Re: Timeless Apocalypse-Chapter 78: Heaven to Hell

Uriel’s spark was one rooted in the mind and aether, so most changes erupted across the two.

But his body changed as well.

Light and darkness seemed to waft out of him, a thick and heavy fog twisting to form optical illusions around his form. Distance lost meaning as his body layered across space, limbs overlapping as if he’d become an inhuman mash of flesh.

His ivory eyes seemed blinding, a source of boundless purity and holiness, yet his presence darkened, becoming a quiet expanse of dark nothing, swallowing and dispersing all things.

All those in his immediate vicinity lost consciousness, yet they continued doing what they were doing, as if they themselves weren’t aware they were unconscious.

Across Uriel’s body, radiant white and somber black runes erupted, etched into his flesh, followed by dark gold and dark green sigils.

Each of his steps turned the ground into twisting vines of emerald and brown, thick and potent, only for them to rot into mushy wet sand in the next heartbeat, then harden into radiant gold.

In his wake, the world mended and people awoke, but no one remembered him.

His body underwent changes: lean, slender muscle filled his starved frame, and his silver hair became even whiter.

But it wasn’t anything as drastic or shocking as Enoch’s or Ayah’s change.

His change was quiet. Unnoticed. Forgotten.

No one noticed.

....

’Hm?’

Uriel stumbled, snapping out of it, waking from his trance and state of enlightenment.

’Wh-what? Where...’

The last thing he remembered was tasting a baker’s delicious strawberry cream pie, and then—

’What?!’

He immediately checked his status.

’Status!’

...

•Name: Uriel Ymir Loom

•True Name: [None]

•True Title: [None]

—

•Race: Human—{Undefined}

•Lineage: <Dormant>

•Lineal Axis: <Dormant>

—

•>Evolutionary Spark Frame: [Radiant Moon Sacrament Frame]

•>Origin Evolution Spark Frame: [Pale Sun Sacrament Frame]

•>Limiter: Ex (+) Rank

...

•Ascendant Step: First Step

•Minor Stage: G Rank

•Class: <Promised Eclipse Noble of Heart>

...

•>Path: [Heartless Crucible Grain Path]

•>Path Ability: {?}, {?}, {?}

•>Class Talent: {?}, {?}, {?}

...

He froze, shaken to his core.

Though it was the ’light’ version of his status, omitting many additional sections and details, what it showed was already so shocking that he couldn’t help but tremble and shiver.

"Haha!"

He threw his head back, his jaw unhinging as a wild, thunderous laugh tore free. Glee and joy poured out of him.

It poured out in the most tangible of ways, his spark resonating with the surrounding aether, turning it bright pink as it flowed in tune with his laughter.

Holding his belly, he let it all out, not caring in the least how unhinged or mad he might have looked.

Moments passed, and his laughter ceased, though his excitement and joy remained unchanged. Slicking his hair back and wiping tears from his eyes, he briefly assessed his surroundings.

Somehow, he’d woken right in front of Ayah’s house, his mind having subconsciously pulled him back toward it.

His excitement overflowed. Without waiting, he rushed inside, slamming the door behind him before storming upstairs and into his room.

Tearing off the veils and robes covering him, he sat in the center of the room, cross-legged, forcing himself to focus.

His thoughts were chaotic and erratic, diverging countless ways as ideas and theories clashed and—

"Argh!"

A pulse of pain tore suddenly through his body.

[{Kindest Lie—Temporary} has activated!]

The random talent he’d pulled from his pack, long since forgotten, activated on its own. From the depths of his body, he felt the ball of light stir.

Each stir sent waves of pain and agony through him.

"...?!"

It had waited patiently within him, hidden, somehow slipping past his usually curious and attentive mind. It had been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

That opportunity had come.

But it wasn’t the only one.

As Uriel’s panic spiked, before he could even react, a guttural scream and roar tore from his throat as his body ignited, white flames consuming him.

He hurriedly patted at his flesh, tears streaming and burning as he tried to extinguish the fire, his core seemingly frozen and entirely beyond his control.

It hurt.

And it was all so sudden, so quick, that his mind short-circuited.

He’d already been in a daze for days, and his breakthrough had only worsened it.

Giving these slumbering threats the perfect opening.

Uriel’s mind blanked. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed, limp, his heart unmoving and his core utterly dull.

He seemed lifeless.

From heaven to hell, in a blink.

...

In one moment, Uriel had been burning alive, shaken and afraid. In the next, it stopped.

White.

That was all he could see: a stretching expanse of white, plain and endless. Beneath his feet, the ground was cold, and white as well.

For a long while, he stood there, frozen.

Then he sighed.

His shoulders dropped, his back slouched, and he let himself fall onto his back, arms and legs sprawled wide.

He stared at the white infinity above him.

’Ah. I guess my morose thoughts caught up to me.’

He shook his head, then faintly chuckled.

’I was hoping I’d die in battle. Or while saving someone, at least.’

’I didn’t even get the chance to test my classes and new abilities... how rude.’

He pursed his lips.

’Did my core shatter? Or did my disease finally...’

Detached. As he always was.

If he was dead, what else was there to do but relax?

This white expanse felt like a hell of nothingness. Soon enough, he’d probably go mad and collapse, so his last memories might as well be free of worry.

He felt no strong regret, no bitterness. Only a faint unwillingness. He accepted his fate almost too quickly.

So quickly it was almost sad.

’A hell of infinite nothing to drive me insane... It’s not quite the burning pit I imagined.’

He hummed.

’Perhaps I’d have preferred that, actually. Having little horned guys tear me apart doesn’t sound that bad.’

He grimaced, just slightly, as the thought echoed.

’What did I do to deserve hell, though? I’d consider myself a fairly decent young man.’

He hummed again.

’Was I not kind enough? Or was—’

WHOOOOOOOOOSH!

A wave of heat washed across his body.

Not far away, another figure began to take shape beside him.

Still lying down, he turned his head toward it—and his eyes widened.

"Lady of Fire?!"