were thrown to the ground during the game, but they were laughing. No one got hurt, and they were all having a lot of fun. They were more interested in the rush of playing than scoring.

Jay's eyes were caught by an angel with long, golden hair, who was running and playing so well. When Jay looked closer, he couldn't believe his eyes—it was Fireball!

The Emperor said, "Call out to him."

Jay called him, and Fireball stopped dead in his tracks.

Seeing Jay, Fireball said to the other angels, "Excuse me, fellas." He threw the ball to the other angels and he ran towards him like greased lightning, picked him up, he hugged him tightly, threw him so that Jay flew in the air all the way to the sky and back, and then caught him.

"Welcome back to Blue primus, Jay! Everyone kept this from me as a surprise!" Fireball said excitedly.

Then the Emperor said to the angel, "Raid, you are looking dashing, and you are in great shape. It's time for you to go back to earth. With Jay I will always be connected to you as you know . Thank you for taking care of my boy."

"Always, almighty Emperor," he said as he bowed low.

The Emperor looked at Fireball and said, "Go back to earth and send the Sky Patrol back here. There will be many more battles, so prepare yourself and remember: Blue primus backs you. Oh, and do you want to finish your game? In case you want to know, your team wins at the end of the game," the Emperor said.

Fireball laughed out loud. "Father, when I leave for earth, I'll really miss this place."

The Emperor kissed his forehead Then he waved goodbye to his angel friends.

"See ya, Raid buddy," the other angels said.

Fireball looked at Jay and said, "See you on earth!" and he disappeared into a portal of light.

"It's time for you to get back home. I will bring you back here someday. Go in peace, my precious son, and work hard."said the Emperor

The Prince and the Wise One appeared and hugged Jay.

The Prince said, "I am with you to the end of the age."

The Wise One said, "I am your teacher and guide."

The Emperor smiled as Jay felt himself becoming lighter and lighter.

Jay began to fly. He was travelling through a light beam that moved so incredibly fast that it knocked him out, and he fell asleep.

Jay opened his eyes later as he heard loud knocking. He sprang from the bed and ran to the door. He opened it and saw parents.

"Son, were you asleep?" his dad asked.

"Why is your face so bright?" his mum asked as she touched it. "Did you put on some moisturizing cream or something?"

Jay looked at the time. He had been asleep for three hours and had an encounter with the Emperor. "You guys are not gonna believe what I dreamed."

They sat on the couch and listened to Jay's story—every detail—till night. Don and Shelly had tears in their eyes as they sat with their mouths open wide.

All of a sudden, Rookie began to bark and wag his tail. He walked to a certain spot of the room and began to run excitedly, distracting Don, Shelly, and Jay from their conversation. Jay smiled.

Don smiled at Jay and said, "I know who has come back—it's Fireball!"

HANGING BY A NAIL

It was 7:00 a.m., and Jay woke up with a start. He knew he was late for school. He would usually wake up at 5:30 and be ready by 6:00 to get into the bus, which would reach Logwood at 9:00 a.m., but he had overslept, possibly because it had been two weeks since he had seen school because of the study holiday. He rushed to the restroom, and in fifteen minutes, he had showered, brushed his teeth, and jumped out fully dressed in his uniform. He woke up his parents and told them he was late.

Don and Shelly woke up with a start. Don had also overslept, so now he barely had enough time to drive himself to his office. He also jumped in the bathroom and was out in fifteen minutes. Don and Jay jumped into the sedan and drove off to Logwood High.

Don was driving at 120 miles per hour. Looking around, he knew there were no cops in the area, so he stepped on the gas like he used to in his younger years. He began to speed up to 140. The car began to bleep as the speedometer increased to 160. Don was going at top speed because there were absolutely no cops in sight. Soon, they could see Logwood High from a distance, so he slowed down. They covered in thirty minutes what usually would take well over an hour by car due to the traffic. Everything was somehow in their favour during that morning's commute. They even arrived at the school an hour early.

As Jay walked up to his classroom on the third floor, he saw there was hardly anyone in the school. After he sat down inside the classroom, he stretched, took a deep yawn, and looked outside the classroom door. The halls were empty, and there was just one light on in the hall outside his classroom. So he decided to leave his bag in the classroom and explore the rooftop terrace.

He climbed up the stairs to the roof of the four-story building and went out to the terrace to get a view of the city. All of a sudden, he saw six demons all in dark hoods, holding knives, spears, and black ropes.

Cupid stepped out to the front of the group of demons. "Going somewhere?" He laughed at Jay.

Jay was shocked to see the demon with the baby-like body. His face was ugly and very distorted from having healed improperly.

Fireball stepped out from behind Jay.

"What the heck! You're back from the dead?" a shocked Cupid asked.

"I never died, you ugly demon," spat Fireball. "I was just wounded from a battle. And now I'm completely healed and powered up by the Emperor and sent back here to beat the living daylights out of you!"

Right then, some of the demons came forward but went right past Jay and off to the side of the terrace. Confused, Jay turned to see where they were going.

There was a waist-high barricade made of thin boards of wood nailed together around the perimeter of the terrace. On the other side of the barricade, a teenage boy of about fourteen years was sitting by himself in deep thought. He had dark circles around his eyes due to lack of sleep. He was sitting on the far end of a ten-foot-long, wooden plank that was jutting out from the terrace into the air. It had been left that way by construction workers who had been working on building maintenance. That wooden plank was the only thing between his body and the ground below. He was sitting at the end with his knees folded to his chest, his head bowed low so that his hair covered his eyes, and his tie flew like a flag at half-mast.

The agents of death circled the boy like vultures around a dead body. They were waiting for him to jump and die.

"Hey, what you doin' up so far out? It's so dangerous!" Jay called out.

The boy didn't answer a word. His face showed no fear. He seemed to be hypnotized.

Jay paced nervously, holding onto the barricade. He could see the entire street below.He had a deadly fear of heights. A drop from that height onto the concrete was sure death.

Down below, there were teachers and a few school children who had arrived at Logwood early. Some of the children began to notice that there was someone on the plank and started to point upwards. The teachers heard the commotion, and when they looked, they saw the boy on the plank and were gripped with horror.

Cupid and the other demons began to advance towards Fireball, trying to close the circle around him. "This is not your business, Raid. I worked on this kid for more than a year, and I am not letting you steal this trophy of mine. He's gonna die by falling hard on that concrete. He's gonna burst his entrails out and spill his brains out. and when he dies and gives out his soul, we can take him to hell and torture him. And you are not stopping it!" said Cupid

Fireball clenched his fists and took his stance, facing the enemy. "Be quiet, Cupid! It wont happen you come against me with your pesky demons. I come against you with the purpose of the Trinity over Lloyd, and today you are going to lose."

Jay had a deathly fear of heights, but his trips to Blue primus gave him some kind of courage to cross over the barricade. Jay removed his shoes and socks so he wouldn't slip and then he cautiously started to walk onto the plank. He was alone with the boy on the plank.

The boy shifted his position so that his legs were now dangling from the sides of the plank, his back towards Jay. "Don't come next to me. I wanna end my life. I'm done with the hate, I'm done with the loneliness, and I'm done with Niah leaving me. I wanna die," the boy said.

Jay froze as he asked in his mind, "Am I actually gonna watch a suicide?"

Meanwhile, a few angels had descended as backup.

Then Cupid shouted a blasphemy as he flew into the air, rushing against Fireball. Fireball dodged him and kneed him in the abdomen. He held Cupid's legs and used him as a bat to smash all the hooded demons to oblivion. The hooded demons fell straight through the portal to hell that had opened. Cupid's head was cracked. Fireball threw Cupid towards the ground, and he fell at an incredible speed, calling out for reinforcements.

Then reinforcement demons crept out of open manholes and drain pipes and sprung into the air to attack the angels. One of the reinforcement demons caught Cupid from falling in mid air.

"Sir, we are no match for him," he said to Cupid.

"No, I want to fight him! I won't allow him to have this boy alive! I'm taking Lloyd to hell!" the angry Cupid said. Jay heard some murmuring behind him. As he turned around, he saw that a group of students and teachers had come up to the terrace. They started calling out to the boy to come back. Jay balanced himself to hear what they were saying.

One of the boy's friends said to Jay, "He's Lloyd from ninth grade, and he was suicidal for a long time. Please talk to him! He tried killing himself three times but was unsuccessful. Please be careful!"

Jay carefully turned back to face the boy and said, "You don't have to die. Maybe not everyone can see the gift that is inside of you, but there is a person who does..He lives up above but yet with us. I call him the Emperor"

The teachers stopped dead in their tracks and listened. Even Mr. Bell had come. He was sweating bullets as he firmly gripped the barricade with one hand and wiped his bald head with the other. He feared for the lives of both boys. There had already been four deaths from Logwood High, and he didn't want another.

"The Emperor? The old man in the clouds?" Lloyd asked Jay. "No way, man! He is just fiction. I am gonna die, and I don't care."

Fireball resumed his position next to Jay to guard him, hovering in the air as he kept his eye on a few demons that had come next to Lloyd. Some other angels also came and sat on the plank, while others were busy fighting the other demons.

Then Cupid flew into Lloyd's body to get him to finish the task.

"Lloyd! Please come back!" said an anxious voice from the terrace.

Lloyd never flinched. His eyes were fixed down below. He saw the crowd gathering, but he was ready for the jump.

Jay continued talking to Lloyd. "I believe your soul is in a battle. I've been there too—heartbreak, rejection, I failed math from the time I was in fifth grade. This school took away music from me, which I loved the most. But you know, Lloyd, one day I met this Emperor I feel his presence here now. I feel he is telling you that if you give him a chance, things will change."

Lloyd showed his middle finger to Jay. "Leave me alone, preacher boy!" His words sounded like a growl, as if he were possessed. Jay saw that his arm had scars and marks where he had cut himself.

Fireball looked right through the flesh and bones of Lloyd and saw Cupid, who sat staring back at him. "I see you there," Fireball said, pointing to Cupid. "And Jay is going to get this guy before you do."

Cupid snarled and lunged at Fireball. Cupid locked his arms around Fireball, and they went into a death roll, punching and kicking each other. Fireball punched Cupid in the ribs and then gave him a series of left and right hooks. Cupid punched Fireball in the face and kneed him. Fireball countered both and head-butted Cupid on the bridge of his nose, fracturing it.

Jay looked down and saw that the crowd had gotten huge, and on top of the building, the terrace was packed. And now, police cars were arriving.

Then Jay saw a nine-foot-tall demon called Sheol came up out of the ground. None of the other people saw him, including those standing on the ground nearby. He wore a long, thick, black cloak with a hood that covered his face and held a large sickle. He stood near the exact spot where Lloyd was expected to fall.

Lloyd stood up. His eyes were filled with tears. "I hate this world. Niah left me. I hate this life. I'm done." He started counting, "ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Jay knew he had to do something quickly. He began to pray for wisdom. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you paint landscapes and animals?"

Lloyd stopped counting. He was silent for a few seconds, and then he turned his head towards Jay and said, "How did you know that?"

Jay replied, "Because the Emperor told me you will be a famous painter one day, and you will paint pictures that people will hang in their homes. You are loved by him. He created you for a huge purpose. The world does not understand prodigies like you."

Lloyd's eyes filled with tears once again. He turned around and faced Jay with eyes wide open. "Tell me more."

Jay continued. "You were called by the Emperor when you were in your mother's womb, and you have a purpose. The devil saw this and wanted to hurt you, so he did it through people. He wanted to push you off this building so that he could take your soul to hell and torture you, but the Emperor did not allow that. That's why he got me to school so early, which I've never done in the last fifteen years. He got me up here because he cares for you."

As Jay spoke, Lloyd's mouth started trembling, and his tears were streaming down in big drops.

Every student who stood on the terrace was crying. Some of the firefighters had arrived with a harness, but they could see redemption was near. They waited so that nothing would get messed up. The onlookers held their breath as Jay spoke to Lloyd.

Fireball got behind Cupid and applied a rear naked choke hold, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God, and today you have lost. For the Prince came to give eternal life, while you came to kill, steal, and destroy. The power of the prince will now destroy your mission!" Fireball pounded Cupid's face against the concrete and choked him unconscious.

Demons came from behind to attack Fireball with spears and swords, but Fireball roundhouse kicked all of them. When he looked to find Cupid, he saw that Cupid was being carried off by the demons to the Wilderness Realm. He was badly beaten this time and had lost the battle.

Jay went on to tell Lloyd about how his life had changed ever since he had decided to trust in the Prince. "

Jay sat down on the plank and motioned to Lloyd, so Lloyd also sat down, fully facing Jay. With their eyes open, Jay led Lloyd in saying a simple prayer, with Lloyd repeating it after him.

In that moment, there was rejoicing in Blue primus as Lloyd accepted the Lordship of the Prince into his life.

Unknown to all the people, Sheol disappeared back into the ground.

Then Jay said, "Please trust the Prince and give him your heart. And give me your hand."

Lloyd sighed and gave a hand to Jay, who helped him walk the narrow stretch back towards the terrace.

When Jay grabbed a hold of the barricade, his fear left him completely. As soon as Lloyd and Jay crossed over the barricade, the firefighters led them back across the terrace.

All the students thronged around them, only to be shooed off to their classes by the teachers.

Fireball and the reinforcement angels fell down prostrate and praised the Emperor, the Wise One, and the Prince for the victory.

In Blue primus, the angels rejoiced as the Emperor smiled.

The boys were taken to the police station for a quick interrogation, and all were cleared.

One of Lloyd's teachers had found a suicide note written by Lloyd and placed under a fat textbook on his desk in the classroom. She took it to Mr. Bell. As he read the letter, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his white handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat off his shiny, bald head. He exhaled deeply.

When Lloyd's parents had arrived at the school and heard the story, they were so grateful for Jay. Lloyd's father hugged him, and his mother kissed him.

Don and Shelly had also rushed to Logwood High, having heard that something bad was happening, though they weren't fully aware of what it was. They were worried sick for their boy Jay, but by the time they had arrived at the school office, all was well.

Mr. Bell ordered some refreshments for Jay's family to celebrate the saving of a child's life.

The firefighters were impressed with Jay and told him he was going to be rewarded for risking his life. "What a fine boy you have," a firefighter said to Jay's parents. "You should be proud of him."

Mr. Bell put on his brightest smile. "Yes, he is a very smart boy, and the school is very proud of him. He has been a great asset to us!"

Don and Shelly had never, ever seen Mr. Bell smile and had never heard him say anything good about Jay in the last few years.

Mr. Bell added, "This could have been another death at Logwood. It would have been the fifth death, but he averted it. Thank you, Jay. I really appreciate this."

They were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. It was one of the school construction workers. "May I speak to you privately, Mr. Bell?"

Mr. Bell excused himself from Jay's family and stepped out of his office.

"Mr. Bell, that plank that the boys were standing on—we had just attached it yesterday with a few nails, and it was not even tested. It was not even supposed to hold one man's weight," he said.

Mr. Bell felt his pulse racing and could hear his heart beating in his ears. He asked slowly, "Then... how did it hold two boys?"

"I guess it's luck?"

* * *

That night, Don, Shelly, and Jay were invited over to Lloyd's house. Lloyd and his parents together committed their lives to the Prince. Don and Shelly were ecstatic and invited them to come to their life group meeting that Thursday.

Lloyd's parents talked about how their son was contemplating suicide due to the rejection he felt. They had not encouraged him to take up art and always picked on him for his low grades. Lloyd also shared about his failed relationship with a girl who was attending another school and how the breakup, the rejection at home, and the bullying at Logwood High from kids and all his teachers had made him want to take the extreme step. He said he was blown away when someone he didn't even know spoke about the art that he would be doing, and for the first time, he felt he had hope. He was astounded at the accuracy of the words that had come out of Jay's mouth.

Jay teared up as he remembered how much the Emperor loves people.

Then Lloyd pulled out a large sheet of paper. It was a picture he had drawn of Jay on the plank and Lloyd sitting in front with his back towards Jay, his legs folded, and his tie flying out. He also drew the Grim Reaper on the left and an angel with a sword on the right.

When Jay saw the picture, he was astonished. "Dude, this is awesome!"

Lloyd said to Jay, "This is for you, to always remind you that you are God's man to help save the world." Lloyd hugged Jay as tears welled up in their eyes.

That moment, an angel clicked a picture of this scene and took it straight to the House of Wonders.