Adonai:

The instigator's body disappeared and its soul went high up into the sky adding to the already existing atmosphere. But so did Liam's body and soul.

Noah passed out from the shock and Maverick and Stella are looking at me with a curiosity that speaks volumes. I have never done such a feat. I never knew I'm capable of just summoning a weapon out of thin air... a soul-forger he said.

Reacting to my thoughts the weapon vanished into thin air and I felt a surge of energy coming back to me.

*Sigh*

"I don't know what that was either... but I think we better get moving, we have to bring Noah and the sad news home to their parents." I said without hesitation and moved to pick up Noah's passed out body.

Stella started walking towards me but she suddenly came to halt.

"Adonai you..."

I knew what she's about to say so I got out of the building and she stopped talking, ready to take on whatever was ahead of me... what I just did left me speechless.

I killed a person... but more than that I don't feel anything about it. At this very moment I don't feel sadness or ecstasy or joy or fear, it's just... clarity.

"This is how they felt when they killed her?" I asked aloud, but it is just myself, the rest of the world is not present around me anymore.

All I can hear are the voices that are trying to communicate but even they have become inaudible in this vast ocean of clarity in my head.

The road to the brothers house was one filled with silence.

...

When we got there no one was home, so we laid down Noah wherever we could find and waited to explain the situation to whichever parent came first.

We did not have to wait for long thankfully as their father just got here.

"Outsiders... what brings you to my home?"

Maverick and Stella looked away, not wanting to be the one to break the news but I can still see the path ahead clear, and I didn't hesitate.

"Liam died, he protected Noah from someone attacking the place, and as a result he's not here anymore."

The father took a second and became incorporeal, seemingly going to check up on Noah... but he just woke the boy up and made him face the cruel reality of this world.

"Noah... my son, your brother died protecting you, is what I heard, is it true?"

"... Yes father, I tried to shoot the man and it backfired, and Liam... sacrificed himself for me."

"I see."

*Slap*

"What are you doing!?" Stella shouted.

"Silence outsider, this is a matter of this household, you have no reason to intervene."

After he said that he became incorporeal again and his form increased drastically, lifting Noah up from the floor.

"You were WEAK!" He said.

Acid started pouring out of Noah's eyes and mouth, and from under his skin, seemingly burning it down.

"FATHER STOP, PLEASE!"

He begged, the most logical solution right now is to take his gas form and flee... but I don't think that's a possibility in this case, the father seems to have him too strong in his grasp.

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Squeezing the poor boy while the acid melts the skin off his bones and goes deeper.

"Only the strong will survive in this world, son, your brother was weak protecting you and you're weak for not being able to protect yourself and him. As a result, you must return and be useful to the space. You will die here."

No hint of hesitation, or remorse could be seen on his face. But I was getting a bit angry, and I called upon the scythe as naturally as I thought it should come.

The weapon manifested in my arm and I looked up at the gas giant.

"That's enough, he's just a kid, put him down."

"... Put down your weapon, outsider, or you'll suffer the same fate as him. You are not subject to the law of this world but that doesn't mean I can't kill you either. Aegir is under the jurisdiction of Angels... if I deem it necessary you'll meet your destiny here."

He's right, I have no reason to intervene but this is just not right, as clear as I was back then now I'm starting to get filled with anger. It's like two sides of my feelings are clashing with each other... It makes no sense.

Acting on instinct I jumped trying to cut him the same way I did before, but he dodged.

"I'm not stupid enough to not recognize a soul-forger weapon. But you're stupid enough not to realize that you're just throwing your life away."

He said as he grabbed my legs in the gas body and lifted me upside down.

I acted but I think it was already too late, Noah's body started to disappear and there was no more struggle to be seen... he's dead.

The father started absorbing the body. We've seen this before already but it's grotesque everytime.

...

"Don't worry outsider, you're not gonna go the same way, I have nothing to gain from torturing or absorbing your body, I'll just take the air out of your lungs until you die."

"But you had something to get from torturing your son? You sick fuck!" I said spitting from the upside down position I was in.

Compared to the past right now it didn't feel bad, maybe because my own life is at risk and not someone I care about? Do I value myself so little? I thought but it is pointless.

Stella and Maverick seemed frozen from the scene, not knowing if they should act or not... and considering after her death I had no motivation to go on, maybe this is for the best.

I tried to live and I failed. Nothing I can do about it, right?

"Yes... you're right." The voices said, bringing me... peace of mind.

I could feel the air starting to leave my lungs as my breathing got progressively harder, to the point where I was losing consciousness…

Stella:

I can feel it... he gave up on himself, we have to do something, but what? Maverick's frozen and I'm not a fighter to begin with.

...Can we only just watch as another of our friends is about to be taken away?

... Curses.

...

What's this?

Who's this?

I can feel it inside, something is coming to the surface, threatening to break a barrier?

Who's emotions are these?

Who's threatening to take over?

"...Who are you?"

I said half scared, half shocked, not knowing what's coming, but feeling the pure pressure of it.

Adonai's body remained the same, but inside him I could feel a second person... someone else's feelings are in there.

"...Who are you?" The gas giant said as well, seemingly feeling the imminent danger.

While feelings alone are not enough for an indicator, there's also the presence that's surfacing with them.

"Outsider... soul-forger... this presence is not human."

He's... shacking.

The more he's threatening to kill Adonai the more he's shaking. He has to let go.

"LET GO OF HIM!" I shouted between the tears rolling down my face... When did I start crying again?"

"Maverick move!"

Out of the trance Maverick came back to normal and started throwing different spells at the gas giant, passing right through him..

But he let go, he went back to being corporal and fled the scene in a rush.

His last words were... "I don't want to die."

"Quick, we need to do chest compressions."

We came to a halt while running, noticing that from his right eye down his neck a floral pattern was formed... a forget-me-not pattern.

We still need to check on him and fast, and so I started… but

"He's fine... no shortage of breath, not anything, almost like everything that happened in the past few minutes didn't actually happen."

The pattern disappeared as he woke up from the slumber.

"Are you okay!?" Me and Maverick asked at the same time.

But he seemed unbothered.

I've come a long way from the coward I was thanks to my friends' help... but this is something that throws me into chaos. I'm not as big of a crybaby but that presence, these feelings of a single person, or were there two?

"I dreamt of a person... threatening to rip me to shreds and break free… it was him, but then Kathlyn appeared and she stopped it..." He said while crying… a person… him? Kathlyn?

What it is there that he doesn't tell us.

I took a peek and he's completely himself now, he's feeling sorrowful and regretful... like a little kid who just remembers that his mother was taken away from him because he just exists...

I couldn't help but hug him, after all they were always there for me, and there's only so much I can do to help them in this journey.

"It's time to go... it will be alright."

I whispered to him, Maverick sat next to us and hugged us.

Adonai stopped shaking but the feeling of uneasiness from what I just witnessed and saw... me and Maverick exchanged a glance and agreed to not mention what happened at that time to him.

...

We must leave this place at once.

... Between Aegir and Earth and probably the rest of them... it's all the same difference.