C҉R҉O҉W҉ | ᴍᴄᴜ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

X - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

F L A S H B A C K

IN THE DIM LIGHT OF THE DAWN, the training hall echoed with the rhythmic sounds of exertion. The younger Azrael moved with a conduit of controlled aggression. Fluid yet at the same time forced as he was executing a series of complex maneuvers with the Eskrima sticks.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, muscles tensing.

He transitioned from one form to another, his feet tracing intricate patterns on the cold stone floor. His breaths deep and measured. But as he pushed his limits, his coordination began to falter.

His last spin was too forceful and the stick slipped from his sweaty grip, clattering against the ground with a sound that seemed too loud in the quiet morning.

Azrael stood frozen for a moment, chest heaving, eyes fixed on the stick. A surge of frustration welled up within him, and he kicked the stick across the hall, his breaths now sharp and uneven.

He leaned forward, hands on his knees, head bowed.

"You don't have to push yourself to the breaking point, Azrael." A voice spoke.

Azrael straightened, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, his expression one of defiance and vulnerability mixed, "B-But I have to be better!"

"To prove what?"

"That I can lead!"

Gabriel walked over and picked up the fallen stick, holding it out to him.

"Leadership isn't just about perfection."

"But I keep failing." Azrael muttered, avoiding Gabriel's eyes.

"Failure is part of learning. It's part of growing." Gabriel responded, stepping closer, "You're already proving your worth. Not by being flawless, but by standing up each time you fall. And that. . . that's what makes a true leader."

Azrael took the stick, his hands trembling slightly.

"It's just so hard. . . Sometimes, I feel like it's too much."

Gabriel placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's supposed to be hard. The path you're choosing is not an easy one. But remember, you don't have to walk it alone." His voice softened, "You don't have to be great to start, you only start to be great."

Azrael's resistance seemed to crumble under the weight of Gabriel's words, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"I just. . ." He paused, voice breaking as he looked up to meet Gabriel's gaze, "I-I just don't want to let you down."

Gabriel pulled him into a warm embrace, strong and protective.

"You could never let me down. You are my best student. Not because of your skills." He patted his softly and reassuringly, "But because of your heart."

Azrael allowed himself to relax into the embrace, his defenses falling away.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he finally allowed himself to acknowledge the burden of expectations he had placed upon himself.

"You can rest now, Azrael. Tomorrow is another day. No matter how hard it is, we'll face it together. You have nothing to prove to anyone, least of all to me."

P R E S E N T

THE DAY BEGAN BEFORE THE DAWN had a chance to paint the sky. The soft chime of an ancient clock marked the early hour, but Azrael was already awake. A shadow moving silently in the half-light. His morning routine was a ritual. Followed like it was a religion of itself.