29 Angels

Delphi, Greece.

"So, what is your choice?"

The divine voice of Apollo lingered in the air, resonating loudly in everyone's minds and souls.

There was a brief silence. Then, Nicholas proclaimed, breaking it. "I am willing to become your angel, Milord."

Looking at Nicholas, the defiant one, Apollo's smile broadened marginally. "Well. I wasn't mistaken. You are certainly an interesting one, Nicholas. I look forward to witnessing your path."

Then he focused on Anastasia and Castor, who nodded firmly and said it in unison. "We are willing to swear our allegiance to you, Milord."

Apollo turned to Cynthia, who bowed lightly. "It's an honour, milord."

He motioned for the muses to leave the group, as the next process was not intended for them.

"Let's finally begin." He stated.

They braced themselves, looking down at the shimmering ethereal pool of light.

Apollo eyed each one of them, elaborating. "As I previously stated, this is the ascension pool. However, the evolution part is simply one of the results of accepting my power. It is too much for a mortal to bear. So I'll transform you into something greater; a being capable of wielding my power."

He pointed to a cloudy projection of a winged being, saying, "And, as you may have guessed, the model I created was an angel. A being so close to God yet also so far."

He took a brief pause to allow them to process what he had said.

Cynthia, Anastasia, Castor, and Nicholas appeared calm on the outside, but their turbulent hearts were obvious to him.

Apollo clapped his hands and said gently.

"Just keep in mind that nothing is free. Your ascent is a trial as well. A trial of perseverance and resilience. Only the worthy will survive, and the unworthy will see their entire existence burn away into nothingness."

The air was thick with heaviness. Hearing his words, there was only resolution left in their hearts. They have already made a choice of their own free will. There is no turning back now. This will follow them throughout eternity.

Cynthia strode forward to meet Apollo, drawing everyone's attention. "I volunteer to be the first, milord," she said firmly.

"And so it will be." Apollo spoke up, his voice booming. "You will ascend as my first angel."

He went on by waving his hand down. "Immerse yourself in the pool. And it will burn away the last embers of your mortality."

Cynthia started walking down the white steps towards the pool. Her breathing was uneven, and her eyes were hazy.

Under the eyes of all, she stopped at the edge of the pool, looking at it in silence. Her breathing slowed down and her eyes became clear. Her hands moved to the edges of her gown and tapped them. Her gown quickly turned to ash, leaving her completely naked.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She leapt into the pool without hesitation, sending ripples across its clear surface.

Cynthia's figure was swept by a wave of light. Her closed eyes blinked open, and she found herself floating on a soft bronze surface engulfed in light. In a surreal moment, she looked ahead, seeing something emerge from the expanse of light. And there he was, Phoebus Apollo, the Eternal Blazing Sun, his figure towering over the Earth. His golden eyes were as bright as two suns.

She immediately realised she was floating in the hand of a God, not on top of a soft surface.

Apollo looked her in the eyes. Then, he waved his other mighty hand, and a blinding column of light materialised and descended on her dazed figure.

Power!

Cynthia felt a power beyond her comprehension coursing through her body, heart, mind, and soul.

Through her cloudy mind, she finally realised what the power was.

It was light.

With her realisation, the light began to permeate every cell in her body. Her ascension had begun.

Pain!

An unfathomable amount of pain erupted from within her, wreaking havoc on every part of her body. It was excruciating and agonising; she felt as if her entire body was being slowly stretched apart while being pierced by thousands of cold blades.

She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes and mouth emitted blinding light, followed by her entire figure, becoming a beacon of light.

Cynthia was losing herself. Her will was wavering on a thin rope against a dark abyss. And the rope was threatening to snap.

And her mind was slowly fading away, immersed in endless divinity.

In ascension, she was losing everything. Her emotions and memories were all blurring and disappearing, washed away by the illusory light.

She was drowning in this ocean of light, losing everything that had made her who she was now, and all that persisted was divinity.

'No…' In despair, she reflected. Even that emotion faded quickly, as apathy and indifference consumed her heart.

'Hey, what was my name?' She mused. 'Oh, I don't know…'

The last vestiges of her self were giving out, sublimating with the light.

But just at this moment, in her memories, that was slowly being erased and blurred. There was one dusty and locked memory that was clear. It didn't seem to be affected by this illusory light.

That memory flashed by, sending a ripple through her being and jolting her.

Immediately, through the memory, she saw a silver-haired woman cooking on a hearth under a dark sky blanketed by stars. A boy and a girl sat next to her, anticipating the food.

After a few minutes, the woman finished, taking out the food and dividing it evenly among the children, not taking even a small portion for herself. The children gulped at the food, their parched tongues longing for it.

When the woman finally handed it to them, they immediately began to devour it, savouring every bite.

As she watched and guarded them, the silver-haired lady smiled gently.

She stood in the light, mutely watching the memory.

Soon, a crystal tear trickled down from her all-white eyes as realisation filled her eyes.

The woman with silver hair was herself. The boy and girl were her children.

Cynthia was her name.

Everything shattered like a broken glass, her memories and emotions flooding back into her mind.

And she ascended.

____________

Apollo took a look at the pool. It has been 10 minutes. The solemnity and heaviness in the air became thicker by the second.

Anastasia, Castor, and Nicholas focused their attention on the tranquil pool, their hope wavering. The nine muses remained calm, despite their obvious curiosity.

Another minute of silence has passed. The pool's surface suddenly emitted a blinding light, and a figure shrouded in brilliance erupted from within the chaotic pool.

The figure was a divine woman with golden eyes and long white hair. She was dressed in a sleeveless white gown with intricate golden laurel leaf embroidery.

She knelt in front of Apollo, and six pure light wings emerged from behind her back, swaying brilliantly and putting everyone in a trance.

Apollo raised his hand and his spear of eternity materialized. Then he lightly touched the tip of the spear to both sides of her shoulders.

Finally, he said. "Cynthia. You are the beacon of light. The bane of darkness. The second light."

"Arise." he commanded. Cynthia stood up and finally looked at him.

Apollo declared, his voice resounding. "My Angel of Light."

Cynthia bowed her head, saying unequivocally. "I pledge myself to you for the rest of eternity, Milord."

Apollo nodded, recognising her pledge. Cynthia then walked back towards them.

Everyone looked at her with wonder and curiosity, wanting to bombard her with their questions.

Apollo, on the other hand, didn't give them a chance, saying loudly. "Next."

Anastasia, Castor, and Nicholas exchanged thoughtful glances. Anastasia then walked forward, calmly stepping down to the pool.

Her brown gown faded as she took her first step into the pool and submerged herself.

The ripples on the lake subsided. Cynthia's successful ascension removed the tension and heaviness in the air. They all stared patiently at the pool.

The minutes ticked by. 15 minutes later. A dark-golden light shone from the ethereal pool. Anastasia emerged from it, dressed in a dark gown.

Her eyes were clothed in gold, and she held a sword in one hand and an inverse scale in the other. Behind her back, six dark-golden wings swayed.

She exuded a strict and authoritative aura.

Anastasia ascended and kneeled in front of Apollo, her head bowed.

Apollo declared, lightly tapping the spear on both of her shoulders.

"Anastasia. You are the Balancer of Order. The Chainer of Chaos. The Guide and Sage of humanity."

"But above all, you are the Judge, the Blind One."

"Arise, my Angel of Judgement."

The entire hall was illuminated by a dim light. Anastasia stood up and vowed to him.

Apollo acknowledged it with a nod. Then he waved to Castor and Nicholas as Anastasia approached Cynthia and stood beside her.

"I'll be the last one." Nicholas motioned forward to Castor.

Castor nodded deeply before descending into and immersing himself in the pool.

Time marched on. After 14 minutes. The pool radiated a golden glow. From within it, a literal sun ascended, emitting infinite light.

A man in silver armour emerged from the sun, his chest plate engraved with the emblem of a blazing sun. He had shoulder-length golden hair and six golden wings.

He materialised in front of Apollo, kneeling, emitting a scorching aura.

Apollo tapped his shoulders with the spear, declaring. "Castor. You are the Morning Lord. The keeper of the Eternal Sun. The Bringer of Hope."

"Arise, my Angel of Dawn."

Castor rose, his heart set on duty and honour, and vowed to Apollo.

Apollo acknowledged him. He then turned. "Come on, Nicholas."

"Yes, Milord." Nicholas said eloquently, descending into the pool and submerging within it.

The light of the sun slowly brightened, as time ticked away. After only 5 minutes, the pool emitted a dark light that withered everything it collided with, bringing death and an end to everything.

Out of light came a man in black armour, his black short-hair messy and his deep dark eyes surged like the abyss. Six pure black wings, bathed in dark light, erupted from his shoulders.

He kneeled before Apollo.

Apollo tapped his shoulders with the spear again, declaring.

"Nichols. You are the Lord of Twilight. The herald of the end. The Symbol of Power and Destruction."

"Arise, my Angel of Death."

Nicholas bowed his head and vowed to him, his figure glowing with dark light.

Apollo acknowledged him. Finally, he turned and walked towards the nine muses, who were staring at him with obvious excitement.

He said, eyeing each of them. "As you are already gods, I will bestow direct blessings on you. But fret not, your blessings will not in any way be lost to my angels. In the end, it all comes down to how you use it."

He took a brief pause before continuing. "You will be receiving my blessing of order."

"Our Musagetes." Calliope asked, hesitantly, the question that was on everyone's mind. "Are you the God of Order as well?"

"Yes." Apollo admitted. "I am the God of the Sun, Light, Order, Art, Music, and Prophecy."

Everyone went silent at that, while he continued, looking at Calliope. "Order will help your music to empathise with the reality itself, altering it even more so. It will also allow you to perceive reality more clearly. And I had just come up with the idea of combining order and music not long ago and realised it. So, this path is even unfamiliar to me."

"We will forge through it." Calliope smiled, her eyes blinking in excitement. "You need not worry about us."

Then she turned and spoke to her sisters through her eyes. Finally, they all agreed.

"Our music, Musagetes, shall be your law and order."

Apollo smiled, seeing their enthusiasm. Then, one by one, he began to bless them with his authority of order. The process was finished in half an hour, leaving the muses dazed. They were still struggling to grasp their new sense of reality.

At last, Apollo walked towards his angels, who were patiently awaiting his first order, leaving them to recover.

He said, clearing his throat. "I and the other gods created humanity. And I bestowed the Primordial Fire on them, imparting potential upon them."

Apollo waved his hand at the ceiling, causing it to fade away and reveal the blue sky.

"Give humanity a choice just like I gave you. Let them choose their own faith."

"And guide them in the right path, away from self-destruction. Remember, I honour free will."

"Delphi will become the headquarters of my Temple, the Temple of the Eternal Blazing Sun."

Finally, he declared, his voice booming. "Spread my gospel, will, and name throughout the mortal world, my angels."

"I am Phoebus Apollo, the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Inextinguishable Light, the Master of Order, the Giver of Life, and the Ethnarch of Art and Music."

His angels ascended to the sky immediately, carrying his will.

At this moment, the sun in the sky suddenly expanded and became extremely huge. It lit up everything, splattering palettes of gold across the sky and earth.

Mortals and Gods, alike closed their eyes in piety and fear.

In the bright sky, the angels opened and speared their wings, shimmering in the brilliance of the light.

They looked at the blazing sun, spreading their hands towards the sun, bathed in an auric glow.

"Praise the Sun!"

They chanted. Their voices rang out in unison, thrumming in the hearts of Mortals and Gods, and throughout the world.