Chapter Text
So this is how it ends, my hours are up, my light will fade. It's been a good… few hours of freedom.
Gabriel’s blades were planted firmly in the ground, they began to fade into dust.
He knelt as his wing’s light began to dim and his halo turned to mist.
he laid back onto the lush grass of Limbo, looking into the night sky, ready for each breath he took to be his last.
He took one last breath in, and held it, he continued to hold it, even with mounting pressure in his chest, even as the world began to fade around him
This is death, not to be fought, rather to be accepted with open arms. it will hurt less if I don't fight it-
Gabriel sprung up gasping for air
What?
The world came into focus, Gabriel stood, feeling… alive, vivid.
Am I dead? Was I simply destined to end up here?
Gabriel looked down at his hands, they were the same, not those of a husk, he felt his pulse.
Still there, yet his chest felt tight again.
He took another breath, and the tightness faded.
Angels don’t need to breathe, the light of god fuels them, but the mortal man does for he has no light…
I was always told that an angel dies when their light is lost, it makes sense that I was never told of the possibility of rebirth… heaven will ensure it is the only place where there is hope.
Now it’s rotting with the remains of humanity.
The grass whistled as a soft wind blew through, Gabriel shivered as it chilled his exposed abdomen..
This felt familiar, it reminded him of when he was young, before he was given his light, he was so delicate, and changing so much-
A constricting pain burned in his stomach.
This feeling was familiar too, yet he had trouble remembering its name.
Every thought was blocked out as the constricting feeling became desperate
Gabriel spread his wings, to fly, but it wasn't graceful, it was anything but graceful, pitifully flapping to barely get off the ground, but he couldn't just run, that was too slow, not a good enough vantage point to find-
Something, anything,
But as he made his way into the layer of lust, his body began to burn, his wings and chest feeling like they were being torn with every beat of his wings. His armor felt heavy,
His breathing had gone ragged and harsh.
It felt so wrong.
Down below there was a corpse of a filth, it was fresh. Gabriel dove down, it felt like instinct.
It was little more than a crash landing as he bruised underneath the armor. It still hurt even as he lurched over to the body.
Gabriel looked around.
Nobody to see me
He warily pulled off his helm, as the fresh cold air pierced into his lungs, he gave in and bit into the husk.
It was still warm, metallic, raw and disgusting.
But I have to do this…
Or I’ll starve.
Oh God I truly am mortal now.
He only ceased his feast when he felt that hunger no longer.
That is what that feeling was, I haven't felt hunger in so long.
Gabriel put his helm back on, now he stood in the streets of Lust, with the dawning realization; with a body so fresh, the machine must be near, he had to find a place to hide, and fast.
