"You fuc*ing sh…" The guard screamed and drew a baton. His soul energy enveloped the weapon in the next moment.

But Azrael moved faster.

He slammed the man into the wall, throat first, the metal baton clattering to the floor.

Veins bulged in Azrael's arms. The black glove on his hand glowed ominously, but was suppressed it right away while the guard thrashed helplessly.

"AZRAEL!"

As a soft voice reached him, the boy turned. Maggie's eyes were wide with panic. "Please… don't… You'll get killed for this. Let go of him."

He didn't move, though.

She stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Please… others will be punished because of your actions. Let him go."

For a second, the fury boiled. But then, slowly… he released his grip and pushed him away.

*cough* cough*

The guard dropped to the ground, coughing violently, clutching his throat.

Azrael turned away.

Maggie grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the hallway. They disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind a silent crowd and a humiliated, furious guard.

A Few Minutes Later – Behind Storage Block C

Maggie pulled Azrael down to sit beside a pile of empty crystal crates. The silence between them was heavy.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Azrael didn't reply.

He stared at the calloused palms of his hands, still trembling faintly with rage. "It's not over," he muttered.

Maggie blinked. "What?"

"That guard," Azrael said. "He won't forget this."

She looked away, quietly hugging her knees. "They never do. But we should know our own position and hope that we can get free someday. We have no other option, Azrael."

Azrael turned to her. His voice was quiet now. Almost gentle as he asked. "Has this happened before?"

She didn't answer. But her silence was enough for Azrael to understand it.

Azrael leaned back, resting his head against the wall. "I'll protect you next time too," he said simply. "Just don't try to sacrifice or bear the pain. If you are uncomfortable with something, just let it out. I will not beat them up but will atleast protect you enough."

She looked at him—really looked at him—and for the first time, there was something in her eyes besides cheer.

Something warm. Something afraid. "I promise. Just don't get yourself killed because of me. Please…"

Azrael didn't answer. His right hand gripped the glove on his left hand as if he either felt pain or something else.

Morning — Sector Nine, Western Isles Mine

Azrael's morning started like any other.

Wearing his tattered work clothes and old helmet, he slung the mining axe over his shoulder and stepped out of the sleeping quarters.

But the moment he turned toward the central corridor…

He froze.

A crowd had formed. They were whispering and murmuring. A strange, anxious energy saturated the air. He couldn't see what they were looking at, not yet. But he felt something was wrong.

He pushed his way forward, step by step. And then…

He saw her.

Maggie. The only person he ever talked to.

Her body, sprawled out beside a broken crate of elemental crystals. And it wasn't just in its clean state either.

Her clothes were in shreds. Bruises covered her skin from shoulder to thigh. Her face was swollen. Her lips split. Her arm was twisted unnaturally.

A trickle of dried blood ran from her mouth.

And her eyes—her eyes stared upward, blank and hollow as dead.

No one needs to analyze it deeply to understand what happened to her. Even Azrael could understand it. And when he saw her dead body, the axe in his hand clattered to the ground.

The sound seemed too loud in the silence.

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

His left hand trembled and sparks of black lightning crackled across his knuckles.

A low, ringing noise filled his ears as his vision blurred. His knees buckled. He stumbled back… and his body hit the wall.

"No…"

All of a sudden, his breathing turned erratic.

His eyes turned pitch black.

And the seal on his chest—

Cracked heavily

The world went dark.

Same Time – Offshore Estate, Grand Island

In the grand mansion, a poker game was in full swing. Wealthy men and women—businessmen, black market dealers, and syndicate leaders—laughed and drank as they gambled with high stakes.

At the center of it all sat a fat man with too many rings and too many gold teeth. He fanned his cards and chuckled as he won yet another round.

With everyone going in his favor, winning over 10 million credits worth of chips so far, Kaelin Mohr was in ecstasy, well, only for a while, until a suited guard leaned in.

"Sir. There's a problem at the mine."

Kaelin raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

He turned to his chief of security. "Speak."

The head of security hesitated. "Sir… the mine… It's gone."

"Gone?" The fat man's smile fell. "What do you mean gone?"

"We believe the entire hill collapsed inward. There was some kind of catastrophic reaction. It's… It's likely there are no survivors."

Kaelin slammed his wine glass down at once, halting the entire game. "Was it sabotage? A worker revolt?! Was it the resistance?!"

"We… don't know, sir."

The room was quiet now. The poker game was long forgotten, and everyone's attention was on the host.

Kaelin's lips curled in displeasure. "I want a report. Now. Send a retrieval team. If there are any survivors, interrogate them. If not…"

He paused, glancing out toward the glowing horizon. "Then find out what the hell caused this."

Back at the Collapsed Mine — Beneath the Rubble

Darkness.

Crushing, endless darkness.

The entire mining site had become a grave. Stones and metal beams lay twisted above collapsed tunnels. Crystal dust shimmered faintly under the debris.

And then, there was a flicker.

Black light.

Soft at first. Then stronger.

A burst of lightning cracked through the shadows. The rocks vibrated. The air rippled.

Then… a voice echoed faintly through the abyss. "She didn't deserve this… She didn't deserve this life…"

A silhouette emerged from under the rubble.

Azrael's entire body was cloaked in shadows. Black lightning danced across his skin. His arm—the gloved one—had ripped open to reveal a clawed hand crackling with power.

She didn't deserve this life…" She didn't deserve this life…" She didn't deserve this life…"

He kept on murmuring the same line as he floated in the sky, attracting the attention of guards that just arrived. "She… didn't… deserve… this… life…" He screamed in fury, a giant form of what seemed like a demonic being with bat wings and horns appeared over his body like a suit of energy armor. It was hundreds of feet in height.

Everyone just stared at the sky in disbelief.