Chapter 284: Tears Of Blood
[Music recommendation: Jóhannsson: Good Night, Day]
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In a realm where night was eternal, and the sky was forever cloaked in shades of midnight black and deep violet, it had now turned a deep shade of crimson. As if the skies themselves were preparing to rain blood upon the land.
Fire raged in every direction, devouring everything in its path as thick smoke curled into the scarlet sky. The acrid scent of ash, blood and burning flesh hung heavily in the air while the beings who called this realm home fled in blind terror, desperately trying to escape the unimaginable carnage unfolding before their eyes.
Only one person was responsible for all of it.
The very man they had once worshipped with unwavering devotion had become the reason they now trembled at the mere sound of his presence. The one before whom they had once bowed their heads in reverence was now the one they bowed to in absolute fear.
Men clung to their wives while mothers shielded their children, each hoping to outrun the nightmare consuming their home. But none of them made it far. Before they could even take a few steps, they were either consumed by the inferno raining from the sky or torn apart by the monstrous shadow army hunting them without mercy.
Amid the chaos stood a lone figure.
His angelically handsome face was utterly devoid of emotion.
Long black hair swayed with the scorching wind while streaks of blood stained his pale features, yet he seemed completely indifferent to it. The whites of his eyes had vanished beneath an endless abyss of black, leaving only glowing crimson irises that shone with an eerie light as he silently watched the destruction before him.
He looked less like a man... and more like death itself.
Blood. Fire. Screams.
None of it quenched the insatiable thirst raging within him. If anything, it only demanded more...
More blood. More destruction.
Crumbling towers collapsed into rivers of molten fire while the cries of the dying echoed endlessly through the smoke-choked air.
Amid the devastation, a woman fell to her knees, desperately clutching her unresponsive infant against her chest as tears streamed down her soot-stained face.
Yet even through her grief, she glared at him with nothing but hatred.
"I hope one day you cry tears of blood when someone precious to you is stolen from you, just as mine was... you monster!"
Her voice echoed across the ruined landscape, and the man simply stared back at her with empty eyes.
Then.... the woman’s eyes widened.
Thin streams of blood were already trailing silently down his face.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze towards the blood-red sky as the crimson tears continued to stain his cheeks.
Behind him, a deafening roar shook the realm itself.
"Nothing... left to save here," he whispered.
As soon as the words left his lips, another earth-shaking howl echoed through the burning kingdom and....
Gavriel’s eyes snapped open.
His crimson eyes darted wildly around the dark room as the screams from his nightmare continued to echo in his ears. His breathing came in uneven bursts, cold sweat clinging to his forehead.
It took him several moments to realise he was no longer standing amidst the burning ruins, but lying in his bedroom at the Valentine Residence.
Releasing a long, weary sigh, he closed his eyes.
’The same fucking dream again,’ he thought bitterly as the familiar bloodlust stirred deep within him once more. ’After all these years... they still refuse to let me go.’
Slowly, he opened his eyes again. The crimson had faded, giving way to their familiar icy blue as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
’You really enjoy seeing me like this, don’t you?’ he thought, directing the silent question towards the One who sat upon Heaven’s throne.
As his breathing gradually evened out, he lifted his hand to run it over his face, only to freeze when he felt something soft nestled against his side.
His gaze slowly drifted to his right, and there she was... sleeping peacefully beside him.
One delicate hand rested against the bare skin above his beating heart, while her head lay comfortably upon his arm. His own arm remained wrapped protectively around her, holding her close even in his sleep.
His wife... Aliana.
The only light in his dark, empty world.
Just watching the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest was enough to calm the destructive thoughts raging within him.
He remained still for a long moment before carefully turning toward her, leaning into the crook of her neck to inhale her mesmerising scent of roses that further relaxed him.
Now that he knew the truth, he finally realised why she smelled of those specific blossoms that grew only in the underworld.
It was because her soul had never belonged to this world. It had always belonged to that realm where his own dark past resided.
But why... why did her presence always have the power to calm him like this?
Slowly, he lifted his head to stare at Aliana’s beautiful face, as if searching for a forgotten memory.
Had he... ever met her before?
But then again, how could he rely on memories that were fragmented to begin with?
Ever since he had begun living in the mortal world, fragments of his life in the Underworld had haunted him.
He remembered who he had once been, what he had been fated to become... and then everything dissolved into nothing but bloodshed and carnage.
All he knew was that he had been punished and banished to the world of the living for some grave sins.
And even though he couldn’t remember what he had done, he never questioned his punishment. The endless visions of destruction that tormented him every night were proof enough that he must have committed something truly unforgivable.
Those nightmares never left him. They clung to him like a curse, as though he was destined to carry the weight of his sins for all eternity.
And so, he endured it in silence.
He accepted his punishment without once trying to oppose it. All he wanted was to live quietly... to be left alone in peace... to stay as far away as possible from anything that might awaken the monster he never wanted to become.
But the question of why he had done what he did... had never been answered.
On top of that, strangely, when Gavriel had appeared in the mortal realm thousands of years ago, he had reverted to the body of a five-year-old child.
He had asked Cillian’s parents, as they were nobles from the Underworld who had come to live in the mortal world around the same time as him.
But their answer had always remained the same.
They knew very little beyond the fact that he had been banished, and that everything surrounding his banishment was considered taboo in the Underworld. Anyone who dared speak of it would face severe repercussions.
At the time, Cillian had only been three years old.
Having no choice but to accept his fate, Gavriel distanced himself from everyone around him. Yet somehow, that persistent little boy still managed to find his way into his life. No matter how many times Gavriel demanded to be left alone, Cillian refused to give up.
Instead, he proudly declared that Gavriel was the older brother he had never had.
Cillian and Gavriel always lived separately, but they grew up alongside each other.
Over the centuries, Cillian built a terrifying reputation for himself, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who dared to cross Gavriel.
Together, they watched the seasons change. Months bled into years, and years turned into centuries as they watched the living world’s present crumble into ancient history.
It was during those passing eras that Gavriel discovered Reve, a hell ghoul who was heavily wounded by lower-level demons. Although Gavriel had no intention of saving the creature, he eliminated the demons who were about to kill Reve simply because they had disrupted his meal while he was out with Cillian.
From that moment on, Reve pledged his absolute loyalty to Gavriel alone to repay him for saving his life. Gavriel accepted his service through a blood pact, and since then, Reve carried out his every command while allowing Gavriel to keep his peace.