Azrael breathed slowly.
His eyes remained fixed on Kim, but his voice was heavier than before.
He said:
"I drained everything from them…"
He fell silent for a moment.
"But no… I was never happy because others were miserable just to make me happy… or for a few gold coins."
He lowered his head slightly.
"Everyone was happy… as if my father's death had never happened."
He slowly raised his eyes.
"I doubt they ever mourned him."
He smiled bitterly.
"No one from their families had died."
He sighed.
"And if a king dies… another simply replaces him."
His hand clenched.
"I couldn't ignore that."
His voice darkened.
"So I killed everyone in the kingdom…"
He stared into the void.
"To quench my thirst."
But his voice suddenly dropped.
"And I was never satisfied."
Then he said slowly:
"I made my mother the last one to die."
He looked toward Kim.
"I killed her… in the most horrible way."
He paused.
"And yet…"
He closed his eyes.
"I never found peace."
Then he said quietly:
"My son…"
"Some people choose chaos in order to reach peace."
He raised his head.
"But I chose it for revenge."
Silence.
"And revenge… blinded me."
He sighed slowly.
"Until I became what I am now."
Then he spoke calmly:
"As for your mother…"
A faint smile crossed his face.
"I had known her since childhood."
"She was the daughter of the Queen of Order in our world."
He lifted his gaze.
"Even though my status was humble…"
"She considered me a friend."
He paused.
"But I… never saw her as just a friend."
He smiled bitterly.
"I only wished… that one day I would grow up…"
"And make her my wife."
He sighed.
"But I grew up in hell."
He raised his head.
"And yet… I never gave up."
Then he continued:
"But what saddened me…"
"Was when I returned as a demon."
His voice grew heavier.
"She tried to stop me."
"She didn't recognize me."
Silence.
"But I didn't harm her."
He pulled out a small necklace from beneath his robe.
"Then she saw this necklace…"
"And she realized it was me."
He sighed.
"I was sad…"
"I didn't want her to see me like that."
Then he continued:
"After some time…"
"I became one of the Guardians of Balance."
"And she was given authority to observe more than one world."
He smiled faintly.
"When she came to me…"
"She had missed me."
He raised his eyes toward Kim.
"Despite everything I had done…"
"And despite my appearance."
He sighed.
"I confessed to her… that I loved her."
He paused.
"She didn't refuse."
This time his smile was genuine.
"She said… she loved me too."
He lowered his head.
"And she left everything for me."
But his voice turned sad.
"Even so…"
"Some people did not accept our relationship."
He paused briefly.
"We kept it hidden."
"But some discovered it."
He raised his eyes.
"And they wanted to kill her."
His hand clenched.
"When I found out…"
"I broke every chain that bound me in hell."
"And I went to her."
He breathed slowly.
"Then I escaped with her."
He said calmly:
"To a planet… called Earth."
"So we could stay away from them."
"And so she could live in peace."
But his voice broke.
"But…"
He closed his eyes.
"Her mother's prophecy…"
He opened them slowly.
"Was real."
He whispered:
"She said that Balance… would collapse by my hand."
Then he looked directly at Kim.
"I truly am trash, Kim."
His voice grew heavier.
"I couldn't protect my father."
"Nor my brothers."
"Nor my wife."
He sighed.
"Nor my child."
He lowered his head.
"I couldn't protect anyone."
Then he said in a broken voice:
"I'm sorry…"
He lifted his eyes.
"Please, my son…"
"I can't bear hearing you curse me anymore in front of me."
His voice weakened.
"Please… don't."
---
But Kim looked at him with cold calm.
As always…
His eyes observed everything.
He said:
"Are you finished?"
Azrael raised his head in shock.
"You… don't care?"
Then he said with a trembling voice:
"My suffering… means nothing to you?"
"My pain… everything I went through… doesn't matter?"
Kim interrupted him immediately.
"Yes."
A short silence.
Then he said coldly:
"To gain something…"
"You must lose something of equal value."
He looked at him steadily.
"What happened to you… is not my fault."
Then he said slowly:
"It is your fault."
Azrael's eyes widened.
But Kim continued:
"You don't know what I went through."
"Or what happened to me."
Then he said calmly:
"But despite what I lost…"
"I found something of equal value."
He sighed slowly.
"But I am not like you."
He raised his head.
"I can mourn my grandfather…"
"My uncles…"
"But I will not mourn what happened to you."
Then he said:
"And I won't be affected by it."
He looked at him coldly.
"Perhaps what happened to you in your childhood…"
"Was part of repaying a debt… for what you did to me."
Then he said:
"Sometimes a person is punished for things they did not do."
"But in the future… they understand why."
Then he pointed his sword toward his chest.
And said:
"Father…"
"If you find my mother…"
His eyes turned cold.
"Tell her I will kill her."
He paused.
"Because she didn't fight until the end."
He lowered the sword slightly.
"As for me…"
"I will never miss her."
Then he said in a painful calm voice:
"I suffered, father…"
He sighed.
"Until I became…"
He paused.
"A puppet."
"One that was stitched…"
"Only to be sad."
He raised his eyes.
"And no matter how much you try to fix it…"
"It will never become what you wish."
Then he turned away.
And left him.
He began walking.
One step…
Then another.
One step…
Then another.
Without meaning.
Without purpose.
Just walking.
Then he stopped.
There was distance between them now.
He took a slow breath.
And said quietly:
"Father…"
He paused.
"I truly wished…"
"That you would play with me like other fathers play with their children."
Silence.
"Why… didn't you do that?"
Azrael shouted his name.
But Kim didn't hear him.
Or maybe…
He chose not to hear.
He kept walking.
Until he reached a gate.
He opened it.
His father was behind him…
Kneeling.
But Kim didn't turn back.
He kept moving forward.
He didn't want his father to see him crying.
Then—
He crossed the gate.
And disappeared.
---
But before his thoughts faded…
One idea crossed his mind.
Just for a second.
But it changed everything.
He imagined…
What if his father had played with him in the garden.
Like other children with their fathers.
Then the thought vanished.
And his heart hardened again.
He moved forward.
He wanted to return to Earth.
To before the accident.
But…
Would what he wished for come true?
Or not?
---
Suddenly—
A message from the System appeared.
"Error detected."
"An entity of unknown level is attempting to interfere."
Kim raised his head quickly.
He looked behind him.
Space began to crack.
Then—
It shattered.
Azrael appeared again.
But massive chains prevented him from crossing.
He remained standing.
Looking at Kim.
His tears had dried.
Then he realized he had made a mistake by following him.
He spoke calmly:
"My son…"
"I'm sorry."
He slowly stepped back.
"If you ever want something…"
"Don't hesitate to ask me."
He smiled sadly.
"Don't forget…"
"You still have a father who is alive."
"Come to me whenever you want."
Then he extended his hand.
And placed a mark on Kim's hand.
He said:
"Through this… I will know where you are."
He sighed.
"So I won't be late in reaching you."
Then he said:
"And when you get better…"
"I think I will come to you."
He smiled weakly.
"This time…"
"I will come as a real father."
He paused.
"I won't just play the role of a father."
"I will create a better one… for you."
Then he said:
"And if you come to me…"
"I hope you come… as my child."
"The child I failed."
Space began to close.
He said one last time:
"My son…"
"I truly… love you."
Then—
He vanished.
Another message appeared from the System.
"Error corrected."
"Summoning excluded."
And silence remained.