His eyes closed, trying to block out the fear and suffering of everyone around them as if something as simple as not seeing it would actually help. It was denial, he knew, but also it was the only way he could keep his guilt at bay since he’d be abandoning people. Again. But not Raziel and not Zander. Her delicate fingers touched along his skin, cupped his cheek, and he was able to find more grounded peace. And then the moment came: the pinprick that starts as a single point under the skin, suddenly radiating like a million tiny suns; a sharpness so full that he felt he might be consumed by fire.

It engulfed the three of them, but only for a flashing second before the cries and other such sounds of chaos cut out to silence. He exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and chanced opening only one eye. All around them was snow and the cold still air of the cradle. The sun was so bright: the light pouring everywhere, setting the snow into small rainbow spectrums from how much light there was. And yet he couldn’t actually see the sun anywhere. The air, while cold, wasn’t chilling him like usual, the warmth bathing over him from the golden light wouldn’t let it. So how was the snow not melting?

He didn’t focus on that for too long, because what was important was that everything was much more peaceful here. So far at least. Even though the area was much calmer, he kept Raziel held in his arms as he walked towards the town; the shimmering glass of the temple was acting as a good beacon. “Are you all right?” he asked softly, eyes staying forward. Zander was in one piece following alongside them, and he was thankful for the muted trot of his paws in the snow. Finally, something normal.

The closer they got to the town the heavier his eyes felt, though he wasn’t exactly tired, just extremely relaxed. It was something about the air, it smelled familiar, lulling him into a sense of nostalgia. His mind raced to come up with a memory to link to that scent. He blinked hard in an attempt to clear his head, “We should rest somewhere…”

A brief, tingling warmth washed over her. Every tiny hair along her skin rose, as if a small thunderstorm danced along her skin. Just as quick as it came, the feeling dissipated. Screams chut short, including the oppressive weight of despair lifted off her heart. The sharp chill of the air filled her lungs, laced with faint pine and something else…

Any thought about that scent was overridden by a massive shiver snaking its way down her spine. Raziel burrowed deeper against the star, unable to control the constant trembling. Despite the fact of being engulfed by his jacket, the angel might as well have been barefoot and half naked. Her dress was meant to keep the snow accustomed angel cool in the higher temperatures. Regardless, even in the century of living in Zets’ki, never once did she show more skin than face, neck or hands.

”Just cold,” she replied. A faint memory from long ago drifted through her mind. One young Raziel did not agree with her mother. Instead, the defiant child chose to teach her mother a lesson. In naught but a simple sleeping gown, she plopped her tush down in the snow. Not even five minutes later, a very cold, and very sorry angel apologized to her mother.

”Zander, let’s go home.” The wolf barked excitedly, tail wagging as he took point. That scent was finally registered. Her mother’s vegetable soup and fresh bread. ”Mother must be cooking.” Raziel’s mouth watered at the thought. But… Wasn’t she forgetting something?

The further he walked, the hazier the area became. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t how the cradle usually was. The usual icy wind was still, leaving only a constant chill in the air. This cold was different though somehow. It felt deeper, more familiar. He knew this cold, and for a moment forgot that Raziel was in his arms. He didn’t let her go, but his body was acting on autopilot as he walked forward. The city was just ahead, over the next slope of snow, he could even see the beaten frozen path from here.

Raziel said something, but his ears couldn’t quite register, because just at the top of the slope he saw a waifish figure. Her hair moved in an unseen wind all the way down to her ankles, flowing around her stomach and chest to hide her otherwise completely naked body. To call her a ‘her’ wasn’t even completely accurate, it was just the closest pronoun to use in the common tongue of Revaliir. He hadn’t seen her in so long, not since before he fell, and now she was standing there with one hand outstretched towards him.

His heart lurched in his chest and soon he was running, clutching Raziel to his chest while simultaneously forgetting that he was holding her. For him, all around him faded out: there was no Zets’Ki Cradle, it was the white and blue land that he had grown up in. He thought he’d never see it again, and now he was back, how was this possible? No matter how fast he ran, how hard his legs pumped, he couldn’t reach her, and he called out to her in their native tongue. Her only answer was a smile, one that fluttered his pulse and brimmed diamond tears to his eyes.

And then his foot caught on a rock and he fell. His body curled around Raziel, and for a brief moment he’d regained his senses. What in the world? He blinked away the crystal tears in his eyes and looked down at the angel in his arms, her features becoming more recognizable now, “Raziel…?” What had he been doing? Where were they? He knew where he’d taken them, but hardly anything was making sense. His heart yearned for the dream trying desperately to surround him, but he didn’t want to forget Raziel again. Even now the memory of her was trying to fade again.

The angel knew something was wrong as soon as it happened. Zander was giving short yips, worried about something. Suddenly, Najima was running. "Naji?" But there was no answer from the star. His feet continued their rapid pounding through the snow, as if he was ignoring both angel and wolf. Najima was not headed towards her home. "Najima, please!" Worry was beginning to rise in her, making her fearful of where they were headed.

Raziel yelped and pressed tighter into Najima as they were in free fall. He had fallen, and gripped her closer, curling around her as they hurtled toward the ground. Finally, his sweet voice washed over her, saying her name, to which she smiled softly. "Naji, I don't know what is happening, but please, we must get out of the snow. Follow Zander, he'll show you to my home." A single, delicate hand escaped the warm confines of the jacket and reached up toward his face, cupping his cheek.

"Concentrate, and fight it, whatever it is." A sudden thought came to the angel. If there were nightmarish conditions in the plains, what if things were being affect all over the world? Could there be something in stark contrast to the darkness? The thought scared her. Whereas before her voice was soft, and hesitant, it grew firm and commanding. It was a quality that only showed itself when she was healing. "Get inside now, Naji." 

His eyes closed tightly and he clutched her closer to his chest. Her voice made it to his ears but was so muffled it was like being underwater. When her tone cut through to urgency his eyes quickly opened. Ahead of him was Zander, but all around them was his home world. How was this possible, what was happening? If the plains had been filled with nightmares, then was it possible that there was another dangerous effect blanketing other parts of the world? Was any place safe? The cradle had become home to him recently, he didn’t like the idea of it playing tricks on him.

“Your home…” he repeated, before standing up and following Zander on unsure legs. He moved a hand, holding Raziel’s to his cheek as he walked through the snow, and trying very hard not to be distracted by the familiarity of that other world around him. Zander led the way, but he had to keep his eyes constantly trained on his back as they went, lest he be sucked in by the temptations around him. Was he the only one being tricked? Raziel was blind, that was true, but what about her other senses?

“Raziel, what is it like for you here right now…?” he shook his head, swallowing down the forming lump in his throat. “If you were only able to see, Zets’Ki looks so different, even the air feels wrong. What’s it like for you?” She had said ‘home’, but which home did that mean? Was she safe from the illusion or leading them into yet another? He thought briefly to the deities’ temples, wondering if a holy place like that might be safer and unaffected. There was the temple here, but it was to a dormant being, and he wasn’t sure how much protection that would be able to bring.

While she was relieved, she persisted in keeping her healing demeanor. If he strayed, where would they be? ”Yes, my home. Warm and full of food, blankets.” Together, they would persevere, they would make it to her home. There, mother would give them the food she can so clearly smell. First, however, Najima was being lulled into some other delusion, and Raziel must take steps to prevent it. She blinked at his question, trying to completely understand what exactly he was trying to say.

”I can smell mother's cooking. And I can hear… bells? A harp? Some of the angels must be playing some music.” Now that she had been paying attention to things, instead of falling into a tranquil state, Raziel did notice something. The air, while unnaturally still and cold, felt heavy. She frowned. ”It feels… like a blanket. Like it wants me to relax, or sleep.” Zander yipped excitedly, turning in circles as he looked up at the odd pair. They had arrived to her home. The door opened for them as they reached the threshold, greeting them to a warm, lit interior.

It was not the most glamorous house, but there were a fair amount of plants dotting corners and such around the room. Excited, Raziel jumped from his hands and ran towards the kitchen. She had spent a century in this house, and knew it as the back of her hand. ”Mother!” But the woman was not in there. Instead, it was someone else. His scent was so contrastingly different, Raziel halted, nearly falling over. ”Raziel, it is good to see you, my dear.”

Her brows furrowed as she tried to figure this out, that feeling of forgetting something intensifying. ”Who are you?” ”I've been waiting for you, Razie. And you're finally here. And we can be together as a family forever.” She took a hesitant step back. ”We?” ”I'm your father, Raziel. Don't you remember me?” Father… mother… mother is waiting… for father. ”Mother isn't here…” No. Her mother was sick, dying. Raziel turned, running blindly, with no destination. She ran right into Najima, sobbing at the realization that she had forgotten her mother and her mission.

When they came into the home he was relieved for the warmth, even if it was a bit stifling. Something was off, something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He thought about what Raziel had said, a blanket. What would cause a feeling like that? The pressure of the space outside of Revaliir was different for sure, but not like a blanket. It should have been threatening, but instead he felt lulled, as if something simply wouldn’t allow him to come to reality.

Even knowing they were inside a place that was home to Raziel, even as Raziel jumped from his arms and ran deeper inside, nothing would stick. The walls shifted, blurring in and out until he smelled the sweet air of his own home. He could just see it ahead of him: the wide white staircase that led to the second level. There was a whisper in the back of his skull, and he turned to look out the still opened door.

She had come closer now, her moonlit hair still draping around her body. She was fast, that must have been how she’d come down from the slope so quickly. Yes, yes she had always been extremely fast. As children she’d beaten him in nearly ever foot race. Her eyes, the same crystalline blue as his own, glowed brighter to match a smile filled with perfectly white teeth. She outstretched her hand yet again and brushed the backs of her fingers down his cheek.

He shuddered from her cool touch and took an instinctive step back before unceremoniously slamming the door in her face. This wasn’t possible, she couldn’t be here. If she was, if she had fallen like he had, then she certainly wouldn’t be smiling like that. Raziel bumped into his side and he quickly turned, wrapping his arms tightly, protectively, around her.

“Something’s wrong, this isn’t your home, this isn’t the Zets’Ki we know. We have to leave, we have to get somewhere, somewhere away from what’s going on,” his voice was urgent, and he looked down at her face before brushing her hair back behind her ear. All of a sudden, he was struck by her features in a way he hadn’t been before and stared silently at her usually vacant eyes.

From behind her, a tall, broad shouldered man filled the doorway to the kitchen. He had short blond hair, and a magnificent set of white wings on proud display behind him. It was those steely grey eyes that matched her own that bore upon Najima as he held his daughter. "You must be that Najima. Elithia has told me so much about you. Would you stay for dinner?" In Najima's arms, Raziel shook her head.

"I'm going to go upstairs. Get dressed in something warmer… Don't… do anything." It was hard for her to withdraw from Najima's grasp, completely ignorant with the way he was now paying attention to her. As she plucked the courage to leave his safe embrace, her father caught her hand on her way to the stairs. "Raziel?" "Please… don't." If this truly was Gabe, then she began to wonder if she really wanted to meet him or not. Fortunately, Gabe let her go, and she quickly ascended to her room. When she came back down, she had on a pair of good boots, leggings under a long dark blue skirt, her jacket and another cloak. Najima's jacket was folded neatly in her hands.

Of course, underneath her skirt and jacket was the dress she was wearing previously in the plains. If they managed to leave here, she could easily strip from her excess layers and still be cool. As it was, the extra layer helped insulate her with warmth. Returning to Najima's side, the angel paused, turning her head toward the blonde angel. That was Gabriel, strong and capable, swift and just with every swing of his weapon. Her mother loved him, and bore a child. "Raziel, where's Ramiel?"

Her breath caught in her throat, heart skipped a beat as she nearly collapsed. "What…. did you say?" No, she didn't want to know. This was all a dream, something made up by … By what? Raziel clung to Najima for stability. Nothing was as it seemed here. Najima and she both had something destroying their reality. Suddenly, the angel began attempting to drag the star out the door. "Let's get out of here." This was not the house she was expecting to come home to. Now, it was all she could do to rush out of there, running from something that cannot be real.

His brief stupor was broken by the voice of another man. He looked up in time to see him, and was shocked that he hadn’t noticed everything around him. Where was his home? Where had the familiarities gone to? This place was nothing like he remembered and all he could do was look blankly as Raziel, and the other angel, spoke between each other. She was hesitant to leave him, but he wasn’t sure why. There wasn’t anything immediately intimidating about him, so what was the matter?

Frankly he was more concerned over the fact that the world was shifting and changing as much as it had. Then that meant…He shook his head. Somewhere deep down he’d thought she’d actually been there, as terrifying as that would have been. But now? Now he knew for sure: he was alone. She hadn’t fallen, thank goodness, but a selfish part of him wished that she had. It was cruel to be given a taste of something only to have it snatched away so abruptly.

While Raziel was upstairs the pair just looked at each other. He wasn’t sure what to make of this man, or why she was acting so strangely around him. Should he know who he was to her? Raziel had mentioned going to her mother’s home, was this another relation? The two didn’t exactly look the same but at the end of the day that mattered little. Rather than engage in conversation with what could very well be a fabrication, he crossed his arms and tried not to focus on him. Like Raziel he was extremely beautiful in a way that felt like it should be frightening but wasn’t.

She was back down soon, but at the mention of Ramiel’s name her urgency had spiked. Soon she was pulling at his arm, tugging him to leave with her. What in the world? “He didn’t say anything, neither of us did,” he watched, looking at him for as long as he could until they were out the door. Once it was safely blocking them he looked down at her, “What was that about? Do you know what’s happening…?”

Despite himself his eyes flitted away from her, searching out the empty snowy slopes. There was no one there. Wherever she had come from, her apparition was gone. His heart stung. “If this is linked to the nightmarish area we left then I’m not sure which is worse…” he murmured. “It might be best if we go to the temple, just for tonight.”

Najima had mistaken her question as directed at himself, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t bother correcting him, and even with the door shut, Raziel’s heart thumped dangerously hard against her chest. Her breathing was irregular as she gulped the air, attempting to ground herself. This was not real, none of it was. Except Najima and Zander, nothing was as it seemed.

”I don’t know… I don’t know.” The whispered reply trembled in the air between them. It wasn’t until he spoke again that she realized that while she was dealing with something primarily shocking, he sounded quite depressed suddenly. Raziel nodded, allowing herself to be led by the angel and her wolf. ”When I was younger, mother would tell me stories late into the night about the adventures she shared with my father. But she never gave him a name, only referring to him as her angel or my father. After she had gone to sleep, I would lay awake, because she spoke in her sleep a single word that kept my mind racing.”

The angel spoke low, barely audible over the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Her arms were hugging herself as she pressed into Najima, not for the chill, but for comfort of his presence. ”That man was Gabe… And it all makes sense now… Raziel, Gabriel… Ramiel. Raz, Gabe, and Rammie. So… I… have a sister?” As they continued, her mind spun in circles. Raziel struggled to pull her mind away from the new information, trying to remember that Najima was upset about something. Her thoughts were throwing words into the frey, yet nothing was clicking into comprehension.

There were so many new questions that came to mind, questions she’ll have to try and recall to her orb later. ”What did you see?” A plethora of people were in the plains where the darkness crashed. If both of them were affected… ”Naji, do you think everyone is seeing stuff too? Is anywhere truly safe?” Maybe they should leave the Cradle entirely, but neither of them were up for a trek down the mountain, nor any spells required to leave by other means.