Chapter 16- Declaration Of War

Bakari's head snapped up. At the top of the stairs stood a familiar celestial, bathed in blood and shadow. His red eyes burned like rings of fire. He wore black and gold trimmed attire with ornate gold arm pieces, a high gold collar, and a flash of red beneath a gold-belted robe.

"Valdo," The Celestial breathed, a warning. "Time is of the essence."

His gaze flicked to the Young Prince, a smirk playing on his lips. "It seems our young lord has taken up with the humans."

Valdo's laughter warped the air. "Cain," he intoned, voice otherworldly, "the course is known. Occupy them. I will retrieve our prize."

Valdo plummeted through the ceiling, landing with earth-shattering force.

Yuri's one eye widened, locked on the hole above. "They took him!" He turned to Bakari, a question in his gaze. "Why?"

Bakari shook his head, grim. "No idea, Ri."

"Yuri, go after him!" he instructed urgently. Without a moment's hesitation, Yuri zipped off, crashing through the ceiling with remarkable speed and force.

Cain, caught off guard, shouted, "Where are you going?" and prepared to spring upward after Yuri.

"Leave him alone!" Bakari shouted unleashing a solar bullet—an incandescent sphere of fire bursting from his mouth, illuminating the room with a blinding glow.

Cain dodged, but the projectile struck the wall in a brilliant explosion, sending a shockwave of heat rippling through the air. Debris erupted, casting flickering shadows as smoke billowed and obscured the scene.

Jason, mouth agape, stared at Bakari. "You don't say," he replied, bewildered.

Chloe chimed in, "Seriously, who is this guy anyway?"

"Cain," Bakari said grimly. "Back in Pluton, he was the Pirate King. A conqueror."

Cain inclined his head. "A pleasure, truly. Though I'd prefer a parley to a brawl."

"Parley?" Bakari spat. "You'll tell me what happened to my parents, and you'll take me to my father's armada. That's the only talking you'll be doing."

Cain's expression hardened. "Silence, boy."

A shockwave erupted from him, shattering the walls and forcing everyone to their knees. An invisible weight pressed down on them, like the crushing pressure of deep water, suffocating and relentless.

Bakari winced, blood trickling from his nose as he glared at Cain. The celestial energy coiled around them, binding them with a spiritual force that crushed their will to fight, leaving them feeling small and powerless.

Cain's voice softened, almost regretful. He raised a hand, palm open as if to emphasize his sincerity. "Out of respect for your father, I will tell you this, young prince: I have no knowledge of your parents' fate." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing, his fingers curling slightly. "But I can warn you of a great evil returning to this realm."

He leaned forward, intensity flickering in his gaze. "An evil that feeds on the darkness in human hearts. The more wickedness they commit, the stronger it becomes." With a sweeping gesture, he indicated the world around them. "As a royal, you must know the stories."

Bakari frowned, recalling tales of a primordial wickedness whispered in Pluton. "That's just a story," he insisted, though doubt crept into his voice.

Behind him, the others groaned under the oppressive weight, struggling to stay upright. Bakari felt the sweat trickling down his brow, each drop a reminder of the pressure pressing down on them. He fought against the suffocating force, muscles straining, but the struggle only deepened his resolve.

"A warning," Cain corrected, his gaze intense. "Our purpose is to protect the Dimensions. To that end, we must eradicate humanity."

A collective gasp rippled through the group.

"Genocide?" Jason choked out.

"Insane!" Chloe cried.

"We deserve a chance!" Felix protested.

"You misunderstand," Cain said, his voice resonating with power. "Not 'we.' 'They.' We are the apex, crafted by the Father to combat this evil. Humans, however, are fragile, prone to corruption. They lack the time to ascend to the necessary power."

"But didn't God make us all?" Jake pleaded. "Aren't we family? Shouldn't family protect each other?"

Bakari stood, anger blazing in his eyes. A flicker of surprise crossed Cain's face, gone as quickly as it appeared. "It's not your decision to make. Humans can fight. They're not as strong, but they're resourceful."

Cain's gaze was steady and resolute. "You misunderstand this entity's nature. It is an unyielding force, not a mere creation. While we can oppose it, humans cannot. It thrives on humanity's failures and requires their survival to sustain itself. To sever its power, mankind must be destroyed."

"I am part human!" Bakari roared. "I value all life! Everyone deserves the right to fight for their survival. I will stop you and your kind, even if it costs me my life!"

Cain tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Is that so? Then grow strong.

To stand against us, you must surpass your limits. Our power rivals that of the angels themselves." His celestial energy alone is crushing us,Bakari thought, struggling to remain upright.

Cain's gaze swept over them. "Very well. I will see you on the battlefield."

With a crackle of lightning, he vanished. The group collapsed, exhausted. Bakari helped them to their feet.

"This is bad," Jason muttered.

"Can we even trust him?" Felix asked.

"Celestials cannot lie," Bakari said grimly.

Chloe stooped down, burying her face in her hands. "Oh my God..." she whispered, disbelief etched in her voice.

Bakari sighed. "He's right about one thing. We need to get stronger."Bakari's head snapped up.

A towering celestial rounded the corner, cloaked in blood-soaked robes of black and crimson. Gold trim lined the edges, glinting beneath the gore, and a thick golden sash cinched the layers tight.

His hands were solid gold—elegant, lethal, inscribed with glowing runes that pulsed faintly beneath the blood.

He halted beside the other, his burning gaze fixed on Bakari, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

"Valdo," The Celestial breathed, a warning. "Time is of the essence."

His gaze flicked to the Young Prince, a smirk playing on his lips. "It seems our young lord has taken up with the humans."

Valdo's laughter warped the air. "Cain," he intoned, voice otherworldly, "the course is known. Occupy them. I will retrieve our prize."

Valdo plummeted through the ceiling, landing with earth-shattering force.

Yuri's one eye widened, locked on the hole above. "They took him!" He turned to Bakari, a question in his gaze. "Why?"

Bakari shook his head, grim. "No idea, Ri."

"Yuri, go after him!" he instructed urgently. Without a moment's hesitation, Yuri zipped off, crashing through the ceiling with remarkable speed and force.

Cain, caught off guard, shouted, "Where are you going?" and prepared to spring upward after Yuri.

"Leave him alone!" Bakari shouted unleashing a solar bullet—an incandescent sphere of fire bursting from his mouth, illuminating the room with a blinding glow.

Jason, mouth agape, stared at Bakari. "You don't say," he replied, bewildered.

Chloe and Jake flanked Bakari, eyes locked on the newcomer.

Chloe frowned. "Okay… seriously, who is this guy?"

Jake nodded, tense. "Friend of yours?"

"Cain," Bakari said, his voice low and grim. "Back in Pluton, they called him the Pirate King—a conqueror, feared and untouchable."

Cain inclined his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "A pleasure, truly."

He lingered a moment longer, then sighed. "Though I hate being painted as the brute who always picks the fight. Honestly—I loathe that image."

"Funny?" Bakari growled, celestial energy surging off him in waves, making the hallway shudder.

"You'll tell me what happened to my parents—and take me to my father's armada. That's all I want to hear from you."

Cain's gaze darkened, his voice cutting like steel. "Silence, boy."

A pulse of celestial energy burst from him—silent, immense. The walls cracked outward, veins of stone splitting as the floor buckled beneath the force. An invisible weight slammed into the room, pressing down with the suffocating crush of ocean depths.

Everyone dropped to their knees, chests heaving under the pressure, limbs trembling. Cain's energy coiled around them like a vice—vast, ancient, and utterly merciless.

Bakari winced, a thin stream of blood trailing from his nose as he glared up at Cain. The celestial energy wound tighter around them—an invisible serpent of divine force, crushing not just their bodies but their will. Every breath felt stolen, every movement heavy with futility.

They were pinned, not by brute force, but by sheer presence. Cain wasn't shouting. He didn't need to.

He raised a hand slowly, palm open, as if offering peace. His voice was low, almost mournful.

"Out of respect for your father, I'll grant you this, young prince—" his gaze lingered on Bakari, unreadable. "I know nothing of your parents' fate."

He let the silence stretch, heavy and unyielding. Then his fingers curled inward, and the air thickened with an unspoken promise.

"But I do know something far worse is coming."

Cain leaned forward, eyes burning with quiet intensity.

"An ancient evil stirs—one that feeds on the darkness in human hearts. The more they sin, the stronger it becomes. It doesn't conquer cities… it corrupts souls."

He gestured outward, toward the world beyond the shattered wall.

"You know the stories, don't you, prince? The ones whispered in Pluton about the Devouring Shadow?"

Bakari's breath caught. He did know the stories—of something primordial, older than the stars, that once brought the dimensions to their knees. But still, he resisted.

"Those are myths," he muttered, though the doubt was already creeping in.

Behind him, the others groaned under the crushing pressure. Chloe's knees buckled. Jake bit back a cry. The weight wasn't letting up—it was digging deeper, pressing against their very souls.

Bakari clenched his fists, every muscle shaking under the strain. But his voice held firm.

"What are you saying, Cain?"

Cain's expression turned cold.

"A warning," he said. "We were created to guard the Dimensions. That duty hasn't changed."

Then, without flinching, he delivered the truth like a blade.

"To preserve existence… humanity must be erased."

A stunned silence followed—brief, suffocating.

Then Jason, still on one knee, croaked out, "Genocide…?"

Cain looked down at him, serene and merciless.

"Correction," he said. "Purification."