Journey Into the Flame Read Online Free

have found the way to bring back the old order.”
    The old order Simon referred to was that of a group who called themselves Reges Hominum, the Kings of Men. They were twelve immensely wealthy shadow families who, in league with one another, had discreetly controlled the fate of men for centuries, moving them like pieces on a chessboard. While the Great Disruption had loosened their tight grip on humanity by diminishing their wealth and mechanisms of power, The Chronicles of Satraya had forced them to let go entirely.
    “What way can there be, Simon?” Catherine replied in an agitated voice. “Your father was a founding member of the Council of Satraya, working alongside Camden and Cassandra Ford, distributing throughout the world those insurrectionist books that did so much damage. I never understood how the great Fendral Hitchlords could commit such a foul deed and betray our trust. Perhaps you should start by explaining that, and then move on to how we can restore the old order.”
    “We all know that my father joined Camden and the others after finding his own set of the books,” Simon replied, glaring at Catherine. “I assure you he did so only in order to channel the Satraya movement in a constructive direction, a direction that would have benefited us all. But when it became evident that this was not possible, he left the Council. Be assured, my father did not betray any of you.”
    Simon, now forty-three years old and the only son of Fendral Hitchlords, moved forward in his chair and placed his hands on the books, his glossy black hair reflecting the light from the chandelier high above. His dark brown eyes contrasted starkly with his alabaster complexion, physical traits that had been passed down to him from his forefathers, whose portraits hung on the chamber’s walls. Simon could trace his lineage back to the fourth century, the time of Constantine and the first popes. The ten other people seated at the table were from similar dynasties, many of which had once been equal in worldly power, wealth, and influence to the Hitchlords family, although none was as old. Nor had any of them found an original set of The Chronicles of Satraya. Like his father, Simon was a student of the Chronicles, but he studied the books for a different purpose from that of the rest of the world.
    In an effort to defuse the tension between Simon and Catherine, Dario said, “We have all been through a great deal over the last many years. Catherine, please, let us listen to what young Hitchlords has to say. We owe his father that much. We can see that Simon possesses his father’s passion. Now let us also see if he possesses his father’s vision.”
    Simon nodded in thanks, letting his dark gaze leave Catherine to roam over the group seated before him. “The time has come for us to emerge from the shadows. As my father predicted, the world is beginning to forget the lessons of the past. He told me long ago that the Chronicles would share the same fate as other influential books throughout history such as the Bible, the Vedas, and the Kabbalah: they would lose their allure, and their lessons would be forgotten. My father was right. Look at the world now. People take their freedom for granted. They are giving up on self-reliance and are opting for the conveniences provided by governments and corporations.” Simon pressed down on a hidden compartment in the table, revealing a control pad. With the swipe of his hand, a three-dimensional image of the world was displayed over the center of the table, surrounded by various graphs and charts. “See for yourself how people’s consumption of food, energy, and drugs has increased exponentially in just the last three years. Thanks to some special work that I commissioned, we now have access to some secured government data. In particular, the financial and medical records of most of the people on the planet.” Simon continued to navigate the controls until he isolated a particular piece of