"Really Uncle, why do I have to be a masochist though, isn't being manly enough"
"You don't get it, my dear nephew. If you're a masochist and you find a sadistic girlfriend, it's not just a relationship—it's a perfectly balanced dynamic.
She thrives on control and inflicting pain, and you find meaning in surrendering and enduring it.
Neither of you has to hold back or pretend to be something you're not. It's not about love in the traditional sense;
It's about compatibility on a level most people can't even comprehend."
"Hmm, that sounds like bullshit to me, Uncle Azazel..I think you are single by default, not because of choice...
Why are you even giving me love lessons, you should be ashamed of trying to brainwash a young mind...I am going to tell my mother "
"Tsk, you won't get girls with that attitude," said Azazel, his eyes twitching slightly as he listened to Azrael.
Three years had passed since the twins began their secluded life in the mountains. Azrael had finished absorbing the Essence from the cauldron two and a half years after their inconsistent slumber.
His meridians were currently thicker and more durable than Uriel's, granting him the ability to absorb and refine the potent essence more efficiently, which allowed him to complete the process faster
Uriel, however, was still immersed in the cauldron, It wasn't due to a lack of potential—her capacity matched Azrael's.
Instead, her body took a different approach, steadily reinforcing her resistances and refining the Essence at a more deliberate pace.
"Do you want to be strong nephew"
"Of course i do, in this dystopian world who doesn't"
"Why do you want to be strong nephew"
Azrael's movements halted as he heard Azazel. He lacked the exposure and experience of the outside world to truly understand why he wanted to become strong, but at least he had an idea of why he needed to.
"My reasons are not noble and they might seem foolish uncle so don't judge me
I have something many do not have... a loving family, my mother is strong but I do want to protect her and Uriel
In this world I am weak, I do not have the luxury to remain weak or I will be trampled on by the strong, I don't need a reason to become strong I have to become strong
To avoid being trampled upon there is only one outcome, to forge myself into an unbreakable force, so formidable that the very heavens tremble in fear of my presence." replied Azreal with a sigh, as much he enjoyed his uninterrupted growth he knew he would soon face the real world.
Azazel for a moment flinched as he heard his words and a single thought came to his mind
'He sounds like his father, I wonder what monster he'll become when he reaches the golden core formation realm... what will his awakening look like'
"Phfuaa, Azreal," said a distant voice that disturbed Azreal, and as he looked aside he noticed Uriel emerging from the cauldron.
Her black Noir hair was now long, unlike Azreal; despite being young, she's an exact splitting image of Azreal... otherworldly.
"Little brother, where is mother? I last saw her during the last interval," Uriel said, her voice filled with curiosity.
During their stay in the cauldron, there were moments when they woke up, eager to leave, but Haniel's encouragement kept them grounded for months, her presence was constant as she spent time with them, guiding and nurturing their development.
"I told you many times arriving a few minutes earlier than me doesn't make you older," said Azreal as he rolled his eyes. He was already used to Uriel's flexing of being older.
"Well, your mother wants to see you immediately… dear nephew, don't forget my teachings," said Azazel,Releasing a wave of Qi he cleaned the twins effortlessly.
With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared from the mountains and appeared outside the central pavilion.
"That masochistic bastard should've warned us before sending us away," said Uriel as she fussed over Azrael's hair.
Knowing her tendencies for psychological and verbal bullying, Azrael chose to remain silent—partly because she had nearly made him cry the last time he spoke up.
"Everything looks a little lively, huh? I guess the banquet is closer than I thought," said Uriel, observing the bustling servants moving up and down, preparing the manor.
The twins, however, paid no attention to their surroundings and made their way to their living quarters.
Upon entering their mother's study, they found her levitating gracefully, Qi swirling around her as she skillfully constructed intricate array formations meant for Azazel.
"Did you miss me, my children?" Haniel's voice was calm yet laced with a commanding warmth as she descended gracefully from above.
Without waiting for a reply, she pulled the twins into a tight embrace, her arms locking them in with such fervor that it seemed she might squeeze the life out of them.
Azrael squirmed, his little face scrunching up in protest.
"Mother... air..." he gasped.
"Kyaaa~ I miss when you were still babies," said Haniel as she continued to hug the twins, squeezing them tightly.
Uriel began to eagerly convey everything that had happened during their stay, her voice animated and full of detail, But as she spoke, Haniel noticed that Azrael seemed absent-minded, his gaze drifting elsewhere.
"Hmm, Uriel, go to Sylvia and tell her to prepare you for the banquet," Haniel said, her tone turning serious as she released her hold on the twins.
Uriel hesitated, her lips parting as if to protest, but the intensity in her mother's gaze silenced her.
She gave a small nod, understanding the gravity of the moment, and quickly left without another word.
"What is it Azreal you're oddly quiet"
"Mother, I have something to tell you," Azrael said, his voice trembling as beads of sweat formed on his brow. He hesitated, glancing away, but the weight of his guilt forced him to continue. "I... I remember my past life."
At first, he justified his reasons, but the guilt of hiding this secret for the past four years consumed Azrael, growing stronger with each day that passed.
The smartest choice had always been to keep it buried, but the noblest was to tell his mother the truth.
She had fed him, loved him, and cared for him unconditionally. Every gesture of affection, every moment of warmth, made the truth all the more unbearable.
How could he betray the woman who had given him everything?
"I see. And why are you telling me this? Isn't it better to keep quiet and protect yourself from the unknown?" said Haniel, her voice calm but tinged with a seriousness that made Azrael's heart tighten.
"I feel like an outsider as each day passes. I feel like the life I live isn't truly mine, but the worst part is that I constantly feel like I took something important away from you.
If I continued to keep quiet and pretend, it would eat me alive every day, I can't carry this guilt anymore," said Azrael, his voice trembling. He stared at the ground, his fists clenched as if trying to anchor himself.
Shame weighed heavily on him, keeping his head low. He couldn't muster the courage to meet Haniel's eyes, dreading the possibility of finding disappointment, or worse, indifference, in her gaze.
"Every child deserves a parent but not every parent deserves a child...
Michael...no Azreal"
Azrael's body trembled as Haniel's words struck him like thunder. His knees buckled slightly, and he stepped back, his breaths shallow and erratic
"I knew from the day you were born that you are a reincarnator
Mortals always assume that the body is a vessel for the soul but it's more complicated than that
If someone reincarnated through body possession the synchronisation between the soul and body is merely 70%
If someone reincarnated through a technique and somehow retained their past life memories, their synchronization between the soul and body ranges from 65% to 80%... these factors allow us to see the difference between reincarnators and transmigrators
But you my dear are different; you don't carry karma from your previous life, and the synchronization between your body and soul is 100% ". Said Haniel as she slowly approached Azreal and gave him a hug
"You reincarnated naturally and that means you are still my son regardless of your circumstances
Michael Kors had a mother who abandoned him and an abusive father who never saw him as a living being but you Azreal have a mother who loves you dearly "
"But how did you know... "said Azreal as he began to find comfort in the arms of his mother, he was afraid that others might know too.
"Well, the moment you were born, you were an open book, Everything about you—your memories, your soul, your very essence—was laid bare to me; that is why I didn't allow others to meet you or your sister. I had to protect you both
I can see that your soul has stabilized, and by cultivation standards, you appear normal."
"Mother, what was the last thing you saw about me?" Azrael asked, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and anticipation.
His heart pounded in his chest as he awaited her answer, he wanted to know more about Abaddon—the things he desired, the chaos he wrought—so he could grasp what he was up against.
"I saw your Death, incomprehensible madness that made no sense, and me from your eyes when you woke up in this world"
...