Previously…..

[Lucian wanted to voice his thoughts out but unexpectedly couldn’t reply to Cain’s question, only a glimpse of a familiar voice was repeating that name in his head. It almost felt heart-wrenching, a cry of someone who has lost something important.]

.

.

.

.

.

Breaking out of his thoughts, Lucian replied nonchalantly,

 "I'm not quite sure, but it just….came to me I guess."

Cain chuckled, feeling pleased after receiving his ‘answer'.

 “I see, well then I look forward to your ‘love story’.”

 Cain teased the archangel as he got off his seat.

The archangel straightened his ‘feathers’ , declining the god’s claim. 

“It’s not like that…don't misunderstand..” 

“sure thing~ fluff ball.”

“ack! Cain!!”

Amidst their playful conversation, a knock came on Cain's door, making the two pairs of eyes stare directly at where the knock came from.

As the large golden door opened, walking in was a beautiful figure with rosy hair and a white veil that covered his face, giving off a mysterious aura. As he continued to walk his dark midnight robe drags along the floor giving contrasts to his moonlit skin.

“Yan Bo!” Cain called out with excitement as he immediately sprinted straight towards the entrance escorting the unsuspected guest in.

Dumbfounded, Lucian who stood at the side could almost see an imaginary tail wagging off Cain’s back. 

This was the very first time he had seen Yan Bo of 神云(Shen Yun), the god of the moon. At first glance the deity seemed to be unapproachable due to his unique and mysterious aura that he had never seen before, additionally, his manners and presence are very different from Elysium.

Lucian thought for awhile before going over and yanking Cain to the side. 

Lucian still held a bit of uncertainty as he had never seen or heard many details about Cain's lover before.

“Your lover… He…” Before Lucian could arrange his word into a polite sentence, Cain remarked.

“Yeah!”  the god seemed confident with his reply despite Lucian's expression being full of concern or rather fearful.

“Though his side doesn’t know of this relationship just yet, or at least I hope so.” Cain continued. 

Cain felt uneasy about their situation since it had never been known in public, but the archangel’s worries instantly vanished when his lover called him over.

“Hah…love birds…”

Watching his friend happily trotting over to his lover made him sigh. Lucian couldn’t help but worry for his simple-minded friend. Hoping to scour the issues a bit more in-depth, as he is unable to fully predict what their future will come for them.

After a few short conversations, Lucian was called back to do another assignment. Before leaving, Lucian gave both the gods a respectful bow.

“Oh, it seems like I have more tasks to do and time must be cut short, it was pleasant chatting with you two. Let's have tea again some other time. Well, then I bid you two farewell.”

Lucian hesitated, wondering if he should continue with his concern, but as soon he saw Yan Bo's expression, Lucian knew that he was the one in his prophecy. A bit relieved he said a few more farewells and went off.

Flapping his big wings, reaching the sky above. As he glided from the sky he caught one last glimpse of Cain and Yan Bo who were left in their world. Satisfied, he left in a flash.

.

.

.

.

.

Upon arrival, Lucian saw a small petite figure holding a stack of Michael’s paperwork almost to her nose, leaving his office. 

The archangel sighed and spoke, “Esteria, he’s making you do nonsensical stuff again didn’t he?” 

Esteria is another one of Michael’s close confidants, she has a good work ethic but also blunders quite a lot, despite this Lucian finds her quite lovable and sees her as his little sister.

However since ‘that day’ she was punished for doing all of Michael’s trivial work thunders of anger insured inside the god’s palace. Only a few archangels and angels, Lucian being one of them, would know what occurred.

Any events or occasions that would occur within the messenger god’s palace were kept silent, no tidings or rumors would leak due to Michael's wide influence. 

Within the messenger god’s palace, 

Michael controls all pieces of information. Whether it's controversial or not.

Only…He can.. Manipulate information.

“I have to agree…he is very petty..” 

The two archangels laughed and giggled as they playfully exchanged words.

“It’s been weeks and yet he’s still not over it.” Esteria whined, feeling wronged.

Lucian smiled helplessly, listening attentively to the depressed Esteria.

“It was just a small… incident” she continued.

the little angel frowns pitifully. Unsure of what to do, Lucian attempted to reassure her but was suddenly disrupted by one of Michael's guards.

“Greetings, Great archangel, and Miss Esteria, the lord has called you both to finish up your tasks now.” feeling the hard pressure Esteria gulped down her saliva and fluttered off in a rush. 

The guards led the archangel to the nearby gate. Walking in, sparkling gems and gold filled the grandiose hall which had a huge contrast between the god of war and fertility’s palace.

“Greetings, my lord.” Lucian bowed with respect.

Sitting on his great throne covered in ancient symbols, the god’s unique blue locks and light blue earrings shine brightly like a prominent beam of light on his left ear. Despite having a build of being smaller than Cain and the archangel, he holds a fairly toned build, giving him a worthy deity appearance. Many wondered how the messenger god gained his throne as he held no outstanding achievements but that seems to be the norm these days. 

 As he was about to ask about his upcoming task, the messenger god Michael spoke,

“Did you give it to him?” the god pried.

“Yes, my lord, I did the task I was told.” 

Lucian's suspicions rose, he had never been affirmed of any of my assignments before, he thought to himself. 

He had always trusted Lucian but this time, there was something off. He couldn’t establish any of the dots to connect. But after receiving Lucian’s confirmation, Michael relaxes on his throne as his overwhelming stress is moderately relieved.

Just then, the god’s ear cuff gave a small soft glow, and out came a mysterious sweet charming voice speaking beside his ear, praising him.

 “Well done, Michael.” 

The simple remarks of the mysterious voice made him hop on cloud nine, which slowly became apparent on his face. 

With a silent surrounding only hearing the faint laughter of the god, Lucian clears his throat knocking the God back into reality. 

Snapping back, Michael gave a small cough, and quickly disclosed Lucian’s next duty.

However, before leaving Lucian remembered Cain’s words and tried to question Michael wondering if there were ongoing issues that he held no knowledge about. 

In return, Michael briefly replied in annoyance and dismissed Lucian immediately, which made Lucian hold more suspicions.

Once the archangel left, the mysterious sweet voice that lingered around Michael spoke once again, “Seems like you need to control your… golden ‘doll’ better... we can’t have him asking questions, can we? Michael.” the voice said sweetly with a hint of threat hidden in their tone. 

“Don’t worry, my liege. He won’t get in between our plans, all is going according to my foresight.” the god expressed calmly, ensuring the voice.

Getting Michael's answer, the voice simply laughs seemingly amused.

"The show is about to start."

.

.

.

.

______________

Somewhere deep in the dark lies the God of Death’s palace, inside there are several servants who all inhabit the place. From the surface, the palace was filled with statues made with the purest gold, pillars of the god displayed in every hall. 

It's evident that the god holds their pride fairly high. Unfortunately, beneath the luxurious face of the palace, it's completely day and night compared to the servants' quarters. Poorly supported cracked walls and rats that roam in the dark sewers can be seen.

The quarters were similar to a prison, with no comfortable living space, leaving only the hard cold ground for them to slumber upon.

'How disgusting' Yusra thought to himself. Every time he roams along the god of death’s palace, disdain fills his senses.

All the more atrocious, each time the God of Lust arrived both gods would hold a ‘celebration’ which they call when having the enjoyable pleasure of tormenting all of the servants, not a single servant was ever spared.

Living as a slave, the humble servant’s days were monotonous. This was until the day he was bestowed the name “Yusra”. It was a big piece of information for Elysium, gossip from ‘Lucian’s new guy’ to ‘He had gone mental’ spread like wildfire throughout the realm.

Ever since the day Yusra interacted with Lucian, someone whom he deeply admires, Yusra couldn't stop smiling and giggling which made many believe he had gone mad. It is not a hidden secret that most servants would know Lucian’s kindness, Yusra included would often praise and admire even the littlest thing the great archangel did.

As he continues indulging in his thoughts, a dark-haired figure with pale skin and piercing blue irises slowly looms over the giggling servant.

“Hey! HEY! What are you smiling like a fool for?” the red-haired servant asked in confusion.

“Don’t tell me…Are you that happy to receive a name from the great archangel? I heard that you would feel a special connection from the one who bestowed a name on you, So… what special connection have you felt with him!?” 

The servant excitedly continued, stars seemingly twinkling in his eyes as he stared at Yursa full of interest. 

Yusra was quite muddled with the questions his friend continuously asked.

He had just latterly arrived in Elysium. Essentially, it is a well-known fact that they were all once spirits that had slowly taken the form of a ‘body’. Once “born”, the path of their fate had been set and laid down for them the moment they started existing. 

“Please, stop bombarding me with all these questions..! I don’t really know… I’m just in awe that I could talk to someone like him and I feel like… time seems to stop when I'm with him. Somehow he gave me the feeling of tranquility…that is..well not until his lover appeared.”

Blushing in red, Yusra held admiration in his eyes towards the archangel but was quickly replaced by a hint of stiffness in his smile. 

The servant tries to laugh it off yet his companion notices the sadness lurking in his mesmerizing golden eyes. Feeling a bit sympathetic for Yusra, Ammon comforted his dearest friend patting him on the shoulder to reassure him.

Ammon, a common cat spirit, is the first friend Yusra meets when he first arrives at the god of death’s palace, despite having no relations to any gods nor being a servant, he enjoys keeping Yusra company.

Reminiscing the joyful moments of Yusra and him having fun together made Ammon wish for these moments to last forevermore.

As they continued to talk, Ammon remembered the previous questions he asked, but before he could even get to ask Yusra any further questions, an infuriated voice yelled at Yusra.

“YOU USELESS SERVANT, STOP YAPPING THAT INSOLENT MOUTH OF YOURS, YOU’RE CALLED YOU PIECE OF TRASH! PATHETIC! EVEN GETTING A NAME FROM THE ARCHANGEL HA……THIS ISN’T EVEN MERELY AMUSING.”

Misfortune foretells, Receiving this kind of treatment is quite common, especially for servants, which are considered lowest of the low in the eyes of immortals and gods. Holding no position in power nor rights at all, they are bound to serve and obey.

Having been disrupted Yusra sighed, respectfully bowing down to his companion before heading off in the direction that he was being called to.

In Elysium, Numerous Gods ranging from low to high have bountiful praises and expectations for the Great Archangel but the recent news made the gods doubt the archangel’s actions. As the stories travel easily to the ears, the gods of death and lust felt shame thrown onto their faces. to appease the fuming displeasure they felt, they took Yusra as their target. 

Due to a myth circulating around Elysium for quite a long time, it was presumed that having a ‘name’ is considered a misdemeanor in the whole realm. Adding to the fact, it is unacceptable to have been named by an archangel who is a working rank that serves other gods.

Thus, Resulting in Yusra enduring severe punishment. In order to satisfy the gods' twisted lust, The poor servant was whipped until crimson blood would spill out of his skin, chained up by the heavy iron squeezing on his hands, and suffered excruciating pain from the process of the slave mark placed upon him.

Nobody dared to revoke both of the gods' wrath, not even his fellow servants due to the very same fear of being punished as well.

 The punishment was agonizing, fortunately, Yusra was known to hold high pain tolerance and during the aftermath, Yusra’s fellow servants would comfort him while helping patch his wounds after numerous tortures of the gods.

The servants all held gratitude and gratefulness towards Yusra, considering he has been taking up more of the penalty and abuse since ever receiving a name. 

“What’s the point of earning a name when your ‘master’ won’t come and save a pathetic slave like you?” the gods sneered, laughing at the servant’s pitiful state.

Yusra could not comprehend the meaning of God's words, however, it made him feel a sudden burst of fury. The pitiful servant that they both frequently toyed with never once showed any emotions, shot up staring straight right at the gods. His bright golden eyes gave a clear feeling of domination.

 feeling the pressure from the lowly servant, the gods felt provoked.

“You dare try looking down on us, you pathetic slave? Might I advise you, lowly servant, you are nothing but a slave with a name tag hanging by your neck. You're just a livestock, a pathetic animal! So don’t you dare look entitled!”

The crisp sound of the whip hit Yusra's wound but no words escaped from his mouth. Watching the servant lower his head, the gods resumed their harsh punishment on him once more, filling up their satisfaction towards their twisted desires.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Back at Cain’s palace, Lucian leisurely walked into the grand hall after completing his tasks. However, as his feet wandered he seemed to instinctively search for something.

Being unable to find them, Lucian suddenly felt a tinge in his chest, a feeling of something familiar yet distant to him. Because of this, confusion struck the archangel. 

Unable to comprehend his thoughts, Lucian ignored the unusual condition of his body and continued his path toward the god of war and fertility's room.

The god of war and fertility noticed the frequent appearance of Lucian for several days in a row. Intrigued, the god teased the archangel,

 “You have been coming here quite often, I'm guessing it must be because of Yusra?” 

"N-no…I was just..thinking…and besides it just that…I unconsciously.."

The bashful Lucian flusteredly responds and proceeds to pace around Cain’s office.

Appearing out of the blue, a light-haired figure walked in. 

Holding anticipation, Lucian waited to see the mysterious figure’s face. Sadly it wasn't the person he was waiting for. Feeling disappointed, his cheerful face seemed to be pulled downwards into a frown.

Cain, who was observing at the side, felt entertained watching multiple expressions on Lucian's face during the five-second time frame. It was quite similar to an abandoned animal, the only things that were missing were ears and a tail.

It was also very similar to the ****

The person who entered the room was none other than Yan Bo, who is destined to be Cain's soon-to-be fiancée, he’s also the most renowned God of the moon.

As per usual the god's face is commonly seen covered by silk cloth. The only visible appearance of Yan Bo would be his rose-colored hair followed by his azure iris. Even though the god seemed weak and fragile, this would not be the case as he held strong spiritual power that could wipe out any enemy.

This sudden visit of Yan Bo was planned, as an event is likely to occur. The god was invited as an envoy to an upcoming party involving the other faction hosted by Michael to settle a peace treaty between the two to achieve harmony and balance over Elysium. Having this opportunity, Yan Bo decided to stay at Cain’s palace for a while.

Long ago before the fall of balance, It was said that in both of the factions, one holds the spiritual(yin/yang) while the other the elements. They were once combined as a whole, holding no grudge or cold feelings at the beginning. However, due to the constant greed, deceit, and grudges constantly occurring between the two factions, it resulted in a huge conflicted war.

In the end, the Cultivator's faction separated from the rest of Elysium and stood as a certain individual group ‘Shen Yun(神云)’ having no relations with Elysium itself.

Despite this matter, Michael was keen to mend the two broken factions for a lengthy amount of time.

.

.

.

Cain held his lover’s hand as he continued to laugh at Lucian’s silly expressions,

“Back to our conversation, so what brings you here?”

“Ahem, Michael simply informed me to know if the gift was to your liking, though other than that there seems to be nothing else he commanded.”  The archangel replied thoughtfully.

Finally returning to the main subject, Cain became composed,

“Hmm, I see, well that's not bad…” the god said as he pointed to the direction where he had placed the amulet.

“Yes, however….something seems unusual about it…” the god of the moon interrupted, listing his troubles.

“Hmn….it is indeed suspicious that Michael is getting overly concerned over an amulet. I think it’s best if you don’t wear it, Cain. I’m not quite sure what my lord’s plan seems to be but I hope you’ll protect him, Yan Bo.”  

Lucian informed in a very serious tone, giving his trust towards Cain’s lover.

Cain immediately cues a command informing one of his spies to begin an investigation about Michael's unusual movements. At first, Cain does not want to inspect due to his deep-rooted trust in Lucian, but after hearing from his lover and Lucian's concern he decides to do it.

Although he heard their warning about the amulet, Cain didn't think much and brushed it off as he held the idea of the amulet just being a normal item.

“Anyways~ Repeating my question, you. Why are you coming here so often? Did you miss me, old friend?” Cain teased, nudging the archangel to spill his purpose.

“W-hat did I not tell….well, Y-yes of course, we have been very close for years now and because of…uh work I lost my time to…spend yes and I have to catch up with you!” Lucian frantically stutters as he tries to give out a convincing lie. 

Cain couldn’t help but laugh as he was caught stupefied by Lucian’s idiotic lie.

Unable to control his laughter he started rolling on the floor.

Witnessing his close brother burst into laughter, the archangel felt heat come to his face as embarrassment bluntly appeared in his expression.

On the other hand, Yan Bo walked towards Lucian like an elegant breeze, patting his shoulder and giving him a piece of advice,

“Lucian, Stop hesitating, you must know that he might not always be here. I know, because we've been through it before, losing each other. You don’t have to take my suggestion but I just want you to know if you have the feeling of something you want to pursue, go and do it before it's too late..”

"I know but... this feeling...I'm not quite sure, besides... it's quite unusual I have never met him before..and sudden weird feelings are just..."

Lucian tried to explain, unable to expand his words.

Watching the vulnerable archangel made Yan Bo understand the feeling of what Cain felt toward Lucian. Gently smiling, Yan Bo patted Lucian’s shoulder once more comforting him.

“You know, Cain is quite lucky to have a younger brother figure like you, I heard that he was the one who told me how he and I are fated to be….and maybe..it's your turn to find your fate? It's now or never…”

“I know..but..I.. tss…ahhck..!”

As the archangel listened, a sudden piece of unknown memory appeared in his head. Followed by a sudden burst of pain splitting his head.

“Lucian?!...”

“LUCIAN!!”

faint voices of the two gods echoed before and the blonde archangel's vision darkened.

….

“Lucian…”

“I'm sorry..”

Within an empty dusted plain a blurry image of someone appeared. It seems to be a figure covered in crimson blood. “He” was sitting, desperately. Screaming with a pained voice. Pleading, begging for a miracle In that place that seemed gloomy and desolated.

Not a single soul couldn’t hear him or reach out to him, as his trembling hands held tightly to the person who was lying in his arms. The coldness slowly takes over as ‘their’ body slowly fades away into beautiful sparkles of light. Cruelly leaving, their remnants and void of their warmth. With the sensation of emptiness, a single tear rolled down his face as he looked at his crimson-covered hand. 

Painting a tragic scene…

“Where am I..? Why do I… feel such unbearable pain, who…was that?”

Lucian who witnessed the whole picture felt pure confusion and agony. As though he felt the pain of the person pleasing for a miracle. 

Just as he thought as it was fading to white, a warm gentle yet familiar voice called out,

“I’m so glad you’re the last person I see, you are my light….I love.. you..” 

“W-wait, I want to know-”

“I'm sorry….for leaving you..”

“Please, don’t go-”

Before ‘he’ could finish his sentence the voice had long disappeared.

Outside his consciousness, a bright light slowly emerges, covering Lucian's body, almost blinding the whole room. As the scene unfolds, Cain's face turns pale as he hurriedly tries snapping the archangel awake. A clear sense of sinister aura was felt coming from Lucian.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Time is relative. You can not go back to the past Lucian, live in the present as you the *** ** ***** *** **** will carve your own fate….” 

Footnote: 神云(Shen yun) meaning God/ spirit cloud

Elysium MinTheatre:

Neru: I wonder is lucian under the weather..? (゜-゜)

Star: *^*!!!! He's a Disknee princess need of saving!

Yusra: o-oh no..! *gib water*

Lucian: zzzzz….

(word count: 3752 )