The Sentinel

CHAPTER SEVEN: FAIRTHEOIR

In less than a second, all the clues and memories I had of the Reaper passed rushing through my eyes. It was possible. It could make sense, but how? How can my father be the Reaper? How did he become a supernatural warrior?

"I know you have a lot of questions," he said, looking at me with loving eyes. "I can explain everything, but you need to listen with an open mind."

"When did you become the Reaper," I asked, ignoring his words. "Did mom know?"

The expression in his face darkened when I mentioned my mother.

"Let's start from the beginning," he replied, changing his expression a little, hardening his face. "His name is not the Reaper. In his native language, he is called Fairtheoir, which translated to English, it means Sentinel."

"Fairtheoir?" I repeated the name out loud, surprised. That was the strange word I had been hearing from the monsters since all this started. "The creatures said that same word to me a few times."

"Yes," he answered, with his eyes fixed on mine. "They smelled it on you."

"What are those creatures?" I asked next, anxious to know more about the truth. "Where did they come from?"

My father let out a sigh and rubbed his hands in silence for a second, before he started talking again.

"There are things in this world that nobody knows exist. There are worlds within, other dimensions parallel to this one, and there are barriers that protect and divide them. They are like energy walls that keep the balance and prevent the clash between dimensions," he explained

"You are saying those creatures are from another dimension?" I asked with my eyes wide open, and my father nodded in response.

"Around three thousand years ago, a powerful being opened a breach in the walls, a portal between dimensions that brought chaos and death," he narrated, and then a little smile formed in his face. "But not all dimensions were inhabited by evil and vicious creatures. There was one dimension that fought to bring back the balance and close the portal. A fierce war broke out and it didn't pass long until it reached this world."

My father's voice became intense when he mentioned this world. His emotions were visible in his face. I could see his expressions changing as he went along with his story, which made me wonder how he learned all that. Maybe it was written in the book Dana was carrying, maybe that was what he was reading all the time.

"So those monsters have been here before," I stated, and he nodded.

"There is a thing about the dimensions though," he continued. "Because all realities are different, the beings from one dimension cannot pass completely to another. Their physical form cannot pass the portal, only their spirits, and those spirits need a body."

"The Tourists," I mumbled, assembling the puzzle in my head.

"The spirit takes complete control of the body, and it turns it into something grotesque, a replica of their original body but twisted. They are called Crois," he explained, and everything started to make sense. "But the beings from the good dimensions also crossed the portal to fight these creatures, also taking possession of the body of the local people."

"Did they create other monsters?" I asked, fearing that we would soon have to face a different kind of monster.

"No, they didn't take complete control of the bodies, they became part of them, giving them the strength and abilities to fight against those monsters," he said, and I realised what he was talking about.

"The Reaper," I murmured and then goosebumps made my body shivered. "Does that mean you are possessed right now?"

My father looked down and breathed out loudly a couple of times before looking at me again.