Luke opened his eyes to the endless white tile floor and infinite space. He recognized it instantly the dreamscape.
"Last time I was here," he muttered, "the old man contacted me…" A warm, resonant voice replied, "You are correct, Luke."
Luke turned. An old man stood before him with a long grey beard, ornate staff, and a robe adorned with sapphires, rubies, jades, and ancient symbols.
"Who are you?" Luke asked. "I am you," the old man said gently. Luke blinked. "What?"
;"I am your eternal spirit. The part of you that's been with you since birth." Luke stood silent, stunned.
"Everyone is born with a spirit," the old man continued. "But few ever meet theirs. You, Luke, are different. Your actions have shown the universe who you truly are. So it rewards you."
"The universe?" Luke asked.
"Yes. The system of law created by the Almighty." Luke's brow furrowed. "The Almighty?"
The old man smiled. "There's much to learn. In time." Luke chuckled. "You know I don't talk much."
"I know," the old man said warmly. "But I've watched you grow. You united the village. You spoke when it mattered. That's rare."
Luke looked down, humbled. "I just did what anyone would've done."
"If only that were true," the old man said. "You've become someone I admire. So now, I will aid you."
Luke's eyes widened. "How?"
"First, you'll see. Second, I'll tell you where to find Edwin." Luke's heart dropped.
"Edwin committed a horrific act," the old man said. "He massacred the village in Sodom. No survivors."
Luke clenched his fists. "Fred… the villagers who helped us…"
"I'm afraid so."The Old Man said "I'll make Edwin pay." Luke replied with teary eyes thinking about the people of the village.
"Good. When you wake, gather the heroes. Go to New Grace City. Edwin commands that legion. Light knows the way. Be careful Thomas may still see Edwin as his brother. That's why this mission falls to you."
The old man stepped back. "I wish you strength, Luke."
Then he vanished.
Luke awoke in a king-sized bed inside Light's mansion. He'd returned from the village and taken a nap. Now, he rose, dressed, and walked into the main room.
Light was gaming with Riot and Stuart. Ice sharpened his blade. Albert served drinks. Sophie massaged Thomas's shoulders.
Luke spoke calmly. "Light, can you take us to New Grace City?"
Light paused. "That place? It's crawling with demons." Riot shouted, "Hey! That's cheating!" Light smirked. "It's not cheating if you level up." Luke stepped forward. "Get the bus ready."
Albert nodded. "Yes, sir."
Ice looked up. "What's there?" Luke hesitated, then looked at Thomas and Sophie. "Edwin. That's where we'll find him."
The room fell silent.
Thomas stood. "Lucifer just tried to kill me in my dream. He's invading my thoughts. We should go after him first."
Luke's voice was firm. "Edwin committed genocide." Thomas froze. "What?"
"Sodom," Luke said. "Everyone. Gone."
Sophie gasped. Ice slammed his fist on the table. "When does this end?!"
Light whispered, "Edwin… you've gone too far." Riot and Stuart cried out, "No! You're lying!"
"I'm sorry," Luke said. "It's true." Suddenly, a raven flew through the window.
"Caw! Heroes! Caw!"
Luke recognized it was not his raven, but the old man's. "I followed Edwin! Caw! He's alone! Caw! In his castle!"
"In New Grace City?" Luke asked. "Caw! Yes!"
Luke stroked the raven. "We must strike when Edwin is alone." The raven cawed softly. "The teacher… caw…"
Thomas stepped forward. "This war has brought nothing but suffering. If dethroning Edwin gets us closer to peace… I'm in."
The heroes rose, tears in their eyes. Luke said, "We don't have time to waste."
Everyone moved toward the garage. Albert stood beside a black-armored bus, ready to roll.
Light, last out the door, looked back. "Things are getting interesting."