Valerie's hand squeezed into a fist, even though she tried to hide it. Azrael instantly noticed her first trembled, her sister was still bad at lying. Azrael sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"How…did you know?" Valerie still kept her head the other way but her voice still trembled while asking.
The amount of emotion she was feeling, couldn't be explained. She was not sure whether she was happy or angry or it was neither and just pain. The pain of centuries waiting for a guy who would not even remember her and Valerie was sure if he does he will just hate and nothing else.
"Like every book, his book came to an end." Azrael shrugged off as she explained.
Valerie narrowed her gaze, hearing her sister's lies. Of course, the Book of Quietus which was the collective name for books in the Library of Niflheim was not something that ended. Once a soul enters their assigned book, it's for eternity unless somehow they get out. There is no end to the hell which was created by them themselves.
Hell was nothing but the world you created and you being its protagonist. That was hell, no one tortures you. It's you who tortures yourself. You are your own demon.
If Azrael was death then Valerie was life. They were born as a phenomenon, and soon the prophecy was read through all the realms.
'Two twin sisters came into existence, one will be a lifebringer and the other will be a deathbringer.'
That's what the prophecy read but in fear one of the sisters will become a creation of chaos, their mother did something verboten and it changed the course of fate. A deathbringer will always be one.
A burst of sudden cold laughter breaks out in the sombre forest. It echoed in the tranquil forest. The dark air suddenly became chiller than before.
Azrael sensed something, her eyes went to her surroundings. Few dark silhouettes encircled them. Their icy eyes gleamed in the dark, like hungry wolves preying on their quarry. Azrael knows those creatures well.
They were bloody cadgers, they live in the dark terrains and suck on any energy but dark energy attracts them the most. They were lowly creatures mostly feeding on the energy scraps of the netherworld. But given the chance, it was just Azrael and Valerie and it was not one Cadger but hundreds of them, maybe thousands.
They spread till her visions could be seen. With each passing moment, they got closer and closer. The shadowy atmosphere made it worsen. The places where her caliginous bubble fell, attracted more.
Their long dangling arms swivelled as they walked, their misty body had no exact form, with only eyes as their only facial features, there was no way to distinguish them from one another.
Azrael grabbed Valerie's arm and pulled her closer to her. Valerie was astonished by the sudden yank, she was too busy in her thought to notice they had been surrounded. She looked up at Azrael who was trying her best to be cautious of the surroundings.
Fear took her once she realised there were hundreds of them, everywhere. They can fight but the mana left after their own fight was not enough to fight each and one of them.
Valerie got closer, their backs meaning each other. Valerie gulped hard and glanced at Azrael. She was worried too.
"What should we do?" Valerie questioned, looking at her sister.
Azrael remained silent and kept a poker face. She looked like the army of Cadgers got closer and if they used magic now, they would get closer. Azrael tried to think of a way, clenching her lips.
"Leave," Azrael ordered her. Suddenly turned her head up to Valerie.
If both Valerie and Azrael use magic at the same time then Cadgers would be attracted to Azrael, not Valerie. It will give Valerie a chance to leave.
Valerie understood her plan but she can't let some lowly creatures take her sister's life. It was her job to do that, how can she let some measly creatures do that.
Valerie her teeth in anger, and yanks her forward by the wrist. Their faces are opposite to each other.
"Listen, I will not leave you here alone." Valerie asserted.
Hearing such sweet words from her sister, a sudden joy built up in her. Azrael's eyes started to be teary.
Her sister did care for her, after all. Azrael was about to stretch out her arm to take her in her arms and hug her till death do them apart.
But her dreams fell apart when 9ut of nowhere Valerie spoke again.
"That's my job to do, after all. I want to give you the most torturous death, can't let some measly creatures do it." Valerie snorted, looking at the Cadgers.
Azrael's face was plastered in shock. So the only reason her sister was being so good to her was to kill her herself.
Azrael facepalmed trying to hide the embarrassment, she should have known better. Her sister was thirsty for her death, even if it meant fighting a few hundreds of Cadgers.
Now she thinks it makes her heart bleed. How much does her sister hate her even? At Least she is trying to save her.
Azrael tried to comfort herself and looked at her sister. She had her eyes closed, her hands in front of her, sticking to each other open.
And then out of nowhere, a sudden burst of white light appeared. Blinding, Azrael's vision. The light took over the dark forest.
When Azrael opened her eyes, she found herself in a dome-shaped structure which was transparent. It was similar to that of glass.
Azrael's eyes went straight to Valerie who stood in the middle of the dome. Her long silver hair fluttered in the wind, while her body emitted a bit of white radiance giving her a majestic appearance.
But her face showed signs of struggle, her eyes closed and eyebrows wincing and her continuously biting of lips.
Azrael understood already why she was struggling that much, the light emitted by her was her aura. She was using all her strength to keep the shield in place.