The city had not yet caught its breath. The streets were silent now, but an oppressive heat clung to every building, every shadow. The red pulse that had radiated from the park earlier now lingered like a wound, pulsing faintly through the cracked pavement.
Daniel, Elara, Jonah, and the children stood in the middle of the empty street, hearts still hammering, bodies trembling from the confrontation with the false prophet and the rising presence beneath the city.
The angel unfolded its wings slowly, their edges glowing faintly gold.
“The first test has awakened your power,” it said to Daniel.
“But it was only the beginning.
The throne is rising. And with it… the first seal in the sky shall open.”
Daniel swallowed. “The sky…?”
“Look.”
Above, the clouds parted in a jagged line. Stars blinked out one by one, and a deep crimson light tore across the heavens like a wound. It was a signal, a proclamation, and a warning.
“The sky marks the first seal,” the angel continued.
“You must now step fully into your role.
This city, these children, your friends—all of you—are part of what must awaken before the throne completes its rise.”
Elara whispered, “What do we do? How can we fight something that the whole sky is warning about?”
Daniel closed his eyes. He could feel it again—the Listener’s gift pulsing within him. The voices, the whispers, the fears and hopes of those around him, all began to clarify. They were no longer chaos, but a pattern he could sense, a current he could navigate.
He opened his eyes. They glowed gold, steadier, stronger.
“I can feel it… everything,” he said. “The children, the people, the city… the creature… even the false prophet. I can sense what they want… what they’re drawn to. And I can speak truth into it.”
Jonah rubbed his face. “Man, that’s… that’s terrifying.”
The angel spoke quietly, as if speaking directly into Daniel’s soul.
“It is terrifying. But fear has no hold on you. You are armed with obedience, and with obedience comes power.”
⸻
The Arrival of the Ally
A sudden sound echoed from the end of the street—a soft, yet commanding voice, carried by the wind.
“Daniel.”
He turned, and from the shadows emerged a figure he did not recognize. She walked steadily toward him, exuding calm authority. Her white robe was streaked with gray, her hair silver but glinting gold in the crimson sky.
The children instinctively stepped behind Daniel.
The angel nodded.
“She is the Watcher-priestess, Miriam. She has been praying for your awakening since the day of your birth.”
Daniel’s heart raced. “Praying… for me?”
Miriam smiled faintly. “The Lord knew you would face this. He prepared me to guide you when the time came. And the time is now.”
Jonah muttered under his breath, “Great. More weird.”
Elara whispered, “I… I feel like we can trust her.”
Miriam’s gaze swept the city, the sky, and finally rested on Daniel.
“You are ready, Daniel. But being ready is not enough. The throne stirs because the hearts of many have opened to its pull. You must now choose—”
She paused, letting the weight settle.
“—to step fully into the mantle, or to retreat into safety.”
Daniel’s chest tightened. He thought of the children, of the people still in the city, of the false prophet who had already begun her work of deception.
“I… I have to step forward,” he said quietly, but firmly.
Miriam nodded. “Then we prepare. For what rises is beyond anything you have yet faced.”
⸻
The Creature Reveals
Below the city, the ground trembled violently. A deep, resonant growl echoed through the streets, vibrating the bones of those standing above. The red pulse flared again, this time jagged and chaotic, as if the creature itself was struggling to rise through the earth.
Daniel could feel it—not just the sound, but the intent. It was conscious, aware, and angry that its influence was being resisted.
“Daniel,” the angel said, wings unfolding wide, “it knows you. It calls to you. It will test your obedience.”
Daniel’s eyes glowed brighter. “I… I can hear it. Its voice… it wants me to see it, to respond, to… obey it.”
Miriam stepped forward. “Do not look with fear. Look with authority. Speak truth, and it cannot harm you.”
Daniel took a deep breath. He focused on the golden light within himself, letting it expand. He felt the red pulse weaken slightly under his gaze.
He lifted his hands, trembling but resolute, and spoke:
“You do not control this city. You do not control its people. The Lord rebukes you, and you shall not pass.”
A low, guttural roar erupted from beneath the streets. The red smoke twisted upward, forming something that resembled a winged beast—horned, massive, yet flickering like fire in the wind. Its eyes, molten and burning, fixed on Daniel.
It surged toward the surface, but the golden light in Daniel’s eyes flared brighter, forcing it back.
The children whimpered, hiding behind Elara and Jonah.
The angel placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
“This is your first victory, but not your last. You have felt the power of the mantle. Remember it, and use it wisely. The throne is patient—it will rise again.”
Daniel’s chest heaved with effort, but he knew one thing clearly:
He had finally stepped fully into his calling.
And the city, trembling beneath the red pulse and the awakening creature, was about to test him again.
Divine Revelations 
Leave a comment