Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

In the gilded halls of Heaven, where the golden light shimmered with an eternal glow, the atmosphere was anything but serene. 

The archangels had gathered, their voices rising in passionate discussion, a cacophony of divine fervor echoing through the pristine marble chamber. The cause of their debate was a singular, baffling event: a new name had appeared in the celestial registry.

It was an event unprecedented in countless eons. Heaven's population was finite, its numbers unchanging since the fall of Lucifer, his followers and God.

New angels simply did not exist. 

Yet here they were, faced with the irrefutable evidence of something, or someone, entirely new.

Michael, the leader of the archangels, stood apart from the others, his face a mask of calm, though his piercing blue eyes betrayed the tempest of thoughts within. 

He alone knew the truth behind the mysterious name. The angel in question was no ordinary creation; it was none other than the offspring of Jin, the Chaos Bringer, a being that Heaven had long viewed as an abomination, an unnatural force that defied the established order of existence.

Jin's name was a curse in Heaven, whispered with disdain and fear. His very existence was an affront to the divine order, and Michael could still recall the countless battles waged to erase him from reality. 

Yet, despite the hatred and the fervent attempts to destroy him, Jin had persisted, and now, his lineage had somehow intertwined with the celestial realm becoming a true angel.

Michael kept this knowledge to himself, knowing full well the uproar it would cause among his brethren. The truth, for now, was a dangerous burden he alone would bear.

The meeting reached a fever pitch as the archangels debated the implications of this new arrival. Voices overlapped in a chaotic symphony of divine opinions.

"This cannot be ignored!" Raphael declared, his emerald eyes alight with determination. "We must find our new sibling and bring them into the fold!"

"But how?" Uriel countered, his stern voice cutting through the noise. "We don't know who they are, where they came from, or why they've appeared now. For all we know, this could be some trick of the Fallen or the devils."

Gabriel, the most radiant of the archangels, stepped forward, her presence immediately commanding attention. Her golden hair seemed to shimmer with its own light, and her warm, compassionate aura silenced the room. 

Gabriel was Heaven's heart, its unwavering beacon of hope, and her words carried a weight that none could ignore.

"This is no trick," she said, her voice calm but firm. "A new name on the registry can only mean one thing, a new angel has been born, we have a new brother. They are one of us, and it is our duty to find them and bring them home."

The room fell silent, the weight of her words settling over the gathered archangels. Michael nodded, stepping forward to address the assembly.

"Gabriel is right," he said, his deep voice resonating with authority. "This new angel is our sibling, and they are out there, alone and vulnerable in a world filled with danger. We must act swiftly to ensure their safety."

All eyes turned to Gabriel, who stood with a mixture of determination and barely contained excitement. She was the obvious choice for the task. 

As the Messenger of God, she possessed the unique ability to locate anyone in existence. It was an ability that had made her indispensable in Heaven's efforts to guide and protect the faithful.

Gabriel's eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she placed a hand over her heart. "I will find them," she vowed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I will find our new sibling and bring them home. No harm will come to them, not while I draw breath."

Her heartfelt declaration was met with murmurs of questions and disapproval. The other archangels knew that if anyone could accomplish this task, it was Gabriel. But that didn't stop them from contesting this idea.

What none of them realized, what even Gabriel herself did not yet know, was that this would be no ordinary search. 

Guldrin, the new angel, was unlike any other. His connection to Heaven's system was tenuous at best, a quirk of his unique origins. Gabriel's locator ability, infallible as it was, would find no trace of him.

The murmurs of dissent began to grow. Raphael, usually the voice of reason, furrowed his brow. "Gabriel," he said gently, "you are Heaven's heart, its symbol of compassion. But this mission… It might require a harsher touch, an approach tempered by strategy rather than emotion."

Uriel crossed his arms, his voice laced with skepticism. "And what if this so-called sibling is a trap? Or worse, a danger to us all? We cannot risk sending our most precious light into such uncertainty."

Gabriel's eyes widened, and her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. The room shifted uncomfortably. Seeing Gabriel distressed was akin to witnessing a storm in paradise; it felt unnatural, almost sacrilegious.

"But they are alone," Gabriel whispered, her voice quivering with barely restrained emotion. "They are out there, frightened, perhaps confused, in a world filled with darkness. Would you deny them the love and protection of their family? Would you leave them to fend for themselves?"

The assembly hesitated. Her words struck a chord, but their apprehension remained. Uriel opened his mouth to argue further, but Gabriel's knees buckled slightly, and she clutched her hands to her chest, a single tear slipping down her radiant cheek.

The room froze.

To see Gabriel cry was unbearable. Her tears were a rarity, a divine tragedy in and of themselves. The light around her seemed to dim, as if Heaven itself mourned alongside her. Murmurs of protest softened into an uncomfortable silence.

The last time she shed a tear was when all the angels learned of their father's death and made the ultimate choice that they didn't want to live in a world without their father… And, ended their lives or fell from despair.

Michael stepped forward, sensing the need to meditate. "Gabriel," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one doubts your love or your determination. But this mission… It is fraught with unknowns. Are you certain you wish to undertake it?"

Gabriel lifted her tear-streaked face, her expression that of pure resolve. She clasped Michael's hand in hers, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "I must, Michael. They are my sibling, our sibling. How can I sit here in safety while they wander, unprotected and unloved? I would never forgive myself if something happened to them because we hesitated."

The other archangels exchanged glances, their resolve crumbling under the sheer weight of Gabriel's sincerity. It was impossible to say no to her when she looked at them like that, like a kicked puppy in need of solace. 

Even Uriel, the most stubborn among them, sighed and relented.

"Fine," Uriel muttered, rubbing his temples. "But you are to report back regularly, Gabriel. If there's even a hint of danger, you must return immediately. Agreed?"

Gabriel nodded fervently, her radiant smile returning as though the sun had broken through storm clouds. "Thank you," she said, her voice warm and full of gratitude. "I will not fail you. I will not fail him."

Michael watched as the assembly dispersed, the tension in the room giving way to a sense of cautious hope. Gabriel's enthusiasm was infectious, and even the most reluctant among them couldn't help but feel a spark of optimism.

Yet, as Michael lingered in the empty chamber, a shadow of concern crossed his face. He knew the truth of the new angel's origin, and it weighed heavily on him. 

Jin's legacy was a complicated one, and he could only hope that Gabriel's light would be enough to guide their new sibling onto the right path.

For her part, Gabriel wasted no time. She began her preparations with fervor, gathering her belongings and meticulously planning her journey. She radiated excitement, her every action showed her determination. The celestial host watched her with a mixture of admiration and trepidation, their hopes pinned on her success.

But as Gabriel set out, the first challenge revealed itself. Her locator ability, usually so precise, yielded no results. No matter how she focused her divine power, there was no trace of Guldrin in the celestial registry. It was as if he existed just beyond the reach of Heaven's grasp.

Gabriel frowned, her golden brows furrowing in confusion. "Strange," she murmured to herself. "Why can't I find him? Perhaps… Perhaps he's hidden, afraid to reveal himself. Yes, that must be it."

Gabriel's resolve was unshakable, her golden wings carrying her from the serene, hallowed realms of Heaven to the chaotic, unpredictable world below. 

The earth felt both alien and familiar beneath her feet, vibrant with life yet riddled with pain and uncertainty. Her descent marked the beginning of a quest that would stretch her patience, test her faith, and bring her face-to-face with allies and adversaries alike.

The old-fashioned way of searching proved arduous but gave Gabriel a sense of purpose. Her radiance was undeniable, drawing eyes and whispers wherever she went. She wandered bustling cities and quiet towns, weaving her way through throngs of people with a calm determination. Her luminous presence seemed to soften even the hardest hearts, and when she approached the faithful, her questions were met with reverence and awe.

"Have you seen him?" she would ask, her voice as soothing as a lullaby, though tinged with a quiet desperation she couldn't quite hide. "A boy, newly touched by Heaven's light?"

Most shook their heads, unable to offer her the answers she sought. Some claimed to have seen visions or signs, but none could give her a clear path. Despite the mounting frustration, Gabriel's demeanor remained kind, even as doubt began to creep into her heart. What if she was too late? What if her sibling was lost to the darkness, or worse, to the chaos of a world unprepared for someone so extraordinary?

In her moments of quiet reflection, Gabriel found herself growing increasingly pitiful without realizing it. The normally composed archangel once again began to resemble a kicked puppy, her radiant blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she confided in others about her struggles. 

Her mournful expressions and gentle pleas tugged at hearts with the force of a celestial gale. Her sorrow was so palpable, so pure, that it bordered on sacrilege for those around her to allow such divine despair to persist.

The unintentional weaponization of her sadness peaked when she sought the help of Serafall Leviathan, the Maou of foreign affairs in the underworld. Gabriel and Serafall had an unusual relationship. 

To Gabriel, Serafall was a cherished friend, though she considered her eccentric behavior baffling at times. 

To Serafall, Gabriel was a rival, a frustratingly perfect, annoyingly sweet archangel whose presence seemed designed to test her patience.

Their meeting began in a way that had become almost routine, though no less exasperating for the Maou. Gabriel descended into the darkened halls of the underworld palace without warning, her golden glow dispelling the shadows and bathing the space in a light that seemed wholly out of place. 

Serafall Leviathan, lounging on her oversized throne in her signature magical girl outfit, blue and pink, frilly, and ostentatiously adorned, sighed heavily the moment she caught sight of the archangel.

"Gabby, really?" Serafall's voice carried a mixture of irritation and resignation. She swung her legs off the arm of the throne and crossed them primly, though the effect was ruined by the pout on her lips. "You can't just barge into my domain like this. Do you know how many devils I had to calm down the last time you pulled this stunt? You're going to give my council members existential crises. Or worse yet, spark another war."

Gabriel, oblivious, or perhaps deliberately so, floated closer, her hands clasped in front of her chest in a gesture of desperate supplication. Her wide, shimmering blue eyes locked onto Serafall's, already beginning to brim with tears. Her presence was a contradiction: ethereal, fragile, yet unyieldingly persistent.

"Serafall," Gabriel began, her voice trembling. "I need your help. Please."

Serafall visibly bristled. "Oh, no. Not this again. Don't give me those big, teary eyes. You can't just waltz in here and-" 

Her words faltered as Gabriel's lips began to quiver, the faintest hiccup escaping her throat. Serafall groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. "Gabby, for the love of the underworld, stop. You're weaponizing your sadness, and it's unfair! What do you even want this time?"

Gabriel sniffled, her voice so soft and pitiful that even the most hardened demon would have faltered. "He's lost, Serafall. My little brother is out there, alone. I can't find him."

"Your… brother?" Serafall's brows furrowed, suspicion creeping into her tone. "Since when do you have a little brother?"

Gabriel wiped at her cheeks, the motion so delicate it looked like a butterfly brushing its wings. "He's new. A miracle. A precious, vulnerable sibling. I don't know how, but he exists, Serafall. I felt it."

Serafall frowned, her irritation slowly giving way to concern. "Gabriel, angels don't just… pop into existence. That's not how it works. You guys are basically celestial bureaucrats at this point. You haven't had a new angel since…" She trailed off, her gaze softening. "Since Big G bit the dust."

"That's why I need your help!" Gabriel's voice cracked, and the floodgates opened. Tears spilled freely now, cascading down her cheeks in crystalline streams. "I don't know where he is! I've tried everything! I can sense him, but it's faint, like he's there but just beyond my reach. He's out there somewhere, alone, defenseless, and he doesn't even know I'm looking for him. Sera, he's probably so scared-"

"Stop! Just stop!" Serafall threw up her hands, as if to physically shield herself from Gabriel's despair. "You're going to drown me in guilt if you keep this up! I can't deal with this. I'll help, okay? Just… stop crying. Please."

Gabriel sniffled again, blinking up at Serafall with a glimmer of hope. "You will?"

"Yes, yes, I will," Serafall muttered, already regretting her decision. "You're like an emotional bulldozer, you know that? I'll pull every string I've got in the human world. But don't get your hopes up too much. If you can't find him with your fancy angel GPS, what makes you think I'll have better luck?"

Gabriel reached out, grasping Serafall's hands in her own. "Because you're amazing, Serafall. You're so connected to the human world, and you have resources I could never access. You can do this. I know you can. My brothers don't even let me leave heaven anymore, I don't even know where to begin searching."

Serafall groaned again, though a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, you know."

"Yes, it will," Gabriel said earnestly, her sincerity cutting through any playful retort Serafall might have offered.

Serafall sighed and got to work. She was the Maou of foreign affairs, after all, and her influence extended far beyond the underworld. She summoned her agents, scoured every database, and pulled every favor owed to her. It wasn't long before her resources began to yield results, or, rather, one tantalizing lead.

"I found something," Serafall announced several days later, holding up a manila folder as Gabriel hovered anxiously nearby. "There's a name that matches what you gave me, the name is unique, so it wasn't hard to find. Found in Los Angeles. And… there's a picture."

Gabriel practically snatched the folder from Serafall's hands, her trembling fingers fumbling to open it. Inside was a grainy photo of a boy, perhaps in his early teens, standing near what looked like an auto repair shop. His expression was guarded, his posture wary, as though he were bracing himself against an unseen threat.

"It's him," Gabriel whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I know it's him."

Serafall leaned over her shoulder, squinting at the photo. "Are you sure? He doesn't exactly scream 'angelic.' He looks like he's been through the wringer in this photo."

"It's him," Gabriel repeated, her certainty unwavering. She traced a finger over the image, as if trying to commit every detail to memory. "Thank you, Serafall. You've given me hope."

Serafall crossed her arms, her expression conflicted. "Don't thank me yet. This is just a lead. For all we know, he's already moved on from L.A. And… Gabriel, there's something you should know."

"What is it?" Gabriel asked, looking up at her friend with wide, trusting eyes.

Serafall hesitated, then shook her head. "Never mind. It's probably nothing. Just… be careful, okay? The human world is messy, and this kid might be tangled up in more than you're ready to handle." How was she to explain that the angel of destruction had been seen heading in the direction of the boy? Only one person has ever held command of that being, and that was Jin, the scourge of the supernatural.

Gabriel nodded, her resolve hardening. "I'll find him. No matter what it takes."

As Gabriel left the underworld, her wings gleaming with renewed purpose, Serafall watched her go with a mix of amusement and unease. "Good luck, Gabby," she murmured to herself. "You're going to need it." She really hoped that things worked out for the poor angel, but she had a bad feeling nothing would.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)