Arise

NARRATOR'S POV

Fragment 882 was utterly destroyed, erased as if it never existed in the first place.

All life, matter and concepts within it were erased and sent to oblivion.

Asher Blackwood was erased alongside the fragment. But was that truly the end of him?

A will-o'-wisp of smoke formed.

"Ah! You're here." A voice said to the smoke. "I'm Radkiel."

The wisp of smoke shook and swerved as if to show something.

"Stop, you keep on shaking like that your form would be lost forever. Although I'd still be able to bring you back but it'd be a pain in the ass."

Radkiel moved his hands and the wisp was finally able to speak.

"Where am I?" The wisp spoke. "Who are you?"

"You're basically at the end." Radkiel replied. "The end of all creation."

"Why am I here?"

"You remember, don't you? You were killed or should I say erased by Samiel."

The wisp shook violently.

"Stop. I know you're trying to remember what happened but take one day at a time." Radkiel cautioned. "Although time doesn't flow here."

"What are you?"

"I'm what your kind would call a demigod."

"What are those?"

"We are not mortal and we are not gods. We are something in between."

"You say we as if there are more of you." The wisp noted.

"Yes, there's more. The other demigods decided that I should be the one to take care of you until you're able to get strong enough to be sent to another fragment."

"Hmm. I understand."

The wisp moved around Radkiel.

"What are you doing?" Radkiel asked alarmed at his actions.

"Nothing just trying to see what's so different about you."

"My biology might not be different from you humans but my abilities are far superior than yours."

"How so?"

"I can do pretty much anything. Reality, time, space, concepts, causality and natural laws are all playthings to me." Radkiel explained.

"Can you teach me how to use your abilities?"

"Probably, when I get around to giving you a form."

"Can you get around to it now?"

"Fine." Radkiel snorted and then snapped his beautiful fingers. The wisp disappeared with a poof.

A muscular male body was in it's place. With black hair, red eyes and a beautiful face.

Radkiel formed a mirror from thin air. The man looked at himself in it and smiled.

"I look good."

"Yes, you remember your name right?"

"Yes. Asher Blackwood."

ASHER BLACKWOOD

I stared at my form. It was a perfect body.

"This form would be able to take in the power we demigods shall bestow upon you after your training." Radkiel explained.

"Training?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes training. The best hand-to-hand fighter in our group will train you for 6 human years."

"6 years?" I asked clearly perplexed.

"Yes six years! How many times do I have to repeat myself. Even if you do train, it won't be a one hundred percent guarantee that you would be able to survive."

"What do you mean?" I asked again.

Radkiel put his hand on his face and shook his head in disappointment, he looked at me and then shook his head again.

"I know your memory is foggy at this very moment but still you should have been able to remember a life-threatening situation."

"Well, I don't."

"Alright that's it."

Radkiel's eyes shone with an otherworldly colour. It felt like he was moving his hands sifting through my memories looking for what was hidden beneath.

And then I saw it. He made me relive all the horrors I had seen before.

My stomach wrenched and I vomited. Radkiel showed a face of disgust.

"At least show some restraint." He said and then almost immediately the waste being exuded from my mouth disappeared.

"Is that what happened?" I asked Radkiel. The images still flashing through my head.

"Yes. This all happened when Fragment 882 was erased."

"Fragment 882?" I asked him.

"A fragment is what you would call the human world, it holds an infinite number of timelines."

"I know about that but shouldn't it be called a multiverse?"

"Never mind about that, what matters is that even if you are done training with us, you still won't be strong enough to defeat all of your enemies."

"Well, I was holding my own against them back then before Samiel and Draneeve intervened."

"Those are just excuses. If you were strong enough back then, your girlfriend wouldn't have gotten beheaded in front of you."

That was it. That was the last thing I would take from him as I moved to attack but I stopped short and wasn't able to move.

My entire body stiff in place. Radkiel looked at me with genuine pleasure.

"You were able to move fluently in this new body." Radkiel clapped in delight. "Absolutely impressive."

He snapped his fingers and my body was instantly free.

"What did you do?"

"Something you'll learn along the line." Radkiel replied. "Now, are you ready to begin your training?"

I sighed. I had to get stronger even if it meant being able to contend with them a little bit I just had to get stronger.

The unpleasant memories which Radkiel had pulled out from my mind still haunted me. Revenge was what I wanted and in order to get it I had to become stronger.

"Yes. I am ready to begin training." I said with confidence and determination.

"Alright that's good." Radkiel replied and then snapped his fingers again.

He transported us to a garden. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen.

With flowing streams and the trees were lush green.

"Where am I?" I asked and then I almost got knocked out.

Someone punched me in the stomach and I flew straight into a nearby stream.

"That was uncalled for Gabriel." I heard Radkiel's voice say.

"So he's the one we have to train huh?" The other voice said and I saw a very handsome face as I got out of the water.

"He's a good looking one." Gabriel noted and smiled.

"Is he the one training me?" I asked.

"Yes and your training starts right about now."