Dr. Fate sat cross-legged in his chamber. The golden Helm of Nabu hovered in front of him, its faint hum filling the air like a low chant. For months now, he had been haunted by fragments of short, chaotic glimpses of the future that vanished before he could grasp their meaning.
Tonight, he sought clarity.
"Show me," he murmured, voice calm but edged with tension. "Show me what waits ahead."
The world around him began to dissolve into golden mist. The Helm pulsed brighter, and then the vision struck him like a wave.
At first, they were flashes, scattered and violent.
Khandaq, engulfed in fire. A shadow rose from beneath its sands. It was a creature of pure malice, older than civilization itself. Its roar tore through the sky as the ground split open.
Then came the spreading corruption. Black veins of darkness crawling across the globe, poisoning everything they touched. The Sun dimmed until it became nothing but a faint ember.
The world fell under crimson twilight.
Fate saw heroes fighting desperately.
Wonder Woman's sword blazing as she cut through hordes of corrupted creatures, Batman's weapons kept the demons at bay for a moment, but soon he too got overrun, Green Lantern's light flickering weakly against an endless storm. A giant demon tore Hawkman in half.
And then, Superman. Hovering above the broken Earth, his cape tattered, his strength fading without the Sun's warmth. He struck with all that remained of him. But the darkness swallowed him too.
The Helm's voice echoed inside his mind, calm but grim. "It is not yet the end… but the path is set."
Before he could respond, the second vision hit. It was a different timestream.
The world was ash. The air itself burned.
Now he saw a man in a black suit kneeling on scorched ground. A golden thunderbolt glowed weakly on his chest. Around him were the bodies of those he had fought beside, those he had loved.
Fate knew that man. He was the one who freed Khandaq and helped the heroes during the bomb incident.
Harley Quinn lay before him. She was also wearing the same suit as the man, with a thunderbolt on her chest. She coughed out blood. Her hand trembled as she reached for his cheek. Blood streaked her fingers. She smiled faintly before her hand dropped.
Beside her lay Diana, sword shattered, and Maxine, her eyes open but lifeless.
The man's shoulders shook. Thunder crashed around him as he touched Harley's cheek. The black suit dissolved into golden threads, merging with his body.
The ancient demon stood amidst the ruins of Khandaq, wreathed in flame and shadow. Its laughter echoed through the void. "NO ONE CAN DEFEAT ME!"
A girl with blue skin, wearing the same black suit as that man, flew toward the demon, firing shards of ice and lightning from her hands. Her eyes burned with rage and sorrow.
Then everything shattered.
"Haaaa!!!"
Fate gasped and opened his eyes. His chamber returned, but his pulse was racing. Sweat ran down his neck.
The Helmet of Nabu spoke in his mind, its voice calm yet heavy.
"It has begun... The trials of the Chosen One."
Fate flew down and stood on the floor before he walked over the the window and looked outside. It was raining hard with occasional thunder. "Then we have little time left," he said quietly.
...
[Let's go back a few years] [The Rock of Eternity]
"Don't… don't choose him," Barry gasped. "Don't choose Billy Batson."
The Wizard stood, confused. "What are you talking about, mortal?"
"They kill everyone. Superman. Shazam. They destroy the world."
Barry tried to explain everything. But time doesn't like interference. A roar filled the chamber. A black portal opened behind Barry. Time wraiths appeared. Shadows with claws, born to protect the timeline. They reached for him.
Barry grabbed the Wizard's robe. "Please… find someone else. DON'T CHOOSE BILLY BATSON."
Then he was gone.
Dragged into the void, screaming.
The wizard pondered those words for years. He searched the hearts of millions, seeking one worthy, one pure enough to bear the power.
None were.
Until he found him.
A slave in Khandaq.
John Mason.
Broken, beaten, but unyielding. His heart burned with defiance, not greed. His soul, though scarred, still carried the spark of justice. In the face of death, he fought bravely, trying to save Luna, knowing very well that there was no escape.
"Yes…" Shazam murmured as he gazed into the Pool of Eternity. "You could be the one."
The guards raised their guns... It was time.
But before he could summon the lightning to bring John to the Rock, the chamber shuddered.
A crimson light filled the air.
From the flames stepped a woman with eyes like molten gold and hair that flowed like living fire.
"Father," she said. "Still meddling in mortal destinies?"
"Blaze," Shazam warned, rising from his throne. "This path is not yours."
"Oh, but it is," she said, circling him with a sly smile. "You think you can claim another champion without me noticing? That power is my birthright, but you abandoned us, deprived me of what's mine... Now, look at you. So weak and old. I'll plunge this world into darkness and rip that power out of you myself."
Lightning flashed across her palms, red and divine.
"I'll be taking your champion for myself. So much rage and agony... He's the perfect candidate to fulfill my dream."
Shazam's eyes narrowed. "No… You didn't."
She smiled wider. "I did."
Outside the Rock, a storm tore through the desert. In the heart of Khandaq, a dting man grabbed the old staff. "Shazam." The sky split open and a bolt of lightning struck him down.
Blaze turned back to her father with a cruel smile. "Your chosen one is no longer yours, old man. He belongs to me now."
Shazam's grip on his staff tightened. The seals around the chamber flickered.
"You've doomed us all," he said.
Blaze only laughed, her fire spreading across the walls. "No, Father. I've only begun."
And with that, she vanished in a blaze of red flame.
The wizard stood alone once more, the echo of thunder rolling through the Rock of Eternity.
He looked toward the pool where John's reflection shimmered in black lightning.
"The Champion of Wrath," Shazam whispered. "And yet, perhaps… still a spark of hope remains."
He sank back into his throne, weary beyond measure. The lightning within the staff dimmed to a faint pulse.
...
[The Rock of Eternity] [Present time]
The cavernous halls of the Rock of Eternity were silent as usual. The old wizard Shazam sat on his throne, hunched and weary. His beard had grown long, streaked with silver, his once-bright eyes now dimmed with centuries of burden. The great staff rested across his knees, glowing faintly. Around him stood the empty thrones.
The magical seals that held the Seven Deadly Sins trembled faintly within their statues. Tiny fractures spidered along the ancient stone. A whisper of malice escaped into the chamber like a faint hiss of smoke. The air grew heavier with every breath.
Shazam closed his eyes. He could feel the corruption spreading beyond his sanctuary—weak at first, but growing. The world was stirring again. Evil was learning to walk.
He gripped the staff and raised it toward the shimmering pool before him. The surface rippled, then formed an image.
A man.
John Mason.
He stood in the bright glow of carnival lights, holding a cup of soda in one hand and trying very hard not to look like he was enjoying himself. Harley Quinn clung to his arm, dragging him toward the nearest game booth, eyes sparkling with mischief. Maureen followed behind them, sipping a milkshake and pretending not to laugh.
The wizard watched in silence as the trio wove through the bustling carnival.
"C'mon, big guy, it's just balloons!" Harley said, bouncing on her toes as she pointed at the dart-throwing booth. "You hit all ten, you get a giant stuffed panda! Tell me you don't want that!"
John crossed his arms. "No."
"Aw, come on, please? For me? I'll kiss you if you can hit all ten," She gave him her best puppy eyes.
John shook his head. "Fine."
He picked up the darts, flicked his wrist, and popped every balloon in less than ten seconds.
The booth operator blinked. "Uh… yeah, okay, pick your prize."
Harley whooped, nearly jumping onto the counter. "Ha! That's my boy!" She grabbed the oversized panda plush and hugged it like it was her own child. "We're gonna call him… Fluffy!"
They moved on through the carnival. Harley spotted a Ferris wheel and gasped. "We're goin' up there!"
John raised an eyebrow. "You're afraid of heights."
"Correction," Harley said, pointing at him. "I'm afraid of falling. Heights are just misunderstood."
Maureen smirked. "That logic tracks."
When the trio finally reached the Ferris wheel, Harley somehow convinced the operator to let all three of them share one car—despite John's size and the giant panda plush. The result was cramped chaos.
Halfway up, Harley started rocking the car back and forth, laughing. "Look, we're flyin'!"
Maureen clung to the bar, eyes wide. "Stop! You're going to get us killed!"
John held onto Harley's coat collar like a leash. "If you flip us, I'm leaving you up here."
"Aw, you wouldn't dare," Harley teased. "You love me too much."
Maureen muttered under her breath, "That's debatable."
Shazam watched the laughter frozen in the vision. He saw Harley's grin, Maureen's hesitant smile, and John's quiet, unguarded expression. For the first time in years, the man who had once been nothing but rage and sorrow looked at peace. He has the power to rule the world, yet he never uses it to do any bad things. He just lives a quiet yet happy life with his new family.
The wizard sighed. "Even the blessed cannot hide from destiny."
He turned his gaze to the glowing seals. The fractures widened. The whispering grew louder. The world was trembling again.
Shazam slammed his staff on the ground, and a wave of divine lightning swept over the place, sealing the cracks once again. "You shall not corrupt this world."
Lightning crackled faintly across the chamber walls, and the pool went dark.
---
---[POWERSTONES & REVIEWS ARE WELCOME]---
If you like my work, you can support me on>: www.patr eon.com/XcaliburXc
[Read 15 advance chapters]
---