Three angels stood silently around a pedestal, so focused that they never moved or looked away. There was a shining orb on top of it; it was crystal clear, and its unnatural light shined onto their cold expressions.

The palace room was huge, yet it was dead silent; many angels waited below, while the three oracles awaited the vision that the orb would show. All watched, with longing.

Angels always waited for guidance. They had always done so; they longed for indications of how should they serve, an entity they couldn’t see. Their race did not hold much more knowledge than humanity about what truly controlled the world. The only thing they could do was wait, obey the visions the orb granted, much more ancient than their own existence. They hoped to serve enough one day and ascend into a more meaningful and powerful existence. All they wanted was knowledge… get to know their silent creator.

The orb always foretold what had to be done. For centuries, it had always shown glimpses of the ones to slay. Today, the three oracles saw the orb shine again. Their eyes hinted nothing but disgust when they saw yet another one of those horrible creatures that tainted the human world. It was reflected in the holy orb, in all its fierceness. A demon, whose kind roamed among the humans they swore to protect.

The three angels nodded calmly. They averted their gazes from the orb and the tall demon it showed; it was indeed fierce-looking, without considering its sharp horns, which went backwards and up. Its short black hair almost hid its flaming violet eyes in the clear blackness of the sphere.

They took the orb in their hands, and then they raised it carefully to make it loom over the balcony, above all the angels below, for them to see. All of them were warriors, trained for centuries. They were ready to end the life of any demon, and so, cleanse the world.

The orb always showed what their deity deemed necessary. It always shined; it honored the one who had more chances of destroying the creature, purify the earth. It always chose the best between them to serve their common cause. But this time…

The oracles blinked, and then exchanged worried glances. A few minutes passed by, but no glow came out of the sphere; it did not shine for any inside the temple. None of the soldiers were chosen, none of the angels present there.

While the oracles whispered between them to try to understand, the warriors were overwhelmed by dread. The armored angels below began to murmur; some were offended. They could not avoid it, because they were the most capable of slaying a demon. All their life was dedicated for this moment. They had more chances against that beast, but the orb did not shine as it always did.

They could only dread, ask themselves if the orb was failing, or if their unknown lord considered them all unworthy of aiding that world.

Luckily, before a commotion could rise, a figure stood up from its shadowed high throne. The murmurs died out quickly; all saw the high priest stand up. He was the oldest of them all, and wisest. They did not dare speak when he rose a hand, to ask for silence and attention.

The elder let out a short laugh, always sure of himself and his beliefs. His expression was calm and cheerful, and his voice soft, even if it rumbled in the huge room.

“The orb is never wrong, it never shows a flaw. We are not the only angels around.”

The soldiers snarled and whispered again. Some even dared to curse. All understood well his words, too well. They did not take kindly that trail of thought.

In the citadel, more angels lived. Lesser ones.

Could a simple worker, a simple angel… Be chosen? Could they achieve this end? Who could be stronger than them, the toughest and most trained? Who could be wiser than the ones who knew how to kill, and had the skill to fend off demons?

Even they could fall under those claws sometimes. Not many came back from a hunt.

Who could possibly be the one?

——————————————————————-

The forge could be noisy. But not that much.

Alexis stopped looking at the wheel of the carriage he was fixing. He averted his gaze to look at one window, because he heard noise outside. To be precise, he heard the huge bell of the palace, something that was only heard in rare occasions.

His wings trembled slightly behind him. Instead of hearing two rings of bell, he heard three. Two meant that the warriors had to attend the priests; but three…

“Angus.” Alexis stood, nervously. He looked over the carriage, and he was not surprised to see that his uncle had not heard a thing, still focused on hitting some metal with his trusty hammer. “Angus!”

The young angel could only let out an exasperated groan, because his uncle seemed to be deaf. He left behind the tools and approached the anvil. He finally took Angus’ attention when he nudged him, getting a loud growl as an answer.

“Uncle!”

“What!?” he was barely acknowledged, of course. “Can’t you see I’m busy? I have to finish off this-“

Alexis cut him off, raising an arm to point at the door with a serious tone.

“Three rings of bell! They are calling the whole citadel!”

The blacksmith took a few seconds to process his nephew’s words. He ended up shrugging, as if nothing.

“Go ahead if you want to, kid. I will go later, when I finish this thing here.”

Alexis sighed in exasperation, because he had expected those words. They were very common. Angus also expected the complaints that Alexis would voice.

“But it is law that-“

“Yeah, law!” Alexis leaned slightly away, poker-faced, because Angus pointed at him with his hammer, grumpily. “And it’s also law that I deliver these materials in time! There’s no law that makes me hurry to that damn palace, as long as I go! You do whatever you want; I will go… Later!”

Angus resumed his work, while his nephew turned around sharply and left through the door in resignation. Alexis did not bother to keep arguing, because he knew he would never win an argument against his uncle.

Both ignored their verbal quarrel for the moment. Even then, Angus let out a chuckle, now alone.

“And then he complains that he hates the law. There he goes, obeying.”

While Angus kept working, Alexis’ eyes opened in surprise, once he saw the streets. Never before had he seen the common folk be called to the palace’s plaza. He was a fairly young angel by his kind’s standards. A big multitude was already gathered a few streets ahead. He could see priests between them, ones who rarely left the temples . What most surprised him, however…

If he did not have good eyesight, he would deny that he was seeing the sacred orb between them all. Even if he had never seen it before, he knew that it never left the palace, ever. A palace that no one but the guards or priests could access. But there it was, guarded by more guards than he was used to seeing. The multitude was watching with curiosity and worry.

Alexis neared as well, carefully, always falling prey to his own wonder. He approached, even if something about this felt wrong. He could see the orb, clearly. He could also see the high priest at its side. The old man was smiling too much, as always.

The situation had to be serious. He could only assume that the demon shown was so infamous, so horrible, that the priests wished to show the soldier who would fight it in front of everyone.

Alexis would have left; he was not interested in the affairs of nobility. He had always hated the stupid traditions they were all forced to follow. Anything that the orb would show, it would be a demon. And he did not want to see it, at all.

He would have left, yes. Were not for the fact the he noticed how the guards were preventing anyone from leaving, firmly. They enforced yet another one of their laws. He could not make way through the crowd now; he saw that more people had neared behind him.

He grew nervous, he began to look at the soldiers, to find a small route where to squish himself through and leave. Meanwhile, the priests exchanged whispers.

There were enough people to begin the rite. They took the orb, and it was raised up once more. The soldiers nearby growled in anger, for all saw it shine at last. The one was nearby.

The high priest sighed in relief, and then he began to guide the three oracles through the crowd. All remained still and silent while the orb was carried around.

The glow of the orb grew or faded, depending on the distance it had from the chosen one. The further, the more its light died out. The closer, the more it shined like the sun.

All angels frowned with worry; the glow grew with each step they took between them all. All asked themselves if they would be the one, because it was an honor to be chosen. All angels believed that it was a blessing to serve for the greater good. All but one. One that no one would ever expect to be chosen.

The high priest halted his steps. All lost their breath, baffled. Alexis blinked, as surprised. He finally realized that the old man was right in front of him. With the orb in his hands.

The young angel took a nervous step sideways, to let the priest go ahead. Only to see him near again. The glow had faded subtly with his step. His amber eyes hinted confusion, not understanding yet why everyone was looking at him so intently, nor why everyone was stepping away, leaving a lot of space around him. If the tense silence that fell was physical, he wouldn’t be able to cut it, not even with the sharpest of swords.

“Uhh…”

It can’t be.

Alexis did not move a muscle. He was unable to react while the old man waved the orb around him, too cheerfully for him to be calm. It did not help to make him understand what was happening, not at all. But he could begin to get an idea. A horrible idea, which was only confirmed when the old man laughed some words while pointing at him with a finger.

“This one.”

Alexis stared emotionless for a moment, he did not react immediately. He stared at the orb and priest, with pure confusion.

Only for a moment.

“W-what?!”

He finally panicked when the old man smiled. He saw how some guards were now stepping around him. He raised his hands in front of him, to try to argue, nervously. He did not understand, and at the same time he did. He only wondered why.

“Not a soldier…” The old man made him stay quiet; he was unnerved by his happy smile. “But the artifact chose you!”

How can this old man stay so cheerful while saying that?

A nervous smile grew on Alexis’ lips. The young angel took a step back, and then he pointed over his shoulder to try to reason.

“Me? No, look, maybe the guy behind me-“

“No, there is no mistake, young one.”

Alexis tried to move, he tried to leave, calmly and with reason. But he was grabbed by the guards, as intimidating as always. To make matters worse, the old man laughed again and then walked around him in circles. All to show him how from every angle, every step, the orb shined for him. Their deity really chose him.

“See?” Alexis was too shocked to react to the next command. The priest pointed to the huge palace, like if he was simply inviting him to drink tea. “Proceed.”

Behind the crowd of angels, Angus saw everything. He was taken by shock and rage. He saw what happened, but he was too far to be heard. He had been unable to approach the center of the plaza before all that happened, there was too much crowding, being one of the last to come. Even then, he began to push ahead and get people out of his way; he did not care for their reactions. He knew well what his family would be forced to accomplish. Or fail trying.

Angus cursed, because two guards stepped in between and blocked his way. He roared and gave them a single warning to move aside.

“Out of my way you imbeciles! He can’t-!”

The two soldiers showed their usual lack of emotion. They were like stones.

“He is bound to end that demon.”

“Law, no interference allowed, you-“

The crowd yelped and moved aside when a blacksmith punched down a guard. Said soldier’s helmet rolled along the stony pavement. Sadly, after a long fight and many broken ribs… Angus could do nothing but watch while Alexis was pushed towards the palace.

The doors closed shut slowly, and they only let him have a small glance of his fearful eyes. His only family was doomed.

———————————————————-

Not a single move. The oracles sighed, because Alexis stood frozen at the edge of the abyss, looking down with a lost gaze while holding for dear life the sword he was given, against the golden light armor he was forced to wear.

The young angel had fainted twice while they had explained his duty. Once, when they told him he had to jump to the human world. Twice, when they tried to show him his demon through the orb. Keyword try.

In the end, all was explained, and his weapons were given. They guided him to the abyss. Or more like they dragged him. Now, his amber eyes could not stop looking down with horror at the huge fall. His wings were pressuring subtly, as much as they could, onto his back.

He had to jump. It was not a question. It was not a choice, nor an idea. It was an order. An order that made him feel helpless; it echoed strongly in his mind, and it almost hurt.

He had to kill a demon. He had to jump to the world below, to find him. To kill him. Or never return.

If he did not kill, he would be left there, never to be summoned back, not until they knew he had done the deed.

How can they see this as a glorious fate?

Alexis trembled; he tried to not break down under the pressure. He took one single step back, only to be halted by a soldier, who lowered a hand onto his shoulder to keep him at the edge. That touch finally made him panic, it finally snapped him out of his fearful daze. He tried to reason for his life, again, even if he knew they wouldn’t listen.

“This is not right…! I told you! I don’t- I am not a soldier! I can’t kill it!”

The guards nodded tiredly, they even rolled their eyes. They showed no sympathy, but envy and contained anger.

He was slender, not strong in appearance. He was nothing like a warrior. They could feel disgust and anger just by looking at him, he should have never been chosen. Every angel knew one another. And Alexis, even if he was a blacksmith, was known for his unusual behavior. All angels were proud of their fighting nature, born with strength. They always wished for more, more power and wisdom. Most wondered if Alexis was an angel at all… He was always weak and eccentric, too energetic and emotional.

He did not want to jump. He knew he would have no chance. Few angels managed to win when they traversed to that world. He had seen his demon, he had been shown how feral it looked through the orb. Those sharp irises, of an unnatural violet color, claws like knifes, a figure too tall that could loom over him easily…

He would die. That beast would search for him and kill him. The orb created a bond, it always raised a spell. The demon would feel an angel tied to its soul, chosen to end its life. The beast would try to find him because of that, he could be sure of it. One of them would have to die.

And the worse part… Was that demons considered angels their prey. Literally. He had heard of it, many times, how those creatures could devour any that dared serve. They killed in terrible ways. This was a death sentence. Or something far worse.

The expressions of the guards showed disapproval; because they saw Alexis’ wings shiver, tremble subtly. They reflected his fear, and his intentions to flee.

They moved before Alexis could, knowing that he was thinking of running, again. They halted his escape, once more. Of course, Alexis tried to free himself of their hold; he began to kick for his life, in vain. He yelled while he hit the armors of the soldiers, who held him without emotion.

“Let go of me! I won’t survive! This makes no sense! Why send me?!”

“The orb knows who is best.” The priest closed his eyes. “Push him down.”

Alexis lost his breath, he felt the two guards behind him give him a shove, a strong one.

He could only thrash a little; he moved his arms to try to regain his balance, when his feet slipped on the edge. He tried to step back, with the help of his wings. He didn’t manage, not when there was no space to move them, to push himself back. The two soldiers did not doubt to block his only way out.

He could only fall. He was pushed down, and so, to his death. He was sentenced to the abyss that led to the human world.

Alexis raised his big wings, in a move out of pure reflex and instinct. The abyss was like a huge cliff, with an endless black void. It was worse than any height he had jumped from to fly. He tried to glide and rise up, he did. But no matter how he brought down his wings, there was no wind that he could feel. There was not a single breeze in the fissure, no hope to rise and not fall into the pit.

He felt a strange gravity pull at him, strange and unnatural. He turned and tumbled around to look up, towards the white mists from where he was pushed down. His wings dangled, unable to hinder his fall. His golden feathers thrashed, and he saw his tears in the air too. He was granted one last instant, in which he saw the place he liked to roam, now the place of his irrational doom.

A strange fogginess grew in his mind. He had a hard time thinking. His eyes began to lose their focus, and his vision faded, slowly. All his thoughts died. A deep sleep took him; he could not resist it while falling. All went black, and he stopped seeing the figures staring down at him without mercy, in arrogance.

The oracles looked away from the abyss, unable to see him anymore in the black fog below. They dared to judge now the actions they let happen, with selfishness.

“It is true. He has no chance.”

“He probably won’t survive a single minute against that beast.”

“In vain…”

Alexis had disappeared, completely. No one could see him, and no one could guess where he would fall. The high priest seemed satisfied by that fact, his smile did not falter. He spoke more calmly now.

“As I said, the orb always honors the one who can help the most.” He began to walk away, like if nothing had happened. “Even if we don’t come back, we must try to make the earth a better place. It’s law.”

All looked at each other. They exchanged looks full of doubt. It was a mystery if that young man would come back.

Probably not. The orb was surely losing its power. It was impossible that such a weak one could kill a demon. He would not help humanity if he could not even destroy the evil between it. He wouldn’t come back.

—————————————————————–

Cold.

He could feel a cold breeze around him. His wings trembled and moved; they curled around his figure, to try to keep him warm, in instinct. This breeze was not warm, not comfortable.

The breeze he knew was always warm, like the sun. This wind was cold and different.

Why…?

The angel was still dazed by the fall. He was confused and dizzy. A tired groan escaped his lips, while his hands brushed the ground. He awoke slowly from his strange sleep. His eyes opened, unhurriedly. His vision was foggy, he could not see clearly; but he could feel that he was lying on cold ground.

His gaze fell onto the woods that surrounded him. He did not react for a whole minute, too dazed to do so. He stared at the dark of the night, without seeing it in truth. The only light came from the moon above him, over the huge trees.

No stars…

He laid there for some minutes, feeling exhausted. He did not dare move.

His mind awoke eventually. It was then that he let out a faint exhale of realization, frozen. Then, a gasp of shock; he sat quickly. His wings curled around his frame, with a move that reflected his terror. He finally understood that he was in an unfamiliar place; he did not recognize these woods. He did not understand, not until it hit him.

“…”

His eyes lost their brightness, for he remembered all the words he was forced to listen to. The sentence was spoken calmly, with no emotion or care. They spoke coldly, giving no chance for objection, like if they were not speaking of the fate he would fall in.

He was sent down. To kill. Or die.

No… The last thing. He could not kill. There was no way.

The tears began to fall silently and slowly from his eyes; his hands shook, even if all emotion had left his expression. A sword was lying on the ground, at his side. A sword, which made him think of what he could not do, the only thing that could save him.

“I- I don’t…”

He did not want to die. Such thoughts were not easy to bear. And so, he hugged himself with a silent sob. Only an owl was there to see or hear him lament, and yet, he could only imagine he was being watched by sharp violet eyes, full of hate.

His wings pressured around him, big enough to hide all his body while he kneeled. No one heard him cry helplessly. All night, he thought he wouldn’t be alone for much time. At any moment, a demon could find him. It could already be looking for him, relentlessly.

He knew well that the beast would try to find him. It would seek him. But he would not try like it; he wouldn’t take chase like it was expected from him.

He wouldn’t survive. And so, he raised his head a little to look at the black sky. He glared; he pierced it with an angry and desperate look. He was furious, and scared, at once.

“I want to go back!”

His demand was ignored. It did not matter how much he glared at the black sky, no matter how much he begged with his eyes. His home was not at reach; the starless sky was not the abyss from where he traversed to this world.

For that reason, he did not try to fly. He resigned to avert his gaze and stay quiet. He didn’t move, he wasn’t able to.

He had a good existence. He had Angus. His uncle was always there for him, yet he had not said goodbye. He was not allowed to see him. And he would not see him again. He was trapped.