Chapter 81: Waking from the Nightmare
Seraphel
Castiel sighed softly, a touch of solemnity entering his eyes. "I cannot reveal the full truth to you yet, Seraphel. The seal upon your memories and strength was placed there for your own protection."
"Are you kidding me?!" I groaned in frustration. "You appear in my mind just to give me riddles?!"
"Because you are still fragile!" Castiel explained, his voice carrying a firm, guiding weight. "You must cultivate. You must strengthen your body and soul to reach your true potential. Only then will you understand why a mortal soul like yours was chosen to bear the Child of Prophecy—and how you survived the Prince of Lust’s deadly rut when any other human would have perished. You must uncover those answers through your own strength. But for now... I can lend you enough power to protect your child, because the little one refuses to be taken."
My hands instinctively flew to my stomach. "The child... refuses?"
Castiel nodded toward the lotus.
The golden light that Mirevale had been trying to extract suddenly burst forth from the center of the flower.
It didn’t belong to Mirevale—it was the child’s true life force, weaving together with the sapphire-blue magic of the White Lotus. The two energies fused, unleashing a blinding, divine light that illuminated the entire oceanic realm.
"My time here is short," Castiel murmured as his form began to dissolve into shimmering particles of light. "Greater perils lie ahead, Seraphel. I may not always be able to awaken and rescue you like this. From this moment on, you must rely on your own strength—and on the Sins who stand by your side. Elysium is merely the first shadow on your path."
"Wait! Don’t go!" I panicked, reaching out toward his fading figure. "How do I cultivate?! How do I use this blue light?! What am I supposed to do?!"
Before he vanished completely, Castiel reappeared directly in front of me, pressing a cool, glowing fingertip against the center of my forehead.
"Time will reveal all things," he whispered softly into my mind. "Go now, Seraphel. Face your destiny. You are no longer alone."
BOOM!
The blinding golden-blue light erupted from the White Lotus, surging straight into my chest.
The peaceful ocean shattered. In an instant, I was thrown back into reality—floating in the air within Mirevale’s dark domain.
The suffocating black light Mirevale was channeling into me was suddenly pushed backward. The brilliant, golden-blue aura exploding from my womb swept outward like a holy tide, hungrily devouring her dark magic and turning it to ash!
"NO!" Mirevale shrieked in absolute terror, her voice cracking as she stumbled backward. "Impossible! How could a lowborn human possess divine light of this magnitude?! WHO ARE YOU?!"
I opened my eyes, feeling an intoxicating, warm power coursing through every fiber of my being.
A cold, confident smile spread across my face as I glared down at the horrified deity. I didn’t fully understand this power yet, but I knew one thing for certain, my baby was safe.
"The light of the White Lotus," Mirevale gasped, her dark-veined hands smoking as the golden aura expanded, engulfing her body in burning light. "A mere mortal wielding the ancient source?! NO! THIS CANNOT BE!"
Her screams of agony echoed across the dark cliff as the divine light burned away her shadow domain.
"Stay the hell away from my child... away from me... and away from the Sins!" I declared.
My voice rang out with a layered, celestial resonance that wasn’t entirely my own.
As the light completely broke Mirevale’s hold, the spell collapsed. My body drifted gently back toward the ground, but the sudden drain of spiritual energy hit me all at once. The moment my feet touched the rocky earth, my knees buckled, and my vision swam with intense dizziness.
Across from me, Mirevale collapsed onto her knees, screaming as the light tore her domain to shreds.
Unable to keep my balance, I stumbled backward—stepping right off the broken edge of the cliff.
Oh, for God’s sake, I groaned internally as gravity claimed me. I just survived a deity, and now I’m going to die from falling?!
I plummeted into the dark void. But before I could fall more than a few feet, a streak of blinding crimson flashed past the falling debris.
A familiar, intoxicating scent enveloped my senses—rich black orchids and red spider lilies.
Strong, warm arms wrapped securely around my waist and shoulders, pulling me tightly against a broad, solid chest, breaking my fall instantly.
I forced my heavy eyelids open, looking up into a pair of glowing crimson eyes filled with profound relief. I raised a weak, trembling hand, gently brushing my knuckles against his cheek.
"Azriel..." I murmured softly. "You’re here... That means her domain is gone. I... I fought her... and I won..."
Azriel held me tighter, burying his face into the crook of my neck as he let out a shaky breath. "Yes, you did, my little lotus. You were incredible. You are safe now."
"I..." I tried to speak, but a strange numbness began creeping from my fingertips up my arms.
My body began to glow with soft, translucent particles of light, slowly dissolving right in his arms. "What’s happening to me? Am I... dying again?"
"No, Seraphel," Azriel answered, his voice impossibly soft, laced with a gentle tenderness that melted my heart.
He leaned down, pressing a warm, sweet kiss against my lips as the world around us began to shatter into glittering starlight.
"You are waking up, my love," he whispered against my mouth. "The nightmare is over."
I blinked, a soft smile gracing my lips as the darkness embraced me. "I’ll see you soon... Azriel..."
When my eyelids fluttered open next, I wasn’t greeted by a blood-red sky or a terrifying void.
Instead, two striking, amber-golden eyes were staring intently down at me from above.
"The human has awakened," a deep, unfamiliar voice noted smoothly. "Which means their mission was successful."
I blinked several times, my vision slowly clearing as I looked around the room. Sunlight filtered through high, arched windows, illuminating a grand, familiar bedroom featuring a massive, hand-painted portrait of Azriel hanging proudly on the wall.
I let out a long, quiet breath, a faint smile touching my lips as I felt the steady, warm heartbeat inside my chest.
I was back.
The nightmare was finally over.