Vanessa awoke, her gaze wandering through the mystical designs of Azazel’s palace in Avalon. Her eyes were tired, and her head throbbed. She sat up, looking around, clutching her head as she tried to recall what had happened.
"Azazel... What did he do to me?" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out what Azazel had done to her mind. Vanessa cursed and attempted to stand.
"I think that would be a bad idea for you, Vivian," Azazel said with a smile. Vanessa nearly fell off the bed when she suddenly noticed Azazel’s presence. Fortunately, her physical strength allowed her to grab the bed at the last second.
"You scared me," Vanessa sighed, growing tense at his presence. As much as she hated to admit it, she was truly afraid of Azazel.
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Azazel, sensing Vanessa’s fear of him, smiled. "It’s perfectly normal to fear me. After all, it’s the first time you’ve seen a being like me. You’ll get used to it soon enough."
As Vanessa rose from the bed, Azazel watched her. While he sensed a hint of courage in her, he didn’t particularly enjoy how frightened she seemed. A more fearless Vanessa would have been more to his liking.
"If you still have unanswered questions, you may ask me anything now," Azazel said, sitting on a chair. Vanessa seized the opportunity, deciding to be bolder in her inquiries this time. Azazel seemed to tolerate her, and she was intuitive enough to sense that he didn’t intend to kill her—at least not yet.
"Why do you keep calling me Vivian?" The question that had been bothering her the most was why he addressed her with the name of the Fairy Queen. Since the beginning, Azazel had called her Vivian, not Vanessa. She was curious about what Azazel was hiding from her.
"Because you are Vivian," Azazel said calmly. At first, Vanessa thought he was mocking her, but she couldn’t detect any deceit in his words. It felt as though he was telling the truth.
"But how?" Vanessa furrowed her brow, frustrated by Azazel’s vague explanations. Azazel looked at her thoughtfully. "King Arthur and the False Goddess didn’t only exile me and others like me to Avalon."
He smiled before continuing. "Vampires, demons, and lastly, you, Vivian, were also exiled here. You were sent here with your fairies."
"No, that’s impossible," Vanessa snapped, rejecting his words. She had lived her life as the daughter of ordinary people in a mundane world. It was inconceivable for her to be a fairy.
Azazel, unfazed by Vanessa’s thoughts, continued. "King Arthur used you as a sacrifice to seal us here. Avalon wasn’t always like this; it was once a paradise and a realm of peaceful races."
"But Avalon looks terrible now, doesn’t it? If it was a paradise, why is it in such a state?" Vanessa was certain Avalon resembled more of a hell than a paradise. She was curious how such a transformation could have occurred.
"Morgana took control of the fairies and corrupted them," Azazel said, rising to his feet and placing his hands on Vanessa’s shoulders. His face bore a thoughtful yet serious expression. "Avalon thrived because of the fairies’ determination and your hard work, Vivian."
"But I still don’t understand..." Vanessa clutched her head. The influx of information made her head hurt. She struggled to make sense of it. Was she truly Vivian, as Azazel claimed?
"When the fairies abandoned you, Avalon began to collapse." Azazel gestured toward the window. Huge fragments of land floated aimlessly, and the surroundings looked like a battlefield.
"Avalon survives now only because of my power, Vivian," Azazel said calmly. "Even maintaining this dimension drains much of my strength. But it wasn’t always like this. You once tried to bring order here."
"Is the last one Pestilence?" Vivian said thoughtfully. With Azazel’s denial, she assumed she was mistaken. Azazel, however, didn’t appreciate being interrupted but chose to remain silent.
"Pestilence is merely one of the many aspects of the final Horseman, Death," Azazel explained, grinning as he thought of the weakest yet most effective Horseman. "Death is the true instigator of chaos. He lays the groundwork for the arrival of the apocalypse by preparing the stage for the other Horsemen."
"The Four Horsemen together are so powerful that even the archangels of Heaven were forced to set aside their pride to prevent Hell’s advance," Azazel concluded, falling silent. Vivian sank into deep thought. The world would have to face Death. She wasn’t sure whether to fear or worry about it.
"Will all four Horsemen attack us?" Vivian’s biggest fear escaped her lips. The Four Horsemen were so powerful they could even corrupt angels. Humanity would be easily obliterated.
"Don’t worry. The Four Horsemen won’t attack you simultaneously," Azazel said with a reassuring smile. When he noticed Vivian looking at him expectantly, he continued. "The Horsemen don’t possess physical forms like us. They are spiritual entities, feeding off emotions, chaos, and the sins of humanity."
"What are you trying to say?" Vivian asked quickly, needing more information. Azazel chuckled and elaborated. "Death will begin by unleashing plagues, diseases, and natural disasters, creating panic and fear among people."
Vivian listened intently, mentally noting everything. Azazel went on, "Death will feed on humanity’s fear. If you wish to stop him, you’ll have to prevent people from succumbing to fear."
"Isn’t there an easier way?" Vivian asked tiredly. Azazel smirked as if deriving some twisted pleasure from her frustration. "Of course, there is an easier way."
Vivian’s face lit up, eager to hear the easier method. Azazel paused momentarily, then smiled. "My father is still in your world. If you ask for his help, perhaps he might assist you in subduing the Four Horsemen once more."
Vivian frowned at the thought of meeting that man again, but she had no choice. Enduring Lucifer was better than facing the apocalypse.
"Alright, I’ll do it." She steeled herself and looked Azazel in the eye. "Send me back to the world. I want to see my father."
Azazel, noticing her determination, said nothing and waved his hands lightly. "You’re already in the world—physically, at least. Only your mind is here."
Relieved, Vivian exhaled deeply. The mere thought of staying in Avalon forever was unbearable. She waited for Azazel to send her consciousness back.
"I’ll contact you again later, Vivian," Azazel said as a glowing light emerged from his hand and enveloped her. The last thing she saw before her body disappeared from Avalon was Azazel’s gentle smile.
"Ah!"
Vivian jolted awake and quickly checked if she was still in Avalon. Her breathing was heavy. Hearing the persistent beeping sound next to her and seeing the white walls, she realized she was in a hospital.
"Ugh, my body hurts so much. Damn it!" Vivian groaned, wondering how she ended up there. Her thoughts were interrupted when a doctor entered the room, drawing her attention.
"Discharge me."
"I’m sorry, but you’ll need to stay here a bit longer," the doctor said, accustomed to such reactions from patients. "You’re still in the recovery phase. You’ll have to stay at least another day."
Faced with the doctor’s insistence, Vivian finally gave up, burying her head in the pillow and deciding to sleep. At least that way, the day would pass quickly...