She could feel the intense darkness emanating from it in sickening waves… it carried with it a powerful and terrifying desire… no, more than that… a need that would not be denied… to consume… to consume everything… until nothing remained…
Seraphina, Empress of the holy empire of Nevaeh and the guardian of all radiant light… released a shaky breath as she steeled herself for what she knew was surely to come. There was no doubt that a great battle was going to ensue…
Perhaps Dorien… with his keen understanding of darkness would have some ideas of how to combat this horrible force that threatened the balance they so carefully maintained…
Turning, Seraphina looked upon the crystalline altar where the sacred crystal of the radiance floated above it's crystalline pedestal, lights of all colors swirled about inside… within this crystal was everything… every universe… every dimension… this crystal preserved and protected them all… it was the sacred task and duty of herself and Dorien to safeguard this crystal and preserve balance for all…
If push came to shove… Seraphina closed her eyes softly, solemnly… she knew she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the crystal… she would not hesitate… not even for a moment…
A single tear glided down the alabaster flesh of her right cheek…
A subtle whooshing sound caught Seraphina's attention and after discreetly wiping away the tear, she slowly turned to see that Dorien had arrived in response to the summons she had sent.
Dorien… Emperor of the dark empire of Umbra and the guardian of darkness and shadow… he was quite the intimidating figure… with his shoulder length pitch black hair loosely but neatly tied back behind his nape, his flesh ghostly pale and eyes like luminous blood red rubies… he was handsome in an eerie way…
He approached on slow confident strides, his face held an unreadable expression, but that was normal for him… his crimson eyes looked Seraphina up slowly from the edges of her slim fit white and lavender gown, all the way to the top of her golden head…
"Looking beautiful as always, dear Seraphina…" He murmured, turning then to gaze upon the long jagged pulsating tear that Seraphina had earlier been observing "Seems we have a new concerning development…"
"Concerning is an understatement, Dorien… this is a dire emergency… if we do not stop this tear and block whatever is attempting to break through… it will mean catastrophe, apocalypse… for one world after another…" She responded firmly, descending the altar steps to stand beside Dorien "This will take both of us to push it back and banish it to whence it came… are you ready to do this? I can promise you, it will not be effortless or painless…"
Dorien took a few steps closer towards the edge of the dais, staring at the tear… he was silent for at least a good solid thirty seconds, before he nodded and bowed his head slightly… Seraphina angled her head with a confused and puzzled expression… at least until Dorien whirled around quickly and extended his palms out as he unleashed a powerful burst of dark energy at her!
Seraphina was thrown across the dais, hitting the crystalline surface hard and smacking into the bottom of the altar's steps… she laid there gazing in hurt confusion at Dorien… she was badly wounded, fatally so… this power… it was far greater than what Dorien possessed, his own power had been drastically amplified and boosted… she gazed outward at the tear then and then back to Dorien… her eyes widened and unshed tears glittered beneath them…
"Dorien…" Seraphina whispered weakly "What have you done?"
"I have been enlightened…" Dorien murmured darkly, his crimson eyes wide with madness, his lips curved into a smile "A voice has been speaking to me over the past few months… a voice that helped me to see everything that I truly am and everything I am destined to become… I was duped into becoming a guardian… pah! Guardian… You mean servant! He helped me to see… how powerful and great the darkness is… how powerful and great I am… how much more powerful he can help me to become… I will become… A GOD! This universe… all universes, all dimensions, all realms… they will all be drenched in my darkness and bow down before ME!! He has promised me this…"
Dorien's crimson gaze flicked up towards the floating crystal "All I have to do is shatter that damned crystal that I was duped into serving for so very long… He will be freed from his prison and the way will be opened into all worlds… we will go together and claim them all… I stand towering above every single one, as their supreme God! It will be… glorious… silken darkness blanketing everything in luscious shadows…"
"You have been deceived, Dorien… this darkness… it has no desire to rule anything… it's only desire is to consume! It is not too late… you must stop this…" Seraphina pleaded "This is not who you are… you are my friend… I know you… do not let this terrible force warp and corrupt you!"
"You… know nothing about me!" Dorien snarled, raising a hand and unleashing another smaller wave of dark energy at Seraphina, grinning wildly as her cries rang out into the air… he looked at her as she laid there struggling to breath, her eyes struggling to stay open…
"It's been sweet, Seraphina…" Dorien drawled with a laugh as he strode on past her, going up the steps towards the altar where the pedestal sat… he looked up to the crystal floating above "And now… to set my destiny into motion…"
Bringing both hands up in front of him, Dorien summoned a massive ball of swirling dark energy and with a wild maniacal smile, he hurled it at the crystal "An end to balance… and the beginning of my glory!"
Cracks began splintering throughout the crystal until chunks of it began breaking off and shattering against the floor at Dorien's feet, his howling laughter echoed into the sky… he whirled around to look at the tear "It is done! Come forth! Come to me! Bring forth my everlasting darkness!
"No…" Seraphina sobbed softly, she watched heartbroken as the swirling rainbow lights inside the crystal began flickering weakly, beginning to fade "No… it cannot end like this…"
She turned weakly to see the tear growing wider and longer… claws beginning to poke through…
She knew what had to be done…
Her violet eyes gazed upwards at the damaged dying crystal… tears gliding down her cheeks freely.
"Take my light… my essence… use it to save them… save them all…" Seraphina sobbed lightly, closing her eyes to focus her power and direct it to the crystal "Take it… use my light… to save everything…"
The crystal began to glow a bright radiant golden light… Seraphina opened her eyes to gaze upon it, all the while feeling her light, her very essence and lifeforce being drawn from her to the crystal… she could feel it then… the crystal speaking to her…
A soft smile curved her lips… all the while, Dorien jumping around the crystal trying to throw his dark energy at it, desperately try to stop whatever was happening to no avail… tendrils of light floated from the crystal as it began repairing itself, they wrapped around Dorien's body to restrain him… his enraged howls echoed wildly…
"While this banishment may be broken in time as the bonds weaken… balance will provide hope… five heroes of the radiance will emerge… they will fight to preserve and protect… they will…"
Seraphina's softly murmuring voice faded as her words went left unfinished… her eyelids closed… and the Empress of the Holy Light breathed no more…
From the crystal, bright blinding light exploded and bathed everything…
Angel Grove, California
A young man stood in front of a full length mirror, straightening a bright red tie as he practiced responses to typical questions for a job interview he was preparing for…
Unaware that a ruby triangle shape emblem the size of a palm fell upon his bed, in the center was a finely chiseled picture of perfectly balanced scales…