"What happened yesterday was not a dream." Samuel said quietly as he slept in his bedroom that Michael provided for his personal use for the rest of his time their. Samuel goes back to sleep.
"Hello? Hey! I know you can hear me! That's it I'm just gonna throw water on him." A lady said, frustrated at Samuels' slumber. Samuel doesn't hear this and continues to sleep, until a splash of water touches his face.
"Oh! What the!? I'm up! I'm sorry." Samuel jitters up from the splash and rubs his eyes as he apologizes. "Wait, who are you? You're not Michael."
"Michael is waiting for you back at the conference hall where the rest of us are. I really shouldn't even be here y'know?" The lady said as if this is more of a chore than a friendly gesture. "Ugh, fine, the names Uriel, I'm also an Archangel now come."
"Oh, well, its nice to meet you-" Samuel gets interrupted.
"You can meet me and the rest of the Archangels at the Hall." She proclaimed.
Samuel startled at the thought of disrespect he has been receiving from Uriel. He gets changed into his new attire. A white blazer he was provided with, and a black shirt underneath. He makes his way to the Hall from his room. He finally has a chance to see the architecture of the Kingdom. He looks out the windows and sees buildings all almost the same size as the main building he is in. He walks from room to room, more scenery of the city and its people, children throwing sticks and adults reading on new politics for the new Archangel that has been added to the ranks. He notices in the rooms he had been in, several tables with wine and expensive food. He arrives to the Conference Hall doors.
"So this Samuel guy is late on his first day huh? What do you have to say Michael?" A man scoffed at the first Archangel. Michael does not respond, completely ignoring him. He stares at the doors until they open. Samuel pushes both doors open with ease.
"Hello? Anybody home?" Samuel asks loudly.
"Samuel!" Michael smiles and waves at him.
"Damn guess he did make it" The man is disappointed.
Samuel make shis way up to where the rest of the Archangels are.
"Sorry I'm late I had to fight an old lady to get here. It was crazy, she was being so rude to me as I wake from a puddle of water all over my bed sheets. You should've seen it." Samuel explains to Michael and the Archangels, not noticing that the person that did this to him is standing next to him.
"Are you done?" Uriel asks.
"Oh. Yeah, sorry." Samuel suppresses himself.
"Archangels, I'm sure you have seen this man and know of his name but, there are some who still do not know. Raguel, Remiel, please, I present to you Samuel Gaia." Michael introduces Samuel to them.
They both look at Samuel and look back at each other and agree.
"Very well." Michael also agrees.
"Wait, what happened? Did they say anything?" Samuel quizzes Michael.
"Yes, they both agree on you joining us as an Archangel, that is all you need to know. Do not fret these two cannot interfere with whatever you will be doing as an Archangel, there jurisdiction is not in the main city." Michael elaborates. "As for the rest of you, I'm sure you know who Samuel is by now, but he does not know who you are. So, please..." Michael pleads.
"I'm Uriel."
"I'm Raphael."
"I'm Gabriel."
"And I'm Saraquel."
The rest of the Archangels introduce themselves to Samuel. Samuel is amazed. The Archangels he has read in the Bible from childhood from his parents all in front him. Raphael, he is the one who, in human disguise and under the name of Azarias, accompanied Tobias in his adventurous journey and conquered the demon Asmodeus. Gabriel was the heavenly messenger sent to Daniel to explain the vision of the ram and the he-goat and to communicate the prediction of the Hundred Weeks. Uriel, often identified as a cherub and the angle of repentance. She "stands at the Gate of Empyrean with a fiery sword", or as the angel who "watches over thunder and terror". Saraqael, or Sariel for short, is, according to the Book of Enoch in the Bible, was one of the leaders of angels who lusted after the sons of men. They descended to the summit of Mount Hermon, in the days of Avalon, to acquire husbands and lead women astray. As for Raguel and Remiel, they both have no relation to any of the other Archangels however, play an important part in the structure and the stability of Empyrean.
"Wow, I've read so much about you all, this is amazing. It's so nice to meet you all, really I thank you for allowing me an audience." Samuel shows his gratitude.
"You're most certainly welcome, and be glad you have an audience with us. It's not common we get a new recruit. Last time we got someone, wait, no I don't want to talk about it. Welcome though, glad to have you." Raphael acknowledges Samuel for the first time.
"Nice to have you, hope you are of use to us Samuel." Gabriel proposes.
"Hey man! It's so nice to have you with us finally. Oh man you should've seen the way Michael talked about you. How you chased him down dressed like you and you staring him down at the coast. Gave him quite a scare y'know?" Saraquel clarified on what had happened behind the scenes the entire time Michael was watching Samuel.
"Hey, don't talk too much about that now, he has still yet to realize what he has to do. I shall go with him to claim his first spirit, as for the rest of you. Go back from whence you came please. I need to talk the boy more." Michael issued.
"Sir!" All the Archangels said ast the same time and proceeded to leave in their own prism of light.
"Whoa, can I do that too?" Samuel asks.
"In time you will, you may fly like Superman, but you are still not Super. You understand? Now come on. We must go down to Astrea for this spirit call."
"Wait, we're going back down there? I thought everything was up here?"
"Well, yes and no, you see Astrea is a place with complex spirit designs, the stronger and more complex the spirit is the more we Archangels can get from it. With all the spirits gathered, in time, we can create the Grand Spirit once more." Michael explains.
"You want to create the Grand Spirit again?"
"We do not "want" to, we NEED to. Let me explain the problem going at in Astrea and Empyrean on our way down there okay?"
"Okay, sorry for asksing all these questions."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, these questions are welcomed, but you still have to be more steady on receiving information".
Samuel goes ahead and starts his descent to Astrea along with Michael.
"You have read the Bible in which we all are in correct?" Michael asks.
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"Yeah! My parents read it to me when I was a kid and I read it every year on December 1st."
"Good, good, then you must know what the Grand Spirit does right?"
"No, I tend to forget some details, even though its only been like 4 months."
"Oh dear, anyways, in Empyrean many residents have been experiencing many types of dreams, dreams in which are effected by the strength of their spirit. Most residents in Empyrean have been having nightmares to say the least, leading them to have weak spirits which also lead them to having more nightmares. In Astrea however, children and many adults have happy lives and even though there are some not so happy lives down here, their spirits still linger to what good moments in their lives they've had. Making their spirits not entirely nightmarish but still on the brink of saving. We need fragments of these spirits and combine them all into one back in Empyrean; And with the Grand Spirit we'll be able to send dreams to the people having nightmares. Do you see where I'm going with this?" Michael unravels the fundamentals of both worlds and what they have been holding this entire time.
"Wow, I, I never knew about that. Um, yeah thanks for telling me this. But wait, back there from what Sariel said he told me that you used to watch me before I came here. Do you mean before at the island when you teleported me or do you know how I ended up there?" Samuel asks confused.
"You really don't remember what happened before you arrived at the island? Well, it doesn't really matter now, you'll understand in time. You see that we've almost arrived." Michael points out a house far off in the distance separate from the rest of the city.
"Where are we?" Samuel asks.
"The outskirts of New York, certainly you have heard of this city correct?"
"Yeah, I've read about it in some books back in middle school."
"You read a lot of books don't you?" Michael examines.
"Yeah, it was the only thing that kept me from going insane in this type of world y'know?" Samuel replies.
They arrive to the house in which Samuel will perform his first spirit catch.
"Look, can you see what's going on in this event here? Look closely."
Samuel looks into the home of two, in which seems that the two people are hosting a party with close friends. Samuel looks closely as demanded and realizes the colors of the spirits of the people inside. Green spirits, blue spirits, purple, all of them revealing different moods and feelings towards what was happening in the party. Until finally arriving to a spirit shaded and engulfed in darkness, the darkest shade of black, Samuel is shocked and turns to Michael.
"You see now? That man is alone drinking by himself and yet, with how many little people there are at this party you would think he would have someone to talk to but alas, he is alone."
"How do we claim the fragment? Please, tell me, he looks like he is in a lot of pain. I don't know what happened to him or is happening to him but I feel this need to help him." Samuel empathizes with the lone man.
"Relax, all you need to do is go through this window and enter his mind. Do you understand?" Michael reassured Samuel.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm going in then." Samuel recuperates himself and enters through the window even though he is a being that is transparent and can go through things like a ghost. The party stops suddenly and Samuel as well. No one talks and one of the hosts closes the window and with the music continuing makes this situation into nothing. Samuel is relived and continues towards the lone man who completely ignored the event. Samuel approaches and reaches out his hand onto his mind. He arrives into a memory. A memory important to this man. A party, one just like the one he was at before he arrived here but this time, he is alive and outgoing, chatting and moving through the party as if he is the main character. Until, he sees the girl he likes turn and kiss someone he doesn't know. Samuel feels the emotions of the man.
"What? Why? Why? What is happening? What is this feeling? I feel betrayed. No, how could I? I barely even talked to her but still, I, I." The man stops and heads out the house into his car and drives out back to his house and goes to his bed and cries. Cries himself to sleep. The thoughts of him and the person he longed for starts to disappear as tears stream from his eyes. Samuel senses his spirit growing into something incredible. He knows this is the moment at which his spirit is at its peak of despair. He laches onto the mans' spirit as the spirit attempts to break free from Samuels grasp. It cannot.
Samuel comes back to life in the real world. The party is over and Samuel was asleep next to Michael outside in the back of the home.
"What happened Samuel? Are you alright?" Samuel wakes up in horror and sorrow.
"Where is he? What happened to him after-" Samuel feels something in his hand that makes him stop. He sees the spirit he grabbed from that moment in its raw form. In a shape of a slug the spirit is dark and at the tail end of it a star full of light representing the last moment at the party.
"Samuel, the man someone came up to him and had a chat, I saw him smile as he left when you came to. I'm glad you wanted to help him so enthusiastically, seeing that smile, heck it even made my day somewhat better."
"Thanks!" Samuel smiles and hugs Michael.
"Oh bother." Michael said as he is in a situation now. "Will you let go of me now. We need to go back with this so I can show what you need to do with a captured spirit."
"Oh sorry, I just felt a lot during my time in there." Samuel confessed.
They both make there way back to Empyrean.
"You see that? With that spirit, simply release as if you releasing birds at a wedding ceremony."
"That's it?"
"Yes, that is all."
Samuel released the captive spirit into a kind of globe full of spirits of many different of colors. As it enters, Samuel notices the different colors go straight to the dark one. In seconds, the spirit is a full spirit in its most purest form, white. Samuel thinks to himself, what if he never helped the man, what if he never became what he is now? Could this man have gone through something so drastic it could change the output of the rest of the mans' life? He looks over to Michael to ask him a question but notices something off about him. Michael isn't smiling anymore. In fact, he looks as if he committed a crime, a face full of guilt. He turns to me.
"You know now what to do? Whenever an Archangel comes across a captured spirit, they all come here to release it." Michael told him.
"Yeah but where do they go exactly?"
"What do you mean? Elaborate, you clearly so its color change in the globe."
"Sorry, uh how do we know when we have enough to recreate the Grand Spirit?"
"I'll let you know when the time comes understand? You need not worry about that." Michael assures him. "That's all for today, it's getting late you should rest for tomorrow. I won't be here everyday in Empyrean to hold everyone's hand. How about this, while I'm gone you can adhere to the Archangels."
"What? I barely just came here and only claimed one spirit. You think I can take charge of the other Archangels?"
"Calm down, the Archangels are only really here in the city to either release a captive spirit or to find equipment to help them on their next task."
"So, how long will you be gone then?"
"Good question, I would say around two to three weeks, at most a whole month, but I wouldn't be gone for that long unless its urgent."
"Ok, I'll try and keep this place nice and tidy for you until you come back."
"Very well, now I'm off to bed. So long Samuel Gaia. Oh and don't forget you are special Samuel, just know this, the last person to ever roll the same amount as you with your dice, was the man who founded the Archangels. I'll let that run through your mind while I'm gone." Michael stated.
Samuel thinks about for a moment and returns to his room.
"The man who founded the Archangels huh? I knew it." Samuel said quietly as he fell asleep.
In the coming days Samuel and the Archangels always start the day off with a meeting as he directs it now that Michael is gone.
"So, uh any questions?" Samuel asks embarrassingly.
"Nope."
"No."
"Nah."
"No, you're good man you don't have to be so tense when you around us y'know? We are all Archangels and there is no hierarchy here either, you are still a newbie even though Michael made you in charge ok?" Sariel told him.
"Oh sorry, yeah I'll keep that in mind."
Days go by and those days turn to weeks, as the Archangels got closer to Samuel the amount of spirits claimed by Samuel rise. Samuel has been through so many memories of the people on Astrea and had felt so many emotions from these trips and started to begin to feel something, he remembers when he saw Michael looking at the globe of spirits, how the guilt was shown on his face. He knew something was wrong in just a few days after he left so he tried extra hard to claim spirits and to possibly finish the recreation of the Grand Spirit. As he and the rest of the Archangels look upon the globe full of spirits, he says.
"Thanks, everyone, thanks for all your help through this endeavor now we wait for Michael to return. Raphael? Any word from Raguel or Remiel on Michael?"
"No, it seems Michael has been gone for a month."
"Yeah, its strange for him to be gone this long." Uriel said.
"Don't fret, its Michael we are talking about if he is in a pickle he can get himself out of it okay?" Sariel comforts the concerned Archangels.
"You're right but, do you rememer the last time he was gone this long?" Uriel asks.
"Um, of course I do." Sariel sarcastically says. "Tell 'em Raphael."
Raphael rolls his eyes, "The last time he was out for this long, an intruder was entered from a different realm, we don't know who he or she was but I think it was Michael, me, Raguel and Remiel who fought against them. It was an incredibly tough battle, in fact, the damages can still be seen in the outskirts of Empyrean."
"Wow I wonder who they were, they sound strong. I guess the best we can do now is have all alerts on Raguel and Remiel and guard the spirits. If anything is to happen such as, losing signal with either Raguel or Remiel or, an intruder comes to the mainland, you all inform me first you understand? I don't want anyone to get hurt, not even you people." Samuel stands firmly.
"Sir!" The Archangels say once more.
The Archangels disappear and Samuel is left guarding the main building as he was ordered to before Michael made his leave.
"Michael, wherever you are, please come back as soon as you can. It's ready."