"When the time is right, but first you must do this." She looked at Constance intently. "Tell him, he is a great man, and that great men must make great sacrifices."

Constance nodded and wiped away a tear. "Yes, Mom. I will remember."

"I love you, Constance. Be a good girl." She gave a gentle smile.

"I will, Mom," Constance whispered. "I will."

One of the robed figures reached out and placed his hand softly on the woman's shoulder.

"I have said as much as you are able to bear, my darling. Come home, Constance." She covered her head. And the three turned and walked back down the path.

"I will, Mom! I will!" Constance called after them. She crumbled to the ground and wept.

We stood by quietly for a moment, allowing her to grieve.

"We must travel back to The Circle," said Humphrey over her sobs.

"Yes, I know."

"Are you ready?"

"I am." I looked down at Constance.

"It is not going to be easy," he said quietly.

"Nothing important ever is." I knelt down next to Constance. "It is time to take you to Vrin. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she said, wiping away tears. "I want to see my father."

I helped her to her feet and the three of us headed back down the stairs to a gra.s.sy field. The sun sat high in the sky. I looked directly at it. But it didn't hurt my eyes.

We traveled across the meadow and into a leafy path through a wood where we wound our way in and out of ma.s.sive oak trees, until Humphrey stopped us at the edge of a clearing. He motioned for us to duck down. In the center, beings of light swarmed around a circular structure, floating in and out amongst each other. I noted that the light emanating from them was weak and faded.

"Who are they?" I whispered.

"Malignant spirits," said Humphrey.

"Is that The Circle of Ghosts?"

"Yes."

"How do we get in?"

"Hold on. You'll see." He winked.

Suddenly, the air filled with light and the ground trembled. I looked up to see the ma.s.sive form of Magnus descending. As he landed in front of The Circle, the ground split. And the lesser beings retreated.

"I AM MAGNUS! I STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ONE TRUE G.o.d!"

"Go!" said Humphrey, gesturing wildly.

Constance and I bolted toward The Circle and Magnus allowed us to pa.s.s. In the shadows of the trees, the glowing demons paced like wild animals.

"Quickly! The fallen ones are coming!" Humphrey called after us.

I looked up to see bright flickers of yellow fire burning down through the atmosphere. And from them a haunted screech filled the air.

I looked at Constance. "Ready?"

She gave a quick nod. "I'm scared, but I'm ready."

"Remember, Thomas!" called Humphrey. "Time does not exist in Dantra. You will enter Vrin precisely the moment you left, which will give you the element of surprise."

"Got it." I gave him the thumbs up.

Magnus stepped forward and gripped the structure, and in a flash of light, we found ourselves standing inside The Circle on Gaza's platform. Through a ghostly yellow veil, I watched, as if in slow motion, as the body of Charm collapsed onto the metal floor of the platform.

Kitaya, still holding the gun, also watched him fall. She turned and looked directly at me. How did she know? How did she know? An evil grin appeared on her face as she threw the pistol aside and raised her arms in surrender. An evil grin appeared on her face as she threw the pistol aside and raised her arms in surrender.

I stepped through the veil.

Gaza's face showed anger then confusion. I was dead-- and yet there I stood. At first his eyes bore into mine, but then he looked past me-- and his expression changed. "Constance?" "Constance?"

I turned and looked back through the veil. Constance was standing in The Circle, appearing as a little girl.

"Yes, Daddy. It's me."

He brushed past me and stood before the veil. "Where's your mother, sweetheart?"

"She died in the crash, Daddy. But it's okay. She is in Ethral, waiting for us.

"In Ethral?" His voice was hollow. "But-- why didn't I go with her?"

"Because, Daddy, you are still living. The living may not pa.s.s into Ethral."

He crouched down. "Are you you alive?" alive?"

"Yes. I am in Dantra."

"Why aren't you here? I thought I drew all the souls into Vrin."

She looked at him warmly. "You didn't draw the souls into Vrin, G.o.d sent them in to help you, so you could move beyond the pain of the void. You don't have to hold on to that pain anymore, Daddy. You don't have to hang on to your anger. G.o.d did not do this to you. It just happened. Sometimes we think because G.o.d created everything, that he is responsible for all the bad things that happen to us. But the reality is, we cause darkness and pain by making bad choices, choices that go against the will of G.o.d. But G.o.d can take even our bad choices and use them for our good."

"I've been searching for you," he said softly.

The little girl's eyes filled with tears. "I was but a breath away. You couldn't see me, but I was there. --For many years I blamed myself for what happened. I convinced myself that if I had stayed by the car, they would have found you quicker and rescued you. But I was afraid, and I ran away."

As she continued to speak, she began to increase in years. "I carried the burden for such a long time, every day, cursing G.o.d for what happened. And I hid from him. I didn't want his pity, I wanted you you back. But it's clear to me now, I don't have to fear. All things are working out as G.o.d promised. And you, Daddy, you have a purpose here. There's something G.o.d needs you to do. --Then someday we can be together in eternity." back. But it's clear to me now, I don't have to fear. All things are working out as G.o.d promised. And you, Daddy, you have a purpose here. There's something G.o.d needs you to do. --Then someday we can be together in eternity."

As he contemplated her words, I interjected cautiously. "Perhaps, you were meant to stop Kric' tu."

He looked at me, then back at Constance. "Is that it? Is that what he expects from me?"

Constance closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the sky, as if in silent communication. Her eyes opened. "Yes," she stated with certainty. "That is what you were meant to do."

"Then come through, and I'll do it." His tone had changed, he sounded sincere.

"I can't enter Vrin, Daddy. And I can't go back. The fallen ones have blocked the way."

He squinted at her. "I don't understand. You've come this far. You must come through!"

Her eyes turned down. "I'm not allowed."

"Please don't do this to me," he said softly.

"You have to stop Kric' tu. It is what you were created to do."

His face contorted. "You don't understand. I can't!" can't!"

"You have to."

"I CAN'T!" His eyes were desperate. Then, all of a sudden, a look of realization appeared on his face. "You!" "You!" he said, spinning to face Kitaya. he said, spinning to face Kitaya.

She took a step back.

Gaza suddenly raised his arms, causing a tide of distortion to push outward. This sent Kitaya crashing back against the railing. Energy washed over her in torrents, crushing her violently against the metal rails.

She cried out, but it was not her her voice that came out of her. It was in the voice of a man! Her body vibrated and her physical form melted away in the stream of electricity. And when the energy subsided, it was not Kitaya who lay on the metal grid of the platform. It was Rath! voice that came out of her. It was in the voice of a man! Her body vibrated and her physical form melted away in the stream of electricity. And when the energy subsided, it was not Kitaya who lay on the metal grid of the platform. It was Rath!

Gaza's eyes glared. "I'll destroy you for this!" "I'll destroy you for this!"

"Go ahead! Destroy this body! And I will become a true G.o.d."

"Ha! Is that the lie lie that abomination fed you? that abomination fed you?"

"Kric' tu understands more than you ever will!"

"He's a glitch glitch in the program. What could he in the program. What could he possibly possibly know that I do not? know that I do not? I created I created Vrin out of the essence of eternity." Vrin out of the essence of eternity."

Rath laughed. "Fool! Vrin is a delusion. delusion. Kric' tu is the reality. You Kric' tu is the reality. You know know the people of Vrin are real. I know you do! You've searched the people of Vrin are real. I know you do! You've searched pathetically pathetically for your wife and daughter in the program you yourself created. You for your wife and daughter in the program you yourself created. You think think you know so much, but you're such a pathetic you know so much, but you're such a pathetic loser, loser, you can't even figure out what Davata Notrals you can't even figure out what Davata Notrals is. is. You don't have a clue!" You don't have a clue!"

"It is also a glitch." Gaza sneered.

Rath laughed again. "It told us everything you would do. G.o.d thought himself clever to hide future events within the very structure of his book. But we found the code, and and the code breaker." the code breaker."

They found Hazel?

"We can't allow you to destroy Vrin. The code revealed how we would stop you, and for now we have allowed it to be as it is written. But G.o.d will one day see that he is wrong wrong about humanity, and his code will be useless. Then about humanity, and his code will be useless. Then I I will become a true G.o.d!" will become a true G.o.d!"

"Not before I break your FACE!" break your FACE!" That That was was Kitaya's Kitaya's voice. voice.

Materializing in front of Rath, her foot recoiled and smashed him on the jaw, sending his head back with a jolt. Rath's hand shot out, bringing her to the floor with a crash. He rose above her with a clenched fist, but Kitaya's fingers became long metal pins, and he let out a blood curdling scream as she pushed them deep into his sides. He pushed himself away and blood trickled from the wounds.

Anger flared in his eyes as his fist came up again."

"Stop!" screamed Gaza. screamed Gaza. " "Or I will send you both both back to the void!" back to the void!"

Rath's hand stopped. He looked up at Gaza. "You have no real power!"

"Test me." Gaza leveled his eyes at him.

Rath hovered for a moment, then slowly lowered his hand. "It doesn't matter." He rubbed his chin with his knuckles. "You've lost. Even now Kric' tu prepares his forces."

I looked out across the barren plain. There was movement in the black ranks.

Gaza turned back toward his daughter. His features racked with anguish. He knew what I knew, that closing The Circle would kill her. Rath and Kric' tu had set it all up. It was in the code that I would bring her here, and now Gaza was trapped, held hostage by his love for Constance. Kric' tu was betting that Gaza would not allow his daughter to die, that he would leave The Circle open, so the forces of chaos could take over Vrin.

Gaza swung back toward Rath with a fierceness that caused both Rath and and Kitaya to withdraw. "Did the book tell you I would do Kitaya to withdraw. "Did the book tell you I would do this?" this?" He stretched out his hand toward them, and Rath violently erupted into a ball of flame. Gaza walked forward and hovered over the screeching burning form. "Do me a favor." He sneered. "Say h.e.l.lo to Kric' tu for me." And in a rage of inhuman strength, he shoved the burning ma.s.s through the metal railing. Like a comet, Rath plummeted and exploded on impact. He stretched out his hand toward them, and Rath violently erupted into a ball of flame. Gaza walked forward and hovered over the screeching burning form. "Do me a favor." He sneered. "Say h.e.l.lo to Kric' tu for me." And in a rage of inhuman strength, he shoved the burning ma.s.s through the metal railing. Like a comet, Rath plummeted and exploded on impact.

As Gaza peered over the rail at the smoldering form, the fury on his countenance was replaced by sorrow.

"LOOK!" Armadon's voice boomed out. He pointed to the distance. "THE FORCES OF KRIC' TU ADVANCE!"

Gaza looked up and calmly studied the horizon. His face was stern yet contemplative.

"It is time," I said. "He is coming."

Gaza spun and strode to The Circle. "You must jump through!" he yelled at his daughter.

"I told you, Daddy. I can't!"

"Why? What is preventing you?"

"I have chosen to obey G.o.d."

"Jump through!" He begged. "I can't live without you!" he said, beating his fists fiercely against the veil. But the very structure he had created would not allow him to get through.

Constance moved in close. "I want to, Daddy," she whispered. "You have to believe me."

"I can save this world if you come through." He pleaded. "If I close The Circle you will die."

"I will see you in Ethral." Her chin quivered. "Promise you will come home to me."

"I don't know how," he whispered, pressing his forehead against the barrier.

"Mom sent me here with a message for you," she said, her voice sounding surreal. "She said to tell you, you are a great man, and that great men must make great sacrifices. I know this is hard for you, but seek first the things of G.o.d, and he will give you what you need. Stop fighting, Daddy. Stop fighting-- and come home."

His expression was one of pure anguish as he turned and ran back to the railing. The army of darkness filled the horizon, completely surrounding us now. Soon we would be overtaken. Racked with emotion, he stared intently at the approaching horde. He knew there was no way to destroy Vrin without killing Constance. He also knew that sealing The Circle would do the same.