The seraphs gathered near the steps of Luminaris, walking Cornelius through the basics of celestial teleportation. They explained that it was a rare gift, something only he possessed in this realm. With it, he could travel wherever he pleased instantly, without the need for long expeditions or drawn-out journeys across Heaven's endless fields and mountains.

  "The easiest angels to find would be Dusk and Flora," Faith said, her voice bright.

  "They’re predictable," Michael added with a short chuckle.

  "To find Flora, look anywhere full of flowers and greenery," Faith continued, waving her hands dramatically. "Dusk, though... he's the opposite. Dark caves, gloomy valleys, the edges of our realm. That's where you'll find him."

  Cornelius nodded slowly, absorbing the advice. "This Dusk... he’s darker than the others?" he asked.

  Michael gave a short nod. "He’s the Angel of Death. Darkness comes naturally to him."

  Cornelius figured it made sense to search for Dusk first. Flowers were everywhere in Heaven; almost every mountain and valley burst with gardens and fields. It would take too long to narrow it down. The darker places were fewer and easier to locate.

  With a breath, Cornelius focused his mind. White light gathered around his feet and quickly enveloped his body. The world blurred, and with a sharp snap, he disappeared from Luminaris.

  When he opened his eyes, he stood at the realm's very edge. The difference was immediate.

  The skies were still a pale gold, but the ground beneath his feet was no longer white and shining. It was grey and cold. The clouds that drifted along the ground were thinner here, darker. The very air felt heavier, almost pulling at his skin. There was a strange emptiness ahead of him, like standing at the edge of a massive cliff looking down into nothing. The light dimmed the farther he looked, eventually swallowed by a black void that seemed to stretch on forever.

  Cornelius shifted uneasily. Even with all his newfound power, the sight unnerved him. It felt wrong, like something ancient and forgotten was waiting beyond his reach.

  He didn’t linger. Concentrating again, he blinked from place to place, teleporting from one gloomy cave to the next. Each time he appeared, there was nothing but hollow, empty stone. No sign of Dusk.

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  After several attempts, he spotted something different, a thin trail of smoke rising from the mouth of a nearby cavern. Without wasting time, Cornelius teleported directly into the entrance of the cave.

  The inside was dim and cool. The smoke came from a small, controlled campfire, the flames flickering low. Sitting cross-legged by the fire was a man.

  Dusk sat perfectly still, deep in meditation. His skin was a muted grey, like the color of ash. His short black hair stuck out in uneven directions, giving him a wild appearance. Covering the upper half of his face was a smooth bone mask shaped like a skull. It hid his eyes entirely, leaving only his mouth visible, breathing slowly and measured. His wings, once white, faded into black at the edges, as if touched by decay itself.

  Cornelius stared long before Dusk spoke, not bothering to lift his head.

  "I figured you’d come here eventually," Dusk said, voice even and low.

  Cornelius smirked slightly. "So you’ve heard of me?"

  "Of course," Dusk said, still unmoving. "We all have. But I’m busy right now. Come back some other time."

  Without waiting for a reply, Dusk raised one hand lazily and waved Cornelius away like a fly.

  Cornelius scoffed under his breath. Instead of leaving, he walked further into the cave, standing just a few feet from where Dusk sat. He crossed his arms and stared down at him.

  "What are you doing?" Dusk sighed, finally shifting enough to break his meditative pose.

  "I could ask you the same thing," Cornelius said, raising an eyebrow.

  Dusk cracked his neck lazily before answering. "If you must know, I’m trying to access something outside this realm. I don’t know exactly what it is. I can feel it, like a pressure just beyond my reach. I know there’s more beyond Heaven. I just can't break through. It's like something's blocking my frequency."

  Cornelius narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully.

  Another realm? He thought to himself. The idea stuck stubbornly in his mind.

  "How long have you been trying to do this?" Cornelius asked.

  "Since the beginning of my existence," Dusk said without a hint of humor.

  Cornelius whistled softly. "That's a long time... I think."

  He glanced around the dark cavern, unimpressed. "Well, you’re not going to get very far meditating in a cave by yourself. You should come back with me to the palace. I could use a man like you."

  Dusk was silent for a moment. Then, without a word, he rose to his feet. Cornelius observed him. It was impossible to tell if Dusk could even see him behind the hollow sockets of the skull mask, but something in Dusk’s posture felt… aware.

  "So..." Dusk said after a moment, brushing dust off his clothes, "Have you gotten any other angels to return to the palace yet?"

  "Not yet," Cornelius replied casually, smirking. "You’re my first."

  He shot a mocking grin at Dusk, raising an exaggerated eyebrow to drive the joke home. Dusk groaned audibly, tilting his head back in evident exasperation.

  "Oh, this is going to be so much fun," Cornelius said, laughing as he clapped Dusk hard on the shoulder.

  Dusk straightened his jacket stiffly. "Just wait until you meet Eros," he said dryly.

  "You'll have all the fun you can handle."

  Cornelius raised an eyebrow in interest, already curious about whoever this "Eros" was.

  With no more words, the two of them stepped toward the mouth of the cave. The heavy air of the dark edge behind them, they vanished in a sharp pulse of white light.