Redemption

Chapter 29

Anger coursed through her body, shaking she choked out barely holding it in, "So you tricked me and made me do your dirty work just to end up in the same place."

"Well not the same place, I upgraded your cell, I believe it is well deserved."

"Is this another game?" she laughed, in disbelief over her situation.

Iram's voice hardened, "Mortals like you think they deserve everything good in Inferis simply for refraining from doing sins. They wanted comfort after death; that's how Caelum came to be; a simple humanity-made creation. Good and evil is not simply black and white, it is much deeper. A person can appear good in public but in private they could be worse than a tyrant. Humanity has disappointed me for centuries, everyone has sinned and for that, they will be punished no matter how small."

Azalea stood shocked, everything she had grown up with was a lie, simply to be made up to be a comfort when thinking of death.

"Even if there was a Caelum, you would not be going there regardless if you restore the balance. You are selfish enough to kill for a living and behead your friend and if that wasn't enough you flung him into molten lava. What part of that deserves a life of peace. No, you will be cursed to go through everything you have shoved down in your heart for eternity."

Azalea's jaw worked, her body still trembling with anger, "I see why you are the least liked God."

He scoffed, "Goodbye Thorne."

Iram's voice vanished, the cell falling into silence one more. Azalea leaned against the wall, her eyes staring forward, unseeing, as her mind tried to process the gravity of the situation. Her head slammed against the wall.

Acrux knew he fucking knew. She thought.

Her mind raced to remember his words. Do you really believe Caelum would solve all your problems? Maybe the image of Caelum you have does not match your expectations. He had asked her that when he was patching her up. Even his surprise when he found out what Iram promised her. Regret sunk deep in her bones, numbing her. It was in front of her the entire time, and she grew angry at that thought, even though deep down she understood that he did not trust her and his loyalty to Iram came first but disappointment periced her heart.

The deafening silence was broken when a figure appeared before Azalea. Squinting her eyes she gazed forward, his image blurry.

Until he spoke in a raspy voice, "Azzy did you miss me?"

Scrambling to her feet, she stared as Samael's features grew sharper.

Looking around the cell he laughed, "This is ironic, you went on about how I would be in Gehenna, and look where you are now."

Azalea waited for any feeling to strike her as she looked at her friend. But her heart was empty, void of any emotion.

"Do you regret it, Azalea, killing me?" he asked.

She stayed silent not wanting to voice her answer.

"If you don't already we have all of eternity to do, my memory is a part of your punishment," he said grinning sadistically.

On cue, flames rushed into the cell, the heat scalding. Azalea drew her legs in tucking in her head as she breathed.

"In out, in out, in out," she mumbled, trying to clear her head.

When that did not work, she slammed her head against the wall, and Sameals's voice drifted in and out of her ears. Her mind reached for any remnants of comfort, and Acrux's farewell was what consumed her. You are stronger than you think. Do not let your past chain you, fate can be moulded with your own hands. Focusing on that, her thoughts wandered trying to understand what he meant.

"Is fate not in our control, what did he mean, you can not change what is already written for you." she thought

Can't you? If Caelum did not exist then who are you to say fate can not be controlled? Her subconscious argued back.

"You're right, does that mean I have to doubt everything about this place? What did he say? Do not let your past change you as I left there was no reason to bring that up." she wondered.

Well, you are haunted by your past and sins here.

Looking down at her chains she paused a theory coming to mind. She walked towards Samael, drawing in a breath she decided to not keep everything hidden in her heart like she always did.

"Samael, you think you will make me regret I killed you if I stare at you long enough don't you." Getting up in his face, she whispered. "When I look at you I see nothing, I feel nothing. My heart is empty, not even a shadow of regret or sorrow is left for you. So it does not matter if you stand before me for centuries. Do your worst, because I do not care."

He fell quiet as he gaped at her and it was then, he started disintegrating. His form slowly disappeared until the last thing to go was his eyes that burned into Azaleas. And she just stared, unflinching, as her friend disappeared.

"It worked!" she thought relieved.

Facing the flames that circled her, she smiled. For the first time since her parent's death, she welcomed the heat, basking in its warmth. The flames, as if sensing this, drew back, away from her.

"I no longer fear you. You will not chain me and punish me for an act I was not responsible for. I was not the one who caused the fire, the ones who did are no doubt getting tortured as I talk. A child should not grow up believing they are the cause of their loved one's death, it is a burden that will affect every aspect of their life, as it did with mine. Who knows maybe if I accepted that earlier I would not have gone down the path I did, but it is too late and it is useless for any regrets right now. You can ask why I no longer blame myself. My own parents said that I was not the one at fault, and never believed for one second I was. That was all the confirmation I needed. So no, I will not draw away in fear every time you appear, rather I will enjoy the heat, a reprieve from the cold floor. So do as you please, but I have no fear of you. I am done with holding myself down to a past that I had no control over. Maybe in life, fate is something that not a single person can control, but here fate is my puppet, and I will not allow it to have a hold on me." she stared, her chest feeling light after the declaration.

The flames dimmed moving back until they lit the corners of the room, basking the cell with painless warmth. Azalea's chains cracked open, falling to the ground with a thud. Rubbing her wrists, she relished the feeling of freedom. Nothing else materialized in the cell, no taunts, no pain it was just her alone.

"I wonder if that was the right thing to do, or is being tortured better than sitting in this dingy cell for all of eternity. I hope I do not go insane from lack of action."

She laughed at that, the sound inhumane as her thoughts drifted to Iram. He must be furious, she pictured his expression and snickered.

"I suppose I played your game but not in the way you expected," she murmured.

"Thank you, Acrux," she said, a feeling of gratitude washing over her.

Leaning against the wall she closed her eyes, enjoying the silence. The weight of her burdens, the shadows of her past, all seemed to dissipate. She could feel a newfound lightness in her spirit, a freedom she hadn't experienced in a long time. Her mind drifted to her parents, the familiar ache was gone, it was as if the meeting she had with them was closure, her memories of them were something she could replay in her mind for centuries and never get bored. Azalea took that warmth she felt thinking about her parents and tucked it in her heart and she promised herself she would cherish it for all of eternity.

"I won, Iram," she whispered.

This cell was not Caelum and it would come close to it, but this small room it was where she had finally let go of everything and was set free, and for that, Azalea would forever be at peace.