Chapter4

For four years, I had questioned God’s design. I had doubted the wisdom of the Oracles, even wondering if I had somehow been tainted, turning into a fallen angel condemned to the mortal realm for penance.

The only thing I never questioned was Damien.

But just a moment ago, a memory suddenly struck me.

On the day of my banishment, I plummeted from the clouds and crashed into the garden right in front of him. I was covered in blood. Most of my wings were shattered, my bones fractured and broken. By the time he ran over to me, I was already regenerating in a halo of light. The severed feathers of my wings grew back one by one, my golden blood flowed in reverse back into my wounds, and my splintered bones knitted themselves together beneath my skin. When I stood up completely unscathed, the shock and astonishment in his eyes were unmistakable.

From that day on, he treated me with a gentle reverence. He even took me to the temple for a comprehensive physical examination. Foolishly, I believed he was simply terrified I might get hurt again.

Now, the truth was glaringly obvious. Back then, Chloe had been desperately searching for a magical conduit for her dark arts. And I—an angel fallen from the sky—was exactly what she needed. Even with my divinity weakened and my powers sealed, my body was brimming with primordial essence, topped with the gift of regeneration. I was a sacrifice tailor-made for her.

"You only feel hatred for me, don't you?" My voice was barely a whisper. "That's why you can be so cold."

He fell silent for a long moment. "Aria, how could I hate you? I love you too much. If anything, blame yourself for abandoning me that first time. These four years… they were an opportunity for Chloe to practice, but also a lesson for you. Don't worry. The punishment is almost over. Once we're married, I will completely go back to the way I was with you."

I laughed. I laughed until tears spilled down my cheeks.

Damien, if you knew that I fell to the mortal realm purely because I heard you calling my name from the bottom of the abyss—would you regret it?

My voice lacked even a trace of warmth. "I would rather become a fallen angel and serve Lucifer himself than be with you."

"If not with me, then who?" He let out a dark chuckle. "Stop talking nonsense. Let's finish the ritual first."

The recording crystal had already begun to hum with energy.

As Chloe manipulated the spell, she narrated to the crystal. "Watch closely, class. The angelic essence is currently disintegrating. This streak of golden light is the very last shred of her life force."

She suddenly stepped to my side and, without warning, violently tore the back of my ritual robe open. My entire bare back was exposed to the crystal's projection. Silver-white scars crisscrossed over my skin, stretching from my shoulder blades all the way down to my tailbone. Each one was a visceral reminder of the previous eight sacrifices. She traced the air above my back with her wand. "These scars... each one represents a separate ritual. Her bones, her blood, her wings, her essence... Our lovely angel here has provided us with absolutely invaluable experimental data."

"I'd also like to remind my fellow researchers: when studying the forbidden dark arts, you must choose the right living subject. Choose wrong, and you're only wasting your own time."

The harsh, pale light beat down on my exposed back. The air around the altar suddenly felt freezing cold. Ignoring my violent shivering, she walked back to the head of the altar. "Explanation over. Let's continue."

The curse seal drilled deeper into me. The exact moment my heart was severed from my body, a violent, agonizing tremor convulsed through me. A pool of murky, foul-smelling black blood seeped from beneath me, its stench permeating the air.

Chloe paused her movements once again, pointing the recording crystal directly at the filthy puddle. "Oh, my. The angel has lost control and is bleeding black blood. This is absolute prime material for corruption."

Damien raised a hand, blocking the crystal's view. "Don't let it distract your casting. You keep going. I'll take care of this."

He changed my soiled robe. His movements were incredibly gentle, practiced, and entirely natural. During the days when I used to slip into comas after the previous rituals, he had changed my clothes just like this. Back then, it felt like warmth; now, it only felt like ice. His hands suddenly paused. He looked up, finally seeing that my face was absolutely drenched in tears.

The light in my eyes was rapidly fading. I forced out three final words: "I... hate... you..."

A fleeting glint of pure panic flashed through his eyes.

I looked away from him, my gaze drifting upward to the skylight etched into the dome above. In the fading light, I thought I saw the day we first met. Wisteria petals had been falling onto his shoulders. He had looked up at me as I plummeted from the heavens, reaching out his arms to me, saying, "Don't be afraid. I've got you."

If I could do it all over again, I would never have placed my hand in his.

Chloe's voice echoed in the background. "Now, we have finally reached the most crucial step—the extraction of the heart."

A sudden emptiness hollowed out my chest. An imposing, authoritative voice echoed within my mind—

[Trial failed. Let the soul return to the Divine Realm.]

The next second, my consciousness floated up, completely weightless. All the pain vanished.

My breath dissipated, and my heartbeat finally stopped.