Eternity Split

Chapter 12; Genesis

Thursday, 16th 2023

 3:30 a.m

"Wh…at…?"

Gray sluggishly rose from the ground, his head aching tremendously.

He raised his hand to his forehead and felt it was bleeding, causing to him wipe it clumsily with his sleeve. After dirtying the fabric, he slowly made his way forward with the support of the neighboring, abandoned buildings, almost tumbling multiple times.

Suddenly, he heard a low buzzing sound.

He looked around for the location of the noise, noticing it came from his pocket quickly after.

He unlocked his phone with great difficulty, and after a brief moment of struggle, he noticed what was happening.

Kathy was calling him.

Gray quickly answered and immediately, he heard her yell, her voice strained.

"What the hell were you doing, I called you a countless times!"

Freed from his previous state of stupor, he was about to apologize, when Kathy interrupted him, "Do you know how worried I was? Do you know how scared I was when Rowan told me he didn't know where you were? Can you even understand how I felt with every call, thinking that you were going to reply, but you never did?" her then voice completely broke, rendering unable to continue speaking.

"I-I'm sorry…" Gray weakly answered.

Kathy took a deep breath, and after a brief moment, she spoke with all the authority she could muster. "I told you to say what were you doing." 

Gray stopped in his tracks. Just then, he remembered what he had seen in his revelation.

I-I saw It. I-I'm sure I saw it. I became witness of a view that even the most mad and fervent devotees of old, apocalyptic religions wouldn't dare to think—a view that would eradicate everything that had ever existed—a view that if watched in real life, would bring countless people to suicide.

S-Seeing that their gods can't even compare to His greatness would make the people of all countries go to madness. Their gods aren't high up in the sky, H-He is…!

This accused sight was a threat—a threat exuding madness, death and torture if spoken about. He, The Monolith, showed what would happen if I even dared to utter a word in His ungodly, blasphemous name.

"Listen to me!" she cried in desperation.

She cycled between many emotions—sometimes yelling, sometimes quietly sobbing, and sometimes doing her best to remain as calm as possible, failing relentlessly.

"I-I was with some friends, I lost the sense of time..." Gray said, his heart aching with every lie he had to tell Kathy.

Since he became a Nephilim, he feared of having to lie incessantly, shielding Kathy from the truth. 

She stayed in silence for a moment as she bit her tongue.

"Come back as fast as you can, you have school tomorrow."

"And be careful." Kathy said in a toneless voice before hanging up, her voice almost inaudible. 

After sobbing quietly for a few moments, the young woman placed her phone on the table and went towards the living room's window, staring at the dark and empty neighborhood. 

… 

I'm sorry, Kathy. This is the only way I can help. I do not have the ability to shatter a mountain with a punch, nor do I have an invulnerable body strong enough cover you from all harm.

You don't know how much I wish to let you know about what bothers me, and you truly don't know how much I wish for you to know what worries me.

But 'they' exist, and I can't let their sacrilegious selves be aware of your existence.

The only thing I can do is lie, especially now, for He has threatened me with his might.

Walking with the aid of his phone's flashlight, he stopped in the middle of the road, his eyes twitching.

What I've seen—What I've seen was prediction of the future, and most importantly, I had it in real life.

Somehow, I can bring Genesis in the real world. 

Gray smiled bitterly, forcing himself to see the good in the horrible situation he was in. 

If I were to utter His name, I fear that what I've seen would occur. Somehow, I just know. 

But what is The Monolith planning? What did I do to bring His attention upon me? I'm just a normal person with an ability, I can't even be considered as a full fledged Nephilim.

Even a normal adult could beat me up without any struggles.

How can I talk about protecting Kathy when I'm not even able to do anything? But how can I become a fighter strong enough to stand against the Nephilim?

Just as he berated himself about his weaknesses, he remembered the eye and the walkie talkie Casanova had given him. He checked his pockets hurriedly, his heart racing in his chest. After finding the tissue covering Dusk Catcher and the walkie talkie, he sighed deeply. 

"I didn't lose the eye… I don't know what would've happened if I had. At last, I'll finally be able to know her intentions."

He kept walking, doing his best to ignore the eerie silence following the night.

He moved fast, afraid of meeting an unknown creature.

Sometimes, he could see some small, dark figures running through the road, making him grow increasingly anxious. 

But when he moved closer to them, he could clearly see them, and they just were a group of cats playing with each other. 

He would've stopped to pet them, but it was too late at night, and his sister was waiting for him. He couldn't dare to waste a second of her time, for had already done more than enough. He couldn't let Kathy get worried again. 

Gray didn't forget to check his hand, pointing his phone's flashlight on it. He was slightly afraid of seeing a warped, alien hand with no resemblance to his. But even then, no matter his fear, he felt that being inside a dream was better than being stuck inside his new reality. 

The hand looked the same, causing him to smile bitterly once more. 

I could have a Nephilim in my class, and now, an unexplainable "being" has threatened me, exposing their world-ending abilities…

There was also—There also was a creature holding the back of my neck, wasn't there?

Is that creature the one who had been watching me all along?

Since Genesis shows me the future in an abstract, fictitious manner, could it have been a kind of symbolism for Nekare? Is Genesis telling me that she's a threat? 

Gray shook his head.

No, the feeling was vastly different than when I met Nekare…

Therefore, could it someone be else whom I should be careful about?

But even then, why me? What did I do to deserve all of this? 

And what's the link between The Monolith and Genesis? Why do my predictions have a sort of connection between them?

The first dream was like the Apocalypse talked about in The Book Of Revelation. The second may have a correlation with the first, perhaps by being a continuation of it after my death.

Then, the prediction I've just had contained The Monolith inside it—like the first. 

Could He have been the arcane that corrupted me, turning me into a Nephilim?

If only I could tell Casanova about this… Maybe—just maybe, he would possess the answers.

But I can't.

He would punish me in ways I can't even begin to comprehend.

"No, not only me," he quickly corrected himself. "An immeasurable amount of lives pends from my lips,"

Not even a week ago, I was just having a normal life.

Now, everything is happening all at once.

I'm afraid—I'm extremely afraid. I'm afraid of the future that might unravel before us, especially now that He has seen me.

But if he was able to see me… Gray's face turned ashen. C-Could it be that… N-no…

Is he going to seek Kathy too…?

Is my own existence going to hurt her? 

Should I run away?

Should I disappear from her life?

Gray's began to clutch his face, the burden of responsibility becoming heavier and heavier.

"No… I can't do that. I can't let her be alone. She lived for me her whole life. She gave up on everything… just for me," 

And what if a Nephilim or an inexplicable creature attacks her?

"I'm the only one who has the ability to foresee it."

I can't leave Kathy. 

I'll stay with her, improving Genesis and learning its secrets—all while I'm training my body.

Then, I'll do my best to find ways of strengthening my fighting abilities beyond humanity, transcending them as a whole, just like a true Nephilim is supposed to.

It's the only thing I can do. 

…

After 20 minutes, he finally reached his home, worried about what Kathy would say.

He was about to open the door when his sister opened it.

Her eyes blood-shot, with dark circles marking them. She wore her messy hair down, with multiple strands covering her face. Her face was red, especially the sides of her eyes and mouth.

Immediately after seeing his sister in those conditions, Gray gritted his teeth, and with great difficulty, he apologized.

"I'm sorry…"

"Come in," she said, her expression deadpan.

Even though she was facing him, it was as if her eyes were looking beyond his figure.

She turned around and made space, letting him enter their house.

Gray immediately noticed an empty pack of cigarettes placed on the table. He wanted to ask her to quit, but felt it wasn't the right moment. 

"Go to sleep, you have school tomorrow," she said without facing him.

"Y-Yeah…" Gray put his hoodie up his head, doing his best to cover the wound he received after passing out. 

Although it wasn't deep nor too painful, he felt that if Kathy were to discover it, she would get worried for him. He knew she would inquire on how did he get hurt—and that, paired with him having gone home that late, would make her think he had gotten beaten up by someone. 

Kathy then went inside her room and locked it, all without uttering a word.

Even though it wasn't Gray's fault for going home that late, he still felt guilty. He just hated seeing his dear sister in those conditions.

Afterwards, he silently went inside the bathroom..

The wound on his forehead had already stopped bleeding—and luckily, his long hair was placed in way that covered it, rendering his sister unable to see it. 

Apart from the injury, nothing else was amiss. He touched his neck with his fingers, almost caressing it, and then, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Gray placed his hand inside his right pocket, taking Casanova's eye with great difficulty, his body cringing the whole time. He carefully removed the pink tissue from it, discovering that the eye had been looking at him the whole time.

He inspected the eye for some moments, trying to familiarize himself with it. He wanted to avoid puking just as soon as he pointed it at Nekare.

"What if gets infected? Should I wear gloves?" he turned the eye around, and from the optical nerve, a pair of blood drops fell into the sink.

"…I really should. At least I'll be able to avoid the slimy sensation.." 

Gray took a new tissue and placed Casanova's eye inside it. He started to wash his hands thoroughly, repeating the cycle multiple times.

After that, he washed his face, cleaning the dried blood off his forehead.

Once he was done, he answered the call of nature and prepared himself to sleep.

"I'll shower tomorrow morning. I can't risk waking Kathy up."

He went inside his room and locked it before taking his phone out and seeing every call he didn't reply to.

This is just like the Apocalypse I've dreamed of. If she had been in danger while I was unconscious, does it mean she would have died alone, again? 

Gray bit his lip, a drop of blood dripping slowly. 

He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes, reminding himself to find a way to bring Genesis inside the real world.

He brought his hand to his face and silently checked it, wishing to speed up his progress.

He unlocked his phone, searching 'Nephilim' on the internet, clicking on the first link. 

"The Nephilim are mysterious beings or people in the Bible traditionally imagined as being of great size and strength. The origins of the Nephilim are disputed. Some, including the author of the Book of Enoch, view them as the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Others view them as descendants of Seth and Cain." 

Gray's eyes widened in surprise, "So that's why it seemed slightly familiar… I've read it from the Bible!"

However, after thinking for a moment, his brow furrowed.

"Since Bible knows about the Nephilim, is the church aware of their existence here, in the real world…?"

"This Book of Enoch talks about them being the offspring of fallen angels and humans… " he muttered under his breath.

"Fascinating, though untrue."

"Casanova had said that a human can become a Nephilim by becoming witnesses of the unexplainable. Nonetheless, I have to read his book, it might have important information hidden inside it. While on the next line, it also says that others view them as descendants of Seth and Cain…"

Cain was the one who killed Abel, but who's Seth?

He searched his name, and after a brief moment, he got his answer.

Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve.

"I'm aware of the truth, but from an outsider's perspective, how come Cain and Seth's descendants have supernatural abilities?" 

"It doesn't make much sense, aren't they normal humans? Humans mating with angels sounds more realistic…"

He began to reflect on the issue, hoping to find some hidden insight.

"Although Cain was a normal human, he is the first who committed the sin of murder. And after it, God gave him the mark signaling that, if someone harmed Cain, they would get harmed sevenfold…"

His eyes widened, "Could that be considered as a Nephilim's ability…? Naturally, if Cain was a Nephilim, perhaps his son would have a kind of power too… And his son's sons too, thus, forming a new species!"

"I completely understand why people were thinking that the Nephilim were borne from his Cain and Seth's genealogy!"

"While it's hidden, The Bible still has some knowledge I seek!"

Gray yawned and checked the time with his phone, noticing that it was 4:20 a.m.

After seeing it, he deeply regretted ever trying to inform Casanova about The Monolith.

"I can't do anything about it now, can't I?" he sighed, hiding Dusk Catcher and the walkie talkie below a pile of his clothes. He then turned the lights off, hoping to fall asleep as fast as possible.

He drifted off to sleep fairly quick, turning his world jet-black.