Confronting The Dilemma

I found myself braced for the next chapter, my mind steeled and my spirit prepared for the unknown. I even sought counsel from Perx, yet he raised a pivotal question that brought my plans to a grinding halt: "Is Raphael aware of the merging process?" His question pertained to such a curious subject, who was oblivious of his wings yet inexplicably adept with a hallowed bow. His understanding of his inherent powers was minimal, let alone the knowledge of merging them with mine. With a sigh of resignation, I confessed to Perx, "He remains utterly in the dark."

Perx then proposed a drastic alternative, "That's unfortunate. The risks seem too high. Perhaps we should consider eliminating him. If it eases your burden, I can carry out the task. I can target his core and head simultaneously. He wouldn't feel a thing, even if he were to awake in that very moment." I retorted, "Absolutely not! We are not resorting to murder. Besides…" A crucial realization dawned upon me. "If he is indeed the most powerful, he might not perish but regenerate a new body. If that happens, he'll flee, fully aware of our treacherous intent."

Perx was a masterful debater, leveraging my past and my story to sway my decisions. "You could suppress his powers with time locks, like you did with the other archangels. Then, we could kill him and retrieve his powers from the lock." His argument held elements of truth and dangers, prompting me to rectify his reasoning. "True, that's a possibility, but what if the lock fails? What if I fail to extract the powers from the lock? They would be lost forever." Perx countered, "This lock would be unique. The others lacked your signature, which might be why you couldn't absorb their powers. This time, with your signature, it might work." He raised a valid point, but it was still a gamble. "It could work, but it's unprecedented. I'm not prepared to risk a life and potentially lose a significant portion of my divine powers forever. The aftermath could be catastrophic."

Perx fell silent. Perhaps I had managed to convince him of the folly of his suggestion, or perhaps he had simply exhausted his arguments. We both succumbed to a heavy silence, our minds fatigued from the intense overthinking.

In an attempt to shift the conversation, Perx inquired, "What happened that led you to put Raphael to sleep?" I explained, "He was behaving oddly. It appears he was on the brink of collapse. He nearly fainted, then started gazing vacantly, completely disconnected from reality." After a moment of contemplation, Perx responded, "I can't ascertain the cause, but it certainly doesn't bode well." I replied with a touch of sarcasm, "Oh, do you really think so?" Caught off guard by my unexpected sarcasm, he paused before replying, "Apologies for that."

I decided to steer the conversation in a different direction, asking Perx why he seemed so fearful of Gabriel, Michael, and the so-called devil sinner. From his account, it seemed plausible that he was indeed afraid of them. As I suspected, he was.

Perx elaborated, expressing his disdain for the endless missions that Michael and Gabriel assigned him. They were often mundane surveillance tasks, which he found dull and beneath his capabilities. He yearned for the thrill of being a striker, tasked with neutralizing specific, formidable adversaries that no other angel could handle, or tracking them with his Caelestis, when available.

He had lost his purpose and faith, but now harbored hopes of reclaiming them with my return. However, witnessing my current condition, he seemed more than willing to assist me first and then resume his former role when feasible.

I was the priority for everyone. I felt so weak that I longed to simply awaken Raphael and instruct him on the merging process. But that would require decades and still pose risks. The outcome was uncertain, especially if his mind reset and he regressed to his previous state by a twist of fate.