Michael paused as he noticed Alexander’s expression wasn’t exactly as upbeat as he expected. “You don’t seem too happy about it.”

“...”

The Caelus laughed to himself. ”No. I suppose not.” He took on a more serious tone. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, because I’m sure you already witnessed everything that happened first hand. Ardencroft has fallen, Infernals have taken over it entirely. The only survivors are you and I.”

Alexander nodded. He wanted to scream and cry more. Everything he’d ever known and loved in his life, gone. Just in a day. His shoulders shuddered, tears falling down his face. He smirked slightly. This was a joke. Life was playing a joke on him. That’s it. That was the only explanation.

“Vexor escaped after our reinforcements arrived.” Michael admitted. “You are currently in the Citadel, in a secret ward of our infirmary.”

“...”

He was barely even listening to Michael. His breath quickened as he laughed softly to himself. Tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

“...Why didn’t you do it?” he asked, finally speaking. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

Michael tilted his head. “Kill you? Why would I-”

“WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME ALIVE DAMMIT!?” he screamed, sobbing hysterically. “Just end my suffering now. I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t deserve to be here.”

Alexander winced as he twitched his left arm, the fiery runes plastered across it glowing a vibrant orange. Eerily similar to the ones the Infernals had.

Michael blinked. “I know what you went through was harrowing. But, it’s either sink or swim here.”

“...Then I’ll drown.”

“What’s wrong? Wasn’t your only goal in life to join Puritas?”

“When I had people to make proud. When I had a legacy to prove. Now it’s all gone.” Alexander muttered. “Mom and dad will never know if their son lived, much less if he made it here. I wanted to fight Infernals with my friends but… They’re all dead. They’re all dead because I couldn’t save them!” his voice quivered.

“No one expected you to save them.”

“THEN WHY?” he yelled. “Why did they all give their lives for me? Why am I worth more than they are? Because I got some stupid sword?! Is that it? Does that make me worth more than the other hopefuls?”

Michael sat on a chair next to the bed. “Kid. I’ve been alive for millennia. I’ve seen babies grow up to be legends, only to die all the same. Not just humans either. We Caeli used to number in the thousands. Now? Only a handful. And Hadraniel’s death cut our numbers down further.”

The angelic being focused on the floor, seemingly trying to not dwell over the loss too much.

“All that’s to say, death is something you get used to in this profession. And, as messed up as it is to say, you were basically born into it.” Michael explained. “Besides. What else will you do? There’s nowhere left to go.”

He was right. It wasn’t like he had a home to go back to. Not like he had friends or family waiting for him. He was alone.

“Exactly. There’s nowhere left to go. I’m nothing. Nobody. I don’t deserve to be here. My parents were better than me. My friends did more than me. Liam stood up for us when no one else would. Ethan fought that monster off to protect us. Sofia…She believed in me. She fought to the bitter end. I didn’t do anything except burden them all.” he cried. “I-”

Michael put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

“Listen kid. Do you hear yourself right now?” he spoke, his voice unwavering and cold. “Are you seriously telling me you’re throwing it all away? All those people that died, are you going to disrespect their memory?”

“… What?”

“Are you going to disrespect your parents’ memory?! Your friends? Everyone who died in Ardencroft? Do you dare to tell me that, as the sole survivor, you’re going to do nothing?!” Michael yelled, his blue eyes burning with rage.

“What can I do?”

“FIGHT!” the Caelus yelled. “Fight for those you lost. Avenge them. Use that hatred burning inside you, and temper it into a powerful weapon. You’ve got nothing left to lose, kid. So at the very least, take some of the damn Infernals down with you before you go.”

Alexander went quiet. He did have hatred. As much as he hated himself, he hated that damn Infernal too. Not just Vexor. No. He hated the whole lot of those demons.

“Why… Do you fight?” Alex weakly asked the angelic being in front of him.

“Because I don’t have a choice in the matter. We were created by our god for the sole purpose of fighting back against the Infernal threat. Humans have freedom. You have the free will to live your life how you wish, die as you wish. It is an experience I can only envy, but it is my job to preserve that free will.” Michael said.

“Everyone at Puritas is here for that reason. To let the common man live their life to the fullest. I understand that you perhaps couldn’t live how you wanted, but you have the opportunity to make sure that what happened to you, never happens to anyone ever again.”

Alexander looked at his cuffed arms. He did have nothing else to live for. If nothing else, he had to avenge his family and friends’ memories. He had to kill Vexor.

“I know you want revenge on that bastard Infernal too.” Michael smirked at him, a darkness dancing throughout the sea of purity that were his eyes. “Well, you’ll have to get in line for that.”

“...”

Alex grunted as he kicked off his covers. Seemed he was dressed in a simple white shirt and shorts. Made sense, the nice shirt and trousers he’d chosen to wear were reduced to tatters, along with the rest of his wardrobe and possessions. He grunted as he shakily got to his feet. His body felt lighter, almost brimming with some kind of energy. His leg had healed too, somehow. It didn’t even feel sprained, much less broken like it did before.

“What’s… Wrong with me?”

“It seems, somehow, Infernal magic has melded with your body. As to why…” he went quiet. “I don’t know. But, as it stands, you are now a hybrid consisting of Caelus, Infernal, and Human genetic makeup.”

The newly dubbed ‘hybrid’ looked at his arms. His right glowed blue, it no longer hurt, but something was different about it. His left arm was glowing orange.

A lot of theories swirled through his mind over how this could’ve happened. He remembered his Divinator shattering in the fight with Vexor, seconds before he was enveloped by Michael’s blast. Did that have something to do with it? Perhaps… In that explosion, both Vexor’s and Michael’s energies had somehow plastered themselves onto him.

“A lot of people think you are some sort of abomination. A mistake.” Michael further explained. “But I’m not so sure. Besides, I refuse to let Marcus’ boy be treated in such a way. Your father and I go way back. Though… I guess people would find it hard to believe you’re his son.”

“What do you mean?”

Michael wordlessly pointed to a large mirror affixed to a wall next to Alexander. The hybrid looked at his reflection and…

Who was he looking at?

His once ashen black hair had turned into a brilliant white. It had gotten longer as well, splayed out awkwardly as it framed his face. Speaking of, his face had gotten slightly sharper, as if all the excess fat had been trimmed away. He was muscular before, but now his arms brimmed with power. Even trapped in the glowing blue braces, he could feel his increased muscle mass. From what he could see of his legs, they’d gotten more muscular too.

But the most captivating aspect of his body were his eyes. Before, they used to be a bright shade of ocean blue, but now? They shone an iridescent orange, the same colour as the runes on his left hand.

“You’ve changed a lot. So I’d say this is not only a metaphorical rebirth for you, but an actual one.”

“This body… How did this happen?”

“If I were to guess?” Michael crossed his arms. *The Infernal and Caelus magic forced your body to evolve to handle the energy. In a way, you grew stronger just to handle your own power.”

As Alex looked at himself, Michael got off his chair. “Come on. I’m already backing you, but we have to run you by the Queen too.”

“The Queen… of the CItadel? You mean Queen Lumina?” Alex looked at him in surprise.

“Indeed. Seems like you’ve done your research. But Alex, you’re serious about this, aren’t you? Being half-hearted will only lead you to an early grave.”

“...If I’m going to die, I might as well make a spectacle out of it.”

The two headed out of Alex’s room. The rest of the infirmary consisted of long hallways, each filled with rooms upon rooms. He saw numerous signs, which seemed to split the place based on the severity of injury. The place had a barren look to it, feeling entirely impersonal and lifeless.

This was an infirmary, not a hospital. People came here to rest and recover, nothing more. It was strikingly different from what he was used to, the white hallways lit up by a soft blue light, seemingly some form of magic. A few people gave Alexander odd looks, but he kept his head low, as a lot of them bowed in reverence of the Divine General.

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As they exited the infirmary, Alexander's jaw dropped. As opposed to his home of Ardencroft: a rustic and quaint village with a hint of modernity here and there, this place was entirely different. The infirmary he just walked out of was a large yet unremarkable cuboid of a building, forged out of a white marble, with a bright red roof.

Mountains peppered the borders of the city, as if this place was guarded by them, their silver, snowy peaks surrounding them. The Citadel seemed built into a mountain range, the sun being out still not enough to counter the chilly weather. The infirmary was at one corner, behind it only a huge wall, while in front of it were numerous, clustered houses.

Michael rubbed his chin. “Nice place right? This entire city is under Caeli influence, it’s where we live, and where we’re the strongest. So much so that we’ve created a barrier around this place to keep Infernals out, though we’ve made exceptions for you.”

“It’s grandiose. I… never expected it to look this beautiful.”

“You haven’t seen the least of it.”

Without another word, Alex took off, performing a running jump onto one of the building’s windows. Flipping upwards, he grabbed a ledge with his right hand, and began to scale the white marble one handed. He didn’t know why he was doing this. It just felt… Right. It felt familiar. A part of his old life that he couldn’t quite let go of. His love for climbing, his love for running. It let him feel… free.

“Heh. Knew he was going to do that.” Michael muttered.

Alex leapt from one ledge to the next, his body’s newfound power empowering him to climb with ease, even with both his arms in braces that weighed him down.

He leapt off the ledge onto an adjacent wall, flipping off of it with a powerful jump, cracking the marble. He landed on a balcony, grimacing slightly at the damage. He quickly jumped up, grabbing the edge of the roof and rolling onto it.

The view from up there was even more bedazzling than from the ground. He saw an entire cavalcade of buildings stretching across the entire city. The area he was in had lots of white buildings, with an especially elegant mansion of silver and blue to his right, with a dome at the top and numerous columns spread around it.

The rest of the city consisted of numerous stone-grey buildings, but just like the section he was in, other extremes of the city seemed to have their own colour schemes. He could see a part of the city that felt a lot more akin to his home, numerous brown old-fashioned buildings with a quant mansion sitting at the edge of a small hill.

There was another blue mansion, nestled amid meticulously manicured gardens and tranquil ponds, a majestic structure adorned with intricate carvings and adorned with vibrant hues. Its azure façade rose elegantly, reflecting the sky's cerulean expanse. It had an oddly shaped roof, stretching down and curling up at each corner.

But what caught his eye the most was the main palace. Nestled in the far north, was a sprawling castle, made out of a mix of silver with numerous hints of gold dancing across its smooth surface. It seemed like it was one with the mountain, almost being embedded into it as its numerous squires pierced the sky. This was where the Queen lived, it seemed.

Michael flew up behind him. “You should be careful, you know? Jumping around in those shackles isn’t the best strategy.”

“Take them off then.”

Michael shook his head. “No can do. You’ll have to ask Indra for that. He handles all these things. He’s the one who made these shackles. One of my subordinates.”

“Where is he?”

“Lucky for you, he’s probably at the palace as well. We’re late too. As much as I’d enjoy letting you leap around like an ape, we cannot tarry further.”

Putting a hand on Alex’s shoulder, they were enveloped in a blue light, before appearing at the foot of the enormous palace. It looked far bigger from up close, with Alexander unable to even see it fully. He stumbled.

“What… Did you just do?”

“Hm? Oh. Right. I told you didn’t I? This is where we’re the strongest. The congregation of Caeli magic is so strong here, that we can travel across the city in seconds. Think of it as teleportation.”

They walked in through an inner sanctum of the city, which had its own conglomeration of abodes, also featuring an ebony mansion situated at the East.

“Does your kind live here?”

“We don’t ‘live’ anywhere specifically.” Michael explained. “The Citadel as a whole is our home. But we often meet at the very top of the palace. We rest there often too.”

As they made it into the actual castle, entering a huge door as they were enveloped by warmth. Michael quickly grabbed a cloak off a hanger, and gave it to Alex.

“Best not to walk around in such plain garb. The cloak will hide most of you at least.” Michael explained as Alexander quickly put on the baggy black garb.

The hall was huge and grandiose, dripping with elegance as numerous paintings and engravings covered the walls. The roof was a huge mural of Caeli all with their arms outstretched, and the centrepiece was a large blue eye.

The courtroom was most definitely a sight to behold, with intricacies Alexander didn’t notice until he focused on certain aspects. The queen sat on her throne, a huge golden seat befitting a ruler. She seemed not much older than him, with long, well kept blonde hair and ash-grey eyes. Her dress was a brilliant white, with silver highlights. It covered her top half, with sleeves going down to her fingers, and waist down it spread out into a wide gown. Her feet were encased in white heels.

“Your Highness.” Michael bowed. Alexander bowed with him. The Caelus gestured at the hybrid. “Alexander Corwin.”

Queen Lumina quietly regarded them. Her face showed very little emotion, with Alex unable to tell if she liked or disliked him. She waved off two men beside her, each wearing bronze armour.

The younger one wore bronze armour with gold pauldrons and gauntlets. His eyes were a similar colour, with reddish-brown hair. His armour had a sash tied around the waist, with numerous metal plates that went from his sides around his back hanging from his hips. He regarded Alexander with a smirk.

The older man next to him looked similar to him, with an older face, pure bronze armour and a light beard. He exuded an aura of power, just a mere look from him made Alex’s fight-or-flight response trigger.

“You two are dismissed.” Lumina spoke. Her voice was deeper than Alex had expected, holding an air of authority. The two men nodded. But as they walked away, the older man glared at Alex.

“So. You are the poisoned one hm?” he spoke, with a gruff voice, as if he’d been gargling sand.

“Poisoned?”

“I can see it in your eyes boy. How a human managed to survive Infernal influence is beyond me.” The man spoke. “The entire concept of a human possessing Infernal magic is insanity. Which is why you are far too dangerous a being to be left alive.”

“Now, now Henry.” Michael crossed his arms. “I thought we discussed this.”

The man whose name seemed to be Henry, merely furrowed his eyebrows. “We discussed it. I do not remember arriving at a conclusion.”

“Henry Relictus. Enough.” the Queen spoke. “You do not decide the fate of the hybrid. I do.”

“Then I shall see to it that you make the correct decision.” Henry crossed his arms. “Aethul, you are dismissed.”

The younger man looked at Alexander. “Poisoned one huh? You look fun.” he smirked.

“What?”

“I’ll be seeing you bud. Let’s make some magic together when we next meet.” Aethul left, with a small wave.

Henry scoffed. “That boy. No sense of decorum.”

“Well, he is your nephew Henry.” A voice cut in. Two people who Alex hadn’t even noticed entered his vision from the left.

One was a Caelus, similar to Michael. They seemed a lot bulkier than Michael, their robe discarded for a shirtless look, though their lower half was covered by an intricate loincloth, though it was ankle-length. He wore what appeared to be baggy white pants underneath as well.

The other was a human, and his mere appearance made him seem almost godlike. He wasn’t overbearing like Henry Relictus was, this man’s aura was more… refined. He had long blonde hair, a similar shade to Queen Lumina’s, though his eyes shone a brilliant blue. His skin had a bit of tan to it, and he wore beautiful black and gold armour. He looked like a hero, like everything Alexander had wanted to be at some point. He was the one that had just spoken.

“Is that so Edmund? You want to show me how to raise a child?” Henry spat.

Edmund laughed. “That’s the cheek I expect from you. See? You and Aethul aren’t so different after all.”

“How’re those cuffs treating ya kid?” The other Caelus asked Alex, his voice a deep rumble.

“You’re Indra, huh?” Alex looked at the muscular Caelus.

“Indeed. Weaponsmaster of the Caeli, and the one in charge of Divinator training. The cuffs currently tied around your hands are to prevent you from summoning your Divinator, or use any sort of Infernal magic.” Indra smirked.

The Queen cleared her throat, silencing everyone. “Alexander Corwin, was it? I imagine you already know, but for formality's sake, I am Queen Ada Elizabeth Lumina II: Ruler of The Citadel, and by extension, Head of Puritas.”

Alex nodded, keeping his head bowed.

“The Divine General tells me you were the son of two accomplished Puritas members, and the brother of one current soldier. Strictly speaking, based on your family lineage, we have little reason to suspect you.” Lumina spoke. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Alexander nodded, but the Queen had little to no actual expression on her face. It felt like she was just saying it because she had to.

“If you don’t mean it, don’t bother pitying me.” Alexander spat.

Just like that, the mood in the room immediately soured. He could feel the angry gaze of everyone burrowing into him, but he didn’t care. He had nothing to lose anymore.

Ada rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I have enough emotionally broken wrecks coming in here on a regular basis. You cannot expect me to sympathise with all of you.”

“If he truly has suffered so much, then let’s end him here and now.” Henry Relictus growled.

“We’re not.* Michael stopped forward.

Alexander met Henry’s eyes. “Believe me. Out of everyone in this room, I’m the one who wants me dead the most. But there’s one other thing too. Out of everyone in this room, I’m also the one who wants every Infernal dead the most.”

“You presume too much, child.” Henry crossed his arms. “Words only go so far.”

“I have nothing but words to use right now. I know it’s hard to believe in me. I barely do either. But if you can’t believe in me, believe in my parents. Believe in everyone who died to save me. I know you people likely had friends in Ardencroft. I know more than anyone how much you wished someone else was here instead of me.”

Henry’s eyebrow twitched.

“Yet… You can’t change reality. No matter how much you want to. I’m the last survivor of Ardencroft. And… No matter how much it hurts me, I’ll fight to avenge their memory.”

The courtroom fell silent. It was almost suffocating. Until someone clapped.

“Well said, Alexander Corwin.” Edmund smiled. “I agree, Alexander. You were not brought here by chance. No, you were brought here by fate. Ever since you were born, you were destined to come here, for better or for worse. Which is why, Queen Lumina, I personally advocate for Alexander Corwin’s life, and his induction into Puritas.”

The Queen’s eyes widened, as did Henry’s and Michael’s.

“I refuse to let one with so much potential die so easily.”

“You cannot be serious Edmund! This thing is a threat to our safety! To everyone’s safety!” Henry got in Edmund’s face. “We need to dispose of him post-haste.”

“And give up a promising young talent? Give up the possibility of a soldier who has abilities otherwise unheard of?” Edmund retorted. “As Queen Lumina said, what reason do we have to believe that this boy holds any ill will?”

“That’s not all! Those Infernal runes means they could be communicating with him! That they could show up here through him at any point. Hell, what if he just blows up and kills us all?!” Henry exclaims. “We have no idea what we’re dealing with.”

Michael interjected. “He’s not entirely covered with Infernal magic. And… I know that nothing will come of the magic on his body. Nothing that will allow him to communicate with them anyway.”

“What makes you so sure?” Queen Lumina asked.

“I have experienced such things in the past. Not to the level of Corwin, though. Regardless, the most the Infernal runes on his body will lead to is an increased likelihood of drawing Infernals to him, which is impossible under our barrier regardless.” Michael explained.

Lumina nodded, then contemplated quietly. “Alright then. I just want to prove one thing. Is he combat capable?”

“He was back at Ardencroft.” Indra spoke. “Or at least, that is what I heard.”

The Queen narrowed her eyes. “That was before the ‘incident’. Indra, take off his shackles.”

Indra blanched. “Your Highness, are you sure?”

“Indeed I am. I have two of our strongest soldiers with me, as well as two Caeli. I feel quite secure.” Lumina smiled slightly.

Indra lumbered over to Alexander, grabbing his hands and unlocking the shackles. They disintegrated into blue energy, as the hybrid flexed his fingers. Strange. His left arm no longer hurt at all. Was it because the Caelus shackles were now gone?

“Now. Summon your Divinator.” The Queen requested.

Alex closed his eyes, reaching into himself to try and summon the sword. Just like Hadraniel said. Unsheathe the sword.

There was no sword.

Instead, his hand crackled and popped, the runes on his arm glowing. A searing pain started in his arm, before going up to his chest, as if he was clawing at his own heart.

“Gh! Urgh!” He grabbed his chest and fell to his knees.

“What’s wrong?” Michael asked.

“I… can’t summon it!”

“Stop, stop!” The Divine General steadied him. Alex’s breathing slowed down again, as he collected himself.

“Hmph. It matters not whether he’s a threat or not. He can’t even be sent out to the battlefield like this.” Queen Lumina sighed.

“No…! I can fight!” Alexander clenched his fist, which began to crackle and spark again. But this time, he wasn’t even trying to summon his Divinator.

“Calm down Alexander!” Michael called out to him.

“RRAGH!” he slammed his fist into the ground, letting out a massive shockwave. The blast of wind shocked everyone present in the room, Michael was even pushed back slightly by it. Alexander raised his fist from the floor, revealing a small crater.

“...There’s your combat potential.” Michael smirked.

“You damaged my palace.” Lumina coldly noted. “But… I suppose this is good enough.”

“What about his other arm?” Henry gestured to Alexander’s left side.

Alexander flexed his left arm, the orange runes plastered on it glowing the same way. “I can feel the energy coursing through it. But rest assured, the only things I’ll be using this fist on will be Infernals.”

“Then that’s settled.” Edmund sighed. “Right?”

The Queen nodded. “He’s permitted to take part in the Selection Tournament. We shall see how it goes from there.”

Alex tilted his head. “The Selection Tournament?”

“Your parents never told you?” Henry scoffed as he sulked off.

“How unfortunate. The Selection Tournament will decide where you really end up here. And for your sake Corwin, you better perform well. We cannot have a trump card that is not even strong enough to get into a Faction.” Queen Lumina explained.

His eyes widened. Factions… Each were a group of fighters all united under the banner of a Faction Leader. His parents did not get into one, it was that difficult. No wonder they never told him about this.

Edmund stepped up. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing you out there. You’d better impress me.”

The tall blond man also walked out along with Henry. Alexander looked at his hands then looked back up at them.

“Factions… Relictus is a leading faction, isn’t it?”

“Yep.” Indra crossed his arms. “But forget that, if Edmund’s taken interest in you, then things are getting real.”

“Why?”

Michael smiled. “Edmund’s a humble fellow, he doesn’t go around boasting but… You wanna know what his last name is?”

“What is it?”

“Alexander. The man who just endorsed you is Edmund Noctis, the strongest soldier in all of Puritas.”