Loneliness

Three hundred years later, Zadkiel wandered the earth, his once-righteous anger now dulled by the countless tragedies and horrors he had witnessed. The world was no longer the same. Kingdoms rose and fell, civilizations collapsed, and in every corner of the earth, war raged. He had seen humans slaughter one another for power and land, demons rise from the depths to sow chaos, and angels—beings once thought to be protectors—descend upon mankind like harbingers of doom.

The 1st Eternal War had erupted, a cataclysm unlike anything the world had ever known. It was a war between the heavens, the underworld, and earth itself. Humans, demons, and angels alike were caught in a seemingly endless cycle of bloodshed. Cities that had once thrived were reduced to ruins. Fields where children once played were soaked in the blood of countless soldiers, both mortal and divine.

Zadkiel stood on the edge of a battlefield, the stench of death thick in the air. He watched as humans, wielding weapons blessed by angels, fought desperately against demonic hordes. He saw angels, their wings glowing with divine light, cutting down humans without mercy. And in the distance, demons tore apart both human and celestial alike with terrifying savagery.

A free-for-all of destruction and death.

Zadkiel clenched his fists, black electricity crackling faintly around his body as his rage simmered. Despite all the power he had gained, despite the centuries of wandering, he still couldn't make sense of it. **Why did the world need to be so cruel?** Why had everything—his family, his home, and now the entire world—fallen into this endless cycle of violence?

He walked among the dead and dying, the screams of the wounded echoing in his ears. He had long since stopped intervening in these wars. What difference would it make? No matter how many people he saved, the war would rage on. No matter how many demons or angels he killed, there would always be more. The world itself seemed determined to tear itself apart.

For 300 years, Zadkiel had searched for answers, for a purpose. He had met gods, monsters, and mortals alike, but none could offer him any solace. He was a relic of the past, a wandering soul with nothing left to fight for. The power inside him, the black lightning that coursed through his veins, felt like both a gift and a curse. It had saved him from death, but it had also bound him to this cursed existence.

As he looked out over the battlefield, Zadkiel realized one thing: **the world had always been broken**, long before his family's betrayal, long before the Eternal War. And perhaps, in its brokenness, there was no saving it. Only endless suffering.

Yet deep inside him, there still burned a flicker of defiance. He was no longer the same boy who had watched his family die. He had survived, he had endured, and he would continue to do so.

**One day, he would find his purpose again.**

But for now, he walked on, a ghost among the living, watching as the world continued to burn.

Five thousand years later, Zadkiel had become numb to the passing of time. The world had changed many times over—kingdoms had risen and fallen, entire civilizations had crumbled into dust, and new powers had taken their place. But for him, nothing changed. He wandered through it all, a specter untouched by the cycles of history, carrying the weight of his past like an ever-present shadow.

One day, as he made his way toward a nearby town, Zadkiel overheard news that should have shaken him to his core:

**Adam**, his older brother, had massacred their family—killing all of their siblings.

It was Adam who had started the 1st Eternal War.

The news was spoken in hushed tones by a group of travelers at the crossroads. They described it as though it were an ancient myth, a tale passed down through generations. Adam, the once-righteous leader of their celestial family, had turned against his own, slaughtering them in cold blood. The war that had plunged the world into chaos millennia ago, the war that had consumed angels, demons, and humans alike—**it had been Adam's doing.**

The travelers spoke of him as a being of terrifying power, a god-like figure who had brought ruin upon the heavens and the earth.

Zadkiel paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. His brother… Adam. The one who had been the pillar of their family, the protector of their kin, the eldest and most revered among them—had been responsible for the deaths of their siblings. For the war that had torn the world apart.

But as the travelers continued their conversation, Zadkiel found that he couldn't bring himself to care.

He had long since stopped caring about such things. About his family. About the wars of gods and men. The news stirred nothing in him but a dull, distant ache—one that he had learned to live with over the centuries. He had shed enough tears, felt enough rage for a lifetime and more.

So he simply continued walking, leaving the crossroads behind. The town ahead was small, quiet, and unremarkable—a place where no one knew his name, and no one cared. That's what he preferred. He could disappear here, drink his fill, and be left alone.

When he finally arrived at the tavern, Zadkiel pushed open the door and made his way to the bar. He ordered a drink without a word, his eyes distant as he sat down. The bartender, like everyone else, didn't recognize him or ask questions. It was just another quiet night.

As he took a sip of his drink, Zadkiel thought about his brother. About the centuries of bloodshed that had followed Adam's actions. About the countless lives lost, the worlds destroyed. But in the end, it didn't matter to him. Not anymore.

He was done with family. Done with gods and their wars.

All he wanted now was peace. If such a thing was even possible.

So he drank, and the world continued to burn around him, just as it always had.

Zadkiel sat quietly at the bar, his eyes staring into the amber liquid in his glass. He was aware of everything happening around him—the sound of the bartender's banter, the woman's voice, the distant hum of conversation in the room—but it all felt distant, like background noise to his thoughts. The weight of centuries was heavy on his shoulders, and his mind was far away, lost in the endless cycle of wars and betrayals that had shaped his long, tortured existence.

A stranged woman named Victoria were sitting in a dimly lit tavern, the atmosphere thick with the smell of alcohol and the sounds of laughter and chatter. Zadkiel, wearing a dark hooded cloak that obscured most of his features, sat quietly at the bar, nursing a drink. He exuded an air of indifference, his gaze focused on the glass in front of him rather than the chaos around him.

Victoria, a striking red-haired woman with demon eyes, sauntered into the bar and took a seat next to him. Her confident demeanor drew the attention of the bartender, who greeted her with a mix of familiarity and irritation.

**Bartender:** "Well if it isn't you, Victoria Bloodfalled. You ain't getting another drink till you pay off your tab like last time."

**Victoria:** "Hey, I give you my word I'll pay this time! Just give me another drink. I just made field officer!"

**Bartender:** "I'm well aware this town is occupied by the Demon Kingdom, but that doesn't mean I'm giving free drinks to every demon that walks in."

Victoria sighed, rolling her eyes, and reluctantly reached for her coin purse to pay. Zadkiel, unfazed by her presence, continued to drink in silence, trying to ignore her.

Then, after a moment, he pulled back his hood, revealing his face. Victoria's demeanor shifted immediately as recognition washed over her.

**Victoria:** "What are you doing here?"

**Zadkiel:** "You told me to meet you here today."

Zadkiel handed her two items wrapped in cloth. Victoria inspected them and frowned, her expression turning serious.

**Victoria:** "I was expecting a corpse. What the hell is this supposed to be?"

**Zadkiel:** "That's all that's left of the target. They didn't exactly come quietly."

Victoria slapped her forehead in frustration.

**Victoria:** "You can't be serious, Deadface!"

**Zadkiel:** "Well…"

**Victoria:** "SHUT IT. What's with you, Zadkiel? You've been lazy, lousy, oh—and Lumaurianless! That's three L's!"

Zadkiel remained stoic, unfazed by her escalating frustration. He leaned back against the bar, swirling his drink. He had heard her complaints countless times before, and while he appreciated her concern, he felt no need to change his ways.

Victoria paced, her fiery hair bouncing with her movements. Her demon eyes sparkled with intensity as she confronted him.

**Victoria:** "You don't even care about your reputation anymore, do you? I have to deal with the council and their expectations, and here you are, tossing me scraps!"

**Zadkiel:** "That's your problem, not mine."

He stood up, preparing to leave, his height casting a long shadow across the bar.

**Victoria:** "Where do you think you're going?"

Zadkiel turned back to her, his expression cold and emotionless.

**Zadkiel:** "To find something worth my time."

He opened the door, the sound of it creaking echoing through the tavern.

**Victoria:** "You're impossible, Zadkiel! One day, that attitude of yours is going to get you killed!"

Zadkiel paused, glancing over his shoulder.

**Zadkiel:** "Maybe. But not today."

With that, he stepped out into the night, leaving Victoria with the remnants of their conversation and the uneasy feeling of having to clean up the mess he left behind. The door swung shut behind him, sealing the atmosphere of the tavern and its patrons in a haze of chatter and laughter, oblivious to the tension that had just transpired.

Victoria sprinted out of the bar, determination etched on her face as she chased after Zadkiel. He walked with purpose, his cloak billowing slightly with each step, clearly irritated by her pursuit. She finally caught up to him in a narrow alleyway lit by the faint glow of street lamps.

**Victoria:** "Zadkiel! Wait up! We need to finish this conversation!"

Zadkiel halted but didn't turn around, his annoyance palpable. After a moment, he sighed and turned to face her, crossing his arms.

**Zadkiel:** "Fine. But let's make it quick."

Victoria took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure despite the stress gnawing at her.

**Victoria:** "The items you brought are a little damaged. HR is gonna fuck us over for this!"

Zadkiel shrugged nonchalantly, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

**Zadkiel:** "Like I care."

Victoria's eyes widened in disbelief, and she took a step closer, frustration boiling over.

**Victoria:** "Huh?"

**Zadkiel:** "I work with you, not for you, Victoria. I'm not going to be one of your subordinates."

His words hung in the air, charged with tension. Victoria stared at him, her intense gaze reflecting a mix of stress and incredulity. She felt the weight of his dismissal, and it fueled her irritation.

**Victoria:** "FIND!"

In a sudden move, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small sack of coins, shoving it into his hands with a sharp motion.

**Victoria:** "Then take your damn payment and get the hell out of my sight!"

Zadkiel glanced down at the sack in his hand, then back at Victoria, a bemused expression crossing his face.

**Zadkiel:** "Tch."

He turned on his heel, ready to walk away, but not before casting a final look over his shoulder.

**Zadkiel:** "Just remember, you can't control me."

With that, he walked off into the night, leaving Victoria standing in the alley, torn between exasperation and a hint of admiration for his defiance. As he disappeared around the corner, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration mixed with an undeniable attraction to his reckless spirit.

Victoria let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her hair as she contemplated the chaos that came with working alongside someone like Zadkiel. She knew their paths were intertwined, but at that moment, it felt more like a burden than a partnership.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that their destinies were somehow linked, and that their confrontation was far from over.