In the early years Alkador had dominated at Waterfall Academy, but a year at a time Selah had slowly started to turn the tide. The war revolved around 9 powerful sapphire stones. Years ago a man put a spell on them in an experiment not fully understanding what he was doing. Immediately, an angel named Athore quietly cast the stones to a place that would later become the settlement. Athore had recognized that the angel's power was weak in that day, and he did this to keep the demons from discovering and using the Sapphires hoping that when they were rediscovered the angels would be more ready. Alkador and his friends were roaming the settlement years later when they stumbled upon the Sapphires. Alkador immediately began constructing a school. To keep many children from perishing Selah answered the call and came with his friends to war against Alkador.
The story that I'm telling to you is the 10th year of Waterfall Academy. This particular year something happened that had only happened one other time. The first 8 sapphires went 4 to Selah and 4 to Alkador. Every year whichever side captured the majority would have power the following year. The final sapphire was on the line in the final battle, which took place every year at the gates of Alkador's castle.
Sadier walked through the angel's camp feeling the energy of hundreds of warrior angels as they revved each other up for what would the biggest battle of the year and a pivotal event in the history of Waterfall Academy. But Sadier's mind was on Saymi. No matter what any of his teammates told him he was convinced that the enemy was targeting her. Only a few student lives had been lost this year, but every one of them had been predicted in Sadier's graveyard scene. Sadier still didn't quite understand what the scene meant, but all he knew what that there was one stone left belonging to a living person and that stone was Saymi's. It seemed to be a powerfully ominous prophecy that she would be perish in the coming night, but Sadier refused to accept it. If he could just find a way to keep her alive for the next 24 hours then the year would be over. He knew it wouldn't be easy. Many Alma members had been lost in this battle.
Last week Saymi came to the doorway of Sadier's room and said, “What song were you just playing?”
“I wasn't playing anything,” he replied.
“You weren't? But I heard music,” Saymi said.
Sadier's heart sunk as he said, “Saymi, that was heaven. I'm scared for you, about your destiny. But we might be able to alter it.”
But Saymi's eyes faded red, and she walked down the hall murmuring, “what a beautiful melody.”
This made Sadier go into a frenzy researching Omicron reactions, the final battle, destiny, anything he could find that might help him figure out a way to protect Saymi. After Adrian pushed Dalton through the wall that day, Sadier had changed. The next time Dalton picked on Saymi, Dalton made sure Adrian wasn't around, but Sadier walked up to Dalton and told him to stop. Dalton shoved Sadier on the ground, but Sadier jumped to his feet and they started fighting. Sadier was beaten and came home bloody, but Saymi's countenance was changing.
Then, as I told you, Sadier's fear for Saymi caused him to lose focus, and he allowed himself to be drug down into the earth and cherry planted a move that the angel's camp was still yet to understand. But simultaneously as this was taking place two significant events also took place back to back.
First, the Alma student captain, Lachish, tracked down a core member of the Darma named Jessica. He chased her for hours calling to her. His words eventually broke into her heart and she collapsed exhausted from trying to keep him out. Lachish carried her back to angel's camp, and Valorie said she cried through the whole night. Lachish had rescued Jessica from the demons and consequently unsettled the demon's strength significantly in the upcoming final battle. The veteran boy's move may have been enough to tip the scales to the angel's side.
The second event involved Sadier's teammate Madeline. As you may recall Madeline's brother was captured by Alkador the previous year and the most popular theory regarding his fate was that the creatures kept him locked in the castle that the angels were about to attack. Reuben and occasionally other members of the Alma said they could sometimes feel his presence at the school. Madeline had kept her cool the whole year. Perhaps being so near to that castle was what finally broke her or perhaps she was just biding her time from the beginning. But regardless, on that night Madeline fled from the angel's camp heading for the castle. Adrian immediately disappeared into the woods hoping to track Madeline down, but he was no match for her. Lachish, who had just returned with Jessica, heard from Abigail that Madeline had taken off. He tactfully took Saymi, who was Madeline's best friend, and went after Madeline. Lachish tracked Madeline down, and the sound of Saymi's voice made Madeline pause momentarily but she then raced on into the trees so quickly that not even Lachish could follow her. After hours of searching Lachish and Saymi finally turned back toward camp.
Meanwhile, Abigail realized that it was way past time when Sadier should have joined them. She put some clues together and realized that Sadier had taken off his scales and allowed the enemy to drag him into the earth. Adrian returned and they began a rescue mission, which was eventually successful as they pulled Sadier out of the earth.
Such were the events that lead up to the final battle. The students sedated their bodies and stayed in the upperworld throughout the day, which took many reactions to cover up so that no one would realize they were missing. The final night had come. The Alma's main task would be to help steer dreamers caught up in the chaos as Selah lead the angels in the attempt to capture the final Sapphire. But Sadier's team had a slightly different task because of Madeline. You see ultimately the war is over one thing. And that is life after death. Sadier's mistake was shallow and if he had perished that night he would have lived in the next life. But Madeline was in total rebellion. They feared that if she died trying to free her brother in the coming night her soul would be lost forever.
Sadier spotted Saymi approaching him.
“Selah wants us,” she said when she reached him.
Sadier nodded and they started walking towards Selah's tent.
“I made Madeline promise she wouldn't do this,” Saymi said sadly. “Did she ever say anything to you about her brother?”
“No,” Sadier replied. “Never once.”
Sadier desperately wanted to tell Saymi how worried he was her too, but he knew the Omicron would block him. He could only hope that his insight on her destiny might give him some chance to protect her.
Selah gathered Abigail, Adrian, Sadier and Saymi together and gave them instructions, “The sapphire must be my primary focus, so I can't go after her,” he said. “But I am sending 12 of my most capable warriors with you. Madeline is skilled, and I have no doubt she will find her way inside the castle, but her brother will be heavily guarded and you must not let her get that far. Right after the fighting erupts go and quietly enter the castle at the southwest corner. Onnie knows of a way in. Once inside, locate Madeline immediately, and do everything in your power to save her. I am grateful to you all for accepting Madeline into your team this year and keeping her safe this long. It has been a difficult year for her. But if we are able to win the final sapphire tonight we won't hesitate to storm the gates of the castle and wreak as much havoc inside Alkador's kingdom as we are able including rescuing Madeline, her brother, and you. This will not be an easy assignment, but you four have proven very reliable individually and as a team. This is your final task of the year. We will not allow hell to claim Madeline's soul tonight.
Daylight started to fail, and crimson streaks spread across the sky. They left silently accompanied by the 12 warriors Selah had promised. Through the long grass they moved swiftly. Sadier occasionally caught glimpses of the epic white castle towering at the top of the hill, but something adjacent to the castle kept catching his eye. It looked like a waterfall of both darkness and starlight pouring over the southern cliff. Sadier eventually asked Adrian what it was.
“That is what the school's named after,” Adrian replied. “Alkador built next to the waterfall because it is extremely powerful in this universe. The angels call it Galaxy Waterfall.”
Just then Sadier heard hundreds of shouts start to rise from far behind them. He turned to witness Selah's army thundering over a small hill. Selah and Alkador's warriors crashed together in a tremendous roar in front of the castle as the last few rays of sunlight were leaving the horizon.
Onnie, the warrior angel, who was leading the mission quickly lead the small team to the castle. In perfect silence they approached the west wall of the castle. Sadier was terrified that a creature would suddenly appear. Onnie quickly found a secret door that he had cleverly marked from the inside last year. He opened it slowly and carefully, and then held it open as the team one at a time entered the darkness of the castle's interior. Sadier stepped across the threshold and felt the atmosphere change. With everyone inside Onnie gently shut the door, and the team began creeping towards the dungeon without a sound. Sadier could barely see where he was walking, but he made sure he knew exactly where Saymi was. He was practically holding his breath knowing that a creature could be around any bend. The roar of the battle was audible but muffled. As they snuck from room to room, Sadier found the frightening place strangely familiar. It was his school. The walls were the same as Waterfall Academy. Sadier realized late in the year that the principle of the school, a man named Adam Dinch, was a creature. Then it came to him that their principle was not just any creature, but Alkador himself, which made him understand why Mr. Bradley always seemed at odds with the Mr. Dinch. Soon he even realized that Mr. Bradley and Selah were one and the same just appearing in two different forms in two different dimensions. In fact, many of the angels and demons were faculty by day and warriors by night.
Suddenly, they came upon a creature. She was sitting in a corner glaring at them clearly having had no idea that they were coming. One of the angels moved swiftly attempting to get to the creature before she could sound the alarm, but he was too late. She managed to radio her leader right before the angel knocked her unconscious. The team immediately began sprinting towards the dungeon no long concerned with silence. Sadier's heart pounded powerfully as he ran full speed darting through rooms and down hallways at the heals of the angels. A fleet of creatures intercepted their team, and the angels strength was put to the test. But the twelve highly skilled angels didn't allow a single creature to get to the four students. Sadier was hovering next to Saymi ready to combat any creature that managed to break through. The angels put down the last of the attack, and sped onward now just seconds away from the dungeon's gates. But then as they raced down the last hallway they plowed into an electronic security field that kept their bodies from passing through, but when it had been tripped Saymi and two of the angels had been through it.
Sadier couldn't believe it. He screamed inside as Saymi turned around and looked at him for a brief moment and then continued on with the two angels towards the dungeon. Sadier, Abigail, and Adrian had to wait for one of the angels to run back into a previous room and disable the security field.
Just then a pulse of light flashed through the castle from end to end. Adrian pumped his fist, and Sadier knew Selah had taken the final Sapphire. But the outcome here in the castle was still undetermined. Sadier was dying inside with no way of knowing what was happening to Saymi.
“Oh Sadier,” Abigail said suddenly. “Sadier, you've been trying to tell us. The Omicron, it's lifted and I remember now, you trying to tell me.” Abigail's eyes were flashing her mind suddenly free from the reaction due to the angel's victory. “What have you been trying to tell us, Sadier?”
“Saymi!” Sadier shouted. “Saymi is about to die!”
“No Sadier,” Abigail said horrified. “Sadier, you've been as deceived as any of us. It's obvious now. The cherry plant. It's not Saymi they want. It's you they want. They want you.”
Right then the security field was disabled. Many creatures had gathered on the other side of the security field and they rushed at the angels viciously. The angel's protection was quickly strained and began to break. Adrian was struck in the leg and fell. Abigail was hit in the head and collapsed. Onnie quickly grabbed Sadier by the hand and dashed toward the dungeon blasting through a forest of creatures.
They raced frantically down the hallway to the dungeon and that was when I saw him. That was when I saw Sadier. My name is Sal. I'm just a kid. I go to school. Not many people know about me. But I got to be a part of something spectacular that took place last year in my school. I am Madeline's brother.
It was a long and terrible year for me in the castle as I watched my friends go throughout their daily lives my soul trapped in the upperworld. But when I saw Madeline instead of joy my heart was seized with terror because I knew she was in rebellion. Exceeding Selah's expectations, Madeline cleverly found a way into my dungeon through an air duct. But seconds following her arrival, a creature entered my cell with orders to kill me because they were nervous about the rescue mission. He would have killed us both right there, but Saymi and the one warrior angel who had made it through with her came blasting into the cell.
I'm not going to detail to you all the chaos that took place in the next half minute that followed. But I can tell you that if Saymi had not been there Madeline would not be here with me today. Also the angel whose name was Tywin gave us a chance by miraculously overcoming seven demons before they finally wrestled him down. I planted myself in front of Madeline, but a creature threw me aside and began to corner her. I assure you I saw his weapon go into her, but Saymi did something. I don't know what she did. But earlier that semester she started showing the potential to be a medic. I had only ever seen anything like this one other time on a dark and terrible night last year.
We were frantically trying to steer a dreaming boy. I remember when the thought passed through my head that there was nothing we could do to save his life. But when they struck him Ali the medic managed to do something bizarre to rescue him. She had to hold it for what seemed forever until the angels finally reestablished themselves and came to the rescue. Afterward her hair had streaks of dark green and her eyes were terribly bloodshot. It took her 11 days to recover, but she saved the boy. When I asked Selah about it he refused to discuss it with me.
I don't know how Saymi learned it, but I think this is what she did when the creature struck Madeline because there was no chance Madeline should have survived. But after Saymi held it for several seconds the creature, becoming enraged, turned to Saymi who didn't have an angel to protect her. In one motion he moved from Madeline and struck Saymi. Her body tumbled in the air across the room and struck the adjacent wall. She fell to the ground her back facing us.
Right after that Tywin went down, and I glanced out my cell door to see if we had any hope of being saved. And to my great comfort I saw Onnie, the legendary warrior angel, racing towards us with Sadier at his side. But alarmingly about 20 creatures were chasing right behind them.
Yet again Madeline was narrowly saved this time by Onnie. Onnie somehow managed to get me, Madeline, and Sadier in a corner so he could stand in front of us as a barrage of creatures charged. It helped Onnie that the more trained warrior creatures were on the battlefield, but still, I have never been more inspired by an angel than in that moment as Onnie ripped through creature after creature determined to give us a chance to live. But he didn't have to keep it up for very long as Selah and a legion of angels thundered in with authority and came to his relief. The madness in my cell ceased quickly as the angels overcame.
Onnie was beaten and bloody. I had a nasty gash in my side. And Sadier had been struck in the shoulder, but it was obvious all his thoughts were on Saymi. Selah hurried to Sadier and tried to prevent him from going to Saymi. But Alkador had thought this moment through extremely well. This was were the cherry plant in Sadier's soul suddenly activated and his destiny was violently derailed.
Sadier angrily pushed Selah out of the way and started walking slowly to Saymi. His hands were shaking. Many angels spoke to him as they perceived what was about to happen, but Sadier pushed by them. Sadier came to Saymi and stood over her. Her body was not broken in any way. Her hair was spread out randomly as she laid on the ground. Her face was towards the wall. Sadier gave no sign of sadness or grief. He just turned around and faced us for a moment. Then he flashed us a quick smile and proceeded to walk out of the cell. His eyes were pitch black. Inside him darkness began to churn. Bitterness was overcoming his soul. Blackness was pouring into his heart. Saymi was dead.
