As Aetherion stood over Gabriel, the tension between them palpable, Gabriel's wings slowly folded, and his sword fell to the ground. Instead of fighting back, Gabriel closed his eyes and began to pray. His voice, soft but filled with conviction, echoed through the sanctuary as he called upon the divine power that had always been his source of strength.
"O Goddess Boltia, protector of the Sacred Flame, hear your servant's plea. Show your light to this place and protect us from this betrayal."
Aetherion's heart tightened as he heard the words. He knew what was coming. The air around them grew thick with energy, and a powerful, oppressive force began to descend upon the sanctuary. His wings twitched as he felt the growing presence, his connection to the Sacred Flame trembling under the weight of the divine energy.
Aetherion whispered under his breath, "Boltia."
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the sanctuary shifted. Goddess Boltia appeared, her presence radiant and terrifying, her form glowing with a light so bright it was blinding. Her eyes burned with fury as she gazed down at Aetherion, her once serene demeanor twisted by anger. But it wasn't just her. Two other powerful angels—Virtue-level beings—stood behind her, their auras of divine might pressing down on Aetherion like a mountain.
Gabriel, still on his knees, bowed deeply before the goddess. "My goddess, forgive us for the conflict that has taken place in your holy domain."
Boltia's eyes never left Aetherion, her voice cold and sharp as she spoke. "Aetherion. You. How dare you attempt to steal the Sacred Flame from me? You think you can defy me and live?"
Aetherion took a shaky breath, his mind racing. He could feel the power radiating from Boltia, far greater than anything he had ever faced. "Boltia... you're hiding something. The Sacred Flame is not yours to control. You've kept it locked away for too long!"
Boltia laughed, a harsh sound that echoed through the sanctuary. "Foolish angel. The flame is mine, just as you and all of creation belong to me. You have overstepped your bounds, and now you will pay the price."
Without another word, Boltia raised her hand, her gaze still fixed on Aetherion. The Sacred Flame that had burned so brightly within the sanctuary flickered in response to her call. Aetherion's heart pounded as he watched in horror.
"No," he whispered. "What are you doing?"
With a cold smile, Boltia extended her hand toward the flame. "The Sacred Flame is mine, and I will do with it as I please." With a wave of her hand, she extinguished the flame, snuffing out its light in an instant.
Aetherion gasped as the connection to the flame was severed. The divine energy that had filled him, the power that had guided him for so long, was suddenly gone. He fell to his knees, his wings trembling as the weight of the loss hit him. The Sacred Flame, the source of his strength, had been taken from him.
His voice cracked as he struggled to speak. "No... the flame..."
At the same time, in the mortal realm, Aetherion's followers, who had been diligently praying and tending to the flame in their sanctuary, felt the sudden absence. The warmth, the connection they had always felt to the Sacred Flame, vanished.
Saphiel, one of the devoted followers, gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "The flame... it's gone," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What happened?"
Elyon, the High Priest, stood frozen in disbelief. "How can this be? We were just praying, and now... I can't feel the flame anymore."
The followers exchanged frightened glances. They had built their lives around the flame, trusting Aetherion's guidance. But now, without it, fear began to creep into their hearts.
Back in the Divine Realm, Aetherion remained on the ground, his connection severed, powerless before Boltia.
Boltia stepped forward, her voice filled with cruel amusement. "You thought you could challenge me, Aetherion? You thought you could take the Sacred Flame and rise above your place? How pathetic."
Aetherion, still kneeling, stared up at her, his wings drooping as the weight of his failure pressed down on him. "The flame... I was only trying to free it from you. You've kept it locked away, hidden from its true purpose."
Boltia's laughter rang out again, sharp and mocking. "The flame's purpose is mine to decide. And now, look at you. Without the flame, you are nothing. Powerless."
Aetherion's body trembled, not with fear, but with the crushing weight of helplessness. The flame had been his lifeline, the source of his strength, and now it was gone. He could feel nothing but the cold emptiness where the flame had once burned within him.
The goddess sneered, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "There's no point in killing you, Aetherion. You are no threat to me now. Your power is gone."
Boltia, her anger subsiding into cold amusement, raised her hand again. "I won't kill you, Aetherion. You aren't even worth that anymore. Instead, I'll send you somewhere more fitting for a traitor like you."
With a wave of her hand, the air around Aetherion began to distort. The sanctuary blurred and twisted, and a dark, suffocating energy began to swirl around him. His body felt weightless, like he was being pulled into a void. He tried to resist, but without the flame, he was powerless.
"Goodbye, Aetherion," Boltia said with a smile. "Enjoy your time in the Primordial Space—the void between realms. You'll find it quite... lonely."
Aetherion's vision darkened as he was engulfed by the swirling energy. He felt himself being pulled away, cast out from the Divine Realm and hurled into the void. The cold emptiness of the Primordial Space swallowed him, its silence and darkness pressing in from all sides.
Aetherion floated in the void, the space between realms, a place where neither time nor light existed. The weight of his powerlessness pressed down on him, the loss of the Sacred Flame like a gaping hole in his soul. There was nothing here—no sound, no light, no warmth. Only emptiness.
The system's voice, faint but present, echoed in his mind. [Aetherion... you are in the Primordial Space, the void between realms. You must find your way back. The Sacred Flame is not lost forever.]
Aetherion clenched his fists, his body trembling with anger and despair. "The flame... I've lost everything. How can I come back from this?"
[There is still hope. The flame still burns in your sanctuary in the mortal realm, but you must find a way to reconnect with it.]
Aetherion closed his eyes, the cold emptiness of the void threatening to consume him. He had failed. The Sacred Flame was gone, and he had been banished to the void. But deep within him, a spark of determination remained. He wasn't finished yet.
The chapter ends with Aetherion floating in the void, contemplating his next move, the faint hope of reclaiming the Sacred Flame flickering in the darkness.