Chapter 5: Prologue (5)

Chaos ensued the following day. Around the world, thousands of children have mysteriously disappeared without any explanation. The governments were trying to find a way to calm the people and parents down about the missing children, but to no avail.

The law enforcers are trying their hardest to solve the mystery with the aid of the FBI, CIA, and other government intelligence community yet all of their leads to a dead end. Parents who still had their child with them prevented them from ever going outside to keep them safe while parents whose child went missing were getting desperate.

Some of them decided to look for their children themselves, which only led to death, while others took their own lives at the thought of being unable to live without their precious gift. The public has called this tragic incident the “Great Children Abduction”.

There were several conspiracy theorists about the Great Children Abduction, such as the government kidnapping the children to train them in their “Special Forces” or the children were abducted by aliens and other loads of ridiculous theories.

The logical people, on the other hand, theorized that the notorious Fatherland abducted the children for wicked purposes but nobody would believe that as it doesn’t benefit their ideals of a world without technology.

There are also theorists that believe that it’s a propaganda made by the government in order to cause mayhem like they did during the arrival of the COVID virus.

Whichever the theories are true, they hoped the children are back home safely.

—

The theory about the Fatherland, however, is true. In the same underground laboratory, crying children were lining up to be test subjects for the Theos Krustallos while guards were standing guard to prevent them from escaping.

Jeremy hardened himself from feeling the guilt of using these poor innocent children as test subjects because he prioritized himself right now rather than other people. He only hopes that the exposure is successful.

After a few hours, several children were killed due to the overexposure to the crystal while few survived. The guards restrained them immediately and placed them into prison cells where they are unable to use their abilities while a cleanup crew disposed of the bodies somewhere hidden.

Jeremy couldn’t bear to watch the corpses of the children, otherwise, he won’t have the determination to be free from this hell hole.

Alam chuckled, “You’ve finally succeeded, doctor. You gave me an army, and thanks to your notes, we can now do it without you. As promised, you’ll be released the next day so you still have time to aid in the research. You can’t refuse it.”

Jeremy glared at him with extreme anger, “As long as I get out of here soon, I don’t care anymore.”

Alam patted him in the back, “That’s the spirit, doctor.”

Jeremy continued experimenting on the kids the next day. He would’ve been fascinated by the supernatural abilities they possessed which he called “Gifts”, but he isn’t interested right now. Just like Dion, he personally gave the children codenames based on the gods’ abilities that they were exposed to. Ares, Freyr, Ea, Mayari, Isis, Neptune, Brigid, Fortuna, and so forth.

All of them may have different abilities, but some of them were powerful enough to potentially destroy the laboratory, hence why the guards restrained them whenever they were using their abilities. It’s to train them to be loyal members of the Fatherland, forgetting their lives as humans and reborn as gods.

He discovered that these children essentially evolved from humans after the exposure from the Theos Krustallos. Their DNA within their body has been rearranged. They were basically like mutants who evolved from humans in Marvel Comics. He called them “Godlings” or homo immortalis.

It was truly fascinating that he witnessed an evolution right before his eyes if it was under normal circumstances. He continued to expose more newly abducted children to the Theos Krustallos causing several deaths with only the minimum surviving.

They cried and cried while dying from the overexposure of the crystal, but he closed his heart. He may regret it later, but he kept reminding himself that he’s much more important than the lives of children.

When the sun was setting, Alam visited the testing chamber with satisfaction on his face. He finally has an army on his own. He was disappointed that he or his men don't have any godly abilities because they were adults, but it doesn’t matter right. With an army of godlings by his side, he can shape his world from his own image. A world without technology. A new ancient world.

“Well done, doctor. My scientists will take it from here.” Alam congratulated scientist. “With your notes, they are finally knowledgeable about the God Crystal and its capabilities. You’re free to go.”

“Are you sure…?” Jeremy doubted him. He doesn’t know why it took him now to realize that his promise may be empty. “You won’t shoot me in the head to avoid spilling beans?”

Alam laughed, “Don’t make me reconsider it. Besides, you won’t be living a normal life after this. You should consider working here. I will pay you for your efforts this time.”

He scoffed, “You kidnapped me, held me captive for eight months without any proper sleep or meal, forced me to experiment on children, and now you’re hiring me to continue? I refused. Hope you burn in Hell!”

“Oh, but which hell? Fields of Punishment? Helheim? Duat? You have to be more specific, my friend.” Alam taunted the scientist before knocking him out with his pistol’s handle. “Take him to wherever his wife is. I shall enjoy this celebration.”

As the guards dragged Jeremy on the ground, he slightly woke up and saw several children crying in their cells while calling out for their parents. The guilt in his heart re-emerge after he cleared his mind and softened his heart.

His personality returned before he was tempted. He has realized what atrocious he has committed. He helped create an army of humans with special gifts for a monster. He initially thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t.

When the entrance was nearby, he noticed that seven children weren’t crying nor calling out for their parents. They merely stared at him in silence, probably in anger as well.

He then wondered, “Could it be…?”

Seven rose against all odds

If they are the chosen seven of the prophecy, then they’ll probably find a way to escape this wretched laboratory. They’ll rise against all odds in the future. He would’ve been relieved that they might be free in the future until he remembered the next line of the prophecy.

Peace or destruction, judged by the new gods

Considering how much the children will suffer for many years to become a perfect follower and soldier for the Fatherland, they’ll choose destruction over peace. Humanity will experience their wrath. They’ll probably abandon the Fatherland and rule over them instead.

He understood now what Pythia said. Keeping the crystal leads to the doom of humanity, and he has fulfilled it. But there’s a glimpse of hope in his heart that these seven godlings may be the one to bring peace.

Ones who will stop their kin from destroying the whole world. He didn’t believe it at first, but he hopes that fate will lead these seven young children to become heroes.

—

Once he was dropped off to his wife’s current home a few hours later, Sara held back her tears before hugging her long lost husband.

“I miss you.” Sara said, not letting go of the hug while tears were flowing from her eyes nonstop. “Where have you been?”

“I don’t know.” Jeremy answered, unable to tell anyone including his wife about his traumatic experience with the Fatherland. He was then at the verge of collapse due to tiredness. “But everything is about to change.”