POV: Rhamiel

"How dare you, Azazel, insult the Guardians of the Eye! Not even Malchediel, your creator, dares to challenge their honor. So, how dare you!"

With a resolute demeanor, he threw his head back, releasing a cold, malevolent laugh.

"Believe me, Mr. Rhamiel, the Guardians of the Eye are as mighty as their hubris allows. Perhaps it's because I refuse to yield to empty threats and false pride. But fear not, I shall educate you on the essence of true power."

"Azazel, you were once a formidable and illustrious angel, and now? Now you are a fool, a mockery of the role model you once were! For countless eons, since your creation, all have respected you, and you throw it all, for what purpose?"

We, the Eye Guardians, are entities with constrained free will. It exists, of course, but our duties curtail it. We are forbidden from intervening unless under attack or when we sense a threat to the Eye. Regrettably, numerous internal divisions have weakened us. We, though potent and chosen by God, remain powerless. What an irony.

The sacred eye is a divine symbol, a testament to the Almighty's omnipotence. It is not a part of God, incomparable to Him, yet this eye possesses all-seeing and all-knowing abilities. It resides beyond the universe, in a heavenly realm of its own, where even the archangels hold no dominion. Whoever commands the eye holds dominion over the universe and all that it encompasses. We Guardians must protect it at any cost, or else...or else....

"Do you believe an angel's strength is solely determined by the height from which they can fall? My former glory may have dimmed, but I have unearthed something beyond the bounds of eternal respect. The freedom to perceive the world with fresh eyes and the power to seek truth are treasures you might fail to recognize. I'm not squandering anything; I'm gaining a world that exceeds your comprehension."

"In this moment, Azazel, rest assured that as long as breath courses through my being, the Eye shall remain untouched by any within these sacred confines."

"Then let us test the limits of your mortality."

Oh, Azazel, what a fool you have become.

My heart was ablaze with anger and loathing, but to whom did these emotions belong? How could I feel such disdain for one I once held dear?

I had long foreseen the inevitability of this day, but I had never imagined that the adversary would be Azazel.

As my eyes fluttered open, they met a deadly spear hurtling toward my face, aimed to end my existence on the spot.

"Azazel, your actions not only defy us but challenge the divine itself!"

"Divine, you say? Show me this God of yours," Azazel retorted with a venomous sneer.

The atmosphere crackled with tension as Azazel drew nearer, his gaze ablaze with malice and unyielding resolve. Two celestial beings, poised in opposition, with the palpable weight of destiny hanging in the balance.

Azazel struck swiftly, but I deftly evaded his attack, allowing the fallen angel's blade to meet empty air. With unwavering determination, I confronted Azazel.

"The Eye will never fall into your hands, Azazel. You've abandoned the path of righteousness."

Azazel responded with a harsh, mocking laughter and launched another assault, his fury intensified. I parried the blow with my own weapon, feeling its reverberations echo through my very bones.

"Ssssss!"

"Righteousness?" Azazel scoffed. "Such notions of good and evil are mere crutches for the weak."

In this ceaseless clash of blades, our weapons sang a deadly symphony, in perfect harmony with the dance of impending doom. My muscles strained under the unrelenting pressure, but surrender was not an option; the fate of all existence hung in the balance.

Azazel's laughter echoed, a mocking cadence, as he persistently sought to shatter my unwavering resolve.

"Your faith in this eye, Rhamiel, is an innocence that blinds you. There exists a power beyond the distant horizon, one that forever eludes your comprehension."

With a forceful kick that sent me stumbling, he seized the moment for another assault.

The confrontation knew no respite. Cuts, thrusts, and searing flames materialized as we traversed the dimensions. Our forms radiated with an immense glow, and the very air crackled with unrestrained energy.

"You have chosen the path of betrayal, Azazel," I cried out, punctuating my words with a rapid, lightning-quick barrage of blows. "The freedom you seek will only bring you emptiness!"

Azazel skilfully dodged my attacks and flung me to the ground.

"You don't understand, Rhamiel! The truth is worth risking everything for!" He retaliated, our blades clashing with an ear-splitting resonance.

Left with no other option, I sighed heavily, whispered.

"I'm sorry, Azazel."

"Behold the wrath of the divine morn, where God's gaze serves as your arbiter!"

Suddenly, the sky burst into a brilliant radiance, and the "Heavenly Sunrise" engulfed the atmosphere. Blinding light enshrouded us, and a searing heat coursed through my very being. The "Dura-Negation" gnawed at the essence of all it touched, inflicting unimaginable torment.

Azazel's anguished groans filled the air as he crumpled beneath the celestial dawn. His body began to tremble and his light faded. Blood dripped from his eyes, ears and mouth as he suffered unimaginable agony.

"No!" he screamed, his voice a lamentation of suffering and despair.

Standing over him, my heart weighed down by compassion and remorse, I uttered gently.

"Azazel, you've lost yourself," I said gently. "But perhaps there is still hope for your soul."

Azazel's gaze was blank and broken as he slowly fell silent. The battle was over, but the consequences would reverberate for a long time, and I knew that the decisions we had made would affect the fate of the universe.

The canvas of the sky above told the tale of our fierce battle, painted with the lingering traces of our conflict.

Then, as if emerging from the shadows, Malchediel materialized – an angel of even greater power and the mentor of Azazel. His approach was a deliberate and majestic procession, and his countenance was marked by a somber, knowing smile.

"Look at you, Azazel," he remarked with a biting touch of sarcasm, "the once-proud Fallen One now humbled at his knees. I must concede, your descent was nothing short of a spectacle."

Azazel, sprawled on the ground, his breath labored, responded not with a plea for assistance but with a sinister grin, as if he were the mastermind behind this dramatic performance all along.

"Ah, Malchediel, you arrived on time, as expected," Azazel remarked with a certain satisfaction. "I knew you would come to save your faithful disciple, even if I had to play a part in it."

Malchediel, appearing to dismiss Azazel's words, pivoted his gaze to me.

"Rhamiel, you have kept your faith in the Guardians of the Eye, but you have not understood the limits of your power." In a swift and entirely unforeseen motion, he took me by surprise, thrusting a holy sword into my being.

The pain was unbearable, causing my body to convulse as I collapsed to the ground. My vision blurred, and the world slipped into an inky abyss.

"You've led yourself into the abyss, Rhamiel. May you reflect on your choices while you are trapped in this lamp."

Malchediel intoned with an air of finality, leaving me to ponder my fate in the depths of darkness.

Upon my banishment by Malchediel, I found myself confined within a divine lamp, transported to an eerie dimension consumed by oppressive darkness. Here, time lost all significance, and I shed my physical form, existing solely as a solitary glimmer amidst the obsidian void.

Malchediel's voice resonated in my mind, dripping with mockery and sarcasm.

"Rhamiel, look where your determination and faith have led you. A shining guardian now trapped in a lamp forever."

Unyielding, I responded with a mix of determination and bitterness.

"Malchediel, I may be trapped in the lamp, but the holy eye remains untouched. There will always be someone to watch over it, even if it is no longer me."

"Oh, how heroic of you, Rhamiel. But you've always been naive. Your faith in the order of things was limited, and you never understood the true depth of divine power."

Seated within the lamplight's confines, I couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped in the surrounding darkness. I began to question the choices I'd made and my understanding of the sacred eye. Malchediel seemed preoccupied with his own plots and intrigues, leaving me with a hope that the sanctity of the holy eye wouldn't be misused, even without my vigilant watch.

In this vast, age-spanning world, my thoughts revolved around Najin. He, the young man who inadvertently released me from the lamp, had become a central figure in my life. His insatiable curiosity and adventurous spirit had unlocked my freedom, a debt beyond words.

Despite not being a guardian of the eye, I felt compelled to protect him. Dark forces still sought the power of the holy eye in this world, and my heart carried both worry and relief. Worry for Najin, navigating a dangerous and deceitful world, and relief that he had discovered the lamp and found me.

In the depths of my heart, I made a promise that resonated across the universe:

"Najin, though I'm no longer a Guardian of the Eye, I'll keep an eye on you and shield you from the dangers and temptations on your journey. May you honor and protect the power of the holy eye with wisdom and compassion."

Now free from the confines of the lamp, I hoped to observe this new world, and I wished for Najin to maintain balance and order. In this mix of sadness and relief, I discovered my new role as the protector of one who possessed the divine power.