A ripple.

  A ripple throughout reality as the silhouettes of many emerged from the tear in space. Stepping out first was the blue Oni. The Second Angel, Peria.

  He lunched his back forward, leaning his head at those exiting.

  “You people should be glad, I made that rip so we didn’t have to run sideways.” His tiger-skin loincloths gusted strongly, revealing his muscles. He held onto the katanas on his back, anchoring himself to the ground as he motioned his head for the rift to close— all the Seraphims, Angels and Saints however made it in time.

  He stared above, all three of his eyes glowing golden.

  The sky convulsed between shades—rose-pink, gold, and burgundy—flashing in pulses like a dying heartbeat. Every few seconds, it reset, colour bleeding into itself, until it looked less like air and more like liquid glass being stirred by a trembling hand. The sun which shun in the sky blew brighter, as if it was reborn. However it was not an orange hue but instead a hazy green, just like the green skies in the destroyed Floria.

  The skyline shimmered and warped as if the world couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.

  Tall buildings in the foreground flickered between shapes: a restaurant melted into a chapel; a cafe became a cathedral, then a bar; light posts bent into halos. Holographic menus appeared mid-air, only to dissolve when looked at too long. Headlights for roads, a silhoutte standing on one far behind but blurry. A wanted poster on one of them depicting a Lich dressed in a wizard outfit, ‘Lichness’. Dead or Alive for a million Ricos.

  Cars flew past, wind blew strong and heavily as a large boldering club was beaming neon.

  Figures glided through the streets—too fluid, too identical. They flickered with each step, like rendered frames missing between moments. Each one smiled with mechanical precision. When Peria looked directly at them, they vanished, replaced by static silhouettes that shimmered faintly before evaporating.

  The ground beneath him was glass—a crystallised lattice that reflected everything except him own body. The reflection showed people who weren’t there, buildings that shouldn’t exist, skies that didn’t belong.

  A breeze of artificial perfume swept past, and the scent of nectar—sweet, perfect—burned her nose like acid.

  “What a world.” Felix Nightingale was the first to walk past Peria, staring around the surroundings. “What part of Ostra are we in?”

  “Who knows. I think it’s an endless world, no sectors. It’s been doing well considering Samiel’s assault on the place…” Merlin stood beside Peria, hunched back as his fangs grew. His fur stood up on his body as he looked around.

  Behind him were the rest of the group, laying on the floor as some were beginning to get up.

  In front of him was the surroundings and Felix walking nearer and nearer.

  “Watch yourself.” The Ravenous howled at Felix who jumped back— staring above as a shadow was looming on one of the headlights. The shadow jumped down, walking closer and closer— bubbly. A cheery smile on their faces.

  “We’ve been expecting you guys! We knew after the fall out that you’d all leave but— I don’t know that if Florian time works differently now the world’s over but… it’s been a day from then. You guys took shorter than I personally thought.” Ozymandias touched up on his crown of thorns before standing beside Felix. Wrapping his hands around the man’s exo-skeleton as he grinned stronger.

  “Uh— I can’t even call you buddy so please get your hands off my body before I ruin my reputation any further.” Felix grit his teeth as his suit’s right shoulder-pad glow white.

  Ozymandias held on, before bouncing back as a sharp ray of light shot in the sky.

  “Woah!” The Second Slavi stared above, “That’s dangerous.”

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  Felix grumbled as he stared at his group.

  “Careful Iron-Boy, you’ll get yourself killed. Think he’s a higher caliber than you.” Lianous sniggered, but nobody around laughed.

  Ozymandias’ eyes narrowed, “Do you guys hate this guy or something?”

  “As the only Angel alive right now that’s here… he hid the death of one our beloved members. He shouldn’t even be here— should’ve been him who died. Not Elaine, not Lerais. Not Appartus— not anyone.” Peria clutched his fist, closing his eyes with a frown.

  Azrael’s face dimmed as he went to give Peria a hug. “I know that us Seraphims have only been introduced to Floria for such a small period time but.. I apologise on the behalf of all of us for not being able to save anymore of you.”

  “It’s not your fault.” The synchronised voices of both Pollux and Castor shot out as they walked toward the Seraphim— tugging at his yellow raincoat. “If Thidos— Xeras was a smart leader, he would’ve also deployed us Saints as well in battle.”

  “No. That wouldn’t of worked.” A voice shot out from the crowd, it was a darker skin man dressed in a caramel overcoat— white polo shirt. He had a extensive grey dreadlocks touching against his veiny neck as he had one hand in his dark green camo trousers. The other holding onto an oak staff, a goat-head on the top end. Being petted and stroked by his right hand.

  “You’re right, Beelzebub right?” Lianous turned his head to the left, nodding at the man who gave a glare back. The Third Seraphim’s amethyst eyes leered back causing the Lusted to shudder.

  “Don’t interrupt me. Although you are grateful you got to save your skin, if any of the more noble members even participated. They may have been instantly killed by her presence.”

  “No way.” Ozymandias had a delirous face, “You serious?”

  “When we fought— loose term but when we fought Samiel she spoke one word which caused sixty percent of the Angels to simply die.

  She said ‘Matter’.

  The only reason even some of them are alive is because we had to fight until our almost last breaths. Don’t think we’ve come unscathed— we are battle-torn.”

  “For such a smart guy you are also quite stupid.” Ozymandias folded his arms, his muscles flexing. “You just told someone you only met minutes ago that you are easy to defeat due to your fatigue. But not just that, but most of the people here are easy to destroy as well.

  That’s stupid.”

  “You shouldn’t count everyone out.” Felix Nightingale rubbed his nose, “I’d love to assume that we could defeat you if we band together.”

  “But then what would you do about any of the others— or Famine, the puck. Or even our Lord relaxing in that club over there.”

  “Hey.” Felix waved his hand, “Mog Gnarltooth is here right, you guys fix him up after the Reprisal right? You see his friend, our friend. Ilya is not doing so hot, just the mere mention of his safety may just make her be able to— I’ll even message her right now.” He pulled out a phone from his pockets.

  Ozymandias looked to the side, wincing. “Yeah….”

  “What? Is he dead?”

  “He was revived.”

  “Then?”

  “He was killed alongside Gabriel Khan— or atleast he was for a time.”

  “Gabriel or Mog?” Micheal Pendragon groaned, he was lying on the floor— his head staring at the sky.

  “Both are dead— I presume Gabriel went to Limbo atleast—”“Limbo? He went to Limbo?” The former Tenth Saint shot up, running towards Ozymandias and shaking him. “If he’s from there and he came back! Maybe Miles can come back too!”

  He spun around, “Peria! You got to take me—”

  “You know this already Micheal, he’s dead. If lucky the only person resurrected would be that cursed Amarze. And you heard that Gabriel is still dead… he didn’t come back.”

  “Oh….” Micheal’s face dulled as he walked toward the cafe. Each footstep fading away.

  “You not coming with us to the Club?” Ozymandias leaned his head forward, but the Knight simply shook his head.

  Ozy turned back to the group, “I feel bad for him.”

  Merlin scoffed, “He’s just another one of the poor people affected by Thidos and his ignorance. We came into that room during the Reprisal and he was just standing there. His eyes were fucked up, it was spiralling and he was just laughing. I remember Medea there too but I don’t properly recall.

  I can’t recall Medea throughout history.”

  “Oh the Lord does that sometimes, he likes tampering with memories even outside his realm.”

  “He can touch others? Without even being there?” Bub’s eyes widened, “He’s powerful alright.”

  “With all of us here, considering you guys should be powerful enough. I assume we could all take down Samiel if we work together— who knows when she’ll strike but until then we should train. What were you guys doing in Floria before it was siren call?”

  “I was signing autographs and doing brand deals.” Lianous stared up at the sky, “Good times..”

  “You guys don’t train, you limit yourselves to your—”

  “I mean doesn’t ‘Enchant’ only mean you express your maximun potential. If that’s the strongest you can Enchant then there’s no point training.” Pollux and Castor both spoke.

  “But you can always do the impossible and break through limits. Limits are there as a standard to reach and overcome— not to look at and dull over.” Ozymandias gave a thumbs up, “We in Ostra, we focus on becoming the best we can possibly be. Think of all the Medeans you’ve met, some may not be the strongest physically. Some may be. But they don’t let that be the only thing they got! We make sure we have everything— and now welcoming you people as honoary Medeans until you stay in this realm for five years and then your applicable for a nationality swap!

  Also I do have a question for your powers…”

  “Speak of it.” Merlin smirked.

  “This applies mostly to people like you Merlin but do you have an Enchant? I mean not everyone has one as I’ve been informed so do some people have it and others have natural born abilities. I remember seeing that Richard participant in the Reprisal, he never said Enchant once.”

  “Well yeah not everyone has one but you don’t also got to always say it. It just sounds cool.”“Super!” Ozymandias posed, leaning his body to the left as he had both of his wrists touching each-other. He broke pose and began to walk forward, “Okay. Enough diddly-dalling! Let’s go to our Lord!”

  “YEAH!”