Cael walked among men, invisible… silent. No one knew or suspected that this being carried death within him.
Every step he took was marked by a destiny he could not change.
—You shouldn't seek that which you cannot reach. You are not prepared to know the truth — whispered Azriem, his voice fading like a barely audible echo in the shadows, in the distance.
—You are not him — said Cael.
—You are just a memory from the past. You can't dictate what I can or cannot do — said Cael, his feet aching as he walked across a long and infinite desert of corpses lying on the ground.
Cael could hear the voices of every corpse, imploring him to save them.
—I can't — said Cael.
—That is not my Lord's wish —
Mercy can be a double-edged sword. Azriem had not learned that. His desire to save a single soul had led him to disobey, to challenge what even angels could not alter. But I will… I will bring balance to this ancient, crumbling heavenly kingdom. Lucifer will not take my life… he… he will pay. I cannot let this happen as they both did with Azriem and Lucifer —
*How can I not seek the truth? What happens when you see it?*Cael thought. My curiosity burns like fire, and even without understanding the consequences, my life was written centuries ago.
Never—but never—seek a truth you cannot grasp. But what happens when you do? Will you go mad, powerless to act on what you know… or will you learn to accept it and move forward?
Those voices surrounded Cael's mind, feeding his curiosity.
*What is this? Is this even real? Do I really need to find this truth those voices speak of? Are these Lucifer's temptations?*
—I no longer have a choice, Cael. My destiny is sealed. Yet the echo of human voices gives me hope. That is why I am here. If you find that which you cannot understand… what will you do if you cannot do anything? —
*I can do it. I am the only hope left, right? Am I?* Cael thought, his voice trembling, almost breaking. His breathing began to falter.
*How did I get here?* he wondered. Just a few months ago, I was a normal person, simply trying to discover who I truly am.
*Is this really… my true self?*
—The path you walk is not meant for mortals — Azriem's voice echoed again, soft yet cutting. —Do you even understand what lies ahead?
—I don't care — Cael said, his voice raw. —I need to know. I need to see the truth, no matter the cost.
A cold wind swept across the barren land, carrying the scent of decay and ash. The voices of the fallen grew louder, merging into a chorus of pleas, anger, and despair. Some whispered warnings, others begged for release, yet all of them demanded something from him.
*Why me? Why must I bear this weight?* Cael thought.
The memory of Azriem flickered in his mind—how the first Reaper had walked this same path, a being torn between mercy and duty, love and obedience. Azriem had tried to save a single soul, and it had cost him everything.
I will not fail as they both did. I will not let history repeat itself. Cael vowed silently.
—Power without understanding is meaningless — Azriem said. —Knowledge comes at a price, and the price is not always what you think.
Cael's vision blurred as tears threatened to fall. The weight of centuries pressed on him, memories of humanity he barely knew but felt in his bones. Every life, every death, every moment of joy and pain… they called to him, screaming for justice, for mercy, for balance.
*I am not ready. I may never be… but I have to try.*
Lightning split the sky above, illuminating a towering figure in the distance. Azriem. No longer a shadow, but a presence, commanding, eternal. His eyes—like hollow suns—pierced through the veil of reality. His four dark wings, shades of grey and black, carried enough power to whip tornados that struck Cael, and his vision began to clear again.
—Do you still wish to see the truth, mortal? — Azriem asked, and for the first time, Cael heard a note of sorrow in his tone.
—I have to — said Cael, his voice firm despite the trembling in his chest. —I will bear it. I will carry it. I will act.
Silence fell for a moment, thick and suffocating. The desert itself seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the choice of the boy who was no longer just a boy.
—Then know this — Azriem whispered, almost mournfully. —What you seek… what you will find… will haunt you forever. Some truths are heavier than death, and some… will break even the strongest of souls and beings.
Cael clenched his fists, feeling the power of the voices thrumming through him, feeding his determination. His body ached, but his spirit burned brighter than ever.
*I will not falter. I will not break. I will face what comes…*
In that moment, the first spark of what he truly was—what he would become—ignited. Not just a mortal, not just a Reaper in training, but something far greater. Something that would stand between life and death, between the fallen and the divine.
The desert seemed to dissolve around him. The voices, the corpses, the shadows—they all merged into him, shaping him, preparing him for the path that lay ahead.
*This is only the beginning. The judgment among men has begun… and I will be its witness, its executor… its balance.*
Azriem's gaze lingered on him, silent, yet full of meaning. Then, without another word, the first Reaper faded into the mist, leaving Cael alone—alone with the weight of fate, the echoes of the past, and the first glimpse of the truth that would one day change everything.
And so, he walked on, carrying both hope and despair, mercy and wrath, toward a destiny that had been written long before he was born.
He began his journey. He became Death itself.