Dark Society: Stars of David

Prologue


         It was about twenty-four years ago when my wife and I conceived our first child and when the apocalyptic war actually began. At the time, I was an aging soldier and member of a secret organization known as the Dark Society, while my wife was the curator of a local museum. You are probably wondering why I mentioned my wife’s former profession when I chose not to state the name of the museum where she worked and the reason for such secrets is because I cannot allow for the Reapers to locate my base of operations. You will find out later that I will keep other important information from you as well.
         A few years before our daughter was born, my wife and I—being the connoisseurs of art history like we were—made an outstanding purchase on an edifice that would one day hold the keys to the survival of the entire world. It was the ruins of an old cathedral, constructed on a small island by the Italians during the Renaissance period of art history. My wife and I made the cathedral the residence where we would raise our precious daughter, combining the ruins with three-fourths of a medieval-modeled castle that I designed the floor plans and outer structure for myself.
         The castle made up the bulk of our home and was where my wife and I ate, slept, and enjoyed each other’s company. The cathedral part of the house became known simply as the “West Wing” and served as my office of sorts. My wife never visited the West Wing for it was my place of solitude, where I attended to the affairs of the Dark Society, since I was still an active member those many years ago.
         After settling into our new home, before we knew it, my wife became pregnant.
         We never imagined that such a feat would have been possible because we had been told before by doctors that my wife and I would never be able to bear children. On several occasions we had considered adopting; however, we never exercised that option because we were always so busy. But when my wife became pregnant, it was decided then that after the baby was born, she would cease working and remain at home at least until our daughter was of school age. We had enough money saved up from inheritances and I made plenty of money in my line of work, so we would have been fine. Then, out of nowhere, the war began.
         Here is the point of my writings where I should tell you about the war but I will not. By the time you read this, you should already have enough information about the terrible war that was ravaging the Earth. I will continue to tell you about my family because it is imperative that you understand how my wife and I ended up with thirteen children.
         While I was out battling fiendish demons, my wife endured most of the duration of her pregnancy alone. Nine and a half months later, our daughter was born on the ninth of December, which had been a cold winter’s night. My wife and I had contemplated several names for our daughter that I cannot remember now in old age but ultimately, since our daughter shared a birthday with John Milton, the English poet who was best known for his epic poem, Paradise Lost—my wife was also a huge fan of literature—we decided to name her Eve Katherine. Eve was from the name of the first woman that God created, who was the mother of mankind and one of the central characters of Milton’s poem and Katherine was from the name of Milton’s second wife.
         Still, the war raged on . . . .
         After three years of fighting and missing precious moments of Eve Katherine leaving infancy behind and growing into the toddler stage of human development, I retired from the military and renounced my position in Dark Society.
         The war had brought along dark times around the world. Religious figures everywhere were proclaiming that the end of the world was coming and that it was the end of days for all of the species that inhabited the Earth. Therefore, if what the religious leaders spoke of was true, then I had wanted to spend whatever time was left with my family. That was why I abandoned the war.
         Returning to my family, my wife and I had decided that we would try to have another child. Again, we were told that we could not conceive children and such a notion seemed to hold true the second time around. My wife could not become pregnant again and thus, we finally chose to adopt a child.
         My wife and I traveled from orphanage to orphanage in search of a suitable child that would be the perfect addition to our family. Eve Katherine traveled with us and although she was only three years old, she offered her opinions on the matter quite frequently. After all, the child that we would adopt would become her sibling and she did not just want any child to play with; she wanted one of which she shared a special connection. It was at the fifth orphanage where we found our second child.
         Arriving at the orphanage, we were greeted by a corpulent elderly woman with an intense and stern gaze. She was the caretaker of the children at the orphanage and she showed us all of the children that she cared for who was available for adoption. All, except for one. She refused to even allow us to walk past the particular baby’s crib. I questioned the woman and demanded to know why she would not grant us permission to at least take a look at the infant child and her response was that the child was different than the others.
         It was little Eve Katherine who convinced the woman to allow us to steal a glimpse at who she had deemed as the “special child”. Eve Katherine had told the woman how badly she wanted a brother or a sister to play with and the look of sadness on my daughter’s face alone was enough to compel the caretaker to change her mind.
         “All right, all right,” she said, giving in to Eve Katherine’s bright blue eyes--eyes that were so much like my mother’s.
         The woman led us over to the baby’s crib and when we peered down at the baby boy who was lying within, we knew that he was the child for us. He had dark skin, the color of mocha, and a head full of jet-black hair. The only unusually attribute about the infant that I could see immediately was his eyes, which were staring up somewhat curiously at the four of us. They were silver and reminded me of mercury, the metal that was commonly used in the swords that were forged for the members of Dark Society.
         Eve Katherine smiled when she laid eyes on the baby boy. She asked me if she could have a closer look so I picked her up into my arms and leaned her over the crib. Eve Katherine demanded to go closer so I lowered her until she was halfway into the crib. I eyed the woman and she gave me an evil look and I could tell that she wanted to reprimand me for allowing my daughter to be that close to the child that she was obligated to look after. The woman said nothing however and I returned my gaze to my future adopted son.
         Suddenly, Eve Katherine tickled the baby’s chin with her right hand and without warning he bit her. Eve Katherine pulled her hand away and cried out in pain. For a moment, I was dumbfounded. After all, how was a child who was no more than a few months old able to bite. The child had teeth and I was curious to know why.
         While Eve Katherine sucked the blood that was dripping from the fresh wound on her index finger, I faced the woman. Before I could speak, she said in a low voice, “I told you that he is different than the others.”
         A thought occurred to me suddenly. “How was this child brought to the orphanage?” I asked the woman.
         “I found him early one morning a few weeks ago,” the woman replied, recalling said event, “out back behind the trash dumpsters. He was fast asleep and bundled up within a blanket inside of a wicker picnic basket.”
         “Was there a note left with the child?” I questioned. “Any knowledge of the parents at all?”
         The woman shook her head. “No, not at all,” she said, staring hard at me. Her eyes narrowed to slits suddenly. “Why are you beleaguering me with such questions? I pray that you are not planning to adopt this child.”
         Much to the woman’s dismay, I nodded my head. “Yes, he is the one,” I spoke to her softly and the horrified look on the caretaker’s face was priceless so that I wished that I had brought along my old Polaroid camera. “We would like to adopt this child.”
         My wife was at my side in an instant. “Are you sure, Sweetheart?” she addressed me without using my first name; we had to be careful while out in public.
         I nodded but then said, “I want this child but I shall leave it to Eve Katherine to make the final decision.” I scooped my daughter up into my arms. Even though she was still sucking on her finger, she was smiling bright.
         Apparently the bite that Eve Katherine had received had been the special connection with a future sibling that she had been looking for. She giggled and asked me, “Daddy? Will he be my new brother?”
         I looked intently at the orphanage’s caretaker as I said, “Yes, my dear Eve Katherine, he will be.”
         A day later and our new son was adopted. In the end, the caretaker had given in without a fight and we were able to return to our home with our second child. My wife and Eve Katherine, as well as I were all delighted. And our infant son seemed happy to leave the orphanage so much that he smiled often and on his first night sleeping within the walls of the castle, my wife could have sworn that he had laughed in his sleep. Therefore, we named him Isaac.
         A year later, my wife and I adopted again. The second time around we adopted fraternal twins—one boy and one girl—who the caretaker at that particular orphanage claimed were delivered to her by mysterious people with wings. The caretaker had told us during the adoption process that the first time she touched the boy he was wet as though he had been drawn out of the water of a lake or pond and that his sister was bound to him by tied cloth in what was assumed to be a way of keeping the two babies together. The boy was the oldest by twenty-two minutes and we decided to name him Moses. The girl, we named Rebekah.
         A year later, the war raged on and it came time for us to adopt yet again—our other children were growing so fast and the older my wife and I became the more we enjoyed the company of small children, especially infants. We adopted a baby boy the day after our sweet little Eve Katherine turned five years old. After weeks of thinking of names, my wife and I finally came to an agreement to name our new son, Elijah. It was like an epiphany as we sat outside one night beneath the stars and a full moon.
         After the adoption of Elijah, my wife and I had planned not to adopt anymore children for a while and we actually tried to conceive ourselves once more. Four years passed and nothing happened. My wife blamed herself for her infertility and I blamed myself as well. And then, one night, something unexpected took place.
         A visitor came calling to the castle at around Midnight. I had just settled into bed when our gatekeeper phoned me and told me that my wife and I had a visitor with an urgent request. Wondering what was going on and who the person could be and what request could he or she possibly have for us, my wife and I quickly dressed in clothes more suitable for guests than our pajamas and we went downstairs to greet the visitor.
         It was a woman who had long, dark red hair and intense green eyes. She was extremely beautiful and dressed in a deep purple cloak. She had come to the castle on horseback and her pretty face looked extremely worn. Accompanying her were two small children—a girl who looked about Elijah’s age and an infant boy who she was holding in her arms. I recognized the woman at first glance because she had served dutifully under my command in the military. Her name was Rita.
         “Rita? What’s going on?” I asked the moment that my wife and I had arrived in the entrance foyer. Like me, Rita had been a member of Dark Society.
         Rita rushed over to us, clutching her son. Her daughter followed her quickly. “Oh, it is so good to see you again,” Rita said to me, throwing her arms around my neck and wrapping me up in a brief embrace without smothering her son in between our pressed bodies. It was then, immediately after the embrace, that I noticed that Rita’s mascara was running down her face; she had been crying.
         “Rita? What’s wrong?” I repeated my previous question, wording it slightly different though.
         “Martha and Rian have been captured by the Reapers,” Rita told me on the verge of sobbing again.
         I felt great sympathy for Rita. The Reapers were dangerous creatures and pawns of evil in the war. Also, Martha was Rita’s older sister and Rian was her husband. If the Reapers had captured them then they both were doomed.
         “I’m sorry,” was all I could say to Rita. I had wanted to say more but I could not speak any more in front of my wife. The affairs of Dark Society was classified information and my wife had heard enough already, although I was quite sure that she did not know what a Reaper was.
         “Tomorrow morning I am leading a strike team that hopes to locate Martha and Rian and rescue them from the Reapers,” Rita told me. “And I need a huge favor from you. I have no one else to turn to.”
         I already knew what Rita was going to ask before she even asked. Even so, I assured her, “I will do all that I can to help you, Rita.”
         “All I ask is for you and your wife to look after my children,” Rita said, tears welling up in her eyes even as she spoke. “Look after them until I return.” She started to sob openly now, sniffling and wiping her eyes with her free hand as she continued speaking. “And if I do not return, will you keep them here with you and provide them with a wonderful home?”
         I looked to my wife. Without a tiny discussion, she nodded her head. Everything was settled just like that.
         I faced Rita and nodded. “Yes, we would love to look after the young ones.”
         Rita forced a weak smile and a half an hour later she disappeared into the night. She left us her two children with only the clothes on their backs and rode off into impending doom.
                After that night, my wife and I never saw Rita again. Holding true to our promise, we provided Sarah and Abraham with the wonderful home that Rita had asked us to provide.
                A year later, we adopted another daughter named Rachel. Excited with adopting more children again, my wife and I adopted three more children in three consecutive years: Michael, Leah, and Mary, in that particular order. Two years after that, we could not resist and adopted the beautiful boy David. My wife and I now had twelve children and as I neared the age of fifty, we both decided that twelve was enough.
              Now, I must ask a question of you: Do you believe in miracles? With the terrible war continuing to be fought and the loss of many lives, my wife and I had given up on miracles. Yet a miracle happened when we least suspected it.
A few months after David was adopted, my wife came home one day with some good and surprising news. She and Eve Katherine—now sixteen years old and blossoming into a beautiful young woman—had visited the doctor for a routine check up and found out that she was two months pregnant at the age of forty-two. I was happy, yet confused; excited, yet fearful. I was glad that my wife was pregnant after we were positive that she would never be again, yet I could not help but to feel scared for the health of our unborn child. After all, my wife and I were not young and I knew that there could complications from bearing a child at such an age.
              About seven months later, the family welcomed the youngest addition in the form of a tiny, premature baby girl that we named Elizabeth.
              My wife and I now cared for thirteen children. Thirteen magnificent children that we would not give up for the world.
              Eight years have past now since the birth of Elizabeth. Eve Katherine, Isaac, Rebekah, Moses, Elijah and Sarah are adults now. Abraham, Rachel, and Michael have become teenagers. And Leah, Mary, David, and Elizabeth are all growing up so fast. And each one of them possesses unique special abilities . . . .
              Eve Katherine--she prefers to be called simply Eve now that she is older but she will always be Eve Katherine to me for as long as I live--is a genius in science. She has a laboratory on the fourth floor of the castle where she carries out secretive experiments and creates new technology and inventions. Eve Katherine is also naturally skilled with any weapon. Toss her any handgun and she can load it in mere seconds and fire all of the rounds accurately at far-away targets. She can also tell you the name and model of the gun, how many bullets it hold, and even how much it weighs. The same can be said about any blade. Eve Katherine knows her weapons and I have to say proudly that everything she knows she has learned it from me. Well . . . At least most of it anyway . . . .
              But back to her inventions. Currently, Eve Katherine is working on a special armored suit that is adamant against certain projectile weaponry. When finished, she hopes to get a patent and sell her product to the military to assist in the war effort. I truly commend my daughter for her intelligence.
              Now, if you are thinking that Eve Katherine is truly amazing, wait until you meet the rest of my children.
              Let’s see here . . . Next of course, is Isaac. Isaac’s speed and agility is incredible. He is also stronger than the average man and he has an affinity for blood. An anemic, Isaac suffers from the curse of the bat, yet the abilities that he has received from his curse balances everything so that it is actually a gift. Isaac is a Vampire and we keep his blood cravings under control thanks to a special serum that my dear Eve Katherine concocted when she was nine.
            Then, there’s Rebekah and Moses--the twins. Since they are twins, I will discuss them together because their powers are the same. Rebekah and Moses are both crafty individuals who can persuade anyone to do practically anything that they want them to. Not to mention that they are a Succubus and an Incubus respectively and they both have wings on their backs and can fly, which provides proof to the caretaker’s story from the orphanage where we adopted the twins.
            Elijah follows Rebekah and Moses and like Isaac, he suffers from a curse as well—the curse of the full moon. A Werewolf, Elijah possesses extreme super strength and animal instincts. When Elijah transforms to Werewolf, he used to be uncontrollable and the family was forced to lock him up in a cage in the dungeons of the castle for a few days until he returned to his human form. Now, however, the older that Elijah becomes the more he is able to retain his human mind once in Werewolf mode.
            Sarah comes next, so I am going to introduce her together with her sibling, her brother Abraham. A Witch and a Wizard like their mother before them, Sarah and Abraham have the ability to manipulate almost anything through magic. They are both already equipped with an arsenal of spells, hexes, charms, and jinxes and they are still learning magic from old tomes that my wife and I recovered from Rita and Rian’s old house.
              After Abraham, there’s Rachel. Now, Rachel is an interesting little specimen. She is a part of a special and rare species called Hybrids, which are beings that are half one specie and half another one. Half Vampire and Werewolf, Rachel has the powers of both species and is immune to all weaknesses, such as undergoing monstrous transformations or blood cravings. Out of all of my children, Rachel is probably the most powerful one . . . .
            Next, there’s Michael, who is truly a blessing. The power of light runs deep within his soul and his bird-like wings are gorgeous. Like Rebekah and Moses, Michael is capable of flight. He also can force himself to become invisible, a very useful gift indeed. Michael comes from a rare race of angelic beings known as Halos.
            Leah is an Elf and her speed may one day be able to match Isaac. Her enhanced sight is already better than Elijah’s and her simple healing powers are incredible, considering that neither Abraham nor Sarah can manipulate magic to use for healing.
            Mary is what members of the Dark Society refer to as Mutants and altered genetics play a huge role in her powers. By activating the potential energy of all objects, Mary is telekinetic. She also has limited telepathy and teleportation powers, which she works hard daily to improve.
            In comparison to Rachel, David is also an interesting little specimen. The blood of the enemy runs deep in his veins, yet David is as kind as can be. He is half-Reaper, meaning that he possesses limited elemental powers and can control lightning and wind. His favorite character from the X-Men comics is—you guessed it—Storm.
          And then there’s Elizabeth, the youngest of them all. Apparently my family history can be traced back to an ancient race of humans called the Avatars, who could alter time as well as transform themselves into other beings, preferably animals. The Avatar gene has been recessive in every member of my family for the past three centuries. What happened to cause the Avatar gene to become recessive, I do not know. All I know is that somehow Elizabeth has made it active again. Since the Avatar powers have been dormant in my family for so many years, Elizabeth has the ability to only morph her body into animals that she can see or touch. But I believe that one day she will be able to control time as well. She has the potential to become a great Avatar.
          So . . . . there they are, my thirteen amazing children. I present them to you now as the heroes who will save the world. For they alone possess the power to end the war. But first, they must confront the one who everyone calls the Antichrist . . . .

Sincerely Yours,
(No name given)