Last Son: Book One

Chapter 1 Father's House

Samael sat in front of Azazel's church, the only occupant in an otherwise empty building. He slouched in his seat, clenching his fists, his voice filled with anger. Samael looked at the image of Jesus on the cross and muttered, "What are you looking at?" He scoffed at the words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," dismissing them with disinterest. In frustration, Samael threw the Bible to his side. Suddenly, screams filled the air, causing Samael to wonder what was happening. "What's wrong with these people?" he muttered, puzzled by the chaos unfolding in the town. It wasn't even Sunday, yet the citizens seemed consumed by rage. Samael decided to investigate, making his way towards the entrance of the church. Upon opening the doors, Samael was greeted by a sight he couldn't comprehend. The entire town was enveloped in darkness as if a curse had befallen it and spread rapidly. Angry and infected townspeople locked eyes with Samael and charged toward him with fury. In a panic, Samael closed the doors to protect himself. As an infected civilian approached the church doors, he taunted Samael, "You can't hide in there forever, young man! The curse will come upon you!!!" The infected civilian laughed wickedly, and Samael, feeling trapped, made his way to the altar. To his surprise, the altar opened up, revealing a hidden underground passage. Confused by this discovery, Samael muttered, "What the heck... why did Father never tell me about this?" He descended the altar passageway, taking a torch to light his way. The underground was adorned with ancient drawings on the walls, dating back to the first dark age in 1100 BC. Samael couldn't help but think to himself, "Samuel, a strong warrior... God made him a superhuman." Moving forward, Samael encountered more disturbing images and prison cells. "Why would Father have prison cells?" he wondered aloud. Upon closer inspection, he noticed human remains inside the cells. Samael couldn't comprehend why his father would lock up these people and subject them to such punishment. It was a stark contrast to the image of a good man wearing a holy cloth. Pausing at one of the prisoners' cells, Samael picked up a diary belonging to Tom Prince, his father's right-hand man. Thoughts swirled in his mind, questioning Tom's involvement in these disturbing works. Was he part of the evil or one of the prisoners? Samael carefully tucked away Tom's diary in his black leather jacket pocket. Continuing his journey, Samael reached the end of the underground passage and emerged through the cellar door. He found himself in an unfamiliar room, filled with secrets from his past. Drawings adorned the walls, depicting a sinister goat's head. Samael's voice trembled as he thought, "GOATS HEAD." The words were written in fresh blood, and before him stood a sacrificial altar made of black stone. Seven candlesticks surrounded the altar, creating an eerie atmosphere. Overwhelmed by the evil he sensed, Samael's voice quivered as he fell to the ground. The candles flickered, eventually extinguishing their light. The sacrificial room grew darker, but the altar emitted a dark purple glow, casting an ominous presence. Samael looked up in fear and confusion, questioning the nature of the place he found himself in. A voice spoke to him through the dark, glowing purple sphere, offering him eternal power from his true bloodline. Samael wondered why his father had never revealed this to him, but the voice explained that it was not his father's decision to make. The gods had guided Samael to this place so he could obtain the power and fulfill his purpose as the eternal one. Curious about his purpose, Samael asked for clarification. The voice explained that while the lamb is sacrificed for the sins of the world, Samael could use his newfound power to punish the guilty or become the atonement for their sins. Samael, however, rejected the notion, declaring that he was not a killer. In an act of defiance, Samael picked up a long steel sword and swung it at the dark purple sphere. As the sphere vanished, the candlesticks lit up again, the ground shook violently, and the sacrificial altar broke apart. A blinding light engulfed Samael, lifting him into the sky, and he fell into a deep sleep. When Samael woke up, he found himself back in his father's house, seated with a book in his hand. He read aloud a passage about the fallen Lucifer, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Confused by the screams outside, he exclaimed, "What's wrong with these people... It's not even Sunday!" Realizing his mistake, he checked his smartwatch and discovered that it was indeed Sunday. As Samael approached the church entrance, an old man on the other side of the doors warned him that he couldn't hide forever from the curse. Startled, Samael retreated and returned to where he had originally sat. He reached into his black leather jacket and pulled out Tom's Prince diary, pondering its contents. Opening the diary, Samael began reading Tom's account of being his brother's keeper, a disciple, and a follower of Father Azazel. He learned that Azazel had performed works to save the innocent and imprison the wicked. The town had turned against Azazel, losing their love for God and becoming a playground for evil. Suddenly, the church shook violently, and a black dim sphere appeared at the entrance. An ominous creature emerged from it, pale with grey skin, black eyes, razor-blade teeth, and sharp claws. Samael bravely attacked the creature, slaying it with his sword. More creatures emerged, but Samael fought them off, determined and unyielding. The black dim sphere unleashed a larger creature, accompanied by an army. Samael faced them with determination, slaying both the smaller and larger creatures. Exhausted but determined, he approached the altar, hoping to open the secret passage he had discovered earlier. However, his efforts were in vain, and the passage remained closed. As Samael opened the church doors, he was greeted by a strange sight. Dark clouds covered the sky in broad daylight, and the town appeared deserted. Samael called out, but there was no response, only silence. Further down the road, he encountered more of the same creatures and engaged them in battle, slaying each one that came his way. Growing weary, Samael continued forward, trying to avoid the main road to evade the creatures. Eventually, he arrived at a new location on the outskirts of the town. A sign, written in fresh blood, warned him not to enter, stating that death awaited those who did. Samael stood at a crossroads, unsure of what lay ahead. But with his sword in hand and his determination unshaken, he prepared to face the unknown and uncover the mysteries that awaited him. Undeterred by the warning sign, Samael decided to take a chance and entered the old, boarded-up building. However, as soon as he stepped inside, a glowing red force barrier blocked the exit, trapping him inside. Strange noises echoed through the walls, causing the building to shake and collapse around him. Samael moved cautiously, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding before him. Entering a room with a putrid smell, Samael wondered about the source of the terrible odor. The room was dark and cold, with strange noises emanating from unseen corners. Suddenly, a pale creature with thick arms, wet skin, and foul-smelling breath dropped from the ceiling and lunged at Samael. Reacting quickly, Samael grabbed his sword and beheaded the creature, holding its head in his hand as he lay on the ground. Covered in a mixture of green ooze and blood, Samael couldn't help but remark on the creature's repugnant smell. He cleaned his blade and pondered the nature of these creatures and the absence of any other humans. More of the creatures approached, and Samael fought them off, severing their heads one by one. However, the stench from the decapitated creatures only intensified. Moving forward cautiously, Samael found himself surrounded by the foul smell emanating from the headless bodies. The building continued to collapse, and the snarling of the creatures grew louder. Samael couldn't help but shiver in the cold. The creatures leaped at him, but Samael skillfully swung his sword, cutting them down. With the blade resting on his shoulder and a grin on his face, Samael taunted the headless creatures, commenting on their toxic stench. He moved forward slowly, ready to face more of these creatures, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, candlesticks in the environment lit up, illuminating the area. Samael noticed fast movement and realized there were more drawings on the walls. The drawings resembled the ones he had seen in the underground prison cells and sacrificial room, but these also depicted the creatures he encountered in the abandoned building. Disturbed by the connection, Samael noticed that the writings on the walls were made using fresh blood. He read the words aloud, "GOATS HEAD... SHEEP FOLLOWS THE FOOLISH ONE... BLOODSHED... BLOOD IS THE INCENSE TO NEW LIFE." These words filled Samael with a sense of unease and raised more questions about the purpose of this place and the creatures he faced. Determined to find answers, he pressed on, prepared to confront whatever lay ahead and uncover the truth hidden within the darkness of the abandoned building. Confused and disturbed by the cryptic writings on the walls, Samael repeated the phrase, "Blood is the incense to new life," searching for its meaning. As he explored the area, his attention was drawn to a wooden desk covered in papers. Among them was a file written by someone named Tom Prince, which piqued Samael's curiosity. He tucked the file into his backpack and noticed a locked locker behind the desk. Determined to uncover the secrets within, Samael swiftly cut open the lock with his sword. To his disappointment, the locker was empty, but he noticed a series of numbers: 666. The significance of this code puzzled him, and he wondered if it had any connection to his father and Tom Prince's involvement. With a sense of urgency, Samael quickened his pace, knowing he needed to find answers. Approaching a locked door on the main floor, Samael realized he needed a key to proceed. Frustrated but undeterred, he turned his attention to the elevator, only to find it out of service due to a power outage. Resigned to using the stairs, he braced himself for the cold and darkness that awaited him. Slowly ascending the stairs, Samael heard the squeaking of each step, accompanied by the snarling of the creatures and the intensifying stench. Finally reaching the second floor, the moonlight seeping through un-boarded windows provided some visibility. Samael prepared himself for battle as the bloodthirsty creatures approached. With swift and precise sword strikes, he beheaded each swine-like creature that crossed his path, but their numbers seemed endless. Despite the continuous onslaught, Samael stood his ground, determined to overcome the horde. The atmosphere grew more suffocating with the creatures' foul odor. Frustrated and bewildered, he questioned the origin of these ugly creatures as he pressed forward. Suddenly, the room was illuminated by the candlesticks once again, raising the question of what caused the sudden flame. The creatures instinctively moved away from the light, allowing Samael to proceed cautiously. He discovered another desk with more paperwork, including another file, most likely written by Tom Prince. Overwhelmed by the nonsensical information, Samael was interrupted by the snarling sounds coming from the next floor. Quickly moving to the next floor, Samael cautiously continued his journey in the darkness. Despite the boarded-up windows, he could still hear the creatures approaching. Engaging them blindly, his skills and instincts guided him, piercing through their pale, wet skin. Samael fought with determination, his anger driving each swing of his sword. Moving forward, Samael found his way out of the room and entered a small space with a stairway leading to the final floor. Candlelit, the room was adorned with more disturbing drawings and words written in fresh blood. The writings repeated the phrase, "Goat's head... All fellow sheep's blood sacrifice will be incensed to the goat..." These words sent a chill down Samael's spine, deepening the mystery surrounding this place and its connection to his father and Tom Prince. Determined to uncover the truth, he steeled himself for what lay ahead, ready to face the final floor and confront the darkness that awaited him. Samael found himself in a state of confusion as the old abandoned building continued to shift and crumble around him. The ceiling was caving in, and the floor beneath him was tearing apart. Desperate to find an escape, he rushed towards the staircase, only to discover that it had vanished, swallowed by the shifting structure. Frustrated and determined to find another way out, Samael spotted another door and sprinted towards it, but the ground gave way, causing him to fall. Hours passed, and Samael regained consciousness in a cold and dark room. Wondering where this space would lead him, he grabbed a torch from the wall, questioning the source of its flame. As he moved forward, Samael encountered more disturbing drawings and came across a red, glowing sphere emitting flickering flames. Intrigued and perplexed, he reached out his hand towards it, only to hear a voice speak to him. The voice referred to Samael as a fellow man, a fellow sheep. Startled, he stepped back, readying his sword for protection. The voice confirmed that it was the same entity from the sacrificial room but remained silent when Samael asked if it wanted something from him. Growing impatient, Samael demanded answers. The voice acknowledged him as the son of Azazel and hinted at a forthcoming revelation of his true purpose. Samael, confident in his knowledge of his purpose, challenged the entity. In response, the fiery red glowing sphere disappeared, replaced by a black sphere that unleashed a horde of swine-like creatures. Undeterred, Samael engaged in battle, swiftly dispatching the creatures with his sword. However, as more black spheres appeared, the creatures grew stronger. Samael remained resolute, determined to eliminate every last one of them. Just as Samael thought he had triumphed over the swine-like creatures, a final black sphere emerged, and a voice declared his impending demise. The remaining creature attacked, causing Samael minor injuries. Unfazed, Samael fought back, piercing the creature's chest with his sword. Surprisingly, the creature survived and threatened to make Samael his fresh meat. In a display of unwavering determination, Samael declared his intention to sever the creature's head. However, before he could finish the job, the swine-like creature retreated back into the sphere, vowing to return for Samael. As he moved towards the black sphere, it disappeared, and the dark space began to tremble. Amidst the shaking darkness, a brilliant light suddenly appeared, illuminating the surroundings. Samael searched for an exit, but the light seemed to consume the darkness, pulling him towards it. Uncertain of where this light would lead him, he wondered if it would guide him towards another darkness or if it would reveal a new path for him to follow. With a mix of anticipation and trepidation, Samael allowed himself to be drawn into the embrace of the light, ready to face whatever awaited him on the other side.