Goudou.
The world that the Rebels were standing on began to crack— seeps and fractures circulating throughout the sphere as Samiel stood in the sky.
Her smile…
Birds floating in the air began to invert; their rose flesh burned by the bleeding ‘sun’. The smell of blood already filled the atmosphere, the rubble choked the green sky. The snow which evaporated snapped into the air forming into bright mauve shards which flowed around the God’s body.
“BASTARD!”
Jeremiah could only muster up and outburst— his position anchored as his eyes fixated on Samiel. Arms dropped to the side.
The Orchestra sung in the background, the voices of the ensemble scraping across the entrity of Floria.
“I never intended for this to happen so soon, however some things ultimately need to advance.” Samiel’s voice softly spoke, a tint of empathy.
A rare siting.
However that mark was erased evidently with the look in her eyes.
Those bloodshot eyes carried joy inside— the spirals floating around her figure bolstered boldly.
“I’ll make some of you survive, this is not the end of existence.
Not yet atleast.”
Her right arm swelling as it soared directly at the ‘Sun’, Elliot Timpleson’s face malformed and stretched along.
Jeremiah’s eyes began to shut as…
The pressure of the world of Floria collapsed into an abyss.
“Then I’ll kill her.” A familiar and daunting voice awakened Jeremiah Demetri.
Chirping.
Not from a bird or animal, but the faint din of roosting echoed throughout the dark enviromnent, pitch black. Eerie. His legs were presented along a shingly surface. Bumps and sensation of stones rigid around the ground— he pulled himself up, barely. His eyes feeling the compression to deflate. He outstretched his right hand backward— touching the wall. It was close, too close and it felt craggy. The wiff of coal breezed in the air as…
Crackle.
A vague orange haze tinly illuminated the room, revealing a cluster of shadows. Varying in height and body however all cramped inside the cave.
“What’s going on?” The Demon Child groaned, he leaned against the wall. His legs giving out as he sagged back down to the ground.
“Jeremiah Demetri.” The same voice called out once more.
It was the figure holding the dim torch, Anubis who was covered in ash and dust— his nemes in his left hand. Flowing black hair kissing at his neck.
“Anubis? Did Samiel honestly end all of Floria.”
“No.
The Angels and Seraphim came to stop her orders by Thidos— you fell unconscious so the remaining Rebels took you underground.” The Pharoah nodded, his body slumped forward as he gave a weak smile.
“What happened to Samiel?”
“She killed some of the Angels before feeling boredom and returning to Invalia, she mummured about continuing later.”
“Which Angels?”
Anubis placed the helmet back on his head, tapping his chin with his right index. “She killed: Lerais, Riolo, Prosser, Apparatus, Blarae and Elaine.”
“So Zachariah, Peria, Gloxer and Nyx are the only surviving Angels? What about the Seraphim and Saints?!”
“Thidos didn’t bother sending the Saints— they were busy on clean up, however the Seraphim were able to atleast survive against Samiel. Barely.” A secondary voice emerged, Lucius. The man was sitting on the floor, panting.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Where are we? What about the Rebels?” Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed.
“We are the only ones that survived apparently.” Anubis sighed.
His eyes looked as if there was a thin film around it.
“Tagma and Kanae are searching the ruins above, we all fell into a crevice within Floria. Probably the only reason we are still alive.” Lucius chuckled. “Medusa and Abriam are in the corner, trying to contact Saraline’s group.”
“What is Thidos’ plan of action! Our world practically got destroyed! What about those people in Sumaria? Or your home tow—”
“Why would we know what the God of Floria wants to do?” Anubis spat, clutching his chest. “You barely joined our rebellion now you quiver in fear once what’s needed to happen, happens? Grit those teeth bastard.”
“Aren’t you the Demon Child?” Lucius was behind Jeremiah, smiling.
“So what?”
“Demons shouldn’t be empathetic. Especially to the same world that attempted to kill you— are you dumb?”
“The only loss we mourn are our people, that’s all.” Anubis grimaced, “But we don’t hang up on it as they died for the cause. Living everyday as their last because they knew that they were martyrs.”
He pointed above him.
A bright green light flashing.
“Go see what’s above, everythings became all close together. Thidos is doing damage control and trying to stringbean all surviving Florians. Funny enough the only surviving areas other than ourselves, were those stowed away in his Cathedral and some rural areas; most importantly the Guildford Mansion. If I were a gambler, I’d say those Balataries are having a conversation with that False God— no offense to you Lucius.”
“None taken.” The Guildford flapped his wings before wrapping his arms around Jeremiah, “Don’t resist. Just witness the flames.”
(Witness. The Flames.)
Jeremiah blinked.
The odour of iron corrosed his nasal.
When he opened his eyes, he was floating in the sky. In front of him directly was the Golden Cathedral— once days away but now within walking distance. Similarly at the right hand side was a bolstering pristine mansion, however around it was an array of ragged slums.
“Look down. Then I’ll make you look behind.”
Jeremiah obligied, his gaze turning downward.
Blood.
Most vile, disgusting, repulsive, nauseating, repelling, scrutinizing, reprehensible, brutalizing display of blood. A sea of blood, an ocean of blood. Blood, blood, blood. So much blood. Only blood.
No corpses, no limbs, no body parts, no eyes, no noses, nothing. Just blood and that vermillion thick liquid. It coursed across the ground— solely on the ground. It never raised above the surface, never went up or down or right or left. Just stayed in place and it was only blood there. Nothing else, just blood.
The blood stretched from here to the gates of the Cathedral, even the most miniscule glimpses of blood were in the entrances of those slums. But why? Predominately, extra blood here.
“Then look behind you.”
Lucius forced the teen to spin, his eyes awakening once more.
It wasn’t just rubble anymore, just debris. Debris and ash, highlights of the ash contained blood. Whatever that God did, she made them all into blood. Just a sea of blood.
A sea… of blood.
Kanae and Tagma were sitting on the floor— the floor covered in blood, as they sobbed.
But their tears didn’t drip and form water, no they were stained and consumed by the blood.
Only the blood.
“You didn’t see it, but the rest of us did. She waved her right hand once… then boom. Six out of Ten Angels destroyed in seconds, they didn’t even get a chance to attack. As soon as they arrived, her eyes averted from us to them. That same man who tried to kill you saved our lives.”“Zachariah?”
“Yes. He saw your unconscious body limp and frowned. Then he grabbed onto Samiel— his power is amazing, he saved our lives by opening a crevice. A little cave to contain all of us for that moment.”
“His power?” Jeremiah’s voice had no emotion— a question without a means to care.
“The Power of Copying.”
Lucius was about to speak but was interrupted.
“Don’t bother— I read your mind. Zachariah Timpleson has the ability to copy the powers of those he touches. How’d he not die from just gracing Samiel?”
“I don’t know. If he is of Thidos’ blood perhaps he has a faint immunity— he saved Ilya and Gloxer’s lives. Your friends.”
“If he did all of this, why do you act as if all Angels and all higher ups are evil?”
“Anubis thinks that. I should aswell, seen as how society ostracized me for just having stronger power. But I give grace to humanity.”
“Heh. You’re a good person, Lucius Guildford. That’s rare nowadays.”
“When the population of Floria dwindled from billions to now tens, I believe it’ll be a refor—”
“Wait.”
Jeremiah’s eyes twinkled.
(“Mister.” Baruch whimpered.
Jeremiah turned around and saw the boy’s face— it was sad.
“Mister… are you really leaving so early?”
“Got important things to do.” Jeremiah shrugged— awkwardly.
“You should stay for a bit— Thidos’ Angels are coming down today for the checkup!” Baruch’s eyes lit— flames of hope?
Jeremiah twitched, “Angels?”)
“Wait before that..”
(“Yeah! This is where we all pray!” Baruch ran past Jeremiah and ran to the old man— hugging him.
“This is my daddy!” Baruch glee, he was now carried in the gentleman’s arms as he rocked him side to side.
The man was overwhelmed with joy— his eyes curved into smiles as his smiles curved into more smiles. He then opened his blue eyes and saw Jeremiah standing far away.
“We don’t get allot of visitors— you here for the sermon?” The man spoke deeply but lovingly.)
“The people in Sumaria…. Baruch.”
“We told you to fixate on the damn oncoming war that’s going to happen!” Lucius tightened his grip around Jeremiah. “You are supposed to be smart! Unphased! Calculating! You are Jeremiah Demetri, The Demon Child! The ONE who found out Roxanne’s murder in the Reprisal! They even showcased your first challenge by analysing your brain waves in those pods! WE SAW YOU OVERCOME CHALLENGES SO WHY CAN’T YOU OVERCOME THIS!”
“Because I’m weaker.”
Sniff.
Sniff.
“It’s because I’m weaker now. I was a kid, I was the smartest kid I ever knew. I was by myself for most of my life and I got thick skin from that— of course my first family hated me.
So I left.
I met Saraline, followed her.
Then I joined the Reprisal, had a new second family.
But right at the end, we were split up into threes.
So now I had a third one, with false memories to even constitute it. I don’t know now if those feelings I had with them were true, how would I?
But I’m tired of the death and gore. Bloodshed and tragedy.
The focus on always finding a new, stable family. Whilst I haven’t even finished growing.
Now I’m forced into this hellscape, with looking at blood and a potential war. It’ll consume us all. So I can’t overcome this. I’m too weak and….
I’m simply just tired.
Simply… just tired.”
Thank you for reaching the end of this chapter!
A lot went down, and from here the story begins to accelerate even faster. Every character is being tested, and every decision is reshaping the world around them.
If you have thoughts, theories, or reactions, I’d love to hear them, comments genuinely help the story grow. If you’re enjoying things, don’t forget to follow the series so you don’t miss upcoming updates.
More chaos awaits next chapter, "Chapter 88: Aquarium of Woe."
Enjoy this sketch of Ozymandias! He'll be more important I promise!