The Eye of Heaven

In life, we are often confronted by harsh realities that force us to make difficult choices. These circumstances, though undesirable, were inescapable. The issues seemed to stack up, one after the other, with a few resolving themselves in the process. The most pressing matter was Perx. I had a duty to find him before anyone else could, but he came back just before I had to do it. His loyalty was unwavering, a quality I admired in my pawn. If Gabriel and Michael posed a threat to him, I was prepared to stand in their defense. We had an agreement in place, a set of ground rules that stated that if a pawn became a threat, they could be neutralized but not killed. The decision to kill rested solely with the master. In this case, I was Perx’s master.

Before I could address the matter of Perx, I had another task to complete. I needed to locate the other archangels and send someone to retrieve them. Michael, in his search for Gabriel, had probably overlooked our most invaluable tool, or whatever you'd like to call it. The Eye of Heaven, capable of revealing anyone's location, could have been used by Michael to find Gabriel directly, rather than relying on his instincts. So, leaving a guard to watch over the human Raphael, Perx and I set out for the Eye of Heaven. We needed to ascertain their locations, as they were likely scattered, and decide whether to retrieve them ourselves or send someone else. This decision was crucial as their interaction with Perx could potentially be risky for me.

Our journey to the Eye of Heaven was swift, taking less than a minute as we flew there. Despite Perx's conspicuous appearance, no one attempted to stop us. The temple was deserted as usual, its gate locked and accessible only to an archangel. Doubting my ability to open it, I quickly attempted to unlock it and was relieved to find that I still could. The gate opened to reveal a modest room, filled with a brightness that emanated from the Eye at its center, radiating energy as potent as a star.

Perx held back as I approached the Eye and touched it. Instantly, my vision shifted to Earth, first focusing on Michael, who was surprisingly taking a leisurely break on a snowy mountain peak, gazing at the horizon before taking flight again. I recognized the location and tracked his path, concluding that he was heading to one of our outposts in the second realm, located in the middle of the Pacific. I relayed the information to Perx, instructing him to summon a sentinel to be dispatched to the outpost. Perx promptly left to carry out my instructions.

I then turned my attention to Gabriel. As I made contact with the Eye once more, my view shifted to his location. He was in the third realm. It was puzzling why they hadn't found him yet. They had been searching in the wrong realm. Although we could perceive a faint shadow of someone in the third realm while in the second, we could only do so when in close proximity, less than ten meters to be precise, a difficult feat to achieve during a search. Gabriel appeared to be taming a giant Phoenix, a creature he had likely summoned and had been training for some time. His abilities were somewhat of a mystery to me.

After leaving the room and securing the gate, I waited for Perx's return. In less than five minutes, he was back, accompanied by two reluctant sentinels who were skeptical of his orders without my confirmation. Upon seeing me, their doubts flew away. The first sentinel was dispatched to the location specified by Perx to find Michael. The second waited for my instructions and was told to search for Gabriel in the location I found him. I instructed them both to relay my message, summoning the archangels back. I was confident they would comply without hesitation, knowing the request came from me. Once they embarked on their mission, Perx and I left the temple. It was time for me to test the extent of my remaining power fragments in the arena. Perx was eager to challenge me, but I needed to ensure he was no match for me, as I harbored some doubts about him.

In the arena, I created a protective shield around it as a precaution. Summoning a target, I instructed Perx to maintain a safe distance. I was about to create a legendary spectacle. I focused my energy on the target, conjuring a circle of fire orbs with a central plasma orb. As they began to spin, they generated a tremendous amount of energy. I continued to fuel them, ensuring their stability and preventing a supernova-like explosion. As my energy began to wane, I directed it towards the target. The plasma transformed into a beam, the spinning orbs came to a halt, and the accumulated energy continued to power them. The resulting explosion of fire, dust, and wind obliterated the target, leaving Perx to shield himself with his wings. This was his first experience witnessing me test my limits, and seemed quite exhilarated by the spectacle. The sight was indeed spectacular. The beam was so radiant that even I had to avert my gaze, and my angelic form flickered uncontrollably. However, the beam's duration was disappointingly short, lasting for less than thirty seconds. Usually, it could persist for more than half an hour. My powers, though formidable compared to others, were a mere shadow of what they once were.

After the display, an awestruck Perx exclaimed, "That was incredible! Is that the same beam you..." and I completed his sentence, "...summon on earth to annihilate those unfortunates enough to become my targets."