Chapter 19: The Path of Angels

When gods walked the earth, the greatest of their warriors were Angels, and their powers were so great that one could not stand against them. However, with the fall of the gods, the victors had seized that power, and Elias knew that there was a chance that a special bloodline and genius could gain this power during their ascension, but he had always thought this was a privilege set aside for the Guilds, the Military, and the Royalty.

Only they had the best bloodlines and the greatest resources to allow the birth of Angels. How did he ever come to have it?

Elias’s eyes widened, and this time it was no act; his heartbeat grew erratic as he realized he might be on a path more profound than he had ever thought he could walk. All he had ever wanted was to be a Siphon so he could fight the Passenger and live life on his own terms; not in a million years did he think any conversation about Angels would be one he would ever be involved in.

A vast number of Siphons would never have the chance to become Angels, and they would barely be able to reach past the Fury Forge level in their entire life, that was, if they were lucky, but Angels had the chance to reach the high heavens above or the infernal hells below. They were champions of the realms, and except for the Ascendant, who ruled over all, the Angels were the greatest powers in Trion.

Elias turned to the shrinking orb of darkness, as he wondered whether this chance came from the Passenger or if it was a quirk of being one of the Stoneward Asylum and the Order who dwelt within its walls. Elias always knew that this place was special, but since he could not touch the Lumina, he could not tell how special it was, and perhaps, he had just discovered the reason.

This chamber, where he was made to perform his Ascension, did it influence the result of whether he could be an average Siphon or an Angel? Elias had not forgotten the last words spoken to him by Commander Yseult.

“Five minutes from now, your fate will be decided, and you will touch Lumina and become a Siphon. If you are not chosen, you will remain a mortal. Whatever Fate has in store for you, we have no hand in it… at least for a long time that had been the case, but Siphons have fought countless battles for the hand of Fate itself to be… adjusted, and in this place, that hand can be shifted a bit in our favour. The God of Fate is dead, and some of his radiance dwells in the metal around you. Do not forget your history as a Siphon, and what it truly means. We take… we dominate… we rule!”

All of these thoughts rapidly passed through his head as Elias nodded and was about to speak, but the commander held up her hand, “Power comes with a price, and the chance of you perishing is extremely great. In the past, the risks were more manageable,” she frowned, “But times have changed, and the restrictions bounding this path are being strictly controlled. If you don’t follow this path, with the aid of the Order, you will still become a powerful Siphon, and no one in this city, apart from the Guilds and the Royal Houses, would be able to stand before you.”

Bowing his head, Elias thought about this matter for two seconds before looking up. When he spoke, his voice was subtly different, deeper, and more calculated. For the first time in a long time, he showed his true self outside his hunting grounds, and he asked a strange question,

“How long do I live if I don’t become an Angel?”

Something changed in the gaze of the Commander, and she bent a little to look at Elias, she was taller than him and in this moment it was as if she really saw him, “I am still on the path, but at my level, I can live for a hundred and twenty thousand years,” Elias flinched and she smiled, “An average Siphon at my level would live for at most five hundred. Longevity is one of our gifts, for we are closer to the divine.”

Elias nodded, “So, it is much harder to get the chance to become an Angel, but the benefit in the long term is greater. With so much lifespan, then I should be able to properly refine my craft and explore more of the world than any Siphon ever could.”

The Commander had a strange look in her face that vanished, “Yes… time, the one thing we cannot do without.” She sighed, “I see that your decision has been made to pursue the path of an Angel, but the things you need to learn about what you are about to do are immense, and we don’t have enough time to tell you all of it.”

Elias frowned, “Forgive me, Commander, for what I am about to ask.”

Commander Yseult cocked her head to the side, “Oh, do you want to ask why you were not taught about Angels before this moment, so you were better prepared for it? I had expected this to be the first question you would ask me. Your mind, as always, Elias, is puzzling. So, this is what you wanted to ask now, yes?”

Elias exhaled and nodded. “Yes, it seems strange that I was placed in a position where I do not have enough chance to choose, even if I am going to clearly choose the path of an Angel.”

The Commander pursed her lips, fierce anger briefly flashing through her eyes that made Elias’s blood turn to ice. What made him able to breathe was that he was aware that this anger was not directed towards him.

“I told you that in the past, the risk of becoming an Angel was much manageable, but things are changing, Asulon, Ruler of Storms has placed several limitations on this path, and one of the limitations is that no Angel can speak of this path unless a mortal is found with the talent to become an Angel, and this leads me to the next limitation.”

Pointing to the shrinking orb of darkness, the cold rage he felt had still not left her voice, “In there is danger, and by all right you should be given a Rune Weapon, and many other resources to bolster your chances of survival, but Asulon deems that all prospective candidates must enter this path without any weapons or armor. You either conquer the path or you perish. So, Elias, with all of this in mind, do you still want to be an Angel?”

“More than anything.” Elias grinned like a wolf. Somehow, it was easier to show his real side to the Commander. Something about her presence made it seem like she was a monster herself, and trying to hide his instincts before her gaze was useless because she saw right through him.

She matched his grin, “Although Asulon has deemed that no weapon or armor follows you through to this trial. He is in his High Heavens, and I am down here in this tower of purgatory. I can bend the rule a little, afterall…” she smiled, and Elias thought he saw a note of sadness in her eyes, “… how far can I fall.”

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