‘What is this? Another mirage? But who on earth are those people?’ The mirage displayed a place so breathtakingly beautiful, the sky was filled with fluffy white clouds and in the middle was a crystal clear lake filled with beautiful fish, and grass that could lull anyone to sleep.

‘This place reminds me of that lake, the lake I used to awaken my powers but it looks so well kept and peaceful…’

Two men came into view, one with charcoal black hair and stunningly brilliant golden eyes, then another with snow-white hair and white eyes.

“Arnedan, I think you should listen to Levern… you should leave before the humans get here, they aren’t coming to talk.” 

‘I guess the one that looks like a marble statue is Arnedan, where have I heard that name before?’ I thought to myself while continuing to stare at the mirage that was playing out in front of me.

“Who will protect the gates of hell if I am to leave? This is the main reason I was even created.” The statue-like beauty spoke almost matter of factly but there was a hint of sorrow and perhaps even resentment flashing by in his eyes.

“The humans deem you as the source of evil, you must leave, otherwise you will die.” 

‘That’s it! Arnedan is the name of the devil that was vanquished by the first emperor and his followers.’

“I do not fear death nor do I fear God's creations, there is nothing anyone could say to me to get me to leave, you know too, don't you? That once I leave, nothing will be left in the path of true evil’s destruction.” 

“Do you not care about us? How do you think it makes us feel to know that you are trying to use yourself as a sacrifice?”

“I’m not sure what more you want me to say… This is my choice, tell Levern that I’m sorry, he’s refused to talk to me…” 

The two figures stood still in silence for a long time, the surroundings morphed into that of burning flames fueled by the lush greenery, the once fluffy cloud-filled sky now enveloped in a thick black fog. 

Behind the pulpit of the chapel was a wall framed to hold something along the walls, probably a place to hold the gates to hell as the one named Arnedan was standing in front looking off into a portal. He welcomed those that charged into his chapel with pitchforks and flambeaux, setting everything in their paths to destruction. 

Even then Arnedan did not stop smiling but human hysteria is a funny phenomenon you and I could tell by a single glance that he was no harm to anyone but in the eyes of these villagers even his warm smile was tainted by evil to seduce the innocent into its trap.

“Welcome, you’ve all just about made it on time. Go on, I will not resent any of you, you may do what you came to do…” 

His voice shook a little, although he stated he did not fear death in the face of uncertain eternity he too was scared. People rushed towards him and he was faced with the most torturous death, ploughed by the pitchforks like a pile of fallen autumn leaves and lit up in flames. 

He did not scream and his smile did not fade, it was like watching a crystal white porcelain doll being dyed by rose blossoms and then engulfed in red flames that ate away at the doll's beauty.

The mirage faded and I walked in the dark abyss for a long long time with the image of Arnedan’s death burned into my memory along with the flames that engulfed his smile whole.

- - -

“Rein seriously? Get up and try to get a hold of Vee, she’s not answering any of my calls.”

“Reuben seriously? She’s already told you that we wouldn’t be able to get in contact with her for a while, she’s probably doing fine…” Before I could smack Rein on the back of his head for his mocking tone the ground started rumbling.

The subspace split in half and we were thrown out. I looked around to see where we had ended up and found an unconscious Vee on the floor, I looked towards Rein to check if we were seeing the same things, the expression on his face confirmed my suspicions.

“Vee! Vee what’s wrong? Vee!” I tried to shake her awake but there was no response, I couldn’t even feel her breath when I placed a finger under her nose.

“Hey, Reuben… Look around us quick.” Rein shook me and turned my head away from Vee and towards our surroundings.

“Don’t turn my head like th…” The view I was met with was 2 very familiar corpses and ashes, as if the view wasn’t shocking enough the air that infiltrated my nose was assaulting at best.

Not to mention the children who were enveloped in some kind of dome, probably made of magic as well as the director's staff floating in the middle of it.

“You two! Get your hands off of my wielder! Get away from her right now!” the staff was talking no, it was yelling in urgency.

“Reuben, what in the shit is that? Did that thing just talk?” 

“Thing?! You’re surely not talking about me, you snot-nosed kid! I’m not a thing, anyways get away from her, if your mana touches her right now it could kill her, so get away!” the thing... No staff spoke out again.

“Kill her? She isn't breathing… She’s already dead.” 

“Stupid! She’s still alive. Her body, which is nothing but a vessel for her soul, is currently empty, if your mana somehow makes its way into the empty vessel, the body will simply search for another soul to fill the place. She’s meeting Levern right now, she’ll be back.” 

“Who’s Levern?” Rein asked when I was sitting in a daze trying to make sense of what the staff had just told me.

“You two are truly stupid, how do you not even know the name of the God you are supposed to serve?!”

“Okay, whatever… But what are you doing to the kids from Section A? Get out of there and then talk.” They started arguing with each other but all I could do was stare at Vee’s lifeless body and wait for her to return.

‘Is there really nothing I can do for Vee? Do I really have to sit here and hope she awakens in one piece?’

- - -

The more I walked through the abyss, the more all of this felt almost like a dream. My whole being felt as light as a feather and like I was being sucked out of my body, the ends of my hair stood up straight and every instinct told me to run or hide but I knew even if I did either of those things the outcome would not change.

My mind was in a jumble, fighting itself and its instincts when all of a sudden the darkness that enveloped me dissipated, the light blinded my eyes and I sat still for a while wiping at my eyes that were now watering lightly.

“You made it… I guess Theo’s blood must really flow through you…” I looked up and my vision was greeted by a man so stunningly beautiful, it made me question whether I had ever met someone as wonderfully beautiful yet strikingly frightening before.