Chapter 42 - Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea!

The council chamber was cloaked in an oppressive silence, the kind that weighed heavy on the chest and made it hard to breathe. Bastian stood rigid, his shoulders squared but his mind racing, battling the rage bubbling just beneath the surface. Zadkiel, towering and imperious, stepped forward, his presence as commanding as a storm about to break.

"The council has reached its decision," Zadkiel began, his voice echoing with a finality that sent a chill racing down Bastian's spine. "Bastian, for your transgressions—your defiance of celestial laws, your reckless attachment to humanity, and your blatant disregard for the balance—we have determined your fate."

Bastian clenched his fists, his knuckles white. He forced himself to stay calm, but his jaw tightened with each word that left Zadkiel's lips.

"You will be given two paths." Zadkiel's gaze bore into him, unyielding. "The first: You will take the Elixir of Oblivion. It will strip you of all memories of your human life and everything that has transpired up to this moment. You will forget Anastasia, your child, your love, your pain—everything."

Bastian's breath caught in his throat, but he didn't dare speak. Not yet.

"The second," Zadkiel continued, "is imprisonment. You will be confined to the Chamber of Eternity, where time will stretch endlessly. There, you will remain until the mortal lives of all those you hold dear have withered into nothing. Only then will your sentence be lifted."

The words hung in the air like a death knell, reverberating through the chamber. Bastian's chest tightened. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and disbelief.

"These are not choices," he finally said, his voice low but trembling with suppressed rage. "These are punishments devoid of mercy, devoid of any humanity or compassion."

Zadkiel's expression didn't waver. "Do not mistake this for cruelty, Bastian. It is justice. You are an angel, bound by laws higher than your fleeting emotions. Remember your place."

Bastian's fists unclenched, but only to curl again as he took a step forward, his voice rising. "You speak of justice, but this is barbaric. Stripping me of my memories? Locking me away while time steals everything I care about? How is that justice?"

Zadkiel's voice grew colder. "If there were a way for you to pass on to the Celestial Gardens as your fellow humans do, it would have been offered. But angels cannot simply return to what they once were. You chose this path, Bastian."

"I didn't choose to become a pawn in your game!" Bastian snapped, his voice echoing across the chamber.

Zadkiel's eyes narrowed, and the faintest flicker of disapproval crossed his face, but he said nothing. The silence was broken only by the rhythmic tapping of his staff against the marble floor as he resumed speaking.

"As for the child," Zadkiel said, his tone even but unyielding, "the council has agreed that such a being is unfit to walk the earth among mortals."

Bastian's heart stopped, his breath hitching.

"However," Zadkiel continued, "we are not executioners. Killing an innocent child is not in our nature, no matter the circumstances. The child will be raised in the Celestial City, where its existence can be properly monitored and controlled."

Bastian's shock turned to desperation. "And Ana? Will she raise our child in the Celestial City?"

"No," Zadkiel replied, his voice firm. "This is not up for discussion."

The words struck Bastian like a physical blow. His disbelief morphed into raw, unfiltered rage. "You can't do this," he said, his voice shaking. "You can't take her child away from her. You can't strip me of everything I love!"

Zadkiel ignored the outburst, his calm demeanor infuriatingly unshaken. "As for the alliance between angels and demon hunters," he went on, his voice carrying an air of finality, "it is clear that this bond has led to more chaos than good. Gabriel's arguments have been heard, and they hold merit. Once this war is won, all angels will be recalled to the Celestial City to resume their duties. There will be no further mingling with humans."

"No!" Bastian roared, stepping forward, his entire body shaking. "You don't understand what you're doing! Demon hunters and angels need each other. This war isn't over, and without our alliance, there will be more bloodshed—more lives lost."

"Silence!" Zadkiel's voice thundered, but Bastian didn't flinch.

"You can't take her baby," Bastian continued, his voice cracking with emotion. "You're tearing apart what little hope we have left. Anastasia won't let you take the child, and I won't either."

Gabriel, who had been silent until now, let a slow, satisfied smile curl across his lips. The sight of it sent a fresh wave of fury through Bastian. His anger boiled over as he turned to face Gabriel, pointing an accusing finger.

"You," Bastian growled. "You've orchestrated all of this. You've manipulated everyone. You're the real traitor here."

Gabriel's smile widened, and for a moment, it seemed as though he would let the accusation slide. But then his golden eyes darkened, and his wings flared out in a sudden burst of light. With inhuman speed, he pulled out his Archangel sword and pointed it towards Bastian. He could not attempt to press his blade against Bastian's throat in front of the council like earlier whereas challenging someone with a duel was acceptable.

"You will die before you utter another blasphemous breath!" Gabriel hissed, his voice a venomous whisper. "You dare to call me a traitor?"

Bastian's gaze didn't waver, even with the blade so close to ending his existence. "Yes," he said, his voice steady. "Because you betrayed everything we stood for."

Gabriel's jaw tightened, and for a moment, it seemed he might strike. But then Zadkiel's voice cut through the tension like a whip.

"Enough," Zadkiel commanded, his tone icy. "This insolence will not be tolerated."

Gabriel stepped back reluctantly, the sword vanishing as he straightened. His expression was unreadable, but his fury simmered just beneath the surface.

Zadkiel's gaze shifted back to Bastian, who was still brimming with defiance. "Your choices are no longer choices," Zadkiel said coldly. "You will take the Elixir of Oblivion. And you will serve time on the Ethereal Battlefield until all you know is gone. Not that you will remember them."

Bastian opened his mouth to protest, but before he could utter a word, guards appeared at Zadkiel's command, their glowing armor reflecting the tension in the room. They stepped forward, seizing Bastian by the arms.

"This isn't over," Bastian spat, his voice shaking with rage and despair as he was dragged toward the chamber doors.

Zadkiel's voice followed him, calm and unyielding. "It is over, Bastian. And you will learn to accept it."