Fallen [P1]

Emil sighed as he walked through the dense forest filled with all sorts of unique and colorful plants, Horace was following a few meters behind with an awkward expression. The half kilometer tall beast hovered silently above their heads, it did a good job at warding off some of the weaker beasts.

He tried not to but couldn't help glancing at Lilium who was walking with Lilith in front. Her beautiful red hair fluttered in the breeze, the sound of her voice was like a delicate bell and it pleasant to the ears.

He sighed again as he remembered the rejection from his confession.

//Several Hours Ago~//

"Lilium.. " Emil looked towards Lilium with a stiff expression.

"Yes?" Lilium's beautiful eyes landed upon Emil, curiosity was flickering in them.

"I have a gift for you." Emil handed over an enchanting purple flower that sat comfortably in a stone pot.

"Wow! Such a pretty flower! I can't wait to show mistress Lilith." Lilium held the flower with glee.

"Lilium will.. will you be my wife?" Emil held his fingers nervously as he looked into her ivory eyes.

"Eeeh!?" Lilium put her hand on her chest as a baffled expression overtook her.

"Is there something wrong?" Emil felt his heart drop.

"Uh... no.. just a little surprised. Honestly Emil, you just aren't my type.. sorry." Lilium chuckled awkwardly, her gaze flickering from side to side.

"Is it something I can change? Something I can do to win your heart?" There was a faint hope in Emil's eyes.

"I.. I don't know." Lilium looked away.

"Give me a chance? What do you like about General Lilith so much?" The hope Emil had was beginning to dissipate like the morning mist.

Lilium twirled a lock of her hair around her finger as she replied. "Hmm....Mistress Lilith has a certain air about her which attracts me, something about her indomitable will to grow stronger. She's like the moon high in the sky, aloof and free.. "

As Emil listened his chest tightened, his eyes dimming. [I.. I'm none of those..]

"Sorry, I got a little carried away there hehe. Anyway, I.. better go. Thanks for the flower Emil!"

Emil shook his head as he rubbed his temple.

"How can I compete with General Lilith?" He muttered despondently.

Horace had been listening to Emil's murmurs for the better part of an hour, although it was a little grating to his ears he still felt bad for pushing Emil to confess.

"I think it's better this way. Even if the feelings are unrequited, at least he tried." Horace nodded as he thought to himself.

Up in front, Lilith was walking at a steady pace. Lilium was following just a step behind, often gazing at the pretty violet flower in her hands.

Lilith was currently lost in her thoughts. Ever since her defeat at the hands of Helel and she became one of the three heavenly generals, she had been doing her utmost to become stronger in order to gain the power necessary to challenge the so-called King once again.

With her firm and complete devotion to the task, she had made leaps and bounds in her cultivation, even eventually passing the heavenly tribulation but no matter how hard she tried; she could feel the distance between them grow wider and wider every time she met Helel.

Just the thought of it irked her, to be under the rule of another...it was unacceptable! But she had no choice. No matter how hard she tried she was always one step behind and it made her feel trapped.

"Maybe I should temper myself out in the unknown lands.. Reports from scouts have revealed that there may be far stronger beasts that we have yet to encounter living there." Lilith pondered as she chewed on a piece of cooked beast meat.

Lilium was inspecting the pretty flower in her possession when she suddenly bumped into Lilith who had stopped.

A little startled, she looked up. "Mistress?" As she saw Lilith's expression, she became alert.

Lilith's eyes were narrowed, her expression solemn. She felt a growing sense of danger, not from one particular direction but from everywhere.

It was something she had never encountered before and it left her feeling a little frightened.

"Is something wrong?" Lilium whispered nervously. Behind her, Emil and Horace had stopped in the tracks. They were giving each other confused glances.

"Shhh.." Lilith put her finger on her lips.

The group stood there in silence, the tension in the air growing thicker by the second.

Seeing as nothing had happened, Lilith was about to give the 'OK' when a scream of pain resounded in their ears. It was so powerful that they felt their very souls shake.

"Ahhh!"

Painful groans left Lilium, Horace and Emil's throats. Only Lilith managed to hold her voice back as she gritted her teeth.

It took the group a few minutes to recover, they stared each other with fear in their eyes.

"We return as fast as possible, leave the beast behind." Lilith said with weakness in her voice.

Although their hearing had yet to completely return to normal, the others could make out what she had said as they nodded their heads.