Angel Monarch

Sera released Cass's hand and stood to her full height. She tried to hide her terror and revulsion well, but Harold saw right through her.

She hid her trembling hands from him, but both Cass and Kim saw the display.

They looked at the old man with confusion, not knowing who he was and why he made Sera so scared.

"You saw my offer. Can you help or not?" She asked in a firm tone. Harold just grinned and began walking towards the mansion.

Before going after her, Sera turned around and spoke to both Kim and Cass.

"You two, get everyone hidden right now! He will heal Agnes... But I don't want any other casualties... I have sacrificed enough for you already..." she whispered the last part, while turning around and walking after Harold.

Kim still lay on the ground, her right leg unresponsive. After this display and command, Cass had finally stopped crying. She turned towards Kim with hatred.

At that moment Kim was sure her life was forfeit, but when Cass stood above her, she didn't attack.

A wave of essence flew into Kim's wrecked body. It instantly broke the spell Dwight had placed on her, and the healing process started.

It took her only a few seconds to walk again. Cass didn't wait for her. She was already running towards the mansion while typing something on her watch.

By the time Kim realized, she was standing in the enormous yard alone. She did not know what to do next.

First, she looked towards the mansion where both Sera and Cass went. She could've gone after them, but that old man looked way too creepy.

Next, she turned towards the city. She could've just left this place, this city, and go somewhere peaceful. A place where she could get her head straight.

She spent the next few minutes looking between the city and the mansion. A decision had to be made, one that would change her life forever.

Either leave and stay the same confused person, or go into the mansion and change into someone else. Maybe a person who wouldn't disgust her…

Her legs took one step, then another, and the next, it went on until she reached the mansion's entrance, where she stopped. With hesitation, she reached out and opened the door.

Her knowledge of the mansion's layout returned, and it took no time for her to find the room where she hurt that woman.

The door was wide open and two people stood outside, staring in. One was Cass and the other she only recognized as that man from the siege, the one who threw bombs at her.

They were whispering to each other in anger, but as Kim closed in, they became silent. She only caught the last part of what Cass said... "We can't let him take her..."

Kim said nothing. She just turned to look inside the room. On the ground, the woman looked an inch from death, but the petrification, which was near her heart, seemed to decrease in size.

Sera stood above her, watching with both a worried and scared expression as the old man was pouring something into the woman's unconscious mouth.

She coughed a bit as the liquid passed down her throat. The de-petrification process doubled in speed and even her missing legs began to regenerate.

Kim watched all this with her mouth agape. Re-growing limbs were near impossible for even the strongest of healers, but this old man just poured some potions or something in the woman's mouth and started healing her.

The whole healing only lasted for about a minute. Afterward, Agnes stayed unconscious, but she would be fine.

Sera watched as Cass gently lifted her form and took her away. Her eyes then moved to David... He knew what was about to happen...

Then her eyes moved to the young girl standing beside him. She made an uncertain and fragile smile and nodded towards David.

Kim's hands trembled. She did not know what was going on and that scared her. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder, and David led her away from the room.

Agnes's trashed room stayed silent. Behind Sera, Harold reached down and lifted a broken piece of Agnes's petrified foot. He began throwing it up in the air, then catching it as he spoke...

"I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn!"

Sera turned around. Her face looked resigned at first. She had accepted her fate, the one she brought on herself...

Who knew that a minor mistake, made close to two years ago, would lead to so much suffering? The worst part was, she knew that what happened to Agnes was, in fact, her own fault.

She shouldn't have left that little girl on her own. She shouldn't have told the little girl to become stronger, insisting that only then would her voice be heard…

She should've spent more time with her friends, and less working. She shouldn't have been so dismissive about Bran's feelings. And they should've spent more time together...

So many regrets, but as she looked outside, her resolve took over...

From this window Sera saw the construction site. Her statue's legs were getting built, and each day it rose higher... Just like the Angelic Order, which it stands for.

Sera stood straight and imagined how much everything would change in the upcoming month... It filled her with pride!

This Order, this concept she created, would go on without her. And when the people learnt where their beloved leader was, there would be hell to pay...

This thought was the only thing that helped keep her sanity. After a while, her eyes left the statue and settled on Harold's gleeful expression.

"Who tried to assassinate me?" She asked in a hollow tone.

Harold didn't look surprised by this news, but she knew he wasn't the one who ordered it... He would never let other people hurt his favorite test subject...

"Most of the Central Command, but you don't have to worry about them anymore. Amygdala payed them a visit, and they are back in line... Well, the ones who survived at least!" He chuckled to himself Madly, then took a step closer to Sera.

He held out his hand, then waited... Waited for Sera to reach out. To accept her fate.

Her hand trembled as it neared Harold's, but just before she let herself get teleported, she stopped.

"How long will this take?" She asked with a meek voice, causing Harold to grin.

"You said in you message that as long as I want to, so maybe a week or two. Or a month. Could be also a year. Or forever... But I won't spoil anything. Where is the fun in that?"

Sera looked outside one more time, then she sighed and touched Harold's hand. The world dissolved around them and they both teleported into the small white room.

Harold said nothing, just left the room. Someone had already prepared the usual hospital gown on the bed, but Sera didn't put it on.

Instead, she went into one corner of the white room. There she sat down and began crying...

...

In the abandoned part of New Constantinople, Dwight and the others ran. After Sera's escape, they fled the area as fast as they could.

There were seven of them. Dwight and his crew who hid for the fight against Sera. There was also Hector, who was still very much confused about everything. Then there was Legion, who stayed silent and stoic.

As they ran towards the wall, Dwight was cursing himself. He was stupid and arrogant. He thought that just because Sera lost her powers, he could take her out with ease.

But that wasn't even the actual issue. If that stupid beast hadn't saved them, then they wouldn't need to evacuate the city...

Just as they neared the wall, all seven of them stopped and fell to their knees.

Pure terror paralyzed them. They didn't dare to move, and their whole bodies were shaking.

Dwight was in the front, his eyes staring at the ground in front of him. He heard movement, but he couldn't look up.

The sound came closer and in his view, two bare feminine feet appeared.

"What do we have here? Some new playthings?... Oh, your terror is so delicious! That's just what I needed... Dessert!" Her voice should've been beautiful, but it was abhorrent, sending shivers down Dwight's spine.

In a desperate attempt, he tried to use his powers on the individual, and for a split second, the feeling of terror disappeared, only to reappear again with twice the strength.

More than one person puked from the overwhelming fear behind him, and just as Dwight thought all hope was lost, something strange happened.

The fear decreased, and he regained the ability to move. His eyes travelled up the tall woman's sinful body. The only clothing on her was the long strands of abyss black hair.

He wanted to look upon this magnificent body's face, but he felt like it would drive him insane, so instead, he continued to stare at the ground.

"That's an interesting power you got there worm... Dammit! I really wanted to consume all of you, but it seems like this is your lucky day... Or more like unlucky, depends on your standpoint, of course." Her voice sounded regretful and sad, like someone presented her a cake, but then said they couldn't eat from it.

"Who... Are... You...?" Asked Dwight through gritted teeth. He already knew the answer, but his brain wasn't working properly, so he asked it anyway.

The woman didn't answer his question and instead asked in a curious tone... "With this power you should've killed the little angel. How did you fail?"

Dwight took a deep breath before speaking. Someone behind him wailed, while others were hyperventilating.

Enjoy new tales from empire

"We... Shouldn't... Have... She... Had... Help..." It was close to impossible to speak, while being assaulted with so much fear, but he knew that staying silent wasn't an option.

"Who?" she asked, her voice turning lower.

Dwight coughed up blood, and he felt his nose and eyes bleed...

"A... Strange... Creature... Hawk... Head... Horse... Body..." This was all he managed before his body had enough, and he fell down unconscious.

At that point, all seven of them were in similar states, and above them stood Amygdala.

Both anger and vengefulness consumed her beautiful face. Hearing the creature's description, she knew who he talked about.

"That little angelic bitch... She tried to play us... I admire her stupidity!" She laughed to herself, which caused the surrounding reality to bend.

Objects flew away, houses fell apart and the road below her cracked.

Eventually, she stopped and looked down at the seven unconscious figures. With a roll of her eyes, she swiped at the air. With that, she and the seven figures teleported away, leaving only the broken structures behind.