I was kind of surprised by his words, but I was also skeptical. Not just of him, but of the whole situation. I mean, come on. A talking cat was telling me that I was more than the average person could ever hope to be. Beyond all hope of grandeur that a person could imagine.
I mean, that's what it was, I didn't know it at the time. All I was thinking in that moment was "I am losing my mind."
I was silent. I had no intention of breaking that silence either. I was going to stare at this cat until it started meowing like a cat should.
"I'm not going to meow," he said with a touch of impatience.
"Why not?" I asked. "This has all got to be in my head. There's no way this is real."
He hmphed. "Well, it is. And you had better start believing. That earthquake, the volcanic eruption, the stabbing of Mr. Carr, the detective. These are all just the start of something much greater. They may seem like big events to you, but they are just the smallest of pebbles that will start the greatest of landslides the likes of which the Rift has never seen."
"The Rift?" I echoed.
"You have much to learn, but for now, we will focus on your eyes," he stated.
"My eyes?"
"Yes," he said almost a little too excited for my liking. "'The eyes are the window to the soul,' as they say, and it is true. But they also let you see, and what the average person sees is oh so limited. Just the tiniest of scratches on the largest of surfaces. But you and I have the ability to see past the veil of the physical light."
"What's past that?" I asked.
"There are several dimensions of sight," Tritan explained. "The first is the one most see, the one where you see the light reflected off of objects to determine their shape, color, and size. Beyond that is the dimension where everything is defined and represented by the level of power in it. The second dimension is an intimidating one. And that is where we will start when we do start training. The third dimension is where we see the energy left in things. Kinetic, potential, and life energy are all visible. There are more, the seventh dimension of sight is where one can see the soul and the heart of hearts. But for now, we will focus on getting you to be able to consistently look into the second dimension of sight."
"Whoa." I held up my hands in a slow down gesture. "I haven't agreed yet."
His shoulders slumped like he was exasperated. "Well, by all means, make your own decision. But I don't think you'll have to think that hard for long."
"I do want to consider, I feel like this is too dangerous to just leap into," I told him. "Where will you be?"
"Just say my name, I'll be there."
"What are you, a summon?" I asked sarcastically.
He didn't answer but disappeared from where he sat.
-
The next few days, well, they were boring, all of our school supplies had been destroyed. So, we couldn't do our school, and given that it was so close to the end of the school year anyway, we elected to wait and enroll in public school the next semester.
I got so bored on the fourth day, that I went out to where our house had been, just to take a look around.
I slipped behind the barrier that blocked it off from trespassers. Where the house had once been, there was now a gaping hole. I looked down it and could not see the bottom. I kicked a rock down and after about thirty seconds, I heard the faint sound of it clattering at the bottom.
I stepped back and moved toward the shed, which was - miraculously - intact. The door was locked, not surprisingly. But I tried it again just because, and the handle turned, and the door swung open.
I hesitated, confused. But shrugged it off pretty quick and walked in.
It was exactly as we had left it. We had yet to come back and retrieve the tools.
I wasn't sure why, but there was a tension building in my gut, as well as a sense of unease. Like there was something else there.
Then something broke the silence. A bark, clear and sharp, pierced the air and made me jump out of my skin. I turned to see our neighbor's dog.
I sighed in relief. "Scrappy," I breathed. "You gave me a heart attack, bud."
He wagged his tail happily.
I smiled and started moving toward him when a big, hairy arm reach down from the roof of the shed and picked the dog up, Scrappy complaining and shrieking the whole way until there was a sharp yipe, a crunch, and then it was silent.
I was frozen in fear. I knew those sounds. Scrappy was dead.
I heard grunting and low growls from above me as the roof creaked from the weight of something large.
I decided that I had a better chance of survival if I ran for my car, and so I steeled my nerves and prepared to run out of the shed. But before I took the first step, something jumped off the roof and landed in front of the door. Its back was turned to me, but I could tell it was not human. It was so incredibly hairy, and tall, there was no way.
It turned to face me, and I saw its dopey looking face, like it was trying to figure out why.
Why what? Good question. Why do you care?
It moved toward me sniffing the whole time with a slightly ape-like face. Evolutionists would've had a field day, "the missing link" and all that. But it was nowhere close to human. It ducked down to sniff my face, its breath reeked, and I saw blood on its teeth.
I steeled my nerves for something else entirely than I had a few seconds ago. I knew I was going to die.
It grabbed my arm and squeezed. It felt like my arm was going to be crushed in this thing's grip. It started walking out of the shed and dragging me with it.
My heart was running a million miles an hour, I started hyperventilating, I was feeling lightheaded.
"Lord," I breathed. "Deliver me."
The beast grunted and turned to face me again, as if it didn't approve of my prayer.
Then something in my mind spoke up, something dark with a menacing presence.
"Fight it," it told me.
"I couldn't win," I told myself.
"But I can," it told me.
I hesitated. "Just this once."
It laughed darkly. "I can't promise that there won't be any lasting effects, like perfect strength and comprehension, maybe even perfect looks. But I assure you, this will be a one-time thing, you and I are enemies after all."
I relinquished control but retained awareness. The new entity took over and the beast sensed it. It froze, and then turned to face me with a growl and then a roar.
The entity laughed through my body as he easily pried my arm free.
"Come then," he said. "It has been some time since I have had a body."
I felt an incredible and unimaginable power surging through my veins as he said those words.
"What is this?" I asked myself.
He cracked my neck and ducked under a swipe from the ape. Coming from the ducked position, he landed a devastating blow into its abdomen. And then grabbed it by its face and slammed its head into the ground.
He then stood back and reveled. Though I knew not what in. The creature was still alive.
It struggled to its feet and looked at me - or this new entity rather - with fear. It struck out in this fear but the next thing I knew, we were behind it, and holding its arm.
We turned around. "You can have this back," the entity said, before impaling the creature with its severed limb.
It dropped to the ground.
He ran his fingers through my hair with my body and took in a deep breath while smiling in a not very friendly way.
"How many years has it been?" He wondered aloud. "Ah." He shrugged and then kept moving as much as possible. I could feel his control waning.
"Who are you?" I asked.
All of the sudden, my vision went black before the landscape changed and I was standing in a massive, round stone chamber. Opposite of me was a throne and sitting upon the throne was. . .
Me.
My eyes widened, and I shook my head in disbelief.
He was older than me, but it was still definitely me. His hair was a lighter blonde than mine, whether that be from sun bleaching, or if it was natural, I couldn't tell. His eyes were a very light shade of pink. Almost white in fact. And they glowed softly. He had a few scars on his face and arms, but they were all small and inconsequential. He wore light armor with a gold and white shoulder cape.
He sat with one leg resting on the other and his head resting on his fist. Smiling maliciously.
"The real question is who are you?" He asked. "A vessel of mine was nearby and my soul was awakened by a surge of power the likes of which I have never felt. I traced it back to you." He leaned forward. "Who exactly are you?"
"My name is Corbin Tyler," I answered. "I thank you for saving me, but I ask again: who are you?"
"My name is Caelis Ultima," he said, looking a little confused. "I am surprised you have never heard of me."
I shrugged. "Should I have?"
He smirked. "Let it be known that I am a god," he told me. "I applaud your boldness, but I have yet to find an opponent who can back up their pride. The last person thought they could, but even they could not kill me. I sense your power, and the path it will take you down. If you continue down this path, we will face one another one day in battle."
I said nothing. How could I? This lunatic was saying that we would fight, and that he was a god.
"Corbin Tyler," Caelis Ultima said with a chuckle. "I will remember that." And then the room vanished and him with it.
I released the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. That guy's presence was something else. But more importantly, I could say for sure that I was not hallucinating. The creature still lay dead in my yard.
"Tritan," I called.
"Yes?" He appeared at the edge of the hole.
"I believe you," I told him. "Teach me, if you would."
"I will ask you for confirmation, because you must understand that if you accept this, you will forfeit the right to your own will for a time, and submit yourself entirely to the will of the Ancient of Days."
"I understand," I said quietly.
Tritan nodded. "Good."
"I have a question."
"Yes?"
"What does the name Caelis Ultima mean to you?"
The air temperature seemed to drop ten degrees and all of the birds stopped chirping.
"That name is not to be uttered here," Tritan whispered. "Come, we will return to your grandparents' house."
He jumped onto my shoulder and I walked back to my car and drove away.