I woke up slowly, my body still heavy from sleep, but my mind racing with everything that had just happened. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. Yohei. The Triasm. Missions. The reality of it all still hung in the air, and it didn’t feel like just a dream. It couldn’t have been.

I sat up, glancing around the room. The penthouse was still as luxurious as ever, with its sleek furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that let the morning light stream in. But after what Yohei told us, it all felt different. Like I wasn’t just waking up from a long night—I was waking up into a whole new reality.

Could we really live here, like we’d always been part of this world? I rubbed my eyes and leaned forward, elbows resting on my knees. It was hard to believe we had been woven into this place like it was part of some divine plan. I thought about everything that could go wrong, the missions we might be forced into, the idea that everything we had gained here could just vanish if we didn’t play by the rules.

I let out a long sigh, running a hand through my hair. There was a lot to take in. Too much, really. But for now, there wasn’t much I could do except roll with it and figure out how to keep us from messing up too badly.

I sat there, staring at the ceiling, trying to process everything. Yohei, the Triasm, this whole new world—it was a lot to take in. I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander. “Great, Haru. You and your brothers are now on divine standby for random cosmic missions. No pressure,” I muttered to myself. Of course, my wit was always sharpest when there was no one around to appreciate it.

Before I could continue my internal monologue, there was a knock on my door. I looked up, surprised, and heard Jiho’s voice from the other side. “Haru, we’ve got a visitor.”

I froze, remembering what Yohei had said at the end of the dream. "You'll meet someone special when you wake up."

I got up, opened the door, and followed Jiho out into the living room. The rest of the guys were already there, all gathered around the couch, looking at something in the center of the room. Abel looked bewildered, Isak was smirking—probably trying to hide his own confusion—and Jiho, well, he was just Jiho, looking way too excited for the situation.

Then I saw it.

A black cat—no, not just any black cat. This one had sleek, dark fur like polished obsidian, but what really stood out were the wings. Black, bird-like wings, tucked neatly against its sides. And its tail—it wasn’t just a tail. It looked like a small tree, with branch-like extensions growing out from different parts. It was the strangest mix of things that shouldn’t work together, but somehow, it looked natural, like this was exactly what it was supposed to be.

“What in the actual...?” I started, squinting as I stepped closer. “Is that one of the beasts of this world?”

Just then, I heard a voice. Calm, sharp, and direct—right in my head.

“Do not dare call me a beast, human.”

I froze, eyes widening as I stared at the cat. Did I just hear that? No. That didn’t just happen.

I turned to my brothers, trying to keep my cool. “Did... did you guys just hear that? Or am I officially losing it?”

Isak, leaning back with his arms crossed, gave me a grin. “If you’re crazy, then we all are, because yeah, we heard it.”

“Yup,” Jiho chimed in, nodding like this was the most normal thing in the world. “The cat’s talking to us telepathically. Guess that’s our visitor.”

I glanced back at the cat, who was now sitting calmly on the floor, its glowing eyes locked onto mine as if daring me to say something stupid.

Great. A telepathic, winged cat-tree hybrid. I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a slow breath. “Of course. Why wouldn’t there be a talking winged cat with a tree for a tail? Makes perfect sense.”

The cat’s voice echoed in my head again. “You’ll learn in time, Haru Tadashima. I am far more than just a 'cat.'”

I sighed, looking at my brothers. “Well, this is just getting better and better.”

The "cat" sat there, watching us with its piercing, intelligent eyes. Then, in a calm and collected voice, it began to speak, or rather, communicate telepathically.

“I am not a cat,” it explained, almost amused by our confusion. “I am a spirit—an angel, if you must label me as such. This form you see is merely a vessel, one I use to interact with you. My name is Azrael.”

I blinked, still trying to wrap my head around it. A spirit? An angel? Sure, I was expecting something weird after Yohei’s warning, but this? Not so much. But what really got to me was how polite the thing was. Azrael spoke with such pristine eloquence, like every word was chosen carefully and delivered with grace. His movements were just as refined—calm, deliberate, almost regal.

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I looked around the room, gauging my brothers' reactions. Jiho was sitting forward, intrigued, his curiosity written all over his face. Abel, on the other hand, was trying his best to stay composed, though I could see the disbelief creeping in. Isak, as usual, couldn’t let a serious moment go without making it... well, less serious.

“So... what do you do?” Isak asked with a smirk. “Float around delivering celestial UberEats, or what?”

The second the words left his mouth, Azrael's entire demeanour shifted. The tree-like branches of his tail suddenly morphed into a single, thick tail, and a burst of blue fire erupted from its tip. Azrael’s small, delicate cat form grew, shifting rapidly until it stood as a black lion, towering over us. His eyes blazed with a cold fire, and the heat from his flaming tail filled the room.

We all jumped back in a panic, frantically apologising as the sheer intensity of the situation hit us. “Whoa, whoa, sorry!” Abel stammered, hands up defensively. “He’s just messing around!”

Isak, wide-eyed and paling by the second, stuttered, “It was a joke! I swear!”

Azrael held the lion form for just a moment longer before, with a flick of his tail, he shrank back down to the small, winged cat, a slight spark of blue fire still dancing on the tip of his now single tail. The tension in the room lingered for a second, but then—he laughed. Or at least, the telepathic version of laughter filled our heads.

“Relax,” Azrael purred, sounding genuinely amused. “I wasn’t offended. Just thought I’d give you a little scare. You humans are so easy to startle.”

We all let out a collective sigh of relief, the initial panic fading as we realized we weren’t about to be eaten by a celestial lion.

“Well, mission accomplished,” I muttered, trying to calm my racing heart. “That was... effective.”

Azrael’s glowing eyes twinkled with amusement. “Now that you’ve seen that I’m not all teeth and fire, you can be at ease.”

We all slowly relaxed, still a little jumpy but more at ease now that we knew we hadn’t managed to anger a literal spirit-angel. Jiho leaned back into the couch, chuckling nervously. “Man, and I thought Yohei was supposed to be intense.”

Azrael continued, his wings fluttering slightly as he pointed a paw at each of us. “I am both your messenger and your guardian from this moment forward.”

“What do you mean?” Jiho asked, sounding concerned. Isak, always eager, fired off his own question right after. “Wait, are you like, always gonna be watching us? What kind of guardian are we talking here?”

Abel leaned in too, looking for more clarity. “Guardian from what, exactly?”

Azrael’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the blue fire at the tip of his tail flickered with intensity. “Calm down, all of you,” he said, his voice taking on a firm yet soothing tone. “I will explain everything.”

We all settled down, though the tension hadn’t left the room. The idea of a divine being just showing up in our lives was enough to throw anyone off.

Azrael’s gaze became more serious, his wings folding neatly against his body as he paced in front of us. “There are forces at play in this world, beyond your sight. Evil forces that will soon become aware of your existence. Since you are now affiliated with Yohei and the Triasm, you will be targeted. It’s unavoidable.”

We all stared at him, the gravity of his words sinking in. Targeted? By what? My stomach tightened as I glanced at my brothers, who looked equally concerned.

“Your spirits,” Azrael continued, “are yet to be changed by Seisaku. For now, you are still just simple human boys. Your physical bodies may be strong, but in the spiritual world, you are vulnerable. You will need protection, and that is where I come in.”

“Protection?” Haru asked, his voice steady but with a hint of uncertainty. “What do you mean by ‘messenger’ then? How does that fit into all of this?”

Azrael flicked his tail, and his wings stretched slightly before settling again. “Yohei may not always come to meet you directly and Seisaku, not being within you, cannot transfer the information you’ll need. As for The Origin... His presence would kill you instantly, even a glimpse of His true form would be more than your human spirits could withstand.”

We all stared, a mix of awe and fear flashing across our faces. The idea that a mere encounter with The Origin could wipe us out was... unsettling, to say the least.

“So,” Azrael continued, his voice taking on a teasing tone, “I have been chosen to relay your missions and tasks. I am your link to the divine will of the Triasm. Consider yourselves lucky—simple humans like you wouldn’t even survive peering at my true form.” His tail flicked again, almost as if he was enjoying the power dynamic. It was like he was waiting for us to pander to him a bit.

Abel, unfazed by Azrael’s posturing, asked the practical question. “What does guarding us actually mean? Are you going to be around all the time?”

Azrael smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “You’ll rarely see me. Out of sight, out of mind. I will protect you from the spiritual dangers lurking in the shadows. But don’t worry—your privacy will be respected. I vow it on my existence.”

I could see the relief spreading across everyone’s faces at that, especially Isak, who still looked like he wasn’t fully processing the idea of being watched over by a spirit. Privacy was clearly a concern, even with all this divine intervention going on.

Azrael’s tone softened, his wings settling once more as he stepped back. “For now, there are no missions. You are free to explore your new lives, to get your bearings. You’ve now been woven into this world by Seisaku. Here, it is as if you’ve always existed. You won’t be seen as aliens or intruders.”

We all exhaled at that, some of the stress finally easing off. It was reassuring to know we wouldn’t be walking around with targets on our backs—at least not in the immediate sense.

Azrael turned, ready to leave, but before he did, he looked back at us with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “One last thing: would any of you like to stroke me?”

Isak’s hand shot out immediately, eager for the chance, but before he could even get close, Azrael dissolved into a cloud of black particles, disappearing into thin air.

“Damn it!” Isak groaned, pulling his hand back, clearly disappointed. “I was this close.”

The rest of us couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in the room finally breaking. Despite the seriousness of what we’d just learned, it was hard not to feel at least a little amused by the fact that our new guardian angel had a bit of a sense of humour.