Chapter 1: The Split: Chapter 1
"Fire…"
A dark day — the darkest day that ever set upon the holy city of Amaryllis — maybe even for the whole of Divinia. Fire spread throughout the forests that surrounded the city, and ash fell from the sky like rain. There were people — angels they called — both civilians and soldiers; running outside a gate, that seemed to be a gateway that spanned for miles, but on the other side of the portal, was still the same as it was in the city: just filled with flames. Their world began to split apart, like a branch falling from a tree, while the leaves were left to fall and die.
Millions of angels hurrying to the portal with their families and friends — some carrying the bodies of their dead. Wanting to take refuge inside the city, or trying to escape from the flames that became larger with every step they take; everyone ran for their lives as they face death in the eye.
"EVERYONE, THIS WAY!" said one of the angels guarding the portal. A new wave of angels emerged from the portal — and now, thousands more — with their living and dead.
One of the angels that came from the portal was carrying a large sheet in her arms: a young woman, with silky white skin, hair as yellow as a sunflower, and eyes as blue as the sea; wearing a white silk dress with small shades from the ash that fell, and a yellow halo that floated above her head. The woman pushed through the crowd while holding the sheet, grabbing it tightly as she passed. The woman arrives at the gates — which were filled with angels trying to get in the city — she pushes through the waiting crowd and meets one of the guards stationed at the entrance, trying to monitor the masses.
The guard was talking to a family of angered angels — until he glances his eye at the woman, and recognizes her almost instantly.
"Lady Vivienne!" the guard shouted in relief, sticking his head out to call and go to her, "I'm overjoyed that you made it milady! We feared the worst- ".
"Where is Reginald?" asks the woman in haste.
"S-sir Reginald is at the cathedral in the city milady," said the guard, "We'll open the gate for you to pass through, follow me".
The guard now hurrying towards the center of the gate, followed by the woman; leaving the family of angels the guard was talking to. While walking pass through the crowd, the woman turns her eyes at the people standing in wait, not knowing what to feel about the sight that shown on her eyes: desperate people were trying to survive, people begging the guards to let them inside, and people drowning in their tears as they held the hands of their dying love ones.
Pity? Sadness? Or Anger? The woman was clueless on what is to be felt, but as she looks down at the sheet she holds, she knew not what to feel, but what must be done. They arrive at the center of the gates; two yellow enchanted doors massive enough to cover most of the buildings in the city.
"Here we are Lady Vivienne," said the guard facing the woman, "We cleared out the people blocking the entrance so you can pass through. The gate will open enough space for you to go inside".
"And what about the people here?" asks the woman coldly as she gives the guard a piercing stare.
"W-we were given orders by Sir Reginald," said the guard, noticing her cold tone, "`The gates must not open until we get orders from the Seraph', he said." The guard turns around and waited for the gate to be unenchanted.
The woman slowly turns her head at the people behind her, looking at their suffering and pain — which ached her heart to see — she turns back to the gate and looks up. And with one faint breath.
"Let them in…".
"W-what?!" The guard quickly turns his attention back at the woman, surprised by her words, "W-what was that, milady?".
"Let…them…in," she said heavily.
"B-but Sir Reginald order- ".
"I do not care what Reginald's orders are; The people here are suffering and begging to get in the city for safety. As one of the Arches, he should have let these people enter in the first place!".
"Lady Vivienne, I- ".
"I will not repeat myself — Now, open the gate!".
The guard looks at the woman in the eye, meeting her cold gaze — making his heart beat for a mile — he turns back around the gate and takes a breath. He raises his arm at the gate, then it slowly opens. The woman turns around to face the crowds, pointing her finger at the massive gates.
"Everyone! The gates have open; all of you inside, now!".
The masses — jumping to their toes — quickly grabbed their belongings and loved ones, then ran towards the city in haste. The people thank the woman as they passed through.
"Creator bless you milady".
"My family and I can't thank you enough milady".
After the woman helped some of the injured people passing through, it was now time for her to go in as well. She goes to the guard and said her farewells.
"Protect the people while they go inside, there will be more problems soon," said the woman.
"I will, milady," the guard replied.
"Thank you." She nods at the guard and he nods back at her.
The woman quickly walks through the gates, strolling down the concrete ground of the city; Healers were tending to the wounded, and placing white sheets on the dead; the buildings drenched in water and burning flowers, and the sky showed a dark eclipse. She turns her eyes away from all of it, then looks down at the sheet she holds — caressing it gently — she then starts to walk faster, heading to the cathedral in the middle of the city. She goes through the districts which were filled with the new people that came from the gates — and some districts were utterly destroyed or drenched in flames.
She reaches a flight of grey concrete stairs; she looks up and saw the cathedral: Built from iron and stone and painted with silk white and yellow paint. She starts to climb up, reaching the doors that were guarded by men with heavy armor, their wings showing on their backs, and carrying steel white spears. The woman walks up to the doors, then was stopped as the guardsmen block her with their weapons.
"Identify yourself!" The guard points his spear at her face.
"I- ".
"Stop!!" a faint sound was heard inside the cathedral, ordering the guards to stay their hands. Just then, the doors suddenly open, revealing a man with faint blue hair, fair skin, and blue eyes similar to the woman; wearing a sky-blue coat with white trimmings.
"Anna!" The man walks up to the woman and hugs her tightly, then let's go, "I feared you were dead".
"It's good to see you, Jared".
"Come on, I'll take you upstairs; Reginald is worried sick".
Anna Vivienne and the man named Jared enter the cathedral in haste; passing through the pews, the yellow glass windows, and the priests praying at the altar of their creator — Cyril. They reach a flight of spiral stairs, leading up. They start to climb and Anna looks out the windows: she saw the smoke emitting from the forests, and the people coming out of the portal still running.
"Everything is a mess," said Jared angrily while walking up "So many of our people dead; the forests are up in flames, and we are still at the brink of war with Chrysalia!".
"Do you really think the war is our main concern at the moment?" asks Anna.
"Maybe not, but we cannot just forget the possibility that they have something to do with all of this".
The feeling she felt back at the gates hits her again, but this time, it was stronger; It was not pity anymore, nor it was sadness or anger, it was something else — something that pressured her heart more. The feeling of wanting to tell someone, but can't, forcing her to keep quiet and instead avert her gaze away from the window; she lowers her head, then exhales before she tells herself quietly enough for Jared to not hear, "I assure you…None of this…is their doing"
They finally arrive at the top of the stairs, Jared steps firmly into what seems to be a small foyer, a lobby. The room was filled with large pictures consisting of the current arches of Divinia, and a statue in the middle that commemorated their god. Anna follows after Jared, seeing the white paint that donned the room, and the decorations that made it pious. Jared walks to the other side of the room, then stood beside a wooden door.
"Reginald is behind this door Anna," said Jared, "I'll leave you two to talk, I need to go to the city square to help the wounded. I will meet you again back here later".
Jared pats Anna on the shoulder before leaving the room and back downstairs. Anna opens the door and steps foot on the balcony that overlooked the entire city. For a moment, she looks around for Reginald; noticing a figure at a distance, sitting on a table at the center end of the balcony. She walks up to it and saw a man with yellow-white hair, a wrinkled face, brown eyes, and wore a white suit and a white tie; It was Reginald, with a steel white halo floating above his head that confirmed it.
"Ahem," she speaks up.
Reginald looked tired and worried, but when he saw Anna, he jumped out of his chair, smiling wide as he does, "Anna! You're alive!" He gives her a smile and a quick hug. Are you ok? Are you hurt? Were the questions that he asked Anna, like a father worrying for her child.
"I'm fine Regi," she assures him.
"I can't believe your alive Anna," said Reginald with relief but regret in his voice, "After I received a report that Zorana fell, I feared that you were dead along with the city".
Anna pats his shoulder and touches his cheek, calming him down before he burst into tears, "I'm here old man; I was able to escape." Anna moves her hand away from his face and onto the bottom of the sheet she holds. Reginald turns away from Anna and faces outward to the overlook, exhaling the air in his lungs — the air that was filled with fragments of smoke and ash.
"I tried saving the other cities back at Nemotera…" said Reginald with a heavy heart, "All I could do was… I couldn't save all of them; me, an Arch, can't even save one damn city!" He slams his fist on the table; a small spark emits from where it fell, breaking the entire desk.
Anna walks up beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder, "You are only one angel Regi; there was nothing more you could've done, except save what people you can".
Reginald sighs at his failure, but smiles at Anna's kind gesture, "Thank you… Anna." Patting Anna's hand that lay on his shoulder.
Anna smiles at him, then turns her eyes to look outward, seeing the entire city filling up with angels entering from the gates. Little did she know, that Reginald also saw it with her, and to her surprise, Reginald sighs again and looks at her.
"I believe that is your doing?" asks Reginald with a scowl.
"Uhm — yes," said Anna faintly.
Reginald lowers his head and facepalms, but he raises his head again and looks at Anna, "How many times have I told you to not disobey orders Anna! You have known me for a long time, and you should've thought there was a reason I close those gates".
"What stopped you?" asks Anna.
"One of the Thrones delivered a letter, saying that the gates should remain close until further orders from the Seraph," said Reginald, "I don't know why the Seraph would order something like that amidst of this, but it seemed important; not to us but maybe to them".
Anna lowers her head a bit in thought, wondering why the Seraph's orders were that: Denying the people their safety and risking their lives. She thought of every possible reason why it was that; every possible benefit, advantage, and disadvantage. Was there something going on? Was there some mixed-up of letters? Or did the Seraph drank too much wine? Possibilities were endless, but Anna never imagined the Seraph delaying the evacuation.
"Did the elves get the same orders?" asks Anna while in thought.
"Yes, so did the wolven," said Reginald, giving the letter to Anna for her to read, "The city of Zevia and Berstol, got the same order; the gates of both cities remain close. Only Amaryllis opened because of you".
Anna looks at the letter, filled with white all over, smooth texture despite the ash falling on it; gold trimming that donned the sides, and the seal of the Seraph: A picture of a man wearing a long white robe, a scepter in his hands, large wings on the back, and a halo above his head. Anna opens the letter, with yellow ink that made the cursive words glow and emit from the letter.
To the Arch of Glory, Archangel Reginald Evangelist
You are hereby ordered to hold the city of Amaryllis on lockdown until further orders from the Seraphim. The gates must not be open to anyone.
Despite the lockdown, the evacuation will proceed as planned and the people must be ordered to stay outside the gates and must be monitored by guards for their safety.
Disobey the order, and one of the thrones will take over your post, and will carry out the order as they see fit.
This order must be carried out immediately upon reading.
May the curator and God guide you.
As Anna reads the last word, she clenches the letter out of anger, disappointed by the Seraphim. She makes the crunched-up letter levitate then clenches her hand, and after a second, the letter reduces to just fragments of light.
Reginald, still looking outward, remembers the letter's words and lets out a heavy sigh. He walks up to the baluster and touches a pillar, caressing the smooth stonework gently but with regret for what he is about to do, "I'm sorry…" He drops his hand and lets out a firm, but weak voice "I have… to close the gate, but now, it stays... shut".
Anna quickly turns her head to face Reginald, gritting her teeth and throwing one of her arms down of disbelief, "W-what?!" She roared to Reginald, stomping her feet one step forward, "Reginald, you can't! What about the people? Their families, their friends, our people!"
Reginald turns away from the pillar and faces towards Anna, giving her a stern look on his face, "You saw the letter. If I disobey the order, they will send one of the thrones, and we both know what they will do to ensure that order will be fulfilled — no matter the cost".
"Trust me…Anna, we would save more lives this way. If a throne takes over, he will stop at nothing to make sure that gate stays close, even if it means killing anyone who tries to open it!".
"But Regi- "
A cry suddenly bursts from nowhere — surprising Reginald. Anna hears the cry then quickly hovers her hand above the sheet she holds; she flicks away a piece of cloth — revealing the face of a small baby boy, bursting into tiny tears running down his small, but chubby cheeks and pink nose — awakened by their argument. Anna cradles the baby with both her hands and started rocking it, shushing as she does so, to calm the baby down.
Reginald, seeing the baby in her hands, jumped in bewilderment; questioning Anna about the child. Reginald's stern face, turn into what looked like worry.
"Whose child is this?!" asks Reginald, who was at the tip of his toes and his hand grabbing a hilt of a summoned sword.
Anna continued to rock the baby until it stopped crying; smiling as she looks at the baby's cute face, making her heart frolic on a beautiful meadow, but she snapped out of it as she turns her head and saw Reginald holding his sword; instead of summoning her own, she strikes Reginald with a cold stare.
"He — He is mine".
"B-but Anna!" roared Reginald in anger, "You know what this means?! If the people find out — no, if the Seraph finds out, not only will you face imprisonment, you could also be sentenced to be fallen!".
"…that is why — I came here to see you," said Anna, "I want you to vouch for me… and the child"
"W-what?!"
"No one else, not even my family has seen or heard from me since the start of the war but you," said Anna, walking closely to Reginald to hold his right hand up to his chest, " I want you to tell them that I got married during these past years by some common angel, and this child — is what came from it".
"Anna — this is outrageous- "
"I know it is…but please — I ask you this, no — I beg you to tell them; if not for me, then for my mother and father," said Anna with a dismal voice as her eyes turned heavy.
Reginald stares her in the eyes, seeing it fill up with tears. After a moment passes, he slowly turns his eyes to gaze at the child that was sleeping soundly in her arms; it made his heart skip with guilt. He quickly removes his hand from Anna's grasp, turns around to walk a few steps forward, and then lowers his head in thought. His mind rambled about the people's culture and traditions, and that what lay in front of him was one of the few that they disregard, and that made him consider the option to refuse her plea. But his heart reluctantly opposed; he could not — in good conscience — turn away Anna and the child, thinking he would be no better than a demon if he did. And so, with his decision made, he turns back to look at Anna; standing there in silence, looking down with a tear or two droppings from her face.
"I know…I'm asking a lot Reginald, but please".
"Fine…I'll vouch for you…and the child".
In her bewilderment, Anna quickly raises her head and gave Reginald a wide smile while turning his sword back into fragments of light; she wipes her face from tears with a piece of cloth from the sheet.
"Reginald! I can't thank you enough- ".
"But on one condition…" He raises a finger at Anna, striking her with a stern look, "This child must not know of the events that led up to his birth; meaning, he must not know anything of his father — whoever he is — or anything that affiliates with him. He must only take your family name — Vivienne — and be raised around its members. If you accept, then I will gladly tell the Seraph — or even the whole realm — that this child was the result of a quick marriage, and not out of wedlock.
"I can't thank you enough, Reginald," said Anna with a shrill voice, "I thought that you would refuse…".
"I promised your parents that I would protect you with all my strength, and that — now applies to this young boy. I hope you are ready for what it takes to be this boy's mother, considering if we get out of this situation first."
"Don't worry — we will"
Reginald walks back to the baluster, where the pillar he touched stood. Anna later follows after, standing beside him and touching the stone railing with her hand. The little baby boy slowly wakes up when she did, but now, instead of tears, he looks at Anna with a cute smile; his small arms reaching up to touch her face. Anna gazes at the baby and giggles at the sight; she lets out a finger for him to grab, and as he does, he lets out a few small squeaks and giggles, which filled her heart with joy.
"It's almost over now — my dear boy, we'll be safe soon".
Reginald silently looks at them, seeing their smiles and laughter together, reminding him of when Anna was a child, playing with her mother. He slowly dons a smile — feeling it in his heart that he truly made the right choice.
"It may be out of line for me, but can I ask — who's… the father?" asks Reginald.
For a minute, it was silent as Anna thought about what to say, she turned her head away from the boy and to Reginald, she looks him straight in the eye and moves her lips to speak.
"I- ".
The sky suddenly turned dark — darker than it was before and it shook the entire city, making both of them shift their attention. The darkness made their eyes see nothing, made them panic, and their hearts skip a beat. Anna held the boy as close to her chest as she could, while Reginald jumped in front of them, summoning a sword back to his hand. The sky stayed dark, and the city stayed quiet — a silence that made them hear their own heartbeats as though it was close to their ears.
For a few moments it stayed, then the darkness slowly loses its shade, making them see everything again. Both them and the city slowly regained their bearings; they sigh in relief as they thought it was over, but it was not. Anna looks up at the sky, and saw the eclipse; both the sun and the moon shaking as if they were about to blow, but it didn't. The eclipse now stood still, and Anna let out a breath of relief as she lowers her head, but was interrupted — by an echo of screams. She quickly looks up again and saw the eclipse split apart like it was nothing; a curtain of fire burst from the moon, then quickly into a mist of black smoke that covered even the sun.
Meteors fall from the black mist; one was heading towards the balcony where Anna and Reginald stood. Reginald quickly holds Anna tightly as he lets out his wings to cover them from the blast. As the ball hit the stone, Anna covers the baby's ear and eyes, then closes hers, as did Reginald. Both the pillars and the half of the foundation crumbles into rocks with remnants of fire from the explosion. Anna opens her eyes to see Reginald panting breathlessly from the pain; he lets go of Anna to unsheathe his wings, which was covered with his blood. The balcony looked no more than wreckage, with fragments of stone, wood, and feathers scattered around the damaged ground; and smoke that hid the overlook. Anna quickly goes down on her knees to try to help Reginald.
"Regi, are you okay?" asks Anna with a tremulous voice.
"I'm fine — just — need to rest my wings," said Reginald, panting heavily as he slowly bleeds.
Anna offered her halo for Reginald to stand up, they then slowly walk to what remained of the overlook railings, waving away the smoke as they pass through. For seconds they kept walking until they reached the broken stone railings; the smoke slowly fades away. When their vision slowly improved as the smoke disperse, they saw, at their dismay: The entire city burning. From the cathedral to the gates, fire donned in all; the people down below cried as they saw their families burned to a dark crisp; the city walls destroyed from the debris of the meteors; and the sun covered with small displays of dark clouds, with the moon nowhere to be seen. Chaos ensued as they thought it was the end. Reginald with his eyes wide open, and his mouth gaped at the disturbing sight; the baby boy cried until his tears dried up from the heat; and Anna, her eyes reflecting the very destruction that was in front of her, shaken her heart to its very…core.
"God…"
"Help us"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone