Wings of Destiny

Chapter 2: Echoes

Aziel POV

The Celestial Plane, a place of radiant light and boundless beauty, felt strangely heavy in the aftermath of our return. Even as we left Uriel's library, the air seemed thicker, the skies less vibrant. I could sense it—an undercurrent of unease rippling through the very essence of our realm. The knowledge of what we had just witnessed in the Mortal Realm clung to me like a shadow, refusing to let go.

We walked in silence through the luminous courtyards and marble pathways, our footsteps echoing softly. V'litch kept glancing at me, her eyes still wide with confusion and fear. I knew what she was thinking—what we were both thinking. How could everything have gone so wrong, so quickly?

"We were supposed to just locate the Seal," she whispered finally, her voice tight. "To make sure it was safe and report back. How did it turn into... this?"

I shook my head slowly, unable to answer. What Rem had done wasn't just a break in the plan—it was a complete derailment. And it felt deliberate, like he knew exactly what he was doing... like he was always one step ahead of us.

"We couldn't have predicted this," I murmured, more to myself than to her. "But now we have to figure out what comes next."

As we approached the towering spires of the Celestial Sanctum, where the other Archangels often convened, I felt a strange shiver run down my spine. Something wasn't right. I turned sharply, scanning the ethereal gardens around us. The flowers, glowing softly with celestial light, seemed to sway uneasily in an unseen wind. A chill hung in the air—a sensation completely out of place in the Celestial Plane.

"Aziel?" V'litch asked, her voice wavering. "What is it?"

"I don't know," I murmured, narrowing my eyes. "But something's... wrong."

We weren't alone.

The realization hit me like a jolt of lightning. My wings flared slightly, senses on high alert. There, in the corner of my vision, I saw it—a flicker of shadow, darting behind one of the marble columns. It was small, almost imperceptible, and if I hadn't been looking for it, I might have missed it entirely.

"Did you see that?" I breathed, my voice low.

"See what?" V'litch asked, her wings twitching nervously. "Aziel, you're scaring me."

I didn't respond immediately, my gaze locked on the spot where the shadow had disappeared. Nothing moved, but the uneasy feeling only intensified. I stepped forward cautiously, every muscle in my body coiled and ready.

And then, as if sensing my approach, the darkness shifted.

It wasn't just a trick of the light. It was a presence—small, hidden, and wrong. The shadow twisted and flowed along the base of the column like living ink, slipping silently from one pillar to the next. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched it move, its form warping and contorting with an unnatural fluidity.

"Aziel?" V'litch whispered, her voice trembling. "What is that?"

I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that whatever it was, it didn't belong here. And it reminded me far too much of the corrupted energy Rem had left behind in the Mortal Realm.

Before I could act, the shadow darted forward, shooting past us like a streak of darkness. V'litch gasped, stumbling back as it slipped through the courtyard, moving faster than anything I'd ever seen. It was heading towards the Sanctum.

"We can't let it reach the Archangels!" I shouted, wings flaring wide as I took off after it.

"Aziel, wait!" V'litch called, but I was already in motion, my wings beating furiously as I chased the shadow through the twisting pathways of the Celestial Plane. The creature—if it even was a creature—moved with impossible speed, weaving through the columns and arches, its form flickering in and out of sight.