Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Metatron were now standing side by side in that suspended void. Their gaze that was once full of celestial pride now carried an inescapable acceptance of the reality imposed by Volmeryn.
Raphaël (sigh) «We have failed... But there's still hope, isn't there? You can't reduce us to mere instruments of chaos.»
Volmeryn knew that he had inflicted a crushing defeat on these archangels, but their will was far from broken. Their divine nature was indomitable, much like his.
Volmeryn: «You don't understand, Raphael. It's not a question of reduction or submission. You have been blinded by order, by the illusion of control.»
He then turned to Gabriel: «And you, Gabriel? Haven't you dreamed of transcending this burden?»
Gabriel: «Transcend...? We have sworn to guide, to bring light, harmony." He paused for a moment, his voice lower, almost painful. "And you, do you want to make us sink into anarchy? In the void?»
Volmeryn: «Harmony, Gabriel, is a relative term. What you call order, others call tyranny. You are only the jailers of a system that escapes you.»
He paused for a moment, «I am not trying to destroy you. I am trying to awaken you. To free you.»
Metatron (deep voice): «Liberate? We have failed in our mission, but is the freedom you propose really what you think? Look around, Volmeryn. Even in your victory, you broke what was beautiful. You ruined the balance. It's not liberty. It's chaos.»
Volmeryn: «Chaos... it is not the absence of order. It's a form of freedom, a revolution.»
The angels looked uncertainly, but Volmeryn didn't take his eyes off them: «You call it beauty? I see constraint. What you call equilibrium is only a masked stagnation.»
He slowly turned his gaze to the horizon: «Everything has to change. Everything has to reinvent itself.»
Gabriel: «We have always obeyed the order, but... you speak the truth, Volmeryn. Maybe the order we defended no longer has a place. Maybe it's time to look for something else.»
Volmeryn: «I'm not asking you to deny what you have been. I offer you the possibility of evolving, of going beyond this limited vision that you have of existence. Join me, and together we will build a kingdom where freedom, balance, and transcendence are no longer opposing concepts, but unified forces.»
He paused while observing each of the archangels and then concluded:
«The heavens are no longer a place of light and order. They are a field of potential, a space where you can reinvent yourself. With me, you will be more than frozen divine entities. You will become the architects of a new era.»
Tchac! There was an internal struggle deep within the archangels, a deep resistance to the very idea of what Volmeryn was proposing. But another part of them was beginning to wake up, it was a part that knew that the old order, the one they had defended, was perhaps doomed to failure.
After long minutes, Michael, took a step forward: «You talk about reinventing the world. But you may not know the value of sacrifice, of unity, of hope.»
Volmeryn: «Hope without power? An illusion.»
He paused, his eyes fixed on Gabriel, as if he were measuring every word.
«Unity without liberty... It's a cage. As for the sacrifice, it is heavy, especially when you carry it blindly.»
He cast a last glance at the archangels: «Your justice, your vision, you are slaves to them.»
Gabriel: «So, what do you propose? What should we do?»
Volmeryn: «Join me. Not as vassals or servants, but as equals. Together, we can create a kingdom greater than what you have known. A realm where archangels, angels, and all celestial entities can reach their true potential, without the shackles of the old laws.»
He left a moment of silence before he spoke again: «I could tell you that you have no choice. That you are forced to follow my path, and this because I am the one who holds the key to your future. But I know it's not that simple.»
He still turned his gaze to the horizon: «I made difficult choices, sacrifices. Mistakes too. And perhaps, deep down, I am not only seeking to free you, but to free myself from these doubts. It's not easy, but...»
He then turned to Gabriel: «So, what about it? If you can't keep up with me, I understand. Maybe I'm too ambitious. But know this: you are never obliged to accept. Only... if you rely on me, I will show you a world you have not even dared to dream of.»
Gabriel stared at the ground with his gaze was lost in the darkness of his thoughts. Vrrr! His mind struggled with the idea of accepting such a radical vision. The principles he had defended all his life came up against the promise of a new freedom, but at what cost?
Michael: «You want us to give up everything?»
The archangels, each in their own way, struggled with their own thoughts.
Raphael slowly turned his head to Michael: «What if we have been deceived all our lives?»
Michael closed his eyes for a moment to give himself courage. The idea of renouncing centuries of commitments paralyzed him. Nevertheless... A flame of hope was beginning to be born in him, it was a vision of a possible future where freedom and truth were intertwined.
"Very well,"he said, trembling. The words were hard to come out.
Metatron, who had remained silent until then, laid a hand on his heart, struggling against the anguish that was rising within him. Finally, he sighed: «Haaah... If that's the price to pay to evolve, then we'll follow you.»
Michael nodded, and one by one, the other archangels did the same.
The archangels would gather around Volmeryn with their eyes filled with new determination. Vshhh... Their world was going to change, and so would they. The kingdom of Cælora would soon welcome new allies.
From his golden throne that hangs among the stars of a divine world, the god of sun Apollo observed the scenes that were unfolding in the lower realms. Fwoosh!. His blond hair fluttered around him, and his eyes, pure blue, watched the actions of Volmeryn and the archangels.
The sun, which is his eternal companion, stretched out at his feet, illuminating the vast expanse of the world of the gods, but it was the scene in the lower realms that captured all his attention.
«Ah, Volmeryn Vorthyx ... Or should I say Williams Allen? » Apollo murmured with a smile. «What a show you are offering us. Heh. The great celestial souls, the luminous ones, who waver. How many times will they have to meet a being of your caliber to understand that their certainty is only a play of light in the darkness of the universe?»
He laughed softly with a bittersweet melody in the music of his voice. "Hehehe" ... «Look at them, all these archangels, struggling in their ideals like puppets, their threads woven by centuries of duty and faith. And he, this human reincarnated as a dragon king that no one knows about, brings them to their knees with a simple look. Maybe greatness is not about light, it's about what's hidden in the shadows.»
Apollo was watching Volmeryn who had convinced the archangels to accept his offer with greatness. He continued to smile with his curiosity piqued.
Hmmm... «And there you have it, the arrogance of youth that comes up against the wisdom of those who have lived too much. Or is it the other way around, I wonder... This Volmeryn seems so sure of his power, but he lets slip these snippets of vulnerability. Interesting.»
He stretched taking advantage of the view before continuing: «Oh, Michael, poor Michael... An archangel who is always faithful, always stoic, and yet, he trembles like a leaf in the wind in front of this false dragon who is actually a human but they don't even know it. Tch. Volmeryn has perfectly seen their weaknesses, but he plays his part perfectly. This is all a game, isn't it? A divine dance where every movement must be measured.»