The Debt Collector

02. The Silence of the Seraph

     The dimly lit corridor echoed with the distant murmurs of other celestial beings going about their duties in the Seventh Ring. Amid the cool halls, a dark-haired angel walked, his steps echoing softly against the smooth, marbled floor. Cherubs and Seraph alike murmured to each other as he passed, their voices low and hushed. 
     They had all heard the tales—whispered accounts of his return from battles, his celestial robes drenched in blood, the deep crimson against the pristine white giving an eerie aura. His presence commanded a sense of unease and was a reminder of the violence that sometimes penetrated even the sacred serenity of Heaven.
     'Auriel'—a name that had once evoked the image of a young boy filled with dreams and hopes for the future of humanity. Back then, his eyes sparkled with innocence and his shy smile lit up a room. But now, it only brought the image of a tired seraphim who was burdened by his duties.

     Auriel had never been the same after that day years ago. Once a bashful boy who blushed at the slightest compliment, Auriel had transformed into a figure of icy stoicism, his eyes sharp enough to give pause to anyone who met his gaze. Azrael and Lucifer could only speculate about what had transpired during that private conversation with God after Azrael's departure, but whatever it was had brought a change to Auriel.
     It had been years since his two companions had seen even a tear well in his eyes. In fact, it had been years since they saw almost any emotion at all in his eyes. 'Feeling' seemed to be a distant memory for him now; his face always masked in a stoic demeanor. Occasionally, there were glimpses of a slightly softer expression reserved for Azrael and Lucifer only, but even those moments were fleeting.

     As Auriel walked to the office of Soul Counters, he became all too aware of the stares and whispers that floated in the air around him. Every word echoed in his mind, no matter how much he tried to ignore them. The corridor seemed to narrow with each step, the weight of their words pressing down on him like an invisible burden.
     "I heard that once, he went and killed an entire civilization... To think that an Angel would..."
     "Is it true that he once got blood on God's robes? I heard that from..."
     "You know, even when he was just a little boy, I knew he would end up..."
     The murmurs swirled around him, blending into a cacophony of judgment and speculation. The implied meanings were all too visible to him, cutting deeper than any direct insult. Angels had a terrible way of wording things, always tiptoeing around their true message. They never insulted someone directly but instead cloaked their words in veiled insinuations.

     "Oi! Keep it up and I'll make sure the whole lot of you face the four horsemen!" A voice suddenly shouted, effectively silencing the whole corridor. Cherub's eyes widened and angels averted their eyes from the situation out of slight embarrassment.
     It wasn't long before Auriel felt a familiar presence beside him and an arm casually being slung over his shoulders. Lucifer, as the head orchestrator, and God's presumed favorite musician, had a certain authority to his words that set the others straight. Which meant it was lucky that he was so fond of Auriel, or life would have only been that much more difficult.
     The chorus of murmured rumors soon turned into a collective 'Yes, sir.' before the hall fell back into normal chatter, angels covering over their favorite new hymn or what Michael and Gabriel had been doing in the weapons room.

     "You alright, hun?" Lucifer asked with a raised brow, looking at the tired boy next to him.
     "...Yeah." Auriel said quietly, meeting Lucifer's gaze with a much softer expression than the one that normally rested on his face. "I'm fine."
     Lucifer studied him for a moment, his golden eyes searching for any sign of the burden Auriel carried. Satisfied with the simply tired expression, he gave a small, reassuring smile before letting his arm drop.
     "Good," Lucifer said, his voice softer now, meant only for Auriel. "Don't let them get to you."
     He moved to speak again, his lips parting slightly, but not a single sound escaped before a bubbly voice called out and the sound of bouncing footsteps approached.
     "Riri!" Azrael wrapped their arms around Auriel's waist, spinning him in a hug while Lucifer stood back and watched with amusement sparkling in his eyes. After a few joyful spins, Azrael gently set Auriel back down on the cool marble floor, their smile bright and infectious. Auriel couldn't help but return a small smile of his own, the weight on his shoulders momentarily lifted by Azrael's boundless affection and Lucifer's quiet reassurance.

     The three, ever since the first day of their creation, had been inseparable. They had a bond that was not easily broken by any means. Once, Azrael even went so far as to make a vow with the others, swearing "Till death do we part; All for one, one for all." It was to become their motto for a long time, but like all things good in this life, it didn't last forever.

Ah, but how often do good things ever last?