CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN.
He closed his eyes, trying to reminisce about the whole event, when he slept off.
And the vision returned.
The shadow stood in the darkness.
Chains bound Damiel's wrists and ankles, stretching into the unseen distance. The shadow features remained concealed, and the darkness surrounding it seemed to swallow the faintest trace of light.
"It seems the war has begun," the shadow started, its ancient voice echoed through the void.
"Between Avalon and the Fallen Angel."
Damiel's expression hardened.
"You seem to know a lot, so tell me, what can I do to stop him?" The shadow had been right about everything, from the beginning.
The shadow turned his head toward Damiel, as he spoke.
"You cannot stop him unless one of you dies."
"Then tell me how to kill him." Damiel asked.
A faint rattle passed through the chains, as Damiel moved forward eager to hear an answer.
"That's the tricky part, you cannot kill a fallen angel."
Damiel's jaw tightened.
"Then how do I defeat him?"
"By sending him to hell where he belongs."
"Hell?, How?"
The shadow remained silent for a moment.
"Use the key to unlock his full potential, then when he is at his strongest, is also when he's at his weakest, that's when you strike."
Damiel's eyes narrowed.
"The KEY, What key?, and how do I use the key to unlock his potential."
"Not what."
The shadow's voice lowered.
"Who."
Silence stretched between them.
Damiel already knew what answer the shadow intended to give.
But he refused to accept it without understanding.
"Reyna?"
The chains rattled.
"You already knew." The shadow said, more like a fact than a question.
"How can a human unlock the power of an Ancient Demon?" Damiel asked in doubt.
"Power does not always reveal itself in the form you expect."
The shadow turned slightly, as he continued.
"The key will allow him to reach his highest ascension. Only then can you strike him in the heart with HIS own blade, His Blade alone."
Damiel's expression darkened.
"You want me to make him stronger?" Damiel asked not sure if he could trust his words.
"To reach his highest ascension is to reach his greatest power. It is also the moment you must be prepared to strike."
"And if I fail?"
The shadow's voice became colder.
"Then Avalon will fall."
Damiel stared at the shadow figure.
"What if I strike before his ascension?"
"You will die."
The answer came without hesitation.
"His true essence cannot be destroyed by an ordinary attack. You must understand what he is before you can defeat him."
Damiel's hands curled into fists.
"Must it be with his blade?"
"The blade is the means. The key is the beginning."
The shadow leaned forward slightly.
"But do not mistake the key for the answer to every question. Every demon has a weakness, even an Ancient Demon. Find his, then killing him during his ascension will be easier."
Damiel's gaze sharpened.
"You're telling me how to defeat him, yet you refuse to tell me what you are, how can I trust you."
"I'm telling you what you need to know now."
"No. You're telling me what you want me to know."
For the first time, the shadow fell silent.
Damiel stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
The chains gave a low, metallic groan.
"That question will not save your kingdom."
"Answer me."
The shadow began to recede into the darkness.
"Protect the key, Damiel. If he finds her before you understand her, all your strength will mean nothing, against him."
"Wait."
Damiel moved forward.
"Then tell me this, what really is her purpose!"
The shadow fell silent for a moment, as though contemplating if he should reveal who she really is.
"Do not mistake her importance to him for her purpose. She is not merely the key to his ascension."
Damiel's eyes narrowed.
"Then what is?"
The chains rattled softly.
"She is connected to something far closer to you than you realise."
Damiel's expression darkened.
"Speak plainly."
But the shadow offered no immediate answer.
"Some bonds exist long before those bound by them become aware of their existence."
"What does that mean?"
But the shadow was already disappearing.
Only its final words remained.
"You already know who the key is. Now discover why she is the KEY."
The darkness swallowed it.
Damiel woke abruptly.
His silver eyes opened in the dimness of his chambers.
For several seconds, he remained still, his breathing controlled.
The key.
Reyna.
The Fallen Angel needed her to unlock something within itself, something powerful enough to reach its highest ascension.
And the shadow had told him that the creature could be defeated only when it reached that state.
It made no sense.
Why would the enemy seek the very power that would make it vulnerable?
Unless the shadow was hiding something.
Damiel rose from the bed.
He needed to see Reyna.
The thought had barely formed when the room around him vanished.
Reyna's Chambers
Damiel appeared beside Reyna's bed.
He froze.
Again.
He had not intended to move.
He hadn't summoned a portal or called upon any known ability. He had simply thought of her—and suddenly found himself in her chambers.
His expression hardened.
That was the second time it had happened.
He would investigate it later.
For now, his attention shifted to the girl sleeping before him.
Reyna lay beneath the covers, her black hair scattered across the cloth beneath her head. The faint light entering through the small window traced the peaceful lines of her face.
But she wasn't entirely at peace.
Her brows were furrowed, and her fingers had curled tightly into the blanket.
She looked frightened.
Damiel approached the bed.
"Reyna."
She didn't wake.
A quiet, distressed sound escaped her lips.
He watched her for a moment before sitting beside her.
Whatever she was dreaming about, it was troubling her.
Damiel reached for her hand.
The moment his fingers closed around hers, the tension left her face.
Her breathing steadied.
Her fingers relaxed against his.
Damiel stared at their joined hands.
There it was again.
That strange, inexplicable effect she had on him.
He could not determine whether it was connected to Azaelth, to the mystery of the key, or to something else entirely.
He only knew that when he touched her, the turmoil within him quieted, and judging by the way her expression had softened beneath he's touch, perhaps his presence had a similar effect on her.
Damiel's gaze moved to her sleeping face.
If the Fallen Angel discovered her true significance, it would come for her.
And if it discovered how easily his presence could be drawn to her, it might begin to suspect that she meant more to him than she should.
His expression hardened.
He could not allow that to happen.
From this moment onward, he would keep her under his protection.
But no one could know why.
Not Kael.
Not Roan.
Not Zaiel.
And certainly not Reyna herself.
He would have to be careful. He could not suddenly keep her at his side without attracting attention. He could not make his concern obvious or allow the Fallen Angel to use her against him.
He needed to protect her from the shadows.
Quietly.
Without giving the enemy a reason to look more closely at her.
Damiel released her hand.
For a moment, he considered leaving.
Instead, he remained seated beside her, watching as her breathing settled into a steady rhythm.
He told himself he was only ensuring that the key remained safe.
That was all.
It was the most logical explanation.
The only one that mattered.
And yet, when he finally rose, he looked back at her once more.
He could not afford to let anything happen to her.
Whether it was because she was the key or because something about her had begun to matter to him, he did not know.
Perhaps he didn't want to know.
One thing, however, was certain.
The Fallen Angel was likely somewhere within his walls, watching, waiting, and preparing its next move.
Damiel would have to be more careful than ever.
His life.
Reyna's life.
The fate of Avalon.
Everything now depended on what he did next.
And he would not allow the enemy to take any of it from him.
Damiel disappeared into the darkness, leaving Reyna undisturbed.
And for the first time, the fate of Avalon was no longer the only thing he wanted to protect.