"This cannot be real!" she yells, tears streaming down her face. "How could any child live through this?"
"He couldn't," says Arthur, indifferently staring at Azrael's corpse. "The mortal boy named Azrael died here in this manor... all alone." As he says this, he clenches his fists till they bleed.
"Mortal... Azrael? What are you talking about?"
Arthur looks at Chari, who returns his gaze. "So, you didn't tell her everything?" he asks, smiling. She shakes her head.
"She didn't tell me everything? What do you mean?"
"Azrael... Or the one we know as Professor Azrael is a God."
"Professor Azrael is... a God?"
"Yes. One of his subordinates betrayed him and sealed his powers. Lord Azrael is searching for a method to unseal his powers and reclaim his former glory in the heavenly realm."
"The... heavenly realm? Is that The Beginning?"
"I only heard stories from Azrael. He said it is an empty realm with nothing to do." Arthur cracks a laugh and continues, "But he said no realm is more beautiful." His expression grows grim, "He tries to hide it but I can see he misses his home. And I will help him return."
"Arthur..." Alora reaches out to console him but stops after seeing him wearing a bright smile. She withdraws her hand and says, "Is that so? Well, to do that we need to resolve this nightmare first."
"How do we do that?" asks Chari.
"If this is the end of the nightmare, I should be—"
"This is not the end," interjects Arthur.
"It's not?"
The man who tortured Azrael appears from the darkness as Alora asks this question. He holds a brown sack in his right hand and a thick rope in his left. The man shoves Azrael's corpse into the brown sack and walks to the carriage. After travelling for several days, the man dumps Azrael's body on an empty farmland, bordering the Sapphire Kingdom.
"It's done," says Arthur.
"Why would they go to such lengths?" asks Alora. She looks at Chari and asks, "Did you hear anything?"
Chari shakes her head. "This is a nightmare, it's not reality. All I can hear from their minds are static noises. I'm sorry but I can't help with this."
"It's good," says Arthur. He scratches his chin and says, "Not to be rude... but... is there a reason you... tagged along?" Chari is overwhelmed with shock by Arthur's question and starts crying.
"I... I'm sorry..." she mutters. "I'm... completely useless..."
"No, no, no! I didn't mean that. I... OUCH!!" Alora knocks Arthur over the head, annoyed. As he rubs his aching head, he takes hold of Chari's hands, "I didn't mean to say you're useless, Chari. I was concerned."
"C... Concerned?"
"I've never resolved a nightmare before. So, it's only right to act cautious when approaching something new like this. And this is a matter that does not involve you or Alora. You can say that I'm... grateful you would go so far for me and Azrael."
Chari becomes flustered. "No, I..."
"Enough flirting, you two," says Alora, even more annoyed than before. "Honestly," she sighs, "we're still on a mission here."
"I'm not flirting," says Arthur, flustered. He clears his throat and says, "It doesn't matter why they would go to such lengths, does it?"
"No, you're right. I just..." Alora looks down the dirt road at the carriage, which soon disappears.
"Just?"
"No, it's nothing."
"I... see. Anyway, how are we supposed to resolve this nightmare?"
"I will cast a spell to purge this nightmare."
"Purge? Like a ghost?"
"Nightmares are like poltergeists, they haunt and disturb the peaceful lives of living beings. As such, they can be purged with the right magic."
"And that magic is... Dream Magic?"
"Yes. Dream magic is, admittedly, useless in the real world. Because of this, I nearly failed the entrance exam."
"You nearly failed? Then how did you make it into the A-class?"
"I... don't know. My magic is useless in the real world but when it comes to the world of dreams," she waves her finger like a wand and the day suddenly becomes night, "I am unstoppable."
"That's... amazing," says Arthur, surprised. "So, you'll use your mastery over dream magic to purge this nightmare?"
"Yes."
"I see. I guess there was no reason for me to be here as well. I'm quite useless when it comes to helping Azrael."
"That's not true," says Alora. "Chari told me your thoughts plagued you for the last few days. I could feel how tense your mana was and see how depressed you were looking. But now," she says, looking into Arthur's eyes, "you look more relaxed than ever. And so did Professor Azrael over the last two days. You took my advice and tried your best to help him, I can sense that. Your hard work has paid off. No matter how meagre the results were, you should feel proud of the effort you put in."
Her words struck a chord in Arthur's chest. The doubt he's felt for the last few days comes pouring out of his eyes and he struggles to fight back against the tears. "Sorry," he says, wiping away. "I can't seem to stop them."
Alora and Chari smiles. "As long as you keep smiling as you are now, it's good to let out a good cry every now and then," says Alora. After Arthur wipes away the last of his tears, she says, "I will perform the spell now." He and Chari nod. "Dreams are pathways to joyous illusions. Nightmares are obstructions on this pathway. May this obstruction fade into obscurity and allow joy to embrace this poor soul. Dream Magic: Nightmare Purge."
A white glow embraces Alora and Azrael. This glow brightens and spreads to its surroundings like water on paper. Arthur shields Chari with his body and closes his eyes as the glow blinds them. After a few minutes pass, Alora pokes Arthur on his side and says, smiling, "What a gentleman."
He lets go of Chari, flustered. "S-sorry."
"It's... fine."
"You both are like children," says Alora, unable to control her laughter. "Wouldn't you say, Professor Azrael?"
Arthur stands idle, shocked at hearing his name. His ears catch Azrael's gentle laugh. He turns around slowly and as his eyes fall on Azrael, he is brought to tears once more.
"Thank you, Alora. Chari." He looks at them and bows. Then he turns to Arthur, "Thank you, Arthur. I'm back."
Arthur continues to cry but his smile is as bright as the sun. He wipes his tears away, and says, "Glad to have you, Lord Azrael."
"Geez, didn't I tell you not to be so formal with me."
"You did... But just for today..."
Azrael sighs. "Well, if it's just for today, it's fine."
"Thank you, Lord Azrael."
After Arthur calms down, Azrael looks around at the white space surrounding them. "This is the dream realm."
"The dream realm?" asks Arthur, looking at Alora. She shakes her head.
"The Goddess of Dreams, Penelope, created a realm mimicking the heavenly realm. This expanse of white that you see before you is that realm. It's empty and void of impurities—nothing like the heavenly realm that exists now."
"What is the heavenly realm like?"
"It's empty, like this but more so now than ever before."
"How was it before?"
Azrael's eyes glaze as he thinks of the past. "Gods and angels communed in harmony amongst heaven's clouds. The beauty of this communion was what I wanted to see humans perform. No impurities. No war. No greed. No lust. No... death. Just peace and harmony." His eyebrows, like his gaze, fall and he continues, "But peace does not last forever. Eventually, such a communion will tear apart. Factions formed. Ideologies clashed. Wars were fought. Death came about. And victors were crowned. Victors are glorified and the villains ostracised. That is how we live in this reality." He looks at Alora and says, "I'm sorry to bring down this wondrous mood with my words. But we ought to move along. This dimension only brings back memories I'd like to keep in the past."
"O-okay," she says, shocked. "Let's get going. The others are waiting."
Everyone holds onto Alora and she starts chanting a spell. As she does, Azrael takes one last look at the dream realm. If only you hadn't rebelled, we could have lived in that cottage in peace—our little corner of the heavenly realm. You made my eternal life worth living. But you also made me curse my eternity. I wanted to die but if I did... "Then there would be no death," he mutters. As he does, his eyes widen and his jaw drops. That's right. Without the Primordial God of Death... Without me seated on my throne, what has become of death?
This question is something Azrael would soon find the answer to. The gears of fate have started spinning and the truth behind Azazel's betrayal draws near. What lies in store for the Primordial God of Death is a past he wishes to forget, a present he wants to remain frozen and a future he is not ready to face.