Scene 08 of the Chapter "The Fire and The Light"

The angels, upon entering the young people's residence, were surprised by its interior, which belied the modesty of the facade. The main hallway, extending to the back of the house, suggested a much larger structure. To the right, a staircase, hiding beneath it a small storage room, ascended to the bedrooms on the second floor. The laundry room, discreetly housed in the back of the house, was almost imperceptible. An arched opening revealed the kitchen, whose antique furniture was meticulously preserved. The aroma of spicy food, still floating in the air, took root in the wood of the round table, placed next to the window.

The only concessions to modernity were the refrigerator and the stove, which held the pots with the remains of the lunch prepared by Remborx. To the left, a single door opened into the living room. Two white sofas, a triple, facing the LCD television hanging on the wall, and another double, to the right of the door, framed the room. Next to the sofa, a guest bathroom seemed conveniently placed.

The ofanim Hahuiah roamed the house with curious eyes, whose light glow reflected his admiration for the place. The soft clink of your footsteps on the wooden floor echoed throughout the house, bringing a feeling of warmth and life to the place. Menadel, in turn, observed everything with a more discreet look, but still seemed to appreciate the simplicity and charm of the environment.

Hahuiah: "You have a very cozy house, and from the outside it appears to be much smaller." - He said calmly, while his honey-colored eyes searched every corner with admiration.

Remborx: "In fact, it's invaded. It's not ours." - Crivnick gave him a look while the angels looked amazed. - "I am joking. Yes, it's ours. You believe everything you hear, don't you?" - he laughed at his own joke, despite Crivnick's withering look. The situation, however, brought a slight smile from the Ofanim.

Menadel: "Ah, it looks like we interrupted your lunch. Do you guys mind if I join? It's just that materializing and having to use energy right away makes me hungry..." - He asked, with his gaze fixed on the table of spicy food.

Remborx: "Of course not. It was Crivnick who was eating it, but he didn't like it very much. He can eat if he wants, there's more food on the stove for him." - He gestured with his head towards the stove, to indicate Crivnick.

Menadel: "Thank you very much, boy." - He replied, walking towards the kitchen, followed by Crivnick.

Crivnick: Yes, Remborx! Thank you so much. - He declared, with a slightly irritated tone, while Remborx raised his eyebrows, not understanding his friend's reaction.

Remborx approached Hahuiah and whispered:

Remborx: "Is there a problem if an angel eats pepper?"

Hahuiah: "It depends on the angel. The reaction changes from angel to angel, sometimes nothing happens. Menadel, as far as I know, doesn't even taste it, but I never knew if he reacted to it or not. Why?" - He asked, curious.

Remborx, trying to hide the expectation in his voice, replied:

Remborx: "Just curious. Come. Feel free. Sit on one of the sofas while we wait for them to talk together. I'll stay by the window, but don't worry about me, I'll just take a nap." - He pointed out the sofas to Hahuiah, as he walked towards the window. In the corner of his eye, he saw Menadel approaching the spicy food, and he couldn't help but smile.

After a few minutes, Crivnick and Menadel reappeared in the room. Hahuiah greeted them from the couch, as daylight flooded the room through the window. Remborx, leaning against the wall next to the window, woke up at the exact moment they entered the room. He rubbed his eyes, stretched, and clapped his hands lightly to attract attention, as if he were readily alert rather than having just woken up. On the couch opposite the television, Crivnick settled in, his piercing eyes fixed on the angels with undisguised curiosity.

The room, now filled with the soft aroma of food still in the air, had a welcoming look. On the shelf where the television was, there were several photos: Remborx with people who seemed to be his family, Crivnick also in familiar poses and a portrait of a red-haired boy, absent at that moment. Through the window, one could see a peaceful part of the countryside that surrounded the house, the trees swaying gently in the breeze.

It was Remborx who broke the silence, the echo of his clapping still hanging in the air. Curiosity lit up his eyes as he began to speak, directing the angels' attention to him:

Remborx: "Very good. Everyone here, I hope." - he spoke casually, as if there was a possibility of someone else arriving. His gaze shifted to the angels, showing a peculiar interest. - "Why do angels come to waste their time with mere humans?"

Hahuiah responded with a calm voice that conveyed peace to the surroundings:

Hahuiah: "We are not more important than you, my friend. Each is unique, but never more important." - Remborx just showed a slight friendly smile.

Crivnick, clearly having fun with the situation, commented:

Crivnick: "It's a miracle you didn't respond to that, huh?"

Menadel, bringing the conversation back to a more serious tone, intervened:

Menadel: "We are here because one of you awakened the gifts of ancient magic, with the diminishing effects of the membrane called the tissue of reality."

Crivnick leaned forward, curiosity clearly written on his face:

Crivnick: "Oh! Yes. It was me, as you could see as soon as you arrived."

Remborx, with a touch of frustration in his words, commented:

Remborx: "And it was about time. More than three years training the principles of physical and spiritual energy. One day, even if it was with the reduction of the effects of the tissue, he had to make it, right?"

The angels looked at each other in surprise.

Hahuiah, intrigued, asked:

Hahuiah: "Do you already have this knowledge? We thought you had awakened at random and not that you already had knowledge about it."

The revelation seemed to increase the tension in the environment. Crivnick confirmed Remborx's words, explaining that they had been training for some time. A morning light invaded the room, casting soft shadows from the trees outside and adding a touch of serenity to the tense environment.

Menadel: "It makes things a lot easier for us, even though we didn't expect it." - he confessed, with a strategic gesture of his hand. - "We came to train you in more depth then, teaching you some things that you may not know, such as magic and some other principles."

It was then that he revealed the real reason they were there. They needed to gather the six legendary warriors for an upcoming battle involving the masters of Fire, Light, Earth, Water, Air and Darkness.

Crivnick, with a look of disbelief, asked:

Crivnick: "Six legendary warriors?" - His voice carried a mixture of skepticism and curiosity.

Menadel: "Exactly! But chances are Remborx isn't one of the five either. We have an entire planet to find others." - he said, maintaining a serious tone, but with a look that reflected the importance of the mission.

Remborx, with an evident tension in his voice, disguised by a forced laugh, replied:

Remborx: "As if it were a simple treasure search, right?"

He then changed his tone to something more serious:

Remborx: "And the battle you were referring to, is it related to what came out of the Western Wall?"

Surprise took over Menadel's face:

Menadel: "Did you see those things come out of that place? So you are one of the six, I have no doubt. Normal people couldn't have seen that, only supernatural beings and the six."

Hahuiah, with a serene look and a slight smile, observed the interaction.

Hahuiah: "What we know so far is that these creatures are looking for the lost city of Atlantis, but the reason we still don't know."

Remborx, clearly surprised, exclaimed:

Remborx: "What? Atlantis?" - His exaggerated reaction momentarily broke the tension.

Menadel, noticing the young man's reaction, asked if he knew the city. Remborx denied this, explaining that he was only scared because he seemed important.

The atmosphere was full of curiosity, tension and a touch of humor coming from Remborx. However, the peace was abruptly interrupted when Menadel began to feel ill. He hugged his belly with a clear sign of pain and a light inside his body began to flicker.

Menadel: "I need you to take me as far away from here as possible and as soon as possible. If this light is released here, everything and everyone will blow up." - he said, in a cold sweat, his voice tense as if he was exerting a lot of force.

The tension was palpable as everyone considered the urgency of the situation, with Remborx and Crivnick exchanging worried glances.

Remborx: "Leave it to me. I'll go as far as I can." - he said, picking up Menadel and running as quickly as possible away from the house, heading to some isolated place. The atmosphere became even more tense with their abrupt departure, leaving Crivnick and Hahuiah alone. Remborx's clothes fluttered in the wind and his hair flew behind him, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

As they left the house, Crivnick and Hahuiah remained on the threshold, their gazes fixed into the distance, following the dwindling figures of Remborx and Menadel. The signs of concern were evident on their features as they gazed at the scene of tension and urgency.

Remborx, thanks to his many years of training, moved like an arrow, with speed that would make any ordinary human envious. The sound of the wind buzzed in his ears, while the sight of trees and plants flashed by like green blurs in his periphery. Adrenaline coursed through his body, expanding his senses, keeping his focus solely on Menadel.

Meanwhile, Menadel struggled to maintain her composure. His body curled up, his hand pressed firmly against his stomach in a futile attempt to calm the intensifying pain. Sweat ran down his pale, red face, his breath coming in heavy gulps. The pain in his eyes was a frightening image, even for the normally playful Remborx.

Even from a distance of three hundred meters, the house now looked like a small miniature in a vast, open field. Menadel's voice, normally firm and steady, sounded muffled and uneven from the effort, but Remborx could still hear it. The order was clear, even if spoken with difficulty: Remborx was to return without him.

And so, Remborx returned, his speed taking him back home in a time that would surprise most. As he approached, he could clearly see Crivnick and Hahuiah waiting, the expressions on their faces were one of concern and tension, but Remborx, despite being aware of the seriousness of the situation, maintained his usual calm.

Crivnick: "So? he asked, concern clear on his face."

Remborx, still observing the distant point where he had left Menadel, replied:

Remborx: "I left it there. Now you just have to wait and..." - his voice stopped abruptly when a bright flash erupted from the place where Menadel was, dazzling the landscape with an intense light.

The sudden burst of light interrupted their words, making them blink against the brightness. The flash caught the three of them by surprise, with their eyes wide and full of surprise at the sudden phenomenon.

Menadel's scream filled the air, breaking the brief silence that followed.

Menadel: "Nistnidon Knadeor!!!" - He shouted, his voice reaching them clearly despite the distance. The force of the scream seemed to carry both relief and pain, as if he was releasing something that had been trapped inside him.

What followed was beyond believable. As Menadel's words echoed, a boom resounded and a sphere of light expanded, tearing through the daytime sky and swallowing the landscape around it, until it reached a radius of approximately one hundred meters. The instant it reached its maximum magnitude, a dazzling white pillar rose into the heavens, a spectacle so astonishing that it could be witnessed from miles away.

Remborx, wide-eyed, seemed torn between awe and shock at the demonstration, while Hahuiah wore an expression of surprise mixed with deep thought, and Crivnick seemed more shocked than anything else. Together they beheld the awe-inspiring event, a dizzying fusion of beauty and power that left them both fascinated and terrified.

And then, before they could even react, the event ended as suddenly as it began. When the light dissipated, Crivnick and Remborx blinked to clear the momentary smudges in their visions, while Hahuiah, her vision unshaken, remained gazing at the spot where the spectacle had taken place.

Remborx: "Wow! I knew that pepper makes it burn, but I've never seen it cause an explosion of light like that!" - he exclaimed, his eyes still shining from the spectacle they had witnessed.

He was standing by the door, next to Hahuiah and Crivnick. The air still shimmered from the burst of light, carrying a residual hum that seemed to vibrate in his eardrums.

Crivnick shot a sharp, reproachful look at Remborx, clearly not sharing the other's playful mood. Hahuiah, for his part, just smiled discreetly, a calm gleam in his eyes, as if he was deeply considering the meaning of what had just happened.

Like a white bolt of lightning, Menadel came running at a speed that made the leaves of the nearest trees dance frantically and the wind blow fiercely. His expression filled with fury and his red, tense face contrasted with the aura of power that emanated from him. The ishim hit Remborx with a sharp and relentless punch. The impact was so brutal that the air was expelled from the young man's lungs, and he was thrown backwards as if he were a light toy. Flying down the hallway of the house, Remborx only stopped when he collided violently against the back wall, but remained conscious.

Menadel's action left everyone static. Hahuiah and Crivnick were in silent shock, unable to move or react, as they watched the angel enter the house. Even with her enormous wings retracted, Menadel's menacing presence seemed to fill the hallway, making the atmosphere inside the house more tense and intimidating. The angel's entrance closed off any possibility of escape for Remborx.

With Menadel's voice echoing through the hall, the tension became palpable.

Menadel: "Are you trying to kill everyone, boy?" - The anger in his voice was evident, reverberating on the walls of the house. - "You deserve a lesson to learn to respect others, be more serious and to be aware of the true danger."

Remborx, feeling a slight but persistent pain in his face, stood up, facing the angel with an audacious provocation.

Remborx: "Don't get me wrong, usher." - he said, rubbing his hand over his face where Menadel hit. The indignation on the angel's face only seemed to deepen. - "No one to date has managed to do that, no. I believe you won't be the first." - he launched a challenge, a malicious smile playing on his face.

The taunt hung in the air, and the hallway seemed to narrow under the weight of the tension. Menadel, increasingly furious, responded with a threatening tone in his voice.

Menadel: That's what we'll see!

Tension built in the air as Remborx and Menadel stared at each other. Expressions on their faces revealed more than words could: Menadel, a mixture of indignation and determination; Remborx, a challenging smile and eyes burning with provocation. The thud of his boots against the wooden floor anticipated Remborx's movement, who charged towards the ishim.

Menadel reacted almost instantly, his quick movements displacing the air around him. The attempt at a successful strike, however, was frustrated. Remborx, showing unusual agility, threw himself underneath the angel, dodging the attack. The feeling of his soft robes brushing against his body brought a strange familiarity to the boy.

The angel was taken by surprise. Remborx, as he slid beneath Menadel, left his hand on the angel's left leg, an action that caused an abrupt movement. Menadel twirled in the air, his wings flapping slightly unbalanced. Meanwhile, Remborx was already up and on his way to the exit.

The scene left both Hahuiah and Crivnick standing still in surprise. They barely had time to process the sudden turn of events, their eyes widening as they watched Remborx escape and Menadel recover, ready for the next confrontation.

With an almost sly smile, Remborx looked over his shoulder.

Remborx: "I'm sorry, usher." - the provocation dancing in his voice. He increased his speed, fleeing the house. - "But I don't think it's today that I'm going to receive your punishment."

Meanwhile, Menadel stood tall, a wrinkle creasing her forehead in determination. He took a deep breath and with a fixed look in Remborx's direction, he replied:

Menadel: "You are mistaken." - With impressive agility, he crouched down, closed his hands in front of his chest and slammed his palms against the wooden floor.

Dust rose around him as the ground vibrated slightly. His voice echoed through the space, permeating the suspended dust with his resolute words.

Menadel: "Tenast Isordea!"

Beside the door, Hahuiah and Crivnick stood as spectators of the chaos. Remborx's swift figure passed them, kicking up a small whirlwind of dust with his hasty flight. Crivnick moved instinctively, worry painted across his face, but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. The ofanim's serene look, despite the situation, conveyed an almost palpable tranquility, while his smile conveyed confidence. A slight shake of the head was enough for Crivnick to understand. He stepped back, nodding in response, the earlier uneasiness fading as he recognized the wisdom in Hahuiah's gaze.

Remborx ran a few meters until, abruptly, a wall appeared before his eyes. The surprise was so great that he was unable to avoid the impact, colliding heavily against the smooth, cold surface, like rock, falling on his back to the ground, stunned. The scare was so great that it left him in shock for a few moments.

Before he could even catch his breath, three more walls appeared around him, each approximately twenty feet tall, forming a makeshift prison that completely enclosed him. The world beyond the walls faded away, leaving him in an oppressive silence.

Regaining his senses, Remborx tried to stand up, but the sudden pain in his body made him hesitate. Just then, he heard footsteps moving away and approaching, and despite seeing nothing beyond the walls that surrounded him, he knew Menadel was approaching, even with an intermittent ringing in his ears. An almost palpable satisfaction seemed to emanate from outside the prison, as if the ishim were smiling in victory.

Menadel: "Now, stay quiet there." - The scream echoed so that Remborx could hear it, despite the massive walls. "Apologize and, when I deem it appropriate, I will release you. Don't even think about climbing, as the walls are slippery inside. Spells won't work either, even though you won't be able to use them." - He explained, in his calm voice.

Crivnick: "Are you sure this can keep you locked up?" - He asked, looking suspiciously at the walls.

Menadel: "Of course. Only the Archangels would know how to escape, and he doesn't know the method. No problem." - He spoke with the serene confidence that characterized him.

Crivnick: "If you say so..." - He gave an understanding sigh upon hearing Menadel's explanation. - "Lets go in. We just have to wait." - He turned and headed towards the house, while Menadel took one last look at the prison before following him.

The ringing in Remborx's ears gradually faded, replaced by the unpleasant reality of his capture. As he stood up, his eyes roamed the smooth, even surface of the stone walls that surrounded him, cold to the touch. The only way out was the open sky above him, as unreachable as a distant dream.

He tried to take a leap, only to confirm what he already suspected - the ceiling was too high. He tried to scratch the surface, in vain. Frustrated, he felt the adrenaline that was still running through his veins being replaced by a feeling of helplessness. He clenched his fists and threw a blow at the stone wall in anger, the impact producing a brief flash of light that momentarily illuminated the interior of his prison.

For a moment, Remborx stared at the site of impact in surprise, but quickly chose to ignore it for now, chalking it up to some unimportant effect of the magic that bound him. He turned his back to the wall, hands still sore from the punch, and began to ponder his situation.

Remborx: "Damn. I can't stay here with Earth like this. If it is destroyed or taken over by demons, where will I eat my pizza or even my lasagna?"

Unsatisfied with his situation, Remborx struck the wall once again. The flash of light returned, illuminating the prison for a brief moment, leaving him surprised. Still facing the wall, a subtle smile formed on his face.

Menadel's words repeated in his mind, and suddenly an idea occurred to him - the only thing not mentioned by the ishim.

Remborx: Could this work? he wondered, seeming almost amused by the possibility.

Determined, he raised his head to the sky above. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak, lifting his head, a bold gleam in his eyes, and projecting his voice beyond the walls of his prison.

Remborx: "Hey, usher!" - His scream stopped Crivnick on his way into the house, with Menadel still outside. His voice was filled with unmistakable sarcasm. - "I apologize, but as I mentioned before, no one has ever managed to punish me." - He paused, his voice conveying an implicit challenge. - "And you won't be the first." - His proclamation reverberated in the subsequent silence, leaving those who heard him in anticipation.

As Remborx's words echoed, an expression of doubt and disbelief appeared on Menadel's face. His steps seemed cautious, but they were light, as if each movement was a contradiction of the uncertainty that carried him forward toward the wall.

Menadel: "How could a human without any power escape this prison, from which only archangels can escape? He could get hurt in this attempt…" - These thoughts echoed in his mind, as he remained motionless.

Meanwhile, Hahuiah and Crivnick moved to the entrance of the house, standing at the edge of the door, their eyes fixed and curious on the monolithic structure that trapped Remborx. Anticipation of an unknown outcome filled the air between them.

Hahuiah: "What do you think he's planning, Crivnick?" — He asked, still keeping his gaze on the wall.

Crivnick shrugged, a slight frown marking his face.

Crivnick: "Honestly, I have no idea. But something tells me we're going to find out very soon."

Within the imperturbable walls of rock, Remborx turned, heading toward the house that lay beyond his prison. He assumed a fighting stance, closed his eyes, and sank into deep concentration. He began to channel all of his physical energy into his right arm, feeling every fiber of his being vibrate with the accumulated energy. When he finally opened his eyes, he punched the wall in front of him with all his stored strength.

Remborx: Sinion Gist!

At the moment of impact against the wall, an explosion of sound reverberated throughout the room, accompanied by a palpable shock wave that shook the surrounding ground. The stones were thrown away, and the dust rose, spreading into the air and creating a thick cloud that obscured the view.

Hahuiah, still standing at the door of the house, could hardly believe what he was seeing. His eyes widened in surprise as his mind struggled to assimilate the reality of the situation. He knew that only archangels possessed the brute strength necessary to escape such a prison, and he could not conceive that an ordinary human could have achieved such a feat without the aid of magic or the like.

Then, from the cloud of dust, the figure of Remborx emerged. His face reflected a mixture of relief and joy, and he lightly jumped over the rubble, almost as if he was playing, until he finally reached the clean ground. With a theatrical gesture, he passed his hand over his shoulder, as if getting rid of accumulated dust, despite it being visibly clean. This simple gesture seemed to accentuate his defiant attitude.

Menadel, a few meters in front of Remborx, was completely unresponsive. Disbelief painted on his face, while a thought crossed his mind:

Menadel: "How could an ordinary human do something reserved only for archangels?" - The structure then completely collapsed, marking the definitive break of the prison and reinforcing the reality of Remborx's achievement.

Remborx: "You look bad, Menadel." -he said with a safe and firm tone of voice. - "But that doesn't matter now. Prepare to witness the true power of Remborx, the Master of Light."

Crivnick: "What?!" -the shock in his voice was evident, even as he spoke more to himself than to others. - "Since when is Remborx the Warrior of Light?"

Remborx took off towards Menadel, each step faster than the last, advancing five meters in an instant. With a powerful leap that defied human logic, he reached a height greater than the house itself, surpassing even Menadel. His body spun in the air with stunning grace, and he stood facing the ishim, his expression one of pure determination.

In mid-air, Remborx stretched his right arm towards the angel, holding his wrist firmly with his left hand. In front of his hand, a small sphere of white light began to form. Quickly, this sphere grew and turned into a bright cone of light that projected directly at Menadel, creating a half sphere of light on the ground that connected to the cone of light in Remborx's hand. The intense brightness of the light reflected on the faces of the spectators, distorting their expressions between shadows and flashes.

Crivnick and Hahuiah, witnessing Remborx's feat, attempted to run toward Menadel in a desperate attempt to intervene. The concern on their faces was palpable, and their quick movements demonstrated the urgency of the situation. However, it was in vain. The strike of light was already underway, and all they could do was watch helplessly, feeling a mixture of awe and fear.

Menadel, on the other hand, barely had time to react. With a look of surprise and apprehension, he crossed his arms in an X shape in front of him in an attempt to defend himself from Remborx's imminent attack. The intense light of the attack illuminated his face, revealing a glimmer of uncertainty and a gleam of grudging respect for the power he faced.