[The Depths of the Dead Sea]
[Location: The Fracture of Reality]
Somewhere in the infinite blackness of the Dead Sea, reality itself had broken.
It wasn't a physical cave or a trench. It was a wound in the fabric of the world. A figure with skeletal red wings and hair like burning magma emerged from the rip in space, stepping into the unknown.
Raphael Azarias, the newly ascended Grounded Angel of War, smiled.
He looked behind the curtain of the fractured reality. It didn't look like a room. It looked like the inside of a mind. Massive, glowing veins stretched out into the darkness, resembling a cosmic nervous system. Through these cracks, one could see the universe itself—stars dying in violent supernovas and new stars being born from the dust.
At the center of this void, standing on the edge of a simulated Event Horizon, was a silhouette.
The figure stood with his hands clasped behind his back, casually admiring the terrifying gravity of a black hole.
Raphael walked closer, his boots making no sound in the vacuum.
"Isn't it a pretty interesting place, my Brother?" Raphael asked, his voice calm despite the overwhelming pressure of the space.
The silhouette didn't turn around. When "He" spoke, the voice sounded eternal, as if the Creator of the Universe was whispering directly into Raphael's mind.
"Life is like a star, Raphael."
The silhouette raised a hand.
[Domain Shift]
The scenery changed instantly. The black hole vanished. They were now floating in deep space, mere miles away from a colossal Red Giant—a dying sun.
"We are born," Samael, the Angel of Death, said softly. "We burn our energy for unnecessary things. We struggle. And then... we die."
He pointed a finger at the massive, burning sun.
"This star was born by the will of the Creator. It provided its planets with light and heat for billions of years. But look at it now. It is bloated. It is dying. Soon, it will collapse, and the worlds it warmed will freeze."
Samael turned his head. His face was obscured by shifting shadows, but his eyes were two points of absolute nothingness.
"So, tell me, Raphael... what is the point of being immortal?"
Samael looked tired. Ancient.
"What is the point of all this struggle? For what are we fighting?"
Raphael didn't answer immediately. He let the silence stretch, respecting the weight of his brother's nihilism. He walked closer and placed a hand on Samael's shoulder—a gesture of intimacy that only family could survive.
"I know," Raphael said quietly. "I know we betrayed our brother, Michael."
Samael remained silent, staring at the dying star.
"But it is all for the greater good. For the future," Raphael insisted. "You know how Michael is. You know how scary and faithful he is when it comes to his God. He would never agree to the necessary evils. That is why I had to come to you, Brother Samael."
Raphael stepped forward, standing side-by-side with Death.
"I haven't forgotten the war we fought two thousand years ago. The First Dark. When we stood with the other Gods to stop the Seven Deadly Sins from descending upon the Earth."
Raphael's grin widened, sharp and dangerous.
"But now... the Sins are coming back."
Samael finally turned fully to face him.
"They are here to claim the Original Creator's most precious possession," Raphael whispered. "The Celestial Weapon. We are the only ones who can stop them."
Raphael leaned in close.
"And I found something interesting, Brother. Three of the Sins have already found their hosts."
CRACK.
The illusion shattered.
The Red Giant didn't just fade; it exploded into shards of glass. The universe dissolved. The "veins" of reality vibrated violently as Samael's aura flared.
For a moment, the Angel of Death wasn't a tired philosopher. He was a calamity.
"We are the Azarias Family," Samael's voice boomed, shaking the void. "We are the strongest bloodline in history. We are not scared of some parasites."
Samael's shadow expanded, swallowing the light of the simulated stars.
"We must tell Michael. Somehow. We need his strength, even if he hates us. And as for the Sins..."
Samael clenched his fist.
"We should kill the hosts as soon as possible. Before they fully awaken."
The vibration stopped. The reality knitted itself back together. The cycle of stars being born and dying resumed its peaceful rhythm.
Raphael backed away slightly, his red wings tucking behind him. He smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"The Dark is going to change again," Raphael mused.
"This is getting interesting."