The chamber was thick with an unsettling silence as the doors slammed shut behind them. Mary's pulse quickened as her hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her saber. The energy that had flooded the room sent a chill down her spine, and she could feel the weight of it settling over her, like a thick fog creeping through the air. Whatever was happening now, it was far worse than anything they had faced before.
Lela, standing a few paces behind her, didn't even flinch at the sudden rush of energy. Her spear was poised in her hand, as calm and composed as always. Loosie, on the other hand, had a look of suspicion in her eyes, her body tense as she scanned the room for any signs of danger.
The figure that had been speaking to them—the one from the Council—had gone silent. His previously impassive expression was now a mask of grim determination. For a moment, Mary wondered if they had misjudged him, but the thought was fleeting. Something was wrong, and she could feel it in her gut.
"Explain yourself," Mary demanded, her voice firm but edged with urgency. "What is going on here?"
The man's eyes flickered with a hint of reluctance before he stepped back, gesturing for them to follow him deeper into the chamber. "There is much more you need to understand. It is not just Heaven's decree that is coming for you, but something far older, far darker."
As they followed him, Mary's mind raced. They had heard fragments of the truth, glimpses of the larger picture, but this was the first time anyone had come close to explaining the forces that were truly at play. The air in the chamber seemed to grow colder with every step they took.
They passed through a series of tall, ornate doors and into a hidden, circular room deep within the heart of the Council's headquarters. The walls of the room were lined with ancient texts, scrolls, and relics, their surfaces worn with age. A large, circular table stood at the center of the room, its surface covered in strange symbols and diagrams that Mary didn't recognize.
The man gestured to the table. "Sit."
The trio exchanged a glance before sitting cautiously around the table. The man stood at the head, folding his hands in front of him as he looked at each of them. His expression was somber, and for the first time, there was a sense of vulnerability in his eyes.
"You came here seeking answers, and I can give them to you," he began. "But you may not like what you hear."
"Just tell us," Loosie said impatiently, her voice tinged with frustration. "What's happening?"
The man sighed, looking down at the table for a moment before meeting their eyes once again. "The celestial war you've been drawn into is only one piece of the puzzle. The truth is that the Council was formed to maintain balance—balance between realms, between forces that even we cannot fully comprehend. For millennia, we've kept the peace between the supernatural and the mortal world, but that peace is eroding. And it's because of what's coming."
Mary's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'what's coming'?"
He hesitated, and then his voice lowered, as if he was afraid to say the words aloud. "The Archangel is not a single entity. It is a force—a primal, ancient power that predates even the origins of Heaven and Hell. It is neither angel nor demon, but something much older, born from the fabric of the universe itself. And it has awakened."
The words sent a shockwave through Mary. She had known they were up against something powerful, but this? This was something beyond her comprehension.
Lela's voice was low and steady, her grip tightening on her spear. "So, what you're saying is that the Archangel is not just a warrior of Heaven, but something far more dangerous. And it's coming for us?"
The man nodded. "Yes. The Archangel is a harbinger, but not in the way you think. Its purpose is to bring about a great reckoning, a cleansing of the realms. It has been dormant for eons, but now, its time has come. The celestial war is not just a battle for dominion; it is a war to determine whether the universe itself will survive."
"Survive?" Mary echoed, her voice thick with disbelief. "You mean to say that the war we're facing could destroy everything?"
"Exactly," the man said grimly. "The Archangel's power is absolute. It can reshape reality itself. It is an entity of judgment, and its judgment is final. If it deems the world unworthy, it will unravel everything—mortals, immortals, all of existence."
A heavy silence fell over the group. Mary's mind raced, trying to process the gravity of what the man had just revealed. The weight of the situation was suffocating. If this Archangel was truly as powerful as he said, then nothing they had faced before would compare to the battle that lay ahead.
"And the Council?" Mary asked, her voice low. "What is your role in all of this? Why didn't you warn us?"
The man's expression grew colder, his eyes flickering with something akin to regret. "We have kept secrets—necessary secrets. But it is true that we did not fully prepare you for what is coming. We thought we could control the situation, but the truth is that we are as much a part of the problem as we are a part of the solution."
"What are you talking about?" Loosie demanded. "You're supposed to be the ones who keep the balance. What do you mean, you're part of the problem?"
The man hesitated, clearly struggling with something. Then, with a resigned sigh, he spoke again.
"Thousands of years ago, the Council made a pact. We made a deal with forces beyond our understanding in order to maintain the balance. We knew that one day, the Archangel would awaken. But we did not know that it would come so soon. And we did not know that the key to stopping it would be someone like you."
Mary blinked, confused. "Me?"
"Yes," the man said, locking eyes with her. "You, Mary. You are the descendant of an ancient line, a line that was cursed with the blood of the Archangel itself. Your lineage is tied to the celestial realm, and it is only through your blood that the Archangel can be stopped—or unleashed."
A chill swept through Mary's veins, colder than any winter night she had ever known. The implications of his words were staggering. She was no mere pawn in a cosmic battle. She was the key. The very force that could tip the scales in the war between Heaven, Hell, and the universe itself.
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Mary asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man bowed his head. "We did not know if you would be strong enough to handle the truth. We had to keep you in the dark, to protect you. But now… Now, the time has come for you to choose."
Mary felt the weight of his words, the crushing responsibility pressing down on her shoulders. What was she supposed to do with this knowledge? Could she even stop the Archangel? Was she even capable of doing what needed to be done?
As she grappled with the truth, something in the distance caught her eye. A shadow, moving with unnatural speed, creeping toward them. She tensed, instinctively reaching for her saber.
The man's eyes widened in alarm. "It's here."
Before anyone could react, the doors to the chamber exploded inward, and a cold, unholy presence filled the room.
It had begun.