They fell.
The transition was smoother this time. No screaming. No chaos. Just a slow, deliberate descent into whatever waited below. Lucifer kept his eyes open, watching the others as they dropped around him. Michael, rigid and controlled even in freefall. Gabriel, tense but calm. Ariel, still muttering under her breath. Exousia, silent and watchful.
Khaos fell beside him, her hand brushing his. He caught it, held on.
The landing was soft. Almost gentle.
They stood in a vast circular chamber. Stone walls rose around them, carved with images they couldn't quite make out. Above, an opening showed the sky—but it wasn't their sky. The stars were wrong. The constellations unfamiliar.
In the center of the chamber stood seven pillars, arranged in a loose circle. Each pillar glowed with a different color. And in front of each pillar stood a figure.
Lucifer recognized them immediately.
Khaos inhaled sharply. "No."
