The Pursuit Of Genesis

3 : Vision of the Almighty

A feeling struck Astharoth's mind. This time, it was warm, familiar, something he knew, yet it was partially unknown to him. Like a blurry memory.

His eyes opened and his vision cleared, noticing himself in an endless white plain covered with mist.

"Papa. . ." came a fainting voice, from some distance away from him. ". . .Come here, papa."

He noticed, a small girl stood in the direction of the voice. Beside her stood a lady, with a face Astharoth could never, even if he wished, forget. He said nothing and kept looking, with a blank face, into their eyes. Except, the two figures in front kept looking down, refusing to meet glance with him.

"L-Layla. . ." Astharoth said after a while, but the girl didn't respond.

"When is papa. . . coming back, mamma?" The girl said, still looking down.

"Your papa is brave," the other figure said in a comforting voice. "He's working at a national defense unit. . . to-to keep mamma and Layla safe and happy. Don't worry, he'll be back in no time. Till then, the princess can play with mamma."

White mist gathered around him and the two figures, enclosing the three inside. With dry, apathetic eyes, Astharoth went silent, in that endless white plain, looking at them both.

"Layla," after a moment, he called again in a louder voice. "Layla, I'm here. Papa. . . is here."

No response.

"Mamma..."

The girl glanced up at the mother, holding her hand.

"Will you join us to the mountains, mamma," it was a happy, cheerful voice and a tear came down from Astharoth's eye. "The mountains and the step-gardens on the higher lands are beautiful."

Mother chuckled a bit and got to her knees to match the girl's eye level. "Oh dear, you mean the coffee terrace-gardens on the highlands?"

"Yeah, yes," the girl cheerfully said. "That's what papa calls those step-gardens."

The mother chuckled again, "Sure if that's what my princess want, mother will join too,"

"Once papa comes back, we shall go there and will also play under the big trees on the way, just like the last time."

Snapping back to the present, Astharoth realised what was happening, but he still refused to accept it. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he still expected them to have survived the devastating annihilation, the calamity that wiped his reality. Or perhaps, he expected it was all a dream or a simulation and he would, somehow, wake up to see his daughter again.

In the white plain of mist, his body subconsciously stood up. As Astharoth took a step forward, toward the two figures, expecting to reach his daughter, the mist around him glitched and the image faded in a blink of an eye.

At the end of the glitch, an image appeared again, just like the previous one. The girl stood there, some distance away, one step behind now as he had moved a step ahead. The mother still stood beside her, holding her hand.

Except, the cheerful, happy, chuckling face of the girl was no more. The little girl, no more, had that smile on her face nor that excitement to meet her father.

"Why?" The girl said, coldly, while her grip tightened around mother's palms. "Why has papa not returned yet, mamma?" And Astharoth could feel the physical weight of disappointment in the girl's voice.

"It's been so much time," the girl said, disappointed. "He promised he will return soon."

Then the sound of a blast appeared in the area. A sound identical to that of when the skies were torn open.