The Abyss

I have seen the Abyss. I have seen the unfathomable, boundless domain composing the ‘nothingness’ of this universe. One might ask how you can observe literally nothing. The best way to explain it would be to say that it is the opposite of Everywhere. Rather than an omnipresent, kaleidoscopic, infinite-dimensional structure enveloping everything in the world, it is everything that does not exist. Dodos? They’re there. Unicorns? They’re there. Quarter-Life 3? It’s there. Yet simultaneously, none of them are there. The Abyss encompasses the absolute end of everything. Beyond any mortal understanding, it is destruction itself. It is the inevitable destination of the tangible and intangible – of all things and concepts. In many ways, it is vaster than Everywhere. Why do I explain all of this? Well, I use it to explain what I was observing at that moment. The vapid nothingness motivating the actions these people were taking can only remind me of that of the Abyss.

“Chug! Chug! Chug!”

As a small crowd cheered him on, a man repeatedly chugged glass after glass of petroleum before immediately taking a neutralising pill and vomit pill to prevent poisoning. What was the point of all of those etiquette lessons if this was how things were going to turn out? I slowly shook my head, turning slightly to glance at Lillia next to me, who had an indecipherable expression.

“Lily, what exactly are we going to do now?”

Her brow furrowed even further in thought. The events leading up to this had somehow managed to throw off even her usually blithe attitude.

As I watched a man in a tastelessly colourful suit pour inconceivably expensive champagne on his head, I felt my forehead furrow slightly. At least Michael had a better sense of dress…. I sighed and looked at the sky. I could only wonder how my father would have me handle this ‘kindly’.

===

Within the void of Everywhere, a girl, appearing around thirteen years of age, wielding a sword well beyond what her proportions suggested she could carry, was fighting against a similarly white-haired suited man. Her once-innocent sapphire eyes had hardened, emitting genuine intent to harm against Michael. Michael himself was lackadaisically parrying her attacks with a flaming sword.

“Useless.”

In a burst of movement so fast that it was imperceptible to the girl, the girl was disarmed and flung to the ground – or whatever could pass for ground in Everywhere. Before she could raise her head, it was slammed back down.

“How do you hope to lead the kingdom of heaven to victory against its enemies in Armageddon with such weakness?”

“… I’m not weak anymore.”

The girl refused to accept Michael’s words. She had been training in every waking hour to attempt to match him, and she was certain she had drastically improved. Nonetheless, she had not reached the starting line for challenging him. Michael chuckled slightly, before putting on a kind smile.

“Child, you must remember your duty.”

The girl’s expression twitched, before she quickly suppressed the change.

“How am I supposed to restore faith to mankind by fighting? I do not understand.”

Michael frowned.

“You are not learning the art of warfare for that purpose. It would be profane to suggest that the Lord’s designs might fail, so we must instead look to prepare for what comes after faith is restored.”

Irrespective the girl’s feelings, this continued. Half of the girl’s time was spent being educated on the matter of the Lord’s affairs – primarily past stories – while the remaining half was spent preparing for Armageddon. That is, until one day, when a second presence appeared in front of Michael while the girl was busy training on her own some distance away.

“Michael, your role is coming to an end.”

Michael glowered back at the man.

“Apollyon, your mere existence is vulgarity against the Lord’s design; every moment you impose your repulsive presence upon his domain is a moment in which you commit an immeasurable heresy. If every molecule your physical being was to be scattered across your beloved Abyss, then the pain you experienced would only be an infinitesimal speck in comparison to that which you deserve!”

Apollyon, Angel of the Abyss, was a hideous sight for mortal eyes. He had a hulking figure, and in place of hair, his bald head was covered in a patchwork of a material that could only be compared to that seen in the wings of a locust. His face was marred by black withering, and his eyes were covered by sunglasses. In stark contrast to this, he was wearing a plain checkered shirt, cargo shorts, and simple sandals.

“Again, Michael: you can’t continue for much longer. You need to hand the girl over.”

The girl, who had now stopped training, was watching on curiously.

“You insolent fool! How dare you desecrate my being by suggesting that I am bound by something that you could deign to perceive?”

Apollyon’s expression remained neutral, before he gave an exasperated breath. He removed his glasses, revealing empty eye sockets.

“I can see it – your end, that is.”

Michael gnashed his teeth, showing a frustrated expression that the girl had never seen on his face before.

“I need to at least complete the sealing. We both know that I am the only one who can do it aside from the Lord himself.”

Apollyon glanced at the girl, and then grimaced.

“Fine. Do it now, though.”

Michael turned to the girl and put back on his kind expression.

“Child, come over here.”

Knowing that there was no point in disobeying, the girl cautiously approached the two men. As soon as she reached a close range to Michael, he began to unsheathe his flaming blade. She didn’t have time to feel confused before, in an instant, she was impaled by the blade through her stomach.

“Wh- what?”

The girl coughed up blood. Pain permeated her body. She felt the intense desire to cry out in agony, but suppressed it, hoping that perhaps this was some sort of test. Michael’s kind smile did not disappear. Apollyon was looking away and had his head bowed, an incredibly strained look on his face. Michael removed the blade, and the girl collapsed to the ground, rapidly losing consciousness. In her last moments awake, she could only think one thing.

“Michael… next time… I’m going to kill him. I have to kill him. I need to finally do it…”

And thus, she lost consciousness.

…

When she awoke, she was greeted by the frightening sight of Apollyon’s face, albeit with glasses on. However, she was not interested in him.

“Where is he – where is Michael?”

Apollyon frowned slightly.

“Michael is… gone.”

“Michael is gone?”

“He-”

Before Apollyon could elaborate further, he was suddenly elevated from the ground, with a firm grip on his collar. The girl’s formerly blue eyes were now shining in an unmistakably fiery hue.

“I need Michael, now.”

“I’m sorry, I-”

“I need him now.”

While from Apollyon’s perspective, this was little more than the tantrum of an immature child, the tightening grip on his lapel indicated to him that this girl was dangerous, even to a primordial angel like him.

“Calm down, child. I can’t bring him – he is truly gone.”

“Why?!”

Apollyon was tossed several metres away to the ground. He watched as the girl began to pound on the ground in apparent rage.

“Why. Why. Why.”

Her repeated questioning synchronized with each strike on the ground. Most horrifyingly, through all of this, her expression didn’t budge an inch. Apollyon could only mutter in disbelief.

“What in the Lord’s name did Michael do to you…?”

The girl’s eyes turned to him.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Michael is dead. I don’t have anything else I wanted to do….”

Apollyon understood. The girl had lived on hatred, and now that that was gone, all that remained was the crushing loneliness of Everywhere. He understood all too well the crushing hopelessness of Everywhere, for he had spent almost all of his days in the Abyss. He approached the girl.

“Child, place your hate on me instead.”

“… Why?”

“For Michael’s sins are my own. My own ignorance is no excuse for allowing what happened to you.”

“… But you’ve never hurt me.”

Apollyon smiled with heartfelt melancholy. It seemed he would not be able to alleviate himself of his irreversible sin by taking on hatred.

“Well, if not that, then at least allow me to complete your education.”

The girl flinched.

“Do not worry. You will never have to raise a blade again.”

Apollyon then and there decided, he would not place her on the Earth early as originally planned. He would need permission from the Lord, but it was a necessary measure. He would undo the damage Michael had done. This was his duty as the final angel.

For the girl, this was the day she truly began to live.