
## THE JOURNEY

Michael Abayomi

Copyright 2012 by Michael Abayomi

**Smashwords Edition**

## PROLOGUE

Daniel Graham used to be the happiest boy in the whole world. This was not because he had more toys than a boy his age could possibly need, but because he believed he had the greatest of families. But ever since he lost his older brother, Kevin, his family suddenly became anything but great. It was as if a major part of Daniel had died with Kevin, and Daniel's perception of the world was forever changed as a result. Life now appeared somewhat meaningless, for Danny was no longer the happy boy he used to be.

"God has a reason for everything," Mrs. Graham had once said. "He probably took Kevin away to end his suffering."

Daniel considered this explanation as a possibility; Kevin had been born with an illness that confined him to a sickbed for the better part of his short life. But Danny also found it rather peculiar that God would allow Kevin to become that way in the first place.

"God knows best," Mr. Graham would say in conclusion whenever Danny said anything along that line of reasoning.

Regardless of Kevin's condition, Danny had considered him to be quite possibly the  _coolest_  person on the planet. Kevin was smart, funny and still managed to beat Danny in a million and one video games, just like any big brother would. Danny would have traded anything in the world to have Kevin back, even his favorite toys. But he knew that was never going to happen. He knew he was never going to see Kevin again.

Equally devastated by Kevin's untimely death, Danny's parents missed their eldest son more than anything. But they, unlike Danny, saw an immediate need to move on with their lives and put the tragedy behind them. So when Mr. Graham was offered a new job in Canada, Mrs. Graham saw it as the opportunity they needed to start over in someplace new – away from all the heart-wrenching reminders of their late son. Mr. Graham took the job, and they all moved to Canada, selling the old house and buying a new one.

They had long winters in Canada, and it seemed to snow every other day. Danny, who hadn't supported the move, hated this more than ever. They'd been in Canada nearly six months now, and the cold was quite frankly beginning to get on his nerves. He hated the new house – though it was bigger, it felt emptier without Kevin.

He also hated his new school. He'd failed to make a single friend, not that he was trying anyway. Danny was one of those mean kids who even the bullies avoided.

But most of all, he hated the neighbors, and the way they always appeared merry, always smiling, as though there was anything worth smiling about.

He hated everything about the  _stupid_  place.

It was summer already, but one could hardly tell from the weather. Schools were on recess and Danny was pleased he didn't have to go to that awful place for another couple of weeks. But his pleasure was short-lived when his parents informed him they'd enrolled him in summer camp.

Danny couldn't even begin to understand why they could possibly want to put him through such torment. But unbeknownst to him, his parents had decided to try having another kid, preferably a baby girl. They felt this would help everyone get over Kevin faster. But they knew for this to happen, they would probably need some  _alone_  time – hence, the reason for summer camp.

For all Danny could tell, it could as well have been called "winter camp," for it snowed so heavily that fateful day that he could hardly see anything outside the backseat window. The drive to camp was a grueling one-hour journey up the mountain, made even more grueling no thanks to the weather. He busied himself with his portable handheld game system, one of his better toys which allowed him to play video games on-the-go.

His parents sat in the front of the Land Cruiser, and Danny couldn't help but wonder from time to time if his father secretly had thermo-vision, because no normal human being should have been able to see and drive so well in weather that bad.

"Honey, I think we should pull over and let the storm blow over," Mrs. Graham said.

"Don't worry, Susan," Mr. Graham replied, steering casually. "We can ride this thing."

Mrs. Graham settled back into her seat uncertainly. After a short while she said, "Danny, hon, hope you have your seatbelt on."

" _I don't need no stupid seatbelt_ ," Danny replied under his breath, hitting the buttons of his handheld feverishly as he successfully parted a monsters ugly head from its equally grotesque body.

"What was that you said, Danny?" Mr. Graham asked, leaning his head back so he could listen.

"Nothing,  _Dad_ ," Danny announced. He grudgingly hit the pause button and hastily put on his seatbelt. " _Jeez._ "

Mr. Graham promptly returned his full attention to driving and Danny did the same to demon slaying.

Though it was very cold, beads of sweat could be seen falling down Mr. Graham's forehead. "It's amazing how one minute you're driving through perfect weather, and the next minute something like this happens."

The weather had gotten worse, and the vehicle's wipers were working overtime just to keep the snow at bay.

"I mean, there wasn't even a storm warning or anything... not even a single snowflake in the sky this morning. And now, forty-five minutes later, we're caught in the middle of a full-scale blizzard. This is so unnatural."

"Are you sure we shouldn't pull over, hon?" Mrs. Graham asked, clearly concerned.

"I've got it all under control, precious," Mr. Graham said. "Besides, we're practically there. The camp is just a few miles beyond the next bend. See, there's a signpost now. I told you we were almost –"

"Jesus!" Mrs. Graham screamed. Danny looked up from his game just in time to see two blinding headlights coming their way.

Mr. Graham jerked the steering wheel and the car responded accordingly, avoiding the oncoming truck but hurtling instead towards the edge of the cliff. He hit the brakes just as the jeep drew level with the road-side barricade. But it was too late, and the jeep broke through the barricade, plummeting down the mountainside.

The jeep bucked as it slid down the mountain, and Danny's video game immediately went flying from his fingertips, striking him square in the forehead. Mrs. Graham screamed at the top of her lungs as Mr. Graham tried everything he could to regain control of the vehicle. But it was useless, and they actually seemed to be gaining momentum.

In a last, desperate effort, Mr. Graham stamped on the brakes and swerved the steering wheel. This was just as their Land Cruiser neared a prominent gathering of jagged rocks. The vehicle skidded and swerved, until it finally lost balance and toppled over on its side, then its top, then the other side, and it continued to roll like this.

The whole world seemed to turn round and round as their vehicle rolled down the mountain, and Danny lost count of how many complete revolutions they had made. There were the initial sounds of Mr. and Mrs. Graham screaming, of glass breaking, of metal twisting and crushing. But the most prominent noise was that of the storm itself as the winds howled furiously.

The cacophony it seemed would go on forever. But quite soon, Danny noticed that his parents were no longer screaming, even though their arms flailed about wildly. He also noticed he no longer heard the sounds of their vehicle scraping over rocks, even though everything still went round and round. The winds seemed to be howling no more, even though he could both see and feel the coldness all about him. In fact, the only sound he could still hear was that of his beating heart. And it was slowly fading away.

## CHAPTER ONE

THE LOST PARADISE

The first sensation that struck Danny after regaining consciousness was the marked absence of cold. He opened his eyes and for a few uncertain seconds struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. He was hanging upside down, harnessed by the seatbelt, and directly above his head on the car ceiling was a device he vaguely found familiar. He felt lightheaded and was finding it hard to remember anything.  _Wait_ , he thought.  _Isn't that... I think... Hey, that's my PSP_!

He reached down, or was it up, and grabbed it. The screen was blank. The power switch was still on, and upon closer scrutiny, the PSP appeared to be wholly undamaged. This meant the battery must be dead. But Danny vividly remembered charging it to full capacity the night before, in preparation for some journey of some kind. So it must have been on like this for a couple of hours or thereabout, which meant he must have been hanging upside down for almost as long.

And then things slowly began coming back to him.

Danny let the PSP fall from his fingers as he fumbled with his seatbelt. The seatbelt was undone and he fell promptly onto the car ceiling.

"Mom?" He called uncertainly, but there was no answer. He rolled over and righted himself before crawling out the backseat window.

Danny emerged into brilliant sunshine and had to shield his eyes as he stood up on his feet and took a few tentative steps forward. He unshielded his eyes and was immediately struck by one of the most beautiful vistas he had ever seen.

The dull, white snow he had become accustomed to seeing over the last six months was all gone. He was now standing on lush grass that stretched far and wide, forming a thick carpet of green. A short distance from where he stood, he could see the edge of a great forest. Its trees seemed to stretch as high as skyscrapers. A river was running ever so smoothly through the forest.

Danny turned to look upstream and saw a brilliant waterfall coming down the side of a mountain, a little distance behind him. The waterfall stretched so high that its summit at the mouth of a cave was almost lost behind the thick haze that rose from where it fed the river.

Danny spun around, and around again, taking in the resplendent landscape.

He eventually returned his attention to their Land Cruiser, turned over on its top, and it looked distinctly out of place against the backdrop of green woods and crystal clear waterfall. He hurried over to the driver's side, crouching down to see inside. There was nobody there.

"Dad! Where are you? Are you guys okay?"

Danny's voice echoed loudly throughout the meadow, but nobody answered his calls. He searched the immediate vicinity, not straying too far from the wreckage, but found no sign of either parent. It finally began to dawn on him that his parents were nowhere near, and that he was all alone in this strange, unknown place. And for the first time since Kevin died, Danny actually felt like crying. But he never got the chance to do so.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He looked up to the skyline above the forest, and there he saw it flying over the trees. It was an indiscernible dark shape against the clear blue sky, but as it drew closer, prominent features became visible.

The beast had large, bat-like wings stretching from side to side, four limbs all ending in sharp claws, a long tail that swung loosely behind it, and a long neck that ended in a head very much like that of a lizard, only with razor sharp teeth more like a gator's. And as the creature approached the edge of the forest, it released a blast of flames which engulfed a number of unfortunate trees.

It was only then that Danny realized what he was looking at. It was a fire-breathing dragon, and it was heading directly towards him.

The dragon glided into the meadow just as Danny took to his heels, racing towards the wreckage of the Land Cruiser. As Danny ran, he couldn't help but look over his shoulders and he noticed for the first time that the dragon was actually being ridden. Cloaked in black robes, the rider pulled on the dragon's reins and the dragon flared its nostrils.

Danny reached the wreckage and he scurried into the backseat just as the dragon rained down fire, smoldering the upturned tires. The heat was instantly unbearable as the flames licked the vehicle from all sides. Danny knew he couldn't remain there for long, so he made his way towards the front of the car where the flames were not as intense. He managed to crawl out the broken windshield and away from the Land Cruiser before it was completely swallowed up in red-hot flames.

Danny spotted the dragon and its rider, circling in preparation for another attack. He jumped onto his feet, looking around for any cover that could shelter him from the dragon's next round of flames. But he found nothing and resolved instead to take shelter in the nearby forest.

Even as he raced as fast as he could towards the distant trees, he could tell he was never going to make it as his pursuers were already gaining on him. But then he spotted a brilliant light through the corner of his eye, and he suddenly found himself motionless.

Danny stood rooted to the spot as he marveled at the most elegant creature he had ever laid eyes on. Its feathered wings were spread out straight as it flew over the river. Its fire-red mane flowed ever so subtly as it moved against the wind. The creature hit the ground running, its wings folding neatly to its sides as it galloped towards Danny. Its rider, cloaked in silver chain mail, leaned closer to the creature's equine head, whispering in its ear, urging it to go faster. A lone horn stood erect on the creature's forehead, much like that of the fabled unicorn.

The flying unicorn and its rider drew level with Danny just as the dragon loomed overhead. There was a great burst of fiery breath as a strong arm wrapped around Danny's waist, hoisting him off his feet. The unicorn took off, the dragon's flames scorching the surrounding grass instead, and Danny watched the ground fade away beneath his dangling feet.

The unicorn flapped its wings as it carried them towards the waterfall. It touched down on a ledge beside the falling body of water. The rider let Danny fall from his grasp and onto his feet.

"Wait here," the rider said, his voice warmer than Danny expected.

Danny backed away from the unicorn and its rider, and the unicorn kicked off the ledge, onto a higher, more strategic vantage point where it remained, unicorn and rider staring intently. Danny followed their gaze and saw that they were looking at the dragon, which had just finished circling at the edge of the forest and was quickly headed their way.

The unicorn rider unsheathed a fine broadsword from the scabbard strapped to his back. He pointed the blade at the dragon and its rider, and the unicorn instinctively kicked off the ledge and shot towards them. The dragon rider extracted a large, double-edged sword which he readied as he approached the unicorn rider. The two riders shot towards each other, propelled at great speed by their respective beasts, both of which seemed just as ready for combat as their riders.

There was a great flash of bright light which illuminated the entire meadow as blade met with blade. Both riders were thrown off their mounts, the beasts darting in polar directions. And as both riders fell towards the earth below, Danny could see they were engaged in a midair duel, sparks flying off each time their blades came into contact. They continued like this as they fell, neither seeming to pay any attention to the hard ground looming ever closer.

The dragon rider was the first to withdraw, pulling back just as the dragon made its return. He caught hold of its reins and was whisked away safely, leaving the unicorn rider alone to his appointment with death at the end of the fall. The unicorn rider righted himself and was caught by the unicorn mere feet from the ground. The unicorn glided above the grass, galloped a few steps before kicking off again in pursuit of the dragon.

But by then the dragon and its rider were already heading towards Daniel.

Danny watched helplessly as the dragon drew closer, the unicorn lagging behind. He had shielded his eyes and was doing what little he could to brace himself for the dragon's flames, when two more unicorns whooshed past his either side. One had a blue coat, while the other was yellow, and both had riders.

The two unicorns hovered between Danny and the dragon, and the dragon rider had to pull back suddenly to avoid a collision. The riders on the blue and yellow unicorns fired several arrows. The arrows were silver and luminous, and they seemed to materialize out of thin air just as the strings of their bows were pulled back. One of them struck the dragon's hide.

The dragon howled in pain, and its rider immediately commanded it to retreat, pulling hard on its reins. The dragon nose-dived just as the first unicorn rider came swinging his sword around. The dragon then arced and shot towards the forest, the bow-wielding unicorn riders sending a number of arrows after it. One of them found their target, and the dragon howled once again. But the pain was not enough to stop its escape, and so the three unicorn riders watched it vanish into the clouds over the forest.

Danny watched as all three unicorns touched down on the ledge he had been standing on. The rider of the red unicorn dismounted, sheathing his sword as he stood looking at Danny, his face hidden behind the hood of his chain mail.

"I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner–" the rider on the yellow unicorn began. It was a woman's voice, light and almost dreamy. But the red unicorn rider had been quick to make a gesture of dismissal.

Danny watched wordlessly as the red unicorn rider took a few slow steps forward, the metal in his boots clanging against the wet rocks. He held out a hand for Danny to hold, but Danny retracted into the cliff wall instead.

"Have no fear, Danny," the unicorn rider said, hand still held out.

"H-how come you know my name?" Danny asked.

"We've been sent here to protect you."

"Who are you?"

The unicorn rider withdrew his outstretched hand, and with both hands pulled the hood from his head. Lengths of silky, black hair fell onto his shoulders and he brushed some of it out of his face, tucking it behind his ear.

Danny couldn't believe who he was looking at. It was his older brother, Kevin.

## CHAPTER TWO

THE CRYSTAL BALL

_What becomes of a person's soul when that person dies_? Countless people have pondered over this question. There are those who believe in reincarnation; that a person's soul doesn't die off, but is instead reborn into the body of another. Others believe that the soul just ceases to exist; disappearing into a vast, endless vacuum. But the majority believe in some form of an afterlife; a state of existence lasting all eternity.

Daniel didn't know what to believe and couldn't help but sob as he looked into his brother's eyes. All the suppressed memories, all the pain and anguish he'd had to endure, all of it came rushing back at that instant, tearing open emotional scars that were still struggling to heal. Kevin got down on one knee, motioning for Danny to come forward, and Danny ran into his arms, gripping him in a tight embrace.

"I've missed you so much." Danny said, burying his face against Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin patted his back. "I've missed you too, Danman."

The two brothers remained in each other's arms, and that moment to Danny seemed to last several lifetimes. Their reunion felt almost too good to be true, although there was presently nothing more real than the warmth of his older brother's embrace. His brother was the one thing he'd wanted back more than any other, and the one thing he was most certain he'd never get to see again. But now that they were reunited, there was nothing more he wanted to do than let his scent fill his lungs.

One of the mounted unicorn riders coughed and Kevin began the difficult task of letting go of his little brother. Daniel wiped the tears flowing down his face with the sleeves of his shirt. Kevin stood up, surveying him through half-opened eyes. There was another fake cough before he finally spoke.

"Right. Where are my manners?" Kevin said, suddenly business-like as he motioned towards the rider on the yellow unicorn. "This is Clarissa, and her steed, Amber."

Clarissa pulled down her hood. The hair on her head was blonde and curly and it fell over her face like a veil. She drew the curls back with the tip of her finger and bowed politely.

Kevin motioned towards the rider on the blue unicorn. "And this is Damian, and his steed, Hyacinth."

Hyacinth the unicorn bobbed its head as its rider, having removed his hood to reveal long, dark, dreadlocks, gave a slight nod.

"I believe I don't need a formal introduction, but I think she does," Kevin said, moving towards the red unicorn. "Danny, this is Scarlet, my loyal steed. Scarlet, Danny."

The red unicorn gave its closest approximation to a nod, and Kevin patted its back in appreciation.

Kevin looked around with pride before continuing. "We are guides to the wandering, protectors of the hunted. We are Guardians of Lost Souls."

There was a brief moment of silence, the only sounds being that of restless hoofs and volumes of water pounding into the river below.

"Am I dead?" Danny finally asked, wiping the last traces of tears from his face. "Is this Heaven?"

"The answers to your questions are no, and no," Kevin said almost playfully.

"Then where am I?" Danny asked, looking over to the forest skyline where the dragon and its rider had disappeared. "What is this place?"

"This place is neither here, nor there," Clarissa said. "It is a sort of middle ground between the world and the other side. This is the crossroads between life and the afterlife. Welcome, Daniel, to the land of Eden."

 After almost getting burnt alive by a dragon, Daniel felt far from welcome. "But what about mom and dad?"

"Your mother and father are safe," Damian said.

 "You were in a serious car accident, Daniel," Kevin began in the same tone he normally used whenever he tried explaining something otherwise unexplainable. "Mom and dad are okay, but you weren't as... fortunate. This is why you have been brought here. It is now our duty as guardians to ensure your safety while you journey back home."

It was a short while before Kevin's words fully registered in Danny's head. "But I don't wanna go back. I wanna stay here with you."

"You can't, Daniel. You don't belong here. Besides, it's not safe for you. That thing that just attacked you... the one that rode the dragon... that was a reaper, a collector of souls. His sole obligation in this place right now is to make sure you never make it back home, or anywhere else for that matter."

Danny thought about this, but all he could come up with was, "I don't care."

"Well, you should," Damian interjected, "because I'm very well sure that _he_ does."

"But I've missed you so much," Danny said, teary-eyed.

Kevin put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I've missed you too. But mom and dad probably miss you even more."

Danny brushed the tears away with the sides of his finger. "This is so unfair."

"We're merely trying to keep you alive here," Damian said. "And you're better off alive than dead."

Clarissa frowned. "Was that supposed to make him feel better?"

"Sorry. But I don't exactly have a Ph.D. in Child Psychology."

Danny turned away and walked towards the edge of the ledge. He stood there, staring at the river below as the two guardians argued.

"Time is not on our side," Damian was saying when Kevin cut him off with a raised hand.

Danny continued staring at the river, even though his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about everything that was happening to him. He thought about the car accident, about everything Kevin had just told him, about the fact that he was actually standing there with Kevin, who he'd missed more than anything in the whole world, and had thought he would never see again.

He thought about the fact that he was in this strange place called Eden, while his parents were most definitely worried sick over him. He wondered how they would feel if anything happened to him, if he never made it back home. He remembered vividly how they'd felt when they'd lost Kevin, and he wondered how his parents would take it if they were to lose him as well.

But Daniel didn't want to lose Kevin either. That was one loss he didn't think he could possibly bear a second time. He wanted to remain here with his older brother, riding colorful unicorns, fighting reapers and their fire-breathing dragons. He didn't want to go back to that god-awful place where it snowed every day, and the kids were unfriendly, and their parents smiled without reason. No, he was going nowhere, and there was nothing anybody could do or say to make him change his mind.

"I want you to have something," Kevin said, coming to stand beside him at the edge of the ledge.

Kevin held out a small, glass orb Danny failed to recognize.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"It's a crystal ball. Go ahead, take it."

Daniel took the ball, but didn't know what to make of it. He was about to announce that fact when the ball suddenly came to life with increasing radiance. He was soon blinded by its light. "What's happening?"

He struggled to see, even as his vision twisted and blurred. By the time everything came into focus, he found himself standing in a familiar room. "Oh, wait, I think I see something."

"What do you see?" he heard Kevin ask, even though he could not see him anywhere.

"I see a bunch of kids, about my age," Daniel said. "They're all laughing and smiling at me for some reason. I think I know some of them. Yes. Some of them are my classmates."

"What else do you see?"

"There's a cake with candles, and lots of balloons."

"Good," he heard Kevin say. "From what you've described, it appears you're looking at your forthcoming birthday party. And it seems like your friends from school have come around to help you celebrate."

"No way," Danny said, staring at the laughing kids with disbelief.  "You're telling me I'm actually seeing, what, two months into the future?"

Before Danny could say anything else, the scene was twisting and morphing once again.

"What do you see?" Kevin demanded.

"I see..." Daniel waited for the new scene to come into focus. "I see somebody. It's a girl, and she's..." He paused to swallow. "God, she's beautiful. I mean, she's very pretty. I'm not even allowed to go out on dates yet. If I was, I would totally –"

"Cool it, Romeo. What you're seeing right there is a good three years away. Her name is Leslie by the way, and yes, she's your girlfriend."

"Get out of here," Danny said, trying not to blush as he watched the girl laugh and smile. Everything about her was instantly loveable; her skin, her hair, her face. She was moving her face towards his, her lips puckered in preparation for a kiss. But then the scene started to change until it had morphed into one where she was just withdrawing after a kiss.

"This is your wedding day," Daniel heard Kevin say, to which he said, "Yes. She has just thrown the bouquet. Everyone is clapping. And I see mom and dad in the crowd; they're clapping too. They look so happy."

"Yes, they do," Kevin said.

The scene changed once again, and things continued in this manner, stopping at significant points in Daniel's life.

He saw himself taking his baby daughter into his arms for the first time. He saw himself teaching her how to ride a bike when she was about six. He watched her posing for a picture with a group of students on the day of her college graduation. Next, he was taking her down the aisle to an eagerly-awaiting groom.

Then he was looking once more at Leslie, only this time she was gray and old. But she still looked just as beautiful as the first time he'd seen her. She bent down and kissed his lips, smiling at him through tear-filled eyes as he slowly began to close his.

Daniel was suddenly staring down from the ledge beside the waterfall. The visions had come to an end and the crystal ball was no longer shining.

"Those were but some of the happiest moments of your life," Kevin said, looking at Danny with scrutiny, "moments you're never going to experience if you choose to remain here."

Danny was suddenly overwhelmed by emotions like he'd never been before. He felt happy and sad at the same time. He was happy because he'd just learned, through these visions of the future, that life itself was the most precious of gifts. The sadness on the other hand stemmed from the combined weight of all that was now hanging in the balance; his brother, his family, his destiny. But he was now convinced of what needed to be done.

"Okay," Daniel said, "I'll do it. I'll go back."

Damian exhaled. "Finally. I was beginning to think we might have to drag you all the way."

"Don't listen to him," Clarissa said with a smile. "We would never do a thing like that, would we, Kevin?"

Kevin put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I knew you'd make the right decision."

Daniel tried returning the crystal ball to Kevin, but Kevin gently pushed it back. "Keep it. Who knows, you might need it later, in case you change your mind."

Kevin motioned Daniel towards Scarlet, who stood still as they both mounted. Kevin helped him onto the unicorn's back before helping himself. "We have a long, treacherous journey before us. I pray we all reach that journey's end in one piece."

"Where are we going?" Danny asked.

"To the Tower of Eden." Kevin pointed over the forest, towards a dark horizon, beyond which nothing could be seen but the faint outlines of a gigantic stone tower. "There you would find the only gateway between Eden and the place you call home. But first, we have a little errand we need to run. There's a presence I sense that doesn't belong here, probably another lost soul, wandering around in the Great Forest. I say we go do something about that."

"I say we do," Clarissa said. Damian merely nodded in consent.

And with that all three unicorns kicked off the ledge, leaving the waterfall behind as they glided towards the forest.

## CHAPTER THREE

INSIDE THE FOREST

Danny held on to Kevin for dear life, his eyes equally held shut. But he was somewhat surprised as their flight turned out to be a rather short one; Scarlet touched down on the meadow seconds later. Soon, all three unicorns were galloping past the scorched remains of the upturned Land Cruiser, and towards the distant trees at the edge of the forest. Some of those trees had been earlier set on fire by the dragon. Now they were left blackened, though no longer aflame. As they drew level with the trees, Danny couldn't help but notice an ominous message scrawled upon the barks of a number of them.

BEWARE OF DAMNATION!

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked.

"There are many fanciful creatures and beings that call Eden home," Damian said, patting Hyacinth on the side. "But not all of them are as benign as our steeds here."

"There's nothing to fear," Kevin said firmly. "We are here to protect you."

The unicorns galloped past the makeshift signposts and into the forest. They moved at a brisk pace, following a footpath which snaked gently between the towering trees. As they progressed further into the forest, there were a multitude of questions throbbing in Danny's head. "Kevin?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"I want to know more about the Guardians of Lost Souls."

"What about the guardians?"

"Like how you became one for instance."

"Actually," Kevin began, "I volunteered for the job. After hearing about the guardians and what they do, I immediately knew I wanted to become a part of it. The guardians are but a small division in Heaven's army. We are charged with monitoring the movement of souls between Heaven and Earth. We basically make sure that all souls are accounted for, and that all lost souls are safely returned to where they belong, be it Heaven or Earth."

"How many of you are there?" Danny asked.

"Not much," Kevin confessed. "I'll say we number in the hundreds though. Like I said, we're a small division. The majority of us are so actively involved in the war, only a few of us still get to do what we're doing now. You see, Eden is more of a battleground than a middle ground. And what lies at stake is the future of everybody's soul.

"People tend to think of Heaven and the afterlife as a peaceful place, where everybody lives in perfect harmony. But the fact is the afterlife isn't anything like that. It isn't all harps and hymns. No. It's a never-ending war."

"What kind of war?" Daniel wondered who or what would be waging wars in the afterlife.

"Why, the war of all wars, Danny." Kevin's eyes were suddenly filled with passion. "The battle between good and evil. Between light and darkness. Between the forces of Heaven and the seven princes of Hell."

There was a fallen tree lying across the path before them, but the unicorns went over the obstruction effortlessly. They were deep within the forest now and Danny noticed that the path had indeed grown harder to follow. The sky appeared to be darkening as well.

"That fight," Kevin continued, "has been going on since the dawn of Creation, and would continue so long as evil still has a place in the hearts of men. That's why I joined the Guardians of Lost Souls, so I could help by playing a part in this fight against evil."

"When I get to Heaven," Daniel said, "I want to become a guardian too."

"That's wonderful. I'm sure you'll make an exceptionally great one."

Danny reveled in this thought for a moment. He tried to decide what color of unicorn he would prefer to ride, what he was going to call her, and how shiny his armor and weapons were going to be. His mind eventually returned to the remaining questions still waiting to be answered. "Tell me more about Heaven."

"What can I say," Kevin began, choosing his words carefully, "the City of Angels is basically everything I expected it to be, and a whole lot more. I can't even begin to explain the sheer scale of it. Listen to me – the streets are made of..."

The unicorns suddenly halted in their tracks. The guardians looked forward intently, and Danny wondered what was going on. He leaned to one side of Kevin, straining his eyes to see through the shadow of the trees. Only then was he able to see what was causing the obstruction. A little distance ahead stood what resembled a large, grizzled dog. Its nose was pressed against the ground as it moved across the path.

The dog didn't appear to have spotted them, but Danny guessed that it probably sensed their presence, and was now trying to sniff them out. The guardians and their unicorns remained rooted to the spot. They seemed to be waiting for something. The dog seemed to have picked up their scent, and it was now sniffing a direct line towards them. And as it drew nearer, a highly-unpleasant smell filled Daniel's nostrils. Before he could control himself, he sneezed so loudly that it echoed all about the Great Forest.

The wild dog's ears shot up immediately. It was staring directly at the guardians. Daniel watched it race towards them, cutting the distance down with each powerful stride. The guardians remained rooted to the spot, even as it came at them, its wild, animal eyes shining in the shadows. And as the dog neared another fallen tree, it leapt over it, landed on its two hind legs and broke into an all out sprint.

_This was no dog_ , Danny thought, and he was surprised that the guardians appeared unimpressed by the beast's human-like prowess. It drew back its right hand, revealing huge claws. By then it was close enough for Daniel to see that it was some sort of cross between man and beast. It stood almost as tall as Kevin, and it was about to strike when...

"Halt!" Kevin's voice thundered so loudly that it startled Amber. Clarissa was forced to hold on tight as the unicorn kicked both forelimbs in the air.

The wilderbeast halted immediately, but it refused to lower its monstrous paw. It simply stood before them, breathing heavily.

"We are Guardians of Lost Souls," Kevin said with his chest held out, "and we are looking for a lost soul."

The wilderbeast surveyed all three guardians carefully. It seemed to be deciding what to do next before it finally said, "Follow me."

The wilderbeast turned around and got down on all fours. It gave a blood-curdling howl before taking to its heels. The guardians gave the command and the unicorns took chase. The wilderbeast didn't follow the path. Instead, it cut through the forest, weaving in-between the trees with surprising grace. The unicorns were working quite hard just to keep it in their sights.

Danny wanted to ask Kevin what was going on. But he knew it wasn't the right time for questions, so he simply held on tight as Scarlet propelled them towards the blurry shape of the wilderbeast.

As the unicorns ran, Danny couldn't help but notice some movement in the shadows. They were being trailed by other wilderbeasts. But the guardians seemed to be paying no attention to them, focusing their full attention on the one that darted in front of them. They continued after the wilderbeast in this manner until they finally emerged into a huge clearing.

There were at least a hundred wilderbeasts waiting for them in the clearing, and the one they'd been following easily disappeared into their midst. The unicorns moved forward uncertainly, coaxed by the guardians, and a number of wilderbeasts parted for them to pass. They stopped at the very center of the clearing, by which time they were totally surrounded. But the guardians didn't seem to fear any imminent danger.

Several more wilderbeasts cleared a path, and from their midst emerged a ferocious looking wilderbeast. It stepped forward. "Guardians of Lost Souls, what brings you into our unfair woods?"

This was apparently the leader of the pack. He halted before the three unicorns.

"We're here for the lost soul," Kevin said.

The wilderbeast laughed, or at least that's what Daniel assumed it had intended to do, for it uttered a cackling sound unlike anything he'd ever heard before. "I think you'll have to be a lot more specific than that."

"You know what I mean. I am talking about the one you're holding prisoner."

"What makes you think we're holding anyone prisoner? Every member of this community is here of their own free will."

"Be that as it may, the one in question does not belong here, and I demand to take him into protective custody this instant."

"Hasty, aren't we? Well, the one you seek isn't amongst our ranks, at least not anymore. So I am afraid there is very little I can do for you, great guardian, _unless_ ..."

The old wilderbeast paused, but said nothing else.

"We don't have time for this," Damian said. Hyacinth carried him in circles as she paced around restlessly.

"State your terms, Cornelius," Kevin said.

Cornelius smiled, revealing a set of sharp, crooked teeth. "Well, I can't help but notice the young man you have with you there. Neither can my people. And they all know where your party's destination must lie, and have become somewhat excited by the prospect. So here's the thing: grant my people and I safe passage with you and your party, through to the Hall of Mirrors, and I promise we'll help you find the soul you seek."

"You know as well as I that I can do no such thing," Kevin replied.

"Really?" Cornelius said with mock surprise. "Tell me then, guardian, aren't you and the others responsible for the protection of all lost souls in Eden? And aren't my people and I lost enough as it is?"

"Even if we could grant you safe passage," Kevin said, "there is no longer a place for you and your people in the land of the living. Your souls would be just as lost as they are here. You'll be nothing more than ghosts."

"Those are minor details. At least we'll be back home with family and loved ones."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say." Kevin had become exasperated. "There _are_ no homes, or families, or loved ones. Not anymore."

"That isn't true," Cornelius spat. His people were soon in a state of anger.

"Well, it is," Kevin said, raising his voice so he could be heard above the uproar. "Do you have any idea how many years have elapsed since your arrivals? Everything and everyone you hold so dear are all gone. It is time to move on. You should be looking forward, not back."

"We don't need you telling us where to look," Cornelius said, turning his back on the guardians. He started to walk away.

"I'll take it you're not going to hand over the prisoner."

"No."

"Then I'm sorry," Kevin said, unsheathing his broadsword, "but you leave us with no choice."

The wilderbeast halted just before the others, but didn't turn around to face the guardians. "Do you actually think the three of you can defeat my entire colony?"

Kevin gave no answer. Damian and Clarissa readied their bows.

"Personally," Cornelius said just before disappearing into the crowd, "I'll like to see you try."

## CHAPTER FOUR

FLIGHT OF THE UNICORNS

Danny watched with horror as the wilderbeasts charged towards them from all sides. Damian and Clarissa immediately got to work with their bows, firing a number of arrows and taking down wilderbeast after wilderbeast. But the wilderbeasts proved relentless, and very soon they were upon the two guardians, making the continued use of their bows impossible.

The two guardians put away their bows and drew out swords. These proved extremely useful for slashing and stabbing at the sea of wilderbeasts all around them. Kevin, who had been slashing and stabbing ever since, seemed to be working mechanically, knocking away and keeping at bay the encroaching wilderbeasts with each powerful swing of his broadsword.

The unicorns themselves were playing their part, moving their riders out of harm's way, all the while breaking the jaws of several wilderbeasts with their powerful hind legs. Danny was simply struggling to remain on Scarlet. She'd been bucking and wheeling around so often that it almost made him sick. He watched Cornelius lunge at Damian. But the wilderbeast was struck down with his sword so fiercely that it left a huge laceration right across its chest.

The battle was a fierce one indeed, and the wilderbeasts proved to be a tenacious foe. Those who had been struck down got up to continue fighting, as though nothing had happened to them in the first place. The fighting would have gone on forever, but the guardians had started to show signs of fatigue. Kevin's blows were no longer as powerful as before, neither were Damian's or Clarissa's. They were obviously beginning to tire, but the wilderbeasts, it seemed, didn't even know the meaning of the word.

Kevin looked at his fellow guardians. They were almost enveloped by the wilderbeasts. He knew he had to do something soon, before they were completely overwhelmed. He knew they had to get out of there. So even though he detested the idea, he knew exactly what he had to do.

"Retreat!" Kevin's voice rang clear above all other sounds of battle. He dug his sword into the chest of the wilderbeast before him. There was a spray of blood as he drew out the blade.

Suddenly, and quite fiercely, Scarlet ran forward, knocking down and trampling the wilderbeasts that stood in her way. Amber and Hyacinth took chase, their riders assisting in the escape attempt by swinging their swords and knocking the wilderbeasts aside.

It was quite a feat, but the unicorns eventually broke through the gathering of wilderbeasts. They galloped out of the clearing. They blazed through the forest, going around, over and under obstacles. But when Daniel looked over his shoulder, he was horrified to find the wilderbeasts already taking chase. Every single one of them. Their eyes wild with hatred. Their teeth and claws exposed with murderous intent.

The unicorns raced as fast as they could. Amber led the pack. Hyacinth was next in line. Scarlet followed closely behind. But the wilderbeasts moved with such fluidity that, quite soon, a number of them drew level with Scarlet. One of them lunged directly at Danny, who happened to be at the very rear. But Damian had noticed the wilderbeast's advance, and had pulled back in anticipation. He swung his sword and knocked the wilderbeast into a nearby tree.

Hyacinth resumed her escape. Damian smacked the wilderbeasts that now surrounded him aside. Having gained a considerable lead, he sheathed his sword and once again opted for his trusty bow. He let a number of arrows loose, all of them managing to find their intended targets. One of them in particular struck the leg of a sizeable wilderbeast, who fell to the ground immediately, tripping over the unlucky few that were directly behind it.

The unicorns continued running. The distance between them and the wilderbeasts increased steadily until the wilderbeasts were no longer visible altogether. The unicorns pushed onward, only slowing down to a trot when the guardians were sure they had lost their pursuers.

 "That didn't go well at all," Damian said between breaths.

Kevin was breathing heavily as well. "No, it didn't,"

"Why have they stopped following us?" Danny asked.

Kevin and Damian were still busy catching their breaths, so it was Clarissa that answered. "Because we are nearing a place the wilderbeasts fear more than any other."

Looking around, Danny could easily see what she was talking about. They were now surrounded by a ghostly-white mist. The trees around them were also devoid of leaves and life altogether, exposing a dark and moonless sky. It was like riding through a graveyard.

The forest had become frightening indeed, and any wilderbeast in its right mind, no matter how nasty or mean, was very much wise to stay away.

Danny suddenly remembered the question he'd been meaning to ask earlier. "Those people..."

"...are from a time very long ago," Kevin said, reading his little brother with surprising skill. "It was a time before the Guardians of Lost Souls, when lost souls were left to find their own paths through Eden. Those brave enough would embark on The Journey, most of whom hardly ever made it past The Valley. The ones that feared for their lives more than anything else chose to remain in the Great Forest, taking shelter from the reapers and their dragons.

"But the fact was that they were never meant to remain in this forest, not since Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit. So those that chose to do so underwent a gradual transformation. They became more attuned with the wilderness, eventually losing all traces of their humanity."

"The problem with these people," Clarissa said, "is that they have trouble letting go of lives they've already lost. We've assured them, times without number, that each and every one of them has got a place waiting for them in the afterlife. But they refuse to do anything to earn that place, claiming they are _not quite ready_ , that they would like to put some things back home in order first, say their last goodbyes and stuff."

"And the irony of the whole thing," Kevin said, "is that those they are hoping to see again so badly are already waiting for them in the afterlife, wondering why they aren't there in the first place."

"So what's gonna happen now?" Danny asked.

"There's nothing we can do," Kevin said. "I mean, if they feel they are happier here than they would be in the afterlife, then so be it."

"I was talking about the lost soul we came looking for, the one you say those people were holding prisoner."

"Oh, that," Kevin said. "Well, we'll just have to take care of that later. For now, our sole priority and obligation rests on getting you safely to the Hall of Mirrors."

They had just emerged out of the forest when the unicorns came to a halt, refusing to go any further.

"Why have we stopped?" Danny asked, as he watched both Damian and Clarissa dismount.

"This is as far as our steeds can take us," Kevin said, helping Danny off Scarlet and onto the ground. "The Lost Paradise, like everything in it, is broken from its very core into equal parts light and darkness. Light represents everything that is inherently good. Darkness represents that which has through corruption become evil. Creatures of light, like our steeds here, don't thrive well in regions of darkness, just as creatures of darkness, some of whom we are about to encounter, wouldn't thrive well in light."

Kevin patted Scarlet at the side of the neck after dismounting, trying to soothe her. She was pacing restlessly, and her breathing, like that of the other two unicorns, had become uneven. "The very air in this place is difficult for them to breathe. The only thing we can do now is send them back and make the rest of our journey on foot."

Damian walked into the mist before them, disappearing completely after a few short steps. Hyacinth became more restless at the sight of her rider vanishing like that, so Clarissa, who had been tending to Amber, went over to mollify her as well.

"Where is he going?" Danny asked.

"To check on the road ahead," Kevin said.

"Are we almost there? I mean, do we still have much longer to go?"

"Yes and no. But be rest assured, for we'll make haste as time is of essence. Like I mentioned before, a lost soul is only meant to remain in this world for as long as is required to make this journey. We wouldn't want you turning into no wilderbeast now, would we?"

Damian reappeared from the mist at that juncture, beaming.

"Well...?" Clarissa said, looking just as relieved as Hyacinth.

"It's all downhill from here ladies and gentlemen," Damian said. "Literally."

"I guess this is where we say goodbye for now," Kevin said to Scarlet.

The unicorn bobbed its head in affirmation, and it spun around to face the forest once again.

"Godspeed," Kevin said with a quick movement of his hand.

Scarlet galloped a short distance before kicking off the ground. Damian and Clarissa gave similar hand gestures which sent Hyacinth and Amber taking chase. The three unicorns flew towards the night sky then over the trees of the forest.

"Where are they going?" Danny asked as they all watched the unicorns soar over the trees.

"They are returning to Shiloh's Keep," Clarissa answered. "There they would faithfully await our return."

" _Shiloh's Keep_?" Danny repeated.

"That's just a fancy name for our stronghold. It's located above the great waterfall, at the very top of Mount Shiloh."

"Oh."

"And that's a hell of a fancier place to be located than The Black Lake, if you ask me."

Danny frowned, struggling to keep track of all the strange names and places. "The Black Lake?"

Damian burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I know," Clarissa said, laughing as well, "but those reapers have got such bad tastes either way you choose to look at it. What, with the dragons and all!"

They continued to watch the unicorns until all three had been swallowed up by the night. Damian was the first to insist that the party press onward. He stepped forward once again, disappearing into the mist, only this time he was closely followed by Clarissa.

"It's time to go, Danny," Kevin said, staring straight ahead with resolution. "But before we proceed, I feel I need to warn you. This is where your journey truly begins. You are about to encounter forces so evil, they make Derek and his dragon look like a bad circus act. Know this though, that no matter what may stand in your way, or however fearful you may become, you will always have someone watching over you, guiding and protecting you."

Kevin sighed deeply, and for the first time since he began his pep talk, made eye contact with Danny. "You can do this little brother. I know you can. I have faith in you."

And together, the two brothers disappeared into the ghostly-white mist.

## CHAPTER FIVE

DEATH SHADOWS

It was the most daunting prospect Danny had ever had to face. He had just emerged through the mist with Kevin, where they found Damian and Clarissa already waiting. They were standing at the feet of two mountains. The road between them sloped downwards into pitch-black darkness.

"What's down there?" Danny asked warily.

"The Valley," Kevin replied.

"Of the Shadow," Clarissa added.

"Of Death," Damian completed.

There was a flash of lightning in the clouds ahead, followed by the deep rumble of thunder.

"No way," Danny said. "And we absolutely have to go through there?"

"I am afraid there is no other way," Kevin said solemnly. From the look upon his face, Danny could tell that he was indeed telling the truth. He took the first few steps forward, and Danny followed him uncertainly. They hadn't walked very far when a pair of bright lights were ignited right behind them. Danny wheeled around and found that both Damian and Clarissa now wielded torches.

Damian stepped forward with his torch and said to Kevin, "Those clouds look like they are about to break any moment from now. I would advise we are at the other end of the valley by the time they do."

"Lead the way," Kevin said.

And with that, they began the descent into the shadow. Damian led the party, Danny stuck close to Kevin's side, and Clarissa covered the rear. The road was hardly what one would call easy to navigate, but they managed to walk it without slipping or falling. The further they descended into the shadow, the more difficult it became to see; until all that could be seen was right there in the ring of light produced by the two torches.

The descent didn't last very long, but by the time they met with level ground, Danny was almost out of breath.

"Can we rest for a bit?" Danny asked between breaths, trying to keep up with Kevin.

"Now is not the time for setting up camp," Damian said. "Neither is this the place. Besides, your inability to breathe properly has nothing to do with physical exertion. It's just the way the air is down here. So the less time we spend here the better."

"Don't worry," Clarissa said, "you'll eventually get used to breathing this air."

"Let's just hope he doesn't get too used to it, if you know what I mean."

Danny didn't know what he meant, but he also knew that he was probably better off not knowing, which was why he did not ask for any clarifications.

The party pressed onward in relative silence after that, each member apparently caught up in his or her own thoughts. Danny couldn't help but try and peer into the darkness all around them. But he found that no matter how hard he tried, all he could make out was varying shades of black. Still, he could have sworn that he sensed movement. He also caught the guardians stealing similar glances from time to time, as though they could sense it too.

True to Clarissa's words, Daniel found that he no longer had trouble breathing. He was now taking smooth, even breaths. This was more than could be said about the ragged breaths he'd been hearing since they set foot in the valley. He initially thought it was one of the guardians. But upon closer inspection, he found that the guardians were all breathing quite normally.

The breaths sounded so distant and yet so close. It sounded so unreal that Danny doubted it even existed. Maybe it was all in his head. But he knew it wasn't for it ceased the second Kevin opened his mouth to speak.

"What's on your mind, little brother?" Kevin asked, looking down at Danny with concern.

"What?" Danny said, startled. "Nothing."

"You were being so quiet that for a moment there I thought you were no longer by my side."

"I didn't think this was the right time for questions."

Kevin nodded. "I guess it isn't."

The silence resumed and with it the ragged breaths. Only this time, they sounded more distinct and less abstract. They seemed to have been greatly magnified yet their source remained completely untraceable. It was as though they were coming from everywhere at the same time. It was almost deafening, and Danny considered putting both hands to his ears, just to try and block it out, when everything was suddenly drowned out by the loud crackle of lightning.

For a split second, the entire valley was illuminated. And it was only then that Danny was able to see, quite clearly, the hellish creatures that lurked all around them.

Daniel stifled a scream with his hand, just as everything beyond the range of the torches was plunged back into darkness.

Kevin noticed the fear on his brother's face and said, "We're here to protect you."

"I-I know," Danny eventually managed to say. "What were those things?"

Danny had counted about a dozen, even though he knew the creatures probably numbered far more than that. They'd appeared quite human, though dark and featureless, but their movements were more animal-like than anything else.

"Death Shadows," Kevin said. "That's what we call them. We don't know what they truly are, only that they feed off the souls of the living, consuming them until one cannot be told from the other."

"Why aren't they attacking us?" Danny asked, peering into the darkness.

"That's because we have in our possession the one thing they fear in the whole world."

"What's that?"

"Fire's light," Damian said, raising his torch into the air so that it illuminated a greater area. And as he did, Danny glimpsed a number of the death shadows retreat into the darkness beyond the light. He immediately understood why the creatures were so named.

"So as long as our torches stay lit," Clarissa said, "you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried," Danny lied.

A series of lightning flashes illuminated the valley long enough for Danny to see that the death shadows did number far more than he'd counted, or could possibly count for that matter. They were all over the place; trailing them from behind, to their left and to their right, and right there before them, clearing a path as the torches' light threatened to expose them.

Danny was struggling hard to appear dauntless and Kevin noticed this and decided to ease the tension with some small talk. "So you guys moved to Canada, huh."

"Uh huh," Danny uttered in an unforced monotone.

"Tell me all about it."

"What's there to tell? The place sucks more than a newborn baby."

"It can't be that bad..."

"Trust me, it's a lot worse."

"I'll take it you aint a big fan of the snow," Clarissa said.

Daniel turned to face her. "Nope."

"But you get to have snow days, and snow fights, and snow men." Clarissa appeared to consider her own words, her eyes wide with youthful wonder.

"Likewise frostbite and a certain thing called _hypothermia_. Look, can we talk about something else? This isn't helping."

"What would you rather talk about?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know. Anything. Just not what we're talking about now."

"Girlfriends perhaps?" Kevin said, nudging Daniel in the arm with an elbow.

"That too," Danny added quickly. "On second thought, I'll rather we didn't talk about anything at all."

A sudden chill wind blew through the valley, causing the flames on Damian and Clarissa's torches to dance about wildly. For a heart-wrenching moment, Daniel thought that the flames would blow out with the wind. He was very much relieved when they didn't.

There was lightning, then thunder.

"Let's pick up the pace people," Damian said, marching ahead with renewed determination. The others trailed after him without complaint.

More lightning and thunder, and Daniel noticed the death shadows were becoming somewhat agitated. "What's happening?"

"They are finding it hard to adjust to our new pace," Kevin said. "They are trying to move out of our way fast enough, and at the same time trying to keep up."

"Why are we going so fast all of a sudden?" Danny asked, struggling to remain level with Kevin, who like Damian and Clarissa, had all but broken into an all-out sprint.

"Because we need to get out of this valley. _Now_."

"Why?" Daniel demanded. But he realized almost immediately that he needn't ever had asked the question, as the answer hit him quite literally. He felt it first on his arm, then on the back of his neck and face as he looked up to the sky.

It was rain, and it was coming down hard.

## CHAPTER SIX

THE VISION

"We're almost there." Damian had to shout the words over his shoulder. "Just a little distance more and we'll have these fiends lagging behind us where they belong."

They were running as fast as they could. Damian led the pack, his torch struggling to stay lit. Kevin pulled on Daniel's hand, forcing him to keep up. And Clarissa took chase behind them, her torch already extinguished by the pouring rain. It had been coming down like that for several minutes now, and the ground upon which they ran was fast turning into mud. But they raced on regardless, trying their best not to slip and fall.

Daniel was almost drenched to the bone, and he found it rather miraculous that Damian's torch still managed to stay ignited despite the rain. They all stuck close together as they ran, in a bid to remain under the protective light of the remaining torch.

The death shadows trailed them like predators hunting their prey. Danny noticed that much between flashes of lightning, which were now frequent and more devastating than before as thunder roared almost instantaneously. He was also able to see, that true to Damian's words, they had almost broken through the death shadows. They were making it past the last of them when another chill wind swept through the valley.

Danny watched helplessly as the flame on Damian's torch danced out of existence. He stopped running, suddenly overwhelmed by the complete darkness that had just swallowed them. That brief moment of inactivity was interrupted by the sound of blades being unsheathed. There was a spine-tingling scream, and Danny saw a light shine as Kevin cut a death shadow in two. It had leapt at them in the dark.

The two halves of the death shadow disappeared with the light long before the creature hit the ground. Similar screams and lights were heard and seen as Damian and Clarissa swung their blades. Lightning made contact with some rocks directly over their heads, and Danny saw that Kevin's face was distorted with fear as he said, "Run!"

Daniel backed away as the three guardians held back the advancing death shadows, slaying a number of them in a radiant display of lights. One of the death shadows broke past the guardians and leapt towards him. He braced himself for the collision but was instead bathed with light as the creature vanished with a resounding scream. Clarissa lowered her bow and said, "Go!"

Only then was Daniel able to find his legs, slipping in the mud a number of times as he ran. He put both arms before his face, in a bid to prevent a head-on collision with something unpleasant. He also avoided looking over his shoulders, even though he feared that he might have been followed. The shrieks of the slain death shadows grew fainter the further he ran, eventually drowned out by the storm. But he continued running for as long as his legs would carry him, after which he fell to his hands and knees.

Danny took deep breaths as the rain hammered around him. He remained like that for a long time, his arms and legs shaking from fear and exertion. But when the seconds had rolled into minutes, and the minutes into more minutes, he started to wonder if something bad had happened to the guardians. He got onto his feet on wobbly legs, squinting into the darkness. _If only I had a light_ , he thought. And just then he remembered the crystal ball.

A subtle, white glow hit Danny's face the moment the crystal ball was in his palm. The ball grew progressively brighter until it seemed to light the entire valley. Daniel marveled at his own resourcefulness, but was startled when he heard a sound. He focused the light of the crystal ball in its direction, but before he could properly register who or what he was looking at, the crystal ball had implanted a vision of the future into his mind.

They had reached the end of their journey.

The reaper's sword was plunged straight through Kevin's torso. Its tip was bloody as it erupted through his back. The reaper waited several agonizing seconds before finally pulling it out. Kevin staggered backwards, blinded by pain. Daniel watched helplessly as his brother slipped through the space between two pillars, falling out of sight.

The crystal ball rolled off Daniel's fingers, falling into the mud. He was once again plunged into complete darkness. He heard the telltale breaths of a nearby death shadow. He was about wheeling around to face it when a voice directly ahead of him said, "Get down!" He dropped to the mud as a brilliant light shot out of an outstretched hand, missing Danny's head by a small margin and engulfing the death shadow which had been poised for attack.

Daniel looked up at the figure of the person who had just saved his life. He got onto his feet tentatively and noticed that the person stood no taller than himself.

"Who are you?" Danny asked.

The person hesitated, as though contemplating whether or not to speak. Then quite suddenly, he turned around and started to run.

"Wait!" Daniel pleaded. But the person was already gone. Daniel was about to go after him when he heard footsteps. He turned around and spotted two more figures. It was Damian and Clarissa.

"Let's go," Damian announced the moment they drew level.

"Where's Kevin?" Danny demanded.

"He'll catch up with us later," Clarissa said. "We've got to keep moving till he does."

"I don't believe you," Danny said. The revelation the crystal ball had left him with was still too fresh to ignore. "Did something happen to him?"

"Your brother is fine. He'll be along any moment from now. But we've got to..."

"You're lying. I'm not going anywhere without Kevin."

"Look," Damian began sternly, "we don't have time for this. In case you haven't noticed, we are in grave danger here. The longer we remain in this place the less likely it is we would be getting out. Those demons would feed upon your soul until there is nothing left, until you're nothing more than a hollow shell; then they'd pour their evil inside you, and you'll become one of them. Your brother is risking his very life for you, struggling to hold them back as we speak. So the least you can do is play your part and stop being so stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn."

"Well, you are!" Damian took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't mean to be so hard on you. It's just that I need you to understand the danger we're in."

"Damian is right," Clarissa said. "Your wellbeing is our sole responsibility as guardians, and we would sooner lay our lives down before a reaper than let anything harm you."

 "I'm sorry for calling you a liar," Daniel said.

"It's alright. Besides, I was never one to hold a grudge. Let's just keep moving, okay?"

"Okay."

The party continued that stage of their journey through the valley, with nothing but flashes of lightning to light the way. It was a short while before they finally reached the end of the valley, by which time the rain was down to a drizzle. They ascended the rocky slope before them, leaving the shadow behind the higher they rose.

They emerged onto an open range. Scattered around that range, their wings wrapped around their bodies for warmth, was a large gathering of dragons. Danny halted immediately, gazing wide-mouthed at the dragons, most of whom seemed almost oblivious to their sudden appearance. He was surprised to see Damian pressing onward, which was why he started to pull on Clarissa's hand for reassurance.

"It's alright," Clarissa said, leading Daniel towards Damian, who was already standing amidst a number of the dragons. "These are wild dragons."

Danny uttered a nervous laugh. "And your point is?"

"They are nothing like the ones ridden by the reapers. Those ones are driven by the rage in the hearts of their riders. These dragons on the other hand are quite neutral, and would remain so, provided we don't provoke them in anyway."

Damian waited for Clarissa and Daniel to catch up before moving on. As they walked, Danny watched the dragons closely. The knowledge that a fiery-breath from any one of them was more than enough to put an end to their journey didn't help matters at all. But the longer he observed them, the more he started to note for himself that they didn't seem threatened by their intrusion. He couldn't help but feel a certain level of admiration following that realization. This was especially true after a very young dragon seemed to develop a keen interest in him, trailing him as they walked.

"This is a breeding ground," Clarissa said, seeing that Danny also took interest in the youngling. The youngling stood almost as tall as Danny's shoulders, though it was considerably smaller than the adults in the group. "It is from here that the reapers collect some of their dragons, when they are still as young as your friend there. The young ones are easier to mold to their evil ways."

The youngling drew level with Danny. It had started to nudge his arm with its snout when its mother called for it. It scurried towards her in obedience. Danny watched it until it disappeared amidst the horde. Damian beckoned for them to move on.

Danny felt a strange sense of security. "Those reapers must be very mean if they are able to mold these dragons into..."

"Instruments of violence?" Clarissa suggested.

"Yes, or something like that."

"You haven't the faintest idea," Damian said with a measured degree of iciness.

Danny looked at Damian for answers, but it was Clarissa who said, "Damian has blood ties to the reaper assigned to prevent your passage through Eden. He knows precisely what a reaper is capable of."

"His name is Derek," Damian finally managed to say. "And he is my father. Or at least he used to be. He is the meanest of the lot."

Danny didn't know what to say to the revelation, and Damian gave a dry chuckle before adding, "But just look at these dragons here. These are creatures that seem by very design to have been created with one purpose in mind. Destruction. Even they can learn to overcome this primal instinct and coexist in groups such as this one. This just goes to prove that nothing is beyond redemption."

"Damian believes his father can still be redeemed," Clarissa said.

"Yes. But the only way a reaper can be redeemed is if he is bested in battle. That is the only way to break the hold of the evil within."

Danny considered telling the two guardians about the vision he'd received at that point, but decided otherwise. Instead, he said, "Shouldn't Kevin be here by now?"

"Indeed, he should," Clarissa confessed. "But I'm sure he'll catch up eventually. He is quite capable, your brother. One of the best guardians there is."

 "Really?" Daniel couldn't believe it. He found it hard reconciling this heroic version of Kevin with the one he'd grown up with.

"You betcha. There aint a single reaper in his right mind who could possibly best him in battle. Not even Derek. No offense, Damian."

"None taken," Damian said.

Danny felt strangely at ease following that revelation, and the party went on without much doubt or hesitation after that.

He said farewell to the dragons when they'd finally made it past the gathering. They approached a depression and when they drew close enough, he saw that it sloped down onto a sandy shoreline. Staring ahead into the horizon, he saw what looked like a massive stone pillar. It seemed to rise out from the depths of the sea, all the way to the night sky above.

"What is that?" Danny asked.

"Our destination," Damian said with a sigh.

Danny surveyed the shore, noticing a marked absence of boats. "Then how are we supposed to get there?"

"Ever walked on water before?" Clarissa asked.

"No," Danny confessed. "Never tried it though. Thought it was a Jesus thing."

Clarissa put an arm around his shoulders. "Well, I guess there is a first time for everything."

## CHAPTER SEVEN

STILL WATERS

The rain-soaked sand was soft beneath their feet, and Danny noticed they left footprints as they made their way towards the sea. He also noticed something unnatural about the water itself. It was impossibly calm. In fact, when he drew close enough, he saw that the rain, which was still coming down at a drizzle, didn't even cause any ripples on its surface.

"Don't tell me you're serious," Danny said when they halted before its vast expanse.

"It's quite simple, really," Clarissa said, taking a step forward. "You just cast out all fears and doubts from your mind. Then you will the water to hold your weight."

Clarissa took a few more steps and Danny's jaw dropped. She was actually walking on water.

"No way." Daniel's brain refused to accept what his eyes presented as fact. "This is impossible. You shouldn't be able to do that."

"Nothing is impossible," Damian said, also stepping onto the water's surface, "given the right amount of faith."

Danny looked at the two guardians, then at the surface of the sea upon which they were standing. "I don't know if I can do this."

"There's only one way to find out."

"Just remember what I told you," Clarissa said. "Cast out all fears, and will the water to hold."

Danny took a deep breath, trying as hard as he could to quell his fears and doubt. With his eyes closed in concentration, he lifted one foot off the sand. He was immediately startled to find that the water held quite firm under the tentative foot. With his eyes still closed in concentration, he lifted the second foot off the sand, bringing it down beside the first. Only then did he open his eyes, looking down to find that he was now standing on water.

"There you go," Clarissa said. "Now come forward."

Danny felt a rush of exhilaration over his accomplishment. He'd started walking towards the guardians, and was about taking his fifth step, when he lost his footing.

"You must never break your concentration," Damian said.

The water was cold and Danny felt a chill working its way up his submerged foot. Clarissa gave him a hand and he was able to get the foot out of water.

"You must be aware of both feet at all times," Clarissa said. "Don't lose your hold on the water beneath either one."

"Got it." Danny took a few steps so that the guardians could see for themselves.

"Good," Damian said. "Now let's get going. We've got several leagues left to cover."

Danny had never felt so tense, not since the day he'd learnt to ride a bike. He felt like they were walking upon a thin layer of ice, with the knowledge that one misplaced step could send him underwater in the fraction of a second. The party proceeded in silence, in a bid to raise their concentration. They eventually walked so far out that the shoreline was lost to their naked eyes. The tower still appeared quite distant, even though Danny could now see that it stood upon the land beyond the opposite shore.

The storm clouds had finally wept their last, giving way to the radiance of the moon. This was how Danny could finally notice the dark shape moving just below the surface of the water, directly underneath their feet. The guardians seemed to have noticed it as well and they both halted. Danny watched the water before them start to bubble. He tried hard not to break his concentration as something rose from the depths.

The first thing out of the water was a head that stood as tall as Damian. Then came shoulders broad enough to accommodate several men. Massive arms were folded across an equally massive chest. And finally, a stomach harder than rocks rose above the surface, blocking their way.

"I am Nahl, Keeper of the Still Waters. Why, pray tell, do you trespass like so?"

The keeper towered before them. His deep-set eyes were fixed on Danny.

Damian cleared his throat before speaking. "My name is Damian. I am a guardian."

"I know what you are," the keeper spat. "What I need to know is your mission?"

"We seek the Tower of Eden," Clarissa said.

"That is hardly a befitting excuse for your party's sacrilege?"

Damian said, "Yes. But we are merely trying to save some time..."

"By defiling the Still Waters which I and my people held so sacred. Is that it?"

"No. It's nothing like that. It's just that we need to get to the Hall of Mirrors before..."

"The Hall of Mirrors?" the keeper interjected, his eyes widening with renewed interest. He appeared to be mulling the very words over in his head, or perhaps weighing his options. It was a short while before he eventually said, "Right. I'll have you lot go ahead with your business, but protocol requires that the boy be tested first."

"Can't protocol be bypassed?" Damian said. "Just this once?"

"Would you rather I end his life here and now?"

Damian shook his head in resignation.

"Then what is all this talk about bypassing protocol? The boy must be tested, just as all Walkers of the Still Waters before him were tested. That is protocol."

"What is he talking about?" Danny asked. Clarissa bent down before him and said, "He wishes to test you. Before he lets us go."

"Test?" Danny said. "What kind of test?"

"Don't worry. Just remember everything I told you."

"Now step forward, young master," the keeper said, "so that I may better see you with this failing eyes."

Daniel took a few short steps toward the giant, who stretched nearly a hundred feet from head to waist alone.

"What is your name, boy?" the keeper asked.

Danny swallowed. "My name is Danny. I mean, Daniel. Daniel Graham."

The keeper's deep-set eyes didn't betray any emotion. "Alright, Master Graham, I am only going to ask you one question, so I need you to listen carefully, for I am not one who takes pride in repeating his every word. Are you ready?"

"Yes. I guess so."

The keeper smiled in a sinister way. "How long do you think you can hold your breath for, Master Graham?"

"I... I don't understand," Danny said. But in that moment of pure confusion, he lost his hold on the water beneath his feet.

He sank faster than he could do anything about it. He was barely able to take in a mouthful of air before he was completely submerged. As he continued to sink, he saw for the first time the keeper's massive fishtail, right where his legs should have been. It was almost as large as the bottom half of a blue whale. Danny was busy staring at the giant's tailfin when he finally tore his gaze from the spectacle. He began the arduous task of swimming back to the surface.

He felt like he was swimming through Jell-O, or something just as viscid. It took way more effort than it should have, but he eventually reached the surface, only to have his head smack right into it. He thrust his fist upward and watched it slam into an invisible wall. A wave of panic started to well up inside him. He knew he couldn't possibly hold his breath much longer.

He could see both Damian and Clarissa from where he trashed about. He wondered why neither one of them made an effort to save him. But he remembered that this was some sort of test, one meant for him alone. So he resolved that he alone would have to get himself out of the fix. He tried to remember everything Clarissa had told him, about willing the water to hold.

Willing the water to hold didn't seem to make any sense, considering the fact that he was now submerged underneath it. What he truly wanted was the exact opposite, for the water to become quite loose. He focused his thoughts on just that, willing the wall of water above him to come undone. He thrust his fist upward and once again it came upon an invisible wall. It wasn't working. He knew this was because he was forgetting something else. But he also knew he was now mere moments away from drowning.

_Wait!_ Daniel thought. _Clarissa also said something about casting out all fears. And Damian spoke of faith._

Danny cleared his mind of all fears. This was a feat in itself, considering the fact that he was starting to see spots. He channeled all the faith he could muster and gave it another shot, propelling his whole body upward in a final attempt to escape the enclosure. The surface broke and he emerged, head first, gasping for air as the guardians rushed to his aid.

The keeper unfolded his arms, beaming as he gave a thunderous round of applause. "Impressive. Truly impressive. I don't believe I'd ever seen a prospective walker hold his breath that long. You have indeed set a new record."

"How long was I under?" Danny asked between breaths.

Damian considered the question at length. "Five minutes. At least."

"You have proven yourself more than worthy," the keeper said. "You may therefore, from henceforth, bend its currents to your will without any resistance, should you choose to do so."

Danny didn't know what to say or think of such an honor. "Thanks. I guess."

"You may proceed to the tower with my blessing. In fact, I'll take you all there myself." The keeper lowered his body until only his head and shoulders remained above water. "Come on, hop onto my shoulder and let me give you a ride."

Danny and the guardians hesitated. The keeper noticed their uncertainty and added, "Do you lot want to get to the Hall of Mirrors or what?"

Danny was the first to step forward, followed closely by the guardians. They helped each other onto the keeper's enormous shoulder, and were properly upon it, when he sprang into motion, stretching vertically as he swam. His huge arms cut through the water in alternating strokes as his enormous tailfin propelled them towards their destination.

## CHAPTER EIGHT

PILLARS OF LIGHT

The keeper made landfall and Danny, Damian and Clarissa hopped off his enormous shoulder, onto the cliff that lined the shoreline.

"There you go," the keeper said, his deep voice reverberating against the cliff.

"Thank you, Nahl, Keeper of the Still Waters," Clarissa said. "We are forever indebted to you."

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways though." The keeper pushed away from the cliff. "The memory of the day my people fell prevents me from taking you any further. Good luck in the Hall of Mirrors. I pray your journey ends well."

"Goodbye," Danny said as the keeper disappeared beneath the moonlit sea. They ascended the cliff thereafter. The rocks were still wet and slippery from the rain. At the top, they stood before a city lying in ruins, and at its very center stood the remains of a magnificent tower.

The tower stretched higher than anything Danny had ever seen, its summit lost somewhere beyond the clouds. "Wow. This is incredible."

"Indeed, it is," Damian said, leading the way down a cobblestoned street and towards the tower. "This was built a long time ago, by an ancient civilization that thrived long before Adam and Eve. We know very little about them, only that they were masters of magic, and that they were at the pinnacle of their existence when their city was destroyed by a rain of fire and brimstone."

"Were there any survivors?" Danny asked.

"There were a few. You just bade farewell to one of them."

"Nahl? Really?"

"He is the last of his kind," Clarissa said. She was about to say more when her voice trailed away. Her hand was suddenly upon the hilt of her sword.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

Damian put a hand to his lips, gesturing for silence. They listened intently and heard the unmistakable sound of movement, a series of clinks against the cobblestones. They wheeled around and Danny felt his skin crawl as his eyes focused on the creature creeping towards them. It was a scorpion, and it was almost as large as a minivan.

The scorpion's exoskeleton glinted under the moonlight. Its four pairs of legs clinked against the cobblestone as it crept forward. Its pincers snapped menacingly. Danny wanted to run but found that his entire body was immobilized by fear. Clarissa took aim with her bow, letting an arrow fly. The arrow did nothing but anger it.

The scorpion charged towards them, its dull sets of eyes concealing all emotion. They ran down the cobblestoned streets, between the remnants of old buildings and towards the magnificent tower. At the foot of the tower was a temple with a glass ceiling. They ascended its steps and went through its double doors, sealing them just as the scorpion came, snapping its pincers.

They'd emerged into a cavernous hall, the glass ceiling hanging high above their heads. The glass was covered in grime, but the ceiling was broken in several places. Beams of moonlight flooded into the hall through these holes. And clustered around these pillars of light were more giant scorpions, and a number of snakes with bodies as thick as tree trunks, and fangs the size of elephant tusks.

Daniel was about to scream at the top of his lungs, but Clarissa placed a firm hand upon his shoulder. Damian pointed to both his eyes with two fingers, then towards the giant snakes and scorpions. It was only then that Danny noticed how still the creatures were, making them look as though they were carved out of stone.

" _They're sleeping."_

Clarissa mouthed the words as Damian surveyed the hall. When he saw that the coast was clear, he motioned for them to move and led the way further into the hall.

There were seven groups of serpents and scorpions in all. Each was clustered around the seven pillars of moonlight. This was in turn created by the seven most prominent holes in the glass ceiling. Each group consisted of roughly four scorpions and a snake, though Danny could see a few more scorpions clinging onto the stone walls, equally frozen in sleep.

Danny and the guardians made it past all seven groups. They were making their way towards the other side of the hall, where a dais stood. A door stood at the back of the dais, giving access to the tower. They were halfway through the hall when they heard a quick succession of clinks upon the roof. Then came the unmistakable sound of glass giving way, shards of it raining down upon them as they fanned out.

The scorpion hit the ground with a thump. It stood under the light of the moon. As it got its bearings in preparation for attack, Danny suddenly realized its role in the group. It was the one chosen to keep watch whilst the others slept, protecting their sanctuary from would-be attackers. And judging by the way its pincers snapped at them, Danny could see that the scorpion regarded them as just that, would-be attackers.

Damian and Clarissa drew their swords out. Danny backed off in anticipation of the carnage about to ensue. The scorpion charged towards Clarissa, who rolled out of its way just in time to avoid the pincer poised to take off her head. Damian struck the scorpion from the side, but his blade failed to penetrate its near-metallic skin. He was knocked to the floor as the scorpion turned on him, its stinger coming down hard. It missed his shoulder by mere inches, burrowing into the floor instead. And there it remained wedged.

There was a brief moment of confusion as the scorpion fought to release its tail. Damian took the opportunity to get on his feet. He'd put some distance between himself and the scorpion before it finally managed to pull its tail free. The scorpion was disorientated and infuriated at the same time. It charged towards Clarissa once again. She stood her ground this time though, bringing her shield forward just before the scorpion collided with her. It took all her strength to keep from toppling over backwards. The scorpion caught hold of her shield between its pincers, but she didn't let go, leaving her open as its stinger loomed overhead.

The scorpion's stinger was already poised to strike when Damian threw himself around its tail. It let go of Clarissa's shield, wheeling round and round in further confusion. It spun so fast that his feet dangled freely in the air. He lost his hold and was tossed several meters away, hitting the floor and rolling several times before finally coming to a halt. He'd let go of his sword and it now lay a good distance away from his reach. The scorpion charged towards him, but Clarissa stepped directly into its path, cutting it off.

The scorpion halted as Clarissa leapt towards it, landing squarely upon its back. She tried stabbing it with her sword but the blade barely scratched the surface of its skin before bouncing off with a sharp clang. With her shield raised, she parried the scorpion's stinger which struck down repeatedly. The scorpion was clearly in a blind rage, and a cunning idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

Timing the scorpion's stinger just right, she leapt off the scorpion's back just as it came at her. The stinger penetrated the scorpion's skin quite easily, releasing its poison into its very own blood stream.

The scorpion rose up before falling onto its back with a resounding thud. It landed upon Damian's sword as its eight monstrous legs stabbed into the air erratically. It writhed like that for a short while, Danny, Damian and Clarissa coming together to watch as it slowly succumbed to the poison within. And as the creature died, a strong smell drifted from its carcass, carried by the winds until it filled the four corners of the hall. Unknown to Danny, this smell carried a coded message he could never detect with his nostrils.

The dead scorpion's pheromones reached the remaining serpents and scorpions, alerting them, telling them it was time to wake from their slumber.

The serpents were the first to stir, waking into a state of agitation. The hall was soon filled with the noise of their hisses. The scorpions followed suit, those perched on the walls climbing down to investigate. The creatures moved with indecision, acting like they could tell that something was wrong, but couldn't quite pinpoint what that something was. Danny watched them band together, noticing the way the snakes swung their massive heads from side to side, as though systematically scanning for something they couldn't see. It never dawned on him that they were completely blind.

Danny and the guardians remained where they were standing, watching closely the ritual being performed by the serpents and scorpions. The snakes continued hissing, their forked tongues darting in and out of their mouths. Danny pulled on Clarissa's hand, but she ignored him, choosing instead to keep her eyes on the swaying heads of the giant snakes. Even though the snakes were blind, they were still able to detect movement. This was why the guardians were forced to stand quite still. They knew that the slightest movement could give them away. They knew they were completely and helplessly trapped.

A resounding crash echoed through the hall as yet another hole was created in the glass ceiling. Danny and the guardians looked up to find a dark shape emerging through the breaking glass, huge bat-like wings flapping as it hovered high above. It didn't take Danny very long to realize it was a dragon, and it took him even less time to realize it was being ridden. The dragon shot towards them, its wings stretching out as it glided, nostrils flaring in preparation for attack. Damian brought his bow forward, taking aim, but Clarissa knocked it off course just as he let an arrow fly. The arrow missed the dragon rider's ear by a small margin.

"What do you think you're doing?" Damian demanded as the dragon drew closer.

"Look," Clarissa said in defiance, pointing at the dragon and its rider.

The dragon rained down fire, and Danny shielded his eyes as a number of serpents and scorpions were engulfed by flames. They writhed and trashed about as they burnt. The others scattered, failing to see or understand the source of the sudden, death-inducing inferno. The dragon landed before Danny and the guardians, lowering its back as its rider dismounted.

"Kevin!" Danny watched his older brother climb down the dragon's neck. He ran to him immediately, throwing his arms around him the moment his feet touched the floor.

"Hey, Danman," Kevin said, ruffling his little brother's hair.

"I never thought I would see the day," Damian said, looking from Kevin to the dragon and back again. "I mean, I nearly took your bloody eye out. I thought you were my father."

Clarissa laughed. "I take back everything I said about reapers having bad tastes."

Kevin smiled, patting the dragon's side as he did. "How the tides have turned, for I am now the one who must be apologizing for his late arrival."

Clarissa made a gesture of dismissal, chuckling. "Please. You got here just in time."

## CHAPTER NINE

THE MAGNIFICENT TOWER

Damian walked over to the carcass of the scorpion guard, shoving it until it no longer lay upon his sword. "You brothers go up ahead. Clarissa and I can handle things down here."

"Are you sure?" Kevin asked, eyeing the remaining serpents and scorpions. They were busy bumping into walls and one another in blind panic.

"Sure thing," Clarissa said, tightening her fingers around the hilt of her sword. Damian retrieved his, holding its blade over a nearby flame until it glowed red with heat. Clarissa did the same. Together, they charged towards the serpents and scorpions, ready to cut through anything.

Kevin and Danny proceeded to the end of the hall. They stepped onto the dais and walked towards the exit. Outside, the magnificent tower stood before them. A set of spiral steps wound its way around it, like a serpent looping around a pole. It was clear that those steps hadn't been built with humans in mind, since each one stood almost three feet tall. Lining them were rails the size of pillars.

"So close but yet so far," Kevin said as they looked at the tower. The building had seen its fair share of damage through the ages. Its stone walls were cracked and broken in places. Still, it looked like it was strong enough to stay standing until the end of time. "We've got a long climb ahead of us. It is best we stay focused during that climb by keeping to our thoughts, and keeping those thoughts to ourselves."

Danny nodded, even though he felt a mild trepidation at the thought of having to climb something that went that high.

Kevin sighed. "I know you probably have questions you want answered. I guarantee you'll have your answers as soon as we get to the top."

And without further hesitation, Kevin began the climb, scaling the first step.

Danny followed him, also managing to scale the step after using both hands and feet. They continued like that and he kept a mental tally of the steps they'd ascended, in a bid to pass the time. He counted the first fifty, then hundred, and by the time he got to five hundred, his arms and legs were beginning to feel the strain. Peering through the pillar-sized rails, he could barely make out the roofs of the city's many buildings. But they still had a remarkably long way to go, so Danny gave up counting.

They continued climbing, each step taking them around the tower, and higher still. They eventually climbed so high that he could see the entire land of Eden. The sun was just starting to rise in the horizon, bathing everything with its red glare. He retraced with his eyes the very path that had carried them to the tower. He could see everything from the Still Waters, all the way back to the Great Fall. And he saw for the first time the place the guardians had referred to as Shiloh's Keep. It was located above the waterfall, positioned at the very peak of the lone mountain from which the river fell. It resembled a medieval castle, though it was too far away for him to see anything other than that.

He also saw another place he hadn't seen before. To the east, he saw a walled city in a land otherwise made up of hills and valleys. He couldn't even begin to imagine who or what occupied that city. Looking west, he could see nothing but the vast expanse of the Still Waters, stretching well into the horizon. Covering the distance between these two extremities were the many trees of the Great Forest.

And finally, to the north of the tower, he could see an area of barren land. This ended at the foot of a range of mountains, at which point he could just make out the outlines of a large body of water. But unlike the other rivers and lakes he could see, this one failed to shimmer. It didn't even reflect the clouds in the skies above. It simply remained a dark mark on the otherwise radiant landscape, though the same thing could be said about the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

What seemed like a lifetime passed as they continued their climb. It felt like they'd actually spent more time climbing the tower than it took to get there. They were now so high up that the land below was obscured by a haze Danny knew to be clouds. His clothes billowed as the wind whistled in his ears. He could just about make out the top of the tower. But by then, he'd once again pushed himself to the limit, his feet refusing to support his weight any longer.

Danny fell onto the step, his entire body aching from exhaustion. Kevin looked back and found him sprawled there. "We have to keep going. We're too close to give up now."

"I know," Danny managed to say. "But I can't."

Kevin fell onto the step beside him, breathing heavily as well. When he had rested enough to speak, he said, "Remember that time, when you were only five, and you wanted me to show you how to bat a baseball?"

"Maybe."

Kevin smiled. "I kept tossing you the baseball and you kept missing it with your bat, swinging wide each time. Then you did something. Do you remember what?"

"No," Danny confessed.

"You started to cry, telling me you just couldn't do it. Don't you remember any of this?"

"No. Not really."

"I told you to keep trying," Kevin continued, "and you did. You didn't hit the ball on your next swing, or the one after that. But you kept trying anyway, swinging that bat with all the determination in the world. And do you know what finally happened?"

"What?" Daniel didn't like being left in suspense.

"You struck that ball so hard that you nearly broke the kitchen window. But you didn't care, running around the lawn like a Major League batter who'd just hit a home run. You were so happy."

"How come you remember all this?" Danny asked, trying his best to mask the mild embarrassment he felt.

"Because when it's over, and every thing is said and done, these memories are all we have left." Kevin stood up and extended a hand. Danny held on to the hand, and was hoisted onto his feet.

They continued climbing.

"There is something you must know, now that we are near our journey's end."

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"You must enter into the Hall of Mirrors alone."

"Why?"

Kevin sighed. "There are some things in life you must face on your own, Danny. This is one of those things."

Danny searched for the right words to voice his disagreement, but he couldn't find any.

"The Hall of Mirrors is a nexus of gateways," Kevin said. "Some of those gateways lead to places right here in the Lost Paradise. Some lead absolutely nowhere in fact. But there is only one gateway leading all the way back to where you belong, and it is this you must find. I've never been in the Hall myself, but I sense a presence there. The same one I sensed in the Great Forest. Be careful, Danman. That is all I can say.

"Maybe this would help show you the right path to follow while you're in there." Kevin gave Daniel an orb-like object. "You kinda dropped it back in the Valley."

Daniel looked at the crystal ball, turning it over in his hand. It was a short while before he remembered the heart-wrenching revelation the crystal ball had shown him. His heart was suddenly racing in his chest. "I saw something. Just before I lost the crystal ball. It showed me a vision. It showed me..."

"What did the crystal ball show you?" Kevin said.

But Daniel didn't answer. Or perhaps he didn't need to. The answer was right there in front of them. They had finally reached the top of the tower, and were now standing upon the stairhead. The door to the Hall of Mirrors was mere meters away. But between the door and the point where they stood rooted to the spot, stood Derek, his double-edged sword held at his side.

A reddish glare hit the tower from the north as the sun rose to its peak, casting its long, dark shadow across a greater portion of the land of Eden. Kevin placed a hand on Danny's shoulder as he said, "Step aside, reaper."

"If only things were that simple," Derek said. He was cloaked in a black robe, his face nearly completely hidden by its hood. Danny could just make out the blue of his eyes as he glared at his brother. Unlike Kevin, the reaper didn't wear any armor Danny could see, and yet he stood there with confidence, as though believing he could best Kevin without any.

"Wait here," Kevin told Daniel.

"I must admit," Derek began, dropping his hood to his shoulders and revealing a hardened face, lengths of white hair and a trimmed beard, "I'm a tad disappointed. I was hoping to fight Damian instead; it's about time I teach that ungrateful lad a lesson he wouldn't forget. Guess I'll have to settle for you."

Kevin drew out his sword. "I'll say this one last time..."

"Just shut up and fight!" The reaper spat, lunging with this sword.

It was a showcase of skill versus brute force, a dazzling display of sparks floating through the air as blows were parried. Kevin was the expert swordsman, wielding his sword with fluid motions. Derek on the other hand seemed content with striking as hard as he could. Kevin saw this, and took on a defensive stance, hoping the other would tire out soon enough. But after only just making the long climb up the tower, he was the first to show signs of fatigue.

Danny's heart skipped a beat as the reapers blade went directly for Kevin's throat. The blow was parried at the very last moment, but not before knocking the guardian off balance. Derek struck again and Kevin tried to parry. But the reaper proved relentless, pushing the guardian back with his blade. Kevin held his ground and pushed back. Their weapons remained locked like that, and Danny could tell that this was a critical moment in the course of the duel. Incidentally, Kevin had come to the same conclusion.

"Head for the door, Danny," Kevin said, his face contorted from the strain of the struggle.

But Daniel was immobilized by fear, his brain reeling with confusion.

"Now!" Kevin bellowed, struggling to push back as the blades inched closer to his face.

Danny found his legs. He ran towards the door, ducking under the interlocked blades. He opened the door, and a brilliant light came flooding out from behind it, making it impossible to see what was inside. He was still contemplating whether or not to step into the light when he heard the gut-wrenching sound of blade going through flesh. All four of his limbs went into spasm as he wheeled around and found Kevin impaled against the reaper's sword.

Danny wanted to scream, but couldn't seem to find his voice. He watched wordlessly as the reaper withdrew his sword, the blade dripping red. Kevin staggered, barely able to stand, his eyes rolled back inside his head, his lips trembling. Danny wanted to run to him. He wanted to stop the red oozing out of his stomach. He wanted to save him. But he couldn't. His legs wouldn't allow him. All he could do was stand there and watch his older brother go through the rails and over the edge.

The reaper turned to face Daniel, his eyes gleaming with malice. The blade of his sword was bright red with Kevin's blood. "Step away from the light."

Danny shook uncontrollably. It was not from fear, nor from anger, but from a deep-rooted hatred building up inside him.

The reaper took one measured step forward. "I said, step away from the light."

"No!" Danny bellowed.

The reaper started to laugh, a deep, unsettling laugh that made the hairs on Daniel's arms stand on end. He was still in the middle of that laughter when he'd suddenly reached for Daniel's wrist. Danny pulled back and in the process tripped over the threshold. He fell through the bright light and landed on his back. He looked up to see if the reaper would come storming in after him, but found himself face to face with his reflection instead.

He was gazing into a mirror.

## CHAPTER TEN

THE HALL OF MIRRORS

The passage at the top of the Tower was circular, creating the illusion that it stretched on forever in both directions. Its two walls were lined with an array of door-sized mirrors, each in an ornamental gold frame. Bronze chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, their lights reflected off the floorboards. Daniel stood in the center of it all, feeling quite lilliputian and unworthy in his mud-stained clothes.

He also felt like bursting into tears.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he tried his best to keep them at bay. But he couldn't. They came pouring out and streaking down his cheeks. _If only I'd told Kevin what the crystal ball showed me. If only I'd helped him fight. Then maybe he wouldn't have fallen. Maybe he'd still be alive._ Danny's thoughts paved the way for even more tears, and he continued to cry with no intention of stopping.

He'd been crying for a very long time when he suddenly noticed the crystal ball still clutched in his hand. It was cold and very much lifeless. He slowly began rolling it between both palms, willing the ball to come to life, willing it to show him any glimpse of a future with Kevin in it. He needed to know if Kevin was going to be okay. But the crystal ball stayed lifeless, and he gave up trying, hurling it down the hall in frustration. His sorrow had turned into anger.

_Kevin is dead because of me. He died trying to protect me. It was all my fault. And yet I am here, crying like a baby, his sacrifice turning out to be in vain. No! I'm not going to let that happen. I am going to stop crying, wipe the tears away and begin looking for a way out of here. I am going to find my way home, and then I'll tell mum and dad everything. None of it would be in vain._ And with these thoughts in mind, Daniel began walking down the hall.

As he walked, he searched for anything resembling the nexus Kevin had talked about. He expected to see an intersection from which he would have to choose which path to follow. But he saw no such thing, just the one, endless passage, and a countless number of mirrors. He knew that he was probably failing to see what was right there in front of him. He decided to pay closer attention to his surroundings.

He approached one of the mirrors, his reflection mimicking his every move. Upon the bottom border of its gold frame, he discovered a nameplate. " _The Eternal Abyss_ " was written over it. Danny didn't know what to make of that, so he moved onto another mirror. This one did not have a nameplate so he continued searching until he found another that did. " _The Other Side_ " was written over it. He was starting to see a pattern, but still couldn't tell what any of it meant. It was only after discovering the words, " _The Still Waters_ ," on the nameplate of another mirror was he able to connect the dots.

The nameplates made references to actual locations, which could only mean that the mirrors themselves were the gateways. He started to search for those mirrors that had nameplates, hoping to find the one that was supposed to take him home.

Danny had already checked a great number of mirrors, when he reached one that immediately caught his attention. There was something unsettling about that particular mirror, even though he couldn't quite put his finger on what that was. It had something to do with the way his reflected movements seemed to lag behind his actual ones, even though it was only by the tiniest fraction of a second.

He bent down to check if the strange mirror had a nameplate. It didn't. He'd stood up to scrutinize the mirror further when he found his reflection glaring at him.

Daniel was frozen with horror as two hands reached out of the mirror. Next thing he knew, a number of cold fingers had wrapped around his neck, squeezing tightly. It was only then that he started to fight back. He wrenched the cold fingers off and shoved the hands back. He fell to the floor as he struggled to get away. He ran his own hand over his neck, feeling the places where the cold fingers had clawed into his skin. Then he saw his reflection start to climb out of the mirror's gold frame. Its eyes were shining. Its skin and clothes were devoid of life and color.

Danny rose to his feet and ran. He went past mirror after mirror. He looked over his shoulder and saw more doppelgangers spilling out of their frames. The doppelgangers chased after him, their footfalls failing to make a single sound. He was still watching them over his shoulder when his foot came upon the crystal ball. He tripped and fell face down. He tried getting back onto his feet but the doppelganger closest to him threw itself around his leg, sinking its teeth right through his jeans.

Danny struggled to pull the leg free, but the more he pulled, the further the teeth sank. He turned on the doppelganger, hitting it in the head repeatedly. The doppelganger refused to let go, and Danny watched helplessly as several more came upon him like a silent wave. They pinned him to the ground. He screamed as they bore down on him. He felt their teeth upon his arms, legs, back, neck, ear, and even hair. The pain was unbearable. He tried to fight them off, but they were too many. He was easily outnumbered. He closed his eyes and waited for the end to come.

That was when he felt a warmth come over him. Behind his eyelids he could see a very bright light. By the time it was gone, he was curled up in a ball on the floor. He opened his eyes slowly. It took him a while to realize the doppelgangers were all gone. It took him even longer to notice the boy standing before him.

Danny struggled onto his feet. His skin was covered in ash. It was through swollen eyes that he regarded the boy, who stood no taller than he did, wearing a red robe with the hood let down. If it wasn't for the elfin quality of the boy's face, his skin and shoulder-length hair, Danny would have thought he was looking into one of the mirrors.

"Who are you?" Danny demanded. His throat was sore from all the screaming.

"My name is Seth," the boy answered.

Danny immediately recognized the boy's voice. "It was you I saw in the valley..."

"Yes, it was."

"You saved me," Danny said. "You've saved my life twice now."

"I am just a lost soul like yourself. We lost souls have got to watch each other's backs."

There was something about this Seth that Danny immediately grew to admire – a certain familiarity which was conveyed by the manner he spoke. Danny asked, "What are you doing here? Are you trying to find a way home?"

"I've already found my home," Seth said. "I am merely here to help you."

"Find the right gateway that would take me back home?"

"No. I am here to help you save your brother, Kevin."

Danny's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his brother's name. His head started to spin. "But I saw the vision come to pass. I watched it happen. I saw the reaper..."

"Your brother is very much alive, regardless of what you saw. He now suffers torment in the realm of shadows, as do all who have tasted the full length of a reaper's blade. But you can save him."

Fresh tears rolled down Danny's cheeks. He found it hard accepting the things he was being told. His heart ached at the very thought of Kevin going through torment. "Kevin gave everything so I could make it to the Hall of Mirrors."

"Which is precisely why it now falls on you to save him," Seth said solemnly.

"But how? I am just a kid. What could I possibly do?"

Seth put a finger on one of Danny's numerous bite lacerations and the wound healed before their very eyes. "With the right balance of powers, there is no limit to what you can do."

Danny wiped the tears away on his sleeve, sniffling. "How did you do that?"

Seth smiled. "This is nothing. Nothing compared to what I can help you achieve."

"You're going to help me?"

"Not directly," Seth confessed, "for I must never risk interfering in the affairs of others. I have already made such a mistake once, in the Great Forest. I'd been planning to meet with you sooner, a foolish move that nearly offset the course of your journey with the guardians. But I can guide you on your quest to save your brother. I can show you which paths you may walk, and those you may not. I can help you attain the strength and power you need to face the roads ahead. If only you would let me."

Danny felt a fresh hope growing inside him, where there was once only hatred and despair. He also felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He now knew there was someone there to help bear his burden, the same person who'd been looking out for him since his arrival at Eden. But most importantly, he also knew that his journey was far from over. Not when Kevin's fate hung in the balance. This was why he had no problem deciding what to do next. "Where do I go from here?"

Seth led the way to a nearby mirror. He reached out and touched it and Danny was startled when the glass exploded on contact. A million tiny shards poured onto the floor around their feet. This revealed a passage in the wall, bordered by the broken mirror's gold frame, a bright light flooding out of it.

Seth looked at Danny. "Ready when you are."

"Wait," Danny said, hurrying over to where the crystal ball lay. He picked it up and regarded it for a short moment. It was cold in his palm. He wondered if it even still functioned. But then he shoved it into his pocket, hurrying back to the broken mirror. "Ready!"

The two boys stepped over the threshold and were immediately swallowed up by the bright light. And after they'd disappeared, the mirror's fragments sprang into motion. They rose off the floor and floated back into the gold frame, merging together to reform seamless glass.

The tall mirror stood anew, its nameplate glinting under the light of a nearby chandelier. Its designated destination was " _The Land of Nod_."

## Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I need to thank God for his infinite goodness. Without Him, none of this would be possible.

I also wish to thank the people who were there from the very beginning: Dimeji Taiwo, who had given me the thumbs up when _Guardians_ was nothing more than a mess of ideas; Christopher Ejealor, with whom I'd spent countless hours debating scriptures; and Mercy Ejealor, who'd insisted that I simply had to finish telling Daniel's story. Sorry it had to take this long.

Lastly, I wish to thank Julie Presley, Charla Arabie, Jaime Morrow, and all those who contributed to my crowdfunding campaign. Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude.

## Excerpt from The Fall

 The following excerpt is from the second book of the epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise.

## CHAPTER ONE

SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS

The last thought that crossed Kevin Graham's mind was that he'd failed his little brother.

The guardian felt a hot, searing pain tear at his insides as the reaper withdrew his blade. His vision was clouded by this pain, his little brother appearing as a faint blur set before a harsh, bright light. He tried to say something to him, to tell him he was going to be okay. But the pain was just too overwhelming. He needed to put an end to it. He needed to stop the screams now echoing inside his skull.

This was why he slowly began to back away. Even though the pain burned the more with each step that he took, he didn't stop until he could feel the wind behind his back. He willed himself to take that final step, feeling the landing beneath his feet slip away. He toppled over the edge and started to fall down the length of the magnificent tower.

The pain didn't cease with his rapid descent, though the roar of the wind whistling past his ears did manage to drown out the screams. This slight respite allowed his mind to conjure up images from his past. Of all the memories that flew in and out of his head, only one held the most prominence. It was of the very last thing his little brother had said to him on his deathbed.

"Don't go, Kevin," his little brother had pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "If you go, who's gonna look after mom and dad when they grow old, and me?"

Though Kevin had been invalid since birth, his condition never truly deteriorated until his last couple of days. He'd suffered a near fatal crisis and was hospitalized thereafter. He had to rely on machines just to keep his heart from failing again. His family had spent those final hours at his bedside, though their vigil did little to alleviate the deep sadness that plagued him. He was sad not because he knew that he was about to die, but because he felt that by so doing, he would be letting down those who'd spent the last seventeen years of their lives trying to keep him alive. His parents never gave up on him. Neither did his little brother, Daniel.

And now, with his body spiraling through the clouds and towards the earth many miles below, Kevin knew for certain that he had once again failed his little brother. But he never really got the chance to dwell on that thought. The searing pain which had been burning his insides had reached a fever pitch, consuming every sense of his being.

Back at the top of the tower, Derek cussed as Daniel eluded his capture. The door to the Hall of Mirrors snapped shut and the reaper almost felt like barging in after him. But it was never really about the boy. Besides, the guardian's escape attempt hadn't gone unnoticed, a desperate act that could very well cost him the success of his mission.

The reaper blew a shrill whistle with his fingers. Seconds later, his dragon was hovering beside the tower. He mounted its back, after which it fell into a perfect vertical dive that ran parallel with the tower. The dragon's wings were tucked at its sides, and the reaper held on tight as the two of them broke through the clouds.

They could see their target, even though the guardian was nothing more than a distant speck hurtling towards the ancient city below. The distance between them was considerable. The combined weight of the reaper and his dragon helped in bridging the gap. But the closer they drew to the guardian, the closer they all drew to the end of their fall. They were almost at the end of it when they finally caught up with him.

The reaper did his best to reach out and grab hold. It was a tricky maneuver, considering the fact that he had both arms wrapped around his dragon. By the time he'd succeeded in pulling it off, there was nothing they could do about the impending collision before them.

Earlier that morning, Damian and Clarissa had agreed to hold their position inside the stone temple, while Kevin had led Daniel on the final leg of their journey. They saw the two brothers take the rear exit as they themselves charged to the center of the hall. Their blades glowed red in the semidarkness. They were closing in on the last of the giant serpents and scorpions. But then they felt a tremor that caused nearby pebbles to clatter.

They halted immediately, staring around in bewilderment.  The tremor grew stronger and stronger, until it culminated in a number of explosions and the floor erupted from right underneath their feet.

They were flung back in separate directions. An army of serpents and scorpions emerged through the floor, walls and windows. The dragon Kevin had flown in with took to the skies. The guardians scrambled onto their feet.

Damian could see that their current position in the middle of the hall was not favorable. "We'll soon be surrounded. Quickly, let's make for the altar."

The two guardians raced toward the platform at the end of the hall, beheading those serpents that leapt at them as they ran. They had to duck under pincers, slide under legs and huddle over backs, but they eventually made it onto the platform. Now that they had the higher ground, they did their best to hold back the serpents and scorpions.

Their red-hot blades went through the scorpions' near-metallic skins, and many stings and pincers were severed. They knocked down those that tried to reach them, and many backs were broken as well. But the serpents and scorpions were relentless, congregating around the altar so that they formed a multitudinous sea of snapping claws and hissing fangs.

Still, the guardians clearly had the upper hand, watching from the safety of their vantage point.  The creatures trampled over one another only to get dismembered at the end of their struggles. It was only a question of how long the guardians were able to continue defending the altar, for the creatures seemed to come in an endless stream.

Clarissa had been pondering that very question when she saw their first glimmer of hope. "Brace yourself. It's about to get quite toasty in here."

Damian caught sight of what she was talking about and smiled knowingly.

It came in through the glass ceiling and shattered windows. Those serpents and scorpions at the end of the throng were the first to retreat. They burrowed back into the floor as fast as they could. Those in front weren't as fortunate. And as the golden orb rose to its peak in the heavens, so also did its rays come flooding into the building.

The two guardians shielded their eyes, not from the rising sun, but from the sight of the serpents and scorpions bursting into flames under its light. Their ashes soon filled the entire temple, carried along by the wind.

Damian sheathed his blade and heaved a sigh. "I dare say, this journey has turned out to be quite the adventure."

"We should do it again sometime," Clarissa said.

At that precise moment, there was an ear-splitting crash as what remained of the glass ceiling came pouring down upon them. They managed to look up amidst the falling shards and watched as something crashed at the center of the hall. A cloud of dust drifted over the point of impact. They waited for the dust to settle and saw the unmistakable form of a dragon rise onto its feet. They also saw the equally unmistakable form of a dragon rider step out from behind the dragon. There was someone cradled in his arms.

"Kevin!" Clarissa screamed. Her eyes picked out the paleness of the guardian's skin, and the bloodstains. "Let go of him you monster!"

Damian was already racing towards them with his weapon drawn. The reaper was busy loading Kevin's lifeless body onto the dragon's back. He mounted afterwards, and the dragon flapped its wings as it rose skyward. By the time Damian drew level with them, there was nothing he could do but watch their retreating forms soar out of the hall.

Damian chased them defiantly, running out of the temple. But by the time he came bursting through the front doors, they were already heading north towards the distant mountains.

"They're getting away," Damian said helplessly as Clarissa caught up with him.

She halted beside him, breathing heavily. "There was nothing we could have done."

The two guardians watched as the dragon disappeared into the horizon.

"We've got to go," Clarissa eventually managed to say, struggling to suppress the sobs welling up inside her. "We need to return to the Keep immediately. We need to let Uriel know that Kevin has fallen."

## End of Excerpt

You have reached the end of the excerpt. To find out more about Guardians & The Lost Paradise, kindly visit:

www.the-lost-paradise.com

## Author's Note

Thank you for taking the time to read my book. Hope you enjoyed reading it. I am pretty stoked either way. Reviews are quite crucial to the success of independent writers like myself. So if you'll like to read more stories like the one you just read, then please consider leaving a review at the place where this particular one was bought. It doesn't have to be longer than a sentence or two, and you'll be helping not only me, but other readers too.

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## About the Author

Michael Abayomi was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He fell in love with the art of storytelling after reading J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He currently works as a freelance website developer and shares a passion for books, computers, movies, music, video games and women.

For more information about Michael, visit www.michaelabayomi.com
