"Oh. Another one."
A young boy with messy silver hair lay on the cold ground surrounded by dense vegetation with a little pond not far away from him.
His frail body was clothed in a white robe that had long turned brown. But today, that colour had been dyed crimson by a pool of blood. His pool of blood.
His dull eyes lazily drifted through the misty atmosphere and towards the heavens, a weak grin blooming across his pained face. "I bet you're watching, Pops. Here I go again."
Just then, the air rippled as the wind suddenly slowed to a stop. A voice, soft yet filled with power echoed over the area.
"You still haven't changed, huh." A figure muttered behind him after a long sigh.
Straining himself, Raziel, the young boy was able to turn towards the voice. He calmly took in the figure that sat on a rock before him.
Long golden hair, molten eyes, glowing porcelain skin... everything about him screamed divine.
"ohh. Look who finally showed up. I thought you lot have forgotten me." Raziel said in a raspy voice.
"Forgotten?" The figure asked, tilting his head. "Trust me... no one would easily forget you Raziel. Not after the devastation you left behind."
Taking a step closer, the figure crouched before Raziel, eyes shining in a strange glow.
"Look at you... Raziel," He said with a pause, his golden gaze sharp with pity, "the most feared and notorious being of the universe now reduced to a broken child."
"Tell that to Dad," Raziel snarled, his face contorting into a grimace thereafter.
"Ohh. But he had to agree. Do you know how many died just because of you? Do you know what you stirred awake because of your mindless rampage?"
The figure rose, circling around him.
"You won't have any idea, of course. You should be grateful you only get to live... even if it's a cursed one. While I get to clean up your mess."
Raziel shifted his gaze back to the distant sky.
"So... are you gonna tell me why you're really here or keep going on and on about my past."
The figure stopped at the pond, staring into the pristine water.
"The others have no idea about this... lapse. It seems the universe has decided to grant you another chance... to prove yourself." He turned towards Raziel, gaze hardening.
"This is your last chance, though... if things end up bad... you'll be destroyed for good this time around. I'll see to it myself."
There was a brief moment of silence before the figure spoke again.
"I'd pity you, Raziel... I hope things work out for you this time around." The figure muttered with a sigh, staring at the sky. "I hope you live a peaceful life this time." His body began to fade, turning into motes of light.
"Good luck... brother." His last words, barely a whisper, echoed across the area.
"Another chance, huh?" Raziel muttered, staring at the spot the figure once stood.
Memories flashed across his face as he lay on the cold ground. Today, his memories, which were usually fragmented across each reincarnation cycle, were fully intact.
Now he understood why.
"So the others aren't aware... yet he is. Scheming again, I guess."
He let out a dry chuckle. "Well, I'll be damned."
His life was slowly fading away. If he died now, the curse would drag him into another reincarnation cycle. He would have to begin another hellish journey again.
A terrifying punishment placed on him by his Father.
"No... he wasn't going to let go of this opportunity."
Pushing himself upright, his breath ragged, he plunged his hand into the puddle of his blood.
"Though I dont get along with it... but it seems fate truly is working on my side for once."
Who knows how long before the others discover the strange lapse and then attempt to end his life.
Painfully, he moved across the ground, slowly drawing a strange formation with his blood.
After minutes of hard work, he closed his eyes, struggling to wipe the beads of sweat from his brows with trembling hands.
"All that's left now... is a power source. Staring around for a moment, he let out a dark grin. What better thing to use than himself?"
Lying at the centre of the formation, he stared at the sky for a moment before finally closing his eyes.
It didn't take long for the formation to activate. The world was lit up in a dark glow. The wind howled restlessly, and the clouds released a downpour as if trying to wash away the strange ritual happening beneath the heavens.
The formation shined brighter as the wind became fierce. His body was slowly lifted off the ground, a soft dark glow pulsating within his chest.
Thunder rumbled across the darkened sky as if trying to bring down divine wrath.
The glow within his chest reached a crescendo before bursting forth enveloping a significant part of the jungle.
As if one were above the land, they would have been able to see the rapid change in the landscape.
The once teeming vegetation slowly began to wither as if being siphoned away. The shimmering pond rippled restlessly as it slowly lost its shine.
The energy gathered at one point before entering Raziel's body.
His once frail and battered body began to break apart and reform at an inhumane speed. The ghastly wound on his chest quickly knitted, sealing shut as if it never existed.
The figure lay for what seemed like eternity, his body breaking and reforming over and over again until the process finally came to an end.
His body slowly dropped to the ground, chest heaving softly.
He lay on the ground for a long time before he finally moved. His brows fluttered and then opened softly, revealing a pool of obsidian eyes that appeared to devour the light around them.
Raziel slowly rose from the ground, patting his body. A faint smile stretched across his face for a moment before returning back to its expressionless form.
He could feel the change in his new body. He was brimming with energy. Though not at his peak, he could make do with this as a starting point. And to crown it all, he was able to awaken his innate ability.
"Live a quiet life, huh? I'm sorry, brother, but I've long past that point. I've got to finish what I started, after all." Raziel muttered, clenching his fist tightly.
He finally looked up, observing the now transformed landscape.
The once teeming terrain was now replaced... turned into a withered land. The wind had become still. Even the mist had disappeared, revealing a grey sky.
His aura washed over the area like a broken dam as he thought about his next step.
They was a lot he needed to do. Things to arrange for his journey.
Just as he took a step forward, the world trembled. Time itself faltered for a moment.
A golden bracelet suddenly materialised before him, bathing the world in its ethereal glow.
The bracelet moved forward instantly, clamping on Raziel's wrist with a bright light. White symbols flared around the bracelet as the light slowly faded.
The bracelet now covered in strange runic symbols clamped tightly to his wrist.
"What's this? No! Damn him!" Raziel roared, his aura surging wildly.
Golden chains sprouted out from within his chest and wrapped around his struggling body for a moment before finally retracting back into his chest.
The fearsome yet invisible aura surrounding the area began to subside along with the dark glow of his eyes, giving way to a pair of sapphire eyes and then silence.
Ding!
A chime echoed loudly in his head, breaking the silence.
[Congratulations... you've binded with the system]
[Scanning Host for bloodline]
[Two bloodlines found!]
[The system is changing due to bloodline... ]
[The first seal has been unlocked...]
[Host have unlocked his Angelic bloodline]
"No... no... No!! You think this will stop me." Raziel finally spoke. "You're definitely wrong. These chains won't hold me for long. Things... things will be different this time. This power you granted me... will become your ruin!"
His voice dripping with venom echoed across the area.
[Host can now access the system status...]