The Revolution of the Neverending Night

14. Here there's only sand, blood, and death

The group appears in the middle of the dunes, surrounded by the vast, endless sea of sand that is the Sahara Desert. The wind whistles sharply, carrying golden particles that dance like tiny fairies around them.

Seraphiel raises her gaze toward the horizon, her expression tired, as the waves of heat distort the distant rocky mountains. Then she lowers it, her gray eyes locking onto María."Don't be fooled," she said, her voice as sharp as the edge of her sword. "I am not here to save humanity. My only motivation is to destroy Sekhmet."

The others waited for her instructions, but what came from her lips was so unexpected that they all held their breath. Mizrak raised his sword, pointing its blade at Seraphiel as if her very presence were blasphemy.

"Are you mocking us?" he exclaimed, indignant. "You've brought us here, to the brink of despair, just for revenge? I am a soldier of God, Seraphiel, not a pawn in your personal vendettas!"

The angel looked at him with disdain and took a step forward, facing him without so much as blinking, causing the rest to instinctively retreat. But Mizrak stood his ground, holding her gaze."God?" she laughed, a dry, bitter sound like thunder. "You cling to that childish idea? That collection of stories you humans call the Bible is nothing more than a broken dream, a desperate attempt to grasp at purpose." Her words lashed out like whips at the religious man, who tensed.

 "Do you think that pathetic text will lead you to Him? All you'll find in its pages is a lie, crafted to soothe weak minds."

Mizrak gritted his teeth, the hand holding his sword trembling, but he did not lower it."Don't you dare speak like that. The Bible is the word of God, our only path to truth and redemption. It's the guide that illuminates the way to Him. You, who call yourself an angel, how can you scorn it so? Without it, what hope do we humans have?"

Seraphiel took another step forward, narrowing her eyes."You have none," she whispered with contempt. "And I don't care. Humans... your sacred books, your words, your prayers... all of that is irrelevant. I hate Sekhmet because she is like you: a lesser deity, fed by the desperation and ignorance of her followers. A monster created by your fears. I'm here to eradicate her, not to follow the fantasy of any 'God.' I despise the idea of a god created by humans... and even more, I despise those who bow to those ideas."

Mizrak remained silent, breathing heavily, furious. The desert wind howled around them, stirring the sand into small whirlwinds. The others watched without intervening, tense, unsure of what to say.

"Then, what are you?" Mizrak finally asked. "If you're not an emissary of God, why do you fight?"Seraphiel lifted her head with pride and unfurled her wings again, spreading her arms wide."I am Seraphiel, guardian of the boundary between the Earthly and the Divine. I fight because I hate the parasites that feed on despair. Sekhmet is not a goddess. She is a plague, and I will eradicate her, even if I have to destroy everything in my path to do so." She closed her wings again and turned her back on him, glancing over her shoulder. "That's all you need to know."

Mizrak lowered his sword, glaring at the angel with rage.

"Then you're worse than them," he spat angrily. "Because you cling to hatred as if it's all you have. But I won't follow you into darkness. My faith is my shield, and the light of God will guide me."

Seraphiel looked at him for a moment longer, then turned her gaze away with a sigh, as if tired of the conversation.