MLII C8, P7- "God's Plan"

"God's Plan" is the seventh Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's eighth Chapter.
It was released on 10.08.2021,
== Plot ==
As the journey reaches its climax, Jared finally meets the ultimate enemy, the one who laid destruction upon his hometown and killed a lot of people who were dear to him- Grah-Hoth.
Just like he has always done, the Haakai overlord will unleash his full power upon Jared and his allies. Now that all of it has been restored, there is precious little hope for them to survive another day.
With the odds turning out to be against them this time, Jared and his allies must fight their way past the Haakai's numerous defenses, whether they are magical.... or physical. In the name of all that is sacred, they shall face this ancient enemy and attempt to save the world from another inevitable apocalypse, another era of destruction and despair.
However, every step towards victory will not come without a cost. Soon, Jared will lose someone very important to him. Someone who loves him very much and whom he loves as well. Someone who means the world to him.
As it turns out, this will be the most terrible day for our hero. The wound that will be left behind will be even more severe than it was before.
It is time to fight the Darkness once again. But, in the end, will there be enough strength left to succeed?
== Story ==
Grah-Hoth laughs.
"Oh, you are a very interesting mortal. The most amusing diversion I've had in a hundred years!"- He says- "However, all good things must come to an end. You've become quite a nuisance recently. And because of that, I'm forced to end your existence on this miserable planet."
He looks at the little imp that is standing in front of him and smiles.
"Hello, servant. I see that you've become a traitor and decided to help those heroes out."- He says- "Well, you are a waste of space now. I don't need you anymore."
He snaps his fingers and hurls a giant fireball at the imp.
The creature tries to get away, but it is too late for it to be saved. Our heroes watch helplessly as it is completely incinerated by the attack.
Still shocked by the demise of the creature that helped him reach Grah-Hoth, Jared glares at his master, his eyes burning with pure hatred.
"Why are you always so evil?"- He asks him- "Why do you fail to see the struggles that the people are forced to endure? The pain? The suffering? Up until now, they fought to keep their homes safe from villains like you. And then, you come and make their lives a living nightmare. You destroy everything that they fought for, that they care about. Do you have any shame in that evil heart of yours?!"
Grah-Hoth smiles.
"Shame? Mercy?"- He says- "I don't know the meaning of those words. I only know how to inflict pain and to cause despair. Ever since I came into the lands that you call Avernum, I have never changed my ways. And I'm not planning to. Especially not when a heroic child like yourself tries to push me off the right path."
Jared's teeth grit as his hand gets close to his weapon.
"Well, you should know that I am the voice of those people."- He says- "I am the one whom they chose to be their hero, their savior. I am going to be the one who will bring you to your knees and make you realize how foolish it is to fight those who only wish to bring peace and order in this world. Sooner or later, I will make you pay for the crimes that you have commited against everyone. Mark my words, I will never surrender."
Grah-Hoth smiles.
"You remind me of some young heroes whom I had to fight a few decades ago. Back when I was still free, still able to destroy everything in my path."- He says- "Do you want to hear the story about how I defeated all of them, safe for the one who stands beside you?"
Lethal's heart skips a beat. He definitely knows who Grah-Hoth is talking about. His mind remembers those horrifying events.
Jared shakes his head.
"I did not come here to hear stories about heroes whom you have managed to slay."- He says- "One thing is certain, though. While they failed to bring you down, I am going to finish the job. Or die trying."
Grah-Hoth cackles.
"Well, too bad!"- He yells- "You are my guests and you shall stay here on my own terms!"
Suddenly, Jared's hands feel cold. His fingertips are unable to hold his weapon anymore, so he watches helplessly as it clatters on the floor in front of him.
Aleks and Lethal freeze as their bodies become motionless. Unable to move anymore.
All three of them struggle to free themselves from this curse, but to no avail.
It is clear that Grah-Hoth is still very powerful. Now that he is at the peak of his powers, he is able to do whatever he wants with his victims. If only there were a way to distract him...
Meanwhile, Grah-Hoth smiles. Seeing that his "guests" are unable to do anything, he starts to tell a story to them.
"Most of the heroes that I fought during my glorious existence were rather boring. Wanna-be adventurers with wild hopes and dreams who wanted to slay something that is very powerful, very dangerous. I killed all of them, of course. None of them were spared from my wrath."- He begins- "However, six of them managed to prove themselves as worthy challengers who deserved the fates that I had in store for them."
As Grah-Hoth continues to speak, Jared feels something brush past him. He senses the energy of an evil spirit trying to subdue him, to drain him of his powers.
Soon, the spirit's draining powers have an effect on him. His knees get weaker. His mind gets clouded by the memories of the people that he lost, as well of those whom he will lose soon. 
And his eyes. His eyelids get much heavier, trying to force him into falling asleep forever... and ever...
Then he hears his father's voice calling out to him and remembers where he is. He realizes that this is no time to be weak and continues to fight the spirits that are trying to subdue him.
"Don't give up yet, son!"- Aleks says- "We've still got faith left in us. Let's use it to escape this ethereal prison... and fight the demon."
Ignoring the struggles of the heroes, Grah-Hoth continues to tell his story.
"One of them was your grandfather- Lethal Kaos. He led the band of adventurers into this castle and fought me alongside them. He protected them from my attacks and did his best to weaken me, to defeat me."- He says- "However, even his best efforts turned out to be in vain. Soon, all but him were slain by my servants. None were left to live, except for him. That day, I showed sympathy for the first time. I spared him, just to see him suffer and cry for those who fell in that battle. And I'm sure that he never recovered from the pain that I inflicted upon his fragile human soul."
Suddenly, Lethal gets very angry. As the spirits around him fade away, he manages to break free of the curse that Grah-Hoth placed on him.
He draws his weapon and takes a step forward.
"You monster!"- He yells- "You killed all of my friends! They were some of the dearest people in my life! They taught me how to fight well, how to be a good leader, how to respect those with whom you fight side by side. And you took them away from me!"
He takes another step forward.
"Of course I hate you. I always have!"- He yells again- "Back then, it wasn't you who spared my life. It is vice-versa. I was the one who spared yours when you begged me for your life, when you were on your knees. And how do you thank me? By sending your servants to destroy my home and to kill those who are dear to me? Well, you should know that I will not tolerate this! I will make you pay for everything that you've done!"
Grah-Hoth cackles.
"I like your enthusiasm."- He says to him- "That's how I like the heroes that I slay- filled with hope and desire to defeat me. Thinking that they're able to accomplish anything."
As he gets distracted by Lethal's words, the invisible shackles around Jared and Aleks loosen enough for our heroes to be able to free themselves from them.
Once they are free, it is child's play for them to take care of the spirits that are still trying to enslave them. Soon, all of them are gone and Grah-Hoth is alone in his throne room.
"It is over, Grah-Hoth."- Jared says, pointing his blade at the Haakai lord- "We told you that we shall make you pay and we will. Now prepare yourself to meet your inevitable demise."
Grah-Hoth cackles.
"What are you talking about, little morsel? The fun is just getting started."- He says- "I still haven't shown you the most important part of the show. The one that will make your hearts stop. Literally."
He grins.
"Prepare yourself well."- He continues- "Because the worst has yet to come."
As our heroes prepare to defend themselves, he simply stands on his throne, smiling.
"Is this the fight that you still have in you? How pathetic."- He says- "Oh well. I hate to say this, but I still have an entire world to conquer. So, let's get rid of you before you manage to do anything that I will regret for a long time."
A few moments later, he snaps his fingers. Three times.
Suddenly, Jared falls on his knees and holds his chest with the palm of his right hand.
As Grah-Hoth said before, he will attempt to make the hearts of our heroes stop. Even worse, he is actually succeeding.
As Aleks and Lethal are affected by the spell as well, Grah-Hoth watches them with amusement.
"What is... this?"- Jared asks his father.
Barely able to stand, he looks at his son.
"It's a Death... Curse. The most deadly curse that we can... can be afflicted with."- He says, gasping for breath- "We must find an antidote before... before our hearts stop f-functioning."
Grah-Hoth laughs.
"Cure? There is no cure to this disease, you foolish mortals!"- He tries to break their morale- "Your hearts are now connected to each other. Every single one of you shall suffer from a fate worse than death. Soon, it will become a salvation for you. A much-desired release from this nightmare. And, when you least expect it, you will be gone. All of you!"
He cackles maniacally.
"Yes. That's right. That's right!"- He yells- "Suffer! Scream in pain! Fall victim of your own emotions! Watch as your precious world falls apart, along with everything that you fought for! See the world as it is, because there will be nothing left of it. Very soon!"
As Aleks suffers from the Death Curse, he remembers how he has always risked his own life to protect his wife and son from evil. How he has always fought it to keep them safe. He remembers all of the horrible memories that he was forced to experience.
A few moments later, his heart gets much weaker. Due to the influx of emotions inside of it, the curse is only getting worse and worse. Soon, it is going to give out... and he cannot do anything about it.
"So. I... am the reason why Seiko became so heroic? So determined to keep Jared safe?"- He says to himself- "And it means that the fault for her demise is entirely mine? That there was nothing to do to save her?"
He falls on his knees again as the Death Curse continues to take its toll on his heart.
"No. I mustn't give in to my own emotions."- He says- "My family still needs me. And I need them, too. I can't give up. Not now."
Suddenly, some of the spirits of the villains that he has slain appear in front of him. As if taunting him, they start to float in circles and whisper evil words into his mind.
"Join us, Aleks! Join us! Join us!"- They whisper- "Become one of us! Let your heart be tainted by the darkness! Succumb to your emotions! Become the victim that you were supposed to be!"
For a few minutes, Aleks continues to struggle and try to survive the curse. However, he soon realizes what Grah-Hoth meant when he said that their hearts are connected.
"All of those spirits, they are the tainted fragments of my own memories. The people that I have killed who will always haunt me, whether it is here... or in the Afterlife."- He says to himself- "I see how it is. There is no point to struggle anymore. In order to save my son and my father, I must accept my fate. With dignity. If I want to save them from being haunted for the rest of their lives, I must do what must be done."
He slowly reaches for his blade and holds it in his hands for a few seconds. Then, he sighs.
"Jared, I am so sorry."- He says- "I must atone for my own sins. There's no other way."
As Jared watches helplessly, Aleks stabs himself in the chest.
Soon, all of the evil spirits disappear, annoyed by Aleks's interference in their plans.
Meanwhile, the curse is lifted from both Jared and Lethal. Sure enough, the demise of the one who is dear to our hero is the only way to break it.
As Jared breaks down and holds his dying father in his hands, he looks at him and smiles weakly.
"I did it."- He says- "It was a struggle, but I did it. I freed you from the curse. You're safe."
Jared shakes his head.
"This is not the way it should have ended!"- He says, his eyes quickly filling up with tears- "You should have fought back!"
Aleks smiles and shakes his head.
"Believe me, I tried. I tried my best. But it was all futile. There was no way out of this mess."- He says- "Then, I saw that it was not important. Not anymore. As the world goes by, I become a useless peon that cannot do anything on his own anymore."
Jared looks down.
"We were supposed to make it out. All of us!"- He yells- "You promised mom that you would live in her name. That you would survive anything that the world sent at you. Why? Why did you give up so easily? Why did you decide to risk your own life to protect me and suffer because of it?"
Aleks sighs.
"Don't you see it, Jared?"- He asks him- "You are the world. You are the one who brings hope to those people. You are the one who keeps them safe and sound. You are the one who brings them joy and makes them realize the true meaning of life. Everywhere you go, you bring the light with you and illuminate everything that you see. Your light is the one that makes the change that's important for all of us. You're the perfect hero for this world and nothing will ever change that for me."
He sighs again and looks at his wound.
"My time in this world is nearly up. Soon, I'll be nothing but a fragment of a lost memory, a message written on a forgotten stone that will be ignored by everyone."- He continues- "But I want you to remember this. Wherever you go, think of the good times that we had together. Think of all of those memories. The people that we met. The things that we did. That way, you will always know that there is still something to fight for. Someone to care about. And when you do, I will always be there. I will stand by your side and protect you as much as I always have. I will love you with all my heart and know that you will also love me back. Together, we will create a new world, a legacy of legendary heroes whose hearts will beat for everyone around them, who will fight our enemies in the name of the Light. Our bond shall never be broken, no matter what all of them try to do. We will stay strong and fight our enemies with endless desire and determination. The power of hope shall never fade away. It will always illuminate our path...and show the way to a new, much brighter future. The one that we have been always fighting for. The time when we will stay proud and admire our hard work with smiles on our faces. The place that will finally be safe from evil, forevermore." 
A few moments later, he notices that he has lost a lot of blood. He realizes that his time has finally come.
"I know that few people will miss me."- He says- "But, for those who still love me, I will still be around. My heart will still beat for you, no matter what happens next."
With tears in his eyes, he stares at Jared and smiles.
"Thank you, Jared. Thank you for being the most wonderful son a father like myself would ever ask for."- He says weakly- "I am leaving this world with a smile on my face, because I know that you will succeed. That you will create the path towards a new legacy of heroes. That the flames of justice will never die out. And it's all because of you. The most valiant hero who has ever existed. My dearest child, Jared Kaos."
He turns to Lethal and looks at him.
"Dad."- He says- "I would like to ask you... to do something for me. Since I won't be here anymore, I feel like it should be done as soon as possible."
Lethal nods.
"Of course, son."- He says- "I'm ready to do anything for you."
Aleks smiles.
"I... want you to take care of my son, as if he were me."- He says- "Show him all the love and care that you're capable of, like you've always done before. Protect him from those who are still trying to harm him. Make this desperate father proud of his family for the last time and give me the solace that I've been seeking for so long."
Without thinking twice even for a second, Lethal nods again. His desire to protect his grandson outweighs all of the emotions that he currently has in his heart.
"Your wish is my command, dear son."- He says- "I will always protect this child from evil. Not only because I care about him, but because I want to honor your last wish and make you proud. As a father, this is what makes me truly happy. To see the joy in my son's heart."
He smiles.
"Mark my words, Aleks."- He says- "No matter what happens next, we will make it out alive. We will defeat our demons and show them that we're always ready to fight."
Aleks smiles. As his eyelids start to close, he looks at his son and his father for the last time.
"I love you all and I always will."- He says- "Have a good life."
He smiles for the last time.
"I love you, Jared."- He whispers to his son and closes his eyes.
As Jared begins to cry while holding his dead father's hand, Lethal sighs and looks down.
"Why must you do this to us, cruel world?"- He says- "Why must you always take our loved ones away like this? This is not the way it was supposed to be!"
Jared places his forehead next to his father's cold hand. He starts to cry again.
"I will never forget you, dad. No matter what happens next, you will always remain in my memory."- He says- "I will always remember the moments that we spent together and know that you will always be beside me."
Tears fall from his eyes as he tries to regain his composure.
"I... I will miss you dad."- He continues- "You are the greatest father that has ever existed. And nothing will ever change that for me. Nothing."
Lethal looks at Jared and helps him up, wiping the tears from his eyes. He sees that Grah-Hoth is glaring at them and glares back.
"I'm afraid to say this, Jared, but we are still in danger. And not just us. The entire world is endangered by Grah-Hoth's actions."- He says- "We must stop him before it's too late."
Jared nods and silently stands up. He points his blade at the smiling demon and angrily steps toward him.
"You killed my father. You took away the only person who truly understood me, who always believed in me."= He says- "How dare you? How dare you?!"
Then, he looks up. His eyes are filled with pure hatred that was never seen before.
"You are a murderer. A monster. And I am going to turn your life into a neverending nightmare!"
He stops right in front of him and points his blade at his chest.
"Prepare yourself to feel the wrath of a thousand suns, you vile fiend!"- He screams and charges.