I will be the Strongest

Chapter 35

The emptiness disappears, and before their eyes, an intense and comforting light emerges. The glow touches their faces, and unlike usual, for some reason, Hye was feeling something. His hands trembled, and his eyes couldn’t tear away from the endless stairs leading up to a majestic angelic palace.

"Aunt..."

Touching Samantha’s shoulder with his fingers weakly was enough for her to realize something was wrong.

"I think this was supposed to be the last floor, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing because... I think I’m scared."

Opening her eyes, Samantha found herself surrounded by an infinite white space. The surface beneath their feet connected to an endless flight of stairs leading up to an unforgettable structure.

"Of course you are... In fact, it would be strange if you weren’t, even with you. Hye..., do you know who the Prince of Seraphim is...?"

"Philosophy wasn’t much covered in the classes I had, so no."

The sides of the stairs ignited as blue flames rose and extended to the end of the steps. With a silent motion, the gigantic white doors with golden details opened before their eyes, the closest to the gates of heaven.

"They say his name was Samael, but nowadays he is known by another... Lucifer, the lord of hell... And now... it seems he is inviting us in..."

An invitation, yes... it could be considered that, if they had any chance to refuse. Their bodies trembled, but their legs moved almost instinctively, as if something greater was guiding them along the right path.

Each step was a battle, as if the weight of the heavens was upon their shoulders. However, when they finally realized, as they lifted their heads, they were faced with columns so grand they seemed infinite.

With the involuntary movement of her trembling legs, Samantha instinctively reached out and held one of Hye’s hands. The surroundings captivated their gazes. Each wall told a different story from times long before creation itself. The floor beneath their feet was covered in stars, and each step seemed to need to be taken carefully, as the slightest mistake could cause unprecedented destruction somewhere unknown.

"You... strange... who are you, after all?"

The voice drifting from the doors ahead made the man beside her give in and fall to the ground. Despite the tremors increasing immediately after hearing it, neither Samantha nor Hye could prevent their feet from continuing forward.

"So alike, yet... still so different..."

Passing through the door, a beautiful garden unfolded before their eyes. The golden leaves of the trees swayed in the breeze, while white flowers spread across the field. Lions, tigers, and various other animals watched them, but at no point did they show any sign of aggression. They walked, lay under the trees, and drank from the crystal-clear lake in the middle of the vast flowered field.

"Are they angels or... descendants of some?"

The voice echoed from all sides, making it impossible to locate its origin. However, with the intensification of the light and the flapping of four pairs of wings, the leaves swayed gently, the animals rose, and then bowed, creating a path extending to Samantha and Hye. A throne of light appeared in the sky as the silhouette of the Prince of Seraphim slowly emerged.

"No, they don’t seem to be angels. So... if they are indeed descendants... how much time has passed...?"

His hair danced gently as his white wings fluttered during his approach. Even though they had been looking at him all the while, as if their eyes were being drawn by such a unique and miraculous being, the blinding brilliance emitted by his own body prevented anyone from seeing his true face.

As his feet touched the ground, the trees became brighter and the flowers more beautiful, each step reinforcing his grandeur compared to everything around him.

"What’s the problem? Say something. Could it be? Has your race regressed to the point of not being able to say a single word?"

The brilliance gradually dimmed, revealing his long black hair and sparkling blue eyes. An unreal being, with so many stories still told to this day, a creature that came into the world years ago, but no one had truly seen, was now... gracing them with his presence and the revelation of his perfect appearance. One created by the Father’s own hands, one of the first in all of creation.

"I don’t..."

"Huh?"

With just two words escaping his lips, Hye’s heart raced even faster, causing an extreme pain akin to being stabbed. With wide eyes, Samantha tried to move her face but couldn’t, so as an alternative, she squeezed his arm to try to stop him from continuing.

"We don’t know what you’re talking about..."

Powerful words indeed. If merely hearing them caused an apparent twisting of all his internal organs, what could saying them in person cause...? With the end of the sentence, Hye felt his mouth filling up, and blood streaming from his eyes, ears, and nose.