Angel Monarch

Sera stared towards the blue sky, still kneeling in the mud. Tears ran down her face uncontrollably, as sadness filled her heart.

The world seemed so empty. She felt Bran's missing presence with each heartbeat. But it was worse than simply missing her lover.

She knew exactly where he was. She knew where Death dropped every soul off. Heaven, afterlife, paradise—none existed. The lucky souls got dumped like garbage, while the worst suffered in hell.

Sera hated this knowledge, knowing her lover would never find peace. But she couldn't succumb to hatred either, since that wouldn't end great for anyone nearby.

It lingered there, a silent call, prompting her to act, to kill and destroy. Its origin remained a mystery, but Sera knew better than to invite Madness into her mind.

There was nothing she could do. Stuck between endless rage and despair, she found no way out.

She stayed kneeling in the mud until her tears stop, and she made a decision. Slowly, she rose to her feet and began walking in a random direction. The streets were still mostly empty, so nobody could bother her.

A few minutes after she began walking, a change went through the air. Sera stopped and glanced at her shadow with a serious expression.

"Report." She said to seemingly no one.

Her shadow began stretching, and soon Faith appeared kneeling on the ground. Behind her back, the pair of black feathered wings stayed pressed close to her body.

Just like Sera's own pristine white wings, hers hadn't disappeared either. This wasn't just their transformation anymore. As an Angel Sera couldn't just dismiss all of her wings, and since Faith was her Shadow, she couldn't either.

Sera took a moment to stare at Faith's new wings while she began the report.

"Wien is under the Angelic Order's full control, my Lady!"

Her Lady continued staring at the black wings, then nodded absently. "Great job… And what about that dog, Jonas?"

Faith glanced up with a wide grin, then swiped her hand on the ground. She created a large bubble of darkness, and upon dismissal, Jonas's head appeared, perfectly depicting his terrified expression.

"I took care of him and all the Husks, but I must disagree with your analogy… Dogs are meant to be loyal, while this pest hid in his mansion. He's more like a rat than a dog!"

Sera raised an eyebrow and couldn't hold her laughter. With a small, satisfied smile, she bent down and touched the head, immediately turning it to ashes.

As the winds carried Jonas's remains away, Sera began walking again, with Faith only a step behind.

They stayed silent for a few minutes, but eventually Sera collected all her thoughts, and sighed with heavy exhaustion.

"Faith, I have a new mission for you!" Said Sera while glancing towards Faith.

"Yes, my Lady?" She answered with a confident smile and full of determination.

"Find my daughter and ask to meet me alone at sundown. Keep this mission a secret! Don't tell anyone else. I want only you two there. Understood?"

Faith nodded, then paused; a new question emerging in her mind. "Uh… My Lady. Where do you want to meet us?"

Embarrassed, Sera stumbled, while her face flushed. With a small cough, she cleared her throat, and using the moment of respite, she dismissed all her stupid thoughts.

"Yeah, I forgot… Meet me in the tallest tower on New Athens's wall, the one overlooking the sea… Now go and only return with Vicky in company!"

Faith said nothing, just nodded and returned to the shadows.

Sera continued walking. After another few minutes, she reached and took off her watch. She still hadn't checked her new status window, but with hindsight, it didn't matter.

What she learned from Bran explained a lot, and she planned on using this knowledge to her advantage.

She stared at her watch for a few seconds, then squeezed her hand. The destroyed pieces fell towards the ground, but before they landed, each of them turned to ash.

After watching the ashes get carried away by the wind, Sera turned away and continued towards her destination.

She walked into an unmarked building in the middle of New Athens and went straight to the basement. Behind a packed bookshelf, Sera found her prey. A massive metal door with a hand scanner next to it.

Sera reached out her palm, but hesitated. Her hand trembled from uncertainty, but her mind took control and she pushed through her reservations.

After a moment, the scanner beeped. A loud screech followed the scanner's noise as the vault door moved, rolling on tracks to the side.

Silence descended when the door finally stopped. From inside the dark room, a strange sound emerged, echoing in Sera's ears. It was like an old lady's humming.

Hesitantly, Sera stepped inside, causing the humming to end. The dark room stood empty, with only a single object placed in the middle.

On a desk stood a small cage, holding an even smaller old hag inside. She sat on the cage's floor, her hands moving through empty air, like she was weaving.

"Oh, my! Is it that time already?

How could I forget to get ready?

Come! Please step inside, young Monarch!

Come! Please, don't be afraid of the dark!"

The Hag's old voice sounded inside the room, sending shivers down Sera's spine. She kept her cool though, and walked up to the cage with a straight, serious, unamused expression.

"You know Death always mentioned Fate and Destiny during our talks, but I always found his wording strange. He always referred to them like they were a person. He even used female pronouns a few times, like 'she' or 'her'… Weird, isn't it?"

The Hag didn't react to her words. Her hands moved along the air with extreme proficiency. Sera let a few seconds of silence creep in before she continued.

"But… After what Bran told me…" Said Sera, then choked on her words. Just saying Bran's name brought tears to her eyes.

"After I learned more… Everything made much more sense. You prophecies, which always tend to come true. Your vast knowledge about the future. Your hunger for minds… It was already strange I met one Conceptual God in my life, but I never expected to meet two of them… Or am I wrong… Fate?"

The Hag's insane chuckled echoed inside the room. Her hand stopped weaving through the air, and She finally turned towards Sera.

"I'm glad you are finally aware.

Talking to you was like speaking with air.

Yes, I'm indeed Fate, as your friend figured it out.

It's sad he couldn't make it, but at least he stayed devout."

A painful, angry expression took over Sera's previous calmness.

"Did you cause his death? He told me your prophecy. Was that the reason he died? Because you willed it?"

On the Hag's face, a wide grin spread as she laughed at Sera's questions.

"You think being Fate means I can control the world?

Having everyone's strings around my fingers curled?

Must be nice being so stupid and naïve.

But it will cause many people to grieve."

"Fate isn't some invisible force—predestination.

It isn't something to determine your damnation.

I can see everything, past, future, and present.

And let me tell you, it is anything but pleasant!"

"Imagine seeing every person ever born live and die.

Survive against all odds, only to lose when their time's nigh.

I can't change anything. As for a God, I'm lacking splendidly.

My prophecies are hints, advices for you to evade your destiny."

Sera didn't seem too surprised by Her words. She just listened to everything silently, then stared at the ground with saddened eyes.

She eventually sighed, turning her gaze back to the Hag. The Old Woman's eyes were still full of insanity, but She didn't seem so heartless anymore.

"So, you're just as much of a pawn as everyone else… That's disappointing. I hoped you would give me a reason to hate you, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

One lone tear managed to crush through her defenses and escape Sera's eye, but she soon summoned back her bored, serious expression.

"You're Fate, but You have no control over our destiny. All You can do is give us insight, trying to push us on a better path, or warn us about our fate… What I don't understand is why haven't Bran tried to escape his death?… You told him enough, but he did nothing to stop it!"

This time anger began overpowering Sera, and while she regained control, Fate giggled like the old insane woman she was.

"It's not as easy as it may seems.

Escaping Fate wasn't in his means.

Some events happen regardless of space or time.

His death was inevitable. That's the world's crime."

Sera narrowed her eyes as the Hag's words settled inside her. The truth was painful to accept, but she couldn't deny it any longer.

"Some fates are inevitable, it seems. He knew there was nothing he could've done to stop his death, so instead he used his time on Earth the best he could… And now it's my time to continue his work…"

The Hag's eyes widened as a grin spread across her face. For a moment, Sera saw strange glowing lines glimmer in her eyes. Several snapped at once, which Sera found odd, but otherwise didn't question it.

The air felt different around Sera. She smelt a change coming, as her mind finally cleared from the constant overload of despair and anger. A strange calm came over her as she began walking towards the vault door.

Before leaving, she stopped and glanced back at the Hag one more time.

"You already know where I'm going… Could you provide one of your… 'Advices' before I leave?"

The Hag's face became transparent as she slowly disappeared, leaving her words echoing in the small metallic chamber.

"The Angel flies high, leaving heaven behind.

Anger, Despair, Madness, companions of her mind.

Her wings lift her up high, flying like the Raven.

Wherever she lands, for the weak it will be haven."

"She carries a war within, following her doom.

Only bloodshed helps in elevating her gloom.

Dying isn't an option, or the fetus might suffer.

It's a miracle. Last night wasn't its last supper."

"The Angel leaves her life behind as a necessity.

She couldn't just stay here and follow her destiny.

Her wings take her far away into the wild.

Not far enough, though, to stay near her child."

"The Old Gods rise from their graves, something unexpected.

Sadly, this change is devastating. Everything will be affected.

When Heaven's door opens, and the gates of Hell burst wide.

The Angel rides back home to save and kill all her kind."

Sera listened to the words echo in the room, then placed one hand gently on her stomach.

Weeping, she exited the basement, emerging onto the streets. The sun was already close to setting, which meant she had a meeting with her daughter…