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Chapters 1 – 39 Archive

“Ow.”

Doug was lying on his back hurting all over once again from being slammed against something — this time the ground. He had no idea how far he fell, but he was pretty sure he’s wasn’t dead.

He didn’t seem to be in completely darkness anymore, and could see flickering torch light against rock walls. There were loose pieces of broken rock around him, and he soon came up with the theory that he crashed through the roof of an underground cave. Doug slowly lifted his head up and did see a hole in the rock roof, but only black beyond it. He checked his pocket and found that the reality stabilizer was still in there and functioning.

“So how do you get out of here?” Doug thought. “And how do you get back up to that ship? And how can you even fight someone as powerful as Loch?” Except it wasn’t Doug thinking; it was a familiar voice of someone behind him.

Doug sat up and turned around. It was Stan. Instantly he was angry — this was all because of his manipulations he was sure — but he pushed the anger away. “Can you help me?”

“Yes I can.” Stan held out a hand and helped Doug to his feet.

“We have to hurry,” Doug said frantically. He knew they could all be dead already, but somehow he didn’t think that was Ronove’s plan.

“There is no rush, Doug. We’re in our own little bubble in reality. Everything else will wait for you.”

“So my friends aren’t being tortured right now?”

“Not at the moment.”

Doug thought about that for a second. “I don’t trust you.”

“I’ve manipulated you, Doug; I haven’t lied to you.”

“I still don’t trust you.”

“Fine, but hear me out. You are planning on facing Loch, but do you know how?”

Doug saw his sword on the ground nearby and picked it up. “No, but they’re scared of something.” A thought struck him. “They certainly seem to have been making a lot of effort to impress me. It’s like how Bryce boasts the most when he’s least sure of things.”

“They are still unsure of this world,” Stan said. “They know they have power, but they don’t know the extent of it. They know the other world better.”

“I think I saw that! And I’m powerful there!” Doug was silent a moment. “Except I don’t know what good that does me.” He looked to Stan. “So is this God or Jesus supposed to help me?”

“Loch and Ronove see God as an unreasoning, powerful force that you humans are tied to. They think of they have removed that connection, but they fear they are wrong.”

“Are they?”

He nodded. “They are. God is not so easily defeated. The more the try and push against Him, the more He will push back. And that is why you will win this.”

There was a chuckle for somewhere else in the cave. “Now he’s lied to you.”

Doug turned to see a man standing there. He was about Doug’s age and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, both of which had rips in them. His hair was short but unruly — like he had just woken up.

Stan stared at him a moment. “Who the hell are you?”