Chapter 1447 Falco's Narration Author's Note: Unedited Chapter -------------- "We've successfully steered the evil doers away from our god. They were led astray by the illusion, just as planned." At the mention of the news, a wave of jubilation swept through the crew. Cheers and exclamations filled the air as they took pride in their accomplishment. They had managed to protect who they claimed was their deity, a figure of immense importance and reverence to them, from the prying eyes and potentially malevolent intentions of the alliance fleet. The crew gathered around their leader, their faces alight with the glow of victory. "Our god remains safe, thanks to your ingenuity," one of the crew members said, admiration evident in their tone. "Yes, but let us not forget, this was a collective effort," the leader responded, keen to share the credit with the entire team. "Our unity and dedication to our cause has once again proven that we can overcome any threat that seeks to disturb our sanctity." "All hail the Gustavo Alliance!" one of the crew members yelled. "All hail the Gustavo Alliance!" Everyone else chanted in response before returning to their duty posts. The leader, still basking in the aftermath of their successful deception, was momentarily interrupted by the sharp chirp of an incoming transmission. The device on his wrist, a band of technology far advanced, flickered to life, casting a soft glow on his features. He tapped the device, accepting the transmission with a practised motion, his expression shifting to one of anticipation. The holographic display projected in front of him buzzed into clarity, revealing the face of another crew member, stationed thousands of light-years away on a distant mission. The visible background suggested they were aboard another vessel, one equally equipped for the tasks at hand. "SOvuna," the distant crew member began, his voice crackling slightly over the connection, "I bring news from the front lines." The leader leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Go on," he encouraged, sensing the importance of the message. "We've successfully taken control of Tevilon planet in the name of Gustav," the crew member reported, a triumphant smile breaking across his face. "Their defences were no match for our strategy and power. The planet and its resources are now at our disposal, ready to support our cause." Upon hearing the news, a wave of jubilation similar to the earlier celebration washed over the leader. His eyes sparkled with delight, and a broad smile stretched across his face. "Excellent work!" he exclaimed, his voice resonating with pride and satisfaction. "This is a significant victory for our cause. With this, our Lord Gustav will have it easier when completing his mission to free the universe of life." ... ... ... In the silent, star-strewn expanse of space, Gustav and the others journeyed onwards, their spacecraft cutting a solitary path through the stars. Unbeknownst of what had happened with one of the alliance commanders, Gustav guided their vessel with the precision of one well-versed in the intricacies of space travel. Meanwhile, Aildris and Ria gathered around Falco, their curiosity piqued about his time in the other plane, a realm that remained shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Falco's gaze looked distant as if he was peering through the veil of his memories. He began to unravel his tale. "I was unconscious for most of it," he admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of solemnity. "It felt like a lifetime, an endless drift in the void. I was in the process of transitioning since I was to accept my heritage and become a full-fledged being of darkness like my father. But Angy's case is a bit different..." The mention of Angy, however, brought a visible shift in Gustav's demeanour. His concern for her well-being had always been palpable, a bond that went beyond mere companionship. "What of Angy?" Gustav interjected, unable to mask the disturbance that Falco's mention of her evoked. "What happened to her in that plane?" Falco sighed a gesture of regret for the scant information he could offer. "Angy... she had been tampered with long before I regained consciousness. From what I gathered, half of her existence is still tied to our plane, which grants her the ability to move between dimensions. The other half, however, binds her to that plane, making her a being of its essence." He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "My father," Falco continued, "is the Lord of darkness... The master of that plane. A figure of immense power who answers only to one other, whose name I cannot speak. The dark plane is incredibly vast and divided into about a thousand parts. The realm you entered, where you found me and Angy belongs to Amir. He was in charge of making sure my transition went smoothly and also tampering with Angy's essence as well as her physique." "Amir... I've heard that name before," Ria voiced in contemplation. "The death angels... he's their owner or something," Gustav answered from up ahead. "Oh yes... I remember now. They called them Amir Death Angels," Ria recalled their incident on planet Ozious and the beings of darkness that caused death to follow in their trail. "So that was who Endric and Aildris met," Ria added with a look of bewilderment. "Yeah... he commands the most lethal fleet of the dark plane. The death Angels... and believe me, they are way more powerful than what we saw in Planet Ozious. If I had taken even a little longer to get you three out of there, we would have been trapped forever. Amir only stopped momentarily because I told him to." A heavy silence followed Falco's revelation. The implications of their venture into that plane, into Amir's realm, began to dawn on them. "Had it been the highest realm..." Falco added, a sobering note to his tone, "...you guys would already be long dead. The realms vary in danger and in the beings that inhabit them. Amir's realm, while perilous, is but a fraction of what the highest realm holds which is also where most of my father's counterparts dwell." The others absorbed Falco's account, the reality of their narrow escape and the complexity of the plane they had ventured into becoming increasingly clear. The revelation that Angy's essence was split between dimensions, and the power dynamics of the other plane, painted a picture of a universe far more intricate and perilous than they had imagined. Gustav, processing the information, felt a mix of frustration and determination. "So, Angy is caught in the middle of all this." he mused aloud, his resolve hardening. "We need to find a way to help her, to bring her back fully to our plane without the other half pulling her back there." Falco nodded, acknowledging the challenge that lay ahead. "It won't be easy," he cautioned. "My father's plane is governed by rules and powers that are ancient and deeply entrenched." Aildris, whose sharp intuition missed little, caught onto the recurrent mention of a 'father' by Falco, a term laden with an unexpected familiarity when referring to the formidable being that governed the other plane. Aildris's curiosity pierced the veil of unspoken stories, "Falco, you've been referring to this entity as your father. Have you truly accepted the lord of that other plane as your father?" Falco, caught off-guard by his unguarded references, hesitated. The question unearthed a slew of memories and emotions, drawing him back to a series of encounters that had irrevocably altered the course of his existence. "It's... it's not as straightforward as acceptance or denial," Falco began, his voice tinged with the complexity of his feelings. "My... father, he would visit me in human form. Despite the bindings that held me, he wanted me to feel comfortable, to see him not just as a lord of darkness but as someone familiar... someone paternal." Ria found himself puzzled by Falco's explanation. "But how exactly is he your father? You have an Earthly father, don't you?" He asked, trying to piece together the seemingly conflicting pieces of Falco's lineage. The question hung in the air, a challenge to the very nature of identity and belonging. Falco's gaze drifted away, lost in the complexities of his dual heritage. Before he could respond, Gustav, driven by a blend of concern and intrigue, pressed for clarity. "It's complicated doesn't quite cut it, Falco. How is it possible to have two fathers? One, an ordinary man from Earth, and the other, an extraordinary being that governs the very essence of darkness?" If anyone from Earth had heard Gustav call Falco's father an ordinary man, they would probably headbutt him since they knew just how stinking rich he was. However, to Gustav, that didn't even begin to measure up compared to the power of the entity that governed the dark plane. Falco sighed, realizing that the truth could no longer remain shrouded in the half-light of evasion. "To understand the story of my existence you must first let go of conventional notions of family and lineage." His words piqued their curiosity, causing everyone to lean forward in readiness. ##############