Chapter 26 – Lost Between Realms
Samuel had no idea where he was.
The moment he stepped into the spatial crack, everything around him twisted. The world became a blur of swirling colors, fractured light, and distorted space. He felt weightless, his body drifting through the void with no sense of direction. The force pulling him was neither gentle nor violent—it was simply overwhelming, as if he had been swallowed by something greater than himself.
He tried to control his descent, but the unstable nature of the space around him made it impossible. His wings flared, attempting to stabilize himself, but all he managed to do was spin helplessly. It felt as though reality itself was breaking apart around him.
Then, suddenly—silence.
The chaos ceased, and Samuel felt solid ground beneath him. He staggered slightly, catching his breath as he tried to take in his surroundings. The air was thick with energy, charged with something unnatural yet eerily familiar. He stood on what looked like an endless expanse of white mist, stretching in all directions. The sky above him was neither day nor night, only an endless swirl of gray.
"Where... am I?" Samuel muttered to himself, his voice swallowed by the stillness.
There were no landmarks, no horizon—just an infinite, weightless void. Yet, he did not feel alone. He turned sharply as whispers filled the air, voices overlapping in a strange, rhythmic chant. It wasn't in any language he recognized, but he could feel the weight of the words pressing against his mind.
Then, in the distance, a figure emerged from the mist.
At first, it was barely a silhouette, but as it approached, Samuel saw that it was cloaked in flowing silver robes, its face obscured by a hood. The figure moved with a strange grace, as if it were gliding rather than walking.
"You do not belong here," the voice was soft, almost melodic, but carried an undeniable authority.
Samuel tensed. "And where exactly is here?"
The figure paused a few steps away from him. "You stand between realms—neither in the mortal world nor the celestial one. This is a place where only lost souls and forbidden knowledge reside."
Samuel frowned. "Lost souls?"
The figure tilted its head slightly. "Those who have been untethered from the cycle. Angels who have lost their way. Demons who have been forsaken. Beings that exist outside of fate."
Samuel's eyes narrowed. "And what about me?"
"You are different." The figure took another step closer. "You are not lost. Not yet. But you walk a dangerous path, Samuel."
Samuel's heart pounded at the mention of his name. "You know who I am?"
The figure let out a quiet hum. "Everyone does."
Before Samuel could respond, the air around them trembled, and cracks of golden light began to form in the mist. The energy shift was violent, like the realm itself was being torn apart. Samuel felt something pulling him—something stronger than before.
The figure sighed. "It seems your stay here will be brief."
The golden cracks expanded, and before Samuel could react, the space beneath him shattered.
Then, everything went black.
The golden halls of the heavenly realm buzzed with unrest. The council of angels sat in their usual formation, but this time, the air was heavy with something unspoken.
"You all saw it," a stern voice cut through the silence. Azriel, the silver-eyed angel, leaned forward, his wings twitching in agitation. "A four-winged angel should not be capable of causing spatial fractures. And yet, Samuel did."
Seraphiel nodded. "Not only that, but his aura—his power—it was unlike anything we have recorded."
"We should not ignore the implications of this," another angel spoke. "If he is capable of such instability now, what happens when he grows stronger?"
Azriel turned to her. "And what if his power is something beyond control? We have seen this before—anomalies, beings too powerful for their own good. If left unchecked, they become dangers to everything around them."
A murmur spread across the room.
Sariel, the six-winged angel, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "The decision has already been made."
"From this moment forward," Sariel continued, "Samuel is to be considered unstable. If he is seen within any of our territories, he is to be detained—by force, if necessary."
The room fell into silence.
..
The Gathering Storm
Far beyond the mortal world, in the depths of the demon realm, a council of their own had convened. Unlike the grandeur of Heaven, this meeting was held in a fortress of black stone, surrounded by rivers of molten lava. The air crackled with dark energy, and the gathered figures exuded an aura of pure malice.
Seated at the head of a jagged obsidian table was Lucifer, the king of hell, his four curling horns casting eerie shadows across the room. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as he listened to the reports.
"So," he drawled, drumming his fingers against the armrest of his throne. "The boy who wields the Origin has finally revealed his fangs."
A lower-ranked demon knelt before him, its form barely solid in the swirling darkness. "Yes, my lord. The werewolves sought to claim him, but he rejected them. More than that—he lost control of his power, tearing open a spatial rift."
Lucifer chuckled. "Interesting. And where is he now?"
The kneeling demon hesitated. "That… is unknown."
Lucifer's smile did not fade, but the air around him grew heavier. "Unknown?"
Another demon, lean and sharp-eyed, stepped forward. "If I may, Lord lucifer. That level of instability suggests he fell into an uncharted space. Perhaps one of the forgotten realms between dimensions."
Lucifer's amusement deepened. "Which means neither Heaven nor Hell has him in their grasp."
The demons around the table exchanged glances, realization dawning on them.
"This could be an opportunity," one murmured.
Lucifer leaned forward. "Oh, it's more than an opportunity. If the boy is left unchecked, he may grow into something beyond even our understanding. The angels fear him, the werewolves desire him, and we…" His grin widened, sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. "We will shape him."
He stood abruptly, his presence overwhelming. "Send out the Nightstalkers. I want eyes in every shadow, every corner of existence. If Samuel reappears, I want to know first."
The demons bowed in unison.
Lucifer turned, looking into the darkness beyond the chamber. "Let's see what kind of monster this angel will become."