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This chapter is from my best selling novel – Erin Bailey is a Time Lord. During its original release, it reached #10 in its genre.

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The Seventh Level

Mounds and mounds of sand. As far as any eye could see. Or fathom. 

Erin sat on one mound of sand that was close to several other isles. He was alone. As far as he knew…

Not a bird. Lizard. Coconut.

Not even a crab.

Trees, however. Fruit bearing trees at that. No seeds had fallen–yet. So the fruit hadn’t ripened. It was a fairly new planet, most of the organisms were swimming about in the ocean. None were large enough to see, but you could smell it.

Thick, sweet yet sickening. 

Erin didn’t need water, fruit or meat. He needed a better plan. He had been spoiled with the ability to travel to the beginning, the end and back again. He didn’t take into effect what would happen between those two time periods.

The smartest thing he’d done so far was send Cassandra to her father’s home planet. One in which was the very first of creation. She would find her father there, trapped in his own problem. His punishment for his continuous course of actions. A revolving hell he couldn’t escape.

Then here, at the beginning of a new dawn furthest away from the mess…Erin still couldn’t see the grand scheme of things. He did everything he knew he’d do. Now it was time to wait.

The question he had now, most of all, is if he would be found on a planet whose inhabitants hadn’t evolved yet. Since there was no form of technology except his relativity devices…and since there wasn’t a power source, he may not be found. He also may be stuck.

Just as he began to accept that, the relativity device he used most often began beeping, indicating that it was close to dying. Erin rolled his eyes, and lifted the device to chuck it into the water.

It made a crisp entry, only making a drop like sound as it sunk down into the sea. Now he had the one he was unsure of. Lifting it, he looked it over and sighed. He had forgotten that it was powered by an unstoppable force. One those after him would never be able to control. 

And the entire reason everyone was after him. He wasn’t just a time traveling deity who was in fact time itself. He had possession of something he knew would keep him and his mission going forever…if need be.

A fish with legs began crawling out of the water. Erin already knew what was about to happen, and decided to move isles. Once he swam to the next, he realized what was taking place. Prior to him being here, he watched the planet began to form from a distance. Once it cooled and islands erupted, he had to wait for the atmosphere to be clear of gasses.

But, he had watched that during his very first trip out. Now he saw why he witnessed it. It was a warning.

Eyeing over his device, he wondered if his other relativity watch could be the cause. 

“No,” Mio spoke, “look up and around.”

Erin did as instructed when he saw a seemingly translucent ship hovering way above the ground, attempting to remain as hidden as possible.

“Record what you are seeing…”Mio said, standing next to him while looking up.

Erin again followed Mio’s direction and began filming the ship floating above. No lights could be seen, nor could an engine be heard. That seemed eerie and too much of a coincidence.

“How long does it take a baby to walk?” Mio asked, standing closer to Erin.

Both were huddled in the middle of newly evolved humanoids. They were mindlessly walking in their direction, eyes empty of emotion. Their bare bodies showed no sexual organs or even nipples for that matter.

Once they were close enough, an examination process began, leaving Erin and Mio acutely uncomfortable. Others tried to pry apart Mio’s shirt from his back while some were more interested in Erin’s nose and ears.Then they walked back, giving the two enough space to run, when Erin saw a statue being raised that resembled him exactly.

Humming began as almost every evolved humanoid around began kneeling and raising their hands in worship. Some had ventured off from the group, clearly showing they were evolved further. That’s when Erin gave Mio a very sad look.

“You condemned those brothers who came from all seven levels of heaven and told them that spreading their image around was wrong. You forgot what you did in the delicate balance of the universe. In places far more vulnerable. Like this. They haven’t even began to learn how to eat or sleep, but they see you and feel you are life…” 

Mio couldn’t have dug his knife in any deeper. Clearly, there was more to Erin’s folly than this.

“However, everyone wants to know your secret. Why you wouldn’t share it at first.”

“Because evolution is now this factory assembly line like orchestra. Build them, control them, use them–”

“We all die eventually. Don’t let that be your reason.”

“It is because it will never end. And all who have evolved will remain asking that same question galaxy and galaxy again. Where did I come from?”

Mio pushed himself into Erin again. A figure dressed in metallic armor walked their way. When he stopped, Erin caught the digital whizzing emitting from their suit.

The individual removed their helmet to look the two over, and before she could speak, Mio disappeared.

“They know you’re here,” she spoke in a deep, unsettling voice, “but before you’re captured…I want to show you something.”

She held out her hand and clicked her tongue at Erin’s apprehension.

“It will only take a little while, and you only have half of that time.”

Erin followed behind her to a lift that operated by the air itself. A large group of humanoids near by began to mimic the motion of the lift, as others were still attempting to worship him.

“This way,” she said, removing her armor. Once she peeled it off, it floated up and across from them, then it too disappeared before his eyes. It was the same ship he saw hovering above the ground. Luckily, they could see outside, but no one could see inside. Erin was sure his emotions were spread all about his face.

“You’ve got the most valuable thing in the universe. Something no other Being has been able to obtain. I’m going to show you the second greatest treasure to ever exist…”

She gently pressed her hand against the wall, revealing a box made of the purest gold. It was hot to the touch for her, so she insisted Erin open it instead. Before he could finger the latch, it popped up, revealing a prism like piece of material that glowed brighter than any sun he had ever seen before.

“That’s a fragment of time,” Erin whispered, now fully confused, “how did you come about this?”

“You passed by this planet twice, the second time you exited a warphole that your residue seemed to be fond of. When you did that, not only did you speed up everything everywhere…you damaged time itself. This is proof of that. This is why…when you returned to your origins…that inorganic matter awaited you.”

“How…”

“You cannot fix it entirely, but keeping it with you means it’s safer than it has ever been…”

“Mr. Bailey…” Gretchen said softly, “I see you’ve found another planet to destroy in your image.”

“Not entirely,” he answered as quickly as he could, “what was that gambit about not being after me?

The Being that allowed him access to the fragment shook her head as she kept it down. 

“Nevertheless. We know where Cassandra is. Somewhere it will actually take us a couple of days to get to…”

One of Gretchen’s officers stepped forwards with a small marble like device. It emitted a digital projection of the location. Gretchen nodded, placing the orb in her pocket as she stepped closer to Erin.

“Without a fight?” She asked, grinning..

He nodded, raising both hands in surrender, when six soldiers rounded the corner with a chrome encased box.

“This will allow you to not only travel in comfort…” she said, grinning, “once you leave it…you cannot access your own wavelength for two hours. I know, that’s a long time for you. But, it’s enough for us to catch you if you run.”

“Be that as it may, I always have a trick up my sleeve. You should know this most of all.”

“Well,” she said, snatching his cane from his hand, “a man walking around with a galaxy known for having time loop issues is a dangerous man indeed.”

She stared into the orb then back at Erin. 

“Whose soul did you consume for this?”

“It was a gift…” he mumbled.

Gretchen laughed to herself and passed his cane behind her. Then she motioned for the chrome confinement to be readied when a familiar sucking noise could be heard.

It was a black hole, one in which was notoriously unsafe to travel through. It’s destinations always landed time travelers in places of either absolute desolation, or time periods where nothing but bloodshed was known. 

The Being who brought Erin into the ship took Gretchen’s back, tossed him his cane and motioned for Erin to jump through. As he did, several other soldiers began restraining him, not knowing who he was. Before it was all said and done, Erin made his way through, with only one soldier clinging onto him.

***

When they hit the ground, and took in their new surroundings, they both stood straight up and glared at each other. The soldier presented his firearm, in which case, Erin took his cane and knocked him upside his head. He fell face forward, and as Erin kicked the gun away, he began to wish he hadn’t.

“Bad men are usually sent here,” the leader of the group spoke.

A group of half naked, beer gut owning….mouth breathers. 

“I can assure you, I mean you no harm…” Erin said, coolly.

“The last bad guy said that…and the stars began bearing down.”

“Is ‘bad guy’ the only term you know?” the soldier said, standing and rubbing his head.

“I think we’ve come to a place where the population isn’t as intelligent,” Erin whispered.

They eyed each other, as the soldier nodded walking forward with his hands up.

“See, I mean no harm…”

He was met with a staff specifically meant to tazor. Erin felt a tinge of regret for doing that, because he was sure they didn’t see him in a better light.

“We were warned about you, time traveler,” the leader said.

He walked over the soldier, and placed cuffs on Erin’s wrists. Then he checked to see if Gretchen’s soldier was stable before walking off. While walking the captain directed his troop, Erin looked around, taking in as much as he could.

He still didn’t understand what he meant when he mentioned the stars bearing down. The planet seemed to be perfectly intact. However, once they reached their destination, he saw that not only was it split in two pieces, the other piece was hovering nearby, only connected by wires and anything else they could find.

“You’ll see her before making your way to your cell,” someone spoke, shoving him into a warehouse.

On each side were rows of individuals. On the left sat the woman, most bare breasted. On the right sat the men. All were shirtless, dirty and owned potbellies.

Ahead was a display like no other. Candles guided the way, wrapped around the bottom of the throne, and leading up the few stairs present. Mixes of gold, steel and silver gave way for an elaborately designed throne. 

There, a red skin toned woman donning a headdress sat. Her clothing was sparse but intricate as well. Before Erin was forced to kneel, she removed her headdress in shock. It was Cassandra. One he hadn’t met yet. She motioned her soldiers to move as she stepped down from her perch, then she beckoned for keys to unlock his cuffs.

Once Erin was free, she kissed him, very passionately and stepped back as the entire court erupted in adulation.

“We’ve found him!” She cheered, kissing him again.

“Quite the reception,” the soldier said, still standing next to him in one piece.

“This is some type of misunderstanding…” Erin said quietly.

“Now that you’re here,” Cassandra said, returning to her throne, “you can fix the issue with our planet.”

“And…besides being torn in two pieces…what is it I’m fixing?”

“The space time continuum brought here by your travels. It’s more of a residue…”

“A reoccurrence of de ja vu…” someone interrupted.

Parting the crowds came another familiar face. One Erin wasn’t ready to see. 

“People disappear by it all the time, so kissing the man who caused it sends the wrong message…” 

Demetri glared at Erin then back at Cassandra.

She was smirking and looked as though she had already made up her mind.

“No matter, because it wasn’t this one who caused it…”

“This one?” Erin whispered.

“Are you so certain?” Demetri asked.

“Yes. He came with an army…this one came with a soldier he clearly has no ties to…”

“So that makes him safe?” Demetri argued.

“Demetri, we all know your story of abandonment. Perhaps regaining favor should be saved for later?” Cassandra questioned.

Demetri backed off, his head down in shame. Cassandra nodded then flicked her fingers.

“Take the time traveling god to his personal quarters and have him dressed and ready for me…”

“I’m sure I won’t be ready…” Erin said, showing his hesitation.

“You will be ready or you will be banished.”

“I’d be ready if I were you…” the soldier whispered, eyeballing Cassandra, “she’s ready and she’s absolutely-”

“Stop it!” Erin hissed.

He smiled at Cassandra as he was guided towards his room. Once he was alone, he sat down to breathe before being greeted by a handful of young women.

They smiled and began attempting to peel his clothes off before Erin stood in discomfort.

“Off!” He yelled, clutching his shirt, “I thought I’d be seeing her?”

“You will once you’re clean,” one answered.

“State your title,” Erin said, pulling his shirt back on.

“Royal dressers, often preparers…”

“And you’re okay with seeing a man you’ve never met before naked?”

They giggled amongst themselves as the one who spoke before answered.

“You’re not the first Erin she assumed would save us,” she corrected.

Erin’s heart dropped into his stomach. He would definitely be the last.

©2026 JCS. All rights reserved.

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