WHISPERS TRILOGY

THE AMULET|THE MAN

The staircase went through deep into the earth. They walked for nearly two minutes before reaching a door way at the bottom. They gasped out loud when they went in. It was a library. Another library. It looked almost twice as large as the one upstairs. Shelves and shelves stacked with books, specimen in jars and collectibles filled it. It was so... "Huge!" exclaimed Teresa.

They split up after they found some candles nearby, each studying the library according to their own personal curiosities. "I've never seen books this old in my life," said Nessa. They were more of handwritten journals, pages sewn together and bound in leather. Teresa walked to the very end and saw several glass cases, "They had glass in the past?" She looked at the items in all of them, then realized two things: Each item had a book placed on a platform in front of them, and one of the items was missing, the glass broken on one side.

She went closer and studied the inscription on the marble pillar that kept the glass from touching the bottom, raising it high. It read, "Here lies the Luminus." She resorted to checking the book instead. Maybe it would explain things she wanted to know. The image on the first page made her cry out almost immediately she opened it. "Sheila! I think I found something!"

Both Sheila and Nessa ran to where Teresa was. "What is it Tess?" "I found it. The book about your amulet! It's this one. Take a look." The first page had a detailed drawing of the amulet and the page immediately after read, 'The Origin of the Luminus'. "Teresa, my amulet is called the Amulet of Eternal Light, not the--" "Maybe that's just the English name. I knew that amulet looked off since day one. I've always been drawn to it somehow. Did you guys take it from a museum or something?" said Nessa. "It's a long story." They answered.

"Well, let's find out if this Luminus has anything to do with the one around to neck." She flipped the pages and read out loud to the two ten year olds.

"The Luminus, which later came to be known as the Amulet of Eternal Light (Teresa stuck her tongue out at Sheila) is an object of incredible and immense power dating back close to four thousand years before the nineteenth century.

Before the floods that wiped out humanity, when the Sons of God walked the earth and the Nephilim as well, there lived a mighty half-man, half- heavenly being called Raela. She was the Daughter of the Stars and with her power, she would destroy the darkness that would try forcing its way into the world. She knew, however, that she would not last forever, for the forces of Evil grew stronger each day. So she created an Amulet with metal from her own armor and with the heart of a dying star, and finally put her own spirit inside of it.

She made it so, that at the Darkest ages of Humanity, one born of man would be chosen to wield the amulet. Her power to wield the amulet and manipulate the light will be in him; the Amulet will be an anchor and a guide to him. As the years flew and the world covered in water, there rose the Hunter, Nimrod. He used the Amulet to set up his empire, but it never really answered to him well. The most he achieved was using it as a beacon.

It disappeared after that, then thousands of years later it resurfaced in the 14th century. During the time before King Arthur, there was a Dark Lord named Teraduq Viceroy. He had sold his soul to the Devil, and from him, he drew his power. He was half man, half demon. But his demon side was so much so he risked bringing about the apocalypse.

During this time, one man found the Luminus and with the warlock Merlin's help, Sir Jared Blue defeated the Dark Star, Teraduq Viceroy. Sir Jared Blue was the only other human being known to wield the true power of the Amulet. He left it to the care of Merlin after his death, who took it to the people of the Omar Cult here in America. The Luminus has since been kept in the Oakwood Library under the care and protection of the cryptic scholars of the Omar, awaiting the coming of the Chosen.

They remained silent for some time, taking in the information they had just acquired. "That's just the origin of the amulet! This book has so much information about this amulet: Dark Star's story, the elements of the Dying Star's core, the story of Raela! I never thought I would geek out about something like this!" "Question is, where is the amulet? It looks like it was stolen or something," said Sheila. "What do you mean where, it's right there on your neck," said Nessa.

Teresa exchanged glances with Sheila, who nodded firmly then turned to Nessa. "I'm from the future." Nessa stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "Wow, you almost had me there. Now seriously, what are you talking about--" She gasped when the amulet on Sheila's neck suddenly started glowing. Sheila smirked when it did this, "Believe me now?" "From the future?! Is music better there, cause I just can't stand listening to this junk we call music."

"Well it's more or less better when everyone discovered the beauty of bass in music... But that's not the point. I got this amulet in the year 2018, and it brought me here, which means there should be two amulets... but where's the other?" asked Sheila. "I don't get something, why did you come back?" asked Nessa. "It's a long story," said Teresa. They went silent for a while, then her phone rang.

Nessa went pink. "It's Austin! Girls, let's get out of here." She rushed towards the stairs, Teresa followed giggling. Sheila took one last glance at the book and made up her mind to carry it. It was a bit heavy, but she would put it in her bag, probably show it to Ms. Hazel. She started heading out when the amulet glowed, and she was filled with a sense of awareness that someone else was in the room.

She dropped the book and took the amulet in her hand. Her eyes traced the outline of everything she could see. "I know you're there," she said, "Whoever you are, whatever you are... Show yourself. You can't hide from me." It was silent, then a sinister bellow of a laugh came from everywhere, "Oh dear child, I have nothing to hide." She turned quickly, but she was not fast enough. She was caught by her neck.

It was a man, a handsome man; but his eyes had a purple glow in them. He was heavily built with short trimmed hair and a neat trimmed beard. He wore a black pull-neck, a black pair of jeans and a black trench coat. He lifted her off the ground with one arm. She had long since dropped the amulet in a bid to free herself, but he was too strong. "Millions of heroes and warriors for the past five hundred years, billions of noblemen come and go, yet the Luminus chooses a child. This must be a sick joke."

"Who... Are you?" She choked out, fighting rather to breathe than be free. "I could kill you right now and be over and done with this mess," his voice was bold and booming; she recognized it as the one she kept hearing in her dreams, "Where you found the Luminus? No one knows. You have a bearing to the prophecy. Luther was a fool to try and kill you. He can no longer make the same mistake, you made sure of that. One thing remains clear all the same: You must Live."

He dropped her clumsily to the floor. She coughed severally, gasping for the sweet precious relief of having fresh air in her lungs, then she rushed for the amulet. A purple force caught her hand, preventing her from reaching it. "You haven't answered my question," she demanded boldly. He smiled at her, "You have a taste of the amulet's power and now you think you're unstoppable. That nothing can stand in your way because you're... The supposed Chosen one. You have no idea what true power is." She frowned at him. "I am not afraid of you." He smirked again as he turned to leave. "Yes, Sheila Cruz. Yes you are." With that, he disappeared into the shadows.