Eve of the Earth

by Jael

Part One: Humble Beginnings

Fate can be cruel, but often times it is not as cruel as the consequences of our own choices. There are many souls in this world who only seek to do good, but can never quite figure out how. New paths are laid out before us with each step we take, and too often, insight into the outcome of the directions we take are hidden. And when we finally reap the results of our days gone by, the weight of our wrongdoings can be enough to bury us.

There are few who know the truth in this more than the Angel of Earth.

Circumstances beyond his control gave him the enormous responsibility of judging others. True justice is something that can only be served by an impartial system. But for Uriel, there was no system. He was the system. There were never any juries. No councils to override him. Nobody to question the final decisions he made.

He was given a task he always knew he was ill-equipped for. How can you deal out fair punishments when you yourself are flawed? When you are as vulnerable as everybody else to the pain of longing and jealousy and hate?

Such a thing is impossible to expect of anybody. Least of all a man like Uriel.

So Uriel glanced at the crumpled piece of parchment clenched in his gloved fingers. He matched the address on the outside of the steel-and-glass building before him to the scrawled writing on his paper.

With a final glance up and down the dark and deserted street, he stepped inside.

Some misguided sense of duty had brought him to that dark and secretive place. A sense of duty and a selfish, childish desire to stay as far away from Sevothtarte as possible. He knew the risk he was taking, and in that moment, he wondered if it would be worth it in the end. If creating his own system of checks and balances would end up backfiring.

Like any other decision he had ever made.

"Ah. You're late," A woman in a white labcoat stood in the lobby to greet him. Her youthful face was pulled into a tight frown of irritation. "The building is empty, as you requested. I should like to remind you that I'm not in a regular habit of staying after hours."

Uriel let his gaze sweep over the woman in front of him. She was pretty in the same way any female angel would be considered pretty. Tall and lean with white-blonde curly hair. Piercing blue eyes gazed at him behind the silver frames of her glasses.

"My apologies," Uriel said as he lowered the hood and mask covering his face, "I told your receptionist I would make it worth your while."

She immediately straightened and her annoyed look melted, "L-Lord Uriel...! I didn't know it would be you...!"

"I know. I don't think I need to mention that I need to keep my visit to Heaven strictly confidential."

"Of course, sir...! Right this way...!"

Uriel followed the flustered woman down the sterile white hallway to her office. Her heels clipped and echoed down the empty hall. Her office was just as sterile and white as the rest of the building's interior, the only splash of color being a collection of red and blue pens protruding from a cup on the corner of her desk. He had only been away from Hades for a short period of time, and already he missed the colors. The colors of his beloved plants and the forest he had created there. The quiet morning breezes and the complete and total isolation.

He could create plants. Conversation was something else entirely.

"Please, have a seat, sir. May I bring you anything?"

"No. I'd rather get started."

"Of course," the scientist took a seat on her side of the desk, and Uriel sat opposite her, draping his black cloak over the vacant seat beside him. "What brings you to my humble lab, my Lord?"

"I've been told that your lab specializes in genetic manipulation and cloning."

The scientist's eyes bulged and her pen slipped from her fingers, "I'm afraid you've been misinformed, my Lord. Dabbling in such things is against Heaven's laws. Surely-"

"I've been well informed, ma'am. I assure you, I can pay whatever you want. I'm not interested in playing games."

The scientist leaned back in her chair and gave Uriel a hard stare. Seconds lengthened and the tension between them eased only when the harsh look in her blue eyes faded. "... Very well."

"I need an assistant. The human population on Assiah has increased exponentially over the past few centuries. They're now numbering in the billions and to be frank, the souls are beginning to overwhelm the Crucible."

"If you need an assistant, surely the Academy-"

"There are two problems with going to the Academy to select a cadet. First, I am the only one who can venture into Hades. No cadet can. The second problem with selecting a cadet would be that I have to inform Sevothtarte of my intentions, so the one I choose can be... modified. And I don't want Sevothtarte knowing a thing about this."

The scientist slipped the back of her pen between her teeth. She eyed Uriel and her lips tilted into a sly smile. "I see. Well... You've come to the right place. You will find that I have... very little patience for Sevothtarte's rule. I'm just a lowly scientist, but I'll certainly jump at any opportunity to spit in his direction." She held out her hand to him. "... My name is Evangeline. I will be making you your perfect assistant."

Uriel reached forward to shake her hand. "Thank you, Evangeline."

"You may call me Eva. Now..." Eva sat back in her chair and adjusted her white lab coat, shrugging it tighter around her grey dress. "Tell me what you're looking for."

"Are you able to influence personality?"

Eva frowned thoughtfully. "A little bit. When the embryo is growing, we can... do certain mental conditioning to try and influence behavior and personality. But unfortunately, this process isn't exact. At the end of the day, we all have our free will. The angel we make for you won't be an exception to that little rule."

"I suppose that's acceptable." Uriel crossed his long legs and brushed his hand over his chin as he contemplated his next words.

Eva watched him over the top of her silver frames. She had been anxiously awaiting the day someone would come to her and request something like this. To give her a chance to put all she had ever learned about genetics to a true test. She had to admit that she never, ever expected it to be Uriel, of all people. She had never met him before this moment. He certainly lived up to all the things she had ever heard about him. Black clothing wrapped up his impossibly tan skin, and his eyes shone a brilliant shade of green behind thick and long lashes. His hair was a beautifully deep and rich color of mahogany, swept over his shoulder and held with a single tie, cascading past his waist.

"I want a male," he finally said, and Eva scribbled notes on her clipboard. "He must be strong, physically and mentally. The job I'm required to do demands unwavering fortitude."

Eva nodded, "You know, cloning you would be much easier than-"

"I don't want a clone," Uriel cut her off, his green eyes narrowing, his tone sharpening. "The centuries have taught me that I am flawed in more ways than I can count... If I am to have an assistant, he needs to be strong where I am weak."

"Okay," Eva quietly agreed, ignoring how his words gave her a sharp pinch in her chest.

"He needs to feel compassion on a cellular level. But still have the stomach to punish those who truly deserve it. He needs to be able to stick by his decisions, and wash his hands of the guilt that may accompany them."

Eva listened in silence as Uriel continued to list the qualities he wanted in his new assistant. Her frown grew steadily deeper as he did. She could see that each of the qualities he listed were the qualities he wish he had himself. By the time he finished, her heart ached. How could one man hate himself so much?

"Is that all...?"

"I think so," Uriel nodded, steepling his slender fingers together. "Can you do it?"

"I can certainly try. The qualities you've given me are all very general. In the end, it comes down to nature versus nurture. I can create an angel capable of such things, but... the rest will be up to whoever raises him."

"That will be me," Uriel said without hesitation. "I'd like to take him to Hades and begin lessons as soon as I can."

"You can come back for him in six months. He should be ready by then," Eva set aside her clipboard and stood up. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Uriel stood up from his chair to his impressive height.

Eva smiled. "We have to give life to your new assistant. And if you want him to be able to travel to Hades, as you do, I will need a few samples from you."

"What kind of samples?"

"I need feathers, Lord Uriel. Three of them, to be exact."

†

Six months to the day that Uriel ascended to Heaven to make his unusual request, he returned for the child he commissioned. The six months had passed so slowly, Uriel felt like he was in agony every minute of every day since.

Eva had lead him into the basement of her facility, into a room that would haunt his nightmares forever. The room was so cold, he could see his breath in mist. The fluorescent lighting above their heads flickered and dimmed from the faulty wiring. Shelves lined the entire interior of the small and square room, and each shelf was packed full of odd, clear orbs. Inside each orb was a small, flesh colored thing that Uriel couldn't quite make out. Only when he stepped closer and stared into one, did he recognize the strange and contorted forms of an angel embryo.

Each orb held an angel, suspended in cold storage. Lifeless, Eva had said, until something breathed life into them.

"Blank slates," Eva said.

"Why do you have so many of them?" Uriel asked.

"They all came from the same place the rest of us came from. The Tower of God... but these were going to be destroyed, for some reason. Just like everyone else, I have no idea how God creates them, or why these weren't good enough. But my team managed to salvage them and smuggle them out before they were incinerated. We've been keeping them in cold storage here, ever since."

Eva asked Uriel to choose one, but he couldn't. He found the idea of even touching one to be... horrifying. In the end, Eva selected one for him. She carefully placed the cold orb in Uriel's hands and told him what he had to do.

In the end, the process was fairly simple. All Uriel needed to do was add his three feathers to the orb, and when he did, he watched his three brown feathers melt into the glass. An unbelievable warmth spread from the embryo into his fingers, and it moved. The tiny thing was barely bigger than a tangerine and it twitched inside it's orb, it's little arms moving. Beneath it's translucent skin, a tiny glowing speck began to pulse to a familiar rhythm.

"See? His heart is beating," Eva said, smiling as she watched the fascinated look on Uriel's face.

Uriel felt the warmth from the orb spread through his body. It reached it's unseen tentacles of warmth through his arms... and wrapped them firmly around his heart. Eva had to pry the embryo away from Uriel. He hadn't wanted to let it go.

"What will you name him?"

"Zephyrel."

Uriel had counted the days until he could return to collect Zephyrel from Heaven. Eva had insisted he could return any time he wanted to to see him, yet Uriel refused. As long as he was keeping his visits to Heaven a secret, he needed to keep his visits few and far between.

"Ah, you're a few days early, Lord Uriel." Eva greeted Uriel as soon as he entered the familiar steel and glass building. She gave him a warm smile and a friendly, lingering handshake.

"Is he ready?"

"Nearly. A few more days in the tank and he'll be ready to come out. You're welcome to see him."

"Tank?"

"Right this way, sir."

Uriel followed Eva down a flight of stairs and into the labyrinth that made the bowels of the steel and glass building. "He is presently suspended in a state of rapid generation. It was the only way we could prepare a fully-coherent child in only six months of time." Fenriel grinned, "He is truly a marvel of science. His brain waves are healthy and normal."

"How is he physically?"

"Physically, he's developing normally. He still has yet to show gender traits. He should start any day now, and once he does he can be removed from the tank."

Uriel and Eva entered the lab when a set of metal double doors hissed and parted. Uriel wasn't entirely prepared for the sight that greeted him.

The room was large and just as cold as the room where he had first held Zephyr. The lights were dim, the only real lighting seemed to come from the screens of various monitors set up around the edges of the room. A pair of lab technicians in white coats looked up to greet him. But he didn't return their greetings...

In the center of the room was a tube that stood eight feet tall, he idly heard Eva continue to babble on about her state-of-the-art facility, Uriel didn't hear a word of it.

He could only stare at the angel floating inside the green murk of the tube. Zephyr was still small, his body lanky and his limbs long. He had been dressed in a shining silver colored suit that clung to nearly every inch of his skin. Uriel assumed that it would stretch as his body grew inside the tank.

"Amazing, isn't he?" Eva beamed as he stepped up beside Uriel to observe the child in the large bubbling tube.

Uriel could barely make out the child's face, most of it was hidden behind a mask that covered his nose and mouth. Six inches of dark hair floated around his head. Dark lashes surrounded his closed eyelids.

"He's beautiful..." Uriel reached out to place his palm on the warm glass of the tank. "Nice to meet you... Zephyrel."

Zephyrel's eyes snapped open. Uriel's heart slammed into his scarred throat.

Even through the foggy liquid of the tank, Zephyrel's dark eyes pierced straight through Uriel's soul. No words needed to be exchanged. Zephyrel was staring at him, looking at him... seeing him.

"What's happening?! His eyes are open!"

Alarms blared and the few techs in the lab scrambled to their monitors. "His heart rate's elevated!"

"My Lord, please step away from the glass!" Eva reached out and grabbed Uriel's arm, tugging him away from the tube.

Zephyrel's eyes lost their focus and his little fists thudded against his prison.

"Give him a sedative!" Eva yelled, rushing for one of the techs. "He shouldn't even be awake!"

Uriel watched in horror as Zephyrel's hand clawed at the mask over his face. He saw the whites of his teeth as he screamed soundlessly into the liquid he was trapped in.

"Shit! He's drowning! Purge the tank!"

"But, Eva-!"

"Just do it, or he'll die!"

One of the reluctant techs lifted the plastic cover off a large red button, and he slapped it down hard. A buzzer screamed and a red light flashed from the top of the cylinder. The glass split apart and the green liquid gushed from the tube splashed onto the cold steel floor. It sloshed over Uriel's boots and he took several steps back when Zephyrel's little body landed in a crumpled heap at his feet.

Eva was there in an instant, pulling out the several intravenous needles that had been stuck into Zephyrel's skin, including one horrifically long one that had been placed in the back of his small neck. "Come on, kiddo. Breathe...!" She rolled him onto his side and roughly thumped on his spine. "Come on!"

Zephyrel's limp body suddenly spasmed and his eyes shot open once more. With a rough cough and a gag, green liquid gurgled from his mouth and joined the puddles on the floor.

"That's it. Get it all out." Eva snapped her fingers at one of her assistance. "You. Go get exam two ready. Now!"

Before Uriel could say a word, Eva scooped Zephyrel up into her arms. The child groaned and his head lolled back and forth, his face looking dazed and half-dead. She left Uriel there, standing in the puddles of the fluid Zephyr had grown up in...

†

Uriel watched through the one-way window, arms crossed, mouth frowning. On the other side of the glass, Zephyrel sat at a table in front of one of Eva's technicians. He was naming off the pictures from flash cards the technician would show him.

"I still can't explain it," Eva said quietly to Uriel. "He shouldn't have woken up."

"What does this mean?"

"I'm not sure. From all the tests we've run, Zephyr is perfectly healthy. His cognitive and reasoning skills are completely normal. The mental therapies we performed when he was still in the tank worked. He's able to communicate just like any other angel his age, despite being asleep in a tank."

"But what would cause him to wake up like that?"

"I have my theories."

"And they are...?"

"It was you," Eva offered quietly, her mouth twitching in a soft smile.

"Me?"

"You gave him life, Uriel. I mean, look at him. He's tan, like you are." Eva gestured towards the glass. True, Zephyr's skin wasn't quite as dark as Uriel's, but it was certainly much darker than any other angel's skin. "You two are connected."

Uriel's brows pinched together as he stared at Zephyr. He didn't really see any resemblance at all, but Eva was right. There was some kind of connection between the two of them. He had felt it the moment he had given Zephyr's orb his feathers. "When can I take him home? The sooner we leave Heaven the better."

"As far as I'm concerned, you can take him with you today."

†

"So it goes, Shamayim... Raqia, Shehaqim, Machonon, Mathey, Zebul, and... and then..."

Uriel's lips tugged into a smile as he listened to Zephyr growl in frustration. "Araboth."

"Araboth!" Zephyr threw down his quill and thumped his forehead with his palm. "I hate this! Why can't I get it right?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. It's a lot to take in."

"Senpai, can we just go for a walk in the gardens, instead?"

"Not until you finish your studies for the day."

Zephyr fell into another string of frustrated groans. He glared at the papers scattered in front of him on the desk. Time passed and Uriel only flipped through his own book, watching Zephyr from the corner of his eye. He had grown since he had brought him home from Heaven, and every day Uriel found new reasons to marvel at him.

Uriel's favorite of Zephyr's many odd features had always been his hair. Pin straight. Thick. And a beautifully dark shade of violet. He would catch Zephyr playing with it quite often, braiding it and twirling it around his fingers. Especially as he was trying to study. Uriel chuckled as he watched Zephyr at it again, twirling a lock of his purple hair around his index finger as he glared at all the papers on the desk. Zephyr had eyes so dark, Uriel couldn't tell where his iris ended and his pupil began. Despite their blackness, Zephyr's eyes were easy to read. Like little black windows to his soul, Uriel could always see when Zephyr was upset or happy to angry.

"If you want, take a break from Heaven's levels and work on the Angelic Hierarchy."

"Senpai... Can I ask you about something?"

"You can ask me anything you want."

Uriel heard the scraping of a wooden drawer opening, "What's this?"

He looked up, and the book slipped from Uriel's hands and thudded on the floor. Clutched in Zephyr's little hands was a familiar looking plain white mask. Before he could stop himself, Uriel was on his feet and snatching the thing away from Zephyr. "Don't touch that!" Uriel grabbed Zephyr's wrist with a grip that caused the boy to flinch. "Why were you in my study?! I've told you never to go in there!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Zephyr stuttered. "I just wanted-"

Uriel tossed Persona back onto the surface of the desk. "Zephyr, you can never touch Persona. Do you hear me?! That thing is evil!"

"Then why do you have it?" Zephyr stared up at him with tears swimming in those naked eyes. He tried to yank his arm away from Uriel's bone-crushing grip.

Suddenly, Uriel remembered himself. He quickly released his grip on Zephyr's wrist and yanked him into a firm and apologetic embrace. "I'm sorry, Zephyr. I didn't mean to yell at you." He threaded his fingers through Zephyr's violet hair. "I'm sorry..."

Zephyr shrank into his chest and quivered. "What is it...?"

"It's a mask that I use when I go to work at the Crucible. It... makes it so I can't feel anything when I judge the human souls."

"But you've always told me that I need to use my heart to make decisions," Zephyr murmured quietly, his fingers gripping the fabric of Uriel's shirt.

Uriel sighed, rubbing his fingers over the nape of Zephyr's neck. "I know I did. But that's because I want you to be a better man than I am."

"That's... really really sad, Senpai."

"I know. I'm a pathetic and weak man... and the only thing I want, anymore, is for you to be different. For you to be the one to go through life with a clear conscience."

Zephyr pulled away from Uriel to look up at him. "Throw the mask away, Senpai."

"I can't. I need it to work."

"No, you don't." Zephyr shook his head, his strands of hair swinging around his face. "You're a good man, I see it in you every day. And not because I'm just a kid." Zephyr reached out and plucked Persona off the top of his desk. Every muscle in Uriel's body went rigid. "This is just... a stupid mask. A piece of that weird plant matter you like to make. Maybe getting rid of it is just what you need." Zephyr wrapped it back up into the piece of cloth it had always been wrapped in. "At least put it away and forget about it. Go to the Crucible tomorrow without it. I'll keep it for you."

"I don't like the idea of you even touching it, Zephyr."

"I won't." Zephyr smiled at Uriel. "Because you've told me to make decisions with my heart. I don't need something like this. And neither do you." Zephyr jumped down from his chair. "I'm going to hide it, okay? You'll see. You don't need it."

Zephyr gave him another smile before he ran out of the room to hide Persona.

Uriel sat in stunned silence as the boy left the room. He could never cease to marvel at the person Zephyrel was. This... amazing boy who had come into his life and changed everything. In the face of his childlike innocence, Uriel wanted to believe in himself just as much as Zephyr did. And maybe he could...

†

"Where are we going?" Zephyr asked as Uriel tightened the drawstring of his cloak tighter around his neck.

"Back to Heaven. Evangeline wanted to see you in a year to check on you, remember?"

"Has it really been a year, already?" Zephyr scratched his head. "Wow. Time really does fly, huh?"

"Indeed, it does." Uriel smiled down at Zephyr. Time certainly had flown. It had been a full year since Zephyr had been 'born' and brought to Hades. He had grown nearly a foot in that time, his lanky body seemed to get taller and leaner every day. His eyes had begun to form an almond shape, becoming less and less round and innocent. His hair had grown down to his waist. "Maybe Eva can get you a haircut, too."

"Naw, I kind of like it. It's almost as long as yours, Senpai!" Zephyr slipped his hand into Uriel's as they left the mansion. "I'm excited to see Eva, though! Maybe she can come over for dinner, tonight! You can cook for somebody other than me!"

Uriel paused and tugged on Zephyr's hand. "Zephyr. You know that only you and I can come to Hades, right?"

"Oh." Zephyr blinked. "I forgot..."

"Don't ever forget that," Uriel brushed a piece of hair off Zephyr's forehead. "This is our place. Our safe haven. When we come back, today... I'll show you how to get here. So if you ever leave, no matter where you go, you can always find your way home."

"Promise you'll show me?"

"I promise. Now close your eyes."

†

Uriel sat alone in Evangeline's office, idly tapping his foot as he waited for her to return with Zephyr. He checked the ticking clock on the wall and wondered what could have possibly been taking so long. He had hoped to be back in Hades by now...

When the door finally opened, Uriel jumped to his feet... and his blood went cold when he saw the look on Eva's face. She was white as a sheet, her lips quivering.

"What's wrong," he asked.

She fumbled over her words, flipping through the papers on her clipboard. "I... I don't..."

"Is he okay?" Frantic, Uriel stepped closer, wanting to tear the clipboard away from her to see for himself.

"Zephyr's fine, it's just..." Eva looked up at him with heartbreak and confusion in her eyes. "Zephyrel... is female."

"What?"

"I don't know what happened... Everything I did should have made Zephyr become male when the time came, but... She's female, Lord Uriel."

Uriel stopped breathing.

He slumped back into his chair as the shock and disbelief overwhelmed him. Female...? Zephyr was female... Suddenly, he wondered how he could have been so stupid. He had always noticed the little feminine qualities in Zephyr. Delicate wrists. Narrow shoulders and a slender neck. Zephyr loved flowers and wore emotions on his sleeve. He had always assumed those qualities existed only because Zephyr was still so young. But as Zephyr had grown, those qualities had only leaned more towards femininity...

"How could something like this happen?"

"I... I don't know. Gender is the easiest thing to influence and yet..." Eva sighed and sat down beside Uriel. "I can't explain it. And I can't even... begin to say how sorry I am. I know that this... changes everything."

"I can't take her back with me," Uriel said slowly.

"We can melt down her tissues. Make a clone and try again?" Eva suggested softly.

Uriel's brain scrambled. "What, you mean kill her? No. Absolutely not!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just... trying to think of what to do."

Uriel swallowed the dryness in his throat. He felt like the floor beneath his feet was suddenly falling away. "I have to leave her here."

"But Zephyr adores you."

"That's exactly why I have to leave her here." Uriel raked his fingers through his hair, feeling his body quiver, as though his very bones resisted the idea of leaving Zephyr. "I can't... A man and a woman... alone together in Hades?"

"I understand." Eva nodded. "I'll... I'll figure out something. I'll take care of her."

Oh God. Was he really doing this? Was he really going to leave Zephyr behind...? As Uriel put his jacket back on and left Eva's office, his knees felt weak. His stomach churned. He didn't even say goodbye to Eva. All he wanted to do was run for the door, run away from all of it. What had he done?

His stupidity made him want to to vomit. Another decision to add to all the horrible ones he had ever made. Zephyr was a part of him, he had known that since their first day together. He loved him... loved her with every breath and beat of his heart. She was the only ray of light in his soul.

And that was why he had to leave. She was going to grow up to be a beautiful woman. The perfect woman.

And Uriel... he would always be the same. A stupid and broken man who only killed the things he loved.

"Senpai!"

Oh no. Not now.

"Senpai! Where are you going?! Don't leave!"

"Zephyr, wait!" Eva caught Zephyr around her waist and held her back.

Uriel didn't stop. He didn't turn around. One look from her and he would change his mind. He would take her up in his arms and take her home. Back to their safe haven...

"Senpai, don't go! You promised you'd show me the way home!" Zephyr's voice cracked into a string of desperate screams and sobs that pierced through Uriel's chest. "You promised me! Please don't go! Don't leave me...! SENPAI! You promised me!"

Uriel shut the door to Eva's building. He leaned against it and tried to calm his racing, aching heart. This was for the best. He knew it was. Zephyr deserved a free life, one away from Hades and away from... him.

He fled to Hades as quick as his feet could carry him.

Uriel's fingers clawed into his hair as his breath stopped short in his throat. He choked on small and quiet sobs. Being alone again in the vast emptiness of Hades, made so bitter by the memory of Zephyr's smiling face.

Alone, again.

Uriel felt a loud cry of pure agony resound in his head and in the walls of his mansion. Even his torn vocal chords couldn't have held back the sound. He grabbed the first object he found. A vase, and it shattered against the wall when he threw it with all the strength he could muster. When he crumpled to the ground, his hair shielded his face and the tears that he couldn't hope to stop. He cried until his throat hurt and his stomach ached, remembering the last words he would ever hear from Zephyr.

Please don't leave me. Please...

Uriel's hand bumped something soft, and his tear streaked eyes spotted something eerily familiar.

Persona sat on the floor in front of him, surrounded by the pieces of a shattered vase... staring up at him with it's hollow eyes. With trembling fingers he reached for the only thing he knew that could erase all the pain he suddenly felt.

He lifted the mask to his face. He felt it melt into his skin, and he knew...

Uriel would never take it off again.

To be continued...

-

And it's finally complete. In a perfect world, I would have taken the events of this chapter and stretched it out over at least a FEW chapters, but... I didn't. In the end, Zephyr's humble beginnings are only a small part of the story as a whole.

Also, as a side note: This chapter takes place a very long time before the events of Angel Sanctuary.

The song I listened to on repeat while writing this chapter: "R-Evolve" - 30 Seconds to Mars.