Chains of Mercy

The moment Azrael's smirk formed, Michael moved.

A fist crashed into Azrael's stomach with the force of a star falling from the sky. His breath left him in a painful gasp, and before he could react, Gabriel's blade slashed across his wing, sending searing pain through his body. He hit the ground hard, the stone beneath him cracking under the impact.

Michael towered over him, eyes burning with divine fury. "You assume too much, fallen one. You have not earned the right to fight by our side."

Azrael coughed, struggling to rise, but Raphael stepped forward and pressed a heavy boot against his chest, pinning him down. "We will not let you roam freely," Raphael said. "You may have lost your stolen power, but we will ensure you never regain it so easily again."

Uriel raised his hands, chanting in a language so old that the stars themselves had forgotten its meaning. Runes of celestial energy formed in the air around Azrael, coiling like chains of light. They wrapped around his arms, his legs, his wings—searing into his flesh with divine law.

Azrael screamed.

The hunger inside him roared in protest, trying to resist, to break free, but the power dampeners were absolute. The very essence of his being was shackled, caged, forced into stagnation.

Gabriel knelt beside him, her silver eyes softer now but unyielding. "We will not kill you, Azrael. That is the mercy we grant you. But you will no longer devour power unchecked."

Azrael gasped, his body convulsing as the last of the chains settled in place. He felt... empty. Trapped. Starved. His very nature as a consumer of power had been locked away.

Michael turned away. "You may still keep what remains of your strength. Without it, the mortals would end you in an instant."

Azrael lay on the ground, his vision darkening, his rage festering beneath his helplessness.

They had taken his hunger.

They had caged his greed.

But they had not broken him.

As the archangels took flight, leaving him weakened and bound, Azrael's lips curled into a small, bitter smile.

He would find a way.

He always found a way.