Seraphine glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "Don't think about it too much now; it's pointless at the moment. Instead, focus on figuring out how to ask Eva for a fruit. We're almost there." She kept walking, following a narrow dirt path. From time to time, small animals would peek out, silently watching us.
"Wait, how am I supposed to do that? What if she says no?" I didn't know what Eva was like, how she behaved, or what strange thoughts she might have. Was I just supposed to ask outright? What if she refused? If she was alive—and clearly, she was, based on what Seraphine said—then she must have survived for countless years and somehow ascended to the heavens again, only to be sealed in the Garden of Eden. By God? But wasn't He supposed to be dead by then? So many things didn't make sense, mainly because I didn't know the answers or what lay behind them. If Eva had managed to use the vital force of the soul—something I didn't even know was possible—it felt like everything I thought I knew about history was just scratching the surface. Sighing inwardly again, I realized Eva had lived longer than Seraphine, so she was undoubtedly powerful enough to have survived into this era. Fighting her was not an option—and I didn't think Seraphine would fight for me either.
"Just talk to her. You'll understand what I mean," Seraphine said mysteriously.
"Just talk… Fine." I didn't want to exaggerate, but I considered myself decent with words. I preferred talking over fighting. I just hoped it would be a reasonable conversation. Looking back, I muttered, "They're still there..." A large group of animals was following us—tigers, lions, zebras, dogs, birds of all sizes—silently trailing behind.
"See that tree over there?" Seraphine's voice snapped me out of my thoughts about the animals, which were, admittedly, a little unnerving. I followed her gaze.
"It's huge..." Everything in this place was enormous—in a good way. "It looks like a regular tree," I said, unimpressed. For some reason, I felt disappointed. In my mind, it should've been far more unusual. But it was just a typical tree with brown bark and green leaves, the only remarkable thing being that it stood nearly 20 meters tall and had sprawling branches that created a vast canopy of shade beneath it. As we walked closer, I noticed a small house.
"That's where Eva is," Seraphine said, pointing to the little house. As we got closer, the animals following us finally dispersed into the surroundings. I wasn't sure why, but had they been guiding us?
"Well… This is where I leave you." Seraphine stretched lazily and walked to the tree a few meters away. Sitting down, she leaned back against it. "Good luck," she said with a smile before closing her eyes.
"Alright..." Rolling my eyes at her, I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the wooden door.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"He's waking up. How long do you give him, sister?" A young man with black hair and eyes asked with a smile, watching the tea leaves swirl in his cup. Closing his eyes briefly, he took a sip, savoring the bitter taste. "Terrible," he commented, setting the cup down on the small table with a grimace.
A young woman beside him also watched the tea leaves in her cup. Lifting her head, her crimson eyes glowed intensely. "A week," she said, setting her teacup aside.
"You're so lucky... You won't have to deal with a ton of problems. Still, it's a bit exciting," Ariel said with a grin. Standing up, he looked out the window. "It won't work at all, though. I can clearly sense the deep hatred she feels toward me. She's a good actress."
"Elizabeth? You really come up with strange things, Ariel. You won't stoop to that level, and I doubt Father would agree. You know the terms we have with the beings of the heavens," Azrael replied with a blank expression.
"Don't be so harsh on me, sister. I was just exploring a solution, but my efforts were in vain." He shrugged. "I do what I can, alright? You can't blame me for that." He gave a meaningful smile. "Especially you, Seraph of Death."
"Don't call me that. You know I hate those kinds of jokes," Azrael said coldly, glaring at her brother. "Aren't you supposed to meet with the princess in a few minutes?"
"Already kicking me out, huh? You treat your older brother so poorly," he chuckled. "I think this will be our last conversation for a while. She probably already knows that our father is waking up..."
"What will you do now?" Azrael asked.
"Well, for now, I don't know... I suppose I'll try to prevent another war. But honestly, everyone is so stubborn about it—it's exhausting talking to all those old fossils," Ariel complained.
"Should we kill them?" Azrael's eyes lit up.
"Can't you think of anything besides death for a few seconds?" Ariel stared at his sister, stunned.
"I can't. It's written into my very being," Azrael replied firmly, shaking her head.
Ariel was silent for a few seconds. "We can't. It wouldn't help much anyway. For now, let's just wait for Father's return."
"Alright," Azrael agreed.
"By the way..." Ariel glanced at his sister. "What do you think of him?"
"He's not an angel, so that's a point in his favor. I don't hate him, but he's a demon, a vampire, and a human... a strange mix," she commented indifferently.
"The last of them? Huh… I see. I haven't seen him lately."
"Neither have I, but I do recall seeing his fractured soul. Even you should've felt it," Azrael said with a serious expression.
"Yes, of course I did. It was refreshing to feel that kind of presence again. I suppose he pushed his soul further than he should have. Hence…"
"He'll be looking for a way to heal his soul."
"Soul fruit… I see. Haha," Ariel laughed in clear amusement. "After so long, those creatures dare to touch the realm of God again..."
"Yes," Azrael nodded.
"Well, I have to go now. Take care, sister," Ariel said, waving.
"You too," Azrael replied.
With those words, the door closed behind him.