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Chapter 14: Wings of Judgment
The storm never stopped.
It rolled endlessly across the ruins of Blackthorn, swallowing the city in thunder and ash. Lightning cracked through the clouds, painting the world in flashes of blue and white, and in one of those flashes — Kael Riven soared.
His red-and-black wings cut through the air like blades of molten glass, leaving behind a wake of embers. Rain hissed against his skin as he climbed higher and higher until the ruined world below was just a shadow, a scar upon the land.
His breathing was ragged. His body trembled with exhaustion. But his mind… his mind was fire.
Lucien's voice still echoed within him.
> "You think you're saving them? You're only doing what I created you to do."
Kael gritted his teeth, clutching his scythe so tightly that blood dripped from his palm. "I'll never be your weapon," he snarled into the wind. "Never."
But deep down, the whisper persisted. The Mark on his neck pulsed faintly — a slow, rhythmic heartbeat that wasn't his own.
Below him, the city glowed faintly red in the dark. Fires still burned from the last battle. The bodies of the Infernal Hunters had turned to ash, their chains melted into the ground. He should have felt victorious. Instead, all he felt was… hollow.
He descended toward a broken cathedral on the city's edge, its bell tower half collapsed, its stained-glass windows shattered. He landed heavily on the cracked marble floor, folding his wings around him like a shroud.
Silence. Except for the dripping rain.
He placed his scythe down and leaned against a stone pillar, his head hanging low. "How many more, Mother?" he whispered. "How many more until it's enough?"
No answer — only the faint hum of the Mark beneath his skin.
And then, the air shimmered.
Kael stiffened. The air pressure changed — soft at first, like a sigh, then heavy, suffocating. A blinding golden light flared through the cathedral's shattered ceiling. Feathers — white feathers — fell like snow.
Kael shielded his eyes, his heart pounding.
"Angels…" he breathed.
From the light, figures emerged — four of them — descending gracefully through the air. Their armor gleamed gold and ivory, etched with celestial runes. Their wings spanned wide, radiant and pure, but their faces were cold, emotionless.
The one in front carried a spear forged of crystal fire. His voice echoed, deep and commanding.
> "Kael Riven. Son of Lucien. Bearer of the Punisher's Mark. You are hereby condemned."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Condemned? For what?"
> "For existing."
The angel's wings unfurled wider, the cathedral trembling from the energy.
> "Heaven's decree: The offspring of demons and mortals shall not live. You carry the blood of the abyss and the fire of the divine. You are an imbalance."
Kael snorted bitterly. "Then Heaven's as blind as Hell."
The angels didn't react. They descended in unison, blades forming in their hands.
> "We are the Seraphim Hunters," the leader declared. "We cleanse the world of abominations like you."
Kael slowly stood, gripping his scythe. The rain outside turned to steam as his aura ignited. His voice was low — calm, almost eerily so.
"Funny. The last ones who tried to 'cleanse' me ended up dust."
> "We are not demons, boy."
Kael raised his weapon. "Then you'll die faster."
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The first clash shook the cathedral.
Kael swung his scythe upward, meeting the angel's crystal spear in a storm of sparks. The shockwave shattered what remained of the stained glass. The other three angels dove at once, forming a circle of light around him.
Kael ducked and spun, slashing wide, his wings blazing red. His blade caught one of the angels across the chest — feathers and blood bursting in the same instant. The creature fell, screaming as divine fire devoured him.
The leader didn't flinch. He thrust his spear, striking Kael square in the ribs. Pain tore through him, light burning into his flesh. Kael howled, twisting away, his wings curling to shield him. The wound smoked — it wasn't normal fire. It was holy.
He dropped to one knee, coughing blood. His wings flared weakly. "Holy light…" he muttered through clenched teeth. "So that's how you want to play it."
He slammed his palm to the ground.
The Mark on his neck pulsed once — hard. Black flames erupted across the floor, spreading like veins of molten lava. The angels leapt back, but the flames followed them, coiling up their legs like serpents.
Kael's eyes glowed crimson.
> "You think Heaven's light scares me?"
He spread his wings and unleashed a blast of energy that turned the cathedral into chaos. Pillars cracked, statues shattered, and golden feathers burned to ash midair.
When the light faded, Kael stood in the center — half his shirt torn, one wing blackened by divine fire, but alive. The angels hovered above, their eyes blazing with fury.
> "You wield his fire too easily," said the leader. "Lucien's influence grows in you."
Kael glared up, breathing hard. "Maybe. But I'm still in control."
> "You're not. You just don't see it yet."
The leader lifted his spear, whispering an incantation in an ancient tongue. The sky above split open, and from it descended a massive halo of light, spinning slowly like a celestial blade.
Kael's instincts screamed danger. He dashed aside just as the halo crashed into the earth, obliterating the cathedral wall behind him. The shockwave sent him flying through debris, slamming him into a cracked statue.
He groaned, spitting blood, his bones aching. His vision blurred, but the Mark pulsed brighter — stronger — whispering in his mind.
> "Call me, Kael."
Lucien's voice.
> "Let me lend you my fire."
Kael shook his head violently. "No! I can do this—"
But the angels advanced again, their weapons raised. The second one — the youngest — dove with his sword aimed for Kael's heart. Kael barely caught the blade, locking it between his palms. Blood streamed down his hands. He twisted, broke the angel's arm, and slammed his head into the marble.
"Stay down!" Kael roared.
Another came from behind — too fast. The spear pierced through Kael's shoulder, pinning him against the wall. He gasped, his vision flickering white.
> "Your resistance is meaningless," the leader said coldly. "You are not the savior. You are the catalyst. The more you fight, the closer the worlds merge."
Kael struggled, his fingers twitching toward the spear lodged in his flesh. "If I'm the catalyst," he hissed, "then maybe I'll take Heaven down with me!"
He yanked the spear out with a snarl, the holy fire searing through his wound. His wings exploded outward — now completely black, each feather dripping sparks of crimson flame. The entire cathedral shook.
The leader's eyes widened. "Impossible…"
Kael's voice was distorted — deeper, layered with demonic echoes.
> "You wanted judgment?"
He swung his scythe.
The world flashed red.
The attack carved through the floor, splitting the earth itself. Two angels vaporized instantly, their armor melting away in the infernal heat. The leader barely blocked, his armor cracking. He fell to one knee, coughing blood that shimmered gold.
Kael stood over him, panting, smoke rising from his wings. His eyes were burning coals. "Tell Heaven," he said coldly, "if they want me dead… they'll have to send God Himself."
The angel raised his head weakly, a faint smile on his bloodied lips.
> "You really are your father's son."
Kael's expression hardened. His scythe lifted, ready to strike—
—but a blinding light erupted from the angel's chest. A glyph burned across his armor. Kael stepped back, shielding his face as the glyph pulsed brighter and brighter—
> "For Heaven's purity," whispered the dying Seraph.
He exploded.
The cathedral disintegrated in a massive sphere of divine fire. Kael was thrown through the roof, his body torn and burned. He tumbled through the air, his wings struggling to keep him aloft.
He hit the ground miles away, sliding across stone and dirt until he crashed against an abandoned monument. His body shook, every nerve screaming in agony.
He looked up at the burning skyline, the golden flames of the explosion still consuming the horizon. His scythe lay beside him, cracked down the center.
Rain fell again, washing blood from his face.
Kael clenched his fist weakly, whispering, "I… I'm not him…"
Far above the clouds, in a golden fortress of light, a dozen figures watched through a mirror of water.
> "The Seal strengthens," one said.
"The Punisher's evolution is accelerating," said another.
A tall woman in radiant armor — Seraphion — folded her arms. Her wings glowed faintly silver.
> "Then the prophecy was true," she said. "Lucien's blood will burn Heaven and Hell both."
She turned away from the mirror, her expression unreadable.
> "Send word to the council. Prepare the Seventh Choir. If Kael Riven survives…"
Her eyes flickered — almost human, almost sad.
> "…he may be the only one who can save us all."
TO BE CONTINUED