We've finally arrived in Russia," Merlin announced with a broad smile as he took in the scenery. "It took less time than I expected."
The Angel of Miracles looked more relaxed; it was a subtle change that most wouldn't notice, but for Morgana, who had been paying special attention to him after confirming that he didn't take care of himself, it was as clear as day.
"Forcing him to sleep was the right decision," he thought with a slight bend of pride. "I'm glad to see him better, sir."
Merlin was so absorbed in the landscape and his thoughts that he did not notice the gesture.
"So, where do we go from here?" she asked, regaining her usual composure.
"Hmm, good question," the wizard turned to her with a nervous smile, noticing the narrowed eyes watching him. "I mean, I haven't set our course yet. We must be very careful from now on," he explained quickly.
"Will we really escape his gaze?" he questioned, ignoring the pathetic excuse. "I don't think the plan to pass ourselves off as crazed beasts will work."
Merlin tilted his head with amusement and replied:
"Normally it would be nearly impossible. He embodies Omniscience and Omnipotence, which allows him to glimpse fragments of the future." Suddenly, Merlin's smile widened. "However, due to our 'peculiar' relationship with the River of Destiny, we should be safe from his gaze if we keep a low profile."
Morgana raised an eyebrow and sighed. This plan didn't sound effective.
—That's not exactly your specialty, Lord—the Angel pointed out bluntly. —I'm beginning to fear for our future.
Merlin blinked in disbelief, but shook his head dismissively. He was beginning to understand that those sharp, direct comments were part of his peculiar personality. The fact that they increased as his humanity grew stronger only reinforced his theory.
"I can be quite discreet when I want to be, you know?" He put a hand to his head and lowered his hat slightly to cover part of his face.
Morgana did not refute it, although her expression denoted a certain contemplation.
"Well, it's best to let things unfold as fate dictates," Merlin said, turning away. "Their downfall is absolutely necessary. Who knows how disastrous the future would be if those entities didn't disappear in this era?"
Ignoring the sudden and unnecessary movement, Morgana asked:
—How long will we have to remain hidden?
Merlin raised his eyes to the sky, looking thoughtful. This action established a deep and pleasant silence between the two angels. The Angel of Liberty observed the figure that seemed strangely distant at that moment; perhaps it was because of the melancholic feeling that now surrounded the elder of the angels, who neither dared nor wished to interrupt him.
—Three hundred?… Perhaps four hundred years? —the Angel of Miracles finally announced, without taking his eyes off the blue sky and the sun suspended above.
"It's not a long time," Morgana commented, without showing any emotion in her voice.
Merlin nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it's quite short for us Angels," Merlin whispered before lowering his head and looking at her gratefully. "Even so, I'm glad I don't have to spend it alone as I had planned."
The white-haired Angel's eyes opened slightly and her eyebrows lifted. As disbelief turned to hidden happiness, she curled her lips, and Merlin had to blink because he could almost see pointed ears perk up and a fluffy tail sway languidly behind the Angel.
"I'm hallucinating... Are those fox ears and a tail?" Morgana's voice interrupted him.
"Are you sure you can put up with me for that long? Won't you kick me out when you get tired of me?" His tone was strangely cheerful, but that didn't surprise the wizard.
"Are you kidding me?" he asked with a confident smile. "Haha, I didn't expect that from you."
—I mean it—a serious look fixed on him, hiding his previous emotion.
Merlin raised an eyebrow in surprise. His smile widened as he replied.
"How can you say you're serious when your eyes still have that playful sparkle?" he pointed out, making her blink, somewhat embarrassed at having been caught.
Morgana looked away; Merlin swore he saw that fluffy, white tail moving behind him again with unbearable slowness.
"I still need practice. Maintaining a neutral expression is too basic," Merlin's intuition warned her that the next statement wouldn't be to her liking. "Wouldn't maintaining a smile be easier? Surely it affects the enemy more than when I'm expressionless."
Morgana offered a smile that was clearly fake, judging by its wide curve. To Merlin, that exaggerated, empty expression was reminiscent of someone he never wanted to see again, though he knew he would have to in the distant future.
"Amon... I can't allow Morgana to smile like that!" His pupils dilated.
The old trauma related to the Angel of Time returned with a vengeance. Merlin quickly approached Morgana and pinched both her cheeks, trying to erase that unpleasant grimace.
"Don't ever smile like that again," she ordered, still holding her cheeks. "Understood?" She gently stretched and contracted the skin, as if scolding a child for imitating something inappropriate.
The Angel of Liberty blinked in bewilderment at the sudden outburst; although her Lord's actions caused her no harm, a sudden unease invaded her heart, making her nod at his command and bury the curiosity she felt about the reasons behind it.
Only then did Merlin release his cheeks; with a sigh of relief he looked away and clarified:
—That smile looks awful on you. You look like a complete psychopath.
Morgana did not attempt to defend herself.
"It must be so, if her reaction is any indication." Merlin pretended to cough.
"Actually, it's that spoiled brat's fault... but even without him, that smile doesn't suit her," she reasoned in her heart. "She hasn't noticed anything, has she?"
The magician decided it was best to end the conversation before he became even more embarrassed.
—Well, shall we get going? —The abrupt change of subject was accepted without issue.
—Any particular place?
"Absolutely not. This time, let our feet decide the way." He adjusted his large hat and started walking, with her following beside him.
Even in the distant future, when the history of the first era was debated by those who occupied the thrones, in none of those long conversations would there be any mention of the existence of two angels who, since then, wandered the Earth like faults in the river of destiny.
-----------------
It is said that Time and Destiny go hand in hand. Destiny cannot make others fulfill their designated role without the influence of Time, and everything gained through it—emotions, achievements, fulfilled desires, misfortunes endured—forms what can be considered life experiences.
But whether by Time or Destiny, everything has an end, just as everything had a beginning. And that end sometimes comes sooner than expected, determined by the actions each person chooses when faced with a crossroads.
Even certain entities born with the destiny of being "eternal" cannot escape the consequences of their selfish actions and desires.
---
The centuries passed in the blink of an eye, leaving their mark on the world. The plan of the two Pillars that sheltered the Earth continued, and both began to try to accommodate the Sefirot they had gathered after bending their will.
These actions caused visible changes in the environment. The frenzied creatures, who had always fought relentlessly without bothering to hide, began to seek refuge underground, in an attempt to conceal themselves and survive those entities that sought to transgress the limits established by the universe itself.
The Earth fell silent, with no one to walk upon it; the sea remained calm, with no one daring to emerge from its depths; and the sky was deserted, with no one daring to spread their wings to traverse it.
But if the world was silent, outer space could not have been more different. In an attempt to breach the protective barrier, the Son of Chaos committed suicide and tried to resurrect himself using the Black Emperor's abilities. Unfortunately for him, he was discovered by the Worthy Celestial and ultimately controlled by him, leaving only a part of him outside the world, barely semi-conscious.
At the same time, the Almighty God, the Pillar that held up the Sun, gave birth next to the Hive Breed to Omabella and Zedus, Angels of the paths of the Mother and the Moon respectively.
When the Worthy Celestial finished sealing the Son of Chaos in the Magic Lamp of Wishes, turning him into what would later be called the "genie," both Pillars entered into total war, unable to resist the convergence desires caused by the accommodation of the other Sephiroth.
According to ancient stories, no one—including the Seven Lights of the Spirit World—knows the exact details of that divine battle. Only its consequences have transcended through history:
The Almighty God managed to tear the singularity of the Path of Error from the Worthy Celestial, and his corpse formed the First Slate of Blasphemy in the Sea of Chaos. For his part, the Worthy Celestial sealed all the Sephiroth, except for the Sephirah Castle and the Sea of Chaos, on the western continent. The sun was extinguished, plunging the world into darkness and beginning a new era where rivers of blood would cover the planet.
That's the official story. But the real story was slightly different due to a plague of errors.
Their energies are weakening," whispered a figure with closed eyes, focused on reading the scattered waves of spiritual energy.
"The end is near," said another with a small smile.
"I think they've taken quite a while. Do you know how many mountains and landscapes they've already erased?" she remarked, slightly sarcastic.
"That's what you'd expect from them," he said, turning to her. "I'm counting on you, but if you can't do it, don't overexert yourself and hurt yourself unnecessarily; just step back."
"I appreciate your concern, but there won't be a problem," she smiled confidently. "Or don't you see me as someone capable?"
"I didn't say that; you're skilled, just be careful," he heard a few chuckles, which made him sigh in defeat. "For now, let's see the end of this arc."
--------------------
An endless mist enveloped everything. It was a familiar place, a space that had always belonged to him alone since its creation. But now, he would disappear, a victim of his own greed and thirst for power. This place would be left empty, awaiting a new lord who could rule it and embody the ideals he governed. But he would not allow such an affront. Only he could control the Castle; even if another were to reach it, he would inevitably become him, thus restoring him to his rightful place.
"I have everything prepared for my resurrection. Although it will take time, it will happen, and I will not repeat the same mistakes as before," he said, his sanity restored but still on the brink of death. "I just need to be patient," he told himself as he observed the hundreds of cocoons of light hanging beside the luminous gate, the core of the Sephiroth.
"Are you sure about that?" a sudden, mocking voice echoed around him, sowing doubt.
The Worthy Celestial One froze. He, the Lord of Mysteries, who knew all the secrets of the cosmos and ruled over all oddities and errors, had stopped in his tracks, incredulous at hearing an unknown voice in the one place he had always considered impregnable.
"No one should be able to enter here without my permission!" The confusion at the impossibility was only overshadowed by the fury that someone dared to desecrate her sanctuary. "Who are you? How did you get in?!"
Unrecognizable footsteps sounded, seemingly coming from all directions and yet from nowhere.
"Well, seeing you lose your composure is undoubtedly the most enjoyable sight I've witnessed in all these centuries," the voice remarked with obvious amusement. "You, the Lord of Mysteries, who should know all the secrets of the universe, don't even know who I am. Doesn't this prove that your title is nothing but a fraud, or is the problem you, failing to embody it?"
The Worthy Celestial shuddered. Something inside him trembled, reacting to the invader's words.
"Are my Quirks trying to leave with him instead of staying with me?" Beneath the clown mask that now adorned his face, a nasty grimace formed. "Impossible! How could anyone possibly represent 'my' authority better than I do!"
-HA HA HA!
The entity laughed heartily, feeling its body being drawn to the singularities still within the decaying body of the Pillar.
—Apparently, even they consider me a better teacher than you.
The Worthy Celestial frowned even more and opened his mouth to refute the comment. But a sudden exhaustion he had never felt before overwhelmed him, causing him to collapse.
I can't take it anymore. This body is fading away...
He pushed those thoughts away when footsteps approached him. Looking up, he saw a human figure emerge from the mist. Its appearance was ordinary, nothing memorable, but that only made it more suspicious. What seems harmless often turns out to be the most dangerous.
—Allow me to introduce myself: I am Merlin Hermes, and I am infinitely pleased to see you in this state—the wizard smiled as he bowed without removing his hat—. I am also the future Lord of this Sephiroth.
Those words broke the last thread of sanity in the Worthy Celestial. His soul screamed with rage and hatred toward the blasphemer. However, before he could punish him, his body completely yielded, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The humiliation was unbearable.
Even with his head pressed to the ground, the Celestial was able to lift his gaze to see the smile on the blasphemer's face.
"This is your limit. I admit that Almighty God has done me a great favor by finishing you off." The Angel approached the fallen body and, without hesitation, stomped hard on the Pillar's head, channeling all the accumulated hatred. "He has given me the opportunity to see you crawl, and above all, to see how everything you consider yours is snatched away right under your nose without you being able to do anything to stop it, just as you did to all these souls."
As if his voice were transmitting a silent command, the mist shifted, enveloping the Worthy Celestial and stripping away not only his singularities, but all the extraordinary characteristics that comprised his body. The movement of the mist revealed the truth to the Celestial: Sefirah Castle had recognized its new Lord and moved according to his wishes.
Merlin smiled with delight at the horrified expression of the one who had never lost a power game in his "eternal" life. The body of the Worthy Celestial began to disintegrate under the watchful gaze of the new King of that world of mist and mystery.
At that moment, a soft voice sounded next to his ear; at the same time, a star formed in the misty world and began to throb with a strong crimson.
Morgana should already be on her way. I hope she can make it. —She lifted her head and gave the star a worried look. She was confident that, despite the immense risk, she could succeed.
------------
At the same time the prayer reached Sefirah Castle, Morgana had already set her plan in motion. The Angel of Liberty plummeted down with a faint smile; further ahead, another entity also fell, holding the Angel's target in its hands. The being looked up; its eyes expressed neither emotion nor surprise at detecting her, it was as if it were staring at a blank slate.
The Angel's eyes were fixed on his target: two twisted and strange masses in the hands of the weakened Almighty God.
-The singularity of my path and the characteristic of sequence 1: Time Worm—the Pillar noticed the target of her gaze, but aside from frowning there was no further change.
However, a warning from her spirit compelled her to steal distance to dodge a sudden lightning bolt. The Angel didn't seem surprised; it would have been stranger if he hadn't tried to bring her down. Her attacks weren't very powerful either, due to her decline; if anything, they were comparable to those of an Angel.
The Angel of Liberty trembled as she dodged another lightning bolt: a strange emotion coursed through her body. It wasn't fear or worry, it was excitement. She had spent the last four centuries hiding in remote places with her Lord. At first, it didn't bother her, but with each passing year, she grew increasingly irritated and bored; there wasn't much she could do within such a limited sphere of influence.
This had made her realize just how advanced the entertainment industry was in the ancient civilization. Before, she hadn't minded spending days locked in her room with her phone connected to the internet. But now she could only rely on the vast array of books, plucked from the historical void, that her Lord provided for her entertainment.
~I still don't understand why he made me read a book on military tactics... did he get confused that day?
Morgana was tired of hiding and living in such a dull world. She missed the music of her time; the Angel's heart had ached when it was nearly lost, so she had immediately, thanks to her remarkable memory, begun recording all the songs she remembered and loved. She had even asked her Lord to grant her instruments from the Historical Void so she could learn to play them with all the free time she had. Although she currently had no avatar due to mental health reasons, perhaps in the future she could have her own orchestra and perform some of the best compositions she remembered.
"That dream may never come true, but... I hope yours does." With those thoughts in mind, the Angel again stole some distance to get a few meters closer to the Pillar. "Hello."
Pilar opened her eyes slightly; she didn't know if it was from surprise or disbelief; the rest of her face remained completely rigid.
"A mere Sequence 2 Angel daring to challenge a Pillar of the Universe"—Morgana's smile widened with excitement and mockery, forming that expression Merlin so detested. "Oh, don't tell anyone I smiled like that. The Lord might be angry with me if he finds out."
The Almighty God frowned at such a mocking remark. Who did this wretched Angel think he was to dare confront Him directly? If it had been before, He would have crushed him for his insolence, but now, due to his weakness, he could barely manifest his powers at an Angelic level.
~If you fall into the Sea of Chaos, don't expect a gentle end—the glint in his eyes flickered.
"Are you upset?" he asked playfully. "It shows in your eyes. Are you truly the God who rules the Spectator's Path?" His eyes narrowed. "Though you Gods have always been transparent about your desires because of pride, isn't it predictable that you've fallen because of it and greed?"
Morgana knew that provoking this entity wasn't the wisest course of action, but it was worth the risk if it meant fulfilling her Lord's mission. And she was already confronting it anyway, even hurling lightning bolts at it; what difference would a few mocking words make?
But Morgana had finally hit her target. The comment had struck a blow to his pride, making him grit his teeth and glare at her with chilling anger, which the Angel greeted with a broad smile.
She predicted he was preparing to launch an attack. Taking advantage of his concentration, she closed the distance between them again, leaving them only three meters apart. Sensing her spirituality and presence, the singularity and extraordinary characteristic trembled intensely and, without giving the Pillar a chance, flew toward the Angel.
~Being a mistake of Fate brings many benefits —he thought with a satisfied smile as he caught the singularity and the characteristic~~Mission accomplished.
The Almighty God could only watch as the blasphemous Angel vanished with his war booty, the distance disappearing before him. Surprised at losing his prize, he had lost focus and, consequently, the attack he was preparing; he had become careless, causing him to lose the opportunity to escape such a wretched creature. An uncontrollable rage surged within him before he finally plunged into the Sea of Chaos. The Sephiroth trembled, resonating with his lingering emotions; the swampy waters began to swirl, and the earth trembled.
Back with Morgana, the Angel appeared above the ravine with a radiant smile. However, she had no time to consider her prize before the earth trembled beneath her feet and her spirit issued a warning. Without delay, the Angel fled, repeatedly increasing the distance to escape the reach of the Sea of Chaos; it would be disastrous if the Sephiroth managed to catch her.
"So this is a singularity," her eyes focused on it when her spirit finally stopped warning her. "It's not pretty at all."
The amorphous mass writhed in her hands; Morgana felt it trying to burrow into her skin, yearning to merge with her. The Angel sighed and concentrated to contain the rising urge to merge with the Singularity. She took out three candles she had stolen years ago and placed them on a smooth surface to create a small, makeshift altar.
Should I exaggerate a little? It's sure to exasperate him and help him calm his emotions.
Thinking about how her Lord might be acting at this moment, Morgana felt a chill. The image of Merlin completing the plan he had been developing for centuries was sublime. Centuries at his side had shown her the infinite anger and resentment her Lord harbored against the Pillar of Mysteries. She didn't know the exact reason, and she doubted it was due to the danger of convergence; without a doubt, he must have crossed a line in the past, a step that must have surpassed any possible limit.
"But that's not my problem. The Lord will finally ascend to become a God, and perhaps one day, a Pillar." The Angel smiled expectantly. "As his most faithful servant, I rejoice for him… but…" She sighed deeply. "As his only family, I'm worried about his mental state. Especially now that his goal of vengeance will finally be fulfilled."
Morgana bowed her head thoughtfully as she placed the singularity and the feature between the three candles.
"Well, that just means I need to keep a closer eye on him," she readily agreed. "Besides, I have a feeling others will soon be worried about him too." A strange emotion tightened in her chest. "I won't be the only one looking after him anymore... I just hope he doesn't abandon me when that happens," she joked.
I would be eternally grateful to Merlin, not only for pulling me from the abyss of madness, but for caring for me and helping me regain my humanity. Especially in those last centuries, when they both opened up and supported each other to avoid the pain of loneliness.
The Angel closed his eyes, remembering the past.
"You helped me realize that change was part of life, and that even though I'm different from my human self now, I'm still me," Morgana smiled wistfully. "Accept your past, watch your present, and create your future," she proclaimed confidently. "That's the phrase I created myself based on your teachings... Merlin."
It was the first time he'd mentioned his name out loud. It was a shame the owner wasn't there to hear him.
The Angel of Liberty raised his head, turning away from the past, and watched as the blue sky slowly but steadily darkened. With the fall of the Sun-bearer, there was no one left to bring light to this planet. Soon the world would be plunged into eternal darkness.
"A new and dark Age is approaching," he declared, beginning the sacrificial ritual.
---------------
As he felt the star pulsate a second time, Merlin extended his hand. The crimson cluster descended until it was suspended a few centimeters from his palm. The soft whisper it emitted was now much clearer.
[The Fool who does not belong to this age; the First Distortion in the River of Destiny; the Incarnation of Miracles who brings good fortune] —hearing the lively voice reassured him; everything seemed to have gone well—. [Lord, I beg you to accept the offering of your most humble and devoted servant]
Did she have to be so dramatic with her prayer? Couldn't she simply report her mission success? —the wizard's smile faltered.
Merlin sighed, ignoring the Celestial's angry glare. Instead, he smirked as his eyes shifted to the sacrificial gate that had appeared a few feet away. When it opened, two small objects floated through it directly toward him, drawn by the powerful convergence.
The Worthy Celestial did not even attempt to hide his surprise upon recognizing the singularity of the Path of Error that he had lost, along with the sequence 1 characteristic of the same path.
"Surprised?" Merlin asked, grabbing both objects. "This only proves further that I'm better suited for this position than you."
The statement greatly affected the Celestial's body, accelerating its disintegration.
—Who are you?
—They?
As his body crumbled away, in his last moments of life he could only see the growing smile on the face of the blasphemous thief.
—I am just a madman who does not belong to this era; a mistake that you yourself created and... your gravedigger—he declared with a forceful voice and a chilling gleam in his eyes.
The words left him perplexed. But without time to reflect, his body finally disappeared from Sefirah Castle.
The Old Lord of Mysteries had fallen, and a new Mystery was rising.
Merlin's smile vanished. His enemy had fallen temporarily, and if all went well, he would never rise again. But he hadn't expected a small emptiness to settle in his chest, where vengeance and hatred once resided.
The Angel of Miracles —no, the new Lord of Mysteries— momentarily went blank, not knowing how to cope with the sudden freedom.
—Centuries hidden, always fearing discovery… and finally it's over—he raised his hand, and the three singularities slowly revolved around him—. The execution sword has fallen, but it rebounded and ended its own wielder—he observed the place where he had spent his last moments.
Her palms closed and her eyes looked upwards as if her gaze could reach outer space.
—But the danger hasn't disappeared. They're still out there, the Outer Gods, waiting for the moment to destroy this planet.
"But I won't allow it," he said, walking forward, followed by the singularities. "Just like before, I will do everything in my power to protect this planet and all those I hold dear."
was momentary, but several figures appeared in the mist, each with a different build and aura. From a lady with a calm and innocent air to a man whose presence suggested great experience in the world of mysticism.
He recognized them all: from the members of the Tarot Club to those who had accompanied him at some point and left their mark on him. The feeling of emptiness disappeared, replaced by a strong desire for protection.
Ultimately, regardless of the entity he used, he was still a Guardian. A wretched Guardian who would fight to the death, driven only by the desire to protect.
"Wait for me, I'm already on my way," he whispered as the figures vanished one by one. "This time, I, the Lord of Mysteries born among humans, will have the power and knowledge to protect you."
Power would not consume him like the Worthy Celestial One, not as long as his goals and ideals kept him steadfast.
He was the Lord of Mysteries, but deep down he would always be the protector who copied others until others copied him.
But no one would know this information until the beginning of the next era.
Notes: