The Chosen One

SEPTEMBER 1916

“Your Majesty, our forces are suffering heavy casualties in both the Eastern and Western fronts. The French are holding their own in Verdun. Not to mention, both the French and British are pushing us back in Somme,” said General Pius.

“Our hands are already tied with the Russians continuing their push in the Eastern front, General. We have to hold it down and keep pushing forward on both fronts!” yelled the Kaiser.

The war room was quiet. Multiple generals either walked out or whispered amongst themselves. General Pius threw his visor cap on the floor and walked away into another room. He was clenching his teeth. Will this be the end? The odds for Germany to win the Great War were rapidly depleting.

There had to be something, some way to win, he thought.

All he could do was think at this point. He was tired of having his men suffer under the Kaiser’s foolishness. He was visualizing his men being killed in the battles and started grabbing his hair. Victory was only getting further and further away from him, from Germany.

“I see you’re having some trouble, General,” said another voice.

General Pius turned around and saw a man in a black suit near the door. He was…devilishly handsome.

“W-Who are you?” asked General Pius.

“Some call me the Evil One, others call me the Man Below,” said the man in black.

General Pius realized there was a dark aura oozing from the man. Was he the Devil in human form? General Pius immediately bowed his head, almost instinctively.

“M-May I call you, my Lord?” General Pius asked.

“Lord? Haha, whatever suits you, General. In that case, may I call you Pius, then?”

“Of course, my Lord. You may call me whatever you like.”

“All right, then. Pius, do you want to win this war?”

“Of course, my Lord. I would do anything to win this war.”

“Even worship me?”

“A-Anything, my Lord.”

“Even have others worship me?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Even sacrifice others to keep me satisfied?”

“Anything, my Lord.”

“Even…giving me your soul, Pius?”

“I will do anything to win this war, my Lord.”

“I love your ambition, Pius. It’s why I’ve had an interest in you.”

“Thank you, my Lord, I feel honored.”

“I will grant you some power, in exchange for all that you have confirmed with me.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“I will grant you the power to see the future and be able to stop it as well. Of course, there is a caveat to this power, Pius. You see, every time you use these powers for a certain amount of time…you also won’t be able to use it for that time allotted as well.”

“So then, my Lord, if I were to see the future of the next two years—”

“Then you won’t be able to see the future for the two years after that.”

“I understand now, my Lord.”

“This also goes for stopping time as well. So be sure to use these powers wisely, Pius.”

“Yes, my Lord. Will that be all my powers, then?”

“No, Pius, that was only the first set of powers needed for you to win the war. I will also be giving you another set of powers that will allow you to have others be sacrificed to me.”

“Oh, okay, my Lord.”

“The power to bless others, Pius, that is the other power that I will be giving you as well.”

“Incredible, my Lord. I’m so thankful for all these powers that you are gifting me.”

“With each blessing, the blood of those who are blessed by you will be under your control. You can choose to kill or preserve them. Have you ever heard of immortality?”

“O-Of course, my Lord. The immortality granted from drinking the fountain of youth is a famous tale that people are still trying to find to this day.”

“I’m not talking about a fairy tale, Pius. I’m talking about reality. Do you want immortality?”

“Y-Yes, my Lord, it would be an honor to receive immortality from you.”

“I will bless you right now, then,” said the man in black.

The man in black raised his hand over General Pius’ head. He whispered a few words. General Pius felt something growing in his forehead. He started to cringe and wince. The pain in his forehead wouldn’t stop. After the man in black stopped raising his hand, the pain also subsided. General Pius stood up and began to feel his forehead. He realized there was something on it. An…eye?

“I have given you a third eye, Pius, be sure to cover it well when necessary. That eye will be able to help you see into the future and stop it as well,” said the man in black.

“So…then do I also have immortality now, my Lord?”

“Yes, Pius. You now have immortality. I have just blessed you and given you the power to bless others as well. Now, for the agreement.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Every month I want people sacrificed to me. Those who have been blessed by your hand will suffice. I also want you to become a higher figure in society, preferably the church. I want everyone that you guide to worship me. All of your followers. All of your loved ones. Everyone.”

“Yes, my Lord, I will do as you say.”

“If any of these conditions are not met, then your life and this world will be mine.”

“Yes, my Lord, I understand.”

“Depending on the amount of sacrifices you give me, I will choose to either look the other way or incur my wrath on this world.”

“I understand, my Lord,” said General Pius.

The man in black began to walk away but stopped for a brief moment.

“Just for safe measure, I will be aiding the Germany with my minions as well. That should change the outcome of the war to your favor,” said the man in black.

“Thank you, my Lord, it truly is an honor,” replied General Pius, as he bowed his head.

When General Pius looked up, the man in black was gone. It was almost like he vanished. General Pius felt more confident than ever. He began to open his third eye and see into the future. It was incredible. Marvelous. Germany’s victory over everyone, over everything. The odds were now completely in Germany’s favor.

German forces began to lose significantly less casualties on both the Eastern and Western fronts after that instance. In the Western front, French and British forces were completely overwhelmed by the minions provided by the man in black. In the Eastern front, Russian forces had to retreat earlier than intended. Germany only continued to expand and grow in numbers. With General Pius leading the war under the current Kaiser, everything he envisioned became a reality.

General Pius thought to himself, he truly is the Devil.

Reports of unknown entities massacring soldiers in the front lines were spreading throughout all of Europe. However, before America could get a hold of this information, Germany had already won the Great War. The minions provided by the man in black were not only a safety measure, but a countermeasure to Germany’s demise.

Pius would continue to see into the future for over the next one hundred thirty four years. The success of Germany was completely in his hands. He was hailed as a savior, a prophet, and…the chosen one.

He would continue to follow the man in black’s agreement. Blessing hundreds to thousands of people every month. He realized after a certain time that he could simply bless people by letting them hear him speak. His words were just that powerful. He smiled everyday, knowing that the world was in his hands now. He couldn’t be more thankful for encountering the man in black.

Pius continued to expand his network of connections, blessing everyone who had talked with him. When others started to want immortality, he began to set up his own rules to maintain control. He developed restrictions to what blood type was allowed. He chose O-negative blood to be the blood type for immortality simply due to its scarcity. One in fifteen people have O-negative blood in the human population. He didn’t want too many people to have the same power as him.

Technically, anyone could have immortality, but Pius did not want that to happen. Anyone with immortal blood other than him also had to intake a certain amount of the immortal blood to keep the trait. This was another restriction he placed on the immortal blood.

At face-value, Pius was surprised when the advancement of technology helped increase the supply of immortal blood throughout the years. When in actuality, he had already foreseen it. The restrictions he set for the immortal blood would still be upheld even in the year 2050.

When people would ask how he figured out immortality, he simply accredited himself as a genius. He won many awards throughout his lifetime and the people would only praise him. The others who found him suspicious would later be found either dead or missing. Pius would only be seen as a good person.

The man in black would visit him occasionally throughout the years. He would check on Pius’ condition and then vanish. The minions eventually vanished after Germany had taken over the world. Anyone who saw the minions would be killed in an instant.

The minions were ancient creatures from below that were viciously powerful and immune to human weaponry. During the Great War, Pius advised the German soldiers to close their eyes to avoid as many losses as possible. Of course, some German soldiers would take a glance at the monstrosities before them and be shredded into pieces.

All the German soldiers who participated in fighting alongside the minions were eventually sacrificed. Pius wanted to keep the existence of the minions hidden as much as possible.

By the year 2050, Pius has been well-known as the Pope of Germany. He had no enemies that he knew were alive. After certain events, he is now the Emperor of Germany.

Pius still believes he is the chosen one. He always believed it, no matter what.