Telestic (The Transcendent File_002)

17. Something wicked this way comes

"Rule number thirteen: find all the telestic findings. They are not just people. Remember that seeing is believing and that everything isn't always what it seems. There's been a prophecy intact since before Transcendents walked this Earth. Someone dead will return as his true-self and cause strife and chaos on this world. He wants to rule. Transcendents must ensure that he never returns. Look for the signs. Don't let the wicked win."

- Transcendent Book of Life

What the hell is in the backpack? Cinder blocks? Who can I trust if everyone has either been brainwashed or taken? This is my fault. If I wouldn't have been reckless as a rebellious kid – Matty would be alive, I wouldn't have suffered a miscarriage; and this war wouldn't be happening. Everyone that I have ever cared about is gone.

I am now lonely girl – failure of all transcendents. "Hey?"

"Mikey?!" I gasped as I reach for my silver-moon encrusted blade; holding it to my side ready to attack. "Who sent you?"

"Em. It's me. Mikey."

"Have they gotten to you? Brainwashed you?" I shriek as I hold the blade out in front of me; while my hand trembled under pressure. Dropping the bag, I reposition myself and narrow my eyes trying to figure out which side he was on: mine or Poppy's.

"Nikki and Eddie are the ones that have been brainwashed, Em. Nikki tried to kill me last week and Eddie was her accomplice. Who can I trust anymore? The world turned against us and continues to do so. When Matty died...I never thought our world would take such a drastic turn towards darkness. What's with the bag?"

Dropping my eyes down at the bag Isaac had handed me, I shrug. "I don't know." Lowering the knife, I shove it in my boot and bend down near the bag. "He threw it at me and insisted I leave without him...and now he's..." I began before I felt the burning sensation behind my eyes and nose. Mikey finishes my sentence with a sweet yet sad "Dead." All I do is nod and push the tears out of my eye with the bottom of my hand. "Em, did you like him more than a friend?"

"Uh, we were just a summer fling. Ended before it started. I can't fall in love with someone else if my heart still belongs to Eddie. Regardless of him being possessed or not – I will always love Eddie. He's my soulmate. Isaac was not."

"Ah. Okay. You sure he wasn't possessed by the darkness, Emmy?" smiles Mikey as he bends down and places his hand on my right shoulder. "He wasn't until the end. He sacrificed himself for me. When this is over and yes it will be over one way or another, I want to pay tribute to the fallen Transcendents." I reach into the bag and pull out: books, artifacts, documents, photos, and other Transcendent belongings. Telestic findings? You don't say? The missing volumes to the books we have been desperately searching for. This is crazy. How did he uncover all of these? He's part Delphic, remember? Could have stolen these from the Delphian HQ? Most likely. Whoever Poppy's leader is – has Transcendent ties and that is how he had these books. Who? Why? When does he plan on issuing a kill order on me?

"Yeah we can do that. Are those the missing volumes? Maybe it tells us about the Dark Prophecy?" Looking at the pile of books, it dawns on me and I glare up at Mikey. "It does, but we're not going to dwell on that prophecy any longer. It will kill us. If we mention the whole prophecy – our body will start turning against us."

"But you know it...right?" Taking a deep breath, I sigh loudly and say "Yes. That's not what we're going to search for in the books." Flipping through the pages, he stops and eyes me. "Emmy, what do you mean? You just said that we will physically die if we mention the prophecy. How can we possibly avoid it without sudden death? Let me reframe my question, what are we looking for?"