Chapter 2 – The Seven Thrones Descend
The sky shattered.
It did not explode with thunder nor split apart with blinding lightning.
Instead, it cracked like flawless glass struck by an invisible hammer.
A single fracture spread across the heavens.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
The sound that followed was unlike anything ever heard by mortal ears.
It was neither a roar nor a scream.
It was the sound of reality itself breaking.
Azrael instinctively stepped in front of Seraphina as countless fragments of light drifted downward like falling stars. Yet before they could touch the ground, every shard dissolved into streams of radiant energy.
Above them, the endless blue sky peeled apart.
Behind it...
There was another sky.
A sky older than the world itself.
Massive golden structures floated among oceans of white clouds that stretched beyond sight. Rivers of liquid light flowed between islands suspended in the heavens, while colossal pillars held up cities that seemed large enough to contain continents.
Countless winged figures stood upon those distant platforms.
Watching.
"They’re..." Seraphina whispered.
"...looking at us."
Before Azrael could answer, the translucent screen before them shifted.
"Celestial Evolution System"
Emergency Protocol Activated
Primordial Authorities have been located.
Camouflage Sequence Initiated.
The black halo above Azrael dissolved into wisps of smoke before sinking into his body.
Seraphina’s white halo did the same, melting into golden particles that disappeared beneath her skin.
The strange pressure surrounding them vanished instantly.
Azrael blinked.
"So... no one saw those?"
"I don’t think so."
Around them, the frozen world suddenly lurched back into motion.
The wind returned.
Leaves resumed falling.
Birds burst into frightened flight.
A heartbeat later—
Chaos erupted.
People screamed.
Cars collided in the streets.
Parents rushed toward their children.
Every eye stared upward at the impossible world hanging beyond the broken sky.
Television screens across the city lost their signals.
Emergency sirens echoed from every direction.
"What... is happening?"
"No..."
"It can’t be..."
Someone dropped to their knees and began praying.
Others recorded everything with shaking hands.
The impossible had become undeniable.
Humanity was no longer alone.
...
Thousands of kilometers above Earth...
Within the celestial realm.
A throne carved from a single crystal mountain overlooked an endless sea of clouds.
Upon it sat a being whose presence eclipsed the stars themselves.
Six radiant wings rested behind his back.
A crown of burning gold floated above his silver hair.
His eyes slowly opened.
"The seals have broken."
His voice carried through Heaven like a divine decree.
Below the throne, hundreds of angels immediately knelt.
"My Lord."
"The Origin Authorities have awakened."
The angel remained silent for several moments.
His gaze pierced countless dimensions before finally settling upon a tiny blue world floating within the endless cosmos.
"So..."
"They survived."
Another angel stepped forward.
His armor shimmered like polished sunlight.
"Shall we dispatch the Legions?"
"No."
The throne room fell silent.
"Send only the Watchers."
"If they truly carry Genesis and Oblivion..."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"...they must not awaken completely."
"As you command."
The angel vanished in a flash of white light.
...
Back in Elysia...
Azrael’s heartbeat refused to slow.
He couldn’t explain why.
Ever since the system appeared...
Something deep inside him had begun changing.
His senses sharpened.
He could hear conversations happening streets away.
He could distinguish individual heartbeats within the crowd.
Even the scent of rain carried dozens of unfamiliar fragrances.
Seraphina suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Azrael."
"What?"
"Your eyes."
"What about them?"
"They’re glowing."
He frowned.
"So are yours."
Her sapphire irises now shimmered with faint strands of gold.
Azrael’s crimson eyes had darkened into a deeper shade, almost black around the edges.
Before either could say another word—
The system appeared once more.
"Celestial Evolution System"
Initial Synchronization Commencing
Genesis Authority: 1%
Oblivion Authority: 1%
Evolution has begun.
A strange warmth spread through Seraphina’s body.
Azrael felt an icy current flowing beneath his skin.
Neither sensation hurt.
Instead...
It felt natural.
Like breathing.
Then came another notification.
Primary Mission Issued
Remain Alive.
Objective: Escape the First Descent.
Reward: Continued Existence.
Failure: Death.
Azrael stared at the screen.
"...That’s not exactly encouraging."
Despite everything happening around them, Seraphina laughed softly.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Her smile quickly faded.
"Wait..."
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
She turned toward the city skyline.
"There."
A distant scream echoed through the streets.
Then another.
And another.
The screams multiplied.
People began running away from the financial district.
Some stumbled over one another.
Others abandoned their vehicles entirely.
"What are they running from?"
Azrael’s instincts screamed.
Danger.
Without thinking, he grabbed Seraphina’s hand.
"We’re leaving."
Neither noticed the pair of golden eyes observing them from atop the academy roof.
The old man from the previous morning watched in silence.
A gentle smile crossed his weathered face.
"The system accepted them."
He exhaled slowly.
"Then there is still hope."
Suddenly...
The old man’s smile disappeared.
He slowly looked upward.
Above the broken heavens...
A single beam of white light pierced the clouds.
Descending.
Fast.
Far too fast.
"...Already?"
His expression darkened.
"They sent a Watcher."
The old man raised one wrinkled hand.
Ancient symbols appeared beneath his feet.
"If I interfere..."
"They’ll find me too."
For the first time in countless centuries...
Fear appeared in his eyes.
...
Meanwhile...
Azrael and Seraphina had reached the edge of the city plaza.
The streets were almost empty now.
Storefronts stood abandoned.
Sirens wailed in every direction.
Smoke rose from somewhere beyond the towering buildings.
Then...
Everything became quiet.
Too quiet.
Azrael stopped walking.
"Do you feel that?"
Seraphina nodded.
"The air..."
"It feels heavy."
A low vibration spread beneath their feet.
The concrete trembled.
Streetlights shook violently.
Windows cracked.
The vibration intensified.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each impact sounded like the footsteps of a giant.
People who had been running suddenly froze.
Everyone stared toward the center of the avenue.
A shadow slowly stretched across the pavement.
Not cast by any building.
Not cast by any cloud.
Something enormous was descending.
Azrael slowly raised his head.
His breath caught.
A figure cloaked in radiant white armor hovered hundreds of meters above the city.
Three pairs of magnificent wings unfolded behind it, each feather glowing like molten silver.
Its face was hidden beneath a flawless porcelain mask.
In one hand, it carried a spear longer than a skyscraper.
The pressure alone forced thousands of people to collapse to their knees.
Cars crumpled beneath an invisible weight.
Streetlights bent.
Glass shattered across entire city blocks.
Only Azrael and Seraphina remained standing.
Not because they were stronger.
But because something inside them refused to kneel.
The masked being tilted its head.
Its gaze settled directly upon the twins.
At that exact moment, the Celestial Evolution System flashed crimson.
Warning.
Hostile Celestial Entity Detected.
Classification: Watcher.
Threat Level: Catastrophic.
Current Survival Probability: 0.018%.
Recommendation: Flee Immediately.
The Watcher slowly raised its colossal spear.
A voice echoed across the city—not spoken through sound, but carved directly into the minds of every living being.
"By decree of the Seven Thrones..."
The being’s wings expanded until they eclipsed the afternoon sun.
"...the Authorities of Genesis and Oblivion are sentenced to immediate erasure."
The words echoed through every corner of Elysia.
Some people covered their ears in agony.
Others collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from their noses as the overwhelming voice invaded their minds.
Children cried.
Buildings trembled.
The sky itself seemed to bow before the authority of the masked angel.
Only Azrael and Seraphina remained conscious, though every instinct in their bodies screamed at them to run.
The Watcher had come for them.
Not humanity.
Not the city.
Them.
Azrael clenched his fists.
"...How does it know who we are?"
Before Seraphina could answer, the Celestial Evolution System reacted.
"Celestial Evolution System"
Authority Concealment Failed.
Reason: Host possesses Primordial Detection.
Emergency Evolution Required.
Another screen appeared.
Unlike the previous ones, this one glowed with ancient silver runes.
Evolution Path Available
Genesis
Oblivion
Status: Dormant
Requirement: Accept Initial Evolution
Warning
Evolution process cannot be reversed.
The twins exchanged a glance.
Neither hesitated.
"Accept."
The two voices overlapped perfectly.
For a single heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then agony exploded through their bodies.
"Argh!"
Azrael dropped to one knee as countless black veins of energy spread across his arms.
Every bone in his body felt as though it were being broken and reforged.
Beside him, Seraphina cried out as streams of radiant light erupted from beneath her skin.
The pain was unbearable.
Yet beneath the pain...
There was something else.
Power.
Ancient.
Boundless.
Forgotten.
High above, the Watcher tightened its grip around the enormous spear.
It had sensed the change.
"No..."
Its voice was calm, but beneath it lurked genuine surprise.
"The Evolution System still exists."
The Watcher immediately thrust its spear toward the twins.
It did not touch the ground.
Instead, a beam of condensed light erupted from its tip.
Everything in its path disappeared.
Roads.
Vehicles.
Buildings.
Reduced to nothing in an instant.
"Move!"
Azrael threw himself toward Seraphina.
The beam struck the avenue behind them.
The explosion swallowed three city blocks.
A deafening roar shook the heavens.
Dust and shattered concrete surged through the air like a tidal wave.
Azrael rolled across the pavement before crashing into the remains of a storefront.
His ears rang.
His vision blurred.
He struggled to stand.
"...Seraphina!"
"I’m here!"
Relief washed over him as he spotted her emerging from the dust.
Bruised.
Covered in debris.
But alive.
The system appeared once more.
Synchronization Progress
Genesis: 5%
Oblivion: 5%
First Authority Skills Unlocked.
Azrael instinctively reached toward the glowing screen.
The information flooded into his mind.
Authority Skill
Oblivion Edge
Rank: Unknown
The embodiment of absolute destruction.
Anything severed by Oblivion shall reject restoration.
Current Mastery: 0%
At nearly the same moment, Seraphina gasped.
"I... I have one too."
Authority Skill
Genesis Touch
Rank: Unknown
Restore, mend, and awaken the dormant potential of all things.
Current Mastery: 0%
Neither fully understood what the descriptions meant.
There wasn’t time.
The Watcher raised its spear again.
This time, six radiant circles appeared behind it.
Each one larger than a football stadium.
Energy gathered within them.
The old man watching from the rooftop sighed deeply.
"I hoped it wouldn’t come to this."
He stepped forward.
For the first time...
His frail appearance vanished.
His ragged clothing dissolved into robes woven from countless silver feathers.
A single cracked halo appeared above his head.
Though dim, it radiated a pressure that dwarfed anything humanity had ever witnessed.
His weathered eyes shone like stars.
"So you truly intend to kill children."
The Watcher’s masked face turned toward him.
"...A Survivor."
"I thought your kind had gone extinct."
The old man smiled sadly.
"We’ve been called many things."
"Guardian."
"Traitor."
"Heretic."
"But never extinct."
The Watcher lowered its spear.
"You cannot stop Heaven."
"No."
"I cannot."
The old man looked toward the twins.
"But they can."
Without another word, he disappeared.
Reappearing directly before the descending beam of divine light.
He raised a single finger.
The world froze.
The beam stopped.
The air stopped.
Even the falling dust hung motionless.
The Watcher’s six wings spread wider.
"You still command Time?"
"Barely."
Cracks spread across the old man’s glowing body.
His strength was fading with every passing second.
"I’ve lived long enough."
"But these children..."
"...deserve the future we failed to protect."
The Watcher’s voice remained emotionless.
"You are delaying the inevitable."
"Perhaps."
The old man smiled.
"But hope has always been irrational."
He snapped his fingers.
The frozen beam exploded harmlessly into millions of glowing feathers.
The Watcher finally took a step forward.
The entire city shook.
"I shall erase you first."
The old man laughed.
"You’ll have to catch me."
With a flash of silver light, he shot toward the heavens.
The Watcher immediately pursued him.
Within seconds, the two vanished beyond the clouds.
The pressure crushing Elysia disappeared.
For a brief moment...
The city fell silent.
Azrael stared upward.
"...Who was he?"
"I don’t know."
Seraphina looked toward the sky where distant flashes of light illuminated the clouds.
"But..."
"I think he saved us."
The system interrupted.
Emergency Mission Updated
Escape Zone Alpha.
Time Remaining:
09:58
Failure Condition:
Watcher will reacquire target.
"What?"
Azrael frowned.
"A timer?"
"It says ten minutes."
The countdown had already begun.
09:57
09:56
09:55
The twins looked at one another.
"Run."
They sprinted through the ruined streets.
Around them, terrified civilians struggled to comprehend what had happened.
Some searched for family members.
Others remained frozen in shock.
Emergency vehicles pushed through the debris while helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting frantic reports.
None of them knew the truth.
The attack had not been aimed at humanity.
It had been aimed at two ordinary nineteen-year-old twins.
As Azrael and Seraphina disappeared into the maze of abandoned streets, neither noticed the crimson fissure opening beneath the shattered asphalt several blocks away.
Dark mist seeped from the crack.
A claw, covered in black crystalline scales, slowly emerged.
Then another.
A pair of glowing scarlet eyes opened within the darkness.
A guttural growl echoed through the empty street.
The Celestial Evolution System flashed one final warning.
New Lifeform Detected.
Species: Abyssal Spawn
Evolution Rank: Feral Tier I
Status: Hostile
Recommendation: Prepare for your first battle.
The creature climbed completely out of the fissure, revealing a monstrous body nearly three meters tall.
It lifted its head.
Its crimson eyes locked onto the fleeing twins.
Then it smiled.
And charged.