Brittany Parker stared incredulously at the pastor who had appeared through the portal. She had never seen the man before in her entire life.
How does he know my name?
Suddenly the powerful voice of the Leviathan overwhelmed all of her senses.
I hath chosen this man to be thy new leader. Thou shouldst bow down before him!
Brittany refused to comply while her entire company of remaining Shadow Walkers kneeled before the man.
Everyone bowed their heads, except for Brittany, Lily and Blondie, who remained standing.
"What is the Leviathan doing?" Blondie asked, "Didn't he just kill you guys and take your souls?"
"Yes, he did," Brittany forced an answer through gritted teeth, "but that was just the beginning. Now his goal is to bring about the apocalypse. He wants to release untold calamities upon Earth."
"How is he going to do that?" Lily asked.
Brittany tried to answer, but her tongue was constrained. She became entirely bound from speaking another word.
Then the Leviathan spoke in her mind again.
I shall tell thee in due course. For now, thou must escort this man unto Atlantis. But once thy mission is complete, I shall find thee. Thou shalt be mine again, and I will grant thee the chance to redeem thyself.
An alert popped up in her NewReality HUD.
System Alert:
You have been granted the ability to speak.
[Speak]
Brittany shook her head, as though to clear it. Then she shouted at the top of her lungs, "No! You cannot control me anymore!”
She felt the same compulsion as before, but she fought against it. It took tremendous effort to resist the Leviathan's influence, and her muscles burned with exertion.
The Leviathan spoke inside her mind again, and she heard his voice roaring in her ears.
I am beyond your ability to defeat! Behold! I will show thee the true nature of mankind!
As the Leviathan spoke, the world around her began to distort, and everything went dark. Brittany felt herself falling forward, and then all of the sounds and lights in the world vanished. She could hear nothing, and see nothing. She was blind and deaf.
System Alert:
Your consciousness has left your body.
Suddenly, Brittany became aware of the feeling of weightlessness. Her body floated upward into the air, and she couldn't move any part of her being. It was the same emptiness she felt when she had tried to log out before and could see a blinking cursor in mid-air. But this time there was no cursor. It was just empty space.
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She felt the presence of something else moving nearby.
Suddenly another alert popped up.
System Alert:
You are being controlled by the Leviathan. You may not act independently. The Leviathan controls your actions. You may only obey his commands.
Brittany could feel his insidious influence like a physical force permeating her entire existence. A wave of fear washed over her as she thought about what would happen if she disobeyed.
The Leviathan spoke in her mind again.
I shall show thee the power of my might!
In a momentary flash of light, Brittany saw a glowing aura surround her body. It surged outward with incredible speed, and her consciousness expanded. She felt herself experiencing a near infinite number of simultaneous thoughts and sensations. She could see and hear everything happening simultaneously all around her.
She perceived a view of the world that stretched out infinitely in all directions. She could perceive the entirety of the universe within seconds; from the most minute particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. Everything became present to her all at once. There wasn't even a concept of time, because she knew everything was instantaneously occurring.
Then she felt a tremendous amount of energy surging through her entire being. She reached out with her senses and touched a point on the center of the universe. She could feel the fabric of reality vibrating around her, and she felt herself becoming one with the cosmos.
The Leviathan spoke to her mind.
I am the God of Destruction! I shall consume all life in the galaxy! I shall raise a mighty army to destroy all that exists in this world! This is my ultimate destiny! To bring about the end of times!
Her consciousness became obscured, and she was enveloped by a blinding light. Every sense she had was obliterated and replaced with the sensation of nothingness. She experienced total numbness, and she could not think or move anything she possessed.
This is my triumph! I am the master of all! Death to those who oppose me!
She could feel the Leviathan's influence growing ever stronger.
System Alert:
You have been granted the ability to speak.
[Speak]
"I am not yours to command!" Brittany shouted defiantly, "I will not serve you!"
The Leviathan replied in her mind.
I am beyond your comprehension. I am the Lord of All. You are merely a speck of dust, insignificant in comparison.
"I've got news for you!" Brittany snapped back, "You don't own me! I'm not going to serve you! Not now, not ever!"
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and Brittany felt an enormous surge of energy rush through her. Her mind was overwhelmed with information and sensations, and she felt herself merging with the cosmos. She felt herself becoming part of every particle existing in the universe, and she felt herself connecting to every single neuron in her brain. She felt the entire universe collapsing around her, and she felt herself expanding beyond its limits. She felt herself opening up to every possibility. She felt unstoppable.
And then all at once, the sensation stopped.
System Alert:
Your consciousness has been returned to your body.
She stood up on shaky legs and looked around. Her new friends were staring at her in bewilderment.
"Are you okay?" Blondie asked.
"No.” Brittany breathed heavily, “I can’t resist the Leviathan's command anymore. I feel like I've lost myself."
"You're still you, Brittany!" Lily said, "You just used your powers to fight him off. Don't let him control you anymore. Just remember who you are."
"Yeah!" Blondie added, "If he's controlling you, he doesn't really own you! You are your own person. Not him."
"I guess that makes sense…" Brittany said weakly, "But I just don't know how to fight off the Leviathan. I can't even think straight when he speaks to me. I can't focus enough to resist him."
"We'll figure it out," Lily assured her friend, "Don't worry, we're going to get you back."
Brittany nodded, trying to sound confident. But deep down, she didn't think she'd ever be the same again.
“There’s one thing I know will work to dampen the influence of the Leviathan.” Lily pointed at the portal, “He has a lesser influence on Earth.”
Brittany considered this, and then made her decision. She stepped forward and touched the portal with her hand. The swirling vortex rippled in reaction.
“Is it safe?” Brittany hesitated.
Lily nodded. “On the other side the portal opens up inside a Hindu temple in India.”
Brittany nodded in understanding, and then stepped through the portal.
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