Chapter 31 – The Unthinkable

"Surrender?!" Phillip's voice echoed, sharp and furious. "That's your plan? Roll over and let them drag us back to their cage?"

"They won't just cage us," Trixie muttered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "They'll erase us. Wipe us clean. No memories, no purpose. Just… nothing."

Bastian didn't flinch at their outrage. His silver eyes stayed locked on the approaching light, cold and calculating. "It's the only way to survive."

"Survive?" Hugh's laugh was bitter, almost hysterical. "This isn't survival, Bastian. It's suicide with extra steps."

"You think I don't know that?" Bastian shot back, his voice thunderous. "You think I want this? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me when I face them?"

His words hung heavy, silencing the group.

"They're coming for me," he continued, softer now, but the edge in his voice was razor-sharp. "You're just collateral. They'll wipe you out just to make a point, but I… I'm the prize. The traitor. The abomination."

Trixie stepped forward, her hand trembling as she reached for him. "Bastian, no. You don't have to do this. We can fight—"

"No, we can't." He cut her off, his wings flaring as he turned to face her. "Not this time. Not against them."

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble, the faint vibrations growing stronger with each passing second. The light on the horizon intensified, and now they could see the figures clearly—dozens of angels, their wings glowing like molten gold, their weapons gleaming with divine fire.

They were breathtaking. Terrifying.

Phillip growled, his grip on his blade tightening until his knuckles turned white. "So, that's it, huh? You're just going to hand us over? Sell us out to save yourself?"

Bastian's head snapped toward him, his expression fierce. "You think this is about saving myself? Do you even know me?"

"I thought I did," Phillip shot back. "But now? I don't know what the hell you are anymore."

"Enough!" Trixie's voice cracked like a whip, silencing both of them. She turned to Bastian, her eyes blazing. "If you want to surrender, fine. But don't you dare make that choice for us."

"I'm not making it for you," Bastian said, his tone quieter now. "I'm giving you a chance. If I surrender, they might spare you."

"Might?" Hugh said, incredulous. "Might? That's your big plan? Hope they feel generous after they've dragged us through hell?"

"I don't have time to explain!" Bastian snapped, his frustration boiling over. "You either trust me, or you don't. But if you don't…" He trailed off, his gaze hardening. "Then you're on your own."

The words cut deeper than any blade.

Before anyone could respond, the angels reached them. They didn't land. They hovered above, their wings creating a powerful gust of wind that forced the group to shield their faces.

At the forefront was an angel unlike any Bastian had ever seen. His armor gleamed like polished obsidian, his eyes like twin suns. He held no weapon, but his presence was more menacing than any blade.

"Bastian Webber," the angel said, his voice reverberating like thunder. "You have defied celestial law, meddled with mortals, and disrupted the balance. Your time is up."

Bastian stepped forward, his jaw set, his wings tucked tightly against his back. "I'm here. Let them go."

The angel tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "And why would we do that?"

"Because they're not part of this," Bastian said firmly. "I take full responsibility. Punish me, not them."

The angel smiled—a cold, cruel thing that sent a shiver down Bastian's spine. "How noble of you. But misguided."

He raised his hand, and a golden chain materialized out of thin air, wrapping around Bastian's wrists and wings in a flash. The chains burned, searing into his skin, but he didn't flinch.

"Bastian!" Trixie screamed, rushing forward, but the other angels moved faster.

They descended like hawks, their weapons drawn, their movements impossibly fast. Phillip and Hugh barely had time to react before they were disarmed and pinned to the ground. Trixie fought back, her wings flaring as she lashed out with her blade, but she was outnumbered.

Within seconds, all three of them were restrained, their weapons scattered across the battlefield.

The lead angel turned to Bastian, his expression calm but his eyes blazing with fury. "You thought we'd let them go? After they conspired with you? After they dared to defy us?"

"They didn't know," Bastian said through gritted teeth. "This was my plan. My choice. They're innocent."

"Innocence is irrelevant," the angel replied coldly. "They are guilty by association. And they will face judgment alongside you."

Bastian's chest tightened. "No. You can't—"

"We can," the angel interrupted, his voice like a blade slicing through the air. "And we will."

He turned to the other angels. "Take them."

The angels moved to comply, dragging Phillip, Hugh, and Trixie to their feet. Trixie struggled, her eyes blazing with fury and fear.

"Bastian!" she shouted. "Do something!"

Bastian's mind raced. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He had planned for so many contingencies, but this… this was beyond anything he'd prepared for.

"Wait!" he shouted, his voice desperate. "Take me! Just me! Leave them alone!"

The lead angel paused, his expression thoughtful. "Very well."

Relief flooded Bastian—until he saw the smirk curl across the angel's lips.

"We'll take you first," he said. "And then we'll decide what to do with them."

The golden chains around Bastian tightened, and before he could react, he was yanked upward, his feet leaving the ground. The angels holding his friends took flight, dragging them along as the group ascended into the blinding light.

Trixie's screams echoed in his ears, growing fainter with each passing second.

And then there was nothing but silence.

When Bastian's vision cleared, he was no longer on the battlefield. He was in a vast, empty chamber, the walls gleaming with an eerie, otherworldly light.

He was alone.

Or so he thought.

"Welcome back, Bastian."

The voice sent a chill down his spine. He turned slowly, and his heart sank.

Gabriel stood before him, his expression calm but his eyes filled with something dark. Something dangerous.

"We have much to discuss," Gabriel said, his voice low and menacing. "Starting with your child."