Spirits

Beloved, believe not every spirit...

But try the spirits whether they are of God..

Because many false prophets have gone out into the world...

Fleur, Luciel, and I walked into the Exam Stadium, a staff member walking us into a personal cubicle then closed the doors behind us. The cubicles were evenly squared rooms, the walls black with only one candle to light the room.

[Please take your seats in front of the candle! Your Test of the Spirit will begin shortly!]

The three of us sat down in front of the candle laid in front of us, the sounds of the small crackling flame the only ambiance in the room. Neither of us knew what this test was supposed to be as it's not a test we were familiar with.

"Your first trial will begin. The flame in front of you is called Holy Fire, a flame hot enough to even burn a demon into ashes. Only the righteous can wield it in the palms of their hand, and accept it within them," Leonidas said over the intercoms, his exhausted tone filling the rooms we were in.

"Effie and I can see you, but you can not see us. We will be making sure all is safe during this test. This is the Test of the Spirit. Are you of Yuvah or are you of the world?" Leonidas finished, setting down the microphone of the intercom upon his desk.

"Are you sure about this test? My test wasn't this extreme!" Effie worried, cautiously watching the three of us staring at the flame.

"It will be fine...I made sure your two sistren obtain normal white flames, Healing Fire. Prince Nox in the middle is the only one with Holy Fire...there is something about him that intrigues me so I have to test him," Leonidas said, keeping his gaze specifically upon me.

Luciel stared at her flame and set down her Chronicles in front of her, opening the book and began reading scripture from the Book of Hymns chapter 14, her finger tracing the words upon the page. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, and there is none that doeth good.."

The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men...

To see if there were any that did understand and seek God...

I listened as Luciel read chapter 14, my gaze locked upon the Holy Flame sitting in front of me, its white body swaying from side to side in response to the scripture. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms, listening to the continuation of Luciel's reading.

They have all gone aside...

They are all together become filthy...

There is none that doeth good, no, not one...

Have all the workers of iniquity have no knowledge?

Who eat up my people as they eat bread..

And not call upon the Lord...

Luciel glanced at her flame, noticing there was no movement with her flame as she read the scripture then closed her book. "My flame is a fake Holy Flame! You can not trick me, Dean!"

Leonidas chuckled softly at Luciel's powerful discernment, nodding his head and allowing the staff member to open her door. "You are indeed correct, Ms. Luciel. You passed rather quickly.."

Luciel stood up from her spot with her gaze lingering upon the flame, wondering if my and Fleur's flame were fake as well. She walked outside of the cubicle, her gaze shifting toward my door, unable to feel my Spirit within the room.

"I feel like this isn't a real Test of the Spirit...only a trial run of the actual test," Luciel said, walking down the halls with the silent staff member. "Tough crowd huh..?"

The staff member remained silent, opening the door for Luciel so she could enter the office with Leonidas and Effie. Luciel let out an awkward chuckle as she walked inside, rubbing the back of her neck.

Fleur gazed at her flame for a while, her mind split between if she wanted to reach out for it or trust Luciel's instinct that her flame was fake. The longer she stared at her white fire, memories of her tragic past flashed in her head, the moment of her losing her own mother.

Fleur let out a deep sigh and gripped her head, her hands gripping her hair out of frustration and stress. "What the hell...it's like I can't bring myself to touch it.."

"What's stopping you?" I asked, my voice only loud enough for Fleur to hear me.

Fleur sat up slowly at the sound of my voice, looking over at the wall to her right then slid closer to the wall and rested her head upon it. She took a moment to herself before answering my question. "The memories..."

I opened my eyes slowly, my eyes shifting toward the wall to my left at the sound of her somber tone. I glanced over at my flame as well, watching as it still danced in front of me as if to give praise. "The memories huh..? Does the flame reflect your darkest pains?"

"Yeah..." She answered softly, closing her eyes and lowering her head, her heart beginning to weight down into her stomach.

"Then the flame is obvious speaking to you to accept it. It may not dance like mine, or be fake like Luciel's...but it is calling to you. Yuvah didn't send His only begotten Son to Earth for those who are already saved...but for those who are lost and broken, that need guidance. That flame is a Holy Flame, a Healing Flame," I said, glancing back over to my Holy Flame.

Fleur looked over at her white fire, watching as it delicately danced at the sound of my voice, her eyes slightly lighting up in awe. She quickly crawled over to the fire, closely watching its animated movements. "It's...moving..!"

"Reach out to it...Don't deny Yuvah's blessings. Healing in the Hands of God might seem scary at first because humans don't truly know what real love is. But God's healing...it's more than anything in this world," I said quietly, watching my flame excitedly dance at the spreading of my gospel.

Fleur watched as her flame wiggled around with joy at the mention of Yuvah, her eyes sparkling with a childlike wonder as if she was experiencing such a phenomenon for the first time. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening, but she knew the flame was alive.

Slowly, she reached out to it, scooping the flame into the palm of her hand and sat back down on the ground with it. Peace began to wash over her body, a peace she never truly felt and her eyes began to well with unshed tears, grief filling her spirit as the flame allowed her to remember her lost family.

I listened to Fleur's soft sobs, my butterflies manifesting around me to try to reach her, but couldn't due to the walls. They fluttered aimlessly, sensing the source of the grief but couldn't reach her to support her.

"Rest, my butterflies. Yuvah has her now...so rest and gather around me. Allow her Spirit to be healed," I commanded, each of my butterflies flashing a light blue color and gathering around my body, each one landing upon me peacefully.

Leonidas watched with great interest, stroking his chin with high intrigue. He watched as Fleur repented with the flame in her hand, the Healing Flame growing larger in her palm as if it were responding to her Spirit.

Upon the flame's own accord, it entered into Fleur's body, casting a holy gleam around her body and a healing warmth to cover her. Her white butterflies began to manifest around her, their bodies glowing a hot white shine, illuminating the room.

A staff member walked toward Fleur's cubicle with a white sheet, opening the door and walking inside to drape the sheet over Fleur's body gently. Gently, she picked the delicate woman off the ground, gently carrying her outside of the Exam Stadium.

The last one in the first trial was me, the only one who hadn't tried to interact with the clear Holy Flame in front of me. My butterflies sat still upon my body as well, watching the flames just as I did.

[Please begin your exam by holding the flame!]

"Yeah, yeah...I know what to do..." I said, sitting with my back against the door, my arm propped against my risen knee. I stared at the worshipping flame with a distant gaze, the image of the flame reflecting from my eyes.

[Please begin your exam by holding the flame!]

As I continued to stare at the flame, a fuzzy memory began to play in my head, the memory playing like static as if my brain fought against itself to not remember. Against my own will, the memory gradually became more clear, the image of myself as a child in the arms of my mother playing in front of my eyes via the Holy Fire.

My mother hummed softly as she cradled me, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair as she read to me from the Genesian Chronicles. "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!"

I sat quietly with my head resting upon my mother's bosom, my eyes following the words she read upon the page. I rested closely to her, gradually closing my eyes as she continued to read.

My mother continued to read, "She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies..."

As I watched the memory in real time, slowly I began to realize she was reading from the Book of Lament. She had a knowing smile on her face, as if she knew the entire book was somewhat about her. As much as my heart hurt to watch, my eyes couldn't look away from it, as if I was being forced to watch it.

"No..." I said quietly to myself, as if I knew where the memory was headed.

Suddenly, a group of Knights rushed into the study, surprising both me and my mother. They warned us of an attack happening outside, yet my mother was completely calm and had a soothing smile upon her face.

"Take my sons...and retreat to Morgan south of St. Nova. There is a foster family I'm very close with there that they can stay with until things become safe here," My mother said, setting me down and handing me the Genesian Chronicles before gently pushing me toward the knights.

"Mama, what—"

"Go, Nox. You will be safe with your older brother Zachary. Run now, I will come find you once all of this is over," My mother said, turning around to walk toward a secret door within the study.

Without hesitation, a knights picked me up and began hurrying toward the horses' stables, my child version watching as he was separated from his mother. Once we all got outside, the knights gasped in shock as they noticed the castle was surrounded by Black Giants, each one looming over us like nephilims.

Suddenly, the giants began to swing down at the castle, each massive blade destroying the royal structure of my home. Flames began to spread everywhere, the destruction of Exzodia's castle replaying before my very eyes.

I gripped my hair, letting out a traumatic roar and shut my eyes, my Hateful Thorns emerging from my lower back violently, the black chains thrashing around the room with great fury. "LAMENT! You took everything away from me! I'll make you pay!"

The girls and Leonidas watched as I allowed my Dark Lord half to slip out, watching as I thrashed about the cubicle to find any possible way to stop the Holy Flame from projecting my own life...yet nothing ended the memory, it played from beginning to end.

The flames continued to play my painful memories, each one causing my own grief to accumulate more and more, the burning ache within me becoming more extreme. Unable to take the pain anymore, I lunged at the Holy Flame and tried to put it out, but a powerful force of energy repelled me against the wall violently.

"Mr. Leonidas! You have to stop this test! Nox is going berserk in there!" Effie cried out, looking up at Leonidas with true concern.

"I agree! The longer he stays in there, the more he's going to lose himself! We aren't free from Lament's Curse! We can still be corrupted even if we aren't directly upon Exzodia's ruined grounds! Stop the test!" Luciel seconded, gently gripping Leonidas's sleeve.

"Please, he needs us..!" Luciel plead, looking up at Leonidas with an aching heart, unable to watch me suffer any longer.

Leonidas continued to watch in silence, watching my every move to reach the Holy Flame, but the flame continuously repelled me, exposing my deeply painful memories. 'Have faith...that's all you can do...'

I panted heavily with exhaustion, my gaze filled with deep grief and pain. I grit my teeth tightly, lunging toward the flame once more and reach out toward it, pushing through the repulsive force and let out a powerful roar. Finally breaking through the invisible forces, I grabbed the flame and squeezed it with my hand with pure anger.

"Why?! Why do you hurt me so much?! Answer me, Genesis! Ragnarok! Yuvah! I know you hear me! Why?! What have I done to deserve this?! You...you took it all from me..." I sobbed weakly, falling onto my knees and cried softly alone.

Pick yourself up like a man and rise, Son.

I demand you to answer me of these questions.

Where were you when I had created the Heavens and the Earth?

When I created the stars, Sun, and Moon?

You care blame me for the Enemy, yet you still do not understand.

I slowly opened my tear streaked eyes, noticing the entire room was filled with a Godly Presence and a divine light. I glanced at my hand, noticing the Holy Flame had expanded throughout the entire room, Yuvah's very presence known within the cubicle, his voice coming like a whirlwind.

I understand, My Son, that you have endured pain...

You have sought me, yet I give you signs...

I do my part, but you haven't done yours yet...

So when do you stop only listening to your Flesh...

And listen to me?

Have I not made it clear to you of the truth?

Or is your faith dead like your works..?

I sat in silence for a moment, my chains resting upon the floor around me as I began to reflect upon the last two years of my life. I sighed deeply and looked down at my chains, my hand grazing upon the sleek, spiky metals.

"Why? What am I supposed to do in a work where everything is dead? There are no Guardians left for Earth to depend on, the Zodiacs are dead, the Rulers are fragmented, the Dark Lords are still dormant. No one wants to save this world like we do..." I questioned, gripping my chains tightly, the spikes digging into my skin and drawing light blood.

"Why me? Why make me the true prophecy, and allow it all to be robbed from me?"

To open your eyes...

You've lived most of your life believing you were cursed...

Silently blaming me...

Yet, the answers are always in front of you.

Merin, Lament, even your own Mother...

But are you to continue sitting around and waiting for me to do all the work?

"Then what, Father...tell me what to do," I begged, lowering my head onto the floor and clasped my hands together.

Awaken my children...

My creations...

Find new Vessels for the Zodiacs...

Find the Rulers...

Awaken the Dark Lords so that you may have your own army against the Devil.

The light presence in the room began to condense slowly into the Holy Flame once again before entering my body. My Hateful Thorns began to shine brightly, the black metal slowly breaking away and becoming chains of light.

No longer are the days of you having to worry.

I shall wipe away your tears...

Fear no more, Son.

Worry no more, Son.

Yea, for I have renewed you.

For you may walk like me, speak like me, and have authority like me.

Creation bows to you...

I looked at my chains again, touching them once more and feeling their true smoothness. I began to stand onto my feet once more, my butterflies returning to me as light blue, each one rejoicing over the darkness that was healed within me.

Unite the kingdom under Me.

Go forth and bring glory to My Kingdom.

Save those who are lost, and keep those who are found.

For New Exzodia is soon to come...

I nodded to myself, my eyes flashing gold with determination. The staff member walked over to my door and opened it, noticing all the scratches upon the walls and shuddered lightly. I glanced back at the woman, my pupils sharp like a lion's, my fiery energy flowing around my body.

The staff member froze before my very presence, noticing Leona in her Lion Forme standing at my side, her tail swaying back and forth, her golden armor lighting up the room with divine light, and her eyes gleaming a golden light.

"August..?" She asked with slight confusion, shaking her head and blinking a few times before realizing it was me.

Luciel, Fleur, and Effie stared at me and Leona in awe, everyone's eyes locked upon our divine form. Leonidas's eyes flashed gold as well, a sharp grin spreading across his lips as he stared at Leona. Leona turned back to look at Leonidas, her gaze knowing and sharp with shared secrets.

'He has arrived...Ascea in the flesh. The Eternal Emperor of Conquest, the God of Order in the flesh,' Leonidas thought to himself, stroking his chin lightly with amusement.

Leona walked forward toward the door, glancing back at me with a soft hum. "Come, Nox. You heard what the big man upstairs said. It's time we end this foolish war once and for all by preparing for everything."

I watched as Leona waited for me at the door, my gaze fixated upon her divine form. Gathering my senses back together, I began to follow Leona out of the room as the staff member led me and her back to the office of the Exam Stadium.

Luciel hurried toward me and grabbed my hands in a deeply concerned state, looking up at me with worry. "Nox..! Are you okay? Is everything okay? You're not hurt are you?"

I smiled at Luciel warmly, a smile I hadn't given her in years. "No, Luci. I'm perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with me, nothing that I can think of at least."

"You had us all freaking out back here, Nox! You were going absolutely berserk in your cubicle, and look at you now!" Fleur said with loving awe as she looked me up and down, her eyes becoming interested upon my hair.

I stared at Fleur curiously as she reached out from her white sheet to touch a patch of my hair that was white like wool, her eyes flashing with interest. I stared at her curiously as she touched my hair, wondering why she had taken interest in that specific patch.

"What are you looking at, Fleur?" Effie asked, walking closer to me with Looni, the two curiously taking a closer inspection on my hair.

Fleur removed her hand, allowing the others to look at my hair, each of them noticing the white patch of hair upon my head. Leonidas stared at the match of hair with a small smirk, crossing his arms with a light, knowing chuckle before walking forward.

"You three exceeded expectations, but there is only one trial left for you all to take. The Will of the Spirit will be taking place outside in the campus's training grounds. Follow me," Leonidas said, grabbing his wanderer's staff and leaving the office.

The girls and I glanced at each other with slight confusion, wondering why Leonidas was rushing through the tests at such a pace. The five of us rushed behind him, dashing through the halls as he walked incredibly fast for someone of his demeanor.

Suddenly, White Clouds began to fill the halls, catching each of us off guard as the clouds washed over us. The clouds began to pass, the five of us looking around and noticing we were now outside in the training grounds, each of us lost of what had just happened.

I looked around the training grounds with great caution, my eyes landing upon two young men who were around my age standing alongside a fence with a woman standing beside the older of the two men. The older of the two men had a strong build with a spear resting next to him, his outfit a fisherman's wear.

The younger of the two men spoke with the woman next to the two with enthusiasm, the two sharing scriptures from the Chronicles together, neither of them aware of the presences of me, Fleur, and Luciel. The older of the two glanced out at the distance, his gaze landing upon me then immediately got on high alert.

"Intruder!" The man warned toward the other two, grabbing his spear and lunging toward me with a powerful thrust.

I grunted heavily as I dodged his alarming attack then began making large evasive maneuvers to avoid getting sliced or stabbed by the large silver blade upon his pole. Quickly, I manifested one of my golden chains from my lower back to knock the spear out of his hand.

"Peter!" The woman gasped with worry, getting off the fence to grab her friend's spear off the ground.

The younger of the two men began to timidly back away, his gaze stuck upon my chain with slight fear. He looked at Peter, his only source of protection as he wondered what was going on currently.