text: Black and foreboding clouds filled the air as the musty stench of mildew and smoke swallowed up my senses. Everything was rotten here. Like the scent of a forgotten time, or the spine of an old musty book breaking free from its dormant chains. These ancient aromas were whispers from the Gods; a constant reminder that they knew my sin, and as such they had brought down their fury upon me. But I was no slave to these great spirits, and I would tear down any wall they built to keep up the sanctity of man. For what is a God to a man who keeps the world for himself? Burning embers trailed the air like fireflies dancing to the rhythm of a rattlesnake’s call. The warmth of the light was a siren’s song cast out to any lost travelers in the dead of night. The chilled weather had been chipping the leaves from their trees without remorse, bringing a bleak sense of emptiness into the world. But fire only meant one thing in a world as bare and desolate as this. The eyes of a martyr stared at me from above, his cross-shaped pedestal pinning him to the flames as they engulfed his body. The painted wax eyes were melting in the inferno, leaving a trail of inky tears. Maybe he is having regrets... maybe we all have regrets... A thundering roar escaped from the bellows of the church as the foundation started to crumble, letting out a blinding light that singed the eyes. Through squinted vision, I spotted a shadow emerge from the hellfire in front of me, causing butterflies to battle in my stomach. Something draws near... I thought as I crept behind a broken stone pedestal and hid my cloaked figure from the glowing light. Through a splinter in the stone, I could make out its haunting frame as it gazed into the darkness, its eyes burning like flawless rubies. It had the shape of an ordinary man, yet its height was comparable to that of a great bear as it towered before the entrance of the church. The creature’s mass shadowed the church’s door frame as it walked into the grand hall. On its head was an open-helm bascinet in the shape of a lion that seemed to shine orange like the fire of a sun. I attempted to steady my breath as the man scanned the grand hall, sniffing at the air like a dog finding a scent. The hounds must have had my trail since the last village... As the man crept through the grand hall, the faint cracks of crumbling foundation could be heard with the roar of a fire. “Show yourself you coward!” the creature roared as he inched towards the main altar, his voice rattled with fury. The man had a crest of a lion holding a spear in its jaws on a large metal breastplate that encased his body. As the man approached, a support beam tore from the ceiling, cascading flames towards my hiding spot. In an attempt to dodge the rain of fire, I leapt to the side, exposing my figure. Looking up at the creature, I could see the humanity leave him with a beastly snarl appearing on his face, creeping into a devilish grin that widened along with the hellish fires that surrounded us. “You will die for your sins!” the monster screamed as it rapidly approached to end my life. The world was seeking enact retribution upon me. But I was Genesis, and I was its salvation.