Forged Legacy

Chapter 134 - A Dead Part of Heaven

“So I hear you boys have been lying to me,” his mom snapped.

“I didn’t lie to mommy,” Max quivered, tears already welling in his eyes.

“Not you, honey. Come snuggle with mommy,” she cooed. “It’s Daddy and your brothers I’m not happy with.”

“What do you mean?” Harvey asked.

“You see, I was under the impression that nothing too crazy happened yesterday when you took your father and 17-year-old brother, a MINOR, to see the war firsthand. I was told that you all hid in a bunker with an angel watching over you, shooting a few hellhounds that got too close for comfort. Does that sound about right?”

“I mean… that’s part of,” Tyler began.

“Does that sound like the story you told me last night?” his mother interrupted.

“Yes…”

“So then imagine my surprise when I watched my own husband almost start crawling out of his skin after asking the angels for an update on the war today,” Cassandra barked.

Even now, Harvey could see his father trying to hold back his anger. Steven Thorne was a gentle giant, very rarely letting his family see anything other than a loving father and supportive husband. Whenever that veneer cracked, you knew to tread lightly.

“What did they say?” Harvey asked.

“That everything is going perfectly according to plan,” Steve erupted. “That in a few weeks, the demons would be dealt with, and we’d start the real work of converting Earth to its Heavenly destiny.”

“They can’t expect us to believe that,” Harvey scoffed. “Everyone can see the quest, right?”

“Almost nobody’s checked since we all got settled in, and even those who did don’t know how the trial works. The way the angels talk about it, losing two lieutenants might just be a minor setback that nobody needs to worry about.”

“Since when do you know how the trial works?” Cassandra asked.

“Well, since yesterday. Cash explained when the dragon showed up,” Steve muttered.

“DRAGON?!” Cassandra exploded. “You only told me our son got clawed up, and you got bit? Nobody said anything about a dragon!”

“Harvey took care of it,” Tyler replied.

“Oh, great! That makes it so much better. You know, most sons want their family to come to an awards dinner or a birthday party, not to come watch them get burned and eaten alive!”

“Mom,” Harvey interrupted.

“No! I’m not done!” she snapped. “How dare you pressure your father into joining your little crusade. And you!” she turned to her husband sitting next to her. “Not only did you promise our son you’d fight more DRAGONS with him, but you didn’t even ask me?”

“MOM!” Harvey yelled, accidentally letting his aura slip. His legacy focused on protection and innovation, but the sheer weight was enough to silence the room. “I don’t have a choice. Neither does Dad, and neither do you.”

“This isn’t a game, Harvey. You don’t get to decide who plays,” his mother whispered.

“You’re right. It’s not. This is real life, and we’re all going to be dead soon if we don’t do something right now.”

“Don’t talk like that in front of your brother!” she gasped, putting her hands over Max’s ears.

“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Pretending it’s not isn’t going to change anything.”

Shock and disbelief marred his mother’s face, and for the first time in his life, she appeared at a complete loss for words. Tears streamed down her face, but Harvey’s heart remained steady.

“We didn’t raise you to act like this.”

“Mom, with all the love and respect in my heart, I need you to listen to me. I’m not saying this to be dramatic or hurt anyone’s feelings, but the son you raised? He died. Angry, weak, and alone. I picked up the pieces. Literally overcame death, so I could come back to the family I loved and help you learn the same lessons I did.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Like what? Being reckless?”

“Taking control of your life! Becoming the master of your own destiny. We may have been safe in our old lives, but this new world? It’s anything but safe.”

“You’re still my son,” she sobbed. “I can’t lose you again. I can’t let any of you get hurt.”

[Go easy on her, man]

You don’t know my mother. I have to make her understand, or she’ll never forgive us.

“Mom,” Harvey whispered, gingerly moving next to her and wrapping her in a bear hug. “I love you. So… so much. That’s why I want to fight. War isn’t coming. It’s already here, and no matter how much the angels lie to you, we’re losing.”

“I… I want to believe you, but I just can’t believe God’s people would ever lie like that,” she whispered.

“Then let me show you,” Harvey insisted. “What if we all take a walk to the gates? That way you can all see for yourselves.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Steve hastily agreed.

“Will they even let us?” Eleanor asked.

“Hopefully. If not, I’ll talk to them.” Harvey assured

“Fine. Max, go put your shoes on.

Normally, Cassandra would never be caught dead leaving the house with mascara running down her face, but today was a day of firsts. Harvey had to admit, selling his story was hard when they’d spent the last two months in a picture-perfect neighborhood that only gave off slight big-brother vibes. The daybreak was pristine as ever, and the sound of chirping birds and lawn sprinklers accompanied their steps. Despite the relaxing atmosphere, nobody spoke. There was still too much tension in the air. With Max’s short legs and constantly getting distracted by the various parks and playgrounds visible from the neighborhood entrances, it took significantly longer to reach the wall than when Harvey first arrived with Cash the prior morning.

“What’s that?” Eleanor asked, pointing at a sheet of golden light stretching high into the atmosphere far ahead.

“Cash told me there’s no fighting on Sundays, so I’d guess that’s the barrier separating us from the demons,” Harvey surmised. He was quickly proven right as they approached the silver gates. The shimmering barrier cut right through the bars, and the fact that there wasn’t a single angel in sight suggested they were absolutely confident it wouldn’t fall. Harvey couldn’t feel any essence radiating from it with his aura, and it made no sound as they approached. Placing his hand on it, the barrier felt like nothing more than tinted glass.

“Oh my…” his mother gasped, looking out over piles of still burning flesh half-buried in craters where the dragon's flames melted the asphalt. The air reeked of ash and blood mixed with burning hair, and they could still hear the crackling flames of picket fences and smoldering homes. The bubbling flesh of creatures from both sides melted together in bubbling piles of fat that made his stomach churn. Normally, their bodies would be harvested for crafting materials, but draconic flames had made recovering anything useful almost impossible.

“Oh my God, I’m gonna be sick,” Eleanor grumbled, holding her stomach before hurling in the bushes. Like the first domino to fall, his mother, Max, and Tyler soon joined her.

“Let it out,” Steve comforted, helping them hold back their hair. “You’re ok. You’re ok.”

Harvey hadn’t gotten a chance to take in the destruction before waking up in that little girl’s bedroom. It was almost worse than their last stand at the Hell Hotel. It was a sobering thought to realize that his trial’s final battle could be a daily occurrence. So much death and destruction.

[If there was ever a time to wonder about the afterlife…]

His mother gasped for air, trying to wipe her mouth on her sleeve. “You were out there?!”

Steve hesitated before answering. “Yes, honey. We were, but Harvey and Cash protected us.”

“This time! What about tomorrow? Tuesday?” she ranted.

“Mom, I know it’s hard to look past the bodies, but do you see what else is out there?” Harvey asked.

Turning back toward the glass, Harvey walked up beside her and pointed towards the most intact building he could see. A smoldering church that looked exactly like the one in their own neighborhood.

“Is that?” she muttered.

“The other side of this wall isn’t some empty battlefield. It’s the remains of a neighborhood the angels couldn’t hold. A dead part of Heaven,” Harvey explained.

“It… It can’t be. That has to be part of Hell,” she refused.

“Nope. Hell isn’t suburbs and sunshine. It’s a decaying city where neon lights illuminate eternal night. That’s where I showed up. That’s where I killed a demon and saved Cash.”

She shuddered, tears streaming down her face as she turned and buried herself in his chest. Eleanor did the same with their dad, while Max grabbed Tyler’s hand and pulled himself closer. Harvey could tell his youngest brother didn’t know what was going on, but seeing the utter terror on their mother’s face was enough to scare him.

“What happened to the people there?” Cassandra whispered.

“I’m sure a few escaped, but most probably died,” Harvey answered truthfully.

Not knowing what to say and unwilling to ask his mother to make a choice in death’s shadow, the family turned to walk home. The distance between their home and the front lines that felt far just minutes ago now only felt like a stone’s throw away. Returning to the living room, they sat in suffocating silence.

“Do you believe me now?” Harvey asked. His mother wouldn’t look into his eyes, but she nodded subtly.

“We have to do something. Otherwise, our neighborhood might be next. I’m not willing to sit around and pray something changes. I’m going to go out there and do everything I can to get this family back home,” Harvey declared.

“Me too,” Tyler blurted, shying away when his mother’s tearful gaze snapped towards him. “I want to fight.”

“Faith without works is dead, honey,” Steve said.

Her lip quivered as she nervously wrung her hands. “I’m not a fighter.”

“And you don’t have to be!” Harvey encouraged. “Leave that to us.”

“We just need to know you support us,” Steve said. “That would be enough.”

Cassandra waited for a long time, nobody daring to rush her since that almost always backfired. Eventually, she sighed and slumped deep into the couch. “Fine. But Harvey, you have to promise me something.”

“Anything,” Harvey assured.

“You do whatever you have to for my boys to come home safe.”