Chapter 2:Dream
Saint what is he talking about?!
This shocking revelation left me speechless wondering why someone in hell would be given the title saint?
I've wandered for countless years and seen the war between humans and demon, and heaven and hell.
I've learned to live without sleep and survive off eating the meat of demon beast. Drinking their blood to satisfy my thirst drinking water was a first for me.
I no longer notice the vile smell of hell either, it's not gone I just got used to it. This is a normal experience in hell as long as you don't deserve to suffer much. For the dead who come here unimaginable pain for eternity is the price for the sins they committed during their life.
Anyone who passes through them feel their pain for as long as they're touching them, It's never pretty. Among the many comrades I've made that's how most of them die.
Their souls can't handle the pain so it forces it's way out the body, leaving only the empty shell of what used to be a living person.
Despite not having the same treatment as the dead here it's still bad. So was being born here not a form of punishment for sins of a past life?
As if sensing my confusion Gabriel spoke again.
"Your wondering why aren't you? You're probably thinking you have to be here, that "this must be punishment" am I right?"
Did he just read my mind?! As if reading my mind he pinpointed my exact concern.
"You're correct I mean that's the only thing that makes sense right? I thought the sins of a past life caused me to be here."
I speak cautiously while trying to mask my true thoughts.
Though Gabriel didn't seem flustered at all and continued speaking.
"I don't really know for sure, however I know you shall become his saint and one day escape hell. Now enough chit-chat I'll be leaving soon now that we reached our destination."
Despite his words Gabriel had warm smile on his face as he stopped and pointed with one of his wings at a small altar with a white cross in the middle of it.
This is weird, a place in hell that doesn't disgust me in fact a feel at peace.
" It's so peaceful what is this place?"
"Well it's- Sophia look out !!!"
As he spoke he turned around to look at me then he yelled saying look out behind me.
I instantly turned around seeing a black orb filled with malicious energy coming towards me as I dodged to the left it spread covering my body and sticking to me like glue.
"What. Is. This."
Each movement I made was heavy and I could no longer see or hear anything. Soon the tar like energy enter my body and I started to hear a snake like voice whispering in my ear.
"Hello little saint before you become a saint allow me to tell you the truth of how you came to this world."
I opened my eyes into a bizarre world unlike anything I've seen before. The space was black and white, but it was twisted and reflecting me and the space around it making it difficult to know what real.
Is this an illusion?
"Who are you and where am I!" I shouted demanding answers.
"Hehuheuhe!"
His laughter shook the space making collapse and fall on one knee.
"Don't worry child all your questions will be answered. This is the mirror world it will reflect the truth of whatever reality the subject is from. The subject this time is you of course and in this realm no one can lie."
" I won't believe you with words alone!
I yelled out saying theirs no way to verify to see if he's telling the truth. Because even if it works on me it might just have something to do with me being the "subject" however that's if it works on me.
"Just try lying when answering this question.
The archangel named Gabriel said it was a demon that brought you and your family here correct?"
He asked and though I couldn't see him I could tell he had a smug look on his face. I don't know how he knew I
"Yes you are correct, but why-"
I was cut off by his laughter.
" Why does it matter? Bwhaaaa! Forget that you couldn't lie could you!!"
Kahahahaha!
I couldn't lie just like he said I felt compelled to tell the truth. No It was more like I was forced to. How do I escape this place this clown is making me annoyed with his childish demeanor.
"He lied it was the archangel Lucifer he brought you and your family here! "
As he spoke images flashed through my mind then combined playing a seamless stream of imagery without any sound.
It showed me someone who I assumed is Lucifer. This form of Lucifer's was a handsome being with horns protruding from his forehead and two red eyes.
Yet he had a slit in the middle of his forehead and as soon as it opened a brilliant light emitted from his head revealing a third eye with the same kind yellow Gabriel had.
When the light faded the everything was the same from the blood mountains created by the bones of the dead to the river of souls wailing in agony.
Then something was different a slender handsome man with the same color hair as me and green eyes and though his looks were inferior to Lucifer's , his face was much more gentle and filled with warmth. Even while he was shocked there was a fierce determination burning deep inside his eyes and he had appeared along with a woman with the same skin and eyes as me. She kept a cool air about her as her eyes gleamed with intelligence. The woman began casting what looked to be a teleportation spell. But the magic circle instantly shattered leaving them both speechless.
.
Then Lucifer slowly flew down towards them and started to speak. The woman covered her belly though I wasn't sure because I didn't see a bump. I see now that these are my parents.
I kept watching them as if in a trance then suddenly the images cut off after that.
"Hey! Why'd you cut it off!?"
I yelled out in frustration.
"Because you've seen enough. Besides the white cross has started to fuse into your soul it's seems like Gabriel is completing the ritual."
"Your talking about that white cross on the altar? What do you mean it's fusing with into my soul what's going to happen to me?!"
And what happened to the cocky person I was speaking to earlier?"
Though they had the same voice the way this guy is speaking to me now is completely different I can only assume he's a different person.
"You're quite perceptive, I'm impressed you could tell despite us having the same voice. The fool from before was one of my subordinates, but he dared to disrespect my benefactor of course he had to be punished! While you don't remember I will never forget what you did for us."
He spoke in highly about the me of the past. However I could tell he was disappointed I didn't remember.
A smokey figure appeared in front of me, his figure was no bigger than 3 meters. He look down on me with sadness and regret.
"What did I do you for you?"
I asked curious about my past.
"So you've truly lost your memories, to think you'd become the forgotten hero. I won't tell you since it was your choice, but I'll help you recover your memories faster.
The ritual using the white cross to instill you with divine energy to strengthen your soul. However the rules of the lamb shall be constantly nagging at you until you become the perfect saint.
I'm going to counteract this with two curses. One will make you crave power making you do almost anything to obtain it. The second one will make you feel the pain of every soul in hell, and the stronger you the more the pain will amplify.
The stress and power your soul, body, and mind will accumulate will wear down the seal on your memories. I'll give the gift you gave me long ago to help you with your terrible endeavors.
Demon slayer yagumo your first blade, the one you forged with the eye of the lord of shadows Yami, as the base the teeth of the demon lord Rugress. Forged by the heat collected from the lake of fire, using the tears of an angel as water to cool the weapon, and the fur of a hell hound decorating the hilt! This masterpiece shall certainly be of use!
That long explanation almost made forget to ask what would stop my soul from leaving my body, but I couldn't speak and the mirror realm started to fade.
"You won't remember any of this conversation we've had, but the sword will and it will also give you the same edge you had back then. The more pain you experience the more your soul will what to leave but due the cross your soul will split instead. I can't wait to see how you develop subject one."
He said this in an ominous tone as his voice faded from both reality and memory…
I appeared in front of the altar in the wings of Gabriel I looked at him with half opened eyes as he looked down at me with soft eyes. My body was enveloped with divine energy, then it disappeared as if signaling that the ritual had completed and the cross had fully fused with my soul.
After the ritual ended I had gained enough energy to open my eyes, however after fully opening my eyes intense and indescribable pain started coursing through my body. It was so severe that the world around me started to collapse, and darkness consumed everything both Gabriel and the altar disappeared as I suffered in darkness of who knows how long.
Drifting through the darkness as if floating on water I started getting accustomed to the pain. As soon as I did a white cross appeared on my hand shining brightly.
The space around me warped and distorted making the darkness crack like a broken mirror, and I then fell through a crack caused by the distortion. As I passed by lights as bright as stars and slammed into invisible walls inside the crack, until finally I crashed into the wasteland known as hell.