Urban

"Finally," Tyler said as he stepped through the ancient oak door of the Garden of Prophecies. The ivy-wrapped frame sealed shut behind him soundlessly and disappeared.
The physical transformation in him was immediate. The timeless, youthful serenity of the garden vanished like a dream. He felt his body age back in an instant, muscles filling out to his adult form under the majestic Seraphim King robes.
Natalie emerged next, her white dress shifting to more practical clothes suited to the real world, followed by Victor and Ashley, both reverting to their normal ages with pops of energy.
Kat spotted them first, her face breaking into desperate relief. She rushed forward from where she had been waiting anxiously with Yara and Mamushi.
"Tyler Grant!" Kat called out, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're back! You're really back! I thought you'd fight them and everything would fall apart."

Tyler raised his hand, snapping his fingers sharply. The aerial pause shattered. With a monstrous groan, the Sword of Surtr shivered and resumed its fall, its flames roaring louder as it accelerated.
Apocalyptic omens erupted worldwide again. The skies darkened further, earthquakes rumbled distant continents, tsunamis crashed coasts, and volcanoes stirred.
Victor didn't hesitate. "Limiters release!" he shouted, his body surging with power. Dark energy exploded around him, coiling like living shadows. He grew rapidly, over ten feet tall in seconds.
His form became shrouded in swirling blackness that absorbed light, and his muscles bulged with impossible density. From his back, dark, scaly wings erupted, crackling like lightning.
Victor's eyes glowed crimson. With a boom like cannon fire, he launched skyward, soaring straight towards the descending blade.
The group watched him fly towards 

"You can summon God?" Tyler blurted out, his teenage voice cracking with disbelief. He pushed his chair back and slammed his hands down hard on the porcelain surface, making the teacups rattle and the tea slosh over the rims.
"Natalie, tell me you're joking. Did you say you can summon the actual, all-powerful, creator-of-everything God? That's not just crazy, that's completely ridiculous."
"No one summons God, or even feels his presence. Not Seraph, not Destiny, not anyone in any lore I can see in the Akashic Records. How could you even say that with a straight face? It sounds like the most insane thing I've heard since Wings Island. Are you sure it's not some trick of the garden or Ashley's visions playing games with her?"
Natalie didn't look away, even though she twisted a napkin in her hands slowly. "I get it, Tyler. I really understand what you mean. When it first hit me, when Ashley's visions started guiding me, and I started piecing together what I am, I thought the same thing. It was ridiculous, and impossible, laughable, even."
Ashley patted the girl's thigh to comfort her. "It's okay."
Natalie let out a dry laugh. "Me, of all people? The girl who used to argue with you over stupid things back in Sapphire City, who cried when you went to El Abyssium to fight? I told Ashley she was wrong. I denied it for days, weeks, even. But then, I really needed to know the truth…"
"How did you approach it?" Tyler asked curiously.
"I tested small things first—little calls, prayers, nothing big. They were just whispers in my mind to see if anything happened."
She paused, reaching for her teacup but not drinking; she just held it like an anchor. "But then... one day I had the confidence to test it for real. I was alone, missing you, and being separated from you was breaking my heart."
"Nat…" Tyler whispered, biting his lip.
"I was scared out of my mind, and therefore I poured everything into a call to God," she went on with enthusiasm. "My doubts, my hopes, my dreams, my traumas. I called out not with fancy prayer words or rituals, but as if I was reaching for something I knew was there but nobody could see. It was like sending a message into the void and waiting for a receipt. And Tyler... There was an answer."
Tyler leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. During his conversation with Seraph, the supreme being once referred to THE VOID, where he called out for Destiny for eons. Was it a dimension that God tuned into?
"And? What exactly happened? Did the sky open? Did you hear God's booming voice? Did you get visions of burning bushes, angels, or something? Come on, Nat."
Natalie giggled nervously and slowly shook her head. "Nothing like that. It was quieter and subtler, like realizing you have a direct message chat that's always been there in the background, but only you can send the first ping."
"He responded. God responded. It was like acknowledging the message but not ready to reply fully. A feeling of 'seen'—that's the best way I can describe it over and over. I tried again later with a stronger vibe, and the response was clearer, as if he were listening more closely. Perhaps he was surprised someone had access to him in this way."
Victor cleared his throat from across the table, leaning in with his elbows planted firmly. "She's not exaggerating or making it up, Tyler. It fits the bigger picture perfectly. Natalie fits the bigger picture perfectly."
"I don't understand how Nat can access God even though she doesn't have any godly powers…"
Victor used both hands to gesture. "Think about Seraph and Destiny. They're not just powerful beings thrown into the mix. They're fundamental aspects of God's own creation itself."
Tyler turned to him, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that? I'm not sure I am following you completely."
Victor nodded patiently, taking his time like he was teaching a complex lesson. "Seraph is absolute power. He is the raw, burning force born from God, the strongest will that enforces, shapes, and destroys if needed. The hammer of creation, the fire that forges realities. That's Seraph—pure force."
Ashley chimed in softly from the side, pouring Victor more tea as he spoke. "And Destiny is absolute existence. She is the cosmic weave, the celestial threads, the pattern holding everything together. What is, what was, and what could be—the eternal matrix structure that binds everything."
"But neither has access to God," Tyler argued. "Seraph was excommunicated, and Destiny perhaps never talks to him."
Victor continued, picking up the thread again. "You are correct. Neither has direct access to God. They are more like extensions—facets of God, but not the source itself. However, nobody anticipated Seraph and Destiny would have a child..."
He gestured toward Natalie with an open palm. "A child that combines both facets into one. Power and existence fused into one—the entirety of creation embodied in a single being. That's why she carries the essence of God's own attributes. She can reach into the void with a frequency that is a privilege only to her."
Tyler rubbed his temples again, exhaling sharply as he tried to process the idea. "Alright, let's say I swallow that whole explanation—power plus existence equals God-chat. Even if she can reach him with a ping or whatever, why would God come down and actually descend to Earth for her call? He's not some servant waiting for a summons or a genie in a lamp. Why bother showing up? What makes you think he would care enough to appear?"
He leaned back, pressing the point. "Forget coming down. Why would he fix Petra for me? There is nothing to gain from reversing the nuclear holocaust and bringing back the dead?"
"This God does not seem to be the forgiving type, from anything the records show. He locked Seraph away for eons, burned his wings, and separated him from Destiny just because they loved each other."
"They were siblings, according to you, correct? Hence, they broke the biggest rule. God doesn't seem like the type to hand out miracles to rule-breakers like us. Why would he help?"
Ashley set the teapot down carefully. "We have already considered that question. God will come because he's been searching for Natalie all this time. She's a blind spot in his creation. Strange as it may seem, she is invisible to him, hidden in the cosmic magical protection born from her parents' love."
Victor chimed in. "Natalie's existence is a gap he can't fill or see. If she calls strongly enough and really opens that connection wide, he'll be curious enough to respond and come down. She's the missing odd piece in his creation."
Tyler thought for a moment and then shook his head fiercely. He stood up and paced a few steps in the enclosure. "That's exactly why she can't call God! If he finds her—this forbidden child, the product of that illicit love between Seraph and Destiny, he'll destroy her!"
"It's obvious he would want to erase Natalie from existence for being an abomination or a threat. And even if he shows up curious and not angry, it still doesn't answer the big question. Why would God help us? Why bring back the dead? He owes nothing to humans like us who have grabbed divine scraps like prophecies, thrones, and gifts."
"We're probably abominations in God's eyes, too. We are freaks playing God with powers we weren't meant to have. Why would he care about my pain or Petra's plight, which is nothing more than a speck to him?"
Natalie reached for his hand again. "Tyler, listen to me. We've thought this through."
"No," he cut in, turning to her with pleading eyes. "Tell me straight. How does talking to God bring back my loved ones? God is not going to undo death because we ask nicely or because he finds you intriguing."
The group exchanged meaningful glances again. Ashley bit her lip thoughtfully, while Victor stood slowly and crossed his arms. Natalie held Tyler's gaze.
Victor spoke first, breaking the silence after a long pause. "We've gone over this, Tyler. We have considered every risk, every possibility, and every outcome that Ashley's visions showed. We have debated it for months in this garden before approaching you."
Tyler stopped pacing, turning to him sharply. "And? What did you decide? What's the plan? Do we get on our knees and beg God to fix the past as a favor?"
Victor met his eyes squarely. "You've got it completely wrong. We don't intend the summoning of God to beg for favors. It's not a prayer or a plea for mercy. Neither is it asking him to fix things."
Ashley added quietly. "It's bigger than that. Much bigger. We are planning a major change, an overhaul."
Natalie stepped forward, placing a hand on Tyler's arm. "We will summon God and kill him."

"Finally," Tyler said as he stepped through the ancient oak door of the Garden of Prophecies. The ivy-wrapped frame sealed shut behind him soundlessly and disappeared.
The physical transformation in him was immediate. The timeless, youthful serenity of the garden vanished like a dream. He felt his body age back in an instant, muscles filling out to his adult form under the majestic Seraphim King robes.
Natalie emerged next, her white dress shifting to more practical clothes suited to the real world, followed by Victor and Ashley, both reverting to their normal ages with pops of energy.
Kat spotted them first, her face breaking into desperate relief. She rushed forward from where she had been waiting anxiously with Yara and Mamushi.
"Tyler Grant!" Kat called out, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're back! You're really back! I thought you'd fight them and everything would fall apart."
Yara, in Lilith form, hurried over too, her eyes wide. "My Lord... I am glad you have reconciled wi

Chapter 326 Home Again