"She values life, only because it feeds her. Do you really think she wanted to help you out of the kindness of her heart?" Oriun chuckled mockingly before he continued. "No, godslayer. Earth doesn't need a champion— Bliss needed a tool. A tool with which to complete her condition." He paused to let the revelation settle.
Sil could hear a few purposeful, confident footsteps behind him as the celestial drew closer without haste. "Her true goal isn't just for souls to be saved out of some altruistic sense of self importance. She's not the benevolent dogooder from some fairytale. She needs to save souls which completes her condition, and thereby gaining her more celestial power to have at her disposal."
Unable to see the source of the voice, Sil had kept his eyes glued to Bliss the entire time. Bliss however, had not looked up even once. She kept her eyes closed tightly as she maintained facing downward. Sil's increasing concern only intensified the longer Bliss appeared to be avoiding his stare, shaking his previously unwavering confidence.
"Don't you see how it must work godslayer? To save souls, she must first either discover or create conflict in order to find souls in need of saving. It is far easier to be a savior if you don't bother with getting your hands dirty, instead create and enlist the help of a mighty warrior to champion your cause."
"By creating you in all your glory, by means of her own twisted mechanations, She gets to claim credit for all those precious human souls of yours that end up being saved. She needs her special little lap dog, you."
"You're just a minion to her," said the other celestial, now moving further back to stand near their companion. "A tool. A weapon. A bed warmer perhaps too at times, but never a being worthy of respect. She threw you into the fire without concern, and didn't even value life enough to prevent your own brothers from becoming cannon fodder."
Sil felt his stomach twist. His eyes bore into Bliss as he attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, which had suddenly become dry. All he could hear at that point was his heart thudding loudly.
"Bliss…" he rasped, the plea in his voice involuntary. "Please. Tell them they're wrong. Tell me this isn't true."
She still didn't look at him.
One of the celestials snarled, growing impatient. "Look at him. You owe him at least that. You played his heart like a harp. Be respectful enough to admit it. You are supposed to be a celestial and this is disgraceful!"
Bliss slowly lifted her head, tears already streaming silently down her cheeks. Her gaze met his—shattered, ashamed, but steady.
"No," Sil whispered, voice cracking. "Bliss, no. Tell them it's a lie. Tell them it's not true. Please… please tell me it's not true."
Her lip quivered. And then she nodded.
The air left Sil's lungs like he'd been punched in the gut. His knees nearly buckled under him despite the restraints. His world, fractured, cracked open and spun.
"Say it," the celestial demanded. "Say it aloud." Bliss squeezed her eyes shut as her whole body trembled.
"I… I'm the one who told Caylex," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. "I gave him your location."
Sil stared at her, unmoving. His face—usually so full of light, fearless determination, and a kind presence—was blank. Then slowly, emotions began to erupt across his expression: confusion, disbelief, heartbreak. And then, fury.
"You—" His voice quaked with rage. "You knew I had no powers. You knew I was defenseless. And you still put my life at risk? You let my brothers be taken, tortured, all so you could feed your fucked up condition?!"
Bliss let out a sob, her whole body shaking.
But Sil wasn't finished. His voice rose, sharp and furious. "You turned me into a puppet! You made me an agent of the ancient ones! My life isn't even mine anymore—and it's because of you!"
Bliss cried harder, her sobs echoing through the cold chamber.
Sil's voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "You came to me. You let me bring you to my bed. You seduced me, knowing what you'd done. You let me inside you, Bliss. After betraying me."
"It wasn't like that," she cried. "I didn't mean to involve your brothers. I swear—"
"Oh," Sil snapped, laughing bitterly. "So that makes it better? You still betrayed me. You made me your weapon, lied to me, made me believe I could trust you. And then you slept with me."
"I wasn't trying to hurt you," she pleaded. "I only wanted you to get your powers back. I thought you could save more lives—"
"TO USE ME!" Sil bellowed, voice shaking the walls.
She broke. All she could do was sob, her face crumpling in defeat.
The celestials stood back, smirking, their eyes gleaming with delight. One of them raised a hand casually—and Sil's restraints lit up.
Agony exploded through his body.
He arched with a strangled groan, gritting his teeth as lightning crackled up his spine and across his limbs. His muscles seized, his jaw clenched, as every nerve was alight with burning torment.
The pulse was intense but fleeting. They waited just long enough for him to gasp, taking in a ragged torrent of air, before they shocked him again. He roared this time, pain tearing through him like a tidal wave.
Then again. Without warning.
His scream echoed violently throughout the chamber.
"STOP!" Bliss cried. "Leave him alone! Please, stop it!"
They didn't, ignoring her pleas while delighting in his torment, they simply laughed.
When it finally ended, Sil hung limp in his chains, his body slack, his breath ragged. The echo of Bliss's cries filled the air.
Something inside him broke.
Sil retreated.
Suddenly he was no longer in the chamber. He was in darkness.
Pitch black.
A single chair stood beneath him. He rose slowly, trembling. Around him, there was nothing. No walls. No ceiling. No light.
He took a few steps forward, his hand cradling his forehead as he rounded the line seat and strode behind in, retreating deeper into the dark recesses of the space.
Then he dropped.
He collapsed to the floor, curled into himself, hugging his knees to his chest. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks as he rocked gently, broken and unseen, alone in the dark.