The Fallen

XII : THE PAST (part one)

The Elysium Fields were as beautiful as they were deadly.

It was a vast expanse of rolling hills and lush grasslands, populated with stunningly colourful flowers and plants that stretched as far as the eye could see. There were small forests, and rocky outcrops, lakes, and rivers untouched by anything other than nature's hands. It was an inviting vista, one that made you want to explore and enjoy the wonder and beauty surrounding you - nut that was the thing about predators, so many of them looked so inviting and safe, it was almost easy to forget how dangerous they were.

The dirt, the flowers, the pollen, the very air above the beautiful Elysium Fields was deadly to the inhabitants of Elyssios. A poisonous toxin was hidden from sight, one that was indiscriminate and fatal. Elysium Fever was one of the worst ways to die. The fever started with irritation of mood and progressed delirium, tingling in the extremities, and then nausea as the poison invaded the body. The delirium became hallucinations of the worst kind, of the deepest and darkest fears of the mind, taking hold of the victim who lashed out in violence and terror. The tingling of the extremities turned into intense burning caused by the slow boiling of the blood, and nausea became vomiting blood. It was painful, it was slow, it drove you mad, and it was incurable.

The Elysium's were also largely the reason why angels and demons were not constantly at war. It was stretched between their territories, creating a clear divide between where each race lived. Their wars took place in the stretches of land around the Elysium's, over the boundaries of the poisonous beauty, and for stretches of territory that spent more time than not unoccupied since most of the populations of both angels and demons were situated around their main cities of Illenium and Enniko, respectively.

It was forbidden to enter the Elysium's, and flight over the Elysium's was restricted for extreme emergencies only. There was always the risk of infection, but in wartime those prohibitions were removed. Of course, there was another issue. The Elysium's was so large that it was almost impossible to fly over, there were few who had the stamina and strength to do it, and fewer who were willing to risk their lives to take refuge on the only safe place in the Elysium's: the Stone Fields.

Almost exactly midway between Enniko and Illenium was a sheet of rock, mostly flat, and without vegetation. Safe - for the most part. It was a place to land and rest and recover for the few brave enough to venture so deep into the only place angels or demons could liken to the human concept of hell. But there were secrets there for those who had the courage, or were reckless and desperate enough to seek them out. The Stone Fields were more than just bedrock. There was so much more hidden beneath the surface, centuries of secrets yet to be uncovered, left untouched and unexplored.

Until forbidden lovers stumbled upon them and found a world they could call their own.

Taehyung discovered the secrets of the Elysium's by accident.

His position as a Messenger meant that he was the most frequent flyer over the Elysium's for, most likely, both angels and demons. Being a Messenger suited him in many ways he'd never considered when he first got the position. He didn't engage in as much combat as most other angels, although when he did it was more intense and usually him versus multiple opponents. He generally had more freedom of movement than anyone else, and he was one of the few gifted with the strength, stamina, and skill to traverse the entirety of the Elysium Fields without a break - if absolutely necessary. His natural curiosity and desire to survive the war without being struck down by the Elysium Fever led him to delve into research about the mysterious landscape, and wonder if there was more to that enigmatic world than what they knew.

The accident that led him to rather violently discover the ruined temple occurred when he'd literally fallen out of the sky from exhaustion and crash-landed in the clearing instead of the Stone Fields, like he'd been deliriously aiming for. He'd woken up panicked and afraid, his wings stiff from the awkward way they'd been lain on.