Rose's heartfelt words lingered in the air as she pleaded for forgiveness from Karl. She regretted not giving him the opportunity to explain himself, and tears streamed down her face as she spoke. Julius, who had finally stopped crying, embraced Rose tightly.
"Ate Rose, who is he?" Julius curiously asked, observing Rose's affectionate gesture towards the young man.
Rose paused, looking at her younger brother. She took a deep breath, attempting to gather her thoughts and answer his question about Karl, her romantic partner. Wiping away her tears, she finally responded.
"Julius, he's your Kuya (older brother) Karl, my close friend," Rose replied.
Surprised by the term 'kuya' being used in relation to Karl, Julius quickly interjected, seeking clarification from Rose.
"Why did you refer to him as my kuya?" Julius inquired with eagerness. "He's not our sibling, and I don't even know him," he added.
In response, Rose mustered a smile and said, "No, Julius. I call him your 'kuya' because he's my close friend and he happens to be older than you. Whether or not he is our sibling is not relevant. Since Karl is older than you, it is customary to show respect by addressing him as 'kuya Karl'," Rose patiently explained to her brother.
Understanding dawned on Julius as he processed Rose's explanation. "Oh, I see, Ate Rose," he exclaimed, a sense of comprehension in his voice.
Rose nodded, grateful that her explanation had brought clarity to her younger brother's mind. However, their moment was abruptly interrupted by a sudden chill in the air. Both Rose and Julius felt it simultaneously, causing them to draw closer to one another. As they turned to face the source of the disturbance, a dark figure cloaked in shadows emerged before them. With glowing eyes that pierced through the darkness, it sent shivers down their spines. In an instant, Julius let out a piercing scream as a bony, pale hand extended menacingly towards him from behind.
"Julius!" Rose's loud cry shattered the silence, her hand igniting with a brilliant light as she swiftly grabbed her younger brother. The creature recoiled, repelled by the radiant energy emanating from Rose's hand. With fear gripping them both, Rose tightly held her brother in her arms, providing comfort and reassurance.
"I'm here, Julius. I won't let anything happen to you," Rose consoled him earnestly.
The glow in Rose's hand persisted as she embraced her brother, its brilliance drawing attention to the lurking entities attempting to draw closer. Yet, they were unable to approach the siblings as the radiant light served as a protective barrier.
"Dad! Dad!" Rose called out hoarsely, her plea echoing through the air. However, the encroaching darkness multiplied, and ominous figures continued to hover menacingly around them.
Rose felt a surge of panic as she realized the light in her hand was fading, allowing the dark figures with fiery red eyes to inch closer. The fear for their lives intensified, causing Rose to tighten her grip on Julius while desperately murmuring fervent prayers.
"Oh God, take me if you must, but spare Julius, spare my brother," she silently implored, oblivious to the fact that only moments ago, she was sobbing and trembling with fear.
"Mama! Mama!" Julius cried out, his tear-streaked face buried in his older sister's embrace.
At that moment, the floating beings were slowly approaching. The light emanating from Rose's hand was fading, and there was nothing more it could do to protect them.
Suddenly, a chilling scream echoed, spreading fear among the attacking shadows. Their terror heightened as they witnessed one of their own being forcefully severed in half. As its body split, it seemed to be consumed by a radiant light and vanished swiftly. But how did such an extraordinary event occur?
In response, the airborne shadows scattered hastily, instinctively avoiding the siblings as they caught sight of a man wielding a brilliant sword. They were well aware of the sword's razor-sharpness, which filled them with deep unease, fearing its celestial power. Rose, mesmerized by the scene, also turned her attention to the man firmly grasping the glowing weapon.
"Dad?" she exclaimed in disbelief as she saw her father battling the flying cloaked creatures. Even Julius was stunned into silence upon seeing his father engrossed in combat with the descending beings of darkness.
From a distance, Julius saw his breathless mother approaching them.
"Mama!" Julius cried out and broke free from his sibling's embrace. He quickly stood up and ran to meet his mother.
"Julius, Rose, my children, thank God you're safe!" Edna said with a high-pitched voice, especially when her youngest hugged her. Rose also stood up and ran to meet her mother. She gave Edna a tight and both of them cried.
"Mama, it's Dad, look!" Julius said and pointed towards his father, whose body was now enveloped in almost blinding light.
Meanwhile, Edna felt like she was losing her sanity. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, especially the abilities her husband possessed. What happened to Roland? Why was he surrounded by light? Where did the sword used to fight the soaring creatures come from? Is Roland even human? If not, what kind of being has he been with for the past eighteen years? Edna wanted to ask her daughter, Rose, to slap her in the hope of awakening from this terrible dream. But if this is not a dream, she no longer knows what is true or not.
Roland was engaged in battle with flying creatures cloaked in darkness. He realized that he had lost some of his speed after being out of combat for a long time. He was unsure about who or what released these creatures, particularly Asmodius. However, he knew that his children were in danger because they were Nephilims. These beings required the body of a Nephilim to survive in the human world and needed to consume the soul of a Nephilim to gain more power. His children would be targets in order to fulfill the creatures' plans, but he would not allow harm to come to them, especially his beloved ones. Yet, he also knew he couldn't face this alone. Asmodius was formidable, and the number of demons that had escaped from the Abyss with him was unknown.
Since Roland had begun living with humans on Earth, he could sense a decline in his power. His former quickness and agility in battles had vanished, and even the strength of his fiery sword that had defeated Satan seemed to have waned. Was God punishing him for his involvement with mortals and his love? It's possible that God was now punishing him for having the opportunity to break free from Margarette's dark magic spells and her control but choosing to defy the God he had faithfully served when he saw Edna.
Roland was caught off guard as one of the creatures launched an attack from behind. Unaware, he remained oblivious to its presence. The creature's strike penetrated his body, inflicting excruciating pain upon him. The intensity of the pain almost caused Roland to lose his grip on his blazing sword, as he stood on the concrete sidewalk.
"Oh my God, Roland!" shouted Edna upon seeing what happened to her husband.
Rose, on the other hand, covered her mouth and was deeply concerned upon seeing her father.
Roland fell to his knees in intense pain. This became an advantage for the lurking creatures to simultaneously attack him. However, some of them faced his family. They took advantage of the opportunity to attack while their opponent was in such a condition. But when Roland saw this, he forced himself to stand up and endure the pain. He raised his sword to fight them again. He held it firmly and took a deep breath. No one could harm his family. He would fight for them until death.
The flying creatures approached Roland one after another. But this time, Roland felt a surge of newfound strength. He swiftly swung his sword, striking the dark creatures that came near him. The shadowy flying figures continued to attack him, preventing him from approaching his family.
When Edna saw the approaching flying creatures, she positioned herself in front to protect her two children. In fear, Julius clung tightly to his mother, trembling, while Rose fervently prayed, also overwhelmed by fear.
"Roland... Roland..." Edna almost whispered her husband's name. She felt her body growing numb from excessive fear.
But the lurking creatures were determined to achieve their goal: to capture Roland's two children. The three of them flew downwards towards the concrete road but managed to pass through, causing more concern for the family. Rose and Edna exchanged glances, as they had no idea about the intentions of the flying creatures. One of the creatures approached her mother and stared into her eyes. Edna seemed to lose her sense of self and released her grip on the two children.
"Mama?" Rose called out to her mother when she noticed her sudden blank stare. "Mom?!" Rose called out again, as this time her mother stood upright and looked towards the sky. Edna suddenly levitated in the air, causing the siblings to scream in fear.
"No! Edna, my wife!" Roland shouted upon seeing Edna while continuing to fight the flying creatures. He tried to run to rescue his endangered wife, but one of the creatures approached him. It attacked him, causing Roland to be thrown several meters away and let go of his sword.
One of the shadows abruptly snatched Julius away from Rose.
"Julius!" Rose exclaimed, feeling a sense of helplessness. Her loved ones were in grave danger: her mother was being lifted into the air, her life being drained by the dark creatures, while Julius was being carried away by one of them. Meanwhile, her father fought off the flying creatures in the place where they had been thrown. Whom should she save first? The safety of her entire family weighed heavily on her, and the thought of losing any of them was unbearable.
"Oh God, please guide me. What should I do?" she whispered in prayer.
"Ate Rose, help me! Don't let them take me!" Julius cried out to his sister, who struggled fiercely to keep him from the clutches of the shadowy entity.
"Julius..." Rose uttered. She had intended to rush to her brother's rescue but was suddenly overcome by her mother's agonized moans and the sight of her trembling body suspended in the air.
"Rose, unleash the light within you!" her father exclaimed, battling the flying creatures.
"Dad!" Rose replied upon hearing her father's voice. She became aware that she possessed the ability to create light with her hands. However, she was uncertain of how to channel it, as her powers seemed to manifest only spontaneously during perilous situations. Now, in this critical moment, her hands refused to emit any light.
Rose's desperate plea pierced the air, her voice trembling with urgency. Her eyes remained fixed on her two hands, praying for a glimmer of light to appear. Time and again, she attempted to summon it, but her efforts proved fruitless - no trace of radiance emerged from her palms.
Suddenly, an icy chill crept up Rose's feet, sending a shiver coursing through her body. Numbness spread gradually, engulfing her senses. Confusion etched across her face as she gazed down at her feet, only to be confronted with a horrifying sight. Pale, skeletal fingers wriggled sinisterly, entwining themselves around her toes. With dread gripping her heart, she watched in disbelief as one of the menacing creatures, lurking beneath the very concrete road she stood upon, forced its way out through her foot. A gasp escaped her lips, followed by the realization that breathing was becoming increasingly arduous, as the creature materialized before her with blazing, malevolent eyes.
The pain coursing through Rose's body intensified with each struggle of the dark creature attempting to break free from the grip of the concrete. Simultaneously, she felt an inexplicable weightlessness, her body defying gravity as it rose into the air. Questions of survival loomed heavy in her mind - could she withstand this torment, or was this the unfortunate end to her existence?
Meanwhile, at a short distance, Roland bore witness to the unfolding nightmare consuming his beloved family. Determined never to forsake the purpose that compelled him to walk among mortals, he grappled with the weight of his past transgressions against the God who had given him life. But his resolve remained unyielding - his family should not be ensnared in the consequences of his sins. If this was an act of divine retribution, Roland beseeched the heavens to direct their wrath solely upon him, sparing his loved ones from this harrowing fate.
With a heavy heart, he witnessed the impending disappearance of his family, acutely aware of the formidable barrier surrounding him, preventing him from accessing their side. Defenseless against the onslaught of dark creatures, he felt immobilized, unable to close the distance that separated them. Yet, surrendering was not an option. Roland vowed to fight until his last breath, refusing to relinquish his family to the void. If their destiny lay in vanishing, he resolutely accepted that his own presence must fade, for he could not bear the thought of a solitary existence.
Driven by these grave concerns, Roland was suddenly met with the ferocity of one of the creatures, lunging at him with a determined force. In that moment, swift and relentless, he found himself ensnared within its gripping grasp.
Roland shouted desperately, "No! Leave my family alone!" But he was helpless as a dark hand emerged from his throat. He tried to resist but couldn't break free. Panic surged through his body as he was overwhelmed by creatures of darkness. Roland's grip on the sword weakened and it fell to the ground, leaving him feeling defeated.
Rose, suspended in the air, was overwhelmed by a relentless weariness that weighed heavily on her being. The exhaustion seeped into her every fiber, clouding her thoughts and draining her energy. A relentless sleepiness crept over her, desire for rest intensifying with each passing moment. She longed to lay her weary body down and find solace in the embrace of slumber. Gradually, the darkness that surrounded her seemed to grow more inviting, its beckoning allure irresistible.
Her eyelids, burdened by the weight of extreme exhaustion, grew heavy like lead. Every blink became a struggle, as if she was fighting against an invisible force. Surrounded by overwhelming sadness, her heart grew heavier, threatening to pull her further into the depths of despair. A profound sense of resignation settled upon her, filling her with the belief that there was no escape from this weariness. It seemed as though all that remained was to surrender to the consuming emotions and surrender herself to the enveloping darkness.
Accepting her fate, Rose made the choice to close her eyes, as if sealing her surrender. Darkness lurched forward, gradually swallowing her whole. The world around her faded, and her consciousness slipped away as she allowed herself to be carried away by the darkness, relinquishing the weight that held her captive.