I soared high above the world, my massive set of red wings cutting through the air with effortless grace. Golden morning sunlight painted me in hues of amber as I glided silently across the expanse of the sky. Far below, Anubistopia stretched out like a living map—rivers winding like silver threads, forests sprawling in deep greens, and mountains rising in jagged lines toward the horizon. If I didn't know better, I would have naively mistaken it for a hidden gem, a place untouched by the darkness I knew it harbored.

But this prison… it was nothing more than a cage of torture.

With each subtle tilt of my wings, I shifted direction, riding invisible currents of wind. My sharp eyes, piercing and steady, scanned the ground below, catching every detail in perfect clarity. For a moment the prison seemed peaceful, almost small, but I wasn't fooled. It was a deceptive tranquil before the storm.

I needed to get my ass out of here. As soon as now.

As I ascended, the air began to thicken, growing oppressive. The higher I flew, the harder it became to breathe. Of course I wasn't expecting it to be an easy pass. There were reason why angels couldn't escape; this was one of them. I couldn't guess better than the intoxication of air was the Imperium's doing.

Reluctantly, I descended, angling my wings towards the sea in a distance.

“Zombies at night, sea monsters by day and night,” I whispered under my breath Nicole's warning echoing in my mind. She wasn't exaggerating. The creatures that lurked beneath those waters were not ordinary—far from it. Ancient, slumber horrors, Imperium-engineered to feast on angels and demons alike. Their hunger was boundless, and one of them was pissed at me.

Great.

My wings rustled against the wind as I clutched Ye, my scythe, her black blade gleaming faintly in the sunlight. I had conquered legions, consumed millions of souls, and my name was spoken in hushed whispers. Yet here I was, avoiding a fight with the damn see monsters. Not exactly the glorious exit I had in mind.

The wind shifted, carrying with it a cold breeze that covered me in goosebumps, but not the kind of goosebumps that bring about fright—it was the type of goosebumps that came from therapy or listening to your favorite song.

Then, the water stirred.

A tentacle broke out of the surface, slick and enormous, as if it had been waiting for me. Of course, it had.

“C’mon," I complained, a sharp breath escaping my lips. Seriously? It was as if this place had it out for me, like the universe was conspiring to keep me here.

My wings flared wide as I veered left, trying to avoid the massive appendage. I was familiar with its grasp, and I knew better than closing on it. But the monsters didn't give me time to breathe, another tentacle appeared, and another, and another. In a moment I was maneuvering across an actual forest of writhing limbs. Amusing. It has more tentacles than I have patience.

I darted between them, wings slicing through the air with precision. My body was streamlined, built for speed and maneuverability, yet one of the tentacles managed to clip me. The impact sent me flipping across the sky, my balance lost. I fought to regain control before the sea—the monsters' dominion—claimed me.

The blow bought me some space from the monster, but I could feel its eyes on me, its twisted intelligence assessing my every move. It twirled beneath the surface, sinister and calculating, before disappearing in the water, leaving behind faint ripples.

Intelligence was a meal served in all plates of the Imperium’s creations—including angels. So, as much as I wanted to imagine that I was smarter than it, I knew better; we were from the same creator.

I flew lower, where the air wasn't thick and the water seemed deceptively calm. For a moment, the world was still, almost peaceful.

Too peaceful.

I flew swiftly, the wind carrying me forward with an eerie quiet. Beneath me, the sea churned slightly, but nothing more.

And then, a faint ripple spread out across the surface.

I could feel it—the shift in the air, the sudden drop in pressure, and the slow rise of something massive beneath me. The waters began to bubble, and from the depths, enormous, dark shapes emerged.

The sea quivered violently as tentacles the size of mountains broke the surface. Slick and glowing under the morning sunlight they twisted and writhed, their suction-cupped undersides large enough to engulf me whole. They reached toward me with terrifying speed, each movement creating monstrous waves that threatened to drag me down.

I gasped, flapping my wings harder to gain altitude. One of the tentacles lashed out, its tip cracking the air with a sickening whip. I narrowly avoided it, but another came from my left, catching me off guard. It slammed into my side, and the force sent me spiraling toward the water once again.

I stabilized myself mid-air, Ye ready in hand. The sea rippled ominously below as more tentacles rose, their thick, slick forms moving with frightening speed. They coiled and uncoiled in the air, hunting me like serpents in the sky.

With a swift motion, I slashed Ye through the nearest tentacle. Her blade cut through the thick flesh with ease, and the beast let out a guttural, ear-splitting scream. So they could wail. Note taken. Neon green blood sprayed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the air, but the tentacle continued its assault, undeterred by the injury.

More of the beasts rose from the depths, their tentacles surging upward, trying to snatch me from the sky. The higher I went, the more drained I became. I preferred it low-key, but the monsters had other plans.

I darted and weaved between them, my wings straining with every powerful stroke. Ye sliced through the air, severing tentacles that came too close, but it wasn’t enough. For every limb I cleaved, two more seemed to emerge from the black waters below.

One of the tentacles wrapped around my leg—a feeling that was all well too familiar—yanking me downward. The force of it nearly dislocated my hip, pain exploding through my body as I fought to free myself. I slashed at the tentacle, but its grip only tightened.

I can't keep this up.

I gritted my teeth and let out a growl of frustration, twisting my body and driving Ye into the thick, writhing flesh. Her blade sank deep, cutting through muscle and bone, and the tentacle released me with a shuddering shriek. I beat my wings furiously, rising higher into the sky, but the creatures weren't finished with me yet.

Another tentacle shot upward, wrapping around my waist and pulling me down. Its suction cups clamped onto my skin, each one a vice grip that burned with acidic venom. I cried out, my wings pinned against my sides as the monstrous appendage dragged me toward the waiting sea. More tentacles reached for me, dozens of them rising from the water, writhing and twisting like a nest of serpents.

With a furious cry, I swung Ye, severing the tentacle that held me. It dropped me instantly, and I plummeted toward the water, my wings unfurling just in time to catch the wind. I soared upward, but the creatures were relentless. One after another, the tentacles lashed out, their sheer size and speed overwhelming.

I slashed, dodged, and rolled through the air, but it was tiring. My wings ached, my muscles screamed, and the acidic burns from the creature’s grip stung my every move. I knew there was something wrong; the Imperium had either tampered with me, or made the prison a hard one to crack.  Either way, it was working.

Below, the sea churned violently, and from its depths, an even larger form began to rise.

It was massive—far bigger than the other beasts—and its tentacles dwarfed the ones I had been fighting. Its head, a grotesque mass of pulsing flesh, broke the surface, its eyes glowing with an ancient, malevolent intelligence. The tentacles of this leviathan, moved with terrifying precision, reaching for her like the fingers of a god.

I flew higher, but the beast surged upward, its tentacles snaking through the air with impossible speed. One of them caught my wing, pulling me downward. I struggled, trying to free myself, but another tentacle wrapped around my arm, pulling me in tighter.

Before I could react, two more tentacles latched onto my legs, and the massive beast pulled me toward its gaping maw. Its mouth was a neon green abyss lined with sharp, jagged teeth, waiting to devour me whole.

Desperation gripped me as I fought with all my strength, Ye slashing wildly. I severed one tentacle, then another, but they kept coming, wrapping around me, dragging me closer to the abyss.

"No!" I roared, my voice raw and filled with fury.

In the middle of the commotion, I received a blow that flicked me from reality for a second. Ye fell off my grasp and I was completely trapped in a tentacle loop—such that I could not move a muscle. It happened so fast that I was left registering what had happened. The beast’s maw opened wide, and with a final, triumphant roar, it yanked me towards its gaping maw.

“Ye…” I whispered, distress creeping into my voice.

For the first time, I felt something—an answer. A spark of connection. Even in the distance, I felt like I could commune with her. It was telepathic and it was happening.

Ye bursted out of the water—where she had accidentally fallen—and flew to the air, shooting like an arrow towards the tentacles holding me captive. She sliced one and my hands were now free. I held her and slashed her through the mass of tentacles approaching.

I couldn't deny it any longer; I was outnumbered. Outmatched. And if I stayed out any longer, I would end up in one of their bellies.

Damn it. There was only one choice.