CASTIEL'S REQUIEM

Chapter 54: There shall be no more Death

A/N: Hey guys it's all coming down to the end... Enjoy.

Castiel emerged from the Gate of Hell in Staunton Island, her appearance drawing shocked stares from the patrons of the club. Her bruised lips, dirty face smeared with her own blood, and torn clothes made her look like a warrior fresh from battle. The fact that one of her golden eyes was bleeding and swollen only added to the gruesome sight. She ignored the gawks and gasps, her attention fixed on a fat middle-aged man puffing on a cigar.

"Gimme that, it's bad for your health," Castiel said, her voice husky and confident, as she snatched the cigar from the man's lips. She took a long drag, inhaling deeply, and then blew out a stream of smoke.

With a swift motion, she spread her wings, the motion sending patrons scrambling to get out of her way. The wings, once pure and white, now had a dark, ethereal sheen to them, as if they had been tainted by the horrors of Hell.

Without a word, Castiel launched herself into the sky, flying towards Dawn with a fierce determination burning within her. The cigar still clutched between her lips, she vanished into the night, leaving behind a trail of awestruck onlookers and a whispered legend that would spread like wildfire: the Angel of Death had returned, and she was not to be trifled with.

—_—

Lucifer strode towards the Flavian Sea, located behind the Ravencorp building, Castiel's home and office. He should have known that Dawn was the perfect hiding place for the Garden of Eden. For millions of years, he had been searching for the gateway to paradise, but to no avail. He had once believed that Eden would be found in the Bermuda Triangle or Java, but both had turned out to be portals to the Golden City of Angels. Instead, it was hidden on Dawn, and only Death had access to it. Lucifer needed to be there, for true evil lay buried beneath its depths.

Stopping by a statue of an angel erected by the early settlers, he sank his claws into his wounded arm, which Castiel had almost severed during their fight. Green blood seeped from the wound onto the ground, forming a reverse star pattern by the statue. Lucifer chanted in a voice that sounded like a lion's roar: "Adeu alluwrd alshiriyr nafsah ealaa hadhih al'ard alhaqirat liamnahani quatuh wa'ana, li'akun 'iina'an wa'akun qadran ealaa hazimat 'aedayiy wa'aedayihi" ("I call upon Lord evil himself upon this vile earth to grant me his powers, and I, to be a vessel, that I may vanquish mine and his enemies").

Castiel caught up with him, knowing his intentions, and flew towards him with swords in both hands, determined to stop him. However, Lucifer stared at her and chanted more words, freezing her in mid-air.

"You annoying swine, free me and let's end this here!" Castiel snarled, struggling against her invisible restraint.

"Okay," Lucifer replied, continuing his incantations. The wind howled, gathering particles that settled just a foot before Lucifer's downturned star. A vortex suddenly rose from the ground at the foot of the statue, like a tornado swirling violently and tearing down the statue.

"No!" Castiel cried out, frozen in place, as the vortex moved towards Lucifer. He inhaled deeply, absorbing the vortex into his body. His demeanor changed; his red eyes turned black like obsidian, and his wounds closed, leaving him completely healed.

"Az...rah...hel! We meet at last. Oh, how I'm going to enjoy breaking you," he drawled in a raspy voice, like he had smoked twenty packs of cigarettes.

"I'll fucking kill you, Lucifer, when I get out of here!" Castiel swore, struggling against her restraint again.