The immortal realm is celebrating the festival of Samsara, which is a highly anticipated festival for demons and angels, it is called a festival as the angels and demons on this occasion go through the cycle of samsara on their own will or as decided by the Emperor based on their duration in the immortal realm and duties they followed, they reincarnate as a human in mortal world without any memories of the immortal realm, this cycle is seen as sacred and is celebrated once in a century. The heavenly palace and the streets where everyone gathered for this special occasion are decorated and bustling with all types of immortals, they did a lot of preparations and everyone seems impressed with the arrangements. All types of luxuries are served, there are dances and songs and many other artistic activities carried out on the streets, while inside the heavenly palace main hall the Emperor of the immortal realm, sits lazily on his huge throne of long gold wings that spread wide and above, depicting the protection he receives and gives to angels. His head resting on his palm as he listens to the court officials discussing the matters they call important for the realm, the royal cabinet there is busy in an argument while the Emperor himself just wanted to make them all scram, choose a silent place and be secluded for some time. It has always been tiring listening to those old and never-ending complaints.
The Emperor of the immortal realm is highly attractive and likable like moonlight in darkness, pale skin shining like the purest light, enhancing his features more and the maroon satin clothes draping his body made by gold brocade, covered in jewels from head to toe and a big Gold crown with beautiful patterns resting on his head but despite all this, his face is the beauty to behold and his personality to be calm in all the chaos without a complaint is what makes him control the two kingdoms peacefully, he is indeed the Emperor born for angels and demons. He had an immense amount of power that radiates from him; he is loved and respected by all. There were prime officials from the Demon Kingdom and Angels and several others arguing on a certain matter, in the heavenly court, this meeting occurs once in a hundred years or more and the preparations of it start soon after the meeting ends for next time. Such an extravagant occasion but the Emperor was not interested, he was about to make them all shut when he hears a tinkle of a bell, a small, sweet sound that maybe others couldn’t hear or ignore but he knows very well the meaning of it.
He sits up straight making the whole court go quiet, they look at him alarmed, the Emperor looks serious with a frown on his face but soon it is replaced by a smile. His gaze fixes at the middle of the hall and at that moment a white flash of light emits there. The officials sitting there gasps and close their eyes, could not able to bear it. The flash remains for a few seconds and completely goes down leaving behind a person bent on his knee his white cloak fluttering and slowly settling down on the shining floor, his head low, golden hair touching the floor falling on his back, the white clothes with gold embroidery looked so pure and matches him so well that everyone waited for the person to look up holding their breath, anticipating.
“Today is really special now that I get to see you here, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Immortals” The Emperor smiles warmly “Get up” though being in the most dignified position the Emperor still registers the other with the title, not at all faltering in his etiquettes.
A silvery voice acknowledges the welcome “Is this immortal still worthy of that title?” the voice was filled with sadness and a hint of amusement “Just call me Asil” the gasps could be heard in the court the officials abruptly kneel bowing to the Prince. The prince looks up at the Emperor “Barthason” he breathes, bowing again and then looking at the Emperor, he composes himself “His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, how have you been?” he asks, features so soft, beautiful and delicate that the whole immortal realm couldn’t compete, his golden hair brushes his cheeks as he gets up, legs bare, pale skin matching with the clothes, everything about him was so attractive that the demon realm couldn’t help but steal glances of him from time to time, he looks so simple yet the beauty and purity in features unmatched, he was an angel, incomparable in the realm. Asil, the well-known angel and most discussed immortal has once again shown his presence, none of them were able to believe their eyes. He looks around at the officials asking them to sit back and then back at Barthason, “How long has it been?” The officials start murmuring.
It is him
The most beautiful Angel and the Prince, the only one who could use powers of the cosmos, brought Emperor.
He looks so plain he was talked to have powers to destroy the worlds in a blink.
I thought he died or was in hiding.
“About a thousand years in the immortal realm” The Emperor answers looking at him intently, the beautiful, blue eyes widen in astonishment, both of them ignoring the talks going on in the court.
“So long…it took him so long” The angel looks down thinking about it then gazes back up again “I felt my heartbeat speed up for a few seconds and then since yesterday it has been beating so fast, my bleeding heart is healing and craving for somebody, it doesn’t happen without a reason, he was born and has come of age, this immortal doesn’t want to sound rude but why has His Majesty not told me, he knows everything,” Asil says sadness evident in those blue orbs, such a pain that even the Emperor feels his smile wipe off, leaving an itch in his heart.
“His Highness” The Emperor was above him but dare he or any other officials call Asil without using the title, he was there long before their existence, worked hard to make the realm what it is today “Th is Emperor would not have delayed much”
Asil smiles though his features say otherwise “Delayed” he almost whispers, Asil holds that sad smile making others ache to help him, reach to him “It is already delayed much, this pain I go through each day, maybe this is the reason I was chosen” The Emperor’s eyes widen hearing it, his fingers itching to reach out and hold the angel in front of him in an embrace. “He is waiting for me, I have to descend to the mortal realm,” Asil says. The officials start murmuring again not able to hold back, the Emperor holds his forehead as if having an ache. This year of the festival is going to be unique, he should have expected it.
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Outside of the Heavenly court, on the streets where everything looked so unreal and extraordinary, little angels, cupids, and other small immortals played and ran along the streets, demons and angels were walking on the same ground for this festival celebrated in a century, laughs and conversations could be heard while passing by the street, everyone looked so excited, a sudden golden dust shower from the sky making people halt and look above, they all cry in joy “What a blessing! What a blessing! His Royal highness, the Prince of Immortals woke up” the excitement triples itself among people as they bath in a golden shower with a smile on their faces, a little angel runs towards his mother looking at her with doe eyes “Who is His Royal Highness, what is this Golden shower mother” he says, his mother picks him up in her arms, his wings fluttering with happiness as he looks at her.
She smiles at his adorableness, she is his caretaker “You want to know? Didn’t you see that statue of a Prince in the Central, he is called The Prince of Immortals”
“I want to meet him, mother, take me to him” Her laugh wavers off.
“He has been sleeping for long I don’t think he will show up to us so soon, you will have to wait,” She says looking at the little one.
“Why was he sleeping?” The little angel had so many questions popping up in his head. The mother and son duo hears a man laugh and looks in his direction. It was a very high rank and an old angel with the name Omminor who have seen all the changes in the immortal world, the turns of events, the wars, and also looked after the mortal realm, he is the emissary of Emperor and is allowed to travel to mortal realm, he is the eyes and ears of Emperor for years. He was sitting below a tree looking at the golden shower when he heard the little angel ask questions and couldn’t help but laugh; there was a group of little angels and demons around him. He was about to tell them tales of the immortal realm but now with the curiosity of this little one, his eyes shone with happiness. He calls the mother and son to sit over, they respectfully bow to him and join the group.
“I was just thinking of what to tell this time to these little birds but you surely gave a good suggestion,” the said little birds giggle “Do you want to know why the angel was sleeping for so long…..” They nod their head quickly. Omminor smiles and continues.
“It was a long, long time ago when Cosmos showered the blessings on us angels granting the wishes of us to have someone to guide and look after us, and His Highness, the Prince stepped in our realm, he was gentle, pure, calm and so beautiful, angels wanted to have one glimpse of him, he was very young, filled with youthful energy and very powerful, running around in the streets just like you, he never cared about his status and position” the little angel giggles and his mother looks at him with a warm smile, sitting beside him, “He soon win everyone’s heart, blessed with the wisdom he was honored as Prince looking over the immortal realm, at that time there was no division between demons and angels, with his reign the immortal realm was prospering, things were running very smoothly.
Then one day, while walking through the central he found a timid-looking angel near the corner, he was quiet and lonely, young and maybe of the same age as his highness. The prince became very happy to see him and talk to him, but the angel cower in fear and told the prince not to touch him, he is diseased. The Prince became curious and coaxed him to come to the palace, he made him feel comfortable and came to know that he is a defected angel who can’t take out his wings and therefore is isolated. Prince still took care of him and involved him in every activity he did, he even included the angel in court matters, he called him brother Araqiel. The Prince didn’t expect his brother to be so brave and protective of him, wherever they went Araqiel always followed like a shadow, if somebody tried to argue he would draw out his sword. Asil who was all by himself all this time felt happy to be in his company, they would talk for hours, roam around, in no time everyone started mentioning him along with the prince. Araqiel didn’t show any disdain but the Prince didn’t like this title so he honored him as his respectable brother who will sit next to him, various officials were against his decisions and voiced it out but the Prince calmly answered their doubts, he never felt like only he was favored by the cosmos, those who live are all blessed. Slowly the people got used to the new brother as they found him quite noble and pure like Prince, they were famous for twin princes but the prince was still the one people trusted more, wherever he went blessings were showered on people, he couldn’t see anyone in pain and would help them instantly.
A few years later, the realm faced a catastrophe that was first reported by an angel Merfost, very wise and elegant and highly virtuous like Prince. The Prince always listened to his advice and so looked into the cause, he reported that they are facing not a disease but a curse where the angels have their wings turn black and completely fall in a few years making the angel neither mortal nor immortal, he told that it is seen to be the work of a notorious group of angels spreading like disease in the realm. The number started increasing slowly engulfing half of the angels in the realm, everyone prayed and asked for forgiveness but nothing was working, worried for his people the Prince tried looking for a cure and came to know about the unusual feelings arising in angels as the cause that brought this curse to them, it made them dream of the hidden desires and made them defective, these desires spread from angels to angels and those corrupted were called demons, they even named these demons as seven deadly sins based on the dominant desires these demons inflict. Many rumors spread some said they were a mixed breed between angels and demons while some said they were purely demons feeding on us, but this was a serious matter, it was never to cause chaos among immortals yet angels couldn’t remain pure.
The angels who witnessed the time, tell these tales, it is said that when he tried to talk and make demons understand to have not corrupt his beings, they didn’t listen, they even tried to curse him, he had the divine power but he didn’t want to fight his own so he was thinking of others ways, his brother on other hand didn’t agree with his plan and jumped in alone to deal with them with intention of killing them, he was not able to bear the cries and pain of the angels. Araqiel along with angels who agreed with him went to have war with seven deadly sins, this lead to a blood bath in the realm, the Prince got very disappointed, the least he wanted was for his people to fight with each other. Araqiel was also infected with the powers of seven deadly sins in the great battle of blades and magic clashing, it made him show rage and become insane he started killing more and more defectives and his power started increasing, grew stronger with time engulfing his angel nature during the war, it was hard to differentiate who is black and who is white to the point it became unbearable for Prince to not intervene.
Right then immortals heard the harsh sound of the bell, very loud, it rang for several times and the Prince opened his wings, that blue eyes of his changed to deep blue, his golden wings so big and beautiful, so dense it can destroy many worlds, a gold crown appears on his head with the shape of wings that radiates the energy when he changes. The Prince didn’t look calm and gentle anymore, he had the powers of cosmos, he entered the war with the wave of his hand in a circular motion he formed a barrier for anyone in the war to go out, his face showing grim expressions, he pushed the magic sphere he created in his hands leading the angels motionless and their power sucked out from them, the golden color of his wings grew stronger and the golden light started dancing and curling upon his body, his eyes blazed as he started to take all the sinful desires from his angels not bothering of the effect it might have on his own body. The demons tried to stop him but were not able to reach him he made formations using the golden light and chained the seven of them, their power depleting as the golden lights sucked the sins through them, wails and cries filled the place, causing terror all over. The Prince showed his power to the world, the demons subsided and disintegrated in the air like dust. But it didn’t stop Asil, his craving for more lives of immortal increased, and his feathers changed color to that of flames as he took more of sins, his hunger grew more, he wanted to end them all, immortals asked for his mercy but he was not himself anymore, not the gentle angel they thought him to be.
Araqiel stepped in again trying to help his brother but he was not even able to walk close when his body started to wither, he tried to call Asil’s name and reach out but couldn’t even utter a sound and was lost in the chaos. The power of the cosmos suddenly increased ten folds, the Prince couldn’t control it and lost consciousness at the same time another angel appeared who held the Prince and took him back. It was the day, Asil lost his brother and gained Barthason as his Emperor.
After a decade where things recovered back to normal, it was seen that those touched by Asil’s power and defected by sins have grown their unique powers, they could change forms, control fire, form complex formations and barriers of magic, and use fire as their weapons, angels called them demons. Their number grew and the most affected of them was Merfost who had spent much time with them and reported this phenomenon. He asked for a new kingdom for demons where they could live without getting conscious of their looks as after the war they could not change back to pure white wings and had black mixed in between, rooting their souls with the curse, they also thought since they could use fire they wanted to be near mortal realm. They still were defective and wanted to embrace the dark side of immortality so that way only they could remove it and help angels.
His idea opened a door for solution and division was made but the difference still lingered between two Kingdoms, both blamed each other for war and each time Asil would take action to put it to a full stop. Tired of these differences and still grieving for his brother’s death, Asil decided he will seal his power and not use it again and make Barthason as the Emperor, who entered in the crucial time for him to rule both kingdoms and judge their doings. His decisions will be the law. This way they both won’t interfere in each others’ matter, so the seat of Emperor was formed, and Emperor Barthason was crowned by Asil who brought peace to both realms” Omminor says dreamily “I was appointed at that time too as the member of the officials, we were all at peace, his reign made things go easy for everyone. The prince used to sit next to the Emperor, to his left and the right of it was kept an empty throne for his brother who he lost in war. He always remained calm and smiled though he was grieving and blaming himself inside, he was so gentle to both realms that they could not help but respect him in return, sometimes he used to come to streets to eat their food, play with children, whenever he used to pass the street golden shower occurs, marking his presence, always in white silk, it was his identity, whenever he looked at little angels he asked to them for touching their wings, as if missing his own”
Omminor brushes the hair of the little angel looking at him with expecting eyes, he laughs as he sees during his narration more angels have joined in to listen, and it has been a long time since someone has talked about it again so they were all excited. Today was special and they wanted to remember him, they listened to him eagerly as he narrates the story. The little angel frowns and questions “But why did he sleep?” Omminor laughs loudly at that making the little one sulk and puff his cheek “Dear one, this was just the beginning of a legend”.