DEONITUS PHOENIX BLACK - A BALANCED SOUL

Deonitus Phoenix Black is a student at Full Sail University studying creative writing. Black is also an Army veteran and served as an Arabic linguist. Black was valedictorian of his military language class. He also teaches fitness and loves to study the arts: ballet, singing, and martial arts. Black has received many awards from his extracurricular activities including earning his black belt and placing first in many martial arts competitions. He has also placed first in many singing and language competitions. In addition to this, Black has also earned his Eagle Scout award. 

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A BALANCED SOUL
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"What do you want?" the man in the pilot seat asked as the sweat dripped from his forehead and onto the new diamond ring on his left ring finger. 
"To test something, naturally," said the man in a black suit standing behind the pilot. He maintained a firm grip on the pistol in his hand which he had pointed directly behind the pilot's head.
"Test what?" the pilot asked as he glanced at his unconscious co-pilot sitting beside him in the cockpit. "That purple gas that you released on all these people?" The pilot's body shook as he asked his next question. "Are they dead?"
"No. Merely sleeping," said the gunman. "And to answer your other question, the gas is not what I am testing. What I am testing is the resolve of human souls."
Clouds began to sweep across the night sky and hid away the luminous stars and moonlight. Between the clouds and the drops of salty sweat into his eyes, the pilot’s vision became a blurry one indeed.
"What?"
"Can you not feel it? The radiant light of their souls? Untouched by darkness. And all of them now are on this plane, hoping to arrive at some foreign destination to do God's work. Hoping to touch the hearts of the people with the word of God." The gunman laughed as he continued to speak. "But an idea came to my master. An idea to taint the hearts of the pure with a touch of darknesssssssssss," he said as he hissed while a snake's tongue flickered from between his teeth.
The pilot's hand trembled as the mysterious man's words filled the air. "W-w-who are you?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I was a dark angel?"
"Dark angel? Some new terrorist group?"
"No. Not new," said the gunman as he lowered his gun and leaned in close to the pilot's ear. He smiled as he said, "We are ancient."
“And you want to harm these good Christian missionaries? Why? I don’t understand," said the pilot as he leaned away from the man's face.
"There is much that you humans do not understand. Like the balance of spiritual energy. You see, the human soul is said to be predominantly made of positive light energy. That does not mean that it cannot be tainted, however. Throughout a human's life, they give into fears time and time again each time corrupting the soul with dark energy. Even still, the soul energy of this entire planet is more light than dark. But what would happen if we were to tip the scale in the other direction? What would a world of primary darkness look like? That is what our master, Lucifer, longs to see."
"What does this have to do with us? And if that gas wasn't meant to kill, what was it meant for?”
"There is a certain serpent that lives in the depths of hell. This serpent's poison can release the darkness in any soul and magnify it.Those tainted will be drawn to the powers of Lucifer. They will long for his embrace. His knowledge. His wisdom.”
“I get it,” said the pilot. “You’re using them to spread the devil’s influence.”
“Yes.”
The pilot could feel his hands tightening on the yoke of the aircraft."That's a lie," said the pilot as he stopped himself from shivering. "Demons, spirits, angels. That's all made up. A bunch of bullshit. They don’t exist. Anyone claiming to have seen such shit is lying through their teeth."
"Oh? And what makes you so sure?
"There isn't solid proof of any of it."
"Telling yourself that we do not exist will not help you. No matter how you try, you cannot best the fear I have bestowed upon you. But, I will tell you why we rarely appear in our true forms on this earthly plane. As the energy balance remains tipped in favor of light, our beings cannot cross over. And the angels rarely show themselves except to those whom they deem worthy, and even then, they will not interfere with human affairs unless invited to do so. Ever so often, there is a human soul that is steeped in darkness long enough for a demon to use that energy to break through the dimensional barrier that exists between your world and ours. It is never enough for long lasting effects.”
“I see,” said the pilot in a low voice. “If that’s true, then you are here…”
“Because of the pent up guilt you have for leaving your faith.”
The pilot paused before asking, “Is God punishing me? Is He testing me?”
“A test? Yes. Although it isn’t God issuing it. Aren’t you curious as to why I didn’t use the gas on you?”
“It’s because I’m already damned, isn’t it?”
“Haha! No. Something more interesting. I didn’t want your energy vastly tipped one way or the other. Your soul is on the fence right now and I am curious as to what will happen to it. You have a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Surely you’ve realized by now the only way of ensuring this darkness does not spread throughout the land.”
The pilot’s heart skipped a beat and he felt his stomach sink.
“Will you crash the plane? There might be some redemption in it for you.” The dark angel laughed as the pilot’s face turned pale.
“H-h-how can I…”
“I wonder what you will choose. Better decide quick.”
“How can I make a choice like that? Oh God!”
 The dark angel’s body began to fade. “Allow me to answer that question with one you asked me before: what do you want?” The dark angel’s words echoed in the air as his body vanished.
The clouds in the night sky dispersed and revealed the moon’s lonely light once more.