Azzy hesitated for a moment, watching her sleep, his heart heavy with the weight of what he was about to do. He knew it was going to be hard—leaving her, especially now—but he also knew there was no other choice.

    He gently sat beside her, careful not to disturb her too suddenly. But it was time.

    "Leiza," he whispered softly, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. "Leiza, wake up."

    She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open slowly as she groggily blinked up at him. "Honey?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "What is it...?"

    Azzy''s heart clenched as he looked into her eyes. She deserved so much more than this, but the weight of the situation was too great to ignore.

    "The time has come," he said, his voice quiet but filled with urgency. "I need to leave."

    Leiza''s eyes shot open wide in an instant. She sat up quickly, her hand instinctively going to her belly as if to reassure herself that everything was still okay.

    "What?!" she gasped, her voice filled with confusion and panic. "Honey, what are you talking about? You can''t just leave now! Not now, of all times!"

    Azzy felt a pang in his chest, but his resolve didn''t waver. He didn''t want to go, didn''t want to leave her when she needed him the most. But there was no other choice, not if he wanted to save Claire—and maybe even everything else.

    "I know," he said softly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don''t want to leave either, but I don''t have any choice. The situation is... urgent. The fate of billions is at stake here." He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "I promise I''ll come back. By the time our child is born, I''ll be here. I''ll make it back in time, Dear. I swear."

    Leiza''s face was filled with a mixture of disbelief and concern as she stared at him, her hand resting protectively over her belly. She opened her mouth to protest, but the words seemed to die on her lips. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and despite the turmoil swirling within her, she knew he wasn''t doing this lightly.

    "How can you just leave me like this?" she asked quietly, her voice cracking with emotion. "I thought... And now, just when I need you the most..."

    Azzy knelt beside her, taking her hands in his. His voice was steady but full of regret. "I don''t want to leave you, my love. But I have to do this. If I don''t act now, it could be too late. I know it''s not fair, and I wish there was another way. But this is something I have to do."

    Leiza took a deep breath, her eyes filled with both sadness and acceptance. She knew that if Azzy stopped now because of her, he would be filled with regrets for the rest of his life. She can''t be selfish right now, even though she really want to be selfish.

    With a resigned sigh, she looked at him, her expression softening despite her fear. "I can''t convince you to stay, can I?"

    Azzy shook his head, his heart breaking. "I wish I could stay. But I can''t."

    Leiza closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply as she steadied herself. When she opened her eyes again, there was a mix of resolve and love in them. "You better come back quickly, Honey," she said, her voice steady despite the emotion behind it. "Or else... I swear, I''ll never forgive you."

    Azzy''s heart ached at the thought of leaving her in this state, but he knew she understood. She knew the stakes. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently, his lips lingering for a moment longer than usual.

    "I will," he promised, his voice quiet but firm. "I swear, I will."

    Leiza gave him a small, bittersweet smile as she nodded. "Just... be careful. Come back to us."

    Azzy lowered himself down and kissed her belly. "Hang in there, son. Don''t be in a hurry to come out and don''t trouble your mother with kicks and punches. Just wait for Papa. Love you." He spoke as if he was giving his farewell message, for he knew that the risk of death was still there. He was confident to return but still, he didn''t want to leave behind any regrets.

    He then stood up, his body tense as he prepared himself to leave. "Wait for me, Leiza."

    "I pray for your safety and may the lord bless you with luck, my love," replied Leiza, tears forming in her eyes.

    With a final glance over his shoulder, Azzy turned and walked out, the door clicking softly behind him. Leiza didn''t follow him as she felt like she wouldn''t be able to control herself, which is not a good thing for the baby.

    Soon, Azzy stood with Uriel on the balcony, the cool night air brushing against his skin, as the first light of dawn began to break across the horizon. The soft glow from the rising sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, but it did little to lighten the heaviness in Azzy''s chest.

    Uriel, as always, remained impassive, his expression unchanged by Azzy''s situation. With a slight motion of his hand, a rift in space opened, a swirling vortex of energy that seemed to pull the very air around them.

    Azzy looked back once more, his heart heavy, but filled with a determination he couldn''t ignore. Then, without another word, he stepped into the rift. The swirling energy closed around him, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

    Leiza sat there on the bed, her body trembling as the last vestiges of her tears slipped down her cheeks. Wiping the stream of tears, she murmured. "I need to be strong now, more than ever. Rael will return for me and my baby. I know that he will."

    *

    "I leave the rest in your care, Azrael. Good luck." Uriel said, dropping him off right at the entrance of the throne room.

    Azzy''s attention shifted to the sight before him. The air around him felt thick with an unspoken power. The walls of the god''s palace were lined with towering pillars, each one etched with intricate designs, glowing softly in the dim, ethereal light that radiated from them. As his gaze drifted upward, the sight of the celestial throne caught his attention.

    There, sitting upon the golden throne, was Claire.

    Her figure was regal, draped in exquisite clothing that shimmered like the stars, her golden crown sitting elegantly atop her head.

    But it wasn''t the crown, nor the clothing, that held Azzy''s attention—it was the sheer aura of divinity that seemed to wrap around her. It was as if her entire self changed from half a year ago.

    Her eyes were closed, her expression serene, and the pillars surrounding her pulsed with power, thirty-six of them in total, each one a glowing column of celestial energy.

    One of them was visibly being absorbed into her body, its light flickering as it merged with her form. The room hummed with an unnatural quiet, the power in the air thick with the process she was undergoing. It was a moment that felt frozen in time.

    As Uriel vanished, the doors to the throne hall slammed shut with a resonating finality, and a barrier of shimmering light surrounded the room. The sound of distant footsteps, voices, and the usual divine hum of Silver City seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in the heavy silence. Azzy was alone with Claire now, with nothing but his own resolve.

    His heart ached as the memories of their past—of the love they once shared, the promises they made—flooded his mind.

    He remembered the laughter, the quiet moments spent together, their plans for the future. And now, here she was a vessel of godly power, teetering on the edge of removing herself from existence.

    He stepped forward, his seraphic wings unfolding behind him, casting a soft glow against the darkness of the throne room. His voice broke the silence, quiet but full of emotion.

    "Claire..."

    At the sound of his voice, Claire''s eyes snapped open, her golden irises gleaming like molten metal in the dim light. For a brief moment, Azzy saw a flicker of recognition in her gaze, but it quickly shifted to something colder, more distant.

    Her voice was calm, almost devoid of emotion as she looked at him, her head tilted slightly. "How did you get in here, Azzy?" she asked.

    Azzy''s heart clenched at the sight of her. She wasn''t the woman he once knew and loved.

    He didn''t answer her question immediately. Instead, he took another step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "I learned the whole truth, Claire. Everything about you, about me, about us," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I know why you''re doing this, why you''re becoming... this."

    Claire''s gaze narrowed slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her features before they settled back into their serene, almost detached expression. "And what are you going to do about it?" she asked, her voice colder now. "Are you going to stop me? To stop this?"

    Azzy shook his head, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I''m not here to stop you, Claire. I''m here to save you."