Unbroken Ch. 16

"Okay." Aidan breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself down. "That didn't happen. This is just my own imagination. The priest is dead and cannot appear to me like that. He is absolutely gone and when I look into that mirror again, I will not see him once again. I will not even see anything but me. Get yourself together."

Aidan took a really deep breath, going back to the mirror. When he eventually got back to the mirror, his eyes widened and he gaped, covering his mouth. The priest was still there and he had the same wonderful grin on his face. "Could he be in my room?"

Taking a deep sigh, Aidan slowly turned and almost ran away when he saw the priest right behind him. It was all real. The priest was right behind him, grinning just like he had been. He was staring at him with his happy face and crazy long beards.

"You?" Aidan gasped. "What are you doing here? You are dead and..."

"Aidan!" The priest chuckled happily, hitting the trident on the floor. "Don't be scared."

"I am not scared." Aidan said confidently. "But you are freaking me out. You are dead. What are you doing in my castle? And what's wrong with your voice?"

"Aidan!" The priest chuckled, nodding his head. "I am still very much alive. I am not dead and..."

"That's not possible..." Aidan gasped, still standing still. "You are dead. I saw..."

"Touch me." The priest demanded. "Touch me and you will find out the entire truth for yourself. They say action speaks louder than words right?"

Aidan took a deep breath and started getting closer to the priest. When he was near, he stared at the priest for a long time and extended his hand, slowly bringing it closer to the priest. He took a deep breath and then thrust his forward, touching the priest.

"See..." The priest chuckled happily, hitting the trident on the floor. "How is that even..."

"Because I am not he..." The priest said. "Our spirits are one and he lives in me. All knowledge of his now belongs to me. You don't have to..."

"But you look..."

"Family resemblance..." The priest said happily. He extended his hand, resting it on Aidan's shoulder. He gave it a tight squeeze. "It is good to see you again, my son. You don't how that palace had been without your presence."

"Okay." Aidan raised his eyebrow. "This is creepy. You are speaking to me as if we have met before. I find this a little..."

"I know you." The priest nodded. "I know a lot about you. We know each other very well. It is nice to see you again, my powerful boy." He looked all around, nodding his head in happiness. "This is nice. You have finally done something incredible with your gift. I must say that I am really proud of you. I am very proud of you, my son."

"Thank you." Aidan smiled brightly. "It is good to finally see you again. What brought you here and how did you know that..."

"The almighty is everywhere." The priest nodded his head. "He brought me here. And I am glad that you are doing something with your gif. But... there is something that you need to do."

"Huh?" Aidan raised his eyebrow. "What do..."

"Angria has been conquered." The priest hit the trident, taking a quick turn from him. "Angria is now the enemy territory. People are now living in fear of the evil king and seeker."

Hearing what the priest had said, Aidan lost his smile and remained really quiet. He couldn't speak any word. He couldn't even move his mouth. He just stared at the priest without saying any word. His heart started racing as soon as he heard that from the priest.

"Are you not saying..."

"What do I have to say?" Aidan finally spoke, walking towards the priest. "There is nothing that I can say. I no longer live in Angria and it is not my business if you ask me. Besides, what can I do if it has been conquered? Shouldn't..."

"Everyone has been captured." The priest sighed. "The king and his family have been locked up. They are his prisoners and..."

"There is nothing I can do." Aidan shrugged. "Neither am I a subject of that kingdom nor related to any of the people in the..."

"The man that has taken over the kingdom possesses evil powers." The priest made a quick turn, facing Aidan. He had a serious expression on his face, showing just how important what he was saying was. "He is William's father and he acquired the fallen Lord' powers. The king's guards tried to stop him but they failed. They have been turned to statues. He is just too powerful for any..."

"Look, priest, I know that you are just concerned for your kingdom, but believe me when I tell you that I don't want to go. I vowed never to step my foot into that kingdom ever again. Besides, I don't wanna go back there for any reason."

"Hmm," The priest chuckled, gripping the trident even harder. "But you still came back anyway."

"For my family, yes..." Aidan raised his voice slightly. He had no idea why he had acted like that. "But right now I have nothing to do in that kingdom. I will not step my foot into it ever again. Besides, what can I do if the most trained guards couldn't even stop him? Who am I to..."

"You are forgetting something." The priest chuckled, nodding his head. "You are not an ordinary human boy. You are unique. You are different from everyone else, my son. You have your powers and they are far much stronger than anything else in the world."

"You are strong." Aidan said, moving his head forward. "Why can't you also help them out and..."

"Because I am not that strong..." The priest shouted, filling the entire room. He didn't sound mad but Aidan was really surprised. The priest had never acted like that before. "I can be killed by just a snap of a finger. You on the other hand..."

"I am not going." Aidan wasn't gonna change his mind. "Why does this have to be on me? Why can't everyone just leave me alone? I just want to be happy. I am living my life without Luis and..."

"How long will you keep on running?" The priest laughed, staring at him. "For how long will you hide the..."

"I don't have anything to hide." Aidan tried to get away from the priest but he gripped his hand and brought him closer.

"The people in that kingdom are suffering." The priest spoke so softly that it got to Aidan. "They have been living in fear for three days now since he took over. Do you actually know what will happen if this continues. He is so ruthless and does anything that he wants. The whole of Angria is filled with his dark powers. They live in fear and sorrow, praying for a savior to come to them. They are praying for you to come and save them."

Aidan felt really bad after what the priest had told him. "I am sorry. But I am still not going back there. Why should I be involved in this anyway? I have no business with the politics of Angria. I don't have any connection with that kingdom. Besides, I don't think I can fight someone as evil and as..."

"It is your destiny." The priest hollered, enjoying the surprised expression on his face. "This is what you were born for. You are the only powerful..."

"What are you talking about?" Aidan couldn't mask the surprise in his voice. "I don't get you."

"You heard correctly." The priest nodded his head, hitting the trident even harder on the floor. A cold wind blew throughout the room. "You are destined to defeat and put an end to the quest of the evil one or..." He paused and just stared at Aidan.

To say Aidan was surprised would be an understatement. A myriad of emotions took control of his body, making him even more confused. He had no idea what the priest was talking about. He hadn't known about this. He had no idea that was the truth or a lie.

"But how?" His mouth trembled. He had never been as confused whole his life. "The old priest..."

"The old priest couldn't tell you because it was not the right time." The priest hollered. "Now you know the truth about your destiny and why you were given those powers. You had defeated William and thus delayed them from getting those powers but your departure from the kingdom paved a way for those warlocks to come back. Now you have to go and finish..."

"I still don't get what..."

"When you left the kingdom, the evil king sent his son back to..."

The priest started narrating the story and whatever had happened. He told him about the secret mission and how William had deceived them and finally taken the things that he had come for, William's sperm and blood. Aidan felt a sharp vibration on his entire body when he heard about it. He didn't know why he felt that way but he felt really bad.

"With Luis' sperm and blood, they were able to summon the scepter." The priest continued. "With the scepter, they summoned and recreated Ming's evil powers which he now possesses. Those powers are really evil and he now calls himself a god. People are forced to worship him every day. Each day he is becoming more evil than before." He sighed. "Only Lord Mang's successor, the wizard of good cause can save them from those evil people."

Aidan was silent. He couldn't say a thing to the priest because he was still confused about what was going on. He had no idea what to believe and he still didn't want to go back to Angria for any reason. He was fine in his own kingdom and castle. He didn't want trouble from anyone. He was banished from the kingdom and was told never to return by Luis himself. He wasn't gonna go back.

"You are Lord Mang's successor." The priest said softly. "Your powers are even more powerful than Lord Mang's. As a successor of Lord Mang, it is your duty to defeat the evil seeker and return peace to Lord Mang's kingdom."

Aidan raised his face, staring at the priest with a lost face. He still couldn't get any of the things the priest had just uttered to him. He opened his mouth to speak but the priest laughed, tapping on his back.

"I know that you are really confused." He chuckled. "Come and sit with me."

Without even objecting, Aidan followed the priest and both of them sat on the bed, facing each other. Aidan just wanted to know what exactly the priest meant by telling him all of that. He needed to finally know the secret of his powers. It had been a mystery to him the first time but now he was ready to listen to the priest.

"This whole story takes us to the origins of Angria kingdom." The priest started. "Before Civilization..."

***

"So that's what happened long ago before civilization. That is the legend of Lord Mang and Lord Ming." The priest concluded. He held Aidan's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "You are the successor of Lord Mang and you are destined to finally put an end to his evil quest."

Aidan was still in surprise. As the priest had been narrating the entire story to him, he could have sworn that he was able to see everything that had happened. The brothers, the battle, the kingdom, the power, he saw it all. Aidan even felt his powers within him vibrate, filling him up. He couldn't believe the energy he felt just by listening to the priest's story. It was as if the entire incident and battle had occurred right in front of his face. When the priest eventually stopped telling the story, Aidan was gasping, holding his chest. He couldn't believe how fast his heart was beating. It was as if he had been running for a really long time.

"That's how the story goes." The priest added, clenching hard on the trident. "You see now why you need to defeat the evil king? Lord Mang had sacrificed himself for his people and when he realized that his people were still in danger from an enemy to be born in another life time through his bloodline, he prophesied a successor, you." The priest squeezed his hand softly. "You need to defeat him to..."

"I can't..." Aidan rose from the bed, taking a really deep sigh. "You do not just understand me. I can't go back..."

"I know exactly how you feel and..."

"You don't..." Aidan exclaimed. "How do I defeat an evil warlock who now possesses evil powers, a self proclaimed god." He laughed bitterly. "That is impossible and I am not going back to Angria. I vowed to Luis I wouldn't do that. He made me..."

"That was before the truth." The priest said, laughing softly. "I know exactly why you are afraid of going back. And don't worry about anything that is scaring you. Wyatt fears anything related to Lord Mang. He also knows that..."

"I will not go back." Aidan started moving away from the priest. "I have already made my mind. There is nothing that I can do. I am not the king and neither am I related to the royal family. What Luis and I had ended really long ago. I have moved on and I don't want anything related to my past."

Taking a deep sigh, Aidan made a quick turn and started heading for the door. He didn't want to go back to Angria. He didn't want to face an evil warlock that had turned people into stones and made everyone worship him. He didn't even...

"Can you bear to let your baby's father die? Can you bear making him fatherless?"

Hearing the priest words, Aidan suddenly stopped and made a quick turn. His heart started racing beyond normal, sending a shiver down his spine. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped. He started breathing fast as a wave of emotions took control of him. He had lost control of himself. He felt really cold and couldn't believe the priest had just asked that.

Aidan started rushing to the priest, still surprised at what he had just said to him.

"How do you know that I..."

"I know everything." The priest gave a teasing chuckled, playing with his trident. He moved closer to the surprised looking Aidan. "I know that you have Luis' son, his heir. I know you were pregnant when you left Angria and..."

"I don't know..."

"You can't fool me Aidan." The priest cleared his throat. "I know you have a son in this castle and his name is Jacob. He is now with your grandmother and..."

"Who else knows about my pregnancy..." He had no idea why he felt really scared. "Does Luis..."

"No one knows." The priest said in a really deep voice. "He doesn't even..."

Aidan gave a deep sigh of relief, touching his chest. "That's good because I don't want anything to do with him." He said loudly. "I don't even care if I am Mang or whatever's successor. I will not return."

The priest nodded his head sadly as Aidan took a quick turn and started heading for the door again, looking really mad. He knew why the boy didn't want to go back to the kingdom. Of course, he knew that Aidan was a bit scared but fear was not the main reason why he was acting that scared. He was trying to hide from... never mind. The priest knew he had to make Aidan go back to the kingdom at all costs.

"Can you at least go back for the sake of your parents?"

Aidan stopped in his tracks again when he heard the priest. He made a quick turn and rushed back to the priest. "My parents are..."

"I am talking about your real parents." The priest pointed out.

"What do they have to do with this?" Aidan gasped. Somehow, speaking about the parents that abandoned him was really too much for him. "Are they..."

"They were murdered, slaughtered like pigs." The priest announced.

The words from the priest hit Aidan with a bang, he gasped as a sharp pain hit his heart. Tears started forming in his eyes as the pain got even stronger. He couldn't understand what the priest was trying to do to him. His pain and anger came rushing to him.

"What are you talking about?" Aidan breathed harshly.

"Yes!" The priest nodded his head. "They were actually murdered like pigs and..."

"Stop it!" Aidan said softly. Listening to the priest was actually causing him pain. "What happened to them? Who murdered them and..."

"I can feel the power of revenge inside of your heart." The priest hollered. "Let me tell you a little story." The priest said. "I know this will be painful to you but I must tell it to you."

The priest took a really deep sigh, hitting the trident on the floor. "A long time ago in Alerna kingdom, an evil king was always on a quest for greater power to gain the kingdom which his ancestors were unable to gain. He was prophesied to bring the great kingdom down to its knees after acquiring the powers of the fallen Lord. He started practicing witchcraft at a tender age, taught by his father and grandfather. However, he was born with a mark of a dragon to kill him once he steps his foot there. He kept on trying finding a solution. However, there was a prophecy that a threat would be born in his kingdom that would destroy him and his evil ways. To protect himself, he had everyone on the lookout for the baby and finally, that baby was born..." The priest chuckled. "You!" He pointed at Aidan with his trident.

Aidan gasped at the priest's words. "You mean that..."

"Yes!" The priest nodded. "You were born at that time. The evil king found out about it and he went on a quest to kill the baby before it was finally grown. But your father found out about it and lost his life. The evil king slit his throat." Tears poured down Aidan's face, making the pain even worse. He clenched on his fists hard, feeling them tremble. "Your mother was so weak at that time that she couldn't run. She was slaughtered by the evil king. Your real grandmother tried to get you away but she was stabbed by an arrow."

Aidan's pain came back to him. He was really furious and couldn't believe he was that angry. A lot of things were ringing through his mind. He was mad. Tears kept on flowing.

"And you..." The priest paused and sighed. "You fell under a cliff into a river infested with alligators. But you didn't die. Your powers couldn't let you die. The alligators couldn't do anything to you. Before you even hit the water, a shield had surrounded you which took you down the river into Angria where your destiny lies. Now you have to fulfill that destiny."

Aidan was in tears as the priest finished the story. He was really angry and couldn't explain the way his body vibrated in anger. A myriad of emotions took control of his body making him angrier. He was fuming, ready to kill anyone. There was a powerful energy that was taking control of his body. The fear that he had inside of him suddenly went away, replaced by unimaginable anger. His whole body shuddered and he trembled. He clenched his fists harder.

"I know how you feel and I am sorry for..."

"Did he kill my parents?" Aidan roared in anger. "Is he the same bastard that murdered my family?"

The priest nodded, squeezing Aidan's shoulder. "If not for anyone, do it to avenge your family. He is a truly evil man. Before all this, he was evil. He killed his wife simply because she couldn't put up with his evil ways. He sacrificed his other children because they were weak. He has killed thousands of people by sacrificing them. Now that he has Lord Mang's powers, he is something else. He plans to sacrifice more people real soon. You need to defeat him before that happens."

Aidan was groaning softly as more tears fell down his face. He moved his hand up furiously, rubbing the tears that had flooded his face completely. He rubbed his face clean, breathing as if he was running out of air.

"He slaughtered your parents like pigs." The priest's voice sounded in his head, causing him even more anger. "He has killed thousands of people, sacrificing them... Can you to see your baby's father killed... Angria needs you. You are the only that can defeat him."

Aidan was feeling angrier as those words rang through him continuously. He clenched on his fists harder, feeling the hot energy that was surrounding him. He was really gonna do it this time. He couldn't deal with what he was feeling. It was deep and it was painful.

With a deep breath, Aidan screamed at the top of his voice, "No..." he screamed again, filling his voice of pain throughout the entire room. When he eventually stopped, he breathed in harshly and abruptly disappeared from the room.

The priest gave a loud laugh of satisfaction. He raised his trident, hitting it back on the trident. He disappeared too.