Gathering Storm
As the tension in the room thickened, Hamlinzok's serious demeanor conveyed the gravity of the situation. His voice, once vibrant, now lowered to a whisper, echoing the weight of the news they had just received.
"Are you serious?"
"I'm…afraid." The angel confessed.
Hamlinzok went silent as if thinking and trying to control himself.
"WHO'S TAKING ACTION, GRESILE?" Xyel's voice erupted, a mixture of urgency and frustration coloring his words, implying the situation was more dire than Michael realized.
"I have not heard from any of the other angels yet, sir," Gresile replied, his voice calm despite the urgency of the situation.
Xyel sighed heavily, the weight of the news bearing down on him like a leaden cloak.
"You may leave. Thank you, Gresile." he dismissed the angel with a nod.
With a respectful bow, Gresile disappeared.
"WHERE WAS HORIZON?" Yelled Xyel.
The door banged open as a tall figure barged in, his hand full of flower garlands.
Hamlinzok took a inhaled deeply in frustration.
The person scanned the room, alighting with excitement as he spotted Michael., his face lit up and he walked over, enthusiastically.
"AHA! I FOUND YOU!" With a wide grin, he approached, draping a garland over Michael's shoulders. "There we go. CONGRATULATIONS, THE ONE WHO WIELDS! That aura sure is amazing." He added with a thumbs-up.
He looked around.
"Why the long face, people?"
"Sigri fell down!" Arial's voice broke through the tension, her bright innocent words cutting through the heaviness of the moment, as she ran over to hug Horizon's leg with a smile.
Horizon's expression changed to normal, "Oh. That's tragic."
Hamlinzok turned his attention to Horizon, his gaze piercing as he addressed him directly, "Horizon. Where were you when this happened?"
Horizon's response was nonchalant, almost dismissive. "I was making this garland." He gestured at Michael's neck, "I'm such a great artist."
Michael discarded the garland right in front of Horizon's eyes.
"My… Garland." He gasped. "I spent an hour making that thing."
Xyel put his palm to his forehead, "Horizon…unserious as always." he muttered under his breath.
Horizon shrugged, "As you say, Winged-Labourer."
Xyel immediately boiled with anger.
Meanwhile, Horizon stretched his hands behind his back, "Where to now, anyways, Hamlinzok?"
"It would be better to go to Juwexinof's domain next." Hamlinzok suggested, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation, " I have a feeling Jolain is going to strike there next. Michael should gain as much knowledge from Juwexinof as he can before any more tragedies happen."
Xyel nodded, " We will be on our way there right away." He walked to the door, "Come, Michael, towards The Singularity. I can only teleport alone now, unfortunately."
Michael walked over.
Suddenly, he felt something nudging at his leg. He looked down and saw it was Arial with watery eyes.
"What?" He asked, his tone indicating annoyed.
"Don't…goooo, Mikeyy." She whimpered
Michael looked up at Hamlinzok, demanding answers.
Instead, Hamlinzok smiled, "I've been thinking about it, actually. Can Arial go with you people?"
"YES, ABSOLUTELY!" Answered Xyel without a second thought.
"Are you serious?" Questioned Michael. " She will get hurt."
"Don't worry." Hamlinzok beamed, " You'll protect her."
Michael looked horrified.
"Oh and Horizon," He elbowed him, "You go with them too. Just in case."
Xyel's response was swift and unequivocal, his rejection of the idea immediate. "NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he interjected, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Why yes, of course, Hamlinzok. I will do just as you have asked." Horizon replied with a thrill.
Hamlinzok eyed Horizon suspiciously, a hint of skepticism in his gaze. "You never obey me," he murmured under his breath, his tone tinged with amusement.
Xyel groaned, "Horizon…if you end up causing trouble, I will kill you myself." he warned, his tone laced with equal parts frustration and determination.
But Horizon remained unfazed, his confidence unshaken. "High ambitions. I like it." he quipped, his tone light-hearted yet tinged with mischief.
"Let's gooooo now!!!" Arial exclaimed, tugging at Xyel's armor with childlike enthusiasm.
Xyel nodded, "Follow me, Michael…and Horizon."
They walked out of the house.
"In through the wheat fields on the right." He pointed.
"I just came through here. It's annoying. Why not just-," He raised his hand like a finger gun.
Xyel immediately pushed his hand down, "NO HORIZON." He sighed, " Why are you so reckless?"
"Pff…me and reckless? You must be out of your mind."
"Just walk through it again," he instructed with frustration.
The journey through the wheat fields proved troublesome, the sharp stalks scraping against their skin as they pushed their way through. It took them five long minutes to traverse the dense foliage and emerge on the other side.
There, they were met with the sight of a white glowing orb, its surface pulsating with energy as it sucked in multiple strands of light like a black hole.
Xyel pointed towards the orb with a sense of gravity, his voice filled with solemnity. "Here we are," he announced, "The Singularity. The portals which transport you from the universe to The Core and vice versa.However, this one will send you directly to Juwexinof's domain."
Without hesitation, Michael complied, stepping into the swirling vortex of energy.
And as he crossed the threshold, the world shifted yet again, plunging him into the unknown depths of this strange dimension.