Seal of Light - Enlightened

Chapter 2: I. Into the State of Nothingness

Mat woke up gasping for his breath. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was already in his true

awakened state. Before, he had as many as three or more layers of dream before waking up. Gladly, it

was just a single layered dream this time, but this nightmare appeared much often lately, still trying to

figure out the message, confused if it has something to do with a reconciliation of the past or warning of

any coming events in the future.

Then he remembered the symbols in his dream and asked what could they be about?

It was already 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The sound of his phone alarm was all over the place, his

breathing slowed as he stared up at the white ceiling of this special guest room of the Good Eve's

Hotel.

"It's time alright," the young man said.

Feeling very thirsty and exhausted, he quickly jumped out of bed and grasped a drink of water.

His name is Mat Adam. A short-haired-neat-looking, not-so-bulky-not-so-skinny, regular guy you pass

by every day. Not a wealthy person, just making enough for a living. He is a techie-guy, anything that

has to do with computers and gadgets, he's on it.

He was referred by an old friend to do a special contract project here at the hotel.

He recently finished installing and configuring the Security Cameras here at the Good Eve's Mansion.

That's the reason why he was sent here.

This old mansion residence was converted into a hotel and it is located on the upper ground of the far-

end side of the beach. It was inherited and being maintained by Mat's client, Mr. John Eve.

Mat's phone alerted for a new message.

Meeting at the Dining Area, 6:30 pm

---

After a quick shower, Mat pulled a fresh long sleeved chino shirt pairing a slack-pants and sandals. He

packed-up his things and took out this bizarre looking box from his bag.

Entering the mansion's diner, Mat indulged the smell of the roasted food being served. He looked

around hoping to see Mr. Eve somewhere.

The open-ceiling, high-windows and large door of the terrace gives everyone inside the diner a natural

sea breeze feeling.

Wandering around and then finally, he saw a tall, handsome mid-40s looking man with his eyeglasses

on and wearing a clean pressed casual-formal attire attending and chatting to a group of guests.

Clearly, He's very much of a people-person. He interacted with and talked to the guests, giving them a

very home-like atmosphere.

"Hey Mat, there you are," Mr. Eve excused himself from the guests that he was talking to and

approached Mat with a handshake.

Mat reached back to Mr. Eve. The two greeted and went to a reserved table near the balcony area.

"Dinner's on me Mat."

"Wow, thank you Mr. Eve."

Mr. Eve asked his dining staff to bring them their House Specialty, then turned back to Mat's direction

and took out a tablet device. He started using it and accessed the feed of the hotel's security cameras.

"Our Head Admin already gave a very good feedback on the final test of all the security cameras. Great

job Mat."

"Thank you sir," Mat nodded and smiled back.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night, you can travel back to the city tomorrow

morning, and you don't need to worry because your stay would be totally free."

Mat returned a big smile and slightly scratched his head.

Just before Mr. Eve utters another word, someone wrapped around him from behind and kissed him.

"Hey Dad," the young woman said.

"Dad? So this is the daughter of Mr. Eve." Mat thought as he gazed her. There was this instant

admiration for the young woman. She was very simple, but her beautiful face was enough to make her

look glamorous.

"Oh, Summer, come join us here for dinner?" Mr. Eve asked.

"But I thought you were in a meeting Dad?"

"Yes we are honey, anyway, Summer, this is Mat Adam, the tech-specialist. Mat Adam, this is my

daughter, Summer."

Mat was caught off-guard looking at her. He quickly stood up and offered a hand shake. The young

woman accepted it. "Nice meeting you Ms. Summer Eve."

They broke up as the waiter excused himself as he served the large plates full of their House Specialty

on the table.

Summer tucked her hair back to her ears, smiled back and sat beside her father. "So you're the techie

guy who installed these cameras all-over. Are you going to work here? I mean, like a full time

employee?"

Mat was not able to answer back but kept the amazed look on his face. Summer noticed it and felt the

little awkward tension between them. She shook her head and thought, "Strange funny guy, he's cute

though."

Mat cleared his throat and composed himself back. "Hmm, Oh no, I'm just here to install these security

devices. By the way, Mrs. Autumn asked me to give this box to you," He said while pulling out a small

box and placed it in front of Mr. Eve.

"Mrs. Autumn? Like Lily Autumn?" Summer asked showing a full interest on the name she just

mentioned.

"Yes, Lily Autumn, she was the one who referred me to your father for the Security Cameras. Why? Do

you know her?" Mat asked.

"She is my aunt, my mother's eldest sister." Summer replied.

"Oh I see," Mat smiled back while nodding.

"Did she, by any chance, mention anything about my cousin Willow?" Summer asked.

"Hmm no, just this box that she asked me to give to your father." Mat replied. Summer looked at her

father with this blank expression.

Mr. Eve took the box and opened it. He pulled out a gold bracelet which has carved ancient symbols

around it.

"This was your mother's..." Mr. Eve said with a slight crumbled voice.

Mat looked at them with a bit of confusion. Summer took the bracelet and tried to inspect its details.

"But I think I overheard her talking to her helper about this person who's in a coma state, I'm not really

sure, maybe that was some other..." Mat recalled.

"Yes Mat, she was referring to her daughter Willow, my wife suffered the same unexplainable incident,

but she died a year after she got into that comatose state. Doctors could not tell the cause of her death

nor the reason why she suddenly went into coma state in the first place," Mr. Eve explained.

"I, I-I'm really sorry to hear that Mr. Eve."

As their emotions started to weight in, a tear fell from Summer, she tried to look away and wipe it.

Mr. Eve noticed a small note inside the box, he unfolded and read it.

John, I believe he can help us. He is not from any ancestral decent or genealogy of carriers. He is a

chosen Alpha. He also happened to be a pupil of Navi'Sai.

Mr. Eve quickly folded the small note again and gave Mat a piercing look, and then took Summer's

hand and gave her a comforting grip.

Mr. Eve's device was still playing the feed from the security cameras. He noticed something unusual on

the scene. The video feed was coming from his office. There is someone trying to open his wall-

mounted-vault. He quickly stood up and asked Summer to stay there, he bolted his way to his office.

Mat took a quick glimpse on the video feed that was still playing and quickly followed him.

"Be careful Dad!" Summer said.

Summer was left holding the bracelet closer to her chest. She did not notice the small crystal sparks of

light that was starting build up from it as she watched Mat ran after her father.

Mat reached the office and saw Mr. Eve who was about to hit the burglar with a wooden stick which he

always kept near the door area.

The burglar stopped filling his bag with money, held his gun with two hands and looked back. He was

half a second late to react and got hit on the head.

Mat moved closer just in case the guy gets back quickly to Mr. Eve.

The thief moved back and pointed his gun in eye-level. Mat quickly sneaked in and gave the man a

quick roundhouse kick to its face, the burglar was stunned for a moment, he was so groggy that he

dropped his gun and placed his hand to his head and the other hand to the wall. He saw Mat coming in

again and he tried to fight back but Mat was able evade him. The thief threw a full winded punch, but

Mat was able to dodge it. Mat grabbed his opponent's hand and with a swift maneuver, a strong hit of

an elbow pinned him down and Mat mounted his weight upon him while still holding his twisted arm.

Mat kicked the gun towards Mr. Eve's direction.

"You know this was coming John," The burglar said with this eerie voice that doesn't seem to be his.

His eyes turned all black and his voice turned dark and heavy. Mat and Mr. Eve felt the dark aura that

suddenly lurked into the room.

Mat heard a ticking sound. It seems to be coming from, underneath the burglar's clothes. He knew it

was an improvised explosive. Mat quickly checked with his other hand while still holding the guy down.

He saw a small timer attached to an explosive device wrapped around the man's body with 44 seconds

left and it was continually ticking and counting down.

All of a sudden, the man single-handedly lifted Mat from his mount position, choked him and slowly

raised him up with his both feet freely swinging into the air. Mat tried to free himself but the guy

suddenly just got this super strength and he could not even slip away from it.

"You know I came for her John, too bad this pawn they sent could not even help." The burglar spoke as

he slammed Mat's body hard on the wall. He finally let go of Mat and quickly ran out. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Oh no, Summer!" John worriedly said. He quickly followed the man who was going to the direction

where Summer was.

Mat stood up, shook his head and then followed Mr. Eve. "What was that all about?"

He remembered the explosive that was counting down. "The man was about to go kamikaze, and I

think he is bringing Summer with him." Mat hurriedly outran Mr. Eve reaching the terrace first.

The burglar stood on the other end of the table where Summer was, Mat knew it was a matter of

seconds left before the explosive sets out. He quickly jumped over the man and tried to pull him near to

the edge of the terrace.

"Go Summer, move back to safety!" Mat said while holding and wrestling the other guy.

The burglar was able to hold onto Summer's arm and tried to pull her but the bracelet she was holding

lit up. The light was like a direct ray of the sun, covering the whole area of the balcony. Mat felt his body

reacted to the light as if he just acquired this extra strength to do something to save Summer and his

father from this coming explosion. He wasted no time and easily pulled the man away from Summer

and did not have a second thought of letting themselves fall from the edge of the terrace.

The blast came upon and glasses from nearby window burst into pieces. Guests panicked away.

Summer got knocked back by the wave of the explosion, and just before her body fall from the wrecked

veranda, Mr. Eve was able to catch her and pulled her up. She had already lost her consciousness. Mr.

Eve's staff came to their aid and helped him carry Summer back to safety.

Mr. Eve watched Mat's lifeless body rolled down to the large and sharp boulders of rock beneath the

hotel until it splashed down to the floor of the open sea.

On the other hand, Mat was still able to see the figure of the wrecked veranda where he fell off. He felt

his whole body submerged and was being pulled down by the water.

"So is this what it feels like?"

"Is this the warning I have dreamt about?"

Everything slowly faded to white as Mat enters

...The State of Nothingness.