The girl blinked in surprise at the sound of her name. She seemed to recognize where each part of him came from, for her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in him and his new face.
"The Angel of Miracles?" she murmured, her voice so faint it was almost drowned out by the raindrops hitting the ground. She didn't seem to believe such a claim. "There are no angels in this world. Only creatures driven mad, like I was... until you decided to help me." Her eyes returned to her human palms.
The snow-haired young woman sighed, lowering her hand to the ground and using it for support to stand. When the Fool—no, when Merlin—met her eyes again, any trace of emotion had vanished, drowned out by the cruel reality of this world and the weight of past memories.
Without letting himself be carried away by the depressing aura, the magician smiled with the classic carefree smile that characterized this identity.
"To be precise, the title of 'Angel' is bestowed upon those who reach a certain rank in the power sequence and fully unlock their mythical creature form," he explained calmly. A tentacle escaped from beneath his cloak and greeted the girl. She only managed to open her eyes slightly before the tentacle retreated again. "You are one too," he said, pointing his palm upward at her. "An Angel of the Marauder's Path."
The new information made her blink. She parted her lips slightly to speak, but stopped before she could; her right hand rose and pressed against her chest, seeking the relief that listening to her own heart would bring. However, there was nothing: her heart seemed to have ceased to exist. That frightened her.
"Me... an angel? Just moments ago I was a monster barely clinging to my sanity..." he remarked mockingly, unable to control the self-loathing grimace that formed on his lips. "So I can't return to normal? Is this appearance a result of that change? Although I like it... doesn't it symbolize the loss of my humanity?"
Her hands rose above her head and pressed tightly against it. Her mental state was on the verge of collapse again; sections of her body were already beginning to writhe, revealing twelve-segmented worms about to burst from her.
—I... I... What has he turned me into? What am I going to...? —her eyes closed tightly.
The warmth on her shoulders pulled her out of her panic. Opening her eyes, she noticed the cloak that belonged to her savior draped over her shoulders. Her hands lowered, and she lifted her head to meet the wizard, who was now standing directly in front of her. He gently smoothed and adjusted the cloak so it covered her entire body, not just her back. When he had finished, he raised his right hand and placed it on the girl's head, patting it gently.
She closed one eye because of the small taps, but remained silent, accepting the gesture that had somehow managed to calm her discomfort and stop her loss of control.
"It has changed, like everything else in this world," Merlin began, his tone both nostalgic and wise. "But you mustn't despise yourself for it. As long as you maintain your essence, it doesn't matter how much your body has changed: you will still be the same."
She closed her remaining eye and lowered her head; she seemed to be considering his words, trying to confirm whether they were true or just empty words to make her feel temporarily better. Lulled by the warm sensation in her head, which the cold rain couldn't extinguish, she parted her lips and said to him in a melancholic tone:
"I remember old voices…" Her eyelids opened slightly, but she didn't raise her head, keeping it bowed. "They were so warm…" She tilted her head slightly. "I know a voice can't be seen, but I still think I saw the faint light they emitted in the deep darkness that surrounded me… they were a soft tone that softened the noisy whispers that threatened to swallow me…" She bit her lip, and her voice broke. "But in a moment… even the last of them disappeared… and I no longer had a guide to find my way back, as they so desperately pleaded." She sighed and raised her head to look at him. "From then on, the murmurs grew louder and more unbearable. In my few conscious moments, I could sense my end approaching… I thought I would finally rest… but then a strange feeling led me down this path, and I ended up finding you…"
Merlin remained silent, filing and analyzing all the information she had given him.
~Those voices must have been friends or family who survived the apocalypse and never forgot her; her anchors —her smile narrows~~That explains how she maintained her consciousness for so long, but humans don't live long, especially in this dark age... everyone who knew her died long ago.
"Isn't it funny?" she forced a smile. "So long waiting for final death, but instead receiving salvation... I should be happy, but I'm not." Her shoulders slumped. "Am I being ungrateful?"
Merlin stroked her hair and nodded with a sad smile. He wanted her to know she wasn't ungrateful at all, just lost. Like anyone else at this moment, even him.
"Do you know why I'm mentioning all this?" the girl continued, placing her hand on his. "Because your voice is very similar to hers, even though the joy sounds a little forced." She looked at him intently. "You possess longing; you want to achieve something, but even with your power, you can't."
As she felt the hand she was holding tense, her lips curved slightly.
"Perhaps that's why I can trust you... because even with the uncertainty, you keep going." The smile faded, and she let go of his hand, letting hers fall to her side. "Everything I had is gone now; all I can do is follow you in gratitude for saving me."
The words struck the Seer's chest, stirring a strange emotion within him. Should he be so thrilled to be compared to such human voices? Merlin wasn't sure and could only accept this small return of his humanity with gratitude. His despair seemed to lessen slightly when someone finally compared him to something so human.
"You can follow me, but besides being a wizard, I'm also a guardian and a wretch," Merlin said, smiling wistfully. "Someone very close to me once said: we are guardians, but also a bunch of wretches constantly battling madness."
Those words that had marked the beginning of his path now rekindled a small flame that made him ask:
—What do you wish to be?—he inclined his head slightly—. A miserable guardian or a creature lost in the clock of time?
The young woman pondered her question silently. It didn't seem to have a clear answer, and perhaps both answers were actually the same. Her eyes darted around her; the abandoned city seemed to take on a different appearance in her mind, brighter and more vibrant, with familiar and unfamiliar faces everywhere... now it was all a vague and distant memory she would carry for the rest of her life.
The memories where emotions had blossomed regardless of the context now felt alien and empty. Despite her brief emotional outburst at the beginning of her awakening, she now felt nothing, as if something were crushing her emotions to prevent their release. But she longed for them to return; she didn't want what little remained of her past to be overshadowed by the emptiness that now surfaced in her stagnant heart.
"The first option doesn't sound so bad," she commented, turning her gaze back to him.
She wasn't a saint, trying to save everyone now that she had power. But at least she could try to find meaning in her survival and move on.
—Yes, it doesn't sound as bad as it seems—Merlin agreed with a cheerful smile.
"My name is Melody," she said, her voice slightly flat, though her eyes had momentarily sparkled. "But I don't think it's right for the path I'm about to take. My intuition tells me it will become too precious for others to know."
He took a step forward and, with a fake smile, asked her:
—Then, Lord, would you grant a new name to this former Monster and now Angel at your side?
Merlin opened his eyes slightly, surprised by the sudden request. But he understood it quite well: his name, too, was considered a precious treasure, one that even in the future very few knew. It was a valuable anchor that bound the past to the present.
He closed his eyes, lost in thought. Up until now, he had used the names of great figures from mythology and literature. Why not do it again?
"Even if he finds out, I'll only feel a little embarrassed," he admitted with a hint of amusement. "Perhaps it will even be good for increasing my humanity."
Among the dozens of names that seemed, among the mythological and literary characters, one stuck in his mind and refused to be left out: Morgana le Fay.
No.
—Morgana Hermes—he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
She bowed her head; she remembered hearing that name.
—Morgana, Arthur's archenemy and, in some stories, protector of Avalon... I like her—her eyes looked at him curiously—. But Hermes?
Merlin, surprised by her question, said:
—In some legends, she is Merlin's disciple. In a way, you are the beginning of this new stage of my journey. Consider my surname a blessing and a gift to my new disciple.
The amethysts sparkled as she curled her lips.
—In that case, I will be willing to accompany you on your journey—she gave a small bow, placing a hand on her false heart, which still did not beat—. I, Morgana Hermes, the Angel of Liberty, recognize you as my Lord.
"Angel of Liberty?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity and amusement.
"Wasn't I freed from my tragic fate by you? That too can be considered a form of freedom," she closed her eyes and declared. "The Angel who was blessed with freedom by his Lord will bear that term as his title."
The Angel of Miracles blinked, feeling his instinct warn him of a possible new story added to his bible. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. He still hadn't gotten over the trauma of Amon and the cursed celestial bell. He would make sure to keep a close eye on the writing of the Madman's bible if he ever reformed his church.
He leaned forward in turn, pushing those thoughts away.
—Merlin Hermes, the Angel of Miracles, formally greets Morgana Hermes, the Angel of Freedom.
Both Angels from Sequence 2 stood up and exchanged smiles, a perfect balance between the fake and the real.
Perhaps this time his path would not be as lonely as before.
Extra 1: The Fire of the Beginning
Sitting back in front of the small campfire, Merlin watched as his new traveling companion stared at the fire without any emotion, lost in her thoughts.
He sighed, wondering what he could say to start a new conversation and avoid spending the whole night awake without saying a single word. But no matter how hard he tried, there was nothing they had in common; they had barely met.
"Can fire kill an Angel?" Merlin bowed his head but did not open his eyes. "Even surrounding me, I feel no heat."
"Normal fire can't harm a hair on an angel's head." A sudden crackle sounded, and the wizard stopped abruptly. "Wait, what do you mean when you say it surrounds you?"
The wizard's eyes opened and he instantly noticed that the room he was in was on fire. He opened his mouth slightly, surprised.
"When did this happen?!" As he stood up, he noticed his own chair was also on fire. "Didn't my spirituality warn me because it's not a threat to me?!"
He turned towards Morgana; he was still sitting on the ground, not paying much attention to the flames that surrounded her.
"When?" he murmured, and she bowed her head.
—A few minutes ago, when a spark ignited a nearby cloth.
"Why didn't you turn it off?" It was a pointless question, but she asked it anyway.
—Anyway, he can't do anything to me, so I don't care.
—...We really must work on your humanity—he looked around the room; a wish could fix it, but he felt it would be a waste of his little energy—. But first, let's get out of here.
Before the roof falls on us.