The Death of Raoul

Raoul was evil incarnate. He killed out of the shear pleasure of it. If there was anything he could do to make his enemy's life more miserable, he would do it. He took pleasure in inflicting slow, methodical pain. He had goals, and God help anyone who got in his way.

Fortunately, Raoul is only a character in a James Rollins book; The Map of Bones. As far as I know, Rollins isn't what you would call a Christian. I suspect he has deep Catholic roots though as many of his stories center on religious themes with the Catholic Church playing a major role (at least in the books I have read so far).

In the closing moments of Map of Bones, Raoul needs to place a golden key into the center of a maze in order to unlock the final secret; the secret to the magic contained in the relics of the bones of the Magi - the Three Wise Men. However, unknown to him, the hero of the story has given him a forged key that instead of unlocking that secret, will destroy them as a fail-safe to protect the secret.

Think Indiana Jones.

When Raoul places the key in the hole, the earth starts to tremble. Things start falling and a deep unearthly moan emanates from the cathedral they are in. Suddenly, a beam of light focuses on Raoul. It is so intense and pure that it forces him to the ground. Raoul writhes in agony; it is worse than hell itself. It only lasts a minute but it has torn Raoul's entire life apart. The light has reached into the core of his being and shown him what he is, but worse than that it has shown him what he could have been.

When it's over, Raoul is lying on the ground, a waste of a man and the only thing he is capable of saying is:

I never asked to be forgiven.