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'Thoughts'

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Year 12 AL, Heaven's Light

Not far from Ilias Village, tucked between a large forest and the Irina Mountains on the western side of the Ilias Continent, was an even smaller merchant town known as Enrika. In contrast to the more uniform and rigid Ilias Village, this town was more rural and varied. The tempest that had been raging over all of Ilias Country had yet to let up at all. Inside one of the centermost houses, a lone window was dimly glowing yellow, made alit by a single candle flame. This candle sat atop a bedside table, illuminating a certain Fallen Seraph sitting in bed.

However, this former Seraph wasn't Lucifina; it was her older sister, the First of the Great Three Seraphs, Micaela.

Upon looking at the woman, one didn't have to take much time to deduce her kinship to Lucifina. The elder Seraph's hair was blonder and ran down her back in long curls, as opposed to Lucifina's shorter, browner hair. Additionally, her face and eyes were sharper than her sister's, though the resemblance was as undeniable as her beauty.

Micaela, dressed in a sage nightgown, sat upright in her bed. Her face was contorted in thought as she observed the storm raging outside her home. The thunder rumbled constantly as the storm picked up, it nearly felt as if the Earth itself was trembling under the force of the strikes.

The Fallen Angel watched as Enrika lit up in the quick flash of lightning. 'This is getting much too treacherous; if the storm gets any heavier than this, someone could get hurt.' Micaela shifted underneath her bed covers, her nervousness not quite reaching her face but her body conveying it quite clearly. Being the very founder of Enrika, the town's well-being was her responsibility to watch over.

Little did the Fallen Angel know, the currently raging storm would be the least of her worries in a matter of moments.

Abruptly, Micaela felt herself being struck, as if some invisible force had come from the ether and hit her full force. The ex-Angel recoiled at the feeling, a wave of shock coming soon after as she was able to identify the sensation. Someone, somewhere, had just flared a very substantial amount of Holy Magic. 'No, not just any someone. But why would she do that?'

Micaela stood from her bed, throwing the covers to the side so that she could stand in front of the rain-battered window. The Seraph stared off into the storm, fruitlessly searching for an answer that wasn't there. 'Judging from the power alone, either Eden also finally decided to find a life outside of Heaven as well, or...'

Another shockwave of Holy Magic hit the former Seraph. "Lucifina!"

The name came as a gasp from Micaela's lips, another bolt of lightning cracking through the sky just outside her window. The blonde woman jogged out of the room, making way for her front door. She had almost gotten a hand onto the doorknob before hesitating. 'Wait, I can't just run outside in this!' She looked down to her nightgown...

...A nightgown that was a tad too thin, and much too revealing to be wearing in a storm like the one outside.

With a groan of annoyance, Micaela turned to go back and change her clothes to something more protective. That is until a knock almost too gentle for her to hear sounded from the front door. Warily, Micaela strode to the front entrance. Several loud rumbles of thunder growled overhead, the sensation actually shaking Micaela's very house. And yet, even that now paled in comparison to what was soon to show up outside her door.

Breathe in.

'Blood.'

Breathe out.

'Pain.'

Exhale.

'Heads roll.'

Expel.

'Heads fall.'

The crash of the lightning all around Lucifina was nothing compared to the thunderous contractions of her heart in her chest. She could feel her blood rushing through her arteries and veins with a fierceness that hadn't been felt in her body for hundreds of years. She could feel so much more of everything as if a switch in her mind that had long since been turned off had been flipped on.

The air around her crackled with energy, her energy. It felt fantastic, but it also terrified her. She could sense Monsters below her as she flew through the air above a large forest. They were loosely scattered about, and there were not many of them at that. They only amounted to a couple of slimes and fairies here and there, low-level Monsters she could cut down without a second thought if she wanted to.

And by the Goddess, did she want to.

Despite the urges, Lucifina held back. Despite the blood she could still smell on her nightgown, Lucifina held back. Despite how much that filthy beast touching her son maddened her, Lucifina held back. 'Just for a little bit longer, just until...'

A bright light erupted in the storm clouds above her, from them coming a bolt of electricity that cut through the air in a flash. It zoomed close by the Seraph, but she hardly paid it any mind as she continued to her destination. There were more important matters for her to attend to now. Soon, Lucifina could see the forest end before it reached the edge of a mountain range called Irina Mountains. In the little pocket of land between the forest and the large hills, Lucifina spotted what she had been seeking out.

Enrika, a village Marcellus often visited when he helped smuggle Monsters onto the Ilias Continent. It was also the town where Lucifina's older sister had taken up residence after she had fallen from Heaven.

Lucifina descended quickly, landing just within the village's border. Idly, she noticed that the wind and rain had picked up tremendously. Not that it mattered, as she could hardly feel that now. All she could feel was the sheer number of Monsters living inside Erika. Lucifina shook, her sensing ability causing her body to tremble from being surrounded by the enemy. 'No! Not the enemy, Lucifina. Only peace-loving Monsters live in Enrika, you know that!'

The Seraph convulsed, forcing herself to trudge forward and ignore her instincts. 'Not likely, that disgusting creature that we should've killed was not an exception to the rule. All Monsters have those desires, all they want is to breed and destroy. Depravity is just a part of who they are. If protecting Luka is the end goal, then the easiest method to doing that is obvious.'

Lucifina stopped, gazing about the village. The thatch and wood houses looked tranquil enough, but identifying the one she was desperately searching for was difficult. This was especially difficult when her thoughts were devolving at such an alarmingly rapid pace. Sensing around herself, Lucifina felt many Monsters around her, predominantly Elves. 'They're more sophisticated than most Monsters, but they are still Monsters. If you give them the chance, they will be after Luka all the same. Why bother giving them the benefit of the doubt? Erase them.'

The Seraph bit her tongue, blood entering her mouth from the cut. 'I know better than that, I've been here before, I've met the Monsters here before. They are no threat to my son.'

'Yes, the only true threat to your son is your own weakness. Your uselessness is what led to Luka being raped in the first place. Perhaps if you had never kept these powers sealed in the first place, his innocence would still be safety intact.'

The Seraph almost buckled but held on to her rekindled Angelic strength. A wetness had formed on her face. One not from the rain but from the tears she had begun to shed.

Micaela was always somewhat prepared for the worst, or something close to it, but to see a bloodstained and rain-soaked Lucifina standing at her doorstep was way beyond what she could've imagined. The look on her sister's face was telling enough as it was, but the sight of her Halo and wings showing at full power was an unsubtle tell that something was most definitely wrong. Micaela admittedly didn't talk much with her younger sister, even after reuniting with her after they had both left Heaven.

Hell, Micaela communicated more with Marcellus when he was still alive than she did with Lucifina overall. However, that was due to Micaela's responsibilities with running Enrika. Combining that with Lucifina's health, which didn't allow her to leave Ilias Village much, made it to where the sisters didn't see each other more than a handful of times since they've both been out of Heaven.

Looking at her now, though, Micaela could confirm that the problem at hand now seemed to be more treacherous than her sister's degrading health.

Micaela grabbed Lucifina by the arm, tugging the Seraph inside her house with little hesitation. Her little sister offered no resistance, allowing herself to be dragged inside. Once the door was shut, Micaela gazed upon her sister in concern, not sure how to even begin. Lucifina's very aura was illuminating the room in a white glow. However, the majesty of such a thing was quickly lost when considering the egregious amount of blood staining her once-white nightdress.

The most telling detail, though, was written right on Lucifina's face. Usually, the Fallen Angel's blue eyes held one of the most pleasant and gentle gazes one could ever see on a person. But now, those same eyes were wide and frenzied like a cornered animal. That, coupled with her blood-stained attire and soaked hair, left the Seraph looking absolutely manic.

"M-Micaela," Lucifina started, a wavering edge in her tone. "I need your help, I fear something terrible is happening, and I don't know if I can stop it." The older sister stepped forward, clasping both of her sister's hands and leading her to sit down in one of her dining room chairs. Micaela noted just how much Lucifina was shaking even though her sister didn't feel cold to the touch. In fact, she felt quite the opposite, as if she were burning up.

Micaela steeled her gaze, attempting to put on a brave front for this uncertain situation. "What is it, Sister? Why are you like this?" Unexpectantly, a wrathful glare materialized on her sister's face. "I. Cannot. Say." She said bluntly through gritted teeth.

The older Seraph searched her sister's face, startled by the presence of such fury on her normally peaceful sister's face. Then, a thought struck her, one that made the growing pit in her stomach widen. "Lucifina..." She began, feeling the tension coming off of her sister's ever-shaking body. "...Where is Luka? Is he safe?"

Lucifina finally snapped, "NO!" She stood up from her seat with terrifying speed. She grabbed Micaela by the shoulders roughly. "NO, HE IS NOT, AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

Micaela froze, not knowing what to think as Lucifina released her and frantically paced about her older sister's foyer in distress. "I... I couldn't protect him, Micaela! Now, I don't even know if he's... if he's still..." A choked wail came from the awakened Seraph, her body nearly collapsing as she fell to her knees.

Micaela ran over to her sister, bending down to eye-level with her. "Lucifina, sister, listen to me. Where is Luka?" Her younger sister let out more cries, tears openly streaming down her face. "He is back at the house, sister. Still asleep in his bedroom, as far as I know." Micaela gently caressed her sister's arm with a hand, trying to calm the frantic Angel.

"Okay, then if you wish I can go with you back to Ilias Village and we can figure things out from there."

Lucifina shook her head, "N-No, I can't go back."

Micaela frowned, "Why not?" Lucifina jumped to her feet, breaking away from her sister. Her blue eyes bore into Micaela's, something manic dancing in them. The Seraph's body shook so hard that it seemed as if she was vibrating.

Micaela started to stride towards her younger sister, "Lucifina, you can't just abandon your son!" Lucifina just kept shaking her head, her dirty hair flailing wildly. "Y-You don't understand! I don't think that I can't... can't..." The feverish Angel trailed off, leaving her older sister to grab her by the arm tightly.

"You can't, what?" Micaela asked pointedly.

Lucifina couldn't even look her in the eyes, "...Control myself."

The awakened Seraph smacked her sister's hand off her arm, pushing the older woman away. Lucifina then spun around, smashing through the front door and flying into the torrent falling outside.

"LUCIFINA!" Micaela cried, watching her sister disappear into the storm cloud. "Damnit!" The elder Seraph cursed under her breath, turning back inside the house in a hurry.

Numbness.

Coldness.

Darkness.

This is all his body could feel as he stood in a small circle of pale light surrounded by an endless expanse of black. His body felt heavy, no part of it wanting to budge even an inch in its place as he stood stiff despite the exhaustion. It was as if a thick wool blanket had been soaked in water and wrapped around his entire body. Every part of him wanted to do nothing but collapse, but he couldn't; for some reason, his fatigued body remained upright.

"...ka!"

A distinctly feminine voice reverberated through the dark. Luka could only hear a fraction of what the call was due to how much it echoed, but for whatever reason, he had a hunch that the call was for him.

He attempted to turn towards the voice, quickly finding that doing so would be a herculean task to overcome. Slowly, very slowly, he began to sluggishly turn his body around. He was able to get his head facing where he thought the voice to be coming from. Then, the rest of his body from the neck down began to follow. Finally, he had completed a single turn. He tried to return the call but found it difficult to muster any type of response. From the darkness, another call was made.

"Luka!"

He gasped; it was his name. Now, he was completely sure that the woman was calling for him. At the same time as his realization, a very faint path of pale white light illuminated the previously black ground in front of him. With no other alternatives, Luka began to trudge towards the light. The effort was akin to having a walk at the bottom of the deepest sea. The pressure on him was immense. However, he kept moving forward.

He had made it just over a meter down the path when a dark silhouette materialized in front of him. The feminine shape no doubt was the source of the voice, though he could not make out any details other than the fact that her palms were facing him as if she was leaning on something.

Even more peculiar was the fact that he could not make out any legs on the woman's body. Instead, her abdomen seemed to stretch and end in a heap of black mass on the floor. Ignoring the fact for now, Luka continued his slow march forward. Something about her was familiar nonetheless, and he was determined to keep on.

"Luka... don't...please!"

Her words were muffled, making Luka miss most of her message. Her tone was desperate and made Luka push even harder to bridge the gap. Deep inside, he felt that he needed to reach her.

'Just a couple more steps.' He thought, his legs feeling a burn hotter than coal. Mirroring the woman, Luka began to raise both arms forward as he had only half a meter left in his journey.

Just as his hands were about to touch hers, they stopped. Confused, Luka looked around as best he could, not understanding what had stopped him. Idly, as he searched, he noted that the mass underneath the woman trailed behind her in a very suspiciously serpentine manner.

"Pl-... P-Please..."

Luka strained to hear her, leaning in as close as he could. Though no matter the distance or lack thereof, he could not see or hear her any better than when he started. He opened his mouth to speak, having to choke out his words from his dry and sore throat. "I... I'm so-"

He stopped, catching in his sight something in the far distance behind the woman. It was faint, but he could just barely make out multiple other figures standing far behind the woman in front of him. He squinted harder, desperately trying to make out any detail that he could-

Squelch

CRACK

At first, Luka felt nothing. Although from the bottom edge of his eyesight, he could see something jutting from his chest. His eyes slowly drew downwards until the horrible sight was revealed to him, and once it was an overwhelming fire of agony swept his entire torso. From there, protruding from his chest was a golden spear. At the end of that now bloody aureate pike, still loosely connected to his body by a series of dangling arteries and veins, was his now ran-through heart.

A sickening wail rang through the air, prompting Luka to use the last of his rapidly fading energy to meet the gaze of the woman in front of him. As before, none of her face or body held any more detail or familiarity than he first saw her. But something about her gnawed at the back of his brain. There was a sense of fondness. A closeness between them, stronger than he could register.

His eyesight began to darken, no doubt from the excessive amount of blood cascading down from his now ruptured chest cavity.

Blue eyes opened slowly, meeting nothing but more darkness. For a moment, Luka thought he had actually died, but quickly, his eyes began to adjust to his surroundings. Once adjusted, he realized that he was in his bedroom, wrapped tightly beneath his bed covers.

He exhaled a long-held breath, feeling his heart thump crazily in his chest. 'I have to calm down, it was just a strange nightmare.'

The thought helped little to comfort him, as he shivered aggressively due to the sheer coldness of his room. He propped himself up with one hand, turning to gaze outside his window, to which he found there to be a light mist falling outside. Dark clouds above obscured any view of the moon he may have had otherwise, but it wasn't too dark to see if one needed to venture outside.

'How long have I been asleep? The last time I was awake, it had to have been midday.' Luka swung out of his bed and stood straight. With his shivering increasing, Luka pulled and wrapped his arms around himself. The boy flinched, suddenly feeling something even colder on his left pointer finger touch his arm. Glancing down, Luka noticed that he was wearing a silver ring on said finger.

"That's... peculiar." Despite him knowing that the ring wasn't his, he couldn't quite find it in him to take the metal band off. "Well, may as well keep it there for now..." Things even got stranger, as the purple-haired boy realized that he was not wearing the brown shirt and black pants he had adorned when he left to get groceries. Instead, he was wearing his long white nightshirt.

'I didn't put these on, unless...Was all of that also just another nightmare? But it all felt so real.' Then he remembered the last thing he saw before he had blacked out. His Mother, charged for him with fear in her eyes. 'Perhaps it was... After all, I've never seen my Mother move that quickly before.'

Thinking about his Mother started to make the boy sad, "I should go see her, it's late but I can't go back to sleep without seeing her again..." Turning quickly, the boy made for his bedroom door, slipping on a pair of sandals as he left. He opened and closed his door, slipping into the hallway and making way for his Mother's bedroom.

The boy made an effort to be quiet as he neared the closed door, not wanting to cause a ruckus on top of everything else. When arriving at the door, however, the boy hesitated to knock. 'Should I really be waking her up over something like this? I am twelve now, nightmares shouldn't be bothering me anymore. Even one like that.'

He looked down at the ring on his finger once more, making a startling discovery once he scanned it over more closely. "...Wait, isn't this my Mother's ring?"

It indeed was, he could tell now that he saw its slight roughness from age. Knowing this, he decided that at the very least, he needed to return the item, even if he didn't know why he had it in the first place.

Hesitantly, the boy rapped against the wooden door. He paused, fidgeting his fingers together as he waited. However, he didn't hear the familiar voice of his Mother calling to him. The only reply he received, was that of silence. Somewhat confused, Luka rapped against the door a second time, albeit with more force. Yet again, still no answer. Nervously, he glanced down at the doorknob.

Very rarely did the boy enter his Mother's bedroom without permission, as he was taught to always respect other people's privacy, especially if that person was a woman. Steeling himself, Luka grasped the doorknob with one small hand. Twisting the knob carefully, the boy opened up the bedroom door.

He practically crept into the room, hating that he was about to bother his Mother's sleeping schedule. With his Father gone, Luka had put a lot of responsibility on himself to take care of his Mother's needs. From cleaning the house to helping cook - or just cooking all of the food himself, as they both quickly found Luka to be the better of the two - he always ended up putting her needs first. However, this wasn't something he could keep to himself, not even until she woke up. But when Luka reached his parent's bed, he discovered something that chilled him to his core.

Lucifina, his beloved Mother, was gone.

Immediately, the boy's anxiety began to flare. Despite there obviously being no sign of her in the bed itself, Luka still tossed the sheets about, searching for any clue as to where she had gone. "Mother?" he asked, his voice croaking. He dipped down to look under the bed, but she was not there either. Nor was she in the closet. Becoming more desperate, the boy ran through the house, checking every room he could think to check. The house echoed with the clacking of his sandaled feet on the wooden floor.

However, after cleanly sweeping the house, the boy could only come to a single conclusion: His Mother had disappeared just like his Father had.

"She.. She would never be gone at this hour, something's wrong!" He ran back to his Mother's bedroom, tears threatening to fall as he made a mad dash for his Mother's room. He came to a stop just short of her bed, freezing in the middle of the room. His blue eyes searched the room once more, but Lucifina was nowhere to be seen. He stood stiff, fingers wringing once again as he quickly lost any sense of direction or purpose in his actions. Then, the boy fell to his knees in front of his Mother's bed.

An idea came to him, although it seemed somewhat silly considering his Mother's viewpoint on the subject. However, the naive twelve-year-old couldn't think of much else to do when it was so late at night. Luka folded his small hands together, resting them on the bed in front of him while he closed his tear-filled eyes. He truly didn't know if doing such a thing would help or not, but he was desperate. If anyone could help him now, it'd have to be the Goddess herself, right?

'For my Mother's sake, it's worth the try!'

In Heaven, all was still as night was well underway. There was not necessarily any reason to adhere to the day/night schedule of the Earth, though it did make certain things easier for the Goddess and her Angels. For instance, neither Ilias nor her Angels technically needed to sleep. However, since it did help with rejuvenating energy, it was 'encouraged' by Ilias's strict curfew time of sundown. Specifically when the sun had set from the perspective of Heaven's Gate.

Now, not every Angel always were able to return to Heaven by the time the sun had set over the horizon at the Navel of the World. Mistakes did happen - especially when Cupid stays out for too long with her eavesdropping - so some leeway was allowed. That and many Angels were stationed either permanently due to their roles on Earth or were kept there as part of Ilias's forces to keep her cities safe from Monster threats.

All others were to report back to Heaven. Case in point, Ilias was currently sleeping on her throne at the top of Heaven. Propped up lazily by one hand that held her head up, Ilias quietly snored from her throne, the normally golden clouds around her darkened to allow for a more peaceful sleep. However, this peaceful sleep would not last for very much longer.

Noiselessly, something very odd floated up from the floor of Ilias's throne room. It was a small object, only about the size of a child's playball, but it looked more like a small white sphere. The only object one could feasibly compare it to would be the stars in the night sky. The small orb of white light rose and then drew closer to the Goddess. It began to pulse slowly, unbeknownst to the sleeping Ilias. Then, the ball of light phased into the Goddess, immediately causing her to snap awake.

"Uhaa!" She moaned, the foreign sensation hitting her like a chill. Ilias shook her head to and fro, looking for what had caused the disturbance, "What the He-" Ilias was stopped as her mind was suddenly struck by something otherworldly.

"O, Goddess of Creation, hear my plead..."

Ilias felt her heart skip at the voice. It was young but almost ethereal. Even without having heard his voice before, The Goddess somehow felt she knew who this was. "Could it really be!?" The Goddess of Light was not hesitant to tear open a portal in the clouds below, her bright blue eyes opened wide now to confirm what she suspected as she homed in on her self-proclaimed Prophet. Peering down into the portal, she was able to see the boy himself inside his home in Ilias Village.

The Goddess felt her heart swell in delight upon seeing what was transpiring. There, right before her eyes, was Luka praying up to her. "Just as I thought, a soul made perfectly Light worshipping the Goddess of Light, me!" A huge smile adorned her face as she listened to the boy's prayer. 'Whatever this is about, consider it done! This happening alone is reason enough for me to grant his wish. Whatever I need to do, I will!'

"...I need your assistance now, if you would be so willing..."

Ilias leaned in closer, almost giddy at it all. Who could blame the Goddess, though? She had been patient, waiting for the purple-haired boy to reach out to her all this time. And now, here he was, praying to her in reverence, beseeching her will. It was everything she had waited over ten years for!

"...Please, I need your help in finding my Mother, for she is missing."

In less than a second, less time than it took to blink, Ilias felt her mind completely blank at the request. She continued to stare at the boy. However, the frozen smile on her face was only still there because of her overwhelming shock at the boy's request. "Huh, Lucifina's... missing?" The Goddess searched the rest of the house quickly and found what the boy said to be true. "What... Where is she? That woman never leaves that house!"

Then, she felt it. It was a similar sensation to when Luka's prayer reached her, but much more aggressive. Instead of a poke of Holy Magic, it was a shove.

The Goddess flinched, unprepared for the startling feeling; however, she most definitely recognized whose energy it was. "So you've finally let loose once again, Daystar. But why?" Annoyingly enough, Ilias had a difficult time actually tracking down her former Seraph, the still active storm inhibiting her normally impeccable sensing prowess.

"No matter, I couldn't be called a Goddess if I couldn't do away with a little rain. This might just be a bit fun as well..." Ilias held both arms forward, calling upon an older spell of her's that, much like Lucifina's current form, hadn't been seen for one thousand years. Ilias spoke, her voice reverbing throughout the throne room with tremendous force.

"Give thyne Goddess limitless sight, and bathe the world in Heaven's Light!"

The golden clouds on the bottom of Heaven began to part, sending the lower levels of Heaven into a frenzy as droves of Angels were awakened from their slumber by the action. 'Ah, perhaps a warning could've been dealt to my Angels... Eh, Eden can handle that for me. This is far more important.'

Lucifina flew aimlessly amongst the storm, drifting through the dark clouds while effortlessly dodging any bolts of lightning that may strike through the air. Her mind was a mess, with her thoughts bouncing between Micaela's words, killing Monsters, and what she was to do now. The awakened Seraph couldn't sort through any of these conflicting feelings permeating her.

'Ever since I unsealed my powers, I haven't been able to think straight! I should've prepared myself for this possibility. Now I am sure to lose myself soon...' The darker part of the Mother's mind began to bleed into her thoughts once more.

'Preparation for what, being able to make a difference in Luka's life? Without my interference, our son would've been violated by a Monster right in the bed we had tucked him into. Why hold any shame for that?'

The Seraph's cold blue eyes hardened, glaring at nothing in particular. 'It is not protecting my son that is the problem, it is the bloodlust that is the problem. I cannot teach my son not to kill and then go mutilate Monsters myself! What good is my word if I cannot follow it myself?' She trembled hard, the movement throwing off her nondescript flight path.

'Perhaps, then, that is the very problem here. Why teach him to be kind to Monsters if they do not deserve it? What if we have been wrong all this time in our beliefs? Ilias could've been right about the world this whole time.'

Lucifina grabbed fistfuls of her own hair, pulling on them aggressively, "ENOUGH!"

The darkened clouds around the Angel started to swirl around her, rumbling heavily as they continued to cascade down rain and lightning. Lucifina's breathing became heavy and erratic as she hovered in the middle of the storm. Lost as to what to do with herself now, the Seraph glanced everywhere around, trying to formulate some sort of plan for moving forward.

'I can't go home, if Luka were to see me like this, to see how barbaric I can be... It would crush him. No, it's better to stay away and trust that he will be safe with Micaela.' But, just as the Seraph thought her sister's name, the Angel in question flew in with incredible speed through the clouds, stopping just meters away from the unstable Lucifina. The blood-soaked Angel's entire body flinched, somehow not noticing her elder sister's approach whatsoever.

"W-What!?" The blonde-haired Angel was much more properly dressed this time, clad in a bright green dress with golden trim. From her back were two enormous white wings, and a golden Halo rose above her head as well. Micaela was awakened, but not quite the same way as her younger sister. Lucifina could see her sister, but for whatever reason had issues sensing her power. Either way, the First Seraph looked determined,

"Lucifina, I'm only going to ask you once to stop all of this now. I won't have you throwing yourself to madness if there's something I can do about it!" Micaela declared.

Lucifina hovered stiff, shocked by this new development but unwavering. "That is not important to me, Micaela. I only want Luka's safety above all else." Micaela doubled down, anger in her sharp blue eyes. "If you wish for his safety then you and him both need to stay together. I have no qualms with taking him in, if need be, but I'm not his Mother, you are. How do you think he will feel with both parents gone from his life?"

Lucifina felt herself lose steam, 'She's right, isn't she? Marcellus's passing was hard enough for the boy, losing me too... it could devastate him.' A battle raged inside of her, a storm of emotions rivaling the one that warred around her in the clouds.

She turned her gaze downwards, eying her still blood-stained nightgown. 'But wouldn't seeing me as I am now be just as bad as losing me?'

Micaela peered at her sister, analyzing her expression. "...Lucifina, you never did answer my question before..." She paused, trying to approach the topic carefully. "... What caused you to unseal your powers?"

Her sister flinched, almost as if she had been slapped. "Luka," she breathed, a hard edge in her tone. "Something happened to him, sister. I couldn't stop it until it was almost too late."

Micaela floated closer, an errant strike of electricity flashing behind her. "What do you mean, I thought you said he was safe at the house?" Lucifina's teeth gritted, "He is now. But I'm afraid that the damage may already been done..."

Micaela grabbed her sister's arm, a grave look on her face as she eyed her bloodied sister. The First Seraph pushed back a question as to whose blood it was, to ask, "You must tell me what happened to him, Lucifina. There is no more reason for secrets."

The Mother steeled herself, trying to ignore the wrathful thoughts bouncing around her head. "I... I-I..." She gulped, "...I found a Monster in Luka's room, Micaela." A barely audible gasp came from the older sister's mouth, "No... Had, had the Monster...?"

"Yes," A huge shudder wracked her body as she answered Micaela's unasked question. "She hadn't gotten... that far along, with him yet. I'm just thankful he was still asleep..." Lucifina paused to calm herself, "Once I got my hands on her, Micaela, I lost myself. I nearly tore that Monster apart, I w-would've too I'm sure if I was around it a second longer."

The bloodied Angel's eyes began to tear up, streams of sadness running down her face. Micaela grabbed her sister into a tight hug, feeling the strength of Lucifina's sobs as her body shook. "Micaela, I can hardly stand it! My precious s-son being violated in my own home!"

Micaela pulled her sister in tighter, "I'm... I'm sorry sister, here, let's just go back to Ilias Village. We'll–We'll figure something out, I promise."

The moment of embrace was cut off, both Seraphs jumping out of each other's arms due to their shock. They had both felt a massive release of Holy Magic erupting nearby. Lucifina, being the first to ascertain its location, gasped upon realizing that the wave of power came from the direction of Ilias Village.

"LUKA!" She screamed, rocketing towards the source immediately, a visibly shaken up Micaela following close after.

Luka finished his prayer, dropping his hands onto the bed covers in front of him. Undoubtedly, he had felt something transpire during his prayer. There was a certain warmth that had filled him when he prayed to Ilias, the only way to describe how he was feeling from it was to say he was glowing.

However, before he could, something otherworldly occurred. From the bedroom window came a bright flash of golden light, a light that instantaneously filled the entire house with its spectacular glow. Then, as swiftly as it came, it was gone.

A mixture of shock and awe marked the boy's face as he gazed out the window, watching for more signs of the large beam. Slowly, he made it to his feet, pulling up with the edge of his Mother's bed. He began to pace backward, eyes still peering out the window for any further sign of the light. 'Is this the Goddess herself trying to give me a sign?'

He dashed out of the room, not bothering to close any of the doors he opened while he ran. In his mind, finding out if Ilias herself had truly heard his prayer was more important.

The small form of the Angelic boy flew out of the front door and onto the front yard in a hurry, turning his head up to the dark sky above. The clouds had been parted by the powerful beam of light. A wayward haze of mist still falling all around, shimmering in the now-revealed Moon. That, however, was not the only thing glowing in the sky.

"Wow..." The boy breathed, caught off guard by the sight ahead of him. Radiating brighter than anything else in the night sky, was the large collection of golden clouds known by all as the realm of Heaven.

All of a sudden, the bright golden light erupted from the clouds once more but this time, it was pointed directly at him.

Ilias frustratingly searched around the area of Ilias Village but found that anytime she felt Heaven's Light reach her signature, it vanished.

'This makes no sense; even if she was just teleporting all across the place, I shouldn't be losing her this easy. Somehow, she's evading my senses.' Ilias snorted, frustration turning to anger as she realized that this search was quickly turning into a wild goose chase. With a wave of her hand, she shaded the Light.

The Goddess gave a sigh, "Now what... I can't just leave her flying around like that, a rouge Seraph could cause me significant issues. That, and I can't leave that boy's prayer unanswered now that he's called upon my help. What kind of Goddess would I be if I betrayed my only Prophet's first prayer?" A hand to her chin, Ilias pondered her problem.

To leave Luka on Earth with his prayer seemingly unanswered would surely push her out of his good graces, which would be an egregious setback for her plans pertaining to the boy.

It was when she thought of the boy, though, that she thought of an idea. With a sly grin on her face, the Goddess pointed Heaven's Light back to Ilias Village, seeing the object of her plan standing perfectly outside for her. 'There you are, my Prophet. Time to flush your Mother out now. After all, I'm sure she'll come running if her precious son is ascended away from her...'

The two Seraphs had made it to the outskirts of Ilias Village, just in time to feel a colossal shift in the air take place. The dark clouds moved from their place in the sky as if they were violently shoved, careening them across the sky until they stopped with an unnatural suddenness. From the hole that had opened up came a piercing glare of golden light, a light the two Seraphs knew far too well.

"What is Ilias doing?" Micaela wondered aloud, but Lucifina wasn't paying attention to where the beam was coming from. She was locked on to what it was illuminating, or rather, who. Down below inside the giant spotlight of Heaven was her son, Luka. Lucifina felt her body freeze completely, her heart sinking into the deepest depths of despair. Something instinctually screamed at her, yelling at her to move.

And so, with little debate, she did.

Faintly she had heard Micaela say something as she shot down to the purple-haired boy. Tears flew out of her eyes as the speed at which she flew began to physically hurt her, but the pain mattered little.

Thump Thump

She was barely aware of the fact that Micaela wasn't too far behind, having finally seen what she had. Idly, she was aware of her heart pounding in her ears as she careened out of the sky.

Thump Thump

Lucifina felt her body burning, but she pressed on. She felt exhausted.

Thump Thump, Thump Thump

She was closing in, far past the storm clouds now as they seemed to shoot out bolt after bolt of lightning, each one cracking through the air with deafening roars.

Thump Thump, Thump Thump

Luka turned to her, a look of confusion and shock on his face. She was almost there now, just a couple meters left!

Thump Thump, Thump Thump, Thump Thump

She couldn't have been far now; she could see the white of his eyes!

What she couldn't see, though, was the guileful sneer on the face of Ilias up above as the Goddess already knew it was too late.

Thump Thump, Thump Thump, Thump Thump, Thump-

Luka vanished into the Light; he was gone.

Further and further down this story goes, as things start to descend into madness. And to think, we're only just getting started. Well, can't say much other than acknowledging the fact that I have introduce Micaela much earlier than what happens in canon, and I have introduced a new crease in the fold of this story: Heaven's Light. Basically, a giant spotlight, not to say that it isn't capable of doing more, though...

...And of course, now Luka has been spirited away to Heaven by Ilias. A devious ploy to goad Lucifina to come to her, which I feel like anyone could guess that the enraged Mother will most definitely be doing so. Soon, this will all be coming to a head.

ChocoboFriendoX: Thank you very much, this may just be one of the most encouraging reviews I have gotten. Glad to see that the ambition I have for this story is being recognized, as I am quite literally going to be investing a lot of time into this fic and I really sincerely hope I can successfully pull it off and deliver on it. A tangled web is what I weave here, here's to seeing if I can pull it off.

majkerr: One thing that I will reemphasize here since it may not be easily inferred is that Lucifina's behavior will be purposely irrational. See, her powers were completely sealed off and so in my version of this story, reawakening those powers is causing her very being to try to 'reset' itself. So the Lucifina of now, is wrestling for control over the Lucifina of old. Which means that two very split beliefs/personalities are fighting each other inside of her. So, she will not be acting very level-headed here. Even with Micaela's help.

chronotimeguard: Intense it had been, and even more intense it will get. We are nearing the climax of what can be considered Act 1, or the Prelude, as this is all still simply building to Luka's coming into his own by setting up reasons for why I will be having him behave in certain ways. I'm of the mind that if you make a character act different, then you have to divulge from how they are originally, instead of simply having them be different.