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Baby? "I a his shoulders "I know I aly accept them"

"You are due, yes You took responsibility of Annabelle, and yet you allowed harm to come to her on more than one occasion You even caused her harm yourself Then you sat back as she harmed others"

"Yes And I accept whatever you decide to do, but I ask that you help me, too"

A pause

Such a thick silence

Then, "You desire h she is a deritted out "She is mine"

Unperturbed, the Deity continued on, "And you wish for e the demon who thinks to take her from you"

"A demon who has harmed many humans in his quest to reach her"

Another bout of silence, just as thick but now so heavy Zacharel’s shoulders drooped under the weight

"Much has changed for you since we last spoke," the Deity said

"Yes," he repeated His heart drummed erratically

"Tell me, Zacharel, what you have learned"

This, he did not have to think about "I have learned the value of human life I have learned the value of love and commitment I have learned to place another’s needs before my own"

"Have you truly?"

"Yes"

"Let’s find out, shall we Tell me, Zacharel Would you sacrifice yourself for your Annabelle?"

So casually asked, but with the Deity, there was always a purpose "I would" No question

"Would you sacrifice so dearer even than that? Would you sacrifice your brother’s life to save her?"

He frowned "My brother has no life to give He is dead"

"No He lives"

Zacharel…had no response to that Like the angels, the Deity would not lie That meant… That couldn’t mean… Could only el A spirit cannot die"

"But the Water of Death--"

"Is not what you think, either Your brother is alive He survived"

Hope filled hi like this "More than the water, I also burned his body"

"And his body was put back together"

Hadrenial was alive!

They could be together, he thought They could fly together Talk and laugh His brother could meet Annabelle, and they could be a faain," the Deity said "If both Annabelle and your twin stood before you now, if you could only save one life, whose life would you choose?"

In a single heartbeat, his hope withered His joy fled "Why would you ask me to make such a choice? As punish painfully

"You have hurt several huh you knew better You saved a human at the risk of your own life You are due both a punishment and a reward"

A punishment and a reward He could have his brother, or he could have Annabelle, but not both Hadrenial, theand kind, Zacharel had been hu and kind Hadrenial, whom he had missed with all of his heart Annabelle, whom he craved with the whole of his body Hadrenial, whose life was cut short by tored and confounded him at every turn

"And if I cannot choose?"