Penance

Gospel stood in a chamber of light, awaiting guidance. A powerful voice told him he was needed. In a flash, he appeared in the physical realm. He looked around to see a luxurious home elevated from the city. It was Big City’s Cloud Corridor. Gospel was summoned by none other by Charles Masters. The extravagant aristocrat noticed how Gospel was paused and addressed him.

“You’d be surprised what money can buy…”

“Not surprised, Charles. This moment was written.”

“Very good. Would you like to know why you’re here?”

“If I must.” Gospel answered. Charles walked over and poured himself a drink while speaking.

“I didn’t build my wealth through business acumen. I didn’t get scrappy and climb my way out of any gutter. I collected my wealth. As simple as that sounds, it’s the absolute truth.” Charles walked towards Gospel, covering his eyes and backing up when he got too close to the emanation. “Money is power in this world.

Power is influence. Why I’ve sacrificed a large sum of my money to have you here is that you have one of those without the other.”

“I have no use for money.”

“Precisely… I, ‘Gospel’, am a purveyor of influence. You command your followers without a single word spoken. This is what I collect. This is true wealth.”

“What you see as influence is a reflection of one’s desire.”

“Whatever it is.. I want it.”

“I have nothing to give you, Charles. What are you proposing?” Gospel grew frustrated with the conversation.

“I’ve been asking myself lately what is it that they see you in you. Even acting as a hero, performing miracles, you are flawed. You lack empathy. You lack humility.”

Proving Charles right, Gospel attempted to flash out of the apartment and end the interaction. Something held him in place. Like a streak of light fighting to escape, he filled a section of Charles’ condo, brightly zipping around. He rematerialized, light glowing brighter than before.

“This is unwise.” Gospel warned.

“Sure.” Charles dismissively replied. “What I realized is that it’s nothing more than divine light. You are not a man to them. You are a deity.”

An ornate ceiling panel slid open to reveal some strange advanced technology directly above Gospel, with a little creature tinkering with buttons and tiny screens. The device was what prevented him from leaving, and Gospel noticed there was a progress bar filling as if it was about to do something else.

“I plan to bottle that divine light. If I can manipulate, reproduce whatever that is… I could have an army of you… Gareth.”

“Clever.” Gospel responded, though inside he was shaken hearing that Charles knew his former identity.

“Turn down that light and you don’t look much different.”

As the device powered up, Gospel felt a pulling sensation. The light surrounding him began to lift off of him, effectively tearing at his soul.

“I warned you, Charles.” Gospel said.

Light that nearly reached the device above froze in the air. It began to dim. Gospel himself began to darken as well as the light surrounding him. It was no longer divine energy. The white robes he wore turned pitch black. His eyes no longer shone. They turned into pure darkness, the energy even spreading from his eyes onto his face. His face changed as well. Gospel, who was known for his stoic attitude, turned somewhat playful. Charles watched the transformation inquisitively, hoping to glean something new for himself to take advantage of. A voice spoke to him while he looked on.

It repeated the word ‘penance’ over and over, introducing itself to Gospel’s captor. As it spoke, the world around him melted into liquid blackness.

Penance stepped toward Charles, a long walk in the void he created, though only a couple steps away in the material world. Horrors beyond imagination awoke within the darkness, as if his intrusion was unwelcome. Penance summoned from nothing Gospel’s altered staff. The orb which always shone bright white at the top was now held in place, shattered, with pure darkness leaking out. Penance tapped Charles’ head with the base of the staff and returned them back to the physical world. The multitude of creatures within the darkness faded from the trillionaire’s vision. Penance was still beneath the device, but only his hateful smile could be seen through thick blackness. Masters was laying on the ground, twitching as he recovered from Penance manipulating his mind. The creature operating the device was looking down at him to see if he was alive. Meanwhile, the device finished charging.

Intended to absorb and preserve Gospel’s light, the device was instead filling with Penance’s darkness.

Everything the energy touched dissolved into black slime. The tinkerer stepped away to avoid being touched itself.

“GOOD LUCK … CHARLES.” Penance spoke outside of physical reality, shaking the entire Cloud Corridor with his snarky taunting and then left, melting himself into darkness.

Penance stood in a chamber of darkness, awaiting guidance.