Grey clouds filled the once azure sky. Rain trickled down in a light shower that washed across the surface, along with thunder that announced an incoming storm.
"FOR THE KINGDOM AND OUR GODDESS!"
The shouting of a unified force marching through the soften mud, drenched by the showering rain that fell from the grey clouds as if heaven were weeping.
Their metallic armor were smudged with stains of dirt and dented from fierce fighting, their faces twisted in exhaustion and agony yet they continued forward with unyielding determination.
"No more..."
A gentle voice that boomed with authority echoed through the minds of every being present.
The marching halted, the cries for vegence ceased, and even the rain became stagnant in the presence of the voice.
Then the grey clouds that occupied the sky had split. A brilliant light seeped through the split in the sky, its blinding luminosity forcing everyone to squint or look away.
"The Almighty has passed judgement..."
The gentle voice of authority shook the very planet and forced many to kneel. Fear seeped into the very bones of the mortal, a primal instinct in the face of a greater being.
"And I...Azrael the angel of death...will deliver..."
That name alone had inscribed terror in every being that heard it. The impending sense of demise inspired despair in the living.
"Impossible!-"
A young solider refused to believe this would be the end. He defiantly stood against the voice that proclaimed judgement, confident that they will prevail against any odd.
Then he violently exploded into a crimson paste, splattering against those who stood near him and leaving nothing but the stain of blood. A reminder that standing against judgement was meaningless.
This left everyone speechless and truly frozen in utter despair, accepting the fate that awaited them, wondering if this was punishment for their sins.
And from the grey clouds brewing with a brilliant light, a silhouette came down with divine grace.
It was paired with two wings which were bigger than its own figure, colored in raven-black feathers yet retained a sense of divinity.
A golden halo perched perfectly above its head that revealed the divine nature of the entity.
Then the light revealed its true form. A male humanoid with raven-black hair that obscured his face, a leather black jacket and pants with the same color undershirt, along with gloves.
AZRAEL THE ARCHANGEL OF DEATH...
The mortal's could only stare up in awe, driven to their knees by instinctual fear and respect at the face of death.
No one dared to utter a single word and silence consumed the once active battlefields.
100 YEARS LATER...
The subtle sounds of shuttering chains filled the darkness and faintly visible light filtered through the cracks, of an abandoned structure corroded through time due to being unkept.
The little light that did manage to filter through the cracks, shun brilliantly on a figure bounded by multitudes of chains, surrounded by ancient sigils on every edge of the walls.
Underneath this silhouette, a large pentagram glowed faintly with ancient power, seemingly keeping the silhouette at bay with the combination of the chains.
Then hushed whispers could faintly be heard, though the topic of discussion could not be deduced, due to the depth of the area which kept the silhouette chained.
The chatter eventually ceased and multiple footsteps echoed through the silence, until it stopped and a slow deliberate creek of a unhinged door broke through the silence.
Light flooded through the darkness and lit the area of confinement, revealing the silhouette bounded by chains and ancient symbols.
Gasps left each of the visitors lips in profound confusion.
"Is that..an angel?"
One of them asked with burning curiosity due to the pair of raven-black feathered wings that were visible on the being yet bounded by chains.
The male humanoid entity in question had simple raised his head just subtly, his raven black hair obscuring his face from view yet this simple gesture acknowledged their presence.
"What happened? Who are you?"
Another one asked in sincere sympathy, observing as the winged man simply remained silent.
"... I've been locked away for a century..."
The winged man voice was soft and gentle yet exuded authority beyond reasoning. This made the group shudder from the raw power behind his tone despite the warmth embedded within.
"A century? But you look the same age as us. How is that possible?"
Another one asked with more comfortability, walking up to the chained individual who kept his head down, not even bothering to look up at the group of teens.
"...see for yourself..."
With those simple words, a folder fell from a nearby desk with no signs of external interference, which spooked every last one of them
Eventually, one brave soul guided themselves toward the folder and picked it up, opening it to reveal the contents inside.
"N-no way..."
The teen who inspected the folder had dropped it in shock, spilling the contents out over the floor with wide eyes filled with unbridled fear.
The others looked on with confusion until a name written in blood on a lone sheet of paper filled their gazes, making their hearts skip a beat after recognizing the title.
"Azrael...."
"The Angel of Death..."
Two members muttered the name and the title given to the name, which made everyone turn their attention to the man bounded by chains.
Silence consumed once more and the group nodded to each other, as if an unspoken agreement had been made.
"We've agreed to help you."
The one who originally stepped forward had proclaimed this to Azrael, yet the angel remained silent until a subtle nod of confirmation gave them a flicker of hope.
"Time has weakened the restraints that bind me. One of you must become my vessel."
Azrael spoke with certainty and in the same softly gentle tone, yet his statement was anything but that.
Everyone remained quiet until a blonde haired girl stepped forward from the group. Her fair skin revealed no blemishes and seemed soft to the touch, adorned with golden eyes that sparkled with innocence.
The other's attempted to persuade the girl not to do that, still untrusting of the chained man and yet the girl politely ignored them and dilvered a wide smile.
"Don't worry guys. I trust him."
Her voice was as soft as her beautiful pale skin with a subtle accent. Her casual dismissal of concern surprisingly calmed the racing hearts of those around her.
"...Thank you..."
Azrael for the first time since being discovered, titled his up high enough for everyone to witness the beautiful crimson eyes hiding behind his bangs.
The moment the girl stepped right in front of him, she instinctively reached out to touch his face and cup his cheek.
That's when a light of immense luminosity shun brilliantly, engulfing the entire room and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
When the light eventually dimmed, Azrael was no longer bounded by the chains and now stood tall, towering over each person within the group at a stature of 6'5.
"....You are now branded with the mark of death..."
The blonde haired girl titled her head up to look at Azrael with an expression that gave away her confusion, then she felt an intense searing pain in her left eye which forced her to cry out in agony, clutching that side of her face while crouching low to the ground.
The other's had jumped back in shock from the sudden scream, then quickly rushed forward in an attempt to aid and comfort the blonde haired girl.
While this was happening, Azrael took the opportunity to inspect the place he was imprisoned in.
His slim, gloved hand, had gently traced alongside the walls scribbled with ancient sigil's long since forgotten to humankind.
His footsteps were silent and his breathing seemingly non-existent, as if he was a ghost materialized in reality.
"...The pain is only temporary...her body is adjusting to contain our connection..."
Azrael spoke once more, gaining the attention of the group, watching as they could only witness their friend seethe in agony.
"You bastard! Stop it!"
A red haired boy from the group yelled out in anger, his expression clearly revealing that he was upset about the entire situation, feeling helpless that he could not do anything.
"... She's accepted her fate..."
This statement had driven the red haired boy over the edge in a state of pure fury.
Azrael stood silently with an unreadable expression, watching as the boy ran towards him with the intent of violence.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
The shout rang with an echo through the practically empty room, the sheer emotion of hate exuding from the red haired boy tone, making the group of teens subtly flinch.
Azrael began to slowly lift his arm while the red haired boy closed the distance, violent hushed whispers of the damned suddenly rang through the head of every person present, forcing each and every individual to their knee's.
Including the red haired boy, who fell face first and began convulsing in pain, clutching his head while yelling for the voices to stop.
On the other hand, Azrael arm was now extended outward with his lengthy hand pointing toward the red haired boy, filling the room with a sense of impending death.
Tears swelled up in the eyes of the red haired boy as the instinctual sense of death loomed over his shoulder.
He knew this was the end for him.
"Please Azrael...Angel of Death...they are not ready..."
A soft feminine voice called out to the angel that guided spirit's to the afterlife.
The plea for mercy had silenced the voices of the damned that constantly bombarded their minds.
"...Very well..."
Those two simple words from Azrael had lifted the feeling of death from the hearts of the teens, allowing them to breathe more easily and the head throbbing pain to subside.
The group of teens could only watch in silence as the blonde haired girl stood in front of Azrael's towering figure.
Then she turned around to face her friends, earning a gasped shock at the odd symbol in her left eye that replaced her pupil.
"Azrael, I'll take you to the surface. Come on"
The blonde haired girl proclaimed with a smile that enhanced her beauty. Then her hand grabbed his and she practically dragged him alongside her, exiting the room that kept the angel of death locked away for a century.
The other's quietly followed behind them, their eyes glued on Azrael's raven-black wings while in deep contemplation.