Kai and Bella were dropped on a massive cumulonimbus cloud, and it was the lowest one out of all the notable clouds. Everyone knew the highest cloud was the Cloud Colony Alpha, followed by Beta and then Charlie.
This one is even lower than Charlie, a dark undertone, and massive.
Other new Angel Supernal candidates were also dropped on this cloud, filling the entire expanse.
Like him, they were also confused. Some were even evidently worried.
"Must be an orientation," Bella whispered, marvelling at the sight. It was her first time being on a cloud. She thought only Supernals could step on clouds, but it felt exactly like standing on the ground.
Kai didn't really care about that. He didn't care what they were brought here for.
He was more relieved to see that others also brought their families.
It wasn't only him.
"Excuse me," Kai turned to the demon man. "What exactly are we doing here?"
The demon man looked down at him. His eyes behind the mask were cold. He wasn't looking at Kai, but he was looking through him. It made Kai feel uncomfortable. Like being looked down on by his bullies.
No. This one is way worse.
"Both of you will be addressed shortly." The demon man replied and flew away.
"Both of us?" Kai's brows furrowed as he watched the Demon man leave. "What did he mean by that?"
Something was wrong.
Kai looked down at his chest. He felt something throbbing inside, like there was a part of him that he never knew existed, now activated. Is it my divine bloodline…? It's reacting to something.
"What's with the sour face?" Bella elbowed him on the stomach. "He probably meant our lodgings. If the families are called to live here, we need a home, no?"
"I guess…" Kai rubbed his stomach and smiled lightly.
He hoped he was only overthinking the situation. It's a new place for them, after all.
"What's wrong?" Kai leaned over his sister, realizing that her breaths were short. "Are you okay? Let me call someo—"
"No, it's fine," Bella grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "It's only hard to breathe here."
It was then that Kai realized the oxygen here is thin.
Being high-up in the sky made it hard for normal people to breathe. It wasn't only his sister. Others are also having trouble, especially those with the elderly in their families. A family to his right even has their grandpa collapsing.
The new Angel, a man with a bob-cut hair and feathered arms, called for help.
Nobody came.
All the established Angel Supernals, donned in white animal-shaped masks, remained unresponsive as they floated around the cloud. Their masks betrayed nothing at all. It doesn't seem like they were going to help anyone in need.
"Don't collapse on me, sister," Kai whispered.
"I won't," Bella held his hand tighter. "I won't burden you more than I already did."
That's not what Kai meant.
Suddenly, a massive holographic screen appeared to their left and right, revealing a mature woman with a silver diadem crowning her head. There's a deep blue star gem embedded on her forehead, sparkling with power and elegance.
Everyone knew who she was.
One of the pillars of humanity against the Blue Void—the Great Oracle Sibylla.
She has the bloodline of the Titaness of Intellect, Phoebe. She has helped foresee three catastrophic Ground Gates and seven Heaven Gates that could bring doom for mankind. Without her, mankind would've perished by now.
Sibylla welcomed new Angels to the First Sky. She talked about the sacred duty of Supernals is to protect mankind, and how mankind would be eternally grateful for their sacrifice. But it was a looping video.
Some were dejected that it wasn't really her welcoming them. Kai and Bella were included.
Once all the new Angel Supernals were gathered, a mass of cloud swirled ahead.
An elevated platform was formed, and on it were a couple of figures.
One being the demon man.
But the one standing at the very front is a woman with a white winged owl mask—an Archangel.
She stood with her hands clasped before her belly. She didn't say anything. Didn't address all the Angels. She waved her hand like a signal, and the floating Angel Supernals began to descend onto the cloud.
All of them took out a hand-sized translucent orb.
One by one, the new Angel Supernals are told to hold the orb. It was a test.
Kai felt his heart pounding against his ribcage. This was it. He could finally check what deity chooses him. Frankly, he has no idea what to expect. He checked the signs that his divine blood developed on the internet, but it was too broad.
Black hair and eyes. Not needing sleep. Always feeling tired. And the fondness of being alone more than anything. All are too broad.
But he soon realized this orb wasn't the same as the awakening ceremony.
Once a Supernal holds it, the orb would infuse mana into the Supernal and light up a few dots across the body. Some dots burned. Some dots glowed. The dots reflected the divine bloodline in them. The orb should be a tool to check for a Supernal's Divine Locks.
Divine Locks are the concrete measure of one's talent.
A higher number of Divine Locks meant the Supernal's body could handle more divine power.
One can only become a Demon Supernal if they have at least six Divine Locks.
Since these were Angels, everyone should only have five at most.
From what Kai has seen, the lowest Supernal have only two Divine Locks. Nobody knew what this test was for. It almost felt like a mockery, as the awakening ceremony was only yesterday.
But none raise their voice.
It was chokingly silent, and nobody wanted to break the ice.
Soon came Kai's turn.
Kai looked at Bella, and she gave him two thumbs up to cheer for him.
His trembling hand reached for the orb. Golden energy began to hum, and it seeped into his skin, entering his body. It felt warm and comfortable. The mana made its way to his chest, and there, the warmth spread.
The Angel Supernal stared at Kai attentively as the first glow appeared.
A swirling lump of blackness right at the center of his chest.
And then, nothing. Only one Divine Lock, and it was very faint. Seeing the change in the Angel Supernal's eyes, Kai clenched the orb harder. More mana was poured into him, but no more dots appeared.
Kai only has one.
"No—something must be wrong with this orb," Kai looked at the Angel Supernal. He didn't want to sound desperate, but he did. "Do you have another one? No Supernals only has one Divine Lock. It's unheard of."
He tried to pull his hand away as the Angel Supernal tried to reach for the orb.
He kept saying that there must be a mistake.
The Angel Supernal roughly snatched the orb from his hand and knocked him over.
Bella came to his side, assuring him that it's fine. There was anger in her voice. Not for him, but for the Angel Supernal who knocked him over. Her hands are trembling. She must be disappointed and ashamed.
This is not fine.
This is not how it was supposed to go.
Kai thought once he became a Supernal, he could change their lives.
Or at least make things better.
But it exactly went as Marcel said. He was barely a Supernal. It was funny to think that he insisted on going to the awakening ceremony yesterday. Funny that he really believed he could become a Demon Supernal. Become something.
In reality, he would only become the laughing stock.
Even now, he could feel the condescending gazes all around him.
Become a Demon Supernal? He couldn't even be average among the Angel Supernals.
His devastation meant nothing as the test continued.
Until the very end, there was nobody who had only one Divine Lock. Kai was the only one.
The woman with the owl mask then explained what the test was for.
It was to separate them into two categories. Angels are those who have two to four Divine Locks. High Angels are those who have five Divine Locks. From now on, they shall be addressed as such.
Additionally, there are mandatory limiters placed on them.
High Angels can only reproduce once so that their bloodline can continue. This will be their last chance to produce a Demon Supernal. Angels cannot reproduce, including their families. Their bloodline would end once their lives end.
Many were vocal about their devastation.
All came to the clouds for a second chance, but they got ultimatums instead.
But this doesn't explain one thing.
What about me…?
Kai felt like a pariah. There wasn't a category for him. But that's where he's wrong.
"Kai!" the Archangel woman called out to him. "Step forward."
Everyone turned to look at Kai.
Many looked at him with comparative suffering. If Angels were given that ultimatum, then what about Kai, who is less than an Angel?
Kai's eyes widened, and he was rooted in his spot. Being the center of attention was making him sweat. Bella, seeing an Angel Supernal approaching from behind, quickly nudged his arm.
"I'm right here with you," She said, smiling beautifully. "I'm always here with you."
Both of them made their way past the new Angel Supernals.
Two Angel Supernals wearing pig masks waited for them at the very end.
One grabbed Bella harshly and brought her away, and the other yanked Kai to the other side. He was dragged. Despite his retaliation, watching Bella being pulled away, he couldn't do anything.
His strength was nothing compared to the pig-masked Angel Supernal.
Even when Bella dropped her walker, the other Angel Supernal kept dragging her away.
"At least I'm not that guy. He actually has one Divine Lock."
"He's fucked."
"I'd rather be a normal human than this."
Kai could hear the people whispering, and it made him panic.
"Bella! Bella!! What are you doing to her?!"
A kick struck behind his knee, and a hand pressed on his shoulder, forcing him to kneel before the elevated platform. He was facing a metal chair barely thirty feet away. It was equipped with hand straps, and a lamb-shaped mask rested on it.
A pipe was attached to its mouth, and attached on the other side is a clear rubber ball with a smoking green plant in it.
Bella was strapped to the chair and was forced to wear the lamb mask.
Her beautiful face was meant to be seen. Now, it was hidden behind a hideous mask.
"W-What are you doing to us?!" Kai shouted, staring at the Archangel woman with trembling pupils.
"You have the lowest talent. Thus, your bloodline must end." She said, still elegant and regal. "You now face two choices. You can die along with your sister right now, or you can live your life until you die naturally," Her eyes turned to the rubber ball. "But you have to be the one to kill her."
Kai naturally looked at Bella. His eyes bore into hers behind the mask.
He couldn't believe this.
"H-How can I choose…?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"If you don't, then you will assume the first option," the Archangel woman replied. "It'll be painless, rest assured. These two options are the only way you can cleanse your fatal sin. Choose."
His fatal sin.
What exactly is his sin? Kai didn't know.
He never did anything bad, and yet, a sin was branded onto him.
Kai lowered his head, and his body went weak. He didn't give an answer, and that is an answer in itself. The Archangel woman raised her hand. In a flash, the two Angel Supernals drew their cutting-edge swords.
As she was about to signal for their execution, she stopped.
A hand held her shoulder firmly.
It was the demon man. He nudged his chin at Bella, who was looking at them.
He then stood before the Archangel woman.
"Free her." He commanded.
Almost instantly, the Angel Supernal opened the arm straps that kept Bella seated. His hands were trembling, scared of the demon man.
Once Bella was freed, the crowd gasped.
She pushed against the armrests and stood up straight. Her legs trembled under her, but she could stand without any help. Decisively, she made her way to Kai. One step at a time.
Kai hadn't lifted his head.
He hadn't seen that his sister, after two years, was now walking again.
It was only when she was a couple of steps away that he looked up.
His eyes widened like a little kid, and his breath was caught in her throat. Bella was walking towards him. Slow, but she was walking. She looked like an actual Angel with the bluish sun over her head as her halo.
Bella's face was still covered by a mask, but the warmth from her smile could be felt.
She bent down, took the rubber ball, and then handed it to Kai.
But he was still too stunned to react.
"You can walk again…?" Kai asked in disbelief. "This is the surprise?"
Instead of answering, Bella pulled his head into her embrace. "This is all because of you, Kai. I can walk again because of you." She whispered into his ear with love. "You're stronger than you think you are, and you have not sinned. If anything, your only sin was for always holding back."
Bella helped Kai squeeze the rubber ball.
A puff of green gas filled her mask.
"I held you back long enough," She continued. Kai wanted to protest, but she gave him no chance. "I'm more than happy with my life because of you. But now, it's time for you to live your life."
She squeezed his hand again. Now, the green gas spilled from her mask.
Kai realized what she was doing. She pressed her forehead against his, stopping him from retaliating.
"Sister, I can't do this. I can't live after… this." He shook his head. He can't be the one to kill his own sister. "I can't live without you."
"Yes, you can. Be strong." Her voice was weaker now. And the skin around her eyes had already turned earth green. "I want you to live for yourself now. Stand straight. Keep your chin up. Don't let others step on you. If you really want to make me happy, then do this for me. Live. Have many children and keep our bloodline alive."
Her hand faltered from his nape.
Bella swayed after squeezing his hand one more time.
"You're strong. If anyone says otherwise, show no mercy. Prove me right. I know you always wanted to retaliate, but hold back for me." Her lips curled as she fell forward. "Now, with me out of the way, show these fools how strong you can be."
[You are now the last, final bearer of your blood]
[Your Primordial Lock is now opened]
[Awakening Primordial Bloodline…]