"Argh…!" blood trickled down the human soldier's chest before he succumbed to the ground, falling to the former Archangel who had ultimately struck him down. And with slow movements, he lowered his blade as he watched the crimson liquid trickling down the shining surface, dropping onto the marble and smooth ground.

Screams echoed in the sky, and chaos was spreading amongst the High Heavens. For once again, conflict had found its way and invaded the sacred heaven of all Angels.

Tyrael gritted his teeth with shaking hands when he witnessed several more human soldiers who had begun to approach in front of him, aiming the tips of their spears at him with deadly intent.

He had struck down a human being… one untouched by the corruption of demonic forces, one that was equal to all the human life that he wished so desperately to understand, to learn about. And now… he felt as though all of his goals, all of his hopes of trying to build a bridge between Angels and humans…

… they were lying in ruin, just like the majority of the High Heavens, which had not ever fully recovered.

He subconsciously gripped the hilt of his trusted blade tighter, for the soldiers never ceased in their approach, not a single face visible beneath their helmets that Tyrael could have locked eyes with.

"... why… Nephalem…" his voice trembled as he simply remained where he stood, even when the three soldiers began to strike out against him-

-only to scream in shock and irritation when a thick, long and white cord suddenly wrapped around each of them, wrapping tightly enough for them to slowly but surely drop their weapons until their visions grew dark, and when they finally lost consciousness they were lowered to the ground without further harm, their lives spared even now.

Tyrael could only watch with strained eyes the moment Auriel appeared right by his side, the cordes of Al'maiesh retracting around her arms before she faced him.

"Dear brother… don't lose hope, I beg of you!" Tyrael watched her with a mixture of emotions that he himself could not identify. In her voice, he could hear such an overwhelming amount of desperation that it hurt him… it hurt him to see their voice of reason, their light of hope, begging for the last shreds of goodwill that she could find towards the humans in any of her brothers and sisters.

Of course, she was suffering so much more than him… and he fully knew why.

But when he even glanced around himself, and at the many ongoing battles everywhere, then he saw no further hope for a bond between their kinds.

No other word could be exchanged when suddenly, a strong force erupted next to them, and in the bright and illuminating golden light, Imperius rose to full height before he all but slammed his spear into the ground.

"Do you now see where all of this has led to, Tyrael? Where your foolish ambitions have brought us!?" Imperius all but tightened his hand into a fist as he gestured at the raging battles between Angels and humans, and the severe destruction it caused.

And for the first time, Tyrael could not find a word to retaliate. His mouth was opened, but not a single word could be found. He was silent.

But this time, it was not him who would rouse against the leader of the Great Council.

"I will not allow you to go after the Nephalem!"

For a long moment, Imperius actually grew silent as well in nothing but shock when he witnessed Auriel moving between him and Tyrael. And her words, the meaning behind them, were much too sudden to fully sink in in the first few seconds as his fist subconsciously eased amidst the shock.

"What…?"

"I do not lose hope for humankind, I do not lose hope in the Nephalem!" her voice almost echoed in the vast space of the heavens, dripping with all the suppressed strength and emotion that Auriel had fought back for so many years whenever Imperius spoke down upon humankind.

No, not just humankind… the Nephalem most out of all of them.

If we're not an abomination, we're a threat, if we're not a threat, we are something which is beyond your control, and if anything, we are probably everything which is bad!

The memory fleshed in front of her eyes, like a piercing dagger. And it only dug into her heart.

"I know of the Nephalem's pain, of his feelings, of his hatred… and it all stems from our own arrogance and ignorance towards his kind! This is but the result of all of our sins that we have committed against them, when we allowed humans to be slaughtered by demons, when we have failed to reach out our hand, to accept them, to protect them, to fight for them!"

… we don't matter when we are slaughtered, we are evil when we have nowhere else to go and turn to demons for aid… I hate you…

Her heart ached, and with each memory that flashed in front of her mental eye, she internally threatened to collapse, to cry, to be overwhelmed by all of the pain…

"... and I have been no better for so long… having remained silent for years without having taken action myself when I still had the chance…" her voice had long begun to tremble, and in truth, they were no longer truly directed at either Imperius of Tyrael.

… no! Sister, hold on… I will get you out of there…!

Her hands shook with grief and pure hatred… hatred directed at herself, and a wish for her to end herself for not having acted.

For not having protected the one that she loved over anything else in this cursed world.

It was not long until Imperius suddenly grasped the silence and his temper almost rose to a height that the heavens had never witnessed before when his hands balled into fists once more, shaking with barely restrained fury.

"Do you regard our home, our own kind, with so little care…? Do you forget about all of our kin that has lost their life against those who have invaded us…!? The Nephalem must be vanquished! Auriel… if you lose another word such as these, then-"

"Then what? Your threats are forfeit, Imperius. Touch the Nephalem… touch Arcos even once, and I will see myself no longer amidst the High Heavens, amidst our kind, amidst you, who has silenced my true voice for far too long. Farewell."

For once, her voice was cool, filled with nothing but venom and spite, opposing the wrath and ignorance of Imperius even now. But she no longer cared, and with that, Auriel waited no more for a reply before she all but shot up from the ground, allowing her wings to carry her as fast as they could towards the only destination she had. Towards the only one she seeked.

And her heart was guiding her all the way.

A dark mist followed the lone hunter wherever he went, unfazed, and unhindered by anything or anyone who dared pass onto his way.

Angels, as well as human soldiers, lay scattered on the floor. Lifeless, cold. And still he continued, not sparing any of them a further glance.

Not a word escaped him, not a shred of mercy remained in his heart.

"You dare to invade the sanctity of heaven!" he only walked further. Further and further ahead.

With but one goal in mind. And he struck down any obstacle in his path.

The two angels cried out in agony before their souls vanished into the sky, leaving empty shells of armor.

More of his own soldiers caught up to his side, marching alongside him. But he did not regard them as he continued.

The grand, angelic statues on each side marked the last and final walkway that led to the most sacred place of all Angels. A walkway that he had followed already once before. Only with a different purpose.

The Crystal Arch was in reach. He had conquered demons, he had banished the very Lords of Hell, and the darkness they wrought. But it was not enough. It was never enough anymore.

For the light would soon follow. And all of Angel kind would fall with it.

Each step he took, the darkness that he himself had once despised followed, and so too did the soldiers who marched alongside their master. The one who had struck the same amount of fear in them with his power as the demons once did, forcing them all into submission and under his mercy.

But his steps never made it to the Arch itself the moment a bright light suddenly erupted in front of him, halting him in his path.

The soldiers shielded their eyes in the face of the light, backing away slightly while the hunter stood his ground, the shreds of his ragged, dark cloak flowing in the wind until the light finally died down again. And in its wake stood the embodiment of everything he now wished to destroy.

Wordlessly, he stared into the hidden face beneath the Archangel's hood, and so did she gaze into his eyes. Regardless where she looked, there was nothing left to be seen of the pure soul that she had fallen so deeply in love with.

The soldiers quickly recovered before they pointed their lances at the opposing Archangel, slowly encircling around her, all while Arcos did not move an inch from his position.

But she did not give up… she would never give up on him.

The soldiers abruptly charged at her without a single care for their own well-being, seeking to overwhelm the Archangel with numbers and force alone. Quicker than they could anticipate, however, they were taken out one by one when her cords disarmed them with frightening agility, before striking them with enough force to render them unconscious.

All until there was no one else left to stand between her and her bonded. And only then did she lower herself to the ground, her cords wrapping around her own arms once more.

A glowing, angelic blade formed itself in her hand, before her face looked ahead to gaze into his eyes once more.

Silence reigned, but she didn't move even when he simply threw his crossbow away, his once most valued and treasured possession simply sliding off the last inch of ground before it fell into the vast sky below. And in its stead, he drew a blade, one that was reflecting the same, dark nature of the corrupted soul of its wielder. Created for one, single purpose.

… then kill me. Kill me and take revenge for our sins…

Her hand trembled, but the grasp upon her blade did not falter.

… regardless of your choice, I know that you are a kind and pure person, and that will never change…

She had a chance to stop him, to hold him, to refuse to let him go, to banish the darkness that was lingering in his heart…

I know that in my heart

… and she would not forfeit it again.

"I will not let you pass… I refuse to let you wander this path." he took a step forward, and his blade swung at his side.

"I refuse to abandon my hope in you. I refuse to give up on you." another step, and she could see the narrowness of his eyes.

But even if it could not be seen, she knew that deep within, he was still there. Amidst all of his feelings of anger, hatred, frustration, gried, and sadness… he was still there. And she would not let him go.

"I refuse to leave you alone!"

In the blink of an eye, any distance was lost, and their blades met one another in a clashing strike. Even now, when their faces were mere inches apart, she did not cease to gaze into his eyes, past all of the darkness surrounding them.

They disengaged, only for their blades to reconnect more and more. Amidst even of her strongest of struggles, Auriel managed to gain the upper hand once as Arcos lost his balance, providing an opening in all of his defenses.

But she did not strike. She stood in place, her blade always at her side, refusing to attack. Even afterwards, Arcos glanced down at his blade for the briefest of moments, and at the place where she could have struck him-

-before he gripped his blade anew and struck her instead.

A near silent cry escaped Auriel's lips when his dark blade cut along her side, through her soul and armor. But even now, she did not move, she did not retaliate, she did not hurt on the outside.

For the moment his blade had cut her ethereal body, so too, did the exact same cut appear on his own side, more than causing him to flinch back in agony as the blood trickled down upon the ground, just like her own, liquid light.

Kneeling on the tip of his blade, he stared down at his wound with gritted teeth. All until his eyes settled down upon her, reflecting malice and hatred. But deep within, there was also something else.

Shock. Disbelief.

Auriel still did not waver, gazing at him in the same way as before. Even if it was not seen, even if he refused to believe it, even if he tried to break it… it would not change the bond she was sharing with him, long before they had first met. Long before he was aware that she had always been at his side. Even if he did not know it.

"I will not hurt you… I never will…"

His arm began to tremble as he held his wound, their wound, that he had inflicted, before he shakily rose from the ground once more.

"Fool… do you think you can win like this…?"

And for the first time, his ragged voice rang out for her to hear, drowned in the same feelings that were reflected in his eyes. The solemn wish to destroy. To kill. To take revenge. All fostered into his very being. But he could not kill her without killing himself.

However, the same applied to her as well.

An evil but pained smirk appeared on his lips, fully in the knowledge that he was nigh invincible because of that.

"No… I don't intend to prevail over you…"

But unbeknownst to him, she had made a promise. And she would keep it no matter the cost.

Arcos stared at her in a mixture of confusion and hesitation when Auriel suddenly raised her blade high in the air-

-and with one swift movement, she buried the blade deep into her own body.

She would keep it even at the cost of her own life.

His eyes widened quicker than the sudden realization before the burning and unbearable pain struck him not a moment after, and he felt the same pierce that bore through Auriel herself. Near enough to collapse on the ground, with all of the air leaving his lungs, he slowly but surely looked up to see what she had done, his blade falling out of his hand.

"I promised that I would not leave you… that I would never hurt you…" with each word, she drove the blade deeper into herself, her hands trembling in the unforgivable pain that coursed through her entire being. But still she never ceased to gaze into his eyes.

"... and so… even if I m-must… even if death claims us both, and we cannot be together in this world…"

His eyes widened with each word all until Auriel raised her head one last time to meet his eyes, and with one swift grasp, she removed the blade from her body in whole before it clattered onto the ground.

"... then we will finally be united in death… for I won't leave you."

She kept her promise even as the last flicker of life left his eyes, his soul separating from his body as he lifelessly slumped to the ground. But even then, when the last glimmer of Auriel's body faded, her wings dissolving in a last, dying light, her soul remained even after.

And even if it remained unseen, and with their bodies having come to pass, the light never did truly fade.

For the lost soul, which had previously been all but consumed by darkness and hatred, it was lost no more when it was joined by another. A glimmer of pure light, a light of hope, intertwining with itself to share all of the warmth it had to offer.

Joining together even in death.

With a sudden startle, a certain Archangel was all but torn out of her meditative state, nothing but distress and horror wrecking through her entire body as she awakened.

Albeit it was cut short when, beside her, within the small and humble human made bed, her sudden movement caused Arcos to stir ever so slightly from his sleep. But even so, he did not wake from his peaceful slumber as he simply cuddled closer against Auriel's side, a small and joyful smile etched upon his lips that none could take.

Regarding his peacefully slumbering face almost in a stupor, her armored hand almost shakily reached out to hold the right side of his face, and it was immediately met with a gentle warmth.

And that was all that she needed before she wordlessly wrapped her arms around him, her wings lovingly enveloping him to shield him from anything that could ever harm him. With that, she banished all of the horrid images that she had seen…

… for now, it seemed that even Angels could dream from time to time.