Re: Timeless Apocalypse

Chapter 265: Brother

The field suddenly got darker.

Not because daytime came to an end, but rather because a gigantic shadow emerged to eclipse all light pouring down.

A shadow from a titanic metal ship that floated in the air, which had appeared out of thin air.

The ship brought a wave of abyssal cold with it, instantly withering all wheat down below and drying the mud into dead blocks of dirt.

The ship shook, then suddenly—

WHOOOSH!

—a figure appeared in the skies, below the ship, standing on a floating platform of metal and wires.

The man who stood on it was rather short and thin, wearing a perfectly fitting black suit, his skin wrinkled from scars and his bald head half-covered in metal plates.

His left eye was entirely bionic, while his right one shone with a sharp bronze hue. He had his hands clasped behind his back, his face frozen into a violent mug and his aura the incarnation of roughness.

He looked down at the dozen children below, each frozen in fear, without a single ounce of pity.

Yet before he could do a thing to them, another figure appeared, directly standing in front of him and drowning his small body in their wide shadow.

Tall, ridiculously so, like a titan made human, and broad-shouldered, entirely draped in nun’s clothing that hid all her hair and skin.

All that was revealed was her face, beautiful beyond words and of a spotless porcelain form, her eyes a deep and unfathomable ivory colour.

Mother Hadith.

She floated in the air. Her dark nun robes fluttered with the cold winds, her own hands clasped behind her back as her presence entirely eclipsed the man’s.

She looked down to meet his gaze, and he looked up to meet hers. In the latter, there was nothing but rage and shame, and in the former, there was nothing but mockery and pity.

"Hadith," the man said slowly. "Your lands have been found. As we speak, hundreds more of our Hyperions are honing in on this location."

"All our off-planet... ’machines’ have locked this place down."

The man sighed. "Let us avoid any tragedies. These children below are scared. Give yourself up and hand the tools you’ve stolen over."

"This can end quietly, with no casualties."

Mother Hadith listened to him, not interrupting once. Then, she chuckled. "Scared?"

"You think my little hatchlings would be afraid of this fragile metal box? Of your pathetic show of strength?"

She smiled. "You know this doesn’t mean a thing to me. Yet you brought it all over and even made sure to announce the heft of your power to us all, them included."

"Is it me you’re trying to scare, or them?"

She waved a hand, and from down below, a child was lifted into the air and into her arms. It was the white-haired boy.

She gently caressed the boy’s cheek, and he looked away, both embarrassed and afraid, his back shivering. Seeing this, the man frowned, though inwardly, he couldn’t have been more elated. freēwēbnovel.com

"See? The boy is terrified. Please, bring an end to this."

Mother Hadith’s smile widened, and she gently grabbed the boy’s face and pulled it towards her. "What are you afraid of?"

The boy tried to look away, but as gentle as her hold over him was, it was still impossible for him to break it. Left with no options, he was forced to answer.

"W-we... we were supposed to be in endurance training, b-but we sneaked out and..." his face tightened. "...and we went to play without permission."

Mother Hadith shook her head, clicking her teeth as she did so. "This is the fourth time this week, Ciel. You know what this means, do you not?"

The boy froze.

"But if you tell me what you think of this man, I’ll let you go just this once," she said simply.

The boy sighed in relief, but then seemed confused.

"...who?"

Mother Hadith laughed, pointing at the man. "Him. Did you not see him?"

The boy shook his head. "No... too small."

Laughter from the children below echoed as the white-haired boy uttered these words.

The small man on the metal platform stood silent, his jaw tightly clenched and his sweaty hands balled up into tight fists.

His bronze gaze flickered with ruby flames of fury. But he managed to contain it. In fact, he smiled, then nodded.

"Well, then, it seems you’ve made your choice and brought doom to your little church." He turned to face the boy. "I hope your next life brings you peace, b—"

Suddenly, he froze.

He lost all ability to move, think, and breathe. He drowned in a bottomless ocean of fear, feeling as though the hungry and mad gaze of a predator had locked onto him.

He felt like nothing but death could come of this.

"Did I say you could address him?" Mother Hadith’s voice was cold and inhuman in a way no mortal could comprehend, the dark skies darkening further under the filter of her rage.

The white-haired boy looked at the small man with a hint of pity, inwardly shaking his head.

"Die."

...

Uriel woke up smiling.

’I miss you, ma.’

His pupils fluttered open, and he found himself floating and entirely submerged in clear blue water, somehow still able to easily breathe.

[Foundation Complete!]

[Transformation Complete!]

[Evolution Complete!]

The glass encasing him faded, and the water he floated in rapidly turned to blue fog as he returned to the white reward room he’d fallen asleep into.

’That’s strange, though. I didn’t really remember that moment. I thought my Sin made me remember all things perfectly...? That’s worth looking into.’

Uriel was still disoriented, but a spectral force wrapped around his body and pulled him out of the undone chamber and onto the cold ground.

He staggered on his feet, but rapidly regained his balance.

He waved a hand, and a mirror appeared in front of him, showing him his new and complete form.

’Thank goodness,’ he thought with a smile.

What stood in front of him was a tall, broad-shouldered, slender young man, with a frame forged and sculpted by the most skilled of gods, his porcelain skin the purest ivory and his hair flowing like a sea of white and silver down to the ends of his back.

His face was androgynous, as sharp and defined as it was soft and charming, his perpetual teasing smile fitting with his eyes, which, for some reason, had now turned back to their ivory hue.

’Why does my eye colour keep changing?’

Uriel didn’t really care, so he slotted the thought away. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a set of loose dark grey tunics that he smoothly put on.

Just as he summoned a hair tie and began to tie his now long hair, he heard a voice.

"Yo."

The voice was deep and imposing, taking him off guard. He turned, only to be met with a scene that he found even more confusing.

In the distance, he found Korynth, which he expected but... she wasn’t as old anymore, her tan bronze skin free of any wrinkles and her long hair curling up to form beautiful locks that framed her face.

Her golden eyes shone with a blinding aura, full of life and vigor. But none of this had been shocking to Uriel.

After he’d learned Kael and her were engaged, and that she’d been crippled by him, he could put two and two together to guess she looked old because of the backlash.

But, supposedly, the perfect foundation had fixed that.

No, what shocked Uriel was...

’Huh?’

...the other woman standing beside her.

The woman—no, the girl—seemed young, most likely in the latter years of her teenage-hood, with long ashen grey hair and deep sunset orange pupils ringed by hues of gold.

Her face was freckled, and she wore airy battle robes of silver.

She met Uriel’s gaze, then reddened, looking away in shame and embarrassment.

"...?" Uriel’s jaw dropped as his eyes widened.

"Samael?!"

But his shock didn’t end there.

"Yo, you’re gonna keep ignoring your big bro? That’s not nice."

Uriel turned, remembering that the voice had been what had originally grabbed his attention. But when he saw who stood behind him, his eyes constricted to pinholes, and he staggered back, his breath laboured and aether flickering in chaotic patterns.

The person standing in front of him was a young man... he was tall... slender... and broad-shouldered. He had long, abyssally dark curly hair with streaks of faint silver, and his eyes burned with a deep amethyst hue.

His skin of porcelain was as white as snow, and his face, androgynous and as if crafted by the heavens, bore an arrogant and cocky smile, full of mischief.

He wore a dark tunic set, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at Uriel with a wide grin.

"You’re not gonna greet your big brother?"

Uriel’s heart froze.

"Ariel?!"