Michael, Ariel, and Seraphina stood on the rooftop, the city beneath them bustling with the quiet hum of normalcy, unaware of the supernatural forces at play. The aftermath of their battle with the Class A Glitch had left them exhausted, but the joint operation between them and Victor’s team had proven effective. Seraphina had shown progress—her movements were becoming more precise, though she still needed refinement.

Michael, ever watchful, glanced at her. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

Seraphina, in her usual cold demeanor, crossed her arms and scoffed, though her slight panting gave away her fatigue. “I’m fine. You think this is hard? You’ve seen nothing yet.”

Ariel leaned back against the ledge, tossing a smirk Seraphina’s way. “You talk big for someone still catching their breath. Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ve all been there. It’s cute watching you try to keep up.”

Seraphina shot Ariel a glare but said nothing, clearly annoyed. Michael, ever the stoic, merely observed the dynamic between the two women with a calm detachment.

Victor Grey soon joined them, having wrapped up the remnants of the operation. “It’s impressive how quickly your Reaper is adapting, Michael,” he remarked, his tone neutral but respectful.

Michael gave a slight nod. “She’s getting there.”

Their brief moment of camaraderie was suddenly interrupted as the air around them rippled—a strange and unfamiliar energy coursing through the atmosphere. The temperature dropped, and a thick, unnatural fog began to roll in, enveloping the streets below.

Ariel immediately straightened, her eyes narrowing as she sensed the disturbance. “That’s not normal.”

Victor frowned, his brow furrowing. “Something’s off.”

Before anyone could respond, the fog thickened, and a towering figure began to materialize within it. This wasn’t just any Glitch—they could tell from the sheer magnitude of the aura emanating from the fog. It was unlike anything they had encountered before, its energy unstable and chaotic, warping reality around it.

Seraphina instinctively stepped back, her hand tightening around the hilt of her blade. “What is that thing?”

Michael’s eyes sharpened, his stance shifting into one of readiness. “A Glitch. But something’s different about this one.”

The Glitch fully emerged from the fog, its form a twisted amalgamation of darkness and light, flickering in and out of existence like a broken signal. It wasn’t just unstable—it was dangerous in a way that defied logic. The creature’s mere presence distorted the space around it, making it difficult for the angels and Reapers to get a clear read on its movements.

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Ariel’s playful smirk faded, replaced by a grim determination. “Well, this is new. I’ve never seen one like this before.”

“Neither have I,” Victor muttered. “We need to be careful.”

Without hesitation, Michael charged forward, his wings flaring out as he unleashed a barrage of strikes, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. But every time his blade made contact, the Glitch seemed to phase out, its form dissipating like mist before reforming in another spot.

“Damn it,” Michael growled under his breath. This was unlike any fight he had faced before.

Ariel followed suit, her movements graceful yet powerful, but even her attacks struggled to connect with the creature. “It’s like fighting a shadow,” she muttered, her usual bravado slipping into frustration.

Seraphina stayed back, watching as the two angels fought with all their might. She knew she wasn’t as experienced as them, but she couldn’t stand idly by. With a deep breath, she leaped into the fray, her blade glowing with a faint ethereal light. She swung at the Glitch, but like with Michael and Ariel, her attacks slipped through the creature as if it wasn’t fully there.

“It’s phasing!” she called out, frustration clear in her voice. “We can’t hit it!”

Victor, observing the battle from the sidelines, stepped forward. “This isn’t a normal Glitch. It’s like it’s shifting between dimensions.”

“We need to find a way to anchor it!” Michael shouted over the chaos.

As they continued to battle, the Glitch’s movements grew more erratic, its energy becoming more unstable. It lashed out, sending shockwaves through the air that distorted the very fabric of reality. Buildings warped and twisted, the ground cracked beneath their feet, and time itself seemed to stutter.

For a moment, it seemed as if they were on the brink of being overwhelmed. But just when the situation seemed most dire, Michael’s instincts kicked in. He realized something—this Glitch, as powerful as it was, had a rhythm. Its phasing was erratic, but it wasn’t random.

“On my mark!” Michael called out. “We strike together!”

Ariel and Seraphina nodded, readying themselves. Michael’s eyes narrowed as he watched the Glitch’s movements closely. Then, in a split second, he saw It—a brief moment where the creature became fully solid.

“Now!” he shouted.

In perfect synchronization, the three of them struck. Michael’s sword cleaved through the Glitch’s core, Ariel’s light engulfed it from above, and Seraphina’s blade pierced its heart. The creature let out a deafening screech, its form flickering violently before it finally disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Ariel let out a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from her brow. “Well, that was a pain in the ass.”

Michael glanced at Seraphina, who was breathing heavily but standing tall. “Good work.”

Seraphina gave a small nod, though her mind was still racing from the encounter. She had never faced anything like that before.

As they regrouped, a sudden voice from the shadows caught their attention. “Impressive… but not enough.”

They turned to see a man standing in the shadows of an alleyway, his form barely visible in the dim light. He was tall, with a slick, calculating demeanor. His cold eyes gleamed with a dangerous intellect.

Lucian.

Ariel narrowed her eyes. “Who the hell are you?”

Lucian smiled, his expression sharp and predatory. “Just an observer… testing a little theory.”

Michael stepped forward, his instincts screaming danger. “What are you doing here?”

Lucian chuckled darkly. “Oh, nothing you need to concern yourself with… yet.” He glanced at the nearby human, who had been a bystander to the Glitch fight, but something was wrong—his body was twitching unnaturally, his veins glowing faintly. “As for him, well, consider this… research.”

Before they could react, Lucian disappeared into the shadows, his form melting into the darkness as if he had never been there. The human, now clearly under the influence of something unnatural, collapsed to the ground.

Ariel cursed under her breath. “What the hell was that?”

Michael clenched his fists, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of Lucian. “We need to find out who he is.”

Seraphina stared at the fallen human, dread settling in her gut. Something about Lucian’s presence felt wrong, more dangerous than any Glitch they had ever faced.

And whatever he was planning, it was far from over.

End of Chapter 19