Silence.
Why is it so silent?
Anguish flows through me as I clutch Eros's body in my fists, my face and hands covered in his blood. Pain reverberates through my chest, reaching to the edges of my soul. I rock against Eros, his body quickly turning cold against me. Sobs and screams fall from my mouth unencumbered; tears race rampant on their own down my unclean skin.
I am barely aware of the harsh words exchanged around me, or the scuffles of agitated, unsure feet. There is a collective breath being held in the sacred clearing, my sorrow on full display as the Angels around me await my reaction.
Perhaps it was foolish to believe we would go on forever. A young man's hope that his love would always be by his side. That his life's path was designed for both him and his love. Did we ever really live, knowing it would all restart? Perhaps our appreciation would have been fuller, had we only been given the one life together.
The world is cold without the warmth of Eros' skin against mine. Cradling him in my arms, his weight becomes heavier the more I hold onto him. I will need to let him down and yet cannot bring myself to do so. I want to carve out a moment where he is looking at me with love in his eyes and a smile on his precious face. I want to stay in a moment like that, forever.
I look down at Eros' face, his lifeless eyes closed behind translucent eyelids. This is not my love. All soul has been drained from his face. Everything pure and beautiful about him has been stripped away. This is not him, not anymore.
The pain shifts.
My fingernails cut into my skin, my body heats up uncontrollably and I look up fiercely. I find Azriel's eyes, his mouth tilted upwards in a victorious smirk. Impossibly, I manage to unwrap my arms from around Eros and stand slowly, all while glowering at Azriel.
I stalk over to where the Guardian's sword lays and bend to pick it up. Azriel's soldiers shuffle to watch my actions and intervene, but Luvenia, Onyx and Admodias are quick to block their path. Soren and Xander draw seraphs blades and stand beside them.
I reach Azriel and glare at Felio, "let him go."
Felio does as I demand, releasing Azriel from his tight grasp. Azriel chuckles and stands facing me. "You are ready to return and fight with us?" he asks confidently.
I squint at him, my gaze burning a fire I worry will become an uncontrollable blaze, unable to be tamed. "I will fight," I say through gritted teeth. "But not with you."
I step forward, swinging the blade in my right hand and slicing a cut along Azriel's bicep. Azriel stumbles backward at my assault, reaching down quickly and pulling out a second blade, smaller than the one now in my grasp. He blocks my second swing with the smaller blade, the clink of metal piercing my eardrums. I push him backwards, continuing my assaults and blocking his counterstrikes.
My initial attack appears to have started a fight between the opposing Angels, as more metal meeting in the still night air resonates in the clearing. I see movement in my peripheral vision, bodies and weapons clashing in a holy fight.
My feet shuffle expertly against the moss-covered earth, my training returning to my limbs like an old friend. Azriel appears dazed by my skill, his assuredness of my cooperation after Eros was...gone...crumbling before me.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Cassian. You can return. Return to the heavens, to your rightful place. You will forget all about the lowly angel."
His words do nothing but fuel the inferno burning within me and in one swift movement, I step to his side and slide my heavy blade through one of his wings. Azriel shouts out in pain, reaching around his shoulder and feeling the severed extremity. He stumbles backwards and falls to his knees. I stare him down and take another step forward.
Two Angels step in front of me, having broken free of the defence line behind us and outstretching their hands to protect my prey. They raise their blades to me in a warning, their stance primed to defend their commander. I scoff and advance.
I make quick work of the warriors, dropping down with one leg outstretched, tripping the one on my left, and the blade in my right-hand thrusting upwards, through the chest of the one to my right. As the right one collapses to the ground, I jump up and spin around, striking the remaining warrior as he regains his footing, through his back, directly between his wings and through his heart.
I turn and search the clearing for Azriel. He has not made it far with his injury, only halfway through the stone circle. He eyes those fighting near him with caution, attempting to stay unnoticed as he slips past. I storm towards him, throwing the blade into my left hand and flicking the crimson liquid to the ground.
The fire in my soul has not waned, my vision becomes hazy as I focus on my target. He will not leave this sacred ground with oxygen in his lungs.
I reach Azriel within seconds and turn him to face me. With my dominant hand, I draw back and throw a hard fist in his face. Azriel's face flings to the side from the strength of the blow. In any other situation, in any other time, it would have appeared almost comical. I only feel gratification in the crunching sound of his nose breaking and the immediate reddening of his jawline.
Azriel reels back towards me, his eyes glaring and his hand thrusting upwards with the seraph blade. I block his attack, the force of my block knocking the blade from Azriel's hands.
I advance, Azriel mimicking my movements like a dance and stepping back for every step I take forward. His back meets against a stone pillar with a thud and his hands flail between his sides and his chest, searching for something to defend himself with, his attempt failing. I trap Azriel with my arm across his neck, the Guardians sword in my other hand and weighing heavy in my hand. Its glow brightens as I glare at Azriel. It enjoys the fight.
Azriel smirks in my face as a sharp pain suddenly radiates from my abdomen, and I glance down. Azriel chuckles as he pulls out a hand-held seraph. Blood pours from the deep cut in my skin and I push harshly against Azriel's neck as I tear my eyes from the red dripping down my stomach. I grit my teeth; the physical pain is nothing compared to the torment my soul is in.
"You know nothing of Eros. Even in death, he is more than you could ever be. I will never re-join you." I step back despite the dull throb in my middle and lift the blade, Azriel's eyes widening.
I do not need to hear any more words from his treacherous mouth, and I do not give him time to reply. I take the sword and plunge it deep into Azriel's abdomen, the cut oozing blood instantly as I draw the blade out slowly. Azriel reaches his hands down to his stomach and gasps, falling to his knees as the silver tendrils stretch out from the wound and quickly reach out across his skin, wrapping around his heart.
Azriel slumps to the ground, eyes open and forever paused in shock. Power surges through me, starting from my head and travelling down, pulsing like electricity in my veins. A Guardian's power. I was in line to become the High Guard Warrior and without another successor, Azriel's position has automatically been passed to me upon his demise. It is a cruel irony.
I lift a hand to the cut on my front, trapping further blood from escaping. Holding tight to the Guardian's sword in my other hand, I turn to the fellow fighting angels. Blades are halted in mid-air and eyes are turned on me as the shift in power is felt through all the angels standing in the holy place.
"It is over. Leave now," I command. The power seeping from my voice is apparent and the exalted retreat without question. The fallen that remain watch me as I stumble forward. Luvenia strides to my side, lifting an arm over her shoulder as she helps me stagger to Eros.
I slump down next to Eros' body, grasping his cold hand in my palm and sweeping my gaze over his beautiful features. I can feel the silver tendrils spreading up my chest. I do not have much time.
"Onyx," I call. He appears next to me, on his knees by my side, tears in his own eyes as he looks over Eros' still form.
I pass him the Guardian's sword. He hesitates, looking up at me in question. I hear Admodias muffle a soft, "no" behind us.
"I need you to do it. This wound will only kill this reincarnation. I need to join my Eros, wherever he is," I cough as the poison spreads and finds its way to my bloodstream.
"Are you sure?" Onyx looks solemnly at me, swallowing deeply. I nod my head and offer the blade once more. Onyx slowly takes the blade from my outstretched hand.
I look to my Eros, leaning down and placing a kiss on his frozen forehead. "More sure than I have ever been. It is by his side that I belong. Help me find him."
Onyx nods once. He stands, twisting the sword in his palm as if he is deliberating silently in his mind. He looks to Admodias, who shakes her head quickly, tears falling down her face. Onyx looks back to Eros, lying motionless on the forest floor, then back to me. I see the moment he decides. The resolve is clear in his eyes. Onyx pulls back the sword and...
"Wait! Stop!" Admodias runs over to us, kneeling before Eros and placing her hands on his chest. A silent moment passes before she exhales, "I can feel it."
I look between Onyx and Admodias, her eyes trained on Eros' peaceful face. The silver tendrils are inching closer to my heart, beginning to wrap themselves around the pumping muscle. My breaths are becoming harder.
"Feel what Admodias?" Onyx asks, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him.
"Life. New life," She runs her hands once more over Eros' chest, up to his face and across his forehead. "I don't understand. I feel his soul coming to life. It will be gone soon, but it will reform once again."
Relief floods my system, along with the fear it is a trick. "Are you sure?" Blood oozes from my stomach and I splatter out a cough, the hand I use to cover my mouth full of fresh crimson. I look up to Admodias, who sees the red in my palm. "I do not have much time, do not make me go through this if I will not be returned to him."
Admodias nods adamantly, "I am sure of it, Cassian. He will live again. Both of you will."
I can no longer hold myself up, slumping over Eros, removing my hand from my stomach and wrapping it around Eros' hand. I bring our entwined hands to Eros' chest and look at Onyx.
Onyx loosens his grip on the Guardian's sword, dropping it out of reach and kneeling next to me again. In an unwavering tone, he says, "I will watch over him in the next life and keep him safe. I will bring him to you."
I feel the darkness taking over and breathe out slowly, Onyx's words filling me with adoration and hope.
"Thank you......old friend," I say, as my eyes close and my breathing slows. I feel a hand on my shoulder, unaware of whom it belongs, but it provides comfort all the same.
Slowly, silently, everything turns black.