The news of the president being shot didn't go unheard, the fallback was worse than planned. Many countries pressured the pre-existing diplomates of Shill Na Ter to elect a new official head of the nation to persue finiancial exchanges as soon as possible, which was impossible due to the absolute performances the previous - actual - head could do in one day, the calculations he had in his head ta all times before Universalis took over.
Sehang invaded most of the east of Shill Na Ter's territory, terrifying the investors who gave up on the country as a whole. The legacy of Ambroise Ler came to a somber end at the moment the country's officials were all slughtered at the presidential place, the assassins leaving writings on the walls, stating one demand or request for all civilians across all nations: "KILL YOUR LEADERS."
Ismael escaped the situation to a different room, holding on to the wall, leaning down.
"I can't fucking breathe. I knew something was up, all this time feeling like my life itself is being obstructed by an outer force. I guess nobody can stay dead for too long, me or another. Ambroise Ler and Geulsang Zhao are probably dead at this point, I have to take care of myself."
His vision, blurred, didn't help in his suffocation. Ismael didn't need to reach hell physically to suffer anymore.
"Something is coming, and it's going to kill me violently. I don't think I have anything to fight that thing."
Awane burst the door open and stared at him with a furious look.
"Ismael! What are you doing here?"
"I'm dying."
"You're already dead, quit complaining and get to work, slave. I'll have you compacted like the others if you don't get outside and fix this situation right now."
"What situation? There are entities in this world, and I can't fight them all. I don't know where Geulsang Zhao and Ambroise Ler are."
"Do whatever you have to do but bring them back. And whoever is trying to mess with Kenza, kill them. You still have work to do and you're still my slave. Act like it. Your life depends on me, dog. Go."
Ismael dressed up with a fancy black coat and left in silence. The same heat hits exactly the same way every single time at the museum, the closer you get to the underground, the hotter it is. This time he didn't care for discretion, he wanted answers and anybody in his way would die.
"Yael. Tell me everything. How do we stop this? I've been dead for a long time now, and I wish I was just alive and well, I wish I had a goal."
"Those who we thought were giant Outer Gods of some sort are Nephilims. They naturally bypass the laws of this world, going from one realm to another. But they remain in their own subspace to remain untouchable, even Efalis bows to them, he's their pawn."
"So we kill the Nephilims? And that's it?"
"That won't be possible. They would never die so easily, they've lived for so long that they know how to operate to stay winning."
"So what do we do?"
"Nothing. They lived for a long time and they won't die for another. Stay in Kenza. Oh, and...their leader, his name is Nara."
"Any link to the Killing of Nara?"
"You'll have to ask him directly if you see him."
"Look, Yael. I tried to pass by, recently but..."
"I know. Things get tough in the outside world."
"Who are our parents? I don't know anything about you."
"Ismael. I want to know something from you first. How mad are you? That I was here, protected, and you enduring the real world outside?"
"I'm very mad. Mad that you were here, all alone, while I was outside, having real friends."
"That's your perspective?"
"Yes."
"So our parents, right-"
"Hold on, call from work. Grant?"
"Universalis crossed the line, before dying he had already set out a timer on a missile."
"Is it targeting Kenza?" Ismael asked, visibly terrified.
"You'd think so. Would be too easy. But he doesn't have our location, so he targeted something else, something out of this world, literally."
"Just say it already!"
"Blitzkrieg. Raven's monster orbiting the earth."
"What kind of missile can reach the outer space without decomposing and explosing in the atmosphere?"
"None. It's safe to presume Universalis had infiltrated the president's brain long before Ambroise Ler's death. He had time to work on the project and imagine the blueprints of his new creation. As I'm speaking it's going upwards still, with no sign of stopping. Universalis didn't want us to die, he wanted us to suffer, and the destruction of this monolith will forever impact our lives."
"You are sure the missile came from Shill Na Ter?"
"Affirmative."
"If we can't stop it anyway, then what is the point? Let it rip. We'll pick up the pieces afterwards. Right now, keep texting me on the situation, I have things to take care of, here."
"Awane is stressing, be here as fast as you can."
"Roger that."
Ismael put his phone back in his inside pocket and looked at his sister, full of questions.
"They're not going easy on you, huh?"
"Absolutely not."
"Ismael, our parents were normal. But normal people make mistakes, and we were seperated very young, I saw the nephilims and they took me in, the female ones took care of me and I waited. Waited to come back to reality, to be able to come back to you and...it never happened."
"I have no memorie of any of this."
"Well, for starter I was older. Also I told them to keep an eye on you, to protect you."
"I'm not sure they did a good job at it, but I appreciate it. What should we do with them?"
"To know where you stand with the nephilims, you have to talk to one of them. I recommend you call out to Nara and see what he tells you. Remember that they are not our enemies, just higher beings."
"I'll do what I can. Thank you Yael, you're the best."
He quickly left without wasting a second, constantly checking his phone for an update, heart breathing methane on the outside as the sky went red then black. He was stopped in his tracks by this monstruous shattering, the sky screamed and screeched and irregular gusts of wind blew away entire trees.
"I would assume no more connections via satellite. I'll just have to keep running to Kenza."
Huge debris of steel landed like a rain of meteorites on the grass near the ITS. Ismael avoided any accidents by using his angel eyes to correctly guess the trajectories. After a few more minutes he reached the gates which Karin opened.
"Quick. Grant stayed at her side. Go."
Out of breath he knelt in front of her. Awane was the television, some channels had managed to keep signal.
"How many villages. How many cities or people."
"Mistress, I have returned. As usual, with informations. I think I can get someone to help us."
"You always find something to come back to me with. What would I do without you?"
"Mistress, I was able to get to Yael, and she told me about these people, it only makes sense that they are the ones who took Geulsang Zhao and Ambroise Ler. In order to make contact, I would need to be alone in a room with no light and no sound, nobody to disturb me."
"Go."
"Thank you."
"When's the last time she cared so much about normal people? Surely she's trying to keep her humanity in check, but could it be for her mother? None of this feels organic, it feels more like selective tolerance. Kenza doesn't exactly protect the civilians, we are not heroes, we first and foremost kill the threats. And once they are gone, some specific factions of the organism tend to the wounds of the citizens. But anyway. This will do."
An empty room, as described. The perfect ritual room to make contact. Ismael sits down, eyes on the pitch black void in front of him. And with no text memorized nor instinct, he started.
"I call out to the nephilims. I implore Nara of the nephilims to hear my cry. To hear my call and talk to me, he knows me, he knows my pain. I reach out to you, ancient being of the world."
His heart reacted to the sentences he spoke, uncontrollably his body began shaking as he was filled with goosebumps. In his confusion he lifted his gaze and met with two red and black eyes standing in front of him, proud. Finally he was calmed down.
"I came by fast, I was expecting this for years."
"Nara of the Nephilms."
"Took you long enough."
"Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for calling. And it's fine. So what is it?"
"I need a way to kill Efalis."
"I see. The problem, Mael, is...if we do so, we break a contract, and that happens, we're not worth jackshit no more. And if we break our contract with him, who's to say we're not going to break our contract with you as well?"
"I expected so much. But I have an idea. Listen. You get me to Paradise, and warn Efalis beforehand. Once there, I hunt him down and if he dies, that's his own weakness, not you breaking the contract."
"Fair. I'll be real with you, he's been avoiding pain for too long, and I don't connect with this too much, you know? I like a few blood spatters here and there to make the day a bit more exciting. We owe you this for not being too caring with you anyway, so have it. I'll take you out there. Get up. Extend your hand. It will take a few seconds, no more."
The same light that took Capucine to Paradise the first time went wild in that ritual room, and when darkness took over, they were both gone. Ismael woke up to a strange set of multiple places, walls that go forever, gardens that descend into upside down castles, irregularities acting up in front of him and most of the inner rooms were filled with water.
Ismael chose a place that seemed cozy, comfortable and isolated. The sound of water felt relaxing, akin to crashing waves on a beach on Earth.
"What are you going to do now, Ismael?"
"I will hunt Efalis in his own home. Find him and slaughter him myself. This is it. This is the hunt in Paradise."