Rick’s words hurt Raven more deeply than he could have imagined. The relentless pursuits, the amnesia, and everything else he’d been through had turned his life into a bitter journey that was getting harder and harder to endure. Without knowing it, Rick had just hit upon the worst enemy that Raven had ever faced—his solitude. For as long as he could remember, his relationships with other people had invariably ended in disaster. In one way or another, he’d always known he wasn’t like everyone else—as Rick had just emphatically stated. Not a single friend, not a single emotional connection, no family; nothing. Always on the run, always alone. Always feeling like he didn’t belong in this world.

  Nevertheless, he was sure he was neither an angel nor a demon. Not even he knew who or what he was. But something was calling to him. The truth was out there somewhere.

  “Stop badgering him, Rick.” Susan approached Raven and hugged him tenderly. “Don’t worry. We’ll help you. We are all looking for answers. I am sure everything is related. And there’s an explanation for all of it, you’ll see.”

  At that moment, a new idea occurred to Raven. They were talking about the Fog, and Rick had mentioned that he’d been in the Nest. Perhaps they knew something that could help him. After all, it wasn’t hard to know more than he knew.

  “You mentioned you’d been in that other world,” he said to Rick. “That means you can cross through the Fog, too.”

  “That was different,” responded Jack, who preferred to keep Rick out of this for awhile. “We found a portal that had a fog that was lit inside, but this fog is a different kind of fog than that. There’s no light; it’s pitch blackness. We can’t cross through this.”

  “A portal? What’s that?”

  “A strange device that generates fog. We don’t know who put it here.”

  The thought that immediately flashed through Raven’s mind was that the angels might use the portal to come and go from Heaven.

  “That’s why there’s no fog in this room now,” Jack went on. “We deactivated it.”

  “Can you reactivate it?”

  “Yes. Our intention was to cross through it in search of answers, as Susan mentioned. Unfortunately, as I said, this portal’s fog has no light. But that’s obviously not a problem for you.”

  Raven sat quietly, pondering it all.

  “So, what about that sword?” continued Jack. “It’s yours, isn’t it? What can you tell us about it?”

  “It’s not mine. I took it from one of them. But like Rick said, I’m guessing they’re the ones who killed those hundred soldiers.”

  “You took it from someone?” asked Rick, astonished. “There was only one of them?”

  Raven hesitated a few seconds before responding.

  “There were four, but I saw more,” he said. “I can tell if they’re close,” he added, noticing the looks on their faces. “Well, not all of them,” he corrected, remembering how they’d cornered him. On that particular occasion it had been two angels who’d been working together whose presence he hadn’t felt, and if it hadn’t been for Nilia they’d have caught him. “Most of the time I can sense their presence, but sometimes I can’t. I don’t know if my ‘detector’ doesn’t work with some of them or if it sometimes just doesn’t work.”

  “So that means they’re here, in our world. They could be anywhere.” Rick’s eyes were wide.

  “I think they’ve been among us for a long time. I haven’t seen this portal you’re talking about but I’m sure they’re the ones who’ve placed it here.”

  “I told you these aren’t the only portals in the world,” Jack said to Rick. “It makes perfect sense. Those . . . whatever they are . . . use the Fog to travel between worlds and God only knows how long they’ve been doing it.”

  Raven thought that last phrase was truer than any of them might imagine, but he refrained from saying so out loud.

  “But we don’t know why they’re doing it,” said Rick. “What do they want from us? You say you took a sword from one of them, Raven. How? I’m guessing it didn’t fall on the floor and you just picked it up. Did you talk to them?”

  “No. Something happened . . . like the shield I protected myself with when you attacked me. I took the weapon and then . . . I fell unconscious. The next thing I remember was waking up in a hospital bed . . . and then I ran, like Jack said. Then I fell into the Fog and ended up here.”

  “And you really don’t know how you do all those unusual things?” asked Susan.

  “I swear to you, I don’t know. It started a few years ago. And I can’t always control what I do.” Raven fought back tears as he remembered Maya’s death. “It can be dangerous when I lose control.”

  “Something had to have happened for you to have acquired those abilities,” Jack suggested. “You don’t remember ever having been in the other world?”

  “No.” Raven decided not to talk about his strange visions. “But what I do know is that I’m suffering from amnesia. I remember nothing about my life before the Wave. I don’t even know my age or my real name. Some guy asked me once what my name was and Raven was the first thing that came to my mind.”

  “Amnesia since the Wave,” commented Jack, contemplatively. “I’d bet you didn’t have these powers or whatever they are before. I’m sure it has something to do with that. Do you remember what you were doing when it happened?” Raven shook his head. “And where you were?” He shook his head again, bewildered.

  “My first memory is of waking up, lying on the ground. I was in a dirty, dark alley. I stood up and took off running, not knowing what was happening or who I was. Then when I saw my face reflected in a store window, it was like looking at a stranger. I didn’t recognize my own face. I ended up living like a drifter.”

  The story left them all quietly pondering for a few moments. It was not a very happy tale and, in spite of his brief summary, they could plainly see his life was far from normal. His blue eyes were full of sadness and reflected an intense weariness. His salt-and-pepper hair along with the wrinkles in his forehead made him look like he was in his fifties. He seemed like a tired old man who would not be up to doing anything that took any amount of physical exertion, not like someone who possessed unique abilities that went well beyond normal human capacities.

  Even Rick felt sorry for him. His initial aversion to him had been gradually lessening as the conversation had developed. He no longer believed him to be one of the mysterious inhabitants of the other world who’d annihilated his expedition. He now saw him as yet another piece of the incomprehensible puzzle in which he’d been immersed since he’d met Jack. In fact, his intuition was telling him he might very well be the most important part of all this. He was beginning to wonder if he should consult with Raven about his discoveries with respect to the T.U.C. It was possible he might know something about those strange buildings, about Capa, or about Angela Brown’s inexplicable pregnancy.

  Jack also sensed Raven’s importance in all this. It had been so long since he’d taken a drag of his half-smoked cigar that a large chunk of ash dropped off and scattered over the floor. Completely absorbed in his ruminations, Jack didn’t even notice.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Raven approached Rick and held out his hand.

  “May I see the sword?”

  Rick hesitated, and an uncomfortable silence ensued. A few seconds passed, then he took out the sword and gave it to him.

  As soon as Raven had it in his hand he sensed a great force in the small object. When he’d seen Diago and the members of his group using it, he’d wondered if he would be able to do the same things with it. He knew now, before even trying anything with it, he could.

  He moved away from Rick, carefully weighing the hilt in his hand. Then he grasped it tightly and the orange blade, covered in flames, immediately extended. He swept through the air with it a couple of times just to get used to its weight. Rick noticed the sword looked lighter in Raven’s hands. He easily brandished it from side to side with one hand.

  “Do you know how to use it?” Rick asked him.

  “I’ve seen how they use it.”

  Raven raised the sword above his head and drew a large arc. A line of flames burned silently in the air. Rick approached it and studied it closely.

  “Your flames are really intense,” he observed, dumbfounded. “We’ve never been able to make any this powerful.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Raven, surprised by the comment.

  “We did some tests. Our traces create lines of flames much weaker than this. I know from the depth of the color of the flame, and even from the height of the flames. Try it again.”

  Raven turned to one side and again sliced through the air, drawing a new semicircle shorter than the first. When he’d finished the motion, the arc of flames shot forward and blasted through the wall.

  Jack’s cigar slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor.

  “That was incredible!” exclaimed Rylan, jumping to his feet. “We’ve never been able to do anything like that! I’m going to go see how far it went.” He disappeared through the door, running at top speed.

  The rest of them stared at Raven in disbelief. Susan seemed especially flabbergasted. Her eyes were opened wide, glued to the skilled swordsman.

  Raven deactivated the sword and handed it back to Rick.

  “That’s a very dangerous weapon,” he commented nonchalantly. “They’ve attacked me with it on several occasions.”

  Rick grasped the hilt of the sword, his eyes still locked on Raven.

  “They’ve attacked you several times? How could you have survived against a weapon like this?”

  Raven shook his head again, his expression weary. Rylan burst back into the room, out of breath.

  “Why do they want to kill you?” demanded Jack.

  “Who wants to kill whom?” asked Rylan, a hint of concern in his voice.

  “They don’t want to kill me,” explained Raven. “They want me alive. It seems I did something to them I can’t remember. That’s all they told me.”

  “You’ve spoken with them?” Susan approached, gaping at him in astonishment.

  “They’ve been chasing me for many years. They almost captured me a short while back. We exchanged a few words, but it wasn’t exactly a conversation.”

  “Was one of them dressed in a black cloak? And had the face of a child?” demanded Rick.

  “No. I didn’t see anyone like that.”

  “Did you find out who or what they are?” Susan’s voice reflected an uncommonly nervous tone. Rick looked at her, alarmed.

  “I’m not sure,” said Raven unconvincingly.

  “You know, don’t you?” Susan was losing control. She grabbed Raven by the arm.“You know who they are.”

  “Calm down, Susan.” Rick took her by the shoulders but she did not loosen her grip on Raven. In fact, she clutched his arm all the tighter.

  Raven was bewildered by her reaction. It didn’t fit. He hadn’t said anything that should have upset her like that. Her grasp was stronger than it should have been considering her delicate frame and, feeling something welling up inside him, he instinctively pulled his arm back, reacting as if he were in danger. But his reaction was overly forceful and quite unexpected, and Susan fell to the floor.

  “Don’t even think about touching her!” shouted Rick.

  He automatically leaned over her protectively and glared at Raven with a look of warning. Rylan and Jack stood watching, unsure of what to do.

  “I . . . I’m sorry.” Raven took a step back. He was trembling.

  Susan’s demeanor had not been all that threatening, yet he’d been about to lose control of himself once again. And this time he didn’t even know why. When he saw how Rick was shielding her with his body, he knew he must look rather menacing. Feeling unsure, he backed off a bit more.

  “It’s not your fault,” said Susan as she stood up. “I don’t know what got into me. Forgive me, Raven.”

  Rick kept hold of her, and Raven immediately sensed there was something more than friendship between them, at least for Rick. The excessive protection he was showering on her was not just because of the supposed danger Raven represented. It was clear that whoever put a hand on that woman would have to go head to head with Rick.

  “I should really be going,” said Raven hesitantly. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”

  “No. Stay. We can help each other,” Susan pleaded.

  “I don’t think so. But I would like to ask you to show me that portal you’ve been talking about.”

  “Are you going to cross through the Fog again?” asked Rylan. Raven nodded timidly. “I’m going with you,” Rylan added, his voice full of determination.

  “No. It’s too dangerous,” Raven warned. The image of Maya flashed through his mind, along with other similar situations he’d been through in the past. “Trust me. Something bad happens to anyone who’s associated with me. You people don’t need to go there. You should forget about it.”

  “We can’t,” said Jack. “Everything is related. The Wave, that world, the weapons . . . The answers lie there and they will affect us all. Besides, you shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll be the only one to get there. There are more portals and sooner or later someone will cross them. We already intended to do so.”

  “I’m going so I can look for my brother,” Rylan stubbornly reiterated.

  “We all have our reasons for going.” This time it was Rick who’d spoken up. He knew they needed Raven, and after the show he’d put on with the sword there was no doubt they’d be safer with him. “We can help you. Believe me when I say that I am prepared to exact revenge on whoever massacred my first expedition team. If they come for you, I swear I’ll defend you. And Jack is right. Sooner or later someone will get there, whether from the North Zone or from somewhere else, and they’ll snatch whatever is on the other side right out from under us. We can’t go into the Fog without you. We need your light.”

  “It’s better if we go together, Raven,” Susan added. “Why face this alone?”

  Raven felt pressured and confused. He didn’t know how to refuse their requests. They were asking for his help, and their arguments were quite logical. It would be nice to enjoy some company for a change and perhaps they’d discover something he’d missed. He also didn’t know how he could bring himself to dash Rylan’s hopes of getting his brother back. And the idea of wandering through London in search of another bank of Fog did not much appeal to him. He had no idea how long it might take him to find one, and the pull he was feeling inside was getting stronger and stronger. Raven did not want to waste any more time or risk another encounter with Diago. He hoped he would have more luck avoiding him in the Nest since on Earth he’d repeatedly proven that he could find him. And finally, he could not deny that he felt a bit curious about seeing how the portal worked.

  “Okay. Open the portal and let’s go. But you have to understand that I’m not responsible for whatever happens to us.”

  The four of them nodded in full agreement.

  “We know what we’re getting ourselves into,” assured Rick. “I, personally, know I need to do whatever I can to try to understand the thousands of inexplicable things that have happened. The first time I crossed the Fog, I did it because I had to. I didn’t think we were going to find any answers, and I was sure it would be dangerous considering the state our world has been in since the Wave. Now I know we can’t avoid the danger by staying here. Those ‘beings’—whoever or whatever they are—are already among us. And they’re preparing something I can’t begin to understand.” Rick was thinking of Capa and the T.U.C.’s activities. “We have to find out once and for all what this is all about. If we don’t, we’ll be taking shots in the dark until they finally decide to do whatever they want.”

  “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t proceed with caution,” Jack reminded them. “It won’t do any good if you find answers but die trying.”

  “Okay. Are we going or not?” demanded Rylan impatiently.

  They moved out of the area between the pillars. Rick took out the seal and activated the rune on the floor. The five columns rose up and began the process of opening the portal. From the beginning until the moment when the Fog formed in the center, Raven watched in fascination, not missing a single detail. When he saw the pillars floating in the air, he had no doubt they were the work of the angels. In his dreams he’d seen all kinds of objects floating above the ground, including entire mountains. The similarity was impossible to overlook.

  “Stay close to me,” cautioned Raven. “I don’t really know how this works, but I do know you can’t wander far from the light.”

  Jack stood watching as the group approached the Fog. Raven went first. The moment his foot disappeared into the dark cloud, his hands began to glow. A golden light surrounded him and, as the snake-like threads of fog recoiled, Jack peered into the Fog. Even with the golden glow, he could see nothing. The group slowly moved forward, and a few seconds later he watched in silence as the Fog enveloped them and they disappeared completely.

  He picked up the seal and, with a unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach, waited for the portal to close. Then he left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Inside the room, the flames Raven had drawn with the sword hung burning in the air for nearly two hours longer.