"It's finally time to begin phase 3." I said to them. "Yes master." Azrael said with a respectful bow. However, the tailed Lilith just stood there and looked at me indifferently.
"What's wrong?" I asked her. "Oh, nothing. I just, really liked Elaine is all." she said to me nonchalantly. "She is a means to an end. Put your feelings aside." I said to her then teleported away from there.
"Lilith, the master seems distraught from this new phase. Who is this Elaine?" Azrael asked. "She is your master's wife. Even I don't know what phase 3 is about." the tailed Lilith replied.
"A queen!" Azrael said excitedly. "She's no queen. She is actually just an ordinary human, but master has taken a liking to her." the tailed Lilith said. "What does she have to do with master's plan to make him feel this way?" Azrael asked still oblivious.
"In order for phase 3 to be realized, master must sabotage the life and reputation of Elaine. He has grown too fond of her. He might actually not have it in him to go through with it." the tailed Lilith said expressing her thoughts.
'A weakness…! This isn't ideal for the master. She must be eliminated, the plans of the master must proceed.' Azrael thought to himself.
I isolated myself in the farm for the next two weeks in order to concentrate on healing and restoring my strength. I also took my time to fully understand the dark cloud. I could now build more intricate objects with my dark cloud and think of new applications for it.
Azrael's hand had yet to heal and although he wasn't as strong as me, his battle power would be needed. I then thought about how I had come to heal and wondered if I could do something similar with Azrael's hand.
After some trials and errors, I discovered Azrael could not absorb other shadows to heal himself like I had. Fortunately, I could share my dark cloud with him directly. This proved effective as the speed of his healing increased dramatically. However, it weakened my life force slightly. A fatal wound would have taken much more to heal.
"Master, when shall this phase 3 begin?" Azrael asked me. "When I am fully healed." I answered him as I manipulated the dark cloud between my hands. "Would this business have anything to do with the woman named Elaine?" Azrael asked another question.
"And what if it does?" I said to him putting the dark cloud aside. "I think she is a distraction." Azrael commented. "Then don't think!" I said with a miniscule amount of killing intent.
Azrael then quickly retreated a step and immediately bowed apologetically. 'The master's judgement is clouded. This woman must be eliminated!' Azrael thought to himself. "Forgive this servant's intrusion. Please excuse me." Azrael said then flew off.
"Master wanted to kill me...! No! I must protect the interests of my master. Elaine must be eliminated!" Azrael said as he flew at his top speed. In almost an instant, Azrael had already arrived before Elaine's hotel room. He then phased through the door and inside, saw a woman in a towel coming out of the bathroom.
Her hair was soaked but it only added to her beauty. She sat on a chair and used another towel to dry off her hair. Azrael then began to approach her from behind and attempted to grab Elaine by her neck, but Theós' light was still around her and protecting her.
Elaine was still unaware of what was happening. Her physical eyes were incapable of seeing Azrael. Unless Theós itself willed it, no human can see beings of the spiritual realm. Elaine continued to dry her hair, still unaware.
Despite the light's defense, Azrael did not let up and kept on trying to push past Theós' protection. He was determined to get rid of Elaine.
A burning sensation suddenly took over Azrael's body. It felt like a hundred migraines erupting in his head. His body stiffened as though it were being held in place by an external force. Yet, he continued to try and push forward, anxious to grab Elaine by the neck.
Just as he was a few dozen inches away from her, I grabbed Azrael's wrist and broke it. I then dragged Azrael through a gate and threw him into the tailed Lilith's room, where we appeared.
I then grabbed a chair and took a seat. "I'll give you 5 seconds to explain yourself." I said to him. "Master, it's that woman. She is clouding your judgements. Until she is eliminated, she will always hold y-," Azrael tried to say before being cut off.
"Eliminated!" I said out loud then choked Azrael with the dark cloud, lifting him in the air. "What made you think that it was okay for you to even think of touching my woman!" I said to him tightening the hold around his neck.
"You do not have the right to question my actions nor my timing. Not you or anyone else!" I said to him. I then finally released him from the cloudy chokehold. "Know your place!" I said looking down on him. He then immediately excused himself apolegetically.
"My woman? Where did that come from? Damn it, Azrael may be onto something!" I said to myself. "You think?" The tailed Lilith said coming out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower.
"You were listening?" I asked hypothetically. "Yeah, get your shit together. It's just one human." the tailed Lilith said preparing to get dressed.
I then teleported to the top of the Empire State Building and sat cross legged on the grassy, green roof. As I focused my senses, I began to feel the traces of the dark cloud within the blood of all those who took the miracle drug.
I then erased all the healing effects it had on the human body and released its true nature.
"It's about time I began phase 3." I said out loud. I then simply released the control I had on the miniscule amonunt of dark cloud within the bodies of those who took the miracle drug in Antarctica. Just as a test run.
With that, I also let go of the biggest tie I had on Earth. I completely embraced who I was; no longer having any emotions that held me back.
The drug now no longer worked as a cure, but acted as a slow poison in the body. Antarctica was first, then it was South America, then the rest of the World soon followed.
In just a month, the spread of a new, highly contagious, and incurable autoimmune disease was being announced all around the world. In two months' time, the disease had spread to all corners of the world and given the name 'Anoroc'.
Experts could not find any treatment or cure for this new disease as it actually persuaded antibodies to not only turn against the body, but also kept white blood cells in a dormant state. The deaths only increased with time. Eventually, they were able to connect the source of the disease to the "miracle drug" Elaine had created.
The world was now holding her responsible for the deaths of millions. Since I had saved her from dying at the time she was meant to; all those deaths were now on me and their lifespans had strengthened me considerably.
No one was an exception. Men, women, and children alike were dying, which gave me strength. All I had to do was send a thought and anyone that had taken the miracle drug became a potential target.
Almost half the human race had ingested the miracle drug, which meant I held the lives and deaths of over 3 billion people in my hands.
Throughout these events, Ace had been protecting Elaine in a safe house despite my absence. Elaine wanted to turn herself in, but Ace wouldn't allow it. With the way the world was in chaos right now, people weren't looking for justice...they wanted blood.
"How could this happen? I am not a killer. I did not mean to hurt anyone. It was tested, the drug was tested! The spread of Anoroc should not have been possible-." Wendelyne began to mumble to herself with tears rolling down her eyes as she desperately worked in her lab to find a cure.
"Ace, how is she?" I asked walking in like I hadn't been gone for months. "She refuses to rest. She has been up, working nonstop, for two days now. She hasn't been eating either. She only stops to drink water then dives back to work," Ace replied.
I gave him a nod then walked into the lab and said to her. "You will end up dying of exhaustion if you don't get some rest." I said this as I watched the numerous other ways she was prone to die from.
"I don't deserve to rest when something I created is out there killing people as we speak!" she said to me as she examined the miracle drug. She then turned around and asked, "Where have you been?"
"Busy, dealing with this whole situation." I answered. "Why didn't you tell me? You coiuld have called; texted even...I needed you here. You once said you needed me. Has that changed? Is that why you left me with no explanation? Do you also think of me as a murderer?" Elaine asked a series of questions that eventually brought her to tears.
"You want to die don't you? I won't stop you this time." I said then began to walk away. "I'll take it that you no longer need me then?" She said to me depressingly but with a surprisingly cold face.
"No, I do not!" I said to her as I walked out of the lab. For a moment, she felt her throat closing....
(Sigh)
She then released a long heavy sigh of acceptance then turned back to keep working. However, the tears never stopped streaming down her face.
I then walked out of the safehouse and found Azrael down on one knee at the entrance. "Master, forgive me for ever doubting you. Please, take my life and add to your power," Azrael said respectfully.
"Raise your head Azrael, it's not that deep. To some extent, you were right. My strength has increased now and my mind is clear. You won't have to doubt me ever again!" I said to him.
I then proceeded to activate the cloud within every human that took the miracle drug. 'Half of humanity will be wiped out after this, it is sure to be enough,' I thought to myself. "Gather your shadows, we will be leaving Earth within a week." I said to Azrael.
"Yes master." he said to me then flew off. "Tailed Lilith," I said out loud. The tailed Lilith then appeared before me walking out of a gate. "You called?" she said. "We will be leaving Earth in a week. I need you to make the following arrangements." I said to her.