Author's Note:

Last time I forgot to mention this, but look at that cover! My friend made it for me and its amazing beyond words! ^^

Characters

Titles and Abilites

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Monthu pushed Par behind himself, away from the stranger. As he did that, the bracelet darkened.

“Is that what I think it is?” a middle aged man asked entering the cathedral. He had long white hair past his shoulders and a beard that went close to his knees. His white robe brushed the ground as he went, cleaning it.

The young man that had jumped from the balcony smiled wide. “I knew that I was right! Holy energy wasn’t circling him for no reason!”

“Who is he?” the official who had been trying to shoo them away asked, looking at Par with wonder in his eyes. “Is he the chosen one?”

Ace burst out laughing at that. Chosen one? What was this place?

The old man gave him a glare but otherwise didn’t acknowledge his action. “It is unknown whether he is the chosen one. However, he’s clearly marked. Something that hasn’t happened for the last couple of ages.”

“It’s a sign!” Horin, the young man said excitedly. “The angels are returning to the land again!”

Ace laughed. It was so stupid. Angels returning? It wasn’t known if they had even existed. He chuckled again as he thought about how Par had gotten his bracelet. It had been a simple illusion without any interaction from the gods. Or angels for that matter.

“Take this disrespectful youth from my eyes. We have more important matters to attend,” the old man said in a condescending tone, glaring at Ace. “Bring the little kid. We need his story.”

“Yes, Elder” the official with Horin said in unison, bowing. They then went to try and shoo Ace away with the rest of the group while trying to separate Par from Monthu. It showed up to be in vain but their effort was commendable.

The elder looked annoyed at that. He watched his underlings struggling for a bit longer before waving them off and coming closer himself. “What do you want? Why are you not letting the boy bring us the knowledge that belongs to us?”

If looks could kill, the glare Monthu gave the elder would have sent him to heaven ten times over. But, it wasn’t so, and he took a step to block his brother better. “Nothing belongs to you. If you want something, you have to pay for it.”

“It’s just like you” the man said with a sneer, his face turning into an ugly mask. “Adventurers” he hissed with enough venom to kill concentrated in that single word.

“Elder?” Horin asked, taking a step away. There was confusion on his young face as he watched his mentor losing face. The man noticed that and put on a mask. “It is nothing. Find what these adventurers want and then report to me.”

The young man bowed and the elder, glaring at Ace one last time, left the room in a dignified manner.

“Follow me” the official said, waving to make his point clearer. Monthu went after him so the rest of the group followed. Ace did the same, just slower. He looked around while walking and wandered off a couple of times before they reached their destination - a small room, someone’s study.

“Please, tell me what is it you want for your information. We don’t have much as we care little for worldly matters but we’ll try our best to fulfil your wish,” he said sitting down behind a desk and picking an empty paper.

There was an ink bottle on the desk with a feather pen prepared for use. The official picked it and held up, ready to write. “So what is it you want for the kid’s knowledge?”

Monthu stayed silent for a moment, clearly thinking of how to act. Ace smiled at the choices provided. The guy could simply tell the truth, that it was all a scam and they knew nothing about angels. That would be the most moral thing to do.

But it wouldn’t achieve their purpose. So Monthu could ask for L’s conditions to be met and then tell the truth. Yet it would be using people. To prevent that a lie could be told, something that was half truth and half not. But could Monthu do that?

It would be the best for everyone, the city won’t hate them and L would have it under his wing. But it would be lying and something the straight forward guy wasn’t in favour of. What then would be his choice?

Morality or usefulness?

“We need you to consider joining Lasran city’s lord. He’s standing up against Marion that is taking over all the lands in his path. If someone doesn’t follow him, he’s not afraid to take the place by brute force and in both ways of take over he puts immense taxes on all the citizens.”

The man wrote down every single word and showed it to Monthu. “Is this correct? And is this all?” “Yes,” Monthu said, glancing over the paper turned his way. Ace took a look at it too as it was pushed to him for signing. Apparently, they all had to write their names to make it an official thing.

He was the last one so he learned that Monthu had a nice handwriting along with Aurora while Par’s was a scribble. If he hadn’t known what the word was, there would have been no way he’d understood it. It almost felt like the kid hadn’t actually had any practice in it.

His own letters were decent enough. They were simple and straight without any beautiful lines or fancy circles.

“Thanks for doing this. Can you come this evening to relay the information you have about the angel bracelet? The Elder is busy the rest of the day.”

It sounded fishy to Ace since the guy had just randomly ventured into the church but he kept his silence. It wasn’t his problem if they were going to be scammed. He had gold enough and L’s favour mattered little to him. He was thinking of betraying the guy anyway.

“That is fine,” Monthu said with a nod. “Contact us in one of the inns and we’ll come.”

Ace smiled at that. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. The official was trying to show off his dominance while Monthu was firing back at him, proving that it was actually him with the stronger cards in hand.

They left the church then and went their separate ways. Ace thought about following them but decided against it. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to Par and pretend everything was fine in their friendship.

He knew full well that no one had forgiven him and just didn’t know how to get rid of him without bringing down his wrath. He was a monster and he knew it full well himself. If they tried to forcefully remove him from their group like a rotting limb, he wouldn’t go down quietly.

It would cost them and most likely more than they were willing to pay.

He sneaked away and around the city till he found what he was looking for, a large mirror. It allowed him to pass and appear in a dusty room in the Duke’s manor. He had remembered the mirror from the time in the ball and recreated him in his memory to the smallest detail so he would come to the right place.

Or so he hoped.

There was no way to really tell where he had ended up short of just going and seeing. It wasn’t like he had anything better planned so he went and did just that.

The door to the outside was locked so he used his rusty lock picking skills. The light from [Flare] was good enough and it didn’t take him more than a couple of minutes to escape the dark, dusty room.

Outside he was met by a richly furnished corridor with dozens of doors in each side. Ace ignored them all and went ahead, circled a bit without really known the castle’s layout but finally noticed a more used path.

There were a couple of servants walking with trays in their hands. Ace decided to follow them under the [Shadow Veil], hoping that they would unknowingly show him the way back.

Their path led him, however, to the chambers of the lord of the place. Ace sneaked a glance in and had one of his answers. This was really the right place as no more than a few meters away from him The Duke sat in bed with his wife. She was a pretty lade even in her late forties with shining blonde hair and soft, friendly features.

The two seemed to be deep in conversation about whether they should really trust Marion so Ace left them to it and retraced his steps to where he had met the servants. He chose the path they had come from and after a few faulty turns, almost run ins with rushing servants and a couple of wasted moments staring at paintings, he finally made it out.

Still under the veil he moved deeper into the city and for the first time wondered how he was supposed to find Skele. He had promised to do it but words were always easier than actions.

The place might be empty of people but it was still a huge city. It would take days to comb it all out.

He ran around on the rooftops for a bit, wondering how to proceed. The city felt lifeless with most of its people having run away to the next one. First it had been the problems with Duke and The Priest fighting for power and then Marion had come, supporting the Duke and removing his opposition.

That should have helped the people, calmed the place down but somehow it had made everything worse instead. To see a living being at day time became an unusual encounter. Any person that stayed behind these walls hid in basements, scared to take a look outside or else they might lose their life to the players.

It was hardly that dangerous any longer with the players having left but no one was brave enough to see it for themselves. They had lived in fear for far too long.

However, it was the best atmosphere for Ace. He felt at home in this desolate place where hope had become a foreign concept. He smiled and continued on, jumping and moving in the air, barely touching any roofs.

“You’re late” a voice said from behind him and Ace whirled around, his daggers blocking an attack that never came. There was a man in his late twenties with wind chiselled features and warm sea-green eyes. He wore a dark red coat that was in stark contrast with the miserable surroundings.

“Skele?” Ace asked in surprise, hands falling to his sides, daggers disappearing from them.

“I was expecting you earlier,” the man said, grumbling. “What took you so long?”

Ace shrugged. “There were complications. So have you found anything interesting?” The man shook his head at that. “I looked everywhere but if there had ever been anyone in the know, they’re long gone. It had happened twenty years ago.”

Ace’s eyes narrowed at that. “You know who they were all those years ago! You’ve met them! How can you not find them again?” “They’ve moved. He had been a minor lord, nothing too special and after my destruction they seem to have abandoned the place. There is nothing left there but ruins.”

“You sure of it? What about people that had lived around? Don’t they have anything to say?” “There are no people around. Everyone has run away because of the fighting.”

Ace rolled his eyes at that. The skeleton seemed to have forgotten the main thing about humans, having been separated from them for so long. There was simply no way to get rid of humans. They were like cockroaches, immune to everything and managing to hide in the smallest of holes until they could return anew with their offspring in tow.

“Show me where they have lived,” Ace said, turning away from the man and looking over the city. It was afternoon now and the sun still shone brightly, lightening the empty corners of the place.

Skele nodded at the request and led Ace farther away from the centre of the city. The necromancer was using levitation while the kid jumped from one field to another.

It took them some ten minutes to get to their destination, a house supposedly. However, what met Ace’s eyes was a huge pile of ruins. There were remnants of a tower, half of it burned and fallen to the ground. A wall of a building stood on one side, hiding the place from north winds.

“You did all of this? Alone?” Ace asked, coming down to stand on the ground. Or well more like rocks and blocks that once had been building parts. There were parts of rotten furniture lying around that for some reason had been left to rot by scavengers.

Skele nodded. “I was mad at the time. She had betrayed me. And the fact that she believed words of a good for nothing like that foolish knight rather than mine only hurt more.”

“And you’re not now? Mad I mean,” Ace asked, tilting his head to take a better look at Skele. With the right eye he could see through all the layers of illusion he’d created but there was nothing there. Red glowing eyes and featureless skull with a few white washed hair on it.

It took Skele a while to answer and to Ace’s delight his voice showed all the emotion that he wanted to know about. “I am,” whispered the mage in a dangerously low voice. There was no malice in it but the chill radiating from it could have frozen kingdoms.

The hatred wasn’t buried too deep even after years of hiding away it seemed.

Ace nodded at it and went to look around but found nothing that would catch his attention. The pile of boulders was clearly this way for a long while now and no longer had anything interesting left in it.

He then moved to nearby buildings. They were small huts made for servants. The closest ones were destroyed but after a certain distance everything was without a scratch. It almost looked like a hurricane had been contained at the centre, near the manor while some kind of shield prevented it from escaping outside.

These protected houses was what Ace had been looking for. The fact that they still seemed to be in quite good condition meant that someone recently had lived in them and he wanted to meet them.

He was sure that of a more than a dozen houses present, one would be inhabited. These residents would have stayed after the manor destruction so a bit of conflict in town couldn’t have scared them away.

It seemed like a smart thought but as time went by Ace was starting to believe he’d misjudged these people. There wasn’t even a scent of anyone being here for the last couple of weeks.

He searched all the nooks and crannies, listening with his enhanced hearing for the smallest of sounds but there was nothing. No living soul resided in these houses or it was hidden too well, under layers and layers of ground so no sound could pass through.

“I looked through here. They all have left,” Skele said after Ace left another house with an annoyed expression on his face. “You’re just wasting time.”

“Maybe” Ace agreed eyeing the sky. The sun was starting to settle down and urging him to return to the city of angels. There was a show waiting for him there.

Yet he wanted to finish with this first. There had to be some clue around.

He moved away to the road and entered another house but this one hadn’t belonged to the manor. It was made for servants of some other lord. And like he had had an inkling, from somewhere below there was a barely audible sound of whispering voices.

It would have been impossible to notice for most players but those with special skills that increased hearing and Ace had one of them, [All Ears]. It led him down to the basement and then after a few minutes searching around he found a latch opening a hiding place.

“Well, hello there” he said cheerfully, descending into the darkness on stairs made of invisible fields. [Flare] lit the place and he saw five pairs of frightened eyes focus on him. They belonged to a group of elders behind which a couple of children hid.

Skele came after him, levitating down with his magic. He looked around but said nothing, letting Ace have his say. “We came here to ask you a few questions,” he said but noticing the terrified looks added. “We’ll pay generously for any bit of information you can provide us with.”

It didn’t seem to have removed all worry from the faces as Ace had thought it would, but one of the woman stood up. She was his height with age wrinkled skin and small, glistening eyes. “What is it you want to know?”

“Have you worked here twenty years ago?” he asked letting [Flare] circle the room so he could see if anyone was hiding in the corners. There was nothing there but he became aware of the poverty these people lived in. They had only a few blankets, one small pile of dried meat and no candles or anything.

They were living in the dark.

The thought made him shudder and he returned his attention to the woman. She was following his every move with her dark eyes that seemed to see through one’s soul. They made him uncomfortable but he didn’t turn away. “So did you?”

“I did” she finally said in a distrustful tone and didn’t elaborate more. He was clearly going to have to drag each word out of her.

“Do you know what happened to the lady daughter of the manor beside yours?” “I don’t know about things that happened in a households not my own,” she said with a glare his way. Was it a sore subject?

Whatever. He needed that information to finish the quest and if bribery was going to be required to achieve it, he didn’t really care. “I have food and candles that I could spare.”

The woman thought for a moment but shook her head. “We would gladly take those things of your hands but we have nothing to give you in exchange. We weren’t privy to the gossip of the other houses.”

Ace tried a few more approaches but all of them ended the same. This was one stubborn woman. He then decided to go the other way. If being good didn’t work, it was prime time to turn into the devil.

He dashed forward and before anyone knew better he had one of the kids in his hands, Kris held to his neck. The woman screamed along with others as they noticed what happened, other kids started crying but Ace held his hostage in a tight grip.

He really hoped he wouldn’t have to kill the little boy but there was no guarantee. Examples sometimes had to be made. “I tried being nice but you didn’t want that. Your choice. Now either you tell me what I want to know or this kid is going for a long sleep.”

The boy hiccuped, snivelling up. He was terrified. “You wouldn’t do that,” the old woman said but her voice wavered at the end. “You don’t know that,” he said with a malicious smile. “Have you ever gambled before?”

“No,” the woman said in a shaky voice, shaking her head. “Then are you sure you want to start now?” he asked in a nonchalant manner, his smile turning back to a friendly one as he drew blood from the boy’s neck.

The kid whimpered and one of the woman lunged forward. Ace twisted, evading her pathetic attempt at attack and kicking her in the side. He did that without thinking of who he was fighting and heard the sound of breaking bones.

He closed his eyes for a moment at that. It hadn’t been his intention but there was no going back now. “Don’t do that,” he said in a low voice, slightly similar to the one Skele had used before.

“Darllin” someone cried and rushed to the fallen woman’s side. They then started crying together and whimpering intensified below Ace’s dagger. It drew even more blood as Ace couldn’t move the dagger away without losing his image while the kid couldn’t stay still with sobs racking his body.

The situation was getting worse and worse yet the old woman was still hesitant to reveal her story. What could she possibly know that would be worth sacrificing her people for?

“I’m getting bored here now,” he said, aiming those words at her. She stared at him with a haunted expression in her stricken face. “Do it then, kill us all and be done with it.”

Ace could have done it but it would have gained him nothing and there were simpler ways to kill people. “Sure but know that I will go to the next house and the next, finding those that know something and killing all that won’t feel like sharing. And you know what? I’m sure someone will falter, making your sacrifice pointless. Do you want that to happen?”

The woman’s face twisted into a mask of sorrow, her lower lip trembling. She then glanced towards her fallen friend, her back or something broken and then back to Ace who stood unapologetic with his dagger next to the boy’s neck.

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” she asked in a voice betraying her inner turmoil. Ace nodded at that. He wasn’t kidding. “Why is it you need that information so badly?”

Ace pointed with his head at Skele, the red coated guy that had been staying quietly for this whole time. “He’s Worglan Harbert.”

“Harbert?” the woman asked with her hand over her heart, taking a few steps back. “It cannot be!”

Ace tilted his head to get a better look. “Why not? The guy had been planning his vengeance for years. Wouldn’t siring a bastard achieve one of the things he was seeking?”

She shook her head violently at that. “I knew that boy myself. He was faithful to a fault. There’s not a chance he’d betray her even after what she’d done and his only child...” She hiccuped, unable to finish the sentence.

“What child?” Skele asked, coming forward to hold the woman by her shoulders. There was madness in his glowing red orbs and the woman shuddered in his hands. “Tell me!” he shouted out angrily, shaking her violently.

Ace dropped his boy then, pushing him to the side and went to Skele, making him release the woman. “She’s old, a stronger wind can break her in half so stop shaking her like that if you want answers.” He then turned to the woman. “If I were you, I’d start talking. He doesn’t seem like a patient fellow to me.”

“Is he really the son of Froyan?” she asked instead of answering, her face pale white. “You can say that so do you mind telling us the story now?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes wide open. “He died in birth.”

Worglan’s hands tightened into fists, his eyes closing shut with a drawn-in breath. Ace wasn’t sure what that meant so he returned his attention to the woman. She looked crazed out and no longer caring what she was saying.

“When the lady returned, she was alone, having left her lover behind. I was no one back then but the gossip spread far and wide that she returned with child. Her father had ordered to kill the newborn on sight and she’d agreed to it relieved. Her maids were shocked by that and found her actions despicable.

“Everyone knew Froyan and he’d been liked by most because of his simple personality. The actions of the lovers had been deemed as stupidity but still viewed in a rosy light. So when she returned alone and was so eager to get rid of the child, the servants turned from her.

“We had said nothing as it wasn’t our place but we no longer supported her. But, it did little do dampen her moods as she soon received dozens of new ones from her new husband.

“Then the fight happened and many of us died. We weren’t at fault but died still, and hated Froyan for that. He’d been one of us, a servant but he’d wished for too much. He’d run away with the lord’s daughter. We understood his reasons but that didn’t change our feelings.

“None of us wanted to die but there was no way to escape. We were in the way, building parts fell on our heads for no other reason than that we were there. It was horrible but that wasn’t the end. Not even close.

“All, who had known about the baby that was killed on birth, were collected and then sworn to secrecy. If anyone was heard saying a word of it, they were killed instantly and their whole families along with them. There were massacres aplenty as someone hadn’t believed the warning.”

Ace’s lip curled upwards in disgust as he listened to the tale.

There was something especially horrible about killing a newborn babe. He tried to imagine that scene. A kid trying to adjust himself to the new world he’d entered. He would still be trying to test his lungs when the air would stop coming. His neck would get broken, air unable to pass through and he’ll turn purplish blue.

He would be dead before he would fully learn the most basic of actions, breathing.

Ace shook his head in disgust. It was something below the lowest of moral codes. Mindless cruelty.

He turned to face Skele to see how he had taken the news. Although the skeletal face didn’t change Ace could have sworn he could see tears welling up in his eyes. “What happened to the body?” the guy asked or more like choked out to the woman and she smiled sadly.

“The midwife buried your body in the Eastern Park near the lake. She had said it was on a small hill and she’d put a sign to know where it was. I never went there though as I thought that matters of other households did not concern me. Oh, the sweet innocence of youth,” she said bitterly and Ace choked, barely containing a laugh.

Youth? By the age she was now, it meant she’d been no less than forty back then. In what universe would that age still be youth?

Skele, however, didn’t seem to be amused by her remark. He was staring unseeing at the wall before punching it, his bones cracking, and then rushing out. Ace had a feeling he knew where the guy was going.

But he did not hurry afterwards. There were a few more questions to be answered. “What happened to the lady? Where is she now?”

The woman looked at him surprised. “The lady? Oh, her husband died fifteen years ago, so she happily remarried to become a duchess. I heard she has two daughters and a son which resembles the Duke as if he was a perfect copy of him.”

Duke? Ace couldn’t keep himself and this time chuckled aloud. The only guy he’d liked, he’d found decent had married the wrong woman and now was sentenced to death.

It was sad, really, but ironic too.

And Ace knew he would kill him no matter what. He had promised Skele to fulfil his wish, to get revenge for him and that was the important part. Other things mattered little in that regard.

But it wasn’t the time for that. He had another meeting to which he was late at the moment.

He ran out at full speed and found a random mirror to return to angel city. The room was empty like when he had entered all those hours ago and he rushed out to the inn his group had looked like they would stay.

When he asked, the innkeeper said they had left a good half an hour ago and Ace cursed. He was more late than he had previously thought. No matter, he made his way to the church.

It was empty of the people he was looking for so he returned to questioning the passer-bys. Most knew nothing, but he soon found their track and hurried there.

Apparently, Par was told to tell his part of the story so it wasn’t actual lying when the information was given. Ace would have still called that out but it wasn’t he being cheated so he didn’t mind. The important part was that they were then taken to the hill of fallen feathers, where the kid will have to call out to the holy ones.

One acolyte had even added that this time the angels were sure to appear. Ace hadn’t believed it one bit but had thanked for the information and moved in the direction told.

His path took him outside the city and there he no longer needed any help to locate his friends. The whole road was filled with people walking to the hill and standing around watching, waiting for something to happen.

There were especially many near the foot of the hill so Ace rose in the air and using [Radiant Step] reached the top. He watched them for a moment. Par was saying some words after the city elder but nothing caught Ace’s attention so he just dropped to the ground near his team.

Ear-splitting silence descended on the whole place as he did that.

He looked around trying to understand what was happening but the expressions gave little away. Or more like they were too confusing.

Most eyes were full of wonder, tear drops collecting in their corners from joy or relief Ace couldn’t tell. The elder’s look was full of disbelief but there was reverence there too. He looked unsure of whether he should fall down and prostrate himself or scream something outrageous.

Monthu, however, seemed to have already made the choice. And it was to look as if he would give anything to be able to face palm himself right about now. “I got myself into some kind of situation, haven’t I?” Ace whispered to him and the guy answered with a dry smile.

It almost felt like everything was normal again.

“Your holiness!” one of the priests shouted out and Ace turned to face the city elder. Yet the words had clearly not been aimed at him for the man was still looking at him with that perplexed expression on his face.

He then turned to face the caller and met him eye to eye. It was a middle aged portly guy with brown hair falling over his whole face. And he was looking straight at Ace. “Your holiness, please bless us with your true form and let us see what has been denied humanity for so long!” he said in a fervent manner, tripping over his own words as he rushed to get them all out.

Ace tilted his head as a laugh escaped his mouth. Oh, he had gotten himself into a situation all right.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said turning to the guy that had spoken with his eyebrows furrowed. “Why would you refer to me so respectfully?”

The man looked surprised but not deterred. “The plea has been heard! You’re the one that answered the boy’s call meaning you’re the one that blessed him!”

‘You got one thing right, though I had never blessed him or anything.’ “What do you mean? I’m just his friend,” he said out aloud, tilting his head as if unable to understand what was happening.

The elder then took a step forward, bowing before Ace. “There’s no need for pretending, my lord. We know who you are and you’re safe with us. We’ll never let anything happen to you.”

Ace’s eyes widened at the words said. “Afraid? I’m not scared of anything. Why should I be?” “We know of the horrors your kind had to suffer at the hands of humans and gods alike.” Ace had not the slightest idea what they were. “But we’re different. We would never do anything to harm you. You’re our deities.”

As Ace stayed quiet the man continued. “You have come here in secret, helping those in need but the times have changed. There is a need for you to show your faces to the world and make it see! Your kind deserves to sit on the throne and rule everyone because you know the best. You’re the perfection itself.”

Ace laughed out loud at that and jumped in the air, his black raven like wings raising dust from the ground. He was perfection itself? Well, that was new.

He made a few circles around the top of the hill, carefully timing his fields so it looked like he flew while in truth he thought of what he was planning to do. He had made the illusion to taunt the elder without thinking better of it.

Although, he had created a cute picture and a disturbing one at the same time if he could say so himself. He had coal black wings, dark brown hair that fell over his eyes and a black cloak that covered him fully. His cowl was up to hide his face, leaving an amethyst clasp the only colour on him.

“You sure talk a lot, old man,” he said returning to his earlier position, but instead of landing hovering in the air. It was much harder but he was sure it left a better impression. “Who do you think you are to tell me how to act?”

“You- you- you’re a Fallen!” the man hissed in fear and amazement. His hands rose in waving motions as if he was unsure whether he wanted to touch Ace and see if he was truly there or run away in another direction.

Ace smirked at him. “And?” The man tried to answer but words failed him. He just sputtered and gaped making Ace roll his eyes. Sadly, it was hidden by the cowl and nobody noticed.

He shook his head at the man. “Pathetic. Was your whole talk about revering angels just a lie? You’re just another one of those?” He really hoped the man had a supplicant for the word those because he himself had none.

“No! No!” the elder said in an instant, bowing again and regaining his wits. “Not at all! I was just not expecting to meet one of the highest ranked angels. And you’re so young...”

Ace wavered in the air, almost falling but catching himself on time. ‘Highest ranked? I’m a fallen! Is that guy mad or blind?’ But before he could voice his question the man went back to talking nonsense.

“I knew you had to be someone special to give away your artefact but to meet a Fallen... There’s no way I could have ever guessed it. I am really sorry for bothering you with the mundane things and disturbing you on your path. Please forgive your servant in his mistake!”

Ace scrunched his face in thought. It would be so simple to just nod haughtily and be done with it, accepting that without knowing he had made his illusion too good.

He dropped to the ground and came to stand right before the elder, a good two feet lower than him. Yet he acted as if it was him in control if he was higher and the one with power. “You called me out. You wanted to see my true form, you made me reveal myself before my companions. Don’t you think a simple sorry is not enough?”

The man turned pale at the prospect. “I didn’t know! I am sorry! Please forgive me,” he pleaded, falling before Ace’s feet and kissing them with tears in his eyes. “Please forgive me! I didn’t know!”

Ace took a step back, disgusted. “Get away from me, you filth,” he hissed, kicking at the man who had reached with his hand to touch him again. This was one messed-up situation he’d gotten himself in. Why in the world was the guy so afraid of the angels he revered so much?

Weren’t they the good guys?

It was doubtful as the man before him started to wail loudly, tears running down his face in torrents. He then sat up, moving his head in all directions, eyes running wildly around as he took out a dagger from a hidden compartment in his sleeve.

And stabbed himself.

Ace watched in grave mortification as a smile appeared on the man’s face when he felt his life draining away and their gazes met. “I’m really sorry,” he whispered as his eyes closed for the last time.