Round 4: Matthew versus Abraham
"Next will be Matthew versus Abraham," the general announced.
Matthew and Abraham stepped forward and bowed to one another before taking a few paces back. Then they turned to face each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
"Begin!"
They began circling slowly, watching one another's stance and movement.
Abraham narrowed his eyes. "I do wonder what his power is. Still, it doesn't matter much considering who he's up against."
If only he knew.
Matthew suddenly rushed forward. A hole opened beneath Abraham's feet, and before he could react, a white beam of energy struck him and sent him straight into it.
The instant Abraham fell through, the hole closed above him.
A murmur spread through the room.
"Sire, did you see that?" one observer asked.
"Yes," the Pharaoh replied. "It seems this boy can already control his contract. Impressive for one so young."
His expression darkened slightly.
"But if he cannot master it in time, it will do him no good."
Magnolia frowned as he thought it through. So the "contract" the Pharaoh mentioned was Matthew's power. But what did he mean by in time?
"In time?" Magnolia asked. "In time for what?"
"Oh, Magnolia," the Pharaoh said calmly. "You will all learn very soon."
Inside the dimension, Abraham landed hard and staggered to his feet.
"Where did this fool send me?" he muttered.
He looked around.
The place was an endless void, strange and silent, filled with black-and-white spots scattered across the space like markings on a shell.
Something about it felt unsettlingly familiar.
Then memories came flooding back.
Three years earlier…
"Do you want to hear the story of the eternity spot?"
"Yes, Mother!" the three children shouted at once.
Abraham sat on Isis's lap while Mosiah and Violet sat close by.
Isis gathered them together and began her tale.
"Long ago, there was a deity who gave gifts to those who obeyed when commanded. Most people followed those commands. But some refused."
She paused, looking at her children.
"That deity did not punish them in the usual way. Instead, he gave them a gift: a box covered in black-and-white spots, cold to the touch."
"When the people opened the box, they were transported to another place—a dimension where time moves differently for each soul. No one in that place needs to eat or sleep. The space is endless, with no visible end. And if more than one person enters it, they cannot see each other."
She looked solemn now.
"This place is called the eternity spot. A soul trapped there will live an eternity inside it. The black-and-white spots you see represent the souls already inside—an infinite number of them."
The children shivered at the story.
All except Abraham.
He listened with interest.
"Now," Isis asked gently, "can any of you tell me why this story matters?"
Abraham looked up at her with confidence. "Because it teaches us what happens if we disobey a deity?"
"Yes, my son. That is correct."Back in the eternity spot, Abraham let out a slow breath.
"So this is the eternity spot, huh? Mother never said there was a way out. Guess I'll have to find one myself."
He began to walk, studying the strange world carefully. The white spots were everywhere.
After a while, he reached one and examined it.
Then he realized the truth.
"These are souls."
His eyes widened.
"That means…"
Using his power, Abraham opened one of the white spots. The space within it shifted, and he shrank himself down small enough to slip through the opening.
He fell through the gap and out of the dimension.The arena was in chaos.
"That might be the end for young Abraham unless he finds a way out…" one observer muttered.
Matthew was still moving around the arena, setting up more traps.
Then he opened another hole in the ground and looked around.
"What? Why isn't he back yet?" he said.
A moment later, something fell from above.
The sound drew everyone's attention.
Abraham landed, then enlarged himself back to normal size and stood before the crowd.
"Honestly, this fool almost had me," he muttered. "Too bad I'm smarter than he is."
The room went dead silent.
"How did you—" someone began.
"We can talk later," Abraham cut in. "Let's finish this."
He turned to Matthew and began circling him again, this time with far more confidence.
Matthew watched carefully, but Abraham suddenly charged.
He struck Matthew hard in the chin, sending him stumbling back.
Before Matthew could recover, Abraham pressed the attack, landing blow after blow to his gut, face, and back.
Matthew caught one of Abraham's punches, but Abraham's fist darkened into a blackish color.
While Matthew held onto his arm with one hand, Abraham used the other to strike him repeatedly until Matthew lost his balance.
"Matthew is unable to fight. Abraham is the—"
Matthew suddenly lurched forward and kicked under Abraham's legs, knocking him to the ground.
Before Matthew could fully recover, Abraham grabbed him by the shirt with his right hand and drove punch after punch into him until he finally collapsed unconscious.
"Matthew is unable to fight. Abraham is the winner."
Matthew was taken to the infirmary, and Abraham returned to the stands.
"My lord," the general said, "Abraham is…"
"Special," the Pharaoh replied. "Yes. Perhaps more ready than we first believed."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"With proper training, he may become one of the Eight."