Lakeview Apartments, Jonesboro Road, Forest Park, Clayton County, Georgia. Monday, October 7th, 2019. 15:00c.

The building was still buzzing with cops and news reporters. Sara doubted Mr. Taylor would come back home now but he would die in two hours and forty minutes anyway, his body too weak to resist the infusion of Mana. She spied downstairs and found deputy Marshall Barnes talking with Detective Keynes. The sight of the cop hale and walking filled her heart with joy.

She would save as many people as possible this time.

Her phone vibrated with a notification. She saw a Twitter post from Christine Appleby, hundreds of people behind her in the Stonecrest Mall. She tagged a lot of news agencies and was inviting everyone with a promise of free food. She had also posted to the Atlanta subreddit, and other social media sites.

She heard the front door lock turn and rushed to the entrance hall. "Mom, dad?"

The Atkinsons had come home right in time. Back in another reality, they would go to the bedroom enjoy each other's company in private, but not today.

"Sara! We found Deputy Barnes downstairs, what is going on?" Mr. Atkinson asked.

"Mom, Dad, I need you to listen to me closely. I've been a good daughter so far. I have good grades. I don’t give you any trouble. You know my past. I didn't break any laws. But I need to cash in all that goodwill now. Would you to listen to me with open mind, please? And do keep your cool, no matter how outlandish what I’m about to say sounds."

Sara begged with the puppy eyes. Seldom did the girl use the puppy eyes but this was a matter of life and death.

"Okay," Mr. Atkinson begrudgingly agreed. Sara was getting in the way of the couple’s afternoon plans.

"Mr. Taylor is a child porn dealer. A major one. The cops are here because I gave a not-so-anonymous tip. Barnes is here to do damage control and make sure the tip remains anonymous in the official story. He doesn’t want the prosecution pressing me to testify and blow my cover."

Mrs. Atkinson rushed to hug Sara. "Did Mr. Taylor do anything to you?"

"Aside from touching himself while spying on me? No," Sara winced. "He can look into our bathroom from his window, with the help of a mirror on a stick But I'm not done yet."

"Go on," Mrs. Atkinson said.

"We need to go to Stonecrest Mall now. It's not safe here."

"With this many cops?" Mr. Atkinson raised an eyebrow.

His wife, however, raised a hand to stop him, "Why Stonecrest Mall?"

She showed them Christine's photo. "There's a party going on there. You won't believe this but it is a bring your parents party. The girls are organizing it. The popular girls, Pamela and Christine. It means a lot to me if you attend."

The two women, foster mother and foster child looked at each other and Mrs. Atkinson softened. She knew how important it was for a teenage girl to feel like she belonged in a group. If Sara wanted to hang with the popular girls, she'd have her full support.

"Of course, we will," Mrs. Atkinson glared at her husband. Mr. Atkinson jiggled the car keys.

*

*

Parking Lot, Stonecrest Lake Mall, Panthersville, DeKalb County, Georgia. Monday, October 7th, 2019. 16:45c.

The mall was full of people, the parking lot, crowded with cars. Sara's foster family was trying to find a parking spot for fifteen minutes, without success.

"Mom, Dad, May I go first to find the girls? We can meet at the McDonald's in twenty minutes."

"Sure, darling. Go ahead," Mrs. Atkinson said. "We can leave the car at the Valet Parking. We'll meet at the food court, by the McDonalds cashier line."

The car stopped. Sara opened the door but didn't step outside. "I want you to know this. I'm happy the Marshals let me be your daughter. I am happy here," she gulped. "I love you guys. I didn't have the chance to admit it before."

"Aww," Mrs. Atkinson wiped a tear. "We love you too, Sara. We couldn’t have or own children but you are an angel God sent our way."

Sara's breath caught. Her mom had no idea how close she was to the truth. But she was the angel of Death. Not a very popular celestial, she reckoned. She got off the car and walked to the mall. Once Sara was sure she was out of sight, she turned around.

"Sorry for lying to you. Abby, boost Adroitness."

"Yes, I am. In less than one hour, Armageddon is coming, then we'll have all the magic we want. We'll max out my Skills before the day is over."

She felt the world slow down as her reactions were catapulted to inhuman levels. Sara kicked the ground and ran. She leaped over the mall fence and into the road, where she ran faster than the cars, waving around them like a motorcycle would, vaulting several yards with each step. She jumped and dashed to her heart's content, heading back home.

*

*

Lakeview Apartments, Jonesboro Road, Forest Park, Clayton County, Georgia. Monday, October 7th, 2019. 17:30c.

Sara climbed on Rudy's building, then jumped over the roof when nobody was looking. She was bothered by no drones thanks to the proximity to the military enclave.

She visited her bedroom and packed everything she could. Sara strapped a big luggage case on her back with ropes. Then she snuck on the building's roof. She stared at the sky and waited.

Once more, she witnessed the final battle between Heaven and Hell one more time. She saw the Heavenly Host charge the Infernal Legions, wondering if her father was there and if he could see her. Regardless of her wishes, the drama played exactly as rehearsed.

She saw the valiant Heavenly Host on its final charge. Angels of various shapes, from humanoid giants made of glinting gold to balls of feathers and eyes with eight wings. Yet they all radiate Divinity, a glory to behold. She felt she could spend an eternity witnessing each detail of their marvelous figures which appeared as detailed as if up close, regardless of the infinite distance. She could see it all in rich detail as if they were an inch from her nose. Her Fate was to witness that scene.

On the other side, the depths of sulfurous caves full of tormented, wailing souls and molten magma, wicked chains, and rivers of smoldering blood, caustic vapors which could melt flesh in seconds. And the demons. Wicked hulking beings made of bone, pulsing rotten flesh, pus, clotted veins, twisted sinew, horns, fangs, bones attached all wrong. Creatures that shouldn't move yet had the feline grace of an apex predator as they tensed to strike. Barbed spears, jagged swords of impossible geometry intended to cause as much pain as possible.

The denizens rose from the pits of hell as the demonic hordes rushed to battle against the heavenly host on the other side, defending the gates of paradise. It was far, far away yet she could see every blow, every demon slain and every celestial downed in the massive clash. Frozen by fear and awe, she could only witness the final battle as it grew to occupy her whole field of view, unobstructed by mundane things like concrete, or the steel of the fire stairs outside her window. Her Fate was to be a witness.

Her heart dreaded for the Heavenly Host as it seemed that every Celestial, such creatures of beauty, were destined to die in the Final Battle. The human mind was not supposed to take in such a violent clash. It happened at a speed that defied logic but every moment felt frozen as if time held no meaning. It happened between two breaths and then it was over but she felt like an eternity had passed before her stunned eyes.

Heaven and hell crumbled and fell on Earth. It was as if the sky itself was torn asunder and a gash impossible to exist in the tridimensional world opened all over the planet. Mountains of sulfur and pits of magma, rocks of all kinds fell from Hell as chunks of pearly towers and idyllic meadows of Heaven did the same. No place on the planet seemed to be safe from the infinite number of debris.

Reality bent and folded as the two realms weren't satisfied with sending only their inhabitants into the fray. A majestic castle standing atop the clouds trembled under the cataclysmic battle below, its exalted halls crumbled and met the torrential downpour from the rivers of steaming blood and smoldering magma dragging the souls of the damned in a whirlpool of madness... The pristine walls, battlements, and machicolations crashed upon the abyssal depths, extinguishing billions of penitents. Another pulse of eldritch energy escaped these two dimensions and washed over the mortal realm, revealing to her the source of her subconscious worries. But this time, it was stronger than anything before. Unknown to her, the pulse of Mana from another reality awoke the dormant, shriveled Ley Lines of the third planet of the Sol system. It washed over every living creature and left none unchanged.

All around her, people screamed and burned. A golden meteorite fell toward her.

But this time, it didn't split. it was her first hint something was wrong. No System Core went toward Stonecrest Lake. The smaller golden meteorite still came straight at her, glowing with divine light.

Now with access to Mana, Sara conjured Death's scythe.

A dozen yards before impacting with the rooftop, the golden light stopped as if inertia was a mere suggestion. Eight wings of white and gold unfurled, a hundred eyes stared at the girl.

"Sara."

"Prometheus."

"Death."

"Asshole."

"I see you too kept your memories from the other reality, Sara."

"Doh, of course I do. Now come down here so I can give you a good beating," she brandished the scythe.

"You have no idea what you did. The consequences of your actions," Verachiel or Prometheus stated. "You revealed yourself too soon. Now everything will change. And what about you, my former comrade? Would you take over the girl's body already like we agreed to?"

"What?" Sara shivered, did a double-take, and bumped her sternum. She started to feel the mother of all heartburns.

"You doomed yourself, Sara. Farewell."

Fearing the eight-winged bastard would flee, Sara tossed her scythe. The implement of Death flew and spun, going so fast it whistled through the air. Verachiel dodged but the scythe tore through his feathers. Then he zipped away, toward Panthersville. The scythe fell on the roof of Rudy's building along with the sliced feathers.

Then, as if wating on cue, the rain of debris fell on Forest Park and the rest of the world. Verachiel hadn't spared Sara's neighborhood this time. A shadow blotted the sun and she looked up.

"Motherfucker!"

Sara cursed as she jumped away from a falling marble column so wide it could serve as a dais for Lady Liberty. She aimed her jump and landed on a roll on Rudy's building. Then got hit by a shower of wooden splinters, lost her balance, and rolled until she stopped next to her scythe and the feathers. Lakeview Apartments was destroyed. Utterly crushed.

And so was everything. Huge columns of smoke rose from everywhere. Forest Park burned as huge blobs of lava boiled the innumerous small lakes hidden amidst the suburbs. The forest the city was built around was on fire. Worse, she felt the deaths of everyone around Lakeview Apartments, including Keynes.

Sara didn't waste time lamenting Verachiel uncharitable acts. At least he could try to repeat the same events and change just a little bit to see what can be improved. But no. She was focused on finding something...

"There!" She jumped on a pile and debris and retrieved a Celestial feather. Then another.

Abby asked.

"You said I can awaken my bloodline if I use it, right?"

"Now, let's address the fallen angel in the room. What did Verachiel meant by taking over my body?"

As if Sara would eat that bullshit.

"Yeah, sure he was. Let me tell you, Abby. Back at the Administrative dimension, I was intending on killing myself to get rid of you. I think I can do it now. Everyone is safe and the System Core—"

Abby interrupted the girl.

"What?"

"No. Why didn't it come as well?"

She sensed there was more Abby was keeping from her but she had other, more pressing, business.

"No way."

"What the hell does it mean?"

Somewhere, an invisible glass wall cracked but held.

"Dude, first you were gaslighting, now you're lampshading and gaslighting? What next, we break the fourth wall? Where are the cameras, where should I look? Is God eating popcorn as he watches us? Is this that Jim Carey movie?"

"No shit. I doubt we had a happy ending."

"Regardless, I'm still going to kill you if you don't get out. C'mon, I doubt you guys were so careless as to leave you stuck inside me without a way out. Or I can kill both of us right now." She picked up and brandished the scythe.

"Then get out. Off you go. Leave peacefully and we go on our separate ways. You go do whatever fallen Celestials do, and I will go do anything but what Death ought to do. Or I kill both of us."

Abby did a sound similar to clicking one's tongue.

Sara grabbed her scythe. She spun it around, turned it upside down, then flipped the blade to point it at her chest. "Then we die. Tell me, did I manage to kill you in the other reality?"

Abby didn't answer but Sara knew the gaslighting Fallen well enough by now.

"I did, didn't I? And I bet I survived."

She felt as if Abby was gazing far into the distance.

She snorted as Abby cursed.

"C'mon, partner. Can you get out peacefully?"

"Can it be fixed?"

"How badly?"

"No, I won't even though I wanted to. Now? Right now I just want you gone. I'm not trusting you to not take over my body while I awaken my bloodline. Hey, is that why you were whining about not getting access to my brain?"

"Naughty little Fallen," Sara lamented. "Try not to make a mess on the way out and we might remain as friends, m'kay?"

"Sure thing, buddy."

Abby started vacating Sara's Personal System Core. She screamed as loud as the people trapped in the highways being eaten by the undead. She felt her soul crack and warm blood flowed down her torso.

Four wings spread from a feather ball with too many heads. Sara would've flipped the bird at "Abby" if she could move at all.

"I am out," Abby's original androgynous voice rang. "Infuse the feather."

Sara did. The feather shone like a thousand LED lights.

*

*

Rudy's building, Jonesboro Road, Forest Park, Clayton County, Georgia. Monday, October 8th, 2019. 9:00c.

Sara woke up. She touched her chest and found no hole.

"You are awake," Abby remarked. "Welcome back, Sara of the Nephilim, Death."

Why had the Fallen Cherub lingered around?

"Fucking hell. How's my Status?"

The window appeared in front of her.

Name:

Sara

Species:

Nephilim (+2 Skill Slots - usage: 10/12)

Bloodline Trait:

Half-Spirit Flesh

Magic Type:

Mage - Enhancer (Exclusive)

Special trait:

Death Sight

(Able to see ethereal entities and sins)

Special trait:

Personal Core

(Treat Core Strength as levels in a main Class).

Main Class:

Click to see Options

Secondary Class:

Click to see Options

System Funds:

$ 0

System Debt:

$ 0

Development

System Core Strength (SCS)

25 / 8

The System Core becomes stronger and better at generating its own energy.

WARNING: YOUR CORE IS DAMAGED. ALL SKILLS MAXIMUM LEVEL REDUCED.

ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE REPAIRS, 78 DAYS.

1 - You can have a maximum of 10 skill points per level of Core Strength.

2 - Active Skills' upkeep can be fractioned.

3 - Increase max MP pool by 50%.

Mana Conductivity (MC)

73%

(98%)

A measure of how clear the body's Mana Channel (Meridian) system is.

1 - Mana conductivity impacts environmental energy absorption and channeling directly.

2 - Your Mana Channels are focused inward, reducing Mana drain or losses in area of low or no Mana.

3 - Due to the shape of your Channels, your Mana signature is 80% fainter.

Purity of Body

Digestive,

Epithelial,

Skeletal,

Muscular,

Circulatory.

Increase the efficiency of all cleansed body systems efficiency by MC.

1 - Skin, Muscle, and Bone: Increase damage resistance by an additional MC/2.

2 - Muscle and Bone: Increase physical strength by an additional MC/2.

3 - Digestive and Circulatory: increase immunity and resistance to external pathogens and toxins by MC/2.

4 - Cleansed body improves MP pool and all recovery rates by MC.

Purity of Spirit

Muladhara

Svadhishthana

Opened Chakra nodes grant enhanced functionality to related systems.

They may grant comprehension, resistance, and sensibility to an element.

1 - Muladhara: (Earth, intestines) Resistance to all harmful effects and emotional stability increased by 50%.

2 - Svadhishthana; Sacral Chakra (water, reproductive organs) - Increase MP pool by 50%.

Half-Spirit Flesh

50% / 50%

A Nephilim's flesh is half-spirit, half-matter.

1 - Reduce all damage by 50%. Reduce all damage to the wings by 90%.

2 - No injury or damage is permanent. You can even regrow lost limbs. Boost recovery rate by 50%.

3 - You can subsist on Mana, if the ambient density is high enough.

4 - Your wings are made of pure spirit, extending into the conceptual dimension. So long they are attached, double your Mana capacity. You can fly and hover at will.

Mage - Enhancer (Exclusive)

25%

Your mana channels greatly enhance internal circulation but suffer at projecting and controlling external mana.

All External Mana Manipulation is 10 times less effective. Cannot cultivate or actively use Qi.

1 - Add a linear 25% to your mana conductivity for internal manipulation purposes (includes Purity of Body).

2 - Multiply MP pool, all Physical and internal manipulation Skills by [internal MC]

3 - Mana Conductivity does not increase your mana signature unless you are actively using MP.

4 - You do not leak Mana at low or zero mana densities.

Cold Affinity (major)

50%

You have a great affinity with the Cold element.

1 - Increase all Cold-related effects and resistances by 50%.

2 - Add 50% to MC when converting Mana into Cold Mana.

MP Pool

4444 / 1422

(768/day)

(245/day)

Available Energy for Active Skills. Equals to (20*SCS) * MC *[Internal MC]. Recovers (10*MC)% per day under normal mana density.

Skills: Physical (140)

Adroitness

25/8 85%/27%

The Skill of moving one's body with grace and precision.

Increases speed and coordination and reduces reflex delay by Rank%.

Composure

20/8 137%/55%

Staying calm under pressure or pain.

This Skill's effect is capped at 90%. The remainder offsets penalties from magical effects.

When under duress, reduces penalties to mental stability, logical reasoning, and self-control by 2*Rank%.

Prowess

25/8 85%/27%

Making the most of one physique during stressful situations.

Lower reflex delay, increases melee combat damage and physical power by Rank%.

Brawn

25/8 85%/27%

Muscular toughness and physical endurance.

Reduces stamina consumption and damage taken, increases lifting and carrying capacity by Rank%.

Rapid Healing

25/8 171%/55%

Accelerates and optimizes body recovery.

Increases healing rate by 2*Rank%.

Thermostasis

20/8 68F/27F hot

102F/40F cold

Widened temperature comfort range and resistance to detrimental heat exchange.

Increase comfort temperature range by 1F per rank. Modify body conductivity by Rank%.

Skills: Social(32)

Flattery

16/8

69%/35%

Making graceful compliments and answering them appropriately.

Increases reactions during and after intimate interactions by 2*Rank%.

Presence

16/8

69%/35%

Motivating people with the power of your personality.

Increases reactions during and after social interactions by 2*Rank%.

Skills: Mystical(35)

Mana Infusion

17/8

116%/54%

Infuse Mana into tools and melee weapons. Adds 2*Rank% to tool effectiveness, tenacity, hardness, and damage.

Infused objects can interact with incorporeal entities. This is considered an internal manipulation Skill.

Active Skill: Activation time: instantaneous. Cost: 1 MP/6 seconds or 10 MP/attack.

Skill Boost

21/8

70%/27%

143%/54%

Specialized supplemental Mana flow to a Skill.

Boosts effects of a Skill by 2*Rank%. This is considered in the same category as the affected Skill.

Active Skill: Activation time, 1 minute. Cost, 1 MP/6 seconds

"Damn, I'm fucked up. It says here it'll take three months to fix the damage you caused," Sara said.

"It would be worse if I had to force my way out," Abby explained. Yet another lie but Sara didn't know that.

She was in her Cherub form, with four heads and four wings around a ball of feathers. She felt a weight on her back and turned around. The girl gasped when she saw the huge white wings on her back.

"Mighty nice of you to stay and keep watch over me while I healed," Sara said.

"You spared my life."

"So I did kill you in the other reality, didn't I?" Sara snickered.

"Yes, you did. Before I go, let me teach you how to fly."

"Shoot."

"Infuse Mana in your wings. It's like when you circulate your Mana to generate ice Mana."

Sara tried for a few minutes, then got the gist of it. Her wings unfolded to their full eight and a half yards of wingspan, shone with white light, and she was airborne. Sara found she had perfect maneuverability and soon flying would be as easy as walking for her. Scythe in hand, she hovered next to Abby.

"What happens now?"

"I'll go to another dimension, maybe another World or Realm. This reality is too weak and I want to find something strong enough to anchor my existence. If I was still alive on the other dimension we came from, I would merge back but thanks to you that's impossible. So I'm going elsewhere. This way I can escape the strongly-anchored reality where you killed me."

"Good luck with that. And Abby?"

"What is it, Sara?"

She flipped dual birds at the ball of feathers. "Fuck you, parasite. I hope I never see you again."

Abby returned to her feminine voice, "Bit fat chance of that happening, bitch!"

The girl snorted. Sara felt Mana gathering and floated away. The Cherub vanished inside a rift in reality.

"Free at last." Sara sighed with relief.

Then Sara winced as she heard gunfire.