Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Be there for you
Severin, Lio, Elyria and Calithar sat in a loose circle near the garden behind the ancient house.
Amethyst’s body had long withered away, collapsing into a small pyramid of sand a few feet away from them. The tension was thicker than a blade. Earlier, Severin had found out Elyria and Lio, calling Calithar’s attention to the intruders.
Curious but confused as to how anyone could infiltrate the barrier to a god’s resting place, Calithar invited them all to settle the air.
Calithar’s gaze strayed to the sand for only a moment before he looked away. As much as a faint trace of regret warred within him, he knew better than to dwell on it. There were matters far greater than the death of a single servant.
His attention returned to the man seated across from him.
"So... care to explain yourself?" Calithar asked calmly but with authority.
"Severin," the man replied simply.
Calithar’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Really?" he said, tilting his head just a fraction to Elyria and Lio. "You’re not Jesse?"
Severin’s expression did not change. His stoic, poker face remained exactly boulder like, completely undisturbed by the comment.
"No," he answered. "..and I employ you not to use it." he paused, his eyes staring right at Calithar’s with silent intensity "...ever."
A brief silence followed his words.Lio shifted slightly where he sat, his eyes darting between the two men. The tension was suffocating yet there was nothing they could do to quell it. Even Elyria, who rarely held her tongue, remained unusually quiet.
It didn’t need a genius to know that these men weren’t ordinary beings and as much as she would like to know what the hell was going on, silence was the wiser option for now.
Calithar leaned back slightly, though his posture remained alert. Just what was this creature? he wondered. Ever since he had felt the immense power radiating from Severin, he had not relaxed for even a second. And now, here the same person was, standing in front of him and he was still on edge.
"Then explain," Calithar said, his voice lowering. "Because from where I stand, you’re the reason for this confusion."
Severin let out a soft breath; the weight of the conversation bored him more than it burdened him.
"Everything is acting according to the prophecy." he said, his eyes moving from one person to another. They finally settled on Calithar again. "Where do you want me to start from?"
"How about how you got my book?"
Severin reached into his pocket slowly and pulled out the small red book with the black lock.
The moment Calithar saw it, his expression changed. That book would have caused him another millennia of suffering on earth. His calm cracked.
"Where did you get that?" he asked simply.
Severin held the book loosely, almost carelessly, as though it were not important. It dangled between his fingers playfully as Severin rested his elbow on his bent knee.
"You lost it," he said. "I found it."
Calithar’s jaw tightened.
"That book does not get lost," he replied coldly.
"Then how did I get it?" Severin replies calmly, never averting his gaze.
Lio leaned forward slightly, unable to contain himself any longer.
"What exactly is that thing?" he asked.
Severin did not look at him still fixing his gaze on Calithar. He had heard of the almighty Earth God who had rose to power and favor in God’s presence.
"It is a record," he began. "of truths. Things that were, things that are, and things that must not be allowed to exist. I’m essence, it’s a book of sin."
"That doesn’t make any sense," she muttered. She looked at Calithar. "Who are you?"
Severin finally turned his gaze to her.
"You don’t need to know that," he replied. "Not yet."
Calithar extended his hand slowly.
"Give it to me."
There was no hesitation in his voice this time;no patience either. Severin studied him for a moment, then without resistance, tossed the book toward him.
Calithar caught it mid-air, his grip tightening around it almost instantly. The moment his fingers closed over its surface, a faint pulse of energy ran through him and the book vanished into his palm..
Severin leaned back slightly, resting his weight on his palms. "Any other questions?"
"You haven’t even answered my first one." Calithar countered with a frown but Severin just looked at him like he was a slave.
"I have no use for it anymore. Besides, I believe I’ve already answered that," he said calmly.
"Then why are you here? What are you? And you two..." he drawled, facing Elyria and Lio. "Do you even know where this is? How did you get here?"
Before they could say anything, Severin spoke up first.
Severin leaned forward, his face becoming ten shades more serious. "Let me tell you why I’m here." Everyone sat up instantly to listen to what he had to say. Severin continued anyway.
"There is a prophecy," he began in his dark, deep voice. "And in that prophecy, the Earth god stands at the middle of it all." his eyes shifted to Calithar who’s gaze hardened.
"The prophecy speaks of balance," he went on. "Of people who cannot coexist. Of a force that will either restore everything or destroy it completely."
Lio frowned. "And what does that have to do with us? Did our coming here have anything to do with that prophecy?"
Severin’s eyes darkened slightly. "Most likely."
He paused briefly before continuing. "The Earth god’s relationship with a woman led to his fall which in turn established the prophecy long before any human invention was made. A major opposition was born because of his disobedience. Xavriel is not simply seeking domination," he said with a sharp look. "His end goal is to break the structure of existence itself. That is the prophecy."
"And who’s Xavriel?"
"My brother." Calithar answered. His voice darkened at the mention of his name, his bowed head shielding his hate.
"How do you know of the prophecy?" he asked quietly.
Severin remained quiet for a while then got up. He placed his hands on his shirt and ripped off the front part of it. On it was the mark of the beast, the mark of the fallen angels. "Because I was an angel before your fall... Calithar."
Elyria crossed her arms, surprise etched all over her face. Angel?
"I was there when your judgement was issued upon you but when you fell, I being your disciple fell with you. The humans were evil, corrupted by the devil himself.My spirit was reborn in a human and so I became like them: wicked beyond sanity. I only lived this long because of the cult that took me in which I later fought my way out of. I’ve been searching for you, Earth god."
Lio cleared his throat to get a word in. He had already known they weren’t normal creatures let alone humans so finding out they were angels wasn’t news.
"So why didn’t he become corrupt like you then?"
"Earth god’s punishment wasn’t to dispose him in the world. Rather, it was more of a correction. We on the other hand didn’t have it so easy. God’s anger was so great, he threw us all down to earth with him. I was lucky to have survived."
"And where exactly do we fit into all this?" Elyria managed to say.
Severin looked directly at her.
"You don’t," he said.
Then his gaze shifted to Lio.
"Not you either. But you needed to be hear to fulfill the prophecy. That tornado? I sent it."
Finally, he turned back to Calithar, leaving Elyria and Lio in shock.
"But she does."
Calithar’s eyes narrowed. He had avoided this for too long.
"Who?" Lio questioned.
Severin held Calithar’s gaze steadily.
"Elena."
Calithar said nothing as his eyes flickered dangerously. "There’s another way. There has to be."
Severin continued, his voice now darker and more deliberate.
"Her power is not awakening," he said. "It is returning and when it fully does... nothing will be able to stop it if she ends up in his hands."
Lio swallowed. "That doesn’t sound like a good thing."
"It isn’t," he said.
Elyria stepped forward slightly.
"Why?"
Severin’s gaze did not waver.
"Because the same power that can stop Xavriel... is the same power that can destroy everything else if found in the wrong hands. That’s why he’s after her. She’s the key to his success and downfall."
The words settled heavily between them and no one spoke again. Elyria was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that angels were in their midst and they may or may not be in one of the heavens.
Then Calithar finally broke the silence.
"So what are you saying? Since you know all this, then you know I’m not allowed to have a relationship with her."
"If Xavriel cannot be stopped..." he said slowly, "then she must be."
A chill ran through the air at the same time a cold breez
e from the brook.
Calithar’s expression darkened completely. "You can’t be serious."
But Severin finished calmly nevertheless.
"Elena must die."
