An average middle-aged couple was executing synchronised, rhythmic walks, arm in arm at a busy junction in the centre of New York City. Every stride they took felt as if it was timed to the beat of the globe. Time seemed to stop around them as they sauntered through pedestrian crossings, and cars and people alike experienced a bizarre phenomena. They would stop in position for a fraction of a second before coming into contact with the pair, then continuing like nothing happened after they exited their proximity They eventually arrived at the foot of a flight of stairs leading to a massive skyscraper that towered over all the buildings in the area, never stopping their rhythmic steps. The structure stood with the other skyscrapers on the Boulevard, seeming like ancient stone structures rising for the sky. "Braxen Conglomerate," read a giant, too bright neon sign on the top of the structure, that held within the powerful, trillion-dollar corporation. They were one of only five organizations in the planet, that had the same value and power as a country. When individuals joke that the Braxen Company is powerful enough to bully a country into doing what they want, they know in their hearts that it's real. The Indian couple appeared to be normal in every regard, some may even say they were too average. They didn't have any distinguishing qualities that would make them stand out in a crowd. Unless you stared into their eyes, which seemed to have golden swirls in them, as if you were peering into a vortex, they were entirely forgettable. A query was asked by the middle-aged man to his paramour. "Shi-Shi, are you sure you want to do this? If we do it, there is no turning back, and we shall no longer be able to wander the earth's plains." Shi-Shi returned the stare, her gaze falling just below his brows. "Vish, this is something I need to do. I've been watching and doing nothing for far too long. I've been following the lives of many of our descendants for thousands upon thousands of cycles. They're all my children, and I felt glad when they were happy and sad when they were sad, just like any other mother. I kept an eye on them in both good and terrible times." Her voice was beautiful and smooth, as if it were full of grace, but there was a certain sadness hidden in it. "You know, I feel the same way," Vish remarked again, "but what we're about to do is something we've never done before; we've seen plenty of our children suffer horribly, living short and lonely lives, but we've never intervened before. What makes this case unique?" Shi-Shi turned her gaze away from Vish and fixed it on her feet. She stared at the ground intently, as if she was trying to see through it. Shi-Shi replied, "Because he is different, Vish. I've watched every one of his cycles, and he's never had a happy ending. His life is always filled with pain and sadness. " Vish gazed at her with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. "You can't possibly imply that he hasn't had one good run in every cycle so far? That's impossible... it's impossible..... Show it to me!" Vish grasped her shoulders and forced her to stare at him face-to-face, practically roaring the last sentence at the top of his lungs. He stared at Shi-Shi's eyes until she complied. She raised her head and looked straight at him. Their whirlpool golden eyes both started spinning faster and faster, going in the opposite direction of each other. What felt like an eternity to them was merely a second going by to the mortals around them. Vish was the first to break eye contact, staggering a little and requiring Shi-Shi to clutch his shoulder to steady him. His face looked distraught, filled with sadness and pain. "Why have you never told me about him before?" he inquired of Shi-Shi. Shi-Shi stared at Vish with a mixture of love and affection. She snatched him and drew him in for a hug. She spoke in hushed tones into his ear. "Because you would have been fascinated with watching him each cycle, my love. You have a gentle heart and always wear hope on your back. I am more familiar with you than you are with yourself. I didn't want you to be like me, hoping for a change and then being disappointed every cycle." Shi Shi's head was tucked under his chin as Vish's expressions alternated between absolute anguish and rage. He drew a deep breath and tightly clenched his eyes, as if he was in excruciating pain. "This must be done. In my heart, you are correct, and I now entirely agree with you. We can't help him directly, but we can give him an opportunity to help himself. While you begin the process of destroying his body, I will strive to keep the majority of his recollections intact. Let's not keep him waiting any longer." Vish stated emphatically, his voice taking on a deep, limitless tone, as if he were issuing a royal order. The air surrounding him seemed to bend as a result of his remarks. The couple exchanged a short kiss before turning to face the ground beneath their feet. They began to drop with a grim determination. Unbeknownst to the pair, an elderly gentleman sitting on a nearby seat was observing their every move. He appeared to be the only one who was aware of their existence. "Interesting... I'm curious as to what prompted those two dull little gods to finally act." His voice was accompanied with a loud roar of thunder and a single lightning bolt striking the ground, his eyes peered at the location where they had just vanished. Everything was restored to its previous state after a moment. Pedestrians in the area were completely unaware of the twist of fate that was about to occur. (Braxen Co. main office, 100 feet below ground, New York City, USA) A floor down under the Braxen Co main office resembled a mediaeval dungeon, with flickering top-down lights lighting the main corridor, and eight chambers on either side. The light barely reaching any of the doors small viewing slides. On the right side of the hall, in the last room, the agonizing mutterings of someone who sounded like he was on the verge of death could be heard. "When is this going to be over?" In the darkness, a harsh voice cried out. It was difficult to hear the voice because it was so soft. The cell was a perfect 8x8 square with dull grey concrete walls. The walls were splattered with light brown stains. The room had a strong metallic odour that smelled like pee and vomit. All types of tools, from sophisticated drills and saws to old-school-looking nine-tail whips and ball peen hammers, were strapped to the same walls. All of the things appear to have crusted blood stains. In the centre of the room was what appeared to be a metal operating table, similar to those used in hospitals. On the table sat a man, his age was difficult to determine, but he appeared to be between the ages of 25 and 35. His arms were tied to the top of the table, and his feet were cuffed to the bottom in individual cuffs. A leather-bound strap ran across his chest, so tight against his skin that his chest appeared to be unable to raise to take a breath. The man appeared to be slightly taller than typical, standing just over 6 feet tall. His hair was golden and filthy, and it hung down to his chest. He was only wearing a pair of torn and ripped briefs. His thin frame retained the faint muscle definition of a once muscular man. The man's body was covered in scars, some ancient and white and others new and pink in colour, indicating that they had been healed recently. Fresh scrapes, bruises, and burns were strewn about, covering the entire body from head to toe. His skin looked like a messed-up Jackson Pollock painting. His face carried a beard that was about half a foot long, with dried blood and sweat caked through, giving the appearance of dreadlocks. He called out into the darkness again, this time his voice petering from courage filled defiance to a sorrowful and broken whisper. "Kill me already. Please... just let it end.” The noises of locks unlocking began to emanate from his cell door, almost as if in response to his incessant calls. For about a minute, the rumbling continued. The door had roughly 12 steel locks with reinforced bars that had to be slid to the sides in order to open it. It was a ridiculously heavy iron door designed to withstand the force of a raging rhino. A second of stillness followed the sound of one last steel bar being slid to the side, before the heavy door was pushed open by two enormous, muscular men dressed in complete black fitted suits. Taking on the appearance of any other security who assists celebrities and the ultra-rich. The light poured into the room, illuminating the man on the operating table. His rambling came to a halt for a brief period, and a glimmer of clarity appeared in his eyes as he turned his head to the open door. His eyes were a vibrant turquoise blue with purple undertones. The two suits entered the room and took up positions on opposite sides of the door. One of the guards released an electronic object that started size of a baseball but quickly expanded to size of a volleyball in the air, it had a red light that shone down the middle as it hovered in place. A red beam of light shot across the room, scanning in multiple directions before beeping once and the guard put it back in his pocket. One of the guards called out, “All clear sir.” Following after the voice, a large shadow blocked the majority of the light entering the cell from the hallway. A man in his late fifties entered the room. The gentleman appeared to be as healthy as an ox even at his advanced age, as well as being a giant, standing at an impressive six foot four inches. He had the physique of a bodybuilder, with big sculpted muscles practically ripping through his tight black sweater. On his breast, just above the heart, he wore a sweater with the insignia of a hammer and a thunderbolt in a cross configuration. A strong clean-shaven chin and a nicely square face He had deep, dark blue eyes that naturally narrowed into a glare, as though he despised the atmosphere in this place. He had a close-cropped crew cut and a martial demeanour. Each of his steps felt deliberate and smooth, he progressed until he was inches from the man at the table. He gazed down in sympathy at the man strapped down, before pressing a button beneath the table, which caused the entire table to rise up and face the wall. Slowly, the table rotated to face the elder man and the doorway. With his height, he was able to look directly into the younger man's eyes. "Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel".