When I open my eyes, I realize I'm drowning. All around me is a greenish liquid. Immediately, I start to panic, only to realize my body is not responding to my commands. When I tried to move my arms, nothing happened.
I also realized that despite being suspended in liquid, I could breath just fine.
Donk. A knocking sound directed my attention in front of me. Through the liquid, I could see Raphael's worried face.
It was then I realized that I was inside a gigantic glass tube.
"Can you hear me?" Raphael's voice echoed through the liquid. It felt as if I was underwater, and she was speaking from above the surface. "Blink once for yes. Twice for no."
Blink.
"Do you know who I am?"
Blink.
"Are you aware of your current state?"
Blink blink.
I saw Raphael sigh.
"Daemon." The moment I heard her use my real name, I knew whatever she was about to say, I wasn't going to like it.
"Before I go into detail about what happened, I need you to understand. We found you unconscious outside Gabriel's office. By the time I arrived at the Western Branch, your aura had already begun to change."
Oh shit. I racked my brain, trying to remember the duel. Had I lost against Samael?
Raphael, seeing my eyes widen slightly, smiled bitterly. "Yes, you lost the Succession Duel. When we brought you here, your hair was growing lighter and your eyes were changing color."
Shit. I had lost after all. But that didn't make sense. If I had lost, why the hell was I still in control of my body?
Raphael looked me in the eye. "Daemon, are you sure you want me to continue?"
Blink.
Raphael, after a moment's hesitation, motioned to a person behind her. "Show him."
Suddenly, Raphael disappeared, to be replaced with…
It took me a moment to realize that I was staring at my own reflection.
An abomination stared back at me. The majority of my body was covered in a mix of electrodes and sensors. In both my arms, numerous tubes had been inserted. I recognized a number of the tubes as being those used for dialysis.
What horrified me however, were not the medical appliances that had been implanted into me without my permission. No, it was the metal stakes that had been rammed into my arms, legs, chest and stomach. I recognized the power pulsating from the metal, the anti-Divinity attribute.
Damocles Steel.
Suddenly, my reflection vanished, replaced with Raphael's sad face.
"I'm sorry Daemon." Raphael murmured, tears in her eyes. "It was the only way I could save you. Please, forgive me."
I wasn't mad at all. The Damocles Steel was the only thing stopping Samael from taking over my body. Their anti-Divinity power, injected directly into my body, was the ultimate defense against Samael's power. Raphael's decision had not just saved me, but the entire world.
Looking Raphael in the eye, I blinked once.
Told you there would be a plot twist! Not what you expected I bet. Daemon lost, but Samael didn't win either...but the Church just lost a powerhouse. Though don't write off Daemon/Samael just yet. They'll come back, that's a given. The question is, what kind of person will Daemon/Samael be when he returns?
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Daemon