Of Light And Shadows

“You want me to do what?” Lanthia asked incredulously. “A permanent link to a moon gate is dangerous, Jia. If it isn’t set up right there’s no telling what might happen. You could die.”

“And if I don’t do this it leaves God at risk. If anything happens to them then all the realms will collapse.” Jia laid a hand on Lanthia’s arm and smiled. “I wouldn’t trust anybody else to do this right.”

“Are both of you absolutely certain?” The Witch studied their faces, looking for the slightest hint of hesitation.

“We are,” Lucifer replied coolly. “This is something we have to do to keep everyone safe.”

“...Very well,” Lanthia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Jia, once the link is created you must not leave the demonic realm. Do you understand? Switching realms will put too much strain on your link. An improperly severed connection runs the risk of killing you.”

“I understand,” Jia confirmed.

“Then we’d best get to the academy in your realm. The sooner we get this out of the way, the better.” The Witch sighed, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Don’t you need trinkets or herbs or something?”

“Not for this,” Lucifer cut in. “Enchanted items and potions don’t work on moon gates.” He waved a hand, hellfire snapping in his eyes as a shadow portal appeared beside him. “Let’s go.”

Lanthia went through first, followed by Jia, with Lucifer bringing up the rear. They stepped out into what Jia could only assume was the underbelly of Apollyon Academy. The ceilings were so tall they disappeared into the gloom high above her head. Sconces burned eternally in their places along the edges of the long room, their light barely penetrating the thick shadows.

The space resembled a cathedral of some sort, lined by intricately carved stone pillars. There were no pews to sit at and no windows since the place was underground, but there was a raised stone dais in the centre. On that dais was the moon gate.

It was different to the other two she’d seen so far. It was made of what looked like magma, cooled in a permanent circular structure and covered with ripples and cracks. The stone was deepest black and glittered slightly in the firelight.

“This is the moon gate of Apollyon,” Lucifer said quietly. “Nobody has touched this gate in centuries. I’m not even sure it’s active.”

“It’s active alright,” Jia whispered, feeling the pulse of energy like a heartbeat beneath her feet. It seemed to speak to her, sending magic crackling along the new markings of her true form where they hid beneath her human skin.

“This gate is ancient,” Lanthia breathed, her eyes wide as she gazed up at the strange structure. “I’ve never known a power like this. You cannot let Jezebeth near this gate, no matter what else happens.”

“I won’t let her get anywhere near it,” Jia vowed. “Tell me how to link myself to it.”

“To establish a link you must simply stand under the gate and place your hands upon it. I will awaken the ley lines surrounding this seat of power and direct them towards where you stand.”

Jia took a deep breath and climbed the three short steps to the dais, positioning herself under the arch of the moon gate and turning back to face Lanthia and Lucifer. The stone inside the gate was as smooth as glass and purest black, reflecting her own worried face back at her.

“When the power reaches you, you mustn’t fight it,” the Witch warned. “Let it in. Let it flow through you and entwine itself with your magic. Let it become part of you.”

“Be careful,” Lucifer murmured, his red eyes focussed on her face. She nodded and closed her eyes, focussing only on the gate under her palms as she reached out to lay her hands flat against the insides.

The stone itself seemed to vibrate with barely contained energy, the tempo increasing as Lanthia began to recite spells in a language Jia didn’t understand. Her palms began to tingle and small flashes of multihued light danced behind her eyelids.

Lanthia finished her incantation and all at once Jia could see the ley lines beneath her feet, the colour of crimson fire. They stretched out from the gate she was under in all directions and she knew instinctively she could follow any one of them if she wanted to.

She focussed instead on the power pulsing round and round the moon gate in faster revolutions, heating the stone under her palms until the whole gate was aglow in her mind. When it reached its peak she felt the energy look for somewhere new to flood through to, and then it found her.

Crackling, sizzling power coursed through her with such violent glee that her wings burst from her back in a flurry of white and gold, the brilliance of her true form exploding through her mundane skin all at once. Jia gritted her teeth against the onslaught and forced herself to let it in, suppressing a shudder at the sensation of it creeping across the runes covering her skin.

The magic of this gate was wildly different from what she’d experienced before. The others were just a power source. This energy seemed alive somehow, sentient in its exploration of her mind and body. It filled her to the tips of her wings, pouring in through her palms and taking up every empty space it could find inside of her until she was afraid she’d explode.

“Be calm, Jia. Remember to let it in. No harm will come to you.” Lanthia’s voice was like a splash of cool water on her cheeks, slowing her racing heart and quieting her panic enough to think straight.

The magic wasn’t really filling her to the brim. She could feel it inside her, but each time she felt like she could contain no more, the vast well inside her expanded to fit the ever increasing torrent of energy. She knew she could contain it as long as she trusted herself to do so. Even when it reached the point of pain she forced herself to keep going.

All at once, everything stopped. The magic froze in place and her eyes flew open to find the moon gate illuminated as though it were once again molten lava. Lanthia and Lucifer were statues, their faces sealed into expressions of varying concern. The whole room was lit with the glow of the moon gate and it’s powerful magic, revealing a huge vaulted ceiling carved with beautiful patterns and depictions of the day the seven devils were cast from heaven.

“Nephilim,” said a voice that both whispered and shouted, a voice she recognised. “That is the name I have decided for you.”

“God?” At the sound of their name, the deity appeared in a flash of blinding holy light. Once again Jia saw the outline of six brilliant white wings and the vague shape of a person with flowing silver hair.

“Your power exceeds even what I expected,” they mused. “This moon gate is one of the first to be created, alongside the one in heaven and another in the human realm. Through it you have created a direct link with me.”

“I was trying to protect the other gates,” Jia frowned. “I thought if I could establish a connection with this gate I could monitor the others through it and stop Jezebeth from corrupting any more of your power.”

“You have done something better.” God climbed the steps and laid a glowing hand against her cheek. “You have given me the link I need to monitor the gates myself. Through you.”

“How have I done that?”

“I have been out of touch with my gates for some time. With everything that has happened throughout the realms since the Uprising, I have been preoccupied. I can see now that you are capable of monitoring the gates in my place and keeping me informed.”

“So you want me to protect all the gates?” Jia didn’t take her hands from the sides of the moon gate, but her eyes widened in disbelief. “I can check them periodically but there’s no way I can constantly monitor every single moon gate in existence.”

“On the contrary,” God replied. “You’re the only one who can.” They took their hand from her cheek and once again she felt them smile. “When I tested you with the Inner Light you withstood it. You are the only creature with demonic blood to ever survive that test. Not only did you survive it, you adapted yourself to it. Jia Morningstar, you are the one I entrust my gates to. You may call on me as you wish whenever you are in contact with them.”

Before she could respond, the deity disappeared and everything started moving again, though the magic had slowed from its frantic climbing tempo down to a steady thrum that pulsed in time with her heart beat. Lucifer and Lanthia didn’t seem to notice anything had changed.

“You’ve contained the power!” Lanthia beamed excitedly when she realised it was no longer zipping hastily through Jia and was instead settled and steady. “Now reach out to the other gates. Try not to follow the ley lines with your entire soul this time. Send only your conscious mind.”

Jia thought back to God and their complete faith in her. Surely if they believed she could do it, the creator of all living things, then she was meant for it wasn’t she?

“There has to be a way to search more than one gate at a time,” she murmured.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Jia,” Lucifer warned. “I almost lost you last time.”

“I can do it. Don’t worry.” She closed her eyes before either of them could protest and got to work, reaching out with her consciousness down multiple ley lines at once. It was strange, splitting herself into different parts that she could control independently. All of it was instinctual and entirely improvised, but it was working.

Soon she’d located one moon gate, then three, then five, until all the moon gates in the demonic realm were revealed to her. The human realm gates followed, and finally the celestial realm gates. None of them seemed to be at risk at first, until one of the human realm gates sent strange vibrations back to her.

“Jezebeth,” she gasped. “She’s corrupting one of the gates as we speak. I have to stop her.”

“Jia wait, you can’t-” But it was too late. Jia’s soul was already hurtling down the ley line towards Satan’s companion, intent on blasting her loose.