Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son-Chapter 514: [When Fallen Fall] [10] [Azrael Vhaladim]
The bottomless pit, as I thought, was endless.
More than half an hour had passed and I had yet to reach anywhere.
[<...It’s the gateway below the Aljanah household. Azrael asked one of his dear friends to make this.>]
’....’
I glanced around the space, mesmerized by the sheer size of the place.
It was like I was going to the centre of Lumina.
The slow increase in warmth made my belief even stronger.
But it wasn’t long before I felt a shift in the atmosphere.
[<Qais...>]
’I know.’
I drew in a mouthful of breath and let my wings unfold behind me.
My endless descent came to an abrupt halt as I found ground.
Flapping my wings, I slowly landed feet first on black soil.
Turning my head, I found something ancient.
’....A lost civilization?’
Ahead, broken pillars jutted from the earth like ribs of something long dead.
Runes of unknown origin glowed, carving a pathway and illuminating the place.
I stepped forward, brushing my hand along a stone tablet half-buried in ash.
Carvings of angels lay around the path. They were of different sizes with only one thing in common...
....All of them were headless.
They all led to a figure whose outline was barely decipherable.
Six sets of wings spread wide behind him, a crown hovered majestic over his head.
....A sword stabbed him through his own chest.
"...."
The sword was old, but I still recognised it.
It was a replica of Elohim’s sword.
[<That’s how Azrael predicted he will die.>]
Inna’s bitter voice rang through my ears gently.
’...And how did he actually die?’
[<...>]
I wasn’t expecting an answer, so I didn’t force her.
Instead, I walked closer to the statue till I stood in front of it.
Extending my hand, I gently touched the statue’s body.
And just like that, everything began to tremble around me.
[<Do not panic.>]
I heard her voice and immediately calmed down.
The statues began to melt right in front of my eyes.
Before I knew it, everything had turned into a shining liquid that now covered the entire floor.
I stepped back, wings partially ready, unsure whether to fight or flee.
[<Calm your heart and don’t fight it.>]
’but—.’
[<Believe in me.>]
I bit my lips but eventually conceded, lowering my guard.
The moment I did that, I felt a knock on my mind, like something had entered it.
[<The Angel of Death is the light at the dawn of the Lumina.>]
Just as I tried to understand her words...
I blinked and the world shifted.
Now, I stood at a completely different place in a completely different time.
It took me a few seconds to realise...
...That I was in someone’s memory.
Azrael’s memory.
---
At the very beginning of things, there was nothing but endless void.
A void that had only one thing — ’Dark Matter.’
Approximately 10 billion years ago, the first life was born from the ’Dark Matter.’
Those beings were the first to have conscious minds.
And almost 3 billion years after the first life, "He" was born.
"He," who had no name or place, "He," who drifted aimlessly in space.
Until he saw "it."
A world that had its own life and its own people.
"He" was immediately drawn by the world and before long, "He" decided to own the world.
With His strength, "He" attached Himself to the world, becoming one with it.
"He" destroyed what stood against Him and enslaved those who became obedient.
"He" then changed the history of the world to fit His vision.
"He" also got a name -- ’The Creator God.’
And those who were born with the same ’Dark Matter’ as Him were termed "Outer Gods."
But the Creator God wasn’t benevolent nor was He kind.
The years that He ruled were the hardest the world known as Lumina had ever seen.
He was a tyrant, yet He loved to create.
And that’s what He did.
Created the first creature with His own hand...
He named him "Satan."
He created a few more, but stopped because of His own fear.
Fear that one day His own creation will be His demise.
And He was right.
The Creator God died because of His own creation.
And after His death, the era of chaos started which lasted thousands of years.
And during those years, the sons of the Creator God competed with the beings made out of the flesh and blood of His own self... 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
The Primordial Beings.
Yet in spite of all this, one son of the Creator God stood above all.
He was His youngest, yet they called him the "Wise."
He was Azrael Vhaladim.
---
"Humanity never learn, Adam."
A calm voice echoed by the lake side where the mana had condensed to fog.
"The only lesson that humans can learn from history is that humans do not gain any lessons from history, and they’re always repeating the same tragedies."
The man sat calmly on a stone, silky black hair flowing behind him, six wings folded like shadows against his back.
His blue eyes were not cruel...just knowing.
A body that felt lean and far more athletic than any, he looked no older than a man in his twenties.
Beside him stood another young man, barefoot, pant-legs rolled, hands in pockets.
His hair a soft golden that reflected sunlight.
He was Adam.
He kicked a pebble into the lake.
"Maybe we repeat tragedies," Adam muttered. "But that doesn’t make us hopeless."
Azrael picked up a small leaf from his side and slowly twisted it between his fingers.
"You shouldn’t have such feelings for a mortal race, Adam." He finally spoke. "It will bring nothing but destruction."
"....I can’t help it."
Azrael didn’t respond as he kept on staring at his reflection on the lake.
He finally turned to look at Adam. "The separation of realm is importan—."
"I will not let you sacrifice humanity, Azrael."
Adam spoke firmly, looking dead into his eyes.
"If it means I have to stand against you, so be it."
"...."
Azrael silently let go of the leaf that crumbled into dust.
As though time and death itself bowed to his silence.
"A death of millions will save a billion lives."
Azrael’s response made Adam even more angry.
He who stood with hope and mortals felt worse when his own friend saw them as pests.
"A life is still a life in my eyes." Adam spoke. "Don’t make me stand against you."
Azrael stood up from the stone as he turned fully to face Adam.
"Mortal and Gods can’t stay together." Azrael responded firmly. "All I am doing is separating them."
"But at what cost?" Adam asked, meeting his gaze.
Azrael stared back for a long second before he looked away.
He rubbed his temples as he felt tired for what was happening.
"You remember how you were created, Adam?" Azrael asked. "How all five Primordials came forward to create a single being?"
For the Primordial Beings who had reached godhood still had one problem.
They were still bound by the concept of time, one day time was bound to take them away.
But they had the solution for that.
A concept made by the Creator God himself — ’As long as the people of Lumina remembers, the God will not die.’
So to increase their influence, they created a being to influence humans.
The race that was infamous for being weak and easy to populate.
A perfect race for them to increase their influence.
"What are you trying to say?" Adam asked, glaring at Azrael. "Are you trying to imply something?"
"I am saying that they surely regret their decision now." Azrael replied with a scoff. "For the stupidity they created."
"...."
Adam didn’t argue, he just looked at him in defeat.
"I won’t let it happen." He spoke at last. "I won’t let you do it."
Azrael blinked and Adam was lost in the space.
"...."
With a tired sigh, he rubbed his temples and glanced toward the lake.
The surface moved in a ripple, making him walk towards it.
"He is gone." Azrael said, looking at the lake. "You can come out."
From the mist above the lake, a silhouette dissolved into form.
A woman, tall as a tower yet graceful like flowing water.
Her eyes were devoid of any light yet a bright smile bloomed on her face.
She was the princess of the mermaid clan.
She was Chione.
As soon as she walked out of the water, she hugged Azrael tightly.
Azrael didn’t push her aside, instead he brought her closer.
"Were you listening?" He asked in her ears.
"I couldn’t help it." She responded, taking a step back. "You are worse than I thought."
Chione crossed her arms, studying him like someone examining a puzzle missing too many pieces.
"You talk about mortals like insects," she said, her voice cold but not cruel. "But you still care for them."
"You should return home," he replied instead. "Your kingdom will worry."
"My kingdom," Chione repeated slowly, "is alive because you saved my people."
Azrael blinked, remembering how he saved them from certain extinction.
Why?
Because they came in between two God’s battle.
"...I didn’t save them," he said quietly. "I merely delayed death."
Chione stepped closer again, her voice softer now.
"You are allowed to care, Azrael."
Azrael did not answer.
Instead, he turned away.
"...I am not sure." He mumbled. "Am I?"
Chione gently made him face her, she smiled ever so brightly. "Of course, you are."
Azrael kept his face cold, but he felt the warmth in his heart.
He closed his eyes and gently opened them again. "...I have work to attend."
Chione nodded her head.
"I understand." She replied. "Well, I will see you in the night."
Azrael nodded his head before he leaned forward to kiss her gently.
Chione responded eagerly before she let her body fall into the lake.
Azrael silently stared at the lake before he turned around.
A few steps and he was already a hundred kilometres away.
He only stopped when he felt a familiar presence.
"What happened to you?"
A voice echoed as he turned to look at a golden-haired girl.
He spoke softly. "Inna."
Inna blinked. "Yeah?"
He shook his head. "Nothing."
For some reason, Azrael felt something uncomfortable in his mind.
But he couldn’t pinpoint it.
With a sigh, he asked. "Have all Gods arrived?"
She nodded her head. "Well, almost all of them."
Azrael nodded his head as he looked up.
A circular building stood in front of him and inside it were the strongest beings in the world.
Azrael slowly walked inside.
As today was the day for the judgement.
