For the damned | ✓

32

CENTURIES AGO - PART V

"I AM SO SORRY you had to go through that."

Delilah smiled at Helio, the both of them waiting by the foot of the platform. Niccolo had frowned at the news of them knowing each other, but hadn't pried, instead giving them some privacy. They were going to be given the role by the previous Reaper and Soulweaver, but her mother was nowhere to be seen. She wouldn't come, Delilah knew that. Their fight back home would've been enough to show her that there was no way to take her back by force.

She was in control now.

Helio's surprise had quickly faded into a worry which creased his forehead, Delilah leaning forward to smooth the frown away with her thumb.

"It's fine," she smiled," I am free now, right?"

Helio grabbed her wrist, her hand lowering to cup his cheek as he stared at her.

"I know it's blasphemy to attack the Soulweaver," he whispered," but just say the word and I will, Delilah."

"It's not going to be blasphemy anymore soon," she replied, watching as the Reaper neared," our ceremony is about to start."

"Did Niccolo tell you how it's going to go?" Helio asked, before continuing," never mind, it's Niccolo, he probably only complained."

"He did," Delilah chuckled.

A small smile tugged at Helio's lips at the sight of her laughing and he gently let her wrist go.

"He's a good person though," he said," I would be angry too if I went through what he did. All that pressure, the obsessiveness with him performing his role, it's a lot."

"You two resemble each other," Delilah said," not in your coping mechanisms, but in your past. I'm surprised you aren't friends."

Helio blinked, the words seeming to surprise him, as if he never had thought about it.

"I don't think Niccolo likes me very much," he said," I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a goody two-shoes who's way too serious. Actually, it's a hundred percent sure, because he said that to me once."

"Who says I wasn't kidding?"

They both turned towards the source of the voice, Niccolo having appeared out of nowhere, his expression undecipherable.

"How long have you been standing there?" Helio said, startled.

"I didn't know you thought I was a good person," Niccolo frowned, answering Helio's question," why?"

"You've never done anything to prove me otherwise," Helio shrugged.

"Is that really everything?" Niccolo said, voice filled with disbelief," what if I have all this anger inside me I have yet to show?"

"First of all," Helio said," if you were trying to hide that anger, you were doing a very bad job at it. Second, when you do something in the future we can evaluate together whether it was rational or not, how can I judge you for that now?"

Niccolo stared at him for a long time, before stepping so close Delilah thought he was going to fight him.

"I thought you didn't have any opinions at all, to be honest," he said, jabbing his finger against Helio's chest," but I suppose you're alright."

"Why are you acting like you're going to fight me?"

"I had to make sure you knew I haven't gotten soft," Niccolo huffed as he took a step back, crossing his arms," I've put effort into building this unhinged persona of mine. Just to let you know, I was intimidating you, so don't let that compliment rise to your head."

"I won't," Helio nodded politely.

"Anyway, good luck," Niccolo said to Delilah, before turning towards Helio," to you as well, I guess."

The ceremony started then, the gods waiting patiently in rows in front of the platform as the current Reaper guided them both to the top of the platform. He started speaking in a language Delilah had never heard before but somehow understood, everyone silent as they watched him draw a symbol on Helio's hand, which glowed silver while it faded, before handing over his scythe. Helio took his seat in his chair, the eyes of the skulls lighting up along with his own, the supernovas inside his irises exploding so brightly for a moment that it was hard to look right at him.

"The Soulweaver is not here," the Reaper said then," so I will be handing the position to you. Any objections?"

Delilah shook her head, the Reaper materializing a transparent staff made of souls in his hand, the screams echoing hauntingly inside their glass cage. He had written the symbol on her palm when he was about to hand the staff to her, but right before he could someone spoke up, everyone turning their heads towards him in surprise.

"Actually, why isn't the Soulweaver here?" an angel said," should we take that as a sign that she thinks her successor is incapable of fulfilling the job?"

"It's as Michael says," the one next to him nodded," if she doesn't even have the blessing of her mother, how are we supposed to trust her?"

"Right!" Zeus exclaimed, interjecting himself in the conversation as he pointed at her," isn't it suspicious how she just came out of nowhere as well? How are we supposed to trust someone who we don't know anything about to rule us?"

"Come on now," a man with black wings scoffed," I mean, do you even trust each other?"

"What do you know, Azriel?" the woman beside Zeus frowned, turning to look Delilah up and down," I mean, does she even have magic? She doesn't look like it."

"How dare you -" Helio hissed, moving to get out of his chair, but Delilah held out a hand to stop him.

She smiled at the crowd, not that bothered by their reaction. It was understandable, she was a stranger standing in front of gods too proud to even acknowledge each other, never mind her. Understandable, but not acceptable. She was done with being underestimated.

"Do you want to see?" she said," fine, I'll show you."

"What do you mean -" Zeus began, but she had already opened her hands, a storm starting around them.

The wind was going so fast it had become deafening in sound, taking all the gods along in the air as she amusedly stared up at the scene. Beside her Helio and the Reaper were watching her curiously, but neither moved to stop her, the gods' screams barely audible as she reached out to them with her hand, fingers tingling with the power she was about to exert. Then, as she breathed in, she closed her hand, a sharp pain shooting through her as at once, she managed to take the souls of all the gods.

She could see them glow a faint gold as they were sucked towards the staff, but before they could disappear she suddenly opened her hand again, all of them shooting back into place. The wind disappeared and they dropped down on the clouds, breathing heavily and barely moving. None of them spoke, but they didn't need to. It was the first time they had probably even seen the concept of their own death, clearly still in shock from the vulnerability they had long forgotten.

The only one she hadn't pulled along with her magic had been Niccolo, but beside his immunity to any magic that would hurt him, she wasn't planning on trying to see if she could attack him anyway. He was her friend, even if he pretended not to have a heart at times. She wiped the nosebleed the excessive magic had given her away, not caring much for her image as she smiled at all of them, most not daring to catch her gaze anymore.

"Any objections left?" she said.

No one said anything this time.