A portal opened in the middle of the Realm of Gods.
Gabriel stepped out of the portal, only to be assaulted by the purest godly energy that was spread throughout the atmosphere.
The air was different here, pristine and pure, and there was a strange energy pulsing through everything he could see.
It felt uncomfortable, yet comfortable at the same time. It was the purest form of energy, which was conflicting with the Abyssal Energy that had resided in his body, in place of his heart.
The Pure Godly Energy had a strange relationship with the Abyssal Energy, something akin to light and darkness, or life and death.
The Realm of Gods was really vast. It was also a really beautiful place, like nothing that Gabriel had ever seen before. It was truly the place where gods dwelled.
He could see many floating islands, spread all throughout the Realm. All those islands were surrounded by a mystical white mist.
There were gigantic palaces made out of crystals that shone bright under the sun, and gardens full of exotic flowers of different colors.
As he wandered around, Gabriel couldn't help but feel strange. He expected to be attacked by multiple gods as soon as he stepped out of the portal. However, no one was here.
It was as if all their attention was attracted by Ezekiel, giving him almost free reign.
In the vast Realm of Gods, it appeared very hard to find Caen. However, Gabriel's attention was soon attracted by the Palace, which looked different from the rest.
It was not only the tallest, but it also had something about it that the others lacked. It looked more Divine. Moreover, there was something that seemed to be calling to him inside.
He could also feel a trace of aura which was quite identical to what he felt from Caen, which made him feel that this Palace belonged to Caen, the man that he was looking for.
Caen hadn't shown up to fight, even as the barrier was being destroyed. Which made Gabriel think that Caen was hiding in his palace.
He flew closer to the Majestic Palace. He cautiously landed on the ground and pushed open the grand doors of the Palace.
As he stepped inside, he was immediately struck by the grandeur of the interior. Crystal chandeliers glimmered high above him, and tapestries depicting scenes of battles hung from the walls.
Along the way, he came across some maids. The maids were stunned as soon as they saw someone they never saw before, intruding in the Palace.
"Apologies, but I can't allow you to alert anyone yet."
Dark Shackles came out from the shadows of the women, wrapping around their hands, feet and their mouth. They could neither move, nor make any noise. It was as if they could only remain standing like statues.
Gabriel walked closer to the maids, who could only watch him helplessly.
A dark spear appeared in his hand. He placed the tip of his spear on the throat of the first maid.
"Make any unnecessary noise and you'll die."
As he finished speaking, the lips of the maid were freed, allowing her to speak.
He raised his left hand, creating an illusory image of a young man. "Where will I find him?!"
The maids were taken aback as soon as they saw that image. Even though they didn't speak anything, their pupils betrayed the fact that they knew him.
"I won't ask twice... Where is he?!"
The tip of his spear lightly pricked the neck of the woman, yet Gabriel didn't kill her. A drop of blood trickled down the maid's throat.
"L-lord Caen isn't here," the maid replied. "He isn't in this world."
Gabriel let out a tired sigh, pushing the spear forward.
The woman's eyes widened, as the spear passed through her neck. Within seconds, her eyes closed and her body went weak.
Gabriel moved over to the second maid, aiming his spear at her. "I don't have much patience. Where is he?!"
The Maid was momentarily frozen. She knew that Gabriel wasn't going to believe it if she told the truth that Caen wasn't here. He would think that she's also lying, which would mean the same fate as the other maid.
However, if she lied, then also she was going to be killed, since Gabriel was going to ask her to lead him. She didn't know what to say anymore.
Finally, the Maid trembled and uttered, "I swear on my life that I do not know where Lord Caen is! He left a few days ago, and hasn't returned! He is most probably having fun in a Lower World!"
Gabriel was taken aback for a moment. He saw the fear in her eyes. Even after seeing the fate of the other maid, she still stuck to that same answer. Either she was telling the truth, or she was too loyal.
Her words appeared to be the truth. However, he refused to believe it! He came all this way to find that guy, but he wasn't even here? That was unacceptable.
However, even if that was true, Gabriel didn't care! His oath still remained! He was going to take everything from Caen, before finally taking his life!
Even if he wasn't here, it didn't matter! This whole place needed to be destroyed, just like his world was destroyed by Caen! It was exactly like Ezekiel said... These gods didn't deserve to live! This place didn't deserve to exist!
"I-i told you the truth... C-can you free me?" The Maid struggled to breathe, feeling the shackles tighten around her throat.
Gabriel ignored her entirely, as if he didn't care in the least. The shackles kept tightening. The maid felt suffocated.
Soon, a cracking sound resounded in the air. However, Gabriel had long walked away.
Along the way, Gabriel saw many maids and guards. However, none of them were left alive.
Dark Spears came out of the shadows of everyone that he came across, taking their lives. As he went deeper in the palace, only bodies were left in his wake.
His eyes didn't reveal a shred of emotion. He had to destroy everything! Just like his everything was destroyed, he wanted to destroy it all!
He wanted to make sure that Caen didn't have a place to return to, just like he didn't have a place to call home anymore!
